Chapter 30: Rain and Steak

Chapter 30: Rain and Steak

Theo rose near dawn the next morning, his late-night excursion with Luras clearly taking its toll. Tresk was waiting in the lab, sipping on her tea and smiling when he emerged. The alchemist withdrew the days-old pot of soup from his inventory. Steam rose from the cauldron, losing none of its heat while it was stowed away.

You had a night, huh? Tresk asked, laughing.

Theo assumed his seat near the window, shaking his head. He explained how he bought the parcel of land for Luras, and the Half-Ogres intentions to become a leatherworker. He dished out two bowls of soup, passing one to his companion.

Thats just a smart move, Tresk said. The town is going to do a lot better with more crafters.

That was just a fact. Theos recent progress in putting Broken Tusk on the map would see their population explode. It would be a gold rush of people seeking to exploit the swamps natural resources. Luras would put himself in a fantastic position with an endless supply of leather to work on. It wasnt just good leather, it was impossibly supple, durable leather brought directly from the swamp itself.

Hes going to make a killing, Theo said.

No doubt.

Did you get anything good from the dungeon yesterday? Theo asked.

Tresk shrugged, slurping noisily on her soup. Lots of cores. No gear.

What about that thing you thought was a reagent? Theo asked.

Tresks face brightened. Oh! I almost forgot. She withdrew something that looked suspiciously like a skull fragment and handed it over.

[Reanimated Skeleton Fragment]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

Common

Skull fragment of a skeleton reanimated by necromantic powers.

Properties:

[Withering] ???? ????

Its a skull fragment, Theo said, grimacing. Of a magic skeleton. This is gross, but it has the [Withering] property.

Hah! I knew it, Tresk said. I tried to eat one, and it gave me a bad cramp. Drained my stamina a bit.

Theo closed his eyes, pressing his fingers into his temples. Tresk. Why would you eat a skull fragment?

To see if it was an alchemy thing, Tresk said, shrugging.

The alchemist had to wonder why she wasnt dead yet, with that kind of recklessness. And the motes?

Oh yeah, Tresk said, withdrawing some motes from her bag. Then she withdrew some more. Theo couldnt scoop them up fast enough, and the floor was soon littered by rolling balls of pulsating energy.

Thanks, Theo said, scooping the absurd amount of motes from the ground. Along with his dwindling stores, it would be enough to make Fenians potions.

A knock at the door brought Theo downstairs, Tresk close behind. Ziz stood with his laborers, waving and smiling. Morning, boss. Perg is mad that she has to pay us again, but I wanted to see if you needed anything while were scouring the land.

Theo produced 10 copper coins from his inventory and handed it over. As many motes as you can find. The coppers as a tip.

Ziz grinned, distributing the money among his companions and turning on the spot. As soon as they departed, Azrug showed up for the day. He didnt say a word to either Tresk or Theo, closing the door behind him.

Well, I guess I should get going, Tresk said, shrugging. Theo bent down to press his forehead against hers and she departed, waving as she went.

Theo retreated to his laboratory, taking stock of what he had to brew for the day. The entire base order for Fenian was done. The alchemist was guaranteed to get his three gold coins at the end, but he wanted the additional pay. After cleaning the stills with [Cleansing Scrub], Theo prepared to make the largest run of the stat-enhancing potions hed ever done. Fortunately, it ran off of the same basic recipe as the level 1 restoration potions, and wouldnt cause him any problems. The flowers were effortless to mash, and he had both stills running within a half-hour of starting.

Theos [Drogramath Alchemy Core] was almost level 8, and his [Drogramath Herbalist Core] trailed behind by a significant margin. The first still he set up ran 200 units of the [Water Lily], while the second only ran 100 units of [Stone Flower]. He also had 122 [Flame Roses] in his inventory, and would run that once he got back from gathering herbs. The thought of heading out into the swamp came and left his mind, the image of the giant wolf making him uncomfortable. He set his mental timer and left the shop, waving at Azrug as he went.

Unlike most of his jaunts across his parcel, the sun was obstructed by a thick layer of clouds. It was the first time hed seen a storm loom over Broken Tusk, but the dark clouds blowing from the southern sea meant rain. By the time he made it to the river, a light drizzle fell on his head. It washed over him, the soft patter of the raindrops cleansing his mind and sharpening his focus. The alchemist stood by the river with a [Water Lily] in hand, gazing out over the turbid rush of water with hooded eyes. A chill ran up his back as the rain soaked through his clothes, matting them down on his body.

