No.4483[Last 50 Posts]
>Location: ???
>An idyllic yet alien rural landscape stretches out across rolling hills, lit with a golden light from a setting sun, its comforting presence slowly dipping below the horizon.
>Within one of the fields, a lone green-haired woman sits among a collection of bright, pastel-coloured flowers, writing down notes as she mutters to herself.
“. . .majority of plant life doesn’t follow. . . no native fauna. . .”
>After making several notes, the woman sighs and takes a crystalline object from her belt, touching it.
“Still being blocked by an outside source. I probably have four. . . maybe five spells left in the chamber - or one big one.”
>Putting the object back on her belt, the woman falls back, lying down and looking up at the sky.
“. . .well, I guess there’s worse places to die. . .”
>As the woman finishes her thought, the hill opens up below her, the void below her looking like a dark mouth of some kind, and “swallows” her whole.
No.4484
>>4483>Location: ???
>In a tower overlooking the fields, several mysterious figures look over a bubbling cauldron, a clear section in the middle acting like a window looking into several events elsewhere.
>One of the figures, an old man in a blue robe with a long white beard, thinks for a moment, stroking his beard.“The mage we summoned does not appear to be up to the task. . . the corruption is far beyond her capabilities. . .”
>Another one of the figures, a soldier in a red uniform, looks at the man, concerned.“What can we do, Mighty Magisto?”
>The old man, Magisto, thinks for a second, and then sighs.“The flame-haired sorcerer was right, we must summon a true hero. . .”
>Stepping away from the cauldron, Magisto picks up an orb from one of the shelves, placing it on a table, and beckons to the soldier.“Put your hand on the orb, it will send you to a hero. . .”
>The soldier does as asked, and Magisto starts waving his hands.“SHALAKABLAM!”
>The soldier disappears from the room.————————————————
>Location: The Axiom - Nexus of Magic>Time: Indeterminate
>Within The Axiom, a circular portal opens up in a room, and a small antique nutcracker falls through, landing on the floor in an undignified manner before the portal closes again. No.4486
>>4485>The toy soldier stares at Stephanie with cold, blank eyes, as would be expected of a toy made of wood.
>After a few moments of silence, a voice comes from within the soldier, slightly muffled as if it has no way of escaping."Oh great sorcerer, I am Orion, the hunter, I seek help to save my world from a great foe. . ."
>If the toy was capable of its own movements, it would clearly be miming actions to help explain its point, instead, however, it simply stands on Stephanie's palm, motionless, as it talks.". . .sorry, could I trouble you to open my mouth? It's difficult to speak with it closed."
No.4488
>>4487>The soldier moves slightly, testing its new joints.". . .you truly are the great sorcerer the flame-haired one told Magisto of!"
>Sounding much less muffled, the soldier does a bow for Stephanie, still remaining on her palm."I thank you, oh great one, I only wish that I could repay you instead of asking you for more favor."
>With a slight creak of wood, the soldier stands back up straight again."As I said, oh great one, I have been sent to beseech your aid, a vile creature of chaos and darkness has come upon our land, and only one such as you can defeat it. . ."
>The soldier lowers its head solemnly."We would not normally ask this of you, but the one we summoned previously has failed, and the flame-haired one told us that one such as yourself would be suitable for the task. So I stand here to ask that you travel with me to my home so that you may handle this crisis."
No.4490
>>4489>The soldier shifts its weight slightly as Stephanie stands up, making sure not to fall over."A dark infestion from beyond plagues the land, threatening to take everything over!"
>The soldier is rather animated as it explains."Something from the void has turned its eyes on my home, and won't be satisfied until it's all consumed."
"Or, at least, that was how Magisto described it, great one."
No.4491
>>4490>Stephanie slowly nods. She smiles warmly at the soldier, but speaks with a sarcastic tone."An infestation. Fun."
>Stephanie holds her free hand over the toy's head again, closing her eyes to concentrate. After a moment she re-opens her eyes and then points her free hand out in front of her. Light shimmers, and distorts and then seems to explode open almost like a two-dimensional firework, ripping open a portal. "This would be your home, I presume?"
