Eyes of the Alchemist (25 page)

“It’s already started. I haven’t got the means to destroy it but you could try.”

Anguish filled Santo’s eyes. “To destroy chimera I would have to kill Finn. To do that would be to lose what I’ve become. I’ll be a weak, crippled child again.”

“If you don’t destroy him he’ll destroy you. His intention is to enter your body and meld your mind to his. Only you truly know how powerful that will make him.” A sense of urgency tore through him. “I’ve unsealed the library of the
Grand Alchemist.
Inside the books there are wonders untold. Access will be granted and you’ll have recourse to the true master’s teachings. In addition, I promise you’ll have my protection, for I’ll adopt you into my household if that is your wish. No doubt Tiana would approve of the arrangement.”

The use of Tiana’s name turned the tide in his favor. Santo considered for a moment, then he shook his head. “I don’t think I’m strong enough to stop Finn, but I’ll do my best.”

Kavan thought for a moment. “First I must get the watchers to safety. They seem to be bewitched.”

A faint smiled touched the lips of the apprentice. ‘What you see are illusions. The watchers have their own chimera world. There is a series of caves hidden deep in the forest bogs, and guarded by the sacred eels. There, they drink the juice of the eel and they mate and sleep, sustained by the dreams of ages past, which is retained in their genes and passed down from one generation to the next. From the watchers ranks the eels select one each of the older pairs as sustenance for their survival, thus keeping the population under control.”

“I knew nothing of this.”

“It’s a sacred and secret place to them. A watcher who revealed the location would be cast out to die, for it could not survive without the companionship of its fellows.”

“How did you come to hear of it, then?”

“All knowledge is mine to gain in this world.” Santo appeared sad for a moment. “When the chimera world collapses my mind will be a blank page again. So will yours, because you’ll forget I told you.”

Kavan cut through the rhetoric; too much was at stake to bother with Santo’s problems or his recently learned wisdom. “Where’s Finn now?”

“He could be on his way to find me. I must prepare with meditation and protective spells, for although his knowledge is less than I thought his magic is strong and he’s cunning in his ways. He thinks he controls my will but I’ve learned how to resist it now without being detected. If he has a weakness, it’s in his vanity.”

“I’ll try and slow him down a little, Santo. Which way do I go?”

“To the left, Lord. Keep always to the left and watch out for obstacles. Good luck.”

Kavan slid the ball back in his pocket and strode off through the village. There were fewer people abroad now and he confidently walked straight through those who got in his way.

The road out of the village was deserted. He could see the end of the world he was in, like a flat line across the horizon. A small figure scurried along in the distance.

“Finn!” he yelled out.

The figure turned, and then disappeared, as if the road had opened up under him.

Kavan started to run. When he neared the next world he saw the line had become a widening gap. Going too fast to stop he took a flying leap across the void.

Two paths forked on the other side. One road led up and one down – and in the distance he glimpsed what seemed to be the mountain of his dreaming place. Travelling fast, he came to an abrupt halt when he ran out of road. Too late, he remembered he should have gone to the left.

Something behind him hissed. He turned and his blood ran cold. A pack of mountain cats were stalking back and forth across the path, their tails lashing. Noting their predatory eyes their slavering jaws and the leanness of their stomachs, he unsheathed his sword.

From above him came a low and menacing growl.

* * * *

Heart pounding, Tiana woke. It was still dark and she was floating high above the bed. Beneath her a small candle burning on the table lit the room. Athene was asleep in a chair and Tiana giggled. The woman was snoring, and that’s what had woken her.

Where was Kavan? She remembered him bringing her home, remembered falling asleep in his arms.
Her hair!
The muscle-bound savage had slashed off her hair. She descended too fast in her annoyance, hit the bed and tumbled to the floor.

Scrambling to her feet, she crossed to the table to admire a vase of blood-red flowers. She’d never seen such exotic blooms before and found much to admire in them. Kavan must have left them for her. She touched one of the downy petals, inhaled the delicate perfume and smiled to herself. Sometimes her lord was so sweet and romantic, when he wasn’t cutting of her hair. Frowning again she searched for a mirror, but to no avail.

