It didn’t take long to reach the destination. A quaint cottage stood in a small clearing. Stone walls were piled on top of each other, and covered with ivy, giving the dwelling a modest look. The small windows were dark, and the wooden door was shut tight. Luca knew he had arrived late. However, he also knew that the person wouldn’t mind his tardiness if it were an emergency. He shifted the weight of the lump in his arms, and knocked.
Nothing. He knocked louder. He stood outside, patiently waiting for the door to open, but was only met with silence. Was she out? No, Ari never left so late at night. She was too cautious for that. The only alternative was she was already asleep. The thought made Luca feel more guilty, knowing Ari was getting her well-deserved rest after late nights up working, but he pushed the guilt down.
He sucked in a breath, and kicked the door with all of his strength. The noise startled some bats in the distance, so it was impossible for it not to wake up a light sleeper like Ari.
The door flung open, almost slamming Luca in the face. A short girl wearing a robe a little too big for her stood in the doorway with an irritated expression on her face. The dark circles under her eyes were more prominent than usual and her hair was messier. It was obvious she was tired. She glared at Luca who stood at her porch, in the middle of the night with a sheepish expression on his face.
“Okay, I get it! Stop knocking!” She yelled, glaring at Luca. “You have the audacity to come late and . . .” Her voice trailed off as she looked at the “lump” in Luca’s hands.
“What is that?” She asked, warily staring at the “lump” like it was a bomb.
“The entire reason I bothered coming here in the first place.” Luca answered, snaking past her and into the apothecary. The inside had the familiar smell of a mixture of dust, herbs, and cinnamon. It was dark inside the cottage, but Luca knew his way around this place well enough to find his way. It was the one of the few places he knew better than the woods surrounded the place.
“Oi, I didn’t invite you in!” Ari called, scrambling behind him.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Saved you the energy of having to.”
Pa kjr wemt kjgwfg lcrlvf atf mbaajuf, yea atf jlg kjr ralii mbbi. Pa vlvc’a tfiq atja atf mbaajuf tjv qbbg lcreijalbc, yea Cgl gfoerfv ab wbnf, bg vb rbwfatlcu jybea la. Lf mbeiv rajcv atf mbiv, yea tf kjr kbgglfv atja atf bcf lc tlr jgwr kbeivc’a yf jyif ab tjcvif la, fnfc klat j yijcxfa mbnfglcu tlw eq. Ktlcxlcu bo atlr, tf kjixfv oegatfg lcab atf mbaajuf, ktfgf la kjr j iba wbgf mbhlfg.
“This place is messy as always.” Luca muttered, avoiding the randomly placed furniture and boxes scattered on the floor. It was tricky, in the dark, not to mention he was practically half-blind, but luckily he was familiar with the place.
“Astute observation. Now hurry up, state your business, so you can also hurry up and leave.” Ari said, coming up besides him.
Luca ignored her, as he navigated his way to a small cot near the window. However, it was littered with random spices, wooden boxes, matchsticks, incense, and a stray screw. Luca sighed, and shifted the “lump” in his arms, as he moved the objects to a nearby table.
It was more of a challenge when an unconscious kid occupied his arms. Luca could make out Ari looking at him with a questioning gaze, but seeing his impatient expression, she held her thoughts and helped Luca move the objects. Once the cot was cleared, he carefully placed the kid upon it.
“Mind giving me some light?” Luca asked, breaking the silence.
“I do. Fuel is expensive.”
“Which I’m going to pay you for.”
Ari sighed, then wordlessly walked to the table, grabbed the match and lit up an oil lamp. The entire cottage was illuminated by the warm orange light. The shadows moved soundlessly as the flame flickered.
Luca had once asked Ari why she insisted on using this old-fashioned way of providing light, instead of just getting electricity. She had just looked at him with disdain, and said he didn’t understand the beauty of living in the past. She was right. Luca never had understood the obsession witches had with antiques. Ari always said that the past held power, but to Luca it only consisted of unpleasant memories. Wasn’t it better to look towards the future, which held limitless possibilities?
“So, are you ready to explain why you suddenly barged into my home in the middle of night?” Ari asked, crossing her arms. She pointedly glanced at the “lump” settled into the cot, waiting for Luca to explain.
Luca’s expression immediately turned serious.
“I need you to take a look at him.” Luca said, gesturing to Ari to come closer. He pulled the blanket off, revealing the child. Even under the dim candle light, Luca could feel the kid’s breaths were getting fainter.
Luca knew humans were comparatively weaker than supernatural beings, but he didn’t think they were so fragile. It was a wonder they survived as long as they did.
Ari placed the oil lamp on the table and came closer.
“This- Who is this?” Ari gaze travelled between Luca and the unconscious kid.
Luca shrugged. “I have no idea. I just found him lying in the woods.”
Ari looked at Luca with suspicion, but to her credit, she didn’t ask further. She turned her attention to her new patient. Questions could be asked later, it was better to focus on healing the injured person first.
Ari examined him, and quickly muttered something under her breath. She grabbed a nearby notebook from the table and started searching for something to write. Luca passed her a pen from his own pocket, which she took, and wrote something quickly.
“Fortunately, he’s just passed out from fatigue. He’ll regain consciousness after resting.” Ari explained.
“I’ll just take care of his wounds, and . . . get him something better to wear.” She said, awkwardly aware of the kid’s state of clothes. “Look after him and tell me if there’s any problem.”
Ari went to another room, likely rummaging through the boxes to find the gauze and herbs to stop the bleeding. Luca leaned against the table lost in his thoughts. He wanted to talk to Ari about his dream, but he knew better than to interfere with the witch doctor’s work.
Instead, he stared intently at the kid. Luca could see his breathing was ragged, and he was curled up, arms and legs pulled close to his chest. Luca had no idea who the child was, and why he would ever kill him, or if his dream was even reliable. Perhaps Luca could have just left him in the forest to bleed to ensure the dream would never come true, but that seemed too heartless, even for someone like him.
‘Besides,’ Luca thought, lips curling into a sly smile. ‘What fun would that be?’
Intriguing start! Very excited to find out what happens next! 😀
Camping shall now commence
ooh! I like Luca! and Ari!
thanks for the chapter <3
Interesting start. Looking forward to the next chapter!! Thanks