Chapter 51: Forty nine

Caw.

As I walked through the encampment towards where my brother had pitched his tent, a familiar croaking cry pierced the air. In response to the sound, I tilted my head to the side in an automatic gesture to avoid being smacked in the face by a dark feathered wing, as Zosimos landed on my left shoulder. 

“Hello Zosimos, finally decided to show up did you?” I asked, twisting my head around to look at the crow. 

Caw. 

Zosimos let out another low cry, giving my ear a reprimanding nip in response to my sarcastic tone and I briefly considered knocking him off my shoulder, but instead stroked a hand over his feathers. As annoying as Zosimos could be, I’d missed the bird. I was really worried when Markion told me he’d disappeared during a fight with raiders, and feared he’d been killed.

“Did you get lost trying to find me?” I queried.

Caw. 

“I’m sorry Zosimos, I didn’t mean to leave you.” I said, getting a much gentler nip to my ear in response.

Reaching my brother's tent, I was surprised to see he’d set up a work area beside his tent which was covered by a canvas roof. Markion sat before a grind stone, his foot pumping the pedal to spin the stone at a fast pace as he sharpened his axe. 

“Hey little bro.” I called out teasingly, the endearment being my new favorite considering my brothers much larger form. 

“Sup, Kads,” Markion grunted, not looking up from his work.

“Are you heading into the dungeon soon?” I asked, feigning casualness as I moved to lean against a wooden work bench. 

“Soon, why?” 

“My team isn’t rostered to go in again until tomorrow afternoon, so I was wondering if you could bring me back some of the black moss growing in the maze? Rainy, one of my team members mentioned it, There are also more luminous mushrooms in the dungeon, so I’d appreciate it if you could bring me some of those as well.” 

Pulling a pouch off my belt, I held it out to Markion, giving him a sweet smile as I did so. 

“I’ve packed some jars and linen bags for storing the plants.” I told him and Markion nodded, taking the bag. 

“Alright, I’ll see what I can gather for you.” 

Moving closer to my brother, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, giving him a light hug as I thanked him. Which was where I messed up with my scheme, if I’d not gotten excited that my plan was working and hugged him, my brother probably wouldn’t have noticed anything suspicious about my request.  

“Alright, fess up,” Markion demanded, his foot shifting off the grindstone pedal. 

“What do you mean?” I asked, widening my eyes and feigning a look of innocence. 

“What’s in the bag?” My brother asked, opening the pouch and flicking through the inventory screen. 

“I told you, bags and jars.” 

“And, your self updating map.” He scoffed, pulling the map out and tossing it onto the ground. 

“You weren’t supposed to open the pouch until after you reached the maze.” I mumbled sourly, picking up the map.

Chuckling, Markion reached up and tugged on my right ear affectionately. “It wouldn’t have worked, anyway. Enchanted mapping devices don’t work in the dungeon. Dungeon maps have to be drawn by memory.” 

“And how would a loving older sister gain one of these dungeon maps?” 

“By exploring the dungeon and drawing her own.” 

“Fine,” shoulder’s slumping, I put my map away before pointing at the pouch. “At least bring me back some moss and mushrooms.” 

“I’ll see what I can find,” he agreed, putting the pouch down on a nearby work bench where his armor was sitting. 

On my return to my team's camp site, I found Rainy sitting in my tent reading the book I’d copied for her. The Dryad informed me that the others had all gone to rest, as they’d gotten into the habit of sleeping during the hottest hours of the day. 

“I hope you don’t mind, it’s just that Kip snores loud enough to wake the dead, and Victorias no better.” The pink-haired girl informed me with a light smile. 

“It’s fine,” I told the Dryad with a laugh. “My brother snores as well, so I completely understand.” 

After moving back into my work space, I dug through my saddle bags until I found Zosimos’s perch and set it up in the corner. Leaving Zosimos on his perch, I filled his water, and food bowls before clipping it onto the side of the perch. Picking up Leo’s bowls from the ground, I refilled his water and put some raw meat I’d gotten from the encampment’s cooks into his food bowl.

Hearing his bowl being placed on the floor, Leo strolled out of my sleeping quarters, no doubt having been lazing around on the futon, which was where he spent most of his time. Kneeling down next to the Leosaur, I picked him up before he could reach his bowl, ignoring his mew of protest as I carried him over to where Zosimos was perched. 

