Rosebud began delivering thick textbooks around the classroom, the cart behind her somehow pulling itself. Then again, this was the Mistguard, it could be magic. Or, as Det noticed when she crossed the aisle at the center of the room, there were small vines pulling it along. Yep, magic. Probably her magic, considering the name Rosebud. She controlled plants. Made sense.

  As the woman worked, Caustic moved to the center of the classroom near the board at the front. This wasn’t a chalkboard or a whiteboard, but as the woman got close, a blue screen appeared on the wall.

  “While the books are handed out,” Caustic said, “let’s go over some of the basics. One of the most important things you’ll need to learn is that potions come in different categories. And technically, when I use the term ‘potion,’ it only refers to one of those categories. Would anybody like to guess—educated or not—what I might mean by that?”

  This time, when a hand went up, it wasn’t Oligy’s.

  “Yes, Cadet,” Caustic said. “And what is your name?”

  “Alfie,” the cadet responded.

  “Excellent, Cadet Alfie. What do you think I mean when I say potions?”

  “Something you drink,” Cadet Alfie said, earning himself a chuckle from several other cadets at how obvious the answer was. Then a further chuckle from a few more when that was clearly the end of his response. Caustic, at the front of the room, was neither laughing nor angry at the response. In fact, she was nodding.

  “That,” the instructor said, “is more true than some of your classmates seem to think. Potions are one of the categories of alchemical creations that we drink. Really, when we talk about the most common things we create in an alchemy lab, we talk about four things, the first of which is potions.

  “Next, we would have oils, salves, and finally, elixirs. There is actually a fifth category as well—poisons—but since we’re talking about things that we use on ourselves—on purpose—we’ll leave those as a topic for another day.

  “The first—potions—is probably the most common. We’ve talked about healing potions, for example. Those are what you need to be able to create, at the minimum, by the end of this class. Again, not to pass, but to survive.”

  Before she could continue, Oligy’s hand did go up this time.

  “Yes, Cadet Oligy, and maybe you should just sit in the front next time.”

  “Yes, ma’am, I’d love to. I just wasn’t early enough to get a seat.”

  “We’ll make sure to save you one,” Caustic said. “What’s your question?”

  “Ma’am, if there are people like you, Cups, Majordomo, and Rosebud, who are so good at making potions, really, why do we need to make them? Can’t you make them for us?”

  “That’s a very fair question,” Caustic said. “Especially considering how—just a few moments ago—I said that we would be busy making potions to send to the front lines. Yes, it is true that the potions we create will likely be of higher quality—and thus more effective—than what you will be able to create.

  “However, and this is very important, potions are what we term as consumables. Meaning once you drink a potion, it’s gone. Healing potions and magic potions, which we’ll come to discuss more of later, need to be fully consumed from the bottle provided. Half doses don’t work. If you have a potion, treat it like you would a shot. Drink the whole thing. If you don’t like the taste, too bad. Drinking any less than three-quarters of what you find in a potion vial will render it little more than water. In other words, no effect. But that’s something we’ll discuss more of later.”

  She turned back to Oligy’s question. “As the items are consumables, and let’s imagine for a moment you are fighting somewhere in the kingdom, or perhaps in the Corelands, and you are separated from your fellow ReSouled. Separated from supply lines or encampments. Let’s go even further, and say you’re stranded behind enemy lines and injured. You use what potions you have to recover, but you still have to find your way back to allies.

  “What happens when you get injured again? If you’re a Medic, perhaps you can heal yourself. That’s not always the case. Some magics don’t allow self-healing. Can you see where I’m going with this?” Caustic said, her eyes scanning the cadets sitting in front of her.

  “We need to know how to make our own potions when we don’t have access to yours,” Det said.

  “Exactly correct,” Caustic said. “Now, while the potions you create may not be as effective, even a minor healing potion will close wounds, replace lost blood, and some will even begin the process of mending broken bones. Taking several minor healing potions will continue the work of previous ones, assuming, however, you do not take them within your body’s cooldown period.”

