Corrin could see little through the doorframe. Opening the door wider, he saw a glint of light reflected from a distinctive blade.
"The Yato!" Corrin cried, dropping the lance and snatching his sword from the top of the table. Now that he had it back, he could fight the way he was used to and their chances of escape now much higher.
"Wonderful," Camilla smiled, "but what is all of that clutter over there?"
He was anxious to get going, but Corrin decided to indulge his tiny sister. Opening the door even further, he let more light in.
The light revealed a variety of odd implements. Spoons, spatulas and glass tubes littered the surface of the table. Sheets of paper were spread across much of the surface, torn pages from absent tomes. Some of the tubes were propped up in a rack, a variety of colorful concoctions on display.
"What is this place?" Corrin wondered aloud, unnerved by the sinister collection of chemicals.
"This seems to be a workbench of some sort," Camilla said. She was only slightly more familiar with magic than Corrin, but there were elements in common with Leo's study. "That old woman is an alchemist, is she not?"
"I guess," Corrin nodded, "do you think she made that potion in here?" Spotting a lantern, he lit it with his free hand and placed it upon the desk.
"That's certainly possible." Camilla hopped off Corrin's lowered hand, landing on the table.
"Then maybe there's an antidote in here!" Corrin exclaimed. He put a hand to his mouth, remembering that they had to be quiet.
"Could be," Camilla said, examining a spoon many times longer than she was, "or we could make one, at least."
"Either one is worth a shot, I suppose," Corrin said, "though I'm a bit worried about you drinking these strange mixtures."
"Don't worry your pretty little head about that," Camilla smirked, "have a look around, see if you can find anything."
"All right," Corrin nodded.
Since Camilla was looking around on the surface of the table, Corrin looked for things she couldn't reach. By the side of the desk, he noticed a stack of books, starting from the floor and reaching almost as high as the desk itself. He picked up the one on the top, a thick volume crudely labeled "Notes". He thought it seemed promising, so he put it down on the desk and threw it open.
Camilla yelped as a strong current of wind almost toppled her over. She grabbed onto a nearby box, stabilizing her tiny body.
"Sorry," Corrin apologized. In his haste to find the right potion, he had forgotten his inch-tall sister nearby. Camilla smiled, nodding, and Corrin started to flick through the pages. He generated a smaller, more bearable gust of wind as he searched.
Not one to wait idly while her brother got to work, Camilla decided to try and make an antidote. Some of the tubes contained a green liquid, like that of the potion that had gotten her into this blasted mess in the first place.
If that old hag had made that potion here, there's nothing stopping me from making the antidote with the same materials. She looked up at the shelves above the desk, all manner of odd ingredients housed within the jars barely lit in the dim light. Lizard tails, faceless hair... Camilla wondered if the woman truly was an alchemist, or more of a witch. Deciding to work with what she could reach, Camilla approached a small pile of purple dust, set out atop a napkin of some sort. The closest vial in the rack contained a colorless liquid. Deciding to mix the two, Camilla walked to the end of a spatula. The metal implement was bigger than she was, but it was thin so probably didn't weigh too much.
Bending down, Camilla wrapped her tiny hands round the end of the steel tool. She could lift it but would likely not be able to do much with such a big implement from this angle. She shifted position, supporting the spatula under her armpit. Using her other arm to stabilize her aim, she plunged the scooping end into the purple dust. For a moment she wondered what the odd substance was. Herbs? The ground up remains of some poor creature? It mattered not, so long as it had a chance of restoring her to normal. Pushing down with one arm and lifting with the other, Camilla shakily raised the powder end into the air, some of it spilling off the sides.
Do I need to be precise? Probably not. Camilla decided as she moved it to the top of the nearby glass container. She trembled with the effort, having to raise the tip of the spatula so high in the air. Grunting, she let it clatter onto the top of the tube, more of its contents lost as a small cloud kicked up. She paused for a little while, panting. She stole a look at Corrin, still searching through the pages with a furrowed look of concern. Inspired in an odd way, she summoned enough strength to tilt the spatula, sending its contents into the clear liquid.
The dust drifted downward in the fluid, not dissolving.
Do I have to mix it? She spied a short, thin piece of wood nearby. Lifting it up, she leaned it into her body as she thought about what to do. If she were up on the rack, she could probably mix the solution with this wooden pole. But how would she get up there? It was a good five inches above the ground. She looked to the implement she held, an idea forming. She took a step or two back, raising the pole. The tiny princess broke into a run. Halfway to the tube, she planted the stick into the surface of the desk and vaulted herself into the air. A risky maneuver, but she was feeling impatient. Unfortunately she hadn't gained enough height, and was sailing towards the wall.
"Camilla!" Corrin shouted. He quickly caught his miniature sister in both hands, saving her from a painful impact. He brought Camilla closer to himself and parted his hands, revealing the dazed princess.
"T-thank you..." she murmured.
Corrin sighed. "What on earth were you doing, Camilla?"
"I was going to mix that potion," Camilla said, recovering, "be a dear and put me down on the top of that rack, will you?"
"All right," Corrin agreed. He could hardly believe someone so small could be so reckless. Exactly what had she been up to just now? He could only speculate...
Placed atop the rack, Camilla watched Corrin return to his book. She brushed at her disheveled hair before returning to her own task. Luckily the stick had landed against the rack. Stretching her tiny arm from where she stood, Camilla could just about reach her implement of choice. She brought it up, alternating her two hands to raise it up over her head. Camilla swayed a bit once she had the whole thing, nearly losing balance. She quickly threw it into the liquid, the wood thudding deep at the bottom of the tube. Enough was left exposed for Camilla to grip the end of the stick. Holding it in both hands, she turned, swirling the liquid like she was stirring an over-sized cauldron. Peering down, she could just about see the dust breaking up.
Once she was satisfied, Camilla stopped, letting out a sigh. She stood proud, her potion brewed. Now she just had to try her concoction. Hopefully it wasn't poisonous...
"Ah-ha!" Corrin cried, "This is it!"
Intrigued, Camilla looked over to see Corrin pointing to a passage in the book.
"March 15th. I finished making an antidote for the poison planned for the princess," he read aloud, "such a thing was necessary in case of accidental consumption. The antidote has a dark blue color."
Corrin quickly scanned the contents of the desk, before finding a flask containing a dark blue liquid. "Here it is!" he exclaimed, snatching it up.
"Well done, dear," Camilla smiled. She hid her frustration at the pointlessness of her own efforts...
Corrin quickly poured some of the liquid into a small glass cup. "Here!" he said, handing it to Camilla. Though it was small, she had to use both hands to hold it.
"Thank you dear," Camilla said, "but could you put me down on the floor? I'd hate to knock everything off the desk if I grow, and we will probably need more for Selena and Beruka," she paused, thinking, "or me, if a second attempt is in order."
Corrin put his hand down, allowing Camilla to step on board, before lowering it to the floor out in the corridor. He stepped back, giving her a bit more space.
"Well, here goes. Cheers!" Camilla smiled, before drinking the potion. Finished, she put down the container.
"Do you feel any different?" Corrin asked, keenly observing her two-inch body. He was sure he had the right potion, though the low light had made it hard to be certain...
"Patience, dear," Camilla squeaked as she waited. Nothing seemed to be happening yet...
