Start of the Lesson

The statement brought Jien's attention to a much finer focus. He could and had created a number of alchemical droughts in the past but what Professor Everhart was offering as a prize was not so easy to create. Not to mention that even though he took the time to scan through the alchemy knowledge he had recorded in his Personal Library he had no record of such a concoction.

The idea of winning it for himself so that he could try and understand it, or perhaps use it as a chance to talk to the person he considered almost akin to an idol was exhilarating. He also knew that of those in his unit there were only a few that may win it besides himself. The others were Olivia, having come from a family whose business was growing medicinal herbs for alchemy, Barret, who was taught many skills to a more than basic level by his family and lastly Andrew. He wasn't positive that Andrew was good at alchemy but he had his suspicions given that the boy was first and foremost a healer.

If a healer couldn't craft their own solutions on the fly then they would only be able to rely on their spells and first aid. There were many along that line of course, but something told him that the meek healer of their unit was more grounded in his work than just that. His thoughts were proven true as the lesson continued under the guidance of Professor Everhart and the watchful eye of the grey fox, who seemed to have an intelligence for more than an average or even magical beast. Jien was almost positive the animal was a demon, but there was no way to be sure unless it either showed it's truest form or showed some other outward sign.

The creation of a salve was one of the easier feats of alchemy but a bloodstop salve was not a simple home remedy. Usually a salve would be created by mixing an infused oils created over a span of time by gently blending an herb, or mix of herbs in an oil base over the span of perhaps a month. After this it would be mixed with a thickening base such as beeswax in accurate proportions for thickening and one could add a little something extra to it once it was put into a container.

Salves in general were used as a spread over skin or at times simply as lotions for dry skin. The difference between these simple salves and the salve they were tasked to create today was in simple terms, the ingredients. Rather than simple herbs they were using magical herbs, which in essence were the same as the plants Jien had used in the creation of the Serpent Guard that was connected to his rapier at his waist. They were harder to handle and often had potent properties that if used incorrectly, whether it was the initial handling or incorrect mixing, could lead to disastrous results.

Sitting before them were selection of about ten different herbs of different colors, shapes and sizes. Next to their cauldrons were simple wooden book stands left empty and Professor Everhart's next words made it clear why. "You will find the recipe on page 225 of The Guide to Beginners Alchemy Volume Two." Jien reached into his pack and withdrew the book he had come prepared with and set it on the book stand. However, he was the only one to do so while the others looked over at him blankly.

It became very obvious that they didn't have their own books, or at least this seemed the case before Barret dug out his own copy of the book and placed it appropriately. The rest looked between the two and realized that though they had spent their time during the past week training and reading different texts from the library they had not found out where to pick up their text books. They couldn't decide whether to blame Jien for not telling them or themselves for not thinking about it, but given that Professor Everhart was now eyeing them with a raised brow they resolved to wring the answer out of him after class.

The professor for her part, other than eyeing them shortly let out a slightly disappointed sigh before she flipped over her large blackboard revealing the recipe and steps as if she had expected this to happen. "Next class please ensure you have your materials in full prior to stepping into the classroom." She then lifted a sample of one of the herbs in front of them that looked like a blood red tulip with a stem so deep crimson it almost appeared black. "This is our main ingredient, blutgem. depending on how it is used and what part of it is used it can create a number of highly potent mixtures."

She pointed to the stem of the plant. "We will be using the stem as it is a powerful coagulant. If used correctly and in the right dosage it will stop bleeding for minor cuts and scrapes, though it used on its own it risks damaging the internal and external tissues where it stops the bleeding. If used in too large a dose or used incorrectly it can cause mass clotting of blood vessels leading to larger medical concerns and potential death."

After stating this she set down the tulip like plant and picked up the next that looked like a simple ginger plant, though it's color was a deep purple beginning to describe it's properties and what part they would be using. Her words were always concise but held all the knowledge they would need for the particular salve they were brewing this class. Her voice was always calm and clear, easily understood by each of the students as they took notes.

Jien for his part was taking detailed notes, ensuring that he caught everything the professor said, at times raising a hand and asking a simple clarifying question and adding simple hypotheses in the margins of his page for later. He would rewrite his notes, record the text book and then his notes to start building up a more extensive library in the coming days.