They stepped into Verdant Town, and it was clear—this wasn't the place Timmy remembered.
The town was quiet. Too quiet.
Buildings grown from trees and vines stood slumped under their own weight, wilted leaves draping over cracked wooden frames. People wandered slowly through the streets, their clothing made from stitched leaves, fur, and sun-dried bark. Their eyes looked hollow—tired. A few were being carried on stretchers woven from reeds, rushed toward a large, overgrown building marked by a faded healing rune.
Kenji's eyes swept the area. His face was stone. "This place… looks depressing."
Olorun crossed his arms, exhaling sharply. "Tell me about it. Feels like even the trees are frowning."
Tony cocked his head, eyes tracking the townsfolk like a predator scanning the herd. "I wonder if they've got anything edible. I could go for a roast lizard shroom... or a glass of fermented nectar."
Eleo's ears perked up. "I pray for carrots."
Timmy, now riding on Eleo's head, pointed forward. "No time for food. We need to meet the mayor. He's the only one who might know what happened to my dad."
Just then—
"HELP!"
A scream ripped through the silence.
A nurse bolted out of the hospital doors, her leafy robes torn, eyes wide with terror. Behind her, a man—no, something that used to be a man—staggered after her. His skin was warped, bark spreading across his body like a disease, eyes pitch black with no pupils. His mouth twisted into a silent snarl, leaking black ooze.
The other doctors jumped back in panic. Two of them yanked out vine-wrapped blasters from their sides and fired. Bursts of green energy sizzled against the monster's chest—but it didn't even flinch.
Eleo's ears snapped up. "What the—?!"
Kenji stepped forward, sword halfway unsheathed. "Get behind me."
Olorun cracked his knuckles, the goofy grin gone. "Looks like it's go time."
Tony's eye sockets glowed with excitement. "Now this town's got flavor!"
But just before they could charge in—
CRACK!
A spear flew through the air like lightning and impaled the corrupted man mid-stride. The creature stopped, convulsed—and collapsed into a heap of bark and shadow.
Silence.
Then footsteps.
From the crowd emerged a tall, confident figure wearing a leafy green cape and armored boots polished with sap-resin. His spear returned to his hand with a magnetic click. His hair was slicked back with tree oil, and he had the kind of grin only someone truly full of themselves could wear.
He threw his arms open.
"Fear not, citizens! For I, Budey—your new mayor—have arrived to purge this island of corruption!"
The crowd gasped.
Then someone clapped.
Then more.
And then they cheered.
"Budey!"
"He saved us!"
"That's our mayor!"
"Praise the leaves!!"
Budey gave a wink, striking a heroic pose against the dying sunlight. "Yes, yes—no need for worship. Simply doing what great leaders do."
Timmy stood on Tony's bony shoulders, eyes locked on the man who had struck down the monster in a single blow. "We need to talk to him," he said, his voice small but determined.
Tony gave a simple nod. "Yeah. He's the one in charge now."
Eleo raised a hand and shouted without hesitation, "Hey! Mister Tree Mayor!"
Budey turned to face them, sunlight catching his polished armor and the leaves entwined in his cloak. His expression was welcoming, a warm, practiced smile forming as he spotted the five strangers. "Ah! Travelers, I take it? Brave ones, too. I saw you ready yourselves to intervene."
Kenji stepped forward, arms folded, his gaze sharp and unreadable. "We came to help. We need to speak with you. About the corruption."
Budey inclined his head respectfully. "Of course. Walk with me."
The group followed him as he strolled through the heart of the village, a place that once might've been vibrant and full of life. Now, its people looked weary, some wounded, others shaken. Makeshift med tents had been set up beside damaged homes. Blackened vines curled around stone walls like veins beneath skin.
Budey spoke as he led them, his voice firm and clear. "You've come at a time of great struggle. The land is sick. Shadows have crept into the roots of our world. People are frightened. Lost. But I believe we can restore balance."
Timmy looked around at the broken town. "Do you know what started it?"
Budey's tone grew more serious. "We don't know the full picture. Something ancient... maybe forgotten. The deeper woods have changed. Creatures we've never seen before. Energy we can't explain. We're trying to understand it."
Eleo leaned in close to Timmy and whispered, "I bet it's a giant angry tree."
Timmy didn't laugh. He kept his eyes on Budey. "We want to help. However we can."
Budey finally stopped at the base of a large, vine-wrapped building—clearly the town's central hall. He turned to face them, eyes gleaming beneath the glow of the setting sun.
"I admire your courage," he said. "I've already sent scouts into the deeper forest to investigate. I'll share what we find. In the meantime, rest. The road behind you must've been long."
Kenji held his gaze a moment longer, then gave a single nod. "We'll hold you to that."
