#i need to start sharing all my LLTK king art! GJHBK
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
huffle-dork · 2 months ago
Text
Long Live the King
Chapter 6: Potions and Dreams
Read Fantasy Masks | Read Swapboys | Read the first FM adventure | Other Multiverse Adventures | Read on AO3
Much like the previous night, the boat continues while it's dark. Sleep is a harder time coming, since with all the Phantoms up on the deck, there's more people walking around and more noise in general. When the sun rises, the tall trees and their drooping branches block it out for a while, and then it gets covered by some clouds for a bit. But eventually, as it always does, the light breaks through.
Bro has been restlessly sleeping all night- plagued by nightmares. All the things he couldn’t remember from being under the King and Mag’s control is coming back to him slowly. But only at night when he can’t distract himself. He awakes before the other swaps, breathing heavily, trying to shake the visions from his head. But, it only makes him worry for Alt more… He wants to hit something but- he doesn’t want to break the boat or the supplies…
He's not the only one who's awake early. The other Chase is there, too. He glances at Bro with a concerned expression. "Bad dreams?" he asks. 
Bro blinks at his other self and then nods quietly, “…yeah…” He hugs his arms and takes a deep steadying breath. 
Chase nods sympathetically.
The others wake up soon, too. Henrik is passing out more insect repellant paste to anyone who's up and ready for it. Jameson is rummaging around for food in the supplies. Jackie has walked off to the side as far as possible from everyone else and is messing with his swords, trying to quietly polish them. And Marvin is pretending to still be asleep.
Henny and Dr. J wake up soon too. Henny looks at their surroundings and sighs in awe. “oh it is so pretty! But the light bug friends are gone!” 
Dr. J chuckles as he stands up and cleans up his bedroll. “They typically only show up at night, my friend.” 
Jackieboy wakes up last, and he groggily looks out at the others. His blanket he used to hide his face while he slept falls comically off his face. But, he doesn’t look like he slept too well either. Being a light sleeper and an insomniac on a nosy boat with lots of people wasn’t a good combination. He blinks blearily and rubs at his eyes.
“How is everybody doing this morning?” Henrik asks. “I was thinking if everyone was up for it, we could eat breakfast and then I could show you my potions.” He sounds hopeful.
Henny looks very excited and hurries to clean up his bedroll too. “oh yes yes! I would very much like that!” 
“Sure, I’m down.” Jackieboy yawns. 
Dr. J nods with a smile. But, he does glance at the Chases talking with a bit on concern.
“Great!” Henrik beams excitedly. “We will go get some—ah! Thank you.” 
Jameson returns with some parcels of food and hands them out, starting with Henrik. “We eat, then I show you.” 
Marvin stops pretending to be asleep. “Can I sit in?” 
“Of course!” 
Dr. J thanks Jameson as well and takes the food. Henny laughs, “Were you just pretending to sleep, Marvin?” 
“Hey I get it- sometimes people are too loud in the morning.” Jackieboy comments as he gets a parcel too and tears into it.
"Exactly." Marvin points at Jackieboy, agreeing. "And I know it'll be hard for me to sleep once we get on the ship." 
"Not if you agree to take the nausea tonic this time," Henrik mutters. "Wha--hey!"
The other swaps laugh at Marvin and Henrik's banter. 
Meanwhile the two Chases talk quietly to each other. 
“Um… I don’t know if there’s anything I can do to help, but if there is, let me know. I’ll be here. I mean, if you can’t depend on yourself, who can you depend on? Hah.” Chase says. 
Bro glances at Chase and then chuckles, giving him a weak smile. “Hah- that’s a good one.” He then grips at his arms. “…it wasn’t… a dream necessarily… I’m… remembering. What I forgot… when the King had me. And just… s-seeing Alt…” He closes his mouth into a tight line and curls up smaller, trying to hide his weakness. 
Chase nods slowly. “It’s… tough to see them again,” he says quietly. Then he glances around. None of the fantasy guys are paying attention. “I saw my wife again, but… she was under an enchantment. I-it didn’t go well. But… I think it’ll go well with Alt, when we find him. Which we’re getting closer to every day.” He puts a hand on Bro’s shoulder. “It’s going to get better. And in the meantime, if you ever need time to be alone, you can use that flight of yours to go out on shore. As long as you keep the boat in sight, no one will be bothered.” 
Bro looks back at Chase and he can see the tears lingering in his eyes. He rubs at his face and nods. “…I’m sorry about your wife… that’s… that’s so hard… I hope we can find something to help her in the Wyldwoods…” 
He looks out at the shore and grips at his arms tighter. “…I just want to… to destroy something- I’m so… angry that this happened! But I… I get carried away and… Dr. J says it’s not good to fight my feelings with fists.” 
"Better than keeping them to yourself," Chase says, shrugging. "And we're going to be in small spaces for the next three days. People can feel bad moods. But you know yourself the best. Just... something to think about." And he smiles. "And thank you. About Stacia. We can help her by freeing Jack from that spirit." 
Bro smiles a bit and nudges his shoulder against Chase. "Yeah... if i need space I'll... I'll see. I wouldn't want my bad mood affecting everyone else." He nods to Chase, "... I know you guys can do this... stop that spirit. And we'll do anything we can to help." 
Chase gives him a small smile. "Thank you. That means a lot." He clears his throat. "Now. What are these all talking about?" 
