AN: Got some exciting surprises coming your way. ;)

Date: 6/20/13 - (edited 4/23/2020)


Chapter 14: Of Mulsa and Men

She awoke to the luxurious sensation of being held by Asbel, who overnight had managed to wrap both his arms possessively around her waist. Now her back was pressed into his chest, pulling her deep into his embrace; she felt the muscles in his strong frame and gratefully absorbed the intimacy. Along her back and everywhere his skin touched hers she could feel his body heat, radiating out of him and keeping her warm in the morning chill of their stony abode.

She gently turned around to face him, trying not to disturb him. He stirred but did not wake; she took a moment to memorize his features. Deep set eyes, a striking nose, strong cheekbones, and a resolute jawline gave him a rugged appearance that was softened by full lips and a gentle mouth that curved slightly. Again she noted how lovely he looked when he wasn't frowning about something.

Although she did not want to wake him she simply couldn't restrain herself from touching him. Her hand reached out to lightly stroke his hair, but with not more than a feathery brush. Lazily he slid open one eye at her - an absolutely adorable move, and she succumbed to the motherly sentiment that swelled in her. He must have noticed her change in emotion, as his lips curved up into a sweet smile and a boyish twinkle appeared in his eyes.

"Morning." She whispered and affectionately touched her lips to his forehead.

"Morning," he replied in a hoarse voice. "Sleep well?"

She happily hummed an affirmation.

"Ready to meet those scientists?" He posed when he was awake enough to recall the agenda of the day.

"A little nervous..." she confessed plainly.

"Why?" He propped himself up on one elbow and tried to look concernedly at her, but the residual sleepiness altered it into a rather goofy expression. Nausicaa laughed inwardly at the sight.

"I've never worked in a conservatory before; what if we don't get along?"

"Well, even if you dislike them you only need to work with them this once. But I'm fairly certain you will get along just fine." In fact, he had no doubts at all that Nausicaa would like them. Her love for nature was stronger than anyone's he had seen his entire life; if these scientists shared her enthusiasm, there would be an immediate connection.


Eventually a guard came to escort Nausicaa to the Conservatory. During the walk over, Nausicaa wondered what the scientists might be like: how many were there, what did they do during the day, how much training did they have to receive in order to be one? She made a mental note to learn from them today just as much as they would be learning her. Her underground lab at home could use some renovations.

They threaded through a number of underground tunnels and arrived at a stone staircase, atop of which stood an imposing white metal door. The guard stepped forward with the key; Nausicaa watched intently as the door momentously heaved open. Angelic, white rays of bright sunlight filtered through, and suddenly her senses were assaulted by the refreshing fragrance of foliage, the sounds of trickling water, and the dampness of the humid greenhouse air.

She stepped through the doorwary like a wide-eyed traveler entering paradise. In wonder her eyes absorbed every little detail around her. Plants! There were so many plants! Rows upon rows, left and right, high and low. Plants placed in pots, sectioned in boxes, dangling from baskets, floating in ponds - all neatly labeled and categorized. Her eyes then wandered to the water hoses, faucets, sinks, shelves, shovels and benches. Seeing the flames and glassware lying on the smooth marble countertops, she concluded the benches served as the place where most of the medicinal chemistry was conducted.

"Ah. You must be Nausicaa." Someone uttered nearby. A man in his fifties with grayish hair appeared in one of the rows and began walking over.

"Yes," she affirmed.

"Welcome to the Conservatory. My name is Kirkham, though most people call me K. I serve as head scientist here." He carried himself with a slight air of authority and intelligence, but did not exhibit pride.

"Nice to meet you." She cheerfully returned and accepted the handshake.

"Follow me; I'll introduce you to rest of us you'll be working with today." He led her away from the edge of the conservatory, towards the central domed wing. Nausicaa continued to admire the aesthetics of the building. She had seen it once during the night, but it most definitely did not compare to the majesty and splendor it possessed in the daytime. White wooden frames glowed brilliantly under the sun, the glass sparkled like diamonds under spotlight, and vividly colorful plants brought a sense of vitality to an otherwise still-life structure of perfection. Before long she had reached a small circle of about five people that had gathered together and were simply chatting with one another. Many smiled amiably when they noticed the two approaching.

"Everyone, this is Nausicaa." Kirkham spoke up as they came to stand before the group.

Nausicaa briefly surveyed all of their faces and found a sort of kindly curiosity. The scientists had heard of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind of course; she was a legend - known for her courage, self sacrifice and unparalleled understanding of the seemingly vindictive forces of nature. Now that they were meeting her, they beheld a strange young girl - not more than twenty in age. Her eyes, however, told of wisdom from ages past, and she carried a unique air of confidence, beauty, innocence, and maturity.

Starting at the left, Kirkham extended an arm in the direction of a young girl with a ponytail to begin formal introductions.

"It's so nice to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you!" the female scientist enthused. From the moment the girl energetically clasped Nausicaa's hand, Nausicaa knew she had found a friend in this warm and energetic individual.

