Apothecary Adagio

Chapter 3

I ran through the streets frantically, keeping an eye out for the two children, rushing through the darkening paths as I looked up towards the signs, coming to see the sign in the center of the intersection- ‘Night District.’

It was a nice help that all of the districts were neatly labeled and helped in emergencies like this. Two kids are lost in their hometown with a man-eating monster on the loose able to devour them. Having signs be there to narrow down where they might be is the best thing about Sunmire right now. I make the turn and quickly rush my way down the empty streets that lead to a larger building, the largest building in this small lovable village. Though it was getting dark and there were not many lights hovering above to help me lead my way through the district.

I reached the larger building- the Church. A tall building with steeples lining the sky. White with swishes of yellow painted on it is still visible even in the darkening sky. The doors are a rich brown with golden vertical hilts to open them, it would be beautiful if I couldn’t imagine the corpses around them. I can’t imagine the children being in there, but I still run up to the steps and pull on the door, though it doesn’t budge.

I cursed under my breath as I then turn to the right, spotting an odd clump of fabric on the ground. When I run to it to pick it up and hold it out, I see it’s a small blazer. A little jacket clearly meant for someone of a young age. This must be Claude or Violetta’s.

“Ahh!” A muffled scream echoes from the church, I rise to my feet and try to listen closely for a moment. Hearing frantically running from the higher levels of the Church. They sprint to the back, as I grab my case and rush to meet them.

When I reach the back door of the church I run to the door and pull at its hilt, it springs open as I run inside.

“Claude?! Violetta?!” I call out for the kids.

I rush in, no care as I followed the sound of footsteps above me. The Church was large, very traditional, and covered head to toe in regalia of the sun. and as I made my way to the Sermon hall I look up to see the mural of a large sun and a figure around it, only to see on the floor above a small boy and girl.

“Claude! Violetta!”

They look down, and in their whimpers and cries they begin to rush down the stairs to me.

“It’s you! Ms. Floria!” Claude calls out as he rushes to my side, while Violetta practically ran into my arms, and I then notice that the girl has a gash on her arm, a ripped sleeve, and blood dripping from the gash. I contemplate for a brief moment using the elixir, but if my theory is right, then…

I take the blazer and quickly tie it around the gash, as she and Claude sniffle.

“We have to get outta here, it’ll get you too.” Violetta stutters in my chest as she wipes her face. I nod, quickly looking around. Only to hear a large crash from the floor above.

“Alright you two, get to the back door, I left it open, I’ll be right behind you.” They both nod and turn to run. I pick up my case and run behind them, making sure they are always in front of me.

Instantly, a roar echoed out behind us, the kids screaming in return. “Keep running!” I tell them as I push on their back to speed them up. They sprint before me, my heartbeat echoing in my ears as that roar got closer and closer with the sounds of galloping behind me. I hear the Zokaet pant, as the kids finally make it outside the door collapsing into a heap on the grass outside. The back door was creaking closed and the Zokaet was only getting faster.

“Get home!” I scream to them, as Claude rushes back to try to help me.

“Ms. Flori-” his voice cut out as my body rammed into the door to close it for good. Quickly ducking and leaping to my right, the Zokaet’s roar was silenced by a large thud. I scrambled to run back through the hallway. I hear growling as it quickly turns and scrambles after me. Fumbling with my case frantically, I open it to reveal the Elixir as I then threw it with all the might I could muster. It hits the podium at the front of the long sermon hall. As glass shatters and golden liquid splashes everywhere, I rush towards the doors at the front of the room towards the foyer, looking back for the first time.

The Zokaet was large. A horse body with a gorilla torso, with a lion's skeletal head with a rusty dark brown mane coming from it. Orange smoke fumed from the sockets of its skull eyes and through the gaps of its ravenous maw, and it didn’t slow down.

It didn’t slow down at all.

In my panic, I whip open the door and run through, slamming it behind me as I lean against the door a bit, catching my breath.

“Ah!”

Only to feel a sudden shock of pain in my arm and a force pulling me back. Stamping my foot into the floor I pull and pull at myself, large claw-like finger raking at my arm, as I see blood leave it. My breathing was frantic as my free arm lifted into the air and swung my open case down onto its hand, hearing it growl and roar as its hand lets me go, making me fall to the ground.

I quickly, scramble to my feet and rush to the front doors, hearing the door behind me completely collapse as I rush to the front doors and my body weight slams against it-

It won’t open!

My breath is frantic as I pull and pull at the door, galloping hooves and orange smoke slowly getting closer to me. As I grab the handles of my case and prepare to swing at it with all I can only to hear-

“Urgh!”

A…voice?

Shadows loom over me and when I finally turn I see the large chimera-like monster intercepted by another Zokaet. A tall one, goat legs covered in black fur that led up to a slender body and an eerily almost human torso, with exposed rib bones cupping their chest, leading to a spinal bone that lead to a large tail. Their head looked similar to a deer, with odd horns as red smoke left this Zokaet’s eyes and teeth.

A large black-clawed hand pressed into the open maw of the other Zokaet, before stepping forward and the other clawed hand grabbing its neck.

“Blood…forge?” An odd voice, was that the Zokaet? Its inquiry seemed to be left silent as the Zokaet that held its throat growled.

“It…it is you.”

“You dare attack my territory?” Finally, it spoke, and though accompanied by a deep rumble it sounded…familiar.

