The Adventure of the Light-Bearer
CH. 21 - For the Other Part of His Heart
Arnold held onto Alisa's head which did not stop trying to bite the person in front of her. The cloth used to clog Alisa's mouth was now lying on the floor, it was wet from the mucus. Levin was in bed with Alisa, holding a teapot filled with potion liquid made by Arnold for a long time and trying to put it in Alisa's mouth.
"Come Arnold! Just hold his head as hard as you can, don't hesitate and be afraid! He won't bite you to know!" levin shouted against Alisa's voice from earlier growling. While Arnold was struggling to hold the tiny and cute head of Alisa. Although he was on a rampage, his face was more like a fighting kitten than a lion grinning at its prey.
"A.. I'm afraid I hurt Levin! I'm afraid I broke his neck!" arnold replied while trying to hold Alisa's head with his weak hands. Levin then glared at Arnold, Arnold then forced himself, despite having a chance to be bitten, Arnold dared himself to hold his chin and open his mouth so that Levin could put the chocolate liquid into it. They managed to do it. Levin poured the liquid into Alisa's mouth. The liquid spewed back out, its splashes hitting Levin's face. Even though they managed to put him to sleep, his muscles suddenly sagged and he closed his eyes.
"Finally! I hope this medicine calms him for a long time. Because I think it will take some time to go to the swamp and come back here with the antidote" Levin said, wiping his cloth over his splashed face.
"Well... I think this liquid will indeed make him rest for a few hours. Alisa once told me how to make a stronger liquid, despite the side effects as well, which is a very limp body when awakened" Arnold said while looking at Alisa's face, and rubbed his cheeks gently. He smiled and kissed her forehead.
"We need to tie it back tighter. There was a possibility for him to wake up and go berserk again as we left" Levin said as he wrapped the cloth to Alisa's mouth, while Arnold continued to hold Levin's hand trying to prevent him from wrapping it too roughly.
"We have to go now. Hopefully Hartlova looks after her" Levin said as she stepped back from the bed. Arnold then approached Alisa again and hugged her.
"May Hartlova take care of you, my sweet rat. I'll bring you back the antidote, please hang on to Alisa." whispered Arnold to Alisa's ear. They then stepped out of the house.
The cold wind whispered a soft voice to the necks of the two young men who came out of the house. Their bodies shuddered as the splotchy rainwater landed on their skin. It was quite a sunny afternoon, even though water was falling from the sky.
Levin stepped forward with a firm and quick step. He then stopped and dazed, he looked towards the left right looking for the right path.
"Where are we going Arnold?" levin asked as he placed his hand on his forehead. He looked back, there was no Arnold beside him.
Arnold was busy putting his shoes on in the courtyard of the wooden house. Levin growled, he was taking someone weak with him in this unconvincing task. He then patted his eel, looking at the catapulted Arnold.
"I'm sorry Mr. Levin. I have to wear my shoes properly. Alisa told me that so that I wouldn't be sprained on the way" she said with a smile. Levin just nodded his head.
Arnold raised his hand towards the forest. His fingers pointed to a faint path leading to a dark and dense forest. Then they walked in that direction. Levin walked with strong and long steps. While Arnold was exhausted trying to catch up with Levin, he gasped for air.
"Tu.. Waitme! Can you slow down your pace a little?" asked Arnold gasping.
"We have to hurry Arnold. You want to see Alisa soon, right?" levin said as he continued his steps. Arnold then remembered something, he remembered a long time ago when Alisa helped him when he was sprained.
Arnold and Alisa were six years old. They were playing in the river, Alisa was sitting on a large log looking at Arnold. The boy was running around by the river, he spread his hands while laughing.
"Come Arnold! You could fall to know! This is where it's muddy, you can slip!" yelled Alisa to Arnold. The boy did not listen to him.
Alisa who was sitting quietly then stepped towards Arnold. He looked to the left right for something, and he grabbed a plant and poked it. He then applied the powder to Arnold's sprained legs and stopped crying. Alisa then opened her shoes and exchanged them for Arnold's.
"Other times wear your shoes properly. It's better to spend a lot of time putting your shoes in your house, than putting them in the street, right?" the little Alisa said as she stroked Arnold's head and smiled.
Levin's scream woke Arnold from his daydream. Arnold looked at his dark and cold surroundings. The ground surface is wet, there are many roots from the direction of the swamps around it.
"Is this her raw? Do you know where to get to Fertrance?" levin shouted to Arnold who was a little far behind him. Arnold then answered.
"Y.. Yep. Just go straight ahead as usual" Arnold said, scratching his hands at the bite of a mosquito.
Levin stopped his steps simultaneously. He saw something from a distance, someone dressed in all black was standing with a hunchbacked body in front of him. The small intensity of the light made Levin difficult to describe his face. He quickly moved his foot towards the man. She is an old woman.
"Welcome, Arnold. What is it for the steel-hearted young men to come to this frail old grandmother?" said the old woman with a chuckle after looking at Levin. Levin narrowed his eyes, he suspected something from this woman.
"A.. What are you talking about witch! Where do you know my name and what you've done to Alisa!" arnold shouted with an annoyed face and stepped forward towards the old woman. Levin then held him.
"Ah yes, Alisa, poor woman. I warned him to return the rare plants back to the mountain, he did not listen to me. You know, that's what she got because of her hard head" the grandmother said with a cynical smile to Arnold. Arnold clenched his hand.
"Ka.. You don't know the pain he's going through right now! He doesn't deserve that pain! Give him back or I'll kill you!" arnold shouted, his face flushed red with a burning anger.
"Nobody can bring it back, young man. He had been stuck by the thorns of the rare plant he had brought from that mountain. The person who is stuck will lose his mind and die within a day. The plant grows every six hundred years, the flower of the plant can heal and restore the brain of a decaying person. But beyond that, her sharp, red durian harbors a poison that can destroy the brain itself, which is what Alisa escaped, she is unaware of that fact." the grandmother said while crouching playing the swamp water. Arnold tensed up, he became even more annoyed and scared. He begged the grandmother.
"Please! I beg you! Please heal him, I will do anything to heal him!" arnold shouted while kneeling to the grandmother. The grandmother turned her back and touched Arnold's shoulder.
"Hartlova wrote down the line of destiny, with her fiery pen burning above the high and firm sky. Who are we bothering him? Who do we doubt? There's something you can do to restore his brain condition. Something that can paralyze the toxic substances that run in his blood. Go to the troll mountain, ask them to give her fangs, then soak the fangs in the hot water you keep giving the woman, before the time comes to pick her up" said the grandmother. He walked towards Arnold, and stroked his forehead before disappearing into the dark marshes.
Arnold was stunned, he looked down. Fear flowed with his blood, dancing on his stomach and chest. He had to kill and carry troll fangs with his weak body. He clenched his hand and turned towards Levin, who had been silently observing.
"I'll bring the troll fangs. Whatever happens. With or without you, I will go to Fertrance and kill the troll there and return it to Alisa" Arnold said firmly, making Levin amazed at him.
"We'll go with friends. I will not stop in the middle of the road. Whatever happens, we'll bring the fangs to Alisa before sunset" Levin said with a smile.
end of Chapter :)
