Alchemist (13 page)

The King
looked to his daughter, any affection he had a few moments ago long
gone. “
Well
?”

Terry stepped away
from his other incarnation. “There’s a Phantom alive and well on
Earth. It killed two people and got through using a temporal
device. We think it might be Edward.”

The primeval
Alchemist roared as the metallic spines of his back rising as he
rose to his full height. With the noise at her back the King in the
throne remained silent, but he stared at her, his expression grave;
his nails digging into the arms of his chair. “This is most grave
news indeed if it is true.” He said, coldly. Straightening, he
said, “But you have still not told me why you ran from me.”

Terry looked away,
unable to hold his terrifying gaze. “If we had come here everyone
would have known we were back. I wanted to go speak to Lord
Rilario, something that would have been much easier if no-one knew
we were here. We think he knows who this Phantom is as it attacked
his men.”

“The politician?”
asked her father.

“He has something
to do with this.” She said, finding the courage to meet his eye
once more. “I think he’s been set-up by this Phantom. I don’t know
if you heard about it? But basically I think he’s been set-up to
look like he killed a member of the water elementals royal family,
to cause unrest and possibly stir up a war between the two
races.”

“Yes, I heard.” He
replied, waving his hand uninterestedly. “He supposedly killed the
emperor’s sister’s great granddaughter.” He stood. “But I fail how
to see this proves that Edward still lives.”

Terry shrugged at
a loss. “You’re right, we don’t know that it’s him but I have a
terrible feeling about this dad. We have to speak to Lord Rilario
just to be sure it is not him.”

“This is the
reason why you ran from me?” he asked, looking between his daughter
and his brother incredulously. “You have a bad feeling?”

“Fallo...” Lyle
said, but he was silenced with a wave of the hand from the
King.

“It’s one
Phantom.” He said, turning his focus to Terry. “And a murder in a
family in a far away nation that has nothing to do with you.”

“It isn’t that
simple. There’s been attempts on my life on Earth, dad. We think
it’s all connected. It’s really strange that this royal dies and it
could start a war between the Pyrovites and the water elementals
and someone tries to kill me, all at the same time. Then this
Phantom appears.”

“Who tried to kill
you?” Fallo demanded his eyes wide with terror.

She waved away his
concern with a flick of the hand like it was inconsequential. “Two
humans...no-one dad, but I think whoever did it, did it as a
warning. There are too many coincidences it has to all be connected
somehow.”

Fallo regarded her
solemnly while his primeval form gave a low growl from behind her
back. “You are home now and you are safe. Here you will remain.” He
decided, before returning to his throne.

Terry and Lyle
both began at the same time but the King waved his hand for
silence. “My mind is made up.” He said with finality.

Lyle said nothing
but Terry continued. “I don’t care, I’m going south.”

Fallo stood
sharply while his other incarnation hissed through barred teeth.
“You are not going anywhere!”

“I am and you can
either help me or stay behind.” Terry decided. She turned away, not
waiting for his answer. Primeval Fallo roared as she passed him but
she paid no heed.

Fallo gazed to his
brother, mortified. Lyle could only look away sheepishly.

******

The princess gazed
out through one of the countless open windows of the palace at the
tiny buildings and flickering fires in the city dwindling far
below. The interior of the royal seat had been carved from a
monstrous stalactite millions of years before by her ancestors. It
hung almost a vertical mile above the city and was almost a quarter
of that size at the widest point. But here in the farthest tip, the
lowest room spanned no larger than a small theatre; a miniscule
size to a race as largest as the Alchemists. Due to its closeness
the space was turned over to the purpose of being nothing more than
a viewing room. Though the view it granted of the city far below
was unmatched.

Terry heard her
father enter; both of them, even though his primeval incarnation
had to squeeze through the ceiling tunnel to gain entry. Even
though able to stand, his antennae were only inches from the
ceiling. She looked at them for a second then turned back to the
window, without word.

