Merlina
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Blueberry Feild Test rough draft (updated)
🕑 Added 2022-02-04 04:59:34 +0000 UTCNew Sizeran short story, slowly working on getting this ready for a short story collection.
Blueberry Field Test.
Nora walked into the sorage house, “How is our new project coming?”
The young woman turned around to reveal her blue face. “We are trying our best but it is hard to work with these flowers. We have had three workers turned into berries just today.”
Nora sighed and gently touched the young ladies cheek. “And I think you should be taking the day off as well.”
“Oh but I am feeling fine.” She turned around. “I can get a few more hours in.”
Nora put her hand on the woman’s sholder. “No I insist.” She smiled. “Just go and relax.”
“But I. . . Oh my lord. My hands.” She stood up, twisted around and grabbed Nora’s tunic. “It’s happening to me. What do I do?”
Nora slammed her hand down onto the table. “Calm down. It isn’t the end of the world. Do I look like I am still a giant blueberry?” She shook her blue head. “Than you have nothing to worry about other than a day off.” Nora slid her hand behind the woman’s back and ussured her to the door. “Now go out and enjoy the sun. Trust me it will be your best friend for the next few hours.”
“But mam’m.”
“Get out of here before the swelling starts and we have to roll you out.”
She gulped. “Of course.” She rushed out just as her waist began to expand.
Nora turned around and crossed her arms. “Well is there someone here who hasn’t exposed themselves to our product that can give me an update?”
Rensin walked up and pulled off his gloves. “We are making slow but steady progress.” He snorted. “I still think that this is a stupid idea though. We should be focusing on making actual weapons for the Lulvix Allaince not this stupid pet project. If this goes south. . .”
Nora laughed. “This won’t go south. You have seen it work on me. Everything will be fine.”
Rensin crossed his arms. “Yes I have seen this work, on you, on Alerik, Iveirn.” He shook his head. “And now poor Elverian is going to turn into another damn giant berry.”
Nora smiled. “Well how do you doubt that this is a powerful weapon then?”
He slammed his hand down on the table. “I don’t. What I don’t think we can do is harness it’s power. Just one touch of the flower’s pollen on someone’s skin causes a chain reaction in the body. This stuff can even seap though clothing and our containers. That is what happened to Elverian. She took all of the saftery percations and still turned.” He thew his hands into the air. “I am starting to think you can inhale this stuff.”
“Inhale it?”
“Maybe. I don’t have a way to really figure it out. But it is making working on making some kind of weaponized compound to dangerous.”
Nora grabbed him by the cheeks. “Rensin you are a genious.”
“What are you talking about? Let go of me Nora.”
She let go and twisted away. “I am saying that this might be a fun and exciting test.” She rubbed her pale boney hands together. “I can’t wait to get started. Get me four gallons of the blueberry powder at the edge of town in an hour.”
Rensin slammed his hand onto the talble. “Are you crazy? Are you crazy? If we get you that much that fast someone is sure to turn into a blueberry. We have to take our time.”
She danced to the door. “No time. Just hurry. I will pay the people back for their berry break.” She opend the wodden door. “Now get cracken. It is you who put us into this situation in the first place so I don’t want to hear any bellyacking.” She danced out of the room, the door slaming behind her.
***
An hour later a young woman with blue hair approached Nora on the edge of town. “Rensin said you wanted this.” She set down a massive container with blue powder inside.
“Where is Rensin?”
She pointed a blue thumb behind her. “Had an accident getting you these supplies. Him and half a dozen others are giant berries.”
Nora sighed. “Oh I am sorry.” She gently patted the young lady on the sholder. “Will you be alright?”
“I guess so? You have been though this already? Does it hurt?”
Nora smiled. “No, not at all. You will be alright.” Nora shugged. “At most it is an intense filling sensation.”
“Oh.”
Nora laughed. “And I would avoid hills but still it isn’t that bad. I mean we did get those tasty blueberry cows right.”
“Ya.” She crackd a blue smile.
Nora picked up the blue continer. “Now I will be back in a few days. Tell the others to coutuine with the operation.” She walked down the trail. “And if anyone else turns blue they get to take the rest of the day off.”
Nora carfully held the continer in her arms and traveld down the road. The neighboring town of Cresthaven was her densination, a travel hub in Velstoria. Many different kinds of people from all over the land would come and trade and she contsntly went to sell meat and other goods at the town. It would be easy to sneak in and test her blueberry powder without being noticed, or at the very least blame it on someone or something else.
The only challenge would be reaching Cresthaven without turning into a giant blueberry herself. The container in her hands was sealed but the powder within was very, very volatile. She was unsure that it wouldn’t just seep through the wicker and cause her to bloat out of control once again. “I just wish I knew of a way to harness this magical might. Than it would so easy to not only get out of this deal with Luvix but turn the tables on them.” She spat. “Those jerks think that we are here to serve them on their crazed campein. Well I am not just going to stand around for it. Espcially after they drove me out of my home in the first place trying to eradicate Sizerans.”
Some time later the town of Cresthaven appeared on the horizian. She set her baggage down in the dirt next to her and took a deep breath. “Almost there.” Nora looked down at her hands. “And no blue change in sight yet.” She smiled. “Looks like everything is working out.”
A young couple approached Nora and she waved her hand. “Hello there.” They lowed their heads. “How are things in Cresthaven?”
“I would just go the other way if I were you.” The young man said. They rushed down the road as Nora scratched at her head.
“What in the world is going on?” She shugged. “Well no matter. I will figure it out when I get there I guess.” She picked up her goods and walked down towards the town.
Nora found Cresthaven to be unsusualy epmpty. She looked back and forth down the muddy streets. “Hello?”
A pair of heavily armed figurers stepped out to greet her. “You there. State your business.”
Nora gulped as she recognized the Luvlix crest on their breast plates. “Umm I am here to trade at the market place.”
“You will have to wait until tonight. We are currently hunting for some fugatives.”
The taller man snorted. “Come with us. All citizens are to stay at the Rends Night Inn until our search is counculded.”
She took a deep breath. “Ok.”
The smaller guard held up his hand. “Wait.” He took a few steps towards her, the sound of his plate armor sending chills through Nora’s spine. “What exactly do you have in there?”
“Umm it is a new recipe.” Nora gulped. “Some special new spices. Very very hot.”
He pulled back and stuck out his tounge. “Gross. I can’t stand hot food.” He waved his arms. “Move along and take your trash with out.” Nora grabbed the barrel and hurried down the road. “What passes for taste around here.”
His partner laughed. “You say that about anything that isn’t steak.”
“Well steak is such a refined food. You would know that if you ever tried it.”
“Why don’t you learn to broden your horisans you dolt.”
Nora ignored them and hurried onward. Soon the in came into view and she ducked inside. There a half a dozen people were sitting around with sullen looks on their faces. They all looked at Nora as she entered for a moment but then went back to their drinks.
She set her container down by the door and then went up to the bar. She slid onto one of the stools and tapped onto the table. “Hello?”
“Yes can I get you a drink?”
Nora blinked. “Who? I don’t see anyone.”
“Down here.” She lowered her head to see a small dwarf staring up at her with an angry look on his face.
“Oh I am so sorry. I thought that the bartender wasn’t here right now.”
“Well I am. Do you want something or don’t you?”
Nora sighed. “Yes. A cool water would be fine.”
He put his elbow onto the bar. “Look lady. This is a bar. Either buy an ale or just walk away.”
Nora rolled her eyes. “Alright. A Terrondale special.”
He turned around and grunted. “Terrondale huh? Don’t get many requests for one of those.”
“Well it is where I live.” She shugged. “If I hve to drink something I might as well have my home’s namesake.” The barkeep grunted again. Nora tapped her hands on the wooden bar as her drink was poured for her. “So just what is going on out there?”
“Those Luvix creeps chased some poor lad into town.” He turned off the tap. “They started to herd us either into the inn or tell us to get out of town so we wouldn’t get in their way.” He turned around and handed her the drink. “Said they would have things handeled in just a few hours so we could go back to our lives.” He snorted. “That blasted fool had to come and hide here of all places. It is always here.”
“What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “We had thugs just a few weeks ago. Oh and that sizeran shit a few months ago. Oh was that a crazy mess.” He turned his head. “Yes I see you.” He sighed. “Look just sit tight and everything will work out.” He walked down the bar. “What I just filled your drink.”
Nora sipped from her drink. “So what do I do now? I need to test my berry powder but everyone is stuck in this inn.” She set her drink down and rubbed her chin. “I can’t just do it in here. Everyone will know what I am up to. But if I go out there I don’t think those luvlix creeps will be as nice to me as they were before.” She sighed. “What am I going to do?”
She looked up the stairs. “Hey barkeep.”
“What?” He slowly walked over.
“Do you have any rooms with a view over the street?”
“So what you already what to stay with us?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Just answer the question darling.”
He waved his giant course hands. “Fine, fine. Yes we have a room up on the top floor that overlooks the front of the inn.”
“How high up is the top floor?”
“Four floors.”
She looked up at the ceiling for a moment. “I will take the room.”
“That will be twenty silver for one night.”
She tossed the silver onto the counter. “There you go.” Nora jumped up. “Thank you so much.”
“Hey wait. I need to get you your key.”
She smiled as she rushed back towards the enternce of the inn. “I will be right back.” Nora quickly grabbed the barrel full of blueberry flower powder and walked back towards the bar. The dwarf walked out to meet her and without saying a word set a silver key on her container. He then grunted and went back behind the counter.
Nora took a few steps towards the stairwell in the back. “Wait what room did you give me?”
“Look on your key guneius.”
She looked down to see a big foury seven. “Thank you.” She than regripped the barrle and walked up the steps. She rushed up the stairs and into a dimly light hallway with torn black crapet. “Ok, fourty seven. Looking for fourty seven.” She looked up and saw a room on her right with a big four and a fallen seven on the gorund. “Ugh this place is a dump. Good thing I don’t plan on staying here.” She slid the key into the hole and unlocked the door.
The intiror of the room looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in months. Nora rolled her eyes and walked inside. “Well I should get to work.” She shut and locked the door behind her. “A window perfect.” She rushed over and set the blueberry goods down. “Ok let’s get you open. Ugh.” She groaned as the window screeched, moving only a few inches. “Move danmit.” Nora dug her heels in and pulled. Suddenly the window poped open and she flew across the room, landing on the moldy bed. “Ugh. Disgusgting.”
Nora jumped back to her feet and walked over to the window. “Ok.” She looked out over the street. “Now to get to work.”
Below her she could see two Lulvix shoilders inspecting the shop across the street. One was a moutian of a man with a blad head and dark skin. The other soilder was almost half his size. She had long blonde hair and pale skin.
Nora took the lid off of the barrel. “Well this will be perfect.” She lifted it onto the windowsill.” It is time for the test run.” She tilted the barrel over and gently blew into the wind. The blueberry flower pollen drifted out over the street and towards the soiliders.
“I am going to check in the inn. Maybe he slipped inside.” The giant man walked across the street and vanished from Nora’s sight.
“Fine. I guess I will just stay watch out here.” The woman guard put her hand on her swoard as the blue mist decended on her. “What in the world?” She shook her arms and her head. “What is this stuff. Ughhh.” She used her plate gaultlents to wipe her face as she spat onto the ground. “Ugh it tastes like blueberries.”
Her partner walked back out. “What happened to you Gesibel?”
“Some strange blue mist just appeared out of no where Gereald.” She wiped her hands on her brest plate. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Well he wasn’t inside. Let’s check down the street shall we?”
Gesibel held her hand up. “Hold on. I need to get this taste of blueberries out of my mouth.” She reached into her pouch and pulled out a flask of water and then poured it into her mouth. Gerreald turned around and tapped his plated boot on the ground.
“Hey, you know our orders. We have to search the town for that scum.”
She stuck her tounge out. “Something is wrong.” She shook her body, the powder falling from her body.
Gereld grabbed her arm. “It is all in your head. Now come—
“Hey what is wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?”
Gerled let go of her. “Your face. It is turning blue.” He took a few steps back. “What are you?”
“What do you mean? I am Gesibel. You know me.” She suddenly burbed. “Ugh that tasted like fucking blueberries.”
Nora suddenly heard the sound of shifting metal. Gesibel looked down at her chest and put her gaultelents on her belly. “Gereld. Something is filling up in me.” Her waistline began to expan outward. “You have to help me.”
He shook his head. “No way. I don’t want to catch you have.” Nora giggled.
