#22 Another World

Skill Room: Herbology

It was jarring, to leave a stone tower through a previously-locked door -- only to be surrounded by sunshine (enchanted ceiling) and an abundance of nature. If there were walls, they were covered in vines with colourful leaves. The floor remained stone, but everywhere in the massive room was green and lush with life.

There were shelves of small seedlings and flowers, then pots in the corners that were as big as a chair. It was impossible, no matter one's knowledge, to name or categorise everything. In was almost a sensory overload, yet smelled sweetly fresh.

The plants were healthy and kept to themselves, except a row of large pots in the middle of the room. Sprouting from the damp soil were huge succulents with gold thorns resembling fangs. They wriggled, aware of the company -- or hungry for it. Wedged in the center of each, surrounded by sharp thorns / fangs, was a glass box containing a viable yet difficult-to-obtain ingredient: fish eye.

A plaque reads:

"Beware: one Alowort bites."

• Choose an Alowort to retrieve the ingredient container from. There's a 1 / 3 chance it's the biter. The numbers are for your reference only; they don't appear to your character.

• If it's a safe one, pick another -- which has a 1 / 2 chance of being the biter.

• Don't get bitten, and you win.

The Alowort reacted when Saoirse took the container from it. It seemed to vibrate, as if glad to be free of its burden. It stretched out and relaxed.

Unfortunately for Saoirse, the container remained sealed and she wasn't able to retrieve the ingredient from it - yet.

The remaining two Alowort remained impassive, unconcerned about Saoirse. It was her choice which one she would attempt to take the glass box from next without being able to tell which one could be the biter.

Both Alowort remained still as they waited for Saoirse to make her choice.

Then the chosen Alowort wriggled like the first one but suddenly closed around her hand, biting into her skin. The fang-like thorns would leave puncture like marks, angry red. They wouldn't fade for the rest of the evening - a reminder of her bad choice but it wouldn't require medical attention.

In her panic, she would have dropped the first box she had retrieved before the Alowort released her hand. The other boxes disappeared and Saoirse was left with nothing to show for her efforts.