• Graded • The Alluring Potion of Eternal Life

[Yrmellyn Cole]

The Alluring Potion of Eternal Life

Andaris, Day 7 of Cylus Arc 717

Vhalar had passed, and Zida. The atmosphere on streets of Andaris was gloomy and dark in the twilight of Culys 717, when the painter Yrmellyn Cole found her way to the shop Potions and tonics. She had once heard of potions of the most wondrous kind and the rare experiences they could provide. It was professor Doran Thetys at the University of Rynmere who had spoken with her about alchemy. She had painted his portrait early in Vhalar 716, and aimed to come back as soon as possible about the demonstration he had promised to give her.

However, the day after the sitting she had received a letter from Zvezdana Venora, the one they called the fallen false queen, the widow of the rebel leader Veljorn Burhan. Yrmellyn had travelled for weeks in order to meet Zvezdana, and she hadn’t returned to Andaris until day fifty of Vhalar. The professor had been gone from the city and by now Yrmellyn had given up hope about his return any time near. Eventually she had settled for learning more about alchemy and potions on her own as best she could.

It was cold outdoors, and obscure, as could be expected in Culys. Outside the door of the shop, hanging from a hook on the wall, there was a lantern which spread a small circle of golden light around it. It wasn’t a bright light, but just enough for making it possible to read the sign.

She stepped in, stopping inside the door to take off her gloves before she went deeper into the small room with its high set narrow windows framed by curtain that looked dusty. The proprietor greeted her and told her his name, Luther Verran. As he started to speak with her and ask her what he could do for her, Yrmellyn realized that she didn’t have the slightest idea about what she was looking for. Doran had only spoken about potions, but never mentioned their names. Embarrassing, but Yrmellyn concealed the feeling by giving the man a charming smile and pretending to be totally at ease.

“I’m a painter” she told Luther Verran. “Alchemic potions are said to hold many wondrous properties and when I was told about I could immediately see that there’s connection between alchemy and art. I don’t know if you are familiar with art mister Verran? I admit that the way I think can sometimes seem weird to people who aren’t artists, but I would like to tell you a bit about the background to why I’m here looking for potions ... I thought it could be better to ask you for advice than take my own decisions at random. ”

Luther Verran nodded. If he found the things she said unusual he didn’t show it. “Tell me more and let’s see what I can do to help you, miss Cole.”

“Very well.”

She smiled at the man and started to speak in the hopes to make him interested and make him fill in the gaps what she said with his own imagination. She had often done this in her past as courtesan in Rharne, when she wanted to keep the interest and attention of a potential new prospect. There was nothing as interesting to people as their own thoughts and ideas. If he could make the proprietor of Potions and tonics start to think for her, this might lead him to speak about the kind of potions Doran had mentioned, and then she would just need to say that yes, this was what she was looking for.

“Under the water” she began. “There must be a whole unknown world under the water, full of wonders and mysteries to explore, and if I could go there it would be possible to find new motives for paintings that has have never before been made. Can you imagine this, mister Verran, to dive down and travel deep down under the water to the bottoms of the lakes and oceans ... what do you think you would find there?”

“Eh ...” Luther Verran watched his customer. He seemed speechless. Yrmellyn smiled at him. She had made many a down to earth person speechless in her days. “Eh ... erm ... I ...”

“Imagine!” Yrmellyn was seized by enthusiasm, as she for one had not troubles to think of a thousand amazing wonders. She continued to speak, of the underwater concepts but also about air and the idea about being able to see the streams of air, and what this could mean if she would paint... After a while Luther Verran joined in, looking like he hardly believed what he was doing, but contributing to the growing brew of ideas with his own associations.

A bit later he went into the dark at the back of the shop and came back with a small bottle. “I think this can be what you need if you really think ... it’s called the elixir of eternal life, but it’s just the name, it can’t give people eternal life. If such a potion existed I think it would be expensive beyond belief.”

“Elixir?” said Yrmellyn. “I thought it would be a potion, and...”

“Call it a potion if you like Miss Cole. The potion of eternal life. This is strong stuff, so be careful with the dosage.”

“Oh ...”

“Yes. A small sip will be enough for most people.” Luther gave her a nod.

