Ray was walking down the dimly lit corridors of Hexside, his mind preoccupied with the odd events of the day. As he passed by the potions room, a sound caught his attention. The room was supposed to be empty at this hour, yet faint noises were emanating from within. Curiosity piqued, Ray decided to investigate. He pushed open the heavy wooden door and peeked inside. To his astonishment, a dog wearing a Hexside potions uniform was standing at one of the workstations, carefully mixing ingredients. Ray blinked, wondering if he was dreaming or if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
The dog looked up, its intelligent eyes meeting Ray's. It barked once, then returned to its work, mixing a green liquid with a purple powder. Ray stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.
Ray: "Uh, hey there, Are you... a student?"
The dog barked again, then nodded. It gestured with its paw to a small chalkboard nearby, where the name "Barcus" was written in neat, chalky letters. Below the name, there was a note: "Yes, I'm a student. And yes, I'm a dog."
Ray: "Alright, Barcus. What are you working on?"
Barcus pointed to a series of flasks and beakers filled with various colored liquids. Then, he used his paw to write on the chalkboard: "Mixing potions with oracle magic."
Ray: "Interesting. As an oracle student, I might be able to help. What exactly are you trying to do?"
Barcus wagged his tail excitedly and began to demonstrate. He poured a few drops of a glowing blue potion into a beaker and then used his paw to tap a crystal, infusing it with oracle magic. The potion began to bubble and change color, shifting through a spectrum of hues before settling into a bright gold. Ray watched in fascination.
Ray: "That's impressive. I can show you a few tricks with oracle magic that might help stabilize your mixtures."
He stepped forward and began to explain how to better channel oracle magic into potions. Barcus listened attentively, his ears perked up and his eyes focused. Ray demonstrated a technique for infusing magic more evenly, creating a more stable reaction. Barcus barked happily and nodded, then returned to his work, trying out the new technique. The results were immediate. the potion stabilized more quickly and the colors became more vibrant.
Ray: "Nice work, Barcus."
Barcus barked again and then pointed to a large bowl filled with a swirling, iridescent liquid. He wrote on the chalkboard: "My best potion. Made it myself."
Ray: "That's amazing. But, uh, how did you manage to do all this? You don't exactly have opposable fingers."
Barcus gave what could only be described as a canine grin and wrote: "Practice, ingenuity, and a bit of magic. And some help from friends."
Ray: "Well, I have to say, you've got some serious skills. Keep it up."
Barcus wagged his tail and barked appreciatively, as he got a scoop of the liquid and placed in a bottle, with some more tinkering, he made some sort of battery.
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With a final nod, Ray turned to leave. As Ray walked out of the room. Hexside was full of surprises, and he was beginning to enjoy the unpredictability of his school life.
