The Chains she chose chapter 2

It felt like she was punching stone wrapped in burlap as Casandra struck Oshgun's arm. How he managed to not only take her punch but keep the force of the blow from over coming his inertia was beyond her. One of the things they learned later was apparently to ground one self. She didn't have time to contemplate this as she noted a fist roughly the size of her head moving directly towards it. Not having the energy to avoid the punch and not wanting to take it she quickly brought her free hand up and slammed her fist into the underside of his arm she was glad when it proved enough to displace the strike.

“You're doing much better Casandra. I'm surprised I can use this much of my energy against you and you still hold your own.” At the moment Oshgun was restricting himself to roughly a fifth of his actual ability. It was more then enough to shatter most stone and made him much stronger then an average ogre. “Before too long you're going to quit being my student and start being my sparring partner.”

“Does that mean I get to speak to your teacher?” Even as she spoke Casandra bent at the knees and leaped upwards while bringing her fist upward in the motion of an uppercut. This allowed her to impart the strength of not just her arm but her legs as well to the blow. Pain shot throughout her hand though as much to her surprise she found her objective and landed the blow solidly on Oshgun's jaw.

At first Oshgun had been going to respond then Casandra's fist had connected with his face. The force of the impact snapped his jaw shut and his head upward as he was made to stumble backwards. He wasn't so dazed that he couldn't respond though whenever Casandra pushed her attack. As she tried to drive the fist of her left arm into his stomach he brought down his arm smacking the limb and knocking it away. At the same moment he brought forward his free hand and landed a blow to Casandra's chest.

Unlike Oshgun Casandra hadn't learned to ground herself. The blow thus had an immediate affect. Her feet were made to leave the ground as the air was made to leave her lunges. Fortunately being knocked backwards was actually beneficial. It meant she didn't have to soak the full force of the punch. Her training also helped her in retaining much of her control as she quickly regained her footing upon returning to the earth. As she began to raise to a standing position though a shard of pain shot throughout her chest and she was made to crumble to the ground.

Instead of pressing the attack Oshgun held his ground. He watched as the glyphs throughout the room activated and the energy poured into Casandra focusing on her chest for the most part. “Casandra that is enough for today.”

“Huh? What? Ow!” Casandra found herself regretting speaking as she clutched her chest hoping the pain would fade away soon.

“That last punch I delivered broke your ribs. You don't have enough energy left to defend properly.”

Instead of responding right away Casandra waited for the healing glyphs to make a little more progress before speaking. “Damn it.”

“Now Casandra you shouldn't be upset. I have decades of experience over you.”

“I'm not mad that I got hurt. Blast it though, I could keep going though if I just didn't tire so easily.”

“Casandra everyone has limits to the amount of energy they can channel at any given time. We can build up a reserve within our bodies which is what we use while fighting but once it runs empty you have to wait for it to refill.”

“Hm not all the time.”

“Oh? You've thought of something?”

“I believe so. Oshgun give me a few and I'll be right back.”

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“You want an energy restorative?”

In response Casandra gave a quick nod as she looked around at the various shelfs in Dean's room. “Yeah Just something to give me a little pick me up so I can keep sparring with Oshgun.”

“I swear I don't know how you do that. I think the pain alone would wear me down. I do have a few restoratives you could make use of though.” As he spoke Dean stood up and made his way over to a locked drawer. “I like to keep these locked up.”

“How come?”

“People steal what they know has value first or that's something my mentor taught me. Here you go.”

Reaching down Casandra retrieved a flask filled with a bright white liquid inside. As she cupped it in her hands she was surprised to find that it was glowing a bit. “Neat! I didn't know it glowed.”

“Um that's not a good thing actually I'm going to have to get rid of that bottle soon.”

“Huh? How come?”

“The bottle is meant to help the liquid contain the energy. That glow is the escaping energy. I've been wanting to use that for a while as if I wait too long all the energy is going to leak away and it won't be anything more then water.”

“Hey are you giving me weak stuff?!”

“No! No I would never!” Before he could continue and explain himself Dean felt a pressure upon his nose. It wasn't painful but it got his attention.

A slight giggle escaped Casandra as she took hold of Dean's nose. “I know you're just using what needs to be used first. So how much of this stuff should I drink? Do I just down the entire bottle?”

“No! Don't do that. Just sip slowly and fill out the energy. You should be able to tell whenever you're reserves have been restored. Actually maybe I should get a vile for you so you can measure out the appropriate dose.”

“You make it sound like it's dangerous.”

“It is. Casandra, anything taken in too great a quantity is dangerous. It's just not generally a factor as most energy restoratives that are marketed are done in single dose vials. They're measured out so that the vast majority of people aren't in any danger of an over dose. What I gave you is what we use for research it's a lot more concentrated.”

“Are you serious?!”

In response Dean gave a quick nod. “Yeah I'm serious. People have been killed by over dosing.”

“Wow so this is the good stuff huh?”

“It's one reason why it has to be stored in a special vial. The weaker potions don't radiate as much energy so they don't have to be stored as carefully.” As he was speaking Dean was busy searching his drawers for an expendable measuring vial. It took him a little while to locate one. Casandra had him so busy most of his items were already in use. “This should work. Just fill it halfway up with water and then the rest of the way from that flask I gave you.”

“Thanks but why don't you have any single dose vials around?”

“Ah well. For someone that knows the dangers and how to handle them there really isn't a reason to keep a bunch of single dose vials around. It's just a waste of space. It's one of the first things we learn once we actually start making such items.”

“Hm could a healing potion kill you?”

“Yeah, an over dose can cause your body to start miss behaving. You could find it doing things it isn't suppose to like growing inward. You know maybe you should just come to me whenever you want an energy restorative.”

“No that's alright. I'll be careful.”

“You're not trained in this field though. It was lazy of me to just hand you that so just.”

“No.”

“Casandra you could seriously hurt yourself.”

“Dean relax. I don't want to be bothering you every time I need an energy fix. This'll work just fine. Now you said that these were valuable.”

A sigh escaped Dean as he shook his head. “Around ten percent of the budget you give me for items actually goes into paying for those.”

“Then why is the bottle such low quality?”

“I took a bit of a gamble and purchased some of the older containers. The Grove needed to move them and I figured I'd get around to using them before they expired.”

“So what makes a container go bad?”

“Well the bottle isn't regular glass. It actually has a few special ingredients melted in during manufacturing. Over time though the parts that help contain the energy wear away leaving you with a regular glass bottle. Once that happens it won't be long before most of the energy leak away. That bottle should hold for another two or three months though.”

“Hm I'm going to have to question you about some other things later. I need to get back to Oshgun now though. Oh how are those potions coming though?”

