Sign: Snake
Buffs: Serpent’s Kiss (Romance twice as easy)
Debuffs: Curse of the Unspecified (Start the game with no gender, no name, and no other identifying feature)
EXP: 1,200
Alchemy
Coagula (LVL 1, 24 SKP)
Solvé (LVL 0, 29 SKP)
Theoria (LVL 1, 23 SKP)
Botany
Sowing (LVL 0, 5 SKP)
Tending (LVL 0, 65 SKP) Ready to level up!
?
Cooking
Fire (LVL 1, 28 SKP)
Water (LVL 0, 24 SKP)
?
Homesteading
Fire Tending (LVL 0, 7 SKP)
Tidying (LVL 1, 106 SKP) Ready to level up!
?
Speech
Logic (LVL 1, 23 SKP)
Linguistics (LVL 0, 41 SKP) Ready to level up!
Cajoling (LVL 0, 10 SKP)
Total SKP: 386
Inventory:
Auros: 0.15
Cards of Destiny: 5 of ?? Discovered
Names: 4
Evengeline, The Pure Snow (Holly)
Vitas, The Wind Thief (Sparrow)
Gillygad, The Stitched-Up Wonder (Pitchfork)
Zinia, The Serpent’s Caress (Snake)
Passive Skills:
(Theoria LVL 1) Pure Substances: Some metals are especially luminous. Some hands are more precise than others. These hands shall become sharpened scalpels, made of the most luminous Silver. Higher maximum Quality points are possible for all potions.
(Coagula LVL 1) Coalescing Membranes: The membranes of the parts which make up the whole shall be in accordance. Ingredients combine more smoothly, producing higher quality potions.
(Fire LVL 1) Ignited: The Elemental branch of magic lends this Sorcerer the ability to cook faster using fire. Prepare fried or baked meals twice as quickly. Get burnt less.
(Tidying LVL 1) Dirt Buster: The magical branch of Purification lends this Sorcerer the ability to ‘Bust Dirt.’ Dust and grime accumulate at an infinitesimally slow rate on objects you have cleaned.
(Logic LVL 1) Rhetoric: The magical branch of Entreatment lends this Sorcerer the ability of heightened ‘Rhetoric.’ The structure of your arguments is smooth, regular, and orthogonal. Spirits and people are more likely to agree with you.
Spells:
Wild and Overwhelming Growth (LVL 1) Accelerate the growth of plants and fungi. Enchanted plants grow ten times faster (Overwhelming Influence), BUT enchanted plants sometimes disregard their original form.
Mated With A Strong Bond, Lesser Baptism (LVL 1) Skill actions performed by the enchanted object grant the Sorcerer one-fifth of their SKP and EXP (Strong Influence) but the objects must be enchanted in identical pairs.
----------------------------------------
Without thinking about it, my hands made two doll-sized outfits: a little girl’s and a little boy’s.
As soon as I woke up, I searched the house for suitable material. I found a few hole-ridden pillowcases, and after ripping the seams, I had enough white cotton fabric for my project.
I used Tess’s sewing kit, intending on making a simple long shirt for both. But the first one ended up being too long, and when I held it up, I realized it looked like a dress.
My stitching was amateur. The seams were bunched in some places, and too loose in others, but overall, it held together, and I thought it would do.
When I cut the second shirt shorter, I decided to make a tiny pair of pants to compensate. And so, I ended up with my two outfits for the two dough poppets that were asleep in the dirt bathtub. A little dough girl, and a little dough boy.
I put the clothes down, and stretched, working out the cramps in my neck from bending over the sewing.
As I put down the freshly sewn clothes, I got a message:
+15 EXP
1 Skill Unlocked!
+15 SKP Mending (Homesteading)
I was excited about my new skill. Checking my character sheet, I saw that I only had two skills left to unlock: one under Cooking (that I assumed was another elemental skill) and one under Botany (I had no idea what that one could be, besides, relating to plants).
I had finished making clothes for the two poppets, but I still had to leave them in their sleeping place all day as Giger suggested in Ma Chère,
I sighed, and got on with the day, thinking of what else I could occupy myself with while I waited.
----------------------------------------
My potion was done steeping! After I took out the jar full of Dancing Tongue, I re-read the last bit of Old Toad’s instructions.
