Apothecary, apothecary

Fog enveloped the forest of Nieblahim near Noir, creeping slowly towards a small hut near the forest's edge. As the fog snuck inside the hut, its only occupant, a lad who had just come of age shivered in his sleep. Lyrus dreamt of many things, first, his father fighting a large bear then it changed to that of him fighting the large bear and finally, to a scene of him fighting a large bear with Barthos' face, using only a stick. Barthos grinned, showing large pointed teeth as he gave a deafening roar and charged towards Lyrus.

Lyrus woke sweating heavily. He trembled a bit, partly due to the cold and partly due to the nightmare he just had. He tried to shake the image of the Barthos bear from his mind as he washed his face. After changing into warmer clothes, Lyrus picked up the axe by the makeshift fireplace of his hut and walked towards the door. As he was about to pull open the door he saw the large rucksack hanged on it and decided to bring it with him on his way out. The lad then took his usual path inside the forest, picking nuts that have fallen from the trees, shivering all the while. It was only a month or so before winter comes but its presence in the forest of Nieblahim can already be felt. The forest, a good distance from Noir, separates the capital from the provinces. Noir with the large forest of Nieblahim at its south and east, the Olden Range at its north, and the great river of Wesdirec at its west places it in a strategical position for warfare but makes it a very difficult place for trade. Resources and other items from neighboring provinces and kingdoms usually take a week or so to arrive at Noir.

Stopping infront of an aspen tree, Lyrus placed his things at its roots and began chopping down the tree. Beads of sweat immediately formed on his face a few minutes after he started his task of getting firewood for the coming winter. After hacking a good portion of the tree, Lyrus decided to take a break, sitting at the foot of another tree as he ate his breakfast, a piece of bread and an apple he picked up from the woods yesterday. He looked on the large rucksack by his side as he ate, then decided to take out what was in it, two wooden sticks, smoothed, and covered with some sort of a resin, giving it a shiny dark brown appearance. The two sticks belong to his father and were used for training.

Deciding not to finish his breakfast, Lyrus stood up then tried swinging the two sticks which were surprisingly light but felt very compact in his hands. Facing the tree on which he sat, Lyrus hit the tree a couple of times with the sticks, trying to remember the various stances his father would do when practicing his swordsmanship. His first few blows were soft, inconsistent. But as minutes pass by, they became consistent and precise, his strikes echoing within the forest. His palms and arms started to ache but Lyrus ignored it as he continued to practice, even trying to improve some of the stances he can still remember and making new ones. Daylight was already breaking when the lad finished training. He looked at his hands, now full of blisters, as he sweated heavily. He was tired yet at the same time he was also satisfied. He felt relaxed and even full of confidence for some unknown reason. Smiling a bit to himself, Lyrus packed his things and started walking to Noir for his daily duties.

Upon reaching Noir, Lyrus immediately went to the public market to sell the nuts he picked earlier and some of the firewood he gathered. The vendors bought from him his wares for a generous amount. Generous, if one considers that a few silver coins are hard to come by during that time. Still, Lyrus feel contented as he pocketed the coins he earned. Lyrus decided to take a stroll around the city to look for other vendors needing help in exchange for coins. He had already helped Erne put up the shopkeeper's wares yesterday and it would take awhile for the lot to sold out since the caravan these days would only take so little from Noir. Caravan vendors fear being ambushed by the bandits who have started lurking at the deep parts of the forest of Nieblahim. However, an hour or so had already passed but Lyrus' luck seemed to evade him as he found no one in need of help. Sighing loudly, the peasant started walking towards the gates of the capital, deciding to use most of the day for training. But just as he passed the blacksmith shop, he heard someone call his name.

"Lyrus! Lyrus! Will you help me carry this lad?!" the rough sounding voice called out to Lyrus. Turning around, he saw Karos, the blacksmith. Karos was a traveller from the north who settled down on the capital and started his blacksmith shop. Despite his humongous stature, some even saying he came from the race of barbarians, his big round eyes, grizzled hair and badly shaven beard, Karos is a pleasant man, always ready to help those in need when he can. His hearty laugh, and lively attitude never fails to put a smile on Lyrus' face.

