The slaver is VERY surprised when the shackles are taken off his wrists and Lili makes a motion that he's free to go.   He gives her a long look that seems to be a mixture of disbelief, concern and relief.  For a second, he looks like he'll be lost in thought until Jessica swats his rear, making him stumble in surprise.<br/><br/><strong>"Gh-!  Ugh, yeah yeah.  I remember."</strong>The slaver replies with a gruff and frustrated tone of voice, though even a casual observer it's clear he's putting on a tough act.<strong>"Your nice girl routine is going to get you stabbed in the back someday."</strong>He says as he turns to walk away.  Though it sounds like a veiled threat, his tone carries genuine concern.  Apparently he had a lot to think about in the two hours he walked and he's last seen asking around for jobs with the town guard.<br/><br/><br/>Regardless of the man's fate, the party gets right back down to business with the curse.  If anyone has information (at least anyone who isn't more than a 2 day trip away), it would probably be the the local alchemist Jessica had mentioned.   As the party approaches Bertrand's Brews, it's pretty clear why there are a lot of rumors hanging over the place.  The storage vats outside the building are enormous, visible even from the generous distance the shop is fron the town itself and the smells coming off them are a mix of acid and perfume.   One could get dizzy just breathing in the air around here.   Even more curious is a large set of apparatuses sticking out of the side of the house, seemingly built into the frame.  Giant bellows, alembics and tubes flush chemicals too and fro in the interconnected equipment.   Large glass cylinders contain showers of sparks as arcane ingredients are mixed violently and distilled into shimmering liquid that flows back into the house itself.  For a tiny town like this, the house must be a veritable tourist attraction and, indeed, there are two children staying out of fume-range, pointing at the spark showers and cheering.<br/><br/>The front part of the house is definitely a store front though, with a large, welcoming sign.   Unfortunately, the sign also says they close at sixth bell which was maybe ten minutes ago.  On the other hand, the door is very clearly unlocked and the store window, lined with multicolored vials, soaps and powders, clearly shows that a human man is still manning the shop proper.   The man is six feet tall, wearing a large, while lab coat that glistens with golden trim, along multitude of glass and crystal vials strapped to a bandolier and a tool belt that looks like a miniature alchemy lab is simply strapped onto it.  The more observant party members may notice a chain shirt woven into the outfit as well.   He definitely has the look of an ex-adventurer.  Regardless, it's up to the party whether or not they'll talk to the man as he paces in front of a large furnace and rubs his hands together at a bubbling pot.