A Purple World Of Mages and Magic

The Apothecary

"Sorry Miss. Eloise, I'm trying--"

"Clear your mind of every worry and distraction. Empty it and Focus. Feel the fire, and let it hear your summons, your call, then channel it through with the hand gesture. "

Lance tried again, and he was able to clear his head.

And when he did so, the emblems surged within him and then he made the pattern as instructed. A slow movement to the right, left,then a final circular motion and the fire appeared on his fingertips.

And he wanted to jump for joy.

"Good." Miss. Eloise said, moving on to the next person till everyone had yellow emblems snaking away at their fingertips, some looking like blackened scarecrows on fire.

He tried to keep the tiny flame alive but it kept flickering out so much that it started annoying him.

Jodge who had gotten his right as well, caught Lance's gaze and gave a smug grin.

Then in a flash of a moment, his fire had morphed into a small ball and he hurled it towards Lance.

"What the--!" Lance exclaimed and swerved in time for his hand to shield him and the fire faded when it came in contact with the Nummix potion.

"Hey! what was that for?" Lance shouted, angrily.

Miss. Eloise had come over."Jodge I take it? Explain yourself, was that an expensive joke or what?"

Jodge kept a cool and meek face when he said."I just wanted to try if I could hurl a fireball, and test out the Nummix. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to harm him or anything."

"Be careful kid. Nummix or not, these spells are dangerous to be mishandled" She gave him a serious eye and went back to supervising.

The current period was soon over and Miss. Eloise left with a promise of more tedious classes in the next period.

But she had the students promise no one was going to practice while she was away, and without any official supervision, including silly and dangerous pranks. A glare in Jodge's direction was message enough she was talking to him.

There was bustling and rearranging of lockers as chittering students made to leave the classroom.

"Way to go man." Liam said to Jodge, while coming up between him and Lance.

Jodge approached Lance then."Lance, I wasn't trying to hurt you, I hope you know? Just wanted to play, I mean of course I knew the Nummix would protect you."

"Yeah, go screw yourself " Lance said.

He was a hell of a freak.

Lance walked away from them, but he hadn't gone three steps when he collapsed on the floor.

*********

"Lance.. Lance!" A hand tugged violently at his shoulder. His eyes felt like a load worth a ton had been placed on it, making it almost impossible for him to open it.

But he finally opened it and stared at his surrounding.

His stomach felt like it had fought a brutal war he wasn't aware of. Pain jolted every part of his body, and when he swallowed, pain pricked his throat.

"Where I'm I? are we not done yet? I don't feel good" He said as he noticed Glenda, Jodge, Liam and Frank watching him with worry on their faces.

The last he remembered he was still in class, and Miss. Eloise had just gone out.

He saw he was still in the classroom, although it had gotten dim and he couldn't see much.

Hadn't the classes ended? Had he slept off while another lesson was going on?

But why did he feel so much pain?

Liam pulled his hand up so he could see it. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Tell them what? What was going on?

He remembered then, he had been stung.

"Shit." He shot up from his seat, beginning to panick. "Guys, I was stung." He felt himself.

He wasn't dead, thankfully."...what do I do?"

"Tell us... That is what you should have done" Glenda scolded, displeasure on her face. "How could you have kept it to yourself and not told anyone, you could have died!"

"What are we going to do about it then? that's the most important thing now" Jodge said. "We need to treat it before things get out of hand"

"Wait, did you guys...did you guys tell anyone?" Lance asked, the thought of one of the staff knowing about it distressed him, because he'd be taken to the medic and then his blood samples would be taken, and his secret would eventually be discovered.

Even though he knew Golredot had not advanced in medical technology like his world had, so it was unlikely that they'd have such blood-testing equipments. But what wouldn't one expect from a magical school.

"No we didn't tell anyone" Liam said.

" I don't want to go to the medic" Lance said.

"Figured that out as well " Liam smiled slightly. "Considering your desire to remain hidden and inconspicuous for reasons I'm supposed to know by now " he frowned then.

"I'll explain later " Lance replied. "I need to get the antidote"

"We don't even know what it is, or where it is" Glenda said.

"We'll find it alright. You need to rest" Jodge replied.

"I want to come along "

"No. You'll end up wearing yourself out"

"You are not to decide that" Lance retorted.

Who was he to dictate what involved his life or death?

"I think I'm saying the right thing, I'm I not guys?" Jodge looked towards the group for some form of approval.

"It's better you stay back" Glenda proffered. "You need the energy you can muster"

"I don't understand, you guys will leave me here to die out? Is that is?"

"You'll die out faster if you come with us. As much as I don't want to admit, Jodge is right" Liam finally said.

Lance sighed, rolling his eyes exhaustively. His tongue felt like heavy lead in his mouth.

He wouldn't be surprised if he found it had grown bigger and longer because of the way it felt.

And he was starting to have breathing difficulty. "Alright, but pls come back soon. I feel like I'm starting to die"

"We will " Glenda said.

"I'll stay with him, you guys go on " Liam said.

""""""""

"Ahhh"

"Shhh. Keep quiet, you do not want to alert the staffs to our presence here." Glenda rebuked Frank.

"Oh, shut up " Frank retorted angrily. "I hit my leg on this stupid block of metal and all you can say is “keep quiet“?"

"Be careful next time then" She replied.

They were in the Apothecary, a large museum like structure that housed almost an infinite number of magic potions, medicine, salves, ointments and rare magic leaves eons old.

But the Apothecary was old, and had been built centuries ago, so their feet creaked on the floors as they crept stealthily along.

The air smelt dust, damp, and oil. The walls were of some sort of grey stone and dust particles on it.

"Why is there no source of light... it's pitch black" Jodge complained.

"That's because it's night, and we are not supposed to be here dummy" Glenda scorned.