“But what exactly does it do?” She felt confused. The man had interpreted her some way, and now he was prescribing this potion - or elixir, she wasn’t sure of the difference - like it was self-explanatory what it was about.

“But miss Cole! Do I really need to say it? We were speaking about ... “He shrugged. Do you want it or not? It’s one gold nel.

Yrmellyn didn’t get what the man meant, but it seemed like it would be best to buy it and go and examine it somewhere and find out what the effects were. She figured she would be able to think back on what they had spoken about and this way she would eventually discover which direction Luther Verran’s thoughts had taken.

If it had been summer she might have found a frog to test it on, she thought to herself as she pulled on her gloves, grabbed the bottle and went out to the dark street again. She passed through the circle of dim golden light from the lanterns right outside the door and continued into the darkness beyond. Temporarily affected by the contrast of the light and darkness, she didn’t see the person who was approaching from the dark part of the street. The collision was a fact, and she nearly dropped the bottle.

[Doran]

It was cold and dark, as it always was in Cylus. The absence of light bothered Doran very little – the darkness was his domain after all, and one of his abilities was to steal light – but he felt the cold as much as any mortal man, and it filled him with some measure of discomfort. Winter was his father’s domain. Ziell, the man who had sent him to Treidhart to die, ruled over ice and snow. His powers were likely strongest then.

Despite the fact that the weather gave him some cause for concern, the Mortalborn held himself straight and walked swiftly and with purpose though. He was on his way to Luther Verran’s shop to acquire a few special potions that he needed for an upcoming trip – one of several that he would undertake in pursuit of his goals – as well as exchange ideas with the man. Despite the fact that Luther was human, he was astonishingly talented. In fact his skills likely surpassed Doran’s own, a rarity as far as he was concerned.

He had just turned around a corner – he could already see Luther’s shop – when somebody crashed into him. He instantly reached for his sword. When he had returned to Andaris at the beginning of the season, he had discovered that nobody knew that it had been him who had stabbed Xiur yet. That the common citizens of Rynmere were unaware of what had happened didn’t mean that somebody hadn’t followed him from Oscillus though …

He stopped abruptly as he realized that the person in front of him looked familiar and let go of his sword again before he straightened himself. It was her. That insufferable and surprisingly intelligent woman who had insisted on painting him and threatened his entire existence with it. What were the chances that he would run into her, of all the people in Rynmere?

“Miss Cole”, he spoke in a somewhat cool tone and met her gaze. “I had not expected to meet you again.” She looked much the same as he remembered her, he noticed. He had not changed too much either, at least not at first glance although he looked healthier than before. Syroa’s Blessing had not only affected his mind and altered the way that he processed emotions, it had also led to other changes, changes that he was only beginning to understand.

“What are you doing here?” His gaze fell on the bottle in her hand, and he narrowed his eyes a fraction. “Have you decided to become an alchemist? Tell me, what is this?”

[Yrmellyn Cole]

Before she had even had time to regain her balance, the person she had crashed into was reaching for a sword. A picture of her dead body on the snow on the street ran through her mind faster than a flash of lightning, and a chill went up her spine. For a moment everything seemed to stand still. It felt like fate had all of a sudden decided to end of her life on a whim. All she could think was that right now, here, in a snowy street in Andaris, without any previous notice, she was facing her final destination. This insight flooded her and overrun all other thoughts.

The moment passed. The man let go of the sword and Yrmellyn came out of the thunderstruck state she had been in. Attunement. It must have been the attunement she thought, just a sudden instability, nothing to worry about. Even as she thought this, she recognized the man; it was him. Doran Thetys. His momentum had been higher than hers, as he had walked with purpose toward his goal and was taller and heavier, and she had just been strolling slowly the way people do when they leave a shop and haven’t really focused on their next route yet. Thus, Yrmellyn had been pushed back into the small circle of dim golden light cast by the lantern on the wall, and Doran had moved into the outer perimeter of it.

During the period of time when she had worked at his portrait she had spent so much time studying his face that she knew it in detail. Still ... right now it actually looked even more appealing than she remembered it. The man seemed more alive now than when they had been in his office. More alive? What an odd thing to think! As a painter she used to think of people’s appearance a lot though, and there was no denying the impression of vitality. As she remembered him, Doran Thetys had been very composed and even stuffy, but now he came off as energetic.

She chalked it up to the combination of a fast walk in the cold weather, and the kind of dim golden light that serves to embellish most people. Nonetheless, his face seemed to be more appealing than in the past, and the reflections on the light made his eyes seem bigger and darker than on they were on the painting she had made of him.

It was only the sudden collision, the near death feeling and the surprise that had thrown her, she thought to herself. This must be the reason she felt shaken. No wonder. It didn’t have anything to do with Doran Tethys. The professor was exactly as he had been in Vhalar. She had maybe spent too much time looking at the picture of him? It was just natural that the real person would seem way more alive. She ought to compose herself. She had ran into a brief acquaintance in the street. This was all.

No, to be honest it wasn’t all. She was actually delighted to see him. Delighted. It wasn’t just because he was handsome she told herself. That would have been absurd. And at her age too. Ridiculous. No, she was only feeling delighted because the fantastic alchemy demonstration she had given up hope about was suddenly within her reach again! Luck was smiling at her, if she was able to grab it.

However, the professor seemed indifferent. The tone of his voice was cool and impersonal when he said he hadn’t expected to meet her again. His question about her errand was bland. It was the kind of question people ask in passing by, just to be polite, when they are about to excuse themselves and continue with their own business. Yrmellyn was going to answer, but didn’t get time. She saw his gaze turn a little bit more intense when he noticed the bottle she carried and inquired about it. Had she decided to become an alchemist? What was in that bottle?

As she didn’t really know exactly what it was, this potion - or was it an elixir, she wasn’t sure - Yrmellyn was reluctant to answer. She wanted to stay on the right page with Doran and not come off as silly.

The question about alchemy was something she wished to dodge. Her visit in Water Street Market the other day, with the eídisi, had given her a few things to think of. Right now she didn’t want to take the risk to speak about it. If she had known Doran better she could have wanted to discuss a few things with him, but as they had only met one time in the past she didn't. Falling back on a lifelong habit of keeping secret things secret, she answered in a vague and general way.

“I don’t know if I’ve decided to become an alchemist exactly ... it seems like it would require studies I hardly think I can afford, perhaps for a long time. But I took great interest in what you told me about alchemy last time we met. It’s a fascinating science.”

She smiled a somewhat embarrassed smile.

“I had given up hope about finding you again. Out of interest I spoke a bit with the proprietor of the shop here. Luther Verran. I actually told him a bit about how I would love potions that can enable people to breathe in water and explore the secret depths of the oceans, and what it could mean to art ... I’m not sure he really understood what I meant. We had a quite interesting discussion though, and then he proposed this bottle. I’m not totally sure what it is. He called it “the elixir of eternal life”. Or potion, if I preferred to call it a potion, he said. I ... felt I ought to buy something because I had taken up quite a lot of his time. “

If it had been possible she would have tucked the bottle into a cloak pocket. Unfortunately the pockets of her cloak were full of other stuff, like rags she had used to wipe away color stains, and then carelessly bunched together and stuffed there. She had thought she would deal with it later, but she hadn’t, so there was nowhere to put the bottle. Instead she held it close and hugged it to her midriff.

[Doran]

Yrmellyn, the Mortalborn observed, seemed to be positively delighted to meet him again which he considered to be somewhat strange, given the circumstances. Most women wouldn’t be happy about nearly being run through with a sword. But then again, she wasn’t most women. She also seemed to temporarily have lost the ability to speak, a fact that puzzled him. He raised an eyebrow, met her gaze and smiled a half-smile, as if he was not entirely averse to her unusual behaviour, before he finally turned to react to her comments regarding alchemy.

“The university has scholarships for those that can’t afford the tuiton fees”, he informed her. “So if you are serious about studying alchemy, Miss Cole, there is a way. As for your attempts to find me, I spent the past two seasons abroad to conduct important research. I had to leave rather abruptly and only returned to Rynmere a couple of trials ago.” The lie left his lips easily. In truth his father, the Immortal Ziell, had visited him at the beginning of Vhalar and told him to board a ship to Ne’haer. The entire mission had been a farce, and the so called good Immortals had turned out to be just as bad or even worse than those that they were fighting against. He had found out that his father and his allies had just sent him and his fellow adventurers to Oscillus in order to die.

