Chapter 101: Chapter 101

Back in the bear people’s camp, Juosiutik watched as the pot just outside her tent bubbled. Others of the clan passed her by, but most knew better than to interrupt her mid-brew. She focused in, stretching out with what little mana she had herself to try that of the potion as it bubbled and swirled. She frowned.

A true potion-maker would be able to follow the flow of mana throughout the entire process, and even predict how it would develop. She…they would have been able to make micro-adjustments at the very start so that the whole thing would coalesce at the end, even through a chaotic middle. Juosiutik, on the other hand, did not have the mana reserves to keep such a close and detailed eye. She barely had enough to infuse the potion and kick off the process. Nor did she have the knowledge of what changes she needed to make, what sort of chaotic flow was actually good and what sort of seemingly smooth flow would ruin the entire mix. It was one reason why so many of her experiments went up in flames.

But there was nothing for it. Only a handful of records were left behind when the…last potion-maker passed, so there was no choice but to figure it out through trial and error. A process made much more difficult by the clan’s lack of resources. It had neither the mana-infused food stuffs that would have boosted the growth of her own reserves, nor the extra potion ingredients for her to make more than the occasional attempt.

That was beginning to change, however. The God of Bees had given her slight blessings, boosting her mana reserves just a bit. In addition, Juosiutik now had a consistent source of high-quality ingredients. She could now afford to waste a few on failed experiments. And she also had a powerful source of mana that appeared capable of infusing any combination of ingredients she had tried.

Her thoughts turned to the Sacred Den and its master for a moment. He was small and strangely furless. She thought that might have been just part of who he was but he had a small patch on the top of his head, so it clearly wasn’t impossible for him to grow any. She originally was going to investigate his condition but Chief Rohsuak had told her no, so she would let it lie. Maybe he was sensitive about it?

It would make sense. The Sacred Den Master was incredibly timid. He reminded her more of Noigakkuq, the runt of the clan, than of a leader like Chief Rohsuak. That wasn’t all bad, though. Juosiutik didn’t mind Noigakkuq’s company when the other girl was willing to speak with her. She, and the Sacred Den Master, were both far less likely to ignore her warnings and tip over a brew in progress. There was a reason Tyhgak wasn’t allowed near her pot anymore.

Still, Juosiutik couldn’t make heads or tails of the Sacred Den Master. The man commanded an entire army that could wipe out most of the clan. He possessed riches beyond imagining, and even Juosiutik’s limited senses could tell his personal mana reserves were nothing to scoff at either. So, why then was he so timid? If she had that much power at her disposal…well, she probably would be marching back towards…in any case, it was strange that someone with that much power would not be waving it about.

But Juosiutik was taken out of her thoughts as she felt the bubbling mana begin to settle down. She leaned over the pot and began to stir it with a ladle. The mana remained settled even with her disruption, letting her know the mixture was now stable. She allowed herself a small smile.

Yet another successful brew. At this point, she was beginning to understand some of the properties of the mana honey. The magical, ridiculous properties that defied her understanding of potion ingredients. Mana honey was greedy. It wanted to absorb more mana and harmonize it with its own, taking on its properties. It shared its own mana in the process, creating a current of mana exchanging characteristics between different ingredients. It was an excellent binding agent that could tie clashing ingredients together, using itself as the medium. And the mana it already possessed would kick-start any such process, taking the burden off of Juosiutik.

If this kept up, she would need to abandon the mixture and run. The possibility of it spontaneously combusting was now too high to ignore.

But right as she was about to call it, something changed. Something in the mana shifted and then the mana flows began to rapidly disperse. The sparks and the bubbling died down almost immediately. Juosiutik’s eyes widened and she leaned over the pot. She gulped.

Had the mixture collapsed and dispersed all of its mana? She had to force herself to move and take a scoop with her ladle. She trembled as she reached out into the liquid…

And then she froze. The liquid was still filled to the brim with mana.

She began to stir the pot and her eyes went wider. The whole pot was still full of mana. Settled mana that did not react further to her disruptions.

She took another scoop and lifted it with a trembling hand. She blew on it until it was just barely cool enough not to burn her and took a sip. Her trembling grew and her eyes filled with tears. She spoke in barely a whisper.

“…I did it…Mom, I did it…”

She stood completely still for a moment as her mind processed it. Then she thrust her hands up into the sky.

Juosiutik filled two water pouches with the potion and then took off running as fast as she could. Her heart soared as she smashed through branches, ignoring them as she sprinted towards the Sacred Den. She burst passed a surprised Metsaitti and his hunters, ignoring their calls to her as she rushed into the Sacred Den.

She didn’t stop until she came to the Shrine of Bees. She then skidded and fell to her hands and knees, giggling as she did.

“I did it. Thanks to you, I did it.”

She began to tear up again and wiped at her eyes.

“It’s all thanks to you, both you and your Sacred Den Master. Thanks to you, I revived my mom’s recipe. I…I…maybe I can become a potion-maker like her after all.”

She slowly rose to her feet and brushed the dirt off her. Then she took one of the pouches and placed it into the Shrine’s chest. She then fell to her knees.

“Thank you. I can’t thank you enough. Without your blessing and the Sacred Den’s honey, I couldn’t have done this. So, please, if it pleases you, please be the first to accept this.”

Even as Juosiutik spoke, the chest and the Shrine of Bees began to glow, far brighter than before. It grew so bright Juosiutik had to shield her eyes.

When it died down, Juosiutik gasped. In the center of her vision hung a string of words, floating in the air.

The God of Bees offers you her full blessing. If you wish to accept, please select one of the following blessings: