Chapter 2: The Herbalist

Dreiki had huddled himself close to Ezo for the night, fearing whatever monstrosity watched him from afar. Now that he’d seen the thing, it made that sensation of being watched ever-present. 

Dreiki looked at the poor bat drake who was now panting in labored choppy breaths.

It had caught a fever from its wounds overnight. 

He wet a few rags and placed them over its body to keep its temperature down. He

needed to forage for something that might help the poor creature pull through. 

His mother had taught him about plants which he should always look out for and try to collect if he could. 

Vitak Leaves, Guari roots, and Mierashrooms were ingredients to basic healing potions that could rescue a warrior from the jaws of death and help them overcome almost any disease within a day. 

Dreiki didn’t know how much time he had, so he had to be quick about it.

He had to be careful not to exhaust himself, though. With that monster lurking about, it was likely waiting for the chance to strike when he was at his most vulnerable. 

He had to leave Ezo behind since its weight would tire him out and slow him down. As far as he could tell, the monster had no interest in it, so it should’ve been safe to let Ezo rest here for now. 

He set out, hoping that he could find what he needed. 

Dreiki spent an hour searching the forest grounds nearby, marking trees with his knife so he didn’t get turned around, periodically checking to see if that monster was around.

 His instincts told him he wasn't being watched anymore so he trusted them as they had not failed him yet. 

With renewed focus, Dreiki managed to find his first patch of Vitak leaves. But when he came to pick the herbs, he noticed that they’d already been harvested.

 Dreiki examined it, thumbing through the leaves. The stems had been cut and there had been a few left behind so it could regrow.

This ignited Dreiki’s curiosity. Was there an herbalist somewhere in the area? If that was the case, then he’d likely be able to find something far more effective than the raw ingredients. Vitak leaves were good on their own, but if they were dried up they would act a lot faster. 

Dreiki scanned the ground for tracks and soon found large footprints in the soft rain-dampened soil of the forest. 

Along the path were signs of life. Tree stumps which had been cut with an ax, more harvested ingredients like the Vitak leaves from before, and a few hunting traps. The likes of which Dreiki’s keen eyes had spotted in time to avoid triggering them. 

He contemplated disarming and taking one of them, but decided there wasn’t enough time to do so. 

It was another ten minutes of skulking before Dreiki noticed a pillar of smoke wafting above the trees. Whoever this herbalist was, they weren’t trying to hide. But as his mother had taught him, those who are not trying to hide out in the wild either had no enemies or feared no enemy.

If there was someone living out here, he didn’t trust them to help a half-breed like him. Especially since he had no money nor items to trade in return for their help.

The boy’s training once again overtook him, slinking down low and silent as a lynx, tenderly brushing aside the bramble as he came upon a decrepit log house. This had to be it.

Dreiki froze as the rickety wooden door of the cabin swung open. When he realized the figure stepping out of the doorway hadn’t noticed him yet, he took cover behind a tree.

 It was the herbalist. 

The xio’s appearance surprised Dreiki. He had never seen a xiozian with graying hair before. Normally, a xiozian remained in their physical prime adulthood up until they reached about eighty years of age, after which they would age rapidly until death. It was a process called ‘The Waning’”.

Most preferred to die in battle before then, so to see a xio this old was rare indeed. There was a sword on his hip and an ax over his shoulder. The xio was built like a bull despite his age.

 Dreiki could see the remnants of who he used to be. His towering stature was already starting to bend into a hunch. His once proud horns were now curled and wrinkled. A shedding draconic tail lagged behind him, thick like a crocodile’s and ending in a vicious swollen club that could put any ordinary mace to shame. He had a well trimmed beard of white and silver, the remaining dark hairs of his youth almost completely swallowed by the first stages of The Waning. 

To think in one year the xio would likely look as if he’d aged a decade or two.

As the xio plodded off into the woods, Dreiki took his chance. The old xio didn’t have much of a security system aside from a lock to keep bears and other beasts from entering. Dreiki took a dagger from his boot, wedged it into the crack of the door and found the latch. After a few unsuccessful tries he finally managed to free it. 

Creeeeeeek…

Dreiki entered, the scent of dried herbs hitting his nose. It was his lucky day. 

Potions of varying color, luminescence, and potency lined shelf upon shelf of the old wooden cabin. He spotted Mierashrooms which had been soaked in brine and diced into fine cubes. Dried cloves of Vitak leaves hung from the ceiling, emanating their sweet scent throughout the cabin. Atop a makeshift workbench in the corner sat a mortar and pestle filled with finely powdered Guari roots. 

