Chronicles of Lormere

Collection: Lormere//Submissions
Chronicled by Ghasty

Chapter 7: Boil and Bubble

"I would like to create a disease your animals would carry, " a creature said. This creature was made from vapor and darkness. Six wings were attached to its back. A bow sat next to it made from alder wood socketed with epidote gemstones. Next to it, a quiver lay with arrows dipped in a strange mixture. This creature's name was Delumer. Across from Delumer in the cat filled room sat a strange creature. He was composed of long grasses interwoven into a humanoid shape. Some grass jutted out from his face that looked like the whiskers of a cat. Six wings of interwoven grass arched from its back.

"They must be immune to this disease. You would be mad to think I would make a deal that would kill what I'm supposed to protect!" the cat exclaimed. Delumer was reasonable, she was used to demands from the creatures she made deals with.
"Maceoin, no harm will come to your animals, only the humans, a vicious race who abused your ward. You'll finally have your revenge," Delumer said in a calming voice. She didn't want to aggravate the situation, at least not with a room full of animals.
"Fine, we have a deal," Maceoin said reluctantly, "I must be going." Maceoin stood up from his chair.
"Teupum ema oi eman zivomil u eman matca!" Maceoin chanted before the room filled with a blinding light. The dispersed and Delumer was alone. Delumer stood up and walked to a nearby table. On the table, there was an alchemical set, labeled jars of ingredients, and vials of strange liquids. Four books were on this table. An open green book listed alchemical ingredients and their uses and effects. A closed orange book listed Okkathian spells. The third and final book, a red one, listed diseases and their symptoms on humans. Delumer opened the red book and flipped to the page on Rasenjol Rot, a debilitating disease named after the first carrier of the disease. Rasenjol Rot caused a leprosy-like effect on the affected. Upon getting infected, the infected had a week at most to live. Delumer looked at a shelf above the table. The shelf held many labeled jars. She grabbed five jars. Their labels were amaranth, amanita muscaria, black cat hair, terebinth resin, and cactus spines. She set these jars next to one of the alchemical sets. She also grabbed an empty glass vial. She walked to nearby water basin and grabbed a small pitcher beside it and filled it with water.
Delumer was walking back to the table when a blinding light invaded the room. Two creatures could be seen when the light receded. These two creatures were Diasdera and Cyjovin.
"Welcome, I was just about to start the fun," she said turning towards the two with a wicked smile.
"I suppose you know why we're here," Diasdera said as she and Cyjovin walked over to the table where Delumer was.
"I figured you need a disease of some sort. Based on your hatred for humans, I'm guessing you want something to harm them," Delumer said while placing amounts of the five materials into a pestle. She placed two pinches of amaranth, three amanita muscaria caps, seven black cat hairs, fourteen drops of terebinth resin, and two cactus spines. She grabbed a nearby mortar and started mashing the ingredients together. Once mashed she added part of the plum colored mixture to an empty vial. She then added a bit of water to the vial and corked it.
"If I'm allowed to ask, what are you doing," Cyjovin asked, confused by Delumer's actions.
"I'm sure you've heard of Rasenjol Rot,' Delumer said turning to Cyjovin. He nodded in agreement. Diasdera cast a glance at him for she knew he was clueless when it came to alchemy and diseases.
"I'm creating a strain of it that is carried by cats," Delumer continued. She clutched the vial and shook it violently. She poured the shaken mixture into part of the alchemical set. She crouched down beneath the table and lifted a few floorboards. This revealed a hole just large enough for Delumer to squeeze through. She went down into the hole. This led to a cold room containing many jars and crates. There was a logical reason these were kept away from the other alchemical ingredients. This reason was that many of them contained body parts of humans and animals which could be troublesome if a human found their way into Delumer's house. Delumer grabbed a jar and a small crate. The jar was labeled Rasenjol Rot infected blood and the crate was labeled cat bones. While she was gathering these, Cyjovin and Diasdera waited patiently for Delumer's return.
Delumer struggled as she tried to push the crate up the hole. Cyjovin noticed her attempt and rushed to help her. As he was bending down to help her, he accidentally hit his head on the table. This caused Diasdera to quietly chuckle. He lifted the box out of the hole and placed it beside him. Delumer's hand jutted out of the hole holding the jar. He grabbed this jar and set it on top of the crate. Cyjovin stood back up, making sure he didn't hit his head this time. Delumer climbed out of the hole, crawled out from under the table, and stood back up. Delumer picked up an empty jar and poured the rest of the mixture into it. She then put the jar of blood onto the table and opened up the crate. She grabbed a fibula and put it in the pestle and started crushing it using the mortar. She added the crushed fibula to an empty vial. She then added some of the blood to the vial. She corked this vial and violently shook it. This produced a rose colored mixture. She added this to a different part of the alchemy set.
"Fotralici ahl serdel!" Delumer chanted, making a small candle underneath the part of the set in which the plum colored mixture resided. The mixture slowly started to bubble. Part of the mixture evaporated into a tube. This tube emptied into the rose colored mixture. The evaporated mixture then mixed with the rose colored mixture, causing it to turn to a scarlet color. She then poured this into a jar.
"Antuk ovos teched zo masolest oi krvang!" Delumer chanted, making a copy of the jar she was holding, which she caught before it dropped to the floor.
"Here, take this," Delumer said handing the jar to Cyjovin.
"What is it?" Cyjovin asked, "and how do I use it?"
"It's a form of Rasenjol Rot which can infect cats and spread to humans," Delumer responded, "just get a cat to drink it and it will spread it to humans."
"Doesn't Queen Amelda have a cat?" Cyjovin asked as he turned towards Diasdera, "if so, we could use it against her."
"I think she does," Diasdera answered.
"Thank you for this," Cyjovin said turning back to Delumer, "we will now take our leave." Cyjovin was about to chant an incantation when Delumer stopped him.
"You think you could take something from me and not give me anything in return?" Delumer said trying her best to sound offended, "I want Queen Amelda's flower collection. It contains many rare flowers, some of which are the last of their kind. Get those to me and I won't send Meldontha after you."
"Fine, we don't need Meldontha hearing about our endeavor," Cyjovin said, "teupum navu u ahl Susre zo Vyjorst!" The familiar light surrounded the two and when it receded they were gone.
"I have to put up that anti-teleportation spell,' Delumer sighed.