Mix, Trouble, And Brew

"Sit right here." She lifts me onto a chair next to a familiar figure. She still smells sweet of agony and despair. She barely moves, but I can tell she's angling herself away from me.

Ok...

"Today, we will be going over basic aspects of potion crafting. Does anyone want to start us off?"

She waits patiently for someone to volunteer. After a beat of tense silence, she sighs in defeat and continues. "The spirit of ingredients, control over the fire, gauging correct dosage, sacred rituals, identification, innovation, intent, and containers. Every aspect is just as important as the others." 

She grabs a small curved glass bottle from the table behind her and walks over to each desk. In front of it is a small cup with an open mouth. She pours a small amount into each student's cup.

"Today. We will be practicing identification. Using any method you wish, strive to identify the substance inside this cup." She steps back and sits down at her desk. A hanging plant lightly brushes her forehead, and she waves it away.

That's it?

The cup is grabbed by my deskmate. She removes her veil so she can begin the process, and I get a good look at her visage. Her cheeks are a bit flushed, and she has a small gap between her teeth. Her eyes are really clear, though. 

She passes the cup to me when she's finished and hops off her stool to go consult the stacks of books around us. The others do the same, and I sigh. The cup is the perfect size for my small hands, and I lift up the glass to the light.

It's a menacing purple now. It changes every so often.

Is it poison? Poison would react to a metal, right? I have...I whip out my silver hairpin, and my hair falls loosely down my shoulders. I dip it inside the black-purplish concoction.

"..."

Nothing happens. Rats. What does it smell like? Ew. Hot garbage and grapes. It smells like wine! No wine I've ever seen has ever looked so menacing. Smells disgusting. Who would ever drink this willingly?

That's it. I have no idea what this is, and I'd rather skip straight to the point. 

[Inspect]

The answer reveals itself to me in a minute.

[Shadowtear Wine]

[Pitch black liquid that appears purple in the correct lighting. Drinking causes the user to temporarily enhance their vision and reflexes. Side effects include: nausea, fatigue, vertigo, migraines, abdominal pain, and death.]

"Come back to your seats." Phiomen gets up from her perch and surveils each of the girls' findings. Once she gets to our table, she raises an eyebrow at my empty hands and my seatmates' open book.

Spider...something. It's a good guess.

"Eira?"

"Can I just tell you the answer?"

She tilted her head and nodded in confusion. 

"Shadowtear Wine."

"..."

She purses her lips, and her eyes glow a little brighter. The girl next to me gives me a strange look, and I ignore it. 

"How did you come to this conclusion?"

Choosing my words carefully, I respond. "I read about it." She casts a glance at her open book and then moves back to her perch.

"Eira and Vale. Both of you pass. Everyone else...you tried and the art is well suited for those who don't give up."

Most of the girls visibly deflated at that news. The class bell rang again, and everyone got up to leave. Encouragement was lost on my seatmate as she carefully put the book back and fled. I sighed and maneuvered down the chair.

"Wait. Vale and Eira. Stay behind."

What now?

Vale, a much taller girl, stopped in her tracks, said goodbye to a friend, and came to the front. They waited patiently as I moved my hatefully stubby legs over to her desk.

"Where did you hear of that name?"

"..."

I chose to stay silent as Madam Phiomen pinned me to the spot with her silver spotlights. Vale raised an arched flaxen colored eyebrow and replied. "I lived near one of the Stoneface Taverns growing up. Saw it firsthand."

Phiomen accepted her answer and turned to me again. 

"And?"

"Do I have to answer?"

Phiomen bit her lip and considered it. "No...For now, you don't. Instead, I'll have you answer a different one." She reached underneath her desk and brought out a larger bottle filled with a reddish-tinted liquid.

"Identify this substance now."

Vale frowned, and I immediately felt my cheeks flush. Goddamn it. Using my magic, I brought it down to eye level and sniffed it. My eyes went wide, and I looked back at Phiomen. Is she joking?

This isn't a potion. 

"Tea? Famme Root Tea?"

Something in her eyes changed, and she paused for a moment. Soundless, formless, and ever-growing whispers started up again. Red eyes and betrayal...

"Go. You may go now."

Her gaze turned slightly cold as we left. The large bottle of tea was placed back in its rightful place. 

"Why do we add the skin?"

Warm hands guided her back to the fire-breathing lizard in front of her. Sharp silver knives carefully dissect the creature until what is desired is readily ripped away from it.

"This keeps it at a suitable temperature for over a week, and it's useful for other reasons. Nothing should go to waste...Nothing. We must always seize the moment. Know when to give up, but never cower from greatness. Understood?"

Eager to please and dedicated, she agreed without a second thought. Greatness...What was so great about taking more than what was required? The space that you left...The emptiness. 

"Greed..."

Silver eyes focused on the girl's receding back. Warm fire from the lamps cast a long shadow on the walls and floor of the cave.

Raw fingers scratched repeatedly at the table below her. Wood gave way to chips and peels. Sweet aromas lingered in the air and swirled around the room. 

The bottle was drained dry, and ink ran down her chin as she swallowed it down. Black veins spread under her skin, and she leaned back in her chair. 

"What do you want now?"