Part 3, Chapter 23

Searching the lab

Ch 23

Xun sifted through the papers scattered around the God of Medicine’s workroom. Shun was looking though books and scrolls while Xiaomin padded around the room, poking anything she thought looked suspicious. Finally, holding a petrified lizard by the tail, she huffed her annoyance. “How are we supposed to know what’s relevant and what isn’t”

Xun looked at her, “I’m not really sure,” she said with a frown. “By the way is that lizard thing alive or dead?”

The lizard was a dull gray and detailed finely enough that it looked like it would turn and bite at any moment, but not a scale moved on it to indicate any true life. Not that the possibility of it biting was ruled out because of that. 

“I’m not sure,” Xiaomin said, turning over and over in her hands.

Shun looked up from the western style tome she was thumbing through. “It’s alive. Put him down, you’re making him dizzy.”

Xiaomin carefully placed the creature on the closest flat surface and watched it intently. “It’s not moving,” she said, poking it gently.

“Of course not, it’s a basalisk,” Shun replied.

“Isn’t that one of those western monsters? Why is it here?” Xiaomin thought for a second, 

“Don’t those turn people into stone?”

“No,” Shun said, absentmindedly. “They hate being looked at, so they turn themselves to stone when people are watching.”

Xiaomin looked up at Shun, “What?” but Shun had already returned to her book. When Xiaomin looked down the only sign of the lizard was a flick of green disappearing behind a mandatory pot of bubbling green stuff. “I wish Leng Zai’s were here. He had that spell where we could see how much magic was in different items.”

Leng Zai had used the spell in his room a few times when they were looking for clues to his identity. Xun had just enjoyed the way it had made everything glow.

It was Xun’s turn to look up. “Oh! I know that one, Leng Zai taught it to me when we were traveling and bored. Here, let me show you.” 

Xun moved her hands and cast the spell. For all three of them the room lit up in a multicolor display. 

“So bright,” Shun said, squinting.

“Give it a minute,” Xun said. “Your eyes will adjust,” she could hear Xiaomin continue to mutter, but thankfully she couldn’t make out the words. 

As the spell settled over them the lights dimmed to shimmers of color coating various magical concoctions and tools. Except for one. A simple mortal and pestle set, almost unique in the lab because of its lack of adornment, glowed like a miniature sun. The three girls circled around it.

Shun reached out a single finger towards it and cried out softly the moment she made contact.

“It’s Teacher!” She exclaimed. “I don’t know how, but the God of Medicine is bound into this mortal and pestle!”

There was the sound of voices outside. Xiaomin grabbed the glowing object, shoved it into her pouch and pushed the other two girls down under the table.

“Master left the last of the Sun Amber in here, I’m sure of it,” a light tenor voice said irritably.

“It’s always in the last place you look,” another voice agreed. 

Xun heals her breath as she watched two sets of shoes shuffle around the room and listened as the two intruders moved items on the tables.

“Got it,” the first voice said triumphantly. 

“Good,” the second voice said, moving towards the door. “It’s creepy in here with the God of Medicine gone.” The door closed behind them with a soft click and Xun sighed in relief.

Shun had taken Xiaomin’s bag and she cradled the pouch holding the imprisoned god to her chest. Xiaomin put a comforting arm around her, “Well, at least we know what to look for now,” she said and the other two nodded.