They wove their way through the trees as the wind picked up, billowing her dress around her knees, and the mist thinned out like a stream flowing away. Something wet and prickly wrapped around her leg, and she tried to jump back, but the thing tightened its grip, pulling her onto her back and dragging her across the ground.
She screamed.
Roya swiftly jumped down and caught her hand, attempting to pull her back. “The Gnashing Flora has her!” she yelled.
Seda looked down at her leg and saw a thick vine wrapped around it. It yanked her again, violently dragging her and Roya along the forest floor, Seda’s dress riding up her back to reveal her bare legs.
Fear shot through her spine like shards of glass. Her body rushed through ferns and random pinecones that scraped against her back. Plants the size of her snapped at her, trying to bite as she blew past.
“I have you!” Roya shouted as she firmly held onto Seda’s hand.
The vine was pulling them faster than the others could keep up, and they lost them in the distance.
A loud screech pierced through the thicket, and Seda looked in the direction the plant pulled her. A massive yellow flower emerged, its menacing thorns dripping clear liquid as it opened its mouth.
A bloodcurdling scream tore from her lips.
She survived the Camp, experienced horrible creatures, and survived the palm of a Jotnar throwing a tantrum. How had it all come to this? She didn’t want to die by a plant.
Another vine lashed out and wrapped around Roya, yanking them apart. They were both lifted off the ground and into the air. Ferona and Feich dived down and clawed at the Gnashing Flora, scratching at the plant’s thick vines.
The Gnashing Flora let out a deafening screech that pierced their ears and slightly loosened its grip on both of them. Roya immediately shifted and took to the sky to join her siblings in their defensive attack.It tightened its grip on Seda once more and began forming massive bubbles from its opening.
They slowly floated toward her.
“Avoid the globules!” Ferona shouted as she flew past Seda and clawed at the vine attached to her.
The plant shrieked and flung its vine around while still wrapped tightly around her, leaving Seda disoriented.The globules floated past an arm’s length away.
Her mind was overwhelmed with panic, clouding all her thoughts, making it impossible to think clearly.
The pearlescent bubbles floated through the air in varying sizes, some popping early and splattering juices that singed the nearby plant life, sending up small tufts of smoke where they landed.
The flower forced its petals together and pulled her inward toward its large center opening. She looked down and saw the razor-sharp spines fluttering within the opening, dripping with the clear liquid used to create the bubbles.
A loud, echoing snarl tore through the air as Elco appeared, soaring high and circling the plant.
He dove down and spewed a stream of red fire from his mouth directly onto the vine wrapped around Seda, causing it to wither into dust.
She hit the ground with a thud, and pain surged from her healing ankle. The Gnashing Flora writhed and screeched, flinging its vines into the air as it tried to reach Elco and the Corvids.
It released another massive stream of bubbles into the sky.
The others ran into the clearing, and Seda looked back at them quickly. Cahir ran forward and grabbed her into his arms.
Seren ran past with his sword held high and sliced off a vine reaching for Seda again. The vine shriveled back quickly, and the plant squealed in pain. Kalon, Ojore, Askold, and Benny began stabbing its leaves.
Out of nowhere, a vine snaked out and wrapped around Seren, lifting him and sending a blast of bubbles straight into his face.
The sound of sizzling flesh and screams echoed through the area.
Elco flew down again, preparing another attack when the Gnashing Flora immediately retreated into itself, yowling in pain.
It closed into a large, pulsating pod, dropping Seren’s unmoving body to the ground.
What happened? No one had hurt it enough to provoke thatreaction. It writhed in pain and screeched into the forest, pulsating with agony.
Seda looked around in confusion and saw Elco land near Seren’s body. He blasted fire onto the screaming plant, causing it to erupt in flames.
