Alchemist (The Four Corners of Santerria)

by Terry Reid

  Fallo roared, his cry ringing through the large amphitheatre of the family quarters. Unnerved, the councillors bowed awkwardly and hurried away, fearful of provoking his wrath. The King snorted wearily.

  “Bloody pain in the arse the lot of them,” Lyle swore as he sat down on the edge of the fountain beside his niece, “You would think at this time of night they would have enough sense to stay in bed regardless of our return.”

  Terry smirked. “They’re politicians, they don’t sleep.”

  Fallo growled and darted his head in direction of their quarters. It was time for bed.

  ******

  “Terrifallo! Terrifallo!” The King called, storming threw the large oak doors that led to her rooms. “Daughter!” he bellowed, his face turning red as he crossed the large room to her bed. He was dressed in his finery of office, a high-neck, open fronted, knee length robe. The crimson garment was heavily embroidered with golden highlights. Beneath it he wore a simple white under-shirt and black trousers, to maximise the draw of the eye to his robes. Her bed was empty. Hissing furiously, he turned, his robes billowing behind him.

  “So there were ten of them?” repeated the man as he leant over the table.

  “Aye, ten of them.” Terry said again for affect. A dozen faces had gathered around the bar table, listening intently to her tale. Behind them even more Alchemists gathered.

  “I’ve seen those things before, they are really strange looking beasts.” said one woman from down the end of the table. A murmur of agreement went up from the crowd and some of the older Alchemists, men and women alike gave a knowing nod.

  “But that’s the thing, they aren’t dangerous.” Terry jabbed a finger against the table. “You could walk through an entire field of them and they would not even look at you. But this time was different.”

  “How?” asked the man who sat opposite her. He was enthralled.

  Terry leant forward on her elbows, as if to whisper. Everyone else followed suit, hanging on to her every word.

  “I was walking a friend’s dog.”

  A laugh went up from further down the table. “You silly girl, cow’s hate them!” chuckled the old man.

  Terry held up her hands in a guilty as charged manner. “See, I’d forgotten that. That’s why they had formed a circled around me and the bull was making his merry way towards me.”

  The young man who sat beside Terry shook his head. “I don’t understand Your Highness, why were animals so big so scared of something so small?”

  An older woman cackled. “Ha! The boy has never been to Earth, he has never worked on a farm!”

  Ignoring her Terry answered loudly for all to hear, “Because these dogs, that humans keep as pets used to be a different animal. They used to be bigger and hunted in packs thousands of years ago. They still exist in the wild today. They’re called wolves.” She tapped a finger on the table as she spoke. “See, the point is despite having domesticated dogs and cows, there is still something built deep into the cow’s psyche that they are predators. No amount of breeding or handling has ever taken that out of them. So no matter how much an animal is conditioned you can never make it fully lose its true nature.”

  “Like you child.”

  “Shit.” Muttered Connor, lowering his head and making a serious effort to pretend he was minding his own business; something he poorly performed by taking a sip of his drink.

  The rest of the drinkers quickly dispersed, many abandoning their drinks and lowering their gaze as they moved away. Others gave slight, awkward bows to the King before scurrying off as soon as they realised he was paying them no heed.

  Connor was not sure how to react. He looked first at Terry then at the King. Finally Fallo noticed him. “Leave.”

  He did not need to be told twice.

  Terry also stood, making to leave.

  “Sit.”

  With a look of resignation she sat back down.

  Her father leaned across the table, his face set in anger. “This is the third day in a row I have found you here.” He said, his tone brittle. “What have you to say for yourself?”

  Terry lowered her voice. “Do we really need to go over this again?”

  His eyes flashed. “If we do the answer will be the same as yesterday. You are not here on holiday. Your powers and rank have been restored. You will do what is expected of you, not tell tales in bars.” He spat the last part.

  Terry gave a slight nod. “Ok.” She said, gesturing to a seat. Her father remained where he was. “Can you please take a seat so that we can discuss this like adults, please?”

  He stared at her sternly.

  “Dad, will you please stop being a total...” Terry stopped herself when his gaze narrowed. She sighed and closed her eyes for a minute. “I was just having some fun. I’ve not been home for a long time and when we arrived we were not here for very long.” She shrugged innocently. “I just want to catch up with everyone, that’s all.”

  Now he sighed, the first emotion she had seen from him during this frosty encounter. “You are not a child anymore. You have responsibilities now which I must teach you. You are already far behind on where I would like you to be.”

  “Dad.” Terry said firmly. “I’m not staying. As soon as Lyle can source another temporal device I am going back to Earth. We still need to find Edward.”

  Fallo straightened. He looked stung. “You would abandon me and your people?”

  “No, I’m not doing anything of the sort. I’ll be coming back...soon.”

