THE ALPHA’S VENGEFUL LUNA

CHAPTER 18: INGREDIENTS OF DOOM

FREYA

I looked around in awe, taking in the busy market I had just walked in. Everyone seemed to be going somewhere, coming from somewhere or doing something, and it made me feel like the outcast I really was.

The morning sun was up, shining brightly as I walked through colourful isles and brightly painted stalls, with merchants and sellers beckoning on me to buy what they sold.

“Oh, no thank you.” I gently declined for the umpteenth time, smiling at the old woman who wanted me to buy some of her weird looking soup.

I found a shade and pulled out the list that had everything I needed to prepare the potion.

After confirming all I needed, I shoved it back into my pocket, resuming my voyage.

The market was not so different from the kind of markets we had a hundred years ago, so navigating was not so difficult. I just had to ask for directions from kind strangers who were willing to help. It made me wonder what they would think if they knew that the lady they were helping was planning to kill their ruler.

Unfortunately, It was almost noon and I had barely ticked many of the ingredients on my list. They all seemed so hard to find, especially the most important one, which was the Moonbell.

I knew it was delusional for me to expect such a deadly plant to be sold in the market, but one thing I knew was that the wolf realm was not really different from any other realm in terms of structure. There had to be some kind of black market or an underground business that dealt with rare, deadly, and dangerous herbs and all I needed was the right information.

From where I stood, I let my eyes wander around. Being a witch, I have had to deal with a lot of f*******n herbs and substances that could get you arrested if you were ever found with them. So I have had to work with people in these black markets, or at least men who had information that could lead me there.

That was how I mastered the skill to be able to spot shady folks in the crowd. They are usually the only ones that would provide the information I needed, even though I knew it would be at a cost.

“Bingo…” I muttered, smiling to myself as I spotted a group of three boys looking around just like I was. At first glance they looked like regular teens, but I could recognise the glint in their eyes. It showed that those young men had seen things beyond their years.

I took a moment to study them, watching their every move. Their alertness, the way their sharp eyes moved to and fro, and their demeanour were a dead giveaway of who they were.

They were just the ones I was looking for.

I took a deep breath to collect myself before walking towards them. With people like these, you had to be clear-headed and precise or else you would end up being swindled.

I was already halfway there when a sorrowful sight caught my attention. Just by the side of the road sat a woman on a floor with a little boy lying limp in her arms. She was wailing, blubbering words that were too indecipherable to understand, but it was not hard to interpret that she was crying about her baby.

A sharp pain seared through my heart and images of my late son and me flashed through my mind. The agony that consumed me when I watched Icarus kill my son began to creep on me again.

A lot of people walked past her without paying her any mind, and it was disheartening to watch.

I was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to help her, so much so that I changed course, walking towards the wailing woman even though a part of me was unwilling to cooperate.

“What is wrong?” I asked, squatting in front of her and her child.

“M-my son... he is so sick and I am so scared. I do not know what to do!” She blubbered, fresh tears streaming down her face.

I looked at the frail form of the little boy lying in her arms and I had to bite down on my quivering lip to stop the sobs that threatened to escape from them.

I reached out for him, pausing for a moment to ask the mother if it was okay for me to do so.

“Can I?” I asked and she nodded, wiping her swollen eyes.

I felt his temperature and boy was he on fire. His eyes were an alarming shade of yellow and his joints were stiff.

I had dealt with cases like this before, and I knew just the spell that would heal him.

I carried him in my arms, stepping away from his mother as I gently rubbed his back while whispering some spells in his ears.

“Weg, weg jij schaduw des doods...

Laat de jongen in perfecte gezondheid

worden hersteld!”

He had a strong spasm, one that made his mother's eyes widen in horror. She wanted to grab him from my hands but I held her back.

“Trust me.” I said to her and with a tearstained face, she nodded, biting on her fingers in anxiety.

I whispered the spell again and the spasm stopped. He sneezed three times and when he opened his eyes, they were back to normal.

I flexed his joints and they moved freely while the mother watched on in awe. I lowered him gently, and he stood on his feet. With wobbly steps he ran towards his mother who was already a weeping mess.

“Oh heavens, my boy is back on his feet!” she cried out, hugging him tightly before peppering kisses all over his face.

I watched them, my heart swelling with pride and joy. I could not help the tears that escaped from my eyes as I watched the display of motherly love. The sight warmed my heart and I felt fulfilled that I could restore joy when all hope looked bleak.

After a heartwarming moment with her son, she finally gave me her attention..

“W-who are you? How...how did you do that?” She stared at him in adoration like I was some...god.

It was both fascinating and terrifying to watch.

However, I had something else to worry about. What could I possibly give her as a response that would be believable?

I cleared my throat. “Um... it is a secret my mum taught me...works like magic. ”

“Thank you so much, Miss.” She curtsied deeply, her knees almost touching the floor. “My family and I are indebted to you, and my son owes you his life.”

The little boy ran to me, wrapping his arms around my leg. “Thank you ma'am.” He muttered, and I blinked back the tears in my eyes.

“Happy to help, lad.” I patted his head gently with a smile on my lips.

I glanced over at the boys who were standing at the other end of the street and they had disappeared. My smile slowly faded as my heart dropped to my stomach.

How was I going to find the black market without those boys?

I sighed, trying to maintain a feeble smile on my lips as I looked up at the happy woman. She did say they were indebted to me, didn't she?

Well, I guess it was time to demand my p*****t now.

“Hey, I have a question…” I began, leaning closer to her so I would only need to whisper. “If I wanted to buy really odd things like some old, ancient flowers... where do I go?” came my question.

She looked confused for a moment, before looking away. It was pretty obvious she had some answers. She knew something I didn't.

“Um… ” She battled with words but while she struggled to speak.

“Your help and advice can change a lot for me and…..my family.” I said, staring right into her eyes until they softened.

“You know...for everything that is not sold outside, there is an underground market where it is sold in abundance and...I can take you there.” She replied with determination.

“Thank you.” I gave her a reassuring smile.

“Shall we go then?”

She nodded, leading the way.

Just like everything that was hidden, the underground market was really hard to find and I was beginning to question its existence when we began journeying deep into a dimly lit cave.

Doubt began to creep in as the question that had been eating me up, forced its way out of my lips. “I am sorry but are you really sure you know this market?” I asked, genuinely concerned for our safety.

She nodded affirmatively, taking us deeper into the cave. “I used to sell in the black market, and I made a lot of money until my son became sick. Since then, my focus has been his health and all thanks to you. He is back on his feet.”

I could not help the smile that bloomed on my lips. “I am really sorry...but I am glad you can go back to your business.”

“Oh, I am not doing that...” She shook her head. “The black market is no place to raise a child.”

As soon as she completed her statement, we came out into a large underground bunker which was bustling with people.

We were finally there, the black market.