I woke up to the unfamiliar. but welcome sounds of people getting up. Beds creaking deep felt yawns and muted small talk. Stalker was already up and anxious to get out, so I didn’t linger in bed although I was tempted.

  We follow the groups going to the mess hall. I noticed a few with new bruises. Results of the night? I wonder what it was that attacked… Should I have stayed up and helped? Then again, I was not armed, and it looked like they were ready for it… used to it even. Something flashed blue

  I checked another quest… This time packaged as protection.

  Quest: Protect the shelter

  Duration: 5 days (4 days 23 hours 59 minutes 46 seconds)

  Objective: Kill 5 woodwraiths of equal or higher level.

  Reward: Combat skill selection.

  Damn it! Was this how it would change my mind? Offering “protection” quests instead of kill quests, until at some point I would have to admit to myself that my resistance was hollow and useless?

  “Hey! Move it! We don’t have all day!” I had been blocking the door to the mess hall. Not a popular move! Switching introspection mode off, I mumbled a “Sorry.” I got in and found a place. While waiting for the food I took a second to just appreciate the morning hustle and bustle of people getting ready for a day of work. This smelled of normalcy!

  Torle found us and served me a good helping of porridge and even had some meat for Stalker. “Stay after dinner tonight, and we will talk Traveler” he says. I nod and say, “later it is Torle and thank you!” I point at the food for me and Stalker. He laughs it off and is already on to the next table.

  I see Moll looking at me from the door, waving me over. I quickly finished and go join him. “Good morning, Moll” He looks tired and as if he has been in a fight. “The others are ready. Let’s go!”

  Stalker looks at the group and then emotes hunt? I emote back no hunt, gathering wood He looks around the camp, full of logs and hufs amused. I smile at him and say “True enough Stalker people be crazy sometimes”

  A few minutes later we are on our way. Moll made quick introductions, and the group was Sslaras the lizardman, Nelly the goblin, Moll the orc, Frino the beastkin with antlers, Jack and Barlo the two humans.

  With the exception of Moll the group is easy going enough and even answer some of my stupid questions… Like what race they were and if it was polite to ask about class, profession and levels.

  Turns out that race was a non issue, so as long as I was polite about it? I should be ok. Class, professions and levels, however was more of a delicate issue and it got real quiet when I asked… At last Barlo asked “What class and profession do you have?” I sensed the mood being a bit off and could see the group trying really hard to appear casual… But I answered honestly, since I had already told Deggan yesterday “I have none, I’m just curious about it”

  Barlo laughed bitterly “aren’t we all” and Frino added “Classes and professions are kinda private and very scarce, so best don’t go asking those kind of questions” Moll chiming in for the first time “Thats right… those question can get you in trouble, so less talking and more walking!”

  We all added some tempo and before too long we arrived at our assigned spot, not far from where they had found me yesterday and here we were split up in pairs. Our job was simple, fell as many of the dark trees as we could. Then another crew would come and take them to the nearby Blackwater river to be sent back to the camp and eventually on to a nearby village.

  I got paired up with Sslaras, and after finding a suitable tree, he quickly explained the basics. He then swung and hit the tree with a good:

  Twack …

  He looked to me to join him in alternating chops, and as I prepared to make my swing, I notice that the tree is bleeding dark red sap… “Wait! Wait a minute! The tree is bleeding?” I said and pointed at the thick red sap.

  Sslaras laughed, his tail twitching “yes, it looks like it, doesn’t it?” He continued “The red sap, the sinister look, the ghostwood name and its special properties are the reason so many people think these trees are cursed”

  … I looked at him. His tail now almost trying to hide behind him. “You can’t just stop there!”

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  “Well, it’s mostly superstition” he said “But the trees can be used to make houses undead proof, or so I have heard, not sure if true” He smiled “but rich people buy it at a premium, so maybe it’s true?”

  He studied the red sap flowing and said “what is true, however is that the forest does not like us taking these trees… No, not at all” He looked at me with anger in his eyes “I have lost friends to this place, be careful out here” I nodded and said “sorry for your loss”

  He looked at his axe and then said “that is why it’s best to get it over with, chop it down before something comes for you!” with that he struck again TWACK

  Soon a tandem rhythm of TWACK TWACK sounded from our little spot.

