Re: Level 100 Farmer

In the end, matters got settled fairly quickly. 

Jeanne healed Azhar and took him from Launcelot, carrying him over her shoulder. She managed to do it easily because of both her height and inhuman strength, and she insisted on doing it because she wanted it to be Triple Threat that brought him back home, not anyone else. 

While she carried Azhar home, Sylvie and Launcelot talked, has.h.i.+ng out the details for having his party temporarily join Triple Threat in the Chattering Forest and, potentially, if Azhar did not recover quickly, down to Duvin to face off against the Gigantopede.

Before Sylvie left, though, she promised to return with ingredients for Li and asked him to take care of Azhar if he ever showed up around the farm. Li had agreed, but he did not really expect to do anything. He doubted that Azhar would show himself to Li or the farm – the site of his shameful defeat – anytime soon. 

So, as Li closed the door to the cottage behind as after everyone had left, the wyrm immediately plopping herself down by the fire to sleep, he figured that he was in for a couple of slow days brewing elixirs with Iona for the adventurers that would pick up the slack now for Riviera now that both its top ranked parties were gone. 

Though, Li figured, the days would only be slow until harvest came, when he would arrange his meeting with Alexei. Until then, he would juggle his free time in between training his forest spirit powers, exercising the wyrm, and taking a look at the old farmhouses to see how he could buy them up. 

The next day, in contrast to the tumultuous night before, was a mellow and summery calm. Sun neither too bright nor too overcast. Neither too hot nor too cold. Breeze neither too strong nor calm. A day of moderation. 

Li sat in the counter of his stall, his chin resting against his palm as he looked out to the world with a bored expression that must have mirrored Iona"s as she worked at the table, mixing up their daily batch of minor healing potions for general use for Riviera"s populace. 

He scanned his eye to Old Thane sitting in the fields with Zagan at his side, taking a break after weeding the rapidly growing wheat stalks. He had Iona check them just one more time to see if they were at all dangerous after hearing Launcelot"s story about cloning, but she confirmed they were harmless. 

"It"s a slow day," said Li to Iona behind him. "Though I guess this is probably why."

Li reached out to pet the wyrm curled up in a sleeping ball on top of the counter. He worried that the fumes from elixir brewing could potentially harm her, so he had her lie on the counter. He initially tried to tie her to a wooden post right outside the stall, but she snapped the post in two to follow Li, which put a definitive end to the question as to whether she did well when separated from him. 

"Mortals are always far too fearful for their own good. They cower even at an infant," said Iona as she fiddled with a few beakers. 

"I mean, I can understand where they"re coming from. She can probably gobble up a fully grown man right now," said Li as he gave the wyrm another pat on her head. Her scales had extended a little, especially on her head, making its previously smooth texture a little rougher.

"Perhaps we can add her to our marketing," said Iona. She mused to herself for a bit before saying, "A boost to our anti-venoms, maybe? If we stress that we distill our brews from a wyrm from whom a single drop of saliva will cause eternal numbness that readies its victims to be picked apart from bone to bone, then certainly the mortals will have more faith in them."

"You"ve got the basic idea of marketing down, but the way you"re saying it, most people will be way too scared to buy anything we make," said Li. "Here, I"ll give you a better example to the next person that comes to the stall."

After a few minutes, the next person that showed up at the stall made it clear that it was not time for Li to start marketing.

"Azhar? Do you need anything?" said Li. 

Azhar stood in front of the stall with a smile, as if nothing had happened the night before. It honestly did seem that way, considering all his wounds had been healed too. He reached into his leather trousers and picked out a slip of paper that he handed to Li. 

Li unfurled it. 

It was a note that detailed a large batch of orders for restorative elixirs as well as strength boosters for Azhar. At the bottom of the note, there was a large, flowing signature that marked it as Launcelot"s.

"You want me to take this order?" said Li as he looked at Azhar. He could not see any hints of resentment or hesitation on his face.

"If that rich b.a.s.t.a.r.d"s payin", I ain"t one to s.h.i.+rk free supplies."

"Didn"t expect you to cash this in." Li shrugged. "Honestly, didn"t expect you to even show up here today."

"Why not?" Azhar laughed. "Ain"t like this spot"s cursed or nothin". Prettyboy beat me fair and square, and I ain"t got a problem bout" admittin" the better man when I see it. So, gonna take the order?"

Li took one more glance at the note before nodding. "I have most of the recovery elixirs in stock. The strength boosters will take a day. Have to forage in the woods for ingredients. But you know these won"t do anything for your arm, right?"

"I know, but free stuff"s free stuff."

Li considered Azhar for a moment. "If you truly want to recover, then I can think of one solution provided you have the resolve for it. I"ll tear off your arm and regrow it."

"Mighty temptin" offer." Azhar glanced at his dead right arm before shaking his head. "But nah. I"m gonna" take some to time reflect on where I went wrong and improve myself. Figure the time it"ll take my arm to get back is enough time to get my head straight."

"You"re not worried about the rest of your party?"

"Nah. Knew the prettyboy and his gaggle of girls were way more useful than me from the start. Was just feelin" a little worked up yesterday, I guess. But Jeanne and Sylv"s gonna" be safer with him than with me. Besides, they already left."

"Fair enough." Li took Launcelot"s order for Azhar and went back to the working table, handing it to Iona. When he came back to the counter, he found Azhar looking eye to eye with the wyrm.

Li instinctively reached out to calm the wyrm, but she was not attacking him, merely staring at him with an almost hypnotic stillness. 

"Interesting," said Li. "Considering she tried to bite Jeanne"s hand off, this is quite a surprise."

Azhar broke his stare with the wyrm and looked to Li with a smirk. "Ain"t no animal ever taken a likin" to Jeanne. Probably somethin" to do with her mutant blood and all. But more than that, I know how to talk with dragonkin. All bout" the eyes – how ya open em", how ya stare, and all that. So long as you don"t close em" or look away, it"s pretty safe."

He took a step back, a.n.a.lyzing where the wyrm lay. He c.o.c.ked his head. "Ya know, why"s she up here? She"s probably scarin" off customers. Ain"t it better to have her in the stall?"

"Worried the fumes will hurt her," said Li. 

Azhar waved his hand. "Ain"t a little fumes gonna" harm her. In fact, breathin em" in will probably get her stronger. Adapt her to em"."

Li nodded in understanding. "You know an awful lot about wyrms."

"Bout" dragonkin in general. When I took a few years to reconnect with my people, I learned bout" their wyrm and wyvern ridin". I"m probably one of few people out here that knows how to train em", too." He paused, his casual expression stiffening into a more serious one. "Hope that was enough to convince ya of my qualifications."

"For what?" 

"I…I came here to ask for your help." Azhar took in a deep breath. "What ya said to me before got to me, and I still remember it. I ain"t askin" for a handout. I"m askin" you to train me. Some kinda martial art, beast tamin", whatever it is. I wanna" get stronger somehow, even if just a little.. As thanks, I"ll help ya train your dragonkin."