Strangerville Mystery - Ch 14 - Eye of Newt

Classified Ministry of Defense Research Facility, Rangerville Crater, Monday, May 17, 2021, 7:20PM

"OK, what's the plan?" Molly asked. "Why did we come back here? Let's just go back down and fireball Her."

"Fireball her?" Lucius looked genuinely puzzled.

They had climbed back up from the Project Orchid labs, leaving the raging Mother of Flowers in her deep cavern. Lucius, however, hadn't made for the exit but instead headed down the side corridor to the other lab.

"Seriously? You don't know anything about Dungeons & Dragons, do you?" Molly chuckled.

"I've known my share of both, actually, but I don't see how that's relevant." Lucius said.

"Wha? ... You know what, don't wanna know. Moving on," Molly blinked. "The plan?"

"A Mother of Flowers is an incredibly hardy being," Lucius said. "She could endure great physical harm before yielding and, if attacked, her thralls will rush defend her. Worse, she can bespell those who come against her, turning foes into more thralls. We only escaped now because of our hazmat suits... but as armor goes, those are too fragile for use in a true fight." 

"But you've fought a Mother before," Molly said. "Right? That war... you beat them."

"The Tuatha De did, in ages past," Lucius said. "Our alchemists discovered a potion that would not only protect us but free the bespelled."

"Ok, mix us up this potion," Molly said.

"You must remember, Molly, I was only a youth then... just a foolish young man, seeking adventure and glory," Lucius said. "I wasn't then a mighty warleader or a great hero... or a learned alchemist. Also, more than a few centuries have passed."

"You don't know how to make the potion," Molly groaned.

"Not precisely, no, but don't despair," Lucius said. "I was a foolish young man. While I am still foolish at times, but I am no longer young and, as I have said, I am now quite a talented alchemist. Knowing what I recall of the old potion, and understanding the fundamentals, I should be able to recreate the work of those ancient alchemists." 

"OK, so what do you need?" Molly said. "Cauldron on misty moor? Eye of newt? Toe of frog?"

"The chemistry lab here should serve, and likely have the basic reagents I'll need," Lucius said. "I already have some of the Mother's fruits, but I'll need as many spore clusters as you can find."

"No newt?" Molly grinned.

"Maybe a little, but just for flavor," Lucius replied.

Molly never could tell when he was joking. 

She understood, at least in principle, what he was doing. Knowing a thing was even possible was often the hard part. Once you knew it could be done, if you understood the principles behind it, you could recreate the process. She did the same kind of thing all the time, salvaging troubled engineering projects. At this point, it was down to detail work, trial and error, and a bit of luck.

As she searched for spore clusters... and she supposed she shouldn't be surprised by how plentiful they were in the lab, so close to the Mother... she hoped that having a witch on her side would at least help with the luck.

10:30PM

"You've done it? Tell me you've done it," Molly said when Lucius finally emerged from the lab.

"I have... something," Lucius said, uncharacteristically hesitant. 

"Something?"

"The principles are sound but honestly, Molly, I don't know if this will work," Lucius said. "I can't know without testing it."

"OK, I get that. Product testing," Molly said. "So, we test it."

"In order to test the potion, we need someone bespelled by the Mother," Lucius said. 

"It's dangerous, isn't it?" Molly sighed. "If we just give it to some random person, we could hurt them."

"Yes," Lucius replied seriously.

Molly took a deep breath. "Give it to me," she said.

"Molly..." Lucius began. 

"You've still got some of that fruit," Molly said. "I eat some, I become infected or whatever. Then we can test the potion."

"Molly," Lucius said again.

"We can't ask anyone else," Molly said. "The thralls can't consent. You can't do it because..."

"... if it doesn't work the first time, there's no one else to refine the potion," Lucius concluded.

"It's got to be me," Molly said. "I was getting hungry anyway. Give me the fruit."

"Tastes pretty good actually," Molly said, biting into the strange fruit. "Really sweet but kind of... umm... ugh..."

Her stomach cramped, even as her mouth watered, wanting more.

"It's... ugh... strange," she grunted, gulping down the last of the fruit. "Tastes... really... oh God..."

The cramps doubled her over. 

"Lucius, I think this might... oh crap... not have been... ugghhh... such a great... oh, God... idea," she panted.

"Molly," Lucius cried. 

The pain was staggering. 

"Molly!" 

At the same time, she felt lightheaded, almost disconnected from her rebelling body.

"... molly... don't... i'll..."

Everything seemed so far away...

“I AM THE MOTHER, BEHOLD MY BEAUTY. 

“I AM THE MOTHER, BEHOLD MY GLORY.

“YOU EXIST TO SERVE ME.

"I AM THE MOTHER!"

