The late afternoon sun cast long shadows as Braedon addressed the new girl, his gaze though fixed on where the greenhouse was as he assessed the damage. "Alice, take our guest to the house and see if the water's running; if so, get her cleaned up and help her find some fresh clothes or at the very least a dry pair of pants. I'll be speaking with Elena here, both about that herb and to begin planning our next steps. Oh and try not to break her or anything."
Alice's lips curved into a slight pout still nodded in reluctant agreement. "Just make sure I get a piece of that 'plan' you're cooking up; John promised me fights and what happened was far to swift and quick to be called one! I'm really itching for some action right now to blow off some steam, but I suppose this could also work" she moaned before spinning around and locking her gaze onto Rebecca, "he may trust you, but I don't so know that I'll be watching. Any strange moves and I promise you it'll be your last so don't even think about trying anything." Her voice was initially laced with frustration quickly turned to ice by the end before gesturing curtly for Rebecca to follow her towards the distant house.
As their figures receded, Braedon shifted his attention to Elena who nervous fidgeting betrayed her anxiety. "Alright, Elena," he began gently. "First, does or rather did our greenhouse contain any herbs like the one she described? And beyond that, what changes have occurred here while we were gone? It's clear you and the others have grown significantly stronger and lastly is there any chance of the greenhouse being repaired? Even just the larger space within?"
A bright smile bloomed on Elena's face. "The Yarrow and Witch Hazel have greatly intensified effects now Master. They can now heal most wounds quickly and at a visible rate. The Aloe is excellent for skin ailments and the Saint John's Wort provides strong relief for nerve pain and injuries many many times beyond what they could previously. They've become our most prominent and strong little ones, but none I know of can compare to this 'Elysium's Vitalis Herb' the girl spoke of. Even the sap from my own tree as both potent a potent method of healing and a poison depend on use would pale significantly next to her supposed herbs description." A hint of sadness crossed her features. "I'm really sorry, Master."
She brightened again as she continued, "As for other changes, all the plants have either mutated or evolved into stronger forms. Those unsuitable for combat where held back well the rest would be sent out looking for you or to spread out and attack troublemakers, but even so quite a few of the little ones refused to remain and still ventured out to look for you, Peppermint and Lemon Balm, were specifically adamant. They were the first to achieve human-like forms to try and blend in. The rest chose to focus on enhancing their natural effects or lethality while those two, the day they felt their effects were sufficient chose to focus instead on gaining forms to seek you out."
Braedon's eyes widened in surprise. "The other herbs can look human now like you? Not just the… less defined shapes they had before?" His tone held a flicker of excitement, already imagining the potential this presented.
"Well, very few of them," Elena confirmed. "Others still chose to dedicate themselves to improving their core abilities instead of such endeavours, as for the greenhouse, well the object she used disrupted the world we had within I feel it should recover by the time night settles, the external damage though I could possibly fix with some wooden walls to ensure a boundary to prevent it from spreading out once it does."
Braedon nodded, glad to hear all that. "What exactly transpired here while we were away? I'd appreciate more details now that we have a moment. I doubt Rebecca was the first to try and enter the greenhouse or do what she did was she?"
Elena nodded repeatedly, her expression turning more sombre. "You're right Master. There were others who attempted to enter and we ambushed them before they could, even the few who had managed to eventually learn to sneak in would meet a swift end. At first, we tried to scare them away or simply chase them off but the persistent ones... well they became nutrients for us in the end when they refused to leave." She paused, then continued, her voice heavy with guilt. "The fight earlier with her was different though. She used some strange smoking stones to create the illusion and feel of a angry fire to divert our attention. While we were focused on extinguishing what seemed to be a blaze, she managed to penetrate deeper than anyone has before. That's why our reaction was so violent, she got deep enough to get close to my tree and the fight itself was prolonged because her sword isn't normal. It seemed to burn as much as it cut well slowing my regenerative abilities, the girl as well proved to possesses remarkably sharp instincts beyond those who came before. When we realized what had happened and tried to ambush her she reacted faster than anyone we'd encountered."
Braedon offered a reassuring smile. "It's fine my dear. You all tried your best and kept everyone safe, that's what truly matters most." He then patted his stomach with a grin. "So, with you and the others constantly evolving and mutating, are there any fruits or foods that Rebecca, Alice and I can eat? There didn't seem like anything was left in the house after all the raids and I'm quite hungry now." He hoped to cheer her up and even make her recognize how much they would be relying on her soon.
"Mhm, mhm!" Elena's head shot up, a wide, joyful smile returning to her face. "The fruit plants and some of the vegetables would be absolutely delighted to have you eat their products Master! They will be so happy as they where worried they couldn't provide help like the various others had!"
"Excellent," Braedon said, patting her head. "Why don't you go tell everyone I'm back and start organizing some for us? I'll return shortly with Alice and Rebecca and we can all eat together."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Elena's form dissolved, sinking into the earth as a root and shooting into the large wooden beast before it, to began to sink into the greenhouse remains creating an excited rustle among all the plants and trees. Braedon chuckled softly at her eagerness before turning towards the house, his smile slowly fading as his thoughts drifted to more pressing matters.
No way in hell am I abandoning this place he mused quietly, the warmth of his earlier conversation replaced by a steely resolve. The plants alone are more than enough reason to make this our primary base of operations once they got things back in order. He rubbed his eyes as a weariness settling over him. The problem however, was that John read enough novels and manga to know the current 'controllers' of this area wouldn't allow them to remain here trouble-free. They would need to be delt with. That thought caused him to sigh. Back barely an hour and already he had to strategize how to handle an impending conflict.
He shook his head to clear his mind. "Okay, no point letting it get to me now. What would John do?" He asked himself before a slow grin spread across his face, a glimmer of an idea taking root. "Hmm, oh, I know! Yes, this might just work." He added, letting out a low, satisfied chuckle. "It won't be the 'sneak in and slowly eliminate everyone one by one' method I'd usually gravitate towards due to my current… limitations but it could still be effective. Besides, with this larger frame even if I can somehow be silent, I doubt stealth would be my best approach for bastards like this." With a renewed sense of purpose Braedon headed towards the house, his mind already cataloguing what could be salvaged as his eyes roamed around him, already planning what work lay ahead to rebuild their sanctuary.