Quest - His Emerald Eyes | Page 2

Bradwynne sulked as he walked away of the marketplace. Sure, things such as eucalyptus, camphor, peppermint, and echinacea had a chance not to be available in this village, and maybe he had to go to Stokbon or even Vintergard which had a greater population of players to buy them, but even honey and blanket cloth? He then was about to curse about how bad their marketplace was, but as he saw the quite dilapidated condition of the houses, he understood. The village was no place to expect quality ingredients and materials, and so he had to go to Stokbon for them.

While he was on his journey to Stokbon, he then remembered about the two Yladians. How were they doing? Were they having a problem too in procuring materials... wait, maybe they also had that problem! He could only hope that more water, steam inhalation, proper nutrition, and hot soup could help the child remove all his phlegm, but he felt it would never be enough. Definitely he also had to buy more honey, garlic and cayenne peppers just in case. His shopping list having been finished, he then continued on his journey to Stokbon.

As he arrived there, he marveled at the magnificence of the capital, but he should stop it as he had to search for the materials and ingredients needed for the total treatment of the child. He needed to do it fast, as the prescription that he had made for the child might not have been filled.

 

It had been a helter-skelter series of days for Bradwynne as he procured the materials and ingredients from Stokbon. He had been running to and fro within the large marketplace within the city to buy everything he needed for good quality. First off he bought the needed food ingredients for the child. This was the most tiresome activity because he needed to select everything without noticeable blemish, or else he had to buy more for the allowance on the bad parts of the ingredients. The cayenne peppers were easy enough, the garlic not that hard, but the real problem was the honey. Raw honey was needed for greater relief of respiratory ailments, and so he should take care that the honey he would purchase was not of the refined kind, as was always the case in some of the player-erected stalls, but of great quality and no signs of spoilage which should be hard for him to determine. But after some research back in the real world while in between class hours, he managed to find perfect bottles after some hopping in between stalls. Next was the blankets, which ended quickly but after he was smothered by all the vendors offering their wares. Last was the medicinal plants and preparations, which was quite time-consuming as the places where herbs were sold tend to be few and far between in Stokbon. They were complete in the offerings of medicinal plants though, and he had acquired the herbs needed, even the eucalyptus that he thought was inexistent in this place. As he then recounted how many days had passed since he had left the two Yladians, he then was shocked. A fortnight? Damn it! He then quickly moved towards the direction of Dunnstads.

Bradwynne then recounted the days that he wondered how was the two doing, with the limited resources that they had. It had been too long since he had left them with that prescription, and he hoped that it did really work, even with what he had assumed a lack of ingredients in the village. If not, he had really hoped that they did consult the doctor that they trusted. At least he could stabilize the condition of the child before his condition worsen. And so, with these fervent hopes, he bought a cart from the nearby village before returning to that fishing village where the two lived, all his ingredients in tow and protected from the elements.

He then moved towards the entrance of the village where he could directly view the slums, as he pushed the cart, and then entered it, moving directly to the house of the two Yladians. He then noticed the silence of that area, and his heart pounded heavily. What had just happened to the two? Did the child die? Did they move back to their hometown? Or did they go to that doctor? He hoped either of the last two to be the case, for if it was the first... he could not forgive himself. He would know that they had relied on him as if he was some god, and he had failed them. If that, the old man should be angry and would try to attack him. He would receive everything that he hurled on him, if it meant his death he would receive it. And so, his heart still pounding, he knocked the door. If no one would respond after some time, he would knock again, and if no one still responded he would knock a third time. If no one should respond after all these, he would open the door to know what happened. He really hoped that the child was alive, if not he could not forgive himself.

 

As Bradwynne knocked the door, no one responded. It seemed that the two were not there, or were asleep. Hoping the latter, he knocked a second time. No one still responded. The third time also did not bring any results, and so he entered the door. The little house that once housed the two Yladians were empty right now. But as the little house was neatly swept and the coals in the little kitchen were still hot, he knew that the house was still lived in. Hopefully the child was still alive, so how about some corn crab soup for the child so that the phlegm would be dislodged easily? He had the ingredients bought at one Dunnstads village he had passed by as he was returning here, and he hoped the two would like it.

In the small kitchen, he materialized the cooking tools needed from his inventory, including a small coal stove since he did not want to use the old man's. He then gathered the needed ingredients from the cart outside the house, which was hidden so as not to attract thieves, and then started to cook. Hopefully they come while he was cooking, as he was melting with anticipation on what happened to the child. If after an hour the corn crab soup was already prepared and they still did not come, he would start to prepare one of his medicines for the child, which he knew would take four hours to make. If after that four hours and they still did not come, he would sit on a chair and would sleep there until they come home.

