The White Apple Campaign 11 - The Road to Matsaka

Lenny was up before everyone for the first time she could remember. She tightened the laces on her tall boots and, with a quiet sigh, left the room of bunkbeds. Others had been stirring as she climbed from her bunk so she knew she would not be alone for long, but the sliver of time was comforting. Hearing Todd and Linda already busy downstairs, Lenny paused in the stairwell to collect herself. So much was happening. Every day was a struggle between instinctual warnings of danger and simple needs of living. The mother had told her that the seeds had passed, but there were just so many lies. In spite of it all, Lenny steeled herself and sauntered into the dining room. 

“What’s for breakfast?” Lenny called from the base of the stairs at Todd who was visible on the other side of the long green table.  

He turned sheepishly and with a wan grin said, “Why, whatever you want! I’ve already made most of the sausage and meats, Linda will be back soon with all the grits and other grains.” 

Apparently, all the stops were still pulled out to celebrate the beginning of their grand adventure. Today, however, all the food was white. Just like Vasher wanted. Lenny thought to herself as she took a seat. Looks like they at least cut that lie out. Somehow, the thought did not comfort her. The white meat and fruit only stood as reminders of the deceit that had brought her here. She ate all the same. It was delicious. 

“Good to see you stopped dying the food!” Came Vasher’s tenor voice from the stairs. “Its nice to be listened too now and again.” 

He hopped into the seat across from Lenny and kneeled in it so that he could easily see her over the dishes of food. Todd hurried over to him with black coffee and steamed white potatoes.  

“I’m so sorry for being gone when you needed us last night.” Todd said, Linda entering from the storeroom as he spoke. “It was a very special night last night. All the more reason to believe you are our saviors. Meeting mother on that night of all nights.” 

“Jacobin saw to our needs.” Vasher said, looking into his coffee.  

Lenny snorted and noticed Jr. and Johnathan slinking down the stairs groggily.  

When Linda started spreading the plates of grits and mashed potatoes, Lenny saw Vasher tense up again and put his coffee down. 

“When did you two start eating the food?” He asked the couple. 

“Oh not long into our stay here.” Todd replied. “Sure, Jacobin and the others gave us colored food for a while, as we were in shock from ending up here. But we just felt so safe, we didn’t mind when they told us. It was the only reason we were alive after all.” 

“But the fake cattle and pigs.” Vasher replied. 

“I don’t know what cows you saw.” Todd went on, “but those at the edge of town are all white. All ways have been.” 

Vasher grumbled and scratched his ever advancing stubble. Lenny didn’t like the feel of that news either. Jr. was picking at some rice next to Lenny by now and, though she was obviously groggy from being woken at a late hour, she seemed exited to be leaving so soon. The group sat eating quietly, some more than others, when suddenly Lenny heard the door crash open. 

Hemswick stood in the open frame, fully armored and beaming from ear to ear. 

“Lets do this!” He bellowed, striding over to the breakfast spread and nearly breaking plates with his gauntleted hands as he grabbed at food. 

Lenny had never seen him so exuberant. He was chipper, still clean from the day before, and his excitement was downright intoxicating. She found the others grinning at each other, taken aback by the change in mannerisms of their lumbering friend.  

“Have a nice night with the missus?” Vasher asked. 

“You keep your nose out of me and my wife’s business.” Hemswick barked, growing dark. 

Then he laughed twice as loud as he had been before. “I’m just kidding Vasher! You turned so white! Aye, we had a wonderful time, slept like a baby when the time was right.” 

“That’s great Hemswick!” Lenny chimed in.

“I know I was excited to see your smile a few days ago.” Jr. said “But seeing you like this is too much. You should go back to sulking. It works wonders… Look, Jacobin’s got the right idea.”

Jr. pointed to the still open doorway and Lenny’s gaze found Jacobin there. His placid face was barely visible amidst swollen green bags and a backpack that towered over his head. The room erupted again in laughter.

