Ch 28 The Poison

Sophie and Inu both heard the same sound. They looked back.

Lake was on the ground.

"LAKE!"

"Lake?!"

They both rushed to his aid. He was unresponsive. He was breathing. He looked pale.

"What do we do, Inu?"

"I... I don't... Let's find a safe place to hide. I think the only thing we can do now is, hide him. You stay with him and I will find help. He is too heavy for either of us to carry very far."

Sophie nodded. There were some coves by the last bit of coast nearby. Inu grabbed Lake by the nape of the neck and Sophie lifted his legs as much as she could.

They began to drag him. Sophie saw blood come from Lake's neck.

"Stop! You are hurting him!"

"Hsh..."

She carefully lowered his head.

"He's immortal, remember? I am not married, I don't have another form to take that would make this any easier."

"Married? Form?"

Sophie repeated. Lake began to rouse from his slumber.

"Lake!"

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"Uhg, I don't know. I felt dizzy. I still do."

"Can you walk? We were trying to get you somewhere safe while I find help."

"I think so."

Lake stood up and took a few steps forward.

"Where to?"

Inu led the way to the cave she found in the cliffs.

"Stay here. Try to get some sleep, Lake. I will try to get to Lak'Tambu as fast as I can, to get help."

Inu left in a hurry.

"Lake, what happened?"

Lake was on his side with his head on the most comfortable rock he could find.

"I don't know. I just kept feeling worse and worse until we got to the path. At that moment I just felt dizzy and passed out."

"Did you eat something bad? Get stung by something? Inhale any bad odors or gas clouds?"

"That sounds... familiar. A stinging sensation on my finger. I found... I found a white flower with a purple base..."

"Lake?"

He was out again.

"A white and purple flower? What could have happened? Lake..."

She was worried for him.

Inu made her way to Lak'Tambu as fast as possible. It would take them roughly five days while walking. With her running solo, it would take two days at the most. Sophie had a pack with lots of food. As long as no one dangerous finds them, they will be fine.

She ran as fast as she could.

She knew her sister was dead. Even if he didn't mean for it to happen, she knew that it was technically his fault. She still wanted to save him. She still cared for that human. She cared for Lake like family.

She made better time than she anticipated. A day and a half.

She was exhausted by the time she got to Atouk. If the shadows beat her home, then her family might not help. Atouk was her best bet.

"ATOUK!"

"What, what? No need to shout. The little ones are sleeping."

She sighed and smiled.

"Your litter was born? Congra... Whew. Congratulations."

"Catch your breath Inu. What has you so worn?"

"On the Corner of the coast between the Troll Lands and the Faelands, Lake..."

She took more breaths.

"Lake? What about him?"

"Lake is sick. I don't know what to do. He fell. He was uncon... unconscious."

Atouk understood. He went and talked to Pinyola.

"Can you still walk? I'm going to get my brother. We can get Lake fast with my brother's carriage."

She nodded but she was still breathing heavily. He left right away. They went to the blacksmith's stall.

"Berthri. I need to speak to you."

"Hey, brother! Just a moment. I'm with a customer."

"It's an emergency. Berthri."

Berthri took a second look and saw Inu out of breath.

"Hey!"

He whistled and waved over a co-worker. He said a few things and ran over to Atouk still in his troll form.

"What's wrong?"

"Lake is ill, he needs transport. He is over by the corner of the coast between the Faelands and the Troll Lands."

"Okay brother, I got you. Stay here. I'll be back in a few moments."

He hopped a couple of times before he took off running. He hung his apron and ran off in his panther form.

Inu was close to catching her breath before he returned. He was on the far side of the crafters market when he called out to them. He was clothed and back in his troll form again. He had a double lizard-drawn carriage. Atouk and Inu happily got on. Inu was able to rest overnight. They pushed hard to get there as fast as possible.

"Inu! Is this it?"

She awoke to Berthri in her face. She pulled her head back and looked around. She recognized the sights and smells.

"This is it!"

She jumped out and ran toward the coast. She found Sophie asleep next to Lake.

"Sophie?"

"Huh? Wha... Inu! You are back!"

"I brought some friends."

Atouk came around the corner with Berthri still in troll form.

"An elf?"

"A black troll?"

Sophie and Atouk said at the same time, aloud.

"Explanations can wait for the ride. Let's get Lake on the cart and worry about who is who later."

Berthri had suggested.

They all agreed.

Berthri easily lifted Lake and brought him over to the carriage in no time. He set Lake down gently and Hoisted himself up to the driver's seat. He turned the carriage around and began the way back to Lak'Tambu.

"So... Who is the elf?"

Atouk asked.

"She is a friend of Lake."

Inu replied.

"He rescued me from a terrible slave owner."

"Rescued? Did he steal you away?"

Berthri asked.

"No. He scared my previous owner into transferring ownership."

