Chapter 21: Ch 21. Ember Root
Hearing that, the man standing in front of Selena stared at her for a moment. "Are you Selena Grece? The Healer of Extinction confirmed by the Eldoria World Council?" he asked, causing Selena to raise an eyebrow.
"Yes, don’t you know me?" Selena asked, then walked ahead toward the wooden shelves filled with dried herbal ingredients.
"Ah, I’ve heard your name, but I’ve been too busy studying all these herbal plants to have time to look around. My name is Xoruc Dee; I’m the owner of this place. What are you looking for, and what kind of plant is it? Perhaps you could tell me, Healer of Extinction," Xoruc said politely.
Even the handsome-looking man with small deer antlers protruding from his head bowed his head slightly, showing an unusual sign of respect.
Selena gave a small smile. "I’m looking for a medicinal plant called Ember Root that can soothe the burning sensation in the heart; I can sense its presence somewhere around here," she said, causing Xoruc to furrow his brow.
"Ember Root? I’ve never heard that name before," Xoruc replied, shaking his head slowly. "My father has never mentioned it either. Could you describe what it looks like?"
Selena saw that Stevan had already pulled out a chair for her, so she sat down gracefully while the three men stood behind her in a circle.
Xoruc felt as if he were looking at three monsters standing guard, but he quickly shifted his gaze to Selena, knowing that she was the one he needed to focus on. Even though they were kings, they weren’t particularly useful here other than to accompany Selena, their wife.
"It’s just a bright red plant; when exposed to sunlight, the aura it emits feels extremely hot. The plant can be pulled up once it reaches a height of about 100 cm; its roots are fiery, which is why it’s called Ember Root," Selena explained, describing what she saw in her mind’s eye.
The plants she needed were the first ones to appear clearly in her mind; the others were still just vague shadows. This might mean the plants were quite far from where Selena was, because earlier, while walking around, she hadn’t seen what they looked like. She only saw them after arriving here and entering the Eldoria House of Health.
"I feel like I’ve heard rumors about that plant," Xoruc said, then paused for a moment. "Ah, that’s right! Please follow me; I’ll show it to you."
Selena smiled, then stood up and walked after the man. Behind her, Stevan, Vylen, and Dorven followed quickly, as if afraid of being left behind.
"Selena, is that plant for the Phoenix King?" asked Vylen, who was standing nearby.
"Yes, you’re right," replied Selena as she continued walking behind Xoruc.
They were making their way down the hallway through the open back door. Selena could already smell the scent of several herbs and realized that the presence of the Ember Root was becoming increasingly clear.
"It’s not that I’m upset, but I’m curious—why do you have to prioritize him when he hasn’t even apologized to you yet? Haven’t we been with you this whole time? Is he so important that you’re putting him first?" asked Vylen, his voice tinged with resentment.
Selena glanced at him. "He’s going to die tomorrow night."
Vylen was startled to hear this, as were Stevan and Dorven, who were there as well. They stared at Selena, who looked serious as she said it; her expression was impassive, as if she were revealing something that simply couldn’t be taken as a joke.
"Die?! You mean the Phoenix King is going to die tomorrow night?"
Selena nodded. "I gave him a drink at midnight to ease the burning sensation and pain in his chest caused by the fire that’s been consuming him for years. But the drink’s effects only last two days; he’ll be fine tonight. However, tomorrow night, when the pain returns without treatment, he’ll die because the fire within him will turn against the fire in his chest. You know the power of the Phoenix, don’t you?" Selena asked, causing them to swallow hard and nod in agreement.
"If he doesn’t drink this potion tomorrow night, will he really die?"
Selena nodded, gazing at an herb garden in front of her, whose gate Xoruc was unlocking. The herb garden was located right behind the Eldoria House of Health. It belonged to the Rusa clan—more specifically, to the family of Xoruc Dee.
"Oh my God, that’s absolutely terrifying. He’s held on for quite a long time over the years; tomorrow night is the climax," Stevan remarked. "Does the Phoenix King know about this?"
