Happy Halloween everyone. Have a zombie attack.

It was also still Halloween when I finished it so I technically got it done in time. This is also (un)fortunately my final Whumptober2021 submission. But hey, I tried? :O

In case anyone's wondering this is set during Chapter 4.

Whumptober prompt:

No. 2 - Talking Is Overrated

Warnings for: Description of body horror and decay, strangulation, near death experiences, talk of euthanizing animals/living creatures, minor Tale of a Timeless Tome spoiler (aka the Name Spoiler)

Into the Woods

By Bilbo-sama

It began like any other day for Roland.

Wake up. Eat breakfast. Hear reports from the night watch. Check inventory. Help build part of a house. Give Evan a leadership lesson in the form of letting him decide on visiting Goldpaw's library to learn more about the world or investigate rumors of monster sightings.

Evan ultimately chose to look into monster sightings. The trade routes between the Sky Pirates' main base and Goldpaw are currently keeping Evermore afloat until it can truly back up its claim as a new country. A monster (Tainted with the Horned One's power or otherwise) interfering with trade would have severe consequences if left unchecked.

Today, a representative from one of the bandit tribes that had no quarrel with the Sky Pirates, Evermore, or Tyran's band spoke of sightings of what appeared to be a greatly injured Manticore lurking in the tree line of the Plainview Plateau as it moved southwards. It attacked anything that got near it, which included settlements and camp sites it stumbled upon. The creature would appear at night and howl as if it was in pain. It had one glowing red eye and judging from the torch light, was in the process of becoming Tainted.

Nobody has seen what happens while a monster becomes a Tainted one but it appears everyone was about to find out if Roland judged the determined look on Evan's face correctly.

"The poor thing," said the boy king as his ears drooped, "it must be suffering…"

"Aye," Batu crossed his arms in thought before glancing at Roland with a glint of challenge (to which Roland responded by internally rolling his eyes and not rising to the bait), "it's fer the better if we put it out its misery."

Evan made a dismayed noise.

"But…"

"It may be for the best if we go that way, Evan," Roland agreed, "the…darkness," he made a slight grimace when reminded of the more fantastical things about this strange world he was dragged into, "is probably what's keeping it alive when it shouldn't be."

"And it's not havin' a good time because of that, innit?" added Lofty.

"Right…" Evan sighed, conceding to the point.

The last known location of the Manticore was a forest at the edge of the Plateau. It was half a day's walk from Evermore and accessible by a bridge.

The fact that it was this close to Evermore, which was more of a fort than a kingdom, did not bode well. Roland doubted all able-bodied fighters would be at their best if the enhanced monster attacked during the night. It would also take many hours for reinforcements from Goldpaw or from one of the Sky Pirate villages to arrive if such event occurred.

The forest was dark and foreboding, which of course was the perfect place to search for a semi-dead half-crazed monster.

…And of course, it was the perfect place for everyone to somehow get separated from each other and get lost. Wonderful.

"Evan?" Roland called out, "Batu? Tani? Lofty? Min Ti? Chingis? Tabbias? Runcible? Tove? Anyone?"

Roland let out a frustrated huff as no one answered.

"Just great…"

He looked around again and found nothing but trees ominously blocking out most of the sun light and shrubs nonchalantly existing as if they weren't bothered by this fact. It was also too quiet. Where is everyone? Where are the animals? The untamed Higgledies? Was this monster that terrifying?

Well, he wasn't going to find anyone if he just stood around. Roland picked a random direction and walked down the path. And hopefully, Lofty or whichever deity in control of this part of the world would grant him some decent luck.

Occasionally Roland would call out and get no answer in return.

He wandered for what felt like hours before he sat down on a fallen tree to rest and reflect on the situation.

Well, he is most certainly lost. But…this place can't be that big. He should've ran into someone by now. Evan, Min Ti, and Tabbias would've heard him ages ago with their enhanced hearing.

Then…

Roland quickly stood up and summoned his gun, "This is a trap."

A voice growling "Indeeeed," was his only warning before a large hand grabbed him by the back of his coat. Roland struggled in his captor's grip and would have slipped out his coat sooner if he wasn't introduced to what lurked in the woods.

The Black Knight grinned erratically and said in a hoarse voice, "Hello, human."

The past couple of months were not kind to the former mouse. What remained of his armor was broken and dirtied. There was a wound on his side that appeared to be caused by a jagged edge rubbing against flesh. Patches of fur were missing on his limbs. Someone got lucky during his raids up north and shot an arrow into his leg. The blood around the wound by now had blackened and no doubt it was much worse below the surface.

The worst of it was the rotting gunshot wound where his left eye used to be. The decay was spreading across the left side of his face and Roland's stomach lurched from the sight (and smell) of it. His remaining eye glowed with a dark purple aura, which also surrounded his centaur-like body.

