Chapter 748: The Shape of What They Seek
Chapter 747: The Shape of What They Seek
Ronan turned to Tobias. "I would be offended by your words, brother, but unfortunately, you speak the truth."
Tobias gave him a mock salute. "I aim to please."
Orion rolled his eyes at their conversation.
"Careful, we have no idea if you continue doing that, if it’ll get stuck and refuse to come down," Tobias said to him.
Orion gave him the middle finger like he had done with Ronan.
Tobias laughed at that. "I’m not even sure if I should be offended or honored that I’ve joined Ronan in receiving that gesture."
"Consider it a rite of passage," Ronan said with a grin.
The humor faded quickly, though. Tobias’s expression sobered, and he shook his head.
"I haven’t heard of a plant like that either," he admitted. "And I’ve spent years in the black market, picking up information about all sorts of things. Not to brag, but I’ve seen and heard a lot, but that name doesn’t ring a bell."
He turned to Jarek, who was already shaking his head before Tobias could even ask.
"I haven’t either," Jarek said quietly. "I’m sorry. I wish I could help, but that name is completely unfamiliar to me."
Sophia’s gaze shifted to Eldric, who had been silent throughout the exchange. "Have you seen it in any books at all? Anything that might match?"
Eldric adjusted his glasses, his fingers tapping thoughtfully against the worn cover of the book in front of him. "I cannot say for certain," he admitted. "Perhaps I have, perhaps I have not. But we are in the library, and the library holds more knowledge than any single person can claim to know. If we all join together, perhaps we can find something."
He paused, glancing around the room. "We have many minds here. Many eyes. That is an advantage we should not waste."
Orion was quiet, his attention turned inward as he conversed with Noctis.
"It seems the people we thought would know about the herb do not know about it," Orion said.
Noctis was silent for a moment, and Orion felt a flicker of something like disappointment from him.
*I am sorry I cannot be more help,* Noctis said finally. *I wish I could give you more, something to make this easier.*
Orion shook his head slightly. "Do not apologize. It’s not over yet. Do you remember what the herb looks like?"
*I do.*
"Then can you describe it?" Orion asked him.
Noctis was quiet again, but this time it felt different. He was thinking, searching his memory for details that had been buried for centuries.
*I can do that,* Noctis said.
Orion straightened, a new energy settling into his shoulders.
He picked up a fresh parchment and placed it in front of Tobias, along with a quill.
"What are you planning?" Tobias asked him.
"I need you to draw what I’m about to describe," Orion said.
Tobias’s eyes widened, and then he nodded.
*It is a small plant,* Noctis began. *It grows close to the ground, no taller than the length of a hand.*
Orion repeated exactly what Noctis told him to Tobias.
*It has five petals,* Noctis continued. *Each petal is doubled, so there are twenty in total. They are arranged in a tight cluster, overlapping like the scales of a fish. The petals are a dark purple—so dark they almost appear black in dim light.*
Tobias’s quill moved across the parchment, creating the shape as Orion spoke.
*At the center of the flower is something like a bud,* Noctis said. *But it is not a bud in the way you would expect. It is black. Hard. Almost like a seed, but it never opens. It sits at the heart of the petals, and it is what gives the plant its power.*
*The stems are thin. Tiny, even. And there are two leaves on each stem—green, but pale, like they have been starved of light. The leaves are pointed at the tips, and they curl slightly inward.*
*And the root...* Noctis paused. *The root is red. A deep, vibrant red, like fresh blood. It is the most striking part of the plant. It is what makes it recognizable.*
Tobias’s quill moved carefully as he captured every detail on the parchment. His hand was steady, and he worked quickly, translating Orion’s words into lines and shapes. The room had gone quiet, everyone watching as the plant took shape beneath his fingers.
When he finished, he set the quill down and turned the parchment around so everyone could see.
The drawing was detailed, surprisingly so. Tobias had captured every detail given to him.
Madam Tyler stared at the drawing for a long moment, her expression unreadable.
Then she let out a nervous laugh.
"I know this plant," she said softly.
Everyone turned to her.
Orion’s eyes narrowed. "You do?"
She nodded slowly, her hand reaching out to touch the edge of the parchment. "I do. But not by the name you gave me. That name—Gureosom Vensiliun—I have never heard it. But this plant? Yes, I know it."
"What is it called?" Sophia asked.
Madam Tyler smiled faintly. "We call it the Bloodroot Bloom."
"Now that sounds gruesome," Ronan said. "And it fits the root."
"Yes, it does," she said. "It is not a common plant. But we have some in the shrine, and as luck would have it, we know where it grows in Nirvana."
"Thank the goddess," Jarek muttered.
Madam Tyler continued, her expression turning serious. "It is primarily used in rituals, though. It is a conduit—a way to channel power during a ritual. The black bud at the center acts as a focal point. The petals hold the energy. And the root..." She paused, her fingers hovering over the red root in the drawing. "The root is what connects it to the earth. To the source."
She looked up at Orion.
"Though I must warn you, Orion. While the herb may be able to get us what we want, it is also dangerous. If used incorrectly, it can turn against the one wielding it."
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