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<<set $age to "22">>
This page serves as a character creator. The story will begin only once you fully customize your character. Now, if you're ready, please, choose your pronouns.
<<link "He/Him">>[\
<<set $pronoun to "he/him">>
]<</link>>
<<link "She/Her">>[\
<<set $pronoun to "she/her">>
]<</link>>
<<link "They/Them">>[\
<<set $pronoun to "they/them">>
]<</link>>
Please, check the character sheet to make sure you're satisfied with your choice. When you're ready, please type in the name of your character in the boxes below.
First name: <<textbox "$name" "">>
Last name: <<textbox "$lastname" "">>
Please, choose your personality type. It'll change some of your character's dialogue lines.
<<link "Reserved">>[\
<<set $personality to "reserved">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Emotional">>[\
<<set $personality to "emotional">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Sarcastic">>[\
<<set $personality to "sarcastic">>
]<</link>>
Now, about your appearance, please, pick the color of your eyes.
<<link "Brown eyes">>[\
<<set $eyecolor to "brown">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Blue eyes">>[\
<<set $eyecolor to "blue">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Hazel eyes">>[\
<<set $eyecolor to "hazel">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Emerald eyes">>[\
<<set $eyecolor to "emerald">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Gold eyes">>[\
<<set $eyecolor to "gold">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Silver eyes">>[\
<<set $eyecolor to "silver">>
]<</link>>
How about the length of your hair?
<<link "Long">>[\
<<set $hlength to "long">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Medium">>[\
<<set $hlength to "medium length">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Short">>[\
<<set $hlength to "short">>
]<</link>>
We're almost done with character creation. Still, before the story starts, you need to pick two more things. These two, just like your character's personality, will change some paragraphs in the game, and so I encourage you to pick the things you feel most comfortable with.
First, choose your element. The element is going to determine your character's connection to magic. It'll be mostly about flavor, but it will change the way your magic looks, and it may also give you access to certain unique spells!
<<link "Earth">>[\
<<set $element to "earth">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Water">>[\
<<set $element to "water">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Fire">>[\
<<set $element to "fire">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Air">>[\
<<set $element to "air">>
]<</link>>
Now, let's customize your familiar. The familiar is your magical friend and advisor that has been with you ever since you learned that you were able to perform magic. Please, pick your familiar's race and write in it's name in the box below.
<<link "Cat">>[\
<<set $familiar to "cat">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Dog">>[\
<<set $familiar to "dog">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Snake">>[\
<<set $familiar to "snake">>
]<</link>>
<<link "Rat">>[\
<<set $familiar to "rat">>
]<</link>>
Familiar's name: <<textbox "$fname" "">>
If you're done with character creation, please, [[click here]] and check your character sheet once you get to the next page. If everything seems okay, you can start reading the story. <div class="link">[[Stats]]</div><div class="link">[[Recipes]]</div><div class="link">[[Grimoire]]</div><div class="link">[[Characters]]</div>When you woke up earlier this morning, your body felt unusually healthy and your mind seemed incredibly clear. The observation made you feel so good you actually called out to the gods, wanting to thank them for this new day of your life. You felt truly happy up until the moment when the first customer entered your shop.
At first, you expected the transaction to go smoothly. An old dwarven woman asking about some healing balms was nothing unusual in this part of the city. Little did you know that you'd be forced to spend well over three hours arguing with her about the prices of particular ingredients used to make said balms.
It happened from time to time. While most customers tended to trust your judgement and simply paid for the medicine they wanted, some felt a very peculiar need to ask about every little detail. Where did you pick those herbs? Did you grind that jasper stone yourself? Are you sure you did everything according to the recipe?
Unfortunately, as you find yourself imprisoned behind the counter, you realize that this particular lady is even worse than that. She might be short, what with her head barely reaching the countertop, but her ginger eyes are fierce, and you can tell she's not going to be easily convinced.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_argument_1">><</link>>''CHARACTER SHEET''
''PERSONAL INFORMATION''
First name: $name.
Last name: $lastname.
Age: $age.
Pronoun: $pronoun.
Personality: $personality.
Appearance: A young half-elven $man with $hlength white hair and $eyecolor eyes.
''MAGIC''
Element: $element.
Familiar: $familiar.
Familiar's name: $fname.
''SHOP''
Reputation: $reputation.
Money: $money tisyels.''ALCHEMICAL RECEPIES''
''SIMPLE BALMS''
''Basic healing balm:'' thyme, sea salt, coconut oil, dreadflower petals, cocoa powder.
''Basic healing balm (new):'' hot pepper, sea salt, sunflower oil, dreadflower petals, cocoa powder.
''SIMPLE POTIONS''
''Small healing potion:'' tulip petals, water, lemon balm.
''Small dyen potion:'' white rose petals, crystal water, liquefied sunlight.
''SIMPLE POISONS''
''Mushroom poison:'' blue mushrooms, crystal water.
''Black orchid poison:'' unknown.''LIST OF KNOWN SPELLS AND RITUALS''
''SPELLS''
''1st Circle''
Conjure fire: known.
Create water: known.
Speak with nature: known.
Summon wind: known.
Sense magic: known.
''2nd Circle''
Lock/Unlock: read about.
Simple Ward: read about.
''RITUALS''
''1st Circle''
Summon rain: read about.''Mother''
Human, female, in her 40s.
Your dear mother lives in the free city of Pelletheliana, and you haven't seen her in person in years. You often send each other letters and you're always excited when a messenger knocks at your door.
Your mother is an apothecary, and she made you interested in alchemy, but she's not as risky with her craft as you are.
''Father''
Elf, male, age unknown.
You know next to nothing about the man. Your mother has never told you much about him, claiming that you need not concern yourself with such things. Although you did some research, hoping to find out more, you came up with nothing of value.
''Ezra''
Human, male, around 30.
Ezra is a mage from the Mage's Guild who specializes in enchanting of items and scribing of magical scrolls. You don't know him too well, but you have spoken a few times throughout the years.
Most of the time, he seems to be quite cheerful, curious and open-minded, but you suspect there might also be a more sassy side to him that you haven't interacted with just yet.
Surprisingly enough, you don't know his last name.
''Ophelia Iryadel''
Human, female, 21.
Ophelia is a priestess of Fatumne at one of the great temples in the City of Waves. Raised and supported by the temple, she's dedicated her life to helping others. While you don't know her very well, you have seen her a few times during your trips to the Temple District.
Unlike with Ezra, you've never actually spoken with her.
''Daruna Argando''
Dwarf, female, in her 60s.
Daruna comes from an ancient dwarven family, and... that's more or less all you know about her. You've heard some rumors about her grandfather being a great dwarf and her niece having some trouble with the Thieves Guild, but since you've never had much interest in her family, you're quite surprised when you see her in your shop. Please, make sure the stats are correct. If something is missing, go back to the previous page and try to create your main character once again.
If everything is okay, click [[here]] to start the game.
<<if $pronoun is "he/him">><<set $man to "man">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "she/her">><<set $man to "woman">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "they/them">><<set $man to "person">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "he/him">><<set $boy to "boy">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "she/her">><<set $boy to "girl">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "they/them">><<set $boy to "child">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "he/him">><<set $master to "Master">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "she/her">><<set $master to "Madam">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "they/them">><<set $master to "Doctor">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "he/him">><<set $he to "he">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "he/him">><<set $him to "him">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "he/him">><<set $his to "his">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "she/her">><<set $he to "she">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "she/her">><<set $him to "her">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "she/her">><<set $his to "her">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "they/them">><<set $he to "they">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "they/them">><<set $him to "them">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "they/them">><<set $his to "their">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "he/him">><<set $che to "He">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "he/him">><<set $chim to "Him">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "he/him">><<set $chis to "His">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "she/her">><<set $che to "She">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "she/her">><<set $chim to "Her">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "she/her">><<set $chis to "Her">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "they/them">><<set $che to "They">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "they/them">><<set $chim to "Them">><</if>>
<<if $pronoun is "they/them">><<set $chis to "Their">><</if>>
<<set $reputation to "average">>
<<set $money to 500>>"Now, listen to me, $boy," she says, pointing at you with her plump finger. "I may not be a witch, but my great great-grandmother was an advisor to the third prince of Underearth, and she once told my uncle, who was a very rich and important man himself, that one should never trust a charlatan. And that's what you are, isn't it?"
Your eyes go wide at her accusation. While it's not the first time you've ever been accused of being a pretender, this woman seems to be strangely convinced that's the case.
"Excuse me? My lady, I'm not sure..."
"Don't 'my lady' me!" she cuts you off with a shout, and you notice that she's clenching her fists. Perhaps there's something wrong? Maybe she's acting like this because she's in trouble? "I've been to dozens of people like you - alchemists, mages, and apothecaries - and you're all the same. You claim to know things, but when something really happens, you're just as useless as the rest of us! You're all charlatans! Charlatans!"
[[Calmly explain that you've dedicated your whole life to alchemy, and you're certainly no charlatan.]]
[[Tell the woman she should watch her manners.]]
[[Point out that the woman's family isn't as pure and holy as she would like to believe.]]"While I can see your frustration, my lady, and I can tell something is truly bothering you, I cannot simply stand here and accept all these accusations. Not after years of education and hours upon hours of very intense independent studies. I respect my teachers too much to do that, which means I have to ask you to take a deep breath and tell me what's really going on. I'll help you if I can."
The woman stares at you for a long while, her eyes wide open and eyebrows forming a surprised arch, and you can tell she's trying to process what you just said. You swallow heavily, desperately hoping she understands where you're coming from. You weren't trying to be disrespectful.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_argument_2">><</link>>"Look, lady, I don't know who you think you are, but you should mind your tone. In this shop, you are a customer, and I'm the owner. If you want to receive help, you have to show some decency and respect. If you truly think I'm just a pretender, and you're not really interested in my help, the door's over there."
With that, you point to the corridor leading outside and cross your arms.
The woman stares at you for a long while, her eyes wide open and eyebrows forming a surprised arch, and you can tell she's trying to process what you just said. You purse your lips, not really feeling any remorse for being so straightforward, and wait for her reply. Judging by her earlier attitude, there's no way she'll remain silent.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_argument_2">><</link>>"Now, now, do you really want to remind people of the other members of your family? I'm not trying to be rude - well, maybe I am - but do you honestly think I don't know that your grandmother lost millions trying to become a poet, and that your own sister ran away from your family with some random pirate from Tera Kalio? Do you really think you're in any position to call me a charlatan?"
The woman's eyes go wide, and you hear her gasp in shock. You might have gone a bit too far, but then again, she was the one who came to your shop and started this whole argument. You are simply protecting yourself and the good name of your shop.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_argument_2">><</link>>"I," she hesitates, "I'm sorry, Doctor $lastname. You're right. I might have been too harsh, but that's simply because I found myself in really dire need of help. The situation is... dreadful, and I'm honestly not sure if anything can be even done at this point..."
"Perhaps we could have a seat and discuss it?" you propose, noticing that her eyes are scanning the shop in search of something.
When she nods, you give her a polite smile, close the front door, and lead her behind the counter. You walk in silence. The woman doesn't say anything, and you decide it's probably best to give her some time to calm down after your little argument.
Soon, you enter a cozy room with two fluffy pillows laid out on the floor and a beautifully carved wooden table with a porcelain teapot that's just asking to be used. In fact, it is being used right now as it's not just a regular teapot. It's an enchanted item that's supposed to make fresh tea whenever someone enters the room. That's why the air in here is filled with the aroma of brewing leaves.
The tearoom was your mother's idea. She encouraged you to add it to the shop, saying it would prove useful when entertaining customers. While it seemed unnecessary at the time, you soon learned that having a space like this can actually be very helpful.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_argument_3">><</link>>You nod. "And what is it exactly that you want from me? I can't tell you what's wrong with your grandson simply based on your description. There may be more than a dozen different reasons for why a person might be unable to wake up. I need details."
You watch as the woman brings her hands to her face and starts massaging her temples. "There's not much, I'm afraid. There hasn't been any signs of blood, and the priestess says everything seems to be okay with him. He simply can't wake up."
"Has he been screaming or speaking in his... sleep?"
"I don't think so. Well, I didn't hear anything, but I'm not so young anymore, and I'm sure the priestess would be able to tell you more. She's been watching over my Dedal night and day, and her room is right next to his. Then again, I assume she would have told me if that was the case."
While Daruna's words do make some sense, her assumptions are a bit too weak to be valid. After all, it's very possible that the priestess heard something, but, seeing the old woman's mental state, decided to keep it to herself. If Daruna asks you to really investigate what happened to her grandson, you'll definitely need to have a word with that Ophelia.
Now that you think about it, the name Ophelia does ring a bell. You can't be sure, but you believe you might have seen her once or twice somewhere in the Temple District. You have a few patients there, which means your memory might be correct.
"Well, Doctor $lastname?" the woman asks, bringing your mind back to the tearoom. "Do you think you'll be able to help my grandson? If you worry about compensation, know that if you manage to get my grandson back, I'll reward you so handsomely, you'll never have to work again."
"Mrs. Argando, I'm not sure..."
She stops you with her hand. "I have neither time nor patience for fake modesty. Do you think you can do it? Do you think you can help my Dedal?"
[[Try to give Daruna some hope.]]
[[Give Daruna a realistic prognosis.]]"I can't say anything for sure until I study him myself, and I certainly don't want to give you false hope, but I can promise you that I'll try."
Daruna nods, and you watch her swallow what you assume might be some last bits of her hesitation. "It's settled, then. Doctor $lastname, I'm hiring you to cure my grandson and find out what happened to him. I know you may not be able to help, and so the only thing I ask of you is full honesty. I need you to promise me you'll be frank with me, and that you'll tell me if it turns out there's no hope for him."
<<if $personality is "reserved">>"I would never lie about my patient's health to a member of their family, Mrs. Argando. I promise to tell you the truth, no matter how hard it may be to hear."<</if>><<if $personality is "emotional">>"I swear I would never keep something like that from you, Mrs. Argando. I know how painful this whole situation must be, and I wouldn't want to keep you hanging on to false hope."<</if>><<if $personality is "sarcastic">>"Well, it's not like I'm going to kill him and use necromancy to bring him back only because I want to get paid. If I notice that there's no way out, I'll be sure to tell you right away."<</if>>
"Alright, then," the woman says, apparently satisfied with your answer. "Shall we go and check on him right now?"
Your eyes go wide. "Right now?"
Daruna sighs. "I know it's all very sudden, but I dare say time is of the essence here. Come on, let's go. You'll be able to check on Dedal and speak with the priestess. Perhaps she'll have more information for you?"
With that, the dwarven woman puts down the cup, rises from the pillow, and walks out of the tearoom. With your eyes still wide in shock, you realize you have no other option but to follow her.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_arrival_1">><</link>>"I have to be honest with you, my lady, and admit that I've never heard of anything like what you're describing. I don't know it such a thing can be cured, but I am willing to at least give it a try."
Daruna nods, and you watch her swallow what you assume might be some last bits of her hesitation. "It's settled, then. Doctor $lastname, I'm hiring you to cure my grandson and find out what happened to him. I know you may not be able to help, and so the only thing I ask of you is full honesty. I need you to promise me you'll be frank with me, and that you'll tell me if it turns out there's no hope for him."<<if $personality is "reserved">>"I would never lie about my patient's health to a member of their family, Mrs. Argando. I promise to tell you the truth, no matter how hard it may be to hear."<</if>><<if $personality is "emotional">>"I swear I would never keep something like that from you, Mrs. Argando. I know how painful this whole situation must be, and I wouldn't want to keep you hanging on to false hope."<</if>><<if $personality is "sarcastic">>"Well, it's not like I'm going to kill him and use necromancy to bring him back only because I want to get paid. If I notice that there's no way out, I'll be sure to tell you right away."<</if>>
"Alright, then," the woman says, apparently satisfied with your answer. "Shall we go and check on him right now?"
Your eyes go wide. "Right now?"
Daruna sighs. "I know it's all very sudden, but I dare say time is of the essence here. Come on, let's go. You'll be able to check on Dedal and speak with the priestess. Perhaps she'll have more information for you?"
With that, the dwarven woman puts down the cup, rises from the pillow, and walks out of the tearoom. With your eyes still wide in shock, you realize you have no other option but to follow her.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_arrival_1">><</link>>As it soon turns out, Daruna's mansion is located in the Orchid District. It doesn't come as much of a surprise because that's the part of the city where most rich people live. It's also, structurally speaking, the oldest part of the capital as it was built by the very first humans right after the creation of their race.
As you walk among enormous buildings of pale while and blue stone, many of which look like miniature palaces, you can't help but marvel at the sheer amount of gardens you see. Although you know for a fact it's not the case, it seems as thought there was a garden by every mansion. The trees - mostly olives, date palms and hekaloses - all look healthy, and you can tell the gardeners must be taking good care of them.
While you do have some customers from the Orchid District, it's common knowledge that nobles usually have their own private alchemists who get paid a lot of gold to make sure they never question their orders. It's an old tradition that was invented by the first kings and queens to prevent the general population from knowing too much about important matters, but somehow, it's still very much present.
Daruna leads you across the Emerald Plaza, and soon, you reach what you assume must be her mansion. The building is large, though admittedly, not as big as some other houses in the area. The one thing that catches your eyes is the fact that it seems like Daruna's mansion might be one of the newest structures in the district.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_arrival_2">><</link>>When you reach the door mentioned by Daruna, you take a deep breath and gently knock on the wooden surface. There's no immediate answer, and the fact makes you feel uneasy. Still, you decide to wait.
After maybe a minute, the door falls open, and you find yourself stood in front of a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Her skin is so pale, at first, you're not sure if she isn't just a ghost or an illusion. Your worries disappear when her eyes narrow and her lips form an uncertain smile.
"Good morning," she says slowly, and you realize she must be waiting for you to introduce yourself.
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Ophelia. My name is $name $lastname, and I'm a professional alchemist." As you say that, you try to give her your most welcoming smile. "Please, do not be alarmed. I was hired by Mrs. Argando, and I think we're supposed to work together to try to help her grandson. She wanted to introduce us herself, but... something came up."
The priestess blinks a couple of times, clearly trying to process what you've just said, but soon, confusion disappears from her face and is replaces with a warm and welcoming expression.
"Ophelia Iryadel, at your service," she says with a curtsy. "I have to tell you, Doctor $lastname, that this case is unlike anything I've ever seen, and I'm not even sure what I can really tell you. Most of what I know is pure speculation. Still, I'm glad to have some company. The last few weeks have been... difficult."
[[Try to remain fully professional.]]
[[Answer in a friendly way.]]
[[Answer with a flirtatious joke.]]You've had some experience working with other people, and the one thing that's been consistently true is the fact that it's always better to know where to draw the line between work and private life. That's why you know you shouldn't be too nice to Ophelia. You've been hired to work together, and the job has to always come first. Otherwise, why should anyone take you seriously as an alchemist?
With that in mind, you give her a polite smile. "I'm sure we'll be able to come up with many new ideas together. Before we begin, is it possible that I've seen you before? Your face looks very familiar."
Ophelia laughs awkwardly. "Yes, I think it's quite plausible. I'm sure you have patients all around the city, and I also think I might have seen your face before. Have you ever been to the Temple of Fatumne?"
"Once or twice, but that was a few years ago."
"That doesn't change anything," she says, her eyes bright and filled with pure joy. "I've spent my whole life in this city, and I began my clerical studies back when I was but nine years old. Let's just assume we ran into each other in the past, but don't really remember the meeting, shall we?"
You nod, satisfied with her answer. "Alright, then. Now that that's done, shall we see to Dedal?"
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_grandson_ophelia_1">><</link>>While you are a bit surprised at how open Ophelia seems to be with you, you can't help but feel glad that's the case. You wouldn't want this new work relationship to feel like a chore or make you uncomfortable. Who knows, perhaps this acquaintance could turn into a new friendship? You certainly have some space in your life for a new friend.
"Thank you, Miss Iryadel," you say with a warm smile. "Is it alright if I just call you by your first name, or will you think it a bit too forward of me? I wouldn't want to..."
She raises her hands to stop you, and you notice she's barely able to stop her eyes from rolling. "Please, Doctor, we don't really have to be this formal. After all, we are going to be working together."
"That's very true," you admit with a laugh. "Before we begin, I have to ask you one more question. Do you think it's possible that we've seen each other before? Your face looks very familiar."
Ophelia laughs awkwardly at that. "Yes, I think it's quite plausible. I'm sure you have patients all around the city, and I also think I might have seen your face before. Have you ever been to the Temple of Fatumne?"
"Once or twice, but that was quite a few years ago."
"That doesn't change anything," she says, her eyes bright and filled with pure joy. "I've spent my whole life in this city, and I began my clerical studies back when I was but nine years old. Let's just assume we ran into each other in the past, but don't really remember the meeting, shall we?"
You nod, satisfied with her answer. "Alright, then. Now that that's done, shall we see to Dedal?"
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_grandson_ophelia_1">><</link>>As you look into Ophelia's pure eyes, you can't help but wonder where this new relationship could possibly go. Perhaps if you were to flirt with her, she could see you in a more positive light? Still, what if she already has someone? She's a beautiful young woman and a priestess of Fatumne. Her future is going to be very bright, and that's certainly attractive to many people.
"I look forward to working with you, Miss Iryadel," you say with a wink.
At first, Ophelia doesn't react. Her expression remains unchanged, almost as if she failed to notice your attempt at flirting. Then, when you begin to consider saying something else, you watch as her eyes go ridiculously wide, and she takes a cautious step back.
"Are you trying to...?" She doesn't finish the question. She seems to be in too much shock. "Doctor $lastname, I'm not sure this is appropriate. If Mrs Argando heard us talking like that, she'd certainly..."
You raise an eyebrow. "But Mrs. Argando isn't here, is she?"
"No, but her grandson is."
As Ophelia says that, she points to the bed standing by a nearby wall. She's right. On a double bed, you see a man, probably in his early to mid-thirties. Thankfully, he seems to be asleep.
"Right," you mumble, nervously scratching the back of your neck. "Perhaps this isn't the right place."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_grandson_ophelia_1">><</link>><<if $element is "fire">>As you say that, you place your palm on Dedal's forehead and close your eyes. It takes a few breaths, but soon, you feel a spark of energy and guide your power along your arm, all the way to your fingertips. As it pours out of your palm, the red energy surrounds Dedal's whole body, letting you study him in detail.<</if>><<if $element is "earth">> As you say that, you place your palm on Dedal's forehead and close your eyes. It takes a few breaths, but soon, you feel a spark of energy and guide your power along your arm, all the way to your fingertips. As it pours out of your palm, the green energy surrounds Dedal's whole body, letting you study him in detail.<</if>><<if $element is "air">>As you say that, you place your palm on Dedal's forehead and close your eyes. It takes a few breaths, but soon, you feel a spark of energy and guide your power along your arm, all the way to your fingertips. As it pours out of your palm, the white energy surrounds Dedal's whole body, letting you study him in detail.<</if>><<if $element is "water">>As you say that, you place your palm on Dedal's forehead and close your eyes. It takes a few breaths, but soon, you feel a spark of energy and guide your power along your arm, all the way to your fingertips. As it pours out of your palm, the blue energy surrounds Dedal's whole body, letting you study him in detail.<</if>>
As your inner vision slowly studies the young man's spiritual body, you begin to notice certain unusual features. At first, they seem to be just a part of his aura, but then, when you take a closer look, you realize they must be something else. They look like small dots of black, purple, and scarlet, and they all seem to be doing something together.
With another deep breath, you use your energy to try and separate two of the dots from each other, but suddenly, you hear a horrific sound, and your body is violently thrown across the room.
As you land on one of the walls, your senses return, and you quickly check on your body. It seems to be okay. You're probably going to get a few bruises, but you're fairly certain that should be the end of it.
"$name!" Ophelia exclaims, running up to you with green healing magic in her hands. "What was that? What happened? Are you hurt? Hang on, I'll use a bit of magic to strengthen your natural regeneration." As she says that, she pours the energy into your body. "There you go. This should help."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_daruna_returns">><</link>>You barely manage to get yourself off the floor, when suddenly, the door opens with a loud bang, and you watch as Daruna enters the room with a mad, almost furious look on her face.
"What in the world was that?!" she demands. "What was that sound, and why do you look so rattled? Is my Dedal okay?"
You cough a couple of times and click your neck. "I'm fine, thank you for asking." When she doesn't react, you sigh and decide to let it go. "I was trying to check your grandson's spiritual body, but something went wrong, and I ended up getting thrown across the room by... well... something."
Daruna's eyes narrow. "So you're telling me you made a mistake? Was there any chance that it could have hurt my Dedal?"
Before you manage to answer, Ophelia raises her hands and takes a very clear step forward. "That's enough. Mrs. Argando, Doctor $lastname was simply doing $his job, and we have no right to criticize $him for that. Sadly, when $he tried to study Dedal to come up with a way of curing him, something happened... This outburst of power wasn't supposed to happen. Not at all."
"Is that true?" the dwarven woman ask, her tired eyes piercing you like a magic spell. "If it is, then what happened? Why did something go wrong? Did you learn anything that could be useful?"
[[Tell Daruna that you felt something.]]
[[Keep the information to yourself, at least for now.]]Remembering your earlier promise, you let out a deep sigh and ask Daruna to join you on a nearby couch. She does, if a bit reluctantly, and you decide it's best to tell her everything right away.
"I don't know much," you begin as Ophelia takes a seat in a chair near the door. "I saw some strange and worrisome dots of energy that were doing something to or with Dedal's spirit. Before you ask me what they are, let me tell you that I do not know. I've never seen anything like it before, which means I'm going to have to visit the library to make some research. I'd like to go there this afternoon."
The old woman swallows heavily, and you can tell she doesn't like what you told her. "How bad is it? If you were to judge his chances, would you say that they're high? Should I prepare myself for..."
"No!" Ophelia exclaims suddenly, rising from her seat. "We're going to do everything we can to help your grandson, and you have to believe in our success! If all else fails, I'm sure the gods will answer our prayers and help us deal with... whatever this thing might be."
You blink slowly, surprised at her sudden outburst. "That's right. There is still time, Mrs. Argando, and that means we cannot lose hope. Hope is a curious thing, and it really is worth hanging on to it until the very last moment. Besides, I promised you that I would tell you if I thought there was no way out, didn't I?"
At first, the woman's face tells you she wants to protest, but then, she lets out a resigned sigh and nods a few times. "Alright, then. You are the professionals here, and I'm going to trust your judgement. Just," she hesitates. "Nothing. It's nothing."
With that, she rises from the couch, gives you a quick nod and briskly walks out of the room.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "road_to_the_library_1">><</link>>Despite your earlier promise, you decide to not tell Daruna about what you saw in her grandson's aura. You don't really know anything about it, and it's probably best if you refrain from worrying her even more before you find any actual information about what's happening.
You shake your head. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Argando, but I still don't know anything. As promised, I will inform you of everything as soon as I know anything for sure, but right now, I barely got a lead that I'm going to follow later today."
Daruna narrows her eyes. "A hint? What do you mean?"
"I honestly don't know. I'm going to visit the library as soon as we're finished here, and I'll try to search for anything that could be useful in dealing with this... case."
"I agree with Doctor $lastname," Ophelia adds, nodding encouragingly. "It's best if we don't speculate. We need to have hope, Mrs. Argando. Hope will help us remain optimistic, and good energy can make all the difference." She smiles. "You can trust me on that. I'm a priestess."
At first, the woman's face tells you she wants to protest, but then, she lets out a resigned sigh and nods a few times. "Alright, then. You are the professionals here, and I'm going to trust your judgement. If you need anything from me, feel free to ask. Whether it's money for some very peculiar ingredients or simply my attention - I'll give it to you. Just," she hesitates, "do everything you can to save my Dedal."
With that, she rises from the couch, gives you a quick nod and briskly walks out of the room.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "road_to_the_library_1">><</link>>"Alright," you say as you pour the tea into two small cups and hand one to the woman. "Perhaps you could start by finally telling me your name?"
Her eyes go wide. "Gods! I really didn't even tell you my name? That's just plain rude of me. My name is Daruna Argando, and I'm sure you've met other members of my family. We're quite popular in this town, even if most of our... assets are still in the Underearth."
"Very well. Now, what is this thing that's troubling you so much? You said something about seeing other alchemists and mages for help?"
