“Okay. Let me know when you’re feeling better. Then we’ll jump back in and head into the homestretch.” Glim went up the stairs, leaving Shannon alone in the basement laboratory. It was already late at night; Lily was undoubtedly asleep.
The innumerable side effects of their concoctions had left Shannon’s insides in tatters. She laid a hand gently on her chest and let out a long sigh. “I still can’t die, huh... Acute poisoning like this won’t work. My regeneration overcomes it.”
She’d been expecting that. She had experienced death many times over the thousands of years she’d been alive, and she knew all too well how quickly her body regenerated and how much pain and suffering she could endure. Still, she couldn’t just stop looking for new chances to die.
“Well, you never know what’ll finally kill you. I guess the clinical trials were a bust.” Shannon took a deep breath. All that was left was to complete Lily’s cure. She took half an hour to get some air outside before returning to the laboratory. “All right, let’s continue the experiments. Bring on the side effects! For Lily!”
“You’re back?” Glim said. “Good! Let’s continue!”
With that, they dove right back into testing compounds, and Shannon died-but-didn’t-die five or six more times as they worked. The side effects gradually lessened, and a light emerged at the end of the tunnel. Finally, with only enough ingredients for a few more attempts remaining, they perfected the formula.
“I-It’s...” Glim’s hands trembled as he lifted the vial. The mixture within was an entirely different color from the early versions of the potion; no longer ominous-looking, it was now a mysterious mix of purple and white, much like a unicorn’s horn. Glim’s creation was a compound of crude drugs, herbs, and various organs from butchered monsters.
“So that’s the finished product?” Shannon asked.
“We’ve done it at last, with only three tries left.” Glim paused. “Shannon, will you try it?”
Shannon nodded; she had the disease, after all. She took the vial and brought it to her lips. Then, at Glim’s nod, she downed the medicine.
After a moment, Glim asked, “How do you feel?”
Shannon paused. “Huh,” she said finally. “I don’t feel anything.”
“What? How is that possible?!” Glim rushed over, panic clear on his face. Shannon lifted her shirt to expose her stomach, and Glim, looking grave, checked her vitals and inspected her whole body. He swallowed hard. “You’re cured. The medicine worked!”
“What?! There wasn’t even a single side effect!”
“It’s done!”
“Woo-hoo! Cheers!” Shannon flung her arms around Glim and hugged him, yelling gleefully.
“We did it!” Glim roared in triumph. Then, in a more halting tone, he said, “O-Oh, sorry for hugging you.” He pulled away from her hurriedly and turned to gaze once more at the concoction in the vial.
Shannon laughed. “Oh, it’s fine. Besides, we did it!”
“Yes, finally.”
Glim had perfected his wonder drug.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Thank you so much, Ms. Shannon!” Lily said. She looked up at Shannon and smiled radiantly.
“You should be thanking Mr. Glim,” Shannon told her. “All I did was take a bunch of medicine.”
“No, no, it’s all thanks to you,” Glim insisted. “I’m glad we crossed paths in that alley. Thank you.”
“It was a lucky meeting, that’s for sure,” Shannon replied.
Shannon’s bout with saluena had been short and the disease hadn’t had time to progress, so she had bounced back quickly, but Lily would need more time to recover. Regardless, her condition had already improved enough that she could stand and walk around. She still had to stay inside the house, but being able to wander freely within its walls must have brought her an indescribable joy. Her smile, once weak, now burst with brightness. She was a small girl, only reaching Shannon’s chest, and she was so adorable that Shannon couldn’t help but hug her.
They could still hear the sounds of the festival drifting in from outside. “Aw, today’s the last day of the festival, Lily,” Shannon said.
“I know, but it’s okay.” Lily smiled. “I’ll go next year with the doctor!”
Her smile was full of hope. That hope hadn’t been there when Shannon met her. Shannon’s suspicions were correct: Lily had been putting on a brave front this whole time. She’d seemed mature beyond her years, but now, that quality had melted away, leaving youthful innocence in its place.
Shannon giggled. “That’ll be fun. Make sure to get even stronger by then, okay? Now, I’m off.”
“Leaving already?” Glim asked. “I was hoping you’d stay a while. I still have some of that borrowed money, and you know, we could make a killing off pharmaceuticals—”
“That’s so like you, Mr. Glim,” Shannon said with a laugh. “But I’m a traveling mage. I like the free-spirited, solo wandering kind of life.”
“I see. It’s a shame to see you go, but I had fun.”
“Yeah, me too. I’m off in search of my next deathbed.”
“You really are a strange mage. Well then, I’ll pray for your successful death. If we meet again, make sure you’re prepared to explain to me why you’re not dead yet.” Glim laughed, and Shannon giggled.
“I’ll look forward to that.”
“Oh, and take this.” Glim picked up a vial on the desk and handed it to her.
“What’s this?”
“The last of the saluena cure.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure you help plenty of people on your journeys; you should hold on to it. Use it well.”
“Thank you. I’ll take care of it.” With that, Shannon gently flourished her robe. “Farewell!”
“Let’s meet again someday!” Lily said.
“Goodbye!” Glim called.
They saw Shannon off, and she left Eldoa.