When Zsig and Atn returned, post-badger battle, they were bombarded by villagers curious about their naivety to classes, levels, and so on. Zsig had stalked off in all his stinky rage, leaving Atn to deal with the small mob. Of course, no one mobbed him for long because of the smell. But that only held the gossipmongers off for so long.
Atn had tried having a shouted conversation with Theo, but it just wasn't practical. So she had excused herself to her somewhat cozy bed in the hayloft and pondered her earlier conversation with Callette.
When Theo had asked Callette what a class was, while she was helping in the garden, the herbalist had been shocked.
“What rock have you been living under?”
Callette had questioned her. But a shrug was the best answer Theo could give. Zsig would lose it when he heard of her slip-up. He was big on keeping their origin all hush-hush, especially after Grnulf. But how would they learn anything if they didn’t ask questions?
Usually, she’d write down notes to remember everything. But she had no need to write anymore because her new and improved—that part was up for debate—field guide automatically logged the information Callette gave her in the notes section, though they were shortened versions.
Everyone goes through an awakening during their youth, though it does not happen at the same age for all. During the awakening, which usually occurs while one sleeps, the child is asked to pick a class.
Once a child receives their class, they usually seek an apprenticeship in that vocation—unless the child has an early awakening and is too young to work.
Once enough experience is gained in a class, marked by levels, you can choose a subclass. Sometimes more than one. The skills received usually relate to that class or subclass.
It was not polite to ask someone their class. In most cases, it was obvious based on personality or occupation, but you never asked. If the person shared, it was alright to speak about. In places like Ezall, that rule wasn't strict amongst villagers, but outsiders should keep to it to avoid insult.
Theo had hoped the sweet old lady wouldn’t say anything after their chat. But gossip was gossip, and small remote villages didn’t get exciting new things to talk about often. She really couldn’t hold it against Callette, though she was impressed by how fast the word had spread. But again, the smell kept them at bay.
Badger stink wasn't supposed to permeate or linger this way. Olerian honey badgers must have magical farts because the fragrance would not leave Zsig and Atn. Venern had forbade them from sleeping in the hayloft. Instead, he threw them a bale to make a bed from and had them sleep outside, all while reminding them how generous he was for wasting a perfectly good bale. The cows stayed far away, not the least bit tempted by the hay.
Theo couldn't get near them. Rather, she refused. Even her noseplugs, liberally drenched in mint oil, couldn't mask the odour enough. Zsig was furious, pouting on his hay pile. She thought she saw a ripple of red running under his skin as he fumed.
On the other hand, Atn had been excited and wanted to tell Theo about their quest immediately.
“We got a class…sort of. In our heads!”
Atn called out to her as she stood at a safe distance.
“Be quiet, people will hear you.”
Zsig snapped at Atn, who decided to wait on his conversation with Theo instead of causing an argument with Zsig.
Sleeping outside really helped air them out. She could stand to be around them the next day.
“What happened to you guys yesterday?”
Zsig’s expression soured at the same time Atn gave a gleeful look. How these two worked together as protector and keeper without issue baffled her.
“We went to fight the badger. It was tough. No chance we could kill it without preparing better. But after we escaped, there was a voice in my head that said I got a skill, [Smokescreen Shot].”
“What! Show me.”
Atn eagerly led Theo a little ways outside the village so the smokescreen wouldn’t bother anyone. Zsig trailed behind them, but she and Atn kept their distance. They could practically feel a wave of malice radiating from him.
When they were far enough out that the wind wouldn’t carry anything into Ezall, he loaded a regular bolt into his wrist bow, then looked inquisitively at Theo.
“I don't know how to activate the skill.”
“Callette said intention was the key, and Grnulf said something about will. Try thinking really hard about it.”
Atn raked a hand through his sandy blond hair to get it out of his face, aimed into the distance and closed his eyes—hiding the only distinctive feature that marked him as Biomech, a thin silver ring around his pupil. His forehead furrowed in concentration. He cracked one eye open to peak at the bolt. Seeing no change, he tried again.
“It’s not working.”
“Well, what did you do last time?”
“I was focused on distracting the badger so Zsig could get away safely. The bolt started glowing on its own.”
“You must have subconsciously pushed magic into the bolt. But it wasn’t a skill yet…. Try saying the skill, like an activation code.”
This time, when Atn clamped his eyes shut, he took a deep breath, opened them again, and determinedly aimed down the sight. And nothing happened.
It took two more tries, but then it worked!
“[Smokescreen Shot].”
As Theo watched, a faint grey light slowly crept down the bolt. It was a dull, unremarkable glow that seemed to move at a snail’s pace, much to her annoyance. Eventually, the entire bolt was encased in magic, and Atn fired it. It slingshotted through the air with incredible speed, leaving a streak of glowing grey light in its wake. Upon impact, it exploded into a huge cloud of grey smoke, obscuring everything around it.
“It wasn’t that slow the first time.”
Frustration tinged Atn’s voice.
“That’s so awesome! Wonder why it changed? Callette told me a bit about classes and such, but none of it was in-depth.”
“What’d she say?”
“People awaken when they’re kids, choose a class, level up, then pick a subclass. You get related skills, and it’s rude to ask people about their class, but it’s usually obvious without asking. So, what's your class?”
“[Unclassed: Level 1].”
His tone was slightly embarrassed as Zsig snorted in derision.
“And why is that funny?”
Theo folded her arms and arched her brow at him. She had only known Zsig for the last week, or was it a week and a half—she was starting to lose track of time, and her super duper magic book couldn't be bothered to add a calendar tab. The point was, she’d only known him a short time. Before that, he was just a passing acquaintance. Someone she ribbed when he was stuck on gate duty.
She knew Atn slightly better because he came to rubedo for potions on the down-low. He was younger. Well, they were both younger than Theo—though she liked to believe her youthful spirit was always shining through—but Atn was four or five years younger. It was harder to tell with Zsig. Sometimes he acted older, recently though he was petulant. She guessed they had a two to three year difference, and he was probably around 23.
“We heard the voice at the same time, but mine said level 2.”
Zsig answered her with a smug look and an air of contempt in his tone.
“It’s not a competition.”
Theo’s voice was firm, asserting how serious she was about that.
“Isn’t it, though? We get levels. Sounds like some sort of ranking system to me. And ranking systems are definitely a competition.”
“What are you doing? This will only divide us.”
Zsig didn’t have an answer for him. Atn’s expression showed a mix of hurt and genuine curiosity. Had Zsig always been this much of an ass, and she didn’t notice? No way. Stress had to be making him worse.
“Why did you guys level differently? You took the same job, you both fled, and the beaver is still alive—”
“Badger.”
Zsig corrected.
“Whatever. You guys failed. Why is Atn behind?”
“You don’t have to be so blunt about it. I thought this wasn’t a competition?”
Atn toed the dirt with his boot.
“Sorry, Atn, poor choice of words. We should talk to Callette. Maybe she can answer some questions.”
“No. We can’t reveal ourselves.”
Zsig’s reply was firm, his voice low and tense.
“The whole village knows, Zsig.”
Atn pointed out the obvious.
“Doesn’t mean we need to tell them more.”
Zsig’s jaw was set, his expression guarded. He looked none too kindly at Theo, silently accusing her of being too reckless with—what he considered—their secret.
“How else are we going to figure anything out? Answers aren’t falling out of the sky.”
“What about that book yours?”
“I don’t think it works like that. It records objectives as I learn them. Fills in the map as we travel through the areas. The guide is limited by my own knowledge.”
She replied thoughtfully. She had considered it the previous night while reading the notes on her conversation with Callette, and it was the most logical answer she could come up with.
“Great. You have no magic, no class, and your magic book is useless.”
Zsig sneered at her, his eyes flashing with disdain.
“Kick rocks. You’re a jerk. Atn I’m going to talk with Callette. Are you coming?”
Theo snapped, her patience wearing thin. Atn shot a disappointed look at Zsig and left with her to visit the herbalist.
Callette was only too happy to entertain the biggest thing to hit the village since the rockslide, some 300 years ago, maybe longer. Even the forest kept relatively quiet in these parts. Again, since the rockslide. Sure there was the random monster or animal attack, unavoidable in a place like this. But that wasn’t that exciting; it was just something they took as a fact of living in Ezall.
“Come in, come in. Let me put the kettle on.”
The herbalist welcomed her impromptu guests and gestured them toward seats in the cozy living room. Callette chatted about Ezall as she busied herself making tea. It was too warm outside for a hot drink, but Theo didn’t mention that.
“Don’t forget to actually turn the stove on.”
Theo reminded the woman. A habit she had developed over time. She always reminded Anika, too. Not because Anika ever forgot but because she always forgot.
