Christmas Boo Hoos

It occurs to me that posting one day of my travel journal might be a little cruel since I tend to get in adventures that last more than one day. It also occurred to me that posting these might be a bad idea since I've never even spell checked them.

Let alone looked them over for anything embarrassing.

But despite these issues, I've decided to throw up day two of my adventures at Yakushima.

Day 2 – The Fun Never Stops

I woke up early (7:30) and was out of the hostel by 8:00. I decided to take a casual stroll down to the pier since I wouldn’t have any real time to spend in Kagoshima. Along the main road, the city had erected innumerous statues and plaques commemorating the important historical events that happened in the city. Most of it centered around the Meiji Restoration. For those of you not fluent in Japanese history, this was about the 1800s, when the Japanese Shogunate abruptly came to an end and a new monarchial parliament was put into place.

When I arrived at the pier I took a few pictures of Sakurajima – the volcanic island that never stops smoking. Once I gave up on trying to get something decent I strolled into the ferry office to discover it had left at 8:30.

Frantic, I confirmed that my ticket was still valid for tomorrow then meandered back to the inhospitable hostel trying to figure out what I would do in the city I had completely written off. I also worried about my hostel bookings in Yakushima and how well I would be able to change them.

Course, I stepped into the hostel and was abruptly asked for my reservation. I tried to explain my situation but the owner didn’t care, telling me that the hostel was completely full. I thought this was odd, since my booking last night had been last minute and when I was there only two other people were in my dorm.

It also struck me as odd that a hostel would be full on Christmas day when, presumably, most people would be visiting their families.

God damn it.

I pulled out my Lonely Planet and went searching for the next cheapest hotel. Wandered around the block about three times before giving up (having no desire in repeating the previous night). During my walk I pieced together all the disparate information I had gathered about my travel.

I was caught off-guard by there only being one ferry because there was no listed time on my ticket. I had read in my travel book that the ferries had a tendency to cancel at the first sign of a dark cloud in the sky and that catching the next ferry was usually a simple task unless you traveled during Golden Week or the summer. I also found out that the ferry ride was 13 hours!

I then realized that I had been confusing the JetFoil and ferry as one and the same. I had assumed the difference in my ticket prices was because Mary found me a holiday deal and not that I was taking two different types of boats. When I was planning my holiday, I still needed to prepare for my climb on the day I arrived in Yakushima and I wouldn’t be able to do this if I took the ferry.

So, I decided to just swallow the $40 ferry ticket and purchase and Jet Foil ticket. I sat in the Jet Foil lobby, waiting for my boat to arrive (there was an amusing mix-up between the two companies and my ticket and instead of trying to sort it out I just decided to take a later boat with the same company as my return ticket).

There is one other white couple in the lobby but otherwise I’m surrounded by a bunch of old Japanese. I’m also beginning to suspect that Yakushima won’t be as green as these videos are suggesting.

…

Nope, Yakushima is green. And a little rainy.

I had a brief run in with the couple from the ferry when I rushed outside to take pictures of Sakurajima exploding. However, I haven’t seen them since landing. Finding my hostel was easy enough. I just had to walk down the street and turn left. It’s a small, unremarkable building pressed up against some sea rusted factory. The proprietor is miles friendlier than the Kagoshima dirty one-sixth dozen and he communicates to me mostly in Japanese. Whether this is out of consideration or necessity I’m not entirely sure.

I stocked up on supplies before hunkering down in the hostel for the rest of the day. My first human contact was with a small group of Australians who weren’t very outgoing. I focused on packing my food, showering one last time and not reminding myself how alone I was. Also, I had to avoid the proprietor who is trying to tell me my path is snowed in. Obviously, if he can’t discuss the situation with me, the snow won’t be there when I arrive tomorrow.

That’s how things work right?

My roommates began to arrive later in the evening. The first was a very friendly Japanese man from Saitama with acceptable English. His sunny disposition lifted my spirits and his forthright attitude helped break the ice with my other roommate.

Though likely just starved for company, I chatted up the young Australian for quite awhile. He, too, is an ALT working with Interac. He’s placed somewhere near Kagoshima in two junior high schools. This is his second year teaching and he hopes to continue for several more. We share a similar taste in fiction though his taste in movies and music leaves something to be desired.

Translation: he likes noise.

Though, I have a small confession to make. While traveling in Japan I don’t like to admit that I am an ALT working here. I don’t know why, perhaps I feel it makes for a good excuse why my Japanese is so terrible. Also, it avoids the awkward “marry my daughter” moments with Japanese parents. Why I tell other ALTs that I’m just traveling is likely just to maintain appearances. Also, it spares having to do the same song and dance about my company, work and the other tired conversations that often come up between co-workers.

Dammit, I’m on vacation! I refuse to discuss Interac for the rest of the week!

Balls

So here's a little introduction since my counterpart just threw my writing willy-nilly into the Interwebs.

I've written a few scraps, collections and short stories tentatively branded as D&D (because I are so clever) and basically running under the premise of what life would be like if my friends and I lived in a fantasy world... of dungeons and dragons. Since they are all silly projects, I haven't actually given them any editing time.

Turns out, there's a lot less dungeons and dragons and a lot more bickering and squabbling. Most of the ideas for the stories come from big or little life events of the people around me. This one in particular was inspired by - you know what, I don't want to ruin the surprise. It has the rather impressive title of Balls and is the first real short to feature Derrek as the main character.

Since they are all silly projects, I haven't actually given them any editing time. So mind the spelling errors, grammar mistakes and logical inconsistencies. It's the least I could do for my friends. So, enjoy!

---------------Break ---------------

“If you know what is good for you, you will hand me the talisman.”

“Don’t do it!” Keirn called.

The wind whipped ferociously about them, mangling his words so that even Jeremiah had difficulty hearing them. He wasn’t sure if his friend was actually trying to persuade him or just giving the expected protestations of a man in his position.

Not that Jeremiah was in any shape to follow his advice. They were had by the balls.

The woman known as Scarlet Heather turned her hand crossbow, releasing a cackling bolt into the air that sizzled past Jeremiah’s left ear.

“Must this be protracted any further? Don’t make me ask politely.”

Her other hand held aloft the soft glowing balls clutched tightly in her fingers. They clinked as the woman swayed upon her feet. A great palpitation of light emitted from the twin artefacts, the flash curiously striated with red and blue. Jeremiah could almost hear them crackle like ice slowly breaking apart.

Jeremiah took one step forward. But the deck pitched beneath his feet, causing all those aboard to grab madly for support. Only the pirate captain herself seemed to keep her footing upon the pitching vessel, her tired expression never loosening.

“We need to hurry!” Vera cried. The squat girl had her arms wrapped tightly about some dangling netting, her feet barely skipping the rotting wood of the ship. “This ship won’t stand forever.”

“The least you could do is bargain our freedom first!” Kait shouted.

“Honestly, I could just shoot you know and take the talisman from your body,” Scarlet Heather said, aiming her weapon squarely at Jeremiah’s chest.

He felt his heart skip at the threat. He looked at her pleadingly, staring straight at that soft face framed by the long, whipping strands of shimmering russet hair. Only her hardened gaze stared back.

“Please!” he shouted. “Why… why are you doing this!”

The deck shifted once more, causing Jeremiah to slip and fall heavily against the wood. Pain shot up his banged elbow but his hand still managed to grasp the rail, keeping him from tumbling to his doom. Once he regained his footing, he saw his adversary’s weapon had dropped slightly.

“It’s nothing personal, dear,” she whispered, the words barely escaping her ruby lips. “Trust me, I had no intention of things ending like this. But I have a contract that I must finish. Please don’t think this is has any bearing on my opinion of your character.”

“But the bounty on us has been dropped!” Jeremiah said. “Our lives aren’t worth anything.”

“Speak for yourself!” Keirn shouted.

“Like I said, this is nothing personal. I just need the talisman, you can have your globes and we can all go our merry way.”

“You can’t give them those!” Vera shouted as her feet, fully airborne now, kicked helplessly while the ship leaned even further upon its side. “Our instructions were very precise!”

“Yours perhaps. I was hired solely to retrieve the talisman.”

“I don’t think that was the intention of your contract,” Vera said.

“I don’t deal with intentions, only with gold. Now, shall we continue this standoff or shall we wait for this miserable wreck to completely dislodge itself and plummet to our collective grave?”

The tattered sails overhead snapped warningly in the wind, each gust threatening to pull the vessel further from the craggy perch. The ship groaned beneath its own rotting bulk as if it were conscious of its eagerly anticipated demise.

“You can’t give her Messchernizzer’s Talisman of Shattered Dimensions!” Kait warned. “We don’t know the ramifications of activating it without the protection of Glory Aessalia! This could doom us all!”

A sudden gust careened against the hull, pitching all the members forcefully to the ground. A terrific explosion of splintering wood filled the air as the ancient ship screeched down the cliff side. Vera screamed as the ropes she clung to unravelled dropping her down the length of the deck as it ground itself to a sheer wall disintegrating against the stones.

Jeremiah suddenly felt his full girth supported by the lone hand grasping the rail, and his fingers burned with the strain of keeping him anchored to the collapsing vessel. With a shout, his strength gave way and he felt the sickening sense of airlessness as he tumbled. He caught sight of the hired thugs falling like screaming planks of wood to the yawning chasm beneath them. Jeremiah was about to join them as the old contents of the ship’s cargo burst through the hall, leaving enough broken wood and debris for him to land roughly upon the broken skeletal frame of the elderly craft.

He groaned, shifting to his side. But the wood splintered beneath his shifting mass, causing for him to throw his arms roughly about the thick shattered planks forming the sheer deck.

“We’re going to diiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Vera shrieked. She clung hysterically to the dangling rope, her body swinging with momentum to smack her against the deck over and over again as the wind rushed up from beneath them.

Suddenly, the ship came to a sudden stop with a tremendous crash. More wood burst from its degraded bonds, raining in splinters into the air. Jeremiah looked between his legs to see what had stopped their fall. The ship had managed to drive itself between a great rocky spire pinning them, temporarily, in the air at a great ninety degree angle.

He then quickly looked towards his friends. Though now guardless, as the last thug fell screaming past with his arms flailing, the siblings remained tied securely to the ship’s mast.

But what of the globes?!

Jeremiah looked back where Scarlet Heather had stood. The space was now completely empty of both woman and artefacts. Had she dropped? He looked down the length of the ship frantically searching for the rogue.

Miraculously, she stood upon the shattered rail, her hands unimpressively resting upon her hips. Beneath her, a great spider web of coils had appeared, likely launched by the curious contraption upon her wrist. Her hands still even glowed with the faint light of the orbs.

“Well, now that my men have fallen to their untimely demise, can we finally finish this exchange?”

Jeremiah turned to the two dissenting opinions. But Kait merely looked on the verge of tears and Keirn dangled curiously with his eyes closed as if he had drifted off into a boredom induced slumber.

Jeremiah scrambled to find some footing, the wood groaning beneath him. At last, he found enough purchase to turn and hold the talisman out, looking down at the remarkable woman.

“Very well. The talisman for the orb and my friend’s freedom.”

“If you think I’m coming up there to release your companions, you have another thing coming,” Heather called. “But drop the talisman and I will send up your globes.”

“No,” Jeremiah said. “How do I know I can trust you? The globes first.”

“Seriously? It would almost be easier to just wait for this damn ship to crash and search through its wreckage.”

“Just make the trade!” Kait called, her voice quivering.

Jeremiah took a resolute breath, reaching his hand out into the growling air as far as he could, then he released his grip.

The talisman tumbled from his fingers, turning about and about as it fell. Its long silver chain whipped about like a wild comet’s tail.

Heather raised her wrist launcher, shutting one eye as she steadied her aim. With unerring accuracy, a single bolt was loosed, snatching the twisting chain and plugging the object into the hall just within arm’s reach of her position.

She then grabbed a single piece of leather, looping it upon itself and nestling the globes beneath. She fastened it to her launcher, took careful aim once more, and fired the orbs towards Jeremiah. It struck the side of the deck just by his head, the tinkling of the orbs within giving off another rainbow pulsation.

“Until next time!” Heather called, raising her fingers to her lips and blowing Jeremiah a kiss. He felt his heart skip quickly once more.

“What about my friends?” Jeremiah called.

“I suggest you get them quickly,” Heather cried. “I don’t think this ship will remain for long.”

She balanced along her makeshift platform until she reached the rocky spire, taking the time to inspect it before finding a suitable ledge to begin her descent.

“And what of meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!” Vera cried.

“I shall see you back at the port!”

And with that, the pirate captain departed, leaving Jeremiah with the sobbing redhead and his still bound companions. With tears still running down her cheeks, Vera began to slowly inch her way up the dangling rope but Jeremiah had no idea of how he was going to get to Keirn and Kait.

Had he been a religious man, he would have prayed.

“Why can’t these things ever be easy,” he muttered.

Oh God It's Friday

Whelp, almost forgot to post today. Since most of my stuff is on my external (which is all the way downstairs and ain't no body got time for stairs) I rooted about my computer until I could find some words to post. It's also far too late for me to actually come up with something original so I present an entry from my exotic Christmas travels in the mysterious and verdant Yakushima Island.

Side Note - is it redundant to call it Yakushima Island?

Day 1 – Christmas Eve

To say that the start of my journey was a little haphazard might be a bit of an understatement. Let it be known, at the very least, I have interesting adventures. For some reason, I had the wrong dates in my mind for when I began and it was only a last minute confirmation that revealed I was leaving a full day earlier than expected. Apparently, I had been reading my ferry ticket instead of my airplane ticket for the last month.

So, my day started at 6:45 with a last minute check of Steam’s Christmas Sale. There are some priorities that just can’t be ignored. Sadly, there was nothing of interesting so I grabbed my pack and was on my bike by 8:30. The plan was to take the direct bus right to Haneda airport which, assuming nothing unexpected happened, would leave me with a two hour wait at the airport. I figured it was better to be early than late in these situations.

The plan also included stopping by the post office to get some extra cash. However, it seems, ATMs have more benefits than most workers as they were closed until after the yuubinkyoku opened at 9:00. So I had to stop at the central post office. At least that was on the way to the hotel.

I parked my bike in the notoriously dangerous Belinda/George neighbourhood, hoping that the sad state of repair my bike was in would deter any would-be thieves. I then hurried to the hotel and quickly purchased two tickets for the Haneda airport. Curious when my bus would arrive, I popped outside to check the timetable.

I had missed the only one that would get me there on time – at 8:00. The next one wasn’t until 11:35. Oh shit.

With few options, I hopped on the bus to Tokyo station, fishing my Lonely Planet out and plotting a route through Tokyo’s underground to Haneda airport. Thankfully, getting there by train was incredibly easy. According to my research, I had three stops and a twenty minute tram. It was good that I allotted two hours in case of emergency.

Alas, it turned out, that two hours wasn’t enough. Who would have guessed that the roads would be incredibly congested on Christmas Eve. Well… this probably surprises nobody but me. It took over 3 hours to get into Tokyo and though I got from the station to the airport without any difficulties, I still managed to arrive just as my plane was leaving.

Thankfully, the Japanese pride themselves on customer service and an incredibly helpful worker got me a new ticket for a plane in a hour and ushered me through security before I even knew what was going on. It seemed that, while everyone was going somewhere, they weren’t going by plane.

I also learned that my backpack counts as carry-on. Furthermore, I learned that tripods can’t be brought on as carry-on. Good things to know for when I return.

Now, I don’t know if it is customary or if the attendants saw me board, but they gave an English version of every announcement. I was more impressed that I could understand them more than anything else. Not that this was anything but a nice observation since I promptly spent the entire two hour flight unconscious save for a brief moment when they offered me a complimentary drink. Too groggy to want to deal with it, I told them I was fine in Japanese. To which, the attendants immediately began talking about how I spoke Japanese… or something. I can’t really remember too well since I just rolled over and went back to sleep.

I have notes here on turbulence during the flight but that’s pretty boring. Let’s see if there was anything else of interest that happened this day. Airport staff got me safely on a bus for Kagoshima. Couldn’t find my hostel for an hour since the Lonely Planet’s map is incredibly useless. Hostel service was pretty unimpressive but the place was cheap.

Oh, to celebrate the festive season I made some wonderful purchases for you – the reader. First was a new pair of earbuds that are both rain and sweat resistant! They’ll be perfect for my runs on Monday which, invariably, is the same day Kamisu decides to rain on every week. I also bought a tripod, one of those Gorilla things that can wrap around posts. I’ve been meaning to get a tripod in order to improve my photos for awhile now and Yakushima seemed the perfect time to try and get better photos.

I passed a Kentucky Fried Chicken and can confirm that the Japanese eat chicken on Christmas. There was no seating in the restaurant as that whole area was packed with piles of take-out buckets. I wish I was exaggerating. Had I my camera with me, I would have photographic proof. Sadly, you’ll just have to take my work for it.

My dinner was less exciting. I stopped by a conveni for a typical bento and a piece of “Christmas” cake and eat it in my bunk at the hostel.

Merry Christmas…

Sigh. Forever Alone.

Because I'm Bad At This

So, here's my friend's website. Of course he's just doing this to look better than me:

derekgingrich.com

FTL - FRE : First Real Entry

Well, seeing that my co-contributor has decided to brazenly post some of my stories already leaving me with little to write myself, I've decided to start this off with something a little special.

As my interests are greater than just writing, I have a tendency to peruse the digital landscape for some of my entertainment. As such, I thought I would start this off with a little review of a rare gem released last year.