Numerous vials, balms, and salves littered any flat surface they could be stored on. Each in varying stages of completion.

 The far end of the room is where Dreiki assumed the herbalist slept. A bed of furs resting next to a small mud brick fireplace atop a raised stone platform to keep it safe from flooding. 

It looked as if it had served its purpose well last night.

The old xio had procured and planted numerous herbs and medicines in his humble cabin. But this much of a variety seemed out of place even for an herbalist.

 Maybe he was searching for a way to delay The Waning? Or perhaps he was the supplier for tradesmen in Punuuk?

Whatever the case, Dreiki silently promised to repay the herbalist somehow. He took everything he needed, slipping one of the healing potions into his bag along with their prepped ingredients too. He needed something fast acting, and nothing was better than a fully brewed healing potion.

He stuffed his bag with what he needed, and took a wedge of cheese and bread for the road. Any meat he’d manage to hunt would be going to Ezo while he nursed it back to health. He looked again at the ingredients and decided to take a little extra just in case. He couldn’t be too careful, he might need them.

As Dreiki stepped out the door, a low gravelly baritone rang over his shoulder.

“Didn’t expect to find thieving rats this far from the city.” 

Dreiki ducked on instinct, the large hand of the herbalist swiping right over his head. He pinched the metal sand in his pouch and lit it up in a brilliant flash!

He imagined his blood igniting in a burst of power, and his fire magic coursed through his veins like fuel.
This spell was still a little out of his depth, but it’d allow him to run twice as fast for the next few minutes. He could only do it once a day without hurting himself, and there wasn’t a better use than right now.

He ran as fast as he could in the hopes the xio would be too blind to follow, “Sorry! I’ll repay you later!” Dreiki didn’t know what else to say. 

He prayed their old age had slowed them down enough for him to escape with the help of his spell.

After a minute or two in full sprint, the spell left his body and a wave of lethargy hit him. He leaned on a tree, doubled over and gasped for air. Between his sleep deprivation, the lack of food in his stomach, and the taxing nature of that spell, he was already exhausted. 

And when it couldn’t get any worse, that feeling of being watched washed over him once again. Tingling his skin like maggots wriggling in dirt.

Bent over as he was, he saw its legs first. Hand-like feet with coiled black toenails. Some of its joints were broken, puffed, and purple. Lacerations lead up along its legs to its slender skeletal body. Its skin looked like it was shrink-wrapped to its bones. A gaping abyssal black hole in the center of its chest where its rib cage had splayed open like the mandibles of a spider. 

It towered over him, and as Dreiki looked up to meet its grinning eyeless face his heart had stopped beating as if it was trying to hide. Dreiki couldn’t move, only letting out a strangled breath that had been intended as a scream. 

The creature turned its head, raising its lengthy finger to him. Painting its digit down Dreiki’s cheek and wiping sweat from his skin. It gripped its finger and bent it backward. 

Crrruunch! Crack! Crack! Crack!

The sickening sound of its finger breaking knuckle by knuckle until it rested in its mangled state. Its grin spread so wide its cheeks split open in vile ecstasy of its own pain. A hissing cackle escaped its gaping maw, and as Dreiki blinked, it vanished as if it had never been there.

Dreiki remembered to breathe, almost choking. What was that? He thought to himself, replaying what had just happened in his head again and again. 

He had to make sure Ezo was safe!

He sprinted the rest of the way. What was that thing? What did it want? Why did it break its finger in front of him like that? Why was it laughing? 

The questions racing through Dreiki’s mind had blinded him, and by the time he noticed the trap in his path it was too late.

Kchink- CRACK! 

A shooting pain ran up Dreiki’s leg. 

His hunting trap! 

He tumbled to the ground in a flurry of leaves and mud. 

“Caught ourselves a Noxa!” Dreiki heard behind him. 

“He actually ran into it! What an idiot!” Another from the side. 

Dreiki sat up, trying to reach and unlock the trap’s mechanism.

It had broken his shin the moment it clapped down over his leg.

A rock knocked the color out of his vision for a moment as it bounced off his skull. A warm trickle of blood began to stream from his temple to his jaw.

“Tsk Tsk, little Noxa! Not only did we find your camp, but you ran into the one place you shouldn’t have. I didn’t think it’d work so soon. I figured we’d have to chase you into it, but you’ve just got bad luck huh?” 

Dreiki glared at their leader who stood so smugly over him. The leader snapped his fingers, wordlessly commanding the tall lumbering member of their trio to bring the struggling Ezo along in its arms. 

“Leave them alone!” Dreiki shouted.

The leader pressed a knife against Dreiki’s neck, grabbing at his hair and yanking it, “Bite your tongue before I cut it out for you,” he hissed through his teeth.

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Dreiki froze up, the cold iron of the knife digging into his skin.

“Good lad. Got a set of horns on you huh? So you’re half of us. Guessing your mum dumped a failure like you out in the woods before leaving to have someone else’s kids.” 

His lackeys cackled behind him. 

Dreiki grit his teeth. He wanted to spit in his face, but knew he’d die soon after if he did.

“That drake was our pet and you tried to steal it. For a minute we thought you were more of a vulture looking for a free meal. But it was all bandaged up when we found it again and you’d never do that to a meal would you?”

Dreiki had put on his poker face. He didn’t want them to know he cared about Ezo or they’d use it against him..

The leader smirked at him, “I bet the thing was your only dear friend in life huh?” He laughed, joined by his entourage, “Poor little Noxa has to steal a half dead drake with broken legs to get something that won’t abandon him huh?”

Dreiki had to think. He had to figure out a way to escape with Ezo.

“Do you know how embarrassing it is for us fullbloods to have been duped by a weasely little rat like you? We were so close to getting that drake to obey us, and you ruined it.” He spat, “Didn’t even recognize me and tried to bite me when I found it.”

“Good boy, Ezo.” Dreiki couldn’t help himself. 

“Oh so you’ve named it have you?” A smile curled across the leader’s face, “Well ‘Ezo’ is useless to us now, so we might as well butcher it.”

“Ha! That’s a good idea. Make him eat its eyeball or something!” The short xio exclaimed from behind.

The leader showed his fangs “Since the little Noxa loves this thing so much we might as well stuff its tongue down his throat too!” 

The big one laughed, “That’ll be the only kiss this little Noxa ever gets in his life!”

Everytime they called him a Noxa, Dreiki felt a hit to his stomach. It was a social class given to outsiders. As if his mother didn’t risk her life every day for bastards like these. 

The short one squatted down next to the bear trap with a whistle, “Weak bones huh? Sit tight will ya? I’ll put some ice on it!” He snickered, hovering his hand over Dreiki’s leg. A biting cold wrapped over Dreiki’s leg in an instant, binding him to the trap. “He won’t be getting out of there now. Slippery as he is, he’s not gonna be strong enough to pry it open now.” 

The leader let go of his hair, taking a confident stride over to the big lug who carried Ezo.

“I’d ask your name, little Noxa, but I don’t actually care.” 

“Stop calling me that!” 

“Ha! Noxa got all mad! You gonna cry?” The short one jeered, followed by the big lug’s approving laugh. 

“Oi, Brutak! Hold it out for me, I’m gonna gut it!” The Leader commanded.

The big lug, Brutak, held the sickly bat drake out by the scruff of its neck. 

“Stop!” Dreiki clutched the jaws of the trap, desperately trying to pry it open, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Look! He’s crying! Prepo look he’s gonna fucking cry!” the short one said with an exaggerated cackle.

“Shut up!” Dreiki screamed with his entire chest. 

“Shut up!” The leader, Prepo, mocked, “Scio, hold its legs.”
“You got it boss.” The short and stocky Scio jogged over snatching at Ezo’s legs as it lashed out,“Oi! Brutak, don’t let it fuckin bite me!”

Brutak wrapped his massive hand over its muzzle.

Ezo quickly ran out of stamina, resorting to a desperate muffled cry for help. Prepo took only one devilish grinning look back to Dreiki, and for a moment, Dreiki could see that monster again.  

Prepo plunged his knife into Ezo’s belly. The three of them cackling to the drake’s pained screeching as they carved into it.

Something snapped in Dreiki, his blood boiled in more ways than one. Fire magic surged through his body once more. So much that he thought his veins might explode. 

 He wedged his handax into it and used it as a lever, snapping the frozen bear trap with all the strength he could muster. He left his ax tangled in the jaws of the trap, taking out his knife and lunging with murderous intent. 

He jammed it down into Prepo’s neck, but his skin was as tough as stone and didn’t sink all the way down. 

A heavy chunk of ice slammed into Dreiki’s shoulder, shattering across the side of his head in a frozen slurry. Dreiki was too angry, hooking a punch across Prepo’s jaw with butt of his dagger.