Selena shook her head slowly. "He doesn’t know that tomorrow night is the end of his life; all he knows is that the pain will return tomorrow night. So it’s not about whether he’s apologized or not—I’ve just been designated the Healer of Extinction; my power and abilities have only just been born and awakened. I can’t possibly let any of you die just because of my selfishness," she replied, causing them to finally nod in agreement.
No one argued with her anymore; Selena could even foresee the death of one of them. Although it hadn’t been proven yet, there was no way they would let the Phoenix King die just to prove Selena right.
"Healer of Extinction, please this way," said Xoruc, cutting off their discussion.
Selena walked into the herb garden, looked around, and spotted a bush that felt slightly warm. Walking over to it, she parted the branches until she found a young Ember Root plant growing there, though it wasn’t of very good quality.
"It’s so tiny... It’s only as big as my index finger," said Stevan, measuring the plant with his finger. "Agh! This plant is hot!"
Selena smiled as she watched him quickly pull his hand back. "It’s called an Ember Root plant—of course it’s hot as embers," Selena retorted, then looked at Xoruc Dee. "Don’t you have any others?"
Xoruc shook his head. "This is the only one left. A few months ago, they grew in clusters and there were quite a few, but now only this one remains because the others died. I’ve tried to cultivate and care for it properly, hoping it would multiply and become a lush plant. But no matter what care methods I used, this plant always died. So, I eventually just left it alone, and now only this one remains," Xoruc said, causing Selena to sigh.
"It’s only natural—this plant requires the same kind of heat as that found in a Phoenix’s body. The Ember Root is a rare plant specifically created for the Phoenix clan. They’re extremely sensitive to the environment and the energy of those of you who aren’t Phoenixes. That’s why it died—it simply wasn’t meant to grow here," Selena explained, causing Xoruc to nod in agreement.
"I really don’t know anything about that, and my father never mentioned it either. It seems this plant isn’t even listed in the Rusa clan’s medical compendium. That’s probably why my father never told me about it. They only started growing a few months ago while I was cleaning this area."
Selena smiled again, unaware that the smile she’d been showing had been drawing the attention of the three kings present. As if it were a magnet, Selena’s smile captivated them, making them feel a pull that made them want to have her all to themselves.
But since they were in public, Vylen, Stevan, and Dorven didn’t want to show it so openly. They knew Selena hadn’t fully forgiven them yet, so it was best for them to exercise restraint to avoid making a fatal mistake that would cause Selena to hate them.
"I need this—how much do you want to pay for it?" Selena asked, looking at the plant with a pleased expression, knowing exactly what she needed to do to keep it alive.
"You don’t have to pay to take it, Healer of Extinction. If you can help me grow more of them, I’d actually be very happy. Maybe someday a group of Phoenixes or the people of Eldoria will need it, and I’ll know where to find it," Xoruc said cheerfully.
Selena raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious about just giving it to me like that? This plant is extremely rare and valuable," she replied, but Xoruc had already let out a small chuckle that still conveyed politeness.
"Being valuable and rare doesn’t mean anything if this plant ends up dying in my garden. It’s better if you take it; that way, it’ll be more useful and could save the Phoenix King’s life," he said, not the least bit bothered. "After all, we’re both part of a group with healing abilities—we’re one team even though you’re not part of the Deer. So, it’s absolutely no problem giving this to you."
Selena smiled upon hearing this. "In that case, I won’t hesitate."
Xoruc shook his head quickly, smiling as he said, "There’s absolutely no need to feel hesitant, Healer of Extinction. Whenever you come by and need medicinal plants, look for me. If there’s anything you need, I’ll share it with you," he replied, making Selena smile again.
Crouching in front of the plant, Selena reached out and grabbed it along with the soil it was in, pulling it out of the ground—yet its roots remained buried because Selena had lifted the soil along with the plant.
"Stupid plant... How did you end up here?" she said, causing the four of them to stare at her in shock.
That plant was incredibly hot! You could feel its heat even from a meter away! How could Selena just casually hold it in the palm of her hand like that?!
"Let’s go back. This plant won’t last long; I have to take it to the Phoenix King’s palace right away," Selena said as she walked away.