It was another day on the island, and it was a place where the sick were gathered. He didn’t understand how something like this had happened, but Yuurei was doing his best to make sure that he could help. He wasn’t alone on this journey as well, as he had his partner. The two of them had done quite a few things for Talaz Lagaar, but was it enough? He wasn’t sure, but he wouldn’t be the one to quit on this. It would seem like the nurse would call for them again. She needed their assistance on a matter in the hospital.

She had personally sent Yuurei a letter, but he wasn’t the only one who had gotten a letter. Brone had gotten one as well. The Seraphim wouldn’t know this, but after he read his letter, he would get ready for what was going to happen today. Renji would just look at his friend and he wondered if they were going to do the same thing today as they had done almost every time. The hunter was almost done with his preparation and he would step up to Renji as the two looked at each other.

Renji would jump into the air and onto Yuurei’s shoulder. He would look around and Yuurei knew it was time to be on their way. They would leave in the place they were staying and they would make sure to cover their face so that they didn’t get sick either.

“What do you think she is going to have you do today Yuu? Do you think she found a solution to their problem?” He asked him wondering what was going through Yuurei’s mind.

The Seraphim would hear Renji’s words and he would rub his chin as he didn’t have the right answer for him. He would keep moving as he would sigh as he couldn’t come up with an idea.

“I’m going to be honest I don’t know what she wants from us today. I do hope it’s a solution for the virus that is getting everyone sick. Still, one can only hope it is that. Other than that, I don’t know what she wants us for. It is weird that she did write to us though.” He said Renji.

The Exceed heard those words and he figured as much. If they got something along with what they were thinking, then it would only make sense and be right. They were getting closer to the hospital and while they were approaching the place they could see that the nurse was outside waiting for them. They could see that she was pacing around, which made him wonder how bad it was. The two of them would approach her quickly and she would soon come to an abrupt stop when she saw them. She would look at them and would be happy that they made it.

“I’m glad you made it today, but let’s wait for your friend. I also invited him and I figured the more hands the better.” She said to Yuurei.

The Seraphim was fine with waiting for Brone to show up, so they could get this job started.

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"Brone, wake up" Gnicholas had been repeatedly jumping onto the sleeping dwarf's chest, trying to wake him for several minutes, but there was no success, as Brone continued to sleep heavily while snoring.

"I think I have an idea" Benimaru, the possessed shield and sword had said as he floated over to the closet and opened it up to reveal the dwarf's full set of armor, but what he was looking for wasn't there, "Where are his weapons?"

"Two of them are in his dimensional pocket stored in his rings, but the rest he keeps beneath his bed, stating he needs to always be prepared for any situation" The gnome sat on the dwarf's chest and began to tug on the white beard as hard as he could, but he could barely even move the thick beard let alone pull at Brone's head.

"Interesting" Benimaru said as he floated down beneath the bed to see the stack of weapons the dwarf was very close to. He understood the situation, for he had been wielded by a few warriors who slept with their favored weapon close by, especially one who had his pistol always under his pillow. Such people either feared for their lives for they were always hunted after, or they simply lacked trust of anyone. The spirit realized he had been wielded by such lonely characters. Brone was practically one of the few partners he has had who was truly powerful and had friends he could rely on, "Does he fear being attacked in his sleep?"

"I don't think so, he probably just likes being close to his weapons; he tends to polish them often" Gnicholas said as he gave up on trying to wake the dwarf.

Benimaru used the tassels, which were technically his hands, to grab the black axe from the stack of weapons and pulled it from beneath the bed. The gnome watched as Beni lifted the large black axe, but ended up losing his balance and caused him to accidently slam the axe into the door to the bathroom, which then pulled him away and flew into the bathroom, which then caused the axe to destroy the sink.

Brone stopped snoring and immediately sat up in bed. After a big yawn, he looks over to the bathroom to which he sees Benimaru floating away. The dwarf rubbed his eyes and leaned in to get a better view into the bathroom to see that his Dhuraindarin was imbedded into the broken sink. Everyone remained quiet, Beni and Gnicholas wondering if the dwarf would get mad, but Brone simply shrugged and got into the shower.

"So we got a letter from the nurse at the hospital, asking us to meet her in front of the hospital today" the gnome told the dwarf as Brone finished his shower.