“Are we ready then?” Jacobin asked, monotone. “Have you acquired enough sustenance?”

“Worried about the weather are we? Have you ever heard of over packing?” Vasher chided as he rose from his seat next to Lenny.

“You requested tents. And sleeping rolls. And food. I have produced them to assure you the utmost… comfort on our journey.” Jacobin’s voice was even and unstrained, though slightly muffled.

This all made Lenny feel better, but she couldn’t deny the feeling of being rushed. They had only gotten here a couple nights ago, and barely slept last night for that matter. Here they were leaving again. Jr. seemed to be ready after he comments last night and raiding the storeroom. Also true was the dishonest nature of this place. At this point it was all just growing disorienting. Regardless it was time to go.

“It’s been lovely hosting the heroes!” Linda called out the doorway once everyone had made it out to the street. “We eagerly await your return.”

Without a word, Jacobin began walking. His steps were so effortless and graceful his humongous burden didn’t even shift or bounce. Just a steadily meandering green lumpy bolder making its way down the morning lit street. As before, all the green buildings were too similar to tell which way he was leading everyone, but from what light she could catch, and her hunches about the island, it seemed they were going north. That would take them through parts of the Green Wood they had never seen before. It wasn’t long though until Lenny realized how little that mattered. When the houses disappeared into the distance behind her, she found herself back in the world of endless identical green columns. The uniformity of this forest was absolute. Like standing in a ring of mirrors at an elven fair. I don’t think we would have ever found the Grove without Jacobin teleporting us there, Lenny thought as she walked. Teleported…

“Hey Johnathan!” Lenny called to the scrawny old wizard beside her.

“You don’t have to yell.” He said, frustratedly crossing out something he had just written. “I’m right next to you.”

“So you are!” Lenny said, just now noticing. “Anyway, how’s about you teleport us some of the way? Jackies so much in a rush, maybe it will save us some time.”

“Yeah!” Vasher piped up. “We know a bit more about where we are going. How about we knock a leg off the journey to save supplies.”

“Um well, I am fully supplied and rested… but.” Johnathan replied.

“I like less walking too. Let’s do it!” Jr. said, jumping atop Leny’s shoulders in preparation.

“Um, I, well, if you all want me too.” Johnathan looked a bit confused, but put his hands out for all to make a ring as they had done the last time he cast the spell.

Excited, Lenny grabbed Johnathan and Jacobin’s hands to complete the ring. Noticed Johnathan still looking confused. Then the world pressed around her and they were gone. When the world un-squeezed, Lenny found herself in a familiar place. The stench of long dead animals flooded her nose and dead grass crunched beneath her feet. Everyone was as still as a statue, hands still joined.

“Johnathan?” Vasher asked. “Only now does it occur to me. You can only teleport to places you have been before right?”

“Yes.”

“So, this is where we entered the green wood isn’t it.”

“Yes”

Lenny felt Jr. jump off her shoulders.

“That doesn’t help us at all!” Jr. said, pointing an accusing finger at Johnathan.

“Yes I know. That’s why I’m so confused.” Johnathan replied.

“We don’t think things through very well do we?” Vasher said rubbing his stubble again and sighing.

“I thought you had some kind of short cut or forgot something!” Johnathan defended.

Lenny glanced at Jacobin who stood in expressionless silence before she spoke up.

“Well its done and now we get to deal with it!” She said and started walking.

“This way please.” Jacobin finally spoke up as he gestured to Lenny’s left.

Lenny corrected course and the team joined her. Now silent and generally fuming accept for Johnathan who had gone right back to his writing. She was not about to go back into that mirror maze of a wood, so Lenny committed to walking due north now that she could properly see the sun. Jacobin did not correct her again so she settled into the journey, her frustrations braiding into a strong knot of motivation pulling her every forward. The sun sank bit by bit till it was nearly burning her left shoulder when she noticed a spot on the bleak horizon. It was the shape of a dwarf.

“We have company.” Jr. said.