She nods a few times, and you notice that the memory brings back some of her frustration. "I did, yes. Doctor, I can't tell you how many similar conversations I've had in the last few weeks. You explain your problem to someone, and they simply refuse to help you... Well, some tried to do something, but they all failed. It's just very disheartening, you know?"
"What is your problem, then?" you ask, trying to keep your voice gentle and professional at the same time. "I have to admit that I myself don't see anything wrong with you, at least not at first glance."
Daruna shakes her head. "It's not me. It's my grandson."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_argument_4">><</link>>"Your grandson?" you ask, taking another sip of your tea. "That... would explain why you're so emotional about this. We always care more about those who are close to us than about ourselves."
She nods and also takes a sip. "The tea's excellent. I usually prefer to stick to stronger things, but I have to admit this one tastes great."
You smile knowingly. You've been an alchemist long enough to know what's happening here. Daruna is trying to use small talk as a way of buying herself some time. She probably needs a moment to regain her composure, but doesn't want to ask for it directly. Knowing such techniques can be helpful, you decide to play along.
"Thank you," you say. "Drinking tea is a bit of a family tradition. We have a book filled with descriptions of different techniques of brewing, and I have a storage full of glass jars with dried leaves from all over Sekherion." You smile as you remember that you were supposed to clean in that storage a few days ago, and you still have yet to do it. "Anyway, my lady, you were telling me about your grandson?"
"His name is Dedal, and he's a good child. Well, he's not really a child. Not anymore. Still, our family never had to be ashamed of him, and he's done nothing but made us proud with all his choices." She smiles at what you assume might be some kind of good memory. "I just don't know what happened to him, Doctor $lastname. He's... He has been asleep for over three weeks now."
Your eyes go wide. "And he's still alive? How's it possible that his body is still functioning?"
"I asked a young priestess from the Temple of Fatumne to come and try to keep his body alive. Her name is Ophelia, and she's been staying in my home since this whole... situation began. She's a kind-hearted girl, if a bit naive, but I know she has no idea what's wrong with my Dedal either. She's just too pure to tell me that."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_argument_5">><</link>>"Your house looks quite new," you point out as the woman calls for one of the servants to open the gate. "You mentioned that your family was from Underearth, but I don't believe you said if you were born in the Southern Kingdom." You hesitate. "Of course, you don't need to answer if it's a difficult subject."
Daruna waves her hand dismissively. "It's alright, Doctor $lastname. You have every right to be curious, and I don't really mind talking about my family. Well, at least about the... good members of the family. I was, indeed, born in the Southern Kingdom, but my parents were not. They were brought here by my grandfather, and they were the ones who built this house. My grandfather used to live somewhere else."
You take a moment to consider that. "You mentioned your family being very important back in Underearth. Do you think this could be connected to what happened to Dedal? Perhaps it was a politically motivated attack? Do you know why your grandfather decided to leave his home behind?"
"We weren't very close," she says, pursing her lips. "Still, I believe he kept a diary or a journal, which means I could probably find out. You'll have to give me a few days, but I'll tell you if I find something. Come, now. There's no need for us to be standing here. The house is waiting, and so is my poor grandson."
With that, she walks past a couple of guards and leads you through the main door of the mansion.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_arrival_3">><</link>>The house is out of this world, or at the very least out of your world. Everything is so brilliant and perfect, you actually find that you're a bit afraid to touch anything. The floors are exquisitely polished, and the walls are full of detailed carvings, and even if these things weren't present, the sheer amount of open space in the grand hall would be more than enough to make you gasp.
"I'll give you a tour of the house later," Daruna says as she notices you gaping at the huge marble staircase leading to the upper floor. "Follow me, Doctor $lastname. Dedal's room is on the second floor."
"You have a truly beautiful home, Mrs. Argando," you tell the woman as she starts leading you up the stairs.
"It is much bigger than yours, isn't it?"
Your eyes go wide at her remark, but when you turn to look at her, you realize she must have thought she was making a simple comment, and that it likely wasn't supposed to sound rude. <<if $personality is "reserved">>You purse your lips. "That's a... true statement. Still, it's important to notice that you come from a rich and noble family, and I'm just an alchemist who was raised by a single mother. I'd say we're two very different people with very different backgrounds."<</if>><<if $personality is "emotional">>"It is, Mrs. Argando. It truly is. While I would love to have a bit more money, I'm very passionate about helping other people, and that makes things difficult. I can never find enough time to really focus on doing business."<</if>><<if $personality is "sarcastic">>"Well, Mrs. Argando, we can't all be swimming in money, can we? It's not like I wake up every morning and choose to not be rich. Still, if you'd like to buy me a house like yours, I wouldn't reject the offer."<</if>>
You see the woman roll her eyes. "No need to answer that, Doctor. It was a simple remark, and I probably should have bitten my tongue. Anyway, we're almost there. Come, let me introduce..."
"Madam Argando!"
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_arrival_4">><</link>>Suddenly, you watch as a panting servant runs up the stairs and dashes to Daruna as if his life depended on it. When he gets closer, you realize he's in a very peculiar state. His hair is messy, his uniform - crinkled, and you can't help but notice that he seems to be afraid.
"Madam Argando!" he repeats.
"What is it, Evaendor? Why are you disturbing me?"
"Forgive my rudeness, madam, but something awful happened in the library, and it requires your immediate attention. I swear I wouldn't have come to find you if your presence wasn't absolutely crucial."
The woman sighs. "I'm sorry, Doctor $lastname, but as you can see, I have to take care of... this. Please, in the meantime, find Ophelia and check on my grandson. You should find them both in his room, that will be the second door on the left. I will find you as soon as I'm done with this sudden development."
Before you get a chance to answer, she gives you a polite smile, turns to the servant and rushes downstairs, leaving you alone in an empty hallway.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_ophelia_meeting">><</link>>As you step closer to a double bed standing in the corner of the room, you notice something quite peculiar. Dedal is, undoubtedly, a dwarf, but he seems to be significantly taller and much less hairy than Daruna, which might mean one of his parents was a member of another race. It's common knowledge that interracial relationships are quite normal in the Southern Kingdom, which makes the possibility very real.
As you move even closer, you kneel by the bed and take a moment to check the young man's breathing. It seems mostly regular, even if there are some beats that feel a bit out of order. You check his pulse, but it also feels quite normal.
The longer you watch him, the more you realize you're unable to point to anything that could be preventing him from waking up. His body seems to be alive and functioning well enough, and you don't sense any vile magic around him or his bed. If you did, it would give you some new ideas. You could perform a ritual of purification to get rid of any alien influences. Still, as it is, you don't notice anything strange.
"I'm at a loss," you admit, turning to Ophelia. "I can't sense anything that could be stopping him from waking up. Have you checked in with your goddess? Have you asked her for advice?"
The priestess nods and takes a seat at the edge of the bed. "I have, but I wasn't able to learn anything specific. Fatumne only told me to be very cautious to watch out for any signs of evil."
You narrow your eyes. "Evil? Is it something your goddess regularly tells her followers?"
She shakes her head to that, and you can tell the warning must have made her feel very uncomfortable when it came. It would appear that Fatumne isn't one of those gods who keep telling their followers to be good and stay away from any signs of evil.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_grandson_ophelia_2">><</link>>"I tried to wake him up with divine magic, but it didn't work," she says, sighing deeply. "I was going to consult with the Mage's Guild, but I got turned away. Apparently, the guild has been extremely busy ever since the volcano on Tera Kalio erupted, and they don't accept any new projects."
You roll your eyes. "Yes, that does sound like them."
"Do you think you might have a better chance at getting them to provide us with a bit of help or guidance?"
You hesitate. While your relations with the Mage's Guild are more or less okay, you wouldn't call them good. You attended a few lectures in the main guild hall when you were still a student of alchemy, but you didn't form any close relations with anyone. You could probably try to ask one of your old colleagues from the Order of the Fern Flower to help you get the mages to cooperate, but that could take days if not weeks.
"I'm going to write to my old teacher from the Order of the Fern Flower and ask her for help, but that may take a few days," you explain. "Still, I'd also like to visit the library later today to conduct some research on this... whatever this thing is."
Ophelia smiles at that, probably glad something's going to be happening. "That settles it, then. In the meantime, I'm going to speak with the High Priestess of my temple and ask her for some advice. Shall we make plans to meet up here again tomorrow?"
You shake your head. "No, no, I can't leave just yet. I want to use my magic to study Dedal's aura."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_grandson_ophelia_3">><</link>>Once Daruna leaves the room, you and Ophelia exchange a knowing look and decide to meet up later, perhaps in a day or two, to discuss the research you plan on making at the library. As you're about to leave the mansion, the priestess stops you and hands you a small round pebble. You don't need to ask to know that it's a magical sending stone that can be used to contact people from a distance.
With that settled, you leave Daruna's house and make your way across the Orchid District. The hour is still quite early, perhaps a bit after noon, but surprisingly, the streets aren't very crowded.
Soon, you arrive at the gate leading to one of the most beautiful parts of the city - the Sacred Lagoon. The Sacred Lagoon is a district that's has always been dedicated to education and magic. Both the Mage's Guild and the Order of the Fern Flower have their headquarters there, which means you have no problem navigating the streets.
The district takes its name from a beautiful lagoon it is located upon. While the whole capital city is quite unique because it was constructed on an island, the Sacred Lagoon is one of the most beautiful places on the whole continent. The buildings around here are built in a harmonious way, the water is always crystal clear, and the bottom of the bay is full of the most wonderful coral reef.
You remember being amazed by it when you were younger, and it still fills you with awe, even after all these years. There's just something very real and magical at the same time about this place. It really does feel sacred, sacred in a very natural way.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "road_to_the_library_2">><</link>>The library building is located not far from an enormous amphitheater that immediately reminds you of all the plays you used to watch there with your mother when you were younger. Those were very different times, but you still remember them quite fondly.
Unlike the amphitheater that's made entirely from sandstone, the library was constructed using large blocks of solar matter - a unique type of stone that was once imported from Dehan, one of the merchant cities located in the heart of the Teho Desert. The stone has a particularly interesting way of reflecting sunlight, and it can be seen from very far away. Because of that, the library often also acts as a lighthouse for the incoming ships.
As you start walking up the stairs leading to the front door, your mind sends you an important question. Where will you go first? What are you really going to search for? You have no idea what this illness could be, and that means you can't really limit things too much.
With that in mind, you enter the library and head straight for the main catalog. The catalog is the place where you should be able to find a list of all titles, authors and topics, and you believe that should be the first logical step.
You almost manage to get to the table with the magical catalog, when suddenly, you hear someone call out your name.
"$name? $name $lastname?"
You turn around only to see one of your old teachers from the Order of the Fern Flower. Azero was his name, and he used to be one of your favorite lecturers. Admittedly, it was mostly due to the fact that his lectures weren't as boring as those given by other teachers.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "road_to_the_library_3">><</link>>When you reach the catalog, you immediately notice two very interesting things. First, there's only one other person that's currently using the search system, and second, you've spoken to that person before. While you're by no means friends with them, you do remember their or rather his name. It's Ezra.
While not very tall himself, the man is a bit taller than you, but you know that's mostly caused by the fact that your father was an elf. His chocolate brown hair is relatively short and peculiarly curly, his skin reminds you of amber and honey, and, as always, he's wearing long purple robes that are a symbol of his station.
From your sparse conversations, you know that Ezra is an enchanter, and that he specializes in creation of wands and scrolls. He never told you much about his work, but you've heard from other people - mostly your old friends from the Order - that he's very good at what he does.
As soon as he notices you, his dark eyes fill up with excitement, and you realize he's about to say something. It's not really that surprising. He is simply one of those people who love to engage in discussions with... well, basically everyone and everything.
"$name!" he exclaims happily. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes? Tell me, what brings you here? Did you come to do some research or are you simply here because you wanted to see me?"
With these last words, he gives you a cunning smirk.
[[Answer awkwardly.]]
[[Keep things friendly.]]
[[Flirt back.]]At first, you want to roll your eyes and be done with this conversation. Ezra is obviously much more interested in you than in helping you with your work, and he's certainly going to end up being a distraction. Still, the more you think about it, the more you realize it might be good to have a capable mage to consult things with. Perhaps spending a bit of time with him won't be that bad of an idea?
"Fine," you tell him, barely managing to stop yourself from sighing. "It may not be such a bad idea to join forces, at least for a moment. There's this really nasty case I'm currently dealing with, and..."
Before you can finish, Ezra raised his hands to stop you. "Wait, wait! Do you really want us to have this conversation right here? If you're not willing to go anywhere with me, let's take a seat by that table."
As he says that, he winks and starts moving towards a nearby reading area. His steps are longer and much more confident than yours, but you do manage to keep up, and soon, you're both seated on opposite sides of a rather small wooden table, with a pile of books between you.
"I guess it's not that bad," you say, pulling out a notebook from one of your deep pockets.
"It's not perfect," he agrees, "but it's better than standing. Now, then. Please, tell me about that nasty case."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "library_ezra_3">><</link>>You sigh. "Yes, the nasty case. Do you know the Argando family? They are a dwarven family, and I believe they mostly concern themselves with all kinds of trade." Ezra takes a moment to think about it. Soon, his eyes sparkle in recognition, and he gives you a nod. "Well, Daruna Argando, the matron of the family, hired me to cure her grandson. Apparently, he's been asleep for weeks, and no one knows how to help him."
"Asleep for weeks? And you're telling me he's still alive?"
"Mrs. Argando also hired a priestess of Fatumne to preserve his body. She has been doing a remarkable job so far, and I have to tell you I didn't see anything wrong with his material being. Still, something has to be wrong with him if he can't wake up."
Ezra narrows his eyes. "How do you know he can't? What if he doesn't want to wake up? What if it's a self-inflicted disease?"
"Why would anyone want to do something like that?"
Instead of answering, the mage gives you a pointed look.
You both fall silent after that. While extreme and extraordinary, Ezra's words do make a bit of sense. More than a bit if you're being hones with yourself. Maybe Dedal was trying to hide something or was running away from some kind of mental danger? Maybe falling asleep was the only way out, or at least, the only way he was able to think of?
<<link "Continue">><<goto "library_ezra_4">><</link>>"I'll take that into consideration," you say, sighing heavily. "Still, I will not bring it up to Mrs. Argando. As long as it's just a suspicion that lacks any kind of proof, I'll spare her from having to consider it."
Ezra nods. "It'll probably be for the best. Have you noticed anything that could point you in a more specific direction? Researching something as broad as falling asleep might be... tricky. I can tell you of more than three dozen books on this topic alone."
You take a moment to consider his words. "When I used my magic to check on his spiritual body, I saw some strange dots of energy. I even tried to touch one of them, but some alien force threw me across the room, and I failed to learn anything."
The mage's eyes go wide. "Something threw you across the room? Are you okay? Did you break anything? When was that?"
"A few hours ago," you admit, scratching the back of your neck. "I'm pretty sure my body is going to be just fine. There'll be some bruises, but I'm an alchemist, and I definitely have a good balm that I'm going to apply in the evening." You give him a small smile. "You need not worry about it, Ezra."
You can tell your words aren't enough to fully convince him, but he does let the subject go.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "library_ezra_5">><</link>>"You mentioned some books?" you say a few moments later. "Do you have any particular titles in mind?"
Ezra nods, rises from his seat and disappears among the bookshelves. It takes maybe a quarter, but when he returns, he's carrying three thick tomes - one green, and two purple. As he places them on the table, you catch their titles. The purple books are two volumes of an encyclopedia, while the green one seems to be a collection of someone's research papers. Judging by the font, you believe the book might be well over a hundred years old.
"Here you go," he says as he places the books in front of you. "I think you should borrow these three and go through them this evening. The green tome is the important one, while the encyclopedia volumes should help you make sense of some of the terms used by the man who wrote these research papers. Well, they're not really papers. They're more like his personal journal. I never really read them myself, but I remember going through them, very briefly, and noticing something about sleep and dreams."
You raise an eyebrow in question. "Didn't you say there were dozens of books on the subject? Are you sure these three will be enough?"
Ezra shakes his head. "That was before you mentioned those dots of energy and the magic that threw you across the room. It changes things, and it does so quite drastically. If I remember correctly, In-Xu-Ra - the author of this journal - mentioned something similar. Just... take a loot at the book and be sure to tell me if you find anything."
You hesitate. "Why? I understand that you want to be helpful, but why would you want me to keep you informed?"
Before answering, Ezra returns to his seat and lets out a deep sigh. "Let us put all jokes aside for a moment, $name. I don't know what it is that you're dealing with, but something about it feels wrong. I don't usually care about gut feelings, but this one seems... different. I'm afraid this case might prove to be dangerous."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "leave_library_go_home">><</link>>"Good afternoon, Master Azero," you say with a polite smile.
The man clasps his hands and almost ends up dropping his bag. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you, my $boy. It's been too long since our last meeting, and I often find myself wondering how you're doing." He hesitates. "I'm in a bit of a hurry, but please, do tell me at least a little. Is everything alright? How's that shop of yours doing?"
You can't help but smile at just how chaotic your former teacher can be. He hasn't changed one bit. "The shop is doing quite well. Thank you for asking. I'm actually here because of something different. I've been hired to look for a cure to a particularly weird illness, and I have to do some research. Hopefully, things will go well."
"I'm sure they will," the man says with an encouraging smile. "Don't tell that to the others, but you've always been one of my favorite students, and I'm certain you'll figure this problem out in no time!"
You blush a little at the compliment. "Master Azero..."
He laughs and just shakes his head. "No, no, I mean it. Anyway, I have to get going, but I do wish you luck in your search." He's about to leave, when suddenly, he turns back with a raised finger. "I almost forgot. Say hello to $fname, will you? I miss that little $familiar."
You release a relaxed sigh. "I'll make sure to do just that, but remember that you can always visit the shop. I'm sure $fname would be more than happy to see you. They've always enjoyed your company."
"I might just take you up on that offer, my $boy. Anyway, I need to get going. I will see you when I see you, $name. Have a good day!"
With that, your teacher gives you a small wave and disappears behind a tall bookcase, and you continue heading towards the catalog.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "library_ezra_1">><</link>>"Oh, hello there, Ezra," you mumble. "It's.. erm... It's nice to see you. How ar... What are you doing here?"
Great, $name. Veeery smooth.
Ezra raises an eyebrow at your awkwardness, and soon, his lips turn into a happy smirk. "As much as I love your reaction and would love to keep teasing you, I get this really strange feeling that you're here on some kind of mission. Want to talk about it?"
"I'm not sure I should tell you too much," you admit. "It's... work."
"Maybe I'll be able to help? Look, I have a free afternoon today, and we might as well spend it together. What do you say? Tell me all about your problem, and I'll help you solve it? Does that sound like a fair deal?"
You raise an eyebrow. "Not really? What do you get out of this?"
The mage chuckles quietly. "The pleasure of your company, of course! In all seriousness though, I know we're not exactly friends, but I've always found you intriguing. Your white hair, your attitude towards work, and, well, even the way you always seem to be doing more than necessary."
Your eyes narrow at that. "What do you mean by that? How would you even know such a thing?"
"I've seen you many times, both here at the library and in many other places around the city. You're always researching something, always making sure you know enough, always doing more than absolutely necessary. It's quite endearing, really, but you're probably also tired. So... will you let me help you? At least this once?"
<<link "Continue">><<goto "library_ezra_2">><</link>>"How nice to run into you here, my friend," you say with a pointed look. "It's been some time since we ran into each other. How have you been? Is your work going well?"
Ezra rolls his eyes at your obvious rejection. "It's going quite well, thank you, my," he pauses, "friend. Still, that doesn't answer my first question. What brings you here? Alchemists don't usually come to this library. I'm pretty sure you have your own books in your order's guild headquarters."
"I'm not sure I should tell you too much," you admit. "It's... work."
"Maybe I'll be able to help? Look, I have a free afternoon today, and we might as well spend it together. What do you say? Tell me all about your problem, and I'll help you solve it? Does that sound like a fair deal?"
You raise an eyebrow. "Not really? What do you get out of this?"
The mage chuckles quietly. "The pleasure of your company, of course! In all seriousness though, I know we're not exactly friends, but I've always found you intriguing. Your white hair, your attitude towards work, and, well, even the way you always seem to be doing more than necessary."
Your eyes narrow at that. "What do you mean by that? How would you even know such a thing?"
"I've seen you many times, both here at the library and in many other places around the city. You're always researching something, always making sure you know enough, always doing more than absolutely necessary. It's quite endearing, really, but you're probably also tired. So... will you let me help you? At least this once?"
<<link "Continue">><<goto "library_ezra_2">><</link>>You raise an eyebrow. "And what if I did?"
Ezra smirks at that, and you can tell he's genuinely amused. "Well, if you did, then I'd say we should definitely talk about that some more. Preferably, somewhere else, away from all these books and librarians."
His eyes look so excited, you can't help but chuckle. "Well, why don't we leave and do just that?"
This time, he laughs. "As much as I'd like to do just that, I'm pretty sure you didn't really come here because of me. So tell me, $name, what's troubling you? Maybe there's something I can help you with?"
"I'm not sure I should tell you too much," you admit. "It's... work."
"Maybe I'll be able to help? Look, I have a free afternoon today, and we might as well spend it together. What do you say? Tell me all about your problem, and I'll help you solve it? Does that sound like a fair deal?"
You raise an eyebrow. "Not really? What do you get out of this?"
The mage chuckles quietly. "The pleasure of your company, of course! In all seriousness though, I know we're not exactly friends, but I've always found you intriguing. Your white hair, your attitude towards work, and, well, even the way you always seem to be doing more than necessary."
Your eyes narrow at that. "What do you mean by that? How would you even know such a thing?"
"I've seen you many times, both here at the library and in many other places around the city. You're always researching something, always making sure you know enough, always doing more than absolutely necessary. It's quite endearing, really, but you're probably also tired. So... will you let me help you? At least this once?"
<<link "Continue">><<goto "library_ezra_2">><</link>>Not long after that, you both say goodbye and go your separate ways. You do end up promising Ezra to tell him if you find anything that might seem like a clue, even you're still not quite sure why he'd care in the first place. It's not like it has anything to do with him. You're simply doing what you were hired to do, and the problems are yours to solve.
The way back to the shop is relatively calm and uneventful, but you still let out a relieved sigh as you put down the old thick tomes you had to carry across three whole districts. Your arms ache, but you tell yourself that it might prove to have been worth it. If you manage to uncover one or two clues, everything will change.
Once you're sure the shop is closed and the protective wards are up, you take a seat behind your desk and, with $fname in your lap and a warm cup of tea right next to you, you slowly open the journal of In-Xu-Ra.
The first page makes your eyes go wide as you realize that the text isn't written in the common language. It's not even written using the regular alphabet! You're not sure if you recognize it correctly, but you think the signs might be somehow connected to ancient Aqualian hieroglyphics.
For a moment there, you consider putting the book down, but then, you feel a strange tingling sensation in your fingers and decide to turn the page. Your eyes widen once again. Only the first page was written using ancient symbols. The rest of the journal is in common!
<<link "Continue">><<goto "journal_study_1">><</link>>Considering that the journal is very long, you decide to try to use a less conventional approach and only read a few random entries to see if you manage to stumble upon anything interesting.
[[Read the first entry.]]
[[Read the seventh entry.]]
[[Read the thirteenth entry.]]
[[Read the last entry.]]
<<if $first_entry_read eq 1 and $second_entry_read eq 1 and $third_entry_read eq 1 and $fourth_entry_read eq 1>>[[Try to sum things up.]]<</if>>It's dark outside when you finally close the journal and lean back in your chair. You notice that your stomach is telling you to get something to eat, but your thoughts are too chaotic to do that just yet. You've learned some very interesting things from In-Xu-Ra's notes, and some of them could even turn out to be clues.
Holy water, sand, and a pearl.
If you remember correctly, you don't have any of these three ingredients in your shop, and when you take a moment to think about it, it dawns on you that acquiring some of them could prove to be really tricky. While pearls are very common in the Southern Kingdom, the notes said something about regular ones not working. You might end up having to go on a wild chase and run from one merchant to another until you find the right type.
When it comes to holy water, Ophelia should be able to help you. As a priestess, she must have access to the holy lake, and she should also be able to purify a bit of regular water with her goddess' magic. Perhaps it would be good to start with that?
Still, even if you manage to get these to things, how are you supposed to get your hands on some unspecified - but specific - type of sand from the Teho Desert? If you were to travel there, it would take you weeks, and you certainly don't have that much time. Dedal would perish before your return, and all your efforts would end up being for nothing.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "contact_ezra_and_ophelia_1">><</link>>(The date is written in a system you don't recognize.)
It's hard to believe that this is my twenty-seventh journal on this awful subject. My son's disease has been keeping me awake for the past six turns of the moon, and I'm not sure how much more I can take. I've been conducting research - the details can be found mostly in journals number eleven and twenty-three - and making experiments, but he's still unable to wake up.
Last night, I was mixing different types of sunflower seeds. It wasn't easy to turn them into powder, but once I managed to do so, I was able to add them to the potion. Sadly, the effects never came. I gave it to Xen, but he's still asleep. The only thing that changed after the potion was his breathing. It's no longer irregular. I guess I should be grateful to the gods even for that much. What is it that they say? One should be glad for small mercies?
(The rest of the entry is about In-Xu-Ra's guilt. He goes on to say that he feels like he's at least partially responsible for Xen's sickness, and that he should have watched him more carefully. While you can't be sure, you wonder if maybe he was implying that he thought his son might have been poisoned.)
<<link "Read another entry.">><<goto "journal_study_1">><</link>>
<<set $first_entry_read to 1>>(The date is written in a system you don't recognize.)
I don't want to say too much just yet, but I think I might have stumbled upon an interesting idea. Interesting and, hopefully, fruitful. I visited the temple earlier this week, and I bought some holy water. While I've always been rather skeptical about mixing religion with alchemy, I've decided that I don't really have anything to lose.
After a few experiments, I have to admit that the holy water seems quite potent. It's much stronger than any other liquid, and it does something strange to all other ingredients. It... changes some of their properties, making them simply different.
When I mixed it with salt and sugar, they both lost their taste. How can holy water get saltiness out of salt and sweetness out of sugar? Nothing should be able to do such a thing.
Still, neither sugar nor salt will not help me cure Xen. I might have to go through all other ingredients I have in my laboratory and check how their usefulness changes. It's going to take weeks if not months, but hopefully, it'll be worth it, in the end.
(Holy water? That's a very unusual clue. You've never used it yourself, but... maybe you should? For now, you decide to make note of it and go back to your research.)
<<link "Read another entry.">><<goto "journal_study_1">><</link>>
<<set $second_entry_read to 1>>(The date is written in a system you don't recognize.)
Sand? Could it really be all about sand? This ancient city I live in is surrounded by desert, and yet, it might be that what I've been looking for this whole time is sand? That's just ridiculous. Sand has no great or even remotely good properties. It's basically useless!
But... What if I'm wrong? What if it really is about sand? That potion did something, even if I'm still not sure what it was. Xen's eyes are no longer closed, but he's still not fully here. It's strange, and I'm sure I've never seen anything like it.
Sand! Maybe it's not about sand, but about this specific type of sand I used? After all, it was given to me by the High Priest. I think I might need to ask him where it came from. I have used regular sand before, but it never did anything. That's why I wrote it off as insignificant. But maybe... Maybe I really was wrong?
I need to...
(The rest of the entry, perhaps one more paragraph, is impossible to make out because of how weathered the paper is. Still, the entry does give you another clue to follow. You might need to conduct some research on the usage of sand in alchemy, especially in the Aqualian Age.)
<<link "Read another entry.">><<goto "journal_study_1">><</link>>
<<set $third_entry_read to 1>>(The date is written in a system you don't recognize.)
Xen is asleep again. I managed to look into his eyes for just a moment, but then, he simply fell over, and things went back to the way they way before I gave him the potion. Still, this is a small victory. I can't really see this as my failure. The potion must simply still be missing something, and I just need to figure out what that something is.
It needs to be something that'll let it work on his body and spirit for a long time, possibly forever. I tried using white pearls as they are often added to potions that are supposed to cause permanent change, but sadly, they didn't work.
Perhaps I should try looking for one of those fabled black pearls? I'm not sure if they'd work, though. I've read that they are sometimes used for making poisons, and this... this might cause some unwanted effects.
Are there any other types of pearls? Gods, have mercy on my tired mind. I've lived my whole life in the heart of this desert, and I don't know much about sea creatures. I might have to contact Eredo. As a merchant, he might have more ideas.
