Valerian, The Legendary

The elder smiled and said, “Such nice names you have. I am Madeline. You two sit here. I will get you something to eat.”

Valerie nodded and sat down on the small couch. Valerian stood on his spot and looked around the place. He would not have believed that this place was recently built if not for Valerie to tell him. It was hard for him to understand how and why this lady would live here in the wild, surrounded by beasts.

He found Valerie sniffing something and asked, ‘Did you also smell blood? Do not speak, just the signs.’

Valerie nodded and replied, ‘Faint smell, but it is lingering.’

Valerian understood that something was up, and he came to sit down beside the girl. He placed his hand on the armrest and channeled the mana through it. The objective was to search the place. But, first, he wanted to confirm his suspicions. Just as he began, Madeline returned with a tray in her hands.

She placed the tray before the two people and said, “This is the juice from wild fruit and is very good for health. The other is a cookie I made yesterday night. Have some.”

Valerian nodded and extended his hand to pick the glasses of juice. He secretly channeled light element mana through the liquid to remove any toxin he could. Then he handed one of the glasses to the girl.

While packing things, Valerian told the girl that she would only eat things he handed herm. He found it irresponsible of the high priestess to send Valerie along with him. Did she not know that the people he was up against targeted her kin?

.....

Madeline watched them sipping juice and asked, “So what brings you children so far away from the high temple?”

Valerian did not answer. Valerie can handle such simple questions with ease. But, unfortunately, his mana threads were still extending and searching every corner of this place.

Valerie replied slowly, “The high priestess allowed us to go out and explore the word as we help those in need.”

Madeline revealed a motherly smile and nodded, “The temple has always been kind to those in need.”

Valerie nodded, and suddenly the old lady exclaimed as she said, “Do you not like the cookies? They are fresh.”

Valerian took the half-empty glass from Valerie and helped her take a cookie after he cast a purification spell on it. He took one for himself and sniffed with a smile before he took a bite.

The old lady did look at him slightly before the young man gave her an okay symbol. Madeline smiled and said, “I am glad you like it, child. Eat more.”

Valerian nodded but did not take another cookie and only ate his own. However, his mind was focused on the box inside the kitchen. He could now manipulate the mana threads to extend out of his body and drill into the objects without being detected.

As the threads spread around, a map began to develop in his brain. A vague map, but still, he could put together what was happening in this place.

However, the box was slightly beyond what Valerian could manage to detect. Valerie suddenly tugged on the young man’s sleeve. Valerian looked at her, and his eyes turned cold. The girl was pale as if blood was drained out of her body.

Valerian removed the collar chain from her and calmly tied it to his collar before looking at the lady across him and asking, “So, would you mind telling me what is happening here?”

Madeline was surprised to see that this boy could speak. However, she was not foolish not to know that the young man put on the chain first. She smiled and asked, “So you have a magical artifact? I was wondering where this bastard willing found a chain to put on.”

Valerian had no time to waste and cast two binding spells on the lady. First, the floor encased her feet, and then vines erupted and entangled her. The lady did not even have the time to react. The young man placed Valerie on the couch and stood up from the sofa. He gazed at the woman glaring at him and decided not to waste time looking at the girl’s condition in front of him.

He began to think of a solution. The old lady said, “Even if you kill me, you cannot decoct an antidote for my poison, boy. You have no idea what I used to prepare the poison, and this wildling does not have much time left for herself.”

Valerian looked at Valerie and found her skin turning bluer every second. He placed his hands on her chest and cast several healing spells. It brought back the color on her face, but this would only give him a few more minutes.

The lady chuckled, saying, “You can try all you want, but things will not change. She will die, and you are just making it more painful.”

Valerian looked at the table, and then, after thinking something, he said, “Your choice.”

Then he turned around and walked away from the scene. The lady was stunned to see that the young man had just left his companion and was going to leave the place when she heard a dull clutter from the kitchen. This log cabin had three sections: a living room, a bedroom, and a kitchen.

A minute later, Valerian returned with a glass of the same vermillion liquid and three cookies. Again, Madeline was confused and surprised. Finally, however, she was dragged back to reality by this guy by casting paralyzing thorns in the vines.

Then cruelly, Valerian turned the cookies into crumbles, shoved them down the lady’s throat, and poured the glass of vermillion liquid to ensure the stuff was swallowed. He pinched her nose close. The young man was forceful and cruel.

The lady was only let go when she swallowed everything in her mouth, and then Valerian said, “If you do not wish to die, bring out the antidote.”

The lady gasped for breath and looked at the child in front of her with a horrified gaze. She shook her head and said, “No, this is incorrect. You do not understand. I did not do it. The people from the temple made me do it. Please help me. You cannot kill me.”

Valerian did not move and even sat beside Valerie, holding her in his arms, and said, “I do not believe you.”

But, then, no matter how much the lady begged, he seemed to have turned deaf to the wails. He was looking around when no one showed up to ease the trouble. Then, finally, Valerian stood up and walked back into the kitchen. He scrutinized the rectangular box in the corner and tried to open it with a dagger.

He found the box enchanted. He dragged it behind him and placed it before the old lady. He smiled and said, “This box is where the smell of blood is the strongest. Can you fool me by saying you are working for the temple? Okay, but I do not violate any rules even if you die. I am serving the goddess of mercy, and I will not let you go and attack my people just for that.

How can I make any difference if I cannot save my people? So, you can die from your poison.”

The old lady was scared. This young man was going to kill her. She ground her teeth and yelled, “You can kill me if you want to, bastard, but these wildlings will not pollute our world for long. My people will have them uprooted.”

Valerian smiled and snapped his fingers. Valerie and the lady both received a healing spell. He said, “My sister is asleep from the healing spell earlier, and I also left light mana to circulate in her body. So she will not die. My mana is strong enough to beat the poison, but what about you? I will keep bringing you back from the edge of death as many times as I need.”

Madeline had a pale face and wanted to cough up blood but could not move. Finally, after ten more spells, the lady lost her patience. She said, “Fine. You win, but you must stop this.”

Valerian nodded, and the lady said, “I tucked the vial of antidote in my magic pouch. There are two vials. Please, forgive me.”

The young man noticed the lady was carrying a magic pouch around her waist and stood up from the seat. He took the pouch and found two vials filled with crystal clear liquid inside it. He opened one and fed the old lady half of it. Then he opened the second bottle and fed her the other half.

After confirming the effect, only then did he feed Valerie the antidote from two vials. He was testing if there was still any catch. Then he said, “Old lady, I will have to arrest you for harming my sister.”

The lady let out a breath of relief and said, “You will rot in hell you scourge.”

Valerian did not waste his breath on her and looking outside the window on the side, he cast a fire spell. A fireball shot to the sky and exploded in the insignia of the temple of mercy. This was their calling sign to each other.

A symbol of joined hands. The symbol of mercy.