The Heart of Alchemy

by James E. Wisher

  After Jet had cleaned and sheathed her weapon, they walked over to the surviving cultists. Though his spell didn’t allow them to move, Otto saw the fear in their eyes. Watching their leader be murdered in front of them probably did a lot to knock the fight out of them.

  “We really need to send a message now,” Jet said. “Lady White has to know about Golmol’s plans.”

  Otto didn’t especially care about the internal politics of Hell, but he did want to complete his business as quickly as possible so they could move on to the Forbidden Garden.

  He gestured and a tentacle of ether yanked the bound man to his feet. Up close Otto guessed his age at less than twenty. “We need directions. Tell me what I want to know and you won’t end up like your boss over there.”

  Otto released his head, freeing him to speak. “Whatever you want to know. I only joined this group because I liked the look of the tattoos.”

  “We should kill him simply for being that stupid,” Jet said.

  “Let’s find out what he knows first. We’re looking for a place of corruption dedicated to Astaroth. It should be in this general area. Ring any bells?”

  “Sure. I know the place. The boss had us watching it all the time so we could jump anyone that showed up. Not that anyone ever did, at least not as long as I’ve been here.”

  Jet shot the man a hard look, but Otto ignored her. “Excellent. You’ll show us the way as well as pointing out any guards. If all goes well, you’ll have earned your life.”

  “And if it doesn’t go well?” the prisoner asked, his voice barely a squeak.

  Otto sent enough lightning into the bound woman’s head to make it explode. “Let’s hope for everyone’s sake that things go well.”

  As they made their way through the dark tunnels, Otto kept a leash of ether around the neck of their reluctant guide. The last thing he needed was to end up stranded down here when the young man vanished down a side tunnel. Beside him, Jet had been muttering and shaking her head since they left the cult hideout.

  Unable to stand it any longer he asked, “What’s bothering you?”

  She looked over at him as if suddenly remembering he was there. After a brief hesitation Jet said, “Something our guide said. He claimed they’d been watching the aerie for a while and seen no one, but I know Marius has gone twice that I know about to send messages to Lady White.”

  “How do you know?”

  She blinked at him like a fish out of water. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean did you join him when he went? If not, he could have gone anywhere and just told you he was going to send a message.”

  “What? No. Why would he lie to me about something like that? I mean, we’re on the same side.”

  “No offense, but how much benefit of the doubt are you willing to give someone that worships a demon lord? Maybe he’s afraid of the orders he might receive. Or more likely Marius plans to seize control of the cult in Celestial City.”

  “No.” Jet gave a vehement shake of her head. “He wouldn’t dare oppose Lady White.”

  “She’s a thousand miles away and has her own problems to deal with. If he took over, do you think she could come here and slap him down?”

  “I guess not. It doesn’t matter anyway. Everything’s falling apart. It’ll be a miracle if the cult survives the month at this rate.”

  “Ahem!” Their guide had stopped in the middle of the tunnel and cleared his throat. When Otto looked his way he said, “It’s just ahead.”

  Otto peered through the ether and sure enough a thick fog of corruption filled the air. It seemed like what they were looking for. “Does this look right to you?”

  Jet nodded. “It feels right. Like Astaroth is looking over my shoulder. We always came from a different direction, but this is the aerie.”

  “I can go now, right?” their guide asked.

  Jet stalked over to him and cut his throat. When he’d finished bleeding out she looked back at Otto. “He knew too much to remain alive.”

  Otto shrugged. The young man’s death meant nothing to him one way or the other, though her ability to kill someone in cold blood impressed him. “So what now?”

  “Um, now we go into the aerie and you send a message to Lady White telling her about Marius and the Golmol worshipers.”

  “Okay, but how, exactly, do I do that? Sending messages using birds made out of corruption isn’t exactly a skill my mentors have taught me.” When she just stared at him in silence Otto finally understood. “You don’t have a clue, do you? You asked me to come along hoping I’d figure it out on my own.”

  “It sounds so much worse when you say it that way. I was desperate! Can’t we at least take a look?”

  “After you.”

  Jet took a few hesitant steps toward the aerie. As Otto watched, the corruption grew stronger around her, coating her like a second skin. Moving closer himself, he could now see shapes moving in the darkness. Shapes that did, in fact, look like black birds.

  First one then another dove at Jet.

  Then another. When their beaks struck her flesh, she moaned and a white patch appeared on her bronze skin.

  Otto stayed just at the edge of the darkness, content to watch for now.

  After six hits Jet staggered back out of the corruption. Her once flawless complexion now closely resembled one of the undead. The birds had literally drained some of the life out of her.

  She collapsed at his feet and peered up. “I saw nothing that hinted at how to send a message. That place isn’t meant for the living.”

  Otto couldn’t argue with that. “That’s why I wanted you to go in first. Happily, while you might not have learned anything, I believe I have.”

  Hope blossomed in her face. “Really?”

  He nodded and held out his hand to help her up. When Jet was on her feet Otto continued, “Unfortunately, I need some bait.”

  He shoved her toward the aerie.

  Immediately a bird dove at her.

  As soon as it separated itself from the darkness, Otto wrapped it in a bubble of ether. With a tentacle he yanked Jet out of harm’s way before another of the nasty little beasts could strike.

  She glared at him. “You should’ve warned me.”

  “Sometimes knowing what’s about to happen isn’t useful. Now be quiet. I need to concentrate.”

  Turning the full weight of his gaze on the bird, Otto studied how it interacted with the ether. Every time its beak struck his bubble, it burned a tiny hole that he was forced to seal. The corruption acted like acid, dissolving the ether. The two were antithetical. That was why mithril burned those associated with corruption and made ethereal magic stronger.

  Amet Sur, the first and greatest Arcane Lord, had mastered corrupt magic and that meant Otto didn’t need to trade his soul to a demon lord to use it. Unfortunately, he was no Amet Sur. On the plus side, he wasn’t trying to build an army of undead or melt the flesh from men’s bones. He just needed to figure out how to write a message in corruption.

  Okay, think it through. How would he have done it if he wanted to send a message through the ether? The same way he created his message sticks. If he could send a ten-word message through the ether, he should be able to send one using corruption. Maybe.

  Frowning, Otto conjured a message the way he knew how first. Ten glowing words appeared in his ethereal vision, Marius planning to attack city, Golmol cultists uncovered in underground. He compressed them and wrapped them in a bubble. Now, how to attach them to the bird?

  Using the ether like a spatula, he gathered corruption and applied a thin layer to his bubble before making a thread and wrapping it around the bird’s claw. Lastly, he conjured an image of Lady White in his mind and tried to drive the desire to go to her into the bird’s mind.

  When he’d done his best to secure the message, Otto released the beast and it vanished into the ether. Whether it went to the Land of the Demon Binders or dissolved, he had no way of knowing.

  “I’ve done all I ca
n,” Otto said. He felt as exhausted as if he’d run a marathon. “How long until she replies?”

  “I don’t know. If Lady White is busy, she might need hours or days. Anyway, she always sends the reply directly to Marius, so we’ll only know what she said if he tells us.”

  “In that case, let’s find somewhere nicer to rest for an hour then we’ll see about finding the Forbidden Garden.”

  Chapter 39

  The Imperial Palace sprawled over a half mile in the city center. The central keep towered seven stories high, a red tile roof and dragon-style gargoyles giving it an imposing look. The hundreds of guards Otto counted patrolling the battlements didn’t hurt either. A twenty-foot-high wall, patrolled by yet more guards, surrounded the grounds. None of them seemed to have magical abilities, so sneaking in wouldn’t be a problem.

  After a two-hour rest in the Golmol worshippers’ tavern, Otto and Jet had emerged into bright, almost blinding noon sunlight. When Otto’s eyes had adjusted, it was clear nothing had happened during his time underground. That made sense. Marius’s power would be strongest after dark. Naturally he would want to wait until night to make his move.

  Otto and Jet snuck around toward the northern wall of the compound wrapped in an invisibility spell. No one paid them the least attention. Patrols of soldiers guarded every approach. Even ministers dressed in fine robes were questioned as they neared the solitary gate.

  “They take security seriously,” Otto said. “But I’ve seen no lords.”

  “They’ll be inside as well as in the Citadel of Alchemy.” She pointed out a smaller but still large three-story fortress surrounded by a faint haze of smoke.

  When Otto looked closer the powerful currents of ether became clear. Many people in that building were working magic. Good, if they were busy with important projects, they would be less likely to notice when Otto entered.

  Trees towered over the northern side of the wall. Ether swirled around the branches, marking them as no ordinary growth. No guards patrolled this side of the wall either. Clearly the powers that be had no fear of trespassers from this direction. So much the better for Otto.

  Satisfied with what he’d seen, Otto tagged the alley where they stood with a single thread. “Okay, let’s head back. If Lady White was going to respond, she should have done so by now.”

  “You’re not going in?” Jet asked.

  “Not until tonight. I need a proper rest to recover my full strength. Anything less is asking for failure. Plus, I need to know where things stand with Marius. I can’t focus on what’s ahead of me unless I know what’s behind me.”

  Jet chewed her lip but finally nodded. “I have to face the consequences some time. If I go back with you, maybe he won’t kill me on the spot.”

  As they turned back toward the slums Otto asked, “If you knew the consequences, why risk sending the message?”

  “When the government raided my warehouse, I knew my days as a merchant were over. If I lose the cult as well, I’ll end up a beggar on the street. Better death at Marius’s hand than that. Since I did my best to serve him in life, hopefully Astaroth will be generous in the afterlife.”

  Otto wanted to laugh, but held his tongue. He seriously doubted a demon lord took intentions into account. Only results mattered, just like in the world of the living.

  The pair made it back to their safe house without issue. The streets were busy but calm. Either word of the raid hadn’t reached the people yet or they thought little of it. Otto didn’t know enough about the empire to guess which.

  Jet opened the door and they found Marius pacing while five rugged, armed men watched without meeting the undead cultist’s angry gaze. This was the first time Otto had seen Marius on edge. Perhaps he’d gotten a message from his mistress.

  The moment Otto closed the door Marius rounded on them. “Where have you two been? As if I didn’t know.”

  “I went to scout the palace grounds,” Otto said. “What little I saw of the Forbidden Garden impressed me.”

  Marius ignored him and focused on Jet. “You betrayed me.”

  She shook her head. “We’re all on the same side. I feared you were making a mistake that would destroy all that we had built. And yes, I said we. You’re in charge, but you couldn’t have accomplished all you have without me. When I saw the danger of all that going up in flames, I acted to protect it.”

  Otto admired her courage even if he considered it slightly foolish. “Tell him about the other cultists.”

  That drew Marius’s attention. “What other cultists?”

  “On our way to the aerie,” Jet said. “We ran into some of Golmol’s worshipers. They won’t be a problem now, but who knows how many of the other cults have cells in the empire? This bunch were lying in wait. They claimed for some time. How long has it been since you sent a message to Lady White?”

  Marius took two strides and backhanded Jet so hard her legs buckled. “Don’t you dare try and turn this back on me. I tell Lady White everything I decide she needs to know.”

  “Did you get a reply to our message?” Otto asked. He wasn’t sure why he tried to deflect some of the attention away from Jet, but her courage deserved some sort of acknowledgement.

  Marius’s hand shot out and grabbed Otto around the throat. “This is none of your concern, outsider. Keep your mouth shut and you might live long enough to die in your precious garden.”

  A fist made of twenty threads slammed into Marius’s chest and sent him flying across the room to crash into the far wall with enough force to make a spiderweb of cracks. Otto rubbed his throat, but a barrier of ether had prevented any damage.

  He drew his mithril sword and stalked over to the undead. “I don’t know who you think you’re dealing with, but I’m not one of your lackeys to be bullied into submission.”

  Otto slapped the flat of his blade against the fleshy side of Marius’s face. The skin hissed and crackled, forcing Marius to pull away.

  “Lay your hands on me again and I’ll send you to meet your master.” Otto stabbed the wall an inch from Marius’s head. “Do we understand each other?”

  “Perfectly.” There was such hate in Marius’s voice that Otto almost killed him on the spot. Only a desire to stay on good terms with Lady White stayed his hand.

  The floor creaked behind him.

  Otto spun to see the five thugs edging closer, hands on the hilts of their weapons.

  “I’ll happily kill all of you as well.”

  “Enough!” Marius said. “Fighting amongst ourselves is doing us no good.”

  The thugs relaxed and Otto moved to stand beside Jet. He didn’t sheathe his sword just yet though.

  “I did receive a reply from Lady White. She ordered me to lie low and rebuild in secret.” Jet brightened, but only until Marius resumed speaking. “Unfortunately, what I set in motion can’t be stopped. Orders or not, the attack will proceed.”

  “What have you done?” Jet asked.

  “I activated the temple defenses. When the sun sets, the black shroud will rise and spread through the city, drawing power as it kills and raises the slain as zombies. While the lords are busy trying to stop it, we will free our brothers and sisters and strike them from behind, slaughtering the most powerful force in the empire. Then we need only march on the palace. With the army of undead I raise, we will seize the city and from here spread across the empire and world until all serve Lord Astaroth.”

  With that speech, Otto fully understood just how insane Marius was. Once the threat became clear, all the empire’s power would fall on the cultists and crush their revolution flat. Of course, Otto planned to be long gone before that happened.

  “It seems you have everything worked out,” Otto said. “After dark, I’ll make my way to the palace and infiltrate the garden. We can meet in the courtyard.”

  “I wouldn’t want to send an ally into such a dangerous place alone,” Marius said. “Take Jet with you. She might be of some use.”

  “And she’d be out of you
r way,” Otto said. “That’s fine. Now, I’m going to rest. Barring a peacekeeper raid, I would prefer not to be disturbed.”

  Otto stalked over to the safe house’s only bedroom and after a moment Jet followed him. He slammed the door shut. Things had certainly gotten complicated. Otto knew when he decided to seek out the pieces of the Immortality Engine that it would be difficult, but so far it had been difficult in ways he never expected.

  “Thank you for agreeing to let me come along,” Jet said. “Had you refused, Marius would have killed me at the first opportunity.”

  Otto grunted and dropped onto the saggy bed. “Instead he thinks we’ll both die in the garden. That’s fine. We’ll just have to prove him wrong.”

  Chapter 40

  An eerie feeling woke Otto from a deep sleep. He sat up and looked out the bedroom’s lone window. The sunset dyed the sky in purple and orange. When his vision shifted to the ether, a blot of corruption appeared in the direction of the warehouse, or more specifically the temple of Astaroth beneath it. It seemed Marius’s ritual had begun.

  Otto rolled out of the creaking bed and turned his attention to the safe house’s main room. Marius had left, the absence of corruption told him that clearly. Whether the thugs had joined him didn’t concern Otto. They posed no threat, present or absent.

  Back on the bed, Jet slept on the very edge, totally oblivious to what was happening. Otto shook his head. He’d been so tired he hadn’t even noticed her lying down beside him. Maybe his subconscious had decided to trust her. She hadn’t killed him in his sleep, so he’d take that as a sign of her loyalty.

  Or desperation.

  Either way, they needed to go. He didn’t know how quickly Marius’s black shroud would spread, but he didn’t want to end up in the middle of the corruption. He reached out to the ether and found his power fully restored. Considerably relieved, he went over and shook Jet awake.