“The strength augmentation?”

“That's the ones.”

“One of them is ready except for letting it stabilize. It's over there in the evaporation chamber.”

“What would happen if I drank it now? I might be able to surprise Oshgun.”

“Yes I'm sure he'd be quite surprised at you falling over due to an extremely dangerous toxin being in your system.”

“You're probably right but I think I'll resist the temptation this time.”

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As Dean looked at his dinner he was made to sigh. It wasn't the food he was upset over rather it had to do with his budget. Casandra might have been nobility, the daughter to the king but she had several projects going including her training and had to be weary of a budget. This meant he had to be weary of a budget. This could be quite frustrating at times as he knew that he could get Casandra the results she wanted if he only had better equipment.

How could he get better equipment though? He knew how to make several potions but that didn't mean he knew how to make the devices needed to refine them. The Dwarfs had come up with some genius mechanisms to aid in the alchemical process. One of which being a sort of boiler that could be set to not only keep a formula at a stable temperature it could also add preset quantities of other solutions to the mixture. Keeping a formula at just the right temperature and adding in the needed material to keep the process going was one of the most delicate, difficult and at times dangerous parts of the process.

A automaton that could do it for you with mechanical precision was a dream come true. Unfortunately very few could make the device. He imagined it had something to do with the delicate gear working and time needed to produce such an exact machine though he wasn't certain. Given the materials he needed for his work there was no way he could fit it into his current budget at least the one Casandra gave him.

Surely with everything at his disposal though he could find a way. It only took him a few more moments of thought as he looked at his drink and he wanted to slam his head into the table. Standing up he forgot about his dinner and made his way out of the lab being certain to lock the door behind himself. He needed to find Casandra.

Casandra had actually been caught off guard whenever she'd heard that Dean was looking for her. It was rare that he left his workshop or room. For a while she'd thought she was being too demanding but then she'd learned that was just his behavioral pattern. Now he looked like a sheep that'd just scene a dragon swooping down to pick it up. It was hard to keep herself from giggling. “So what did you want to talk to me about?”

Dean had felt certain that Casandra would be in the training or dining hall. He didn't know that she tended to take her dinner in her room. Now he found himself setting on a chair with enough cushioning to make a bed. Casandra was just a few meters away still finishing up her dinner “I was thinking about my budget and was hoping I could make a request.”

“Hm? What would that be?”

“I know that you can't afford to allocate anymore funds to my work then you already have. However, I believe I know a way to make additional income to help with the project.”

Now Casandra was made to put down her fork and knife then lean closer to Dean. “Oh? And just what is that?”

“My mentor would have us make basic alchemical potions starting out. These were to help develop our skills but they served other purposes as well. The potions were sold based on their quality to help pay for the materials we needed for our studies.”

“That is pretty clever. Not only does the Grove get knew alchemist for its ranks the school more pays the guild then the guild pays for the school.”

“Well the roots do tend to nourish the wrest of the body as well.”

“That is true. I suppose you have something along the lines of. The upper branches grant the roots the light of knowledge.”

A slight chuckle escaped Dean as he gave his head a slight shake. “That sounds like something my mentor would say.”

“Anyway what about this plan of yours?”

“I was wondering if I could start producing some potions to sell. The extra income could be used to purchase new materials and additional equipment to help with my assigned task.”

For a moment Casandra was silent. She then leaned back and took a quick bite of her dinner before speaking. “Ah and I assume you wanted permission to take some time of from the tasks I've assigned you to work on for this side project.” As she was speaking Casandra noted Dean biting down on his lower lip. Clearly he didn't want to respond to her but she wasn't going to let him off.

“I couldn't devote as much time as I have been to your projects.”

“Okay let me make sure I understand this. You want my permission to start working on outside projects to bring in extra income. Outside projects that would slow down the progression of the projects I've already assigned to you and I'm currently paying you to do. Even though I granted you free time that I never actually meant for you to use on my projects. That and while you would lose some time on my projects in the short term the extra income would let you buy equipment that would speed things up in the long term.” A slight giggle escaped Casandra as she shook her head.

“Dean why are you even asking me this?”

“I well.” Dean was made to go silent as Casandra held up her right hand in a stop signal.

“I appreciate your concern Dean but this isn't something you need to ask me about you should know my answer.” For a moment Casandra was silent as she took a quick drink. “Now if you need help finding ways to sell the potions you prepare that's another story. I can help with that.”

“I'm sorry. I'm”

“Nope.”

“Um no what?”

“No you're not sorry.”

“Oh, okay. I guess I'm just used to having a mentor to guide me. I'm used to asking for permission rather then just going out and doing.”

A sigh escaped Casandra as she leaned back in her bed for a moment. “I'm your patron Dean but I don't know anything about alchemy or not much. You're going to have to make these decisions on your own. I trust you to fulfill my desires to the best of your ability.”

“Ah well. I do have one favor to ask actually.”

“Oh? And what is that?”

“If I were to provide some diagrams of some plants could you have it copied and distributed to the guards.”

“No problem. What is it though?”

“Just some plants that I could use. They might find them growing while out on patrol.”

“Ah I see. I'm going to leave that last part out then.”

“How come?”

“Well they'd probably just pick them and sell them at some alchemy store if they knew they were worth money!” A slight giggle escaped Casandra as she straitened up. “It's not exactly human nature to hand over something that's worth money for nothing. I suppose I could offer a small financial reward for the retrieval of any such plant species though.”

“Well yeah. You do have a point.”

“Hm what's the matter Dean? You seem uncomfortable.”

“Well I. I didn't expect you to summon me into your room.”

“Having a conversation through the door is bothersome and not worth the effort this is easier.” A slight giggle escaped Casandra as she shook her head for a moment. “I can't believe my parents' taste in furniture. It looks like that chair is going to eat you alive at any moment.”

“It is somewhat over stuffed.”

“Ah come on Dean! You don't talk to me like this whenever I'm in your lab.”

“I don't mean to act this way. I'm just not comfortable outside of the lab I suppose.”

“Now don't give me that. I know you spend most of your time in your workshop and room but I've seen you do just fine outside of them. Could it be because you're inside of my room now?”

“Um well.”

A slight giggle escaped Casandra as she stuck her tongue out at Dean for a moment. She wasn't certain what was going on but she was feeling surprisingly friendly today. While Dean seemed uncomfortable in her room she was quite relaxed and found herself behaving as she had when she was a child just playing with a friend. “You should come to talk to me more often I like company during dinner.”

“But why don't you dine in the hall then?”

“I like company not a crowd.”

“I see.”

“So if that's all the business you wanted to talk about.” As she was speaking Casandra noted Dean starting to stand up. Apparently he expected her to dismiss him that wouldn't be happening as soon as he thought though. “How about you tell me about your studies?”

