The Alchemists' Bane

by Dan Van Werkhoven

  Elana barely managed a nod. She should have run instead of trying to save the uzhas. Uzhas that didn’t even try to save itself. She could feel it inside her, watching silently, almost… ashamed? And so you should be. We’re both going to die now.

  “Bring her,” Chernov said, marching away.

  A crossbow jammed into Elana’s back, driving her forwards.

  Chapter Ten

  The vault loomed, frozen and silent around them, as Elana stood facing Chernov, her back to the sealed vault door. The soldiers who had escorted her to the vault remained outside, but that still left a dozen extract boosted fighters in the vault with her.

  Sofia stood a few yards to Chernov’s left, her hands buried in her armpits. A distant and vacant expression clouded her face, and the occasional shiver wracked her body. Her bruised eye had turned a painful black, standing in stark contrast to the angry, red gash on her cheekbone.

  Elana scanned the room and barely suppressed a scowl when she spotted a patch of blue hiding in the wall beside the vault door. The uzhas claimed it would die if she took the healing extract, yet there it sat, alive and well in the wall—though probably stuck there unless she bonded with it again. The idea of leaving it there left her oddly satisfied.

  “Koskova,” Chernov said, “you have one opportunity to finish your job before I lose my patience.”

  Elana fought to keep her chin high as she held her tongue.

  Chernov sighed. “I was afraid you’d be stubborn.”

  “The uzhas is alive,” Elana said, “I won’t help you murder it.”

  Chernov strolled behind Sofia. “Perhaps you fail to understand what is at stake here. The uzhasgart represents the might of the Alchemist Guild.” He calmly removed a long blade from a sheath at his waist. “Without it, we are little more than a band of extract pedlars.” Chernov thrust the knife into Sofia’s lower back.

  Sofia’s eyes bulged, and she slumped to the floor with a whimper as Chernov pulled the knife out.

  Elana’s knees turned to sludge, and her breath jammed in her throat. She fought just to remain upright.

  “So you see,” Chernov continued as he wiped the blade clean with a handkerchief, “we cannot afford to release the uzhas. Think of it like… yutzi. You eat them and use their hides for coats. Can they think? Most likely, but that is irrelevant. Now, you have a simple choice: you can decode your notes and finish your job. Or, I can kill you—and your boy, Mikhail Koskov. He returns from his apprenticeship soon, yes?”

  Elana drew a shuddering breath as Sofia moaned softly and curled into a foetal position.

  Chernov glanced down at her. “If you help me, I may consider letting her live. But choose quickly, she won’t live much longer.”

  For a long moment, Elana stared at Sofia, then at Chernov, noting the cold, dead light deep in his steel blue eyes. She knew without a doubt that the same fate waited for her, regardless of whether she helped him. But if she helped him, perhaps he’d leave Mikhail alone.

  I help, the subdued voice of the uzhas said in her mind.

  It’s too late now, Elana said.

  I help, the uzhas repeated, its voice stronger.

  Fine, do what you want, Elana said.

  It slipped through her body and emerged in her boot, and the minds of everyone around her disappeared, replaced by the cursed itch in her head. The itch crawled through her head as the uzhas slunk away from her, a transparent cloud unnoticed by the soldiers.

  “I’m waiting,” Chernov said, a note of impatience creeping into his rumbling voice.

  “All right. I’ll do it.” As the words left her lips, her shoulders slumped.

  “I knew I hadn’t misplaced my faith in you.”

  “First, the heating needs to be on in the chambers,” Elana said, “otherwise the uzhas remains dormant.”

  “You must think I’m a fool if you expect me to turn the heating on.”

  “It’s the only way you can bond with uzhas.”

  Chernov studied her, his lips a thin line. Finally, he turned to the closest two soldiers. “Shoot her if you suspect anything. And make sure she’s dead.”

  The two masked and hooded soldiers fixed their attention—and crossbows—on Elana. Their eyes carried a hint of madness and rage. They were boosted high on strength, speed, and reflex extracts.

  A key scraped in a lock far behind her and hinges creaked as Chernov entered the control room.

  Elana turned her attention to Sofia as she waited. No matter what Sofia had done, being left to bleed to death in a freezing vault was a harsh way to die.

  Chernov returned. “Chamber one is heated.” He motioned to the soldiers, and they followed Chernov and Elana to the open door of the first chamber, set in the left wall of the vault.

  “Why are you doing this, Chernov Commander?” Elana asked.

  “Survival. The threat from beyond the gates grows worse every year, and each new gate spews out different horrors. The Warrior Guild and the Sentinels are both weak, they refuse to train their soldiers to their full potential. Serovnya will fall within five years under their ‘protection.’ The only way we’ll survive this war is if we control the uzhas.”

  “If we release it, we could ask it to fight for us.”

  “We cannot chance it turning on us. No. It is a simple decision: the future of Serovnya, or the uzhas.” Chernov glanced at her. “I will always choose my nation, and you should too, Koskova.”

  Gooseflesh pricked Elana’s arms as she stared at Chernov, as she took in his complete and utter confidence in what he said. What disturbed her most was how much sense he made…

  Suddenly, her consciousness expanded and a familiar, genderless voice said, You returned.

  Yeah, but don’t ask me why I risked my neck for you.

  “Now,” Chernov said, “show me how to use the uzhas.”

  Perhaps she was wrong to try and protect another race, especially a race that only cared about itself.

  Elana blew out a long breath, which misted before her. “You’re right, Chernov Commander.” She sent quick instructions to the uzhas and removed the last phial of telepathy extract from her coat. “When you take this, you’ll be able to communicate with the uzhas.”

  Chernov’s eyes narrowed. “What else?”

  “Sculpting extract.”

  “And?”

  The itch slid across the back of Elana’s skull as the uzhas moved into position. Without warning, her ability to see minds returned as part of it reentered her system.

  Ready? the uzhas asked.

  On my signal. To Chernov, she said, “It’s too hard to explain without you using the telepathy extract and seeing the world as I do.”

  Chernov drummed his fingers against his leg for a moment before taking the telepathy extract from her. “If she’s lying,” he said to the soldiers, “put a bolt in her kneecap.”

  Elana folded her arms, hugging herself as she willed her expression calm, and prayed no sweat would prick her forehead.

  Chernov unscrewed the phial’s cap, his gaze never leaving Elana’s face. He lifted the extract and curled his nose in disgust.

  “Sorry,” Elana said. “Sofia complained about the smell too.”

  With a grimace, the tall soldier drank the extract.

  Now!

  The vault exploded with action.

  An uzhasgart steam engine flew across the room towards the two soldiers by Elana. They saw it and blurred as, with impossible speed, they dodged the engine.

  Elana cursed the reflex and speed extracts, but at least the uzhas now held their focus.

  Chernov screamed, his fingers tearing at his face, leaving jagged red lines in their wake.

  Elana launched to the panel by the chamber, her movement boosted by the uzhas in her. She yanked at a lever and the floor rumbled beneath her as uzhas poured into the chamber.

  Chernov continued to scream, now on his knees.

  Elana glanced back and saw two soldiers on the far side of the vault lift their cro
ssbows and aim at her. Her eyes went wide, and she dove into the chamber.

  Crossbow bolts ricocheted off the wall by the control panel—right where she’d been standing.

  She scrambled to her feet, her elbows throbbing from landing on them. Uzhas pooled around Elana, and she looked through it, seeing the grey line stretching down to one of the huge tanks below.

  Elana focused on the un-bonded uzhas and hesitated. She shut her eyes and tried to ignore Chernov’s screaming, the yells from his soldiers, and the crashes of the rampaging uzhas.

  An odd calm swept over her as she watched the uzhas surrounding her turn blue while it transformed to gas.

  If she didn’t bond, Alchemist sculptors would continue to murder the dormant uzhas beneath her to make weapons.

  But if she bonded, what would happen to her mind? Would she remember who she was? Would she remember her son? Would she even be herself?

  A knot wedged itself in her throat.

  Elana, hurry! the uzhas said. Chernov has recovered.

  Tears rolled down her cheeks as she extended her mind to the cobalt haze swirling around her.

  Chapter Eleven

  She floated alone in a soft cobalt fog that cradled her in a loving embrace. The warmth of its hold calmed the turmoil in her mind, easing away doubts, chasing away fears.

  Yet a question remained; small, but persistent… soft, but insistent.

  Who am I?

  In the distance, a figure strode towards her through the haze. She frowned. The figure’s face looked familiar, yet she couldn’t place where, or why. Odd, four eyes and three slits for a nose was a face she expected to remember. A simple robe adorned the figure and hid the shape of their body. No hair covered their scalp, nor beard their face. Or even eyebrows—which made sense, four eyebrows would look bizarre.

  The figure stopped a few feet away.

  “Who are you?” she asked the figure.

  “You may call me Yustitsiya, for I am justice,” the figure said, their voice a soft lilt that carried no hint of gender.

  She considered this, then asked, “Who am I?”

  “You know who you are.”

  That made sense. Why hadn’t she thought of that?

  Soft, unintelligible whispers flitted through the haze around them as she mulled over Yustitsiya’s words. Despite their confidence in her knowledge of who she was, the answer eluded her. She frowned. Or did it?

  “I am…” she began, but the answer fled her grasp.

  Yustitsiya watched her, their face betraying a hint of… curiosity?

  “I am,” she said again, then paused. She knew the answer. Just say it.

  The image of a young man flickered in her mind, his white hair and narrow face reminded her of… who? His name couldn’t be important, otherwise she’d remember it.

  However, the question continued to plague her but thick wool tangled her thoughts and obscured them.

  Not once did Yustitsiya move, not even to blink.

  The haze swallowed the hollow pops as she tugged at her fingers. She needed to talk to her son, tell him she loved him before she left.

  A frown tugged at her brow. Mikhail, that was his name, wasn’t it?

  The wool in her mind cleared and a rush of memories slammed into her, making her gasp. “I know who I am,” Elana said.

  Yustitsiya smiled and inclined their head.

  “Where are we?” Elana asked, turning a full circle. The voices continued to whisper, but Elana couldn’t see where they came from. Indeed, the swirling mist was empty.

  “This is Rassudok. It is not a physical place, but a world of the mind. The world of the Sila.”

  “Sila?”

  “Yes. Uzhas is only your name for us,” Yustitsiya said.

  “What are you?”

  “Now is not the occasion. While time does move slower here, Chernov already rises, and you are too weak to stop him.”

  “Perhaps,” Elana said, “but together we are strong. Show me how to use… you, Sila, to fight him.”

  A flicker of irritation passed over Yustitsiya’s face. “There is no time. I must possess your physical body so I can face Chernov. I will let you return after.”

  Elana chewed her lower lip as she stared at Yustitsiya; though she hated to admit it, they were right. She blew out a long sigh. “All right, defeat Chernov.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Yustitsiya felt the cold stone beneath Elana’s prone body. Beneath their body…

  Her body.

  A cacophony ploughed into her, soldiers yelling and metal clanging. Harsh light blinded her while the stench of sweat and vomit stung her nostrils. Her knees throbbed and her head ached.

  Twisted shards of steel hung around her; a giant cage now shattered. Beyond that, a black maw of frozen emptiness.

  Yustitsiya squeezed her eyes shut and screamed. She clutched her head as she tried to control the conflicting sensations surging chaotically through her mind from her human body and the Sila in the wreck of the tank below. Pain exploded in her ribs as something heavy struck her side, lifting her from the ground and slamming her into the wall.

  She fell to the floor, gasping.

  “You tricked me,” Chernov said, his voice thick and harsh. A blue glow masked his features.

  Yustitsiya pushed herself to her knees, wheezing as she struggled to drag air into her deflated lungs. How had humans survived so long with such fragile bodies?

  “Show me how to control the uzhas,” Chernov said, “or I will kill you.”

  Yustitsiya managed a nod, stalling as she slowly separated what her physical body felt, and what her Sila form perceived. Sila swirled waist-high around the chamber, though the bulk of it writhed below her—free of the tank, but trapped in a cavern. Her head finally cleared, and she struggled to her feet.

  Chernov stood by the chamber’s unlocked, and open control panel and pulled a lever. The door slid shut, muting the sounds of the scrimmage outside. He rested a hand on the purge lever and watched her.

  A faint smile touched Yustitsiya’s lips, and she held out her hands towards the Sila.

  Chernov yanked the lever and giant pumps thundered to life, sucking air from the chamber, purging it.

  Yustitsiya fought the flow of air and drew as much Sila as possible into her body, using it to reinforce bones and strengthen muscles. A grin spread across her face as her body glowed blue from infused Sila.

  The roar quieted as Chernov pushed the lever back. An evil light reflected in his eyes. “The uzhas may have hidden in you, Koskova, but it will not remain once I kill you.” He pulled a gas-powered pistol from his coat and aimed at her.

  “I am no longer Koskova,” Yustitsiya said as she stared at Chernov, “and I will never tell you how to control me.”

  Chernov squeezed the trigger.

  Bang!

  The bolt sliced through the air—

  —and slammed into her shoulder. The force of the bolt ripped her shoulder back, and a pained groan escaped her lips.

  Hey! Elana said in Yustitsiya’s head. I thought you knew what you were doing. Stop letting him shoot bolts into my body!

  “Interesting,” Chernov said, lowering the weapon.

  Yustitsiya stared at the bolt wedged in her shoulder, the tip had barely penetrated.

  Chernov dropped the pistol and lunged at her.

  She dodged, slipping beneath his flying fists. Yustitsiya ripped the bolt from her shoulder and buried it in Chernov’s gut, twisting it before she yanked it out.

  He didn’t seem to notice as he pulled away, a blade appearing in his hand. With incredible speed, he darted forwards.

  Yustitsiya smiled. Not fast enough. She caught his wrist with her left hand, stalling his blade as she buried the bolt in his chest.

  Bone shattered.

  Disbelief shrouded Chernov’s features as he stared at the bolt jutting from his sternum. He staggered back and crumpled to the floor, the blue glow of his mind fading to dull grey.

  How did you
do that? Elana asked. You’ve never fought.

  You humans have been sending your dishonoured warriors to mine us for decades. Did you not think we would study you? Study your fighting techniques?

  Oh, Elana said, so that’s why the men there go mad. That’s you?

  Yustitsiya inclined her head as she walked to the control panel, turned on the pump to the tanks, and opened the chamber door.

  The vault outside was a battlefield. Soldiers lay strewn across the floor, bodies shattered and broken. A harpoon cannon barrel protruded the wall beside the chamber, only half of the five-foot barrel sat free of the wall. Similar injuries scarred the remainder of the vault.

  Are they all… dead? Elana asked, her voice faint.

  Yustitsiya shrugged. “They tried to kill us.”

  A cloud of Sila flew through the vault and merged with Yustitsiya, her consciousness expanded again as she absorbed its memories. She remembered fighting the soldiers, hurling chunks of metallic Sila at them, crushing them with rage as justice was dealt.

  It felt good.

  Yustitsiya, let me back. You’ve killed Chernov, we can leave now.

  When the Sila is safe, then we will leave. Yustitsiya marched to the next chamber, opened the door, and turned on the pump.

  And when will that be? Elana asked.

  When everyone in this building is dead.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Yustitsiya could taste Elana’s horror as she moved from chamber to chamber, turning on the pumps.

  You said when you defeated Chernov you’d let me back… Elana said, her voice tinged with panic.

  I lied.

  If you kill everyone here, the Guilds will come for us.

  Then I will kill them and anyone else who threatens the Sila.

  But my friends are here.

  Yustitsiya snorted. I can see your mind, no one here ever cared about you, so why do you care about them?

  Elana didn’t answer, and Yustitsiya shook her head.

  By the time she reached the last chamber, dozens of minds had gathered outside the vault. Reinforcements, no doubt.