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“Cold, cold, so cold!” Kada shivered to her core. “We’re supposed to be resistant to this kind of thing, right? I demand a refund! Or at the very least someone to check what’s wrong, cus my Fiend powers clearly aren’t working!”

“Well, it’s in the name, isn’t it?” Xard remarked. “Resistant, not immune. You’re lucky you are a Fiend. If you were a normal human dressed like that here, you’d be dead by now.”

“I normally hate to disagree with anything Kada says, but it is at least a bit chilly,” Phon begrudgingly agreed. “Why do you have to have water powers instead of fire, Kada?”

Without saying anything, Drim wrapped his cloak around Kada then marched ahead in the snow. It was easily up to their knees, and Drim was the only person suitably dressed for the occasion. Kada, who was just in her usual swim garb, was close to freezing to death, while Xard and Phon were at least feeling some of the effect due to their limb exposure. Even Eleen had seen the frozen mountain and bailed, immediately putting herself to sleep.

After a few more paces, Drim turned back to check on the others, only to now find all three huddled under his cloak. “I did tell you all that you didn’t have to come with me,” Drim pointed out to the shivering clump. They were currently atop one of the highest mountains in the southern mountain range on a request from a nearby village. As of now, they were still about an hour from the peak, so it was only going to get colder as they ascended.

“Well, it would have been dangerous for you to go up here alone. Even if it is just a fetch quest.” Kada said in a more composed manner now since she had warmed up a bit.

“Yeah, you never know what you’d find in a place like this,” Xard agreed.

“Plus, if I wasn’t here, you wouldn’t be able to get down instantly when we’re done,” Phon boasted her importance.

“I could just call you when I’m done. We get reception even up here... but suit yourselves,” Drim shrugged and went back to trudging through the snow. He did feel a little guilty that this job was entirely a selfish interest for him, even if the job itself would benefit someone. The town they’d gotten the request from only had a single doctor living in it. That doctor died last year.

The important part was that the doctor apparently had some sort of cure-all medicine that everyone in the village swore by. However, the plant used to make it was apparently extremely rare, only found at the top of this mountain. Because it was so strenuous to get, the doctor charged an insane markup for the medicine. On occasion, brave villagers would traverse the mountain in hopes of a handsome payday from the doctor.

Since the doctor’s death, an outbreak of illness had slowly been sweeping the village. The request was practically begging them to find some of the herb. Normally, Drim would rather just have them call a doctor into the town, but his interest came from the plant itself. He had never heard of it, but there was the possibility the villagers were using some form of slang. If it truly was as wondrous as they said, he wanted to see it from himself. Provided it did work as claimed, Drim could mass produce it with his curse.

“Man, I could really go for some hot chocolate right now,” Kada griped when they stopped to rest. “Oh wait, Xard gave it all away!”

“Sorry that I used it for someone’s betterment other than your own,” Xard snapped back.

“Here, eat these,” Drim announced as he tossed a few peppers at everyone that he had just made. “They’ll warm you up, and hopefully make you less snippy.”

“Uh, Drim, aren’t these supposed to be the hottest in the world?” Phon hesitated when she caught one. It was too late for Kada, though, having already stuffed several in her mouth, her eyes now struck with fear.

“Don’t worry about it,” Drim reassured them. “It’s the one time my curse is actually an advantage here. You’ll still get the body warming effect without the spicy flavor. Though coming out may not be great, but being a Fiend will help there… Probably…” Xard eyed a pepper for a while, but eventually gave in and ate it. Phon decided against eating it, choosing to suffer the cold instead.

After a fair bit more climbing, they were near the summit. “Huh, is it just me or is it actually getting warmer?” Phon shared with them.

“Don’t ask me, my entire world is fire.” Kada’s whole body had become tinted red after consuming over a dozen peppers. She was now actually stuffing snow in her swimsuit to try and cool off.

“You’re right, it’s actually starting to feel nice,” Xard concurred.

“That must be the plant!” Drim yelled and rushed over. There was indeed somehow a green plant flourishing at the top of this barren, snow-covered mountain. There was no snow at all around the base of the plant either. “Wait… this is just vulcaris… I see… There must be some form of thermal vent, or maybe this mountain is actually a dormant volcano.”

Drim picked the plant, then turned to the others to explain. “Yeah, this is definitely vulcaris. It’s an extremely common plant that’s used in almost every generic medication. I guess in a sense it is basically a cure-all. It only grows in warmer climates, though, so it explains why there’s none around here.”

“Wow, that doctor must be incredibly stupid then,” Kada said as she fanned her body, trying to stay cool and keeping her distance from the hotspot.

“I find it more likely that the doctor knew exactly what he was doing,” Drim grumbled, clearly annoyed. “He took advantage of those people just because of his exclusivity.”

“Well, I guess that’s the job done then,” Xard sighed. “We did complete the request even if it turned out like this. Honestly, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Do we know where that doctor’s grave is? I’m in the mood for some defiling.”

Phon teleported the group back down to the base of the mountain, and then over to the village. Drim spent some time spawning a vast amount of vulcaris to give to the villagers, and even made some into basic medicine to the best of his ability. Phon and Xard went off to the graveyard, and Kada cried in a bathroom, facing the consequences of her decisions.

Thanks for reading this chapter. Feel free to leave a comment or review. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have an idea for a Fiend or Lesser, feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM and I may use them in a later Volume!

More information about the series such as the Wiki and Social Medias can be found on the Fiends For Hire LinkTree!