I stood at the crumbling walls of the great palace, watching as Igrand pressed harder and harder against the last line of Erimor's defenses. The palace, once a symbol of power and ambition, was a shadow of its former self - cracked walls, broken glass, and fires blazing in its once ornate halls. Despite everything, Velatis still believed in its last defense.
An alchemical circle was etched into the stone floor at the back of the throne room where Lord Velatis stood, gazing nervously into the distant sounds of battle. He wore a noble crimson cloak, though it was now stained with dirt and bloodstains from the siege. His once unshakable confidence had given a crack, as had the palace around us.
Velatis turned to me, frowning his eyebrows. "How much longer, alchemist? I want results, not promises."
I smiled coldly at him, pointing to the intricate lines of the circle. - Patience, my lord. The circle is in place. All it takes to activate it is the right... circumstances. - I looked around the room, watching the anxious guards and courtiers who remained with their ruler, hoping for a miracle.
Velatis clenched his fist. "You promised me protection! Those beasts you let loose... Even Igrand's soldiers fear them, but we were not invulnerable either. I want guarantees that this circle will save me and my city."
I moved closer to the circle and ran my fingers along the lines. "This circle, my lord, is unlike anything I have created before. It is meant for more than just protection. If we succeed, it will yield power beyond anything you can imagine. It's not just about holding the palace, it could change everything. We just need a... a sacrifice."
Velatis' eyes narrowed. - A sacrifice?
Before I could continue, the door to the throne room swung open, and one of the remaining Erimor soldiers panted and bled into the room. - My lord! - he exhaled. - The enemy is breaking through the outer gate! They'll be here any minute!
Velatis's face turned pale. He turned to me, panic replacing his usual composure. "Come on! Activate the circle now!"
I nodded. - We need to hold them off. Gather the remaining guards, make sure no one enters until the circle is closed.
Velatis gestured to the few remaining guards. "You heard him! Hold your defenses!"
The soldiers looked frightened, but saluted and hurried to the entrance of the palace, barricading the doors as best they could. Their chances were slim.
I stood next to the circle, feeling the tension building in the room. The sounds of battle grew louder and louder, and soon the screams of the dying echoed through the halls of this once grand palace.
Velatis moved closer to me, his voice barely audible. - You mentioned sacrifice, alchemist. What are we talking about?
I looked up at him, meeting his gaze with cold precision. "The circle requires life energy. A considerable amount of it. Soldiers... nobles... anyone we can spare." I gestured to the panicked courtiers standing nearby, their eyes widening with fear as they heard our conversation.
Velatis swallowed with difficulty. "You don't mean..."
I interrupted him. "If you crave victory, my lord, something must be sacrificed. If not, the Igrand will break through, and they will hang your head on the walls of the city as an ornament-the trophy of their victory.
His gaze flicked to the courtiers. His fingers trembled as he realized the weight of my words. Before he could answer, there was a sudden rumble of thunder. The palace doors shattered as Igrand's troops finally broke through. The guards who had gone to defend the entrance were losing the battle, and the enemy soldiers were closing in fast.
Velatis muttered to himself. "Do it! Activate the circle! Take advantage of... whoever.
I smirked. The moment I had waited so long for had finally arrived. - As you command, my lord.
The courtiers recoiled, realizing what was happening. "My lord, what is he doing?" one of them screamed in a voice shaking with terror.
Velatis looked at her with cold detachment. - We must win at all costs.
The Igrand soldiers stormed into the throne room, spreading out in a wave, surrounding us with practiced precision. Velatis stood, erect, in the center, shifting his gaze from me to the advancing troops and back again, trusting that I would keep my promise-that my alchemical circle would provide him with the salvation he so desperately needed. Without even realizing how he would be saved, he just like a fool trusted when I said I knew the secrets of alchemy, to defeat and save his life, without even elaborating he agreed.
I kept my eyes on the glowing circle of light on the floor. The courtiers, still clinging to the hope of survival, crowded around Velatis, their faces full of horror. They had no idea what was about to happen.
The moment had come. I stretched out my arms, concentrating as the lines of the circle pulsed with life. The air filled with energy, crackling like static before a thunderstorm. I felt the transmutation begin, the raw, primal power of alchemy coursing through me. The formula was perfect, just as I had conceived it - everything fell into place.
