I'm sitting on my stool, uncomfortable but too invested in the bubbling fluid in my alembic. This one will have the correct structure. It has too!
"Staring at it won't make it potent, Mercy," Lena says beside me, her stupid grin mocking me even now. "How many failed attempts has it been? Six?"
"Seven," I sigh. "But this one will work, Len. I know it!"
"It better... Headmistress won't give you many more chances..."
"If any..."
We both fall quiet knowing the ramification of those words. If I fail to produce what is required of me, I will be cast one. Forced to fend for myself. In this world, that meant death.
Lena's hand is a comforting warmth above mine. She always knew how I was feeling.
She joins me in my staring contest with my alchemical equipment. Until...
"It's blue..." She whispers.
"Yes..." I concur, and then louder, "Yes!"
"What's this commotion?" Lema scurries away as the Headmistress approaches my table. "Ah, finally. Class! Mercy has officially concluded her acolyte training! I want a big round of applause!" It follows, Headmistress then leans in. "Follow me, child. And bring your potion."
I get a thumbs up from Lena as I follow the Headmistress outside the fuming classroom and into her small office. I'm very anxious to learn what is next in my journey. Once our training begins in earnest, we have no contact with the people we've met before. Unless they also graduate. Lena was new but I knew she would soon join me. She was my only friend in this academy. She had to.
At a gesture from the Headmistress, I place the blue liquid on the stand on her desk.
She sighs. "I was about to give up on you, Mercy." She looks into my eyes, "are you sure you want this? There's no going back..."
What an odd question. After all this time, who would say no... "Yes, Headmistress. I want this."
She nods her head and takes out a pouch from one of her drawers. She takes a pinch and sprinkles some brown flakes into my potion. The blue liquid becomes green.
"Drink it."
"P-pardon me?"
"This is what it takes, girl. You want to be a part of us? Then drink it."
My hand shakes as I pick up the vile, put it to my lips, send a prayer to the almighty, then sip. And then, another sip.
And then, nausea.
Followed by darkness.
...
When I come to, I am lying in a cushioned bed in a brightly lit room. My head is pounding and my eyes are itching. I try to scratch them but my hands are tied to the bed. After a while, my vision starts to focus, and I notice the furniture in the room. This is such a nice room...
The door opens and the Headmistress enters, her face adorned by the first smile I've ever seen.
"Mercy."
"Headmistress, what are these restraints? What is happening?"
"Some... can't control themselves, and... scratch their eyes out when they wake..." She sits on the foot of my bed and grabs my palm. "To go through so much only to maim yourself at your zenith... what a terrible thing..."
"I... won't scratch them..."
She pierces her lips, nods, then undoes my bindings. The urge to itch was astonishing, but I fought it. She sees that, nods again.
"I'm glad you didn't give up, child."
"Am I... one of you now?"
"Almost. You have one more task to perform."
Before I knew it, I was in urchin clothes, reciting lines in my head as I walked the scorching streets of the capital. I carried a bag. Inside said bag was a note and my green potion.
Two guards stand vigil in front of a lavish manor. I prepare myself for the final test - they point their spears at my neck.
I hand them the note. They read it, look at each other, lower their spears.
"Be quick." One says, handing back my note.
"We'll take you home." Says the other.
I give a shaky nod and pass. My heart threatens to leap out of my chest as I walk up the marbled steps. Final test, this is the final test.
I can do this.
Once inside, a tall lady with long hair kneels to my height. "Ah, a new tester from the slums." The maid says in a cheery voice, "the madam will be thrilled to have you. Come along, deary."
She takes me to a huge foyer, and the 'madam' sits on a massive couch, eating grapes and looking generally bored. The maid introduces me and the lady shoos her away. Seems that her boredom has vanished for the time being.
The madam beckons me. "Speak."
I take a deep breath and start reciting. After a while, the madam raises her hand. I stop.
"You know the words well enough, but I've had it with faulty merchandise. That bastard thinks he can impress me by making you brats memorize some lines..." She inspects me. "Let me see it."
I take out the potion.
"Ha! What type of elixir is this!" She takes it, smells it. "Ahhh, this smells foul." Her nose wrinkles as she eyes me suspiciously. She puts the vile to her lips and - "you taste it, brat."
The Headmistress was right that she would be suspicious. No choice then... I drink...
The nausea is the same. But it lingers. The encroaching darkness stays back. I fight to keep my expression neutral as I hand the potion over.
"Humpf." The madam takes it and gulps it. "Bah! That's vile! What sort of wine test... oh..."
The madam throws up, and again, and again. She then falls into her puddle before attempting a futile "...guards..."
I walk out into the corridor. The darkness finally catching up to me and taking me wholly into its embrace.
...
I wake up with a familiar headache.
"Mercy!" I feel Lena hugging me. "Oh, they said you would wake up but I was so afraid!"
"Lena?" My wits still linger on the outside of my consciousness. "What..."
"A guard on our payroll brought you back yesterday." Lena let go of me. "The Headmistress said you would need rest..."
A guard? So they fulfilled their end of the bargain. My eyes itch slightly, but my arms are not restrained. I generally feel less awful than last time. So... it worked? Wait, if Lena is here.
"Lena... you too?"
"Yes!" She beams. "Except I didn't fall unconscious." She gives me her patented smirk. "Unlike some folk, I can hold my poisons."
I scream, hugging her with all my might. "We did it, Lena!"
"We did!"
Our dream had come true.
We were both assassins.
This is the first draft of the story. Written by Jovan Gjorgjiev, ©️ 2023.
Obligatory shout-out to the 🍕PIZZA🍕 gang, 🤙 gang. 🤙
Another first-person, present tense piece. 😁 Haven't really practiced this one so am exploring the format. Liking it lots so far.
Thanks for reading!
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Have a great start to your week! 🙌
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Power Up day soon buzzlords!
You are welcome @grocko, that's with pleasure! We wish you a happy buzzy week 😊👍🐝
Fantastic my guy 😎 I loved this sweet story of... murdering people with a friend... wait uh. That's not what I want to say! !LOLZ
Seriously though, I always think your descriptions and plot arcs are bomb 💚. There's a little bit of everything in this tale, the potions were really fun! well done !PIZZA !LUV
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@grocko, I sent you an $LOLZ on behalf of @grindan
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Thank you do much for reading. 🙂 I’m glad you liked it. And yea, I had fun with this one myself. Was a pretty easy write-up.
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