It was a good thing I took this job with the merchant caravan. I stuck to the back of it, with a few other adventurers and mercenaries guarding the rear. The owner of the goods, Malroy, was an elf. He dressed with humility and didn’t have the usual bling many rich folk used to show off their wealth. The man seemed as average as they came, save for being slightly plump. It was easy enough to join his caravan since they had a quota to fill. They’d lost a few men to attacks on their way to Vaarn so I took the deal they offered.

It was clear the man was rich, seeing the bulking wagons of goods and the small army of mercenaries was proof enough. There were even three mages from the Association. Apparently, Volhal was a famous trading town, holding one of the biggest market places in Terra Silva. It was almost like a fair as far as I heard. The map I had wasn't detailed enough to show roads and my orientation wasn't all that good. Traveling with this lot, though slowing me down, was good for both making sure I didn't stray and got paid for it. Win, win. There was no need to rush.

Though I could have gone without the jabbering mercs. They were loud and annoying, seemingly knowing each other. I was wearing the cloak, so except for Malroy, none of them knew my identity. I'd received strange looks and have been asked questions on who I was. I'd long decided to ignore them and play a mute. I had no interest in chatting up a bunch of humans, elves and beastmen. They'd given up on talking to me all together by the end of the first week and mostly treated me like air by now. Thank fuck. I thought they'd never shut up.

During the journey there were many bandit attacks, some more coordinated than others. An ambush here and there. They were easy enough to prevent once I started noticing the telltale signs. The prints by the road, debris in the road, odd cooing sounds from the forest. They were like call girls playing hide and seek in the forest. I would give warning to Malroy and he'd organize his troop accordingly. I intervened here and there, using my spear to make kebabs out of the bandits. It took a while to get used to using it while on a saddle, but once I did, the advantage of a spear was clear.

The downtime was mostly spent in my books and practicing my mana manipulation. I had no idea how to use actual spells but controlling my own pure mana was easy enough with some practice. It could be used to give myself a boost and protect myself from outside influence. Since it simply required a bit of focus, the chants were unnecessary. I didn’t neglect my training, but focused more on developing my skills instead of working myself to the bone. My flexible fighting style was slowly getting an actual form by now.

After a couple of long months of travel, we'd arrived in Volhal. Around a third of the troop had died and three more were wounded. Despite having mages, they would just tire themselves out with two or three spells which showed they were simple apprentices. Passing through the gates one by one, I showed my identification and passed without issue. The town walls were huge, made of bricked stone and held two tall watch towers in the front. I was starting to see the trend by now. I was surprised Volhal had a Barrier Tower. It wasn't all that large, but most likely did what it was meant to do.

The cobbled streets were brimming with life, the morning crowd bustling about. Most of them were heading in the direction of the center, where the market was. Stopping at one of the fancier inns, the caravan finally reached its final destination. I stabled Kala in the tavern on the other side, I had no desire to stay in that expensive looking establishment. Most of the men were lined up next to Malroy's carriage as he thanked them one by one and paid them their wages. Leaning on the side, I waited for most of them to leave before approaching. I was last.

Looking at me, Malroy gave a huge grin, his cheeks red, „Atkozott! I must thank you, your warnings meant a lot to the caravan and saved us a lot of trouble. I've taken the liberty to give you a small bonus for your effort.” handing me a fat sack, he ordered his few permanent bodyguards to secure his things and left. Feeling the sack with my fingers, I put it away into my storage, there was supposed to be around 600 gold in total. Checking my wallet, I saw some odd looking coins and recognized them as crystalline. One crystalline coin was worth a hundred gold. There were two in my collection now, the rest being gold and silver, my total account building up to a decent 900, give or take. I had no idea what the bonus was and, frankly, I didn’t particularly care. Judging by the amount, it was around 50 gold.

Feeding Kala and letting her rest a bit, I decided to have a look around this market. Following the crowds, a huge square appeared in my line of sight. Grimacing at the jam of people, I didn’t want to dive in there.

There were wooden stands everywhere, some connected, others standalone. I could see literally all sorts of items being sold. From magical tools to fruits and vegetables to slaves. It truly looked like an all-out fair. A giant structure rose on the end of it, odd symbols I’d occasionally seen around Terra Silva on its colored windows. The Barrier Tower rose high behind it, seemingly connected. I recognized it as the Cathedral. The religion in this world was the only thing I had no interest in. As far as I’m concerned, this world is as Godless as my old one. What was it called again? Church of Safeness or something. Who cares? I couldn’t recall the actual name.

