"Hey! Use your flames to keep them back! Can't let them use their spores to control us or get close enough to attack us." Wolf Brawler nervously raised her arms to defend herself as she watched the Myconids.

The Myconids looked toward the figures with a blank emotionless expression. Their face, if you could call it that was, was devoid of any mouth or nose as their bright yellow eyes focused on them. It was hard to tell if these creatures were angry or cautious of the adventurers as they readied their primitive weapons to defend themselves.

"They haven't attacked us yet. Given how they were able to sneak up on us without even Brawler or Monk able to detect their presence, they could have easily dispatched us." Half-Dragon Priestess carefully observed the figures as she wondered what she should do. "Master, you mentioned the Myconids are normally not aggressive by nature correct?"

"Correct. My studies spoke of them acting in self-defense but not normally the aggressors."

"Which means there are some cases where they might attack unprovoked. Father would often say doing something in haste may lead to mistakes. Let me hope that this is not going to lead to more problems." Half-Dragon Priestess lowered her dragon tooth blade and then looked toward the others. "Lower your weapons."

There was a look of surprise and confusion as the others looked toward Half-Dragon Priestess.

"Lizard Girl want us to no fight! That crazy."

"We need to show them we are not a threat. They could have attacked us much earlier but still hold back. If things go wrong, I'll use my flames to drive them back." Half-Dragon Priestess put her blade away and slowly raised her hands.

"I don't like this idea. What do you think Master?" Grippli Ranger kept his arrow trained on the myconids.

"Let's follow the Priestess's plan. She's going off my notes and you trust me, correct?"

"…yeah, yeah I trust you, Master." Grippli Ranger lowered his weapons, placing the arrow back in his quiver and bow around his back.

The others reluctantly followed and lowered their weapons, with weapons put away they all raised their hands to show they would not be a threat to the mushroom men. One of the myconids lowered his stone ax as he carefully examined the adventurers before nodding and pointing down the tunnel.

"You have the scent of poison on you. You will go and see the Sovereign. He will decide your fate."

Everyone could hear the voice of the myconid despite him not having a mouth to speak these words, it was very similar to what they had heard in the village but did not sting with malice.

"How mushroom men speak? I hear voice but no see mouth." Saber Rider took a couple steps forward, his inquisitive nature getting the better of him until two more myconids held up their weapons for him to stop.

"We speak using the spores in the air." The myconid pointed to the ceiling above them, a faint glitter seen as the spores covered the earthen tunnel. "They allow you to hear our thoughts. Now, no more questions until you meet the Sovereign."

The group reluctantly followed the myconids further into the tunnel, three of them in the front while the rest moved behind the adventurers ready to attack should they turn hostile. The tunnel soon opened up into a large chamber, inside they could see the think roots of threes crisscrossing through the walls around them. The ceiling shined with a strange bluish-green glow, despite being deep underground it was so bright that they mistook it for the sunlight to reach down to meet them. In the center of the large chamber were the remains of a large tree trunk and sitting atop it was another myconid, a figure that seemed to have more wrinkles and folds along its skin; the top of its head was a massive mushroom so large it resembled a hat.

"Wow. It's beautiful." Wolf Brawler marveled at the scenery around her but soon noticed the strained expression on Padfoot Monk's face. "You alright?"

"I, I believe so. As I mentioned before, I do not have a fondness for caves. All I see is darkness and the thought of being trapped within does make me tense up, to say the least."

"But if you're that uncomfortable with caves, why not stay behind with Armor Piercer? You didn't have to force yourself to come down here with us."

"I'd feel ashamed if I did not accompany my party. Worse yet, I'd regret it if anything were to happen to you Huntress." Padfoot Monk took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "The air is much cooler here and I can feel how wide the carven is, so I am managing a bit better than before."

"Then let me reassure you that everything will be okay." Wolf Brawler reached over with her free hand and took his, giving it a firm squeeze. "When we are done with everything, I'd like an explanation for the term Huntress."

"You have my thanks, and my promise to explain its meaning when we are done with this quest."

"Hey Priestess, while everything is still calm and all, shouldn't we be planning to make our move?" Harpy Scout looked left and right and could see other myconids exiting from other tunnels to investigate these foreigners.

"The moment things look troublesome we go on the offensive, but so far they have not done anything. Those spores are already in the air yet we don't hear any other voices or feel different like it was back in the village."

"That may be, but I'll feel better when we're back above ground where we have the advantage."

