Chapter 39. Bottle
Sorden led the way to her house. Rhys followed close behind, familiar with the route from the previous time he’d handed herbs over. She had him wait outside her house while she vanished inside and emerged with a white enameled bottle. A faint aura of mana emanated from the bottle.
“What do you think?” she asked, holding it out.
Rhys held up his potion. He tilted his head back and forth, unsure. “Do you mind if I try it out?”
“Certainly. Go ahead.”
“It might destroy the bottle,” Rhys warned her.
She waved her hand. “The bottle’s enchanted. Nothing a Tier 1 student can brew could destroy its enchantment. If you do, I’ll be impressed more than angry.”
Rhys raised his brows, then shrugged. She’d said herself that she’d only be impressed. He didn’t necessarily trust that, but it was worth a try.
By now, even with Trash Intent and Trash Aura, the potion vial was starting to look a little ragged. The material contained within couldn’t directly degrade the vial’s walls, or even the Trash Intent that enveloped them, but neither could his Trash Intent stop the gasses that welled up from its surface from interfering with the glass. Opening the cap on his bottle, he drew out the impurities and sent them into the new bottle. He deactivated his techniques on his vial and relaxed as relief flowed through him.
The new bottle held for a second. Two seconds. Three.
Sorden turned to him, beaming. “There you have it! I’m more than happy to—”
Rhys lunged just as the bottom fell out of the bottle and barely caught the impurities before they spilled onto the ground. Re-activating Trash Intent and Trash Aura, he sent the impurities back into his vial and half-smiled, half-grimaced at her. “It’s really corrosive.”
Sorden’s jaw dropped. She stared at the enamel bottle, then at Rhys. Taking the remains of the bottle, she retreated back inside. “I’ll bring out something stronger.”