“I do not
understand.” Her father said, joining her by the window. “You have
returned home to your people and to your family yet you are
upset.”

Terry felt the
metal tips of her fingers dig into the windowsill but she made an
effort to keep the frustration from her voice. “I am happy to be
home dad.” She said, her gaze remaining on the world far below.
“But I came back for a reason. I would not have done so and risked
a war with the south if I did not think this Phantom was dangerous.
The old government in the Southlands once ignored Edward, the last
of his kind and we all know the damage he did.” She sighed. “I have
nothing against the Phantoms as a people. I never have but Ladre, a
fire elemental, who had been using a portal device to transport
members of Rilario’s family to Earth saw one kill two of his
friends before it darted through.” She looked at him now, making no
attempt to conceal her fear. “It cannot be up to any good, even if
is not Edward.”

Fallo leant
forward, resting his hands on the stony sill. “But it is on Earth
now, my girl. Whatever happens, it is none of our concern, not as
long as it does not become a threat to us or our people.”

“But what if it is
Edward? Can we really afford to take that chance?”

Fallo sighed
heavily and she knew he was not keen on what she was suggesting yet
again. “I could stop you from following this course of action but I
know sooner or later you would sneak away and I would have to give
chase again.” He sighed again, primeval Fallo growling. “Even with
two sets of eyes I cannot watch you all the time.”

“I have to know
dad.” She said solemnly.

He regarded her
for the longest time. Finally he sighed. “Ok.” He said,
acceptingly. “But under one condition.”

“Ok.”

“Consider this the
end of your exile. No matter what happens you will not return to
Earth, even if the Southlands disagree with it.” His eyes narrowed.
“You are my daughter, the next leader of our people, they had no
right to tell me that I should send you away.” He said
bitterly.

Even after nearly
a decade Terry could tell time had not tempered his anger. “It was
my choice as well, remember? Enough people had died after what
Edward had done.” She glanced back at the city, her eyes settling
on a flickering fire. “I couldn’t let anymore do so because of
me.”

“I do not think
you would have been so sympathetic to the south if Edward had never
damaged your mind.”

She stared at him
in shock. “Damaged? You make me sound like I’m crippled!”

Fallo
straightened, turning to face her. “I meant no offence daughter but
you know it is true. You have never been the same since when he
attacked you.”

“You could
have fixed me! You could have went inside my head at
anytime
to repair the damage!” she
exclaimed angrily, pointing to her head.

Primeval Fallo
raised his voice, the metal spikes on his back rising. The one
standing before her looked equally unimpressed. “And I told you how
dangerous that was. The mind is a complicated thing daughter. I
could have fixed you I could have made you worse. I made a choice a
long time ago and I stand by it. It was the best of all the options
I had.”

“Then why won’t
you let me make mine?” she asked, pointing to herself in
exasperation. “I am not a child anymore dad.”

“And nor are you
human but your damaged mind has made you susceptible to their
ideals.” He hissed, raising his voice.

Terry rolled her
eyes. “It doesn’t matter what I say, you still do not listen to me,
even after all these years.”

Fallo
roared; a deafening sound. The other jabbed a finger at her. “I am
letting you go south to find this lord, like you asked. Do not
push
me
. I am still your
father and you are still a child. You still have much to learn and
a lot to catch up on in your education since you have been away.”
Lowering his arm, he lowered his voice. “I am your father and I do
what I do because I love you. Never forget that.” That said he
turned away, his robes swirling behind him. The other Fallo stood
for a long moment, staring her down with his large amber eyes.
Grunting he turned away, scuttling back up the tunnel from which he
had once came.

******

The following
morning – true to the King’s word, the party set off at first
light. But they left with an escort, much to Terry’s annoyance. The
entourage consisted of four Monoglyphs and four primeval
Alchemists.

