He didn't sleep much that night, his mind mulling over the lack of activity which led him to actually leaving that night. He didn't go far, though, instead allowing the strangle vines to lift him and place him atop the hut. He caught the first glimpses of the moon's glow that night along with a sky so bright and filled with stars he got lost in their beauty for a few minutes, the flowers' song low and enchanting making him smile. Realizing a small moment like this, a point where he could just relax, was exactly what he needed. The moment though was quickly broken by howls and angry snarls.
His gaze drifted lower, landing on the entrance where he watched a large mixed pack of wolves and dogs run through. A portion stumbling and falling as the clumped thorn bundles began to rise up, scratching and ripping many apart as the bamboos snapped straight behind the few who had managed to slip through. The ents took this moment to begin slamming down thick branches, crushing those who remained outside, while those who weren't killed began to sway, the aroma from the mutant gympie plants taking extreme effect upon them before letting out cries of pain as the vines began to needle them. Their spikes causing them extreme amounts of pain before being crushed or having their throats close from the spikes' toxins. He had even noticed the newest vine let out a scream straight into one of their faces causing him to shiver. The scream still echoed in his mind but far shorter this time and clearly audible. The wolf that had taken the blow seemed to be blown over, its body rolling across the ground before going still, clearly dead.
Those lucky enough or rather unlucky enough to have entered were quickly taken down by both strangle vines in a rather violent nature or falling to the ground in a deep sleep from the roots of the shadow berry plant. The strangle vines quickly pulling and consuming them before he ordered them to leave one on its own, having noticed something strange, but his gaze fixed just beyond the walls.
A minotaur with a scar across its side, bigger than the other four who stood at its sides, each letting out streams of hot breath with barely restrained anger and rage. Only the biggest one managing to keep them restrained, having his hand to allow them to let loose a group of hell boars. Each tripped and killed cleanly by the bamboo and gympie toxins causing their throats to close.
He locked eyes with the lead minotaur's good eye. It seemed to look back with a mix of anger and something else he couldn't properly make out. "Now who the heck even are you? You're clearly different than the other beasts." Chris muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing as he saw it seemingly order the others to leave with him. He didn't bother chasing after them, rather letting the vines lower him down to look at the last disabled beast.
Looking it over he easily noticed the faint discoloring around its neck and a track down its back making him frown. "I didn't notice on any of the dead ones, but I don't think this is normal. The old man would have mentioned it if it was." He muttered before pushing the beast over to the strangle vines who snapped it up and began stabbing it apart before ripping it apart. His gaze turning towards the dungeon with hints of confusion. "What is even going on? Shouldn't the dungeon be less active without its core? Could it be behind the lack of people and why the centaurs have been absent and the minotaurs are actually being smart enough to not charge blindly?" With a tired sigh he made his way back inside, the night giving him more questions than answers.
Over the next few days, he took note of three more of the dark-red buds sprouting between the bamboo shoots. Their vines spreading along the outer wall along with more red blossoms forming along them as opposed to the single one they originally had. One night he had even managed to witness their dripping needles' effect on a wolf that stumbled into it. Its toxins clearly far more potent than any of the others, its body starting to melt away into nothing but an ugly puddle.
Each of the new growths also surprised him with how quickly they had learned. A light pulse at four feet, a sharp stab at three, and the full scream at one and a half disorientating the target. The originals helped train them—especially the gympie vines, which seemed proud of their mutated offspring. The bronze bamboo tower hummed approval every time one of the new flowers went off during practice.
Chris still couldn't hear the second-generation or mutated plants directly though, but he was starting to feel them a little better now. A faint pressure in his head when they wanted to get his attention or convey a message translated to him by the others a few moments afterwards. He had also finally managed to block the originals out when they spoke among one another, coming across as a different kind of throb at the back of his mind now whenever they were "talking" among themselves.
He also felt rather proud that he no longer felt sick when hearing bones crunch, seeing the vines feast, or when he had to clean up the remains. Unfortunately, he had found that a tiny, greedy little voice in the back of his mind had grown louder. It was originally fueling his fear and driving his actions, but now it had changed. Instead of fear, it seemed to have become one of greed. Telling him how it wasn't just survival anymore. That this was his territory. It would follow his rules. And he was going to make it strong enough that no one could take anything away again. He didn't like it but was slowly and steadily learning to block it out like he did the plants. He had at one point asked the ancient ent along with the other plants about it, but they seemed to not know what he was speaking about, instead calling it his instincts and desires which didn't help matters.
On the morning of the fifth day after the first scream flower bloomed, something new happened while talking to the various plants on new security measures, having just checked and confirming there were no new mutations or variants having grown in the small patch meant for experiment.
It happened while he was checking the outer perimeter, first as a strange tugging sensation in his head. Not a scream. More like a dozen thin threads pulling at once trying to draw his attention. He turned towards the red-flowered gympie vines gently climbing the ent wall with confusion, finding them to be the cause. Noticing how one of the gympie vines layered with thin thorns and the red blossoms that emitted the calming fragrance had pulled itself loose, its base now resting on the ground as it moved.
