Chapter 8 – Roots of Vengeance

Weapons raised, the group tensed as the creature emerged.
From around the cracked stone archway, a massive, pulsing red bulb slowly slid into view — its thick, budding petals trembling with a sickly rhythm, as if mimicking a heartbeat. The stalk supporting it was buried in a tangled mass of vines that slithered forward like an octopus’ arms, dragging the enormous bloom into the open.

The air thickened with the stench of rot and damp soil. Moisture clung to the stone underfoot, seeping into boots. The dim glow from the cracks in the ruin’s ceiling cast fractured beams of pale blue core-light that shimmered across the plant’s wet, glistening skin.

Ash’s grip tightened on his polearm. “Back,” he barked to the farmhands, his voice sharp and final. “We won’t have time to protect you. Stay out of the way.”

The farmers hesitated, but one look at the sheer size of the plant sent them stumbling backward into the shadows.

Ash shifted his stance, studying the creature. The bud itself wasn’t moving to attack — but the vines trailing behind it writhed like hunting snakes, brushing against the broken flagstones. The problem was clear: there were too many, and they could strike from any direction.

“Don’t let them touch you!” Arcea called out, her voice edged with warning. “One grabbed me earlier — and I started getting weak, fast.”

Karna’s brow furrowed. “So distance fighting only. Got it.”
Her mind flashed back to her earlier battle with the vines while searching for Ash — how close she’d come to being touched, the burning panic when a tendril had snapped just inches from her arm. She swallowed hard. Too close. Way too close. This thing could’ve killed me ten times over if I’d slipped up once.

She stepped forward, the temperature around her seeming to drop as frost began crawling across her gauntlets. The ice thickened and extended outward, forming two long, razor-sharp blades of frozen crystal — each about half the length of her arm — that caught and refracted the dim core-light in jagged glimmers. The added reach would give her precious distance from the grasping vines, letting her strike before they could close in.

Beside her, Xanathis drew her sword in one smooth motion. She tapped her wristband, a practiced gesture, and a thin line of crimson blood slid down her left arm. It coiled into her palm, shaping into a second blade — identical to the first — before freezing solid into translucent ice.

Arcea glanced at the narrow chamber around them. Her massive sword felt heavier in her hands — not from weight, but from the frustration of limited space. “No room to swing…” she muttered. Then an idea lit her eyes. I’ll just throw it. Again and again until nothing’s left.

The flower’s vines began to twitch faster, braiding together into a crude net before it.

Then the bulb let out a high-pitched shriek, an unnatural wail that rattled their bones. Dust sifted down from the cracked ceiling. Somewhere deeper in the ruins, stone shifted with a low groan.

The vines surged forward.

Ash moved first, his polearm a blur, slicing through vine after vine before they could reach Arcea. Karna’s ice blades sang through the air, severing tendrils in crisp, clean arcs. Xanathis ducked low, her twin swords crossing to shear a thick vine in two before it could coil around her ankle.

Arcea’s sword spun from her hands like a wheel of steel death, the blade tearing through multiple vines in a single pass. The weapon’s edge flashed as it carved a spiraling path before snapping back to her grip like an unholy yo-yo, already hungry for the next throw.

Still, the monster pressed them. For every vine they severed, more slid forward to take its place. The air was alive with the whip-crack of tendrils and the metallic ring of steel.

Karna slashed another tendril clean in half, ice trailing from her blades like smoke. She risked a quick glance at the bulb, frustration twisting her mouth. We’re not getting anywhere… it’s just holding us here until it tires us out.

Xanathis noticed Arcea’s spinning attacks, her eyes narrowing as a thought formed. She moved toward Ash, blocking three vines in rapid succession. “Switch spots with me,” she called. “Don’t worry — I’ll cover her. But I need to ask her something.”

Ash didn’t argue. The moment the vines slowed, they swapped places.

Xanathis moved in close to Arcea, blades working in tandem. “Little one — how good are you at controlling that sword when you throw it? Can you hit the plant itself?”

Arcea dodged a low vine, Xanathis cleaving another in midair. “Yeah. Just gotta throw harder. I can do it.”

“Good,” Xanathis said between cuts. “I’m going to hit it with a massive wave of ice magic it will freeze everything in its path, locking the vines, the flower, and even the ground itself in solid ice but im not sure how long it will last so. When that happens, I need you to throw your sword and cut the base of the plant. If we sever it there, the vines should stop.”

