By the Grace of Blood- Part II

The willow grew into the sky, its long arms stretched wide, and its waving hair dangling. It had started life eager, growing to full height in just five years. In the same time, a young child came to love the canopy it provided.

~

Clym sighed. The porridge was bland, as it always was. They were lucky enough to get meat once a week from the butcher. Not a spare bludcent remained for a better range of flavors or foods. It was better than bread scraps and tainted well water. They had come out the other side of those years, but many hadn’t. Clym only knew the food was bland because of the yearly festival. A feast was prepared in honor of the Sacred Sanguinate, the gods of Andora. That festival was about to happen again, and Clym could picture the roasted meats, the baked delights and marvelous aromas that followed. It made her impatient and intolerant of her porridge. She left a half-eaten bowl behind her and strode out into the street. She was to make a delivery today at father’s request. She made her away through town clutching a small wooden box.

Harbin was a small coastal town. It sat along the southeast coast of Andora, the only stop between two larger cities along the coastal trade route. As such it had its travelers and traders, but wasn’t a place many of either stayed for more than a few days. It was a fond sort of quaint. Somewhere between homely and hopeful.

Clym arrived at the town center after a short walk from home. There sat the market full of food stands, fabrics, and other goods. She glanced at some of the finer fabrics and pictured the feeling of them on her skin, how they would make her look. Perhaps the young men in town would notice her then. She had just turned 18 a couple months ago, but her body and the men hadn’t noticed. She was neither thin like the rich merchant women nor curvy like the loom-women. She thought of herself as both fat and ugly, and the lack of attention she received seemed to confirm her feelings.

“Would you like something girl? A dress perhaps? Those terrible browns and whites don’t suit you at all dear,” said a tall woman behind the stall. She wore an emerald green dress that sparkled whenever the sim glanced upon it.

Clym realized she had been staring at the clothes for too long. She shook her head, bristling at the woman’s words and her own distracted mind.

“No, thank you.”

She walked away before the woman could ask again. She hated that the woman was right. Her dress was a patchwork of brown scraps on what was once an all-white dress. Fabric was expensive, and brown was the cheapest, drabbest color to buy.

Clym approached a fruit stand run by a small woman in light blue. The lady nodded.

“Izzat it? I been waitin for yuh ta come,” the woman said.

“Yes Mrs. Donnel. My father sends his regards and hopes the box suits you,” Clym said.

“Well lemme see it then,” Mrs. Donnel said.

Clym placed the box on the stand. Mrs. Donnel opened the box and smiled.

“It’s perfec. My little Annabeele is gunna love this jewelry box. Tell your da he did a fine job craftin it, just li always,” Mrs. Donnel said.

“I will. But, Mrs. Donnel?”

“Yes dearie?”

“You still haven’t paid.”

“By grace’s blood! I almorst forgot!”

Mrs. Donnel pulled out a bag of small silver coins that had a reddish tint to them. Bludcents, the currency of Andora.

“Here yuh go, now be good yuh hear?”

“Yes Mrs. Donnel. Thank you,” Clym said. She took the bag of coins and left the stand behind. She entered a small timber-framed house that had a sign marked The Rusty Cauldron above the door. It was an odd little place. Dark except for a collection of candles (no windows) with an assortment of oddities.

“Did another job for your father I presume?” said an eld-woman at the counter.

“Indeed. Have anything new for me Mrs-

“How many times do I have to tell you now, keep the Mrs. and Ms. and Miss for the traditional folk. Call me Halma yes?” Halma said.

“Yes…Halma,” Clym said.

“I must say you look beautiful today my spring-flower, you’re really growing up,” Halma said.

Clym’s face reddened. She looked down. She didn’t agree, but it felt nice all the same. Halma had a way of making her feel special.

“Lucky for you, I have some rather interesting trinkets I received just a few days ago,” Halma said.

Clym darted her eyes back to Halma and grinned. “I was hoping you might.”

Halma lowered herself behind the counter and pulled out a wooden chest about twice the size of a loaf of bread. She plunked it down on the counter and undid the latch. She lifted the lid and spun the box around for Clym to see. Clym’s eyes widened. She looked around the room, passing her eyes over the collection of antique jewelry, old books and parchments, dusty silverware, semi-occult trinkets, and provocative art. Those sort of items normally interested her. Not that day. The small wooden box was laid with hay. Resting upon the hay were three bottles. One red. One blue. One green.

“It can’t be. Are these…

“Blood potions, yes. A potion-master happened to visit my shop just yesterday. I gave him shelter and he paid me in these,” Halma said.

“A potion-master? Here? What on Nerrth was one doing here?”

“Passing through, spring-flower, passing through. You know they aren’t looked upon favorably by the king? He would like to have all blood magicks regulated and overseen by his council, but as of now the Guild of Commerce will not allow any such thing. Blood magick is profitable after all, and most everyone would like an extra boost if they can afford it. Even still, the king’s men will try to abduct potion-masters and their work when he can get away with it. He just uses bandits. Plausible deniability and all that,” Halma said.

“I’m not sure I understand all of what you’re saying. How do you know all of this?” Clym said.

Halma smiled. The smile of a curio shop lady who knew far more than she had any right to. “A procurer never reveals her sources my spring-flower. It keeps the business coming,” she said.

Clym eyed the lady with a mix of skepticism and awe. How did this peculiar figure end up here? What were her secrets? How did she have connection to some sort of potion-master travel system? Clym’s curiosity overcame her suspicion.

