The tension thick enough in the air that it could be mistaken for the earlier fumes, barely broken by the voices rapidly speaking over each other. A sudden exclamation, “Finally!” Echoing through the room startling the older pair of kobolds and causing them to duck for cover behind the table they had all been cowering behind moments beforehand. Looks of terror fading quickly to aggrieved expressions as they both leveled hard stares at the youngling.

  A grin spreading across Kori’s face as she watched the others react to her outburst.

  vinegar

  With the moment passed and the others realizing that the concoction remained stable, they stood from their reactive crouch and gave the youngling an annoyed but curious look.

  “Finally, what?” Bolst asks.

  “I finally got the skill that’s been bugging at me for months, the one that lets me make things like,” Pointing at the still luminous substance on the worktop, “That. [Imbue Concoction]

  Before Bolst can continue his questioning, Kora scoops her up in a tight squeeze of a hug, jumping around cheering her on with a boisterous “Congratulations!” Struggling against Kora’s grip while the older kobold celebrates her achievement. Finally settling back down, the pair separate, Kora looking between the lidded pitcher and Kori back and forth. “So, uuhhh. What is it?”

  With her voice full of confidence and surety, Looking at Kora she gave her reply. “No idea!”

  As though it were the final pebble too many, Bolst broke into their little celebration, “What do you mean, ‘No idea’? You made it, you have to have some idea!”

  Her reply, a single, unambiguous, “Nope.” pausing for a moment before turning his question back on him, “What’s [Appraisal] say?”

  A shake of his head and a look showing his frustration, “Nothing…” Seeing Kori’s brow rise and the question forming in her eyes, he pre-empted the word he knew came next. The word that he’d been well warned of. “Why? Because it’s not a trap, herb, or a poison. I just told you that you can only appraise what you have knowledge Skills for.”

  Her face falling at being unable to determine what she’d made. “Oh.” After a ponderous moment, looking back at the pair. Her grin returning with her bright idea. “What if we put it in a trap?”

  This time there was neither hesitation nor contradiction, the pair of older kobolds both exclaiming “No!” in unison. The word hung in the air a moment to let their answer sink in and Bolst composed himself before he continued in a calmer tone. “No. We know that whatever it is, it’s not stable. Just the fumes off the stuff self-ignite if left uncovered.” He gingerly walked over to the workbench but paused before he touched it, his face still pale as he stared at the fiery glow. “I’m terrified to even move it, let alone try to incorporate it into a trap.”

  The other pair joined him at his side, no one willing to cross the final gap and touch the container, but everyone clearly wanting nothing more than to figure out what it was they stared at.

  “What if I made more?” The other two turned, staring at her like she had said something utterly ridiculous. Which to be fair, she had. “Not like that! What if I made a tiny bit of it. Something that isn’t so…”

  Before she could finish Kora interrupted her thought, “Terrifying?”

  Wincing at the implication, “No! Uhm… Intimidating?” She tested the word for a moment. “Yeah, intimidating.”

  A look was shared between Bolst and Kora briefly as they thought over her proposition, both giving the other a nod before Bolst replied. “That’s not a bad idea.” Looking over the ingredients already laid out on the workspace and back to Kora, “Cut it to a fifth?”

  She shook her head in vigorous denial, “No, definitely not!” Kora made the same look as he had between the ingredients, seemingly calculating how much she could cut the recipe by, “A tenth? I’d rather a twentieth, but I don’t think we can measure it accurately enough at that point.”

  It occurred to Kori while the others debated quantity that they were both right. They’ll definitely want to test more than once and they’ll want to have more so a merchant could appraise it at some point. Extra would be good, but too much was obviously a terrible idea. “What about a fifth, but I mix it in four smaller vials we can seal?”

  “Genius!” Bolst responded and she got a grin from Kora for her suggestion. “Do you think it’ll work?”

  “I think so?” Her response lacked any confidence, but was the best they had to go on since it was her skill.

  “Well then, lets get to experimenting!” Bolst replied before repeating a motto that had gotten him in no end of trouble, “No better way of learning than doing!”

  With all hands on the project, it took next to no time at all to prepare the equipment and measure out the reduced ingredients to begin the process. Well away from the ominous glow still pervading Kori’s former workspace.

  Once the initial preparation is sat cooling, Bolst fetched four small, stout flasks. Each with a thick frosted looking glass stopper that swung on a metal ring of sorts. “I use these for my most dangerous poisons. They hold about the right amount, maybe a little less.” With a glance back at their new light source, “Should be good, if there’s anything left then I say we mix it in a dish and let it do its thing.” Seeing the near immediate response he was about to get from Kora, he pre-empted her objection with a quick, “From a safe distance.”

