The sound of feet moving about the wooden floors of the Cromed Apothecary echoed as the Cromed family, all dressed in their uniforms, which consisted of a pair of brown shoes with black pants and long-sleeved green shirts with white at the wrists and neck, were busy with their daily routine.

  Shauna was busy cleaning the store section of their home, preparing it for when they would open. She always wanted to ensure the shop was clean and tidy for those who visited.

  Victor was meticulously watching over several black pots. Each one held a different colored broth, ranging from red, blue, and yellow, reflected in his glasses. However, he wasn’t alone as he watched over a man with black hair and fox-like ears, whose appearance and clothing had improved since he was hired. The sound of grinding stone emanated from him as he worked with a grinder bowl, grinding several herbs together to create a fine, dark green, powdery paste.

  “Hey Victor, how does this look?”

  Looking back at the work Noble made. “Yeah, that looks good, but keep grinding that one out for a few more minutes, and then you can move on to the next.”

  “Yes, Sir.” Turning back to his assignment, Noble couldn't help but wonder. “I forgot whats this one is called again?”

  “Oh, that one is called Haze Powder. It's a numbing agent, so people like to use it when recovering from surgeries or dealing with general pain. But I've heard some rumors about some, how do I say this… ‘gutsy’ adventurers like to use it so that they can fight hordes of monsters on their own.”

  The renard looked back at the bowl, returning to his task.

  However, they weren’t the only ones preparing the shop for the day as the three looked down the shelves, ensuring they were all stocked and faced.

  Of the four shelves, each one had its own section.

  The first held potions of different types, ranging in color. Red healing potions that helped with all forms of injuries, with the higher quality ones being a darker red and higher in price. Blue ones that helped with recovering magical energy. There were ones that helped combat poisons; each one was a different color and labeled, marking the different types of poison they were used to combat.

  The second and third held the raw ingredients that were used to create potions and medicine. There are many herbs, dried fruits, different colored mushrooms, and bark from trees, just to name a few. On the other side, there were more “living ingredients”. Cut tails that used to belong to lizards and salamanders, venom from snakes and spiders, preserved insects, and some jars filled with monster organs.

  Many of these ingredients are used for Cromed’s personal use, but they also sold these to many who want to create their own remedies or for a higher price, a custom order.

  The fourth and final shelf held medicine in the shape of vials that held syrups that had their own color. Packets that held dry powder and small tablets that were meant to be put in water. Further down the line, there were even vitamins.

  In each section, Arthur, Ash, and Fir took notes on what was there, what was missing or in low supply, and in some cases what needed to have its price changed.

  Fir had quickly adjusted to her role in the Cromed Apothecary thanks to Ash’s help. Wandering down the second shelf, constantly changed her view from the checklist to the shelves. “Ok, Saffron, check. Fennel, check. Parsley, check. Achyranthes Root, check. Turmeric, check. Lustrous Root… huh, looks like that needs restocking.”

  “Hey, Fir, how is it going?

  Turning to meet the ashen-haired boy as his charcoal-colored eyes met hers. “It's going good, Ash, I'm just about done. I just need to go grab something in the back.”

  “Alright, if you need anything, Arthur and I are gonna go clean the front of the store.”

  Leaving her section, the way of her tail matched the pep in her step as she made her way to the back room to restock. Looking through the room, her eyes looked over the basket,s trying to find more of the Lustrous Root. Sunset yellow eyes got lost in the shelves as they scanned the shelves and boxes, looking for the root.

  Fir became oblivious to her surroundings as she searched for the object to complete her task, so the arrival of a dark-blond went undetected by her ears.

  “Fir, what are you in here?” Turning to meet the voice, she only watched as a small grin formed as she saw an opportunity to mess with her employee. “The boys are cleaning the front. You aren’t trying to avoid your share of the chores, are you?”

  “Oh, Shauna. It's nothing, I was just looking for any Lustrous Root, the shelves were empty.”

  “Oh, alright then. Well, let me see if I can find it. It can be a pain to find things back here sometimes.”

  Walking towards the shelves, she joined Fir in her search. Looking through the shelves and storage chests. Found a surplus of other herbal ingredients and other miscellaneous objects. Searching the higher shelves, Shauna moved her hand around the shelf until she felt something firm with a slight wooden texture.

  Taking hold of it, she pulled it back to reveal an old root that had a faded color. It had lost any value it had left due to the passing of time, and other smaller roots branched off the main part of the body.

  “Huh, looks like we’re out.”

  “So what do we do then, Mis Shauna ?”

  Watching as her blond-haired boss placed her hand under her chin, tapping the old root against her temple. “Well, we need to inform Victor about this, then go from there. This is gonna be a pain.”

  Nodding in agreement, Fir followed Shauna as the two left to spread the information.

  —

  “Well, this is gonna be a problem.” Victor spoke out, looking over the root. “ And are you sure we didn't have any more in the back?”

  Shaking her head, Shauna spoke. “Sadly, that was the only one we could.” Gesturing to Fir, on who watched as they discussed.

