[Trade] Colossal Health Potion [Alchemy]

Colossal Health Potion

  Sheyrakami had made the decision to let two Puller pups lead her in the middle of the unknown Warrenfall forest. She was here to seek out the masterful crafter known as Dhaoragan, but the locals weren’t too keen on sharing his whereabouts. That’s why she was forced to trust Vericia and Eli to guide her there, as the pups had eagerly shared how good friends they are with uncle Dhao. As they followed the narrow path, Shey began to wonder how much energy can those two Vayron pups possibly have as they were chattering non-stop while bouncing around from childish excitement. She let them ramble, mostly just nodding along while thinking her own thoughts.

“We’re here! Told you it’s right around the corner!”

   Vericia announced happily while Eli already took off towards the large cave entrance in front of them. Shey’s attention was back on reality, which made her stop in her tracks to assess the cave. There were clear signs of Vayron activity in close proximity, which meant the kids weren’t trying to prank the stranger after all. She took a few more measured steps to stop in the middle of the clearing in front of the cave while examining the stuff around it, until Eli emerged from the cave, still bouncing around together with his sister. Behind them, a massive green Puller appeared from the shadows of the cave, bright eyes with slits locked on Sheyrakami. This didn’t intimidate Shey one bit as she also happened not to be the smallest of her subspecies, so she cleared her throat and spoke with confidence.

“Good morrow, master Dhaoragan. I am Sheyrakami from Roenden, and I’m here to request your crafting services.”

   Dhao stopped a few meters from her, still observing the newcomer while Veri and Eli were already playing tag around Dhao’s legs. Shey found it a bit distracting while Dhao didn’t pay it any attention.

“Hello… Depends what you want.”

“Oh, right…”

   The green guy was obviously cautious of strangers, that much Shey could read out from the general vibe he gave off. She sat down and took off the satchel she had with her, opened it up and rummaged around in it. The peek Dhao managed to take revealed to him a couple of books and a bunch of papers before Shey pulled out an envelope, tossed the satchel’s cover back in its place and extended the envelope to Dhao. This had also caught Eli’s attention, which caused Vericia to crash into him head-on. While the siblings were bickering, Dhao stepped forward to accept the envelope, hoping Shey would continue explaining further, which she did.

“I have a commission to request. In case you don’t happen to have the formula yourself, I acquired one. Payment will be fair.”

   Dhao opened the envelope and found a neatly folded piece of parchment in there. The curiosity got the best of him and he unfolded it while the young siblings also attempted to take a peek at the mysterious inscriptions. All they could see was what the Sun showed through the parchment, so they got to admire the mirrored intricate drawings and schemes below Dhao’s paws while the master himself had a quick look at Shey’s formula. It took him a good minute before he remembered Shey’s presence.

“This is something I haven’t seen before indeed. I’m not sure if I can produce it straight away but I’d like to make a copy of it in my notebooks first, if I may?”

   Shey nodded to Dhao’s request.

“Yes, of course, the formula is yours to keep. As for payment, I hope 10 gold pieces is fair?”

   At this point Dhao didn’t even care much for the payment, he was excited to hold a recipe for Colossal Health Potion, which he hadn’t seen before. There once was a travelling merchant who happened to sell the potion for a hefty price, but Dhao didn’t agree to pay that much for it to bring it to his cave for studying. 

“Mhmh, yeah, sure, I’ll get right to it.”

   Dhao responded obliviously as his eyes and mind were fixed on the piece of parchment. To Shey’s surprise, Dhao stood up on his hind limbs and while using the long reptile tail to balance himself, he walked back inside, eyes never leaving the recipe between his forepaws. Sheyrakami’s attention was caught by a heartfelt giggling on her right, as Veri had appeared there while Eli plopped down on her left.

“You should’ve seen your face, auntie. That’s such a cool trick uncle Dhao can do. I’ve also tried to learn it but I just can’t do it.”

   Veri pouted when she thought of her lessons in walking like a bipedal not bearing any fruit, so Eli continued the conversation with Shey.

“How long will you be staying here? We can go hunt for some food together, if you are not in a hurry back to the village.”

   Eli made a valid point - Shey didn’t get the opportunity to inquire how much time Dhao might need to prepare the concoction, so she wasn’t sure whether to retreat to the village and wait for word there or awkwardly stay here for the whole time. Given how fixated Dhao became, it was probably difficult to get a straight answer from him. Veri noticed Shey’s hesitation, so she used the opportunity to grab hold of her paw, playfully yanking her towards the forest.

“Come on, there’s a large burrow nearby with a lot of yummy rabbits in it!”

—

   While the siblings were entertaining Sheyrakami (which Shey probably didn’t perceive as entertainment), Dhao was already making a copy of the fragile parchment in his trusty notebook. This also allowed him to study the whole thing at a calm and thorough pace, as some steps required triple-reading before he fully understood the instructions. The recipe was very detailed, so it was possible to screw things up only if Dhao didn’t fully focus on what he was doing. When he had finished making the copy, he double-checked everything word-by-word, before he suddenly felt a need for a small break. He swiftly brewed some strong black coffee, but took the mug back to his crafting desk as the new recipe was way too intriguing for a coffee break away from it. He started to gather the items and ingredients required for the craft while occasionally sipping the energizing brew when he returned to the enchanting piece of parchment to check the list.

   Of course Dhao didn’t notice when Shey, Vericia and Eli returned from the hunt. Since Veri and Eli spent time around Dhao’s cave rather often, they knew where everything was and that Dhao wouldn’t mind if they set up a small fire in the outdoor oven to cook some meat. While Shey passed the time by half-ignoring the continuous chatter produced by the two pups, Dhao was still entirely focused on creating the health potion. The day had already rolled into evening, and Dhao still had much work to do.

   It was well into the night when Dhao finally dipped his claw into the finished product to taste it. He could immediately feel the pleasant herbal taste while a jolt of revitalizing energy flashed through his mouth, indicating he had brewed the real deal. He then victoriously lifted up a glass bottle with a deep red shimmering liquid in it. He admired the captivating coloration shift in the soft candlelight, before his attention snapped back to reality. He had no perception of time, but based on the darkness hanging on outside it was well past midnight as there were signs of the Sun starting its return towards the horizon. He lifted his head up higher and sniffed the air as there was still some smell of cooked rabbit meat lingering around, which reminded his stomach to growl as Dhao hadn’t eaten anything for a good while. He left the bottle on the desk, giving it one more proud pat before he headed outside to check for the source of the smell. To his surprise, he found Shey still there, sleeping under the oak tree in Dhao’s occasional napping spot with. He couldn’t help but smile softly when he noticed how Veri and Eli had taken advantage of Shey’s fluff by keeping their paws and sides warm in it. All of them were deep in peaceful sleep, so Dhao decided not to bother them. He grabbed two of the leftover rabbits that the kids had left for him in the oven to keep at least a bit warm and went back inside to eat and sleep before he could conclude his business with Sheyrakami in the morning.