Callette gave her an inquisitive look as she lowered a cast iron kettle into the fireplace. But Theo didn’t notice, lost in thought over all the accidental poisonings.
———
Once they were all settled in with tea, the true conversation began.
“What prompted this visit? Who's your friend?”
Theo didn't answer, though. She just sort of stared at the fire, completely spaced out. So Atn jumped in.
“B.E.E.P. Atncore, Ms. Callette, but you can call me Atncore. Pleased to meet you.”
“Or Atn.”
Theo suggested helpfully, returning to the present.
“Pleasure to meet you, Atncore. That’s an unusual name you have there. Must come from a city. Those city folks make up the strangest names.”
He nodded along good-naturedly.
“Ms. Callette, sorry for stopping by unannounced, but we were hoping to ask you a few questions. If you have the time.”
It was the most polite Atn had ever seen Theo.
“The garden clippings will make it without me for a couple more hours. Unless they’re being dramatic.”
She emphasized the last part, directing it towards a table piled high with flowers, leaves, roots and all sorts of plant parts. Did she think the plants could hear her? Wait, could they? Just how advanced did skills get?
His smokescreen bolts were cool, but talking to plants—that had to be a subclass, right, or a skill, something that happened at a high level? He had no clue how this worked but found the idea fascinating.
“What’d you want to know, dears?”
“You see, Ms. Callette, our companion, Zsig, and I were looking for requests to help out in the village. Talbot said if we wanted to stay longer than one night—”
“Young man, I’m going to croak of old age before you finish the story if you keep at this rate. Cut to the point.”
“My apologies, ma’am. Zsig and I went on the same mission, and both failed, but he gained 2 levels, while I only gained 1. Do you know why?”
He explained more plainly.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“Experience. Some classes take longer to level than others. Did ya fight melee or ranged?”
“Ranged.”
“If your friend was the main target and the one to engage with the animal, he received more experience. Putting it simply, he did more. Burnt more energy, expended more mana, dodged more strikes. Whatever it was, he did more of it.”
“Huh. Makes sense.”
Theo shrugged. And Atn had to agree with her. The explanation was pretty simple but clear. Zsig was involved in more of the action than him; the badger hadn't focused on him once. And Zsig had dodged a few times…so a basic evasion skill and a higher level made sense. Damn. He was going to have to catch up. No, this wasn't a competition. But he was behind…
“Ms. Callette, do you know why the voice said I’m unclassed?”
“Unclassed? Oh my. I don't know much about all that, as I told Miss Silke here. You shoulda got your class when you went through your awakening. That you didn't is odd.”
Based on Callette’s surprised expression, Atn was sure gossip would be flying for weeks after this conversation.
“How do we get a class then?”
“I'm just a simple village woman. My knowledge only goes so far. I've heard talk of reclassing, but you'll have to ask around Iskle for that.”
“Do you know anything about how we gain skills? I made a…magic bolt I think, by accident. When I shot it it created a smokescreen that helped us retreat.”
“You manifest the magic, your will, into the shot. You must be naturally disposed to magic. Poured some mana into the first shot without realizing. You probably gained it as a skill because you taught yourself, and since it's a skill now, it should cost nothing to use. There’s probably a cooldown period between shots. If it does use some of your mana, the amount required will decrease each time you level up.”
She sure knew a good amount and sounded rather educated at times for an old lady who claimed not to know much.
“Thank you for the info.”
Atn pondered this. There was an odd logic to it all. Why did people in Olera have classes and levels but not people in Triahkel? He had to wonder again where they were. Finding the map was a priority.
“Do you think I could get a class…even though I’m empty?”
Theo asked the herbalist hesitantly. She couldn’t keep the twinkle of hope out of her eyes.
“I don't know, dear. I haven’t heard anything about that. Even those with the smallest mana wells get classes, just not ones strongly tied to magics. As I said, Iskle will have answers for you, more than an old herbalist like myself.”
Theo slumped dejectedly. She was really bummed out about not having powers. Atn wondered how he would feel if he had been told he was empty. He hadn’t given his permission for the awakening. And it was partially Theo’s fault that it was forced on him—he hadn’t forgotten that. Would he take it back if he could, though? The discoveries that came with [Smokescreen Shot] had him leaning towards no, but he was undecided still. Had he lost something without realizing it to gain these new abilities?
“We won’t take up anymore of your time, Ms. Callette. Thank you for seeing us.”
He smiled graciously at Callette as he set his cup on an end table and stood to leave.
“I’ll be by in a bit to finish up the garden. If that’s alright?”
“Quite. Nice meeting you, Atncore. Stop by anytime. And talk to Griff, the local hunter, ‘bout the badger if you boys aren’t giving up.”
“Thank you.”
Atn and Theo left the herbalists and went their separate ways. Theo’s face was stuffed in her field guide as she walked down the road.
She’d stopped letting anyone else touch the book about the same time she’d had the nightmare in the forest. She’d show him the map, but only if she held the book. When Atn had asked to see the Quests pages, she’d assured him it was only quests involving her. Her job for Callette showed up, but not their mission to hunt the honey badger. At least, that’s what she told him. Now, both of his travel companions were acting out of character.
After asking a few people, Atn wandered the outskirts of Ezall to track down Zsig. He had assembled a makeshift training dummy and was violently stabbing it with a knife.
“Since when did you start training with a knife?”
He appeared proficient, too, which confused Atn even more. They went through training and graduated at the same time. The Protectorate had ranked them at a similar level of capability and assigned them to work together. In that time, Atn had never seen him practice with a knife outside of when it was mandatory.
Zsig immediately stopped his assault on the dummy, looking annoyed at the interruption.
“Practising with all the weapons on me. Not like we have an armoury to choose from out here.”
He was lying. His moves were just a bit too fluid. The practised ease of Zsig's motion was easier to spot with his biomech-enhanced eyes. But Atn chose not to push it further for now.
“Callette said to talk with Griff. He does most of the hunting around Ezall and should have some tips on killing the badger.”
Atn relayed the conversation with Callette, and Zsig listened attentively, digesting the information.
“We’ll talk to this Griff guy tomorrow. I’m going to train. See how much I can level.”
“I don’t think it works like that.”
“You some expert now?”
Atn threw his hands up in frustration. It was easier to leave Zsig to his practice than argue the holes in his logic. He decided to check in with Mr. Talbot instead to see if he had found the map.
Mr. Talbot had not found the map. But, since Atn didn’t have another job to complete right now, Talbot gave him the task of finding it.
The village head led Atn to a building that was rippling. The walls were the same wood the rest of the village was constructed of, but unlike the dilapidated homes, this building looked brand new. Also, the entire thing rippled like a mirage. It hurt his eyes to stare at for too long.
“This storehouse was built a long time ago. Enchanted ‘n warded by masters of magic, it was. Everything important is kept here. Got some spelled arrows in case of monster attacks. A few gems and metals from the days when Ezall had a big ol’ treasury. Gifts from our allies—til they turned on us. Food stores. This is the only place to keep it all safe. Maps are hard to come by out here. If the village still has one, it’ll be in there.”
Talbot held the door open and gestured Atn inside. The building itself may have been enchanted, which he assumed was something magic-related, but the stuff inside was not—most of it. Rotten shelves were all cattywampus, items sliding down into piles at the end, spilling over onto the floor. Thick layers of dust covered everything. Boxes and sacks were amassed in the middle, and a small stack of moth-eaten books sat in one corner, carelessly thrown on the floor.
There was no possibility of navigating the room. It would have to be cleaned and organized, and Atn bet Talbot knew this. What a devious man. But they needed that map.
“I guess I should get to it.”
“Try’n steal anything, I’ll know.”
Talbot tapped his temple and returned to work, leaving Atn with that final warning.
Atn looked at the daunting task before him, rolled up his sleeves, and got to it.
———
Train. Rest. Train. Rest.
The breaks weren’t for him to recover. They were to see if he would level during rest. From what Atn explained, levelling equalled strength, and he would obviously need that in Olera.
For three hours, he stabbed the practise dummy. But not once did he level. The fight with the badger had been quick, and he gained two levels. He kicked the dummy in frustration.
“Not gunna get anywhere like that.”
Zsig spun around and found a man leaning against a tree with a bow slung over his shoulder. His hair was scruffy, dirty blond and an untamed beard concealed part of his face. He also had a good 20-30 centimetres on Zsig.
“Who’re you?”
Zsig raised his knife. He was instantly suspicious of the man.
“Hunter ‘round these parts. Name’s Griff.”
“What do you want?”
“You’re the friendly sort, I see.”
“Do you need something? I'm trying to level and this is wasting time.”
He turned his back on the man, crouching in an attack stance, preparing to resume training.
“Like I said, won't get you anywhere. Stabbin’ targets don’t make you level up. Where’s the challenge in that?”
