The Parallels of Healing

Power Level: 3,000

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"The Dragon Isles..." Mollau said to himself thoughtfully.

It had been a while since he had last come to this place that some would consider holy. He had learned some of his best healing techniques here. He had even made pilgrimages to the Shrine of Porunga multiple times. Whenever he felt his spirit growing weary from witnessing the atrocities people could enact upon each other, well... The clean air and sense of purity never failed to bolster him again.

Mollau closed his dark eyes and extended out his senses. He did not have the ability to sense ki like many of the warrior clan. No, his senses were much more mundane, but no less acute. His long and pointed Namekian ears took in the sound of burbling water. The delicate antenna sprouting from his brow shifted in the soft breeze, easily telling him the direction it came from. The 2nd sun was still rising while the 3rd rested. The shadows were long here in this part of the isles. There was no night in Namek, but this was as close to twilight as it would come.

"Right!" Mollau said cheerily while clapping his hands together and rubbing them, "There's work to be done!"

With a grunt he hiked up the pack on his back and picked his way down to the shore line. Here in the Dragon Isles there was a type of moss that could be found in the shadows of certain overhangs. Bern moss was sensitive to sunlight, too much killed the moss and rendered it into little more than purple sludge that was caustic and burned unprotected flesh. Worse was that it clung to surfaces and was difficult to remove once it adhered.

No, the conditions had to be just right for the Bern Moss to grow how Mollau needed it to. Healthy Bern Moss was a bright green color that blended in with the green waters of planet Namek. It took a keen eye to locate healthy Bern Moss, and an even keener mind to collect and preserve healthy samples. Living samples of Bern Moss were the antithesis of the purple and dead variety. Just as the purple moss burned, the green moss healed.

Ah! There! He spotted a patch of green in the shadows that was just a touch more vibrant than the surrounding area. The bright green of the Bern Moss, not the simple green of pure Namekian waters. He beamed and waded into the waters, the temperature just right to be refreshing, not cold. There Mollau knelt and pulled something from within his brown vest. A simple pair of work gloves. Green Bern Moss wouldn't burn him, but there may be other nasty little critters looking to pinch and bite and old man's fingers...

Carefully Mollau took from his waterproof pack a set of opaque jars that he unstoppered. He then used a small trowel to delicately scoop small clumps of Bern Moss from the shadowy patch. Mollau made sure to only get a few samples from the patch. Taking too much could damage the whole area and lead to dead Bern Moss. The opposite of what he wanted. He resealed the jars and placed them back in his pack, keeping the moss he collected free from the sun.

"There we are, now let's see what else we can find..."

This was all the elder Namekian cared about in this moment. Collecting moss. He was a simple man who had no knowledge of gods and demons. No concept of grand machinations for powerful entities to reclaim their lost majesty. For Mollau, there were people that needed help, and medicine to be collected. If only he knew just what would come from this simple trip today.

How could he have known the events that would unfold simply because he had come to collect a little moss?

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@xaela
Word Count: 642

Power Level: 3,000

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Mollau was surprised to find another patch of Bern Moss not too far from the first one, and then another patch beyond that. Bern Moss wasn't especially rare, but it wasn't often that he came across so many unmolested gathering spots. Bern Moss was a traditional Namekian restorative. Even amateur herbalists knew what it was. He usually found more purple spots than not. To find so many pristine collections back to back meant that this location had gone unknown for some time.


There was a flash of green light and Mollau looked over his shoulder at the powerful figure gazing down at him with no more interest than he would a hopping frog. Mollau couldn't sense ki, but he didn't need to be able to, to see just how powerful this person was. Powerful and merciless. The gold eyes of a predator that cared nothing for the life before it.

Ah... so that's why this place had gone unharvested...

Slowly, so as not to alarm the being, Mollau straightened his old back, and raised his hands up slightly, showing the jars and collection kit he had been wielding. No weapons, just herbs. He tried his best to project an air of peace. He wasn't afraid, he'd come face to face with death far too many times to go to pieces so easily, as old as he was.  

"I am a healer. I've come to this location to gather medicines," Mollau raised a jar with a grandfatherly smile, "I mean no harm."