  Victor could only let loose a tired, annoyed breath. “Well, this is going to be a pain.” His words echoed the statement Shauna had made to Fir just moments earlier.

  “Now if you don’t mind my asking. What is so important about this root? Noble questioned.

  Turning to Renard, the first to speak was Victor.

  “Well, you see, Lustrous root is used in several of the potions we make here. You see, it has excellent enhancement properties that make potions stronger. So it's used for making many of the high-grade potions we sell here; however, other ingredients can be used in its place. But that’s not what we use it for…”

  Both members of the Crescent family watched as Victor went behind the counter, only to return with a small crate with a white cloth tarp. The clang of glass bottles didn’t go unnoticed by the zoophians’ ears. Shauna, however, only had an amused look on her face.

  “… This is what I use them for.” Removing the cloth to reveal eight glass bottles that held a dark golden liquid. It almost looked like liquified gold that had just been melted and cooled. “Now this is what I use Lustrous Roots for. It's a personal project of mine.”

  “What is it?” Fir spoke up, eyeing the bottles. While she and her father may have only been working with the Cromed family for a little over a week, it was the first time she had seen this.

  Watching as his two newest employees were left trying to figure out what they were looking at, viles. He puffed out his chest and changed his voice to a more entertaining tone as if to try to put on a performance. Dramatically thrusting his arms towards the box. “I present to you! The one, the only. The Cromed original recipe! The C—

  “It’s called Cure All.”

  Shauna’s announcement lacked any of the gravitas that Victor was trying to build up. Speaking of, his glasses grew dull, and a deadpan, disappointed look took over.

  Tapping his finger against the table, he almost looked like a pouting child that had his surprise ruined.

  “Oh, come on, don’t be like that.” Shauna tased. Placing a kiss on her husband’s cheek, making a smile return. “Go on, tell them.”

  Rolling his eyes. “You owe me one.” A smirk grew on her face, thinking of what the statement could imply. “Well, like I was saying. This is what I call Cure All, it’s a potion I’ve been working on to not only heal almost all physical wounds but also poisons and even restore magical energy as well.”

  Noble was left shocked. “That’s amazing, so when will you be getting more?”

  Returning to the situation of their problem, Victor’s mood changed at the prospect of acquiring the root he needed. “Well, that’s the other problem.”

  Fir and her father were curious to hear of this other problem, but she also wondered where Ash and Arthur wandered off to.

  “You see, getting Lustrous Root isn't that easy. First of all, we could go to one of the few forests where they grow and find.” Victor informed the pair, only for him to continue. “The problem is that it requires one of us to stay and run the shop while the other goes looking for them.”

  Hearing the situation, Noble spoke up, trying to offer a solution. “Well, then, why not put in a quest at the guild?”

  “We’ve done that before, and sadly, even then, we get mixed results.” Shauna spoke up this time. “You see, most of the adventurers at the guilds don’t take up jobs like this unless the reward is worth it for them. Hell, there have been times when we have made job requests only to have them go unanswered for weeks or even just ignored because they didn’t ‘pay enough’. That’s not even getting to the guild fees.”

  “So what do we do—

  “That’s where we come in!”

  Noble was interrupted as the from the stairwell came rushing down both boys.

  Arthur wore a dull-white shirt with a green V-shape stripe underneath a forest green short-sleeved hooded jacket. A black belt connected to brown pants and boots held a pair of straight swords curved toward the end. He wore little armor, mostly metal guards that covered his arms and shoulders.

  Ash, however, seemed to be wearing simpler clothing when compared to his brother. Over a long, light gray shirt was a black cloak with purple markings and a purple lining on the inside. Gray shorts and boots finished off his attire as they both held baskets.

  “Aboaulty not!” Victor spoke up, breaking the silence they two caused.

  “Come on, Dad,” Ash spoke up. “We’ll just go and look in Pinecone Forest. We can handle that… if it helps, we can go see if Red or Hector will tag along.

  With a tired sigh. “We’ve talked about this, and the answer is still—

  “I think it might be a good idea this time,” Shauna spoke over Victor. He was left surprised at his wife’s statement. “Oh, don’t you look at me like that? We’ve talked about this, and I think they can handle it. I mean, we’ve been drilling the information into them; it should be an easy task.”

  While the two continued to talk back and forth, Fir made her way to the brothers.

  “Hey, Ash, Arthur, what’s with the getup?”

  “Well you see it’s–

  “This is our adventuring gear.” Arthur interrupted his brother, hocking his arm around Ash. Putting him in a headlock. “And if things go well right now, we’re gonna be going outside the city.”

  Hearing about their plans and looking at their gear before eyeing the attire she wore. Fir rushed past them, making her way upstairs.

  “I guess you have a point…” The voice of their father brought their focus back to him. “… But are you sure about this?”

  She was looking at her sons. Seeing how Ash tried to break out of her eldest grasp only made her smile as images of their younger days took shape. “Yeah, they’ll be fine.”

  Hearing that confirmation, emerald green and charcoal black lit up.

  ““Thanks, Mom!!””

  “Now don’t you boys start thanking me yet, 'cause if you're gonna go you better not forget a few things.” Gesturing behind them to see Fir returned wearing a long-sleeved white shirt, a black skirt, and knee-high stockings. “Exploring is fun, but it’s safer to travel in a large group.”

  Looking back, onlly to see a ready set of yellow eyes. Ash and Arthur looked back at each other before the ashen-haired boy spoke. “Want to join us Fir?”

  She looked ready to follow them as she swiped the basket from Ash. Excitement filled her voice as she ran off towards the door. “Yeah, let’s go, after all, I want to earn my keep here!”

  “Hey, wait right there, young lady.” Halting at her father’s voice, she turned to face him. Placing a hand on her head, flashing her a smile. “Just be careful out there, honey.”

  Fir only matched her father’s smile, she soon felt something press against her. Looking down, the cloth covered the object. Curious, she met her father’s gaze and slowly unraveled the cloth to reveal a rather simpler knife with a five-inch blade and golden-bronze-colored handle.

  “Just a little something to help keep you safe.”

  “I wouldn't worry too much about that, Noble, if my boys have a hard time watching out for her, then… Let's just say my wife will have some plans for them.”

  The sound of cracking knuckles filled the room. They all turned to see Shauna swinging between each fist. The look that painted her face made both boys shrink with fear, causing the rest to laugh.

  One’s laughter was cut off as Ash took Fir’s hand, pulling her along as they followed Arthur outside. As they were greeted by the morning sun, Ash let go of Fir as he joined Arthur in the street. Turning to face each other, Fir watched confused as the two brothers pulled their arms back as if preparing to throw a punch.

  “3…”

  They wound their arms.

  “2…”

  They both wore a confident, competitive grin.

  ““1!!””

  “Hey, wait!” Fir called out, trying to stop the pair.

  But it was too late as they both threw their fists. One remained a fist while the other opened up and became flat.

  The older brother threw a rock while his younger brother played paper.

  “Let's GO!!” Ash cried out in victory, raising his arms towards the sky.

  “Damn it!!” Arthur had a defeated tone, slamming his hands against his head, followed by a frustrated snap of his fingers.

  Fir was only further confused as Arthur started to run.

  “Hey! Where are you going? I thought we were going to gather Lustrous Root!”

  Yelling back towards the zoophian, Arthur just kept running. “I’m going to get Red! I’ll see you both at the fountain by the northeast gate!”

  Watching as Arthur ran off. Fir was left confused as she watched until Arthur disappeared, unaware that Ash had already started to walk off in the opposite direction. Calling out to her, he brought her attention back to him as she darted to catch up with him.

  “Ash… What just happened?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean, the whole hand-throwing thing and why Arthur ran off in the opposite direction.”

  “Easy… He lost, so he has to run across the city to the Riser Estate to get Red, and we get the shorter route to see if Hector can join us.”

  Finishing off his statement, Ash continued to walk down the early morning road as Fir followed him.

  “Hey, Ash, you think we can grab a drink or something before we head out?”

  “Sure, why not. You have a taste for anything?”

  —---

  Rushing through the streets, Arthur ran past vendor after vendor; several were preparing for the day. Lending a hand where he could and continued to spread the word of a possible opening of the second location of Cromed Apothecary.

  Soon, the front gates of the Riser Estate came into view. The sight caused him to run faster, wanting to inform his friend about the ‘quest’ they had been assigned, dashing past the gate.

  Waving at the pair of knights guarding the gate entrance, who simply returned his gesture as the road changed from stone to brick as he approached the front door.

  Hitting the door with rapid suction and waiting for an answer.

  Moments passed as the only souls that kept Arthur company were his shadow and tapping foot.

  Knocking his fist against the door again, applying more force, attempting to create more noise, he went back to waiting. Only moments later, nothing arrived again, still as he only grew impatient. “Well, better to ask forgiveness than permission, it's not like I’m a stranger.”

  So, shrugging, rather than waiting, Arthur opened the door and entered. Removing his shoes, he made his way through the Riser Estate. The smell of eggs and bread washed over him, almost forgetting about his task, he let his stomach take the lead as he made his way to the dining room. Walking through the living room with his nose as his guide, he couldn’t help but notice how clean the room was and the brown carpet that was so soft it felt like he was walking on clouds.

  Finally making it to the table, he couldn’t help but feel his mouth water at the sight before him. There were leftover plates with eggs, rice, and slices of meat, with spinach leaves dressed. There were empty bowls of apple sauce. However, there was a nearly full plate, untouched.

  Seeing an opportunity. “Well, better not let good food go to waste.” Grabbing one of the available spoons, he scooped out a good spoonful of egg and rice.

  “That’s good, now for the meat.”

  Taking it with the spoon, he was about to bring it to his mouth. Until he felt metal tapping against the side of his neck.