Then she spied her wishing dish on a shelf. Filling it with water from the ewer she gazed into its depths. Someone must have shaped her hair whilst she slept. She touched the delicate, tendrils that curled around her face and neck. It reminded her of the flower’s petals.

Her eyes glittered in the faint light, like ice. She shivered, remembering how cold she’d been in the tomb. Fear stroked a bony finger against her heart. Where was Kavan? He must have gone after Finn.

She touched the water, sending ripples scudding across. Her mind concentrated on Kavan. When the ripples cleared she saw him. His back to the rocks, he’d drawn his sword to fend off some mountain cats circling him.

It looked like the foot of his dreaming place – but no, it couldn’t be. The rocks were not solid, she could see darkness through them. He’d found a way into the chimera world and was going to deal with Finn on his own territory.

“My dear, brave idiot,” she whispered. “You don’t know what forces you’re up against. A thrill of horror shot through her when one of the mountain cats launched itself from the rock above him.

He was not quite quick enough. He cut it in half, but not before it had raked sharp claws down his face. Before the other cats had time to attack she wished them away. A black, ragged hole appeared at his feet. He teetered on the edge for a few moments then stepped backwards to safety.

Blood poured from his wounds. If she was there she could heal them.
If she was there she could add her own poor magic to his bravery to defeat Finn . . .

She made another wish, and a few tix later was dressed like a trooper.  She hoped she wouldn’t have to use the sword. What had seemed easy in Kavan’s hands was clumsy in hers, even in a scaled-down state. She patted the hilt of the dagger, feeling uneasy at the thought of a blade sliding into flesh.

Everything seemed to jingle and clink as she moved towards the door. She clicked her fingers under the guard’s nose and walked past him. Gaining the outside courtyard was easy. Challenged by another guard, she mesmerized him too. He opened the side gate and allowed her through.

The warning half-light was evident on the horizon. It looked as though it had come to stay. Tiana liked the thought of a softer approach into day and night – and hoped the sibling gods did indeed use it to catch up with news of the other.

She didn’t notice Javros detach himself from the shadows to follow after her. The village was quiet, the occasional snore or the cry of a baby needing to suckle were the only sounds to be heard. She quickened her pace, leaving the village behind, and had just reached the lake when she stumbled over a fallen body. 

The dim light showed her the face of Torma. He was alive and breathing normally, but no amount of shaking would awaken him. A pity, he could have given her news of Kavan. She left him there, skirted the lake and began to climb, intuitively aware now that she was being followed.

Let them follow, she thought. Nothing anyone could do would keep her from Kavan’s side, and she had a perfect place in mind to set her ambush.

Behind her, and as silent as a cat, came Javros, who paused for a moment to relieve Torma of the stun-gun. He’d just gained entrance to the cave through the tunnel when sharp, cold steel pricked against his jugular.

“Make one move towards your weapons and you won’t live to regret it,” she hissed.

“How did you know when I made no sound?” he queried, sounding more amused than alarmed by her ferocity.

“I sensed your presence, Javros.” She could hear her voice shaking – but clearer still came the message from his mind, and there was no hostility or threat in him.

“
Lady, you do not have the will to kill a man”

“You possess the high sense, Javros?”

“Aye. I’m no threat, I seek only to protect you.”

When she removed the dagger he bowed before her, his hand pressed over his heart. “My life is yours, Lady Tiana. Kill me and I will go to my grave loving you.”

“You must have known I was aware of you following me if you have the high sense.”

“Truly, you’re a wonder at concealing yours.” Laughter filled his voice. “Do I have your permission to straighten, little trooper? My neck is beginning to ache.”

“You do not have permission to tease me, Javros.”

“You have my promise.” He straightened and gazed into her eyes, smiling at her attempt to mesmerize him. He was impervious to it. “My lord would not like you to be abroad without protection.”

“He’s in the chimera worlds. I go to find him.”

 He nodded. “I know of the place. The alchemist took me there once when I was small. He wanted me to join him.”

“Why didn’t you, Javros?”