Growing bored and not really looking to buy anything, I turned and went back to the tavern. Walking in, I sat at the far corner of the bar which was usually the most empty. The innkeeper glanced at me and walked over with a rag draped over his shoulder. He was a dwarf, his head full of ginger hair while his beard was braided into an odd horn on his chin. I couldn’t even see his eyes from the bushy eyebrows. He wore a simple apron and smelled like cooked food and alcohol. Scratching his big nose, he grunted a greeting, “What can I get ya stranger?”

You know what? I think it was high time to see if I could get wasted, “What’s your strongest drink?” I ask and remove my hood, feeling stuffy at this point. Furrowing his brows, he seemed to grumble something under his breath along the lines of ‘crazy demons and their alcohol’ and gave a large grin, “Dwarven Fireale, kiddo! Home recipe! Ya ain’t never tasted anything like it. Careful tho’, many can’t handle it.” with a guffaw, he patted his belly and stared at me expectantly.

Slapping 10 gold on the counter, I stared provocatively, “Alright, keep them coming then.” his brows lifted so much, I finally saw his brown eyes staring at the money with his jaw dropped. Next up, he coughed awkwardly, “Yer gonna die... its 40 silver per pint, but the price is ‘ere fer a reason. I’ve seen lads twice yer size drop and vomit from half a mug.”

Feeling skeptical, I growled, “If it can get me drunk, you can keep the change, but if it can’t, it’s free. How about it?” I grinned in with incitement, flashing my fangs unconsciously. Staring at me for a while, he tossed his hands in the air, “Fuck it! I gotta see dis’!” Walking to the back, he disappeared for a while before returning with a small barrel, “The barrel is all yours. It costs 4 gold, but if ya wanna stick with the wager, I keep the other 6 gold as well if ya get drunk or fall on yer arse, ahahaha. How ‘bout that?” the dwarf gave a toothy grin, looking like he found the biggest sucker ever.

Slamming an empty mug on the counter, he laughed loudly, “Well!? What’ll it be then?”

Grinning, I really was excited and hopeful about getting drunk, so far, nothing has worked. My metabolism was too fast for the alcohol to have any effect. Pouring the ale into my mug, I lifted a brow at the bubbling and murky orange liquid. I swear I could feel some heat on my face, the smell was tantalizing though. The scent of herbs was very strong, mingling with alcohol in perfect harmony. The hell was this? A drink or acid? Shrugging, I ignored the silence that suddenly encompassed the whole tavern. All eyes were on me, even the bard stopped singing and was staring. The glee in everyone’s eyes was as clear as day.

Gesturing his hands to rush me, the innkeeper was grinning like a child. Narrowing my eyes, I grinned and tossed the Ale back like a champ. I could hear excited ‘OOH’s’ with disbelief as the flavor hit me like a tank. Not able to drink it all form the shock, I put it down and lowered my head. It was like drinking liquid flames. I felt like I was on fire, the alcohol so strong and bubbly I felt a burp build up at the back of my throat. Glancing around, everyone was on their toes, as if waiting for a reaction. I burped. Somehow, the mana coating my stomach got ignited by the mana in the ale and small, black flames shot out of my mouth along with the roar-like belch. As the fire receded, I couldn’t help but lick my lips in delight.

This was absolutely delicious! As I tossed back the rest of my drink and went for seconds, almost immediately, the tavern went bat-shit crazy. The innkeeper dropped a bottle of mead he was holding, gaping at me in disbelief.

“DRINK! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!” the whole place exploded with cheers as the bard went crazy on his lute. Not only did I finish the barrel, I asked for another one. Halfway to finishing the first one, I felt it! The buzz was real! I couldn’t stop now otherwise it would go away. Needless to say, I got drunk. Everything after the second barrel was blank.

***

Well then, where the hell was I? I woke up on the grass, thick trees hiding the sun from view. Sitting up, I was thankful for the lack of a hangover. Though, I was confused as fuck. I was in a forest, that was for certain, but how did I get here? Hearing a soft growl from my left, I looked up and saw Kala was staring at me with some concern. Why was she here? Didn't I stable her? Grabbing my head in frustration, I tried to focus on what happened after that second barrel. So, I got wasted and partied with total strangers. By midnight, it got so far out of control, a bar fight broke out. No. I started a brawl with a prick that knocked the ale out of my hand with his elbow. I had punched him in the throat and all hell broke loose. The drunk people were like dominos, tossing drinks and tables all over the tavern. As I recall, the innkeeper threw the first one.

