I was busy focusing on trying to control the anger that was threatening to overwhelm me. Every breath was met with more and more resistance as my body screamed at me to stop and rest.
*Succumb to me Vexsus, Release your control and embrace your true desires.*
The voice was getting louder and louder and it was getting hard to focus on my surroundings. Eventually I collapsed underneath a large tree, I sat down and rested my back against the bark and almost immediately the voice that tormented me ever since the cave..... Was silent. I heard nothing, I smiled wide as relief started to finally settle over me and my screaming body started to settle down.
I looked over my body and found that I was actually bleeding from my pores, my skin had split in several places and I had lost almost all of my scales. My body was literally breaking down and giving up from the strain that using Wrath had forced my body into.
I couldn't do anything but hope that I could withstand the oncoming pain, and survive the blood loss.... Then something touched my left hand, it was only for a second but I definitely felt something gently pass over me. I looked down and saw that the blood that was oozing from my hand was now gone. My wounds were closed and I could see small baby like scales that were soft and fragile, slowly starting to emerge.
I was shocked and looked around to hope to see what it was that touched me but unfortunately the only thing that was around me was the large tree that I was under. But now that I look at the tree I noticed that it had strange vines running up and all the way to the uppermost branches, some even drooped from above to look like a willow tree. Then as I followed the vines I saw that at the end of the vines something was budding like a small bluish flower. Except.... that wasn't there when I first sat down, or atleast from what my hazy and barely sane mind could recall.
Then I felt the gentle pass on my other hand, I looked and yet again the same thing was happening. Blood gone, skin healed, scales reforming. It was like whatever was doing this was healing me.
Then I looked back at the blue flower and saw that the small bud that was the size of my pinky was now the size of my thumb and it seemed to have a faint smell to it that made my mouth water. I couldn't quite place the smell but soon it was all I could think about, I kept trying to come up with what exactly it was as in the back of my mind the gentle touches were being registered all over my body. But the only thing was the smell, that tantalizing smell that governed all of my thoughts.
"V.... Ve... Wak...p...." A familiar voice started shouting at me but my eyes were closed and for the most part I couldn't care less.
It wasn't until I felt a sharp pain from my shoulder and I opened my eyes.
In front of me was a small Ratman with his hands wrapped around the hilt of a blade that was embedded deep in my shoulder. I was at first confused at the pain but then I got a whiff of that captivating smell and my eyes closed as the pain went away and my mind was swept away.
-----Howy POV------
I had been following Vexsus' tracks for a half a day now. Everytime it seemed like he slowed down and stopped to rest the area would soon become destroyed and his tracks would rush away, The tracks are starting to get easier and easier to follow as there was now a huge trail of blood to follow. I was getting worried because pretty soon it wasn't just drops of blood but a full on trail that splashed from ground and covered nearby bushes.
I hurried up for a minute until I happened upon a large tree with drooping branches. I stopped in front of it because that's where the blood trail ended. At the base of the tree was a large bundle of what looked like vines with blue flowers blooming all over it.
I started smelling a sweet fragrance coming from the flowers but a part of me was sounding off alarms so I soon wrapped a piece of cloth I hastily ripped off my cloths and wrapped it around my face. I was positive that whatever this flower is, it was dangerous. I'd heard of certain types of plants that would emit smells like this to draw in prey, then when the prey has been secured it would strike.
I was concerned because the bundle of vines had a blood trail leading straight to it, So I did the dumb thing and hacked away at the bundle until a broken and distorted face of an idiot of a leader was revealed. But that's when the horror set it, because digging into his body were those same vines. I could actually see the vines burrow into his skin and then a small vein of blood was being pumped out of his body.
I panicked and tried hacking away at more of the vines but the more I swung the more I would breath in that smell and soon I was starting to get woozy and my body was getting harder and harder to control. So I did the only thing I could think of.... I stabbed the bastard in the shoulder with as much strength as I could muster..... Until I looked again and saw that my dagger had gone all the way up to the hilt and was now causing a stream of blood to flow.
But thankfully His eyes opened and looked at me. Just for a second I could see him in there but the smell seemed to intensify and his eyes closed again and the vines seemed to snake around his shoulder and my blade as it sucked up his blood like some kind of starved beast.
I had no choice but to jump back and try and escape from that smell before I fell victim to it aswell. I could only hope that Vexsus could survive long enough for me to figure out a way to help him.
The distance I had to travel just to get away from that smell was atleast a good 5 minutes away. I was back within the forest and I went ahead and built up a small fire as the night was closing in. The forest was getting darker and I was starting to hear the nighttime predators waking up to hunt.
I could have just used my power over shadows to keep the animals at bay but I had used up to much power trying to catch up to Vexsus. I needed to recharge and eat, I already was planning on staying vigilant throughout the night and keep the fire alive. I hoped that atleast some food was enough to help me restore some mana for whatever the plan to rescue dipshit was.... Whenever I get around to actually coming up with said plan.
