บท 159: Chapter One Hundred And Fifty Nine - We are preparing for the Festival
Thus Leon had, once again, a full schedule with preparing pills and potions for the Festival, for Ursam and a few also for Pharmacist Clawse. Fortunately, as Teacher Sagi had heard that Leon was planning on joining his brothers in setting up a stall at the Festival, he was lenient and allowed him a break from his studies in order to prepare.
"I am looking forward to seeing what you boys prepare this year," he smiled fondly at his three students.
Leon quickly prepared many improved One Heart Pills and improved Blood Pills, before creating his new Smouldering and Erupting Energy Pills. He made a few attempts at creating a variant Burning Blood Pill, but it was as he suspected and no matter whether he used red petal or green leaf of the Mothtail herb, the pills turned out much the same. He needed to consider it some more. But he felt that this could wait for now.
With these jade bottles ready for the pharmacist and for the pill merchant as well as the bottles of standard healing pills that he had created for the Festival, he looked over the large spread and felt that they were a bit dull to look at. Coming from a land where visual appeal was as important as quality and price, he couldn't help but feel that when looking at these bottles, there was no real appeal.
Of course, this didn't matter to Clawse, who sold pills by prescription and Ursam, who wished to sell his pills at Auction. But at the Festival, surely his bottled pills would be amongst thousands of other bottled pills and as his pills tended to be of average quality and of more common product, there was little to entice people to come trade with him. But it was not as if it was worth wasting silver on fancy bottles...
His eyes fell upon the remnants of a piece he recently carved...
In the meantime, first year students from the Martial Arts school and Beast Tamer's school were pressed into service as the Scholars school wanted a few specific things in the name of decor. Amongst those things happened to be luminescent bugs. Naturally Corvus thought that it would be an excellent experience for his small apprentice... and the other one too!
Sun was less than impressed. "I hate bugs," he complained bitterly as he leapt in amongst the wide spread branches of the black trees emerging from the boggy mud beneath them. "Why do the Scholars school need them?" As if in counter-complaint, a swarm of flies flew upward and through the tree limbs currently holding the boy. His arms automatically shielded his face as he stepped back, unstable. Jin Li generously grabbed him by the sleeve, less he take a dip in the thick murk bubbling beneath the tree's roots.
Corvus laughed as if Sun's words were a huge jest. "Look!" He said, cheerfully, "A Silver-horned Swamp Beetle! You know, they make effective flying mounts for those unable to wield their swords."
The giant carapace of the midnight insect split open and four thin, translucent wings unfurled. It's six, spindly legs bent, before straightening suddenly, its momentum in leap launching it skyward and the huge beetle flew above the tree line and out of sight. Sun shuddered, visibly. "I think I'll pass." Jin Li was in firm agreement.
The two reluctant youths and one enthusiastic Teacher were currently trailing through the Cold Mires, a strange swamp land that happened to be located within the high mountains. There was no warm fog nor warm, stagnant waters here. The mist lingering around the bases of trees was cold, leaving droplets of icy moisture upon their skins. The pools of water trapped within rock and thick mud had ice floating within them. Where the mud bubbled was somewhat warm, as if lurking deep below the bog there was a hidden hotspring or well, but the eggy smell of sulphur came hand in hand, thus no one was willing to try to tap this resource.
As cold and unpleasant as this place was, it was home to the Winter Firefly and like its small and harmless cousin of the southern marshes, it was a beetle that could glow in the dead of night. But naturally, being a spiritual beast, it was not so simple. Its light was that of coldfire, which while it would not suffer from this anyone who threatened it would. If it was of an evolved stage, it could even freeze the area of up to a metre in radius with it as the centre.
However, the bug, which was about the size of a thumb joint, was nocturnal and therefore the best time to capture it was during the day. Unfortunately, it was the most difficult time to locate it as well.
A blue harpy flew over their heads, flapping its long feathered wings twice before diving towards an icy pool surrounded by frost marked ferns. The three men leapt after it and watched it circle about a pock-marked outcrop of leaves. Corvus tossed globe-shaped clear jade bottles and chopsticks towards the two students with a grin. "Hop to it!"
Sun groaned while Jin Li considered his options with narrowed eyes before both succumbed to their fates.
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