"Here, carry this while I carry these swords," said Karos as he handed Lyrus some metallic shields upon entering. Karos' shop never failed to amaze Lyrus with the various weapons and contraptions hanging on its stone walls. Karos was considered one of the best blacksmiths in Threanas, supplying most of the weapons used by the knights of the kingdom.

"Hey Karos, I've been meaning to ask you about those gauntlets tha--" but Lyrus wasn't able to finish his sentence as he felt a sharp pain on both of his hands, causing him to drop the shields.

"What the – you alright lad?" asked Karos as he set down the swords he's carrying on a big crate near the furnace. Looking at his hands, Lyrus saw that the blisters he got from the practice earlier had all popped out, leaving bloody wounds all over his palms and fingers. The blisters must have been punctured by the sharp edges and the weight of the shields.

"You better have that checked lad. That doesn't look good. From where I came from, bloody hands mean a great obstacle is about to burden you," said Karos, as he gave the young man a piece of cloth to wrap the latter's hands.

"Thanks," replied Lyrus, not bothering to ask what Karos' earlier statement meant. He tried to pick up some of the shields but the pain immediately pierced his hands, with blood seeping immediately through the makeshift bandage. Looks like he really overdid his little training earlier.

"Now, let me carry that. It's okay. Here, three bronze coins for helping me get them inside the shop," Karos said as he handed Lyrus the coins.

"Just what are all those weapons for? Are we at war?" inquired Lyrus as he continued to flinch in pain while tightening the bandages of his hands.

"Would have been better if that is so lad. Apparently, a dragon has been terrorizing the nearby province of Burne. I'm preparing weapons in case the need arises," said the blacksmith as he packed away the shields in a crate.

"Dragon, huh. That would be alarming indeed." Lyrus shuddered a bit as he remembered the stories of the destruction dragons can do that his father told him.

"Hey…thanks for the coins Karos." Lyrus smiled meekly as he exited the door of the shop while the blacksmith started forging once more. Examining his hands, Lyrus remembered the apothecary a few houses away. Maybe he can get there some balm of sort to cure his wounds or ease the pain at least.

Arriving at the apothecary, Lyrus can't help but feel uneased. With its dusty windows, mossy brick walls, and badly torn shingled roof, the apothecary looked more like an abandoned house, or rather a haunted one. Still, having visited a few times already and remembering the kind old lady that lives there, and urged further by the stinging pain on his hands, Lyrus entered the shop, the only apothecary in Noir.

"A pleasant morning to you dear." The voice of an old woman greeted Lyrus as he entered, startling the peasant a bit.

"We-well a pleasant morning to you too Edrana," greeted Lyrus back, a bit shaken by how the apothecary owner seemed to know he was coming. Edrana was the owner of the apothecary in the capital. She moved many years ago, on the third day that beetle fever struck the capital. Without so much even an explanation the old lady just put up a makeshift shop and started tending to the sick for free and within a matter of few days even those grievously affected by the illness were cured. Despite her feat she never asked for any money in exchange of curing the sick and instead simply asked that she may be allowed to continue operating an apothecary in the capital.

Taking a quick look around the shop, Lyrus was greeted with the familiar sight of various shapes and sizes of glass jars and vials that littered the shop's shelves. Some contained colourful liquids, some have various herbs and flowers, and some, parts of creatures that Lyrus would not even dare to ask what kind. A strong indescribable smell permeates the whole shop, and would overwhelm those visiting for the first time. But for Lyrus who is a frequent visitor, the smell reminds him of the forest and sweet flowers that bloom in spring. Such sensation combined with Edrana's presence creates a curious but warmth atmosphere for the shop.

Not all, however, received the woman kindly even with her skill in brewing concoctions that can cure almost any kind of disease. The kingdom's soothsayer and the monks were vindictive of her, saying that her abilities and the potions she brews were something from beyond this world and that the only plausible explanation for this is that she was a witch. Thus, the poor old lady was never allowed to step inside the castle due to the monks' influence. Nevertheless, Lyrus trusts her, having been healed personally by Edrana when he broke his leg when the wagon he was using to transport goods overturned. For her kindness, Lyrus would go to her shop from time to time to help her, most of the times without asking for any payment.

