Page 19

Lenar shook his head. “Very little, I’m afraid curiosity has long been my great bane. Once an alchemic question worms its way in, I have trouble focusing until it’s been answered. In this case, my curiosity about the blue moss overwhelmed my exhaustion.”

That was a dilemma Wanda understood all too well. More times than she could count, something had engrossed all of her attention until a rumbling stomach or unexpected sunrise marked the passage of time. Not wanting to waste time Lenar should be using to sleep, she hurried to explain the situation.

Although Lenar’s tired expression morphed briefly into surprise when she told him they would be disembarking at the fast-approaching Spireshadow, it soon shifted into understanding. “It’s a good thing Yorian took note of the change. Exile is no minor matter, nor would his return be treated as a light crime.”

Closing his book, Lenar pulled himself out of the chair where he’d clearly spent the majority of the evening. “I’d hoped we’d have more time discuss alchemy, but life seldom listens to our requests. I have enjoyed traveling with you, Wanda, and hope we might meet again someday. If you continue pursuing alchemy, eventually that path will lead you to the Alchemy Union’s main offices in Stryatia. When you arrive, if you are so inclined, please feel free to reach out.”

“How can you be sure I’ll end up there?”

“It is the only place aboveground where an alchemist can be certified to make potions above Grade Five,” Lenar explained. “All great alchemists pass through its halls eventually.”

The implied confidence in her ability made Wanda feel a bit bashful, but she did dream of making more advanced potions. And if there was one area where she had a modicum of true confidence, it was with her alchemy.

“Then it’s no wonder you’ll be there too.” Wanda meant every word. Lenar was skilled, patient, and knowledgeable. It was on that last front where she felt the greatest gap. Her education had been limited, even Garumph could only impart so much information over the course of a day. Gaining spells and imbuements was all well and good, but Wanda was starting to realize she also needed to work on her fundamentals as an alchemist.

All the mana in the world was useless if she didn’t know what ingredients could be used to achieve her desired outcome. It was a shame there was no Alchemy Union branch in Spireshadow. Then again, that would make avoiding detection until things were cleared up easier.

Briefly, Wanda considered asking Lenar if he could put in a word for her. But he’d been visibly bothered by flaunting his station earlier, and asking a friend for a favor they would be uncomfortable with left her stomach turning itself over. She couldn’t ask him to vouch for her when he hadn’t even been there. Kurlain was a problem she and her team were going to have to handle themselves… once they figured out a plan.

“I thank you, though in truth, I fear I have not been living up to my full potential.” Lenar smiled, except the expression didn’t seem very happy to Wanda.

“The headquarters of the Alchemy Union is where those with the greatest talent are meant to be sent for education, but in practice, it’s largely those who come from established alchemic families or organizations, people with enough clout to be noticed. Alchemy itself becomes a proxy used for battles of status and pride. New recipes are often pursued to prove they can be brewed instead of for the benefits they might provide.”

His eyes had grown distant as he spoke, then the awareness came surging back in as Lenar’s attention shifted back to Wanda. “I’d nearly forgotten what it looks like to see someone pursuing the art out of passion, rather than planning. Thank you, Wanda. I sincerely believe our meeting has made me a better alchemist.”

He extended a hand, which Wanda accepted and shook, all but lost in the gravity of such a moment. Lenar was the first human friend Wanda had made on her own. Her cousins had been accepting of Wanda’s quirks, whereas the rest of the village children were tolerant at best. In Lenar she’d found a friend who understood what it was to forgo sleep in the face of exhaustion just to answer a question that wouldn’t rest.

“I’ll find you when I get to Stryatia. I promise.”

“Then I will make sure to hone my craft and look forward to the day.” Lenar released her hand moments before The Ursender began to shudder as it rapidly slowed, before finally jolting to a stop.

A pulse of power ran through the bearship just before Captain Sharshaw’s voice sounded. “Attention, all passengers. We are currently docked at Spireshadow for a brief delivery. Anyone who wishes to disembark should do so immediately.”

Wasting no more time and not sure what else to say, Wanda hurried out of the room and rejoined her team, who’d already gathered their bags and were waiting by the door. Together, they hurried up to the Main Deck, scurried down the gangplank, and set foot on the occorite encircled spire that would be their home until transportation could be secured.

It was certainly more adventurous than Wanda expected for her first bearship ride, but the trip had been unexpectedly fulfilling. Not only had she learned a new spell and discovered a way to process toxic ingredients, Wanda had gotten to witness Wumble putting their enhanced strength to use.

Holding her familiar close as they walked toward the crowd, Wanda could hardly wait to see how Wumble would grow.

If nothing else, they wouldn’t be short on occorites to hunt.

Three pages.

Lenar had missed it by three pages.

As he dashed up the stairwell, too aware of the bearship’s movements to deny this was an exercise in futility, yet determined to see the matter through all the same, Lenar pulled on every bit of power his mana could add to his muscles.

Bursting onto the deck, Lenar arrived to find that he was, as expected, too late. The Ursender had already pulled away from port, their stop as brief as Captain Sharshaw cautioned. Rushing to the railing, Lenar hoped against hope he might somehow catch Wanda’s attention and signal her, only to discover her team had already vanished into the city’s web of roads.

The spent effort left Lenar sagging against the rails, still unable to believe this level of poor timing. Three more pages into the very tome he’d been reading when Wanda stopped by, and he would have found the page depicting the very blue moss they’d utilized.

Its actual name was coydrim moss and, according to the text he’d found, was an inferior ingredient compared to the standards like julpem seed juice despite a slight potency toward vitality. Compounded with the toxic properties that had to be filtered out, it was no wonder there had been so much of it left over among the alchemy supplies. It didn’t even sell for much with such limited usefulness.

Yet somehow, Wanda turned that inferior ingredient into healing potions that were Grade Two cusping on Grade Three. A feat she managed while sustaining a still mind-boggling four Ever Present Cauldrons simultaneously. And she did it while batch brewing, a tactic typically known for producing inferior results. Wanda was an amazing alchemist, but that was a level of improvement not even skill could generate.

No, the only explanation was that Wanda’s mana was so powerful it had infused the ingredients with additional energy. The tactic itself was hardly unknown, just highly inefficient. Mana was far less dense than occoreal, which meant the amount Wanda would have had to be passing through her cauldrons to cause such a potent passive infusion was… staggering.

If not for the things he’d seen her do, Lenar would have labeled it impossible.