Fantasy Cursed Island

[Fangs9090]

“Alright.” Poli formed into a quadruped form to follow Jerry.

Shuffle picked up the flask and held it out. “Here.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Thank you," Jerry took the flask and replaced it on her hip before patting Shuffle on the shoulder. "You're not in trouble, just think more often, okay?" She turned and went to go look for Veo.

Veo was in one of the rooms rummaging through her bag, sorting through her supplies, which because of how much people got hurt, was down to just bandages, needles, stitching, and other tools, but none of her usual mix of herbs or medicines aside from the green pasty mix that she took for personal reasons. "I thought i told you to sit down."

"Would you like the recipe for healing potions?", Veo looked up at that.

"I don't have any materials..."

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle nodded before going to put her stuff away.

Poli walked up next to Jerry. “This is the bootleg recipe.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Jerry sat down across from Veo and took out her kit. "I know you're pissed about the plant-"

"Don't start with that 'Accept it' shi-"

"I'm not, you think you're the only one getting screwed over by this dungeon?" Jerry shook her head, "Accept it or not, but if that thing can be something useful, use it, at least until you can get rid of it. There's a plant that grows in certain places in this dungeon, and it's got similar properties to aeli root, which is the missing component, here. Can you produce that?"

"What? Are you kidding me?"

 

[Fangs9090]

Poli walked over and sat next to Jerry. “It could save all of our lives. If just one of us falls, the chances of survival for everyone else falls with them.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Veo scowled at the two. Everyone wanted her to just accept this thing that had punched a hole in her chest and pretend it wasn't eventually going to kill her. "You idiots really want this, don't you?"

"Would you rather be unable to help when people get hurt, or get some use out of the thing before it kills you?"

 

[Fangs9090]

“There still might be a way to get it out in time, but we gotta live to get out of here first.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Oh there's a way," Jerry sounded very serious about that, "And if there isn't, we'll make one. But either way, in the mean time, these are our options, you can either work with us or wait until we find another grove. Choice is yours." Veo huffed and looked away, crossing her arms. She was silent for a moment until a vine poked up and tapped her shoulder, growing a leaf that appeared very similar to what the herbs they'd used so far. Apparently, the plant agreed with this plan, that wasn't a vote of confidence to Veo, in fact it was a very good reason not to go along, as far as she was concerned, but when even the thing in her own body was in agreement, she had few options.

"Fine," she hissed ripping off the leaf, "Show me how to do this."

 

[Fangs9090]

Poli looked up at Jerry. “Just let me know when you need me. And how much.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

In response to Veo's acceptance and Poli offering up, Jerry pulled out a vial from her pack and handed it to the mimic. "We're gonna see if we can even make it first, so we're not gonna make a lot in the trial run." then she poured a measure of the magic water into another. "Veo, take some of those leaves and grind them into a paste, please."

 

[Fangs9090]

Poli took the vial and looked at it for a moment. They put their mouth on it before beginning to retch to try and fill it up. They eventually managed to get some juices into it.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Hey, don't hurt yourself," Jerry cautioned. Normally, the gastric juices were harvested from a dead mimic, living ones were a whole other ballgame. Veo was working on the leaves.

 

[Fangs9090]

"Gah.. I'm fine. Nothing more than a bit of discomfort." Poli looked at the half filled vial before holding it up. "Is this enough?"

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"That'll work for now," Jerry smiled and gave Poli's 'head' a pat before taking the vial and fishing out the small mortar and pestle. Adding the juice and the leaf paste together and mixing them together into a thick goop yielded a reaction that turned the mixture from green and brown to yellow. "Huh, that's nifty."

"What?"

"I don't think it's supposed to be that color, we're not finished though."

 

[Fangs9090]

As Jerry continued with the mixture, Poli sank down into a puddle, watching as they waited until they were needed again.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Jerry handed Veo the paste to keep mixing it so it wouldn't settle, in turn breaking out the tinderbox and assembling a frame to support another, slightly larger vial and lit a flame under it. Filling it about halfway with the magic water and bringing it to boil.

Once the water was boiling, Jerry motioned for the goop and mixed it in. The water, mixing with the healing herb and Poli's gastric juices, catalysts that sustain the lining of Poli's digestive system despite the potentially dangerous-to-swallow things that mimics tended to eat whole, began to bubble as it was mixed, not from the boil, but from the reactions as it changed color again, turning blood red. Jerry took it off the flame and let it settle and cool before putting a stopper on it. "So, who wants to find out if this is poison or not?"

 

[Fangs9090]

Poli paused for a moment. "Who among us is most resistant to poison?"

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Jerry took a moment to think about that. "It's not an aerosol, so it isn't me, Shuffle can regen, but she's also tiny... wait, Asta's a chimera."

"You're seriously gonna torture that poor little critter?"

"Oh, he should be fine," Jerry waved it off, "Besides, if it goes wrong I can forcefeed him saltwater to make him puke it back up before it can seriously hurt him."

 

[Fangs9090]

"Besides, he'll gladly accept whatever you give him, poison or not."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"I know," Jerry dipped her head, "That's what scares me."

 

[Fangs9090]

"Perhaps scale him up first? A larger size might dilute the effects, if it's harmful."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Jerry nodded, "That's a good idea."

"You know Asta loves you, don't hurt him," Veo cautioned.

 

[Fangs9090]

"I'll go see where he went. I thought he was following you." Poli turned and crawled off.

Asta had gotten distracted investigating Shuffle's new growths, after which he'd lost track of where Jerry had gone. He could've just sniffed her out, but he figured she'd call if she needed something.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Jerry got up to follow Poli, followed by Veo in turn to see what happened. "Asta," Jerry called when she saw where the little chimera was, "I have a favor to ask!"

 

[Fangs9090]

Asta looked over before getting up to trot over to Jerry. "Yes, Love?"