The Potion Master

The old wooden door groaned on its hinges as a young traveler opened it with some difficulty. As it opened, sunlight poured in but quickly died out beyond only a thin rectangle. The sole light source inside was a low fire in the center of the room, below a large cauldron, but any excess light was choked out by the haze it produced. The traveler called into the shadows, “Potion Master, I require your assistance.” He took a few steps indoors. “I have traveled a great distance on the words of strangers. They say you can rebalance my humors.”

Behind the cloud of unknown gases coming from the cauldron, a raspy voice answered, “Yes, there are things I may offer you, my son.”

“May?”

“All things have a cost in this world…” the voice responded, its source still shrouded.

The traveler stopped at the edge of the daylight. “Of course, I would not have expected otherwise.”

“Good, good.” A decrepit arm emerged over the cauldron, beckoning with a bony finger. ”Come, see my wares.”

As the traveler moved closer, he began to see more as his eyes adjusted. Strange liquids in jars were stacked on dilapidated wooden tables. Suddenly, he stopped. “Just a quick question, are these peer reviewed?”

The room was silent for a moment, save for the quiet bubbling of the cauldron. The Potion Master finally replied, “…you realize I live in a shack at the edge of the world, right?”

“Right, right, I know,” the traveler assured, “It’s just I want to confirm the efficacy before I commit to this, you know?”

“I don’t.”

The traveler sighed. “Okay, well have there been clinical trials involving the active ingredients?”

The Potion Master, still mostly shrouded in darkness save for his arm, picked up a jar and presented it. “I gave this one to a guy once, and I think I saw him a couple days later at the store. He seemed cool.”

“Do you know his name, by chance? Could he give a testimonial?”

With a sigh, the Potion Master tossed the jar over his unseen shoulder. It shattered on the floor somewhere behind him. “Look, buddy, I’m the only game in town, and by town I mean this forest. So we gonna make a deal or what?“

“I… You know what, I’m gonna explore my options, ask around some more, maybe check the net.”