Floating Paradise Palace was simply as it's name described. It was a floating palace that never stayed in one place. I gained an insight into my Mother's playfulness when we spent about half an hour just looking for the Palace, while my Father's face ran through unhappy expressions like water. Eventually, we found the Palace floating serenely above the Army Barracks. The Generals all came out in a frenzy to pay their respects and with that I gained an insight into my Father's ruthlessness, seeing the way they all cowered in his prescence. After all, only someone of his caliber would decree that his blood brother be killed on sight.
Winged transport creatures flew down from the Floating Paradise Palace to convey us up. I amazed everyone by shunning them and shooting up like a rocket and landing myself. Father and Mother soon joined me, the transport creatures landing near where I was waiting.
I looked around. The surroundings looked like an artificial jungle, with a path leading deep into it. Mother took the lead and I realized the Palace was probably hidden somewhere within the jungle. I followed after her, with Father by my side, while the retainers arranged themselves behind us, leaving enough space not to overhear any conversation. The path snaked through the artificial jungle, towering trees on either side, creating a canopy of leaves over our heads. It was so peaceful and scenic, perfected with chirping birds in the trees and the calming whiff from the medicinal plants and trees.
I remembered that I was an alchemist. My senses exploded as I turned my head to look at Father, grabbing his hand by instinct and probing the situation in his body with my inner eye.
He looked at me in a surprised way, clueless as to what I was doing. Before he could say anything I released his hand from my tight grip.
"When did you injure yourself?" I asked.
Mother looked back at us and raised her eyebrows.
We had left the jungle behind and had come to the Palace. The retainers paused their steps behind us and kept their heads down.
"How did you know that I injured myself?" Father asked curiously.
Did nobody freaking tell him I was a freaking alchemist???!!
Seeing I didn't reply, he glanced behind us.
"Laoren,"
"This servant is present," Nildan Laoren stepped forward and bowed.
"Is Neiman an alchemist?"
Nildan Laoren looked from Father to me. He also didn't know??
"I am an alchemist," I replied Father's question, "but you are badly hurt. It's spreading to your heart," I mused, "seems like a slow acting poison,"
Father looked at the head eunuch, who immediately dropped himself to his knees.
"Your Majesty! This servant has checked and tasted Your meals ever since this servant came into Your service! If there was any poison, then this servant must be poisoned as well!"
Without waiting for anyone to tell me what to do, I went over to him and grabbed his arm, feeling his pulse.
"He's poisoned as well," I reported to the dumbstruck audience and a half-mad Emperor.
"Who dares!! Who dares to poison this Emperor?!"
I was more concerned about the precarious situation Father and the head eunuch were in.
"This poison will paralyze him in the next twelve hours," I pointed at the head eunuch. His cultivation was much much lower than Father's, but I was still surprised that a rank eight magic user was only an eunuch. But after all, he was right next to the Emperor of Canolita, he must be a powerful mage.
As for Father's cultivation, I couldn't see through it, and neither could he see through mine.
Mother led us into a private room within her palace and I summoned out my vat with a flip of my hand.
Skyfall Thunder Vat.
Colossal. Shaped curiously like a ship, with seven flame entrances. Another flip of my hand and medicinal ingredients hovered in the air in front of me, waiting for me to snatch them from the air.
Detoxification. I could do it in my sleep.
A single thought and mild ingredients with dense detoxifying energy flew into the vat of their own accord. I ignored the heated gazes of everyone around me and closed my eyes.
Flame!
The ingredients' shells got burned off within a second, leaving behind the pure medicinal energy. Opening my eyes and nodding to Father, he bit on his finger and a single bright red drop fell into the vat.
Merge!
It condensed faster than even I expected, and a shining black- colored pill shot out of the vat, and got trapped in the jade bottle already waiting.
I opened my eyes. I had refined a pill in less than two minutes. A Sky ranked pill as well.
"Alchemist grandmaster," Father murmured in a shocked tone.
I respectfully presented the pill to him, and explained it's side effects.
"The poison has circulated your body and overpowered them. The only organ left is your heart, which, incidentally, is covered by a protective shield formed by your cultivation. This detoxifying pill will expel the poison through the path it came, which will make the process quite painful,"
"This Emperor is not afraid of pain," he smiled, and threw his head back as he swallowed the pill.
Nildan Laoren coughed slightly.
"Your Highness, what about--??"
"I want to study that type of poison that goes undetected," I said unkindly. Don't forget I'm a poison master as well, far far above mediocre people such as honourable Fhakirs.
I remembered I had not resolved Iria's poison problem. My brows creased.
"He has to be punished for his carelessness anyway," Father mistook my frown for something else, "you can study all you want."
Nildan Laoren:.. Your Majesty, where is your mercy! Wuwuwu..
"Poisoned or not, you've all not eaten breakfast!" Mother scolded, after shooing the retainers out, signalling to her maids to bring in the food. I flipped my hand and Skyfall Thunder Vat returned to my conscious.