 

Bradwynne had prepared the soup, but it seemed the old man at the very least had not yet returned. He then wondered what he was doing. Did he continue his nefarious activities? Or was he lamenting the loss of the child... the gods and angels forbid. Well he maybe just took the child for a stroll, yes, yes, that should be. He wanted the child to grow up strong, and... and maybe he would be a famous person in Terrasphere, maybe in Yladia or some other place. Even in Falderen, so that the stigma will cease. Please be alive...

He then sat down on the chair and was bent on sanitizing peppermint leaves for the extraction of oils, with boiling water. And then, as he again set the stove ablaze, he then placed the leaves in the extraction pot, and then poured the resulting oil to a flask. He had prepared the first medicine, but the old man still have not yet returned. Please be alive...

He then got a bottle of massage oil from the cart, and still no sign of the old man coming towards the house. He then materialized a makeshift graduated cylinder, and then poured some massage oil to it, gently until he stop at a certain tick. He then added camphor to the cylinder, as camphor was quite poisonous at a certain level he knew that he should not add much. Just four little ticks. He gently added the camphor until the four ticks was reached. Next should be the oil of peppermint. As menthol was not the only content of peppermint oil he knew he should add a lot until the level of menthol in solution would be reached. He then poured the peppermint oil... he then heard the loud creak of the door. So loud that Bradwynne was startled and was about to drop the cylinder and the flask. Was it him? And wait... that familiar laugh. Could it be...? He then turned towards the direction of the door as he placed the two objects on the ground, gently. He first saw the old man, and as his eyes went downward, he saw the child, and looks like he was more alive than ever before! Bradwynne was glad that his prescription had worked in some extent, although he was still hearing that popping in his chests as he was coughing. There should be some phlegm still in his system. And now, that the supplemental medicines were in here, the treatment time should be cut down to a fraction of what would be if he continued on the prescription.

He was surprised when the child jumped on him with enthusiasm, greeting him and saying he's much better than before. He smiled, petting the child, saying, "I see, I see. You have been following what I had written for you, and that is great! You will be completely healthy again in a short time!" He then carried the child with his hands from under his armpits, and raised him before he put him down gently on the ground as he ran towards the closet. He then turned to the old man who asked if they had kept him waiting for a long time, and he replied, "Not that much, not that much. I am just in the middle of making medicine for the child when you came. And it's good you brought the child with you on a stroll, he would be more healthy that way." He then noticed the soup as he reheated it, and while Bradwynne was also doing his job, now distilling the eucalyptus leaves to extract the oil while pouring the flask of peppermint oil in the cylinder, he said, "Well yes, complete meals are essential to overall health. What's more, hot foods will help in dislodging the excess phlegm from the body, and so I recommended soup. It is easily ingested into the body notwithstanding any ailments." As the old man was finished reheating the soup, so was Bradwynne in his extraction of the eucalyptus oil, and then he poured a small amount, but significally larger than the camphor portion, and then, after moderate stirring, poured all into a clean bottle, and then shook it. He then poured again the resulting liquid into the cylinder, and then poured it again into the bottle, shaking it a second time. As he was doing that, the old man came to him and whispered in a tone inaudible to the child, saying that there was something they should talk about before he leaves. He then replied, "All right, what is it?" If he was motioned by the old man to move somewhere away from the child to listen, he would do so, after placing the reagents out of reach of the child, as Bradwynne wondered what was it about.

 

As Bradwynne heard the old man talk about his life having been fulfilled after the child being almost fully healed, he was about to cry again. But knowing if the child would see him cry he would wonder why he was crying, he tried to restrain his tears, until when he could take leave from the two, and kept his face away from the child. Bradwynne was that type of man who always gets emotional, whether of happiness, anger, or sadness, and so it was hard for him to restrain his feelings, but he had to do it. For the child. For his future. Now that he knew the old man was not going to last any longer, and neither his medicine nor his white magic would not help an old man destined to die from his old age. But he would try. At least the old man should live to see that his young one became very successful. And he would help them both; the old man and his child. He knew some high personalities in Vintergard who could give the child proper education, and he would try to pull some strings to get them involved. And of course, while he was there, he would observe the welfare of the child. On the other hand, he would ensure that the old man would live long to see the future he wanted to see. He would never give up the desire on that. But as he had to respect the wishes of an old, and dying as he had said, person, Bradwynne could only acquiesce. "All right, I will do my best." He then got the letter from the child, and then asked the old man, "What is it for?" If he was asked by the old man to open it, he would, so that he would know what other action should he do aside from his own.