  Looking down, his blood ran cold as he saw it was the smooth end of a knife. Turning his head slowly, following it, he was met with a pair of piercing heterochromatic eyes.

  With a shaky voice, he spoke. “Ah… hey Maryan… lovely weather we’re having this morning.”

  Maryan stared down at him before sheathing her blade, an act that calmed the boy. Watched as she stole the meat back, eating it before she addressed him.

  “I must say it’s quite a surprise to see you this morning, Arthur. Now tell me what you are doing here?”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Her soft, alluring voice turned the boy from a child filled with excitement to putty that would tell her any information she needed. “Oh, I’m here to get Red.” Like many before, Arthur fell victim to her mere presence. “Ash and I are off to Pinecone Forest to go look for Lustrous Roots, and we figured having another set of eyes would be helpful.”

  “So you want Red to help you with a set of chores?” She continued her investigation. “I don’t see any harm in that. Come with me, he's in the back.”

  She started to make her way towards the backyard with her, taking the food with her so she could avoid another incident of someone else taking it. “Arthur, if you touch my breakfast again, I’ll quite literally kick you out.”

  Her words made him freeze up momentarily, but he quickly followed her as she led him to the backyard.

  Passing through the back door, the view of the yard came into view. Despite all the time he, Ash, and Hector would all come over to play as kids, the size of it still gave him something to snicker at. Watching as Maryan left him to rejoin a Riser family, all dressed in their normal clothing.

  Roy and Achilles were occupied talking with one another as they looked out into the yard. So the first to take notice of his arrival was Hellia.

  “Well, my my, what brings you here, Arthur?”

  Her words caused the other two others who sat with her, Roy and Achilles, to turn to greet his arrival.

  “Morning, kid, what brings ya here?”

  “Hey, Arthur!”

  The two greeted him, with Roy running up to meet him, and they shared a high five.

  “I’m doing fanatics, by the way, I was wondering if Red is available.”

  “Well, he’s here,” Achilles spoke up. “But available… that’s something you're going to have to ask her about that.” Finishing his point, he signaled Arthur to look out towards the yard.

  There he finally noticed standing at a range was Lyndis standing behind Red, a burning hand pressed against his back. Igneel watched over the pair. Flames surrounded his friend’s arms as he heard her voice echo.

  “Now, Red. Fire!!”

  Looking down at the target and hearing him call out the spell.

  “Firebolt!”

  A blast of sparking fire left his hand. Blasting the target, leaving burning embers and jolting bolts in its wake, hitting the target.

  “Red, how many times do I have to tell you, when we practice like this, you don’t need to be the one to form the spell. Let me do the hard part while you just focus on the flow of magic.” As she spoke, Lyn adjusted Red’s form. Moving his hand to be more in line with the target, even changing his stance.

  “Red,” Igneel spoke up. “Fire magic is well… like fire, you need to carefully feed the flame until it's ready.”

  Even from a distance, Arthur could see fatigue growing on Red. Watching as Red separated himself from Lyn, and saw he was doing what he could to keep the sparking flames from going out.

  “OK then. Focus on that heat, condense it, and then fire when you feel it’s ready.”

  They all watched the flame grow brighter and soon he took aim…

  “Firebolt!”

  … A flame slowly raced across the field, growing smaller and smaller the closer it got to the target before hitting it. A smile grew on as Red fell to his knees, tired, while Lyndis eminently went to his side, rubbing his back.

  He was making progress; it wasn’t much, but it was progress.

  “Red, sweetie. It's ok to push yourself, but you can’t force it. You’ll get it eventually, you are my son after all.” She couldn’t help but smile as she encouraged him while her hand ran through his hair. “Think you can handle another shot?”

  On the patio, they all watched the display as Red got back on his feet, ready to continue.

  “He’s been at this for the past week.” Arthur turned to face Achilles, whose eye didn’t leave the sight of his family as they practiced. “From dawn till dusk, he’s been practicing non-stop. So Lyn and Igneel have been trying to match this current drive of his.”

  “Yeah, my brother has been doing this so much that he’s collapsed a few times,” Roy spoke up this time. “Heck, he suffered a drain the other day and was out cold for a bit.”

  “I know what you mean Roy. I remember when Ash would suffer from drain when he was learning ‘Full Heal’. If you ask me, though, I think he was blowing it out of proportion just to give me the lion’s share of the choirs.”

  “I doubt it. The headaches from the drain are never fun.” Roy couldn’t help but shudder at the thought, recalling the head-pounding headaches as fatigue that followed signaled a drain.

  Maryan only snickered at Roy. “You must know from experience, how many times have you come running to me, saying your head hurts?”

  This only caused the group to have a small laugh at the redhead's expense

  “He’s not wrong,” Hellia added. “He’s definitely inherited her stubborn streak.”

  “Stubborn streak?” They all turned to see the trio arrive on the patio. “I prefer the term strong-willed.”

  “Hmm, naw. I think stubborn is more apt for you, dear.”

