Bab 20: His insinuated blood
Drey drew in a deep breath, inhaling the crisp mountain air and strengthening his back. He ascends the pathway and the stunning mountain vistas unfolded before him, inspiring a sense of awe.
As he walked, he encountered farmers carrying baskets brimming with freshly harvested crops. They greeted him with a respectful bow and returned the gesture before continuing with his journey.
The area was quiet and this gave his foggy mind some space to breathe. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he heard the footsteps approaching, but he didn't turn back.
The old man greeted him as the castle view came into view.
"What's on your mind this time, Drey?"He asked his grandson to get seated on the rock in front of him.
"You like watching what's going own on in the castle, but you don't like to stay there," he slowly avoided his question, but the old man didn't push him further. He will talk when he felt like it.
"I have always wanted to see what my eldest grandson was up to," he looked further to the castle and Drey knew with his strong eyesight he can still see that far.
"You thought I will grow up like Dany being our father's plaything?"
"No, you have been special since you were born."
Drey walked over and sat with him on the stone looking far away, his eyes emotionless as they appear. His mind wasn't even where he was watching.
"What's the matter Drey, or are still thinking about Dany?"Grandfather Winger asked after being quiet for some time.
"I only came here to get the fresh air of the mountain, that place was almost suffocating me."He didn't battle an eye while lying to his grandfather.
"Since you would rather not share I am leaving. I was going to the other side to watch the sunset," he replied, getting up and walking away.
Drey watched him walk away silently without stopping him.
"Let's see if your proudest will give you the advice you were looking for," he heard his grandfather murmur as he took the corner and walked further to watch the sunset.
"Why does he always to be straightforward?" He talked to himself.
Grandfather Winger walked father to a raised stone and sat watching the orange sky directly, after some time.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw a figure approaching him, and he chuckled loudly. "So who got more ego?"He sounded calm, but he didn't expect this willful grandchild will follow him here.
Drey passed him and proceeded farther to a higher rock, his back leaning on the hard rocks. He closed his eyes and exclaimed gradually.
"Jerome took care of the kingdom very generously, he came up here several times," grandfather Winger said, picking up the stone and threw deep into the forest below.
"Everyone should take responsibility, sometimes, even the old."
"Tch, are you talking about this old man?"
"Are you suspecting yourself, grandfather?"He threw back the question at him.
"Of course not!"
"Then should the old also take care of the kingdom?"
"Is it a question or a rhetoric?"
"Let us just say both," Drey opened his eyes, which has now regained their composure. The old man assumes his questions, but instead asked, "I hope the poison didn't affect your brains?"
He laughed loudly, "what do you think grandfathers?"
"You knew about Dany's plans, that's why you accepted the antidote earlier?"
"Dany has always visited the Poison Master several times wanting to kill me with it but didn't succeed."
The remnants of his brother's trials were not unknown in his recollections. He knew his brother would still go to the master if he intended to attack him. But one thing he didn't think was the poison was a deadly one, that the poison master had upgraded his poison and the Rosario kingdom would stop at nothing to put their hands into Rivea's resources.
If not that day his grandfather has got whipped by Dany's plans and prepared an antidote that was strong enough that he could be by now dead.
He still remembered that day before leaving he met this old man at the pathways of the mountains waiting for him with a small bottle which he forced him to drink.
"How did you find out I was at the mountain, grandfather, yet I came late at night and woke before dawn that day?"
"I think, you have a powerful appearance that trails wherever you go," he answered, looking at him and Drey looked back, 'nothing can pass this old man for sure.'
"Is that true?" Drey asked, he couldn't believe he must have been down the mountain that night.
"Should I lie about her like what you have been doing?" the old man torments him, "you were worried about her being exposed but what happened now?"
Drey looked at his grandfather and he lowered his head in defeat.
"I have always warned you about being careful, but you were more to protecting other things and left her exposed," grandfather Winger took a deep breath and went silent.
Watching the sunset on the horizon was one of the natures he liked the most. The sun has now disappeared as darkness has taken control leaking the silence. Drey looked at him as he voiced out, "more soldiers of Rosario were armed with the same poisonous weapon, am a little afraid they are now produced in large quantities."
"There is something I wanted to show you, come with me," his old man broke the silence standing up Drey followed him slowly walking into the small house.
He entered the house and looked around.
He could remember the old man refusing to add an extra room for them, saying they should focus on the castle and be around the people rather than them struggling for a space to sleep in his house.
Jerome was the one who was so furious about this, refusing to leave this place for three months, sleeping on their grandfather's bed before he was thrown out.
The old man opened a small door at the side, and they entered a room that seemed like a store attached to a laboratory.
He reaches a table and showed him a bottle that had some blue liquid inside.
Drey took the bottle in his hand and observed if he shook it and the liquid changed to pure white liquid.
His hazel eyes widen in disbelief."Is this…?"
"Yes, it is what you are thinking, Drey," the old man sat on a stool. As he continued to observe other things on the tray.
"Wasn't it burned on the continent, and it has been decades since someone produced such a thing."
When he was a kid, this thing was abolished by the elders who overlooked anything that will be a threat to humankind. He didn't know who produced such a thing, but he vowed that one day he will give him or her their respect for producing this.
"Put it back there Drey should not keep it in your hands for long, your warmth will attract it and another reaction will be formed, and I still don't want that."
"How did you know about this grandfather!"
Drey has now a puzzled look on his face, all these details were true, and only the founder will know about the reactions. Even if his grandfather was a king, by, then he was the most admirable person and the liquid was far away from Rosario's reach.
His grandfather gave him a look, and this only confirmed the pieces he had put out together.
"Don't tell me…!"
"Have I opened my mouth yet?"
"Did father know about your invention at that time, grandfather?" the information was too much for him and this question was what came out first.
"Not all, but I think by now he's mindful of the Poison Master as one of my workers."
Drey's hand was covered in sweat. If his grandfather knew how to produce the "cobra poison" as they called then he didn't know if Rivera will be at peace furthermore.
"Poison master was not my main worker and didn't know how to produce this, that's why even though they tried to kill you they never succeeded because….!"
He cut him off instantly, "you have insinuated the original cobra poison in my blood??"
"Yes."
Drey stumbled back to the door, to run out of the house and into the darkness.
Hadiah
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