Love Poison No Cure Needed

Not so Cute Flower 2.23

Kayad had been concerned that Sorrel had gone off with the random girls. He didn’t want him learning anything weird or accidentally being insulted by a turn of phrase. When he received the first message from Victoria just after talking to Dr Johnson he’d relaxed as he continued to stride towards the Serenity Garden.

However, when he received the second message he’d shifted into a sprint while he instructed Victoria to wait at the door. If Sorrel had sent her away it meant that she would have caused a problem by remaining in the garden. The only thing the Kayad considered a viable enough threat that Sorrel wouldn’t think he could protect someone in a fight outside was that blasted vine.

Last life there had never been any reports about the vine, and it wasn’t till Sorrel’s second year that students had started to disappear. The fact that the vine was predatory and on campus had blindsided Kayad, but he had associated its activity with the later disappearances easily enough and assumed that he would have more time to deal with it.

As he rushed through the trees a crash and shower of dirt caught his attention. Kayad turned in time to see Sorrel land gracefully on a branch with a girl cradled in his arms. Tch, more potential competition. While Kayad figured that Ella's original intention was far from friendly he doubted that after such a heroic save that she would remain uninterested.

Kayad’s only saving grace was that seeing that Sorrel had needed to carry her, it meant that she was unable to make the distance herself. Sorrel was too polite to go randomly carrying girls. Since he had no interest in them beyond curiosity, he wouldn’t act out a useless play of ‘hero saves the beauty’. Thus, Kayad figured there was a good chance that Ella wouldn’t remember the experience.

Kayad dove over as Sorrel tossed Ella to Dr Alfair. He admitted a mild enjoyment to the somewhat crass treatment of the girl. All Sorrel’s gentlemanliness was booked by him. He refused to share.

When Sorrel swung down and pulled him aside Kayad tried to wrestle the fall, so he took the impact but as expected it is difficult to win a battle of strength with a tree. When Sorrel moved over to save Carla’s group Kayad agreed wholeheartedly these useless third wheels interrupting his chance to build bridges in a dangerous struggle definitely needed to go.

After Kayad had assured himself that Sorrel was fine and that the Brimstone Vine was not targeting him directly Kayad shifted gears. Kayad firmly believed in taking every opportunity he could get when it came to catching his flower. Since he never intended to forcefully uproot it but instead gently coax it until it moved on its own it was naturally best to be steady. However, patience was really not his strong suit so when such a good chance to develop mutual understanding presented itself Kayad intended to take advantage.

While it was a little bit dangerous to his personal health, he felt certain that there wasn’t anyone else around with better poison immunity than him. Otherwise, all his preparations to avoid any useless delays due to Sorrel’s concerns for his health would have been wasted. As an added bonus if he did get hurt, he could win sympathy and maybe enjoy Sorrel’s tender care. He would also settle for frustrated exasperation since that would show that Sorrel cared.

With a twist Kayad avoided the next strike of the vine and tossed the last two third wheels clear. As he straightened Sorrel wrapped his arm around Kayad’s waist and pulled him aside as a vine as thick as their waists slammed into the ground in front of them.

Kayad turned to follow the trail of the stationary vine. His eyes widened at the sight of wriggling green mass with the plethora of red flowers. Each flower the size of a four-person card table while a faint yellow mist swirled around them.

“Early you muttered about things being worse than the plant growing wild…” Kayad started but trailed off towards the end as the exact details of Sorrel’s comment temporarily eluded him. His research had never suggested that the vine could grow to such a size nor that flower could get so big.

“Yes, much worse than letting it grow wild. Feeding it poorly likely animals and its own seeds. Makes it gluttonous and abnormally large as it struggles to consume an appropriate amount of mana.” Sorrel replied as he maintained his hold on Sorrel and slowly tugged him back, so they slowly backed away towards the main hall. “The only saving grace is that it’s roots have been properly set. It cannot leave the garden on its own.” Sorrel added.

Kayad sensed a shift in the vines and pulled Sorrel to the side so they rolled across the ground and as they came to their feet, they promptly leapt upwards and pulled themselves into a tree. The dirt where they had stood shot up creating a cloud of dust.

Kayad left the sight to Sorrel Knowing that the dust would have no effect on his secondary vision while he focused on his ears letting his secondary senses reach out. The rustle of leaves to the right and the pair flipped backwards to a tree closer to the building before they immediately jumped left. The strike of the vine took the top clean off the maple tree and gave actual line of sight to the building.

At some point Sephy had shifted to her moderate size and blocked-in front of the door. Together with Noir in its panther form they shredded the vines that approached the area while Dr Alfair stood guard at the door with a sword and dagger in his hands.

“Can this thing be dealt with?” Kayad asked.

Sorrel snorted as they shifted around the tree trunk and stepped back and along to avoid the next two strikes. “Sure. Though I can’t kill it now. Best I can manage is to calm it down.” Sorrel responded and the pair dropped from the tree and crouched as the truck was cut in half. “To kill it would take a bit of preparation. It is from the Demon realm after all. They grow things hardy there.”