For three days, Sil easily killed the various king tiers that attacked. He had 12 crystals from jut those few days. He was going for a few outfits, a robe, and made some armor if he could swing it but at least two outfits and the robe were his minimum requirements.
They were walking south of the Bree shelter in unexplored territory according to the map. Lana was listening to the trees, asking Mandy to tell her what they were saying to ensure she fully understood the messaging. It could be tricky sometimes. Lana had taken to wearing her locket before the babies were born and rarely took it off. She heard a whisper that's her! She asked Mandy what message she just heard. Many replied she had heard nothing.
Lana looked around to see which tree or plant had said that. She saw a tendril on an interesting-looking plant beckon her like a finger waving towards itself to get her to approach. She was holding hands with Sil as they walked in the rare opportunity to do so.
She started walking toward the purple and orange plant and their hands grew taut forcing her to drop his hand. However, he refused to let go and told the others, "stop here a moment. Lana needs to hear something." He had gotten quite used to his wife's antics and happily indulged them.
He approached the plant with her, noticing her demeanor and realizing he needed to be there for her. He wrapped both arms around her waist low enough that it wouldn't hurt the babies. He had tried to get her to bring a nursemaid but she refused. She did say she might think on it for night-time care but this was her job as his wife and their mother. Outsourcing was not an option.
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Lana saw an image in her head of a woman who looked a lot like her. Only her eyebrows were different, even then, barely. She was beaten badly, barely able to walk. She was found by travelers from the Bree encampment. It had just been created and they had no buildings yet. They felt equipped to take care of her but not the babies.
One male took the babies to the military encampment. The locket the woman wore was sent with the babies for future identification. The babies were just a bit bigger than those carried by Lana at this moment. The babies were taken off planet, destination unknown.
Lana's mother was taken to the camp and treated. It took her months to get back on her feet. She contracted a fever in the damp air of the planet and her wounds had gotten infected. They didn't have a healer available to help. The dalki war was still ongoing. At the time, the humans were looking for resources to survive and places to hide to ensure humanity's survival.
The woman stayed on the planet for years doing research. She had a place in the caverns that only she had access to. Noone knew how she gained entry. One day someone tried following her but all they saw was a stone wall. She always carried a sword with her.
She took great care of every plant she met. Therefore all plants respected her and her apparent descendant, having been promised her return some day. After 5 or 6 years, the plants thought, the woman was taken off planet by someone from the shelter.
The woman had faded slowly, desperately wanting her children back. Noone could tell her where they were or even if they were alive. She was losing weight and no longer able to conduct her research. Lana recognized the man who took her. It was the man she killed on the Bree planet. The sword she took from the dead man, it was the same sword the tree showed her around her mother's waist.
Lana was given a lot of information and her head hurt. She would have collapsed if Sil wasn't holding her. It felt like something was pushed into her head but she couldn't explain why she wanted to describe it that way.
"Water." She croaked out.
Dobin came to her side and offered her some.
She took a long drink then looked at her brother. "Mom lived here. For 5 years. She had a facility underground."
Dobin was dumbfounded, "are you sure?"
Lana nodded. "I need to speak to Mona Bree. In person."
Lana's head hurt and she wanted some rest. The trees told her a safe place to do so and ensured she had a peaceful rest period. She thought it odd the plants here were so nice to her. In the vision the tree had given her, the other plants had not existed at the time her mother arrived
Suddenly she heard in her head, She planted us with seeds she brought with her. Lana sat up quickly when she heard that.
From where?
Unknown.
Where was her Lab? The entrance?
Unknown. It is where there are no plants.
"What is it Lana?" Sil looked concerned.
"Mom had an underground lab on this planet. Some of these plants are not native to this planet but they don't know where they are from."
"Makes sense, doesn't it? Willows aren't either but what did you plant? Along with all the food plants."
"I need to find her lab."
Dobin was also listening. "We'll find it together."
Lana nodded. "I feel a bit better now… Let me feed the babies and change their diapers then we can get going."
After Lana fed them, Sil changed their diapers then helped her secure them to her chest. There was no way they were going anywhere. He even tenderly kissed each of their heads then his wife's forehead before letting everyone know it was time to get back to work.
The others felt a bit useless since Sil was doing all the killing but understood he wanted to earn his own gear. He told them he understood and explained that Quinn had him do something similar, only get involved if needed. It was a boring but necessary job. Dobin thought it strange that after all this time, Sil still kept his head down when talking to everyone and he used as few words as possible unless he was talking to Lana. He was like a different person around her.
Three days later, Sil had 26 crystals. Being bigger than Lana, he needed more crystals than her to form enough fabric. He had enough for two outfits but had not earned his robe yet. Just two more. Anything else could go toward armor.
They were now on the eastern side of the explored territory. This place was super wet and swampy. There were places to walk but it was also easy to break through into the wet below. It was like the land was floating on water. Caser was the only one not having difficulty.
The stench was penetrating. Lana had heard about a place called the Bog of Eternal Stench in a book once. She was hoping the stench here did not carry that title.
An odd thing about this place is normally when humans entered an area, it would grow eerily quiet. She was hearing birds, branches snapping, wings flapping. She had no frame of reference to know if it was normal or if it was a threat approaching. She got her answer soon.
Sil heard the fast galloping of a horse and pushed Lana behind him. She had a very annoyed look on her face as she saw a shiny black horse with a horn out of its forehead like a unicorn but somehow she doubted its authenticity.
Sil threw an earth pillar at it and the unicorn turned ethereal as the pillar passed right through it. It then fired a lightning strike from its horn at Sil who threw up an earth shield to block it. It took several to keep it at bay but Sil was able to avoid the hit. He then tried to box it in with earth like he enjoys doing. It again turned ethereal and phased through the earth walls. It put its head down and charged toward Sil.
Lana threw out some roots to try to stop it while Sil managed a massive ice dagger and the unicorn phased through both. It reared up right in front of Sil and looked to do a hoof strike but instead of it hitting Sil, Lana noticed movement stopped all around yet she was able to move.
The Plantwell. She heard a voice in her mind.
Lana moved from behind Sil and looked at the beast in front of her. It certainly was not a unicorn. It had hooves, sure but it appeared more like it was wearing a skin or perhaps a transformation ability. There was something very off with this creature.
Who are you?
A messenger.
What is the message?
Get stronger. Your people will need you.
The fake unicorn then vanished and the team was once again able to move.
Lana stood there staring at space. Everyone else was looking for the strange beast.
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