Roland immediately doubled his efforts into escaping. The Black Knight chuckled and used his free hand to grab Roland by the throat.

"Can't go just yet," the mouse chided as his captive gasped and choked before the mouse adjusted his grip to allow some air in, "not until I say so."

"What…do…you…want?" Roland managed between gulps of air.

The Black Knight tilted his head in a mocking manner as if he was pretending to be thinking, "Hmm…"

The grin he made pulled back rotted skin and muscle, allowing Roland to see the inside of his left cheek, "I want you to die, of course."

Roland then remembered he was miraculously still holding his gun and immediately fired into a section of Black Knight's chest that was uncovered.

The Black Knight looked down at the resulting wound and laughed, "Nice try but I'm already dead. You can't kill a dead man."

If anything, Roland hoped, this would attract somebody's attention. But just in case…

The few zombie movies he had seen long before arriving to this world had shown that destroying the head would kill the monster. He didn't have time to wonder if that applied to this reality. It was do or die.

Roland returned his gun to his arms band and retrieved a sword. The light of the weapon materializing into existence only made the Black Knight chuckle and he lifted the arm holding Roland up higher and out of range.

"I have been searching for you and the boy for a long time," said the Black Knight before tightening his grip on Roland's throat, earning a choked gasp and desperate sword swinging in a futile hope that it would hit.

It didn't.

"At first it was to fulfill my lord's orders when I still could," he continued, unbothered by his captive's actions, "but I was too injured to leave Ding Dong Dell's borders and my grasp on the darkness became too weak to hold on to. Without it, I was unable to return to my original form and I soon fell into despair as memories of who I used to be slipped from my mind and death began to call for me.

"But then," a thud was heard as the sword dropped to the forest floor and Roland settled on clawing at the hand choking him, "I heard the Horned One's voice."

Roland made a confused noise and a shocked expression to which the Black Knight nodded in confirmation, "Yes…the very same creature that long ago brought down the kingdom that foolishly summoned it. They say the King who led the ritual is cursed to walk the world forever as punishment. The ritual ultimately failed to fully bring the Horned One into this plane of existence but its influence lives on.

"The Horned One promised me power to get what I ultimately desire: the chance to avenge my weak former self for the humiliation you inflicted on me.

"And now that I have that power, I made it my mission to track you and the runt down."

The Black Knight watched in dark amusement as his captive frantically doubled his efforts in prying his throat free. The man's efforts will be in vain of course. There is no stopping the Black Knight's revenge.

"Don't worry about the boy," soothed the undead mouse as he tightened his grip even more and was rewarded with a stifled gasping noise, "his death will be much swifter than yours."

Despite all his efforts and his body's demand for survival, Roland could feel himself slipping away. His vision was graying and his fear turned into despair.

This was it, wasn't it? He survived a nuclear blast at almost point blank range, a coup, countless wildlife, bandits, and an enraged Kingmaker. But Roland knew sooner or later his luck would run out.

His promise to help Evan was going to be broken.

He was never going to go home and see his family ever again, was he?

Evan…Will…I'm…sorry…

Darkness creeped into his vision as his hands limply slipped off the Black Knight's arms.

No! a weak voice, one Roland somehow knew (but where?), distantly cried out. You musn't…!

Someone shouted his name and a bright light filled the world and Roland vaguely registered hitting the ground and hearing an unnatural screech as he gave in to unconsciousness.

Roland groaned before coughing as he returned to the world. Someone slid a hand underneath him and rubbed his back soothingly as he coughed. He tiredly laid back on the pillow he was being propped up against and reluctantly took a sip of water the same person handed to him.

He slipped back under after that.

He woke up again and whined as a stream of sunlight from a window bothered his eyes. He turned his head away and heard a gasp.

"Roland!" cried out Evan, "You're awake!"

"So I am," croaked Roland, wincing at his sore throat, "But how?"

As it turned out, Evan and Lofty were wandering the woods for ages when suddenly they heard a voice call to them. It pleaded for them to follow and the rune of a spell Evan hadn't seen before popped into his head. He didn't understand why it was happening until he came across the remnant of the Black Knight strangling Roland.

He cast the spell and a great arrow of light slew the undead creature and freed Roland. Once that happened, everyone was suddenly able to find each other again.

Roland was in terrible shape and his only chance in survival was to Travel to Goldpaw where Min Ti tracked down the best healer she knew. Roland had been slipping in and out of consciousness for days but no one was sure when he would truly wake up until now.

As the Pawish saying would go, Lady Luck truly smiled upon him.

"But…" began Roland as he remembered more of that day, "who…was…that voice?"

"I don't know," admitted Evan, "but I'm glad I heard it."

"Me…too…" agreed Roland as sleep called to him once more, "Me too…"

Me: *sneaks in a headcanon concerning a certain Kingmaker*