  Predictably, Cadet Oligy’s hand went straight up. Caustic lifted her hand and patted the air until Oligy’s hand went back down.

  “I can guess what you are going to ask about, Cadet,” Caustic said. “Your own body’s cooldown.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Oligy said.

  “Our ReSouled bodies are amazing things,” Caustic said, “as are things like healing potions. We are not the only ones who can use them, but we are the ones who can best use them. Normal citizens of the Nivelhime Kingdom will of course benefit from taking one—if they can afford one—but they’re not as effective as they are on us. They can, at most, also only take one every six to eight hours. Their bodies won’t process more than that.

  “We, as ReSouled, can consume them almost hourly. It varies slightly from individual to individual.

  “Why is this?”

  “Our bodies’ cooldown,” Oligy said.

  “Exactly,” Caustic replied. “As miraculous as healing potions are, they do put a strain on the body, similar to what a Medic’s healing magic might do. Something needs to provide the energy for the potion. You could think of the potion as a kind of a catalyst that jumpstarts your body’s natural healing. Or, as we get into more powerful potions, supercharges it.

  “The potions that mimic things we can naturally do, in a way, are the cheapest. Healing potions, magic potions, potions that increase strength or clarity of vision. Our bodies naturally do all of those things, so the potions just enhance that.

  “These are cheaper to create and have shorter cooldowns. Potions like haste or flight—which our bodies cannot naturally do—require more expensive ingredients and more energy from our bodies, resulting in a longer cooldown. Now, what happens if you take a second potion while your body is still on cooldown?”

  “You explode?” Calisco asked.

  “Thankfully, not,” Caustic said. “Though that was a valid suggestion. In fact, if you take a second potion while your body is still on cooldown from the first, nothing happens. Much like if you only take half the dose in a potion bottle, it might as well just be water.”

  Det put his hand up.

  “Yes, Cadet,” Caustic said, then looked at the ceiling before looking at Det again. “I don’t think I’ve gotten your name yet.”

  “Det,” he said.

  “What’s your question?”

  “Do all potions have the same cooldown? I mean, if I take a healing potion, does that prevent me from taking a strength potion?”

  “Very good question, and no, it does not. Within categories of potions, salves, oils, and elixirs, there are subcategories. Those subcategories are what share cooldowns. If you took a healing potion, you would be able to immediately drink a strength potion right after that, and see the benefit from both.

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  “However, if you tried a second healing potion, even if it was stronger or weaker, nothing would happen. Now also, the cooldown will vary slightly based on the strength of the potion you drink, and your body’s own natural affinities. If an amateur creates the strongest potion they can, the cooldown will be longer than if I create a potion of equal potency. As you improve your skills, you’ll learn not only how to create stronger alchemical solutions but also to reduce how much of your body’s energy each requires.”

  She smiled faintly. “Now, back to my earlier example of getting stranded in the Corelands, and I certainly hope that doesn’t happen to any of you anytime in the next ten or fifteen years. If you were injured, say, a broken arm or a broken leg, you would be able to drink a minor healing potion you created because of the lessons we are about to teach you over the next few months.

  “That potion would begin mending the broken bone. However, even as you moved to evade Cored and Uncored patrols, you would need to wait for your body’s cooldown to expire before you could take another to continue the healing process. We will teach you some tricks to improve cooldown, though. At the first-year level, that will be in exchange for potency. You’ll be able to take more, weaker potions, more often. For some, this is worthwhile; for others, not so much. Having the skill and ability to choose which type of potion you create, however, will save your lives.”

  Det’s hand went into the air again.

  “Yes, Cadet Det?”

  “This energy the potions take, does it have any other effect on us? Will it make us tired?”

  “Nine times out of ten, no,” Caustic said. “If you create the potion poorly, it might. When that happens, it’s because the potion draws too much energy from the body. The energy is, in fact, wasted, but it will lead you to feeling fatigued. It’s not ideal, especially if you’re stranded in the Corelands, as in my example, but sometimes, the healing provided is worth it.”

  Across the room, Fourth’s hand went up.

  “Yes, Cadet. I believe your name was Fourth, wasn’t it?”

  “That’s what people call me,” Fourth said.

  “Then I shall do the same,” Caustic replied. “What’s your question?”

  “You keep talking about the Corelands, and I’ve heard some stories about it, but nobody’s really given it to us straight yet. Can you tell us about the Cored? The Uncored? What we’re going to be facing?”

  Caustic tapped her lips for a moment while she thought about it. “As much as I’d like to—and it’s my fault for using it as an example—no, not today. We’re going to stay on topic. You’ll talk about the Cored and the Uncored in your history lessons and in your combat classes. Don’t worry, it’s not some great secret. And if you buy an instructor a drink, I’m sure they’ll tell you. As for now, let’s continue talking about potions.

  “So, as I was saying, potions are one of the two alchemical creations you can drink. The other is elixirs. Can anybody guess what the difference between them is?”

  Three hands went up around the classroom. Seemingly at random, Caustic pointed at one. “What’s your name?”

  “Yuki,” the man said, pushing his glasses up his nose at the same time.

  “Alright, Cadet Yuki. What do you think the difference between potions and elixirs is?”

  “If potions and elixirs follow game terms like so much other stuff does in the Mistguard,” Cadet Yuki said. “Then the difference between the two would either be duration or intensity.”

  “Good,” Caustic said. “It’s actually both. When we talk about potions, we talk about things that have temporary effects. Elixirs are permanent—or,” she shook her head side to side, “poorly made elixirs may have a limited, though very long, duration.

  “However, that duration comes at the expense of numerical value. Elixirs are, of course, very expensive to create, with ingredients that are exceedingly rare and recipes that are very difficult. Majordomo has discovered three ancient recipes during his delving, and we have also created several of our own. When we compare a potion of strength to an elixir of strength, the difference is drastic.

  “If you were to take a potion of strength, you might see that attribute increased by an entire Rank. For example, if you have C-Rank strength and you take a potion of strength, you might temporarily move up to B-Rank. On the other hand, if you were to drink an elixir of strength, you would see a fractional gain compared to a potion.

  “In this example, if you had C-Rank-one strength, an elixir might move you to C-Rank-three, with the benefit that it’s permanent. Yes, you may even see more defined muscles from it. Some see increased muscle mass while others see no physical change, because our ReSouled bodies don’t need to show it, and instead simply have the increased attribute.

  “We have not been able to create elixirs of flight or haste. Those are not permanent abilities. We can grant them temporarily through potions, only. It’s something we’re still looking into, of course, but it’s not a solved problem yet. Any questions so far on potions or elixirs?”

  Oligy’s hand went into the air.

  “Yes, Cadet,” Caustic said.

  “How many different types of potions are there?”

  Caustic chuckled. “A lot, and I’m not going to list them out right now. Don’t worry, we’ll cover the most important ones over the next few months, at least in passing. We’ll teach you how to make them, and even if you’re not able to brew them yourselves, you’ll recognize them.

  “Moving on, though, from potions and elixirs, let’s talk about oils. The best way to explain these is through a demonstration. Cups, if you will.”

  On one side of the classroom, Cups went to what looked like a wardrobe. When he opened it, it wasn’t clothes that hung inside. It was far more an armory than a closet. Hung vertically on the inside of the doors and against the back wall were a number of swords, one of which Cups chose seemingly at random.

  Cups then went to another small desk that had what looked like a stand for a sword to sit horizontally across it. Kind of like a display case Det had seen in museums back on Earth.

  There, the instructor placed the sword down, opened a drawer, and then pulled out something similar to a wineskin. It was smaller than the man wore across his body, but the shape was unmistakable.

