Taking the stoppered bottle from her, I looked at the mix of cloudy and bright glow it was letting off. Uncorking it, I was about to drink when I recalled what Monroe had said. Pausing mid tilt I asked. “Wouldn’t it be better if I drank this while in the sunlight? That’s what I did with the earthen potion with being next to where I found it.”
Victoria and Gertrude gave each other a look before my master asked. “Who told you to do that?”
Stoppering the bottle with a cork and giving a shrug, I explained what Monroe had told me regarding elemental assimilation and about how the initial benefits could be boosted by the location it was assimilated in.
Thoughtful silence held sway for a moment before Gertrude spoke up. “He is not wrong. I suppose we didn’t want to overly stress you with this first test of your capability, by introducing extra straining factors.” She looked to Victoria who after giving a shrug turned her own look to me before speaking up. “Andrew, I would advise against it as we have yet to establish a baseline for your tolerance. We have no idea if you simply happen to have an abnormally large tolerance to earth mana or if something has changed about you that affects things across a spectrum.”
My forehead creased and I cast my eyes downward as I considered her words. Then a new thought sprung up which led me to gazing intently at both ladies. “Do you still have that extra affinity test we could try?”
“Hmm.” Victoria gave a thoughtful look before pulling out the asked for test paper from her clothing. She had to have a special holding item on her somehow. Before handing it to me, she said. “To be honest, I worry that the results may not accurately reflect your compatibility, as an individual’s affinity rarely changes in notable ways in such a short period of time.” *Sigh* “But, we shall see.”
Placing the paper before me with the previously used knife and healing cream. Once again, I placed a drop of blood on the central circle and watched the results unfold.
Both Gertrude and my master were bunched up next to me as together we watched the paper react.
Although I had placed my eyes initially on the earth magic section, curious about the effect it would have after assimilating those stones; my eyes were drawn immediately to the mental affinity bars. Shooting up even faster than before, a wave of light toned coloration flew up the page to the very edge from the center point. I stared at it in surprise as it appeared notably darker toned than I recall it being with the initial test. Forcing my focus away from that section to look at the remaining results, I watched as the other elements reacted. Earth did not disappoint as I watched the lighter tone cross over the first line mark and progressed to the end of the page, much like the mental affinity but with a slower pace. The other elements did surprise me as they all had a similarly light tone form up to halfway past the second bar.
I remember that the lighter tone is supposed to hint at the tester’s future potential. The pending darker tone is supposed to determine where one was at in preparations for assimilation.
With these already notable changes, I waited with bated breath for the secondary results. The intake of air on either side of me denoted the tenseness and anticipation of the situation among all three of us.
It wasn’t long before the darker pigment began bleeding out. Like before, the darker tone bled out from the mental elements at a rapid pace stopping just short of the first bar. What was different from before was the sheer intensity of the color. Brilliant white and abysmal black stained with pearlescent swirls revealed themselves. I could feel a shiver to either side of me as the two ladies remained quiet while struggling with their own personal thoughts.
I had no idea what that meant except that it must be something more serious than before. With an inner shrug seeing as I couldn’t do anything about it at this time, I turned my focus to the other elements on the paper.
The earthen column was stained a deep brown which traveled up past the first bar and ended just short of the second. Admittedly, I felt a little disappointed that my concentrated potion didn’t display a greater result on the paper. However, I apparently had judged too soon!
A . . . middle grade shade of brown, grew past the deep brown and spread up to touch the very edges of the page along with the lighter tone. My eyebrows shot up, much like that different shade of color had ascended. I honestly had no reference point to compare against what it meant. I felt Victoria stiffen beside me as the middle brown reached the top, but she said nothing. Gertrude simply voiced out an “Interesting” commentary before returning to silent observation.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
I had never heard any mention of what a middle grade tone was supposed to measure.
Seeing no further changes to the earthen column, I now more carefully looked at what had happened to the remaining elements. To my great surprise and satisfaction, I saw that all of them had the darker tone rise up to and stop just short of the first marker. I believe this meant that I was well and fully ready to begin assimilating the remaining elements at the basic Mage stone tier.
As we each stepped back from the finalized evaluation of my elemental affinity, Victoria swiftly made the paper disappear into her hidden spatial pocket or whatever tool she used to store things. Gertrude cast her a knowing glance and together they addressed me in a very serious tone.
It was honesty a very similar repeat to what they had discussed with me shortly after my first affinity evaluation. This time however, they spoke which much greater fervor and with a few additional warning precautions.