The nervous whispers of the courtiers turned to panicked screams as they sensed the change in the air. Their eyes widened in horror as they realized that something terrible was happening. One of them, a middle-aged man who had once been a high-ranking official, fell to his knees, grabbing Velatis' cloak.
"My lord! What's going on? Stop this!" - he pleaded in a voice breaking with despair.
But Velatis could not answer. His gaze was fixed on me, confusion turning to fear. The realization was coming, even if he didn't fully realize it yet. He had been deceived.
The courtiers squealed as the energy of the alchemical circle engulfed their bodies. Their figures began to contort, their skin tightening, their eyes bulging as the life force was slowly drained from them. Their very essence was being drawn into the circle, transforming into something far more valuable. The air was filled with screams of agony, a growing desperation that echoed off the palace walls.
"No! Please, no!" - screamed one of the courtiers.
Velatis stepped back, his face pale as he watched his most loyal subjects fall one by one, their bodies withering and shriveling like dry leaves. Their essence was flowing into the circle, feeding the alchemical process that would lead to the creation of my prize, the red stone, the perfect product of alchemical research.
I could hear Velatis' labored breathing as he stumbled, his knees nearly buckling. His voice trembled as he turned to me, betrayal and rage mixed in his eyes. - Alchemist! What... what... what have you done?
The soldiers with their weapons raised expected a decisive battle, but instead they found themselves in the midst of something they could never have expected.
The crimson glow intensified, spreading from the center of the circle. More screams were heard, and both courtiers and soldiers felt the life force being drained from their bodies. They thrashed and clung to the air, trying to break free from the invisible force pulling them down, but the circle held them tight. Blood oozed from their eyes and mouths, their skin paled and stretched, and their bodies began to shrink.
Velatis collapsed, his body twisted as the circle sucked the last of his life force from him. His eyes met mine one last time, betrayal and horror deeply imprinted on his pale face.
And then there was silence.
The once majestic throne room was now littered with the empty remains of those who had once been soldiers, nobles, and guards-a fragile, empty shell. The crimson light of the alchemical circle flashed one last time before condensing in the center.
There, amongst the dust and the remains of those fools, a faint light pulsed - a red stone. It wasn't perfect, like, what I saw, but it was real. My heart thumped with joy. The experiment had succeeded.
I stepped forward and lifted the stone, feeling its power. The city of Erimor had fallen, and with it the rule of Velatis. But in my hand I held something far more valuable than all the gold in the world.
The red stone shimmered faintly in my palm, its surface rough and unpolished, but its very presence was intoxicating. It was no bigger than a phalanx of a finger, but the power it held, the power it represented, made me euphoric. I did it. All those years of work, countless failures, and now... this.
I couldn't help the chuckle that echoed through the empty ruins of the throne room. At the beginning of this experiment, excitement had gripped me, and doubts had settled in the back of my mind.
I admired him, wondering how long his power would last. The alchemist I had killed had boasted of his stone's capabilities, but I knew now that he had only scratched the surface of its true potential. This stone was mine, it had been created by my own hand, and I couldn't wait to experience its possibilities.
But not now. As much as I was tempted to unleash its power, to see what this new creation could do, I had to be patient.
I left the ruins of the palace behind, moving quickly through the shadows of the fallen city. The once proud Erimor, now turned into a crypt, her streets littered with the dead and dying. The thick smell of decomposition hung in the air, mingling with the acrid odor of burning buildings.
As I neared the outskirts of the palace grounds, I spotted them-a fresh squad of Igandan soldiers marching into the city, their armor gleaming in the faint light. They were organized, disciplined, their movements methodical as they scoured the streets for any remaining resistance.
The urge to test the power of stone on them was irresistible. But I restrained myself. No. Not yet. Taking a deep breath, I slid back into the shadows, blending into the chaos of the city.
When we emerged from the ruins of Erimor, an unsettling silence hung in the air. I had successfully joined the ranks of Igrand's army, donning the bloody armor of a fallen soldier. Even though they had won the battle, there was a feeling of emptiness, and the atmosphere was far from festive. In fact, there was a heaviness in the air, as if the soldiers were not returning home victorious, but carrying a funeral procession on their shoulders.
The soldiers around me struggled to move forward, their faces drained and pale and their eyes absent, as if they were haunted by what they had seen. These creatures-the chimeras-had affected their moods. Some whispered prayers to themselves, clutching small tokens of faith in their hands. Others just stared straight ahead, probably replaying in their minds the horrors they had barely survived.
"Did you see them?" - muttered the soldier next to me to his comrade in a quiet and trembling voice.
"And how could I have overlooked such a mass of abomination. Those things broke through the ranks of our army as if the battlegrounds of two warring armies was their feeding ground," the other replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead despite the cool breeze. "I've never seen anything like it..."
"They weren't from this world," the first soldier insisted, his eyes widening with fear. "I heard the captains talking. They said that these creatures were demons, the the spawn of hell, sent here to punish us for the war."
I kept my head down, listening intently to the whispers around me. They had burned my chimeras. I didn't see it with my own eyes, but the rumor spread quickly through the ranks. Apparently the commanders found them an abomination to leave traces of their existence, but most of all they feared the creatures would be resurrected. The thought made me chuckle inwardly. Nevertheless, fear ran deep in the ranks. As we marched, there were no victory songs or cheers of triumph. Only the sound of footsteps on the dirt and occasional muffled conversations.
- Did you hear what the general said? - came another voice nearby. - He's sending a message to the capital. He wants the priests to come and cleanse us when we arrive.
- Clear us out? - The soldier beside him grinned. "From what?"
"From what we saw, you idiot," the first soldier bellowed in a shaky voice. "From those things. They burned the bodies, yes, but from the stench ... it stays with you. It's like it's on us, in ourselves."
I looked back, noticing the man's hands shaking as he adjusted his helmet. His eyes darted nervously to the side, as if expecting one of my creations to pop out of the shadows. It was funny to see them like that - broken, scared, even after their so-called victory.
I played my part well, nodding when necessary, keeping my distance when conversations got too emotional. I participated in their march, but kept to the sidelines, observing. Igrand's army took Erimor, but the losses it suffered were heavy.
After what seemed like an eternity of walking and endless days blending into one another, we finally reached the city of Igrand. The imposing stone walls of the city-state could be seen in the distance, but the sight of them offered little comfort to the weary soldiers around me. It had been at least two weeks, perhaps more, since we had left the ruins of Erimor behind, and the men were exhausted in body and spirit.
When we entered the city, the mood was somber. The citizens of Igrande lined the streets, expecting to greet the heroes who had returned home, but instead they were met with dejected faces and men weighed down by something far heavier than the armor they wore. The soldiers immediately began to turn in their uniforms and weapons, the wounded were sent to the infirmaries, and gradually the army began to disband. There were no grand celebrations or parades, just quiet, tired men going to their families, or perhaps to drown their memories in strong drink.
I kept my head down and drifted along, trying not to stand out from the crowd as I had done from the beginning. No one paid much attention to me, and that was exactly what I wanted. The less attention I got, the easier it was to move freely around the city.
As soon as the soldiers had dispersed, I headed straight for one of the taverns on the main street. I could smell the aroma of roast meat and ale in the air, a welcome change from the filth and blood I'd been exposed to for years.
The tavern itself was lively, despite the somber atmosphere of the army's return. Inside, groups of men were gathered around tables, some laughing and drinking, while others stared silently into their mugs, clearly reliving the events of the battlefield.
I found a vacant corner near the hearth, from which I could watch without attracting much attention. The warmth of the fire was soothing, and I allowed myself to relax for the first time since the march had begun. A servant girl approached me with a tired but kind smile.
- What shall we order? - She asked, wiping her hands on her apron.
- A jug of your best ale," I answered, tossing a few coins on the table. - And something to eat.
She nodded and hurried away, leaving me to look around.
"They say we'll have war again by spring," one of the men muttered to his companion, his voice quiet but audible enough for me to hear. "Igrand has his eye on the western city-states now."
"War again?" - The other replied, shaking his head. - 'We've barely gotten through this one. And those things... Those creatures we saw...
Sipping my ale, I listened to another conversation at a neighboring table.
"Have you heard about the lord's new counselor?" - A man asked, leaning conspiratorially toward him. "Some say he's been doing some . strange things. Something called - alchemy."
- Alchemy? Ha," his friend grinned. "Just a rumor. Igrand doesn't mess with that sort of thing. Too dangerous."
That piqued my interest. I kept my eyes on my drink and listened intently.
"Whatever it is, it's beyond our comprehension," the other man said dismissively.
For now, however, I was content to observe, gather information, and relax. The world was changing, and I intended to be at the center of things. But first I needed time to plan. I needed time to realize the full potential of the red stone I had created.