Maladies Most Unusual (COMPLETE)

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

In a small riverside town in Jadenshine, Eckhart Von Musel perused the dusty shelves of an old library. He was looking for books about life magic, hoping he'd be able to use them to learn some new spells- as Eckhart's abilities seemed to have stagnated after he learned how to stop bleeding. So far he wasn't having any luck, as the few books the library had on the subject were ones he had already read. Eckhart sighed as he picked up a large book titled The Healer's Handbook and put it back down. "Nope, I've read that one too." It was true that Eckhart had read most of the widely published books on life magic, but smaller libraries like this one sometimes had older, rarer books available. Like, for instance, the small, beat up book he had just spotted jammed in between two much larger tomes. Curious, Eckhart painstakingly removed the book from where it was stuck and looked at the front cover.

Curing the Cursed: A Guide to Maladies Most Unusual

Upon opening it, Eckhart realized he had struck gold. The book was clearly hand written, meaning it was likely one of a kind. Flipping through the pages, he spotted quite a few things that interested him- namely herbal remedies for ailments that you'd normally need an alchemist or priest to cure. "Curing lycanthropy? Removing curses? Stopping a demonic possession? Holy shit this is crazy, who wrote this?" Looking at the cover again, he saw only the letters V. O.

Thanking V. O. profusely in his head, he took the book to the librarian to check it out, only to discover that the library had no record of the book in their massive filing cabinet. Incredibly upset that a book had escaped her meticulous filing system, the librarian snapped at Eckhart and told him that he could keep the unusual book. Overjoyed, Eckhart left the library hugging the book tightly to his chest. "It's a beautiful day" he thought. "I think I'll read this over by the water, that would be relaxing." Smiling happily, Eckhart began heading in the direction of the river.

[Whim]

Money was always tight. It had taken Ewan some days to amass the coinage for the library deposit. Mind you, no one quite trusted him to work magic so he mostly pulled weeds. The title was A Guide to Maladies Most Unusual. Life Magic usually incurred a cost to match to whatever it restored. His own body, healthy and ageing yet forever small and clumsy, was testament to that principal. But this tome had a list of simple cures for the most arcane ailments. He had to have it.

And so, coat and shortpants laden with grass stains, he trudged back into the library with a fistful of coins. The prim librarian frowned, "Oh I am sorry. The book's been given away. But I hardly think its the sort of a thing a boy your age should be reading, now is it?"

"But-" color was beginning to rise to Ewan's cheeks.

"I've some adventure tales in the back. Why don't you take a look at those?"

Ewan's mind raced. He had to think up a good lie, "Well I'd wanted to get it as a present for father. Couldn't you tell me who bought it? I'll just ask to copy it. I'll not be a bother, I promise!" he smiled sweetly and batted his batted his eyes. Apparently that was enough. The librarian told Ewan about the scrawny youth who bought it, and pointed him out through the window. Lucky. Ewan dumped the remainder of his coins on the counter and dashed outside to join Eckhardt by the river. The book's new owner looked young; almost too young to be delving into magical secrets already.

"Hello? Are you the one with the book? Unusual Maladies - I mean - Maladies Most Unusual?" he called out shyly. "The lady back there said you'd taken it. I wanted a peek too. Not that she gave me an easy time of it."

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Eckhart's head whipped around when he heard the young boy's voice. The boy seemed to be about 9, which deeply concerned Eckhart. "Wait, what? The librarian didn't even know this book existed, how did this kid know?" A terrible thought suddenly struck him. "Aren't there stories of monsters posing as children in order to gain people's trust?" Trying not to show any trace of worry on his face, Eckhart smiled. "Haha, I guess it's a popular book, huh?" His eyes narrowed. "What do you need from it?"

[Whim]

There was something off about the youth and Ewan didn't know what. A nervous titter? Most adults seemed content to indulge him or shoo him off. Few believed his tale and he stopped bothering to tell it.

"Saw it yesterday and wanted to check it out but the lady inside said I couldn't because I had no money for the deposit. It had a really good bit on how dead monk's wort can turn a person's skin part way into a troll's so that it can grow back without scars or burns and then how cranberry tea reverses it and..." he babbled on excitedly, all in one mouthful. There were definitely bits of magical and alchemical jargon in there no boy ought to know. The boy looked more like a local brat than any wizard's apprentice.

"I, um, thought my... mum might like it so I wanted to copy some pages," Ewan lied badly. Master would be more plausible. A grubby hand was extended for a handshake, "Sorry, my name's Ewan."

