56 The Elixir 4

"Come on, boy. This is the last one!" Teo said and fiddled with the small crystal vial in his hand.

Ten days had passed by in the blink of an eye.

Teo had looked forward to seeing the long-term effects of the elixir, and today it was finally time for the last treatment. It was not as happy an occasion as he had first expected, though.

Beast's condition had seen definite improvements over the past days for sure, but he was still far from healthy. Even though his physical health and his wounds had gotten better and better with every application of the mysterious potion, somehow, his spirit seemed to suffer from it.

Initially, the large animal had been quite lively and motivated, even with his substantial wounds. Yet now, Beast simply lay still in his shelter most of the time, lacked appetite, and showed little reaction to outside stimuli. Even the magical energies suffusing his body seemed to weaken significantly over time, making the once-fearsome Barghest a lot less intimidating. He was like a completely different magical beast. 

Naturally, this development worried Teo, and he spent a lot of time trying to find out what was wrong —without much success.

So now, after pouring the contents of the last vial into Beast's mouth, Teo decided to visit the old Alchemist, Hermes Trismegistus, again, from whom he had gotten this potion in the first place. He had kept precisely to the prescription of one bottle per day and took note of everything that could cause complications, yet a full recovery of his friend failed to appear. Clearly, something was wrong, and he was best advised to consult the Alchemist about it before deciding on how to proceed.

'Say, Goliath. What do you think we should do? Is the potion not working, or what is the problem with Beast? ' Teo asked his trustworthy companion on the way.

'We talked about this already, haven't we? The elixir has to be legit, or it would not have been able to heal such wounds... Yet it's hard to refute that something isn't right. Maybe it was just not enough yet?' Goliath replied, more a question than an answer. The small Golem had naturally not encountered a similar case before, and he too had no idea of how to fix it.

So with no other options to boot, they hurriedly continued their way to the gloomy tower of the only Alchemist they knew.

*****

"What do you mean, it's not working?" the greyed senior asked in surprise.

"It's just not working, Mr. Trismegistus," Teo repeated himself solemnly.

He was sitting in the flamboyant office of the famous Alchemist, Hermes Trismegistus again. It seemed as if he frequented this place a lot lately.

"But there must have been some effect, right? I can't imagine there to be no effect at all..." the Alchemist retorted and waited for the young boy to reply.

"So, he is getting weaker? Hmm... it is probably just the accelerated recovery taking its toll on his vitality. The condition should not be underestimated, though," the man said and eyed Teo carefully.

"I would prescribe... a few further treatment sessions with smaller doses to make sure his body is fully healed, and a strengthening type Elixir to support the recovery. That should quickly get him back on his legs again," the thin scholar elaborated his suggestion and observed Teo's reaction.

"That's it then! Can you prepare the necessary potions for the treatment?!" 

"Certainly, certainly," the lean man said and smacked his lips, then he continued, "However, I would need a lot of precious resources for that again, and... you know how it works," he stated and looked expectantly at Teo.

"Right, I need to pay. I almost forgot. About how much would that be then, altogether?" the boy asked in return, hoping that his savings would be enough to foot the bill.

"Ahh... I am terribly sorry, but... I fear, just money will not be enough for this service," the Alchemist said and leaned in to close the deal. "May I ask for a favor instead?"

Teo was a bit taken aback by the sudden request but soon steadied his resolve and asked,

"What kind of favor?"

"Oh, it is a simple one. To make the required concoction for your friend, I will need a special catalyst — a rare magical gem known as the Ocean's Heart. Unfortunately, I don't have any left in stock..." the Alchemist said, clearly beating around the bush.

"So, you want me to get one for you?" Teo asked, finishing the sentence in his stead.

"There is just a tiny little problem..." the Alchemist added, then hesitated before continuing, "It does not occur naturally in this area."

"Well, if it can't be found in this area, then how am I supposed to help you? I am not an adventurer, and I have no experience in collecting magical ingredients anyway..." Teo was stumped, as he still did not catch the intentions of the Alchemist.

"It can be found directly here in the city. However, it is not for sale," the man amended in cryptic words.

Hermes Trismegistus was a cautious man. He had been in the business for a long time already and knew most of the tricks. Through his endeavors over the years, he had accumulated a considerable amount of wealth, yet his ambitions reached even further. The rumors about him were indeed correct; he did not leave any opportunity that presented itself to him unexploited, and he was not about to waste this one.

"What do you mean, Sir? How am I supposed to acquire it then?" Teo asked with a puzzled expression. Could this geezer come to the point already? Could he help Beast or not? At this point, Teo had many open questions, and he did feel that the situation was kind of weird, but he did not expect to hear the following words from the Alchemist:

"There are certain unconventional ways to acquire it."

...

He needed a moment to process these words but eventually puzzled them together. 'Unconventional'? Available here in the city? He was not telling him to steal anything, right? The old man did approach the subject a bit strangely and hesitated to call a spade a spade, yet he could not possibly be trying to persuade him to commit a crime, right?

Intending to clear his doubts, Teo tried to approach the subject directly, "Sir, you aren't telling me to steal it from someone, right?"

"Stealing is a harsh word... but I am afraid there is indeed no other possibility but to take it secretly," the Alchemist replied matter-of-factly, causing Teo to stare at him in shock.

"I will not steal anything for you!" the boy declared firmly, dismayed by the sudden turn of events.

"It is not a preferable situation, yes. But remember, it is not for me. I am afraid it may be the only way to save your friend," the Alchemist replied, causing Teo to fall into deep contemplation.

He did want to object vehemently, storm out of the building, and tell on the guards... yet he didn't. Yes, stealing was certainly not acceptable, but what if it was the only way to save Beast? Could he just waste this opportunity? What else was he supposed to do about the situation? With no other options to choose, Teo had to consider his choices carefully.