(The journal ends here. It's possible that In-Xu-Ra wrote other books after this one, but there's no way for you to go through them, at least not tonight. Still, those pearls sound like another lead.)
<<link "Read another entry.">><<goto "journal_study_1">><</link>>
<<set $fourth_entry_read to 1>>To your surprise, the sending stone you were supposed to use to contact Ophelia doesn't want to work. You try different approaches - from reciting magic incantations to simply rolling the rock in your palms - but none of them seem to change anything. The stone remains unresponsive.
Annoyed and more than a bit resigned, you decide to wait until tomorrow and try to find Ophelia and Ezra in the morning. Right. You will also need to contact Ezra as he made you give him your word that you would do just that. Well, perhaps it'll be for the best. Together, the three of you will have a bigger chance of coming up with a good idea.
"Are you asleep?" you ask $fname, gently petting their head.
Their eyes remain closed, but you do hear an answer. "I'm just napping, waiting for you to finally go to bed. Have you discovered anything that might help? Anything useful?"
You sigh, take the $familiar into your arms, and raise yourself from the chair. "Kind of. I have three leads, but I'm afraid they may be tricky to follow, especially with Dedal being so close to dying." As you say that, you take one last sip of your tea and start heading towards your bed. "I have some ideas, but I'm going to need help."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "contact_ezra_and_ophelia_2">><</link>>Hearing that, $fname opens one of their eyes. "Does that mean I'm going to have to help you? Infuse you with more power?"
"I'm not sure, but it's possible. Still, I'll need to find these special ingredients first, and for that, I'll need Ophelia's help. Well, Ezra is a mage, which means he could turn out to be quite useful, as well."
"Have you contacted them, yet?"
You shake your head. "The stone isn't working."
"I guess you are going to have need of me, after all. "With that, $fname slips out of your arms and floats away. Before you can say anything, they groan at you and summon their magic. "I'll take care of it and tell them to come to the shop first thing in the morning, and you are going to go and get some sleep. Is that clear?"
You can't help but roll your eyes, but you both know you can't really say no to the little $familiar. Usually, familiars listen to their masters and never do anything to question them, but the two of you... have a very different relationship. When $fname tells you to do something, you do it. Granted, it does work the other way around as well.
As soon as you give them a nod, $fname winks at you and disappears. They will probably be back in about an hour. While you could wait for them and go to bed together, you decide it's best if you add this extra hour to your nightly rest. After all, if Ezra and Ophelia really stop by the shop tomorrow morning, the day might end up being awfully exhausting.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "oops_forgot_a_package">><</link>>Wrapped in smooth, warm sheets and with your eyes pleasantly closed, you're just about to let yourself drift away, when suddenly, your body nearly jumps as you're struck by a terrible realization. You utterly forgot that you promised to prepare a healing balm for a customer, and you're pretty sure he's supposed to come by the shop very early in the morning to collect it.
With an annoyed groan, you get out of bed, put on a set of warmer robes, and start heading to your laboratory. You're going to be tired tomorrow, but you can't fail to prepare this order. You'll need the money to keep the shop running.
As soon as you enter the laboratory, you pick up a piece of paper with the exact order and summon a white magic orb that immediately starts reading it out loud for you.
"Master Iderion Neheryel, an elven scribe from the Copper District, needs two jars of my old healing balm, the one with thyme, sea salt and coconut oil. (Important: It has to be the old balm because the new recipe uses hot pepper, and Master Neheryel is allergic to it!) He will come for the balm first thing in the morning, and he promised to pay twice as much in exchange for getting it earlier."
As the magic orb falls silent, you start the fire and fill your favorite cauldron with purified water.
<<link "Start brewing">><<goto "alchemy_minigame_balm_general">><</link>>
<<set $balm_outcome_bad to 0>>
<<set $balm_outcome to 0>>The water is slowly boiling, and it's time to add the first ingredient.
(Remember you can always check the recipe in the list of recipes!)
<<link "Add hot pepper.">><<goto "alchemy_minigame_balm_1">><<set $balm_outcome_bad += 1>><</link>>
<<link "Add thyme.">><<goto "alchemy_minigame_balm_1">><<set $balm_outcome += 1>><</link>>
<<link "Add grape juice.">><<goto "alchemy_minigame_balm_1">><<set $balm_outcome to 0>><</link>>
<<link "Add marble dust.">><<goto "alchemy_minigame_balm_1">><<set $balm_outcome to 0>><</link>>
As soon as the first ingredient disappears below the surface, a pleasant aroma fills the whole laboratory, making you a little dizzy. You let the mixture boil for a moment, but soon, it's time to add another thing.
With a quick glance at the recipe, you add a generous pinch of sea salt and three teaspoons of cocoa powder. These two ingredients are important in both versions of the balm, which makes it easier for you to remember them. The balm would not have the right consistency without them.
You let the mixture boil for a while longer.
<<link "Add sunflower oil.">><<goto "alchemy_minigame_balm_2">><<set $balm_outcome_bad += 1>><</link>>
<<link "Add coconut oil.">><<goto "alchemy_minigame_balm_2">><<set $balm_outcome += 1>><</link>>
<<link "Add olive oil.">><<goto "alchemy_minigame_balm_2">><<set $balm_outcome to 0>><</link>>
<<link "Add almond oil.">><<goto "alchemy_minigame_balm_2">><<set $balm_outcome to 0>><</link>>After adding the oil, you walk away from the cauldron and start looking for dreadflower petals. Dreadflowers aren't very common in these parts, but they can usually be bought from merchants who sell all kinds of herbs and spices. With that said, you're pretty sure you should have at least a few petals left from your last visit to the market.
It takes you a while, but you do manage to find them in a glass jar, next to sunflower seeds and basil powder. As you carry them back to the table, you summon your energy and cover your body - mostly hands - in protective energy. Dreadflowers are known for being dangerous as they can make a person fall asleep and dream of the most horrific of things.
When the petals begin to disappear beneath the surface, you let out a loud yawn and take a moment to stretch your back. You're terribly tired, and it's only going to get worse in the morning. There's no way you'll be able to get enough sleep to wake up well-rested.
<<if $balm_outcome lt 2 and $balm_outcome_bad lt 2>>[[Check if the balm is okay.]]<</if>>
<<if $balm_outcome eq 2>>[[Prepare two jars for Master Neheryel.]]<</if>>
<<if $balm_outcome_bad eq 2>>[[Prepare Master Neheryel's order.]]<</if>>With another yawn, you move a bit closer to the cauldron and touch the thick mixture with your finger. As soon as you do so, you feel a strange tingling on your skin and your eyes go wide. The balm shouldn't make you feel like this, which means something must have gone. You must have used a wrong ingredient, and now, it's too late to repeat the process. To be honest, even if it wasn't too late, you wouldn't be able to prepare the balm because you've run out of dreadflower petals.
Defeated and frustrated, you clench your fists, take a deep breath, and leave the laboratory. Soon, you make it to your bedroom, and there, it doesn't take you long to fall asleep.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "dream_attack_1">><</link>>
<<set $neheryel_balm to "failure">>With another deep yawn, you pick up a wooden spoon and two empty jars, and start filling them with the balm. The consistency of the mixture seems perfect, and you can't help but smile at your success. While the balm is still very hot, you manage to keep yourself from getting burnt, and soon, Master Neheryel's order is ready.
Exhausted but quite happy, you place the jars on a nearby shelf, mark them with Master Neherye's name, and leave the laboratory. Soon, you make it to your bedroom and slip under the covers. Your eyes fall shut almost right away, and it's not long before you fall asleep.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "dream_attack_1">><</link>>
<<set $neheryel_balm to "success">>With another deep yawn, you pick up a wooden spoon and two empty jars, and start filling them with the balm. The consistency of the mixture seems perfect, and you can't help but smile at your success. While the balm is still very hot, you manage to keep yourself from getting burnt, and soon, Master Neheryel's order is ready.
Exhausted but quite happy, you place the jars on a nearby shelf, mark them with Master Neherye's name, and leave the laboratory. Soon, you make it to your bedroom and slip under the covers. Your eyes fall shut almost right away, and it's not long before you fall asleep.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "dream_attack_1">><</link>>
<<set $neheryel_balm to "allergic_failure">>While you're no stranger to dreams, the one that comes to you this night is one of the weirdest ones you've ever experienced. You're blind, and yet you can see. You're alone, but you can tell there are people all around you. You exist, but you're not sure what that means. Everything feels like nothing, and that nothing doesn't feel like anything at all.
You try to take a step forward, but your body turns back, instead. You want to take a deep breath, but you start choking because the air doesn't exist in this world.
Suddenly, the energy around you changes, and you hear a barely audible whisper. It's close and far away, at the same time.
"This is your first warning, $name."
You want to ask a question, but no sound leaves your mouth. No, that's not quite right. You don't even have a mouth. You're broken, and your pieces no longer mean anything.
"Do not interfere."
With that, the voice fades away, and you're, once again, alone in a vast, non-existent crowd.
<<link "Wake up">><<goto "day_2_morning_neheryel_1">><</link>>It's still eerily dark when you wake up from the dream. You feel tired, and you can tell your mind isn't working the way it should. Still, you're not surprised. Not after last night's work in the laboratory. While today may be a bit hazy and painful, you couldn't have just given up on Master Neheryel's order. Not when there's so much money at stake.
Just as that thought crosses your mind, you let out a tired sigh and slip out of bed. It takes you a few minutes to wash up and put on your regular clothes, but manage to get to the counter just as the Solar Barque of Dlannum enters the third hour of daylight.
"Didn't I tell you to get some sleep?" $fname asks, their voice coming from a nearby bookshelf. "You look terrible, and I have no idea how you want to go out today to search the city."
You roll your eyes, only to regret it as soon as the movement gifts you with an annoying headache. "It's not my fault. Well, maybe it is, but I didn't intentionally forget to prepare that order. I was going to take care of it last evening, but then, that whole new case with Daruna and Dedal came, and I just... got lost."
"Well, people don't usually intentionally forget things," the $familiar points out, still hidden among the books. "Anyway. Let's talk about that order. How did the brewing go? Is everything ready?"
<<if $neheryel_balm eq "success" or $neheryel_balm eq "allergic_failure">>[[You nod. "Yes, I think so."]]<</if>><<if $neheryel_balm eq "failure">>[[You gulp. "Not really. I messed it all up."]]<</if>>As soon as you say that, there's a loud knock on the door, and not long after that, Master Neheryel's slim frame enters the shop. The man looks quite uncertain at first, but it all changes the moment he notices you behind the counter.
"G-good m-morning, Doctor $lastname," he says, his voice as hesitant as it was when he visited you for the first time. Sadly, no potion will help him with his anxiety. "I came as I s-said I would. Is the b-balm ready?"
Knowing how hard it is for the scribe to interact with other people, you smile warmly and place the jars you prepared earlier on the counter. The man's face brightens as soon as he sees them, and he also gives you a smile, though his is much more hesitant.
"Th-thank you!" he exclaims, reaching for his bag. "I said I would p-pay you twice as much, d-didn't I? I'm so glad you managed to p-prepare it all so f-fast, I really am!" As he says that, he pulls out a small sack filled with gold and places it next to the jars. "Th-this should be more than enough. Th-thank you once again."
You nod, a warm smile still present on your face, and put a hand on the gold. "It was no problem, Master Neheryel. I hope you're satisfied with the balm, and please, come to me if anything is wrong."
"I will, D-doctor $lastname. Once ag-gain, thank you. Have a n-nice day!"
With that, the man leaves the shop, and you're left alone with $fname and your own thoughts. Now, you can only hope you prepared the right version of the balm. If not, things might get very unpleasant in the near future.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "day_2_ezra_and_ophelia_1">><</link>>
<<set $money += 100>>About an hour later, the front door falls open again, and Ophelia and Ezra enter the shop. They both look a bit uncertain, though the latter seems to be in a much better mood. Knowing time is of the essence, you ask $fname to watch the shop and invite your new colleagues to have some tea in the tearoom.
"You have a really lovely place," Ophelia notices as you pass her a cup of lavender tea. "I'll make sure to tell the other priestesses to visit your shop if they ever need natural remedies."
Ezra chuckles at that. "The place may be quite nice, but it's not nearly as nice as the owner." He winks as he says that. "Though, I have to say you don't look so good today. Did you miss out on sleep? Don't tell me you ended up reading that journal until morning."
You hesitate. "I... didn't get much sleep, but it wasn't because of the journal. I had some shop-related business that had to be taken care of. Thankfully, I managed to go through the journal before that, and I did find some interesting things. You could say I stumbled upon a few clues."
Ophelia and Ezra's eyes go wide, and they both move a bit closer to the tea table. "Well, don't keep us in suspense!"
"While I didn't find any recipes, I think I might have discovered the main ingredients for a potion that, according to In-Xu-Ra, could help us wake up Daruna's grandson."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "day_2_ezra_and_ophelia_2">><</link>>"There are three ingredients that we might want to take a closer look at," you explain. "Sand, holy water, and a pearl. Still, before you start saying that it should be very easy to make such a potion, sadly, there's a catch. The sand needs to come from the Teho Desert, the pearl needs to be very rare, and I believe the water might have to come from a temple dedicated to a solar god."
Ophelia and Ezra process your words for a long while. Their expressions change from interest to confusion, from confusion to hesitation, and from hesitation back to confusion. It's very clear that they're not sure how to react to the news, and you can't really blame them.
A few minutes later, Ophelia narrows her bright eyes and sucks in a quick breath. "I might have an idea of how we could get some holy water. It'd be much easier if it could be just any holy water, but I do know one of the priests from the Temple of Dlannum, and I think he might be willing to help us out. We'll just have to tell him that we need this water to heal someone."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "day_2_ezra_and_ophelia_3">><</link>>With the decision made, Ophelia and Ezra wish you a good day and leave, saying they need to return to their own duties. You spend the rest of the morning behind the counter, selling potions and accepting new orders, and you manage to earn a bit over 34 tisyels. It's not much, but it'll help you stay in business for a bit longer.
In the afternoon, you have dinner with $fname, and then, you both leave the shop to tend you your small garden. Herbs, flowers, and stones - all of these are present in your garden, though not in large numbers.
While you tend to the greenery, your familiar spends their time basking in the sun and napping. They do talk to you from time to time, but it's mostly just to comment on what you're doing or ask about your plans for the evening.
It's quite late when you finally make it back home. Knowing you will be quite busy in the following days, you brew yourself some tea and head to the laboratory, where you work on potions and balms until it's time for you to go to bed. Said time arrives quite soon, but you know there's no other way. You can't let yourself be tired tomorrow.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "close your eyes.">><</link>>
<<set $money += 34>>With the decision made, Ophelia and Ezra wish you a good day and leave, saying they need to return to their own duties. You spend the rest of the morning behind the counter, selling potions and accepting new orders, and you manage to earn a bit over 34 tisyels. It's not much, but it'll help you stay in business for a bit longer.
In the afternoon, you have dinner with $fname, and then, you both leave the shop to tend you your small garden. Herbs, flowers, and stones - all of these are present in your garden, though not in large numbers.
While you tend to the greenery, your familiar spends their time basking in the sun and napping. They do talk to you from time to time, but it's mostly just to comment on what you're doing or ask about your plans for the evening.
It's quite late when you finally make it back home. Knowing you will be quite busy in the following days, you brew yourself some tea and head to the laboratory, where you work on potions and balms until it's time for you to go to bed. Said time arrives quite soon, but you know there's no other way. You can't let yourself be tired tomorrow.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "fall asleep.">><</link>>
<<set $money += 34>>As soon as you say that, there's a loud knock on the door, and not long after that, Master Neheryel's slim frame enters the shop. The man looks quite uncertain at first, but it all changes the moment he notices you behind the counter.
"G-good m-morning, Doctor $lastname," he says, his voice as hesitant as it was when he visited you for the first time. Sadly, no potion will help him with his anxiety. "I came as I s-said I would. Is the b-balm ready?"
Knowing how hard it is for the scribe to interact with other people, you smile apologetically and place both hands on the counter. He must catch your expression right away because his own mirrors it quite suddenly, making your stomach turn.
"I'm sorry, Master Neheryel," you say quietly, hoping he'll understand. "I worked on it all night, but one of the ingredients simply didn't work properly, leaving me at a loss. I wasn't able to prepare the balm for today, but I'll make it as soon as possible." You swallow heavily. "That it, if you're still willing to trust me with the task."
"Oh, I see," the man whispers, and you realize he's probably not sure how to react. "I w-will trust you, Doctor $lastname, but I won't pay as much as I s-said I would. I'll p-pay the regular price. When should I come to p-pick it up?"
"Perhaps in two days?"
"I'll do that. Have a g-good day, D-doctor $lastname!"
With that, the man leaves the shop, and you're left alone with $fname and your own thoughts. While you did just lose a bit of money, the order is still here, and you still have a chance to at least earn enough to keep your shop open.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "day_2_ezra_and_ophelia_1">><</link>>"That does sound like a good lead," Ezra agrees, sipping his tea. "I also have an idea, and I think it could help us get some sand. Unfortunately, it would require us to leave the city for a day or two." As he says that, he looks to Ophelia. "Perhaps $name and I could go, and you would make sure nothing bad happens to Dedal when we're away?"
"What about the pearl?" you ask. "Any ideas?"
They both shake their heads.
"We should focus on the other two ingredients," Ezra says, closing his eyes. "I don't see anything that could help us find that pearl, at least not yet. My divination will tell me if that changes, but for now, it's honestly best if we try to get the sand and the holy water."
You nod a couple of times. There's no denying the fact that Ezra's right. Running around the city, trying to find some kind of rare pearl, would likely end up being an utter waste of time, while the other two options might give you real results. You'll feel better about this whole ordeal once you have at least some of the ingredients.
"So, what do you want to do first?" Ophelia asks cautiously, while her eyes study your face. "I think it's best if we let you rest today, but we could go after one of these ingredients tomorrow morning."
[[Go to the Temple of Dlannum with Ophelia.]]
[[Visit the edge of the Teho Desert with Ezra.]]
<<set $ezra_quest to 0>>
<<set $ophelia_quest to 0>>The night passes without any issues, and you wake up feeling fresh and ready to face the day. Since you made sure to tell your clients that you wouldn't be working today, you don't bother getting behind the counter. Instead, you pack an old waterskin and a few biscuits into your bag, tell $fname to take care of the shop, and head out.
The weather is quite pleasant when you walk outside, and you're nearly forced to look away as the warm rays of sunshine fall on your face. Since you're still a bit sleepy, you narrow your eyes and let out a small groan, but you're not really annoyed. How could you be annoyed at the presence of the sun, when you know you're going to be visiting the solar temple in a few hours? Dlannum - the King of all Gods - must know of your plans, and he's probably just trying to encourage you.
With that thought in mind, you take one last look at your modest shop, taking in its limestone walls and magically sealed windows, and begin heading in the direction of the southern gate.
As you pass a couple of strange-looking bazaars, you suddenly feel a weird sensation coming from the inside of your bag, and you realize it must be the sending stone. Ophelia must be trying to contact you. Maybe she's going to postpone your mission? Maybe you're somehow late?
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_1">><</link>>While the night passes without any major issues, you don't wake up with a bit of a headache, and you can immediately tell that it's likely going to be annoying you for the next few hours. You consider taking a small sip of healing potions, but in the end, you decide it's probably best not to have anything influence your mind or body.
About half an hour later, you make it downstairs. With your bag secured at your side, you're ready to face whatever the day may bring you. When you think about it, it may actually bring you quite a lot, considering you will be leaving the kingdom.
Although you have been away from the capital before, you've never really left the Southern Kingdom. There were a few reasons for that, but it was mostly connected to your lack of money. Not everyone can just decide to leave their life behind for a few months and travel around the continent. This little trip might not be very grand, but it will let you see a new place and experience a different culture. Well, more like remnants of a different culture since the Teho desert is filled with ruins of ancient Aqualian cities.
Still, it's always nice to be able to experience new things, especially things that might prove to be helpful in your research. Hopefully, this sand you're going to be looking for will actually work.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_1a">><</link>>"That was faster than I expected," she says as you make your way towards her. "Anyway, it's good that you're here. I think Mehor is about to have his first break, which means this will be our opportunity. Are you ready? Which one of us should explain things to him?"
You consider it for a while. "Since I was the one who read the journal, and I'm going to be the one preparing the potion, it's probably best if I try to convince him myself. Still, feel free to intervene if you think we might be losing him, alright?"
Ophelia smiles at that, probably amused by your worries. "Mehor is a good person, and I'm sure he'll be willing to help us. Let's just try to be as honest with him as we can. Priests of Dlannum can tell when someone isn't telling the truth, and they don't even need magic for it. That's why they often help judges during trials."
<<if $personality is "reserved">>"I'll make sure to be polite and to keep myself from crossing any lines. It shouldn't be too difficult for me. I'm used to acting all calm and collected. Still, if I do say something that makes him unwilling to help, please, do intervene. We need that water for Dedal. This potion may be his only chance."<</if>><<if $personality is "emotional">>"But what if I mess things up? What if I say something and he gets offended? It's happened before, and I'm sure it'll happen again. I can get quite emotional when I care about something, and I certainly care about this. We have to get the holy water for Dedal, or he will die. I see no other options."<</if>><<if $personality is "sarcastic">>"Look, I'll try to be polite, but... I can't promise anything. Sometimes, the need for humor is just too strong, and there's no way for me to stop certain words from leaving my mouth. I'll try, but if I fail, you have to step in and make things right. I don't want to have to tell Daruna that her grandson died because I needed to say something funny."<</if>>
You chat for a moment longer, wanting to consider every possible thing the priest could ask you about, but in the end, you realize you cannot account for everything and simply enter the temple.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_2a">><</link>>"Father Mehor?" you ask.
Ophelia chuckles as soon as the words leave your mouth. "Come on, $name. Menhor is my colleague, and he's not much older than us. There's no need for you to call him that."
"Indeed," the priest adds, and this time his lips do form a small smile. "My name is Mehor Iteti, and I serve as s morning priest here at the Temple of Dlannum. Now, then. Ophelia mentioned that you'd be stopping by, but she failed to say anything about your reasons for coming."
You nod, slightly taken aback by the pace of the conversation. "Doctor $name $lastname. I'm a trained alchemist, and my loyalties lie with the Order of the Fern Flower."
"I'm familiar with your organization. I have worked with some of your alchemists over the years, and I know that you can be trusted. Well, at least in general." As he says that, Mehor narrows his eyes. "Still, you have yet to tell me why you're here."
As soon as the words leave the priest's mouth, you realize the moment has come. You need to say something that will make him want to help you, even though he's not connected to your problem. You cast a quick glance at Ophelia, and she gives you an encouraging nod. She said she would help you if she felt like things were about to get out of hand, and, well, you'll have to trust that she does.
[["We're trying to save someone's life."]]
[["We can't tell you the details."]]
[["Wouldn't you like to know?"]]Mehor raises his thin eyebrows. "Are you, now? Well, why didn't you just bring the sick person to the temple? Dlannum would be more than willing to give us the power to cure just about any disease."
"Fatumne wasn't able to help," Ophelia answers for you, shaking her head. "I'm afraid this... affliction we're trying to get rid of is very strange and doesn't answer to regular forms of healing."
"It's true," you add. "I checked on the patient with my magic, and there was something wrong with his energy. Something threw me across the room, and I wasn't even able to react. The malevolent force was too strong." You hesitate, before deciding to repeat your plea. "That's why we need holy water. I found a recipe, very ancient and quite experimental, and it says that the water must come from a solar temple."
The priest nods knowingly. "I see. This is why you've come to ask for my help, then. I have to say that I don't feel to good about simply giving people access to one of the most sacred liquids in the world, but I may have to make an exception."
"Does that mean you'll help us?" Ophelia asks, her eyes bright with what you assume must be hope.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_4">><</link>>Mehor raises an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Well, then I'm afraid I can't help you. I will not give you access to the sacred fountain if you don't tell me exactly why you want to reach it. Our water is divine, and it cannot be used like some profane liquid."
You're about to say something, but Ophelia is faster. "We would never ask you for holy water from your temple if the situation wasn't truly dire, Mehor. You know you can trust me, don't you? You can always tell when people are lying. We need this water to save someone's life, and I think it has to come from this particular temple."
The priest's eyes grow confused. "Hold on, now. What do you mean by that? You're going to need to start at the beginning if you want me to get what you're trying to say."
As he says that, Ophelia gives you a pointed look, and you realize you'll need to explain things yourself. "We have this patient, and we're unable to cure his affliction. Ophelia tried to heal him with her divine power, but it didn't work. I also used my own magic, but that only ended up with me getting thrown across the room by some invisible force. When searching for a cure, I stumbled upon an ancient recipe. It looks promising, but it requires some rare ingredients."
The priest nods knowingly. "And holy water is one of those ingredients? I don't know, doctor. I probably shouldn't help you in this matter, but... Well, if this is the only way to cure someone, it would be cruel of me to send you away."
"Does that mean you'll help us?" Ophelia asks, her eyes bright with what you assume must be hope.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_4">><</link>>Mehor's eyebrows rise at your words. "Interesting. You come here to ask for my help, and when I ask you to tell me why you need it, you choose to use sarcasm against me? Is this really how you want to gain my trust and support? If so, I have to tell you that you'll be quite disappointed."
Your eyes go wide. You promised Ophelia you would try to keep yourself in line, and you've just broken than promise. You're about to say something to try and make things right, when suddenly, Ophelia sighs and positions herself between you and the priest.
"I'm sure Doctor $lastname didn't mean it like that," she says, turning to give you a very pointed look. "Mehor, I swear we wouldn't be here if the situation wasn't very dire. We're trying to save a life!"
The priest narrows his eyes, turning his eyes towards you. "What is that supposed to mean? Don't you think you should have started with the fact that you need this water to help someone?"
You swallow heavily. "I'm sorry. The truth is, we have this patient, and we're unable to cure his affliction. Ophelia and I tried to heal him with our magic, but that didn't bear any fruit. Two days ago, I was searching for answers and I stumbled upon a promising recipe. The problem is that it requires some rare ingredients."
The priest nods knowingly. "And holy water is one of those ingredients? I don't know, doctor. I probably shouldn't help you in this matter, but... Well, if this is the only way to cure someone, it would be cruel of me to send you away."
"Does that mean you'll help us?" Ophelia asks, her eyes bright with what you assume must be hope.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_4">><</link>>Mehor sighs. "Yes, my dear Elia. I will help you, but I'll do it on one condition. Before I give you access to the sacred fountain, I need you to go to the roof and spend at least three hours meditating in the sun. When you've done that, go straight to the fountain. I'll make sure the guards let you through."
With that, he pulls out a large brass key from the folds of his robes and hand it to Ophelia. Instead of saying goodbye, he gives you both a slight nod and walks away, probably to rejoin his brothers.
"Well, that wasn't too bad," you whisper. "We have the key, which means the first ingredient is basically at our fingertips. We just need to go and meditate on that roof."
Ophelia lets out a deep sigh. "I don't think you understand what Mehor meant by meditating in the sun. Mages and alchemist meditate by focusing on their inner thoughts, which means you're probably familiar with that type of practicing. Priests usually meditate by trying to get rid of all these thoughts, but meditation in the sun means something different. We are going to be inhaling pure sunlight and allowing it to go through our whole bodies and souls. It may be... unpleasant."
Your eyes go wide. "Unpleasant? Why?"
"Sunlight will make you feel odd inside, and it may," she hesitates and never finishes. "You will see, $name. I'm not trying to scare you. It's probably going to be just fine, but I wanted to warn you. I remember my first solar meditation, and it was a shocking experience. Now, come on. Getting to the roof will take some time."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_5">><</link>>It takes you maybe twenty minutes to get to the roof, and when you do, you can't help but suck in a breath of astonishment. The roof isn't just a roof. It's a fully functional temple with a large stone obelisk erected at its very center.
Ophelia leads you towards the obelisk and doesn't stop until you're but a few feet away. The first thing you notice when you get closer is that the monument doesn't cast a shadow. You want to ask the priestess about it, but when you turn to do so, you realize she's already on her knees. Her eyes are still open, but you can tell she's about to close them.
Not knowing what else to do, you follow her lead and sit down right next to her. She gives you a nod and a hint of a smile, and then her eyes fall shut, and you feel a sudden change in her aura. Ophelia is no longer here, not fully. Her body may be next to you, but her spirit is somewhere else. When you think about it, it does seem a bit scary.
