Ethan Wright and the Alchemist's Order, (Book 2) (19 page)

Raikenai chuckled to herself at Auren’s inability to speak clearly. “Well, thank you, Auren, for coming to my rescue.”

Ventu looked at Raikenai as blood soaked through her clothes. She stumbled and he quickly steadied her. Stanley and Availia returned from scouting their surroundings to see that Loka’s daughter had been freed from the trap.

“Did you see anyone?” asked Ventu.

“Yeah — a Mitan with a mask on. He ran as soon as he realized we spotted him,” answered Availia.

“That’s an Aegis scout — there will be more on their way. Ethan, we need to bring Raikenai back to Losalfar, she’s—”

“I’ll be fine,” snapped Raikenai as she attempted to walk on her own. Wincing, she instead fell back to Ventu’s support.

Ethan stood tall and looked at his fellow students — they all nodded. “Ventu, take her back. We’ll go on ahead.”

“It will be dangerous, Ethan,” warned the Mitan.

“If there is a chance we can bring Loka back, we’ll take it,” answered Ethan.

Ventu nodded and put Raikenai’s arm over his shoulder. She pulled a small leather pouch from her belt and tossed it to Ethan. He caught it with one hand and gave the Lady of the Mitan a strange look. “What’s this?” he asked.

“Prufsian blue, of course — you saw the symbol,” she answered factually.

“But wait a minute — if you were going to where I think you were going … how were you planning on getting in? Only alchemists can get inside.”

“I would’ve figured something out,” she said confidently. “I am very sorry you had to get involved. My recklessness may have put you in danger just now.”

Ethan realized that like himself, Raikenai had not had a plan at all, just the compulsion to rescue her father. She applied pressure against the blood that was seeping out of her side.

“We understand,” replied Ethan. “I don’t think you were being reckless — I would do just about anything to help my father, and we’ll do our best to find yours.”

“Most humans wouldn’t want to help a Mitan,” said Raikenai softly. “I
was
acting reckless, and should’ve asked you to accompany me.” She looked over to Auren. “Thank you for looking for my father.”

“We’ll find him,” answered Auren, confident.

***

Ethan picked up the pieces to the torture device and examined them. He reset the release switch and slid the gears back into place. He thought the device was terrible, but at the same time knew they might run into one again someday.

“Well, that sounded incredibly brave, but how do we find the place — I have no idea where we are,” said Availia.

Ethan snapped the cover back on the device, re-coiled the net and carefully tucked it into his pack for later study. He pulled out his map, studying the area of King’s Point. It was difficult to tell where they were, as he could not see any landmarks around them. A slight breeze picked up. The smell of moisture on the cool wind caught his nose, saving Ethan from his poor map reading skills. “The lake,” he whispered to himself. “The lake!” he exclaimed. “We are near the lake, I remember we passed it on the way to the entrance. Remember the fisherboy, Auren?” he added as he stuffed the map in his pack.

Auren nodded. “We just need to follow the shoreline and get through the woods to that tree — the weird-looking white tree. And it’s very important — if that boy by the lake, the fisherboy, tries to talk to you, no matter what … ignore him.”

Stanley and Availia looked confused. “What?” they both asked.

“You need to trust us — that is one of the legendary creatures in Auren’s Losalfarian creature book. A boy inside a tongue — if you talk to him, or acknowledge him in any way, it will most certainly attack you.”

“A boy inside a
what
?” asked Availia, bewildered.

“A t
ongue
,” answered Ethan and Auren.

“You’re just going to have to trust me,” insisted Auren, peeved.

Availia had never been in the practice of trusting Auren, but since both he and Ethan were on the same page, she nodded, as did Stanley.

Another hour of trudging through the thicket brought the four to the path they sought. Ethan directed them across the path and through the woods. They broke through a final row of thick underbrush and followed the shoreline of the eerie lead-colored lake. The water stayed calm even as a breeze ruffled Ethan’s dark hair. They looked ahead, but no fisherboy appeared.

“Nowhere to be seen,” said Auren, smiling. “Looks like we don’t have to worry about the fisherboy.”

“I wonder if it wasn’t just a boy who needed our help after all,” replied Ethan softly.

“I don’t know, guys — that whole thing seems awfully strange to me,” griped Availia as the hairs on the back of her neck started to prickle.

“Am I strange?” came a young voice from behind them.

Availia jumped with a squeak, but did not dare turn around.

“Keep moving, everyone! And just keep looking forward!” insisted Auren.

The blue-hued boy was following right behind Ethan. He breathed down the back of Ethan’s neck as he walked. “So you know it’s me, then….”

Ethan did his best to ignore the boy. His skin crawled with the awareness of malice. He continued to walk, the anomaly trailing just behind.

“Twisting, turning, traps … you’re playing by the rules of the Lake Hunter, right?” asked the fisherboy, who had a writhing tether of slimy blue flesh dragging behind him, leading into the water. “You’ll slip up soon — they always do,” hissed the boy malevolently. “He’ll kill your friends, you know.”

Ethan stopped in his tracks. The boy smiled as a small ripple coursed through the water on the surface of Black Lake. Ethan moved his hand toward his sword. He felt the heat starting to build around the weapon.

“Ethan, we have to keep moving!” exclaimed Stanley, still trudging forward.

“C’MON Ethan, let’s just
go,
” pleaded Availia, trembling as she walked.

Ethan took a deep breath and started walking again. They continued north, finally breaking away from the leaden shallows.

“You play by the rules then, as will I … for now. I will get you eventually … just you wait,” snarled the boy as he receded into the lake, not breaking his glare at Ethan. “It’s only … a matter … of time.” Soon the boy’s body was completely submerged and he sinuously glided away.

“That was creepy!” Availia shuddered. “What exactly is that thing, anyhow?”

“A legendary creature,” answered Auren. “Just like the Stonewolf … just like Dendrobates Azureus….”

Availia cocked her head. “The
what
?”

Ethan leaned toward Availia’s ear. “The Ravim — he certainly knows his creatures, huh?”

“Well, whatever it is, let’s try to avoid it at all costs,” mumbled Availia as she rubbed the back of her neck, which still had hair standing on end.

“At least we know how to deal with the creature if we do see it again,” stated Stanley, smiling. “Wait — look just over there,” he exclaimed as he pointed into the forest.

There stood the great white tree that Auren and Ethan remembered. Ethan marched into the thick forest and pushed his way through the branches. Stanley, Availia and Auren followed him. He saw the worn spot on the tree and remembered Abbey touching it at their last visit. He swiped his palm across the well-worn bark as he passed. Stanley shrugged his shoulders and also touched the tree, as did Availia and Auren. They continued out of the clearing and back into the woods. Broken branches and worn down vegetation pointed the way to the cave entrance.

Ethan examined the cave opening as he approached. He stood in awe, as it delved much farther than he remembered. Alchemy torches lit the way as far down as he could see. Stanley walked toward the entrance, but Ethan grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back.

“Wait!”

“What is it?” asked Stanley, surprised. “Oh, of course — there’s a trap, isn’t there?” he added as he started inspecting the nearby stone pillar.

Ethan picked up a small branch and tossed it toward the entrance. A ripple of transparent blue appeared around the branch, decelerating its travel through the air. It stopped and then suddenly shot past Ethan’s face and back through the woods they had just exited, making a cracking sound as it landed in the brush.

“That could’ve been me!” exclaimed Stanley. “Thanks!”

Ethan nodded. “Anytime.” He spit on his hand and placed it on the stone carving that was embedded in the pillar. He focused on making a small reaction, like when he was able to make his alchemy jacket heal itself. The letters on the carving flashed around his hand. He cautiously walked through the entrance, hoping not to get blasted through the woods. When his hand successfully passed through the invisible barrier, he took a step down the staircase with confidence. Availia and Stanley followed, while Auren put his hands together as if he were pushing aside an invisible spider web. He walked through tentatively and smiled as he checked himself to ensure everything was intact.

“Auren, what are you doing? You’ve already been in here, haven’t you?” asked Availia.

“Yeah, but not with Ethan getting us through the barrier — how am I supposed to know he got it right?”

“Just hurry it up already.”

Availia and Auren hurried down the staircase to catch up with Stanley and Ethan. The air changed as they got deeper. Ethan remembered the stale and musty smells as they reached the first landing. They hurried around the corner only to see another equally deep staircase.

“
Really
?” sighed Availia to herself.

Leaving Availia behind, the three boys rushed down the staircase as fast as their legs would take them, as if racing to the bottom. They reached the final landing and took a short break as they caught their breath.

“You know,” breathed Auren, “if the Alchemist Order thingy … is down here — those guys have … incredibly strong legs,” he said as he inhaled and exhaled wildly.

Ethan and Stanley snickered as they struggled for breath. Soon Availia met them at the landing with a glare, as if to say ‘grow up.’

They took a left turn at the landing and entered the large pillared room lined with doors. The four spread out to examine the room. The first door on the left had water dripping all the way from the ceiling into a small glass basin mounted on the wall next to the door. Thick vines had sprouted out from the wall, making a base to hold the cone-shaped basin. The crystal clear liquid pooled half-way up the glass container and beamed with light which shone through.

As Ethan walked down the center of the double row of pillars, he noticed a door to his right that looked rather plain at first glance. Specks of glitter sparkled over the entire door. Ethan slowly approached and the fine golden flecks began to sparkle more intensely.

“Gold dust…,” he whispered.

“Any luck on your doors?” shouted Stanley from across the room.

Auren found a door that interested him. “I got one here with roots and branches hanging all over it—”

“That must be Red Oak,” said Ethan, not breaking eye contact with the glimmering gold dust.

“This one’s just made of stone,” yelled Availia.

“That must be ours — that leads to the Stone Sanctuary — to Tirguard,” called Stanley.

Ethan leaned forward and brought his hand up to the door. The dust started to vibrate and quiver. He recoiled. The Orobori then fastened the top clasp on his alchemy jacket. The remaining clasps fastened down the front. He moved his sleeveless arm back, and with his left hand reached up and touched the door. The vibrating dust swirled violently, coalescing toward the young alchemist’s hand. Suddenly, the golden flecks broke away from the door’s exterior. Ethan’s collar quickly expanded upward to shield his face as tiny metal projectiles threatened to rip through him. He winced, bracing for impact, and dove to the side. The gold specks whizzed by but suddenly stopped, as the intruder had left the path of the door. They hovered in mid-air, sparkling in a slow-moving cyclone. Availia and Auren rushed over to see the spectacle.

“What’d you do?” asked Auren, helping Ethan to his feet.

The dust froze and then shot back into the door as if nothing had happened.

“Each door must be for their respective alchemist type. They have protection built in against alchemists not from their faction. This one is for Gold Dust alchemists,” explained Ethan, brushing the dust from his jacket.

“I found a most peculiar door,” said Stanley as he joined the others. “The thing looks like it’s made of stone, but it’s all black. There is a blue symbol in the middle that matches the prufsion blue alchemy symbol we are looking for — that’s the one,” he added with conviction.

Ethan followed Stanley to the end of the room, in front of the black door. He examined the strange symbol in the center. There was a triangle with a circle touching all three corners, and a small cross at the top.

“The Alchemist Order,” said Stanley decisively.

Ethan took the small leather pouch from his pack and opened it to find a fine blue powder inside. “Prufsian blue,” he said. He took a small handful and clenched it in his fist. The powder stuck to his fingers and palm, staining them blue. After seeing what had happened at the Gold Dust door, Stanley, Availia and Auren all stood off to the side. Ethan ensured his jacket was at the ready. His collar rose slightly and the garment’s fabric hardened. He placed his hand firmly on the door. Nothing happened. Ethan removed his hand, leaving a stark blue handprint on the door.

“Huh,” said Auren plainly.

Stanley examined the blue residue on Ethan’s hand and then looked up at the black stone door. “I thought for sure that would—”

Just then the blue handprint dissolved into the door, leaving no trace of any prufsian blue. Then a brief flash of light in the shape of the handprint emanated from the porous surface of the stone door with a
crackle
. Several loud
CLICKS
sounded, followed by a
CLANK
. The door creaked open, sending a gust of air into the room.

“Before we all go in, we should set our life stones,” said Availia.

“That’s a great idea, Availia,” replied Stanley.