Lying on my sleeping bag, Eliandra snug against me, I stared at the dark ceiling. Laurel and Haltir had taken the first watch after a day of sailing and keeping a lookout for any ship in pursuit, though none had come. There were also barely any demons, which was mostly thanks to Lark's navigation. It meant the trip would take half a day or more longer, but I could deal with that trade.

So far, we hadn't heard from Flowheart, and I hoped it stayed that way. I'd sent a message about it to Rathica, which resulted in a short I'll take care of it, response. Taking another look at Eliandra, I realized how happy I was that she was here and not in Orlion, even if it brought more troubles our way.

The thing that worried me most was that I hadn't taken the chance to enter The Library a second time. I'd constantly pushed it ahead with the idea I would do it before leaving. Now it was too late.

Fuck, I should have entered the first chance I had, I grumbled. We had two days of traveling to do, and besides the potential demon attacks, I was hoping for clear skies and calm weather. I'd been thinking of ways to attack at a distance and finally had found the only viable solution would be a conventional ranged weapon. The axes would work for some situations but not for drawn-out battles. However, for that, I'd need wood, a commodity we didn't have. Again.

I pushed my fist against my head, wishing I had prepared better instead of just going on a bloody date, no matter the great result it had. Sighing, I disentangled Eliandra's arms as carefully as I could and got up. She just continued sleeping, mumbling something as she did.

Moving to my armor, I took out the small purse inside and looked at the handful of seeds I had. It says not to grow them past seedlings… I thought. But did that also count for Primes? So far, my growth and strength seemed to surpass the conventional. Looking at the seedlings, I knew besides sending Lark down again to find shipwrecks- a dangerous endeavor I'd rather not risk, these were my best chance until we reached the shore. If I wanted time to craft a bow and practice with it...

Focusing on one of the seeds, small, brown and egg-shaped, I began casting Sprout Life repeatedly, watching roots burst from the bottom of the seed, followed by a green stalk the size of my finger. When the seedling was the length of my hand, the moment I usually stopped, I prepared myself to stop the casting at any moment. The drain so far had been negligible, but as the seedling grew another bit, I felt the drain grow exponentially. When it was almost twice the length of my hand, I began seeing spots in front of my eyes and stopped casting the spell.

Sitting down, I sighed as I stared at the stalk that was only as thick as my finger and had two small leaves. It wouldn't even be enough to make an arrow.

What'sss that? Lark asked, and I felt his attention on the small sprout.

A plant. I wanted to grow it bigger, but this is as big as I can make it, I thought back, not wanting to wake Eliandra.

How big can they get? Lark seemed incredibly excited, and I wondered why.

As tall as one of the buildings in Orlion, and thick enough to make a ship as big as you, I replied. I also noted, again, that he hadn't called me master again.

I don't believe you! How could something that tiny become sssooo big!

I grinned and patted the deck below me. This ship was originally made in the same way, grown from a single seedling into this vessel!

Lark was quiet, and getting the feeling he was mulling something over, I returned my attention to the seedling. What if I waited until my energy was full and cast the spell a single time. Perhaps doing it in small increments would work? Debating if it was worth the risk, a greenish light appeared beside me, from the deck. Looking down in wonder, I saw a stream of green specs float up, towards the seedling.

Lark? What are you doing?

I want to sseee it grow again! Lark said, sounding incredibly focused.

The green energy touched the small plant and immediately disappeared inside. The two leaves began growing again, faster than when I had cast the spell, and the stalk became thicker and longer. As I watched in confused wonder, the plant grew to the length of my arm before stopping. It had dozens of arrowhead-shaped leaves, and a cloud of the green specs of light hung around it.

Lark, are you alright, I asked, hoping Lark hadn't just harmed himself by the expenditure of energy.

I can't make it grow more, Lark said, sounding sad.

Why not? I asked.

It won't accept any more life force. It's rejecting what I give it. Ssstupid plant.

Curiously I raised the plant, trying to figure out what was going on. If there was enough energy, shouldn't it still be growing? Besides being greener than I thought possible, there seemed to be little wrong with it.

Perhaps you've fed it too much too quickly. Try and leave some of the energy around it, and maybe it will grow, I said, placing the small plant on the ground. Seeing the roots strewn on the ground, I wished I had a pot or something. Remembering the pans Eliandra had bought, I moved to the duffle bag and rummaged in it until I found one and put the plant in it. It was surrounded by a dense cloud of energy.

