Chapter 9: Vindictive

Noah and Valia made some early plans for their departure and then left Covington’s. She had been unsupervised for too long, and suspicions would arise. They split up with raised spirits, having a sense of what they wanted from the future and knowing they each had someone they could depend on. For Noah, he felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. Normally, explaining the complexities of his existence only happened on his deathbed, and anyone who did believe him tended to be a bit unhinged. Now he had met someone who saw him as he truly was, and with a spring in his step, he headed to the Knight’s Sheath to see Madam Cyrilo.

“You seem rather chipper,” she said, speaking to him in her study.

“Really? I hadn’t noticed. I guess I was just excited about today. You have those notes ready?”

“I sure do.” She reached into one of her desk drawers and pulled out a leather-bound book. “I will say, it was a bit entertaining to look through my old notes. I kept smacking myself in the forehead, embarrassed at the things I used to try. Take good care of them. I’d rather that book be burned than fall into someone else’s hands.”

Noah stashed it in his coat pocket. “Don’t worry, I know how to keep things secret. After all, I...” He trailed off as the room began to tremble. An earthquake? No, the sounds Noah was hearing, an inorganic shriek, along with windows shattering from the force of a shockwave; they were sounds he was familiar with. Noah instinctively jumped from his chair and bolted to the door, slamming it shut. “Cyrilo, get down!”

Outside, the door to Cyrilo’s bedroom was ripped off its hinges as a thunderous wave of scarlet flames surged through the building. The door to her study was flexing from the air pressure, and Noah could feel the heat leaking through. This was no ordinary fire; it was a magic explosion. Over the roar of the flames, he could faintly hear the screaming and commotion from the lower floors as staff and clients alike tried to escape the inferno, with many failing. It was as though every surface in the building had caught fire simultaneously. Cyrilo grabbed a scroll from one of her drawers and unraveled it, pointing it at Noah.

“Noah, open the door.” He reluctantly complied, letting a storm of blinding light and heat enter the room. “Raging Torrent!” Cyrilo cast, unleashing a water jet from the scroll like a firehose. She sprayed down her room, but despite her efforts, the scarlet flames didn’t seem hindered by the water at all and simply evaporated it all away. “These flames are enchanted to resist water!” Cyrilo cursed as Noah slammed the door shut. Just that few seconds of exposure had filled the air with smoke and turned the heat up to stifling levels.

Noah took her desk and braced it against the door, preventing a backdraft when he then smashed open her window. It was a straight drop down to the ground, and there were no ropes or ledges he could use to climb. Outside, he could see men and women streaming out of the first floor, many of them on fire and howling in pain and terror. Their screams were drowned out as a great rumble moved through the Knight’s Sheath. One of the supporting walls in the parlor was buckling from the explosive birth of the inferno and putting. The unbalance was causing walls and support beams, already being eaten away by the flames, to rip apart, and send furniture sliding across the slanting floors. In minutes, the whole building would collapse like a house of cards, but for now, there was an opportunity. The building was leaning away from the direction of Cyrilo’s window.

“Cyrilo, take your cat form and cling to my back. I’ll get us out of here!”

She shrank down and latched onto his coat, and Noah climbed up the slanted floor to the window. With a dagger in each hand, he hoisted the two of them out onto the side of the building. Now that it was leaning, he could control his descent, and slid down the exterior while using the daggers to slow and steer his way down. Flames were surging from all the open windows like burning oil wells, and he had to roll from side to side to avoid falling in and getting incinerated.

Every second, he could hear and feel the Knight’s Sheath coming apart underneath him and was soon forced to stop. He had reached the split where the upper portion of the building was tearing away from the first floor as it leaned, and a wall of flames was rising from the opening, one that he could not get by. He had no time to think, as the wall he was sliding down was beginning to disintegrate, and he could feel the heat seeping through.

Then, over the crackle of the inferno, he heard the crying of the guitar. Despite his burned fingers, Daniel was playing the chords to DragonForce, causing the wall of flames to part before him. “Through the Fire and Flames,” Noah said with a chuckle. “Cyrilo, sorry about this.”

“Sorry about wha—”

He grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and threw her like a furry football at Daniel. Before the flames could rise back up, he slid down and jumped off the side of the building, rolling as he hit the ground. Despite his best efforts, the landing was painful, and he dislocated his shoulder in the impact, but he was alive and managed to get to his feet. He turned around, watching the Knight’s Sheath finally crumble and go up in flames.

There were no more screams, as anyone still inside was either dead or beyond saving. The surviving men and women were weeping in agony, their bodies charred by the flames. Among them was Bella, and holding the hand of her dying friend as Rita tried to save her. Like her, many had gotten out with just some singed hair, but they stared into the flames with hollow eyes, their minds bleached by trauma.

