Limitless Seas, Chapter 19.

Chapter 19.

Larson stopped at a clothing merchant on his way back to the port, the area near the docks had several options for him to choose from. He bought a few sets of heavy-duty working clothes as well as a few nicer things, just in case. He did save quite a bit since there was no need to purchase pants or shoes, one of the many benefits of being a naga. There were also several vendors specializing in various arms and armor. Larson needed something light and flexible, that wouldn’t be destroyed if he had to use it underwater.

He walked through various smithies watching them at their trade. The majority were humans or dwarves, with a couple of orcs that specialized in oversized weapons. One smith caught his eye, since she was so unusual. Hammering away at what looked like a horseshoe was a diminutive halfling who was having trouble keep her bright green hair out of her eyes while she worked. She looked like most halflings he had seen so far, except for when she used the hammer, Larson could see corded muscles in her arm powering each strike, where most halflings had a somewhat flabby appearance.

“Is a smith making a horseshoe so exciting that you had to stop and watch?” The smith snapped at him as she stopped hammering and quenched the finished shoe in a bucket of water, steam shooting up between them.

“No, horseshoes are kind of boring. Well, I suppose I don’t have a use for any kind of shoe. So, do you just make horseshoes, or do you have other skills,” Larson replied.

“I can create any weapon or armor that you can dream up. Sadly, this lot,” the halfling gestured toward the other smiths, “has the market cornered on weapons and armor. Nobody wants to buy a sword forged by a halfling, especially after they passed around a rumor that I can’t hit the forge hard enough to make a good blade,” the halfling replied with frustration.

“Do you have any work other than horseshoes that I can inspect?” Larson asked. The halfling nodded, opening a storage chest near the forge, and pulled out a pair of daggers sheathed in black leather. Larson pulled them from their sheath’s both blades were razor sharp and well balanced. There were no flaws that he could see on them and fine etching with intricate patterns lined each blade. If he were in the market for a dagger, he would have no qualms purchasing one of them.

“These look as well made as anything I’ve seen, though I can’t claim to be any expert. How about armor?” He asked.

“What exactly are you looking for?”

“I need something strong, light, and flexible. It would also have to be able to survive being in seawater for long periods of time and not hamper my ability to swim,” Larson said.

“That’s a tough one, steel is a bad choice, even with an alchemical coating, the salt water would start to eat it away pretty quickly. There is always some of the rarer materials, like mithril, but those are insanely expensive. I think something could be done with natural scales, but finding a proper backing is a challenge, most leather or cloth will corrode or change shape if its immersed in sea water too often, hampering the effectiveness. It’s a challenge, but it’s one that I would love to test my skill against,” she replied, Larson could see the gears working in her head as she thought of the best way to tackle the problem.

“I’ll take a risk on you, how much do you need to get started on this,” Larson asked.

“Hmm, I really have no idea until I figure out the right materials to use. How about this, you front me fifty fins, and I’ll try out a few things. If I don’t have a solution for you in a few days, you get your money back. When I create an amazing set of armor for you, pay me what you think it’s worth and let everyone know who made it for you,” she offered.

“And just who is making it for me? I’m Captain Larson of the Gull Dropping, by the way,” He replied.

“Felicia Burrowton, at your service,” she replied with a bow. Larson fished out five landsmen gold, leaving him with only a scant handful of lesser valued coins in his pouch. He would need to pay the Shining Tower a visit sooner rather than later, Larson thought as the halfling took his measurements.

“Do you have anything that might fit me that’s ready to go? It’s not going to be underwater and I, well, let’s just say I may have a spirited evening planned and would love something more than my new shirt to protect me from any damage,” Larson asked. Felicia rummaged through a few chests, finally pulling out a chain shirt that was a size too large for him.

“Not exactly a great fit, but I can tie it off for you. I made that for an orc that paid a deposit and never returned. Consider it a loaner until your real armor is ready, and if you run into an orc named Austin Lavelle, let him know his armor is ready,” Felicia said, helping him to tie off the armor with some thin leather straps to tighten its fit. It would keep a blade away well enough, it wasn’t pretty, but that wasn’t the point.

“Thank you, when should I come back to check on the progress?” Larson asked.

“Three days, by then I’ll know if it’s possible or not,” Felicia replied.

“Great, I’ll see you in three days, Felicia,” Larson said. The smith was also able to give him directions to an alchemist, she couldn’t vouch for his skill or reputation, only where he was located. It was a bit further into the town, in a respectable area just outside the gates to the southern city. Several other more specialized trades had storefronts here, but this was the only one that interested him at this time. The shop was called Sarvo’s Elixir’s and occupied a small storefront. Trough the front glass, Larson could see various vials and bubbling concoctions along with delicate glass vials stacked haphazardly around the cluttered store. A bell gave a tinkling sound as he entered, finding himself to be the only customer.

“Welcome to my shop, what can Sarvo get for you today? Oh my, I haven’t seen a naga in ages, do you mind if I get a few samples of scales from you?” A disheveled middle-aged human asked, pulling a frightening looking pair of shears from behind the counter.

“Woah, no, there will be no scale chopping today. I’m just here to see if you know what this is,” Larson said, holding out the small pouch of red sand.

“Really, I must insist, I don’t know when I’ll have the opportunity again,” the man muttered, ignoring the sack as he moved closer to Larson, opening and closing the shears like a sadistic barber as he approached.

“Last warning, back off, you go for a scale, and I’ll skin your hide,” Larson hissed, drawing his dagger, the shield and spear weren’t an option in the cramped confines of the shop.

“Fine, ruin my day, here give me that and let me take a look. By the way, who are you and what type of naga are you, exactly?” the dejected Sarvo asked, opening the bag and sifting through it with his hands.

“I’m Captain Larson, a water naga if that makes any difference,” Larson told the alchemist. It might have been a rash statement, giving away something about his background that he didn’t need to, but it appeared his naga type somehow increased Sarvo’s interest.

“Indeed, it does make a difference, now let me look at this. Bah, this is just some sorcerers sand, not nearly as interesting as a water naga scale. I’ve never experimented on it myself, but other alchemists have discerned that it has no useful properties, its just pretty sand infused with some unusual elements. It’s useless, but it somehow picked up an interesting name, which makes people think they’ve stumbled across something rare and valuable. Now, there is some minor monetary value to collectors, and I might want to experiment with it in more depth, but it’s not worth much more than a handful of copper scales,” the man said. Larson didn’t like the fact the man had placed the pouch on his sales counter, obviously confident that Larson would sell.

“No, I think I’ll keep it for sentimental value,” Larson said reaching for the bag.

“Hold up, why don’t we work out a deal. You look like a man that might find himself in a scrape now and again, how about we split the sand, you keep some for yourself and I get the other half. I’ll trade you a few potions in exchange,” the man offered. Now this was a deal he was interested in, given the effects the healing potion had on him back during the battle with the pirates.

“That might work, I do have need for some healing potions or anything else you might think would be useful to a man who does find himself in a tussle now and again,” Larson told the alchemist.

“We might have a deal, let me see what I can offer, I’ll sweeten the deal if you let me take a scale or two,” the man countered. Larson did need some extra coin or potions, perhaps a few his scales wouldn’t matter.

“Fine, but I take the scales in my own way, you’re not getting anywhere near me with those shears. First, you show me what you’re offering for the sand and my scales,” Larson said. The man rummaged around the shop mumbling to himself as he considered various vials full of strangely colored elixirs. Larson moved to the counter and waited as the alchemist placed three small red vials on the counter, a vial with green liquid in it, a pale blue vial, and one with a thick, greasy black sludge.

“There, that’s my offer, but I pick the scales you give me. I’ll not settle for some old, dried out ones about to fall off on their own,” Sorvo said. Larson looked at the vials, the system highlighting them for him.

Minor Healing Elixir (enhanced). This elixir was crafted by a skilled alchemist and in addition to the normal, short term enhancement to your healing these potions provide, this one also generates a small amount of immediate health regeneration.

So, the red ones were an upgraded version of the healing potion he had used after the pirate mage had burned him. He pushed the three of those to the side and looked at the blue and then the green potions.

Minor Stealth Potion. This potion allows the drinker to better blend in with his surroundings for the next five minutes. While it does not render the drinker invisible, they will be much harder to spot.

Elixir of Water Breathing: This potion allows the drinker to breathe water for thirty minutes.

The stealth potion would be good for tonight’s activities, but he wasn’t sure there would be a use for the water breathing potion. After considering it, the potion might be useful for one of his crew. The next time he had to explore the depths, it would allow him to bring a comrade. He pushed the pair of potions over with the healing potions before inspecting the last one.

Vial of Power (experimental/enhanced): This elixir was crafted to permanently enhance the imbibers power. How this newfound power will manifest itself is unknown. There is the danger of a profoundly negative effect. Crafted by a skilled alchemist, this potion will have an enhanced effect.

Mystery experimental potions were not something he was interested in. Larson pushed the black vial to the side and pulled his dagger. Selecting a likely spot that was midway down his coils, Larson loosened three scales, prying them from his body and placing them on the counter to the delight of Sarvo.

“There’s your scales, but I’m not drinking that, you’ll have to come up with something better,” Larson counted, handing the black vial to the alchemist.

“Why? Who knows what you might unlock? Can you pass up the potential for power, and all for a measly few scales that will grow back in less than a day? I crafted this myself and as you can see, I am an exceptional alchemist,” Sarvo boasted. Well, maybe it wasn’t a boast given the system description of the sludge.

“No, you need to sweeten the deal some other way,” Larson insisted.

“Hmm, how about this, and you have to drink the elixir of power right now, in front of me. If something were to go wrong, you will have me here to fix it,” Sarvo said as he placed more items on the counter, adding six additional healing potions and another of the water breathing and stealth ones. On top of the vials he placed a small leather bag, that the system identified for him.

Bag of Potion Storage: This bag will magically store up to fifty small potion vials, the enchantments protecting them from any harm and allowing the bearer to pull any potion inside with a thought.

