8. Deus
8
DEUS
T he next day her training begins in earnest. The air in the basement laboratory is thick with the acrid scent of brimstone and exotic herbs and charged with possibility. I turn to face Sage. "Listen carefully, hexeblood," I growl, my voice echoing off the stone walls. "You will work every night from dusk till dawn, mastering the secrets of demonic transmutation. Fail, and you're out. Succeed, and you might just survive in this realm. Do I make myself clear?"
Sage nods, a determined set to her jaw. "Yes, Sir. I'm ready."
"We'll see about that," I mutter, gesturing to the array of ingredients spread across the workbench. "We start with the basics. Infernal components are the building blocks of our craft. Each has its own properties, its own... essence, if you will."
I pick up a gnarled, pulsating root. Its surface writhes beneath my touch, as if trying to escape. "Belladonna Infernalis. Harvested from the shores of the River Styx. Highly toxic, even to demons. Used in small quantities, it can induce visions of the damned or drive the imbiber to madness."
Next, I lift a vial of shimmering black powder. The contents seem to absorb the light around it, creating a miniature void. "Abyssal Salt. Crystallized essence of the cosmic void. Highly unstable. A single grain can tear a hole in reality if not handled properly. It's essential in crafting elixirs of planar travel."
I continue, detailing the properties of various components. "Brimstone Petals, plucked from the Flowers of Torment in the Ninth Circle. They amplify pain and suffering when used in potions. Leviathan Scales, shed by the great beast that circles the mortal realm. They grant protection against watery doom and can be used to breathe the waters of the Styx."
Sage listens intently, her fingers twitching as if eager to touch the materials. I notice her eyes lingering on a cluster of softly glowing crystals.
"Ah, you've noticed the Soulfire Quartz," I say, picking up one of the crystals. It pulses with an inner light, warm to the touch. "Formed in the heart of hellfire forges. It acts as a conduit for infernal energies. Crucial for any potion involving soul manipulation or hellfire control."
I set the crystal down and fix Sage with a stern glare. "Now, let's see if you've been paying attention. Grind these Hellfire Pods into a fine powder. Be mindful of their volatile nature."
I push a mortar and pestle towards her, along with a cluster of angry red pods that seem to pulse with inner heat. Sage reaches for them, her hand hesitating for just a moment before grasping one.
As she places it in the mortar, I watch silently, a smirk playing at the corners of my mouth. The pod erupts in a flash of hellish flame, a small explosion sending Sage stumbling backward. She yelps in pain and surprise, her face smeared with soot, eyebrows singed, and the palm of her hand an angry red from the burn.
I let out a harsh laugh, shaking my head. "Congratulations, you've just learned your first lesson in handling Hellfire Pods. Bet you won't make that mistake again, will you?"
She cradles her burned hand, her eyes watering from the pain. I can see the embarrassment and hurt in her expression, but I don't soften my approach.
"Oh, don't give me that look," I sneer. "Pain is an excellent teacher. Now you know why they're called 'Hellfire' Pods. Clean up this mess and try again. And this time, use that brain of yours before you use your hands."
Sage's cheeks flush red, a mixture of pain and humiliation evident on her face. She nods silently and begins to clean up the scattered ashes and fragments of the exploded pod.
I watch her closely as she approaches the task again, noting her newfound caution. Her movements are hesitant, almost fearful, as she reaches for another pod.
"Well?" I bark impatiently. "We haven't got all night. Unless you'd prefer another dose of Hellfire to speed things up?"
Sage flinches at my words but steels herself, focusing intently on the task at hand. This time, she handles the pod with extreme care, her recently scorched fingers a constant reminder.
"That's better," I growl, a hint of grudging approval in my voice. "Nothing teaches quite like a good burn, does it? Now, let me show you how it's really done. Pay attention this time, unless you fancy losing those eyebrows permanently."
"Observe," I command, taking the mortar from her. With practiced ease, I demonstrate the proper technique, my movements swift and precise. "You must apply pressure gradually, allowing the pod's outer shell to crack before fully crushing it. This releases the internal fires slowly, preventing a conflagration."
I continue grinding, explaining as I work. "Feel the resistance of the shell, the way it yields under consistent pressure. Listen for the subtle crackling as the inner membranes rupture. Smell the release of brimstone fumes – but don't inhale too deeply unless you want your lungs to feel like they're on fire."
Her eyes follow my every move, her attention unwavering. When I hand the mortar back to her, she mimics my actions with surprising accuracy. Her movements are tentative at first, but grow more confident as she progresses.
"Better," I grudgingly admit. "Now, let's move on to something more complex."
I guide her to a towering apparatus that dominates one corner of the laboratory. A complex array of glass tubes, copper coils, and pulsating crystals, it thrums with barely contained power.
