| THE LORELEI SIGNAL |
.
| Written by Gloria Oliver / Artwork by Holly Eddy |
| Make a donation to this writer |
| MENTOR FOR HIRE |
She would have sworn he’d drank a speed potion, he was moving so fast, but couldn’t detect the faint sweet scent all
alchemists were taught to watch for, a side effect of using an alchemical potion. It was similar to the faint glimmer expert
wizards could detect on items of a magical nature.
In high contrast, the child’s keeper stood stock still, her disapproving gaze locked on Rees’s form. The woman arched a
thin, white brow. "You are Rees the Alchemist, are you not?"
"Yes, yes I am, but—"
The matron cut her off. "My mistress will be retaining your services." She withdrew a small bag from the pocket of her
black dress, the indistinct child once more passing before her. "This should more than satisfy any fee you’d deem suitable
for the week."
Rees stared at the bag, not sure about any of this. She needed the money though; her finances were running low. But
alchemy wasn’t usually an interest pursued or approved of for women, and as for a child this age… "You’re interested in
being mentored?" Her gaze left the bag and dropped to the boy as he passed again before her.
The woman’s lip curled with distaste. "I think not." Her voice was chillier than a mid winter storm.
Rees glanced one more time at the bag then sadly at the woman holding it. "I’m sorry. But unless you’re here for a
consultation, this boy is a little too young to be trained. Perhaps in a few years?" Not that it looked as if she’d be in the city
that long.
"Your notice said nothing about an age stipulation." Hard eyes pierced her own--the calm center of a child created
hurricane. She extended the bag, keeping it just inside the rope’s moving arc.
Rees floundered. She couldn’t afford to alienate anyone here, definitely no one of means, still… "Yes, this is true, but the
advertisement was a small one. There was no room for that." Who would have ever thought a family would want a five
year old to be taught alchemy anyway? She was momentarily distracted by the boy’s continuing speed. It couldn’t be
natural. "So, I’m very sorry, madam, but I must insist. Alchemy is not an easy subject and he’s just too--"
"Justinian. His name is Justinian Alfredo Sebastian Rockspear. The Fourth." The woman’s tone chilled the air a few
degrees more.
The boy stopped for a moment at the sound of his name, but was almost immediately running again.
The matron’s brow rose even higher than before. "You have heard of the Rockspears, have you not?" Her expression
clearly told Rees what she’d think of her if she hadn’t.
Rees’s chest grew tight. The Rockspears? This tornado of a boy was the son of the wealthiest, most influential family of
the city, of the dukedom? And they wanted him to come here? She absently curled a finger in a lock of her auburn,
shoulder length hair. "I don’t understand."
"Some important matters have arisen and the boy cannot stay at home--he cannot be seen. You’re new in the city, you
deal with magic, and therefore the presence of a boy of Justinian’s circumstance might not seem unusual, if anyone
actually happened to come here. You’re also a woman, and therefore possess innate mothering skills even if you’ve made
the mistake of choosing to delve into a profession not suited to your gender.” Her disapproval of Rees’s career choice
almost dripped from her. “Between this and circumstances as they are, you proved to be the most discreet choice for
solving our problem. Surely someone of your experience should have no difficulty taking care of one little boy. All you
have to do is watch him, and if you can, teach him. I will return for him at sundown." The matron’s eyes half closed,
giving her face a decidedly feral look. "You definitely don’t wish to know what will happen if you do not accept this
charge."
Rees blinked; sure the woman was trying to goad her into doing that very thing despite her supposed need of her. Still, if
she alienated the powers that be in Dellos, she was sure she really didn’t want to know what they’d do to her. She would
be lucky to get away with the clothes on her back.
A far cry from how she arrived here a little less than two months ago, full of hope, and with adequate funds to restore her
master’s shop and keep her fed until she got established. What a damper it had been to discover that in the big city, just
like in her village, no one believed there was such a thing as a competent female alchemist. Still, she’d fixed the neglected
shop, hoping her wares would speak for her. But as time passed she’d been slowly forced to try every way she could
think of to attract some business. Yet aside from a few love philters and healing salves, no one appeared interested in
anything else she could do. It was so frustrating--and after ten years of apprenticeship too.
Yes, it was true she’d badgered the old man into teaching her--despite her parent’s disappointment that she would
therefore probably not be marrying or bearing them any grandchildren. Yes, her master, Xious, warned her how she
would be looked at in the outside world once she went out on her own--but she just hadn’t believed it. She’d been so sure
skill would override prejudice--just as she did with her master. Yet so far, life was proving her wrong.
So, in desperation, she placed a notice in the city squares, and put a sign on her window--after paying an exorbitant fee to
the guild for permission, of course. Only the fact Xious had been a valued member of the guild for forty plus years
enabled her to join after paying special extra fees for the privilege. Still, the idea had been simple; she’d hire herself out to
teach and guide people on the fundamentals of alchemy, hopefully making some money, but mostly to get the word out
she knew what she was doing. The extravagances and delusions of the rich were well known, even where she came from.
And here she was in a city full of them. The likelihood one or two of them might want to learn something about alchemy
or at least a few simple chemical combinations to show off their knowledge to their friends was high, right?
But never, as she waited nervously for someone to answer her notice, did she expect this.
Not having much of an alternative, Rees reached out hesitantly for the offered bag. She was forced to snatch at it as
Justinian’s rope came around the bend. It was either that or risk having a finger or two rope burned in the process. The
bag felt heavy. Rees slipped it into a pocket of her apron sure the woman would take offense if she tried to look inside it at
the moment.
The matron smiled. It wasn’t in the least bit friendly. Somehow Rees got the impression leaving the boy here hadn’t been
the woman’s idea. "As I said, I will return for the young master at sundown." Her eyes glimmered. "As of this moment,
Justinian is entirely your responsibility."
Rees felt goose bumps crawl up her arms. This was looking more and more grim by the moment. She couldn’t teach this
child. She didn’t even like children. Yet her notice was being used against her to make her into a convenient nursemaid for
an obviously abnormal child–-and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.
"Here." The matron extended her raised arm, the one holding the ring. With perfect timing, she tossed it over just as
Justinian crossed in front of her.
Rees had to jump for the ring as the matron let it go. As it arced through the air, she got a terrible premonition of having to
run down the street after the boy if she didn’t catch it.
An actual flicker of amusement crossed the matron’s face as Rees struggled to take hold of the ring. As if he felt the
shifting of the reins, Justinian switched directions as he went around the turn and scraped past the counter to twirl in
circles behind her.
"Good day." The matron gave Rees a half nod then glanced at the boy. "Please take care of yourself, young master."
"Good day," he chirped back, never slowing.
The woman gave the boy a small worried smile and then turned away.
Rees moved forward and watched her walk off down the cobbled street from the edge of the shop’s doorway, still
wondering how she got into this. Surely someone with the Rockspears’s power and influence could easily hire the boy a
nursemaid--one who could be discreet. Right?
A yank on the hand holding the ring reminded her she possessed more immediate problems. What was she going to do
with this child?
Closing the door and turning around, the alchemist worriedly studied the boy. "Justinian?"
Her arm was pulled first one way and then another as the boy zoomed from one side of the counter to the other, trying to
get a look at the wares stored behind it. She was getting tired just watching him. Soon her arm would be sore as well. Did
this boy never slow down? Could he? She took a few steps towards him. He instantly took up the slack going around the
corner. "Justinian."
The boy ignored her, abruptly jumping up to make a grab at one of the low hanging ropes holding bundles of drying herbs
from the rafters. Luckily, he wasn’t able to jump anywhere near high enough, though Rees’s heart fluttered at his attempt.
Eyeswallow was hard to find and also very expensive.
Justinian landed back on the ground, seemingly undisturbed by his failure, and shot off deeper into the store. Rees gave a
startled yelp as he just about jerked her off her feet in his hurry.
"Justinian!"
The boy came to an immediate stop and glanced back over his shoulder. Green eyes, bright with fun and mischief, studied
her even as he gave her a smile. "That’s me!"
Rees’s large brown eyes widened at the gesture but got no farther before he was off running again, heading for the low
shelves of ointments.
Forgetting about the cord, she could barely breathe as she saw a collision between the two as imminent. With a jolt of
panic, she leapt forward to stop him though she knew it was already way too late. "No!"
