Vampiric Potionmaker - Ch. 3: There's A Vampire In Our Yard

A/N: Hello! This is the third chapter of my new story, Vampiric Potionmaker. If you're new here and haven't caught up, you can browse the first two chapters in the "Vampiric Potionmaker" tag on my Patreon.

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New Location Discovered

Lopa Lopa Village

Nara sighed as she flicked the notification away. What kind of name is Lopa Lopa?

Her back still aching from being manhandled by the barmaid, she reluctantly stood up. She didn’t want to linger too long outside that inn. Its patrons didn’t seem to be fond of her.

Looking around, she was struck by just how medieval this world was. In absence of Walmarts and Targets, there were market stalls and communal fire pits, terracotta houses and outdoor smithies. It was a a certified Renaissance fair.

“This is what I get for doing witchcraft instead of algebra homework,” she grumbled. “Stuck in some backwards society without iPhones.”

Taking care to keep a wide margin from any and all townspeople, she meandered around the village center. Since it was still in the early hours of the day, the market was mostly empty, and Lopa Lopa’s residents were mostly stuck to their yards, raking or cooking or yelling at their in-laws. No one gave her more than a second glance.

They must not expect a vampire to be walking around in broad daylight, she thought. That dwarf lady was probably crazy, anyway. There’s no way I’m actually a vampire.

She wasn’t exactly getting any bloodthirsty cravings. Sure, she felt a bit parched, but only in the normal way. Nothing a Pepsi Cola couldn’t fix. She fished through her pockets, grateful that she still had a few quarters and dimes in there. Parking meter money. Pepsi, here I come.

She walked a few feet forward, a spring in her step.

Then she remembered.

“Right,” she said, stopping in her tracks. Doom enveloped her. “No vending machines.”

Lucky enough for her, it was only a few minutes more before she came upon an absolute oasis in the medieval desert – a garden, brimming with colorful blooms and ripe vegetables, and most importantly, a well. The garden was attached to a large residence, something close to a Victorian manor. It was much bigger than the rest of the houses in town, stately and old.

Not wanting to be yelled at yet again, Nara did a cursory check of the premises. There didn’t seem to be anyone in the garden, or around the perimeter of the house. Whoever lived there was either still inside, or already out at work. The only noise came from a pen of hens, squabbling over the morning feed.

I’ll make it quick, she thought as she climbed over the shallow fence bordering the garden.

First stop – the well. She kept low to the ground as she stalked up to it. She found a clay bucket laying by the side, and quickly roped it up. Grabbing onto the rope, she began lowering the bucket, giving the rope slack until she heard a promising slosh from deep within.

She couldn’t believe how excited she was at the premise of getting water. This was sad.

Satisfied with the heaviness of the bucket, she hurriedly pulled it back up. She was surprised at just how easy it was to drag the rope. The muscle in her arms was completely foreign to her, as if someone had unzipped them and stuffed a metric ton of protein powder in there. She didn’t even break a sweat.

Grinning widely, she heaved the bucket out, and tipped it immediately to her mouth.

And oh, wow, glorious water –

“Ouch! Ouch! What the fuck? Ouch!”

It was as if someone had set fire to the inside of her mouth. The moment the water touched her tongue, it boiled like a kettle on a stovetop. She spit it out, waving at her hands wildly as the pain faded.

Scowling, she set the bucket down. Is this well full of lava, or something? It had to be. She experimentally laid her finger over the water’s surface, but felt nothing but a cool, icy liquid. She frowned. Throwing caution to the wind, she put her whole fist in. She shut her eyes tightly, expecting a rocket of pain.

But – nothing. It was water. Perfectly normal, cool, well water.

She felt very stupid.

Just as she was about to try the well again and hope for different results, a notification fluttered in front of her, clouding her vision.

Warning! Due to your [Cursed: Bloodlust] achievement, any attempt to drink liquids that do not contain blood plasma will result in -10 HP and will not alleviate your thirst.

Nara stared blankly at the notification for several minutes, her thoughts stalling.

“You’re kidding me,” she said, jaw unhinged. “I’m actually a vampire?”

There didn’t seem to be a different conclusion. The mention of blood plasma made it very clear.

There was only one problem. One really big, huge, annoying problem.

Nara had zero interest in eating people.

“Wonderful,” she said, lowering herself into the grass. “I’m going to die of dehydration.”

In her depressed stupor, she failed to notice the plump mushroom sitting in front of her. Its trunk was small, but the flat head of it was ginormous like nothing Nara had ever seen. It was dotted like a dalmatian, black and white and undoubtedly poisonous, at least by Earthly standards.

“Aren’t you a beauty?” she whispered, caressing her hand around the stem.

With a gentle flick of her wrist, she plucked it from the ground.

Basic Foraging | Quest Updated!

Baby Shroom [1 / 1]

“This is a Baby Shroom?” Nara said, staring in disbelief at the monster truck of a mushroom. “I’m terrified to know what an adult version of you would look like.”

Fauna Identification | Baby Shroom

The Baby Shroom, despite its name, is one hell of a big boy. This mushroom is one of the most common mushrooms in Kin’Dra, grown in abundance for its healing properties.

Healing properties? Nara felt her heart race. It was that same excitement she got when she first stumbled upon her witchcraft book. The sheer thrill of the unknown. That something so small – well, not in this case – but something so inconsequential as a mushroom could be used to heal.

Heal what, and heal how – Nara had no clue. But goddamn, she was going to find out.

“Oh my gods, Fenley,” a woman screamed, jolting Nara from her reverie. “There’s a bloody vampire in our yard!”