Thisss iss boring, Lark said, and I felt his presence move away.

As it did, I wondered when I had begun feeling it. Initially, I had just heard him, but now I could almost feel where his attention was pointed at. It felt so natural that I hadn't even realized at first.

Looking at Eliandra, I found she had rolled into the connected sleeping bag, looking like a caterpillar. I sat back down, looking into the distance. I didn't feel like going outside or sleeping and thought about what was to come. After a moment, I summoned the map and stared at the small inlet that was our goal. From there, we would need to travel by land for three days, one of which would be through the Howling forest.

As I examined the details on the map, a plan began shaping in my mind, and I drifted off, thinking of vengeful mounts and a pack of wirg guard dogs.

"Est!" Eliandra's shout snapped me awake. I had been thinking of the best way to gather a group of Wirgs when we came to the howling forest, but my mind had then drifted off to Smell and Scar and what had happened to them.

Looking up, I saw Eliandra lying in the sleeping bag, staring at something beside me. Turning to the side, a mass of brown bark blocked my vision, and I scuttled back in shock. Looking closely, I saw an oddly grown tree, partially grown against the roof of the cabin, a canopy of leaves pushed against the far end.

Lark, stop feeding it energy! I shouted in my mind.

There was a groggy, nondescript reply, and the green cloud of energy dissipated, returning into the walls.

Ssssleeeeepy.

A soft shake went through the ship, and I felt us slow down. A surprised shout came from outside.

Lark?

There was no reply, and all I felt was that Lark's attention seemed diffused.

"What happened?" Eliandra said before frowning. "Did you do something dangerous?"

"No! Well, I tried…" I confessed, thinking of my attempt to grow the plant. "But this wasn't me. Lark wanted to see how large the plant would grow."

Eliandra sniffed and climbed out of the sleeping bag. She was wearing little, and my eyes wandered for a second as she distracted me.

"Eyes up here!" Eliandra snapped, and she grabbed a simple tunic she had bought before Richal had found her and started asking where he could find me.

She's right, I thought, turning my attention to the door. Laurel moved inside, her hands fidgeting. She stopped when she spotted the tree.

"Preyatar's balls, where did that tree come from?" she hissed, then turned to me. "Never mind! We aren't moving anymore, and Lark isn't responding to me!"

"Is the barrier still up?" I asked, suddenly thinking of demon attacks.

"It is," Laurel said, still staring at the tree. "I've seen this type of tree before…" she mumbled, seeming deep in thought.

Not sure what it would matter, I moved outside and saw that the energy sail was gone. Luckily it was a clear dark night, and the moons and stars provided enough light for even someone without night vision to see far. The sea was behaving, small waves lapping against the hull, but nothing serious. Haltir stood at the railing, staring down.

"There are no demons that I can see, but that won't last. Lark needs to get a move on, and fast!"

As if I didn't know that.

Lark! Wake up! I shouted. No response. I tried a few more times but eventually gave up.

"Either we wait until he wakes up, or we find another way to move this thing," I said, turning to Eliandra and Laurel, who had exited the cabin behind me.

"We can't," Laurel said immediately, shaking her head. "Moving without Lark is far too dangerous without far more defenses than we have. The only reason we aren't dead yet is that he is steering us around the most dangerous waters."

After thinking for a bit, I raised my hand to try to determine the direction of the wind. It was blowing strongly, and I looked down at the prow. We were drifting off course. It was hard to say how fast, though, with the only reference points being unending waves and water.

"We might stray off into dangerous waters," I said, turning to the others.

"I don't know any wind spells," Eliandra said. "Just some water, and I have no idea if those even work anymore."

Haltir snorted and shook his head. "I don't know any of that finger-wagging, but there has to be some way to get Lark to answer us? What is wrong with the thing anyway?"

I quickly explained what had happened, and Haltir snorted. "I commend you for trying to come up with a way to make weapons, but couldn't you have waited for us to reach the shore?"

"I would have had time to practice if I made them now," I countered, not in the mood.

Eliandra moved back to the room, staring inside. "What if we chop that tree up? If Lark used his energy to grow it, perhaps some will flow back out to him?"

For a moment, it was quiet, only the waves slamming into the hull audible.

"I don't hear any better ideas," I said, moving to the cabin. "It's worth a try. Besides, I need the wood either way. If we are going to drift into dangerous waters, at least we'll be well-armed."