  Fallo sighed tiredly. “Daughter, you must drive these human ideologies from your mind. You are not one of them. You can never have a live like them. Your place is here. Your family, your people are here.” His expression hardened once more. “And do not think I have not seen you struggling to keep your form. You are yearning to be free of this carapace.” He gestured toward her.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Do not lie to me!” He slammed his fists against the table, the wood splintering under the force. The abandoned tankards rattled with a clatter. “Everything about you is reawakening. Do not deny what you are.”

  “I am doing no such thing. Besides, you know I have a condition. I can’t always control her.”

  He raised a hand to her. “I grow wary of this. You should not fight it, you should let it out. Maybe then you’re fractured mind will begin to heal.”

  When she did not reply, he continued. “Your uncle Kila and officials from Troqueer will be visiting in two days for a banquet celebrating your return.” He leaned closer. “You will be there and you will behave.” He turned away without waiting for an answer.

  Terry watched him leave. After he had gone she glanced around the empty bar. She was surrounded by twenty million people but she had never felt more alone.

  ******

  Attendants tampered with the King’s robes. With a nod to the aide sorting his collar, they were dismissed. Looking in the full-length mirror before him, he fiddled with the collar of his white and gold trimmed robes. He stopped when he saw his daughter enter his rooms in the mirror’s reflection. He spun around, stunned.

  Terry wore a similar garment to his robes, but instead of finishing like a jacket, herd ended in a brilliant white skirt. She wore her hair high, tied back by a simple white feather.

  “Do you like it?” she asked, suddenly feeling self conscious.

  “You look beautiful.” He muttered, crossing to her.

  She smiled.

  “You look like your mother.”

  Terry looked away, suddenly feeling sad.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No, it’s not that.” She looked back at him with teary eyes. “I just miss her.”

  Fallo embraced her, resting his head on top of hers. “I know.” He whispered, soothing her.

  Fallo was left distraught by what happened; the memories had remained crystallized in his mind even after so many years.

  Terry’s mother had died during childbirth attempting to bring their twel
ve daughters into the world. The trauma had been too much for her body. Most alchemist mothers delivered many more and survived, but the royal family’s lineage and a normal Alchemist was a dangerous mix. History had recorded the deaths of at least seven previous queens. But what had been unusual was the loss of so many infants. Terry was the only one who survived. Doctors had later told the King that it had been no miracle that she had. Terry was the only child to be carrying the Alpha gene – or royal blood as their people called it – the single genetic sequence which made the King the leader of their race; what gave him his superior strength and rank. His perished children had his lineage, but they lacked that one thing that would one day make Terry queen. It had been mere strength, despite her small size, that had saved her.

  Fallo remembered lifting her, pining for his lost mate and infants. He thought that she too had died, having lied so still like the others with her eyes shut. Grief stricken, he had closed his eyes and wept. When he opened them again he found two, big, round, amber eyes staring back at him. For the longest time she simply lay there in his arms, blinking curiously. He hummed deeply and nuzzled her, but she still did not make a sound. Newborn Alchemists were usually loud and noisy, screaming like most animals do after the sudden trauma of being dragged into the world.

  She only began to move once Fallo’s probes had gathered to check her, but that had been out of wariness to the strange, spider-like metallic creatures. Taking a dislike to one of them that was shining a light in her eyes she shrieked and took a swipe at the thing. Despite only being a few minutes old she had a strong right hook. The probe fell to the floor, prompting the rest of the dispatch to beat a hasty retreat.

  Then it happened, the sweetest noise Fallo ever heard in his life. She opened her mouth and called out to him, it was little more than a squeak but it was the call she would use the rest of her life to find him. Fallo called back and her antennae went up. She squeaked in content.

  Fallo came out of his reverie as Terry moved away, holding his hands in her own. She smiled.

  He smiled back, though his heart ached.

  An aide appeared at the door. He bowed but remained in the doorway until such a time as he was summoned, as etiquette demanded. Turning his attention to the young man, Fallo waved him in.

  He approached, before bowing again. “My Lord, the guard of Troqueer and his guests have arrived.”

  “Thank you.” The King said, turning to his daughter. The aide bowed and slinked away.

  “Are you ready my dear?” he asked her.

  “Not really.”

  He gave her a look.

  “Dad, I’m joking! Lighten up.”

  He forced a smile and held out his elbow to her, which she took.

  Laughter rang through the King’s dining hall. The entire table seemed to be enjoying themselves, with exception of Terry and Lyle, who exchanged bored glances. Terry’s cousin Ninu, who was sitting on her left, picked up on the exchange.

  She looked Terry up and down disapprovingly. “So what was it like living with humans?” she asked, feigning interest.

  Terry looked round to her. Ninu made a display of sipping her drink, with exaggerated elegance before looking down her nose at her older cousin. There was no love lost between the pair. The two of them had always hated one another.

