Lady Nimmo and the Cursed Belt

Oakaford strategically positioned stumpers to capture the shadow elves who were shooting arrows into Lady Nimmo's house. Oakaford and the stumpers took this very personally. She brought them to life, and because of this connection, they become extremely upset when someone tries to harm her.

"Okay, everyone," Oakaford whisper-shouted. "Less noise."

The entire line of root-footed stumpers kicked up enough noise to alert a passed-out drunk troll who is hard of hearing. Of course, Oakaford's "whisper-shouting" only added to the cacophony.

Ash-rim stealthy moved close to Oakaford. "Captain, perhaps we should ask the elves for help? They're naturally quiet," he whispered. His three-foot-tall tree stump body was more agile than most stumpers because Lady Nimmo carved him from a rubber tree.

"We protect Lady Nimmo!" Oakaford said too loudly.

"Shh, Captain."

"Oh, um, yes." Oakaford lowered his voice, "We protect Lady Nimmo—not elves."

"I understand, Captain. But how are we going to sneak up on anyone? We're louder than a pack of grundle barrs chomping on dried leaves."

"Don't question your Captain. I know what I'm doing."

Oakaford had no idea what he was doing. But he wasn't about to let this upstart know it.

Suddenly, clashing swords and battle cries rang out from their left flank. The entire stumper guard raced to join the fight. Shadow elves and stumpers mixed it up like an epic Tolkien movie, and it grew more fierce as additional shadow elves and stumpers joined the battle. 

Oakaford directed his troops from a hill. "Ash-rim! Take some guards to reinforce those guys!" Oakaford pointed to an isolated group of stumpers surrounded by shadow elves.

"Slim! Move your troops over there!"

"Reg! Go help those guys!"

"Tat! I need you to bolster our right flank!"

Oakaford continued shouting commands while studying the battlefield. Fighting in Trugen Forest gave them the home-field advantage, but he couldn't deny that those despicable shadow elves possessed some mad fighting skills.

"Trey! Take your team to the center!" No response. "Trey?" Oakaford turned to discover he was alone. He turned back to the battlefield to see every stumper engaged in battle. He was about to join them when he heard someone shouting his name.

Turning from the battle, he spotted several shadow elves running towards him. He pulled out his sword, "Let's do this!" However, instead of the shadow elves engaging, they circled him. "Come on, you pansies!" Oakaford shouted, facing each one. "When I'm done cutting you all down to size, you'll be looking up to see down."

"Captain Oakaford. My, my, you are a feisty one," Lammerous said. The leader of the shadow elves cut through the circle, clapping his hands. "I admire that." Following Lammerous were three ten-foot-tall magical tree trunks called kraff-nocks. One carried an odd-looking belt encircled with indecipherable ruins.

"You!" Oakaford shouted. "I never thought I'd see your skinny butt again. Didn't you get enough last time?"

"A minor miscalculation on my part. I promise you won't be so lucky this time."

Oakaford's temper rose upon hearing this condescending, pointy-eared, spineless twerp. He raised his sword and charged. Immediately, several whips from the surrounding shadow elves lassoed him in mid-stride.

"Tut, tut, Captain. Remember, I don't fight. I've never been into swords or exertion. Surely, you haven't forgotten that I'm an artist?"

"Lady Nimmo is an artist. You're a monster."

Lammerous's lips curled angrily, "You dare to compare that witch to me!" He snapped his fingers, and a kraff-nock appeared beside him, handing him the belt. "You won't think so highly of her when I place this on you."

Oakaford struggled against the whips that bound him vigorously. He didn't know what Lammerous meant but knew it couldn't be good.

"Yes. Struggle. You'd struggle more if you knew what this belt does." He snapped his fingers again. Two kraff-nocks joined in restraining Oakaford. "It makes you evil."

Oakaford struggled even harder. His mind was racing; could he be turned into an evil stumper? Surely not. There wasn't an evil piece of wood in his body.

"It won't work on me!" Oakaford shouted.

"Oh, I assure you, it will. I procured this belt from the Order of the Tellmarians. Perhaps you've heard of them?"

Oakaford gave no response.

"No matter. Let's just say they're really talented at cursing objects. It's their magical gift. Anyway, I digress. The cursed belt will control you. You'll become my servant. And my first order will be to destroy your fellow stumpers." His maniacal laugh echoed throughout the forest.

"Never!"

"You know what they say about never." He put the cursed belt on Oakaford, and the ruins glowed red, and a magical blast of wind encircled the struggling stumper. Oakaford's eyes began glowing as red as the ruins. After a moment, the wind died down, and Oakaford stopped struggling. He stood zombie-like: no expression, no response, no sign of life.