But the collision never happened. Deftly, Justinian skidded sideways to a halt, only rattling the shelf slightly. He picked up
the closest healing salve and twisted the jar in his hands. "What’s this?"
Rees stumbled up beside him, her chest heaving. Before she could regain her breath to attempt to answer, he half threw
the jar back on the shelf and grabbed another.
"What’s this? What’s this?" One after the other, he picked up and put back jars.
Rees tried to arrange them back where they belonged as she followed behind him, one eye on what she was doing, the
other on him.
As he came to the end of the lane, Justinian stopped, his head cocked at an odd angle. Rees almost fell down in relief.
"This place smells funny." There was no crinkling of the nose, no evident displeasure, just a statement of something he’d
only now come to notice.
With the heavy mixed scents of herbs, plants, and flowers, which could be combined with each other as well as animal
parts and distilled chemicals to transform them into alchemical potions, she was amazed it took him this long to notice it.
Then again, at the speeds he traveled, when would there have ever been the time?
Justinian took off again, now looking up as if trying to track each individual smell. As he tried to climb up onto one of the
shelves to get higher, she rushed forward to get him down even as his foot very nearly kicked a bottle of fairy powder and
soft stone extract. The concoction had taken her almost a month to make--Rees now knew with a despairing certainty it
was going to be a very, very long day.
To save her shop and her sanity, she quickly hunted down the end of Justinian’s cord and then held the ring above her
head as she’d seen the matron do. Almost as if it were a command, Justinian switched directions to start circling about her.
What? She glanced up at the ring in her hand, her eyes widening again as she not only realized the ring wasn’t made of
brass as she first assumed, but of gold. She also caught a glimpse of small squiggles in the valuable metal. This ring was
magical--magical!
Despair seeped into her as she realized what this meant. Magic was never cheap, and objects of magic even rarer and
more expensive, not including the amount of time they took to make. Yet the Rockspears spent the money and
commissioned someone to create this ring--a ring to reroute the course of elemental forces that were Justinian. Magic to
counter magic, or worse a curse?
She groaned inside. If they were using magic to manage it, then it couldn’t counter it. What could she do against
something like that? A moment later, she felt foolish. Wasn’t she an alchemist? She needed to find an alchemical solution
to this. If she could slow the boy down, even a little, maybe then she could get enough information from him to find a
more apt solution. But what could she use to slow him down?
Her raised arm gave a twinge, unused to the awkward position. She needed to find something to do with the boy, so she
could think clearly, chasing him around wasn’t helping her solve her problems--and the Melle roots still needed attention.
"Say, Justinian, how would you like to help me make some potions?"
The boy twirled to face her, his feet pumping up and down, an excited look on his face. "Really?"
"Sure." Rees tried her best to give him an encouraging smile.
"Great. What’s potion?"
She tried not to groan. More proof they hadn’t really brought him here to learn about alchemy.
Squeezing past the mostly loaded shelves of wares behind the counter, she guided the boy to the workroom beyond. Items
were touched, shoved, and rolled for the few moments Justinian had any of the contents within reach.
Rees’s workroom occupied a space twice as large as the shop in front. Odds and ends of minerals, acids, dried entrails,
and more, were stacked in shelves and small, clearly labeled boxes. She was forced to grab Justinian’s cord and reel him
back as he lunged towards her tools. Maybe this wasn’t such a good plan after all.
Justinian veered off around her, almost tangling Rees in the cord when she was a little slow letting go. She stepped into the
middle of the room, glancing about for the safest place to put her charge.
The worktable was out of the question. Between the sharp tools and easy access to the materials on the shelves, it would
prove too much of a temptation. The corner bench was too close to the cutting table and her supply of empty vials. For a
moment, she glanced out the room’s large window out into the small garden beyond. With his energy, probably every last
bit of vegetation would be stomped or pulled if she let him out there. No, her only choice was right here in the middle.
Looking up, she found one of the many hooks attached to the rafters in the store and workroom. Whispering a short
prayer, she slipped the gold ring into the hook. Instantly, Justinian veered in a perpendicular direction only to be brought
up short.
Briskly massaging her arm, she brought over a small kettle and filled it with water from a barrel and then threw in some
dry leaves and other useless tidbits. Justinian was still trying to pull uselessly against the hung cord, switching directions
from moment to moment. Looked as if the magicians were a little less than thorough on their magics. It would have been a
lot more convenient if they’d made it so he would spin beneath a hook as well as her arm.
"Here you go. You can make your very own potion while I work." Rees watched with amazement as the boy turned on his
heel and rushed in her direction. He almost bowled over the kettle in his hurry to look inside.
She held out a long wooden spoon to him. "Here, you can stir it with this."
Eager hands took the spoon and plunged it into the kettle splashing water up onto Rees’s skirts. She rapidly backed out of
range. "I’m going to go over here and cut up some roots for a while, okay?"
Ignoring her, Justinian ran around the kettle, stirring the contents with the spoon. Rees admitted it was definitely a way to
mix ingredients, but not one she would have chosen herself. Keeping a half eye on the boy, she walked over to the cutting
table and collapsed onto the bench. Watching him run, she couldn’t help but feel pity for the boy’s mother. It only drove
deeper her commitment never to have children. Not that many men would put up with an alchemist for a wife, let alone
bear children by her. She supposed her parents had realized this as well for once they got used to the fact she was going
to become one with or without their blessing, they’d not argued with her when she asked if she might have her dowry to
get her business started here.
She always knew she would never settle for just being a villager’s wife, and she’d always had a gift with measuring,
mixing and guessing at what would bring out the best of something else, or creating combinations to make other foods
even more interesting. So when she heard an alchemist was retiring to a cottage just outside the village, it was like a dream
come true. Xious fought against taking her on, but in the end her skills and stubbornness proved too much for him. And
look where all that work had got her.
Sighing, she pulled down a box from a shelf and spilled out the contents. The pungent odor of Melle coiled about her
nostrils. The root was an ingredient in a number of brews, the most popular a remedy for intestinal gas.
Putting on a thick pair of gloves, she set about pulling the thorny tendrils off the main root cores. She’d gotten lucky
finding these, but if she didn’t get them stripped and in alcohol in the next day or so, they would lose their potency and she
would have wasted the funds.
As she worked, she went through her mental inventory of potions trying to find one to slow down the boy. Most of what
she’d made in the last two months was medicinal in nature and not something to counter curses. She did have that whole
cabinet of special, magical potions--the results of her final exam to become a full-fledged alchemist. A number of them
were rare and some quite difficult to make. She hadn’t looked at its contents in a while, but something there might do the
trick.
Feeling she was in the cusp of a solution, it suddenly dawned on her the room had grown awfully quiet. A feeling of
foreboding dropping over her, Rees turned to find that but for her, the workroom was empty. Justinian was gone, and so
were the ring and the cord attached to him.
"Justinian?"
No answer. No sounds to even indicate he’d heard her. Her dread grew. If anything happened to the boy because of her…
Throwing the gloves on the table, she ran out of the room. "Justinian!"
He wasn’t in the shop proper or on the other side of the counter though there was plenty of evidence indicating he’d been
by. The front door of the shop was still secure, so at least he hadn’t run out into the street. So where? Rees’s gaze
snapped around to stare at the small, almost hidden door at the far end of the shop leading up into the building’s living
area. It was open. Hadn’t she closed it when she came down this morning?
Rees rushed up the stairs, her heart beating loudly in her chest. "Justinian!" She almost tripped over her skirts in her hurry
to get up there.
The set of bookshelves by the opening held some books half in and half out of the shelf while others leaned at weird
angles. Justinian had been there, no doubt about it, but where was he now? Hurrying on, she glanced from her sitting
room into the living quarter’s small kitchen area. A half eaten apple sat on the table; others from the bowl were set in a
triangular pattern around it as if it’d been a sacrifice. Drawers and cabinet doors stood open, a lot of the contents looking
rifled through. How could she have been lost in her own thoughts that long?
The washroom with its less than remarkable plumbing lay empty as well. This left only one place Justinian could be--the
bedroom. Her previous feelings of doom turned to cold panic. If he was in there, then he was opening everything in sight.
This would include the small hanging cabinet on her wall. And if he dropped one of the vials in there… "Justinian!"
