Salix arctica. One of Sionad's most sacred plants, worshipped for its ability to ward off the Arctic woolly bear. Or maybe it was worshipped for more spiritual reasons; its warding talents were a perk. Either way, he didn't much care. What mattered to him was that its berries held a toxin so lethal it could kill a person in ten seconds.
The problem was that it was a burden for it to be so valued, making it difficult for him to come here to the tundra and gather some of its berries for his various poisons.
He came every summer, the best time for it. The plant flourished during this season, its berries ripe and ready for picking, its leaves bright and fragrant. And it was only here, here in one of the coldest places on the planet, that he could find it.
Ryuu wrapped his furs closer around his body as he made his way through the settlement, looking for someone with the authority to escort him to the volcanic soil found off in the wasteland. The frosty air bit through his layers of clothes. He hated this damned place. The sooner he was through, the sooner he could leave. Already his face felt numb and tight.
Inhabitants were going about their business as if the cold were no burden to them at all. He caught snippets of conversations in their language, most of it boring. All they seemed to talk about was hunting, their next meal, and trades. It being summer, the trade route was open to them and they seemed to be having a lucky time with foreign travelers. Nothing but primitives, these people. Uneducated.
Up ahead stood a tent made of finer furs than all the rest. Smoke rose up out of its top, billowing into the foggy air. Someone of higher regard lived there, and it was where he was headed. He ignored everyone else, including their stares.
A distant voice resonated through his head. Familiar, yet alien in its presense.Cold . . . it said. So cold.
He shivered.