Interlude XI – Haemish, Exploration

Getting to the cottage after Taler started flying had been extremely easy. Not bogged down with the trees and creatures therein. Taler had such a great experience that by the time they got to the cottage he was not even feeling the pain of the previous day, so distracted was he.

Only when Haemish yelled at him to come down and land and then subsequently yelled at him again to get some medicine on his soreness was he reminded of it, and then it hit him so hard that he fairly collapsed onto Bucktooth's neck. It was quite the sight, one second the man was whooping and hollering like a child and then the next he was almost passed out. What an idiot… Haemish thought as he watched the man floundering around.

Bucktooth had quickly landed and the injured man had taken the healing salve and hobbled inside to apply it. Only coming out about half an hour later to the central room huffing and puffing and legs spread so his inner thigh didn't touch. It must have been torture.

"How's it feeling now, lad?"

"Burned like crazy at first, if I'm honest but settling now, still hurts like I've been kicked a few times there…" Taler was red-faced. Haemish grinned as he turned away, he should have warned the man but it was character building, besides it was done now. "A little warning would have been nice…" Taler grumbled.

"What was that, Taler?"

"I was just asking, is it supposed to be sticky?"

"Yes, it is. Should help with your future rides as well, it boosts your natural muscle memory so your muscles will get used to riding faster." Haemish said with more than a hint of pride to his words.

Rion grabbed the bottle from Taler as he walked past. "One of your creations Master Haemish?" this time Rion was pretty impressed, it was one thing to get the skill for a new activity that was not so difficult but even if you had the skill it didn't mean that your muscles were used to the activity. That took time to get used to.

Like when a desk jockey tries to ride a Gryphon like it's a Rabbit.

This salve had been one of Haemish's great successes and sold for a pretty penny in the city. More in Pravwell than Brewyn. I suppose the difference makes sense considering… It was one of a few of his avenues of income allowing him to fund his further research. The King had helped him with the commercial side of things through his own retainers and so Haemish had not needed to worry about it, just giving the King the formula he had discovered and then received a stipend from the production and sales. It was another of the reason the King had such respect for Haemish. Haemish agreed to keep working on new formulae and the King kept up the promotion efforts to popularize them.

It was also one of Darf's major exports, much of the ingredients mined from the Pleutr Forest. Once the formulae were established it was easy to create the factory line and mass produce. Darf could maintain its position at the forefront of the market by keeping the price reasonable and maintaining that trading relationship with the larger nations around it.

After getting Taler settled, things had calmed down considerably with the weather starting to turn after the four months of Agni, they had got a fire going in the hearth, Aera was no joke of a season, the winds blowing and cooling everything down compared to the heat of Agni was even sharper in its contrast. While that was happening Haemish had a wander around his newly rebuilt home. With the repairs having been completed a while ago he had not even noticed that it had been damaged, even the walls had been done with the same brick and mortar as before.

The repair works have been done exceedingly well, Haemish thought. One would not even notice that repairs have been done.

Then he walked into the final and most important part of the cottage. Ahh, yes! It is exactly as I remember it, the shelves have all the enchantments as before and it is clean and neat and tidy…and empty, so very empty. Haemish took a minute to reminisce about what had happened and the loss of many of his valuable and unique substances. At the time it had been chaotic and he had been near death and then it had been important to tidy up and salvage what he could and then Haren had arrived. Not until this moment had the loss truly hit him. There was nothing to be done and he had never been one to dwell, preferring instead to bury them deep down and not deal with them. Far better to do it that way! Besides, seeing my old lab makes me want to brew something! Oh! What's that? Tucked into a corner in one of the cubbyholes was a set of books. They looked familiar and with those books was a note:

Master Haemish,

My apologies for not being able to salvage most from your lab but as you know and remember I am sure the place was rather a mess. I did, however, manage to retain these few journals with some of your notes and efforts, as you can imagine I checked to see if they would be useful to you but couldn't understand anything in them! However, I kept them as the written word is very powerful. You well know that. I hope that my efforts prove useful to you! Also thank you very much for the conversation on the way back to Darf, it was surprisingly eye-opening for me and has inspired me to pursue my dream with greater diligence.

I look forward to learning more from you and understanding more of the incredible work you do. Please do not hesitate to let me know if there is any way I help you further.