  Aborting her intended argument with a brief, “Hmph.” Kora hesitated a moment before responding with a nod. “Acceptable.” Turning back to Kori, a thought occurring to her as they finished their final preparations, “Do you have enough mana to continue?”

  Looking up from her task of measuring the alcohol out into four small, even portions, “Hm? Oh, yeah. The big one,” Pointing to “Took around a hundred mana, so I’ve still got a little over half left.” Taking a second to check her status, “Bit more since I’ve already gotten a couple points back.”

  Neither of her seniors were prepared for such a number. The idea that a four-year-old had nearly as much mana as Bolst, and a fair bit more than Kora, an utter shock.

  “One Hundred was ?!” Bellows Bolst in utter disbelief, “How? I’ve barely got two hundred and fifty and I’m nearly ready to evolve my race!”

  Kori looks back at him before giving him a shrug of her shoulders, “My Trait. It gives me Attunement every level.” She replied matter-of-factly, not seeing any issue with what she had said.

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  “Enough that you’ve got forty of it at what, level 3? 4?” Bolst’s disbelief growing as he does the mental math to try to pin down her stats.

  Her grin spreading as she was yet again underestimated, Kori looked at the pair of them while she pulled up her status and read out the number “Nope. 34 Attunement.”

  Kora looked shocked but didn’t seem to have done the mental math required yet. Bolst on the other hand, definitely had as she watched his jaw go slack, an incredulous “Level six? Higher?” whispered out just before Kori tossed up her status for the pair to see.

  After a long pause Kora was the first to reply. “No wonder they’re pushing you to become a mage. Even without a mage class you’ll have half as much Magic and Attunement as a common Class mage, maybe more, when you max out [Kobold]…”

  “More than half… Definitely more… At least compared to a tier one mage.” Bolst comments. “I knew your trait was special, I guess I just didn’t realize how much. It’s boosting your leveling too, obviously.” Reading the long list of skills she had already attained with two years left to go, “And you’re working Korse’s Title for all it’s worth.” His eyes going wide once more, “If you’re already at this point now… He’s going to get so many levels on your class day.”

  “I know, right? I can’t wait to see his face!” Kori responds, treating what the others are taking like walking into a pit trap as nothing out of the ordinary. “So, can I start mixing? I wanna see if the Skill improves my success rate.”

  Shaken from his thoughts, Bolst took a moment to reply. Waiting until he had nodded the affirmative before beginning to carefully measure out the dark tarry solution into the vials. Once apportioned they saw that there was about a quarter of a flasks worth left in the original container and set it aside for a bit later. She slowly dribbled a stream of alcohol into the first vial before lowering the stir stick into the confines. Stirring gently in awkward, stilted movements because of the limited space and awkward grip. She quickly felt the void within the solution in her senses. This time it was clearer than ever before, her Skill letting her understand context and details that she’d never noticed.

  She could tell that the vial demanded a mere five of her mana. Any less and it would fail to take hold and the mana would evaporate once she released her control over it. Once the five mana had entered the mixture, she could also feel that that limit was more elastic than expected. Though not without risk. She knew that the more mana added, the less stable the result would be. If nothing went wrong, the excess might still simply escape the concoction. If it did go wrong, the result would be much, much worse.

  Describing what was happening aloud as she continued, slowly stirring the mixture until it reached the desired consistency and the vial began to heat up in her hand before a spark of flame seemed to ignite within the heart of it. The solution seemed to explode within itself, a burst of yellow-orange flame spreading like an out-of-control blaze, leaving it the same glowing orange of the original. The vial continued to quickly heat from the reaction and became too hot to hold without burning her hand. Flipping and securing the lid on the flask before any of the fumes could escape, she set it in a purpose-built stand they had readied for the purpose before hastily retracting her hand.

  “Ow! Hot, hot, hot.” Waving her arm about herself in an attempt to cool the over-warmed soft scales on her palm. “That got really hot.” Both the adults gave a chuckle at her antics and tested the vial against the backs of their hands, once Kora made sure she hadn’t actually burned herself at least.

  Returning their attention to her work, the sealed solution seemed perfectly safe, aside from being near scalding. What did not seem safe were the little wisps of flame coming off the stir rod that had been set down on the metal surface, clearly even the residue enough to be dangerous. After a shared look Bolst retrieved a clean replacement, dousing the first in a beaker of water before anything else was set alight.

