Herbert was annoyed; he always needed more herbs, never enough deliveries; they were late, and people did not listen when he said he needed more drake root, not mandrake root!
Do they want him to make fire oil or a potion that helps with motion sickness? He sighed, Well, many of them don’t buy what he sells, so they don’t know what it’s worth, but the sailors he ships to that still were new to the water did…
He kept squinting, looking at the ground; he knew magic was growing in the area.
Herbs had been growing more often, easier than before. It was always fun finding something new that grew on its own and seeing if it could be used for any potions.
He was lost in thought of a new green leaf plant that reminded him of a thistle plant but with deep blue hues in its center when he heard steps in the distance…
Eh. Who was it? No deliveries today? Or was there? Did I mix up the times again? No matter; I always need more supplies.
He turned and followed the sound and was surprised to see a young child walking toward his home, a bit slowly as he looked lost, checking the trees for guidance. From what he could tell, he frowned; the kid was a few meters away and ignoring him…
He was about to shout, What are you doing? when he remembered. Aha, the blasted magic again…
He was blessed with darkness level one, but it was always hiding randomly his presence. He never wanted to hide, but after years of wandering the woods, he needed to avoid predators, and, well, he was “ blessed “ because of it…
He saw the kid stop at the sound of his steps but not look his way as if the magic willed him not to.
“What are you doing here, kid?"
"Do I know you?” The boy jumped at that; he was mildly amused and tried to seem less gruff. He wasn’t trying to be mean. “Are you here for a delivery?"
"Yes, I do always need more herbs, so you heard right if that’s why you’re here." The boy seemed to be recovering from the shock and shook his head, then spoke.
“I have been here before, but it has been a while.”
“Really?” That was surprising; the kids had been here before. An orphan? No, the kid looks healthy, fed, and not lost…
Maybe… What was it he said before when he met a child? That was long ago…
“You offered to train me before, but I was too young."
"I have since learned of herbs and matured… I’m ready now; you even told me your name, Herbert. I’m Wolf." That surprised Herbert.
“Really? Well, that is interesting.”
"Why would I do that?" Lost in thought after asking that, he focused once more and saw the boy looking defeated.
“I guess it wasn’t a real offer; sorry I bothered you.” He started to leave.
“BOY,” Herbert snapped. Wolf froze and faced him once more. “Never give up easily,”
“If… I offered you such a thing, it would require a strong will and focus. You can’t be giving up easily; you need to want it," he claimed with a boast.
Wolf watched him, not sure what to say to that, so Herbert spoke once more, “Well?”
“Um,” Wolf said, “Well, what?”
Herbert was annoyed. “Are you going to say you want to learn? Or just walk away… “
“I…” Wolf started, “I want to learn alchemy! Please, sir."
“ Heh,” Herbert was amused. Maybe he had been alone too long; it is easy to forget what others are like.
“Ok, kid, I like you, and if I offered it once before, then I can do it again…. I will start small and keep it basic. The things I need are beyond you, but simple things. It will be fine.”
“ Um,” Wolf wanted to ask something but wasn’t sure how.
“What is it, kid speak?”
“How… how do you sneak up like that? It happened before when I met you.”
“Eh? Herbert was confused. ” Oh, that? Bah, it's nothing."
"A meaningless trick that helps avoid beasts, though not needed since the hunter keeps the place safe. I got a darkness blessing; it's annoying, but it’s life.”
He could see the wonder in the kid’s eyes. “Don’t get excited, kid; it doesn’t always work, and they can still smell you… I tend to cover myself with herbs to mask my scent; also got pepper just in case.”
“That explains why you smell like herbs, “Wolf replied to him.
“Hah, that, and I spent all my time with them…” he started looking around. He wanted that one herb before he left; he would hate for it to be a new type he overlooked. As he was scouting the ground, Wolf spoke up.
“Um, is this part the test or training?”
“ Eh ?” Herbert did not know what he was talking about. “O! Yes. You’re my apprentice! Haha, sorry, kid, I got lost for a moment there, no. No test. You want to learn; you learn, simple as that.”
“I’m gathering a new herb, going to study it, make something from it, and go from there."
“Can I help?” Wolf asked
Herbert, not used to others being around beyond just a transaction. He was taken back for a moment. “Aha, yes, sure, go over there." He waved his hand in a general direction. "Scout the area for anything that looks like worth gathering."
"We will take what we find back and go from there." as he went back to checking the ground.
Wolf nodded and went a little further and started scouting. Herbert liked how the kid listened and went back to gathering the new herb.
They spent 2 hours scouting the area. Herbert would forget Wolf was there, but never why he was there. They managed to mostly find herbs he already knew, but two new ones, the blue thistle leaf and a red root that smelled like it had a strong firebase, he would call it fire root to keep it simple.
