Li came back to the farm before sunset, in that goldilocks period where the afternoon light still shone strong, but the sun started to prepare its descent, hanging low in the sky under the cover of a shroud of clouds.
The herbalist stall by the main road, in front of the cottage, had a few adventurers in front now. They usually came in the mornings, before they went on their missions, and so it was rather odd to see even this small crowd of about five or six people there this late.
He saw as Vahid slammed his brick of a hand on the stall counter. "Five [Restorations], missy!"
"What!?" said Launcelot as he pointed an accusing finger from behind Vahid. "Five? For a party of two? Such brazen greed!"
Vahid laughed as Iona handed him five bottles. He dumped a pile of coin on the counter and with a proud smile, spoke, "These were the last five, you dolt. Everyone that was wanting has their share for the hunt tomorrow, and a venom wyrm? You bet I'll be taking as many restorations as I can. Not my fault you were busy greeting the duchess."
"Oh, come now, it is a part of my duties as the heir of Lakely." Launcelot sighed, his silver shoulder plates clinking up and down. He turned to his party behind him – two mages and a ranger, apt, considering he was a powerful frontliner and all he would need would be damage – and shook his head sadly.
Vahid took a look at Launcelot's party and then switched his gaze to his own party, which, in his case, consisted of just the mage that had carried him out of his drunken episode against Li. He held up the bottles of restoration, the green liquid within sloshing with an emerald sparkle. "Amelie, you figure we can make do with two of these?"
Amelie leaned her chin on her staff. Her witch's hat drooped down, shading over one of her violet eyes, but she didn't seem to mind. "Like I've said, how many potions we need directly correlates with how suicidal you're feeling."
"Hah! It is just like you to mistake my heroic charges as self-harm." Vahid called out to Launcelot. "Little man, here, catch!"
He tossed three of the restorations to Launcelot, and the noble caught them with a swift swipe, each flask nestled snugly in between his fingers. "Are you certain about this?"
Vahid beat his bare chest. "The greater the danger, the harder I fight!"
Launcelot also beat his chest, his gauntlet slamming against his breastplate. "A worthy motto! My gracious thanks for the elixirs, Vahid."
"If us adventurers don't take care of our own, who else is gonna' have our backs." Vahid grunted before he left, Amelie close behind.
When Li neared the adventurers, he gave them a wave.
Vahid swung his tree trunk of an arm up while Launcelot and his party gave small head bows.
"If it isn't the genius and master of drink himself!" said Vahid as he walked up to Li on the main road. He gave Li a friendly punch in the shoulder. "Where were you today? The poor missy was minding the stall all on her own."
"Just tending to business," said Li. "And I doubt she had any trouble – she's as skilled as I am."
"Superbly skilled, I must agree," commented Amelie. "The way she prances about like a whirling dervish while she makes those elixirs – a work of art, I say."
"When she's not trying to advertise, she does a great job." Li paused. "Also, what's this about a hunt?"
Launcelot came up this time. As Li observed, he noted that his other party members seemed to be quite passive, following only ever behind the man. "A scout has spotted a venom wyrm nesting in the Winterwoods, and ferocious as they are, the guild has called an official hunt upon it. Though a hunt may not be as rewarding as fulfilling an individual contract, it still protects the safety of this beautiful city, and that is all that matters."
Li nodded. Venom Wyrms started off at around level forty, and with their boosted stats from being monsters, would prove to be difficult foes for the adventurers here whom struggled to reach the mid-thirties. In particular, without status cleaning elixirs, their toxic breath would easily destroy any mages without barriers or rangers who couldn't keep their distance.
"Say," said Launcelot. "Would you not mind aiding us in the morrow? Your ability to tame beasts will surely avoid much bloodshed."
"Unfortunately, I'm a little busy." Li shook his head. Tomorrow would be near time to harvest. He couldn't miss it. Also, he didn't actually tame monsters, so he couldn't help them there.
"Ah, it was wrong of me to ask a non-adventurer to risk himself in the first place." Launcelot bowed his head again. "Forgive me."
Li smiled faintly. "Forgiven. Now I have to attend to my farm, so if you'll excuse me."
--
As the adventurers saw Li head to the stall after giving the builders working on his berry garden roofs an appreciative nod, they talked among each other.
"Quieter than usual," said Vahid. "I miss the fiery spirit he bore at the tavern."
"Where you got outdrank so badly? I have no clue how men like you can manage to have so much pride in losing," said Amelie as she rolled her eyes.
Vahid smiled. "Losing to a worthy foe is no shame. It is the essence of manhood: to fall and always pick yourself back up, to always learn lessons for the future."
Amelie frowned. "What lesson could you possibly learn from drinking yourself silly?"
