Episode 1 (Part 4) - Rana

Rana awoke to what, at first, seemed to be a peaceful day in the garden. The sun gently cascaded down through the tree canopy and blanketed the lush greenery that was her home. She tended to her plants, many of which were experiments of sorts. She had discovered the plant life in the garden was much different to that of the neighbouring plant life found in the surrounding forest. When cultivated, however, the flora gathered from outside the garden grew impeccably well in the fertile soil of the garden. While this fascinated Rana, she did not exploit the bounty that was her home.

The morning was uneventful. She had taken to collecting and keeping many forms of insect almost as a farm to keep her sustained. She had cobbled together a small frame from sticks and vines where she stored anything from stick insects to live caterpillars, still living in their cocoons.

As the day progressed, Rana could sense that something wasn’t quite right. Each time she went to lay a hand on the plants, they would shiver to their touch. She had experienced this unease before but not for a long time. She placed one hand on a tree and communed with the nature around her. She felt a foreboding presence coming from further into the forest but could not determine precisely where from.

She continued with her day cautiously, checking the small collection of foraged equipment she had. Many moons ago, she had been exploring the forest and came upon a deceased explorer collapsed near a tree. They had evidently strayed too deeply into the forest and had succumb to its dangers. On them, was some battered but serviceable armour, a crossbow with a small number of bolts and a simple pack filled with various useful items. She now put those items to good use. Donning the armour and readying the crossbow in case of emergency.

Evening had come to the garden now and the call of the pool of water at the garden’s heart was growing stronger. It was cooler than normal, but she could still feel the embrace of her patron within its depths. Rana slowly closed her eyes to sleep. Shortly after though, she felt the water around her begin to tremble. Her eyes shot open in fright and could see the leaves on the trees and the grass covering the clearing swaying almost in warning to an impending threat. Just as Rana climbed from the pool, a horde of Goblins crashed through the garden. The branches on the trees began to shake violently, which served to corral the crowd around its borders, temporarily protecting those within. This allowed just enough time for Rana to collect the rest of her belongings before even the branches could not hold the swell of creatures running through the garden.

Rana had no choice but to run. She used her powerful amphibian legs to bound through the forest, creating a separation from the crowd of Goblins. This allowed her to get to the front of the crowd but would not see her to safety. Further ahead, Rana noticed some vines hanging from the canopy, which she used to swing through the treetops allowing her to gain a considerable lead on the pursuing Goblins. With a final burst of energy, she reached the edge of the treeline.

With a hasty look back into the forest to see she had managed to outrun the Goblins by a considerable pace. In front of her was a stone wall, with the rooftops of buildings poking above. She had come upon a town. Fearing for the safety of the townsfolk, she ran along the wall in search of help. She reached a gate which appeared to have guards stood at the entrance.

“There are Goblins coming to harm the town. You must warn people.” She shouted.
“What the hell is that thing? Is it speaking common!?” The guards responded in shock.

The pair of guards raised their weapons at Rana. Realising she wasn’t getting any help from them; she used her powerful legs to leap over the ten-foot wall and began running through the streets.

Evening had well set in by this time, and there were few people walking from place to place. Those who were still wandering the streets were making their way between homes and taverns enjoying their evening and didn’t take kindly to Ranas unusual visage. She stood roughly three feet tall, with powerful hind legs and thin arms. Her feet and hands were padded and webbed, and her black skin had markings of red and glistened with moisture in the dim streetlight. Many people would either turn and walk away or would simply ignore her pleas, believing her to be a figment of their imaginations. The more she searched, the less she believed she would find anyone willing to help. Just as she began to lose hope, she ran into a drunken man leaving a tavern named the Foragers.

“You must help me, there are Goblins coming to attack the town!” Rana shouted desperately.
“Goblins? How many?” The drunken man asked, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
“Too many to count.” Responded Rana, regaining her breath from the hurried search.
“Oz was in here. Let’s go and tell her.” Concluded the drunken man as he led Rana into the tavern.

The moment the unlikely pair entered the room, a lot of the conversation died down. Rana could feel the eyes of the bar patrons on her. The drunken man staggered over to a private table in the far corner to where Oz was sitting, tripping over a couple of tables, and offering slurred apologies as he went.

“Oz! Goblins are coming. Lots of them.” Said the drunken man.
“Go home, you’re drunk and I'm off duty.” Responded Oz, not looking up from her drink.
“There are, I promise you. I’ve just been running from them.” Pleaded Rana.

Oz looked down towards Rana and looked her over with a sceptical eye. Rana had never seen someone like Oz before. Her eyes glowed lightly, like candles and her hair was a brilliant white. Oz seemed to believe Rana’s claim but before she could ask any further questions, sounds of distant screaming and crashing came from outside. The Goblins had arrived.