The Plague Part 5: Thy Enemy has a Face

It had seemed like an age and a half since the last time Samira was in Beanstalk village. The small place with the centerpiece that made its name rarely ever crossed her mind nowadays. A small passing thought would fly by every now and then, with a small wondering of how that place was doing. Much like Hargeon Town in the past, Beanstalk Village had a wave of bad luck every time she was there. The first had been during a monster invasion that had swarms of demonic bees and other beings that devastated the village and its population. It had been saved by herself, Leila Vergious, Ryo Knetegawa, and Kite Wilhelm at the time. If not for their presence the village might have been marked off the map completely and everyone dead. However, not long after the repairs had been made and every villager that was left was starting to regain some small measure of normalcy back into their simple life, another incident started to invade the peace and cause disaster for its people.

At first, the problem seemed small. Strange purple plants were starting to grow all around the village. At varying sizes from a tiny speck of a weed with a single leaf to a larger one that surpassed the size of one's hand with three leaves, the plants proved to be more hazardous than a simple white dandelion weed, more commonly known as Taraxacum Erythrospermum as a species, that a child could blow on and send the tiny specks of poofy florets into the wind. Merely touching the purple weeds that had begun growing within the village's boundaries had caused people to end up in the local medical house. The more serious cases that could not be cured by the local healers had been transported to better hospitals in nearby cities that had access to better equipment and modern healing mages. It was by the mercy of the deity the village worshipped that no one had become ill enough to be among the deceased. There was still a problem, however, and just because no one had died yet did not mean the weeds would not further mutate and grow to become yet another lethal invader that threatened the existence of the village's people.

A single herbalist had become suspicious of the new plant growing in the village. A quirky woman that had been born in the city of Rose Garden but had moved to the once peaceful village to continue her studies on herbology some time ago. Eventually, she just never bothered to leave despite having done all the research she could within the nearby forest. The place had become her home, and the kind and hospitable villagers her family. And it was because of her knowledge that she knew something was wrong. Those plants never existed before. The entire forest had not been safe from her specimen collection frenzy! She had seen it all! Could they have done what many flowers commonly do and spread from somewhere else? No. The purple stinging weed was no where in her books, catalogs, or research notes. Nothing was in the notes of her colleagues either. It was safe to say it didn't exist anywhere else in all of Fiore or even Earthland itself! Until now.

Maisy Glover, the name of the herbalist, had become desperate to figure out the mystery and cause of the growing weeds. First though, she needed aid to remove them. It had to be done to protect the villagers that had not yet been affected. Plus, she wanted samples.  Why couldn't she just wear some gloves and do it herself? Uh... well she didn't want to. It was safer to pay someone else to do it at a much faster speed than she was capable of. Technically. There was no taking into account travel time, but hey, at least she wouldn't have to do it.

Job ads were made and spread throughout the entire continent. Any mage of any guild, or even those without a faction, could see the mission posting several times over on job boards or just walking through the streets of major and minor cities and towns. Maisy had expected to nab a simple starting mage to do the work for her. Not that she was judging the weaker mages of the world. She just assumed it was up their alley as beginner quests. Instead, the mission postings had gotten the attention of a Wizard Saint! It was not until the mission was completed and Samira had knocked on the door to hand over the samples of the weeds that Maisy nearly fell over dead. Not only did a Wizard Saint come to complete her easy gathering mission, but it was also one of the four heroes that had saved the village on the day of the monster invasion. That event and their names were already being told by the elders as if it had always been a part of the grand history of their ancient village. Both the herbalist and esteemed mage had thought their meetings would end there. That the invasion of the weeds would come to an end after some research had been done on the specimens. Surely a magic weed killer would do the trick! That theory was wrong entirely.

Herbalist professional extraordinaire Maisy Glover begun her research. It took hours, days, weeks! She didn't keep track of the accurate passage of time as it flew on by. Focusing on the weed was her top and almost only priority. Eating came second, and sleeping forced its way on her when she passed out. A few times the villagers threw buckets of soapy water on her as an implication for her to take a bath. But baths were not as important! She could take a bath once she figured everything out!

Eventually, she had done it! The first phase of her research was complete! Yes, step one. The herbalist jumped for joy and was pleased with the progress that anyone else would have considered to be very minimal and not very helpful in the grand scheme of things. Now, she needed a mage's opinion on the matter. She had known just which one to send a letter to! The Wizard Saint, Samira Nassar, the very woman and hero of Beanstalk Village that had helped her out before. As unfortunate as it was for the teal-haired woman, who had not really planned on getting involved again. Alas, she could not say no when the letter reached her hands, even if plant research wasn't exactly a strength of hers. Why the herbalist just couldn't find a flower mage was beyond her.

(Word Count: 1111)

Nevertheless, Samira had remembered that meeting well, despite the amount of time that had passed. It was an odd one that stood out and was still mysterious in its own way with questions left unanswered. It had been nightfall when she made it to Beanstalk village. At that time, she had not made frequent use of Janus' teleportation abilities, and thus it took longer for her travels than the near instantaneous version she had for present day. The signs that the purple weeds still existed were there. Her first attempt at ridding the village had failed. They still grew and spread along its streets and even along the commonly used trails of the forest. But, that was not all. The entire time Samira had felt that she was being followed. Her spirits could even sense it and had alerted her of it. The matter did not concern her at the time. The stalker had been harmless and kept his distance. She was sure he would go elsewhere once she either arrived at the house of the strange herbalist, or after eavesdropping on plant science, which she thought would have not been very interesting for just anyone. She was wrong.

Upon reaching Maisy's home, the only actual house in a village of tipis, Samira was dragged inside, and the herbalist did not waste any time explaining the findings of her research. Much of it Samira didn't really recognize the significance of because her knowledge on floral subjects was lacking. The only part she got out of it was that the plant could grow literally anywhere. It was just being a very considerate and thoughtful plant by continuing to grow in the areas expected of a weed.

