{Well… great going, Colin. You're really in for it this time.}
Colin gulped as the guards of the logging camp surrounded him, their Comrades baring fangs and ready to shoot. The people here all looked rough, seasoned and in no mood for politeness. Even the machines looked hostile. One particular guy wearing a safety helmet addressed Colin. "Who are you? What are you doing here, boy? You're tresspassing!"
"I'm the new Forester." Colin said, by way of introduction. "And you're the ones who are tresspassing."
"Forester, eh?" the man eyed Colin's badge, green as ever. "What makes you think we're tresspassing, boy?"
Colin steeled himself. "Floras town agreed to keep their logging to your side of the river."
"Well, we've got a little problem here." The man said, smirking. "See, the wood on that side's been cut a wee bit too often, and trees take time to grow, right? So now we look across that stream you call a river, and we see lots of these nice big trees waiting to become top quality lumber, if we just walked on over and…"
"Broke your promise?" Colin cut in. "Betrayed our trust?"
The man laughed. "It's just business, boy. We need the wood. You've got it. Now move aside, or we'll show you who's really in charge of these woods!"
Colin growled. "Stop it, or this camp will be destroyed."
"By whom?" the man jeered. "You and that little pup on your shoulder?"
"The Forest Princess and all the clans of the Forest are about to pounce even as we speak." Colin warned them.
They laughed. They laughed hard and long.
One of them kicked at him. Colin stepped back quickly enough to avoid it, but they ganged up on him and came from all sides.
"Last chance, guys. Clear out or die." Colin offered, wincing.
The man with the safety helmet swung an axe at his head.
Colin drew his staff in time to parry the axe to one side. He stepped back, extending it, fell into a fighting pose and sighed. He reached out to Lynn with his mind. [Sorry, Lynn. They won't listen.]
[Told you.] Lynn replied grimly. [Get out of there. Now.]
Colin turned and ran.
The jeers and laughter behind him lasted just five seconds before half the bushes around them burst out in puffs of smoke and revealed themselves as Streak Foxes. With furious power, they struck not at the loggers or the machines, but at the bridge they made across the river and the rafts they used to carry their wood downstream.
"HEY! What the-?!"
Twig Lizards rushed out from the river itself. With roars, Bristle Boars charged upstream and slammed into everything they found in the camp. From above, Owls and Falcons rained down long-range attacks.
[I must say, Colin, your peace offer was a very suitable diversion. You gave us plenty of time to get into position unnoticed. Thank you.]
[That wasn't my intention, but you're welcome.]
Yachad the Lord of Tree Cougars leapt past him, a hundred of his clan at his back. They pounced on the gang of loggers that had laughed Colin out of camp and…
"Ugh." Colin regretted looking behind. "That's gotta hurt."
The Wasps swarmed overhead, looking like a cloud more than a group of bugs. They headed east…
[Hey, Lynn! The Wasps are crossing the river! Where are they going?]
[Floras, of course. I doubt the town will pay compensation in Clira, so they'll just have to pay for it another way.]
And then the Oakin too, crossed the river.
[Lynn? The camp's pretty much done for already. Why are the walking trees crossing the water?]
[I told you, didn't I?]
[Told me what?]
[I'm going to make them pay.]
The Oakin ripped the ferry and the docks apart. The cougars, done with tearing up the loggers and their Comrades, leapt across the river to continue their rampage.
Screams were going up from Floras Town.
[Hey, isn't that a bit much?]
[Compared to what they've done here? Not only do they betray me knowingly, they did it with relish. If it were only a small camp, one or two people with hand-axes taking down a couple of trees a night, I would have been forgiving, but this is the biggest logging operation I've seen on this continent, and they plant no seed where the trees were felled! They're laying foundations for more buildings! This was an invasion!]
[But…]
[And they laughed at my Forester when he offered them mercy! They struck at him with an axe! I WILL NOT allow that to go unanswered!]
Colin gulped. [It's my fault, then? You're angry because they attacked ME?]
[Put everything together and tell me the total.]
Hundreds of Forest Wilds were blasting apart Floras Town now, leaving just a dozen Oakin to completely tear up the remains of the logging camp. The entire forest seemed to have come alive to take vengeance on the treacherous town.
[With this, the Union's done for.] Colin realized. [This was their main source of raw materials.]
[And now you know why. It was at OUR expense that these people grew rich and powerful.] Lynn growled. [No longer! Lords of the Wilds! Spare nothing and no one!]
Colin fell silent then, not daring to say any more. Every word he thought to Lynn seemed to make her even angrier. Asking for mercy on the town's behalf would likely drive her to attack all the other towns of the Union.
{I just hope it won't come to that. We're dealing a whole lot of damage here as it is.}
Then, Colin jumped. [Lynn! What about the Comrade Home? Are you going to destroy it?!]
[No, Colin, I'm not going to loose Frenzieds on this continent, if that's what you're thinking.] Lynn replied grimly. [I am the Forest Princess, and the Lords of the Wilds stand with me. They will call their own back into their fold.]
[In other words, you'll release the Tames to become Wilds again…] Colin realized.
[Exactly.] Lynn thought to him. [They'll be under your command.]
[Mine?! You want me to bond them all?!]
[No, Colin. You're the Forester, remember? You have the support of all the Lords. If you want to chase all humans out of the forests, destroy the other logging camps on this side of the river, all you need to do is ask them for help. Any time you wish, you may call upon all the Wilds of the West Lamico Forest to protect their homes.] Lynn said. [My Foresters aren't errand boys doing odd jobs for the whims of the Lords, Colin. They are the masters of the forests, the keepers of the woods. This forest is yours to rule and protect.]
[You want me to rule the forest?!] Colin gaped.
[Just this small one over here.] Lynn said. [Eight clans and a short piece of land. Not too much to ask, is it? It's not even as big as the little Sunshine Forest. Think about MY job. I have to take care of all the Forests of Nakama World!]
Colin gulped. [Okay, if you put it THAT way…]
Hearing about her from Zoe, Colin had known the Forest Princess was powerful, even more powerful than the Seven Champions. He hadn't thought there was much difference.
Only now was Colin beginning to see just how powerful Lynn really was. Commanding several high-leveled Comrades was one thing. Ruling all the Forests of the world and all the Wilds in them was an entirely different matter.
{But that is what it means to be the Forest Princess. It's not like she's a popular champion nicknamed because of her love of the forest. It's not a nickname. This is a title recognized by the very Wilds themselves. And when I offered to help her…}
Colin gulped. I had no idea what I was getting into.
[Colin, you have a sense of fairness, don't you? A strong sense of kindness too, but you're a Justice Knight by your own choice. I find it odd that the J-Knights have been working towards peace and order rather than the justice they so proudly proclaim.] Lynn added, still as grim as ever. [You want to know what justice really is?
[This is it.]