The Heart of Alchemy

by James E. Wisher

  “That’s where we run out of food.” Wainwright scratched his scruffy gray beard. “We need to decide where we’ll try and gather more.”

  Otto eyed the map and shook his head. So much about the area was unknown, anything he decided would simply be a guess.

  “We have two choices,” Wainwright said, breaking into his thoughts. He stabbed a large island about the same size as Markane. “That is the Island of Giant Beasts. According to the logbook, there’s fresh water and good hunting. There are also predatory birds big enough to carry off a horse, some sort of giant lizard with a poisonous bite, and heaven only knows what else.”

  “Charming. The second option?”

  Wainwright stabbed a second spot, a peninsula jutting into the sea. “That is the Land of the Demon Binders. The logbook said little about it and its author had no desire to learn more. I recommend we try the island.”

  Otto nodded. He knew nothing about demons save that avoiding them seemed prudent. A visit to Lord Karonin was called for. If anyone could advise him on this matter, she could. It wouldn’t hurt to drop in on Castle Shenk as well. Hopefully things had settled down.

  “We’ll check in again, Captain, hopefully on a nicer day. If there are any problems, send me a message at once.”

  “Aye, my lord. We’ll keep on keeping on. No need to worry.”

  Every time someone told him that, his concern only went up. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment, but he worried most when things seemed to be going well.

  Chapter 4

  Wolfric paced in the dining room, his uncomfortable, too-tight formal tunic threatening to strangle him. Two days had passed since the gala and he’d finally sent an invitation to Jade and her uncle to join him at the palace for dinner. The cook had spared no effort to prepare a fine meal, the mouthwatering scent of which filled the air. Now he just needed his guests to show up.

  He finally forced himself to stop and sit down. He needed to make a good impression and having them find him nervous and sweaty wouldn’t do that. They’d arrive here when they got here and no amount of pacing would speed the process up.

  Five minutes later the dining room door opened and the herald announced, “Baron Martinique St. Croy and his niece, Jade.”

  They stepped through the door which promptly closed behind them. Wolfric stood and stared at Jade. She had on a pale blue gown that hugged her curves and was just low cut enough to give a hint of treasures within.

  Not wanting to be impolite, he forced his gaze away from her to her uncle and held out his hand. “I’m pleased you could join me.”

  The baron hesitated then shook his hand. “It was our honor to receive your invitation.”

  He turned to Jade and bowed over her hand. “A pleasure to see you again, my lady.”

  She blushed and batted her eyelashes. “You’re too kind, Your Majesty.”

  He released her hand with great reluctance and directed them to their seats. Neither actually sat before Wolfric. He rang a silver bell and a trio of servants entered through another door, each laden with a silver tray bearing a steaming bowl of soup and a roll. The food was placed in front of each diner, the servants bowed, and the three of them retreated to the kitchen to await Wolfric’s summons.

  After a couple spoonfuls of the rich broth, Wolfric peeked over to see if Jade was enjoying her meal. When he did their eyes met and she smiled.

  His heart skipped a beat. By all the angels, she was beautiful.

  “This is wonderful, Your Majesty,” the baron said, breaking the moment.

  “I’ll be sure to share your compliments with the cook. Why don’t you tell me a little more about St. Croy Barony?”

  “Oh, it’s a typical backwater barony. St. Croy Castle is built on a cliff overlooking the plains of Rolan. We raise cattle mostly and thanks to you we no longer lose them to Rolan rustlers.”

  “Happy to be of service.” Wolfric turned back to Jade. “What do you like about the barony? Any secret places worth mentioning?”

  She got a wistful look on her lovely face. “Not in the barony, but before the war I used to go to Rolan, a little town by the sea called Blue Cove. It was the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. I made another visit just before we came here, hence my tan.”

  Wolfric looked at her smooth skin and pictured it glistening as she emerged from the sea. What a sight that must have been.