Arcea’s eyes darted to the thick stem. Her sword wasn’t quite long enough for a clean strike — but then she remembered her other skill. If I combine them… She grinned. “Okay, lady. Let’s do this.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Xanathis said, smiling fiercely. “I will give you some space. Protect me while I charge this.”

She leapt back.

Arcea stepped into the gap she’d left, swinging her greatsword in massive arcs. Each swing split vines by the dozen, clearing a circle around them. Shredded tendrils twitched on the damp floor, leaking pale green sap that steamed in the cool air.

Behind her, Xanathis released the ice replica blade — it dissolved into frost and the blood drifted back into her arm. She raised one hand, light blue magic condensing in her palm until it was blinding. It compacted tighter and tighter, then burst into shimmering ice dust. She closed her hand around it, the glow intensifying until her entire arm burned with azure light.

“You ready, little one?”

“Anytime,” Arcea replied.

“Back off — I’ll take it from here.” Xanathis dashed forward, shouting for the others to get clear.

She thrust her hand forward and spoke out clearly, her voice echoing through the chamber, “Ice Age!””

A torrent of freezing wind and snow erupted from her palm, sweeping across the chamber. The vines froze mid-lash, white crystal locking them in place. The red bulb stiffened, frost crawling up its petals until it was motionless.

Frost spread rapidly along the ground, crackling as it reached the walls. The temperature plummeted, and the group’s breath turned to mist.

Xanathis dropped to one knee, breath ragged. “Do it… now!”

Arcea didn’t hesitate. She charged, planted one foot hard into the stone, and hurled her sword with all her might. As it spun, she shouted, “Mr. Sword — do it!”

A white beam of energy burst from the blade, lengthening its reach in a blinding arc. It struck the frozen stem, slicing clean through. The massive bloom slid off and crashed to the floor, its petals shattering like glass.

The sword returned to her hands. The beam faded.

Silence fell. The only sound was the group catching their breath as they stared at the frozen devastation.

“That was pretty easy,” Arcea told her sword with a smug grin.

“Yeah,” the weapon replied in her mind. “We’re still not good enough to use both skills at once — but if we each use a skill it works great.”

“Then lets hurry up and get stronger so we can,” she shot back.

Ash, Karna, and Xanathis exchanged uneasy glances, each silently wondering why Arcea was talking to herself. Ash’s brow furrowed as the thought crossed his mind: Did this whole ordeal take a toll on her mind? He exhaled slowly. I’ll have to talk to her about it later.

Ash’s voice cut through. “Let’s get out of here before anything else goes wrong.”

Xanathis, still smiling, offered her hand. “Mind helping me up?”

He pulled her to her feet. They passed the toppled flower — and found a wide gap in the wall that opened into a vast, exposed chamber. Stone bricks lay scattered in uneven piles, broken by jagged mounds of rubble. Shattered furniture, splintered beams, and twisted metal remnants were strewn across the floor, telling of a room long destroyed. All around, shriveled and lifeless vines lay draped over debris, brittle to the touch. The pale blue light from the core streamed through cracks in the ruined ceiling, casting shifting beams across the wreckage and painting everything in a ghostly glow. At the base of the gap, one of the farmhands lay dead in the coils of now-lifeless vines. The gray beastman was nowhere to be seen.

Then Ash caught movement near the top of the incline. A beastman dragged himself from the lifeles vines — Ren. He looked nearly dead, his fur matted and dull, his body sunken in as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Every movement was sluggish, his frame frail and weak. The tendrils had drained him almost to nothing. He fumbled for a green healing orb, activated it — but the magic barely took hold.

Ash’s mouth curved in a cold smile. *Finally. Let’s see what you have to say before you die. *

Ash pulled a small brown orb from his pocket and hurled it toward Ren. It burst in a sharp flash, a solid chunk of rock ejecting from its core and slamming hard into Ren’s side. The impact sent him reeling, and the sickening crack of breaking ribs echoed in the chamber. That should slow him down enough for us to catch up, Ash thought, a grim satisfaction settling in his chest.

Ren spotted him, panic flickering in his eyes. He began crawling toward the surface fighting through all the pain. Ash followed at a measured pace, ready to pounce.

They emerged into the ruins above, dead center of the castle’s remains. The sections of wall that had not yet crumbled loomed over them like silent sentinels, their jagged edges framing the open sky. The air was sharper here, carrying the faint scent of rain from somewhere far above.

