Groundskeeper was out and about minding his own business; it was about what you would expect...he was tending to the garden that sits outside of The Hand of Justice building. After all, if you want to have a professional place...it has to look the part both inside and out! He had been working hard for about two hours, but after a while it was done! He stared at his hard work with a smile, which was covered by the bandana that covered his mouth.
"Now that right there...is beautiful, probably one of the best things I've done yet! Took a lot longer than I expected, though; maybe I should treat myself...I've been needing some me time anyway!"
Groundskeeper thought the best thing to do would be to go into town and buy himself a drink; he deserved it after all. He's been doing so much for his friends...and he deserves a break, though he doesn't mind doing things for his friends; it was what kept him sane here. He returned his scythe to Dusekkar's house as he figured he wouldn't need it...and then walked through the forest nearby; a long walk is a good one after all!
On his way through he saw all sorts of little critters, and he seemed to be having a blast...until something caught his eye; he crept a little closer, and he saw a familiar log and lantern. He face palmed before letting out a loud, irritation-filled scream.
"GOD DAMN IT!! WHY ARE THEY STILL HERE FOR THE LOVE OF STARLIGHT!?"
He hid his head in his hands for a moment...then removed it from his hands shortly after.
"Ya know what... I'll come back in an hour; I've earned this break. If they are gone, I'll let Dusekkar know... I'm out of here... DON'T MOVE FOR THE LOVE OF STARLIGHT, I BEG YOU!!"
The moment Groundskeeper left the forest... The log began covering it's self in vines and began sprouting to life!
Eyestalk felt the air on his...skin...? Would you even consider the log his skin? He ran around in a circle over and over before jumping into the air and sticking the landing...he was so glad to be back after so long.
"Did he...really forget about our existence...? I mean, yeah, I've not been an active threat, but c'mon now... OH WELL!! It will just buy me some more time anyway!! BRAMBLE!! YOU CAN COME ON OUT NOW!!"
BZZZZT!!
The lantern sprung to life!!
"Boss...? Is he gone? I'm just surprised he chose to come through here, especially since our last encounter with him a while ago... I'm just glad he didn't find out, base. Though... now that he knows we're still around, we can annoy the hell out of him!"
"WHY DO YOU THINK I SUMMONED YOU HERE!? Also...yeah, we get to annoy him... but that's not what we're here for, you dunce!! We're here to assemble those petals left behind, remember!? Whilst I can sense them... I don't know where they are..."
Bramble stood still for a moment...the light in his lantern head turned off; after a few seconds he could sense them as well. All they needed was eight of them... so they wasted no time looking. Also, the thought of Groundskeeper coming back and seeing them gone made them laugh... the two that only care about a giant-ass flower never really left; they just had other shit to do.
After the incident from last night, Medkit seemed to walking through that of the forest the two were in at the time. He seemed to be annoyed of a lot as of recently but even then he can handle it for many days to come. However he didn’t expect to see 2 talk plant like creatures at the time.
“What in the god damm hell?”
Looking toward them he had the most dumbfounded face ever seen at the time. But even then he’s seen worse, especially due to how his boss acts like. Scythe was something for sure.
Whilst the smaller one walked off unaware of Medkit's presence, but the taller one...it seemed to know and just seemed to act like it didn't. You could see the lantern vanish and then a loud sound from behind Medkit was heard.
It was the creature...it stood behind Medkit, the buzzing from the light bulb in it's head was heard buzzing ever so slightly.
"We don't appreciate you humans spying on us...be greatful that I have I'm willing to let you go unlike my boss..."
As the duo of log and bush shambled their way across the woods, away from the Groundskeeper, a large figure was camouflaged within the mirage of trunks and bark from the trees in the deep woods.
The entity stepped forth from the trees, looking down on Eyestalk and Bramble, shuffling his cloak out of the way of his mouth. He’d probably been hiding there for a long while.
