After a long walk, Arad and Aella reached the forest house. “We’re back. What should we start with?”
Aella thought and looked at Arad. “I don’t want to sound demanding, but we need to buy new furniture and remodel the house.” She grabbed the door. CRACK! Clenching her fist made it crack. The ants ate anything wooden from the inside.
Arad shook his head, “You’re not wrong. This place could crumble at any moment. For now, let’s fix the garden and get the medical herbs growing.”
Aella nodded, “The sooner we plant them, the sooner they grow,” She put the bag on the ground and pulled multiple small pouches.
“What are those?” Arad asked.
“This one is called a heart flower. It’s a common ingredient in restorative potions.” Aella draws it on the ground. It looked like a daisy but with pink heart-shaped leaves.
“This one is called elves ears,” Aella pulled another seed and drew it on the ground. It looked like a long, flat asparagus. “It can be used as a weak pain killer if eaten fresh and as ration, if dried under the sun.”
“Does that mean we need to always keep a fresh batch?” Arad asked.
“No, it can stay in the ground for a hundred years and stay fresh after picking for a year,” Aella replied with a smile.
“And what about this one?” Arad pulled another seed. 𝙚𝙤𝙫𝙚𝒍.𝒐𝙧𝙜
“This one is called Mint. Mixing it with lemon and mana-enchanted water results in stamina potions. We call it Mojito.” Aella smiled, “It’s been a while since I had it.”
“What about this one?” Arad pulled another one.
“That is ginger root. It works as a cleanser and a light aphrodisiac. I doubt it will help, but it might get us a kid in less than ten years.” As an elf who live ten times longer than humans, she was like a housewife wishing to get pregnant in the first years of marriage. And Arad being a dragon who lives a hundred times more than humans, ten years was like the first month of marriage to him.
“You thought of that?” Arad asked with a smile.
“We long-lived races have to keep it in mind. Otherwise, we’re slow compared to humans.” Aella smiled, “Or should we relax and let it take decades?”
Arad shook his head, “No, we need to do all we can.”
Aella stood with a smile, “There are other seeds here. I will start sorting them.” she handed a hoe to Arad, “Can you plow the ground?”
“Of course,” Arad took the hoe and started working on the garden.
Aella quickly sorted the seeds and started planting behind him.
“Let’s keep them in one place. We might get a dog in the future.” Aella said, “Since this place is isolated, we need protection.”
“Merlin said the red dragon had minions. Can I do the same?” Arad asked.
“I don’t know,” Aella replied.
[You could, but you must beat the monsters’ leader.] Mom replied, [You’re a wyrmwolf. I suggest starting with wolves.]
After a while, Arad finished plowing the ground, and Aella still had some to plant. “I will go out for a while,” He said.
“Where?”
“To the forest. Mom said I might be able to get some wolves under me,” He replied.
“You’re a dragon, and this house is your lair. The monster around should know of your presence.” Aella said with a smile, “Don’t go overboard.”
Arad nodded with a smile, shifting into his draconic form and rushing into the forest.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Arad rushed into the forest, running between the trees while listening for wolves. Those things howl at night but are weirdly silent in the daytime. He wasn’t listening to the adults’ howl but to the cubs playing.
[Did you hear it? To the left,]
^I did hear, but I don’t think it was wolves or anything.^
[It’s our best lead. We can’t just keep running randomly.] Mom replied, and Arad started heading toward the voice. After a while, they reached the spot, and it wasn’t wolves.
^What is this thing?^ Arad gasped, seeing the horse-shaped creature stuck in a tree by the head. His massive horns wedged between two trunks.
[That’s a moose. Leave it alone. They can be quite violent. Their kicks hurt more than the bison,]
^Oh, better I get going then.^ Arad turned away to leave, but the moose started shaking violently, racking the tree as if trying to escape.
Arad sighed, ^Fine, I will get you out.^ He glared at the moose, ^But I will eat you if you dared attack me.^ He growled, albeit being unable to speak in his draconic form.
Arad approached the tree and looked at the trunk. It was a bit strange, it starts as one big trunk that splits in two, and the moose head is stuck between them.
There are two ways to save the poor animal, cut off his horns, or cut one of the trunks.
Arad approached the tree from the front and bite one of the trunks, using the void in his teeth to dig and cut the wood. CRACK! As if he was biting on a chicken bone, Arad’s jaw munched a chunk of the trunk with ease. He could see the moose getting nervous.
After the second bite, Arad cut the second trunk, and half the tree fell to the ground. The moose leaped back, shaking his head, glaring at Arad from the side of his face.
^Go,^ Arad thought, watching the moose back away. Thud! Thud! Thud! The moose ran away into the forest, and Arad sighed in relief, ^He didn’t attack,^
[Animales can sense the difference in strength. I doubt he would attack after seeing you munch on the tree that trapped him,]
^Animales are that strong?^
[Mana,] Mom replied, [Monsters are just animals who absorbed too much mana and transformed. But having just a little bit can increase the intelligence of the monster a bit.]
^Why doesn’t it increase mine?^
[You already have that increase. Remember the feeling you got when seeing Nina, Ginger, or that old man Cain? It was you sensing the mana flowing from them, and your body reacted by telling you they are relatively strong.]
AWOO!
Arad stopped, looking in the distance, “Wolves!”