That Which Devours

“It's to your right, on that fallen tree.”

I paused, then turned in that direction, searching for what they had seen. Unfortunately, he was right. A tree had been knocked over during the creature's passing, and it was one of my marked ones.

“Am I still on the right track?”

“The trail is going a little too far east for you, but if you end up near the crash, you might see it.”

I didn’t know if that was the case. Finding a crash site was like finding a needle in a haystack after all. John had been searching for the crash sites of the dropships for weeks, and hadn’t found a clue. Still, I needed to try, and this was what I had. I kept going.

Finding the crash site might not be as bad as I worried it might be. Our crash had been recent, and we had left a long trail behind us in the trees as John had tried to control our descent. I pulled the sled off the monster trail and into the underbrush. The thick mist made it hard to see, and I worried about getting lost. Once the sun came up, I'd climb a tree and hopefully figure out where I should be headed, based on the tall tree and mountains.

That should get me close enough when I also used the tree markers. Now that I was trying to follow them, I wished I had done a different design, maybe something with arrows pointing in the correct direction back. Lesson learned for the next time I traveled through the jungle without a path, I supposed. Leaving more information was important if I needed to return. Then again, I hoped I wouldn’t be doing a lot of these types of jungle treks.

The mist made it hard to concentrate, since everything looked gray and all the jungle sounds were muted. I had to be confident in each of my steps, not wanting to submerge the boot with holes in it into the puddles that littered the jungle floor. Once that foot was wet, it’d be wet all day, and I remembered what Doc said about wet feet. Everything I touched was wet, from the ferns to the ground, and even the air felt wet against my face.

I wondered what my Dad was doing. He probably didn’t even know we’d crashed the shuttle. Not unless the compound let the colony know last night, but given the rain I doubted a message had been sent. Plus, nothing had come back from that direction since the meteor shower. Given the time of day, he’d just be getting up, and waking us up to get some self-defense training in before we had breakfast, then our normal chores. I’d find out from him what I’d be working on for that day. Sometimes it would be with the cooks, or working in the fields with Benny. Other times it would be helping someone else out with something physical, like building a shack for housing. My label was laborer, until something else was needed that I had the skills to help with. All of us without specialized skills had signed up for that. Now, the system had changed things, but without a class, the laborer label had stuck.

But before the colony ship had crashed, back on Earth before we left, what had my days been like?

I remembered living in a small apartment with my family, and getting up early for survival lessons. We were broken up by age group, so I didn’t see much of the others, being the youngest.

Yet, what about farther back, before Dad had signed us up for the colony mission? What had life been like?

There were flashes of friends, pizza around a table with laughter. Video games, and chores. Who had made us do our chores? My older brothers took care of me. Dad was away, but where was Mom?

Vague flashes of angry whispers after I’d gone to bed, between Benny and, I think, her. Glimpses of her rushing off to work, or returning after a long week away, when she was supposed to be there for dinner.

Mud sucked at my boot and I almost lost my balance, bringing me back to the present. I dropped the rope and the sled settled into the mud behind me. Once I stood steady, I wiggled the stuck foot out of the thick muck, careful to step somewhere more solid. My other foot sank three inches down, and I freed it as well. Once my footing was solid, I snagged the rope and pulled on the sled, activating the lift assist. The ferns I’d used to hide the light last night still covered the crystal, plastered to it from the rain.

I blinked and glanced around, trying to get my bearings. Normally, I didn't think about the before-times. It usually made my head hurt, and it didn't really change anything. Sunrise broke through the trees toward the west, but the mist burned off slowly. My breathing was a little heavy, and I pulled out my canteen to take a few sips of water. I had to find the next marker; sticking to the plan was my best bet. Yet, if I climbed a tree, now that it was light, I might be able to make sure I was still on track.

I needed to focus, but my mind kept circling back to my mother. Why wasn’t she with us on the colony mission? What’d happened? No one spoke of her, and the last time I’d asked, Benny told me to leave it alone. She was gone.

Something sweet rolled over my tongue and I put my canteen away. The smell was intoxicating, but it felt off. My nose twitched and I rubbed it, wondering where the smell was coming from. A glimpse of my Mom in a lab coat flashed across my vision. That's right, she was a scientist.