“My home, my girls ... years, decades of hard work...” Cyrilo said, held by Daniel.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be back on our feet in no time,” he replied.

“How could this have happened? Who did this?”

“Prince Galvin.”

Cyrilo, Daniel, and Noah turned to Lucius, limping over with his head and arm wrapped in bandages. “You saw him do it?” Cyrilo asked.

“No, but one of his friends was here earlier. He left when Noah went upstairs, and soon after, someone in a mask burst in with a scroll and set off a huge fire spell. Cyrilo ... I’m so sorry. If I had been faster, if I had just...” The towering bear of a man couldn’t finish his sentence and fell to his knees in tears.

“It’s not your fault, Lucius.” Cyrilo turned her feline eyes to Noah. “YOU. You did this. My home was destroyed, my girls maimed and killed because you had to instigate the prince!” Noah didn’t respond, just continued to stare into the flames. “Damn it! Even if we know Galvin did it, we can’t prove it, and between the king and his bitch mother, he’ll never see any punishment for it!”

“He will,” Noah said as he popped his shoulder back into position. He didn’t look away from the flames, continuing to stare at Cyrilo’s office, where all of her research was turning to ash. Priceless knowledge on magic and curse-breaking, now gone.

She turned to Noah with fierce eyes. “What did you just say?”

“Tend to the girls, focus on getting them sheltered and taken care of, and then start trying to resume business in another location. Like Daniel said, you’ll be back on your feet in no time. As for Galvin and the others, leave them to me.”

Four maids, six courtesans, and eight customers were killed in the fire, and more than a dozen other people were wounded. Having originally birthed Colbrand’s fire brigade, the power of water magic was now rendered useless against the enchanted flames. Daniel tried to put out the fire with his music, but he only had the strength to slow its fury, and the Knight’s Sheath was reduced to ashes. Noah spent the rest of the day helping out wherever he could, getting the girls clothed, fed, and sheltered while Cyrilo handled the knights and city officials flocking to the scene. She tried to tell them that Prince Galvin was responsible, but everyone either refused to believe her or became selectively deaf. Even if she could prove it, no one wanted to make an enemy of a prince, especially if this was the kind of retaliation they could expect.

A week after the Knight’s Sheath burned down, Noah left the academy to visit its new location. However, he made several stops along the way, gathering various materials from in town. Some were bought, and others were scavenged. He finally arrived at a mansion in the city’s rich district. While the original Knight’s Sheath consisted of floors upon floors of rooms, towering over everything around them, this building had only three floors and was instead spread out horizontally. It was large enough to accommodate the courtesans and their customers, but it lacked much of the charm. The original sign, albeit slightly charred, now hung over the door. Luckily, business was taking place, and he could see johns going in and out.

With his several heavy bags of materials, Noah entered and was greeted by one of the maids. These were orphan girls who didn’t turn tricks but helped with upkeep and handing out drinks while dressed in prim and proper maid uniforms. Most of the courtesans had worked initially as maids when they were young, and once old enough, were offered the chance for a “promotion.”

“Melinda, is Madam Cyrilo in?”

“She is, but she told me to slap you if you showed up.”

“Go ahead, then. I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble. Aim right here, so it’ll leave a nice bruise.”

She slapped him hard across the face, making him wince. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem. Which way to the bar?”

“Straight down this hall to the ballroom.”

Noah walked down the hall and entered an expansive chamber, illuminated with wide windows and candles. Patrons sat around tables, drinking and playing cards as they always did. The furniture looked like it had been scrounged from different places and craftsmen. There were also fewer girls handing out drinks. On the plus side, a stage had been set up at one end of the room so that Daniel could continue to do his shows, and at the other end, Lucius had set up a bar counter and liquor shelves. His burns had been taken care of, but there was still a bit of a mark.

“You got a lot of nerve showing your face around here,” he said upon spotting Noah.

“Yeah, yeah, spare me the schtick. I’m here to begin the process of making things right. Just pour me a drink and point me to Cyrilo.”

“She told me not to serve you anything.”

“Fine. Just tell me where she is.”

“That room past the stage.”

Noah schlepped his supplies and knocked on Cyrilo’s door. “Hey, it’s me.”

“You got a lot of nerve showing your face around here!” she shouted from behind the closed door.

“You’re too late; Lucius already used that line. Look, you can either stay mad and keep the door closed, or you can trust that I have a way to remedy this and let me in.”

“If I open that door, it’ll only be to kick you in the—”

“I’ve unlocked the next stage of alchemy.” Silence. “You should be happy to know that I couldn’t have done it without your notes. If you want a glimpse of this historical revolution, all you have to do is open the door.”

