Wyrd Tales: Strangerville Mystery - Ch 16

Sigworth Residence, Rangerville, Thursday, May 20th, 2021, 10:40 AM

"So, to recap, we've got a three-story tall extra-dimensional alien plant monster in a secret underground government lab that's taken over the town, and the only people standing between Her and world-domination are two engineers, a soldier and an ancient elf-witch," Molly said.

"Well, when you put it that way... we're golden," Dylan grinned. "We'd be better off with a cleric, but otherwise we've got a solid adventuring party."

"Unfortunately, honey, this isn't Dungeons and Dragons," Jess pointed out.

"Well, one could argue there is a dungeon, but the Mother of Flowers certainly isn't a dragon," Lucius said, looking mildly bemused. "Dragons are a completely different kind of challenge."

"Wait, you mean dragons are..." Dylan started excitedly.

"Don't," Molly interrupted. "Just don't. We can go down that particular rabbit hole another day. Right now, we have a giant plant monster to deal with."

"Right, yeah, OK," Dylan said.

"So, who knows how to fight a sixty-foot plant monster? Lucius, I'm looking at you," Molly said.

"Very well," Lucius said, shifting into a smooth teaching tone. "A Mother of Flowers is an extremely hardy being, very resistant to physical harm. While I am not terribly familiar with modern weaponry, I don't believe simple firearms would be effective."

"What about magic?" Dylan asked. "You're a wizard or witch or whatever? Why not just fireball her?"

"There's that word again... fireball? " Lucius looked puzzled. "It is true, fire would hurt the Mother. Unfortunately, fire magic isn't my strength. I am a weather witch, which is likely of little use to us since she is in an enclosed underground cavern. It would thus be difficult for me to call lightning, and any wind or rain I conjured would be more likely to hinder us then her."

"Flamethrower?" Molly asked, looking at Jess.

"The Mother pretty much controls the Army base," Jess pointed out, "and even if She didn't, we'd have a hard time getting our hands on any serious weapons."

"Anyone know where we can get a giant weedwhacker?" Molly sighed. Then she blinked, "or weed killer. Lucius, the potion. You said it kills the spores and the spores... "

"... and the Mother are all one. Parts of the same whole," Lucuis mused. "Yes, the potion will harm the Mother. If we can only..."

"... find a way to deliver enough of it to be effective," Molly concluded. "Dylan, I've got an idea. We'll need some parts and a workspace. Lucius, we're going to need a lot of that potion."

"The difficulty of the potion is making it safe for consumption," Lucius said. "If we don't plan on having anyone drink it, I believe I could. I'll need an assistant. Christie?"

"Yeah," the little girl grinned. "I'll help."

"Let's get to work," Molly said with a fierce grin.

Rangerville Trailer Park, Rangerville, Thursday, May 20th, 2021, 6:10 PM

Looking at the storm raging over the distant crater and remembering what waited for them beneath it, Molly shuddered.

"You know, She really doesn't like you," Molly said.

"My dear Molly," Lucius said with a disconcertingly pleased smile, "the feeling is entirely mutual."

Having made their plans, they had packed up and moved to Lucius's trailer, which simply felt safer to Molly.

Molly and Dylan had worked hard, building the devices Molly envisioned, while Jess fetched and carried whatever they needed. Meanwhile Lucius, with Christie's enthusiastic assistance, had brewed up large amounts of the potion in his kitchen. (Lucius confessed to Molly that he had used magic to increase the amount they made, but he assured them that Christie's help was essential.)

All through the day the storm had raged over the crater, blowing a sickly-sweet wind over Rangerville, but the Mother's thralls hadn't disturbed them. They had seen townies going about their days, seemingly oblivious. It felt like everything was waiting.

They were ready, Molly thought, as ready as they could possibly be for this insane, impossible challenge.

"Let's do this," Molly said.

Classified Ministry of Defense Research Facility, Rangerville Crater, Thursday, May 20th, 2021, 6:50 PM

"I still can't believe you talked me into leaving Christie with Erwin of all people," Jess said.

"Hey, Erwin's a good guy," Dylan said. "I knew him in college. Remember, he even got recruited for that government job when we graduated."

"He wasn't wearing a colander on his head back then," Jess pointed out, "and he doesn't have a government job now. He's a paranoid nut who runs a curio stand."