They impressed upon me with great seriousness that I should never allow anyone but them or those in Victoria’s book group, know about my results.
Huh. . . that gave me pause. Was there something more to her book group than I had originally assumed?
The last stressed warning was that under no circumstances should I ever take another affinity test which included the mental affinity columns.
The simple five primary elements of thunder, earth, air, fire, and water would be acceptable but still I was cautioned due to the reaction of earth. They included saying that if I was able to, it would be better to secure another individual’s blood to secretly apply to the test circle. Based on my results, it would likely be safe to do such considering my basic affinity across the spectrum.
I wanted to ask for clarification. However, I innately felt that requesting such would step into the taboo areas that neither of the ladies appeared capable of discussing. And so, I kept my silence on the topic.
Instead, I spoke up about the light and sand potion. “Unless either of you have any more concerns based on my results, I believe it would be relatively safe to consume in the sunlight?”
Gertrude spoke up first. “I have no concerns, although I am curious about that reaction to the earth element. In all my years I can’t recall seeing such a result.” Then turning to my master, she inquired. “Victoria, I sense that you may have recognized something about it?”
Victoria paused as if wanting to speak up, but then she shook her head before saying, “I have seen this before. However, my knowledge on the subject involves secrets that are not my own, and so I have no right to share them.” She grew uncomfortably silent after saying this.
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“Well!” Gertrude broke the silence with gusto. “I say let’s get on with the next element!” Turning to me she grinned as much as her beak would allow. “What do you say we move on to giving you sunstroke?” Her words and tone contained both wry humor and seriousness.
I rolled my eyes at her crass humor before chuckling. Based on my first experience at the falls, I had pretty much expected that each element would have its own particular method of testing and tempering. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t glad to have these two ladies with me as I underwent the other trials with them present.
Victoria then took the lead to guide us to her back yard. I followed with the light potion in hand feeling excited for what was to come. Once again caught up in the beauty of her verdant garden, I had to force myself to focus on the task at hand. A fair amount of her patio provided ample sunlight before encroaching on and being doused in shadows by the foliage. Choosing the brightest spot on the stone patio with full sun, I sat down cross-legged. Glancing one last time at Victoria and Gertrude to see their anticipation I unstopped the tube and drank the potion.
There was a trace amount of sand which went down with the potion, scraping across my tongue and throat making me regret forgetting about that aspect of my first assimilation. Too much had happed after that which made me completely blank out on my personal promise to prepare better. My master apparently had my back, as she directly handed me a glass of cool fresh water to chase down the remainder of the potion.
I had little time to give my thanks before the effects of the potion took hold.
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Similar to my initial experience, I felt energies in my stomach spread forth and then join with my own energies as they merged together. It felt like liquid sunshine tempered with a sandy desert was spreading through me and reaching all aspects of my body. Closing my eyes to better understand this feeling, once again I could feel the two energies as they sought to reach a higher level only to fall short and settle with my body alone. . . Then the trial came.
Bright, bright sunlight bore down on me with great intensity. That last drink of cool refreshing water felt like it had been drunk days ago as sandy and dusty sunlight stole away any traces of liquid solace. My mouth was dry, and eyes caked with sand. Additionally, my insides heated up and my skin felt parched and singed as sand stung at my raw surfaces.
What I had experienced previously with the failed light potion in Victoria’s shop held nothing over my current trial. Nothing could have prepared me for this as I suffered under the searing brightness of sunlight mingled with sandy undercurrents.
My thoughts grew hazy as I felt like my body was shifting about across the surface of the desert. In my mind, my body had already turned into a dried husk. Sun bleached bones and flakes of worn away skin being blown to the farthest reaches of the desert and sky were all that remained. The pain was gone, but the feeling of sheer light bleeding through the cracks in my bones encompassed me.
Only after who knows how long, did the light of day fade, and the sun finally set on my remains.
The cooling sensation of the shade felt both invigorating and soothing. Opening my mouth, I felt the cool hard edge of something pressed against it and then life-giving water swished against my lips. With muscles that felt atrophied from disuse, after much struggle I was able to begin swallowing the healing water down my throat. Then I felt that same liquid being poured over my head and dribbling into my sand and sun blinded eyes.
The damage done to my body rapidly repaired itself and I felt the strongest traces of my desert trial fade away with the cooling solace.
Opening my eyes, the expected bleariness and haze was absent as I saw everything around me in stark clarity. An inner glow of brightness accompanied by gentle sands swished about within me. I felt as if I could traverse the desert, with it being a second home to me now and that such a venture would feel like a welcome journey.