Chapter 110 Crazy Life.
Life is full of surprises.
Life is full of excitements.
Life is full of discovery.
Life is full of itself.
Life is good, life is existence.
Until death do us part.
Brigit, the Lady of Life.
Later that evening, I retire to my tent.
My first step is to learn the properties of this magical serpent’s body parts. I skim through "Forests of Wonders by Lako of Twilights" until I find what I'm looking for.
Marili serpent.
Description and Features:
An adult male of the species weighs 3 tons on average. It reaches the average length of 15 meters, and the average diameter of 1.4 meters.
An adult female of the species weighs 4 tons on average. It reaches the average length of 18 meters and the average diameter of 1.6 meters.
The beast features the typical body of a snake. No apparent changes from natural snakes other than size. The venom is extremely deadly, it attacks the nervous system directly. It’ll kills the average mortal within 30 seconds to a minute. For the case of a magical beasts or a magus, it’ll depend on their body size and poison resistance. It is a rare 2nd grade venom that isn’t typical for a 1st grade beast.
Magical Grade:
A peak 1st grade beast. One of the first evolutions for a viper, serpent, and a cobra, although a rare evolution. The next evolutions are the 2nd grade Flying Marili or the 2nd grade Digging Marili.
The soul net worth is the average of 7MS for an adult male, and average of 9MS for an adult female.
Living environment and Hunting pattern:
The Marili serpent is an ambush predator. It lays in wait, often climbing trees or high vantage points. Once it spots a prey, it pulls the unsuspecting prey into the air and pounces on it.
Depending on the environment, its choice of prey tends to be small creatures that do not look up, or large creatures that do not look down.
Abilities and Vulnerabilities:
Most notable 2nd grade killer venom.
The Marili serpent’s scales has a constant repulsive effect. It is of no problem to the average magi, since it can be overcome with enough kinetic pressure of any kind. Even a 3rd stage apprentice with a focus on earth or water can eventually overcome the repulsive effect. However, the average mortals do not stand a chance.
The Marili serpent’s mouth have an attraction crystal that will telekinetically pull on activation. The crystal melts upon the serpent’s death, the creature is to be kept alive in order to extract the item.
The Marili serpent can see kinetic forces and vibrations.
The Marili serpent is immune to most forms of gravity, and spatial magic.
The Marili serpent has extremely sharp hearing, as such, it is vulnerable to sound based attacks.
The Marili serpent’s scales offer zero protection against energy and temperature based attacks.
The Marili serpent will fall asleep when exposed to temperatures below 1c. It is the simplest way of capturing the serpent.
Known uses:
Eyes: A Marili’s eye can replace a mage’s eye via alatonmy. A single eye or two make no difference. The eye grants the ability to see invisible kinetic forces and vibrations. Popular with gravity mages. Popular with females of the mortal races: Elf, human, dwarf, gnome. Due to the eye’s innate beauty, gem-like features, and the special purple color that is considered uncommon amongst these races.
Venom: This is the Marili’s strongest weapon. This deadly 2nd grade venom can only be contained in a 2nd grade container or a Mithril-Cobalt container. Do not touch with bare skin, extremely deadly even in the smallest amounts.
Heart: Eating the heart directly grants no benefits. The heart is an ingredient in multiple alchemical formula, included but not limited to: “Etesa Kinetic Storm Potion”, “Ayla’s Magus Armor Potion,” “Imari's Flying Formula.”
Fangs and Venom Sack: The fangs and the sack can be turned into a 2nd grade poison container.
Scales: The scales keep the repulsing properties for the duration of a year. After that, they only retain their hardness. Useful for a basic armor a starting magus might use.
The scales while fresh, are an ingredient in the alchemical formulas: “Etesa Kinetic Storm Potion”, "Ayla Mage Armor Potion.”
Bones: The bones have low grade spatial properties for the duration of a week.
