“Welcome, Champion! I am the Guardian of the Autumn Woods, the very voice of the woods you live in.
I am made of trees and meadows, streams and rockfaces, the dirt and the mushrooms and the flowers and the bramble. I am the smallest creatures and the largest. The birds, the burrowers, the scurriers, the climbers, the insects, the fish, and all living things in the Autumn Woods.
I have a voice.
And I have many bodies.
But when I am in peril, I also need Champions.
We are aware of that which doesn’t belong in the woods, the invading orcs who come and who have already killed many of my residents to eat them, to take from them their lives and their joys. If they would settle and live in harmony, I would accept them as family, and they too would become the Autumn Woods. But they are not here to be in harmony. Their presence threatens everyone. They will destroy the Autumn Woods and all who live here.
Hundreds of years ago, a great knight and wizard hid a sacred short sword where no one could find it except the brave of heart.
He hid it in dreams.
If you can see the Short Sword of Goddard the Valiant, you can have it. But you must believe with all your heart that you can take this sword from the land of dreams into the land of the living. You must promise only to wield this sword in protection of the Autumn Woods or against those that threaten the life of the Woods wherever they may be. If you successfully pull this sword from the dream, it will give you what you need in your hour of need each time. You need only recite this prayer:
‘Sword of Goddard, hear my prayer,
Foes Surround Us Everywhere,
Know their weakness, their defeat,
And give me now what I most need.’
The sword knows the weaknesses of its enemies and grants the wielder abilities far beyond their own to defeat the threat.
It is a temporary spell, and once the threat is defeated, the Champion will no longer be empowered.
You must not use the sword for greed or for revenge or for personal gain other than the protection of home and friends and the Autumn Wood, or face a deadly curse.
If you can make this solemn promise, reach out now, even while you sleep, and grasp the Sword of Goddard. Protect our sacred Grove, our beloved Community, our very Life! Bring this Sword hidden in dreams into the Waking World.”
Go to Chapter 18
“Protect the Autumn Woods!” is an illustrated story by Jerome Stueart in 33 short flash fiction chapters. The story features D&D-inspired magic-using forest animals who fight to protect their homes. This story was at first a response to a prompt list created by Jenn Reese and Deva Fagan for an October Art Challenge in 2021. You can now read all 33 parts of the story, “Protect the Autumn Woods” with the search term, #AutumnWoods. “Protect the Autumn Woods!” Art Show at the Dayton Society of Artists (48 High Street, Dayton, OH) from November 1 — December 15 2024.
“Protect the Autumn Woods!” is adjacent to a larger show of amazing Dayton Artists, “Small, but Mighty.” Come see all of the art, any weekend, Friday 12-5, Saturday 12-5 to experience the art yourself.
Bear Witness 