Chapter 106: The Alchemist’s Apprentice

I entered the dreamscape and was greeted by Oscar.  He seemed so lifelike that I almost felt guilty for always leaving him here alone.   Not that I could take him out of here anyway.  I started by practicing for an hour with Xavier, Adrian, and Konstantin.  Using my air shield was becoming more natural.  I also improved by using fewer shields to conserve my meager aether.  

After combat training, I tried to change the walls of the dungeon again. The best I could do was paint them or smooth them out by adding material. It looked like the walls were hard boundaries and could not be changed. I found it odd that the walls were apparent boundaries to changes I could make in the amulet’s dreamscape. Did that mean I could find where the dungeon hid its core?  If this amulet was a copy of the dungeon when I first entered it, I should be able to locate the core.  I traveled down to the scorpion room and started digging by mentally removing the sand.  

The room was a lot deeper than I expected, going down almost thirty feet before I hit the rocky floor that was not affected by my removal efforts.  I completely emptied the entire room and could not find the core.  I filled the room back up, disappointed, and watched the snails leave their glowing trails of slime.  Maybe I was just assuming there had to be a dungeon core.  Delmar told me a dungeon could be destroyed, so I assumed that meant shattering or taking a core.

I returned to the first room and spent a few hours studying the spell form for slow aging.  I spent a total of six hours in the dreamscape before returning.  I felt completely rested and checked on Ginger.  No mess.  I took her outside to find it completely dark and a cold drizzle of rain picking up.  The night felt alive, with insects and hoots of owls in the distance.  Ginger seemed to realize why I had taken her out and quickly did her business without me having to lead her.  That deserved an apple when she returned.  

Maveith was up when we went back inside and mumbled something about hooves on the stone being loud.  I patted Ginger and guessed maybe she was housebroken.  I went to sleep without the amulet and was sucked into a new nightmare.  

Castile had led us into the ruins of Caelora.  It was midday, but the massive tree in the center of the dead city was blocking out the sun, and the city was dark.  Black mold grew on all the crumbling buildings, but we did not see any specters as we went deeper into the city.  

As we approached the massive trunk of the tree, Castile called for a halt.  She had a worried expression and looked from the direction we had come.  Row after row of silver specters blocked our retreat.  To make matters even more terrifying, two wispy black creatures stood in front of the specter army.  Wraiths.  As they charged us, I realized that I did not know what a specter looked like.  Which told me this was a dream.  I just sent any specter that got close to me to my dimensional space.  I started laughing maniacally that I had beaten the nightmare when the specters were gone.

Everyone was dumbstruck when all the specters and the two wraiths were gone.  Konstantin, with his artificed weapon in hand, barked at me, “Eryk, stop spoiling my fun!”  I woke shortly after with a grin on my face. I had controlled the nightmare somewhat as I had done in the dreamscape.  I dressed as I planned to ride back to the Citadel and help Decimus with the peppermint wash today.  

I found Maveith preparing breakfast with Ginger literally looking over his shoulder, deciding if what he was cooking was edible for a horse.  A large wicker basket of white truffles sat on the table.  I sorted through the bulbous fungi.  They looked like stunted potatoes to me.  I sniffed one, and the smell reminded me of spicy garlic.  “This is great Maveith.  What do you want for these?”

Maveith was cooking a colorful array of vegetables in a cast iron pot.  He looked at me, “We are friends.  An equal volume of food for the winter is acceptable.  Something that would keep for months would be appreciated.”

I put one of Ginger’s saddle bags on the table. I pulled out a stack of wrapped meal bars from my dimensional space and stacked them neatly on the table.  I packed the light brown truffles carefully in the bag next.  “Maveith, let me know if these are fair. Come, Ginger, I will give you an apple outside.”  

Ginger looked at the vegetables that were being cooked and then at me before walking outside with me.  She had either understood my body language or my words.  She was smart for a horse, but I had no idea how smart horses were. This world was different, so maybe she was not even a real horse. I stopped myself before I went down an introspective rabbit hole.  A horse was a horse, of course.

Ginger walked off while I walked around Maveith’s rocks and stretched hides. I was looking for any tracks that would signal a dangerous predator visited the area last night. Maveith came outside chewing on one of the ration bars, “This is pretty good. Better than truffles. A good trade, Eryk.”

