"Yes, Lady Orvus. Dorn's mother. I taught Dorn told you about this."
"He never mentioned anything about his family to me. Let alone anything about his mother."
Kharon sighed as he asked, "How long are we staying here before we go to the zoo?"
"One hour. We could also have a little snack before we go to the zoo. This place has some of the best delicacies in Lunaris Haven."
"Considering that some of the rarest ingredients can be found here it isn't much of a surprise."
Aidan began to walk towards the receptionists as he pulled out his Soulbind Token and briefly speaking to them. After a while they handed him two tickets as he took Kharon's hand and led him through a door.
As soon as they went through, the pleasant aroma Kharon could smell became even more intense. He could see soft, luminous petals floating around. A gentle breeze could be felt as he walked closer to the majestic tree which contained thousands of said petals.
"What type of tree is this?"
"It is a Radiant Tonic Tree. Its petals are used in some of the most powerful healing remedies. Some high end delicacies are also made using it's petals. They help a bit with aether recovery and are perfect to alleviate fatigue."
"It looks really beautiful... I wonder how something so delicate can survive in nature."
Aidan lips curled into a smile as he said, "Radiant Tonic Trees are really rare. It isn't because they are weak, but because of the requirements needed for them to properly grow. Apart from needing a massive amount of aether and nutrients, they also need to survive an aether storm."
"So they can only go past maturity after they survive an aether storm?"
"Exactly."
"But that sounds almost impossible. I read about how dangerous aether storms can be. They can be fatal to tier 3 essence beasts, let alone a little sapling."
Aidan stared up at the glamorous tree as he replied, "That is exactly why they are rare. Sometimes they receive a bit of help as arcane creatures and essence beasts alike try to protect them. They are universally cherished by all because of how useful they are."
'They are that important? What would happen to someone if they tried attacking a Radiant Tonic Tree under the protection of tier 3 essence beasts? I wonder if the beasts would work together to protect it.'
As Aidan continued to explain the importance of Radiant Tonic Trees, something ina glass case caught Kharon's attention. He took one last glance at the tree before walking away. He had noticed a plant which seemed awfully familiar, as he got closer he realised what it was.
'It's the tree that attacked me. I think it's called a Soulthorn Vine; a strange name for a tree. But considering that it is filled with vines the name is also quite fitting.'
The brown bark of the tree was filled with little crevices which contained green vines which remained hidden, waiting for potential prey before lunging out. The hundreds of green vines remained immobile as if frozen by the lack of life forms.
Aidan stood next to Kharon as he began explaining, "You already know this tree don't you? It's a Soulthorn Vine. They tend to attack nearby life forms which they sense. Especially those with a lot of aether. Once they get a hold of thing, they quickly curl around their it, before absorbing their target's aether."
"Why is it here then? If it were to break it's glass case then it would be a disaster."
"There are several guards that constantly keep watch of the conservatory. They can easily deal with the tree if necessary. You could probably destroy this tree as well. The vines from this tree are used in several ways. They can be utilised to create fertilizer because of how much aether they contain. Or they can be used to treat patients with aether related problems by absorbing their aether."
"You know quite a lot about plants."
Aidan chuckled as he said, "I need to. A beast hunter must be capable of using his terrain in his favour. It is also important that I know how to deal with them in case I am caught by one. Identifying and avoiding them would be even better."
Kharon nodded as he asked, "Is there a place where I can buy a book containing the knowledge you just shared?"
"We are in a conservatory. Of course there are guides on how to identify and deal with plants. I can buy you one now if you want. You can go on ahead and I will catch up to you. I will also get some snacks while I am gone."
"Thank you."
Aidan walked away as Kharon moved towards other plants. He saw a row of multiple coloured flowers and began thinking about their potential abilities and uses.
'They are definitely capable of attacking. I wonder if they can use elemental attacks. If they can then I would assume they are used in the production of things such as Aether Hearths and maybe Resonant Fabric. That would explain where the actual fabric comes from and why it is easy to add runes unto them.'
As Kharon was deep in thought he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. As he turned around he saw Aidan holding a tray filled with several snacks and next to the snacks was a thick book bound by a long strip of fabric. Aidan handed him the book which he immediately placed in his bag.
"Aren't you going to use it to identify the plants?"
Aidan asked with a confused expression as he gave Kharon one of the snacks.
"I will study it later. I thought you would want to keep telling me about the plants. But if you don't want to I can use the book."
"I would love to continue. I just thought you were getting tired of me talking."
Kharon smiled as he said, "I don't think I can get tired of you."
Aidan smiled brightly as he heard this before he looked at the multi-coloured flowers Kharon had been analysing.
"These are Domain Petals. They are flowers which are capable of producing different elements such as fire, water, lightning and a few others. Their names seem peculiar at first but they actually make a lot of sense. These flowers grow seemingly everywhere and depending on the weather condition they mainly produce a single type of element. Their colours also change to make their predominant element."
"So I was right about my hypothesis. Are they also used to create fabric or atleast dye them?"
"They are used to create weather proof clothing with the help of runes. They are also used to produce dye or paint. Some of the most famous paintings have arcane properties because these flowers were used to create the dye used."
Aidan explained the uses of several other plants as they enjoyed their snacks. Once they had spent over an hour, they quickly left the Aetherbloom Conservatory and headed to the Lunaris Haven Zoo. Aidan waited for Kharon to use Veiling before sprinting. Once again, they reached their destination is less than a second before walking out of an alley.
As Aidan led Kharon through a small crowd, they quickly reached the front of the queue. Aidan showed his Soulbind Token before they were led inside by a guide. Aidan quickly whispered a few words to the guide who glanced at Kharon before smiling and walking as she said, "I hope you enjoy your visit."
Aidan waved to her as he said, "Thank you."
Kharon suddenly asked in a clinical tone, "What did you tell her?"
Avoiding eye contact Aidan said, "Nothing much. I just said that we didn't need a guide. I am a beast hunter after all, I know a plethora of different creatures."
Eyeing him suspiciously Kharon sighed as he said, "Lead the way."
As they walked through the cobstone pathway, Kharon removed his bracelet and closed his eyes as he began sensing all the different life forms in his immediate vicinity. He concentrated on minimising the amount of information he was receiving and after a few seconds he succeeded. He slowly reopened his eyes as he heard the laughter of children who were admiring the exotic creatures.
'Why do we have zoos. It seems rather cruel to confine creatures in cages for our entertainment. They may be dangerous but they aren't likely to attack us. Humans really are cruel... I sound quite hypocritical, then again I wasn't human in the past was I.'
Kharon sighed as he looked at an arcane beast lying silently in it's cage.
"What is that creature called?"
Aidan followed his gaze as he answered, "It's a Duskwolf. They usual live and hunt in packs but I guess this one was separated from it's family. It looks quite young. As their name suggests they are most active at dusk. They sleep during the day as that is when they are at their weakest. I am surprised they didn't put it in a special enclosure with minimal light."
"It must be quite tired and alone. This is quite a cruel fate for a young creature to endure. It may not be human but it can also feel emotions."
Kharon moved closer to the cage as he placed his hand on one of the bars. He could feel his aether getting drained at an incredibly slow rate.
"This cage is constantly draining it of it's power. Why would they do such a thing to an infant creature? Couldn't they at least wait for it to grow...?"
Aidan slightly lowered his head as he stared at the grey cobblestone beneath his feet. He then looked up at the sun before muttering something.
"Kharon, why not buy the beast? I could get it for you. It isn't much and I know it wouldn't change how other creatures are treated, but it could make a difference to this creature."
Kharon remained silent for a few seconds before nodding his head.
"That would be nice."