Penny’s head moved between Elphina and Rory. “Ok, Gramma,” she said before scuttling off and closing the old door firmly behind her.
“Ma’am?” he asked, looking curiously at her.
The old woman exhaled, dropped a plush loveseat onto the floor from a vault with a small bang, and sat down. She patted the seat next to her. “Please sit.”
He did hesitantly, ready to leap up any time. She just leaned forward on her leaf-headed cane and said tiredly, “Son. I won’t share this with my granddaughter, but our store is close to failing. The competition has nearly put us out of business by paying off our distributors and then undercutting us. They aren’t even really in it for the money. They want my secrets. And they want Penelope. If she marries into their family, they’ll get the store after I pass and have rights to all my years of research and formula.”
Rory did not say anything. He felt bad for her, sure, but what did any of this have to do with him?
“Your name was Rory, right? May I call you that?” He nodded. “Rory. This will save us. And not just save us. It will free us from them. But it will take time and money. Money that I rightfully owe you.”
I knew it! She’s going to back out on our deal.
Seeing his perturbed look, she raised one hand. “I’ve been a Soul Alchemist for one hundred and forty years. I have made some miraculous things, but they cost a lot to produce because great results require great ingredients. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to invest as fully in my creations because of the cost. But they would sell – and sell well – if I could make them. And not just on this planet. The rainbow stimulant is an example. It takes many expensive ingredients on top of the nearly unique one you have provided. I’d like to ask if you’re willing to make a deal. Perhaps forestall getting paid by us… for now.”
Rory opened his mouth but she cut him off. “Please, hear me out?” she asked with a raised hand.
Rory sighed and nodded. He could at least listen.
“Instead of money, I want to give you something that will be worth potentially much more. As I said, results come from ingredients. I want to make you something that will fit you perfectly. Be specifically designed for you. Just you, and nobody else. But to create the right thing, I need to know you. I need to understand what makes you who you are. And that includes your personal life and, yes, your constructs. I have done this six times in the past and five resulted in great success. The one failure I had was only because I did not receive truthful information.” She then leaned back against the loveseat. “I know you have no reason to trust me. But I’m asking anyway. Otherwise, my store will likely fail and I will lose everything, including my granddaughter.”
Rory leaned forward and looked hard at the old woman across from him. Obviously, his first instinct and immediate reaction is to say, “Absolutely not. Give me my money,” then get the bloody hell out. He didn’t know her – or her granddaughter for that matter – in the least.
Why would I trust this old woman? They’re basically bloody strangers. Sure, she seemed honest with me about the first rainbow snake, unlike literally everyone else. And yeah, they just admitted they were getting a hell of deal when they didn’t have to tell me shit about the end product and its value…
Rory let out sigh. He felt for her… for them both. He really did. He knew what it was like being taken advantage of by powerful wealthy people. It had basically been his life for the last decade. So he figured he could at least tell her why he was going to say no.
“Ms. Elphina, I’ll be honest. I want to believe. I truly do. But everything I’ve experienced in my life tells me not to. So here’s what I’ll say. I had a happy if simple life until I turned ten and was tested. Ever since then all I’ve known is pain and betrayal. Again and again, that has been my life. So you tell me. What makes you any different? Why should I trust you when every single other person has betrayed that trust.”
Elphina tapped her fingers on the leaf head of her cane and looked at Rory. Apparently needing to think something complicated through, she shifted her gaze and looked off into space. Or maybe something personal?
It was hard to say, because it didn’t look like just a plain thoughtful expression to Rory. Or she might just have been a good actor. After thirty more seconds of staring, she turned back to him and declared, “I will give you forty-nine percent ownership of this business.”
Rory blinked at her. Of all the things she could have said to convince him, he hadn’t even considered something like that.
She looked at him with an expression mixing compassion and desperation. “To earn your trust, I will give you half of what I have spent a lifetime building. My granddaughter and I retain primary ownership, but if we succeed or fail, so do you. Before you ask, if you die, the forty-nine percent will go to someone else. Anyone but us. We will not get it back unless we buy it back, which we will not be allowed to do for a period of… say… ten years.”
Rory’s face must have shown his shock. He couldn’t speak. Wouldn’t it just be easier to try to negotiate down the agreement? What was the point of it all?
“Why do you want to know so bad?” Rory asked, the surprise evident in his voice. “This is about as far as you could possibly go. You didn’t try to negotiate. You didn’t even just tell me to get out because there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s not like we signed a contract. Why do you want to do this? What’s in it for you?”
“Your inscriptions,” was her quiet answer.
Rory leaped to his feet and backed away from her.
Shit! What does she know?
She raised her hands and patted the air. “Please, let me explain. I don’t wish to harm you. I’m just answering your questions.” Seeing that he wasn’t doing anything else, she spelled out what she was thinking. “I know ingredients. I have an affinity for understanding what the makeup of something is and how it can be used, enhanced, or degraded. When I see unique things, I work to get at what makes them what they are so I can understand how they can help or hurt the creation of other things. When you offered me your hand at our last meeting, I touched your inscriptions. That they go up your arms isn’t body art, is it?”
Rory looked at her, his eyes wide. She could tell by touching him? Did he need to stop touching people?
“Be calm, Rory,” she said in a low and soothing voice. “As I said, I don’t want to hurt you. I want to help you. I want to take what you have and what you are and make it better.” Then she smiled. “It’s what I do.”
Am I totally buggered? What are my options? I could run, but what good would that do? That leaves two choices, and I hate both. I don’t want to hurt her. She seems like a good old lady, and I don’t want to be that kind of person. Kill a good, or even a normal person because I can. That leaves… trust.
As if reading his thoughts, Elphina spoke softly again. “Rory, your life has clearly been a difficult one. You’ve admitted that to me. I haven’t earned your trust, but I ask for it anyway. I am not your enemy. I want to help.” Then she once again padded the seat next to her. “Give me a chance to prove it. Please.”
Rory felt his whole body shudder slightly at her gentle words. Almost without even thinking about it, he slowly walked back to loveseat, sat where her had had just been, and leaned against the padded backing.
He lifted his hands and rubbed at his eyes. The last “conversation” he’d had with his mother flashed across the back of his eyelids and he realized how tired he felt. Tired of how hard everything was. He was just so exhausted. From the betrayals and the constant suspicion. The starvation and never-ending battle to have barely enough to live another day. And his mother’s accusations and the blame and guilt that rose every time he even looked at her.
Rory opened his eyes and stared at his hands. He saw the Celtic knots that reminded him of his heritage and his past. A family lost… a life lost.
Everything is just so… hard.
Sighing, Rory asked, “How would it work?”
***
The contract was incredibly straightforward without any equivocation or fancy legal jargon. As soon as they signed it, he owned forty-nine percent of Elphina’s Alchemical Enchantments and nobody could take it away, even if he died. There was also non-disclosure attached for peace of mind of them both.
It wasn’t perfect, but Rory found that he really really wanted to believe in this woman.
Rory pleaded with Elphina in his mind, Please, don’t be like the others.
She padded his shaking hand after they signed the agreement. “Thank you,” she said with a gentle smile. “Let’s have some tea and then we can chat.”
Elphina led Rory to another room. It was an office that had plants everywhere. Besides a few tablets and crystals, there was basically nothing but plants, a small shelf with tea materials, a little heating stove, two seats, and a table. The room’s smell was pleasant though, unlike in the front room which had been overwhelming.
She went to the tea area and started making a pot. “This tea is one of mine. I crated the blend when I was in my thirties and it is still one of our best sellers. It has no effects other than to taste pleasant and leave a nice aftertaste without bitterness.”
He watched her make the tea, which she allowed with obvious movements, not hiding anything. When she was done, she joined him at the table and made a show of pouring them both tea from the same pot and drinking first.
It wasn’t foolproof, especially with her profession, but Rory appreciated the effort she was putting in. He thanked her and she started the conversation.
“Before I ask for your story, let me tell you a little about ingredients and how they work. I know this will sound strange, but different plants, stones, and animals can express or be interpreted as emotions.” Seeing his skepticism, she smiled. “I’ve been doing this a long time, Rory. Well, when you’re old as dirt like me, you’ve been doing everything a long time. But in this case, I mean I have been studying alchemical ingredients for nearly over a century. I’ve learned some things in all that time. Let me give you an example. Did you know that certain plants can only grow strong when they do so in pairs? That leads them to express an emotion so to speak in alchemy. For them, that expression may be affection or union, but only when used together. When apart they add something else, such as loneliness. Alternatively, an animal may thrive on causing pain, and ingredients from that animal would express such a sinister thing in turn. Or it may be something more complicated like envy, depending on the motivation for the behavior. Do you see what I’m saying?”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Rory nodded. “I guess so. It still sounds kind of… I don’t know. Strange, I guess?”
“Indeed. It’s why few alchemists galaxy-wide study this area of the profession. As for me, I’ve worked the last century or more to understand these ingredients and what they tell us about themselves and each other. Why did I tell you this? So when I ask you for your story, you’ll know I am trying to understand the truth behind who and what you are. How we produce something that will benefit you will be dependent upon the expression of your story and my ability to interpret it as ingredients. Does that make sense?”
Rory nodded. At least, it made sense enough.
She sat up straight and said, “So, Rory, it’s time. Will you tell me who you are?”
Rory exhaled.
Last chance to back out…
begged one more time that this recklessness wouldn’t come back and get him and his mum killed, he released his internal constraints and spoke.
And in his original Irish accent, Rory told his story. “I’m originally from Earth. Ireland. I was born Ruari O’Duinn Sheehan, the only child of two people who I think loved each other a lot. My mother is a weak inscriber and only used it as a supplementary income. I lived a good life, always having food, clothes, a clean loving home. We didn’t have extra, but we had enough.
“My da was a mixed Soul Warrior and Soul Supporter and gifted too. He created a guild and through his gifts and friends, they grew the guild to the point that our family started having a little more money. Not much as most of the gains went back into growing the guild, but enough that I could be sent to a really nice school. The best in Ireland, one of the best on Earth and the Empire, that specializes in raising the children of Soul Wielders. I… excelled.”
Rory shook his head, reflecting on past mistakes. “Looking back now, I wonder how I didn’t see it. I was such a naive child.” Taking a breath, Rory continued. “I had someone who I thought was my best friend. He and I were attached at the hip, as they say. I loved him like a brother. His family treated me and mine well. They promised to help me out when I awakened my construct. They said he and I would be friends forever.” Rory looked down. “It was a wonderful time. I was happy. Until the day after I awakened my constructs.”
He lifted his head and looked at Elphina. “From here on, I’m vulnerable. What I tell you could damn me.”
Her face showed nothing but that gentle smile. Rory took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and exhaled. “I awakened at level 8 compatibility.” The woman’s mouth opened and her eyes, mostly white, showing pinpricks for irises.
Rory nodded. “My weapons were… are chakram. A mixed melee/ranged dual-weapon set.” He hadn’t thought Elphina’s eyes could widen more, but they did. “And what’s more, I awakened two elements.” Her eyebrows were all the way up in her white hair by that point.
“It was obvious that I awakened ice. An excellent element really, and quite rare. Powerful at both damage and control. It offers a lot to both a ranged and melee warrior. With that and my compatibility alone, I was going to be the best my age in the Empire. Unique in history, with a future of untold potential.”
Rory’s shoulders, slumped bit this point, felt like weight was on them. And it weighed heavier as he leaned forward and looked down at the wooden swirls on the table. “But what nobody else alive besides I – and now you – know, is that I was also granted a second element.” Rory watched his fingers as they moved in circles on the table. “Death.”
Elphina broke her silence with a shocked gasp. She’d been silent until then. Rory looked up with his eyes but didn’t raise his head. He eyes stayed wide, but she relaxed her body slightly. “You haven’t gotten to the heart of it yet, and your ingredient mix is already beyond what I could imagine,” she said.