Still, despite that moment of hesitation, you take a deep breath, trying to relax your body, and also close your eyes.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_5a">><</link>>After that, you help Ophelia to her feet, and you both get off the roof. It doesn't take you long to find the sacred fountain and gather a bit of water, and just as promised by Mehor, no one tries to get in your way. With the water secured in your bag, you leave the temple and slowly start heading home.
"Will you be very disappointed if I take my leave?" Ophelia asks as you get closer to the gate leading out of the Temple District. "I don't feel so good, and I'd like to get some rest. That meditation wore me out."
Your eyes narrow as you hear that, but you decide that it might be best if you comply. While you might not be too tired yourself, it's only right that you show the priestess a bit of compassion and understanding.
"Alright," you say with a warm smile. "Let's keep in touch?"
She nods, and with that, you both go your separate ways.
It's quite late in the afternoon when you finally make it back home. The first thing you notice is that $fname is waiting for you at the door, and that their expression is a mixture of worry and anticipation. Hopefully, nothing bad happened while you were gone.
"How did it go?" they ask, levitating towards you. "Did you get it?"
"I did." You show them the bottle. "I'll take it to the laboratory, and then, we should probably have dinner."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_7">><</link>>Not knowing what else to do, you move a bit closer to the priestess and put her head in your lap. While such a thing would normally be seen as more than inappropriate, this situation is anything but normal, and you can't just let her head rest on a hard stone floor.
Not wanting to cross any more lines, you stop yourself from moving her hair from her face, instead focusing on summoning your magic and trying to get through to her.
It's not easy. While your energy does uncover that something feels off, you're unable to tell what that something is. It's almost as if Ophelia's own energy was trying to keep you from finding out what was wrong. Maybe that's exactly what's happening?
Suddenly, you feel the priestess move in your arms. She blinks a couple of times, and when she realizes where she is, her eyes go wide, and she quickly moves away.
"I'm alright, I'm alright," she says, more confused than uncomfortable. "Everything's okay, $name. Still, thank you for... that." She gives you an uncertain look. "I... Let's get going, alright? I promise to explain everything later, but I don't want to stay here any longer. Let's get that water and leave."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_6">><</link>>"Ophelia, are you alright?" you ask, moving to sit a bit closer. "Can you hear me? Can you hear my voice? If you can, please, give me a sign. Do you need me to go find Mehor?"
You get no answer. Ophelia's face is still awfully pale, her eyes remain wide open, and even her lips seem to be getting a bit blue. You wouldn't need to be an alchemist to know that such a thing cannot mean anything good. If this continues, her body might fall apart.
"Come on, Ophelia," you try again, this time summoning just a bit of your magic and placing your hand on the priestess' forehead. "Take a long deep breath and come back to me."
At first, your words don't seem to have any effect. You study Ophelia's still expression, hoping for a sign of recognition, but she's still very far away. Then, just as you're about to get up and search for Mehor, the priestess lets out a low groan and starts coughing.
"Hey, are you okay?" you ask, moving a way to give her a bit more space.
Her voice is raspy when she answers. "I'm fine, $name. I just... wasn't expecting this." She gives you an uncertain look. "I... Let's get going, alright? I'll explain everything later, but I don't want to stay here any longer. Let's get that water and leave."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_6">><</link>>Realizing that something must have gone wrong, you move a bit closer to the priestess and summon your magic. The power courses through your whole body as you form an intention and create a mystical binding, and it pours out of your fingertips as soon as they touch Ophelia's forehead.
As soon as your hand comes into contact with her skip, your eyes go wide, and you lose all your senses. For a brief moment, the whole world ceases to exist, and you feel as if you were somewhere else entirely. No, that's not right. There cannot be "somewhere else" if "here" no longer exists. In a way, you don't feel anything at all. It's very strange.
Suddenly, your senses snap back in, and you're forced to take a few deep breaths to keep yourself from going crazy. Everything is okay, and this was just a temporary issue. Your body and soul are just fine.
Just as you finally manage to talk yourself down, you hear a weak cough and realize that Ophelia's spirit has returned to her body. She's still a bit confused, but at least her energy is back to normal.
"Are you alright?" you ask gently.
The priestess nods, but you can tell she's still a bit shaken up. "I'm fine, $name. Well, I'm going to be fine as soon as we leave this place." She gives you an uncertain look. "Let's get going, alright? I'll explain what happened later, but I don't want to stay here any longer. Let's get that water and leave."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_6">><</link>>That night, you are once again haunted by a strange dream. Your body may be asleep, but your spirit gets no rest. There's a sense of urgency and a feeling of approaching dread in the air around you, but you can't quite find the right words to describe it. The only thing that's clear is that someone or something is trying got tell you something.
As you open your eyes, you're surrounded by impenetrable darkness. It's an endless void, lacking any signs of normality, and it makes you feel lost and unreasonably exhausted.
Reason? No, there is no place for reason. Not here. This state of being is far more ancient than any idea of reason. Older than thinking itself. But... why are you here? What brought you to this undescribable place? Why now? Was it something you did or said? Was it one of your thoughts that brought your mind here?
"So young and so naive," an alien voice says suddenly, making your heart skip a beat. Though it's but a whisper, you get a sense that it's best not to argue with it. "I told you to let go, but you did not. Are you really willing to sacrifice all the you are just to save a life? Are you willing to destroy yourself? Do you have any idea what it would even mean for you?" There's a pause. "No, you don't."
As the words slowly sink into your mind, your thoughts start racing, and begin to realize that this is your second warning. You had a very similar dream but a couple of days ago, and you didn't listen.
"Yes, $name," the voice says, this time much closer to you. "What happens if you choose not to listen again? Are you really willing to find out?"
Suddenly, you hear something move at the edge of your nonexistent vision, and just like that, everything ends. You wake up with a terrifying scream as horrid pain goes through your whole body, leaving you breathless and utterly paralyzed.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "before_date_1">><</link>>"Is everything alright?" you ask, bringing the sending stone close to your mouth. "It's you, Ophelia, right?"
You hear a quiet laugh on the other side of the link. "Of course! Sorry for contacting you so suddenly, but I just heard from my friend at the Temple of Dlannum, and he says he's ready to meet with us right now. Where are you? Can you make it to the Temple District without me? Do you know the way?"
You roll your eyes, only to realize the priestess can't see your face. "Yes, I do know the way. I've been there many times because I have some clients among the priesthood."
"How fast can you get here?"
You think for a moment. The Temple District is quite far away from your shop, and it'll take you at least an hour to reach it on foot. Well, you could use magic to get there faster, but people might think you reckless if you do so. There's a thin line between using your powers and abusing them, and many might consider increasing your speed the latter.
"Maybe an hour? I could use magic to get there faster."
"No, no, an hour will not do. By then, Mehor will be getting ready for the noon ritual, and we really need to catch him before that happens. The noon ritual at the Temple of Dlannum takes forever." She hesitates, but not for long. "Alright. Do what you have to, but try to get here as fast as possible."
With that, the stone goes quiet.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_1b">><</link>>Will this be an abuse of your power if you use magic to get to the solar temple? You're not going there for anything selfish. On the contrary, you are going there to get an ingredient that might help you save an innocent life. Well, you don't really know if Dedal is innocent, but Daruna seems to think so. Perhaps... Perhaps it's a good enough reason to use magic.
<<if $element is "fire">>With that in mind, you summon your energy and turn it into a whirlwind of smoke and fire. The magic is warm, but that doesn't bother you. You're more than used to the way your power feels. <</if>><<if $element is "earth">>With that in mind, you summon your energy and turn it into a whirlwind of leaves and flowers. The magic smells like earth, but that doesn't bother you. You're more than used to the way your power feels.<</if>><<if $element is "air">>With that in mind, you summon your energy and turn it into a whirlwind of mist and lightning. The magic sends tingling sensations all over your body, but that doesn't bother you. You're more than used to the way your power feels.<</if>><<if $element is "water">>With that in mind, you summon your energy and turn it into a whirlwind of water and foam. The magic is a bit cold and very wet, but that doesn't bother you. You're more than used to the way your power feels.<</if>> With a deep breath, you close your eyes and ask the spell to guide you to your destination. After that, there's a sudden flash of light and your body starts moving on its own.
You pass through three whole districts in what feels like minutes. Your magic acts as both a guide and a protector, making sure you don't bump into any building or people. It's a peculiar feeling because you're doing something without having to do anything.
Your magic disappears as you arrive at the Temple of Dlannum not more than ten minutes after the conversation with Ophelia. The priestess is already there, her dress white and her hair pulled up in an elegant bun, and you notice right away that she's smiling at you.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_2">><</link>>The Temple of Dlannum is one of the most magnificent buildings in the capital. The scope of this magnificence is so great that even the royal palace seems modest in comparison. The roof in the main hall is so far away you can barely see it, and the walls are so tall they make you feel pleasantly insignificant. The halls are also filled with large columns. Covered in ancient inscriptions, they tell the story of the creation of the world and describe why Dlannum is the most important of all the gods.
"I'm always amazed at just how big this place is," Ophelia whispers as you pass by a group of bald priests. "Have you ever wondered why Dlannum encourages his followers to shave their whole bodies?"
You raise an eyebrow. "Can't say I have. Do you know why?"
"I actually asked Mehor about it a few years ago." As she says that, her cheeks turn bright pink, and you realize it must have been a very amusing conversation. "He said it had something to do with Aqualians and the way they worshiped the gods, but I'm not sure if that was the whole truth."
"Priests of Dlannum cannot lie," a new voice interjects before you get a chance to say anything.
As you turn to look, you realize that one of the priests from the group has come up to you and is now studying you with his deep brown eyes. His expression seems calm and perfectly collected, but you think there might be a hint of a smile on his lips.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_water_quest_3">><</link>><<if $element is "fire">>Suddenly, your whole body goes stiff and begins to burn. Something is melting you from inside, and you know right away that it must be sunlight. Your own magic, encouraged and empowered, flies through your aura, filling everything with a different kind of burning. Flames begin to devour all that you are, but thanks to your magical affinity to fire, they no longer cause you pain.<</if>><<if $element is "earth">>Suddenly, your whole body goes stiff and begins to burn. Something is melting you from inside, and you know right away that it must be sunlight. Your own magic, encouraged and empowered, flies through your aura, making everything just a bit more stable and giving you a sense of serenity. You're surrounded by nature, and it helps you preserve your sanity.<</if>><<if $element is "air">>Suddenly, your whole body goes stiff and begins to burn. Something is melting you from inside, and you know right away that it must be sunlight. Your own magic, encouraged and empowered, flies through your aura, easing the burning with gusts of cool and pleasant wind. The divine sunlight is still terribly intense, but it no longer feels unbearable.<</if>><<if $element is "water">>Suddenly, your whole body goes stiff and begins to burn. Something is melting you from inside, and you know right away that it must be sunlight. Your own magic, encouraged and empowered, flies through your aura, cooling your whole being, and making it possible for you to bear the burning. It's not ideal, but you do feel just that little better.<</if>>
Three hours. Mehor wants you to do this for three hours. Just the thought makes you want to let out a groan. Sadly, you have no connection to your physical body, which makes it impossible. Hopefully, that holy water will turn out to be useful. You really wouldn't want this to turn out to have been for nothing.
The meditation continues for what feels like hours, and you're incredibly surprised when you realize that you've actually managed to find a sense of relaxation in all this burning.
Not long after that realization, your spirit returns to your body, and you're able to open your eyes. The first thing you notice is that the roof is unusually empty, the second - that Ophelia is lying unconscious on the floor with her eyes wide open.
While you can't be sure what's wrong with her, you do notice that her energy feels a bit off. There's something about it that reminds you of her goddess. Perhaps the mediation was different for her because of her connection to Fatumne? Maybe the goddess wanted to speak with her? If that's the case, then it's possible that they're still talking.
[[Sit next to her and put her head in your lap.]]
[[Ask her if she's okay.]]
[[Use magic to see what happened.]]Suddenly, the front door opens and Ezra enters the shop. The wizard is wearing long purple robes that sparkle with little bits of gold, and you notice that he also put on a pair of beautiful amethyst earrings. A smile warms your face when you realize you must look quite plain standing next to him. Your robes are simple and gray, and you barely had any time in the morning to brush your perfectly white hair.
"Good morning, $name," he says, walking up to the counter. "Are you ready for our little adventure?"
You narrow your eyes. "Kind of, but I still don't know how you want us to even get there. Doesn't it take more than ten days to get to the northern border of the kingdom? We don't have that much time."
Ezra chuckles at that. "Yes, I'm well aware. Still, I think you might be forgetting that I'm a trained enchanter. There's this little thing called teleportation, and it can be used to get from one place to another in a blink of an eye."
"Teleportation?" You barely manage to keep yourself from shouting. "But isn't it illegal? I'm pretty sure King Deserion II forbade the use of teleportation magic because of its unwanted side effects. Are you sure we should be doing this?"
"You're partially right. Regular teleportation is forbidden, and I would not encourage anyone to use it, regardless of the situation. However, I'm not talking about regular teleportation. I have an enchanted item that will take us to an ancient temple located deep in the Turinis Ruins."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_1b">><</link>>Turinis. The capital of the Aqualian Empire and a source of countless legends and mysteries. Was once the most significant city in the world, isn't much more than a memory today. After the disappearance of the Aqualian race, the city fell into ruin, and it has been deserted ever since.
Well, maybe deserted isn't the right word. According to some travelling merchants and adventurers, there are people that still live there, but they have been changed by the energy of the city and no longer resemble their previous selves.
"Are you sure this is wise?" you ask Ezra, even tough you know this might be your only option. "What about the Marked Ones? Won't they try to stop us? I don't know much about them, but..."
The mage places his hands on the counter and gives you a small smile. "I thought about it last night, but I believe we should be okay. I have some scrolls that should keep us safe. Besides, the Marked Ones will not come to us unless we do something really stupid. They usually mind their own business and don't bother visitors."
You hesitate. "Do you really think they're somehow related to Aqualians? Do you think that's why they never leave the city?"
"I honestly don't know, $name." He thinks for a while. "My theory is that they're either related to them or that they are them. No one knows what really happened during the final days of the Aqualian Empire, which means we can't dismiss any possibilities."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_1c">><</link>>With that, Ezra winks and pulls out a small item from one of his pockets and places in on the counter. It's a strange thing, and you're not quite sure what you should call it. It looks like a combination of a scroll and a potion. The papyrus with some inscriptions is mostly inside a rather small bottle that looks like it's filled with some kind of purple fluid that, surprisingly, doesn't seem to be destroying the material.
"This is the device?" you ask, raising an eyebrow. "It looks weird and... unstable. Are you sure about this?"
Ezra gives you a funny look. "Well, since I'm a specialist when it comes to enchanting items, you'll just have to trust me on this. I crafted it myself a few years back, and I've always wanted to actually use it. This seems like a perfect opportunity."
Your eyes go wide. "Wait. You've never used it before?"
"Does that make you nervous, $name?" As he says that, Ezra leans over the counter and smirks. "Are you afraid we might end up dead or somewhere on a different continent?"
<<if $personality is "reserved">>"Nervous? No, that's not the right word. I just don't want to end up dead when I'm trying to save someone else's life. There are people counting on us. Also, I don't really like doing things that haven't been tested. While, in theory, there's danger in everything we do, this feels like asking for trouble."<</if>><<if $personality is "emotional">>"Are you crazy? Yes, I am afraid, but it's not just because of what could happen to us. Our death is bad enough, but there's also the fact that Daruna and Ophelia are counting on us. They will not be happy if we end up killing ourselves before we manage to cure Dedal. We can't be this reckless, Ezra."<</if>><<if $personality is "sarcastic">>"Is this your version of living on the edge or something? If so, it's not very solid. I think you might be forgetting that we're not going there to have fun. There's this young dwarf who might die at any moment, you know? I think I might have even mentioned him to you... He might actually be the reason you're here in the first place..."<</if>>
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_1d">><</link>><<if $personality is "reserved">>Ezra lets out a deep sigh. "As much as I want to argue, I can respect these reasons. While I can't really say what we're about to do is going to be perfectly safe, I honestly believe we need not worry. I'm really good at what I do. If you don't believe me, you can ask just about anyone at the Mage's Guild. My reputation as an enchanter is quite high."<</if>><<if $personality is "emotional">>Ezra raises his hands defensively. "Okay, okay, just calm down, will you? It's going to be fine. I understand that you feel the need to freak out, but I assure you I'm really good at what I do. I don't want to brag... Well, I don't really mind bragging... Anyway, I'm one of the best enchanters in the city, and won't let anything bad happen to either one of us. We're not going to die."<</if>><<if $personality is "sarcastic">>Ezra raises an eyebrow. "Yes, very funny. While I appreciate the humor, I'm not trying to act like a crazy person. I know what I'm doing, and I assure you that this enchanted item will not hurt us in any way. I might be young, but I'm one of the best enchanters in the city, and I'm certainly no amateur. And I do care about our... your job. We're going to get that sand and use it to heal Dedal. We're not taking any unnecessary risks."<</if>>
As he says that, the mage winks at you and snaps his beautiful fingers. All of a sudden, you hear a peculiar click and watch as the teleporter bursts to life. There's a whole array of vibrant colors simply pouring out of the scroll, and you barely manage to keep yourself from covering your eyes. The amount of power used to enchant this time must have been truly extraordinary.
"What now?" you ask, moving a bit closer.
Ezra smirks and reaches out for your hand. "We're going to need to hold hands to make sure we end up going to the same place. This may feel a bit weird - it's normal with teleportation magic - but I'm certain nothing bad is going to happen to us. Are you ready?"
You're definitely not ready, but then again, you don't have that much of a choice. If you don't go today, Ezra might not have time to help you tomorrow or the day after that. Everything is ready right now, and that means... you have to do this.
You nod reluctantly. "Let's do this."
With that, you take the mage's outstretched hand and wait for the item to take you away. At first, nothing happens, and your eyes narrow in slight confusion. Then, when Ezra winks and places his other hand on the bottle, there's a sudden flash of blinding light, and the world around you simply disappears.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_1e">><</link>>When you next open your eyes, the first thing you notice is that you're no longer in the Southern Kingdom. Your shop has disappeared, leaving you surrounded by strange large buildings and wide roads, many of which look quite well-preserved, considering that they've been practically abandoned for well over a thousand years.
"Everything seems to be in order," Ezra says, giving your hand a little squeeze. "We are definitely in the Turinis Ruins. Just look at that huge building." He points to what must have once been a temple filled with dozens upon dozens of tall columns, all covered in detailed inscriptions. "If my research on this place is to be believed, this must have once been the most important temple in the Aqualian Empire. It still feels rather impressive, doesn't it?"
You nod, not sure what to say. While you don't know much about Turinis or even about the Aqualian Empire, you're pretty sure their race worshiped Dlannum as their main god, just like your own people. If this really was the most important temple in the whole empire, then it's very likely that it was dedicated to him.
"Did that temple have no roof?" you ask, recalling your previous visits to the Temple of Dlannum, back in the City of Waves.
Ezra shrugs. "I don't know. I've never been interested in architecture, but you'll probably be able to find something about it at the library. Anyway, we should start searching for that sand. If we remain here for too long, we might draw unwanted attention."
[[Use your magic to make sure you're not being watched.]]
[[Ask Ezra about the Marked Ones.]]After dinner, you descend to your laboratory and work for a few hours on some potions you've been asked to prepare. It's nothing too difficult as the orders mostly mentioned headaches and coughing, and you manage to prepare everything in about two hours.
Later that evening, you say goodnight to $fname and retire to your room with a cup of hot jasmine tea. Jasmine is one of the most beloved flowers in the Southern Kingdom, and it is well-known for its healing and relaxing properties. With that in mind, you take the first sip and wait for the liquid to release the tension from your muscles. There's nothing like a good cup of tea after a long day away from home.
As you continue drinking, your thoughts take you back to what happened earlier. Ophelia fell down during her mediation, and you there's no denying the fact that something was wrong with her. Her energy was way off, and you barely managed to bring her back.
Even though she told you that everything was okay, perhaps you should use the sending stone to check on her?
[[Contact Ophelia to make sure she's okay.]]
[[Simply finish your tea and go to sleep.]]
<<set $ophelia_quest to 1>>
<<set $money += 15>>Feeling a strange need to check on Ophelia, you pick up a sending stone and close your eyes, trying to send a clear message. The stone is quite cold when you take it into your palm, but you assume it must be simply because it hasn't been used in hours.
"Ophelia, are you alright?" you ask.
At first, there is no answer, and you worry that you might have picked a bad time, when suddenly, you hear a cough and realize the connection must have been established.
"I'm okay, $name," the priestess says, her voice weak but stable. "Thank you for calling. I really appreciate your concern, but I was just about to retire. Did something happen?"
You hesitate. "I'm not going to take too much of your time. I just wanted to see how you were doing. When I saw you unconscious on the floor, I did not know what to do. Are you sure everything it okay?"
You hear a sigh from the other side. "Everything is mostly okay. I talked to Fatumne, and she asked me to do something for her. Nothing dangerous. These things happen from time to time, and they always end like this. My body simply isn't used to it." She sighs again. "Anyway, thank you again, but I really have to go now. Good night!"
With that, the connection disappears, and you're left alone with your thoughts.<<if $ezra_quest eq 0>>Tomorrow morning, you'll need to meet up with Ezra to figure out how to get to the Teho Desert. Once you manage to secure the sand, you'll be able to focus on trying to find that pearl In-Xu-Ra wrote about. Hopefully, the desert will be less dangerous than today's meditation.<</if>><<if $ezra_quest eq 1>>Tomorrow, you'll need to start thinking about the last ingredient. Since you've already managed to gather the holy water and that strange type of sand, the pear is now the only thing left. Once you find it, you'll be able to brew the potion and try to give it to Daruna's grandson. Hopefully, it won't be too late.<</if>>
With these thoughts in mind, you let out a tired groan, take one last breath to relax your muscles, and <<if $ezra_quest eq 0>>[[fall asleep.]]<</if>><<if $ezra_quest eq 1>>[[drift away.]]<</if>>Deciding it's probably best to let Ophelia rest, you give your undivided attention to your tea. The combination of dried green tea - the most beloved type of tea on Sekherion - and jasmine has been known for well over a thousand years, but it wasn't until about three hundred years ago that it became really famous.
The funny thing is that it happened by accident. Well, at least that's what most people believe. The goddess of Fate might have orchestrated everything, but that's impossible to check. Regardless of that, jasmine tea owes its popularity to Shayos, one of the oldest wizards in the known world. Enamored with the unique combination of jasmine and green tea, he wrote a collection of twelve poems, in which he compared the mixture to the most beautiful of elves and the strongest of dwarves. While the poems were never supposed to see the light of day, Shayos' apprentice must have not known about that because he showed them to a wandering bard.
The bard copied the poems and masterfully turned them into funny songs, and that changed everything. Two or three years later, the Jasmine Tea Saga was famous all across Sekherion.
You smile as your mind brings you the melody of one of the songs. Things might get difficult at times, but jasmine tea will always be there for you. It'll cheer you up after a long day, and it'll certainly give you the strength to carry on.
<<if $ezra_quest eq 0>>Tomorrow morning, you'll need to meet up with Ezra to figure out how to get to the Teho Desert. Once you manage to secure the sand, you'll be able to focus on trying to find that pearl In-Xu-Ra wrote about. Hopefully, the desert will be less dangerous than today's meditation.<</if>><<if $ezra_quest eq 1>>Tomorrow, you'll need to start thinking about the last ingredient. Since you've already managed to gather the holy water and that strange type of sand, the pear is now the only thing left. Once you find it, you'll be able to brew the potion and try to give it to Daruna's grandson. Hopefully, it won't be too late.<</if>>
With these thoughts in mind, you let out a tired groan, take one last breath to relax your muscles, and <<if $ezra_quest eq 0>>[[fall asleep.]]<</if>><<if $ezra_quest eq 1>>[[drift away.]]<</if>>The sole mention of unwanted attention fills you with worry, uncertainty, and something else you can't really describe. Thankfully, there's no need for you to keep wondering as you have a bit of magic at your disposal. You might not be a powerful mage like Ezra, but as an alchemist, you do have access to some useful spells.
"Give me a moment," you tell the mage. "I have to do something."
With that, you raise your hands to your eyes and summon your magic. <<if $element is "fire">>As soon as you do so, small flashes of burning energy cover your fingers and begin to slowly heighten your senses. While you have cast this spell before, you've never really gotten used to it. It's always strange when your inner fire helps you see, smell and hear more.<</if>><<if $element is "earth">>As soon as you do so, tickling circles of calming energy cover your fingers and begin to slowly heighten your senses. While you have cast this spell before, you've never really gotten used to it. It's always quite strange when your inner earth helps you see, smell and hear more.<</if>><<if $element is "air">>As soon as you do so, small flashes of crackling energy cover your fingers and begin to slowly heighten your senses. While you have cast this spell before, you've never really gotten used to it. It's always strange when your inner air helps you see, smell, and hear more.<</if>><<if $element is "water">>As soon as you do so, hectic splashes of healing energy cover your fingers and begin to slowly heighten your senses. While you have cast this spell before, you've never really gotten used to it. It's always quite strange when your inner water helps you see, smell, and hear more.<</if>>
As you take a look around, you notice something that was too small to see without magic. That there can be no doubt that there are things living in this area because the roads are simply filled with hundreds upon hundreds of barely visible footprints. While most of them seem to be of a normal size, there are a few that look a bit more alarming. There's even a pair that looks unlike anything you've ever seen. Seven toes, each one bigger than a human foot, and...
"$name? Can you hear me?" Ezra interrupts you suddenly. You shake your head, only to realize that he's watching you with uncertain eyes. "What happened? Did you see something? Sorry for pulling you out, but there was something strange about your magic. It's probably just this place."
You hesitate. "We're not alone. Let's be careful."
The mage narrows his eyes as you say that, but he doesn't question you any further. Instead, he pulls our a simple cedar rod from one of his pockets, gives you a nod, and starts heading towards the ruined temple.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_2">><</link>>"Do you think the Marked Ones might be watching us?" you ask, trying to keep your voice as quiet as possible. "I know you said we should be fine, but what if they're watching us right now?"
The mage studies your face for a long while. "I know for a fact that they are watching us, $name, but I also know that we can't let that overwhelm us. From what I've read, watching visitors and filling them with dread is a part of their strategy." He's about to say something else, but he stops himself. "Let's just focus on our task, alright? Our sudden appearance is to our advantage, and we should use that fact to find the sand and leave this place as soon as possible."
You nod, but you're still not entirely convinced. "Is your magic telling you anything? Do you sense danger nearby?"
When you ask that, Ezra closes his eyes and whispers something you can't really make out. When he reopens them, they're shining like two polished amethysts, and you know they must be enhancing his natural vision. You've used similar spells before, but it's always interesting to see how similar formulas work for different magic users.
"Anything?" you ask about a minute later.
"We're definitely being watched." As he says that, Ezra places a hand on your forearm and starts guiding you towards the ancient temple. "Come on. If something happens, we won't be able to fend off all of them. I don't want to worry you, but we need to be very cautious. This place is like a cemetery filled with unhinged undead warriors."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_2">><</link>>It takes you about half an hour to reach the first columns of the temple. Unsurprisingly, you're unable to understand any of the inscriptions. When you ask Ezra about them, he simply shakes his head, suggesting that he's also at a loss when it comes to the ancient hieroglyphics.
The temple itself is enormous, and it makes you feel very insignificant. Now that you think about it, it's a very similar feeling to the one you usually feel in many other temples dedicated to Dlannum. Perhaps it's a normal thing associated with the sun-god? Maybe his divine might is what makes you feel that way? Or maybe... maybe it's simply your mind telling you that you have problems with self-esteem?
As you start walking among the columns, heading deeper and deeper into the temple, your heart is filled with more and more uncertainty. You're not sure why that's the case, but something tells you that it can't be all in your head. Something just doesn't seem right here. Perhaps it's the age of this place? Perhaps it's the fact that you're being watched? Or maybe... maybe it's something else entirely?
"Are you alright?" Ezra asks when you stop by one of the columns. "You look a little tired."
You shake your head. "It's nothing. I'm sure it's nothing."
His eyes narrow at your weak answer. "If you say so. Still, give me just a moment, and I'll check what's going on in this temple. I can't put my finger on it, but something feels off."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_3">><</link>>With that, Ezra pulls out an unpolished ruby from one of his pockets and brings it close to his lips. He then whispers a couple of sentences in a language you don't recognize and lets out a deep breath. He repeats the whole process three more times, which makes you realize he's not casting a spell. When someone repeats an invocation or an action four times, it's a clear sign that they're performing a ritual.
