"Okay," Richard starts while putting his now empty wooden bowl to the side, "Let's review the info we have. We know that whatever we're fighting or whoever we're fighting has some sort of control over nature. That control somehow overrides yours. Which brings up what you've noticed about our enemies.
As you have recently brought to my attention, each one of our enemies has some sort of flower on their head. I would like to assume that whatever is controlling them is linked to the flowers. The second bit of info is that we haven't heard from our "friend" in a while, yes?"
"Yup! No contact with target Alpha!"
"Thought not... So, they could be captured by whatever is infecting the forest, or worse... We have to plan for the worst-case scenario and abandon this part of the mission is necessary for survival. If the missing bucks and or does are here, we'll most like have to fight them till we can get rid of the control."
"But not kill them, right?"
"Correct. I'm glad you listen to some of the things I say." Richard motions for Blake to follow which Blake does so happily, "Third... is the hedge."
"But, errr, we don't know anything about it except we can't go through it."
"Yes, but we might be able to go over it. We'll quickly use one of your treants to lift us to see what's on the other side of the fortress wall."
"Question..."
A heavy sigh, "I might have an answer if you go ahead and ask."
"What if its another hedge that's taller than that one? Or what if the hedge moves to prevent us from seeing over it?"
"Then, and only then, will we at least know something is actively watching us or that the hedge is autonomous. If it's the second or the latter, that means the hedge can be destroyed with, hopefully, no repercussions."
"Another question."
"Just ask them. You don't need to make it known you have one." Richard says rubbing the bridge of his nose, "It's like I'm talking to a..."
Blakes gives Richard an unamused look. Richard sighs and only pinches his nose harder, "Just ask the question..."
"Well, I don't know if I want to now..."
"Blake, please. We're already in a stressful situation here."
"But you promised!"
"Can I double promise you?"
"Nu-uh. Now you gotta pay the price for breaking the promise! You'll have to do something for me no questions asked later down the road! We have to build our trust in this! You said that every team needs a founding!"
"Foundation..."
"That too! So, now we can only make new promises since you broke that one! Meanie..." Blake finishes turning his back to Richard.
"Fine! Alright! I'll do something for you down the road no questions asked if it'll help us continue to move forward."
Blake turns back a wide smile plastered on his face and a giant gleam in his eyes. Richard was fairly sure he just signed his happiness and life away to the devil's child.
"Promise?"
A sigh and closing of the eyes from Richard, "I promise." and the deal was struck.
"Good. Now, what were we doing?" Blake asks cocking his head cutely.
"I... You know what. It's fine. Listen, summon a treant to lift us over the hedge. It doesn't matter what's over it as long as we can see over it."
"Okay!"
Blake brings forth one of the nearby trees to serve as their leverage. With treant in tow, they make their way quickly towards the hedge before climbing into the palm of the treant. It quickly lifts them near its foliage so they can peer into the hidden grotto behind the hedge. The hedge doesn't move and with their vision unblocked, they can take in the sights before them.
"What!"
"Cool!"
A shout of rage and a cry of excitement contrast each other. Beyond the overgrown hedge lies what could only be described as a well-maintained grotto of peace and ingenuity. Various amounts of creatures move around the enclosed habitat clearing away debris and taking care of the various amounts of plants around. Each creature doing some sort of labor has a distinct flower above their heads.
In the midst of all of this, a giant tree blooms where a black and white creature finds itself tied. Every so often a shadowed beast falls from the tree and is immediately thralled as the black and white creature thrashes against their bondage. Even closer still lounges another creature.
This creature is unlike any of the ones they've seen up till now. To start with, it looks like a pony, but only if the pony had green everything with leaves, ivy, and branches growing from various parts of their body. Flowers seem to make up for a lack of fur for where there should be a tail and mane. The most interesting part of this all is that the creature does not have a single flower-like many of the enthralled creatures around it.
"Who knew you could control so many creatures at once! I never thought I could make so many treants because of how sick and weak I feel after a few. But if they can just keep enthralling creatures, they must be pretty powerful. Though I don't understand the bit about being tied to a tree..."
"That's because the person we're here for is being taken advantage of. Not only that, but I can also see the bucks we came looking for. Looks like it might be the green ponies doing. Or whatever that green creature is."
"Might be a dryad." Blake nods sagely.
"A what?"
"You know.. nature spirit? I'm sure you guys have heard of mother nature before."
"I doubt the same concept applies here. Where I'm from, they're usually really sweet and helpful on top of make-believe."
"Different worlds, different lives," Blake says with a shrug.
"I feel like you're way too calm for this." Richard says giving Blake a look over, "You sure you don't have any of those flowers on you?"
"Nah. I just feel like we've been through so much already is all. I mean, we fought, like, nature itself, right? What's that compared to this? We almost died underground. I doubt we'll have any problem busting on in there and taking care of a few baddies. We'll be like Superbuck!"
"Are you faster than a speeding bullet?"
"Is that the same thing as an arcane arrow?"
"Man. We need to have another sit down about these different worlds again..." Richard says scratching the back of his head.
"Yeah yeah yeah. Enough about that let's go kick some butt! I'll handle the small fries, you go for the kill!"
"Blake we don't even haaaaaaaahhhhh!"
"Bombs awaaaaaay!"
The two find themselves tossed towards the hedge in order to drop down on the other side. Blake laughs the entire time Richard screams for dear life. If anyone asked, he would've said his heart fell into his stomach that day.
Blake lands on his hooves and takes off tackling and biting into the neck of the closest shadow creature. He proceeds to rip its throat open before hoping to the next of stunned beasts. Richard rolls on the ground for a few minutes before scrambling to his feet.
Richard reaches into his void to take out what few mushrooms he's managed to cultivate in what little time they've had.
"Smokescreen!" is followed by the roar of an explosion and the flinging of dirt and whatever debris was around him.
A glance around shows the dryad? quickly growing very angry at their unexpected drop in. Gracefully, the creature rises. Into the air where the trees and foliage begin to shake in anger.
"I should've explained this more to Blake... Well, time to see if it works." Richard says trying to ignore the sense of danger welling up more and more in his chest.
Richard moves over to one of the bucks who has yet to do anything and grabs a hold of the faintly glowing flower upon his head. A strong yank forces the flower off and the spell to break. The buck stumbles for a moment before looking around in a panicked and angry frenzy.
"What's going on here!" He yells out.
"Talk later, right now. Kill shadows destroy flowers for others, go!" Richard yells before moving to the next target.