The pride of Wartwood Swamp is it's relatively peaceful calmness, the community of closed minded frogs, and the great farmland used to grow such fine produce. Such a bounty was being sold by local farmer and patriarch of the trouble family Hopediah Plantar. The Plantar Family Stand had been run by his father and his father before him all the way to the roots. Hopediah was proud of the hard work he and his grand kids put into bringing the fine citizens of Wartwood their vegetables. Always sure they had the finest and freshest from the bunch, never deceiving them. Honesty first, after all.
Hop Pop puts on a smile as one of his oldest customers, even older than him, came to the stand. "Ah, Mrs. Croaker! Good mornin' to ya!" The old woman returns the smile to him.
"Mornin' Hopediah! I hope the kids aren't running you too ragged these days." Her one good eye drifting over to Polly, who was perched on the stand's counter. Sprig on the other hand was at Gentle Jon's stand.
"Not anymore than usual, Sadie. In fact, farm work has been a breeze ever since our new friend Anne arrived!" He motions to the young human woman standing with Polly. Showing the pollywog something on the box that contained the souls of other humans. It took her a moment to figure out Hop Pop was speaking to them and offered a strained wave.
Hop Pop was doing his best to aid in Anne's task of getting the town to warm up to her. Letting each customer know how much of a help she's been and the fierce protector she's become to the grandchildren. They only give her passing glances or hard stares and Mrs. Croaker is no different.
"That's nice, dear. Sure she makes a wonderful scarecrow." Paying little attention to the skinny creature hanging out by the stand, Mrs. Croaker picks a gourd up from one of the baskets. "Ah, this looks like a fine one."
"Gonna make some Croaker stew, hm? Make sure to leave some for the rest of us!" The two share a laugh, the sale almost closed until Hop Pop raises a hand. "Hold on a minute there, you don't want that one." It was subtle, but the slight bulging of the gourd's skin was something an experienced agricultural worker was trained to see. He takes the produce from Mrs. Croaker and splits it in half right down the middle. Such a feat easy to pull off thanks to the insides occupied by a hissing worm. "Gourd grub! Those things taste awful, they'll ruin your stew!"
The grub darts away, earning a startled scream from Anne as it crawls into her messy, leaf filled brown hair. Knowing she could handle it, Hop Pop grabs another gourd for Mrs. Croaker. Giving it a few knocks with his knuckles to be sure before passing it to the old woman. "Here, take this one instead, grub free!"
"Good ol' Plantar Family honesty! What keeps me coming back!" Paying with a handful of coppers to Hop Pop, Sadie makes her way back through the crowded market.
Anne had managed to rid herself of the grub with the help of Sprig digging around in her hair. "Thanks, Sprig. You know, it's quite commendable how honest you are, Hop Pop. You don't know how many lying nobles or planetary governors my parents had to put up with."
Hop Pop rolls his eyes. Sure she may be from some far off space empire, but she didn't always need to be so shocked about basic amphibian decency. "Of course Anne, we're not like your fancy human upper crust towns. Anyone a part of Wartwood does their best to do right by each other. This town wouldn't get by if we didn't have a trusted elected official."
Just then, a familiar aid to the mayor comes running through the market. "Urgent news, urgent news!" Toadie hands off scrolls to all of the markets until finally handing the last one to Hop Pop. "Gonna run away before you read it and get mad!" Quick as a flash, the small blue frog bolts back into town. Leaving a confused Hop Pop in his wake.
"This better not be another voting flier." Opening up the rolled up parchment, Hop Pop is surprised to see important small font used. "Oh, must be serious." Squinting his eyes, he skimmed fast through the flowery language Toadstool likes to use until he reaches the bottom. "Say what!" The shout making the kids and their friend give Hop Pop concerned looks.
"What is it, Hop Pop?" Sprig asks as all three crowd around behind him to read the parchment.
"Mayor Toadstool is raising the rent for the market!" He had to double check the numbers again, hoping he made a mistake. "To four times the normal amount!" The shock doesn't stop with just Hop Pop, the rest of the market explodes with conversation from the various stand owners. Some being well off thanks to their highly sought after services, others are devastated.
"It's due in two days! We can't make enough coppers by then." The stress build up was causing Hop Pop's mucus glands to over produce. To the soul human, he looks to be sweating like crazy.
"What do you mean, we have plenty to sell!" Polly speaks up, pointing at the veggies not only set up on the stand but in their cart as well. "Lets just sell these bad boys!" A simple plan, but her grandfather shakes his head.
