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wintrecat Hiya, here's the story for Spice! I got a bit into it and went over the word limit, but no worries, no need to pay extra. :P Let me know if you want anything changed!
Happy Accidents
It wasn’t that difficult to find the rumored shack in the shaded corner of the Trading Post. The strange, bitter scent of reagents saturated the air nearby, and the dim glow of a glowing cauldron seeped through the wooden boards. A faint crackling, and the occasional ‘pop’ of less-than stable materials served to complete the eccentric alchemist’s setup. The combination of strange sounds and smells served to warn any reasonable dragon that the craft carried its share of dangers, and to exercise caution and care in its pursuit.
Spice was not one of those dragons.
The orange-brown Tundra looked on the ramshackle set up with excitement and trepidation. What would the great alchemist be like? There was only one way to find out. With zeal, she approached the door, swinging it open on its rusty hinges.
“Hello? My name’s Spice, I’m looking for-” Her introduction was interrupted by the crash of a shelf, and a plume of purple fumes from a back room. An elderly bogsneak stumbled out, coughing and waving his arm. Despite the smell of burning leaves, he adjusted his glasses, meeting his guest with a smile.
“Ah, a new apprentice! I’m Baldwin, please do come in. You came just in time, could you grab that flask over there?” He moved in a hurry despite his age, his enthusiasm evident in his voice. Spice was quickly pulled in, swept up in the chaos of experimentation.
“Was that a mess just now? Should we clean it up?”
“I would call it more of a happy accident, yes? If the gruel is moving by itself, that means it's working!” Baldwin’s energy was contagious, nothing like the uptight professionalism Spice was expecting. Soon, she too was grinning ear to ear, master and apprentice conducting their own form of improvised science. A dab of gryphon feathers here, a handful of mint leaves there, and some aggressive stirring to tie it all together. Sure, the liquid burned and spilled everywhere, but that’s what goggles were for, right?
“Now, it just needs the finishing touch. Why don’t you pick something out from the shelf over there? Whatever works for you!” The bogsneak gestured towards a cabinet of reagents, filled with all manner of minerals, fruits and herbs. The Tundra’s head swam, as her eyes ran over the scrawled labels on the tubes. It was then that she saw it. It was perfect.
“I got it! Throwing it in!” With glee, she pushed past the Bogsneak, a large, shiny orb under her arm. Baldwin’s eyes widened, barely blocking his enthusiastic apprentice from dunking the prized possession into the corrosive mixture. Spice stumbled, looking at her instructor with confusion.
“Ah, erm, maybe not that one. It’s important.”
“Why not? It looks so cool!”
“Well… the biggest objects don’t always make the biggest flash. Why don’t you get the powder under the desk?” The Tundra deflated with disappointment, but obliged the request. Curiously, she peeked over the rim as Baldwin added the spice with flourish. She barely had time to pull away from the blue flash of flame. When she recovered from the shock, she could only grin, smoothing her singed mane.
Soon, the mixture seemed to solidify, squirming against the walls of the cauldron. Spice watched the strange reaction with awe, life birthed from their haphazard concoction. She swore that she could see one of its ‘arms’ waving back at her. The elder alchemist looked on with approval, patting the young Tundra on the back.
“It’ll need some time to congeal now. Why don’t you come back tomorrow? I could always use such a motivated assistant!” Spice nodded, cleaning off the reagents and stains that matted her fur.
She might have some trouble explaining the burns and faint smell of durian, but she’d definitely be coming back to learn more, accidents included. After all, that was the chaotic majesty of
Science!
Wind Council