Taming:
After capture, taming an adult Marili can be done via the correct combination of musical notes. Even while controlled by music, the serpent is prone to unpredictable behavior, and should be kept in confinement with a freezing failsafe.
Taming an adult female who is guarding eggs is impossible.
Taming a hatchling with music from the egg is the best way to ensure predictable behavior.
I close the book, and rush outside. I run between the leathery tents and reach the orc section of the camp. “Balgrum!”
“Gra?” I find Agilla instead, too busy drinking.
I hold her thick arm. “The venom of the snake is deadly, don’t let anyone touch it with their bare skin!”
She shakes me off, and reaches with the same arm for the alcohol barrel. “Grrrrrr Rokuro already dead, we threw away venom.”
Right… too late… “Make sure you keep the scales intact.”
She looks at me as if I'm a child as she refills her waterskin. “Yeah. We make armor.”
“Ok, good. I want one!”
“Shaman hunted snake, shaman get armor,” she replies and takes a long gulp from her drink. “All wolves who hunted snake get one.”
"Inara. I took some of the bones, ok?" Sharla asks from behind my shoulder.
I turn. "What for?"
The Nugle-kar woman gives a faint glow under the crescent moon above, her starry eyes dart around and the white specks inside move in odd ways, almost as if her eyes are full of shooting stars. "Ummmm... some Fae stuff. Don't worry, I won't do anything weird like sacrificing them to some crazy god or anything. Nope! No way!"
I sigh. "Sharla... even if you want to sacrifice them to some crazy god, I don't mind. You can take the bones, I know they have some spatial effect that'll disappear soon. Just tell me what it is for."
For a brief moment I see an odd silvery key flickering between her fingers, but it's gone the next moment. "Ummm... What if I can't tell you? What if I ask you to trust me and let me have these bones?"
I put a hand on her thin shoulder. "Then you can have these bones."
She looks at me intensely, the multiple tiny stars in her eyes no longer move around. "Really? Just like that?"
I smile. "Yep. Just like that. I trust you, Sharla. Enjoy those bones."
"Thanks! Toddles!" She turns and disappears between the vast amount of tents in my camp.
I sigh head back toward my tent. I wonder what she needs these bones for... Maybe communicating with someone? Spatial properties will probably include long distance communication. The hag? Doesn't matter. Not like I can stop it, better to keep her on my side. Time to make that glitter potion, or Salik dies…
In the candlelight, I read the list of materials again, comparing it to the materials Salik provided me with.
A bottle of human ectoplasm, and a human heart from the same human.
Five wolf teeth, and a wolf’s liver from the same wolf.
Two cat eyes from the same cat.
Two guran leaves.
Three poppy flowers.
Five basil leaves.
A single bellflower.
A single onion root.
Honey.
Everything is here. Aside from the human heart, which is replaced by the gigantic Marili serpent’s heart.
Worry about what if later. Let’s get this started! I make sure my small cauldron is filled with water before I put ten spoons of honey in it and light up the firewood beneath.
“Anfero.”
Once fifteen minutes have passed, I add the onion root and bellflower, then chant the ‘Rod’e’
When the smoke clears, the golden steaming content of the cauldron turns greenish-blue. “Anfero.”
When the candle clock burns out, I put the cut liver with the teeth into the cauldron and read from the book in the ‘Nim’
I weave the ten water mana patterns together into the mimicry of a spell. The liquid turns bright crimson.
Now the snake’s heart… I’m going to mess this up...
Probably… but if I won’t mess up a few times I’ll never learn…
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Salik will die if I mess this up, how long does he left? Why did I never calculate it? I can't mess this up!
There are enough magical beasts here, and I can hunt more if I mess it up. I should focus.
I chop the heart into small pieces. Waiting for the red liquid in the cauldron to bubble up and turn purple is a nerve wrecking experience. Even if my hands are busy, my thoughts and anxiety boiling in my head like the cauldron in front of me.
“Shufa know shaman body.” The unfamiliar female orc enters my tent just as I finish butchering the serpent’s heart.
“Um… what?” I ask with confusion.
“Shufa know shaman body.” I back away when she attempts to take my shirt off.
“What are you doing?” I push her away with my bloodied hands.
The two meters tall and muscular orc follows me politely but persistently. “Shufa know shaman body, for prey skin armor!”
Right! She’s going to craft the armor and she wants to take my measurements…
While keeping a close eye on the candle cloak, I endure the orcish woman who wraps a rope around my limbs and body. She takes all of my measurements marking the rope with red.
“Shufa good now. Five moons. Shufa make good skin armor for shaman.”
“Thank you, Shufa,” I smile. Get out already! I have a potion to finish! Couldn’t you find a better time?!
The orc snarls at me and leaves my tent, just in time for the next step.
I spill the minced heart in the cauldron and add one ectoplasm bottle from the Marili serpent. I drop the three poppy flowers and light another candle clock. Now I have to stir the cauldron for three more minutes. Then I chant in ‘Fotyr’
A thin trail of blood flows down my nostril. I wipe it carefully and sigh in annoyance.
White smoke comes out of the cauldron, it swirls and forms a vague shape of a snake, before dispersing. The viscous liquid in my cauldron turns pearl white. I've got to focus! I can't let the serpent's heart go to waste. What went wrong last time?
I light a ten minutes candle clock and throw in the basil and guran leaves. I stir the cauldron in a steady circular motion for the duration. This time when I feel discomfort I stop using my hands and take a step back while using 'Minor Telekinesis' to stir. I make sure none of my hair or sweat drop into the pot.
Ten minutes stretches forever, and the intoxicating smell that comes out of my cauldron makes me lightheaded. I bite my tongue in order to focus, and keep at it, trying not to inhale too much of these fumes. Snakes... I want to drink this... Why do I want to drink this? I know what it does and it'll make me depended on it. I don't even need it. Why do I want to drink it?! Focus, can't mess this up!
With a held breath I let the cat eyes drop into the cauldron and chant: “Kalidir! Miltajy se karitsa, miltajy se zilo, miltajy se yats lisuryats. Lu latsa, kagut leyl yan lahi!”
I weave the eighteen patterns and drain eighty five gems of gravity mana. I hope I made it… I’ll have to rest before the next attempt… Salik don’t have much time…
The potion turns translucent, and the air leaves my lungs in volumes. It’s a success, the snake’s ectoplasm didn’t go to waste after all. I cover the cauldron’s lid. “Nim”
I wait for a while for the potion to cool off. I spend the time laying on my mattress, reading for fun. Once I believe the potion is ready, I carefully pour the content into a prepared brass bottle. Although I have more of the liquid left, once someone drinks the dose in the bottle it’d lose its effect.
If I wanted to make multiple potions in one go like the hag, I’d have to put multiple hearts and ectoplasm bottles in the same cauldron, and that would’ve been riskier. Although more efficient since I’d be saving on mana and most of the materials.
I leave the steamy tent. The night’s breeze is cool on my skin. The summer’s heat isn’t as bad at night, which lets everyone around the camp relax from the day. I grin as I head for Salik’s tent. I still can’t believe I succeeded crafting this complex potion on my second try! Either I am a natural at this, or I simply got lucky.
I enter Salik’s tent. “Salik! I…” The words die on my lips. Salik and Zoe are both naked, interlocked in a very compromising position. Zoe?! Didn’t she hate his guts?
Zoe notices my presence and awkwardly tries to push Salik’s head away and cover herself. Salik with his back to me, doesn’t notice or simply doesn’t care.
“Um… sorry.” I leave the tent, trying my very best to forget what I just saw. He’s four times her age… should I intervene?
She can do whatever she wants, it’s not my place to tell her who to sleep with, and this is none of my business…
I head back to my tent, trying to shake off the image. Is this what I worked so hard for? Creating a potion to prolong this old pervert’s life?! Just so he can snake more girls with his extra time?
No, he’s doing a lot more than that, and he’s my right-hand man. He’s allowed to have some fun in his leisure time… But why with Zoe?! Why does it bother me so much?
Probably because she's way too young for him. He might look like he's thirty but he's like a hundred. Or maybe it's more personal? Maybe it's because he said he wouldn’t want sleep with me a year ago… That I’m not his type…But he’d sleep with Zoe… She’s immature and younger than me… But she looks older… and it’s probably her jugs anyway… Argh I hate this stupid world! Who cares! I want power! Not bigger jugs! And I can have both when I ascend to a mage… It’s not like I can have children, I’m infertile anyway… And Kolag doesn't even know... Not like he can do much with that snaking armor... Just stop thinking about it… I managed to craft that complex glitter potion… Yeah… I'm doing a great work to ensure that my general can keep having his sex life!
I enter my tent and gasp. A tall naked man stands in the middle, sniffing my cauldron. Aside from his long bright green hair that reaches his waist he does not have a single hair on his dark skin.
What in all the rotten snakes on Lukam is going on?! Is everyone naked today?! Except for Kolag who can never get naked of course… Just my snowy luck! “Who the snake are you?” I demand, not hiding my suspicion and irritation. I do my best not to get distracted by the muscular male body in front of me.
He looks at me with a face that is pretty enough to be mistaken for a beautiful girl, the green wavy hair isn't helping, but the body is clearly male, with all the dangling bits. “Hihihihihi.” The mysterious man lets out a creepy girly giggle and steps toward me.
“Put something on and tell me who you are!” I demand again and throw him a towel with my mind.
He ignores the towel that hits his hips and lets it fall to the ground, he steps on it as he walks toward me.
I nudge with my crown mana pool. He doesn’t feel like a mage, but there’s a feeling of magic to him He's probably Fae... What does he want me? “Hod myrsha.”
He catches my wrist and puts my palm in his curly green hair all while maintaining a large unnatural smile that stretches all over his face up to his very ears. “Hihihihihi.” He runs out of the tent. My hand stuck to his lush hair, I can’t pull it away. I’m forced to run after him if I don’t want to be dragged on the ground or lose my hand.
*~*~*
Interlude 110.1
Berthold.
Why does he still care what Inara thinks of him, isn't he with Sharla now? He has no chance with Inara and he loves Sharla. Yes. He loves Sharla.
"Hey Berthold~" Sharla's sweet voice makes him jump. Did she read his mind? Can girls read minds? Probably not, but maybe fairies can?
"H-hey Sharla... How are you doing today, my fair fairy?"
The fairy giggles, and the stars in her eyes twinkle and dart around. She gives him a light peck on the cheek and whispers in his ear. "Remember what we talked about? The Fae Monarch. And please don't mention the Lady of Ventures or any other of the twelve."
Berthold nods. "I remember."
The fairy hums and whispers in his ear, creating the illusion she's whispering sweet nothing to the onlookers. "Hmmmm. If you want to speak with a Monarch, you can come with me."
Berthold spots Jerro peeking from the other tent with a pair of brown dead eyes. Berthold grins. It's good he can hurt that death worshiper in some way. "Yeah. I'll come with you."
Sharla clings to him. "So... Will you renounce your... mmm Lady?"
"I didn't promise that."
She leans back and traces her slender fingers on his jaw. "No, but my patron will give you a choice. Renounce your Lady, or leave. I'm warning you ahead of time, we don't want you to walk into that blindly, mmm?"
Berthold smiles. This woman is good for him. He always heard from others how deceptive women are, but Sharla had been nothing but honest with him. "Thank you. Yes. Let's go." He gives one last glance to Jerro and follows Sharla into the forest.
*~*~*
Power level: 3rd stage apprentice.
Mana pools status:
Crown-knot: Affinity 10: connected: 1 gem replenished per minute.