Next to greet her was an elderly man in his seventies; his back humped slightly and his gnarled hands showed years of hard work. But his eyes were sharp and lively, and Nausicaa could tell his mind had not in the least been negatively affected by time - only enhanced by wisdom and much experience.

"This is Hammond," Kirkham spoke of the sage. "Former head scientist - he's technically retired, but he still works here daily and can't be apart from the plants; he's practically lived at the Conservatory his whole life."

"A pleasure to meet you." The elder droned pleasantly.

Then Nausicaa met the last two members of their group. One was a young man with dark hair, who appeared about 24, with a youthful face that looked almost boyish. His eyes were hesitant to show emotion; from his shy greeting Nausicaa gathered he was rather quiet and reserved. The other seemed slightly older and openly warm. He greeted her with an enthusiastic smile, while his other animated expressions pointed toward a lively personality and a keen, observant mind. Kirkham naturally led the group through their activities of the day.

"Let's get started with your cure. The plants are grouped in regions by their climate, then listed alphabetically. Tell us what plants you need, and we can help you gather them."

And thus began Nausicaa's unique project: working with a group of strangers towards one specific goal, regardless of differences in nationality, personality, and age. Within minutes Nausicaa felt entirely at home with these people; the researchers turned out to be incredibly agreeable, as well as respectful of each others talents. From the descriptions of their regular projects, Nausicaa easily observed that these individuals truly acted as a team: building on each others' discoveries, contributing constructive criticism, and sharing each others' enthusiasm for research. By the fourth plant in Nausicaa's recipe they had overcome the initial awkwardness, and relaxed to discuss seemingly boring subjects with great passion, even throwing out occasional jokes.

Interestingly enough they had never heard of removing toxicity from the jungle plants via pure underground water. In fact they possessed only limited expertise in the plants thriving in the Sea of Decay, and rightly so since they lived so far away from it. At the moment their small selection of Toxic Jungle plants grew in a separate section, with its own ventilation system, far away from all other plants. Nausicaa took the time to demonstrate her methods of safely growing them, and provided some additional information about the most prevalent species.

"Your knowledge of the Sea of Decay is quite extensive; any chance we can convince you to stay in Merinth and work here as our resident expert?" Kirkham remarked, clearly impressed.

"It would be a honor," She replied. "However I'm currently still passing through Merinth on a mission. When my task is done, and if my country can handle a couple years without me, I would be more than glad to join you." Her heart thrilled at the idea of working everyday with these like-minded friends she had finally found.

"Out of curiosity, what brought you to Merinth in the first place?" The female scientist asked.

"I came here looking for a plant called Mulsa; it's supposed to cure a very rare sickness that is slowly killing close friends of mine in the Valley and in Pejite." The scientists nodded at her reply.

"It sounds familiar; we might have it." Kirkham answered. "Is that why you're here at the Conservatory?"

"Yes, though I doubt Sarkil will even let me get my hands on it." When the head scientist sent her a questioning glance she willingly elaborated. She had nothing to hide anyway.

"He put me under house arrest when I told him I wanted it. Either Mulsa is inexplicably dangerous, or he is just stalling me."

"House arrest!" one of the subordinate male scientists exclaimed indignantly. "What a shameful way to treat a guest like you. I'm sorry we've been so unwelcoming," he asserted, then gave her a sympathetic look; from the lingering scowl Nausicaa could tell he was far from pleased. By this time the girl strongly concluded that Sarkil was the single irritable rascal in Merinth.

"House arrest sounds serious," Kirkham mumbled, brows furrowed. "I'll look into it when I get a chance."

"No need, K. I know all about it." Everyone turned their attention to Hammond, who gingerly rose up from tending his row of foliage and walked over.

"You know about it?" Nausicaa asked excitedly.

"Yes; I worked closely with Sarkil on it. I tell you the plant is nothing but trouble." He pronounced gravely.

"Can you tell me why?" Nausicaa pleaded.

"I am unable to reveal much," He answered apologetically, then hesitated. "But I suppose, to summarize, the plant caused a feud between Sarkil and his brother. The rest of the details is closely guarded knowledge." He wore such a troubled expression that Nausicaa worried what other dark secrets lay behind Mulsa.


At the crack of dawn Kitson awoke and crawled out of his shelter. After leaving the Palace yesterday he spent the rest of the afternoon roaming the city in the heat of the midday sun, searching for Yupa and Tersa. When he had tired himself out from the extensive walking, he swifty nabbed a sandwich from a food cart on a crowded street and looked for a place to stay overnight. With his exceptional survival skills he found a sufficiently secure lodging place in a sturdy shack behind a restaurant. He even wielded some manipulative innocence so the owners took pity on him and threw him some blankets to fight the cold. He never enjoyed scrounging for necessities but years of practice meant he could do it flawlessly.