 

As the bowl of corn crab soup that he was poured in his presence, Bradwynne was still wondering what the letter meant. Maybe the old man had some relatives in Vintergard where the child could live in? Maybe he had some connections to rich people in the city? He was about to read the letter aloud, notwithstanding the child's entreaty to read it, when the old man revealed that it was an apology letter. So he had not forgotten everything? Was he still eaten with the guilt that he did on Bradwynne, earning the people's distrust? Bradwynne unsteadily drank from the cup to ease his nerves. The crab was tender, the corn was creamy, and all the ingredients came together to heighten the creamy texture of the soup. It was indeed, better than any of the seafood dishes he had tasted before in Dunnstads. He then bitterly smiled. He came here to taste the best seafood dish that he wanted to taste, which was interrupted by this old man here, and led to the attempt to cure the little child right here. He came back, worrying about the child, he cooked this soup. It might be that the best taste in the whole world, real or Terrasphere, could never be found in any restaurant anywhere; the best taste was the taste of home. So that was the lesson that Bradwynne was thought by Providence, and this old man and child here was sent by the gods to correct his folly.

He was still drinking the soup when the old man told him that before he and the child would leave that he would first accompany the old man at the center of the town to clear his name and that the old man would confess on what he did. As he remembered the mob that was about to tear him into pieces, Bradwynne choked on the soup, which he managed to push back by drinking it straight while pounding underneath his diaphragm. He then looked intently at the old man with concern, "Are you sure you really need to face the people?" He then thought it over on what to do, his hands holding the cup tightly. As he thought on what to do, he then sighed, and said, "If you are really set on doing that, you should show your ears to the populace. That will be my only wish." Underneath that voice was a fiery defiant behavior, softly burning that time, but could explode in due time. But it was deeply concealed within the now serene face of Bradwynne. As he had heard the voice of the child inquiring about Vintergard, he then patted the head of the child, and said with a sweet smile, "Vintergard is my hometown, capital of the country where I came from, Astorea, located far northwest of this town. I am sure you will learn that when you will study about geography. And, I am not leaving alone; we will go there together." To the old man, the 'we' should mean Bradwynne and the child only. But it was a different case for Bradwynne.

If the old man would not go because of his conditions, it would be well and good for Bradwynne. If the old man agreed, would speak to the populace, and he would end up being arrested, it would also be well and good for him, as he would only need to talk to the leader of the town, maybe pay off some damages, and set the old man free. But if the populace would react violently, he had to draw the sword and try to speak to them, about what their stigma had done to the Yladians still living in the area, how they have descended to stealing from the populace just because the people thought that they were cursed. If after all that they still did not stop, he had to introduce himself as a veteran officer in the Astorea-Falderen War, so that it would strike fear into their hearts, but if they still attack after that, he would have no choice but to repeat the war altogether and slice everything within sword distance from the old man. When the old man had done his confession, Bradwynne would not let anyone charging violently to lay a hand on him. They would return to Vintergard, together.

 

All right, looks like the stage was already set, although he had not quite expected the audience. As he saw them, all were angry, and he knew that both of their stigmas were in place: Bradwynne as the thief, and the old man as always been described by any Falderen, dirty knife ears. It seemed like he had to change his script here. But at least he had a script ready, courtesy of the events that followed after he blinded the people.

He then said to the people, "You should know why I am here before you, knowing that my life is in peril if I will face you again. I never stole from any person, and that person," he pointed towards the old man, "framed me for his robbery. I had tried to chase him, but he was too elusive for me, even with my skills as an adventurer. It was only now that I had managed to arrest him, and he had confessed to me what he just did. I wanted for you to hear his confession, and I also want you to call the guards, and arrest this man for besmirching my honor as an officer of the Duchy of Western Astorea!" He then stared at the old man.

 

As he had seen the old man being escorted away from the area, as he walked away clear from the crowd, Bradwynne bit his lip. He did not believe that he would have to say those words. Now that this had happened, what would he say to the child? Could he say that his old man, the person that he would look always up to, was a notorious pickpocket? And that he had been wronged by his old man? And now, that he had driven the old man to his true judgment? The child had become attached to him, and he did not want the child to hate him for what he did to the old man. And so, he decided.

When the old man would be admitted to his destination, which he would not know where, after dematerializing his weapons, Bradwynne would try to enter the area, and if he was asked by the guards, Bradwynne would reply that he wanted to know what would be the punishment of a pickpocket who already returned his stolen money and diverter of crime, and if there would be a full mulct, so that he would know if that justice he would get from the old man would satisfy him.