And what better game to post on a blog called Out of my Mind than a game that is literally out of this world?

FTL - also known as Faster Than Light - is a delightful pseudo-roguelike space faring, ship captaining game. That little genre title is a fancy way of saying that there's not much to the actual game then you exploring a "dungeon" or "space sectors" in this regard and everything you really need and will use to win is found through your exploration.

The premise is simple, which is what I really like about it. You are one of the last remaining loyalists fleeing from the unstoppable forces of the rebel alliance as you try and deliver some crucial information to your leaders. It's a cute little reversal and homage to Star Wars and kind of nice to take a perspective that isn't from the scrappy little underdog. The rebels really feel more like a galactic empire, with their drones reaching the furthest flung space sectors and their fleets always nipping right at your heels (FTL engines) the entire journey through.

And while the story is light, I would have liked to see the designers play with that a little more. You'll get the odd dialogue entry from the planets you visit about how they have no love for the rebels (especially when they are seen bullying around these little colonies) but I would have really liked for a narrative to be subtly woven through in these random exchanges. We could have seen colonies express why they never sided with the rebels. Perhaps we could get a few captains comment on where the fell on the conflict or even offer possible reasons why the conflict occurred. It's not much, but it's the sort of subtle storytelling that not only seems to be growing popular these days but also offer some extra form or replayability to the game.

As it stands, once you get to the end you have a rather unexpected boss fight and then... it's done. There are a number of different styled ships you can acquire but since the game ends the same way every time I don't know if I see the appeal for repeating just because of that. And, unlike other games in a similar style, your ship and crew are almost wholly determined by what you can scrap up through your exploration. Having these little story elements could encourage some people to try and seek out all the little events in order to understand the greater, global issue.

But I could only be saying this because I love stories. What really bothered me about the game, however, was a tonal shift. It's made pretty clear that you're being pursued by these scumbag rebels and your ultimate goal is to press through dangerous and treacherous space to reach the last friendly outpost. The game really seems focused on this journey - the crew that you assemble on the way and the tough decisions you make between them and how you'll deal with the issues facing colonies and other ships you encounter. It's got a very strong 'flight to freedom' vibe, so I was more than a little disappointed when I reached the end to realize not only is the journey pretty short (only about nine sector jumps in total) but then you're inexplicably expected to face this enormous boss at the end. Needless to say, you die the first time and every playthrough after feels like you're now preparing for this fight that you really don't narratively have any expectation to face. I can understand the inclusion of the boss as a way to add difficulty to a game that would otherwise be too easy (if you just fled from every encounter and made a strict beeline to the end of each sector) but I really would have liked to see the challenge balanced better. Make the journey itself challenging, not some artificial encounter at the end.

All in all, I really enjoyed the game and it's a strong showing for a little independent developer. And a lot of my criticism is probably unfair since the people making this are more game developers than writers. But, at the very least, I hope some of my complaints can highlight how important stories are to our entertainment and just how they can be included in a wide variety of ways. Really, we've been telling each other stories since the earliest recording of history and I don't think all our fancy technology will ever replace the enjoyment of a good tale.

Anyway, for anyone who would actually care for a numbered rating but don't want to be bothered with this rambling wall of text with little real "games journalism" information, this one's for you:

8.5/10 successfully killed space spiders

Testy McTesterson.

This is a test. If you are reading this, do not be afraid. It is only a test. There will be no quiz afterwards as it is only a test of the system capabilities of this blog. Test.

P.S. Don't ask about the plaid.

The Sliver - Part 6

            Kait paused, her mind still struggling to understand what was happening. She stepped towards her brother, but Calos called out pointing towards the floor.

            She looked down, her eyes following a soft splattering sound. Her breath caught in her throat.

            The sliver was not just a piece of a thorn. Somehow, the thing had grown and thin tendrils whipped at the air and ground, slapping against the stones and blood. It bounced as if the flesh and blood had given it unreal life.

            “That... that... was in... me...” Keirn whispered.

            The demonic seed slapped some more, bouncing like a fish out of water. It eventually strayed close to the firewood where the thin tendrils stopped striking stone and hit bark instead. Filled with an unnatural purpose the tendrils wrapped around the wood digging into the surface. The thorny seed sucked against the bark, imbedding itself within the fibrous remains. There, it appeared to take root, new tendrils cracking from the seed’s surface and wrapping around the wood.

            Kait watched in horror as the firewood was quickly enveloped within a green mass. The wood shook from the ordeal splintering beneath the strength of the plants crushing grip.