"You alright, Lyrus dear? You look pale? Want to have a seat?" The kind lady offered to Lyrus one of the stools littered inside her shop. Lyrus simply shook his head, while getting a whiff of the shop's familiar smell.

"Is there a problem my dear?" asked Edrana, with eyes that reminded Lyrus' of his grandmother.

"Well, there is…" replied Lyrus but he was immediately cut by Edrana.

"The squire test, am I right?" asked the old lady, concern evident in her face. "

"Yes. I just feel inadequate. I feel like I'm not fit to be a knight or even a mere squire. What if I fail the test? What if I just end up humiliating myself?" Lyrus breathe heavily as he realized that he just spoke out everything in his mind.

"You worry too much dear. If there's something I learned from all of my years, it's that worrying would take you nowhere. Our worries are like a heavy wagon full of goods, our life a horse pulling the wagon, and us the master of the horse." Edrana began brewing some tea leaves on the small boiling pot before her, a small candle at the bottom heating the earthenware.

"The more the master takes notice of the heavy wagon, the more he would doubt if the horse would ever make it to their destination, the more he is likely to give up and just turn around or the more likely he is to whip the horse more frequently, tiring both him and the horse," the old lady continued as she adds more leaves to the concoction, the smell of tea slowly permeating the insides of the shop.

"However, if the master decides to ignore the heavy wagon and to just keep moving forward, believing that sooner or later they would reach their destination, the master would be able to enjoy the scenery during the journey and the horse gets less whippings, making the both happy and the whole trip a pleasant memory. Worrying would only get you and your life nowhere. Take no notice of the doubts in your mind and just keep moving forward and you'll find your life easier, and yourself happier," finished Edrana offering a cup of tea to the peasant. Lyrus took the cup, its warmth somehow having transferred to his hands and spread throughout his body. He felt himself feeling a bit better, and the whole apothecary a lot warmer.

"I know what would help you. Wait for me there, dear," said Edrana kindly as she went to the back of the shop. A few minutes later the old woman returned with a glass vial containing a shimmering blue liquid. Her great white hair, straight nose, kind blue eyes, and the mole near her lips, that and the vial in her hand, seemed to create a whole new appearance for the old lady. Witch? The woman looks more like an aged elf than a witch. The image imprinted itself inside Lyrus' mind as Edrana shuffled her way to him. Helping the old woman on to a stool, Edrana thrusted the vial towards the young man.

"Here, take this dear. This might help you." Edrana held out the vial, waiting for Lyrus to get it.

"But what is this?" asked Lyrus, feeling a bit suspicious despite the elegant appearance of the concoction. Based on his experience dealing with merchants, nothing elegant comes with a cheap price.

"That my dear is a potion, a powerful one. Since the old times, people have been using it to…how should I put this…regain their confidence. It's a potion that empowers one and helps him discover his true self. Consider it as a gift for always helping me," said Edrana, thrusting the potion towards the peasant's chest. Feeling that it would offend the kind old lady if he refused, Lyrus took the vial and put it in his rucksack.

"And this is what you came here for, right?" asked Edrana, giving a small clay jar to Lyrus. Opening the jar, Lyrus saw a cream-like substance, the color of maple leaves.

"But how did you--" Lyrus was immediately cut off by Edrana.

"It doesn't take a clairvoyant to know that you have an injury, especially with that bloodied cloth around your hands. I seemed to have made excessive balm yesterday. Use that to heal those injuries of yours dear. Believe me, you're gonna need that for the next few months." Edrana smiled to Lyrus once more. Feeling that he had already abused the old lady's generosity, Lyrus paid for the balm he received with the three bronze coins Karos gave him, thanked the kind old woman, and left.

Going out of the apothecary, the heat of the sun made Lyrus' skin prickle. It was already late autumn yet the sun seems to be blazing ever more brightly. A loud growl from his stomach made Lyrus realized that it was already around noon. Lyrus then spent what's left of his money to buy a decent food for lunch; a few pieces of bread and cheese, and milk. The peasant ate as he walked back outside Noir, thinking of how he should spend the rest of the day. However, his thoughts were interrupted as a group of castle guards passed by infront of him, seemingly searching for something or someone. Reminded that the squire test is just two days away, Lyrus decided to spend the entire afternoon training.

"Princess Auria wake up. Wake up princess." Silvia called out to Auria. Slowly opening her eyes, a stinging pain greeted Auria. She must have cried herself to sleep last night.

Getting up from bed, Auria saw that the sun was already high in the sky. She must have overslept. However, she immediately noticed the lack of urgency in Silvia's voice. Normally, her chambermaid would be rushing her by this time so that Auria may have breakfast with her father. Shaking her head fully awake, Auria quickly got up and started dressing.

"Silvia, where's father? Normally you would be panicking if I overslept but you're not. What happened?" asked Auria as she continued to dress, dreading the worse.

"Your father left with Grenwald today princess. King Deanor said that he has some important matters to attend to," answered Silvia with a smirk, not being able to contain her happiness.

"That can't be good," Auria thought to herself despite being in all smiles. It was rare for her father to leave and such absences usually take the whole day which means Auria has the whole day to do whatever she wants without being watched over by her father like a hungry hawk. Dragging the laughing Silvia by the hand, the two ran down the stairs and into the great hall to have breakfast.

"So what are you planning to do today princess?" asked a beaming Silvia to Auria as she practiced her swordplay.

"I don't know yet. I'll think about it after practice. We do have the whole day ahead of us, you know." Auria replied as she clashed blades with Thenan, the commander of the knights of Threanas and her mentor. Despite her small stature, Auria can handle a sword very well and is well apt with the royal sword style known as the Autumn Blade. The swordplay was handed down to the next king by the former and was studied not just by the king but by the whole royal family. However, King Deanor being a stubborn leader refused to master it and decided to pass the burden to Auria. Fortunately for Auria, her physique and speed made studying the swordplay easier since it relies on the user's speed and dexterity.

"That's it for now princess. I must admit, if it weren't for my armor, I would have been torn to pieces by your blade. I guess you have mastered the Autumn Blade now," said Thenan as he scratched his head while examining the dents on his armor.

"Thanks. I don't think I've mastered it fully though. Besides, you're a great mentor. I wouldn't be able to love swordplay if my mentor was Grenwald." Auria made a face as she said the name of her father's advisor, making both Silvia and Thenan laugh.

"I'll be taking my leave now princess. You know how those guards like to feel full of themselves when I'm not around," said Thenan as the knight commander walked away from Auria and Silvia.

"So…what now princess?" ask Silvia as they strolled the palace gardens.

"Hmmm. How about you take the rest of the day off while I go stroll around Noir," answered Auria. Silvia's face lit up with her suggestion.

"Ye-yes. Thank you, princess. Please be careful outside and please don't give the castle guards too much headache," said Silvia to Auria before leaving. Unknown to Silvia, Auria planned to take a stroll around Noir unguarded.

Auria quickly ran to her room once she made sure that Silvia was gone. Getting a chest from below her bed, Auria took one of its contents and quickly put it on. Garbed in a hood, Auria quietly went out of her room and into the halls of the castle. She was forbidden to go out of the castle unguarded. Being the only member of the royal family, Auria was next in line to the throne and as such, her father took great lengths to ensure her safety at all times. Remembering about her father's absence, Auria can't help but wonder what important matters her father needed to address and how important they are to not even let her know.

Creeping to a stone pillar in the hall, Auria saw the gate in sight. To her dismay, she discovered that a bunch of guards were assigned to the gate today, more than the usual number assigned even when her father is away. This only made Auria more suspicious of the affairs her father attended to and why during his absence he would assign a great number of guards to the castle gate, the only entrance to the castle. Auria surveyed her surroundings, looking for what she may use as a distraction. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Eight guards. Auria must find something that would capture the attention of all eight guards and force them to leave their post.

Desperate, Auria picked up a nearby stone and started contemplating whether to hit one of the guards who have no helmet on to make the others think that a spy just managed to get inside the castle and attacked them. However, even before Auria can make up her mind, a huge shadow enveloped the castle grounds followed by a deafening roar and a huge gust of wind. Struggling to look up, Auria saw what seems to be a large bird flying towards the northern part of the castle. Seeing the large creature proved more than enough to startle the guards, and within a matter of seconds, all eight were rushing towards the direction where the creature was headed. They knew that they would be sent to the dungeons if any part of the castle was destroyed. Auria dashed towards the gate, not bothering to look back whether the creature indeed landed on the castle grounds. Somehow she sensed that whatever the creature was, it meant to help her get out of the castle.