Syroa had been the only Immortal that had been honest with him from the beginning, and she given him powers beyond his wildest dreams. But Yrmellyn Cole would never know that, what he had done in her name or what kind of life he had led after the battle, that he had lived among Audrae’s daughters and seen things that few men had ever seen.

“I doubt that what you have here is an elixir of eternal life”, he remarked somewhat bluntly. “Unless Mister Verran managed to slay an Immortal and collect their blood, which I consider to be highly unlikely. He may be an exceptionally skilled alchemist, but he is neither a warrior nor a mage. He was probably playing a joke on you and trying to get you to leave his shop again because he found your enthusiasm to be somewhat overwhelming. I doubt that whatever is in that vial will have any long-term negative effects on your wellbeing though. If you want to be sure that you really get the potion you want, you should come to me instead from now on, Miss Cole.”

“I promised you a demonstration when we last met”, he added in a softer tone. That was the closest thing to an apology for the near-attack that she would ever get from him. Besides, he he had to admit that he was curious about how she would approach scientific questions, despite the fact that associating with a mage like her might be somewhat risky. Yrmellyn was not only mildly annoying and too enthusiastic for her own good, she also was quite observant and something of a philosopher and had an interesting way to see the world. She reminded him of Beira, the woman he had once loved, to some extent.

“We could analyze the potion that you have”, he offered.

[Yrmellyn Cole]

Yrmellyn noticed the raised eyebrow and the faint smile, and was under the impression that she amused Doran and he wasn't averse to speak a bit ... this made her feel oddly pleased, but also worried about blushing. She wasn't prone to blush, normally. Right now she feared the sudden warmth she felt in her face meant her color was rising though, but in that case she hoped the bad light would conceal it.

"Scholarships for the poor ..." Yrmellyn nodded in confirmation to show that she had understood what he said. This didn't mean the painter was planning to turn into a diligent student. Creativity was her way to solve things, not a lot of dogged drudgery in order to implant the routine thinking of others into her brain. She might study, for sure, she might read certain tomes of interest, speak with Luther Verran, and conduct some tests of interesting ideas, but not in a dull school. But of course, if professor Doran would be her university teacher her attitude could change!

"I am serious" she said in a perfectly serious tone. "I was only wondering if it would be worth the while. Studies isn't just about going to a place and participate in the lesson there. It's also about who you learn from. For example, I recall that when I visited the University to paint your portrait there was a gaunt fellow who passed by in the corridor and he didn't seem like somebody I would choose as a teacher. Where would it take me if I tried to learn alchemy from some second rater? But of course, if you are back and have picked up your work ... are you by any chance going to teach alchemy in the university next season?"

The professor looked at her like he was thinking a lot of things he wasn't saying. Yrmellyn felt an intense curiosity she wasn't able explain. He had been interesting in Vhalar last arc, but at the time she had felt content to keep to her principles and not try to use attunement to find out more about the inner life of Doran Thetys. Now it felt nearly impossible to resist the temptation to tune in. She was for sure not going to do it, she told herself silently. The curiosity was nearly insufferable, but she wasn't going to give in to temptation. No way.

His next words threw her and she stared at him in unbelief. " Slay an immortal and collect their blood in order to make an elixir of eternal life of it? “

Could this really be true? It was mindboggling. It was bound to set her thoughts in motion. The method seemed like a mission impossible, and also both evil and grisly. Still, it was inevitable to think of what it could mean to her. Eternal life! But no, Doran must be joking with her ...

"Luther Verran seemed very serious". Yrmellyn settled for playing along with the idea that the shop owner must have been joking, so she laughed and shrugged. "It's true that he doesn't seem to be able to slay an immortal and ... well ... but surely nobody would be able to do it and I'm not going to get an elixir of eternal life and live forever. I would need to find a fighter so skilled that it exceeds human capabilities, and this just for the slaying ... I agree that Luther Verran wouldn't be able to slay an immortal, but what if he would buy the ...materials, or someone would provide him with them and commission him with the crafting? If it really would be possible to create the elixir I think he could do it."

