The Jewel Of Desmise

Mr Walton opened the door to Lithia's House with a spare key in his coat. He had always been ready for these types of situations ever since the intrusions started. 

He busted the door open and ran straight to where Lithia seemed to be. He pushed Claude away from the entry to make way for him.

The moment he entered, he could smell a foul bitter scent in the air. It didn't smell like a dead corpse but it was enough to make him scared.

Mr Walton walked up to Lithia who was laying down on the bed. She looked even paler than the last time she had visited. Her wrinkles sunk even more deeply into her skin that was void of meat. 

Her hands were boney, enough to be mistaken as a corpse's. Her veins could be seen popping out of her skin. It was an extremely disturbing sight.

Lithia was breathing heavily gasping for air unconsciously while her chest moved up and down rapidly. 

"What happened?" Mr Walton asked, looking at Claude and Luar who were at the door.

Luar shook its head. "Her mana ran out yesterday night. That's why the border she created is gone. The attempts for her life have increased drastically. And I can't know for sure but, they seemed even more skilled than the last ones. I could barely notice them."

"Will grandma be okay, uncle?" Claude asked with a snot filled face. His eyes were swollen. The boy has been up since last night worrying for his grandmother.

"She will. You can count on me." Mr Walton said with an unconvincing smile. He was nervous too. He pulled out a chair and sat down right beside Lithia with a sword on his belt.

"I'm not sure what caused this. Do you have any ideas? Can you also check her core with your magic?" Luar requested.

Mr Walton hovered his hand above Lithia and concentrated his mana at that spot to check for abnormalities. 

He wasn't a healer but he could at least try to find what was wrong with her core. He was the holder of a green gas core while Lithia was a black solid core. 

He wasn't a match for her core at all. She was at a way higher stage than him, making it much more difficult to check her core.

But that didn't stop him. What did was a strong zap he felt choking his organs when he tried to use his magic on her. He backed off into a wall and held tightly onto his wrist. 

That electricity was one of the strongest he had ever felt. He could still feel the sensation running along his fingertips.

"What was that?" Luar exclaimed.

"Something just blocked me from checking her core. Is she wearing something she usually doesn't have on? Or has she drank anything strange?" Mr Walton asked, shaking his hand vigorously.

"Not that I know of.." Luar murmured, peeking a look at Claude who was thinking rather deeply. His eyes closed and his eyebrows furrowed.

Claude pointed one finger up as his eyes opened wide, he slowly lowered the finger and pointed at Lithia. "The necklace! She received it as a gift from one of her good friends a few weeks ago.."

Mr Walton nodded and looked at the necklace. It was clinging to her neck. The jewel was a bright green, it looks like it could almost glow in the dark. The design consisted of flowy patterns within the jewel. 

Without hesitation, Mr Walton ripped the necklace off her neck. As soon as he did, the jewel of the necklace bursted into green fumes and liquid that burnt his hand. He dropped it and watched it dissolve into the ground.

"Claude, get some bandages for Mr Walton." Luar ordered, walking in front and sniffing the remains of the necklace. A small green stain.

"Do you have any idea what it is?" Mr Walton looked at his palm which now had a large red mark. It burnt through his coarse and rough skin.

Luar sniffed it and stayed silent. It took multiple steps back in shock. "How did I not sense it?" It murmured to itself. "Inetflutrious Flare. One of the deadliest snake monsters that produced the venom Lithia has residing in her body. And coincidentally it lives near one of Gia's forests, never to be hunted down." 

"That snake? You're joking with me. How long has she had this necklace?! That was why the jewel was so hot to the touch, it sucked out all her life energy, temperature and mana. If this goes on she'll die!"

"4 weeks. She had worn it for 4 weeks. And that's not all in that necklace. It is also infused with someone's mana." Luar stated, getting more worried now. "Most people last up to a month with the venom inside the body."

Mr Walton sat down on the chair again with a heavy sigh. He messed around with his hair and plucked it out. He was a wreck. He bit his lips until it started bleeding. 

Claude sensed the heavy atmosphere but dared not ask. He was scared too. If the adult and Luar were this afraid, he knew how major the situation was. It was not pneumonia or hyperthermia. He silently walked over to Mr Walton and bandaged his hand. His own hands shaking.

"The cure. What is it?" Mr Walton warily asked, losing hope in saving Lithia. No one had ever lasted getting bitten by the snake that produced this venom. No matter how small the amount. Neither did they know the antidote.

"The heart of Inetflutrious Flare along with its tongue. I just need those two to make an antidote." Luar said. 

Mr Walton didn't ask why Luar knew what was the antidote. The link has always had out of this world knowledge.

"How..can we get it? Nobody in this village is capable of hunting down that snake. If we hire adventurers over here from the capital, they'd arrive after Lithia has already perished. The process of sending the letter and them coming here. And I can't even go because I need to defend Lithia." Mr Walton felt even more hopeless than before as he hid his face in his hands.

"Can't you go? Kai..where is Kai? He can stay and defend!" Luar exclaimed, looking around. It did not doubt the boy's capabilities one bit.

"I can't go. I can't go with my prosthetic legs. It needs to be regularly maintained. I wouldn't even last 2 days in that forest. And didn't you say the skills of these assassins have improved all of a sudden? Like an arranged attack by an organised group. Surely they won't send 1 or 2 measly killers. Kai doesn't do well with defending."

Luar face dropped. It was lost without the guidance of its owner. Even with the solution for the antidote, it couldn't get the ingredients.

"A snake that has yet to be ranked by adventurers. Not because it's weak. It's because whoever goes in never makes it out alive long enough to explain the details of that monstrous creature. They bleed and their skin rots off of their body. They lose their mind and grow scales on their open flesh. Might as well be good as dead." Luar said, staring into space. It was talking to itself at this rate.

Mr Walton punched into his thigh to release his anger. "I'm sorry I can't do anything. I shouldn't have lost my leg back then! If only-" he started blaming himself for the situation they were in.

The mood seemed to darken even further. All this thinking seemed to be making them even more down. The negative thoughts flood them entirely.

Kai had arrived long ago. He stood outside the door and eavesdropped on the conversation. He leaned his head back and gave it a thought.