They're talking about seasickness. 
"You know Henrik has a point, Marvin. One small tonic could save you a lot of unnecessary discomfort," Dr. J comments gently. 
"Alright, alright, I get it!" Marvin groans. "It just didn't seem as important if it was only two days." 
Jackie gets up and walks over. "Are we talking about how Marvin spent the whole ocean journey in his cabin?" 
"Jackie! I swear to every Elder--" 
You really should take a tonic if the nausea gets that bad, Jameson interrupts. Suffering isn't noble. 
"I didn't think it would be worth it," Marvin repeats insistently. 
Well clearly, it would have been.
"I'll take a tonic this time, alright? But don't you have to make it first?" 
Henrik's eyes light up. "I can show you all how to do that after you finish breakfast!" Henny smiles and nods eagerly at him, excited about the potions. 
Dr. J chuckles, "I'm often telling many of these gents as well that suffering isn't noble. Just hope one day they'll listen-" He looks pointely at Jackieboy. 
Jackieboy lifts his hands in surrender as he grumbles, "I didn't take pain meds one time-" 
"You had a migraine for days at that point!" 
Henny looks between his friends as they bicker, like he's watching a ping pong match as he eats his breakfast. 
Bro looks over at the others and can't help but chuckle as he picks up the conversation. He grabs something to eat and sits down closer to everyone, "Mornin' to the rest of you-" 
"Ah Chase!" Dr. J pauses in his scolding of Jackie and gestures towards him, "Since you're here and we're on the subject- why are you all so stubborn about taking medicine when you need it?" 
The hero blinks, halfway through of bite of his breakfast. "ummm..." He shrugs, "I dunno. I don't like lookin' weak- sometimes I think I can just... shake it off, you know?"
Every single one of the fantasy guys stare at Bro like he's said something utterly strange.
"...everyone needs medicine, though?" Jackie says, genuinely confused. 
"That's an attitude that is not common in Glasúil," Henrik says. "Though I vaguely remember something like it from back home." 
"I can understand it, though," Marvin muses. "To be weak is to be vulnerable, and vulnerability is difficult. There's a fear of being hurt that comes with it." 
But if it's a scenario like what Jackieboy did, where you were ALREADY hurt for a long time... I don't see the thought process? Jameson says, his expression making the statement into a question.
Bro finds himself turning red as all the fantasy boys look at him. "O-Oh... I-I don't know! I just..." He struggles with his words. ".... asking or admitting you need help is... hard." 
Dr. J looks a bit concerned and then pats Bro on the shoulder, "... I didn't mean to put the spotlight on you, Chase... I know it's hard to admit that sometimes. But, you deserve help, always. Even if it's help from a tiny pill or a tonic." He chuckles. He looks back at Jackieboy and raises an eyebrow, "You too, Mr. Mann." 
"Yeah yeah- don't surname me, Jems-" Jackieboy grumbles. "I've been getting better-" 
Dr. J relents with a laugh, "You have, I will admit." 
"And in my defense of the migraine thing- I'm a single dad with 3 kids, I had a lot of other things on my mind!" Jackieboy adds. "But yeah... not taking the medicine by then was dumb. My brain was just everywhere- eventually it just kinda faded into the background." He shrugs.
Chase raises his eyebrows. "Three children and no partner? And I thought my kids were tough to take care of. Oh, right, you said that 'Sar-uh' is away a lot last night. That must be hard." 
"Oh yeah- saying single implies that I'm not married to Zara," Jackieboy laughs, "Sorry- people don't get that we're married and she's away a lot so I default to that." 
"I bet you're great at it, though," Jackie says cheerfully. 
"And we're not, ah, picking on you or anything. Either of you. It's just a bit of a surprise." 
"I understand where you're coming from," Marvin says. "But... yes, it is a bit strange to hear. It's like that rule about how you never thank a Fair Folk because they see it as you putting them in your debt." 
"Fascinating, though," Henrik mutters. 
The father blushes a bit as Jackie compliments him and he grins shyly. "Thanks man... I think I nail it- my kids are my whole world." His face falls for a second before he shakes his head. "... I was gonna say I hope they're okay but... i-i know they are. They just probably miss me." 
"Stacy and Oliver are taking good care of them and our animals I am sure!" Henny reassures Jackie brightly. 
"And Shaun is of course taking good care of Alice too." 
Dr. J smiles, "Yes, I know he is. Alice loves having time with her Uncle Shaun. I'm sure they're having a great time." 
"What a story this will be for them later," Jackieboy grins. Bro shares his grin for a second, nodding. They loved spinning tales for the kids to hear. 
After breakfast, Henrik pulls a bag and a couple small shoebox-sized chests from the pile in the center. He double checks everything inside and then commandeers one of the benches to use as a table, sitting down on the deck itself.
The swaps help clean up breakfast and then gather around Henrik with curious eyes. Henny and Dr. J are especially excited.
Henrik grins at his audience. Chase and Jameson aren't there, both having their own things to take care of, but Jackie is there as support and Marvin is there in case he gets to talk about more magic. 
"This box is filled with normal medicines and medical supplies." Henrik opens the lighter-wood chest. "And this one is for the witchcraft and potion ingredients." He opens the darker-wood one. "And the bag is full of supplies." He starts taking things out of the bag. There's a small pot made of black iron, wooden spoons and metal cups of various sizes, thin knives that look a bit like scalpels, some rocks and crystals, and some instruments the swaps don't recognize at all. 