However, Launcelot countered. "Wise words, Vahid, wise indeed. No defeat is shameful. No defeat is ever wasted." He glanced at Li's fleeting back. "But I must say, he does seem graver. Perhaps something gnaws at his mind."
"Whatever it is," said Amelie as she tapped her staff to the dirt impatiently. "We aren't helping by loitering around his property for no good reason."
--
Li stepped into the herbalist stall. It smelled strongly of smoke and burned magical herbs. If there was a way to describe it, it felt as if the smoke had taste. Inhaling the smell conjured up various flavors, but none pleasant – just varying degrees of bitters and sour.
"Smells like [Restoration] in here," said Li.
Iona had folded her gloves and masks in a neat pile at the worktable. Everything had been cleaned. The table was scrubbed, the equipment was left to soak in purifying buckets overnight, and the cauldron snuffed out and the toxic water dumped away.
"That was all they wanted today, yes," said Iona. She leaned against the table to look at Li. She looked healthier, her bones less visible against her skin. "It is good to see you back."
"Yeah, I kind of missed this place, even if it's only been a day." He nodded. "l'll be busy tending to the fields tomorrow as well, so you'll have run of the place again. I kind of feel like a deadbeat boss, but know that I just need to make sure this first harvest goes well. Afterwards, I'll be here in-between harvests. And come to think of it, how did you get enough milk poppy flowers to make that many batches of restoration?"
Iona held out her hand, and the orange flower of the milk poppy sprouted.
"Right, I forgot about that." He looked at his own hand. He was behind on cultivating his forest spirit powers, but it wasn't out of his mind.
"If I may ask, I did notice the astounding rate at which your fields grew, yes." She cocked her head. "I am quite curious. What manner of seed did you use?"
"I was going to consult you about that. I don't actually know, but I'm sure you can read its life song. When I harvest the wheat and get the seeds, I'll need you to look into them and tell me the details."
She nodded. "It would be my pleasure, O guardian."
He wagged a finger. "Remember, no 'O guardianing'. Just Li."
"Yes."
"Yes what?"
"Yes…," She shook her head. "I cannot bring myself to smear your status by using your name. Give me some time to adjust."
"I understand." He took one more look around the stall. "And thank you for managing everything while I wasn't here. Cleaning it all up too. I know I may have been harsh when we first met, but I wasn't exactly in balance back then."
She smiled. "There is no need to explain. Your thanks is more than enough reward for me."
He gave her a nod. "Remember to lock the place up. See you same time tomorrow. I know you don't need to read up on notes or anything, but make sure to catch up on making something stronger and more specific than [Restoration] tomorrow. I was thinking [Anti-Venom]."
With that, he left, heading straight where he knew Old Thane would be: the fields.
--
Iona watched as Li's figure faded into the fields. She sighed as she pulled down the counter tarp, sealing the stall shut from the outside world. The stall was pitch-black now without any sunlight to come in, but she could still see clearly in the dark.
"…Li," she practiced. She would need more time to get used to saying it.
What she couldn't see clearly was how long she would be using this name, how long until he became home in his divine body and started to feel the title of 'Guardian' more befitting than anything else.
At that point, this name, Li, would lose its warmth. It would be a relic – the faded image of a being who could thank her to truly appreciate her, not just to acknowledge how well she did her job.
She didn't know why – perhaps it was the humanity she had devoured festering within her – but she felt a deep sense of loss, as if gazing upon the beauty of a blooming rose, beautiful and bright, but destined to wilt and wither.
Except here, that rose was to never bloom again, its singular wonder forever to be lost to the cold hands of eternity.
--
As expected, Li found Old Thane by the fields again, his hand caressing the a stalk of wheat. They had grown taller but had yet to produce heads.
Zagan sat beside Old Thane, also staring at the wheat.
"Am I interrupting something?" said Li as he stood between them.
"Not at all, lad," said Old Thane. "I was merely talking about the merits working the earth with the demon here."
Zagan narrowed his eyes. "It baffles me how you mortals chew on grass when the most savory feed of all lies within yourselves, in your innards and your terrors."
"We've different stomachs, you see," said Old Thane, unfazed. "Mighty interesting, aye, to learn about the demon folk. So many years spent fighting them, and yet none talking, hah!"
"Talk does seem to be pretty good at easing differences, although in this case, old man, I feel like you're pretty uniquely okay with him."
Old Thane raised a fist in the air. "Of course! None do I respect more than those who granted me challenge upon the battlefield, and the demons were just that!" He lowered his fist as he turned to Li with a smile. "How'd it go, lad?"
"Great. We have full reign of the farm, basically." Li paused. He was back in the habit of glossing things over to Old Thane, but there was no reason to do that anymore. "Actually, let's talk inside. I'll fill you in on all the details."
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