We last left our dear Hero and his friends at the brink of Night Forest, with a dark future before them. One key down, two to go in their quest to defeat Villain and restore the world to balance.
In case you missed anything, here’s a list of past installments in this fantasy parody!
- Origin Story // In which Hero grows up in Quaint Village, Mentor is mysterious, Incentive dies, Villain’s backstory is disclosed, and Hero discovers his singular purpose: to save the world.
- The Journey Begins // In which Hero and Mentor set off to save the world, horses are invincible, Hero is wounded, Mentor is characteristically mysterious, and they take refuge with the elves.
- A Refuge Disturbed // In which Hero falls instantly in love with an elf princess, hour-long ballads are sung, Hero tries to impress the princess and makes a deadly mistake, but Deus Ex Dragon comes to the rescue.
- A Side Quest // In which our fearsome trio escapes certain death, romantic tension blossoms between Hero and the elf princess, and everyone is kidnapped by dwarves.
- To Slay a Beast // In which Hero fights a Gorlab, very nearly dies, reclaims the first key, and wins the Dwarf King’s favor.
Without further ado, let us continue and see what the forest has in store for Hero.
Princess El’liaenwil, Mentor, and I have spent the better part of the day in the air, flying over blackened trees. It’s monotonous, to say the least. Especially since El’liaenwil refuses to respond to any conversation I try to make, and Mentor is brooding, his gaze on the horizon.
His words ring in my mind. “We are headed to the Night Forest. If legend holds true, a Dark Night of the Soul may lie ahead. For all of us.”
It’s all enough to put me in a rather foul mood. Did I really leave Quaint Village behind for this? The thankless role of heroism?
It’s also been… well, I’m not sure how long since I slept. Oh well. Who needs sleep on a quest anyway?
“We’re here.” Mentor’s voice breaks through my stewing thoughts. He points below, where the sparse skeleton trees give way to a dense tangle of forest stretching far into the distance. Unlike the dead trees, this forest isn’t dead yet—but it’s well on its way to dying. I can smell the rank odor of rot from here.
The dragon lands at the border of Night Forest.
“We won’t be able to take it with us,” Mentor says as we dismount. “You’ll have to send it home, Princess.”
Because of course flying over a forest we’re meant to travel on foot would not do. Heroes must abandon their advantages so that they can prove themselves.
