After many thanks Anthony received the mark of the Auroch horns on his head. Then the party got on their horses and started riding off into the field. Slowly riding atop their steeds they trotted along the open grassy plains admiring the cattle graze as they headed toward the exit of the ranch fence. As they rode, Jason started to wipe off the mark on his head.

“Man, I can finally take this mark off my head.” He looked at Anthony smiling with pride as he rode along. “What made you so happy all of sudden?”

“Maybe it’s the strange stone given by Mr. Elpis.” He tapped his coat pocket where it resided. “It reminds me of a similar gift that I was given when I first left home.”

“Well, you can keep it, I’ve got all I need from that Cerberus.” He picked up the large fire stone in his possession. “A gem of this quality has got to go for at least a hundred gold.”

“Where are you gonna sell it Mr. Tilt?” Zoe laughed. “You know that demon gems of high quality are highly controlled in the continent. You’d have to go to the Free States to sell it.”

“Ms. Gaia, I know a few people back in Slum who don’t mind the risk and they don’t ask questions either.” He said, placing it back in his pocket.

“What about you Bios? What do you make of that stone?”

“I’ll have to have Ms. Iris confirms it back in Gourd, but if I’m right I think it might be pure Bone Gem, maybe even a hundred percent Fortacillium.” Anthony said.

“Are you crazy, even an Earth Dragon is not one hundred percent.”

“You also thought the Auroch was a legend too, do you not even believe your own eyes Mr. Tilt.” Master Zoe asked.

“I admit that was strange, but it could just be a greater beast I haven’t seen. Besides, if I believed in the Auroch I’d have to believe in every mythical beast in the Duchy.”

“You mean, the Ares Bird, the Hera’s Snake, even the Artemis Hind?”

“You’re forgetting Rhea’s Lion.”

“Now that’s a stretch too far. I mean, for all we know it could have even been a demon spawn that migrated over here. I mean, who’s ever even seen Rhea’s Lion except in fables.”

“...My mother.” Anthony speaking caused the whole caravan to stop and listen closely.

“Bios, in all the time I’ve known your mother, she never once mentioned seeing a Rhea Lion.”

“It’s not something that can be spoken about in common circles since the Empire outlaws any standing form of worship that does not respect the Sacred Flames.” Anthony said. “Honestly, I don’t know why I even thought of it, probably from Aeneas story about his wife.”

“Bios, this is very important, what exactly did she tell you?” Master Zoe looked in his eyes carefully for any sign of falsehood.

“It’s a story that my mother’s mother told her and she repeated to me as words of encouragement I suppose. I don’t know if it’s true, for my mother was young and she probably only heard about it from her.” He looked into the fields and trees trying to recall images from his past. “When my mother was only five, she had no dreams of being a mage, but that was before she had ventured out into the wilderness one day to play. She had been out so long that my grandmother left to search for her, it was night by the time she found her. When she did find her she saw a strange silvering light that looked like a lion’s tail moved away. Shock and scared she asked my mother why she had stayed out so late. She simply responded she was playing with a big kitty cat that shined like the stars. She was skeptical to say the least, but from that moment on my mother used to say that is why she was special because she was blessed by Rhea’s Lion, and destined for greatness as were all her children. Not long after she had her first awakening.”

“You’re saying the reason why your family is so powerful is because you were blessed by the legendary lion of invincibility that helped Queen Rhea Asterea found the kingdom in this half the continent?”

“It’s just a theory, but what do you think of Master Zoe?”

Master Zoe struck with excitement the same kind of excitement he had witnessed when he first discovered that Anthony had first manifested his abilities. Uncontrollable, she started laughing, striking fear in her associates who had to keep their horse from running scared.

“Master Zoe, what has come over you?”

“It all makes sense now.” Master Zoe pulled from the group and started riding furious down the field.

“Is this craziness catching?” Jason rode his horse following her down the field and Anthony close beside him.

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They didn’t travel long before Zoe stopped and got off her horse in the middle of the field scanning through the grass as if trying to find something lost.

“Master Zoe, what is the meaning of this?” Anthony got off his horse, just in time to see Zoe put her hands in the dirt and scooped up a small red sprout from the Earth.

“I knew it!” She looked at the spout in amazement and then showed it to Jason. “Jason, are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

“No it can’t be.”

“What, what is it?”

“Blood Blossoms!...” She looked around. “...and over there I can spot Copper Vine, Golden Blooms, Brass Bristles, even Ivory Fungus. They’re still young but there’s practically a whole plot of sacred herbs.”

“H-how, how is this possible?”

“We don’t have a lot of space in our gear but gather as many samples as you can carry. With these mature, we’ll have enough remedies to restock a corner of the pharmacy.”