Shit, I pretty sure there were casualties. I had forgotten to mind my tail in the drunken stupor. Damn, one dude tripped on it and fell over, breaking his neck in the process on a tossed over table. Recalling the chaos from last night, I was blurry on the details. I figured it would be best to make myself scarce from this place.

Scratching my head, I couldn't help but grin, it was a fun night all in all. But it probably wasn’t a good idea to get wasted around such a huge crowd in the future. Once the guards came to break it up, I'd sneaked out and took Kala. How I managed to get beyond the gates, I couldn’t remember. It was all fuzzy. I was in the middle of nowhere with no memory of how I got here. Looking around, I glanced at Kala, „Do you know the way back?” I ask her quizzically. Softly growling, her eyes were confused and she shook her head lightly. Looking around I couldn't find any tracks, the ground was too dry. It was safe to say I was completely and utterly lost.

Trying to sense around with my mana, I froze in shock. It would appear I had entered some kind of magical formation. The forest was brimming with vitality and magic. It seemed to mess with my sense of direction, turning me around at every twist and turn when I tired heading in a random direction. Kala was following me around as I found a rock and sat on it, scratching my head in annoyance. I sigh and look at Kala who lied down for a nap next to me, "Shit, just how far did we go?"

Kala opened her eyes to look at me curiously then yawned and went back to sleep. I raise an eyebrow, "Wow, you're really worry free, huh?" Taking out my map, I checked if there were any forests around. Seeing my most likely location was in the Forest of Amissum, I dropped the map in shock, „Shit!” I shouted and punched a tree, snapping off a part of its bark.

No fucking wonder! I knew the stories, heard them from the mercs. This forest was rumored to be cursed, no one ever going in past the boundary that was clearly marked with sigils. Seeming to now recall going past those like a drunk moron that I was, I understood there was a truth to those rumors. Sniffing the air, I could smell all sort of wild life and beasts. Glancing at Kala and resigning myself to wander aimlessly, I crouched and offered her some jerky, "Get up. We'll just pick a direction and go with it."

Her attention suddenly snapped up. Searching for whatever seemed to get her attention, I managed to spot an owl that flew away. Kala jumped up and began chasing it, almost knocking me over. I raise a brow and run after her. Since my speed was pretty good, at a full sprint I was able to catch up with her. We ran side by side, following a damn owl for some reason until we reached a cave. Kala stopped abruptly, sliding slightly before looking at the dark passage. She growled softly, giving me a meaningful look. Maybe she knew something I didn't?

Sharpening my senses, true enough, there was someone inside. It was faint, seemingly behind a shimmering veil of sorts. Magic no doubt. I definitely wanted to check it out. Glancing at Kala, I pet her lightly and smile, "Good work, girl. Wait here and I'll go check if there's anyone in there capable of giving me an explanation." My hopes weren't that high, but I've got nothing better to do anyway. I gave a dry laugh and went inside the cave. Keeping my guard up, I couldn't help but scowl in displeasure at the heavy moisture that was in the air.

I realized that I really had a deep dislike for caves and any other cold, damp places. I loved heat though. No clue why, maybe it was a racial thing? I kept going deeper and deeper. Since I could clearly sense Kala, I wasn’t worried about getting lost. So far, I've seen nothing but bats and huge spiders but that beacon of a life force got stronger the deeper I went. I stopped abruptly and scowled. It was a dead end. The cave closed off with a rugged wall that blocked my path. Smelling a strong, sour fragrance in the air messed up my nose. I crinkled my face and sneezed loud enough for it to echo in the cave.

There was no doubt, the life force was coming from behind the wall. Feeling around with my mana, I felt like I went mentally blind for a moment. The wall was basically pure magic, concealing a passage. I clench a fist and smash it against the wall with all my might. Some rocks fell from the ceiling, the stalagmites broke off, but that was all that happened. I tilted my head slightly as I pondered. Brute forcing it was worth a try. Scowling, I had had enough, "Oi! Is anyone here?" I shout loud enough for it to echo in the whole cave, giving the wall a kick. Silence. Just my own voice jumping around the large cave. I bang on the wall in anger, "Hey! I know you're here! Why don't you stop hiding and come out!"