Now, that was intriguing and something he never thought could exist. Still, this world had magic and that seemed to make just about anything possible if the mage was strong enough. Doubling the potions and throwing in the bag was tempting, but he was wary of the strange experimental potion. Maybe there was another way to do this.

“How about I skip the experiment and throw in some more scales?” Larson offered.

“No, you’ve given me all I need for my experiments, I want these badly, I admit, but I don’t have any use for more than a few. You have my final offer, an exceptionally useful magical item and potions to save your life. Well, fine, I’ll sweeten the deal one last time,” Sarvo said, placing one final vial on the counter. This was had a strange yellowish green color to it, and it was larger than the other vials. Its round container was the size of a large apple and had a good heft to it.

Acid Flask (enhanced). This potion can be thrown at an enemy or placed in a location ahead of time. When the command word is spoken by the wielder, the flask will explode and spray a ten-foot area with a highly concentrated acid. This potion was created by an expert alchemist and has a secondary effect. When the potion explodes it will also spread out tendrils of sticky web, all of which are infused with acid. The webs and acid will last for up to two minutes before its power dissipates.

The acid flask could change the course of a battle, but drinking the black sludge was a risk. Still, hadn’t he taken risk after risk since arriving in this new world? With the alchemist here, the dangers would be mitigated to some extent, wouldn’t they? These potions could save lives and win a battle, it was worth the exchange.

“Deal, hand over the goo and get ready in case this goes south,” Larson said, taking the Vial of Power from Sarvo and taking out the stopper. The sent of rotting food assailed him and Larson thought the sludge was moving on its own. Holding his nose, the downed the contents of the vial. It tasted worse than he could imagine, and he thought he could feel it crawling down into his stomach on its own. When the potion hit his belly, a searing pain hit, causing Larson to drop to the floor in agony.

“Oh, don’t be a whiner, a small bit of discomfort is to be expected. It will pass soon, and we’ll see the results of my experiment. Larson fumbled for one of the healing potions on the counter, seeking something to counter the pain clutching at his gut. He missed the potions and only grabbed the sadly empty potion bag, clutching it as the pain intensified and a glow appeared around his body.

“Hey, uh, you might not want to be holding onto a magical item while the potion is working, oh, it’s too late now,” Sarvo warned belatedly. The glow around his body now encompassed the magical potion bag, which began to smoke and burn in his grasp. Larson screamed as the flesh was burnt from his hands, which were somehow bound to the magic bag. The pain in his belly dissipated as the glow around him subsided. The potion bag was gone, burned to ashes along with most of the flesh on his hands, the pain from that didn’t dissipate, nor did the shock of seeing burnt and exposed bones and tendons.

“Here, drink this,” Sarvo said, opening one of the healing potions and pouring it into Larson’s mouth for him. As the potion hit, he felt an instant moment of relief as the most badly burned flesh began to heal. The pain was still there, and still horrible, but it was getting better by the second.

“You’ll need to wait two minutes to take another healing potion, or it won’t have any effect,” Sarvo told him, watching the slowly ticking clock that was on the sales counter. The first potion had helped, but his hands were still a gruesome sight of burnt skin and bloody tissue. The pain throbbed seemingly in time with the ticking clock. After the two minutes of torture were complete, Sarvo poured another potion down Larson’s throat. The instant healing effect of the potion going to work even as it enhanced his body’s normal healing.

By the time the second potion had run out, his hands were almost back to normal, only a rapidly fading remnant of pain was felt when he tried to pick something up. Strangely enough, he could feel another sensation that was different from both the pain of the burns and the tingling of the healing magic in the potion. This was something else, and it was explained by a system prompt that appeared.

The interaction of the Vial of Power with the Bag of Potion Storage has created a permanent change to your body. You now have access to a small, unique plane of existence. This mini plane can be used to store up to ten cubic feet of physical objects. When needed, you can think of an item in the plane and reach behind the veil to instantly retrieve the desired item. Anything placed within the plane will be kept exactly in its current state. Living beings cannot breach the plane.

“Well, what happened? Your body didn’t get turned inside out by the interaction with storage magic, so I assume you’ve had a positive result. At least you didn’t explode like the last one I tested,” Sarvo said.

“Wait, explosion wasn’t described as a possible side effect. As for what the outcome was, I can now do this,” Larson said, taking off his shield and willing it into storage. His hands glowed slightly as he reached past the barrier he now controlled, and the shield seemed to disappear. With a thought, his hands reached in and retrieved the shield.

“Ho, a great discovery. The infusion of a magical storage device has imparted you with a version of that power. Here, take your agreed upon reward and begone, I have work to do and results to document,” Sarvo said. Larson picked up the remaining potions, Sarvo was too impatient to put up a fuss when he demanded a replacement pair of healing potions, since two had been used to repair the damage his experimental potion had caused.

Larson placed his potions into storage, along with his spear, shield, and purse, before leaving the shop. As he made his way toward the port and the Gull Dropping, Larson made a pledge to not volunteer for any other magical experiments.