 Then another chunk hit him, and another, and another. Brutak slammed his fist into Dreiki’s temple and Dreiki woke up on the ground. He tried to get up, but his broken shin had him kneeling right back down. 

Scio got a running start before punting Dreiki’s ribcage like a leather ball. “Damn, this kid’s got some strong magic. Stupid fuck! Stay down and watch.” 

“Fuck! That hurt!” Prepo growled holding his wound, “Take a good look, you dirty fucking Noxa.” He spat, tossing Ezo’s crumpled body down in front of Dreiki. The drake let out a gasping labored breath, waterlogged in its own blood.  The light fading from its eyes by the second. 

Through gasped breath and shaky hands, Dreiki pulled the potion from his knapsack and poured it over the wound. He had to try. He couldn’t let it die here.

“Ah shit, the Noxa had a potion on him?” Scio said, “We could’ve sold that!” 

Prepo flung another stone into Dreiki’s head with his magic, “After I finish beating his face into the back of his skull, we can take his stuff as payment for that cheap shot.” 

The three of them loomed over Dreiki, grinning exactly like that pale monster from before. Dreiki cradled Ezo in his arms using his body to shield it from more magical stones. Dreiki only had a few more seconds before his spell burnt out. He had to get away.
As he turned to run, Prepo grabbed his sleeve, “Where do you think you’re going, Noxa?” 

Riiiippp!!!
Dreiki tried to get away, but the moment he stepped on his injured leg, he faltered, and that gave Prepo enough time to tackle him. “I’ll make sure you choke to death on that drake’s tongue after I’m done beating your ass!” Prepo shouted, winding up his fist.

Stones crawled up his arm and covered his hand like a glove.

Dreiki raised his guard, but that stone-covered fist blasted right through and broke his nose. Prepo rained blow after blow onto Dreiki who could do nothing more than recoil and cry out in pain like Ezo. 

“Oi! Prepo! Prepo! His arm! Oi! Look at his arm! Don’t kill him!” Scio shouted, grabbing Prepo’s arm to stop him. 

The blows stopped.

“Huh? What about his arm?” 

Dreiki’s right sleeve, which had been torn off by Prepo only a few moments ago, had been hiding his tattoo. The silhouette of a blazing wolf embroidered on a coat of arms with draconic runes along the bottom. 

“That’s a Venator Knight’s crest. You kill him, you're marked for death by his parents!”

Prepo’s eyes widened, “Shit! This Noxa’s a Venator Knight’s brat?” He clicked his tongue, “Fine, let’s just kill the drake and get out of here then.” 

Dreiki had never heard of his tattoo being able to mark people when he died, but it gave him an idea.

 He began to seize up, speaking in tongues like an angry devil. He spat out the blood in his mouth, and choked up vile black smoke. Seizing and foaming at the mouth in the most grotesque display he could perform.

“What did you do to him? You broke him!” Scio shouted

“I don’t know!” 

“You beat him too hard, idiot!” 

“Shut up! H-He’s probably faking it-”
A loud voice boomed through the forest, coming from every direction. Low, gravelly and rumbling, “My son, what have you done to my son?! I will hang your bodies from my spear for this!”

“Shit, he’s dying. Run or you’ll be marked!” Scio screamed.

“Don’t let it mark me! I didn’t kill him I swear! I’m just a kid!” Prepo squealed getting off of Dreiki, “ He died on his own! It wasn’t me!” 

 The three of them bolted as fast as they could in an attempt to avoid being marked. Dreiki didn’t know if running would’ve worked had he actually died, but his ruse paid off thanks in no small part to that voice. 

He sat up, scanning the area for the source of the voice, “Hello?”

The voice spoke up directly behind him, “How does a kid like you know how to use magnesium dust?” 

Dreiki jolted, turning to face the towering old herbalist from before, “What?” 

“You sparked some magnesium dust earlier to blind me and get away. It’s a clever trick. I’m guessing your parents taught you that? Makes sense for a Venator Knight.” he gestured to Dreiki’s shoulder.

Dreiki covered it with his hand, “You’re mistaken, it’s not-” 

“You don’t need to lie to me, kid. I know a Venator Knight’s mark when I see one. What’s it translate to…” He crouched, grabbing Dreiki’s hand and pulling it out of the way to examine Dreiki’s mark, “Wulkuniira… ‘Wolf of the Ivory Blaze’ huh? Now that nickname rings a bell. Your mother is Zesa Iriik, correct?”

Dreiki perked up, careful not to confirm his question, “Who are you?” 

The xio gave him a sly smile, “The name’s Savekio.” 

 

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