At first, nothing happened and then the wall started to crumble slightly. I grinned as a large metal door appeared on the wall, I was shocked at how reinforced it was. The passage of time was clear on it, making me wonder about how old this place was. Now that I looked carefully, the cave wall from before actually seemed transparent, like a barely visible fog. A small shaft on the door opened forcefully revealing a pair of aged eyes filled with anger and annoyance. I recoiled back in surprise. I could tell it was a man, but his eyes were very weird. One of his pupils was smaller than the other, his eyes bloodshot, the yellow of his sclera made his age indistinguishable. A hoarse, squeaky voice sounded from behind the door, "Quit yer bangin’ or I’ll come out ‘ere and give ye a spankin again!"

I looked him in the eyes with a raised brow, not sure what he was talking about, "Old man, open the door, I need to talk to you. I’m lost."

Squinting his eyes, they widened in joy all of a sudden as the shaft closed. Rough clanking sounds and screeching of metal sounded as the door was thrown open. The look in his eyes was full of delight, "A guest!!! Boy, come in. Come in! I haven't had a visitor in years!" the little fossil shouted and jumped around like a child. I gaped in shock, he really did look like a fossil.

He barely reached my chest, his back hunched over with a big bulge behind his neck. His gray beard was so long, it dragged on the floor. Some odd things were stuck inside of it, everything from twigs and bugs to something looking almost like candy. I could have sworn there was a bit of mold in there. Some spots were even burned off. His body was shriveled up like a dry fish, the wide grin of his mouth showing only two teeth. His tongue would occasionally slip out from the lack of them. He just smacked his wrinkled lips and kept grinning. The fossil’s crazy eyes were making me concerned. I couldn’t tell where he was looking. He wore filthy brown rags and had withered fingernails of different lengths. His feet were in torn sandals but he didn’t seem bothered by anything. I think he was human? It was really hard to tell, his ears were hung low and floppy from the age. His face was covered in blackish freckles, especially on his cheeks and nose while his bald head seemed to have somehow managed to collect a layer of dust, a handprint clear on it.

For once, I was thankful that the sour fragrance wafting out of his man cave blocked me from smelling him. I had a feeling it would not be pleasant, "M' boy, I'll brew ya some tea! Come in, come in! Make yerself comfortable.” he ran off in excitement, not even bothering to close his door. I stood there staring in his direction in confusion, did he forget? What an eccentric, I thought with a cringe and followed him, kicking the door closed. He really doesn’t look sane. I carefully walk through the strange fog that seemed to linger in here and sneezed again.

I covered my nose. It was the fog that smelled so strong. I pass through and slowly remove my hand from my nose. Bad move. The smell in here was even worse than out there. I got teary eyed from the fog that somehow seemed to burn my eyes. Some smells were sour and sweet, others rotten and foul. Glancing around, I saw the inside was layered with wood, creating a literal shack in the cave. The whole place was so dusty that even the half-rotten furniture seemed caked in it.

The shelves were covered in jars and bottles. A huge, table full of all kinds of ingredients and tools for alchemy. There were withered books thrown about, broken glass on the floors and the ‘living room’ only had a single table with two wobbly chairs. The place was lit with dimmed candles, burning with green flames. The candles weren’t melting though.

Even I was disgusted by these conditions. Staring with a baffled disbelief, I saw the old man return with a happy expression and a platter of weird, sizzling tea and some moldy cookies. When he noticed the look on my face he seemed very amused, "Hahahaha! M' boy, if yer sense of smell is strong ya must be in hell right now."

He just laughed as he put the platter on the dusty table, making it quiver unstably from the meager weight. Going to what I presume was his working station, he brought me a small vial and handed it over. I looked at the greenish liquid inside with misgivings, then at the old man, “You’ve got to be kidding me?”

"Haha, don't worry, m' boy. It's a special remedy, inhale it and the smells in here won't bother ya anymore." there was an exited gleam in his unfocused eyes but there seemed to be no sign of foul play. I felt like he wanted something from me.

I held my breath and opened the vial. I had some confidence in my poison resistance. I bring it close to my nose and inhale deeply. Strangely enough, it had no smell whatsoever, but every other smell in here became completely dulled. I sighed in relief and stared at the owl that glared at me with wide, unblinking eyes, glowing with a blue shimmer. It sat like a statue on top of a bookshelf.

"M' boy, please sit, sit! Tell me, what brings ya here? Don't tell me ya heard the tales of the great Aldo and came to seek me out, haha.” the old man blushes shyly as he sat down on the rickety chair, making it creak dangerously. The great Aldo?

Not even thinking about sitting on that hazard, I frowned, "I'd rather stand. Actually, I got lost in the forest so I took a gamble when I sensed you in the cave and came to ask for directions. Anyway, what is this place?” I answer him while continuing to look around the manhole in discomfort.

"Hahaha, ya flatter me! Haha... wait... ya said... but ye have heard of me, no?" Aldo gapes at me with a discouraged face, looking like he was about to cry.

"Nope. Never heard of you." I say simply, seeing more and more mental issues the more I interacted with him. Old man Aldo sighed as he sat on the creaking chair, making a cloud of dust rise and cover his moldy cookies.

"Boy, would ya humor this lonely old man a bit? I would very much like someone to talk to." he asked, the huge toothless grin returning to his face as if he forgot everything that happened a while ago. Lifting a brow, I snorted in irritation, “Only if you can get me out of this forest.”

Clapping his hands childishly, he grabbed the rock of a cookie and stuffed it in his mouth. Needless to say, he smacked his lips loudly while some drool fell out. Trying to ignore the nasty display, I stood there awkwardly. Afterwards he started ranting randomly, about alchemy and some issues he’s been having with his back. He would zone out at times and look like he fell asleep before waking up and forgetting what he was talking about.

I had no choice but to listen and tried to make the best out of the situation. Though I learned he really loved alchemy and magic, the old man was too incoherent to get anything useful out of him. I still deduced a few things from his gibberish. For alchemy, magic was not something that was necessary but could give it a huge boost. Regular concoctions and magical concoctions were very different in potency. It could be used, but it doesn't need to be used, is what Aldo was saying while giggling like a creep.

He talked about some useless stuff, but never mentioned his actual age or anything substantial about himself. The man was lost in his own world, seemingly so old he should have been in a grave years ago. I listened in silence while he blustered. Suddenly, he broke into a wild cough, going cross-eyed and gripping his chest. Gaping at him, I could hear his heartbeat abruptly stop as he toppled to the ground.

“Shit.” I mutter with a scowl. Great, he was dead. Just as I was about to search the place for any clues on how to get out, he unexpectedly sprung up like a rod. Making me jump in shock, I was completely and utterly flabbergasted. Staring with wide eyes at him, I saw him give a few coughs as he got up and drank his tea. Pushing his back out with his hands, it gave out an unnatural sound as he sighed in relief, “Damn! That’s the third time this week!” he grumbled and looked at me with a goofy grin, “Where was I?”

“Alright! What the fuck is going on?!” I shouted. I’ve had enough. This was getting out of hand.

"Ahahahaha!” he laughed loudly before sitting back down, “Just another consequence of old age m’ boy! No need to worry about ol’ Aldo.” he said in a matter-of-fact way. Pissed off, I grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up, “Tell me how to get out of here!” I screamed at him, at wits end with this crazy senile motherfucker. Not minding me in the least, he laughed jovially, “Yer a free spirit, m' boy. I quite like ya so I'll give ya a special chance. How ‘bout it?" he smiled mysteriously at me, hanging there like a scarecrow from my grip.

I scowled and growled, “What the hell do you want?”

"I see I got yer attention. Good! Now, I can just tell ya the directions out of this enchanted forest, but ya wouldn't make it out anyway, hahaha. Since ya listened to me blab, I'll not only help ya get out of ‘ere, I'll recommend ye a teacher fer that nice magic ya have." he said with beady eyes, his legs actually lulling about. At first, I widened my eyes in surprise at the offer and then glared at him in suspicion, "I doubt you'd do this just because I kept you company for a while. Stop playing around, what do you want?" I ask again.

Aldo squints his eyes like a sly fox, "Hahahaha! Ya know people very well, m' boy! Yes, there is something ya can do fer me and I'll be sure to repay ya in kind if ya do." I roll my eyes, “As if you’re giving me a choice.” I grumble, making him shrug, “It is yer choice, help me or stay in this forest with me forever. Simple really.”

Narrowing my eyes, I hiss at the threat and break his arm off. It was like snapping a withered twig but, instead of shouting in pain, the old man laughed like a mad man, “Ya think ol’ Aldo can feel that? I lost meh senses years ago! Ya can kill me, bludgeon me, rip me to shreds if ya want but I’ll just come back before ye can even say cookie. Ya think I haven’t tried it myself boy?” I stared at the dust that fell out where I’d ripped off his arm, no blood whatsoever.

