Stepping forward to read the paper, the translation necklace appeared to try and activate, but then gave up on it. Instead of seeing the words, it was more like the contract had a magical ability to provide distinct understanding of what was being signed without the use of words. What it portrayed was that this was a single time contract that was binding until the point of release from the provider of the contract. The contract provider was allowed to verbalize one clear but detailed request, that the signer of the contract was required to abide by. There were contingencies in place where if it was determined by either party, that such request was of a malicious or deadly nature, that the signer of the contract was allowed to unilaterally break the contract regarding the request, without consequence. The only hard requirement was that the signer of the contract not disclose the details of the request to any party other than the provider of the contract.
This appeared to be a very fair contract. All it truly required was non-disclosure of information that I didn’t currently have anyways. If I felt the request or test was truly too dangerous or unfair, then I had the right to terminate it. In addition, with this being a virtual reality, if I mistakenly disclosed the details, then I’m sure it wouldn’t have any lasting negative effects on me. However, I still fully intended to adhere to it.
I rarely make promises to others due to the seriousness that they have to me. Even the thought of breaking a promise that I make to another, leaves me with anything from minor guilt, to a strong sense of unease and self-loathing, depending on how much I was letting them down.
A small sigh of regret escaped me as my mind continued to explore this train of thought. It’s too bad, that it has become far too easy for me to break personal promises of bettering myself, that I make in moments of clarity and desperation, strictly to myself and the heavens. Standing up straighter, I re-assert my will to learn from this woman, and achieve my promise to my sister. With that conviction in mind, I pricked my finger with the knife provided, and then pressed my blood to the contract at the bottom.
The blood faded into the paper and then I sensed a sort of incorporeal presence settle within me.
“Very good.” Victoria commented as she took back the contract. “You can use the cream there to treat the knife prick.”
Applying a thin layer of the cream to my finger, I felt a minor itching immediately at the point of contact. Holding up my hand to observe, I could see that the reddened area around the fresh wound had cleared up, and that the puncture itself was closing at a speed visible to the eyes. “This stuff is incredible!”
Victoria took back the container of cream, showing a smirk of pride at what I assumed to be her concoction. “It is quite good for surface wounds as an antiseptic and healing agent. However, be wary of using it as a cure all. For deeper wounds, it may only help to close up the skin itself, reducing the blood lost. However, it also potentially traps in debris that would need to be flushed out for a better recovery. Many dangerous things can be hidden in seemingly harmless wounds.”
“Give me a moment, and I will finish things with Gertrude. Once we get back to the shop, I’ll be expecting you to review the first 3 plants in the next 3 hours in great detail. Then we will have lunch, and the test will begin.” Leveling her eyes with mine she spoke with a very serious tone. “It is imperative that you are very thorough in knowing the effects or uses, location including surrounding flora, differing methods of identification, treatments for overdose or curative methods, as well as other listed details.”
Recalling the page of information, I had utilized to prove my ability to read, I remembered that the details didn’t seem too daunting to remember. “Chuckle” I felt like I was back in school already, despite the recent conclusion of that semester’s classes and the beginning of summer break. “I will study hard.” I replied to Victoria.
While Victoria and Gertrude finished up the transaction, I kept eying Gertrude’s shell and clawed hands. I wouldn’t swear by it, but I believe that she was purposely positioning herself to show off those parts of her. The little kid in me that loved turtles was giddy at this situation, while the adult in me tried not be too obvious.
As we were leaving the building, Gertrude called out. “Victoria! Now that you’ve gotten yourself an apprentice, are we still on for our regular book club meeting at your house tonight?”
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Victoria looked back, lost in a moment in thought. “Yeah, it shouldn’t impact the test I’ll be giving him.”
Book club? Hah! I had joined one, once upon a time. It was to flirt with one of the cute members which I was successful in dating for a short while. Sadly, she and I weren’t meant to be and we went our separate ways after a while. A smile crossed my lips at that brief recollection. Then a bit of guilt also stole over me. She had loaned out her favorite book to me, and we had never met again for me to be able to return it. She had gone off to aid on a fishing ship in Alaska for work. I couldn’t remember if I still had it somewhere in storage, in case we ever reconnected. In any case, I hoped she was doing well and that she might forgive me for the missing book.
My thoughts cleared after that brief trek down memory lane and as the unfiltered sunlight outside the shop blinded me for a moment.
