An Unexpected (and Odd) Gift
The bookstore was pleasantly quiet as Spider walked patiently about, adjusting books on shelves, turning her newly purchased skulls and swords so that their best sides showed. She glanced about the room, and as she did so, various items straightened themselves, adjusted and shifted, and a handful of dust collected itself in the center of the room. A flick of her eyes, and it was floating neatly into a trash bin, settling without so much as a whiff of stale odor. Spider loved her bookstores, and found herself feeling a strong fondness for this new one in Brandenburg. Located closer to the University district, she anticipated better business than ever, and it held a special place, simply because, to her, it was a sign that she wasn’t running away. Smoothing back a lock of cherry-black hair, the mage settled herself at her front counter and began balancing her ledgers. It was something that was oddly soothing to Spider, doing basic addition and subtraction, seeing how neatly everything came together when she kept her numbers straight. It was so calming, she slipped into meditation without realizing it, and was horribly startled when a sharp knock came at the door. Cursing, she slid from the stool and padded swiftly to the door, yanking it open with a sharp "What?!?"
The UPS man blinked sweat from his eyes, holding a large white box very carefully, his clipboard balanced on top. "I’m sorry to disturb you, ma’am, but we’ve got a package for you."
Spider blinked, wondering what the hell this was, considering she used FedEx for her business packages, then shrugged. "Okay." Snagging the clipboard, she scribbled her name on the bottom, then easily took the heavy box from the man. He blinked in astonishment, and she offered him a wry smile. "I work out." He nodded and slipped back to his van, moving quickly as she stepped back inside and shut the door. Hefting the box a bit, because it was very heavy, Spider moved back to the counter and set it down, frowning at it. She could sense very strong magic within, and was hesitant to open a mysterious box without knowing exactly what it was. Her russet eyes glazed faintly as she mentally reached into the box, feeling the shapes and spells within. Spider blinked suddenly, feeling the infernal heat, and looked carefully at the shipping label. When her vision unfocused, wavering behind the address of a warehouse in Michigan, there was a neatly handwritten label: Ninth Circle, Office #261, C/O Lucifer, Morning Star. Spider blinked suddenly, confusion clouding her features. A quick rip of the tape, and she had the box open in seconds. Shifting aside the padding, she pulled out a large wooden tray, holding six bottles, and set it down carefully on the counter. Resting her chin on the heavy oak, Spider gazed at the bottles with an emotion very much like awe.
The first, a small squat bottle of thick, orangish glass, gave off the most heat, probably stemming from what appeared to be liquid fire within. It flickered, splashed and moved like a campfire, but burned a deep, bloody red. The cork appeared to be old bone, carefully carved to fit perfectly, but charred and blackened, as if it had sat in a raging fire for quite some time. The second bottle was tall, about nine inches in height, and made of a heavy clear glass, containing what appeared to be mercury. It burbled occasionally, but for the most part, sat like sludge. The bottle itself felt cool to the touch. The third was a square bottle of nearly opaque glass, with a glass stopper that had nearly been sealed to the jar itself. Within, a sickeningly yellow liquid hissed and foamed, smelling like hydrochloric acid. A fourth bottle held a strange substance, a vivid electric blue which leapt about inside the heavy greenish glass, making sharp, metallic noises and gleaming oddly. Spider shook her head, and examined the last two bottles carefully. One was a thin bottle, filled with a very thick bluish-grey liquid which bubbled constantly, stopped with a thick bundle of reeds. The last was the largest bottle, and made of an almost stone-like glass. Within, a thin, milky white liquid steamed constantly, the fog swirling about the interior of the bottle. Spider shook her head in confusion, and looked back into the box. A small silk bag was lying within, a piece of delicate parchment pinned neatly to it. Opening the bag, she saw what looked like flower seeds. The note fluttered neatly into her hand, and Spider read it carefully.
Within, I have enclosed a bottle of each of the rivers of my domain. The Styx, Lethe, Acheron, Cocytus, and Phlegethon. Also included is a bottle from the Lake of Fire, and a few asphodel seeds I thought you could plant. Consider this my congratulations for your achievement in attaining Marius’s red belt level.
Warmest wishes,
Lucifer, Morning Star