(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 14)

[Oldmansour]

>From what we read of the recipie for the medicine, if we mixed what we could of it here in town, and then added the flower that we get from Yuuka there, would that get the job done?

[DracoOmega]

>From what we read of the recipie for the medicine, if we mixed what we could of it here in town, and then added the flower that we get from Yuuka there, would that get the job done?

>The instructions for preparing the overall medicine, as you found in the old botanical text in the library, seemed simple but fairly non-specific; they called for steeping the flowers in a brew of one part Athran's Vigor to four pasts Aqua Veritatis. Your knowledge of herbalism is so skeletal that you don't know if there are additional complexities which are non-obvious, but it sounds simple enough; perhaps it might even be possible to do it yourself on-site. You'd feel much more comfortable leaving it in the hands of an expert, of course, but you may not have that option anymore. The Athran's Vigor itself is a far more complicated mixture, the details of which you obtained from Professor Bosqueverde, and which she warned should only be prepared by an experienced alchemist. It also requires a great many rather curious-sounding components, but you were told that all of them ought to be purchasable somewhere in town.

[Oldmansour]

>Did she happen to mention if the Vigor had any kind of 'best before' date? Specifically, if it would stil be potent after a few days.

[DracoOmega]

>Did she happen to mention if the Vigor had any kind of 'best before' date? Specifically, if it would stil be potent after a few days.

>She did not, but you gathered that Athran's Vigor was a common variety of stamina potion back in the day, and thus something you'd expect had some longevity to it.

[Oldmansour]

>But, realistically, if we can't find some way to make the trips shorter, and if we fail to make the medicine we need at Yuuka's, then we're not coming back.
>We set aside our pride once before, time to do it again, Nazrin. We need help, don't we? If we're in this condition now, how can we possibly do this on our own.

[DracoOmega]

>But, realistically, if we can't find some way to make the trips shorter, and if we fail to make the medicine we need at Yuuka's, then we're not coming back.
>We set aside our pride once before, time to do it again, Nazrin. We need help, don't we? If we're in this condition now, how can we possibly do this on our own.

>You can't say it's impossible, but... you're worried. Things aren't looking optimistic right now.
>You don't know. You'll press on as far as your body will let you, of course, but there's no mistaking how weakened the blight has already left you. Another three days of hiking is a very tall order. But six? Right now, that feels like asking you to lift a mountain with your bare hands.

[Oldmansour]

>Despair. I pause, to breathe...
>Then pull ourselves together.
>"Yes. Yes, I, I do, thank you for seeing me."

[DracoOmega]

>Despair. I pause, to breathe...
>Then pull ourselves together.
>"Yes. Yes, I, I do, thank you for seeing me."

>You take another breath and try to gather yourself together to respond to this new arrival.
>"Well, let's hear it," she says. The first gatekeeper moves quietly back to her post.

[Oldmansour]

>Glance around. We didn't plan to have this discussion outside, just how many bystanders are we dealing with here?

[DracoOmega]

>Glance around. We didn't plan to have this discussion outside, just how many bystanders are we dealing with here?

>The only people you can see within earshot at the moment are the two rabbits manning the gatehouse and the one who is currently addressing you. There's some light traffic on the street, but none of it very close at the moment.

[Oldmansour]

>Just as well. Last we need is some rubbernecker making this more awkward.
>"All right. First, I need to know, does a flower called lunar orchid grow here?"

[DracoOmega]

>Just as well. Last we need is some rubbernecker making this more awkward.
>"All right. First, I need to know, does a flower called lunar orchid grow here?"

>"Well, we've got some in the garden," she says, cocking an eyebrow. "What of it?"

[Oldmansour]

>Smile. Relief. "It's that flower that brought me here. I was afraid I'd have to travel all the way to Eientei to find it."

[DracoOmega]

>Smile. Relief. "It's that flower that brought me here. I was afraid I'd have to travel all the way to Eientei to find it."

>"They're not for sale," she replies flatly.

[Oldmansour]

>"And that applies to the seeds as well?"
>When she inevitably confirms that, "Of course not. Nothing in my life's been easy ever since I met that spider, why should this be any different."

[DracoOmega]

>"And that applies to the seeds as well?"
>When she inevitably confirms that, "Of course not. Nothing in my life's been easy ever since I met that spider, why should this be any different."

>"It does."
>"Uh, sorry you've been havin' a rough time." She regards you quizzically.

[Oldmansour]

>Look up into her eyes. "Wanna know how rough? If I can't get one of those flowers, or one of its seeds, then I won't make it to the end of the week."

[DracoOmega]

>Look up into her eyes. "Wanna know how rough? If I can't get one of those flowers, or one of its seeds, then I won't make it to the end of the week."

>The rabbit lets out tired sigh; she clearly doesn't buy it.
>"And why is that, exactly?" The question sounds perfunctory, like she can't imagine you will provide an answer worth hearing.

[Oldmansour]

>"That spider I mentioned? It poisoned me."
>Remove our scarf. Show her mean it.

[DracoOmega]

>"That spider I mentioned? It poisoned me."
>Remove our scarf. Show her mean it.

>You take your scarf off to reveal the blight marks on your face. The rabbit you're addressing grimaces.
>"Yowzer," the shorter gatekeeper cries. There is an awkward pause.
>"...it's not a medicinal plant, y'know," the head rabbit eventually says, still staring warily at your affliction. "Looks pretty, but that's about all it does."

[Oldmansour]

>"I realize that." Replace the scarf. No need to have that sight hanging out there. "It's another flower I need to finish the medicine, but the only person on this cotinent who seems to have that flower will only give it to me in exchange for a lunar orchid, or one of its seeds."

[DracoOmega]

>"I realize that." Replace the scarf. No need to have that sight hanging out there. "It's another flower I need to finish the medicine, but the only person on this cotinent who seems to have that flower will only give it to me in exchange for a lunar orchid, or one of its seeds."

>You retie your scarf - or at least as well as you can manage without a mirror.
>"Who's this?" she asks cautiously.

[Oldmansour]

>Think back. Yuuka would not like us to drop her name, would she?

[DracoOmega]

>Think back. Yuuka would not like us to drop her name, would she?

>You don't believe she commented on the subject. Certainly her name was already know (or strongly suspected) and shared among several people you've encountered yourself. You imagine she wouldn't want want you giving guided tours back to her garden, but you don't know if she cares so strongly to have her very name hidden from the world. Besides, how would she even find out?

[Oldmansour]

>Given how people have reacted to her name and reputation, what are the odds that banana pants here shuts the door in our face if we tell her?

[DracoOmega]

>Given how people have reacted to her name and reputation, what are the odds that banana pants here shuts the door in our face if we tell her?

>You have no idea what reaction to expect for a person you know almost nothing about. She might not even recognize the name, she might assume you're making it all up, she might want nothing to do with aiding a possible war criminal. Or perhaps it could even lend credibility to your story; it's hard to say for sure.

[Oldmansour]

>"A sour old hermit who lives in the ass end of nowhere outside of town. And who was none too keen to help me until I offered to find this flower for her."
>Take a moment to quell the bile rising from our anger at that development.

[DracoOmega]

>"A sour old hermit who lives in the ass end of nowhere outside of town. And who was none too keen to help me until I offered to find this flower for her."
>Take a moment to quell the bile rising from our anger at that development.

>You try to stifle the bitterness that wells up within you when you think back to when Yuuka sent you on this damnable suicide mission.
>"A sour old hermit who wants a lunar orchid specifically?" The rabbit's tone is dubious.

[Oldmansour]

>"She's a flower lover. In fact, I think one of the only things she likes is flowers. I think she wants at least one of everything, at least the pretty ones, and one of the ones she doesn't have, apparantly, is a lunar orchid. I got the impression from her that they're really rare."

[DracoOmega]

>"She's a flower lover. In fact, I think one of the only things she likes is flowers. I think she wants at least one of everything, at least the pretty ones, and one of the ones she doesn't have, apparantly, is a lunar orchid. I got the impression from her that they're really rare."

>"They are."
>"You won't find them anywhere but the princess's gardens," the gatekeeper adds, then hastily corrects herself. "Uh, Lady Houraisan's, I mean." She cringes a little, throwing a furtive glance at her supervisor.
>"Not to call you a liar or anything," the chief rabbit continues, "but you have to realize that sounds a bit far fetched from where I'm standing. You wouldn't be the first person to try and get their hands on an orchid, or even the first to try being clever about it. Though that, uh..." She gestures vaguely at your face. "Is a bit more grizzly than usual. ...you've seen a doctor, right?"