Chapter 21 - Strange Flower

After burying all the bones, Fenrir noticed that there were numerous strange plants within the cave. She had seen some of the herbs and materials that were grown in Terra's Garden in the past so Fenrir wasn't too surprised to find elemental energy radiating off some of them. The thing that did surprise her, however, was when she found a tiny flower whose petals were actually made out of flames. It radiated a lot of heat and was in a very protected area of the cave, shielded by large boulders that had likely been put there by the monkey monster.

Though it's elemental affinity was the complete opposite of her's, it wouldn't make any difference once Fenrir got the tiny flower into her mouth. She could sense a large amount of energy contained within each of its petals and couldn't let it go to waste. Trying to pick it up, Fenrir discovered that there was a strange 'intent' around the flower that actually tried to scorch her paw. Raising her brow, Fenrir lightly asked, "Little flower, are you trying to avoid being eaten?"

Fenrir waited for a few minutes, trying to see if the flower was actually able to communicate. If it was sentient, she would leave it within the cave and move on to a different location. After all, the flower had never wronged her and it wasn't as if she needed to eat it in order to grow stronger. However, even after waiting for a while, the flower showed no reaction to her words at all. The only time it showed any signs of 'life' was when she tried to pick it up. Understanding this was probably just a defensive mechanism, Fenrir decided to stop caring.

Since it wouldn't let her pick it up, Fenrir decided to move directly to the next step and, without hesitation, leaned forward and chomped down on the flower. The strange intent tried to react but, from the moment it entered into her mouth, any energy it resistance it could muster was completely useless. Fenrir's saliva instantly melted down the flower into an energy-rich liquid that she swallowed into her gullet, converting it into energy that her body could use. Since she could even ingest poisons, magma, and acid, Fenrir had no reason to fear the tiny flames coming from the flower at all.

The flower had contained a lot more energy than anything else Fenrir had ever eaten before. She realized why the monkey had been protecting it, likely to consume the flower itself whenever it had matured. Fenrir, however, didn't really have time to wait around for a flower to grow so she just ate it immediately. She didn't know enough about plants to determine when it would be ready, anyway, so there were no regrets in her mind as she started to eat all the other plants present within the cave. When she was finished, Fenrir gave a satisfied burp and patted her stomach, even though it hadn't inflated a single millimeter. Then, without sparing the cave another glance, Fenrir jumped down the mountain and follow the next scent trail, wondering what prey she would encounter next...

(Fenrir's Commentary: 'It is important to eat your vegetables...')