"So, you are his slave?"

Berthri continued.

"Yes... But, he doesn't treat me like one."

Berthri turned around and saw her smile while looking at the unconscious human.

"That's fine by me."

"What about you? I've never seen a black troll before. Are you from a different tribe?"

"Haha, I am a panther."

"Uh... You don't 'look' like one."

"It is not a secret but, it's not very well known either. When panthers marry, they can take the form of the species they get married to. I had married a troll when I was younger. She has since passed away. I can still use my troll form though."

"So... you are like him."

Atouk looked at her.

"Like him?"

She was touching Lakes chest. She looked sad all of a sudden.

"What do you mean, like him?"

"She... His wife.."

Inu stopped her.

"Mery tried to join the battle between the trolls and the mermaids. She was killed."

"No...Oh no... Oh no, no, no. Mery... Lake. He... He must be suffering so much."

Berthri felt for the human and grieved for the Princess.

"He released a new power from the potion of Rage when she died. He created a void that destroyed everything in a sphere shape. Sand, water, trees, anything. He stopped the battle but, Mery's body was lost to it, also."

Inu added.

Berthri leaned over to Atouk.

"I think we need to have a chat when we get back, brother."

The ride was rigidly quiet the rest of the way. Lake shifted his arms a few times but never woke.

"We are close. Do you have a blanket or something in that pack? Maybe you should cover him. Its dark but that won't stop guards from looking from afar."

Sophie nodded and quickly covered Lake with a blanket.

"You should probably hide too. You are not a neutral trader. Elves and panthers don't usually get along well, otherwise."

Sophie got under the blanket with Lake. They made it to Berthri's house. It was behind a wall where he had personal stables for his lizards and carriage.

"This is probably the safest place to be right now. Atouk's house is too open and Lake's house might be monitored."

Berthri moved Lake to a guest room. The blanket was left on him and Sophie stayed by his side.

"What happened? How did he get like this?"

Atouk asked.

"I don't know. He seemed fine until we got to the path. Maybe he was a bit slower than usual before that."

Inu responded.

Sophie recalled what he had said to her last.

"After you left, Inu. He told me he was stung by a flower. A white flower with... a purple base? Does that mean anything?"

All three panthers looked at each other.

"That... Sounds like The Flower of Death."

"Oh no. Is it that bad?"

Sophie asked. Inu spoke first.

"With his immortality, he may survive. I don't know how it will affect him."

"There is a cure. The problem is that it is in the Faelands. It will not easy to get."

Berthri stopped the conversation.

"Immortality? What?"

Inu brought out a claw and poked his arm hard enough to pierce the skin. It bled.

"Why?"

Berthri asked.

She licked the blood off of his arm to reveal the lack of an open wound.

"He can regenerate? Wow. I am... Eh-heh. This is crazy."

"Come, we will talk about it in the other room."

The three panthers left Sophie and Lake alone. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his breathing.

Atouk and Inu filled in gaps of knowledge with one another while Berthri was given the opportunity to ask questions to fill in the gaps of his knowledge of Lake.

Atouk and Inu returned to Sophie.

"We will go and try to find the cure. It may be more than five or six days. Hopefully with his... condition. He will survive just fine."

"I'm going with you."

Atouk sat down.

"I don't think that is the best idea. We move best alone. I am not trying to be mean but, you would just slow us down."

"I don't care. He always helps me and I never get the chance to help him. I want to do something for him besides just, sit and wait."

"Ehhhh... We leave in the morning."

Atouk turned around and went upstairs with Inu. He whispered to her.

"I will feel bad but, we should try to leave while she is asleep in the early morning."

Inu nodded in agreement.

That morning was cold. The light of day had yet to begin to show itself. A perfect time for Atouk and Inu to leave.

They snuck out the front door only to find Sophie covered in a blanket waiting for them.

"I told you, I'm going."

Atouk hung his head.

"Okay, fine. Get on my back. Hold on tight."

She got on. She was lighter than Atouk had thought. It was a good thing that her blanket wrapped her. That might make it easier to leave without someone spotting an elf on his back.

They made their way through several backstreets and alleyways. They were almost spotted many times but, narrowly avoided that mistake every time. They were at the final stretch. Inu took a corner ahead of Atouk. As he made the turn, he saw something happen that was not ideal. Inu was found by the royal guards. Atouk returned to the previous corner to hide.

She was not in danger. She was taken away, though. This meant it was just Atouk and Sophie.

After the guards left. He waited a few moments to gain some distance. When he felt it was safe, he continued on at a slightly slower pace to conserve energy.

They made it out of the city. One ally short but, they were on the way.

"Why are you so determined to help Lake? I may technically be his slave but, what is your reason?"

Atouk remembered when he first met Lake.

"I met him right after Mery was rescued from the elf dungeons."