  The main course came next followed by dessert. They chatted about inconsequential things. Jade had a taste for a crystal carver from Lux and Wolfric stored the name away for later. One of his designs would make a fine gift for their next visit.

  Finally the baron yawned and said, “It’s been a wonderful visit, Your Majesty, but I’m about to fall asleep on your table. Perhaps we should call it a night.”

  “Of course.” He rose and they joined him. “We’ll have to do this again soon.”

  “I’d like that very much,” Jade said.

  “Indeed,” her uncle agreed. “Though if we eat like this every time, I’ll get fat.”

  Wolfric offered a polite chuckle at the poor joke and rang for the servants to guide them out. His gaze followed Jade until they were out of sight. He very much looked forward to a private meeting with her.

  Chapter 5

  When Otto appeared in his master’s tower, he was greeted by her frowning face. That, more than the cold, sent a chill up his spine. What could have happened in the netherworld to put her in a sour mood?

  “I hadn’t expected to see you again so soon,” she said.

  “I was hoping for some advice, Master. I’m in the process of planning the trip to the Celestial Empire and given the distance it will be necessary to make a stop somewhere for supplies. Unfortunately, we know next to nothing about our two best options, the Island of Giant Beasts and the Land of the Demon Binders.”

  “Stick to the island,” she said. “Even the Arcane Lords avoided the Demon Binders.”

  More curious than ever Otto asked, “Why? Is their magic so powerful?”

  “They’re demon worshipers, priests who gain power from serving one of the nine lords of Hell. We didn’t fear their power and Amet, on occasion, had dealings with the forces of Hell. They had an understanding that we wouldn’t meddle in their business and they wouldn’t trouble our lands. The easiest way to accomplish that was to avoid them altogether. Frankly, I have no idea what they might do if you sailed into one of their ports and I recommend you avoid doing so.”

  That was exactly Otto’s plan, but if worst came to worst and he had no choice, it helped to have some idea what they might run into.

  Otto stood and bowed. “Thank you, Master.”

  He started to become one with the ether, stopped, and asked, “Is all well? You seem a bit… out of sorts.”

  “I am perfectly fine considering I’m a disembodied spirit trapped in the netherworld. Now, if you have no more questions, leave me in peace.”

  Otto couldn’t remember ever seeing his master in a self-pitying mood. Angry certainly. Amused or annoyed at his ignorance, all the time. Still, a certain amount of depression was probably unavoidable given her circumstances.

  Discretion being the better part of valor, Otto vanished into the ether and reappeared in the courtyard of Castle Shenk. There was no sign of violence outside and no pacing Graves. He took both of these things as a good sign.

  A hard rap on the door brought a guard who hastened to let him in. The man wore no mail, another good sign.

  “Welcome, Lord Shenk.” The guard closed the door, sealing out the worst of the cold.

  “How fare things between my father and brother?”

  “Better, my lord. The baroness’s return did wonders for the mood.”

  “Splendid. Where is my mother now?”

  “I believe she’s up in her sewing room.”

  “And Father?”

  “We caught a thief two days ago in the village. The baron is… punishing him.”

  “Thank you.” Otto left the guard and trotte
d upstairs.

  He paused in front of the door to his old room. It seemed a lifetime ago that he had lived here. Certainly he had been a different person. Weak and afraid of everything, he cowered before his father and brother. When he thought back on it, he couldn’t help the disgust that filled him. No wonder Father never respected him. He’d never respected himself.

  Otto left the memories as well as his room behind and continued down the hall to Mother’s sewing room. The door was open a crack, but he knocked anyway before pushing it open. She sat in the sun, a modest pile of socks at her feet waiting to be fixed. Her embroidery frame didn’t have a new project in it yet, but knowing Mother, that would change as soon as she finished with the socks.

  She looked away from her work as he closed the door and smiled. “This is a nice surprise. What brings you here?”

