Having made some distance from Zeena's base I ask Artise, "What did you find?"

   She elates, "I found a hidden room full of jars, and in the back was a hole leading underground."

   "Then it might have escaped through there." Although I wonder how it knew where to find that room and tunnel. "Also how did you discover the room?"

   With buoyancy she answers, "I tripped."

   Its strangely amazing how lucky she is with her clumsiness, "How didn't you get spotted?"

   "I did, but it was by Rolt so I told him I was getting something I accidentally left." She answers cheekily.

   Well at least she can't have raised anymore suspicion then I did confronting the master of the place, "I also would have appreciated it if you had spoken to some extent about Zeena's size."

   She waves away my legitimate grievance, "Didn't think to tell you, because she has the type of foreign name that could only possibly belong to the tribes of Gigantmen beyond the northern mountains."

   I rub my forehead in irritation, "We should rejoin with Connor and see what they've found out."

   Passing through the streets we come upon a shop with a signage hanging from the front wall depicting a leaf and bottle. Delicate windows outline the walls, with the roof above having a conical shape. The inside is saturated with shifting smells. The space is filled with Shelves, and cabinets. Set about are containers of all types containing seeds, dried plants, spices, minerals, and some peculiar concoctions.

   Leaning back Connor sees us walk in, "So you're here, they're in the back messing with the sample."

   Artisie wanders about, "This is such a quaint place, with interesting things." She reaches to grasp a bottle.

   He puts up a hand, "You should probably avoid touching. Best for you to not accidentally break something."

   With little regard for his statement she gets far too close to a scale her breath almost causing the balance of it to change. 

   Wonder how they perform measurements here. With so little modern technology how do they even standardize measurements in any meaningful way?

   Artisie glances at me giving an unprompted comment, "They have such funny names for how they find the weights for the ratios in their mixtures. Twenty grains makes a scruple and three scruples make a dram."

   Grain serves as the basis to their measurement system? It definitely has flaws as grain size can very throughout the years, but the variation wouldn't be that extreme. 

   Footsteps approach from the back of the shop and in response Connor stands straight, "Sounds like they're finished."

   Sarah emerges carrying a thin layer of sweat upon her, "We have discovered what it is."

   Connor puts an arm around her, "You didn't need to push yourself so hard to accomplish it today."

   "If what I've been informed of is true than she should've worked herself harder." Says an aged woman wearing a square hat and a deep brown apron over a grey gown.

   His hand loosens from Sarah's shoulder, "Master Karus said for us not to tell others."

   Her view is downcast, "She is my teacher I cannot hide this from her."

   "And she was right to tell me." The woman holds a draught¹Type of vial containing some of the black gunk. "This is a corrupted breed of the sanguine moss."

   Connor rebukes her keeping a soured expression, "Then how did Master Karus not notice? One of his active trade contracts is for the sanguine moss."

   With pride she maintains her claim, "Because I learned some of its unusual traits while trying to discover how to use the sanguine moss through trial and error before deeming it beyond the spirit. This moss much like the Sanguine breed shows greater propensity for latching onto cold flesh than to warm. This lead me to search for other similarities."

   Disdain covers his face, "Shame you gave up. The sanguine could help a lot of people if not for those northern bastards keeping the method to process it such a secret."

   She gives a sigh, "It is as you say if not for those bastards, As you know the moss when not processed will clog the blood killing the person before the bleeding does, and I can't do as they did trying on Ardwoofs²Dog like animal, domesticated cousin to the Arfdols until I get it right." 

   With moralled countenance Connor replies, "Better for those animals to die than people though."

   Her eyes droop low, "None the less, I don't want to discover the method one day and then look back at the carcasses I left in my search. Feeling the guilt of not figuring out sooner without the sacrifices. I've only ever wanted to heal. Never to hurt."

   A almost hypocritical position, for what of the people that will suffer and die without the sacrifice of the animal? I suppose its the conundrum of being the person to push the fat man under train to save those tied to the tracks, "I understand your reasoning, but I still believe it is better to act than to do nothing even if the outcome of both options are bad."

   "You're the dryad?" She says incredulously. "From what I've known of your kind, you would be the last to have such beliefs."

