"Jean! Come back here!", Leah shouted out awkwardly in the general direction the mischievous girl disappeared to. For someone who's always soft-spoken, suddenly forcing a shout was always an unsettling affair.
"I'm fine! Don't worry!"
"I'm not worried about YOU! You are straying too far! What are you doing?!"
"Duh! I'm looking for the Old Man!"
'This stupid girl!', Leah cussed inside.
Although it hasn't been that long since they somehow ended up in this world together, it was long enough for Leah to figure out that Jean was never going to be a reliable travel companion, but day by day, she was starting to realize this blond was a real bundle of trouble.
The girls have spent the past two hours looking for the special herbs that they came here for, but with zero luck. It didn't help that Jean was constantly distracted, but now the problem child was actively going out of her way to look for the very problem that they had been warned to avoid by everyone in town.
While Leah couldn't exactly imagine what made the 'Old Man' so dangerous except that he talked a lot, being forced to listen to random rants for 'days' sounded bad enough to make her want to avoid the possibility at all costs. Meanwhile, Jean's curiosity worked in the exact opposite way. Jean wanted to find out exactly what this Old Man had to say that it would take him days. It might be some crazy rambling or a boring recollection of irrelevant memories and personal anecdotes, but Jean was someone who'd rather find out and suffer than leave her curiosity unsatisfied.
"Jean, we really need to go look for the herbs now. Stop this nonsense", Leah finally caught up with the stray cat and commanded. Of course, avoiding the infamous Old Man was one thing, but Leah also did not want to fail the first job they had taken in this town. She was simply not used to failing or letting people down on what she promised she would do. It wasn't so much that she cared about her social credibility. It was a matter of personal integrity and self-respect for Leah.
"Look at what I found, Leah"
As Leah was about to reprimand Jean although she knew that it would be of no use, Jean triumphantly pointed at the ground a few meters away from where they stood.
"What is that?"
"Beats me. But isn't that cool? That thing is glowing?"
While Jean was a sucker for mischief-laden adventure, Leah was a curious cat who couldn't help but examine things - with caution - that she's never seen before.
'Jean is right. It is quite pretty indeed, but…'
"This can't be Sorrowbloom, Jean"
"What the heck is a Sorrowbloom?"
Leah bonked Jean's head with her fist.
"The herb we came to look for"
"That's a pretty sad name, huh? But how do you know this is not it?"
Leah bonked Jean's head one more time.
"We have the picture with the description here. Look. Sorrowbloom looks nothing like this, and it's also supposed to be pitch black. That thing is glowing like a Christmas tree"
"Indeed. Sorrowblooms are pitch black."
The girls jumped back as an old man came out nowhere through the reeds, joining their discussion.
'This… this must be THE Old Man', Leah was concerned.
"They are the flowers of sadness, infinite despair, the song of fallen warriors, lost souls - crushed dreams.", paying no attention to Leah's alarmed look, the Old Man continued.
"But do you know what they REALLY represent?"
The Old Man suddenly stopped and asked the girls.
"You just said they are the flowers of sadness"
"Yes, but to me - they are the flowers of hope"
Leah pulled at Jean's sleeve to signal that they should get going, but Jean already had perked up ears, visibly interested in what the Old Man had to say.
"Sorrowblooms grow where the dead lay lifeless, they are the flowers that begin a new cycle of life when corpses rot and return to nature. They sip on the dry tears of the men's and women's eyes that once burnt with life, love, and hope. They feed on the decomposing flesh and bones of people who died with a purpose. They are the ultimate sign of hope that grows from the sacrifices"
'This is bad, it looks like he's already starting some rambling that could last for days'
Leah cupped Jean's ears and whispered,
"We gotta get out of here. Forget the Sorrowblooms. This could be dangerous"
"That is fascinating, Old Man. Do you know where they can be found?"
"You are on the right land, but they are not here. You have to go further down that way"
The Old Man then pointed toward a direction that was further away from the village. Leah didn't want to go back empty-handed, but there was no reason to trust this Old Man whom everyone said they should avoid.
"Thank you! Could you come with us and show us?"
'IDIOT!!!'
"Why are you ladies looking for Sorrowbloom, may I ask?"
"It's the first job we got from the guild, hehe", Jean was incredulous.
"A job, yes - a job. Every man and woman must labor. Labor is good. But what are you laboring for?"
"Money, of course", Jean responded instantly.
"Is that all you are looking for?"
"Well, and adventure"
'Oh God, don't say that, Jean…'
"I could tell you a story or two about adventures"
"Wicked!"
"Would you ladies like to come to my little cottage? It's not so far from here"
"NO. NO WAY", Leah had to voice herself here.
"I see, that's a pity. It happens to be in the same direction where you can find the Sorrowblooms"
"Why not, then, Leah? Let's go!"
'What are you, a child?! This is how predators lure children with candies!', Leah shouted in her head but took a more measured approach as she spoke.
"Thank you very much for the offer. But we should really get back to the village now"
"Empty-handed?"
"So be it", Leah was firm.
"You return today back to the village. Unsatisfied. With nothing to show for your labor. Tomorrow you wake up with nothing in your possession. You look for another work, maybe you get paid. Maybe that will buy you some food. You survive another day. And you labor another day. Another payment for you to sustain for yet another day. For how long? For how long do you want to live that life?"
"People must work until the end of days. That's how we live, that's how we survive."
The Old Man grinned.
"Ah, I see. A hard-working young lady. Very respectful. I shall not stop you then."
"Ok, bye", Leah quickly turned around and pulled Jean along with her, away from the Old Man, to the direction of the village.
It was then that Leah heard the Old Man speak from behind them.
"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."
Leah froze on the spot with a chill down her spine.
"You… you know the Bible?"
"Like the back of my hand", the Old Man grinned and there was no way Leah was leaving now.