"Mery, his wife..."

Atouk could not see it but, she was upset at the thought of Lake having a wife.

"Yes. He kept her from death's door in the prison. When he escaped, he found me and another panther, Obani. She was an old crone stuck in old ways. I did not hate her but she was a cranky old lady. She attacked Lake without provocation. He killed her in one hit."

"He killed a panther?"

"Yes, he didn't know anything about the panther people back then."

"You don't hate him for killing one of your kind?"

"He was not someone I could fight. I would have lost my life. I chose a path of survival. I tried to reason with him and beg for my life. I did so by pledging my life to him. It seems less cowardly that way. I did not care. I just wanted to get back home to my wife. When you meet someone that powerful. You don't fight, you hide."

"Was he really that strong?"

"Yes. I think it was just something temporary from the potion. It gave him strength enough to defeat giants with a single punch."

"Giants!? Wow."

"Wow indeed. He saved me from a giant's attack. Once again I owed him my life. He refused my life debt though. He said he only wanted a friend. I was more than happy to be that for him."

"I like that."

She cozied up on Atouk's back more. She loved the soft fur.

"He also helped me save another one of Mery's sisters. She was kidnaped by the human kingdom. We spent almost 30 days there before we found her. We were lucky, she was to be executed by the humans the very day we rescued her."

"Why? Did she do something wrong?"

"No, actually the humans would have been in the wrong for executing her. They simply hate non-humans. They execute them just because they are different."

"But, Lake is a human. He is not like that at all. He gets along with other races just fine. Better than most if you think about it."

"You are right, he is unusual. He comes from a different world. One where there are only humans. Maybe it's the lack of other races in his homeland that makes him more agreeable than the ones we have here."

Atouk and Sophie spent the next few days traveling in the Faelands. They avoided the major city and smaller villages. Atouk knew where to go. Interacting with the citizens would only hinder their efforts. They began to climb a mountain well past most of the established villages. This took another day before they were high enough in the mountains to begin looking for the needed ingredient.

"We need to find a flower that is the opposite color of the one that stung Lake. It has to be purple with a white base. It is known as 'The Flower of Life.' They counteract each other. You can't touch it with your bare hands. Otherwise, we would need to find The Flower of Death to counter the effects of this one."

Sophie nodded. They began looking around. It was cold. Sophie was glad she brought gloves and pants for the occasion.

They searched for three hours in the mountains until...

"I think I found one, Atouk! Over here!"

Sophie was looking down the edge of a cliff. Atouk popped his head over the edge with her.

"That is one... It's... In a dangerous place. I would not want to go down there. I think It would be better to just keep looking for another one."

Atouk left to continue his search.

Sophie was even more determined now. She found what Lake needed. She was not about to give up like Atouk.

She saw a ledge that connected to a lower path on the mountain. She backtracked the path until she found the ledge that led over to the flower. It was thinner than she thought. It began to seem like a stupid idea.

She refused to think negatively, though. She was going for it.

She began to shimmy slowly across the thin ledge. It was not too scary.

'Just don't look down.'

She told herself. She made it across to the flower without incident. She needed something to hold the flower in. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a thick piece of cloth. It was the one she was using to wipe the sweat off of Lake's brow since he fell ill. She placed it opened in her palm. Her gloves were awkward but she felt safer with them on. She reached up and grasped the flower with the thick cloth separating her gloves and the flower.

She pulled. It came out easy. The hard part was done. Time to shimmy back.

She took it slow. It worked the first time, why not again?

She was almost back when she heard Atouk begin to panic.

"Sophie! Where are you?"

"I'm down here."

She called back. Atouk looked down from the same cliff as before.

"Of all the..."

He hurriedly ran down the path, taking long jump shortcuts to get down to her asap.

She was only a few shimmies away from the edge now.

The ledge below her right foot gave way. She fell toward the edge on her right. Her chin hit the edge, hard.

She tried to grab the ledge with her left hand. She was going to fall if she didn't let go of the flower in her right hand.

She fell.

Was this it for her?

Atouk reached down with a claw and grabbed the clothes on her back.

"OW!"

His claws pierced her skin. It's better than letting her fall. He pulled the small elf girl up and over the edge. He retracted his claws.

"You are going to be the death of us all."

He sighed. She was tearing up from the claws in her back.

"What do you mean, us all?"

"After what happened with Mery, You might just push him over the edge if you were to die, too. From what Inu told me, he really cares for you."

Sophie forgot about the pain in her back for a moment.

What Atouk had just said... It made her really happy.

"Look!"

She showed the flower to Atouk.

"You got it! Wrap it up. It's okay if it gets scrunched a bit. It has to be crushed into a fine powder later, anyway. Good job."

Sophie showed him a grin he will never forget.

The way back was easier.

The path was clear.

Lak'Tambu. Next stop.