With slow deliberate motions, not looking away from the fiery being, Mollau removed his pack and opened it to reveal other such tools and sundries of his trade. He wanted to appear as transparent and non-threatening as possible. For some, that level of respect was appreciated and they would let him go. For others they might see his openness as capitulation. As weakness. If the being were the latter type...

He had to be careful to determine what type of person this being was. Mollau hoped that it would let him go once it determined he wasn't a threat to it. If not, he had little doubt that his life would end here and now.

Still smiling in a peaceful and disarming way, Mollau pulled from his pack a small bundle wrapped in large leaves. He held it out on his palm towards the being wreathed in green flames, flames that were shining just as green as the moss he had come to collect.

"A peace offering, friend," Mollau said, "Bonbari Cake."

Bonbari Cake wasn't necessarily a confection in the traditional sense. It was a type of sweet grain pounded into a sticky paste that was then packed into a dense nugget. Namekian's didn't need to eat, they got all the nutrients they need from Namek's pure waters, and beautiful suns. But that didn't mean they hadn't picked up eating for pleasure after a fashion. Food was a big part of culture, and after years spent with off-worlders, some Namekian's had picked up their habits. Mollau was one of them.

Food often was a great tool to make new friends. Or appease enemies.

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Word Count: 524
Total Word Count: 1,166

@xaela

Power Level: 3,000

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Mollau could have sagged in relief when the man's menacing aura disappeared. The danger was still there in the man's very being, but now it wasn't on raw display. Mollau no longer felt like he was standing on a knife's edge. 

He carefully replaced the Bonbari Cake into his pack. It may not have been the deciding factor that saved his life today, but it couldn't hurt to keep it on hand if the fellow changed his mind. He shifted the pack back more comfortably on his shoulders and straightened the ascot around his throat.

"My name is Mollau," he introduced himself with a polite bowing of his head. He took no offense over being referred to as a 'green man'. He was just pleased to be alive at this point. Proper respect would, hopefully, come in time. If Mollau could earn it from-- did he say his name was Kamae? Kamae Ghoun. Interesting name.

He didn't recognize the name. Not necessarily that name specifically, no, that'd be ridiculous. But he didn't recognize what culture the name was from. Most names shared a hint of the person's origin. Saiya-jin names had a sort of flavor different from Humans, and that was different still from Arcosians. Kamae Ghoun didn't sound like it was from a people that Mollau might be familiar with. But, once again, that didn't really say much for an old man that had never been off world... The universe was a large place after all.

"I apologize. It was not my intention to cause you, or any one, any difficulty," Mollau said, "Especially during a frustrating time for yourself. I would have scheduled in advanced had I known."

Mollau gave Kamae his best elderly smile, showing that he was trying to make a stab at humor to lighten the conversation. There was no disrespect in his tone or baring. Clearly he was still aware of how easily he could be snuffed out should he cause Kamae any offense.

"The Dragon Isles are one of the best locations to gather Bern Moss," he turned and gestured to the water behind him. His eyes creased on the edges from his wide grin. It was obvious he was passionate about his craft.

"It may be hard to see through the waters, but healthy Bern Moss is brilliant green, like that of a healthy hatchling," he gently took his trowel and scooped just a bit of moss on the tip before bringing it forth for Kamae's perusal, whether he particularly cared or not. Mollau became a veritable pedagogue when it came to sharing his knowledge of the healing arts, "It can be used as a topical agent over superficial scratches and cuts. It can also be used as an antiseptic. It has very mild pain relieving qualities. But ONLY when it's fresh."

Mollau raised up a finger, "Bern Moss is extremely susceptible to sunlight. Which makes it hard to grow, as Namek has no night like certain other planets. This bit I have here will rot within minutes. The healthy green will turn as purple as Namekian blood. As the healthy Bern Moss heals, the rotten Moss harms. It is extremely caustic, it can cause burns on uncovered skin, and in cases of getting in open wounds? It can cause a very bad infection that could even lead to necrosis and-"

He blinked, realizing that he had gone off on a tangent, "Oh dear.."

Mollau's cheeks turned a faint purplish color as his blood flushed his cheeks in embarrassment. He coughed into his fist politely and knelt to gently wash his trowel in the waters, buying himself time to compose himself. When he felt the heat subside from his cheeks he straightened up and put the trowel back into his pack, "Er... well... In short I came here to c-collect Bern Moss..."

