As Fate Decrees

THE FORBIDDEN FOREST. Such was the ominous name given to the vast expanse of woods north of the capital city of Sylphadim, and with good reason: long ago, in the time of living myths, the forest had been the final battleground of a cataclysmic conflict between the forces of good and evil.

There, the Demon Lord had forged a pact with Nidhogg — the dread dragon beneath the World Tree. Together, they conspired to consume the tree in its entirety, and plunge the world of Krysterios into an age of darkness.

By the guidance of the Pantheon of Order, the heroes of old rose to the challenge. They led the armies of mankind and their allies against the Demon Lord’s forces, in a defiant struggle for survival.

In the end, through sheer determination and faith, the forces of good prevailed. The Demon Lord was banished, the dread dragon slain, and the dark legions broken.

However, victory was not without sacrifice.

Scores of fallen soldiers littered the battlefield, along with many valiant heroes who laid down their lives. The blood of mortals, angels, and demons alike ran in rivers… and not even the World Tree was spared.

When the fighting reached its peak, Nidhogg descended upon it like a scourge. The tree, weakened by the Demon Lord’s magic, couldn’t endure the dragon’s assault, and its sap wet the soil like the blood of any other.

Despite the elves’ most desperate efforts, no manner of healing could save it. As the groans of the wounded floated in the air, the World Tree bled out and withered.

With its death, the great forest that once symbolized life and prosperity became a cursed place. Two millennia after the terrible battle, the resting place of the Dead Tree is yet riddled with monsters and demons, and the remains of the tree itself are concealed by an ancient barrier erected by the elves of old.

To this day, few are the mortals brave or foolhardy enough to enter the woods… yet a trio of adventurers stood undaunted before its outer edge. The Forbidden Forest, it would seem, was about to have visitors.

* * *

“A root of the Dead Tree, huh?” mused Xana, the feline ranger, munching on a strip of dried meat. “Do you think we can make it, Cerys? I hear this place is hella dangerous.”

“Among the most dangerous in all of Sylphadim,” replied the elven mage, Cerys. Even though her friend’s nonchalant attitude underscored the perils ahead, the full party knew they were as good as walking into a deathtrap.

“Yet Godwin sent us in without Anathema…” Xana complained, incredulous. “You know, perhaps the golden boy was right, and the Guild really is out to kill us.”

Several days ago, the members of the Rose’s Thorns had been warned by a fellow adventurer about potential traitors in the guild. Then, without missing a beat, their party had been deployed on a suicide mission.

“I’m hesitant to doubt him, but something does feel amiss,” Cerys agreed. “Even if Godwin was also a member of Lightbringer like Silvano, sending us here without support is suspect.”

“It’s not too late to pull out,” Xana casually floated the idea. “Wanna move base somewhere else? I hear the Empire is cozy this time of the year. Who knows? I might find myself a man on time for mating season.”

“This again?” Cerys replied with a sigh. “What’s with you lately? It’s not even mating season yet, and you’ve been obsessed with it for weeks.”

“I’m getting old, okay?” Xana pouted. “I just turned twenty, damn it!”

“Twenty is young!” Cerys exclaimed. For an elf, it was as good as an infant.

“Spoken like a true immortal,” Xana replied bitterly. “I’m a therianthrope, remember? My kind lives only up to sixty, if we’re lucky. You only last longer if you have magic, and I can’t cast a cantrip to save my life.”

Cerys felt a pang of regret at her words.

At sixty years old herself, Cerys was young for an elf, so she hadn’t experienced the loss of friends to old age yet. And still, she had already lived as long as Xana could hope for.

“I’m sorry,” Cerys apologized. She hadn’t meant to speak ill of the feline.

“Oh, don’t sweat it,” Xana excused her. “You may be a scholar, but I know that at the end of the day, you’re still a scatterbrain.”

“That’s rich, coming from you...” Cerys replied, her eyes narrowed. “Anyway, let’s check on Amelia. A bit of banter is well and good, but we’d better get going before dark.”

The ranger and sorceress had made themselves scarce, to let the former paladin offer a prayer to her goddess. She was a follower of Faydan, the Lady of Fate and patron deity of the royal family.

Even after being banished from the Order of the Silver Shield, Amelia’s faith in her goddess hadn’t wavered. At a glance, her prayers hadn’t done any good so far… but for the mission at hand, the Rose’s Thorns would need every bit of help they could get.

It didn’t take long for Xana to track down Amelia, just outside the forest.

“May your will be done, that our hands deliver us to the fate you seek…” prayed the former paladin, humbly on her knees. “Grant us the strength to strike down your enemies, and protect our path from the forces of darkness.”

She was completely engrossed in her litanies, and didn’t react to her friends as they walked close. Seeing this, a bit of mischief came up inside Xana’s heart.

“Ask her for a good boyfriend, will you?” the feline joked, prompting Cerys to dig an elbow into her ribs. But Amelia, to their surprise…

“If it is your will, my Lady,” she continued, her eyes shut, “send us a good man. May he join us in our duty, and grant us strength and happiness. And may he finally make a woman out of my friend, Xana, so that her nagging may cease.”

“O… Oi!” Xana burst out in panic. “Don’t pray to Faydan like that!”

“Why not?” asked Amelia, with a smile on her lips as she opened her eyes. “If the Lady wills it, then it shall be so. There is no shame in asking her to be a matchmaker for a friend.”

Xana was shaking in embarrassment and anger alike. She didn’t mind bantering with friends, but bringing in a Goddess was a bit much, even for her.

“I’ll steal him away, you know?” Xana yelled. “If she does send us someone, I’ll make him all mine! Don’t you say I didn’t warn you!”

Cerys chuckled behind them, enjoying the show. For all they knew, this could be the last peaceful moment they could indulge in. With Amelia’s prayers being over, the stage was set for them to enter the Forbidden Forest.

Their mission: to harvest a root of the Dead Tree.