>The portal leads directly to the tower of Magisto, exactly where the toy soldier had left previously. No.4492
>>4491>The wizard, Magistos, jumps as the portal opens and Stephanie steps through."Great spires of-!"
>As the toy soldier goes through the portal, its body shifts to a more mobile form than it had originally when it entered the Axiom, and it jumps off from Stephanie's hand, having grown to a bigger size (albeit still one much shorter than her)."This is the tower of the Great Magisto! It isn't my home but it's part of our home""
>The wizard brushes himself off and offers out a hand for Stephanie to shake."And I am he! May I ask what we should address you as, oh Great Sorcerer?"
No.4493
>>4492>Stephanie gives an amused smile, looking down at the wizard's hand. She takes his hand to shake it, noticing that he's actually a puppet."Crepido was the name given to me by my teacher. Or, you can just call me Stephanie. Whichever you prefer."
>Once finished with the hand shake, Stephanie looks around the room, taking note of it's appearance."So. You've got a pest problem?"
>She turns to look at Magistos. "What kind of pests?"
No.4494
>>4493"Crepido. . . like a foundation, a good, strong name. . ."
>Magisto nods, pulling his hand out of the handshake."The Great Magisto is a knowledgeable man, Crepido, you were clever to take us here!"
>The soldier walks across the room, clambouring up a worksurface to make its way to one of the windows, which is currently covered."Yes yes Orion, but not as much as Crepido here, so I'm sure she's already familiar with what we're dealing with."
>Magisto makes his way across the room, his walking almost looking like a bounce rather than proper steps."It's a vire dire infestation, you see, so it's easier to show you. . ."
>Magisto nods, and the soldier pulls a curtain string to reveal a field of sunflowers, regular, ordinary sunflowers, all of them facing in the direction of the window.". . .very serious indeed."
No.4496
>>4495"
Planted them?"
>Magisto looks shocked at the suggestion."Who would
plant those willingly?"
>The soldier "nods" along, the gesture requiring him to move most of his body, then stops, a thought coming to him."The painter likes them? Maybe she could have?"
>Magisto shakes his head."She's a mad woman if she did. . ."
>While this happens, the sunflowers remain in the field, pointing at the window, their unmoving position giving Stephanie a feeling like she's being watched. . ." No.4498
>>4497"Of course, of course!"
>Magisto does his odd walk over to his door, opening it for Stephanie to step out, the act of which reveals even more sunflowers outside of the building."Do be careful out there."
>As Stephanie steps outside, the sunflowers move, all of them pointing in her direction rather than in the direction of the tower, the difference being subtle, but noticeable to a trained eye like Stephanie's. No.4501
>>4500"I know I'm being watched."
>Stephanie says this, before leaning back and straightening her posture. She sounds irritated."Now if something would like to communicate with me, it should begin now. Or I'll be destroying these flowers, and making sure they'll never be able to take root in this soil again."
No.4504
>>4503>The flowers burn, as flowers do, as they have no defence against Stephanie's attack. As they do, the head of one of the flowers remains on the ground, pointed at Stephanie the entire time as it gets consumed in the conflagration.
>Seeing the glow from outside, the soldier walks through the door, noticing the fire."Oooh. . . very impressive, great Crepido, but. . ."
>The soldier sighs, an impressive feat given his wooden form.". . .we tried burning them and pulling them out before, they just came back later, every time we did it, even if we made sure to make it so the soil couldn't grow them anymore."
No.4505
>>4504>Stephanie looks at the soldier."Yes. I'm sure they did. Ordinary flowers or not, this situation is unusual."
>She looks over as the fires die down, revealing the now flower-less field."Someone or something is watching us. And I intend to find out who and why."
>She looks back at the little soldier. "You should remain inside for now."
No.4506
>>4505>The soldier looks up at Stephanie."Oh, thank you great one! We will be forever greatful!"
