Our kingdom of Gunzverg boasted a long history, and I dearly wished I could say it was a proud one. After my father’s reign, our country was very lucky to remain a kingdom at all. All along the southern part of our lands lay the dreaded Grimwood, a forest full of ferocious monsters. Settlements built too near it were, without exception, doomed to disaster. The moment one of the huge beasts within decided the townsfolk were on the menu, the lives of the villagers were forfeit.
Years ago, when I was but a boy, there was a mighty general who led our armies. To him, even the Grimwood could be conquered. Unfortunately, though, he was only one man, and the Grimwood was vast. My father, the previous king, ignored the Grimwood, and instead sought to expand our country’s borders through warfare. The surrounding kingdoms naturally took offense to this, and we were soon beset from all sides.
Rather than seek an alliance or treaty with any of our neighbors, my father tried to take lands from all of them at once. He overestimated our general’s incredible abilities, and believed him invincible. Foolishly, he thrust our armies into unwinnable situations one after another, against the advice of all those around him. When our great general didn’t return victorious, my father screamed obscenities at him. Eventually, my father not only removed the general from his post, he exiled him.
Ironically, without the revered general, father became much more cautious in his military endeavors, but it was already too late. Our borders shrank to a laughable extent. Even the common folk of the neighboring countries called us “the shrinking kingdom” or “the vanishing lands” in jest. Our entire country was reduced to just the heavily fortified royal capital, Verga Gunza, and the territory near the Grimwood.
None of the other countries wished to expend the effort and supplies needed to take the capital, and they weren’t interested in the uninhabitable lands near the Grimwood. In a way, the dangerous forest saved us. Unfortunately, my father focused his efforts on reclaiming the lands we’d lost in the previous conflicts. He lost many generals in battle before he finally decided to lead the troops himself.
I wondered if he finally realized what a difficult thing war was once he stood on the field of battle. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to ask him. Our enemies happily took the chance to be rid of him. After my father’s death, I assumed the throne at a mere fifteen years of age, and vowed never to repeat his foolish mistakes.
After my ascension, I was forced to engage in trade with the very people who had stolen our land from us. Not that we didn’t deserve it, but they sold us produce and grain from the very cities they won from us in war, and at premium prices. It was frustrating. We cultivated the land near the royal capital as best we could, but there wasn’t much of it. Our people pushed as far south as possible, but before long we received news that one of our frontier settlements had been attacked by monsters. Southern expansion ground to a halt. The voices clamoring to retake our former lands grew louder by the day.
Just as I thought I might be forced to heed those voices, word came that our great general had returned to us. Apparently, after he was exiled, he’d formed a small band of mercenaries, and traveled south, through the Grimwood. He’d eventually found work in the great kingdom south of the forest, and had been living there ever since.
Fortunately, he didn’t return empty-handed either. He came to one of the villages and sent word to the royal capital that he wished to have an audience with the king regarding the Grimwood. I immediately sent a positive response. Why wouldn’t I? Just having him around would increase morale, and with his strength, the Grimwood became far less imposing. Even if all we could do was cut down trees along the edge of the forest, eventually, the monsters would be forced to retreat away from our southern settlements.
A few days later, the man himself stood in front of me. He was a bit older now, but no less imposing. Even after all the years spent in exile, he still maintained his dignified, clean-cut appearance. I was nearly moved to tears by the sight of him. After all, he still lived up to the heroic image I remembered from my childhood. To me, our kingdom’s misfortune hadn’t truly begun until he left, so to see him return was akin to seeing the kingdom reborn.
“I can’t begin to describe just how good it is to see you again, General Hegram.”
“I am a general no longer, Your Majesty,” he corrected me. “These days, I am but a humble mercenary, selling his sword to those with the coin to afford it.”
“Say the word, and I’ll rectify that problem at once,” I promised. “I would gladly restore your former command. My father’s rash decision to exile you was by far the worst blunder he ever made. Please, won’t you consider swearing your loyalty to me, as you once did to my father? Our country needs you.”
“What this country needs is land it can grow food on. Right now it depends far too much on imports. At least, that’s what the townsfolk tell me. The reason I’ve come here is because something has changed recently in the Grimwood, and I thought Your Majesty should be aware of it.”
My interest was immediately piqued. What sort of change had taken place? Were the monsters dying out? If so, that was phenomenal news. I was beside myself with anticipation. “Please, then, continue.”
What followed was a strange tale indeed. Had these words come from the mouth of anyone else, I would have immediately written them off as fiction. He spoke of a tiny woman who had recently made her home in the Grimwood. She commanded unusual powers, including the ability to summon up huge towers and fill them with monsters and treasure. This singular entity had recently come into conflict with the great kingdom to the south.
For my part, I wanted to meet this woman as soon as possible.
“Unfortunately, Your Majesty, such an expedition won’t be possible until at least spring,” Hegram told me.
“Why must we wait so long? It’s only autumn now.”
“Summer is the best time to cross the Grimwood. I’ve been there often enough to know. In the spring, the monsters are far more aggressive, since they’re marking and defending territory for breeding. In the fall, they fatten themselves for the winter, so they hunt more often, and in winter, food is scarce, so they attack much more desperately. The trek across the Grimwood is a long one, well over two weeks, even in good conditions. Taking a cart full of supplies isn’t really an option, and any food you do bring will attract hungry monsters. It’s best to travel light, when there’s plenty of food around. That way you can forage for fruit, nuts, and mushrooms.”
“I see, so late spring at the very earliest.”
“That’s correct, Your Majesty.”
“Very well. Unlike my father, I am willing to listen to the advice of those with experience. I will defer to your guidance. Please, won’t you take this time to gather what men and supplies you need to undertake this important mission on the kingdom’s behalf? I will compensate you as best I can.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty. We will begin our preparations at once.”