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Eckhart frowned. Fifteen years of living with his older sister had taught him what a lie sounded like, and this was a particularly bad one. "Alright, probably not a monster then- he'd be good at lying if he was. He's probably just some kid with a hobby." Eckhart himself didn't want the kids in Hyoite to know he was interested in healing when he was young- it was considered a bit girly.

Eckhart took the boy's hand and shook it, a smile beginning to form on his face. "It's Eckhart. Eckhart Von Musel. And yeah, cranberries are surprisingly magical apparently. I was just reading about a de-aphrodisiac that's basically just a spiced cranberry sauce. The only other remedy for love potions I'd ever heard of used something called bixbite as the primary ingredient. Like, what even is that?'"

Closing the book, Eckhart turned to to look at Ewan and motioned for him to sit down. "So, what got you into healing? I can tell that it isn't your mom who wants to see the book. There's nothing to be ashamed of y'know, it's a perfectly valid school of magic."

[Whim]

"Well its awful nice to meet you Eckhart. But what's an aph...ro...des...iac?" Ewan tried to look perplexed, poorly hiding a smirk. Either Eckhart guessed his real age (the youth seemed astute enough), or just wasn't very used to filtering himself in front of children. Making him try to explain it would be funny.

Ewan looked a little sheepish at Eckhart's pre-emptive consolation, though his tone turned haughty awful fast "The book is for me. And I think life magic's wonderful! I'm bet I'm the best in all of Serendipity - I mean - who wouldn't want to regrow bits that have gotten lopped off? Or enormous muscles? Or stay young and pretty forever? Every other problem you have comes down to it.

"Did you come all the way here just for this thing? Or are you in love with someone you shouldn't be? I think bixbites are a kind of swamp worm... maybe?" he had no idea. It sounded like an awful worm.

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Eckhart couldn't help but smile at Ewan's proclamation that he was Serendipity's best healer. "Wow, It's like he's a smaller me..." he thought wistfully. "It's good to see young people so interested in life magic!" "Sweet Ansgar, I sound old" he added to himself. "The reason I came to Serendipity was to get better at my healing magic, I've been training since I was about your age and I still only know three spells. Serendipity has a lot of mages, so I thought being here would be a positive thing for me. Believe it or not, I also want to be the best healer!"

After a brief pause, Eckhart looked at Ewan with a inquisitive look on his face. "Do you know any spells yet? Or are you still, like, learning the magical theory behind it and stuff? Personally I always thought that Faustisole's essays on life magic were really interesting." Suddenly, Eckhart got red in the face. "Idiot, he's too young for Faustisole" he chided himself. "At best he's read Gwyryl and even that's a stretch."

[Whim]

"Faustisole... he said... you need to change people so they mend faster rather than patching them up?" the boy squinted at Eckhart. The young man hardly seemed more sure of himself than Ewan... blushing as he was.

Grown-up memories of facts were always distant. He remembered the friends he apprentices with, girls he liked, and being a part of some competition where they had to grow giant carnivorous lilies. Was that what Faustisole was about?

"And I can do spells! I- well I know a few. And one good one but you wouldn't believe me!" he blurted out, sounding a touch defensive. "What sort do you know?"

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Eckhart shook his head. "No, it was Surrnkf who said that. Faustisole was the one who who said 'every force of destruction has it's antithesis'. I don't blame you for getting the two confused, Faustisole was one of Surrnkf's apprentices. Most of his more famous theories are based off of his master's groundwork." Eckhart's face turned an even deeper red after he said this. "This is going to go right over Ewans head, isn't it? I'm slipping up all over the place today."

Shaking himself, Eckhart continued. "I know how to regenerate a person's cells, and I know how to clot blood. I only learned the last one about 4 months ago actually, came as a massive shock to me when I did. I thought that maybe my magic was just really weak, but now I'm a lot more hopeful." Eckhart scratched his head. "Oh, and I suppose I can clog earwax too. Honestly though, it's such a lame spell that I barely even think about it."  Eckhart smiled encouragingly at Ewan, hoping to stroke the boy's ego a bit. "Now, tell me about this spell I wouldn't believe. I bet it's really cool!"

[Whim]

The boy screwed up his face in embarrassment at the wrong answer, crossing his arms and looking surly. He didn't like being upstaged! The Hyoitian probably hasn't meant to show him up anyway, though regrowing flesh with precision was impressive. Of course Eckhart's enthusiasm inflated his ego just enough he'd... let it slide.

"Well I know little spells to make you mend faster or become an animal. Transfigurations." he enunciated, brimming with haughty excitement, "My best one makes you younger. Reverses everything 'n makes you good as new!

