Chapter 24: Interesting Findings
Chapter 24
After Kai reassured Alana that, no, he did not get kicked out and that, yes, he would go back after his seventh birthday ceremony, she calmed down a little.
That was until she asked why he chose to come back alone, instead of waiting for her visit. Kai reassured her that no, it was not her fault for not visiting often enough. There were other reasons.
Taking advantage of this moment of peace, Kai looked around the house and asked a question of his own.
Am I wrong or there was no door on that wall when I left?
Both Alana and his sisters had many more questions, but they fell for the distraction. He did not even have the time to put down his backpack and he was curious about what happened to their house.
Looking proudly at what was once a full wall, Alana explained the situation.
Well, Lady Virya was very generous with her commissions and we took the opportunity to expand to the nearby block. After the famine, there was a lot of shuffling around. Many houses were left empty and others were ditched in favor of a proper new building somewhere else. When our neighbours moved away, I got it for dirt cheap.
Now we have our own rooms! Ele excitedly explained, pulling his arm to show him around.
Their old house hosted the living room, plus Alana and Elenis room, while the main room of the other house worked as a kitchen and storage area.
That is Keas room. Ele indicated one of the two rooms in the new house.
Kea immediately jumped in front of him, You cant go in there right now, its too messy.
Kai had no intention of looking inside, but after Kea told him not to, he grew curious.
Keandra. Alana threw Kea a look, but she didnt budge and looked back defiantly.
What about the last room? Kai diffused the situation.
There will be time for snooping around later.
With a last look at Kea, that promised they would talk later, Alana replied smiling.
That one is for you, sweetheart. Youll always have a bed here. But it needs a bit of tidying up since you gave us no warning. She punctuated with a half-scolding glance.
Opening the door revealed a few random chairs and boxes strewn around. A small bed laid on the side with on top the few belongings he had left behind. One spare pair of clothes that now wouldn't fit him anymore, a few pretty shells Ana gifted him and little else.
It wasnt much and there was a thin layer of dust around, but it warmed his heart knowing they left a place specifically for him. His gaze wandered to the spare furniture occupying the other half.
Well, it was good enough for him.
Dont worry sweetie, Ill tidy things up immediately.
Kai put down his backpack by the bed, Mom, its perfect.
He blocked the way before Alana could dart off to clean his room. She seemed conflicted, but in the end agreed it could wait.
After the long journey, his legs felt like jelly and he couldnt wait to fall asleep.
Kea, why dont you go fill the basin for your brother to clean up while he settles down.
Do I have to go fetch the water right now? Its dark outside and. Keas protests were silenced with a glance from Alana.
Fine, Ill go. Grumbling to herself Kea left, not before glaring at him.
Kai suppressed a smile.
Its so good to be home.
Alana turned back to him, We can clean up in the morning, but let me help make a little space.
As they were creating a path around his bed, his empty stomach loudly protested. His last meal had been eight hours ago.
His mother watched him disapprovingly, Have you been neglecting yourself? When was the last time you ate?
There was nothing suspicious, apart from a surprisingly big collection of bracelets and necklaces. They were all made from twine woven together with colorful shells and pretty rocks. A few half-finished attempts proved she wove them herself.
It was a surprising discovery for sure. He never saw her wear any of them. Was this what she had been hiding?
Kai was about to leave when Keen Eye noticed a floorboard under her bed had no dust on it.
It was the oldest trick in the book for a good reason. As expected, he was easily able to remove it. Pushing his hand inside he took out cloth wrapping tied with a braided twine. He loosened the knots without untying them completely. He wanted to remove its content without destroying the complicated braid. It would take hours to replicate it, if he even could.
A small knife with a wooden handle fell into his hand.
Why did his sister hide a knife? Did she steal it somewhere because she thought it was cool to own something dangerous? She would not be the first kid to do that.
Kai put the knife back where he found it, making sure to leave no trace of his passage. Probably it was nothing, but he would keep an eye out for her to make sure.
With too many thoughts in his head, Kai closed his house and walked into town to clear his mind.
He walked towards old town. He wanted to stay as far from the shady slums as possible. Following the flow of people, he found himself in the market. It was larger than he remembered. The vendors put up stalls or used a blanket on the ground to display their goods.
Fierce haggling, sellers shouting the quality of their wares and the bustle of the people going to get their groceries, merged in a loud cacophony. Kai jumped into the crowd and started looking for something that could interest him.
As the smell attested, the main products by far were fish and crustaceans. He also noticed a couple stands selling different kinds of meats from hunters who went into the jungle.
They had been mostly skinned and chopped up, so he couldnt tell which animals they belonged to. Probably some kind of oversized rat if he had to guess. And the other one was definitely snake meat, it must have belonged to a big one too.
Kai curiously browsed the stalls. So far, he wasnt interested in buying anything. Dora gave him ten copper mesars, quite a lot considering he had never possessed any money. He had to be careful how he spent it, the ceremony could be a couple months away. He made a mental note to ask his mother when it was exactly.
After looking around the market for a while, his eyes landed on something he might be interested in buying.
The stall belonged to an old woman. Her face was wrinkled but her eyes were still sharp. She had a variety of wild herbs on display. Kai recognized blueleaf, spirits tears, maselia flowers and many more.
With Herbology it was hard to forget something, even if he didnt think about it for months. It also gave him an inkling of an unknown herb properties if he studied it closely.
He activated Mana Sense to see if something stood out. Nothing exceptional, but most of them had a higher concentration of mana than common weeds.
Are you sure you have the money to buy something, child? These herbs are not for playing, they all have wondrous powers. Why dont you bring your mom and dad here? The old woman said, a bit annoyed he was taking the place of potential customers.
Kai flashed a couple copper mesar in his fingers.
The sellwoman immediately smiled in a grandmotherly way, Im old Selia, but you can call me granny Selly. What are you looking for, young man? I have the best herbs in all Greenside. Do you wanna grow tall and strong, I have exactly what you need.
She showed him some common coral flowers, holding them like they were some precious and rare plant. Not something that grew everywhere in the outskirts of the Veeryd jungle.
Their most notable characteristic was their beauty, with delicate blue and pink petals. They made nice decorations and smelled good, but they werent useful for much else.
Kai decided not to make a fuss. It was an open market after all, what else did he expect?
Ignoring her attempted scam, he asked a few questions about the herbs on display. A glimpse of disappointment passed through Sellys eyes, but it was soon replaced with a cheerful energy and as she hyped up her wares.
He casually corrected all her exaggerated claims with a childish smile like he was playing a game and winning. Selly didn't seem deterred and smoothly continued talking. She adjusted her answers to something that could resemble the truth.
After he showed he knew his herbs, Kai started asking about the unknown plants he actually wanted to know amidst the useless questions. He didnt trust her words fully, but he could always study them with Herbology and ask other sellers to check the answers.
And what about this? Kai pointed to a bundle of heart-shaped leaves with dark blue veins.
Old Selly had assumed a defeated expression, but he was sure it was all an act, Oh, those are called lovers mercy. In small uses it numbs the senses and puts you to sleep. Everyone uses them to ease the pain of reaching Orange, you should buy them when the time com.
Kai froze on the spot, as Selly continued talking.
The advancement can be quite excruciating without them. Im sure such a knowledgeable young man will need them soon. Some people also buy them for recreational use. I would never sell them for that, but not everyone is as upstanding as me. You have to be very careful with them, they are deadly if you take too much.
Selly noticed his state and misunderstood his reaction, a shrewd smile on her face. Are you interested in buying? Everyone comes to old Selly for them, I only sell the best of the best.
Fuck! Kai exclaimed. He had taken no painkillers for his advancement thinking that was what everyone did. Now he discovered there was a convenient herb that put him to sleep for the process.
People around looked at him weirdly for his outburst, murmuring what a disgrace it was that children had no manners.
Old Selly didnt seem deterred, Ill give you two leaves for two mesars, deal?