I shook my head as the smell increased. Something inside me warned me this was wrong. My eyes blurred from the smell, and I stopped breathing through my nose, trying to regain my focus. My hand went to my knife and I let the rope fall yet again, glancing around for the source. I pulled my knife out, eyes narrowed. The mist grew lighter as the sun continued to burn through. Something flew through the air, and I swung my knife at it before I thought about it. The crystal burned as it cut a thick vine with large spikes that had been aimed at me.

I studied my surroundings as I waited for the next attack. Nothing in this place gave up after one try. Another sharp tip came flying through the air, thorns extended. Almost before I’d seen the vine, I spun, lengthening my knife into a spear. The heated edge sliced through the vines, making quick work of them. The mist lightened as more sunlight streamed through the canopy, and mentally I hurried it up. I wanted to see what I was fighting.

For the moment, it only came at me from one direction, but that was no guarantee, not here.

Two vines snapped at me, moving quicker than before. One sliced into my shoulder, but I dodged the second. A third slowly crept along the ground, like it hoped I wouldn't notice. I stabbed into it, trying to find the one that I’d dodged. A hint of shadow was all I noticed, and I yanked my spear out of the one on the ground before cutting the tip of the shadow off. I dodged again, backward, putting more distance between me and the end of the vine. It retreated. The one on the ground slipped away as well.

Another round of attacks came, but slower now, almost hesitating. I stepped forward, leaving the sled behind me to slice into my attacker. I blocked a different vine from hitting me, and it slowed down as it retracted, making it easy to follow. It didn't take long to reach a giant plant, each step increasing that sweet, sticky smell until it filled my nose, mouth and head. It made me want to wash my mouth out, but I kept going, forcing myself to focus. The vines led the way, retracting within a bright pink flower. The mist dimmed the color a bit, but the petals turned to face my direction and I raised my knife.

An opening appeared at the flower’s center, and suddenly several vines shot out at me all at once, lightning quick.

I was ready.

Two I sliced off at once, and green goop flew through the air. Another yanked on my boot, but not hard enough to matter. I dodged to the side, swinging my spear, but missed. The one on my boot started wrapping around my leg, holding me in place.

That wasn't good, so I cut it off. Three more flew through the air, snapping at me. I dodged as quickly as I could, but one managed to strike my arm. The two others flopped around as I cut through the vines, and my attention stayed on the center of the plant thing.

[Carnivorous Flower, Level 8.]

So, it was a plant-creature hybrid. The opening at its center groaned, sharp thorns covering the center. A burst of yellow pollen shot out, hanging in the mist. I rolled away from the yellow cloud. Then, two much thicker vines burst from within the pollen cloud. Both were headed directly at me, faster than I expected. One wrapped along my left arm, the one without the spear, and pain shot up from the cuts I’d already received. Small spikes dug into my arm and the pain almost staggered me.

Still, the other vine wasn't so lucky as I cut the head off, and another chunk farther down, before spinning to slice at the one digging into my arm. My head spun, and for a split second, I saw various images. Before anything else could happen, I lunged forward, stabbing at the center of the flower, spear tip glowing. It shook twice, more pollen spreading out, before falling limp.

[You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against a Carnivorous Flower above your level.]

[You have gained a level.]

The pollen made my eyes burn, and I stepped back away from the yellow dust. It slowly clumped together and fell to the ground. I twisted the spiked vine on my left wrist, pulling it off slowly, wincing as each of the thorns came free.

My stomach growled as I stared at the giant plant, and my mouth dropped open. Was this thing even edible?

“Noseen, does it have a heart?”

“Anything with a level has a heart.”

The petals wilted forward in front of me, yet the giant plant still stood taller than me. The opening connected to a round stomach-like object, and as it fell forward, liquid dribbled out. It sizzled when it hit the ground, and I carefully avoided touching it. I circled around the plant, and beneath the round stomach sat a large bulb-shaped object. Roots and vines grew from it, though nothing moved. That had to be my target.

I grabbed it and yanked. It pulled easily out of the dirt, and I cut between the stomach and the bulb trying to not hit the liquid filled chamber. The head of the flower crashed to the ground, leaving the bulb and roots behind. Green goo spilled out onto the wet ground, but none of it landed on me. My wrist ached as I carefully sliced into the middle of the bulb. Barely under the surface was something that resembled a heart. It looked almost like a bright green pit from a peach, yet it was soft to the touch, and seemed… right somehow.