"Alright" Is all Brone said as he walked out of the bathroom, just in his towel, heading towards his wardrobe, not showing any sign of anger concerning his axe.

"Are you not angered?" Benimaru asked nonchalantly, though he made sure to keep to the other side of the room.

"About the bathroom? No, I'm sure ye didn't mean to do it on purpose, and besides, I had similar moments when I first got Dhuraindarin" Brone laughed as he began to dress himself.

Though it didn't seem like a big deal to him, to Benimaru and Gnicholas, they knew the charge would go to Paradise Dawn since this was a hotel room they were renting.

After some time, they prepared themselves and made their way to the hospital to spot the nurse, Yuurei, and Renji there waiting, "Oi! What's the plan for today?" Brone was cheerful this day, ready for anything they could ask of him, though he made sure to leave his weapons and armor at the hotel room and was actually simply wearing his standard outgoing clothing.

660

Yuurei, Renji, and the nurse were waiting for the dwarf to make his appearance. They knew he might take a bit, but they hoped not. Of course, they would see him approaching them soon enough, which was good. He would hear Brone ask the agenda for the day, and the duo would look at the nurse. She would look at everybody and she would smile at them.

“Ah, yes, the plan for today. So, we have been making strives with how we can help the patients in the hospital. It would seem like there is a herb that can help with treating them. It could possibly be a component to getting rid of the virus.” She said to them as she took a pause for a second.

She was excited that they had found this part of a cure.

“I need you two to go get for us. We need a lot, so I figured I would get you two to do it. The area where they are located can be dangerous for someone like me to be. I will give you a map, so you can find where you need to go. I marked it and gave directions on the map.” She said to them as she would take the map out and she would hand it to Yuurei.

Yuurei would take the map and he would look at it and it would seem like she was being thorough with this. He would smile as he would look at her and then Brone after.

“Alright at least we are making progress here. I’m glad you guys are able to find something that could help the patient better. They were struggling.” He said to the nurse.

“We have something to look for. Let’s get everything that we can for the hospital, so they can help everybody that they could.” The Seraphim said this and he would start walking off in a random direction.

Well, not random as he was following the map. It was just not something he was accustomed to, so he paid close attention so that he didn’t get lost. While he was walking, Renji would climb off him and he would start walking with him. He wanted to stretch his legs as they were going to his destination. Yuurei wondered how dangerous things were going to be even though they would be able to handle a lot of things.

“So, what do you think is going to be waiting for over where the herbs are?” He asked Brone curious to know what he was thinking.

Renji wondered how long it took for them to come up with this temporary solution. They kept their pace as Yuurei made turns whenever the map told him to.

It wouldn’t take long, but they would start approaching their destination. While they were getting closer, Yuurei would feel a lot of moving around the area. He wasn’t sure if they were hostile or not. That part of his necklace didn’t kick in yet. He wouldn’t say anything so as not to worry the group about anything.

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To hear of such news was joyful for Brone and Gnicholas, however Benimaru was expressionless as always, "This is wonderful to hear, a component is a small factor, but it is a step forward towards a cure, we finally have a direction", the gnome hopped onto the dwarf's shoulder, though his smile was hidden behind his face mask, his eyes could give away his expression.

"Danger ye say?" Brone was obviously excited too, though it seemed it was more on the idea that there may be enemies to fight and obstacles to overcome. The gnome couldn't help but sigh heavily.

"Do you not care about the cure?" The gnome's tone dropped.

"Of course I care, I just want to make sure of what dangers may be keeping us from the plant" the dwarf grunted at the gnome. Gnicholas didn't bother to argue with Brone and just gestured for him to drop the attitude, though the dwarf gritted his teeth at the gnome in irritation, he obliged.

They followed Yuurei and Renji as they headed off. Eventually they left the city structure and found themselves traversing through an area of greenery to their surprise, "I didn't assume this island which is filled with metal and concrete would have flora anywhere" Gnicholas took a look around, though there were indeed plants, they didn't vary in great amount, for the area seem to be simply little more than grasslands with trees somewhat scattered.

Eventually, the terrain became uneven ground and the plants became more wild like briar bushes and the trees clustered more. When Yuurei asked Brone his question, the dwarf was about to ask but was interrupted by a long vine that quickly snapped and grabbed onto his left main arm, attempting to pull him forward, but with his sturdiness and massive strength, Brone managed to hold his ground, focusing on pulling away from the vine. At the other end of the vine, a large plant-like bulb erected from the ground and opened to reveal something similar to a maw with a long tongue, "Something like that maybe?" Brone chuckled as answer to Yuurei.