The man's nonchalant tone upset Zsig.
“What?”
“The dummy can't fight back. And training alone only enforces bad habits. That honey badger ain't gonna stand there all pretty while it waits for you to get a good jab in.”
“How do you know about that?”
Griff had been watching him practice. What if this wasn't the first time? How long had he been following Zsig?
“All of Ezall knows about that. News travels faster than fire ‘round here.”
“Right.”
Zsig had forgotten about the gossip mill. Now, his mood darkened.
“Don’t fret. You don’t look like you were too roughed up in the fight. Tough bastard that badger. Posted the notice myself. I have some levels, been doing this a long time, but I ain't no fool. You boys took on the darn thing without a single level between ya’s? Now there's a fool.”
The man clapped Zsig on the back. And he lashed out. His temper broke, and his hand flew out. He had enough sense to punch Griff in the face with his unarmed hand.
Griff stumbled back, not expecting the sudden blow.
“What in damnation! You need to get yourself under control.”
The hunter shouted as he fled back towards the village, not wanting to brave the angry stranger holding a knife. Zsig envisioned throwing the knife, just a casual flick of the wrist, handle over blade, a single rotation through the air to silence the man. But that seemed dramatic.
And now that he reflected on it, many of his moments had been dramatic lately. Why was he so angry? He felt a red-hot rage burning through his body, creating a sickly warm sensation throughout and urging him to act in fury.
Clarity broke through the veil of anger that had been slowly clouding his judgement. He needed to talk with Atn.
Zsig left the battered, broken dummy and cut a path to Ezall in search of Atn. He ran into Ed Talbot—who seemed to show up out of nowhere anytime someone needed something.
“Do you know where Atn is?”
“Cleanin’ out the storehouse. But I just had a interestin’ word with Griff, said ya lost your head and punched him good.”
“Great, thanks.”
He took off in the direction he hoped the storehouse was in, ignoring Talbot’s voice calling after him.
“We won't let people that are a threat hang around in Ezall—”
The man was finally out of earshot. Zsig followed footpaths until he found a large, pristine wooden building with barrels and crates, among other stuff, piled up outside the door. He didn't see Atn but assumed he was somewhere in the sea of junk.
“Atn? We need to talk.”
There was no reply, so Zsig ventured into the building.
“Atn?”
If Atn had thought the room was a mess, it was nothing compared to the wreck Zsig found, but there was a path into the room now.
At the end of the trail was Atn. He softly hummed as he sorted through a pile of what appeared to be worthless junk. He organized the stuff into two large wooden crates, then, lifting one with ease, he turned to carry it out of the storehouse and almost dropped it when he found Zsig standing behind him.
“Warn a guy!”
“I tried.”
“Oh, I must have zoned out. What’s up?”
“Something’s wrong with me.”
“Go on.”
There was a hint of worry in Atn’s voice. That he didn't deny Zsig's claim was slightly insulting. But though affable, Atn wasn't one to lie unless he had to.
“I've been so…angry recently. But it's getting worse.”
“I've noticed.”
“What do I do?”
Zsig’s voice sounded too desperate, and he hated it.
“Why don't you tell me about it while we clean this storehouse. We can't let Theo be the only one earning our room and board.”
Atn joked with him, trying to ease some of the tension.
“A barn and some gruel? I think picking flowers more than covers that.”
Atn glared at Zsig until he picked a spot at random and started cleaning.
“Show some respect. If not for them, we would be sleeping in the middle of the forest, foraging for food, and running into things like that badger or those qhul centipede things that we can’t defend against.”
“Fine. Yeah.”
Zsig conceded.
“Do you think there is something you need to do? Or are you just venting?”
Atn’s voice was gentle and reassuring, exactly as he was trained. It just pissed Zsig off more. He looked at the crate he was carrying in time to see a faint red current travelling down his arm. Didn't the same thing happen to him when he attacked the badger?
“Something needs to be done. But what?”
Zsig’s frustration was palpable. He didn’t understand what was happening in his own body, which only made things worse.
“You could get a calming tonic. Ms. Callette’s a herbalist. And I know alchemists can make calming drafts.”
Atn suggested helpfully, but Zsig hesitated.
“Not Theo. Can you pick one up from Callette? I don't have a lot of goodwill with the village right now.”
“Theo should be your first choice. What happened with the village?”
“That hunter guy, Griff, he was watching me practice in the forest. I may have overreacted.”