Rees almost careened into her bed as she swept into the room. As her gaze raced about, she spotted the boy standing on
the chair from her desk, which was now propped before the wall cabinet. Both of its doors were open, exposing to view a
small but diverse assortment of crystal bottles and jars. Their colors were as varied as their shapes, some seeming to shine
with an inner glow. Justinian held a red colored bottle in his hand, liquid still glistening on his lips. She instantly knew it for
what it was--a transmogrification elixir.
"No!" Rees leapt forward, but it was too late. The red bottle dropped to the floor and crashed into a hundred pieces as the
light scent of flowers abruptly filled the air. The boy who had stood there but mere moments ago was gone. In his place
was a green eyed, hairy rat with a large ring and cord tied to it. "Justinian!"
The rat took off with horrendous speed. He was out of the room before she could even attempt to try and shut the door.
Horrible visions of the boy turned rat wiggling out a hole and into the streets to be eaten by a flea infested cat flashed
through her mind. She had to find him, find him before he hurt himself or worse.
Vaulting for the cabinet instead of the door, Rees grabbed a green vial. Though she normally avoided drinking her wares,
and the truly expensive ones at that, this situation left her little choice. As the potion hit her system, she felt herself
suddenly fill with overflowing energy. She blinked from where she stood to the other side of the doorway.
A clanking sound on the stairs told her Justinian was on his way down. She thanked the gods for the boy’s magical ring.
Unlike his clothes and body, it hadn’t been affected by the potion and would give her have a chance of finding him--as
long as the cord didn’t break.
Willing herself in that direction, she blinked over to the lower floor. Catching sight of him, she sent herself to appear
where he scurried over a shelf. By the time she reappeared, he was already out of reach. The chase was on.
Justinian jumped on and off shelves, moving chaotically in every direction, sending a myriad of vials, bottles, and dried
goods flying everywhere. Rees tried not to cringe every time something hit the floor as more money was thrown down the
gutter, keeping the boy and his safety as her number one priority.
The ring flew up as Justinian made a sharp turn. Making a mental dive for it, she disappeared and reappeared so she could
grab hold, gaining several bruises on landing on the floor. Holding onto the ring for dear life as the cord stretched taught,
she almost immediately found herself run over repeatedly by an excited, furry mammal.
Battered and tired, Rees worked her way to her feet. The instant she raised the ring, the rat began moving in circles about
her. She would have sighed in relief, but that was when she got a good look at her ruined shop. After the weeks she spent
repairing and cleaning the place, she had to work at not breaking down in tears due to its present condition. No amount of
money was worth this--and it wasn’t over yet.
The elixir would have to run its course before Justinian would return to normal. Going to the back, she grabbed a woven
basket with a lid from a high shelf, one she used for keeping snakes.
"Justinian, I’m only going to put you in here for a little while, all right?" She placed the rat inside the basket and made sure
to secure the lid on tight. Placing it on the counter where she could keep an eye on it, Rees used what remained of the
Blink potion in her system to try and straighten what she could of the place.
The boy made strange noises in the basket, but she ignored them wanting to finish what she could before having to deal
with him again.
When it was almost time she opened the basket and took the rat out, and set him on the floor while keeping a grip on the
ring. The rat didn’t immediately run as she expected, but instead curled up on the floor and made mewling sounds.
"Justinian?"
As she knelt down to try and see what was wrong, the rat grew back into a boy. The mewling turned into a full out,
spiraling wail.
Rees grimaced in pain. "Justinian, stop that, please! What’s wrong?" It was as if a dwarf placed a chisel to her head and
was now happily pounding away at it in search of gold. The child’s wailing reverberated in the room, rattling the rafters.
"Locked up bad! Locked up bad!" The wailing increased in pitch.
Resisting the impulse to fling him away in the hopes of escaping the noise, Rees tried hard to put a smile on her face,
though she was sure it looked more like a grimace. Had his parents locked him up before? Was that the only solution they
could come up with before they obtained the magic ring? She felt her heart go out to the boy, though her ears would have
rather been nowhere near him. "Justinian, I’m sorry. I had to put you in there so you wouldn’t get hurt. Taking potions
can be dangerous. What if a cat had been in the shop?"
The wails continued unimpeded.
"Please, Justinian. I’m very, very sorry. I won’t do it again."
Abruptly, the boy turned his face away and buried it in his hands. This muffled his cries a little, but nowhere near enough.
"Justinian, listen, you and I are friends, aren’t we? You wouldn’t have wanted me to let you get hurt because of the magic,
would you?" Her entreaty came out as a whine. If she couldn’t get him to quit, she’d be crying soon too.
His wails came to a dead stop. It took Rees several seconds to realize this as they continued to echo in her skull.
"Magic?" He hiccupped. "Was magic? Bad Magic?"
Rees cringed at his sudden interest, having run across this type of thing before. Why were people always fascinated by
bad, harmful things? What was wrong with good, beneficial, harmless magic? "No, not bad magics, but if you don’t know
what they are or how to use them, they could hurt you."
"Oh." He didn’t seem half as disappointed by this as she expected. "Being rat fun."
"Tell you what, how would you like some food and a nice treat? I think I might have figured out something to help you."
Justinian ran around her, jumping up and down as if making up for the relative lack of motion a few moments before.
"Treat, treat, treat."
"All right, all right. Let’s feed you then have a treat." She kept her hand raised high as she took the boy back upstairs.
"Play here at the table while I get it all ready, okay?" She tied the cord to one of the table’s legs. Justinian zoomed under it,
out, over a chair, and under again. Rees hoped her furniture would hold.
Taking down some wrapped bread, cheese, and cured meat she made them each a plate. She nibbled as she worked, the
blink potion having made her terribly hungry. This time, though, she didn’t dare take her eyes off the boy for more than
five seconds at a time, and even then felt she was running a risk. His foray into her bedroom and cabinet felt as if it’d
taken years off her life.
His drinking the transmogrification potion was bad enough, but what if he managed to drink more than one of them?
Random combinations of all those magical elements might lead to almost anything.
There was one more potion she would give the boy though. If her teachings and intuition on such things were up to the
test, she would soon have at least a temporary solution.
A resounding smack made Rees jump, distracting her from her thoughts. "Justinian!"
The boy was on the floor, tangled up in his cord and a fallen chair. How could someone so small get into so much trouble
so quickly? Rees was grateful her furniture was sturdy and utilitarian. "Are you all right?"
Tears gathered at the edges of Justinian’s eyes but didn’t fall. "Go boom."
"Yes, yes, you did." She almost couldn’t help smiling at his expression as she quickly struggled to get him loose. Justinian’
s jerky movements as he continued to try to free himself, however, didn’t help the process along.
Once released, he immediately started again on the pattern which got him on the floor in the first place. Watching this, all
Rees wanted to do was drop to the floor and hang her head. She made herself serve their lunches instead.
Even for food, Justinian didn’t sit still. He squirmed around, up, down, off, on. As soon as he was through though she
would give her idea a try.
A true smile tugged at her lips for the first time that day as she thought about it. "If you eat all of this, I think you might
just deserve not only a treat but a magical one, a good magical one."
Justinian froze, his eyes growing very wide. "Mag-ical?"
"Yes," Rees told him, "but you have to eat everything first."
The food disappeared off the plate. She barely had time to consume half of her own before he was finished.
"Done!" Justinian picked up his plate and showed it to her.
Rees stood up, her plan clear in her mind. "Okay, I’m going to go get the special ingredient now, so you make sure to stay
there until I get back or no dessert. Understand?" The last thing she needed was to get overconfident at this point. There
was no telling how much damage this boy could do if he wanted to.
Justinian shook his head, making it a blur. "I wait!"
Rees ran downstairs to her workshop and grabbing a basket, quickly filled it with the several magic imbued ingredients, as
well as a number of other items to enhance natural effects.
She then dashed back upstairs.
As she entered the room, winded, she found the boy on top of his chair hopping from foot to foot.
"I wait."
"Yes, you did, didn’t you?" Rees gave him an encouraging smile, happy he was still there. "Your magical treat will be ready
in a few minutes."
Keeping her wares outside of Justinian’s reach, she grabbed several measuring cups and a mortar and pestle from the
cabinets there. With long studied precision, she ground down two Besta leaves, throwing in a measure of sulfur and
naturally magicked Sprit spit. None of these components were in themselves powerful but when combined just right could
augment natural tendencies to the extreme. And what they would enhance, if her leap and intuition were correct, would
make all the difference. She brought out a small jar of honey and one of thick molasses from the northern reaches.
"Done yet? Done yet?" Justinian ran back and forth in front of the table as far as his rope would let him, staring at her
eagerly.
"Almost, almost."
Mixing it all together, Rees took a sample drop at the end of her pinkie and touched it to her tongue. Though she felt no
visible effect, the faint scent of flowers was unmistakable.
Grabbing one of the apples still on the table, Rees cut it into eights and placed them in a bowl. Grabbing a spoon, she
dipped out a small amount of the contents of the finished mixture. Justinian leaned over the table to watch.
She dripped the golden brown alchemical potion over the cut apples.
"Magic?" Justinian asked, his eyes never leaving the spoon.
"Yes, magic. And all for you." She set the spoon inside the bowl and passed them both over to the boy.
Justinian instantly grabbed one of the apple slices, getting the sticky, syrupy goo all over his hand and fingers. The slice
disappeared in three eager bites, the golden potion now smeared over his lips and face. "Good! Like." With a cloggy smile,
he reached out for another.
Now Rees would see if all her training and instincts would prove their worth today.
Justinian ate all the apples slices then licked his fingers for good measure. He was still in the midst of this when he
unexpectedly stopped, and then looked over at Rees, standing perfectly still. Slowly, a knowing grin spread across his
round face, his green gaze never leaving her own. "Magic."
Rees found herself wondering if this was the longest he’d ever stared at anyone’s face before.
Justinian’s gaze finally left her and returned to the bowl before him. He picked it up and held it, twisting it slowly this way
and that to see how the angle of light would affect the color, as if he’d never really seen it before.
The boy’s face was filled with awe for the rest of the afternoon as he calmly walked around and stared at everything.
Rees found herself following him, surprised and pleased at his amazement. He would ask what something was and she’d
tell him, then he’d stare at it for a long time as if engraving it into his memory. In all honesty, this was the last thing she
expected. She’d hoped the potion would have this effect, but hadn’t expected the boy to be that pleased with it. Instead,
he seemed elated.
Finding herself responsible for his wonder as she showed him things for the rest of the afternoon made her think it might
just not be so bad to be a parent after all. Maybe some man out there would be bold enough to overlook her profession and
take a risk, and she might let him.
Close to evening, the bell hanging over the door rang, informing Rees she had a visitor. She left Justinian sitting in the
workroom, where he was intently feeling the roots and leaves of the herbs and plants he’d helped her pick out of the
garden outside late in the afternoon.
Without surprise, she saw the woman who’d brought Justinian standing inside the door. The woman’s critical eye was
roaming the shop as if trying to tally the amount of damage her charge might have done since that morning.
"Evening, madam."
"I’ve come for the young master." The matron didn’t look at Rees but rather past her, as if expecting to see a whirlwind
of flesh at any moment.
"Justinian, it’s time to go home." Rees saw the matron frown at her, probably for having left him unattended. Now if she
wouldn’t get mad about what she’d done…
With careful steps, Justinian came from around the corner and headed towards them. He wore his ring and rope as an
exotic belt around his middle.
Rees watched as the matron’s brow arced high on her face and her features slowly grew into a surprised expression.
"How—how did—" The matron’s gaze flickered from the walking boy to Rees and back again.
"I hope it’s all right," Rees said. "The effect should only last for about another hour or so."
Justinian smiled up at them, his eyes bright. "Like it."
"It’s a miracle!" Shouting, the matron scooped up the boy into her arms. She stared into Justinian’s face, her own
showing more expression than it had probably held in years.
Rees tried to hide a grin. "No, actually, it’s alchemy."
The matron shook her head the beginnings of an actual, true smile on her face. "You don’t understand. The young master,
he was cursed before he was born, due to an act of revenge against the Rockspear family. The way he was before was
the result."
Justinian was cursed as a result of revenge? From her own experience she knew the Rockspears’s enemies got their
money’s worth.
"You can see why this was never made common knowledge, of course. A family of their stature can’t seem weak to the
lesser public. But always, always the family has looked for some kind of cure or something to partially counter this
misfortune. They’ve tried giving offerings to the gods, strange spells, the magic ring, yet nothing has ever worked to any
great degree--not like this." She hugged the boy fiercely. Justinian laughed.
Rees found herself frowning. She already didn’t think much of the alchemists hereabouts, but really, with some effort and
research, they should have been able to do something for the boy. Unless they didn’t stoop to dealing with items easily
found in a woman’s kitchen? If he hadn’t run her ragged, she doubted it would have taken her so long to come up with it
as it had.
"You wouldn’t--would it be possible--do you have any more of what achieved this?"
The need in the matron’s voice made Rees blink. Could it be possible her luck was finally changing? If this could get her in
the good graces of one of the city’s most powerful families, surely things would turn to the better. "Y-yes, I do."
"The family will pay you whatever you ask. And I’m sure you’ll be discreet. If it gives a chance for the young master to
live a partially normal life…" Her happiness was almost painful to behold.
Rees retrieved the jar and quickly wrote up a bill. "There’s enough in here to last him a few days. There are instructions
with the bill. I’ll make sure to prepare another batch for when he runs low and if the family can give me more details on
what they know about the curse, maybe I can work on coming up with something longer lasting or more permanent?"
"Thank you! You don’t know what this means to us." Tears stood in the matron’s eyes. Justinian laughed again. Rees just
thought all this oozing gratitude a little awkward. Still, she could get to like it.
"I’m glad I was able to help. And if the family has any other alchemical needs…" She felt like a heel for throwing that in,
but couldn’t help herself. This could be her chance.
"Yes, we will. Thank you." The woman left the shop, Justinian walking at her side and waving goodbye.
Rees closed the door after they disappeared down the street, glad it was finally over. For the first time, she pulled out the
bag full of money from that morning and counted the coins inside. The Rockspears were indeed generous! With this and
what they would be paying for the potion, she’d be able to replace the few things Justinian had actually broken and stay
open for business another couple of months. And if they spread the word about her wares… She felt hope rise for the first
time in weeks.
#
Rees opened for business, but wasn’t too disappointed not to find anyone at the door. She knew she needed to give this
time. Word would get around. Yes, they kept it secret that the boy was cursed, but surely they would be too pleased by
the change of events not to tell someone. She only had to be patient and things would get better.
Near mid-morning, she heard the sound of the bell over her front door. Hoping it was the beginning of good repercussions
for yesterday’s antics, she came around the counter with a half-smile on her face.
"Good morning, how can I…" Rees’s smile faltered. Standing just inside her door were two men dressed in armor. The
men held unhappy looks on their faces. Before them, a pair of twin girls, probably around seven and dressed in bows and
silk, stood in front of each other, sticking their tongues out at one another in succession. A boy, older than the other two
by a few years and dressed just as richly, was standing off to the side, arms crossed, a petulant look on his face.
The guard with a graying beard, for guards was what they surely were, stepped forward. "By order of the Duke, you are
henceforth mandated with the tutelage of alchemy to his children until further notice." He unrolled a letter with a copy of
her advertisement and the duke's mark.
"Wait! I, I don’t understand." This was a ducal order?
The younger guard gave her a pitying look. The other gently but firmly herded the children further into the shop.
"Mistress, it’s my understanding the Rockspears had dinner with the Duke last evening and during their conversations
happened to mention how you’d been such a godsend in rectifying the discipline problems of their youngest."
Discipline problem? They called the boy’s curse a discipline problem?
The guard went on. "So since they have children with problems of their own--and you didn’t hear that from me by the
way--they decided the royal children needed some specialized education." He gave her a sad smile and shrugged.
Much to her chagrin, it looked like Rees had made a favorable impression after all. But would she survive it?
alchemists were taught to watch for, a side effect of using an alchemical potion. It was similar to the faint glimmer expert
wizards could detect on items of a magical nature.
In high contrast, the child’s keeper stood stock still, her disapproving gaze locked on Rees’s form. The woman arched a
thin, white brow. "You are Rees the Alchemist, are you not?"
"Yes, yes I am, but—"
The matron cut her off. "My mistress will be retaining your services." She withdrew a small bag from the pocket of her
black dress, the indistinct child once more passing before her. "This should more than satisfy any fee you’d deem suitable
for the week."
