Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 52

Chapter 52

No words were needed.
The lizard answered my explanation with a piercing shriek and a sharp headbutt, making it abundantly clear it had no interest in talking.
To be fair, from its point of view, I must have appeared to be a complete monster. Clearing up the misunderstanding would take more time than I had, and even then, getting through to a lizard felt nearly impossible.
-Kyaaa!
It released a furious cry, shooting toward me like a bolt of blue lightning. For a split second, it called to mind Halley’s Comet, which I had seen in my childhood, burning a brilliant path across the dark sky.
The lizard rapidly expanded in my vision as it closed the distance, an overwhelming tide of blue filling my sight.
“So-ryong! Watch out!”
With a yell, my sister shoved me sideways, sending me tumbling to the ground while I clutched the wounded lizard to my chest.
-Siiing.
That was close.
The incoming streak of blue just missed my temple, barely grazing my hair as I was pushed to safety. Then came the sound of a violent impact.
-Crash!
-Clatter.
Small fragments of stone began to shower down around me, and I raised an arm to shield my face. When I looked toward the noise, I saw the furious lizard extracting itself from a crater it had smashed into a large boulder.
The rock was now fractured, a spiderweb of cracks spreading out from the point of impact. If that had been my head, it would have been shattered. A cold sweat soaked through my clothes as the nearness of my gruesome end truly sank in.
While I was still frozen by the shock, the lizard shook itself off and dropped into a crouch, its body coiling tightly for another assault.
“W-wait! I’m serious—I don’t want to hurt you! Can we please just talk—?”
My desperate pleas were useless. The lizard, wound up like a spring, was just about to leap again.
-Kwoong koo…
A small, gentle sound came from the lizard I held against my chest.
Startled, I glanced down. The injured lizard let out another soft, cooing noise.
-Koo-ook…
As if it had heard, the aggressive lizard halted its launch. Its tensed legs relaxed a fraction, and it released a surprisingly delicate sound of its own.
-Koo-kook?
A conversation seemed to unfold between them, a series of soft, chirping calls that felt almost like language.
-Kwoo koo-koo…
-Koo-gug!
The communication appeared to soothe the aggressive lizard. Its defensive posture lowered, and it took a single, cautious step in our direction.
But before anything more could happen, a disturbance erupted behind me.
“So-ryong! Are you all right? That little beast is vicious and fast! It darted right through our legs!”
“Are you unhurt, So-ryong-nim?”
The Peng Clan head and the Poison Creature Unit arrived, breathing heavily as they rushed to my side.
The moment they drew near the boulder, the previously calmed lizard let out a sharp hiss, its aggression flooding back.
-Kyaaaa!
It seemed to have a particular problem with the Peng Clan head, baring its teeth and hissing even louder.
I quickly intervened, motioning for everyone to move away.
“Please, step back for a moment. The lizard is getting agitated. I believe I can settle it down.”
“Are you certain? And what do you mean, settle it down? You think it can actually understand you?”
“Yes, Clan Head. I don’t think it will attack us again, and I believe it can comprehend me, at least somewhat.”
Turning back to the lizard, I spoke in a gentle tone.
“I’m going to put your friend back down, all right? Just give me a moment. I give you my word, I mean no harm.”
After a brief hesitation, the Peng Clan head led the others back several steps. The lizard tilted its head, as if thinking it over. Then, it hopped down from the rock and shifted to the side, its watchful eyes still on me but granting me the space I needed.
“Lady Hwa-eun, could you bring some of that dried grass from over there?” I asked.
“And leave you here alone with them?”
Her voice was tinged with worry, but I reassured her.
“It knows I’m helping its friend. It won’t attack me. Right?”
-Kyaaak!
The lizard hissed sharply again but made no move to strike.
With the grass my sister brought, I cleared the area of broken rock and spread the dried grass over a soft, mossy patch under the boulder. Then, I carefully placed the injured lizard on top of it.
“There. That should be more comfortable.”
The aggressive lizard immediately crept forward, sniffing its companion before tenderly licking its face with what looked like genuine worry.
I didn’t know if they were siblings or mates, but their bond was unmistakable.
Watching this tender moment, I spoke again, addressing the standing lizard.
“I’ve taken off the old skin and the film covering its eyes. For now, just keep licking its eyes to stop the inflammation from getting worse. Understood?”
-Koo-kook!
The lizard chirped softly in reply, a sound that seemed almost like agreement.
Despite this progress, I knew my task wasn’t finished. I had dealt with some immediate problems, but the most serious one remained.
The lizard’s tail was badly necrotic. Without treatment, the infection would spread and eventually prove fatal.
I hesitated before continuing.
“The eyes should heal on their own with time, but…”
-Koo-oo…
The lizard chirped, as if urging me to continue.
“But the tail is another matter. It’s rotting, and if we don’t act, the situation will deteriorate.”
Hearing this, the lizard’s yellow eyes went wide. It immediately began inspecting its companion’s tail, licking it frantically in a hopeless effort to heal it.
“Licking it won’t fix this,” I said softly. “Half the tail is already gone.”
-Kyaaaa!
The lizard’s screech was almost mournful, its yellow eyes glistening as if filling with tears. It turned to the injured lizard, chirping softly, as if trying to offer comfort.
I took a deep breath and went on. “But I can save it… if we cut off the tail.”
-Kyaaak!?
The lizard’s head snapped around to glare at me, its expression plainly demanding, *Why didn’t you lead with that?!*
I couldn’t help but be amazed by how expressive its face was. The little creature’s emotions were almost human.
Finally, as if giving its consent, the lizard moved aside, allowing me to approach its companion.
“Thank you, but… I need to be clear. The tail will have to be amputated,” I explained.
-Koo?
The lizard tilted its head, blinking its large yellow eyes as it tried to decipher my meaning.
“Yes, the tail must be removed,” I repeated, using my fingers to mimic a cutting motion.
When understanding finally dawned, the lizard went completely still. Then, it let out a cry of pure anguish and launched itself directly at my face.

***

As the sun began to set, the light filtering down into the cavern grew dim and weak.
“Ow, ow… You ungrateful little thing,” I grumbled, gingerly touching the scratches on my face and the bite marks on my nose.
While I was feigning agony, my sister watched me with a concerned and serious expression.
“So-ryong, hold still for a moment. I’ll apply some Geumchangyak (Golden Wound Ointment). If this isn’t treated properly, it could scar,” she said. She produced a salve that looked like tiger balm and began gently dabbing it onto my injuries.
In the middle of this caring moment, the Peng Clan head, entirely oblivious to the mood, started to chuckle.
“Kehehe. Now you’re starting to look like a proper man. You’ve been a bit too pretty up until now. But this—this is a real battle scar! Well, not from a person, but still! Kehaha!”
He laughed heartily, but quickly fell silent when my sister shot him an icy look. He promptly turned to stare intently at the far-off mountains, pretending to be fascinated.
I stuck my tongue out at his back before turning my attention to the blue lizards nearby, a smile inevitably finding its way onto my face.
Even though the angry lizard had scratched and bitten me, the fact that the wounds were superficial brought me an odd sense of relief.
Given that the lizard possessed enough strength to shatter rock, it was obvious it had held back significantly when it struck me. Its attacks were measured, more a warning than a genuine attempt to inflict serious injury.
Even the little venomous creatures nestled in my tunic had remained calm, a sure sign the lizard carried no real intent to kill.
Sure, the scratches stung, but I felt a peculiar happiness.
‘I suppose I’ve earned a bit of its trust,’ I thought, smiling to myself.
As my sister continued her gentle ministrations, a voice called out.
“So-ryong-nim?”
“Yes?”
It was Gu Pae, gesturing toward a patch of grass nearby.
Curious, I followed his gaze. Poking its head out from the greenery was the blue lizard, its jewel-like scales glimmering faintly in the fading light.
Slowly, hesitantly, the lizard crawled toward me and gently tugged on the hem of my trousers with its teeth.
Earlier, I had told it to think carefully about whether it wanted its companion’s tail amputated to save its life. It appeared the lizard had reached a decision.
“All right, I understand,” I said softly.
The lizard led me back to the boulder where its companion still lay, exactly as I had left it.
Kneeling beside the injured lizard, I addressed the other one.
“I’m going to cut the tail off now,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “But you need to tell me what you eat. After this, it will be crucial to feed the injured one properly. I haven’t seen you eat anything, so I need your help.”
In response, the uninjured lizard scurried off to a nearby patch of dirt, dug around for a moment, and returned with a small, sprouting seed in its mouth. It dropped the seed at my feet.
“What’s this? Is this what you eat?” I asked, examining the tiny sprout.
Before I could say more, my sister approached, stroking the heads of the three Golden Wasp Kings perched on her shoulders.
“May I see that seed?” she asked.
“Of course, Lady Hwa-eun.”
She studied the seed carefully before nodding and handing it back to me.
“There’s a faint energy emanating from this. It’s definitely the seed of an Eongcho (Spirit Herb). Perhaps these lizards consume its energy, much like your O-gong,” she said.
That made sense. I had been thinking in terms of a physical diet, but the idea of them feeding on energy or Qi was plausible.
The Peng Clan head, who had been listening quietly, stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“I’ve heard stories like this before,” he said. “They say rare spirit herbs often attract spiritual creatures that feed on the energy they release.”
I turned to him with a bewildered look. “Why are you only telling us this now?”
He scratched his head sheepishly. “Hehe, it just occurred to me.”
‘Well, better late than never,’ I thought, shaking my head.
But then a worrying thought struck me.
“If they depend on the spirit herb for food, isn’t it a problem that it’s been dug up? Shouldn’t we replant it right away?”
The Peng Clan head shook his head. “It won’t grow again.”
“What? Why not?”
“Once a spirit herb is touched by human hands, it will not take root again. The lizard probably knew that, which is why it dug it up to show you. That seed is finished.”
So these poor lizards had been clinging to survival, subsisting on the fading energy of a seedling from a spirit herb stolen by that military officer.
‘We humans have truly failed you, haven’t we?’ I thought, my heart growing heavy.
As I wallowed in guilt, the Peng Clan head spoke again.
“By the way, do you recall what kind of spirit herb was growing here?”
“The officer mentioned something called Seolsam (Snow Ginseng),” I replied.
“Seolsam, huh… That would have been infused with cold, Yin energy. If that was their sustenance, we’ll need to find a substitute with similar properties.”
“Is there such a substitute?” I asked, feeling a flicker of hope.
The Peng Clan head nodded. “There is: Bing-ok (Ice Jade).”
“Oh! Then we just need to find some!”
But his expression turned grim as he stroked his chin again.
“That’s easier said than done. Ice Jade is exceedingly rare and costly. Even if you have the money, it’s not something you can simply purchase.”
Of course these rare creatures would have expensive tastes. Just as I began to feel the weight of the challenge, my sister spoke up, her voice calm and assured.
“I know someone who might possess Ice Jade,” she said.
Naturally. My sister always had an answer.