Henrik looks completely enamored with the magic and supplies. "Oh! Such a teeny pot!" Dr. J studies all the instruments with interest.
"I am not sure how much of this you have in your world... maybe not too much. Marvin? Can you fill up the pot with water?" 
"Mm-hmm." Marvin takes the pot, then grabs his amulet. A glow of light surrounds the pot as he uses magic to lift it over the side of the boat and into the water before pulling it back up. 
"Don't you need fire?" Jackie asks Henrik. 
"I was hoping Marvin could help with that, too. Wizard fire will either burn anything it comes to contact with, or it will only provide heat and no burns." 
"I know spells for both of those," Marvin says helpfully.
Dr. J adds timidly, "Um... let's not do the spell that burns everything? Good to know you have that though-"
Marvin laughs. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it. That takes a lot of power in any case." 
He hands the pot back to Henrik, who sets it up on a metal stand that props it up about eight inches off the ground. Then Marvin grabs some more light from his amulet and sets it down under the pot, where it turns into a small blue flame. "Usually we use bigger pots for bigger batches, but since we are traveling a lot that would be too difficult. So we make due with smaller ones for smaller doses." 
"Oh, you left all the bottles in here, Henrik," Jackie points out, looking into the bag. 
"Yes, that was on purpose. They are all wrapped up, I did not want to undo them for no reason." Henrik looks back at the others and grins. "What would you like to see first?"
Henny bounces a bit in excitement, "I want to see those dual potion thingys!! So many of them were like boom!" He pantomimes an explosion with his hands. 
Dr. J laughs, "I might be the only one interested in the actual medicine. So, whatever you'd like to start us with is good, Henrik."
Henrik grins. "The unmixed potions take less time, so we can start with that. Hmm... what can we do with what we have?" He opens up the darker-wood box. Inside are small ceramic bottles and cloth packets. "Oooo, I have been wanting to try this. One that will attract any metal to the center. I believe we need this for that?" He grabs something from the corner: a small black stone. He demonstrates how it sticks to the metal fastenings on his tunic then sets it down on the bench. 
"Oh! A magnet!" Dr. J says with a smile. "A natural one- how interesting!" 
"A... 'magnet,'" Henrik repeats. "These are called lodestones here." He looks through his supplies. “We have a few other magical ingredients. Tangleweed, water roses, bark from rowan trees. These all give the liquid different qualities."
"What properties do they give?" Henny asks, leaning in. 
"Nerds~" Jackieboy tries to whisper to Bro but Bro nudges him with his shoulder. He's actually trying to listen. ... Alt would have wanted to see this. Maybe they can teach him later... The least Bro can do is listen though.
Henrik grins at Henny's interest. "Rowan trees will enhance any power," he says, taking some of the bark from a packet and dropping it into the water. "Tangleweed will make the effects last." He takes some roots from a packet and adds those. "And ground-up water rose petals spread the range." Then pours in some powder from a bottle. "For this one we also need some of this: iron shavings." He pours that in from a bottle. "This gives the potion its target, that being metal." The water slowly grows cloudy, and Henrik picks up a spoon and stirs. "Marvin, increase the heat, please." 
Marvin nods and the small fire gets a bit bigger.
Henrik's eyes glimmer with awe as he listens intently. "Wow! That is so-!! I do not even know how to describe it! It is- magical!" 
"How do you learn all of these things...?" Dr. J muses, "Lots of experimentation I'm guessing?"
"Testing and reading." Henrik nods excitedly. "I always ask for news from my home kingdom, and one day I heard about these. I immediately started testing. Unmixed potions are quite strange, because you must divide the recipe for a normal potion in half. And increase some of the portion sizes." As he stirs, the cloudiness of the water spreads through the whole thing, making it look milky. He pauses for a moment, waiting for it to settle. It does, and slowly turns a pale blue. "It is always trial and error. Normally when one drinks this recipe whole, metal objects will be pulled towards them. I want the metal objects to be pulled to the spot where the liquids mix." 
"Oh I remember that potion," Jackie says. "It's not usually much use. Very specialized." 
Bro hums in thought, "...that's a brilliant idea though... you can use that to pull all their weapons away and disarm a whole group in an instant." 
"It's usually purple, right?" Marvin asks. 
"Yes, but this is not a whole, only half, so I think this is the best we will get." Henrik reaches into the bag and pulls out one of those special divided bottles. "These are carefully made by some of our sorcerers. I have to be cautious with them until it's time to use the potion." 
Henny looks at the bottle and then laughs, "Oh! It is spilt in the center! So went it cracks it goes Boom!! I get it- that is why you must be careful!"
"Yes! Precisely!" Henrik nods excitedly. "Now. Here we go. Marvin, heat down." As the flame reduces, Henrik grabs the handle of the pot and pours it into one half of the bottle, made easier by a small divot in the lip, like a pitcher. "And now, Marvin, do you mind getting more water?" 
"Mm-hmm." Marvin repeats the same magical process from before, returning with another potful of water. 
"Now we add this." Henrik plops the lodestone into the water. "And two violet caps." He takes two purple mushrooms out of a packet and adds those as well. "They will add a little of the, ah... what do you say, Jackie? The 'oomph.'" 
Jackie laughs. "That's it. Exactly." 
Henny laughs, "The oomph! Ha- that is a funny word, I like it!" 