“What did you do?”
“...punched him.”
Zsig reluctantly confessed, embarrassed to admit the outburst after the fact.
Atn appeared a bit flabbergasted.
“You cause more trouble than Theo! Alright, this is an immediate concern. Put the box down and pull those others inside. We are going to see Ms. Callette.”
“But—”
“No arguments, come on.”
Atn declared, and so it would be. He was mad. Zsig had never seen him like this before. Atn had also been mad after the qhuls, but Zsig had been recovering most of that time and didn't remember his more lucid moments well.
They made their way swiftly through the winding paths of Ezall, straight to the herbalist's. Well, Atn moved swiftly, and Zsig just followed him until they reached a house. Atn knocked insistently on the door.
A petite, elderly woman—older than anyone else he’d seen in Ezall—opened the door of the ramshackle cottage.
“Mr. Atncore? Is something the matter?”
“Yes, sorry to bother you again so soon, but this is Zsig, I mentioned him when we spoke earlier. He has an ailment we were hoping you could help remedy?”
“Come in and explain. I'll see what I can do.”
The woman nodded and waved them inside. The room was cluttered with jars of herbs and various other objects and tools, but it was a warm and inviting space. Tea was already prepared, so they quickly found themselves seated with cups in hand.
“What seems to be the issue, dear.”
“I need a potion to calm me. I've been growing angry lately, and I'm not sure why. It feels like it's building up.”
The woman listened attentively to Zsig, her eyes crinkling with concern.
“You boys just got your first levels, right? Maybe an excess of mana? And you gained two levels right away. Sounds to me like you're becoming overpowered. But it shouldn’t happen so easily. It's rare and usually only occurs during rapid levelling. It's like an adrenaline rush, but from power. Not sure how else to explain it to you. Whatever magic you possess may be working against you…but you're unclassed. The awakening must have been very strange. You need to burn off the extra energy.”
Callette sounded like Theo when she talk-lectured about alchemy. The herbalist switched between talking to Zsig and talking to herself.
“Are you suggesting I exercise? Look, lady, I’ve been training for the last three hours; it didn't help me relax. This is pointless, Atn, let's go.”
Zsig rose from his seat, ready to leave, but he was the only one. Atn remained seated, listening, as the herbalist gave her treatment recommendations.
“I’ll mix up something to relax the nerves. That should help jumpstart things. But you need to burn off mana. Use it or it will use you.”
She warned them ominously.
“How do I use it?”
Zsig asked the old woman, his voice betraying his frustration.
“Channel it. I can't tell ya how to use your magic, but you have more than your body can hold. Get rid of it. In the meantime, I’ll work on a calming medicine for you.”
“Medicine?”
Atn’s eyes widened in alarm. He was from Triahkel. They could take a tonic or use a poultice, but medicine. That was a scary thought.
“Yes, medicine to help calm his system. I was trained in the ways of medicinal herbalism as a young girl. Raised to replace the previous medicine woman in Ezall.”
Callette clearly didn't share the same anxieties over the word, which confirmed a theory he had been thinking on. Olera did not have Corruption, nor did they experience the Corruption Wars. Zsig may not have been in a hurry to return to Last Stand, but he still would have liked to know where they were.
“If you were trained by a medicine woman, why are you a herbalist?”
“Herbalism was my calling. Did most of my apprenticeship in Iskle before moving back to Ezall to take over. Now go get rid of that extra mana before you explode and wreck my carpet.”
“That can happen?”
Callette's eyes glittered with mirth, and Atn chuckled weakly at the joke. Zsig, on the other hand, did not find it humorous and was over this whole meeting.
“When will it be ready?”
There was no hint of amusement in his voice. Zsig didn't like the idea of using medicine, but it was his choice, and he didn't have as many reservations as Atn seemed to. Most Triahkel inhabitants would be scared of the idea, but he wasn't the average citizen.
“Two days to brew. You’re lucky Miss Silke has been collecting ingredients from my garden.”
“Alright, I'll be back in two days. How much?”
He wasn't sure how he’d pay, but he'd figure it out.
“You boys just go back and get that badger, and we’ll call it even.”
Atn and Zsig left the herbalist, who had hobbled over to her desk piled high with plants to get started before they had even made it out the door.
Quiet followed them as they headed back to the hayloft.
“Hey Zsig, I'm really proud of you for reaching out.”
Atn broke the silence.
“Hey Atn, shut up.”
But a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.