unburned and alive

Ray

A panther in the night,
A fire burning bright

Deimos' sheepish grin only made Ray shake her head with mild exasperation. She was at least thankful that he seemed to be absorbing her warnings. Maybe he'd even heed them. The herbalist certainly hoped so. The things that the Sword had requested were no laughing matter. The capability to harm practically cloaked the vials. But  from how diligent his note-taking was, and from how they'd prepared the concoctions, Ray was hopeful that they wouldn't be misused. Beyond their intended purpose that is.

As the hemlock plant manifested, Ray gave a nod. "Yes. A mortar and pestle. And you have to wear gloves. Don't take any unnecessary risks with this one, ok?" From his grim expression, she doubted that Deimos would.

the only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existance becomes an act of rebellion
-Albert Camus