Kapitel 52: Nick's Poison Making

The next day, Nick returned as promised. He said "Today I will show you how the Cloud Haze Poison is made. The process is a bit more difficult, and requires some skill. Watch closely, as I complete each step". I nodded, and watched Nick as he set up everything. He started the fire, and added 200 millilitres of water to the pot. He said, "The amount of water you will need to add, is quite precise this time. You will need 200 millilitres of water for one batch. This poison requires you to make one batch at a time though, otherwise it might not work. The same applies as last time. If there is too much water, the poison will lose a lot of its strength. If there is not enough water, the herbs would burn". I nodded, and awaited the next step.

He took out some Poison Grass, and added that into the pot. The water was not boiling at this stage, it was only a bit warm. The Poison Grass was a common herb, and had a very weak poison. At best it could poison some insects and very small animals, but would have no effect on Humans. The only way to affect humans, was to feed them large quantity of it. Which again should be impossible usually. The effects would still be minor, at most diarrhea. The Poison Grass was black in colour, and therefore easy to spot. A bit more rare than Vitality Grass, as it grew in more foul environments.

"When it comes to Poison Grass, you will need about 150 grams of it. Weigh it as accurately as you can. Too little, and the poison will lose its effectiveness. Too much, and the poison will not be able to condense into a cloud. You will have to find a balance, as I can't weigh stuff for you".

I nodded my head. I was already practicing with those containers, so it was a matter of time. When the water with the Poison Grass began boiling, Nick threw in another herb. He said, "This is the Cloud Mushroom. I'm sure you know the effects of this mushroom already. You will need to add specific quantity as well. Just as the recipe states, you will need 40 grams of that. If you have to, cut the mushroom to size. Or use more than one, if they are small".

He then continued, "Let this boil for about five to six minutes. Do not cover the pot with lid, the water needs to evaporate a bit. When you see that the amount of water decreased by half, you will need to add the last ingredient".

We waited for a while, until the mixture was ready for the next herb. Just before Nick threw in the last herb, he said "It's about the time to throw in the last herb. This is the Haze Flower. I'm sure you know the properties of that herb, right?". I responded, "Yes. Haze Flower creates a mist when it rains. This herb doesn't contain any poison, and is only capable of creating a mist when it makes contact with water and air".

Nick nodded, "That is correct. When you throw in the Haze Flower inside the pot, you will have to cover the pot with a lid, and seal it. To seal it, we use putty. It's a mix of clay and Purified Coal. When that dries, it's quite hard, and shouldn't break the seal open. The mixture needs to be cooked for about five minutes, remember not to remove any herbs from the pot. When it's ready, you will extinguish the fire, and leave the mixture to cool down for ten to fifteen minutes. You will need about 30 grams of Haze Flower, for each batch. If you add a bit more, the poison cloud will get bigger. There is a drawback to this. If you add too much Haze Flower, the poison cloud will become less potent. This works the other way around, if you add a bit less, the cloud will be smaller and more potent. But you can't add too little or too much".

I nodded, but then realised something and asked. "I know the recipe states that I need to take it our carefully, as to not make contact with air. But how am I going to achieve that?". Nick smiled, and replied "That is true. The poison will condensate after it cools down. That is why the lid must be sealed, as to not let any additional air in. That means, it will be in liquid form. Since it will be in a liquid form, we can extract it with the use of that tap there. I will show you, when the poison is done".

We waited for the poison to cool down. After about fifteen minutes, Nick said "It should be ready. I will show you how to collect the poison now". Nick took out a small bottle with a cork. I noticed that the cork had a small hole inside it. He then took out the same putty he used to seal the lid, and placed it next to the pot. The tap for extracting the poison, fitted very snugly into that cork. Nick said "The cork needs to have a hole large enough for the tap to fit inside, but not too big to let more air inside. You then place the putty all around the tap and the cork. Now you can open the tap, and pour the poison". He did just that, after wrapping some putty around the tap and the cork. A pinkish-violet liquid began dropping into the bottle, and it stayed in liquid form.

The bottle was almost full, when the poison stopped coming out. He closed the tap, and said "This is how you will remove the bottle, and seal it at the same time". I watched attentively, as Nick pulled the bottle downwards, while at the same time sealing the top of it with the putty. His movements were very fast, and I was barely able to catch them.

"That is how you will extract it. You will need to do it very quickly, but you should have no problems with that. After all, your previous training was not without fruits". He added " You can heat up the putty, to make it hard. It will not crack, because of the Purified Coal inside the clay. I will show you how to make this later". I asked, "What about the air, you know inside the bottle?". Nick smiled while replying, "Very good question. This amount of air, is not a problem. The problem is constant supply of air. If I didn't seal the bottle quickly, the liquid inside would change a bit and become cloudy. With that, the poison would loose some effectiveness. If too much air goes into the bottle, it will simply shatter it. The cloud will have nowhere to expand, and therefore break the glass or if the cork is not secure, pop the cork out".

I understood that, but something was bugging me. I asked, "You only added one poisonous herb, which is very weak. How is it possible to create such strong poison, which can kill Humans?". Nick replied, "Because these herbs were processed in a specific way. Even if you mixed all those herbs into a paste, you wouldn't receive such results. It took me a while to figure out this recipe". 'So, weak herbs may become dangerous sometimes. Everything depends on how they are processed, and what other herbs were there to magnify its effects. That's kind of neat' I thought.

I was eager to try myself. I asked Nick, "Can I give it a try?". Nick thought about it, then said "Not yet. First, I brought you some more herbs for the medicine. Try a few more times today, and you can try the Cloud Haze Poison tomorrow". I nodded, but then asked "How do I take out those poisonous herbs from inside the pot?". Nick tapped his forehead while replying, "Oh yea that. Just placed the pot back into the fireplace, and start the fire. Let those herbs burn complately, this will kill any poison left. As for cleaning, use water, and wipe the pot clean. Boil clean water inside, and then dispose of it. This should do it. Alright, I will leave you to it then". He left, while I had to clean up his mess.