Shroom of Doom

Bagwis found himself standing at the entrance of the Murkwood Caves, the sun casting long shadows over the moss-covered stones. The opening to the cave yawned before him like the mouth of some ancient, slumbering beast.

In the distance, the rustling of leaves and the occasional caw of birds served as a final farewell to sanity.

He took a deep breath, summoning his courage—or what little of it he had left—and muttered under his breath, "How did it come to this? I'm collecting fungus in a cave." If master could see me now he'd be laughing at my expense.

Bagwis pulled out the quest parchment again, observing the spore picture drawn in it and rereading the instructions deeply. He focused on the part that said "be cautious of venomous creatures." His hand itched to cross out "cautious" and replace it with "avoid entirely," but that wasn't an option.

With a sigh, he stowed the parchment in his pocket.

Right, let's get this over with, he thought. Maybe it won't be so bad—

A distant screech echoed from within the cave. Bagwis froze mid-step, eyes wide. Okay. Perhaps it is.

Grumbling to himself, he lit a small mana-fueled lamp and cautiously entered the cave. His footsteps echoed against the cold stone floor, each sound bouncing back at him in the eerie silence. The deeper he went, the darker it became, until all that remained was the small flickering light of his carried lamp.

"Alright," he whispered, trying to pep himself up. "Don't be scared. It's just rocks and dirt, with maybe a few... deadly creatures... lurking in the shadows... most likely waiting to devour you whole. Ha. Ha. Ha." His laughter was forced, more for his own sanity than anything else.

As he ventured further in, Bagwis began to see the telltale signs of the fungi he needed to collect—glowing spores floated lazily in the air, and strange mushroom-like growths jutted from the walls, glowing faintly in the dim light.

Well, at least they're easy to find. He approached one of the glowing fungi with a mixture of curiosity and disgust. The thing pulsed slightly, as if alive, and oozed a sticky, greenish liquid from its cap. Okay, gross, he thought, pulling out a small vial to collect the spores. As he carefully scooped some into the container, he felt a sudden vibration underfoot.

The ground trembled slightly, and a low, guttural growl echoed from deeper within the cave. Bagwis stopped mid-scoop, his eyes darting around the cavern. "That... that wasn't my stomach, was it?" he muttered to himself, nervously patting his abdomen just to make sure.

Another growl, louder this time, rumbled through the cave. Nope. Definitely not my stomach.

Bagwis quickly pocketed the vial and grabbed his dagger. He crouched low, listening intently. The growl grew closer, followed by the sound of something large slithering—or crawling—along the cavern floor.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, Bagwis thought, panic starting to creep in. He quickly glanced around, looking for a place to hide. The only spot available was a narrow crevice between two large rocks.

Without thinking, he squeezed himself in, trying to make as little noise as possible.

The slithering sound grew closer, accompanied by the faint scent of something rotten. Bagwis held his breath, his heart pounding in his chest.

Whatever was coming, it wasn't friendly. And from the sound of it, it was enormous.

A shadow passed over the entrance of his hiding spot, and Bagwis dared to peek out. His eyes widened in horror as a massive creature lumbered into view—a creature that looked like a cross between a centipede and a bat, with rows of jagged teeth and countless slimy legs that clicked against the stone floor.

What. The. Actual— Bagwis bit his lip, forcing himself not to scream. Okay, stay calm. It's just a... bat-centipede...batipede thing?! No big deal....AS IF!

The creature sniffed the air, its long, forked tongue flicking out to taste the air. It seemed to be searching for something—or someone.

Oh gods, please don't let it find me, Bagwis prayed silently, squeezing himself further into the crevice. Please, please, please.

The creature moved closer, its head swaying from side to side as it searched the cave. Its milky-white eyes gleamed in the torchlight, unseeing yet eerily perceptive. Bagwis could feel its breath, hot and rancid, as it hovered near his hiding spot.

Just when Bagwis thought he was done for, the creature suddenly stopped. It raised its head, sniffed the air again, then let out a low growl before turning and slithering away into the depths of the cave.

Bagwis let out a shaky breath, waiting until the sound of the creature had completely faded before daring to move. He slowly crawled out from his hiding spot, his hands trembling slightly. That was close.

Standing up, he brushed the dust off his clothes and shook his head. Enough of this. He glanced at the vial in his pocket. I've got the spores. Time to get the hell out of here!

He turned to leave when suddenly— SQUISH.

Bagwis looked down and saw that he stepped on one shroom from a cluster of mushrooms that looked exactly like the ones he was asked to gather. The only difference was that these mushrooms look like it had gone through a lot. The rare fungal spores written on the parchment looked questionable but these ones looked borderline nightmarish. But still it didn't hurt to be sure so he simply picked those nightmarish looking mushrooms up and went on his way.

As he started to make his way back toward the entrance, something strange occured. His body felt... different. Lighter, somehow. And not just that—there was a faint hum in the air around him, like the feeling of static before a lightning storm. This feeling reminded him of when he first grasped the sundial.

"What the—" Bagwis muttered, confused. 

It was then that he realized what was happening. This mushroom that he had just picked— had corrupted mana! The corrupted mana he had absorbed from the sundial that was now circling his core—it was reacting to the mushrooms! 

Bagwis' stomach started growling out in hunger. It was telling him to eat the gross looking fungi.

"..." Have I stooped so low that I'd eat such questionable looking mushrooms? Who was I kidding! Yes, I have, Bagwis thought, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

He straightened up, and ran his way out of the cave.

Once he was far from the cave mouth he once again scanned the nightmare of doom looking shroom. Bagwis stomach has been protesting the past few minutes that even these ridiculous looking shrooms are looking like a delicacy. Here goes nothing.

Bon appétit!

-Back at the Murkwood Cave-

Three robed individuals were once again gathered in a cave, standing over the empty patch of dirt where Nimbus's beloved special crystal mushrooms once gleamed.

"No, no, no, no! Someone has stolen my specially grown mushrooms!" Nimbus wailed, clutching her robe like her entire world had crumbled.

Stratus, ever the serious one, scowled at the ground, arms crossed in frustration. "This is the second time our plans have been foiled. First the golem and sundial, now the mushrooms?"

Zephyr, who was leaning against the wall, couldn't hide his amusement. "What're they gonna steal next, Nimbus? Your dignity?"

"Shut up!" Nimbus snapped, stomping her foot. "They were my Shiny Babies! Precious mushrooms grown with my care and corrupted mana—"

Zephyr cut her off with a barely suppressed chuckle. "Let me guess, they had names, too? I bet one was called McShroom."

Nimbus spun around, glaring daggers at him. "You won't get it! I raised them from spores. And now—now they're gone!"

Stratus, who had been listening to this exchange with an ever-deepening frown massaged his aching forehead, muttered, "We're supposed to be an evil, secretive organization, and we're here talking about mushrooms. Again."

Stratus groaned at their current predicament. "We're doomed." So far we've already had two failures.

Nimbus turned away, arms crossed, and snapped back, "You two aren't helping! We need to figure out who's behind this."

Stratus continued massaging his head and replied. "We know exactly who's behind it. At first I wasn't so sure but now I am. It really was that organization."

"I never liked them! They're a bunch of loonies."

"Says the one who calls a golem her baby." Zephyr retorted.

"Shut up!"

Stratus whose thoughts were perturbed by the two's quarrel yelled in irritation, "You both shut up! Let's all cancel the plan first and go back to report things to headquarters. I feel like something major is afoot."

"There he goes gain with his ominous words." Zephyr lightly complained with a wince of distaste.

"Clean up and make sure no hint of our arrival is found!"

"Who died and made you boss." Nimbus silently grumbled as she flashed a light glare at Zephyr but still did as Stratus ordered.