FOURTH BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES
𝘈 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭. 𝘈 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘈 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘈 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦.
Xanthiene Vivenca, a fairy with a bounty for her soul, is caught between...
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Nyxis heaved another heavy breath as he went back into pounding the nage seeds. His mind stewed in his thoughts like vulkraine soup.
Once the seeds are ground into fine brown powder, Nyxis dumped it into a compact cauldron. He filled it with water from the pitcher by June's bedside. Next, he took his burner—a stick of metal that's capable of directing flame without dying out— and flicked flame at its rounded base before dumping a small cube of skicea wax on it. That should be enough for another twenty minutes or so.
The arisdema's scent stung his nose as he cut its leaves into smaller pieces. Nyxis preferred using emedria spores but that's hard to come by in Dwanzeig as it was endemic in Penleth. He should have bought a bottle of it when he was last there.
But, arisdema have the same sedative properties as the emedria fungi so it would have to do. Nyxis didn't have the luxury to go shopping now.
That's the same thing with the midseg leaves, the levier fruits, and the nage seeds. Nyxis wanted to use other ingredients for them but he couldn't wish for oshella or cloveris when they're native to Alkara and Carleon.
So, he dumped the cut arisdema petals, the grounded midseg leaves, and the peeled levier fruits into his cauldron. He poked it with the broken half of his stirring rod and waited for a few minutes before adding a dash of dried porgon leaves in. They help calm the nerves.
He rummaged around his satchel for an extract of zosslet pitcher's digestive juice. It's something he bought out of a whim in Penleth without knowing that it would become useful someday. He shook the vial, peering at the slimy liquid inside. He poured at least half of the vial's contents into the cauldron, stirring as the concoction inside simmered. Pitcher plant's digestive juice. It helps in getting medicines down the throat easily.
He wiped the sweat off his forehead with his forearm. The smoke rising from the cauldron would have been a good nasal decongestant but now's not the time for that. He took out another vial filled with blue liquid from his satchel. Tears of a grocon which he purchased in a smuggling shop in the Commons. Just like the zosslet juice, this was another of his whim-based purchases that he unwittingly needed in the future. Thanks, past Nyxis.
Two drops of the vial's contents went into the mixture. That's enough to calm a tumultuous stomach for at least half a day.
He stoked the mess of leaves, fruit, and petals until he was able to extract a clear dark purple liquid that took after the midseg leaves' tint. He extinguished the flames after he's certain it had boiled evenly, passed the contents through a sieve placed atop another basin.
Nyxis wrapped the residue left on the sieve and set it aside. He could boil it three more times and still get the same amount of extract. Convenient. Smart.
He let the extract cool for a moment before placing it before him. The dark purple liquid swirled almost like it's inviting him for a drink. He palmed the knife he used to peel the fruits and took a deep breath. He held the knife by his palm, gritting his teeth at the several lacerations already healing there.
