Shimmering Pearl brushed a strand of long white hair out of her face as she hunched over a mortar and pestle. She was working on what she hoped was the last potion of the day. It was a bitter thing, but good for you rarely tasted good.
Her patient was a elderly man by the name of Kiko. He was the chief of a small village in the draconi forest who had taken ill over a moon ago. When Pearl had gotten to Kiko he was at deaths door, pale white and in fevered sleep. Now he was stable and growing stronger by the day. The only problem was he still hadn't woken up.
Pearl mixed a little more water into her potion and poured the concoction into a wooden bowl. With a sigh she straightened up and potion in hand made her way to Kiko's pallet in the long house. Parting the old mans lips she spooned a small amount of potion into his mouth. At first nothing happened, then slowly his mouth twitched. He took a deep breath, the first in over a week, then started coughing.
As his eyes opened Kiko looked around the room as if lost. After a long while he focused on pearl as if just then noticing her. "Who who are you" he croaked.
"I am Shimmering Pearl and I just saved your life" she responded with asoft smile.
When Pearl eventually left the longhouse, a man was waiting for her. He was younger than her, perhaps in his fifties, and was dressed in the dark suit of a butler. He adjusted his round spectacles and smoothed back his graying black hair, which had been mussed by a gust of wind.
"Shimmering Pearl, I presume?" he asked with professional politeness.
After negotiating a very fair payment for services rendered, Pearl packed up her herbs and tools and left the long house. To her surprise, there was an older man waiting for her.
"Shimmering Pearl I presume?" He ask
"I am" she said returning the polite smile. "Judging from your clothes, you're not one of the locals so what brings you all the way out here."
"I am not," he answered dryly.
"My master, one Anton Volke, wishes a word with a healer of your storied skill. I am to bring you to him. If you are willing, of course."
Pearl thought for a moment. On one hand, it had been a long week caring for Kiko. On the other hand, she was now finished and had no other work lined up. Curious she a affirming nod. "I can go with you to see this master of yours," she replied.
The servant smiled, quite pleased. "Excellent. Please, do follow me."
He led her to a carriage parked just outside of town. It wasn't quite up to the standards of nobility; instead, it was more akin to that of a wealthy merchant, but without gaudy, classless ornamentation. The butler opened the door and gave the passenger a respectful bow before motioning for her to step up. "Introducing one Miss Shimmering Pearl."
As Pearl followed the servant through the village, she was stopped multiple times to be thanked. Final making to the edge of town she was greeted with a tastefully decorated carriage. Opening the door, the servant introduced shimmering Pearl to who she assumed was the master.
"Anton Volke?" Her voice had a questioning tone as she studied the person before her. "What can I do for you "
The dark-robed man within nodded and motioned for her to join him inside. "It's more a case of what I can do for you. Please sit and allow me to explain."
"I promise that it's well worth your time."
Pearl was intrigued by Volke's words. She thought this was going to be another healing job but appeared to not be the case. With the grace of someone years younger Pearl climbed up into the carriage. "I'm listening" she replied with a smile.
The servant closed the door and stood outside. Volke looked her in the eye with a measuring gaze before speaking. "How would you like the opportunity to learn more about magic than you ever thought possible and, perhaps, extend your life long enough to enjoy that knowledge?"
As she took a seat across from the man wearing black she mused at how much he contrasted with her white robes.
"I have spent a life time gathering knowledge, it is a pursuit of mine. If you have something new to teach I would welcome it." She said seat more upright. "I do not fear death but I am likewise in no hurry to discover what is beyond the veil"
"I belong to an organization of mages and scientists that, as part of its creed, strives to uncover both the rare and forbidden knowledge of ages past, and to explore the frontiers of thought that the powers that be would deny you based on fear and superstition," he explained. "As a fellow healer, I know all too well the pain of losing a patient because society sees the treatment as something never to be done."
Her curiosity was peaked at the mention of forbidden knowledge. She knew caution would be need. Many had been consumed by such pursuits. "Do go on" was all she said. For now she would just listen to what Volke had to offer.
Volke produced a rolled-up document from his robe and presented it to her. "A small taste from our hidden library, transcribed from Aldranir's Apothecarium Obscura. Consider it yours with no obligation, but there's more where this came from if you join us. You will, of course, have to undergo a small test to prove yourself. Nothing dangerous, I assure you; we are men of learning, not violence."
Well, some were violent. Every secret society needed enforcers.
Aldranir now that was a name know to Pearl. He had been a great potion master but most of his works had been lost to time or so she thought. If this was truly from the Apothecarium Obscura it would be worth a small fortune.
Pearl took the scroll and opened it up gently. She would have to read it over later but skimming over it, it seemed authentic. Rolling it back up she tucked it into her satchel.
"If you have more lost works like this I would gladly join. So what is this test."
Volke smiled. "Initiation involves convincing a small selection of more experienced members of the caliber of your intellect. Think of it as an entry exam for a prestigious university. If accepted, you will earn the title of Adeptus. It's really quite straightforward."
As there was only Volke and servant Pearl guessed they would be going elsewhere for the test. "Lets go meet these colleagues of yours and see what this test is like" she remarked.
"Ah. Eager, are we?" Volke smirked, pleased. "Very well."
He tapped on the door with a decorative cane and informed his butler, apparently named Bastian, that they would be off. Pearl might note that the topper for the cane was etched with a small relief depicting an ouroboros. Bastian produced a blindfold and handed it to her.
"For the sake of secrecy, should you not be accepted. A formality, I assure you. With my recommendation, your acceptance is all but assured," Volke explained apologetically.
Pearl hesitated at first, she did not relish the idea of traveling blindfolded especially when she had no idea where they were going. With a sigh she took the blindfold from the servant and secured it over her eyes.
"Now that that's taken care of let be off" she replied. Setting upright with her arms crossed in her lap.
"It shouldn't be terribly long," Volke assured. Bastian knocked and the driver got the horses moving.
After several hours, the carriage stopped. It sounded like they were outside somewhere with a lot of conversation going on, perhaps a tavern or an inn.
"Just a few more minutes." She was helped from the carriage and led around back. Someone knocked on a door, whispered words were exchanged, and they were let in. They walked a little and descended into a cellar that smelled like wood and ale. After a short while, they stopped before a wall, which slid open to allow them through.
As soon as it slid shut, her blindfold was removed. She was in a small room lit by a lamp held by Bastian. The only thing of note was a statue of an unfamiliar goddess with four arms and dark gems for eyes. She was holding a strange animal in two of them, its mouth opened just enough to let a flat hand inside.
After bouncing around in silence for hours, the voices seemed oddly loud outside. "Quite the lively bunch we have" she remarked.
She strained her ears to try and hear the conversation at the door. The stairs took her by surprise and she stumbled before catching herself on the wall.
She blinked, even the dim light seemed bright after so long in the dark. The strange four armed statue wasthe first thing she noticed as her eyes adjusted. " who is she" she asked in a near whisper". Something about the room made her hesitant to speak up.
"Zodia. An ancient goddess some believe first taught magic to mortal kin. We use her symbolically, not as an idol. Though some of us have come to believe," he explained. He put his hand in the creature's mouth and flinched slightly. As he withdrew his hand, some mechanism clanked to life, and the floor began to slide down.
Sucking the drop of blood from one fingertip, he said, "Just a small test of the blood to safeguard this location from the uninvited."
"Zodia, interesting. I mainly pray to Kishra, a local healing deity not that I'm very devout but a lot of patients find it comforting when you pray over them." She said as she watch the Volke place his hand in the open mouth. "You are really serious about the secret part of secret society, it's impressive." She remark as the floor dropped before her.
"Thank you." He nodded as they continued to sink. "We are not yet ready to share our collected knowledge with the world. Nor is this superstitious world, ruled by petty men whose primary qualification is who sired them, ready to receive it. As such, precautions must be taken."
Pearl nodded in agreement, knowledge could be dangerous. Men had a tendency to fear what they didn't understand. Just look at Connlaoth to see what fear of Knowledge looked like.
The platform stopped at a short, decently lit corridor. As he led them down the hall, he motioned to the glowing crystals ensconced along the walls. "A curious mineral found deep in the Terrin Mountains. Provide them with comparatively little magic, and they stay lit for hours or even days."
"One day, we may even be able to make them last nearly indefinitely."
As the platform shuttered to a stop a corridor lit by magic crystals stood before them. As Volke explained the crystals origins and magic properties Pearl approached one to examine it closer. The light was a curious thing, bright as a lantern but producing no heat.
Bastian opened the door ahead, and the group entered a small, square room. In the center was a raised platform with a large magic circle etched into the floor. Volke stepped up onto it to show it wasn't some elaborate trap.
"The last security measure is this teleportation circle that only members can activate. We keep the true location of our meeting place secret from all but the senior members, the grandmagi such as myself."
Pearl eyed the magic circle in the center of the room with some distrust. She had never liked them, they made her feel funny.
"Are you having second thoughts?" Volke asked with interest. "I assure you, I wouldn't be using them to get around if they weren't safe."
"No no, I'm quite okay. I was just thinking that last magic circle I used left me feeling all tingly and the feeling last two whole days. Granted that was years ago and a different design."
She looked around before focusing on Volke "well no time like the present, do lead on".
Once all present were inside the circle, Volke cleared his throat. He chanted a spell aloud as he brought out a knife. He made a shallow cut on his palm and squeezed a few drops onto the circle. The circle glowed a bright white, quickly becoming brighter until all was white.
The light faded, and they were in a slightly curved room with a doorway on the wall with the shorter curve. There was a mural on the opposite wall depicting an aerial view of the region they had left from.
"Welcome back, Grandmagus Volke," a masked figure in a white robe said with a bow, waiting by the door.
Following Volke's lead Pearl stepped into the center of the magic circle. She didn't recognize the language that was chanting which wasn't surprising since she mainly spoke common. She flinched when Volke cut his palm, so much blood magic used in this place.
