Elizabeth looked critically at her painting. She was at the point where she knew something was missing but didn’t quite know how to fix it.
Getting up with a sigh, she wiped off the paint from her hands. She dropped the now dirty cloth on the desk beside other painting supplies she’ll need to wash.
At least with my brother’s research for his treasure hunting, I have original themes, so the painting should sell even if not perfect. She thought, looking back at the painting. The shrine she painted, and her brother went out to search for, was said to contain a magical amulet.
She thought back to his research phase, when he spent days surrounded by books and scrolls.
“This book says that whoever touches the amulet will grant you any wish!” Jonathan exclaimed.
“That could be amazing… but really hard to believe.” She looked up from the pictures of the shrine. “Wouldn’t someone take it already? Magical artefacts don’t stay in ruined shrines for long.”
“All the sources seem to believe that it has never been taken out of the shrine. They also mention a mysterious disease that those searching for the shrine encounter. Maybe that’s what protected it so far. I’ll need to be prepared for that.” Jonathan flipped back a few pages to read about the disease again.
She shook off the memory and got up to gather the painting supplies in need of cleaning. Just when she was leaving, a pouch appeared on the messenger pad. It had an embroidered letter J on it, which Elizabeth instantly recognized, because she made it for her brother’s birthday just a few months ago.
Why would he send it to her? Was he in trouble?
She dropped the painting supplies back on the desk and picked up the pouch. Surprised that she didn’t feel a piece of paper inside, she quickly opened it.
Indeed, no letter explaining what happened to Jonathan, just a skeleton key.
She tapped the key against her hand. What was it for? She walked over to Jonathan’s study. It was completely filled with bookshelves stuffed with scrolls, some of the artefacts from Jonathan’s previous journeys, and leather bound tomes. She rummaged through the shelves, trying to find a box or anything with a lock on it. One of the thicker books was snapped shut with a leather strap connected to the cover and secured with a padlock.
The key fitted, and she found out that the book had been hollowed out in order to include a smaller book. She shook her head and took out the inner book.
“Canyon Shrine Amulet Research” she read the title page, scribbled in her brother’s handwriting. “I guess it does make sense to hide it, but why would he send me the key? Does he mean for me to follow him?” She bit her lip as she skimmed through the pages.
“Hm, so there’s an ‘Outer Sphere’ around the shrine, protecting it by sending the sickness on the people who enter… doesn’t seem like a very welcoming place to me.” She sighed.
Elizabeth flipped another page.
“Great, he found five potions that possibly could heal that sickness… none of which I’m able to make on my own.”
She sat down and rubbed her forehead, staring at the small book.
“I’m not an adventurer like you, Jonathan. I like your stories, sure. But I much more prefer the safety of my painting studio than quests for hedgehog-like shrines, attacking whoever comes too close.” She sighed again. “But… you’re my brother, and it looks like you’re in trouble.”
She grit her teeth and got up, grabbing a travel bag on her way to the kitchen. She packed some cheese, dried meat, biscuits and fruits.
She tapped her fingers against the countertop.
“So, I won’t starve for the first few days, and I know a herbalist living just out of town… but what else do I need?” She frowned, trying to remember her brother’s preparation, but all she could think of was money and warm clothes. She looked through Jonathan’s book, but didn’t find any more clues to prepare herself.
She grabbed her woollen cloak and headed out.
The wind picked up once she reached the hills outside of town. A girl about her age sat in the meadow, angrily pulling dandelion petals out of the flower and tossing them into a tight-woven basket.
“Are you the herbalist?” Elizabeth asked.
“Not for much longer.” The girl grumbled.
“Um, why?” Elizabeth frowned.
“Because the wizard will turn me into a toad if I don't finish the blasted potion for him! What he forgot to mention is that he would not be supplying the nightshade that’s needed to make it.” The herbalist covered her face, sobbing.
“It grows in the moors, doesn’t it?” Elizabeth remembered her brother’s research when he went searching for the ruins there.
“I took the wizard’s order in exchange for removing the spell.” She pulled her sleeve up, exposing a bracelet. “The farthest I can go is that forest. I can’t even go to town, I have to barter for someone to bring me groceries each week. So the moors are definitely out of the question.”
Jonathan did say that the moors were fairly safe, until he reached the ruins. But how safe was ‘fairly safe’ for him? Probably safer than the first quest he had not returned from.
Elizabeth bit her lip. She needed those potions to even have a chance of seeing her brother again. Besides, even if she wouldn’t, could she really leave the herbalist without attempting to help her? How would she feel if she’d be stuck out here in the meadows, with her last chance of freedom suddenly turned into a threat of losing her human body?
“I can get it for you.” Elizabeth decided.
“Can you?” The other girl lifted her face to look at her. “Do you know how it looks?”
“A reference picture would be nice, I’ve never been to the moors before. Do you need the whole plant? And how many?” Elizabeth asked.
“Just the stem and flowers from one plant. I have the picture somewhere in here…” the girl started searching through her bag. “There it is!” She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Elizabeth. “The edges of the petals glow golden, I’m sure you’ll know it’s the nightshade the moment you find it.”
Elizabeth studied the picture. It did look quite distinct, but what other plants were growing in the moors? Her brother was never one to remember details like that.
“Time to see what ‘fairly safe’ means to my brother.” She murmured, looking toward the moors.
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I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Monster of the Shrine! I'm hoping to adapt it into a short film, or maybe even a webseries this summer - and because we're moving in July, that's my new deadline - so maybe I'll better get to work on the script ;)