"Only ever managed it once..." he paused to study Eckhart, wondering if the young man would laugh. Or figure out what he meant.

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Eckhart began to giggle at Ewan's remark, which soon turned into full fledged laughter. Nearly doubling over, he clapped the young boy on the back. "Good one! And me? I'm- pfffffthahahahhahahahaha! I'm an envoy for elder gods! I came from another dimension too!" Eckhart would laugh at his own joke for about a minute before calming down again. "I haven't thought about Althris in forever, I wonder if she ever made it to Connlaoth?" he briefly thought before turning his attention back to Ewan. "But seriously, transfiguration is pretty advanced- or, at least that's what I've heard. That's really impressive for somebody your age." Suddenly, an idea came to Eckhart. "This kid, he's training to be the same as me... Maybe I could help? It's not as if I mind his company..."

"Um, Ewan... Would you like to be my apprentice?"

[Whim]

"Hey! I don't... I don't need a teacher! Especially not one whose just started shaving!" the boy stamped his foot... not quite sharing Eckhart's laughter. And having reversed ageing Ewan didn't much like the idea of being anyone's apprentice. "Uh, sorry. But ask me anything! I'll prove I was a grown up- uh, an adult! Bet I could do one of these spells easy."

Ewan's wriggling fingers grabbed the old tome from a very apprehensive Eckhart. He flipped haphazardly through it until landing on a dogeared page. It was a mixture of common common mushrooms and apple meant to loosen joints and repair muscle... advised for use on old farm animals or to extend active years in humans by as much as a decade. Oddly appropriate and surely child's play. "If I can whip that up will you believe me?"

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

"Wait, was he being serious?" Eckhart grimaced when Ewan snatched the book away from him. "Please be careful..." he muttered under his breath. "Uh, alright, I suppose. If you can make that, I'll believe you. Let me just take a look at it first..." Eckhart gingerly took the book back from Ewan and looked at the recipe. It seemed simple enough, but in the footnotes there were some very specific directions on how the apples needed all the juice squeezed out of them for the remedy to work properly. "This seems alright," He said as he handed the book back to the child. "Just be sure to read the small text at the bottom of the page, okay?"

[Whim]

There was a market just across from the bookshop. The hamlet had no hedge-witch, so they settled for the farm-stand. The burly shopkeeper gave Ewan and Eckhart a suspicious glare as they entered. With the older boy smelling of salted fish, and the younger grubby and half-dressed, his fear of lost customers was palpable. His scowl vanished when they approached with a bushels of apple and several handfuls of rare and expensive mushroom.

"Just what are you lads makin' with all that anyway?"

"Its um... a potion kind of... a cure for old cattle," Ewan piped up cheerfully.

"Aye? Reckon my girl out back could use a few drops of that. Thirty bits."

"Uh oh! I... I left my silver at the Library!" Ewan's eyes grew wide with panic. How could he have forgotten? Oh right. Chasing after an old magic book. The boy peered up Eckhart expectantly, and a little sheepish. Grubbing for change was hardly an indicator of his... maturity.

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Eckhart sighed as Ewan looked at him, no doubt expecting him to pay for the ingredients by himself. Eckhart grew up poor, and made the minuscule amount of money he did by doing odd jobs for his neighbors. He had hoped that his financial situation would have changed when he came to serendipity, but nobody wanted the talents of a novice life magic user like him. "Not when there are a million other healers in this country better than I am" he thought bitterly. Luckily, growing up with little money made him an expert at whittling prices down to something he could fit into his budget. Eckhart looked at the shopkeeper intensely. "These mushrooms look like they're about to rot! You want thirty bits for this garbage?" Upon saying this, a few other customers gave the shopkeeper a dirty look and began to leave.

"Hey now... no need to make a scene. I'll can part with them for twenty five, how's that sound?

Eckhart feigned disgust at this. "That's too high. Give them to me for ten."

"What! That's outrageous! You cant expect me to-" the shopkeeper started before Eckhart cut him off. Grabbing Ewan by the shoulder he began to drag the boy away from the stall. "Come on, we can get better prices somewhere else." It took only took seven steps before Eckhart heard the shopkeeper call after them. "Fifteen! I can give them to you for fifteen!" "Perfect! He's right where I want him to be" Eckhart thought with smirk. Turning to face the man once more, he wore an expression of hesitation on his face. "Fifteen... that's still a lot. Tell you what, you said your cow was sick? Me and my friend will heal her up for free if you give us the ingredients for twelve bits."

The man seemed to chew this over for a minute before agreeing, and Eckhart and Ewan were pointed in the direction of a small farm. "Alright, time to see if Ewan is as good as he claims."

[Whim]

"You're awful full of surprises. Where'd you learn to do that?" Ewan glanced up at Eckhart in newfound admiration. Callow as he looked the youth was certainly a shrewd haggler. As they walked Ewan caught glimpse of a mangy black cat from the corner of his eye. It slunk after them as if stalking prey. The boy considered offering it some lunch. Of course, all he had was some cheese and hard-tack and that was his lunch.

The farm middled rustic and dilapidated. The orchards and garden were lush but the rusty tools were strewn about the yard, and the fence was in need of patching. Out back a small stable housed a pair of cows, one of which was scrawny and past her prime. They snuffled with lazy curiosity toward the two boys. Ewan narrowed his eye, "I remember this place. Picked apples for two whole days to get that Library fee. All he paid me was a single silver." Of course that was probably generous given how much work such a scrawny creature could do.

Ewan fished around his pack and produced a small cookpot, setting it down, and motioning Eckhart to put the book near it. "So first we need... apple juice! I think you just need to cut them up and boil it out" Ewan began cutting and mashing the apples in preparation to strain out the juice. He motioned for Eckhart to help, but hovered about the book possessively. He was happy to give direction and didn't want to be second-guessed. Of course, the boy-wizard did a rather lazy job of it. He cut large chunks and surely not all the juice would be boiled out; or large bits of skin and core would wind up in the juice.

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Eckhart watched closely as Ewan got to work. Ewan's cooking skills were clearly lacking, and at one point Eckhart had to hold back the urge to correct him on the proper way slice apples. "He clearly doesn't know what he's doing, he grimaced. "This is his test though, I need to let him do this himself or he won't know he needs improvement." Eckhart figured that if Ewan screwed up this time, Eckhart could just make the cure again- they had enough apples for it. Still, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as Ewan finished up the remedy and went to give it to the cow...

[Wycliff]

A dark robed figure stumbles through an alleyway, its hand nearly scraping along the wall for support. The figure stops to clutch it's side, where a small glow emanates from under the pitch black robe. Throwing its head back in pain, it's hood falls back,  ruffling short silver hair and revealing the face of a young man, not far into his twenties maybe, gritting his teeth. His eyes squint, and his brow furrows as he soldiers on. Damn my rotten luck, that of all the books in that library, the ONE with the information I need would be given away. The glow becomes a bit brighter, and the young man winces once more, pressing down on the area, causing small black particles to coalesce around it, dimming the glow. No matter... that merchant's descriptions were more than adequate, and his directions were quite clear. To the farm...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Whim]

The brew contained a little too much of the mushroom spores, and far too much apple skin, though Ewan hadn't paid that much mind. The boy blew on the cookpot and cheerfully lifted it up, trotting over to one of the cow's. "Here girl!" he called softly and held it under the bovine's nose. "There you go. You'll feel so much better. Right?"

The cow, probably named something like Bessie (the stupid farmer probably didn't have much imagination!), sniffed the potion suspiciously than dangled a tongue to taste it. It was sweet enough and she lapped it up. "See she likes it!" the boy smiled proudly, soon blushing. "Uh - sorry - its supposed to work not taste good. I know that."

At first the old Bessie seemed to brighten. Her crooked posture straightened and her bony haunches rounded with thick muscle. Was she getting big! And then it all went wrong. Her tawny fur began to shed in clumps as the flesh beneath took a mottled, green hue. Ewan stared in awe, a look of childish glee plastered across his face.  "Sure looks amazing! I bet... I bet the fungus part is supposed to grow big and strong then change back! Right? I think that's it...."

If that were the case the book made no mention. Bessie flexed her muscles and trotted in a circle. Perhaps she even enjoyed it? Though Eckhart might have noticed the saliva oozing from her mouth was rapidly turning the nearby grass into slurry...

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Eckhart was initially impressed, but as the cow began to change color he quickly grew fearful. "Ewan, I don't think this is..." his voice trailed off as he noticed the ground around the cow becoming sludgy. A putrid smell began to fill the air, causing Eckhart to gag. Suddenly, an angry voice called out to them. "Bessie! What have you done to her! I'll have your heads for this!" "Ewan, we need to go, like, now." Grabbing the boy and the book, Eckhart began to run, dragging Ewan in tow. "God damn it, I was having such a good day too. Why does this always happen to me?" As if responding to their movement, the cow began to give chase...