Oneshots in the Heart of Darkness

Botanist and the Witch Doctor

Unknown POV:
Footsteps splashing mud in the jungle is heard over the birds and insects. Seven men and a chained tribal woman walk the path of the forest towards civilization.

The leader of the group said with a laugh; "Ha! You're lucky our employer wants you alive! We'd be happy to send him your head, Witch!" The tribal woman clasps her hands together in prayer and she mumbles words in her tribes language. They get knee deep in mossy water before one of the men are pulled under. The remaining six look around the water for the creature that is swimming with them before two more are pulled down. The four grab the tribal woman and pull her out to dry land before the Leader spat; "Enough magic, Witch! Cast another spell to kill us and I'll forget the bounty!" The tribal woman laughs before she is shoved into a terrified gunman. The Leader barked; "If she tries anything, kill her." The gunman nods as they continue walking the path; however once they reach near the edge of the forest, the roots of two trees block the path. The leader spat; "That does it! Kill the Witch!" The gunman was about to shoot his musket but was stabbed through the back by a tree root. The last terrified thug grabbed the Witch and plead; "Please, stop! Show mercy!" The Witch said in English; "It's not me, it's my God I prayed to."

The ground shook revealing a plant dressed man with glowing green eyes. The terrified thug tried running away but his legs were wrapped with thorned vines that pulled him deep in the ground. The Leader used the tribal woman as a shield before saying; "Drop the stick or the Witch dies!" The Leader pulled back the hammer of his flintlock pistol before the Nature God did as commanded. The Leader smirked before turning the gun on the God and opened fire. The Nature God sunk into the ground, dodging the shot before the tribal woman slipped a stone dagger out of a sheathe strapped to her thigh to stab the Leader. The Leader grasped his blood spraying neck as the tribal woman stepped aside as the Nature God sprouts from the ground. The Leader falls down dead before the tribal woman bows on her knees to the Nature God and praises in her tribes tongue. A green flash of light illuminated her surroundings before she looked up to see the a mortal man where the Nature God stood.

The tribal woman and stood in surprise with her stone dagger ready before the mortal man said; "Woah! I'm the one who saved you from those mercenaries." The tribal woman spoke in English; "Who are you and what have you done with Florus?" The mortal said; "My name is Nicolas. I'm a Botanist Mage...who is Florus?" The tribal woman answered; "The God of the Forest. My tribe has been the Guardian of his domain for centuries. Now tell me, why are you here?" Nicolas said; "I have heard about a great power hidden under the Great Forest. The riddle doesn't give a lot of clues so I thought one of the tribes could solve the riddle." Nicolas handed over a scroll before the tribal woman read the word and asked; "Where did you get this?" Nicolas answered; "Off a dead man who wants to use the great power to enslave all creatures both light and dark." The tribal woman tucked the scroll in a pouch while saying; "These aren't riddles, they are steps in the journey to the Pit." Nicolas asks; "The Pit?" The tribal woman nods before saying; "The sacred ground our tribe guards for Florus. It's our duty to keep it out of the hands of those who are a danger to life."

Nicolas asks shyly; "Can you...take me there?" The tribal woman cocks her head before asking; "You expect me to take you...a stranger and pretender of Florus to my tribe who are elite warriors trained to protect the sacred power trusted to us by the great Florus?" Nicolas was quiet before saying; "When you put it like that, yeah I don't expect you to. I just want to be able to sleep tonight knowing that the great power won't be used within a week to enslave us all. Those who seek to use it like tyrants is what worries me. Prove to me it's safe and you'll never see me again." The tribal woman was about to speak before noticing Nicolas's green robe was stained in blood. She presses her hand on his side before examining her fingers to verify it was his blood seeping. She says bluntly, "You've been shot. I will take you to my tribe to be healed. That is all." The two venture thought the dense part of the forest off the trail to the tribal woman's village. Many warriors grip their spears in defense before the tribal woman said in her language; "He's a wounded ally, stand back."

The two sat in the tribal woman's tent before she removed Nicolas's green robe to reveal the bullet wound under his ribs. She examined the wound before saying; "Fate has brought you luck. The wound only scratched your side, no puncture." She mixed a salve and rubbed it in his wound as her hands glowed a jade aura. Nicolas felt the warm and cool magic healing before putting his robe back on, he asks out of curiosity; "What do I call you?" The tribal woman answered over her shoulder which caused Nicolas to ask; "Is there a nickname you go by or a shorter..." The tribal woman said; "Clio. Fur traders you skin type call me Clio." Nicolas said with a kind smile; "Clio. That's a nice name." She turned to him before she offered her hand to help him stand. They left her tent and walked with Clio's lead as she spoke; "I will show you the great power that we protect." She adds a stern tone; "But...you are to not touch." They walk around a water fall that hid a secret cave that had nothing but darkness at the end. Clio lit a torch and led Nicolas through until she stopped him with her arm.

She knelt down to revealing a pit of darkness before them as she said; "This is the Pit. Legends say it never ends and whoever falls in will die from starvation before they hit the bottom. This is our trap if we are killed from invaders who seek the great power." Nicolas asks; "Where is the great power?" Clio answers; "On the other side of the Pit. Scale the wall as I do and try not to fall in. I will not go after you." She throws the torch across the Pit to show how far they need to climb. She grabs a rock sticking out of the cave wall and climbs across before Nicolas follows suit. Once they reach the other side they walk to a crossroads where Clio touches a root on the wall where the two paths meet. She says; "For the safety of the great power. Our ancestors hid it inside the largest tree in the village. It grew around the great power and only Florus himself can get to it. You manipulated nature as he does...perhaps you can move the roots?" Clio steps aside before Nicolas uses his staff to channel the roots to move like a curtain to reveal a bright jade colored light.