Swords and Flowers

Ch.2: The Witch in the Woods

The air was crisp as Caelann trekked the narrow, winding path leading into the deeper side of the Forest of Jeb, a place he'd always been warned to avoid. 

But he knew better than most how scarce the herbs in town had become, with so many guild members snatching up quests to gather them. The forest near the village had been picked clean, leaving only the deeper, shadier spots... where rumor had it, the sorceress was last spotted.

"Not like she'll be out in the middle of the day... if she even exists," he muttered under his breath, pushing aside branches and scanning the forest floor for any hints of the pale blooms and sprigs he needed. 

"Witch like her would probably be mixing her cauldrons or chanting in some dungeon." Caelann snickered at the thought and pulled a small iron dagger from his belt, carefully slicing off a sprig of dragon's moss growing at the base of an old oak tree.

The stories of the sorceress flooded back to him as he worked: a shadowy figure rumored to have made pacts with demons and spirits from other realms, before betraying them... and even slaying them. 

She was an SSS-ranked threat according to the guild's bingo book, with the typical advice stamped in red: "Do Not Engage." 

The older folks in the guild claimed they've heard she'd wreaked havoc on powerful heroes in the past, and whispers of her cruelty and cunning were enough to keep most adventurers far from these woods... even gold-ranked adventurers. She had disappeared years before Caelann was born, and the guild had been adamant in denying the claims of her supposed existence, but the superstition was still there. 

But Caelann was rarely one for listening to warnings or heeding "common sense." If he could get what he needed here and finish the quest before sundown, he'd be back at the inn for a hearty meal while everyone else scrambled around in empty meadows and barren forest patches. 

Besides, no one would even know he'd been here. He pocketed a handful of red-rooted bloodwort and hummed, his bag filling with the rarest plants he'd seen in weeks.

Suddenly, the ground trembled underfoot, and the trees ahead of him seemed to part as something massive lumbered into view—a towering minotaur, its red eyes gleaming with unmistakable menace, carrying a rusted axe that looked more like a slab of iron than a weapon.

"Well, hello there," Caelann murmured, trying to mask his alarm. But as the minotaur raised its axe, there was no time for pleasantries. Caelann's instincts kicked in, and he sidestepped just as the weapon came crashing down, cleaving into the ground where he'd been standing only moments before.

"Oh, so you're one of those," Caelann grunted, unsheathing his own sword—a weapon far less impressive than the beast's, but sharpened well enough to get the job done if he could find the right angle. He ducked under a swing and aimed for the creature's leg, managing a lucky strike that slowed its movements.

The fight was brutal, dirt and broken branches flying in every direction as the minotaur let out deafening roars with each swing. Caelann barely avoided each crushing blow, his heart racing as he fumbled to keep his footing. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the beast staggered backward, weakened by his strikes. With one last push, Caelann drove his sword into the minotaur's chest, watching as the light left its red eyes. The creature collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud.

Panting, Caelann braced his hands on his knees, letting out a laugh of relief. "Not bad, Caelann. Not bad at all." He surveyed the wreckage of plants and herbs scattered around him, mentally tallying the herbs he'd have to re-collect now. It would set him back, but at least the fight had kept things interesting.

"Impressive," a low, melodic voice echoed from the shadows behind him. Caelann froze, blood turning to ice. He slowly turned to see a slender, cloaked figure emerging from the trees, her eyes gleaming like purple embers in the dappled forest light. "Most impressive."