After the wine is added to the herbs, seal the container and let it stand for two nights. Strain the resulting concoction. Add one leaf of Belladonna to strengthen the aspect of Snake. If the aspect of Water Lily is to be strengthened, leave the Belladonna out, and simply pour the concoction into the finest crystal or glass vessel available.
Speak the Name of the applicable aspect (Snake or Water Lily) and use the sign of Opening.
Dancing Tongue is more effective at dusk and should be imbibed in the evening.
I strained it, added a leaf of Belladonna, spoke Zinia’s name over it, and used the Sign of Opening. I felt my clothes billow out, and I got the message that let me know I had finished another potion.
Dancing Tongue
Complete!
+40 EXP
+10 Water (Cooking)
+10 Coagula (Alchemy)
+10 Solvé (Alchemy)
+10 Theoria (Alchemy)
Then, the second message:
Dancing Tongue
13 of 20 Quality Points (Fair Rating)
Quality Improvement:
Using Fresh Herbs
Using Even More Potent Opening Gesture
Not Skimming Off The Top
I felt heat pool in my cheeks reading the quality improvements. How had the potion known I had taken some for my poppets? At least, I had gotten a better ranking than last time, when I had made a ‘Mediocre’ Winter’s Kiss.
I poured a little Dancing Tongue into a small vial, intending to send it to Mr. Bernard Caskard.
I then searched through my pile of request letters, to find Mr. Caskard’s note. I scratched out a quick message on the back of his request instructing him to take the potion around dusk for maximum effectiveness.
Looking at the stack of unanswered envelopes, I was struck by an idea.
I carefully read through them all again.
I separated two:
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
One, that I had already read, from a lady who feared her fiancé's attention and affection are waning. Then another one, from a man who wanted to catch the eye of a local school teacher.
Could Dancing Tongue help them too?
I decided that it could, provided they drank the potion before speaking to their sweethearts.
I poured off more Dancing Tongue into vials, making three in total. I was happy to note that I still had about a third of the bottle left, even after pouring off three doses. Then, I wrote out simple instructions on the back of each letter and stuffed them back into their envelopes.
Three birds with one stone! I was proud of myself for having such a shrewd idea. And, I could use the extra pocket money!
I set Cheerful off with the packages, and merrily went about making some lunch.
----------------------------------------
I was eating toast, with Ma Chère propped up in front of me, rereading the instructions for the conclusion of my poppet enchanting project.
After a day has passed with the poppets in the ground (or in the dirt in the tub), I was to wake them with my Lesser Baptism spell, then name them, then give them clothes. The end sounded much easier than getting the poppets ready, and I couldn’t wait for night to come so I could finally finish my project.
Just as I was about to take another bite of buttered bread, there was a knock on the door.
My heart raced through a series of emotions.
Maybe it was the Sorceress, returned with my favorite feline friend! I then grimaced thinking of my unsanctioned poppets lying still under a blanket of dirt. She had given me Ma Chère, but I was not supposed to get into the other Grimoires before I finished looking up all the Signs (and I hadn’t even come close to finishing!).
Maybe it was Solomon, who had gotten my message? Somehow, I wasn’t sure I wanted him to know about my dalliance with Ma Chère, either.
I made my way to the front room and opened the door with trepidation, but it was neither Solomon nor Tess on the other side.
It was a girl. She was pretty, about sixteen, and vaguely familiar.
“Erm, good morning,” I said, unsure of myself.
“Hi,” she said, and I felt a little comfort that she didn’t seem very sure of herself either. “I was just wondering, is Ms. Addlebern in?”
“No, she’s not here right now,” I said, and looking at the girl's honey blonde hair and wide blue eyes, recognition dawned on me. I had met her in town, at the wine merchant’s shop, shortly before Tess made me go hide because, according to Tess, ‘someone was following us.’
Gustavo, the fat merchant, had introduced the girl to me and Tess as his daughter. But what was the girl’s name?
“Oh, well, when will Ms. Addlebern be back?” The girl asked with a slight tremor in her voice.
“I’m not sure, exactly.” I answered, “What is this about?”
“D-do you know where she’s gone?” The girl asked, and I felt a creeping tendril of suspicion. The girl had sidestepped my question, and now she wanted to know the whereabouts of the Sorceress?
I almost blurted out that Tess had gone to the ‘meadows,’ whatever that meant, to search for our cat, but with great effort, I stopped myself. Something was fishy.
