Ron: “Why do we have to work like labours for her?”

Paleg: “You know why Ron.”

Ron: “Yes!! And that’s my point. Why do I have to work like this to cure some libido killing curse of His Highness? Let him come by himself and do this work instead.”

Me: “Why can’t you stop talking nonsense for a while, Ron?”

Ron: “Hey! I am not like you Javel... I can’t endure this wasteful work I have to do so that His Highness gets to cure his damn curse!”

Paleg: “And you don’t have to shout to express your feelings and certainly at this place where being quite is necessary to finish our job, you idiot!”

Ron: “I hate this situation... I don’t like it one bit.”

I roll my eyes as Ron whines continuously while sitting behind me. These days he gives me headaches frequently. Marion have sent us onto another ingredient supply run, which brought us to Kibilnarg Swamp. The swamp is a small piece of area compared to the other swamps in the Zoit continent.

Marion wanted the tails of a monster that dwells here. It is called Anugar. They live within the marshy areas and are about two feet tall. They have a muddy texture as their body colour which helps them in camouflage. Normally, it is hard to spot them during day time, but at night these monsters have a tendency to come out of hiding in search for prey. Their eyes glow with a distinct golden hue colour which is noticeable during night. The best time to hunt them.

We need to be silent to catch them unaware. The term ‘silent’ being the operative word as we are anything but silent. We have positioned ourselves onto branches of trees in close proximity. Fighting on land is difficult here and any one of us could take an injury. So, hunting them with arrows while sitting up on a branch of a tree is a much better viable option.

I turn behind and look towards them.

Me: “Stop bickering you idiots! We need to be silent. Paleg! Keep your eyes forward and be ready to shoot.”

Paleg: “Right... sorry Javel.”

Me: “Ron, focus and wait to mark those monsters.”

He gave a pained look before replying.

Ron: “Okay Javel.”

Me: “Good.”

I turn forward and sigh a bit. Me and Ron will mark the direction of those monsters while Paleg will follow and shoot arrows towards them. I am hoping to get one hit kills, if nothing it will cut the effort we would need to kill them. Marion wants at least 50 of them.

Ron: “Paleg! At your 2.”

Paleg: “Got it.”

He released an arrow laced with poison that Marion gave us to use. She said it was a byproduct of her experiment and she had no use for it. I sometimes wonder how dangerous can her experiment be? They quickly struck something that had glowing eyes attached to them. As soon as the arrow struck, we saw the monster spit some kind of liquid from its mouth and stopped moving.

Paleg: “Is it me or Marion’s experiment is getting scarier with time?”

Me: “Definitely the later... definitely.”

Anugars were supposed to have great durability and if not struck on their heads, they survive many barrages of attacks. In our case, the arrow must have struck somewhere on its body, but the vomiting of liquid by monsters after getting hit generally means poison. It affected the monster the moment it came in contact... instant death. I felt a shiver go down my spine.

Ron: “Never ask her to prepare dinner next time after angering her.”

Paleg: “You mean you should never anger her because she may truely give you something terrible.”

A small smile formed at the corner of my mouth.

Me: “On your 11.”

Paleg: “Hmm.”

With swift reaction he loosened an arrow which struck another one causing instant death.

Ron: “You know... I should be more supportive of Marion in her search for finding a cure. I mean her potions might just kill him if its anything like this one.”

Me: “Why are you so critical of him?”

Ron: “Why? You are asking me why?

Aby’s dead! She’s gone and that bastard never gave her the happiness she deserved.”

Me: “Don’t you think it pains us too... that she is no more? We deal with it and not by dumping all the blame over someone else. We don’t know what happened there and until I have heard about the situation, I will not any unnecessary comments. So, I advise you for the last time... keep your mouth shut and focus on the work at hand.”

Meanwhile Paleg shot and killed another one. I spot another one just after that, scurrying away in silence. Maybe it had detected that their kind were being hunted.

Me: “On your 5.”

An arrow went whistling by and the Anugar stopped moving.

Ron: “9!”

After a few moments, Paleg shot another one resulting in an instant kill.

Ron: “Why are you shooting late?”

Paleg: “Just give me some time to manage theses arrows.”

Ron: “Why would you need so much time? Are you sure you are still up for this job?”

Paleg: “Hey! I have to watch and load these arrows carefully as I don’t want to die from them. If you are so agitated by my work, try shooting them yourself.”

Ron: “I was just pointing something. You don’t have to get angry.”

Both Paleg and I traded looks with each other. He showed a pouting look which didn’t go well with his face.

Me: “Wipe that expression of your face. It doesn’t suit you.”

Paleg: “He he he he...”

Ron: “What are you laughing at?”

Paleg: “I just remembered the first time we met Aby. Javel, you remember that day?”

Javel: “How could I forget it? One of the best days of my life...

I remember introducing everybody to Aby and Wei after hiring them. Ron being blunt as he is still now, openly stated his opinion as if somebody wanted to hear his opinion.”

Paleg: “He he he... ‘If this girl could drink more than me, I will dance on one leg the whole night’... do you remember Ron?”

