The inside of the hut was hung with herbs. Burnt incense hung in the air. The thick taste of something similar to sage instantly coated my tongue like fur. O coughed discretely as we entered through the pearl hung entrance.
Atapareh crouched over a wood bench in the middle of the room, using a stone mortar to grind small wheat colored grains.
He added two drips of slimy green water from a carafe and mumbled hoarse words in an unknown language. He was two heads shorter than me and frail,dark skinned back was covered in blood red symbols and tattoos. Above that, he wore a black toga. When he turned, I realized that his eyes were white with no pupils. But he smiled when he saw us enter.
"Oh, bring her here", he said, waving his bony hands impatiently.
Joon grinned at my facial expression and lead towards the middle of the room, a hand on my back.
"Ata, this is little Masie. From earth."
I hardly was little but I stared at the old man dumbfounded, as he grabbed my wrists and turned my palms to the light. He let go, walked to the back of the tent and came back with a small white bowl. Inside were wet leaves. They were soaked in some kind of dark brew. Atapareh silently got them out and placed them on my hands. He beckoned me to sit down on the rattan bench.
"What is this?", I asked, eying the tincture warily.
"Shh." The white of Ataparehs eyes rolled around uncontrollably. He trembled, flinched, put both of his hands on my leave covered palms.
Then he took of the leaves. My palms were completely scratch free. Rosy, soft, new skin stretched over my hands.
I turned them in awe. "Oh, wow. Thank you."
The old healer shrugged like it was nothing and Joon looked down on my hands, dark eyes twinkling.
"They are leaves from the holy tree of your blue dress friends. Atapareh used to be one of them. Before they exiled him for loving one of our women."
Atapareh waved it off. "It was a long time ago. Please, I have to continue brewing."
"Right. Goodbye Ata." Joon waved and then grabbed me by the sleeve, pulling me out of the tent.
Outside, he pointed towards the underground city. "I'm guessing you're dying from curiosity. Let's get inside. You can stay at my place, for the time being. Until we figure out how to help your friends over at the Glimmers."
YOU ARE READING
BLUE VENOM
Paranormal"Holy crap", I said, staring at the huge green forest opening we were standing on. Only it wasn't a forest. Thick, lush jungle surrounded us. We were standing in a field of Heath. The smell of herbs and sweet woods and honey and something bitter was...
