"Path changes. Path goes where it wills. We follow until Path leads to where the Far King directed," the faun said with much more energy than before, his colleagues seeming similarly comfortable as they trotted across a path of flowers.
As they moved the flowers would burst from the ground ahead, feel strong as brick as Kenji stepped on them, and return to the earth when left far behind.
"Do not leave path," the faun added almost as an after thought. Kenji who had been thinking about taking a moment to go piss, quickly pulled away from the paths edge.
Kenji was amazed at the speed the group travelled, trees flying on past as they zoomed around the Forest. Peering out the side, he suddenly halted and ducked.
Beyond marched the blazing banner of Warden Company, Satyr heads proudly displayed atop an army of spearheads. The company had dozens of new recruits, all poorly equipped townsfolk enticed in with the promise of heaven for partaking in the Thunberad crusade no doubt. Either that, or they were mercenaries enticed by the Warden's seemingly endless wealth.
"They. Cannot. See you," one of the Fauns said a little more carefully, "but. If we. wait. They might."
Nodding, Kenji gave one last hateful look to the dark haired Warden, and pressed on.
"Why are they here? They think they have Arthur's corpse, they think the necromancer ran away AND that their scouts were killed!" Angrily Kenji tried to think, then he wondered, how long did his fake corpses remain before turning to goo?
He had assumed it would have lasted a week or so before melting, but what if it had in much less time then he had expected? If he had had the time he would have tested it out, but perhaps his ploy hadn't bought anywhere near as much time as he had expected.
"I don't know, but look. They will slow them down I think," Violet pointed, Kenji able to make out various Satyrs around little fire pits to their side. He had no idea how far they had travelled on the enchanted path, but the Satyrs were digging pitfalls, building hidden archers nests, creating barricades and more signs that they prepared to ambush a sizable force.
Curiously, Kenji noted a numerous Fauns amongst their number. With darker fur, crimson eyes and a dark nature to how they snatched at each other's arrows.
But Fauns all the same.
"Do you have something to do with those guys?" Kenji whispered, the Faun guides shivering. Yet they did not say a word, nor even meet his gaze. But Kenji did note their caution in passing, each hoof stepping even more carefully than when near the humans.
Amidst the enemy number Kenji spotted a regal Satyr with grand ebony horns and burning runes swirling around his head. The Satyr noble was directing spear wielding Satyre to prod a series of hungry looking ogres and goblins forward. The creatures roared angrily, yet when hunks of meat were waived in front of them they complied.
As Kenji's party continued on, they passed more and more monsters of all types being led away by Satyr warbands.
Eventually the land grew dry and the air filled with ash. Ahead rose towers of flame, the land ablaze out of sight in either direction.
"The King will still the fires from afar. We servants have been blessed with enchanted arrows. Yet it is you who will face the Pyromancer head on. You must make him unable to use his fire to block our arrows. Understand?" the faun huffed and puffed as if all that speaking was equal to running a marathon.
"Sure, stop the Pyromancer. Easy," Kenji said sarcastically, the Fauns not catching that at all as they looked at him with wide eyes.
"Easy? Our bravest warriors were turned to smoke! Our champion landing only a single blow before he was turned to Ash!"
Not offended, the Fauns seemed excited.
"And you say this is easy? Very good. We were afraid. But no more. Excellent."
Exiting the enchanted path, the Fauns fanned out.
"He is just that way. Just that way, you go fight now!" they whispered as they vanished into the ash laden trees. Wearily, Kenji approached with his companions, a mad cackling eminating from over the hill.
On the other side Kenji found a thin man with prussian blue skin and a beard of bright red flame. The man wore thick cobalt blue armour with a burning snake wound around his body and a snake tattoo prominently displayed on his dark blue face. He sucked in power from the inferno with his hands, and released huge fireballs to rocket into the air and far away. The distant explosion of heat sent fresh smoke billowing back through the woods.
"Burn, burn, burn!" the Pyromancer cackled.
"Dr Pyro had diagnosed you with being unclean, so burn!"
Kenji's heart sank, as he realised he was facing off against one of the eighteen.
"Fuck," Kenji growled, and pulled the girls close while he began to whisper a plan.
(---authors note---)
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