Further into the forest, Tien and Krillin continued to move forward without much hinderance as the trees seemed to grow easier to manage through. The two entered into a clearing they did not expect, tripped by the sudden zero resistance they had. A small song being head, more of a loud hum then words. Tien peered into the Mist and saw a low hunched shadow, holding his hand back to have Krillin and the others hold back for now. Light steps taken as he moved closer to the song making form.
Once close enough he found a young blond woman, no older then he was himself. Seeming to sense him, her head lifted, and the song stopped. She turned to view him, and with a sudden gasp she toppled over. "W-who are you?" She said with a trembling voice.
Tien was taken aback, was someone lost here. He looked at what she was hunched over and saw a small wicker basket filled with flowers and mushrooms of difference kinds. The plants were neatly bundled and separated by difference cloths. "I am sorry to have startled you. You would not happen to be one of the Penta Poisons? We are looking for them as we hope to find our friend."
"A friend?" The blond cocked her head before placing her finger to her lips. "Mother may know." She said, her face making a creaked as she smiled. Tien's eyes widened as the mist began to dissipate slightly and reveal the woman was not a natural woman. She was made of wood, a living tree with yellowish thin vines for hair. So much attention to detail was carved into her form though to attempt to make her look like a person.
"What… are you?" Tien tried not to sound offensive, the woman noticed he could see her face and turned away. "I… didn't mean to sound rude."
"I am my mother's daughter, she gave me life. I now gather Herbs for her, in hopes to make her happy." The woman gestured to the basket. Tien picking it up and handing it to her.
"Do you think your mother will help us?"
The woman cocked her head once more. "Of course, she is a kind person. If your missing a friend, she will help." She spoke with a cheerful tone.
"We thank you, umm, may I have your name?"
"I don't think you answered me when I asked." She said with a sweet gentle laugh.
"Oh, I am Tien. And these are." Tien turned and introducing everyone. The tree like woman bowed lightly to each gesture.
"I am Pina." She said with a smile with the sound of wood being bent. With Basket in hand, she took lead to show the two warriors and their imaginary friends, as she did not see the four introduced people that were not with them. As she led through them a small hidden path that made travel easy.
The three being led to a small hut of a house, smoke exiting a chimney that mixed with the mist in the air. Just behind it was a hill not far back with a sapling of a tree reaching toward the open starlight above them. The sounds of movement inside, something crashing to the floor and someone began to sob. A gentle old voice escaped the door way as Pina opened the door.
"It is okay my lovely daughter." Kalmia spoke, a kind grandmotherly voice leaving her wrinkled lips. She bent over the ground and seemed to speak to a puddle on the floor. "Ocie, please stand up. Guests have arrived and they will need some tea."
"But mother! I will only mess it up again. I don't want to fail you, I am sorry I am such a horrible Daughter." A voice echoed from the puddle. Ripples appearing as each word was spoken.
Kalmia just shook her head, her hand placed to the edge of the puddle. "Do not be silly my daughter. They will understand."
"No, she is right, she is just in the way. Go to your room if your going to be useless." A woman made of metal, a series of bands allowing her body to move as if a real woman. Her face looking just like a metal version of Pina.
"Irene! That is no way to speak to your sister." Kalmia said as she tried to hold back her own anger it seemed. Ocie only cried out louder as the liquid violently shifted, suddenly leaping from its place and into a watering can. Kalmia sighing as she looked at Irene, who just looked satisfied with getting her way. Standing, her bones popped as she did, Kalmia turned to the doorway. Her soft eyes looking at the young warriors waiting outside. "I apologize, please come in. Cookies will be done soon."
"That won't be necessary, ma'am. We just want to find our friend and then we can leave." Krillin said as he took the lead. He smiled at the older woman and saw her as no threat. "I am Krillin."
"Krillin? That is a good strong name, reminds me a chestnut." Kalmia chuckled as she turned to the over, a slight wave of her hand opened the door. Hot cookies floated freely into the air and landing on plates already prepared.
"It looks like you were expecting guests." Tien said suspiciously, as there were only three plates. Not enough for all their friends. "But as he said, we don't have time for pleasantries."
"Smart enough not to eat a cookie from a witch, but not aware enough that they are alone… mid quality brain matter." Irene spoke suddenly, the two confused on what was meant.
"Kind hearted though, did not strike at first and trusted me without fail. Heart and blood high quality." Pina then said with a chuckle before.