  “You’d have liked them.”

  “Really?” Ninu asked, disinterested. “I heard they are ignorant, noisy, boorish cockroaches.” She looked to her younger sister who smirked.

  “Yeah, they’re like you, which is exactly why you would have liked them.”

  Lyle faked a cough, poorly concealing his amusement at the quip. Ninu picked up on this. She glowered at Terry.

  “You know,” she said, flicking back her long blonde hair, “Some of us were talking earlier. We were wondering why the King would allow someone who had been gone so long to become his successor again.”

  Terry smirked as she sat her cup down. “At least I am actually related to the King.”

  Ninu and her sister were adopted; which had always been a thorn in the older sibling’s side.

  Ninu stiffened but held her poise. “At least my mother was not a whore.”

  Terry laughed, lifting the decanter to pour a drink, only to swing it and strike Ninu across the head. The hall fell silent as it clanged off her metal-lined skull. The blow was enough to send her falling to the floor.

  Launching to her feet she hissed and lunged for the princess. Terry rolled off the other side of her chair, narrowly avoiding the receiving end of a metal blade her cousin had extended from her wrist. The overreach left Ninu exposed, giving Terry, the faster of the two; enough time to lift the chair and strike her cousin full-on with the piece of wooden furniture. Broken legs and framing scattered as Ninu returned to the floor with a heavy fall. She shrieked, louder than before; angrier.

  Terry did not hang about to find out the repercussions. She was up and over the table and making her way for the exit in an instant. Amid the calls for order from Ninu’s father and the babbling of everyone else, Ninu emerged from behind the table, her dress shed, and in full Alchemist armour.

  She sailed over the table, landing a few feet behind Terry in an elegant crouch. Her heavy impact reverberated throughout the hall. Terry stopped and slowly turned round.

  Ninu held out both arms and the pointed topside plate on her forearms slid forward to create makeshift swords.

  “Is that really all you’ve got?” Terry asked unfazed.

  Ninu hissed and ran at her, swinging the blades in two outward sweeping motions. Terry leant back, dodging the tips of both. She stood up again inside her cousin’s arms and delivered a bone-cracking punch to Ninu’s jaw. Ducking free, Ninu spat blood as she shrieked and swung blindly. Once she had overreached, Terry grabbed her by both wrists and twisted hard. A sickening crack made Lyle winch as a bone snapped somewhere. Ninu shrieked in agony. The tone was deafening.

  “Terrifallo!” screamed Ninu’s father, his face contorted with rage and horror. Terry let go of Ninu and stood back. But the teenager, pride wounded, lunged at her once more. Terry stepped back as a blade sliced through the air where she had stood, a move she repeated as her cousin frantically tried to reach her.

  “Ninu! Ninu! Stop this now!” commanded her father. Ignoring his cries, she dove for the princess once more.

  Terry casually stepped round her in one fluid motion. She peered across to her father whose steely gaze bore into hers. He nodded.

  The next time Ninu took a swipe Terry grabbed her by the wrist and twisted it back. Arm in hand Terry stepped closer so that they were face-to-face. “Night, night.” With a head butt Ninu crumpled to the floor.

  “Sire!” Kila cried, desperate for justice. Fallo glared at him and he shrunk back into his chair.

  “Daughter!” The aides jumped. Looking at each other nervously, they all hurried off as the King stormed into the family quarters tailed by Lyle. “Terrifallo!” He stormed into her room, flinging the thirty-foot oaken doors open. They smashed against the rocky walls beyond, groaning in protest.

  Terry stood up. Fallo stopped, glaring at her across the expanse. “Leave us.” He commanded. Reluctantly, Lyle obeyed, his worried gaze falling upon his niece as he closed the doors behind him.

  Silence prevailed in the ancient halls. Feeling self conscious under his gaze, Terry looked away.

  “Your mother was not a whore.”

  Terry looked at him, surprised. She thought she had misheard. “Sorry?” she asked her voice little more than a whisper.

  Fallo approached her, raising his voice. “I said your mother was not a whore.”

  Terry stared at him, unsure what to say. “I...I’m...sorry...”

  “Do not be.” He said, waving the apology away.

  “I don’t understand...”

  He met her gaze. “I am not deaf daughter. I could hear every conversation in that hall. Your cousin got what she deserved.” He said, pointing a finger at her.

 
“I thought you were angry at me when you came in just there.”

  He was surprised by the question. “Well, you could have picked a more suitable time and place to give her a beating. In front of your uncle, his family and officials is a little bit embarrassing.” He smiled. “Still, at least it means you have reaffirmed your authority to anyone who is stupid enough to question you. And it was nice to see that you can still move like an Alchemist. Your instincts certainly haven’t deserted you.”

  She smiled. “You enjoyed that didn’t you?”

  His smile broadened into a devilish grin but he did not say anything.