The potion course

Vellis subsequently produced another petite Florence flask filled with a blue liquid from her pocket and declared, "This is a potion of my own creation. The ingredients include dragon tears, snake venom, sunflowers, and grass."

Taken aback, Zak responded, "That sounds horrific. Are you intending to drink that?"

Vellis explained, "Not all potions are ingested for their effects to be experienced. For example, this potion grants invisibility for a specific duration. To utilize it, one simply needs to pour the entire contents over oneself, resulting in temporary invisibility."

Surprised, Zak expressed his interest in trying this potion. Obliging him, Vellis handed him the small Florence flask with the liquid. Zak then unscrewed the flask and poured the liquid over his body, starting from his head.

Zak, now coated in the mystical blue liquid, examined his hand, puzzled by the lack of any discernible effects. "Was something supposed to happen?" he queried, his question directed towards Vellis, who was unable to see him.

"Respond. I may not be able to see you, but you should very well be able to see yourself," Vellis sharply retorted. Eager to appease his anxiety, she navigated her way towards Zak's assumed whereabouts, finally finding assurance in the solid form of his shoulder.

"Ah, you are indeed here," Vellis confirmed. She then proceeded to explain a peculiar facet of the potion's functions, "If you wish to expedite the dissipation of the potion's effects, simply close your eyes for one minute."

Accepting her advice, Zak shut his eyes for precisely one minute before slowly opening them again. "Alright, I can see you now," Vellis conveyed with a note of satisfaction.

But Zak still harbored an unanswered query, "What would have been the outcome if I had ingested the potion instead?"

Unfazed, Vellis clarified, "The potion's effects would then have persisted for a significantly longer period. Had you not shut your eyes for a minute, you would have remained invisible for five minutes. However, if you had chosen to consume the potion instead of anointing yourself with it, the effects would have lingered for approximately half an hour."

"Wow, that's quite a time gap," remarked Zak.

"Indeed," responded Vellis, "That concludes our lesson for today. We will reconvene in a week. In the meantime, your task is to gather ingredients for various potions and experiment with them according to the procedures outlined in this guide book." She then produced a book from beneath her cloak.

She cautioned him sternly, "Do not attempt any bizarre concoctions. There is a significant risk involved - mixing random ingredients could lead to fatal potion effects."

"Understood," said Zak with a nod of obedience.

"Well, I will depart now," commented Vellis. As she uttered her farewell, she extracted an extremely petite Florence flask from her pocket, smashing it against the ground. From the shattered flask emerged a rising plume of purple smoke. Zak watched with perplexity, as she waved at him through the smoke. Before long, she was completely obscured by the smoke, and when it cleared, she had vanished.

"Interesting indeed," remarked Zak before entering the house, guide book in hand. He proceeded to his quarters and summoned Alfred. Upon arrival, Alfred collected the tray he had earlier brought to Zak, along with the tea cup.

"Alfred, I have a task for you," stated Zak. As Alfred responded, Zak instructed, "Collect for me three deceased fish, a vial of dragon's tears, a container of snake venom, two wolf teeth, a pair of phoenix feathers, some fish oil, a bottle of leviathan's blood, and a kraken's eye."

"May I inquire the purpose of these unusual items, sir?" asked Alfred cautiously. Zak replied, "They will serve as ingredients for my potions."

Upon taking out a small notebook, Alfred requested Zak to repeat his order. Once the items had been listed again, Alfred departed to undertake his duty. Meanwhile, Zak decided to educate himself about the world's diverse religious customs or delve into its mythology.

Zak proceeded to open the potion guide book, where he observed a multitude of various potions. These included telepathy potions, invisibility potions, toxin potions, amongst others. He decided to start with a more straightforward task and chose to concoct the potion for telepathy first.

He set the guide book down on his bed and moved over to his dresser. There, he found the books he had received from Alfred. He picked up a book that depicted the world and another that expounded on the gods.