Warrior of the Void Book 1, Chapter 24

“Hmm,” Crossing his arms, Cocobusi weighed her words, before nodding, “From what I heard, he was also a boastful lout. Claiming he didn’t need anyone’s aid in learning the art which– well, is an issue on multiple levels as you’ll see. When given the most precious resources of all, he failed to ascertain its value and call upon it. I’d wager you’ve already figured out what I speak of… As an aside, please never speak the Guildmaster’s name without attaching his title to it,” Blinking, he jumped to his feet and quickly walked to the door before opening it by a fraction, just enough for him to lean out and survey the corridor, as if he was looking for someone. Finding nobody, he slowly closed the door and turned back to Muur, “The man is one step away from a bloodhound when it comes to catching even a whiff of someone failing to refer to him in his preferred manner…”

“But didn’t you…?” Muur trailed off, before shaking her head and deciding it was none of her business. Guildmaster Severain took no prisoners and she would call him as he wanted, man certainly deserved as much if Cocobusi’s comments were anything to go by.

“Hahahaha,” His laugh was a mite forced as he shook his head, “Of course not. I’d never make such a basic mistake! And besides, he’s in his office at this moment, dealing with the minutiae of the guild,” Popping out parts of his Alembic, he took them to a small basin that Muur hadn’t noticed before, “That being said. Let me show you how to clean these portable alembics. Afterwards, I will take you to see our Guildmaster– Or, if you’d rather, I can spare you enough raw materials for a second batch. Though, if you decide to prepare it, I’ll not hold your hands as much.”

“Probably more honest to present both batches, clearly labelled.” The lizard woman said after a moment’s thought, before chuckling softly. “Besides, I want to see how well I internalized the process.”

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“Well, that is certainly a good showing,” The Lalafel commented as he slid a part of his alembic back into place, “Your first batch is undoubtedly the better of the two, but the second one still wouldn’t be out of place at a potionmonger’s shop, or in the hands of a mage. Neither are quite what I would call high quality, but that’s to be expected.”

After taking him on his offer, Muur had studiously done her second batch. Following the instruction he’d given her to the letter, resulting in three more bottles that didn’t taste quite as strongly as the first three to her senses. With them finished, he’d slowly and painstakingly walked her through the clean up of his machine, citing that “While you’ll not be using one as advanced as this for quite some time, of perhaps ever, as they make for poor traveling companions, knowing how to maintain it will be to your advantage.”

“Now, all that is left is to go see the Guildmaster. With any luck, his temper has cooled and he’s not encountered anything else that has made it flare… Unlikely as that is.” He added with a small grumble.

“We can only pray.” Muur sighed as she hefted up the tray they’d set the bottles on.

Cocobusi’s answer to her sigh was one of his own, and to pull the doo— A hand suddenly reached out from the hallway and grabbed the edge of the wood, “And why ever would my temper be flaring up,” Muur’s alchemical teacher scrambled for cover as a hyur pushed into lab, the newcomer’s voice on the verge of hysterics, “When one of the top ten alchemists in my guild decides to vanish with nary a single word of explanation. Hmmmmm?!”

The Guildmaster of the Alchemists’ Guild, for that couldn’t be anyone but him, looked to be on the brink of murder, or bursting into tears… No, nevermind, he’d just run the waterworks while turning someone into ragu. That bloodshot look was distinctive, nevermind the way the eye that wasn’t hidden behind a black, multi-lensed monocle was twitching.

He’d clearly had a terrible day… or five. What ought to have been an immaculate fit of a long white coat over some of the fanciest clothes Muur had ever seen since setting foot in Ul’dah was instead an absolute mess. His light purple cravat was lopsided and dangling to left, rather than laying across the middle of his chest, the dark purple doublet underneath was opened to its third button and wasn’t even buttoned right. The coat he wore on top wasn’t any better, half of its collar was popped up, while the other half had ended up tucked under the coat itself. Not to mention the way the straps meant to keep the white layer in place were tied into hasty knots that looked second from sliding free– or the large splotches of ink along his arms and a fair bit of his front, “So do tell, why would I be irate when a man that said he will only be gone for a few minutes– quote ‘Only the time for a small errand’ unquote, disappears to the Twelves know where for FOUR HOURS?!” Slamming his hands on top of the plinth, behind which Cocobusi had taken refuge when Guildmaster Severain started to throttle the air, he glared down at the cowering potato, “I have had to deal with every. Single. Half-brained. Mouth-breathing reprobate that came seeking your expertise! Because, if one of Ul’dah’s great alchemists is not there, surely bothering his Guildmaster is the thing to do!”

“It– It wasn’t my intention–.” That the lalafell shrunk on himself only egged the man onwards.

“To the Hells with your intentions! Between this, dealing with the fallout of that incomprehensibly idiotic adventurer’s blunder and my usual paperwork, I’ve not had time to engage in any kind of research! It was your day of dealing with petitioners Busi! Not mine, Gods damn you!” The poor man was caught between weeping and pure wroth and to be honest? Muur felt for him.

“Well–uh–er–,” Clearly trying to find an escape from this mess, Cocobusi looked around in a panic… Before locking eyes with Muur, who had remained frozen in place, holding the Ether tray, like an ice sculpture atop a mountain. His eyes lit up in realisation and hope, at the same time Muur’s blew wide with panic, “Iiiii– was looking for a solution to the Ether troubles!” He blurted out in seconds, causing Severain to actually pause and turn at what his coworker had been looking at.