The adventurers were brought before the large myconids, the figure referred to as the Sovereign of the myconids. He sat upon the moss-covered tree trunk, legs crossed as he looked over the figures, and upon his lap was a staff with three colored gems tied to the top with strips of leather. Myconid Sovereign leaned forward to examine the unique group before it, never before had it seen such a diverse grouping.

"I would speak with the leader of this party. We are normally accustomed to dealing with humans and dwarves…perhaps the occasional drow."

Half-Dragon Priestess was ready to step forward but hesitated for a moment as she remembered her earlier argument about being the leader only to receive a gentle shove forward. She turned to see the smirk on Scout's face indicating she should go forward to speak on their behalf.

"I will do my best to be as diplomatic as possible for our groups." Half-Dragon Priestess nodded her head toward the group before looking toward Tortle Master. "Master, will you accompany me? You have a much better understanding of the myconids than I do."

"I would be honored."

The two moved closer to the large myconid; other myconids in the chamber watched them carefully, each armed with simple weapons to attack if necessary.

"The others tell me you did not attack when approached. You avoided needless violence. You have my thanks."

"My comrade suggested that you would only attack if we were the aggressors." Half-Dragon Priestess kept her expression as neutral as possible while motioning to Tortle Master, who in turn bowed his head.

"One question, before we begin our hopefully peaceful negotiations. We had other comrades who remained above ground due to their size. Has any harm befallen them?" Tortle Master was quite concerned that Armor Piercer might have been hurt or worse by the myconids.

"The strange creatures and beasts above ground have been put to sleep by our spores. My people stand watch over them should they awaken and become violent."

"That is quite understandable, you have my thanks."

"Now tell me, why have you trespassed into our domain? Did you come here to kill us?" Myconid Sovereign squinted his eyes as he looked over the two before him and the others around them. "Are you under the control of the Violet Fungus?"

"We did not mean to trespass nor did we…wait, what is the Violet Fungus?"

"You are covered in its spores. Though much of it appears to have been burned. Did you do so to break free of its control?"

"We came from a village where the human had been acting quite strange, crying out in pain if they did not comply with someone unseen force. This same force made us quick to anger and engage in petty squabbles. Is this the same creature that controls the people of that village, this Violet Fungus you speak of?"

Myconid Sovereign raised its staff toward the ceiling of the chamber as all three stones slowly lit up. The fluorescent green glow disappeared as everything went dark only for reddish lights to come alive forming the outline of a strange plant with long tentacles around it.

"The Violet Fungus is a carnivorous, parasitic plant, much different from my people. It uses its spores to influence those around it to either act for it or willingly give themselves up as nourishment." The lights faded and once again the chamber was basked in the fluorescent green glow. "It will seek an area where prey is plentiful and from what you have said, this nearby village has been tainted by it."

"I'm not looking forward to dealing with another carnivorous plant." Wolf Brawler let out an annoyed sigh as she recalled all that happened in the swamp.

"Can the fungus be killed?" Half-Dragon Priestess worried there would be no way to save the village from this plight.

"The Violet Fungus can be destroyed but it will not be an easy feat. Any under its influence will fight to defend it. Beware the reach of its tendrils, anything touched by them will begin to rot. If you can destroy the fungus, all under its control will be set free."

"Thank you very much for your guidance. We can now free the village from its control." Half-Dragon Priestess smiled as she brought her hands together and bowed her head toward the Myconid Sovereign.

"Be cautious. The closer you get to the fungus, the stronger the effect of the spores. Even masks may not be able to fully stop the spores from controlling you."

"We will be as cautious as we can but now we know what we're looking for. I assume that we are allowed to exit?"

"Now that we understand the situation, you are allowed to leave our domain. May you be successful in your quest. Before you go, one final thing."

Myconid Sovereign looked toward his right and with a nod of his head another myconid walked forward, within its hands was a large wooden bowl filled with various mushrooms. The myconid approached Saber Rider and extended the bowl toward the confused barbarian who looked over the mushrooms.

"Mushrooms?"

"The others saw your gestures and knew you were hungry. They are safe to eat. I have heard from humans they taste good roasted or in a dish called a 'stew'."

"Oh! Mushroom Men understand hand signals! I enjoy delicious mushrooms. You have my thanks!"

"I can't believe your foolish hand signs were actually understood by others. But this is no time to waste, we need to get back to Armor Piercer and the village." Grippli Ranger gave a quick shake of his head as he motioned for the others to follow him.