"I'll stay here to keep an eye out," Haltir said, moving to the port side. "Someone keep an eye on the other side!"

Laurel nodded, moving to starboard, while Eliandra followed me inside. Examining the tree, I was amazed at how energetic it looked, almost as if it was bursting with energy during spring. Even bunched up and crooked against the ceiling, it seemed healthy. Grabbing my axe, I almost felt sorry to chop it down.

Looking at the bend closest to the deck, I was about to slam my ax in it when Eliandra grabbed my arms and stopped me.

"Wait," she said, pointing below the curve of the wood. Bending down, I followed her finger and hissed. The roots of the tree had somehow grown into Lark's deck. They disappeared down.

This is getting better and better, I groaned, tossing my ax aside and sprinting out of the cabin.

"Where are you going?" Eliandra shouted.

"Down!" I replied, running past Laurel and Haltir, who looked at me in confusion.

I ignored their questions and jumped into the round hole leading down. Turning to the secret entrance beside the door, I was surprised to see it was open. I couldn't remember if Lark closed the secret entrance after I had left. Climbing inside, the sounds vanished, and I saw that the whole of the room was filled with roots. They were attached to all the sides but didn't seem to grow through it as they did with the deck above.

"What is this place?" Eliandra muttered as she climbed in beside me.

"A secret room Lark showed me before we left," I responded, looking at the roots. "I'm not sure what will happen if we chop it down. Either this tree is sucking him dry, and chopping it down is the correct thing, or they are in some sort of symbioses, and chopping it down will hurt Lark."

We quietly looked at the tree as I weighed the options. "I'm going to chop one of the roots," I finally said.

"But you just said-"

"I know what I said," I said, interrupting Eliandra and staring at her. "I'm just going to remove one root and hope it will wake Lark."

Eliandra frowned, examining the tree for a bit. Then she nodded. "It makes some sense. One shouldn't kill it, right? Either the pain might wake Lark, or if the tree is hurting him, it might cause him to wake up."

I smiled at her and nodded. That was exactly what I had been thinking. I turned and gently pushed myself back so I could pass through the far too narrow opening. As fast as I could, I went to grab my ax, explaining in bursts what was happening to Haltir and Laurel.

Back below, with my ax this time, I found Eliandra had climbed back inside and was now pressed to the left, slightly free side of the room.

"This room is soundproof," she said when I entered.

"I know!"

"Why?"

"No idea," I replied with a grin. Then I moved to the nearest root, a small one that barely reached the side. "Perhaps it's best if you go outside in case the thing retaliates?" I said.

"It's a tree…" Eliandra said, staring at me.

"So? Everything in this world's dangerous, it seems. Who is to say trees can't strangle you?"

After a second, Eliandra moved to the narrow entrance, climbing until she had left the cabin. "I'll be right here to help!" she said.

I nodded, not sure what she was going to do if the thing did end up trying to strangle me, but happy that she was there nonetheless.

Staring at the root another second, I prepared myself, noting the nearby roots. They were all smaller, and I hoped I could get out of the room if they did attack. Or chop them all.

Taking aim, I slammed the ax down on the root, and my ax slid through easily enough. A shrill scream tore through my mind, like a cat whose tail is stepped on. I bent over, my stomach heaving as I grit my teeth to prevent from throwing up. Behind me, I heard Eliandra vomit, and the sound of something wet hit the deck. Something moved to my side, and I saw one of the roots slowly slithering towards me. I didn't hesitate but slammed my ax in it, severing it while creating a mark on Larks previously pristine hull. Another scream came, even louder than before, but I was prepared for it this time and managed to keep my expensive dinner inside.

Something wet sprayed across my side, and immediately a fiery sensation spread. Looking around, I saw odd protrusions on some roots; their openings angled towards me. An ochre liquid dripped out. A soft moan made me look at Eliandra. She was lying partially out of the opening, her eyes closed, and her face contorted in pain. More of the ochre liquid was covering one of her arms, and some drops sat on her face.

Poison? I thought, stepping to the side to block the entrance. Steeling myself, I slashed at the nearest roots, now determined to get rid of them as soon as I could. One of the roots at the back of the room turned, and I could only just close my eyes as more of the liquid sprayed towards me. It hit me straight in the face and across my exposed upper body, and everywhere it hit, my skin began burning and itching. Stepping forward, I started slashing around like a madman, only closing my eyes or shielding them with one of my arms if more of the stuff was shot my way.

