If there was anything that Woodland had always been told by her mentors, it was that basaraytz were not to be messed with. But unfortunately, some tribes had been begging the nearby colonies for the flowers of the strange plants. They had explained that some of their whelps had fallen deathly ill, and that the blooms from the basaraytz were the only cure.

"We'll have to be carefull." Woodland reminded the group. Alter had come along, and the natives sending them out had insisted that a belemoid from another colony, Zik, should come along, too. Woodland wasn't *too* happy having to keep watch of an unfamiliar Xunari in a situation like this, but she supposed she would have to make do regardless.

Zik didn't seem to be taking the situation very seriously. "I mean, it's just a plant. Even if we did slip, I'm sure we can pull each other out."

Alter shot Woodland a nervous look. "No, unfortunately that's not the case." Woodland walked closer to the plant and, very carefully, pulled up one of the strange folds, lifting it up slightly to show the traces of sap lining the folds. "See this sap? It's extremely slippery. Once you slip in one of them, let alone fall into the top where the blooms are, it has to be cut open to get someone out."

Woodland had heard many horror stories about the basaraytz, and was not keen in getting into a sticky- or well, slippery, situation with it.

Zik still didn't seem convinced. "I mean, we all have knives, we can just cut it open then."

Woodland sighed, rolling her eyes. "Let's just be careful. I'd really like to prevent any incidents."

Zik rolled his eyes, not quite seeming to take Woodland's words to heart as he started climbing up the basaraytz. Luckily, he seemed to have an okay grip as he climbed up, which slightly eased Woodland's worries as she watched him climb. She nodded at Alter, who slowly started climbing after Zik, way more carefully. When the reef belemoid had climbed further up, woodland was last to follow.

She had been making sure to keep watch of their surroundings, both to make sure that nobody would mess with the stuff that they had left on the ground, and to make sure that nobody would climb after them. It would be a problem if a fight ensued either on the basaraytz, or after when the three had picked the blooms. They were a valued resource, so Woodland would not be surprised if they were jumped for it. So far though, everything seemed clear with the only notable sight being some birds of prey circling above. Woodland knew that they were likely just hoping for an easy meal, but tried to shake the thought as the group reached the top of the basaraytz.

"So we just take some of these flowers, right?" Zik asked, and Woodland gave him a confirming nod. "Alright then! Easy peasy!"

Woodland watched Zik reach for one of the blooms, his enthusiasm halted by the slickness of the plant's surface as he struggled to keep his footing. He hesitated as his fingers grazed the petals, his confidence seeming to waver. It was one thing to hear about the basaraytz and quite another to be dangling over its many traps, reaching for blooms that could spell the difference between life and death for those suffering in the nearby tribes.

"Careful there, Zik," Alter reminded him. "Just one wrong move, and—"

Zik snatched a bloom quickly, and for a second, it looked like everything would go smoothly. But as he tugged the flower free, his foot slipped on a patch of sap, and his limbs flailed as he tried to keep his balance. Alter and Woodland both instinctively reached out, but Zik managed to steady himself at the last moment, clutching the flower tightly. He let out a nervous laugh, his bravado melting into a look of relief.

"See? I've got it. No problem," he muttered, clearly shaken.

Woodland let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Let's try to avoid any more close calls, okay? Just take it slow."

With Zik a bit more cautious now, they each began carefully collecting the precious flowers, slipping them one by one into a sack Woodland had brought for this exact purpose. The blooms were delicate, with thin, papery petals that seemed to shimmer in the soft afternoon light.

They worked in silence, each of them hyper-aware of the slick surface beneath their feet. Alter, for once being the most careful of the three, focused on smaller blooms clustered near the edges, moving slowly and deliberately. Woodland nodded approvingly.

Soon, they had gathered up enough of the flowers, the basaraytz being nearly empty. "Let's hope that's enough." Woodland muttered, as she gestured at the others to start climbing down.