Book 1, Volume 4

Chapter 29

“Aieek!” Wylla yelped out. Her heart thumped, glowing eyes widened, and butterfly wings fiercely flapped as her arms frantically windmilled allowing her to regain her balance and come to a full stop in front of the prickly shrub just inches away from her small heaving chest and neck:

[ Porcu Shrubs: These porcupine-like conifer shrubs grow in patches underneath the canopy of Desparu Trees. Their needle leaves are blackish green and poisonous. Their pinpricks cause a very itchy rash to appear on the skin. Classification: Alchemy Ingredient. ]

Wylla took a quick couple of steps backward (breath in and out, in and out) feeling better she took another look around spotting a few more Porcu Shrubs in the area. “Note to self, stay away from those poison ivy-like shrubs.”

[ Good self advice Wylla. That was a very close call. You had us all on the edge of our seats with worry. Please be careful. ]

“Thanks, Anari. I'll do my best to be safe.”

Wylla stood there for a few moments longer getting a basic understanding of the other plants before her such as the green leafy Bliry bushes to the slender Miir mushrooms to the hanging Serpenvines to the meaty Oxdel shrooms to the various swamp grasses and such. She made a mental list of which ones she wanted to harvest and which to avoid.

Wylla then wended her way out of the safety of the outer edge of the unexplored Desparu Forest, pushing long wiggling branches that were blocking her path aside with her rod while scanning the flora underneath the tree canopy with her Oryn Spirin Eyes.

She made her way past the patches of flowery grasses, hanging serpenvines, and various shrubs towards mushroom clusters; Her eyes locked in on another fiery green and yellow Witch Hat mushroom. She knelt down beside it with her small stinger knife in hand ready to harvest the small spicy treasure.

Time passed by fairly quickly as Wylla finished harvesting her sixth Witch Hat shroom. The soft musical sounds of woodwind reed flutes and chirps of crickets filled the night air around her. From time to time she could even hear the hoots of owls.

She continually mentally cast her oryn eyes and butterfly form spells as the energy within her Oryn Trinity Cores lightly pulsed through her body every 3 seconds or so fueling the spells and keeping them active.

Thanks to her oryn regeneration racial skill and blessings she wasn't worried about running out of Oryn power while out of combat even while having her favorite support spells always 'switched' on.

The forest was darkening as the moon rose in the sky but she didn't seem to notice. The moonlight streaming down between the weeping branches of the Desparu trees brightened her path as her Oryn Spirin Eyes painted the world in glows of softly lit auras making it feel like she was taking a colorful twilight stroll.

She had gone quite some distance into the forest, taking note of the changes around her; The moist ground softly squelched beneath her steps, the Desparu Trees grew further apart from one another, pools of dark swampy water appeared here and there sometimes connecting with one another while clusters of hollow Flowery Flute Reeds sung growing amidst their watery embrace. And a particular fluffy purple and white tail-like reed swayed to and fro.

“I wonder,” Wylla said as she focused on the fluffy tail reed “Yup, I better keep clear of those!”:

[Skunktail Reeds are tall fluffy bi-color reeds that grow in the pattern and shape of skunk tails. When damaged the skunk tail flora sprays a yellowish cloud of sticky pollen perfuming the air with its vile stench of rotten eggs, spoiled citrus, and vinegar that most predators, especially those with a strong sense of smell, avoid like the plague. Classification: Alchemy Ingredient... but good luck harvesting them without getting sprayed. ]

Wylla could easily imagine the type of potion such an ingredient would make and be used for, it definitely wasn't one for drinking. Her eyes then took in the sight of small glowing wisps dancing about the reeds.

The golden red and silvery blue wisps of light were beautiful, giving the growing swamp forest a magical touch. From time to time she could even see a pair of glowing orbs in the slightly bigger pools of swamp water moving about in unison on top of the surface of the water as a patch of reeds moved with them, heading in her direction.

Which isn't something that should be happening... right? Wylla thought with her head titled to one side, hand tightly holding her wand and the other putting her small stinger knife away into her belly pouch. Oryn Spirin Eyes

[ Young Swampweed Gator are plant beasts that live in swampy areas. They are medium-sized beasts with strong thorny tails. They have tough barkskin covering their bodies; Moss and small reeds grow on their backs helping to hide their presence. They attack by ambushing their prey with strong tail strikes and powerful bites, pulling their foes into the water to drown them. The hungrier they are the more aggressive they are. Rank 0, Tier 3, Level 1, Stars 3 ]

Wylla's muscles twitched as she gripped her wand. She turned her body towards the incoming swamp beastie, took a deep breath, and aimed; Her eyes narrowed and the sides of her lips curled upwards. “Time to get some XP and swamp loot! Ah, but I don't want to have to get wet to loot the body, best to wait until it's close to land.”

The young swampweed gator was just 8 yards away when suddenly the water around it bubbled and gurgled as 4 more sets of glowing eyes popped up from the swampy water looking her way.

“Tch! Not what I wanted...”

“SKREEII!”

A high pitched scream pierced the night. Wylla jumped, pulse quickened, and she tightened the hold on her wand. “Huh, that sounded nearby,” Wylla said as her brows creased looking towards the direction of the scream.

“If whatever caused that scream heads this way while I'm fighting that would be bad. Yup, best to find out what's out there first. If worse comes to worst...” Wylla smiled as she looked at the incoming Swampweed Gators, “I'll just have to lead them here and introduce them to my little friends.”

Orchid Butterfly Steps

Storymask

Looks like Wylla's curious side is sending her straight into a new danger but she has plans of her own if things go wrong. Coming next Chapter 30: Trouble is a-Brewing! (The start of the Briar Bloodrose Witch arc.)