At some point the stalker had made his continuing presence known. His clumsy foolishness had led him to lean and peer into the house window too far. He fell, crashing into the pile of firewood against the house. It had been too loud to ignore, and it was the spirit of Amaterasu that dealt with him. Quite easily, in fact. Not a single spell had to be used as she just used very basic hand to hand combat to come out victorious before throwing him through the window and into the house. Maisy was alarmed by the whole thing. The poor stalker ended up being tied up to random furniture because of her panic until the proper authorities arrived. It was troubling though. Samira knew something was off. There was a bad feeling there, and the thought that he was just some pawn in a grander scheme unnerved her. The only clue there was, was a strange silver coin. One facing had that of a skull, and the other side the mark of a hand. Nothing ever did come out of the coin when she looked further into it, and the hooded stalker gave no information when interrogated by the guards of the village.

It was unfortunate, but soon after Samira left the village Maisy had sent an update about the stalker. He had managed to escape from his confinement. Beanstalk Village wasn't exactly known for its complex jails and prisons, after all. The more disturbing part was that the stalker's body was found in the woods shortly after. Though the corpse had become the pickings of the wild animals that found it first, further inspection revealed that an animal attack was not what had killed him. There was an obvious stab wound in the chest. The murder weapon was no where to be found. If there was any information to be obtained, he could no longer provide it, and the clues dried up from there. Another mystery to be added to the pile that the village was starting to have to categorize and file just to keep up. Lest all the details be forgotten in the passage of time.

As for Maisy and the weed research, she had decided to send all of the data to a friend of hers that was not only a mage, but also a scientist. One of the top in his field even. Finally, at least perhaps some answers about the flower itself could be obtained through that route. Surely Samira's involvement with the whole ordeal had come to an end, or that was what she had hoped at the time, else she might as well start educating herself on plantlife and floral studies to be more of use and could actually follow the scientific discussions. Once again, she had been wrong to think others more qualified could take her place. For the third time, the weed, its effects, and its mysteries would become another chapter in her life.

Months after the stalker incident, Maisy had found Samira during a shopping trip. She had come out personally to find the Wziard Saint! How she knew Samira was there she didn't know or get a chance to ask. The herbalist was frantic and was practically begging for her to go back to Beanstalk Village and help. Things had gotten worse in the short amount of time that had passed. Rather than there just being weed trouble that could be avoided by just not touching them without a pair of gloves, there were now issues with the animal population. Not just the wildlife in the forest, however. The domesticated animals were not spared or given special treatment while existing in the village plagued with mysterious flowers and stalkers. There was now a sickness, a plague in the area. Humans had not yet been infected according to the herbalist, but it was clear the animal wildlife had gone berserk. They were attacking the villagers, and various forms of purple masses were growing on the wildlife that had been spotted in the attacks.

(Word Count: 961
Total So Far: 2072)

Chickens, pigs, wolves, all of them had to be dealt with when Samira returned to the village. They could not be cured. Well, that was not true. The physical side could have been. Her healing spirits mentioned that to be the case. But the mind was different, more complex. They claimed they could manage it, but refused to do so. One assumed it would be scarring, and that it would be better off to just put the animals out of their misery. Too much was unknown to attempt to cure them and release them back into the wild or with the rest of the livestock. Another didn't want to disrupt the balance of things. It was their fate to have such an illness, and thus they were also fated to die. And so they did, as Samira was left with no alternative if she wanted to protect the village from the disease and animal attacks. A bear had also revealed itself. Its infection being far worse than the rest of the animals. Such a beast was rarely sighted anywhere near the village unlike the wild wolves, and thus it could be concluded that the bear came from far deeper in the forest. Its infection progression was a clue that inside that maze of tall trees and brush that there was an infection source far more advanced than anything in the village itself. It needed to be investigated further. And not just anyone could do it. At least, no one that had been residing or visiting the village at that time. The only one that could go in and investigate with some expectation of coming out safely was Samira herself.

She remained in the village for a few days after that incident. Partially to make sure the infected wildlife was contained in the forest and that no villagers wandered into it for any reason, and another part to wait for Maisy's scientist mage friend to arrive in the village. When he arrived, both of the experts in the field of weeds began going over what they already knew, as well as going over the samples that had been collected from the infected animals that had been eliminated days prior. More scientists had been contacted for their opinion, and they had even been kind enough to send special devices through the expedited magic mail network to help with further sample collection, analyzation, and research. They had the tools necessary to get closer to the cause of everything as well as a hopeful vaccine to prevent another infection among the animals, and if necessary, the villagers as well.

Samira had been given the tools to scan various things that looked infected while traversing through the forest. She didn't mind using them. It was expected that she would. Yet, as she entered the forest to do the task she could feel something was very wrong with the forest. Anyone probably could. It was that strong. A mage or being of nature was not needed to sense the obvious sickness that covered the entirely of the forest slowly. It was almost as bad as the corruption of Seven that Samira had to deal with ages before. That had been the result of a demon-like entity that had been using dark and powerful magic to corrupt it. Perhaps the corruption of the forest near Beanstalk Village was the result of the same thing. The deeper she had gotten, the worse and more dense the corruption was. The same of animals had become a problem with the spreading of the disease. That was not surprising. What did come as a surprise to the Wizard Saint was that there were more than just large purple weeds growing around the forest.

There were other types of weeds, growths, crusts that suffocated trees as it grew on their trunks and branches, slimy purple moss, and even dark colored algae that infected the water sources. Some of the samples turned to ash and could not be successfully harvested. Others were capable of soaking up and draining magic power. Nothing about any of those was natural. They were all tainted by an ominous source that was bound to take over completely if given the chance. There was nothing else for Samira to do at that time, though. More information was needed before she just waltzed into whatever danger was lurking further in the forest. The samples needed to be given to the scientist and the herbalist. So she did. Then it was farewell to them, the village, and the villagers.

Much time had passed since then. Very little updates were ever sent her way about it. There was a sliver of hope in her mind that everything had worked out fine. That the corruption had been dealt with and the forest healed, that the village was safe from anything truly trying to do some work of evil like the incident within Seven. Maybe another mage had fixed it all and her aid was no longer required. All of it was possible. All of it was logical. All of it was believable enough for her to be convinced and move on to another part of her life, a dangerous threat that would affect others, or a mission that needed her experience and magical capabilities. Many of those piled up on her daily agenda constantly. After much too long, and just as Samira had let the mysteries and strange occurrences surrounding the weed fade from her mind almost completely, an update arrived in the form of a handwritten letter. Another chapter of the unknown weed had started, and Samira had once again become a character in its continuing story.

(Word Count: 945
Total So Far: 3017)

"MAIL FOR SAMIRA NASSAR!" The familiar, and very annoying, alarm from the magically expedited version of the mail system cried out in the middle of the library Samira was currently visiting. After helping an organization of supernatural hunters called The Order of the Ebon Cross with a vampire hunt, or rather book hunt in a house with a singular vampire and some ghosts that she couldn't fight, Samira had become a bit interested in the subject. Every now and then she took the time to learn more about those sorts of creatures, and more importantly, how to fight them by normal means without relying on magic. Her own wasn't exactly sufficient with the new breed that was nearly immune to magic. Trying to find information on the order itself and its history was a bit more difficult, however. It might as well have not existed at all. Barely even footnotes covered the group and the vague mentions could have been related to any order of hunter throughout history. Only their symbol could have set them apart from the rest, but that was a futile way to search as well. A bright sunny day was being wasted with pointless research that was going no where. The Goddess of Ishgar had closed her book and was contemplating leaving to do something outside while it was still daylight. Until that message came.

As the yell echoed through the quiet room and the halls of the library, a massive storm of shushes echoed right back with deadly cold glares that could have been successfully weaponized. It was a library. Quiet was mandatory. Else the armies of strict librarians and super obsessed readers would rise and eradicate the one that broke the most sacred of rules. Samira could feel the intensity behind those glares and fought the urge to sink in her seat to avoid them. Not even a mage of her rank could withstand such a deadly weapon. The embarrassment levels were high, and her pale skin had reddened. "Sorry," she whispered, an awkward smile spreading across her face. It did nothing to help her situation. The thick metaphorical cloud of anger could still be felt.

"MAIL FOR SAMIRA NASSAR!" The alarm repeated. Samira became frantic and immediately reached for the letter that was floating in the glowing magic cloud. Angry sighs and complaints followed. She could only hope that there would not be a third alarm. Not even she would have survived a third warning. "I could have sworn I told the mail man that invented this system to find a better way for delivering mail to me. It is fast, but very inconvenient with that loud alarm." Heaven forbid some celebrity was trying to hide with a disguise only to receive fanmail in the middle of a crowd with an alarm that shouted their name and reveal who they truly were. Actually that story would have been interesting. Still, it was pure evil! Samira appreciated on time mail, and even more so near instant mail, but there had to be a better way than having that automated message play every single time! And then repeat itself if the mail was not claimed within a span of ten seconds!

The orange delivery cloud disappeared, making a loud "pop" sound as it vanished. Samira was left alone at her table, with no evidence to show that she had not purposely made all of that noise just to be a troublemaker. The other people within the library would show no mercy. They had already given their final warning. Samira felt it all intensify, and she finally allowed herself to sink in her seat to shield herself from the incoming horror. It did not help.

"Kicked from a library. That is a new one," Samira thought aloud as the library doors slammed behind her. A hopeless sigh to reflect how devastated she was escaped as she stared at the closed doors. The angry librarian on the other side of the glass glared back and motioned for her to shoo. Samira lowered her head. It was so painful! And yet, this was actually being overly dramatic. They'd let her back in tomorrow. Maybe. Her head straightened back up and she turned around, making her way to descend the stairs that led up to the grand library building. In her hands was the envelope that contained the message that had been delivered. She had yet to open it. Now that she had been kicked out of the library there was nothing stopping her from seeing what it was and who it was from. Her curiosity wouldn't allow her to overlook or ignore it for long.

'So, who's it from?' A spirit inquired curiously.
'You know, it always amazes me when stupid questions like that are asked. You're connected to her mind! Just get the answer there!' Stated another.
'But I like surprises!'
'Idiot. Kali, cut her head off. She's not using it.'
'I remove the heads of those worthy or have deserved facing my wrath. I will remove yours if you dare command me again. So bold words deserve my action.'
'It was a joke... sort of.'

"Calm down. There will be no beheadings of any sort." Samira told them calmly, causing a man that was walking up the steps towards the library to stop and glance her way with great concern and worry. A woman talking to seemingly nobody was already enough to set off alarms for those that didn't know better. They would have assumed that she was talking to herself, an imaginary friend, or was just crazy. Beheadings though? That was not a topic that should have been spoken about as calmly as she had. Or at all really. He turned his gaze away and scurried up the steps to get as far away from her as possible. Preferably before she changed her mind about random beheadings. Samira didn't notice.

"Let me see if there is a name written anywhere." Samira flipped the envelope and saw only her own name, indicating who it was for. Other than that there was nothing to tell her who it was from. It would have to be opened to find out. No matter. She was confident that there would be no weird trap or magic bomb that would go off once she tore the envelope open and removed the letter. Though that would be another interesting highlight for her day if that were the case.

(Word Count: 1076
Total So Far: 4093)

Samira gently tore into the envelope, being careful not to accidentally rip the slip of paper that was contained within the thin covering. The latter was unfolded and her emerald eyes skipped to the bottom to read the signature. Who it was from was too much of a mystery to wait until she read the latter from top to bottom. "Allen Lander?" She blinked. That name rang a bell. Who was that again? Normally she didn't forget names, but that one was drawing a blank. It was familiar and yet... not really. It was one of those instances where one could have sworn they knew the person, place, or thing, but then it turned out their mind was just pretending it knew. Her spirits also did not recognize it off the top of their heads. Chronos thought he had written the name somewhere in the timeline scrolls and tablets he kept track of. Once. If even he had forgotten then there really was an issue. Or the person was just that bland and easy to forget for anyone.

Samira passed over the words on the letter to get back to the top and began to read. It wasn't long or lengthy by any means, but reaching the end made the light bulbs go off for her and every spirit currently in her mind space.

