Jack spent a few minutes exchanging pleasantries with Dula, and having a good laugh about the giant's extremely long nap. The two laughed heartily, then parted ways; Jack heading back toward the forest outcrop, the rest of the collected party heading back toward the large fire near the tower.
Jack was met with perked ears and a wet, inquisitive nose, followed by demands for more pancakes. He was in a good mood after meeting up with the lumbering giant and his pipe, and was quite taken with Mama's insistence. He nuzzled and rubbed on her, then set about reviving the buried coals of the small fire he had been using to cook with earlier. Slowly, a faint light from the small fire filled the small patch of ground he had selected, casting a dull red pallor on the forest floor. As the light rose, he noticed little Pune, sitting beneath one of the trees, with her knees clutched close to her.
Apparently she had no place else to go, and did not like the tower any more than he did, so had elected to stay here with him and Mama. He discretely woke her up, and offered her a spot next to the fire. She seemed put off by it, and he assured her that he would not allow a large fire to burn unattended, and that he would ensure it was good and out before going to sleep. The two had a small discussion about where he obtained his firewood, while he cooked pancakes, and handed them off to Mama (To her intense delight). He offered the pixie a few of the pancakes, and she acted like she had never had anything like it before. He wanted to console the poor girl, but he had no idea how to help with somebody who had lost their memories.
The conversation shifted to the ever-present.. ache.. the forest around them was experiencing. It was a pleasant surprise to talk with someone who had the same kind of sensations he did, and could feel the needs of the woods around them, and was very heartening for him (even if the subject was dire, and worrisome). He had grown so accustomed to having to keep such talk to himself, as people tended to think him quite mad if the subject came up. The two of them discussed what his and his traveling companions intentions were, why they were out here. Jack was as honest as he could be about the situation-- The others had their own reasons for taking the job the Mayor had posted, but he was here because this forest needed help, and was suffering and dying all around him, and it was something he could not endure being idle over. The concept of a human showing such concern made her giggle at him, but she couldn't place why she found it funny-- bumping into another of her gaps in her memory.
The hour was growing late, so he extinguished the fire, put the satchel bag high up in the tree branches, then he offered to make the pixie a better place to sleep for the night, by collecting some of the leaves from his and mama's bed, and making a smaller one for her nearby, just on the other side of the large tree he had chosen to sleep under so many days before. Mama wanted to know why he was being so friendly to the pixie. She accepted and agreed that the creature was not a danger, and seemed friendly enough, but reminded jack that his attention belonged to her, in a somewhat pointed manner. Jack found this hilarious, and reassured her that she needn't worry about that; He would be hers for as long as she wanted him.
Settling in under the large tree, with the bears heavy head resting on his chest, he idly stroked her small fuzzy ears, while reflecting on the conversation he and Plune had had. Closing his eye, and leaning back in the leaves and pressing the back of his head against the roots of the large tree, he let his sensations wander. The feelings of dull pain, cold, hunger, and other slow sufferings suffused the area. It wasn't as bad here as it was elsewhere, he noted, but it was spreading, and growing. Soon this place too, would suffer terribly if nothing was done.
A wild, crazy thought crossed his mind: This nature magic he was learning-- It allowed him to use his own energy to assist and guide the growth of plantlife, and whatever it was that was poisoning these woods, it was acting on the grass, plants and trees, and then on the beasts and birds after that-- using freakish plantlike growths inside them. Maybe it would be a fools errand, or a waste of energy and effort, but he could try at least, to sooth what he was feeling here, even if just a little.
He once more rubbed Mama's ears as she slept heavily on his chest in the starlit gloom of the forest floor with him. She deserved so much more than having another one of those vile abominations grow inside her, and drive her mad, before causing her body to practically fall apart from the inside. These gloomy thoughts only compelled him to try this mad idea even further, spurred on by the love he felt for this silly old confused bear, which had fallen for an aging old human like him.
Abruptly, he grasped one of the tree roots beside him in his hand, and held tightly, then let his energy and desires to help every sprig of greenery, every blade of grass, every root and branch that was good and wholesome, flow into it, and into the ground beneath him.
His heart jerked into a panicked tempest as he felt the initially gentle flow, and normal background awareness of his surroundings, transform into a debilitating draw on his strength, and a sickeningly deep sensation of the suffering around him, as the two abilities temporarily merged, and his intentions for good will were latched on to, as if by desperate grasping hands. It seemed as if nature itself was grasping hold of him in desperation. Mama stirred from her slumber as he struggled to get out from under her in a panic stricken tumble, lurching more than moving, and barely able to manage a labored crawl. He could sense her confusion, worry, and panic about him, even without looking into her eyes, as she too, was a part of these woods.