Time seemed to drag on inside this forest as I did nothing but stoke the fire and keep watch for anything worth eating. As a Ratman I wasn't above eating insects, but even then nothing was coming close, and every now and then I would still catch hints of whatever that smell was that the tree was releasing, and my mind would get hazy for a second, it got to the point where I would shove my face in the smoke that rose up from the fire just to keep my mind somewhat sharp. I would rather cough my lungs out then fall prey to whatever that thing is.
-----
It was now daytime and I was dead tired. The constant shifts between my mind becoming dull from the smell to the coughing fits I would get from trying to stay sane had taken its toll on me.
I was sluggish and my body felt heavy, I couldn't get a proper breath because of all the smoke and my mind still ended up becoming dull and slow to process information. I needed sleep and food but I was lacking both. Nothing had come near me the whole night and it wasn't until just an hour before sunrise when I finally said screw it and submerged into the shadows to take what Vexsus would call a 'Power Nap'. I got maybe 30 minutes of stressful sleep before I awoke and started trudging back to the tree.
It looked like nothing had changed from yesterday except maybe the flowers had grown a bit bigger and there was now a small stem that was coming from the center of each flower. It looked like the edible weeds that would turn into puffballs and some of the children would blow on them during the summer.
Vexsus was still uncovered but it looks like more vines had burrowed into him. I hoped that I could save him but the chances didn't look good. I had brought along a small smoldering ember from the remnants of my fire and I used that to make another fire right in front of the tree. I was hoping that the vines or whatever they were, would burn and retreat out of Vexsus. Hell I'll burn the whole damn tree down if it meant I could rescue him.
Once I had the fire at a good spot I ripped off the other arm of my shirt and wrapped it around a bundle of twigs to help keep them together and burn longer. I used a mixture of smaller twigs and some bundles of leaves and bark that I stuffed into the center of the cloth aswell. Then when it was lit I stuck it up to the vines hoping it would catch.
The second the fire touched the vines it seemed like the whole damn tree shook in pain. I could hear a hiss as steam or vapor escaped from the vines and I could smell some kind of grilled meat. I looked and the vine that was burned was now charred and withering. Whatever this thing was, it did not like fire and it caught on fire like a dried wheatfield.
I smiled as I got a second wind from this success and I started burning some of the more thicker and more dangerous looking ones that were dug in around Vexsus' Chest. I was a bit worried doing this simply because that if they were actually draining his blood directly from his heart.... It could be bad news... Then I said fuck it and slammed the torch right on em. I used the anger I felt towards Vexsus to shake away the fear of hurting him.
With a loud hiss that sounded close to a screech, the vines jerked and ripped out of his chest. Blood spurted from the open wounds but soon almost instantly. I was a bit amazed at this but I had to focus on the remaining vines.
More than once I had to quickly go and build up another torch and start over as the vines would take that in between time to reattach themselves. Thankfully each time I left and came back Vexsus was getting more and more conscious, at first it started with a low pained groan as the vines ripped themselves out of his body. But then it soon turned into audible groans and eventually his eyes would open with each dettachment only to shortly close again when I left.
His eyes still held confusion when they looked at me but that too was slowly going away with each vine gone. I could tell he was starting to remember who I was before he would look around at the vines and scowl, He tried to move his body but the vines had entangled around him to the point of ensnaring him almost completely.
The vines were in 2 parts. 1 group of vines would restrain the prey and hold it tightly, while the second and also thicker vines would attach and burrow and drain said victim of all vital fluids. It took me burning all the thick vines to realize that.
"Vexsus... If you're there I need your help. My fire is running out and I can't keep this up forever. Please Vexsus Wake up and Help me You brain dead MORON!"
'Whoosh'
Instantly after I shouted I had to jump back in shock as from Vexsus mouth came a billowing cloud of smoke that was unbearably hot. It seemed to burn hotter than even the Fire I had. The vines reacted immediately and in a flash dettached and screeched away from his body. The tree behind him actually shook in pain as the drooping vines started to curl up and into the tops of it. Everything it could do to get away from Vexsus.
"Howy..... Explain." Was all that Vexsus said as he stared directly into my eyes. I knew something was wrong with him so I just gave him the basic rundown of everything that happened so far.
"I'm sorry I did that Howy.... However.... I clearly said to not come near me did I not? In my moment of clarity I said to not come near me. A voice in my head was telling me to kill you all and offer you as a sacrifice for more power.... and I almost did it...." He said as he lowered his head.
Soon I saw tears flow from his face and fall to the ground.
"Whatever this tree is..... It's keeping the voice at bay, I haven't heard a single word since I stopped under this tree."
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