“Greenhouses, gardens, and arboretum it looks like~ oh, and there’s this big veranda with an outdoor portion… how whimsical.” Leahala smiled as she reviewed the plans. “Unfortunately, it seems that my predecessor was cultivating some more… ambulatory strains of plant. They’ve gone feral, and very territorial it would seem. If we want to keep moving up, we’ll have to cut them back.”
Jayrenn let her falcon out of her cage and let the vain bird sit proudly on her shoulder. “So we’re expecting a fight with viney plant monsters?” Jayrenn glowers, “this isn’t going to turn into what I think it is, is it? I’ve no interest in that shit.”
“No of course not. They’re Wood Blights, nasty thorny plants with human-like shapes that are quite invasive and root out other plants. No… creepers of extremely questionable consent to be found here.” Leahala answers. “Thank the gods…”
“Beautiful.” Jay replied, counting out the arrows as she replenished the quiver on her hip. “Ready to go, Leah?”
“Just about…” said Leahala, walking over to Jayrenn. She leaned in and planted a tender kiss on her lips, and in so doing also passed warding spell onto her. “There… now we should be all set.”
“Right beside you then!” Chirped Jayrenn as she took Leahala’s hand and they walked out the chamber side by side.
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Arriving via teleporter onto the third floor, the two elven women were immediately overtaken by the heat and humidity that pervaded the room. They discovered what was once a well-ordered greenhouse with rows of planters and specimens lined table after table. Now, however, nearly all of it was shattered and choked out by the tendrils of a small, oily black gnarled tree that sprouted in the center of the arena-shaped gardens. Jayrenn crinkled her nose as the scent of rot hit her nose, the sylvan elf frowned direly. “The plants here are in pain. There’s something evil dwelling in here.” She cursed.
“Then let’s be rid of it, yes?” Leahala answered as she sparked up small motes of white fire in her palms.
Abruptly, they watched as the roots and seed pods of the corruptive tree burst and split, coughing sickly pollen into the air as wet plant-creatures, reeking of rot and fungus, rose from their parent tree like the living dead. They were long limbed and slender, and were able to move with startling bursts of speed as they lunged toward the elves, some crawled on all fours while others were capable of walking upright.
Jayrenn knocked three arrows on her bowstring and launched the first volley into the dozen advancing blight monsters. With a snap of her fingers, Leahala lit the arrows aflame, causing each one to burn through their marks as they sailed through the air, one managing to pierce clean through a blight’s barklike skin and thudding into another behind it. Jayrenn’s falcon sailed on the wing and scratched her talons at an advancing beast, gashing it in its nonexistent eyes while her master retreated to a safe distance.
The same could not be said of Leahala, who had one three of the creatures close the gap with her. Try as she might to dodge aside, the creatures’ clawed hands managed to scratch through her wards, leaving a painful scratch across her neck, and another on her cheek. As the elf’s blood began to trickle down her face, she tried to cast a wave of force to push the blights away. She watched as a flash of orange past out of her peripheral vision. Elisthia darted between the blights legs, her paws and muzzle alight with electricity as cast a lightning spell of her own into the lead monster. Such was the distraction she needed. Allowing Leahala to blow the monsters back. As they flew through the air, it served as a shooting range for Jayrenn as she plucked the blights one by one out mid flight.
The rush of Leahala’s victory was dimmed as the adrenaline faded. Only then did she notice the dull pain in her hand, and the heat of her lifeblood leaching away. On her right hand, Leahala gasped in shock to discover the pointer finger on her right hand gone, lying in two mangled pieces on the stone floor, severed at roughly the knuckle.
Leahala felt much of the romantic idea of battle and combat crumble to dust, but she pushed those thoughts deep down for now. She could see more of those blighted horrors budding from the tree. With tears from the pain she was in, she clenched her damaged hand into a fist, and summoned a ball of flame. The elf howled in agony as the arcane flame seared and cauterized the lost finger, and once fully charged, she sent the searing orb forward and struck the blighted growth center mass. The elves and their companions were overwhelmed by the sound of a disturbingly human wail, as the tree incinerated in a column of silver flame.
“My lady!” Cried Elisthia as she scampered up to Leahala. “Hold still, if I remember right, there were potions stored away on this floor. They will be able to heal you.” She turned around. “Lady Jayrenn, will you help me search?”
Jayrenn nodded, and the two elves went off, following the fox’s lead as Leahala leaned on her partner for support.
“Here we are! The cauldron.” Said Elisthia as she showed them a large iron pot hanging by a chain over an extinguished fireplace. Arrayed around it was an alcove lined by shelves stuffed with potent smelling herbs and bottles of dazzlingly bright potions.
“Oh I see, this one should do it… healing salve. It won’t get my finger back, but it’ll stop the bleeding.” Groaned Leahala. Her hand brushed over the bottle as she applied the soothing healing poultice to her skin. As she looked over the table, however, she spied something else that got her attention. “Wait, Elisthia, what’s this?”
She held up a small desk-sized portrait frame, depicting the profile of a strikingly beautiful woman with ginger hair streaked with white, yellow eyes, and a pair of vulpine ears protruding from the top of her head…