There's Snow Place Like Home

[Strazio Rockwell]

Valerie pulled Karkat tight as a wave of heat swallowed their prison. The troll thrashed about in the sugar slick confines of the organic prison. Valerie barely had the energy to move let alone thrash. "This will only hurt a bit," Valerie said as brown roots slithered out from beneath his skin. Muffled screaming escaped the prison, but could hardly be heard over the din of battle. The roots had burrowed beneath Karkat's skin and began siphoning energy into the panicked troll’s body. Strength flooded his muscles and, despite the pain, he felt unstoppable. Twin sickle scythes carved into the bellflower and tore long leaking wounds into the plant’s insides. A final slice opened up a hole large enough for the two to stumble through. The roots retreated into Valerie’s flesh leaving nary a scratch.

“Don’t you ever fucking do that again!” Karkat threatened through gasping breaths.

Valerie ignored him and threw his hands into the air. Fire red bulbs peaked out from underneath his green tinged skin. His muscles twitched and sweat poured from his flesh. The bulbs sprouted into scarlet flowers, each of them crackling with embers. In his home universe the fiery flora were known as “devil’s breath”. Once a year these plants would reach maturirity and like dandelions they would release their seeds into the air. In a matter of seconds Valerie forced the flowers to achieve this maturity. Hundreds, if not thousands, motes of cold fire erupted into the air. The petals produced no heat, but they illuminated the cavernous heart of the mountain. Above them, affixed to the interior walls of the mountain hundreds of bellflower prisons hung, bloated with their wards. Inside the flowers the shadowy forms of trolls, dwarfs, and other unfortunate travelers could be seen. Rope-like roots formed a system of veins that terminated at the base of the monstrous plant.

“My companions,” Valerie spoke and inhaled deeply, “while I was being controlled my mind briefly touched with its, and I have learned of its weakness. This gluttonous beast is no more mysterious than an over gorged pitcher plant, it slowly saps life from those it keeps imprisoned. Free them and it will wither and die.”

Val’s legs gave out from underneath him and he collapsed.