"I'm sorry Polly, there isn't enough here to sell. The storm set us back a good while so this is all we have at the moment." The old frog folds in on himself, head hung in sadness. "Say goodbye to our livelihood, kids." He perks up at the feeling of a strong hand on his shoulder. Looking up to Anne, determination written on her face.
"Don't worry Hop Pop, think I should go have a few words with the mayor about the rising rent." Anne say with a nod.
Hopediah's eyes widen at the sort of things she could mean. After all, she was this warrior from the stars! "Wait, you can't just kill him, Anne!"
"Don't listen to the old man!" The comment from Polly has Hop Pop give her a parental, judging glare.
Anne herself looks just as shocked as Hop Pop at the suggestion. "What? No, I was just going to see if I can convince him to lower the rent. Trust me Hop Pop, negotiations like this is something I've been trained to do. If he's as honest and helpful like you've been saying then I'm sure it'll go off without a hitch."
Hop Pop eye's dart about nervously. Trying to come up with anything to keep her from going. Anne's arguments had been pretty sound, but he also didn't want her to worsen her image with the mayor or the town if it gets out of hand.
He lets out a sigh. "Alright, fine. Take Sprig with you too, just in case."
"Of course, who can ignore the pleas of a crying child?" Sprig widens his eyes, hands clasped under his chin to put on the best sad face reserved to convince Hop Pop to allow him an extra cookie. The act cut short when Anne lifts him up to sit on her shoulder.
"Better keep the water works as a Plan B for now. No need to worry at all Hop Pop, I'll have Toadstool eating out of my hand in no time!" She'd declare, leaving with Sprig deeper into the town.
It was a long shot, but Hop Pop was willing to try anything at this point to save their family stand. "C'mon Polly, these veggies aren't gonna sell themselves."
"What do you mean you won't lower the rent!"
The shout from Anne was loud enough to hurt Sprigs ears, but the mayor didn't look too impressed. Toadstool was lazily leaning back in his comfy looking chair, hands clasped over his stomach. Sprig had never been inside of the Town Hollow before, let alone the office of Mayor Toadstool. Wall paper with extravagant designs covered the walls where portraits and painting of himself doing good deeds hung. The toad even had a fountain in the corner in his likeness.
"I'm sorry Boonchuy, it's out of my hands." The nonchalant answer made Anne reach for her gun. It would have left the holster if Sprig didn't hold onto her arm. It was enough for mayor to let out a panicked explanation. "The town's funds are in the red with the wild beast attack on the square during the formal and the storm that rolled through! The only way to make back the cost was to increase the rent at the farmer's market."
Anne's anger abates enough for her to let go of her weapon, but the scowl never leaves her face. "And you had to change it right before rent was due?" An eyebrow raised above those accusing brown eyes.
"Seemed like the best time to do it. Town's never been damaged to this extent before, best to make sure we have it as soon as possible for the next disaster." He explains.
Anne just rolls her eyes, but she accept the answer. It made sense to Sprig, but he doesn't quite remember the glow-wyrm doing that much to wreck the town. He's pulled out of his thoughts when his friend lets out a huff.
"Fine, guess we'll just have to find the money ourselves. Come on, Sprig." Sprig quickly follows Anne's long strides out of the Town Hollow, hearing the held in breath of the mayor just as the doors are closed by Toadie. Once out on the road, Anne lets out a frustrated groan. "Where are we going to find the coppers to pay for the rent? Not like I can just call up my parents and ask for a loan."
"Yeah, and I don't think Hop Pop's IOU's are gonna bail us out of this one." Sprig responds. "Got anything you can sell?"
"I kind of need everything I have and it's not like anyone here can figure out how to work a vox or a data-slate."
"Having money problems, huh?" Both are started by a third voice they don't recognize. They find the source resting against the wall of a nearby building. A broad blue frog whose arms are covered in various tattoos. Wearing a wide brimmed hat, brown vest and ripped pants to match. What drew the attention of the frog boy the most was the large beard filled with bones. "Name's Joe. Soggy Joe."
Despite his concerning name, Anne kept a hard stare fixed on the frog. "Well, Joe, what's it to you if we do?"
"If it's riches you want, I know of an abandoned mine deep in the wilderness. It's filled with untapped gold. I can take you there."
"Now hold on," Sprig piped up. "What's the catch?" He leans forward with his hands resting on his sides. Doing his best to imitate Anne when she's throwing around accusations.
"The bog where it's located is said the feeding ground of the Mudmen. Monsters that stalk the night and devour anyone who enter their territory."
