Finding Forest Flora

After a few days of waiting, Leona had been called back to Beanstalk Village by Margaret the Herbalist. She had sent a letter to the guild hall explaining that her wizard friend had finally arrived in Beanstalk Village. After gathering her Argent Gloves, ram dao, and backpack of supplies, Leona slapped on a blue t-shirt and khaki cargo pants with boots. It was time to go.

-Several hours later, Beanstalk Forest-

"You made it, dear!" Margaret greeted Leona. Beside her was a short, scholarly man wearing glasses and a brown suit with matching brown shoes. In his right hand was a brown leather briefcase. He must be her wizard friend.

"Hello. Lona, was it?" The man asked.

"Leona." The blonde replied.

"Oh, good! Nice to meet you, Lora!" The man cheerfully replied. Leona frowned. Margaret picked up on that and spoke to the man.

"It's Leona, Gary! LEE-OWN-UH! Think about lions!" Margaret corrected him. Leona was surprised that the herbalist had made the connection. Not too many people did.

"Oh, Lenora! Is that it?" Gary asked quizzically. Leona's mouth dropped open. That was nowhere close to her name. Margaret sighed in exasperation. She put on a plastered smile and spoke.

"You'll have to forgive Gary. He's awful with names, but he's an expert on magical flora. That expertise is why I called him here." Margaret assured Leona. The blonde shrugged her shoulders and let it go. She was here to collect plants.

"Oh yes, magical flora. You see, Leena, the plants have magical properties, properties I'd like to study. However, I'm a researcher, not a fighter. That's where you come in. I need you to collect samples of five plants for me and bring them back to Margaret's shop." Gary started his briefing. She was surprised. Gone was the absentminded man from earlier. Now she was facing Gary the scientist. He held up his briefcase and opened it.

Inside was what looked like a visor and a miniature keyboard. Both were blue and the keyboard had a strange golden symbol on the back. Leona had never seen it before.

"I can assure you that you wouldn't have seen anything like this before, my dear. My daughter Amanda designed it herself. It's a visor and keyboard combination meant to help you on your errand. It's meant to both help you find plants and help you find danger before it finds you." Gary explained. Leona took them into her hands. As soon as she put on the visor, it whirred to life and gave her information such as the height and weight of Margaret and Gary. The statistics were relayed in yellow block letters and numbers that were easy to read.

"You'll also need these jars." Gary said as Margaret brought over five sample jars for use. Leona took them and put them into her backpack. She then closed it up and hefted her ram dao.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" Leona asked.

"Yes, my dear. The forest is crawling with wild animals. They're just as aggressive as the animals from the other day. Be careful!" Margaret urged Leona. Leona gave a thumbs-up and turned around. She then began walking into the forest, which seemed to shrink back as if welcoming her deeper inside.

"Good luck, Lena!" Gary called out cheerfully. Margaret groaned. Leona ignored that and focused on the task at hand.

Visor and Keyboard:

[Word Count: 564/500]

As Leona strolled deeper into the woods, she noticed a change in atmosphere. It was not forbidding like the atmosphere of Spooky Forest. Rather, this one wanted her to travel into its depths. The trees appeared to be parting as if to make way for her. Leona did not like that.

She paused and took a look around with her visor. She spotted all the usual flora associated with a forest like flowers, fallen tree branches, berries... and a strange plant growing at the base of a tree. It was knee-high and purple like the plants she had first encountered back when she first started gathering samples. Leona knew what to do.

The visor began listing statistics like height and mass as Leona knelt down and drew her knife. The plant appeared to be an ordinary one... it gave off no magic signature. Aside from its height, it was the same as the plants that kicked off the entire adventure. It took a bit of effort, but most of that effort was spent on trying to avoid cutting her fingertips with her own knife.

A few quick cuts later and the plant was hoisted into the sample jar. The lid was secured and placed in the backpack. So far, so good.

[Word Count: 211] [Total Word Count: 775/500]
One plant has been analyzed.
One plant sample has been obtained.

After harvesting the first plant, Leona continued her quest. She spotted mushrooms of different varieties, but no new plants. She would just have to keep going. Leona strolled under the forest canopy while keeping a close watch for threats and another plant she was supposed to be harvesting.

"Hello? Hello Lina!" Gary's voice sounded in her ears, making her jump. Was she hearing things? No... Gary's face popped up on the screen of her mini-keyboard!

"Hello there. We've already got the data of the first plant you analyzed. It's the same as the sample Margaret showed me, but it doesn't have a magical signature. Aside from lacking a magical signature, it possesses the same properties, namely the ability to grow roots on any matter." Gary notified her.

"Wait... you can get my data before I even return with a sample?" Leona inquired.

"I didn't tell you? Sorry about that, dear. Your visor's connected to a computer I set up in Margaret's home. Everything that you can see, I can see. I'm analyzing the plant in complete safety!" Gary cheerfully informed her. Leona was creeped out. She was not sure what was creepier... a magical forest that welcomed her or Gary being able to see and hear everything she did.

"Anyway, I do believe I see an odd vine on the oak tree to your right. Do you see it?" Gary asked. Leona turned and looked in the indicated direction. Her visor started rapidly beeping and listing statistics of the vine. It had a strong magical signature. A strong, dark magical signature.

Leona walked over to it and began to look. The researcher was right. It was like a vine, but only up to a point. The ground and air looked to be gray. The tree trunk where it was growing was also swathed in gray. No normal vine did that.

Leona drew her knife and used her left hand to hold the vine in place as she started cutting. She had cut the top in two and was about to focus on the bottom when her fingers started burning. She screamed and released it, watching it slap against the tree. Her fingers burned like she had just dipped them in acid!

After waiting a minute for the sensation to subside, she went back to work removing the vine. She cut through the bottom part and watched as the entire vine turned gray and started to break down into ash. However, the land nor the tree healed. That would likely take some time, time she did not have to spare. On to the next plant.

[Word Count: 435] [Total Word Count: 1,210/500]
Two plants have been analyzed.

So far, so good. Leona had collected one plant sample and had analyzed two plants for the researcher. She had accomplished all of that with no sign of trouble. All good things came to an end, and this was no exception. Howling filled the air and seven red circles appeared on her visor as wolves leapt through the underbrush and landed directly in her path.

Leona immediately raised a hand and used a Wind Blast spell. Three wolves were knocked off their feet and sent rolling backwards, but the other four scattered and immediately closed in from left and right. Leona raised a fist and used Storm Impact, staggering all four wolves. She killed one wolf with a downward stab to the body from her ram dao and was about to dispatch another one with a decapitation strike when it recovered and darted out of the way.

The remaining three all rushed her at once. Leona killed another with a downward stroke but was bitten on both legs by the survivors. They circled around her, avoiding her counterattacks with speed and grace. These wolves were smarter than the ones that attacked Beanstalk Village. Were they really that smart or were they being controlled by someone?

She did not have time to ponder that as one raced in and clamped its jaws around her left ankle. Thankfully she was wearing thick, sturdy boots, so she only felt a mild pressure instead of a crippling bite. That attack was only an inconvenience, but its friend leapt at her with the intent to knock her down and tear her throat out. Leona reacted just quickly enough to hit it in the body with a Mach Straight, sending it sailing backwards.

Leona kicked forward with her left foot until the wolf released it. It sprinted at her and Leona kicked it squarely in the face, eliciting a yelp. While it was down Leona stomped on its head until it stopped moving. Then she picked up her ram dao and decapitated it in case it was playing dead. She looked around for any more threats.

All of the wolves were dead. All except one, which faced her down with a snarl. It must have survived the Mach Straight. Leona simply raised her hand and used a Wind Blast spell, propelling it backwards with enough force to knock it unconscious when its head slammed into the ground. Leona decapitated it and moved on... she had plants to analyze and samples to collect.

[Word Count: 416] [Total Word Count: 1,626/500]

After a few minutes of walking, Leona decided to take a break. She rolled up her pants legs and patched herself up. She cleaned off the blood, applied antibiotic ointment, and bandaged her legs. Her pants legs had holes where the fangs punched through, but that was nothing new. Her clothes did not tend to survive her journeys.

Her legs had small streaks of blood that she quickly cleaned up. They hurt a little, but she could still walk. Being unable to move in this forest was a death sentence. Once she had patched herself up, she kept moving. She wanted to get out of her as soon as possible.

Leona kept moving until she noticed a peculiar tree. It had some kind of puffy growth on the bark, a growth that was not natural. Her visor showed no kind of magical signature. It showed statistics as she pulling out her knife and walked over to the growth. She began cutting some off until she filled the sample jar halfway with the crust. Leona was about to leave when she noticed that the tree appeared to be suffocating.

Leona kept cutting through the crust until it all lay on the ground like wood shavings. Now the tree was free of the crust. In time it would recover. Now that she had saved the tree, it was time to keep going.

[Word Count: 230] [Total Word Count: 1,856/500]
Three plants have been analyzed.
Two samples have been collected.

How long had she been in the forest? She had forgotten. Time seemed to stand still in the woods. No matter how deep she traveled, it was still daylight. She still felt like the trees were beckoning for her to keep going.

Leona was getting tired. Maybe she should take a break. She took out her canteen and took a drink from it. Seconds later she heard Gary's voice.

"I saw you fighting those wolves. Well done, my dear!" Gary congratulated her. Leona set down her canteen and pulled the keyboard out of her pocket.

"Did you get the data yet?" Leona asked.

"I've gotten everything so far, but I'll need the samples to truly research the plants. Say, did you know that the visor has a plant detection mode?" Gary asked.

"No." Leona answered.

"Oh my, I forgot to tell you! It's a prototype, so not all the features have been clearly labeled. Anyway, just tap the plant icon on the keyboard and it should work." Gary suggested. Leona looked down on the keyboard and pressed a button that looked like a green leaf. Her visor was plastered with information readouts on all the plant types in front of her.

"Oh. Now I see." Leona commented.

"See? It's so simple even a person from Desierto can use it!" Gary announced with pride. Leona frowned. Was he implying that people from Desierto were stupid? Leona did not have time to give a rebuttal because she heard rustling in the brush directly behind her.

"What's that noise?" Gary asked.

"No time to talk! Later!" Leona said before slamming the mini-keyboard shut and picking up her ram dao. She had just closed her canteen and put it away when seven more wolves appeared. Not again.

They fanned out in front of her and growled in unison. Leona used a Wind Blast spell to knock them back and give her space to fight only one or two wolves at a time. Two of them remained standing because they had dodged at the last minute, but Leona dispatched them with her sword when they rushed her one at a time.

The remaining five attacked at once, allowing Leona just enough time to use an Air Burst that hit two of them. The other three swarmed her when her feet touched the ground. Leona killed one with a horizontal swing to the head before the other two seized her left arm and right ankle. One grabbed her by the left Argent Glove while the other wolf bit into her boot.

Leona dropped her ram dao and pulled her knife. She stabbed the left wolf to death and kicked off the right one, which retaliated by slamming into her right knee, sending her down on one knee. The wolf backed up, charged, and went for her throat. Leona blocked with her left arm and its jaws clamped down on the Argent Glove. She then stabbed it to death as it kicked at her with its claws.

Her shirt had been shredded down the right side and she was bleeding.

"Damn wolves." Leona muttered as she removed the shirt and began patching herself up with antibiotic ointment and bandaging.

[Word Count: 532] [Total Word Count: 2,388/500]

Leona had finished cleaning and bandaging her right side and looked in her backpack for a new shirt to wear. Unfortunately she did not have one handy, so she was forced to wear the blue shirt. Thankfully the bandages covered anything that the gaps exposed. Next time she should remember to bring an extra shirt. She had fallen out of that habit after the last few easy jobs she had completed.

"What was that?" Gary asked.

"Just another pack of wolves." Leona answered dryly.

"Oh my! I'm glad to hear that you're still with us. I saw the wolves from your point of view and it scared me." Gary admitted. Leona kept any rude remarks to herself. She instead focused on finding the next plant. She looked around the immediate area. Nothing.

Leona walked to the edge of the brush and looked deeper into the woods. Nothing out of the ordinary. She turned back around and looked near the ground, paying special attention to the bases of trees. Nothing. She happened to look up at the tree she took a break under and noticed something strange.