"This has to sit for a while, so we will wait," Henrik says, sitting back. 
Bro stares at the potion and pot and tries not to let the sadness overtake him. But he does whisper, "... Alt would have loved to see this. He... he likes all this- magic stuff." He laughs slightly, though the smile doesn't reach his eyes. "He'd probably be trying to write down some notes and make pictures of the stuff so he could try... just- glitching all over the place."
Henrik looks at him, enthusiasm fading a bit. "Yes... But when we find him, I will be happy to show him again." He tries for a small smile. "It may help him, even." 
"We'll be sure to let him know everything," Jackie says. 
"And show him anything he wants to know." Marvin nods.
Bro blinks in surprise for a second before he smiles more genuinely. "... thanks guys... that really means a lot to hear. He'd... he'd love to." 
Henny looks at Bro and then pulls him into a side hug. Bro stiffens for a second before letting himself relax against the gentleman. Henny rests his head on top of Bro's.
Jackie, Henrik, and Marvin stay quiet for a while. Feels like their visitors need this moment to themselves. Then Henrik clears his throat. "I think it is done." The liquid in the pot has turned a deep red color, like wine. He carefully lifts and pours the pot like he did last time. He concentrates so hard, not even saying anything, and only breathes once it's done. "Must be delicate with that. We do not want to accidentally pour it into the wrong side." He stoppers the bottle, then takes the lodestone out of the pot, as well as some slimy remnants of the mushrooms. "These can still be used for other spells if sliced," he explains, putting them in a new cloth packet. 
Henny perks up a bit as he watches. He does make a slight face at the slimy mushrooms. 
Dr. J chuckles. "Waste not want not-"
Marvin takes the initiative to wash the pot with the same 'levitation into the water' process.
Dr. J studies the potion from a distance. "... incredible that just a few ingredients make such an effect..." 
"Yeah- dunno how much magical plants we have back home but... if we do have stuff like this maybe I should call my folks up for lessons." Jackieboy laughs. "At the very least for you all- never was good at doin' the magic shit myself. Mam got tired of teachin' me after a while." 
"It is so interesting, isn't it?" Henrik says. 
"It is!" Marvin says excitedly. "I could never get the handle on potion-making myself. I didn't have the patience. Since I could just do a lot of these effects on my own with a focus, it seemed a waste to me. So I understand where you're coming from, Jackie." He laughs. "My parents also got tired of forcing me to attend lessons." 
Jackieboy grins and makes a gesture like he's flipping a hat at Marvin, "Ah, a fellow unfocused lad!"
Jackie laughs. "You should see him when he's reading about magic. It's like all his focus is directed towards that." 
"Well, it's hard to concentrate on something not interesting," Marvin says. 
"No, I agree." Jackie holds up his hand. Marvin grabs it. Jackie grins. This sort of thing seems normal for them.
Jackieboy laughs too, "God fucking mood! Can't concentrate worth shit if it's not somethin' I like-" 
Bro and him share a smirk at seeing Jackie and Marvin clasp hands.
"Oh, speaking of your magic, how long can you keep this flame going?" Henrik asks. 
"Oh, quite a while. It doesn't take much concentration to sustain it." 
"Good. We have to heat the water before making any medicine. Unlike potions, where the magic will burn away sicknesses, medicine has to have that burned away through normal means."
He giggles. Dr. J tilts his head, "Potions burn away the sicknesses, but medicine doesn't? ... I'm not quite sure I follow, do you mind elaborating?"
"Ah." Henrik looks at JJ. "Well, when you drink water without heating it first, you may get sick. That is what I mean. You must heat it up or purify it with magical ingredients like water roses or violet caps. Or just with magic. There are talismans for that." 
"And spells," Marvin adds.
"Oh! I see-" Dr. J chuckles, " We do something similar back home! Just with a less magical solution."
"Ahhh." Henrik nods. "So you heat up the water too, then. Well, while we wait, you can ask any questions you like. I'd love to talk some more--and I'm sure Marvin can help with anything I don't know." Marvin leans forward, excited.
“Hmmm,” Dr. J thinks of something to ask, “Are all these ingredients here native to Gasuil? Or are they from other countries? If thats the cause I bet translations of what properties they have would be difficult!” 
“All of them can be found here, yes,” Henrik says. “But some can also be found in other places. For example, rowan trees also grow on the east continent, while water roses are common on the far east continent. Hmm… that probably means nothing to you. Once we get to the ship, I should convince Vsevna to show you one of his world maps.“ 
"Oh i would love to see a map sometime! The entirety of this world fascinates me, I would adore seeing how its structured!" Dr. J says passionately. 
In any case, yes, sometimes potions can be difficult to translate. That is why one of Glasuil’s major trade items are magical plants.” 
“If there weren’t so many here, we wouldn’t have much to export besides root vegetables,” Jackie says jokingly. 
“Of course, if it is impossible to get something, recipes can be modified,” Henrik says.
Dr. J laughs with Jackie and nods, "That makes sense- like a baking recipe!"
"Potion and medicine making is not too far off from baking when you think about it," Henrik chuckles.
Meanwhile, Henny saw how excited Marvin was and leans in close, gesturing towards his amulet, “Marvin, mein friend, can you tell me how it is your necklace works? I have not see magic like this!”
