The ride proved to be a short one. When we arrived in Badyron, I was welcomed by a flood of memories, both good and bad. At a distance, I could see the shack where we spent time experimenting with the [Impersonate Soul] scrolls. Esmerelda’s shop was within view, and before anything could occur, I put my hand on Ravyn’s shoulder after she jumped off the cart.

“Remember, we want to smile and not put any blame on her,” I said with a toothy grin.

Ravyn batted my hand away. “I know that, dumbass. We got along just fine last time. What do you think I’m going to do, just light the whole place on fire?”

The idea did cross my mind, yes. I put my hands up. “No, just saying.”

She rolled her eyes and started her march toward Esmerelda’s shop. I helped Keke and Cannoli down from the cart, and we followed a few paces behind Ravyn.

A chime rang throughout the shop when Ravyn pushed the door open.

“Welcome to Esmerelda’s Eclectics, where all—” Esmerelda was leaning on one elbow and thumbing through a book when we entered. Even at this distance, I could tell her eyes locked with Ravyn’s. Both women shared a glare, and Esmerelda stood up, crossing her arms. “Oh. It’s you.”

Ravyn raised a brow. “What a warm welcome. Do you greet everyone this way?”

“No, I reserve this one for my favorites,” Esmerelda replied with a half-smile.

Coming on a little strong. Good start.

For the second time, I put my hand on Ravyn’s shoulder and whispered into her ear. “Ravyn, pull it back.”

“Saoirse, are you my nyanny?” she whispered back, grabbing my hand like it was some dirty rag and moving it away. “Stop that.”

“I’m surprised to see you back here.” Esmerelda’s stare landed on me next. “I take it then that my wares were sufficient?”

“Yes, thank you so much for last time,” said Keke.

We marched up to Esmerelda’s counter, the floorboards squeaking underfoot with each step. I scanned the shop as we made our way over, noticing that the shop looked a lot cleaner than before. The boxes appeared freshly dusted, and the empty jars replaced. Not a single cobweb stuck out to me, and a glance at the floor said that it was recently swept.

When we reached the counter, Ravyn opened her mouth only to be interrupted by Cannoli. “I love what you did with your hair! How do you keep it so shiny?”

I admit, the question caught me by surprise.

It seemed to catch Esmerelda off guard, too. She blinked twice, then whipped her long, curly green hair behind her, her expression unchanged. “Trade secret.”

Maybe she’s born with it.

Cannoli crossed her fingers. “It’s lovely!”

A faint smile tugged at Esmerelda’s lips. “Thank you, sweet.” Her attention came back to Ravyn. “You brought your lovely familiar back as well.” She put her arm out, and Ball flew from Ravyn’s shoulder to Esmerelda’s forearm. She used the middle knuckle of one finger to play with the underside of his beak, her smile widening. “He is such a beauty. When did he answer your summon?”

Maybe it was my imagination, but I could’ve sworn I saw Ravyn’s eye twitch. “Long time ago,” Ravyn growled.

A moment later, a scaly creature slithered its way around Esmerelda’s waist, past her bust, and relaxed comfortably around the top half of her torso and neck. Numerous shades of red speckled an emerald body. “Mine came to me as a child.” Esmerelda caressed the top of the viper’s head, and the snake responded by flicking out its black forked tongue.

Ball is strangely complacent right now for being around a snake.

I had to know. “No offense, but should a snake be hanging around a bird?” I didn’t have any particular opinion on snakes, but I knew enough that one that big could eat a bird if given a chance.

“It’s fine,” said Ravyn, “they won’t hurt each other.”

Esmerelda nodded, and for a moment, I was distracted by how the snake looked coiled around her lithe body. “It’s as she said. They are not Encroachers. They are familiars.”

“Desiree didn’t have any urge to eat Bally either. They all come from the same place,” Ravyn explained. “There’s no reason for them to fight or eat each other.”

“I see.” The longer I looked at Esmerelda’s familiar, the more features I noticed. Its fiery-red eyes, its black underbelly, and a strange, feathery bulge about a quarter of the way down its body. They looked like tucked wings from where I stood. Somehow it felt like the longer I looked at the familiar, the more it entranced me. As if it was luring me in. The snake turned to look at me, then flicked its tongue.