“These humans, they are your prey! Why do you not-” the grip tensed on their neck as orange fluid dripped from between their fingers. Blood?

“It is none of your concern, but you will pay for what you’ve done.” it was nearly instant, their hand yanking back as orange pulsed out as the other Zokaet fell to the ground, limp, dead. The Zokaet before me quietly turned towards me as red smoke left their eyes, leaving me to stare into the darkness of the socket. They step towards me and I step back, the door of the church trapping me where I am. I held my breath, praying to any god I can't even recall to just survive this.

A large hand slamming into the door behind me, as the Zokaet that is twice my height leans down to look at me. I stare at them until their eyes come too close and I squeeze mine closed expecting my fate to follow suit. Until-

“Are you unharmed?”

My eyes open, looking back to that creepy face. I blink and nod, causing the Zokaet to nod in return. Then it looks down at my bloody arm and goes to grab it. I yank my arm away and hold it to myself, it tried not to shake but my legs lost feeling and I slowly slid down the door to sit. Finally, I realize I was breathing really hard and the Zokaet leaned further down to me. Holding out a hand quietly, I stare at it and its hand.

"I'm trying to heal you, fool."

"Oh really?" I spat back, "I'm not so stupid as to think your kindness would spread any farther than saving me."

It growls, my eyes squeezing shut again as I flinch. If I hit it with my case now I may escape, but if it's directly in front of me, it would catch me easily.

I feel my arm being tugged as I yelp out as both large clawed hands wrap around it, nearly engulfing it.

"H-hey! Let me go!" I fight against them until I see a red smoke exit them, I freeze in place as I feel a weird feeling in my arm. Looking down at it, the blood had dropped down it, and even on the floor all slowly slithered up my arm. Almost like a river it magically flowed back to the original scratches that caused them. Then, a gentle claw slides down my arm and mimics an odd symbol on my palm. And almost just like that my arm was healed.

It released me, as I moved my arm back and forth, bending it to ensure it was indeed healed.

"Thank you." It was quiet as it came out of me as the Zokaet rose to its feet.

"As long as you are in Sunmire you are under my protection. Rest easy."

I stare at it in surprise, never had I heard of a Zokaet in my life showing such compassion for humans let alone a village of them, but then it hits me. That black fur, that red, that odd voice.

"...Apothecary?"

The Zokaet flinched, looking away quietly as I stood. "It is you…but that Zokaet called you-what was it? Bloodforge?"

"That is none of your business."

"You sound just like them- so wait." It all slowly began to connect in my head. “Was this a trap made by you? Have you been attacking the people?” I stomped closer to the beast, only to retract myself when they stared back at me.

“You dare accuse me of hurting these humans?” Their voice growls out at me.

“What do you expect me to think?” I yell back, gripping my case tight enough so I can be ready to swing if need be. “You give people elixirs, refuse to see the survivors! You look guilty!”

“Guilty? Me?” They roared back, my back meeting the door again. I stand my ground and lean forward.

“You’re the one who let a Zokaet run around freely and kill! Let alone, nearly killing Violetta and Claude! If I wasn’t here-”

BAM!

Beside my head, the door of the Church shook, the weight of the strike they did to it silencing me. They lean closer to me, empty sockets and boney maw dead center in front of me. I shiver as silence hung in the air.

"It was because of you that the children were indeed saved…you have my thanks." They spoke softly and I watched as their maw didn't move as they spoke.

They slowly leaned away and I finally caught my breath again. Before I knew it a red fog took up their figure as they slowly were enveloped by it and when they were completely invisible from my sight it blew away to reveal that Apothecary. Just as they were before me back when we first met. Long unruly black hair, white button up, long black skirts, and black holster over their chest.

"It really is you…" I say quietly.

They nod, "Though, I did not do any of this. I've been hunting for the Zokaet responsible, though they hid well."

"How am I supposed to believe that?" I ask incredulously.

"I bothered preserving your life did I?" They spoke so nonchalantly. "If I truly was the Zokaet attacking the people of Sunmire I would've left the outsider who suddenly begins questioning me to die. It's basic logic."

I scoff at them, it really is the Apothecary- their rude nature is intact.

"So you didn't even know that Zokaet? They called you Bloodforge."

"Do you not know of famed humans in your history?"

Famed? I sigh and rub the bridge of my nose.

"So, let me get this straight? You, a Zokaet, are acting as the sole Apothecary for this town. And suddenly, outside of your control, another Zokaet appeared and began to attack it."

They nod to me, so matter-of-factly and my frustration boils.

"I swear, I cannot tell if anything you say is of value."

"Would it be worth enough if I say that I was correct in that there are many?"

I pause, looking up at them in confusion. Before thinking back to my interview with Linette.

She mentioned that the Zokaet that attacked her and her squad was more bird-like with green mist. And that certainly was not this one.

"Oh no."

They cross their arms and sigh, "Fear not, due to my alchemic circle around Sunmire I have only been able to sense one other."

More and more my confusion rises as I just shake my head.

"Whatever, for now. We need to get to the kids and get them home safely. And we can discuss this more later-"

"Ersu."

I stare at them once more, and they gesture to themselves. "My name. It is Ersu."

My mouth hung open in exasperation and I just attempted to take the new info in stride. I hold out my hand and let out a deep breath, "Thank you, Ersu."

For a moment they stare at my hand until they poke at it. I catch their hand in my own with them tensing as I share it. A sigh comes out of me as I try to wrap my head around everything that just happened.

"Pleased to meet you."