modicum
noun
*********************************
Jaat hesitated before knocking on the old, moss covered door. His heart beat like a hummingbird’s wings and he looked over his shoulder at the heavily wooded path. He could still leave. The door had not opened yet. He swallowed the lump in his throat. No, that was wrong. He had come here to fix that problem.
Slowly, the door creaked open. A cold air came from inside the hut that made his skin crawl for more than just the drop in temperature. No voice came from inside though. Jaat waited for someone to speak. Nobody did. His foot involuntarily started to move back. A sudden gust of wind from behind stopped that though. It picked up, becoming strong enough to force him to walk forward.
Inside the old hut was a slew of tables, chairs and shelves, all loaded with dried herbs, animal parts, powers, vials, tubes, and other assorted odds and ends. The smell alone almost made him leave. But the door had closed on it’s own.
“What do you want?” Came a voice. It was old and worn, but had an edge to it. It was like hearing his father’s old sword speak. From somewhere deep in the shadows a figure emerged, probably the owner of the voice. “Well? Speak up boy.”
The figure was short, barely waist high on Jaat’s less than tall frame. It was covered in heavy robes, to the point where Jaat could not even tell if it was a man or woman. Or even what race the figure was. A dwarf, maybe? Or perhaps a gnome. It hardly mattered though. Jaat cleared his throat and began.
“I…I want…I need to be a hero.”
“You want to be a hero? Go to the academy. Not what I do.”
“I…I know that. But, but I’m scared. I can’t do it on my own. I…I need something that’ll make me brave.”
“Ah, I see. Now that, I can do. Let’s see what you have first.”
The figure moved quickly over to Jaat and examined him. Even though the youth could not see the figure’s eyes, he could fee its gaze. It was seeing everything about him, all the way to his soul. He suppressed a shiver and the urge to flee.
“Hm, yes, I see the problem now. Not enough courage to do much. Just a tiny amount, really. I’m amazed you made your way here at all. I can fix that. Oh yes, I can fix you right up. And quite a bit more at that. I can give you everything you need to be a hero, save the training.”
For the first time in years, Jaat allowed himself to hope. To dream that he might be able to accomplish something of note.
“But you know it will cost you, yes?”
“I can pay. I’ve got plenty of coin.”
“Oh no, this won’t cost something so ordinary. No, once you become a hero, I shall call on you, and shall make a request. Do this request for me, and all shall be well. If you do not, I shall take away what I give you today. Understand?”
“Yes, yes. I…I understand. Please, I need this.”
The figure got to work. It was a mass of cloth and components. The alchemist picked out ingredients seemingly at random, adding large amounts of some, small amounts of others, and barely any of yet more. The process took a mere half and hour to complete. When the figure was done, it handed Jaat a vial smaller than his little finger filled with a thick brown potion.
“Drink this at precisely midnight, and it shall give you the courage of ten men, and the might of three. Drink it at any other time, and it shall be nothing but a bitter drink. The day matters not, only the time.”
“I…I understand. I will do this. Th-thank you.” He said with a slight bow.
“Of course, think nothing of it. At least, not until I come to collect my payment.”
“R-right, yes, of course. Um, I…I’ll be going now then?”
The figure nodded, a barely perceptible motion, and the door opened. Jaat allowed himself to flee from the alchemists’ hut, clutching the tiny vial to his chest like it was made of pure diamond. He had to resist gulping it down right then and there, but the sun was still up, so he had a good many hours before he would drink it. He would be a hero, and this little vial would be the first step on his journey.
**********************************************
Ah the ever mysterious witch/alchemist/old person. So tempting, yet so dangerous. Watch out for deals with vaguely defined terms like this. They will come back to haunt you.
No comments:
Post a Comment