“It didn’t seem right, and I quite liked my own world. Besides, I knew I’d miss my family and friends and wanted with all my heart to be a trooper.”

“Have you regretted it?”

  Smoothly, he said. “Of late, when I was foolish and headstrong and chose to believe only half the truth.” He shrugged. “My Lord spared my life because of your intervention.”

“I’m glad,” she said. “There’s something you should know. The spirit of the alchemist is really that of Finn, the apprentice. He means us all to perish.”

Javros seemed unsurprised by her revelation. “Then we will not allow him to proceed with his plan.” His glance touched on her hair and his smile was more intimate than it should have been. “It suits you well, lady.”

“You are too much admiring of me, Javros. Your Lord would not like it.”

Javros’ smile lit his face up with mischief. “My Lord is not here to admire you himself, so I do so on his behalf. Besides, my admiration stems from an affection of great purity. It emerges from my heart as if we were kin, and joined by a blood bond.”

She felt it also, but thought it better not to encourage him along his line of thinking. Instead, she laughed. “You’re incorrigible, Javros. Now, let’s not waste time on any more pretty talk, but let us try and get into the chimera world.”

Javros took her hands in his. “It’s easy, little trooper. Look into my eyes. We’ll join forces and be twice as strong.”

Green eyes met green, his with a darker, disturbing core. His high sense was more powerful than hers, she discovered, as together they melted through the rock. 

The chimera worlds had no substance. The castle Finn had created was missing a turret, the space filled by an ominous blackness that made Tiana uneasy.

She clutched the hand of Javros a little tighter as they set off towards it. Yet the sound of their voices comforted her in this shifting landscape.

“Can you feel the pull of it?” she asked.

“The gravity makes the black hole strong, but there’s something beyond that,  a pull on the senses as if someone knows we are here and is trying to make contact.”

“I wonder if it’s Finn.”

“No . . . I can sense him in another world.”

A smile came and she surged forward, pulling him along after her. “Then it’s Santo. He must be meditating.”

He jerked her to a halt. “Santo?”

“He went into the chimera to be apprenticed to the alchemist. Once he learns about Finn he’ll join with us and make us stronger. Kavan may have already been in touch with him.”

“His loyalty will be sworn to the pretender.”

“No Javros. His allegiance lies with the
Grand Alchemist
, as does mine.”

 His eyes touched against her, almost defensive. “You give your trust too easily.”

Her smile gently teased him. “Kavan said exactly the same thing. There is much of the cynic in both of you.”

 Sadness touched his eyes. “He’s been betrayed by those closest to him, as have I. You should listen to our Lord. He is wise.”

“Too wise to execute you Javros. He listens to his instinct, and so do I.” She squeezed his hand, wondering what it was about him that pricked uneasily at her. Was it the easy way he had, so she felt she was linked to him at a deeper level? She couldn’t really read him, yet found much to admire and like in him, as if he’d woven a subtle spell around her. She wondered . . . had he?

He turned and smiled, his eyes steady against hers. She was being foolish. His eyes were sincere, trustworthy. There was moment of understanding between them. He read her mind, that was all. Her smile mirrored the shame she felt for doubting him.

He suggested. “Let’s err on the side of caution and test Santo’s allegiance. Can you enter into his meditation and make our presence known to him?”

“I can try, but people meditate a different levels and Santo has abilities beyond the normal range. In fact, Santo was deeper than she’d ever imagined, and it was a struggle to reach him. Her heart pounded against her chest, her eardrums vibrated from the pressure and her lungs were so constricted she found it difficult to take a breath.

Pain pounded against her head and blackness edged in on her. “Santo?” she gasped, her head feeling as if it were about to shatter. “I need help.”

“I’m going to push you back up, Tiana, there’s danger for you here.”

She found herself in a comfortable place and rested. Gradually, the pain left her.

“Who is the one with you who thinks so well of himself?” Santo said, a few heartbeats later.

 She started. It was an accurate observation. “It must be Javros.”

“Hmmm . . . he has a powerful aura and his high sense comes from a genetic link to your sire. The stealth he used to enter into the meditation could have robbed you of your wits. Hold fast while I eject him.”