Dean was actually surprised by this turn of events and for a moment froze up. As he began to lower himself back to his seat he had to take a moment to clear his throat. “Well I don't really have anything more to tell you about your.”

“No. Not my projects. I mean your own efforts.”

“Ah. They're going alright. I believe I'll have progressed enough in my studies of alchemy to earn access to the next level of teachings within five months.”

“What level of teaching would that happen to be?”

“I'll be permitted to begin my studies of medicines beyond the cure of poisons.”

It was impossible for Casandra to hide her surprise as she listened to this. Instinctively she leaned forward to better hear Dean. “Why would that be restricted?”

“In learning such knowledge you don't just learn how to cure such illnesses you also learn how to make them worse and how to make new ones in theory.”

“Oh. Oh! So if you learn to cure a plague you could also learn to make a plague?”

In response Dean gave a quick nod. “You could make a plague accidentally in the search for a cure. You could make a plague far worse then the one that already exists. I've actually learned of several plagues that were actually meant to be cures for one problem or the other.”

“Could you give me an example?”

“Well I don't know of any that are still in existence. The good thing about alchemical plagues is it's not too hard to find out how to stop them. At least if you get to them soon enough. One example I've studied though occurred during a conflict with humans and elfs. There was apparently a disagreement over a forest. The humans had the numbers and weren't up for negotiating so the elfs created a plague of sorts.”

“What type of plague?”

“It used a person's own life energy to transform them into a sort of plant. The plants would then release spores that would infect other people. It used the humans' numbers against them. The humans quickly learned that the elfs had used their ties the spirits of nature against them. In order to combat this they sought to modify the connection and ended up severing it instead.”

“Did they die?”

“I suppose they did in a sense.”

“Oh! Tell me what happened!”

“Whenever the connection to the elements was broken it left a void inside of them. Mind you not a very big void but a void none the less. It isn't as if we humans are tied too closely to the spirits of nature at least not naturally. In response to that other energies poured into them to fill the gap and well given human life spans I imagine you can guess what type of energies those where.”

“Mm honestly I don't know. Tell me.”

“Death. Humans are extremely close to death as far as the species goes. I imagine that's why we can be such adept killers. Anyway, that energy seeped into them filling up the gap and they became something else.”

“Hm I bet this made the elfs happy.”

“If it did it was short lived. The people that were changed became walking, talking thinking energy sinks.”

“Huh? Just what do you mean energy sinks?”

“They began to siphon energy from their surroundings. Not just any energy mind you it was life energy. Have you ever heard how the ground the undead tread about will become unfit for the living and that no green thing will grow upon it?”

“I've heard about it in stories. We don't get many undead in these lands.”

“True enough. Well that is really a rumor but it's based in truth. Everything needs energy to sustain itself that doesn't change for anything. Even the undead have to get their energy from somewhere. The reason the ground becomes infertile when certain breads of undead walk upon it is because they're draining energy from the land to sustain themselves. Now a few undead isn't a big deal it doesn't take a lot to sustain them. However, an army of them is most assuredly a big deal.”

“I see and that's what happened to the people?”

In response Dean gave a slight nod. “Yeah pretty much. They began to siphon energy from the forest. One of them alone wasn't a big drain but due to the numbers of infected it was truly staggering”

“How did that happen though? Didn't you say that the connection was broken?”

“Their connection to the elements of nature yes but not their connection to the world.”

“Ah. So what were the other side affects?”

“Pain or perhaps a better word would be hunger. They began to suffer from new hungers that required them to drain the energy from the surrounding land to stop the pain. It also served to strengthen them though.”

“So what was done?”

“I won't go into the finer details but. They were deceived. They were told their current situation was yet further tampering of the elfs. Their hunger was used as a motivator as was their anger and they were used against the elfs. This served two purposes. It reduced their numbers and it greatly weakened the elfs. Once the elfs were forced into a surrender those who had underwent the treatment and survived the war were killed off.”

“What?!”

“It was simpler then trying to cure them and their numbers had been reduced to such a point they couldn't really fight back.”

“How did you find out about this?”

“I learned of it while study the ethics of alchemy. The Grove requires us to study the history of alchemy and learn of past mistakes so that we don't make the mistakes of old. The actual history was recovered after the corpse of one of those who'd underwent the alchemical treatment was found.”

“I wonder who gave the order to kill them.”

“I didn't learn that. Hm I suppose that wasn't much of a plague though. More along the lines of how an attempt to cure something can go very wrong if you don't fully understand what's going to happen. At the time no one had tried such a process though at least no one that would admit to it. I often wonder what would have happened if a necromancer had been there though.”

“Wouldn't that have maid it worse?”

“They could have most likely but then again. If they'd been inclined to help they would have prevented it from happening. Of course they'd still had to deal with the plague the elfs created.”

“Mm have you ever met an Elf?”

“Mm I can't say that I really have.”

“I've seen a few of them meeting with my parents for one reason or the other but I can't say I've ever really met an elf.”

“Ah well this isn't exactly the type of environment they're known to favor. Honestly from what I do know about them I'm not sure that I want to meet one.”

“Now Dean you shouldn't rely upon second hand information. I'm sure some people have negative opinions about Dwarfs.”

“Eh they just seem so stuck up whenever I hear about them. Personally I don't see what they have to be so proud of. They live for hundreds of years and yet human culture and development has managed to keep up with them.”

“Well we get rid of the old so that new people can come in with fresh ideas and methods. I suppose living for that long could lead to stagnation.”

“I have read some work by elfs though.”

“Oh and what impression did that leave on you?”

“That they're arrogant bastards who regard human life as less valuable then theirs just because they live longer.”

“Hm just what type of material was this?”

“In was part of the history of alchemy. I think it's main purpose was to show us how we could be and that we shouldn't be that way. The writer felt that humans made more suitable test subjects stating that it was easier for us to recover from a loss in our population and that due to our lives being naturally shorter it wasn't as great of a loss.”

“I'm betting that book was written for other elfs.”

“You may be right. Okay I told you some stuff about myself how about you tell me about yourself. How are your studies going?”

“Now that isn't fair. I asked you about something you enjoy now you're asking me about something I don't enjoy.”

For a moment Dean was made to chuckle as he shook his head. “I thought you were going to say you get to ask the questions because you're my patron.”

“Mm and here I thought you were going to say I get to ask the questions because I'm nobility.”

“I guess we both thought wrong then.”

For a moment Casandra said nothing and leaned back in her bed. “It was a nice surprise though. My instructor still doesn't approve of Oshgun though they just avoid one another right now. I tend to find what my teacher is trying to tell me very biased and have to go out of my way to find out the truth. The Grove is very helpful in this though I want to ask. Do you believe the Grove would modify it's own historic records so that they'd favor them more?”