Doran Thetys was really attractive today, by the way. The scholar was so tall and elegant and appealing in general, and the sword definitely added a touch of action and adventure to his appearance. Yrmellyn felt an impulse to step out of the circle of dim golden lantern light and join the professor where he stood in the perimeter with the darkness of Culys behind him.

"There went my only chance at eternal life." She spoke in jest, and she emphasized this with a new smile and a shrug, but the amusement she felt was mixed with regret.

"If you want to be sure that you really get the potion you want, you should come to me instead from now on, Miss Cole," said Doran, and reminded her of the demonstration he had promised her last year. He went as far as to propose that they could analyze the potion she had bought from Luther Verran. Yrmellyn jumped on the offer of course. The prospect of analyzing the potion and learning more about alchemy inspired her, but truth to be told she felt even more excited by the teacher.

"Yes please" she said with sincere interest in all thinkable ways. "But where ... how ... when ... and is there anything I need to prepare for in advance?"

[Doran]

“If you tried to learn from a second-rate teacher, Miss Cole“, the son of Ziell informed her. “You would likely still graduate – the university’s standards are not as high as they used to be – but you would then spend the rest of your life in a second-rate laboratory, doing menial tasks.” As he said that, he realized that she likely hadn’t expected to get an answer to that question, but in his opinion she needed to be told.

“Some people shouldn’t be let anywhere near students”, he added somewhat condescendingly. He wasn’t entirely unaware of the irony of his words. If his superiors had even an inkling as to what he had done and who he tended to associate with nowadays, he would likely find himself in Andaris’ deepest dungeon within a break, waiting to be executed for his supposed crimes against the Immortals and the kingdom of Rynmere.

He realized once more that he was treading dangerous ground, but there were a few important matters that he needed to take care of in Andaris before he left for Etzos and continued his work.

“I am back for now. I will be in Andaris for all of Cylus before I will undertake another expedition, this time to Western Idalos”, he replied, another lie, meant to cover his tracks. He didn’t want anybody to know where he would really be going and try to follow him.

“So if you would like to learn from me, Miss Cole, you’d better do so this season”, he continued. There was still something different about her, but he couldn’t point a finger at it and eventually dismissed it. Whatever had changed about her, it would likely be inconsequential in the long run.

“As for Mister Verran, while he wouldn’t be able to slay an Immortal, there are some people that are more than capable of it. Immortality doesn’t equal invulnerability, Miss Cole. Every being in Idalos can be killed if you go about it the right way. But perhaps we shouldn’t speak of such dark matters in a public place”, he decided.

There were, of course, other ways to extend one’s lifespan beyond what was natural besides ingesting a potion made from the blood of an Immortal – Syroa’s Blessing and perhaps lichdom – but Yrmellyn was unlikely to be ready for such things, for all her intelligence and her likeness to the woman he had once loved with an intensity that had bordered on madness.

“These questions are easily answered”, he replied as she asked about the logistics of the demonstration. “We will of course conduct our study in my laboratory at Rynmere University, using the equipment that is available there. As for when, I would not be averse to doing so today. You do not need to prepare anything. Unless you don’t have time?”

He raised an eyebrow. He had initially wanted to meet with Mister Verran, but he decided that he could easily buy his ingredients when he was done. The so called potion of eternal life was far more interesting.

[Yrmellyn Cole]

Yrmellyn’s face lit up with the sincere happiness of a person who is honestly interested in what they are about to do. For a moment her fascination for the science of alchemy overran the attraction she felt to Doran. The giddy feeling that had dominated her gave way to focused attention, and her mind leaped into total clarity like a dolphin coming up for a nip of air. Her words were artless and honest when she answered. “In the University. Of course I have time. I can’t even put words on how interesting I find alchemy. So many possibilities ... and you have time to at once? I’m happy to start right away! “

Oh immortals! They were going to head to his lab for the alchemy demonstration and there they would analyze the mysterious potion of eternal life together! Now, at once. It wasn’t just a dream. It was really happening. She could hardly believe her good luck!

