"Just a little closer!"
Io, stretched his hand upwards one more time. The branch he was sitting on cracked a bit. Io looked down towards it to see if it was about to break. The tree he was on was terribly high.
"Just hold me for one more second; I almost got it." Io said talking to the old tree. He reached his hand one last time and finally grabbed the small flower. He carefully plucked it from the tree and looked at it closely. It was small and purple with yellow dots speckling its petals, and its stem was a deeper hue of purple.
Io stored it in a small glass container, carefully placed it in his bag, and proceeded to climb down. He stretched out his hand toward the body of the massive tree and called a strong vine to him. It wrapped around his hand firmly. Secure, he decided to slowly move away from the branch he was sitting on. The sudden shift of weight was enough to snap the old branch straight from the tree. Io fell, but while the vine prevented his demise, he didn't care for the rate of his descent. He focused and controlled a different vine towards him, secured it on his abdomen, and defied gravity.
Now, he takes small steps down on the side of the tree and walked through the strong branches he encountered.
"Are you ok Io?" Zair, Io's best friend, asked from under the enormous tree.
"Yeah I'm fine, not like you helped anyway!" Io answered smiling, now closer to the ground.
"You didn't fall didn't you? Besides I don't understand why you had to go along the way up when you could've controlled another plant to grab it for you." Zair said giving Io his coat once he was on solid ground.
"Well, yeah of course I could've done it, but it's never the same. Plants like this, special, require a gentle touch." Io said as he reached for his bag and took out the jar containing the purple flower. "And to think this beautiful flower can paralyze up to 20 people, or even kill one with the right dosage and correct administration."
"I'm so glad you're the kindest person I know, or I'd be terrified right now!" Zair laughed.
The two young boys walked where the canoe was waiting. The region of Maara is a swamp covered in great old trees and many plants and flowers. The swamp was filled with water, so moving through the land required boats. For years the Maara people have studied the fauna discovering it's properties. Many plants aid healing, while others are poisonous and deadly. Over thousand of years the swamp people have also discovered the ability to control plant life. Allowing them to grow all of the plants they need.
Io was one of these Phytokinetics. His abilities however grew stronger than any other. His knowledge of every plant in the land made him very sought out by people wishing to heal an ailment. Since a very young age Io felt connected to the land like no other. His mother was the leader of his people, but even her knowledge grew pale besides his.
Io and Zair paddled towards the main village.
"So why exactly did you not participate on the first day of the tourney?" Zair asked while they rowed peacefully.
"Well, for one, I am not participating any day not just today. Second of all I am no warrior, I've never used my powers to fight." Io answered imagining himself fighting, which brought a smile to his face.
"Its not about fighting Io, it's about representing our region. Our people!" Zair replied
"You sound like my mom." Io laughed as he reached to the water and splashed some swamp water over Zair.
The two young boys laughed and shared some more water splashing. Io ran his fingers over his long hair and combed it backwards. he stopped and watched his friend Zair, his contagious smile. He really was good looking. Io never really had naughty thoughts about his friend, he was way too important in his life. That didn't stop him from seeing how good looking Zair was.
"How about you Zair, why didn't you participate in the tourney?" Io asked teasing.
"Mostly because I hate being alone on that kind of stuff, and you won't participate, so why even bother. I'd get eliminated in the first round." Zair answered honestly.
"I could've gone as your coach. Together we could've made it to finals! Imagine the people chanting your name! Zair! Zair!" Io joked standing inside the boat.
"You're going to make us fall. Sit down. Besides you know being a coach is not even a thing. You tried though. Thanks!" Zair said giving Io a small pat on the legs.
The two young men continued rowing. Io couldn't help but to think Zair meant much more when he said he didn't want to go without him. I thought he was probably over thinking a simple sentence. They couldn't dwell on the subject too much as they soon approached the village.
It was a village built in the middle of the swamps. A great deal of the terrain was created hurling sand mud and dirt and creating a strong surface to build houses. If you saw up towards the great old trees you could see many smaller houses built on the enormous tree branches. Many of the buildings where connected with strong vine bridges. Io himslef helped create many of the most recent bridges.
