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As far as the werewolf could see, they all needed his help. Yet, among them all, he found himself drawn to the old woman outside the potion shop. If anything, the task she requested help with would be a simple one. Maybe helping around the shop… reaching something off the top shelf…. Simple things like that. At the very least, he’d be able to help make her life easier.
The werewolf turned to the shop. Once the woman saw he was coming her way, she immediately beckoned him inside as she disappeared in the dark of the shop. Knight Wolf found this a bit puzzling, but she may have just been excited for help.
Giving a quick shrug, he strolled inside, adjusting to the dim light of the shop’s single window. The place had an aroma of lavender. Its essence wafted around the shop, causing the werewolf to feel relaxed. “It smells wonderful in here.” He remarked, putting his sword in his hilt. “You are a potionmaker, I take it?”
The lady acknowledged him with a nod as she walked to the other side of the table that sat in the center of the room. She picked up a pestle and mortar and began to grind a strange, pink poultice. “I do. However, I have been unable to go out and retrieve some reagents I need to make my healing potions. The countryside has become dangerous ever since the dragon has appeared.
The werewolf’s ears went back at the mention of a dragon. This was quite alarming to hear from such a timid old woman. “A dragon? Are you requesting a brave hero go and slay this dragon?”
The old woman shook her head as she walked over to the wall behind her. Lifting up a frail hand, she plucked a pink flower from a plant growing in one of the wall sconces. Shuffling back over to her station, she dropped it into the mortar and continued to grind her potion. “I am afraid not.” She looked up with kind, wizened eyes. “You do not seem the type to slay such a creature.”
Knight Wolf frowned. “How can you tell?”
“Your eyes… your face….” She looked down at the werewolf’s midriff. “Your physique.”
The werewolf looked down at his belly, frowning as he patted the metal plate covering it. “I assure you that my having a belly has nothing to do with my capabilities of slaying a creature.”
“No….” The woman agreed, pouring the poultice into a small beaker. “But you have the attributes of a lover. A kind-hearted soul who desires to help others.”
“It’s my desire to make the world a better place. As the leader of the blue lion clan, I must uphold that image.”
“And you uphold it well. Thank you.” The woman looked at Sergeant Wolf as she carried the flask of pink liquid over to him. “To answer your earlier question, I need help getting some of these herbs. I have a list of the herbs I need, along with a field guide I use to find them. If you use those two items in conjunction, you should be able to find all the reagents I need in no time.”
Knight Wolf gave a nod as he eyed the flask the woman was carrying. “I would be honored to help someone as sweet and kind as you, mi’ lady.” He gave a quick bow. “May I ask what that flask is?”
The woman held out the flask. “Please, as a token of my thanks, have this Potion I have created. It was one of the first recipes I had ever created, and to this day it is still one of my favorites.”
The werewolf grabbed the flask, eyes widening at the mysterious, purple liquid inside the tiny glass. He caught a whiff of something sweet, yet he could not pin down the fragrance. “What potion is this? It smells heavenly.”
“It is called Life’s Wish. The potion grants the imbiber attributes that are akin to their lifestyle. Whatever it is they want in life, or whatever it is they are currently doing, they will gain the attributes they need to accomplish their task.” She gave a smile, then a quick wink. “I added in a bit of mandrake to help cure any ailments you may currently have. It’s the last bit I had, and I wanted to make this potion special for the one who would help me.”
The werewolf gave a small smile as he looked down at the woman. “This is too kind of you, Missus. I will be honored to gather these herbs for you!” Without a moment of hesitation, the werewolf drank the contents of the flask. Though the aroma was sweet, its taste was bitter and unwelcoming.
He almost sputtered out the potion but held his tongue as he finished drinking as much of the potion as he could. Once he had taken all he could muster, he took the flask away from his lips as his snout instinctively curled in a snarl. “I… take it the potion is not much for its taste?”
The lady chortled a bit, putting a hand to her mouth. “It never was. The potion should aid you on your quest, and if you start to exhibit side effects, then please gather the herbs I need and come to me as quickly as possible. This way I can make you an antidote.”
The werewolf’s eyes widened as he stared at the old lady. “Side effects? What do you me-“ The werewolf saw that his snout was now glowing a faint pink color. The color of his nose seemed to slowly be changing from a black color to a fleshy pink color. As he put a hand to his nose, he felt something pushing its way out the sides of his mouth, curving upward.
“What in the?” He put a hand to his mouth, and felt a sharp tooth jutting out of his muzzle. “Is… is this a tusk? When did I grow tha-“ The werewolf felt his ears droop slightly, surprising him. His ears were rigid, so why were they suddenly beginning to droop like wilted flowers?
Was he too hasty to drink this potion? Was this some sort of trick by the old lady? What did she do to him?
Knight Wolf looked at the woman before him, trying to figure out what he should do now.