Rees stared at the bag, not sure about any of this. She needed the money though; her finances were running low. But
alchemy wasn’t usually an interest pursued or approved of for women, and as for a child this age… "You’re interested in
being mentored?" Her gaze left the bag and dropped to the boy as he passed again before her.
The woman’s lip curled with distaste. "I think not." Her voice was chillier than a mid winter storm.
Rees glanced one more time at the bag then sadly at the woman holding it. "I’m sorry. But unless you’re here for a
consultation, this boy is a little too young to be trained. Perhaps in a few years?" Not that it looked as if she’d be in the city
that long.
"Your notice said nothing about an age stipulation." Hard eyes pierced her own--the calm center of a child created
hurricane. She extended the bag, keeping it just inside the rope’s moving arc.
Rees floundered. She couldn’t afford to alienate anyone here, definitely no one of means, still… "Yes, this is true, but the
advertisement was a small one. There was no room for that." Who would have ever thought a family would want a five
year old to be taught alchemy anyway? She was momentarily distracted by the boy’s continuing speed. It couldn’t be
natural. "So, I’m very sorry, madam, but I must insist. Alchemy is not an easy subject and he’s just too--"
"Justinian. His name is Justinian Alfredo Sebastian Rockspear. The Fourth." The woman’s tone chilled the air a few
degrees more.
The boy stopped for a moment at the sound of his name, but was almost immediately running again.
The matron’s brow rose even higher than before. "You have heard of the Rockspears, have you not?" Her expression
clearly told Rees what she’d think of her if she hadn’t.
Rees’s chest grew tight. The Rockspears? This tornado of a boy was the son of the wealthiest, most influential family of
the city, of the dukedom? And they wanted him to come here? She absently curled a finger in a lock of her auburn,
shoulder length hair. "I don’t understand."
"Some important matters have arisen and the boy cannot stay at home--he cannot be seen. You’re new in the city, you
deal with magic, and therefore the presence of a boy of Justinian’s circumstance might not seem unusual, if anyone
actually happened to come here. You’re also a woman, and therefore possess innate mothering skills even if you’ve made
the mistake of choosing to delve into a profession not suited to your gender.” Her disapproval of Rees’s career choice
almost dripped from her. “Between this and circumstances as they are, you proved to be the most discreet choice for
solving our problem. Surely someone of your experience should have no difficulty taking care of one little boy. All you
have to do is watch him, and if you can, teach him. I will return for him at sundown." The matron’s eyes half closed,
giving her face a decidedly feral look. "You definitely don’t wish to know what will happen if you do not accept this
charge."
Rees blinked; sure the woman was trying to goad her into doing that very thing despite her supposed need of her. Still, if
she alienated the powers that be in Dellos, she was sure she really didn’t want to know what they’d do to her. She would
be lucky to get away with the clothes on her back.
A far cry from how she arrived here a little less than two months ago, full of hope, and with adequate funds to restore her
master’s shop and keep her fed until she got established. What a damper it had been to discover that in the big city, just
like in her village, no one believed there was such a thing as a competent female alchemist. Still, she’d fixed the neglected
shop, hoping her wares would speak for her. But as time passed she’d been slowly forced to try every way she could
think of to attract some business. Yet aside from a few love philters and healing salves, no one appeared interested in
anything else she could do. It was so frustrating--and after ten years of apprenticeship too.
Yes, it was true she’d badgered the old man into teaching her--despite her parent’s disappointment that she would
therefore probably not be marrying or bearing them any grandchildren. Yes, her master, Xious, warned her how she
would be looked at in the outside world once she went out on her own--but she just hadn’t believed it. She’d been so sure
skill would override prejudice--just as she did with her master. Yet so far, life was proving her wrong.
So, in desperation, she placed a notice in the city squares, and put a sign on her window--after paying an exorbitant fee to
the guild for permission, of course. Only the fact Xious had been a valued member of the guild for forty plus years
enabled her to join after paying special extra fees for the privilege. Still, the idea had been simple; she’d hire herself out to
teach and guide people on the fundamentals of alchemy, hopefully making some money, but mostly to get the word out
she knew what she was doing. The extravagances and delusions of the rich were well known, even where she came from.
And here she was in a city full of them. The likelihood one or two of them might want to learn something about alchemy
or at least a few simple chemical combinations to show off their knowledge to their friends was high, right?
But never, as she waited nervously for someone to answer her notice, did she expect this.
Not having much of an alternative, Rees reached out hesitantly for the offered bag. She was forced to snatch at it as
Justinian’s rope came around the bend. It was either that or risk having a finger or two rope burned in the process. The
bag felt heavy. Rees slipped it into a pocket of her apron sure the woman would take offense if she tried to look inside it at
the moment.
The matron smiled. It wasn’t in the least bit friendly. Somehow Rees got the impression leaving the boy here hadn’t been
the woman’s idea. "As I said, I will return for the young master at sundown." Her eyes glimmered. "As of this moment,
Justinian is entirely your responsibility."
Rees felt goose bumps crawl up her arms. This was looking more and more grim by the moment. She couldn’t teach this
child. She didn’t even like children. Yet her notice was being used against her to make her into a convenient nursemaid for
an obviously abnormal child–-and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.
"Here." The matron extended her raised arm, the one holding the ring. With perfect timing, she tossed it over just as
Justinian crossed in front of her.
Rees had to jump for the ring as the matron let it go. As it arced through the air, she got a terrible premonition of having to
run down the street after the boy if she didn’t catch it.
An actual flicker of amusement crossed the matron’s face as Rees struggled to take hold of the ring. As if he felt the
shifting of the reins, Justinian switched directions as he went around the turn and scraped past the counter to twirl in
circles behind her.
"Good day." The matron gave Rees a half nod then glanced at the boy. "Please take care of yourself, young master."
"Good day," he chirped back, never slowing.
The woman gave the boy a small worried smile and then turned away.
Rees moved forward and watched her walk off down the cobbled street from the edge of the shop’s doorway, still
wondering how she got into this. Surely someone with the Rockspears’s power and influence could easily hire the boy a
nursemaid--one who could be discreet. Right?
A yank on the hand holding the ring reminded her she possessed more immediate problems. What was she going to do
with this child?
Closing the door and turning around, the alchemist worriedly studied the boy. "Justinian?"
Her arm was pulled first one way and then another as the boy zoomed from one side of the counter to the other, trying to
get a look at the wares stored behind it. She was getting tired just watching him. Soon her arm would be sore as well. Did
this boy never slow down? Could he? She took a few steps towards him. He instantly took up the slack going around the
corner. "Justinian."
The boy ignored her, abruptly jumping up to make a grab at one of the low hanging ropes holding bundles of drying herbs
from the rafters. Luckily, he wasn’t able to jump anywhere near high enough, though Rees’s heart fluttered at his attempt.
Eyeswallow was hard to find and also very expensive.
Justinian landed back on the ground, seemingly undisturbed by his failure, and shot off deeper into the store. Rees gave a
startled yelp as he just about jerked her off her feet in his hurry.
"Justinian!"
The boy came to an immediate stop and glanced back over his shoulder. Green eyes, bright with fun and mischief, studied
her even as he gave her a smile. "That’s me!"
Rees’s large brown eyes widened at the gesture but got no farther before he was off running again, heading for the low
shelves of ointments.
Forgetting about the cord, she could barely breathe as she saw a collision between the two as imminent. With a jolt of
panic, she leapt forward to stop him though she knew it was already way too late. "No!"
But the collision never happened. Deftly, Justinian skidded sideways to a halt, only rattling the shelf slightly. He picked up
the closest healing salve and twisted the jar in his hands. "What’s this?"
Rees stumbled up beside him, her chest heaving. Before she could regain her breath to attempt to answer, he half threw
the jar back on the shelf and grabbed another.
"What’s this? What’s this?" One after the other, he picked up and put back jars.
Rees tried to arrange them back where they belonged as she followed behind him, one eye on what she was doing, the
other on him.
As he came to the end of the lane, Justinian stopped, his head cocked at an odd angle. Rees almost fell down in relief.
"This place smells funny." There was no crinkling of the nose, no evident displeasure, just a statement of something he’d
only now come to notice.
With the heavy mixed scents of herbs, plants, and flowers, which could be combined with each other as well as animal
parts and distilled chemicals to transform them into alchemical potions, she was amazed it took him this long to notice it.
