Red Amanita

We are back in our work, digging, and taking bags of rocks, so that we can dig more. And I'm on therzect position to stop it ... While we are out of tunnel, letting it breath, I begin my plan. The twins are talking about mining, like always, and I pretend to listen, but I'm using Medium Telekinesis. My scan found a weak part on a tunnel, and I **** it to collapse. The screams of the adventurers show that I'm doing a good job. But that is just part of my plan. The tunnel that is collapsing is where the biggest nest of Sky rabbits were, and now they are flying every everywhere ... and with more rocks falling from the ceiling, I guide them into my tunnel. Seeing the small army of screaming creatures coming in, the Dwarves say.

" Run. "

One word, and I run following them while they explain. That all the noise they are making can ... They stop talking, when I use my Telekinesis, and collapse the ceiling. The tunnel that we were digging is now buried. The Rabbits run back when the rest of chamber begins collapsing, and they continue to spread minor destruction all over this part of the Maze. I continue making the ceiling and walls falling, until it begins. I'm aiming at specific parts of the Maze, to create a chain reaction ... That now can't be stopped.

Whole sections of the Maze begin to crumble, and we go near Dior to ask guidance. Then I see it

" Are you hurt ? "

She asks while pouting the red liquid on the mouth of an adventurer, and making his wounds disappear. The Dwarves explain what is happening, she nods. Giving a last look to her mini laboratory, she runs with us. But I left there a slime ant ... That is transferring all towards my inventory, before forcing this part to collapse.

But her actions are now clear ... Dior has a good heart ... and she must have a good reason to want to raid the Maze. But now that is impossible ... The whole ground floor collapses, leaving a pile of rumble sealing the main corridor.

" I told them to not stop hunting the Rabbits ... "

Dior whispers while looking at the result of my actions. The Dwarves nod, and the Master Dwarf comes near.

" How many rabbits where inside that tunnel ? I was thinking that only a few were there according to the hunting reports ... "

" They are too fast to hunt ... that's why the numbers are low ... I warned you ..."

" Miss Dior ... We couldn't know ... But this will stop the ants from coming out, right ? "

" Ants ? "

Ask both of the mining Dwarves looking at the collapsed Maze.

" Ignore that comment my friends, you know how Royal contracts are. You are all going to receive full payment ... And we will wait until the Crown decides to dig again the Orichalcum. "

They all nod, and an old man comes near us, smiling.

" I think that will not happen so soon, Dior. The tunnel for the ... Orichalcum is buried, and until we find other ... tunnel, there is no point in wasting more coins to dig again. In the name of the Crown I thank you all for your efforts. "

No one says nothing, Dior just nods. The Dwarves look clearly troubled, but that winning smile of the old man shows that there is no room for negotiation. This worked like planed ... But the Ants will be a problem soon for others. We all prepare to walk away, until a chariot arrives. Dior doesn't say a word, and open it. Several boxes are inside, and the wounded begin to arrive.

" Miss Dior, please help them. "

Cries a man coming out of the chariot, and opening the doors. I cans see several boxes inside. Dior opens one of them full of vials with a blue liquid, and begins to open the others searching for something.

Dior's acts might had the roper intention ... forcing the way down to reach the ants ... The problem was that before the ants there were the Goblins ... and that was being used by the Crown as an excuse to reach the World Tree, like the Fairies pretended ... this is getting to confusing ... My scan shows that all tunnels are sealed, and even I digging trough all this will take a lot of time ...

" I'm looking for a box with red powder, if you find it I'll give you one silver coin. "

She is making a simple offer, so I begin to help her. After opening a few boxes, I see the problem. _The boxes are all similar, what is different is what is inside. This will take for ever. I see her looking at the people arriving.

" Besides the red powder, I also need more vials with blue water, yellow powder, and ... "

" Parchments, a quill, and ink. "

Her **** voice stops for a moment, and she looks at the boxes. Then she takes a small book from her pocket.

" Rip the last pages, they are blank ... I have this all in order ... But the Guild just pilled them ... "

" Guild ? Here is the red powder. "

" Alchemy Guild ... You earned a silver coin. Please continue ... label the boxes ... it will be easier ..."

Again the same thing ... something that is obvious, but no one can see it ... I continue my job, opening the boxes, and use a little of parchment to label them ... and I see it.

" Need glue. "

" Glue ? "

" For the parchments. If I place it inside, is useless. If I don't use glue the label fly away."

