Prologue: Looks like I got Scammed?

Hello, my name is Dermon, Dermon Theoph Linneaus.

You might wonder how I ended up in this situation, with my wrist grabbed by a girl, littered with the dirt of my orchard, and all in bed before the sun has properly settled upon this day. To be honest, even I don't know how I ended up here. So let's rewind and find out.

‹–•—•—•—•—•—•–›

"So you mean to tell me, you purposely made these for..?"

"That's correct, young man. I have been growing this for years now only to develop it into this exclusive root." The woman behind the counter pointed at the strange plant she offered to sell me. A smirk drawn on her face as she did so, maybe more so, a smile of confidence about her own produce. What could you even do with these plants?

"Right... But I still don't get what it's supposed to do. It looks a lot like ginger, nevertheless..."

"You see. These ain't any common sow you will find around…" The woman confidently leaned forward, closing the gap between me and her as she now rested her crossed arms atop the table's edge. At which point my face now met with hers, right below the big witch-like hat she bore. Her confident smirk turned into a skeptical gaze that darted around to check for eavesdropping individuals, just before locking her gaze on me as she continued. "This plant doesn't have a name. You can go to an apothecary, but they won't be able to tell you about it. Wonder why?" She pried.

I was curious about it being honest; I like to take pride in my botanic skills and knowledge. "Why is that?"

The woman recovered her smile yet again. Thanks to my question, having shown enough interest in her product to follow her game, the lady's eyes now briefly closed as her index finger stuck up as she responded.

"It isn't natural, its made to suck up the bad omens and spirits of the earth where its planted. You could say it's artificial, a magical plant of great deal."

"Huh…"

It surprised me. A plant made to get rid of everything evil? It's just in tales that you hear this stuff. Furthermore, I'm not the most acquainted with the unnatural as I have little to no experience or even hidden affinity for the mystic as far as I have memory.

I gulped at the thought of this actually being a magical plant. What it could be used for if it was? These momentary concepts that invaded my mind left me at the mercy of the vendor who calmly analyzed me, still with a smile across her face. I noticed in the end though how by spacing out my gaze locked with hers and I got hooked onto those golden bright eyes displaying a glint of enjoyment. If I hadn't returned to my senses as quickly as I have lost them at that moment, I would of almost thought her eyes were the ones of a cat. I broke the stare and diverted my gaze back down to the product she tried to sell me. Dismissing the previous thought as simple delusion as I knew for certain she is human. "So... Bad omens and spirits?"

My doubtful yet interested undertone, I displayed to disguise the slight embarrassment I felt upon realizing my previous distracted reflecting, caused her smile to become even brighter as she followed my game and showed off her product. Now, with her arms uncrossed and leaning back away from the stand, she unsheathed a hidden knife from under her dress, using the change of posture to stretch out a bit as well. I got startled for a moment upon seeing the blade in her hands, but promptly realized the intended use for it in this scenario as soon as she picked up one of those plants.

The woman, having sobered up a bit from her stretching, lazily cut one leaf off the plant's lush crown. Even so, her movements with the blade were rather skillful and had a certain elegance to it. Maybe I was looking into it with too much depth. Well, it didn't matter as she didn't hesitate to snap me out of this state again and sign to the leaf cut in half resting on her open palm. "See the color of it?" She asked.

As she got my attention back onto the product, she pointed at the interior of the somewhat thick leaf. Its interior was of dark violet color, almost having this evil aspect to it which raised the hair around my body into an erect state as an unnoticeable shudder traveled down my spine.

"It sucks up everything that is of wicked intent; ill-filled-words directed at the land where it grows, the bad omens of its lands, and every single curse or ailment the soil might suffer, granting a happy life to the other plants for itself becoming ill… And all of that ends up here. Inside its leaves."

"Huh..." It sounded impressive. To the point I doubted a bit I would need such a thing for my little plantation, for what I know I have pretty plain grounds back in my orchard. "So that's what It does?" I asked back.

The woman then hid her knife back and answered while giving me the leaf sample she used. "Well, that is its major sell point for many I would say." However, she didn't end there and now with new found enthusiasm continued. "Its roots can be used to induce yourself into a nightmare upon ingestion and its leaves are more than capable of curing hysteria when boiled down into a tea. Although I've heard often that the overuse may lead to a major sadness issues."

"That sounds more dangerous than helpful, ma'am!" Never mind what I said before this. I absolutely don't need it. Heck, who would even need these?

She seemed surprised at my reaction, almost a bit confused. Dare I say, even in a state of disbelief. Her head tilted slightly to the side, her pinkish long hair falling along to the right as her eyes stared at me with that golden glint of hers. Although there wasn't an immediate response muttered, it was clear she pondered why would I say this, which was weird already by itself. "But it is helpful. You can use its roots to awake someone unconscious or to get rid of the morning drowsiness, and its leaves can get rid of that extra vigor many may have by the evening making them unable to conceive sleep."