“Give up,” Ash called. “You can’t get away.”

Ren coughed, crushing another healing orb over himself. “I will never stop… not until my goal is complete.” He pulled a Fire Soul Orb from his pouch.

Ash’s eyes narrowed. “How many of those did Jack have on him…?”

Ren hurled it. The explosion ripped the weak floor apart, opening a gaping hole between them. Heat scorched the edges of the stone, smoke curling upward. Ren quickly staggered away, trying to put as much distance between himself and the group as he could.

Ash approached the newly created hole, scanning the edges as he searched for a way to cross without having to take the long way around it — but then xanathis’s ears twitched. She lunged forward, yanking him back, and both went stumbling to the ground just as a dozen vines shot up from the pit, their movements quick and serpentine. They wrapped tightly around the rim, anchoring themselves, while others coiled around loose stone blocks and jagged rubble, dragging the debris upward in a shower of dust and grit

They coiled upward with a slow, deliberate strength, dragging the massive frozen flower into the open like a trophy. The sound of cracking ice echoed across the ruins as thick sheets broke away and shattered on the stone, sending shards skittering across the floor. Frost misted the air in pale clouds as more of the bud’s surface gave way, and the jagged gaps in the ice began to reveal a dark silhouette within — the unmistakable shape of something, or someone, trapped inside.

The group froze as they looked at the fractured bud, which revealed the upper body of a woman with bright pink eyes glaring at them in pure rage. Then the rest of the bud shattered away from the plant, pieces clattering across the stone floor. The woman’s upper body leaned forward, opening her mouth to unleash a piercing screech that shook the ruins and sent every bird in the area fleeing into the sky.

Weapons lifted again as Ash and Xanathis scrambled back to their feet, the ringing in their ears still fading from the screech. Arcea and Karna moved in quickly from the side, closing the distance toward the threat, their eyes locked on the enraged figure.

The fight wasn’t over.

The plant lady rampaged forward, its vines moving like limbs, rushing straight toward the group. A dozen tendrils whipped at them with startling speed, snapping through the air with enough force to split stone. Ash’s mind raced — She’s faster now. Every strike will count. They jumped back, steel flashing as they cut at the vines — fewer than before, but moving faster and with more precision.

The plant lady split the group, forcing Ash and Xanathis to the left and Karna and Arcea to the right. The chamber rang with the clash of blades against whipping tendrils, sparks occasionally bursting when steel met the hardened thorns embedded along the vines. Ash parried a strike aimed for his head, twisting his polearm to hook and sever the vine in a single motion. Can’t let them get behind me. Karna ducked low under another, sliding across the slick stone floor before kicking upward, her flaming greave slamming into the vine’s underside and snapping it apart in a shower of cinders.

Arcea, sword spinning in her grip, battered aside two vines at once before planting her foot and hurling her blade into a cluster of them, severing three in a single throw. No matter how many I cut, more come. Fine. I’ll cut them all. It spun back to her hand just in time for her to block another lashing strike. Xanathis danced between the attacks, her twin blades carving smooth, precise arcs that left frost on the air. Her form’s flawless, Ash thought briefly before a vine lashed at his chest.

Then the creature suddenly dislocated its jaw, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke that clung low to the ground and swirled through the ruins, smelling faintly of decay. The haze rolled between their legs, masking the movement of the vines. Karna’s eyes narrowed — She’s hiding their approach.

It lashed out from the mist. Arcea was caught off guard when a hidden vine snagged her leg, yanking her down. Two more tendrils struck from opposite angles, but she erupted from beneath the haze with a roar, tearing the tendrils from her body in a burst of raw strength. She shouted, “It doesn’t seem like it can absorb us anymore — I think the ice crippled its absorbing power!”

Cuts lined her arms and legs, but she dove back into the fight. Ash spun his polearm low, slicing three vines that slithered along the floor toward Xanathis. Karna answered by stomping her foot and summoning a spray of jagged rock shards, catching and impaling a vine mid-lash. Have to keep pressure. The smoke kept their vision of the ground obscured, and the vines continued to sneak in, landing painful strikes that drew more blood.