Yours Truly,

Haren Brean

Brewing something would have to wait though, or more specifically nothing could be done with an empty alchemical lab. There was literally nothing but empty shelves, if the amount of time it had taken to fill them were any indicator then it was going to be another few months of effort.

Haemish thought about it again, he had been weaker then, over the last few years, his capabilities had continued to grow. One of the main reasons he had been alive for so long as well. He was older than everyone he knew except the King and who knew how old he was, an ancient man within even more unfathomable power. Rumour had it that there were even greater monsters in the world that had lived for longer.

Then there were the Elementals themselves. None alive had seen more than the tail or a wing of the beasts but there were said to be majestic and awesome in their power. Haemish himself had only glimpsed a tip of the Phionix's wing or tail feathers. He could not even be sure of what he had seen but what else could have such feathers. To have one of its feathers to experiment with…Haemish's mouth watered at the thought, certain unachievable goals might have easier been realised with such a treasure.

Haemish was rudely interrupted from his musings and drooling… "Sir…wow! This is incredible Mr Haemish!" of course it was Taler. He was always the more curious, the other two would be more likely to set up a guard or check the surroundings to ensure safety. The study of Alchemy was secondary to both of them. Seen as more of a way to improve their other crafts, "Sir, it is a little empty though…"

Haemish sighed before answering, his time for taking in the new build was over it seemed. "Taler, you know why I came to the capital. You know that the incident that happened here was the reason, so you know that the whole lab blew up…why would you ask such an inane question of me?"

"Ah, yes sir. Sorry about that. I should have remembered. I apologise sir." Taler was bowing and apologising at the same time, it was all too much for Haemish.

"Taler, it is fine! Yes, the lab is empty but that is all the more reason to go into the forest and see what we can find. That's why I have you and the rest here, it is still early." The warmth of the fire was starting to permeate the house and would help with making preparations more quickly. In addition to that Haemish would get them to bank the fire and add enough slow-burning logs to keep it running while they were out.

While Haemish's higher endurance afforded him some protection from temperatures and climate changes, it did not stop his body from feeling it or the effects it had, hands would feel a little tight from the cold, or skin would gain a red sheen from the wind blowing. Sweat trickling down ones face as the heat grew, and yet it remained bearable. Haemish had visited an active volcano's edge and slipped in some lava, and although the majority of his protection had been from a potion he had ingested earlier most would not be able to even enter the vicinity of lava without suffering serious burns even with the aid of said potion.

Haemish had not returned from that particular expedition unscathed though, some light burning on his hands where they had entered the lava and crept into the seams of his dragonhide gloves. Memories of that expedition brought a smile to his face though. A single hooklet of a fire-resistant bird had been his reward. Of course, it's gone now… he frowned at that, he hadn't even been able to decipher if it was the Phionix or not and now he would never be able to…

Haemish's jowls shook as he tried to rid himself of the melancholy that threatened to descend. There was nothing he could do about it now so better to focus on what was going to come next. Bury it deeper I say. Closing his eyes for a moment and breathing in deeply through his nose he then blew the air out slowly from his mouth. He had gained the Meditation skill after many alchemical fails and now it was second nature to calm him.

Returning to the common area, found Rion and Marteen chatting, waiting for him.

"Lads, find a room, don't worry about propriety. I haven't been here since it was repaired and so I honestly don't know where half the things are. Grab what you can find and then we are going to head out once Taler has had a chance to recover a little." Both men nodded and left the room in opposite directions, presumably to find a room and some bedding, it was better to prepare for their return now than when they came home dirty and tired. Certainly better than sleeping in that gods' forsaken place...

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Garva Bark limped forward, her back sore from the latest glorious strengthening she had endured; it had been quite cathartic, just as it always was. Stone and earth did the best work. Garva smiled, her five of six teeth left blackened and rotting. She could have got it all healed, all cured but it was the way of the earth, all things returned to it, that was the way it was if her teeth were to return to the earth who what she to deny it? And the Terratrite had demanded that much from the rest of the Order. He of course was exempted from such frivolous orders; he was as a God to men, he should not follow the same rules as the rest of us.

Each step took her deeper into the warren of earth and death and darkness. It was a solemn place, as it should be and treated with reverence, none did more so than Garva. She would see to it that the tenets of the Order were upheld even if it killed her. It was her duty and the reason she had risen to her current rank. The darkness was no barrier to one so proficient in the earthen magical arts, and with absolute affinity with the soil around her, she was able to walk through the earth as easily and comfortably as she did this tunnel.

