My First Sippy Cup - The Shopping List

[Zook Murnig]

"Lasair?"

Caduceus coughed a bit as he entered the synthesis shop -- a fusion of alchemical laboratory and storefront which truly assaulted all senses at once. There was a thin layer of smoke on the ceiling, having risen from a series of flasks and bottles filled with strange and colorful liquids. Noxious odors filled the magician's nostrils, making them burn at first contact, but turning sweet after a moment.

"Are you here?" he called again, hoping to find the red-haired fay somewhere around here. The two had met previously, and were colleagues in Stella Matutina, but this was the first time the Qaballist had ever seen her place of occupation. It suits her well, he mused.

[Lasair Anubail]

Though Lasair didn’t normally do it, she had a bunch of incense and other kinds of funky smelling things burning in her shop today. The smoke made the whole darkened inside look far more mysterious, especially as it pooled towards the ceiling in a thick haze that would make most people’s eyes water. Good thing the ceiling was a good four feet above her head and at least two feet above even the tallest of her customers.

Hearing someone’s voice echo out from the main part of her store, the small Fae put down the items she had been working on and walked over to a large purple curtain. It separated the back area that no customer ever got to see from the front, where all her glowing crystals casted a gentle light about the room and created the mysterious ambiance she tried to go for. They glistened off the many shiny objects laying about the multiple shelves and bookcases and illuminated the dark wood that was used to build almost everything within the shop. And even though it was day out, heavy curtains covered the windows and kept the bright light of the sun out and the shop dark. She liked it that way.

As her golden eyes shifted about, she finally spotted her customer looking about the room with a bit of amazement lighting his eyes and wouldn’t you know it, it was someone she knew too!

Slipping out from behind the heavy, purple curtain, Lasair practically ran over to Caduceus and enveloped him in the tightest hug her small little frame could manage.

“Caddy!” She said rather cheerfully as she continued to cling to him. “What bring you to my shop?”

[Zook Murnig]

He was nearly thrown from his feet as a butterfly-winged little woman bull rushed him from behind the curtain, screaming a diminutive of his name. The fae hadn't changed a bit since he'd last seen her, and though she was nearly four times his own age, she acted at many times as if she were only half it instead.

Reciprocating the embrace with an affectionate smile and a kiss on the top of her head, Caduceus explained why he was there. "I recently bought a goblet, and I was wondering if you could enchant it for me, as a favor to a good friend." He held her at arm-length by the shoulders, looking her straight in the eye as a sign of sincerity. "I promise, I'll repay you. Whatever you ask, as long as it's within my capabilities."

Reaching around, he loosed the cup from where it hung on his left hip, tied down by his robes' sash, and passed it to the flame-haired girl for her to inspect while he described what he had in mind.

"I'd like an enchantment of water upon it. But not just any enchantment, one that empowers liquids held within it with the occult virtues for which they are known. A tea legendary for its health benefits would become a potion of fortitude, and a stew made from the meat of a fierce and powerful predator would give its drinker great strength."

He watched as she looked over, saying, "Think you can help me, Lasair?"

[Lasair Anubail]

“Hmmm...”

She moved away from him as her mind began to race across his request. Her small hands rising to twirls the strands of her thick red hair between her fingers as she thought.

“That is not an easy request, Caddy.”

There was a lot with synthesizing that was certainly not easy, but he was adding in so many variables that she was really unsure what would happen in the final outcome. Not to mention she had a feeling the items required were going to be long and hard fought for and in rather dangerous places too. And she didn’t want her Caddy to get hurt.

Moving back behind the counter, Lasair disappeared into the back room and returned with only one tome. It was small but thick and it looked much older than the many books she kept surrounding herself in this place. It was one of the rarer books she possessed and had within it certain creatures and items that most people didn’t even know existed in Dheathain anymore, let alone possibly Althanas. But the rest of this world was a mystery to her, she only had information on Dheathain.

Placing the tome on the counter top, she opened it up and took a deep breath, leaving through the pages and the pictures rather quickly. The smile and the excitement seemed to have melted from her features as her entire demeanour changed and took on a more serious disposition, one Caddy had quite possibly never seen on her before. But Synthesizing was a serious thing to her and as such her childishness tended to slip away whenever she truly immersed herself in this.

Reaching under the counter, she grabbed a quill and ink and a blank piece of parchment that she quickly began to write beautifully ornate letters upon spelling out his ingredients for him. In common of course. When she reached a specific page and her eyes read the words therein, her shoulder drooped slightly and the wings on her back fell until her golden eyes slowly raise from the page and locked onto his blue ones.

“Are...are you sure about this, Caddy? The main ingredients in this are going to...very difficult to acquire and I don’t want you getting hurt...”

On the page before her, Caduceus would clearly be able to see the drawing of one very big and mean looking dragon, ready to rip through anything that came its way.

[Zook Murnig]

"I knew this would be a difficult request before I ever set foot in your shop, Lasair." His voice was grave, showing how deadly serious he was about his cup, and how dedicated he was to having it completed. "I'll get help if necessary," he went on. "I hesitated to ask this of you, knowing exactly how complex this would be, and how trying for you. But you're the only person who I can trust to do this."