            Calos immediately sprang forward, rapidly snapping his palm against the piece of wood. As if sensing his approach, some of the tendrils unfolded attempting to wrap around his wrist with their thorny grip. However, the strike came so quickly that they snapped only the empty air as the chunk of wood became airborne. It struck against the floor once before skidding into the dying embers of the fire.

            There was a popping and crackling as the flames leapt upon the new fuel. The fire burst into life as a sickening squeal arose. The sound persisted for a few seconds as the three watched the flames burst along the green plant, running all along its length and turning it into charcoal. The squealing then ceased.

            Kait hurried to her brother, who had already begun tying his blood soaked cloth around his open wound.

            “Are you alright?” she cried.

            He looked up at her. Gone was the wildness that had greeted her earlier, replaced by weariness and a hint of relief.

            “I got it,” he smiled before his head fell back and his eyes closed.

            Kait and Calos picked him up and lay him close to the fire. Calos padded up his bedroll as Kait tied a clean bandage around his hand. She used a damp cloth to clean his arm and face as best she could.

            “I’ll stay up and watch over him,” she told Calos. But he shook his head and refused to go to sleep. The two of them stayed up watching over him until sleep snatched Kait from her persistent vigil.

            When Kait opened her eyes, she was greeted with the bright morning sun. She slowly raised her head, half wondering if the events swimming foggily in her mind of the previous night had just been a bad dream. However, her heart began to beat furiously as she rose from her slumber.

            She was lying alone in that empty inn.

            Neither Calos nor Keirn were anywhere in sight. Keirn’s bedroll was still unrolled on the ground, rumpled and carelessly laid aside. Kait reached around for her bow, affirming its proximity, before she quickly tossed on her over coat. She was just clasping her cloak when Calos strolled casually into the inn, a few large branches tucked under his arm.

            He gave her a quizzical look as he walked to the fire, threw a few fresh pieces of wood on, stoked the flames and stirred the softly boiling pot.

            “Ummm... where’s Keirn?” Kait asked.

            Calos pointed out the door. Bow and quiver in hand, Kait walked to the empty entranceway.

            The town was still deserted, small whirlwinds of dust kicking along the dried streets. Kait looked up and down the main throughway then ducked back inside the inn.

            “Where exactly is he?” she asked.

            Calos sighed and waved his hand at the door. Kait frowned.

            “Wouldn’t it be easier if you just told me?!”

            Calos chewed his lip, and then smiled. He produced a pool, scooped some of the cooked wheat into it and offered it politely to her. Reluctantly, Kait dropped the subject and turned to eating the meagre gruel that was breakfast.

            She was almost done her bowl when Keirn strolled in.

            “Finally. I thought we would have to toss a whole day’s travels because you weren’t going to wake up.”

            “Where have you been?!”

            “I see Calos made breakfast. Great, I’m starving.”

            Keirn walked over and took the offered bowl. He ignored his sister’s queries until he had finished of the gruel and washed its bland taste away with a healthy mouthful of water.

            “You had me worried sick, where did you wander off?”

            “Well, by my estimation,” Keirn said, leaning back against his crumbled bedroll, “I suspect that the source of all our troubles is not too far from here.”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “That plant... thing that had unceremoniously been incubating in my hand,” Keirn said, his voice biting with bitterness. “I’m fairly certain I’ve located its root system.”

            “I’m sorry... what?”

            “Last night, after you had fallen asleep, I was given the chance to think over everything that had occurred. I’m fairly certain that I had been infected with some bizarre parasitic plant life that imbeds itself into other organic flesh to obtain nutrients and grow. What I had was just a feeler of the damn thing. But, since it is a plant, it must have a root system in order to obtain water. If we destroy the roots, the plant should shrivel and die. Just like plucking a weed.”

            “Wait, so that thing that... you had... there’s more of it?”

            “Yes, and I believe it’s in the farmstead to the south of us.”

            “What makes you say that?”

            “Well, it certainly couldn’t be living in this desolate waste and I contracted the sliver between the farmstead and this village. As we had already encountered animal life in the woods, it had to be the farmstead. Course, I went this morning once dawn broke to check it out.”

            “All by yourself?!”

            “Well, Calos had to tend the fire and you were sleeping.”

            “What if... you got seeded again?!”

            “Psh,” Keirn said dismissively. “Now that I know what I have to keep an eye out for, I’m not worried. Come, finish your breakfast. I hope you liked it; it’s the last of our food stores.”

