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Epilogue
His sword danced and waved, dealing death left and right. Demons fell on all sides, their courage breaking and the minions of Evil fleeing in the path of this Holy Avenger. The battle was long and glorious, the kind legends are created from, and he was sure people would tell this tale for years, around campfires and in great halls. The story would be perfect, except for the pink dance slippers on his feet and drunken dwarves singing in the background . . . Jonathan Mathews woke with a start to the sound of knocking on his tent pole. The flap was pulled aside and Captain Margen stepped in.
"Got a message for you to run, get your stuff, you leave now. Talk to Bi'lane. She'll give you your instructions." The captain answered, walking away.
"Yes sir, and where would I fi...." John asked thin air. "Never mind..."
As it turns out, Bi'lane was looking for him as well, so it didn't take long for John to run into her.
"Mathews," she barked, "Get over here."
"Yes Ma'am, Captain Margen said yo..."
"Yes, here, take this letter, and follow this map to Edgebrook, to the southeast. The King is expecting this message no later than Moon Day."
"Yes Ma'am, I'll leave right away."
Saddling his horse, he tucked the note into his boot and glanced over the map, studying the directions. Two days ride south, and one east, if he followed the main road . . . This sounded too important, what about . . . yes, here, a little used back road, that more or less cut a diagonal from here to there . . . should shave at least a day's ride off, if not more. It would be nice to finish a run early for a change. With barely a glance from the sentries posted at the boarder, John Mathews rode off on another of his mundane message runs.
It was as he figured, the going was a little rougher than taking the well-beaten main road, but his horse could handle it. He made good time, and at the end of the first day, he estimated he had already saved eight hours. He made camp by the side of the road, set up his tent and had a fire going. After a warm meal he curled up and was soon asleep. The sun was still high the next day when he spotted the glint of glass and metal up ahead.
"Good," he exclaimed to himself, "at least I can get a decent drink and some food on this trip." Sure enough, John soon found himself passing through a small settlement, no more than 20 or 30 houses and a few small stores. He flagged down a man who was passing by and asked where he might get something to take the road dust off.
"There's the Cat's Rest, just outside town, it's where most people go first, when they find out they have to go all the way back the way they came." He said flatly.
"What do you mean? I can see the road continuing on from here."
"Oh sure,the road continues, meets up with the main road about three miles after the forest here, but no one ever makes it that far..."
With that the man hurried off.
As it turns out, The Cat's Rest proved to be an excellent place to put his feet up and enjoy a decent glass of wine. A few locals glanced at him from time to time, but he was paying with military coinage, so they left him alone. John noticed an old man watching him, shaking his head from time to time. He came hobbling up and sat down across from him without asking, and started looking him over closely.
"Whatsh your bushinessh shtranger?" The old man whistled.
"I'm heading to Leamian Castle, to the east. I found this road and thought it would be a shortcut from the main road."
The old man laughed mirthlessly, "That it ushed to be, until the Guardian took over the foresht. Now no one ushesh the road Easht from here."
"The Guardian? What's that, some local folklore?"
The old man went dead serious, glaring at John. "A joke it ish NOT! Beware the Guardian, None shall enter the Forgotten Foresht, and live" With that the old man got up and stormed out, cursing the foolishness of youth.
Shrugging it off, John figured there was enough daylight left to make it through the woods, and decided one more night's sleep on the ground won't kill him. His horse had been tended and fed, and ready to ride again. It didn't take long to reach the edge of the woods, and soon John was enclosed in trees on all sides. The leaves above didn't allow much light through, but it was enough to follow the poorly cut trail. Soon the condition of the path was so bad that he had to guess most of the time as to where he was going. "Why can't the locals keep their roads in better condition?" he asked out loud.
The warmth of life had once again entered its forest. So long had it been that the creature almost didn't realize it. The hunger was unbearable, and despite the hated glow from above, it moved out to find something to easy it.
When the sound started, John realized something, it had been dead quite up until then. There were no crickets chirping, or birds singing, or small animals rustling through the undergrowth, nothing. Now, there was a chalky sound emanating from the trees around him, like dry leaves blowing in the wind. Only, the forest was too thick to allow much air flow through, and John found it rather stifling, in fact. The sound seemed to move with him as he travelled the dense forest. Around a bend, John found a catch in his great Plan, a giant Ironroot had fallen across the path. Cursing his luck, John dismounted and started to search the area for any way around. That's when he heard the sound again, much louder and menacing than before. His horse started to prance and kick at the air, and it was all John could do to calm him enough to get back on. Once John was seated he turned his horse around and started heading back the way he came, letting the horse control the speed. Suddenly something was in his path, something huge but had moved so silently John could scarcely believe what he was seeing. Coiled like a snake, but with tentacles sprouting from its neck and spikes on its head, the creature opened its cavernous mouth to snatch both horse and rider, but the horse skipped and dashed and started cutting though the forest, regardless of the underbrush. The sounds of pursuit could be heard, but John could not see anything following him. The trees started to thin and through them he could see that night had fallen, but the lights at the Cat's Rest were still burning. Just then his horse gave a violent kick and through him from it's back. Crashing down hard, John could barely breathe as his horse bolted. He managed to get to his feet just in time to see his horse go down under the weight of the creature, dropping from the canopy above. John started running.
The creature found its prey, a large, four legged beast, and one of those hated ones. The ones that had wounded it, and then forced it to starve by preventing others from entering it's forest. Hate had welled up for years within the Guardian, and now revenge will be served. It knew this spot well, it was where the two legged ones last stood against it. It would not let this one get away, it will pay for what its kind did. Using surprise to its advantage, the creature dropped from it's hiding place, directly onto the path. Opening its mouth wide it lunged forward, attempting to grab them both in one bite, but the beast had managed to elude it, and dashed through the unbroken forest. Again the creature took to the trees, coiling and flexing around the trunks as it worked its way in swift pursuit. When It caught up to them, it's presence causing the beast to throw the other one. Good, now it will be easier to catch. With one quick motion the creature dropped down, crushing the animal under it, preventing it from escaping. The little one would not slate it's hunger, but it must be dealt with before feasting can begin.
John ran like he had never run before. The creature was obviously faster, and defiantly stronger than anything he had ever seen before. Fear gripped him, and he stumbled, falling onto his stomach and winding himself. It was all the time the creature needed to catch up. Suddenly there was motion all around him, as the trees shook and the Guardian of Forgotten Forest came bursting into view. It's hideous face splitting to reveal row upon row of razor sharp, needle like teeth. John screamed as the mouth closed over him, and pain ripped through is body. The message was never delivered to the King.
Revenge had been served, and the Guardian once again ruled the forest unchallenged.
The End.