Chapter 10
Creating the cure
Brock lead us back to the small building where Godwin had set up his makeshift laboratory, other Ogres were waiting there and they didn't take kindly to the green riders appearance. There was a slight standoff with weapons aimed at each other but once the king explained the situation things relaxed a bit, but there was still a sharp atmosphere.
Once inside Godwin set to work with my help. "How long do you need?" Drayton asked.
"Who can tell? It could be hours or a day; I haven't made a potion this powerful before, it will be ready when it is ready." He was going through his case pulling out all sorts of plants, potions and vials.
As we worked Godwin mentioned the girl. "How did you do it?" He asked. “How did you help her escape?”
"I gave her the explosive potion," I said. "She must have blown the door off."
"Do you realize what you have done?" He said quite annoyed.
I didn't think it would be a problem when I did it, she was just a little girl locked up in an Ogres cell, but after the events on the platform and how the Ogres seemed to be frightened of her, I started to wonder. "Tell me what I have done that is so wrong." I said.
Godwin stopped what he was doing. "She is a demon and what I have seen she's a powerful one. You have freed her and that is not good."
"She helped us, not just once but twice, surely she can't be all that bad." I replied trying to look on the good side.
"She tricked you Lem, can't you see that?"
I couldn't. "How did she? I wasn't tricked."
"I am afraid you were. When you released her she paid you back by helping on the fighting platform. Then she offered to help get us out of the castle and you agreed, that was your mistake," he continued working with the equipment in front of him. "Now you owe her."
I didn't think I would see her again. "She's gone and we got out alive, that's what matters."
"She will return to collect. You owe a demon Lemon, that is very serious, it could be tomorrow or it could be years from now, but she will return and you will have to pay."
A shiver ran down my spine at the thought. How a simple act of kindness could result in me now fearing for my life.
"Don't ponder on it now, we will deal with it when it happens, this is what's important at the moment." He indicated the equipment covering the table.
We had been working for hours, well Godwin was doing most of the work I was more taking notes in my pad.
Godwin removed the moss from his tunic and gave it to me. "Chop the plant into fine pieces on your cutting board, beginning the mortification stage." He said to me, I wasn't sure what the mortification stage was but I did as he asked.
The Ogres were getting agitated, the sun had gone down and they were nervous about an imminent attack. I heard the king sending out a scouting party to watch the warlord's movements. "He will attack tomorrow. We need that cure or my army will be defeated." He said, his leg was well bandaged and he looked fitter after taking some more of Godwin's potion.
"The more you disturb me, the longer it will take." Godwin replied harshly. "Now Lemon, put the chopped plant matter into the mortar, and grind it down with the pestle-continuing the Mortification of the Plant." He said continuing with what he was doing.
This wasn't easy, my arm was hurting bad. Godwin looked into my mortar. "Excellent, what you have done there has released the salt in the plant," he seemed to be enjoying this. "Place the unrefined Salt into the Mason jar then cover the Salt with an inch of liquid to spare with the pure grain Alcohol. Be sure that at least half of the Mason jar is left empty of all but air. Then seal the jar, so that nothing may enter or exit it. When that’s done leave it to rest. The Sublimation phase will occur within the hermetically sealed alchemical vessel at this point." I was glad to, I needed a rest as well.
After a while I was sent out of the room so Godwin could do an important part of the process without distraction. Brock, Drayton and the king were in the other room. "Is it finished?" The king asked.
I shook my head. "Shouldn't you be back at your castle?"
"I will go when I have the curse's remedy, I have sent word back and they will be prepared for war." He stood and walked his massive frame over to me; Drayton moved his hand towards his side arm. Brock saw this and did the same.
The king bent down to my level. "I don't want you Wood Riders here when the battles begin."
We sat there for two hours before I was summoned. "Lemon!" Godwin shouted from the other room. I shakily went to see him.
"It is nearly complete," he said cheerily. "This is the last stage." He passed me the Mason jar. "Remove the covering and open the jar. You will see that the gross mercury has darkened in colour, this is a sign that the Sulfur of the plant has been extracted into the Mercury. Use a funnel and filter then pour the potion into a container leaving the salt behind in the filter. The liquid Mercury remaining is your Tincture."
I did as he said while he brought over a large bottle full of a dark blue liquid. "Tip the Tincture in here." He said excitedly.
