"Assassin’s tea?" I said, stepping back in fear. My heart paced, and my knees rocked. I wanted to drop there and then. Could somebody poison me? "What do you mean that it is just one of the ingredients? What are the others?"
"Well," Tilli said, observing the plant. "Uxo plant by itself is very bitter, thankfully. You’ll be able to spit it out before you even have enough to actually kill you. Another plant, juji berries, is smashed into a paste and added to the pot to be boiled with the uxo plant."

"Can you eat juji berries? Is that at least edible?"

"Of course," she said, looking at me and smiling. "Children love how sweet it is; the bushes manage to bear fruit at certain times of the year, so it's a nice treat to have," she said, looking off into the distance and starting to walk.

I followed, making sure my hands didn't touch the strange plants, until we reached a low-growing plant that looked similar to mint. It was just a small bundle of jagged leaves hanging close to the ground.

"This is the last ingredient," she said, rubbing the small leaves in her hands. "Pick one."

I stooped down to the plant and picked a small leaf. I twirled it in my fingers as I waited for Tilli to do something else.

"This one is also edible," Tulli said, placing a leaf by her nose and deeply inhaling. "It's widely used in teas and medicine."It is called mina, and it is very powerful for calming the nerves once heated up."

"They probably used this on me yesterday," I said, rubbing the leaf between my fingers before inhaling the sweet, minty scent emitting from the small leaf. Yup, just like mint. I looked down at the bandages on my wrists. I wasn't in pain anymore.

"Probably. It is great for battling minor pain," she said, looking up at the sky. "It is almost mid-sun; I should take you back to the village."

"Why do you guys have something like assassin’s tea? I know there are non-believers but-"

"It is only for corrupt leaders," Tilli said, cutting me off. "Those who use their power for evil. It is meant to bring them a peaceful sleep that they will never awake to. It is a plan that cannot be countered or fought by an overpowering force. Oftentimes it is their own loved ones who will make and serve them the tea, shameful of how their own family have run the village for their own selfish reasons," She began walking back, and I had no other choice but to follow her out of the dense forest.

"How often does the village get corrupt leaders?" I said, watching my footsteps carefully to not stumble on bendy branches and large rocks that stuck out and were hidden amongst the foliage. 

"Not that often, surprisingly," she said as we walked past the hut where we made that strange but filling soup. "Altua provides. We are coming close to the village center."

"Thank you for helping me, as well as teaching me some important things about this land," I said as we walked closer to the village. Slowly, I met the eyes of the villagers going about their day, stopping whatever they’re doing to stare daggers at me.

"No problem, and remember," she said, coming closer and whispering in my ear. "They’ll get used to you. Eventually," she said, shortly walking away to follow a dirt path. And with that, I was all alone, with the villagers staring at me once again.