>The soldier does a little bow, the action looking almost identical to how it nodded."I can help, though! I'm a strong soldier! I have the toughest wood out of everyone in my village! And I've been training how to fight to defend people!"
>The soldier looks down, as if sad.". . .I can stay behind if you think I'll hold you back though. . ."
No.4508
>>4507>The soldier perks up at Stephanie agreeing to let it come along."Oh thank you! I promise I'll be helpful! I can guide you to the painter if you want!"
>The soldier looks around at the scorched field, then points in a direction, the action requring all of its arm to do."She lives off in that direction, and she said she likes the flowers, maybe she might know something about them?"
No.4509
>>4508"That's a good idea."
>Stephanie's gaze follows the direction the soldier points to."Lead on."
No.4510
>>4509"This way then!"
>The soldier starts marching off in the direction it pointed, going at an impressive speed for what its height and legs allow. This still, however, only translates into being equivalent to a brisk walk by Stephanie's standards.
>After some time, as the pair are walking past a hillock, a muffled voice comes from it.". . .elp. . ."
No.4512
>>4511>The soldier nods, tilting its head, as the hole opens up in front of Stephanie.
>From within the hole, a gloved hand suddenly grasps the side, and then another, the pair pulling until a green-haired woman emerges from within.
>Out of breath, the woman rolls onto her back for a moment, then picks herself up from the ground."Thank you. . ."
>The woman looks Stephanie up and down, her hand resting on an object on her belt for a moment.". . .magic without a wheel. . ."
>The woman suddenly snaps to attention."S-Sorry my lady! I didn't realise! Scout Trisran, 2nd Class, reporting in for orders."
No.4514
>>4513"M-my lady?"
>Trisran looks genuinely touched at the comment."You don't need to concern yourself with a lowly scout like me, my lady. . ."
>Trisran goes silent for a moment."O-oh, you just wanted a status report, I-I'll be happy to! I was dispatched to this dimension by Prognosticator Argentea to determine the viability of bringing it into the fold. My current evaluation is that the locals are amiable to integration, they even called me a hero, but there is a serious level of unknown corruption within the fabric of this place - the ground itself even swallowed me when I was recording notes!"
>Trisran does a small bow as she finishes rambling."My lady. . . may I ask. . . did Lady Seidig send you? I only ask because Prognosticator Argentea says that only someone like her would be able to wield magic without wheel, so. . . so. . . you must be highly ranked! I did not mean to offend you if I'm inquiring too much though! I swear!"
No.4515
>>4514>Stephanie taps her cheek, thinking.{"Seidig… Seidig… I feel like I've heard that name before…"}
>She puts a hand on the green haired girl's shoulder."You've done good. And don't call yourself lowly. You're worth more than you think."
>She removes her hand from Trisran's shoulder. "Would you like to come with us Trisran? We're on an investigation, and another person could help."
No.4516
>>4515"O-oh n-no. . . I. . . but the lady said it and I can't contradict. . ."
>Stephanie's "order" to not call herself lowly seems to have caused a bit of a contradiction in Trisran's thinking."O-of course my lady! I may only have a few spells remaining in my wheel, but I'll try to be as helpful as I can! A-although. . ."
>Trisran seems troubled for a moment.". . .Prognosticator Argentea says that the standard policy at this level of dimensional corruption is to perform an eradication. Am I to understand that you have taken a personal interest in this one, my lady? Or. . ."
>Trisran looks over at the soldier, who waves at her, then lowers her voice:". . .are we simply follong the locals until all necessary Aletheia assets are removed?"
No.4517
>>4516"We will be doing neither. The problem is simply going to be solved. Come with us."
>Stephanie turns to Orion."Let's keep going."
No.4518
>>4517"And then we'll begin integration?"
>Trisran stumbles a bit as she has to rush a little to keep up with Stephanie and the soldier."I'm sorry for asking so many questions, my lady, but this situation is very different from the operating manual, so I'm very confused, please forgive my lack of intellect."
No.4519
>>4518"You aren't stupid. You just haven't been trained to be adaptive. It's not your fault."
>Stephanie continues walking along the trail. "Anyway. Tell me more about yourself."
