Natural Remedy

Bryson stared at the forest below him, his eyes slowly adjusting to the magic. He was able to discern the things with larger magic quantities from the naturally magical forest. Though he wasn’t sure what he was seeing anymore. It was like looking at a floor of uniform colour and the more magical things where dots of the same colour, just in slightly different shades.

From what he could see, he saw one dot move forward before another dot in a different shade appeared out of nowhere and collided with it. The first dot then moved in another direction very quickly before stopping abruptly. Then Bryson heard what sounded like an explosion and the dot disappeared.

“What is happening?” Bryson said aloud. There is no reason why so many things would be converging in so quickly.

“I… don’t know Lord Bryson. No reply from the team below.” Nico said fiddling with his Communicator.

More explosions could be faintly heard as it looked like more dots were converging on where the dot that suddenly appeared was. Some of the dots disappeared as they moved.

“This is the most confusing dot art I’ve ever seen.” Bryson mumbled.

“What was that Lord Bryson?” Nico asked.

“Nothing.” Bryson said turning to Nico. “Any news from them?”

“Not yet… wait.” Nico said as he listened closely through the Communicator for a few agonizing moments, “They secured the package and are returning.”

Bryson looked back outside and saw that the hovercraft had emerged out of the forest and was returning back up. Bryson could see that the hovercraft was now carrying something very magical with it. The herbs he presumed. Huh, went better than expected. Bryson thought to himself.

“All right let’s go meet them.” Bryson said. Together the two headed to the hangar and met with the team who had just landed. Bryson’s brow furrowed as he noticed that someone was missing from the group.

“Where’s the girl, marsh?” Bryson asked, looking around for the pink-haired weirdo.

“She didn’t make it.” One of the returning team members said.

“What? How?” Bryson demanded.

“We were attacked, she tried to defend us and fell.”

“How did she fall?”

“She fell stopping a giant squirrel.”

“A giant what? No, it’s not important.” Bryson said. So I’m guessing she was the dot that eliminated the other ones. “So you saw her fall, is she still alive?” He asked.

“She seemed fine when she landed, but she’s stuck there with all those creatures.” They said, before whispering to themselves, “Where did those monsters come from?”

“You got the supplies at least?” Bryson asked, his mind racing.

“Yes, mana convergers.” One of them said holding up a bag of luminescent blue flowers.

Bryson looked at the flower heads and thought. He didn’t really have a combat team, he didn’t really know Florence Marsh, and he got what he came here for. However, the only reason why he was even here in the contaminated zone was because of her.

“Alright.” Bryson said still trying to formulate a plan. He stuck his hand into the bag and pulled out two flower heads and stuffed them into his pocket.

“Reese, we’re going down. Get them to store the flowers somewhere safe.”

“Yes sir.” Nico said and readied the hovercraft for another trip to the ground.

“Lord Bryson you can’t! It’s too dangerous!” One of the medical team cried out.

“Are you ordering me?” Bryson said coolly.

“No I-”

“Good shut up, and if I don’t return you can go tell Duke Coldwater about this personally if you want.” Bryson said glaring at them.

Their face went a bit pale and looked away not saying anything. Bryson now satisfied got onto the hovercraft as it revved on. It flew out of the airship leaving the rest of the crew and the flowers back on the airship.

“Uh, if you don’t mind me asking Lord Bryson. What are we going to do?” Nico asked as they neared the tops of the trees.

“We’re not landing if that’s what you’re worried about.” Bryson assured him, “We just need to hover above her to pick her up.”

“Is she still alive?” Nico asked surprised.

“For now, looks like it.” Bryson said, he could see the bundle of magic, which he assumed to be Florence still there. What’s more was that any other bundle that approached her quickly disappeared.

But this was not going to last long, he could see the number of creatures disappearing slowing and he could see more things arriving as they approached.

“I know we could be seen in the air, but this amount of things is way too much.” Bryson mumbled. As he said that Nico plunged the hovercraft through the trees and Bryson could finally see what was happening on the forest floor.

What he saw confused him once more. Before him were several massive fallen creatures and one very tired looking pink haired child standing in the middle of them all in a field of glowing flowers.

What is she? Bryson wondered in amazement as she saw her point some sort of firearm at another incoming beast. A large boom and a rush of energy erupted from it and blasted the beast. However even high up in the air Bryson could see that she was heaving for breath.

Though it looked like she would now have a moment of reprieve as Bryson and Nico’s entrance had attracted all creature’s attention. Perking up all the various magical mutated creatures looked up at them and began to howl and growl.

Florence also noticed their arrival, looking up her red eyes widened in disbelief. She looked around and saw how the creatures seemed to have found a new target.

“What are you doing here? Get out!” She shouted at them.

“Not your choice!” Bryson shouted back before turning to Nico, “Get us lower.”

As Nico obliged the beasts began to charge forward again. Florence quickly readied her firearm and fired more shots.

“She can’t keep it up!” Nico shouted.

“I know.” Bryson said as he stepped over to the side of the hovercraft. Out from his pockets he pulled out the two mana converger flowers. He could feel the round blue glowing flowers pulsate with magic in his hands.

Remember Bryson, just like those leaves. He said as he looked at the field of near identical flowers. Control is key, otherwise this won’t work. Bryson thought as he tossed the two flowers down.

As they dropped, they shone even brighter and hit the floor at unnatural speeds. Hitting the floor, a circle of flowers surrounding Florence lit up. Immediately the mana convergers pulsated out a massive force of mana.

The pulse violently pushed outwards and caused every approaching beast flying back. They also had the unfortunate consequence of sending Florence flying into the middle of the circle Bryson made.

“Aaah!” She yelped as she tumbled into the bed of flowers.

Didn’t think that through. Bryson thought as he tried to look downwards at her. He wasn’t able to see her as it seemed that she was currently right underneath the hovercraft.

“What is that?” Nico asked staring at the pulsating flowers that acted like a sprinkler system that pushed the creatures back.

“Based on the barrier Gallagher used. This is a variation I came up with.” Bryson said as he watched as creatures try and fail to make it through the circle.

“What was that?” Florence called out.

Bryson looked downwards and saw Florence had reappeared and was staring up at him. He could feel her boiling rage from up here.

“There you are.” He said ignoring her, “Reese get us down.”

As the hovercraft began to lower to right above Florence’s head, she leapt upwards and grabbed onto the side of the hovercraft. The two of them looked at her in surprise.

“You sure can jump.” Bryson said as Nico yanked Florence in. It was perfect timing as the activated mana convergers had just run out of mana.

As one of the larger beasts neared rising vehicle Bryson quickly activated a mana converger beneath its feet. With a bright glow it pulsated and the massive kinetic force launched the massive beast helplessly into the air.

“Reese!” Bryson screamed.

“Moving!” Nico yelled back. The hovercraft shot upwards narrowly avoiding a lunge from some sort of cat-like creature that passed harmlessly under it.

As they neared the tops of the trees Florence recalled something, “Wait!” Shout shouted.

Bryson was about to ask what the issue was when he saw it. From the trees came gliding in what looked to be giant flying squirrels.

“Are those squirrels?” Bryson asked in bewilderment.

“Yes.” Florence answered calmly pointing her firearm at them and started blasting.

Bryson gave an annoyed groan as he looked down at the mana convergers below. Raising his hand he drew the mana out of one of the flowers transforming them into shards and sent them shooting into the squirrels. All this time learning magic to fight overgrown rats. Bryson thought.

Still, it wouldn’t be long before they get out of this mess, they neared the tops of the trees now. The two continued firing at the squirrels that neared. As they were level with the tree tops the sound of rustling attracted Bryson’s attention.

From the very top of the tree stood a giant mutant squirrel, the branches supporting it up bent and waned from its weight. It was only a mere body length away from the craft. Florence’s back was turned, she didn’t have time to turn.

Bryson went to launch more shards at it before realizing in horror that the mana converger he was using was now empty. Oh no. He thought as it leapt forward claws bared.

It never reached as Nico in a flash pulled out his blade and thrusted forward impaling the rodent, his body leaning halfway out of the hovercraft. As he leaned himself back into the hovercraft and as he continued to fly, he let the squirrel slide off his blade and tumble through the trees. The hovercraft finally floated high above the tree tops and into safety.

Bryson watched as the squirrel fall into the trees. He breathed a sigh of relief as he let the cool wind from the clear open skies blow past him. Looking up at the airship above him he never wanted to come here again.