Vines surged toward Xanathis. She swung in quick succession, severing one after another, then stomped her foot, calling out, “Ice Wall!” A wall of frost burst up in front of her, the tendrils slamming into it and starting to freeze before the plant pulled them back, snapping the brittle lengths away. Her ears twitched — Something’s coming from behind! She spun, but too late. Two thorned vines stabbed into her side and shoulder.

Ash lunged forward, cutting them down, and shouted, “Are you okay?”

“No… something’s terribly wrong,” she hissed, backing up against the wall. She focused inward, trying to sense the problem as Ash stepped in front to guard her. This wound doesn't feel normal.

The plant lady lunged at Arcea and Karna. Karna stomped the ground, jagged rocks erupting in all directions and piercing the monster. But then its upper body shot forward from the shattered bud, connected to the main stalk by thick vine-tendons. It lunged for Arcea, clawed hand reaching for her neck.

Arcea didn’t move. Ash panicked, sprinting up one of Karna’s stone spikes. Keep your filthy hand off of her. He leapt high, cleaving downward and severing the creature’s arm. It screeched and retreated, vines tearing down Karna’s rocks. Green blood sprayed and leaked from the raw stump, spattering across the stones before buds began to sprout, sealing the wound as it loomed over them, releasing more smoke.

Ash ran to Arcea. “Are you alright? Why didn’t you move?”

Then he saw it — plants growing from her wounds, creeping under her skin.

“I… I… can’t move,” she stammered. “But don’t… worry… Mr. Sword is… helping… slow… down…”

Ash realized his own wounds were sprouting growths. His limbs stiffened, but he had an idea. Poison — I can turn it against her. He pulled the paralytic poison from his pouch and coated his polearm’s blade.

Xanathis was slumped against the wall, vines spreading over her unmoving form. She’s fading fast. Karna was on her knees, flames bursting from her wounds to burn the plants, but her mana was fading fast.

“If I can distract her, can you finish it?” Ash called.

“I’m nearly dry on mana only enough mana for a few spells… if I stop burning my wounds, the plants will overwhelm me,” Karna said.

“Then be ready to launch yourself. Hit the human body with my weapon,” Ash ordered, tossing her the polearm. Karna caught the polearm mid‑air from Ash’s toss, the solid weight jolting through her arms as her fingers clamped tightly around the shaft. She shifted her stance, planting her feet with practiced precision, and adjusted her hold to ready herself for the follow‑up strike

Karna stepped behind him as Ash charged forward, weaving through the onslaught with sharp sidesteps and low ducks, his eyes locked on the plant lady as he worked to draw all attention onto himself. Each near-miss hissed past his ears, the air splitting from the force of the strikes. He barreled ahead with reckless speed, heart pounding, until a vine finally lashed out faster than he could evade and caught him hard. Numerous vines wrapped around his body, immobilizing him and pulled him right in front of the plant lady. The plant lady leaned in until her face was inches from his, her rancid breath washing over him. Her tongue slid out — impossibly long and slick with glistening sap — and dragged across his face in a slow, deliberate motion. A shudder ran through Ash as an icy weakness flooded his limbs, the strength bleeding out of him with every heartbeat. His vision swam, the edges darkening. It’s trying to drain me dry.

Then, with a sudden flare, light erupted from Ash’s face — Lumin bursting forth in a blinding radiance that seared through the smoky air. The plant shrieked and recoiled, its many vines flailing wildly in disarray as the glow burned into its vision. Out of the chaos, a shadow descended from above — Karna, her body twisting mid-air as she drove the polearm down with brutal force, the blade punching through the creature’s upper body. The impact slammed it to the ground with a resonant crack. She landed lightly, weapon poised for another strike, her eyes locked on the thrashing form. The vines slackened and released Ash, and he fell to one knee before crawling clear, squinting against Lumin’s glow as the orb-like being circled him protectively.

“Finally showed up,” Ash muttered. “Hope you had a good nap.”

Lumin darted toward Arcea, casting shifting shadows over the ruined chamber. The plant lady writhed violently, its vines thrashing, while her human half hung limp like a puppet with its strings cut. Karna, already holding the weapon from her strike moments before, shifted her grip on the polearm, then let it fall to the stone beside Ash as she ignited her greaves. Heat shimmered off her legs as she charged, boots striking the floor with sharp, echoing impacts. A rapid flurry of flaming kicks smashed into the plant’s body, each blow leaving gaping, smoldering wounds that sprayed flecks of green blood into the haze. She stomped down hard, the flames under her foot roaring to life, and bellowed, “Exploding Flame Kick!” The ground beneath her scorched black from the blast as she rocketed upward into a ferocious, flame-fueled flip kick, her body spinning with controlled ferocity. Her foot connected squarely with the creature’s form, and a burst of arcing fire engulfed it, launching the plant high into the air. Mid-flight, the flames consumed it completely, reducing it to drifting embers and ash that rained softly back to the stone floor.