Now, late in the morning, he strolled through the marketplace scanning for signs of his friends. With his keen eyesight he expected to find them eventually; Yupa was difficult to miss with that huge hat of his and tomboy Tersa had a uniquely tall, thin, but strong frame. When the streets began to burst with commotion from travelers, shoppers, and workers, the boy clambered up onto a rooftop for a better view. It was around early afternoon when he finally spotted them resting outside a general store. Kitson noticed they had kept themselves busy by restocking their supplies for the trip home.

"Kitson!" Tersa exclaimed in surprise when he saw the child making his way over to them. "What are you doing here? Where's Nausicaa and Asbel?"

"In a prison cell." He replied bluntly. No time to sugarcoat. Tersa swore under her breath, and Yupa's mustache turned downwards in a grim fashion.

"What happened?" Yupa inquired soberly.

"The first evening we entered the Palace, we met King Sarkil. We stayed in the best rooms, and the next morning they prepared to arrest us; I slipped out as soon as I could. They knew beforehand we were looking for Mulsa."

"We will most likely have to use force to rescue them," Yupa remarked. "Sarkil obviously didn't consider diplomacy as an option."

"Let's go now." Tersa called, already on her feet, bags packed, and eyes fiery like a hound's with prey in sight. "Sarkil's going to regret ever laying a finger on them." She snarled aggressively.


Nausicaa almost didn't want to leave when the guard came in the afternoon. They had already finished the formula and had spent the last few hours simply working and conversing alongside each other. Upon saying goodbye she received a quick hug from the woman scientist, who urged her to come back again someday.

"I will; I want to." Nausicaa promised, her eyes mirroring her friend's bittersweet expression. People this similar to her were far and few between, and she hoped to never lose contact.

On her way to Sarkil she quickly reminded herself of the serious task at hand: find and understand the Mulsa plant. Today was the day to get all the answers. Time to find out what in the name of the Wind made the plant so deeply shrouded in mystery.

The King of Merinth sat at his desk, basically in the same position she had last seen him. He looked up with the usual cunningly suave smile.

"Ah; you're back. How was it working with them?"

"Quite enjoyable." She returned equally nonchalantly. You're the only one I have trouble working with, she retorted in her head.

"I'm glad to hear it. Your contributions of knowledge are very much appreciated. Now in return: speak your questions and I shall answer within reason." He folded his hands and waited patiently.

Nausicaa readied herself to begin her rigorous interrogation to get to the bottom of the matter. From what she gathered so far: Mulsa was a shrub, without a scientific name, that grew in nitrate rich soil in Merinth, and for unknown reasons was never allowed to leave the Palace. She chose to start chipping away at the last mystery.

"Is Mulsa grown in the Palace?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Has it ever left the Palace?"

"No."

"Why not?" she inquired; Sarkil raised an eyebrow and hesitated to answer.

"My executive order. I had reasons to withhold it." He finally stated.

"What reasons?" She pressed with determination.

"That is strictly confidential; I am not able to answer that." The girl frowned at his response.

"Does it have other purposes other than curing Gullera?"

"Not directly, no." The woman scowled again; his answers were so elusive that she didn't know if she was gleaning anything from the conversation at all. Her thoughts switched to the clue of nitrate rich soil; perhaps she could start there.

"Does Mulsa also grow anywhere outside of the Palace?"

"No." She wondered if they destroyed every public field and farm containing this shrub.

"Did it used to grow naturally in the wild?" She clarified.

"No, it never has."

"Then how did you come to find it?" She questioned seriously, barely able to piece together all the random facts thrown at her thus far. She watched confusedly as an approving smile spread across Sarkil's features.

"You've finally asked the all-important question Nausicaa. Now, don't you think you need a break?" The girl glared at him warily while Sarkil continued.

"I'll make another deal with you. I am more than happy to explain the discovery of Mulsa to you, if you will answer me only one question: Where did you meet Kerlin?"

Again she was dumbstruck by his omniscience. She told herself to be extremely careful; the precariousness of the situation should never be underestimated when your enemy knows absolutely everything about you, including where you've been in the last two weeks.

"You know him?" She asked, trying to hide her bewilderment deep within her.

"He has royal blood." He enunciated coldly, scowling at the thought.

"What will you do to him if I tell you?" She asked worriedly.

"Oh nothing harmful; after all he is my brother. We have a bit of a brotherly love-hate relationship. I need to remind him to stop messing with the affairs of the country he willingly left behind." He announced somewhat bitterly, staring menacingly at the wall.

"Tell me where you found him and I will reveal the rest of Mulsa's history to you." He coaxed, giving her a sidelong glance.

"He lives in Belden Swamp, next to the Toxic Jungle." She uttered resignedly, then prayed nothing detrimental would befall Kerlin.

"Ah... thank you my dear. Now about the plant!"


AN: It took me a while to realize it, but I was basing my descriptions of the conservatory off of the SF Conservatory of Flowers. I've been there once long ago, and it was so beautiful that I never forgot how it looked.