Theo sat on the pebbled shore of the river, breathing in the wet smell. Something swelled in his chest, the deluge stirring something in his soul. He used to love the rain back on Earth. Hed stand out on his balcony, before the fall of modern civilization, and listen to the raindrops for hours. It took every bit of his willpower to stand and return to the lab when his mental timer went off. He entered the shop, dripping rain and gaining the attention of Azrug.

Theo scoffed, shaking his head. With that?

This is for the wolf steak, Tresk said. Once you're done with the magic fire, Im making us some steak.

Theo doubted that the steak would be as good as the ones made by Aarok, but wouldnt object. He wondered for a moment about how healthy it would be to eat steak every day, but couldnt speculate how cholesterol worked in this strange world. There might even be a potion he could use to cure people of their bad eating habits. Hed need to look into it.

So, the salt problem, Theo said, withdrawing a scroll and laying it down on the table.

I knew youd crack this problem, Tresk said, bounding over with a wide smile on her face.

No progress, yet, Theo said. My [Wisdom] tells me theres something I can do beyond level 10, but I only have theories right now. Maybe transmutation, or the separation of base elements from objects. I dont really know.

So, whats the theory, Tresk asked, bouncing up and down.

Theo shrugged. Exactly what I said. I think I can do something to matter once I level up a bit more. It only makes sense if you think about everything in the world having a bunch of properties, like my alchemy reagents. I can separate out those properties into essences, so why not base materials?

Im excited for free salt, Tresk said, nodding to herself.

Not just salt, Theo shrugged. Technically everything is made up of small amounts of a lot of precious things. I remember hearing a fact back on Earth that the human body had gold in it. So other stuff probably has random junk in it, I just have to figure out how to extract it.

Well, Im mostly useless for that kinda stuff. Im really good at stabbing things. Let me know if you need something stabbed, Tresk said.

Your stabbing prowess is noted, Theo said.

The essences finished cooking off, and Theo stowed them away into his inventory before cleaning the stills. Tresk stole a [Flame Artifice] and placed the large copper pot on top. She waited a moment for it to get hot before placing four thick strips of wolf meat; the steaks sizzling away instantly.

Four steaks? Theo asked. Are you really that hungry?

Tresk cast him a devious look, wiggling her eyebrows. Wait for it.

Theo only had to wait a few tense moments for the knock at the door to come. He blustered, throwing his hands up in exasperation. How can he even smell it with the rain? he asked.

The alchemist marched downstairs, finding both Luras and Perg standing expectantly on the other side of the door. He folded his arms and waited there for a moment. Do you guys wait outside of my house every afternoon? Waiting for handouts?

Luras and Perg shared a look, then said, yes, in unison.

Theo led them upstairs, maintaining the farce that he was upset only so long. By the time they reached the upstairs landing, he was laughing about the situation. The group sat down at the table by the window with the sounds of the storm washing over the room in turbid waves. The scent of the cooking meat filled the room. Tresk sat dutifully by the skillet, licking her lips without even looking up to greet the guests.

Almost done with my stuff? Perg asked, smiling.

No business over dinner! Tresk shouted.

Its fine. Yeah, Ill be done tomorrow, Theo said.

Good, cause I almost need to take out a loan. That seed core drained my funds, Perg said.

No one wants to hear about your funds, Luras groaned.

Hey! I dont have an alchemist benefactor supporting my business, Perg scoffed.

Yes, you do, Luras said.

Perg went to speak, but stopped before any words came out. She folded her hands in her lap and focused her attention on the cooking steaks. I guess were all becoming dependent on Theo.

Not for long, Theo said. Im trying to be mindful of that. Made a deal with Ziz to start a stone cutting businessIll give him ownership after a time.

Still, Luras said, shrugging. We depend on you, now.

Yeah! So you have to defend him. Hes precious, Tresk said, flipping the steaks one last time. Now shut up! No business at dinner.

A small Marshling brandishing a wooden spoon was enough to silence the group. They moved to small talk as they ate their meal. As Theo predicted, it wasnt as good as the food that Aarok made, but it was still great. He made a mental note to switch between the soup and steak for dinner, perhaps combining them. The conversation went on until dusk, when Luras and Perg departed for the night. Tresk turned in before him, the effects of the [Lesser Stamina Potion] still lingering. He spent that time alone with his thoughts, correcting old notes and listening to the storm that raged until after nightfall.

Theo finally turned in, thankful that none of Tresks dreams invaded his thoughts.