  Arthur watched as Lyn gave her solo focus to Achilles. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” There was an underlying playfulness to her tone, something that Achilles matched.

  “I think you heard me correctly.”

  “Achilles… how about I—

  “Sorry, Lyn, but Achilles has you there.” Maryan joined as she held back a small snicker, adding more to the case against her friend. “After all, we didn't call you Lyndis the FireCracker for nothing.”

  Arthur, like the rest of those present, watched as the scene unfolded as the teasing assault from both her husband and friend made Lyn pout. Before turning his attention to the Red. “Red, get your gear on, and let’s go.”

  “What, no hey, or how’s your morning?

  “Come on, hay for horses, we got a job today.” Arthur almost dragged him along, trying to get him moving. That was until he was met with resistance.

  “Arthur, I’m not going to follow you to the guild so you can hit on the girls there. The last time that happened, I got an earful from Miss. Shauna, for no reason, all because you didn’t leave them alone.”

  “Oh, come on, son, go spread your wings. Learning how to talk to ladies is something every man should know. And there is no better way to learn than to get out there.” With each word, Igneel did his best to ignore the daggers that were being sent his way by his wife, daughter, and Maryan.

  “No, it’s not that. We finally got permission from Mom and Dad to go to Pinecone Forest to search for Lustrous Root.” As he spoke, Red's face lit up with excitement. “Now, hurry up and get your gear. We’re meeting Ash and Fir at the northeast gate. So come on let’s—

  He didn’t even have to finish as Red darted towards the back door, opening it—

  “Well then, boys, give me a second and I’ll join you, kids.” Lyn’s voice put a halt to Red’s actions.

  “Come on, Mom, I can handle myself… I don’t need you watching over me all the time.”

  “Oh come now, me and your brother can tag along.” Her saying that only caused Roy to grow excited. “We can make a day out of it, and besides, is it wrong that I want to spend time with my boys? Now let me get—

  “Lyndis,” This time, Hellia spoke up, silencing her, mirroring the similar action with Red. “Don’t forget you have paperwork that needs to be done, and there have been a few requests to have an audience with you.”

  The remainder of the work she had to do almost seemed to fill her with dread as she tried to think of something. “Father, could you go with them?”

  “Sorry, dear, I have to attend a meeting with the knight general, and that’s going to take all day.”

  Turing Achilles, she started to plead with her husband. “How about you, Achilles, will you go with them?”

  “They’ll be fine on their own. Besides, they'll be fine. It's not like they’re going dungeon diving, right?” Staring down at Arthur, the boy felt his blood run cold. But it wasn't just Achilles; he felt the looks of Lyn, Hellia, and Maryan all share the same look as they all looked at Arthur. Except for Roy, who wanted to tag along, and Igneel, who told Lyn that he would be helping her with some of the tasks that needed to be taken care of.

  “N… No! We are just going to Pinecone Forest to look for Lustrous Root, that's it, I swear!”

  “Well, then, I see no problem with what. It would be good for him to take a day off from pushing himself.” The boy's grandmother seemed to give her approval, much to Lyn’s dismay.

  “I feel the same.” Maryan only added to the unclimbable wall that grew against Lyn, and Achilles showed no signs of helping her as he nodded in agreement.

  Red and Arthur looked at each other as their fists met. Making their way to the door, ready to leave, they were halted by yet another voice.

  “Now, before you both go.” They turned to Hellia. “You both have to agree to a few things.”

  —---

  By a white marble brick fountain with four fish facing the center, while pouring water into the center, Ash and Fir both sat together on a bench, looking over a map of Pinecone Forest and looking over the bag of supplies they had. On the map, Ash was using a marker to mark the locations that would have a higher likelihood of finding Lustrous Root.

  “So what about here?” Fir question, pointing toward the southern part of the forest. “Can we find Lustrous Root there?”

  “No, that part of the forest is full of Napa weeds, and they will often grow over and choke out other flowers and roots so they can get more nutrients for themselves.”

  Looking over the forest map, her eyes continued trying to see what spots would be good. “How about here?” pointing to the eastern edge of the forest.

  “That area wouldn't do either,” Ash’s response only made Fir’s ears drop slightly, disappointed. “Look, these will be the main areas we’ll be looking at here, here, and here.” Her eyes watched as his finger moved to three marked areas.

  “So what makes you so sure about these areas?”

  “That's simple. These spots have small openings in the tree line where sunlight can reach the floor easier and there are a few streams that make it easier for them to grow.”

  Fir only turned back to him as he finished marking the areas they would search. “How do you know so much about this?”

  “That's simple, my Dad knows how to drill information into you to the point where it's hard not to forget.”

  “Yeah, your Dad is a pretty strict teacher.” Covering her mouth as she laughed.

  Ash only joined her slight laughter. “If you think that's bad, you haven’t seen what Mom is when she is teaching Arthur how to use a sword. I’ve lost track of how many times she has knocked him on his ass.”

  Their laughter went unnoticed by many of the families who wanted to enjoy a late breakfast, but it only made one voice that cried out more noticeable.

  “Hey Ash, Fir!”

  They both turned to greet Arthur waving to him as he ran to them with Red behind him, dressed in his armor and sword at his back.

  However, at the sight, Fir had lowered her hand and a nervous, almost worried look took over as she looked back between the boys. To the point that a mass of red hair behind Red went unnoticed by her.

  As the group joined up, that red hair came further into view and at the site of the zoophian. Roy introduced himself to Fir, while Red and Arthur joined with Ash.

  “So Red, Arthur… Why is Roy here?”

  He could only rub the back of his head and give an awkward smile. “Yeah, Mom said that if I was going to be able to join you guys I had to bring Roy with me. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “It’s fine, having another set of eyes to help look will be great given that Hector isn’t going to be joining us.”

  That left them both surprised as Arthur spoke up first. “Why, what happened? Is something wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong, he said he’s just going to help Mis. Tastu with her garden. Then they were going to… well visit him.”

  They grew quiet. Standing in the silence that was only broken by the side conversation between Roy and Fir as they continued their greetings. Still, Fir having a hard time believing that she was meeting new members of the royal family.

  “How about we get going, the sooner we get going the better.”

  Red and Ash looked at Arthur and agreed. Ash called out to Roy and Fir and the small group started to make their way towards the northeast gate towards the forest.

  Making their way down the street, Roy reclaimed his spot on his brother’s back, forcing Red to give him a piggyback ride. Much to his dismay.

  The city limits came into view, marked by walls that stood over eighty feet tall. Six guards were stationed at the gate in total, inspecting what was entering the city, while two others took note of who was leaving. Passing through the gate was rather easy thanks to Red.

  Walking along the dirt road for the past hour, Pinecone Forest came further into view. But Ash noticed that Fir started to lag behind the rest of the group. With each step, she put more distance between herself and the group.

  With sunset yellow eyes, following the numerous white fluffy clouds that seemed to race across the sky. ‘It feels odd to be walking on a dirt road after so long.’

  “Nice weather today, right?”

  She turned to see where the words came from, only to find that Ash had split from the group to walk alongside her. “Yeah the breeze feels great and I forgot how quiet it can be outside the city.”

  The two continued to trail the other, watching as Red and Arthur talked and laughed about some of the trouble they caused with Hector when they were still kids, while Roy laughed along with them. Red looked back at the pair periodically checking in on them, only for Ash to flash him a thumbs up as he returned to this conversation.

  “So what’s up, Fir? Is something wrong?”

  “It’s nothing.” She was quick to respond, almost too quick.

  Ash didn’t buy it; something was bothering her. “No, really, is something wrong? I can walk you back home if you want. There is no need to force yourself to do this.” He could only give her a comforting smile.

  His demeanor was still as comforting as the day they met. Taking a breath to clear her mind, she waited for a moment as she gathered the correct words. “I guess you could say I’m a little on edge.”

  “Well, you have Arthur, Red, and myself at your back. So you have nothing to worry about.”

  “I know, I trust you guys, but… How are you so calm around him? I mean his a–

  “Prince? Like I said before, once you get used to him, he’s a bit of a dork.”

  “That's not what I mean…” Her voice trailed off, contemplating whether or not she should continue. But Ash only gave her the time to find her words, then quieter than a moth's wing beat. She spoke. “He’s a blood eye… doesn't that worry you?”

  Ash didn’t speak; he simply walked alongside her. The new silence felt dreadful, as the only noise that broke it was the chit-chat of the three in front of them. Fir tried to look everywhere but at Ash, only to find herself staring at the ground.

  “I grew up with those stories, too. A lot of us did. I guess we were lucky to meet Red before we heard those stories.” Fir changed her view from the dirt back to Ash. “So what I want to know is, what’s wrong?”

  Silence fell on them once again until Fir forced the words out. “I’ll tell you but this stays between us, ok?”

  Ash only nodded, waiting for Fir to continue.

  “When my Dad said that our village was destroyed in a monster raid a few years ago, there were a few details he left out.” Ash simply leaned in as she grew ready to speak. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself. Fir spoke again. “You see, in the village we lived in used to be peaceful. I remember the mornings when I would wake up to the smell of my mother’s cooking, and my father would be helping get fresh vegetables from our garden. It was simple, but I loved it.”

  He just walked beside her as she recalled those days.

  “But that all changed the day he arrived…” The tone she spoke with was anything but nostalgic. “A human man with red eyes arrived one day out of nowhere. It was safe to say that we should have just driven him out before it happened.”

  “Before what happened?”

  “The chaos.” Filling her body with air, she prepared herself to speak. “First came the bad harvest; no crops were safe, not even my family’s small garden. Then it was half a year of violent storms that led to several homes collapsing, a disease that ran through claiming the lives of many… including my mother.”