            Keirn then stood, grabbing his sword and walked out of the inn. Calos shrugged and poured the ashes of the previous fire to douse the current flame before following. Kait ate the remainder of her breakfast and joined Calos outside, stomach still growling.

            Keirn picked up a torch he had left on the stone well and checked to insure it was still burning strong.

            “You aren’t planning on going there, are you?” Kait asked.

            “Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

            “Well, there are the obvious dangers for one.”

            “Come now, I would think you would jump at the chance to help your fellow man.”

            “But you wouldn’t.”

            “I’m wounded!” Keirn mockingly exclaimed, clutching his breast. “Now, if you’ve got your stuff, let’s go. If we’re quick, we can even get a half day’s travel before we have to make camp.”

            He then turned, strolling boldly from the town. Calos hurried after and Kait was left with no choice but to join them.

            They crossed the waste and reached the hill, Keirn never slowing his pace. Kait jogged to keep up with him.

            “Do you even have a plan for killing this thing? You don’t even know what it is?”

            “It’s a plant, what more is there to know? Destroy the roots, kill the organism.”

            “I’m not sure how I feel about going to its center when a simple thorn nearly drove you insane.”

            Keirn stopped and rounded on his sister.

            “I wasn’t insane. I was just concerned about infection. That is all.”

            He resumed his course.

            “Can’t we just continue on our way? This thing is behind us.”

            “Technically, it’s ahead of us,” Keirn replied, waving his torch in the direction of the hill.

            “You know, your pigheadedness is really tiring some days!”

            “You’re welcome to go home!” he called back.

            They continued on, Kait spending most of her time shooting hateful looks towards her sibling. However, anger turned to worry once they climbed the hill and began the treacherous descent down its steep slope. She had forgotten how difficult the thing had been to climb and stumbled multiple times even without the added weight of her pack slowing her down.

            Keirn made a show of wrapping thick cloth around his hands before climbing and the others followed as best they could in the path that he blazed. A couple of times he unsheathed his sword and stabbed furiously at the earth. Those moments, Calos and Kait made sure to give the spot he attacked a wide berth.

            After the treacherous climb, they faced the fence. However, this time around, there was a section that had been collapsed beneath a rather large broken branch.

            “I’m assuming that was you?” Kait asked.

            “I had to cross it again.”

            They climbed over the fence and skirted around the cornfield, sticking to the long grass that separated the field from the woods.

            As they drew closer to the farmstead, Kait noticed that the roof seemed to sway in a manner untouched by the wind. There was still the thin wisp of smoke escaping from the chimney, but it was much smaller now. The green colouration also became defined as they drew close and Kait felt her feet falter.

            The entire building was wrapped with green tubules that poured from every hole and space in the stone. The windows were completely wrapped by the plant and the straw in the roof was mostly gone, replaced by the writhing green tendrils.

            This was a much more mature plant then the one removed from Keirn’s hand. All along the walls, what could have been mistaken as individual climbing ivy was instead great leaves sprouting from the sinewy stalks.

            “I wonder how it seeds,” Kait whispered to herself, half forgetting the dangers that had preoccupied her mind before. Thus, as they circled the farmstead, gauging the best entry point, Kait spent her time looking for buds or cones that the plant could use for reproduction.

            “Here we go,” Keirn muttered. There was a storm cellar entrance that was framed in iron. Tendrils broke through the wood but most of it was gone and the plant seemed reluctant to wrap around the iron frame.

            “Everyone ready for this?” Keirn asked. He frowned slightly. “Kait, if you want, you can stay out here.”

            “No,” Kait said quickly, her curiosity peaked. “I want to go inside.”

            “Very well. I suggest we keep our weapons ready. If the seed’s vigour is any judge, we may have to defend ourselves.”

            With that, Keirn kicked in the remainder of the cellar door. The tendrils snapped back as he pushed his way in, the torch held out in front of him like a ward, his sword held back ready to strike anything that came near.

            They stepped down into the cellar. There was an incredibly earthly and sickly sweet smell. Kait couldn’t identify it, but assumed it was coming from the masses of green vines that stretched along the ground. Most of them ran up the stairs into the main household but a large portion was wrapped about a hump in one corner of the room. Keirn approached cautiously, the torch constantly flicking from side to side as if he expected tendrils to shoot from the shadows at any moment.

            The tendrils forming the hump seemed the most active, slowly wrapping and squeezing together. The sickly smell seemed to rise from that area of the cellar. Slowly Keirn held his sword over the mass. The plant didn’t seem to react, though how it would Kait didn’t know. After a moment’s deliberation, Keirn plunged his weapon into the heap.

