Bountiful Curiosity

Hey, I bet we can eat these weeds. I should grab a bunch. Should add some extra punch to our cooking.

Didn't you JUST get over an upset stomach? You sure that stuff's okay?

Even if it's not, I made myself a tonic that should put me right as rain. It'll be fine.

Uh...is that really a good idea, though?

It is logical...in a way.

The thing is, we need to know the local fauna if we're to survive here. So it's great Sazanca is willing to put her stomach on the line for us. We'll need to know what we can eat, what we can't, and what works as medicine. All vital information for hunting in unfamiliar territory. It would be a little more scientific though, if she wasn't avoiding the weird looking stuff.

Is it really worth messing up your stomach, though?

Then it would be the 21st time I've eaten something I shouldn't have.

21 times?! Are you sure you're okay?!

Heh. You'd think someone with such an iron stomach would have more guts out on the battlefield.

Well, the stakes are totally different! I eat some bad grass, my stomach hurts a little. I fight a dragon, I get burnt to a crisp. No amount of tonic is gonna bring me back from the dead, so yeah, I'm okay with the risk.

...And yet you came with us to fight the biggest and fiercest of all the dragons.

She's here because she wants the dragon's blood, right?

Why? What's so special about it?

Well, you see...when you drink the blood of one of the great dragons...

...It's rumored to make you immortal!

Immortal?!

To think you were aiming for something as outlandish as that. I'm intrigued.

Huh. I was expecting something lame like it saves you from never having an upset stomach ever again.

In that case, we'd better go toe-to-toe with some colossal dragons, right? Come on, let's keep the momentum rolling!

I'm not here for fame, glory, strength, the thrill of the hunt, or anything like that. Just wanna get the blood and go home. You guys can do the fighting!

That's not how this works, Sazanca. If ya want that blood so bad, you're gonna have to stab that dragon and get it yourself.

Ugh...

Hey! Another medicinal herb! I bet we'll be able to find a bunch more here!

Sazanca, wait. You feel that?

The dragon?

Most likely. I'm getting the same uneasy feeling I got before.

Then let's be sure to keep our guard up. We've beaten one of 'em. We can beat another.

I'll take the lead. You guys...

Ohh, if it isn't a bunch of humans!

This is bad. Sazanca, don't you move a muscle.

Eeeek!!!

Sazanca!

If you can still move, I need you to go after Sazanca, you hear me?!

Ahhhh...

I just picked those herbs, you know! Do you realize how much of a waste that was?!

You're...back?!

Nooooo!!!

...Nice one, Sazanca!

Sazanca bought enough time for us to get back into formation. We should be fine now.

She may be a total klutz, but she can stomach any situation you throw at her.

Yeah, I couldn't have been blessed with a better team! Now let's fell that dragon!

She may be a total klutz, but she can stomach any situation you throw at her.

Yeah, I couldn't have been blessed with a better team! Now let's fell that dragon!

That was...unexpected. I thought you hated fighting?

I do! But I will not abide someone wasting good herbs. No siree. Especially when those herbs could have been food or medicine!

What happened to not wanting to die? Aren't you contradicting yourself a little?

I don't wanna die, but sometimes getting what I want takes priority. Like a fight or flight reaction, but for things.

She's a healer with principles, and that's why we trust her. Not a lot of healers out there that would put their medicine ahead of their own life.

For me, making medicine, this whole thing with immortality... It's all about creating opportunity. Without medicine, you eat one bad mushroom, that's it, you're dead. Medicine gives us a second chance. And the more do-overs you have in life the better, right?

What do you mean?

If you can bounce back from injuries, or sickness, you can take on pretty much anything right? When you run out of redos, you die. It's the dying part that scares me.

So there is method to your madness. How did you arrive at this logic of yours?

Yeah. I'd like to know too.

I could tell you... If you take over mess duties for the day?

She's shrewd, I'll give her that...

Haha, fair enough. Let's pack up and head back to camp.

Whew! I am STUFFED! I think this is a good time for me to hit the sack.

Not so fast! You've got a story to tell us.

That's Sazanca for you...

Woops! Almost forgot! Okay, but just a little bit, okay? So, I used to live in th East, you see...

Uwaaaahhhh!!!

HEY! Tell me you're about to set off a bomb BEFORE you start running away, will ya?!

Sorry! I really didn't want to get caught up in the explosion and I panicked! It was all in the name of medical research, anyway, so uhhh...cut me some slack?

You were the one who almost got hurt, though!

Ahaha, well I mean, that's experiments for you. You don't always get it right the first time.

Yeah, I get that, but maybe next time don't forget there's other people around, eh?!

You're a real piece of work, you know that Sazanca? What is it with you and medicine that drives you to do stupid things like this? If we need a disease cured, all we need to do is ask the shrine maidens to pray for it.

