“Yes, my master, you rang for me? What is thy bidding?” Raven questioned.
“Ha, little insignificant fowl. You shall bring me a shrubbery. That is what I require of you.”
The request was an unusual one for one so akin to the dark arts. Raven picked at his beard nervously. A shrubbery? What would master want a shrubbery for? Strange and odd, unless…
“Master, would this shrubbery be deviant in some way? Or! Or maybe evil would be thy wish?”
His master smirked and slowly the rolling of laughter bellowed from deep within him. He unfolded his arms from his ebony chest plate and walked over to his desk. Through the laughter he had picked up a bag of coins and tossed it to Raven.
“You twittering little bastard, I have not laughed like that in an age. Of course I want an evil shrubbery. Go and find me a shrubbery to mock and destroy my enemies!”
Raven dashed out of the room tying the bag of coins about his belt without a glance back. Out of master’s chambers the world seemed fresh and new. It still rank of ordure and other such novelties of the unwashed but that could only be expected from a keep full of slaves. With a deep breath Raven sprinted down the corridor to exit the keep.
***
Dust floated from every direction in Braveki, the last town throughout the kingdom. On his way in, Raven assumed the farce he had been forced to follow when he entered the bazaar. The only thing of note had been the city was covered in houses and hovels covered in clay and dirt and cracked cobbles. The streets were bare around him as he waited and watched a donkey eat at the few dead weeds outside of the merchant’s hovel.
“Evil shrubbery you say? Might be I have this thing you speak of. It’s a shiny for a look though.” The merchant said emerging from the door hole.
“Old man, I come seeking for the Dark Lord himself. Mock me and fear for the rest of your days. Now show me or do not.”
“Okay. Okay, sonny. I did not mean to upset.”
The old merchant stepped back inside letting his red and pink robe flap behind him. His partner leaned against wall eyeing Raven with one eye closed. A hard thud came from within followed a grunted.
“Sonny, come in and see her. Bea-ute. That she is.”
Inside of the hut through a small window hole the light shone on the plant. If he could smile Raven would at what he was seeing.
“Is this what it looks like?”
“Yes. Frightful thing isn’t it? I have the seeds for you to plant your own. Now for the price it is-”
Raven tossed the coin bag at the feeble merchant. Then he snatched up the bag of seeds and took flight from the bazaar and decaying town.
***
“It will be your head, creature, if this does not go as planned. You have promised me a good show and I dared enough to let my enemies in to confront me. All for this moment.”
“Yes, sire. It will not upset you.”
Then the hero came into view near the front of the garden then disappeared down the steps to the main grounds. Two more noble knights passed through the entranceway and followed in haste. The sound of their metal armor clamored about the gardens until they reached the opening. There the leader stopped and took his helmet off to point down the passage at them.
“At last, I have found you Dark Lord. Prepare yourself for the end is nigh.” The knight said.
“Less talk, more act.” His mater said brandishing his war axe.
His companions had caught up huffing in their haste and unsheathing their swords. They stepped onto the narrow passageway one by one warily. They walked to the halfway point surrounded by the neatly cut shrubs. Raven looked to his master nervously who sighed taking his own step down once. Then he stopped to look as three voices screamed in torment. Around them the vines whipped and lashed about them snaring them inside of the trap.
The smallest of the knights was lifted off of the ground by green and brown vines. He spun around as the vines squeezed down denting the metal around his limbs. Crimson streamed at the seams armor when his limbs twisted in opposite directions. The loud snap of bone made Raven shudder and look to the others for reprieve.
Inside a cage of thorns and wood the ragged remains of metal and flesh gasped for air. His helmet was off and a thick vine covered about his neck. The cage lifted from the ground to arc through the air and rest gently on the flat top of the shrubs. Thin brown vines crept into the cage and slowly the armor clattered to the floor around him. Pale and exposed the knight gasped as the plant eased up on the throat. Slowly the life dripped on the leaves mixing with the deep green of the plant that captured him. He groaned and the sound mixed with their leader’s own dismay.
Leaves weaved in and through the remaining armor on the last knight’s body in a cocoon of steam and blade. Underneath the protection the skin appeared red and raw. Heavy red blisters were already forming on top of others and this hero scratched at them all furiously. The vines penetrated the skin through the collar to snake from the back to the chest. From the arm the vine surfaced only to plummet down his throat.
Raven’s master chuckled. “Yes. Yes.” He said returning the war axe and continued to down the ivory steps. Looking up Raven could see the shrub enshroud a body to cover and shape the rest. Then the other two joined in a line on either side of the shrub. Three statues stood before them recoiling away in agony and fright.
Raven watched the green blades as they covered the bodies to shape them into a grotesque permanent of the scene. Here and there red leaves fell reveal glints of metal as they reflected from the moonlit sky. His master chinked his gauntleted fingers together and grinned. Raven looked at his master and awaited his response.