“Alchemist Cocobusi,” Taking a deep breath, the Guildmaster turned back to the Alchemist and spoke with a flat voice, “you cannot be serious.”

“I am!” Jumping to Muur’s side, he motioned to the Ethers, “The commission date is yet to pass! And most of the issue with that situation comes less from the order itself, and more from how we’ve now an upstanding commission that we need to deal with before the night’s end, and none to work it!”

“We also cannot work on it because of my error in tearing that imbecile's provisional license to shreds!” Severain rumbled as he rubbed his temples, “Unless you have a solution for tha–” “I do actually.” “I’m listening.”

The change was instantaneous and now both of them were being scrutinized, “The issue comes from the Adventurer’s Guild, and how the commission was picked up through them,” Cocobusi explained, most likely to Muur’s benefit, “Because of that, we cannot make it into an internal commission due to how it would be retracting an already posted commission that has has been accepted by an adventurer. Therefore running afoul of the many laws that have been established in order to ensure adventurers are not cheated of coins through underhanded schemes.”

“I am already aware of such, yes,” The Guildmaster told him, tapping his foot impatiently, “Your solution?”

“Just say the wrong person got assigned the commission of course.” Cocobusi told him with a shrug. Something told Muur that Severain didn’t make a habit of being as flabbergasted as he was now, “With a few words in Madame Mommodi’s ears, and mayhaps a few favors down the line, we could have it reassigned to Miss Zag–.”

“What?! No we cannot! For all his faults, he was an alchemist for a time, you plan would–” “Work,” Making a chopping motion in the air to interrupt his superior, the youngest of the Cocos showed that he was ultimately cut of the same cloth as his brothers, “Because I distinctly recall what you did with his membership. Which, by my recollection, included his yet-unapproved application to the Guild. While we cannot say that no adventurer has taken the commission we’ve posted. If a different one that was in the exact same situation as our ill-minded fellow was to fulfil it, well. I daresay that it was merely a clerical error. Like so many others that happen every day.”

“That…” Severain rubbed his chin, deep in thoughts, “Could work. And Madame Momodi is hardly the worst person to owe favors to. Better her than the EATC for failing to provide the Ether they require for their caravan guards…,” Turning to look at Muur, he stalked towards her and snatched an ether from the tray, “Let’s see… Colour is good, could be deeper. But the batch of mistletoe of the Guild is getting old, which accounts for the weakness,” Reaching for his monocle, he flipped through various amounts of magnification, “Few free-floating impurities, most of them from the mistletoe as well. No flakes of Voidsent bones that I can detect either and… ‘Batch 1, full assistance’?” He asked, looking at the label.

“It was the batch where Alchemist Cocobusi walked me through each step instructing me in the hows and whys of the recipe and operated the alembic at several points. The second batch he solely acted in an oversight and advisory role, hence the note of ‘partial assistance’.” Muur replied in a quick and to the point report. She didn’t know the notation alchemists used so she’d just gone with something simplistic. Batch number, date of production, level of assistance, and obviously a note that they were Ethers and were made by Muur’Zagas Himaa and Cocobusi.

Putting the first Ether away, he grabbed one of the second batch and subjected it to the same scrutiny, “It is… acceptable,” He grouched, “You would get no commendation for such an item, and it skirts the edges of what I would deem to be a proper Ether. But I would wager that our Quartermaster would take them in a heartbeat… Fine, what is your name?”

“Muur’Zagas Himaa.” She replied promptly, drawing on years of taxonomy lessons to make her enunciation crystal clear. She recognized that particular questioning tone.

“Noted. Then, Miss Himaa, do you believe yourself about to fabricate over thirty Ethers of a quality equaling that of your second batch in six hours?” He asked her with crossed arms, daring her to respond.

Muur took a moment to run the numbers in her head. It had taken roughly fifteen minutes to get the second batch of three done, so that meant twelve per hour under ideal conditions. “Yes. Even with a significant margin for error, six hours should be more than enough assuming I’m working under the same conditions. If I’m given a lower-end alembic to work with that estimate may be off but given even with a doubling of the time per batch I’d still be able to meet the deadline I do not think that would be an issue.”

“The Guild can only furnish you with the most basic of alembics. The same as in the exhibition. In fact, it might be that very s–” “Not to worry about that, I’ll pay for one.” Cocobusi interrupted.

“You… will?” Guildmaster Severain said slowly, his perpetual frown shifting to something uncertain.

“I will, part of an apology for er– family drama,” The diminutive alchemist said with an awkward chuckle, “You may have heard about it.”

“I did, yes,” Severain’s frown returned in force, “That would certainly deal with that particular issue. However, it could take a good bell or so to acquire it.”

“It would,” Cocobusi agreed, “Which in turns means that purchasing the reagents could be done in the same breath. Saving some time in that aspect.”

“It would. Fine, do whatever you wish,” Taking his monocle off, the hyur rubbed at his eyes, “All I want are for these Ethers to be in the Quartermaster’s hands before the closing time of the guild. Or so Twins help me, I will ensure no tradescraft will even think of hiring you, Miss. While you will be on universal solvent duty until you’ve made enough to unclog the realm ten times over, Cocobusi. Am I clear?”

“Crystal.” Muur only barely managed to avoid squeaking her agreement, Cocobusi not even bothering to answer and bolting for the door.