Chapter 203: Prep For War; The Benefactor Or The Forest (P3)

The vines twist, turn and churn all around me. The Minotaur held up in the air, pierced thtrough so unexpectedly finally begins to struggle.

It wiggles in the grip of the vines and quite frankly I can't begin to tell what plan it has to free itself from such impalement.

The vines find its wiggling annoying and bothersome however, and decide to toss the Minotaur away like trash out the door.

Whereas I'm seated on the bare floor, petrified by all that's happened in mere moments.

The grass underneath my feet begins to grow and stretch, pulling out from my feet and rising tall and long. Trees begin to sprout in an instant and those tree creatures from earlier march out from its bark.

The Forest seems to come alive all around me, I have no other choice than to get to my feet or be swallowed by the rising grasses.

Fortunately for me, the tree creatures are not here for me, this time, in multiple numbers they're here for the Minotaur.

"You seem to have an aura of mischief and disaster following you." A voice breathes on my neck.

I swerve and find nothing but grass. I'm about to dismiss it but I realize, I'm looking directly at the speaker.

"You're the Guardian Spirit of the Forest."

The grasses wave and flowers sprout, "That I am, and you are the troublesome one the Deity that subsumes us with his presence now spoke of."

I raise an eyebrow at this, having never heard of someone talk of the Damned Wolf in such a respectful manner I'm naturally taken aback.

"You mean Lotar?" I ask, just for clarification.

"Indeed, the Wolf Deity."

My lips part to respond but a terrifying roar bellows though the fields. I don't have to look back to know that the Minotaur has recovered.

But I do.

It has in its hands that split body of one of the tree creatures that the Spirit sent. Raging, the Benefactor tosses them over at me, my eyes widen and I scramble for cover.

However, rather than land on the floor two separate pieces, the power and of the spirit near me forces them to conjoin and land on both feet, perfectly balanced.

I don't have time to admire the show of power as the damn thing dashes out to face the Benefactor again.

This time, it doesn't survive.

With a rage filled roar the Benefactor kicks it up into the air, looks at and pillars of fire burst out of his eyes, incinerating the tree creature.

"Damn Spriggan! Come out! Where is your real body you foul wench of a Spirit!" The Benefactor screams, apparently speaking to the Guardian Spirit of the Forest.

She replies, sternly, "You are trespassing, one they call Benefactor."

He snorts, "Enough with that name, I am Icktar! Lord of the Minotaurs and of realms within the Reais!"

The Spriggan, the Guardian Spirit of the Forest takes this declaration with a grain of salt however and simply replies, "Very well, Icktar, return to your realms and leave this Forest."

There isn't much room for negotiation and at the moment, I'm stuck between two giant creatures, two beings of great power I cannot hope to even scratch with my current powers.

Icktar snorts, puffing out fumes from its nostrils, "Not until I get my taste of the flesh I have claimed as my own. And perhaps even then, I shall simply see fit to rip through the veil and burn you and all the damned trees you hide behind."

In response to this the Spriggan does not speak, rather, a plethora of strong long and sharp tipped vine erupt from the ground beneath the Minotaur.

To Icktar's credit, it sees the attack coming from a mile away and had long begun to breath fire from its mouth, burning many of the vines and roots before they can strike.

But the Spriggan can multitask, already there are mini-versions of it sprinting out of the trees, all of them intent on getting one or two hits on the Minotaur that towers over them.

The minis are slapped, tossed, torn in two and burned to crisps but their ability to reform from any attack that doesn't incinerate them must be a real pain for Icktar right now as they've begun to pile on him.

Mindlessly, and under the complete control of the Spriggan the mini's hold onto his arms, letting roots wrap around their bodies and link them to the deep network of roots below ground.

Just watching from the side-lines, I can tell a lot of coordination is being put up on the Spriggans end.

Icktar continues to breath fire and even heats up his skin so it starts to burn the mini's but it's too late, far too late.

With the many distractions from the vines whipping about and the minis headed to their deaths, Icktar has left himself open for attack, and the Spriggan knows this, in fact, it seems to have planned it all.

A root sprouts out from the ground and twists around Icktars neck, wrapping around it several times that there shouldn't be anything left to wrap around. The Minotaur struggles, building a burst of flames in its hands as the root wrapped around its neck is likely to take time to burn off with just his skin heating.

Fireballs form in each of his hands, blasting off parts of the minis and the vines and roots holding him back, literally rooting him to the ground. But the Spriggan is faster.

It isn't quick. The root around Icktar's neck begins to squeeze, so hard I can see the veins pop on the surface of his black leathery skin made up of his victims. 

The root continues to squeeze, ignoring the blast of flames the now shower it from Icktar's hands and in what feels like an eternity, of a silent, desperate struggle to kill one and other to escape. 

The winner is declared with a sickening pop and crack as Icktars head is squeezed off his shoulders.

Spriggan wastes no time, before the head can drop several more roots and vines impale it, drilling holes through it and tearing it apart in mere seconds.

And finally, I breathe.

The vines recede and the surviving minis walk back to their trees, letting the beheaded body of Icktar fall, lifeless on the ground.

Catching my breath, I turn to look for what to direct my speech at, but end up choosing some lone strand of grass in the end.

"You're strong." I compliment, The Spriggan is far stronger than I originally imagined, in fact, while I knew I couldn't beat it, I felt I had a fair chance at wounding it.

I realize the folly I such a thought now. The Spriggan is an enemy on this plane I absolutely do not want to have, but an ally I desperately need.

The grass waves a bit and its responses in a receding, far away voice, "No, that was merely an Avatar, a vassal for a mere fraction of Icktar's true, full power. And had that Avatar, crude as it may have been gotten to full strength, without the interference of the Wolf Deity, then Icktar surely would have kept his promise."

And there, I've gone and done it again. Made a nigh unbeatable enemy.

The Spriggan senses my unrests and speaks calmly, "Worry not, should you stay here and worship Lotar as you have then you shall live to see a natural death, mortal."

Well, that's encouraging.

"Unfortunately, I can't afford to stay here with my people, I have business elsewhere."

The Spriggan seems to hum.

I continue, still a bit awestruck, "That's why I must petition to you that you aid me in protecting them, just as Lotar protects you. Provide them with food and nutritious land for farming, give them a head start." I bow my head, showing the utmost respect I can.

I'm simply begging at this point but to a physical power like this, one I have no means of manipulating, there isn't much choice than to bargain with the little I have.

Which happens to be Lotar. Who would have thought having a Deity on your side could come in handy?

The Spriggan doesn't speak for some time, leaving my neck aching, but when it does it seems to have fallen on some revelation.

"I see now. Lotar protects you and you ensure that his worshippers keep on worshiping, you are also indebted to your people, the ones worshipping Lotar now, and need to provide them with sustenance so they keep worshiping."

Almost smugly it adds, "And I fit into this because Icktar could appear and be ready to keep his promise to burn down my forest, so of course, I must also rely on Lotar, a Deity for a suppressing presence. And in turn, that means I am obliged to keep that Deity in power even if in a convoluted manner, all I do is do what I do best; grow."

I'm proud I understood every bit of that, but a bit caught off guard by the leg up I seemingly have over the Spriggan.

But nevertheless, I slap on a smile and raise my head, "Yes, potatoes, corn and rice especially please."