He could feel the magic getting practically ripped out of him, and it was taking all his remaining strength to remain focused, and avoid animal- like panic from setting in. With labored and trembling hands, he slowly and very carefully climbed himself up onto his two legs, leaning very hard into his staff like a crutch, to snatch the bag from the branches over-head. He could feel all the plants around him drinking off him, and using the energy to grow and strengthen themselves, weakening him more and more every passing moment. As he grasped the bag, his legs nearly gave out from under him, forcing him to sit down before he could simply keel over. His wavering hands fumbled in the darkness of the bag, grasping equipment and ingredients. Glassware clanked together as mixed together the mage's fennel, rock salt, and the badger scent gland, and brought the contents together into a foul smelling potion.
Mama and Plune were staring at him in fright, while he quaffed the potion with a disgusted face, and blessed relief washed through him as it worked its miracle, before he collapsed on his back on the ground, staring up at the stars. Sensations and feelings whirled around in him, as the energy continued to flow out, and he became aware that the local forest was trying to use his gift to rebel against the taint that was seeping in, desperately trying to grow enough to do so. He could feel every small speck of lichen, every blade of grass, all trying and fighting against each other for the energy in him, to overcome the toxic leakage, spreading from the distant north east. He became aware that this toxic energy had once been a source of strength for this far away corner of the forest, and now as poisoning it. It had latched on to him instead, seeking a new source to grow and flourish with, in near open rebellion against the now toxic flow.
Jack did not resist it. Instead, he took charge of the flow as best he could without shutting it out, and crawled around on the forest floor, seemingly for hours, ministering to individual plants here and there, digging some up and moving them there-- guided by the sensations and feelings of everything around him. It was almost like being in a trance; his knees and fingers getting grubby in the dirt as he toiled and struggled.
It seemed like hours had passed, and his body protested as if days of hard work had been drawn out of him, perhaps even years of his life-- he was not sure--- but in time, the draw grew less and less, while the sensation of 'connectedness' stayed intense and strong. The plants he had struggled to prioritize had taken hold, and grown strong even in the pallor of the moonlight overhead, and a local flow and now entirely independent life-force had begun to pulse within the small patch of forest his energy had been bled into, flowing and mingling in a slow, even keel, until at long last, he sat in the dirt, completely covered in earth and forest debris, he collapsed face down. The energy was no longer being ripped out, or even seeping out-- it was now just flowing through him, neither a net positive, nor negative. Just a constant, slow flow, with no traces of the corruption bleeding in. There was still pain around him, but it was easing.
Drowsy, and half aware of anything but the intense otherworldly feelings and urgings running through him, he became aware of mama again-- She had grabbed the back of his fur coat in her mouth, and was dragging him back to their bed. Out of the crowded murmur of sensations, he made hers out, and let his own feelings of love and thanks suffuse towards it. He heard her snort, and a collection of feelings and thoughts that he could only barely interpret as "...Beautiful idiot.." drifted back.
He was tired. Very very tired. And sore.
Mama drug him back into the bed of leaves, and laid on top of him once more, her face pressed hard against his. He weakly put an arm around her neck, and promptly lost consciousness.
Wild, intense, and confusing dreams ran wild through his mind...
----
Sunlight shone in through the trees, and kissed Jack's cheek. It was warm and comforting, as the morning dew still clung in the air. Mama was soft and warm, if a bit heavy. He was sore all over, in places he did not realize he could be sore in. Slowly, the morning light crept into his sleepy, heavy lidded eye, and he blinked it open.
Small, but hearty looking sprouts of spring greenery were poking out from between the fallen leaves and forest debris, in a circle surrounding where he had been sleeping. Patches of furiously clawed at earth were visible, tall stately plants of various kinds were proud and turgid in their centers. He slowly noticed that the holes were not random, and had a kind of order and symmetry to them, but he did not comprehend it. The tree he was sleeping under had started to leaf out, with the branches studded with little green buds.
He smiled, and held mama close to him. She nudged him, and stared him in the eye.
Foolish old man/idiot/had me terrified/... Love you/never again.
He hugged her tightly. It *WAS* a horrible experience. Horrible, and wonderful, and painful, all at the same time. But then again, he felt around him, and the suffering was less. A lot less.
He heard birds chirping.
It was like he had forgotten what they sounded like when they were happy.
He held mama close again, and just laid there in the leaves.
Time passed.
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Topic: Mystville [Game Thread] (Read 119951 times)