By the time Hua Tuo arrive with Clowis, Zero was looking rather green. Zenobia had a wide grin on her face and Hua Tuo pitied Zero. He didn't have to eat what Zenobia was serving him and could've absorbed it to save the suffering but Hua Tuo didn't have the heart to make the boy feel any worse by telling him so. After all, many have been victims of Zenobia's 'bridal culinary training' products.
Despite her tough appearance and personality, the lady was a romantic at heart who wanted to be able to serve her future husband at home. Unfortunately, the half-elf wasn't all that talented in the kitchen as she was on the battlefield. Hua Tuo took note that she'd once again created some exotic looking desserts. Zero wasn't joking when she said bug cake. The cake baked with tree bark and caterpillar worms emitted a strange purple glow but Hua Tuo was sure that was simply a product of his imagination. The image projected certain death and the doctor thanked heavens that Zero was immortal. Besides the caterpillar cake, Hua Tuo watched how Zenobia kept urging Zero to try her freshly baked cookies decorated with mushroom caps and butterfly wings. How the lady thought it would be a great idea to create such sweets, Hua Tuo didn't know. What he did know was how Zenobia made the best dandelion tea - the only successful product of her culinary training.
"Greetings, Lady Zenobia. I see that you've taken a liking to Zero."
The chieftess paused and turned around to greet Hua Tuo.
"Greetings, doctor. We're happy to have you again. Your apprentice is most delightful! Could I offer you some snacks?"
Behind him, Clowis quickly intervened. "Chieftess, I think that is unwise. We will hold the feast soon and snacking now might tarnish our esteemed guests' appetites."
Zenobia pouted a little but agreed anyway. Then, she looked at Clowis and brightened up. "Clowis, how about you show Zero around the village? I'm sure the young apprentice would love to see the sky bridge."
Clowis smiled and agreed, quickly ushering them out before the female warrior could get other less desirable bright ideas to entertain their guests. Hua Tuo was thankful for Clowis' quick thinking.
Once they were in the clear, Zero immediately clutched his stomach. Hua Tuo got to examining his apprentice. Luckily, Zero had gained a certain resistance to poison from his pill-making training. The doctor didn't know how to face the Great Gods should anything happen to Zero under his watch.
"What did she make you eat?"
Zero grimaced. His stomach churned painfully at the memory. "Some of that weird bug cake and the flower tea. You came in just in time to save me from eating those cookies. I saw them! One of them had the poisonous red-hat mushroom you warned me about... She was trying to kill me!"
Clowis flinched. Surely Zenobia didn't mean to do so. She probably wasn't aware that the mushroom was poisonous. Then again, she didn't know that her culinary skill was on an unspeakable level. He couldn't fault Zero for thinking that way but didn't want him to have a bad impression of their respected leader. Zenobia was many things but a child murderer, she was not.
"Sorry, Zero. The Chieftess can be rather dense at times. Cooking is not her strongest suit but she constantly tries to improve. Those red-hat mushrooms... she probably didn't know that they were poisonous. I'm sure she didn't intend to kill you or intentionally feed you inedible creations. She meant well and was definitely fond of you even if it didn't seem like it. After all, she spent the whole of last night preparing them for your arrival today."
The brunet was glum. Clowis wasn't lying but it felt bitter not to have an outlet for the resentment he felt. Zenobia wasn't at fault but it didn't change the fact that Zero had suffered in her hands. Now he understood the meaning of 'the way to hell is paved with good intentions'. Zero didn't think that there could be too much of a good thing but now, he didn't doubt that it existed. Zenobia was a cool warrior and Zero respected that. However, if she offered cakes and cookies... Zero knew better than to accept them again, impolite or not!
"I think it would be better to let Zero rest for a bit. The village tour can happen when he is feeling better."
Clowis agreed. "I shall inform the others. Will he be well enough for the dinner feast?"
Hua Tuo looked at his apprentice. Zero, despite his discomfort, nodded.
"I need to meditate it away for a few hours. I should be able to join... just no more bug cakes and poisonous cookies please..."
At that, both men laughed. "No, Zero. We'll be sure not to include them. See you at the feast then. I have last minute preparations to attend to and cannot escort you to your rooms. I could send for someone else to show you to your rooms."
Hua Tuo waved his hand. "Do not trouble yourself, Zero and I will be fine."
Clowis bowed once more and gave Zero one more apologetic look before leaving. The doctor then turned to his apprentice who was less green than before.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Zero shook his head. "It's tricky to absorb something that's already inside of me but I think I can manage it. Mii is taking care of it but she says that there might be some side effects."
Hua Tuo nodded and held his hand out for Zero to take before leading them to their room.
Zero didn't have much time to marvel at the scenery on the way back. All he remembered was collapsing on a soft feather stuffed bed and falling asleep.
***
"Zero, the feast is about to start. Are you well enough to attend?"
The brunet was groggy at first. He was startled to find himself in an unfamiliar room until he recalled where they were. Hua Tuo was now dressed in a white robe and Zero raised a brow. Normally, the physician would wear some old and thread-worn robes with dull colours. What's with the sudden change?
"These are ceremonial clothes for the welcome feast. You have one too. It's easy to slip it over your tracksuit if you're not comfortable wearing it alone."
Zero nodded and started changing. After sleeping, he felt a lot better. Mii was a great help and Zero thanked the strawcherry summon. She assisted Zero in absorbing the 'foreign entities' in his body in less than a minute. However, the process took a lot of energy so Zero had to sleep it off.
Now that it was over, Zero felt the excitement running through his veins. The sleepiness was wearing off and Zero could already hear the faint commotion coming from where the feast was supposed to be. It didn't help that Zero smelled many delicious things in the air. It made his stomach rumble.
Hua Tuo didn't keep the boy waiting for too long. The moment Zero was done changing into the ceremonial robes, he led them to the feast. Fully awake now, Zero let his jaw fall at the magical sight. The tree apartment had a great view. Although it was slightly obscured from the outside by leaves and vines, Zero could see everything that went on outside from the window. The trapdoor that led them to the underground passageway was also something that Zero found interesting.
Footholds were carved into the tree trunk's hollowed section like steps. It was narrow for Hua Tuo but Zero had space to move around in it. The physician explained that this was just one way to get up. For some of the older villagers, a pulley system is used. They would stand on a platform and untie the rope at the bottom. The platform would carry them up and once up, they will tie the rope to a hook to prevent the platform from falling back down. Zero thought it was a very smart invention. He couldn't wait to check it out and Hua Tuo promised that they would have time to do so tomorrow.
For now, Zero noticed how there were different light emitting crystals. Hua Tuo explained that they used different light crystals to indicate a different path or location. For example, they followed a light blue crystal path to reach their tree apartment. Zero also found out that they were not the only occupants in that tree. Apparently, there were several other apartments in the same tree on different levels. That made Zero extremely interested. For now, they followed a red crystal light path to a cave where the feast would take place.
The cave was on a higher part of the hill and not easily accessible due to its rocky terrain. Most of the cave was obscured and only tiny cracks, too small for anyone to get through, were visible from outside. However, with the underground passageway, it was a breeze to enter freely. Zero couldn't wait to meet the villagers and tried to imagine what the cave would look like.
They arrived at the cave quickly and Zero blinked. The cave was very well furnished with animal skin rugs, light crystals, a huge bonfire, some firewood supplies at the side and most importantly, some barrels of alcohol. Yes, Zero knew what alcohol was because he caught Hua Tuo drinking some secretly. The physician kept his alcohol a distance away from the hut. Zero secretly followed Hua Tuo out when the doctor snuck out one night. He didn't mention this to anyone yet for he didn't want them to be alarmed. Zero tried alcohol before out of curiosity and honestly, he didn't want to do it again. The side effects were terrible and Zero preferred to stay clear of that fermented liquid.
"The doctor and his apprentice are here!" Someone announced. Immediately, the mood in the cave lit up. Zero was suddenly barraged with cheers, questions and greetings. The highly-energetic bunch scared Zero. Never had he experienced so many people swarming over him. They closed in on him so quickly and the brunet got separated with Hua Tuo at some point. Seeing so many unfamiliar people talking to him scared Zero.
Luckily for him, Zero recognised Clowis from earlier. Instinctively, he ran over to hide behind the teenager, causing the majority of the villagers to coo at his shyness.
"Aww, that's not fair! Don't hog the young doctor!"
"That's right, I called dibs! He's going to try my dish first!"
"No, we agreed to let him choose, didn't we? Now stop pressuring the young boy. The poor thing is shaking in his shoes!"
Clowis pinched the bridge of his nose. The girls gathering around them only increased and Zero clung onto his leg tighter.
"Look, give him some space to breathe and bring him something to eat. I'm sure he'll gladly answer all your questions when he's less overwhelmed. Zero, I heard that you enjoy trying new dishes. My sister, Amaraline here will take you to try some of our village's speciality. As for the rest of you, scoot! You can line up to talk to him after food. Chieftess is going to give a speech soon so go gather around the fire before I force you to."
The girls pouted but dispersed, much to Zero's relief.
"Thank you," he breathed and gave Clowis a bright smile. "You're a great person!"
Blushing at Zero's sincere compliment, the warrior looked away. He couldn't quite hide the tint of pink on his cheeks but tried to remain as nonchalant as possible while introducing his sister.
Amaraline had similar feathers protruding from her arms. The girl had beautiful brown locks and two green stripes on each cheek. However, Zero noticed how her eyes were closed while she walked and upon closer observation, noted how there was a faded white patch over her eyes. The mark scarred her beautiful face and Zero understood why Hua Tuo made the first rule. Amaraline probably had a tough and painful past. Zero felt sorry for her even though they've only met.
"Hi, Zero. I'm Amaraline and this is my older brother, Clowis. Allow me to be your guide. Is there anything you prefer to eat? We have a variety of things from mushroom salad to grilled meat. I'm proud to say that the festive stew is our village's signature dish."
Salivating at Amaraline's introduction, Zero nodded enthusiastically. "As long as it isn't caterpillar cakes or poisonous mushroom cookies, I'll eat anything!"
Amaraline giggled at Zero's tone and led the way. Zero was amazed by how the blind girl was able to manoeuvre her way around without sight. Amaraline walked with such precision and grace that Zero had a hard time believing she couldn't see at all.
The feast was filled with dance, music, food and laughter. After Zenobia's short speech to welcome their guests, Hua Tuo and Zero were invited up the small stone platform to say a few words. Hua Tuo kept his short and polite while Zero fumbled with finding his vocabulary under the pressure of many pairs of expectant eyes.
"Um... I- I'm Zero! I'm glad to be here today... the stew is great!"
Zero's speech was followed by thunderous applause and a lot of cheering. Zenobia grinned and told Zero that tonight's stew was made by a middle-aged lady called Zoe. Zero thanked her once more before walking off the platform to resume eating. The middle-aged lady went pink at the compliment but offered Zero seconds when he cleaned his bowl.
During the feast, Zero got to meet almost all the villagers. The only exceptions were Karris who wasn't feeling too well and Lowis who was patrolling the borders. He met three other children who were about his age. Their names were Jacqueline, Rima and Leon.
Jacqueline was a quarter mermaid. She had fish scales, dark vision and could breathe underwater. The gills by her neck wasn't normally visible although her skin was an intriguing shade of light blue that made her appear sickly most the time. Unlike normal mermaids, Jacqueline had no issues being out of the water. In fact, she laments how she doesn't have the siren's voice that many merfolks possessed or a tail for that matter. According to Jacqueline, she was eleven in human years and didn't know her parents. Her human grandfather brought her to this village when she was just a baby and left her in the care of the village chieftess. Zero felt slightly bad for her but Jacqueline laughed it off. According to her, living with Zoe made her happy.
Rima was a girl with cute cocoa brown pigtails. If the girl didn't introduce herself as a spirit propagator, Zero would've thought of her as a normal human. Rima was a girl around nine in human years. However, according to Jacqueline, Rima been nine-year-old as far as she remembered.
"I'm a soul container for a white antelope spirit guardian. The one I'm waiting for has yet to awaken so I cannot age."
Zero was intrigued. He didn't know such things were possible. Then again, his existence wasn't one that could easily be explained either so he simply accepted it. None of the villagers found it weird so Zero shrugged it off. Rima was also living with Zoe who seemed to be Half Moon Village's foster mother for abandoned children.
Leon was a lively boy about twelve in human age. Zero found him to be very humorous. Nobody knew exactly what Leon was but he had a tendency to spot lion parts whenever he was excited. Zero had the opportunity to pat the lion ears and stroke his tail. He was delighted to feel them twitch under his touch. The supposed werecat was easily ticklish and often became the subject of punishments in the form of tickle torture. He had rocks for brains according to Rima but was a pure and honest person. Zero decided that he liked his new friends well enough and was slightly sad when they had to part for the night.
"Come visit us tomorrow! We can play tag!"
Zero didn't know what tag was but agreed. It sounded fun.
Hua Tuo smiled when Zero chattered away about how he made new friends. He made sure to text Truen about it and sent some updates to the Great Gods. The brunet didn't stop talking about it until Hua Tuo put the lights out.
"Do you think I can see them again tomorrow?"
Hua Tuo chuckled. Zero fired a long message to Truen about his newly made friends and the wood elf had yet to reply, supposedly busy with his training. He must be feeling slightly insecure so Hua Tuo reassured him that they would be delighted to have him.
"They promised to play tag with you so I'm sure you will see them tomorrow. But first, get some sleep. We need to check on Karris and Granny Moppo first thing in the morning before we make our rounds. Also, if we have some spare time after lunch, you could ask Raj about the moving platform. He'll be sure to indulge you in his creations."
Smiling, Zero bid Hua Tuo good night once more before falling to sleep, already dreaming about the fun things he could do tomorrow.
What an eventful first day on the job!