Rituals are usually more powerful than simple spells, but they cannot be used in difficult situations that require swift actions. As an alchemist, you've never really been trained in the art of ritual magic, but you have read about it.
Not knowing what else to do, you take a step closer to Ezra. You're about to ask him if he's sensing anything, when suddenly, your heart skips a beat, your eyes go wide, and your whole body starts trembling. You don't know what's happening, but you're no longer in control.
"What's going on?" you ask, falling to your knees.
Hearing your voice, Ezra tries to move closer, but something also forces him to his knees. "I don't know. I... there's something very wrong here. Under our very feet, there's... I..." His voice trembles, and when he next speaks, his eyes are filled with pure fear. "$name, we need to get out of here. This shouldn't be real. It... shouldn't exist."
As soon as he says that, your stomach drops, and you find yourself unable to do anything. You try breathing, hoping that it might help you regain your mental stability, but it doesn't help. You're about to try summoning your energy to protect yourself, when suddenly, you hear something move behind one of the nearby columns.
Something's coming.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_4">><</link>><<if $element is "fire">>Knowing there's no time to lose, you summon your flaming energy and command it to break through the paralyzing fear that's befallen you. At first, nothing happens, and you worry that you might not be strong enough, but then, just as you hear Ezra gasp next to you, there is a sudden burst of dark crimson light, and your power frees you from all alien magic.<</if>><<if $element is "earth">>Knowing there's no time to lose, you summon your unwavering energy and command it to break through the paralyzing fear that's befallen you. At first, nothing happens, and you worry that you might not be strong enough, but then, there's a sudden burst of green light, and your power frees you from all alien magic.<</if>><<if $element is "air">>Knowing there's no time to lose, you summon your crackling energy and command it to break through the paralyzing fear that's befallen you. At first, nothing happens, and you worry that you might not be strong enough, but then, there's a sudden burst of silver light, and your power frees you from all alien magic.<</if>><<if $element is "water">>Knowing there's no time to lose, you summon your shimmering energy and command it to break through the paralyzing fear that's befallen you. At first, nothing happens, and you worry that you might not be strong enough, but then, there's a sudden burst of blue light, and your power frees you from all alien magic.<</if>>
It takes you a moment to regain full control of your body and to come to your senses, but when you do, you realize that Ezra has also managed to free himself and is now running towards you. He looks a bit shaken, but there's a lot of determination in his bright eyes.
"Quickly," he says, helping you to your feet. "I think I saw something like a basin of sand next to the altar. Let's try to reach it and hope that's the thing In-Xu-Ra was writing about."
"What happened to us?" you ask, your breathing still very heavy. "That energy was so strong..."
The mage simply shakes his head. "Not now, $name. We're about to get attacked, and I'm afraid we might not be strong enough to stand up to the things that live in this place. I also have questions, but they'll need to wait until we're safe. Come on."
With that, he gives you an encouraging nod, reaches for your hand, and starts pulling you towards the altar.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_5">><</link>>The altar is nothing more than a single stone tablet, devoid of any signs or inscriptions. What surprises you even more than the way it looks is the fact that it seems to be lacking any magical properties. Could it be that ancient Aqualians really didn't infuse their altars with magic?
You're about to reach the altar, when suddenly, the air crackles right in front of you, revealing two unfamiliar shapes. You want to say that they look like people, but you know that wouldn't be a right description. The shapes are taller than you and Ezra, but their exact nature escapes you as they're constantly surrounded by fields of trembling energy that seems to be making them one with the world around them.
"What now?" you ask, not knowing whether you should run or fight. "What are these things?"
Ezra uses one of his arms to push you behind him, while summoning his purple magic with the other. "They must be trying to protect the temple. They haven't attacked us yet as we haven't done anything, but I'm afraid they might do it if we try to get to the altar."
You shake your head. "But we need that sand!"
As you say that, you notice a flash of hesitation in Ezra's eyes. "There might be something we could try, but it's risky. Remember when I said I took some scrolls to protect us from the Marked Ones? If you buy me some time, I might be able to use one of them to disable these... guardians."
[[Distract the guardians, buying Ezra some time.]]
[[Try to dispel the magic keeping the guardians alive.]]
[[Conjure fire to keep the guardians at bay.]]Deciding to trust Ezra's advice since he seems to know more about what's happening, you summon your energy and send out a few bolts of pure magic towards the guardians. At first, the creatures don't seem to mind being attacked, but when one of the bolts manages to slip under the field of trembling energy, you hear a loud hiss and realize you've succeeded.
"That's a great start!" Ezra says, and the agitation in his voice forces you to look at him. He's holding an enchanted scroll in his hands, and you realize he must be trying to activate its energy. "Give me just one more moment! Just one more!"
Not knowing what else to do, you send out another wave of projectiles, trying to keep the guardians focused on you. As the bolts strike true, the creatures hiss once again, but this time, there's something much more primal and unnerving in their reaction, and you realize they've started moving in your direction.
You're struck with two different emotions as you realize that you have managed to buy Ezra some time, but at the same time, you're about to get utterly slaughtered.
You're about to summon your energy to protect yourself from the incoming strikes, when suddenly, you hear a click and watch as the guardians turn to dust. Just like that, their energy disappears, and all that's left is a pile of dark sand.
"Are you alright?" Ezra asks, moving towards you and grabbing your arm. "Come on. Let's get to the altar before more of those things appear."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_6">><</link>>While you know that it would be probably best to listen to Ezra since he seems to understand more about what's happening, you decide to try to deal with the guardians on your own. You might not be a mage, but that doesn't mean you don't know how to use magic.
With a deep breath, you push past the mage and summon your energy. As the magic fills you with renewed strength and determination, you focus your eyes on the creatures and send out your magic to rid them of their power. As the colors of your spell clash with the guardians, their auras change, and they focus their whole attention on you.
Sadly, you can tell right away that your magic didn't do anything. These beings must be much older and stronger than any of the basic spells you are familiar with. It seems like you've just made them angry.
"Pallion's beard!" Ezra curses as he moves past you and releases a wave of staggering energy that sends the guardians flying across the temple. They land with a loud thud, but their energy doesn't disappear. "I told you to buy me some time! Come on. They'll be back in a moment, and they are going to be angry!"
With that, he grabs your arm and pulls you towards the altar.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_6">><</link>>While you know that it would be probably best to listen to Ezra since he seems to understand more about what's happening, you decide to try to deal with the guardians on your own. You might not be a mage, but that doesn't mean you don't know how to use magic.
With a deep breath, you push past the mage and summon your energy. Since the creatures seem to be made of wind and sand, you decide that it might be best to use fire to keep them at bay. After all, shouldn't most beings be afraid of flames?
Closing your eyes, you call out to your element and turn it into a bolt of raging fire. Knowing you'll need to somehow strike two targets with a single projectile, you add even more warmth into the spell, filling it with explosive properties.
When the flames become too hot to handle, you swallow heavily and throw the magic at the guardians. To your surprise, instead of burning them out of existence, the flames simply pass through the creatures, leaving them mostly unscathed.
You're about to ask Ezra what you should do now, when suddenly, you hear a click and watch as the guardians simply disappear.
"What happened?" you ask, confused.
The mage shakes his head. "Using fire wasn't a good idea, but at least it bought me enough time to use one of my scrolls. Come on, $name. Let's get to the altar before more of those things appear."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_sand_quest_6">><</link>>"Let's just hope this is the thing In-Xu-Ra had in mind," Ezra says as you kneel next to a basin of golden sand. "Take as much as you need, and let's get out of here."
Knowing there's no time to lose, you pull out a magically sealed satchel out of your bag and fill it with sand. It feels weird because the sand doesn't seem very special. If it has some magical properties, you don't see them. The only thing you find out of the ordinary is the fact that it feels strangely warm.
"I'm all done here," you tell Ezra.
The mage smirks at that. Instead of saying anything, he walks up to you and places his palms on your temples. You're surprised by his touch, but before you get a chance to react, the world gets blurry and everything goes black. For a long while, you're surrounded by nothing but darkness, and the only thing you're aware of is the fact that Ezra is standing right next to you.
When you next open your eyes, you're blinded by small bits and pieces of dim light. As your eyes adjust to the new environment, you realize you're no longer in the ruins. Ezra must have brought you back to the shop.
"You're finally back!" $fname says, levitating towards you from a nearby shelf. "Did you find it? Do you find the sand?"
"We did," Ezra answers for you, looking towards the door. "Which means I should get going. You probably haven't noticed it just yet, but that teleportation actually took quite a lot of time, and it's going to be getting dark soon."
[[Ask Ezra to stay for tea.]]
[[Say goodnight and go to bed early.]]
<<set $ezra_quest to 1>>"I know it's getting late, but how would you feel about staying for tea?" you ask, trying not to sound too hopeful.
Ezra's eyebrows rise when he hears your question, but you can tell by his eyes that he's pleasantly surprised. "I'd love to, but... what exactly do you mean by staying for tea? Are you talking about having tea or," his lips form a smirk, "something else entirely?"
Before you get a chance to answer, your familiar floats in between you and Ezra, as if they were trying to protect you. "While I'm sure $name appreciates the offer, don't you think it's a bit sudden? As $name's oldest friend, I suggest you stick to tea, at least for today."
Ezra burst out laughing at that, and you're quick to follow, but in the end, you do end up heeding $fname's advice. The three of you spend the rest of the evening in the tearoom, laughing and talking about many different things, from what happened in the ruins to what you might need to buy when you next visit the Market District.
<<if $ophelia_quest eq 1>>When it's finally time for Ezra to leave, he gives you a quick hug and promises to contact you tomorrow morning. You will also need to ask Ophelia to come, but that shouldn't be much of a problem since you have a sending stone. Now that you've managed to get the first two ingredients mentioned by In-Xu-Ra, you'll have to think about how to get those strange pearls.<</if>><<if $ophelia_quest eq 0>>When it's finally time for Ezra to leave, he gives you a quick hug and walks off into the night. Tomorrow, you'll need to meet up with Ophelia and go to the Temple of Dlannum to get some holy water. Hopefully, that ingredient will be easier to aquire than the sand.<</if>>
When you make it back to your bedroom, you slip under the covers, and it's not long before exhaustion forces you to <<if $ophelia_quest eq 0>>[[close your eyes.]]<</if>><<if $ophelia_quest eq 1>>[[drift away.]]<</if>>You raise your eyebrows and walk up to a nearby window. "You're right. Gods, I wasn't expecting that. Well, in that case, you might be right, and we should probably both get some rest."
With that, you say your goodbyes, and Ezra walks off into the night. It's only when you close the door behind him, that you realize just how tired you are. Today's adventure must have taken much more out of you than you thought. Still, it's quite possible that it's all because you used teleportation, and not once but twice.
It takes you maybe half an hour to take care of the shop and make sure all the doors and windows are locked and sealed. When that's done, you take $fname into your arms and carry them to your room.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?" they ask, visibly glad to be close to you.
<<if $ophelia_quest eq 1>>You nod. "I have to be. Ezra said that he's going to return in the morning to talk about the remaining ingredient. We'll also need to ask Ophelia to come, but that shouldn't be much of a problem since I have a sending stone. Now that we've managed to get the first two ingredients mentioned by In-Xu-Ra, we'll have to think about how to get those pearls."<</if>><<if $ophelia_quest eq 0>>You nod. "I have to be. I'm still not sure how exactly we're going to do this, but Ophelia and I need to meet up early in the morning and go to the Temple of Dlannum to get some holy water. She said she had an idea, which means I might just have to trust her. Hopefully, that ingredient will be easier to acquire than the sand."<</if>>
With that, you quickly wash your face and change into your night clothes. Soon, you slip under the covers, and it's not long before exhaustion forces you to <<if $ophelia_quest eq 0>>[[close your eyes.]]<</if>><<if $ophelia_quest eq 1>>[[drift away.]]<</if>>It takes you well over an hour to fully regain control over your body and mind, and your legs are still a bit shaky as you slowly start making your way downstairs. While $fname doesn't comment on your peculiar state, you notice that they are watching you with strange curiosity in their eyes. Still, it's probably a good thing you don't have to explain what happened as you wouldn't even know where to begin.
What did happen? Did you have a nightmare? Was your mind simply playing tricks on you, or did something really trap you in your own dream and try to tell you something? It's not impossible, but... why would anyone want to stop you from curing Dedal?
You spend the rest of the morning behind the counter. You mostly focus on segregating different jars and containers as it lets you clear your mind and relax, but you do also manage to sell three small potions to a client that comes by right before noon.
As soon as the customer leaves, the door falls open again, revealing Ezra and Ophelia. They both seem a bit tired, not unlike yourself, and you can tell by their eyes that they're bringing some bad news. While the mage is mostly able to hide his emotions under a mask of amusement, the priestess is much less successful at that, and there's no denying that something must have gone wrong.
"What is it?" you ask, putting your hands on the counter.
Ophelia is the one who answers, her expression a mixture of sadness and uncertainty. "I'm afraid I have bad news. While we were busy trying to get the ingredients, something happened at Mrs. Argando's house, and her grandson... Dedal isn't doing very well." She hesitates. "At best, he has a few days left."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "before_date_2">><</link>>
<<set $money += 15>>Your eyes go wide. "But what happened? Wasn't your goddesses' magic meant to keep him safe? What changed?"
"We don't know. I asked around, but neither the servants nor Mrs. Argando herself know anything. They are all certain Dedal had no visitors, well, aside from us, and they were very surprised to see a change in his state. His body is," she swallows, "beginning to fall apart."
"Rotting," Ezra adds with a sigh. "His body is rotting."
In-Xu-Ra didn't mention anything like that in his journal. What if you're going after a false lead, and the potion won't be able to do anything? Rot isn't something that can normally be cured. While you have dealt with it before, it usually appeared on corpses, and as far as you know, Dedal isn't a corpse just yet.
"We have to find the last ingredient," you tell them, trying to calm your breathing. "In-Xu-Ra said something about a pearl, but he also mentioned that no regular pearls would have enough power to be enough for a potion of this strength." You think for a moment. "While I know of three other types of pearls, they're all relatively weak. Black pearls are only good for sale, green ones are a delicacy on Tera Kalio, and deep pearls went extinct hundreds of years ago."
"You're forgetting something," $fname interrupts you, moving closer to your hands. "What about crimson pearls? Wouldn't it be worth it to at least try to find one of those?"
<<link "Continue">><<goto "before_date_3">><</link>>Before you manage to say anything else, the $familiar gives you a small nod and disappears in a flash of blue light. As soon as the particles of magical energy disperse, Ophelia and Ezra make their way to the counter, and you notice that their expressions are still uncertain.
"What should we do now?" the mage asks. "Are we supposed to just wait for $fname to return? That could take hours."
"Ezra's right," Ophelia adds with a sigh. "Maybe we should meet again in the evening? Your familiar should be back by then, right? I could use the rest of the day to help around the temple, and I'm sure you also have some things that need doing."
You nod. "We could do that."
While what Ophelia's saying is correct, and you would be able to find something to do around the shop, you don't really have any pressing matters that couldn't be dealt with at a later time. Since $fname will likely be gone for a few hours, you could try to ask Ezra or Ophelia to stay with you for a while. You could spend some quality time together and get to know each other better. Of course, if you'd rather be left alone, you could always spend the rest of the day working.
[[Ask Ezra to keep you company till evening.]]
[[Ask Ophelia to stay a bit longer.]]
[[Say your goodbyes and spend the rest of the day working.]]"Ophelia, do you think your temple duties could wait?" you ask, realizing almost immediately just how awkward you must sound. "I was just thinking that maybe we could spend some time together. Maybe have some tea?"
"How amusing," Ezra says, before the priestess gets a chance to give you an answer. "So this is how you treat your friends, $name? Picking one and sending the other away? How utterly... well, boring." He chuckles at his own words. "Anyway, if that's your decision, I'm going to get back to my own research. I'll see you later."
Before you can say anything, the mage winks at you and walks out of the shop. It takes you a while to fully comprehend what just happened, but when you do, you quickly turn to check on Ophelia. She seems to be doing okay, even if her expression is a bit confused.
"So, what do you think?" you ask again. "Can you stay?"
The priestess laughs at that, but you can tell it's a bit forced. "I'll stay, but I have to admit I'm not quite sure what Ezra was talking about. Why did he leave so suddenly?"
You roll your eyes. "Oh, you know what he's like. He was probably joking, and when he's being humorous, he doesn't really care if the other people get what he's talking about. It's one of his quirks."
Ophelia nods, but you're pretty sure she's not convinced.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_date_1">><</link>>"You're probably right," you agree, walking Ezra and Ophelia to the door. "In that case, I guess I'll see you in the evening."
With that, you say your goodbyes, and soon, you're back at the counter. Since there are no customers around, you decide that it's best if you go to the laboratory and work on some future orders. After all, it's always good to have extra potions and balms to sell them to people right away. People are often willing to pay more if they can get something without delay, and money is... important.
It takes you about two hours to brew two relatively small potions. One of them is filled with healing magic, and you will probably be able to sell it in a day or two, while the other is a bit more specialized as it's meant to stop hair from falling out. The good thing about that particular mixture is that it can be stored safely for about four weeks.
Once the potions are ready, you decide to leave the laboratory and go to the tearoom. Surprisingly enough, when you take a sip from your favorite cup, you realize you're not drinking your beloved green tea. The taste is familiar, and you believe you sense a hint of melissa.
Is your magical kettle trying to tell you something? Melissa is usually used to reduce stress, but you aren't really that stressed, are you? Or maybe you are, but you're just trying not to show it? You are dealing with quite a lot, and you have gone through some rather unpleasant things in the last couple of days. Maybe the kettle is simply trying to help?
<<link "Continue">><<goto "no_date_nap">><</link>>"Crimson pearls?" Ophelia asks, visibly confused. "What are they? I don't think I've ever heard of them."
You sigh. "There's nothing weird with that since they aren't technically pearls. Crimson pearls are perfectly round red stones that were made and enchanted in the early days of the Aqualian Empire. Nobody talks about them as they haven't been seen in hundreds of years, and I doubt they could have anything to do with..."
You stop. But what if they did have something to do with In-Xu-Ra and his strange potion? He was an Aqualian scholar, which means the pearls might have still been around when he was working on the cure. Maybe him saying that he didn't know much about alchemical ingredients that can only be found in the water was simply a distraction? Maybe that knowledge wasn't relevant at all.
"Let's say it's not impossible," you say, your words very careful. "How would we even go about looking for one of them? I've only heard about them a few times back when I was still a student, and..."
"There's a merchant, here in the City of Waves, who claims to know where we could find one of the stones," $fname explains. "Before you ask, I did not contact him myself. One of the other familiars mentioned something about him a couple of weeks ago, and I must have simply remembered it." They pause and give you a cautious look. "Would you like me to find out who he is and where we might be able to find him?"
You nod, knowing time is of the essence. "It might be our only chance."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "before_date_4">><</link>>"I bring some good news," $fname says when you're all gathered in the tearoom, later that evening. "I've spoken to the merchant, though he wasn't an easy man to find, and I've learned that he does know something about the crimson pearls. Well, about a single crimson pearl, but that should be enough for the potion, right?"
You nod. "I belive so, though I can't say for sure. This is all a huge experiment, and we don't really know all the necessary ingredients and proportions. Still, a single pearl will be better than nothing."
"And it's not like we have any alternatives," Ophelia adds with a sigh.
"Did the merchant give you the exact location?" you ask, pulling out a scroll of papyrus.
"There's no need for that," $fname says. "You won't be writing anything down because the merchant wants to see you before he says anything of importance. Oh, he also wants 200 tisyels as payment."
Ezra laughs at that. "Of course, he does."
"Did he at least tell you where and when we can find him?" you ask, not wanting to think about all the gold you're going to have to waste. "Will he see us tomorrow? If we go to him in the morning, we might still have time to search the beach before nightfall."
The $familiar floats closer to you and rests in your lap. "That was his exact proposition. He's willing to see you at dawn."
"Alright, then," Ezra says before you get a chance to answer. "It seems like we have a plan. Since it's already quite late, Ophelia and I should probably be on our way, but let's meet up again tomorrow."
Once they're gone, you make sure the shop is closed and the wards are up, and then, you finally go to bed.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "pearl_hunt_merchant_1">><</link>>"Ezra, do you think you could stay and keep me company?" you ask, feeling right away that your words must sound a bit awkward. "We could have tea or something. You know, talk."
Surprisingly, Ophelia is the first to react. You watch as her bright eyes go wide, but you can tell she's mostly just amused. "Oh, really? Is that how you treat your friends? Picking one over the other? I know I said I could go and help around the temple, but I wasn't expecting you two to use that as an excuse to spend some time without me."
"I didn't mean it like that!" you mumble quickly.
"You didn't?" Ezra asks, raising an eyebrow. "Then, what did you mean by us... talking?"
Your eyes go wide again as you realize you're not quite sure why you used that particular word. It sounded perfectly neutral in your head, but the way you said it must have made it feel peculiar. Perhaps it would be best if you just apologized and asked them to forget you said anything? Maybe you should all spend some time apart?
"Stop overthinking, doctor," Ophelia says with a laugh that pulls you out of your thoughts. "I was just joking. I have nothing against giving you two a bit of privacy, okay? I'm going to leave now, and I'll try to make it back in a few hours. Have fun!"
Before you can say anything else, the priestess smiles politely and walks out of the shop, leaving you alone with Ezra. As you turn to face him, you notice that the mage is already watching you with amusement sparkling clearly in his eyes.
"So, $name," he muses, moving a bit closer to you and placing a hand on your shoulder. "Are we... going to have fun?"
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_date_1">><</link>>"Very funny," you say, taking a step back.
While you might not be against getting to know Ezra better, this sudden increase in speed seems almost forced, and you don't think following it would end up being a good idea. After all, you've barely started getting to know each other. You might have known one another before this current job for Mrs. Argando, but your relationship never went past being simple acquaintances. This... closeness is something very new.
Ezra chuckles at your reaction, but doesn't push any further. "Yes, very funny." He rolls his eyes. "Apparently, I'm a funny guy when I'm with you, Doctor $lastname."
You can't help but smile at that. The knowledge that he's not going to try to force anything to move your relationship further helps you regain your inner peace, and you find yourself sighing.
"Should we head to the tearoom?" you ask. "Or maybe you'd prefer to go to the garden? You could help me check on my plants."
The mage gives you a quizzical look. "Don't tell me I agreed to keep you company only to be put to work. While I don't usually mind gardening, do you really want to do that right now? There are so many other interesting things we could be doing..."
This time, you are the one rolling your eyes. "Oh, in that case, we are definitely going to the garden."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_date_2">><</link>>While it's by no means large or magnificent, the garden behind your house is always there to cheer you up. Filled with colorful flowers, aromatic herbs and spices, and the sound of birds, it's one of the few places in the City of Waves where you feel really safe and protected from all your problems. Just like the tearoom, the garden was suggested to you by your dear mother, though, admittedly, you did consider having one even before her advice. After all, what is an alchemist without a garden?
"It's quite lovely," Ezra says, sitting at the edge of a marble bench. "I really like the roses."
Right. The bench is surrounded with a few bushes of red and pink roses that are in bloom all year round. Planting them here was your own idea, and you remember your mother giving you a curious smile when you showed it to her. She seemed... happy.
"They are beautiful, aren't they?" you agree, resting next to the mage. "To be fully honest with you, I didn't bring us here to work. I simply needed a change of scenery, and this is one of my safe havens."
Ezra nods. "I can see why."
He doesn't say anything else. Although you're both perfectly silent for a long while, the atmosphere never gets heavy or awkward. On the contrary, the quiet is rather pleasant, and you let yourself close your eyes. It's probably not the most reasonable thing to do when there's a guest right next to you, but it just feels right.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_date_3">><</link>>"I could get used to this," Ezra says at some point, causing you to open your eyes. "It's really peaceful."
As you raise your eyelids, you realize that the man is studying you with his brilliant eyes. This probably means he's been doing it for a while. Surprisingly enough, he doesn't look away when you catch him looking. His lips simply form a lazy smile, and he gives you a little wink.
"Well," you hesitate, "you're always welcome."
"Am I? Really?" He pauses for a long while, and looks into your eyes as if he was looking for something. "Don't think me too forward, $name, but just how welcome would you say I was? If I were to do something right... unexpected now, how would you react?"
Your eyes go wide at that, but you somehow manage to keep calm. While you are pretty sure you know what he's talking about, you decide to stay on the safe side and answer with caution. "Well, that would certainly depend on what that something was, wouldn't it?"
He chuckles at that, very unapologetically, and it's one of the loveliest things you've ever heard. "Say, doctor, if I were to," he moves closer, his eyes bright like two sparkling gems, "kiss you... right now, would I still be welcome?"
[[Kiss him yourself.]]
[[Smile shyly, hoping he reads it as a yes.]]
[[Sigh and move away, wanting to keep things professional.]]Since Ezra's question doesn't really catch you by surprise, you decide to act first. Without giving him any kind of warning, you lean into him, cup his jaw with one of your hands, and plant a soft kiss on his full lips. A surprised moan escapes him as soon as you close the distance between your mouths, and it makes your whole body shiver.
Kissing Ezra is an interesting experience. While you might have initiated the kiss, it's quite obvious that he's not willing to let you lead, and it takes no time at all for him to start running his fingers through your beautiful white hair. His moves are warm and gentle, but you can tell that there's also passion there, hidden deeper inside him.
When you finally part, you're both breathless. Your cheeks are flushed, and so are Ezra's, and his eyes immediately tell you that he definitely doesn't regret what just happened.
"That was quite unexpected," he says, chuckling. "I admit that I didn't thing you had it in you to go in for that kiss. I was certain I'd need to... extract it from you with my irresistible charm."
You roll your eyes at that. "There's still a lot you don't know about me. I'm full of surprises."
"So it would seem." As he says that, he cautiously wraps his arm around your shoulders and gives you a gentle squeeze. "That'll only make getting to know you better all the more interesting."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_date_4">><</link>>
<<set $ezra_kiss to 1>>
<<set $ophelia_kiss to 0>>Not sure how to respond, you give Ezra a shy smile, hoping he understands that you would like him to make the first move. At first, his eyes narrow a little, and you worry he might think you're too scared to do anything, but then, they grow surprisingly gentle. Without saying anything, the man leans in, cups your cheeks and plants a very soft kiss on your lips. The first touch is so light, you're no sure if it's even real, but as soon as Ezra closes the distance for the second time, all your doubts disappear.
Kissing Ezra is an interesting experience. You're not sure whether it has anything to do with your display of shyness, but it's quite obvious that the mage is more than happy to lead. His moves are firm and gentle at the same time, and you feel real shivers when you realize that he has started running his fingers through your beautiful white hair.
When you finally part, you're both breathless. Your cheeks are flushed, and so are Ezra's, and his eyes immediately tell you that he definitely doesn't regret what just happened.
"That was exactly as I wanted it to be," he says, chuckling. "You might be a bit shy, but that only adds to your overall charm, doctor. I'm just glad I didn't misread anything. I didn't misread anything, right?"
You blink a few times. "N-no, of course not. I did want... that, but I just didn't know how to express it."
Ezra laughs at that, and you notice that his laughter seems surprisingly free and loud. "That's very good to hear." As he says that, he cautiously wraps his arm around your shoulders and gives you a gentle squeeze. "You don't worry about those little things. I'm more than happy to guide you."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_date_4">><</link>>
<<set $ezra_kiss to 1>>
<<set $ophelia_kiss to 0>>Taken aback by his sudden words, you blink a few times, trying not to panic, and move away with a practiced sigh. Ezra's face is filled with confusion when you meet his eyes, but the emotion quickly disappears, leaving you very uncertain. Still, it was your decision to pull away, so you shouldn't really complain.
"Sorry," you mumble. "It was just very sudden, and I don't think this is the right time. It's not that I dislike you or anything like that, but I just can't... think of such things right now. Not when we're working on a case as important as this one."
The mage nods slowly, but you suspect he's simply giving you the reaction you want to get. He couldn't possibly be this quick to change his whole demeanor, could he?
"It's okay, $name," he says with a wink. "I hear what you're saying, and you're probably right. Let's just forget that for now." He pauses for a long while, before letting out a deep sigh and taking a look around the garden. "That doesn't change the fact that the garden is quite lovely."
