Page 80 of Silver & Smoke
In the privacy of Zavier’s tent, Torj stared at the dropper full of liquid while Dessa held the concoction out to him eagerly.
‘What is it, exactly?’ Torj asked her, glancing between the two alchemists suspiciously. ‘Wren already gave me something.’
‘This is a more powerful mixture than that... Significantly so. It’s actually a rather illegal strengthening draft,’ she replied in complete seriousness.
‘Illegal?’ Torj scoffed. ‘Surely we’re a bit beyond that these days...?’
Dessa gave a small shrug. ‘Well, it would have been banned at Drevenor, is what I mean.’
‘Why?’ Torj pressed.
‘Because it mixes a lot of potent ingredients that could be abused in order to surpass the competition in, say, a setting like the Gauntlet,’ Zavier answered. ‘It’s not something that should be taken lightly, or used long term, for that matter.’
At last, Torj took the dropper from Dessa and studied the seemingly innocent substance within. Though spending months on end at an academy for alchemists had told him that there was rarely such a thing as aninnocentconcoction. ‘And how is this going to give me more time?’
‘It will give you your strength and energy back, allowing your Furies-given power to fight the poison in your system, at least until Wren adapts her cure for you,’ Dessa told him. ‘It contains dry iruseed, which you’re familiar with.’
Torj dipped his head in confirmation. Back in the day, all Warswords had carried around a small supply in case they needed to stay conscious after being wounded. After the shadow war it became less common, chiefly due to the shortage of supplies and alchemists.
‘What else?’ he asked.
‘Peppered broadleaf,’ Zavier chimed in. ‘Usually used as a kind of smelling salt.’
Torj studied the two alchemists, rolling the dropper between his fingers. ‘Are you going to list every ingredient before you share the one you’re most concerned about?’
Dessa actually winced. ‘We didn’t know how you’d feel about it.’
‘As long as it lets me wield a hammer in this war and protect Wren, I have no feelings about it but gratitude.’
‘We knowWrencertainly won’t like it,’ Dessa added.
That didn’t deter Torj, not after everything Wren had said to him. ‘If this gives me the chance to contribute anything to her fight, then just tell me how much to take and when to take it.’
‘You should know what you’re dealing with.’ Zavier paced the small space of his tent. ‘We took inspiration from the alchemy Silas used in the initial attack on Drevenor...’
Torj froze.
‘Remember how he seemed to get stronger at one point?’ Zavier forged on. ‘He ingested something, and you could actually see it work through his body?’
Torj wasn’t likely to forget. He could still see it now: the force of the tonic racing beneath the masked enemy’s skin, his stature seeming to grow, his stare glowing with an unnatural power...
Dessa was watching him. ‘We’ve only tested it on each other—’
‘Youwhat?’ he blurted.
‘We—’
‘I heardyou.’ He shook his head in disbelief and dragged a hand through his unkempt hair. ‘I just had no idea you werethatfoolish! Really, Dessa? Taking inspiration from dark alchemy and testing it on yourself, and the Prince of Naarva, no less?’
‘We’re not here to talk about us,’ Zavier snapped, his expression suddenly dark. ‘We’re here because of a mistakeImade. We are in this messbecause of me. You were poisonedbecause ofme.Meanwhile, Wren isdrowning. Dessa and I... Our specialties aren’t poisons and cures. We can’t do what Wren does. But as Dessa said: wecanbuy her some time. That’s what this draft does, Bear Slayer. It gives you back your strength so you can fight another day, and another, untilshecan save you.’
Torj’s gaze fell to the dropper once more. ‘Alchemists...’ he muttered. ‘You’re all mad, the lot of you.’
‘True enough,’ Zavier huffed. ‘We’ve made a decent supply that should last for the next week. If you take it in small doses, you should be able to maintain your usual stamina and strength.’
‘I’ll be able to fight and ride? Everything as good as before?’ Torj pressed.
‘Yes, that’s the idea,’ Dessa replied.