Then the attraction surged anew. Her fascination for the mystery of alchemy spilled over on the professor and reinforced his appeal even more. He wasn’t just attractive in general. He was a man of knowledge. She even felt Doran might be up to par with her teacher in the past, Mariuz Arbin. The thought surprised her, because normally she always felt nobody compared to Mariuz. It used to feel impossible and ridiculous to even think of it, but now it didn’t. Doran Thetys had an air of competence that actually did compare. It radiated from him so distinctly that it was impossible to not notice.

Everything was perfect. Just one thing. She felt like Doran was towering above her, not only physically, but with all the knowledge he possessed, like a high oak towers over a new birch. When he told her how things were, in that self-assured way, she felt like her own level of knowledge was hardly discernible. It didn’t help to know it was totally true, at least when it came to alchemy. Her own knowledge about alchemy was non-existent, except for a few very basic concepts. She felt as clueless as she had felt back in the days in Rharne when she had started to learn about magic. It was one thing to buy a potion from Luther Verran and play with thoughts and ideas for how to test it, but a totally other thing to actually do the testing, together with Doran. Her lack of knowledge came down on her much like a mental brick in the head. She knew her chances to make mistakes and come off as a fool were as numerous as their consequences were unknown to her.

For a moment it struck her as odd that she cared about what he would think of her. How come? she thought to herself. How stupid I am. Art isn’t about meeting other people’s standards but about challenging them and trigger reactions. And now I’m getting nervous about not being good enough?

As they started to walk she tried to converse about other things. “It doesn’t seem so promising for Rynmere if the university’s standards aren’t what they used to be. Even more so as you say some people shouldn’t even be let anywhere near the students. It doesn’t seem to be worth so much to study here, when you put it that way. “

It disappointed her to hear that he was going to leave after Cylus. She knew it was silly of her to feel like it mattered. She hardly knew Doran. Still. For a moment she had thought that if she would get him as her teacher in alchemy she would even be prepared to go as far as to apply to the University, despite how she feared it would entail bureaucracy and a lot of nasty rules to follow. Now it seemed like her chance to learn from him would only last for one single short season. The opportunity existed here and now, and perhaps never more.

“I don’t know what we should speak about, or not speak about, in public places. You speak of death, murder and darkness. Last time we met you said the soul is black. Now it's about how even the immortals can die. Life can be tough for sure, but there’s not only darkness and trouble in the world. There’s also a lot of fun and happiness to have. Why else would people care to live another day?”

Even as she spoke she had a feeling it could be foolish of her. Solemn as the man was he might dislike ...her insufferable lightness of being. He didn’t seem particularly playful and happiness seeking, she thought to herself. She felt an absurd wish to tousle him, tickle him, and make him lose his foothold. A very bad idea. It was impossible to even guess where such bad ideas could come from. She ought to not even think of it! She wanted ... the alchemy, the analysis of the potion she had bought, and actually also Doran himself if it would be possible. In that order, she realized, as it was best to not destroy the scientific lessons. She had a feeling Doran would take offense if she didn’t pay proper attention to his teaching. Science first, other possibilities second.

“Anyways, you are going to travel away from Rynmere again. I'll do my best to learn from you while I can.”

[Doran]

“Shall we go then?“ he asked Yrmellyn as she informed him that she was happy to start right away. Her wording left a bit to be desired in his opinion, but he did approve of the fact that she was so enthusiastic about his chosen trade. He sincerely hoped that she hadn’t forgotten the warning that he had once given her though, about the dangers of alchemy and that her excitement wouldn’t get in the way of her sense of responsibility. Should he remind her?

He looked at her, considering her for a moment before he came to the conclusion that he would wait and see. Perhaps she would turn out to be like Beira in that regard as well, somewhat overly enthusiastic, but careful and thoughtful when it was necessary. His thoughts briefly went back to the last moment that he had seen her. There had been a time when he had wanted to turn the world upside down and do the seemingly impossible – travel to Uleuda and take her back with him – but that was in the past now.

These trials he was most devoted to a demoness with eyes of fire.

