I woke up to a splitting headache. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Lena had apparently brought me back safely. I had been laid on a conjured bed (Rudolph's handiwork??) and propped up with pillows. I could hear soft murmurings outside the tent.
I groaned, loud enough for the murmurings to stop and for someone to come inside to check up on me.
"Are you alright?" Rudolph asked, looking at me intently.
"Make a pill to cure headache for me," I said casually, rubbing my forehead with my palm.
His eyes widened.
"But you haven't taught us how--"
"You can do it," I snapped, "use your alchemist sense. Everything is around you. Be friendly to your environment.... have you forgotten all my lessons?"
"No, sister," he lowered his head.
"There," I said with a smirk, "the longer you take, the more your sister suffers,"
He looked terrified. He was still a naive ten year old after all, I smiled in my heart.
Arguments, several vat explosions, whiffs of medicinal ingredients, arguments, pill formed, vat explosions, arguments...
A soot covered Rudolph reentered the tent, holding a pill in a jade bottle.
"Here," he said trepiduosly, handing it over.
"Cure for headache?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Errr... Yeah. It should be," he murmured nervously.
"I'll take your word," I arched my head and threw the pill into my mouth, and chewed.
My first reaction was to spit it out. It was so bitter!
"Urggg!" I saved the remnant of my brother's pride by forcing myself to gag on it.
"Water!" I cried.
Rudolph, with a flip of his hand, handed me a glass.
I gulped down the water and circulated some sweetness to my throat. After I was calm, I rubbed my forehead, as if checking to see if I still had an headache.
"What are the components of this pill? I asked him.
"Uhh, natural energy and Flip Fruit," he replied.
"Salt??"
"Yes," he stammered, "and salt,"
"Why did you select flip fruit out of countless of magical plants that could have releived a strained body?" I continued my interrogation.
"Ummm..." He looked stumped, "I don't know. Siva said her mother used to make them eat flip fruit when they were sick.."
"I see," I cut him off. "I'll grade you over ten and your score is four. Reasons: pill is almost inedible.
I summoned them all in after I finished with Rudolph.
"It is time for you to create a standard pill," I announced, "for this pill, I will be giving you a formula. This pill is called the Blood Clotting Pill. It is useful to help staunch a bleeding wound so that the injured will not die due to too much loss of blood. Once you are successful in creating it, we will make batches and send it to the clan for grandmother to transport to our warriors at the war-front. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sister Nei," said Rudolph.
"Yes, teacher," chorused the rest.
I nodded.
"Here is the formula," and I distributed five pieces of parchment among them.
"This pill has distinctive grades by which you can know how properly made it is. There is Lustrous, which is the highest grade. There is Coarse, which is one grade below Lustrous, and there is Rudimentary. Aside that, the pill it's own ranking on the Pill List. It is ranked Earth Low Grade, meaning it is at the bottom of the Pill List and just right for your level of alchemist skills. Now, do you have any questions?"
Mel raised his hand.
"Go on, Mel,"
"Can we work together to make it?" He asked.
"No. An alchemist must rely on themselves to create medicine that will solve problems. I have taught you frequently, an alchemist must be self-sufficient. Do not forget this,"
"Yes, teacher," they replied, defeated.
I flipped my hand and five custom made vats appeared and landed in front of each disciple.
Mel's vat was deep brown, with rune markings that spelled Earth. Siva's vat was deep blue, rune markings spelling Ocean. Kira's vat was a mix of purple and grey, rune markings spelling Ash. Rudolph's vat was a colossal red, rune markings spelling Spirit. Lena's vat was deep black, rune markings spelling Magma.
They gasped with delight, admiring the vats. Siva traced her hand over the cool surface of her vat.
"It is so pretty!"
"Yes, but that's not all. Vats are not decorations," I instructed, "not pretty vases to collect flowers in. They are the soul of an alchemist, the most important tool. Affinity supporting vats accompany alchemists throughout their career. Upon learning your affinity, I began at once to craft these supporting vats for you. Accept them as a gift from me as your teacher."
They all rose and bowed formally.
"These disciples thank teacher!"
"You may rise. Now, it is time to start." I rose and levitated the vats, letting them land on platforms I had created for this task. The platforms were suspended in the air, with a good distance between them.
"The medicinal ingredients you need have been placed on the platforms. Now, go, and begin at once."
Five young alchemists flew into the air and landed on their respective platforms. Sitting cross-legged, they closed their eyes, formed seals with their hands and entered within the energy field of their vats.
I watched with satisfaction and retired into the tent, busying myself with creating more medicinal formulas and recouping my lost energy.
***
It had been a day and a half. I had created nine medicinal formulas during this time. I heard a commotion outside and realized that they had started exiting their vats. Rising, I walked to the entrance of the tent just in time to see Rudolph exiting his vat and trapping the pill into a jade bottle. I nodded satisfactorily. As expected from my brother.
"You are done?" I walked out and asked, startling him.
"Yes," his face was full of smiles, " it's so much easier to create a pill when you have a pill formula to guide you!"
"You are right," I nodded, "but the successful alchemists do not usually rely on pill formulas. An alchemist must be--"
"Self sufficient, I know," he said hurriedly, "yes, yes. You've said it a million times," he huffed. I smiled.
"Come down from your platform. I'll wait until the rest are done and then I will grade your pills at the same time."
By the end of the day they were all done. We sat around the fire and they all cradled their pills to their chests. I laughed at their behavior.
"Come on, it's time to grade your pills. Starting with you, Mel."
Mel reluctantly handed his pill over.
"Now, we mostly determine the grade of a pill by its colour, markings, smell and roundness. Let's see Mel's pill here." I assessed it, "It is very red, signifying the blood, quite round," I sniffed it, "and carries a strong whiff of medicine. The markings are three distinct dots. I'll be grading it Lustrous,"
"Really?!" Mel was flabbergasted. I returned the pill to him with a smile.
"Yes. Siva, you next,"
Siva passed me her pill.
"Four dots. Round." I sniffed, "strong whiff. Very red," I nodded, "also Lustrous,"
Siva squirmed with delight.
Kira's pill was Lustrous as well, with three dots. Lena's pill had two dots, but made up for it with the very strong whiff of medicine. And Rudolph's pill had five dots and a crisscrossing line.
As expected from Neiman's brother, I thought happily.