  Otto crossed the room and kissed her cheek. “I came to count the bodies. Happily, I came up with zero.”

  She snorted a laugh. “Your father mentioned you paying them a visit before I got back. Did you really think one of them might hurt me?”

  “You know how Stephan gets. Besides, I promised Axel I’d have a talk with everyone. Since all’s quiet, I assume you worked some magic of your own.”

  “Hardly. I just suggested a few changes. Your father gave Stephan some of the double eagles as well as more day-to-day responsibility for running the barony. The truth is, he should have done that years ago. But you know how stubborn he can be.”

  Otto did know. “And how is Stephan handling his duties?”

  “He hasn’t killed or maimed anyone, so that’s a start. I fear he’s finding that being baron is a good deal less exciting than he imagined. And how are things in Garen?”

  “Quiet for the moment. Abby’s sleeping more and crying less which pleases everyone. There appear to be no major plots against the government, which frees me up to prepare for my next journey.”

  “Where to this time?”

  “The Celestial Empire.”

  Her eyes widened. “That’s an even longer trip than your last.”

  Otto nodded. “Nearly twice as long in fact. It may be over a year, round trip. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it, but that’s where I need to go regardless.”

  “Are you staying for dinner?”

  “Sorry, I’ve got to get back. I just wanted to check in and see if you needed anything.”

  “No, we’re good here. I do appreciate your concern though.”

  Some of the tension left him. Knowing she was safe made it easier to do what he had to. “Goodbye, Mother. Be well.”

  He became one with the ether and vanished.

  Chapter 6

  A day or two after visiting Lord Karonin and his family, Otto found himself back at the warehouse. At the rear of the building, Ulf busied himself filling vials with his latest alchemical concoction. Given the lack of stinking, he assumed this one was neither explosive nor flammable.

  Otto expected a report from Allen and Sin today, but what he got was Hans, Corina, and the rest of the squad seated around a table playing cards. He didn’t bother getting annoyed with them. With nothing to do, it was as good a way to pass the time as any.

  They hurried to stand, but Otto motioned them back to their seats. “Where are Sin and Allen? I expected them to be awaiting my arrival.”

  “Allen’s meeting one of the St. Croy serving girls for breakfast,” Hans said. “He should be here before long.”

  “Sin mentioned running down a last-minute lead as well,” Corina added. “Do we have time for a lesson?”

  “Have you mastered extending all your senses?” Otto asked.

  “All but smell. For some reason I can’t connect to my nose the way I want to.”

  “You need to connect to the smell receptors in your brain then create a construct that looks like a nose to collect the scent. No new lessons until you master that.”

  She pouted but didn’t complain.

  Otto strode back to Ulf’s workbench. “Since we have time, tell me again about the Lords of Alchemy.”

  “What would you like to know?” Ulf placed the empty flask in front of him and capped the final vial. “I can’t tell you much as my own interactions with them amounted to little more than my trial and exile.”

  “How much influence do they wield?”

  “A great deal. They oversee all alchemists in the empire. The head of their order serves as one of the emperor’s chief advisors. They also aid both the guards and the army in times of conflict. Not that there’s much conflict in the empire. My people tend to obedience. Over a thousand years of reasonably benevolent rule by the same family and no wars worthy of the name make for a calm populace.”

  “I imagine anyone that complains is dealt with harshly.”

  “Very. You will have no hope of completing your mission without dealing with the lords. Assuming you can get into the empire in the first place.”

  Ulf had mentioned before that outsiders weren’t welcome. Otto smiled. That would be a problem to worry about after he arrived. “You don’t even know what my mission is.”

  Ulf shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. Anything of importance that happens in the empire will involve them. And rest assured, my skills are nothing compared to theirs.”

  Otto hoped to avoid a fight. He really just wanted to trade for the Heart. Maybe mithril, maybe something else. Within reason, he’d give whatever he had to in order to claim the artifact.