Neck-Bridge: Affinity 6: formed: max amount of gems drained per day: 79
Abdomen-storage: Affinity 5: formed: 16 gems. Conversion ratio: 6:1
Air: Affinity 4: formed: 26 gems
Fire: Affinity 2: formed: 13 gems
Light: Affinity 3: formed: 19/20 gems
Water: Affinity 6: formed: 39 gems
Earth: Affinity 1: formed: 6 gems
Wood: Affinity 2: formed: 13 gems
Gravity: Affinity 9: connected: 91/95 gems
Cantrip known:
Air: Shavi’s Breeze, Shavi’s Sword. Shavi’s Hair Dryer, Aria’s Enhanced Hearing. Aria’s Sonic Scream.
Fire: Nuriss’ Flame. Effrat’s Firefly, Effrat’s Fire Breath. Sorladika's Lesser Heating. Nuriss’ Ignite. Oniga's Soap Creation.
Light: Noxi’s Light. Lako’s Blinding Light. Rika’s energy hand.
Water: Water Evocation, Water to Ice, Ice to Water, Water to Vapor, Vapor to Water, Mayan’s Icy Spike, Ayla’s Water Jet. Ayla’s instant freeze. Ayla's Flowing Shield. Ayla’s Freezing Vapors.
Earth: Alice’s Oil Summoning, Reiko’s Acid Spray. Alf's Copper Bolt
Wood: Arigor’s Lesser Vines. Kolosu’s Vegetable Summoning.
Gravity: Lumina’s Kinetic Burst. Tukado’s Repulse. Tukado’s Lesser Shield II. Imari’s Minor Telekinesis. Imari’s Jump. Leo’s Pull. Leo’s Grounding. Alino’s Light Body. Alino’s Heavy Body. Alino's Orbiter.
Transmutation: Oniga's Laundry.
Spells known:
Light: Rika's Electric Channelb1
Gravity: Alino’s Weightless Bodyb1x2. Imari’s Lesser Flightb2.
Life: Brigit’s Lesser Cure Poison. Brigit’s Skin Restoration.
Focus capability: 18 patterns.
Social status: The Queen of Red Cedar City. Shaman of the Twin Moon Tribe. Inara, Daughter of Mysteries. Apprentice to the Maven of Mysteries. Sorceress.
Personal Wealth: 1465 Magic Gems. 1420 Golden Peas, 45 Silver Scales, 32 Copper Bits.
Personal Items:
Magical necklace. Contains 100 gems of general mana, can be drained like a mana pool. It’ll recharge by itself at the rate of five gems an hour.
1 potion of glitter.
1 potion of lightning body.
1 potion of mana, medium grade.
5 potions of Lesser Healing.
5 potions of Pain Tolerance.
An enchanted belt with eight pouches, the enchantment keeps the pouches’ content fresh. Each pouch may contain 10g of petals or six potion flasks.
Glitter ingredients. (1 bag)
Fresh rose petals, 37g
Fresh lavender petals, 7g
1 empty soul bottle. 6.5 Marili Serpent Soul shards. 2 Luard's soul shards. Glass with a diamond stopper, put in scaled leather wrapping.
The Great White Egret grimoire. Dedicated by the Maven of mysteries to Inara. 27/100
Present Companions:
Salik
Sharlafyn Nettledew
Jerro
Berthold
Loyal
Ryon
Zoe
Balgrum
Languages:
Toml’a
Sinteo
Myrsha
Felul
Nim
A'arkalu
Injuries and scars:
Curses:
-
Kingdom’s treasury: 3836 gold coins. 123 magical gems.
Kingdom’s citizen: 3,881 humans, 1,836 human children. Twin Moon Tribe: 1,158 orcs. 293 orc children. 529 sheep-slaves.
Kingdom's army: 1,156 Orc Warriors. 324 Footmen. 49 Peacekeeper Knights.
Notables at Court:
Tasiya Keyholder.
Jolla SilverQuill.
Talbot Bookkeeper.
Marasi Chef extraordinaire (spymaster.)
Old Gardner Tiom.
Balgrum Orc Chieftain.