" Makes sense ... at the Guild we use different boxes ... to know where is each thing ... Some of them even have the names carved in wood ... But using parchments and glue ... Here ... don't let it touch your fingers, do like this. "

Dior carefully rubs a piece of the parchment on the vial, and place it on the box. No surprise ... it's ooze. I continue doing the job, but now slower to not touch the ooze. It's harmless to me, but she can't find out that. But all this boxes, make me begin to wonder what is Alchemy, and how much I can learn with it. After a little, all boxes are labeled. The difficulty was not the number of the boxes, but all being equal. With the labels, Dior can easily ...

" More Blue water. "

She says interrupting my future plans. I go closer with the box, and see that my scan can't detect anything. Inside the vials, and bags, I can't touch the products ... So I observe, and make a new plan. Dior smiles seeing me close, and continues her work.

" Ask away, Ru. It's not a secret. "

" How do you make the Healing potion with the red powder, Dior ? "

" Watch, it's very easy. First you grab an empty potion bottle, like this one, then you fill it with the Blue Water. 3/4 is enough, and finally you mix one dash of the red powder. "

" Empty bottle, Blue Water, Red powder ... That's why is not a secret ... it can be anything. "

" Exactly Ru. Are you interested in being an Alchemist ? I can talk to the Guild. What is your class ? "

" I have no class, Dior. "

" Oh ... I see ... "

Her eyes return to her task, making the potions, and giving them to the wounded. And I see it, or better, my scan senses it ... After adding all the ingredients, while she is mixing them, she adds mana ... some kind of spell.

" Mana detected. Cure Wounds spell. "

A spell ... that's how they make potions ... mix the ingredients, and cast the spell ... magic inside a vial. And Dior is looking tired ... There is something wrong ... Another chariot is coming, more beings dressed like her. Some are humans, others not ... but no elves. She comes near me, and looks at the boxes.

" All labeled ... You did a great job. Do you like to catch mushrooms ? "

" Submit a request to the guild. "

The grabs her pocket book back, and opens it almost without searching ... Then she shows me the image

" The Guild ... a good answer ... but is not enough for me look this carefully. What do you see ? "

" A red mushroom ... The powder is made from this ..."

" Yes, but there is a problem. Normally the adventurers only deliver the red part, and I need the whole item, including the mycelium. "

" Micelum ? "

" Mycelium ... the roots. The problem is that the guild pays the same, with or without the roots. "

" Grabbing it with the roots takes more time ... so they use a knife."

" Exactly. The red powder is Red Amanita Mushroom. I need to use 3 portions if is weak, or 1 portion if is strong. It's the same item, but can you tell the difference, Ru ? "

" The roots. Myzelium"

" Mycelium ... But that's for later ... You are correct ... One adventurer worked fast. The other worked slowly. Both earn the same because the guild can't understand the difference ... But you do, right, Ru ? "

" Without the roots, you need to use the triple of the mushrooms. If you want to place it in small vials like the ones inside the box they need to be mushrooms with roots ... Dior, you are making a traveling kit ... "

" Exactly ... The other alternative is get a bag of holding and carry three times the powder ... but that is too expensive. On the other side, one part of powder dissolves faster then three ... It's an emergency kit, Ru, for situations like this one. "

" Wow ... that is ... "

" Do you understand why I need an assistant, Ru ? "

" To collect the items ... properly. If you receive the powder you can't tell the difference ... "

" I can ... there are ways ... but takes time ... and slows down the production. This are called personal requests, and the Guild allows it. I have no intention for stalling your adventurer career, or assuming the guild's role ... That is bad for the economy and ... One day we can talk about that ... But now I'm going to submit a personal request on the guild for the Red Amanita Mushroom. When can you start ? "

" Now ... All adventurers lost their jobs, so the guild will be crowded. Where I can find the Red Caps ? "

" Red caps ? They do look like a red hat ... and Amanita is a hard word to say ... The Guild has a map. Go, when you arrive they will have the quest ready. "

I nod, and walk away. I can't use magic yet ... and maybe I would not be able to use it ... Already ate so many mages, and got no effect, so it's a fact ... but easting the ingredients ... or even the potions ... that might be an answer to continue collecting skills ... Especially the one that Dior was preparing to use to make a tunnel ... Explosives are way better then my flame thrower ... Here is the guild ... And I got my map ... no need to wait on the line ... Personal requests are treated in a different way ... But Dior has no idea what she is doing ...

Some adventurers collect the Amanita fast, that is true ... but others know that cutting only the top allows it to regrow ... Greedy Dior is going to eliminate the mushrooms from the forest ... And under the excuse of the kit ... the prices of healing potions will raise ... She is being manipulated ... So I'll accelerate the process.

Healing potions are a way for adventurers continue to hunt monsters after getting hit ... but if I removed them from the board ... the parties will be **** to be bigger ... and there will be less adventurers without quests ... They want to manipulate the economy, I'll do the opposite ...

Here they are ... amanita muscaria, the Red Caps ... one grabbed carefully with my hands, and stored inside the bag for Dior ... and the rest is dig properly to plant somewhere ... They are alive, so I can't use my inventory. Wrapping them in a bag is enough ... Move a little the dirt around ... and go deep in the forest.

_My presence is enough to scare all beasts, and my scan found more Red caps growing here ... looks desert, but I can sense them getting close ... Small winged creatures ... maybe fairies ... For now I'll ignore them, while I plant my new friends ... There you go, a nice bed for you to grow without being captured by humans ... _But this is a corpse ... a small body of one of the fairies ... that I absorb while waiting for them. My scan already sensed them.

" She must somewhere around here ... with so much poison she can't be alive ... "

Hunters ... and the memories of the fairy tell me all ... They want her wings ... to make a **** ... Humans have no magic, so they steal monsters ... is time for them to pay ... Here they come.

I change my form a little ... a different style of hair, and four wings ... Enough to call their attention.

" Hey ... are you seeing that ? "

" I didn't knew that fairies had human form ... "

" And four wings ... big ones ... Prepare the poison. "

They continue to talk, I allow then to come closer, while I adjust the bed of my Red Caps. When they are close enough, they toss a vial. Breakable glass ... smart ... and the poison is strong.

" Burnt othur fumes scanned ... Mixture dispersing fast. Failed. "

Failed ... Need to eat more ingredients mixed ... but at least I got the name ... Now fake that it's working.

" See ? I told you ... this thing is expensive but can paralyse all ... Now she is ours. I go first. "

" Are you thinking ... I'm on this for the wings ... that is ... "

" More for me ... "

One seems nicer than the other ... but if they hunt fairies to grab their wings ... they both are the same for me.

" Come take my wings, hunters. "

I stand up, and turn to them, they are scared ... they are used to let the poison do all the work.

" Wait ... this is a mistake ... we are just lost adventurers ... Please ... "

" Who are you ? Why the Poison didn't worked ? "

" Thomas of Cantimpré came looking for knowledge, not wings, and learn there are 4 Rules of fairies. Neptuni of water, Incubi of earth, Dusii from bellow , and Nequitie from Above. I'm none of them. "

Memories of the fairy I ate ... enough words ... the trap is set. My slime comes from all directions. Slime wave cocoon, and they are gone ... But this is not the end for them ... part of them at least, is going to nourish this soil ... no bones that are hard to brake, and can be raised by a necromancer ... the inner organs ... I just need the fluids, and flesh to remake Ru when necessary ... the rest is fertiliser from my new garden .... Adventurer plates ... Silver ... The Guild is behind this, or they are moving on their own ... Didn't fought like Silver ... The plates are stolen ... I can use that.

Grab their boots ... return to the harvesting place mapped by the guild ... and leave several bootprints using my tentacles ... This evidence, plus their disappearing is enough to stir the waters ... and see what comes next.

For now is returning to the Guild ... no ... The parchment says to deliver this on the Alchemy Guild ...

" You don't look an alchemist ... Are you lost ? "

A room full of vials ... for a moment I want to taste them all ... the leftovers from Dior's laboratory didn't told me nothing new ... to many mixed things ... Need to gather ingredients ... or some other source ...

" I'm Ru, an adventurer. I'm here to end a quest. Please sign it. "

I place the bag on the table, and deliver the parchment to the old man that looks with curiosity.

" Amanita muscaria mushroom ... only one ... and this was requested by Dior ... She pays one gold piece for each, why didn't you brought more, adventurer Ru ? "

" Arrived late. All gone. Found one under a few leaves."

" All gone ? Here is your gold coin, and the signature ... This one has roots ... Why ? "

" Mycelium. Personal request."

A small sentence before leaving the building ... and the start of a new career ... Getting payed to do what I normally do ... sounds funny. Ru, will gather all you want, miss Dior. I've finished the digestion of the amanita ... but gained nothing ... The trick is the spell, not the ingredient ... From the fairy I'm still digesting ... Wings made of slime looked an interesting idea ... Then I listen a song.

"Oh generous hero, hear my plead. Save our land in this time of need ..."

An old man blind ... A beggar singing ... hoping that external help fix what the Crown made wrong ... He is speaking in the same language the others ignoring his hand reached ... but for them he is chanting in a language they don't understand ... But I do ... he is blind, no one is seeing ... and my gold coin falls on his empty cup. I have more on my inventory ... Even more after looting the false Silver fairy hunters. All the adventurers are called heroes by the monsters ... but they are not heroes ... So many adventurers ignored that man ...

I deliver the parchment at the Guild, and search a room ... Block the door with my bed ... and rest ... under the blanket I let my body melt ... and recover ... Even Slimes need a pause ...