Terry, Connor and
Darius rode atop one of the giants, its large shoulders easily able
to support at least half a dozen passengers or. Faye and Lyle rode
atop the one behind them and King Fallo, the one in front. The
first Monoglyph carried no passengers, acting as a forward guard
while the four primeval Alchemists held a diamond formation around
the line.

Darius clung to
the edge of the Monoglyph’s shoulder plate, his stomach knotting
with every one of its long and heavy steps.

Connor held the
back of the giants head for support as he made his way toward the
youngster, which the Monoglyph didn’t seem to mind. “Are you
alright there?” he asked, with a grin.

Darius gave a
nervous nod. “How much longer is it going to take us to get
there?”

“I don’t
know...Terry?” He shouted, looking in her direction.

“About five days.”
She replied, from the other shoulder.

Darius looked like
he was going to be sick. “You have got to be joking. Wouldn’t we
get there faster if we just rode on the back of those?” He asked,
pointing to one of the primeval Alchemists. “You saw how fast Terry
and Lyle ran a few days ago.”

Connor frowned. “I
know I was there. I had to hold you from falling off, remember?” He
glanced down at the primeval Alchemists that flanked them. “They’re
not horses. I think they would kill you if you tried it.” He said
with a smirk, looking back to Darius.

“These ones don’t
seem to mind.” He said, looking at the Monoglyph, who in turn gave
him a funny look through way of his mechanical features.

Connor laughed and
shook his head. “They’re not the same.”

“At least we’re
going home I suppose...”

“What will you do
when we get to the capital? Or are you leaving us at the lake?”

Darius stared at
him wide eyed. “What? I have a choice? I thought I was your
prisoner?”

It was Connor’s
turn to look surprised. “Maybe a week ago...I guess...” he
shrugged. “But back then we didn’t know you. It was all more
because you broke into Terry’s house and we weren’t sure which out
of you and Faye was lying.”

“So I’m not a
prisoner?” He asked, still doubtful.

Connor’s brow
furrowed. “No.” He said bluntly, like the boy was slow and didn’t
hear him the first time.

Darius
looked ahead to the horizon. “I don’t know what I’ll do then. I
want to get out of here and go home faster than anything else but
I’m afraid if I left you lot
she
,” he flicked his head in Faye’s general
direction, “will probably chase me and kill me.”

Connor glanced
behind him. “I think if she was going to kill you she would have
done it by now. She’s had plenty of chances.”

The young man
shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going on inside her head these
days. She’s just not the same as she used to be. You must see.
Sometimes she speaks to me like she used too and then other times
she looks like she is going to rip my throat out.”

“I have noticed
that.” He conceded, much to his regret. A long silence passed
between them before Connor spoke again. “Do you know why Faye lied
about the Alchemists and the Southlands being at war?

He shook his head.
“No, I have absolutely no idea.”

Connor’s glance
strayed back to the Monoglyph trailing behind them. “Between you
and me I think she just said it to get us to come back here.”

“That’s what I
thought.” Darius agreed, clutching the plate as the Monoglyph
strolled forward on another heavy step. “But if she was only doing
it so she could run off again, why hasn’t she?”

Connor shook his
head. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because we landed in the desert?
She would not have lasted five minutes out here by herself. There
are a lot of big and dangerous animals out here and not a lot of
water. But I don’t know if that is it.” He admitted, still highly
suspicious. “But she’ll have to come clean sooner or later.”

Darius looked
nervous at the thought. “I think I’m safer staying with you lot for
now.” He jumped in fright as Lord Fallo landed on the Monoglyph. He
had not seen him leap, but he landed in a silent, fluid motion.
Catching the youngster gazing at him, he stared back. Darius felt
the fear of god in him and averted his eyes.

“Father.” said
Terry, walking over to him with ease despite the moving ground
beneath her feet.

“Daughter.” He
said, inclining his head. “I trust you and your companions are
well?”

She smiled. “I’m
fine and you?”

He allowed himself
a smile. “I am well since you have returned to me.”

Terry was going to
speak when Darius blurted, “How did you do that?”