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What is with the strange vines part 2.

Asherah glided into the library. It was deserted. Where were all the land folk? From upstairs came the sound of a hollow voice. 'Is someone there? If you've come to use the library please go ahead..I'm Lady Merusha, the curator,.but sadly I can't provide personal assistance today, I'm indisposed.' There was the sound of a muffled groan, the silence.


Asherah frowned then shrugged. She went to one of the ugly vines that had sprouted in the middle of a sofa and touched the tip. 'These things don't seem to be too bothered where they sprout.'


Sirenia stepped into the library along with asherah... as she scanned around the room she ran her fingerstip along the books on the bookshelves. The vines seemed to almost protecting them but at the same time she could feel something was wrong.. sighing she watched asherah touch the vines and wondered how these came to be.. and why?


Asherah turned to Sirenia. 'Well, at least we've managed to establish that the vines have sprouted in the village too, and inside the library of all places. Pity there's no-one around to talk to. Lady Merusha, the Library Curator is indisposed...whatever that means.' She chuckled. 'You know I tried cutting down one of these vines in Dire Waters and it simply grew back. I wonder, would the same thing happen if I were to cut it down on land?'


Sirenia her eyes flickered with curiosity " This doesn't seem real does it? A few days ago I saw many on land walking around.. These vines seem to be draining the lands to.. Don't you feel it?" She asked... "I would try but I to think wonder what would happen.. but I think they will grow back." She mused in her arm bands for a shell to cut a vine trying to grab her.. her eyes flashed in annoyance.


Asherah 'Yes, the air feels different here from the last time I visited Faerndil. Something's definitely off. And there's nothing as annoying as prehensile vines.' She moved out of reach of a thick vine. They're positively unnatural, more like tentacles than vines. Go ahead, cut it, see what happens.'


Sirenia slashed at the vine and part of it fell to the ground wriggling as it shivered up and died.. looking up she watched the vine already growing back and slowly trying to wrap around her waist .. "argh!" she hissed


Asherah sighed as she watched the vines. 'So they're resilient, able to regrow and don't seem to suffer pain. Well, that means they're thriving off something. I wonder though whether they might be affected by other substances? I don't have anything here with me, but back at Dire Waters, we can inspect them more closely and see exactly where they've chosen to grow and not grow. They seem to like water. They're in the streams and wells and the sea as well as in the soil and sand. They don't mind wood and leather, perhaps there are substances they don't like? ' Her purple eyes flashed fire. 'I do like a bit of a challenge. Shall we go back to the waters and see what we can find there?'


Sirenia stepped out of the reach of the grappling vines and nodded.. "I agree, there must be something they don't like. Yes let us go I do not know how long my land legs will be stable... "


Mads he slowly moved into the library where he knew people were going to be. the fact he kept missing the guards on his way here was probably the work of his own but then again who could tell. coming in with his best captains outfit he slowly made his way toward the middle of the library. " smells like books still."


Asherah turned at the sound of a man's voice. 'Oh! One of the land folk. We thought the vines had got you all!' Asherah grinned wickedly. 'It was a shock to come here and find vines occupying the library. Any idea what's made them sprout? We have them in parts of the Dire Waters too.'


Sirenia turns at the sound of footsteps and saw a man... her eyes narrowed and she hissed at the vines trying to snapp at her wrist.. "these vines dont give."


Mads "land dwellers. you speak as if you are from the depths. even if a little shallow." he snickered a little then looked about. " yeah, no clue about these things but what I do know is that the magic in these lands is in a weird state. not sure why myself but for magical folk it is becoming bothersome."


Asherah said nothing. She was from the depths, the depths that gave Dire Waters its name, but it was impossible to tell just by looking at her. She knew that some were afraid of her kind, and preferred to keep her true identity a secret. 'The vines haven't caused much trouble for us...yet, but perhaps the salt in the water is a moderating influence. The vines seem reluctant to go too far out or too far down in the Dire Waters. So far, they've stayed along shoreline and in the shallower waters.


Sirenia "there must be something that we can do to slow them down or to destroy them.. Our homes are being invaded everyone is becoming on edge" She growled as she pulled her hands into fists


Mads "you could always flee the realm and start a new one somewhere. wait... that requires powerful help." the last thing he wanted was for the gods influence to spread. " well... you first probably gotta find what is fueling the vines. i mean vines don't usually grow like this and the one vines that do come from the certain layers of the abyss which drinks blood."


Asherah glided towards the door, avoiding the vines reaching to her. 'Have they always been grabby like this? Or is it a recent development? In any case, let me just check the well again.' She held up a shell encrusted box with rock crystals from the sea. 'I want to test my theory that they're avoiding anything that's too salty.'


Sirenia watches her go and decieded it was best to go as well.. she needed to get to the waters as well to find crystals she glared at the vines as she strolled for the door and turned back to the land walker " Please take care, and avoid those vines much as you can.. they seem grabby." and with that she walked back to the ocean


Mads he simply tilted his head at the two leaving then folded his arms. well... he wasn't sure if this trip was worth it but at least he got to see two new faces. so for now he simply waved and went to go sit on a couch. " yeah, see you later."



CONTINUATION FROM RP WITH SIRENIA BELOW:


Asherah reached the stream, gasping for breath, pains streaking through her body. She lay still, on the grassy bank for a moment and the spasms, or whatever they were, passed. This was unheard of. Was she already shifting back into her siren form, in the air? Sirens needed to be in saltwater to change form. She'd never heard of this happening before. She approached a vine growing out of the bed of the stream, and hurriedly rubbed the salt directly onto the vine. It squirmed! Before her very eyes, it squirmed, but she grabbed it, as she would grab a saltwater eel she was catching for her dinner. It continued to squirm. The thing was like a muscular tentacle. She scooped up water from the stream and poured some over the vine. Instantly it stopped squirming and relaxed. So, that would explain it then! The vines didn't like salt. However, the vine showed no indication of withering or dying, it just continued there, happily, planted in the freshwater. This was valuable information. What should she do with it? Spread the word and sell her information to the highest bidder? Perhaps, perhaps not, but spreading the word that she had something of value to impart concerning the vines that had sprouted was certainly the first step. She made her way back to the library, now deserted...Sirenia was now gone and so was the man...and called out, 'Anyone there?' Nada, not even a groan this time from Merusha. She would have to improvise. She tore a leaf out of a book that seemed rather old and battered-looking and was probably useless, took up a pen from a table and dipped it into ink, and wrote the following note: 'I have important information about the vines that have sprouted in the realm. I may have found a way of disposing of them. Please seek me out. Asherah, Seductress of the Dire Waters.' Having done this, she started on the long journey back to Dire Waters.

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