"There it is." The pink frog loses a few shades of color. Anne doesn't look deterred in the slightest.
"Why are you willing to take us, looking to get a cut of the gold?" She asks, but the question just makes Soggy Joe laugh.
"Nothing as simple as that! No, I want the thrill of conquering this deadly journey! Maybe see if you two can survive it as well, especially you." The crazed look of Joe's aimed right at Anne.
Sprig was getting all sorts of bad vibes off this Joe character. Who would just lead someone out into the middle of the wilderness filled with mythical mud men just because he enjoys it? He was just about to reject the soggy man, but Anne spoke up first.
"Deal."
"What?"
"You wont regret it, or maybe you will." The wide toothy grin on Soggy Joe only grew wider. "We'll leave tomorrow morning, but pack lightly."
Sprig was too dumbfounded to even notice Joe leaving. Staring up at his human friend in shock. "Anne, we can't just follow a stranger out into monster infested woods! There's gotta be another way for us to make the rent."
"I don't think there is, Sprig. We just don't have the time or the resources, so we're gonna have to do it the Rogue Trader way: Breaking into old abandoned places and stealing anything valuable!"
Sprig shrugs as the pair make their way back to the stand. "I guess you're right, desperate times call for desperate measures. Don't worry, I'll watch your back for ya."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Anne smiles.
It took a while to convince Hop Pop to let them go on the quest to the mine. He didn't trust Soggy Joe either, but he was willing to do anything to save the family business. The next day Anne brought the essentials: bedroll, weapons, armor, clothes, and a few ration bars stashed away in her coat pocket. Sprig only carried the clothes on his back and a slingshot in his pocket. His excuse being he enjoyed roughing it. The duo met Soggy Joe at the entrance to the town and the quest was on.
The journey into the depths of the wilderness was a mostly quiet affair. Soggy Joe didn't talk much, but Sprig and Anne weren't willing to strike up conversation either. Still wary of his intentions. Most of the day was spent walking under the large trees and typical swampy setting of the valley. The deeper they went, the more dark and foreboding it became. Gnarled angry branches kept the light of the sun at bay, causing Anne to trip more than once on hidden roots. Sprig had spotted a cute tiny snail that honked at him just before a spider snatches it up. Pushing that terrifying image into the back of his mind, he covers the side of his mouth to whisper to Anne. "Is it too late to go back?"
"It's too late to go back!" The friends freeze and look to their guide. The first words he's spoken in hours before he slowly turns around. "Because we made it to the bog." His sudden cheerful attitude throwing Anne and Sprig through a loop. The solid grassy terrain cuts off to a vast expanse of mud as far as the eye can see. Soggy Joe, living up to his name, hops into the mud. Sinking up to his waist before beckoning the others. "Watch your step now. Some spots may be deeper."
Sprig took to the bog easily, he was practically designed for it. Anne had the great displeasure of feeling her boots slowly sink down as the mud attempts to make it's way in. A shiver of discomfort before catching up to Joe and Sprig.
"Not much further now. We can get in and out before nightfall. That's when the mudmen appear."
"Aren't those just a myth? M-mudmen can't be real." Sprig speaks up while wading through the bog, mud up to his chest.
"You'd think. Frogs have come through here before and never returned. They say the mudmen are the ones who started the mine, driven mad with greed. Keeping out any who stray too close and feasting on their flesh. Others say they're the angry spirits of the bog itself, seeking revenge on those who plunder it's bounty."
"As if anyone would believe that." Anne grunts, her leg sinking in deep enough to make her stumble. Feeling the mud try to take her, she pulls with all of her might to free herself. Sadly, her boot is lost to the bog. "Oh come on!"
"Yeah, we're not scared!" Gathering his bravado, Sprig presses on until suddenly stopped by Soggy Joe. Anne standing behind the two frogs, still grumbling about her missing boot.
"We're here." Before the gathered group was large hill jutting out of the bog. The only signs of previous civilization was the wood holding open the entrance to the mine below. Wooden carts scattered about, coated in a thick layer of mud from years of disuse. Following their guide, Joe plucked a pair of glowing mushrooms and tossed one to Anne. A quick shake brought their dull glow to a bright illumination. Pick axes lined the walls, perfect for the prize they were looking for. The walls however were stripped bare of any sort of minerals.
"Second underground adventure in a week." Sprig jokes, trying to lighten the mood.
