The Juras Complex (Book 1 of the Darkfell Chronicles) #wattys2019

V

Rel glared at the yellow liquid inside the cauldron. It wasn't supposed to be that colour, it was supposed to turn red as soon as the ingredients had infused together. She ran a hand through her dark green hair, flipping through the pages of one of her many potion books. Wormwood, sage, pine-seeds... she was missing an ingredient, she was sure of it but she couldn't put her finger on what.

"What was it..."

"I believe what you're looking for are mulberries."

Wren cracked open a yellow eye from his spot on the sofa, he stretched out his paws and yawned, showing his sharp set of fangs. Rel started rummaging through her shelf of various herbs, fruits and spices. She picked up a few vials that contained miscellaneous liquids but then put them back when she didn't find what she was looking for.

"Mulberries... Mulberries, mulberries, mulberries..."

"We ran out of mulberries last week."

"Really?" Rel turned to look at the grey wolf. "Why didn't ye tell me? I could've gone out to get some more."

"I did tell you. Several times. And each time you told me you were waiting for the opportune moment to ask Morea."

"Well, that time hasn't come yet," Rel told him and Wren rolled his eyes. "She's still radge about that airship crashing a few miles away from her tree."

"Because you haven't gone to see if there was anybody on that ship to begin with. You know what she's like around outsiders."

Then there was a sudden hammering on the door and a voice on the other side yelled furiously, "Rel! Relonda! Open this door immediately!"

Rel flinched, glancing nervously at Wren who just shrugged. "You're going to have to face her eventually."

Rel mumbled in elven but then heaved a sigh and strode over to answer the door.

A humanoid figure was stood at the doorway. She was made of wood and her body was covered in leaves and vines. Protruding from the top of her head were branches that had leaves and clusters of dark red berries that fell in the form of hair. She had no eyes but Rel could tell that she was glaring at her by the way her arms were crossed and how she was hunching over to reach her level. Rel tried to put on her best smile and forced a laugh.

"Morea... How's life? How's your tree?"

"Don't how's life me, Relonda!" The dryad yelled at her. "It's been almost two hours and there's still a giant airship near my tree!"

"What do expect me to do about a giant airship in the space of two hours? Besides, I doubt there are any survivors judging by how big the explosion was, I mean, I could see it all the way from here."

"Then how do you explain the human lying at the foot of my tree?"

At the mention of a human, Wren sat up and exchanged a glance with Rel.

"There's a human in the forest?" He asked. If Morea had eyes, Rel imagined she'd be rolling them just about now.

"That is what I just said. Which just goes to show how useless your apprentice is at her job, Wren."

"A human hasn't entered the forest in 96 years, Morea," Wren told her. He had gotten up from his spot and was now standing next to Rel. "I would say that Rel has been doing her job excellently thus far."

"That doesn't change the fact there's still a human lying on my doorstep."

"I just need to go and check on them, right?" Rel had started gathering her things, shoving a few vials and books in her satchel then attaching her quiver to it and finally picking up her wooden staff. She made her way past Morea and out the door.