            Several vines severed at the thrust. Those cut but still intact recoiled from the blow, snapping into the darkness and retreating through a collapsed portion in the cellar’s wall to the safety of the shadows beyond.

            A peculiar liquid oozed up from the darkened heap, pooling over the remaining vines. The tendrils that hadn’t recoiled continued their steady strangulation. Keirn lifted his sword to the light, the dark ooze revealed to be a sickly red.

            “Blood,” Keirn muttered. He bent down and cut away at more of the vines. Several snapped away while Keirn removed a portion of the plant. He stepped back once he had cut off enough to see beneath the tendrils, a look of revulsion on his face.

            “What is it?” Kait asked. She moved closer but Keirn pulled the torch away so she couldn’t see clearly.

            “Let’s keep going,” he muttered. He stepped carefully towards the hole.

            Kait lingered a little, trying to see through the dark at the heap. But she couldn’t make out anything distinct with the torch’s light vanishing. Also, there was a stomach turning squelching as the vines continued their binding. She took a deep breath and followed the other two.

            The room they entered appeared to be the wine cellar. Most of the casks lay broken and covered in the vines, which continued into rough hewn rock beyond. The trio didn’t linger long sensing that what they sought lay in the unshaped earth.

            The vines didn’t cover this tunnel as much as they did the farmstead. They formed a thick, slowly moving cord in the centre. Keirn stuck close to the dry earthen walls. Calos and Kait followed carefully in his footsteps. The tunnel began to gently slope downwards.

            “Do you think it dug this?” Kait asked.

            “No, I think this was part of the farm,” Keirn muttered.

            The tunnel bent sharply then opened up into a spacious cavern. Water, from an underground river, trickled out of a small mouth in the western wall, forming a short waterfall that splattered ominously.

            The vines coalesced near the center of the room, wrapping about themselves until they formed a large pillar crowned with a single broad white petal flower. A peculiar luminescence emanated from the petals, casting off a ghostly glimmer that lit the cavern on its own. Three enormous stamens emerged from the center, casting off soft golden flakes into the air.

            Unlike the tunnel, the vines spread out to ledges carved into the walls. Water trickled down these smoothed outcroppings that appeared to have been hand carved. Leafy protrusions grew from these elevated pools, each slightly different than the rest displaying a remarkable variability in leaf size, colour and texture.

            “I think that’s it,” Calos whispered.

            A loud scratching echoed behind them and the three all turned around. The long trail of vines was rapidly slithering down the tunnel, a large bulk transported within their grasp. The trio jumped aside as the large mass was yanked into the cavern, pulled towards the flowered pillar in the center. Once it retracted within the folds, the plant began to quiver and shake. The stamens released even more pollen as the pillar’s base expanded until the lump was dragged into the dead center of the plant.

            The vines then constricted into themselves, a ghastly crunch ensuing. The red sanguine poured from the numerous spaces between the vines, rushing down the stalks and painting them deep scarlet. The plant convulsed a few more times before the petals drooped; satiated.

“This is it,” Keirn said, stepping boldly forward, brandishing the torch in his hands.

“No wait!” Kait called.

Her brother paused.

“What?”

“You can’t just kill this creature.”

Confusion painted Keirn’s face.

“What?”

“It’s not evil, don’t you see? It’s just another organism, struggling to survive against the harsh trials of its days?”

“Kait... it kills people.”

“That may be, but there are many plants that abstract required nutrients from insects and the like. Are you to say that we must hunt them and kill them because that is the only way for them to survive.”

Keirn shook his head.

“Are you saying we should let this... thing live from some misguided sense of morality?”

“What makes us different from animals if not the realization that all life is precious and needs protection? This plant could very well be unique, the first amongst its kind. You can’t just set it on fire because of the ways it needs to eat.”

“Yes, I can, just watch.”

“But why?!” Kait cried.

“Because,” Keirn said, with steely determination, “it gave me a sliver.”

And before she could react, he pitched the torch with all his might. The flame flickered as it soared through the air, landing squarely in the stalky center of the creature. Immediately, the green vegetation caught alight. That same, eerie shrill filled the air as the flames engulfed the plant. Tendrils snapped violently in the air as the flames ran up and devoured the plant and its enormous flower.

Keirn watched long enough to feel satisfied the thing was toasted before he turned and beckoned the others to follow. Kait whispered a silent apology before turning and leaving the plant to its fiery funeral.