Two days later.

It was late afternoon when Graven visited his friend Terros at his place in the forest. ​​

He found him roasting chicken in the makeshift grilled stick made of sturdy wood under the shade of the Acacia tree.

"Old man... the delicious aroma of your roasted chicken makes me hungry!" he said, lowering himself on the wooden bench.

Terros looked at his visitor and smiled. "You just arrive in time! I finally have someone to share in eating this roasted chicken," he said.

Graven glanced at the bamboo house. "Your lady friend is not home?" he inquired.

"Yeah... she's on a journey..." Terros replied.

"Where?"

"Going to a faraway place to find the missing ingredients for her creation that would counter any concealing method that you are going to encounter in your endeavor while finding your wife and your missing lady friend," Terros answered.

Graven sighed. "If only I have other means and ways to find the missing women I won't trouble you, guys," he admitted shamefully.

Terros patted Graven's shoulder in sympathy. "Don's say that... you are my friend... I and my lady friend are willing to help you with your problems," he said.

"Thank you, old man!" Graven said feeling grateful for his support.

"Don't mention it. Once my friend Veronica returns from her trip she will be able to finish her creation that would enable you to bypass any concealing method used by your enemies," Terros said.

Graven's eyes lighted up. "I'm happy to hear that, my friend!" he said excitedly.

"Yeah, so don't be sad, all your troubles will surely have an ending one day," Terros said confidently.

"I hope so," Graven responded.

"How many towns you have visited so far?" asked Terros.

"Three towns so far. I have been to Beerdale, Woolgera, and last night at Quinguillan Town. I failed to find the women's scent in those towns and it's been a depressing time for me so far, it's like finding a needle in a haystack," Graven explained in a dispirited voice.

Terros can sympathize with Graven's depression. Losing his wife and his lady friend one after another is a big blow to his morale. He might be powerful in some areas but his power is limited. There are some areas in his life that he is lacking.

"By the way, what have you discovered about the black liquid so far?" Graven asked curiously.

"Yesterday, I discovered something sinister about the black liquid... " Terros answered.

"What is it?" Graven asked curiously.

"The black liquid devoured anything you feed on it... as if it has a life of its own!" Terros revealed.

"Really-? Why is that?" Graven's brows furrowed.

"I put some small black liquid in another crystal bottle and then drop a small dead lizard inside, a few seconds later, the black liquid devoured the lizard's body and it's gone from the bottle. When I poured the black liquid in the bowl made of clay, the black liquid slowly disintegrate and disappeared into thin air, I can't find even the skeleton and bones of the lizard!" Terros narrated.

"Oh, this is bad news!' Graven said, feeling horrified. "Don't tell me that if my men and I won't go back to the king we will also die and disappear like the lizard?" he said.

Terros sighed deeply. "I can't answer that question. The lizard's ending might be different from you guys. My friend Veronica told me that the cursed king won't kill you and your men right away because he still needs your assistance. You are the only beings that stumbled accidentally on his prison chamber and he was lucky to get a hold of you through the black liquid. We can only fully comprehend the harmful effect of the liquid after one month after we saw the actual effects on your bodies."

"C-can I see it with my own eyes?" Graven requested.

"Sure, I'll go upstairs and puts some black liquid in another bottle. While I'm away, you go around and find some small dead insect that we can put inside the bottle," Terros replied.

"Okay, I'll do that!" Graven said and rose to his feet.

Terros left the shade of the tree and went upstairs to the house while Graven looked around the trees and grounds for dead insects.

A few minutes later.

Terros descended the stairs holding a crystal bottle and a bowl made of clay.

Graven went back under the shade of the acacia tree and put the dead insects on the ground.

Terros picked up the dead baby frog, opened the lid of the crystal bottle, and drop the frog inside, he put back the lid in place. Then he raised the bottle in the air...

The two men watched in awe as the black liquid starts moving and enveloped the frog until it can no longer be seen with a naked eye. The dead baby frog completely disappeared on the surface.

"Now let's find out if the frog remains intact hidden somewhere in the bottom," Terros said. He opened the bottle and put the lid on the ground then poured the black liquid into the clay bowl.

The black liquid gathered in the bottom of the bowl but the baby frog was nowhere to be found, then slowly the black liquid disintegrates into the air and disappeared from the men's eyes.

Graven's breathe was caught on his throat. "Holy shiit! This is madness!" he blurted aloud in disbelief, stunned beyond words. He can't imagine himself and his men dying that way and disappearing into thin air without a trace.

"Yeah, madness, indeed!" Terros agreed.

"Does it mean that our internal organs will also be eaten inside like that by the black liquid that is already inside our body?" Graven asked the inevitable.

"I dunno...maybe yes and maybe not. But I would rather want to believe Veronica's theory that the cursed king won't do something stupid to you guys... just like what had happened to the baby frog today," Terros said trying to erase the horror and worry on the younger man's face.

Graven sighed deeply. "To say that I'm not worried is an understatement. I feel like I'm shitting in my pants right now. That is not what I envisioned my end would be. I just want to be buried six feet under the ground with my body intact surrounded by friends and loves ones! Not disappeared into thin air as if I didn't exist at all!

Terros nodded his head. "Yeah, that is indeed a bullshit way to die, not my preferred way of dying either," he agreed.

Graven fell into a deep silence, very much shaken by what he just witnessed a few minutes ago. Days are fading fast and before he knows it, the black liquid will take effect inside them and who knows what harmful effects it will bring to their bodies?

'This is not good!' he said to himself over and over again.

Terros watched the myriad of emotions flashing in the younger man's face. He can very well guess what's going on inside his friend's mind right now. The troubled expression on his face says it all.

He breathed deeply and patted Graven's shoulder. "Son, don't worry too much," he said.

Graven sighed deeply and looked at the old man.

Terros picked up the roasted chicken on the stick. "This delicious chicken is ready to eat. Why don't you join me upstairs? There some leftover rice in the kitchen. I want to share this mouthwatering roasted chicken with you and let's drink some wine as well," he said, wearing a pleasant smile on his face.

Graven took a deep breath and stood up. "Okay, let's get started..." he said.

The men climbed the wooden stairs going to the second floor of the bamboo house.

They entered the house and went to the kitchen.

Graven settled on one of the chairs facing the table wearing a miserable look on his face.

Terros set the table... he removed the roasted chicken from the stick and placed it on the plate made of clay. He put a spoon and fork on one of the plates and put it in front of Graven.

He left the table and grabbed the bottle of wine from the cupboard and put it on the table. He sat on the chair across the table facing his friend, using the knife he began cutting the chicken into small parts and put some savory chicken thighs and wings on Graven's plate. "Eat now my friend, for the time being, just leave your worries behind. Let's eat and drink wine and drown your sorrow away!" he said in a cheerful voice.

Graven knew that the old man was trying his best to cheer him up and he doesn't want his friend's effort to get wasted. He picked up the chicken wing and began eating in silence.

Terros started eating as well.

One hour later, they finished consuming the roasted chicken that was already reduced to bones, they began drinking the wine made of red ale.

After one hour they finished drinking the bottle of wine, Terros stood up and went to the cupboard, and took another bottle of red wine again. He went back to the table and continue their drinking session.

They continue drinking in silence without talking to each other, they were preoccupied with different thoughts running in their minds.

They finished drinking the second bottle of wine and getting ready for their third bottle...

After the third bottle was finished, Graven was drunk and ready to sleep due to too much wine consumed in his system.

Terros assisted Graven to his room so that his friend can sleep and rest properly before going home.

When Graven was already snoring heavily due to the wine that he added with some sleeping herbs. He grabbed his medicinal tool kit from the drawer of his closet and went to work.

He pricked Graven's head with a needle, two needles on each arm and two needles on his legs, and one needle on his abdomen.

Fifteen minutes later.

Terros removed the needle from the legs first, his eyes widened in shock, instead of red blood, the needle was coated with black blood, he hurriedly removed the other needles, it has the same color, black!

He took the last needle on Graven's head. It was still coated with red blood!

The black liquid has not reached Graven's head yet!

Terros was devastated beyond words.