[amanda784]

Sekudui was not where Nala had imagined ending up. Still, when you worked in magic a farm was ideal. Here, Nala could sustain the magic ingredients needed to supply hunters. Nala was an ethical farmer. She only had creatures without human form. She had spent the past year researching and selling magic to start this place and now she finally owned it. Though, right now, it wasn't much of anything. Nala would have to hire the same hunters she supplied to hunt animals for her.

[amanda784]

Nala had acquired her livestock license last month, but had yet to get any livestock. The markets had livestock, but Nala preferred to source the animals from hunters. She had met a lot of ethical hunters along the way. She also was able to exchange her goods for animals. For now, she planted her fields. She mostly worked with flowers and herbs. She did have a small crop garden, but it only held enough in it for her own use.

[amanda784]

Although she did not yet have any livestock, she did place an order for a couple rooskens. She was to receive on male and one female in exchange for her special soup. This soup was revitalizing. It would fill all nutritional needs, quench thirst, and give energy. She also carried a loose leaf tea version, but she found most hunters preferred the soup.

[amanda784]

Nala began by filling the pot half way with water. It was a large pot and would end up giving her no less than six servings. The hunter had requested three which would leave her three more for trading. She then added an herb that would help the body retain the water from the soup. Then she added some high protein vegetables and roosken meat. She finished it off with rare tea leaves. The leaves provided a lasting energy that would not cause one to crash.

[amanda784]

A knock at the door startled her away from her cooking.

"Come in," called Nala.

In walked the hunter with a small cage swinging by his side.

"Hello Nala," he said. "Is that your delicious soup I smell cooking?"

"It is," said Nala. "If you can give me about ten minutes I will have it all jarred up and ready to go for you."

[amanda784]

Nala struggled to keep her attention on her soup and not the cage now sitting on her kitchen table.

"One male and one female?" she asked.

"Yes," the hunter replied. "The male was easy to find, but the female took some work. They were both local finds though. I've hunted far worse. Are you sure you wanted them wild? The one's from the marketplace are much more tame then these here."

There was a sudden rattling from the cage as if to prove his point.

[amanda784]

Nala laughed, "I think I will be able to make friends with them after only a few feedings. Besides, you hunters keep me in business. I want to do the same for you."

"I still don't understand what a magic worker would need with a roosken," said the hunter.

"They don't do much in the terms of magic, but the have a lot to offer when it comes to earning money. The males will primarily be used for meat. Any females born will give me eggs. There is the occasional potion that calls for a feather, but doesn't specify."

[amanda784]

"Speaking of potions, I'm tracking something extremely fast right now. I am just not able to catch up," said the hunter. "Do you have anything that can help me with that."

"I sure do," said Nala, "but it will take me a couple days to get the ingredients. It won't last you more than an hour either. I don't work in permanent magic."

"An hour will do me fine. I was looking to pay in creature if possible?" asked the hunter.

[amanda784]

The soup was done now and Nala began dividing it into jars.

"I suppose we could work something out. I believe I have a mouse problem. Does anything come to mind?" Nala asked.

"Draculi?" asked the hunter. "I'm headed out to Terrace Park anyways."

"I haven't thought of those," said Nala. "Wouldn't it fly away?"

"Not if I get you a tamed one. I am working for a client now who breeds them. It would be easy enough to get one."

"I suppose that's a fair trade. I can only offer you one potion. Is that alright?"

[amanda784]

Nala had strict rules about giving out magic. No one person should hold too much power. Having jarred up the soup, Nala began to inspect the roosken. They looked mean to say the least.

"Just don't go sticking a finger in there," the hunter warned. "They are fairly easy to train. Just feed them from outside the fence the first day and let them smell your scent. After a while they will associate your scent to food and will allow you in their enclosure."

[amanda784]

Nala nodded her head. "Would you mind unloading them for me? I have a roost set up out back."

"Of course," said the hunter, heading out the back door.

Nala put three jars of soup into a bag for the hunter to take with him and the followed him outside. The hunter easily unloaded the roosken and then grabbed his bag.

"Thank you Nala," he said. "I should be back by the end of the week and I'll have you a young Draculi."

[amanda784]

"How do I keep it from killing the other livestock?" asked Nala.

"It will be young and small when you get it. Make sure you correct it anytime it bats at one of them and it will learn the difference."

With that, the hunter left leaving Nala alone on her farm. She headed back inside to grab her book. It was the same book she always read: Herbs and Their Uses. It was the book that would give her the vague idea of what to put into the potion.

[amanda784]

Nala sat cross-legged right on the other side of the roosken's enclosure. She was slowly making a list in her mind of what she would add. She would need something for energy and something for speed. If she just added something for speed, it would be short lived. If she just used something for energy then it would provide stamina and not the desired speed. When Nala look up she heard the male roosken startle and step back. He was close to her now.

[amanda784]

"Hi little one," said Nala in a soft voice. She made sure not to look the roosken in the eye. She didn't want to startle it further. The roosken moved slowly away at her voice. Nala grabbed a handful of feed and poured it over the fence before sitting back down.

"We will be friends soon," she promised.

The roosken did not back away this time. It really wouldn't be long until she gained this one's trust. The female moved slower, but did eventually eat despite Nala's presence.

[amanda784]

The next day Nala began to work on her speed potion. She went with 1/3 of the speed enhancing herb and 2/3 of the energizing herb. She let it slowly simmer for an hour before trying it. She ran out to feed the roosken as fast as she could. She noted that it had added to her speed, but only a little. She would have to try a half and half ratio next.