Rory nodded. “If they’d known I’d awakened death, maybe things would have been different. I wonder what they would have done. Probably just killed me. But they didn’t know and things… happened.”
He sighed again. “I didn’t see it. Was so young and trusting. I didn’t recognize his jealousy. All I thought I saw was a friend who was caring. A brother.” Rory placed his elbows on the table and laid his head in his hands. “I was wrong. So wrong.”
Rory’s vision was going a little misty, but he continued. “I was warned. Admiral Regina Sutherland was there to try to recruit us for the Queen’s military. She pulled me aside and warned me to be careful who I trusted. But I didn’t understand. I was just so…” He let out a breath. “That night, I celebrated with my family and friends in the guild. It was wonderful. I was so ready to grow up. I was going to join and be an asset. I was going to help them fight the Cursed. With the support of my family and the help of my best friend, they told me the entire galaxy was before me. I could have been or done anything. A leader. A hero.”
The first tear finally fell, splashing on the table. “The night after our first lesson, my friend invited me to his house to play. I didn’t suspect anything. Why would I? He was my brother in all but blood and I believed we'd be together forever.”
Looking at her again he said, “It turned out we wouldn’t. He drugged me on the way. I was taken to one of their labs where…”
I struggled to say the names. There was no turning back once I did. Rory closed his eyes, causing the tears in them to fall.
“Where Myles and Janet Walsh, his parents, were waiting.”
He opened his eyes to see first confusion and then recognition passed Elphina’s face.
Rory nodded. “Yes. Those Walshes. Owners of Spectara Industries and one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the empire.” Rory stopped and watched her. If he saw any sign of greed he’d strike. But he didn’t. To his relief, all he could find was shock on her face, quickly changing to sadness.
He continued, “When I woke up, I was held down on a table. They told me how I was supposed to be one of Killean’s people. To serve him or something. Honestly, I don’t remember the whole speech I was so overwhelmed. The summary of it was this: I was too good. Too gifted to serve him… them. Servants shouldn’t overshadow their masters and all that. Well, they couldn’t let me be so much better than their son, who was only compatibility level 3 with no element. They claimed that my da had some agreement with them involving me, but he decided at the end to back out because of my awakening results. I still don’t know what any of that means. But they also claimed that Admiral Sutherland was watching me because of my gifts, so they couldn’t just kill me. Instead, they had to cripple me. And that’s what they did, but not before they told me my da and his entire guild were killed. They had set up a bunch of creature or Cursed breakouts throughout the country and one was aimed at my family. Everything was destroyed. Only my mum was alive because she was off. They told me they let her live so I’d stay quiet about it all and that she’d be killed if I ever said anything. And then they took away everything that could have made me a threat to them.”
Rory stood up then. “They told me they inherited an ancient but inscription tool. It was flawed and would permanently damage a wielder. Then they branded me with it,” and took off his shirt. Elphina hissed. “You can’t tell, but it goes down to just short of my knees. It wasn’t meant for a child they said. So they used the ice element and a machine and burned these inscriptions into the skin of a ten-year-old boy who was held motionless.”
Rory put his shirt back on and sat. “I can’t describe for you the pain. It was… unimaginable. I still dream about it sometimes. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even scream really. All I could do was cry out in my mind for mercy. For my parents. For anything or anyone to help. But nobody did.”
Rory saw the old woman’s eyes were wet, matching his.
He shifted and coughed. “I was found the next day buried in the ashes and debris of my da’s guild. My skin was a melted and scarred ruin where you see the inscriptions now. I was rescued by the emergency personnel. Everyone thought my wounds were from the attack. The doctors and such did what they could for the pain, but nothing helped. Those scars would cause me constant torment for the next eight years. I hadn't slept through the night once in eight years. But I’ll come back to that.”