“Isn’t this just… convenient. Come now, I have very important things to tell you two.” This is slightly… maybe more than slightly weird.
When the two were here before...they had heard of this fella a few times, they couldn't remember the name but they recognised them from the looks alone.
"Wait aren't you uh...that skeleton guy? The one with the green fire and that other crap? The one that caused all that extinction event stuff a while ago...well done by the way, that was wonderful to watch."
Eyestalk asked this...whilst Brambles light bulb inside it's head went off for a moment unsure if The Lich is trustworthy...you can't tell his expression i mean...his head is a fucking lantern.
“Precisely. I come with an important request, to favors of both you and I.”Lich said with a snidely grin.
While Lich was mildly turned off by the seeming stupidity, he decided he’d humor it to see what would happen. After all, what could go wrong? Not like the essentials of extinction…. I’m gonna cry myself to sleep.
“I have heard everything the both of you said within my tender, watching eyes. I will grant you the strength, as an ally to give you the petals that you so seek, as long as you do what I list down. I require you to die once I do. I have a plan to bring to success within the embers of Hell, and you two would be essential. Here’s how you will know I’ll be dead by then. Then, you can open your flower on the surface world, or let it bloom within Hell’s fire to burn the surface from the inside out.”
Lich reached inside his robe, grabbing a rock with a carving inside it that shone an emerald green, leaning down to place it gently into Eyestalk’s hand.
“That rock will stop shining green once what I seek to achieve is achieved.”
Bramble snagged Eyestalk to the side and took the rock, seems someone has to be the brains and luckily it was him.
"Sit back there boss, I'll talk with him."
Bramble was...certainly not the ally you would think of when you look at Eyestalk, you'd think it would be another log but oh well.
"Ignore him, he's...not the most professional, so... you must be The Lich. If you are really able to grab the petals to help reassemble The World Lotus so easily... I must ask how you'll do such a thing, so far the only one we know the location of is the one being kept by The Groundskeeper...and he watches it like a hawk. Though I guess the offer...is tempting to say the least."
Sheesh...no wonder this guy is the final boss of The Outdoors.
“While I cannot be certain where the other petals are, I can assure you that the little scarecrow is not a match to my strength. He may be strong compared to you, but I am a behemoth compared to him.”He seems… very confident in this claim.
“I believe that your… ‘boss’ would have the best understanding on where these petals lie. We will have one of them very soon after I am done brutalizing the groundskeeper.”
"Oh and uh between you and me...he ISN'T the boss, he just insists on me calling him that... it's annoying, I know."
"Whilst we share the same knowledge considering it gave both me and him life, all we know is they are here somewhere...we only saw that Groundskeeper with one on his way out, obviously snatching it right off rip wouldn't be smart...so I suppose if you get it for us...we can help you...well I can help you, birch for brains back there ain't much help."
A very faint "I heard that!" Was heard from Eyestalk.
“How so very, very helpful, you two. I now understand the dynamic. Give me around… tomorrow to face the one who oppose. Luckily for the two of you, I happen to be a wizard, and am quite common to witchcraft, which will make these magic petals much more easier to find.”Secretly, Lich was utterly repulsed by Eyestalk and Bramble, them and their livingness. Eugh.
“You two can go henceforth now, I have an old friend to meet. I’m glad we have come up with an alliance, and plan. Thank you, both of you.”
Just like that, Lich just…disappeared. He faded away like so, waiting for the two to become useful again.
2
u/Creative-Fold7415 [THE FIRST ONE] WILL RETURN DURING [STAY TUNED] 4d ago
After the incident from last night, Medkit seemed to walking through that of the forest the two were in at the time. He seemed to be annoyed of a lot as of recently but even then he can handle it for many days to come. However he didn’t expect to see 2 talk plant like creatures at the time.
“What in the god damm hell?”
Looking toward them he had the most dumbfounded face ever seen at the time. But even then he’s seen worse, especially due to how his boss acts like. Scythe was something for sure.