Five millilentars passed. Mukhtar rang the doorbell next to apartment 18-23. A dark haired, dark skinned woman 40 cun tall opened the door, her dark brown eyes looking almost black to Lord Knight Elendir. The woman’s waist length hair was twisted into four separate sections that were joined together in five different places. A silver and gold pendant featuring an open book with light radiating out and a character in the middle hung gracefully from her neck. Lady Durwen smiled, “Mukhtar! Welcome home! How were your errands?”
Mukhtar glanced at Lord Elendir, “Productive…Lady Durwen, may I introduce you to Lord Knight Elendir of House Ten-Ar. I found him wandering near the ruins of Central Nan li Healing Center.”
“Welcome, Lord Knight…please…come in!” beckoned Lady Durwen.
Elendir peered into the apartment as he stepped into the dark apartment. A tint covered the windows, one he had never heard of before. It made seeing anything difficult for Elendir. He stumbled a little as he tried to navigate to the seat offered to him. Another woman, Lady Dell, offered him a glass which Elendir graciously accepted from her. To Elendir’s eyes the liquid looked burgundy yet to the lady’s eyes it seemed bright red. “Kelan juice?”
“Of course! It’s one of the few fruits that grow here in Xi-Nan Fang!” smiled Lady Dell.
“The color of this juice is very unusual!” remarked Elendir.
“Orgene dust gets into everything—including the foods we attempt to grow here,” explained Dell.
“I was under the impression that nothing could grow around here…that the radioactivity made it impossible….” puzzled Elendir.
“Nothing HEALTHY grows here,” clarified Lady Durwen. “We have to import much of our food, just to avoid orgene poisoning.”
“But scientifically…wouldn’t long term residents of this place eventually adapt to orgene…if the problem is truly that pervasive!” reasoned Lord Elendir.
“Orgene is too radioactive, young knight!” hinted Mukhtar. “We can tolerate only a certain amount of locally and regionally grown food. Consume more than that and the orgene in our blood will kill us.”
“Orgene is that toxic then?”
“Of course it is…yet the location of orgene deposits are confined to Xi-Nan Fang, a place so remote from most populations that it is easy to ignore its toxicity!” explicated Mukhtar.