No.4520
>>4519>Trisran shakes her head."It's on me, my lady, such adaptability is not required of someone as low as me, I can't even achieve a promotion to first class scout. . ."
>Trisran sighs, the promotion seems to be a dream of hers, a somewhat sad, inconsequential dream of a perfect cog in a larger system.". . .my parents say they're proud of me for serving the cause, but I know they wish I were higher up, that I was a Prognosticator like my mother was, or even an Enforcer like my father - but I'm just a lowly scout. . ."
>Trisran suddenly waves her hands in panic."Not that I'm doubting my place, I'm not having seditious thoughts, I swear!"
No.4522
>>4521". . .outside of my role?"
>Trisran looks genuinely confused."You must be
really important, my lady, if you're granted such luxuries. I can't even imagine being granted that. Currently, I simply live to serve the cause, as is my role."
No.4523
>>4522"Hm. Well, maybe we could do something about that."
>She slows her pace slightly, allowing Orion to trail ahead of her a bit so she can get a closer look as Trisran."So you were born into the role essentially. How did your parents get involved?"
No.4524
>>4523"Oh. No. I don't have any complaints about my position, I understand the importance of my role within the system, you don't need to worry about me like that, my lady - I'm sure you have much more important things to worry about."
>Trisran looks proud as Stephanie asks about her parents."They were raised in the system too, my family has been loyal for multiple generations now, and I hope it will be loyal for generations more as well!"
No.4525
>>4524"Mmm."
>Stephanie takes note of the mention that her family has been involved for generations."You know, I was sort of like you once. I was unsatisfied with where I was, and I tried to tell myself that I was fine with it. But I knew I wasn't."
>She looks at Tristran."If you sit back and just accept things as they are, they'll never get better. If you want more out of your life, you have to take it. And if Prognosticator Argentea sees that as a bad thing, she's a fool."
No.4527
>>4526"This isn't a test. I'm serious."
>Stephanie looks ahead of them watching as the little toy soldier marches on."If you're unsatisfied, you have a right to be."
No.4528
>>4527"You don't have to keep in testing, my lady, I fully understand!"
>Trisran seems very proud of her very incorrect conclusion."Ah, we're here!"
>The soldier calls out from the front as it reaches the top of a small hill, waving back at Stephanie and Trisran.
>Just on the other side of the hill is a small house sitting by itself in a field, a flower garden sits in front of it, welcoming any visitors. Just off to the side is an easel, currently set up for some painting, although whoever was using it is not visible, leaving an empty chair instead. No.4529
>>4528"It's not a test."
>Stephanie's eyes move towards the easel, then back to the house itself."Why don't you go first and introduce us to the painter Orion?"
No.4530
>>4529"Don't worry, ma'am, I fully understand."
>Trisran says, clearly not understanding.
>Turning back to Stephanie, the soldier "nods"."Of course, I'll just be right-"
>The soldier takes a step forward, only to be interrupted as a woman steps out from behind the group, the direction she came from being very unclear, considering she wasn't there a moment ago."Oh, hello, are you here to visit me?"
>The woman herself looks oddly mundane, if a little thin, with a set of modest clothing including a sunhat that covers her orange hair. The only thing that doesn't look mundane is a pair of piercing, unnaturally blue eyes, which focus on each member of the group, the curiosity behind them not being considered."Ah, Orion, are these new friends of yours?"
No.4531
>>4530>Stephanie turns around."Hello. I'm Stephanie."
>Stephanie gives a friendly wave."I love your hat and your hair."
No.4532
>>4531>The woman brings a hand up to her hair for a moment."Oh, thank you, that's very sweet. . . Stephanie?"
>The woman's tone indicates she's checking to see if she pronounced Stephanie's name right.
>As she does, Trisran jumps between Stephanie and the woman, bringing a hand down to the object on her belt."Be careful, my lady, this isn't one of the natives, she's an unknown and a potential threat."
