Chapter 3: The Eco-Friendly Druids
Leona wasn’t stingy with food. She usually enjoyed sharing, but today, she was relentlessly feeding Maggie, keeping the druid girl’s mouth full.
“No more, thank you. I’m almost full. My master says eating until you’re seven-tenths full is the healthiest,” Maggie said, trying to politely decline.
“Open wide, say ahhh,” Leona said, ignoring her protests, holding a piece of roasted meat to her lips. Maggie, tempted by the aroma, took a bite.
With Leona keeping Maggie occupied, Abyss and Flora listened as Rebecca explained the reason for the druid’s visit, having condensed Maggie’s rambling explanation into a concise summary.
Abyss’s use of undead aphids to disperse the potion that neutralized the Shadowlings and the mutated trees had caught the attention of the powerful Druids within the Elven Kingdoms.
The Elven Kingdoms bordered the Ossi Kingdom to the south, separated by a mountain range. The two nations had once engaged in trade, but after the Western Empire seized Oakning, a vital trade route, direct contact had become less frequent.
The Elven Kingdoms, as the name suggested, weren’t a single nation, but a collection of city-states, tribes, and clans, united by their shared elven culture. And most of Hai-Teweru’s Druids resided within their borders, primarily Wood Elves.
Druids, although considered a school of magic, weren’t strictly mages. Most people in Hai-Teweru chose a deity to worship based on their profession or their beliefs. Mages typically worshipped the God of Magic, seeking his favor. But Druids worshipped the God of Nature, their magic often resembling Divine Arts, their prayers influencing the weather and other natural phenomena.
They lived in the wilderness, shunning civilization, their lifestyle primitive. They didn’t kill unnecessarily, hunting only for sustenance, utilizing every part of their prey. They were dedicated to maintaining the balance of nature, even planting a seed for every tree they felled.
They appeared wherever nature was threatened, wherever humans exploited the environment for their own gain. And they meticulously documented the world’s flora and fauna, although they wouldn’t intervene to save a species facing natural extinction.
Abyss’s swarm of undead aphids might have been dismissed by ordinary people as an unusual insect migration, but experienced Druids, keen observers of nature, had quickly realized they were being controlled. And the substance they secreted wasn’t honeydew, but something else entirely.
Unaware that the aphids were undead, reanimated by Abyss’s necromancy, they had assumed a powerful Druid was responsible. There were indeed Druid factions operating outside the Elven Kingdoms, dedicated to maintaining the continent’s ecological balance. Among them were powerful individuals, even the occasional genius.
And coincidentally, their sacred tree, a massive tree revered by all Druids, had been exhibiting strange symptoms. Planted by their former Grand Sage, Agnes, it served as the residence of their leaders and a pilgrimage site, its presence maintaining the ecological balance of the Elven Kingdoms, regulating the weather, and even calming the minds of their people. It was incredibly important.
But recently, some of its leaves had begun to turn yellow, an unnatural occurrence. The tree, imbued with Agnes’s power, had never shed its leaves before. The spreading discoloration alarmed the Druid leaders.
And even more concerning were the reports of animals behaving strangely throughout the continent. Clearly, something was amiss. The Druid leaders, after much deliberation, had decided to summon all high-ranking Druids to investigate the sacred tree and find a solution. And Abyss, having demonstrated his power, was among those they sought to consult.
Maggie, accompanied by her master, a high-ranking Druid, had arrived in the Ossi Kingdom. After some investigation, they had identified Abyss, then infiltrated the palace.
Maggie’s master, concerned that his elderly appearance might be off-putting, had sent his young and “approachable” apprentice, leading to her encounter with Abyss and his companions.
“That’s quite a coincidence,” Abyss said, nodding, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I should meet with these Druids.” He then used their telepathic link, addressing the girls. “After all, I’m planning to recruit their Grand Sage, Agnes. They must have some useful information.”
“How do you plan to approach them? As a necromancer?” Leona asked through the link. “Druids hate necromancers. We disrupt the balance of nature.”
“That’s true. The dead should return to the earth, but we necromancers dig them up. They won’t like that,” Abyss said, considering the problem. “Perhaps Flora and I can use our magic to alter their perceptions, make them accept necromancy.”
“That’s so like you, Abyss. Only you would come up with such a devious plan,” Leona said, rolling her eyes.
“That’s not appropriate… The Druids haven’t done anything wrong…” Flora said, disagreeing with his plan.
“Why don’t we have Abyss impersonate a Druid?” Rebecca suggested. “With our abilities, it shouldn’t be difficult. We can acquire Agnes’s remains first, then figure out the rest later.”
“Impersonate a Druid?” Abyss asked, surprised. “Is that a good idea?”
“I think it’s brilliant!” Leona exclaimed, always eager for mischief.
Maggie, her mouth full of food, suddenly looked at them suspiciously, as if sensing their unspoken plan.
Why were they exchanging those strange looks?
Leave a Reply