“Glad you like them. Do you want another twenty for the weasel hide blankets?”  I asked hopefully. Maveith did not answer but finished the bar he was eating and considering. The ration bars were not good but not terrible, in my opinion. 

The bars were a dense, chewy core that was covered in a thick batter and then baked. The resulting meal bar was tightly wrapped in a wax leaf. They were calorie-dense but on the dry side, requiring lots of water to get them down. I did not mind the taste, even if it was bland.

“Twenty bars for each one?”  Maveith finally decided. 

The pelts were maybe five by eight feet in size. The fur was short, fine, and silky on one side and soft, velvety hide on the other. Each one would roll up to the size of a normal sleeping roll, but were twice as heavy. I thought I was getting a steal. “Maveith, I can get you the bars when we return to the city.”

“Agreed,” he intoned in his deep voice. “Breakfast is ready.”  He looked over at Ginger, “She really was housetrained.”  He said it like he had not believed me. 

“Of course, Maveith.  Let’s eat and start on our way back to Sobral.”  I tied Ginger with a quick-release knot to a tree and ate with Maveith.  Breakfast was carrots, yellow peppers, green onions, and potatoes with a cut-up sausage cooked in bacon fat. I packed up the weasel hides into tight rolls and packed them on Ginger. 

We made our trek back to the capital. My legion box was already full, so we only paused for mushrooms and flora that did not need to be fresh for the alchemist. As we were getting closer to the city, there were foragers in the woods again. 

While I stabled Ginger, Maveith went to the Citadel as he told me, “I am supposed to check in with the Citadel Captain when I am in the city.”

“I will be in the Northwest tower with the alchemist after I am done here. You can find me there, and I will have your meal bars,” Maveith nodded, and we parted ways. When the stable boys were not looking, both pelts went into storage. Soon, I finished with Ginger by giving her my last apple. 

I carried two saddlebags to the Northwest tower and started up the stairs. I paused, produced a sack, and filled it with fifty ration bars. The extra ten were because I felt guilty for taking advantage of the goliath. But maybe not. These meal bars would probably become quite valuable with the hard winter coming. 

Decimus had finished setting up his maze of tables and glassware. He was absorbed in his process and didn’t even see me enter. The windows were open, which was good as the number of oil burners made the room hot, and some smells around the tower’s floor were unpleasant. Something definitely smelled like burning hair. 

“Decimus, I have your truffles,” I said, and his head snapped around, his eyes wide. “Have you slept?”  I asked, concerned. 

“Slept? What? No! Too much to do!”  He waved his hands, “All this needs to be watched carefully. You said truffles?”  His bloodshot eyes looked a bit maniacal. 

I unloaded the bag of truffles on the table, the other saddle bag, and finally, my dimensional space filled with the ingredients best used fresh. I filled up the entire table, and Decimus attacked the piles with glee. “Decimus, you said you would teach me how to make the peppermint wash?”  Although I was more inclined to be offering him an oblivion pill than asking for his help.

“What? Yes, yes. Nice job with this. These truffles are fantastic. Come over here.”  We walked to a table where a glass container was boiling, and the steam was going up into glass tubes. It cooled and then dripped down into a beaker. “Now, this is a delicate process,” he started. I rolled my eyes as he was just purifying water.

He continued to explain, “There are tiny particles in water. We are turning the water into steam to free it from the particles that cannot become steam. You can watch the process and ensure this large container stays half full. If the boiling gets too violent, remove the lid with the tongs here for a moment. Be careful because the boiling water can get too intense and explode!”

For my first lesson in alchemy, I was going to watch the water boil. I almost wished to be training with Konstantin in the yard instead of this. Maveith rescued me an hour later. I think the stone tower shook when he climbed the stairs, but it was just his voice echoing, “Eryk, is this the right tower?”  He called up as he climbed. 

“Come on in, Maveith!”  I called. “I am testing the theory that a watched pot never boils. So far, I thoroughly debunked the myth.” 

Maveith ducked through the stone archway and looked confused, “Is he pink?”

“Yes,” I answered for the alchemist, who was stunned at the sight of the goliath. “Looks like you two have not yet met. Maveith, this is Decimus. Decimus, this is Maveith.”

Decimus considered and then just said, “Be careful and do not knock anything over.”  Maveith frowned at the insinuation he was clumsy just because he was so large.

