149 A Mighty Steed?
Aella forced her body to move, sitting on the bed's edge and staring at Arad. Like all elves, they don't sleep. They spend the night meditating with their eyes closed. She doesn't feel sleepy. This whole night she was out of exhaustion.
"That potion did a number on me." She growled. "As if I drank a berserker one," She sighed, standing with shaking knees.
With wobbling steps, she moved to the kitchen and went outside to bring water from the well. She stopped midway, realizing she was still naked, and had to get back inside.
After a quick shower with cold water, Aella felt better, yet all her limbs screamed. "This reminds me of the early days of the elven archery training," She sighed, sitting on a chair.
Aella's hips jolted, and her stomach ached. "Arad didn't go easy on me. What did that Gracie potion do?" She walked to the bedroom and took the potion from the ground. Bending down was more painful than she expected.
Arad woke up, seeing her leaning on a chair to stand, "Aella? Are you okay?" He asked, standing up to help her.
"A bit sore, that's all." Aella sat on the chair she leaned on, smiling.
"I need to talk with that Roberta," Arad growled, staring at the window.
"No! Leave her alone," Aella called him. "I'm the one who asked her to sell me one."
Arad looked at Aella, "We should get you to a healer. Lydia should be at the inn with Jack."
Aella gasped, "I won't be able to walk all there," Let's leave that for tomorrow.
"No. I will carry you there," Arad stood, "I will get you something to eat from the kitchen,"
Aella gasped again, trying to stand, "I will stay at home for today. I will be fine tomorrow,"
Arad stared at Aella, "We talk after you eat," He left the room, and returned a moment later.
CLACK! Arad opened the door and walked in with a braid of garlic, two onions, and a lettuce head.
Aella stared at him with a stupid face, "What are those?"
"I found them in the kitchen," Arad replied, "This one looks green, so I thought you might like it. This one has a nice crunch and this one smells good,"
"Nah, I can't eat those like that." Aella sighed. "I could make a salad of the onion and lettuce with some salt and oil, but take the garlic out, it has other uses." She stood, leaning on the chair.
"You like the garlic smell? I thought vampire would hate it," Aella approached Arad, taking the garlic braid from his hand.
"Why would I hate it?"
"Garlic is an ingredient in a potion called black blood. If you drink it, the vampire who drinks your blood will get weakened and lose their regeneration for a while." Aella explained. "But I don't know much,"
Arad stared at the garlic braid, and bite a head, swallowing it whole. "Nothing." He looked at his body. "I say another ingredient is doing the work in that potion."
Aella nodded, "Yeah. I would say people associated garlic with the effect since it's something they can get. And makes them feel safer."
Arad nodded, "That should be the case,"
"I will remain here, and eat something. You head to the guild and check on everything," Aella walked to the door.
"I will go bring Lydia first," Arad looked at her, combing her hair with his fingers, "The day is long, I can see the guild later."
"Fine," Aella sighed. "Be careful not to stand out." She warned him as she knew how ridiculous his physical strength was for a sorcerer.
"I won't do anything strange," Arad understood what she mean. "No lifting heavy things, no void walk. And no touching hot stuff."
Arad walked out of the house and reached the trees, "Wolves,"
With a single word, the wolves roaming around the house gathered. A pack of over thirty wolves emerged from the bushes. Large, black, feral-looking wolves. A massive brown bear stood at the back, glaring at Arad from behind a tree.
"OoO!" Arad looked up, seeing the apes gathering in the trees, "Everyone showed up." He smiled, "Aella is sick inside." He pointed at the house with his thumb, "Make sure no one approaches her,"
The wolves spread across the garden, surrounding the house and hiding in the bushes. The bear curled into a ball in from the main door, standing guard. The apes remained in the trees, loaded with stones and boulders.
Arad nodded with a smile, walking toward the city.
Thud! From the roadside, a large creature emerged. Four legs, large muscles, brown hide, and board shoulders. Two large antlers adorned the beast's head.
It's a moose.
"You're the moose from the other day," Arad smiled, and the moose approached him, "What do you want?"
The moose growled, shaking his head and clawing the dirt with his hooves. His grunts rumbled across the trees, and Arad understood.
"I need to get to the city and back. I can't use void walk. Will you give me a ride?" Arad patted the moose's head.
"I shouldn't stand out,"
The moose seemed to smile, lowering its head. Arad jumped in, riding the beast to the city.
***
Alina's guard post. About an hour after dawn. The city vicinity is quiet, nothing strange. The guards are starting their boring day. Oiling the portcullis's chain and gawking at the women extending their legs out of the houses. Swiping the water away.
The head guard picked a bucket of fresh cold water from the well, throwing it at the guards skulking around. Get back to your stations, a peaceful day could change the moment you look away.
"Sir! We have a problem!" The man responsible for the west tower rushed in panting. "Someone is approaching the city on the horizon. A large man riding a moose."
"Don't be crazy!" The head guard pushed the soldier away and rushed to the top, looking through the binoculars.
His jaw dropped, and his body wobbled back, "That's Arad!" He recognized him from the dragon parade, "The hell's he riding?" The head guard rushed down and mounted his mighty steed.
***
Arad saw a man approach him on horseback so he stopped. With his eyes, he could tell it was the head guard. "Head guard, is there something I can help you with?" Arad said with a smile as the head guard stopped beside him.
The head guard looked up at Arad's face. The moose is bigger than his horse and even wider.
The horse and the moose glared at each other, and the moose kicked the ground, growling. The head guard's horse trailed back, its head dangling low.
The head guard looked at his horse, "Can you have the moose calm down?" He said, looking at Arad.
Arad patted the moose, "Calm down,"
The moose stopped growling, and Arad smiled, "Why did you come to meet me? Is there any monster around here?"
"No, the tower guard said they saw a man riding a moose so I came to check." The head guard scratched his head. "It's fine if it's you, and he seems to behave as well,"
"Is it bad to bring one to the city?" Arad started smelling something off.
"No, large beasts need to register with the guild and the guards. We can't have people roaming with monsters, can we?" The guard smiled, "Ah, sorry, this is a moose." He giggled.
"Should I register it?" Arad stopped, hanging his head down the moose, "Should I register him,"
"That would be for the best. It's a large creature after all." The head guard smiled, "A good rule is anything that could harm a man."
"So dogs and up,"
"Prety much," The head guard laughed.
"Imagin someone coming with a full pack of wolves or a bear," Arad joked, trying to see what the head guard would say.
"That would cause the people to panic. Who would bring a bear?"
Arad scratched his head, giggling, "Yeah, no one would." He waved his hand to the head guard, "I'm in a hurry now. I will register him after I finish my job,"
The head guard looked at Arad, "It's fine as long as you do it before he harms anyone. Today would be best,"
Arad approached the gate, and it opened. The guards stood at the side watching the mighty moose race across the street.
People gasped, moving out of the way. Mothers pulled their children to the side and the shop owner rushed to hide their goods.
"Who is that?" The people kept running out of Arad's way.
Lydia walked out of the inn, stretching her arms when she felt a heavy breath at her hair. She turned around to see the massive black lips of a moose. Brrrrrr.
She lept back, pulling her sword in panic, "What?" gasping as she wiped the beast's spit from her face.
"Get up. Aella needs healing." Said the man on the moose.
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