Chapter 93: Young and Restless

Nathan’s head spun around a mile a minute, as he tried to soak in everything that he saw. They had entered the forest and not long after had reached an open area where booths and stands had been set up. It felt like a festival as Nathan watched the comings and goings of merchants and adventurers alike, and at the center of it all was a pair of stone steps that led up to a platform; that was the entrance to Viridi Wilds.

Nathan: “Finally…after all the crap I had to put up with, I’m finally here.”

Nathan’s tail wagged back and forth as he stared up the stairs, it was so steep and high that he couldn’t see from where he was situated.

Nathan: “So that’s the entrance?”

Ash: “Yup, Viridi Wilds is right on the other side.”

Nathan: “I feel like I’ve seen this before.”

Anais: “You too, I just had the same feeling, something similar to this.”

Nathan: “Well, for now I’m going up.”

Ash: “Hold up, you have to go over there first.”

Ash pointed towards a booth where a few adventurers would stop for a moment before heading up the stairs and into the dungeon.

Nathan: “What’s that?”

Ash: “It’s a booth where they sell a dungeon map.”

Nathan: “They’ve mapped out the entire dungeon?”

Ash: “Not at all, it’s your own personal map that only fills in the path you’ve taken.”

Iris: “That doesn’t sound very efficient.”

Ash: “Well the inside of the dungeon is huge and it’s only open for a week. Unless you wanna be locked in for a year, then you better be out of there before the gate closes.”

Nathan: “No its fine, basically it keeps other people from finding some sort of secret you stumbled across. If you find something valuable and for some reason need to retrieve it later, since we don’t share maps, it’s a good chance it will still be there when you return.”

Ash: “Th-that it exactly, why do I even explain things to you?”

Nathan: “No I’m grateful; it’s just the some games in my world’s map-systems…work like this.”

Zane: “Ah, I see you’ve all made it.”

Nathan’s group turned to see Zane and his party passing by. Zane then stopped and came over to speak, once he noticed Nathan.

Zane: “You took your time getting here.”

Nathan: “I ended up sleeping-in, I was up a bit late.”

Zane: “Tsk, tsk, such is the whims of a stray flower, but one such as yourself should take care not to wonder the midnight hour. Although I do believe, it would be a divine sight, to witness you dance amongst the moonlight.”

Nathan: “Don’t call me Stray flower.”

Nathan ignored Zane while watching the carriage go by. Fynel was sitting outside of the carriage, but quickly looked away in fright, trying to avoid eye contact with Anais and Ena, who were making sure he saw them glaring at him. However, Nathan was looking at the ring of girls walking beside the carriage, notably Jasmine. Her face now donned a bandage, one on her cheek and she wore a cloth that hid her neck, but with what happened last night, Nathan wasn’t surprise in the least.

_

_

Midnight, last night…

Nathan stared through the hedges to the group of women, surrounding another on the ground.

Jasmine: “Elenora, what the hell?”

Elenora: “Shut up, because of you, Zane had to scold our benefactor…our benefactor.”

Elenora shook her hand, recovering from the numbness in her hand from slapping Jasmine. Jasmine held her face, now a stinging red from the blow. The other girls stood about, not one moved to help her, not wanting to incur their senior’s wrath.

Elenora: “It’s only a matter of time, before words gets out about Zane’s conduct. Now the most prominent and beneficial Quest-Givers will be hesitant on assigning us jobs, all because you couldn’t drive a carriage. Why are the young ones these days so foolish as to talk-back to the one who will be paying them?”

Jasmine: “I saved him, he should be thankful that we didn’t fall into the river. You have no right to do this.”

Elenora: “What did you say?”

Jasmine: “If he can’t sell some of his wares so what, at least he can still sell them.”

Jasmine glared up at Elenora, even while being surrounding she stood what little ground she had.

Elenora: “Heh, watch how you speak to me child.”

Jasmine: “Or what, you think I’m afraid of you, old lady?”

Elenora: “O-Old Lady!?”

Elenora kicked at the girl on the ground, making her slide back.

Elenora: “Me? Afraid of you? What do I possibly have to be afraid of?”

