Chapter 34: A Futile Lesson in Fertility
The rain came down in sheets. Steam rose from the ruined battlefield and burning roots hissed as the cool droplets met the smouldering foliage. The charred and broken remains of thousands of ants littered the forest floor. Every step sounded like walking on oversized potato chips.
For several long moments no one spoke. Andy pulled himself free from the remains of the hive. His coughing broke the silence.
Auri stared. Gustave stared. Andy looked at both, “I had heard of fire ants but this is…” He noticed them staring, “What?”
Auri pointed a paw and Andy’s gaze followed. A burning vine was wrapped around his hind leg. “Oh crap. I’m on fire. I’m on fire!”
He began shaking the leg rather ferociously attempting to get the vine off. Flowers began to grow on the vine. Andy shook harder.
The first flower opened. It was a brilliant orange red with a yellow stamen. However, the most interesting thing about this flower was that it was on fire. In fact, not only was it on fire, but it appeared to be producing its own fire.
“Andy, you can control the vine! Just move it.” Auri said both intrigued and absolutely done with Andy’s antics.
“Oh. I… Yeah.”
Andy withdrew the vine from around his leg, the fire went out and it slowly withered and began to look as charred as everything else.
[NEW ABILITY: EMBERROOT] Weave together life and fire magic into vines. The buds produced are made of pure fire.
[ABILITY IMPROVED: IMPROVED THERMAL TOLERANCE -> FIRE RESISTANCE]
[FIRE| LIFE MAGIC EXPENDED: SIGNIFICANT. HORN RESERVES: 13%]
[ANTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE: DEFEATED X 12,386]
[+324 XP NEW SPECIES BONUS +10 ]
“That’s it?”
Auri tilted her head, “What do you mean that’s it?”
“I killed Twelve thousand ants and I got less than 400 XP?”
“Technically we killed twelve thousand ants.”
“That’s exactly my point. That’s the amount of experience we got after our bonus’”
Gustave landed on a non-smouldering branch nearby and took in the devastation. The crater, the burning forest, the ruined colony and the thousands upon thousands of dead ants.
“You appear to have solved the ant problem.”
“Yeah. I didn’t ant-ticipate it would be that crazy.”
Auri groaned and Gustave remarked, “You also appear to have created several exciting new problems.”
Andy looked around and as the devastation registered wave after wave of guilt washed over him. “I did all of this? ”
“Well. Gustave made the giant crater.” Auri added helpfully, and then “Now, can you explain to us why you look like a really dirty Christmas ornament? And what the hell happened down there?”
The once glowing emerald horn had taken on ruby stripes. Andy attempted to look up at it. He crossed his eyes, straining. He gave up with a sigh, “I can’t see it. Can you describe it to me?”
“You look… festive.”
“Festive? In what way?”
“In a, ‘you’re going to lead our sled at night kind of way.’”
“What?” Andy asked.
“I think she’s trying to say,” Gustave added helpfully, “That your horn has taken on a new appearance. It is now green and red striped.”
A sapling sprouted in front of Andy. He tilted his head watching as it began maturing.
“Oh, hey. Look. My ambient life magic is already fixing the forest after my little encounter with fire magic.”
“Little encounter… really? Andy, you blew up half the forest, and committed ant-genocide.”
“Come on, it wasn’t that bad.”
Flowers began blooming at Andy’s feet. He kicked at one spreading pollen and seeds around it. “Now we know, ants and fire don’t mix.”
The seeds immediately began taking hold and small spouts started to grow where every seed had been. An acorn fell out of the oak above Andy and hit him in the head.
“Okay, that’s weird.”
A berry bush grew from the ashes of the destruction around it. The bush flowered.
“Oh man, I love those berries. I can’t wait for them to grow in.”
Fruit began growing, weighing the bush down until berries began falling off by the handful.
“Uhh well, I could have waited a little longer.”
[ENVIRONMENTAL EVENT: UNCONTROLLED GROWTH]
[AMBIENT LIFE MAGIC SPIKE]
[WARNING: INCREASE IN LIFE MAGIC HAS CAUSED A MASSIVE SPIKE IN FLORA]
A mushroom the size of a stool erupted from the ground next to Auri. Andy brightened “I guess you could say its a–”
“Don’t say it.” Auri warned
“--toadstool.” Andy finished with amusement.
