After tidying up the unholy mess I'd made earlier—scrubbing away every stain left by those ghastly, slimy faeces—I finally gave myself another wash. Partly because I still reeked, and partly because one ought to be squeaky clean before slathering any concoctions onto their skin. Magic beast feces was a whole different kettle of fish. Hopefully, this salve would banish the stench too.Ah, that reminded me—I'd left my bag at school. And Elise, with her merry band of blasted witches, would've already disposed of it just to spite me. Damn it.After a thorough and vigorous toweling to banish any lingering moisture, I caught my reflection in the mirror. Clean, yes, but those unsightly burn marks were a glaring reminder. I quickly squashed the anger bubbling up inside me. No time for that luxury. Those fledgling mages were already well on their way to forming cores. The school valued them far more than they ever would me.Just one more year. Hmph! That was all.I picked up the glass bottle from the stand, scooping some of the golden salve onto my fingers, and began applying it. Healing salves, especially on burns, should be applied in a slow, clockwise motion. This helps to ensure even absorption and maximizes the salve's soothing properties.Once I was done, I glanced out the window of my room. The trees swayed in the light breeze, and the evening darkness gave the scene an almost eerie feel.My box of illicit ingredients was tucked away beneath my bed, snugly nestled alongside my other, um, alchemical experiments—carefully hidden from my father's prying eyes. All this subterfuge was buried under a pile of plush toys Father had lavished upon me to curry favor. I wanted to tell him I'd outgrown them, but a part of me still delighted in their squishy softness. Though, I hadn't dared to pull any of them out today; the thought of smearing them with golden healing salve was simply too dreadful.Finally, I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes. It was high time I had a chat with Lotte.I was asleep within seconds.****My dreams were never what one might call normal. The moment sleep embraced me, I wasn't just dreaming, but experiencing something entirely different. The wind whipped through my face as I let out a joyous scream. I was falling. Below, the dots of buildings looked like tiny ants. I knew they were skyscrapers, yet from this height, they seemed so insignificant.And I was plummeting straight toward them. Oh, how dreadful! Was this how I would meet my end, falling from a great height in a dream?I giggled as I performed midair gymnastics. Falling straight down, flapping my hands like wings, twirling around like a cannonball—all while descending rapidly.My dreams never hurt me. I had fallen countless times, sometimes with Lotte swooping in to save me. Other times, I'd landed face-first on a silly skyscraper, or plunged into a river, or found myself atop a remarkably advanced bridge. There were forests, factories with fantastically advanced machinery, which I half-suspected were crafted by enchanters and powered by magic.But I was never hurt. Not once.And there was no one else in this dream world but me and Lotte.A vast black silhouette emerged from the clouds beneath me. Ah, speak of the devil! There she was, with her immense and sinuous body, every inch covered in hard, glistening scales. A head like a giant serpent's, wings with a span that might encompass the entirety of Randall, two pairs of formidable clawed limbs, and a tail longer than her whole body—black, scaled, and utterly graceful."LOTTEEEE!" I screamed, "SAVE MEEE!"She looked up at me, her slitted amber eyes fixing on my falling form. With a single flap of her colossal wings, she severed the clouds in an instant. Just one glance from her and I felt myself slowing down.I soon landed on her back, giggling with excitement as she soared through the air. I gripped the massive thorny growths on her back—painful, were it not for the dream. One couldn't get hurt in dreams, after all.We descended, streaking past the world whose echoes lingered only in my mind, zipping by skyscrapers at breakneck speeds. Lotte could go faster, much faster, but I might not be able to hold on if she did.Soon, we found a hill with enough space for Lotte to land comfortably. Dust clouds rose as her massive frame touched down, shaking the entire mountain.Even downscaling her was an absolute bother. Not that I needed to. As an invisible force gently tugged at my sides, I found myself being slowly lowered. The moment my feet touched the ground, I rushed forward and enveloped Lotte's enormous face in a hug—or at least, I managed to embrace a bit of her snout. It was enough; the gesture had been made."I missed you, Lotte!""But Jade, we’ve been acquainted for ages. Could you truly have found yourself longing for my presence after merely a single day apart?" Lotte's voice, soft and soothing, echoed directly in my mind without her monstrous mouth moving. It was quite at odds with her fearsome appearance, but then, so was her warm and calming personality."Doesn't matter," I huffed, suddenly remembering my earlier indignation. "I'm not amused by what you recommended!""Oh, what about?""The ingredients you asked me to buy! They nearly landed me in a dungeon!"Lotte lifted her head, blinking her massive, slitted eyes."I'm not sure I understand."I sighed. "Those ingredients you told me to get are banned in the empire. Old Mekael said they're used for an elixir called Mourning Shade. At low doses, it causes hallucinations with just a drop. At higher doses, it paralyzes the body while leaving the mind fully conscious."There wasn't a murmur from Lotte for a moment, but when it came, it was a single word."Fascinating."What? That was her response to me nearly being tossed into a dungeon?It seemed she caught onto my train of thought."My sincerest apologies for the misunderstanding, Jade. I never anticipated that the ingredients themselves would be prohibited. Although, I can understand how they might be employed to craft something akin to the Mourning Shade."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Wait, what did she mean, "might be employed to craft something akin to the Mourning Shade.?"
"YOU'RE HURT..."