Chapter Twenty - Presence

Half an hour later, Jade finished following Apollos’ instructions with her own twist, adding a healthy dose of not only healing, but blood and life mana to the mix. As the others finished their alert potions, they’d come to watch the two, though the four of them had the presence of mind to simply observe instead of trying to follow late. The duke forbade them from trying more potions until the antidote was ready, which was only mildly concerning. She supposed experience was the best teacher.

She filled her sample cups with half as much as before, then flicked it into her ring. It was distinctly possible that even that was overkill, because she could practically feel the potency radiating off the liquid. “All right, let’s get this over with first.” Lochlann grumbled, holding out his tray for everyone to take their sippy cup. He, too, only filled it partway, likely in an attempt to minimize their suffering.

It felt slimy going down. Several people let out choked coughs after downing it as quickly as they could, but she couldn’t help but admire that Apollos still sampled it properly. The thought of letting it sit in her mouth so she could analyze it sounded awful, but she kinda wondered if he was used to it after testing all his own concoctions.

It sat like a brick in her stomach, vaguely sending out pulses of energy that made her feel like she was going to vomit. Instead of waiting for Apollos to state his opinion, she raised her hand weakly and said, “Forget about potion poisoning, that was straight up poison.” Camille, who had yet to drink the concoction, slowly put it down. Willow sent concern, but she relayed that she was fine. Or would be, soon enough.

Apollos nodded, looking a bit green as he offered up his nullification potion. “I don’t think anything else will be that bad, but uh…let’s drink this first.” He’d cast determining glances at the other two and come to the conclusion that nothing would be as bad as what they just imbibed.

Jade gratefully grabbed the sippy cup, letting the liquid slip down her throat and go to work, giving sweet relief as it broke down the sludge and targeted the toxins, sending them along to her digestive system. She would have been massively concerned about stinky accidents if there weren’t enough restrooms, but thankfully the doses were small. Still, she eyed her own concoction and asked Lochlann, “Just out of curiosity, there are like, a lot of bathrooms nearby. Right? At least seven?”

Apollos frowned. “While we’ll all need to take a trip to the toilets in the near future, it shouldn’t be an immediate concern that we can’t wait.”

Laughing softly, she said, “Maybe with your concoction. I’m pretty sure that even a tiny amount of mine is going to clean your clock.” She’d made it to dredge out all the unhealthy things they were carrying around like little pockets of chaos in their bodies. Shrugging, she finished, “With the compounded effects, I’d honestly suggest taking it just before you reach the privy.”

“It’s sound advice. Let’s finish testing these and then we can go clear our systems out.” Duke Telemar cut in, obviously intent on still making them sample their creations.

In the end, the group determined Lochlann’s concoction was at less than twenty-five percent efficacy, and was absolutely more poisonous than helpful. Camille’s was determined to be around sixty percent, and it wasn’t a happy thing, but it didn’t actively hurt to consume. Tao’s came in at eighty, having managed to barely beat out his cousin in saving the ingredients.

She handed them each a cup and said, “Find your bathrooms, I guess? And we can meet up after?” She had, at least, followed Apollos’ advice to send the residue out the sphincter. Too many cultivation stories talked about it coming out through their pores, absolutely obliterating their clothes with the gunk and smell. That was not mentioning her similar personal experiences at night. Anytime she could avoid that, she would.

“You’re really sure this is necessary?” Lochlann asked doubtfully as he personally led the two girls to the nearest powder rooms, Willow flitting above their heads as she followed silently.

Smirking, Jade half-shrugged. “You don’t have to believe me. Just know that if you choose not to, the consequences are on you. Better safe than sorry.”

He hesitated as he let them into the room, pointing to the two doors inside. “Well, there’s your stop. I guess I’ll find my own. One of the guards outside can lead you back to the room when you’re finished.”

Rolling her eyes, Jade informed him, “We’re literally just down the hall. I think we can find our way back without a babysitter, but whatever. Go. Just get it over with.” Giving him a little salute, she flicked the first door open with her magic as he huffed and left. Grinning at Cami, she said, “This might not be pleasant. Just a warning.”

“And you didn’t warn anyone else?” The princess asked a little incredulously.

“Eh, I told them to find a bathroom. It’s not my fault they didn’t ask more questions.”

“Good heavens. Are you trying to get them to hate you so they’ll leave sooner?” She sounded completely exasperated.

“No, and to be fair, this will actually be really good for everyone. It’s just not going to feel like that at first. Getting rid of everything mucking up your body isn’t something you should expect to be painless. So just…don’t let out any screams like you’re dying.”

On second thought, maybe she should have warned them a bit more. She could imagine the guards were about to be very busy embarrassing the delegation as they burst in on them in the loo while they painfully ejected what amounted to poison from their butt.

“Oh, your words. They fill me with such confidence.” The sarcasm dripped from Camille’s mouth.

“Just get it over with. Cheers! Bottoms up! Whatever floats your boat.” She toasted her sample sip to Camille, then drank it down and quickly closed the door behind her, sending a thought for Willow to wait outside. There was no need to subject her to this any more than would already come through their bond. Instead of trying to wrestle with her clothes, she just shoved her pants and underclothes into the ring as she quickly sat on the wooden throne, paying homage to the porcelain gods.

She clutched her stomach as the liquid seemed to radiate heat from her stomach and then burn through her veins like a small sun that was traveling to the tips of her toes and back, bringing with it a wave of murk.

Honestly, there wasn’t that much. She purged her body on the regular, so the worst offender was actually already in her digestive system, sitting in her gut. And yet, she grunted as liquid streamed out without mercy.

Even with the little she expelled, it took several minutes before she felt like it was over and she could pretend to be human again. Using water magic, she cleaned the crime scene and sent it flushing away as her nose wrinkled at the smell. She let out some of the fae air, wanting to cleanse her senses as she re-equipped her clothes. Stumbling out and onto one of the couches, she quickly closed the door and waited for Camille to emerge from her self-inflicted torture session.

Her body felt lighter, yet drained from the trauma. She was sure she would feel better. Eventually. She had the vague thought that she could replenish through food…and then promptly rejected that plan. Nope. That could wait a bit. Instead she hauled her body up and to one of the couches in front of the window, choosing to drain light instead. For now it was the safer option that didn’t make her want to puke.

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“Mommy, are you okay?” Willow fluttered down, butterfly wings kissing her skin now that she settled into one spot and stopped moving.

“I’m fine. Just a little tired. Nothing a little rest and energy won’t cure. No need to worry.” She stroked her wings gently, happy to source energy and spend a quiet moment with her small queen.

She could hear guards calling out in the hallway and let out a grim smile as a sharp rap knocked on the door to the parlor. “Come in.” She called out weakly, dropping her absorption except for where her hand hung over the back of the couch, out of sight.

“Duchess Jade! We’re sorry to bother you, but the captain sent us to check on you. It seems that one of the potions is having adverse effects. We’re still trying to determine the cause, but we’re having a hard time getting anyone to speak…” His voice trailed off as he noticed her pale complexion, but that she was still fully functional.

She gave him a wan smile as she replied, “Well, I can solve the mystery for you, given that the potion was the one I made. It’s currently purging their body of harmful substances. While it is vastly uncomfortable, they’re not in any danger, and it will pass soon. Ish.”

The second guard asked doubtfully, “If everyone took the same potion, why are you fine?”

She laughed a little ruefully, then winced as it moved her stomach, clutching it painfully as she replied, “First of all, my constitution is much stronger than theirs. Secondly, I do a similar purge on a regular basis, so I had far less to eject. What they’re going through will make them far stronger in the long run. But no pain, no gain.” After a moment’s thought, she called out, “Cami, you doing okay in there?”

A long groan was the only reply. Smiling weakly, she half shrugged again as she finished, “Well, there you have it. Just let them work through it alone and they’ll be fine. No one wants a second person to see what’s going on in those rooms.”

They seemed mostly convinced, especially with Camille as a prime example and her own still-weak behavior. Bowing, the first guard said, “Thank you for letting us know. If you’ll excuse us, we need to report to our captain.”

“Go ahead.” She flapped her hand, and they quietly retreated from the room. As soon as the door closed she started sucking in the light again, trying to regain her energy. She’d do a healing check on everyone once they got out. If the violent reactions were any hint, it was a really good idea she hadn’t given anyone anything close to a full dose. Even that half an inch seemed like it might be too much.

Close to fifteen minutes later, she was feeling human again when the noises from Cami’s escapades stopped. It took another five before the girl stumbled out unsteadily and flopped unceremoniously onto a couch. She leveled Jade with a weak glare and said, “You know. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought you were trying to kill us all.”

“Good thing you know better, then.” Jade replied cheekily. She was about to offer the girl a smoothie, but realized she was just getting out and probably had a similar aversion to food at the moment. “You up to heading back to the lab, or want to sit here for a few more minutes?”

Groaning, the princess buried her head in a pillow as her voice came out muffled, “Gimme a few.”

Nodding absently, Jade decided that even if she couldn’t go to the alchemy lab, there was no reason she couldn’t keep working. Eating the cherries straight up hadn’t produced a noticeable effect, but if she remembered right, they were supposed to reduce inflammation.

Picking out a dozen cherries, she had three each that were mixed with time, creation, healing, and spiritual magics. After a moment of thought, she added three with life as well, and one nature one that she set aside for Willow to munch on as the fellacai hopped aside so she could work. A simple twist of magic pulled the pits and stems out as an orb of pearly white encased and then shredded them to a pulp. She discarded the impurities and skins that were flung against the side in her magical centrifuge.

