Chapitre 108: Micah - 11.1
I stood inside Larkin's shop, the familiar scent of gentry and mercantilism filled the air. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the wooden shelves lined with jars and vials. It felt safe, but my heart pounded in my chest.
Suddenly, Lodur's voice cut through the serene atmosphere. "Pathetic," he sneered, pressing Larkin beneath the heel of his polished boot. Larkin's eyes pleaded for help, but I couldn't move, paralyzed by the oppressive weight.
"Lodur, stop!" I shouted, but my voice sounded distant and hollow, as if I were speaking from the bottom of a well.
"I told you to have my stones in two cycles, Larkin. You should have listened."
The shop door chimed, and a lizard man walked in, his scales glistening in the dim light.
"Time for alchemy, sssstudent of mine," he said, his voice smooth and cold.
Before I could react, the sky outside turned pitch black, swallowing the light and casting the shop into darkness. Horrific screams drowned out the lizards next words. I turned around, but Larkin had vanished, leaving only Lodur whose flesh was stretching and morphing.
The boy grew into a man, Magnar, the Allrquin. His eyes blazed with white light.
"You cannot escape fate, Micah." He said without moving his lips.
Magnar exploded in a brilliant flash, vaporizing everything in Aune. The blast launched me into a dense jungle.
Disoriented, I stumbled through the ferns and vines until I saw a man. He was dressed in strange clothes, probably to survive in this wet heat. The man briefly turned around and threw a letter at me.
I caught it.
He entered a temble hidden amongst the foliage.
"Father! Brigham! Wait!" I yelled, but he disappeared into the darkness.
The world flipped, and I found myself sitting in Morley Manor, practicing with the spell chips. It was home not Mother's house but home with Grandfather.
The door creaked open, and Alacaster walked in.
"Oh, praise Fygesor! Good to see you a man, Micah." He said warmly.
"Grandfather," I whispered, my voice cracking as my mind trembled with relief and sorrow.
He crossed the room and pulled me up from the chair, his eyes full of wisdom and compassion.
"What troubles you, dear boy?"
I could not hold myself any longer. Words spilled out in a rush. Emotions roiled over from my soul.
"Everything.. Chimeras... Dreams... Pressure to be more, better. I feel like I'm drowning. I'm never enou-"
Alacaster listened intently but cut me off with a warm hug. I wept onto his sleeves like an immature child.
"It's too great, Grandfather. This burden...."
He wiped the tears from my face, reassuring me with a wide smile.
"You are stronger than you know, Micah, and you will be stronger yet. For you to seek me in this manner, I know that I am not long for this world, but you still have your father and mother. You still have your uncle. They would do anything for you, die for you, son."
"I feel unequivocally lost," my voice muffled against his shoulder.
"That is fine," he said softly, "You are meant for great things. Do not burdened yourself with the illusion of solitude, and succumb to the ripples of this small pond."
His golden eyes looked behind me, "Seems our time is over for now."
I shot awake, drenched in tears and sweat, the remnants of the dream clinging to my consciousness. I looked over at the other bed, half expecting to see Lodur lying there, but it was empty.
I ripped the covers off myself and grabbed an energy potion from my bedside table. The familiar warmth spread through my veins as I downed it, the fatigue and lingering effects of the dream melting away.
The room was too crowded, too compact. I needed to create a space that I could use, somewhere I could work and think without distraction. I flipped my bed against the wall, making a satisfying thud as it hit the wood. The other bed soon followed, freeing much of the space
Next, I stacked one of the shelves on top of the other, creating a vertical storage unit. The desk was too cumbersome, so I turned it upside down and pushed it into the corner. The other wardrobe found its place against the door, blocking any unwanted intrusions.
"That's it, I suspect."
I began assembling my workshop, carefully arranging my tools and materials on the limited surface area. It was cramped, but it would have to do.
As I worked, the tension in my body gradually eased. The familiar motions of setting up my equipment, the precise placement of each tool, brought a sense of order to my chaotic thoughts. I placed my alchemical supplies on the makeshift shelves, ensuring everything was within arm's reach.
With each item I placed, I felt a bit more in control. The dream had shaken me, but here, in this self-made workshop, I could find my footing again. I arranged my diagrams and notes on the wall, creating a tapestry of ideas that would guide my work.
I took a step back, surveying my handiwork. The room was transformed, no longer a shared space with a snobbish roommate, but a haven for my creativity and labor- my organized mess.
The lingering tension from my dream slowly dissipating as I got lost in the familiar motions of alchemy. Hearthfire berries, with their fiery red hue, lay on the table before me. I began to muddle them, their juices releasing a warm, almost comforting aroma.
Next, I grabbed some dried shavings of eclipse melon. The dark green, almost black, slivers contrasted sharply with the vibrant berries. I mixed them together, the colors melding into a strange, swirling pattern that was both beautiful and unsettling.
To this mixture, I added a few drops of juice from the remedy root, its potent, general application properties make for a great addition to any tincture. The liquid hissed as it touched the berries and melon, the reaction causing the mixture to bubble slightly. I watched intently, ensuring the proportions were just right.
With a steady hand, I reduced the mixture over a small flame. The weird conglomerate colors began to thin out, blending into a unified yellow. The smell was sharp and invigorating, a good sign that the potion was developing correctly. Just as the mixture reached the perfect consistency, I quickly removed the heat and began to dilute it with water, carefully pouring it in until the potion reached the desired potency.
I lined up twelve small vials and began to fill them one by one. Each vial received a portion of the bright yellow liquid, the energy potion that would fuel my future endeavors. Just as I was corking the last one, a loud thud echoed from the door.
"What in the name of the gods have you done to our room?" he shouted, "This is my space too, you know! Open this door right now!"
I sighed, bracing myself for the inevitable confrontation. Lodur's incessant banging and yelling only grew louder.
"Open up, you imbecile! Why does our room smell like a dragon's dust laboratory?"
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
"Hold your gryphons," I muttered, stepping over to the door and moving the wardrobe aside just enough to open it.
Lodur stood there, his face a mask of fury and disbelief.
"This is unacceptable!" he barked, pushing past me and surveying the chaos of the room.
"I needed space to work," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "We share this room. That means I can do my projects."
"This is not sharing," he scoffed. "You've colonized the whole space with your idiotic breath!"
He glared at me, clearly unhappy with the situation.
"I'll be speaking to the faculty about this."
"Do what you need to," I replied, turning back to my workbench.
Lodur stormed out, slamming the door behind him. That would buy enough time for me to finish corking. Then, I packed everything back into my bracelet and fixed the room back to its original layout.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone