The Wilds

**The Wilds** is the fifth installment of the *Well Versed* series on *Another Bad Side Quest.* Veharie and Beeka attempt to stop a train heist in Beeka's tireless campaign to find her lost friend.

## The Wilds

### **Synopsis**

Last we saw of Veharie, she had awoken from the strange dream of Xanathar and found herself returned to the Feywild. Veharie went off to hunt and search for game, ever followed by little transparent pixies around her. She came across a deer and let loose an arrow at it, but it instead collided into a skeleton that appeared in front of it causing it to flee. The skeleton wandered off and Veharie followed after it as they shouldn't be there. Veharie noticed another deer and let out another arrow, but the deer got startled by something causing the arrow to pierce it's leg instead. Veharie put the deer out of it's misery before looking in the direction that scared it, but only saw birds fluttering away. She decided to investigate the fleeing birds and eventually found a little mouse person yelling angrily conversing with a duck, while surrounded with some skeletons. Veharie warned she would scare off anything in the nearest three miles and as the duck ran off the mouse, Beeka, insisted she was conversing with it.

Beeka introduced herself, along with her two skeletons Cookie and Cupcake, and explained she was looking for a talking tree that was her friend. Veharie introduced herself and noted she hunted in the woods and noted there were a lot of talking trees and that didn't narrow it down. Beeka soon noticed a strange bear like tiger behind Veharie and warned her and Veharie attempted to intimidate it, but it only took it as a challenge. Beeka managed to teleport away but ended up on top of it, while Veharie climbed the nearest tree for cover. Beeka managed to drain the life out of the creature turning it undead and the creature went to sleep uninterested.

Veharie reunited with Beeka and Beeka soon explained what she did to it. Veharie asked how she got there and Beeka said they remembered fighting a lich with an assorted group of beings and went to sleep, but woke in a hollowed beehive. Veharie noted she was hunting before she scared off everything, but said she could check with the talking trees. Beeka described her friend being a walking, mostly dead tree and Veharie noted it would narrow it down at least in their current area. Beeka put the skeletons away before the two talked to some trees, but found after two hours they had searched the majority with no luck.

Veharie pointed out a tavern she frequented with other plant people that might be able to help and the two made their way there. They entered inside and Veharie noticed the regulars including Ted, another tree person. She asked him to notify any tree matching Exodia and looking for a mouse that she knew where the mouse was. Meanwhile Beeka harassed the local sheriff for any clues with no luck. Veharie then asked the bartender for a drink and some parchment, but the bartender said their parchment was taken by the Jackal Gang. Veharie asked what they wanted it for and the man suggested they had a robbery planned and couldn't do anything about it. The duo soon heard an uproar outside before the Jackal Gang, comprised of humanoid jackals, entered the tavern laughing and shouting and demanding drinks as they had something 'definitely not illegal' planned.

Beeka contemplated using their bones with her current skeletons and Veharie noted a bad idea as they were outnumbered, but offered that if she found one alone to do what they wanted. The Jackal Gang started to leave and said to stay away from the train station as they left. Beeka stopped the remaining one from leaving with her skeletons before draining the life out of him and turning him into bones on the floor. Beeka then grabbed the skull, reanimated into a new skeletal servant, named it Candy and learned the Jackal Gang planned to rob the train of its gold. Beeka asked if he knew a tree named Exodia and Candy offered that maybe there was a tree going on the train. Beeka explained what Candy said and when the crowd requested the duo stop them. Larry pointed out the train would usually have left now and would be hard to stop now. Veharie asked for any suggestions and Ted offered that he had one.

Meanwhile, the Jackal Gang caught the train with their bull horses and caused a ruckus on board. The people on board soon heard the sound of galloping and saw the duo and skeletons riding zebra horses catching up to the train. Veharie managed to get on to the caboose, on to the top of the train while her zebra horse ran off. Veharie ran across the roof top and found the jackals were all over the train and informed Beeka while she kept up on her zebra horse. Veharie made her way to the engine and stopped at the third car as it seemed quieter then the others. Meanwhile the Jackal Gang noticed Beeka and the skeletons riding alongside the train and fired on them. Beeka and the skeletons headed back to the caboose, managed to get on board and then had her skeletons engage the jackals in the back one.

Veharie entered the third car and kicked a jackal out before confronting and taking out the two others. She soon heard rumbling from the car behind and soon saw the skeletons dealing with different jackals before reuniting with her. The group headed to the next car and took care of the next bunch, but learned from the passengers there were maybe 15 of them remaining. Meanwhile Beeka created another skeletal servant from more jackal bones, which moved but seemed less alive then the others and called them Crepe. The group made their way through the cars and taking down more jackals on the way till they reached the front. They noticed there were no more jackals left, but Veharie soon noticed some had escaped on their bull horses.

Meanwhile Beeka heard a beeping sound in the car and found a damaged metal ball acting as the source. Veharie also noticed the train was heading to the bridge crossing the canyon along with jackals near the bridge. Veharie ran to the engine room, but found the brake was broken off. Veharie returned to tell Beeka and Beeka had Candy separate the cars from the engine, but even as the engine went off the cars were still going. A remaining Jackal fired a bullet into the metal ball Beeka found causing it to shock and float and Beeka had Crepe sacrifice it's life by covering the ball to soften the explosion, but not enough as the train cars went over the bridge. Veharie sprinted to the back of the train, with Candy following, while Beeka stuffed Cupcake and Cookie in her bag and teleported outside the train, leaving the passengers within to their fate in the train as it exploded on colliding with the ground below.

The duo wondered what the ball was and as Veharie noted she would no longer be able to live in this town anymore Beeka commented that without the train their economy was screwed anyway.