CURRENT LOCATION: MT. EVERNIGHT. Village of the Land Dwarfs.
CURRENT STATS: HP: 30/30. Crystal Shards: 450. Progress: 1.2%.
***
"Bringing an Elf into our dwelling place is forbidden, Buknet!" Bekna said eyeing Vox who used the opportunity to stare around.
The room was large enough to accommodate a small burning lamp hung from a nail attached to the ceiling, which definitely was just a series of wooden planks.
The space was large enough to accommodate a long rectangular wooden table, pressed to the wall, with wooden chairs tucked into the Table, neatly arranged. On the surfaces, there were dried up flowers of various colors, and he got intrigued to touch one.
When he got closer to a plant with a heart shaped petal, and touched it, a blue screen popped up:
[WILLOWEED. BITTER TO THE TASTE. GREAT FOR COLD]
His eyes widened, "Wow!"
He went ahead to touch two more. The first one was a dried squared shaped leaf, having a dark-orange color.
Stacked together, it seemed similar to the smallest bundle of autumn leaves gathered together.
A blue screen popped up:
[GINGERLEAF. MINTY FLAVOR. GREAT FOR COUGH]
He touched another, this one had tiny yellowish seeds attached to the stem.
[STUNK FLOWER. PUNGENT REPULSIVE SMELL WHEN CRUSHED. GREAT FOR FEVER.]
"Ugh! I wonder how terrible it would smell," He plucked one of the seeds, crushed it in-between his thumb and forefinger, before bringing it to his nose.
The smell travelled through his nose, and struck his brain, he felt as though he was frozen for years when the smell of the Stunk Flower almost sent him six feet down.
To give a simple explanation of the smell, it stinked as its name implied, but worse. It added together the smell of rotten egg and rotting fish, garnished together with a pungent garlic aroma.
The stink caused Vox to fall on his knees, using a hand to cover his mouth to prevent puking. His insides twisting, and he felt a rush of reflux in his throat.
Bekna seeing this, stopped the conversation with her daughter and rushed to his side, "... Hey! Don't you know you shouldn't go smelling and eating Herbs—"
She paused knowing he needed help, before, reaching for another plant which had larger seeds, but this time it wasn't the Stunk Flower. She crushed it in her palm, and placed it under his nose.
Immediately Vox sniffed it, he came back to life, gasping for air, his chest rising and falling rapidly, as he quickly stood up, "Why would you keep such... Such a death-holding plant in your home?"
"It isn't a death-holding plant, it's a—"
"STUNK FLOWER! OF COURSE I KNOW THAT!," Vox said, coughing out to dismiss the smell of the plant.
"How do you know it's a Stunk Flower?" Bekna asked, intensity in her eyes as she crossed her arms.
"... Well... Erm...," Vox looked away.
"That being said, You are an Elf. Only an Elf can distinguish a Stunk Flower from a Stink Flower," Bekna concluded with a finger of accusation pointed at him.
"Wait, wait... No! Not at all, I... I...," He closed his eyes when he said this, "I grew up in the Wild—"
"Indeed, the 'Wild' being the Spirit Valley," Bekna opposed.
"No—no," Vox waved at her, trying to explain himself.
Buknet, already tired of the argument spoke up, "Mother, Vox isn't an Elf, he doesn't have their signature pointy ears—"
Bekna refusing to listen shook her head, "He might be a Halfling? Have those Elf blood, I tell you!"
Vox tried to defend himself, and got flagged down by Bekna immediately, as she continued, "Child, there's no need to defend whatsoever, the only way you can know of your heritage, is to emerge yourself in the Lake of Truth which flows in the Elven realm. So I heard."
"What does that do?," Vox asked, coming to take another detail from her.
"I don't know, but it shows you your true heritage. And I'm sure you won't know, because the Portal by which you can travel to the Spirit Valley isn't functional. So, would you help Buknet stay away from trouble while you stay here for as long as possible, or," She stood closer to Vox, "Be the one who's always in trouble."
Seeing himself being the accused, Vox eyes caught a dried grass, which suddenly felt interesting to stare at.
Bekna turned to Buknet, "Now, let me see that wound."
****
Vox sat outside, staring at the double moon while tossing small stones at the beetroots.
"The portal isn't active, Why?," He wondered, before exhaling, "And they don't seem to care —"
"Actually, we do care," Buknet suddenly spoke up. She had heard him say those words immediately and she stepped outside.
Before Vox could speak, she said, "My Father is trying as much as possible to understand what's going on in this realm. It's much more delicate than you know of..."
"About your father," Vox remembered, "Wha—"
"Thanks for reminding me about my Father," Buknet raised him up from the steps where he sat with just a pull on his arm, "As matter of fact, I want to know what he and the other Dwarfs are talking about."
"What do you mean?" Vox asked already running alongside Buknet.
"I know a secret passage to the ceiling, where we can stay and listen to their discussion," She smiled.
"Hope your father won't see you or... Me?" Vox again asked.
"Don't worry, it's just a crack which opens from the ceiling, where we can see them in the Hall room," Buknet stated, climbing a stone step just beside the house, which led up to the roof, again it had an opening blocked by a plank of wood.
Buknet pushed herself into the opening, "You coming?," She stretched her hand out.
Vox stared left and right, before mumbling, "I... I hope this... This doesn't lead us into trouble."
"Don't worry, my father won't know," Buknet smiled. "We would be above him, not sneaking beside the door of their meeting."
Vox exhaled, "Okay, You talked me into this." He lifted his hands up, as Buknet raised him to the opening.