"Slimes are predators by nature, as any seasoned traveler is aware. But what the layman too often fails to observe is that the nature of their predation varies according to their species - a mistake often fatal to the would-be hero."
Jonathan Caine, Chief Researcher of His Majesty's Society of Alchemists, drew a glass flask from his coat as he studied a trio of large wrought-iron vats filled with bubbling, colorful liquid. He continued speaking with his apprentice as he worked, carefully drawing a sample of red ooze into the vial before stoppering it. Caine was a short, thin man with quick brown eyes and pale, nimble hands. He dressed practically in heavy leather boots, a short-sleeved brown alchemist's robe, and a slightly stained white shirt and trousers.
"Green are the most common, of course. Simple creatures, but hearty in comparison to their more sophisticated cousins. They have a natural affinity for regeneration that makes them best handled with magic or explosive weaponry." Caine eyed the vial, which ceased bubbling almost immediately after being sealed.
"Blue slimes are ambush predators. While practically immobile, they have excellent camouflage abilities and find locations like caves or ruins where the creatures can lie in wait for their prey. Their danger is compounded by a potent sedative. This renders prey helpless in minutes while the creature dissolves and consumes the unfortunate victim. Caught in the open, however, the creatures are all but defenseless. Even you, young Thomas, would have little difficulty dispatching the creature."
Thomas Miller was the top apprentice in the Royal Alchemists Academy. At the age of 19, he had already surpassed many of the upperclassmen and proven himself curious, patient, and studious, all vital components for any would-be practitioner. He was a man of middling height and brown hair, slightly plump around the middle, dressed in green apprentice robes that bore a variety of stitching and scorch marks as well as general wear and tear. His eagerness to learn and experiment was his best (and most volatile) trait.
Caine produced another vial, drawing and stoppering a sample from the vat of blue liquid. He set the second glass next to the first before turning to the young man, pointing and snapping his fingers. "The blending jar, quickly if you please. That's it, good lad. Now, the third variety is more potent than its companions due to its adaptable nature. Red slimes are known for their strong aggressive instincts and tendency to overwhelm their opponents." He unstoppered the pair of vials with one hand, picked them up, and poured their contents simultaneously into the container. "Stir. Slowly. We don't want to agitate them. Even in this form, we must take precautions."
The two liquids resumed their bubbling as they blended into a sticky purple substance while Cain continued his lecture. "The red slime's true danger, however, is its ability to take on new forms from those it absorbs. This phenomenon has been little studied and less documented, more the pity, but from the information available we know that red slimes can take on characteristics of other creatures' magic. A slime absorbing a salamander will grow resistant to flame, while one devouring a mermaid has been seen learning to swim. Scholars speculate that it could develop burning breath from absorbing a dragon, but this is of course impossible to test. The method of the slime's acquisition is still unknown at this time, but it is this capability that makes them more dangerous than their simpler brethren."
"Sir, it's... it's climbing!" Thomas swatted ineffectively with his heavy wooden spoon as the purple liquid latched on and attempted to rise toward him. "Oh gods, it's getting out! Sir!"
With a heavy sigh, Caine took a packet of green powder from the adjacent table and upended it into the mixer. The ooze smoked and hissed, unable to retreat from the caustic substance. Moments later the jar was coated in scorched black residue; no sign of the purple liquid remained.
"Pity - I had hoped that heating would... But perhaps with better containment?" Caine shrugged. "We shall endeavor again. Tomorrow, I think. The enchantments will have arrived by then, offering us a new avenue of attack." The man examined the remnants of his work before turning to his apprentice. "Thomas, kindly douse the fires and reseal the vats before tidying the lab. We'll start tomorrow after breakfast." He spun on his heel and turned to leave.
"Sir?"
"Mm?" Cain turned back, looking over his shoulder.
"Well, I just... what was that you added? Some kind of poison?"
Cain smiled. "Ah, of course - silly of me to forget. Your final lesson in slime anatomy is this: two slimes are able to merge into one another, the larger subsuming the smaller and growing into a single, more dangerous creature. But should three slimes of different colors meet and merge, their chemical structures negate each other. Total obliteration, as observed previously. An uncommon, but quite useful failsafe in our current research."
"Yes sir." He stared at a worn spot on his boot tip, kicking idly at the ground. "And if you don't mind me asking, Professor Caine... what
is
our current research?"
The alchemist blinked, then grinned. "Why, to combine the creatures properly, Thomas. We shall create a purple slime. And what's more, we're going to tame the beast."
"For the war effort, sir?"
"What else? It'll be my masterpiece, Thomas, I promise you that. Those damn elves will never see it coming." His eyes narrowed. "Now, enough chatter. Clean up, eat, and get some rest. We'll need you sharp and ready for tomorrow."
*****
The porters had carried in ten wooden crates the next morning before being shooed out of the lab, much to Thomas' dismay. Nine crates were full of thrice-tempered glass, steel hinges, and rubber lining, all of which the young man had laboriously unloaded and was now assembling into the Class IV Liquid Containment Observation Cell that Caine had purchased from a reputable local artificer.
The last box, however, was the alchemist's pride and joy: a custom enchantment, rendered into a viscous black tar, that was the key to this entire scheme.
Bottled Affinity
, the mage had called it. Caine had been corresponding with the man for 18 months now, helping him create the exact substance that would allow the alchemist to forge a master-bond with the soon-to-be-created hybrid slime. If his experiments were successful, the creature would be bound to his will. A squadron of such creatures, perfectly loyal to Caine (and thus the king) were planned as a covert band of spies and assassins, infiltrating elven territory and eliminating high-value targets with their enhanced physiology and adaptability.
But of course, it was too soon to think of the possibilities. They had to make sure it worked. "Ah, how's it coming?" Caine offered a tight-lipped smile and an encouraging nod to his apprentice. The young man was covered in packing dust intermingled with sweat, but his efforts looked promising.
"Almost done, sir. Nngh!" He heaved a glass pane into place, settling it into the rubber tubing and fastening it with a steel clamp. "Just a few more adjustments. But this..." he gestured at a steel-rimmed hole in the glass, half a meter in diameter. "Is this supposed to be here? The creature will just escape, right?"
Caine grinned, adjusting his gloves as he walked over to the case. "That is the final piece, my good apprentice, and why this particularly cage cost the king so much coin. Glass was necessary for observing the subject, of course, and the rubber seals in the edges to prevent its slimy egress. But we'll still need to collect samples and feed the creature, will we not?"
"I, um, I suppose so? Sir."
"Indeed we will. Thus, the one-way barrier that our esteemed Archmage Barovan was kind enough to create for us. It will allow an inanimate or human subject to slip through with no effort at all. But our experiment, on the other hand, will find itself utterly blocked. A solid wall against monster physiology. A door to the cell would risk the creature's escape with each opening, but this will allow us to extract pieces of the creature on which to conduct tests without putting ourselves in harm's way. Utterly foolproof." Caine stuck his hand through the opening experimentally. "Ah, a slight tingle! Interesting." He beamed at Thomas. "An ingenious design, if I may flatter myself."
Thomas flattened some seams on the rubber seal and adjusted a corner to ensure tightness, all while Caine circled the glass prison and examined it. "There, sir. All done!" He wiped his forehead with the back of a hand before settling down onto an empty crate.
"Well done. You've earned a rest, by my reckoning."
Ah, to be young
, Caine mused. The lad was coming along nicely. No sense giving him an outsized ego in telling the boy, but Thomas was easily the most adept apprentice he'd worked with. Quick, steady, and curious. A little awkward in social situations, especially around the ladies of the court, but being young and lowborn he could hardly be faulted for such.
The Chief Researcher rubbed his hands together, wiped them on his pants, and began preparing the lab for their grand experiment. Once started, the process was relatively simple. Three parts blue slime, four parts red, and two carefully measured ounces of Affinity Powder went into the mixing pot. "In this case, it is best not to stir them," the alchemist explained to his audience. "Please note that the parts are congealing on their own and will take some time to do so, allowing me time to add the binding agent: a small portion of my own body, to seal my mastery over the creature."
Thomas, still perched on the box, stared wide-eyed at his mentor. "Blood, sir?"
"Not quite. Do you recall the Principle of Attraction?"
The apprentice nodded. "Like calls to like."
"Indeed. Thus, while my blood would be quite effective as an agent to bind the creature to my will, the beast would also develop a taste for blood. One accidental cut could lead to bloodlust, frenzy, and a nearby victim's rapid exsanguination. Disaster." Caine produced a vial of thick white liquid, shaking it vigorously. "As such, I have stored a sample of my male essence - to use a more polite term - that will perform an identical function but without the risks inherent in blood."
He upended the vial into the mixture, set it aside, took hold of the pole, and began to stir. The various substances bubbled and shifted unnaturally, blending quickly together. Minutes later the container was filled with a shimmering purple sludge. It congealed and writhed as though trying to pull itself together into a more coherent form.