Godwin shook the bottle vigorously then placed it on the table and stood back. "There is a thing of wonder," he said. "That is one of my greatest achievements."
"It is wonderful, but how do you know it will work?"
"Let us test it shall we?" He snatched up the bottle and went in the other room.
The Kings eyes widened at the sight of the blue liquid. "You have done it?" He asked.
Godwin nodded with a smile. "One drop should be enough for each Ogre." He handed the bottle over.
The king removed the lid and placed his little finger in then tasted it. The reaction was almost instantaneous, his skin gained its colour, his muscles bulged and he stretched up tall. "I have never felt as strong and powerful as this in a very long time." He laughed and handed the bottle to Brock. "Make sure everyone gets a taste. Now we must leave." He faced Godwin. "You and your apprentice will always be welcome in Kalth. I owe you my life and my peoples." He patted Godwin on the arm which nearly sent him flying across the room. "Drayton, you must see these two back to your realm and make haste, this will not be a pleasant place to be in soon."
We left a short time later with the green riders; we headed back through the serpent tunnel, this time a lot more carefully. When we emerged out the other side the rest of Drayton's green riders were waiting with the horses.
"So, what happens now?" Godwin asked.
"We take you back to Woodridge like I said." Drayton patted his horse on the neck.
"After all we have been through! You know I am no threat to the realm, if all goes well for the Ogre king it would make me the saviour of the realm!" Godwin was not happy at this; it was not what he expected to happen.
Drayton sagged his head. "I know Godwin, but my superiors do not. I can put a case together for you but you must still face the council. You were still dealing with Ogres and that is frowned upon."
"Can't you just let him go?" I was starting to worry for him.
"I'm sorry boy, I am afraid I can't." He signaled for his men to mount their horses.
"You saw that not all Ogres are bad," I said as Godwin was helped up to sit behind a green rider. "This just doesn't seem right at all."
"Right or wrong, they are still Ogres. That is enough for the council. Now climb up, I will drop you off at your home."
We rode back to the ruins of the castle where we first encountered Brock, as we climbed up the hill and went by the circle of scorched earth Drayton looked down at it. "That was very clever of you Godwin." Drayton said as he rode beside the alchemist.
"I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve." Godwin replied. Drayton gave him a weary look.
Down the other side the wagon came into view and wandering not far from it was good old Blaze. "Off you get, go hook up your horse and cart." Drayton told me.
I was surprised when Blaze came up to me and gave me a nudge with his nose. "I missed you too." I said
giving him a pat on the neck. I didn't take me long to sort out the wagon and before long we were on our way again. For the rest of the journey no one spoke, not even when we stopped for rest and provisions. We finally reached my village, many of the folk stopped to watch us ride through, their faces showed what they thought of us and it wasn't anything good. We stopped by the rickety old bridge that spanned the river.
"I will make my own way from here." I said dismounting the wagon.
"I'm sorry it has got to be this way." Drayton said sadly.
I walked over to Godwin; he didn't look that bad considering. He looked down at me. "I will return soon Lemon; don't worry about me I will be fine once I sort this mess out." I hadn't known him that long but I felt tears starting to well up. "Study boy, make the most of the time and study, you may get the odd visit from villagers needing help but that shouldn't be hard for you to do if you study hard."
"I will, I will fill my pad before you know it."
Godwin chuckled then was very serious. "If you get a visit from Beth, do not let her in whatever you do!"
At the sound of her name I shivered. "Trust me I won't." I replied.
Drayton was getting them moving again. "Before you go can I ask you something?" I asked him looking up. He nodded. "When I first saw you at this river you shot at the Ogre fishing, you missed it deliberately didn't you? You knew he wasn't bad, just getting medicine from Godwin."
He smiled at me. "This is a dangerous time for Ogres to be in our realm, I was scaring him off for his own safety." Then he tapped his horse and they trotted off down the path.
Godwin was shouting back at me they disappeared behind some trees. "Tea boy, drink plenty of my tea! You must drink tea when in my home!"
Finally, I can try this fabled tea, the only problem was that Godwin has never actually told me the recipe and I knew he didn't keep a supply off it in the house, once again I would have to wait.
I sat on the large rock and looked down at the river watching the fish swimming around for a while before setting off towards the alchemist's house. My home.