A Roll of the Die - 1. Inception
Copyright© 2026 by Michael Loucks
Chapter 68: Day 88
The next morning in Haven, Tyra joined Miri in Miri's laboratory.
"Would you teach me the shape-shifting spell?" Tyra requested.
"Yes, of course, but I have to warn you, it is very draining and requires intense concentration for an extended time to cast it. You'll probably need to practice for a moon or more to make even simple transformations."
"So, I can be a maiden again and again?" Tyra smirked.
Miri laughed and nodded. "Some men do prefer maidens, and it makes it more exciting for them."
"Tristan!" Tyra declared.
"Absolutely!" Miri agreed. "Have you been with him?"
"No, only with Matthias. I like girls, too; perhaps more than I like men."
"That does open some interesting possibilities," Miri smirked.
"Twice," Tyra said impishly. "With Matthias."
Miri laughed again. "Of course! Let's begin the lesson."
🎲🎲🎲
"What are these for?" Lisette asked as Matthias cut potatoes and used toothpicks to suspend them, allowing air to reach all sides, which would enable the eyes to sprout.
"They're for eating!" Matthias declared. "You can prepare them in hundreds of ways, the most popular being 'French fried', which means you cut them into sections and fry them in boiling oil until they are brown and crispy. You can also slice them very thin and make crisps or chips. You can boil them and eat them that way, or mash them together with milk, salt, and butter into a creamy mixture. You can bake them, roast them, fry them in a skillet, slice them and bake them with cheese, or use them in a stew or soup. They are high in carbohydrates and give you plenty of energy.
"I'm also going to teach Krista to make pasta — a type of food made with wheat flour. Once we have tomatoes, I'll teach her to make marinara sauce, then the best food ever invented — pizza! That's flat bread with tomato sauce, meat, and cheese baked in a bread oven. It's to die for!"
"I looked at the book on caring for animals," Lisette said. "What are anti-bi-otics?"
"Compounds that prevent or fight infections. They are very useful when administered to people with certain illnesses, but you wouldn't want them in your food. You know the bread mould you use in your poultices? That's a form of something called penicillin, and if purified, it is a very effective antibiotic and can cure many diseases.
"Garlic has similar properties, as does honey. You knew those worked to keep wounds from being infected without knowing how they worked or even what the mould really was, just as you knew ground willow bark would reduce headaches and minor aches and pains, and that poppy extract takes away severe pain.
"We call the chemical compound in willow bark 'aspirin' when it is put up for sale, and the poppy extract we call 'opium' or 'morphine', depending on how it is refined and prepared. Aspirin also helps prevent strokes and heart attacks, and can reduce chest pain. All of that should be in one or more of the books."
"I really need Teresa here to help me!"
"It will be a few days after the coronation. Until then, please help Lady Lilia with her roses and tulips."
"I will. I heard you intend to build a Keep and a new manor house in the newly enclosed area."
"Yes, and the current Manor House will be used for your apothecary and for a hospital — a place people go for healing. Eventually, we'll hire a surgeon."
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.