Erlem & Daisy

Daisy made Erlem hold onto the edge of her cloak, which felt warm and exuded a powerful aura. Erlem often forgot Daisy too was an autumn witch since her hair was not red and her daemon chose to inhabit her magical cloak. Erlem knew not all of its abilities but knew first hand it could keep its wearer warm no matter the weather or temperature around it. It was weightless and could filter poisons from the air and currently Erlem noticed it was glowing acting as a lantern sending a soft blue light in front of them lighting their way.

Daisy felt uneasy as they made their way through the forest unimpeded. She expected to at least hear the howls of the various monsters that inhabited this dark place, but over the past few hours all they had heard were their own foot steps and whispers of the winds. Something wasn't right this area was teaming with scaly brutes and slithering vipers. Daisy upon first settling at the gnob entered just a few yards into the swamp and saw a giant basilisk engaged in a battle with a large two headed lizard like creature who's many eyes were as black as coal and its black scales covered in the green moss left a poisonous mist around its host that only seemed to effect those around it. Daisy jumped into the shadows and quickly returned home deciding to avoid the swamp at all cost. Here they were in the dark in the open and there felt as though there was no life in the swamp.

The eyes of the swamp were indeed on the pair, a thousand devilish beady eyes peered through darkness, through the leaves and mud at the willing prey wandering into their domain for below the surface of the swamp in the bowels of the plagued earth a new parasite of life had found its way to the surface. Hungry for a place in Thre'a small sects of goblins, vile creatures corrupting the lands they lay claim to with hearts as black as ink and a voracious hunger for violence. The goblin hordes would make their way across denizens bay from their scattering of blackened islands. Small in stature around the size of children with greyed skin and pointed long beak like noses, they lacked the intelligence to create or feel anything other than hunger and spite and hatred for the beings of Thre'a and their lands.

The goblins huddled in masse below the surface writhing and squirming amongst the worms and maggots sucking the life from the area they inhabit. Many goblin holes littered the swamp, there was nothing special or offsetting about a goblin hole. To many it looked like a rabbit hole or badger den, nothing to make it seem like a sentient being created it. If one could venture down the holes winding paths littered with the bones of the animals they devoured when they took to the surface. Goblins of the plague swamp were nocturnal beings, subterranean creatures who feared the light and its purity and being out in it for too long would result in physical and mental harm to befall whatever goblin couldn't find its way out of it. The goblins had no dreams of power, they didn't wish to rule Thre'a rather just consume her entirely. Its believed goblins were one of an ancient race of beings before the age of magic who thrived before the autumn goddess began to give her blessings to the children of autumn. That they were the highest favored of all the old races, gifted with great intelligence and engineering abilities creating the great underground cities of the abandoned isles. During the age before mages when great evils roamed freely the greatest evil was a being known as the great maw or great corruptor. His armies swallowed Thre'a and her many great races causing a great war between the corrupted and those who's will could resist it. The goblins were among the first to give their allegiance to the great maw drawing from its strength and growing an addiction for the life force of the plane. Upon the maws defeat and imprisonment to the hell-mouth the goblins lost themselves from withdrawals from the lack of the maws life force to sustain their lust for power. Now twisted shadows of their former selves, incestuous greedy and twisted these creatures peeped their heads from their many holes throughout the swamp hunting Daisy and Erlem. " suck their bones of the marrow we shall do when we are through." A gravely little voice growled low, " tear the flesh and drink the blood" another voice squeaked. " im so hungry, so hungry. I bet their eyes will make a delicious stew" this voice was followed by the chants of "stew". Goblins could not create fire, so the thought of stew in the mind of a goblin was comical at best. Muddy water, slugs and raw eyeballs with some poison ivy for good measure was the best "stew" a goblin could muster.

The eyes on the forest floor multiplied untill they began to find their way into the trees, hundreds of pairs focused on their current prey. The stench of the goblins was easily masked here, making it easier for them to move freely, allowing them to build a nest of sorts. The lack of large creatures was most likely due to the ravenous horde of goblins killing everything in their path as their little horde began to multiply. The plague swamps were already a disgusting place of death, a perfect breeding ground for goblins.

