A Potent Concoction
Jack Milstead
The old wizard Godfrey had long ago sealed himself in his great chamber, but the grief of isolation meant nothing compared to his work. Exhaustion crept into every one of his old bones. His hair had become long, matted, and gray. Many restless nights caused the dark ambition in his heart to manifest under his eyes. All of it would soon be worth it, for his greatest work would come to fruition today. Soon, the potion would be completed. All that remained were the final steps.
The first step was a step of patience. He made his way over to the far-left corner of his chamber, where there was a cage. Inside it was a magnificent phoenix, held in stasis by a temporal rune. Godfrey had watched over the trapped creature for many moons. A feather bathed in the fires of rebirth was a necessary component to Godfrey’s great potion. However, rebirth alone was not enough. He had to ensure that the stench of death was far removed from the bird’s flaming body. That was the purpose of the temporal rune, for it kept the phoenix’s body active but suspended in place. For ten years, it had been trapped in a state of resurrection. The old wizard stared into the phoenix’s unmoving eyes. Could it still think? Could it still feel? Did it hate him? Godfrey wondered all of these things, but it didn’t matter. Whatever hatred the phoenix had for him would only increase the potency of the feather.
“Noble, spiteful bird,” Godfrey spoke, “lend me your feather, so that I may find a way to rid the stain that curses this land.”
He plucked the feather. If the bird cried, he did not hear it. Ten years of patience had been rewarded, but there was still work to be done.
The second step was a step of persistence. On the opposite corner of the chamber was a staircase. Godfrey made his way down the stairs, which led to a long shaft. He recalled the endless hours he spent mining in the caves below. An assortment of precious gems was needed for his creation. Originally, Godfrey had hired others to collect the materials for him, but it never ended well. Other people wanted extra pay, they wanted to influence the creation of the potion, and some even betrayed him and tried to stop its creation altogether. Because of this, Godfrey no longer trusted other people, and he resorted to mining the gems himself. His old body had crumbled even further from the labor, but he took pride in his pain. All of the scars inflicted upon him were only proof of his commitment.
He had already mined the final pieces of ruby he needed; he simply came down to collect them. Countless days of labor in the mines had rewarded him with priceless jewels, but he did not seek wealth. The potion that he sought could not be obtained by riches alone. So, it was time to part with them. “Precious rocks, relinquish your lustre, so I may cure that which is tainted.”
Godfrey grumbled to himself as he went upstairs and melted all of the gems together. In his loneliness, he had begun to talk to stone. If this creation was to cost him his mind, so be it. After all, only a madman would attempt such a process to begin with.
The third step was a step of sacrifice. He combined the phoenix feather, the melted gems, and other materials he had spent years creating and collecting. The final material required of this potion was Godfrey’s own blood. Standing over the cauldron of bubbling liquid, he took a dagger and cut into his own hand. The dark liquid dripped into the cauldron, and Godfrey lamented quietly. On many other creations, he had cut into his own skin for the required blood. This was not a new sacrifice, but now, he noticed how much his health had withered away. His blood had become thin and dark. Godfrey wondered how many blood sacrifices he could offer. Was this the last one? With no children or living family members, his blood was the last of his lineage. Whatever his legacy would become, it would be reflected in his work and nothing else. That was something he had no choice but to accept.
The fourth step was a step of grief. His next task was simple. All he had to do was stir the cauldron for a few hours, and then the potion would be complete. Godfrey began to do just that, but one obstacle stood in his way: himself. All of his emotions had started to run rampant in his mind. Every ounce of humanity that Godfrey had pushed away in his work began to haunt him. How many sacrifices had he made? How many mistakes cost him more than he realized? What would happen to him when his body finally gave out? Once, he had companions, loved ones, and connections to the outside world. Now, all he had was his work, and work had slowly killed him. Godfrey was exhausted and barely had the energy to move his arms. However, with every regret, with every failure, and with every upset feeling in his stomach, Godfrey pushed his body forward with another stir. One motion at a time, he pushed himself closer to completion. He reminded himself that his work was important. So many people relied on his potion.
Something had to cleanse this world. He needed to make sure of that.
The final step was a step of acceptance. He had to accept that he existed solely for his duties to the world. All of his sacrifices were made in favor of this singular potion. Godfrey couldn’t undo any of the events that led up to this point. Nothing he ever did would bring back the people he had left behind for his work. Even so, after stirring for hours, his potion was complete. Did he stay up all night? Did he labor the entire day? No windows were present in his chamber. He had no idea what time of day it was. Regardless, he would be able to rest soon. There was just one final thing he needed to do.
Godfrey collected a bottle from the cauldron, and for the first time in many moons, he departed from his chamber. Right outside of his chamber, stood a well-dressed man who waited in front of a counter. The old wizard greeted him and handed him the bottle.
“Thank you. Are you sure this will get the stain out of my suit?” he asked.
The tired wizard nodded. “This potion will rid this world of any stain. That’ll be 20 gold pieces.”
The man smiled and handed over the currency. Godfrey gave a generous smile in return. “Thank you for choosing ‘Godfrey’s Best Cleaners’ and have a good day.”
Jack Milstead
Jack Milstead is an author of prose who strives to leave an impact on the world through impactful storytelling. A good story has the power to change a life, and he strives to accomplish this one reader at a time. As an SDSU graduate, Jack wants to not only bring forth effective writing into the world, but also inspire others to make their own creations come to life.