030 - Journey to the East

"Aiieeee!" Ovidius shrieked as he was dragged up into the air, clinging to the sigil for his life. The tree branches grew at an incredibly quick, from the three apples Magnus threw there were now three trees shooting up from the waters.

Ovidius clung to a branch, higher and higher, a branch coiled around his arm, in a matter of moments the entire tree top was covered by green leaves, more and more. He flailed about, almost losing grip of the tree, but managing to steady himself with the levitating blue sigil.

Magnus frowned. He'd hoped the apples would have been enough to knock the Alchemist into the waters. Now it looked like he was safe. Ovidius laughed, blue sparks coursing from his fingertips down the bark of the tree, he tied himself to the trunk, placing the sigil beneath his feet. Once the trees died he could continue on his way out into the swamp.

Small green apples begun to appear on the many branches of the three trees, in a matter of moments they swelled to large juicy red fruit. Thirty paces, Magnus measured the distance from the shore to the Alchemist. Too far to jump, what now? The first three trees apples fell from the heavy boughs into the swamp waters, saplings shooting up into young trees twice as fast as the first.

Ovidius stood on the waters, a rush and groan of wood around him, the water's boiling with the fast growing forest. He pushed himself away from the tree trunk, from tree to tree, away from the dead city. The first trees withered, collapsing into the swamp waters, the second trees growing to nearly full size and starting the bear fruit of their own.

I can make it! The closest trees were only ten paces, a circle of creaking wood and rustle of a thousand leaves from a hundred fresh branches. Magnus too a run up, leaping from the shore, the black veins in his legs pulsating, his desire to see the Alchemist dead helping him fight through his exhaustion and weakness.

Magnus flew through the air, slamming into a rapidly growing tree trunk and clinging to it. Ovidius yelped in horror, focusing on the sigil beneath his feet.

"Come on, come on!" Ovidius urged himself on.

Just by holding where he was Magnus found himself rising higher and higher, the tree maturing at an incredible rate. Its branches shot out with an immense force, the leaves exploding from green branched, apples appearing and turning red in seconds. Magnus snatched an apple and threw it, where it splashed besides the alchemist a tree shot up knocking Ovidius almost off balance.

Magnus plucked another ripe apple, steeling himself. The Alchemist would not get away. Not like Festus. Not this time. He braced himself, the tree trunk withering and collapsing, Magnus roared and leapt out over the treetop onto the Alchemist.

"No!" Ovidius flung up his arms, a blue fizzing shield appeared in an instant, Magnus crashed into it, suspended in mid air right above the Alchemist's head. Ovidius couldn't hold for long, the sigil beneath his feet trembled and cracked, his face paled and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

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Magnus pounded against the shield, the skin on his fists exploding away, black veins on his arms and chest vibrating wildly.

Ovidius fingers shook, his skin cracking. He searched desperately through his robes, popping every available pill into his mouth. Ovidius eyes flashed, he raised a second finger.

Suddenly the blue shield vanished, Magnus fell down a few inches but in an instant a blue thread shot from Ovidius finger and into Magnus chest, knocking him away from the Alchemist and into the dark swamp waters.

The waters splashed, then were still, Magnus vanished into the deep waters. Ovidius steadied himself, the sigil beneath his feet barely holding together. "Ah ha ha ha . . what a freak!"

Ovidius calmed his heart, taking a deep breath and returning his focus on the sigil.

A hand broke through the surface of the waters right beneath the Alchemist, grabbing onto the edge of the sigil and pulling it over.

"!" Ovidius slipped, falling face first into the swamp. Before he could move to react, before a single thought could form, Magnus' fist met his face.

Held within Magnus' fist were the seeds of an apple, as soon as they touched the swamp waters they burst out into a sapling within Ovidius mouth. Tree roots forced their way down his throat, the young tree burst out from his neck and cheeks.

Magnus pushed Ovidius away. The swamp waters frothed and boiled. His skin split and lumps of flesh grew at weird angles, the roots of the fast growing tree erupted from inside his body.

A mighty apple tree shot out, quickly filling the sky with leaves and branches and more apples, dying just as quick.

. . .

A white marble hall. There were rows and rows of marble walls. On each wall hung a hundred clay tablet, on each tablet a name.

The tablet with the name Ovidius Genus Meridie vibrated, rattling against the marble wall and breaking in half.

. . .

Magnus heaved a sigh of relief, his body going limp. He felt tired, so damn tired. He closed his eyes. The swamp waters fizzed against his skin, tickling and giving him a warm sensation. That's it. Done. I'm done. Got one, heheheh. One down, bloody hell am I tired. I'm just gonna rest my eyes for a mo. So nice . . so comfortable. I'm just gonna rest my eyes a sec, then I'll swim out of here . . right . .

He sunk down into the swamp waters, sunk all the way into the mud. The forest of apple trees collapsed, not a single leaf remaining in the black of the night.