The Alchemists' Bane

by Dan Van Werkhoven

  Elana inched up to the precipice and peered over the edge. The ground vanished into the uzhas ten feet below.

  No. Definitely not in the uzhas vault, or anywhere within the Alchemist Guild. Or, she doubted, even within Kosgrad’s city limits. She backed away from the edge.

  So where in Serovnya was she?

  More importantly, how did she get here? She’d taken the telepathy extract, which hurt—a lot—and the extract had shown her the minds of everyone in the Guild as grey, misty blobs. Then she’d gone to the uzhas vault.

  Elana’s eyes widened. Of course, testing the extract on the uzhas. Had it driven her mad? Was she dead? This place wasn’t exactly her idea of a fun afterlife.

  The uzhas rose from the chamber and coalesced into a giant… face? It was roughly human in shape and had three narrow slits for a nose. The face also had four eyes, two beside the nose—where eyes belong—and two on the temples. No trace of hair marred its smooth skin, and its ears were normal… except for the massive lobes that hung lower than its jaw.

  Yup. Definitely mad.

  Help me, a flat, genderless voice whispered, the words echoing silently around the cavern.

  Elana frowned, the face’s mouth hadn’t moved.

  The face morphed and Elana stared at a familiar scene. An Alchemist sculptor stood in a chamber filled with uzhas and sculpted the gas before her into a steam engine. Then she severed contact with the uzhas.

  A wave of pain slammed into Elana’s mind as the uzhas steam engine froze into a glossy, black mass of uzhasgart.

  Help me, the voice repeated.

  Air roared into the yawning mouth of the chasm and the uzhas dissipated, swallowed by the darkness.

  HELP M—

  The cavern disappeared with jarring finality, replaced by an empty sculpting chamber in the uzhas vault. Uzhas no longer swirled around Elana’s boots, only bare concrete lay beneath her feet.

  The door rumbled open and Sofia appeared, almost looking concerned.

  Elana swayed, blinking. “What the depths just happened?”

  “You tell me,” Sofia said. “One moment uzhas is pooled at your feet, the next it’s encased you. You just stood there, frozen, so I purged the chamber.”

  Elana pressed her palms into her temples. That couldn’t have been the uzhas speaking to her, it must have been a hallucination. “Well, I think the telepathy extract gave me some kind of connection with the uzhas.”

  “Test it further.”

  “No.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Elana lowered her hands and fixed a—hopefully—steely gaze on Sofia. “I’m done. I made the extract, and it does… something. Now take it to Voronin Master. A sculptor needs to complete the testing because I won’t have a clue if it’s working or not.”

  Sofia made no move to follow Elana as she stomped out of the chamber and headed to the vault’s exit.

  A guard saw her approaching and looked over her shoulder. Elana glanced back, Sofia stood just outside the chamber and nodded to the guard. The guard signalled through a small glass window by the door and the vault door rolled open. Elana swept through, not daring to stop. With every step away from the cursed place, her hearts slowed. She rounded a corner, slumped against the wall, and closed her eyes.

  Every muscle in her body trembled, and she clenched her jaw to keep her teeth from rattling. What in the depths had she seen in that chamber? It had to be a hallucination, and it was Sofia’s fault. If Sofia hadn’t been a coward and had just tested it herself, nothing would have happened. As a sculptor, Sofia knew how to handle the uzhas, she wouldn’t have seen crazy visions, right?

  Elana ran a hand through her white hair. The only reason she’d undertaken the extract in the first place was to help sculptors. She hadn’t agreed to slave for two years in secrecy only to have uzhas drive her insane. Oh well, she was finished. Sofia would report to Voronin—doubtless painting her in a terrible light—and Voronin would assign the testing to someone else and, most likely, blank the last two years of Elana’s memory. The thought didn’t bother her, she’d gladly forget those two years and return to her family.

  It suddenly struck her that she’d been let go without a guard.

  No guard… no escort! I’m free! She caught sight of her still shaking hands and a smile quirked her lips. “I have just the thing to help calm you…”

  Chapter Four

  Elana lounged on her bed, a bottle of vloysh she’d distilled in a rare moment of spare time in hand as she stared at the gas heater. She took a sip, enjoying the burn as it slid down her throat. After two years of working on that cursed telepathy extract, she was finally finished. Elana eyed the journal sitting on her workbench, no doubt Voronin would demand she decode it and give them the formula. Maybe she should use it to bargain?

  A soft knock startled Elana from her thoughts. Outside the door, a single grey mind floated.

  “Come in,” she said, capping the bottle and stuffing it under her pillow before standing.

  Sofia stepped in, her hood up and casting a shadow over her face and half-mask. Before Elana could ask why she was wearing a half-mask indoors, Sofia pulled the hood back and took the mask off.

  Elana gasped.

  Blood stained Sofia’s face from a gash on her left cheekbone, and an ugly purple bruise sealed her left eye shut.

  The dainty sculptor shut the door with a soft click and faced Elana.

  Elana stood, frozen in shock. Then she lurched into action. “I have a healing extract around here somewhere—”

  “No!”

  Elana paused mid-step. “What?”

  “He’ll know if I take healing extract.”

  “Who will know? Who did this to you?”

  Sofia hung her head.

  “Sofia, who did this?”

  “Chernov Commander,” Sofia mumbled.

  Trepidation tightened Elana’s throat. “What were you doing around Voronin’s soldiers?” she asked.

  “Nothing out of choice,” Sofia said shaking her head slowly. “The Grand Master and Voronin are gone today. Voronin left Chernov in charge of the sculptors and the telepathy extract.”

  “But why the depths would Chernov hit you?”

  “I dared to report the extract wasn’t fully tested.”

  “He beat you for that?” Elana asked, incredulous. “Oh, I should have just finished testing it. I didn’t mean to get you hurt.”

  “Well you did get me hurt.”

  Elana’s cheeks burned. “What’ll you do now?”

  “You haven’t given me much choice. Seeing as you refuse to finish the extract, I’ll have to.”

  “Excuse me?” A frown creased Elana’s forehead.

  “You heard me, I’m going to finish the cursed extract. Now where is it?”

  Stunned, Elana pointed to the three phials in the rack on her workbench. What the depths had Chernov done to her? Sofia had never volunteered to actually help with the extract.

  Sofia retrieved a phial and unscrewed the cap.

  “Wait,” Elana said.

  Sofia paused, phial halfway to her mouth, and looked at her with lifeless eyes.

  Elana chewed her lip a moment. “May the Sovereign Sculptor protect you,” she said weakly.

  “He abandoned us centuries ago.” Sofia tipped the extract back.

  Elana winced as Sofia clutched her head, tears streaming down her face—though no screams, no writhing in pain. Elana couldn’t help but admire the woman. As she watched, Sofia’s mind changed from dull grey to glowing cobalt and Sofia drew a long, slow breath. She let it out and opened her eyes.

  “So this is what you see,” she said.

  Elana nodded.

  Sofia replaced her hood and half-mask, grimacing as the stiff leather touched her damaged cheek. Once secure, she walked to the door.

  As the door swung shut behind Sofia, Elana sank onto the bed. Shoulders slumping, she retrieved the bottle from beneath her pillow and uncapped it. Sofia was far more qualified to d
o further tests with the uzhas. The Alchemist Guild had invested five years training Sofia so she could sculpt, and Sofia had spent two years watching her craft the telepathy extract.

  “You’re not convincing anyone,” Elana muttered, “least of all yourself.” Reluctantly, she screwed the cap back on the bottle.

  Sofia was already out of sight by the time Elana stomped into the corridor, but her glowing blue mind was clearly visible, descending a stairwell.

  Elana shouldered past several Alchemists before ducking into the stairwell and hurrying down. She entered another corridor and spotted Sofia through the crowd. Elana broke into a jog and caught up with her. “Hey,” she said, tapping Sofia on the shoulder.

  Sofia spun, eyes wide. She relaxed when she saw Elana.

  “I’ll do it,” Elana said, between laboured breaths.

  “You’ll what?”

  “Sofia, you’re badly injured, I can’t let you test the extract. There’s no telling what it’ll do to you in this state.”

  Sofia let out a bitter laugh. “Nothing worse than what’s already happened.”

  Elana flinched but pressed on, “Nevertheless, I won't let you test it.”

  “Now you want to test it? You only had to wait until someone you knew got hurt before you would?”

  “Sorry,” Elana mumbled.

  Sofia glowered at her a moment. “Fine. Test it if it makes you happy.” She spun and stalked towards the vault.

  Why the depths am I helping her? Elana mused as she followed Sofia. She could have just left the whole thing alone, let someone else handle it. Because you just can’t let people suffer when you think you can do something…

  They reached the vaults, and the guards recognised them and opened the door.

  Minutes later, Elana once again stood alone in an empty chamber.

  “There’s sculpting extract on the back wall,” Sofia said. “That should help you connect with the uzhas.”

  With trembling hands, Elana plucked an extract from the rack. Come on, sculptors do this every day. There’s nothing to worry about. She unscrewed the cap and downed the extract. It had none of the bitterness of the telepathy extract, indeed, she could almost describe it as pleasant.

  The door slid shut behind her and a familiar gurgle came from the vent by her feet.

  Uzhas oozed into the chamber and slowly turned cobalt as it reverted to gas.

  Pressure built in Elana’s head as she gazed at the uzhas. It reached her thighs, and the gurgling stopped. Elana wiped her palms on her coat, leaving damp patches on the thick leather. She focused on the uzhas as it twitched and swirled around her, then, she sent the tendril from her mind towards it.

  Uzhas and tendril connected.

  Pain ripped through her head like a crowbar prying her skull apart. Elana opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

  “Don’t fight,” Sofia’s faint voice came through the door, “relax.”

  Elana clutched her head and squeezed. Relax? Really? That was the best advice she had?

  The uzhas pressed in on her, probing her skin and seeping into her pores. Elana tried to breathe but her lungs filled with the gas. Coughs wracked her body. She tipped forwards, landing on her hands and knees, gasping for air but only finding uzhas. Tears blurred her eyes, and she whimpered as her muscles spasmed.

  “Relax…”

  With her last ounce of willpower, Elana forced her body to relax.

  The torment ceased.

  She could feel the uzhas moving around her—through her—but it no longer hurt. A flash of blue caught her eye, and she looked down. Her entire body now glowed cobalt!

  You are different… a familiar flat, genderless voice said.

  “Sofia? Was that you?” Elana asked, panic rising.

  “What did you say?” Sofia asked, muffled. “Elana, are you all right?”

  Who are you? the familiar voice asked.

  “Who are you?” Elana shot back.

  I am… uzhas. As you call us.

  Elana tried to swallow, but couldn’t. “You’re alive…” she said, her voice a hoarse croak.

  Yes.

  Elana threw up.

  Chapter Five

  Get out of my head!” Elana screamed, scrambling back across the floor and slamming against the coarse stone wall. Uzhas writhed within her, a glowing blue mass beneath her skin.

  The door slid open, and Sofia rushed in. “Elana, breathe!”

  “It’s in me, it’s in me.” Elana dragged her nails down her face. “Get it out!”

  Sofia dropped to her knees before Elana and grabbed Elana’s hands, wresting them away from her head. “Shh. It’s all right. You’re all right.”

  Elana shook her head violently.

  “This happens to everyone who bonds,” Sofia said.

  Elana stared wide-eyed at Sofia. “You knew?”

  Sofia frowned. “Knew what?”

  “It spoke to me, Sofia. It’s alive.”

  “Breathe, Elana, it’s a hallucination. They’re common when first bonding with uzhas—learning how to control the gas and stop it affecting your mind takes time. Even I imagined the uzhas was alive when I began sculptor training, it took me days to realise it was just a hallucination.”

  Elana nodded, wanting to believe her, needing to believe her. It was just hallucinations wreaking havoc with her mind. Again…

  No.

  This was real. Elana wrenched her hands away from Sofia. “You lied, you worthless piece of muck,” she said through gritted teeth. “You knew. You all knew.”

  Sofia stood. “Relax, Elana. The uzhas is not alive.”

  “Has it ever filled your body? Or any sculptor’s?” Elana asked, raising her glowing blue hands.

  Sofia’s hesitation was answer enough. Elana lurched to her feet, and Sofia staggered back through the door, which slammed shut. Snarling, Elana leapt at the door and crashed into it, pressing her face against the small window. “What are you doing? Let me go!”

  Sofia peered at her with her one good eye. “I can’t do that. Uzhas has never responded to a human like this, and we need to study what’s happened.”

  Elana howled with frustration and punched the door. The heavy steel shuddered and Sofia stumbled back.

  Sofia watched her, brow furrowed. “You understand we need to study you, right, Elana? You’re an Alchemist, studying the unknown is what you do.”

  “Oh stop the slavock muck, you used me. Don’t deny it.”

  Sofia stared at her a moment then said, “I’m sorry, I have to report to Chernov Commander.” She turned on her heel and hurried off.

  Elana screamed and flailed against the door, every hit shaking it. Dust rained on her.

  Sofia paused by the vault entrance and spoke to the guards there. A moment later, three detached from the group and hurried to Elana’s chamber. Fear glittered in their eyes as they took up positions by the quaking door.

  Elana finally stopped abusing the door and stepped back, breathing hard. She frowned. Strange, no dents had marked the door when they first entered. One looked like an inverted fist. Elana glanced at her own fist.

  Impossible… she hadn’t taken any strength extract.

  Curiosity won, and she stepped forward and placed her fist in the dent. A shiver ran down her spine.

  Perfect fit.

  “What the depths did you do to me, Sovereign Sculptor?”

  While I appreciate the sentiment, the uzhas said in her mind, I am not your God.

  Elana sucked in a breath. “I thought you were gone.”

  I deemed it wise to let you calm down.

  “I need to get out of here… and get you out of me.” Elana scanned the chamber. Concrete floor, vents, stone walls, door, steel panel, rack of sculpting extracts… steel panel? Elana hurried to the panel beside the door. The one-foot square piece of steel with a small keyhole at the top was set deep in the stone.

  “What have we here?” Elana traced her fingers around the edge, should she use her new f
ound strength and hit it? No, she might damage whatever lay hidden behind it, and if that controlled the door…

  Make a key, the uzhas said.

  “What? How do you even know about keys?”

  I am connected to you, and you know.

  Elana shuddered. “So you’re just slinking through my thoughts?”

  She got the distinct impression the uzhas shrugged. “Well how come I can’t slink around your thoughts?”

  My thoughts can be seen by you, we share the same consciousness now.

  Elana raked her fingers through her hair. “I don’t have time for this. How do I make a key?” She felt her hand lift towards the keyhole and shrieked, yanking it back. “What the depths? Was that you?”

  Yes. While merged we can move one another.

  “Don’t ever do that again!” Elana shivered, feeling violated. “Just… ask what you’d like me to do.”

  If inefficiency is what you insist upon, so be it. Put your hand over the keyhole.

  Elana did so. “Now what?”

  Patience.

  Elana bit back a retort and instead settled on a scowl. It took all her self-control to not start drumming her fingers against the panel.

  With a soft click, the panel fell open, revealing a row of unmarked levers. Elana’s jaw sagged. “How did you do that?”

  I can move… “uzhasgart.” Which you humans use for everything.

  Elana winced. “Right.” She studied the four levers. “How did you know it was uzhasgart?”

  I didn’t.

  “What if it’d been a brass lock? Or steel?”

  I could have made a key, it said defensively.

  Elana raised an eyebrow. “How?”

  Forming the metal you call uzhasgart is a natural part of what we are. Also, I could stop answering these asinine questions if you were to study my thoughts…

  “I like asking questions. Forming uzhasgart is natural for you?”

  The uzhas sighed and said, I can shape myself into the tools we need, my consciousness will remain unless all of me is used.

  “But that’s like me cutting my arm off to use for something, isn’t it?”

  You can grow arms back with healing extracts, so yes.