He seized up for a moment and then looked up into the hard eyes of Serafina. He still didn’t know what to think about her. Still, he was relieved when he didn’t feel the tingling feeling he connected with seeing Serafina. When he looked at Serafina now, he only saw an unassuming young fighter. Nothing special. Xenia had turned from a blonde beauty to an average court lady with rich jewelry. Behind Serafina, Xenia was leaning in his direction and pursing her lips.

“What happened?”

“Did you get the ring?”

“Yes. What happened?”

As Jason had expected, the two girls demanded answers and Res had rejected lying to them. “You will promise not to tell anyone?”

“I couldn’t if I wanted because of the necklace.”

“I am somewhat unique. I have a ghost living inside me.”

The truth was out and Res knew that he had hereby entwined their pathways in life. Xenia looked at Res in horror as she must know the secret of artifact forging. Serafina only watched him with even colder eyes.

“What did he do to you? Are you possessed?”

“No, and if I touch you, your necklace of truth will attest to that.”

Jason had told Res that artifacts could watch and listen to their environment. Jason had talked with the woman in the necklace about their situation. Some code prevented ghosts from communicating with someone other than their kind. Res was technically a ghost, so he hoped it would work. When Xenia had already turned away from watching the necklace, it gave a short pulse of green.

She gasped out in disbelief. “It doesn’t do that … It has never … ”

“Can you please lift the sword from my throat, Serafina?”

Xenia motioned for Serafina to retreat and she did so like a wildcat with her sword still drawn. He stood up and extended one of his hands. “I need to speak with your necklace. It is urgent business.” Xenia pushed away Serafina and placed her hands onto his. Serafina hissed in frustration and once again placed her blade against his throat.

When Res concentrated on Jason this time, he could feel, as if through a fog, the presence of another being. Through increasing his focus, he finally made out a smooth female voice: ”Hello Res. I have heard much about you from Jason.”

Jason’s voice resounded much clearer in his head: “Only good things, of course.”

Res tried to project his voice towards the being. “I am grateful to meet you Aria of the white forest. Jason has only told me little about you. We have not much time left before Serafina kills me. Can we proceed with the binding ceremony?”

Both Res and Jason began to recite their temporary treaty and Res felt a weight settle around his heart. The smooth voice once again resounded through his mind, but now feinter. “It is done. This took a lot of energy; I will need to rest.”

With a lurch, Res found himself back in his body and looking into the disbelieving eyes of Xenia. “How did you … ”. Xenia led him back to the armchair where he plopped down in pure mental exhaustion. To the great concern of Serafina, Xenia took a seat next to him and began to bombard him with questions.

“How did you do that? How did you activate the green glow? Why were your brain and a liquid in your body glowing?”

With a wave, he stopped further questioning and said: “I can’t tell you, but I can swear that I won’t attack unless I am attacked in turn.” Xenia scrunched up her face in dissatisfaction, but agreed to bind him to that basic contract.

The voice of the auctioneer resounded through the auction house. “My Lords and Ladies, the auction is finished now. If you don’t have a private booth, you will have to collect your purchases in the lobby to your right. If you have any complaints, please feel free to visit one of our support staff in the lobby.” Xenia waved her hands in complex motions and the necklace brightened. As the glow died down, someone knocked on the door and the young man from earlier entered the room with a cart. The servant bowed and left without a word. Xenia and Serafina were still thinking through all the implications of Res’s words. He took the time to look at the cart. Apart from the jewelry and clothes, Res found a linen sack full of tiny vials and a small drop of potion in each one.

“Bro, I forgot to tell you. The princess bought the ring for you for 78 platinum.”

Res whirled around and bowed to Xenia. “Thank you, Xenia. I will repay the remaining 23 platinum coins with full 10% interest.”

Xenia was pulled out of her thoughts and smiled. “Think none of it. I will do without the interest, but you still will have to invite us to that afternoon you promised.”

Res nodded and a flash of inspiration struck him. “I already have the perfect location. Let’s meet tomorrow evening in your room.”