"To Ms. Samira Nassar,

I hope you have been doing well. It pains me to admit that things in Beanstalk Village have gotten even more out of hand than before. I can't talk about it in this letter though. There is always a feeling that I am being watched while I conduct my research or obtain more samples. Ms. Glover also has expressed this same sensation. I don't believe anything that I say here would reach you before it was intercepted, even while using the strange expedited mail network. You must come back to the village so that I can speak with you in person. It is urgent! I ask you to please put your other duties and tasks on hold immediately. I know that is a bold thing to ask of someone such as yourself, but I have to. I have to before it becomes too late to stop it.

I await your arrival. You can find me at Ms. Glover's dwelling.

Sincerely,

Dr. Allen Lander"

"Oh," Samira said, now getting the full picture of who had sent the letter. "It is that mage scientist friend of Maisy. She was that herbalist in Beanstalk Village. Strange how I remembered her name but not his." Though technically it was possible his name was barely even mentioned. The point in time that had his introduction didn't seem to exist anywhere in her memory. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that introductions were skipped entirely and they all just went straight to work with collecting samples. That... might have been exactly the way it went. The name might have only been mentioned once, which would explain why Chronos had it written down somewhere and why Samira felt that the name had been heard before. Well, that was solved now in either case. It got her kicked from the library, but she supposed she could forgive him. There was an urgent matter to attend to apparently. If the weed situation had indeed gotten worse, then she had to do as he suggested. Everything else going on had to be put on hold and delayed until further notice. Good thing she didn't have much going on and was only losing some free time instead.

The letter was refolded and placed back within the envelope. "Well, let us see about this before something else comes along. If I start getting mission requests like this on a regular basis I am going to have to start delegating some to all of you to handle in my place." One good thing about being a summoner is that there was always someone around to be an extra mind and body if she needed it. Having them act in her stead had proved to be a bad idea in the past, but she was only one person. It would end up being a necessary approach if missions started to come by mail. Many of the spirits groaned, dreading the thought of acting as professionals in her stead. They just preferred hitting things and having a good fight.

(Word Count: 736
Total So Far: 4829)

It didn't take long for Samira to reach the village. Janus, the spirit of portals, was available and freely used his abilities to help the summoner gladly. A blue portal that shimmered with celestial energy and sparkles appeared in the middle of the village next to their giant godly beanstalk. From it, Samira stepped through. What she saw was not a village that was crowded with onlookers at the sight of a spontaneously appearing magic portal. Nor were there any villagers going about their day to day routines. She had been there enough times and for lengthy periods to know what the village was like normally. The information her eyes were telling her was the opposite of the people's normal. That same dense and corrupted feeling she had felt in the forest the last time had now spread into the village. She had been afraid of that possibility.

Seeing as no one had come to greet her or deliver explanations, Samira took it upon herself to leave the village's center, where she then took the route that led towards Maisy's small house. Every tipi Samira passed along the way was quiet and empty. Some had showed indications that they had been vacant for a long time now. Now she understood. The village was deserted. Most likely and hopefully evacuated to get away from the plagued corruption and forest. Asking about it once she met up with Maisy and Dr. Lander would be one of the first things she set her mind to do.

Once at the house, Samira knocked on the wooden door. "Maisy? Dr. Lander? It is Samira." There was only silence as a reply. "I got the letter that was sent. It mentioned that you were going to give me the details on what is going on. Clearly something is." Sounds of movement could be heard on the other side of the door. It even sounded as if clumsiness had taken over as things fell to the ground in rapid succession. Silence again. Samira knocked again and stepped back. "Hello? I can always come back later if I am too early... though that would make the matter of urgency a bit confusing if it is delayed any further." More silence. Honestly, was she going to have to go around and knock on a window?

The thought of using her magic to get through the door crossed her mind. She didn't necessarily need to wait for the door to open. She had, after all, received a personal invitation to be there. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to resort to invading the premises or the concept of privacy. The door swung open and a hand reached out to latch onto Samira's arm, pulling and dragging her inside. The door slammed shut behind her, and she whirled around to face who had suddenly pulled her inside. It was Dr. Allen Lander. There and in the flesh as he said he would be. An unfortunate circumstance in his current state. The doctor looked panicked as he looked through the peephole of the door. Then ran over to glance through the curtains of one of the windows. What he was looking for Samira wasn't sure and she couldn't think to ask. Another one had taken over as priority instead.

"Dr... when was the last time you properly washed?" To say he was stinking up the place was accurate in a sense, but not so bad that her nose was going to decay and fall off. In fact, there was a weird fragrance of random flowers mixed in. But, it was clear from his matted and unkempt hair, his wrinkled and dirty clothing, and the patches of dirt and plant that had rubbed onto his skin during his forest outings made it obvious that he had skipped a couple of baths.

"One day. Maybe two. Why?" Dr. Lander asked, taking his eyes off the outside of the house to stare at the summoner in confusion, as if she were the strange one for even asking such a silly and random question. The awkward silence was enough for him to get the picture. Him realizing he looked far beyond his normal hygienic and polished self also helped. "Maisy gave me a bottle of her homemade perfume. I thought that would do the trick. For the smell at least." He laughed softly. Obviously he was wrong there. He approached Samira. "But you have to understand. There was no time for that. Our research has reached a point where we are convinced that if it is not taken care of now, this village, this country, maybe even the entire world would experience a plague unlike any before. It isn't natural, Samira. There is something evil and foul at work here. I am only a scientist. My mage abilities are not meant for things like this. I can only use them for research purposes. This is why I had to send for you! You've been here every step of the way so far. I can't find someone else to take over. Not when I can't be sure who to trust."

The Dr. spoke in rushed sentences, and his emotional state was unstable at best. Samira couldn't work like that. She needed him to be rational and calm. Her hands went to his shoulders. "All right. Breathe, doctor. Calm down." Using the abilities of An Dagda, the soft harmonic sounds of Uaithne played in the room, surrounding them and coming from no where. The tune of the harp worked to settle Lander's emotional state. He was much calmer. Samira led him to a nearby chair and pushed him down gently so that he could rest there. She remained standing. "Let us start this conversation with something more basic. Where are the villagers?"

(Word Count: 962
Total So Far: 5791)

Allen Lander pinched the space between the top of his nose and eyebrows. The headache and lack of sleep was starting to get to him. "Yes, uh, the villagers. Maisy. Right. That's it." He rubbed his head and then stared up at Samira with squinted eyes. "Ms. Maisy evacuated the village some weeks ago. They're all at a nearby village that isn't too far, but if we don't stop this soon even that village will experience the same effects as here. There are no signs yet according to her, but give it another few weeks and I'll bet my entire life savings that my theory on it being an exact repeat would be right." That entire life savings not exactly being a whole lot, but the point was still the same. He was serious and confident with his research results.

"Well, at least they are all safe for now," Samira commented and folded her arms over her chest. She walked over towards the window and stared outside into the gloomy forest. It creeped her out to stare at it. The forest seemed to be staring right back at her. She looked away, fixating her gaze back onto the tired doctor. "What sort of new findings did you come across with your research?"

"Something that I didn't think would be possible here. Not naturally anyway. Do you remember the algae you found while you were collecting samples for us? How it felt as if it were absorbing your magical power in minute increments that would hardly be noticeable or dangerous?"

Samira nodded silently.

"Then there was the crust and growth that were appearing to drain the life out of what they grew on. Just trying to receive a sample resulted in everything turning to ash."

"I recall."

"As the growth spread closer to the village after that Ms. Maisy and I started to collect even more samples. We didn't dare try going too deep in the forest. Or so I thought. Our safety was a priority if we were to keep doing our studies on this and so we planned to just stay within the boundaries and collect the more advanced deterioration as it came. Maisy went against this one night, but if she hadn't..." Allen placed his hands on his lap and squeezed his knees as if they served as stress balls. They had made a mistake in playing it safe before then. They probably could have caught it before it escalated the way it had. Many mages had passed through the town prior to sending Samira the letter requesting her assistance again. They could have been sent to destroy whatever was in that forest if they had the knowledge they had now. "Maisy had gone into the forest one night and obtained a sample, and after studying it, we have concluded that things are far worse than some weed infestation or a disease on the animal population."

"I assume this has something to do with the magical properties the versions in the forest had."

Lander nodded. "Those were just the early stages. Overtime this has mutated to be more powerful. Those weeds, or I should call it a side effect to the real problem, is corrupting the land on a grand scale. It started slowly at first because of its weakened state, but now the corruption has accelerated. As a result, the land is turning into some sort of siphon. It is draining away the very energies of the land, and anything that touches it. Both magical energy, and life force. You can see the dangerous implications this would have if allowed to spread outside the village. Not only would normal people and animals be affected, but even the mages that we would send to deal with threat would not be safe from the effects."

"Some probably would." Samira corrected with a small shrug of her shoulders. Many high ranking and advanced mages probably would be completely immunne to it. Even herself would be highly resistant. "But the point you have remains. This does need to be contained here and not allowed to spread further. Do you have any idea as to what the source of it is? Did Maisy find anything that could be a clue while she was out there that night?"

Landers shook his head. "No. The only thing she said was that she felt as if the forest was pulling her towards its center. The closer she got, the sicker she felt, but the temptation to keep going remained. I am not even sure how she managed to get away from its grip and make it all the way back here. Maybe it wasn't strong enough to overcome her own will yet. But with that in mind I can only estimate that something connected with the magic plague is deeper than any of us have gone before. Directly at its center."

"I see. A shame that she is not here to tell me herself of her experience. I would have liked to be better prepared for it if I am to go in there."

"She is supposed to come back at some point today. She comes by to give me supplies. I would rather she have someone else less willing to run into the forest to do it, but she didn't want to put anyone else into unnecessary danger. I had to accept her playing that role. Or starve, I guess. I admit that I'm not exactly at that level of selflessness just yet so I'd rather not choose the latter of those two options."

"Your sense of humor has yet to die out completely even under these circumstances."

"I blame the lack of sleep and probably the amount of isolation I have had."

"Fair point, I suppose. As for your suggestion of waiting here for Maisy, I am afraid that I will have to decline. That could take an uncertain amount of time even if she were to arrive today. Wait too long and I could be going through there in the dead of night. That is generally very unwise not only in normal cases, but moreso in these circumstances."

"All right then. Sorry to send you out there without all the details I would have liked to have. I think the only way I could get that is by going in there myself. I wouldn't survive long enough to make it back here with the knowledge."

(Word Count: 1073
Total So Far: 6864)

"It is fine and understandable. That is why I am here to begin with. I ask one thing of you, however. When Maisy arrives, you both should leave the village. There is nothing more for you to do here, and staying would only ensure your demise once the life siphon reaches the village in full force. When I am done, I will meet you both at the neighboring village. If I do not return, well, then you can pass on the information you have to the proper authorities and contacts so they can deal with this. I would hope that they take it seriously if even one among the Gods of Ishgar falls to it."

"I... guess I can do that. But do me a favor and don't die in there. Getting others involved at this late in the stage would be a pain in the ass that I just don't have the capacity to deal with anymore."

Samira smiled. "I only said that as a precaution because it is a small possibility. Small, but still possible in all technical senses. But, the fact remains that many experienced mages are hard to defeat, let alone kill. I do not intend on meeting my end to a life siphoning forest. Do not stress yourself further over something like that. If things are worse than we suspect, and I have no other choice, I will just burn the entire forest down and have the lands purified."

"Uh... er..." A proverbial sweatdrop appeared at the side of the man's head upon hearing that. "Isn't that just a bit drastic?"

"No. I do not like going overboard, or choosing such destructive methods, but I do what I have to. That being said, I have work to do." The summoner walked towards the door and opened it. "Be sure to do as I said and evacuate. I would hate to have to resort to my destructive abilities with you still in proximity."

"Still in proximity... WAIT! You would do that with me still here?!"

Samira didn't answer.  All she did was walk out and close the door behind her in vocal silence. Would she resort to forest destruction while knowing that he was still nearby and could be harmed or killed as consequence? No. Not intentionally. That was why she told him to get out. If he chose to ignore her warning and stay, that was his choice, and therefore whatever happened to him after that was his own doing. She wasn't the type to argue, let alone over something like that. He was free to do as he pleased.

A short walk later and Samira found herself standing right outside the forest. Only a few more steps would take her inside. She didn't take them yet. There, at the entryway, she stared long and hard at the collection of trees. Nothing else could be seen beyond them. They stood as guards, hiding the dark secrets that had been within their boundaries for some time now. Yet, they were almost welcoming. Like Maisy had felt when she went inside, Samira could feel it too as she stared at the trees that waved with the moving breeze. There was a magical draw, a pull. Something was in there. It sensed not only the lifeforce standing outside the forest, but also the huge amount of magical power that was mixed in the same fleshy vessel. The corruption within the forest wanted that magic source. For what purpose was anyone's guess at that point. Maybe it survived by feeding on magic power and life, and those with huge amounts of either were a tasty banquet too tempting to resist. Either way, Samira could still feel and sense it. It was at that moment that she was grateful that she did not have the ability to listen to the trees and other plantlife. The horrors they must say at that stage. She had spirits that could translate, but even her curiosity had its limits. It was best not to know.

After some more quiet moments passed by, Samira made the decision to enter the forest. She calmly walked the few steps that would lead her inside. As she did, if she didn't know any better, she would have thought that the trees had separated to allow her to pass through freely, but then immediately close behind her, blocking her way out. But that was a silly thought. Her body turned to glance behind her. Nothing out of the ordinary was amiss. Not that she tested the theory of being locked inside the forest now. She wanted to be inside, after all. An escape could be thought about later on if there was an issue there.

The summoner traveled along the forest path that many others before her had used quite frequently in the past. Or what was left of it. The wild plants had grown over it, and the tainted weeds and plants were now everywhere. What use to be far in between patches were now groups of corrupted vegetation that was turning the inside of the forest dark and purple. It felt... heavy. Normal simple breathing required more effort as well. All was quiet within the impure forest. The lack of animals and their sounds was obvious to the point that the silence was too loud. Had the animals finally moved on as they sensed what was overtaking their home? Or had they all become infected and turned, and were now hiding deeper in the forest for the random traveler? Samira also didn't know that. Throughout her entire walk she didn't see any sign that an animal had passed by at any recent time. No chirping birds that flew through the trees and made leaves fall. No skulking wolves that hid away in the brush while stalking their prey as a pack. No foraging bears that moved cautiously but with confidence all the same. No signs of left over food sources or marks from their hunts. It was all completely gone, dead, and empty. Aside from herself. A lone mage that some might have thought to be foolish to enter such a ghastly place.

(Word Count: 1026
Total So Far: 7890)

Over time, Samira drew closer to the center of the forest. The awful magic thickened even more even if it could not be seen. The drain on her magic power could be felt, working slowly, but still occurring all the same. For now, her abilities to replenish that loss of magic fuel covered that. How long that would work was anyone's guess, and so she quickened her pace, walking at a faster speed to reach the central point that had to have all the answers. But, the forest had its own protection. Something or someone knew what she intended, and where she was going, and it was forced to act.

The snapping of twigs was heard first. Followed by other footsteps. Judging by the sound, there were a few number of sources. Unless whatever was coming had way more legs on its body than it should have had. Samira stopped and turned in the direction it was coming from. Then there were sounds of disturbed bushes and trees on the other side as well. Something was working to surround her. She waited. Alert and ready. Her protective barriers were activated. Nothing there could have been an ally at that stage, and so she expected a violent confrontation. Another minute passed by and would confirm for her that she was accurate with her assumption.

People started to come towards her from the hidden depths of the forest. Samira knew immediately that something was not right with them. She had seen it before several times. Those people were no longer alive. They moved, slowly and clumsily, but that was at the work of dark sorcery more than actual life. They were the the walking dead, zombies. By the looks of the rotting stages they were killed and turned not all that long ago. Some were huntsmen based on their attire and equipment, others were likely travelers and mages that got caught in the dark will of the forest and became trapped. No matter what they were before they were all the same now. Zombies that intended to kill. That was their natural instinct. There was no brain activity or thought process to counter it. Knowing this, Samira didn't waste any time on any kind of sentimental morals that might have stopped someone else just because they were people before. There was no helping them. Their souls had already transcended and their bodies already rotting.

A pair of chakrams that radiated celestial energy formed in Samira's hands. She unleashed them, one on each side of the zombie blockade around her. The thin circular weapons moved rapidly, and in what seemed like an instant, they returned to their owner. The heads of the zombies fell off their bodies and rolled on the ground, having been cut smoothly by the chakrams. The bodies themselves then toppled over, now lifeless in every sense of the word.

'I thought there was to be no beheading of any sort? Kind of hypocritical for you to do it, ain't it?'

"That was meant on how you treat each other. That was also a comment made much earlier. It does not apply here." Samira replied candidly as she dismissed the chakrams, allowing them to disappear in a cerulean swirl of magic particles. "But it looks like this infection is more than that. Whatever is behind this also reanimates the dead. This is concerning."

'If it isn't snakes then it's zombies. I'm not even sure which I like less.'

"Understandable."

'I am worried. Should we enter that realm and be of aid to you, Samira?'

"No. If this were a populated city that were infected then perhaps so. I do not believe there is an army of this type of creature within this forest. The numbers should be within my capability to handle on my own."

'Or, you know, you do have god spirits that can control the dead. You can always use them and pretty much have to do nothing. Easy breezey lemon squeezy.'

"Perhaps if it becomes necessary. It is not at this moment."

And as she continued her journey those words still rang true. It had been close, though. The closer to the center she got, the more deadly and advanced the zombies became. There was a type that knew how to dodge and perform more accurate strikes, the opposite of the slow moving ones of the first batch that did not even get close enough to attempt it. They were still eliminated easily enough in much the same way. The last group was what proved to be challenging. Samira could barely even call them the typical stereotype of a zombie. They charged at her with a speed that she had not ever seen before on that sort of creature. They also had claws, a sign that there had to be some mutation going on within them even though they were quite dead. Those required more than a simple weapon or two to take care of. They were numerous and difficult to dodge. Her protective barriers, while strong, wouldn't last forever with the constant hits and their speed.

Samira's skin turned purple and became covered in soft scales that radiated a mist-like energy from them. It was a spell that belonged to the form of Apophis. Those recent days she was turning more and more to his power. As unfortunate as it was. They were just so convenient for matters like that. Being able to erase the problems from existence was a power one could not take for granted. Just as long as it was not abused. She felt this time she could allow herself to use it without feeling guilty or dirty. A circle of dark magic pulsed from the woman, spreading and hitting the charging zombies that surrounded her and even continuing on further. Everything it touched dispersed into particles that faded away into nothing. Zombies, trees, bushes, large rocks. Anything and everything. A new landmark was in that forest now. A large circle of nothing but dirt. Hopefully once the corruption was gone, what was lost could grow back after enough time had passed. There was solace in that.

The conflicts between her and the zombies continued. Though, as she predicted, there weren't that many wandering the woods. She had gotten through the majority of them already. Her partial take over spell remained active just in case, even if doing so made her uncomfortable. Or maybe that feeling was only worsened because of the effects in the air of the forest. She was close now. Closer than ever to the center. Samira only needed to get through one final obstacle of thick trees and bushes to get there. She sent that same spell there, more accurately than she had when she just wiped out the entire area of zombies. The trees and bushes poofed from existence, leaving an opening that she could see through and revealing a strange object that pulsed a massive amount of energy. Dark energy that was siphoning her own with zero effort now that she was so close.

(Word Count: 1178
Total So Far: 9068)

Samira threw away caution and approached closer to be within the large clearing, and as a result, closer to the center piece. A tall pillar stood there. One that looked to be made of a black and hard material. If she had to guess, it would have been onyx or obsidian. Touching the pillar told her it was the latter of the two. The smooth glassy feeling was enough to confirm that. Unless it was something else entirely. Obsidian didn't normally have life sucking properties to it. And seeing that there were no active volcanoes anywhere near there to create the source required to make the pillar, it was further evidence that the pillar was not native to the forest. It had been brought and placed there.

The Goddess removed her hand and held it with the other. Unlike the algae that barely did anything to her when it touched her and drained magic, the pillar stung. As if had bitten into her and taken a well sized chunk of her magic power out. That settled it. The pillar had something to do with the corruption of the forest. It needed to be destroyed. The concept sounded so easy in her head. It usually was. Rarely was anything unbreakable. The pillar proved to have magic protection that was beyond her own. Not even the minor powers of Apophis could remove it. Using her weapons to slice through it physically also proved to be futile. Not a single scratch had been made on its shiny and smooth surface. The combined effort of her spirits and her own also did nothing to the structure that was about to be labeled as unbreakable. The only two options left were to use magic so powerful that it would have brought the devastation she had warned Lander about, or remove it by banishing it permanently to the other realm.

The summoner began to ponder which form to take and which spell to use to make good on her warning for the former. There were plenty. Maybe, as much as she disliked it, she would use the form of Apophis fully and send it all to the void. Sagittarius and Ra could also wipe out everything. Choices. All of them with their benefits and consequences. Things used to be so much simpler when she could just toss a spirit at a problem. Unfortunately, after already trying that, the only one she saw being of use in that regard she refused to summon.

"I knew eventually someone would come poking their nose where it doesn't belong." The male voice broke Samira's concentration. Looking in the direction the voice came from, a black robed figure walked out from the trees and into the clearing. Marks of red were embroidered into the robe's design, and a white skull decorated the front of the hood. No weapon was clearly visible, but in a world of magic that meant nothing. "It has been a long time since we saw you here, Wizard Saint. Your arrival at this stage was unexpected."

"As were the existence of you and whoever this "we" represents. I assume this here is your doing?" She motioned towards the pillar and that of the rest of the tainted forest. The robed figure did not frighten her in the least. Unless the pillar was distorting her senses to feel his magic power levels then he was of the weaker sort. Probably capable against many mages, but not to her. Not to any of the high ranking mages she knew of. He also used his one chance to get the surprise attack on her. How foolish. Though, it would surprise her if he didn't intend to do anything to her at all. The chance of that was slim. She had already seen too much, and if he were in some kind of group that operated on that scale, a group that ensured that the previous stalker would be killed after being caught by her and the authorities, then the new robed figure would have no choice but try to capture or end her. It was just the way of things. She couldn't expect anything different.

"It was the will of the order. I'm sorry, but that is all I can say. Not that it makes any difference. You won't be leaving here. Your magic energy will be fuel that will help spread this plague. You should feel honored to play such a vital role in our plans." His words were spoken with a sinister tone. He had confidence, Samira gave him that much. If he was so sure of his victory then perhaps it was wise to not underestimate him. What sort of tricks did he have hiding in those dark robes? That thought crossed her mind as she prepared herself. And then the battle started.

(Word Count: 806
Total So Far: 9874)

The robed stranger whispered two words: "Shadow Force." The meaning of those words became clear very quickly. Three black spheres appeared in the air and were sent her way. Samira moved out of their path, but they turned and maneuvered back and followed her. That was just the distraction. The robed man remained stationary. He was not the type of fighter that moved. Samira recognized that sort of fighting. Either he played defensively and required zero movement because of the strength of his defense, or he relied on summons to do the work of getting in close. Her theory was correct. As she evaded the black orbs and used her own defensive barriers to block their power the robed figure had called on undead monstrosities to join in the fight. They were handled by her own spirits. Two celestial portals appeared in the air above the trees. One allowed all of her spirits to come out at once and attack everything around. The other was connected to the realm of gods. Beams of the godly essence within shot out from the portal to destroy the walking dead abominations one after another. It didn't matter how many he summoned to his side.

There came a point where the robed man had gained the advantage and upper hand. Samira had tried to subdue him with a spell that would knock him unconscious. She saw no point in ending his life. Not when he could answer some questions. The possibility for that was still there depending on how easy he was to crack when faced with local interrogation. Though with him she would be sure that security was tighter than it was with the previous stalker they apprehended. Perhaps even send him off to the Rune Knights to deal with him. She should have been suspicious though. The attacks from the portals above did nothing to injure him. He had pretended to be harmed, acting the part with each hit. But he was completely fine. That was apparent enough when the sleeping spell that belonged to Cernunnos did nothing. He only laughed, finding amusement with that tactic. He mentioned something about the dead did not truly ever sleep. Then he explained that the pillar protected him. Anything magical she threw at him would be absorbed by the pillar. She was only fueling it further with each spell.