“Whoever this is, they are facing us directly.” Vasher pointed out. “All the other surprises have been sneakier.”

Lenny considered this. Indeed, the lich children had played with them for a while before they pounced. Could this be someone new? What if it was Nobuo from the ship? Could they have survived? Her thoughts cut short when she saw the shape had begun a steady jog towards them. A sound barely audible came with him and was growing louder.

“I think he’s yelling something.” Jr. said squinting. “And swinging something.”

Sure enough, Lenny caught a rhythmic flashing in the space above the dwarf’s head. He was spinning something metal on a chain. His yelling grew louder and Lenny could begin to make out what he was saying. It sounded like a marching song. Just before she could make it all out, he stopped short. Still twirling his flashing chain. He indeed was a dwarf. And a lich. His red pin prick eyes gazed out from underneath a helmet with curling horns and mail draping around his neck. He was fully armored in bits of metal and woven thick chords. The weapon he was brandishing seemed to be a scythe with a long chain extending form the handle. He pointed the scythe forward, keeping the chain spinning above his head with the opposite hand and drew in a breath so big, Lenny could see his armor bulge even from here.

“MY NAME IS MATSAKA UNIGO!” He bellowed across the field. “TODAY, YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED FROM THIS LAND!”

With a final blood curdling scream, he flung his chain forward and it whistled with speed straight at Lenny. She drew her rapier in an arching parry but hit nothing. An instant later, she felt something slam into her forehead. A wave of disorientation washed over her but did not over take her. Stumbling, her first thought was that it might be a concussion, but the chain did not fall from her vision. Instead, it hung there like a clothesline stretching all the way back to Matsaka. It was suck in her head!

Reaching up, Lenny got a firm grip on the spike embedded in her forehead before it became slick with blood. Again she felt the wave of disorientation wash over her, stark as before. He’s trying to cast some kind of spell through this chain. She thought through the fog. Vasher was running towards the lich with his spear held out and Johnathan was already beginning to cast a spell. I have to get this out if I am ever going to help them. With a mighty tug, Lenny pulled the spike free.

Her knees nearly went out from the pain, but a quick healing spell brought her back into focus. Blinking, she could see a shuriken thump into the lich as glowing rays from Johnathan nearly burned his beard off. Hemswick and Vasher were close behind with blade and spear by the time Lenny moved to get closer. There was a small whooshing sound between her legs as she saw Matsaka tug on the chain. It snapped around expertly and rocketed towards the bellowing Hemswick. Lenny tried to warn him with a quick yell, but the spike found its mark in Hemswick’s head. His arms and head went limp for a moment, but his legs held him up wobbly. Jr. and the others took the moment to land a few more stabs and blows on the lich, but Lenny had a feeling what was coming.

Hemsick’s arms raised again in an unnatural way and brought his sword down right into the nearby Vasher. The blow hit leather armor but cut through enough to cause Vasher to scream in pain.

“It’s a mind control spell!” Lenny yelled, the blood from her own wound reaching the corners of her mouth now. “A mind control spell!” she yelled again at her confused companions. “Get the spike out of his head!”

Matsaka continued to fight. His spell now established, he lashed out with the scythe at Jr. who had no time to hide after the ambush. She was able to nimbly dodge, but Matsaka was smiling from ear to ear as he slashed again and again. Hemswick seemed to drift over the ground with an uncharacteristic looseness and made this time for the unarmored Johnathan, but Vasher was quick. Through his pain, he apparently had heard Lenny’s screams and launched himself towards the chain. He could not reach it, but instead threw his entire body where the chain sagged between Matsaka and Hemswick. With a thud, Vasher hit the ground and snapped the spike out of Hemswick’s head. Instantly Hemswick tensed and swung his sword around in a wide arch.

“Behind you!” Lenny yelled.

Hemswick spun again and caught sight of the prone Vasher; Matsaka pivoting from Jr. to try to stick the gnome to the ground with his scythe. As he ran to block the viscous strike, Lenny saw Matsaka smile again, but it was too late. The lich dwarf pulled back the feigned strike and used the recoil to snap the chain back and launch it yet again. It whistled past Hemswick this time and there was a yelp. To Lenny’s horror, Johnathan now stood limp far to her right with the spike in his head. His books and pen lay scattered around him.

“What do I do?!” Johnathan’s reedy voice quavered. His eyes locked in horror at the spike stuck above his right eye. “What do I do?”

Too busy to reply, Lenny needed to heal Vasher. She dashed for him, only catching the briefest sight of Johnathan feebly tugging at the handle of the spike with his scrawny arms.

“Help him!” Lenny yelled at Hemsick the moment she reached Vahser.

With a grunt, Hemswick jogged to grab the chain that spanned between him and Johnathan in the distance.

“Thank you” Vasher painfully murmured to Lenny, then he threw something burning weakly into the air.

It zipped towards the lich with a crackling buzz and Lenny knew it was his fire beetle. A distraction for the moment. Taking advantage of it, Lenny laid her hands on Vasher and his wound knit together. With a grimace, Vasher took her hand, and she pulled him back to his feet.

Jr screamed and Lenny spun to see.

Jr grasped her chest where Matsaka had cut a deep gash and Lenny saw him burry the scythe again in her tiny shoulder. One of us after the other! Lenny thought. That chain is like a second foe! Lenny heard a thud behind her but couldn’t take her eyes of the attack on Jr. Resolved, now she ran for her other friend.

Suddenly an extremely loud snap exploded past Lenny’s right ear and something invisible slammed into the lich that called himself Matsaka, blowing off pieces of his armor. His red eyes left Jr. and found Vasher this time, healed and defiant beside Lenny.

Matsaka roared and pulled his chain back again. The thud from before apparently Johnathan being freed.

“You rally together again! Good!” Matsaka said with pride. Sure enough, Lenny looked around her to see Hemswick, Johnathan and Vasher all with her and brandishing weapons.

Matsaka laughed to the sky and began spinning his chain so fast is hummed deeply in the air, pushing away the glowing rapier and beetle that had been harassing him. His body was full of shuriken, burn marks, and dusty rapier stab holes, but he laughed all the same. Suddenly he went quiet and locked his eyes on the group again, ignoring the bleeding Jr. now only a few feet away.

“Again!” He beckoned.

Hemswick shot from Lenny’s side towards the lich like he has just head the starting pistol to a race. Lenny dashed for Jr. to prevent her from bleeding out and heard Matsaka’s laughter again. A keening whistle and another thud behind her. Don’t look, heal Jr.

The deployment of the chain allowed her spirit weapon to resume assailing Matsaka and with it Hemswick pressed the Lich away from Jr. who was trying to grasp a shuriken with her gushing shoulder. It was useless. Lenny worried why she handt seen any spells from Johnathan go off, but her focus got her to Jr. who sighed in relief at Lenny’s glowing touch.

“Vasher’s a zombie now.” Jr. said wincing as her shoulder took a few seconds to become functional again. “He’s trying to sab Johnathan with his spear.” She went on.

“Well, you just keep hitting this guy with all you’ve got.” Lenny replied as she stood.

Jr. nodded and rose with Lenny to face the lich.

Lenny could see Hemswick beset on two sides, blood streaming through his thick eyebrows. Vasher’s spear was snapping at Johnathan, but Hemswick was able to parry the small gnome’s dazed blows with ease. Still Matsaka pressed on, using the distraction to score a few scythe cuts across Hemswick’s back. Even after all this time, Lenny was amazed at Hemswick when he was in a rage. The cuts seemed of no matter to him as he spun from Vasher to Matsaka, protecting Johnathan all the while. Suddenly, glowing beams shot through the lich from Johnathan’s fingers causing him to recoil and the chain to go taught.

“Now!” The old wizard shouted and Hemswick.

