Book 2: Chapter 12: The Alchemist's Daughter

Book 2: Chapter 12: The Alchemist's Daughter

Too much of one thing can lead any of us down the path of the many-coloured myriad loss.

- Well-known Qisnian aphorism.

“Why?”, I rasped, “I must know. Why me? You say you would entrust your dearest possession to a stranger, do you not?”

“All friends start as strangers. You bear the mark of the Guild, do you not? A strapping man like yourself, and with formidable allies, no less? You have the air about you of a man who has found great strength. Something about you tells me that the Goddess of the Two Blades has touched you with her blessing. Also, you are an outlander with no real ties to this city, and I do believe, from the cut of your enemies in the arena, that you harbor a disliking for the iron collar,” he put forth. “Only a person such as yourself, a man not born to the Tides, can I trust to see my Lynda safely to the city of Dust.”

I made a move to refute his claims, but the man simply barrelled on, keeping me off balance. How on earth was this man so well informed? Was this man there on that fateful day when I made an end of Jongshoi, the boy who had failed to prove himself a man?

“Let me give you a little something. A token to show that I mean no ill will. Most of the people here believe you’re dead, you know? All except a mother of a dead young brat. That one thinks you have turned into a ghost. A vengeful specter who preys on innocent blood in the dead of night on your quest for vengeance, or so the rumors go. Though she is only one voice among the many, I would not remain in this place with an enemy like that. Best you make yourself scarce. He paused for a moment, giving me time to form a response.

“Why not have her just join the Guild here? I saw an elf, just a few days ago, wandering around free, without a care in the world,” I asked insistently, not understanding the Alchemist’s motives.

“On the surface at least, the Guild offers a level of protection for their members. But that silver-haired menace, Lanarisa, the elf you speak of, is protected by more than just her affiliation with the Guild,” Hamsa said, his refined voice growing irritable.

“Surely, it is...” I began.

“Better than nothing, maybe, but is far too thin and fickle of a shield. Have you met that Darcen Tsend fellow? Of course you have. Tell me true, do you think that snake of a man is worthy of trust? He did not come to his position by merit alone, I can tell you,” the old man snorted. “The Guild, under his leadership, has grown to be very flexible in its morals. Respecting local customs and culture would be how Tsend would phrase it. No doubt he will weigh the worth of new members against the demands and desires of the local lords. It would take just one upstart to think that an innocent young half-elven child would be a welcome addition to his hareem. Also, even an ignorant fool knows the price that Elven blood commands on the slave blocks. Even a half-blood like Lynda,” stated the Alchemist bitterly, letting the words settle for a moment. “You too, would do well to not be overly reliant on the protection of the Guild.”

“I want her to have a better future than she could here in Ansan. Though she is the very embodiment of the word idle, she is also graced by some degree of mental aptitude, and the city of Dust would be a good place for her to spread her wings and find her own path. It simply is not safe for her here. Bah, the amount she eats alone is cause enough for worry. There is no end to the trouble she has caused for me already, I will be relieved once she is out of my hair!” he snorted, the lie obvious for all to hear and see.

He squinted at me. “I am old, Gilgamesh, or Bzzz...”

What did he say!? For a moment, I thought I heard the whisper of my old name before it was drowned by static. A distant thing, that was gossamer thin, and floating out of reach. I tried to claim it for myself, but the voices whispered in turn that it was but a name. That I should let go. That I should forget. A soft command that was, nonetheless, as strong as banded steel. With that, they focused my mind back to the present.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

“...as you were known, older than you know. Again, my next turn upon the wheel grows close. I want to give her a chance. More of a chance than she would have here.”

It felt like I was missing something, but I had to keep my attention to the conversation at hand. It was indeed a convincing case that he presented. His motives wedded logic with emotion, but a gnawing feeling in my gut told me something was being hidden from me or that I had overlooked something significant - some detail that was yet veiled. It was almost always the smallest things that caused the biggest amount of trouble. But maybe I was just worrying too much over nothing. Perhaps everything was in alignment.

Having already acquiesced to his bargain, I could only nod again in agreement and prayed that the burden placed upon me would not be too troublesome. Looking long and hard at the small girl, I saw that her face was now set into an expression that passably resembled grim determination.

“You had best call your companions in, and I will close Hamsa’s Wondrous Apothecary for the rest of the day. There will be gossip among the old wives, but this can not be helped. Be sure to tell your associates to bring in my goods,” he said, his friendly tone returning, now that our bargain had been struck, as he went outside.

Opening the tent flap, I told my companions of the situation in a hushed voice. Soon after, we began to offload the bounty from the forest into the gloomy shop. Elwin seemed furtive, looking this way and that and, like my earlier self, he probably saw enemies in every shadow. The only issue arose was when I forgot to reward Patches, for her patience, with another carrot, which resulted in her braying in irritation.

Hamsa, seeing the array of bloody loot that we had unloaded, simply raised an eyebrow as I pocketed a simple single-edged knife for my own personal use.

“Do you really need any more weapons? Suit yourself I suppose. Hmm, truth be told, I don't have any interest in these goods, and I have even less interest in where you got them. Still, a promise is a promise, and I will take them off your hands. I’ll have to speak to Yusuf later...” the old man nodded to himself, and I could only grit my teeth as a small part of me felt that I was making a mistake in trusting him. After all, I had no idea the true value of our loot. Still, another part of me was glad that forensics had not been developed yet in this world.

