Mana Pool Snippets - The Job

Part 2

Jaruka snorted, full of backed up mucus, but was still asleep.

"I think I can handle this," I said.

"You sure?" Ketho asked.

"I'm sure. I have stuff to help clear his mind."

Ketho snapped her real fingers. "Right, the daughter of a witch doctor." That estranged tone made it sound that my great grandfather was a criminal.

"Don't take it that way. I'll handle the rest."

Scott seemed eager to leave the room after Ketho. She then closed the door. I knew male Halcunacs have short tempers, but there are ways to quell them. Medicinally.

Jaruka did not move as I worked on a remedy passed down in the family; my deadbeat pharmacist great grandfather. I heard he was great, until the economy collapsed. I was fortunate enough to bring the ingredients. Customs was stringent on the ingredients, but they were given orders, from Denverbay himself, to let them pass. Maybe that's why he hired me. A careful measurement of poisonous calzi tree leaves soaked in a brine to remove the poison, hanged to dry, then ground into a powder, the other ingredients were a family secret.

I added them all to a wood bowl then set it aflame with my magic and energetic words of calm, comfort and rejuvenation. The smoke slithered in the bowl like cloudy water.

I had to turn Jaruka over on his back. Thanks, Ketho.

I brushed Jaruka's dreads aside. For being a Halcunac, he looked rather handsome. He had a strong jawline and his green skin looked a bit lighter. "Don't fail me, leaves," I said as I held the bowl up. I said another chant and the smoke flowed into Jaruka's open mouth, then I quickly backed away. It's hard to tell if it works immediately, in a few minutes, or not at all.

Jaruka gasped and his body shook violently. He got on all fours and coughed and spit, cursing in his language. Each of his dreads ground against themselves like sandpaper. Most Halcunacs hate the Zimmi Hangover Cure, but at least Jaruka did not attack me immediately.

He sat up—still on the floor—and pulled his dreads back out of his face. His eyes were black with a gold iris. "What the...Who?" He spotted me with the bowl in a corner and the nervousness in me subsided as Jaruka slouched.

"Great," he said through my universal translator. "Denverbay send a Zimmi witch doctor as my replacement." He wore a universal translator too, hopefully turned on.

"Um...No. I'm no witch doctor."

"No? I begged for one and I got...who are you?" The translator was on, thank goodness.

"Xi'Tra Zader Khu II from RNN."

Jaruka gave an uncaring laugh. "Come on. What's a guy got to do for some relief?" He rubbed his face and growled.

Halcunacs have high standards of dress. Jaruka looked like he had been pulled off of Creos' dingy parts of the capitol stations. Those had better be drink stains on his shorts.

That struck me. Halcunacs never act drunk and useless, it might have been a side effect of losing an honor dread. I would need to research that.

Jaruka looked at me again. "But I did remember something about a reporter."

"Uh, yes, yes I am. I'm here to collect stories for the Archives, and interview you and the couple."

"I have a partner in this mess? Now I have someone to pin the work on." He stood on his bare, three-toed feet. Jaruka is tall as any average Halcunac, but with the added dread growth being a shabby tree fit.