"Body well… *sniffle*… Developed. Well trained. Muscles and flesh… *sob* At least mid-quality." Ocie's words echoed between her cries.
"And two of them, they should be good to make at least three new daughters." Kalmia spoke as her gentle voice ended, and her voice crackled as her eyes spun on their own. "Spirit unrefined but powerful… Not enough time to pureify."
~~
Poison of the soul: Kalmia Vs Tien and Krillin
~~
Tien and Krillin realized these were surrounded now, the three visible women stared at them. Pina being the path outside, Tien took to take her out first. As he moved though, he felt his leg snagged by something. Water gripped his leg, and before he could react, he was pulled back and slammed into the table. Krillin in the middle of his thoughts, Irene took the advantage and rushed him. Krillin's mind snapping to attention lowered himself below her attempted tackle, a blow to her stomach with his fist. An echoed clang as he struck her, feeling each band of metal, and Irene just smiled down at him as he realized she was pure metal through her whole body.
Tien fires a dodon pa at the ground and a scream of pain can be heard as Ocie is forced to retreat suddenly. Tien lands on the other side of the hut, placing his hand to his head. "Solar Flare!" He called out, using what little light was in the room to produce a blinding flash. "Krillin, Run!"
Krillin nodded, escaping from Irene while she was distracted. Or so he thought, as she was bringing down a double fist toward him. Krillin used his shorter body to instead slip between her legs and then leaped to kick her forward. Irene toppled over and smashed her heavy body into the wall, Tien and Krillin both tried for the door.
Pina's hair lifted wildly, pointed like spears and ready to jut forward. Before she could attack though, Krillin placed his hands to his side and called out "Kamehameha!" Firing a beam directly into her wooden body. A scream being heard as she was destroyed almost instantly. Tien and Krillin now outside, their friends were now gone and the two realized the illusion.
"When do you think they got us?" Krillin asked as she looked at the hut.
"Probably since this mist over took us. See the chimney giving off smoke. That chimney is not where the oven was." Tien looked to the hut. "We need to destroy it to hopefully save the others."
"Right, You probably better set for that. All I have is the Kamehameha."
Kalmia cackling as she took her steps to the doorway, where Pina stood was a blueish orb that called out happily for her mother to build her a new body. Kalmia taking hold of it in her grasp, and brought it to her lips, and began sucking the orb into her as if it was a liquid. The cheerful voice remained happy as it asked what her mommy was doing, disappearing.
"You fail me like Pina, and I will devour your rejected souls as well my daughters." She said as Irene stood next to her, her face turned to a mad fury. A form of water appearing beside her, the same face but wrenched in eternal mourn. "Kill them but try to leave their bodies intact."
"Yes mother." The two said, one anger and the other sad, but both rushed forward.
Tien realized that with two on two, neither would have a chance to take out the Hut. "Krillin, I need you to do the biggest blast you can. I will hold them off."
"Wait what?"
"Just charge it." Tien said as he placed his hands into position, summoned his Ki and split himself into three versions of himself.
Tien and his dulipcates forced to battle against Irene and Ocie. The third attempted to fight Kalmia, but the older woman kept her distance. It was unlikely she would physically battle the warriors. Tien still kept her as busy as he could, all the while Krillin slowly charged more and more of his ki into another Kamehameha. He called out to Tien once he was ready, as he felt his legs would give out if he gave any more. Tien's duplicates blasting two women together toward the hut, Krillin yells out in his own attack as a huge energy attack breaks the ground apart. The two women enveloped and screaming out as the hut slowly vanished in the attack.
Two orbs spinning together, Kalmia appearing near them. "Looks like my daughters were made of low-quality stuff. I do hope you come inside my dears… I am sure Yurin would gladly play with you." She said as she began sucking down the souls of her daughters.
"What do you mean?" Tien spoke with anger to his voice.
"I mean, I have been having her try many potions… and her need to kill you has grown quite a lot. To much in fact, had to lock her away as she was seeing you in shadows and risked destroying our home." Kalmia laughed like an old crone who won. "Come come, welcome to the house of Toxins."
Behind Kalmia, the air shifted as if it was water itself and then broke away like glass. The hill with a sapling slowly turned into a massive tree that enveloped the whole area. Roots buried deep and as thick as two men standing on top of each other. The head of the tree higher in the sky then they though possible, only thing higher they had seen was Korin's tower. Kalmia laughing as she disappeared, and the Mist slowly settling down.