>As Trisran talks, the soldier makes its way around the group, giving the woman a wave."Hi, Miss painter, these are the great saviours, I brought them to you because you know a lot about flowers and she was curious about the ones outside the tower."
>The woman smiles at the soldier, then nods."The sunflowers? They're very pretty, aren't they?"
No.4533
>>4532"They are pretty."
>Stephanie puts a hand on Trisran's shoulder, causing her to suddenly appear next to Stephanie rather than in front of her."Do you happen to know where they've come from?"
No.4534
>>4533>Trisran looks confused for a moment as she's moved, then steps backwards, taking the hint that Stephanie doesn't want her to act as her knight in shining armour. The painter, meanwhile, seems entirely unfazed by the sudden movement."Seeds."
>The painter brings up a hand, making a tiny hole with two of her fingers.
>After a moment, the woman tilts her head."Is that not the answer you wanted? Perhaps you want the sower? That answer is for over a drink, do you want to come in?"
>The woman indicates past the group at the house. No.4536
>>4535"Ok."
>The woman smiles, then suddenly what was the hill is the inside of a house, the change in context having not had any signs of movement from either the group or the house itself, although a quick look out of the window indicates that the house seems to have moved on top of the hill - some sort of spatial control of some kind."I hope fruit teas are ok. . ."
>The woman starts walking out of the room, heading into a kitchen off to the side.". . .I wouldn't dare hurt the sweet little flowers."
>As the woman walks out, a quick look around the room shows it's filled with various pots and plants, with art supplies taking up a sizeable portion of the rest of the interior.
>Unfazed by what just happened, the toy soldier marches along and takes a seat, while Trisran nudges Stephanie."I don't like this woman, my lady, she's clearly an unregistered magic user, those are dangerous. . ."
No.4537
>>4536>Crepido lowers her voice."You are in no danger while I'm here."
>She walks over and takes a seat next to the toy soldier. She looks at him. "Have you been in here before?"
No.4538
>>4537>Trisran looks at Stephanie as if to object, but remains silent as she takes a seat in the corner of the room.
>The soldier nods, or rather, bobs."Yes, the painter sometimes asks my village for pigments for her paints, so me and. . ."
>The soldier goes silent for a moment, looking around.". . .and. . . who. . ?"
>A thin hand pats the soldier on the head, and a quick turn reveals the painter standing behind the chair it and Stephanie are sat on."They have trouble remembering sometimes. . . the little ones, I mean. Wood is not the best medium for memories. . ."
>With a smile, the woman indicates over to the table, where a teapot and cups have appeared.
>Removing her hand from the soldier, the woman walks over and sits down in the final chair."May I ask why you want to find the sower. . . Stephanie?"
>Once again, the woman's pronunciation is slightly strained. No.4539
>>4538"Just curious."
>Stephanie says this without any apparent changes in her disposition. "…And I have to admit, I was also wondering about you. I'm a little bit of an artist myself, so hearing there was a painter around piqued my interest."
>Once more Stephanie's disposition seems unchanging, making it difficult to discern whether or not she's being untruthful. No.4540
>>4539"Curiosity killed the cabbage. . ."
>The painter leans towards the table, pouring out a drink into one of the cups and bringing it up to sip.". . .or cactus, I can never remember that phrase. . ."
>The woman takes a sip of her drink."There isn't much to say about me. I like the peace and quiet here, it's good for painting."
>Each word from the woman maintains the same airheaded tone as before. No.4541
>>4540"That's fair. It is a very nice place. Hopefully it stays that way."
>Stephanie pours herself a drink, pulling the cup closer. "Well, tell me about your paintings then. Do you have a favorite subject? What kind of paints do you use?"
No.4542
>>4541"Hopefully. But change, and chaos, are inevitable. . ."
>The oddly prescient comment seems to be aimed more at Trisran than Stephanie, who the woman simply smiles at as she takes another sip."I like the flowers, their colours and shapes capture the language of the spheres. . . that's why I only use pigments that are not sourced from flora."
>The woman smiles again. No.4544
>>4543"No."
>The woman puts her cup down."I simply paint. You want The Tiller."