I stared in disbelief, I saw his arm wiggle and put itself back into place on its own, “What are you? Undead?” I ask in confusion. Scratching his beard, he seemed to think for a while, “Pretty sure I’m human an’ alive. I was last time I checked.” he grumbled.

I narrow my eyes, "So, if I don't help you, I can't get out of this forest. Not without your help?”

He looked at me with shrewd eyes, "Indeed ya don't. Ya can ransack the place if it makes ya feel better, many already had. Only I can get ya out."

I hiss slightly as I drop him unceremoniously on the ground. Dusting himself off, he put his arms behind his back and stared in expectation. Rubbing my face, I glared at him, “Let’s hear it then.”

Skipping with a happy face, things fell out of his beard at the action, "Great m’ boy! I’ll start at the beginning. As an alchemist I'm similar to enchanters and mages, we all seek knowledge and live fer research. That’s why I isolated myself here a very long time ago. Needless to say, I found what I was looking for, immortality!” he said with clear regret on his face, “It was great at first. I was young and strong fer the first few centuries then my body started to age and fall apart. I’ve looked like this fer the last 200 years! No matter what I do, I can’t die!” he looked miserable but I couldn’t care less. I just want to get the fuck out of here.

Pointing a finger at me, he had a mad expression, “Yer gonna help me die, boy!”

I scowled, “I don’t think I can kill you permanently any more than you can kill yourself.”

He skipped and howled, “That’s where yer wrong! I’m missing one last ingredient for my ritual and it’s been under my nose fer years. I can’t get it myself. Many people, beasts and monsters that wandered into this forest got trapped, but there is one that’s been ‘ere for almost as long as I ‘ave. That little whore hates my guts fer entrapping ‘er here in the forest, comes bangin on my doors every once in a while. I’ve no hope of dealing with ‘er so I want ya to kill ‘er and bring me ‘er corpse. In return, I'll give ya a pass out of ‘ere and tell ya the location of the mage." he paced a bit, giving me hopeful glances, as I digested what he told me.

After a minute of silence, I gave a court nod and sighed. Even thinking about spending the rest of my life here with the crazy coot made my head spin, "What exactly is this monster? Tell me about it." I say, resigned to go through with it. The information on the mage that could teach me actual magic was giving me some consolation in the matter.

He looked at me with delight, "It's a Lamia and an Apex tier at that. That bloody snake woman has been a hindrance fer years. Because of my magic formation, she’s been starved of ‘er favorite treats. As ya might know, Lamias love to attack and devour children and men, this one was especially fond of ‘er hobby. She stays in the small lake near the center of the forest. What I need from ‘er is ‘er whole carcass, but it must be as undamaged as possible!"

He points his bony finger a little over my stomach and under my heart, where my mana gland was located, "No matter what, don’t damage ‘er gland, boy!” My blood started to boil at the thought of killing an Apex creature. Just how strong were they? As far as I knew, out of my league. Lucky for me, she was weakened. I knew a thing or two about them, they consumed people and absorbed their bountiful mana as sustenance. Her not having access to them must have greatly diminished her reserves.

I shook my head, remembering that I wanted to ask something else, "I'll do it old man, but I need something first. You said earlier while you were ranting that you mastered healing alchemy, right? I would like you to check the condition of my body. I need to know why my body is this way. Can you give me answers?” I asked with full seriousness.

He raised his nonexistent eyebrows, "Boy, ya ask fer a lot, but that’s not a problem since ya said yer gonna grant my request. So, as a sign of good will, I'll do this favor fer ya. Come, follow me."

I walked behind him to his work space. The room really was full of herbs, vials, bottles and all kinds of equipment, how they hadn’t gone bad in such an environment was beyond me. There were living rats in cages and carcasses of small beasts in large jars under a gray tarp. It looked like a mad man's laboratory. He brought me to a large stone table, "Have a seat, I'll go prepare what I need."

Skeptical, I sat on the table and waited for him to return. He came back carrying a dusty wooden box. He set it on the table next to me and took out some gloves. Opening a jar filled with transparent liquid, he dipped his gloved hands into it. He looked at me and motioned with his finger, "Remove the clothes on the upper part of yer body."

