Dragoris

Chapter 2

          “Ris!”  A loud man’s yell came from a small healer shop.  The sign simply read, “Minathis Healer” 

          “Ris!”  The yell came again. It was Jaros, 20 years later.  His hair had gray streaks in it now.  His eyes now had wrinkles bordering them.  But he still stood tall, and his eyes were still intense. 

          The shop was small and modest.  The main room from the front entrance is a big square of twenty feet by twenty feet.  There was a desk and register up front only a few paces away from the door.  There were stairs to the left that led up to the patient rooms.  Each room was a small closet like room that housed a small bed, a small side table, and a chair.  All the rooms were packed with sick customers today.  The customers’ ailments ranging from fevers, to stomach aches, and even reactions to foods.

          Jaros was standing in front of a boiling pot of water.  He was wearing a green long sleeved tunic that tied at the neck, and long brown cotton pants that tied at the waist.  The air had a soft, sweet scent to it.  

          “Coming Father!”  A young man’s voice could be heard in the back behind a closed curtain.  Rushing out from behind the curtain was Dragoris.  He stood to be just about two inches taller than Jaros.  Much like Jaros, Dragoris was lean.  But unlike Jaros, who was lanky, Dragoris had definition that could be seen in his arms and his legs.  Dragoris was wearing a light brown tunic that tied at the neck, with weathered black shorts that tied at the waist.  He had on plain brown sandals.  In his hands was a white sack that was drenched and bleeding a type of Green liquid.

          “Here’s the simmered Gummy Blossoms.” Dragoris began to tell Jaros.  “I had it in the simmering pot for the last twenty minutes.  It should be good now.” 

          Dragoris went to stand next to Jaros, and laid the white sack down on the counter.  He pulled a circle platter from the cabinet behind him and set it next to the boiling pot.

          Dragoris opened up the sack, and brought up a knife from one of the drawers underneath the counter.  He started to slowly slice away the murky green blossoms from each base.  The Gummy Blossoms were used for high fevers.  But the process to create a remedy was intense.  The Gummy Blossoms are a dark green plant that grows in the bushes in the hills.  Its petals overlapped each other forming the shape of a ball.

          The Gummy Blossoms needed to be set out in the sun for three days to completely dry out.  After it has been dried out, it then needs to be simmered at a low boil for twenty minutes.  After it has been simmered, the petals must then be removed down to the stem.  After all the petals are removed, the stem is then placed in a boiling pot of water and is set to boil for another five hours to soften.

          After Dragoris cut the petals off the Gummy Blossom, he then placed the stem into the boiling pot.

          Jaros added a few drops of lavender oil into the pot.  A precaution he takes to help with the flavor of the remedy.  This drink is extremely bitter, and a little drop of lavender oil during the boiling process helps get rid of that taste tremendously.

          “Thank you Ris.  I was beginning to think you had fallen asleep in the back son.”  Jaros beamed at Dragoris.

          “I wouldn’t do that.  I had a hard time getting the blossom out of the simmering pot.”  Dragoris said.  “By the way, I need to go up to the hills and pick more Gummy Blossoms Father.  We only have two blooms left.”

          “Great idea.  Be sure to take an umbrella with you.  These summer showers are a nuisance.”

          “Thanks Father.  I will do that.”  Dragoris went toward the front entrance and grabbed an unadorned green bamboo umbrella from the side bucket next to the door.  He also grabbed a pack that was sitting next to the side bucket and strapped it on his back.  “Will you need me to pick up anything from the market Father?”

          “Oh yes please!  I need more twine for the back, and two pounds of sugar son.  Hurry on, and get home soon.”

          “Yes Father.”

          Dragoris headed out the front door.  The street outside was its usual busy self.  The Minathis Healer Shop is located in the south side of the Market Square.  Every shop in town was located in the Market Square.  Right across the road from the Healer Shop was the Today’s Wards Shop.   

          A stout elderly gentleman by the name of Larry moved into the vacant shop five years ago.  He sells charms and wards made from various materials.  Some of the wards were made of fancy woven cloth, and some were made of basic paper with writing on it.  The prices of these charms and wards were based on the intricacy of the item itself.

          As Dragoris turned right and started heading down the road to the gate leading out of the south side of town, he noticed the young lady that ran the shop cutting a deep orange linen piece for her customer.  It was the Linen and Silk Shop.  The young lady was hired to work there three months long ago by the shop owners.  Her name was Cynthia.

          Cynthia was a few years older than Dragoris, but she was as beautiful as any maiden in the town.  Cynthia had moved from the main city Drake to find work.  She had a disabled mother and a son to raise at home.  The shop owners were distant relatives and told her to come work for them when they visited Drake five months ago on a business trip to trade silk.  Cynthia’s husband had died at his work place due to an accident which killed five workers.  It left Cynthia and her family destitute.

          Dragoris went to say hi to Cynthia.  “Hi Cynthia.”

          Cynthia was petite.  She was five foot tall.  She had short brown curly hair that flowed to the base of her neck.  Dark brown eyes, and very pouty lips.  Her nose was about the same width as her lips, but she was still stunningly beautiful.

          “Hi Ris!” Cynthia started.  “How are you this afternoon?  I saw a few dozen people waiting outside your shop before it even opened today!”

          “Yes, it was quite hectic.  We have been making fever remedies all morning.  I am headed toward the hills to pick some more Gummy Blossoms.”

          “Oh, well, have a safe trip Ris.  Don’t stay out too late.  I heard from the travelers that there are bandits all around the hills.”

          “I will be careful Cynthia.  Goodbye.”  Dragoris waved bye and started out again.

          “Bye Ris.”  Cynthia said with a stunning smile as she went back to finishing up her sale with her customer.

          In all honesty, Dragoris has had a crush on Cynthia the day she first moved into town.  He knew it was silly, she was at least ten years older than him and even had a kid.  But he just couldn’t help it.  She was beautiful.  The way she always shined whenever she smiled always made his heart skip.  She was sweet.  Taking care of her mother and five year old boy was a lot of work.  Yet she was always in a good spirit.  And she was very attentive to everything a person said.  She was filled with knowledge and information.

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