“This place.” Anthony looked around for familiar landmarks. “It’s where the demon fell. The dust and gems have practically vanished, nothing’s meant to grow from demon remains. It’s supposed to be toxic beyond all measure.”

“Bios, remember what I said about the missing piece of the equation when cultivating Angel Mushrooms, well I think we have an answer.” She placed the flower back on the ground and put her hand on Anthony’s shoulder. “Anthony, that night we left Kosa, I overheard you Selene saying you had a bad dream, but Clio explained to me early that you don’t exactly dream the way that most of us do. When I examined your body you were strongest in the spiritual center. There are legends of Water Mages with high spiritual force attributes who claim to exhibit out of body experiences after intense meditation. Yet, from the sound of your experience it comes naturally when your body is in a restful state.” She shook her head knowing that she had veered off track with her ranting. “What I’m asking you Bios, what exactly did you see that night?”

“...It was a questionable sighting, but I thought I saw a blue-silver Deer near me, but when I woke up it was nowhere to be found.” He answered honestly.

“A perfect description of the Artemis Hind.” Master Zoe smiled.

“You sound unsure.” Jason asked. “Was it a dream or wasn’t it?”

“I’ve never dreamed like that before. The only other times I had that feeling of uncertainty was the day when I first took the full force of electric shock.” He recalled the Night at the Farmer’s near Dotys. “It happened before when we were in Kosa and Iasera, respectively.”

“What about the time when you fell unconscious in the field, did you feel it then?” She grabbed him by the shoulders.

Anthony nodded as Master Zoe as she released her grip and held out her hand before him.

“Bios, could you please hand me that gem you were given and your amulet as well?”

“What for, Master Zoe.”

“I need to test something first.”

Anthony did as instructed, removing his amulet around his neck. The old swirling yellow and blue and the new yellow gem seemed to be singing to one another. She looked at them in the sun watching their shade and glimmer and then started placing them together like stones. It made a small clicking noise but no response, then handed them back to him.

“Now do that same thing that I did, Bios.”

He did as instructed, clanking the stones several times but it had the same results, making a small clanking noise as Jason watched in astonishment.

“Ms. Gaia, why exactly are you two playing with rocks?” Zoe paid no mind but simply remained deep in thought trying to figure out what she was missing.

She held up one finger moments later as if struck with a sudden flash of inspiration.

“Okay, Bios, do you remember that feeling you felt when you were facing down against those hunters in Iasera?” She watched him closely like a teacher. “Describe to me how you felt, when you formed that armor that protected you that night.” He closed his eyes as he recalled both instances. “What did you see, what did it feel like, draw me the image with your words.”

“It was like the first time at the barn. I remember a sudden shock through my body...no wait, it wasn’t a shock. It was like watching a creeping vine grow searching for water. Then the next thing I know I saw a circle, lots of circles, and those circles formed a sphere. I looked at the sphere and saw a light, two lights, one blue and one yellow and then seemed to overlap, and transform into something...” He couldn’t find the words to describe it but the effects that Master Zoe was hoping for came to pass as he was lost in trying to remember.

Jason and Zoe witnessed the amulet in this hand starting to glow brightly in conjunction with the yellow stone in his same hand. He could feel the two stones move and take on a light of their own combining and melding like a molten steel in his hands. When he opened his eyes he realized that his amulet had transmuted together into one complete gem. It became a green emerald of a gem that was neither a Bone or Water Gem but a perfect combination of both.

“Ha, ha! Well done, kid, well done!” Master Zoe clapped and praised him.

“What, what did he do?” Jason asked in disbelief.

“It all makes sense now, the plants, the gems, the beasts, even the demons, the sphere. Don’t you see Mr. Tilt?” She grabbed him by the collar with an almost insane look in her eyes. “It’s connected, is it all connected?”

“What, what is connected?”

“I can’t explain now, but let's get back to Gourd quickly, I want to tell everyone in the shop. This is going to be big, very big, bigger than anyone realizes.”

She quickly ran off to the horses leaving the men behind. Jason was dumbfounded but knew that once Master Zoe started it was hard to get her to stop, so rather than ask questions he thought it was best to head back for answers.

“Come on, Anti, it’s still a long way from here to the Pharmacy. If we don’t calm her down she will run the horse dead before we get to Gourd.”

Anthony looked at the Emerald in his hand and what was so big and important. Still, whatever it was it was giving Master Zoe new life, a spark that revived her soul. Together they rode all the way back to Gourd, day and night resting only for barely essentials. Not once did the sparkle in her eyes die down, until they made it back to Pharmacy. Before Clio and Selene could even have a humble greeting, the first words of her mouth to them and every customer present was.

“Everybody out! Out, out, out!”

TO BE CONTINUED...