“I did not say that all teachers at the university are bad”, he reminded her as they walked. “There are some that are, in fact, quite excellent, Miss Cole. Besides, there are not many options besides Rynmere University if you want to study a certain subject and would rather not go abroad and spent the next couple of arcs in a frozen wasteland.”

He was talking about the famed Academy of Viden of course where he had once been a teacher as well as a student. He had enjoyed some aspects of it, more than he wanted to admit, but the Eidisi had been unreasonably racist, and that the people of Viden were so fond of his father had given some cause for concern, especially since he had seen his true face.

“I also said that, to me, black is a combination of all the colors in the world and not simply some stereotypical symbol of evil”, he spoke. “Besides, there is beauty and comfort to be found in darkness.” As he said that, he touched her shoulder with a gloved hand so that she would look at him and then pointed upwards. “Look at the stars, Miss Cole, and tell me that the sight leaves you unaffected. Does it not touch your heart?”

“As for murder and death”, he continued, removed his hand and turned to look at her again. “They are facts of life. We live in a time where everything is about to change. Several wars have already taken place and more are yet to come.” What he didn’t tell her was that he intended to be at the heart of it all, that he would affect that change and finally get what he thought he should have had all along.

He was, in his opinion, at least as deserving of worship and admiration as his cowardly father, perhaps even more so, since he wanted to do more than just uphold the status quo as long as possible.

“But of course there is also fun and happiness to be had. Most people don’t live because of that though. They don’t weigh the positive and negative aspects of their existence against each other, the darkness and the light, the troubles and the fun. They exist because they cannot not exist, because there is something inside of them that drives them to go on, something that they are hardly ever aware of, an essential part of human nature.”

<><><>

Before too long they had reached the university, and the Mortalborn removed a key from his pocket and unlocked a door before he gestured for her to come in. Once they had entered the laboratory that was empty at that time of the trial, he took off his coat and draped it across the back of a chair and then turned to face her again. “Shall we begin, Miss Cole?” he asked her.

[Yrmellyn Cole]

Yrmellyn listened to what Doran told her without any comments. She didn’t know anything about the people he had first seemed to consider second raters, but now was calling excellent. Attraction didn’t decrease her ability to notice inconsequence and contradictions. It seemed a bit suspect to first say the university’s standards were declining, then take the opposite stance and start to speak about how good it was to study there. Doran’s sudden change of attitude made her feel somewhat sceptic. Mentally she took a step back. She listened and thanked him for his advice, but a seed of doubt had been sown.

Doran’s gloved hand on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts effectively. She looked up at him and met his gaze. For a moment it felt like an invisible cord tugged at her, trying to pull her closer. Without even thinking of it she met the hand with her shoulder, not by pushing at it in an obvious way, just meeting it with a very light pressure back. She had done it so many times in her past as courtesan that it came to her automatically. Her body acted first, and the awareness of what she did followed in its wake. As she wasn’t bothered with being “proper” it amused her, and for a moment she felt the gleam of a smile play in her eyes.

He’s a university professor Cole, she told herself. A chemistry professor too. An alchemist. Try to be a little bit serious and abstain from trying to toy with him. His looks may be gorgeous, but he doesn’t seem to be the kind of man who’s likes to get his circles disturbed. Don’t surprise him. Don’t lose this opportunity to learn. Don't follow a whim. Look, he even expects you to remember every word he said in the beginning of Vhalar, despite how several seasons have passed...he is an utterly serious person. Do not annoy him with frivolities.

It was lovely to stand there with his gloved hand resting on her shoulder, while he spoke to her about the stars on the sky, and how beautiful they were glittering in the darkness. She turned her gaze to the sky. Looking at the distant stars together made her feel closer to Doran, not physically, but on another level... ”doesn’t they touch your heart?”

And Yrmellyn Cole looked at the huge deep endless darkness between the stars and though of all the times she had done the same in the past. For a fraction of a trill she thought she experienced a sensation that resembled a buzzing sound in the back of her mind, like the faint sound of an insect speaking to her from a great distance. Bizooou...At this sensation, the painter’s attention turned inwards to her own awareness, searching something unknown and invisible that was no longer there.

