Chapter 1
The old man in his bed coughed violently, and without pause.
The nearby granddaughter, frightened out of her mind for her elder, begged the old man to stay strong despite his illness. She turned in the direction of the apothecary working next to her. The young brown-eyed apothecary wore a green jacket with a brown leather vest, along with beige pants and dark brown boots. The back of his disheveled, brown hair was tied in a short ponytail.
The granddaughter asked him in a mixture of hope and worry: "Can you really save him with that medicine of yours?"
The apothecary responded with pure optimism, in contrast to the granddaughter's nervous state: "You betcha! Just sit tight!"
The apothecary then finished his mixture, and proceeded to give his mixture to the ailing old man. The old man drank up the concoction, as the apothecary gleefully responded: "Bam! That should do 'er! Drink it down slowly now…"
The old man obliged, and soon found myself starting to achieve better health soon after drinking the mixture. He responded in delight: "Well, I'll be! Thank you my boy!"
The apothecary, pleased with the old man's smile and gratitude, responded as such: "Don't mention it. Just doing my job."
The apothecary then changed his expression to a more stern but nevertheless fair mood: "This'll stop the coughing for now, but your lungs have seen better days. Try to give the pipe a rest sir, hear?"
The old man understood the apothecary's request, and debated in his mind on changing his old habits for the kind man who healed him. The apothecary then turned and faced the granddaughter.
The granddaughter, responding in pure joy at the apothecary's help, expressed her happiness: "Oh, Alfyn. Thank you ever so much! How blessed we are to have an apothecary like you in our little village."
The granddaughter then reached into her pockets to pull out some money for Alfyn's help. She raised out her hand containing some leaves for the apothecary.
Alfyn, with little hesitation, voiced his rejection of payment to the granddaughter's offer: "Naw, it's on the house. Why don't y'all hold onto that and buy something tasty for you and your grandpa?"
Alfyn then changed the subject to assure the granddaughter of his care for her elder: "I'll be back to check in on him, okay?"
The granddaughter nodded, and stared in amazement at the apothecary who started to leave without taking her leaves. He had done his work with a smile and without pay, and that livened the spirit of the granddaughter. Alfyn exited the door of the grandfather's home, simply satisfied with the old man's better health.
Later…
At the cemetery, Alfyn approached one tombstone residing at the end of the graveyard looking out onto the Riverlands. Alfyn spoke to the grave in pure delight: "Did you see me, Ma? I whipped up an antitussive elixir like you wouldn't believe!"
Alfyn then changed his manner to a more contemplative tone: "Can't believe it's been a year already...Am I any closer to being the man I want to be? The man he was…"
A second voice approached the graveyard behind Alfyn. "Alf! I've been looking all over for you!"
Alfyn turned to regard his best friend with a smile: "Heya, Zeph. Done for the day?"
Zeph responded likewise with a smile on his face as well: "Yes, only two patients today. Having you around sure eases the burden. If only I could convince you to quit giving out discounts..."
Alfyn responded with a tinge of concern: "Aw, come on. The poor gal has enough trouble looking after old Alek. I can't very well take what little she has."
Zeph responded in a joking and jovial manner: "Hehehe. I'm just teasing you. You know that's what I like about you. If the villagers are healthy and happy, that's more than good enough for me."
Alfyn responded positively to Zeph's charm for him: "Haha, couldn't have said it better myself."
Zeph responded in a hopeful tone: "We may be new to this, but between the two of us, this village is in good hands."
Alfyn responded likewise: "Sure is. Plagues? Epidemics? Bring your worst!"
Zeph responded: "I'm counting on you, Alf. We all are. Who'd have thought that little troublemaker would turn out to be a top-notch apothecary, eh?"
Alfyn responded in a fancy and sophisticated tone of voice: "We can't all be born with a silver pestle in hand, Master Zeph."
Zeph smiled at Alfyn's joke, and turned in the direction of Alfyn's mother's grave: "Your mother would be proud."
Alfyn responded with a simple "Maybe."
Zeph turned back to Alfyn, and said: "Anyway...I should be getting back to Nina."
Alfyn responded in a poking but fun matter: "Yeah, beat it. Head on home, big brother."
Zeph nodded and turned to leave the graveyard. He stopped only a few stops from Alfyn. Zeph looked back at Alfyn and asked: "Hey, Alfyn? We've been friends ever since we've been small, right? I know you better than anyone. So be honest. You're keeping something from me, aren't you? I'm right, aren't I? The truth is-"
"Master Zeph!" said a third voice approaching the cemetery.
Alfyn and Zeph turned to face the third man approaching them.
"Master Zeph, you must come quickly! It's...it's your sister!"
At Zeph's home…
Zeph examined the injuries on his sister who was lying on her bed in an unconscious state.