All the leaves had been replaced with moss. Purple moss. Again it had no magical signature whatsoever. Since it was a bit high in the tree, Leona used her ram dao in an effort to knock down a sample. Instead most of it turned to ash almost immediately. A patch of it landed on her neck, causing her to scream as it stung her until she flung it off with her hand, which it also stung.

"Interesting. It disintegrated as soon as you separated it from the tree. It's a shame that you couldn't get a sample, but the analysis data from your visor should make up for it. You're doing great, my dear. Keep it up!" Gary encouraged her.

"OK. Maybe I'll find the last plant soon." Leona said hopefully before resuming her search for plant matter to harvest. In between the lengthy search and the two fights, the blonde was getting tired. She wanted to leave, but she would not leave until the job was complete.

[Word Count: 354] [Total Word Count: 2,742/500]
Four plants have been analyzed.
Two samples have been collected.

What time was it? Leona did not know anymore. Every tree started to bleed together and her legs were beginning to hurt. She really needed to get out of here. Where was that last plant?

Leona paused again and looked around. Nothing. She kept going until she found a tiny pond that was barely worthy of the name. It was dotted with small, smooth stones that formed a border. The stones were too neatly arranged to be a natural formation, but her attention was soon diverted to something else.

At the water's edge she spotted something like dark purple algae that had a magical presence. Her visor neatly marked its presence, allowing her to scoop it into the jar with help from her knife. As she was scooping it in her fingers touched it and she felt the brief sensation that her mana was being drained. It quickly passed. She tightened the lid and turned away from the water.

"What's this?" Gary asked.

"Algae. Magic algae." Leona stated calmly.

"Interesting. Algae with a magical presence? And it drains mana? That's not very common." Gary commented. Leona stood up and looked around for threats. Thankfully none showed up. In between the strange nature of the forest, the two fights with wolves, and fatigue, Leona did not feel right. She wanted out of here.

"I believe you've done more than enough for today. It's approaching nightfall. You may want to get out of there. Margaret told me that the wolves are much more active at night." Gary urged her. Leona did not need to be told twice. She did not want to fight another pack of wolves, so she made a beeline for the forest exit. She had left just in time because she heard howling just as she cleared the woods. That was a close call.

[Word Count: 304] [Total Word Count: 3,046/500]
Five plants have been analyzed.
Three samples have been collected.

-Beanstalk Village, Herbalist's Shop-

"You made it!" Margaret greeted Leona as she ushered the latter through the newly repaired door to her shop.

"It was a close call." Leona said as she took off the visor and gave it and the mini-keyboard back to Gary. She then took off her backpack and gave him the plant samples. She was just glad to be out of the woods. Spooky Forest was upfront about what it was. Beanstalk Forest was more insidious.

"Excellent work, Lena! In between the samples and the data you collected, I have everything I need for now!" Gary exclaimed. Leona did not even bother correcting him. She just rolled with it.

"Thank you, Leona. You've done a lot for us. But it's not over yet." Margaret stated.

"Something in those woods isn't right. It felt like it was welcoming me in, wanting me to go deeper and deeper. I also lost track of time. If it hadn't have been for Gary, I'd still be wandering in the forest." Leona commented.

"Yes. I felt it too. The forest wasn't like that before the plants appeared." Margaret opined.

"I'll need some time to study the samples and data. It's interesting. That strange growth, the vine that crumbled in your hand, had dark magic essence. And that algae had neutral essence. It doesn't make any sense." Gary said to Leona. Leona was pleasantly surprised. He had pinned down the magic essence that she could not quite explain. The older man really was knowledgeable about plants.

"I'd better get going. The sun's just about down." Leona said to the pair. Margaret tossed her a bag of Jewels. Leona pocketed them.

"Be careful, Leona." Margaret warned her. Leona closed the shop door behind her and set out for Silver Wolf Guild Hall. It was going to be a long trip to the Phoenix Mountains. Bandits and wild animals were likely prowling the roads. It was just another night in the life of a wandering mage.

[Word Count: 332] [Total Word Count: 3,378/500]