His eyes met Sancta’s, but Dreiki did not back down. If it came to blows, he was confident Tadios would step in, but whatever blame they were here to place was his to bear alone.
Sancta’s cold demeanor cracked. A smile curled on her lips before the dam broke and she was laughing uproariously, “You made this potion? My, you would make a wonderful jester!” She recomposed herself, “Because that was so funny I will ignore your lie just this once. Don’t do it again, cur.”
Dreiki felt a spike of anger in his gut. What was that supposed to mean? Did she really think so low of him?
“If I can step in here,” Tadios said, “I don’t think it’s right of the two of you to interrogate my subordinates like this. You make it sound like there’s been some sort of plague or poison brought in by those potions. And if that’s the case, then you should be telling the Hunters, not going around on your own.”
Sancta huffed, “I guess I’ve already heard what I needed to,” She wagged her finger in the air, “Noxa are known liars and cheats, so of course I’m going to pretend like laying claim to these potions would be a bad thing. That way, I know anyone who does take responsibility for them is the true owner and not some charlatan.”
“Apologies for the scare, we just had to be sure,” Amaro said, “There are exploitative types even here in this camp.”
“So you’re saying you are happy about these potions?” Tadios asked, “Nothin’ bad’s happenin’?”
“Not at all, and in fact I’ve been put in quite the good mood to know that I’ve gotten ever-closer to my goal of figuring out the wonderful alchemist who made this potion.” She pointed to Rixam, “Tell me where your master resides. Is he in camp?”
“I don’t have a master,” Rixam said, arms crossed.
“Really now? An unattended Noxa just happened to show up with a cart full of high quality healing potions and herbal ingredients without a master? Highly unlikely. I get it, your master is likely a secretive sage who seeks to test aspiring apprentices who may desire to train under him when they see his work.”
Dreiki raised an eyebrow. Was this girl serious? How had she gleaned that from one potion? Either way, it did not matter. Dreiki had not lied about who made that potion. He had been the one tasked with making that specific mixture last month before they left. It was one of the exams he had to pass before they left the forest.
“But the one who made that potion was me,” Dreiki said, pointing to himself.
Sancta’s eyes darkened, “Are you truly willing to go so far to protect your master, Noxa boy? I was not lying about the law, you know.”
“And I wasn’t lying about making that potion you have in your hand!” Maybe it would blow their cover if he kept admitting it, but even Dreiki had his limit when it came to matters of pride.
“Don’t be too aggressive around my sister, Noxa.” Amaro said, stepping between them with a faux smile, “Keep things civil, alright?” He patted his sword.
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“Let’s entertain this thought, then. If you made this potion, then you should be able to tell me what ingredients are in it,” Sancta said with a smug look on her face.
“Meirashrooms, Vitak leaves, and Guari root.”
Sancta’s eyebrow twitched, “Simple enough for a Noxa boy to understand, you probably had to deliver and farm those materials every day for your true master. You didn’t even mention their specific preparations-”
“Vitak leaves are dried in smoke for three weeks, Guari roots are ground under mortar and pestle and burned with fire before being reduced to powder. The Meirashrooms are soaked in brine until they secrete its sap which is harvested from the brine solution and boiled. The pickled Meirashrooms can be used in food while it’s sap is the active ingredient in the mixture which gives healing potions their red color.”
“All basic preparation and simple trivia, but with so many holes it tells me you don’t know anything you’re talking about. You dried the delicate Vitak leaves over an open flame with smoke like you’d cure meat? What a waste. And only a rank amateur would burn the Guari root. You must use the water because that is where the healing properties of the roots originate. ”
“You’re wrong. The water held in the root dilutes the healing properties already inherent in its fibers.”
“If that were true, then eating dried guari root would be more effective than fresh Guari root for healing purposes.”
“That’s not true. The only reason you see that happen is because our bodies cannot absorb the fibers without the introduction of water. If you use the water from the Guari root it won't blend with Mierashroom sap properly and you’ll end up with a less potent mixture. The reintroduction of water should only happen at the end.”
“Let’s say you’re right about that, little Noxa,” Sancta said with a viciously fake smile, “If you add powdered Guari fiber to Meira sap like you’re suggesting, then when you reintroduce water at the end, all you will end up with is a ball of powdery oil floating around in water.“
“That’s why the Vitak leaves are smoked over a fire instead of in the sun. When you smoke them over a fire it changes the leaves to act as an even stronger emulsifier than they otherwise would be. Plus, it increases the potency of the leaves too along with everything else.”
“No that’s not… But that would explain…” Sancta fell silent.
Everyone else was looking at the two of them as if they had been speaking a completely different language with one another until now.
Sancta jabbed a finger at him, “What is your name, boy?”
“My name is Argo.”
“Argo? You’ve clearly been raised by humans. Where did someone like you learn how to craft potions with such a strange methodology?”
Was the methodology strange? From what Dreiki recalled, even Savekio had been copying the methodology from old human books, “My grandfather,” He said.
“Your grandfather then? He’s the true sage behind this potion? It would make sense for a human. And I presume that’s why the devil over there said he had no master?” She crossed her arms, nodding, “Even half xiozians would not degrade themselves to be servants of humans I see. Even a lowly human-born Noxa could understand such a basic process I suppose.”
Talking to this xia felt like pulling teeth. Yet, even with all of her passive aggressive insults, that dangerous aura still surrounded the her and her brother. Even if he had something to say back, the fear of what consequences might follow kept him silent.
Sancta poked at his chest, “Quit gawking at me, mouth-breather. You will teach me all that you know, and nothing less!”
Dreiki was utterly beyond words. Who did she think she was demanding and insulting him like this? Even a Noxa like him had some pride, but as he moved to say something he stopped.
When you are a wolf, pretend to be a lamb. When you are a lamb, pretend to be a wolf.
The wolf was that which had power. That which had knowledge. In a way, Sancta was pretending to be a wolf right now. In reality, she had no power or authority to make these demands of him. Not without a fair trade at least.
But how to get her to agree to a fair trade? What did Dreiki need from someone like her? The answer was simple.