Chapter 43: 39 – Uncertain Tidings

Calm down, Ellori.

It's been a whole week since I've been in contact with people and no one has died. There must be something I'm not understanding about the soul stone.

What do I know so far?

From my studies at the Academy, the prideful soul imbues the host with necromantic magic— more specifically, the ability to drain the life and mana from another being. Sometimes, control of the power gets out of control and can kill someone outright.

I shudder to think that could have happened to any of the demihumans that I slept with. All of them seemed fine running out of my home like that.

Exactly what am I missing?

"I need to find a way to test this but not on a living being." 

Then it hits me like lightning when my eyes land on the reagents table. The basket of magic crystals collected from Miuna has been sitting there since I returned. I was planning on enhancing some potions and refitting my staff until I got sidetracked.

I pick up a pink crystal and roll it around in my hand. If pride dwells within me, I should be passively draining it of its mana. Yet the lustre of the crystal does not fade, and my pool feels no more full than it already is.

Nothing is happening except for the crystal becoming warm from my body heat. Could Rio be wrong, or could swallowing the stone not have done anything to me?

I toss the crystal back into the basket. I'm about to head outside when I realize I'm still undressed. Not that it matters anymore, since half the demihumans here have already seen me naked. But while I'm still undressed…

I take a look at my reflection to check if there are any protrusions on my body. Eudora had horns growing out of her head, which hasn't ever been seen before and— granted, no known witches have consumed a soul stone and survived until now— shouldn't cause abnormal growth. 

"Gurk, come here."

The goblin shoves the rest of a piece of bread into his mouth and scampers over.

"I need you to— eeek!"

He rubs the tip of his dick against my pussy.

I smack his head. "That's not what I meant!"

"Gurk thought Mistress wants more sex?" He backs away, rubbing his head.

"Later. Help me check my body if there's anything strange."

Gurk inspects my body with the discipline of a cat. His attention never lingers on one place for more than a second. He lifts my breasts to check under them, but by the look of his erect member he's forgotten the original purpose.

"Can't find anything. What is Mistress looking for?"

I put a hand to my head and rub the area where Eudora's horns grew. "I'm not even sure myself."

Knock. Knock.

"Who is it now…?" I open the door to a pair of younger orcs. "Can I help you two?"

Both of them turn red in the face. I mentally smack myself for forgetting to put clothes on.

One of them grunts, "The others said we could have sex with the queen if we asked—"

"No more sex, damn it!" I slam the door in their faces.

Gurk walks up to me with his head down. "Does that mean no sex for Gurk, too?"

"Weren't you the one trying to sneak away earlier?" 

I still need to restock on restoration potions. The sephalothanes and mandragoras must be growing out of control, too. 

"Alright. You'll have to earn your reward this time. Fetch me five full gallons of the anoragrathi ejaculate."

The goblin trembles. "But tentacle plants touch bad places..."

I kneel down to stroke his dick. "Then I'll have to find another goblin spoil."

"Y-Yes, Mistress. Gurk go do it now!"

***

While Gurk was outside, I spent the time cleaning up the place. It smelled of sweat and dried bodily fluids. The floor was sticky and each step was like pulling my foot out of a vat of honey.

It's nothing an igni and aqua spell couldn't fix. Controlling the steam with ventus lifted all the gunk from the floor, the walls, and— though I'm baffled how the fuckfest managed that— the ceiling. The smell vanished with the steam as I sent it all flying out a window. Our immediate surroundings might stink a little, but the elements will take care of that in no time.

With my home clean and alchemy stores filled to the brim, it's time to replenish my elixirs. The batch of restoration potions I'm currently brewing is mixed with manticore claws. Large beast claws are used in strength enhancing elixirs, but I've recently found healing yourself isn't enough if you don't have the strength to keep fighting.

It isn't encouraged to mix ingredients of different potions together. Sticking to the tried and true method is good enough, and drinking both a restoration and strength elixir is fine. But successfully combining potions means an open vial space on my belt and satchel.

"Okay, Gurk. Throw in a pinch ground mandragora." I tell him, as I look through the hanging nets for more red and blue sephalothanes leaves.

"Yes, Mistress!"

Suddenly, I hear a large dunk.

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I turn around to see the horrified face of a mandrake floating in the cauldron, and then sinking in.

