The Apothecary

This is wonderful, Lunia!

Do perchance remember the man we met crossing the Gliscoshi mountain range, the man they call the unmoving? Well, our paths have crossed once again! He has become a Paladin since we last met, yet he is still just as humble. With blue eyes sparkling like the sea, he told me countless tales. He told me of a young woman with purple hair who has been causing trouble lately.

He has apparently been nominated to become Pope! Is that not incredible? He was unsure whether he should take the offer, so I encouraged him to. After all, that is a once in a million lifetime honor. We hath made plans to speak once more next week.

-Excerpt from the recovered journal of Absalon Ramorski.

♕♛♕♛♕♛♕

The old lady looks up at the sky, as if watching something rise. Her gray hair tied into a braid hanging over her left shoulder—the gray contrasts with the pure black dress she’s wearing.

“Um, excuse me?” Yoshida opens.

“...” The granny doesn’t respond.

“Uh…”

“Miss?” I call to her.

“Huh? Oh… Hello, youngins.” The granny looks down towards us. “Seems you have more friends this time.”

“Hello again…”

“You’ve met her before?” Eris asks.

“We ran into her this morning.”

“She called me an old lady.” The lady says, pointing at me.

“Gah.” I step backward.

The old lady looks us over, her eyes squinting.

“So what do you youngin’s want?”

“We are looking for-”

“Ah. Before all that, help me taker down the sign.” She suddenly says. She points up to the sign on the building.

“Sign..?”

“It’s time it came down.”

“Okay! One of you stand on my shoulder-” Yoshida agrees.

“““No""" The three of us turn him down.

“Oh, yeah..”

“Kee-hee-hee, I have a ladder inside.” The old lady calls to us, opening the door to the shop.

The four of us follow her inside.

The store is lit up through the large window, natural light flooding in. Shelves and racks line the walls of the store, all empty. A counter is placed at the back, the wall behind it lined with dozens of wooden drawers. Next to the counter is a doorway. The entire store is empty of stock, except for a glass case at the center with two red flowers inside.

“The ladders in the back, come with me, young man.” The old lady says, entering the back doorway.

“Is she moving?” Eris mumbles, looking around the empty store.

“Maybe…” I answer, doing the same. I look around, my eyes eventually landing on Manako, who is staring into the case.

“Pretty flowers.”

“...” Manako continues staring.

“Do you know about the Gila Flower?” The granny asks, returning from the back. Behind her, Yoshida carries a wooden ladder. “Just place the sign in front of the window outside youngin.”

Yoshida takes the ladder outside, placing it in front of the window and climbing it. He starts playing with the sign.

The old lady approaches the case, places her hand on it, and looks at Manako.

“Have you seen them before? They're quite rare, especially nowadays." She says.

“Did something happen to your shop?” Eris asks.

“No, no. It was time; my husband and I were ready to retire.” The old lady says, turning her head upwards. “We sold all our products… Except these here.”

“You didn’t want to?” Eris asks.

“I couldn’t. Legally, I mean. The flowers were banned about ten years ago, after that grand fire…”

“Fire?” Yoshida asks, once again entering the store.

“You haven’t heard of it? Not from this continent are ya?..” The old lady looks down at the flowers. “In the Nictier Great Forest, there was a town that focused on processing flowers… I can’t seem to remember its name… It created teas and such.”

I stare at the flowers, an uncertain feeling rising in my chest. Manako hasn't looked away from the flowers.

“But one night, the city went up in flames. It’s said a column of fire shot into the heavens themselves. Only one person in the city survived.” The old lady grabs the case and pulls one of the flowers from the pot. “The official reason for the fire was said to be these flowers.”

“Huh? How?”

The old lady looks at Yoshida, a smile appearing on her face.

PFFFUUU

Suddenly, the flower itself catches on fire. The sudden appearance of the flame causes the petals to fly in every direction. Before the petals have the opportunity to fly very far, the flames completely consume them, leaving a small object to fall to the ground.

“Wha?” Yoshida calls out. Eris giggles at his reaction.

I take a step back instinctively. Manako simply watches on.