"Come with me Zair, my mom said she wanted to see me when we came back from our gathering adventure." Io said joyfully.
"You think chief Taana wants to talk you into participating again? Zair asked.
"Most definitely, yes. But she is the chief of the village, and she basically summoned me so I can't say no to at least listen to her." Io answered as he started walking towards the tree where his mother built the chieftains house.
The house was located in the middle of the village. They had to walk through many houses. They could hear children playing around. Some women fishing in the distance. Most of the warriors were at the tourney, some women warriors too, but some stayed behind protect the people.
Io and Zair had to climb many stairs to get to the house, as it was located near the top of the tree. Io knocked on the door but no one answered so he let himself in. The room was empty.
"She'll probably be here soon. Let's sit down and wait." Io said taking a seat in front of his mom's desk.
"Dude, your mom's chair looks so comfortable, I don't think she'll mind if I try it for one second" Zair said as he approached the chair. He slowly sat down on it and got comfortable.
"I wouldn't mind being chief if it meant sitting in this......." Zair was interrupted as he felt something poke his neck. He removed a small dart from his skin.
Io just witnessed terrified as his best friend stood up from the chair, tried to walk towards Io and collapsed in front of him.
"No, no, Zair, can you hear me? Someone help me!" Io shouted as he crouched next to his friend. He leaned to listen to his heart. It was still beating but it was slowly stopping. At that moment Io's mom rushed through the door.
"What happened?" She asked. Her long brunette hair waved as she ran and crouched next to Zair.
"I don't know," Io answered, tears starting to fall from his face. "Someone poisoned him. His heart is still bearing but faintly."
"We need to slow down his heart rate and stop the poison from continuing to spread through his body." Io's mom said.
"I got it!" Io said as he reached out his hand towards the window and manipulated a plant to grow next to them. It started growing leaf and flower buds appearing all over it. In the tip a bigger flower bud grew. It bloomed with a small hissing sound as it had release a small amount of mist right next to Zair's face. Immediately the young boy started breathing much slower.
"Did you just sprayed him with Nightsleep extract from a flower? That's amazing" Taana said.
"Yes mom, but we can talk about that later. The extract may give us a few more minutes. We need to identify the poison." Io said as he quickly searched in Zair's hand for the dart. He handed it to his mother.
Taana smelled the small dart and cautiously tasted the tip. Immediately she spat the small amount she had tasted. The bittersweet tate was enough to know what it was. She quickly stood up and ran to her cabinet and produced a small tube of clear liquid.
"Someone injected him with Deathblossom venom. This should stop the immediate effects of it. The venom kills quickly by destroying the lungs and then attacking the heart. Your quick action avoided the venom from reaching his heart." She said as shshe took the liquid and made Zair drink it.
"This will stop the first part of the venom from killing him." Taana said as she stood.
Io couldn't help but sigh in relief. He watched Zair's face, he looked calm as if sleeping.
"Why isn't he waking up?" Io asked confused.
His mom turned to watch him after putting away the small tube.
"He won't. We only stopped one way the venom kills. As soon as the venom enters the system it attacks the brain and stops all functions. He is in a coma right now. Eventually all his organs will stop working. We can use a few brews to delay that from happening. But we don't have the cure here. I'm so sorry Io."
Io couldn't believe it. Only a few minutes ago, he was fine. He was laughing and joking. He would not let anything happen to him.
"There has to be a way. Where is the cure?" Io asked as he stood in front of his mother.
"There is no way to get it. It's a special drink given only to the people who live in the Grasslands. They'd never give it to us."
"There has to be a way! Mom we can't let him die!" Io hugged his mother, crying.
Taana could feel his son's pain. Suddenly she thought of a way.
"Io, I know how you can do it. If you win the tourney here, you get to go to the Grasslands. Once there you need to find the drink and send it here. It's the only way I see."
Io cleaned the tears from his face. Turned to see his friend laying in the ground.
"I'll do it for you buddy. I'll beat anyone I have to, crush anyone that steps in my way. All to save you."