"Gurk, no! Not the whole thing!"

I grab my goblin and dive away as the cauldron explodes with a mushroom cloud of vibrant purple smoke.

"Ventus!"

The smoke stops in place but there's resistance to it. I'm able to control the gas and guide it into a vial where I cork it. Somehow, it seems to swirl with a living purpose.

"I… don't even know what this is." I say, giving it a little shake.

My alchemy cauldron belches one last time before going silent. I take a ladle and scoop up the liquid into a flask. Since it's not burning through the glass, I know it isn't corrosive at worst.

I dip my finger in to have a taste. Bitter, as expected. Nothing's happening to me—

A great weight pushes down on my stomach, knocking at my back door.

"Oh, god. I think we created a laxative. I'll be right back…"

As soon as I finish relieving myself, Kati shows up with worry written all over his face. I notice some of his scales have begun molting, revealing reddish skin underneath.

"New guardian tree growing, but think something is wrong. Will Queen Ellori take a look?"

I flinch at the title of queen. There's little I can do to make them stop calling me that, and recent events have only impassioned them. Still, if I can act as a pillar of support for them in their time of need, playing the queen isn't all bad.

"Let me grab a few things, and I'll head right over."

Flora's sapling has grown fast since it was planted. Whether it was due to the growth serum or the kobold's ardent worshipping, it is fast becoming a large tree. Already it stands a head taller than me, and its roots are reaching deep into the earth.

When I rest my hand on the trunk, I feel its whisper. For it to commune with me might be the result of Flora's boon. There's a hum to the sensation, like a nostalgic greeting with an eagerness to see me.

But it's in pain. Something in the soil is causing it agony. Anymore than that I'm unsure.

"Have you been overwatering it?" I ask, picking up a handful of dirt.

Kati shakes his head. "Do not add water because soil is enough."

A forest is filled with moisture, so watering it can only cause it to drown. But since that's not the issue, then perhaps the atmosphere or soil composition? I'll need to run some tests on the soil first, but…

Kati's been scratching his scales off like he's peeling scabs.

"I'll figure something out about the tree, but are you alright?"

"Ahh, maybe tribe is getting sick. Not sure. Ever since coming here, my body has become very itchy."

I hope I'm not the cause, but taking a look at both orcs and kobolds, the ailment appears exclusive to the humanoid lizards. 

"Let me take a look." I grab his arm where a patch of scales have already fallen off to reveal a layer of red skin. It appears to be nothing more than a rash brought on by inflammation. "I'm no doctor, but it looks like dry skin. Drink more water, and you and your people should be fine in a few days."

His head cocks to one side. "We drink water everyday! Maybe more than usual since water source is closer."

If not water, then the only other thing I can think of is... 

"High alkalinity!"

My exclamation startles Kati.

The kobolds lived further northwest where the water and soil are less alkaline. Down here, we're receiving water from a stream that's likely higher in alkalinity. It's not affecting humans and orcs because they have much larger bodies, but kobold skin dry out easily because of their scales. That, coupled with increased alkalinity is causing their skin rashes.

Which may also be why the guardian tree is in pain.

This is a simple matter of reducing the alkalinity by introducing the proper acid to balance it out. Luckily, we have the perfect solution to that— our resident slime, Miuna.

Before I start to head back, Gurk comes running from the direction of home and collapses at my feet.

"What? Too eager to wait for me at home?" I help him up but see that he doesn't share the same amusement.

"Danger! Friends in trouble. Humans with shiny armor and big horses have come!"

My heart sinks a few inches. It has to be Semyon. I thought he was going to leave it to me from now on? 

The two of us, along with Kati, race back to my great hollow in haste. But what meets us when we arrive isn't just a group of Parthun soldiers. Knights on horseback carrying the heraldry of a half sun point their lances at half a dozen orcs and kobolds.

High Magistrate Semyon emerges from the metal bastion of knights. He draws his sword at my approach. 

"Your Excellency! I can explain—"

"On your knees, witch. You are in the presence of His Majesty."

The rest of my words get lodged in my throat. 

King Marcus himself, in his red and gold regalia, advances toward me. I drop to my knees, not out of decorum or reverence, but because powerful magic compels me to— magic that was forced on me by the Academy when I swore to protect Parthun.

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