“What do each of these do then?”

Halma smiled again. A devilish smile this time. “Their color signifies what type of blood magick they contain and then distribute to the user. Red belongs to the transformation class of blood magicks. These may change a feature of your body and make them better, such as keener hearing, sharper eyes, or deadly claws, but at the cost of looking like that of the creature it resembles. It would not be easy to disguise many of these transformations. What transformation the magick gives depends on the person or creature the blood was taken from. Blue belongs to the fortitude class of blood magicks. They can make someone more resistant to pain, make them resistant to certain diseases or poisons, make them heal faster. Again, what ability it has all depends on the person or creature it has been taken from. Green belongs to the ether class of blood magicks. These consist of what many might call spellcasting. These are the flashiest of blood magicks and what many think of when they picture a person using them. The most common spells are elemental in nature or involve moving objects, but all are physical in some way, manifesting their power outwardly. And again,

“What ability the magick potion gives depends on what person or creature the blood was taken from,” Clym finishes. Halma nods.

“Very good. As you might imagine, blood is not something most people or creatures give up freely, and as such make the potions expensive. The demand is high, of course. The abilities are rather useful, but random. There has yet to be a definitive method for identifying what ability will be present until the potion is being brewed and tested. This makes potion-masters invaluable. Both for being able to make the blood into potions, but also for identifying their properties before selling and distributing them. Some sources for certain abilities have become commonly known, such as using horse blood to make a transformation magick that gives one horse legs and thus speed,” Halma said.

“Doesn’t it seem rather obvious that blood of other creatures might then bestow properties of the creatures themselves when made into potions?” Clym said.

“Well thought, but not quite. The other important component of blood magick is its activation material. Blood by itself is just blood. Blood mixed with it’s activation material creates the potion used for blood magicks. For example, the activation material for the horse legs magick is salt. However, salt mixed with the blood of other animals and creatures has yielded no results. This has shown us that the activation material is unique to the type of blood being used. Thus, many potion-masters keep the activation materials secret, to ensure people must go to them to make the blood magick potions, rather than make them on their own. And from there, you can see why the king might have potion-masters kidnapped and their secrets uncovered for use. Another curious fact is that one type of blood may provide multiple abilities when combined with different activation materials. Of course the difficulty lies in finding out what they are,” Halma said.

“Fascinating. You’ve learned all of this from your contact with potion-masters? Have you ever tried one of potions yourself?” Clym said.

“In time, spring-flower. For now, just know that there is much more to the world than flashy elemental blood magicks you’ve seen at feasts or celebrations. Much more. It is said there are other classes of blood magicks, and even creatures that wield blood magick naturally without potions. Perhaps it is all myth. Perhaps not,” Halma said. Her eyes flashed black for just a moment and the candles dimmed slightly before both return to normal.

Clym shivers. There is far more to Halma then I thought. She’s smart. She disguises herself as a sweet old lady that runs an oddity shop, but there’s more. Who is she really?

“Was that you?” Clym said.

“Don’t let the idea of magick get to you spring-flower. Just the odd draft,” Halma said.

Clym hadn’t felt a draft.

“Well okay, but Halma? If these potions are so rare and important, why show them to me? Surely it wouldn’t be wise to sell them in a town like this where it would be easy to track you down? And besides, there’s no way someone like me could afford this,” Clym said.

“Well you see spring-flower, I’ve been looking for someone to help me with this business of mine. Not just the store. The housing, the distribution of potions…among other things. You’ve been the only person to visit me regularly, to show interest in things beyond this town. And a genuine interest from what I can tell. As a means to determine if you’d be right for the job, I offer you these potions. Test their blood magick. See the world beyond. If it fascinates you as I suspect it will, then work with me. I will show you wonders and teach you some of the truths of this world,” Halma said.

Clym’s mouth hung wide. This feels too good to be true. Me? Using blood magick? Befriending potion-masters?

“I…

“Just take them, spring-flower. Hold on to them for the evening. Bring them back in the morning if you don’t feel up to the task,” Halma said.

“What abilities do these give? Will it be safe for me to try them here?” Clym said.

“Worry not. They are common. I do not wish to spoil them for you. Discover them through your own testing. You will only need a spoonful of each to initially test them. The abilities won’t last long, but you will know when they manifest and fade. In time, I will tell you more, if you wish it,” Halma said.

“I’ll take them then,” Clym said. I hope this isn’t a mistake. I can’t hold down the terror and excitement it brings. This could change everything.

“Good. Here’s a bag to place them in, it’s best not to have the townfolk see you wandering around with blood magick potions. Be careful, but revel as well. This will change everything,” Halma said.

Clym looked at Halma and raised her eyebrows. It’s as if she knows my thoughts. Clym took the bag and placed the potions in it, securing them to straps within. It wouldn’t do to have them clanking around as she walked back through town.

“Thank you Halma. I will be back,” Clym said. Halma nods. Clym walked out the door and into the town center. She made her way home, looking around for people watching her and checking the bad periodically. She arrived after a few minutes and opened the door to the house, again looking for anyone who might be watching. There was no one. She entered the house and went to a back room where her bed and a small table with a book and candle sat. She reached under her bed and pulled out a box. Inside were other curios she had purchased from Halma. A couple rocks with sparkling geodes, teeth from strange animals, coins from other lands, and a few feathers from rare birds. Here she placed her three blood magick potions. Red, blue, green. She closed the box and slid it back under the bed. Tonight. I’ll test one after mother and father go to sleep.