Hemswick roared and his sword clanged into the chain, ripping it from Vasher’s head. Lenny dashed towards the dazed lich. It’s time to end this!

Time seemed to slow down as Lenny ran. Johnathan was dipping his fingers into his pouch for the next volley, Hemswick was raising his sword, Lenny’s rapier was already extended in front of her, and they all closed in on Matsaka. With a gin full of black teeth, he made a mighty swing at Lenny just as Hemswick’s sword fell and her rapier ran through him.

Lenny felt no impact, but heard the telltale whistle again. Before she could react though, the red pin pricks in the lich’s eyes went out and his body crumpled dryly to the ground.

“Uuuuuuuugh”. Lenny heard Jr. groan from behind her.

Turning, Lenny saw Jr. with the spike in her head in the exact same spot Matsaka had hit everyone else. No spell washed over her and the fighting was done so Jr. was left to stand awkwardly with a limp chain hanging from her forehead.

“I guess he just had to get all of us huh?” Jr. said giving the spike a few tugs before it finally popped out.

“It’s our club mark!” Lenny joked noticing everyone had the same small diamond scar on their forehead after her healing. “Now we’re a real squad!”

“Whatever.” Jr. replied kicking the spike away. “I was looking forward to making fun of you all but oh well. Wait a second, where has Jacobin been?”

“You all seemed to have things under control.” His voice came monotone as usual.

“Yeah!” Lenny seconded. “It’s like you vanished the moment the fight started.”

“I did.” He replied smoothly. “I set up an illusion to surprise him should it look like you would fail.”

“A likely story.” Vasher said, spitting.

“I believe him.” Hemsiwck said gruffly.

“What?!” Lenny and Jr. replied in unison.

“Aye. We all know Jacobin is tricky, for better or worse. Seems just like something he would do.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Jr. said. “Well anyway, let’s take his weapon like we did the rude one’s.”

“Good idea.” Lenny replied and started coiling the long chain. “While we’re at it, I bet we can take his head for some questioning later.”

“I would not advise you to consort with that vile object”. Jacobin said, lifting his momentous pack and sneering. “We should work our way northeast to rejoin the wood as planned to avoid further… interruptions.”

“You lost your vote when you didn’t fight.” Vasher retorted.

A dull wind blew between Lenny and the rest of the party smelling of death from the nearby Greenwood. No grass rustled, to trees signed. As if responding to the breeze, Jacobin simply turned away from Vasher and started walking northeast. Lenny reverently lifted the helmet from the husk Matsaka had left, the chords holding the skull in place. A quick flash of her rapier separated it from the rest of the body with a dry snap and then she and the rest of the party were drudgingly on their way.

The sun had begun to set over Lenny’s left shoulder and everything about the day felt sour. The smell on the air, the light, and her feelings about Jacobin. It was so strange that Hemswick had defended him, yet, he did get reunited with his wife only the night before. All thanks to the Greenwood. There was no scenery to watch pass other than the shadows of her companions growing long. You know what? Lenny thought in the boredom, its time to get to the bottom of things if we have to travel with him anyway, and she sped up to walk alongside Jacobin. Hemswick and Vasher were already lost in conversation as she passed, and it made her curious, but she had to ask Jacobin.

“So!” Lenny said when she reached his side. “You and Uru seem to have similar powers.”

“You could say that.” Jacobin replied without looking at her. Maybe it was the lich head.

“Is there a reason for that? You said we would meet Uru again. How do you know? How are you two connected anyway?”

“Uru was… first. Kind of like an older brother to me, but I ended up raising him in a way. Our shared powers come to us through mother. He was first to know her highest love and I assisted with that process as I knew her first and what we could do together. As you saw he was quite beautiful in the end.”

“So were you to actually brothers?” Lenny asked, confused.

“No. He was an elf.”

“Right.”

“But mother is the origin of all, so we are family for sure. And as I said, he was first. So I adore him. Thank you for bringing him back to the Greenwood.”

“No problem, no problem!” Lenny said, still confused. “So he was the first to eat a white apple?”

Jacobin actually chuckled. “Yes, yes he was.”

“How come I didn’t get any powers when I ate a piece? It just tasted awful.” Lenny asked.

Jacobin turned to her with a fierce light in his eyes but no expression. It unnerved Lenny so much, that she averted her eyes from his and caught something. Long shadows were moving parallel to the group just barely closer than the horizon.

“Look!” Lenny shouted, ready to break the tension of Jacobin’s stare.

The whole party looked towards the shadows, still moving parallel, drawing no closer. It looked to be four of them.

“Lets get to the wood. Don’t want to fight another one of these today.” Hemswick said passing Lenny and tapping Matsaka’s helmet with the hilt of his sword.

Sure enough, the Greenwood barrier had grown close over the conversation and Lenny had to cover her nose again from the ring of white bodies rotting in the sun at its edge. As the party made its way back into the green, one figure from the batch on the horizon moved suddenly towards them.

“Wait!” it called in an old and tired voice. “Wait, please.”

Lenny had never heard this voice before. Unlike the other liches, it came with open hands and had no sound of threat or fiendish game. He sounded like an old librarian or something.

“Do not listen to their lies”. Jacobin said before the figure drew close.

“Travelers.” Indeed it was an old man, and a lich from his red pupils. “Thank you for waiting, I come to you with an offer, I will not assail you.”

“Are you the lich from the ocean shore?” Jr. asked.

“I don’t think so,” Vasher replied, “his voice sounds different.”

“Ah, no. I am not him.” The tired old man said. “But I do bear his blessing. We offer you to join us tonight and quit this band of liars and parasites. Make north with us and you do not have to reenter that vile wood. We shall not harm you, even if you deny us tonight.”

As he made his offer, the other figures lined up behind him. Jasper, Timothy, and Samara.

“Everyone behind you has tried to kill us.” Hemswick barked.

“He has a point.” Vasher said. “Why approach us now.”

“I cannot say in his presence.” The old man said nodding to Jacobin. “We can only offer this parlay.” Then the old man lowered his hands and waited.

Lenny looked around the party and saw faces of distrust all around. It had, after all, only been an hour since one of them tried to kill everyone.

In the heavy hanging moment, Jacobin huffed, and turned to walk back into the Greenwood. One by one, the party started to follow him, though still stealing glances over their shoulders as they went. Even Lenny found her feet moving away from the band of pin prick red eyes in the setting sun.

“We have some thinking to do. And some questions to ask.” Lenny simply had to say in answer to the old man. She somehow felt like he actually had their best interest in heart, but the attack was still just too fresh.

The old man frowned sadly and with a pop, he and the rest were gone. The sun with them.

Deep dark green swallowed Lenny and the party. The simultaneous setting sun and sudden canopy made it very hard to see, but eventually Johnathan lit a lantern from Jacobins back.

“Should we rest then?” Johnathan asked raising the lantern. “I used a lot of spells fighting that demon of a dwarf.”

“Aye” Vasher said. “Its too dark to travel in this wood anyway.”

“All of you may rest at once.” Jacobin said setting his large pack down silently. “I will watch for spiders.”

He said “spiders” with contempt and Lenny remembered him roasting the spider hand with green flame only the night before. God time is getting strange here. She thought to herself and set to setting up the camp using Jacobin’s supplies. It was downright luxurious after the nights of sharing a single tent or sleeping outside. As she worked, Jacobin started to offer white food to the party. Finding herself surprisingly full, Lenny abstained. One by one everyone but Hemswick turned Jacobin down claiming stomach cramps or waiting till breakfast. Distrust had become so commonplace, Jacobin did little to protest and immediately set himself to watching the perimeter of camp when he was done with his offerings. For an hour or so, Lenny stayed awake to keep an eye on Jacobin, but all he did was watch the darkness. Before she could help it, she fell asleep.