ALAKAZAAAAAAM!

Lily and Malroth awoke with a jolt, the sky outside their small living space was pink with the threat of spoilspores. Malroth was the first one up and out the door, Lily hard on his heels. The two froze when they saw Pastor Al standing before a large pink badboon. "Pastor Alakazam! How dare you-oo-oo!" The beast roared, throwing its' head back as it let out a howl.

"What is that?!" Rosie came out in just a shirt that went down to her knees, Perry close behind her.

"A tree? Fields?! You've been building, haven't you-oo-oo!?"

"My lord, please! If you would just allow me to explain-!"

"I think not!"

"But…!"

"Tell me, Alakazam – what do we of the Children of Hargon value-oo-oo above all else?"

Pastor Al's head hung as he bowed to the giant beast. "Destruction… my lord. Destruction alone can save us. All must be… destroyed…"

"Gwaaaah hah hah haaaah! Yes! Then your du-oo-oo-ooty is clear! You must destroy this farm and everything in it!" The badboon beat its own chest, howling louder at Pastor Al.

Pastor Al slowly turned to the farm; a sad look portrayed in that red orb as he lifted his scepter. Magic gathered around the orb on top, but as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared as he turned to his lord. "I… I cannot."

The beast tipped its' head, as if it didn't believe what it had heard. "Is that so? Fine then. Begone!" Before anyone could react, the beast lashed out, hitting Pastor Al with a force so great that he was flung into the small cliffside in front of the village. A loud crack could be heard as Pastor Al fell limp to the ground, no sign of life visible from where Lily stood.

Rosie let out a scream as tears spilled down her cheeks. She ran over to the dying Pastor, clutching his cloak. "N-No! Pastor!"

Lily and Malroth ran up to Rosie, protecting her as she tried her best to get Pastor Al back onto his feet. "It seems if you want something done, you must do-oo-oo it yourself!" The beast let out a nasty noise before spewing a dark slime out.

The farmers watched in horror as the slime ate away at the tree, then watched as the tree turned to ash and fell apart into the wind. "No…" Lily gawked at the mess that was created, her heart sinking as she watched the tree fade away with each breeze.

"You-oo-oo were warned, foo-oo-oolish humans. Builders spread desolation and despair wherever they roam. Go forth, my minions! Crush these pathetic hu-oo-oomans in the name of almighty Hargon!"

Lily turned to Rosie and one of the newer farmers. "Take Pastor Al, stow him away in the sleeping quarters. The rest of us…"

Malroth grab Lily's arm, frowning at her. "It looks like the Children of Hargon have us surrounded, Lily. We've got no choice but to fight them." He nodded back at Lily when she swallowed the lump in the back of her throat, ready… but not ready all at the same time. "I've never felt this feeling before, Lil. What they did to Al… what they did to the Deitree… I won't…" He turned, glaring at the monsters that stood before them. "I won't let them get away with this!"


Lily and Malroth were the first to run out with Britney and Bonanzo right on their heels. Malroth spun and slammed his axe into the side of one of the apes, smirking when the beast let out a shriek of pain. He moved quick, not letting the monster recover before he slammed the axe down on the monsters shoulder.

Lily dropped and went into a slide, easily going under on of the apes and jumping back up, slamming her hammer down into it's ribs. She winced a little when she heard a sick cracking noise, but she couldn't feel sorry for the monster now. Not after what happened to Al.

Malroth had made quick work of his first ape and moved through a handful of smaller monsters before coming over and helping Lily with the ape she was fighting. "C'mon, Lily!"

"You're having too much fun with this, Mal!" Lily gasped, watching the hungry smile on his face spread as he fought monster after monster. The small group of farmers did their best to keep up with him, but he swung his axe around like it was an extension of himself.


Rosie and Perry carefully pulled Al onto one of the beds in the sleeping quarters. Rosie tried to hold back her tears as she touched the Pastor's mask. "Hang on, Al. Oh, please hang on!"

"My dear Rosie, I am so sorry… I couldn't stop him from destroying the Deitree…" Al whispered, trying to keep his breathing slow as he struggled to even think straight. "Rosie… promise me… you'll help Lily… build on her new island."

"I promise. And I promise that you can come with us! You just have to hold on for a little bit!"

"Don't make a promise we know you cannot keep… my dear Rosie."

"Pastor Al…"


Lily and Britney slashed at a skeleton together, easily knocking him back one last time. "One more monster!" Britney cheered, running over to help Clayton and Malroth with the last skeleton that stood in the way of their mourning.

Lily stood back, watching the three take out the beast with ease. She turned to the farm, frowning at it. Al would still be alive if she hadn't come here. "And none of these people would have met each other. Nor would they be free." Tiny whispered as he landed on her shoulder. "Don't worry about Al. He was an old priest anyways. You can avenge him and rebuild the farm. You did what you came here to do."

Lily glanced to Tiny, frowning at the small Dracky. She knew there was more to him than meets the eye. "I didn't say anything."

"Oh… you didn't?" Tiny quickly looked away, tucking his wings in at his side. "We should go check on the pastor."