Pearl stepped forward to study the mural. It was not a perspective she was used to seeing.
"One of our oldest members is a dragon," Volke explained with a smile. "Fantastic artist, isn't she? It's like you're there with her, high above the world."
"Yes she is a great artist. I can't say that I've ever meet a dragon in person" Pearl replied turning to Volke. "What's her name, I would like to meet her after I become a member".
"Apologies. I cannot divulge the names of Society members to the uninitiated." He gave her a look that implored her to be patient. "It wouldn't be safe for anyone involved. Knowing my name is risk enough. You understand, I hope."
"Of course of course, I should have known better than ask such a silly question. We are talking about a secret society here." With one final look back at the moral she rejoined the group. "Shall we get on to the test"
The masked figure escorted them out into a curving hall with rooms along the outer edge, each labeled with a destination. They led the group to a hall leading deeper into the circle and followed that to a curving staircase going down.
"It won't be much further," Volke assured.
Pearl followed the masked figures lead and made her way down the curved hallway. As they went by she made note of the different entrances along the way.
They were escorted to a large tribunal chamber. Three masked members were already seated on the judicial bench. One of them was in a much more ornate robe than the others. Several other robed members were seated around the perimeter.
Volke led Pearl to a large desk in the center of the room, but didn't direct her to sit just yet. He stepped forward to a address those gathered. "Fellow Antiquarians, magus and grandmagus alike, I thank you for gathering today to judge the worthiness of candidate Shimmering Pearl."
He stepped back and motioned her forward, whispering, "Just answer honestly and do what it asked. You'll do fine."
Pearl followed the group into the chamber. She had expected the judges but was not expecting to have a audience.
When beckoned Shimmering Pearl stepped forward. She hadn't been nervous until that moment but all of the sudden it hit her. To calm herself she focused on the judges and on controlling her breathing.
"Yes sir" she whispered back to Volke without looking at him.
The magus on the left leaned forward to ask, "Candidate Pearl, first we must know what you have accomplished both in your studies and in the practical applications of them. Measurable results are, after all, more important than theory."
Shimmering Pearl turned to the magus that had addressed her. "For studies, I have tutored under many great healers including the late Jade Windbeck. As for practical applications, I just saved the life of the village chief Kiko who was suffering from fever and had slipped into a coma. Beyond potion making I have set more broken bones then I can count."
"I also have some magical abilities but they were never the fo us of my studies. I can use magic to stop the bleeding of large wounds and to accelerate the healing of bones."
"Describe this ailment suffered by the village chief," asked the magus on the right.
Pearl turned to the right "of course. Chief Kiko was already in a coma when I got to him. He had a high fever with swelling of the joints. He was only a day or two at the most from dying. Once him recovered enough to talk I learned that it all started with pain and stiffness of the joints which confirmed my diagnosis of Eckhart disease"
That fact garnered a reaction from the grandmagus in the center. With incredulous interest, he asked, "Eckhart Disease is all but incurable at that advanced a stage. Are we supposed to believe that you treated and reversed it without magic?"
Shimmering Pearl smiled as she addressed the grandmagus. "I use willow bark to break the fever and burdock root to cleanse the blood given three times a day. For the joints I made a salve of tobacco and night shade to treat the inflammation. Finally a blend of bitter herbs once a day to restore strength. Eckhart is a nasty disease but is quite treatable."
"If you were to be brought into our organization, what would you use our resources for?" the grandmagus asked. "By which, I mean, what is your dream research? I encourage you to think big."
She had to think on this one. What was she hoping to get out of joining, did she have any grand ambitions.
"I know I would like to increase my knowledge of magic since magic is the one weak point of my training. As for my research, I'll be honest, I don't have some lofty goal at the moment. I just wish to better myself and your establishment provides me with resources not found elsewhere." She looked from one magus to the next. "I wish to be the best healer I can be and I wish to share my knowledge so it is not lost."
"A noble pursuit, but we aren't a library. We expect you to add to our collective knowledge . Are you confident that you can do this?" the Grandmagus asked.
"I just cured a man with a all but uncureable disease which was no fluke but a testamentto me skills. I have been doing medicine since I was a small child. I am quite confident that I can contribute to the societies collective knowledge."
The three conversed in hushed tones and, after a moment, seemed to reach a consensus. The Grandmagus cleared his throat. "Do you understand and accept that once accepted, you will be expected to keep our society a secret from, and also not divulge society secrets to, the outside world, under extreme penalties including death?"
Pearl waited patiently while the three convened. "I understand and will keep the secret."
The masked Grandmagus cleared his throat. "Then, in light of your achievement and of the recommendation of Grandmagus Volke, we hereby accept you into the Society of Learned Antiquarians at the rank of Adeptus."
Volke stepped before her and presented her a ring of membership. "Welcome, Adeptus Pearl."
She gave polite little bow to the grandmagus "thank you.
She than turned to Volke and accepted the ring. "And thank you as well". Trying the ring she found that it was a perfect fit.
"Now that I'm a member, do you mind showing me around."