No.4545
>>4544"Thank you."
>Stephanie takes another sip of her drink. She looks at the pair who came with her. "Are you ready to go?"
>She looks at the toy soldier."I assume you know where the Tiller lives too?"
No.4546
>>4545>The soldier shakes its head, the act looking more like it's looking from side to side.". . .I have never heard of it."
>The painter chuckles."It's deep in the woods, just keep on going as deep as you can and you won't struggle to miss it. . ."
>The woman stirs her tea gently, having apparently refilled it without anyone noticing.". . .it's a big creature, after all, so it forces its way
through trees rather than around them. But. . ."
>The woman smiles at the soldier, which looks from her and then to Stephanie, then looks down solemnly."I can't follow you there, it's forbidden."
No.4548
>>4547>Trisran perks up a little bit at the mention of "we", then stands up at attention."Of course, I am ready whenever you require me, my lady!"
>The painter smiles and nods."I'm sure you will be, and don't worry about Orion here, I'll make sure nothing happens."
>The woman gives Stephanie a warm smile. No.4553
>>4552"There's nothing to fear. I'm perfectly fine. And as long as you stay with me, you will be too."
>Crepido walks in the general direction of the forest, speaking along the way."How many charges do you have left?"
No.4554
>>4553"It isn't fear, my lady, I'm not doubting your ability. . ."
>Trisran goes silent for a moment as she thinks about how to phrase the words.". . .I'm just saying that you should subjugate her before she causes any trouble to you."
>With her suggestion put forward, Trisran moves her hand down to the device on her belt."Two minor defences, one major offensive, and the recall, of course, but that one isn't working currently."
No.4555
>>4554"I appreciate your concern. But I'm fine."
>Stephanie looks over her shoulder at Trisran, mainly looking at the device."That must be irritating to have to use. Wouldn't you rather be not reliant on it?"
No.4556
>>4555"Such thoughts aren't for a lowly scout like me."
>Trisran shrugs the comment off."After all, this ensures discipline, someone lowly like me may get ideas above her station if she were to have access to magics that don't require a wheel."
No.4557
>>4556"Hmm…"
>Stephanie turns to face forward, thinking. "You're too hard on yourself. But for now, I have a gift."
>Stephanie waves her hand, the action being clearly trivial to her."You're now fully recharged. In fact so long as you're with me, you have effectively infinite use of your spells."
No.4558
>>4557"Prognosticator Argentea says I'm not hard enough on myself. . . and she's correct, I'm the worst performing scout in the division. . ."
>Trisran is silent as she trails off and Stephanie waves her hand.". . .are you sure that's permitted, my lady?"
>Trisran shakes her head, "dispelling" the thought."Of course, only when in your presence, you must have deemed this situation as being dire enough to require it."
No.4565
>>4559"Ah, I understand my lady, another test."
>Trisran does a small salute."I promise I won't misuse this power, I will only stay within the bounds given to me."
No.4567
>>4566"Is everything alright, my lady?"
>Trisran looks at the silent Stephanie for a moment before reaching her own conclusion.". . .ah, you're deep in thought, I understand. . ."
>An expression crosses Trisran's face for a moment, indicating she does actually understand Stephanie's reaction, but she otherwise goes silent as she follows behind.————————————————
>After some time, the area starts to darken as the trees above form a thicker and thicker canopy over the pair, the path also disappearing as the underbrush gets thicker.
>Despite the lack of light from above, however, it never gets dark enough to require any light source from the pair, nor any sort of nightvision, as patches of bioluminescent fungi scatter the woods, providing just enough light to see clearly.
>The woods themselves seem to open up again after slightly more travel, although the way that they open up makes it clear that this wasn't a natural occurrence, instead, the more open areas are marked by snapped trees and branches - the sign that the painter said to look out for. No.4569
>>4568>Trisran approaches one of the broken trees, looking it over."I don't think it will, my lady, if these are a sign of this 'Tiller' and that woman was telling the truth, I don't think it can talk. . ."
>Trisran steps away from the tree."Whatever made these is some kind of unthinking beast."