Marvin’s eyes light up as Henny asks that. “Oh! This is my wizard focus.” He holds up his amulet for everyone to see. It’s circular, made of wood and an ivory material. “Every wizard needs one. Without it, we can’t do any magic—or at least not control it as well. That’s one of the differences between wizards and other magic users. We’re able to channel the magic of the world into nearly anything, but we need help to do it. Focuses have to be made of magical or valuable material, so they can be costly. Traditionally the making of them is overseen by the crown. Which is, unfortunately, why most wizards are on the King’s side. Easier to get a focus from him than to try and make one for yourself. Took me dozens of tries—and some help—to make this. It’s Rowan wood and dragon bone.”
Henny looks enamored as he looks at the focus- almost reaching for it but then thinking better of it. He bounces in place and pulls out his watch. "It is kind of like my watch! I do not think I can use my time magics without it- but... mine was probably not as expensive." 
"Huh. If your watch is like a focus, that helps me understand it," Marvin says.
Henny laughs. Then his eyes sparkle and his jaw drops, processing what Marvin had said a bit late,  "wait, Dragon bone?!" 
"Oh yeah! That reminds me," Bro asks, looking at the fantasy guys, "...what happened to Wyvernlair? Did it...?" He doesn't want to finish the sentence but you can guess where he's going.
Marvin’s faint smile falls. 
"Oh. Yes, uh..." Jackie clears his throat. "I already mentioned this in passing to Jackieboy, but... yea. It was discovered." 
"My fault, really," Marvin mutters. 
"No, it's not. We didn't know the King could read minds back then." Jackie shook his head. "There were a couple royal scouting parties sent out, and eventually one found the location. There was this dog--well, not just a dog, a familiar, a wizard's magical creature like Draco--" 
"Not nearly as friendly, though," Henrik mutters. 
"Anyway. That party found us so we had to leave Wyvernlair before an attack came. And... well, we still got caught in the middle of an attack, but most people were gone by that point, so it could have been worse." 
"It was a good base, though," Marvin says sadly.
Bro's face falls and he looks sad too, "Oh god... That's... I'm so sorry you guys..." 
"M-Maybe one day you can go back!" Henny tries to offer gently. "W-When this bad spirit is removed from the King..." 
"They wouldn't really need a secret hideout then though," Jackieboy adds with a shrug. 
"...Maybe they can use it for... selling... things...?" Henny replies uncertainly. "...Or... um..."
Jackie laughs. "It'd be nice to see it again, at the very least. Maybe we can convince the real King to set up an outpost out there. One manned by former Phantoms. I know that others miss Wyvernlair, too." 
"Oo! Or we can use the dragon bones somehow!" Marvin perks up. "It's extremely magical, you know. And it keeps things warmer than usual. Maybe the bones could be used for potions, somehow. Or spells."
"Yes!" Henny says brightly, "Repurpose it to serve the kingdom for good! I am sure the real King would be for that!" 
Bro gives a small smile, "..that'd be a sight to see. We'd have to make sure we come visit then too..."
"Please do," Jackie says eagerly. "I'd love to show you the kingdom when it's not ruled by an evil spirit." 
Bro smiles more, "And I'd love to see it then too... without our stupid cat bitch messing stuff up."
"Um, Henrik," Marvin says slowly. "Should I turn the heat down or--" 
"Schiesse!" Henrik notices the water in the pot about to boil over. "Yes, yes!" 
"Alright!" The flame reduces quickly. Henrik sighs. "Well. I think we still have enough water in there to make that nausea tonic, if you want to stay for that."
Henny and Dr. J, since they were sitting closest, startle back as the pot boils over. 
Dr. J chuckles, "I'm still curious!" 
Jackieboy and Bro exchange glances before Jackie mutters to Bro, "Do you think there's enough room to train?" 
"...i dunno bro- probably not?" 
"Damn-"
"If you two are bored you do not have to stay," Henrik says as he opens up the lighter-wood box. "This will be a longer process. We need to use teleráil, hallowseed, ginger, rosemary--" 
"Or we could use mint," Marvin says. "Mint tastes better." 
"Well I did not bring mint, so we cannot use it." Henrik starts rummaging around in the chest. "Oh! But I do have lemon balm! And some valerian and feamdhe, so I could make a sleep aid."
Jackieboy and Bro flush bright and act like school kids that got caught cheating. Then Jackieboy laughs, "God... I'd kill for something mint right now-" 
"You like mint, Jackie?" Henny asks. 
"Alt turned me onto it- I was surprised he liked it too." Jackieboy laughs. "Has mint gum like, constantly." 
Dr. J smiles, "It's also his favorite tea."
Marvin brightens. "Oh! That's my favorite tea, too! Nobody else in camp likes it! I-I know I have a supply in my tent back at the cliffs. Once we find Alt, I can make him a brew."
Bro smiles, "He'd love that Marvin... Dr. J is always telling us the best medicine is a good cup of tea." 
Dr. J blushes slightly, "Well... that's what my parents taught me! Most of the time you just need a quick moment and a warm drink."
"We didn't have tea when I was growing up," Jackie remembers. "It only really caught on in the last... ten years or so? Warm drinks have always been a thing, but it was usually water with honey, or sometimes milk from the goats on the farm." 
The swaps look very surprised by this. "Tea is that recent here?" Dr. J says quietly. 
