Exodus

Sedi and Jimbo had run away at top speed. Normally, they wouldn't have to run so hard for so long after a successful heist. However, after what they did, we'll they didn't want to be around for the binding spell to be undone. 

When they physically could not run anymore, they stopped panting. Sedi tried to talk through weeding, "W-we need t-to go ba-back," Sedi gasped.

Jumbo swallowed hard before he was able to reply, "Norm-Normally I'd say y-you were crazy, but right now I feel the same way."

******************

'Well at least I got some useful abilities out of the event," Vixen thought rolling her eyes. Strangely enough, the worse part about the whole ordeal was actually the stiffness that persisted after the effects of the paint magic wore off. 

It was still very early in her journey and would not let an early hang up damper her mood. After taking the bath she had originally wanted, now needed, she packed up her camp and rode south west towards the next town, Barterlo. Arriving at Barterlo would take quite a while, and she had to travel through a swamp on foot which slow her progress significantly. 

If the town she left was considered a central point of the country, this next one was considered a trading post. It had all the major conveniences but the majority of the people that frequented this town were travelers. The farther out towns would have to make a trip to Barterlo to sell their wares otherwise risk a much longer and more perilous journey to the next major city. 

There was only one more town between Barterlo and the coast. From there she would have to either find someone to boat her out to the group of islands or try to fly the rest of the way. She was hoping she would not have to do the latter and felt exhausted just thinking about it. The weather near the coast could be extremely unpredictable and change at the drop of a hat. She was not too keen on flying over open water in a hurricane or water cyclone. 

She ended up camping another night before she reached the swamp early in the day the next morning, she dismounted Macron and led him by the nose looking into the the dense foliage. She knew of this swamp but had never traveled this way before, most took several days to avoid it but she couldn't afford that time. She was hoping that her travel through would be very uneventful, but she had a nagging suspicion that it wouldn't. She removed her boots and raised her leg to step into dark murky mud like earth, her eyes closed. 

'I hate this part,' she thought right before committing to the step.

"HEY! Wait for us!" Came a voice she was unfortunate enough to be all too familiar with. She could not considered herself surprised after the prompt she had gotten. 

Sedi and Jimbo came jogging up to her panting.  They had put in serious efforts to catch up to her before she entered. 

They got onto their knees and looked up at her with sorrowful eyes, "We are truly sorry for what we did, but we want to serve you," Sedi said.

"That's right," Jimbo chimed in, "we will assist you with whatever you need."

"Sigh. Very well I accept. Can you help navigate me through this swamp?"

"Maybe you didn't know Mistress but this swamp is territory to a hag. It would be significantly safer to travel around," said Jimbo.

"I know, but I do not have the luxury of time. I'll be traveling through it. Still willing to help?"

Sedi and Jimbo looked at each other and nodded. "Glad to hear it. Get your horses we leave immediately," ordered Vixen.

The three of them, barefoot and leading the horses by the nose, trudged through the murky swamp floor. Blades out, they killed everything that approached them looking for an easy meal. Snakes, crocodiles, and more unearthly monsters attacked them as they traveled. 

 They were making significant albeit slow progress through, every creature met was some sort of beast or beast-type monster.

'It would have been a much more difficult journey if they had run into something with intelligence,' thought Vixen. 

People have superstitions for a reason, no sooner had she thought that did an unnatural eery fog roll in. The tinted green fog not just heavily obscured their vision, but her heightened sense of smell as well.

The three of them slowed their pace, Macron and the other horses whinnied in fear, their ears twitching in every direction. Strange despondent noises had filled the swamp from the moment they had entered and now it was quiet enough to hear static. 

A voice that would force you to picture an elderly woman echoed through the green fog.

"Why would three strong men be intruding upon my territory? Have you come to subjugate this ancient one?"

"Crazy old bat not all of us are men how blind are you?" Insulted Jimbo. An old woman appeared in front of Jimbo's face so quickly and unexpectedly that he fell backwards into the mud lest he walked into her.

"Boy I am 9f far greater sight than anyone! Another ill-mannered outburst and your head will roll!" 

The woman instantly vanished, neither Sedi or Vixen went to take a swing at the woman. Cold sweat dripped down Vixen's neck.

'H-how could she know? What creature is this? I'm not under a simple curse, it was more akin to having time being reversed, as if I had never existed as a man. Who is this woman,' thought Vixen in a panic.

"Deary deary deary," the woman said, "I know the task of which you've been charged, but they didn't give you all the right tools."

Vixen got a notification and she opened up hesitantly. Her eyes widened.

"This will make your task easier, hahahaha and if you're ever so inclined visit Lush Grove Cave within the Dragon Isle since you're going there." The woman said as he voice faded with the fog.

Vixen stood frozen in the fog free swamp trying to swallow past the lump in her throat.

[Oviparous -granted by @%^$* to protect your body. Whenever you copulate with a being that is too large for your body, it will be birthed as an egg no larger than the size of a normal baby.]