She landed hard, the impact jarring through her frame before her legs gave out and she collapsed, vines still writhing and tightening within her wounds. Ash’s gaze swept the battlefield — smoldering debris, scorched stone, and the charred remains of their foe — yet the victory felt hollow. Everyone was down, breaths ragged, and the creeping infection was still spreading under their skin. Killing the plant hadn’t stopped it… the real danger was still inside them.

Blood gushed in dark, heavy spurts from Xanathis’s wounds as the thick, sinewy plants were violently expelled, hitting the ground with wet thuds before writhing in frantic, dying motions. Finally… they’re out. I can feel my limbs again. Their thorned lengths twisted and curled like severed serpents, the sound of their spasms mixing with the faint hiss of sap dripping onto the stone. Disgusting things… you won’t be crawling back in. Without hesitation, Xanathis stomped hard, a sharp crack ringing out as a wave of frost surged from under her foot, encasing the wriggling masses in jagged ice. A heartbeat later, she shattered them with a second, crushing stomp, fragments scattering across the floor like brittle glass.

It worked… just like I hoped. “Good… you all did great,” she said, her voice steady but edged with fatigue. “That gave me the time I needed to figure out how to eject these things. Now let me help you.”

She scanned the group — Arcea was worst off, with Lumin hovering protectively over her. She’s barely holding on… that little light’s protecting her, but where did it come from? Xanathis eyed the creature curiously before kneeling beside Arcea. She tapped her wristband, then used her blade-like nail to slice open a clean, fresh wound on Arcea’s arm. She let her blood flow freely into that fresh wound, the crimson mixing with the faint glow of her magic. My blood should drive them out… stay with me, little one. It spread through Arcea’s body like an icy tide, the magic-laced blood threading through her veins with a strange, burning chill. Her muscles twitched and tightened as the invasive roots beneath her skin writhed in protest, the pressure building until, with a sickening release, the plants began to force their way out — tearing free in spasms and hitting the ground with wet splats. Each thorned fragment steamed faintly where the magic seared it, curling into itself as it died.

Arcea gasped sharply, dragging in a breath of clean air before sitting up, her chest heaving as Lumin spun excitedly around her. Mr. Sword kept me alive… but that was too close. Xanathis repeated the process for each of them, her movements precise but urgent, until they were all on their feet again, exhausted yet free of the creeping infection.

Ash spoke, “We need to continue. I can’t let Ren get away — he couldn’t have gone far. If we move now, we should be able to catch up to him.” The rest of them looked at Ash with exhausted faces, but he was already heading out of the castle.

As he moved, something caught his eye — the severed arm of the plant lady. There was a ring on its finger. Ash picked up the arm and pulled off the ring, which was nearly fused with the flesh. He wiped away dust, dirt, and flecks of green blood to take a closer look. His frown deepened — the ring bore the Bernswick family seal. What could this mean? he thought, before deciding to put the matter aside for now. He slipped the ring safely into his pocket and exited the castle grounds, following Ren’s trail through the ruins.

The trail ended abruptly at the Tangled Forest. Ash muttered, “Fuck.” He scanned the dense wall of twisting trees and creeping vines. “Looks like the bastard climbed into this forest.”

Karna stepped up beside him. “Well, I can always burn it down.”

Ash shook his head. “I need information from him, so he needs to live. We’ll just have to go around. This path will slow him down a lot — there’s still a chance I can catch up.”

They returned to Overlook Pass, where Ash stopped upon hearing shouting in the distance. Jack was there, cursing loudly.

Ash approached. “What happened?”

Jack turned, his expression furious. “Some bastard took off with my wagon while I was loading it up.”

Xanathis sniffed the air and said to Ash, “Smells like that beastman you’re chasing.”

Ash exhaled sharply. “Fuck it. Let’s take a rest. The big nightstone’s approaching, so there’s no point trying to track him at night. We’ll head back to the cave and continue tomorrow morning.”