68. Snek

As always Haet took the overwhelming amount of news Celia had to share remarkably well. Listening without question and somehow managing to make it feel almost... Normal. More like she was venting about a hard day at work rather than nearly emptying out a quarter of a forest simply cause she got hungry.

Hunger whose consequences were still affecting her even now. Tail lengthening still as her serpents continued to feast for her throughout the forest.

Though, they were being a bit more mindful of how they did so now. Draining only a certain amount from their victims rather than taking all of their essence away. The result of which was that the forest was currently and rapidly filling up with some very tired Beyondlings of varying size. With most of that stolen essence being once again diverted to Celia. While the rest was being consumed by some of her serpentine minions directly, leading to them suffering an increase in size and strength as well.

Pretty soon Celia would have an actual, actual army on her hands. She'd probably be over fifty feet long at that point as well. Which was, well she'd deal with that eventual issue when she got to it.

For now there was the matter of Dreg. Who, since the last time she'd seem him at least, had begin to look worse. His already shriveled features appearing more raisin like than ever. As if he was a bag that had almost all the air sucked out of it. Wrinkles and creases marring his form.

A sight that was downright tragic to behold. A sentiment that Celia would've never guessed she'd feel towards her prior antagonizer.

Yet here she was.

"Uh, has he gotten... Any better?" She asked in spite of the evidence before her.

Haet shook his head. "No. Frail, Sel'ci barely keeping him live now. Conditions worsening."

"Hm." Celia thought. "There was a flower he gave me when we were fighting all those wasps that practically made me invincible. You wouldn't happen to have another one-"

"No." Haet said, cutting her off. "Special flower. Too dangerous to get. Too far. Besides, no time."

Celia hardly got a second to consider that her thoughts were interrupted from deeper within.

I can help. Paradox interjected. Tone almost venomous with want. Though the help I offer comes with some... stipulations.

Celia didn't need to know what they were to know she wasn't going to like them. She also knew that both choice and time were limited commodities that they didn't have.

Besides, its not like we plan to stay for long. A more traitorous voice whispered.

The portal. Echoed the rest.

Celia almost gave in to their will. Almost, and no more. She couldn't face her father like that if she did. She was already a monster on the outside, no need to be one within as well. A thought that struck against her assembled psyches like fire hitting water. Shame rising from her collective of minds like steam.

"What is it?" She asked.

And Paradox smiled a serpents grin.

We're gonna have to do some alchemy. And for that we're going to need some particular ingredients.

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Celia could already see where this was going, and acted accordingly.

"Ok, so I may have a solution. I think. Don't ask me how please, but uh, I'll be back." She explained. Poorly, and with all the confidence of a kids who has talking to a stranger for the first time.

An introverted kid.

Thankfully, however, Haet didn't ask. Though he did stare, watching her as she slithered away and back out into the forest. Members of the crew - those who helped fight against E-10 and those who did not - rapidly getting out of the way as she slithered by.

Reactions that, sadly, were all too justified. Celia's new state had transferred two new skills onto her. The first being her newfound prodigious size. With the second being a new sort of clumsiness when it came to corralling her tail.

The giant limb - if that was the proper term for it - swung back and forth at its tip, a motion that traveled upwards in a sort of wave like pattern. Though, there was so much mass and forth behind each minute part of said motion that she could, and accidentally had, crush just about anything beneath her and be completely unaware.

Like the tree she accidentally crashed into on her way out. Or the table she turned to splinters beneath her. Or a slime like member of Haet's crew who only survived being crushed due to his non solid nature.

There was probably more, but she didn't have the time to list it all. She was just glad to finally be free of the camp. It was... Cramped now. Unlike the forest, which was less cramped. But she could at least run the trees that got in her way over without feeling guilty about it.

Though, it did make her feel a teensy bit self conscious about how much she now weighed. But only a little and no more.

She was far more concerned with the more important matter of figuring out where she needed to go and what she needed to grab. An issue very easily solved by asking some questions.

Questions that Paradox seemed all too eager to answer.

So, what we'll need to do is first head north to collect some very rare and special flowers. And then we'll head south for... Organ donations.

"Organ donations?" Celia repeated, incredulous. "So, were going flower picking and organ harvesting?"

For the easy part, yes.

And that was all that was said. Conversation coming to a close as Celia began slithering in the directions pointed out to her. Directions that were directly beamed - or thought - into her mind.

Directions that once again led Celia through the forest. Her path through taking over both new and old ground. Bringing her past the swamp she had found the plant like people at, who she assumed were back at the camp now. And further past that, she found the site where she had fought the corrupted crab at.

She rose up and towered over the site of battle. Gazing down upon and wandering how the fight would've gone with her current self. And she was quite happy to realize that it probably would've ended with her eating crab.

Past that and further still, she came up upon the destroyed ruins of the forest where Jonas had fought the towering beast the crab had been spawned from.

And the best words she could think of to describe the area was that it looked like the apocalypse had happened.

The trees that had once stood here were gone. Seemingly erased from the face of existence. Fires born of orange light still burned, consuming dirt and stone both. The ground was littered with enormous craters that even Celia, immense as she was, wouldn't be able to fill. And then there was the smell.

It smelled like death, and her instincts were screaming at her that it was probably a very accurate smell. Which is why Celia hated what she knew Paradox was about to tell her to do.

Go look for a flower.

Celia knew there was little point in arguing, but still she could not help herself.

"Here?" She asked, gesturing at the ruined chunk of land before her. "You want me to look for a flower here?"

Yes. Paradox answered, clearly unbothered by the landscape quite literally scorched clear of life. The beyond does not behave as other realms do at the best of times, and when ruinous powers clash, even less so. So, if the energies here are as potent as I believe, there should be a flower or two.

Celia sighed, already giving in to the absurdity of it all. "Am I looking for a... Specific kind of flower? Like a rose or... Uh, something?"

No. Vice answered in Paradox's place. I've got the feeling that the beyond doesn't do types like that.

She is correct. It does not. Instead just look for something that may or may not be a monster. Paradox warned.

And already, Celia had a strong suspicion that she was going to hate flower picking.