Chapter 10- Seed Hunting

"So you mean to tell me!" Malroth grunted, killing another Mollusk "that he's your cousin! But you can't remember a single memory with the guy?!"

"Well, yeah" Stigmata replied, dodging the monster's tongue attack and using her stone sword to quickly stab it "as I said, it's been years since I last saw him. But I'm sure we're cousins because we look so much alike!"

Malroth went over to Stigmata after they had defeated the monsters and placed a hand on his hip, giving the apprentice builder a confused and slightly agitated look. She was almost positive Clayton was her cousin, earlier, Rosie had asked the two to tell her some fond memories they had together, and surprisingly neither Stigmata nor Clayton could think of anything that tied the two together. However the apprentice builder just had a feeling in the back of her mind that he was her cousin, so she went with it and he seemed to agree. If they thought they were cousins, then that surely had to mean they were; that thought couldn't have just sprung up out of anywhere.

"I just think something's fishy about it" Malroth sighed "sure, you two look alike, and you claim you're cousins. But neither of you have any memories of each other and you didn't even know Furrowfield existed until recently! Lulu is the one who mentioned it to us!"

"You have a point Mal, but why would I lie about Clayton being my cousin?!" Stigmata retaliated "it doesn't make sense! It's like my brain is all funny…"

The duo thought this over for a while and Malroth shook his head violently before dismissing the thought completely.

"Well!" He exclaimed "after defeating all those monsters, I feel even stronger than before! You don't seem quite so pumped though, Stig...I'm starting to get a bit worried about you. That settles it, I'll just have to think of a trick a weakling like you can use!"

"Hey!" The apprentice builder pouted "I'm not weak! I can hold my own in a fight just as well as you can, if not better!"

"Yeah right!" Malroth exclaimed, going over to her and standing behind her "let's try this! Start by charging up your power into your sword arm!"

Malroth grabbed Stigmata's arm that was holding the sword and helped the girl get into position, correcting her foot stance all the while. She listened closely and drew her sword back as instructed, putting one foot in front of the other in the stance in which he showed her.

"Yeah that's it," Malroth said once her stance was perfect "now let it all out in one giant swing! Really go for it!"

Stigmata nodded in understanding then swung around as hard as possible, swinging her sword with her as it sliced through the air in one quick and easy motion.

"Yeah, you did it! Not bad Stig, not bad at all!" He praised as the apprentice builder smiled brightly "remember to always get into the proper stance to build-up power, then once it's all charged up let it go and unleash hell on whoever tries to stop you!"

A loud scream suddenly pierced the air and the duo exchanged a glance with one another before nodding and running back to the farm to see what the problem was. Upon arrival, Stigmata saw everyone crowded around the Deitree and Rosie was cheering in delight; the Deitree, Stigmata noticed, had grown a lot taller and had even more leaves than before on it as the same green and blue glow circled around it, letting off a strong feeling of magic throughout the entire farm.

"Hey!" Malroth yelled, snapping everyone's attention towards him "who the hell screamed?!"

"Rosie did, fam!" Britney said happily, "but we're not in danger, chill out! She just got excited because of the Deitree, it's like totally lit!"

Malroth growled quietly and put his Oaken Club away as Rosie ran over to the apprentice builder and grabbed her hands firmly in her own; a bright smile gracing her face.

"The Deitree is looking stronger than ever Stigmata!" She exclaimed, "and not only that, but we've completed all of the Pastor's task! So that means we're on the next step to saving Furrowfield already!"

"You have rebuilt Furrowfield's fields and produced a bountiful harvest." Pastor Al confirmed, going over to the two girls "The earth itself has been imbued with the power of growth. It is this that has given strength to the Deitree. In turn, the great tree will extend Her blessings to your farm, protecting the fruits of your labor with Her holy power."

"So the tree powers Furrowfield as we power the tree!" Rosie beamed "that's amazing!"

Everyone cheered and began celebrating as Pastor Al scoffed and raised his staff, the end of it glowing a deadly red.

"But you have outlived your usefulness as of now!"

Everyone gasped.