Serafina perked up at that. “Where is that perfect location? I will need to know it so that I can protect my mistress as best as possible.”

Res gave her a wink. “It is a secret. By the way, could you help me out with your sword?”

Serafina deadpanned. “Ending your life? Sure, my pleasure.”

“I would rather avoid that. Rather, I would like you to destroy something for me.”

In his mind, Res asked. “Jason, tell me already. Is there still a ghost in the ring?”

Res had never heard Jason this happy before. “Bro, it is as empty as the great expanse. The ring is in the red leather box.” Res opened the box with great care and pulled out the ring.

“Serafina, I want you to bash this ring until the gem loosens.”

She looked at him as if he was a particularly daft fellow, but followed his instructions. With several clangs of the sword on the soft gold, the gem flew free from the ring. Res picked the gem up and put it in his mouth. Around him, he could hear gasps from Xenia and Serafina who had seen him swallow 78 Platinum coins. Res maneuvered the gem in his mouth to one side near the jaw and gave the mental ‘Go’ to Jason. He could feel how tentacles of ghost plasma formed around the gem and pulled the gem into his cheek. The pain was nothing compared to his cultivation sessions. When the gem didn’t move anymore and blood was running out of his mouth, he called to Serafina:

“Healing potion.”

She produced another vial of the miraculous liquid and poured it down his mouth. Serafina looked at him with concerned eyes. “One shouldn’t drink that much healing potions. Your strength is reduced after you drink five of them. With three potions, you would be about 10% weaker.”

Res nodded and grabbed Serafina’s outstretched arm to pull himself up. Res grinned in anticipation and turned his attention inward. “So, Jason how is it going? Please tell me can hypnotize someone or do the same as the awesome necklace from Xenia.”

“Bro … What is … There is a fucking unicorn … An assassin … Why wouldn’t you clean up?”

“Jason?”

“Right, right. It is like you have to switch cockpits. Imagine only having learned how to drive and now you need to fly a car. Wait, what does this button do?”

Aether all around Res was sucked into the small gem in his jaw.

“Bro, I found it! Ok, now … Ahhhhh. Not bad, or good. It is a gem of darkness. It can cast a static orb of darkness no one can see through. A bit wacky, but better than a ring of potency.”

“How can I activate it?”

“You can’t. I have to activate it.”

“That means we will have to work together from now on.”

“Seems like it, bro. 3,2,1 Darkness.”

All of a sudden, his entire view went completely black. He could hear the panicked scream of Xenia and a curse from Serafina and all sight returned. Xenia was lying on the floor and Serafina had her blade drawn, prepared for a non-existent enemy.

“Sorry, for that. I went ahead and tried it out. It was a ring of darkness.”

Xenia dusted off imaginary dust from her dress and pouted. “That evening will have to be special. Very special, indeed.”

He grinned while putting his mask back on. “It will be, it will be.”

After the auction, Xenia was invited to one of the prince’s candlelight dinner. So, they went their separate ways. Next to the stairway from where he emerged, stood Granny with one of her impatient frowns on her face. “Boy, you have a storm brewing. No, you have five storms brewing.” She motioned him to follow and began to rant. “You have angered the prince like no other before you and that is an achievement. You have shamed the only supporter that stood between you and the prince, Antoinette. Yes, everyone heard how she ran away from her booth while cursing at someone. That could have been only you. Most important of all, was it you who bought the ring?”

“Yes.”

Granny’s eyes flared up but maintained her facade. Through her teeth, she hissed out: “Did you know that the money was there for you to buy protection? We will make a loss of over fifteen platinum when we sell the ring to a collector.”

“It works, though.”

Granny stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to Res in slow motion. “Jason? Can you summon a shadow ball above my hand?”

“Yes, bro.”

Res stretched out a hand and a ball of shadow appeared above it. That seemed to throw Granny out of her stupor and she motioned Res to stop. For the next thirty seconds, Res walked in silence next to Granny. Finally, Granny turned to him. “I am sorry, boy.”

“No matter.”

“You can’t show this to anyone. If an agent from another nation would find out … You can run your imagination wild. I presume it is a ring of shadow?”

