"What?" Felix said.
Evie turned to him. "We're close to hitting our next Apprentice Tiers, so Harn's handing out some Essence Draughts."
"Ah," Felix nodded. "Yeah I could use some."
"Some? How many? One, two? Mind, Body, or Spirit?" Harn asked, reaching back into his bag.
Felix checked his Skill list and then his Formation table.
Skills:
BODY
Resistances: Acid Resistance , Level 22; Cold Resistance , Level 6; Fire Resistance Level 18; Heat Resistance (U), Level 19; Pain Resistance (U), Level 29; Poison Resistance (U), Level 25
Combat Skills: Axe Mastery , Level 5; Blunt Weapon Mastery , Level 8; Dodge , Level 24; Long Blade Mastery , Level 15; Parry , Level 4; Small Blade Mastery , Level 10; Staff Mastery , Level 7; Thrown Weapons Mastery , Level 11; Unarmed Mastery , Level 24; Blind Fighting , Level 19; Corrosive Strike , Level 20
Physical Enhancements: Running , Level 18; Stealth , Level 23; Swimming , Level 3; Acrobatics (U), Level 23; Breath Control (U), Level 17; Free Climbing (U), Level 15; Armored Skin , Level 23; Physical Conditioning , Level 22
MIND
Mental Enhancements: Acting , Level 8; Improvisation , Level 5; Intimidation , Level 4; Make An Entrance (U), Level 3; Meditation (U), Level 31; Lessons of the Past , Level 13; Bastion of Will (E), Level 30; Deep Mind (E), Level 24
Information Skills: Analyze , Level 23; Tracking , Level 13; Exploration (U), Level 21; Herbalism (U), Level 17
SPIRIT
Spiritual Enhancements: Companion Pact (U), Level 14; Dual Casting (U), Level 17; Mana Manipulation (U), Level 4; Manasight (U), Level 31
Spells: Cloudstep , Level 1; Acid Stream , Level 24; Fire Within Level 32; Influence of the Wisp , Level 23; Invocation , Level 1; Mantle of the Long Night , Level 2; Shadow Whip , Level 21; Stone Shaping , Level 24; Reign of Vellus , Level 26; Sigils of the Primordial Dawn (E), Level 3
Formation:
Apprentice Stage
Essence(s)
Body
1 of 3
Inevitability
Mind
0 of 3
N/A
Spirit
0 of 3
N/A
"I've got two Body Skills at level 24, two Mind Skills, and three Spirit Skills nearly at Apprentice Rank," Felix scratched his head as he looked over his Skills. "I figure most of them might rank up soon."
"Huh." When he looked back to Harn, the man was sucking on his teeth and holding out his potions case. The silver vials were segmented into Body, Mind, and Spirit slots in the case, and Felix saw that there were not many left. If he took what he needed...
"It's alright if I take seven of them? I wouldn't want to take so many if others needed them," Felix asked.
"Avet's own, Felix. Seven?" Evie said, laughing a little. "How do you have so many Skills that high? I've got one Body and one Mind already, but only two more are even close to Apprentice Tier. My Spirit and Mind Skills are too low." She waggled the silver vials in her hand. "These two draughts will be enough for me."
Vessilia cleared her throat and nodded as well. "I am fine. My," she sighed, almost apologetically. "My father gave me a selection of Essence Draughts that were hand picked for me. I will not need any from the Guild's store."
"Oo, fancy. Let me see em!" Evie teased.
"They are nothing too interesting, just very...focused. Hey, stop going--that is my-!" Vessilia was suddenly fighting off an extremely curious Evie, who had plucked a hard-cased satchel from her friend's side. She snatched it right back. "You rabid harnoq," she laughed. "Hands to yourself."
"C'mon, I just wanna see how the Upper Crust lives," Evie pled, eyeing the satchel. "All I'm ever gonna get is the Iron Essence trifecta, and hey, it ain't nothing. But you know, it's also not as exciting as a Dragoon's hand-picked Essences!"
Vessilia rolled her eyes, but Felix watched with interest. "I'd be very interested to see what you have as well. If you wanted to share. But you don't have to!" He added the last when Vessilia started looking worriedly down at her satchel. "Uh, you do you, uh, yeah."
Fucking hell, what was that? Might as well staple that foot into my mouth, it's not going anywhere soon.
"Fine, if it will calm you down, Evie." Vessilia unsnapped the bright metal buckles on the satchel, opening another, much fancier version of Harn's potion case. The moment it opened, the ambient Mana around them started swirling and flaring, like a time lapse video of storm clouds. Felix sat up straighter, the phenomenon obviously having something to do with what was inside the case. The top opened up on hinges, and inside were two trays that folded up and out, revealing an entire bevy of crystalline vials. Six in total, they shimmered with various jeweled hues and Felix noticed that each held a tightly contained aura of magic; it was not quite the physical presence of stone or even fire, but was quite thicker than Mana vapor.
Felix Analyzed all of them as quickly as he could, but got back only their names.
Name: Essence Draught of Dragon's Fire
Name: Essence Draught of Dragon's Wing
Name: Essence Draught of Orichalcum
Name: Essence Draught of Sky's Light
Name: Essence Draught of Wind's Grace
Name: Essence Draught of Clarity
"What are those?" Evie's eyes were wide as she held a hand out, fingers splayed like they were in a breeze. "They feel powerful."
"They should. Those're Rare Essences, the lot of em, unless I miss my guess," Harn grunted, obviously impressed. "Put em away. That much Mana surging is noticeable. Don't want it slipping past the wards." Vessilia nodded, embarrassed, before pushing the trays back in and closing the case with a snap.
The storm of Mana that had been building stopped growing, and over the next few seconds dissipated completely.
Rare Essences, huh? Now those were good Essences. As before, Felix felt an unpleasant disquiet when he regarded the silver vials in Harn's case. Harn caught his eyes and laughed.