"I jest…"

Stigmata sweatdropped and Malroth reluctantly put his Oaken Club away once more as Pastor Al spoke; "Our work is not done yet. After all, there is still more we must do to see the Deitree attain Her true form. For now, let us allow a day for rest and relaxation, the next plans will be for tomorrow's worries."

Everyone nodded and walked off to go relax as Stigmata stared up at the Deitree in deep thought. She still found it hard to believe that she went from a measly apprentice builder in Cantlin, to a sign of hope here in Furrowfield; not to mention she has already made many amazing friends along the way. The apprentice builder reached into her bag and pulled out some wood and stone before running over to the anvil, a recipe from earlier forming in her mind. The recipe had originally come to mind when Malroth was showing her that fighting technique earlier, so she figured he would appreciate this gift. Within a few moments of hammering and crafting, the weapon was complete and she looked around for the destructive boy eagerly before presenting the stone ax to him.

"Here you go, Mal~!"

Malroth looked over at Stigmata and raised an eyebrow before grabbing the ax from her and twirling it in his hands, getting a feel for the new weapon. Apparently, he seemed to like it because his face broke into a wide smirk and he looked up at the apprentice builder happily.

"You made this just for me, Stig?!" He asked, patting her head "thank you, dork! I'll still hold onto the one you first gave me though, it has sentimental value to it! But you're supposed to be relaxing, you know? Pastor Al said so himself."

"I know~! But I just really thought you might want a new weapon so you can fight even better, and it's my own little special way of saying thank you for continuing to stick by my side until now!"

Malroth's eyes widened slightly in surprise then he smirked happily as he gazed at the apprentice builder; "Stig-"

The ground trembled heavily and the inhabitants of Furrowfield all yelped and looked around in shock as Malroth quickly took out his ax and sniffed the air.

"What's going on?!" Stigmata asked, going over to the Deitree quickly as everyone else followed "is it an attack?!"

"I can smell when a fight's brewing" Malroth responded, "and this place reeks of it!"

"The Children of Hargon must feel the energy from the Deitree growing!" Rosie yelped as she cowered beside the tree "you have to stop them Stigmata, don't let all of our hard work go to waste! Please!"

"I'm, like, so ready to fight dude!" Britney chimed in "let's wreck some Children of Hargon baddies together, Stigmata!"

"I-I'll fight too!" Clayton yelled, shaking heavily "I couldn't let my dear cousin go out and fight a-alone!"

"She won't be alone" Malroth smirked happily "she has me, you know?"

"And don't you worry about the town getting damaged" Bonanzo added as he stepped forward "we can always repair the damage afterward. Just concentrate on teaching those rotters a lesson!"

The clattering of bones and roaring of badboons filled the area and all those who were able to fight took out their weapons quickly.

"Alright!" Stigmata said, smiling brightly "let's do this!"

…

"Ah~that feels amazing, Mal…"

"Yeah, yeah! Why do you have to make weird noises with it though?!"

Stigmata giggled happily and kept her eyes closed as Malroth continued to massage her shoulders, his ears a light pink from the strange noises she was making. After the fight yesterday, everyone was pretty banged up so Malroth offered to give the apprentice builder a massage first thing in the morning tomorrow, however, he wasn't prepared for the strange noises she was making. And he had to shamefully admit, it made him feel a hundred times more embarrassed then he usually gets around the apprentice builder.

"I can't remember the last time I had a massage!" The apprentice builder shamefully admitted as she took out her book and began to sketch the Deitree in it "I'm not much of a fighter you know! So all this fighting has got my body feeling sore!"

"That's why I tell you to leave the fighting to me" the destructive boy reminded whilst glancing up at the Deitree "that said, this thing has come a long way already. It was nothing more than a weedy sapling; just goes to show how powerful your building skills are."

"You've always believed in my building skills, Mal. Why is that?"

Malroth mulled this question over in his head for a while as he continued massaging the apprentice builder's shoulders; "Don't know...maybe there's just something about you that I like, Stig. You're a cool person, and you still have lots of room to grow."