He stared into her golden eyes, always as if the Sun itself shone out of them. At this moment, however, it was a dark sun, full of doubt and worry. He'd never seen her like this. Her wings drooped and lost the excited shimmer they had always carried before.

Reaching out, he placed a hand over her tiny one, stroking the knuckles reassuringly. "La, I'll be fine. I might get a few scrapes, but whatever it is, I'll be fine in the end. Trust me." He smiled, then, a grim grin. "Tell me."

[Lasair Anubail]

His words did a little to reassure her, but not very much. She was still worried and she knew in the back of her mind she wouldn’t continue to worry about him until he finally returned with all the ingredients in tow or she next saw him. It was just, she liked him, and she didn’t like those she cared about getting hurt. Nodding her heads at his words, the small Fae turned the tome around so he could see the drawing lying within.

A careful and skilled hand had depicted a dragon or sorts, one with rather short legs and a stocky body, who’s scales looked like rocks and who was covered in spikes around the back of its head and tail.

“It’s called the Mireagh and it’s a fierce dragon, Caddy. It lives in the mountains of Neamh, but on the west side, not the east side which is populated with the dragon tamers and their brood. It has the ability to quickly adapt and change its body and its most basic abilities to better assist it with whatever it needs, depending on its surroundings. It’s mean, territorial and has a very bad temper.” The words were solemn and sad, as if she considered this battle already lost and him defeated, which she did. There was no way he could do this by himself and even then it was so dangerous. “You need to kill it and bring me back the heart, the liver, the fire glands in the back of its throat and some scales. I suggest five of them.”

In fact she was rather certain it would be one of her hardest synthesis yet and there was concern over whether or not she could actually accomplish it.

Pulling the tome back towards her, Lasair quietly went back to work as her hand continued to write down the rest of the ingredients before she closed the tome. Instead of just handing over the parchment though, she walked to the other side of the counter and wrapped her arms around Caddy’s waist, holding him tightly and refusing to let him go.

“Please don’t do anything foolish, if you don’t think you can beat him then run away.”

[Zook Murnig]

"I am not a fool, and you should know that, little Lasair." His voice was calm and even, covering for the look of shock and fear on his face as he stared at the dragon that roared silently at him from the counter. Closing his eyes, he quietly drew in a deep breath and said, "I will find help. And, yes, if this beast proves too much for me, then I will abandon for a time."

With that, he tucked a knuckle under the girl's chin, lifting her face up to his. He looked deep into her golden eyes, not blinking with his own blue-grey orbs. "But I will return to this place, with those ingredients. You have my word."

The magician laid his forehead against hers in a sign of affection and determination to fulfill his oath. Words held power, according to his people and his religion, divine or not. An oath, especially to a friend, was sacred; a pact that should never be made lightly.

[Lasair Anubail]

She was still worried, but it was nice to hear him say the words anyway and reaffirm the fact that he wouldn’t do anything silly, like battle a giant dragon by himself. It was just so dangerous and all for a few items and synthesis. It wasn’t worth it, not if he was going to risk his life for it.

Pulling away from, Lasair reached out and handed Caddy the piece of parchment. Everything he needed was on there; most of it would not be too much trouble to find. It was just that dragon he was going to have a hard time to dealing with. She just hoped he had really strong friends like she did, friends that she could count on when things got rough and scary and giant monsters tried to eat her.

“Here, it’s everything you need, Caddy.” She gave him a small, supportive smile as he pushed the parchment into his hand. “You know you can always count on me if you need any help and I expect you to keep your word. I know when you give it, you mean; I’m just saying... you know; I’m expecting you to keep it. After all, I’d miss my Caddy too much if anything happened to you.” By the end of it she was giving him one of her bright and cheerful smiles, trying to lighten up the situation. There was no point in dwelling on it after all and he was already going to do it, so she might as well give him all the support she could!

The List

• Mana dust
• Two black draconian scales
• Two white draconian scales
• Purified water
• The heart, liver, scales and fire glands of a Mireagh Wyrven
• Fai-Fai flowers from Luthmor
• Bark of the Krait tree
• One Athru Crystal, usually found in wet cave areas around the mountains and Fiorair. The crystal constantly changes its shape and colour.

[Zook Murnig]

"Thank you, Lasair," the magician said as he looked over the list. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

With one last hug, Caduceus set out to gather all the ingredients he would need for this synthesis.

Apologies for the short and crappy post. I'd just decided this had waited long enough.

[Lasair Anubail]

Lasair waved goodbye to Caddy as he left the shop, still worried about him. The items he needed for this were going to be very tricky indeed to acquire and she really didn’t want to see him get hurt. She would feel horrible, especially since it was technically, a little bit, sort of her fault that he would be getting hurt. The only thing she really could do though; was just hope he’d come back safe and sound and with everything that he needed.

Lasair and Cadecues receive 75 EXP!