The girl was looking from side to side, and I could tell she wanted to leave. But, if she left, I couldn't figure out why she was asking after Tess in the first place. Did this have to do with Tess being followed?
“Why don’t you come inside?” I said, and stepped off to the side of the doorway, inviting the girl in.
“N-no, I shouldn't, thank you, I must really be going…” The girl started to say, backing up.
“I’ll tell you about Mistress. It’s a bit of a long story, and I’ve just made some tea!” I tried to put on my most welcoming smile.
The girl hesitated, but then looking me up and down, she must have decided I was no threat to her, nodded, and ducked inside.
----------------------------------------
I led the girl to the kitchen, scheming the whole way.
I decided I had to get the girl to tell me why she wanted to know about Tess.
The explanation could be innocent enough; maybe the Sorceress had placed a large order with the wine shop and forgotten all about it. Maybe, the girl was here to collect on some unpaid bills.
But, I had a sneaking feeling that something else was going on.
I still had a third of the bottle of Dancing Tongue. Maybe, I could sip a little bit of the potion, without the girl noticing. It was supposed to help with speech, and with the aid of the potion, I could try to talk the girl into revealing what she was doing here.
I had stashed the remainder of Dancing Tongue in a cabinet, and I didn’t think I could pull off taking it out without drawing suspicion. Instead, I looked at the girl and smiled.
I invited her to sit at the kitchen table and poured out two cups of tea. The girl’s eyes roved over the kitchen with naked curiosity, and paused on the shining, bronze alembic, before continuing on their searching way.
“How long have you worked for your father? Surely, minding a shop isn’t so interesting for someone like you?” I tried to put on my best smile, as I spoke to the girl over two steaming cups.
The words clanged and dropped from me, and I could tell it wasn’t the right thing to say. She frowned slightly and turned away.
“I don’t mind it at all, and I’ve worked there a long time. Ever since I was little. Anyway, so Ms. Addlebern…” The girl let the question hang in the air, and I was hard-pressed to not answer it.
I needed help. I needed something to make me more convincing, and help me talk to this pretty girl (specifically, lie to her), who was certainly hiding something. I glanced forlornly at the cabinet door behind which Dancing Tongue was inaccessible.
I was a terrible liar, and I knew it. Maybe I should just tell the girl to clear out before I blurted out something without thinking. If only I could get the potion…
Wait, I didn't need it!
I didn’t need to check my character sheet, as I had read the words often enough that I had memorized them: Buffs: Serpent’s Kiss (Romance twice as easy).
This whole time, I had a power, from the Sign of Snake, which I have yet to use. I have been so preoccupied with the Snake Sign’s curse, that I hardly ever gave the boon any thought.
Maybe now was the right time to try. But how to invoke it?
The blessing from my Sign made romance twice as easy. I could use it to my advantage, but I still had to be careful. Two times zero is still zero. If I said something truly unforgivable, or just plain dumb, I doubt even the Snake’s boon could help me.
I thought of the serpent tattoo stretching across my back. I thought of Zinia, and the sensuous way her words slithered through my mind when she talked to me.
As I concentrated, I could almost feel a slither-like movement across my back, and I was suddenly aware of a languid warm atmosphere in the room.
Suddenly, the girl’s name floated effortlessly into my mind: Florence.
I smiled at the girl, and I could feel the atmosphere lightening, and growing warmer between us.
Trying to keep my mind on the influence of the Snake, and the task at hand, I started talking.
“It is very nice that you help out, Florence. Not everyone would do that for their dad.” I said, and the words seemed to be more pleasant than before. I saw Florence's eyes soften.
“Yeah, I like helping dad. I didn’t think you’d remember me from when we met last time at my dad’s shop.”
“Not remember you?” I put on my best mock-scandalized expression, and Florence giggled.
“Well, since you’ve come all this way, I’ll tell you where Mistress Addlebern went,” I said, trying to invent something on the spot, “but you have to keep it a secret, okay?”
Florence leaned in, like we were two conspirators, and nodded.
I did the same, and our faces were inches apart.
“She went to find our cat,” I whispered into her ear, and although I hadn’t wanted to tell Florence anything of where Tess might be, I felt deep in my bones that these words I said were right, “he’s gotten lost.”
“Oh, no! Poor kitty!” Florence’s eyes melted with pity for my long-lost friend, and I could tell I was making some progress. “Where d’you think he’s gone?”
“We don’t know, but Mistress thought maybe he went to Celine City. So, it’ll be a while before she returns.” I shrugged, thinking that I shouldn’t reveal the Sorceress's real location. Just in case.
Florence nodded sagely at this information like it made all the sense in the world that a cat would take himself to the capital, and a Sorceress would have to spend weeks trying to find him.
“So, then,” I started, “a secret for a secret.” I looked at her expectantly.
“I don’t have any secrets.” She said.
“Of course you do. You’re very mysterious.” I said, and Florence giggled again and took a sip of her tea. “Like, for example, checking up on your former customers. Breaking into a Sorceress’s estate. Getting involved in a missing feline case. You lead quite an adventurous life, I’d say.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” She said, waving her hand, “My life is generally pretty dull.”
“Then explain this!” I said, pointing to her in my kitchen.
“I mean, yeah, I didn’t want to do this, to be honest.” She said, shifting in her seat.
“Old man put you up to it?” I asked.
“Sort of, I- it’s- well, it’s complicated.” She tried to explain.
I sat there quietly and looked at her. I had a feeling that we were on the verge of a breakthrough.
“It’s these Sorcerers! They’re all so weird!” She exclaimed, and then looked at me nervously, wondering where I might land on the subject.
“I know, right! You have no idea. Beyond weird!” I said and I wasn’t even lying. Sorcerers were weird. I wasn’t sure I was thrilled that I would be shortly joining their ranks. Although, I didn’t have much of a choice. It’s not like I had a heap of other jobs lined up for me if the Apprentice thing didn’t pan out.
“You have no idea, Florence,” I repeated, “living with a Sorceress, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Honestly, I get a bit of a reprieve with her gone.”
Florence must have decided I was a kindred soul, as she sat up, and started quickly talking.
“Okay, I’ll tell you a secret, but you can’t tell anyone else!” Florence said.
“Cross my heart,” I did the gesture, solemnly, and Florence started talking.
“So, get this. Me and dad are just minding our business, keeping shop, when a man walks in, all in black, with this huge wide-brimmed hat. Of course, you know what that means?” She asked, and I nodded, but I didn’t know what that meant. Thankfully, she explained.
“A Sorcerer! Dad went about recommending him wines since the guy walked into a wine shop. Not a bad assumption to make, that he would be looking to purchase some wine, right?” She said.
“Right.” I echoed, listening carefully.
“Well, this guy, he didn't care for any of our wines. He seemed to be completely unimpressed with our stock. He told me to go take a hike, which I did. Anyway, after the guy left, my dad sent me here to try to find out where your Sorceress went. No idea why. I was hoping you might have a clue?”
I listened to her raptly, coming to my conclusions. It seems Tess wasn't being overly paranoid. Someone was following her. Another Sorcerer. I guessed that this mystery person must have had old Gustavo watching Tess.
“What did he look like, besides the clothes? Was he tall, long dark hair, really, really good looking?” I asked, thinking of Solomon, but Florence shook her head.
“Not at all. He was short, weedy, and I definitely wouldn't call him good-looking.” She answered.
“Damn, I thought I was on to something there… well, then I don’t know,” I said, thinking out loud.
We were sitting in a comfortable bubble of silence for a second, and I thought I did like Florence’s company. I was just about to change the subject when I heard a noise.
It was a loud keen, almost like a baby crying, coming from the direction of the bathroom.
Florence heard it, too.
“What was that?” Her frightened eyes found mine.
“That was… that was probably nothing,” I tried to think of a good explanation that didn’t involve two dough babies sleeping under a pile of dirt, “that was probably, erm, the cat.” I finished lamely, and I could feel the cozy bubble between us popping. Florence lifted one dubious eyebrow.
“The other cat.” I corrected. “We have two. Aleister’s run away and the other cat, Whiskers, misses him something awful. Um, I’ll just go check on Whiskers, shall I?” I shakily got up from the table and made my way to the bathroom.
My hands found the doorknob, but before I pushed my way inside, I remembered a passage I had read from Ma Chère.
Oh, and Sorcerer, whatever noises you might hear, do not wake the dolls until it has been one day.
Would coming into the bathroom count as waking the dolls up? I didn’t want to risk it. I carefully listened, with my ear pressed against the wooden door. Silence. Counting a couple more breaths, I decided to let sleeping dolls alone, and went back to the kitchen.
When I came back, Florence was gone.
----------------------------------------