She inserted water as she kept it spinning, coating it in a layer of flames as she thought about what she really wanted from this concoction. She didn’t expect it to heal her spirit all at once, but reducing the damage and inflammation would be nice. To soothe the rough spots and allow it to speed up the recovery process, making her spirit whole. She pumped it full of more aspected mana, hoping creation would take her intentions and transform it into something useful.

Swirling ever tighter as the flames compressed it, she sent a mental prayer to the gods that this would work. It almost felt like there was an answering echo that took control for an instant. Her body swelled with a comforting warmth that told her she wasn’t alone before it vanished. She could feel her magic draining more quickly, and then it was like a snap as a golden light flooded between her fingers and the creation was complete. Her flames and special shell vanished…replaced by a beautiful glass flask.

It was flat on the bottom and two sides, which would make it easier to carry safely. The body was rounded to showcase the contents, leading to a small neck topped by an elaborate stopper. That’s when she realized it wasn’t made of glass, but crystalized mana.

Despite the beauty of the bottle, the real magic was inside. Swirling gently like it had a mind of its own, the liquid was a beautiful blend of pale green and gold bound by pearly white that had the barest shimmer of silver. Willow abandoned her cherry to land on the newly minted material, and Jade could feel that she was luxuriating in the aura.

“What just happened?” Camille was staring wide-eyed at the bottle in her hands.

Holding up the pretty bottle with her butterfly, she said, “Well. I made a potion.”

Letting out a short disbelieving laugh, the princess walked closer as she said, “I can see that. I’m talking about the…presence? For a moment there it was like there was this…overpowering aura that came from you. It felt…” She paused as if unsure of her words.

Cocking her head, Jade asked, “Would you say it felt godly?”

Camille looked like she just shouted blasphemy and her hands reached up as if she was planning to personally block her mouth. “You can’t say things like that!”

Jade stepped back before her hands could connect, giving her a wry smile. “I wasn’t saying it casually. You know, when I arrived here I went to eavesdrop on one of the church sermons. They call me the avatar of the gods.” Looking at her companion perched on the potion in her hand, she let out a small sigh. “I’m finally inclined to start believing them.”

“What changed your mind?” She asked tentatively.

“The presence.” When the girl still looked confused, she added, “I had just sent a prayer to the gods, and I’m pretty sure that was their answer.”

The princess became even more flustered as she wrung her hands, unsure what to do with them. It took a moment for her to find words. “So what I felt just now really was…?” Jade nodded.

Looking at the potion, she came to a decision, flicking it into her ring after gently shooing a reluctant Willow off it. “Remind me what exactly your deal with Lochlann entailed.” Her fellacai returned just above her forehead in protest at having her fascination taken away.

Camille blinked, then decided to go along with the abrupt change in topic. “That you would create a dozen stasis storage rings for them in exchange for an equal value of seeds, herbs, potions, or supplies that are exclusive to Saibreh. The things they don’t normally sell to anyone.”

“All right. Did you specify the dimensions?” She wanted to iron out the details before she started working on anything.

Shaking her head no, then yes, Cami replied, “Sort of. I warned them that doing that many meant they would be on the smaller side, but he said that was acceptable as long as they could fit their weapons. They mostly use swords and bows.”

Jade nodded, grinning. “Well, your thinking aligned perfectly with mine in that. I figured that was the most practical use. Enough room for a weapon, plus some potions and food, maybe a change of clothes. I think we’ll go with six by ones then…” She trailed off as she took out a bit of metal, then paused to ask Camille, “Do you think they prefer silver or gold?”

“Silver. The Resaigh like gold more, and the Niloi tend to prefer metals with a colorful sheen.” She quickly gave information on all three delegations, and Jade nodded in thanks. Continuing on with her silver, she molded two simple rings, then after a moment’s thought made them mimic the shape of bamboo. She thought about leaving off the inventory screens to try and preserve that secret, but they just didn’t work right without them.

It was a simple twist of magic to make them spatial rings that were six cubic feet long. Still, given that the potion had drained her significantly, she was getting closer to low than she liked once more. But in this case, that worked in their favor, since Camille had stressed that it took her a lot of energy. They didn’t need to know about the potion.

“All right. Let’s go use this to trade for some stuff, then grab your siblings and get out of here.”

“We’re leaving?” She asked curiously.

Jade nodded confidently. “Yes, I need to take that potion, and I want to be somewhere safer when I do. We’ll continue the alchemy lessons another time.”

“Doesn’t really seem like you need them anymore.” She muttered.

Laughing softly, she shook her head, “I got lucky with outside help. I’d like to be able to do it on my own. Besides, there’s no end to learning. Maybe they’ll have more tricks I can pick up.”

“All right. Let’s go get your supplies.” Camille acquiesced.

“And your siblings.” She reminded her gently.

“If we have to,” the princess agreed with a dramatic sigh as they both burst into laughter.

Things were starting to look up.