The Woods and the Fauna.

  In the dead of night an ancient forest forgotten by time has consumed the realms. The woods appeared like a forming storm. The Winds howled like banshee as the spores it held spread and infested everything in its path. Seats of power controlled by royal blood chosen by the gods crushed by the weight of the woods, centers of faith were overrun by fungi and rot, and the homes of people were swept away by the howling winds. Everything not of the woods would be consumed or expelled like a storm seeking to destroy everything. And in this eye of the storm was a desert of trees twisted and mangled, devoid of life, bare leaves and life sustaining fruits. As if to say all fauna were not allowed in this place. At the center of the Deadwoods was a tree taller than any known mountain in the Realms. Its leaves were black and slimy almost to reject the sun and its light. The fruit it bore was colorless and lifeless unsuited to give life. The moss at the base and roots of the tree was bulging and growing with life. Almost antithetical to everything else in the Deadwoods.

  Then without warning the bulging Moss grew in size. Devouring dead plant material and fauna more and more until it formed into multiple boulder-sized pods. With each passing minute the pods cracked like an egg releasing putrid liquid black-gray mold until they all popped, releasing hundreds if not thousands of man-sized cockroach-like creatures Borne of the tree. These man sized creatures used their newly borne wings to glide the winds scattering them across the Woods. The only witness to this horrific sight was a large and imposing figure sitting at the roots of the tree covered in fresh green robes, unaffected and uninterested by howling winds and rotting moss.

  As the winds died down and the fog began to set, another figure stepped out of the fog. The other smaller but still imposing figure approaching the tree was dressed in knight’s armor. Not the armor of a great knight from legend but hobbled together from different noble houses with a mace and great shield with the crest of the golden beast in hand. The larger Figure took notice of the pseudo knight and formed a sphere of frost and ice with one finger and flicked it at high speed.

  Seeing this attack the Pseudo Knight reacted and deflected with the bear shield the approaching sphere trying not to lose momentum. As the Pseudo Knight dashed the sphere redirected itself to strike the Pseudo Knight from behind. With a grace unseen in one in such mismatched armor the Pseudo Knight backflips out of the way causing the sphere to crash into the roots. The impact forming cracks around the surface of the sphere.

  Taking this opportunity the Pseudo Knight struck the Sphere with the mace sending the sphere back with twice the force launched, striking the Mysterious Figure in the head with the force of the impact destroying the sphere in a storm of snow and frost. The Pseudo Knight then began rushing, shield first determined to crush the Figure. Only to hit a barrier destroying the shield and arm guard and repelling the Knight on the ground, writhing in pain.

  Oh, My this is interesting.

  A youthful voice rang throughout the mist and Deadwoods. As the cold mist disappeared The Mysterious Figure that was one sitting was now standing up the hood that had been a part of the robe was now destroyed revealing the figure’s face. It was that of a young man entering adulthood with hair blonde short and flowing. His hair wasn't the most striking feature about him, his eyes were devoid of life; looking no different from a corpse.

  A child pretending to be a knight, how quaint.

  He held no malice nor falsehoods in his voice. No true knight would blindly rush at an enemy, all power with no real tactics. This was no knight, even one lesser talent would be a better fight.

  Children should not be here playing Knights and Damsels with Discoideum. If anything the Fauna of the New World where the others are would be a much better playmate for you.

  The False Knight paid no mind to Figure and stood back up despite the shards of the shield embedded in the Right side of the Knight rendering the arm mostly useless, The False pointed the Mace in defiance as if to day “Get out of my way” before charging at the figure.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Feeling bemused, The Figure formed several spheres launched at the approaching False Knight, forcing the False Knight to deflect incoming spheres. Each strike slowly chipping away the mace with the final deflect destroying the mace in an icy explosion damaging False Knight arm with shards of ice. Causing the False Knight to stagger backwards and stumples back on roots of the tree losing significance, progress up the tree and falling into the previously made hole. Still undeterred, the Struggling Knight began attempting to crawl out of the hole.

  The sight of this scene inspires a boyish laugh out Mysterious Figure. The cheery but hollow laugh echoing throughout the woods. Well now. Let's get a better look at my eager young opponent! The figure then blasted the Struggling Knight out of the Hole and then grabbed the Wounded Knight midair with his telekinesis and ripped off the helmet to match a face to the actions he was facing.

  The face of a female Bruin. Black nuzzle, round stubby ears. She was quite clearly not a fighter given how chubby her cheeks were which had indicated she had lived a rather luxurious life until recently. Her fur was also Golden which was such that she was a member of the Nobility. As he used his telekinesis to study his opponent's face and make funny faces with it, the Bruin had had enough and was trying to break Free.

  “Let me go!”

  The Bruin’s struggle had seemed to be in vain as she was badly injured and the metaphysical palm of the enemy’s hand. And yet something drove her to keep moving. With every moment of her squirming leg and every breath she took something ancient welled inside of her.

  So you have something interesting inside you.

  “I said let me ggooooooo!”

  As the last letter left her mouth and golden energy erupted from inside her breaking the icy telekinetic hold on her sending the mage into the sky. Catching himself he deserved back to the root. As he descended down to the root the scene had changed. The section tree had flowers growing around the Bruin. The golden energy had been flowing out of her like a blazing fire. Her arms and torso have been healed with no signs of injury or scarring on her. This even surprised herself as she had no clue how this happened.

  To think, the power of spring appearing in children. Such a case hasn't happened in 90 years.

  That comment had instantly soured her mood and snuffed out her flame. “Hrump, I'll have you know my good sir. I am 22 well past the awkwardness of youth, thank you very much.”

  The Figure turned to the black tree that stood above all others. The one that sought survival above all others by devouring all others.

  Compared to me everyone in this realm is a child. Though I wish to know your name.

  Humanity has long believed nature has a balance. Recent events have shown otherwise. Nothing in the cosmos is self correcting. Balance only by those who create it.

  Which are the Flora and Fauna.

  Turning to the Bruin she had taken off into a sprint and had quickly closed the distance between by he turned around she had already jumped over his head and landed behind him. Before she took off she introduced herself with her back turned.

  “My name is Winnipeg.”

  she took her thumb and pointed it at herself. “But my friends call me Winnie.”

  She then reignited her Aura and began her ascension up the tree. Leaving behind a trail of life in her path.

  I look forward to seeing how your battle ends… Winnie.

  40 minutes later at the top of the tree.

  As Winnipeg approached the core of the tree the many branches of the tree felt endless. Each branch near the top melted and fused into each other. As Winnipeg searched for any openings to the core it became increasingly clear that it has no clear openings like a normal tree.

  “There isn't any point in running around like a cockroach with its head cut off.” Jumping off one branches too one of the larger ones. Winnipeg sat down, put her legs up and rested.

  As she rested the creeping presence of the Deadwoods approached her. Creeping vines grabbed her as a fleshy moldy maw opened and swallowed her whole. The slimy sensation woke her and out reflex flares her Aura to free herself from the vines only to fall faster as there was nothing to control her descent down the tunnel. Taking her left paw she punched the moldy tunnel and began kick jumping down it. As she needed the exit the tree began creating walls to stop her only to be crushed by the Aura infused kicks.

  As the last barrier broke she fell into chamber of the core and the creature was more disgusting than anyone could have thought.

  The core of the tree was immense pulsing with death pulsing inside it. A Hunger that sought to devour all. It was the brain, it stomach, it was heart of the Deadwoods and it needed to die now!