I’ve had enough Enchantments for a lifetime. My ear wasn’t burning, but better off safe than sorry. I shook my head. “Sorry, Esmerelda. This is fascinating stuff, but we need to get a few things from you.”

“My apologies. What brings you to my shop today?” Esmerelda lowered the arm that Ball was sitting on, and the viper turned to look at him. I wondered if the familiars were sharing a telepathic conversation.

Ravyn leaned on her forearm and narrowed her eyes like she was about to do business with the local mafia. “We got three girls caught under a [Slumber] spell. They’re in bad shape, and we need some potent materials to make sure they don’t wake up screaming.” With her spare hand, Ravyn procured the list from her [Cat Pack] and put it on the counter. “Do you have any of this stuff?”

Esmerelda set Ball down next to the parchment, unfurled the scroll, and began reading off the components in a mumble. After a minute, she put it aside and nodded. “Yes. I have everything you need.”

“That’s great,” said Ravyn.

“Guess I didn’t need to come after all,” Keke said with a frown.

“Never hurts to be cautious,” Cannoli said with a consoling smile. “We had no idea if they were going to be in stock!”

Keke let out a nervous laugh. “Thanks.”

“Will you need an [Alchemy] lab as well?” asked Esmerelda.

“Yeah. How much is that going to cost me?” asked Ravyn.

Esmerelda put a finger to her violet lips. “It’s two-hundred Bells an hour.” Ravyn opened her mouth, and Esmerelda put her hand out. “I’m not done. In addition, if you are using materials from my shop, there will be an additional charge per hour equal to fifty percent of the total cost of materials.”

Ravyn gritted her teeth. “That’s robbery.”

“That’s business.” Esmerelda drew a deep breath.

Sighing, Ravyn put her [Cat Pack] down on the counter and pulled out a handful of Bells, counting them in a whisper.

I untied the [Cat Pack] around my waist and threw it onto the counter. “I’m pitching in, too. It’s not fair that you have to cover the entire cost.”

“You have a nice man there,” said Esmerelda.

“Y-yeah,” said Ravyn.

By the time we estimated the price of materials and how long we’d need, the total came out to six-hundred Bells. Assuming we finished in two hours like we claimed we could, that meant Ravyn and I would be paying three-hundred Bells each.

After we got everything sorted out, Esmerelda led us to a room at the back of the shop where an impressive [Alchemy] lab was stationed. Bottles of varying shapes and sizes, tools I’d never seen before, and shelves after shelves of herbs, spices, and who knew what else lay in jars, bags, and bins.

“Damn, this is nice,” I expressed out loud.

“It’s pretty good,” Ravyn said with a hint of irritation in her voice.

Cannoli looped elbows with Ravyn. “I think it’s a beautiful lab. It’s got so much more than the one on Ni Island!”

Ravyn scratched one cheek. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Please clean up when you’re done.” Esmerelda had a scroll and quill in her hands. I assumed she was taking note of her inventory. Her viper continued to hang around her neck, its head perched between her cleavage. “I don’t want any herbs laying around, or else there will be an additional charge.”

Ravyn rolled her eyes. “You and your additional charges.”

“You can go somewhere else if you like.” Esmerelda paused for a reaction, then bent one of the bins on the shelf forward, scribbling something down on her quill. “I will leave now. You have the lab for two hours. Let me know if you need more time.” She rolled up the parchment, brushing shoulders with me on the way out.

That’s a nice scent.

Esmerelda shut the door behind her, and Keke breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad she didn’t ask about Celestia.”

“Yeah, you and me both,” I admitted, scratching the back of my head.

“But hey, it all worked out, right?” said Cannoli.

“Thankfully. Well,” I said, cracking my knuckles, “shall we get started?”

Keke wore a wry smile. “Been a while since I did this.”

Cannoli used her spare arm and hooked it around Keke’s elbow next. “Do you need a refresher? Teacher Cannoli would love to assist.”

Keke’s cheeks reddened. “I think I still remember most of it, but I wouldn’t mind a crash course.”

“Of course!”

After a bit of discussion, we figured making the potions in pairs was best since there were enough tools for two brews at any time. Considering I had the least experience, I paired up with Ravyn. At first, the experience was miserable. I wondered if this was how people who entered Boot Camp felt whenever their instructor yelled at them for every tiny thing.