"That's true" she replied "I'm only fifteen, and I still have a lot to learn before I can call myself a true builder. I'm still an apprentice after all…"

"You say that, but you're a better builder than anyone else here," he said "what gets me most worked up is everyone saying builders bring destruction and despair. Who made up that shit, huh?!"

"Everyone!" Pastor Al announced, making Malroth's question fall on deaf ears "gather 'round!"

The inhabitants of Furrowfield all gathered around and listened to Pastor Al as he explained the next steps in reviving the Deitree. They would have to grow and harvest five different types of plants in order for the Deitree to continue growing more; so far, the only crops they had here on the farm were wheat and cabbage so Stigmata knew she would have to venture out to find more. As the pastor was explaining to her that there was sugar cane nearby, the sky began to darken quite drastically and a pink hue overtook the usual welcoming blue.

"The sky!" Rosie exclaimed, "look!"

Everyone looked up at the sky and mutters of fear and shock filled Furrowfield as the smell of rotten eggs flooded the apprentice builder's senses. On top of that, to accompany the ominous pink sky and rotten smell, the wind began picking up more and more to the point where it felt so icy that everyone's lungs had trouble taking in air.

"What is this?" Stigmata asked curiously, reaching out slightly and gripping Malroth's vest to ensure the boy was still beside her.

"This is the dreaded III Wind" Pastor Al explained, covering himself from the harsh wind with his cloak "it has been some time since it last cursed these lands! This accursed storm is the source of those blasted spoilspores. It was by this wind that so much of the soil on the island was ruined!"

"Now just 'ang on a minute!" Perry said hysterically "you mean to say this stupid storm's going to muck up all our 'ard work?!"

"B-But everything was going so well…" Rosie whimpered "we can't give up...not now…"

Stigmata looked around the farm silently and noticed spoilspores beginning to pop up in various places around the farm. If they exploded, there was no doubt it would ruin all of the hard work that everyone had put into the farm thus far would be ruined by these horrible plants, she couldn't allow that, not even for a second.

"Then we won't!"

Everyone looked in surprise as the apprentice builder slipped her gloves on then scooped up as much spoiled spoil as her arms could carry, her usual dopey and determined grin etched across her face. Malroth smirked happily and watched Stigmata run towards one of the spoilspores as Rosie yelped in fear and took a step forward, her eyes wide in shock.

"What are you doing, Stigmata?!"

"We've worked!" Stigmata grunted, plugging up the holes on the spoilspore with the soil "Too hard to let these nasty things ruin it! You all have been going day in and day out to make sure Furrowfield becomes the best farm ever, and I'll be darned if I let these spoilspores ruin that!"

With a small huff, the violet-haired builder plugged the last hole on the spoilspore then watched anxiously. The vile plant began to swell drastically in size and writhe, trying to find some source of air, before imploding completely without damaging a single one of the crops it had appeared on top of.

"N-No way…" Perry said, his jaw-dropping "she did it...she's downright amazing…"

"I see!" Pastor Al exclaimed suddenly "the III Wind is what helps them! By plugging their holes, she's stopping them from exploding and ruining their only means of appearance! Builder?! Keep at this, quickly before they explode!"

"I got ya, Stig!" Malroth spoke up, scooping up spoiled soil in his own arms.

Stigmata smiled brightly then turned away and scooped up more spoil before running to the next spoilspore. The duo began plugging up the deadly pink bulbs with such efficiency and speed that the inhabitants of Furrowfield had a hard time keeping up with their movements. Despite only knowing each other for a short while, they seemed to read each other's minds and managed to evade and dodge one another easily despite how quickly they zipped across the farm. For the next half hour, the violet haired builder and the destructive boy destroyed every spoilspore that popped up on the farm with ease, not stopping to take a break or breaking a sweat in the process.

"Look!" Rosie chimed out suddenly, pointing at the sky "the III Wind!"

Stigmata stopped running abruptly, tripping and falling on her butt in the process, and looked up to see the pink hue to the sky was disappearing and the beautiful clear blue returned; the smell of rotten eggs slowly drifted from her senses and the icy wind that was attacking her skin seemingly vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Mal?!"