“Zosimos, this is Leonidas. Leo, this is Zosimos,” I introduced, then turned the cub to face me, holding him up so I could stare sternly into his golden eyes. 

“No trying to eat Zosimos,” I ordered, and in response Leo let out an innocent sounding mew. “I mean it Leo, you’re not allowed to attack Zos, if you do, then you’ll be in big trouble.” 

Warning given, I set Leo down on the ground, and he scampered over to his food bowl, hungrily devouring the meat. Zosimos stared at the cub for a long moment, before turning his attention to me, tilting his head and letting out a croaking caw. 

“He is immune to Scorcher venom,” I told the crow, and speaking in soft tones so as not to be overheard by Rainy, told him about what I’d learnt about Leo. 

Zosimos didn’t seem overly interested, and instead focused on preening his feathers, but speaking to him about what I’d discovered helped me organize my thoughts, even bringing to light something I’d overlooked during my initial experiments. When I first began testing Leo’s saliva and blood with the Scorcher venom, I’d only done so with the fluids extracted when Leo was in a normal state. 

Anti-venom was created by drawing blood from animals who were fighting off the effects of venom, so the antibodies created by their body could be harvested. So, perhaps, the key to finding the cure for Scorcher venom, was to extract Leo’s blood after he’d consumed the venom and his body was actively working to break down the venom in his system. 

However, the idea of reforming Sting and Scorch, just so Leo could eat them didn’t sit right with me, but perhaps there was another way. I’d noticed Leo had a very strong liking to my darts dipped in Scorcher venom, so much so, that I’d been forced to remove them from my bracer and the holder on the outside of the dart pouch to stop him from trying to lick them. 

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 I shouldn’t risk using undiluted venom. I’ve only got a limited supply, and until I can reform the Scorchers safely, I won’t be able to harvest more. Contemplating potential methods for a Leosaur proof tank, I retrieved one of the glass jars I’d stored the diluted Scorcher venom in. 

I wonder if he will eat the tallow mixed with Scorcher venom like this, or if I’ll need to conceal it in something. This question was quickly answered, as the moment I opened the jar Leo practically flew across the room, and began trying to claw his way up my trouser covered leg. 

 Picking up a mewling Leo, I set him on the table and the moment he could reach it, he shoved his head into the bowl which I’d placed a large dollop of the mixture in. As Leo licked up the semi solid lump of venom and tallow, he began purring loud enough that I would be surprised if it couldn’t be heard by the entire camp. 

I should have thought this through more. I thought twenty minutes later, as Rainy and I chased a hyped up Leo around the tent. 

The reptilian cub seemed to think our chasing him was the best game in the world, and I was seriously regretting letting him consume what I concluded must be the Leosaur equivalent to catnip. At first, Leo just seemed to be extremely chill, rolling around the bench, purring up a storm. Then, like a switch had been flipped, he’d turned into a creature better suited to the depths of hell than the confines of my tent. 

My tent now had several large rips in the canvas walls from Leo clawing his way up them, while both Rainy and I sported claw marks of our own from attempts to stop Leo’s reign of terror. I was unsure what may have triggered Leo’s behavior, as he’d eaten Scorch and Sting in Hathus, after which he just lazed around on the futon, napping through most of the night and following day.

Nothing we tried seemed to work to soothe Leo. Not even Rainy using her ability to affect beings around her with her blossoms' scent, was able to calm him. It seemed our shouting and crashing about had woken the rest of the team, as Victoria came rushing into my tent. Seeing us diving after the crazed Leosaur cub, the Kijo let out a bellow which had Leonidas freezing in place, and she strode forwards plucking him up by the scruff. 

“Thanks,” I exclaimed breathlessly, placing a hand to my stomach where Leo had clawed me. 

The wound on my stomach was the worst I’d sustained, with my arms and legs only suffering light scratches compared to the deeper furrows in my stomach. Which I’d gained during an attempt to hold Leo to my chest, hoping to calm him down. I felt like my stomach was on fire, and when I lifted up my shirt, I saw that the wound looked red and inflamed.

“What happened?” Victoria demanded, still keeping a tight grip on Leo despite his low whimpers. 

