Skymender's carriage soon arrived at the gates of the Imperial Palace. This was the first time that he had arrived without some sort of invitation, so before they even searched him, the guards asked what business he had there.
"I'm here to meet the Imperial Scholar." Skymender said.
The guards looked at each other. "You can't just meet the Imperial Scholar whenever you want. You need to have some sort of invitation or appointment scheduled."
"There are exceptions. Just send a message. He will agree."
The guards hesitated for a moment, but since Skymender was a noble, they took his word for it. It wouldn't be good for the guards or Skymender if he bothered the Imperial Scholar for no reason.
Surprisingly quickly, they received a response.
"You may enter after being searched." One of the guards said.
Skymender nodded, and after a brief search, he was allowed to enter. With a guard guiding him, he made his way to the Imperial Scholar's office.
"Here you are." The guard said before leaving.
Skymender knocked on the door and soon heard a voice.
Skymender opened the door and stepped inside. Behind a desk, he saw the familiar face of the Imperial Scholar.
"Hello again, Skymender. What can I do for you?" The Imperial Scholar asked.
Skymender explained quickly. "I want to attempt to create the Icy Heart poison once again, and I need your help to ensure that I don't die."
The Imperial Scholar stared at him for a moment before speaking. "And what makes you think that I will help you?"
"Regardless, I'll attempt it. I'm just seeing if you're willing to help me increase my odds of both success and survival."
The Imperial Scholar really did care about Skymender's survival, but he had no intention to show it.
"What will I get in return?" He asked Skymender.
Skymender thought for a moment. "How about a poison recipe?"
Although he would have never considered trading this before, he had managed to create a much more potent version of the poison he planned to give them.
"What kind of poison?"
"A corrosive poison." Skymender said.
The Imperial Scholar thought about it before nodding.
"You'll have to pay for any materials or medicines I use to help you. I imagine you plan to use that plant you bought to help resist the Icy Heart poison while you make it?" The Imperial Scholar said.
The Imperial Scholar automatically began to assist in the planning for this poison creation.
"I have a recipe to create a medicine using that plant, but you can't have access to it. In the entire Empire, only I and the Emperor can. I can, however, create it for you and give it to you."
Skymender nodded without hesitation.
"Even if it is more effective after it is used in a medicine, it is still very temporary. If the effects of the Icy Heart poison weren't so dangerous, I would recommend only using it after you finish the poison. However, it is risky as I'm not sure how potent that Icy Heart poison is, and if the medicine will have a 100% antidote effect."
Skymender listened intensely.
"Also, if you have to create a hole in your chest, do it a bit farther from last time so that we can change it even more."
"Is there a place here that I can create it?" Skymender asked.
"There is. Go ahead and bring everything you need. Also, take this."
He handed Skymender necklace with some sort of design on it.
Skymender walked out of the Imperial Palace and reached the gates.
The guards looked at him with clear surprise as he walked towards them.
They opened the gate and moved aside without a single word. The necklace did its job. Skymender was able to take a few trips and bring everything inside without a single question from the guards.
He took all of this to a room on a lower level than the ground floor. It was a much more advanced poison room than those at the Imperial Scholar Camp.
Unlike before, Skymender would be able to use his cauldron to create the poison, which should both enhance its effect and increase the possibility of success.
He and the Imperial Scholar spoke about the Icy Heart poison, and Skymender even told him a bit about the recipe itself.
Eventually, someone came into the poison room and handed the Imperial Scholar a vial. Though the Imperial Scholar had created it while Skymender moved his things, it had needed to sit for a while.
"Here it is. Whenever you're ready, I am." The Imperial Scholar said.
After a moment, the Imperial Scholar left the room, and Skymender began. He got to the point where he had been poisoned last time, and drank the medicine he was given.
Nothing happened for a moment, but then, he started to feel a coldness in his heart, as though ice was literally growing on it.
Though his emotions were permanently dimmed after the last time, he felt them dim even more.
However, he was able to control himself this time. At the very least, it did not feel deadly, just extremely dangerous and harmful.
The medicine was doing its job.
Skymender continued beyond where he had stopped last time. As he continued, using his masterful control over the cauldron to enhance the speed and quality of the process, he felt the poison slowly growing stronger in his heart.
It continued to grow, and just as his body began to shake and he felt as though he would be unable to continue any longer, he finished. He poured all of the liquid into three vials and capped them with a lid.
Instantly, the feeling of coldness faded, as though it had never been there.
Skymender looked at the poison in the vial.
It was a light, icy blue. It was mesmerizing to look at.
Skymender stared at it for more than a minute before standing up and leaving the room.
The Imperial Scholar looked at him with expectation. Skymender showed him one of the vials.
"What a beautiful purple color."