She could have taken a more direct route through the earth to get to her Demi-God, it was blasphemy to call him a God but how could she think of him as anything else? Again propriety must be observed and the Terratrite would not accept using the prescribed pathways unless there was an emergency. While this was important she did not deem it an emergency, after all, what was a few days compared to centuries?

After several hours of practically crawling through the bowels of Blorenar, she finally came upon a massive antechamber; this huge room was just the precursor to the larger room beyond, the main temple room. The opulence displayed here was appropriate for the majesty of Ursa. Gold veins had been pulled from the surrounding areas to line the hallway in intricate patterns. Ahh, every time I see this sight, it takes my breath away, the crone thought. She might not have thought it was an urgent meeting but she could not afford to dally either. The Terratrite was not to be kept waiting, the time of that herald to the deities was above mere mortals.

It took fully five minutes to cross the space into the main chamber of the temple. This was even more of what made up the antechamber and on a different scale of size. The whole village of Pleutr could have fit in this underground space, ceiling made of reinforced beams of natural metal veins bent through the ground at the Terratrite's behest. Gold, silver and black metals intertwined and formed complex weaves in and out of the soil above her head and she proceeded beneath each multi-coloured archway, the colours shining and mesmerising in their form. Once again Garva's eyes shone with a manic green light that she would once again have a chance to meet one such as Him.

This time her approach was much more profound. With the dark black throne made from Gravitite, the densest material known on Blorenar and perhaps any other planet in the cosmos, she didn't know for sure. That throne would weigh more than an average mountain of soil, it was a monstrosity of metal, black as the deepest night and towering over the already massive human form sitting in the chair. Four sharp spikes of metal pointed towards the distant ceiling. The mask this humanoid wore was furnished with a grey skull and bones, horn protruded from the sides at the temples of the being in front of her.

While in this form Garva could never be sure of the gender or even species of the one in front of her, from previous encounters with previous forms she knew the Terratrite was a male and most likely human; that was the best she could do. No, he is not human. He is far above where we are on this mortal plane. He has been on this plane for longer than I remember; surely it has been over a millennium.

Garva had been the fastest riser in the Order since its inception, whenever that was. She had gained renown through her zealous and perfect actions for the order, she had shown the ultimate loyalty at every stage and pushed the Order's agenda. She saw herself and inseparable from the order, their goals were meshed and intertwined so intrinsically that she would die before letting the order fall and she would kill to see the order rise, and she had. Many, many times. The Terratrite's orders were law after all.

Standing in the awesome presence was always a life-altering experience and she abased herself in front of him and she reached the bottom of the stairs, no others were in attendance, not many could even bear the presence of such a being. And none are worthy anyway! The thought screamed in her head as her face pressed into the ground, a few more skin cells were consumed by the earth and another tooth fell and was consumed in sacrifice to the earth.

Glorious righteous pain spread through her and she cycled in through her body like it was holy water, this was what I meant to be the presence of greatness, this was everything she wanted! As the pain subsided, the figure rose and slowly, regally descended the stairs to the dais. The boots of this holy being stopped short of her forehead and she scrambled forward in obeisance and kisses those boots with her half-rotten and disintegrated lips. This was the highest of privileges; this would secure her place in the hallowed halls of Moksha. Hopefully, she would be able to ascend to that plane soon, she would have been done with this world long since if she had been for this figure in front of her.

"Master!" she crooned, her throat raw and particles trickling into the soil at this beings feet.

My loyal child, rise. The words were thoughts transmitted directly into the mind. Physically speaking would have eroded her ears as surely as her skin was being eroded by her kissing the boots of this messiah. She would sacrifice her entire being if it meant a single moment more with him though. No sacrifice was too great. It was his due; it was her duty and privilege to bury herself for this being.

"Yes…mass…ter." Her words slurred with half her lips now missing.

I need your presence here for a little while longer before you can go to the ultimate rest. The mammoth of a man paused as if deliberating what to say next.

He would never need to think about anything, perhaps he is just giving me a chance to bask further in his presence? Am I truly so worthy? I hope I can be.

