Alchemist (The Four Corners of Santerria)

  “Is he...”

  “No, he’s unconscious.” She replied, holding her fingers to his neck. A thin trail of blood trickled down from a cut to his temple. She stood up and turned to him. “Is there anywhere else around here we can go? Somewhere that you know will be safe?”

  He shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t risk it. They’ll probably be more of them here soon.”

  “Then pick him up and follow me.” She strode passed him.

  “I won’t be able to fight if they catch up to us and I’m carrying him.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Terry replied, disappearing through the door.

  ******

  A young child sat on a doorstep chewing a sweet while his siblings kicked a ball down the dusty road. He closed one of his eyes and glanced up at the sun. Streams of light touched every acre this day through a sapphire sky. Suddenly a large shadow flickered across his vision and vanished, leaving the small boy gawping in awe.

  Terry landed on the slanted roofing, terracotta tiles cracking under her many feet. She slid back, forced to grab a hold of the roof with her hands. The jump had nearly sent the others flying from her back. Connor and Micca both had to grab a hold of Lord Rilario to keep him from falling off. They both cursed his large, flabby stature. It was not helping Terry jump so well or move so fast.

  “Easy!” shouted Connor, as they hoisted him back. Terry growled, darting along the rooftop on all eight limbs.

  “We’re going to die if she keeps this up.” Micca muttered, holding her shoulder plate with one hand and gripping Lord Rilario’s arm by the other.

  “She’ll kill you anyway if you don’t shut up!” Connor threatened.

  Reaching the end of the building, Terry launched herself again, landing as awkwardly as the previous leaps.

  “It’s no good! Terry can’t find her balance with all this weight on her back.” Connor said as she ran on.

  “Either that or she’s a poor jumper.”

  Terry shrieked, crunching tiles underneath her feet as she came to a grinding halt.

  “Now you’ve done it.” Darius muttered, cowering in fear of what would come next.

  Terry reached around with her right arm and plucked the mouthy Alchemist from her shoulder. Twisting to her side, she spun round, flinging Micca as if he were a ragdoll. He screamed as he sailed through the air before finally disappearing behind the rooftops.

  Connor cringed. “Ouch.”

  Terry sneered. Dropping down onto her arms she took off over the rooftops once more.

  Chapter 16

  Rilario

  “Look I’m sorry...” Terry roared and Micca stumbled backwards, beating a hasty retreat. He had attempted to approach her to make amends for what he had said earlier but she was having none of it.

  She rose to her full height, the metal spikes on her back extending, making her appear even larger than she was. Terry hissed as she approached. Micca continued to back away, nearly running backwards. He stepped between Connor and Darius, who were sitting beside the campfire. Lord Rilario slept nearby; he had not heard anything. Connor and Darius both shuffled aside as the Alchemist approached.

  But Terry stopped short of them, glowering at the outcast. She barred her teeth and hissed; the dancing colours of the campfire painting her fangs crimson as if they were soaked in blood. Having made her point, she turned about and returned to where she had been sitting. Laying her head down Terry yawned, flexing her mandibles and blinking tiredly.

  Connor looked across the campfire to Rilario who lay undisturbed by all of the commotion. He had woken twice since the rescue, both times only briefly. The first time he had muttered only a few words before passing out again. The second time he was awake for several minutes, long enough to eat some food and speak with Micca. It wasn’t long enough to tell him much about what was going on, but long enough to assure him that he was safe.

  “Do you think he’s going to be okay?” Darius asked, looking to where the disgraced politician slept. They had cleaned up his head wound. It had turned out to be just a nasty scratch but his eye had swollen to the point that he could not open it properly.

  “I don’t know. I think they must have had him tied up down there for a few days.”

  “Why would they do that? I thought they would have taken him back to Marrich as soon as they found him.”

  Connor shook his head. “I don’t know, maybe they didn’t. He just looked like he’d been down there for a while.”

  “They must have been waiting for me to come back. They must have followed me there the last time I was in the town.” Micca said. He cautiously approached the campfire, not taking his eyes off Terry as he sat down beside the fire elemental.

  Connor rubbed the stubble on his chin. He had not shaved for two days. “That’s a little odd for Kamari to be doing that isn’t it?”

  Micca shook his head, anger in his eyes. “You saw their uniforms, they were definitely the police but I bet you more than a few of them have a grudge against Ryan because of what happened. I think they kept him there to torture him.” He stared at the fire, the flames flickering in his eyes. “And kill him is he did not work as bait.”

  Connor stared at the fire too. “I can believe that.” He sighed.

  The camp lapsed into silence, the crack of the occasional ember, the only noise.

  “You killed them!”

