*Date: 33,480 Second Quarter - Chalice Theocracy*
The academy forest bordered the rear gardens, a semi-wild stretch of green used for botany lessons and low-level herb gathering. The morning was cool, birdsong thin above the mist.
Fox trotted beside Aris as he picked through the undergrowth, searching for the right herbs:
**Swiftgrass**: long blades with a faint golden sheen at the tips. He spotted a cluster near a brook, slicing carefully with his knife.
**Wild Honey**: not from jars, but from hives hidden in hollow trees. He smoked one out with a smoldering branch, scraping a thick comb into a clay jar while bees buzzed angrily around him.
**Dewdrop Resin**: glistening beads on the bark of moonwillow trees. He collected them carefully, sticky fingers gluing together.
**Stonebark Shavings**: tough gray bark from the academy's ancient wall-trees, hacked with effort into his satchel.
**Mudroot**: gnarled, damp-smelling roots pulled from the marshy edge of the pond. His boots sank ankle-deep, and Fox yelped when mud splashed his fur.
By noon, Aris's satchel bulged. He returned to the alchemy chamber, hanging bundles to dry above the cauldrons. The room filled with the smell of fresh herbs, sharp, bitter, sweet.
When they looked at the fourth attempt sitting in the corner:
Fox peered over the edge. "Looks less like swamp water."
"Good sign," Aris said, pouring the mixture through a sieve into a glass vial. The liquid glowed faintly gold. His heart jumped. He corked it quickly.
He bottled four vials. "Even at twenty percent, it's actually a good ratio. But it eats too much ingredient. Well, maybe if I move forward with the title it gets easier."
By evening, Aris had four neatly corked vials of Stamina Tonic lined on the table, golden like sunlight trapped in glass.
He sat heavily on a stool, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Four from a small cauldron. Not terrible. Wait, I can make even smaller batches for guaranteed success."
Fox flicked his tail. "Not terrible for someone who thought mixing herbs would be easier than casting magic."
Aris smiled faintly, holding one vial up to the light. "Still. It's mine. My work. And next time we're crawling in a dungeon, maybe it'll be the difference between life and death."
The basement vents sighed as night fell, carrying smoke and the faint sweet scent of honeyroot up into the cold Chalice air.
He left the basement to return to his dorm. While passing corridors, he was stopped by an unfamiliar Chalice Templar. The templar was wearing heavy armor unlike the casual dress of the academy teacher templars. He had a gold and red sash going sideways from shoulder to his hip.
He stopped Aris. "Aris, is it?"
"Yeah, who are you?"
"I am Crusador of the Chalice. Humble servant of the high priest. Name is Kurgodan. Mind if I ask a couple questions? Your headmaster gave permission for investigation." The crusador was intimidating in every step, his armor gleaming even in the dim corridor light, his posture radiating authority and menace.
"Investigation," Aris thought. "Oh, am I in trouble?" He gulped. Crusador should be one above the Templar title, Aris thought.
"Sure, sir. Crusador, I mean sir Kurgodan."
"No need to be nervous. I am just making sure everyone is keeping their mouth where it's supposed to be. What is your relation with library worker Lyra?"
The question was straightforward and gave him no time to hide his emotions.
"What relation? She works there... and... and..."
Fox intervened. "He is a geek. He likes to study. Memorized almost everything."
"Yeah, she is just there when I work."
"Did you see anything out of the ordinary that she made?"
"I mean... I..."
"She was gone like a month. They say she had a lover and had a kid," Fox said, spewing so much made-up nonsense that it took away Aris's tenseness. It almost made Aris laugh.
"No sir, other than her wacky inventions like the railed ladder, I didn't see anything unusual."
Kurgodan sighed. "Okay kid. Keep an open eye and if you notice anything, tell one of your templar teachers. They will find me. Good night."
With that he left and made Aris and Fox breathless.