Then again, at the speeds he traveled, when would there have ever been the time?
Justinian took off again, now looking up as if trying to track each individual smell. As he tried to climb up onto one of the
shelves to get higher, she rushed forward to get him down even as his foot very nearly kicked a bottle of fairy powder and
soft stone extract. The concoction had taken her almost a month to make--Rees now knew with a despairing certainty it
was going to be a very, very long day.
To save her shop and her sanity, she quickly hunted down the end of Justinian’s cord and then held the ring above her
head as she’d seen the matron do. Almost as if it were a command, Justinian switched directions to start circling about her.
What? She glanced up at the ring in her hand, her eyes widening again as she not only realized the ring wasn’t made of
brass as she first assumed, but of gold. She also caught a glimpse of small squiggles in the valuable metal. This ring was
magical--magical!
Despair seeped into her as she realized what this meant. Magic was never cheap, and objects of magic even rarer and
more expensive, not including the amount of time they took to make. Yet the Rockspears spent the money and
commissioned someone to create this ring--a ring to reroute the course of elemental forces that were Justinian. Magic to
counter magic, or worse a curse?
She groaned inside. If they were using magic to manage it, then it couldn’t counter it. What could she do against
something like that? A moment later, she felt foolish. Wasn’t she an alchemist? She needed to find an alchemical solution
to this. If she could slow the boy down, even a little, maybe then she could get enough information from him to find a
more apt solution. But what could she use to slow him down?
Her raised arm gave a twinge, unused to the awkward position. She needed to find something to do with the boy, so she
could think clearly, chasing him around wasn’t helping her solve her problems--and the Melle roots still needed attention.
"Say, Justinian, how would you like to help me make some potions?"
The boy twirled to face her, his feet pumping up and down, an excited look on his face. "Really?"
"Sure." Rees tried her best to give him an encouraging smile.
"Great. What’s potion?"
She tried not to groan. More proof they hadn’t really brought him here to learn about alchemy.
Squeezing past the mostly loaded shelves of wares behind the counter, she guided the boy to the workroom beyond. Items
were touched, shoved, and rolled for the few moments Justinian had any of the contents within reach.
Rees’s workroom occupied a space twice as large as the shop in front. Odds and ends of minerals, acids, dried entrails,
and more, were stacked in shelves and small, clearly labeled boxes. She was forced to grab Justinian’s cord and reel him
back as he lunged towards her tools. Maybe this wasn’t such a good plan after all.
Justinian veered off around her, almost tangling Rees in the cord when she was a little slow letting go. She stepped into the
middle of the room, glancing about for the safest place to put her charge.
The worktable was out of the question. Between the sharp tools and easy access to the materials on the shelves, it would
prove too much of a temptation. The corner bench was too close to the cutting table and her supply of empty vials. For a
moment, she glanced out the room’s large window out into the small garden beyond. With his energy, probably every last
bit of vegetation would be stomped or pulled if she let him out there. No, her only choice was right here in the middle.
Looking up, she found one of the many hooks attached to the rafters in the store and workroom. Whispering a short
prayer, she slipped the gold ring into the hook. Instantly, Justinian veered in a perpendicular direction only to be brought
up short.
Briskly massaging her arm, she brought over a small kettle and filled it with water from a barrel and then threw in some
dry leaves and other useless tidbits. Justinian was still trying to pull uselessly against the hung cord, switching directions
from moment to moment. Looked as if the magicians were a little less than thorough on their magics. It would have been a
lot more convenient if they’d made it so he would spin beneath a hook as well as her arm.
"Here you go. You can make your very own potion while I work." Rees watched with amazement as the boy turned on his
heel and rushed in her direction. He almost bowled over the kettle in his hurry to look inside.
She held out a long wooden spoon to him. "Here, you can stir it with this."
Eager hands took the spoon and plunged it into the kettle splashing water up onto Rees’s skirts. She rapidly backed out of
range. "I’m going to go over here and cut up some roots for a while, okay?"
Ignoring her, Justinian ran around the kettle, stirring the contents with the spoon. Rees admitted it was definitely a way to
mix ingredients, but not one she would have chosen herself. Keeping a half eye on the boy, she walked over to the cutting
table and collapsed onto the bench. Watching him run, she couldn’t help but feel pity for the boy’s mother. It only drove
deeper her commitment never to have children. Not that many men would put up with an alchemist for a wife, let alone
bear children by her. She supposed her parents had realized this as well for once they got used to the fact she was going
to become one with or without their blessing, they’d not argued with her when she asked if she might have her dowry to
get her business started here.
She always knew she would never settle for just being a villager’s wife, and she’d always had a gift with measuring,
mixing and guessing at what would bring out the best of something else, or creating combinations to make other foods
even more interesting. So when she heard an alchemist was retiring to a cottage just outside the village, it was like a dream
come true. Xious fought against taking her on, but in the end her skills and stubbornness proved too much for him. And
look where all that work had got her.
Sighing, she pulled down a box from a shelf and spilled out the contents. The pungent odor of Melle coiled about her
nostrils. The root was an ingredient in a number of brews, the most popular a remedy for intestinal gas.
Putting on a thick pair of gloves, she set about pulling the thorny tendrils off the main root cores. She’d gotten lucky
finding these, but if she didn’t get them stripped and in alcohol in the next day or so, they would lose their potency and she
would have wasted the funds.
As she worked, she went through her mental inventory of potions trying to find one to slow down the boy. Most of what
she’d made in the last two months was medicinal in nature and not something to counter curses. She did have that whole
cabinet of special, magical potions--the results of her final exam to become a full-fledged alchemist. A number of them
were rare and some quite difficult to make. She hadn’t looked at its contents in a while, but something there might do the
trick.
Feeling she was in the cusp of a solution, it suddenly dawned on her the room had grown awfully quiet. A feeling of
foreboding dropping over her, Rees turned to find that but for her, the workroom was empty. Justinian was gone, and so
were the ring and the cord attached to him.
"Justinian?"
No answer. No sounds to even indicate he’d heard her. Her dread grew. If anything happened to the boy because of her…
Throwing the gloves on the table, she ran out of the room. "Justinian!"
He wasn’t in the shop proper or on the other side of the counter though there was plenty of evidence indicating he’d been
by. The front door of the shop was still secure, so at least he hadn’t run out into the street. So where? Rees’s gaze
snapped around to stare at the small, almost hidden door at the far end of the shop leading up into the building’s living
area. It was open. Hadn’t she closed it when she came down this morning?
Rees rushed up the stairs, her heart beating loudly in her chest. "Justinian!" She almost tripped over her skirts in her hurry
to get up there.
The set of bookshelves by the opening held some books half in and half out of the shelf while others leaned at weird
angles. Justinian had been there, no doubt about it, but where was he now? Hurrying on, she glanced from her sitting
room into the living quarter’s small kitchen area. A half eaten apple sat on the table; others from the bowl were set in a
triangular pattern around it as if it’d been a sacrifice. Drawers and cabinet doors stood open, a lot of the contents looking
rifled through. How could she have been lost in her own thoughts that long?
The washroom with its less than remarkable plumbing lay empty as well. This left only one place Justinian could be--the
bedroom. Her previous feelings of doom turned to cold panic. If he was in there, then he was opening everything in sight.
This would include the small hanging cabinet on her wall. And if he dropped one of the vials in there… "Justinian!"
Rees almost careened into her bed as she swept into the room. As her gaze raced about, she spotted the boy standing on
the chair from her desk, which was now propped before the wall cabinet. Both of its doors were open, exposing to view a
small but diverse assortment of crystal bottles and jars. Their colors were as varied as their shapes, some seeming to shine
with an inner glow. Justinian held a red colored bottle in his hand, liquid still glistening on his lips. She instantly knew it for
what it was--a transmogrification elixir.
"No!" Rees leapt forward, but it was too late. The red bottle dropped to the floor and crashed into a hundred pieces as the
light scent of flowers abruptly filled the air. The boy who had stood there but mere moments ago was gone. In his place
was a green eyed, hairy rat with a large ring and cord tied to it. "Justinian!"
The rat took off with horrendous speed. He was out of the room before she could even attempt to try and shut the door.
Horrible visions of the boy turned rat wiggling out a hole and into the streets to be eaten by a flea infested cat flashed
through her mind. She had to find him, find him before he hurt himself or worse.