Ron: “I remember something else.”

He mumbles something after.

Me: “Ron... I thoroughly enjoyed your dance that night.”

Me and Paleg snicker after remembering the incident while Ron cracked a small smile. Even though it was an embarrassing moment for him, still that was one of our happy memories.

Ron: “On your 5... I think there are two of them at once.”

Paleg: “I see them.”

In a quick succession, Paleg shoot two arrows impaling both of the monsters.

Me: “At your 9.”

Ron: “Heh! Remember the time Paleg was injured in the Suvam Plains and we had to carry him all the way to the General Body outpost.”

After shooting the Anugar, Paleg replied.

Paleg: “Now that I think about it, whose fault was that?”

He looked towards me.

Me: “I seem to remember Aby taking over your duties and accidentally shot at Ron while practicing with archery. I think it was her first time learning it.”

Ron: “Damn girl nearly shot it on my butt. I was lucky to dodge it in time.”

Paleg: “He he he... I remember getting scolded by Marion after I opened my wound again because I laughed so hard at that.”

Ron: “That was no laughing matter.”

Me: “It may be so, but your expression was. You looked like someone who had a close shave of their life.”

Paleg: “he he he.”

Ron looked a little annoyed.

Ron: “You will know the horror when someone shoots at your butt.”

Paleg: “And speaking of butt, remember Javel... the time when Ron got his butt slapped by a beastman?”

I snickered while remembering that event. It was one of our funny drunken stories.

Ron: “Hey! Stop it... I don't want to hear it again. I seem to remember telling all of you to forget that.”

Me: “More like howled and cried to make us forget that.”

Paleg: “I still think Ron felt great when that beastman grabbed his butt.”

Me: “How long did he let that beastman touch him?”

Paleg: “A solid minute or so.”

Me: “A minute... he enjoyed that way too much...”

Paleg: “He he he he”

Ron: “It was all because of Aby. The willy beast woman used me as a cover to stop that drunkard of a beastman.”

Me: “You say that, but why should we believe your version of the story?”

Paleg: “He is lying through his teeth.”

Ron: “It’s the truth and you know it. That drunk was about to grab Aby’s bottoms when Aby side stepped and he grabbed mine accidentally. It was an accident.”

Me: “He he he he... I still have my doubt about it.”

Paleg: “He is lying.”

Ron: “I will beat you up Paleg... I will beat you within an inch of your life!”

We spent the better part of the night bantering with each other and spotting and shooting arrows at Anugars. We reached the expected amount of 50 in that time period. After hitting the mark, me and Ron got down on the ground, severed and collected their tails. We climbed up again and were resting upon the branches. We tried getting a few hours sleep before leaving towards our campsite. If all things go our way, according to my calculation we are just four days away from the Feli Clan’s area. If... everything goes our way and judging Marion’s erratic behaviour these days... I have serious doubt about us reaching within four days.

Remembering all those happy moments we shared with each other filled me with emotions I had tried to distance myself. Aby was an integral part of our team and not being able to see her one last time... the regret will forever stay with me.

Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps on the ground below us. Opening my eyes quickly, I glanced towards both Paleg and Ron, who also had woken up. We heard hushed sounds coming too, and due to the place being pitch black below us. That was the main reason we decided to stay at a close vicinity. I signaled Paleg to aim towards the place where the sound was coming from. While I signaled Ron to get ready to pounce once we have confirmed what kind of beings had intruded this place.

We waited patiently as the sounds of the footsteps along with the hushed sounds were now just in front of us. I wasn’t sure if the movement was off another bigger monster or another group of adventurers or beastmen. There wasn’t supposed to be another type of monsters other than the Anugars living here.

I signaled Ron and Paleg to steady themselves. With a loud and heavy voice I asked.

Me: “IDENTIFY YOURSELVES!!!”

A moment of dead silence followed after my question. I kept a very close watch on the ground for even some subtle movements, though it was dark. Paleg had already readied his arrow, ready to launch at any moment.

“Ple-please... help us.”

A soft feminine voice came within the darkness. It had worry and fear mixed in them. I took out a fire stone and threw it on the ground to get some light. The fire stone landed on the ground and some light cut through the darkness enough to make out what was down there.

I asked again.

Me: “SHOW YOURSELF!”

Slowly a figure emerged within the light given by the fire stone. The figure had a short about 5’3-4” ft and had a narrow build. It took a few seconds before the light showed the true appearance of the figure. The short stature belonged to a beastwoman.

I climbed down slowly, wary of anything out of the ordinary. I came close enough to make more of the appearance of the beastwoman. She had thin eyebrows and had straight, neck-length red hair. She was wearing a black long coat over simple leather armour. Her blue crescent eyes looking at me as if it was pleading.

“Please... help us... please.”

******************** End of Javel’s POV *****************

“What would it take to make a solid base?”

I shouted towards another failed sample of a potion. The camp was empty as I send them hunting for another ingredient. The thing is... nothing is still working. I am running out of ideas and ways to make something successful. I think I am slowly loosing my mind over this.

No!... I am sure I am loosing my mind. Nothing works... nothing! How could that possibly be? How could a potion mixed with a beast woman’s blood could affect someone to that level? How could that have produced antibodies of much potential? I have tried to make or create antibodies of a higher grade and they just turn into poison. Why is it happening? There must be something I am missing? Some little information I am forgetting... How?

So many questions came forward and no answers... How to unlock this puzzle?

Should I continue to vary the ingredients in hand or the amount I am using them?

In my defence, I have tried most of the combinations that were known to me and I could think of out of my head, but still nothing. All poison and nothing more... Well, not nothing more exactly. The more I failed, the more poisonous the potion becomes.

How should I move on from here?

Mindlessly, I put two scoops of fumewort powder in the flask placed upon the brewing stand. The fumeworts were small greenish herbs which had to be grounded into powder for it to be used. They had reputations of being good stabilizers upon which strong components could be used to make a strong type of potion. Although I carelessly put two scoops, each scoop had a fixed measurement of 2gms; therefore I added 4 grams of fumewort in the flask and mixed them with 50ml of water.

I stirred the fumewort into the water while being heated for about 3 minutes. The mixture turned greenish yellow, indicating it was ready for the next step. The next step being adding another two ingredients which would also act as stabilizers. One of the next ingredients to be added was powdered Barren root. Three scoops or 6gms of this white powder was enough. After putting it in, I stirred it well and waited until the colour of the mixture turned into blue.

I pulled out two Razorlings liver from the cold storage and weighed them together. It weighed about 50 grams. After noting their weight, I cut them into small pieces and grounded them into paste. I added the resultant paste slowly into the mixture while stirring the fluid inside. I have to make sure that they are mixed properly if I want to advance to the next step. Last time, I added 45 grams of the paste, so as a rule I added some more grams to it. Stirring for 15 minutes, the mixture turned red. It was ready for the next step.

This was the important step. I have to add strong anti suppressant ingredients. I took out a heart of the lizarling which after weighing came about 60 grams. I added another small piece of heart which made the weight come to a total of 80 grams, 10 grams more than the last.

I turned the heart pieces into paste and added three slices of Drake apples, which weighed 5 grams. I mixed them quite good and then added 50 grams of powdered dire pepper. I mashed them really good and added slowly into the mixture while stirring it.

The smell was awful... as if some monster had died and had started to rot. As a Medic, I have to endure it while creating something. For another 20 minutes I kept stirring the mixture which changed its texture. It became thick... very thick and within a blink of an eye, the colour of the mixture changed from purple to grey to yellow and started to bubble.

Immediately I put the flask down from the burner and let it cool a bit while I went outside to get some fresh air. It was already dark outside and I still haven’t touched my dinner. The campfire burned brightly illuminating the whole area while the moonstar and the stars sparkled. After 15 minutes, I went back inside. The foul smell was still there, but I mustered on.

I took some samples of the potion and dropped it on the sensory crystals. The crystals glowed and turned grey to black.

“DAMN IT!!!!!

AGAIN!!!!!”

I screamed at the sensory crystals while disbelief descended upon me. The potion was poisonous and had high potency.

I cleaned the surface of the sensory crystal and destroyed the potion. Came out of the tent and sat to have my dinner. There was nothing more I could do now. Even if the new materials arrive, I don’t know if the potion could be made.

How did the Blood Zuma perfected this type of potion? The knowledge behind such dangerous potion was terrifying. Well, the creators could not find any cure so why should I? Compared to them... I am not even in the same league.

I have to simplify the questions one by one. First would obviously be how did they make it? Let’s think about it and try to remember the main points on it.

Okay... the thing I know for a fact that the potion’s main ingredient was Adi’Je’s blood. When this potion gets mixed with Le’On’s blood it spreads it’s effect. The blood acts as an overpowering agent which works deep into the cellular level of Le’On’s body. Basically, it sets up triggers and commands them that only this type of DNA is allowed to be mixed while being in a certain situation. The certain situation being the time of copulation.

It could mean that during that period Le’On’s sensations gets boosted above normal level or it could be at a level where only the specific strand of DNA’s liking. Then the potion’s another job would be to aggravate Le’On’s senses. If all this is true, then the key to all this is surely would be blood... not just Adi’Je’s blood, but also Le’On’s too.

“That’s it!!!!

I need Le’On’s blood... and not the blood where the potion’s effect circulates with it... his pure, not tampered blood.

And the only place where I can get it out of him will be his heart.

I have to extract blood within the close proximity of his heart, if not directly from it.

Huh!! Well... that’s a tough one.

How should I do that?”

*****************************************************************************

(AUTHOR'S NOTE:- I am sorry for the late update and recently I crossed a huge milestone.

AOAYZ has completed 1 YEAR!!!

It is because of your support that I managed to pull this huge personal milestone. Thank you everyone. I would like to know how you feel as a viewer reading this story for a whole year?

And I would like to request all you viewers to take a look at the article linked below.

---> "How to support authors?" By an Author.