Believe Me

Twenty-Eight: In the Troll Face

Believe Me

Ch 28: In the Troll Face

Sky's POV

"Regen!" Seto commands.

"Yessir!" I reply immediately, handing him the correct potion. He could probably do this bit on his own with his magic, but I'm glad he's letting me help.

"Why's it taking so long?" Brice asks impatiently. "Just dump a few potions on him and he'll pop up!"

"The Respawn Mechanism is still unfixed – I'll give Annie the gentleness potion recipe, you can get to work on that – and Ty's got head trauma. This is a delicate process, all right?" Seto rolls his eyes. "I have to keep magically checking a scan of his brain and applying the correct potions to the correct places in order to avoid healing Ty incorrectly. We do not want another person losing their memory."

"That's... complicated."

"Yes, it is. Instant Health!"

I nod and hand him the potion, and he clogs the opening with a cotton ball, tips the potion bottle over, and then flips it back and begins dabbing the cotton ball across the back of Ty's head. "Annie!" The sorcerer calls, and she darts over. "Right hand in the air." She obeys. "I swear..."

She tilts her head, and he huffs.

"I swear..."

Finally, she catches on and repeats him.

"... to refrain from telling a single soul," he continues," the recipe for this potion. I swear... not to use this potion... under the instruction of anyone but Seto." He nods again after she successfully repeats everything. "Good. Go put together the potion, then go with Brice to the Respawn Machine so he can fix it. Do not allow anyone else into the Mechanism's Room. Got it?"

Annie and Brice nod excitedly and run off.

"Sky, do we have any Notch apples handy?"

"Uh-huh."

"Awkward potions?"

"Mmhmm."

"Perfect. I need you to mix one of each in one of my brewing stands. Be quick, you should end up with a Potion of Notch."

"On it," I respond, shoving the Notch apple into its place and starting the brewing stand on its highest spin speed.

"This is a simple potion, it should be ready around... now," Seto says, and I nod in confirmation as I pick up the yellow potion and hand it to him.

"Ready for it?"

"Mm, one moment," he hums distractedly, eyes closed. A few seconds later, they fly open, and he accepts the potion and pours half down Ty's throat before dabbing the rest around the crown of his head.

"Good," Seto says, stepping back. "Fully repaired. Healed. He'll need to rest for a day or two more, but then he'll be wide awake and absolutely fine."

I knock over half the lab in my excitement.

☼☼☼

Cake. Ty said it started with a cake.

It is time to address the ultra-random giant oven.

I peek inside for only a moment before popping back out with wide eyes. Green. It's green cake. Why did the citizens eat it!? Well, all right. Seto vaccinated or cured all the citizens, but... better safe than sorry, I suppose. "Mitch, Jerome! It's bomb time!"

"Go, fish!" Mitch shouts, grabbing the bacca's hand and diving for cover. I jump off the stove top and into the snow below.

"All clear?" I ask loudly. No one answers.

Good enough.

A loud noise rings in my ears as the whole world flashes white, and I fight the urge to stuff my ears full of snow. Pieces of the shattered oven thwack against the ground around me, steaming and burning and melting nearby snow. "Everyone okay?" I yell, but I still can't even hear myself. Oh, geez. Maybe I should sit back for a bit...

I stand up anyways. Oh, ow, the dizziness is real. "G-Guys?" I ask, and I can hear myself this time, albeit only a little

"Hooooooly frick," Mitch drawls, and I can barely make out his form as he falls back into the snow.

"That was... a bad idea," Jerome says, plopping down next to him.

"Sorry, I may have, um, used a few too many explosives," Quentin apologizes, rubbing the back of his neck as he steps out from behind the completely decimated oven.

"A few?" squeaks Ian.

"Heh."

"Oh, good," I comment, "my hearing's back to normal. Way to go, Quentin." He smiles apologetically. "No, seriously, good job. The oven is gone."

Quentin sniffs haughtily. "I try." Ian bursts into laughter.

Whelp, I call that successful mission.

"You are dismissed!" I tell them, and they giggle before completely scattering.

Mitch's POV

"It's hidden in the troll face."

"Oh my Jeb, Jerome, look, I got a text from an unknown number!" I say excitedly, pulling him to a stop behind the remains of the oven. "Look, it's like a treasure map, but in text form!"

His eyes light up beautifully as they scan across the phone. "Ooh, Biggums, what do you think it is?"

"Let's go find out!" I wave to Sky again and then grab my bacca friend's hand. "To the Respawn Machine!"

☼☼☼

"Hey, Brice!" I call, banging on the obsidian. "Let us in!"

"Who is it?" asks his muffled voice.

"The Benja Bacca duo!"

"Oh! I mean, if it's just you guys..." The obsidian slides away. "What's up?"

"We're looking for something," Jerome explains. "Can we..?"

"Of course, come on in," Brice says, shrugging. Jerome winks at me as we enter.

"Annie's just testing stuff; we're almost done. When will you guys be out?" Brice asks as we walk.

Jerome shrugs. "Eh, five or ten minutes."

"Great. I'm gonna go help Annie. Bye!"

"Bye!" I sing-song, and then Jerome and I race off to – carefully – tear the redstone troll face apart.

Brice's POV

"Everything a-okay?" I ask Annie.

"Everything is more than a-okay - everything is brilliant!" she exclaims with a grin. "You did well, Brice."

"You weren't so bad yourself!" I laugh. "Ready to head back to the lab?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. Have you got the keys to lock up?"

"Mmhmm." I lead her to the door and then pause for a moment, listening for Merome.

Quiet. They must have left already. I wonder if they found whatever they were looking for?

I lock the door, and we walk back to the lab.