Auri closed her eyes, “I hate you.”
Another mushroom erupted, and then three more.
“Aw, look.” Andy pointed with his horn, “It reproduced.”
Auri groaned.
“Before long there won’t be mush-room left.”
And with that a cluster of mushrooms the size of a wagon burst from the undergrowth.
Auri shot Andy a look, “Okay, you can stop now.”
“I’m uh. Not doing this.”
The ground began moving. Roots were crawling through the soil displacing it and anything that got in their way. Every berry that had rolled along the forest floor was now in the process of becoming its own berry bush.
Vines continued to spread, another bush erupted from the body of a fallen ant, and then another. The surviving trees grew visibly larger, thicker and ripe with seeds. Seeds dropped with such quantity it looked like rain, and everywhere they dropped a sprout would appear.
The trio watched as a young oak grew nearly ten feet in less than a minute, and a second oak sprouted beside it. The second tree was already beginning to produce acorns.
Every one of the now dozens of berry bushes was laden with their own berries.
“Oh, this isn’t good.”
[THE REGION IS EXPERIENCING FERTILITY OUTSIDE OF NORMAL PARAMETERS]
A thick cloud of yellow pollen began forming. Andy sneezed. A field of yellow flowers erupted beneath them. The flowers released another cloud of pollen. The flower field doubled in size. Then doubled again.
Rain no longer was making it to the forest floor as the trees grew denser, leaves growing faster than the water could fall through them. The canopy was closing and it was getting darker.
A distant cracking could be heard and a massive tree toppled. This tree hadn’t died, six new trees had grown up through it.
“I recommend evacuation.” Gustave said, launching himself into the air and retreating back the way they’d come.
Another crack rang out, then another and another. More massive trees began toppling over, crushing everything in their path. Auri sprinted after Gustave. Andy followed.
A thorn bush erupted directly in front of him. Andy backed up, got a running start and jumped. The thorns grew taller than he was. Thorns cut his underside and legs and he barely made it through the thorny vines. He turned to watch as they produced fruit. The fruit engorged on the branches and exploded sending seeds flying like shrapnel.
The forest was closing in on them as quickly as they could move. Each time they thought they were clear another growth spurt pushed the dense vegetation further out from its apex. The entire forest was thick with dense yellow pollen.
Gustave banked left and right. Branches continued sprouting in his path and he dodged the first but was unable to dodge the second. A thunk rang out as he ran head first into the branch. Gustave fell.
Auri jumped, resuming her actual size, all five tails reappearing as her russet coat turned milky white. She caught Gustave in the air and the moment her paws were on the ground again she continued running.
They weren't fast enough. Vines, trees, flowers, everything blocked their path.
“We’re boxed in.” Auri said, skidding to a stop.
“I’ve got an idea, but I don’t have much energy left.” He channeled life magic through his horn as the forest closed in tighter and tighter. Thorns scratched them. Seeds embedded themselves in their skin and fur. Vines began wrapping around their legs.
“Get ready!” Andy projected as he began commanding the foliage out of their way, creating a tunnel through the forest. “Go!” Andy’s horn was dimming, almost all of his energy spent and they took off running and the tunnel closed off behind them.
The party tumbled out of the forest and into the clearing. Rain pattered the grass. Both horse and fox were panting. Their sides heaved with effort. Auri set Gustave down gently before collapsing herself. All three were alive and had been given a reprieve. For several long moments nobody moved.
When his breathing had slowed Andy rolled over. “I think I learned something important today.”
Auri didn’t bother lifting her head, “What’s that?”
“There is such a thing as too fertile.”
A crack and a thunk were heard somewhere behind them as another massive tree was felled.
[SURVIVAL BONUS +50XP]
[XP: 4371/?]
[SPECIES: HORSE (MAGICAL BEAST)]
[PURITY AFFINITY: ACTIVE]
[GALLOP EFFICIENCY: 81%]
Andy took one last look at his notifications before exhaustion took him forward into dreams.