With all of the pirates pacified, the group began their trek into the island's interior. It didn’t take long before they found themselves in a mangrove forest. “Mangrove, we’re here to speak to you!” Naya called out as they walked through the wood. The strange submerged trees were a sight to behold. Alvec wasn’t sure how these ones had adapted to the weather of the empire, but their spirit origin seemed to help with it plenty, he guessed.
“Child of Akrixi, Mangrove, we seek an audience,” Naya shouted again.
“And perhaps you may yet have one child,” came a voice from the trees. The group looked up to find a face in the foliage above their heads. It was simply a face made of branches and leaves.
“Oh! Hello Mangrove! I’m Naya, from Lom-Itoti. It's a pleasure to meet you.” Naya said, bowing down to it.
“Alvec Snaptail, abjurer, at your service.” Alvec supplied before bowing slightly.
“Uh, Sarbie, cleric of Kushang.” She stated.
“Illaria of the Blue Banner Army.”
“Mavec, clocksmith.”
“Bait.”
“It is a pleasure to have such polite company. The last men here said they’d burn my roots if they could. Instead, they swore to keep everyone else away. Burning my roots may have been far too great a challenge for them to ever achieve,” Mangrove said, its face shifting through the canopy.
“Mangrove, we come here seeking information. LuCol of the Blue Banner Army suspects that the infernals are plotting something far grander than a single sword point aimed at one of our cities. We wish to know if you can help us confirm this, oh mighty child of Akrixi,” Illaria said, bowing low.
“Tell me, how would you grow from this knowledge?” the tree spirit asked.
“Ack-Aziza is already in a state of growth, the Empire too,” Naya replied quickly. “If Infernals were allowed to kill and maim as they pleased, it would arrest our growth and cause us to grow into a more aggressive nation. It would throw us out of harmony with nature more so than we already are, as the flames of war consume all, turning a farmer's implement to a life-ending blade.”
“That is a type of growth, and yet, I see your point. That growth would be discordant with the natural world of which I am a part. I do not wish to see more of my trees cannibalized for these constructions you call boats.”
“So, can we count on your help?” Naya asked.
“Yes, tell me how I may be of service to you, oh spirit-speaker of Lom-Itoti.” the voice from the trees replied.
“What do you know of Hellroot?” Naya asked.
“Styxweed, she means,” Mavec replied.
Naya laughed nervously. “Sorry, I was only half paying attention to that conversation; the cat was so cute!” she said, placing a hand on the back of her head.
“Come on, Naya, this is serious,” Mavec replied.
“It's okay; everyone else was paying attention. I’m sure we’ve got the details between the remainder of us,” Illaria replied.
“This styxweed, LuCol speculated that it could be used to raise an army of sunken boats, ones that could then be crewed by devils and used to assail the empire,” Alvec said, filling in the gist of LuCol's theory. “Is that a possibility?”
“It most certainly is. Styxweed is very pliable to certain infernal magics. It could be effortless for the right devils to use it to repair the ships claimed by my distant relative Shoalsatta,” Mangrove said as the face appeared above Alvec.
“Fuck,” Alvec swore.
“Is that an invitation to copulate? I have not done so with a corporeal creature before.” Mangrove stated.
“No, no, no,” Alvec said hastily. “In addition to the usage you're familiar with, it's also a negative exclamation. In this case, I’m using it to express both frustration and how bad that is for everyone.”
“Ah, thank you for this information. Common is not my native tongue.” Mangrove said.
“Question... how would that have even worked?” Naya asked.
“I do suppose I would have had to manifest myself in a visually pleasing manner and then allow the Abjurer to disrobe and do as he pleased. That is how this works, no?” Mangrove asked.
“In a very overview sort of way, but can we maybe get back on topic, Naya?” Alvec said, flushing red and staring at the ground.
“What more do you need to know of the Styxweed?” Mangrove asked.
“How do we get rid of it?” Mavec replied.