Jasmine smiled wryly.

Jasmine: “I don’t know, but hey we only met after I joined the party.”

Elenora swiftly kicked Jasmine in her side, several time in anger.

Elenora: “YOU LITTLE BITCH, YOUR ONLY IN THIS PARTY BECAUSE OF ZANE’S KINDNESS, IF I HAD KNOWN YOU WOULD HAVE-”

Elenora breathed in deep, and then out again, regaining her composure. Jasmine on the other-hand cringed in pain from the kicks.

Elenora: “So sorry dear, did that hurt?”

Jasmine: “You think Zane will be okay with this?”

Elenora: “Hahahahaha, did you hear that girls, the little one gonna tattle.”

Elenora’s words garnered laugh from the girls around them.

Elenora: “It’s your word against mine child, do you know who your talking to? I’m am Elenora Fairre Staffon. I have been by Zane’s side before you were even a stain in your mother.

Jasmine: “And yet you can’t stand the fact that you had no say when it came to me joining. Your little test and tribulation meant nothing in the face of Zane's will.”

Elenora: SHUT UP YOU LITTLE BITCH DON'T PRESUME TO KNOW WHAT ZANE WANTS! STAND HER UP.”

Jasmine: “Let me go, let me go.”

Elenora began to chant silently, as the other girls got Jasmine into position.

Elenora: “You won’t be saying anything to Zane after this, in fact you won’t be saying anything at all.”

Elenora reach for Jasmine’s throat, as a blue mist escaped her hands and entered Jasmine mouths. Jasmine felt a burning sensation around her neck and in her throat, but she couldn’t utter a sound despite the pain. Elenora held tightly to Jasmine’s throat, the urge to strangle her growing stronger every second. However, she wouldn’t give into the urge, Zane would undoubtedly search for her killer for as long as it took, for now she would just take her voice, a lesson she so desperately needed. Elenora did not understand what Zane saw in Jasmine, her attitude along with her conduct, is not befitting of their party.

Elenora: “And yet he didn’t even ask……….I don’t know what happened to make him act this way, but if it must be this way, you will learn your place either way, little girl.”

*ruuuuuuuuuumble*

Woman A: “Did you hear that?”

Woman B: “Hear what, Hmmm, Waaaaaaaaaaah!?”

Elenora and the rest stopped what they were doing, after seeing a vine curl around one of their friends and hoist her high into the air. In shock, Elenora, let go of Jasmine, who sucked-in some much needed air.

Woman C: “Kyaaaaa!?”

Woman A: “Heeeeeelllppppp!!!”

More women began to cry as they were also hoisted into the air by the vines.

Elenora: “Dammit, these must be the plants from the bitch. I didn’t think they were here as well. How big is the safe zone?”

Everyone was told to stay away from the plants while they kept monsters at bay, so she just assumed that they were attracted to the spell she just cast. Elenora cut down any plants that came near her, as did several other women. However, for everyone they cut down, two more took their place.

*Tssssshhhhh*

Woman B: “Hey my clothes, my clothes are disappearing, what is this stuff, so gross?”

Woman A: “No I just bought this.”

Elenora: “What in the world?”

The women watched in shock as the captured women’s clothes started to dissolve. The enzyme the tentacles were releasing were slowly dissolving the fabric, giving the tentacles free rein over their bodies.

Woman A: “Ughn, n-no not there, don’t touch there.”

Woman B: “Stop, you perverted plant, I lose my maritable status.”

Elenora: “What the hell is wrong with that women..? Why would she make such, huh, Kyaaaaaaaaa!?”

Shocked by the sight, Elenora was grabbed by one of the vines. She went to cut it, but several other vines grabbed her wrist and made her lose her weapon.

Elenora: “Let me go, dammit let me go!”

Elenora looked around and realized she had been the last one standing. All the other women had been captured and had their clothes dissolved and their assets out for the world to see. Sensual moans and heavy breathing filled the air, as the tentacles crawled over every inch of them, covering them in a slimy secretion.