No.4570
>>4569"Maybe."
>Stephanie walks around, examining the glowing flora. "Or maybe it just has a different way of thinking and communicating."
No.4572
>>4571"You're thinking too rigidly. Almost all creatures can form some level of thoughts. They're just not necessarily the same as ours."
>Stephanie watches as the flora reacts to her presence, and then takes a step back. She turns to look at Trisran. "Let's wait and listen. It'll show itself soon enough."
No.4573
>>4572"That's not, like,
proper thoughts though, my lady - that's why we have to either eliminate or tame them."
>Trisran goes silent as the plan comes in place, and nods, pulling her cloak over her head, disappearing into the underbrush as she steps back. No.4576
>>4575>Stephanie remains still, looking up at the creature and presenting herself as non threatening as possible. She looks unafraid, remaining slow and deliberate not for her sake but the creature's."Hello."
>Stephanie speaks calmly with a soft tone. "Would you be the one the Painter calls 'the Tiller'?"
No.4579
>>4578>The creature looks confused as its jaws stop around the invisible barrier, then pulls its head back, letting out a roar, the forest seemingly responding to it.
>Changing the angle its approaching from, the creature lets out a burst of plant matter from its mouth, heading directly for Stephanie, only for the stream to be disrupted by a burst of fire within."My lady!"
>From her hiding spot, Trisran holds her arm out, the device from her belt now strapped to it.
>Coughing out a small cloud of smoke, the creature shakes its head and then stamps the ground, causing roots to burst out of the ground and attempt to entangle themselves around Stephanie. No.4583
>>4582"No! It's horrible!"
>Trisran goes to shield herself from the seeds and spores, looking up as she notices she's not being hit."It's very very horrible!"
>The creature arches its head up, then lets out another burst of plant matter towards Stephanie, the breath starting to activate whatever hits Stephanie's shield, causing growth around her, the pattern indicating it's intended to trap her in place. No.4584
>>4583"It's just defending it's territory is all."
>Stephanie allows the root and plants curl around her shield, forming a dome shaped mass of plants around her. She reaches out and casually moves some out of the way, unblocking her vision of the beast. "I suppose we should return to the Painter then. Unless you've noticed something I haven't…?"
No.4588
>>4587>The creature scratches at the tendril, managing to get some purchase but not managing to pull it away fast enough to get its mouth free.
>Trying a different technique, the creature moves backwards, or tries to, its eyes lining up with Stephanie's, a single emotion, the first one the creature has shown, visible within them - hatred.
>As it stands there, a realisation dawns, it would be very easy to kill this creature right now. . . a corpse can still be studied, after all. . . No.4589
>>4588>Stephanie furrows her brow at the creature. She feels a tinge of guilt about muzzling it, before becoming aware of the murderous thought trying to worm it's way into her mind. {"No. It poses no danger to me. To kill it would be inhumane."}
>She moves towards the creature, holding her palm out. The tendrils around it's face loosen slightly, giving it just a bit more room to move. "I'll make you a comfortable place at home. Then when I'm done you can return here, if that's what you'd like."
>Stephanie turns over towards Trisran."Are you alright? You got caught underground again."
No.4590
>>4589>The impression of killing the creature retreats, at least briefly, at Stephanie's dismissal of the idea.
>Brushing herself off, Trisran nods at the question."I'm alright, my lady! Besides, I'd rather it than-"
>As if responding to the dismissal of its threat level, the creature suddenly pulls out of the slightly weakened tendrils, letting out a roar as it finds a new surge of power within itself. Noticing the action, Trisran jumps forward."Watch out!"
>The creature let's out a new burst of plant matter from its maw, this one more powerful and concentrated than before, hitting Trisran directly and somehow managing to break through the shielding Stephanie placed on her, knocking her back and into a tree.
>Turning its head towards Stephanie, the creature growls at her, aware of its newfound potential for danger. . . No.4591
>>4590>Stephanie lets out an annoyed grunt. She closes her fist and raises it, streaks of light shooting out from the gaps between her fingers. She opens her palm, releasing what appears to be a small ball of light. It raises into the air, increasing in size rapidly and then stops just before reaching the canopy.
