Chapter 2 " Immortal friend"
The multiple patched duvet lay crumpled up on the floor next to the narrow solid wood bed. On the soft ground Livia sat cross-legged and studied various folios in the flickering candlelight. Meanwhile her forehead was wrinkled most of the time while she was reading with her left hand to her chin. The dusty edition [Regeneratio with the help of modern science] took up both thighs of her, while further copies on the subject of "physical recovery" were scattered within a tangible radius.
She tapped her lower lip with her index finger at regular intervals while she arrived at an extremely complex description of chemical compound properties. Her lips soundlessly copied the words from the book, while she wrote a parallel summary on a parchment sheet with routine speed. The homogeneous scratching of the nib on the parchment was the only sound in the studio.
As the first rays of sunlight shines through the window, Livia pushes the massive work of alchemy from her lap, pinching her eyes together tiredly. With her slender fingers she drove herself over the eyelids and massaged her temples with circular movements. Sighing, she rose and grabbed the cup on the small side table. Although the tea was already cold, it still spread a pleasantly aromatic scent. As she slowly descended the stairs, she inhaled the aroma in long trains and then tipped the cold drink into a potted plant.
Quickly she packed all the necessary utensils into a bag and left exhausted the house.
On her way to Francollarts, she remembered the last evening in her mind's eye.
"One of the most important characteristics of vampires is their exceptionally strong regenerative power. It allows any physical injury to be healed without subsequent damage. At this point, however, it should also be noted that this ability is pronounced differently in each individual.
The witcher let my friend go, but there was still an offensive argument in which Dettlaff were injured. Unfortunately this course was unavoidable, considering his hot temperament. Although my friend is in recovery, the complete regernation would take a lot of time. Therefore, I would like to ask you to make potions for him that will accelerate this process and inhibit his current pain."
While Regis described the situation of his friend, Livia constantly watched the little ball on the table. With a smooth movement she bent forward, took the simple teaspoon and knocked with it on the sphaera sensum. The glowing glyphs immediately covered the surface of the sphere. When the pattern disappeared, she repeated the process. Regis sat silently and watched the young woman with blatant curiosity.
If she felt his gaze, she did not let it show and continued to stare at the gift. "If vampires have such abnormal regeneration abilities, my potions should be obsolete for your friend."
Regis sank down slightly and his gaze clouded.
"You are right in principle, but my friend's injuries are not limited to conventional wounds. Another peculiarity of our species, in this case an extremely negative one, is the slow recovery of inflicted wounds that we receive from our peers. It is unforgivable to drink the blood of a higher vampire without his consent. The Code prohibits such confrontations."
"And yet you have attacked your friend." Livia turned her gaze from the sphere and glanced at Regis.
"Unfortunately, I saw no other way out. Geralt was able to defeat him in a duel, but Dettlaff possesses, even for vampires, an extraordinary regeneration. I was forced to do something, otherwise the vampire's attack on Beauclair would have continued and the witcher would have been too weak to fight Dettlaff again.
I fear that I have lost my friend's trust in this act and have little hope that this situation will change in the near future. Nevertheless, I must help him, for I owe him that. I have brought some folios which describe regeneration potions in detail. In some passages there are also additions from myself that should make it easier for you to make an effective potion. The potion is based on my blood. You have to find out the composition of the other components experimentally."
Livia rosed and walked quickly to the shelves next to the fireplace. The furniture was filled with old dusty books, alchemical accessories and some medical instruments. She looked for all the necessary utensils for the phlebotomy and returned to her friend.
Regis rolled up his sleeve silently and had Livia perform the procedure. Her fingers were cool and touched almost tenderly the pale skin of the vampire. When she found a clearly visible vein, she attached the knife and cut the necessary layers of skin. The blood poured intermittently into the container at the bottom. After some time Regis cleared his throat and continued: "That should be enough for the first attempts. You should either already have all the other ingredients or find them nearby."
The young woman took a white cloth and exerted this pressure on the open wound on Regi's arm. When a few seconds had passed, she wiped the affected area with the already blood-soaked cloth and then convinced herself that the wound had disappeared. The visitor looked at the red liquid in the transparent vial and seemed lost in thought.
The floor creaked as Livia rosed and stopped behind Regis. She gently laid her hands on her friend's shoulders and squeezed lightly. "You are no longer alone Regis. I will help you as far as I can. I will start with the potions tomorrow and see through your notes today. Together we'll patch up your friend again."
A light smile lay on the vampire's face and he grabbed one of her hands. "Thank you. Dettlaff is at the Trastamara hunting lodge and please don't worry, this building is neither cursed nor do monsters romp around in their environment. The presence of my friend keeps them at a distance." Livia had to smile. "Another positive quality of vampires I suppose?" "Dettlaff is not a loner. He has always preferred the company of lower vampires and has gathered a whole pack around him over the centuries. They don't leave his side." Livia's fingers were now digging harder into Regi's shoulders. "So that means the forest is full of vampires?" The visitor rose and looked at Livia piercingly. "They will not show themselves to you, you have my word on it. As soon as they smell you, they automatically notice Dettlaff's blood in the sphaera sensum."
"And that will keep them at a distance?"
"Yes."
Livia closed her eyes and gave a sigh. The fire crackled and sparks were flying through the room, occasionally leaving black soot marks on the floor. She was suddenly ripped from her mind as Regis pulled her in and hugged her tightly. "Please forgive me for asking such a favor of you. If there's anything I can help you with, don't hesitate to call me."
The person he spoke to nodded without a word and breathed in the fine herbal fragrance that surrounded Regis. When she wanted to look him in his face, he pressed her even tighter, bent forward and leaned his forehead against her shoulder. Before she could reply, she felt his tears seeping through her linen shirt. She gently returned the embrace and stroked her friend's back comforting.
"I will retire for today. If you need help with the preparation, you can find me at the Mère-Lachaiselongue cemetery.
"But that's right next to Beauclair!"
"Nobody there knows of my true identity and this cemetery is hardly visited by people. An excellent place to retreat and think in peace." Before Livia could raise further objections, her arms reached into the void and dark blue smoke slowly moved away from her and went through the house wall into the outside.
When she was in front of her house in Francollarts, she wondered about the time that had passed far too quickly. Normally the way to the village was longer. Why did moments take different lengths depending on the situation?
The lock clicked and the door opened squeaking. There was a pleasant atmosphere in the shop. Warm sunbeams shone through the windows and fell on the colourful utensils of the studio. There were even more books here than in her small hut on the edge of the forest. Colourful vials stood polished on the shelves and waited for their use. Herbs were dried in a small adjoining room and stored with other alchemical ingredients. The smell of the small chamber was overwhelming for the young woman.
She loved this room above all else. As a little girl she always grabbed one of her father's thickest books and retired to the small chamber. There she picked out the most beautiful flowers and placed them between the pages of the thick folio.
When her father had to look up recipes, he regularly found the dried flowers. Although he always rebuked her for not having these herbs to play with, there was always a little smile in the corners of his mouth.
She searched her stock for the ingredients needed for the regeneration potion and tied everything together into a small bundle. But before she left again, she made another detour into the closet and pulled out an Arenaria. She pulled one of the books from the shelf and stuck the flower between the pages.
With a smile she left the building and set off to brew healing potions for a vampire.
The sphaera sensum on the small table at her home turned dark red in the meantime.