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Shaman Pan of the Forest (#3282)

Owner: 0x24D7…e52b

Chapter 1: Pan

The Shaman reached out with his mind and touched the spirit of the forest around him. The song of the trees rang in his ears, the roots burrowing deep into his psyche. He heard the murmur of small plants growing, berries swelling on the vine and a million tiny creatures scuttling about their business.

He felt the sun warming his antlers as he reached out to the denizens of the forest, searching for fluctuations in the flow of energy. As usual, he was forced to suppress the malignant atmosphere that hung just at the forest’s edge, pushing the darkness to the back of his consciousness.

The Dumb Stick quivered in his hand, rasping against his wicker shawl, and he opened his eyes.

“There you are,” he smiled. “Come, Fester, the hunt is upon us.”

The plague rat squeaked with excitement and bounded forward, anxious to begin. The Shaman stood languidly and began to lope effortlessly after his familiar, navigating the tangled undergrowth of the lower reaches of The Thorn. Though the thrill of the hunt filled him, the looming presence of the Quantum Shadow still played on his mind. The Shaman could feel its dark energy seeping into the borders of the forest, tainting all it touched.

He hoped that his quarry could be stopped before the Shadow entangled its mind.

Chapter 2: Baird

Pan crept under an archway formed by intertwined branches of the trees on either side of the forest track. Up ahead, the little beast was stripping leaves hungrily off a low, compact bush with bright yellow flowers, its rotund body rapidly flashing with alternating colours as it fed. It purred contentedly and closed its two primary eyes, but the second set continued to swivel back and forth on the stalks protruding from the back of its head, scanning for danger.

So it feeds on the Sun Lily… I wonder if it makes use of those toxins as a defence against predators.

The Shaman silently pulled an arrow from his quiver and notched it to his bowstring. The arrow’s head was not pointed, but flared into four inward-curving prongs. After piercing the flesh of the beast, the arrow would wrap threads of enchantment around its entire body, temporarily paralysing it so that Pan could take his time putting a soothing on the animal.

He drew the bow, fingers brushing his lips as he loosed the arrow. It flew straight and true, but at that moment the air around the animal congealed into the shape of a Rune of Mars, trapping the arrow in mid-air just inches from its flank.

The creature struggled vainly against the bonds of air. Pan snorted in surprise and annoyance and strode forward, determined to confront whoever had interfered with his hunt. As he approached, a huge onyx wolf emerged from the undergrowth, its jet-black fur glistening menacingly. Pan extended an appeasing hand and murmured to the wolf in gentle tones, but shifted his stance subtly, signalling to the wolf that while he meant it no harm, he was not afraid to defend himself if necessary.

It was clear that the wolf was a familiar; the Shaman delved into its mind, searching for its connection to the wizard that was no doubt nearby.

Get out of my familiar’s head, Shaman, we come in peace.

Pan pulled back his thoughts, eyes scanning the forest, then spoke out loud.

“If you come in peace, then show yourself.”

“I am here, Shaman, if you look closely enough.”

Pan gave a start as the wizard suddenly appeared behind the wolf. The Shaman blinked in surprise, unnerved that the man had managed to conceal himself so well. No matter his magic, this was Pan’s forest, and usually nothing escaped his attention.

The wizard’s youthful face was kind, and the green band pulling his dark hair back from his forehead marked him as a medicine man. In a large pouch strapped to his back he carried a giant white egg covered in shimmering blue patterns.

Pan relaxed. “I have heard whispers of you from the forest, Wizard #3916. I have no quarrel with you. I too am a Green Wizard and even though I do not work at the Green Council’s behest, I believe our goals are aligned."

Baird smiled brightly at him. “I have heard of you too, Shaman Pan of the Forest. In fact, I’ve been looking for you. I have a proposition for you. But first, I think this creature here may hold the key to a cure I have been working on. All I need is a sample of its blood, and then you may do with it what you wish.”

The Shaman nodded, gesturing for Baird to continue, and settled himself on the ground to wait.

Chapter 3: Eric

Pan and Baird sat in companionable silence as the herbs brewed in the pot on the fire. To one side, Fester lay curled up between the forepaws of Skadi, Baird’s wolf familiar.

It had been months since their first encounter in the southern reaches of The Thorn. Since dealing with that first beast, the Shaman and the Battle Mage had built up a strong connection as they worked their way northwards through the wild tangle of The Thorn and into the brighter, more open woods of The Fey, hunting down other creatures. Pan had been surprised at how quickly he had bonded with Baird. He had always worked alone, and had liked it that way, but the Mage’s companionship was simple and unassuming, and he had a refreshingly pure connection with the natural world that Pan had not encountered in his dealings with other wizards. In Pan’s experience, wizards – even Greens – had lost their affinity for Nature, trying to subjugate her rather than recognising their place as part of a wider, interconnected consciousness.

They had been tracking this latest beast for several days. It was proving elusive, its shapeshifting abilities allowing it to evade their pursuit, but right now they had other things to worry about… Pan’s large ears twitched at the faint sound of rustling leaves. “He’s close again,” he murmured softly to his friend. “Be ready, I’m finding it hard to decipher his intentions.”

Baird nodded almost imperceptibly and clenched his fist. Pan could see the faint glow from the Rune of Mars on Baird’s palm seeping between the Battle Mage’s clenched fingers as the magic flared, unbidden. Skadi showed barely any outward sign that she was aware of the intruders, but Pan could sense the tension in her coiled muscles and see the intensity reflected in her golden eyes. Fester, too, was alert, his nose and whiskers quivering.

The stranger’s voice rang out boldly from the darkness.

“Aye, you know I’m here, and you know I’ve been watching you. It seems like you two could use some help with that rune-torn shapeshifter.”

As he finished speaking, the stocky, red-bearded man stepped into the firelight and pulled back a blue hood lined in gold, unleashing a shock of fiery hair. A large, shaggy dog padded up next to him and eyed the group warily.

“The name’s Wizard #1182, friends, and this here is Shimmer. Don’t let the hood fool you, I too am a Green Wizard.” Pan motioned wordlessly to the newcomer and he nodded, walking over to sit down on a moss-covered rock.

“Thank you, Shaman. I haven’t come forward until now, but there is no doubt in my mind that your connections to the forest run deep – both you and the medicine man.” He nodded respectfully at Baird.

“Welcome, Eric of the Grotto. We have been watching you, too. Please, say your piece,” said Pan.

“I’m pleased to hear that you’re open to discussion, friends. You see, we’re not the only ones hunting these beasts. There are higher powers operating in the Fey. I’ve made a pact with Wizard #777 to relocate any creature I capture back to the Seventh Realm. There was a beast slayer from that realm meddling in my operations last spring, but once the Sphinx intervened he agreed to stick to his own realm. Nevertheless, since then the woods have become rather crowded… and I do not like the types I’ve been encountering.”

Story Arc Index:

Prologue: Wizard #2875

Part 1: Wizard #3032

Part 2: Wizard #1182

Part 3: Wizard #3282

Part 4: Wizard #3916

Part 5: Wizard #2550

Part 6: Wizard #3919

Part 7: Pony #433

Entered by: 0x24D7…e52b and preserved on chain (see transaction)