Astorian Myths - Part 1

Taven plucked the amethyst poppy and placed it in the sackcloth that hung at her side. It was the last ingredient she needed for her father to complete his experiment, and it had taken her some time to find it. Judging by how low the sunlight poked through the forest, it had taken close to an hour, and her father would be getting impatient. He wasn’t one to get upset, but when he was engrossed in his work he became quite passionate about what he was doing. Waiting at their cabin for so long, having nothing to do but wait for Taven to return with supplies, he was more than likely pacing back and forth with anticipation. That or he was already beginning to create some other sort of concoction.

Taven headed for the cabin, a good two miles east. She set off at a jog, squinting as the sun shone directly at eye level. She hopped the bubbling brook, the fallen tree with a large cluster of mushrooms growing out of the left side, passed under the woodpecker’s work-site for the day where he was still drilling away, looking for a meal, and climbed the hill with the berry bushes. Following her landmarks she arrived at the cabin in just under twenty minutes, and despite the cooling temperatures she had worked up a sweat. She wiped her brow and pulled off her headband, stuffing it in her coat pocket. Her hair - golden and shiny like a fine piece of jewelry - rolled down past her eyes and she ran a hand through her bangs to keep them out of her eyes. I really should cut my hair. But no, Father likes it the way it is. So does Malcolm.

Taven entered the clearing – it had a two-roomed cabin at the back, and a smaller shed/stable to the right. As she approached the shed area she heard the all-to-familiar, slightly annoying but amusing and charming, voice of her father as he tried in absolute vain to carry a tune to one of his favorite folk songs. Despite his lack of musical talents he belted away. Taven couldn’t help but let the merry laugh ring out, and wide smile come to her face. She entered the shed – brightly lit by a mixture of burning salts, which were placed in a metal bowl and hung from above – still laughing.

Her father spun around, wiping his straggly grey locks from his face.

“Ah, you’ve returned, dear. Did you find the poppy?”

Taven nodded, opening her sack. “I also found some ferns as well.”

Her father grinned to reveal a row of immaculate white teeth, credit of which he gave to some mixture of herbs he’d made in his younger days. “Good! May I see the poppy?”

Taven handed the little flower to him, and as he grabbed a small bowl and muddler from the counter – covered with plants, roots, mixing vials, and all other alchemist paraphernalia – he said “Tobias and his son will be stopping by tomorrow.”

Taven perked up. “Really?” her voice’s pitch rose.

Her cheeks flushed red as her father nodded, oblivious to her embarrassment. “Yes. He said he has a new powder he’s been mixing with oil. Apparently it burns even better than what we have now,” he said, gesturing to the light above.

Taven chose her words carefully. It’s not like I’m embarrassed. It’s just that he’s going to join the Royal Service. What if he gets sent to the sea to fight pirates? Or to the mountains to protect the garrisons from the dragons and trolls!

“So, are they going to be here for long? Perhaps I could make dinner for him. For them!” Well done.

Her father, who now had his back to her, or he would’ve surely seen the twinkle in her eyes and the rosy cheeks, nodded. “I’m sure you could convince Tobias to stay to sup.”

Doesn’t take much to do that. “What do you think I should make? My potato and carrots stew? Or perhaps I could steam-cook the rabbit we caught. Tobias does like a good bit of spice in his food.”

“He likes just about anything in his food.”

They both laughed.

“So, what is this drink going to do?”

“Well, if it works it should help to reduce anxiety. Jenny is struggling to sleep at nights.”

“Still wearing off the effects of that mage? I can’t believe what that maniac did! Stupid Emeralds!” Jenny’s nostrils flared and she clenched her fists.

Her father put the bowl down and laid a hand on Taven’s shoulder. “Now dear, just because one rogue mage attacked her doesn’t mean that they’re all like that. Take Galen for example.”

Taven took a deep breathe. “I know. It’s just that Jenny has been so different since he hit her with that spell. It’s lasted for nearly two weeks now. I’m just afraid-“ her voice trailed off as she stared at the dirt floor, twiddling her fingers.

“I can assure you that it isn’t a curse. She doesn’t have most of the signs. She’s yet to act differently than usual, barring the nightmares and sleepless nights, but that’s a common side effect.”

“Not to this degree,” Taven interjected. “And what about that stone that he was carrying. They say that only Emerald’s carry those, and that they have immense power!”

“But Taven, we never saw the stone. It was only mentioned by that half-drunk Victor. He probably made the whole thing up.”

Taven shook her head. “That’s not what a lot of people in the village think. Even Mathias has sided with him.”

Her father sighed. This was an argument they’d had twice since Jenny had been kidnapped and harassed by one of the Emerald, a group of mages located near the southern seaboard of Astoria. They were said to possess great magic powers and abilities. And in a young mind like Taven’s that was enough to convince her that Jenny, her close friend, had been cursed by the mage.

“Well, we’ll just have to see what happens. There’s not much we can do about it. Now, how about helping me with potion, because that can help Jenny.”