Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Trouble is A’Brewing

Book 1, Volume 4

Chapter 30

Wylla quickly left the incoming group of Swampweed Gators behind, heading deeper into the swampy forest. Guided by three more screams (“SKREEIIGG!”) her butterfly wings fluttered her past pools of swamp water, lone Skunktail Reeds, patches of Porcu shrubs, and clusters of greenery and mushrooms as her bare feet lightly squelched on the increasingly muddy ground.

She heard them before she saw them. The sounds of coarse staccato voices speaking in a language she didn't understand. She stopped behind the smooth wide trunk of a Desparu tree hiding behind a big green bushy Bliry shrub. She could make out huts and short bipedal beings up ahead as the glow of tall floral lamp pods shone a soft golden light in all directions.

She looked down at herself with silvery eyes that held a hint of pink, noticing that her skin had changed from sun-kissed tan to a pale silvery moon hue. She then held up her soft spiln hair that had spilled over her shoulder up to her eyes, “My hair has changed colors once again... looks silvery moon white with shades of pink highlights?”

[ No need to worry Wylla. Remember that's just your body going from its sun-kissed form to its pale silvery moon form. Either way, you're still the same beautiful Wylla that we all know and love ;) ]

“I... I guess... umm... Thanks, Anari.” Wylla stammered as her cheeks turned a bit red. “Still, I can't get close to that village looking like this, I'll get spotted so Spiln Serpris Camouflage.”

Wylla felt her scalp tingle as the Oryn energy entered her soft spiln hair lengthening to cover her body from the top of her head to the top of her feet as the color shifted to blends of Bliry shrub greens. She stood there behind the Bliry shrub by the Desparu Tree trunk looking a bit like a horror movie spirit that just crawled out of the tv or others watching the Livestreams might mistake her for a green-haired version of cousin Itt from a certain old tv show.

Either way, she was now ready to explore this unknown village from the cover of the swamp.

“SKREEII!”

Wylla's head turned towards the left side of the village. I don't know what's happening over there but someone or thing seems to be in a lot of pain. Maybe I can help.

Wylla started moving in the direction of the scream as quickly and quietly as possible, keeping the village in view as she ran between the trees and shrubs. Her spiln hair slithering out of her way so as to not block her sight or cause her to trip and fall.

She came to a stop on the far side of the village where a lone hut, larger and different than the others seemed to be isolated away from the rest of the village.

The hut's walls had briar bloodrose vines growing over it. On either side of the hut were several large cages made of wood and thorny vines; All of the cages seemed to be occupied with prisoners of some type or other which she couldn't quite make out due to where she was hiding.

There was a large round courtyard area in front of the Briar Bloodrose hut lit up with more six feet tall floral lamp pods. In the center of the courtyard sat a big ancient-looking cauldron with glowing Briar Bloodrose patterns along the sides as green witchfire heated it from the pit below on which it sat.

Standing around the edges of the round courtyard were a half dozen or so short tribesmen villagers dressed in dark skirt-like leggings, mantles round their necks, and various wooden masks covering their faces. They were holding crude spears or thorny clubs.

Must be some kind of village guards which must make her the leader here? Wylla thought to herself as she stared at the slightly taller albino woman.

The woman was dressed in a wickedly beautiful if a bit revealing, briar bloodrose inspired tribal witch outfit accented with bone and stone jewelry. Her wild evergreen dreadlocks snaked to and fro as her vibrant blood-red eyes stared into the cauldron.

A briar bloodrose tattoo ran from her right shoulder down her toned arm to the back of her black clawed hand. She held open a large blackish-green book in her left hand. Her briar bloodrose staff resting against the wooden work table that was nearby.

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I'm sensing a theme here Wylla thought to herself.

The Briar Bloodrose Witch, for that is the only name that sprung to Wylla's mind, stood in front of the cauldron tossing in 'things' from her various pouches as she chanted words of power (“Notic Atun Meela Kiira Toc...”) causing the green witch flames beneath the Briar Bloodrose Cauldron to crackle, pop, and flare with energy.

Just then a group of four Kavi guards leading a starved looking furry lemur monkey humanoid (for it's hard to tell just what kind of species it is...) walked into the Witch's courtyard.

Two of the spear-carrying guards with gator face wooden masks then threw their prisoner forward as he or she fell heavily onto the witchfire dried ground with a grunt kicking up a small cloud of dirt.

“Kavi kirr nor kine Kavi!” One of the guards said to the Witch.

“Kavi alu toc nozun altor Kavi.” The Witch replied as she pointed at two of the guards. The other two guards then nodded, turned, and headed back to the village as the two guards that remained attached a rather large thorn vine chain to the back of the fallen prisoner's body harness. The chain was looped through the donut hole top of a large wooden stake in the ground.

Satisfied that the lemkey [ For what else would you call a lemur monkey demi-human? ;) ] wasn't going anywhere the guards took up positions on either side of the fallen prisoner that was hunched over on its knees quivering and making broken 'cooing' sounds.

The Witch's blood-red eyes then returned their focus to the cauldron as she continued chanting and tossing in ingredients from the many pouches adorning her fit body.

“Those bloodrose inspired tribal witch-like clothes really do look great on her. Gives her that whole wicked beauty vibe, but no way would I wear something that shows that much bare skin...” Wylla said softly.

[ Says the cute little girl in the fluffy Furbee shorty shorts and cropped ribbed halter top with her belly button showing. You know, if you actually compare outfits I think you'd find that hers is a bit less revealing ;) ]

“I'm only wearing this because it's all I have.” Wylla shot back in a quiet voice; Her face flushing as she looked down at her bare feet while wiggling her little muddy toes. She titled her head looking at her small muddy feet realizing that she really hadn't noticed or minded that she'd been barefoot all this time. And that she actually liked the comforting way the earth felt beneath her bare feet.

A loud pop from the witchfire caused her to look back up towards the Witch again as a ring of blood red and green mixed smoke floated above the cauldron.

Wylla could feel her heart beating faster as a fluttering feeling danced about within her tummy as a gentle wind carried the smoky scent of spicy-sweet blood flowers to her. She knelt further down along the side of the Desparu Tree trunk, leaving just her green-haired head poking up above the Bliry bush in front of her; Careful not to make any unwanted noise or attention-grabbing movements. “Hope my eyes don't glow doing this but here goes... Oryn Spirin Eyes.” Wylla whispered as the energy entered her eyes. She focused first on the ones she guessed to be guards:

[ Kavi Protectors are Kavi chosen and trained to protect the village and follow the Village Chiefs orders. They are armed with crude spears or wooden thorn club or blow dart flutes. Some are trained to ride Spidoll mounts. Rank 0, Tier 3, Level 2, Stars 3 ]

Not good. They're stronger than cannon fodder but at least their not elites... still some can ride Spidoll mounts which guessing by the name means some kind of spidery doll beast? Which means they may be faster than me... ugh, definitely not good.

“And just what are Kavi anyways?” Wylla whispered as she stared at the one near the prisoner on the ground noting how their hands up to their elbows and their feet up to their knees seemed to be covered in some type of barkskin boots and gauntlets as well as their chests.

[ Kavi is a spriggankin flora race of mortals. They grow to a height of about 4 feet, have a variety of flora features, grow various wooden masks, and live in swamps and forests. They believe themselves to be the superior spriggankin race and feel that all other spriggankin races should serve them... so I think you know what this means right Wylla? ]

“Yosh! We've found the villains of our show,” Wylla whispered as she then looked at the lot of them in a whole new light; As tasty loot pinatas.