(Will Remain Unfinished - New Version Coming) The Legend of Malum (Book One)

Chapter Four Part One: Primrose

I was no stranger to walking through dark woods at night, but now that I had company, I was . . . anxious. If we were attacked by Coleoptera, I had no doubt that Daffodil would rather let them eat her than fight back.

Don't get me wrong, it was great having Daffodil along (even if she wasn't officially my friend, yet), but recruiting a Tap who didn't fight? That just seemed pointless.

Not only that, but it was obvious she wasn't an ordinary Tap. The definition of a Tap was someone with access to an immense well of Vitality. As well as someone who could cast Anima Arts without holding their weapon. There was nothing in that definition about weird mist, lightning bolts, energy blasts and instability.

Between that, her staff, and her past, I had so many questions! Unfortunately, it'd be a while before I got any answers. After Pollen Village, she was in a dark place, and I didn't know how to pull her out.

I was so lost in my thoughts that when she finally said something, it just sounded like background noise.

"Huh? W-wait, sorry, but could you say that again?" I said.

She scoffed. "I said that we'll need a list of necessities to buy for the trip. Food, water, clothes; anything to add?"

"W-whipped cream?"

She sighed. "What, are you addicted now? I said 'necessities,' not 'luxuries.' In fact, your medicine is at the top of the list. I hope it's not too expensive. Otherwise we'll have to cut back on the food."

I gasped. "Whoa! Let's just calm down here. You know, we wouldn't have to buy medicine if you'd just . . . heal me again."

I knew that there was an easier way to approach the subject, but I got more anxious when an opportunity to eat was threatened. I haven't eaten anything that I didn't kill first in months.

"Not an option," she said.

I sighed in frustration. Would it really hurt to elaborate? There's no way that healing me would turn her back into that. Would it? I needed to do more research on Taps.

A bundle of concrete structures appeared before us. They all looked shorter than any other collection of buildings I've ever seen. I was about to compare them to buildings under construction, but I turned and saw a row of those as well.

As we passed the construction site, I whispered to Daffodil, "Why does everything look like someone cut it half? Where are we?"

"If I remember correctly, this is Primrose, the town where everything changes, sooner or later," she explained. "Buildings are kept short so that they can be demolished and replaced later."

"Sounds like a waste of money. What would they gain by constantly destroying and recreating?"

"Not everyone likes concrete and electricity like they have in the Kingdom of Marigold. Some prefer wood and nature like we have here in Dogwood. When demand for one exceeds the other, Primrose supplies that demand. Simple."

"Overly complicated," I protested. Wasting money just to meet fickle demands? Dogwood was better than that. This place belonged in Marigold or Osmunda. "Let's just get what we came for and get out."

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

We wandered into a nearby pharmacy. It was larger than most buildings, so that was promising. The inside smelled like cheap air fresheners. I'm not sure if this made sense, but it kind of looked that way too. The walls were white and they looked new, but they didn't seem quality. I bet if I punched one hard enough, the whole thing would collapse.