Obliging, I removed my leather armor and clothes watching him cautiously. He needed my help so I wasn’t too worried about him trying something. Despite all his flaws, the fossil was straightforward. He observed my tattoos making a comment about how strange they were for demonic marks, then he placed his palms on my chest. He was feeling around, making weird faces. I felt a cool sensation spread through my chest area, his mana probing around. He closed his eyes and frowned. When he opened them, he looked at me with a strange face, "I can't see anything, I'm gonna need to use the second method.” he turned to take his box and hesitated a little, "Fair warning, it’ll hurt."

I just laughed dryly but said nothing. At this point, I really wasn’t afraid of pain. He took out a different jar that had some odd smelling goo in it and grabbed a handful. Opening the box he brought, I scowled at what he took out. It was a damn centipede, incredibly small but was the color of blood, “This is a Blackbog centipede, very rare and dangerous usually. This one is bound so there’ll be no issues on getting it out ya.” he grinned and dipped the bug into the goo, smearing it whole, “Should protect it from yer blood.” he muttered, making me wonder how he knew.

I must have visibly paled at his statement because his grin grew as he brought the thing to the middle of my chest. The centipedes little legs wiggled around as it attempted to burrow into my skin. It couldn’t pierce it though. Aldo snorted and gestured, “Ya mind helpin’ it out?!” Groaning, I made a small incision on my chest, hating myself for doing this. It better be worth it. With a hiss, I felt the little vermin crawl in. I couldn’t help but spasm at the horrid sensation, my eyes twitching as I clenched my teeth and glared at Aldo. He was surprisingly focused. After five minutes he waved his hand, “Should be enough, open a way out fer it.”

Doing as he asked, I made another incision. The thing crawled out, slightly sizzling from my blood while Aldo carefully took it and brought it to his desk. I shivered from the nasty sensation, no way will I be forgetting that any time soon. Aldo was at his work table, his hunched back obscuring whatever it was he was doing with the thing. I sensed magic though.

Suddenly looking back at me in confusion and shock, "By the Gods! What have ya done to yerself, boy? How’d ya manage to do that?! Quickly! Tell me yer symptoms! If my speculations are correct ya should be in quite a lot of pain!”

I raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly, "Yes, I was constantly in pain every time I moved or even spoke before my mana gland matured. More than half of my mana is being used to protect myself from the inside now. However, there is still a constant pressure in my body. Not to mention, I don’t need to eat and I’ve already shed once. According to something called the Codex, I’m half demon, half hydra. Do you know what this is about?”

I already had my own suspicions, but I should get a second opinion to make sure. Aldo gave me a strange look, "Yer body is in very bad condition. Ya see, skin is like a sack that carries and keeps in place all yer muscles, organs and blood, lined up with yer bones. Yer different however. What happens when ya fill a sack to the brim? It will either explode or overflow letting the contents spill. Yer body is overburdened. Yer muscle mass grew to the point of pressing down on yer blood vessels and bones resulting in severe pain as well as difficulty in movement. You have overextended your capacity, m’boy! Normally, the skin would stretch and accommodate the changes that occur inside the body, but yer skin seems to be set in stone.” stopping for a moment his eyes were shining with curiosity, “The Codex ya say? Didn’t know those were still around. If what ye say is true, then it is most likely a consequence of yer hydra side. Them buggers are known for being very specific in their biology.”

My suspicions were confirmed, feeling dejected, I took the chance to ask about this Codex, “What is a Codex?” Clearing up the mess, he shrugged, “That thing is like a sentient book. Ya feed it something an’ it gives ya all its knowledge on it. I figured they’d been destroyed long ago.” he answered simply, “As fer yer condition, yer not too far off from this shedding ya mentioned, a couple of months perhaps. It’ll fix ya up and make yer body function properly.”

Putting my clothes back on, I sighed and nodded, “Thanks anyway.” he chuckled and made shooing motions, “Now get! I got things to cook and ya got a snake ta hunt. Make it snappy!” Rolling my eyes, I headed to the exit before stopping, “Any better directions you can give me?” Wrinkling my nose at the sudden sour smell, I glowered, “The fuck are you cooking?!”

The owl’s eyes glowed with blue light as it flew to my shoulder. I eyed it and realized it was made of pure magic, must be the guide. I heard Aldo shout back in humor, "Isn't it obvious? I’m cookin’ drugs, m’ boy! My life is boring without ‘em." Sensing a rant coming up, I took that as my cue to leave.