The final- and twenty forth - piece of the mission is a Kadlin Bearsmasher story, set away from the two main conflicts which dominate most of the last pieces of the mission.

One word for the title, no subtitle, and Kadlin vrs. Snow White. Wow.

 
Kadlin’s boat drifted past the dotted islands in the bog on the Mysterious Island of Mystery. She looked at the surrounding terrain and came to the conclusion that it was a swamp, not a bog, and the locals were idiots. This was her general opinion of locals from all areas anyway, so it was convenient that she didn’t have to modify it.

She stood at the prow of the boat, which was oared by two goblin brutes she had given greatly increased strength, among other things. Xanadon, the polished, gleaming skull, hovered over her right shoulder.

“The mushrooms are near,” Xanadon said. “I can smell them.”

“You have no nose,” Kadlin said.

“Arcane senses. Without physical distraction, I sense only the flow of magic. The mushrooms are near.”

“You had better be right about these.”

Xanadon scoffed. “Don’t threaten your teacher like you would one of your minions. Besides, you can’t kill me. I’ve been dead longer than you’ve been alive."

The dryad’s toadstool: a powerful mushroom that she would use in an upcoming ritual. She’d need a lot of them for what she had in mind, but if her information was right, there was a patch nearby. She had to take care of this mission herself, she couldn’t risk losing these rare components. It might be years before she found another trove.

Kadlin hacked some low-hanging vines away from her face, using her glaive. The sword on the end of that pole was a thing of incredible power and workmanship, and it seemed to be almost blasphemous to use it for such a mundane task, but it was the only blade she had on her.

Ducks circled the boat, waiting to attack, but they were held back by an instinctive fear that radiated around the boat. They quacked nervously, alternating between hunger and caution.

The swamp was getting thicker, and Kadlin had to use the butt of her glaive to push off islands to keep the boat moving. She didn’t hear the rustling in the plants around her, nor did she notice that the ducks had departed. She did smell the foul water, but didn't realize the toxins that ran through it.

At last, Xanadon’s senses guided her to the isle she was looking for, a mass of trees, peat, and soggy soil in the middle of brackish water. The boat landed and the brutes got out. Kadlin used her shield spell to lay down a translucent barrier of force, keeping her high heels from sinking into the ground.

And there they were: dryad’s toadstools. Kadlin walked forward, ready to claim her prize. And then everything fell apart.

The nearby willows burst into action, leaves whipping the group while their roots entangled her brutes. Xanadon and Kadlin scanned for their attacker, as a malicious feminine laugh echoed out of nowhere.

“Who dares interrupt us?” said Kadlin.

A figure came from around the tree. “You tried to snatch my mushrooms,” she said. “I don’t appreciate that.”

Kadlin began readying power. “I ask for the last time, who are you?”

“My name is Snow.”

“Well then, die Snow.” Green tentacles erupted from the ground, the stench of the bog channeled into a destructive elemental form as Kadlin called them to attack Snow. The spell dissipated as quickly as it came to be.

“Tsk, tsk,” Snow White sneered. “You need to channel your will better.”

Snow called to the seeds she had planted ahead of time, and they sprouted. The poison brambles grew in the blink of an eye, reaching toward Kadlin. The sauceress responded by conjuring a helgate, quickly. Only a handful of imps were able to come out from the gate, but their flames were enough to drive back the brambles. The brutes weren't so lucky. Poison creeped into their bodies from a hundred tiny holes, and they writhed on the ground in agony.

Snow collected mushrooms with one hand while sending plants against Kadlin with the other. Kadlin responded by slashing at the plants, and sending back blasts of magic, but none of them were directed with enough force of will to overcome Snow White's determination.

The two combatants circled each other, Kadlin gathering energy while Snow solidifying her mental defenses. "You're just a second-rate caster," said Snow. "Nothing you send against me is going to succeed."

"Who says I'm gathering this power for you?" said Kadlin. She waved a hand at one of her dead brutes and sent dark energy into it, bringing it to unlife. The brute roared under her command and charged at Snow. The sorceress smirked. "This swamp is poison. I'm in my element, and everything here obeys me." As she said that, she called one of the sturdier trees to pummel the brute. It took dozens of blows, but the end results was a bloody pulp.

Snow smirked "I stopped your attack."

Kadlin smiled right back. "You took care of my diversion. I just needed to gather some power."

Kadlin fired a ball of black energy. Snow focused her will on dispelling the magic, but the black orb just sailed into her, sending dark energy through her veins. Snow fell to her knees and coughed.

"How?"

"I know more than magic. This sword grants me other powers, deeper energies."

Snow frowned. "Well, I've got my mushrooms. It's time for me to leave, and you to go." The swamp waters roiled under Snow's command and stream after stream of poisoned filth came at Kadlin. She conjured a brief set of shields, which gave her enough time to transform into a bear. This new form was able to deal with the poisonous deluge. It was sickened and soaked, but nowhere near dead.

The barrage ceased, and Kadlin transformed back. "Anything else?" Snow sent a massive wave of poison. Kadlin's magical shield blocked it, but the pressure knocked her into her boat and started her drifting back. Snow walked away on top of the swamp's filthy water, chuckling. Kadlin's energy was nearly depleted, but she concentrated on sending out the smallest, subtlest bit of magic she could. The levitation spell grabbed its target: a handful of mushroom spores from Snow's harvest basket, and drew them to Kadlin. She then passed out, drifting through the swamp.

That fight was awesome!

That also brings roleplaying to a close. It’s time to end this with our Mission Finale. I’ve broken the separate stories into five ‘chapters’ spread over Finales part I and II.

That’s up next. Twenty four pieces to a mission. Wow.