Reaching the great iron doors, Auria took one last peek on the inside of the castle. If her hunch was wrong and the creature was hostile, she might need to come back for Silvia. Surveying the immediate vicinity, Auria saw no commotion, and heard neither sounds of destruction nor roar of a beast. It was as if the creature merely passed by the castle to startle the guards and make them leave their post. Nevertheless, Auria decided to stay on her a spot for a few more seconds just to be sure that no beast had attacked the castle. The last thing she wanted was to put Silvia in danger because of her own selfishness.

A few minutes have passed and with no sign of the creature from earlier and the guards coming back, Auria finally decided to start her stroll. The sun was already high in the sky since it's almost noon, her body sweating profusely and her skin stinging from the heat. Auria then took off her hood for a bit as she walked a few meters away from the castle.

"Princess Auria?" asked the voice of a man, Auria turned her head to see a man carrying pieces of armor, a castle guard's armor. Not wasting any second, Auria ran as she heard the guard scurrying back to the castle, shouting about her leaving unguarded, the pieces of armor he carried jingling as he sprinted.

Auria scolded herself as she ran. She shouldn't have removed the hood of her garment and she should have foreseen that she might bump into a guard on his dayoff. Turning towards an alley, Auria pressed her back against the wall of a house as numerous guards ran by. Breathing a sigh of relief, Auria looked around her surroundings. She seemed to have entered one of those narrow alleys that littered Noir. Putting her hood to cover her face, Auria slowly made her way out of the alley, passing by numerous shady merchants selling all kinds of items, beggars, and other ruffians that seem to live there. Sensing that eyes were following her, Auria hastened her steps. Her day was starting to become a bad one and she hoped that it would not get even worse. However, a few meters before the end of the dark alley, a bunch of hooded men stepped in her way.

"Hey, hey, hey, you cannot pass here without paying a toll. This is our street you know," said one of the hooded men, his dirty untrimmed bear clearly visible. Auria stepped back. She knew that the men could only mean trouble and she would rather risked being caught by the guards than by the thugs before her. As the men slowly moved towards her, Auria prepared herself to run. Once more she scolded herself. She should have brought even a training stick to defend herself. She clearly overlooked the dark and shadowy side of Noir.

"I-I'm sorry but this is all I can give you," said Auria as she kicked with all her might dirt onto the faces of the men.

Running once more, Auria dashed towards the way where she came from. She can hear the footsteps of the men running behind her. A quick glance and Auria saw a hand coming from her back. She ducked then started sprinting again as the men continued to chase her. Seeing the castle guards from afar, Auria removed her hood and shouted at them.

"Help! Help! These thugs are chasing me!" she shouted. She didn't care anymore if she gets caught by the guards. Anywhere far from the ruffians chasing her is good enough for her. On the other hand, the guards upon recognizing their princess rushed towards her, preparing to protect Auria at all cost. At the last moment though Auria turned into a street and left the guards to deal with the men chasing after her. The thugs, not knowing that it was the princess they were chasing clashed with the guards and fought them. The thugs have always hated the castle guards, acting high and mighty just because the latter work inside the castle.

For a few more minutes Auria continued to run, turning into every street that she sees, but now making sure that she avoids the narrow alleys. Her vision starting to get blurry and her legs feeling sore, Auria stopped infront of a stall to catch her breath. Looking at the sky, Auria saw the sun was almost at its peak, explaining her dizziness and exhaustion. It's almost noon and she still hasn't eaten anything. Looking at the various fruits at the stall infront of her, Auria decided to ask for the price of an apple.

"Excuse me, how much for this apple?" Auria asked as she held the apple before her eyes to examine it.

'That? That's worth two silver coins." said the vendor, a gruff-looking man with a mustache.

Rummaging through her pockets, Auria realized that she had no coins and may have dropped them while she was running earlier. Staring at the large man, Auria can only smile awkwardly as she continued to look in her pockets.

"Uhm. Good sir, may I please have this apple for free? I seemed to have dropped my coins. Don't worry. Once I get home I'll return to your stall and pay you," said Auria after giving up on looking for coins.