"Tea is native to the far east," Henrik says. "That is where that particular practice, with the pots and all the diffusion, came from. But heating up water with leaves or roots inside has been common here for a while. That is how most tonic medicines are made." He gestures at the pot, then picks up one of those thin knives and starts slicing up some long leaves. Not actually cutting through them, just into them.
Henny watches Henrik with a smile, "That is so interesting! All cultures start to borrow from one another it seems. I like that! We all learn from each other!"
"I think you broke Jay's mind," Jackieboy laughs, "He's British- so all he's known his whole life is tea!" 
Dr. J smacks Jackieboy lightly, "They don't even know what being British means!" 
The others smile. "I'm supposing that 'Brih-ish' is your nationality, then?" Henrik says, chuckling. "The others made similar jokes about me being Alterdan when I first arrived." 
"We still do," Jackie says cheerfully. "Like your low tolerance!" 
"Just because our drink is not strong enough to make someone dizzy with two fingers does not mean my tolerance is low! We drink much more in one sitting to make up for it!" 
"Don't tease the man holding the knife," Marvin says, grinning. 
Henrik rolls his eyes and plops the leaves into the water. "Teleráil needs to boil for a while, but not too long," he explains. "I need to remove it before it makes the taste bitter." He then drops in the ginger, already pre-sliced. "And the ginger is the main ingredient to soothe the stomach." 
"What's ironic is they make fun of me for being British while living in Britain!" Dr. J says with exasperation, pointing a finger at Jackieboy. 
Jackieboy laughs and holds up his hands, "Hey! S'not my fault you made friends with a bunch of Irish boys! That's your fault for going to uni in Ireland!"
Henny looks between the two bickering again before shrugging, "I am also from Britain but my Mother was born in Germany- which must be like Alderdan since we have the same accent, other-me!" The gentleman smiles. "Though, us germans are known for our drinking skills! I can drink way more than Alt can." He grins big, looking proud of himself. “Even if I am going Half-German!” 
Henrik chuckles. "Perhaps in some years or so the typing will change to be more like that. But for now I must handle getting teased for not wanting to drink whiskey."
He pours a packet of small, round seeds into the water and stirs. And then he puts in the rosemary and some thin grass-like plants. 
Henny giggles and nods. "I am not a big fan of whiskey either. But, Alt is!" 
"Who out of us do you think could drink the most?" Marvin wonders. 
"Out of the three of us, it's me," Jackie says. "No doubt." 
"Ha! Do you know how much wine I can down at a party?" 
"Wine isn't that strong, it doesn't count." 
"Yeah honestly, Alt doesn't have the best tolerance but he can drink the rest of us under a table." Jackieboy laughs. "I got old man syndrome kicking in- drinking the night away just isn't possible with three kids!" 
"I bet I could beat him-" Bro mutters. 
"You can’t get drunk anyone more though, Chase," Dr. J says lightly, patting his leg. “So it’s hardly fair.” 
"Yeah yeah I know..." The hero grumbles. 
"Personally I think it would be funny if Jameson could drink the most," Henrik says. "He does not seem the type, does he? There would be irony."
Dr. J chuckles, "In our group I am definitely not the strongest drinker. I don't really like to drink, personally." 
"I agree with ya Doc- Imagine other Jameson just beating everyone else!" Jackieboy giggles. "I'd pay to see that."
"We should go out for drinks some time," Jackie says cheerfully. "There's a tavern in every town, won't be hard to find a place!" 
Jackieboy beams, “Oh hell yeah that’d be a blast!” 
Henny looks excited too, “Oh yes! Alt and I go drinking often, that would be very fun!!” 
"Add it to the list when we show them around the kingdom," Marvin says. "I'll bring all the gold and jasper to pay for your rounds." 
"You will?" Jackie raises an eyebrow. "Well, I'm assuming that in the future I'll be able to access my family funds again." 
"Access in what way?" Henrik asks, raising an eyebrow. 
"Whichever is fastest." Jackie grins. 
"Normally I would say something about stealing, but if anyone deserves it, it's the Tinechroi family. They can afford it, too." Henrik chuckles. 
Dr. J chuckles, “I’m guessing you’re from a noble family then Marvin- one full of pricks from the sound of it.” 
“Eh stealing from pricks is acceptable,” Bro comments. 
“That’s not very hero-like to say Chase,” Dr. J says with a raise of his eyebrow. 
“I’m off duty- it’s fine.” 
"They're pricks alright," Marvin says. "My sister Thalia works for the King. Which wouldn't have been such a bad thing ten years ago, but with that spirit in charge, it means she's done some terrible things." 
Jackie clears his throat. "Moving on…”
"Anyway, yes. If you all want to head off to do your own things, you can. This will take a while." He taps the edge of the pot with a spoon. 
Jackieboy looks around the boat, leaning back on his hands. “…is there even room to do anything? Man- I’d actually kill for a book to read-“ He chuckles. “And I don’t usually read a lot!”
“if you want to read, it'd be a bit difficult here. Books aren't all that common and I remember our alphabets being different." Jackie brightens slightly. "Oo! Maybe Henrik can teach you our writing! Like he did for me and Chase!" 
"I am a bit busy here," Henrik points out. 
"I could try, if you want," Marvin says, shrugging. 
Jackieboy can’t help but make a face, “Uhhh that’s okay… I have a hard enough time reading our own alphabet…” 
“I’d be curious to see!” Dr. J says with a smile. 
“Careful Doc, you might explode learning so much all at once,” Bro teases. 