  The next proceeded much the same, awkward stirring, exactly five mana, self-contained immolation, excess heat, flaming rod, nothing new to be remarked upon. “Two in a row, that’s a good sign.” She commented as she looked over the pair of flasks. “Hopefully I can go four for four.” Giving herself a nod and beginning over again. The third was much like the first two and succeeded in producing the same bright result.

  Before she began adding the alcohol to the fourth flask, Bolst interrupted her process. “I’d like you to try something.” Placing his hand over the glass stir rod, “The skill works fine through the rod, will it work through the vial instead?” Looking pointedly where she was gripping the container.

  Giving him a confused look, not quite understanding what he meant. “But I have to mix it, don’t I?”

  “Just shake it.” He retorted, like it was the most obvious answer.

  Kora, aghast at his response, “What? No. That’s a terrible idea. What happens if it ignites in her hand or something?” She objected.

  “Yeah, that!” Kori chimed in.

  “The mix appears to be stable until the little bloom of fire inside, right?” Attempting to placate the pair. “There shouldn’t be any worry if she stops as soon as that happens.”

  Kora, obviously defensive of her adoptive sister, gave him a vehement, “I’ll do it then.” Not wanting to let Kori take any more risks.

  Kori shook her head and quickly dissuaded her of the thought. “I’m the only one with the Skill.” Looking between the pair before continuing, “I’ll give it a shot. But if anything feels off, I’m stopping.”

  Nodding at her cautious response, Bolst replied, “Fair enough.” Before gesturing her to continue from where he had interrupted.

  After Dribbling in the liquor instead of beginning to stir like before, she sealed the vial with the stopper and secured it with the metal ring before beginning to gently swish it around in her hand. When nothing happened initially, the thick mixture on the bottom stubbornly holding separate from the rest, she started shaking it a bit more vigorously until the two slowly combined. Once the solution was mostly uniform the tell-tale sensation began to pull her mana and she allowed the five points to mingle into the liquid.

  Instead of waiting for the bloom, something she knew would happen as soon as she released her control of the mana within the mix, she set her work into the waiting stand. The other three had already been moved a safe distance. Just in case. She ignored a questioningly raised brow from Bolst, paying him no mind as she worked. The reaction was immediate when she released the vial, in both the physical and magical sense. In comparison to her first attempts the change was subdued, the flame spreading in a sedate pace as it consumed the contents of the vial and transformed them from an ugly tarry brown to a shimmering orange. It’s colour brighter with strands of yellow coruscating within.

  “Shaking works better!” Kori exclaimed, looking at her work and comparing it to the distant examples whose colouration remained more singularly orange.

  “It would seem so.” Mused Bolst, “I just wanted you to stop burning the glass rods… The last one cracked.”

  “Of course, that’s why you wanted her to risk it…” Kora deadpans. Shaking her head at him, “It’s about the equipment with you.”

  Bolst tried to affect an innocent sounding, “What?” But failed miserably in his attempt. Seeking to change the subject he asked, “Now for the testing bit?” The pair both laughed at his unsubtle attempt, but still moved on to the next task. Everyone was curious what would happen.

  After moving the last flask off with the others and clearing everything else on the table away, Kori got started on the final preparation. It took mere moments to pour not much more than a few drops into the remaining goop before mixing, flashing Bolst a grin and getting a chuckle out of Kora as she used another of his stirring rods. Doing the same as the last, she stopped just as she felt the mana saturate the mixture, barely more than a single point required, and prepared to step back.

  “Here goes!” Letting her mana loose and scurrying back to join the other two. The flame within burst out at the same pace as her final flask, though at the scale involved it took just a blink to consume the entire concoction. Much longer was required to see the telling haze rising from the glass bowl, wisps of flame beginning in the air above until they finally gained the momentum to flash down to the surface below.

  For the briefest of moments nothing happened. The mixture seeming to consume the flames without change. That fractional moment of reprieve quickly ended though, a shattering wave erupting from the concoction followed by bright flames spreading several feet and enveloping most of the otherwise empty table. The trio observing from several meters back felt the force buffet their scales and fragments of glass pelted the room. Resulting in only minor cuts, missing any of their eyes thankfully.

  Once the initial shock and acrid smoke cleared the trio saw the aftermath. The solid metal table sat smouldering with a dent large enough to sink an entire fist into, low flames still burning around where the dish had previously rested.

  All three slowly turn, looking at the corner where the first giant batch resides. The batch that was easily over eighty times the volume of their little experiment. In unison the three darted towards the door, pausing only long enough to gather the four vials that they wanted no where near the horrifying pitcher of fiery destruction.