>A beam of light shines from the orb directly towards Trisran, providing healing properties. While this occurs, Stephanie glares at the dragon."The entity using you is starting to get on my nerves."
>Black ink begins to leak from her sleeves, dripping to the ground. It begins to snake across the ground rapidly, creating grooves in the earth before suddenly jumping straight towards the beast, ensnaring it once more.
>This time the ink coils not just around the creature's mouth, but it's legs and wings, holding it with almost incomparably greater strength than before."If you have the ability."
>Stephanie now speaks to seemingly nothing."Face me yourself. And if you don't? Leave. You do not want to anger the Sorceress Supreme."
No.4592
>>4591>The creature fights against the ink, pushing back with an impressive amount of strength, but still fails to break out.
>It does, however, manage to keep itself up, fighting the tendrils to a standstill.
>Then, reality pauses, including Stephanie's physical body, as the presence from before reasserts itself.
>No, this one doesn't work. . .
>Reality folds in on itself, like a book being closed.
>. . .will have to use a different one. . . alternate one? . . . same issue. . . the brother? Could work. . . a lot of work though. . . "that" one? The irony would be sweet but wouldn't work. . .
>. . .
>Oh yes, this one needs removing first. . . No.4593
>>4592"There you are."
>Wherever this presence is, whatever it is, however it is, Stephanie seems to have found it. She operates separately from her body, which remains frozen with the rest of reality. "You tricky types have a way of being incredibly annoying."
No.4598
>>4597"There's a certain simplicity to fairy tales, I find. Clear good and evil, makes for a good structure. . ."
>The woman shrugs."Still, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to share. It's not just about books, it's about building a 'story'."
No.4600
>>4599"Oh no no!"
>The woman waves her hand dismissively."You were
vital for it, well, not necessarily
you, just someone like you. You didn't act like you were meant to, perhaps, but I still need you. You're the only way I can power it enough."
No.4601
>>4600"Power it?"
>Stephanie leans forward a bit in her chair."What do you mean?"
No.4602
>>4601"The weapon, of course."
>The woman tilts her head, confused at Stephanie asking."The weapon to eradicate Aletheia."
No.4604
>>4603"You demonstrated quite beautifully how to do it."
>The woman does a gesture, summoning a small book to her hand and opening it, handing it over to Stephanie to see - the exact page it rests on showing her burning the field of sunflowers."With these things, you burn them all, every root, every bough, and salt the earth so nothing can grow there afterwards. Such is the appropriate punishment for disturbing the natural order of things."
>As the woman speaks, the slight smile never leaves her face. No.4605
>>4604>Stephanie stares at the page. After several moments of silence she closes her eyes, and the book as well. "We have a similar sentiment you know. Neither of us likes Aletheia."
>She opens her eyes, and then places the book on a small table next to her seat. She leans back into her chair, crossing her legs. "But I can't let you annihilate them all. The vast majority are innocent people living under their thumb, or those who have been brainwashed by their indoctrination programs."
No.4606
>>4605"Let?"
>The woman snorts and bursts out laughing."Why would I ask your permission anyway? I just need someone like you to kill the dragon and everything is complete, the only one who has the right to 'let' me is the Sleeper, and He very much approves of what I'm doing."
>The woman smiles, her next words not being automatically translated for Stephanie."F' h' fm'latgh nwngluii, ep nilgh'ri."
No.4608
>>4607"Ah yes, this trick."
>The woman waves her hand, and a twisted set of plants grows up from underneath her, setting up a chair for her to sit on."I can escape any time, the Sleeper ensures that. . ."
>The woman sits back in her chair, kicking her legs.". . .so why not? Well, I'd rather keep you in suspense. . .
when will she break out? What will she do when she does? Can I stop paying any mind to her? I do love attention."
>The woman beckons, causing a sunflower to grow out of the ground in front of her."It's why I love His eyes most of all."