Aethernea : Soulbound [Book 1]

Episode 77 - The Antidote

Previously:

After failing to find an Etezza she is familiar with that can provide her with the antidote for Fever Touch, the poison Kiel had been poisoned with, Elaru decides to put her hopes in Ixos Eryey. Elaru incapacitates Dusk Rose and takes Kiel with much haste to the Eryey mainhouse to see Ixos Eryey.

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When Elaru explained her request to Ixos Eryey, the man's green eyes glazed up.

"Fever Touch?" Ixos' murmured, seemingly lost in reminiscence. He took out the stick of burselpine from his mouth, holding it like a cigar, lost in thought. "Oh yeah. I know of that poison. Back in our Muni days, Zaal used to poison Reena whenever he intended to participate in some shady business to prevent her from interfering and foiling his plans."

Reena was the genius of the Thayn family and the current head of Peacekeepers. Zaal was the genius of the Etezza family, one of the 7 councilmen and rumored head of the Shadow Lodge.

The two went to Muni together and were a part of the famous golden generation. People often joked that they were like an old married couple – always at odds with each other, bickering and fighting, yet, also always protecting and looking after each other.

Etezza family and Thayn family always had a love-hate relationship. Thayn family was a family of Peacekeepers that advocated justice and order, while the Etezza family was the family of spies, thieves, and assassins. Naturally, the two families didn't get along.

However, even though they couldn't see eye to eye, they never erupted in open hostilities. They even helped borrow the hands of the other when necessary. It could be said that the two completed each other. Both needed the other to exist.

Ixos Eryey let out a soft smile. "Good times..." Then he sighed in lamentation. "A pity. Zaal never let me anywhere near Fever Touch."

Of course he didn't! You would have found the antidote!

Ixos Eryey sighed again. "And your father never let me experiment on Reena. Something about staying out of Reena's and Zaal's relationship?"

Elaru nodded satisfied. As expected. Papa is always right. Picking a side between a Thayn and a Etezza is never the right choice.

Ixos' eyes focused again and, in fact, became extremely bright. It seemed as though he just realized that what was in front of him was a poison he had never seen before. He snatched the container out of Elaru's hands in a heartbeat, as if afraid she would change her mind.

Then he looked at the box with glittering eyes as if looking at a priceless treasure. My precious....Finally, I get to play with you. He even forgot to chew on the burselpine stick.

Elaru stared at Ixos Eryey speechlessly. Seeing the usually apathetic Ixos show such passion never ceased to be... disturbing.

Ixos Eryey sniffed the poison gently like he was smelling a fine perfume. It almost looked like he was enjoying it.

However, Elaru knew better. The reason why he smelled it was because he hoped that would be able to discern some of the used herbs through the scent.

Unfortunately, Dusk Rose had mixed the poison with other herbs to mask its scent so Ixos Eryey couldn't discern all of the components.

After smelling it, Ixos took the cream and placed it inside a strange circular apparatus. The apparatus was large and made out of metal. It had one entrance at the top and many thin glass tubes leaving through the bottom, leading to different bottles.