Erlem clung tight to his mothers cloak with one hand and remained ready to cast spells with his other, Daisy had noticed the eyes in the dark following her, she heard the small pebbles shift along the landscape and the rustling of branches above. Whatever was following them did not mean to help them she was sure of that, she also noticed the lack of the giant monsters and even the serpents that inhabited this place. She had hoped whatever it was following them would show themselves sooner rather than later before more of whatever they were amassed and she couldn't fight them off. Daisy looked down at Erlem's frightened face, he was so young and had seen so much and once again he would have to grow up in an instant and prepare to fight with her. " Erlem, it seems we are being followed, I need you to be strong, im going to cast a spell and I'm almost positive they will come out of the darkness and come down on us. You must do as i say and kill them. I know you're frightened." Erlem forced a small smile " Don't worry Daisy, I won't leave you." They stopped at a muddy clearing, the path created a bottle neck at the opposite end of the clearing, in the distance among the shadows Daisy could make out the shapes of twenty or so small humanoid figures falling out of the wilderness along the path. Erlem felt the ground beneath his feet start to move before mud and dirt sprayed his and Daisy's clothes, the little beasts began to spring from holes across the clearing. Daisy's hands began to glow a cool arcane blue, she signaled Erlem to do the same. The boy was terrified by the sheer numbers of these little monsters. Daisy threw a ball of light into the center of the fields, the closest goblins turned to ash cause the others to squeel back onto the shadows making rude hand gestures and spitting at the pair of mages. " goblins, nasty disgusting vile goblins. That explains whats happened to the creatures of the swamp." Daisy had never seen goblins outside of text books before, she knew they were weak to sunlight and the element of light but she had also read they stayed in the bowels of the twisted shoals surrounding the islands of denizens bay. The light from her spells faded to that of candle light, the goblins crept back towards their pray, steering clear of the fading ball of light. These goblins were different than the ones described in books, these had grey skin like granite, some had fashioned armor from the bark of the trees, some had even placed the toxic moss to their armor, clouds of green gas would spray from their shoulders or chest plates. Spears made of monster bones and teeth were clenched in their little fists, while others growled like rabid dogs foaming from their lips. " silly tricks wont save you numblings, my brothers hunger for flesh, its been days since our last meal and you have so much meats on your boneses!" A goblin larger than the rest, around Erlems height cane forward. He was clad in rusty metal armor holding a long dagger as if it were a sword, the light from the orb revealed his long hooked nose and mouth full of jagged razor sharp teeth. "No more tricks little magician, my family hungers for blood and flesh and human is a rare delight." He chuckled as he spoke, raising his little rusted sword " its time to feast my brothers!" The horde began to move forward, slow at first with restraint, then with childlike ferver they began to rush full speed towards the pair. Daisy and Erlem screamed as they let loose various spells, Erlem sent fire at goblins while Daisy sent lightning and light bolts into the fray. The spells would connect and leave entrails across the ground but the loss of twenty or thirty goblins only angered the hundred others coming from the ground to take their place.

Like maggots to shit the goblins swarmed the pair of travelers, no matter how many they killed more would pour from what seemed like every crag the swamp had to offer.

Slowly the ground around them became indiscernible from goblin corpse and the ground underneath, small rivers of glistening black blood pooled in various points across the dark clearing. Its long grass sprayed with blood and scorched in others. Erlem cast a flurry of fireballs on the legion closing in, small spears were sent flying in their direction he sent some more fire their way incinerating them mid flight. Erlem was a skilled pyromancer among other things, he found his anger to be useful when it came to conjuring lashes of fire and storms of burning coals, and at this moment the only thing he had been feeling since he lost his home and everyone he loved was anger. A pair of goblins made it through the barrage of fire and lightning and managed to grab onto the seams of Daisy's robes and with his free hand slash with a rusty shank like sword at her calves. She quickly stomped on the head of it, spraying Erlem with grey brain matter and black blood. Erlem grew quiet, no longer casting any spells at all his face was twisted in shock like he was reliving Autumnveil all over again or one of his Omen nightmares. He eyes grew blank his chest felt as if it were going to explode, he tried to scream but his voice was dry and only crackled. Daisy looked down to find Erlem with his hand out in front of him making symbols in the air robotically, he turned to her his face still twisted only now in a perverse smile; his eyes black throughout. His bright red hair flowed like fire and glowed brighter, even the goblins stopped their advance to stair at the boy. Waves of fear now flooded the once blood hungry goblins, the leader who once taunted them was now covering his face whimpering. The horde tried to turn tail and escape from this terrible nightmare they had brought upon themselves; Erlem began to send black jets of flame across the clearing setting the whole area ablaze with black fire. The flames ravaged the goblins melting their skin and bones and followed those who tried to escape down their holes; the smell of burning goblin flesh filled Daisy's nose and made the air taste wretched as they breathed, the screams and cries of the goblins above ground barely drowned out the dying ones in the goblin holes below. Erlems black eyes set themselves on the leader of the goblins, encircled with flames he cradled himself screaming "mercy mercy!" He cried, " Mercy? Mercy for a wretched little beast, a parasite on the land. No little worm I'll have no mercy for you." Erlem let out a little laugh and then let loose another blast of black flames. Daisy had stopped casting lightning and watched in horror as her adopted son massacred the devils surrounding them. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, Erlem was creating phoenix fire an advanced Autumn magic that she had not been able to master during her time in the citadel. She watched as the fire finally quit flowing from his hands and he collapsed unconscious. The goblins had been removed from the swamp at their root, their nest under ground cleansed in fire. Daisy picked up Erlems unconscious body and took down the road to leave the swamp; she stuck to shadow hopping until daylight, the distance behind her still glowed black from the fire still burning in clearing.