"This is the heart, right?" I asked Noseen.

I felt a flash of air near my hand. "Yes, that's the heart."

Feeling a little better, I reached in, pulling it out using one hand. I braced myself before taking a bite, since it was bigger than my fist. It was the biggest heart I’d attempted since the parasaurolophus, and as my lips closed around it, it felt like I’d bitten into the most amazing juiciest peach of all time. A hint of sweetness and sunshine filled my mind as I forced myself to slow down. Peaches were a rare fruit back on Earth, and I’d only had the real thing once before. That one time had convinced me that real peaches were one of my favorite fruits, although I had to admit that berries were great too, and easier to get.

[You have devoured a Carnivorous Flower and gained insight into Consumptive Healing.]

The green goo from the heart covered my hand and I froze as the slices from the thorns slowly closed. Everywhere the green goo touched, it healed a cut.

"What the heck?"

"Interesting use of the Flower’s blood. You might want to put some of it on that slice on your shoulder. It should heal faster."

I did as Noseen suggested, and watched as the gash healed in front of me. The sleeve of my shirt had slices in it, but it wasn't bad now that the skin underneath was whole. I needed better armor, though. Definitely.

The taste of peaches lingered in my mouth as the rush of devouring the heart warmed me. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting myself enjoy the sensation. I didn't understand why everything tasted like Earth food, but I enjoyed it. I missed it so much. One food, especially — pasta. Give me some pasta, with a cream sauce and cheese. Maybe, someday, I’d find a heart that tasted like cheese.

An idea came to me as I moved closer to the giant plant remains. If I could gather some of that goop, it might come in handy later. It didn't take long for me to give up. I had nothing to store it in that wouldn't dry it out, unless I wanted to empty one of my water jugs, and given how little I had, that didn't seem like a good idea. It didn't help that every time I touched a petal, weird flashes of memories came to mind if it had pollen on it. Mostly things from before the crash that I'd forgotten. It left me feeling off, like it was a distraction I didn’t need right now.

Finally, I turned away from the plant. I needed to focus on the important thing, getting back to the shuttle with the crystal intact. I had to find a tree to climb, to make sure I was on the correct path. The Carnivorous Flower had cost me time, and I hadn’t run across it on the way to the compound, so I must be off, at least a little. The sun finally burned through various layers of mist and brightened my surroundings. It was easy to see the sled behind me with the increased light. While it was still cool, soon the heat would rise, and time kept rushing by. I still had a long way to go.

I walked back toward the sled when I didn’t see a tree that would work near the dead flower. Several feet behind the sled, a decent climbing tree grew. It reached pretty high up into the jungle. This time, while climbing, I focused on if I could identify a difference between my level 7 stats and my level 8 stats. I’d gotten two stat points on each, more or less, since I hadn’t spent the 6 free points. I didn't really feel any different, not like when I’d increased Quickness and Flexibility by 6 points. The idea of focusing on being faster and more flexible than what I fought was appealing. It had certainly helped in the last fight. If I hadn't dodged the vines, things would have gone very differently. Thankfully, the small cuts from the thorns healed with the green goo, and eating the peach-flavored heart had improved my healing skill.

The bark of the tree was damp, but I didn’t let that slow me down as I climbed. Higher up, the mist completely burned off, and it was strange to look down and see a cloud lying across the jungle. Still, I kept going higher until I broke through the highest canopy, careful of my weight on the thinner branches. Bird song filled the air, and the leaves were less damp up here in the sun. The heat increased as well.

Peeking out, it took a moment for me to get my bearings. The heat hit me like a wave as the sunlight touched my head. A fine layer of sweat quickly formed on the back of my neck, making me want to hurry. First, I found the tall tree in the distance, which was north of my location. From there, I used the rising sun for the western marker. Now, I needed to head south.

I didn't know where I’d passed the last marker, or how long it'd been. I’d gotten distracted in my memories which, looking back on it, had been a warning sign of the flower. How long had I wandered in a daze from the pollen in the air?