After traveling up the road a ways they ran into a crowd of soldiers and ghoulish aristocrats alike, all of which looked like they just got cancer treatment, he watched as they loaded an ornate coffin that any man would be proud to be buried in, if it wasn't for all the candle wax, though that might just be their way of making sure nobody fucked with the casket, like a wax seal on a letter. He even saw a pair of riders in armor made for cold weather, with thick wool and furs along with leather pads with metal scales sewn into them, Kaiden mercenaries, he always wished he could hire them in game as he always thought they were some of the coolest designed NPCs, maybe he can join one of their units, it'd be worth a shot if he could ever find a recruitment office, preferably with a restaurant across the street, he didn't care which one he'd take any modern amenity at this point.

He and Irina hid nearby watching the people work, It took the people a while to load up and get the trolls moving. He always felt bad for the trolls, they really got the ass end of the deal on the war of the giants, trading one slave master for another, atleast the last one didn't pierce them with nails the size of fence posts and force them to pull heavy shit from their giant gaping wounds.

Only after the burial march was a ways off did Galus tap Irina on the shoulder. "They're gone, let's go, it's just up this hill."

After a bit of steep walking and a pinch of climbing, Irina spoke up. "I smell something... Sweet, like honey." And after a few seconds Galus could smell it too, it certainly smelled like honey just like she said.

Galus crests the hill, seeing the entire area covered in huge pink flowers, it was definitely a beautiful sight that only managed to fill Galus with a sense of dread, especially seeing the huge one next to the some old ruins. "Listen, I'll take care of this as best I can, just uh, try not to breathe too deeply, These are Miranda flowers, often raised by perfumers but they grow in the wild as well... It's hard to say but given that they're growing near Selen's place there's a good chance she can experimenting with perfuming, it wouldn't surprise me honestly..."

Irina looked over to him. He could hear a quiver in her voice. "I'm still confused as to how you know all this stuff, but I have a more important question, why are you doing all this? Why are you going through this trouble to help me, I'm just a blind hindrance, I've hindered my father at his castle for years, and I can't help but think you're dropping me here like a rock you've been carrying."

Galus would have given a heavy sigh but he caught himself not wanting to breath in these toxic fumes. "I'd be lying if I said it was selflessness and chivalry, I just really love this world despite its shortcomings. It's a beautiful place, and I really would rather not see it turn into a smoldering ash heap, and what's all this about dumping you here, I'm just going to ask her if she could protect you while I go help your father get his dumb sword." He says, patting her on the shoulder. "Then I'll properly dump you on him." He says, praying the joke will not be taken the wrong way, by the smile on her face he could tell his prayers were answered.

Galus nodded, bringing tearing a piece of his already torn up cape and wrapping it around her nose and mouth, before doing the same for himself, before unsheathing his sword. "Stay here, breathe lightly, I'm going to clear a path."

He said, before walking over to the plants, a vertical swing later and he could feel the plant fibers splitting, the good news was, he killed it, the bad news was he can see the huge one next to the ruins rising up and shoot what looked like seeds into the sky, he looked up seeing them falling with little wing like protrusions much like those helicopter seeds he played with as a kid, they fell in the same way trailing a glowing silver glitter, and where they landed a bright glow before a beam of light exploded from it's shell shooting into the sky, this happened on the exact sight of each seed, he did manage to traverse that veritable mine field but nearly got bludgeoned by one of the smaller flowers stem as it flopped around like a wooden fish, he stopped it's thrashing with a stab through it and pulling his sword out, he watched several start closing in on him, and start rattling their pedals shifting letting off a bunch of poisonous pollen, he could see it dancing in the air, but the mask kept most of it out, still it was best to leave the area of the sporous cloud. He practically skipped backwards, before wishing he had a ranged weapon, wait...

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He took out his last cleaver, and with a solemn goodbye he threw it at one of the flowers that was trying to poison him. he turned and found himself face to... Petals, with the giant flower, he also noticed the giant bulb where it's full bloom used to be, and the bit of poisonous pollen that was leaking from it, that was all he could get from the look before it exploded in his face with a surprising amount of concussive force. He could also feel the poison taking effect, he wondered how it managed to get into his body, he blinked, had his eyes always been that crusty? He blacked out for a second waking up occasionally seeing Irina dragging him, then again seeing a Stony ceiling, and once again to see a large brass pumpkin holding Irina down,

He woke up fully feeling rather better, he looked around seeing Irina sitting tied up in a corner, though mostly unharmed, he blinked turning his head to see a stone face of a woman staring at him. He yelped attempting to lean away, and that's when he realized he was strapped to a table, shackles on his hands and feet and leather around his arms. he looked again at the stone head, seeing it wasn't connected to the owner, rather just set there on the table, he looked around seeing Selen over near a work table messing with some green boluses, probably the same batch that cured his poisoning.

"You caused a lot of trouble for me you know, I'm gonna have to grow new Miranda flowers to continue my experiments, you can repay me by taking place in an experiment of my own." Selen said, not looking away from her work, her long braided dark hair falling down her back.

Damn it, he was hoping that she wouldn't be in a bad mood, luckily she hadn't gagged him so he could probably talk his way out of this. "Listen, I'm sure we can talk this out, I actually came here looking for your help."

She looked over her shoulder violet eyes piercing deeper than any blue. "And why would I help you, when you're clearly in no place to bargain."

Galus sighed, he decided to tip his hand a bit, test the waters. "A place to bargain would require both parties to have something the other wants or atleast the power to make his demands heard, So Selen I think I'm in quite a good place to bargain as I have both."

Selen didn't show any surprise at him knowing her name, it was probably not the best sign. "I'm relatively sure you're not. For one you're still strapped to a table."

Galus nodded. It probably wasn't the most ideal time but he was gonna set his cards on the table. "Not to emulate that psychopath Gideon but knowledge is power, Sorceress Selen, a prodigy in sorcery and star student at the academy, you were expelled from the accademy for attempting to tap into the primeval current, and subjected your classmates to a plethora of experiments least of which being turning them into a graven school, all that isn't even mentioning you're not the real Selen, your real body is trapped underneath a poisonous marsh in the weeping peninsula, you're being pursued by Jerren, a professional mage killer, you made a deal wi-"

"Stop" Selen said, holding up a hand in a way to say shut up, before walking over to his table and leaning down looking him in the eye. "what the fuck do you want, and why do you think I will not kill you because of the knowledge you possess?" She asked, her eyes feeling like they were piercing his skull to probe his mind.

"Because, I can help you kill Jerren, you're a horrible human being Selen, but you do have a decent side to you, your enemies fear you and your friends adore you, I want two things from you, protect Irina over there until I bring her father here to pick her up, and I'll kill Jerren for you, teach me sorcery and I'll help you research the primeval current, I'd ask to shake on it but... Well." He rattles the cuffs.

she looks at him, then walks out of the room, stopping at the doorway. "I'll think about it." She said before walking out into the pumpkin heads room.

Galus couldn't see it, but he could almost feel Irina burning holes into him with her not eyes, shit, maybe she was chosen as the chosen one for the frenzied flame just for her ability to do that. He looked over to the side seeing her looking a little above where he was laying.