Chapter Twelve A

After all the troubles of the day, we finally had a little rest. Just as in our agreement with Daliah and Gilbert, I woke in in just a few hours so we could leave. When I turned around, Dolores was steel, her heart had stopped beating and her face had turned green. My heart skipped as soon as I saw it, I tapped her severally but she did not wake up or even move at least, so I quickly picked up her hand to check her pulse. Luckily, I could feel a little life left in her.

"Dolores, Dolores, Dolores?!" I tapped her "Can you hear me? What happened to you. You have to tell me if I must find a remedy." I said but my question was met with silence.

'what could have caused this? Could it be...' My eyes widened as I realized what may have caused it, "could it be the antidote? Could Daliah had brought something Dangerous or did that drink contain something Dolores was allergic to?' I thought to myself.'

"Dolores you have to tell me what happened to you. Did start after you took the antidote?" I asked but she still did not speak.

Daliah who had possibly heard me calling out to her quickly entered the room.

"What is it? I could hear the panic in your voi..." She started but stopped when she took a look at Dolores. "What the hell?" She screamed in shock.

"I woke up to meet her like this." I said.

Daliah quickly tore her cloth open and we saw a very big and greenish wound on her shoulders with dark-green veins surrounding it and extending to some parts of her body.

"What is that?!" I screamed in surprise.

"Cyclops. When she was fighting with it on its back, it must have wounded her. I should have known she didn't get her fever from just a few punches from that creature" Daliah said.

"Cyclops have venom?" I asked.

"It wasn't a mere Cyclops. Cyclops that come around her are not mere Cyclops. They are deadly ones with venom on every part of their body. The smallest wound from them could infect an entire human." She explained.

"And kill them?" I asked.

"Yes."

I sighed "How long does it take?"

"What?"

"How long does the poison take to snatch the life out of a human?" I asked desperately.

"One hour at most. I'm surprised your friend is still alive. She must be very strong."

"Tell me how to save her. There must be some way."

"I'm sorry but there is no remedy. Maybe magic could heal it but no one has that in our little village. Everyone who has been wounded by a Cyclops eventually dies." She said.

"What about that remedy? You gave us something for her fever a few hours ago. What is it? It might be what is keeping her alive to this time."

"No. That thing couldn't possibly keep her up till now."

"What type of venom is this?" I asked, trying to gather my answers so I could find a remedy. I wasn't going to let her die.

"A venom stronger than that of a black serpent." She said.

I could've found an antidote but my formulas were in my linen bag that I left behind in Luciana's Manor.

"Daliah, please. I may be able to find a cure. Just lead me to where I can get different herbs. I have an idea of what may be able to attack such venom." I pleaded.

"Are you a healer?" Daliah asked.

"My mother is a healer and I've seen her cure venoms from all kinds of venomous creatures and so I can at least try." I said.

"Well, just be sure not to kill her. Come on, let's go before it's too late." She said. "Gilbert...!" She shouted and when Gilbert made his way in, she ordered him to take care of Dolores till we returned.

"What do you need for this?" Daliah asked as we walked through the village.

"The twig of a wild custard apple tree, Mucuna leaves, and the root of a casmasia lobre." I replied.

"Casmasia lobre? Never heard of such." She said.

"It's a flower. Very rare. It grows in my village." I said.

"Where is your village?" She asked.

"Damitro."

"Oh. What does this cas... whatever flower look like?"

"It looks like a blue mink but the purple part is reddish." I explained.

Soon we stopped at a shop. "This is it. If you don't find whatever you need here, then we might as well lose your friend." Daliah said.

"No. We'll find them in other shops." I said.

"Sorry, Karen. This is the only herb shop in this village and the seller's son is our only healer."

On hearing this, I swallowed hard and prayed that I find the Casmasia lobre flower here."

"Greetings Gregor." Daliah said to the man in the shop.

"Greetings Daliah. My best customer." He responded.

"Tell him what you want." Daliah said to me.

"twig of a wild custard apple tree." I said.

"Three gold coins." He said and brought it out.

"Mucuna leaves."

"Five gold coins."

"root of a casmasia lobre." I finally said silently praying he'd have it.

He scanned me with a stern gaze.

"Where do you come from girl? That'll cost you a fortune and I have just one left." He said.

Hearing him say he had just one left gave me some hope. At that time, I sure could handle whatever it costs.

"How much gold?" I asked.

"200 gold coins." He said.

"What?!" I freaked out. "That's a lot." I said but he ignored me.

"I only have ten gold here." Daliah said.

"And I have five." I said. That was all I could find in my pocket.

"Sir, please. My friend is dying and that flower is the only way to save her."

"I can't give it to you free. I traveled far through the woods to get it."

"I know. Just let me have them and when my friend is healed, I'm sure she can payback." I said.

"No girl. I want my money before I release it. If you do have not enough gold, I'm sure you must have something of an equal value. Pay with it." He said.

"But I have nothing." I said then quickly remembered my ring. 'If it is the heirloom of the royal family of Devon then it definitely should cover the payment for our herbs. But Dolores will be mad at me for giving it up. Well, she needs to heal first.' I wondered in my head.

"What do you say girl?" The man asked.

"Actually, she has something of great value to offer you." Daliah said.

What the hell is she talking about? Did she somehow get to see my ring?...