Chapter 27: The Ill Wind of Past Meals bears no relation to Magic.
Among the druids of Elcon, there is a certain family of plants known for their attribute of being partly like some being that isn’t a plant. Many of these druids disagree on what this family of plants is called. Some do not even believe that they are plants. These druids quickly change their tune if another druid attacks them with them though.
A fairly commonly accepted name in druidic cricles is ferallic. A ferallic plant is merely a plant that takes on some aspect of another being. A simple example of this would be the snap dragon, which is prized and feared for its irritability and among many varieties, breathing fire. Indeed, some breeds of snap dragon look remarkably like a dragon’s head on a vegetative stem.
Foolbears are a kind of ferallic tree, the particular kind that Kejo had disturbed are known as wine-ing foolbears, so called because their grape-like fruits can be used to produce a top quality wine, supposedly they make a mean jam too. Collecting them is of course a little dangerous, what with the fruits being located right around the foolbear’s leafy neck, and the neck, unlike some denizens is quite close to the mouth which in turn is filled with teeth that do a good job of eating the hands of would-be pickers.
Hands, as it turns out, are a foolbear’s favourite body part.
Kejo shivered as the roaring spread throughout the whole foolbear forest. His parents, still unconscious were spared that awe inspiring sound that vibrated right through Kejo’s brassy pot and his very body.
Turmeric was similarly unfortunate, however he stayed in place, merely having fear beat in his heart and not his actions.
“Kejo need mouth shut” Turmeric said.
“S-sorry” Kejo murmured under the deafening roar.
On the other side of the jade river, in the mushroom forest, the inhabitants had long since been frightened off. Eventually, the foolbears calmed down, but there was a few watching Turmeric and Kejo, softly growling as if complaining.
“So how come you can talk now?” Kejo asked.
Turmeric snuffed and looked warily at the foolbears.
“Ate snowthing’s power, Turm take power!” Turmeric explained.
“I think I understood a tiny part of that” Kejo said.
“No lies” Turmeric accused.
“Ok, I don’t really get it, what did you do?”
“Remember black things on white thing… uh, snow thing?” Turmeric said.
“Ah yes, what was that? Why was that trying to kill us?”
“Snow-witch, magic” Turmeric said knowingly.
Speaking of Fancy Chill, at that point in time she was pondering the results of Turmeric eating one of her enchanted feathers. She had no idea that such a thing had been possible, she wasn’t after all in the habit of feeding beasts her own feathers.
“I wonder if I can control it?” she mused.
Then she attempted to assert her dominance over Turmeric, calling upon the power vested in her feather which he had devoured. Her wings flashed white and her pet blizzard grew agitated.
Back underground, Turmeric fell to his knees!
Kejo rushed over, worry on his feline face, his whisker-antenna shaking!
“Turmeric! Are you all right? What’s happening, don’t leave me alone here, those trees are drooling at me!”
“Stomach hurt” Turmeric groaned.
Back on the surface Fancy Chill was exultant.
“Aaaha, Aaaha, Aaaha! See, foolish creature!” She Crowed.
“SEE MY POWER IS MINE AN CANNOT BE STOLEN, BEND TO MY WILL FOOLISH AND MISBEGOTTEN BEAST! THROUGH YOU I SHALL HAVE THE ENDING THAT I DESIRE! NONE CAN RESIS…”
Back underground, Turmeric noisily passed wind. A disturbingly chicken like smell lingered around, there was further grumbling growls from the foolbears.
“Better now” Turmeric said.
Kejo tried not to breathe for a time.
Above ground…
Fancy Chill was frozen in mid-crow, all three of her eyes twitched slightly. She lowered her wings and tried to pretend that nothing had happened.
The four winds, naturally were happy enough to mock her by bringing her words back along towards her. Fancy Chill felt vaguely like crying.
Returning to the caravamel, Kejo asked a question, his voice sounding odd from the way he was pinching his nose.
“So, what do we do now?”
“Follow river, wait Master and Mistress wake” Turmeric explained.
“Oh, yes, that thing is probably still chasing us.” Kejo mused.
Turmeric simply nodded his head as he pulled the caravamel by the riverside, always making sure to not stray too close to either the river or the foolbears.