Od Asmodaya- Trening III, cz. II

The fundamental laws of the universe are alchemical in nature. Alchemy as a science is, at its core, the study of materials and how materials are affected by change and how they interact with other materials. All objects have intrinsic forms and substance. The form determines the general shape and behavior of an object, retaining the form of the object to which it belonged. Take, for instance, the bark of a tree. The cortex will be hard, long-lived, just as a tree. The substance is the actual material that comprises an object. Separating form from substance produces an extract, that can be combined, resulting in compounds that can be used in the further process. Compounds can be infused into teas, tinctures, salves, and potions, for application or consumption by those, who wish to temporarily gain the benefits of the product.
The most basic form of extraction was exposing the object to extreme heat or cold, at times physical shock. Liquid substances are thrown into the cauldron and boiled into a solution with water, saltpeter, and sulfur. The cauldron can also be replaced by any bowl-shaped container, but for the best results it should be made of iron. Impermeable objects that don't dissolve naturally must be crushed, ground, and powdered, usually in a mortar and pestle. Permeable and porous objects can be added into the cauldron directly, as they can easily infuse into the solution.
However, as the pup was in a rush, he didn't have time to properly process the serum. He also did not have all the necessary ingredients or tools, everything was makeshift and rushed, and he largely hoped that luck would smile at him, and he would be able to achieve… something. After all, it was his last chance.
Luckily, his experience had taught him enough to cope even in such conditions. Anything could work as an extract, but with weaker primary form and nearly equally strong secondary forms, making them nearly useless. In other words, the only equipment really necessary for the most basic process was a cauldron and some other container, yet someone without any experience in the whole art would certainly accomplish nothing.
Even though in theory everything sounded simple, almost scientific, his art was fundamentally metaphysical, not chemical. Therefore, it was abandoned centuries ago as few could truly understand it. And despite the idea of change and transmutation sounds a bit like chaos, it was not it. Chaos is about nonlinearity, unpredictability, disorder, whereas khemia was about predictions, order, sequences. It had to be sensed, combined with the right amount of magic. Everything had to be perfectly measured, sensed and studied.
Not to mention all the elements and their relationships to each other, which also had to be understood, as their differences and similarities regularly applied to the process. He himself sometimes met with effects which he had not foreseen or even considered. In this, khemia was fundamentally different from ordinary alchemy. For apart from the elements known to Kingdom, there were two which even he had not yet mastered, and which turned out to be interfering too often in the processing. But he knew that they were some kinds of catalysts, and without the reactions they caused, all experiments ended in failure. One of the simpler methods of inducing such a reaction was to add blood to the mixture. However, it wasn't the blood that was the key, but something deeper, more unknown, something he hadn't yet fathomed. Only wolves and other magical creatures seemed to have that something in their veins that made this art possible.
Slicing his paw with a knife made of suitably broken stone, he dripped a few drops of blood into the cooled, purified mixture. The potion gurgled, as if a warning, and thick blue steam rose from the makeshift cauldron. The puppy's tail began to wag merrily, and his eyes sparkled, when he realized that he had finally achieved something. And it wasn't an act, it wasn't his stupid invention that adults praised just so as not to hurt his childish naivety. His art actually worked and produced results, could be used for so many things - including the creation of a new world.
He never dreamed of divinity, after all it was served to him on a plate along with fear and hatred. However, as he now proudly stared at the result of his work, he began to wonder if he shouldn't be looking for something more. He knew things the entirety of the Kingdom didn't know. He was able to create things unheard of, unknown, with great potential and of course, possibly dangerous.
Stirring the mixture with a stick, he made sure that it was not caustic. He'd be a fool to swallow it right away without checking things like that, especially with his imperfection… The lack of feeling for temperature and pain was often useful to him, but it also proved to be a curse. If he ingested something poisonous, he would not be able to determine that it was harmful until it killed him. Similarly, with extensive wounds, burns, or fractures. He didn't realize how serious these things could be, so he had to worry about everything ahead of time and panic at even the slightest scratch.
Finally, he lifted the bowl to his mouth and took a slow sip, grimacing at the unpleasant taste of the substance. It was thick and hard to swallow, which was surprising as he didn't add too many ingredients that had the potential to thicken the potion. Gruel lodged in his throat, causing him to choke before he managed to swallow the whole thing. Coughing and trying to get rid of the gag reflex, he finally got rid of the unpleasant substance from his mouth. Almost immediately, he felt his stomach begin to feel full again, and the feeling of this sudden satiety made him dizzy. The pup sat down first, then curled up and covered his muzzle with his paws to ground himself and get rid of the merry-go-round in his head. His body's reaction definitely worried him, and he immediately knew something had gone wrong. He lifted his head and quickly scanned the remnants of the ingredients he had used. However, everything he used he had used before and had never felt anything like this.
And then suddenly his little cave was illuminated by a bright, white light, hurting his eyes and making him blind for a moment. Right above him, he saw a familiar head, which he had seen many times in dreams and strange visions. The violet eyes bore into his soul.
Sweet thing, what are you doing? 
His bad feeling suddenly disappeared. He relaxed his muscles and looked at the creature standing above him, his tail wagging lazily.
- Making myself stronger, I suppose.
And why would you do that? 
The familiar voice was dizzying, quiet, yet ringing in his ears like a scream. The glow of light emanating from the creature forced him to squint constantly so that he would not be able to see the figure at all.
- I felt the breath of death on my neck. And I have a destiny to fulfill.
I can help you once more. 

Słowa: 1202 
Nagroda: 10 punktów siły