Herbert saw Wolf was getting tired of searching the area with a lot of bending up and down. It must be rough on his kid’s body. “We’re close to the hut, kid.”
“ I’ll make you a simple brew to cure most aches and give you a little pep. Nothing fancy; I sell it mostly to laborers who work long shifts. Easy to make; herbs are a pain to gather …”
“Everything is too rare for what I need."
"We need a dungeon to spawn common as dirt. The herbs are when that happens," he laughed at his joke, but Wolf just slowly nodded as they went inside.
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Once inside, he saw the kid gawking and staring at everything as if it was all new. “It’s all old, kid; don’t break anything. Well, a few things are enchanted, so it’s hard to break. Most things are enchanted, really, but that doesn’t mean you should try.”
His house, while large, was covered wall to wall with random notes, vials, herbs, and miscellaneous items.
Wolf couldn’t help but ask, “How long have you been here? This is a lot of stuff.”
“Eh?” Herbert wasn’t sure; he never thought about how much time, just the need to research…
“I dunno,” scratching his chin, “While I suppose the hardest part was waiting for the people I paid to build my home after that, dunno?" He said honestly, not sure about the passing of time, he went to a side shelf in a corner and grabbed his notebook; he needed to write his new findings.
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Thistle herb variation study needed. Blue bulb vs. normal violet color: higher chance of its magic.
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Red root strong fire magic: new type needs more study.
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With that, Herbert closed his book; he saw Wolf watching, not sure what to do. “Where’s your book, boy?”
“ Um, I did not know I needed one." Wolf, said confused.
“Bah,” Herbert scoffed, “you can not learn if you don’t have the tools… What do you do, just pick herbs and hope for the best?”
“ I… do?” Wolf said, not sure what to say, Herbert was nearly too shocked to speak.
“My boy,” he said slowly, “that…won’t…do.”
Wolf expected to be yelled at more; instead, Herbert went into a different room, shuffling things around. He heard stuff being knocked over and kicked, even heard the old man yell, “I know where it is,” and then more stuff was dropped…
Finally, he came back with a very nice small leather book with a strap. “I was given this many years ago as a gift for help in researching at the time a new potion. It is common as dirt now, but back then it was a big deal that helped reduce gas.” Wolf laughed at that and then covered his mouth.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be, boy, It is funny as it sounds, nobles in pain, full of gasses, begging an old man to help them fart less with no cramps, was amusing to me too."
"But that, what alchemy for helping with things we don’t think about till they affect us… "
"This book was a gift, as at the time my notes were a jumbled mess." Wolf looked around at all the notes scattered and said nothing, but Herbert saw the look.
“That different boy, this.” He pointed to a random wall. “This is my study, then I had nothing but a room in an inn… It was hard to keep track of things."
“Things got lost was never sure if people took them or I just used them and forgot…"
"Anyway, the potion got made, but it took a few months."
"They were happy it was done, but not the time it took, so they got me this book to keep better notes."
"I was insulted, so I never used it."
“Why?” Wolf asked, unsure, “What went wrong?”
“They think alchemy is magic: slap two herbs and a bottle, tell it what to do, poof, and cure you want, and buff you want, and power you want…”
He ranted to Wolf for a while longer before calming down. “The point, boy, is alchemy is what you put in; you always get the same result. To me, that is the greatest magic.”
“What about the magic variation of herbs?”
“Dangerous,” Herbert said, then sighed, “But necessary…"
"As much as I hate it, there is good to come from it. I suppose we can thank the god of balance for that…”
Wolf nodded, happy to be learning, “Make sure you always keep notes of your work, the results, how it helps, and what didn’t work.”
“Um,” Wolf said, “how will I know what works? I never made anything before,” Herbert scratched his chin.
“True and a waste to have you repeat what I have already done; better to have us both making new things than try to repeat what the other has already done…"
"Hmmm," Herbert lost himself in thought, and Wolf waited for him to reply.
After a few minutes, Herbert went to a nearby desk. “It is a bit dated, but it covers everything an amateur would need and then some.” He pulled out a textbook and blew off dust, causing him to cough.
After a few minutes, he handed it to Wolf. “Study this and get the basics; when you feel you can handle anything in the book, come back; we will work together then."
“But," Wolf said, "how is that teaching me?” Herbert laughed at that. “Boy, do you want me to hold your hand? How can you experiment and learn if I tell you what to do? No, this book will be enough, and when you come back."
"Will see what you learned and THEN. Make it better!" Wolf nodded slowly but still looked defeated.
Herbert knew this wasn’t much of a teaching, but he still felt the best way was to just do it….
As he watched the boy looking pitiful, he relented; the kid came to him for knowledge, not to be shooed away, and as he watched the boy grab the book and start to leave.
“Hold on, child, you did come to learn, so I guess I can teach, but only a few lessons."
"Part of the joy of alchemy is the adventure!" Wolf nodded while beaming; Herbert was happy to see the youth take it so seriously, so he would too.
He went into a side room, got a mixing set, went to a side counter, and picked a few random herbs after a glance, mumbling to himself which mixture to use, then laid it all on a table nearby for Wolf to see.
“Will do three simple brews to show the basics; there are more complex things listed in the book.
"but follow the book… and you will be fine.”
“When it comes to magic, the same applies, but a strong deviation is with magic brews; your potion strength is based on magic levels infused, not just herbs.”
Wolf listened intently as Herbert went on, “Magic level is hard to tell from an herb, but the more magic-infused the essence of the herb, the easier it is to see glowing.”
“Mundane herbs can also be powerful but are not as easily changed, so what you make the vast majority of the time will always have the same results."
"Very rarely, minor factors can change it, but it still has the same end effect if done correctly.”
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"The first potion is for motion sickness."
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“Night lily, he pointed to long dark stems with teardrop tips, named for a light tip that is visible at night by itself; it can cure mild illness."
He pointed to a deep red herb, "Drake root is not found here, useful as a stabilizing effect or spice. Combine them in a bowl, grind them both down, add water, and make a cure for motion sickness."
“Its value is lost to most, unless on a ship, but it helps them greatly. Keep in mind I said 'drake root, not ‘mandrake'; mandrake can look similar, but it always has a dark line down its center where drake roots don’t.”
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"The second is more for women and food poisoning."
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“Teardrop leaves get mistaken as water dew in the morning when they bloom but have a strong healing effect; too much can make you sick."
"Lime moss is harmless and edible, but a little bitter, and is used mostly to balance any potion made that requires many ingredients."
"Finally, pixie tears tend to grow near mushrooms and are often ignored as the stem is very thin and the leaves look like little pixie tears. They taste very sweet and have mild healing.”
"Boil them as if making tea; it doesn’t take much to get a large batch of potions that help women with monthly pain and heal minor cuts and food poisoning."
"These three herbs are uncommon but easy to find if you look hard enough.”
"It is my best seller and helps me fund buying the rare herbs I need to keep trying new things." Wolf wasn’t sure what women’s monthly pain was, so he asked
"Would it help my sisters and mom?" Herbert smiled.
"Indeed, it will; in fact, they will love you more for it!"
When he thought about it, he remembered Teva mentioned it too; he guessed women already knew about it and would worry about other things for now…
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"The last is a simple spice."
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"Dragon bite is common like pepper and can be used as such. Very hot even to touch, it is buried in the ground; look for a very small red ball. Digging that up, you can pull the root that is the dragon bite; it can be served as is, but trust me, use a pinch of it. It can also be added to any potion for various effects."
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"For now, grind the dragon bite for a bottle to keep and brew the other two as gifts."
"I’ll oversee to make sure you do it right." As Herbert watched Wolf slowly do as he was asked, he couldn’t help but smile watching the boy…
It brought back fond memories of when he was just learning, when everything was new and he was scared of messing up. Now everything seems a bit mundane as he tries to find new things.
Wolf did not need much help. Herbert purposely picked potions that would have a use for his family and were easy to do. He wasn’t sure if his family liked spicy herbs, but they could sell them, and that was fine.
Alchemy will be costly if they can’t supply their research, so it would be better if he learned to make some coins now than later.
The time flew by with the boy; he stopped watching randomly to check a few notes and gather a few things, but overall, the kid was fine.
When he was done, he examined the seven vials; one was the dragon pepper, which turned out well… “Maybe a little more grinding,” he told the child, but the quality was there, so it was fine.
Four were from the brew that helped cramps, and two were motion sickness potions.
” Maybe brew the tea a little longer next time; see the color,“ he pointed to the vials. ” They’re a light blue, but they needed to be a deeper blue. The effect will still work the same, but it will be weaker."
"You can’t brew it too long; you just need to add more water if it boils out, though boiling too long can ruin the herb’s effect; you know that happens when the brew won’t even turn blue.”
“As for the motion sickness one, it’s a perfect blend going to keep these two as I sell them; take it as a cost of the lesson and help pay for the tools I’m to give you.” Wolf nodded; he wasn’t expecting anything.
Herbert revealed a small satchel “to hold your book and bottles for alchemy if traveling.“ He also presented a box that had the basic items needed to help him handle his alchemy needs. “Make sure you take notes and follow the book that already has the info so you’re not repeating things.”
Wolf thanked Herbert for all he did. He also asked if the potions were safe for his family and if they would work. Hebert assured him they were fine, just double the dose for the same effect since he made a weaker batch.
