 Catching up again Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
Desiree beamed back at the professor. She was relieved to hear her answer was correct; she wasn’t 100% confident when she said it. She blinked, slightly confused as the lecture continued. So if the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual were connected in Spagyrics, did that mean that one’s alchemy would be less effective if one was sick or in a bad mood? She had no idea!
Ohhhh, so alchemy’s principles and its goals were not the same thing. She was glad she hadn’t tried to answer that part of the question! She took careful notes on the three principles and their corresponding colors and meanings, finishing just as Professor Devries gave the next set of instructions.
While Desiree didn’t understand all the alchemy stuff yet, casting Incendio was something she could do! She was confident in her spell casting abilities, but she supposed a bit of nonverbal practice couldn’t hurt. Putting on her dragonhide gloves, she moved to the stove. Incendio, she thought, focusing all her concentration on her target as she made the upward arc and jab wand movement. A moment later, a little flame burned in the stove. She extinguished it and stood aside for the next person who wanted to practice.
The next set of instructions answered Desiree’s earlier question. Apparently one’s emotions did affect one’s results in alchemy. That was interesting, but she didn’t dwell on it for long. Focusing on the next task, she selected a pillow, pink because it was her favorite color, and sat with her hips forward and back straight. She closed her eyes and breathed through her nose, trying to block out thoughts of everything except her breath. Was that it? Did she do it?
Desiree opened her eyes as the professor spoke again. She copied down the instructions in her notes the best she could in the dim lighting and set to work. She retrieved her tincture and other necessary equipment, neatly setting everything on her work table before her. With careful, deliberate movements, she unwrapped the jar containing her tincture and stretched the stocking over her empty jar. Donning her dragonhide gloves once more, she unsealed her tincture and poured it into the stocking, taking care not to spill a single drop.
When the liquid stopped running, Desiree gave the herbs a gentle squeeze to extract more. She set the liquid jar aside and picked up the herbs, placing them in her mortar. Carefully carrying her mortar outside, she set it on the ground and aimed her wand. Incendio! She thought, making the wand movement. She watched the herbs burn until the fire at last went out, leaving whitish ash behind. Placing one hand near the top of her mortar to guard against anything blowing away, she returned to the greenhouse. “Does anyone need help with Incendio?” she asked, looking around.
__________________ Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led
If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true... |