  The trapdoor hidden in the warehouse floor swung up and Sin climbed out. She wore her usual skintight black leather. Her long, dark hair was gathered at the nape of her neck and a small patch of dirt clung to her pale cheek.

  She closed the door and ambled over to him. “Lord Shenk, I apologize for keeping you waiting. One of my girls contacted me at the last minute.”

  “I only just arrived. What have you learned?”

  “The baron hired three servants for their time in Garen: a cleaning girl, a cook, and a doorman. They also brought one servant with them, a dark-skinned man in his thirties that oversees everything in the household. I learned little of the inner workings of the house. Allen is trying to finagle some information out of the cleaner. She gets the mornings off.”

  “I’ll bet he is. And the other matter?”

  “Right, one of the girls I arranged for the emperor’s harem contacted me. It seems he hasn’t been to see them in over a week. Since his attentions had been quite regular before that, they wanted to let me know.”

  Otto scratched his cheek. If Wolfric wasn’t visiting the harem, the only explanation was the noble girl. Had the fool gone and fallen in love? Otto dearly hoped not. Men in love seldom made good decisions. He needed to meet this noblewoman and try to learn her true intentions. But if Wolfric really had fallen for her, he couldn’t do anything drastic. One bad word from the girl could cause him a huge headache.

  The warehouse door slammed open and Allen burst in. “Am I late? I am, sorry. It took longer than I expected to get anything useful out of her.”

  Otto gestured and the door shut behind Allen, cutting off the chill breeze. “So you did learn something useful?”

  “Well…”

  Otto offered a silent prayer for patience. “Just spit it out.”

  “Okay, as far as the cleaning girl knows, there’s nothing happening. The only weird thing she noticed was that the servant they brought with them, a Mr. Ahmed, speaks a strange language from time to time.”

  “Strange language?” Otto frowned. For the last thousand-plus years, everyone had spoken the same language. Outside of Lord Karonin’s older books, he’d never seen or heard another language. “Who, exactly, does he speak this strange language with?”

  “The niece, Jade. She only overheard them a couple times, but whatever they were saying, it wasn’t something she understood.”

  “Interesting. Thank you both.”

  It seemed the only way Otto would solve this mystery was to speak with the woman herself. He’d
have to ask Wolfric to arrange it.

  Chapter 7

  Wolfric took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. He’d never felt this way before meeting a woman before. Jade brought out all sorts of emotions in him. Powerful ones, he thought. Dangerous ones, according to Otto. His dear friend wanted to meet Jade and the idea appealed to and frightened him in equal measure.

  Emperor or not, Wolfric held no illusions about the fate of the empire if Otto withdrew his support. He also knew he loved Jade and wouldn’t give her up. Not even at Otto’s suggestion.

  Tonight, he and Jade were meeting in his private dining room and without her uncle as a chaperone. It would be his first time alone with her and just thinking about it made his hands sweat.

  He smiled and shook his head. Look at him. Anyone that saw him so out of sorts would think this was his first encounter with a woman. It wasn’t, by any means, but it might have been the first time he had ever been alone with a woman that actually meant more to him than a quick tumble.

  He reached down and adjusted a fork that didn’t perfectly line up with the spoon. Before he could find anything else to fiddle with, the dining room door opened and Jade walked in.

  Wolfric’s breath caught in his throat. Tonight she wore a gown of deep crimson cut in a far more revealing style than anything she’d worn before. He tried to think of something to say and failed.

  Jade smiled at his reaction. “You like the dress? I bought it today on a shopping trip to your Gold Ward. There were many beautiful things there, far more than we have back home.”

  “The dress is very nice, but you make it beautiful. Please sit. The first course will be along shortly.”

  He pulled out her chair and she sat, smoothing her skirt under her.

  Wolfric took his seat across from her. Better to get it out of the way, then he’d be free to enjoy himself. “My friend and advisor has asked to meet you. I thought we might have lunch together one day soon.”