Rory leaned back and continued, “My mother was at the hospital with me and took me away. I think she honestly tried at first. She tried to get some insurance money, but every attempt was stopped. They said beast at the guild house weren’t covered or whatever. Upon reflection, the Walshes probably had a hand in it. I’m sure they wanted to make sure we had no options and I had no future. I sometimes wonder why they didn’t kill me. I mean, I get the admiral and all that, but would that have really stopped them? Maybe they just wanted me to suffer for my da going back on his word.” I sighed. “I’ll probably never know. Either way, we had no money beyond our meager savings. As I said, everything had gone into the guild. So, my mum and I thought maybe I could be a warrior with my gifts and we spent a good portion of our remaining funds on a cheap used commo. We hoped it would allow me to at least earn something. You see, I never told me mom the truth. I let her believe I was in the building for the attack. I was guilty and ashamed. I blamed myself for everything. So she didn’t know that spending on that commo would be a huge waste of what little we had. Instead, we spent all that money and the all the thing offered us was evidence of my flaws. It turned out that my summary and ghost had two malformities caused by what the Walshes did to me. The first was that my Wielder tree was broken. It showed nothing and couldn’t even be accessed. The second was that no vessels could be applied to my Construct tree. I had eight from my compatibility and I couldn’t use them. No matter what we did, I couldn’t do anything but watch our best hope sit there, staring me in the face but out of reach.” Rory had stopped watching Elphina at that point, he was so focused on his past.
“My mum didn’t understand, but realized by then that something was wrong. She’d seen my nightmares and scars and maybe had started putting together some things. Well, she told me to tell her the whole truth. So I did. She… didn’t react well. She started being distant with me. And she also started drinking. Not a lot at first, but it got worse over time. I was too young to get a job and my mum was deteriorating quickly. Eventually, I realized we couldn’t stay on Earth. It was expensive and, most importantly, the heart of the Walshes’ power. I guess it was about a year after when I finally came to the realization we couldn’t remain there and my mum had given up on us… me. She blamed me. At the end, she told me I should have been given to them and it was all my fault I didn’t go. I was responsible for everything.”
The prior night came back to Rory once again, her words hammering home his guilt.
After an unknown period of time, Rory wiped his eyes and continued, “Well, I took what little money we had, sold her inscribing equipment, and spent just about all of it on a transport to get us away from the Walshes and my past. I was… am terrified of them. So I went to the farthest, most awful place I could find to get away. Six or seven years ago we moved into the slums. My mum pretty much waned from there on out. The only thing she has done since is drink and sleep. At first, I tried to help. I’d wash her and try to keep her sober enough to make some inscribing money so we could eat. But whenever she wasn’t drunk, all she did was yell about how everything is my fault and how much of a failure I am. So I stopped. Soon after we arrived, I found work, if you could call it that. It was with an old man in the ruins of a dead city scavenging for scraps that I could sell. For almost seven years, that was how I supported us. I’d somehow scavenge through the constant pain and nearly sleepless nights and find just enough junk to pay for food every few days and to keep my mum too drunk to tell me how awful I was… am.”
Once again, Rory stopped. Staring at his shaking hands. “I did my best. I tried to go to school, thinking maybe a high school diploma could get me a real job. But the kids heard my accent and saw my scars and weakness and… well… I struggled passing classes. In the end, I only went because they had free food twice a week, exercise facilities, hot showers, soap, and shampoo. And because my mum ordered me to in her few seconds of lucidity between bottles. Mostly it was to keep me away from her, but I figured I could show her I was trying to make it better. Maybe she’d see everything I did wasn’t awful.” Shaking his head, he said, “It didn’t help.”
After a few more seconds of silence, Rory cleared his throat and wiped his face again before proceeding. “To bring us to the present, in a fit of desperation, I borrowed money thinking mum might be able to inscribe again. Looking back, it was a stupid idea. She just used the money on moonshine and other vices while I went to school. But we just needed a little food and…”
Rory’s voice faded as he shook his head and laughed in his mind at the idiocy of the plan. “Needless to say, we couldn’t pay it back, so I figured we’d have to run – move to another slum somehow. I’d try to carry mum and we’d maybe be able to get far enough before we were spotted. Maybe. If not, she’d be sold for who knows what purpose. Me too probably. So on what I figured was my last night in the slums, I met the old man, Henry, and agreed to…”