"Oh no! Brone you left your weapons and armor at the hotel!" Gnicholas was worried as he hopped into the cowl of the dwarf's brown cloak.

"Eh, don't fret" Brone said with little concern as he summoned forth both his golden spear and blue spear into his extra hands as his main hands grasped the vine that grappled him. Within a moment, he stabbed both spears onto the vine; with the spear's blades being wide enough to be able to slice through the vine, freeing the dwarf.

Suddenly, two more giant venus flytrap-like monsters erected around the group, "I don't need my armor or my main weapons to fight against a giant salad" Brone laughed.

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Yuurei kept moving and while doing so he would hear Gnicholas’s comment. He would nod in agreement to the gnome. He didn’t think this place would have any type of flora either, but with the direction of the nurse here they were. It wasn’t a lot, but at least there was something, there right?

While they were moving, Yuurei would come to a stop. Not because of Brone but because he sensed the danger around him starting to kick in. He would jump off the ground as there were vines coming for him. That was when he would be attacked from behind, but his cape would block the attack. He would look over to Brone as it would seem like the plant life here was attacking them.

He wasn’t sure if they felt threatened by their presence, but it would seem like this was getting interesting. His eyes look around to see where the next attack would come from as he landed on the ground. It would seem like there were plants that could move far better than the trees in the North. He heard Brone’s comment and he would laugh a bit.

The random, yet precise things this dwarf said were something he couldn’t take seriously.

“I guess that’s what we’re having today?” He asked as one of the monsters approached him and tried to grab a hold of him with their mouth.

Yuurei would sense the danger behind this and he would jump away from it and a weapon that looked like a sword would appear in his hand. He would swipe the sword into the air and toward the Venus flytrap that attacked him and it would blast the flora to bits when it came into contact. This was a new weapon of his, that he decided to use with great enjoyment right now.

The vines that were around him would attack him, but he would swing his left hand around a few times and they would be cut up into pieces. The hunter had another new weapon and this one could become invisible, which would make it difficult for others to see how far it reached. The Seraphim would look around and he would shake his head.

“Be careful. I think they evolved into this because of Talaz Lagaar. I want to say the reason for the flora and fauna to be like this is that they needed to fight back Talaz Lagaar from wiping them out completely.” He said to Brone as it was the only thing he could think of.

Renji would see something from above coming toward Yuurei and he figured that he would warn his friend from being caught off guard.

“Above you Yuu.” He kept it simple, and Yuurei would react.

He would swipe his left arm above and away from him as the plant that attacked him would be destroyed in an instant. He would sigh with relief as he wondered where the hell this herb was. They would need it and then they would need to leave before they were overwhelmed by the plants here.

516|1558

"Na, salad isn't on my list" Brone answered Yuurei as targetted the next venus flytrap and began to run towards it. The giant plant was able to move it's body despite it's roots were ingrained into the ground, regardless, the dwarf cared not as he met the flora and jabbed his golden spear into the underside of the maw, making sure to avoid the teeth.

"Alright, this is where I depart to safety" Gnicholas said as he was preparing himself to hop out of the dwarf's cowl, but the moment he spotted an array of vines moving about the ground, he decided against it. The terrain was covered in vines and given the size of the stems of the giant plants, he could assume the vines stretched throughout the entire area, most of it hiding beneath the surface of the grass. The moment he would be caught, he was sure to be eaten, so he sank back within the cowl.

"Don't worry, Gnich, we'll do away with these piles of leaves" Brone laughed as he pierced the main stem of the venus flytrap he was fighting, but even though he made a large hole that went all the way through to the other side, the plant was still moving as if nothing had happened.

"Yuurei's right, Brone, it's logical to assume that the ecosystem here had to rapidly evolve, possibly with the help of some sort of magic, in order to combat the threat of the island that has been expanding the city, causing the flora to die away; now the wildlife is fighting back to protect itself" Gnicholas explained, albeit while hiding away within the hood of the dwarf's cape.

The vines coiled and moved, closing in on the dwarf, but no matter what, his spears weren't keeping the plants at bay, "Brone, plants aren't like animals, they don't have vital organs, so piercing weapons won't really have any affect" the gnome explained as he peeked to see the situation unfold.

