Cloak as Red as Blood

Chapter 14: A Shape Shifting Conundrum

"Scale of Basilisk!", ordered Puss. We were in the cottage brewing a potion that would soon 

become a poultice. I put in the ingredient and stirred the bubbling green mixture. 

"Ugh, it smells foul", I said pinching my nose. Puss chuckled slightly at my discomfort. "Just be 

grateful this isn't something you have to drink, milady". I looked at the book atop the fireplace 

before me.  "The Gorgon's Eye", it read. A poultice that would allow me to turn anyone to stone 

with just a glance. After that battle with Lukas, I've been searching for ways to make fights with 

monsters easier and less painful. What better way than to turn them to stone and shatter them. 

"The book says I need five tablespoons of hangman's dirt". "Hmm, check the top shelf of the 

pantry. Oh and while you're at it bring the jar of gorgon eyes."  I did what he asked and went 

over to the pantry. Luckily granny had all of this stuff labeled. Growing up I was told that all of 

her "ingredients" were fake, how wrong I was. "Where did Granny get all of these ingredients?", I 

asked. "According to the Compendium there hasn't been a gorgon alive since the Age of Heroes; 

which was over five thousand years ago." "Ah, been catching up on our studies I see. Your 

grandmother was a very old witch at the time of her death." "I'll say. When she told me about 

the Dark Era and the war she made it seem so long ago." "Four hundred and seventy three years 

ago to be exact." I looked at him mouth open in shock. "It lasted for three hundred years and it's 

been over for only one hundred and seventy three." That explained why everything in my 

nightmares looked so old. "How did she stay alive that long?" "Witches live longer than humans, 

and with magic they find ways to increase their lifespans." I thought back to Tava and her blood 

ritual. I hoped whatever my Granny had done to preserve her youth, hadn't been as horrible as 

that. I brought the ingredients over to the pot and put them in one by one. "How old was she? 

When she died?", I asked.  "Almost six hundred", he said simply. I stopped stirring and looked at 

him again. "When you live that old you tend to collect things here and there." 

"Ugh, whatever that is I hope it's not breakfast." Puss and I turned our attention to Henry 

making his way down the stairs in his night shirt. He was quickly followed by Hunter and 

Jonathan. "Top of the morning", said Jonathan with a yawn. "What are you two up to?", asked 

Hunter. "Only something that's going to make fighting monsters easier from here on out." 

Hunter sniffed and immediately turned pale. "Oh, it's putrid!", he exclaimed shielding his nose. 

Poor Hunter, with his enhanced sense of smell he must be suffering the most out of all of us. 

"What are you planning on doing with it?", he asked. "When it's finished brewing it will soften 

and become a poultice for me to rub over my eyes." Just then I saw Henry come over to the 

cauldron with something in his hand. "Will this help it soften faster?" "Henry don't!", but my