  Terry snapped awake. Sitting up she realised she was in human form. She looked around, her eyes sticky with sleep. It was still dark. To the east she could see the first hints of the day approaching.

  “No! It was not like that.” replied a low voice, who Terry recognised immediately as Micca’s. “She and her friends did.”

  Terry could see Micca and Rilario a short distance from the camp, standing under a small tree.

  “A credit to the crown as always Micca?” she shouted. The two men looked in her direction. Terry could make out Micca’s nervous expression despite the poor light.

  Getting up she walked over to them. “You must be Lord Rilario.”

  He gave a slight, if impromptu bow as she approached. “Yes, I am. And you are Her Royal...”

  She cut him off, “Everyone just calls me Terry.”

  Rilario was a little surprised by the remark. “You must forgive my appearance.” He added.

  “You’re fine, you’ve been tied up and beaten no one expects you to look your best.”

  He gave a slight smile, unsure of what to say next. “Yes, like you say...”

  “And just so you know, the Kamari we killed attacked us first.” She glared at Micca, who lowered his gaze. “It was self-defence.”

  “You still killed them.” Micca mumbled.

  “And what would you have done?” she asked, raising her voice.

  Rilario held up a hand in supplication. “Please, this is not the place.” He said. Seeing he had their undivided attention he continued, “I hate to say it but the men who held me were operating outside their remit. I was an officer for nearly twenty years and I trained the Kamari,” he shook his head, “They were acting in a way they should not have. If they were my men I would have had them all court marshalled.”

  Terry looked him up and down. He was in a right state. “How long did they keep you down there?” she asked

  He nodded the pain evident in his expression. “I think it was two days...I’m not sure.” He looked away glumly, remembering. “They kept hitting me. It’s hard to recall.”

  “Do you think you’ll be able to walk?” Terry asked, changing the subject.

  He looked back to her, nodding. “Yes, I think so. I am a little stiff and a little sore but I should manage.” He glanced around.

  Reading his expression Terry said, “We’re about forty miles north of Newport.”

  He hesitated. “Forgive me for asking...”

  “We’re not taking you back to Marrich and we’re not turning you in. It’s up to you where you go from here I only wanted to talk to you.”

  “Ab
out Edward?”

  She nodded. “It’s definitely him?”

  “Yes.” He replied. There was sadness in his eyes. “You will want to know about him? The last I heard he had killed several people and forced his way through a portal to Earth.”

  “Ladre?” Terry asked.

  A fleeting look of surprise passed over him. “When I think about it, it would make sense that you know him. You and your uncle seem to be well connected.”

  Micca scratched his ear. “Maybe we should take a seat?”

  Terry shrugged but Rilario seemed keen. They headed back to the burned out campfire.

  With Connor and Darius up, the five gathered in a circle around the cinders to discuss the matter at hand.

  “Where shall I begin?” Lord Rilario asked, looking around each of them.

  “Can you tell us when you first met Edward?” Terry asked.

  Rilario nodded. “Certainly, it was about eight months ago. But it wasn’t until he tried to kill me that I realised who he was.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

  He sighed, his gaze growing distant. “The first time I met him he looked completely different and was using a false name. He came to me expressing an interest in becoming a junior politician,” he shook his head, “My previous two apprentices had both died a few months before that in an accident. At the time I said no, I was in no condition to take on any new ones so soon after what had happened.”

  Micca inclined his head. “We think Edward may have been responsible.”

  “Yes...” Rilario nodded, lost in thought. “But I will keep a long story short as it upsets me to talk about it too much. He persisted and eventually I said yes.” He looked around them all. “I spent many days with him, teaching him the basics, which is normal when you take on a new junior for the first six months. Now that I think about it I spent too much time with him. I don’t know what it was, but he was very persuasive at getting me to stay with him, even when it was getting late.”

  “He does that to gain control of people.” Connor added. He and Terry exchanged a knowing look.

  Rilario nodded. “Yes, I know.” He said regretfully. “But one day, I tripped and fell down the stairs, hitting my head off the steps.” He tapped the back of his head absently where he had struck it. “Two of my aides had seen me fall and came to help.” His gaze met Terry’s. “And so did he.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what it was but from then on I could see him as he really was. The blow must have snapped be out of his trance or something. Without thinking I said his name. I thought he was going to kill us all but instead he ran.” He looked at Terry again, confusion in his good eye. “I’ve never seen him again. Four weeks later a unit of Kamari turned up at my door with a warrant for my arrest, accusing me of killing the Duke of Naris’s daughter.”

  “What happened to you?”

  “They locked me up and questioned me.” He looked at Micca. “That is when I met Micca. He too had been arrested and was being kept in the same prison.”

