The Rouge Prince and the Alpha Werewolf (KUSTARD!)

Poison

Since it was day already and Red couldn't eat raw meat, I started a fire to cook Sugar. Yes that was the Unicorn's name. Red went to a tree for some reason. Then he came back with Ruva flowers. "good seeped in meat, right?" I nodded. I skinned Sugar and lined the meat with Ruva. Once the heat touched the flowers, instead of shriveling up, they'd 'perspirate' the juice would seep into the meat, making it taste absolutely delicious. "good thinking, red." The edgy prince shrugged and waited. He wanted a taste. I chuckled. "be patient."
"i know that, idiot."

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Well, now that he knew things he could eat, I should probably show him the poison plants.. after he's done. Red tore hungerly into the tender meal. He had the appetite of a wolf. Heh heh heh. I tore into my own portion of the meal. Soon I had the mage following me again. "tell me, what does that look like to you?"
"a k'eyi fruit. i'm assuming it's not though." I nodded, impressed. His instinct might be kicking in. "that's right it's actually  a muchetura fruit. very few predators like wendigos can eat one and survive." I explained. "i heard that anything that eats one suffers a long and painful death too, to keep in mind, k'eyi's are bolder in color than muchetura's." He nodded, looking the plant up and down. "i'm sure you remember these."
"ija berries, only fairies can eat them." He recalled as we stared at the black berries with a pointed stem. He hummed. "lookin at it now, i don't know what the hell i was thinkin. don't even look eatible." I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "eh, it was dark and you'd had a long journey." He gave me a curious stare.

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"try not to touch these. if touched, they well release poisonous spores that'll kill ya in a minute if ya inhale it." He grimaced at the blueish purple pod. "what's it called?"
"meriezi." I responded. "their scent is a dead give away to their intentions. rotten carrion." He nodded and stepped away from it. "any others?" I nodded and lead the way. "tenkili. the fan like leaves are medical, but the cyan stem is toxic if injested."
"what would injest it?" Red asked. "when pollinating, it releases a chemical that attracts animals to eat it. the seeds break down the lining that protects the digestive system from the stomach acid and you literally burn from the inside out. the seeds, meanwhile plant themselves on the dying soul, and sprout inside, thus it has another name. carcass plants." Red shivered. "extremely dangerous, got it." I nodded. "there is one more you need to be weay of, because unlike other plants, it can hunt."
"oh shit." Oh shit indeed. "the plant I'm looking for, rurimi, it looks like an orange calla lilly. a large, squirrel sized one."
"what's poisonous about a big lilly?"
"it's-"
"sans, look out!"

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I was startled as red shoved me. "what the hel- red!" I watched the mage stab his knife into a Rurimi's purple tipped tongue, slicing it off as the plant screamed in discomfort, the remaining tongue disappearing into it's maw as the flower closed itself up to heal. Shit, shit, shit! "red!" I repeated his name as he cut off the part of it's tongue that wrapped itself around his leg. "i'm ok, i'm ok. it scared the shit outta me though."
"did it cut into you?!" I demanded. "i don't think so, why?"
"the poisonous part is it's tongue. the purple tip produces a toxin that will go straight to your soul. it causes a fever that burns so hot that it'll dust you. it usually tries to eat you before that happens, you were lucky you had your knife on you." He stood up. "yeah, no kidding." We headed back to camp. "we should probably move locations soon, that fire will be a give away.." Red nodded, seeming distracted. "hey."
"hm?" He glanced in my direction. I gave him a genuine smile. "thanks for saving my life." He didn't reply, but smiled himself.

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"red?" He stumbled, red beads of sweat littered his skull. "think it... may have.... gotten me..... after all......" He replied, leaning against a tree. Fuck! "ok, red, stay with me buddy."
"not.... fuckin..... dying that...... easily..." He replied. My chuckle was strained, he was already burning up. How much longer before he became incoherent? Lost consciousness? I didn't have the time or the resources to heal him up. I was going to have to plead with Ink. Dammit, I hate groveling.

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I ended up carrying Red to Ink's clearing, offerings scattered the place and carvings of Ink marked the surrounding trees. In a way, Ink was Sakonean's living diety. As the 'Heart of Sakonean', he could perform miracles nobody else could, but it really depended on if he was connected to the forest or not. Sakonean was quite literally his soul, so if he wasn't connected.. I snapped out of it as Red mumbled incoherently. "no, no! d-don't hurt- don't hurt me! i-i didn't mean it!" Nightmares. They suck. I put him beside me and got to my knees, Calling to the Heart. "come to me ink. i need ya."

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In a pool of colorful paint, he appeared and I started groveling, despite it being completely against my instincts. "i beg of you, oh heart of the forest, save my friend, he is dying.." Ink snorted. Oh great. He wasn't connected. "an alpha begging at my feet, isn't that funny, error?" Oh great, that string mage is here too. Error chuckled glitchily. "j-ju-ust a li-tt-le."
"ink, he's running out of time, please save him." I asked again. "hm.. nah. mage folk aren't allowed here anyway." I growled and stood up, bristling. "he's here and he's a mage."
"he's an exception."
"ink!" I grabbed him by his scarf and pulled him close. He smirked as Error bound my for my aggressive actions. "for the heart of sakonean, you sure are soulless."
"oh, i know. i like seeing you angry sans, it suites you."
"save him!" I demanded, my fangs sharpening angerly. My ears and tail appeared. Ink tilted his head. "ok." Wait- "why the sudden change?" He shrugged. "because you amused me and i'm a bit interested to see how long he survives." Ink waltzed over to Red casually, and did something, I couldn't turn my skull far enough to see. "there. he'll be fine." Then he was in front of me again. "one more thing." I had no choice but to give him my attention. "d o n ' t t h r e a t e n m e a g a i n , ok?" Error released me and the two disappeared. Fucking Ink.