Strolling Through the Demon Grass

When I think about going for a walk, usually that's not through thorn bushes while keeping away from demon cows and a predatory potato lich.
 
Miro still wants that book. But on the long walk through the tall grass I managed to talk him into going to shut that portal down to keep any more demons from getting across. At least for a moment, he'll quit obsessing about the book.
 
I mean, after all, the stupid thing was glowing green like the demon infused hatbands or the horns on the demon possessed cow hands. I doubt that's just a coincidence.
 
Moving forward felt like it was taking forever. But using my dagger to cut a way forward was saving me scrapes. Somewhere along the way, I got close enough to talk to Sephia ... and Miro who was still on the roof. Miro had found Chef and they were on the roof. Sephia could see the book and it was still glowing green.
 
We yelled through the fog, trying to figure out what to do about the book. Miro wants to sell it in Morodar. Yet the book has some of Chef's blood in it and that's what activated the book supposedly. That didn't make me feel any better. After a lot of discussion, no one had a clue other than Miro who really just kept going on about getting the book to sell for money with some side talk about magical knowledge.
 
I had some holy honey. That might depower the thing if it was demon tainted. Also, I was coming around to just closing the book. It was worth a try. Once closed I'll hand it to someone or just carry it. My next plan was to run back and check on Ranger Horn. I wasn't sure what else to do really. There was a thing in the barn, but I still didn't think it was a threat. There was the Hesters and the others that were out there somewhere.
 
I really needed to stop a moment and get my head right. What was the right thing to do? What lives were in danger? Who needs help?
 
There was the book. Evil or not, Chef's blood was causing something to happen. That book needed to be closed or stopped to hopefully protect Chef. That was most likely the next right thing to do.
 
After that would be the people we came here to help. The Hesters and others. I had no idea where any went except Ranger Horn. I left him hopefully hidden near the underbrush. Next thing would be run back to get him moving. He didn't need to be sitting out undefended. Sure, that would slow me down some. But leaving him wasn't right. My entangle enchantment wasn't going to last forever and he was in the path of those undead plants.
 
Once Horn was up, it would be time to find Chica and the others. Not to mention check on the critter in the barn.
 
At least that was my plan. Best I could think of.
 
While I was cutting my way through, Sephia tried something. I couldn't see what but it shook her up about the book. She wouldn't touch it. So... I needed to try and close the book. Maybe put some blessed honey on it.
 
Moving ahead, I got to the book. It was glowing nasty green and sitting on a pedestal. I closed it, not that it made it stop glowing, and then strapped it closed. Mostly cause I remembered the books in Miss Melinda's shop being nailed shut, and that seemed like a good idea with what I had. On a thought, I placed the jar of blessed honey on it to see how the blessed honey would react. Sort of 'how bad is this' detector.
 
The honey tried to boil.
 
Ok, so really evil.
 
I put the honey away, then attached the book to a book satchel strap and slung that over my shoulder. Best I could do. By that time, the others caught up with me. Jessie and Lee Chung were looking to get into the main house. I filled them in about Ranger Horn and that he needed help. Jessie was telling me about the barn and the critter in there being upset about its owners.
 
That was when one of the damn vampiric cabbages attacked me or tried to. The fight was on then, especially since the thing was as big as Lee Chung!
 
I got a couple of good hits in before it latched onto me. Rowtag tried to stab it but it was Sephia that took it out with a lightning arrow. There wasn't a lot of time to waste, especially since Miro yelled down that the portal had not really closed but "ignored" or "laughed" at his attempt. Not good. What we could do about that, I had no idea. But Miro suggested the blessed honey. It was worth a try as I was getting close to being out of options.
 
Still, for me, I wanted to check on Ranger Horn. After making sure Ranger Horn was safe, or at least hidden, then deal with that circle. Maybe toss the demon prince's weapons into the circle? Use it to hit the book over the circle? It's all using evil tainted weapons against evil tainted weapons. But then there was the holy honey. Just would it work?
 
Could it work?
 
I wasn't sure and I didn't have a lot of it.
 
Ranger Horn was where we left him. He still hadn't come round, so I carefully hauled him up to bring him along to keep anything from killing him while he was vulnerable. Jessie caught up but ran over to the house when Miro started yelling for him. Now that I had Ranger Horn, it was time to head toward the house, toward that circle. Find some shelter for Horn.
 
Mostly cause Jessie mentioned that Farvold the Lich was trying to get some ritual going to banish the demons. Proving some experiment and saving the ranch land. That sounded far too helpful for my tastes. Then there was the sound of someone using that demon prince's weapons. But first I need to get Horn to someplace to let him rest up and collect his wits. After that, I'd hunt the lich and those demon weapons.
 
On the way around I came across Jessie. He was going to run down Miro but agreed to take Horn to safety. That left me running down Miro. I headed out.
 
Then ... all something broke loose. Snow blasted into that bunkhouse from out of nowhere. Miro took off in dire coyote form then attacked something in the fog. I changed direction, then slipped off after Miro. I rounded a haybale... probably the last one not burning... and found one of the Hess brothers just standing there. Calm. Like some pacified butler but still a hell hand?
 
Something is REAL wrong. I couldn't place it, there's been too much going on.
 
I knocked him down and headed in looking for what Miro's fighting to help.