"These look like bite marks" said Zeph. "Alfyn, could you take a look as well?"
Alfyn nodded and obliged, taking his own look at his friend's sister. Alfyn then turned back to Zeph. "She's fallen into a deep trance. This is worse than we thought" said Alfyn.
"Indeed" replied Zeph. "Nina's the only family I have. If I lost her, I'd...I mean, it's safe to assume she was bitten by something poisonous, but what? Without knowing the nature of the poison…
"Yeah, the wrong medicine could make things worse, and quick" replied Alfyn.
Zeph yelled in anger: "Damn it all! What foul beast did this to my Nina?!"
Alfyn responded in a calm and reassuring tone: "Let me ask around. Maybe somebody saw something."
Zeph nodded, his frustration relaxed by Alfyn's kind nature. Alfyn proceeded to the door and walked out of Zeph's home to check with the other villagers in his home of Clearbrook.
The village of Clearbrook surrounded a river that widened in one end which lead to the ocean nearby, with grass and dirt adorning the paths throughout the community. Several trees grew besides the homes of the villagers, but compared to the forests of the Woodlands the trees in the Riverlands were not overwhelming the presence of the village and the river nearby. The buildings were small but effective for the villagers to carry out their lives, with little space for decadence to be shown throughout the village. The villagers regarded their simple lives near the forests and rivers as one that is pure and fulfilling due to the natural beauty of their setting. The weather brought its fair share of rains and sunlight, but on the day that Alfyn sought to heal his friend's sister the weather presented few clouds to block the shining sun.
After Alfyn stepped out of Zeph's home, he noticed a little girl playing near the babbling brook that passed below the village. Alfyn quickly recognized the girl as Nina's childhood friend Lily, and then proceeded to head over to her to inquire about Nina receiving her wounds. Lily acted very hesitant to speak at the mention of Nina's sickness and the cause of it.
Alfyn continued to probe Lily. "Come on now, Lily. The bite marks on Nina's leg. You sure you don't know where they came from? I wanna help your friend, but I'm an apothecary, not a miracle worker. If I don't know what bit her, there ain't nothing I can do. You wanna help her too, right? So just tell me...please?"
Lily understood Alfyn's intentions, and obliged for the man who was being so gentle in his interrogation of her. "Nina wanted to pick waterblooms for her brother. I wasn't so sure about it, but I went with her to that cave. And then...this giant snake came out of the bushes, and...and…"
Alfyn gasped in shock, and proceeded to confirm his suspicions about the snake.
"What kind of snake? Was it black?"
Lily shook her head to Alfyn's question, leading to him fearing for the next possibility:
"Don't tell me...Was it amber with blotches on its back?"
Lily nodded in response. Alfyn's nervousness amplified from her confirmation.
"The Flame take me...A blotted viper!"
Lily hung her head down in shame for her friend's condition: "I'm sorry...I know we're not supposed to go there. B-but Nina wanted it to be a surprise, so...so she told me to keep it secret, and…"
Alfyn understood Lily's explanation, and comforted the poor girl: "Thanks, Lily. You've told me all I needed. You were a brave girl to bring Nina back here. Don't you worry anymore about that scary snake, you hear?"
Back at Zeph's home…
"Good gods...a blotted viper?" asked Zeph in fear at Alfyn's honest answer.
Alfyn responded in worry as well: "A nasty critter if there ever was one. This ain't good."
Zeph looked at his sister before responding in a methodical manner: "The poison is spreading through her veins as we speak. I must prepare an antidote with all haste. But I need to get my hands on the original venom. There's supposed to be a nest of vipers in the Cave of Rhiyo, yes?"
Alfyn nodded in response, his fear maintaining a grip on him at the thought of approaching the vipers.
"I'll leave at once. Look after Nina for me" said Zeph.
Alfyn tensed at the thought of Zeph going into the cave, and stopped his friend as he started to leave.
"Hold on, Zeph. You look after her. I'll go."
Zeph tensed up as well at Alfyn's quick disregard for his own safety.
"Aflyn, are you mad?! I'm responsible for Nina. I won't let you risk your life like this!"
Nina's faint voice approached Zeph's ears:
"Unh...Zeph...where are you?"
"Nina! I'm here Nina!" shouted Zeph.
"Zeph… will you hold my hand?" asked a half-conscious Nina.
"See, Zeph? She needs you" said Alfyn.
Zeph held his sister's hand as he regarded his friend in frustration for Alfyn's eagerness at the possible cost of his own health.
"Thanks, Alf. Come back safe, you hear?"
Alfyn nodded and, without hesitation, headed for Zeph's door so that he can leave eastward from the village towards the Cave of Rhiyo.
Later...