"This," I announce with a hint of pride. "Is an Ethereal Essence Extractor. It allows us to distill the very essence of otherworldly substances, concentrating their power for use in our elixirs. Misuse it, and you'll find yourself torn between realities."
Sage's eyes widen as she takes in the intricate machinery. "It's... beautiful," she breathes.
I snort, amused by her awe. "Beauty is irrelevant. Power is what matters here. Now, pay attention."
I guide her through the basics of operating the device, explaining the interplay between elemental forces and spiritual energies. "The key is to maintain a delicate balance between the flow of infernal and ethereal essences. Too much hellfire, and you'll incinerate the spiritual components. Too much void energy, and you risk collapsing the entire process into nothingness."
As I speak, I manipulate various controls, causing the machine to hum and pulse with changing frequencies. Arcs of dark energy dance between the coils, and the crystals flare with inner light.
"The Ethereal Essence Extractor allows us to break down the barriers between the material and the spiritual," I explain. "It's what allows us to create potions that defy the laws of nature as mortals understand them."
Sage nods, her brow furrowed in concentration as she attempts to replicate my actions. Her first few attempts are clumsy, but I notice a rapid improvement in her technique.
"Now," I say, stepping back. "Let's put your newfound knowledge to the test. Create a simple Elixir of Shadow Sight. You have ten minutes."
Sage's eyes widen in panic, but she quickly composes herself and gets to work. I observe silently, my critical gaze catching every misstep and hesitation.
"Your flame is too high," I bark as she begins heating a mixture of Abyssal Salt and powdered Umbral Essence. "You'll scorch the components and render them useless."
Moments later: "Faster! In a real situation, you won't have the luxury of time. An improperly mixed elixir could be the difference between life and eternal torment!"
Despite my harsh words, I notice something... intriguing. There are moments when Sage's hands move with an almost preternatural grace, her hexeblood heritage manifesting in subtle ways. She intuitively adjusts the Extractor's settings without being told, her fingers dancing over the controls as if guided by some unseen force.
As the minutes tick by, I increase the pressure. "Multitask!" I command. "Start preparing the ingredients for a Vitriolic Tincture while you monitor the elixir. In the field, you'll often need to juggle multiple concoctions at once."
Sage's movements become frantic, her breathing labored as she struggles to keep up. Sweat beads on her forehead as she juggles multiple tasks, her concentration never wavering. I watch as she chops Mandrake Tendrils with one hand while stirring a bubbling cauldron with the other, all while keeping an eye on the Extractor's readings.
Suddenly, she encounters a particularly complex transmutation process. The mixture in her alembic begins to bubble ominously, its color shifting from a deep purple to a sickly green.
"Figure it out," I snap, resisting the urge to intervene. "I won't always be here to hold your hand. Use that hexeblood intuition of yours."
Sage's frustration is palpable, but then... something changes. A look of inspiration crosses her face. In a move I've never seen before, she combines a counterclockwise stir with a sprinkle of Abyssal Salt, all while humming a low note that seems to resonate with the mixture.
The result is... impressive. The elixir stabilizes, taking on a deep, shimmering quality that speaks to its potency. I struggle to maintain my stern expression, even as a part of me marvels at her innovation.
"Adequate," I grunt, refusing to let my admiration show. "But don't get cocky. You've barely scratched the surface of what's possible."
As our session nears its end, I delve into more advanced concepts. "The Principle of Infernal Resonance states that demonic energies can be harmonized through specific vibrational frequencies. This interplays with the Theory of Ethereal Displacement, which posits that magical energies can be transferred across planar boundaries through carefully calibrated alchemical matrices."
I continue, pushing the limits of her understanding. "Consider the implications of the Paradox of Transmutative Conservation. When we alter the fundamental nature of a substance, where does its original essence go? Some theorists argue for the existence of an alchemical plane where discarded properties accumulate..."
To my surprise and grudging approval, Sage keeps up with the complex theories, even asking insightful questions that show she's grasping the deeper implications.
Finally, as the first hints of dawn begin to creep into our underground lab, I set her final task. "For our next session, you will create a Phantasmal Paradigm Shifter. It requires precise control of spiritual energies, integration of at least seven rare components, and manipulation of the very fabric of reality."
I fix her with a stern glare. "This elixir allows the drinker to temporarily alter their perception of reality, potentially granting them insights into alternate planes or parallel hells. Needless to say, the consequences of failure could be... catastrophic. Don't disappoint me."
As Sage stumbles away, exhaustion evident in every line of her body, I allow myself a small, private smile. The girl has potential. More than I expected. Perhaps, just perhaps, she might be of use after all.