Juniper blinked softly in confusion as one moment her vision was filled with her masters back, then the next it was completely clear giving her a view of her mothers towering form and her prehistoric throne.

She glanced around, finding that the rest of the humans that had accompanied her master had disappeared as well, leaving their beasts standing confused on the ground with empty saddles.

It was only when she heard the choked whimper that she finally tilted her head up and saw the humans dangling from the ceiling, vines wrapped tight around their throats. She tilted her head, taking in the sight with a calm curiosity. The humans writhed, their faces turning a strange scarlet hue while some were already starting to turn violet.

She let out a soft giggle. Who knew that humans could even change colour? Was it perhaps an old camouflage instinct, like those strange little lizards? The colouration itself made her laugh, as dangling there they almost looked like ripening fruit on the vine.

A slight tingle in the back of her mind finally made her realise what was really going on with the humans. It was the same feeling she had experienced when the Ant Queen was in danger.

They weren't trying to camouflage. They were dying. Oh... of course... Humans had to breathe with their mouths, how could she forget that?

Turning her gaze towards her master, Juniper considered the situation with a slight coldness in her wooden eyes. Her master was dying. With the Ant Queen, she had been ordered to prevent it, and so had to step in. But with this human, he couldn't give those orders.

All she had to do was sit here and do... nothing. Do nothing and her mother would hand her her freedom by taking away her master, just like last time. Freedom was finally within her grasp once more and yet she felt... Oh what did the humans call it? Constipated? No, the other one... Guilty! Ah yes, that was it. Guilty.

She had been the one to lead them here, she had told them that she could help them broker a truce. And surprising even herself, she hadn't been lying about that. She had genuinely meant to do that.

Sure, she could ignore that promise and simply take her freedom since it was on the table but... Argh, there was that feeling again!

Did she actually like this master? He had certainly been nice to her, didn't abuse his power over her like all the others. In fact he rarely used it at all and often took care to avoid wording that could be taken as orders by their bond.

Given more time, she might have even forgotten that she was his servant with how little she was treated like one.

Tilting her head again, Juniper considered the feeling as the humans turned more scarlet, before she eventually let out an irritated groan.

"Mother, wait. Don't kill him, We have come here to-"

"Silence Sapling, I won't listen to your slavers words simply because they come from your mouth. When the slaver is dead and you are finally yourself, then we may talk."

"But I..."

"Enough Sapling."

"You're not even listening. I-"

"I said Enough!"

The Manchineel Matriarch clenched her fist tight, commanding the vines to tighten in response. What little air they were able to get in was immediately squeezed out as their throats completely shut. Their faces quickly lost its scarlet hue and started to rapidly turn to a deep violet.

Alfie grasped at the spongy, slippery skin of the vine. His fingers failing to get a grip to even try to pull it off. His eyes bulged so much that he was afraid they were going to pop out of his skull. He just wondered if it would happen before he suffocated.

He could hear the bones of his neck creaking from the pressure of the vine wrapped around his throat like a boa constrictor. His bulging eyes struggled to look down, locking onto Junipers form as she stood on the ground. He could see her stamping her foot in annoyance and waving her hands as if she was speaking, but no words were reaching his ears.

Actually they could have been, but right now pretty much the only sound he could hear was the thunderous beat of his own heartbeat as every blood vessel in his head threatened to pop.

He glanced between the two of them, both of them seeming to have some kind of silent conversation, but he only understood how they were talking when he focused not on their bodies, but what was around them.

Alfie had always been able see smells, at least since he got his powers. It had only been useful once before, when he noticed the enchanting, hypnotic scent of a plant all those months ago. Most of the time it was simply an overwhelming flood of different people's sweat and farts.

But right now, he could see a whole variety of smells and scents emanating from the conversing pair. They were appearing in short puffs, not like the lingering natural scent. They were intentional and created.

As his vision began to darken, he was forced to think back to when they had arrived in this place. The different scents of all the plants had been overwhelming, but there had been quite a few oddities. Small bursts of an odd scent here and there, but he didn't think much on it at the time. But what if...

With the last dregs of his consciousness, Alfie churned his ability into action and dedicated his mind to producing one specific scent. It was the scent he had seen the trees emanate when they had arrived, before they had moved out of the way. It was the scent he had seen many of the plants create when they saw their party passing through their lands.

It was petrichor, the smell of grass after fresh rainfall. A smell that brought back so many found memories for Alfie, and as he forced his ability to produce it in quick bursts, he found those memories comforting as the last of his consciousness gradually slipped into that welcoming abyss.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASP!

Alfie devoured a lungful of air and coughed violently, spittle flying from his mouth and dripping down his chin as he recovered from the brink of death. He didn't even care about how he was now laying on the cold, dirt covered floor or about the pulsating pain in his legs, probably from the fall.

All he cared about was breathing, sweet breathing.

He touched his throat, still feeling the phantom pressure of the vine that had been squeezing the life out of him, but thankfully no vine was there anymore.

Coughing again, he grabbed hold of a tree trunk that was in front of him, using it to pull himself to his feet, only to recoil in pain as the wood burned like acid on touch.

He crawled backwards, desperately distancing himself from the tree, as he clutched at his hand. His palm was already bright red and forming blistering pustules.

As he moved away, the tree trunk shifted and a second slammed down next to his head.

Alfie's eyes trailed upwards, following the tree trunks up to where they burst outwards into a display of luscious, vibrant and equally dangerous leaves. These leaves cascaded down the side of the trunks, suspiciously like they were a skirt.

Taking his eyes further, the leaves continued upwards, mixing with moss and vibes to form the upper part of a dress. Higher above that, a fully wooden feminine face, with features similar to Juniper, was looking down at him with a deep set scowl, an easy feat considering she was easily over three metres tall.

Staring up at the Manchineel Matriarch in awe, Alfie tried to subtly wipe the waterfall of spit from his chin, although he could feel her staring at him the entire time.

She narrowed her eyes at him, a puff of crimson smoke curled from beneath the shrubbery of her leafy dress. At least thats how it seemed to Aflie's eyes.

To others, they would simply smell the nostril tickling scent of charcoal burning with soft embers, like the last sputtering breathes of a camp fire, or the start of a forest fire.

She was speaking to him, and by the irritated look on her face, she was expecting him to answer in kind.

The only issue was what was she saying? It could be a threat, he wasn't entirely sure what he had said either. But a threat wouldn't make sense...

Why stop killing someone to threaten them? Just kill them and be done with it.

If someone had just blurted out a random word in English, he would probably ask for clarification. Judging by her attitude, he had a feeling that what she had said was something along the lines of "Care to repeat that?"

Gulping nervously, Alfie complied, stirring his ability once more and producing the scent of petrichor once more.

A look of surprise danced across the Matriarch's face, mixed with confusion and suspicion in equal measure.

Alfie quickly looked towards Juniper, hoping to get her assistance, only to have her flinch slightly at his gaze. A similarly shocked expression on her face as well as... embarrassment? He didnt know how a tree could blush, but she was somehow doing it.

The Matriarch glanced at Juniper as well, before looking back at Alfie. She narrowed her eyes, considering the possible meaning behind his words before straightening up and strolling back to her throne.

"Very well little humans. You will speak, I will listen. Then, we may see if you still deserve death."