A/N:
*someone knocks on my door*
Me: Come in!
*Link walks in*
Link: Hey. Dark said that you wanted to see me.
Me: *nods* Yeah! I got something for you! =D *gives an envelope*
Link: *blinks few times* For me? O.o
Me: *nods happily* Yeah! It's from Bibbi88. =)
Link: *still bit surprised* Thank You, Bibbi88! ^.^
Me: Have fun with the letter! =D
Link: Thanks! I hope I'll be able to answer to it well enough. =)
Me: I'm sure you will. ^.^
Link: Okay! Thanks again! Bye! *leaves*
Me: So, keep sending the letters! The more letters there is, the more chapters there's going to be! =D
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LETTERS FROM HYRULE
CHAPTER 4: Potions
Dear Link, how do potions taste like? They don't look really yummy, especially the blue and green one. Nontheless I'd like to know how they taste and from what they are made. And are they only used for healing people or are they used in 'normal' food as well? With best regards, Bibbi88.
Link was bit surprised to get a letter. He had been certain that Dark was the only one who'd get goods and simple inquiries from the other world. The Hero read the envelope and the start of the letter couple of times just to make sure. "Well, it IS for me..." He thought while going to the table to have a better place to write.
Link wasn't sure what Dark saw in the Hero's bed. According to the dark Hylian, it was the softest thing in his life. Link just shrugged and let it be without asking further since he was certain of not getting an actual answer about it. But, for the Hero, the table and the chair next to it was something where he could concentrate better.
After a while of thinking, Link took up what he needed to write the reply letter. The pen, paper and ink were close by but there was something he also needed. The Hero stood up and walked to the bookshelf. He skimmed through the names for a while before he found the right book. Link took it out and started to go through it while returning to the table. After a short while he did find the page he was searching for which was about potions in overall.
Dear Bibbi88, thank you for your letter. I have to admit that I'm bit surprised to gain a letter in the first place. I hope I can answer to your questions well enough. I don't have much of knowledge about potions in overall but I think I've read and heard enough about them to give good enough explanations.
So, first the taste... Well, it depends a bit on who creates the potions. Everyone has their own ways and ingredients for different potions. So, the taste of the potion varies a lot sometimes. Also, the season and weather has their own affect on the potions. Not to mention about when it has been done or where it has been kept in. There is a lot that has to be taken in notion about...
Uh... Yeah, I said I don't have much of knowledge but I did have one course about potions few years back. It is kinda important to know right kind of herbs and whatnot while going around areas where you might get hurt. I haven't ever done a potion myself but I have the basics and whatnot for it... Not to mention that I did fetch a book for my help to answer to the letter... Sorry for cheating. *nervous chuckle*
But, going back to answering the questions. So... Basically the red potion tastes bit of blood with few odd mixes. Usually the taste has tomato and/or strawberry in there. Kinda anything that's red in one way or another. But, yeah, the blood part is the strongest on the taste... And no, we're not vampires. *slight deadpan* The green potion then again got more herbal taste in it. It isn't as bad as the red one or the blue one but sometimes the parts just don't mix well. Like onion, cucumber and kiwi. Yuck. So, last but not least is the blue potion. That's kinda the odd one of the three. And honestly speaking... I don't know what it tastes like. I can't really identify any of known things from there. Sometimes it's okay but mostly it's something you'd rather spit out instead of swallowing.
There are also several different potions in work too but they're more on the rare side and usually used by the doctors. Dark and I have had few of those but luckily it's very rare situation. The reason is that those are meant fully to heal from some specific things... Like when that knight Argan nearly killed Dark... Speaking of that, I think Dark's still having nightmares 'bout it. *sigh* The bad thing is that he doesn't talk about it... But, I'm sidetracking here. I'm sorry.
So, about the way of doing the potions. Like I mentioned, everyone has their own ways to do them. The main thing is to find the key items for it. Unfortunately, the red potion does have blood in it. Though, that is very, very small portion compared to rest of the ingredients in it. Mainly there's different berries but as far as my knowledge goes, that's just for the taste. For the actual part, it's, oddly enough, magic. The healing magic is somehow put into the ingredients before smashing them all together and turning it into drinkable mix. Depending on the strength of the magic, the taste changes as well as the power the drink itself has.
The green potion is mainly done of different kind of herbs. Again, this is mainly for the taste and where the magic itself can be put into. I'm not sure of what kind of magic it is that's used because the sellers and doctors rather keep it secret. And it wasn't taught in the class.
Like I earlier mention, the blue potion is the odd one. The color of it comes out of the magic. It is mainly done into water but some other ingredients are also used like the water of a watermelon, the juice of strawberries and such. Few who has gotten into the secrets of the blue potion do mix some herbs or berries into there to fix the taste. But, that also changes the color of the potion so it isn't that of common thing.
So, the potions works differently depending on how or who have done them. The red potion is mainly to heal simple physical wounds like broken bones and wounds. Though, it doesn't always heal all if there's lot to heal. Then it'll work on the worst ones and just saves from death. The green one is used to get strength and NOT stamina as some claim. It is kinda like bringing back bit of magic that you've used and turning it into your chances of surviving longer. The blue potion has it all. That's why it's so odd. It heals the wounds while bringing strength to carry forward. The magic used to create it is so strong that it'll work on the area that is most needed. If you're lacking in strength instead of health, it'll give you the magic that was used to create it in the first place. And if it's health that you need, it'll heal more of your wounds than what it gives strength.
Normally potions aren't used in any of foods. It is only required when there is someone who is either unconscious or not cooperating. That's when the potion is hidden into food. On that way the patient doesn't know of gaining the given potion. The main potion used is the red one. Also, the food itself usually hides the taste of the potion too.
There is also another thing that one has to know about potions. If those are used too often and/or too much, they lose their effect. Since there's so much of magic in the potions, it can be overused. And when it's overused, it doesn't do what it's supposed to anymore. Which means that one can't use potions or such for a very long time which is usually a year or so. They can still use magic of their own but potions and healing magic is out of question. Also, one of the most hellish parts is the fact of the magic attacks having stronger impact on the victim. This is the reason that broken bones and easily healed wounds are usually given the normal time to heal instead of potions or magic. The potions and magic are usually used only when it's for life and death situation.
I have to admit that I'm glad you actually asked this from me instead of Dark. I'm not saying he wouldn't have found the answers but he would've come to ask me first along from the doctor and quite certainly taken up a book or few too. I haven't yet had the time to teach him about the potions so he probably would've used half of the day or longer to find the answers.
Thank You very much for sending me a letter. I hope I have given good enough answer to your questions. With best regards, The Hero of Time, Link.
Link read the letter couple of times through. He was quite happy about the outcome and started to write the two different envelopes for the letter. After reading the letter for one more time in case of misspellings, he eventually sealed the letter to the first envelope before closing that one into the next envelope. Once that was done, he cleared the table and left to take the envelope to the postbox. "Wish I could've joined Dark on his trip to Lake Hylia but he was quite adamant about going alone... Wonder what he's doing..." The Hero thought bit sadly.
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A/N: Keep the questions coming! =D
Also, flames are accepted but those shall be for Axel's entertainment or for Demyx's practice! =P
Still in working:
1) Do a drawing from one of my stories and I'll write you a story.
2) Send questions to Dark and/or Link! Also, other characters will be answering if you want to send a question for them! =)