Budey looked to each of them in turn, then gave a small smile. "Thank you… for being here."
With that, the five headed toward the rest lodge Budey had pointed out. They didn't speak. The weight of the village's sorrow hung in the air like dust.
Once they were out of sight, Budey stood alone. The smile vanished from his face like it had never existed. His eyes flicked toward the treeline, where the shadows moved unnaturally between the trees.
And in a voice low enough for only the wind to catch, he whispered:
"They should've stayed gone."
As Budey disappeared into the tall doors of Town Hall, the group stood in the dusty street, still buzzing from the chaos that had just passed.
Kenji cracked his neck and turned to Tony with that usual half-serious, half-annoyed look.
"Hey, Tony… you wouldn't happen to have some money, would you?"
Tony raised a skeletal brow. "Why do you ask?"
Kenji crossed his arms, glancing down at his single sword. "I need a second one. As much as I love my brother's sword... if I'm gonna use my other abilities, I need a blade that won't explode when I swing."
Eleo immediately popped up with both hands in the air. "Oh! And I want some carrots!"
Olorun stepped in casually, arms behind his head. "And I'd like a few magical scroll. The flashy ones."
Timmy perked up. "And I want candy!"
Tony threw his bony hands in the air. "Wait, wait, WAIT! One at a time! You think I'm a walking treasure chest?!"
With a dramatic sigh, he popped off the top of his own skull, reached into his hollow eye socket, and pulled out a dusty old coin pouch.
"Alright, alright. Let's go milk the skeleton dry, why don't we?"
The group cheered and made their way down the path toward the market—what was left of it. Most stalls were quiet, the locals still recovering from the earlier attack. A few brave vendors remained open, peeking out from behind their carts.
Kenji grabbed Tony by the wrist and pointed like a kid in a toy store.
"That one. Right there. Thirty coins. Basic, balanced, sharp enough."
Tony squinted at the plain steel sword. "That's just a regular ol' iron blade."
"Exactly," Kenji said, already walking up to claim it. "It won't break if I go wild."
Tony groaned and dropped the coins. "There goes my retirement fund."
Kenji grinned and gave the sword a test swing. "Yes. Now I can cut things twice as hard."
Eleo skipped over to a nearby food stall. "CARROTS CARROTS CARROTS!"
Tony rubbed his temples. "We're being subtle about money now, huh?" He dropped ten coins on the counter and received a massive bundle of crunchy orange carrots in return.
Eleo hugged them like a child hugging a pillow. "Victory tastes orange!"
Olorun suddenly appeared at Tony's side holding an ominous scroll that glowed with a faint gold shimmer. "Tony. Scroll. Buy it. Now. Look at the font—ancient."
Tony stared at the price tag: 70 coins. "You guys are bleeding me dry. I hope you know that."
He sighed deeply and handed over the coins.
Olorun held the scroll to the sky like it was Excalibur. Light somehow broke through the clouds and glinted off the parchment.
"With this… this… I will ascend!"
Timmy clapped. "Whoa! That's awesome, Olorun! You can put it in my bag if you want."
Olorun looked at him, skeptical. "Uh... Timmy, your bag is like..."
"super tiny"
Eleo immediately burst out laughing. "Haha! I said your line!"
Timmy puffed out his chest. "It's small on the outside. But on the inside... it's infinitely huge!"
He opened the tiny pouch—and the others leaned in.
"...Whoa it's so...big" Kenji muttered.
"That's what she said," Olorun snorted.
Kenji rolled his eyes so hard they practically clicked.
Eleo leaned over the edge, almost falling in. "Can I jump inside?!"
Timmy smiled sweetly. "Sure… but I could keep you locked in there forever."
Eleo blinked. "...Never mind."
Olorun casually tossed the scroll in. It disappeared like a pebble dropped into a canyon.
Timmy tied the pouch shut and turned to Tony with stars in his eyes. "Alright, Tony. Where's my candy?"
Tony let out a defeated groan and slumped forward. "I already bought it…"
He dragged a bar of chocolate from behind his back—except it was MASSIVE. The thing was half his size and probably weighed more than Timmy.
"Here. Try not to eat it all in one century."
Timmy's eyes sparkled like diamonds. He staggered to lift it with both arms, wobbling under the weight. "T-Thank you, Tony!"
Tony sighed again. "No problem... just don't drop it on the ground."
As they stood there—Kenji twirling his new blade, Eleo chomping carrots like a cartoon bunny, Olorun just dancing, and Timmy dragging his chocolate bar across the dirt—Tony looked at his now flat coin pouch.
"Skeleton's got bills, y'know…" he muttered. "Gonna have to start charging y'all rent."