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Word Count: 640
Total Word Count: 1,806

Power Level: 3,000

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A pair of antenna twitched up like the perky ears of a happy dog. Mollau's abashed expression swiftly melded into another one of his elderly smiles, but this one just a touch more energetic. He loved having conversations with those interested in the healing arts! Mollau had only been embarrassed that he had gotten so carried away, not of the topic it's self. So seeing the stranger, Kamae, express interest as well was extremely gratifying to him.

"Nothing of Namek is just thrown away, if one can help it," Mollau said, "Even dead Bern Moss can be used. Like a knife can be used to heal for surgery, so can dead Bern Moss have it's uses in medicine."

Mollau noticed Kamae's change in tune from antagonistic to welcoming. He still sensed the man's guard being up, which was wise in its own way. But Mollau was grateful to just not be on end of a weapon. So he took Kamae's invitation and followed him up the hill towards the small vehicle that apparently resting at the crest. Mollau had not expected the man's very camp to be so nearby. No wonder he had so aggressively defended his home from Mollau. He had appeared so very near with out meaning to!

"Northern space?" Mollau brought himself back to the conversation at present, and blinked his eyes wide, "I have never been off planet! I've spoken with off-worlders and learned their medicines, but have never left my native soil myself. 'Tricopent', you said? Is that the name of the medicine, the plant, or both? I find it fascinating when people are able to see beyond the negative of something, and discern a positive from it. Health from poison! Wonderful!"

When Kamae sat down, Mollau only looked around briefly before taking off his pack and taking a grateful seat. He ruffled about in some pockets before pulling out what seemed to be a rectangular bundle covered in some green material that looked vaguely vegetal. With a deft movement of his finger along the edge, the bundle rippled and revealed its self to be a book. The green vegetal covering seemed to be a sort of leafy book cover that Mollau had opened with magic. The book inside the covering was clean and seemed to be a sort of journal or hand written text book.

With a twirl of his wrist a pen appeared between Mollau's fingers and he flipped to a blank page of the book and grinned as he wrote down 'Tricopent', eager to record this new knowledge.

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Word Count:426
Total Word Count: 2,232

Power Level: 3,000

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"It is refreshing that you see the benefits of both sides. Many an off-worlder has looked down upon Namek merely because they do not see us as 'advanced' as they are. Technology and Nature are two different areas of knowledge and one is not inherently greater than the other," Mollau said.

Everyone had their biases and Mollau was no exception. If he were entirely honest he felt that there was more to be gained from seeing the universe's natural beauty. No matter how hard people work, artificially developed technology would always only be a copy of the organic nature of the universe. However, Mollau was also aware that his knowledge would always be shallow of both these things. He could never hope to know all of nature.

Mollau quickly wrote in his notebook as Kamae spoke. His penmanship was rushed, but neat. He had developed a sort of blocky style of writing that lead to quick note taking and clear legibility. He had learned long ago as a novice that sloppy notes lead to mistakes. Some with disastrous results. It had been worth the time he had spent retraining his hand to write neatly.

"One thing is certain no matter the world. That younglings will always find trouble," Mollau chuckled and shook his head. Kamae's description of the tree sounded quite frightening to Mollau. He pictured long sharp needles flashing out to impale people across great distances. But if poisonings were rare, except for children, then perhaps the range of needles was much shorter, and the needles smaller than Mollau was expecting.

"I admit there are two parts of myself. One that would love to explore the worlds among the stars and see the various medicines and cures developed myself," Mollau said, "And another part that never wishes to leave my homeland. Tied to Elder Namek as I am, I can't imagine being apart from it."

He shut his notebook and folded his hands over the cover neatly, and gave Kamae a warm smile, "I find listening to the tales of friends such as yourself to be an acceptable compromise. Perhaps there is something similar to the Cedrus Kedius here on Namek, and I can develop a derivative of Tricopent myself. Wouldn't that be nice?"

A poison that causes sweating and itching... Hmm. Mollau flipped through his mental catalogue of Namekian plants, already theorizing what he could start experimenting with. But wait? Could he do the same with the venom of certain fauna as well? He expanded his mental list but soon realized that he would need to cross reference his notes to begin such an elaborate project.

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Word Count: 428
Total Word Count: 2,660