The destructive boy stopped abruptly as well, falling on his butt, and took out his ax upon hearing the girl's scream; "What?!"

"We did it~!"

"Tch...why'd you have to yell it like that, dumbass?!"

"Grumbling Gremlins!" Bonanzo beamed happily, running over to Stigmata as everyone followed suit "you did it, my girl! And not a single square of our precious soil was spoiled!"

"You are amazing, Stigmata!" Perry said with a bright smile, helping the builder up and pulling her into a soft hug.

Stigmata returned the hug with a soft smile as Malroth slowly got up on his own and watched the two hug, a strange uncomfortable feeling stirring in the pit of his stomach. It was just a stupid hug after all, right?

"Very good job indeed, Stigmata" Pastor Al praised once the two stopped hugging "your skills as a builder are remarkable."

Stigmata stared at Pastor Al and noticed he looked a bit upset; despite the mask he had on there was no denying from the tone of his voice that something was bothering the Shaman.

"Are you alright, Pastor? You can tell us when you're upset you know, we're all in this together!" She reassured.

Pastor Al hesitated for a moment then gave in with a heavy sigh; "we-the Children of Hargon-brought ruin to Furrowfield. We destroyed the Deitree, that life might never flourish here again. We forbade humans from building and commanded them to join us in reducing those buildings that were still standing to rubble…"

"Sounds like you guys are a bunch of jerks to me" Malroth commented, standing beside the apprentice builder "if that's the case, then what makes you so eager to help us?!"

"Mal…" Stigmata began.

"No" Pastor Al reassured "he has all the right to be suspicious. The truth of the matter is when I saw that fragile sapling-the Deitree, reborn-and the force of life within it, I had a change of heart. I was forced to reconsider if the course of Destruction is truly the right one, and after much thought, I have finally decided!"

Pastor Al bowed his head and lowered his staff as everyone exclaimed in shock whilst the apprentice builder watched in confusion.

"Allow me to join and aid you on this journey to restore Furrowfield, Builder!"

Stigmata smiled softly and gently pat Pastor Al's staff as he looked up into her light grey eyes which were full of happiness and gratitude.

"I appreciate you saying that Pastor Al" Stigmata said "but the way I see it, you're already one of us! And we're going to need all the help we can get so I'll gladly accept anyone willing to pitch in their weight! Ain't that right, Clayton?!"

"Why must you use me as an example…?"

Everyone laughed and Pastor Al's mask lifted up faintly like he was smiling before it quickly went away.

"Alright, everyone!" Bonanzo exclaimed, raising up a ho "back to work!"

The residents of Furrowfield all grabbed their farming tools and went back to work as Malroth and Rosie both went closer to Stigmata, smiles gracing both of their faces.

"Can you believe it?" Malroth said with a chuckle, "you're so cool, you've even got a devout Pastor of the Children of Hargon helping you out, Stig. You just keep getting better and better!"

Stigmata's smile widened and she rubbed her aching cheeks as her cheeks felt hot again like they usually do when Malroth compliments her; "yeah well, I'm not as cool as you are, Mal! You can fight SUPER well! I think you're the amazing one here!"

"Ah," Malroth chuckled "I can fight but I can't build for shit...if anything though, with me by your side we make one hell of a team, don't you think?!"

Bark!

"Hmm, I was expecting a different response but I guess that works."

"That wasn't me" Stigmata responded, raising an eyebrow "was that you?"

Bark!

"There it is again!" Malroth growled, taking out his ax "Stig you fucking with me?!"

"What?! No!"

"I'll punch you!"

Bark!

Malroth raised his fist and the violet haired builder squealed then quickly crouched to the ground only to come face to face with a small puppy. The puppy barked again, happy it was finally noticed, then jumped into the builder's lap and began attacking her face with licks and small nibbles. Stigmata giggled happily and stood back up, holding the puppy gently, as Malroth looked at the creature curiously and tilted his head.

"Is that what was barking?" He asked, "what the hell is it...a monster?!"