Elenora’s face went pale when she noticed that a few of the tentacles were snaking their way over to her. She looked down to where Jasmine was but couldn’t find her. Unbeknownst to them, that one particular vine had ensnared Jasmine, and pulled her out of sight of the group of women and towards Nathan.

Nathan put a finger to his lip, signaling Jasmine not to scream. Jasmine nodded in confirmation and Nathan let her loose, though at the moment she couldn’t scream if she wanted to. Nathan looked over her neck, it was slightly purple from where Elenora had grabbed her so that the hand print, left from how hard she was squeezing, looked awful. Nathan put a hand on Jasmine’s neck; she flinched at first until she felt the soothing aura envelop her. Nathen use ‘Heal’ to both get rid of the blue spot, heal her throat and where she had been repeatedly kicked.

Nathan: “There…that should do it, how does it feel?”

Jasmine felt her neck, the pain was now completely gone. She also didn’t feel the sting from the slap or the kicks.

Jasmine: “Y-Yes…thank you.”

Nathan: “Good then let’s get out of here, put some bandages on your face and neck, for appearances’ sake, you wouldn’t want them to get suspicious.”

Jasmine: “Wait, what about them?”

Nathan: "What about them?

Jasmine: “Your, not gonna leave them like that?”

Nathan looked at her confused; she was still worried about them after what they did.

Nathan: “I’m surprised you’re worried about them, from what I just witnessed, they don’t seem all that friendly.”

Jasmine: “I’m not really; it’s just Zane will be worried.”

Nathan: “Don’t worry, they will be fine. The vines won’t actually hurt them, I changed the mucous to only dissolve clothes.”

Jasmine: “Wait, you did that on purpose?”

Nathan: “Yeah, I saw what they were doing to you, so I intervened, don't tell anyone.”

Jasmine: “Thank you…again.”

Nathan: “No problem, you still wanna go back and help them? The vines were instructed to *Pffttt* lubricate them a little longer, but if you’re really up for it I can stop it early.”

Just then a few provocative words were heard coming from the bushes.

Elenora: “Ah, no stop, not there, only Zane is allowed to touch there.”

Nathan: “Wow.”

Jasmine: “That woman, is that all she thinks about?”

Nathan: “Huh, I thought that’s what you all thought?”

Jasmine: “What? I’m not with Zane for ‘that’.”

Nathan: “Oh, my bad, it’s just…….you know never mind sorry for saying it.”

Jasmine: “It’s fine. It’s not like any of the girls give anyone a reason to think otherwise.”

Nathan: “Anyway, you really want me to let them down?”

Jasmine heard Elenora’s cries and remembered how she had been treated.

Jasmine: “……….No, she needs a little lubrication, her skin tends to dry easy at her old age, in a way I’m helping her look that much more, as Zane would put it ‘radiant as the sun’.”

Nathan: “Pfftttt, he would wouldn’t he?”

Nathan stifled a laugh as he led Jasmine back to camp. She smiled to herself as her fellow teammates moaned into the night.

_

_

Jasmine waved to Nathan and he smiled in return. On their way back to camp they chatted a bit about her circumstances and the reason why Elenora held so much disdain for her. It was a silly reason, but Nathan wasn’t about to pry any deeper than he already had.

Zane: “You seem to have made friends with Jasmine.”

Nathan: “Yeah she’s not so bad.”

Zane: “She could be your closest friend when you finally decide to join my garden.”

Nathan: “Zane, it’s like every time I say no; what you seem to ‘hear’ is: maybe later or I’ll think about it.”

Zane ignored Nathan’s comment as if it was a given. Zane’s parade had nearly finished passing, allowing for Nathan and his friends to head towards the booth. Zane smiled as he watched all his party members walk by.

Zane: “Though I have to say, that my flower garden seems to be even more ‘radiant’ today than ever.”

Nathan: “Oh?”

Zane: “Like a ray of sunlight, shining so brightly, it absolutely stunning.”

Nathan turned his head away and held in his laugh after listening to Zane. With no way to get rid of the mucous from Nathan’s plants, the girls looked like they had shiny skin. Though it drew the eyes of many of the people around, the truth of the matter was something they were never going to reveal.

Nathan: “Your right, they are positively glowing.”