More black orbs were summoned and thrown, this time at the mystical sleeping flowers that were supposed to make him unable to move for some time. They decayed with the touch of the death orbs. At that same moment, skeletal hands shot up from the ground and beneath Samira's feet. They grabbed onto her ankles, and even though she stomped on them, shattering the skinless limbs, more took their place and pulled her down. She sunk until she was waist deep in the dirt. Trying to push herself up did nothing. The woman was completely stuck at that moment. Maybe a teleportation spell would help. Or she could go back to using the magic of Apophis to destroy the dirt around her to free herself of that prison. In the end, she didn't have to do anything.

A different sort of purple mist flowed into the clearing and covered it. It was not from the pillar or the robed stranger. Samira could tell that it was different. The energy felt familiar. Similar. There was the essence that matched that of her own spirits there. The robed man gasped and cried out angrily. He too knew that was not the same sort of magic that came from him or the pillar of corruption. He demanded for whoever else was there to show themselves. A demand that the deity behind the mist would grant.

Ghostly hands reached for the robed man, clawing at him, siphoning his life energy in much the same way as the pillar drained away everything else. The magic structure could not protect him from it.  The power of a god of death in spirit form was more powerful than a structure or object that borrowed that power in other ways. It could be... over written. Taken over. Made useless. Or cause it to backfire on those that attempted to use it. The spirit didn't care enough to go that far. He silently commanded the souls of the dead from afar. Like the skeletal hands that were used to latch onto Samira and cause her to sink partially into the earth, the souls of the dead from the spirit also did the same thing. The ghostly hands latched onto him, every limb, his hooded head, every part of his body. Through the transparent hands of the dead he could see a jackal sitting on the edge of the clearing between the bushes, watching. The robed stranger knew that jackal to be the source of his current predicament. And now, his ultimate fateful end. The man started to sink into a portal that appeared on the dirt's surface below him, the souls dragging him down. Though muffled, Samira could make out the robed man's pleas as she watched. Then he was gone. As was the purple mist that had entered the fight.

(Word Count: 866
Total So Far: 10740)

As he faded from the area, his magic did as well. Samira was now free to remove herself from the trap. At first she was angry. She had thought one of her own spirits had done that. Hades. Au Puch. Those two were at the top of her head that were capable of that. She had just been about to demand they return him so he could be used for information. They stopped her, their voices booming through her mind in offense before calming down.

'That was not us. We do not take the form of jackals. There is but one spirit that does and also has those powers.'

"Jackal?"

'You missed it then.'

'Anubis. The jackal. The conductor of souls.'

'Strange he has acted so boldly. This matter is not within his interests.'

Samira was stunned. "More than that. If I recall that was Amirah's spirit. Are you sure?"

'He remains hers... unofficially. By right he is a part of our set. He is tied with you whether he, or others that remain in disapproval, accepts this or not.'

'And so he intervened and took off like the pompous asshole I remember him to be from before. Terrific. Look before we all keep going down this decorative road of explanations and understandings I just want to say that you should leave that future tourist hotspot. His presence is a sign that Amirah could also be lurking in these woods. This is not the time for a confrontation with her. She kicked your ass last time. We don't exactly have the safety net we did before either.'

"Agreed. But there is still the issue of this structure." As Samira stated that fact and turned towards it, she took notice of objects that had not been there before. On the ground, next to the base of the pillar, was a book, a coin, and a piece of paper that contained a drawing. Samira took them one by one and examined them. The silver coin was the exact same one the stalker from one of her earlier visits to Beanstalk Village held. The book looked ancient and worn, though still mostly intact. Its pages were words of a language that even Samira did not know. The drawing was that of a mark of sorts. A symbol for the organization he spoke of?  A dark guild? There was no description or details written on either side of the page to tell her what it represented specifically.

"Well at least these may provide some clues." How they got there she could guess. They were items that the robed man probably had on his person and were delivered by the same spirit that took him. Before leaving, Samira tried her ideas of banishing the pillar away or sending it to a void realm. Neither worked fully. The most she could do was set it in a dormant state by partially banishing it. Hopefully the book would give information on how to destroy it completely. She left the forest, partially satisfied with the results of her journey, and returned to Maisy's house in Beanstalk Village just to make sure Dr. Lander had taken her advice. He did. The scientist was no where to be found anywhere in the village. Her next step was to go to the neighboring village so that she could give Maisy and Dr. Lander the details as well as the items that were left behind. Was this progress? One could only hope.

(Word Count: 580
Total So Far: 11320)

When Samira arrived at the next village over, she was glad to see that the evacuated villagers were well despite their constant problems. Maisy also looked well, and surprisingly, someone had convinced Lander to wind down and finally take that long needed bath he had put on hold during his fit of paranoia. The three of them gathered at a house that was the temporary home of some of the villagers, including Maisy. Thankfully, each got their own room, and it was that very room that they had their discussion. Samira described the events of the forest. The spread and advanced stages of the corruption. The lack of animals anywhere. The pillar. The robed stranger. Then she revealed the items that were at the scene when it was all over. She placed them on the table and the aweing herbalist and scientist looked at each of them with an inquisitive curiosity. They knew nothing of the mark or the silver coin. Maisy only recognized it from the time that stalker was scurrying around the outside of her house. The book was another story. Now that was a huge piece to the puzzle... if they could have translated it fully. They couldn't. Lander himself only knew enough of the forgotten language to make out the title printed on the cover.

"Unyielding Death. I remember this being talked about during my school years. It was more urban legend than reality which is why I never gave it much thought. If this is the real deal we may be dealing with a group of cultists. Powerful ones."

"Cultists? Here? I am not prepared to deal with that kind of thing! Where are we even supposed to start?"

"We start by getting that book translated. I may know someone that can help me do so. You two are not to do anymore than you have already done. Just keep your eyes and ears open for any information that might be beneficial."

The two agreed.

(Word Count: 330
Total So Far: 11,650)

11,000 for 100Y Freeform
500 for The Plague Part 5