"What?! Free?! Do you know how much "donations" those bastard knights get from us merchants nowadays? Some other time I may be generous but not today. I badly need to earn today. So if you can't pay for that then I suggest you put that apple down!" bellowed the man, grabbing the apple from Auria's hand and placing it back on its crate.

"Bu-but I promise to pay you, I really do." pleaded Auria as she felt her stomach rumble.

"Promise? You wanna hear a story about a promise? My helper promised to help me in selling my goods today but where is he? Nowhere to be found! The fool should stop dreaming of becoming a knight, I tell you," angrily said the vendor. Seeing that it is hopeless to argue with the man, Auria left, hungry and on the verge of fainting.

A few minutes of walking and Auria smelled a pleasant smell emanating from a curious looking house. Upon walking closer, Auria saw a sign plastered to the mossy brick walls of the house. "Apothecary", it says. Hungry and desperate, Auria went inside the shop despite she knew that an apothecary would never be a place where one might get food. Upon entering Auria was immediately greeted by shelves upon shelves of jars containing various herbs, liquids, and whatnot, and a strong smell that made her stomach turn. Realizing that she was indeed wrong in hoping to find food in an apothecary, Auria turned towards the door and started to walk.

"Hungry dear?" The voice of an old woman startled Auria. Looking back, she saw an old woman with white hair and blue eyes smiling at her while holding a bowl of porridge. Not being able to resist anymore, Auria nodded, and took a seat as the woman handed her a bowl of porridge. Though the food tasted bland and a bit cold, Auria ate it all up and even felt like she wanted more but decided not to push her luck.

"My, my, you look like you've been running all morning my dear," said the old lady as she sat across Auria, surveying the princess.

"Yes. How do you know?" Auria asked as she slumped her sore body on the counter of the shop.

"Just a guess. Hmmm? Why you're Threanas' princess, Auria!" exclaimed the woman as she took a good look of Auria's face. Her identity exposed, Auria prepared to leave the apothecary only to be held on the wrist by the old woman.

"Now, now. There's no need to hurry Auria. You're safe here. Those chasing you won't find you here." The old lady smiled as she held the princess' wrist. Auria felt a warm feeling immediately spread throughout her body, calming her.

"Who-who are you?" asked Auria as she sat back, mystified by the old lady's appearance and speech.

"Me? I'm Edrana, the owner of this humble apothecary," answered the old woman with a smile. Remembering how Edrana seemed to have guess her situation, Auria was just about to ask the shop owner another question when the old lady spoke.

"So what brings you to my shop dear?" inquired Edrana, as she went to the back of the shop. Taking the time to have a closer look at her surroundings Auria found that whatever ominous appearance the place had awhile ago was gone and was replaced by a warm feeling of familiarity, the same goes with the smell. The once strong smell that made her stomach turn now seemed to remind her of the fragrance of daisies in bloom.

"So tell me, what's the problem?" asked Edrana upon returning. Sensing that Edrana can be trusted, Auria proceeded to tell the kind old woman her circumstances, her forced marriage, the coming of the four princes, her desire to feel free and normal even for once. Auria talked for minutes, the porridge seemingly to have returned her to complete strength. As she finished talking, Edrana, got up and hugged her, and with this Auria started to cry. Besides Silvia, her mother was the only who hugged Auria and that was when she was still small.

After comforting the princess, Edrana went back to the counter and drooped down, as if to pick something up. Getting up, the old woman took Auria's hand and put a small vial containing a shimmering blue liquid on it.

"What's this?" asked Auria as she continued to stare at the contents of the glass vial.

"That my dear is a potion, a powerful one. Since the old times people have been using it whenever they want to see the world in the eyes of another. You could say that this potion is used to reveal one's true self. Consider this as a gift from your new friend," said Edrana as she held Auria's hand. Auria felt once more the warm sensation spread throughout her body and somehow the whole place became cozier. With tear-filled eyes, she thanked Edrana, hugged the old woman once more and left.

Stepping out of the apothecary, Auria looked up to the sky and realized that it's already late afternoon. She must have been inside the apothecary for hours. Remembering the trouble she caused and how worried Silvia must have been, Auria tucked within her garb the potion Edrana gave her and started walking back to the castle.