As Wolf left to share his newfound treasure, Herbert knew he still had work but was missing a key ingredient he hated, which he knew was the only one that mattered, and so far, all his attempts to replace it had failed.
“Is this your doing, balance?” The gods did not like humans trying to remove magic from alchemy, so they found a way to make magic the only cure. He thought it was cruel but understood…
to the god of balance it. Was just … well, balancing the scales.
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There was a knock at the door. Was the boy back? Did he forget something? No, surely not, but who could it be? As he answered the door, he was only mildly surprised by whom he saw; it was Bishop Light with dark circles under his eyes and a tired smile.
Herbert already knew why he was here; he stopped by at least once a month to pray for a cure Herbert never delivered, and that left him bitter.
“Come in; let me brew you a tea to help you recover while we talk. You won’t like what I say either way.”
“I understand,” Light said, “that your try is enough.” After a few minutes of silence while they settled and Herbert made the tea, they were finally ready for another talk that seemed pointless as it was necessary…
Herbert sighed while Light drank his tea. “I tried,” Herbert said, “Really, I did… I keep buying rarer and rarer types to the same effect. The one I need is not for sale; it is on lockdown from the Alchemist Guild.” Light nodded.
“I know he will sell it, but not at a price we can afford to heal everyone; so many suffer needlessly for his profit.”
Herbert grunted at the fact that there was some truth to it. There was nothing he could do.
"I would have already made a cure for it, but the key is mana bloom…"
"But it is deep in dungeons, and they are being farmed daily for other potions worth more money than healing mana sickness. Add to it rumors it's getting rarer… " Herbert trailed off. This was repeated many times before.
Light stared into his cup. “I know, but it seems more get sick every day, and with a dungeon growing here, it will spread given enough time."
"I’m not sure we can heal everyone. Many will be suffering for years, maybe decades, depending on how the new dungeon spreads, and if we never can catch a break trying to find the herb inside one… "
Herbert Solem spoke “I know …. I know it is not the first time I labored over this just as I know you tried many times to heal it away and balance refused to let you… "
"Just as I can’t brew it away."
"It's probably why it just weakens and never kills; the gods knew we would not be able to heal it easily and gave us time but also demanded we earn the right." Herbery said bitterly.
“The gods know best even if we don’t agree,” Light said, “but it doesn’t make it easy watching them suffer. When I want to help."
“You are,” Herbert said, “the new dungeon forming will be a blessing and a curse. Will finally have more herbs and ways to get them but will always have new dangers with no way of knowing who will try to control the herbs or if people will even bring them?"
Light spoke up, "There, building a new guildhall here first before the dungeon shows, so by the time it happens, the alchemist guild can’t get a stronghold this time."
"The key will be figuring out how to brew the cure vs. trying to get it…"
“ Bah,” Herbert said, “I will have it figured out and made in less than a day. Getting the herb is the key, not brewing it."
“Well,” Light said, “thank you for your time. I was hoping this time would be different, but your tone spoke of a finality I fear my visit or prayers won’t change.”
Herbert felt a little sick at that. “You know I would if I could; it’s not a lack of trying…”
“Sorry,” Light said. “I meant no judgment; we both seek the same thing, to help others… "
"I know that; thank you for the tea; it helped.” He gave a little bow and saw himself out. Herbert sat there, lost in thought.
He knew that herb, knew it well; it was once as common as dirt; it was so plentiful, but as alchemy worth grew and the greed of man for power… The herb became rare and controlled in how it was used.
He was tired; he wanted to wait to try new things, but like a thorn in his side, he couldn’t sleep knowing there was even a slim chance a different combo could cure it…
He wasn’t sure why it had to be a mana herb; perhaps it just mattered that it was a dungeon herb, but they were hard to buy as many got used for other things. He would still try and sleep and worry more tomorrow as he felt nothing was changing...
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***
Wolf made it home safely with his prizes. The day took a lot out of him, but he was happy when he saw his mom and sister. He told them about the drink; they knew about it and thanked him and were proud he made it himself.
When he saw Dad later, he asked if he would sell the dragon pepper. He was surprised he had such a thing; it was a rare spice. The innkeeper was always asking for spices; he was happy; his new job was already making a difference in people's lives. It felt like he was finally making a change.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEx0SNc6Eqp
His dad smiled. “Sorry, I doubted you, son. Just off these things alone, you prove you are capable of being an alchemist.” With those words, it felt set in stone he wouldn’t stop now.
not when it was making a change he could see, a change he could make, and maybe just maybe his magic will reappear and he can truly change the world…
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He laughed in his head to himself in joy, thinking of all the powerful things he could do.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcECyISMmwf
