Percival guided the young bottle gnome to the laboratory bench and sat her down, taking her floppy sunhat and hanging it on a hook. "This really is perfect timing, I just received a bulk order from the Adventurer's Guild in Wendell; healing potions by the dozen, and as quick as I can manage them. It would have taken forever the conventional way!"
"Healing potions?" Rennie asked thoughtfully. "Those are made of... crimson toadstools and fuff grass, right?"
"Correct!" Pervical said. "Now, we haven't a moment to lose. You've got to get just as much of that stuff as you can manage on the boil right away. I know I laid the ingredients out here somewhere."
"On the boil?"
"You know, start distilling it, down in that wonderful gurgling factory you're currently wrapped around."
"You want me to... eat it?" Rennie asked.
"Goodness, you mean you didn't know? Of course!" Percival said. "That's what bottle gnomes do, after all. Now, you'll need to put away at least a dozen servings of each--"
"O-okay," Rennie said, trying to sound enthusiastic as she watched the heavy bins be set down on the creaking table. Twin mountains of shiny mushrooms and soft grass towered before her. A dozen servings? Of each?
But she was an apprentice, after all, and apprentices did what they were told, even when their stomachs felt funny at the very thought.
"Make sure you alternate bites!" Pervical told her as she began working on the food. "We want it nice and mixed in."
"I'b doid'--" she swallowed, "--I'm doing my best, Master!"
She went back and forth, back and forth, until she'd eaten so many bites she lost count.
"All right, Rennie, stop eating," Percival said.
"Thank. Goodness!" Rennie sighed, pushing herself away from the table and patting her stomach. "I'm stuffed!"
"Well, this break will do you good, then," the alchemist observed. "We need to mix up what's in there; how about a jog around the room?"
"Ohh. Oh, I couldn't possibly--"
"Rennie, this is quite important for aerating the potion. Five laps should do it, I think."
Stifling a groan, Rennie slid out of her chair and started on a circuit of the cottage. It wasn't a big room, but her short legs and full belly made running a real chore. By the third lap she was breathing hard, and by the fourth, a nasty stitch was stinging her along the short length of her side. Finishing the fifth, she hauled herself back into the chair and released a loud, cathartic belch.
"Wonderful! Get that air our of your system," Percival said, clapping. "Now we're ready for the second layer!"
The second layer? Rennie thought in alarm as her new master slid the bins of ingredients back up toward her. H-how many are there going to be?
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author