Imagine if you were one of the gods, okay? Do you think you'd have time between making it rain and lifting the sun up to cure every human on the planet?

Granny did say not all prayers are answered...

Besides, our god's main responsibility is the weather, kinda weird to be asking them to cure a cold, you know? I'd feel guilty about it. Imagine being asked, as a god, to do something that's not really your thing? It'd be a pretty awkward conversation I think.

You really think that's how it works?

Would you ask a tailor to build you a house? Same thing. That's why I'm on a mission to become a master in medicine! And when I can whip up a perfect remedy for just about anything, the gods will be thanking ME!

But for what? Is there someone you know that needs healing or something?

Ah, I could see why you might think that, but no. What is medicine for? When we're sick, we use medicine to bounce back, right? I want to give everyone the chance to do that. No matter how serious the sickness, there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Just not "that" light, if you know what I mean. And with the right medicine, big ol' klutzos like me and you know who can carry on falling over ourselves without a care in the world!

You know who? You mean the rain girl? I...don't think that's the same thing, Sazanca.

I mean, yeah, I've never met the girl, sure. You don't just go walking up to miko of her status for a friendly chat, but... When I heard the rumor she might be responsible for all this rain, I dunno, I guess I felt like we may be kindred spirits.

Right, well I think I get it now. Just, next time, maybe think about not almost blowing the whole village up next time? Not until you've got that foolproof medicine of yours ready, at least.

Oh come on, it wasn't even that big!

We were all so scared. We all made it out alive, but we had lost our homes.

All my tonics... The scrolls with all my research... It's all gone.

Do you really think it's her fault?

The adults all say it is, and that's why they sent her away. Her power is too great to control, so she's not allowed to come back until she learns how to do it.

I know it's not her fault, but what can we do? Someone could have died...

Someone could have died... What if they couldn't, you know, die? I could make a medicine that grants immortality!

I'm gonna make that medicine and I won't come back till I do! This place was more or less out of herbs anyway.

...Uhh? What?

Hold on. I'm lost. How did we go from controlling rain powers to immortality?! Maybe losing those herbs did more damage to you mentally than you're letting on.

I'm PERFECTLY fine, thank you very much! And if you think about it, you'd see how there's a very logical thread through this conversation!

I've messed up more times than I can count, and I've been yelled at twice as many times. Yes, it's because I'm constantly doing stupid, dangerous things, but did you ever stop to think about why people get mad about it?

Uhhh, because someone could get hurt? Someone could die?

Exactly! So what if we couldn't get hurt? What if we couldn't die!

Huh... Wait, what?

I guess I get it? But still, it came so out of nowhere... How did you even come up with it?!

It's like a divine revelation.

...A divine revelation?

The gods may be great and all powerful, but wether they use that power is up to them. I mean, we all prayed and prayed for the rain to stop, and it didn't! My guess is that they don't understand why a flood would be that big a deal. Our god is said to be an immortal dragon. Ever met a dragon that could drown? Ever met a god that could drown? You've probably never met a dragon, but you know what I mean! They have wings! They fly! Gods don't die. Gods don't drown.

So, all we gotta do is just be more like them!

Don't you think that'll anger the gods?

I guess we'll just have to find out? Listen. We have to do something, think of that poor girl!

She has no idea she destroyed the village, which is good, but what if she found out? She'll be devastated! I know I would be. No one messes up because they like it. There's nothing harder than living with the aftermath.

If we all live forever, there is no aftermath. We can fail all we want, we can live all we want, and no one has to suffer for it. That's what I've always wished for, I just didn't know how to do it, until now. A world where no one dies is a world where everyone's allowed to make mistakes.

Yeah, but HOW? I've never heard of anything granting immortality before, and YOU lost all your research, remember?

Eh, I'll just do it all over again. I love testing things out just to see what happens. And if I get to live forever, then I get to experiment forever! Isn't that exciting?!

I thought I knew you pretty well, but you're tougher and weirder than I had ever imagined, you know that?

...So when does your big expedition start? Tomorrow?

I'm gonna go now, actually.

Urgh!

What's wrong? Are you okay?!

My stomach...urgh... I bet it was those herbs I found left in the village... Shouldn't have put them...urgh...In my tea! Maybe I'll postpone the departure until tomorrow... Help me to my bed...

Forget immortality, I doubt she lasts a day outside the village...

Incredible...

How...are you still alive?

(A village that sank and perished in the rain...? That sounds familiar...)

How can a story make complete sense, and yet no sense at the same time?

You'd have to be pretty crazy to come here, so it's no surprise we're all a bunch of weirdos.

Hey! You guys asked me to be here!

But I think I understand Sazanca a little better now.

Heh, heh. So if you get your hands on the blood, hand it over to me, got it?

Oh, that part you still have to do yourself.

Really?! Come on!