"
Eh? You're back again? Already?" The witch who lived in the cottage at the edge of the forest said.
The slime person nodded their head.
"
There's some place I want to go," Okarin said. "
I want to learn how to make potions."
"
Muu, you're an impatient one. It's the weekend! At least give me a day off!"
"
I want to learn how to make potions." Okarin repeated.
The witch clutched her head in frustration.
"
I want to learn how to make potions." Okarin repeated once more.
"
Okay! Okay! I get it! You don't have to be a broken tape recorder! I know you're a slime, but you don't need to emphasize your pea-sized brain!"
"
I want to learn how—"
The witched shoved a sheet of paper into Okarin's face, muffling their mouth.
"
Bring me a pretty flower! It must be the flower that you think is prettiest! Better yet, a flower that reminds you of that ostrich Vanguard that you like so much."
Then she promptly slammed the door shut.
+ + +
The prettiest flower.
Okarin wasn't sure which flower was the prettiest.
Nonetheless, they spent the day wandering around the forest looking for flowers.
No... it wasn't that one.
Nor that one.
Okarin encountered a big carnivorous plant.
And... it was pretty!
Okarin knew as soon as they set eyes on it that it was without question prettiest flower around.
A dozen tendrils and vines immediately shot out at the slime person. Razor-sharp leaves and thorns tore into Okarin's flesh.
And it hurt! A lot!
Just like Vicious!
Wow, it was definitely a pretty vicious flower.
Okarin stood there in a daze staring at the razor-sharp row of thorn teeth that lined the mouth of the vase-like plant.
The tendrils of the carnivorous flower plant wiggled up high in the air, preparing for a killing mortal blow.
Suddenly, an arm reached out and grabbed Okarin, pulling them away. It was just in time, because a torrent of vines struck the spot where Okarin had been standing moments earlier. The tendrils were surprisingly destructive, leaving a hole in the ground with dirt and leaves flying into the air.
"
What the fuck are you doing?! You're going to get killed!" A stranger shouted into Okarin's ears.
Okarin was still in a daze. They stared at the flower on the carnivorous plant.
The stranger was noisy.
"
It's a pretty flower," Okarin said.
The stranger seemed incredulous as he drew a sword and pulled out his shield. He turned and warily faced the plant.
A stray tendril struck the center of his shield, shattering the hardened wood. The stranger screamed as splinters went flying and embedded in the man's skin. Something red dripped onto the forest floor, and the man was shouting something hazy and indistinct.
"
Snap out of it, you fucking bitch! Run! Run while you can!"
"
Good afternoon mister, I really like that flower. Will you help me get that flower?"
"
Fuck! Damn you! I'm a Rank E adventurer! To hell with you and that flower! I won't—"
A razor sharp tendril flew through the air and impaled the man in the back. It interrupted the adventurer mid-sentence, and a spray of dark red blood spewed out from his mouth. The little vines crawled and burst out from inside the man's flesh, the roots already beginning the devour the flesh like a parasitic plant greedily drinking blood.
The man screamed. He was being eaten alive.
The vines quickly immobilized the man and started dragging him back to the carnivorous plant. Although he struggled, the thorns on the tentacles were merciless as they raked across the man's skin. Moments later, his windpipe was slit, and then the screams went silent. It was just a just a bag of flesh that trashed around silently against the restrictive bonds that were slowly suffocating him and cutting his vital arteries. Soon enough, the jugular was cut, and a fountain of blood sprayed open on the forest grass.
Okarin watched emotionlessly.
Eventually, the corpse became still.
The carnivorous plant continued to drag it nonetheless. Slowly, it pulled the body into its vase-like main body. The limbs and the torso were like a rag doll as it tumbled into the plant's hollow cavity. The lid of the venus-fly-trap-like structure closed shut. Gradually, the vines and tendrils calmed down. They retracted back towards the plant. Then, it went dormant.
Okarin stood there motionlessly, almost frozen solid.
Why had Okarin been ignored?
The slime person was reluctant to take a step. What if the plant was sensitive to motion?
Okarin stood there in the forest, perfectly still. They stared at the plant. It seemed like the Carnivorous Plant was full? Looking carefully, it didn't have enough space in its body cavity to digest more than one victim at a time.
However, the flower was pretty.
They stood there for a very long time staring at the flower.
Perhaps an hour? Longer? The flower was very pretty.
Eventually, Okarin decided to tiptoe closer to the plant.
Apprehensively, they took a single step.
There was no response from the plant.
It seemed like it was asleep. Perhaps it went dormant as it digested its latest prey.
Cautiously, Okarin crept up beside the flower and...
Okarin snatched one of the pretty flowers.
They bolted away immediately as the carnivorous plant came roaring back to life, tentacles flying in anger and agony.
But Okarin was quick. In a blink of the eye, the slime was gone.
+ + +
"
I found the prettiest flower," Okarin said.
"
Mhm, mhm, this is a good one. Very pretty. It's much better than I expected," the witch replied.
"
Will it make a good potion?" Okarin asked.
"
Absolutely. You can almost taste the angst, death, and karma on this flower. Memories of objects are extremely powerful."
"
I don't really get it, but what kind of potion will the flower be used for?"
"
Oh, just an ordinary love potion for the typical village girl hoping to seduce her first crush. Don't worry about it."
"
Will you teach me to make a potion?"
"
Mhm~ You're already learning it. Come back another day."
"
You said that last time, but I don't feel like I've learned anything."
"
It's okay dear. You're learning a lot. Go home and rest."
The witch shut the door and Okarin was left standing outside of the cottage.