“They say the flower caught something on fire, which led to the city being burned.” The old lady concludes.

“No…” A small voice rings out.
“Hm? What is it, youngin?” The old lady turns towards Manako, her eyes squinting

“The flower couldn’t have caused a fire that big.” I find myself answering for her. “Not unless something deliberately caused it to.”

I lean down and pick up the small object on the floor.

“A seed?” Yoshida asks.

“The flower's fire isn't hot enough to light most things on fire. The flower uses the flame to shoot its seeds into the surrounding area…” Manako answers, finally lifting her eyes from the flower in the case.

“... I actually agree with ya, youngin. But there's no way of knowin what happened there.” The old lady says, squinting her eyes at Manako. “Regardless, what didja wanna ask me about?”

“Ah… We’re looking for tickets.” Yoshida begins.

“Tickets? Ah, these ere?” The old lady says, lifting two pieces of paper from a pocket.

“Yeah, to delphoscere right? Can we buy them off of you?” Yoshida asks.

“Also, here,” Eris says, handing the old lady the flowers she had been holding on to. “ From Pavel, he told us to give them to you.”

The old lady looks at the tickets, then at the flowers. A moment goes by as she’s lost in thought. A smile appears on her face.

“ I paid a lot of money for these ere tickets. Took my whole shop to make up the funds. My hubby and I were supposed to go on a nice retirement.” The old lady says, once again looking up.

“Is that a no?”

“No, no, my hubbies decided we should go somewhere else anyhow. A place far more expensive.” The old lady smiles warmly at Yoshida.

“We can pay you…”

“No, I don’t need money.” The old lady says a soft smile pregnant with nostalgia appears on her face. “But as a merchant, I can't give you them for free… How about that?” She points towards the locket I’m holding.

“This? Are you sure it's all you want?”

“Yes, it matches this old lady's dress, dont’cha think?” You don’t need to keep bringing that up…

I hand the old lady the locket.

“Don’t tell me… Is it your locket?!” Yoshida asks.

“What? No, it's just a cheap old thing, it doesn't even open.” The old lady says, crushing Yoshida’s dream of fate.

The old lady places the locket around her neck.

“How does this old lady look?” She says, striking what is supposedly a sexy pose.

“Stunning..?” Yoshida tries to compliment her.

“Keeheehee. Thank you, youngin. Here.” The old lady hands Yoshida the two tickets.

“Thank you so much!” Yoshida says.

“Thank you.” The rest of us say in unison.

“I’m glad I can be of help one more time.” The old lady says.

“Well, we still have to find more, so we'd better be on our way,” Yoshida says.

“I see.” The old lady smiles warmly. “I wish you all luck, may the Spirit bless you.”

We each file out of the store. I find myself oddly eager to leave. Deep inside, I get the feeling that if I stay, I'll wind up regretting it. It's not a dangerous feeling, though…

“Wait one moment…” the lady calls out as I reach the door. “Would you please stay for a second?” The old lady says, not to me, but to Manako behind me.

I look at Manako, who nods back at me. I leave the building and shut the door.

“Hm? Where's the short one?” Yoshida asks.

“She’s talking with her, she’ll be a minute.”

♕♛♕♛♕♛♕

A few moments later, Manako emerges from the store.

Her face is glum, her eyes are red as if she had been crying.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

Her typically harsh look had been swapped for one of melancholy.

“Yeah…” Manako says as she steps beside me. In her hair is a red flower. Its dozen petals still intact.

“And the old lady?”

“She's left to meet up with Stewart.” She says.

“...”

“Is everything alright?” Yoshida asks.

“Yeah… let's get going,” I say.

“If you say so,” Yoshida says, turning away from the store.

“THIEF!” A sudden shout calls out from up the street.

It takes a second for me to look over, I see a rough-looking man running towards us. His skin is covered in deep red scales. His head is similar in shape to the dragon but with a mane of brunet hair streaming down the back of it. His clothes can only be described as rags.

After only a second, he reaches Manako, just centimeters from reaching her.

I reach out towards her, but I'm too slow.