With a final bow of their heads, the party quickly exited the chamber, heading back in the direction they had come, the myconids moving to the side as they had watched the party rush to return to the surface. After a few minutes they reached the point where they had entered, Half-Dragon Priestess cautiously poked her head up on the off chance the myconids were still there and waiting to ambush them; to her relief she found the snoring figure of Armor Piercer and the other animals off to the side but no more of the myconids.

"All clear."

The group exited the underground chamber, relieved that all had gone well and they were back on the surface.

"Hey. You big oaf, time to wake up." Grippli Ranger took the end of his bow and began poking Armor Piercer, though a smirk was present on his face.

"Specter. Come on boy, time to get up."

"Fang. Need wake up. Hey, Fat Bird, you wake up too." Saber Rider loudly chewed on one of the mushrooms as he looked over his companions. "Mushrooms good. You wake up and I give you some…maybe one."

Armor Piercer snorted a couple of times before opening his eyes, he practically jumped up when he saw everyone looking around.

"Huh! What! What happened!"

"We meet with mushroom men. They put you to sleep." Rabbitfolk Warrior smirked as she watched her comrade slowly get back to his multiple feet.

"So now that we know what we're dealing with, how do we go about stopping this fungus?" Wolf Brawler frowned as she pictured this massive plant attacking them. "Can't get too close to it without rotting away."

"We might be able to use flames to burn it. Either we use Priestess's flame breath or I set mine and Ranger's arrows on fire." Harpy Scout too was worried about the plant and how they should deal with it.

"We must not forget about the spores, we must devise a method to avoid being controlled by the Violet Fungus."

"Not to worry Master, I have already thought about that." Half-Dragon Priestess smiled as she began to dig through her pouch and drew out pieces of dark stone. "My brother told me that charcoal would be effective to avoid breathing in poison. We can mix it with rags and cover our faces to avoid the effects of the spores, hopefully."

"Last problem is the villagers. I doubt they would let us walk right up to this overgrown weed." Armor Piercer shook his head thinking back to the number of people. "We may end up killing many of the villagers in the assault."

"That we must avoid. We have half our group do what we must to knock out or subdue the villagers while the rest of us go after the fungus. I know this is a nearly impossible feat but we are adventurers, we can't advance our rank without taking risks." Half-Dragon Priestess had a confident smile on her face as all had been planned out. "We must hurry and get back to the village."

xxxx

"Sagitta…Inflammarae…radius. Firebolt!"

"Tonitrus…oriens…iacta. Lightning!"

Hero and Sage cast their spells against the approaching Cadaver Collector, watching as both spells exploded against its massive frame. For moment all four paused as smoke covered the body, they were all to aware that the spell had not destroyed this beast but perhaps it had injured it. That brief thought quickly vanished as a clawed hand lunged toward the four who quickly as it slammed down upon the spot where they had been. As the smoke cleared, the four women could see the monster standing, no visible sign of damage from their combined attack.

"What a fantastic use of your spells! I'd expect nothing less of the famous hero and her comrades." Corrupted Spellcaster could not hide her excitement or joy as she watched the adventurers struggle against the golem. "As a bit of service, I can tell you that the Collector is resistant to all forms of magic. You'll have to rely on physical strikes to stop him, though getting too close to that beast might not be the best suggestion."

"That crazy son of a…this big bastard is covered in armor not to mention it's nothing but stone beneath it. Not sure if my blade can cut through all of that." Sword Saint swung her sword at the creature's body only for her blade to bounce off as sparks flew.

"Can't be helped! She's definitely crazy but she's given us a way to beat this thing." Hero also rushed in to attack after dodging another swipe of its clawed hands. "Break damn you!"

"Look out it's charging!"

Hero and Sword Saint looked ahead as Sage shouted for at them to see the massive golem running at them. Before the girls could roll to avoid its impact, the Cadaver Collector collided with something, an invisible wall. The girls were confused but a quick glance back and they could see Sword Maiden holding up her sword and scales as she made her petition to the Supreme God.

"Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way! If attacking this monster directly will not work, then we should go after the spellcaster." Sword Maiden grunted as she could feel the Cadaver Collector slamming its fists against the barrier. "He is quite strong. While he is distracted, Hero and Saint, go for his eyes!"

Hero and Sword Saint quickly turned their attention back toward the monster and readied themselves to weaken it while the barrier still held. Hero once again launched a firebolt at the monster's metal face, the smoke would act as a distraction while Sword Saint rushed in and rammed her sword into the creature's right eyes socket. She quickly tore her sword loose; green, fluorescent fluid running down the blade, as the creature roared and stumbled backward.