Halfway through, the burning turned so painful I felt like howling. I also began to grow woozy, and it took more and more effort to strike with my ax. It took me two chops to sever the last of the roots, and as soon as I did, I saw the parts that stuck out of the ceiling curl up and began to wilt.

Massster? Lark's voice sounded strained, his usually abundant energy nowhere to be found.

"Lark, you're back!" I said, turning around to Eliandra. She was still breathing, but it sounded labored.

Something attacked me! Lark said, his voice slowly growing stronger.

"I found out!" I shouted, getting worried when Eliandra didn't wake. "Get us moving again, and make sure we aren't in a dangerous area!"

Yesss, Lark shot back, and his attention faded from where we were.

It took me minutes to pull Eliandra out behind me through the opening. By that time, a yellowish mist was hanging in the air of the room. It made me cough, and I felt my lungs begin to burn as my skin did.

This can't be good, I growled as I pulled Eliandra out of the small opening. Most of my skin was tingling, burning, and generally hurting like hell by now.

"Laurel, get down here!" I roared, and a moment later, Laurel's worried head appeared in the opening above.

"What happened?"

"That bloody tree attacked us when I chopped off one of its roots!"

Laurel blinked, then realization dawned on her face. "Did it use some yellow-red liquid that burns?"

I nodded, and she cursed.

"Lisschens bile, get her up here. Fast!" She hung down, sticking two arms down. It took us a minute to drag Eliandra back up, and I rushed after, carrying her to the cabin.

"What the fuck was that tree, and what did it shoot us with?" I said, between fits of coughing.

Laurel examined me, staying a bit away. "You breathed in the yellow gass?"

I nodded, paying more attention to Laurel as I put her on the ground.

"This isn't good," Laurel said, as she backed off even more before turning and running to her own pack. She began rummaging inside while I looked at her.

"Laurel, what the hell is going on?"

The grablon answered with her head halfway in her bag, mumbling something I couldn't understand.

"Laurel!" I shouted, feeling a bit panicked now.

Laurel shot up, holding a small vial in her hand. She looked at it and seemed conflicted. Then she sighed and turned to me, tossing me the vial. I grabbed it, noting a clear blue liquid inside and a golden-colored stopper. Looking up, I saw Laurel was at the door, staring at me.

"I remember what that tree is. It's a Demonblood tree. They grow in dense swamps that border the howling forest. Their wood is medicinal, and part of the potions we use…" she took another step back and held the door.

"And?" I said, holding up the vial.

"They grow from the demon-blood rains and purify it inside. That vial works as an antidote, but only for one of you. After you give it to her, you need to stay at the other side of the cabin while I get her out."

I gaped at her, shaking my head. "Explain. Faster!"

"You're still conscious, meaning you have the demonic resistance! That means it won't kill you! But it will kill her! Now hurry!"

Cursing, I opened the vial and grabbed Eliandra's jaw. Tilting it up, I put the vial on her lips and carefully poured the fluid inside. It moved viscously, and a familiar, hot scent wafted up. It reminded me of the stuff Agga had given me back in Sart.

"Alright, now back off, quickly! It's contagious!"

Looking at Eliandra for a second, I jumped to the other side of the cabin, watching Laurel run forward, grab Eliandra and carry her outside.

Wait, if it's contagious, how can Eliandra not be contagious anymore?

Before my sluggish mind finished the thought, the door to the cabin slammed shut.

"Est, you HAVE to stay inside! You're going to start feeling… odd soon, aggressive, and angry. Whatever you do, don't give in," Laurel shouted from outside. Then she whispered something, presumably to Haltir. A moment later, I heard them wedge something beneath the bottom of the door. A bit of gleaming ax poked through the gap.

"Laurel, did you just lock me up?" I shouted, angry. Had she just lied to me about being contagious?

"Est! Whatever you do, don't get angry!"

"Who the hell does she think I am? The Hulk?" I growled. I wanted to sit down, then all of a sudden I didn't, and began pacing through the cabin. The burning from my skin was turning into an infernal itch, and it took all my willpower not to start scratching.

This is going to take forever! I thought, glaring at the darkened tree in the corner. Its leaves had wilted, and staring at it, I stopped. It's that thing's fault! If it hadn't shown up, I wouldn't have to be locked up in here! I growled as I walked towards the tree.

But that's fine! I'll show you who's boss!

My mind seemed filled with energy, and it needed a way to channel it. I grabbed my ax.