“Yes”

“Good, at least it is not a ring of flight or fire, then you would live for another week at most. I don’t know if that ring is now a curse or a blessing. Let’s talk about this later. I have to show you something.”

Granny approached one of the servants with her golden Alchemy Alliance medallion. “I am Sophia Kartus and I want to retrieve some of my potions.”

The servant gave a practiced smile and gestured to a side passage. “Follow me. The retrieval won’t be associated with a fee for a senior member of the alliance, Ms. Kartus.” Res kept silent as they walked for what felt like ages until they arrived at a small counter. The counter and the passage behind them were separated by glass and behind it sat a bored clerk. “State your business.”, the clerk intoned.

Granny slid the golden card to the clerk: “Sophia Kartus. I want to retrieve one of each training aid potion and pills I have.” The clerk’s expression turned from boredom to shock in an instant. “I will be back in a second.”

Res bowed down to Granny and whispered. “Why do you have training aids lying around?” Granny’s face split into a sly smile: “It is a trade secret, but you are my apprentice, so I can tell you. All alchemists have agreed on making very few training aids and all the potions are priced high. The powerful nobles have their own alchemists, so they don’t care about our business. Most of the potions are bought by somewhat rich young lords who don’t want to train. We all have several of the potions in stock as they can fetch a sizable sum, even though it cost a silver to make.” Res supposed that as long they didn’t do the same thing with healing potions, he was fine with the practice.

The clerk appeared with a giant box full of clinking vials and shoved them through a flap to the other side. Granny motioned to the pile of potions. “Drink.”

Res had to take a step back. “You don’t mean …” “Drink.”

Res reached out for a potion and chugged it down. Instead of the usual grassy flavor, it tasted sour and sweet. Granny noticed the surprised look and chuckled. “It is as I said. The buyers are pampered lordlings that can’t stand drinking a potion that tastes like grass.”

The next fifteen minutes were filled with Res chugging down one potion after another. The clerk stared at the young man who had drunk fifty platinum worth of potions. With a burp, Res gulped down the last of the potions. As if by magic, the clerk produced cloth and ropes and with the help of Granny bound and gagged him. The clerk was looking at him as if he would drop dead every second now. His stomach was rumbling in protest at all the sweetness, but Res could already feel some of the effects at work. From a tingling in his feet and head to slight waves of pain from his abdomen.

“That isn’t as bad as I had thought.”

Granny grinned at him and examined his pupils. “The aether practice potions only have visible effects that aren’t worth mentioning. You drank those first. The body cultivation training aids should start … ”.

His body convulsed and every muscle of his body began to contract and loosen. His arms and feet strained against their bonds and his jaw was jittering. Places he never knew had muscles were working themselves out tirelessly. Luckily, his bonds prevented him from hurting himself as he writhed on the ground. With some last twitches, his body stilled and Granny removed the now spit the drenched gag out of his mouth.

“My boy, that was a sight to behold.”

With practiced motions, she examined his arms and legs which had grown in size. Under his clothes, Res could feel the beginnings of a six-pack. When the clerk pulled out a mirror, he could see that his lanky body was now somewhat athletic. “Thanks, Granny. You-You have helped me-me so much”, Res stuttered out as parts of his jaw were still under the effect of the body cultivation potion.

“It is nothing. When you will be a ‘King-Level’ Alchemist, you only have to remember me.”

The young servant and the clerk gasped out loud when Granny mentioned the ‘King’ level. “If I have judged your character correctly, you will reach the ‘King’ stage before me. You are too competitive for that.”

Granny winked at him and whispered. “You might be right. After you showed me how stupidity and brute force can work sometimes, I have made new discoveries.”

Out loud, she announced. “If you leave through the main entrance, you will be ground into a fine powder by the prince or the elite guards. Servant, please guide this young man to emergency entrance 34b and me to 14a.” The young woman nodded while still staring at Res in disbelief and bowed.

“Follow me, sir.” Res gave Granny a last goodbye and a thankful smile and followed the servant.