It had seemed to take time but in reality the shift in her mind had been so brief that it was like it hadn’t even happened. Still it felt like gears had moved in a dream deep down in the earth beneath her and changed the course of an underground river. All had changed. Nothing had changed. Doran Thetys stood with his hand on her shoulder and waited for her answer. It struck her that to a by passer who didn’t know them and what they were speaking about, they could look just like a couple of people watching the stars and falling in love, a romantic sight in the lantern light of Culys...

The ever so brief shift in her mind had made her lose track of the conversation.

“My heart ... yes, I guess so, maybe ...” she said in order to conceal her confusion. “They are beautiful, the stars. Pure beauty. And maybe you are right when you say there’s more to the darkness than meets the eye.”

When he removed his hand it felt like she had lost something she had never owned, and the air of Culys felt colder and more unforgiving than before. Doran’s realistic words about how the world was full of murder and death, with more to come, did nothing to keep her from feeling the cold. When he said people didn’t weigh light and darkness in order to measure the meaning of going on with their lives, and just continued under any circumstances, because they couldn’t not live, she found herself unable to answer. She consigned her thoughts to silence and moved on. As she followed Doran along the streets she had an odd feeling of... following like she couldn’t not follow. She chalked it up to looking forward to the alchemy.

They arrived to the laboratory. There was a mix of smells in the air, all of them unknown to her. Doran took of his coat and draped it across the back of a chair. Yrmellyn carefully put the potion of eternal life on a table and then she followed the professor’s example and took of her cloak. She would normally just have thrown it on a table or on top of the other person’s coat. The silent laboratory seemed to demand less carefree manners tough. She draped her cloak over the back of another chair, next to the one Doran had used.

“Yes please. Let’s begin.”

She waited for instructions and said nothing more.

.

The Potion Of Eternal Life

The bottle looks like it may have been used before and been recycled. The fairly dark material makes it hard to guess the color of the content. A decoration looking like a spiral shell adorns it. The bottle is the size of a cup. It's small enough to carry in a cloak pocket, but it's not a miniature.

Due to the collision the fluid inside has been shaken. So, when the bottle is opened, smoke will rise from it and spread in the air. It's possible that breathing in a small amount of the smoke can have a milder effect and give people a clue about the potion...
.

[Doran]

It was relatively dark inside the laboratory. Due to his abilities the Mortalborn didn’t absolutely need light, but Yrmellyn would not be able to see much, and thus he lit several lamps so that the room was filled with a warm, golden glow. She could see that it contained several large tables with a variety of laboratory equipment now, a centrifuge, a burner and even a distillation apparatus. Cupboards with bottles that were filled with a variety of reagents lined the walls. There was a place where you could wash your hands as well.

“What exactly did you request from Mister Verran?” he asked Yrmellyn and handed her a pair of gloves and a surgical mask. It was better to be safe than sorry when dealing with an unknown solution. “I see”, he replied curtly as she told him and furrowed his brow somewhat. She had talked to the alchemist about diving into the ocean and imagining streams of air.

He considered it highly likely that Mister Verran had sold her a simple water breathing potion and almost told her to go for a swim and try it out, but something compelled him to analyze the potion properly and possibly waste his precious time nevertheless. He placed the bottle onto the table and turned to face her again. “Several different analyses are necessary in order to determine what we are dealing with”, he informed her. “First of all I will conduct a few solubility tests. They will tell me whether we are dealing with an acid or a base and give me an idea of the size of the compound.”

“Furthermore, I will determine its boiling and melting point and conduct a test to determine its reactivity with other substances. Will you get me a test tube and a glass of water, Miss Cole?” he abruptly asked her and then gestured for her to come closer so that she would be standing directly next to him, close enough that they almost touched. If she was supposed to help him, she needed to be able to clearly see what he was doing. He filled the test tube with water and then carefully took the potion.

“I will open the bottle now”, he announced. As he did that, smoke immediately started to rise from it and spread in the air. He quickly put a few drops into the test tube, and then he closed the bottle again immediately and took a tentative breath through his mask before he turned to look at Yrmellyn. The masks were far preferable to using no protection at all, but they didn’t filter everything. Had she suffered any ill effects?