“Oh pish posh- no such thing!” JJ replies.
Henrik chuckles. "Well, we have a lot of travel time ahead of us. So might as well fill it up however you can, yes?" 
"I think there's enough room for more training if we don't take out the deadly weapons," Jackie offers. "Just go through some drills. I can ask Chase and Jameson to join." 
"I'll be around if you want to ask about anything." Marvin grins. "I'm always happy to talk about magic if you're all curious." 
Jackieboy whoops and punches both his fists in the air, “Yeah! More training! I wanna get so good those fucking bastards and their knights won’t see what’s coming!” Bro grins at this.
Dr. J and Henny exchange looks then laugh. Luckily there was plenty of things to do- so much to learn!
The boat continues south. Soon, it will reach its destination. But there's a long time until then. 
◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈
That night, Alt has a strange dream. He's in a sort of garden. There are tall trees and neatly trimmed grass and paths made of stone. But it all looks so... regular? Even? And as Alt looks around, he sees tall, boxy structures in the distance. Are those... buildings? But they're so big, and so square, and some of them are shiny. The sky above is bright blue, and yet there's no sun to see on this sunny day.
Alt blinks as the dream takes shape and looks around in confusion. Everything here seems… wrong. But also… familiar somehow? How could that be? He’s never seen buildings that shiny before. 
“Where… am I…?” He whispers to himself.
As he looks around, he hears something above him. A bird call of some kind. There’s a swift in the sky. Somehow he knows that this is the same one he saw while traveling. But it looks different. It’s no longer a natural brown color but instead shades of blue with orange and pink tinging the end of its feathers. Like the colors of the sky. 
Alt’s mouth falls open as he sees the swift. It was unlike any animal he’d ever seen! And it was beautiful!
It circles around him a little before flying off into the distance. Asking him to follow. He watches it circle and then as it flies off he starts to run after it.
The swift flies deeper into the garden. The tall buildings slowly shrink in the distance. The stone paths shift from solid pieces to cobbled, the grass grows taller and is joined by undergrowth, and the branches of the trees grow taller, blocking out the bright sky. This feels foreboding somehow. But the swift continues on, weaving through the trees, never out of sight for too long.
Alt cautiously looks at his surroundings as they change. He feels his heart beat picking up. Where is this swift taking him?
The ground slowly slopes. The square buildings are entirely blocked out by the trees. The swift speeds up a little, lightning and squares of harsh light trailing from its wing tips… 
Alt can’t help but gasp as he sees the light coming off the swift. It was like him? He looks down at himself and tries to see if he can glitch to catch up. 
He’s right on its tail until it slows and lands, feet clinging to the vertical side of a tree. This tree is in the center of this depression Alt has been walking down. Unlike the other trees, it has no leaves, and it’s bark is black and dead-looking. The gnarled roots form a lattice over a hole in the ground. A lattice that sort of looks like part of a cage.
Alt slows in front of the tree and tilts his head at it. He narrows his eyes and gets closer then looks up at the swift and growls, “This is what you brought me here for? A dead tree??”
The swift’s head cocks to the side. It’s like it’s looking down at the roots.
Alt narrows his eyes some more and hesitates. Then he sighs and walks over, kneeling down by the roots to try to peer inside.
Beneath the roots is a deep hole. And in the hole is… someone. They move, standing up, coming closer to the light. 
It’s… him. 
Alt’s own face is looking back at him. 
Alt startles away from the other him, paling as his stomach drops. “E-Elders!” 
The other him is wearing strange clothes… that seem somehow familiar. His body is shivering, caught in the middle of a glitch, and when he reaches up, the Alt on the surface can see purple lines wrapped around his wrist. Like string bracelets. Or just strings.
Alt takes a second to catch his breath then cautiously looks back down at the other him. “…y-you’re … me…? But… h-how?” He looks back up at the swift. “W-What is this?!”
The swift cocks its head again. 
Beneath the roots, the other Alt keeps reaching, his fingers just inches from the surface. His eyes are wide. "Help..." he says. 
Alt looks down at his copy as he speaks, eyes widening. 
He starts to back up- 
And then, for a moment, Alt is in the other him's place, stuck, trapped, wrists burning. And then he’s back on the surface.
Alt gasps for air and clutches over his heart. He looks down at the other him with fear. But… why? Why is he scared? If this is also him…. Shouldn’t he help? He swallows thickly then reaches through the branches to try to reach for his copy’s hand.
But before he can grab his other self's hand-- 
"Wake up, á klaíoh." The King nudges Alt's side with his boot. "We need to cover a lot of distance."
Alt glitches up with a gasp and clutches over his heart. His blood feels electric and his mind is buzzing… the image of the other him in his dream still so stark. It almost takes him a second to regard the King but soon enough he’s glitching up to his feet, trying to hide his storming emotions. “Y-Yes, your highness.”
The King raises an eyebrow. Was something... off with Alt? Out of curiosity, he takes a quick peek into his current thoughts. 
Alt’s thoughts are buzzing with images of the colorful swift- how it glitched with lightning. The shiny buildings of his dream and the trapped him under the dead tree. He’s rubbing his wrists like they pain him.
Oh. 
Oh no. 
Aneirin's expression darkens for a moment but he quickly hides it. "Bad dreams?" he asks. "They're just dreams. Forget about them. They have no effect on the waking world."
