Chapter Forty-Three

The Ones Who Did Those Things

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The Alchemy lab in Devratha Manor was an immense open space sectioned into workstations, some for each Alchemist's personal use, others shared among the team. Kelvaran had chosen a station in a far corner, where he wouldn't need to interact with the others often.

He had already met most of them at Yilina's fort when he'd first returned to Valesk, and thought them all disgraces to the practice. Throughout the centuries, restrictions had been placed upon Alchemists to prevent them from abusing their power, and the greater community of Alchemists had always willingly agreed to the necessity of these restrictions. The fact that so many would flock to Halany and Gorvan's promises of a free-for-all was unsettling.

Kelvaran sat before two copper brewing stills, noting down the readings from their various gauges. Light footsteps accompanied by the tinkling of glass approached from across the room, followed by a clatter as Yilina set a box of freshly sterilized vials on the table behind him. Kelvaran peered into the box, then up at Yilina, with a light smile.

“Thanks for all your help with this,” he said sincerely.

He plucked a vial from the box, then swiveled his chair around to place it under the tap of the still brewing his empathy potion. The other still held Seamist, which wouldn't be ready for a few days yet.

“I still don't like it,” she answered, “but if it helps us both get some sleep tonight, then carry on.”

Kelvaran had explained both potions to Yilina as medications needed to manage his anxieties. After sleeping next to him for several nights, she had witnessed the nightmares he suffered, so she accepted his prevarication.

It wasn't entirely untrue. The empathy potion truly was nothing more than a calming formula, and since Kelvaran had begun experimenting with it, his nightmares and disquiet were somewhat improved.

It was the Seamist that Yilina was most skeptical of, as it would clearly hinder the movement of ethereal energy. He assured her that it was only used in extreme circumstances, and she begrudgingly relented. At least the brewing gave him something to do until official assignments were decided for him. That wouldn't happen until Gorvan's Master Alchemist examined him.

“I don't think you've got time for bottling just now,” Yilina told him as he filled the vial. “Master Vlais could arrive at any time.”

Kelvaran closed off the tap, then tipped the vial toward Yilina as if it were a wine glass.

“One for getting through it then,” he said wryly before tossing back the contents.

He relaxed back into his chair and closed his eyes, pushing his ethereal energy out until he began to feel Yilina's aura, her intent scrutiny laden with a mixture of keen interest, sympathetic concern, and a curiously cynical endearment. He opened his eyes and gave her a smile accompanied by a relieved sigh just as a flock of black-cloaked Alchemists paraded through the lab's main doors, and a gust of acrid ethereal energy swept across the room, sending a wave of mild nausea roiling through Kelvaran's stomach.

“Kel?” Yilina asked.

He stood up and patted her shoulder.

“I'm fine,” he assured her. “This must be them.”

The arriving Alchemists were Gorvan's elite team, those working on this mysterious Artifact that had now become the target of Kelvaran's investigation. Thus far, he only knew that they didn't work here in the Manor, but at some secret outside facility.

The Alchemists who worked here under Yilina were a younger group that she had recruited herself in recent years. Master Vlais' team were older, all having been in Gorvan's employ for many years.

The ones who did those things to Kazia, Kelvaran thought, his mouth souring as he stood to attention at their approach. He forced his face into a neutral expression.

“Lord Meratha,” said the man at the forefront, presumably Master Vlais himself. He was a hawk-nosed, hard-faced man who seemed a match to Gorvan's intimidating temperament.

Kelvaran shrank inwardly at the man's overbearing aura, which set a series of icy, prickling sensations running up his spine. His stomach turned again and he swallowed hard to keep a threatening surge of bile down. His reaction must have shown outwardly, as Master Vlais gave a domineering, satisfied smile.

“Master Vlais, I'm very pleased to finally meet you,” Kelvaran said deferentially.

He gave what he hoped were welcoming glances to each of these Alchemists in turn, studying their faces as he did so. He didn't know any of them, but there at the back of the group stood one man who did seem somewhat familiar, though he couldn't remember where he'd seen him. A sense of foreboding set in as the back of his mind worried at it.

“I'm sure,” Master Vlais replied coolly, his eyes roaming casually over Kelvaran's workstation. “You're an Artificer, I understand. Are you an Herbalist as well? Your dossier didn't mention-”

“Just a personal project,” Yilina interjected with a nervous laugh. “Keeping busy.”

Master Vlais' gaze fell on the two recipes pinned to the side wall. “Ah, yes, Madame Vysda did mention your... troubles. I expect they won't interfere with your work.”

“They never have, Master Vlais,” Kelvaran answered.

A hushed chorus of mocking laughter sounded from the crowd of Alchemists, and their contempt washed over him in dizzying ripples. He stole another furtive glance at the man he thought familiar, and as their eyes met, the man glared back at him with such malice that Kelvaran felt it like a gut punch.

He gasped and bent over to brace his hands on his knees, realizing too late that the empathy potion had been a mistake just now. He attempted to pull his energy back in, but an insidious weariness had begun to creep throughout his body, thwarting any resistance to the potion.

“Kelvaran!” Yilina snapped.

Her confused alarm of worry for him and for her own reputation in the eyes of the others only added to the poisonous atmosphere.

Kelvaran's lungs seemed to freeze. Unable to draw air, he put out a hand to grab at Yilina when he pitched forward, falling to his knees as his vision began to dim.

Master Vlais stepped back with a disgusted tsk.

“Won't interfere, eh?” he sneered.

“Kel!” Yilina called. She dropped into a kneel beside him and pulled him back against her. “What is happening!?”

He could only shake his head and clutch at her, fighting to remain conscious. The last thing he saw before everything went black was that suspicious Alchemist staring at him with calculating hostility.

Kelvaran remembered him.

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