"Magnificent. You used your magic not to attack but to distract and She moved in to strike. A splendid attack."

"I've had enough of the crazed woman's ramblings. Sword Maiden, let us deal with her and hopefully her control over the golem will be broken." The annoyance on Sage's face was visible for all to see as she looked toward Sword Maiden.

"A wise cession indeed. Hero, you and Sword Saint be careful as you deal with this abomination."

"You both be careful as well."

The Protection exploded in a shower of light as both Sage and Sword Maiden rushed for the spiral stair well to ascend to the next level. Hero and Sword Saint once again prepared to engage the monster who looked back at them with it's one good eye but then turned its attention toward Sage and Sword Maiden; it reached for something behind its back and the moment the girls saw it they turned pale as they realized what it was trying to do.

"You two get down!"

Sage turned toward her left and gasped as she saw what was coming at them and quickly pulled Sword Maiden to the ground as the object exploded against the wall. Sword Maiden and Sage could feel a strange residue hitting their clothing and a foul smell washing over them.

"This smell…Sage is the beast…"

"I'm afraid so. It's throwing the corpses on its body at us." Sage had a grim look on her face as she looked at the rotting remains that stained the nearby floor and wall. "Utterly disgusting."

Suddenly another one of the corpses struck the wall beneath the staircase and was then followed by another. The two women kept low and continued to rush up as the Cadaver Collector targeted them only for Hero and Sword saint to rush in and strike at the rock between the metal plates.

"We're your adversaries you damn monster." Sword Saint readied her sword to continue the assault

"You can't go after them until you've finished with us." Hero stood by her comrade, a bright white illuminating from her sword.

The Cadaver Collector looked back at the two women and roared, tossing aside the corpse in its hand before charging at them once again. Sage and Sword Maiden once again charged up the stairwell, ready to deal with the Corrupted Spellcaster only to come face to face with the group of controlled humans, behind them was the Corrupted Spellcaster, the crazed smile still present on her face.

"I am humbled to be in your presence." Corrupted Spellcaster bowed her head toward the two heroes before her. "I've been quite impressed with your fight with the Cadaver Collector thus far. I wonder how you'll deal with these puppets of mine?"

"Damn. I could easily use Lightning or Blizzard to deal with them."

"No. We should try to minimize casualties. These people have had enough happen to them or have done terrible things they may never forgive themselves of. Do you have any other spells within your arsenal?" Sword Maiden would turn her head to the side as she could hear the shuffling of the people moving closer and the fighting down below. "We must hurry if we are to help the others."

"I do have a spell that might come in handy, but I doubt they'll give me the time to chant it."

"I'm eager to see this spell in action. I'm even more eager to test my own abilities against either one of you." Corrupted Spellcaster offered a sinister smirk as she raised her right hand, within it was a worn, dark red tome.

"I am not here to serve as your entertainment." Sword Maiden raised her sword and scale upward and took in a deep breath. "Lord of judgment, sword-prince, scale-bearer, bathe this land in your glorious illumination…Holy Light!"

The moment she slammed her weapon upon the ground, the floor was illuminated by a brilliant flash of light. The puppets all groaned as they covered their eyes, some backing while others stumbled over their own feet and fell backward.

"Ah well played Sword Maiden, an appropriate distraction. I would expect no less from someone as accomplished as you." Corrupted Spellcaster turned away from the light, blinking her eyes several times as she continued to look through the tome.

"Sage now! Use your staff to incapacitate them."

"Understood."

Sage charged ahead of Sword Maiden and using her staff struck some of the people in the side of the head or rammed the end of her stomach into the stomachs of others. Sage took no joy in this, but if it helped to reduce the number of adversaries, it was a necessary evil.

"Puppets. Protect me."

Several of the controlled humans slowly moved in front of the Corrupted Spellcaster forming two lines of five to act as her human shield.

"Soon as I get rid of the ones closest to us, I can use my spell of Sleep to…"

"Omnis…nodos…libero!"

Sage watched in horror as the ten people in front of her dissolved into puddles of red goo as a blast of red light flew toward her. Sage quickly rolled to her side, grunting as she hit her shoulder along the stone floor; the red light traveling past where she had been, she could feel the heat from the attack over her body. It collided with the nearby wall, melting the wall like a hot knife cutting through butter.

"She can use Disintegrate. That's quite bothersome." Sage groaned as she got back to her feet, the feel of the bruise on her should stung slightly then turned her attention from the wall to the Spellcaster. "Damn you, you used those poor people as a shield! Why? I wasn't even close to attacking you."