Alt’s eyes pulse with green before his hands drop to his sides, pain in his wrists forgotten. He nods slowly, his eyes glazing over. “Yes, mu Ríth.” 
Magnificent stretches from where he was resting and comes over, tilting his head at Aneirin. “…is something the matter…?” 
Aneirin glances at Magnificent, then back at Alt. "Go scout for some time. Come back when you hear us call for you." 
Alt bows slightly then disappears in a quick glitch to scout. 
And then Aneirin walks over to Magnificent and speaks in a low voice. "Do you remember that bird from yesterday? I don't think it was just some sick animal anymore. It may have been a vessel for one of those infuriating Elders."
Magnificent watches him with a bit of confusion. Then he narrows his eyes, green one flashing brightly. “…those are your gods- right? The ones native to Glasúil… I remember learning about them when I first came here… is it interfering?” He giggles, “I guess your power pales in comparison to a god…”
Aneirin grinds his teeth in anger. "Maybe I'm not as powerful as them yet, but they still can't stop me. If they could, they would have done it by now. But no, they exist on the cusp of the world and can't quite reach us without a vessel." He jerks his head towards where Alt was. "But they can touch our minds and dreams. And they're doing that to Alt. One is trying to get him to remember. The Winged Elder One, if my memory serves correct."
Magnificent narrows his eyes in anger as he mentions the Elder is messing with Alt. He bares his teeth in a snarl, “Oh hell no. Not on our fucking watch!” He glances back at where Alt went then looks back at Aneirin, “What can we do to stop it? We haven’t even reached the Wyldwoods yet!”
Aneirin purses his lips as he thinks. "I have some control over dreams. I can monitor him while he sleeps, try to push him off the path the Winged One is trying to guide him down." It would mean that he can't monitor Aodhan while sleeping, but he doesn't think there's much Chase can do with him anymore. Now that the secret is out, Aodhan has nothing more to share. "And you monitor him during his waking hours. Make sure he stays obedient. In a couple more days my power will recover enough to jump us right to the Wyldwood."
Magnificent nods, “I can do that…” He sighs, crossing his arms, “It pains me to keep him on such a short leash when he’s done so well- but… we can’t risk him breaking out of this.”
"Indeed." Aneirin nods. "Alt can be very capable but if we have to sacrifice some of that capability for control, so be it."
“Agreed.” Magnificent nods. “Alright… it might be a bit more of my own power but… not an issue.” He then looks back at the King, “My offer to lend some to you still stands by the way-“
Aneirin blinks. "I am curious to see if the power will be given to me, or to this body." He tilts his head, considering. This could be a trick... perhaps not an intentional one, but Magnificent could make a spur-of-the-moment decision. But... he's been so sincere lately. A lot has changed since the attack in the palace. "Is it possible to do a small test?"
Magnificent nods, "Of course," He bubbles up purple magic in his hand then offers it to Aneirin. The King can sense sincerity from the mad magician. He wants to reach the forest and take down the rebels no matter what it takes.
Aneirin hesitates for a moment. Then he reaches out and takes it.
As the magic connects with Aneirin's hand, it dives into his veins like a burning fire. It eagerly floods into where it feels magic flowing and then settles, hot like a flame but it feels strong, flowing into Aneirin's magic and latching on, giving it a boost. It feels... odd- almost wrong. But, he can't deny the power he feels.
Aneirin's eyes widen. The green in them flickers for a second as Aodhan squirms against this wrongness, struggling hard enough to cause a visible shift. But Aneirin simply turns his hand over, watching and feeling as the magic settles. "Interesting," he mutters. "It feels so different from the magic of this world. Somehow... hotter." He grins, and his shadow on the ground beneath him spreads and stretches. "I think it went into both of us. That definitely helps."
Magnificent grins and then laughs, flicking his half cape in a dramatic fashion. "Mortals can barely appreciate the fire Black magic provides~! Everyone shrinks away from it instead of embracing it- cowardly fools, I say." He studies the King's shadow then hums, "...the danger of Black Magic though is it tends to eat up other forms. It will provide a boost but it can fizzle out quickly if not properly sustained... I don't want to drain your other magic... but- if all we need is enough to open a gate- then a quick burst could be what we need~!"
The King closes his eyes, assessing the power. "I believe I can sustain this--the half that went into me, at least. Aodhan's boost may burn out quickly." He bites his lip, thinking. "We'll ride for another day, just to close the distance so it will cost less. But by the next morning, I think I'll have enough to make a doorway there." He grins. "A day faster than expected."
Magnificent grins wide, eyes sparking with mad excitement. “Excellent- I can live with that~” He giggles.
"Excellent indeed." The King grins. "Now let's move quickly. Where did he go...? Alt, á klaíoh!"
Soon after being called Alt glitches back in front of Mag and the King and bows quickly. "Here, mu Ríth." 
"We move now," the King says. "No time for a meal." He heads over to the horses and quickly mounts his. "Perhaps we can figure something out on the road."
Alt hesitates for a second, feeling his stomach growl. Did... he even eat last night...? He can't... remember. It was so fuzzy. But, he will not anger the King. He nods, "Of course, mu Ríth.” And he glitches to his spot on the horse. Mag follows quickly after. 
Aneirin smiles. That was a test, to see if the spell was holding. Seems it is... for now. "Very good. Now let's go." 
The horses continue to the west.
9 notes · View notes