You both laugh at that, and while it doesn't fully remove the tension, it does feel like a good first step.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_date_4">><</link>>
<<set $ezra_kiss to 0>>
<<set $ophelia_kiss to 0>>About half an hour later, Ezra suddenly rises from the bench and walks up to a gathering of flowers. Tulips, orchids and roses may not be the most useful of ingredients when it comes to alchemy, but they certainly make the world much more beautiful. Admittedly, that was why you planted them in the first place.
"I know I complained about it earlier," the mage says, leaning closer to smell one of the flowers, "but perhaps we could do some gardening, after all? We still have a few hours before it starts getting dark."
You raise an eyebrow and point to his richly decorated robes. "Are you sure? Gardening tends to be a rather dirty practice, and I wouldn't want you to destroy your clothes."
He laughs at that, and you realize he's kind of mocking himself. "Now, now, $name. First of all, I have eleven wardrobes filled with all kinds of robes and tunics, and they are all very sophisticated. Also, I would be a really terrible enchanter if I wasn't even able to keep my clothes from getting stains. Just tell me what to do."
While you're not entirely sure if you should really be listening to Ezra and his ideas, you decide to give him a chance. After all, there's not that much that could go wrong when tending to a fully developed garden. Most of your plants are perfectly healthy, and they really just need to be watered. Well, they also require something else, but that... Ezra won't really be able to help you with that. Only alchemists know how to communicate with plants.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ezra_date_5">><</link>>Ezra's interest in gardening holds for about an hour. He helps you tend to some of the less demanding herbs and spices, and you quickly realize that he's not really that bad when dealing with plants. Still, it would be unlike Ezra if he was to remain focused on gardening for too long, and soon, he starts complaining, ultimately forcing you to take him back to the house.
You spend the rest of the afternoon in the tearoom, drinking green tea and simply enjoying each other's company. The mage tells you some stories from his past, and you notice that he seems to be especially attached to his memories from when he was still a student.
When you show some interest, he tells you about a time when he went with a couple of friends to Tera Kalio - an island country to the West - only to get lost for weeks. Apparently, their ship got attacked by a strange storm that took them too far South.
When the story ends, you tell him one of your own, and he listens to you with perfect attention. He even asks about a few small details, which makes you feel heard and respected.
The tea is always warm, and it never tastes bitter. While you know it's all thanks to your magical kettle, Ezra doesn't, and he ends up giving you lots of compliments on your brewing skills. Of course, you would be able to brew this type of tea without any enchanted items, but in truth, you haven't tried doing so in almost a year.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "after_date_1">><</link>>Not really having anything else to do, you reach for In-Xu-Ra's journal and decide to go through it once again. You might not have enough time to read through the whole thing, but you should be able to search for any possible clues until the others return.
The first few pages don't give you anything interesting. You notice a few small details that must have escaped you previously, like the fact that In-Xu-Ra has been married eleven times, but none of them give you reason to believe that they might be relevant.
Well, unless the disease was brought by one of the previous wives. Maybe she was hoping for some kind of revenge? But why go after some innocent child? Couldn't she have simply poisoned In-Xu-Ra? Oh. Maybe she knew how much he loved the child and she wanted to see him suffer? Could that mean that Dedal was poisoned after all? Maybe these two situations are more similar than you thought. Maybe Mrs. Argando does have some enemies who wanted to see her suffer...
As the thought crosses your mind, you let out a yawn and realize you've managed to actually finish your tea. Well, it wasn't really tea. If it was, you wouldn't be so sleepy now. You yawn again, this time much more lazily, and before you know it, your body grows tired and your thoughts simply drift away.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "after_date_1">><</link>>
<<set $ezra_kiss to 0>>
<<set $ophelia_kiss to 0>>"Tea?" you ask, remembering why you wanted Ophelia to stay in the first place. "I have many different types and flavors, so we should be able to find something you'll like."
The priestess smiles at that, but her eyes narrow. "We could do that, but perhaps we could do something else instead? The weather is really pretty outside. Maybe we could go for a walk?" She claps her hands as she says that, and you realize she's being serious. "I'm not saying we should go very far, but maybe just walk the streets?"
"Walk the streets?" Your eyes go wide. "I mean... sure. Would you mind me asking if there's any particular reason why you would rather do that than stay for tea?"
Ophelia laughs, and this time, it feels quite genuine. "You don't need to worry about anything, Doctor $lastname. I can promise you that. I simply want to spend some time outside. We're going to have a long conversation with Ezra and $fname in the evening, and I just thought it would be nice to get some fresh air before that."
You nod. "Alright, then. Let me just secure the shop."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_date_2">><</link>>The Copper District - the part of the city where you've lived for as long as you can remember - isn't as rich as some of the more noble areas or as beautiful as the Sacred Lagoon, but it possesses a certain charm that cannot be found anywhere else.
The buildings here are all build from a peculiar type of sandstone that makes them resemble copper when the sun is high in the sky. Some people see it as a bad thing as it can be quite annoying to unaccustomed eyes, but others, yourself included, think that this is exactly what makes your part of the city special.
Since the Copper District used to have a large market square at its very center, the streets you're currently walking are all rather wide as they needed to be big enough for wagons and barrows to get through.
"You seem quite distracted," you say to Ophelia as you walk past one of the oldest buildings in the district. "Is everything alright?"
"Oh, I'm perfectly okay," she answers quickly, proving that she wasn't distracted after all. "Sorry if I'm being quiet, but I was simply trying to take in all of these colors. While it's not my first visit to this part of the city, I'm still not very familiar with it."
You nod slowly. "I understand that. There are some districts I still find very confusing, too. I'll admit that even though I spent years buying and selling ingredients in the Market District, I still get lost from time to time." As you say that, your eyes notice a stone bench, and you decide it might be nice to rest there. "Come on, now. Let's sit over there."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_date_3">><</link>>"Much better," you say as you both sit on a little stone bench under a couple of old olive trees. "I was about to mention Dlannum since it's quite hot today, but perhaps I should first ask about you?" You hesitate. "How have you been since that meditation?"
Ophelia sighs and turns to look at you. "I'm mostly okay. You don't need to worry about me. Similar things have happened to me before, and I can tell you that they never leave any lingering effects."
You smile at that. "I'm glad to hear that. I'd feel horrible otherwise, since it was partially my fault."
Her eyes go wide when you say that. "What? You are not to blame for this, $name. We were both hired by Mrs. Argando, and I knew exactly what I was doing when I agreed to meditate in the Temple of Dlannum. Had I thought I would be unable to handle it, I would have simply said no."
"That's a relief."
"You just worry too much, Doctor $lastname."
You roll your eyes. "Why is it still 'Doctor $lastname'? I thought we agreed to simply use our first names."
Ophelia's cheeks grow pink when you say that. "We did, but... isn't it a bit too forward? We're colleagues, but if we start calling each other by our first names, people might get the wrong idea."
[[Tell her that it could be the right idea.]]
[[Smile and kiss her.]]
[[Laugh it off, deciding to keep your relationship professional.]]"Perhaps it's not really a wrong idea," you say quietly and watch as the priestess' eyes go wide. "I know we don't know each other that well just yet, but that could always change. There's nothing really stopping us from doing whatever we want to do."
Ophelia takes a quick breath as you continue talking, and you almost fall off the edge of the bench when she suddenly leans in and pecks your lips. It's not a very deep kiss and there's no real passion behind it, but it does tell you all you need to know. She understood your implications and decided that she's not against the idea.
"Was that alright?" she asks, searching your face with her eyes. "I hope I didn't misunderstand."
You roll your eyes, motioning for her to sit a bit closer. "No, no, this was exactly what I had in mind. I simply wasn't sure how to act because you're a priestess. While the gods might not have anything against love and relationships, it still made me kind of hesitant."
She laughs at that, and it's a very pleasant sound. "I assure you that it's perfectly normal for priests and priestesses to form relationships and even to go on casual dates. There are some religions that prohibit these things, but the gods of the Eight Circles aren't like that."
As she says that, Ophelia rests her head on your shoulder and lets out a deep sigh. Her relaxed state makes you feel much calmer, and you also let yourself take a few deep breaths and close your eyes.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_date_4">><</link>>
<<set $ezra_kiss to 0>>
<<set $ophelia_kiss to 1>>Realizing that Ophelia is probably too confused to make the first move, you lean a bit closer and plant a soft kiss on her lips. At first, she's a bit surprised, and you feel her body tense, but when you place one of your hands on her lower back, she relaxes and kisses you back.
The kiss is neither long nor overly passionate, but that doesn't make it any less lovely. When you part, you're both smiling like fools, and that tells you all you need to know. Ophelia is okay with what just happened, and it's not going to negatively affect your relationship.
"That was," she hesitates, "unexpected. Unexpected, but not unpleasant."
You let out a relieved sigh. "Good. I was worried that I might have been crossing some kind of invisible line."
Ophelia laughs at that, and it's a very pleasant sound. "No, $name. It's perfectly normal for priests and priestesses to form relationships and even to go on casual dates. There are some religions that prohibit these things, but the gods of the Eight Circles aren't like that."
As she says that, Ophelia rests her head on your shoulder and lets out a deep sigh. Her relaxed state makes you feel much calmer, and you also let yourself take a few deep breaths and close your eyes.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_date_4">><</link>>
<<set $ezra_kiss to 0>>
<<set $ophelia_kiss to 1>>"I'm not going to let the society tell us how we should act around each other," you tell her with a small laugh. "We're friends, aren't we? Why shouldn't we use our names? Let's not worry about that. If it turns out that someone has a problem, we'll deal with them later."
Ophelia's eyes go wide and she chuckles awkwardly. "Deal with them? Let's not use such phrases, $name. Someone might think we'd be willing to kill only to be able to call each other the way we want to."
"Wait... Kill?" You raise your eyebrows. "Where did that come from? Why are we suddenly talking about killing?"
"I was exaggerating," she says quickly, raising her hands in protest. "I have no intention of killing anyone. Let's," she hesitates and gives you an awkward smile, "change the subject, shall we?"
Not knowing what else to do, you simply roll your eyes and rest your head against one of the nearby olive trees. Its wood is surprisingly sturdy, which helps you relax. Killing. This conversation really got out of hand. Nobody would kill or even harm anyone just because they wanted to call someone by their first name. The sheer thought was ridiculous.
With that strange issue settled, your conversation moves to much easier and less controversial topics.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_date_4">><</link>>
<<set $ezra_kiss to 0>>
<<set $ophelia_kiss to 0>>"May I have a question regarding In-Xu-Ra's journal?" Ophelia asks maybe an hour later. "I remember most of what you told me, but I don't think you ever mentioned what happened to that child. Did In-Xu-Ra manage to cure it? Did the potion work?"
You sigh. "I really don't know. The journal mentioned that he was able to wake the child with a potion that he brewed using a normal pearl, but the effect wasn't permanent. Xen, that was his son's name, went back to sleep almost right away. It's possible that In-Xu-Ra continued his research and even succeeded, but the entries in the volume I have end before that. We can only hope the next potion worked."
Ophelia nods, and you can tell by her face that she's worried. "Yes, we can hope... I just wish there was something more that we could do to make things right. I feel uneasy when I consider the fact that all our efforts may prove to have been in vain."
"Let's try to stay positive," you say, mustering a smile. "Even if we're unlikely to succeed, and I admit that this potion will be an experiment, we have to be strong and persistent because that's what we were hired to do. Mrs. Argando is counting on us."
Ophelia gives you a weak smile, but you can tell she's still not entirely convinced. Her eyes are sad and not as bright as they were when you first met her, and her energy seems to be utterly exhausted. Still, there's not much that can be done about it now.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ophelia_date_5">><</link>>
About an hour later, you return to the shop and decide to have tea. Tea - especially green tea - is good for just about anything, and you quickly realize that Ophelia seems to think so as well. Although you don't talk about it, her gentle eyes tell you that the tea is making it easier for her to keep calm.
You spend the rest of the afternoon in the tearoom, and you even get to learn quite a few new things about Ophelia. Apparently, she gets a lot more talkative when she's calm and relaxed. At first, you ask her about her early childhood, and she talks about a friend she had when she was seven years old. They used to do everything together and wanted to live next to each other in the future, but somehow, they ended up going their separate ways when Ophelia fully joined the Temple of Fatumne.
When she finishes telling you about her childhood, you tell her a couple of small things about your own past, particularly about your relationship with your mother. She listens to your stories with great attention, and she even asks about a few details, which makes you feel much better.
The tea is always warm, and it never tastes bitter. While you know it's all thanks to your enchanted kettle, Ophelia doesn't, and she ends up praising your brewing skills whenever she refills her cup. Despite that little misunderstanding, you decide against telling her that you haven't really brewed tea in almost a year.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "after_date_1">><</link>>
To your surprise, the streets are filled with people as soon as you leave the shop. There are so many of them, you almost miss Ophelia and Ezra who are waving at you from a bench on the other side of the road. Why would the city be this busy at such an early hour? Shouldn't...
That's when it hits you. Today must be the first day of a new month! That's the only thing that could explain what's happening. Unfortunately, this also means that it will be incredibly difficult for you to make the appointment as the streets will remain awfully busy up until midnight.
"Took you long enough," Ezra says as you make your way towards him and Ophelia. "Come on, there is no time to waste. It'll take us almost an hour to get to the merchant, and the odds are not in our favor today." As he says that, he points to the crowded street. "You have the money?"
You're all your eyes. "Of course, I have the money. I honestly hope Mrs. Argando's reward makes up for this... investment. Unlike her, I'm not made of money."
"Don't worry, $name," Ophelia says with a warm smile. "I will make sure Mrs. Argando learns of this situation and gives you back your money."
On that note, you take one last look at your shop, just to make sure everything is in order, and start heading towards the western gate.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "pearl_hunt_merchant_2">><</link>>"Alright, then," the man says as you show him a satchel filled with gold. "If you want to find one of the Red Stones, you will have to search the beach to the north. One of my colleagues mentioned that a single crimson pearl was being transported to the City of Waves from Tera Kalio a couple of months ago, but unfortunately, the ship never made it to the coast because the whole crew died in a magical storm."
"A beach to the north," you repeat as you hand over the money. "Thank you. This will be very helpful, and it might even help us save someone's life." You hesitate. "Is there anything else we should know?"
The dwarf narrows his eyes and thinks for a while. "Now that you mention it, there is something I should probably tell you. A couple of days ago, someone else also asked me about the Red Stones. He was a man, maybe in his early fifties, but something didn't feel right about him, and I ended up refusing to help him. I don't know if that's somehow related to your problem, but having more information never hurts."
"Do you remember his name?" Ezra asks, his face suddenly very focused. "Maybe you could describe him?"
"Sorry, lad. He never said his name and I think he was wearing a hood."
"Of course, he was," you say, rolling your eyes. "Anyway, thank you for your help, but we should probably get going. We would like to search the beach before nightfall, and the fact that today's the first day of the month doesn't really work in our favor."
The man laughs at that. "No, no. Thank you... for your patronage."
With that, you give the merchant a polite nod and leave the shop.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "pearl_hunt_1">><</link>>
<<set $money -= 200>>It takes you almost an hour to get to the northern gate, but once you do, you manage to leave the city without further delay. When you pass by the guards, they ask about your destination, but before you get a chance to answer, someone else calls them over to deal with some new situation, and you are left to your own devices.
"It could have been worse," Ophelia says as you start following a narrow path leading towards the coast. "Thankfully, the guards didn't take too much of our time."
Ezra chuckles. "Not for the lack of trying."
As they mention that, your mind reminds you of a change that happened not more than three years ago, when king Nesser II decided to remove the army from the city and introduce what is now known as the City Guard. Though the decision was met with a lot of enthusiasm, it did end up making the city a bit less stable.
"They're just trying to do their job," you say with a sigh. "Things will probably get better in a few years, once they manage to figure out what they're supposed to be doing. Anyway. Where do you think we should start this... pearl hunt?"
"The merchant told us to check the beach to the North," Ophelia says, her voice almost forming a question. "I think we simply need to go there and start looking around."
"That's ridiculous," Ezra adds, rolling his eyes. "I'm going to cast a little spell that'll tell us if there are any crimson pearls in the area. We might still have to do a bit of walking, but it'll be much faster than simply trying to find that stone with nothing but our eyes."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "pearl_hunt_2">><</link>>The solar boat of Dlannum is high in the sky when you finally make it to the beach. The coast looks... different. That's the best word you can use to really describe your feelings when you look at it. Since you've spent the vast majority of your life inside the city walls, when you think of the coast, your mind shows you a picture of the Sacred Lagoon, and this place... is nothing like the Sacred Lagoon.
There are no beautiful reefs here, and the water isn't filled with magic. You're surrounded by a lot of sand and not much else. While the water is obviously here as well, it looks very unremarkable.
"Well, this isn't what I expected," you say as you take a look around. "I was kind of hoping to see some coral reefs."
"Really?" Ezra asks, clearly amused. "You don't get out much, do you?"
"It's not really $his fault," Ophelia protests. "We were all raised in the city, and there's no shame in not knowing what the world is like behind the walls. The City of Waves is home to thousands upon thousands of people, and every district is different, which means you can live here for years and still be surprised by things."
"Sounds like an excuse to me," the mage says with a chuckle. "Still, I'm not much better. I do like to travel from time to time, but I mostly use teleportation when I want to visit one of the other cities."
With that, the conversation dies down, and you finally get a chance to start looking around. While you don't know much about the Red Stones, you are pretty sure they should be very easy to spot because of their magical nature. If you're not wrong, they should even be glowing.
"I see a few traces," Ezra says a few minutes later, juggling an orb of purple light from one hand to another. "One points to those rocks further to the left, another is connected to something not far from where we are right now, and the last one seems to be pointing to the water."
[[Check the rocks.]]
[[Search the beach.]]
[[Check the water.]]Thinking that it's probably best to avoid getting too close to the water, you decide to check the rocks. When you first reach them, you find them very unremarkable. They are mostly dull and gray, and you certainly don't sense any magic coming out of them. Perhaps Ezra's magic was wrong?
"Anything?" you ask, climbing on one of the bigger rocks. "I don't feel anything. Where was this trace you saw?"
"Doctor $lastname!" the mage exclaims, his voice quite amused. "Are you doubting my magical abilities? Really? After how we fought together in the Turinis Ruins? That is a very low blow, my dear."
"I'm sure $name is simply worried," Ophelia says before you get a chance to answer. "Aren't we all?"
Ezra groans at that. "Oh, Ophelia... I was just joking." As he says that, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "The magic is still here, but it must be invisible. It feels like a trail, and I think we need to keep going forward. There's," he hesitates, "something ahead of us, but it's very strange. Its energy is weirdly muted."
"Muted?" you repeat.
"I don't know how else to describe it." He swallows heavily and opens his eyes. "Let's just be careful, alright? We might be getting close to the stone, but it could always be something much worse."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "rocks_2">><</link>>Since you haven't really searched the beach yet, you decide to remain where you are and start looking around. The sand is warm, but right now, you find it mostly annoying as it keeps getting into your shoes, making your feet very uncomfortable. You walk around the beach for more than ten minutes, but nothing catches your eye.
"Are you sure there's something here?" you ask, walking up to Ezra. "It may be because I'm not used to doing these kinds of things, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary. There's sand everywhere." You point to the ground. "There are also some rocks, but they don't look very magical to me. Maybe the spell got it wrong?"
"Why, Doctor $lastname," the mage exclaims, his voice full of amusement. "Are you trying to say that you don't think I'm a very good mage? Really? After how we fought together in the Turinis Ruins? That is a very low blow, my dear."
"I'm sure $name is just worried," Ophelia says before you get a chance to answer. "Dedal is dying as we speak, and I'm sure Mrs. Argando is excited to hear from us. We wouldn't want to disappoint her."
Ezra rolls his eyes at that. "I should probably remind you that I wasn't hired to help that boy, and I'm mostly here because of $name." You can tell that he wants to say more, but he ends up simply sighing. "Anyway, the magic is still here. I can feel it. It's just a bit muted."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "beach_2">><</link>>The water is nice and surprisingly warm when it first touches your feet, and you can't help but smile at the sensation. The ocean is calm, perhaps a bit too calm, but that only helps you relax even more. You close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, utterly forgetting that you're supposed to be looking for the crimson pearl.
"Someone's getting comfortable," Ezra says suddenly, almost causing you to lose your balance. "Careful, careful. We wouldn't want you to drown."
You roll your eyes. "The water is knee-high. I'm pretty sure even I would be able to survive this."
As you say that, you try to jump, wanting to show your companions that you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but unfortunately, one of your feet gets stuck in some algae, and you end up falling flat on your face. The fall is very loud and devoid of grace, and it's followed by a burst of laughter. Wonderful. Now, they're laughing at you.
"Are you okay, $name?" Ophelia asks, helping you back to your feet. You can tell she's trying to contain her amusement, but the corners of her mouth give out her real feelings. "When you're in the water, jumping isn't the best idea."
You groan, annoyed and slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I'm going to remember that now." As you run your fingers through your white hair, you realize that it's entirely wet. "I wasn't planning on washing my hair today, but I guess I may have to do it when we get b..."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "water_2">><</link>>The merchant turns out to be a middle-aged dwarven man with a bushy beard, thick eyebrows and a smile that makes his occupation more than obvious. At first, he seems to be confused when you ask him if he has time for you, but when you explain that you contacted him through a talking $familiar, he lets out a bellowing laugh and invites you into his shop.
"Doctor $lastname, it's such a pleasure to have you here," he says as he takes a seat behind his desk. "Your magical friend mentioned that you are looking for the Red Stones. Is it true? If so, I may have some information for you, but I'm afraid such things are never cheap."
It takes quite a lot, but you managed to stop yourself from rolling your eyes. "Yes, $fname mentioned the price, and I have the money here."
"Now, now, hang on," Ezra says, pulling you back. "Before we give you the money, we need to make sure that you have the information we need. There is no way we're going to pay you for an empty promise. Do you have any proof that what you want to tell us is worth 200 tisyels?"
The merchant let's out another bellowing laugh. "How interesting! You speak like a merchant, but you certainly don't look like one." As he says that, he points to Ezra's fabulous indigo robes. "Still, since I can see that one of you serves at a temple, I am willing to tell you the information as soon as I see the money. You can give it to me after that. Does that sound like a fair trade?"
"Thank you, my lord," Ophelia says, offering the merchant one of her polite smiles. "I give you my word that our transaction will be smooth and fair."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "pearl_hunt_merchant_3">><</link>>You're about to step on another stone, when suddenly, it moves on its own, and you utterly lose your balance. Your heart skips a beat, and you let out a yelp as you realize that if you fall, you'll likely end up getting impaled on one of the sharp rocks below. Though you try to summon your magic, you're unable to fully focus, and the spell fades before you even fully cast it.
As you ready yourself for the fall, you hear a sudden movement, and just like that, you're no longer falling.<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>As you blink your eyes open - you must have closed them out of fear - you realize that Ezra is standing right next to you with his arms wrapped tightly around you. Though one of his eyebrows is raised, you can tell by his eyes that you gave him quite a scare.<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>As you blink your eyes open - you must have closed them out of fear - you realize that Ophelia is standing right next to you with her arms wrapped tightly around you. Though her expression seems very calm, you can tell by her eyes that you gave her quite a scare.<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>As you blink your eyes open - you must have closed them out of fear - you realize that Ezra is standing right next to you with his arms wrapped tightly around you. Though one of his eyebrows is raised, you can tell by his eyes that you gave him quite a scare.<</if>>
"I'm alright, I'm alright," you mumble after a while.
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>The mage smirks at that. "Right. I definitely didn't just save you from a very nasty fall." He chuckles when you groan at his comment. "It's okay, $name. You were probably just deep in thought. It happens to the best of us."<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>The priestess smiles at that, her eyes bright and pure. "I know, $name. This could have been a pretty bad fall, and while I would have been able to heal you, I'm glad things didn't get that far."<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>The mage smirks at that. "Right. I definitely didn't just save you from a very nasty fall." He chuckles when you groan at his comment. "It's okay, $name. You were probably just deep in thought. It happens to the best of us."<</if>>
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>"Is this what I think it is?" Ophelia asks suddenly, changing the topic. You squint your eyes and realize she's pointing to a few large rocks that seem to be forming... "Is that a cave entrance?"<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>"I think I found something," Ezra says suddenly, changing the topic. You squint your eyes and realize he's pointing to a few large rocks that seem to be forming... "I think it's a cave entrance."<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>"Is this what I think it is?" Ophelia asks suddenly, changing the topic. You squint your eyes and realize she's pointing to a few large rocks that seem to be forming... "Is that a cave entrance?"<</if>>
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_1">><</link>>You're about to ask what he means by that, when suddenly, you hear a loud hiss and see something move under the sand. It's long, irregular, and extremely fast, and you barely manage to keep your eyes on its location. Whatever it is, it seems to be constantly moving, and it looks like it's moving in your direction.
You're about to ask your Ezra and Ophelia if they can also see it, when suddenly, the creature bursts out of the sand and starts flying in your direction. It's a snake. A large one at that, and one that you're pretty sure is very venomous. You might even have some of its venom in one of your vials in the laboratory.
Knowing there's nothing else you can do, you try to summon your energy to raise a protective shield, but... you're not fast enough. The creature dispels your magic, and you close your eyes, reading yourself for the attack, but... it never comes.
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>There's a sudden thunderous sound, and as you open your eyes, you realize the snake is nowhere to be seen. Instead, there's a pile of gray ash on the ground in front of you. You blink in confusion, only to notice that Ezra is standing right next to you, his hand gently touching your shoulder.<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>There's a sudden crisp, almost ice-cold sound, and as you open your eyes, you realize the snake is no longer coming at you. Its body is on the ground, covered in bits of ice and shattered to pieces. You blink in confusion, only to notice that Ophelia is standing right next to you, her eyes very intense and full of determination.<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>There's a sudden thunderous sound, and as you open your eyes, you realize the snake is nowhere to be seen. Instead, there's a pile of gray ash on the ground in front of you. You blink in confusion, only to notice that Ezra is standing right next to you, his hand gently touching your shoulder.<</if>>
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>"Are you alright?" he asks, checking your body for any possible injuries. "It didn't touch you, did it?"<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>"Are you alright?" she asks, checking your body for any possible injuries. "It didn't touch you, did it?"<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>"Are you alright?" he asks, checking your body for any possible injuries. "It didn't touch you, did it?"<</if>>
You nod, even though you're still a bit shaken. "I'm fine. It just took me by surprise." You hesitate. "Why did it attack us?"
"I honestly don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we're looking for the Red Stone?"
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>"Guys, I think I found something," Ophelia says suddenly, changing the topic. You squint your eyes and realize she's pointing to a few large rocks that seem to be forming... "Isn't that a cave entrance?"<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>"Guys, I think I found something," Ezra says suddenly, changing the topic. You squint your eyes and realize he's pointing to a few large rocks that seem to be forming... "I think it's a cave entrance."<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>"Guys, I think I found something," Ophelia says suddenly, changing the topic. You squint your eyes and realize she's pointing to a few large rocks that seem to be forming... "Isn't that a cave entrance?"<</if>>
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_1">><</link>>Before you manage to finish, you feel something move near one of your ankles and almost repeat your jump. Unsure of what's happening, you look around, only to realize that there are some creatures in the water around you. There are dozens if not hundreds of them, and they all seem to be moving in your direction.
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>"Get back here, $name," Ezra says suddenly as he appears right next to you. "These jellyfish may seem cute and fluffy, but there's a lot of them in this area. If they touch you, they may paralyze you for hours, and then, you could drown."<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>"Don't go any further, $name," Ophelia says suddenly as he appears right next to you. "We are surrounded by jellyfish, and they can be very dangerous in large numbers. If they touch you, they may paralyze you for hours, and that could... end really badly."<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>"Get back here, $name," Ezra says suddenly as he appears right next to you. "These jellyfish may seem cute and fluffy, but there's a lot of them in this area. If they touch you, they may paralyze you for hours, and then, you could drown."<</if>>
Hearing that, you blink a few times and start moving towards the beach. You've worked with jellyfish before - specifically, with the fluid they leave when they leave the water - but you've never really been close to them, never spent much time in their proximity. Since alchemy doesn't use living creatures and the gods are against being cruel to animals, you never really felt the need.