"Worry not, warrior dwarf" Benimaru flew towards Brone, bypassing the vines that were trying to encase the dwarf and gnome. The shield and sword split apart and Brone was able to grasp the shield in his left main hand and the sword in his main right hand. Immediately after, the blade was swung and cut through several vines that withered away due to the purple flames eating away at them.

"Perfect timing, Beni!" Brone bellowed a great laugh as he was enjoying the battle, feeling he had not gotten the chance exercise certain parts of his body in a while. Suddenly, the great maw of the venus flytrap towered over the dwarf, readying itself to strike down at him. Brone spud around to slice the main stem of the plant, however it didn't cut all the way through, but he followed up on that by stabbing the blue spear into the remaining part, causing it to freeze up. Soon enough, the plant not only hesitated, but dropped to the floor, dying as it was separated from it's roots.

Brone walked out of the dying vines, looking at Yuurei with a great smile, "Having fun?"

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Yuurei would hear Brone shutting him down right away. He would frown as it wasn’t a bad thing to eat. Still, he understood it was hard for someone to want to eat. The Seraphim would look around the area and he could see that there were more plants coming to attack him. There were a lot in front of him and he would use his staff and he would thrust it in the direction where they were coming from. A huge blast of mana would be sent from the staff like a sword. The plants wouldn’t be able to get near Yuurei, but the ones above him would attempt to attack him.

He sense the danger this time, and he would swipe at them with his left arm as they would be cut down without hesitation. He looked over to Brone he had a smile on his face.

“Yes, fun. Still, we came here for a job, and I think I should get the herbs for us, so you enjoy your time for a few seconds.” He said this to Brone as he motioned his arm and his body would be covered with his Shadowguile and his Lerzar’s Dreadwatchers.

It was then he would turn to put smog around him, so the plant life blinding where he was. He would also be lifted into the sky and he would start moving in the direction of where the herb was. He knew that he would be able to see in this fine. He also knew that Brone could see things even when he was blind. It wouldn’t take long, but the hunter would see the herbs that the nurse wanted from them. He had a smirk on his face as he started collecting them while his dwarven friend fought the plants.

It wouldn’t take long for him to get enough that he thought it would be good for more than what was in the hospital. Yuurei had placed them all in his weapon dimension and he would make his way to Brone and his companions. He would disperse the smog as well as he would look over at them.

“Let’s go, I got all the herbs that they will need in the hospital. I don’t think we need to keep fighting the plants here. I don’t want to be the one to be the reason for plant extinction on this island.” He said to Brone.

Yuurei would start running off in the direction of the city. Renji was happy to be able to see again as he kept watch. The hunter was just glad to get this job done for the people in Talaz Lagaar. The faster they got better the quicker he didn’t have to worry about it.


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[exit]

Brone had cut down one of the giant plants, but two more were attempting to flank him. So he met one of them first before they could pincer him in the center between them. He would run the purple flaming blade up the stem of the venus flytrap, causing it to jerk about; it's vines trying to grasp at the dwarf, but with another swing of the blade, the vines were reduce to ash.

He heard Yuurei state he was going to retrieve the the herbs, reminding him that they came to this region for a reason, "Aye, don't worry, Yuurei, I'll handle things here!" Brone called to his friend as he would rush up at the other giant plant and leap into the air, his cape giving him a boost by increasing his distance, then he brought down Benimaru's blade, cutting the maw of the giant plant in half, rendering it useless for attacks.

Suddenly, a smog covered the area. He wasn't sure if Renji, Yuurei or if one of the plants were the cause of this, but he didn't allow it to deter him as he took a more defensive stance. With the mix of his dark vision and his extra sensory ability honed by battle, he was able to locate the other giant plants that littered the area, so when he was in proximity to them, he was able to carve them up with the sword and pierce them with the two spears. He had the upper hand for the moment until he began to be overwhelmed.

Brone didn't want to take the extra step, but being caught off would lead to him being devoured, so just for the brief moment, he tapped into the power of his golden spear and transformed into the large lion-dwarf and used his increased speed and power to destroy the remaining plants. When he was sure there were no enemies left, he reverted back to normal before the smog dissipated.

"Ready" is all the dwarf said as he watched Yuurei return with the herbs.

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[Exit]