Finally standing she replied, "Wh…at..ev…er, you n..ee…d." More particles of skin and muscle and bones continued to pour away like the slow march of an hourglass's sands. She continued in her mind, I live to serve and obey your greatness. Her lips and body were failing her in her reverence. This would not do at all, she fell to her knees and wept in shame and embarrassment once again. How could she let this paragon down with her disgusting body that fell apart so easily? The incredible pain that continued to build unabated was her just dessert for her unbecoming actions.

My child, rise! This command was accompanied by a wrenching and she was pulled upright, her curved spine forcibly straightened and then her face forced to look at this holiest of faces.

It was beautiful…she could not stand it, this face was too beautiful for her to behold. It was not for her to see some perfection! She would claw her eyes out and offer them to him as her penance. Panic set in, she could not move her hand, pain screamed up and down her spine for the force and pressure. That was nothing compared to the panic that she felt from not being able to perform her chosen penance before this…dare she say it…..God…

Enough, I grow tired of this grovelling. I have a task for you and for that I need you WHOLE! Many of her thoughts were blasted away and only the message remained. It left her shocked that this being who was her whole world, all her passion and all her desire and all her devotion, would require her…she couldn't believe it. She was at once overwhelmed, not knowing what to say. The bare minimum of particles remained that had not been consumed by the ground beneath her as she continued to unravel before him. Those particles that kept her alive quivered in anticipation. They were now barely recognisable as human.

With a snap she was reformed in her perfect form, the power of a near-God brought to bear. Her hair returned to its lustrous green from where she had mastered earth magic, forming and growing out of her skull that had also reformed in the perfect oval shape. Green eyes returned and shone with a renewed light. A straight sharp nose formed over plump full red lips, receded gums grew back forming perfectly around new pearly white teeth. Double chin retracted and formed an elegant jaw-line. Ears reformed whole and skin returned tan, smooth and blemish-free. Straight backed and spine stretch healed in that position; failing organs were restored. Loose arm and leg flesh was sucked back skin smoothed and re-formed then re-knit and healed over the reformed arm and leg, bones and muscles, gnarled hands and knotted feet straightened out. Grey and washed out skin was returned to the vitality of youth. Every part of the body was fully restored to its capability and appearance while Garva had been in her prime.

She now stood in the tatters of a cloak that barely fit and upright, pride and power mixed in her glowing green eyes. They were the eyes of a woman who had given everything to reach her goal. Zeal danced in those glowing eyes and playful lips. Under the surface, the green light of power flowed in her veins and gave off a faint glow. The rush of power flowing through her was intoxicating and it reaffirmed that her intense faith had been placed in the right master; she had been restored the right way. Only He was exempt from using Earth magic for frivolous and aesthetic reasons.

A beautiful woman left her master's side where a crone had stood before. Turning to face him she bowed her head once more and then gracefully knelt where only prostrating herself had been possible before. She marvelled at the new amount of motion in her joints. Head bowed, her clothes were restored to a fit that best suited her newly formed lithe body. As the new fabrics settled on her the full awareness of her form was realised. She had not felt this way for many years, nearly forty years of dedication to this church had truly ravaged her body from the sacrifices of the flesh made. The number of "training" undergone had also had their toll without healing between them to remove welts and bruises. It was all a part of the Penance the rite of passage for each acolyte of Ursa's order.

I now permit you to restore yourself with your Earthen magic when the situation calls for it, grow strong and learn what this Prophecy means and how we can make this work for Ursa's church, the only true religion that Blorenar has. I know you will not disappoint me in this, the most important of your tasks in these last forty years. We will learn what this means, no matter what. He once more stared into her soul as he said this in her mind. Her newly formed skin pebbled with goose flesh an intense shiver ran up her spine following his words. She would prove herself no matter what it took.

"Yes, master. I will be everything you need. Anything you desire will be mine to provide." A cool sultry voice emanated from plump rosy lips. It was time.

With a sway in her step she retreated from the chamber to return to the surface world, the world she hated to learn more and see the world buried under the sand.

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The final preparations had been done and now four would-be adventurers set out from a cottage deep in the woods to search for an answer to a long misunderstood problem, what could restore a Prince with negative luck to some semblance of normalcy or better yet, turn that negative number into a positive one. It would be a game-changer and put a king in Haemish's debt. No price could be considered too high for such prestige.

Packs hoisted onto shoulders and an assortment of jars, boxes and bags were prepared for the number of samples to be collected and the treasures that were ready to be found. Haemish would save young Boren if that was the last thing he did.