The Amethyst Flame

Chapter 5 - Myrtlebane (Arthur)

We found vast amounts of wildlife and plants as we searched the forest. We couldn’t walk two steps without running into it. Everything was alive, and if it wasn’t for our desperate situation, I might have been able to appreciate the beauty of it all.

“What is your plan, brother?” I asked nervously.

“We shall poison the Jadehoods with myrtlebane. You will meticulously grind up the seeds and put the remains in their meat while I distract them with an amusing joke,” he said in a tone that conveyed pure terror. He knew just as well as I that this could get our families killed, but if we didn’t take the risk, we’d be stuck here until death. I couldn’t imagine a worse punishment than that.

“Why did you choose myrtlebanes above all other plants?”

“These are optimal conditions for the plant,” he replied apprehensively. Neither Jethro nor I have ever taken a man’s life, much less the lives of multiple people. Yuna taught humans to be merciful to everyone, but how could we be gracious to these thugs?

“How soon shall they perish?” I asked in a whisper, afraid lest they should hear the plan and slay us.

“The Jadehoods will perish before they can say ‘this meal tastes strange.’ Myrtlebane has no smell, but it tastes most bitter. By the time they realize we poisoned them, they will collapse like a rotten tree.

“Will they feel much pain?” I asked anxiously.

“No, they will die in seconds. For this reason, prisoners sneak it into prisons. It is a far more merciful death than being hanged. Their bodies will fall asleep forever and never awake.”

“Where does one find this plant?” I asked, looking all around me.

“Myrtlebanes grow near trees, stealing their nutrients and water. Give them enough years; they will even destroy ironwood. The flowers are a deep burgundy like blood, and their petals are shaped like arrow tips. So sharp are the petals that one can lose a finger just by brushing against them. They cut deeper than the sharpest razors. I exhort you to be cautious when you take the seeds out, lest you should lose a hand. Promise me to be careful.”

“Jethro, I do no-”

“Promise me!” he shouted loud enough for the magpies to fly away from the treetops.

“I-I promise you…” I said apprehensively.

“That’s better. Follow me; I’ll teach you how to find them,” he rapidly spoke, grabbing my hand and dragging me behind him. When my brother wants to do something, there is no stopping him. He will fight a dragon to prove a point to someone.

After wandering for around a minute, we found a decaying tree and dozens of myrtlebanes around it. I couldn’t believe that such a beautiful plant held so much poison in it. It seems that the more beautiful something is in nature, the more dangerous it is.

“The poor tree must be clinging to its last strands of life…” I nearly whispered in horror.

“Can you even call it alive anymore?” Jethro asked, shaking his head.

“I suppose not…” I replied as I knelt beside the tree and looked at the myrtlebanes. I moved my hand more slowly than a slug to not get it ripped to shreds. The dark gray seeds were in the center of the flowers, and I slowly pinched them between my fingers, taking my hand away and giving them to Jethro.

“Hey, Jethro?”

“Yes?” he asked with a peeved expression.

“How many seeds do we need?”

“Around fifty or so,” he replied in a casual tone.

“Fifty?! So I need to do this a dozen more times?” I asked in a flustered tone.

“There’s a lot of people. What do you expect?” he asked with an annoyed expression.

I continued the tedious cycle until finally, we had enough seeds to take out everyone. I gave Jethro a look that said I was ready, and he nodded.

Showtime.