.
54 Searing 121
Jacun's Alchemical Goods
Jacun's Alchemical Goods
Master Jacun had approved the order from Val'Maranthy, which taught Sivan something about his master. He wasn't judging him, but he was now aware that the alchemist's personal code of ethics absolved him from guilt should the things he craft be used for some ill purpose. And again, Sivan wasn't judging. He didn't know these enemies of the sorcerer but there are questions he would have asked that Jacun did not feel compelled to ask.
And so he was tasked with isolating the sedative effects of valerian root. He had seen the plans for the entire project; in fact, he had written some of them—specifically those to do with the air elemental that would ensure it was delivered properly. So, perhaps Sivan was the one who ought to be questioning his moral framework. This wasn't the only isolate going into the finished project, but it was the easiest to accomplish and the most difficult to mess up. Jacun would do the more difficult parts, which made sense. It was his reputation on the line, after all.
He measured out the ground valerian into the alembic's cucurbit, then added pure water. The cucurbit itself was made of lyrethil glass and etched with the Sigil of Dissolution. Their workload was heavy and so there was less time for traditional alchemy and they were opting for more occult practices. He then scrivened three different pictographs on tiny squares of paper and dropped them into the water. The Sigil on the cucurbit would make this process fast; the pictographs would help isolate the correct property from the valerian.
Affixing the cap, he took a lyrethillium vial and marked it with a Sigil of Reconstitution with a wax pencil, then set it up under the end of the tube to catch what came out and bind the distillation until such time as Jacun chose to add it to his own, more complicated work.
He tapped a sigil on the base of the heating element and the pyrolyth-powered thing powered up immediately, and it was only seconds before the water began to boil. Humming to himself, he watched through his rune, seeing how the lyrethil glass, the pictographs, and the heat pulled what was necessary out of the herb. The steam condensed in the hooked cap and by the time it dribbled down into the vial, it was cool enough that he wasn't worried about losing too much of it to evaporation. It only took a few minutes for the water to boil off, and he turned off the heat at just the right moment so the mash of herbs and paper were still damp as it cooled down, which would make it easier for him to clean everything out afterward.
With gloved hands, he removed the cap from the cucurbit and shook it a little so the last of it would fall into the vial where he could see the aetheric pattern crystalizing. Smiling to himself, he stoppered it with a cork and put the vial on the tray where he had already set up the necessary things for Jacun to do his business, and then he went about cleaning up.
***
56 Searing 121
Jacun's Alchemical Goods
Jacun's Alchemical Goods
"Perxy," he said aloud.
The task called for a stronger elemental than his Nut, who helped tend to his home and do odd little jobs for him. She came highly recommended, and agreed to perform the service for him. She was intelligent enough to understand the complexity of the job as well. He was able to share his memory of Val'Maranthy with her and explain that he and his companions were not to be touched, but rather those at whom he tossed the bottle of sedative.
She came, feeding upon a morsel of aether that he had left in the circle of runes and scrivened connections around the bottle to direct her from her plane to this one. There was a sparkle of static about her form, that was more visible to him thanks to his rune than it would be for others. The static would be a good addition, shocking those she came into contact with such that they would inhale sharply, making delivery easier.
I don't like this, Exael said.
I understand your objections. Should I defy my master?
These things have repercussions. You should know that.
Very well.
The elemental observed as if this interaction was something she could sense. Exael wasn't his aidolon, not yet. The spherebinding hadn't been done correctly, and so he just existed in Ransera via concordant until such time as Sivan could perform a sacrament. At least, Sivan hoped he would still want to be his aidolon. Celestials could be exacting, he was finding out. But a spirit of wisdom was something he needed in his life. And if this was the tougher road, at least he could still contract wild spirits.
"There is enough aether stored in the bottle to keep you until your work is done," he explained. "When it is done, return to me, and I will complete the payment."
There was a ripple through her aether: her agreement. Then she shrank down and phased into the bottle before she was fully manifest. As soon as the summons was complete, he broke the circle, took the bottle, and placed it in a small, padded box.
***
56 Searing 121
Tower of Lore
Tower of Lore
"A delivery for Siorey Val'Maranthy from Master Jacun," he said at the gate, then loitered in the foyer while someone sent word to the black robe that he had a delivery.