As Alfyn walked on the path towards Rhiyo, he contemplated on Zeph's worries. He understood why his friend thought he was reckless, but to Alfyn healing others is more important than worrying about his own health. He never had the chance to repay the compassion that that man gave to Alfyn by saving his life. The only thing that Alfyn can offer for gratitude is to save the lives of others just as that man saved Alfyn's, and though Alfyn was frightened out of his mind at the thought of facing the blotted viper he wasn't going to let Nina suffer anymore.
Alfyn's thoughts were interrupted by a large black and yellow shape with wings flying towards him. Alfyn quickly recognized the yellow moving shape as a giant river wasp, and just managed to duck out of the way before the wasp's stinger could hit him. Alfyn pulled out the handaxe he used as his weapon in case of attacks and promptly used the axe to swipe at the wasp. The wasp kept swerving to avoid Alfyn's axe attacks, just as Alfyn swerved to avoid the wasp's stings.
"I'm kind of on an important mission right now, so please bug off!" yelled Alfyn as he hit the wasp with the handle of his axe. The wasp was sent flying until it hit the branch of a tree nearby, before promptly escaping from the axe wielder.
"Whew...now that that's out of the way…"
Alfyn stored his handaxe as he kept on walking, soon coming upon an entrance into a dark area where the stream next to his path continued. Alfyn recognized the dark inside area as the Cave of Rhiyo, and proceeded to enter for the sake of Zeph and Nina.
Alfyn tensed as he pulled out his lantern and lit it, keeping the light close to him as he approached the dark space barely lit by holes in the rock ceiling surrounding the cave. Alfyn walked on a path of rock through the black atmosphere, passing stalactites and waterfalls spewing out of holes across the cave walls into the streams that passed through the cave.
Alfyn soon came upon a grassy area directly lit by one of the ceiling holes. Flowers surrounded the grassy circle within the cave, and he quickly recognized the flowers as waterblooms. Alfyn remarked upon the waterblooms:
"Not just a pretty sight. Makes a good bitters, too. No wonder it's Zeph's favorite."
What an angel, coming all the way here to pick up flowers for her brother thought Alfyn as he recalled Lily's testimony of why Nina came here.
"Hsssssssss!"
Alfyn turned in the direction of the hissing noise, and came upon the sight of an amber snake with grey blotches on its skin.
"And if you ain't just the fellow I was looking for. Sorry to drop in unannounced. Say, don't suppose you could spare a rip of snakebit, could ya?"
"Hsssssssshhhaaa!" replied the blotted viper.
"Oh, no, don't get up. I'll help myself" said Alfyn in a sarcastic remark.
"Hsssssss!"
Alfyn stopped playing around and proceeded to hold his axe firm, ready to do battle with the giant viper.
"Well shucks, if you insist. But let me give you a hand."
The viper geared its body back before proceeding to strike at Alfyn with fangs open and wide. Alfyn dodged to the left and missed the viper's bite, and proceeded to mock the snake.
"Ha! Try again!"
The viper hissed before using its tail to sweep across the floor and hit Alfyn. Alfyn reacted in just enough time to jump out of contact with the sweeping tail. Alfyn's jump landed him closer to the viper, as it proceeded to use its tail to circle around Alfyn so that it could catch and constrict its meal. Before the tail could crush Alfyn, he proceeded to jump on top of the circling tail coming towards him so that he was face to face with the head of the tall viper as a result of his jump. While in the air, Alfyn proceeded to use the handle side of his axe to smack the viper right in the middle of its skull with a firm swing directly down onto the snake's cranium. The snake was momentarily stunned, its head closer to the ground as Alfyn used the opportunity to swing the axe handle back and forth across the snake's head before the viper lied down in an unconscious state.
"Sorry, my hand slipped."
Alfyn proceeded to walk towards the viper's mouth and open it up to get a look at the serpent's fangs.
"What's that, take all the venom I need? Don't mind if I do."
After Alfyn gathered all the venom necessary for a cure, he proceeded to start heading back to the entrance of the cave.
"Hold tight, Nina. I'm on my way."
At Zeph's home…
"Zeph...it hurts…" said a sick Nina groaning in pain.
"It'll be all right, Nina" replied her worried brother. "Alf'll be back any moment now. He's never let us down. When Father died and left the two of us alone, I didn't know what to do. The truth is, I didn't think I'd be able to raise you and protect you on my own. But Alf was always there to lend a helping hand. When he told me he wanted to study together and become an apothecary himself, he gave me the strength to carry on. He's always so humble, apologizing for being a burden on me. But the truth is, I'm the one who's been relying on him all this time. If only I could be more like him."
Zeph heard his door open as he looked and saw his best friend. "Alfyn!"
Alfyn responded: "Did you miss me? Heh, sorry it took so long."
Zeph said: "Oh, Alfyn! Thank the gods you're safe." Alfyn pulled out the venom and showed it to Zeph.
"The venom...You really did it!"
Alfyn asked: "I trust you can take it from here?"
Zeph answered: "I'll get started at once."
Zeph started to head towards Nina as he heard Alfyn speak again: "Hang in there, friend."
Zeph nodded, extremely comforted just by Alfyn's presence alone. He appreciated his friend's willingness to brave the viper and other dangers just for his little sister, whom he would save.
Later that night...
Alfyn stood in front of Zeph's home, worrying about his friend but wanting to believe in his capabilities.
You know, Zeph, thought Alfyn, I've given it all to be the best apothecary I can be. To be more like you-know-who. But sometimes, I feel like I'm still so far away. All it'd take is a stiff breeze to blow this backwater village right off the map. And yet, this is where I was born and raised. Where I learned my craft. It's got grouchy Gertas, who I ain't never seen smiling. Meryl's got her act together, but she still needs a shoulder to cry on now and then. Gotta keep an eye on old Alek's cough, too. And you, Zeph. I've been giving you a hard time since the gods know when. You invited me to study together with you under your father. Took care of the books after we went into business together...Right. What was I thinking? I better stick around here after all. But not here. I better go see how Zeph is holding up.
Just as Alfyn proceeded to open Zeph's door, Alfyn was surprised by the door opening and his friend coming out to inform him.
"Alf! The Flame take me, it worked! Nina's feeling better by the hour!"
"I knew it Zeph. With you on the job, was there ever any doubt?"
"Thank you, Alfyn, for everything. You...you saved my sister's life. How can I ever repay you?"
Alfyn shook his head, and answered: "Don't even mention it. I helped out someone in a bind. Simple as that."
Zeph's eyes widened upon hearing Alfyn's reply: "Those words. I remember...when we were still small, and the Great Pestilence came. Father could cure every disaster known to man, but for the first time, he was at a loss. Then one day, a traveler came to town bearing an elixir the likes of which we'd never seen…"
Several years ago...
"Aye, this'll do it" said the apothecary to the young ailing boy lying on his bed. The apothecary proceeded to help the boy drink from the elixir that would cure his illness.
The young boy, named Alfyn, showed his gratitude: "Thanks, Mister. But why'd you save me? We ain't got no money, you know."
The apothecary proceeded to answer the boy's question: "Listen, son, and listen well. I saw someone in a bind, and I helped him out. Simple as that."
Alfyn's eyes widened in response to the simple answer given to him: "Shucks. I hope I can do that too someday."
Back to the present...
"Ever since that day, you've worked your damnedest to become just like your hero. To help people out just like he did" said Zeph.
"Oh, um, is that how it went?" asked Alfyn.
"Alfyn. We've been together forever now. So I can tell. You want to leave this place, don't you? You want to travel the world and help as many people as you can. Just like him…"
Alfyn sighed and responded to Zeph's intuition: "This is my home. I know you're a skilled apothecary, Zeph. At least as good as...no, probably even a little better than me. But I can't leave you to look after the whole village on your own. Besides, who else'd cut your ego down to size? Who'll listen to Gerta's grumblings? And Meryl's tales of unrequited love?"
Zeph quickly answered Alfyn: "I will! I'll do it all! Don't you worry about anything. I'll see that the villagers are happy and healthy. I swear it on my life. So go out and see the realm, Alf. Do it with your heart at ease and your head held high."
Alfyn responded with a simple "Oh, shucks."
The next day, at the cemetery...
"Guess what, Ma? I'm going on a journey! Time to see just how far my talents will go. I'm gonna save folks the world over. Just like the man who saved me. Keep an eye on me, would ya?"
Alfyn turned from his mother's grave, and was just starting to leave when he noticed Zeph approaching.
"Alf! Thank the gods you're still here."
"Come on, Zeph. I didn't ask for a going-away party."
Zeph chuckled. "Just a little present for the road. It's nothing special, but…I want you to take my satchel. That way, no matter how far you travel, I'll be right there with you."
"Wow. You weren't kidding when you said it was nothing special."
Zeph responded: "It was the only thing that came to me."
Alfyn proceeded to grab the satchel that Zeph was holding out in front of him.
"Thanks, Zeph. I'll take good care of it. Here. Why don't you hold onto mine, too?" asked Alfyn as he held his satchel out in front of him towards Zeph.
"Now there's a plan! I'll put it to good use, Alf" responded Zeph as he proceeded to grab Alfyn's satchel.
"Alrighty then. See ya around."
Zeph nodded. "Be safe out there, friend."
Alfyn nodded as well, and turned from his friend towards the entrance to the cemetery. Alfyn left the cemetery and very soon, Clearbrook.
And so Alfyn set forth on his journey to travel far and wide and ease the pain of the sick and suffering. Just as one man once did for him. Little did he know what awaited him in his travels.