Even so, I could only sigh at this, in my humble opinion the negatives outweighed the positives for such a product yet she still seemed confident in it to a point she seemed ready to jump into a debate on how great this plant could be, but I knew better for myself. "Well, I'm no adventurer. I don't see any use in such effects. I lead a tranquil life, staying by my orchard weeks on end most of the time, so how is it supposed to help me?"

"Oh, so you are that kind..." Her almost immediate mutter took me off guard. Her rather softened and carefree personality seemed to disappear, and now a more confident and serious face appeared in its place, almost as if she changed to a more professional stance. It was unusual but in my surprise I knew for certain that if she was determined about something at this instant, it was to sell me her strange sow.

"Do you live near here?" She asked, changing her posture and crossing her arms yet again, now tapping away her index finger on her own shoulder as she awaited an answer.

"No..." I doubted for a second if I should keep following this through, but… "I live quite far away, beyond this city's forest, right beside the grand river." I'm determined now to find out if I could get something out of this plant or if I wasted my time today.

"So in the countryside of Alkair… You said you have an orchard, right? How are your harvests normally?" She pried further while changing her pivoting foot and tilting her entire body to the left.

"Well, small but good... I guess?" I was unsure about the level of good she meant, but at least they were good for me. So that's what matters, right? Even though I answered, I still couldn't see where she wanted to get her point until her face lit up with a newfound smirk. Thing which prompted me to raise an eyebrow.

"Have you ever heard of the curse that the seventh king of Elver put on Aldorian lands?" As soon as she said that, it clicked with me, and I realized instantly where she was trying to get at.

It's said and rumored that when the rivaling crown to Aldor was bedridden, Honnar the Clement, seventh king of Elver, in a last pitiful grudge against the royal house of Aldor, ordered to his court a group of three prominent witches. The witches in question, by his request, laid a curse upon our lands and fields. Thus making the soil less fruitful in an attempt to diminish the Aldorian people into a miserable state of hunger by the inability to produce enough food.

However, this story dates back long ago, decades before I was even born. But even so up to this day it's the story many people tell to establish the fact why the Union of Aldor depends on its renowned fishing industry. All despite the neighboring kingdom of Elver having its fertile lands shimmering with the yellow and brown of the grassy wheat and barley fields right on display on the Aldorian royalty's nose.

If what she said it's true, this strange-looking plant can make my harvests more fruitful by just planting it with my other crops. And just like that getting rid of that rumored curse. "Alright, so you mean to tell me that this thing can single-handedly double my production?" I asked yet again. It sounded too good to be true.

"I'm sure of that." The woman now uncrossed her arms and raised her left hand with her palm discovered, only retracting her thumb and index finger back to a closed state. She mimicked the sign the royal rangers made upon swearing fidelity to the Aldorian crown. "And I can swear it on my name that if it doesn't work, you may accuse me of indecent witchery to the council."

"That's a serious thing that you agree on that, you know, right…?" But my statement didn't put the woman off her rails, and confidently she still looked at me with a smile, chest up and chin high, waiting for my answer. To mimic that motion only used by the most loyal and truthful of people in these lands just showed how confident she was about it. Even I at this point cleared my doubt to reconsider buying one.

"Aghm..." I mean, it can't do harm to try, right? "Alright then, I will take one of them with me." Having given in to my curious nature and the familiar superstitions put in front of me by the woman, I bit the hook still with some buried doubt and pulled out from my inner pocket the small bag in which I stored my money.

"A sage choice." Her grin grew bigger, prompting me to believe she would put a high price on this single plant. And to say I was, in fact, correct in this thinking would be an understatement. "It will be five golds." She said, stating the price for one of the intact plants.

"Ouch..." Reluctantly, I accepted the price and slid the five golden coins across the counter to her hands' reach. Myself taking the unnamed plant before leaving the flea market to get back home.

‹–•—•—•—•—•—•–›

"I really bought it in the end, huh..?"

I have been analyzing the plant for the entire journey back home. It was somewhat hypnotic to look at, and the more you did, the more you realized the thing isn't just gathered from the wild. The leaves of the plant weren't that distinctive as they more or less looked like the ones a carrot would have, although more prominent at that, maybe three or four times the size and maybe stubbier than a normal carrot, that's for sure. This lush crown of yellowish-green came down to the primary product the woman advertised about the plant, its root. Its looks weren't that appealing, all despite it looking like ginger. The form it took was peculiar, to not say weird. It virtually resembled a Vudu doll, a miniature leafy human that was compressed into a beefy root that shared the same clear brownish color with the rye drink most taverns had on offer around summer.

"It sure looks magical, at least that may be true..."