Not growing, stretching, or spreading. Proper movement.
Its thick stem fully detached from the wall and it was now slithering like a snake across the ground toward him before stopping a few feet away. He wasn't sure what to make of it. He now fully knew that the plants, the vines at the very least, were able to move on their own. He watched with clear caution, ready to flee if he had to as it slowly lifted its tip, the bright red flower at the end tilting slightly, giving him the feeling that it was looking at him. Two more vines soon followed, sliding down the wall with the same smooth, deliberate motions. Their movements were slow but controlled, seemingly holding the same cautious nature towards him that he held towards them.
"You're… walking now?" He asked questioningly, looking from them to the ents and then to the original gympie vine before back towards them.
The original gympie vine spoke first, its voice excitedly talking about them. How they weren't walking but patrolling. How they were selected to be the area wanderers, managing to move faster than the rest without needing to be rooted. How they had all been practicing but these three being the best out of all of them. That it and the others still needed to root in order to rest, but these three no longer needed to do so as long as they got water or some kind of fluid regularly.
"And the mist from the cloud tree will all but ensure they have a constant source of water or moisture in the air, letting them stay mobile." He whispered as he walked steadily over to them, examining each one a little closer, ideas already forming in his mind at this development.
One of the mobile vines slid forward closer to him before stopping and seemingly waiting. A red flower closest to him opening slightly and releasing that thick sweet scent into the air around it, except it didn't seem to have a calming effect this time. Rather it carried a hint of danger within it.
Chris heard the gympie vine excitedly tell him that it could do more, to just watch, making him exhale slowly with notes of frustration, still clearly remembering the last 'surprise' when it came to the gympie plant variants. "Show me." He eventually ordered.
The three vines immediately began to spread out. One headed left along the base of the wall, sliding smoothly between the spike bushes that had fused themselves onto the bark. The second moved right, weaving between the silver bamboo shoots, disorientating him ever so slightly with how the red and green blended through the silver. Turning his gaze to the third one he noticed how it stayed near him, slowly circling like a guard dog on a short leash. Their movements were still a little clumsy, sometimes jerking too fast or dragging leaves behind them, but they were clearly trying to patrol, and he was glad that they were trying.
The ancient ent's deep voice rolled through his mind, talking about them being for a mobile defense. That their spikes had grown far softer, trading toxicity for mobility, still able to cause pain but to a far lesser degree than it could before. That it could watch and warn for him, acting as scouts or first strikers.
Chris watched the vine nearest to him slip away, jerkily rushing over to one of the scream flowers before pausing. Noticing how the flower pulsed a soft warning throb in response to it getting so close instead of letting loose the usual scream. The moving vine seemed to understand and adjusted its path, slowly moving further out.
It caused him to feel pride once more that his plants were adapting without needing him to give clear orders, along with slight unease at how fast they were changing. It was short-lived, though, as that low, greedy feeling made itself known again, whispering that his home was becoming harder to threaten. Harder for others to take from him.
He crouched down next to the vine that had run around, having just returned to him and now seemed to be looking once more, its red flower tilted toward him and making him wonder if it was seeking praise.
"Can you go further out?" he gently asked. "I know the world tree says it has roots running through the Barrens, but extra care won't go to harm. Could you maybe go out and scout? Maybe even bring anything of interest or anyone unconscious you find out there back for me?"
The vine stayed still for a moment. He could clearly tell it was thinking over his words before it slowly slid towards the Barrens, where it seemed to hesitate briefly. Its flower turning left and right as if scanning the desert before slowly leaving his sight.
Chris felt a faint pulling sensation in his mind, like a thin line stretching further and further. Not painful or even annoying, just… present. Like he had tied a string to one of his plants and let it wander.
He soon felt the little world tree's root reach up and lightly tug his sleeve, asking him if it would be safe out there.
"I think so," Chris said. "I feel like it's still connected to me. If anything happens, I'll know. But could you keep an eye on it with your roots for me?"
After the little world tree promised it would, along with confirming it could still talk to it, he stood up and looked across the various plants, gently directing where they were to go and smiling as some managed to do so. The strangle vines and world tree though remained where they were, the shadow berries and gympie slowly moving to a far more fertile soil as the medical grass grumbled, rooting down where they once grew. The world tree and strangle vines though refused to move, the world tree due to how deeply it had rooted and the vines feeling they were happy where they were.
The cloud tree tried to move, but when it confirmed it was rooted too deep it began to weep, causing rain to fall heavily across the area before he promised the next special seed would be a tree companion just for it, ending up promising to grow two of them.
He was starting to feel rather happy and proud. It was no longer just a village. It was becoming something that could defend itself even when he wasn't watching, able to survive and thrive even if something happened to him.
Chris wiped his hands on his pants and headed towards the center, intent on talking to the cloud tree to find out what kind of companions it might like. Intent on fulfilling his promise as soon as he could.