"Open his mouth." Val commanded.
Cosmo obliged. The man began to panic. Val was feeling much more confident. This is going surprisingly well.
"Arrgghh," the man struggled as the liquid went down his throat. He coughed a bit to keep it from going down, but it was too late.
"So, I suggest you tell us what you know." Val said as she focused on the vile in her hand. "It doesn't take too long to feel the affects."
Val circled around to be beside Cosmo, and she gave him a wink. "Who sent you?" Cosmo hissed again.
The man continued to refuse to answer, but his resolve seemed to have weakened. The man in Orion's grip started to stir. He was feeling rather queasy, and he tried to make eye contact with the other man. Val let them squirm for a good while. She wanted to be sure that they were playing into her hand.
"Don't you think he's starting to turn rather pale, sickly even?" Val said with eyes shining. Her grin seemed to reach her eyes, making her look devilish. "If you go any longer, the antidote may not work."
"Antidote!?!" The man screamed in horror. "You mean, I can be saved?"
"That's up to this man here." Val put her hand on Cosmo's shoulder. "I gave him the antidote, so he's the one with the power to save you now."
"Just tell them!" The man under Orion's watch warned. "What good would it do to die here!"
The man who believes himself to be at death's door thought it over. He was conflicted with duty and self preservation, but looking at the Val's aloof of demeanor, his resolve continued to crumble.
"Alright, I'll tell you," the man licked his lips, "but I need the antidote first."
"You tell us now." Cosmo ordered.
Not wanting to waste any more time, the man relented. "We were sent by Heron to retrieve the girl to negotiate with Draco! That's all! I swear!"
Cosmo mulled over the answer for a moment, but didn't make a move. Terran decided to add a query. "And what about the dark magic? That doesn't seem like your kind?"
"There was a man in a black clock that came to us." The second man offered. "He gave us a potion to drink, and said that you would be in your weakest form on this route. We don't know his intentions, but he didn't ask for anything in return."
"That's right." The first man continued. "We saw our only chance to have a seat at the table. We have been suffering under the curse given to us by the almighty Draco. Maybe this time we could return to our natural selves. That's what we thought. But we have failed again."
Val looked at Cosmo. She wanted to know if he got everything he was after. She had fun, but she was ready for the whole charade to end. Cosmo understood, and gave her a nod.
"I can have the antidote now?" The man cried. "We have told you all we know!"
Cosmo released the man and walked away. The man looked like he was about to lose it. Val waved her vile around in the air. Both assailants had their focus on her. She took a swig, and grimaced.
"It sure is bitter!" She said through gritted teeth. The men were shocked. Val laughed. "It's a perfectly harmless tonic! In fact, you really ought to thank me! It's supposed to make your skin young and supple. Someone might even take a second glance at your disagreeable face."
"Wait!" The now freed man exclaimed. "You mean, it's not a toxic flower?"
"Oh no," Val explained, "I just made that up for fun. Wasn't I such a good actress!"
"Yes!" Celeste praised. "That was the best performance I've ever seen!"
"Yes, quite remarkable." Terran joined.
"Let us not waste any more time here." Cosmo said with disdain.
Orion released his captive. Both of them slumped to the ground without much of a fight. Terran retrieved his knife from the third man. He seemed to have recovered from the dark magic, but was weak.
The group continued on their journey. They made a good distance without much talking. Most lost in thought. Val was just relishing in her adrenaline rush. That was a very risky move, but it played out beautifully!
"How did you know that would work?" Terran asked with glee.
"Well, it looked like no amount of physical force from our dear, fearless leader was going anywhere." Val talked through her thought process. "They knew that they could be healed or something, but they couldn't die. It seems like this lot has some sort of agreement. But I do not. I'm a bit of an unknown element, which is the scariest of all. Would I kill them? Would I torture them endlessly? Who knows. But they didn't look like they were dedicated to the cause. They just wanted to pull one over on these fellows. Essentially, with death on the line, they would crumb to pieces."
"What an excellent deduction!" Terran mused.
"Yes, Terran!" Celeste looked up at Val in awe. "You are truly the most unique person I have ever met! I am so happy we are friends!"
"Of course," Val puffed her chest, "reading people is my gift. Everyone has a tell. It's just that not everyone is that easy to read."
Val tapped Celeste on the nose. They both giggled. Cosmo took a peak, and then said something to Orion in a low voice. Everyone was more alert during the remainder of the journey. It was still going to take a few days to reach Antronal.