Eternal_Winter
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Chapter 29: The Dreamweaver
🕑 Added 2025-05-02 13:20:24 +0000 UTCAt the same time…in a different tutorial…
Kroktar was always proud about his assignment in the guard post, since the day he hatched from his egg he felt the pride that all Crocodiarii had. They were a strong race, their jaws mighty and their scales thick. Not even the Brammgestir could defeat them. So why did they need to suffer like this?
First the guards thought it was just a horde of wild beasts or a patrol of the Brammgestir trying to see if the guards showed weakness. But they weren’t prepared for…that. In the distance a massive flower was moving along on its roots and vines, A massive red flower that had white dots on its petals. In the center of the flower was a circular depression. Anchored in the depression was a massive eye, unblinking and fixated on the guard post.
Alarm bells rang across the camp and in only a few minutes all the guards stood on the palisade wall, spears in hand and slings at the belt. They were ready to defend themselves and everything they stood for, but that wasn’t even necessary. The flower stopped around a hundred meters before the camp and dug its roots back in the ground, its petals gently swaying…left and right…right and left. It never stopped and it never changed its rhythm. Left and right…right and left.
Soon the soldiers returned to their normal duties, wary glances got thrown to the flower but it was the same each time. The day progressed normally and soon the soldiers just ignored the flower. When the evening came and the sun slowly vanished behind the horizon it started, slowly at first.
Spores that glowed in a warm red drifted towards the camp, it looked like a swarm of fireflies was making its way over to the camp. The guards pointed at them, tried to catch some but they flew too high up. The spores carried a strong scent of roses that tickled their noses and made them laugh, Crocodiarii that sneezed looked especially funny with their huge jaws getting slapped together, which made most people bite their tongues.
The spores continued their flight, invading the barracks, armory, kitchen, even the commander Kroktar’s office. Soon everybody had contact with them and the guard gathered on the training ground, holding hands, laughing and dancing. Their minds filled with pure bliss and a sense of belonging. Still holding hands they started to sing and drag each other around like children playing a game. The angelic laughter of battle hardened veterans filled the night.
Together they followed the commander, and in a long chain of warriors did they leave the camp, only one place in their mind, the gigantic flower that still swayed…left and right..right and left.
The Crocodiarii followed suit, swaying left and right…right and left. Giggling and skipping like little girls, they ran to the flower, hugged its vines and roots, nuzzled the big leaves and petals. Their touch is so delicate, like handling the eggs of their partners.
Vines wrapped around them, roots gently pulled them closer. The guards started to cry, they knew soon it would end and they needed to sleep…drifting away into a dream of pure joy…while their bodies slowly shrank, roots and vines convulsing as they sucked all the fluids from the warriors bodies, the only thing that remained were dried out husk that drifted away as dust, an eerie silence lay like a sheet over the world. Then the flower started to sway again…left and right…right and left.
A figure stepped around the hulking beast, the vines gently touching the shoulders and head but instead of sucking the person dry, they caressed the person. Stepping into the light of the spores was a woman, she was short and had red curly hair that flowed down her back before stopping at her hips. Big round glasses dominated her pale face and slipped constantly from her small nose. Freckles covered her face, especially under her hazel brown eyes and nose. Her body was very thin and she looked fragile.
But this woman carried herself with confidence, the smile on her lips never wavered, the intense look she had in her eyes and the utter lack of shyness. She laughed, not because killing was something she liked to do but because her experiment worked.
Her eyes wandered up to the massive flower, the single eye looked back at her. “Ah Lily you make me one happy woman you know that? I knew mixing in roses and jasmine would help. You did such a good job.” The woman, Liliane hugged the flower named Lily and enjoyed the smell of her creation.
Lily was something called a corpse rose or rafflesia arnoldii if there was someone left that cared about latin. While those kinds of flowers usually smell foul to attract flies and beetles, this one, besides its massively increased size, also produced a lovely scent.
“I think we can increase your spore production a bit! I’m confident we will work it out somehow…but I still need to work on my main class.” Liliane climbed on top of her plant daughter and both of them continued on their way to the next camp of Crocodiarii. During this time she checked her status.
Name: Liliane West
Race: Human
Level: 18
Class: Dreamweaver
Subclass : Monster Botanist - Level 21
Health Points (HP): 400/400
Mana Points (MP): 500/500
Stamina: 250/250
Stats
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 25
Vitality: 40
Wisdom: 50
Intelligence: 50
Perception: 15
Willpower: 15
Free points: 0
“With your spores it was easy to influence them, I’m glad I had that idea Lily, using your spores to carry my ability. Dream induced bliss without the need to touch them directly! I must say I outdone myself.” She laughed and nearly fell from Lily.
“In the next camp I think we should use your budding ability next, I bet they won’t expect a siege from tiny flower men.” she smiled and rubbed gently over Lily’s petals. “Let’s go! Soon we finished the quests and can go back to doing more experiments!
When they finally reached the next border outpost they could set up more quickly, in the darkness of the night Liliane and Lily found a hidden spot between some large rocks. Once the corpse lily stretched its roots into the ground her ability started to work. Along her vines large tubers grew, clearly visible to the naked eye. Once they reached the size of a head they fell off and rolled around for a moment before tiny arms and legs grew from it. A single eye appeared in the middle of their body.
Vicious claws emerge from their arms, looking like gnarled roots with wicked barbs on the ends. More and more from those plant soldiers emerged, gathering around their mother and waiting for orders.
Liliane patted their tough exterior and from a pouch on her side she grabbed a handful of sand and carefully covered their root claws with it. Around thirty of them stood ready, their mother was out of energy so Liliane snuck to the gate and, using a normal mana bolt spell, she destroyed the beam that was used to lock the gate. The bolt flew straight through the tough but not enchanted wood.
The flower men stormed the camp, their movements silent, no war cry or the clang of swords and armor. The first to fall were the night watch, overwhelmed by the small flower men. When they got hit the sand delivered to them through the claws induced a heavy sleep, making them easy targets.
Soon the flower men rushed the barracks, Liliane walking at a slow pace after them, throwing mana bolts but mostly using her dream magic to show them visions, past nightmares, memories they experienced often in their dreams.
While she wasn’t able to manipulate the mind to a degree that allowed control she certainly could cloud their thoughts and induce feelings. Even illusions or forced sleep were easy for her with enough time, the sand in her tiny pouch was created from the day she got the class.
Once her flower men finished killing all the soldiers, one ran outside to get their mother, the others pulled the dead together for Lily to absorb. Soon the war would be finished and they could finally experiment again!