Strangerville Mystery - Ch 13 - The Mother

Classified Ministry of Defense Research Facility, Rangerville Crater, Monday, May 17, 2021, 6:45PM

 It towered over them, glowing with its own inner luminescence, vibrant with life.

The Ministry of Defense engineering corps had clearly built the massive chamber around it, carving space out of the bedrock of the crater to house and contain what they had found here. It was just as clear to Molly that all their work and ingenuity hadn't been up to the task. 

This plant, this being, this eldritch horror, was beyond them all.

"What... what is it?" Molly asked, her mouth dry.

"A creature of the Farthest Realms, at the very edge of the Outer Darkness," Lucius answered. "A Mother of Flowers." 

"That... doesn't sound so bad," Molly said hopefully.

"Oh, it's much, much worse," Lucius said brightly. "We... everyone in Rangerville... are in terrible danger. This is the worst possibility that I suspected and desperately hoped I was wrong." 

"Great," Molly chuckled nervously.

"Well, let's introduce ourselves," Lucius said, starting across the massive chamber.

"Sure... wait, what?" Molly said, following him. 

The platform had probably been built as a place to study the titanic being, to observe and take samples. Still, Molly imagined it was ideally suited for tiny creatures like her and Lucius to try to speak with this giant.

"Mother of Flowers," Lucius said formally. "Know me as Taranis Stormcaller of the Tuatha de Dannan. I would approach and speak with you."

The giant plant, ancient being, Mother of Flowers, rumbled and shuddered in response.

"You have slept long, Mother of Flowers," Lucius continued. "The war is ended and by the Treaty of Moy Tura, this Realm was ceded to the Tuatha de Dannan. Your people have withdrawn once more to the Farther Realms. I offer you safe passage, to return to your home."

"TUATHA DE DANNAN!" The Mother roared. " DIÚLTAÍM DO THAIRISCINT."

"The Formoiri and their allies were defeated, Mother of Flowers," Lucius replied. "A second time, I offer you safe passage back to your far Realm."

"IS LIOMSA AN RÉIMSE SEO." The titanic horror bellowed.

"No longer!" Lucius yelled back. "Thrice and done. Return to whence you came!"

"GHEOBHAIDH TÚ BÁS!"

"Others have tried and failed," Lucius sneered.

-------------------------

"OK, what the Hell was all that?!" Molly demanded. "Wars and treaties and tuatha de something or other? What is going on? Who are you?!" 

After Lucius's tense exchange with the Mother of Flowers, they had retreated to the Project Orchid lab.

"I am the same person you've known," Lucius answered. "Over the centuries, I've had other names, but I remain myself. As for the rest..."

"My people - the Tuatha de Dannan - come from another Realm. We were explorers once, sailing in our silver ships amid the sea of stars and crossing the Void between Realms. 

"I was little more than a youth then... what you would call a teen... though among my people I was considered an adult and a warrior. I followed my king, Nuada Silveroak, and Manannan, his sworn brother. In our travels we visited many Realms, many worlds... including this one.

"This Realm, when we came to it, was fair, and green. Some of us longed to make a home here... but others had come before us. 

"They were the Formoiri... our kin but also our rivals. They claimed this Realm for themselves and, under the rule of their cruel king, Balor of the Poisoned Eye, they had already begun to conquer and enslave your people.

"The war between us was terrible. I had left my home a youth, full of dreams of glory and honor. I found the reality of battle to be... much different than my dreams.

"In the course of our war, each side called upon allies and friends made in our travels. The pixies aided us as scouts and a messengers, and svartalf artificers forged for us dreadful weapons. The Formoiri too had allies... and among them were the Mothers of Flowers, whose sweet scent could bespell even the strongest wills and turn friend into foe.

"In the end, at the Second Battle of Moy Tura, we overcame the Formoiri and forced them to accept our terms."

"The Formoiri and their allies were made to abandon their claims to this Realm, and they retreated to the edge of the Outer Darkness, where they wait still," Lucius concluded. "This Mother is, I hope, the last of her kind here.... a survivor of that ancient war. She does not accept her defeat nor acknowledge the Treaty. She was promised rich, green fields to grow her flowers and rule, and she will take what she was promised, if she can."

"So, to sum up, you're an ancient magical warrior and she's a mind-controlling eldritch horror looking to conquer the world," Molly said. "This is, what, Elves vs Flowers, Grudge Match 2021?"

"I rather like the sound of that," Lucius chuckled.

"But you can beat her," Molly said. "You did before, right? You know what she is now. You know her Name. You can beat her."

"Perhaps," Lucius nodded. "I have an idea."

--------------

Author's Note: Translating the Mother of Flowers (via Google Translate and with apologies to native Irish speakers).

DIÚLTAÍM DO THAIRISCINT - I reject your offer.

IS LIOMSA AN RÉIMSE SEO - This field is mine.

GHEOBHAIDH TÚ BÁS! - You will die!