Sinners Of The Way: The Magkapatíd Hunters

--- Mercer ---

“So what’s the deal with flower power?” He asked after helping Kur’silo drag the monster’s corpse up two flights of stairs and into Trisha’s workshop. Said workshop being filled with half a dozen more flower corpses as well as several toppled shelves, tables, and bloodstains on the ground.

“We need to burn the flowers.” Tris told him before explaining that. “I’ve been tracking a malicious source of nature magic for the last week. Found a unique grouping of flowers, after bringing them back to examine them they promptly blossomed into these.”

He kicked one of the corpses as he gestured to the elaborate spell script on the workshop ceiling above them. “Think your mystic defenses set these things off?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Kur’silo shrugged as he started making a corpse pile out of the flowers. “Downside of creating a magical vacuum, if something is being kept asleep externally bringing it in wakes it up. Usually we catch that kind of thing, but…” The Inferni-Sa’tyr glanced at his partner.

“The plants were stasis locked until we collected them.” Tris continued as she flipped through one of her ‘restricted’ books. “We didn’t realize they were being kept under because there was no magic affecting them, and we thought the fading residual was merely a remnant of whatever was done to them.”

“Eh, don’t feel bad. My house got blown up and Clockwork’s place had an eldritch pest problem. Speaking of…” He moved beside the huntress and sat down the jar of mists he’d recollected from outside the library entrance where he left it. “That pest problem seems to be spreading to all of the Way.”

“Of course it is.” Tris sighed, snapping her book shut. “What do you know about this ‘problem’?”

“A Royal of the Mists is wandering around the Way. Already dealt with the guys who let it in but I need to track it down before it lets more of its Misty Minions through.” He explained, before glancing at the dead flora in the center of the room. “What do you know about that problem?”

“This was likely a test run for whoever is responsible for them.” The Hunter answered as she picked up a jar of black powder from the ground and offered it to him. “I can track them down and deal with them, but they already know I’m after them.”

“Meaning you’d be walking into a trap… if you walked into it.” He finished popping the top off the power for her.

Trisha gave him a nod as she took some of the powder in hand. “Exactly. You and Kur’silo can deal with the threat directly while I work on a ritual to deal with whatever is causing this before it can spread these flowers across the city. Then we can deal with this Mist Royal.”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Sounds like a plan.” He agreed, watching Tris put the powder to her wound. “Any idea where we should start?”

“Sunugin gumalíng.” Tris whispered before gritting her teeth as the powder ignited, briefly filling the air with flames and the scent of burning flesh, before fading to reveal the Hunter’s shoulder was completely healed. “I first got a line on this because of an old couple buying an exotic flower from a nearby florist that turned into a smaller version of these. That florist sent me to their supplier who in turn sent me to the Botanical Garden on the other side of the river.”

“Meaning someone is using the Way as a testing ground because they know the Vigils aren’t here.” He figured, unable to help but frown at the idea that, (The city’s problems always find a reason to make it the Way’s problem.)

“Possibly, though it could also just be the closest ‘nature’ hotspot within the city.” Trisha pointed out as Kur’silo doused the plants in gasoline. “Even if you left the city, you’d find more plains than forests. Which given the kind of magic here is a necessity for most floral rituals.”

“I guess how calculated this is depends on whether they’re spreading these flowers all over the city or just in the Way. So you think they’re still at the garden or that they’ve moved on somewhere else?” He asked, watching the Inferni set the Blooming Beast bodies on fire.

“Magic grows stronger the more of it you use, slowly turning a location into a place of power for that type of magic. That’s why my family has used this library as our workshop for so long.” Tris reminded him as they both watched the smoke be contained and purified by the various magics baked into the very foundations of the building. “Changing locations will set them back months if not years, depending on how long they’ve been working at this.”

“And no one willing to do this is going to be patient or sane enough to lose that much progress.” He sighed with a shake of his head. “If anything they’re about to double down on whatever crazy plan they’ve got.”

“Which is why we need to act fast.” The Huntress nodded. “Thanks to how insulated the library is I doubt they know whether or not their plan succeeded but the moment any of us steps outside they’ll have their confirmation.”

“Right.” He nodded back as he began to think out loud. “Right now, they’re probably gathering their forces in case ‘subtlety’ is off the table, meaning if we’re lucky dealing with the problem at its source will let us deal with the problem completely.”

“And if not that’s what the ritual I’ll be setting up with these ashes will accomplish.” Tris assured him. “Unfortunately, it’ll be very noticeable when I start it, unless the mastermind is distracted.”

“Oh, I can do distraction.” He chuckled, already wondering how best to troll a magical nature enthusiast. (Actually…) “Silo, bring a few extra cans of that gasoline!”

The Inferni blinked before looking at the gas can and back at Mercer. “Uh, it’s not actually gasoline, though?”

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes, to Tris’s amusement. “It burns things, right?”

“Well, organic things that aren’t treated.” The Inferni shrugged, gesturing to where the flames were devouring the plants but leaving the rest of the room alone.

“Good because only we can cause forest fires.” He smiled, letting his helmet’s double tap skull flicker on.

Kur’silo gave him a confused stare for a moment before asking, “Are… you making a reference, tol? Because I’ve been on earth for ten years and have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Tris let out a laugh. “I’m going to have to tell Julie that one.”

He glared at the Demon Hunter before marching past Kur’Silo and taking the gas can. “Let’s just go burn a building down.”

“Ooh, fun!” The Inferni laughed following after him. “Just let me grab my guns!”