davies opened the door and stepped through a veil of water into a room with uncommonly fresh air it was like all the smells of various trees mingled together they could see their scrapes and bruises from their adventure in the forest of echoes healing with their own eyes and durgafoss still eerily silent motioned for them to sit down as chairs and a table grew up from the ground.
glasses of sweet water like nothing they ever tasted grew up out out of the table and branches stretched down to drop an assortment of strange looking fruits .
they tried to talk to her while they ate but she didn't say a word until they were done she walked up to the little wolf holds her paw in her hand and says halazoa the other gods are as quick to punish as I am to forgive I know your pain as I know the pain of all in existence.
I will tell you what you need to attain a human form once again you and your allies must overthrow the corrupted nobility .
after your apparent demise they seek to conquer all the lands as we speak they proceed to tear down the forest of echoes as it is no longer protected by its guardian the sound eater.
now my time with you grows shorter by the minute so I will send you on your way to the ruins of your castle so you may arm your allies with your hidden treasures .
as a final token of my forgiveness I grant you a familiar this creature will act as your voice.
durgafoss opens her hand and what looks like a hummingbird but with a human face where the beak and beady eyes should be flys out and excitedly darts around before landing on halazoas head and saying get this mangy bird off my head in a absolutely perfect rendition of halazoas old voice.
careful altena parrots out your thought speak once in contact.
she waves her hand and a portal opens up
halazoas ruined castle on the other side.
....
tally dosen't know what to do he couldn't follow durgafoss into her domain honestly that melancholy godess scares him.
he was in the form of a blue jay perched on a rock in the middle of the lake hoping they come back up soon when suddenly a chill goes up his spine he slowly turns around only to see durgafossess creepy ass poking her head above the water like some kinda river monster.
gahha! he let's out a weird little yell falling into the water.
durgafoss picks up the drenched little bird smirking dont worry "tally" she said making fun of his new nickname only here to help before tossing him through a bird sized portal.
durgafoss was actually happy for once sure she had to stay in the mortal realm for a couple hundred years for helping them but it was boring up there anyway.
....
benrmtar and his mercenaries were clearing the forest of echoes.
the wood from the echo trees could be carved into a special type of arrow called a screaming
barb known for causing the opponent's ears to bleed before it even hits.
they have already massacred the scar wolves to make scarhide leather armor.
benrmtar chuckling to himself thinking that the next time he meets the war beasts and that traitorous scout it will have an entirely different outcome.
a few of his scouts entered his tent to make a report .
comander we followed their trail all the way out to a small lake but then it disappeared' it's like they walked into the water and never returned.
benrmtar is silent for a moment then he pulls out a crossbow to shoot one of the scouts with a screaming barb and orders the other one his ears bleeding to be interrogated.
as his men take the poor man away benrmtar nervously bites his nails he has been unable to trust his scouts every since that little bitch silg betrayed him and ran off with his only war beast.
benrmtar orders his men to pack up camp and move closer to the lake if they cant find anything I guess we'll just have to drain it he thinks to himself.
Willard a lowly foot soldier was nearby clearing benrmtars dining table and packing his things he was trying to hurry because if hes honest the man scared him and his twisted smile and creepy laughter was definitely not helping the situation .
every time he cleaned the tent his life was at risk it was like walking on eggshells and thin ice at same time while carrying a stick of dynamite balanced on a metal spoon.
actually benrmtar had killed all his attendants whitch was why a foot soldier was was doing the work instead.
the other soldiers were even taking bets on how long he would survive 'but even Willard would have his part to play his one chance at survival
and his own turn to play the villain but that choice is a ways off and for now willard trundles off to load his masters carriage.
...
halazoa and company step through the portal out into her ruined castle.
silg says wow nice place you got here
with a smirk .
altena squawks- shut up you stupid mewling child I'll have you skinned for talking about my abode in such a manner.
wow you really are a evil witch I think i prefer the growling and barking.
mutt interrupts their bickering to ask where the kitchen is his stomach grumbling and making loud un stomach like noises.
I doubt you'll find anything edible but turn left at the giant statue of my former body then go down the long hallway and take a right dont go left cause you will end up at my greenhouse and I imagine some of the more volatile plants have grown quite dangerous in my absence.
thanks halazoa mutt says before running off down the hall.
altena the tiny bird on her head spoke up
okay people I hid some weapons and gear behind the throne room but theres a powerful guardian protecting it honestly I'd prefer it not be killed after living as a beast I'd like the chance to turn her back into a human.
really I dont even wanna go in there sorry cant hold anything back with thoughtspeak shite I cant even cry.
Davies tried to push open the door to the throne room but it wouldn't budge seemingly rusted shut davies slams his shoulder into it splintering the massive door into a multitude of fragments whilst the other side simply falls off its hinges.
davies jokingly holds open what's left of the fractured side saying here let me hold the door for you.
silg and halazoa ignore his lame joke and walk into the throne room.
as long as halazoa was in her wolforme she had been trying to build up her mana and though the fruits of her effort were minuscule
she had nonetheless forged a pool of mana smaller than a raindrop.
not enough for any real magic but more than enough to manipulate any magical artifacts created by her magical frequency .
as they walk into the throne room they are set upon by 8 wingless gargoyles twice the size of humans resembling her former self if she had sharper teeth.
Davies gos to fight but even his light wood axes
cant cut through the gargoyles enchanted stone skin.
halazoa moves forward eyes glowing a pale green color and the gargoyles slowly return back to their territory along the the path looking as if they were nothing more than really big statuettes. altena speaks telling davies and silg to to stay near the entrance in case things don't go well.
halazoa scurries up the path to where her throne used to be and sprawled out over the rubble of said throne in what looks to be a very uncomfortable position was a gray furred beast with black and read streaks throughout her fur.
smelling halazoa come closer she langoriously stretched out her large muscular body before scrambling to her feet and letting out a low growl in warning at the tiny wolf that dares come close but then the wolf spoke in the voice of the horrible woman who made her kill her son(the bird is too small for her to see).
...
I said hes alive I put the kids soul into a new body so he wouldn't be chained down by the gods power like you were .
see before the kid even entered the throne room I had a new body prepared for him .
what??? she was confused
son alive ? new body? why?
huh her old human voice came from the top of her head
finally noticing the tiny bird as it flys back to the wolf she cocks her head to the side as the wolf starts speaking agian.
...
the humans kept sending you to try and kill me
cause of your blessings and I came to like you thinking of you as a friend
over time i grew bored with fighting you even scared I would accidentally kill you and knowing the gods would never let you go I turned you into this.
at the time I didn't know you had a son and when I found out I knew the gods would guide him in your place so I prepared a new body to hide him in and made sure the gods saw his death.
would you like to see him?
the beast nods her head and leans down to have her chain taken off .
halazoa grips the chain in her teeth and her eyes once agian start to glow it disappears along with the wall upon which it was attached
revealing the secret armory .
in the armory along with the weapons and armor there is what looks like a coffin with various mechanical instruments attached
davies silg it's okay now the bird calls out
hurry up we need your opposable thumbs.