“You sent for me, chief?” The young man entered the cramped office of the captain of the guards. The room was filled with reports and cases that needed solving. Those with higher rewards were piled on top.

“Don, we have a bit of a situation. There’s a village called Perrick about a day’s journey from here. We’ve been receiving reports that no one has left it. Nor has any movement been detected. I need you to go and investigate as well as take any necessary action.” Don gave a quick nod, accepting the mission without a moment’s hesitation. The captain pulled open a small drawer and tossed a chunk of metal at him. “You might need this. The monastery sent it. It’s an archaic weapon that was called a ‘pistol’ where back when. It’s been fixed up so it won’t blow up in your face. Father Peter gives his blessings and says Tinneg won’t damn you for using it, so long as the target’s not human.”

“Thank you chief.” Dan had never seen a real gun before but had heard of its demonic powers. He prayed to the good lord that he would not become engulfed with power-madness. Don gave a quick salute to the captain before heading off.

Don arrived at the small village with the morning sun. It seemed peaceful enough. Nothing seemed amiss. No buildings seemed to be damaged. There wasn’t so much as a broken branch to signal someone fleeing. He approached the closest house and tapped lightly on the door. “Hello?” he called. “I’m an investigative soldier of the Lespel Guards. Is anyone within?” He turned the knob but found it locked. He continued down the road and did the same with the other households. No one answered.

He looked around, hoping to see someone. In the distance, he noticed the edge of a wood. And movement, he definitely saw movement. Don headed to see who it was. He approached the stump of a large tree and a humanoid being sitting upon it. But his attention was drawn to the child lying beside the large stump. The young girl was entwined with ivy. The ivy was attached to the strange being. “Hello sir,” it spoke. Its voice was like crackling leaves and its sex could not be determined. The creature was a deep brown color from the chest down, like tree bark. The arms and head were a vibrant green, the hands thin and delicate as paper. It appeared to have petals for hair, each one a deep amethyst flopping down around its face. The antennae from its head spread a golden dust with each breath of wind. “Do you wish for sweet dreams as well?” The vines broke off and continued to wrap the child tightly.

“Are you the creature who’s been silencing this village?” Don’s hand slowly slid beside the hilt of the dagger the Lespel Guards were assigned. “What kind of spell are you casting upon them?”

“You are in pain. All humans are. You should be happy. So everyone is now dreaming. When the dream no one fights, no one gets old, no one gets sick, and no one dies. It’s such a happy place to be. Won’t you join them?” Vines sprang from seemingly nowhere and latched onto Don. The coiled around him, tightly at first but slowly became soothing caresses. His hand held tightly to the dagger’s hilt, but he could not move. The living plant walked towards him without so much as bending a blade of grass. It knelt in front of him and leaned towards his face exposing the pollen. “The deeper you breathe, the sweeter the dream. I promise you.” Its voice sounded sincere.

But Don was not here from dreams. Twisting violently, he unsheathed the dagger slicing through several vines. The plant rose and staggered backwards, the violent act surprising it. Once his arm was free, Don flung the blade aiming between the eyes. But the entangling vines prevented the dagger from flying true. With a thunk, it landed in the creature’s leg. An expression of shock and pain spread across its façade. “That…that…hurts. It stings so much. Get it out.” Wrapping its leafy hands around the handle, the creature attempted to pull the dagger out. But with no luck. The hands tore instead. Droplets of liquid fell from the tear as the vines retreated from Don in order to pull out the troublesome object.

It continued to cry out as Don reached inside his uniform. He had no way to set it aflame, as was the common solution to plant beasts. He pulled out the pistol the chief had given him. He muttered a quick prayer to Tigen for forgiveness for the sin of bearing firearms. He tightened his grip on the trigger just as the creature pulled out his dagger. It looked at him with childlike curiosity when it fired. The kick flung Don onto his back as the bullet tore a hole straight through the creature’s chest. Thick sap slowly oozed from the wound. It began to cry with no tears as the green disappeared from the arms and the petals withered and fell from its head. “But I was trying to make people happy. Happy with their dreams.” It dropped to its knees. It wailed its body curled up and withered. “But now I’m not happy. I want to have…sweet dreams.” And with that it perished.

Don freed the girl from the now dead and dry ivy. But she was also dead and dry. The plant had let them dream and nothing else. They had received no food or water in what seemed to be weeks. He went back into the village, knocking down all the doors and finding everyone wrapped in vines. Everyone as dead as the creature he slew. Don stayed in the village for another two days, burying all the dead. He then ignited the compost pile that was the creature and prayed for all their souls, that they may have peace and be welcome in the arms of Tigen. The paladin then went back home to give his report and return the firearm, which hhe hoped he’d never have to use again.