Velocityquest III

[DraconicDescendant]

The figure turns to you. "Wha? WHO ARE YOU!?" it screeches, in an old man's voice. It wields its hoe fiercely.

[Velocity]

"My name is Widow. I'm not here to attack you. You're not exactly human, are you? Who are you?"

[DraconicDescendant]

"Get out of my garden, wench!" it yells as it shakes its hoe at you. "You do not understand the intricacies of the crops which I tend to! You do not understand their uses, or their value to experienced alchemists! Step out of my garden before you kill something!"

[Velocity]

Keep calm, deciding that the old man may be more powerful than he looks.

"So you're an alchemist, then? That sounds like it might actually be interesting."

[DraconicDescendant]

You're still on the fence about whether or not it's human.

"YES! IT IS! But only when you live long enough to avoid melting your face off! Now, clear out of here before you step on something and mess up my harvest!" he says, turning back to his mushrooms.

[Velocity]

"Do you ever make poison?"

[DraconicDescendant]

"OF COURSE I DO! What, do you think I'm some kind of jolly wizard that makes candy out of sunshine and rainbows or something? I've made poisons that have killed monsters! Eaten away at the flesh of dukes! Shriveled the bodies of counts! I've made many things...BUT CAN YOU WAIT FOR ME TO FINISH BEFORE ASKING ANYTHING ELSE!?"

[Velocity]

Smile widely.

"I've got all night. Work away."

[DraconicDescendant]

The alchemist harvests for the next half hour, setting his mushrooms, vegetable stalks, and unfamiliar fruits in different sacks around his waist. It enters through the backdoor of its house, not acknowledging you, save for leaving the door open.

[Velocity]

Follow him in, and close the door behind me, seeing if he's about to do something else before speaking again.

[DraconicDescendant]

He sets his hoe down before sitting down in a chair. Now that you get a better look at him, it's clear that he's a venerable Muridaean. He sniffs about a bit before speaking.

"Did you come here for my services, or are you looking for an apprenticeship? I can tell you now, you're not getting that apprenticeship."

[Velocity]

"I'm a revenant wandering around the woods at night, who happened to stumble upon your home. I am interested in poison, though..."

[DraconicDescendant]

"Bah. Everyone who knows about me is. They're interested in everything I make! But half of these idiots come to me just expecting me to churn out something like a potion of strength or invisibility or something, FOR ABSOLUTELY FREE! They don't understand that this isn't just a hobby of mine. In fact, I think they're a bunch of freeloaders! Are you a freeloader, then?" he asks, hissing slightly.

[Velocity]

"Well, I don't use money because I can't remember how much any of it is worth. What if I was to do something for you in return?"

[DraconicDescendant]

"Fie! Even if you were experienced enough to accomplish something for me, you couldn't possibly expect any of my trivial matters to be worth something few other alchemists have ever managed to make! You don't look so tough!"