“I, ah, gave him something, and he reacted badly to it.” I told the Kijo as I downed a pain relieving tincture, handing a second vial to Rainy who took it gratefully.  

“No shit,” Pia chimed in, looking around the trashed tent. “Good thing Rainy knows how to sow, and can fix up those rips.” 

Glancing over at the ripped walls, I grimaced and mentally waved goodbye to my last high grade Mana crystal. 

“The tent is enchanted and bound to me. So I can repair it through the durability enchantments.” I told Pia, and Kip who was standing by the door let out a low whistle. 

“Damn Foxy, that would have cost you a heavy pouch. Though, you’re an alchemist, so it’s no surprise you’ve got coin to spend. I heard Ge Hong’s latest potion sells at thirty thousand a vial.” The Dwarf commented.

Ge Hong! 

I snarled in response to the name, stalking over to the Dwarf who stared at me in surprise as I loomed over him. 

“What potion is that plagiarist claiming as his own now?” I asked, my voice coming out in a low, rumbling growl. 

“Plagiarist? Foxy, Ge Hong is the-.” 

Slamming my hand over the Dwarf’s mouth, I glared down at him threateningly. 

“The last person to sing Ge Hong's praises in front of me died a very painful death. I’d hate for a member of my team to suffer the same fate.” I told the Dwarf coldly, memories of the merchant who’d tried to sell a fake Scorcher venom cure dancing through my mind.

“Wow, you really don’t like him, huh?” Pia asked from behind me, as a large red hand grabbed my wrist, yanking me back from the Dwarf. 

“Ge Hong is scum, he sells watered down potions at exorbitant prices and claims the work of others as his own.” I spat, while trying to yank my arm out from Victoria’s grasp. 

“That’s a shitty way to do business, but it doesn’t explain why you’re flying off the handle at the mere mention of his name. Sounds like there’s something more personal there, Foxy.” Kip stated, raising a brow at me. 

I stilled, no longer struggling against the Kijo’s firm hold and stared at the Dwarf, my mind not seeing him, but another person in his place.

 A beautiful red-haired woman knelt in front of me, her lips curled up in a soft smile. 

“I’ll be back in a few days. When I return, how about you help me translate Ge Hong’s Baopuzi for the upcoming Paleo-pharmacology exhibit?”

“Ge Hong’s Baozpozi? That’s a silly name, mama.” I told her, and she laughed, flicking my nose gently.

“Boazpuzi,” she repeated, sounding the word out slowly. “It is the most well-known piece of writing by Ge Hong. I’ll be meeting with an associate of mine on the way to the conference who has a copy of the text.” 

“Kadia? Are you okay?” 

Blinking rapidly, I stared at the pink hair girl who stood in front of me, her hands gently cupping my cheeks, which were wet with tears. A sweet smell filled the air, and feelings of comfort and protection filled me as I breathed in the floral scent.

“She never came back,” I choked out, the words sticking in my throat. 

“Who didn’t come back?” Rainy coaxed.

“My mother.” I told her, my vision blurred with tears. 

“Ge Hong is the name of a historical alchemist, one my mother was researching right before she died. Ge Hong, the true Ge Hong, was a man worthy of my mothers respect and this false version of him is destroying his name. That bastard is associating the name of Ge Hong with plagiarism, and watered down filth.” I whispered, trembling with both rage and sadness, as I breathed in more of the cloying floral scent of the Dryad. 

“So, we find this bastard, and kill him until he changes his name.” Victoria declared firmly, and I choked on a laugh seeing the woman’s determined expression. 

“Nothing would make me happier than to kill the bastard who is destroying something my mother loved.” I told the Kijo, who nodded. 

“It’s settled then,” Pia chimed in, clapping her hands together. “We hunt down this bastard who made our Foxy cry, and kill him on repeat until he begs Celeste to bestow him a new name, or goes into hiding, never to be heard of again.” 

The next hour was spent sitting around the table in my living quarters, with everyone coming up with different ideas for how to kill the false Ge Hong in the most painful way possible. 

My tears of sadness changed to ones brought by laughter, as Kip spoke of tying Ge Hong up in a horned rabbit warren, where he would be stabbed to death by the low leveled rabbits. According to the Dwarf death by horned rabbit was a common sentence in the Dwarven court for thieves, and it was deemed to be one of the most humiliating ways to die.

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