   A fitting stereotype that a plant person would be as active as a plant but, "I am my own creature."

   "I can see that, and as I heard you wouldn't like to be used as an ingredient either." She pans her vision to Sarah before turning to the window. "It would be so much easier if all the resources I needed could be obtained without so much sacrifice."

   Artisie innocently asks, "Have you tried buying the recipe from them, would that not be an easier option?"

   The lady speaks with a sense of time lost "It would not be cheap, and alas I fear I do not have enough time left in the world to accrue the funds needed to do so."

   An idea brews as I think over our conversation, "If you're unwilling to sacrifice an Ardwoof, then have you considered trying it on a test dummy?"

   A puzzled expression forms on Artisie's face, "Like the training ones Zeena has?"

   Connor mocks me, "Last I checked wood doesn't have blood."

   Since they don't have car commercials here it only figures the concept of a test dummy isn't well known, "The moss is used for stopping bleeding, but if processed incorrectly it will get into the blood. So then, what if a means of finding the right process can be done without the use of a live subject. Such as a vessel made to hold blood with a small opening for said blood to leak from? If the leak is stopped and none of the moss is found inside the vessel then it can be assumed as having been processed correctly."

   The woman ponders my words, "That might work, but this vessel would need to be made lively as a man with skin and fresh blood."

   "Leather could be used for the skin." Artisie says.

   Sarah pipes up, "You could also start doing the blood letting again or purchase some from the butcher."

   Her face cringes at the first half of Sarah's comment, "I will think on it."

   Connor holds open the door, "With that settled lets go check on my friend Hern and see how he's doing."

   The walk to the smithy is short. It's easy to find as smoke bellows from the chimney. The back end is open and Hern is seated examining his work with his face still bruised.

   He looks up at us, "In time to see the forges last breath."

   Connor asks him, "You get visited by that guy again?"

   He shakes his head, "Nay."

   Showing relief Connor replies, "That is good. Turns out he might be rather dangerous." 

   Hern perks an eyebrow, "How so?"

   Sarah crosses her arms staring pointedly at Connor.

   He receives her judgmental stare, "I can't say, but he's attacked others."

   "Hopefully someone catches him then." He says shifting to a lighter tone as he turns to me, "Dryad I have your Hellion Weapon."  Holding it up he shows off the finished product.

   The majority of the cudgel remains unchanged, however a second metal handle with a leather grip has been inserted into the base of the original wooden handle. The Hellion core is securely held in the new hilt.

   He hands it to me, "Used an old iron frying pan that I accidentally dropped in the furnace and turned almost up to the handle into slag. Only needed sharpening to wedge it into the wood, and some heated bending to secure the core. Was simple as."

   The design is rather crude having little flourish but it does match his other works like Connor's strange shovel, "Thanks, but how does one go about using this Hellion Weapon?"

   Artisie chirpily answers, "You just need to draw forth your spirit into it."

   Spirit? I don't think I have that capability, but I doubt the mushroom that used this last had it either. The core can likely feed off of many different types of energy. Then lets try electrical. 

[ElectroShockers]

   My hands come alive with sparks, but the arcs of energy surge into the new hilt of the cudgel. The core shines, and steel tendrils spread through the wood. The heft grows as its transformed. A metallic sheen covers the entire weapon, but the process continues. As size increases, It gains weight drastically becoming too heavy to hold with one hand. The handle thickens growing too large to grip.

   Its unwieldy, and put against anything that is moderately fast or has good reflexes it would be hard to land a hit with, but the power I could put behind a strike would would be crushing.

   Raising her eyebrows Artisie lightly exclaims, "Wow."

   Connor remarks, "Impressive."

   With pride unbefitting the appearance of the craft Hern comments, "I knew it would turn out great with such a high quality core."

   Deactivating my bionic I watch the cudgel return to its original form, "I still need to see just how effective it is in a fight, but I think this will come in handy."

   Connor puts a hand on Herns shoulder, "May Elman heal you, but we must go. Work is to be done."

   He reciprocates, "I understand, but a drink would serve me better than a blessing."

   Releasing his hand Connor tells him, "Next time."