The Bitter Alchemist

We travel along the path towards my dusty home. The sky is pitch black, though, the stars guide our way. Even at this late hour, already past midnight, Alyssa and her mother still talk with each other like it’s the middle of the day. It’s honestly very beautiful to always hear laughter from behind, it gives a sense of ease through the usual eeriness of walking through the dark alone. Looking back at them, it brings a smile to my face seeing them so close as family.

“We’re here,” I announce with embarrassment, “like I said, it’s really not much.”

The mother takes in the view with an expression unlike what I expected. She seems almost fascinated.

“Not much? This is much more than we could ever ask for!”

With a coy smile I turn towards the house myself. I guess it really is better than nothing…

“Friedrich, I really can't thank you enough. I never thought my family would have this opportunity again, to sleep under a roof, sheltered…” She tightens the hold on her son while tears start running down her eyes.

“Hey, let’s get inside, alright? Ye don’t wanna catch a cold.” Alyssa pats her mother’s back, leading her inside.

I follow in pursuit, closing the door with certainty this time.

Laying down my coat, I see Alyssa and her mom already scrambled on the wooden floor in a dry corner.

With the wood creaking under my steps, I head towards the ‘lab’ room, leaving them some space.

“You don’t have to sleep in the cold anymore, my sweethearts…”

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“Alright, so…Friedrich and I will head off. There is a specific room over there. Inside are many plants, leaves, rolled up paper and more. Make sure ye never go inside there. It’s dangerous, got it?”

“You got it, big sis!” Her brother gives a playful thumbs up.

“I don’t know how long we’ll be away. Just make yourself at home.”

“Thank you, Friedrich. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure he won’t step inside that room.” With a nod she holds her son’s hand.

“See ye soon!” Alyssa waves off while we head out towards our next point of interest.

“Say, do you think the geezer’s brother will teach us?”

“He has to. Otherwise we’ll be stuck for now. I mean, realistically speaking, you couldn’t have robbed every single potion store in the city, let alone the country. That means we won’t be completely without options. However, I don’t want to travel all the way to northern Previl every time I run out of potions. Creating our own potions is just way more efficient.”

“Yeah, I see ye point.”

After we have traveled a while, we arrive at the gate of Previl, though…

“Where were we supposed to go now?”

Taking a hit of her newly lit blunt, Alyssa answers, “That way.” She points diagonally from the gate.

“Right, he said there wasn’t a path…”

“It’s fine…We’ll find it.”

Making our way off road, we traverse a combination of grass fields, forests, even a beautiful river flowing down towards the beach while the sun brightens the day. Eventually we make out a small mountain in the distance. If we had a map, now would be the perfect moment to check if we have perhaps taken the wrong path entirely. But since that isn’t the case…

“Do we just continue in that direction…?”

“I assume so?”

Following the river upstream, we find the origin of the waters in the distance. It seems to be coming from the previously mentioned mountain. However, we don’t need to investigate it further, since our goal seems to be right in front of us, still a certain distance away from the beautiful waterfall.

“Isn’t it just a big tree?” Alyssa asks, confused.

I honestly thought the same thing at first, but upon closer inspection, the tree also has a door, windows, even a balcony.

“I think they turned it into some kind of treehouse…” I step forth. With an uncertain look towards Alyssa, I knock on the door.

Silence starts filling the air until it becomes unbearable.

“Maybe he isn’t there-”

In that moment, the door opens and we’re greeted by an old, small man, similar to the potion seller.

“Hello there, are you-”

“What are you city rats doing here at my house?! Are you the goddamn tax collectors? I already paid it for the month you wankers!” He points his caine in my face, almost stabbing me with it.

“No sir, we’re not tax collectors. We’re-”

“Some homeless shitstaines? I don’t care, fuck off will ya?” He turns around immediately, ready to end the conversation here and now.

“Are you the brother of a potion seller?” I ask hastily before he closes the door.

The old man stares at us, before groaning with an annoyed look, “Stop screaming you cunt. You mean my brother Willy?”

With a raised brow I look back at Alyssa.

Also stepping forward, she explains, “We don’t know his name. However! He sells potions for a high price in a small cabin.”

“Ok then…So what if I am his brother? What do you want, that’s so important, from me?” He gestures around with caine.

“We need to learn alchemy.”

The geezer answers with silence yet again, before replying with an ill-intended chuckle, “Alchemy? You want to learn bloody alchemy? Forget about it!” He steps back inside, closing the door.

“But ye brew potions, don’t you?” Alyssa calls out desperately.

“Yeah, but only so my brother gets by. Let me be and find a real job.” Is the last we hear from behind the bark.

“What will we do now?” my blonde partner asks while we stand there in front of the wooden door like stray cats.

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“So he denied you?”

“Yeah…”

Back at the potion shop, me and the potion seller discuss the situation on hand.

“But why is he like this exactly? Can you tell us?”

The shop owner leans onto the counter, supporting his head, “Well, it’s difficult…See, back then, he was a proud alchemist who was doing the right thing. However, since alchemy has been used for automation and exploitation, he has become very bitter and loathing towards alchemy.”

Gesturing with his hand, he continues, “He hates that rich people can so easily take advantage of the common people through alchemy, that he started to detest alchemy all together. And his opinion hasn’t changed to this day.”

The old man continues tapping the counter in thought while I exhale in frustration, “Can’t you just come along and talk with him?”

“I’m being totally honest when I say that he won’t listen…”

Breaking through the dead end me and the geezer have arrived at, Alyssa returns from looking through the potion assortment.

“Aye, I think he just needs some of the good stuff to relax…” Alyssa takes a rather long puff of her lit weed cigarette.

The potion seller looks confused at the stoner neko, who is smiling in bliss.

Gesturing towards Alyssa’s blunt, I explain, “Yeah…So this is what we actually want to sell. It’s a…medicine…to relax and calm people down, but many are afraid to try it since it’s so new and unknown. That is why we need the potions, to put the medicine into them and get people to give the medicine a chance.”

“I see…And your partner’s idea is to give the medicine to my brother? Will he also be as relaxed then?” he asks with a raised brow in suspicion.

“Aye, super relaxed.” She takes another, dramatically long puff of her blunt, her half lid eyes almost shutting close.

I hand Alyssa’s joint over to the man so he can inspect it.

“Will he be exactly like that?” He points at Alyssa who smiles widely in oblivion.

“Not…exactly. However, he will probably be more approachable.”

As I give Alyssa her blunt back, I give the old man a new one and explain, “Just light the top right here and inhale from the other side. Don’t keep the smoke in too long and puff it out.”

With a doubtful exhale, he says, “Alright then. I’ll see to it once I get back home. Meet me here tomorrow, if you two have the time.”