The Gathering Quest

### Episode 1 – Scene 5: The Gathering Quest **[NARRATION]** Now esteemed Von Queef lawyer, Pedro Manticore would like me to tell you that The Wicked Woods weren’t technically part of campus. Technically, nothing past the sigiled gates counted. But VQU had a long tradition of redefining liability based on magical survivability so long as they could avoid liability. Impweed and Nightcabbage. Sounded like a joke mission the thieves guild would send you on. Or the specials at a bar in the Whisperwoods that specializes in serving those who had lost their teeth to a curse or a bar fight. But to pass Astrid Ironhoof’s class—and survive her insults—the group had to fetch both. Before sundown. A sharp wind rustled through dry leaves, stirring the low branches with a noise like whispering teeth. Birds called overhead—one of them screamed something unmistakably Infernal before flying off. They split off into two groups. Sort of. More like a disorganized flock with emotional baggage. Moss squelched beneath their boots. Somewhere ahead, something chittered wetly. Darius was the first to spot the Impweed—thrashing like it owed someone money. It clung to the edge of a half-sunken clearing, guarded by a cluster of needle-backed spiders the size of sickly cats. **DARIUS** (low growl):"That’s it. That’s the weed." His sword slid from its sheath with a metallic whisper, a purr of anticipation just beneath the edge. Victor crouched beside him, eyeing a rusted lockbox fused into the tree roots. **VICTOR** (whisper):"I’ve seen these before. See how the roots hug the box like wings? That's Ewig's doing. Locked savings for a second life." The lockpick clicked and twisted. Something squelched nearby. Victor sighed like someone expecting less from fate. Maine circled the edge of the clearing, arms lifted, muttering arcane threads into the air like he was tailoring a robe from raw spellcloth. He snapped forward— —a ripple of pressure cracked outwards. One spider liquified across a nearby tree. **MAINE** (deadpan):"You’re welcome." Darius charged. His blades moved in arcs, clean as punctuation. Spiders hissed. The Impweed snarled like a dog. Ash knelt, plucked the weed—and when it bit him, he bit it back. It stopped moving. They didn’t speak for a while after that. [**NARRATION**]The graveyard sat behind the woods. A half-forgotten memorial to something long surrendered. Nightcabbage thrived here—softly glowing beneath grave moss, each head sighing with sleep-riddled rot. The wind turned hollow, almost breathlike. Stone crunched beneath their boots as they stepped between cracked memorials and sagging headstones. Jonah knelt. **JONAH** (reverent):"This place feels kind. Lonely. But kind." Ash didn’t respond. His eyes caught movement between the stones—a shadow that didn’t match the light. A memory, too sharp to belong here. It spoke without lips. **GHOST** (hollow, calm):"Your mind is already sinking." A deep pressure—low, vibrating—rose from nowhere. Ash froze. Jonah turned toward the stillness. **JONAH** (soft):"You alright, friend?" Ash nodded. He was not. Victor harvested the cabbage. He wore gloves. Smart. Maine carved a sigil into the earth with one careful finger. The dirt vibrated faintly, like it was grateful. They returned to VQU by sunset. Mud-slicked, spider-bitten, sleep-deprived. But alive. And in a place like Von Queef University, that made them honor students.