“If the historian that wrote the text was a member of the Grove I'm sure they left out certain details. However, as the Grove's authority isn't based on past success I don't believe they'd be as biased. That said I am a member of the Grove myself.”

“So in other words you don't know for certain?”

“That's right. I'm not a historian after all.”

“Ah that isn't any fun. Making my instructor mad now that is fun.”

“I imagine he would disagree.”

“You're probably right. Anyway, the more I learn about the history of my family the more I tend to dislike it. We've had some good rulers in the past but I can't help but think the bad out way the good. I swear the nobility is one of the few positions that you can hold no matter how poorly suited you are to the task. There really needs to be a mechanism for removing a foolish member of the nobility.”

“I imagine you hold a minority view.”

“No I'm sure most would agree with me. They would just never admit to being the fools that need to be removed.”

“Hm you're probably right.”

“Hey Dean. Just how does the Grove choose its leaders?”

“Well you know that we're divided amongst various lodges correct?”

“Yeah.”

“Effectively each lodge elects a member. Though whoever is chosen must meet certain requirements other then the approval of the majority. The head of each lodge then chooses from a group of previous lodge leaders to be head of each regional branch. The leaders of each regional branch then follow a similar process right up to the top until you get to the seven council members.”

“Ah I see. I take it the requirements to advance become more and more rigid as well.”

“Yeah no one can serve on the council without the title master alchemist. Which you can only achieve after you've gained access to every school of alchemy the Grove teaches.”

So who did you vote for last?”

“Um well I can't actually vote. You have to be a full member of the Grove before you gain that right. I'm still technically an apprentice until I've worked off my debt.”

“That makes sense. So how do you go about removing someone?”

“Three fourths of the office below you have to agree that you've failed in your duties. At which time that person is removed and someone else can take there place. It's pretty difficult though. You need a majority to get the position and that can be tough enough getting three fourths of the office below you to agree can be a real nightmare.”

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It was hard for Oshgun to believe but Casandra was actually wearing him down. He had known that she'd be able to fight longer by supplementing her own energies with the restorative. What he didn't know was how long she was willing to keep going. So far she'd restored herself five times in the course of one session. There was no way that he would have allowed her to do this in a real battle but the fact that she had the mental reserves to keep going so long was impressive.

“What's the matter Oshgun. You look winded.”

“It can hardly be helped. We've been at this since this morning. Normally I would have called an end to the training session by now so my students could recover.”

“Fortunately I don't need to take a break thanks to the glyphs in this room keeping me healed up. So are you ready for another round now?”

“Now don't get over confident. You may be wearing this old man down but I still have plenty of fight in me.”

“That's good to know!” As she spoke Casandra both pushed off the ground and channeled even more energy into her legs for extra speed. Her muscles were made to expand as the blood flow to them increased and they demanded more oxygen. A slight crack could be heard as her feet struck the ground as if someone had just struck a stone with a mallet.

As Casandra charged Oshgun was made to sigh though not from exhausted. Apparently they were some draw backs to using energy restoratives. He was going to have to teach her exactly what those where. In order to do that though he needed to exhaust her quickly though so that as Casandra neared him he didn't try to evade her. Rather as she lashed out with her right fist he met the strike with his own so that their knuckles met solidly. He could almost see the ripple of energy that went throughout Casandra's body as their fist met.

Initially Casandra had started with a high energy attack. As their fist had met though the energy drain had become monumental. On top of the energy needed for the actual attack she was forced to expend energy to counter Oshgun's strike as well and the power of her own attack being directed back at her. Given that it was spread out over her entire hand she could literally feel the energy drain and for a moment felt her entire body go weak. Unfortunately this distraction cost her yet more as she felt the palm of Oshgun's hand slam against her stomach.

It would have made more sense to punch Casandra if he had wanted to hurt her. However, Oshgun's goal wasn't to inflict physical damage rather it was to exhaust Casandra's energy as quickly as possible. In order to do that he'd chosen to hit as wide of an area as he could to force her to expend as much energy as he could. While meeting Casandra's attack and the slap to the stomach had drained a good deal of her energy though she wasn't exhausted just yet.

The force of Oshgun's two strikes was more then Casandra could handle. As she was sent flying backwards she was left with nothing resembling control. She could do nothing to cushion her fall as she landed solidly on the stone floor. There wasn't time for her to even recover though once she'd met the earth as she felt something take hold of her leg. She hadn't had time to take any breath yet so she couldn't even shout as she felt herself suddenly lifted upward only to be brought back down at an even higher velocity.

A massive wave of energy burst forth from the protective glyphs as Oshgun slammed Casandra into the floor. The wave was soon to be repeated several times as he used Casandra as a club to pound the ground repeatedly. At the moment he was still restricting his strength considerably but that still left him with decades more combat experience then Casandra. In a similar situation he would have recovered long ago despite being dazed.

Each time she struck the ground Casandra would try to grunt. However, Oshgun was working to insure she couldn't get any air back in her lunges. Upon striking the ground for the seventh time though she felt a sudden pulse run through her. Flexing at the stomach Casandra raised her upper body into a seated position and pulled her legs inward despite the forces working to get her in a prone position. As she came up she drove her fist solidly into Oshgun's face a wave of delight rushing through her as she felt his hand release it's hold on her leg. A short lived wave though as she felt Oshgun's palm once again slam into her.

It had surprised Oshgun that Casandra had been able to manage that kind of control despite her situation. Even if it had taken her a while she'd managed to give him a reason to let go of her. He was even more surprised though when he found himself being forced to block a punch to the face as Casandra recovered from being palmed away. In times past she would have been dazed for at least a little while.

Casandra wasn't sure what had happened. Up until that point Oshgun had seemed content to allow her to have the initiative and just defend. He'd surprised her whenever he had went on the offense and gotten in some very painful blows. Much to her surprise the pain didn't make her want to stop though she didn't care for it. As Oshgun blocked her first strike Casandra didn't fall back but continued to push forward slamming her elbow into the position her fist had once been. With the gap between her and Oshgun closed she quickly pressed off the ground and thrust her free fist up towards his face. As they had done once before her knuckles met his jaw.

Once again Casandra had managed to bring her fist to slam into his face and once again Oshgun moved to repel her. However, this time his fist was too slow and he felt Casandra's leg slam solidly into his stomach. The force of the impact and the speed with which she deliver it caught him off guard and sent him sliding backwards while at the same time propelling Casandra away from him. By the time he had regained his footing so had Casandra and much to his surprise she was grinning.

It felt odd as Casandra looked at Oshgun she couldn't help the grin that adorned her face. Bending at the knees Casandra once again braced herself to charge Oshgun who seemed to be caught off guard. What had once sounded like a mallet striking stone sounded to be an explosion this time as Casandra once again took the offensive. Instead of going for Oshgun's upper body though Casandra quickly lashed out with her legs aiming for his ankles. As she thrust her legs forward one of her hands pressed against the ground in order to keep herself from being driven backwards.

Every time she had attacked up until that point Casandra had gone for his upper body. As she took his legs out from under him Oshgun gave a surprised grunt. Instinctively he extended his hands forward to take control of his fall. His hands didn't reach the ground though as both of Casandra's feet were made to slam into his stomach holding him aloft for a moment before the force of the impact sent him air born.

Without nothing to ground him Casandra quickly pushed off the ground bringing herself to a standing position and rushed Oshgun. She was surprised though whenever Oshgun quickly twisted at the waste and slammed his foot solidly into her stomach. It was impossible for her contain herself and a scream of frustration escaped her lips as she was sent flying backwards under the force of the impact to meet with the all on the opposite side of the room.

Before hand the only time Casandra had managed to land so many hits upon him was when he'd let her. As Oshgun regained his footing he was truly surprised not just by her fighting technique but by the fact that as Casandra drew herself back to a standing position she was still grinning. “Casandra are you alright?”

“This is getting fun.” As she looked at Oshgun Casandra curled the fingers of her right hand and drew the fist back while channeling energy into it. As Casandra channeled her energy into her knuckles she could feel the tendons heating up and expanding.

At first Oshgun prepared himself for an immediate attack. When it didn't come he realized what was happening. Up until Casandra had focused her energy into a single limb or limbs. This time she was focusing it into an even smaller area. She was building up energy within her right fist. This became exceptionally clear as he noted the intensity of the energy building up within that fist. “Casandra that technique is dangerous!”

“For the opponent.”

“Not..” Oshgun didn't get to finish as he seemed to note a roar come from Casandra and she once again took the offensive. Having no time to speak and doubting it would stop Casandra Oshgun quickly adjusted his position. As Casandra thrust her fist towards him he once again moved to meet her attack. This time however he didn't meet it with a fist but with an open palm. Yet despite his superior training he was made to grit his teeth as he met Casandra's punch and wish he had time to call up more of his energy.

At first it seemed like her punch would make it through as Casandra felt Oshgun's arm moving backwards. Then when it reached a position he could get a decent thrust in the limb stopped. A roar could be heard as her punch was suddenly brought to a stop as a shock wave radiated out from Oshgun's palm and her fist. Casandra felt the energy take hold of her hand and then it began to travel over her arm. Moments later she felt like her arm had been caught in a typhoon as a powerful gust of energy tore over the surface of her arm shredding her sleeves and the skin beneath it in an instant.

***********************************************************************************

A low groan escaped Casandra as she felt awareness returning. Her entire body ached but her right arm plain hurt. It made her reluctant to return to consciousness but it also became inevitable. As she opened her eyes she wasn't too surprised to find Oshgun setting at the foot of her bed. She was very surprised to see Dean was with him. “Huh? What's going ouch!”

In response to Casandra suddenly gripping her side and her yelp of pain Dean quickly moved closer to her. “Casandra don't move too much you're in pretty bad shape.”

“What? How? Ow.”

“You drank too much of the energy restorative too fast even in what would normally be safe doses. I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I didn't even stop to think about it. It just doesn't come up that often.”

Before Casandra could respond Oshgun spoke up. “I didn't even know this. Apparently drinking too many energy restoratives has a negative side affect on the body. Right now you're suffering from a form of mystic poisoning.”

As Casandra listened to this she took in a deep breath though it hurt to inhale. “Is this permanent?”

In response Dean once again spoke up. “No. You'll be fine in twenty four to forty eight hours.”

“Dean what's the safe dosage per hour?”

“It depends on how long you're going to keep going.”

“Please explain.”

“Five doses an hour can be tolerated for one hour. However, five doses every hour for four hours can't be tolerated.”

A slight chuckle escaped Casandra as she closed her eyes upon hearing this. “I see. I guess I was downing a bit more then that.”

“Yeah, from what Oshgun told me you were.”

A slight chuckle escaped Casandra as she closed her eyes. “I swear it hurts just to open my eyes. What is going on here?”

“Whenever you fight you're calling on your spiritual energy you have stored in your body for the most part. That eventually runs out though and you have to wait for it to recover. An energy restorative replaces that energy but it isn't actually your energy though you can use it like it is for a time. This however isn't natural.”

As Dean spoke Casandra opened her right eye slightly and focused on him. “What happens?”

“You can't make use of the energy as well as you can your own. It leaves behind a residue and eventually that residue becomes a sort of taint. The taint actually hinders the flow of your own energy at which time things begin to become dangerous.”

“I see. So the reason I feel like this is the taint hindering the flow of my own energy?”

“That and your spirit is working to remove that taint. However, the spirit person isn't always as concerned with the safety or comfort of the body as the physical person might believe they would be.”

“Dean am I actually injured?”

“From a physical stand point no. The flow of your energy to your body has just been slowed considerably.”

Instead of responding right away Casandra pushed off the bed and began to raise herself to a seated position. As she did so she couldn't help but grimace from discomfort and closed her eyes. “Thanks for that information.”

“Casandra?! You're not well you shouldn't be up.”

“Nonsense. I don't feel well but you said I wasn't truly injured so I can continue operating. Will moving about slow down my recovery?”

“Well no.”

“Good. Then I have some reading and thinking to do.”

“Casandra every muscle in your body has got to be aching.”

For a moment Casandra said nothing and then her eyes opened up. “That's what makes the accomplishments even more rewarding now.”

Immediately Oshgun realized what was going on as Casandra set up. She had used her medallion a few times to make it so what she accomplished while in pain would give her an even greater feeling of pleasure. It wasn't that she was enjoying the pain but she was deriving great delight by working despite the pain. This concerned him though. It had been over half a day since Casandra had used her medallion of dominion on herself and she was still operating under this suggestion. Adding to his concern he wasn't even certain she'd given herself that suggestion within the last forty eight hours. “Dean do you believe it's safe for Casandra to be up and about?”

“Well. I don't know of any dangers. I don't know many who push it though. Casandra you have to be in a lot of pain right now. Surely you'd be better off just wresting.”

“I'll be fine you two. I just.” For a moment Casandra lowered her feet to the ground and then slowly stood up. As she stood up she could feel every muscle in her body protesting her actions. “Need to be careful not to use any of my energy. I'm going to go do some reading for my studies. Dean later on I'm going to want to talk to you.”

“Okay but about what?”

“That can wait until then. Oshgun later on today I'd like to do some work on my basic form. As my energy flow is hindered I don't want to actually spar though. Is that alright with you?”

“Given your condition that's acceptable.”

“Okay, well unless you two want to set around and watch me read you're free to go. That is unless there is something else you want to say.” A slight giggle escaped Casandra as she made her way over to her desk. “I mean that to. You can feel free to watch me read.”

Now Oshgun was made to chuckle as he stood up. “No I believe that I'll be going for now.”

“I don't have anything more to say but I do have this.” As he spoke Dean stood up and walked over to Casandra. As he walked he reached into his pocket and retrieved a tiny silver case which he placed on the desk before Casandra. “I believe you'll be happy with the results.”

“Huh?” As she spoke Casandra undid the latch and opened the case. What she found inside was a tiny vial full of a dark red liquid. “Is this the augmenter you've been working on?”

“Indeed it is. All that gold, materials and boarding you provided me with wrapped up in a nice neat little bottle.”

Despite the pain she was in Casandra couldn't help but grin as she reached down and retrieved the vial. “It takes a long time to make these and a lot of gold indeed. Thanks for your efforts Dean. So do I just drink it?”

“Yes and do drink it all at once.”

“Why all at once?”

“If you only drank half of it now and the other half in an hour you wouldn't get any of the benefits. The magic has a very short time to take hold and begin affecting your body after you consume it.”

As Casandra held the bottle up she couldn't help but be nervous. For a moment she just held the tiny container preparing her nerves encase the taste proved less then pleasant. She didn't want to gag and spit a drop of it out. She didn't even risk removing the lid until it was just over her mouth. The cap came off and less then a quarter of a second she turned the container up and began emptying it into her mouth.

Dean couldn't help but watch as Casandra emptied the bottle into her mouth. He'd spent many months working on this project and while he wouldn't benefit from the end result he was eager to see the outcome. Unfortunately he couldn't be sure if Casandra's muscles were actually expanding or just flexing due to the contents of the bottle. “Casandra do you feel anything yet?”

“Mmm.” At the moment Casandra couldn't manage a response as she leaned against her desk stretching her muscles as she did so. She didn't know if the potion was taking hold but she could swear she felt the affects. It felt as if she'd just waken up and was stretching every muscle in her body. Instinctively she began to shift her shoulders about and stretch her arms and legs as her muscles adapted to the alchemical potion.

Oshgun had just about forgotten about the project Dean had been working on. He'd stayed behind to see what he had for Casandra though and now found himself unable to leave. “Dean correct me if I'm mistaken but doesn't this normally cost a great deal to produce?”

“Yeah they're very expensive to make and labor intensive.”

“Dean, I know something about those potions and I know they're expensive even by royalty's standards. You made that for Casandra?”

“I gave her a discount.” As he spoke Dean couldn't help but grin. Apparently Oshgun knew how expensive such items tended to be. Alchemist rarely produced such potions and when they did the cost was normally quite great.

A slight giggle escaped Casandra as she leaned against her desk. “This feels wonderful.”

In response to Casandra's comment Oshgun spoke up. “I imagine it is. You've just gotten weeks or months of hard work in a moment. So tell me Dean how long will this potion last?”

“The strength that potion gave her is permanent. The changes it makes to the muscles to strengthen them doesn't depend upon physical exertion to maintain.”

Once again Casandra was made to giggle as she set up strait once again. “Oh wow. How long before I get to enjoy that again?”

“I was working on several treatments at the same time. The next one should be ready for you within a few weeks.”

“Wonderful. Oh I wish I could afford to pay you more. That was worth so much more then what it cost me.”

“Just keep in mind that however it might feel that was only a slight increase to your over all abilities. You've only gained around thirty to fifty pounds more lifting ability in each arm.”

“Oh wow. That just makes me want to wait for several bottles to be finished at the same time so I could drink them all at once. I'm sure it would feel purely divine.”

***********************************************************************************

Casandra didn't know how long her body would be sore but she did know that it still hurt to move. Fortunately she'd managed to prepare herself to work through such pain without complaint provided there was a reward at the end of it. The reward for enduring it this time was getting to speak to Dean. As she came to his lab door she gave it a few quick taps. As she knocked on the door she couldn't help but imagine she was hitting it even harder then normal thanks to the potion she'd drank. “Dean are you occupied?”

In response to the knocking Dean had already stood up and made his way over to the door. After hearing Casandra's voice on the other side he wasted no time opening the heavy door. He wasn't prepared for what he saw though. Casandra was still wearing her training clothes and currently they were sticking to her like a second skin. He knew that they hadn't been sparring but apparently even the motions were quite a work up. “Um. No. I'm not. Come on in.”

It was impossible for Casandra not to note the expression on Dean's face and was nearly impossible to keep herself from chuckling. “Thanks I need to set down could I get something to drink?”

“Sure.” As Dean spoke he moved away from the door and made his way to one of the far walls in the rooms. He heard Casandra shut the door behind herself as he readied a cup for her. “All I have on hand is water though.”

“Just water? You know you can request anything from the kitchen you want?”

“Ah well the kitchen mostly has alcohol and well dangerous mixtures and even being slightly intoxicated don't mix well.”

“Ah yes I imagine they wouldn't.” As Casandra took the cup from Dean she noted that he seemed to be looking away from her. This time it was impossible for her not to giggle though nothing more was said.

“So what did you want to talk to me about?”

“The energy restorative you've been providing me with. I was wondering. Is the taint due to the restorative not being the same as human spiritual energy or is it because it's not my spiritual energy?”

“A little bit of both really.” As he was speaking Dean made his way back to his desk and pretended to focus on the bottles before him. “The energy from another human being would be easier to use and it'd take it much longer to begin affectively adversely though.”

“I see. So do you know of a method to extract the energy from a human being?”

“Huh? You can't be thinking about.” Dean grew silent as Casandra held up her right hand for him to stop.

“Yes I am thinking about extract energy from human beings. First tell me if it can be done.”

“Well yes. It can be done.”

“Are they any harmful side affects or permanent damage?”

“Well if it's done properly then no.”

“Why were you so hesitant for me to use such methods then?”

“It's just that. Well such methods using humans are very close to necromancy and that kind of knowledge is pretty restricted. It's rather dangerous.”

“Does that mean you don't have any information on the subject?”

A sigh escaped Dean as he shook his head. “No. I just know a few things that it can do and some of the ethical issues. I'm not nearly advanced enough to be taught anything involving necromancy. Casandra surely you realize how dangerous of a path that is. A lot of very accomplished mages have began to walk it and never turned back.”

“Dean do you believe that I'm strong enough to endure such temptations?”

“Um well. I don't believe that it's worth the risk.”

“Dean would you help me with such efforts?”

It took Dean a moment to answer this time as he nodded his head. “Yes I would help you.”

“Dean.” Before continuing Casandra set her cup down. “It hurts me that you don't trust me enough and think I'd be coerced by such knowledges. However, it makes me happy to know that you'd still help me even if you doubt my ability to handle such knowledge.”

“Casandra I.” Once again Dean was made to go silent.

“I'll just have to show you how strong I really am and then maybe your fears will be put to wrest.”

***********************************************************************************

“Casandra I've encountered necromancers before and you have to realize that they aren't a bunch you want to play around with. However, you're correct to assume that I've met a few in my years and seen some of their works. They're quite a few of them I wish that I could forget.”

“If Dean is going to help me he's going to need knowledge that I can't provide him and the Grove won't provide him. I need to get hold of some of their studies so that he'll be able to find what he needs. Surely you must know someone with such knowledge.”

“Why don't you try approaching the Grove? You might be able to explain your case to them.”

“I'd prefer to keep this aspect of my projects as quiet as possible.”

“You do realize that even if you do acquire the knowledge Dean needs he'll need time to study and learn what he needs.”

“I do realize this however my chief concern is improving my technique and making use of whatever means I can to do so.”

“You know Casandra if you'd just hired me there is no way I would be doing this. However, you've become far more then just an employer to me. You are a truly devoted student and I find the ways you plan to use my teachings agreeable. However, there is only one person I'm willing to take you to to gain such knowledge. As a rule of thumb I don't trust necromancers very easily and I only know of one I'd be willing to introduce you to.”

“I appreciate your help Oshgun. How long would it take to summon them?”

“Casandra, this necromancer doesn't come to you. You come to them or there is nothing to be talked about.”

“Huh? How come? Surely if I were to pay for their time and travel.”

“It wouldn't be enough. Believe me money doesn't mean a thing to the person I'm going to introduce you to. You have to travel to her though and well she lives quite a distance away. You'd be away from your home for several months.”

“Months?!”

“Yes months. I realize that you might have difficulty convincing your parents to allow you to take such an extended trip but it's the only way.”

At first Casandra said nothing but took a moment to examine the expression on Oshgun's face. “You're not joking around. What about if you and I were the only ones to undertake the journey? Could it be made more quickly then?”

“Just you and I? You have progressed quite a ways in your training so yes I believe we could make the journey more swiftly with just the two of us. However, you wouldn't be able to travel with the usual luxuries.”

“Oshgun there is no way that I could convince my parents to let me journey for months. How long would it require us to make the trip if it was just you and me?”

“Well you can already out pace a war horse at full gallop.”

“I could do that months ago I've improved since then.”

“True but you'd have to maintain that speed while we traveled. With just the two of us traveling at full speed it would take two months there and back. Provided she doesn't decide to detain us longer.”

“Hm I just realized you haven't told me this necromancer's name. Is there any reason why?”

“Yes. Telling you her name would be telling you far too much.”

“Oh?! Well you have me curious now.”

“You're just going to have to be curious then until you meet her. That is if you trust me enough to undertake this journey.”

“Well you didn't let me get killed in those mines so I suppose I can trust you. I'll need some time to prepare and let the appropriate people know that I'm going to be gone for a while. Of course there is no way my parents would let me travel by myself but I believe I have a solution to that problem.”

***********************************************************************************

Greg couldn't help but feel weird as he once again found himself setting out towards a distant village for the Princess to have a getaway. Except she'd be going far further away then any of them would be. “Princess Casandra I have to say again that I don't like this plan. They're so many things that could go wrong with it. What happens if your parents decide that they want you back early or someone comes looking for you?”

“Then you're going to have to make sure that none of you are found to deliver the message to me.”

“That'll hardly solve the situation.”

“I know but all my parents will know is that I wasn't where I said I'd be. They won't have any idea how far I've truly traveled. It'll be much easier to handle if they find you and Oshgun and I are missing.”

A sigh escaped Greg as he shook his head. “What did you tell your parents you were taking this journey for anyway?”

“I simply explained to them that I felt the need to get out of the castle and do some traveling. My parents want me to get any wanderlust out of my system before my marriage and they hope these little trips will help with that. At least they think this is going to be a little trip.” As she finished speaking Casandra peaked out of the carriage she was riding in. “Stop here.”

“Here? We haven't even made it a town yet.”

“I realize that and you won't be making it to a town.”

Melvin gave a slight chuckle as he noted the expression on Greg's face. “No comfy bed for you tonight.”

“I'll make this up to you all later. The road diverges a few miles up I need you to take the right road.”

“That isn't a road! It barely even qualifies as a path.”

“Oh shush. It's where you're least likely to be found. Once you're off the main roads take some time to dress the carriage down and then make yourself scarce. If you want to you can head on up the road and find lodging in one of the inns.”

It was impossible for Melvin not to speak up as he noted Greg's response. “You seem to have been expecting a vacation.”

“Ah well. I was just thinking. We'd be away from guard duty, Casandra would be out taking care of some business. You know I just wanted to have some time to enjoy myself in a big town is all. So learning I'm going to have to spend my time in some dirty little backwaters town isn't a very pleasant wake up call.”

“Ah you'll get over it.”

By now Casandra had climbed out of the wagon and gathered up the belongings she'd be taking along with her. “Okay I'll be seeing you all in a few months.”

***********************************************************************************

“How are you doing back there Casandra.”

“I feel dirty and I can smell myself. How do you think I'm doing?!”

A slight chuckle escaped Oshgun as he glanced behind himself and noted the expression on Casandra's face. “You know you could be a lot worse off. How do you think you'll be feeling after a serious battle? You don't tend to walk away from such events feeling clean.”

“Maybe not but at least you have a victory under your belt. Right now the closest thing to a victory I've felt is evading branches.”

“At least we're not having to travel through a swamp.”

“Well you have me there.” Despite her complaints Casandra had to admit to herself she liked the way the forest looked. The thick canopy made by the trees shielded them from most of the sun light providing a nice level of shade and made for some interesting lighting affects. She'd taken note of several different types of flowers as she sprinted behind Oshgun and would have liked to stop to examine some of them if they weren't in a hurry. “Why does your friend live all the way out here?”

“It's kind of hard to practice necromancy near heavily populated areas.”

“I get that but wouldn't it be easier to obtain materials?”

“Materials such as?”

“Corpses.”

“Ah not particularly. People seem to assume every necromancer works exclusively with human corpses. That's actually quite a mistake.”

“Oh? And just what does this necromancer of yours work with?”

“Humanoids in general.”

“So what are we talking about? Orcs, goblins?”

“Whatever has happened to piss her off at the time.”

“Huh? I thought this was going to be an ethical necromancer.”

“Ah well she is ethical. By some standards at least.” As Oshgun responded he couldn't help but grin. “At least you can trust her to keep her word.”

“So tell me Oshgun. If this person doesn't take payment in the form of gold just what am I going to offer her?”

“You'll tell her what you want and she'll tell you what she wants in return. Do not! Under any situation agree to pay her back later. You must demand that she tell you what she wants in return for the information immediately unless she agrees to give something to you debt free. Always ask to make sure it is debt free and whenever she gives you something be very careful.”

“What?! It sounds like you're taking me to a trickster.”

“In some ways that is what she is. Casandra, keep in mind the person I'm going to be introducing you to has her own code of ethics. You may not agree to them but she does stick to them. As long as you're careful and think about what's going on you'll be just fine.”

“Lucky you'll be there to help me out.”

“Um no. I might not be.”

“How come?”

“She doesn't allow third party intervention during negotiations. Also I want you to be careful once we enter her domain. She's quite sensitive about her works and doesn't like when they're destroyed. So take a moment and examine anything you see carefully before acting.”

“Oshgun you're making me nervous.”

“Good. That'll help insure you're careful.”

A low groan escaped Casandra as she shook her head. “She must be quite renown if she can make such demands of her visitors.”

“Not really few know of her. She isn't infamous or famous. She's powerful. Powerful enough to make many of her own rules out here.”

“If she isn't famous or infamous that must mean her name would reveal something else about her. I suppose it could reveal her species or ethnicity at the very least. Now why would you want to hide that from me? Perhaps she belongs to a people or race that others aren't that fond of.”

“You're not going to get an answer out of me.”

“Now what races might cause such a negative reaction in me that I might refuse to go and see them?” Casandra fell silent as she continued to sprint behind Oshgun grinning widely. She could tell she'd hit upon something even if he wasn't going to tell her exactly what. Oddly it didn't make her nervous that he wouldn't tell her exactly what she was going to meet. “You mentioned that she was a bit of a trickster but most races have tricksters. Oh maybe it's an ogre? Is it possible you met an intelligent ogre?”

“Not answering.”

“That would really be something else. Most Ogres are less then bright so mages aren't common and necromancy is a very high level of magic. That'd be something else. Then again maybe it's a giant. Oh a dragon! Maybe we're going to speak with a dragon. Well no not a dragon. Their magic is innate if what I've been told is true so they couldn't really teach anything.”

“You'd be surprised what a dragon knows.”

“Oh! So we're going to meet a dragon?”

“I'm not answering that.”

“Hm you could have just responded like that to throw me off.”

“You're being persistent about this.”

***********************************************************************************

“Thank you.” As Dean took the trey from the maid he slipped her a few coins. They weren't much just a few copper coins but he couldn't help himself. He wasn't used to being waited on but he wasn't fond of leaving his room or work area. Roaming around the castle left him feeling uncomfortable. He wasn't certain why but he tended to be happier inside his shell surrounded by what he felt was familiar.

The maid had just brought him his dinner. A rather hardy soup was on the menu today along with a variety of fruits. Casandra apparently saw to him eating well though at time he felt she insured he ate too well. He placed the trey down on a desk well away from all his other formulas not wanting to risk contaminating his food or his work supplies. Instead of setting down to eat he walked away from the soup wanting to give it time to cool and made his way over to several bottles.

Each bottle contained a green tinted liquid meant to restore ones stamina. The patrols had actually found much of the materials he'd used in the potions so he hadn't had to use much of his budget to buy other materials. This was good news as it meant that he could get his little business off and sustaining itself without costing Casandra much money. Now he just had to test each one of the potions to see how strong they were.

This was easy enough to do by making use of a mild poison. By adding a known quantity of the potion to a known quantity of the poison and seeing how much of the poison was neutralized Dean could tell the relative strength of the potion. Fortunately the poison used in the measuring wasn't costly and as long as things were kept in proportion it didn't require much of the potion or poison.

As he combined a few drops of the potion with the poison he was fairly pleased with the results. Roughly half of the poison was neutralized by the potion. He had a good product and he already had a buyer. The only hard part was getting it to the buyer. That would require him to go out and deal with people a task that he tended to find unpleasant. At least he could dread the event while he began to box the bottles. They wouldn't pay for the equipment he wanted but it'd get him off to a start. As he was boxing the bottles he noted a knocking at his door. “Who is it?”

“Criss Smith of the third castle guard unit.”

In response Dean stood up and made his way over to the door unlocking the heavy latch and swing it open. “Did you find more supplies while out on patrol?”

“Yes Sir.” In response to the question Criss held out a small satchel.

“Thank you. Come on inside so that I can see what you have and I'll give you your payment.”

Criss couldn't help but grin as he stepped into the room. It was the payment part that he'd been waiting for. As he stepped into the room though he couldn't help but feel a wave of unease upon seeing the various bottles and alchemical equipment setting around. “You have some interesting items in here.”

“The tools of my trade.” As he was speaking Dean placed the bag on a desk and opened it up. He immediately recognized many of the plants though some of them were worthless. They looked similar to what he wanted but they weren't the same thing. That couldn't be help though these people weren't trained in alchemy after all they wouldn't be able to find the exact plant every time. “You found a nice little batch of items here.”

“I wouldn't know. Pardon me for asking but just what are those?” As he spoke Criss indicated the crate.

“Those are just some stamina restoratives.”

“You mean they restore the bodies energy after exertion?”

“Indeed.”

“Does the princess drink those?”

“No she favors a different type of restorative. Here you go.”

As Dean handed him the silver coins Criss had already thought of a use for them. “So just how would they help you if you were sleepy?”

“Ah well they're not as good as actual sleep. They'll restore the body but the brain is a different matter. It'd help but it's not a good nights wrest.”

“In the battle field laying down for a good nights wrest isn't always an option though. How much do those go for?”

“You mean from the producer?”

“That was the idea.”

Dean was made to grin as he gave his head a slight shake. “Ten silver sounds about right.”

Before speaking Criss took the silver Dean had just given him and emptied it into a pouch he carried with him. He then opened up the second pouch and began to count out twenty silver. “I'll take two of them.”

“Are you sure you'd like to do that? I doubt you're going to find yourself on the battle field these days.”

“Oh I have an idea of what I can use them for.”

In response Dean gave a slight shrug and retrieved two of the bottles. “It's your money after all.”

As Criss took the bottles from Dean he handed over the silver. “I look at it as an investment. If it works out I'll be by later to pick up more.”

***********************************************************************************