  “I’m sorry I—

  “Then the monster raid happened. Goblins, Orcs, Lizardmen, Horn Giants, and many other monsters ransacked what remained of my old home.” Taking a moment to pause and look back at the sky before continuing. “So Dad and I traveled around Ielos for a year to find a place to settle down, until we finally made it to Phera.”

  Ash was left speechless. “I’m sorry I didn’t know it was that bad.”

  “Well, it wasn’t so bad. I got to see a few other places. And I was able to meet you, and you helped get me and my Dad back on our feet.”

  That ending comment did give them both something to smile about.

  “Hey, come on you two!” They heard Roy call out to them. “We’re just outside of Pinecone Forest, hurry up!”

  Looking back at each other, they ran to catch up to the rest of the group as they all entered the forest.

  —

  In the backyard of a brick ranch-style home, a small garden, filled with multiple colored flowers and vegetables, was being deweeded by a pair of draconians with matching turquoise blue scales. Next to both the mother and son pair was a growing pile of weeds as they worked on clearing them from the flower bed.

  “There we go. Hey Ma, I'm done over here, so I’m gonna start on the next section.”

  “OK, could you also pick the ripe ones while you're at it?”

  “Naw, that seems like too much work.” Hector teased, while Tastu smiled and rolled her eyes at the comment. She watched as Hector made his way to where they were growing tomatoes and bell peppers. Returning to his knees, he began to pull weeds anew, while looking over.

  Adjusting her gardening hat, she turned to him. “You know Hector. You could have gone with your friends, I would have been fine on my own.”

  “Ma, you know I don’t mind helping out. Besides, the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can visit Dad.”

  Turning to watch as Hector continued to pull weeds, and for a brief moment, whether it was her eyes or her mind deciding to play a trick on her. For a single moment, his scales looked brown as the image of his father took shape.

  She couldn’t help but smile as she placed her hands on her knees and got up. Making her way to Hector, watching as he carefully removed the weeds and didn’t accidentally uproot of the flowers, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging her son. Who only turned to her.

  “What’s up, Ma? Is something wrong?”

  Humming as her chin started to rest on his head. “Oh, nothing, but you should have gone with your friends. I would have been fine on my own.”

  Hector only kept pulling weeds. “I made my choice Ma, so let's get this done. Besides, they are likely halfway to Pinecone Forest by now, and I don’t have anything packed.”

  Changing his focus from telling weeds apart from plants and determining which tomatoes could be picked. He paid no mind as he felt his mother leave along with the opening and closing of the backyard door.

  “Hey, Ma if you’re going in could you bring me a glass of water?”

  Time seemed to fly as Hector continued to pull out weeds and took care to remove both tomatoes and bell peppers, placing them in their respective baskets.

  ‘I wonder if I should have gone with them.” He stopped working for a moment only to look at the sky, before returning to his work.

  ‘I know we said that we’d travel around Ielos one day, but that… that would mean leaving Phera. Can I leave Ma by herself?’

  He worked trying to either find an answer or to use the work to distract himself. Even lost in his mind, the draconian was able to work before long. He plucked each ripe tomato and pepper and pulled each weed from that section of the garden until he had cleared it.

  “Well guess that’s that. Huh, Ma isn’t back yet.” Getting up with a basket filled with the food he pulled, Hector made his way to the door. “Well, better check on her.”

  As he reached for the door, it opened up to reveal Tastu holding a small backpack and a canteen.

  “Wait Ma—

  He didn’t have time to respond as she swiped the basket from his hands, replacing it with the backpack and the canteen. It felt cold and wet. Hector couldn’t even get a word out as he was pulled inside and nearly dragged past the kitchen and through the living room, only for them to reach the front door. It happened in a flash as he was forced out of the dimly lit room and back into the blinding sun. His vision tried to keep up with the sudden changes all while stumbling over his tail before hitting the brick pavement.

  “Ma, what was that fo–

  “Go.” Her words silenced him as he looked at him, smiling happily. “Go catch up with your friends. That's an order from your mother now, get going!” Her smile didn't leave as she ordered him, pointing in the direction for him to go.

  Hector was left with no other choice. Getting up and dusting himself off, he turned to the direction of the northeast gate and took off.

  “Now you be careful out there, Hector!” She called out, waving to him as he ran. “And don't forget we're having dinner at Shauna and Victor's tonight to go straight to the Apothecary once you kids get back !”

  The blue-scaled draconian only waved back before he managed to wave down a carriage, getting in before it took off towards the northeast gate. After he was fully gone from view, Tastu made her way back inside. “I wonder what I should bring… Those peppers would pair perfectly with some beef and pork for some kabobs.”

  —-

  Lustrous Root is rather hard to find in Ielos. It gets its name from the soft light yellow flesh that is hidden way underneath the brown skin of the root. It normally takes a full three years for it to mature and it can only be found in select forests with the right climate along with nutrient-rich soil.

  So once the group made their way into the forest and started their search, they found the task of locating the root to be harder than they expected. Searching underneath trees that had enough space for light to reach and shade to prevent the root from drying up, to small streams that were dominated by many other forms of plant life.

