Ch 57. Living Grove Part 3

Seeing the ominous looking pitcher plants and their large fang like lids, I could more or less imagine what could happen if you got too close. 

A glint in my eyes as I ordered Gawn towards the new monsters, not letting him off just yet. He knew I was singling him out, and knew exactly why. That stunt he pulled earlier crossed my line, I couldn't tell what his intentions were, but if anyone would be risking their life this mission, I'd make sure it was him.

Even so, Gawn looked unperturbed, his eyes cold and unmoving. If he was scared to take this position he was doing a good job hiding it. 

All I had to do was reap the benefits, watching as he dealt with everything. Like the treants, the pitcher plants had moveable vines that they used as appendages, but were overall low-mobility once on the ground.

The one thing that set them apart seemed to be the liquid they had in their body. Spilling out acidic juices whenever injured, covering their vines in it, seemingly impervious to their own body fluid, but probably able to apply a nasty burn to others. Watching Gawn finally struggle with something as he needed to completely avoid the multitudes of swinging acid-drenched vines. 

The other soldiers and knights moving to assist, seeing my brother try to go as well.

"Not you." I grabbed Tristan, holding him back.

He looked at me, then at the group. Seeing that they were managing to hold their own.

I led him a few paces back, crouching in a huddle, whispering in a low voice.

"You saw what happened earlier, with the treant."

Tristan looked nervous.

"I think he tried to kill me." I said cynically. I still wasn't sure what Gawn's intentions were, but I'd seen enough to know he didn't mean well. Enough to know that he wasn't an ordinary knight. He could have very well saved me if he wanted. 

"That's not true Keaton. You saw how he tried..." 

"You don't really believe that do you?" I snapped, seeing his hesitation.

In a more hushed voice, he whispered. Barely audible. 

"He really tried to kill you?" Looking worriedly at me first, then sneaking a glance at the ongoing battle. 

I raised my eyebrows, did he not believe me?

"You seem to respect this Gawn fellow. So I'll ask, why? He seems to have a lousy attitude."

"He is respected... but people are also somewhat afraid of him. He's a bit of a loose cannon." 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He picks duels with people he doesn't like, he always makes it to the death, and you can guess how those went. "

"Why on earth did you introduce a guy like that to me?" Nearly hissing at my brother. 

"Don't get me wrong, he was already interested in you... he was insisting on meeting you this morning and I know he's been talking about you ever since your engagement. But, honestly I didn't see the harm. He would owe me favor and you would get another skilled bodyguard."

"Well... that plan already went wrong. So fess up, why's this guy after me?"

"I swear I don't know, all I saw was that he got a note and he approached me after that... I didn't get to see it, but it looked like a woman's. You don't think it could be..."

Marcella's? I thought coldly.

"That's enough. Thanks." Patting him on the back.

Moving on to claim my prize. Seeing the dismembered pitcher plants lying on their side. A puddle of syrupy acid spilling around them, but still very much alive.  

Gawn leaning against a tree, feigning disinterest. Somehow making me even angrier than before. 

"Had a nice chat?" He mocked sarcastically. 

I didn't get it. Even if he liked Marcella, what did he expect to do here? I wasn't going to get myself killed, and he didn't look like he was about to try outright killing me. As soon as we got back to town, I'd be isolating him and depriving him of any positions he previously held. He was a knight, so I maybe I couldn't outright strip him of titles, but I could damn well make him a knight in name only. Whatever his intent was, I was confident enough that he'd failed his one shot back with the treant. If I was a normal guy, it would have worked, but this guy was no threat to me in my current state. Putting some confidence in my own ability after weighing what I had seen from him.

I could feel myself getting close to the next level. After experiencing it so many times, it seemed I had begun to develop a sort of sixth sense. A strange tingling in the back of my skull, a cognition of how far I was progressing towards the next step in my soul's evolution. 

I stored the rest of the bodies while ordering around Gawn and the rest of the guards, keeping my brother close just in case. Taking a bit of an interest in the changing vegetation. A green-blue moss of a different variety than anything I had seen previously, each patch growing in concentrations around where the pitcher plants lived. Whenever my identification was used, the entire area lit up. The moss seemed to have a much greater effect on intelligence than anything I had seen previously.

Handing out digging tools, starting with Gawn, who finally balked for the first time at an order. Looking humiliated as he dug up the precious moss with an unhappy expression, much to my own delight. Progress was slow, but I'd stay here as long as needed. 

Time was difficult to track during the day here, the sun was completely obstructed by the thick canopy above us, only allowing a trickle of light through. I couldn't tell how long it had been, but if they didn't hurry up it would be dark out soon. A prospect that scared even Gawn. 

But even after collecting the moss, I wasn't prepared to go. I was so close to leveling that it'd be a shame if we left now. 

Kaguro