Vaulting for the cabinet instead of the door, Rees grabbed a green vial. Though she normally avoided drinking her wares,
and the truly expensive ones at that, this situation left her little choice. As the potion hit her system, she felt herself
suddenly fill with overflowing energy. She blinked from where she stood to the other side of the doorway.
A clanking sound on the stairs told her Justinian was on his way down. She thanked the gods for the boy’s magical ring.
Unlike his clothes and body, it hadn’t been affected by the potion and would give her have a chance of finding him--as
long as the cord didn’t break.
Willing herself in that direction, she blinked over to the lower floor. Catching sight of him, she sent herself to appear
where he scurried over a shelf. By the time she reappeared, he was already out of reach. The chase was on.
Justinian jumped on and off shelves, moving chaotically in every direction, sending a myriad of vials, bottles, and dried
goods flying everywhere. Rees tried not to cringe every time something hit the floor as more money was thrown down the
gutter, keeping the boy and his safety as her number one priority.
The ring flew up as Justinian made a sharp turn. Making a mental dive for it, she disappeared and reappeared so she could
grab hold, gaining several bruises on landing on the floor. Holding onto the ring for dear life as the cord stretched taught,
she almost immediately found herself run over repeatedly by an excited, furry mammal.
Battered and tired, Rees worked her way to her feet. The instant she raised the ring, the rat began moving in circles about
her. She would have sighed in relief, but that was when she got a good look at her ruined shop. After the weeks she spent
repairing and cleaning the place, she had to work at not breaking down in tears due to its present condition. No amount of
money was worth this--and it wasn’t over yet.
The elixir would have to run its course before Justinian would return to normal. Going to the back, she grabbed a woven
basket with a lid from a high shelf, one she used for keeping snakes.
"Justinian, I’m only going to put you in here for a little while, all right?" She placed the rat inside the basket and made sure
to secure the lid on tight. Placing it on the counter where she could keep an eye on it, Rees used what remained of the
Blink potion in her system to try and straighten what she could of the place.
The boy made strange noises in the basket, but she ignored them wanting to finish what she could before having to deal
with him again.
When it was almost time she opened the basket and took the rat out, and set him on the floor while keeping a grip on the
ring. The rat didn’t immediately run as she expected, but instead curled up on the floor and made mewling sounds.
"Justinian?"
As she knelt down to try and see what was wrong, the rat grew back into a boy. The mewling turned into a full out,
spiraling wail.
Rees grimaced in pain. "Justinian, stop that, please! What’s wrong?" It was as if a dwarf placed a chisel to her head and
was now happily pounding away at it in search of gold. The child’s wailing reverberated in the room, rattling the rafters.
"Locked up bad! Locked up bad!" The wailing increased in pitch.
Resisting the impulse to fling him away in the hopes of escaping the noise, Rees tried hard to put a smile on her face,
though she was sure it looked more like a grimace. Had his parents locked him up before? Was that the only solution they
could come up with before they obtained the magic ring? She felt her heart go out to the boy, though her ears would have
rather been nowhere near him. "Justinian, I’m sorry. I had to put you in there so you wouldn’t get hurt. Taking potions
can be dangerous. What if a cat had been in the shop?"
The wails continued unimpeded.
"Please, Justinian. I’m very, very sorry. I won’t do it again."
Abruptly, the boy turned his face away and buried it in his hands. This muffled his cries a little, but nowhere near enough.
"Justinian, listen, you and I are friends, aren’t we? You wouldn’t have wanted me to let you get hurt because of the magic,
would you?" Her entreaty came out as a whine. If she couldn’t get him to quit, she’d be crying soon too.
His wails came to a dead stop. It took Rees several seconds to realize this as they continued to echo in her skull.
"Magic?" He hiccupped. "Was magic? Bad Magic?"
Rees cringed at his sudden interest, having run across this type of thing before. Why were people always fascinated by
bad, harmful things? What was wrong with good, beneficial, harmless magic? "No, not bad magics, but if you don’t know
what they are or how to use them, they could hurt you."
"Oh." He didn’t seem half as disappointed by this as she expected. "Being rat fun."
"Tell you what, how would you like some food and a nice treat? I think I might have figured out something to help you."
Justinian ran around her, jumping up and down as if making up for the relative lack of motion a few moments before.
"Treat, treat, treat."
"All right, all right. Let’s feed you then have a treat." She kept her hand raised high as she took the boy back upstairs.
"Play here at the table while I get it all ready, okay?" She tied the cord to one of the table’s legs. Justinian zoomed under it,
out, over a chair, and under again. Rees hoped her furniture would hold.
Taking down some wrapped bread, cheese, and cured meat she made them each a plate. She nibbled as she worked, the
blink potion having made her terribly hungry. This time, though, she didn’t dare take her eyes off the boy for more than
five seconds at a time, and even then felt she was running a risk. His foray into her bedroom and cabinet felt as if it’d
taken years off her life.
His drinking the transmogrification potion was bad enough, but what if he managed to drink more than one of them?
Random combinations of all those magical elements might lead to almost anything.
There was one more potion she would give the boy though. If her teachings and intuition on such things were up to the
test, she would soon have at least a temporary solution.
A resounding smack made Rees jump, distracting her from her thoughts. "Justinian!"
The boy was on the floor, tangled up in his cord and a fallen chair. How could someone so small get into so much trouble
so quickly? Rees was grateful her furniture was sturdy and utilitarian. "Are you all right?"
Tears gathered at the edges of Justinian’s eyes but didn’t fall. "Go boom."
"Yes, yes, you did." She almost couldn’t help smiling at his expression as she quickly struggled to get him loose. Justinian’
s jerky movements as he continued to try to free himself, however, didn’t help the process along.
Once released, he immediately started again on the pattern which got him on the floor in the first place. Watching this, all
Rees wanted to do was drop to the floor and hang her head. She made herself serve their lunches instead.
Even for food, Justinian didn’t sit still. He squirmed around, up, down, off, on. As soon as he was through though she
would give her idea a try.
A true smile tugged at her lips for the first time that day as she thought about it. "If you eat all of this, I think you might
just deserve not only a treat but a magical one, a good magical one."
Justinian froze, his eyes growing very wide. "Mag-ical?"
"Yes," Rees told him, "but you have to eat everything first."
The food disappeared off the plate. She barely had time to consume half of her own before he was finished.
"Done!" Justinian picked up his plate and showed it to her.
Rees stood up, her plan clear in her mind. "Okay, I’m going to go get the special ingredient now, so you make sure to stay
there until I get back or no dessert. Understand?" The last thing she needed was to get overconfident at this point. There
was no telling how much damage this boy could do if he wanted to.
Justinian shook his head, making it a blur. "I wait!"
Rees ran downstairs to her workshop and grabbing a basket, quickly filled it with the several magic imbued ingredients, as
well as a number of other items to enhance natural effects.
She then dashed back upstairs.
As she entered the room, winded, she found the boy on top of his chair hopping from foot to foot.
"I wait."
"Yes, you did, didn’t you?" Rees gave him an encouraging smile, happy he was still there. "Your magical treat will be ready
in a few minutes."
Keeping her wares outside of Justinian’s reach, she grabbed several measuring cups and a mortar and pestle from the
cabinets there. With long studied precision, she ground down two Besta leaves, throwing in a measure of sulfur and
naturally magicked Sprit spit. None of these components were in themselves powerful but when combined just right could
augment natural tendencies to the extreme. And what they would enhance, if her leap and intuition were correct, would
make all the difference. She brought out a small jar of honey and one of thick molasses from the northern reaches.
"Done yet? Done yet?" Justinian ran back and forth in front of the table as far as his rope would let him, staring at her
eagerly.
"Almost, almost."
Mixing it all together, Rees took a sample drop at the end of her pinkie and touched it to her tongue. Though she felt no
visible effect, the faint scent of flowers was unmistakable.
Grabbing one of the apples still on the table, Rees cut it into eights and placed them in a bowl. Grabbing a spoon, she
dipped out a small amount of the contents of the finished mixture. Justinian leaned over the table to watch.
She dripped the golden brown alchemical potion over the cut apples.
"Magic?" Justinian asked, his eyes never leaving the spoon.
"Yes, magic. And all for you." She set the spoon inside the bowl and passed them both over to the boy.
Justinian instantly grabbed one of the apple slices, getting the sticky, syrupy goo all over his hand and fingers. The slice
disappeared in three eager bites, the golden potion now smeared over his lips and face. "Good! Like." With a cloggy smile,
he reached out for another.
Now Rees would see if all her training and instincts would prove their worth today.
Justinian ate all the apples slices then licked his fingers for good measure. He was still in the midst of this when he
unexpectedly stopped, and then looked over at Rees, standing perfectly still. Slowly, a knowing grin spread across his
round face, his green gaze never leaving her own. "Magic."
Rees found herself wondering if this was the longest he’d ever stared at anyone’s face before.
Justinian’s gaze finally left her and returned to the bowl before him. He picked it up and held it, twisting it slowly this way
and that to see how the angle of light would affect the color, as if he’d never really seen it before.
The boy’s face was filled with awe for the rest of the afternoon as he calmly walked around and stared at everything.
Rees found herself following him, surprised and pleased at his amazement. He would ask what something was and she’d
tell him, then he’d stare at it for a long time as if engraving it into his memory. In all honesty, this was the last thing she
expected. She’d hoped the potion would have this effect, but hadn’t expected the boy to be that pleased with it. Instead,
he seemed elated.
Finding herself responsible for his wonder as she showed him things for the rest of the afternoon made her think it might
just not be so bad to be a parent after all. Maybe some man out there would be bold enough to overlook her profession and
take a risk, and she might let him.
Close to evening, the bell hanging over the door rang, informing Rees she had a visitor. She left Justinian sitting in the
workroom, where he was intently feeling the roots and leaves of the herbs and plants he’d helped her pick out of the
garden outside late in the afternoon.
Without surprise, she saw the woman who’d brought Justinian standing inside the door. The woman’s critical eye was
roaming the shop as if trying to tally the amount of damage her charge might have done since that morning.
"Evening, madam."
"I’ve come for the young master." The matron didn’t look at Rees but rather past her, as if expecting to see a whirlwind
of flesh at any moment.
"Justinian, it’s time to go home." Rees saw the matron frown at her, probably for having left him unattended. Now if she
wouldn’t get mad about what she’d done…
With careful steps, Justinian came from around the corner and headed towards them. He wore his ring and rope as an
exotic belt around his middle.
Rees watched as the matron’s brow arced high on her face and her features slowly grew into a surprised expression.
"How—how did—" The matron’s gaze flickered from the walking boy to Rees and back again.
"I hope it’s all right," Rees said. "The effect should only last for about another hour or so."
Justinian smiled up at them, his eyes bright. "Like it."
"It’s a miracle!" Shouting, the matron scooped up the boy into her arms. She stared into Justinian’s face, her own
showing more expression than it had probably held in years.
Rees tried to hide a grin. "No, actually, it’s alchemy."
The matron shook her head the beginnings of an actual, true smile on her face. "You don’t understand. The young master,
he was cursed before he was born, due to an act of revenge against the Rockspear family. The way he was before was
the result."
Justinian was cursed as a result of revenge? From her own experience she knew the Rockspears’s enemies got their
money’s worth.
"You can see why this was never made common knowledge, of course. A family of their stature can’t seem weak to the
lesser public. But always, always the family has looked for some kind of cure or something to partially counter this
misfortune. They’ve tried giving offerings to the gods, strange spells, the magic ring, yet nothing has ever worked to any
great degree--not like this." She hugged the boy fiercely. Justinian laughed.
Rees found herself frowning. She already didn’t think much of the alchemists hereabouts, but really, with some effort and
research, they should have been able to do something for the boy. Unless they didn’t stoop to dealing with items easily
found in a woman’s kitchen? If he hadn’t run her ragged, she doubted it would have taken her so long to come up with it
as it had.
"You wouldn’t--would it be possible--do you have any more of what achieved this?"
The need in the matron’s voice made Rees blink. Could it be possible her luck was finally changing? If this could get her in
the good graces of one of the city’s most powerful families, surely things would turn to the better. "Y-yes, I do."
"The family will pay you whatever you ask. And I’m sure you’ll be discreet. If it gives a chance for the young master to
live a partially normal life…" Her happiness was almost painful to behold.
Rees retrieved the jar and quickly wrote up a bill. "There’s enough in here to last him a few days. There are instructions
with the bill. I’ll make sure to prepare another batch for when he runs low and if the family can give me more details on
what they know about the curse, maybe I can work on coming up with something longer lasting or more permanent?"
"Thank you! You don’t know what this means to us." Tears stood in the matron’s eyes. Justinian laughed again. Rees just
thought all this oozing gratitude a little awkward. Still, she could get to like it.
"I’m glad I was able to help. And if the family has any other alchemical needs…" She felt like a heel for throwing that in,
but couldn’t help herself. This could be her chance.
"Yes, we will. Thank you." The woman left the shop, Justinian walking at her side and waving goodbye.
Rees closed the door after they disappeared down the street, glad it was finally over. For the first time, she pulled out the
bag full of money from that morning and counted the coins inside. The Rockspears were indeed generous! With this and
what they would be paying for the potion, she’d be able to replace the few things Justinian had actually broken and stay
open for business another couple of months. And if they spread the word about her wares… She felt hope rise for the first
time in weeks.
#
Rees opened for business, but wasn’t too disappointed not to find anyone at the door. She knew she needed to give this
time. Word would get around. Yes, they kept it secret that the boy was cursed, but surely they would be too pleased by
the change of events not to tell someone. She only had to be patient and things would get better.
Near mid-morning, she heard the sound of the bell over her front door. Hoping it was the beginning of good repercussions
for yesterday’s antics, she came around the counter with a half-smile on her face.
"Good morning, how can I…" Rees’s smile faltered. Standing just inside her door were two men dressed in armor. The
men held unhappy looks on their faces. Before them, a pair of twin girls, probably around seven and dressed in bows and
silk, stood in front of each other, sticking their tongues out at one another in succession. A boy, older than the other two
by a few years and dressed just as richly, was standing off to the side, arms crossed, a petulant look on his face.
The guard with a graying beard, for guards was what they surely were, stepped forward. "By order of the Duke, you are
henceforth mandated with the tutelage of alchemy to his children until further notice." He unrolled a letter with a copy of
her advertisement and the duke's mark.
"Wait! I, I don’t understand." This was a ducal order?
The younger guard gave her a pitying look. The other gently but firmly herded the children further into the shop.
"Mistress, it’s my understanding the Rockspears had dinner with the Duke last evening and during their conversations
happened to mention how you’d been such a godsend in rectifying the discipline problems of their youngest."
Discipline problem? They called the boy’s curse a discipline problem?
The guard went on. "So since they have children with problems of their own--and you didn’t hear that from me by the
way--they decided the royal children needed some specialized education." He gave her a sad smile and shrugged.
Much to her chagrin, it looked like Rees had made a favorable impression after all. But would she survive it?
| Make a donation to this artist: |
"We’re here in answer to your advertisement."
Rees blinked twice, not sure if she should believe
what she was hearing and seeing. "My advertisement?
About mentoring?"
A thin, conservatively dressed woman was standing
before the shop’s counter, her arm raised high and
holding what looked to be a brass ring as wide as her
hand. A cord snaked down from it out of sight,
moving rapidly around the periphery of the woman.
Not sure what to make of it, Rees came out from
behind the counter to get a better look.
She blinked again, as about her visitor’s skirts, she
spotted a twirling, human tornado, one no more than
three feet tall. She thought the boy might be about five
years old, though he never stood still long enough for
her to be sure. At the moment, he was holding his
arms extended from his sides, zooming around the stiff
figure, crying, "Bird, bird, bird, bird."
Rees blinked twice, not sure if she should believe
what she was hearing and seeing. "My advertisement?
About mentoring?"
A thin, conservatively dressed woman was standing
before the shop’s counter, her arm raised high and
holding what looked to be a brass ring as wide as her
hand. A cord snaked down from it out of sight,
moving rapidly around the periphery of the woman.
Not sure what to make of it, Rees came out from
behind the counter to get a better look.
She blinked again, as about her visitor’s skirts, she
spotted a twirling, human tornado, one no more than
three feet tall. She thought the boy might be about five
years old, though he never stood still long enough for
her to be sure. At the moment, he was holding his
arms extended from his sides, zooming around the stiff
figure, crying, "Bird, bird, bird, bird."