  Red and Roy searched near the tree, using a small carving knife to peel back some of the roots’ skin to see if any of the roots that breached the ground had that bright yellow color they were looking for. Ash and Fir chose to look by the stream doing the same as the pair of brothers, cutting off just enough to check if any of the roots that stuck out of the dirt were what they were looking for.

  “Red!!! I’m Bored!!” Roy’s complaining was the only thing that broke up the calm noises that the forest produced. “Can’t we go do something else, I thought quests were meant to be fun!!”

  Red could only sigh at his brother’s complaints. “Come on Roy you should have known this was what we would be doing when Arthur came by. It's not like we were gonna run off and fight monsters.”

  Roy only pouted at the news, stomping in protest. “But we’ve been out here for hours and found nothing!”

  Staring at him, Fir couldn't help but agree with the boy. ‘I mean he does have a point. We've been out here so long that the clouds are starting to take up much of the sky.’

  “You know, Roy looking for Lustrous Root is like learning magic,” As Ash spoke up, he pulled a few leaves from a low-hanging branch. “It can take time to find and it can suck at first, but once you get going, it becomes a lot more fun.” The leaves in his hands started to swirl as the gentle sound of a light breeze came from his palm, as he sent the wind toward the boy.

  “Yeah, I guess this is better than sitting through one of Grandma’s lectures.” Pouting he took out a small knife and went to check one of the roots near a small tree.

  Looking over the roots, Roy cut into each one, creating a small peel on the root just to get a look at the inside, nothing just like all the others so far. Roy could only give an audible groan that was heard by the others as he kept cutting.

  “So Ash, how do you make the ‘Cure All’ anyway?”

  “Yeah,” Red joined in. “ I’m curious about that too.”

  Taking a moment to recall the steps and other ingredients he spoke. “Well, first Dad has to ferment the root in a jar of liquefied salted slime for about two weeks. During that time, I saw Dad grind up Lizardman scales to a fine powder, then he had to mash up the fruit from a Sunrise tree into a paste, along with the liver from a Minotaur, plus a few other ingredients, namely a few other herbs, which all get added into the mixture. Then, after two weeks have passed, he had to grind the fermented root before adding it to the paste. After that, he stirs it over a fire until the liquid turns a golden color and at that point, he has to run it through multiple strainers to remove any physical remains from it. Then he has to let it sit in the dark for a few days.”

  After hearing and thinking over the process, it didn't seem too complicated but one question left Fir curious. “Then how come he doesn't have that much? I assume he’s been doing this for a few years, the way he talked it up.”

  “Well, the thing is, since this potion doesn't have a pre-made formula, he has to experiment and figure it out through trial by error.”

  “HAHA, I FOUND ONE!”

  They all turned to see a bouncing Roy holding a root that looked to be about a foot long and with that golden-colored flesh that showed it was the Lustrous Root. The group started to cheer, celebrating the find.

  Jumping from foot to foot, “WAH!” Roy slipped, falling on loose dirt that caused him to fall into the stream.

  “Roy, you ok?!” Dropping his knife, he ran into the stream, it was only ankle-deep, but to Red, he was only concerned about his brother.

  “Yeah, I’m fine, and look here, I found a–

  “HHAA, you better watch where you step, kid!”

  “Hey Arthur, luck over there? We found one, what about you?” Fir questioned him, curious to see why he was carrying a set of twigs in his hand. One of them was even held in his mouth; it almost looked like he was chewing on it.

  Shaking his head, he extended his hand. “Nothing, but I did find a Mint Stem Bush.” At that announcement, Roy seemed to race towards Arthur as he jumped over the stream, taking one of the stems that Arthur offered. Soon, Red and Ash joined them, each taking one

  ‘Mint Stem Bush?’

  Red only saw her hesitation, and extending a hand, he offered her the one he had. “Mint Stems are similar to mint leaves that are used to give mints their flavor.”

  Slowly reaching out, she hesitated before quickly snatching it and, like others, started to chew it. “It does taste like a mint…”

  “See, told ya.” Red couldn’t help but grin as he took the other one Arthur offered. A mischievous grin found a home on Arthur as Red took it and bit down.

  Rather than being met with a minty taste, only had an overwhelming bitterness fill his taste buds as his eyes grew wider. Spitting it out, Red ran his tongue over his arm trying to remove the taste. “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT, ARTHUR!!”

  Laughter was his only answer as Fir soon joined them.

  “Come on Red… You still can’t tell the difference between a Mint Stem and… a twig from a Mugwort branch.” Arthur said between fits of laughter, handing off a spare one he had hidden.

  Red snatched it up before biting down in an attempt to remove the bitter taste that still clung to his mouth. “Let me see the map we can try another spot before we—

  “SOMEBODY HELP US!!”

  The voice of a terrified woman filled the forest. On instinct, Red, Ash, and Arthur took off to the screams. Fir watched Roy run off with them, but she wasn't left with much choice as she followed them.