07

The book would continue here;

https://dynamic.webnovel.com/book/25924158006636005?utm_source=writerShare&utm_campaign=4323821635

The woman in the dark veil stood before the altar in the dimly lit cave, chanting incantations under her breath. Her hands moved deftly over the various jars, mixing the ingredients for the potion she was making. The scent of herbs and spices filled the air, and the light of the candles flickered on the walls.

As she worked, she muttered to herself in a language that was ancient and arcane, and seemed to come from a time long forgotten. Her movements were slow and deliberate, as if she were performing a sacred dance.

Suddenly, the woman paused in her chanting, and looked up as if she had sensed something. She turned her head slightly, listening intently to the silence of the cave. After a moment, she shook her head, and returned to her work.

The potion she was making was for a very specific purpose, and it required a delicate touch. She had to get the proportions of the various ingredients just right, or the potion would be ineffective. But the woman was skilled in the ways of magic, and she knew exactly what she was doing.

As she stirred the mixture, the woman began to sing softly, her voice echoing off the walls of the cave. The words she sang were a lullaby, but they were also a spell, meant to help her focus her energies on the potion.

For hours, the woman worked, mixing and stirring, chanting and singing, until finally, the potion was complete. She carefully poured it into a small glass vial, and held it up to the light.

Satisfied with her work, the woman smiled to herself, and slipped the vial into a small pouch at her waist. She knew that the potion was powerful, and that it would bring great change to the one who drank it. But she also knew that it was dangerous, and that it could easily be misused.

As the woman gathered her things and prepared to leave the cave, she glanced around one last time, making sure that she had not forgotten anything. The candles flickered in the darkness, casting eerie shadows on the walls, and the scent of herbs and spices lingered in the air.

Then, with a final nod, the woman turned and slipped out of the cave, disappearing into the darkness beyond.

****

Magnificently, the creature, with glossy black feathers that shone under the moonlight flew in. Its eyes were as sharp as obsidian, glinting with intelligence and a fierce will that spoke of a creature not easily tamed.

As it perched on the windowsill, its talons clicked softly against the stone, betraying a sense of restlessness that was at odds with the bird's normally stoic demeanor. Its wings, which spanned nearly two feet on either side of its lean body, were tucked neatly against its sides, though they twitched ever so slightly as the raven watched Ragnar with a keen eye.

Despite its formidable appearance, the raven seemed to radiate a certain sense of calm, as if it were a creature at peace with the world and content to go about its business without fear or hesitation.

Ragnar sat up in his bed, heart pounding as he

saw the raven perched on his windowsill. He remembered the instructions had been given earlier that day to leave his window open that night. As he moved towards the window, the raven fluttered its wings and landed on the bedpost.

Ragnar's eyes were fixed on the raven as he slowly approached it. He noticed a small box held between its talons. The box looked like it had been carefully wrapped and tied with a small ribbon.

The raven tilted its head and looked at Ragnar with its beady eyes, before flapping its wings and taking off into the night sky.

Ragnar quickly retrieved the box and went back to his bed, sitting down and opening it carefully. Inside the box was a small jar filled with a blue liquid and a letter.

He opened the letter and read it carefully. "A dosage per person; 3 dosages in all." Ragnar read it twice, trying to make sense of what it meant.

He held the small jar of the blue liquid in his hands, examining it carefully. He couldn't believe it, but he knew that this was the potion he had been desperately seeking. The blue potion glimmered under the moonlight as he turned the jar around in his hand.

***

Carissa looked up from her embroidery, a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Ragnar, what is that?" she asked, motioning to the jar in his hand.

"It's the blue blade potion," he said, his voice low. "I received it last night— from her."

By "her" Carissa already knew whom he was referring to.

Carissa's eyes widened in surprise. "How did she manage to get her hands on it?"

Ragnar shrugged. "I don't know. She didn't say much in the letter she sent with it. But it doesn't matter, we have it now." He held out the jar to Carissa. "Here, take a look."

Carissa took the jar from him and examined it closely. "It's so small," she said, frowning. "How much is in there?"

Ragnar shook his head. "I don't know. There was a letter with it, though. ."

"Let me see," Carissa urged, taking the letter from him and handing him back the jar. "We need to know how much to give to each of us."

She opened the letter and quickly scanned its contents. her face fell as she finished.

"There are only three doses," he confirmed.

Carissa's eyes widened in alarm as she read the letter. "But there are four of us," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ragnar nodded. "I know. I don't know what to do."

Carissa looked up at him, determination in her eyes. "We'll figure it out. We'll find a way to make it work."

Ragnar leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, looking at Carissa with a thoughtful expression. "I think it would be best if we left Derek out of taking the potion," he said finally. "He was born on the day of ill-luck, after all. It would be a waste if we gave it to him instead of Fel, who has a more promising future."

Carissa frowned at him. "But he's our son," she protested. "We can't just leave him out like that."

"I know," Ragnar replied. "But we have to think of Fel's future. She's our only hope for continuing our maternal line, and we can't afford to leave her out."

Carissa sighed heavily, knowing that Ragnar is right. "Fine," she said finally. "But we can't let Derek find out about it in any way. He'll feel bad that he was left out and resent us for it."

"I agree," Ragnar nodded. "We'll have to make sure he never finds out."

There is a moment of silence as they both contemplate the difficult decision they have made. Then Ragnar spoke again.

"I think it would also be a good idea to send Derek to my uncle's place for a while," he said.

"It's safer for him there, away from the upcoming chaos. And it will give us some peace of mind."

Carissa nodded, relieved to have a solution. "That's a good idea," she said. "I'll start making preparations."

Ragnar smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you, my love," he says. "We'll get through this together.

Carissa couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt gnawing at her as she watched her husband leave the room. She knew that they had made the right decision by leaving Derek out of taking the potion, but the thought of her son being left out of such an opportunity made her heart ache with sadness. She loved all her children equally and she didn't want any of them to feel left out or neglected.

She stared at the small bottle of blue potion that Ragnar had left on the table and wondered if it was really worth it. The potion was going to be a miracle for their family, and she knew that it could extend her daughter Fel's life, but at what cost? The idea of leaving Derek out of it had shattered her from within. She felt like she was betraying him by not allowing him to have the chance to be cured too.

She thought about the conversation she had with Ragnar, about how they couldn't give the potion to Derek because there were only three doses and they didn't want to waste it on someone who had a lower chance of survival. Carissa knew that Ragnar's reasoning was sound, but it didn't ease her feelings of guilt.

As she sat on her bed with tears in her eyes, she couldn't help but wonder how Derek would react if he found out that they had left him out. She knew that he was a sensitive boy and that he would take it very personally. She didn't want him to feel like they didn't love him as much as they loved Fel.

Carissa wiped her tears and tried to push the feelings of guilt aside. She knew that they had to make tough decisions in times like this, but it didn't make it any easier.