"This one should be devoid of traps at least." Anne replied with a grin. "Though looks like the gold we need is deeper in." Her mushroom scanning the walls for any glitter, but coming back with just dull rock.
The mine isn't as hard to navigate as the family tunnels, a mushroom every few feet help light their way back to the entrance. Going deeper wasn't ideal, but soon they trudge down a level, water and mud flooding around their ankles again. "Bog must have leaked into the mine over the years." Soggy Joe explains right after he gives the mud a long lick with his tongue.
Shivering in disgust, Anne pressed on. Ignoring the dampness of her exposed sock as she keeps checking the walls. "Joe, you better not have been lying about that gold! It's whole reason we came down here."
"Unless the stories were wrong." Sprig turns and glares at Soggy Joe just as they reach a crossroad in the tunnels. "I bet you're wrong about the mudmen too!"
Joe is about to respond back to Sprig, but footsteps in the muddy water draw everyone's attention to the tunnels. Holding up the mushrooms, all three try to see as far into the darkness as they can. The light catches on pairs of orange eyes slowly approaching from the once empty tunnels. Completely surrounding the group as they press back to back. Anne acts first, drawing her laspistol and firing blindly into the dark. Scoring a few hits on the muddy figures with bright las fire. "Move!" She shouts, leading the two frogs down the tunnel now clear of eyes. Passing by, she notices the muddy bodies slumped to the side.
The mudmen were slow to follow, but they poured out of nowhere through the tunnels. Taking various turns soon Anne, Sprig, and Soggy Joe became lost in the winding passage ways. Catching their breath once the sounds of the mudmen are far behind them.
"I told you they were real!" Joe shouts, feeling validated as he pants heavily. Anne and Sprig glare at the outdoors man.
"Good for you, now how do we beat them? There's too many swarming these tunnels." Anne checks the battery on her laspistol. The pack already close to being fully drained.
"The only thing they fear is sunlight and being clean." If Joe didn't put so much emphasis on the last part Anne would think he was joking.
"Not a lot of either down here. We'll just have to fight our-" A splash of water cuts her off. Directly in front of the three, a mudman burst its way out of the murky depths. Brandishing a fork and a knife! Quicker than Anne, it stabs the fork into her wrist, making her drop the laspistol. "Sprig!" She grunts in pain.
"On it!" The pink frog searches the muddy waters to try and find the lost weapon just as the mudman stabs with his knife. The sharp metal never pierces her neck, the arm holding the weapon now severed and floating in the water to Sprig's horror. Joe held a sword made of metal and bone, sharp enough to lop off the limbs of the mudman. With her opponent reeling back from the loss of it's arm, Anne shoulder bashes the muddy being into the opposite wall. Driving her knee into it's body repeatedly until it stops moving and slumps into a heap on the ground. Pulling the fork out, she takes the presented laspistol from Sprig and executes the mudman with a squeeze of the trigger.
Sprig squints his eyes at the spot the mudman was slammed into. "Hold on a second..." Grabbing Anne's mushroom, he brings it closer to inspect the wall. Wiping a bit of dirt out of the way, the glimmer of gold can be seen. "Gold! Looks pretty deep in there though."
"We'll cover you, see if you can dig it out, Sprig." Anne draws her sword, both weapons in hand as she keeps her eyes glued on the tunnels. Soggy Joe does the same, hefting his hunter sword up and giving Sprig a thumbs up. The watery footsteps getting louder once again. Sprig takes the knife from the mudman and starts to chip away at the wall.
Battle is joined as the mudmen swarm through the tunnels. Anne cursed as her laspistol battery finally ran dry. Only able to kill a couple before they closed the distance. A pair of sheers are thrust at her, but Anne manages to side step in time to deliver a counter attack. A clean stab through the mudman before parrying a large knife. Soggy Joe swings his sword in wide arcs. Knocking back a scythe and a hoe before cutting down the mudmen on the return swing. The tunnel keeping the three from being overrun by the superior numbers.
Sprig continued to stab at the rock and dirt with the knife, making some progress as more of the golden nugget reveals itself. Trying his best to ignore the combat going on around him as he focuses. Sneaking a glance at Anne just to watch her relieve a mudman of his hands after trying to claw at her. Unaware that each chip into the stone caused cracks to form.
"Haha, never felt so alive!" Joe shouts as he removes the legs off a mudman. Cheering loudly again, he slumps forward into the water, an axe buried into his back from one of the mudmen.
"Soggy Joe!" Without him, Anne drew herself closer to Sprig. Weapons parried with quick sparks and blood dyes the water red. From the crowd she sees one standing above the others, wooden antlers and four pairs of eyes. "Forget it, Sprig. We gotta go!"