"Right…" Lily followed her comrades back to the farm, heading towards the sleeping quarters to see what they could do for Al. When she and Tiny walked in, the others were already in a circle around the pastor, heads hung low as Rosie cried over him. "Pastor."

"Hm… hm… Lily… there you are… young builder. You did well… building up that Deitree… it may have been destroyed… but that hope it brought to you all still remains…" Al turned his head from where he lay, looking to Malroth. "You had asked me once… where the Deitree came from… whether it simply 'sprouted forth from the ground' or it is was made by some other means…" The pastor coughed, the red orb in his mask faded for a moment but then it focused on Malroth and Lily once again. "It did not grow… it was built. By the builder who came to this island long ago…"

Malroth looked to Lily, seeing her brows climb with curiosity. "Lily… I want you to have this." Al tried to reach for his pouch, but he couldn't move that much. "It's… in this pouch… please, take it."

Lily walked over, reaching into the pouch and pulling out a feathered cloak. "Pastor?"

"A windbraker. You can take to the skies with that. You may need it… to build another Deitree from the ground up…"

"You want us… to build a Deitree?" Lily put a hand on her hip as she examined the windbraker.

"We can't do that without you, Pastor Al!" Rosie cried out; her words almost incoherent from all of her tears. "Please… don't leave us…"

"I have taught you all that I know… my dear apprentice. Now it falls to you to aid Lily… I know the two of you can do this." There was a rare smile on the pastor's face as he looked up at Rosie. "Was this not your dream? To bring back the Deitree? To rebuild… Furrowfield Farm? Do not give up… on your dreams… do not seek excuses… seek only a way forward." A shallow breath left him as the red orb faded once more. "Lily… look after Rosie for me… after everyone…"

Rosie let out a wail as Pastor Al faded into the wind, slipping from her desperate grasps. "Pastor Al! Noo! Don't!"

Perry wrapped his arms around Rosie, barely holding back his tears as Rosie turned into him and sobbed. "We shouln't 'ave buil' nothin'… if we 'adn't… none o' this would 'ave ever 'appened…"

Lily flinched at Perry's words, but he was right. None of this would have happened if she hadn't- She gasped, looking at the person who wrapped their arms around her, shielding her from the cries and anguish that surrounded them. Malroth. His whole being was like a stone wall that kept her safe from the pain the others felt. She knew none of them blamed her, but they were all hurting. "Let's go, Lily." Malroth whispered in her ear as he pulled away from her, leaving her feeling raw and cold. "I'm going to clobber that brainy badboon so hard his own mother wouldn't recognize him. I'm going to get revenge for Pastor Al."

"Malroth! Wait!" Rosie broke from Perry and ran up to the two. "Pastor Al told us to rebuild the Deitree! He said to build a new one from scratch!"

"I'm not deaf, Rosie. I heard him just as well as you did."

"There's somewhere I want you two to go." Rosie crossed her arms, one hand cupping her chin as she thought for a moment. "Pastor Al once told me that the old Deitree wasn't completely destroyed. It may have withered and died, but its remains are still around here somewhere. If you were to find it, you might be able to find some clue about how to build a new one!"

"Alright, I'm listening." Malroth looked to Lily, frowning at her. "You up for it?"

"It's not like we really have any other choices, Mal." Lily twirled a pigtail between her fingers, staring at the ground.

"So, where should we start?" Malroth crossed his arms and frowned up at Lily.

"O-Oh! If you'm lookin' for the old Deitree, I've got an idea where 'ee should start!" Wrigley came up behind Rosie, giving the three a toothy grin. "When I was a' runnin' from the Children I went from one end of the island to the other, and everywhere in between. I think I caught a glimpse of the old Deitree on my travels. 'Twas on a littler island just off the coast. Too far to swim, mind 'ee, so wingless wonders like us can't get there."

"But I can use this windbraker just fine to get us over there, I'm sure." Lily nodded to Wrigley. "Where do we go, Wrig?"

"When Britney went to the orc in the old tomato farm, just past the Furrowfield bog. 'ead east to the rainforest, 'ee'll see a patch up to the north that elads to the top of a rocky 'eadland. 'Tis a small island out there, 'ee should be able to spot it from there." Wrigley swung around, throwing his head back and forth with excitement.


"More 'umans?" A large orc turned when Lily and Malroth appeared next to him. "I hope you two are alright, the air is thick, and the skies are dark. It's been a long time since I've seen the Ill Wind get this bad. I wonder what could be behind it…"

"That's what we're going to find out." Lily held out some fresh tomatoes, smiling when the orc snorted with joy. "We just picked these, for you."

"Why thank you! The other one told you I like tomatoes?!" The orc happily gobbled them down the tomatoes.

Lily and Malroth ducked around the orc and off towards the giant hole in the canyon walls just beyond. The two slipped around the giant trees that surrounded them and climbing up the cliffside that led them out over the ocean. "Lily look there. I can barely see it… but it looks like the remains of a huge tree."

