Alchemy

"I must try to replicate this concoction" Liandra says, finally putting the diary down. She was no alchemist, but she was confident she could get the formula from the footnotes Septima left in her diary.

Olivia didn't disagree, but insisted that Liandra wrote to everyone else to say she was going to stay there for longer, and request the ingredients.

"I also think it best if we stay secluded... it sounds as if we were lucky last night." Olivia sounded concerned, but Liandra was interested in taking her time studying the incantations in the diaries, so she agreed to that as well.

Septimas knowledge seemed to be particularly diverse, she found spells to summon flames and light, to cure minor wounds, to speak with birds and even one to climb walls. The most complex one though was a 'shadow riding' spell, it was a mind controlling enchantment that also allowed the caster to feel the world through the victim senses.

It took five days for Liandra to receive the needed ingredients, and it also proved to be enough time for Liandra to study all those spells. She tested the minor ones often, but eventually found that she didnt have enough to call upon the shadow riding spell. Sleep and rest didnt help, she felt a deeper, unsatisfied hunger when she tried to call the more powerful enchantment. Liandra blamed it on her lack of training, and set to prepare a new version of the potion.

Olivia grew more restless each day, Liandra pretended she didn't notice when she went away to 'discharge', it was obvious how ashamed she was of her manly needs. Liandra suggested her to go downstairs and have some 'fun', but Olivia ignored the lewd suggestion.

The potion was mixed at midnight, respecting the timing and the quantities described in the diary. It still troubled Liandra why it hadn't worked the last time, should she try to change the receipt somehow? add anything else? but she decided against it, she had no way of divining what eldritch chains her experiments would trigger.

In the end she got a slick bluish gel, it smelled sweet and was cool to touch. She couldn't be sure if she had it right, she would have to risk it.

The only thing was... she needed a plan.