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>"Thanks, Ezra," you say as your feet leave the water. "Drowning so close to the coast would have been really embarrassing."<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>"Thank you, Ophelia," you say as your feet leave the water. "I almost didn't notice those creatures, and we don't have time to deal with getting paralyzed."<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>"Thanks, Ezra," you say as your feet leave the water. "Drowning so close to the coast would have been really embarrassing."<</if>>
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>The mage chuckles at that. "It would have certainly been something."<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>The priestess smiles at that. "No problem. I'm just glad you're alright."<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>The mage chuckles at that. "It would have certainly been something."<</if>>
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>"Is this what I think it is?" Ophelia asks suddenly, changing the topic. You squint your eyes and realize she's pointing to a few large rocks that seem to be forming... "Is that a cave entrance?"<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>"I think I found something," Ezra says suddenly, changing the topic. You squint your eyes and realize he's pointing to a few large rocks that seem to be forming... "I think it's a cave entrance."<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>"Is this what I think it is?" Ophelia asks suddenly, changing the topic. You squint your eyes and realize she's pointing to a few large rocks that seem to be forming... "Is that a cave entrance?"<</if>>
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_1">><</link>>As you get closer to the large rocks, it soon turns out that they really do mark an entrance to a dark, wet cave. At first, you don't feel very good about entering it, but then, Ezra resummons his spell and says that it's very likely that the Red Stone is somewhere inside. Another thing that he says worried you a bit more, because apparently, the stone seems to be moving from one place to another.
"What does that even mean?" you ask as you conjure a bit of fire to cast away the darkness. "I thought it was just a stone. I get that it's more than that since it's magical, but why would it be moving?"
Instead of answering, Ezra simply shrugs and continues walking down the tunnel. While dark, wet, and cold, the natural corridor doesn't make you feel too bad. On the contrary, you quickly get used to the surroundings, and you even find yourself smiling. The walls might be plain and dull to most people, but as an alchemist, you find them fascinating.
At one point, you find a few patches of moss behind a large stone and ask your companions to wait. After a couple of minutes of careful study, you pull out a glass vial and collect a sample. You'll be able to check the properties of this moss when you get back to the laboratory.
"Did you find something interesting?" Ophelia asks, looking behind your shoulder. "Moss? It's strangely blue, isn't it?"
You nod. "I've seen something similar in one of my books, but I've never actually studied it, so I thought I could collect a sample."
With that, you put the vial back into the satchel and continue on your way. The tunnel seems to be leading you deeper under the earth, and with each step you take, your body appears to be more and more at ease.
A couple of minutes later, your group stops at the crossroads. There are two paths, and they both look more or less the same. The only difference is that the left one seems to be a bit less wet.
[[Go left.]]
[[Go right.]]"This one seems less unpleasant," you say as you enter the left tunnel. "How about your spell, Ezra? Can you sense the crimson pearl? I can't see much in here, even with my magic."
The mage goes quiet for a while. "We're getting close, but... something feels off about this place. I don't know what, but it's almost as if the pearl wasn't alone."
Your eyes go wide. "What do you mean? There's more than one pearl?"
He shakes his head. "No, there's definitely only one pearl, but there's also something else here. Something that might not be very happy to see us. I can't tell what it is, but there's definitely something." He turns to Ophelia. "Anything?"
The priestess narrows her eyes. "We're definitely not dealing with the undead. They give out a certain aura I would be able to pick up on. This thing, whatever it is, must be a living creature."
With that, the conversation ends, and you continue following the tunnel. The walls around you seem strangely dry, almost unnaturally so for a cave so close to the coast, and they make you feel sick. At one point the odd sensation is so bad you have to stop and take a few deep breaths, but in the end, you manage to reach the end of the corridor.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_3">><</link>>"Let's stick to what we're already used to," you say as you enter the right tunnel. "How about your spell, Ezra? Can you sense the crimson pearl? I can't see much in here, even with my magic."
The mage goes quiet for a while. "We're getting close, but... something feels off about this place. I don't know what, but it's almost as if the pearl wasn't alone."
Your eyes go wide. "What do you mean? There's more than one pearl?"
He shakes his head. "No, there's definitely only one pearl, but there's also something else here. Something that might not be very happy to see us. I can't tell what it is, but there's definitely something." He turns to Ophelia. "Anything?"
The priestess narrows her eyes. "We're definitely not dealing with the undead. They give out a certain aura I would be able to pick up on. This thing, whatever it is, must be a living creature."
With that, the conversation ends, and you continue following the tunnel. The walls around you, while similar to the ones in the main corridor, make you feel strange. There's something peculiar, maybe even magical about them, and you get a weird feeling as if they were trying to wear you out. At one point, your body gets so exhausted, you nearly slump to the ground, but thankfully, Ophelia and Ezra notice it in time to help you. It takes you a while, but you do manage to reach the end of the tunnel.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_3">><</link>>As the tunnel comes to an end, you enter a large underground hall that's so dark even your magic is unable to do anything about it. The roof is terribly high, and the walls are tall and as steep as those of a human-made structure. As you move closer to one of them, your eyes go wide. The rocks are covered in terrible markings that couldn't have been made by any peaceful being.
"I don't like these," you whisper, pointing to a couple of particularly large cuts. "What could have possibly done this? These cuts are so deep and huge! I've never seen anything like it."
You hear Ezra chuckle somewhere nearby. "Do we really want to find out?"
"I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this," Ophelia adds, her voice calm but not really even. "The cuts may have been made hundreds if not thousands of years ago, and the creature that made them is likely long gone."
Just as she says that, you hear a loud sound from further into the room. The noise is so loud it makes the walls shake, and you watch as small pieces of rock and moss get separated from and crumble to the ground. Whatever made that sound must be enormous.
"What was that?" you ask, swallowing heavily.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_4">><</link>>You're waiting for an answer, when suddenly, the horrid bang comes again. This time it's repeated over and over, and you soon realize it's moving in your direction. You're about to say something to your companions, when an unexpected roar pierces through the whole cave, sending chills down your spine and almost stopping your heart from beating.
Before you can do anything, you hear Ophelia's terrified scream and watch as a large rock flies across the hall and hits the ground right next to your group. You barely manage to jump out of the way, and you can only hope the others were lucky enough to do the same.
Breathing heavily, you pull yourself back together and take a closer look at what happened. The rock landed between you and your companions, and it separated you from them, pushing them back into the tunnel that led you here. You could probably try to use magic to get rid of the large stone, but it would take time, and...
Suddenly, you hear another roar and your mind almost snaps. You're alone with this creature, and nobody's going to save you. Not knowing what else to do, you take a deep breath and summon a ball of blue light. The energy washes over the room, revealing something very difficult to describe. The cave is indeed very spacious, but the thing that worries you most is an enormous creature that seems to be watching you from not more than twenty cubits away.
It's hard to describe the creature as it seems to be a combination of many different species, but it looks mostly like a giant crab with a large shell on its back. Unfortunately, it has too many legs for a normal crab, and all these legs seem to be slowly moving towards you.
[[Use fire to scare the creature.]]
[[Push the creature back with a gust of wind.]]
[[Throw a rock.]]
[[Conjure water over the creature.]]As you take a quick look around the cave, you notice that it's not as empty as you thought. The floor is covered in dead branches, and there's even an old dead tree near one of the walls. If the tree was to fall, it would certainly be enough to slow the monster down.
With that thought in mind, you summon your energy and set fire to one of the branches. Despite the humidity of the cave, the wood feels strangely dry when you touch it with magic, and before you know it, flames start to spread across its surface.
The creature roars when it notices that something is wrong, and it takes a few steps back, likely confused about what's happening. When you see that reaction, you let out a relieved sigh, only to curse under your breath, when that very sigh causes the crab to let out another roar and start running towards you.
Your eyes go wide in panic and shock as you watch it run straight through the flames, and you barely manage to hide behind one of the nearby rocks, when one of its claws crashes into where you were just standing.
"A little help here!" you shout, no longer caring about staying hidden. "This thing is very big and angry, and..."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_5">><</link>>
<<set $crab_flames to 1>>Knowing you can't give in to fear, you take a few deep breaths and think about your options. Being in a cave limits them significantly, but there are still things that can be done to defeat or at least slow down that monster. Still, whatever you do, you have to be quick and smart about it, because if you're not, you might get crashed to death.
With that thought in mind, you summon your energy, gathering as much of the surrounding air as you can, and release a gust of strong wind that makes the creature lose its balance and crumble to the floor with a loud bang. Seeing your success, you let out a relieved sigh, only to realize the crab is already back up and moving.
What makes things worse, is the fact that it's moving in your direction, and that it seems to be unbothered by the rocks and branches that that cover the cave floor.
Not knowing what else to do, you throw a rock at the monster to try and distract it, but that only makes it angrier. You barely manage to hide behind one of the nearby rocks, when one of its claws crashes into where you were just standing.
"A little help here!" you shout, no longer caring about staying hidden. "This thing is very big and angry, and..."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_5">><</link>>That monster is sorely mistaken if it thinks it's the only one that can throw a rock across the room. You might not be an actual mage, but even as an alchemist, you should be strong enough to manipulate one of the elements to your advantage.
With that thought in mind, you raise your hands and summon your energy. As magic envelops you in a pleasant bubble, you focus your attention on one of the nearby rocks and surround it in a field of sparkling energy. When the spell feels strong enough, you take a deep breath and throw the boulder across the cave, straight at the creature.
A horrid roar rings around the cave as the rock crashes into the crab, and it makes you let out a relieved sigh. Now, all you need to do is find the crimson pearl, and you'll be able to leave this place.
You're about to start heading deeper into the cave, when suddenly, the boulder moves away, revealing a barely harmed monster. Your eyes go wide, and you try to cast another spell, but you don't have enough time. You barely manage to hide behind one of the nearby rocks, when a large claw crashes into where you were just standing.
"A little help here!" you shout, no longer caring about staying hidden. "This thing is very big and angry, and..."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_5">><</link>>While crabs are usually perfectly fine with water, you may be able to use it to confuse the creature, or even to make it more vulnerable to things like lightning. You yourself might not know how to summon a storm, but it's possible that Ezra does. Perhaps you could create an opening?
With that thought in mind, you take a deep breath and conjure a ball of sparkling water between your palms. The magic feels refreshing, but it's a different type of freshness that seems to be strong enough to defy even the humidity of the cave. It's a... peculiar sensation. Almost as if two different types of humidity were trying to fight each other.
With another deep breath, you focus your eyes on the creature and release the spell. The watery ball flies across the cave and splashes against the crab's giant shell, pushing it a few cubits back. The creature roars when that happens, but instead of running away, it charges right at you.
Your eyes go wide in panic and shock as you realize your plan didn't work as you expected, and you barely manage to hide behind one of the nearby rocks, when a giant claws crashes into where you were just standing.
"A little help here!" you shout, no longer caring about staying hidden. "This thing is very big and angry, and..."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_5">><</link>>
<<set $crab_wet to 1>>Before you manage to finish, you hear another roar and watch as one of the claws comes down straight at you. Its size is so horrific it makes your whole body go rigid, and you don't have enough time to jump out of the way. You try to quickly summon your magic to push the creature away, but you're too nervous. You've never been trained in combat magic.
You close your eyes, scared of what's about to come, but the claw never comes down on you. Instead, it collides with something that wasn't there just a moment ago, something that makes it bounce off. Opening your eyes, you realize you're surrounded in a bubble of white light. The energy is pure, and you immediately recognize it as divine. This... Ophelia must have heard your call from the other side of the rock.
As you consider that, there's a sudden bang, and a large explosion tears the stone blocking the tunnel into a million pieces. Your eyes go wide, but before you manage to do anything else, both your companions appear next to your shield.
"Are you alright?" the priestess asks, helping you get back on your feet.
You nod, still a bit shaken up. "We have to do something about this."
As you say that, you point to the giant creature. While the magic of the divine shield did confuse it a bit, it didn't cause any real damage, and it looks like the crab is getting ready for another strike.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_6">><</link>>"Now, now, Mr. Big Bad Monster," Ezra says to the crab, pulling out a short wooden wand from one of his pockets. "I know we came uninvited to your home, but there's no need for this type of behavior. Can't we just have a normal conversations like adults?"
The creature... does not answer. Instead, it tries to hit the mage with a claw, but before it can get to him, he uses the wand to draw a couple of strange symbols in the air. The symbols - you know them as glyphs - send out a wave of thunderous force that hits the monster and sends it flying across the cave. When it lands, you hear a sound of something breaking, but the crab still manages to raise itself off the ground.
"Any sign of the crimson pearl?" Ophelia asks, dispersing the shield.
You shake your head. "It's too dark, and it's not like I had enough time to really search for it. I've been trying to avoid getting crashed to death by one of these claws." You're about to point to the monster, when suddenly, your eyes go wide. "Hold on. What is that red thing between its eyes? Please, tell me it's not what I think it is."
"It's definitely one of the Red Stones!" Ezra shouts, sending out another wave of energy. "I can feel its energy even without casting the spell. We might have to deal with this creature, before we can take it. I doubt it will give it to us willingly!"
<<if $crab_wet eq 1>>[[Ask Ezra to electrify the crab.]]<</if>>
<<if $crab_flames eq 1>>[[Use wind to spread the fire.]]<</if>>
[[Use water to loosen some stones and collapse a part of the roof.]]"Let's not do this ever again," Ezra says when you're sure the creature is really dead. "I don't know what this thing was and how it got to be this big, but we were very lucky. Things could have gone much worse."
"At least it wasn't a spider," Ophelia adds, her expression a mixture of relief and worry. "Those things are venomous."
You roll your eyes. "At least spiders are smaller and won't try to crash you to death. I've worked with spiders and their venom before, and while they're not the cutest of creatures, they aren't monsters."
Ezra chuckles at that. "Well, I don't want to worry you, but crabs aren't monsters either, and this thing wasn't even a regular crab. It's possible that we might see a spider that'll be even bigger than that." He winks as he says that. "Try not to think about that."
"Alright, alright, enough," Ophelia exclaims, clearly not interested in talking about spiders. "We don't have time to argue about that right now. Dedal still needs the potion, and for that, we're going to have to find a way to reach that pearl."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_7b">><</link>>It takes you about three hours to get back to the shop, and when you do, Ezra and Ophelia say their goodbyes and leave, saying they need to catch up on their own duties. Before they leave, you all decide to meet again in the morning, next to Daruna's house. Tonight, you'll need to give your full attention to brewing the potion, and since the process is already a risky experiment, you can't have any distractions.
The solar boat of Dlannum is close to disappearing behind the horizon when you finally make it to the laboratory. $fname is already there, and they welcome you with a couple of cheerful remarks, but it's obvious that even they are more than a bit nervous.
If something goes wrong, getting your hands on another pearl may be next to impossible. You only have a single chance to prepare this potion, and mistakes are... not an option.
"Calm down, $name" $fname says as you fill the cauldron with holy water. "I know it's easy for me to say, but I can feel your emotions. You need to calm down to make sure you don't make any stupid mistakes."
You groan. "You're not helping."
Instead of saying anything right away, the $familiar hisses in annoyance and levitates onto a nearby shelf. When they're there, they take a quick glance around the laboratory and nod.
"The water is boiling," they say. "Let's add a bit of sand."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "brew_the_potion_2">><</link>>"I'm trying not to think about the possible outcomes of giving Dedal this potion," you tell $fname as you slowly grind the Red Stone into powder. "Trying to stay positive, you know."
"And how's that working for you?"
You laugh, but it's not a very pleasant sound. "It isn't. I just can't stop thinking about how bad things might get. If this potion turns out to be a failure, it might simply not do anything. Daruna would probably be disappointed, but that's not really my biggest worry."
"What is your biggest worry, then?" $fname asks, tilting their head. "If you consider the worst possibility, then everything else will be easier."
You swallow heavily. "Well, the potion could kill him. I've never brewed anything like this before, and I'm not even using a recipe. If Dedal ends up dying because of this, it will be my fault, won't it?"
The $familiar sighs, and you can tell they feel sad for you. "It doesn't work like that, $name. Even if the potion ends up killing the boy, no one is going to blame you. Daruna knows her grandson is about to die, and she asked you to do whatever you can." They pause. "Still, if it'll make you feel better, you can always tell her that the potion might end up hurting Dedal, instead of helping him."
"I'll," you hesitate, "think about it."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "brew_the_potion_2b">><</link>>It takes you about half an hour to fall asleep. At first, you dream of the fight with the monstrous crab. This time, you have no trouble dealing with the creature, and you even look very heroic doing so. Your hands are full of magic, and spells fly all over the cave.
Everything changes the moment the crab falls dead. The cave disappears, and your awareness is teleported into a strange room filled with nothing but darkness. It doesn't take you long to realize you've seen a place similar to this one before. The nightmare returns for the third time, but this time, it feels... different.
The air around you is awfully cold and reminds you of a time when you had to work with ice as a student. While you know your body isn't really there, you still feel some discomfort.
"I told you twice to leave this alone," a now familiar voice says.
You try to find the source of the sound, but it's impossible because it seems to be coming from all directions at once.
"Who are you?" you ask, trying not to show your uncertainty.
The voice hisses at that. "That is irrelevant. You think you know what you're doing, but you're wrong. You're blindly following some old tome, hoping for the best, but you have no idea what problems your actions may cause." There's a pause after that. "Have you ever considered reading other volumes of In-Xu-Ra's journal? Have you even asked about them?"
"There's no time for..."
You try to explain yourself, but another hiss silences your words. "Don't try to justify your stupidity. You're just a child that's trying to play with forces bigger than yourself. In-Xu-Ra was over four hundred years old when he worked on that potion, and many of his attempts failed. Your actions will end in disaster."
As the last words settle, the darkness around you shimmers and everything disappears. You have no other dreams that night, and when you wake up in the morning, your mind feels surprisingly well-rested.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "brew_the_potion_3">><</link>>"The potion is ready," $fname says when you enter the laboratory. "I took care of everything, and you only need to pour it into a bottle. As much as I wanted to do that, my size made it impossible." They pause when you don't answer right away. "What is it?"
You shake your head. "It's nothing. I had a strange dream, but... Well, at first I thought it was going to be a nightmare, but it turned out to be an odd conversation."
The $familiar gives you a questioning look. "A conversation?"
"Someone contacted me in my dream," you explain, "and this wasn't even the first time. There were two other dreams that felt a bit similar, but this was the first time I was able to have an actual conversation."
"What did they say?"
"The voice sounded masculine, and it was trying to warn me." As you say that, you take a deep breath to calm yourself and start searching the shelves for a bottle. "It talked about In-Xu-Ra, and I have a strange feeling that it may know more about his research than we do. It said something about the other volumes of the journal."
$fname hisses at that. "We don't have time to go to the library. It's too late for that. Ezra contacted me earlier and said he's already on his way to Daruna's mansion. Ophelia will be there soon, as well."
You nod slowly as you pour the potion into a small glass bottle. "I know that. I'm almost done." You hesitate. "I'm just worried. I don't know who this voice belonged to or why it chose to contact me, but it did manage to make me feel uncomfortable."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "daruna_house_question">><</link>>It takes you well over an hour to reach Mrs. Argando's house, and when you do, you notice that Ophelia and Ezra are already waiting for you near the gate. They seem to be chatting about something, and the energy around them feels surprisingly positive. When they notice you, they give you a wave and motion for you to hurry up.
"Before we discuss anything else," Ezra says, blocking the gate, "please, tell us you managed to brew the potion."
While you're not in a very cheerful mood, you can't help but roll your eyes at the remark. "There would be no point in coming here if I didn't. It's in my satchel, but..." You hesitate and swallow heavily. "Never mind that. I just don't have much confidence in this potion."
"Do you have a reason to feel that way?" Ophelia asks, her face a mixture of encouragement and worry. "Did something happen?"
You sigh, not sure how much you should tell them. "There are many things that could go wrong. I don't like the fact that I had no actual recipe and that I only had a single volume of In-Xu-Ra's journal. Also," you hesitate once more, "don't you think it's very convenient that the list of ingredients was in that exact volume? I'm not even going to mention that Red Stone I used. These things are ancient, and we don't know how they actually work."
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>"You have every right to be worried, $name," the priestess says, trying to keep her smile from fading, "but we're quite desperate here. This is likely our only chance, and we've gone too far to turn back now. Anyway, let's get going."<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>"You have every right to be worried, $name," Ezra says, his expression strangely serious, but we're quite desperate here. We're out of options, and turning back at this point is out of question. Anyway, let's get going."<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>"You have every right to be worried, $name," Ezra says, his expression strangely serious, but we're quite desperate here. We're out of options, and turning back at this point is out of question. Anyway, let's get going."<</if>>
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>"Hold on," Ezra says, gently putting his hands on your shoulders. "Before we go in, I need to know if you're really okay. This is it. We're almost done with this whole case, and soon, we will find out whether the potion works. How do you really feel?"<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>"Hold on," Ophelia says, giving you an awkward smile and gently squeezing your hand. "Before we go in, I have to ask you if you're really okay. I know the last few days have been difficult, and we've all been struggling, but how do you feel now? Are you hopeful or worried?"<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>"Hold on," Ophelia says, giving you both an awkward smile. "Before we go in, I have to ask you if you're really okay. I know the last few days have been quite difficult, and we've all been struggling, but how do you feel now? Are you hopefeul or worried?"<</if>>
[["Honestly, I'm a bit scared."]]
[["I'm fine. I just want to finish this."]]
[["I'm okay. Let's just hope this works."]]
[["Why, I've never been better."]]"Scared? Why scared?"
You sigh, trying not to think of last night's worries. "It's just that... it feels weird, you know? I've never had to deal with things as important as what we're doing right now, and I'm worried it may still all end in tragedy. Mrs. Argando is counting on us, and we are very close, but... it's not enough to keep me calm."
When you say that, Ophelia exchanges a quick look with Ezra and purses her lips. "I understand your hesitation, but I can't help but notice that you're much more worried today than you were when we separated yesterday. Did something else happen?"
You hesitate. "I... Well, kind of."
"Just tell us what's going on, $name," Ezra says, his eyebrows an obvious sign of his curiosity. "Does the potion feel odd?"
"No, it's not like that. The potion seems fine. I just... had another bad dream, I guess you could call it a nightmare. This was the third one, and they all seem to be connected. Some voice warned me against making the potion, reminding me that I know next to nothing about In-Xu-Ra's later experiments." You pause. "I know the dream might have been created by my own mind, but it still made me feel on edge."
Your companions nod at that. While Ophelia's expression is a mixture of worry and confusion, Ezra's narrowed eyes tell you that your words must have reminded him of something.
"I don't like this," he says, reaching for the gate. "I think we should head in and look for Daruna, but we have to be careful. We might not be specialists when it comes to dreams, but it's common knowledge that they usually appear for a reason."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "give_potion_1">><</link>>"I understand that, but are you sure? We need to be able to focus when we enter Daruna's house."
You sigh at that. "Look, I'm alright. Last night was kind of rough, but it's nothing I can't handle. I've even spoken with $fname, and they just told me to keep going."
When you say that, Ophelia exchanges a quick look with Ezra and purses her lips. "I understand your determination to see this through, but I can't help but notice that you're much more worried today than you were when we separated yesterday. Did something else happen?"
You hesitate. "I... Well, kind of."
"Just tell us what's going on, $name," Ezra says, his eyebrows an obvious sign of his curiosity. "Does the potion feel odd?"
"No, it's not like that. The potion seems fine. I just... had another bad dream, I guess you could call it a nightmare. This was the third one, and they all seem to be connected. Some voice warned me against making the potion, reminding me that I know next to nothing about In-Xu-Ra's later experiments." You pause. "I know the dream might have been created by my own mind, but it still made me feel on edge."
Your companions nod at that. While Ophelia's expression is a mixture of worry and confusion, Ezra's narrowed eyes tell you that your words must have reminded him of something.
"I don't like this," he says, reaching for the gate. "I think we should head in and look for Daruna, but we have to be careful. We might not be specialists when it comes to dreams, but it's common knowledge that they usually appear for a reason."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "give_potion_1">><</link>>"Do we have a reason to worry that it might not work?"
"Not exactly?" you answer with a question. "I just don't want to assume that things will go well. It's better to keep in mind that we might have to deal with some... negative effects."
When you say that, Ophelia exchanges a quick look with Ezra and purses her lips. "Negative effects? While I understand your caution, this seems like more than just worry. Did something else happen?"
You hesitate. "I... Well, kind of."
"Just tell us what's going on, $name," Ezra says, his eyebrows an obvious sign of his curiosity. "Does the potion feel odd?"
"No, it's not like that. The potion seems fine. I just... had another bad dream, I guess you could call it a nightmare. This was the third one, and they all seem to be connected. Some voice warned me against making the potion, reminding me that I know next to nothing about In-Xu-Ra's later experiments." You pause. "I know the dream might have been created by my own mind, but it still made me feel on edge."
Your companions nod at that. While Ophelia's expression is a mixture of worry and confusion, Ezra's narrowed eyes tell you that your words must have reminded him of something.
"I don't like this," he says, reaching for the gate. "I think we should head in and look for Daruna, but we have to be careful. We might not be specialists when it comes to dreams, but it's common knowledge that they usually appear for a reason."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "give_potion_1">><</link>>"Really? That's an... interesting attitude."
You roll your eyes at that. "Look, I'm fine. Why should I add even more bad thoughts and words to an already bad situation? Complaining will only make us all feel tired."
When you say that, Ophelia exchanges a quick look with Ezra and purses her lips. "I understand your caution, but despite your efforts to try and look unbothered, I can't help but notice that you're much more worried today than you were yesterday. Did something else happen?"
You hesitate. "I... Well, kind of."
"Just tell us what's going on, $name," Ezra says, his eyebrows an obvious sign of his curiosity. "Does the potion feel odd?"
"No, it's not like that. The potion seems fine. I just... had another bad dream, I guess you could call it a nightmare. This was the third one, and they all seem to be connected. Some voice warned me against making the potion, reminding me that I know next to nothing about In-Xu-Ra's later experiments." You pause. "I know the dream might have been created by my own mind, but it still made me feel on edge."
Your companions nod at that. While Ophelia's expression is a mixture of worry and confusion, Ezra's narrowed eyes tell you that your words must have reminded him of something.
"I don't like this," he says, reaching for the gate. "I think we should head in and look for Daruna, but we have to be careful. We might not be specialists when it comes to dreams, but it's common knowledge that they usually appear for a reason."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "give_potion_1">><</link>>With that, you cross the main gate and enter the mansion. You're quite surprised to find that Mrs. Argando is waiting for you in the main hall, her face pale and expression a mixture of sadness and anticipation. She raises her eyes as soon as you walk through the door, and you take it as a sign that there might not be much time left.
"There you are," she says, taking a couple of steps towards you. "Have you found a cure? Are you here to help my grandson?"
"It's good to see you again, Mrs. Argando," Ophelia states before you can answer. "We have managed to come up with something and we're sorry it took as so long. We had to engage in a bit of travelling."
The dwarven woman sighs at that. "It doesn't matter now. Look, I'm tired after the last few days. I skipped on a lot of sleep, and I just need you to give me some good news." She pauses. "Shall we get to it right away? Are you ready to heal him?"
"The cure comes in a form of a potion," you say, briefly touching your satchel. "We used some rare and special ingredients, and we can only hope the effects are positive."
Daruna's eyes narrow when you say that. "What do you mean by that? Are you telling me they might not be positive?"
Your heart skips a beat when you hear the question, and your mind takes you back to your earlier conversation with $fname. They told you it might be good to tell Mrs. Argando that the potion may be unsafe, but is that really the right thing to do? What if she decides against using it and asks you to find an alternative? What if she accuses you of trying to hurt her grandson?
[[Lie, saying the potion is perfectly safe.]]
[[Admit that the potion is an experiment.]]"You have nothing to worry about, Mrs. Argando," you say with a polite smile. "I've worked as an alchemist since I was very young, and my mother is also an apothecary. I would never do anything to purposefully harm one of my patients."
The woman nods along with your words, and you realize she must have been desperate to hear something positive and encouraging. Now, all you can do is hope the potion doesn't fail.
"$name did $his best," Ophelia adds, smiling gently. "While nothing can ever be seen as truly certain, I honestly believe we have nothing to worry about. The potion was made with great care, and if it'll make you feel more at ease, $name used holy water from the Temple of Dlannum as one of the ingredients."
Daruna shakes her head at that. "I can't say it does. I'm not a religious person, dear, but I do appreciate your help." She hesitates. "My mother and father believed in the gods of the Eight Circles, and death came to them much earlier than it should have."