"Precaution. I'm fighting the legendary Hero, her allies and the Sword Maiden, I can't just take any of you lightly. My puppets are just that, puppets. They'll gladly take their own lives if I ask it of them."

Sage grew angry as she readied to attack but to her surprise saw Sword Maiden walk past her with a frown present on her face. Corrupted Spellcaster was both happy to see Sword Maiden approach her but was also concerned and commanded the next set of puppets to stand before her. Sword Maiden stopped, she tightly clenched her fist around her weapon as she looked ahead.

"You. I shall take you on."

"Sword Maiden?"

"I shall deal with her Sage."

"The Sword Maiden shall fight with me." Corrupted Spellcaster was no different than a porcelain adventurer meeting a gold or platinum for the first time.

"I don't approve of your cowardly ways of using people to protect yourself."

"Oh? When you were the Archbishop, didn't you send others to do your fighting?"

"Never needlessly, nor would I use them as shields. Even I would put myself on the front lines when it was necessary. You want to stand at the same level as myself or the Hero, then prove it."

Corrupted Spellcaster was a bit angry at the Sword Maiden's comment but soon smiled as she relished the idea of challenging this legendary hero. With a wave of her hands, the surviving puppets not incapacitated by Sage shambled away from the two.

"My puppets will not interfere any further. Now you and I can test our abilities against one another. Though I'm curious to see how someone who excels in defensive magic can stop me."

"Do not forget that I am the one who defeated the Demon Lord not too long ago, I am more than capable of holding my own in a fight. There is also one thing that you have neglected to understand."

"Advice from the great hero, I'm both honored and humbled. Tell me, what have I failed to understand?"

"That a strong defense will stop any offense!" Sword Maiden once again raised her sword and scales and slammed it against the ground as he began her prayer. "Lord of judgment, sword-prince, scale-bearer, grant me the strength to protect those within my reach…Protection!"

"Oh. You wish to see if your barrier can hold up to my Disintegration, how intriguing. I don't want to disappoint so let us do battle!" Corrupted Spellcaster held out her right hand, pointing her palm toward the invisible wall before her. "Omnis…nodos…libero!"

The blast of red light collided with Sword Maiden's barrier sending out sparks and bolts of red lightning in all directions. Sage took a step back and raised her left arm to shield her eyes from the blinding light that surrounded the two of them.

"Quite amazing Sword Maiden. This is the first time I've ever seen anyone stop my spell." Corrupted Spellcaster smiled then gasped as she could see cracks forming in the barrier, each of them slowly radiating outward. "But it seems that I shall be the winner in this battle, your barrier is weakening. If you don't run, you'll be destroyed along with it by my attack."

"I will not run. I will face whatever challenge head-on, just like he would." Sword Maiden smiled as she thought to Goblin Slayer and knew this was all part of her plan. "Sage! Now, use Blizzard against her!"

"What? You're in the way, you'll be hit too. I can't just…"

"Sage! There is no time for such thinking. Every situation we face will be filled with difficult decisions and this is no different. We must protect those who can't protect themselves now use your spell!"

Sage was still hesitant but chose to follow through with Sword Maiden's plan and raised her staff to attack.

"You realize you'll be caught in her attack as well right?"

"I do and I am not afraid to put myself in harm's way. Let's see just how much you and I can tolerate."

"Glacies…tempastus…oriens!"

A vortex of piercing cold wind exploded from Sage's staff and quickly surrounded the two battling spell users while Hero and Sword Saint continued their battle with the Cadaver Collector.

"Damn it, what the hell is going on up there?"

"No idea but it would seem that out comrades have their hands full with the spellcaster. We need to hurry and finish this creature." Sword Saint once again charged in to attack the beast chipping away at the stone in between the plates.

"Right."

The two women stood side by side as the hulking beast bellowed once again before charging at them slamming its clawed hands upon the ground determined to smash them both into the ground.

"Saint! The left leg!"

Sword Saint quickly looked toward the left leg and could see it, there had been a large crack in the chipped stone and knew what her friend was planning.

"I see it and am ready!"

The two girls now rushed forward to meet the monster with Sword Saint dodging to the right of the monster and Hero sliding beneath the Collector. As the monster slammed its fists down upon the spot where the girls had been, Hero quickly got back to her feet and joined Sword Saint for the attack. Each struck the damaged leg with their blade, grunting as they pushed forward until the stone cracked apart. The Cadaver Collector groaned as it fell forward, shaking the ground with its weight, but the girls would not let up. They repeated their combined attack upon each limb until only the neck remained of golem.

"Return to the hell from whence you came from!" Hero took hold of her sword with both hands and swung it over her head before bringing it down.

Her shining blade cut through the stone and with a smirk on her face she watched the armor-covered head roll off to the side.

"Serves you right!"

"Filthy beast, collecting the bodies of the dead for dark rituals." Sword Saint then examined her sword and frowned. "It's received several chips. I'll have to have the blacksmith take a look at it once we return home. Must be nice having that holy sword, I doubt it ever gets damaged."

"No need to be jealous." Hero offered a smile to her friend and then involuntarily shivered after feeling a cold sensation. "This cold. Oh right, can't be fooling around now! We need to help the others."

Corrupted Spellcaster and Sword Maiden continued their standoff as Sage hit the two of them with the chilling winds caused by her spell. Corrupted Spellcaster struggled to keep up her smirk as her hands were shaking from the biting cold yet she looked toward Sword Maiden who continued to hold her own.

"Q, q, q, quite tough….aren't we? You c, c, can't hold out for long. I can see cracks growing wider."

"Yet I still stand. I will not relent in my defense."

Sage was growing worried about this plan, she could see that the underdressed Sword Maiden's skin was starting to change to a bluish hue from the exposure to the cold.

"Why? I can't stop my hands from shaking! This cold is unbearable but there she stands, not even trembling as she is bombarded by the icy winds. Mag…magnificent."

Corrupted Spellcaster dropped her tome and quickly ran away from the scene to avoid the cold winds. Sage immediately stopped her spell the moment she watched Spellcaster run from battle and saw the barrier of light explode into tiny fragments of light. She then turned as the sounds of approaching footsteps echoed behind her and to her relief found her comrades racing to catch up to her.

"Did you finish off that monster?"

"Sure did Sage. Glad to see you both are alright."

"Sword Maiden are you alright?" Hero looked toward Sword Maiden who was still standing in place.

Sword Maiden suddenly collapsed to her knees, placing her hands on either side of her arms, and then rubbing them furiously to bring warmth back to her body.

"Sword Maiden!"

"Q, q, quickly. Go after her. I'll be alright."

"Understood." Hero nodded her head toward Sword Maiden before turning toward her comrades. "Let's hurry and catch her!"

Sage and Sword Saint followed behind Hero as they raced up the spiraling stairwell to catch up to the fleeing Spellcaster. The Corrupted Spellcaster reached the top of the tower, panting from having run all the way up there but thankful for the warm sun still overhead.

"Brrr…such a devastating plan…even putting herself in harm's way to ensure my defeat. I'd expect nothing less from those I admire." Corrupted Spellcaster chuckled but frowned as she patted her sides but could not find her tome of spells. "Damn it. That's right I dropped it when I ran from the battle. Perhaps the others are still busy with the…"

"This is the end you twisted freak!"

Corrupted Spellcaster turned to see Hero and her two comrades blocking her way, though tired none of them showed any real injuries for the difficult battles they had gone through.

"It would seem that I have truly lost. I could not catch up or surpass any of you even by selling my soul to the demons." Corrupted Spellcaster had a sad smile on her face as she backed away from the adventurers. "I had hoped to bring about the Demon Lord's resurrection with these sacrifices but had not planned on you legendary heroes getting directly involved. Perhaps he was right, I should have gone with the use of the orcs in the kingdom."

"What, what did you just say?" Hero was immediately on edge as soon as she heard the word "orc", the same word her husband had mentioned. "How do you know about those creatures? Which kingdom are you talking about? Answer me!"

"Oops, almost gave everything away." Corrupted Spellcaster acted like a young child who nearly revealed a secret as she covered her mouth with both hands but soon lowered them to reveal a final eerie smile. "Sorry, but my loyalties are to the Demon Lord and the followers of evil and chaos. Even with adventurers, I respect, I cannot betray any information."

Corrupted Spellcaster continued to back away from the trio of heroes until she reached the edge of the tower but showed no signs of stopping as she climbed the edge and looked toward always smiling with wild eyes.

"Wait! Don't do it. You can still be an adventurer and help us…"

"I was honored to have met you all and was even able to test my skills against the Sword Maiden, but alas this is the end. Though you are victorious this day, a great evil will reveal itself in the not-too-distant future, one even you may be powerless to defeat. I wonder, how long can you keep fighting with the weight of the world on your shoulders?"

Corrupted Spellcaster took a step back and vanished from their sight, the trio of women rushed toward the edge of the tower and looked over the side only to see and hear her hit the ground below, blood splattering along the grass around her body.

"She killed herself." Sword Saint was at a loss for the actions this woman had taken.

"Her blind devotion to the Demon Lord led her down this path, we have nothing to feel sorry for." Sage shook her head; she too was shocked by this but had to try and rationalize what she had seen. "We need to head back to check on Sword Maiden and the surviving villagers. With the spellcaster defeated, her spell over them should be broken now."

"Yes, you're absolutely right. But what she said bothers me." Hero sighed as she sheathed her sword, even with the battle over a frown was present on her face. "She said the same word Goblin Slayer mentioned, this cannot be mere coincidence. There is evil at work and we must warn the King and our allies to be on the lookout for these orcs. We must discover which kingdom will be attacked by them."

xxxx

"You were told to leave this place! Why have you re…"

The villager was unable to finish his sentence as Saber Rider struck him across the face with his fist.

"Hah! Not fall for tricks this time!"

"Damn it Rider! We're supposed to avoid hurting the people if we can." Harpy Scout flew overhead as she shouted down at her friend.

"He had blade in hand. I defend myself. I no use weapon."

"Given how strong you are, even unarmed might be a bit too much for these inexperienced fighters." Wolf Brawler shook her head as she too used her fists but did her best to limit how strong her punches would be.

The party had returned close to nightfall, hoping that the villagers might be less active but unfortunately this entire village was on alert. Everyone from the oldest to the youngest was armed with some form of weapon to attack the adventurers who had escaped should they return. They had no choice but to go on the offensive and minimize the damage. Grippli Ranger had in his possession four bags filled with an unknown drug which put people to sleep as they breathed in the power and Tortle Master used his sleep spell to put others to sleep while Harpy Scout and Half-Dragon Priestess used a less gentle version to deter people from coming towards them. They flew over the village and whenever they found a large gathering of villagers they would drop the mace her Big Brother had taught her to make upon them. As the egg shattered the mixture of pepper would cause the people to drop to the ground crying and screaming from the irritating pain.

"Over here! I can feel some sort of vibration beneath the ground." Padfoot Monk could feel strange movement beneath his feet and quickly dropped down to set his ear to the ground. "I can hear something move around under the ground, connected to…that house over there! It must have a basement or underground cellar!"

"Thank you Monk. You all stand by the house, keep the villagers at bay and I'll deal with the fungus!" Half-Dragon Priestess quickly drew out her blade as she moved toward the house.

"Priestess that's too dangerous. Let a couple of us come with you." Harpy Scout drew out her bow but used it like club to avoid hurting the mind-controlled villagers too severely.

"The closer we get to the fungus, the stronger the effect of the spores. We might end up trying to kill each other again. If I'm not back in a few minutes, send the next group in. Stay safe!"

The others did their best to keep from hurting the villagers, even Specter would bite at the fabric of villagers and pull to knock them to the ground while Fang would swipe at the people with its paws but did not extend its claws.

Half-Dragon Priestess looked through the building tossing aside furniture and rugs until she found the doorway to a basement. With a stomp of her foot, she smashed the doorway before descending down to discover a large earthen tunnel.

"Okay. Now to find this weed and burn it."

"Get out! You are not welcome here!"

"I won't fall for that again." Half-Dragon Priestess pulled down her mask and breathed her fire into the air around her.

"Foolish adventurer. You are in my chamber! The flames won't be enough."

Half-Dragon Priestess grew worried that even with burning the spores in the air she could hear the voice of the Violet Fungus. She was suddenly struck with a stinging pain within her head, dropped her weapon to the ground as she collapsed to her knees, and placed both hands on either side of her ears.

"Suffer! Let the last thing that goes through your mind be my voice!"

Half-Dragon Priestess could barely concentrate as the piercing noise flooded her mind, almost certain that her ears would start bleeding if she did not keep moving. She reached for her weapon and got back to her feet, tearing away at her mask and stumbling forward, constantly breathing fire with every few steps. There were times she would slam into the earthen walls and she would shut her eyes from the pain that flooded her mind.

"Give up! Submit! You can't win!"

"I…will not stop! Stubbornness…runs in my family. I refuse…to quit!"

Half-Dragon Priestess continued to walk down the tunnel, she wasn't sure just how long she had been wondering when she could see a large open chamber much like what she had seen with the Myconids. Despite the pain she moved forward and quickly rolled to the side as something moved overhead; she looked up at first thinking it was a snake was surprised to see it was a strange purplish tentacle. She followed the tentacle back to its source to see a large purple mushroom, six thick tentacles whipping around wildly in all directions. Near the base of the plant, intertwined within the roots where the skeletal and decomposing remains of people.