As we were finishing with our labors, I observed that Elwin appeared unusually troubled by the recent developments. It seemed as though something was gnawing at him, and I could have sworn I heard him murmuring softly to himself.

Once we had finished stacking the goods near the entrance, Hamsa lit a small candle on the wooden counter of the shop. Its faint light helped to cut through the gloom, and shadows danced with the flickering light on the cloth walls. More importantly, its fragrant scent helped to ward off the noxious smells that pervaded the inside of the shop.

Looking this way and that, I searched for the fool. Kidu, realizing the source of my distress, scanned the vicinity as well. I felt a tug at my arm and almost snapped in irritation. However, I held back when I saw that it was our little guest.

“Should go,” she all but squeaked, pointing towards what I assumed was the east.

"We're not leaving here without Elwin," I said firmly, locking eyes with her for a moment before resuming my scan of the crowd. I wondered if using Identify would be helpful in this situation. As I was about to cast the spell, I felt someone tap my armored shoulder. I spun around, only to find empty air.

"Well, that's damn bloody reassuring!" said a familiar voice near my ear.

I turned once more, slightly irritated by the childish prank, and found our missing Rogue smiling at me with his cheeky grin.

"Elwin, damn you! This is no time for these kinds of japes!" I said, taking a deep breath to restrain my growing anger, and to avoid causing a scene.

"I know," Tucker replied, his voice losing its usual playfulness. "This is serious. But first, let me say thank you, Gilgamesh of Uruk. You have my deepest gratitude, truly. If I hadn't met you, I'd still be wasting away in the slave pits."

"What is it, Elwin?" I asked exasperatedly, disliking the direction his formal words were taking.

“Across, the Whispering Wastes to the east? I’m sorry, but that is a path that I can not travel. I need to get back to my family, I need to know...” he replied, looking me firmly in the eye.

"You have no honor, warm lander. Our life debt has not yet been paid," growled Kidu dangerously, his words carrying the threat of violence like a brewing thunderstorm.

I placed a hand placatingly on Kidu’s shoulder that seemed to calm him a little. "Elwin, I know family is important, but is there anything I can do to persuade you to stay? We, I, still need you. There’s still so much that I don’t know about these lands. Can’t you see? We're stronger together," I pleaded, as panic started to take root.

"The caravan to Al-Lazar will take me too far from my home. I've been away from my family for far too long. True, I owe a debt to you, young Gil, but the debt I owe from lost time to my home is stronger. You two wouldn't understand the weight of being a father. Still, it will be a hard road without the both of you. If fate is kind, I promise to repay all debts I owe. Remember, Gil and Kidu, you'll always have a friend in me," he said guiltily, his eyes downcast.

"Bah, the words of warm landers are worth less than wind. Take your hollow words and friendship with you. For I have no need of them," Kidu declared, almost growling.

Taking a deep breath to control my growing irritation, I decided to handle this like a mature adult. "Go in peace, Elwin Tucker. Let there be no debt between us," I responded formally as the sober truth finally settled in. However, my words were nothing more than a polite lie, for the man could have at least seen me to some form of safety. Surely he owed me that much. Still, thinking to accept this with some grace, I shook his hand and he mustered the courage to face me. Looking him firmly in the eyes, I could see a whirl of conflicting emotions in their depths. I released his hand and turned my back on him. For a fleeting moment, I expected a knife between my shoulder blades - such was the feeling of sudden betrayal.

Mastering myself, I tamped down on my emotions. Was this just part of the game? Perhaps Elwin was just following his prewritten script. Perhaps this was nothing more than a forced story event. Cursing inwardly, I realized that I should have stripped him of his gear before reaching this point, only to see that this option had vanished. The man had disappeared like a shadow under the sun at noon.

I decided to take stock and assess my situation. Crying over spilled milk would do me little good, and I had no time to wallow in my misfortune. We needed to get out of Ansan, and now I had a new burden to worry about. An annoying escort mission. It was time to get moving.

Things were not a total loss, however. I glanced at the child to my right, thinking that I might have gained a temporary companion to offset Elwin’s sudden disappearance - though her usefulness remained to be seen.

"Child, do you know the way to Harevor's caravan?" I asked our new burden, the girl, firmly.

She looked at me through misty jade-green eyes for only a moment, as she was unable to hold my gaze. I thought I heard a muffled 'Yes,' but in this situation, I needed a clearer answer.

"Speak up, child! I can't hear you!" I insisted a little sharply, my irritation coloring my voice.

"S'not child! My name's Larynda!" she retorted, suddenly finding her courage, before finally answering my question, "Of course, I know how to get there! Not like some outlander!"

I looked around worriedly, hoping that no one had noticed our little exchange. This one, it seemed, had a backbone. Kidu's expression was almost unreadable, but I could have sworn I saw a hint of a smile.

The girl huffed in irritation and led the way, her little legs setting a surprisingly fast pace through the muddy streets. A few minutes later, my anger had finally subsided, and clarity allowed me to think for a moment. I felt a pang of sympathy for her as I realized that perhaps we had both been abandoned this day.