"His heart's still beating," Jamie announced, though his relief was tainted with urgency. "But it's weak. We need to act."
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Jamie realized that Thomas was too shaken to be of immediate help. The color had drained from Thomas's face, his eyes wide with fear and helplessness as he stared at Knall's unconscious form.
"Do you know anyone who can help?" Jamie asked, trying to anchor Thomas back to the present.
"N-not at this hour," Thomas stammered. "I could call a healer—a witch doctor—but it would take hours for them to arrive."
"Hours we don't have," Jamie muttered. He gently opened one of Knall's eyes; the pupil was unnaturally dilated. The dwarf's skin glistened with a sheen of sweat, yet to the touch, it was cold as stone.
"A poison, perhaps?" Jamie mused aloud, his mind racing. Rising swiftly, he scanned the immediate surroundings. The workshop was a labyrinth of alchemical wonders—shelves upon shelves of potions, elixirs, and ingredients both common and rare. Knall was meticulous; he would know every substance here intimately. It had to be something unexpected, something ordinary.
Jamie paced, his boots tapping against the stone floor, until his gaze caught something near the cauldron. A wooden plate and a knife lay discarded on the ground, as if knocked over in haste. He knelt beside them, inspecting the remnants of a meal: chunks of bread, slivers of roasted chicken, and an assortment of fruits. Among them were several plump berries.
"Blueberries?" Jamie picked up one of the berries, holding it up to the light filtering through the high windows. They were larger than any he'd seen, almost swelling beyond their skins. A subtle, unnatural shimmer clung to their surface.
"These berries—they shouldn't be this large," he whispered.
Without wasting another moment, Jamie returned to Knall's side. He gently pried open the dwarf's mouth, leaning close to catch a hint of the scent within. A sweet aroma met his senses, tinged with something faintly metallic.
"Sweetness," he confirmed, glancing back at Thomas. "Quickly, Thomas, I need your help."
Thomas blinked, snapping out of his daze. "What do you need?"
"Dwarves are resistant to poisons, aren't they?" Jamie asked, with sliver of hope that the mythology he knew about Dwarfs would also work on this world.
"Y-yes," Thomas replied, nodding. "Their constitutions make them less susceptible."
"Good. But even so, someone has managed to poison him—likely using something he wouldn't suspect." Jamie gestured toward the fallen plate. "Perhaps through his food."
Thomas's jaw clenched. "But what can we do?"
"We need to purge the poison from his system," Jamie said resolutely. "If we can induce vomiting, we might be able to expel enough of it to give him a fighting chance."
"How do we do that?" Thomas asked, moving to support Knall's heavy frame, propping the dwarf into a more upright position.
"Like this." Jamie thrust his fingers into the dwarf's mouth, determined to induce vomiting. "This is going to be unpleasant."
He persisted until poor Knall began to retch, culminating in the dwarf emptying the contents of his stomach onto Thomas's boots. The acrid stench of the vomit assaulted their senses, causing both men's stomachs to churn. Yet, as soon as Knall finished, his breathing eased, and the ghastly pallor of his skin began to subside.
Observing the dwarf's features relax, Thomas felt a surge of relief mingled with curiosity. "How did you know?" he asked, wiping his brow.
"I've dealt with plenty of poisons in the past," Jamie replied, moving to collect some of the scattered fruits from the floor. "This isn't one I'd typically use. Nightshade—It blends easily into food. In humans, it usually causes hallucinations followed by death, but it seems to have a weaker effect on dwarves."
He examined one of the berries closely. "These will be useful to us, regardless."
Thomas watched as Jamie continued to survey the laboratory, his movements deliberate as he gathered the tainted fruits.
"Stay alert," Jamie cautioned, glancing around the dimly lit workshop. "If someone tried to kill him, they might still be after him."
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The warning snapped Thomas back to attention, making him look around the lab for any signs of movement.
After several tense minutes, Knall began to stir. "What in the blazes—my head feels like it's been split open," the dwarf groaned. "Am I hungover?"
| Knall, The [Alchemist] was saved
| 130 Experience Points obtained
Jamie and Thomas exchanged a relieved glance as they heard Knall's gravelly voice.
"If only it were just a hangover," Jamie remarked wryly.
Knall squinted up at them, pressing a thick hand to his temple. "Eh? Who are you?" His eyes focused on Thomas, and recognition flickered. "Ah! Thomas, my boy, what brings you here?"
"Old Knall, we should be asking you that," Thomas replied, crouching beside him. "We found you collapsed when we arrived—your heart was barely beating."
"Collapsed? Barely beating?" Knall echoed, confusion etched on his rugged face. He propped himself up, leaning back against a stout workbench cluttered with tools and alchemical instruments.
"We found you lying on the floor," Jamie explained, holding up one of the ominous berries. "It looks like someone tried to poison you."
Knall frowned deeply. "But dwarves are resistant to poisons."
"Then it must have been someone who knows exactly which poisons would affect you," Jamie concluded, his tone serious.
Knall's expression darkened. "That asshole," he muttered under his breath.
"You have an idea who it might be?" Thomas asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Of course I do. It was that fucker Thorgrimm," Knall spat the name like a curse.
Jamie and Thomas shared a meaningful look. They both knew of Thorgrimm—a notorious figure who led one of the most ruthless gangs in the Lower Quarter. He was infamous for producing Dragon Dust, a dangerous and highly addictive substance that plagued the country.
"But what would Thorgrimm gain by assassinating you?" Jamie asked, his gaze sharp with intrigue. 'Have I found Thorgrimm's weakness?' He mused silently.
"That conniving scoundrel!" Knall burst out, his voice thick with anger. "He thinks that if I don't join him, I'll end up becoming his rival. That thick-skulled oaf must have been drinking spoiled wine. I've told him time and again—I will never, ever sell Dragon Dust."
Knall attempted to rise, but pain flared across his ribs, and he could barely manage more than a feeble shuffle.
"Easy there, Old Knall. Let me help you," Thomas said, rushing to the dwarf's side. He placed a steadying arm around Knall's sturdy frame, assisting him to his feet.
"Why does he call him 'Old Knall'?" Jay whispered, his feline eyes reflecting curiosity as he watched Thomas. Only Jamie could hear the spectral cat, but the question mirrored his thoughts.
"Why do you call him 'Old Knall'?" Jamie echoed aloud.
"Oh! Because he's a grandpa. Knall is over two hundred years old," Thomas explained with an affectionate grin.
"Thomas was still in diapers when he wandered onto the beach and stumbled upon my workshop," Knall added, a twinkle in his eye despite the pain. "He used to break my lab equipment all the time."
Jamie arched an eyebrow in mild surprise. Looking at Knall, the dwarf seemed to be in the prime of his life. Aside from a hint of weariness in his expression, there was no sign of his advanced age.
"Alright," Knall said, his sharp gaze settling on them, "but something tells me you didn't come all this way just to save an old dwarf. What brings you to my workshop?"
"Are you sure?" Thomas asked with a tone of concern. "You just woke up."
"Hmm. True. One moment." Knall stepped away from the two, walked over to where his posioned lunch was, crouched down, picked up a huge mug, and took a long, deep sip.
With a small wine-scented burp, the dwarf returned. "Alright, now I'm good. Go ahead."
Jamie clapped his hands together briskly. "Excellent. Let's get straight to business."
Knall hobbled over to a nearby table, retrieving a small pair of spectacles that seemed almost comically small against his broad, weathered face. He perched them atop his nose, the lenses catching the light.
"I need your help developing a new beverage," Jamie began.
"A new beverage?" Knall repeated, interest piqued. "A new kind of wine or mead? I've worked with several producers before, but why come to me?"
"Not a new kind of wine—a completely new drink," Jamie clarified. "Without using grapes or honey. I've recently acquired a tavern, and our biggest challenge is the cost of drinks. While they're profitable, our patrons in the Lower Quarter can't afford to consume much. It makes them inaccessible to the very people we want to target."
Knall stroked his long red beard thoughtfully, fingers weaving through the intricate braids adorned with tiny metal beads. "And you believe you can solve this problem, how?"
"Simple," Jamie replied confidently. "We'll use more common and inexpensive ingredients for fermentation. Instead of grapes or honey, we'll use barley and other grains. A few select spices will help with the flavor."
"Doesn't sound particularly appetizing," Knall remarked skeptically, his eyes narrowing.
"You're the second person to tell me that," Jamie said with a chuckle. "But just wait until you taste it."
Knall peered at him over the rim of his spectacles. "You seem to know a fair bit about what you're proposing. Why do you need my help?"
"I need help finishing the recipe and crafting the necessary equipment for production, fermentation, and storage," Jamie explained. "Your expertise in alchemy and engineering is unique. Together, we can create something truly extraordinary."
A spark ignited in Knall's eyes—a blend of curiosity and excitement. "Now, this is the kind of project I like," he said, adjusting his glasses. The lenses reflected the warm glow of the workshop's lanterns. "What's the name of this new drink?"
"Beer," Jamie announced.
[author]
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