  “This is fire oil,” Cups said. “The name will make sense shortly.” Without another word, he popped the top off the wineskin and began pouring the thick liquid along the sword’s blade.

  To Det’s eyes—even as he squinted—the liquid, which had a distinct oil-like appearance, was absorbed by the sword’s blade. None of it dripped. None of it ran. It simply vanished once Cups had completed coating the blade.

  He closed the top once more, then reached out and took the hilt of the blade. A pulse like the man fed his own magical energy into the weapon, and then the blade burst into flame. Similar to what Det had done with the black flame he’d enchanted his own swords with, the blade sat there burning until Cups lifted the weapon, roaring like a bonfire, into the air.

  “Oils,” he said, “are a way we can temporarily enchant weapons. The number of oil recipes we know is far more limited than potions. We have the basic elements, and then things that will increase sharpness or resonant force for blunt weapons.

  “Oils are also one-trick ponies. They’re very good at what they do, but they do require practice. I would not encourage you to use a fire oil the first time you draw a sword. In fact, if I see any of you trying it before your instructor specifically says you’re ready, I will knock you over the head so hard you’ll need to visit the Medic’s tent. Any questions?”

  A hand was already in the air.

  “Yes, Cadet?” Cups said.

  The cadet pointed to the flaming sword. “You clearly used your magic to turn the sword on. How do you turn it off?”

  “To activate the oil, and keep it going,” Cups said. “You need to keep feeding it a small thread of your magic. When you want it to stop, you just stop doing that.” As soon as he spoke the words, the flames burning across the blade of sword completely vanished.

  “However, if you do that, the oil is expended. Once you turn it off, you can’t turn it back on again unless you apply another coating of the oil.”

  “Thank you, Instructor Cups,” Caustic said. “Those of you who excel during this semester of class may also learn how to create your own oils. They are not a priority for us, but we’ll leave it open as a possibility. One thing of note is that, unlike potions, oils have no cooldown. You can apply them one after another without having to wait, though only one may be present on a weapon at a time.

  “Finally, this takes us to our fourth category of things we like to use on ourselves. This would salves. As you can guess from the name, salves are something we apply externally. You could also call them a cream or an ointment, but ‘salves’ is what stuck as an official name.

  “Salves have the benefit of not needing the entire contents of a jar to get an effect. You can use as little or as much as you need. However, when we compare them to a potion, they are significantly less effective and far more localized.

  “A potion will heal any part of your body—or all parts of your body—in equal measure depending on the injury. The interaction of the potion and your body’s natural healing tells the magic where it’s needed. Salves are not automatic like that. You will need to apply them directly to the injury.

  “Similar to potions, they have a short cooldown, though it is much, much shorter than a potion’s. In return, they are also far less effective on deeper wounds. Again, similar to an ointment or a cream, salves are a topical solution and are often used as a second or third-line treatment.

  “If, for example, you have a gaping chest wound and you are on potion cooldown, you can apply a salve for some minor but immediate relief. Honestly, I would just advise against getting the gaping chest wound in the first place, but we encourage all ReSouled in the field to keep at least one jar of healing salve with them at all times. You’d be surprised how it could save your life.

  “As for the fifth and final category—poisons—these are not something we will dive into this semester. Vanguards, those of you present will have an elective opportunity to take a poison class in second semester. I highly encourage it. Having the option of poisons for the general style that Vanguards use—both in fighting and scouting—is an excellent ace to have in your pockets. We also have an excellent poison instructor in Rosebud.”

  Rosebud—who was about three-quarters of the way through delivering textbooks around the room—took a slight bow, a blush running up her neck and into her cheeks.

  “Excellent,” Caustic said. “Since the textbooks are almost completely delivered now and we have reviewed the types of alchemical creations that you will be responsible for, let’s take the rest of the class to highlight the sections of the book that will be most useful for you.

  “I hope you remember how to study.”