The Heart of Alchemy by James Wisher (e book reading free TXT) 📕

to reach the center of such a small area. It seemed like they were moving in a straight line, but he couldn’t assume his senses hadn’t been affected.

He took a deep breath. The perfume was getting stronger and he took that as a sign that they were closing in on their final destination. Not that he had any way to prove his theory, but it was better than panicking. Which was exactly what would happen if he allowed himself to believe they were simply wandering in circles.

Otto’s faith was rewarded a moment later when they found a modest clearing directly ahead. A glowing figure of a man in long, golden robes stood in the center of the clearing. On a pedestal made of twisted branches sat a bloodred gemstone the size of Otto’s fist. That had to be the Heart of Alchemy. Which made the ghost Lord Cheng.

He stopped just outside the clearing and studied the scene with both his mundane senses and his magical ones. In the ether, Cheng glowed more brightly than the trees. It looked like he was made of pure ether packed so dense he was practically solid. His glowing, golden eyes bore into Otto like a drill.

It was a challenge, pure and simple. Did he have the courage to step into the clearing and face whatever the long-dead Arcane Lord had in store for him?

Otto certainly did. “Wait here.”

With that he stepped off the path and into the clearing.

Sensing movement behind him, Otto spun just in time to watch the trees close in, blocking off the path. Well, no turning back now.

He strode directly over to the ethereal construct and bowed. “Lord Cheng.”

“You have come for the Heart,” the construct said. “I congratulate you on claiming the Chamber. Lord Colt was always known for the… durability of his tests.”

Otto stared for a moment. “How did you know I passed Colt’s test?”

“The pieces of the Infinity Engine are separate, but still connected. What happens to one, the other knows. As the Heart’s guardian, what it knows, I know.”

“Fascinating. I suppose you have a test for me as well. Shall we begin?”

“We have already begun. You noticed the pleasant perfume that fills the air?”

Otto nodded. “I’ve never smelled anything like it.”

“I’m not surprised. I created the plant that gives it off. It is also highly toxic.”

Otto touched his chest. He felt no different. “What do I do now?”

“You must make a choice,” the construct said. “As long as you remain in the garden, the tree’s pollen will protect you from the poison. The moment you step outside, it will activate and you will quickly die. Your choices are simple. Stay here and spend the rest of your life as my companion or take the Heart and pray you can transmute the poison in your body before it kills you.”

“That’s it?” Otto said, like the test was simple, but in reality, it was probably harder than defeating Colt’s steel construct. “I thought I would have to fight a living tree or something.”

“That is not my way.”

“No, I suppose it isn’t. Can you give me any pointers on how to use the Heart?”

“Why do you think a simple guardian like me would know anything?”

“You’re a simulacrum, right? You should know everything your creator knew, or close to it.”

The construct smiled. “Congratulations. The reward for your perceptiveness is a hint. Alchemy is about transforming a substance from one state to another. That is why it serves as the Heart of the process for becoming an Arcane Lord. When you access the Heart’s power, keep that in mind.”

Otto frowned at the indirect advice. Still, he suspected he’d get nothing else. When he went to claim the Heart, Cheng’s construct made no effort to stop him.

The gem gave off a faint heat and weighed less than a double eagle. Peering at it in the ether revealed a complex matrix of connections far more advanced than anything he had ever contemplated. With the proper knowledge you could probably do just about anything with this thing. Pity Otto lacked that knowledge.

When he looked back, he found a rather nervous-seeming Jet watching him from the edge of the clearing. Since there was nothing more for him to do here, he strode over to her.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“No, and neither are you.” He explained about the poison and how to deal with it. “It all comes down to me figuring out how to use this thing. If I do it right, we live. If not, we die.”

“Great. Nothing to it, right?”

Otto remained silent. Transforming the poison would be the most complex and difficult magic he had ever attempted. He’d said it half in jest, but right now, he really would have preferred to fight a tree monster.

There was no more sense of being watched as they made their way back to the edge of the garden. Beside him, Jet fidgeted, adjusting her hair, then her clothes, then back to her hair. You’d think she was meeting her lover after a long absence. Otto rubbed the smooth surface of the Heart. If he screwed this up, the only thing they’d be meeting was their doom.

The walk out took far less time than the trip in. Or maybe Otto was so distracted the path felt shorter. Either way, when they reached the end he stopped and gathered himself. The moment he moved beyond the trees, the countdown began.

“Wait here,” Otto said. “If I survive, I’ll signal you to come out and I can repeat the process on you.”

“And if you don’t?” she asked.

“Then you have to decide if you prefer death or spending the rest of your life in an enchanted garden with only the spirit of a long-dead Arcane Lord for company. You could also wait and hope for Marius to raise you as an undead.”

“I’ll just hope you succeed.”

Otto nodded, filled the Heart with ether, and took the last step forward. He had the briefest impressions of an empty courtyard before pain unlike