"No" she replied hastily, noticing he had raised his ax "it's a puppy, Malroth! They're harmless, it's a pet, like a personal little thing you keep with you!"

Malroth mulled these words over in his mind then his eyes narrowed and he leaned closer to Stigmata, ignoring the dog licking his chin; "am I a pet?"

"What the-no!"

"You said a pet is a personal thing you keep with you!" Malroth repeated, "so that makes me a pet!"

"Malroth...no."

"Hey!" Rosie said suddenly, causing the duo and the puppy to jump "that's a Furrowfield retriever!"

"A Furrowfield...what now?!" Malroth asked, tilting his head to the side.

"A Furrowfield retriever" Rosie explained, "they have the best sense of smell around, with that you'll be able to find more new seeds in a jiffy, Stigmata!"

The dog barked happily as if to confirm Rosie's explanation then leapt out of Stigmata's arms and ran off some distance away before turning around to see if the apprentice builder was following.

"I think it wants us to follow," Malroth said before smirking happily "what do you say, Stigmata, ready to head out on another trip?!"

"Born ready!"

Stigmata and Malroth followed the retriever as Rosie waved them off happily. The puppy lead them through a few twists and turns of the forest before finally coming to the side of the mountain and going through a giant passage that seemed to lead right through the mountain. Malroth and Stigmata exchanged a glance with one another then nodded firmly before continuing to follow the puppy. She certainly hadn't known this passage was here all along, but perhaps that was a good thing, she was positive they would find seeds in this new setting.

"This place is completely different to the rest of the island" Malroth noted, poking at some spiky green plants as Stigmata activated a nearby Naviglobe "it's some kind of marsh."

"It's kind of cool though" Stigmata beamed "and we're sure to find all kinds of new see-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the apprentice builder lost her footing and screamed loudly before falling into a small hole as two girls blinked in surprise and looked at her in confusion. The puppy barked happily and jumped in the hole after Stigmata as Malroth quickly did the same and helped her up.

"W-Who are you?!" One of the girls exclaimed, quivering in the corner.

Stigmata dusted herself off and looked to see the two girls were wearing red dresses with white undershirts. Both of them had light brown hair and black eyes and the one who had spoken was clearly older and shaking heavily as she stared at Stigmata, whereas the younger one had her hands on her hips and was watching her sister in disapproval.

"Well, this is great! We trudged all the way out here and we don't even find any seeds!" Malroth complained "just a couple of scruffy-looking girls!"

"I beg your pardon!" The smaller girl exclaimed in anger "I think you'll find we're ladies, not girls! And a rather lovely lady at that! Then to top it off you've got a purple-haired beauty trotting around with you and you don't even have a shred of respect for women!"

Malroth rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as the older girl gulped nervously and slowly looked at Stigmata; "t-the Children of Hargon threw us in here and told us to reflect on our sins! I-I was just so hungry...I...I…!"

"Oh suck it up, Saffron!" The little girl said again before looking at the duo "who are you two anyway?"

"I'm Stigmata!" She introduced happily "I'm an apprentice builder from Cantlin! And this is my best friend, Malroth, we're helping rebuild Furrowfield farm! We were actually looking for seeds right now but we ran into you two!"

"A builder?!" Saffron exclaimed before cowering again "oh no, no, no! The Children of Hargon won't accept this! Such heresy! Leave at once!"

"Nonsense! That sounds like great fun!" The little girl said, her eyes shining "my name is Lillian, and this is my older sister, Saffron! We'll gladly come back with you to this farm, Stigmata! So long as you keep your disrespectful friend away from a lady like myself that is!"

Malroth scoffed and glared at Lillian as Saffron wailed in anguish and moved as far away from Stigmata as possible.

"No!" Saffron yelled "you can't make me go to this farm! I won't be a builder, not now, not ever!"

Stigmata giggled and pulled out her map before locating Furrowfield Farm and watching the glowing X appear.

"You can't make me move!"

"Oh~I think I can!"

And with that, the apprentice builder pressed the glowing X as they were all warped back to Furrowfield Farm.