"Almost...got it!" Sprig drives the knife one last time into the rock. The blade sinking into the crack as it continues to climb straight into the ceiling. Water pouring through the cracks in streams. "I think we're under the bog..." The realization too late when the walls of the tunnel fully break apart. Flooding the mine with enough water to submerge the entirety of the shafts.
Anne isn't sure what happened next after the mine flooded. Coughing up water, she looks up to see the worried face of Sprig before he hugs her. Taking in her surroundings, they were back on the surface again, Soggy Joe's axed body lying next to her face down. Strange enough, frogs were also fleeing the area. Small bodies dressed in grass skirts running out into the bog.
Collecting her wits, Anne pushes herself back onto her feet with the help of Sprig. "Get that gold?" She croaked out, her voice hoarse.
Sprig pulls out the nugget from his pocket, small enough to easily fit in the frog boy's small hands. "All I could get, sorry, Anne."
"Hey," She gives him a pat on the back. "Don't worry about it. The good thing is we're still alive." Anne peers over to the dead body of Soggy Joe. "Well, most of us are."
"Yeah, guess Soggy Joe was a good guy after all." Sprig approaches the body, a hand placed on it in reverence. "Rest in peace, Joe."
As if by some miracle from the Emperor himself, Soggy Joe groans and stands up! Stretching his arms about until the axe simply drops to the ground. "Ah, that was a good nap! Good thing I wore my axe-proof vest! Haha! What'd a miss?" He asks, turning to the duo and spotting the small clump of gold in Sprig's hand. "Oh, gonna need to update the story about the mine."
"Ya think?" Anne says, annoyed.
Soggy Joe stares up at the sky, the sun just now making it's way past the horizon. "I know a place around here that sells great pancakes. My treat for all of the trouble."
"Ooo, love me some pancakes!" Spirits lifted after such a harrowing experience, Sprig leaps up onto Anne's shoulders.
"Sounds good right about now." Anne smiles as she follows Soggy Joe back out of the swamp.
The journey back to Wartwood the morning after their trip to the mine was, again, uneventful. Soggy Joe departed once they reached the road. Something about wanting to make sure the area was properly monitored for any frogs that could get lost. The mudmen filled bog was very close to a well known camp ground! The sun was far above their heads by the time Sprig and Anne make it back to the town swamp. Hop Pop perks up when he sees his grandson and friend return to the family stand, but it quickly turns to worry at the haggard and downtrodden looks of the duo. "Kids, what happened?"
Sprig places the gold on the stand. "Turns out the story about the gold in the mine was greatly exaggerated."
"The mudmen were real though. Just a bunch of wimpy looking frogs covered in mud, but fighting them off was not fun." Anne had gotten the rest of the facts from Sprig, since he didn't need to worry drowning at the time. "Lost my boot, too." Taking a seat on a stool, she shows off her muddy sock.
"I miss all the good stuff!" Polly shouts from her spot on the stand.
"I'm just glad you two are alright." Hop Pop brings Sprig into a tight hug. "Don't know what I'd do if I lost ya." The family moment is ruined with the arrival of Toadie.
"A-hem! You got the rent or not?" Tapping his foot impatiently with a hand held out. Instead of coppers, Toadie is handed the pebble sized piece of gold. Looking it over before flicking it back into Hop Pop's hands. "Yeah, that's not gonna cover it, Hopediah. No rent, no stand!" He throws an eviction notice at Hop Pop. "Time to clear out!"
The old frog lets out a defeated sigh as Toadie leaves, taking the Plantar sign off the stand. "Well kids, time to pack up."
"Ya want me to off Toadie?" Polly asks with an arm running across her neck. "You know I will!"
"No, we'll just have to carry on without it." Hop Pop, with the aid of Sprig, Polly, and Anne, store what left over produce they have into the cart hooked up to Bessie. "Who knows, maybe the end of one tradition will begin another." He climbs on top of Bessie, giving her reigns a tug once everyone is on her saddle. "Got some seeds I always wanted to try planting. Maybe try some new farming techniques!"
"That's the spirit, Hop Pop." Anne gives Hop Pop an encouraging pat on the back.
"We're with you all the way!" Shouts Sprig.
"The future is ours!" Polly shouts, all of them laughing as they find the silver lining in their situation. Soon settling into a comfortable silence for the ride back home.
...
...
"Oh Frog, I'm unemployed!"