“Decimus, I am going to leave with Maveith. Your distillation of water is proceeding well. Maybe we can work on the other parts of the wash next time I come?”  I asked hopefully. I thought I had been patient and done a fantastic job watching the water turn to steam.

“I had to watch the water purification process for a week before I was allowed to work on compounds,” Decimus replied flatly. I just nodded and had no plans to watch water boil for a week. Maybe I was not going to be an amateur alchemist.

Maveith said, “Eryk, Delmar wanted to see you. Some goblins have been harassing farms in the west. He wants to send Flavius, you, me, and Blaze to handle it.”

“Green?”  I asked, having learned that variety was a nuisance more than a threat.

“I believe so. A number of farms have been raided at night. Small animals keep disappearing. Delmar said we can leave tomorrow,” I nodded but was not looking forward to working with Flavius, who was already suspicious of me. 

I handed Maveith his sack of meal bars, and he looked inside with a huge grin. I guessed he really did like the taste. We went and found Delmar drilling some Citadel guards in the spear and shield. 

Delmar paused to talk with me, “Eryk, is the alchemist being kept busy?” 

“He should have enough supplies for a few days,” I replied.

“Excellent. Farmers a few miles from the city are complaining about night raids. Chickens and newborn sheep have gone missing. Leave tomorrow after mid-day meal and spend the night to kill whatever is stealing them.”  Delmar issued his order. 

“Who will be in charge, and who is going?”  I asked, even though Maveith had already told me. 

Delmar issued his orders, “Flavius will lead you, the goliath and Blaze. You are the freshest group. Everyone else has not returned from their week’s rotation digging holes. No horses, you can walk there. The farmer’s name is Cassio Cervius. He has two young boys. He supplies a fair amount of grain to the city, so do a good job.” 

“Will four of us be enough?”  I asked, concealing my disappointment.

“We are fairly certain it is just goblins. We were told goblin tracks are all around the farms, and there do not seem to be many of them. Flavius is confident you four can handle it,” Delmar said, dismissing me by returning to his instruction.

Maveith and I went to have lunch in the dining room. We found Blaze and Adrian eating at the table. Lunch was just cold sandwich wraps. A servant brought over a bench for Maveith as he would not fit in the chair with armrests. Even after he sat, he had trouble with his knees bumping the table. 

Adrian apologized, “Sorry to send you and Blaze out again so soon after our ride, but so many things are happening.”

“What has been happening?”  I asked as I began to help myself to the sandwiches and weak ale.

“Not much affecting the Sobral province. However, some of the western provinces have been requested to send double shipments of grain to the capital before the winter. The western provinces have not been hit with the summoned monsters. Duke Octavian controls about half of the grain production in the west.”  Adrian informed me knowingly.

“So that is good news. Octavian will be giving up more of his harvest,” I deduced.

Adrian barked a laugh, “No, most likely Duke Octavian will be getting a few favors from the Emperor if he does send the requested grain. It is burning Castile something fierce that Duke Octavian may be seen as the hero in this war by providing food to the starving citizens this winter. He will make sure everyone knows it is his bread they are eating. You can be sure of that.” 

We finished our meal, and Adrian dropped more bad news on me, “The company is moving to the Citadel barracks in a few days.”

“Why? Are we expecting to be attacked?”  I asked, having unpleasant flashes of being in the gate tower in Macha during the attack.

“No. Much worse. Countess Asella Angella and First Citizen Boris Angella will be arriving with their retinue. The Countess is the Duchess’s mother, and Boris is her eldest brother. From what I understand, the Duchess’s city is close to the Eastern Border, and she has decided it is time to visit her daughter in Sobral. The eldest brother is destined to take over the city but is jealous of Veronica for being given a province to rule by the Emperor.  Veronica now outranks them both.”

“What does that mean for us?” Blaze asked my own question.

“Just stay out of their way.”  He nodded knowingly at us, “Enjoy your last night with a personal servant. I do not see that continuing while they are here.” 

“Understood,” I said and stood. 

“Maveith, I have had the misfortune of fighting a lot of big things in the last two months. Do you want to go to the grounds and get some practice in?”  Maveith looked at Adrian, who nodded in approval. 

His deep voice bellowed, “That sounds fun.”  Of course, my plan was to get enough time sparring with Maveith to add him to my dreamscape. That way, I could get a decent facsimile to practice against while I slept.