No need for words.
The lizard responded to my explanations with a shrill cry and a headbutt, making it clear that it wasn’t in the mood for negotiations.
To be fair, from its perspective, I must have looked like the worst kind of villain. Trying to clear up the misunderstanding would require more ti than I had, and even then, convincing a lizard was a tall order.
-Kyaaa!
The creature let out a furious screech, launching itself at like a streak of blue light. For a fleeting mont, it reminded of the Halley’s Cot I’d seen as a child, blazing brilliantly across the night sky.
The lizard grew larger in my field of vision as it hurtled toward , filling my sight with an overwhelming blue.
“So-ryong! Look out!”
With a shout, my sister pushed to the side, sending tumbling to the ground while clutching the injured lizard in my arms.
-Siiing.
A close call.
The incoming streak barely missed my temple, grazing my hair as I was shoved out of harm’s way. Then ca the sound of impact.
-Crash!
-Clatter.
Small chunks of rock began raining down around , forcing to shield my face. When I glanced at the source of the sound, I saw the enraged lizard pulling itself out of a crack in a boulder it had just slamd into.
The rock was now fractured, the fissures radiating outward like a spiderweb. Had it hit directly, my head would’ve been obliterated. Cold sweat drenched as I realized just how close I’d co to a grueso fate.
While I was frozen in shock, the lizard recovered its composure and began crouching, clearly preparing to launch another attack.
“W-wait! I an it—I’m not trying to hurt you! Can’t we just talk—”
My frantic attempts to calm it down were in vain. The lizard, coiled like a spring, was monts away from pouncing again.
-Kwoong koo…
A small, gentle sound emanated from the lizard cradled in my chest.
Startled, I looked down. The injured lizard let out another soft chirp.
-Koo-ook…
As if in response, the aggressive lizard froze mid-launch. Its crouched legs relaxed slightly, and it released a surprisingly delicate sound of its own.
-Koo-kook?
The exchange continued, the two creatures emitting soft, chirping noises that seed almost conversational.
-Kwoo koo-koo…
-Koo-gug!
The communication seed to calm the aggressive lizard. It lowered its guard and took a cautious step toward us.
But before anything else could happen, a commotion erupted behind .
“So-ryong! Are you okay? That little thing is nasty and quick! It slipped right between our legs!”
“Are you unhard, So-ryong-nim?”
The Peng Clan head and the Poison Creature Unit appeared, panting heavily as they hurried to my side.
As they approached the boulder, the previously relaxed lizard hissed sharply, its aggression returning full force.
-Kyaaaa!
It seed especially displeased with the Peng Clan head, baring its teeth and hissing louder.
I quickly stepped in, gesturing for everyone to back off.
“Please, step back for now. The lizard is getting anxious. I think I can calm it down.”
“Are you sure? And what do you an, calm it down? Do you really think it understands you?”
“Yes, Clan Head. I don’t think it’ll attack us again, and I believe it can understand to so extent.”
Turning back to the lizard, I spoke gently.
“I’ll lay your friend back down, okay? Just give a mont. I promise I’m not trying to hurt anyone.”
Hesitating for a mont, the Peng Clan head led the others a few steps back, while the lizard tilted its head, as if deliberating. Then, it jumped off the rock and shifted to the side, keeping its wary eyes on but allowing space.
“Lady Hwa-eun, could you fetch so of the dried grass from over there?” I asked.
“Leave you alone with them?”
Her voice held a note of unease, but I reassured her.
“It knows I’m helping its friend. It won’t attack . Isn’t that right?”
-Kyaaak!
The lizard hissed sharply again but didn’t move to attack.
With the grass my sister brought, I cleared away the broken rock pieces and laid the dried grass over the soft, mossy patch beneath the boulder. Then, I gently placed the injured lizard on top of it.
“There. That should be more comfortable.”
The aggressive lizard imdiately approached, sniffing its companion before licking its face with what looked like genuine concern.
I wasn’t sure if they were siblings or a mated pair, but their bond was undeniable.
Watching the tender mont, I spoke again, addressing the standing lizard.
“I’ve removed the old skin and the film over its eyes. For now, just keep licking its eyes to prevent the inflammation from spreading. Got it?”
-Koo-kook!
The lizard let out a soft chirp in response, almost like it was agreeing with .
Despite my efforts, though, I knew my work wasn’t done. I had managed to alleviate so imdiate issues, but the most pressing problem remained unresolved.
The lizard’s tail was severely necrotic. If left untreated, the infection would spread and eventually kill it.
I hesitated before continuing.
“The eyes should heal naturally with ti, but…”
-Koo-oo…
The lizard chirped again, as if urging to go on.
“But the tail is a different story. It’s rotting, and if we don’t do sothing, it’ll get worse.”
At my words, the lizard widened its yellow eyes and imdiately inspected its companion’s tail, licking it frantically in a futile attempt to fix the damage.
“No amount of licking will save it,” I said softly. “Half of the tail is already gone.”
-Kyaaaa!
The lizard’s screech sounded almost mournful, its yellow eyes shimring as if tears were about to spill. It turned to the injured lizard, chirping softly, almost as if it were trying to console it.
I took a deep breath and continued, “But I can save it… if we cut off the tail.”
-Kyaaak!?
The lizard whipped its head around to glare at , its expression clearly demanding, Why didn’t you say so sooner?!
Despite the situation, I couldn’t help but marvel at how expressive its face was. The little creature’s emotions were almost humanlike.
Finally, as if conceding, the lizard stepped aside, giving space to approach its companion.
“Thank you, but… I need to warn you. The tail will have to be amputated,” I explained.
-Koo?
The lizard tilted its head, blinking its wide yellow eyes as if trying to process my words.
“Yes, the tail needs to be removed,” I repeated, miming the motion of cutting with my fingers.
When it finally seed to understand, the lizard froze, then let out an anguished screech and launched itself at my face.
***
As the sun began to set, the light streaming down from the ceiling of the cavern dimd, losing its vitality.
"Ouch, ouch… Ungrateful little creature," I muttered, touching the scratches on my face and the bite marks on my nose.
While I whimpered in mock agony, my sister looked at with concern, her expression serious.
"So-ryong, stay still for a mont. I’ll apply so Geumchangyak (Golden Wound Ointnt). But if this isn’t done properly, it might leave a scar," she said. She then pulled out a salve resembling tiger balm and gently began applying it to my injuries.
As this tender mont unfolded, the Peng Clan head, oblivious to the mood, started chuckling.
"Kehehe. Now you’re starting to look like a proper man. You’ve been a bit too pretty-boyish so far. But now, you’ve got a real battle scar—well, not from a person, but still! Kehaha!"
He laughed heartily, only to fall silent when my sister shot him an icy glare. He quickly turned to stare at the distant mountains, feigning disinterest.
I stuck my tongue out at him in defiance before turning my attention back to the blue lizards nearby, unable to suppress the smile creeping onto my face.
Even though I’d been scratched and bitten by the angry lizard, the fact that the wounds weren’t severe brought a strange sense of relief.
Considering the lizard was strong enough to shatter rocks, it was clear it had been holding back when it lashed out at . Its attacks had been asured, more of a warning than an attempt to cause serious harm.
Even the little venomous creatures in my tunic had stayed calm, indicating the lizard bore no true killing intent.
Sure, the scratches stung, but I couldn’t help feeling a peculiar sense of joy.
‘Guess I’ve earned a bit of trust now,’ I thought, smiling to myself.
As my sister continued to apply the ointnt with gentle care, a voice called out.
"So-ryong-nim?"
"Yes?"
It was Gu Pae, gesturing toward a patch of grass nearby.
Curious, I followed his gaze. Poking its head out from the greenery was the blue lizard, its jewel-like scales glinting faintly in the dimming light.
Slowly, hesitantly, the lizard crawled toward and tugged at the hem of my trousers with its teeth.
Earlier, I had told it to think carefully about whether it wanted the injured one’s tail amputated to save its life. It seed the lizard had made its decision.
"Alright, I understand," I said softly.
The lizard led back to the boulder where its companion lay, still exactly as I had left it.
As I knelt beside the injured lizard, I turned to its companion.
"I’m going to cut off the tail now," I said, keeping my tone calm. "But you’ll need to tell what you eat. After the amputation, it’ll be vital to feed the injured one properly. I haven’t seen you eat anything yet, so I need your help."
In response, the uninjured lizard scampered off to a nearby patch of dirt, dug around a bit, and returned with a small, sprouting seed in its mouth. It placed the seed at my feet.
"What’s this? Do you eat this?" I asked, examining the tiny sprout.
Before I could say more, my sister approached, stroking the heads of the three Golden Wasp Kings perched on her shoulders.
"May I take a look at that seed?" she asked.
"Of course, Lady Hwa-eun."
She studied the seed carefully before nodding and handing it back to .
"There’s a faint trace of energy flowing from this. It’s definitely the seed of an Eongcho (Spirit Herb). Maybe these lizards consu its energy, similar to your O-gong," she said.
That made sense. While I’d been thinking in terms of earthly diets, the idea of them feeding on energy or Qi directly seed plausible.
The Peng Clan head, who had been listening quietly, stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"I’ve heard tales like this before," he said. "They say rare spirit herbs often attract spiritual creatures that feed on the energy they emit."
I turned to him with a bewildered expression. "Why are you only ntioning this now?"
He scratched his head sheepishly. "Hehe, it just ca to ."
‘Well, at least he rembered eventually,’ I thought, shaking my head.
But then a worrying realization struck .
"If they’ve been relying on the spirit herb for sustenance, won’t it be a problem now that it’s been dug up? Shouldn’t we replant it imdiately?"
The Peng Clan head shook his head. "It won’t grow back."
"What? Why not?"
"Once a spirit herb is touched by human hands, it won’t take root again. The lizard probably knew that, which is why it dug it up to show you. That seed won’t grow anymore."
So these poor lizards had been clinging to life, surviving off the residual energy of a seedling from a spirit herb stolen by that military officer.
‘Humans have failed you, haven’t we?’ I thought, my heart sinking.
As I was lost in guilt, the Peng Clan head spoke again.
"By the way, do you rember what kind of spirit herb was growing here?"
"The officer ntioned sothing called Seolsam (Snow Ginseng)," I replied.
"Seolsam, huh… That would’ve been infused with cold, Yin energy. If that’s what they were relying on, we’ll need to find sothing similar as a substitute."
"Is there such a substitute?" I asked, my hope rising slightly.
The Peng Clan head nodded. "There is: Bing-ok (Ice Jade)."
"Oh! Then we just need to find so!"
But his expression darkened as he stroked his chin again.
"That’s easier said than done. Ice Jade is incredibly rare and expensive. Even if you have the money, it’s not sothing you can simply buy."
Trust these rare creatures to have expensive tastes. As I began to feel the weight of the challenge ahead, my sister spoke up, her voice calm and assured.
"I know soone who might have Ice Jade," she said.
Of course. My sister always had a solution.
User Comments
0 comments from readers