Chapter 24: Hanging out
Garrum's heart raced. He swung around, but he saw nothing, just the flicker of movement in the shadows. His remaining men, too terrified to stand their ground, began to run, but they were swiftly cut down. One tripped and fell on a sharp spike, his face impaled as blood poured from the wound.
Shennong noticed what happened and laughed, as he realized his traps that he kept releasing while Garrum was carrying him worked.
Garrum's knees nearly gave way as the overwhelming presence of death surrounded him. He tried to move, to escape, but his body refused to obey. Then, he felt it—the chill of a cold hand on his back. His spine stiffened as he slowly turned around.
What he saw made his blood run cold.
A woman stood before him, her face pale and streaked with blood. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, the tears mixing with the blood as she screamed. "Kill! Kill! Kill!" Her voice was filled with a thousand years of bottled-up hatred and pain, a fury so strong it seemed to resonate in the air itself.
Shennong, now standing with a twisted grin on his face, walked toward Garrum, his eyes locked on the terrified man. "This is impressive, I think our meeting was fate." Shennong said, almost admiring the fine armor Garrum wore. "You have a nice armour and nice weapons. But don't worry. I'll put them to good use once you die."
Garrum's breath caught in his throat as Yenissa—her name, he learned—let out another insane scream. "I want to kill him!" she shouted, her blood continuing to drip from her eyes. Her voice was more frantic now, desperate to taste vengeance.
But Shennong raised a hand, stopping her. "No, Yenissa" he said, his tone calm and controlled. "I have a better idea."
He reached into his inventory, pulling out a sharp spike—cold and gleaming. It was small, but looked dangerous. Garrum having contact with the underworld of barony immediately recognized what it was.
Majula, a drug so strong that it could drive anyone crazy. Why did this boy have that?
Garrum's body trembled as he stared at the needle. "W-who are you? Where did you get that?" he stammered, his fear overtaking him. "What do you want from me?"
Shennong's mocking smile grew wider. "What happened to the group that could take down an orc, hmm?" he taunted. "What happened to Garrum of the famous Band of Hyenas? You were all so proud of your strength and your accomplishment, but now look at you."
Garrum's face turned pale as Shennong continued. "You're not so impressive now, are you?" He paused for a moment before continuing, his voice low and dripping with disdain. "Garrum Goldhelm, son of Lord Tarun Goldhelm, the great Baron's right hand merchant. You've been boasting about all the things you didn't do, haven't you? It's funny, really. Your father must be so proud."
Garrum, now visibly shaking, struggled to move but found his limbs growing heavier. "No, please... stop..." he begged. He didn't have the will nor power to fight anymore.
Shennong held up the needle. "This is the effect of this little thing," he said, showing it rather close to Garrum eyes. "I bought it with my paycheck from the black market. It's very effective, from what I hear." He sneered as he drove the needle into Garrum's side, the drug already beginning to spread.
Garrum's body went limp as the drug took hold, his eyes glazing over in fear and ecstasy.
"I know it won't probably do anything to you, if you only take one needle, so why don't I just-" Shennong muttered, as he threw away the first needle and used four more needles on Garrum. "This will drive you insane? Probably kill you,"
Garrum was no longer able to see what's happening. His body was melting from the pleasure he was feeling. But Shennong knew he had to deal with Yenissa who is acting like a wild animal.
Yenissa's crazed mutterings died down as Shennong gently approached her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "Calm down, Yenissa," he whispered into her ear. "I am fine. I just didn't want anyone to see what's happening here."
For a brief moment, the rage in her eyes softened, and she almost melted down like butter feeling Shennong's hands being wrapped around her. Shennong gave her a small smile as he whispered something else into her ear, causing her to stifle a giggle.
Rilith and Velara watched from the shadows, their eyes wide with uncertainty. "What's going to happen now?" Rilith asked, her voice filled with unease.
Shennong turned to them, still smiling. "You'll hear something amusing tomorrow," he said cryptically. "For now, let's enjoy the silence."
The last of Garrum's men died in the shadows, except for Garrum himself and the man who had suggested selling Shennong, leaving only Shennong, Yenissa, and their allies in the alley, where the echoes of screams had faded into the night.
***
Shennong sat at the wooden table, his fingers tracing absent patterns on its surface. He smiled to himself, thinking about all the loot he had gathered last night—an enchanted armor with layers of protection, likely more valuable than anything he owned, and weapons sharp enough to kill an actual orc, even though Garrum hadn't used any of them.
Shennong was overflowing with happiness just thinking about the new additions to his collection while waiting to hear the news about what had happened to Garrum. He knew it would be amazing news.
The tavern was quiet in the early morning, save for the concerned voices of Jeni and Josie, who stood on either side of him, their eyes filled with worry.
"Shennong, what happened yesterday?" Jeni pressed, her brows knitted together. "When did you even come back?"
Josie crossed her arms, her lips pursed. "You didn't say a word last night. We were worried sick. We thought.." She paused for a second. "We thought we lost you."
Shennong sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I was lucky," he admitted. "Those men... they started fighting among themselves after an argument. That's the only reason they let me go."
"That sounds dangerous!" Jeni gasped, gripping the edge of the table. "Were you hurt?"
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"It wasn't easy," he said with a weak chuckle. "I got attacked a few times before they turned on each other."
Josie's face crumpled as tears welled up in her eyes. "This is all our fault! If it weren't for us, you wouldn't have had to go through that. You suffered because of us!"
"No, no!" Shennong shook his head firmly. "Don't think like that. It had nothing to do with you two. I just got caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's all."
Josie wiped at her eyes with her sleeve, sniffling. "Still..."
"Don't dwell on it," Shennong insisted with a small smile. "Now, how about you two open the tavern like usual? No use worrying about things that already happened."
Josie hesitated, then stood up, her expression unreadable. "I'm thankful for everything, Shennong. Truly..." She paused, her gaze dropping to the floor. "But you should go somewhere else before they come back. What if they harass you again?"
Before Shennong could respond, she turned and walked away, her shoulders trembling.
Jeni watched her go, then sighed, looking at Shennong with sadness in her eyes. "I hate to say it, but... she has a point. This job isn't safe for you anymore. I don't want you to leave, but I don't want you to suffer because of us."
Shennong leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "Forget about that for now. I have a question—when is your friend Lily coming?"
Jeni blinked at the sudden change of topic. "Oh, Lily? She's already here in town. She was supposed to come by yesterday, but... well, you know what happened."
"Are you still planning to go on that little trip with her?" he asked casually.
Jeni bit her lip. "Maybe another time. I don't feel right leaving you like this."
"No!" Shennong's voice was sharp, almost aggressive. Jeni stared at him in shock.
Realizing his outburst, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. "Don't hold back because of me," he said more gently. "You should go, I mean we should go."
"But—"
"I can just hide my face, make sure no one bothers me," he continued, giving her a reassuring grin. "I want to go outside, have fun with you and your friend."
Jeni tilted her head, her expression confused. "Why are you so eager about this?"
Shennong chuckled. "Because it's the best thing we can do—live our lives without worrying about annoying people. Let them be. We should enjoy ourselves."
Jeni hesitated, then slowly smiled. "You know what? You're right. I'll go tell Lily that we're still going."
She turned and left the tavern, her footsteps light and determined.
As soon as she was gone, Shennong's smile faded, his gaze darkening slightly. He leaned back in his chair, muttering under his breath.
"It's time to meet this Lily... and figure out a way to get close to the Baron."