"My. That was unexpected. Those Tellmarians do love their theatrics," Lammerous said. He removed the whips and ordered the kraff-nocks to release Oakaford. Oakaford stood as still as a tree. If it weren't for his freaky glowing eyes, you'd think he was just another tree stump in the forest.

Inside Oakaford, a battle raged. Powerful thoughts invaded his mind. They were commanding him to serve Lammerous. He remembered Lady Nimmo and fought furiously against the evil onslaught. To Oakaford, this inner war seemed to go on for hours, but it only lasted a few minutes. Inevitably, the cursed belt overcame, not that he had a chance. The poor stumper was no match against the power of the cursed belt.

Lammerous waved his hand in front of Oakaford's eyes, "Hello? Anyone home?" He knocked on Oakaford's head. "Can you hear me?"

"I can," Oakaford said in a mechanical, hollow voice.

"Oh, my. What a sensational voice. I love it – so evil sounding." He ordered the shadow elves to loosen their whips and kraff-nocks to release Oakaford. "Who is your master?"

"You are."

"Delightful. I must send a gift to the Order, like a meat and cheese charcuterie board. Their belt is absolutely perfect." Lammerous snapped his fingers. "Let me show you your new enemy." He led Oakaford to the battle and pointed to the stumpers. "Annihilate them! Every one of them!"

Oakaford bellowed with an evil war cry, lifted his sword, and charged at the rear of the fighting stumpers. Ash-rim turned to see Oakaford joining them, his pride and confidence surging. He knew the advantage would be theirs once he joined them. But a nagging voice told him to look once more. He couldn't say why. He focused on Oakaford. This time, he noticed the glowing red eyes.

"That's not right," Ash-rim said. He left the front to intercept the charging Oakaford.

Oakaford changed his course towards Ash-rim.

"Hey! Captain! Is all well?"

Oakaford readied his sword and swung. Ash-rim nimbly ducked and rolled.

"What's wrong with you!" Ash-rim shouted.

"You! You pathetic piece of firewood!" Oakaford recalculated his route and swung downward.

Ash-rim blocked. "What happened to you? Why are your eyes glowing?" Ash-rim parried several more blows.

"Nothing! I've always been like this. You sorry excuse for scrap wood!"

"There's a difference. For one, your eyes are freaking me out. Two, your voice sounds evil. And three, you're trying to kill me."

"Alright, maybe I've wisened up since last we've met." His evil voice cracked through their clashing swords. "I now see through you. You want to be captain! You think you're better than me! Telling me how I should run things!" Oakaford grew more menacing with each word. "You think I'm a doofus! Well, how about now!" Oakaford unleashed a torrent of blows.

Ash-rim parried all but the last blow. He looked at his side. A terrible gash marred his wooden body. He had sparred with Oakaford many times but had never seen moves like these from his mediocre captain. He shouted retreat. Grief and confusion overwhelmed him. He needed Lady Nimmo's help.

Lammerous was content and chose not to pursue the retreating stumpers. Oakaford was his. And if he was correct about Lady Nimmo, she would attempt a rescue precisely as he wanted.

When the stumpers returned to Jorton, Ash-rim recalled his fight with Oakaford to Lady Nimmo and her inner circle. Jor, her father, and Flimlet, the dwarf, believed there had to be some misunderstanding. Perhaps Oakaford was only pretending to fight for Lammerous to get close enough to kill him. Tim the elf, Ash-rim, and Gladise, Lady Nimmo's mother, agreed with Lady Nimmo: evil magic was responsible.

That night, Lady Nimmo called for a city-wide meeting. She warned everyone to be on the lookout for Oakaford and not to trust him until they found a way to restore him to his normal self. She appointed leaders to fill the spots of those leaving to rescue Oakaford, including herself and her husband, Captain Arrow James. The entire city loved and respected Oakaford and wholeheartedly supported the rescue party.

Lady Nimmo asked her father to choose the party because of his experience with the King's Guard. Jor chose Lady Nimmo simply because he knew she'd go with or without his permission. But even Jor had to admit it wouldn't hurt to have someone who could carve a troop of stumpers to life in just a few hours. Next, he picked Captain Arrow because he knew the land beyond Trungen Forest and was Lady Nimmo's husband, which played a huge factor. Flimlet and Tim's speed made them indispensable, and Ash-rim, Tat, Splinter, Rain Storm, and Nob would provide the stumper support he knew they'd need before this was all over.

The party received news that Lammerous took Oakaford to the shadow elves' port city of Lorevain on the Sea of Grindle. They knew they had to intercept Lammerous before he took Oakaford on board their ships. Once on their ships, they would sail to their homeland, where the party could do nothing. Oakaford would be lost forever!