As someone who had almost never traveled before, driving across the kingdom was fascinating.
The landscape around Hopestone had been covered in rolling hills, patches of forest, and the massive mountain Aiden had lived on practically circling the sky behind everything.
But now, even when he looked back toward where that mountain should have been, he could barely see part of it.
The place that had once seemed so massive now felt small.
The hills had changed too. They went from occasional slopes, to forested rises, to strange spiraling dips in the earth, and more. The world kept shifting around them the farther they traveled.
Despite everything, excitement ran through Aiden.
Kaelen, Selene, and Jax had been talking about Rosepebble for hours. Practically to the point of annoyance.
"The streets are lined with rock-colored roses," Kaelen said wistfully as they rounded a turn. "The whole place smells like a field of flowers."
"D-don't forget the kids who paint them all kinds of colors," Selene said, nodding along. "The streets are practically massive murals."
"Plus, there is a massive horse racing stadium," Jax added. "And the bets are almost always wins!"
Instead of nodding along, everyone took a moment to look at him.
A silent agreement was made.
Nobody would loan Jax money while they were in Rosepebble.
As they drove, Aiden saw the occasional large hills of Balwuk give way to the constant rolling hills of Alucan. The road wound and twisted through the land, making use of the smaller hills like a snake made of packed dirt.
As Rosepebble came closer, Aiden noticed a gathering of caravans ahead.
There were pulled wagons, small carts, and even vehicles much larger than their own.
All of them were stopped.
Aiden slowed the vehicle and eventually came to a stop as everyone looked around in confusion.
"What's the hold-up?" Kaelen asked, jumping down from the trailer. "At this rate, we won't make it there by night."
"No idea," Liora said, gesturing ahead with her thumb. "Everyone's just stopped."
Aiden stepped out and made his way forward.
A crowd of people sat or stood in small groups, talking and waiting. Beyond them, stretched across the road, was a herd of massive fuzzy creatures.
They were about the size of oversized oxen. Each had huge curled wings on its back, and their bodies were covered in a thick layer of fuzz. A set of antennae rested on their heads. Most hid their legs beneath them, but a few lying on their sides showed six insect-like legs tucked underneath.
Aiden walked forward and tapped the shoulder of a fullblood meerkat who was standing on the fender of another vehicle while talking to a dwarven man.
"Hey, what's going on? Why is everyone stopped?"
They both turned toward him.
The dwarven man asked, "You from around here?"
Aiden shook his head.
The dwarf sighed and pointed toward the herd of giant moth-like creatures.
"That's a herd of Oxwings. They migrate this time of year. It may be superstition, but people from around here don't bother them. Apparently, if you disturb them, they come back later and mess with your fields. But if you let them pass, they leave behind Oxwing dust."
Aiden looked back toward the creatures.
"Oxwing dust?"
"Can be used to realize one's unresolved dreams," the dwarf said.
"W-what do unresolved dreams look like?" Selene asked as the others walked up behind Aiden.
The meerkat woman shrugged.
"Differs from person to person. Some see parents who died and get one last conversation. Others see an enemy they need to destroy. The dust is a good commodity. Many buy it for mental health."
"So it's a dust that tells you why you are stressed or mentally tired?" Kaelen asked, one hand on his chin as if already imagining its use.
The meerkat woman nodded.
"We know it's going to delay everyone another day, but if we disturb them now, they won't leave any Oxwing dust behind. Cost-wise, it is worth waiting. Alchemists pay top gold for it."
Aiden's ears practically perked up.
He crossed his arms.
"Why? Is it part of a potion or something?"
The dwarf turned to him with a cheeky grin.
"Not just some potion. It is part of Rose Kiss, the strongest aphrodisiac in the Eastern Kingdoms."
Aiden stepped back with a horrified look.
He thought back to what he had been taught about aphrodisiacs and how nobles supposedly used them for stamina, seduction, and generally making poor decisions while wearing expensive clothing.
"Looks like you have heard of it," the dwarf said, laughing. "Some say if you don't dilute Rose Kiss to less than a tenth concentration, you will be chased through the streets by the opposite sex."
He grinned wider.
"The creator of the potion even had a motto. The only potion to cause three weddings, two duels, and one international incident in a single evening."
Aiden stared at him in horror.
Then he turned back to the others.
Instead of seeing the same horror on their faces, he found only confusion.
"W-what's an aphrodisiac?" Selene asked, cocking her head.
Aiden's face flushed.
He coughed and avoided looking at anyone.
"I-it's better known as a love potion."
That got the desired reaction.
Everyone immediately looked toward the Oxwings with horror.
Except Jax.
Jax looked curious.
Then Liora smacked him on the back of the head, and he quickly adopted the correct horrified expression.
The dwarven man threw his head back and laughed.
"Don't worry. Most can't brew potions like this. Hells, you need to have the actual alchemist class just to attempt it."
The others turned toward Aiden with horrified looks.
Except Jax.
Jax had a pleading expression.
Then Thalia smacked him on the back of the head too, and he joined the others in looking horrified.
"I—why are you all looking at me!?" Aiden asked, flustered and outraged that they would assume he would do such a thing.
The meerkat woman turned to him with a grin.
"You're an alchemist? Tell you what, as payment for waiting out the Oxwings, I'll give you the Rose Kiss recipe. It's not a huge secret since so few people can even attempt it. Plus, it's a B-rank potion."
"I don't need it. Why would I ev—" Aiden stopped. "Did you say B-rank?"
His original indignation was immediately canceled out by the mention of the potion's rank.
However, he could feel five gazes drilling into the back of his skull.
One of them felt oddly desperate, as if it was willing to negotiate.
Aiden turned to the others.
They all looked disgusted.
"Okay, I get the looks," Aiden said, holding up his hands. "But come on. It is a B-rank potion. I promise I would never brew it, but just having a B-rank recipe written down would be amazing!"
The disgusted looks did not change.
Aiden wanted to argue.
He really did.
But Will summed it up for him.
"Dude, we are not winning this. At best, they burn our recipe book. As much as I want a B-rank potion, this one is not worth it."
Aiden let out a defeated sigh.
"Fine. I won't write it down."
The others looked relieved and started heading back to the vehicle to unpack camp.
Jax quietly snuck up beside Aiden.
"Soooo," Jax said, raising an eyebrow. "About that recipe?"
Aiden grabbed him by the tail and started dragging him back toward the vehicle.
Jax's paws scraped through the dirt as Aiden growled,
"If I don't get a B-rank recipe for my notebook, you don't get one either."
The dwarf and meerkat woman laughed behind them.
Jax looked up at Aiden with crocodile tears in the corners of his eyes.
"B-b-but hunky wolf potion."
Aiden rolled his eyes and kept dragging him.
Inside his head, Will was practically rolling with laughter.