A Distant Cure

It’s a quiet Thedale night, with hardly a peep from any of the residential animals as the group of three traversed across the cooled sands, once blazing hot from the daytime sun, but now comfortable and manageable for those less used to this terrain.

None of the trio are native to these lands, and with Kezeks thick fluffy coats making it near impossible for him to travel during the day without the extreme risk of heatstroke, they’ve been traveling only at night for the sake of his health. An inconvenience to Valor, who, while not adept in the daytime heat, either, has a bit of a stubborn streak.

“With this pace, we should be able to make it there in a couple hours,” Valor hums. Their destination? A remote oasis, one with exotic flowers not found anywhere else… flowers that Kezek and her guildmate, Zephyr, seek.

Kezek is nodding, “good… we’ll be able to set up camp there, too, to wait out the day,” he hadn’t been in Thedale long, for him to leave his forests is rare, but he had come here, temporarily, in search of medicine, medicine that can only be made from these flowers… animals of his forest have been getting sick, and unfortunately, a cure could only be found in these sandy lands.

Zephyrs reasoning is similar, much to he and Kezeks concern upon exchanging information with one another. A sickness spreading through another forest, too? They can’t help but wonder if this is the start of an epidemic… a worrying thought, one that they can’t dismiss. 

With the moon above being their only source of light, the group continued to follow after their makeshift guide, Valor. While she prefers the temperate weather of Vitalus, she’s no stranger to Thedale, coming here once in a while for guild work. Right now, she’s here for Zephyrs sake, she’s heard rumors of bandits along this route, so while she’s hoping that they’ll reach the oasis quietly… she’s not one to easily lower her guard.

This group is not one for conversation, not really, as they walk, preferring instead to simply focus on reaching their destination.

…

Zephyr can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as he spots the oasis after their group crests a hill, crystal clear waters surrounded by lush tropical foliage… and bright blue flowers, similar in appearance to that of spider lilies. 

“Finally,” Kezek grumbles as he carefully begins descending down the hill, his paws threatening to skid across the loose sand. 

“Careful,” Valor warns, “I’ll check the perimeter, make sure there’s no one else lurking about.” She’s a bit more graceful in her descent, though she’s snickering when Zephyr completely slides down, having given up near instantly at trying to stay upright at his first stumble, “I’m not smelling anyone, though,” she continues, “so we should be fine.”

“Do what you need,” Kezek shakes out his sandy coat, licking at his maw as he approaches the oasis, brown eyes critically scanning the foliage and surrounding area as Valor circles around, and Zephyr following right behind him.

A quick lap around the oasis, though, and Valors shaking her head, “nothing,” there’s not even a hint of a scent for her to work with… no ones been here in a long time. Regrouping with the boys, she’s casting the flowers a long glance, “all this travel for these..? Are they really that important?”

“Yes, unfortunately,” Zephyr sets down his bag, “the illness that’s running rampant in Kezeks and I’s forests… we can only develop the cure using these,” he pulls out multiple pairs of gloves, alongside miniature bags, “here… wear these.”

“Hm?” Though not immediately understanding, Valor is grabbing the gloves, slipping them over her paws, with Kezek doing the same quietly.

“Ah, uh, they’re highly poisonous in this state,” Zephyr explains to her, “so the gloves are a precaution,” while they look like lilies, another flower that’s poisonous to them, they’re not, and are, in fact, far more dangerous if there’s any accidental ingestion. 

Valor scrunches her nose in mild displeasure at the mild risk, but she’s not outwardly complaining as she begins to carefully pick them, already being aware that they only need a few.

Kezek has already picked a few, placing each flower carefully within the separate bag, his tail swishing in thought with each one, “you’re able to break these down, yeah?” He asks, glancing briefly over to the possum-like Vayron.

Zephyrs got a flower in his paws after plucking it from the ground, “of course! I’ll use what you collect to brew up medicine for you to take before we part ways,” he’s clearing his throat, “only a dozen or so should be more than enough for us to clear up our forests… but, I guess we should grab extra, just in case the surrounding areas have gotten infected…” he grimaces at the thought, brows furrowing in worry.

A worry that Kezek shares as he grabs another flower, “hopefully we’ve caught it soon enough to prevent its spread…” he sighs tightly, a tinge of frustration coming through his voice, “I haven’t noticed it amongst any birds yet, at least.”

“There’s that,” Valor hums, while this isn’t a problem she shares, she can understand how much worse it’d be if birds became a carrier. Plucking just a few more flowers and sorting them away into a bag, she’s stepping away from the plants, sitting back on her haunches as she pulls off her gloves, discarding them into the same bag as well. “I’ll see if I can talk our guild leaders into investigating things.”

Zephyr cracks a slight smile, “thanks, you’ve got more sway than I do, so it’d be appreciated.” A few more flowers collected, and he’s deciding that he’s done, as well, the combination of he and Valors share being plenty, he feels.

Kezek huffs, not entirely pleased with the idea of outsiders poking around his land, “...very well,” he shifts his gaze to the lily-like flower within his grasp, “just… don’t disturb my forest, it’s rattled enough.” 

“Yes, yes, we’re not brutes,” Valor waves a dismissive paw, though she’s getting whacked by Zephyrs tail, a scolding glare being sent her way at her offhanded tone.

“That remains to be seen.”

Quest 5: Not for the Allergic quest for QueenOfOpals and Zevanox !

Vays: Zephyr 15376, Valor 12655, and Kezek 16150

WC: 1041