  Terry glared at him. The Alchemist lowered his gaze, shifting nervously.

  “He was in the cell next to mine, so as you can imagine we spent a long time talking. Two weeks later Micca broke out and he took me with him.”

  “And what were you in for?” Terry asked, her focus falling squarely on the outcast Alchemist.

  Micca looked at her with pleading eyes. He shook his head. “Please...” he begged.

  “Tell me.”

  Micca hesitated, the tears coming unbidden. “I raped someone...a Pyrovite.”

  Terry stood, drawing her blades.

  “Terry! No! Terry!” Connor yelled, grabbing her by the arm and. Terry stopped and glared back at him. “Let go of me.” She warned coldly.

  Connor let go and stepped back. He knew she would kill him in a heartbeat. “Please don’t do this.” He begged.

  “And why not?” she asked, turning to face him.

  “Because we have enough going on right now, don’t stoop to his level.”

  Terry turned her attention back to Micca, then back to Connor. For a long moment he thought she would kill him. She flexed her wrists and the blades retracted.

  Rilario stood. “I do not condone Micca’s actions but the fact of the matter is I may have been executed long before now if he had not freed me. His help since has also ensured the safety of my entire family.”

  Terry fixed him with a deadly gaze. “That’s doesn’t make it okay.”

  “You killed people yourself yesterday my lady, people who had families despite their actions.” Rilario pointed out.

  “Don’t you dare compare me to him. He raped someone for no good reason at all. We killed those guards to save you.” She jabbed a finger at him. “Chances are they would have killed us on the spot if we had surrendered.” She looked at Micca. “What did that Pyrovite ever do to you?”

  Micca swallowed hard. “I was in bloodlust...I could not stop myself...she was the only one around.”

  Terry laughed - a humourless, cynical bark. “That’s not an excuse! It is never an excuse!”

  Tears streamed unbidden down Micca’s face. “I am sorry...I am so, so, sorry.”

  Terry shook her head, her stomach turning with revulsion. “So what were your plans then Rilario? You stick up for him and he sticks up for you until the heat dies down?”

  The disgraced lord’s jowls quivered as he shook his blotchy, bruised head. “No, it was not like that. He was going to escort me to the temporal gateway that Ladre had. Then we were both going to go our separate ways. But it never happened, because Ladre stopped using it a while ago. I don’t know why.”

  “That would have been you seeing him.” Connor said quietly, looking to Terry. “Edward must have framed Rilario after the mind control he had on him snapped.”

  Terry turned to him, nodding, her face still etched with rage. She looked back round at the two outcasts. “Why infiltrate the Senate by brainwashing a minister when you could start a civil war by framing one?”

  The two men remained silent, partially silhouetted in long shadows cast by the rising sun.

  Connor looked at Rilario. “Do you know any reason why Edward did not try to kill you when you realised who he was?”

  “I don’t know. I thought he was going too. I always heard he killed anyone who got in his way.”

  Connor and Terry exchanged puzzled glances but said nothing. Connor folded his arms. “That is true, that is weird. But is there anymore you can tell us about him? What he said to you?”

  Rilario shook his head. “No, most of it was just politics. That’s all we ever really discussed.”

  “Before coming to Marrich did he tell you where he had been staying?”

  “His documents said that he was from Naro, but they must have been forged. I’ve never taken on an apprentice without checking their background first.”

  “Then no-one really does know where he’s been all these years.” Terry said impatiently. “We’re done here, let’s go.” Turning she stormed away.

  “Wait...but you said you would defend him...”

  She stopped and turned to face him. “That was before I realised he was in league with someone like you.” She pointed a finger at him. “And if I ever see either of you again I’ll kill you.” That said Terrifallo left on her long way home.

  “Terry! Terry!” Connor shouted running after her.

  Darius stared at the men for a long moment, unsure what to do. Finally though, with great reluctance, he turned and hurried after Connor and Terry.

  ******

  “Where are you going?” Connor asked, struggling to keep up.

  “Marrich, where do you think?” She replied bluntly, striding quickly across the open plains. The sun was now hanging half over the horizon, causing long shadows to run behind them on spindly legs as they went.

  Connor fell in step with her. “I don’t know if that is a good idea after what happened yesterday. The Senate may find out that we killed those
Kamari before we get back to the city.”

  “I doubt it, not unless the Kamari want to draw attention to the fact that they caught Lord Rilario and didn’t let them know.”

  “You don’t know that. The person who gave them their orders might try covering their tracks. No minister from the Senate would ever go to that cellar to see for themselves. The Kamari are self-regulating, this whole thing could easily be swept under the rug.”