After having arrived home by high noon, I came back inside my dwelling and put the plant on top of the table. Leaving back outside to prepare things in advance for tomorrow's routine of taking care of the orchard. It took me only just a couple of minutes to organize my tools and water some of the more demanding flowers I had growing before swiftly coming back inside. Avoiding the vanguard winds of the chilly night, which tried to catch me unprepared.

Now being inside, I rubbed my arms to warm up a bit while looking around, humming as I did. I should try to clean tomorrow it's looking abandoned with all this dust and dirt I drag inside while walking back and forth into the house.

"Hm, so what should I do with you..." Picking the plant and raising it up in the air like it was a child. I pondered about the possibilities I had with it. In the end, the conclusion was simple. Make some nasty tea and medicine, or plant it for good luck and see if it can double my orchard's harvests by getting rid of that supposed curse. Said like that it sounds easier to decide, doesn't it?

"Well, guess I will plant you tomorrow morning little guy" It appeared weird talking to the plant like that but oddly enough, I felt like it would listen to me. After all, the woman pointed out it caught and absorbed ill-filled-words and omens directed at the lands it's planted. It would only be logical for it to hear me talk, right?

"Hm, at least you are pretty… Maybe I can plant it next to the agrimony. Their green should be pretty similar when they flourish back." And then I spaced out again, just looking at it in between my hands. I don't know what was it with this plant, but it was pleasing to look at now that I have overcome that eerie sense it gave me at first.

I shook my head to clear my mind. Putting the plant back on the table and walking around the house to quench any candles or lights that might of not extinguished themselves throughout the evening. Done with that, I clocked out for today before going to bed.

‹–•—•—•—•—•—•–›

Subsequently. The following morning, early in the day, I had a light breakfast and went right back to the orchard with the new plant, leaving it beside the agrimony and thyme patch as I spent the entire morning caring for other plants, more attentive to the large cabbage patch I've planted by late autumn. My daily inspecting and caring only interrupted as soon as the sun shined brightly above me and showed it was lunchtime.

If I remember correctly, I had my lunch on the veranda overlooking the orchard as I ate my stew. Thinking back, the reasoning for that was because I wanted to monitor it. So much so that after having finished eating, I planted the recent addition and cared for it for the rest of the day. Adapting it to grow along the agrimony and thyme. At least I hoped for that at the time.

Right, that's where I messed up thinking back on it...

'It isn't natural, it's made to suck up the bad omens and spirits of the earth where its planted. You could say it's artificial, a magical plant of great deal.'

'It sucks up everything that is of wicked intent; ill-filled-words directed at the land where it grows, the bad omens of its lands and every single curse or ailment the soil might suffer, granting a happy life to the other plants for itself becoming ill.'

That woman almost made it sound like the plant shouldn't be cared for, despite all that talk about it being potentially dangerous I still ignored it for the sake of legends and myths, bought it, and treated it for three months as if it was like any other plant I would commonly have in my orchard. Which proved to be wrong seeing the situation I'm in.

Water it daily and go through my extensive process of making sure not a single pest would harm it, trimming its leaves when necessary and I even used the best fertilizer I had at hand at the time with it... You all know the proverb of "you reap what you sow"? I love that proverb, but I didn't know what I was sowing this time!

... Well...

... In that case, it's bad for buying something strange off the flea market..?

... But can you blame me? She just said it needed to be planted, not intentionally ignored...

… Wait, no, clearly I got scammed! What kind of plant would even do this?!

Although, I want to blame that woman for causing this, I could of always ignored her strange stand in the first place and go back home. It was too late now to regret my yesterday's decisions, I already reaped my harvest...

"... You ain't going to kill me, are you..?" This situation scared me in a strange sense. Maybe more appropriately said would be that it entirely enveloped me in a dreadful feeling of curiosity out of all things.

The girl right beside my bed didn't respond. Sitting on the floor by the edge of the fur blankets of my bed, she only stared me right in the eyes. She looked like a teenager, maybe even of younger looks, but that didn't matter. She… It. The figure that was right beside me, grabbing me by the wrist so I wouldn't escape, clearly wasn't human. It wasn't hard to notice she wasn't. Her hair was yellowish-lush leaves, and her naked body rested dirtied in soil. I could bet my whole life savings that this was the plant that woman sold me. She basically sold me a monster..! Girl..?

I couldn't utter a single word as soon as things pieced together inside my mind. I knew monsters exited, I for certain knew many adventurers and travelers meet many of them across their journeys, friend and foe alike. But a plant girl appearing from the orchard you got by the back of the house? It sounds like the stuff grandmas would tell you if you didn't eat your vegetables!

"... Uhm... Eh, I... Good morning?" I'm really trying to talk to a plant, am I not? This is unbelievable even if it's happening right in front of me… No, it must be a dream, yeah, a dream...

… No, never mind. My wrist feels warm, I feel her hands might on it as well. It's real… Will this be the start of my descent? I hope not.