"Ancestors. Just how many people have you feasted upon to grow so large?"

"You too will become food for me as will you comrades!"

The piercing pain intensified but Half-Dragon Priestess somehow managed to stay on her feet, breathing flames and swiping her blade at the tentacles which attempted to reach for her. She remembered the warning of the Myconid Sovereign, that should the tentacles take hold of her, her body would begin to rot and she would be pulled into the roots with the others. She cut off one of the tentacles and jumped to the side and another attempted to reach for her.

"Why do you struggle? Surrender and become nourishment for me!"

"I struggle because I must! I am taught to destroy heresy and you will no longer control these innocents."

Half-Dragon Priestess reached within her pouch, thankful she had restocked the gasoline vials; she tossed one at the body of the massive mushroom before once again breathing her fires once again. The Violet Fungus shrieked as its body was surrounded by flames; the cry affected Half-Dragon Priestess as well as the spores were still present in her system. To ensure the fungus was truly dead, she threw another vial upon its body which caused the monster to cry out again, the tentacles whipping around but unable to douse the flames. The Violet Fungus finally toppled over, its mass crumpling in on itself as it blackened from the flames.

Everyone in the village was also crying out in pain as the Violet Fungus was dying down below the grounds beneath them. What felt like an eternity of pain was only a matter of minutes before all finally went calm, the villagers and adventurers were slowly able to get back to their feet, the pain was gone and so was the voice of the fungus. Harpy Scout, Wolf Brawler and the others looked back toward the large building Half-Dragon Priestess had gone through and waited patiently and were relieved to see their friend slowly emerge from the building.

"It's…it's done. The fungus is dead. This village is free."

The villagers were quick to thank the adventurers for finally freeing them of the control of the fungus, while the adventurers apologized for their actions and any injuries the villagers received from defending themselves. With all the chaos in the village, the adventurers agreed it would be best to leave the village and allow the people to get their lives back in order. As the adventurers made their way through the forest they all took the opportunity to apologize for their behaviors.

"Well that was quite the adventure." Harpy Scout frowned as she remembered her behavior the previous day and looked toward Rabbitfolk Warrior. "Hey Warrior, I'm really sorry for how I acted."

"No need say sorry. We all act crazy. I act violent too. We still friends and I not take your mate."

"Sorry Monk for acting so cold. I should have acted better…I need to act better." Wolf Brawler shook her head, disappointed in her actions.

"It is quite alright Huntress. The influence of the Fungus had its hold over all of us."

"That reminds me, you promised to explain why you call me Huntress."

"Ah, it is said that the Goddess of the Hunt has many trusted followers, these huntswomen are referred to as Huntresses. We give the title of Huntress to female warrior we respect."

"Oh, so I am an equal to the powerful women of your tribe? I shall do my best to live up to those expectations."

"I am sure you will." Padfoot Monk smiled though felt a bit uneasy he could not reveal the other reason behind his name for her. "I can't yet mention that when my people give the title of Huntress to a female, it is given to those we wish to court."

Half-Dragon Priestess smiled that everything seemed to be settled, whatever squabbles they had were now over and the creature who had been influencing them was now dead.

"Another quest successfully dealt with. I'll be sure to send another letter when we get back to town to tell our families how we've done." A sudden thought then brought a frown to her face as she looked up at the night sky. "The Dragon Executioner. I still wonder when we will next meet and what horrors he has done since our last battle."

xxxx

"Very nice." Dragon Executioner smirked as he looked over the dragonhide and scales he had used for his clothing.

His new pants and boots were made from the hide and scales which were fireproof. He had also used the hide and placed ribs from the dragon to create bone armor and the skull as his new helmet.

"I feel quite rejuvenated after eating a true dragon heart. I also have new armor to continue in my quest."

"Very good Master." Slave Bard nodded, eager to keep himself from being killed. "Thank you for the meal as well."

"You should have just eaten it raw as I did. Did you really need to waste time in cooking it?"

"Oh…just preference Master." Slave Bard offered a weak smile while thinking about the meat he had eaten. "Gods above, never thought I'd be eating dragon flesh. No way I'm going to eat it raw, I might end up as crazy as this monster."

"Well it matters not, we'll be moving out tomorrow morning."

"Where to Master?"

"There is a tiny female dragon out there who has escaped me for far too long. She too shall meet the same fate as this dragon."