  Stalker looked at us for a few minutes and then emoted Bored Hunt. I nodded at him between swings and emoted hunt fun and after a short pause I sent danger flee, I felt a little silly telling him to run from danger, but that talk about cursed trees and the panther still being out there had put a scare in me. He just huffed with amusement and with his tail elegantly swishing he turned to explore this part of the forest.

  Sslaras asked “that fox, an unusual pet, where did you get him?” almost missing my swing at the question, I said “Stalker is not my pet, he is a friend and we found each other in the forest when I arrived.”

  The next hours went fast. The steady sound of Twack Twack echoed by the other pairs around the forest. Sslaras and I talked some, but mostly we were caught up in the rhythm. After the final cut another tree fell to the earth coated in the grisly sap.

  Sslaras said “Hmm… if my stomach is any guide, it is time for lunch! Let’s go meet the others” I was in better shape, then I have ever been in this or my prior life, but I was not complaining about this break, I was spent!

  Stalker had been coming and going, and I had begun relaxing a bit. My friend was more than capable and would be fine alone… Better then with me really! But that thought made me a little sad, I missed hunting with him. I had a hard time concealing my joy when he joined us for our lunch break.

  I emoted fun? Hunt? At him and he flicked his tail and turned his nose into the air as he answered Exciting! He then gave a little whining sound, as he added lonely sad! I really needed to find some alone time with my friend, if I was going to be here long.

  Sslaras, unaware of my talk with Stalker, laughed and said, “It’s like it knew that it was time for food!” I nodded and said “Yeah, he is the smart one in our little group”

  While walking towards the meeting spot, we could hear one set of Twack Twack stopping, leaving only a single set sounding out the rhythm. As we got there, we saw Moll readying some lunch and a little fire, me joining the crew had given him time to do whatever it was a crew leader did (napping… it was definitely that, he looked much better than he had this morning) and soon after Frino and Barlo joined us.

  Moll looked at us and asked Sslaras “So how did the new guy do?” Sslaras looked at me and said “He did okay, give him some time and he will be a proper lumberjack yet!” then he laughed “but you should have seen him, when the trees started bleeding and I told him about the curse!” at this Sslaras tried to mimic my face (That almost broke my weirdometer, seeing a lizardman trying to mimic my face when hearing about cursed wood in a magical world…) That brought a round of laughs and Barlo said chuckling “be nice! The curses of the dead gods can be scary”

  Twack Twack the rhythm continued deeper in the forest.

  “Curses? There are more?” I said, my voice was pitching a bit higher. Barlo was quick to answer “you don’t know about the dead gods curses? Maybe you are really a traveler!” Moll shaking his head “or maybe just an idiot getting hit one too many times in the head and lost in the forest…“ Frino looked at the food and the fire and said “Why don’t you bring the new guy up to speed and I go get Nelly and Jack, before the food is overdone… again”

  Sslaras sensing an opening jumped in “ancient legends have it that the gods cursed Limbo with their dying breaths” Barlo adding “yes, the undead are one of them” Sslaras quickly added “yes and the ghostwood, the cursed monsters and the archives and … “ Barlo eagerly interjected “yes and the disappearance of the classes and advanced professions!” At this point Moll unfortunately stepped in and stopped the exposition dump “Enough curse talk… that is not fitting for lunch!”

  I quickly checked my quest status, I could almost feel the blue flash itching to appear, but I guess I would need a bit more for my Lorekeeper quest. I was so going to ask Sslaras for a bedtime story!

  Twack Twack…. Craaaaaack, the sound of a falling tree signaled the end of the last rhythm.

  A few minutes later Nelly and Jack could be seen through the trees coming towards us

  At this point Stalker stood up straight and looked in their direction and where Frino had left. He emoted Danger! Old Smell! I looked in the same direction as him and asked out loudly “There is Nelly and Jack, but where is Frino?”

  A roar sounded in the forest… Did our friend the green menace strike again?