With a last farewell, we left the shop of Gertrude’s enchanted artifacts and returned back to Victoria’s Apothecary shop. Victoria had taken back the necklace and amulet to hold onto until it was needed, strictly for translating and understanding her apothecary book. I felt a distinct loss as it was taken away and was prepared to engross myself in as much studying as possible, for as long as necessary to keep it by me.
After returning to the store, Victoria got me settled down with the Apothecary book and returned the amulet to me. Donning it quickly, I felt the faint sensation of comfort that came with direct contact to it.
I was about to dig into studying when Victoria placed her hand on the still closed book to speak. “You have about 3 hours until we break for lunch. At lunch we will begin the test over the information which you studied.” She paused, as if to emphasize what came next. “I advise that you do some cross referencing with the references for where these herbs are found, but most of all it is important that you keep this in mind. The dose makes the poison.” With that she left me alone to study.
The dose makes the poison. That was a condensed phrase that any pharmaceutical student worth their salt should know. The full referenced quote is attributed to Paracelsus which says as follows. ‘All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison.’
So many medicines are simply reduced portions of poisonous substances. Even too much water can kill, as taking in too much can unbalance and dilute necessary electrolytes that the body needs to survive. However, without adequate amounts of it, we would wither away into a husk filled with concentrated particulates and harmful substances that couldn’t be flushed from our body. With that refreshed in my mind, I set myself to task with learning the details for the first 3 plants.
Two of them looked remarkably similar to plants I was familiar with from my botany classes and personal study. It was the first plant that I had initially tested out the amulet on that was completely foreign to me. With the name of Cinnamomum Proditor, the flower with red and yellow petals and spiky green leaves was separated into two parts. First what was spoken of was the part that would lie above the soil. Growing to reach about 1 foot in height, In small doses it acts as an anticoagulant and blood thinner. In much larger doses, your body would begin to break down inside as you bled internally. Some of the early symptoms of overdose is bleeding from the nose and sub-dermal bleeding below the eyes. Later deadly symptoms progress to extreme abdominal discomfort and rectal bleeding. Prolonged use of non-lethal doses can lead to pink or brown urine. Several other symptoms to look out for were listed.
What was most interesting about it was that consumption of its roots were the practical antidote of an overdose. They were also effective in many cases of treatment for certain venoms that caused breakdown of tissue. However, overuse of the root could cause the creation of blood clots. For a healthy individual, the precise balancing of amounts wasn’t a large concern, but for those that were already medically compromised, then using just a little too much or too little of either part of the plant could have dire consequences.
What I found specifically unique about this plant, is the reported taste of cinnamon from its leaves when consumed. Even if its form may differ in small degrees due to magic mutations, other than real cinnamon which comes from a tree called Cinnamomum Versum, its taste is one of the primary defining factors of it.
One of the other two herbs looked like a cultivated plant in the Northern US known as Goldenseal. It, among many other endangered plants had been re-introduced to nature in mass by Millennial Enterprises. Making what few comparisons I could recall between my own studies on Earth and what the apothecary book said about it, made me certain about it being the same plant, albeit with some minor differences. It had been considered to be a 19th century cure-all as many groups and individuals made great use of it for many different purposes. Two of its key uses are for treating disorders affecting mucous membranes and for countering infection. It had been over harvested in previous history requiring others to begin specially cultivating it for use and restricting its harvesting from nature.
The last of the two herbs closely resembled the traits and appearance of Milk Thistle. It presented as a spiny growth reaching to about 5 ft in height with white veined leaves and fluffy purple flower heads. On Earth it is considered invasive in many parts of the world. However, for those aware of its properties and uses, it is immensely valued in the case of accidental ingestions of highly toxic compounds such as deadly mushrooms and comparable lethal substances. It is unfortunate that there is a small percentage that are allergic to it. However, considering the other potential outcome, it is likely worth it to risk the chance in dire circumstances when there is no help around to be found.
There were a few small differences between those two plants in Victoria’s apothecary book and their counterparts in the real world, but this difference did not negate the value of what I was learning. In fact, I felt that some of the details listed may even be hidden properties of these plants that while applicable, were not put into writing for lack of conclusive evidence or practice on Earth. This was opening up an entirely new direction for me in my personal studies, that I desperately hoped would bring about the cure I was seeking to make.
Speaking of which, although this was a virtual reality, whose rules I’m sure were known by the creators of it, I should honestly ask Victoria if she was aware of the name of my sister’s disease. I certainly had no expectation of her knowing of a cure, but she may be able to lead me in the right, or at least better direction than my dismal progress has been taking me.