“Simply dig it up,” Mangrove replied. “Deprived of its connection to the hells, it will wither and die once separated from the soil.”
“We can’t possibly dig it all up; LuCol said that it was all up and down the coast,” Illaria stated with frustration.
“You needn’t do so. All these pieces of Styxweed growing are, but one root carefully tended. If you were to destroy the central root, the rest would collapse,” Mangrove replied.
“Okay, where we find root?” Bait asked.
“I sense it east of here, on an island. Show me one of your maps, and I will do my best to discern where it may be.” The face emerged from the base of a tree and looked over Illaria’s shoulder at the map. A root of it pulled out of the ground and made a small circle on the map around a particular island. “There, you shall find what you seek there. Dig up the Styxweed, and you will foil these infernal plots. Is there anything more we can help you with?”
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“Uh, yes, actually!” Naya said. “I’m trying to learn more about the Greensleep and Elder Bristlecone.”
“Ah, what can I tell you about the Greensleep and my eldest brother?” Mangrove asked.
“Is the Greensleep permanent? We understand that it's for protection, but does it kill the people it's used on?” Naya asked.
“It is Brother Bristlecone’s power; it would be easiest to ask him, child. To my knowledge, though, those in the Greensleep remain alive. Nourished by the sun and the soil and the rain, just as we are.”
“I see; thank you for that information. Do you know where Elder Bristlecone might be now?” Naya asked.
“Alas, I do not,” said Mangrove. “He visited a time ago, ranting and raving about Kaavas.”
“Wait, say that again,” Mavec exclaimed.
“Alas, I do not. He visited a time ago, ranting and raving about Kaavas.”
“And that's exactly how he said it?” Mavec asked.
“Must I repeat the sentence again, clocksmith?”
“Only the final word,” Mavec confirmed.
“Kaavas.”
“Okay, just give me a few minutes. I might need you to repeat it.” Mavec said as he tore through his pack, searching for his notes. It took a moment to find it, buried deep in one of his books where he had recorded the various suggestions about what the name might be. Old Imperial was a tonal language, and the inflection could have meant anything. A dying man's poor pronunciation of it, and only written in Vato’s journal without pronunciation guides, had left the group unsure, but now someone who spoke common had the inflections for them to study. After a few moments, he found the paper. “Once more, please, Mangrove,” Mavec said.
“Kaavas.”
Mavec cross-referenced the page quickly, finding the correct translation. “Foul Light,”
“Fuck.” Alvec said again.
“Shall I assume a more appropriate form first?” All this talk of copulating does have me more interested in the possibility than I thought possible,” Mangrove replied.
“Other word usage, again,” Alvec assured the spirit.
“Ah, I see. Perhaps you, as well, have not yet attempted any mating rituals. Hence your reluctance. Afraid to be a bad partner? Or maybe you have other partners in mind?
“And we won’t be answering either of those,” Alvec said. “Mangrove, do you know what Kaavas is? A powerful diviner suggested that the world was ending because Kaavas was returning. We only now know what the name translates to; we’ve no idea what it actually is, though.”
“I am afraid I do not. Whatever it is, it is older than all but Bristlecone as far as the Children of Akrixi go. You would need to speak to other spirits, older ones, such as the Three Sisters, or perhaps Shoalsatta would be inclined to answer your questions if you were to present her with proof that you thwarted an attempted theft from her watery domain.”
“Will the Styxweed be kept near Crowley’s base of operations?” Illaria asked.
“I imagine that it will be; the Styxweed would need to be nurtured carefully. I do not imagine a mortal man as calculating as Crowley would allow for many variables. The closer to his base of operation, the better. The further away it is, the harder it would be to both monitor its growth and to defend it from any attempts to destroy it.” Mangrove said.
“Thank you,” Illaria replied. If Mangrove was correct, then this was where she would find her parents, somewhere on the island with the Styxweed.
“Thank you very much, most blessed child of Akrixi,” Naya said, bowing low. Alvec followed suit, motioning for Sarbie to do so as well. Illaria and Bait also bowed slightly.
“While I sense only veneration from a few of you, I appreciate the rest of you paying your respects despite your beliefs,” Mangrove said. “Be safe in your travels, and may the infernals yet curse your names.”
With that, the face in the trees dispersed. The group began to walk back. There was a lot of distance to cover and much to think about. The Iron Castle, Crowley, Kaavas, Elder Bristlecone, the mysterious journal. So many puzzle pieces slowly started to click into place. Alvec cursed again, this time keeping the word fuck in his head so as not to tempt Mangrove into making demands Alvec would NOT be willing to give into.
Crowley was likely just someone capitalizing on plans much more significant than himself. Though what they were was hard to say. Kaavas was clearly connected to the strange creatures and also to, most likely, the journal, but they wouldn’t know for a few days more. Elder Bristlecone was so worried about Kaavas, something ancient, that he had uprooted himself. He let out a hefty sigh as they boarded the Audacity Six and a Half and headed back to the port of Ac-Aziza. He rested as much as he could during the trip to regain his spells.
Illaria
There wouldn’t be a lot of time. The way the Banners were mobilizing, the assault would be fast and likely soon. By dawn, they’d be heading towards an early morning fight. The problem was that the fighting was a severe risk to non-combatants. If her parents were there, their very lives would be in danger the moment the fight began, and with a flying ship, it would be too easy for Crowley to escape the battle even if it turned south. The possibility of loads of infernal backup joining the fray, too, didn’t sit well with her. If this was going to go well, they’d need to first destroy the styxweed, infiltrate Crowley’s base, locate her parents, and finally steal the flying ship... all before the Banners came crashing down like a tidal wave of steel and fire. Even at full tilt and without stopping to rest the night, it would be close. Alvec, Mavec, and Sarbie had all turned in, so at least the party would be full up on spell power before they attempted this brazen plan.
The boat rolled into port, and Illaria ordered everyone else to stay on board. She’d speak with LuCol alone. With any luck, she’d be back in minutes. She found her way to LuCol’s ship and let herself in. The man was waiting, but the cat was no longer just a kitten. It was nearly as large as Echo and stared down as she spoke. “We’ve spoken with Mangrove; they confirmed the presence of the central Styxweed on this island and confirmed that your theory could very well be accurate, sir.”
“I’d say excellent, but this is terrible news. Even if I give the orders, we’ll never be able to disperse fast enough. Concentrating like this was a mistake.”
“Sir, I have a solution if you’ll allow it,” Illaria stated.
“Present your case.” He said, nodding.
“We depart immediately. A small craft such as the Audacity Six and Half can sneak around the island and land undetected. We locate the Styxweed first, dispose of it, and then commence a rescue mission, and we steal back the Audacity Six, cutting off some avenues of escape from Crowley.”
“I can’t officially sanction this mission. So it's a good thing you didn’t re-enlist soldier.” LuCol said, smiling. “The Styxweed, I suspect, is on the western side of the island. The Blue Banner will begin our assault before dawn. We need to move before the sun is high enough in the sky to be a problem for us.”
“That's all we needed,” Illaria said before turning to leave.
“Wait, there is one more detail you should know. A tribe of goblins seems to be held prisoner on the western side of the island. They look to be the ones who are forced to tend to the Styxweed. Your companion Bait might find that bit of information significant. I can’t promise that they are the missing Black Powder clan, but they very well could be. A fact I am sure will not be lost on him.”
“Thank you kindly LuCol.”
“May your will be strong and your steel swift,” he said as she departed his flagship and rushed back towards the Audacity Six and a Half. Turncoat met her on the docks, both hands in his pockets.
“My original deal was with the boss man, so pardon me for asking, but what's in it for me?” he asked.
“You get us there, and we’ll steal your god-damned boat back from under Crowely’s nose.” She said. He whistled.
“Then what the fuck are we waiting for?” He crossed the boarding plank to his boat and motioned for her to follow. The ship departed the second both of her boots clicked onto the deck.