"I see it, Mal." Lily moved over to the sign that stood alone on the edge. "May the Deitree bring hop to the land – a hope that lies on the far horizon." She rubbed the tip of her chin, trying to decipher what that could possibly mean. "You ready, Malroth?"

'Lily, my child… come to me… leapest thou from the cliff and unfold thy windbraker.'

"Time to get going." Malroth gave Lily a soft push on the shoulder. "Quit spacing out."

"Right… sorry." Lily whispered and looked at the land a glide away from them. There wasn't any time to worry about if they would make it or not. They had to get there, now. She lifted her chin and jumped, gasping when she felt Malroth jump and grab her ankles. Though the windbraker didn't plummet, it held both of them up just fine as they glided through the air.

When the two landed, a hoard of monsters awaited them, cackling at them. "You come looking for the old Deitree, silly humans? You should know better! Badboon has turned your silly symbol of hope into the source of your suffering! Who makes the spoilspores, you ask?! The diseased, decrepit Deitree does!" One skeleton cackled, raising the sword in its hand as it readied itself for a fight.

"So, this is where the Ill Wind comes from?" Lily and Malroth glared at the monsters, growling right back at them. "I hope you're ready for a fight, Lily!"

"Let's do this!" Lily charged at the badboon in the middle of the monsters, slashing her sword across his face while Malroth took on the first skeleton.

The two, even outnumbered, broke through the Children; taking them out like they were weeds. Lily panted as she stood over the last skeleton, her bright blue eyes blazing with anger. "We won."

"I can't believe they turned the Deitree into some kind of spore-spreading filth fountain… are there any depths they won't stoop to?" Malroth started as he looked around, taking pause when he saw an eerie glow coming from the remains of the large tree. "What's that creepy-looking light?"

Lily slowly walked over to it, feeling a power emanating from it that was all too familiar to her. "Who art thou…? Why dost thou approach me…? I was once known as the Deitree… But alack, my branches hath rotted away, and my heart filled with poison… now, the breeze that floweth from me bringeth naught but destruction… I know not who thou art… but thou cannot remain in this place… the danger is too great…'

"I want to create a new Deitree, bring life back to this island. Rid this land of its corruption." Lily spoke softly, almost afraid the ethereal being would laugh in her face.

'Very well… should this be thy wish; thou first must needs destroy me… The black, rotten wood thou seest above thee was once my mighty trunk… amid this withered husk, some small scraps of my holy heartwood yet remain… I bid thee take it and bring it back here.'

Malroth watched as Lily ran up the almost stair like roots, he could hear her hammering away at the tree. As she did, the light pulsed, as if it were flinching. 'Thou hast… done well… thou hast… destroyed me… Within the holy heartwood thou hast gathered burneth what little remaineth of my life force… only now may I die. The fair isle of Furrowfield is set on a course for destruction. The Ill Wind that flowed from my corrupted form hath spread far and wide… I fear that my destruction alone… cannot bring an end… to the evils that plague this land…' Malroth took on of the heartwood from Lily, examining the glowing object. He didn't sense much power coming from it. How could such a weak little thing make a new tree?

'Can thou do this… young builder? Does thee have the power to rebuild me? There is something else thou wouldst do well to recall… young builder… Creation is born of Destruction… but mourn not… for nothing can be built from nothing… I await the day… when thou wilt build a new Deitree… and return life… and light… to this fair isle.'

Malroth watched the light fade, and Lily whipped out her book, jotting something down. "You've done it already, haven't you, Lily? You've designed a new Deitree?" He crossed his arms and grinned at her. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's head back to the farm and get this bad boy built!"


Rosie and Perry stood on the bridges that surrounded where the old Deitree used to be, their eyes wide. "Blimmi' 'eck! Is this what I think it is?! Are you buildin' us a new Deitree?!" Perry gasped, gawking at Lily as she laid a blueprint out.

"I sure am, Perry!" Lily couldn't hold back her grin as she figured the number of things she would need.

"You're insane, Lily! Do you have any idea of the scale of the task you plan to undertake?!" Bonanzo grabbed the builder, giving her a light shake. His eyes wide as he spoke words he never thought he'd hear from himself. "This insane plan… has reignited the fire of passion within my heart! Let me help ya! It would be my honor!"

Lily was frozen with shock as the others cheered around her, they were all willing to help her with this insane task to save this island. No, their island. She watched as Perry, Clayton and Saffron ran off in different directions to collect material while Lilian and Rosie started building chests to put all of it in. She felt tears well in her eyes as she watched her friends take on this feat. "Guys…"

"Don't start crying now, Lily." Malroth gave her a nudge, laughing as the waterworks burst forth, making her sob.

"I got to thinkin' abo't what the good Pastor meant, Lily. There are three different kinds o' flowers… the erm… Chromatic Cays… is what they's called. There's three other little islands off the coast, so there are." Wrigley came up to them, grinning.

Rosie paused in her building to look at Lily and Malroth. "While we build, you can go look for the flowers!"

Lily and Malroth looked to each other, shrugging as Lily pulled out her map. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are." Malroth purred as he grabbed Lily's arm.