"OK, yeah, he was always a little weird," Dylan said. "Still, we know he's not infected."

"Christie will be perfectly safe," Lucius pointed out. "Huntress won't let her come to harm."

"See, she's got Erwin and Huntress looking after her," Dylan smiled.

"I'm trusting a cat and a paranoid nut to look after my kid," Jess said to no one in particular.

"Lucius, can I ask you a question?" Dylan said as they descended through the lab.

"Only if you want me to answer it," Lucius replied with a mischievous grin.

"How old are you?" Dylan asked. "I mean you look like you're maybe in your forties, but Molly keeps saying you're ancient and you fought another Mother of Flowers centuries ago."

"I am as old as my tongue and bit older than my teeth," Lucius quoted playfully.

"I thought you said you'd answer him," Jess challenged.

"I honestly don't know how old I am," Lucius replied. "My people come another Realm, where time moves differently than it does here. We did not mark the turning of years as your people do. I was born in the Spring of the reign of Nuada Silveroak. I was a youth, a teenager you would say, in the Summer of his reign and it was then that I sailed the sea of stars with him, came to this Realm and fought in that dreadful war with the Formoiri and the Mothers of Flowers."

"OK, so when was that? I mean, if that happened on our world, that would have happened in our... you know... time," Dylan said.

"True, but in those days your people had not yet begun to write your stories down and so keep records of the turn of years," Lucius said.

"So, are all your people, like, immortal?" Dylan asked.

Molly was pretty sure Dylan was looking for a distraction from what they were walking toward. She didn't blame him in the slightest. She was sure Lucius knew this too, but he didn't appear to mind either. He simply continued in his smooth, cultured teaching tone.

"No," Lucius said. "In our native Realm, our Tir na Nog, our hearts and bodies mature as our magic grows. So, I grew from a child to a youth as my magic blossomed. I had not yet reached the fullness of my power, and my heart and body reflected that, no matter how much I believed myself a man grown... as all young men do.

"It was only when we traveled to other Realms that the turning of the years touched us, and our bodies aged. Horrified by this change, we brewed potions to hold off the turn of years and grow again with our magic. Those of us who do not drink this potion, either by choice, ignorance or simple lack, are subject to the turning of years."

"So, if you take this potion, you can't die?" Jess asked.

"We can die," Lucius said easily. "By injury or illness... though we have other ways to avoid all but worst of those perils. Still for some of us, the gentle end does come. The long passage of years, or even the endless seasons of Tir na Nog, can grow heavy on the heart. Those who suffer this ennui begin to lose themselves and fade away, eventually passing Beyond. So, yes, we can die. Many of us simply choose not to."

"Wow," Dylan replied. "That's crazy."

"I suspect it may be," Lucius replied, either misunderstanding or deliberately misinterpreting Dylan's awe. "It is certainly an act of overwhelming pride on our part, but we are not a humble people."

"We're here," Molly said at last.

They had reached the Project Orchid lab. This, Molly thought, would be a great time for the real heroes to show up and save the day. Where were the Avengers when you really needed them?

"The Mother is just down that hallway," she continued. "So, everyone ready? Lucius, any last minute tips?"

"Well, you keep reminding me of dragons," Lucius smiled. "Fighting the Mother of Flowers will be not different from fighting a dragon."

"OK, pretend none of us have actually fought a real dragon," Jess said.

"The principles aren't so difficult," Lucius said. "Stay clear of the sharp bits and keep well away from the mouth."

"Good advice," Molly chuckled.

"The Mother is huge and powerful, but she is ungainly," Lucius continued more seriously. "Stay alert and be ready to duck. She will likely call her thralls to her, but I believe the potion will confuse her. Avoid them as best you can and remember, they are innocent in this."

"I have one last thing to offer," Lucius said.

Quietly, he handed each of them a shimmering, opalescent liquid in crystal vials, quite unlike the bubbling sludge in old mason jars that the other potion had been.

"I said before that we have ways to escape the perils of injury," Lucius said. "This potion is such way. Drink this and, for a time, it may hold back the touch of Death Herself. It does not always work. If enough hurt is done to the body... there is no magic that can keep spirit knit to too-broken flesh. It is not a license for carelessness... but it may allow you to return to your friends, and you two to your child."

"To your health," Molly said, feeling more than a little awed as the she raised the vial to her lips.