"We're sorry to hear that," you say quietly.
"No, no, there's no need for that." She sighs. "Let's just make sure my grandson doesn't join them in... well, wherever they might be."
As she says that, the woman swallows, gives you a decisive nod and starts leading you upstairs. While she may not be in the best state, you can tell her spirit is still alive and burning.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "give_potion_2">><</link>>"Even though you may not want to hear it, I'm going to be utterly honest with you, Mrs. Argando," you say, swallowing heavily. "This potion hasn't been brewed in well over a thousand years, and we don't even know what effects it ended up having back then."
The woman's eyes go wide. "H-how is that even possible?"
"The recipe was never properly described. I found the list of ingredients in an ancient journal, but, sadly, the entries ended before the alchemist was able to test the potion out."
"For what it's worth, $name did $his best," Ophelia says, smiling gently. "While nothing can ever be seen as truly certain, I honestly believe we have a chance. The potion was made with great care, and if it'll make you feel more at ease, $name used holy water from the Temple of Dlannum as one of the ingredients."
Daruna shakes her head at that. "I can't say it does. I'm not a religious person, dear, but I do appreciate your help." She hesitates. "My mother and father believed in the gods of the Eight Circles, and death came to them much earlier than it should have."
"We're sorry to hear that," you say quietly.
"No, no, there's no need for that." She sighs. "Let's just make sure my grandson doesn't join them in... well, wherever they might be."
As she says that, the woman swallows, gives you a decisive nod and starts leading you upstairs. While she may not be in the best state, you can tell her spirit is still alive and burning.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "give_potion_2">><</link>>Dedal's body looks exactly the same as it did when you first entered his room. His cheeks seem hollow and devoid of life, his skin feels strangely pale, and even his facial hair looks weirdly unnatural. You suppose it might have something to do with the fact that the man has been kept alive with magic for the past few weeks. People don't like to hear things like that, but there are times when magic does take its toll.
"Wait a moment," Ezra says as you reach for your satchel to pull out the potion. "Let me check his energy."
As he says that, he steps forward, closes his eyes and takes a deep long breath. While no visible magic appears, you feel a slight change in the energy of the room. The change makes your heart beat much faster, and you quickly realize it must be because of your anticipation.
"Anything?" Ophelia asks a couple of minutes later.
Ezra opens his eyes and slowly turns to face you. "The energy feels about the same, but I can't help but feel uneasy. There's something wrong here, but it's not exactly about Dedal's own energy."
You're about to question him further, when Mrs. Argando coughs and raises her hands. "I'm afraid we'll have to take that risk. Just give him that potion, doctor $lastname. The longer we wait, the more his soul suffers."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "give_potion_2b">><</link>>While the energy never truly disappears, after a while, it becomes less overwhelming, and you realize you're able to distinguish certain features in the world around you. You're still in Dedal's room, or at least in a different version of his room, but neither your companions nor Daruna are here with you. The burst of magic must have taken you somewhere else, leaving them behind.
As you take a few steps towards the bed, you notice that Dedal is still there, and he seems to be made of his own energy. Purple particles are trying to get to him, but he's still strong enough to resist. When you reach him, you try to touch his forehead, but as your hand gets closer to his body, the whole room trembles, and you decide to pull it back.
"How interesting," a now familiar voice says suddenly from behind you. You don't need to think twice about it to recognize it as the one you heard in your dreams. "I knew you'd be able to reach this place."
Knowing you need to act fast, you turn around and ready a spell, only to be shocked into silence. The owner of the voice is there, but... his face is not. The man is wearing long purple robes with a hood that shouldn't be big enough to hide his eyes. His hands are covered in black tattoos, his posture is perfectly stable, and even his energy feels at ease. The only thing that doesn't look normal is the fact that he's lacking a face. The only thing you notice under the hood is an incredible amount of black energy that seems to be constantly moving.
"Don't be scared, $name. Since you've managed to come this far, I'm quite intrigued by you. I will not harm you if you don't force my hand."
[[Try to avoid conflict by asking why he's here.]]
[[Use the power of the potion to cast him out.]]"Why are you here?" you ask, trying to keep your voice steady. "Has Dedal done something to hurt you or your plans? His grandmother is very worried about him, and she would really like to see him ba..."
The man raises a hand to stop you. "Such things are of no significance to me, $boy. When you're as old as I've grown to be, you stop caring about all those small, mostly irrelevant matters. I focus on bigger pictures, and that gives me both vision and power." He pauses. "Instead of asking me about my plans, shouldn't you be more interested in who I am?"
You swallow heavily. "I doubt I'm going to get an answer to that."
"That's very smart of you," he says with a chuckle that seems almost... happy. "Still, I did say I was intrigued by you, and that means I am willing to tell you some things."
"Such as?"
"Since you were kind enough to refrain from attacking me on sight, I've decided to let you live, and I'm even willing to release this dwarf from under my influence. He will regain his strength, which, if I understand correctly, will be quite beneficial to you." He stops as he says that, taking a step closer, and clasping his hands. "As for who I am, I exist to warn people of what's to come, and this whole matter with the dwarf is nothing but a distraction."
"Well, this... distraction is causing people a lot of pain," you point out. "If it's not that important to you, can't you just leave and focus on what you're supposed to be doing?"
The man gasps at that, but you can tell he's amused. "How bold of you! Very well, $name. Surprisingly enough, I actually enjoyed this little talk, and I can promise you I will be contacting you in the future. You might prove useful in getting the world ready for what's to come. Well, then. Have a nice day!"
Before you get to say anything, the man snaps his fingers, and the whole purple world simply disappears, bringing you back into the normal, regular version of Dedal's room.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "give_potion_4">><</link>>
<<set $dark_one_ep1 to 1>>Instead of saying anything, you take a breath and focus your attention on the potion you gave to Dedal. While you don't have it with you anymore, it's possible that it's still exists in the air around you. No, not just possible... It is nearby. You can feel it.
Using your hands to guide your energy, you collect little bits and pieces of the potion's influence and slowly turn them into a spell. It takes you a moment, but soon, you have enough to actually feel it in the palm of your hand.
"You're really going to resist?" the faceless man asks, his voice filled with amusement. "Did you forget what I told you about this potion? Did I not warn you about possible side effects?"
You hesitate. "My job is clear. I found the ingredients, made the potion, and gave it to Dedal. Getting rid of you is the last thing that has to be done." You pause, making sure you have a good grip on the energy buzzing between your palms. "You can either leave on your own, or I will make you leave. The choice is yours."
The man chuckles at that, but there's no joy in his laughter. Instead of saying anything, he takes a step forward and snaps his fingers, and just like that, all magic disappears from your hands.
"What? H-how?" you ask, utterly confused. "How did you do that?"
"Since you weren't very nice to me, I'm not going to answer any of your questions, $name." As he says that, the man clasps his hands and walks over to Dedal's bed. "I will, however, release the boy from my influence. It was never really about him."
"What do you mean by that?" you demand. "Who are you? Why are you here?"
"I'm done with you."
Before you get to say anything else, the man snaps his fingers once again, and the whole purple world simply disappears, bringing you back into the normal, regular version of Dedal's room.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "give_potion_4">><</link>>
<<set $dark_one_ep1 to 0>>"What happened? Is my boy alright?" Daruna asks, running up to you as soon as you come back to your senses. "There was this flash of strange light, and you just... faded away, doctor $lastname."
"I'm alright," you mumble, breathing heavily. "I've... dealt with the situation, and I think Dedal should be okay." As you say that, you cast a quick glance at Ezra and Ophelia, before joining the dwarven woman by her grandson's bed. "He should return to us very soon."
"That's good, but what exactly happened?" the mage asks, standing next to a nearby wall. "I may not be an alchemist, but even I know potions aren't supposed to work like that."
You hesitate. While you could tell the others about what happened in the purple world, perhaps getting them involved isn't a good idea? Maybe it's safer if they don't know about the faceless man. He might not have turned hostile when he saw you, but the way he spoke to you... He just didn't seem very trustworthy.
"It wasn't a regular potion," you argue. "In-Xu-Ra created the recipe a long time ago, and it's possible that this was exactly what was supposed to happen. We don't know what effects the potion had back then." As you say that, Mrs. Argando gives you a questioning look. "Still, I'm certain Dedal will be back with us in a few minutes."
The woman sighs at that, and it's only then that you realize just how tired she must have been ever since her grandson got sick. The last few weeks must have been truly terrible for her.
"Thank you, doctor," she says quietly. "I'm glad this madness is finally coming to an end."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "give_potion_5">><</link>>"I'm sorry for asking you to leave the room," Mrs. Argando says as you all stand in the corridor, next to Dedal's chambers. "I just want him to have a moment to take a breath and get dressed. We're both very emotional right now, and I just," she hesitates, "I just don't want him to feel trapped. I know it may sound harsh, but you're all strangers to him."
"It's perfectly fine," Ophelia says with a warm smile. "We can simply return later if you think that's best."
The woman's eyes go wide at that. "Don't you say such things, girl. You will not leave this house until I give you the reward, and that'll have to wait until after dinner. It's still quite early, but Dedal needs to eat something." She thinks for a while. "Come on, follow me. I'll show you around the house."
"But we've already seen the house," Ezra argues, clearly not amused with the idea of walking around the mansion. "Can't we just sit somewhere and wait until the dinner's ready?"
"Nonsense!" Daruna's voice is strangely serious when she says that. "I can't just waste your time like that, and besides, you haven't seen my garden, and trust me, it's one of the most beautiful gardens in the whole district. It was actually created by my dear..."
The story of the garden turns out to be a long one, and you end up spending more than an hour walking around the house and listening to lots of irrelevant stories and curiosities about certain walls, columns, and even plants that, supposedly, can talk.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "supper_2">><</link>>As it soon turns out, when a dwarf says you're invited to dinner, they want you to eat dozens of different dishes and drink three different types of drinks. While the food is truly magnificent, the amount you're expected to consume is simply too much. When you get to the third plate, your eyes are narrowed, and you realize you feel very sleepy.
"I can't eat anymore," you admit, trying to sound as apologetic as you can. "Please, Mrs. Argando, do not think me rude, but if I eat anything else, I might," you hesitate, "things might get ugly."
The old woman laughs at that, and you realize her laughter is filled with what sounds like honest amusement. "You wound me, doctor $lastname. Do you really think I could get mad at you because of something like this when you saved my grandson from terrible fate?"
As she says that, she reaches out to gently touch Dedal's cheek. The boy - or rather the young man - groans and rolls his eyes, trying to get as far away as possible from his grandmother's touch. "Do you really have to act like that when we have guests, grandma? It's embarrassing..."
Hearing that, Daruna raises an eyebrow. "Really? Well, I guess I can wait until after dinner. Right!" She turns to look at you and your companions. "Speaking of things that were supposed to come after dinner, I believe I owe you my deepest thanks and a reward. Since I'm grateful to all of you, I'm going to give each of you a thousand tisyels. The money will be sent to you through my servants in a couple of days."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "supper_3">><</link>>"Thank you, Mrs. Argando," Ophelia says, her eyes gentle and bright. "We would have done it even without payment, but..."
"Oh, please," the dwarven woman stops, raising her hands. "I don't even want to hear such speeches. You'll get your tisyels as soon as the bank is ready to deliver them, but..." She pauses and focuses her gaze on you. "Since you are the one who actually prepared the potion, I have something special for you. It's an old family heirloom."
As she says that, she presents you with a beautiful silver ring with a mysteriously carved gem that you recognize as an amethyst. While you're a little taken aback by the sudden gift, you do accept it and slip it onto your finger.
As soon as the artifact closes around you, your mind goes blank, and just like that, you realize you can hear much more than you should be able to. Carefully, you take a look at Ezra, whose lips are slightly quirked up, only to jump when you hear his thoughts.
"She gave you a pretty good item," he 'says'. "If you don't want it, you can give it to me. I'll definitely find a good use for it."
You roll your eyes at that. "Thank you, Mrs. Argando. I'm touched by your generosity, and I promise to take good care of the ring." You hesitate. "Still, I worry that this might be too big a reward. Maybe we should decrease the amount of tisyels?"
Daruna lets out a deep sigh. "No, doctor $lastname. I'm giving you this ring and the money that was promised, hoping this might be a beginning of a friendship. You will wound me if you reject it."
Not knowing what else to say, you decide to raise your glass. "Then let us have a toast! To this new friendship!"
<<link "Continue">><<goto "return_home">><</link>>The world outside is covered in darkness by the time you finally leave Daruna's manor. As you look at the sky, you notice that millions of stars are looking down upon you, filling you with awe and a pleasant sense of peace. Your body feels tired after all that food you were forced to eat, but somehow, you don't mind it too much. You're just happy that you were able to save Dedal, and that you've managed to complete yet another job.
When you reach the gate leading out of the Orchid District, Ophelia and Ezra say their goodbyes, telling you they'll see you soon, and then, you all go to your own houses.
It's very late by the time you actually get home. When you open the door, $fname asks you if you were successful, and you tell them - briefly - of what happened, but it's not long before yawning overtakes you, and you're forced to wish your familiar goodnight and retire to your room.
As you lay in bed, your mind is filled with countless thoughts, many of which worry you more than they probably should. You can't help but think back to the faceless man and what he said to you. He seemed so sure of himself and his plans... Almost as if he knew the future...
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>Knowing that worrying about the man won't do you any good, you decide to move your attention to more positive thoughts. Tomorrow is going to be a brand-new day, and you will probably get some new clients. $fname will be there for you, helping and simply keeping you company, and things will be just right. The faceless man will probably make another appearance in the future, but there's no point in thinking about it if you can't really influence his actions.<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>Knowing that worrying about the man won't do you any good, you decide to move your attention to more positive thoughts. Tomorrow is going to be a brand-new day, and you will probably get some new clients. You might even hear from Ezra... Well, even if you don't, you can always contact him yourself. As for the faceless man, he will likely return one day, but until then, there's no point in worrying about it.<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>Knowing that worrying about the man won't do you any good, you decide to move your attention to more positive thoughts. Tomorrow is going to be a brand-new day, and you will probably get some new clients. You might even hear from Ophelia... Well, even if you don't, you can always contact her yourself. As for the faceless man, he will likely return one day, but until then, there's no point in worrying about it.<</if>>
<<if $ezra_kiss eq 1>>[[It doesn't take you long to fall asleep.]]<</if>><<if $ophelia_kiss eq 1>>[[Soon, your eyelids get heavy and you fall asleep.]]<</if>><<if $ezra_kiss eq 0 and $ophelia_kiss eq 0>>[[It's not long before your eyelids get heavy and you fall asleep.]]<</if>>Next morning, you wake up feeling strangely energized, and you realize you're ready to face the day, regardless of what it may bring. While you're a bit surprised $fname is no longer in your bedroom when you start brushing your teeth, you tell yourself that they probably just wanted to check on the shop.
When you descend the stairs and reach the shop, you realize that $fname is indeed by the counter, but what surprises you is that they're not alone. Ezra is standing right next to them, his eyes bright and filled with laughter, and you can tell he's honestly happy.
"$name!" he exclaims as you walk out of the corridor. "We've been just talking about you. How was your night?"
<<if $personality is "reserved">>You hesitate. "It was quite alright, thank you for asking." You pause after that, not sure how to continue, but then, you realize you have yet to ask him the most important question. "Right, what brings you to my shop?"<</if>><<if $personality is "emotional">>You can't help but blush at that. "Th-thank you for asking. My night was quite alright." You pause after that, not sure how to continue, but then, you realize you have yet to ask him the most important question. "Right! So... what brings you to my shop?"<</if>><<if $personality is "sarcastic">>You raise an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you like to know?" When the mage doesn't answer, you just roll your eyes and decide to continue. "Anyway... What brings you to my shop?"<</if>>
When you say that, Ezra smirks, and it's only then that you realize he's holding a piece of papyrus in his hands. "Surprisingly enough, I didn't just come to see you today. I'm actually going to buy some things."
When you first hear that, your eyes go wide and you're not sure what to do. This certainly wasn't the answer you were expecting, even if it does mean you're about to earn some money. Despite this moment of shock, you manage to regain your composure relatively quickly.
"Alright, then," you say, trying to hide your awkward smile. "Please, tell me how I can be of help."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ep1_end">><</link>>Next morning, you wake up feeling strangely energized, and you realize you're ready to face the day, regardless of what it may bring. While you're a bit surprised $fname is no longer in your bedroom when you start brushing your teeth, you tell yourself that they probably just wanted to check on the shop.
When you descend the stairs and reach the shop, you realize that $fname is indeed by the counter, but what surprises you is that they're not alone. Ophelia is standing right next to them, her eyes warm and filled with laughter, and you can tell she's honestly happy.
"Oh, good morning, $name!" she exclaims as you walk out of the corridor. "It is so good to see you! How was your night?"
<<if $personality is "reserved">>You hesitate. "It was quite alright, thank you for asking." You pause after that, not sure how to continue, but then, you realize you have yet to ask her the most important question. "Right, what brings you to my shop?"<</if>><<if $personality is "emotional">>You can't help but blush at that. "Th-thank you for asking. My night was quite alright." You pause after that, not sure how to continue, but then, you realize you have yet to ask her the most important question. "Right! So... what brings you to my shop?"<</if>><<if $personality is "sarcastic">>You raise an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you like to know?" When the priestess doesn't answer, you just roll your eyes and decide to continue. "Anyway... What brings you to my shop?"<</if>>
When you say that, Ophelia laughs comfortably, and it's only then that you realize she's holding a piece of papyrus in his hands. "While I am more than happy to see you, $name, I didn't come here today as a guest. I came as a... customer! I'd like to buy some things."
When you first hear that, your eyes go wide, and you're not sure what to do. This certainly wasn't the answer you were expecting, even if it does mean you're about to earn some money. Despite this moment of shock, you manage to regain your composure relatively quickly.
"Alright, then," you say, trying to hide your awkward smile. "Please, tell me how I can be of help."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ep1_end">><</link>>Next morning, you wake up feeling strangely energized, and you realize you're ready to face the day, regardless of what it may bring. While you're a bit surprised $fname is no longer in your bedroom when you start brushing your teeth, you tell yourself that they probably just wanted to check on the shop.
When you descend the stairs and reach the shop, you realize that $fname is indeed by the counter, but what surprises you is that they seem to be doing something with one of your balms.
"Good morning," you say as you enter the room.
The $familiar almost jumps, and you can't help but laugh at the reaction. They're usually very good at knowing when you're approaching, and it's normally almost impossible to surprise them. Since today seems to be different, something must be distracting them... But... what?
"Are you quite alright?" you ask, narrowing your eyes. "You're acting a bit strange. I've never been able to surprise you before."
$fname laughs at that, but you can tell the laughter is a bit awkward. "I'm perfectly fine, $name. Why wouldn't I be? Anyway, let's talk about last night. You were so tired when you came back, I barely managed to inquire about anything!"
<<if $personality is "reserved">>You hesitate. "Do we really need to talk about that? It's all in the past now, and we should probably focus on getting some new clients." You pause, but then, you remember what Mrs. Argando told you during dinner. "Oh, apparently Mrs. Argando wants us to be friends."<</if>><<if $personality is "emotional">>"Do we really need to talk about that?" you ask with a sigh. "Dedal has been saved, and that should complete Mrs. Argando's job." You pause, but then, you remember what Mrs. Argando told you during dinner. "Though... Mrs. Argando did mention that she'd like us to be friends."<</if>><<if $personality is "sarcastic">>"Do you know what they say about people who like to meddle?" you ask with a smirk. When you get no answer, you roll your eyes and decide to let go. "Anyway... I guess I should at least mention that Daruna said she wanted us to be friends."<</if>>
There's a sudden change in $fname's energy as soon as you finish talking. "Friends? Now, how are we supposed to know what that word means to her? Does she want to really be your friend, or is she more interested in using your services again? If it's the latter, we might have found ourselves a very promising client..."
You can't help but roll your eyes at that. "I think you're getting ahead of yourself, but... I guess only time will tell."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "ep1_end">><</link>>"That thing should still be wet, Ezra," you call out, running up to the mage. "Earlier, I used magic to cover it with water. Is there a spell that could be combined with it?"
"Combined?" He narrows his eyes, never lowering his wand. "I could try to freeze it, but it's a very large creature. It might not be enough." As he says that, you watch as the creature gets back up and, once again, starts moving towards you. "Well, I also have a stone that could help me call a bit of lightning."
"Go with the second option," Ophelia shouts from where you left her. "The ice doesn't seem like a good idea."
Upon hearing that, Ezra nods and pulls out an unremarkable stone from one of his pockets. You take a step back as he uses his wand to draw another glyph in the air. The symbol feels different to the one he used before, and you can tell its energy is much more focused.
As soon as the rock touches the glyph, it starts glowing with blue light. You notice that the sudden change makes Ezra tense up a little, but while you want to walk up to him and check if he's alright, you decide it'll be best if you trust him.
"Cover your ears," he shouts suddenly, throwing the stone at the crab.
Just as your hands touch your ears, there's a horrific explosion that lights up the whole cave and releases out a shockwave that almost throws you at a nearby wall.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_7">><</link>>"Get back here, Ezra," you call out, leaving your hiding spot. "I'm going to try to redirect some of the flames onto the crab, and I need you to get out of the way."
The mage gives you a curious look. "Are you sure about this?"
Instead of answering, you take a deep breath and focus your eyes on the dead tree. As you raise your hands, the flames grow bigger and stronger, and soon, they begin to spread across the whole cave. Since the floor is covered in dry branches and patches of moss, the flames soon gets out of control and creates a true sea of fire.
The crab lets out a series of pathetic screams, but it doesn't charge at you. As you observe it, you realize it must be very confused about what's happening. Its movements are chaotic, and get more and more uncertain with each passing moment.
"I can't watch this," Ophelia says, when the creature lets out a pained scream. "This doesn't feel right."
Ezra sighs. "We don't have time for pity. Not now. If we don't kill this thing, we won't be able to get the crimson pearl, and without it, Dedal is going to die."
The priestess groans at that, but she doesn't say anything else.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_7">><</link>>"I have an idea," you say suddenly, running up to Ezra. "I've never done anything like it before, but I think it should work."
The mage narrows his eyes. "What do you mean? What are you doing?"
Instead of answering, you raise your hands and summon your energy. Magic courses through your veins, but you don't let her run free. No, not this time. You're not going to be shooting anything. This... experiment needs much more precision than that.
With a deep breath, you channel your power into the stones that make up the roof of the cave and use it to create water. It's not much, and it doesn't cost you a lot, but it should, at least in theory, make a real difference. Rocks should become loose and fall apart, or at least they should. That's how the elements work.
Sadly, the roof doesn't fall. You can tell the stones are not as stable as they were before you cast the spell, but they're still far from being weak enough to fall apart.
"It's not working," you whisper. "Why isn't it working?"
Ezra gives you a confused look, but then, his eyebrows rise, and he sucks in a quick breath. You're about to explain your words, when suddenly, you watch as he raises his wand towards the roof and draws another glyph. As soon as the symbol materializes, it releases a wave of thunderous energy that crashes against the ceiling with horrific force.
Before you can do anything, the roof cracks in a few spots, and a couple of loose boulders tear themselves out and crash on top of the monstrous crab. The creature struggles for a while, screaming and squealing, but then, it goes utterly silent.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "cave_7">><</link>>As she says that, the priestess walks up to the giant corpse and starts looking around, probably trying to find a way up. You and Ezra also make your way over there, and before long, you're all observing the Red Stone and the way it seems to be changing colors. The changes are quite subtle, but they're not difficult to notice.
As you spend a couple of minutes watching them, you realize that there are about seven different shades of red the stone takes. They range from a color that reminds you of beautiful tulips to a shade that looks almost like fresh blood.
"I have a perfect solution to this little problem," Ezra says, pulling out a pair of beautifully embroidered gloves. "I created these gloves when I was still a student, but their enchantment is still quite useful."
As he says that, he smirks, raises his hands and points to the crimson pearl. To your surprise, the stone extracts itself from its place on top of the monster's head and starts floating towards Ezra. When it reaches the mage's outstretched hand, the light looses a bit of intensity, but it never disappears completely.
"Thank the gods," you whisper, letting out a relieved sigh. "Let's just hope In-Xu-Ra's idea was correct and the potion works."
<<link "Continue">><<goto "brew_the_potion_1">><</link>>"What is there to think about? If she tells you she doesn't want to take the risk, you simply won't give him the potion. Then, it will be on her. I'm telling you, $name. Don't worry too much right now." As they say that, they disappear and appear on the table in front of you. They take a look at the cauldron, before turning to face you. "It's going to need to stay like this for a few hours."
You nod and sit in a nearby chair with a deep sigh. "I know. I'll need to watch over it until morning."
Upon hearing that, your familiar hisses loudly and gives you a pointed look. "Don't be ridiculous. That's exactly why alchemists have familiars. Wizards need them for their studies, and you need me because of moments like this one. Go to sleep, $name. I'll watch over the potion and make sure the fire is out when it's ready."
"Are you certain?" You don't feel very good about leaving this particular mixture unsupervised. "I don't know, $fname. Isn't it too important for me to just go to bed? Daruna is counting on me."
"You'll be of no use to her tired."
"B-but..."
"But nothing!" This time, $fname snaps and their voice sounds more than just condescending. It almost feels like an order. "Your mother might not be here, but when she left, she asked me to take care of you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Now, to bed with you."
With your eyes wide and mind full of questions, you nod and head upstairs to your bedroom. $fname has never acted this way before, and it's quite strange that they would suddenly burst out like that. Still, you have been overworking yourself since you agreed to help Mrs. Argando. Perhaps your familiar is simply trying to protect you.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "nightmare_3">><</link>>You're not sure if you're doing the right thing as you walk up to Dedal's bed and pull out a glass bottle from your bag, but your mind reminds you that you really don't have any alternatives. The dwarf is going to die without a cure, which means you can only improve the situation. If he dies, he dies, but if he lives, it'll be thanks to your efforts.
"Keep going," Ezra says from a somewhere behind you, his voice a perfect mixture of curiosity and anticipation.
"We're here if things go wrong," Ophelia adds.
While you're pretty sure they meant these comments as encouragement, you can help but feel even more pressured. As soon as you open the bottle, a sweet aroma fills the whole room, almost making you dizzy. Strangely, the aroma wasn't there in the morning.
While the thought doesn't exactly scare you, it does raise suspicion. It is true that some potions change after a while, it's usually connected to the way some of the ingredients react with one another. The potion you made last night was fairly simple, even if it did use some rare things. Could this aroma be a good sign? In-Xu-Ra never mentioned anything about any particular smells, but then again, you don't even know if he managed to finish the final brew.
With that, you swallow heavily and pour the potion into Dedal's mouth. The dwarf doesn't react, and for a long while... nothing changes. Minutes pass slowly, but things remain the same. When half an hour goes by, you decide to turn away from Dedal, when suddenly, there's a burst of purple energy, and everything disappears.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "give_potion_3">><</link>>As the last words leave the woman's lips, you hear a soft groan and realize it's Dedal. His body seems to be coming back to life, even if his energy still feels unstable. As soon as his eyes fall open, Daruna exclaims excitedly and moves closer to cup his cheeks. The next moments are filled with cries, whispers, and promises, and it takes well over half an hour for Dedal and his grandmother to finally calm down.
Looking around, you notice that Ophelia's face is also covered with tears. It's clear that she's grown fond of the dwarf while she was protecting his body and making sure to keep the deathly forces away. Ezra, on the other hand, looks much less emotional. While his face isn't exactly expressionless, you notice no strong feeling there.
As you watch all of these reactions, it dawns on you that you yourself aren't really emotionally invested in what's happening. While there could be many reasons for that, in your heart, you know why that's the case. You know that you didn't really help Dedal. You didn't save him, and the potion turned out to have been irrelevant.
The faceless man did what he wanted to do, and he left only because he was done.
<<link "Continue">><<goto "supper_1">><</link>>The first episode of The Alchemist ends here. Dedal's story is finished, and you've somehow managed to save him from his fate. Still, this was just the beginning of your story, and many questions remain unanswered. Who is the faceless man, and why did he attack Dedal? Why has your father never been present in your life? What is really happening in Turinis?
All of these questions will be answered in the future episodes, but until then, I hope you enjoyed the story!
Thank you for playing!
- Darielby Dariel Ivalyenhttps://darielivalyen.tumblr.com/Version: 1.05