Eventually, though, I found a rhythm, and even she admitted I was doing a decent job. Never did she use the words ‘good’ or ‘yes.’ No, instead, I got ‘acceptable’ and ‘sure.’ It was usually a matter of being off by a point or shaking instead of stirring or forgetting that I let something boil for too long.

An hour passed. Ravyn and I worked in silence. I would periodically confirm with her if I was doing something right. Short discussion would follow, and soon the silence would return. Ravyn taught me that some chemicals and herbs made certain sounds when they were ready, so I ensured that I never spoke much higher than necessary. But the long silences bothered me a bit, so I decided to start a conversation.

“So, did you ever become an [Alchemist]?” Knowing that the catgirls could switch Classes, I wondered if Ravyn ever dabbled in something else. I never took my attention off of my work as I spoke. I’d learned that Ravyn had no tolerance for a driver who didn’t watch the road while they talked.

“No. Never considered it.”

Another short reply. Like the one last night. “So, uh, can you sum up what an [Alchemist] can do? If Destiny’s going to be coming with us, I’d like to know what I should expect.”

For a while, Ravyn didn’t answer. I could hear Cannoli and Keke giggling in the background. If I listened closely, I could hear some of the details, but for the most part, it was all whispers.

“A bit of everything,” she said flatly at last.

When she didn’t elaborate, I pushed. “Like what?”

A deep sigh escaped through her nose. “Bombs, poisons, tinctures, things like that.”

I nodded, and although I’m sure she knew what questions were coming next, I asked them anyway. “But that’s what we’re doing now, right? Creating tinctures? Hell, we could make some poisons and bombs right now, I’m sure. Why don’t I make some of those?”

“You can, but they won’t be as effective. [Alchemist]s use a special type of magic.”

Finally, an answer. “Ohhh, okay.” I poured the violet-colored contents of a vial into another filled with a clear solution. Carefully, I shook it around nice and slow until the concoction turned to a pastel version of its previous appearance. “How does the [Alchemist] use magic?”

Ravyn set down the mortar and pestle and turned to look at me. I noticed out of the corner of my eye but maintained my focus. At least until I was done with this step of the concoction. After a few more seconds, I corked the vial and put it on the rack with the others. That was one dose down. Ravyn could tell me later if I did it right.

“Depends on the Skill they’re using. [Alchemist]s use a combination of magic to call out the more potent versions of their concoctions.” She looked down at the rack of vials I made and pointed at one. “Imagine if I could cast that tincture from the bottle on another person instead of drinking it. It still uses the contents, but the effects hit someone else. That’s how [Alchemist] works. Loosely.”

“Can they double as good healers?”

Ravyn smirked. “Some of the best.”

The entire time we spoke, Ravyn seemed distant. Her answers detached. As much as I wanted to know more about the [Alchemist] Class, I decided against probing any further.

Time passed, and with a bit of luck, we managed to finish ten minutes earlier than we intended. I wiped a sheen of sweat from my forehead and exhaled.

“That’s a lot tougher than it looks,” I said.

“You’ll get used to it,” said Ravyn. “You did good, Matt. No mistakes.”

“Yay! Great job, Matt!” Cannoli squealed. “My protégé has come so far!”

“You’re a quick learner. How many times have you done this?” Keke winked.

I struggled to remember but leaned into the only time that came to mind. “Only once, I think. Maybe twice?” I looked at Cannoli for confirmation, thinking back to when Keke waited outside the lab. “Right?”

“Unless you’ve been sneaking out to make potions with Granny Nauka, I think so!”

Ravyn didn’t take much time to examine Keke and Cannoli’s work. The way we’d done it was split into two groups—one working on a salve and the other a tincture. The salve was meant to act as an external numbing and healing agent, while the tincture would be for any internal damage suffered. The second one was the iffy part. That would have to be ingested. All we could do was hope that the salve would be strong enough to allow the girls a moment to swallow the tincture.

“The salves are perfect,” muttered Ravyn. “Perfect. Let’s get the hell out of here. Sooner we’re off this island, the better.”

“Maybe she’ll give us a discount,” I quipped.

Ravyn sneered. “Don’t hold your breath.”

Matt has gained: Two Levels of [Alchemy]!