He heard footsteps, and the door opened. Cyrilo, in her elderly form, stared at him coldly. “Don’t disappoint me.”

She let him enter her office, quite barren compared to her original private study.

“I’m rather surprised. I worried you would have to set up shop in a warehouse somewhere.”

“That might have been easier, certainly cheaper. This mansion was originally for rent. However, when the owner found out the kind of business I run, he refused to lease it, and I had to buy it outright. Buying the house, furnishing it, stocking it, and hiring replacement staff has used up every resource I could salvage from the old place. I’ve called in countless favors to get to this level of recovery, and I’m still deeply in debt.”

“Well you won’t be for long. Let me show you what I’ve accomplished.”

Noah took out a scroll and unrolled it across her desk. It featured a magic circle with several lines of runic code added, extending down the length of the scroll. Black dust was poured into a glass and set in the middle of the circle. “The command phrase is ‘Molecular Construction.’ I can’t activate it myself, so if you would do me the honor.”

“What little trust I have left in you is being put into this spell. It had better not screw up.” She placed her hand on the scroll. “Molecular Construction.”

She channeled her mana into the scroll, causing the runes to come alight and the powder to shimmer. The black dust rearranged itself and turned clear, with a pristine gem now sitting on the scroll. Not a single speck of the dust was left behind.

“It can’t be...” Cyrilo gasped as she picked it up. “Alchemists have long dreamed of being able to turn lead into gold and dirt into diamonds. To think I would actually see it happen...”

“That wasn’t dirt. It was a material known as carbon, which is the black stuff in coal. A friend at the academy helped me use alchemy to isolate it in its purest form. And I didn’t transform it, just rearranged it into a crystal lattice structure. Normally it takes the incredible heat and pressure of the planet’s interior to form simple carbon into diamond, but thanks to alchemy, it’s the easiest thing in the world. I know you have a thing for gems, so I decided to show you this first.”

“And you can just do this any time?”

“That’s right. Using this formula, I can create diamonds whenever I want. Now, how about I show you a different kind of crystal?” He laid out a new scroll with a similar design as the first one. In the circle, he placed a glass with water and carbon. “If you would please.”

Cyrilo placed her hand on the scroll. “Molecular Construction,” she cast.

The water and carbon mixed within the glass, and a small gem, like a seed, formed in the center, growing larger and larger as it absorbed the materials. Finally, a foggy diamond sat in the glass, and Cyrilo examined it with wide eyes.

“Taste it,” Noah said.

“Excuse me?”

“Go ahead, taste it.”

She licked the side of the gem and was shocked. “It’s so sweet!”

“That’s a sugar crystal.”

“Sugar? Even nobles get to taste sugar on only the rarest occasions. You mean to tell me it can be made with water and coal?”

“Technically, it’s made of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. Two gasses can bond together to create liquid or solid powder. You wouldn’t believe how many things can be made with just those ingredients. Let me show you something else.”

He laid out a third scroll and once more filled a glass with carbon and water. Cyrilo activated it. This time, much of the water seemed to evaporate away as the oxygen was forced from the equation. The remaining hydrogen and carbon fused to create a lump of solid white matter. Cyrilo picked it up and examined it.

“It’s so light. What is it?”

“Plastic. In the world where Daniel and I come from, it’s one of the most common materials in the world, used in the creation of countless items, from children’s toys to housewares. It’s actually rather problematic since it doesn’t decay, making it an environmental hazard. However, thanks to alchemy, it’s infinitely reusable. Now, one more gimmick...”

A fourth scroll was laid out, and the glass was filled with water and carbon once more. Noah didn’t even need to tell Cyrilo to activate it; she was too excited to wait. The process was similar to the creation of plastic, with the oxygen atoms being expelled and the hydrogen and carbon atoms bonding together to create a lump of solid matter. Noah removed it from the glass and threw it hard at the door, sending it bouncing around the room with chaotic force before he caught it in the air. “This is rubber. We use it to make wheels for transport, the bottoms of shoes, waterproofing, and countless other things.”

“You made all these things from water and black dust? How is this possible?”

“All matter in the universe, be it solid, gas, or liquid, is made of particles known as atoms, which bond together to create molecules. How the atoms bond and the structure of the molecule determine what kind of material they form. You add five carbon atoms to eight hydrogen atoms, and you get rubber. Two carbon atoms and four hydrogen atoms get you plastic. Twelve carbon, twenty-two hydrogen, and eleven oxygen get you sugar. In my world, the process to create these materials is way more complex, using heating, chemicals, and other annoying steps, but thanks to alchemy, as long as I know the molecular structure, I can skip all that effort and get right to the end result.”

“This ... this is incredible. This could change everything.”

“Which is why it needs to be used sparingly. Your world isn’t ready for this kind of magic. However, you and I have use for it. I’ll let you have the diamond scroll as a gift, so you can replenish your jewelry box.”

“Forget my jewelry box. I can make a fortune creating and selling gems.”

“You won’t need to do that. In fact, it would be better if you held off on that plan for a while. I already have a way to finance your recovery. I spent the morning shopping for materials, and with the power of alchemy, I can mix them up into some neat and nasty things to use against Galvin and his cronies. So let’s get started.”

A smelling salt caused Mark Saveat to wake up, only to find that he couldn’t move. He had been tied up, and there was a gag in his mouth. He looked up, staring in horror at the stranger standing in front of him, his head wrapped in bandages. They were in an alley, one he didn’t recognize. The last thing he remembered was sitting in a bar, getting drunk with his friends. He left to take a piss, then everything went black. His first reaction was to panic and struggle, pulling at his binds and trying to scream through the gag.

“What is this? What the fuck is this?!” he tried to shout, only to be silenced by a punch to the gut.

“What about the gag did you not understand?”

Mark tried to yell something, likely a threat about what would happen when he got free. Something about money, hired goons, his father, and the princes. It earned him a second punch, delivered once more to the gut so as not to leave a bruise. “Were you not listening when I told you to shut up? Now, I have some questions that I’m going to ask you, and you’re either going to nod or shake your head. If you don’t answer, something nasty is going to happen. Now tell me, were you involved in the Knight’s Sheath burning down?”

Mark glared at him defiantly, calling the stranger’s bluff. “You wouldn’t dare do anything to me!” his eyes screamed.

“Stubborn, I see. I should clarify, I’m not the one who will hurt you. It’s him.” A large black wolf appeared from around the corner, its eyes fixed on Mark. Mark began struggling again as the wolf approached, growling with its hair on end. “As you can see, my pet is in a terrible mood. I haven’t fed him in a while, and he’s quite hungry. Now, I’ll ask you again. Were you involved in the Knight’s Sheath burning down?”

Mark frantically shook his head, and the wolf’s growl became a deep, guttural snarl. Its lips pulled back, revealing its sharp, jagged teeth. The bloodlust in his eyes was beyond description.

“Oh, that’s no good. He can tell when people are lying, and it makes him mad. Right now, all he can think of is peeling the flesh from your skeleton. I’m going to ask you one more time, and if you don’t answer me truthfully, his fangs are going to tear right into your stomach, and you’re going to know what color your guts are. Were you involved in the Knight’s Sheath burning down?”

Mark nodded so fast that it looked like his neck would break.

“I see. Were you the one who burned it down?” He shook his head. “Who set off the spell? Galvin?” He nodded. “Was it your idea?” Another nod. “Were Henryk and Seraph aware?” A third nod. “So all four of you are guilty then?” The wolf barked with foam dripping from its mouth. Mark nodded with tears streaming down his face and a pool of urine forming underneath him. “I see. That’s all I wanted to know. But don’t worry, I’m not going to punish you for your crimes. In fact, I’m going to reward you for your honesty. I have a special present that I think you’ll enjoy. You like smoking gonlief, don’t you?” The man revealed a wooden pipe from his pocket, already filled with the herb, then sprinkled some unknown powder onto it. He handed Mark the pipe and held out a lit match. “Give this a try.”

“W-w-what is it?” he stammered, still trying to process these past traumatic minutes.

“This is my good friend, Mr. Elutrin. Go on, give it a try. You’ll like it.” Mark accepted the pipe and match with shaky hands, but hesitated, causing the wolf to growl. “I’m offering you a gift, Mark. You’re being rude.”

Weeping in fear, Mark put the pipe in his mouth, lit the herb, and inhaled deeply.

“Elutrin? I don’t understand. What is this?” Cyrilo asked, examining Noah’s newest alchemic creation. Making the unremarkable powder had taken the combination of several different ingredients, few of which she recognized.

“Where I come from, it’s the most addictive substance in the world. I’m sure Daniel has told you about his problems in his previous life. That was from a drug called heroin, but this is much, much worse. He didn’t know about it, and I suggest you make sure he stays that way. You take it once, and you’ll crave it for the rest of your life. After a few separate uses, your body becomes so dependent on it that you need to take it multiple times a day or suffer horrific, unending pain. They say it’s less excruciating to starve to death than to try and go clean. This absolutely destroyed communities, cities, and entire countries. This is the answer to your financial troubles.”

“After hearing you describe it, I want nothing to do with it. You expect me to sell this stuff to the citizens of Colbrand?”

“You’re not going to sell it to them. I’m going to sell it to just one person, the richest cadet at the academy, and he alone is going to pay you back for all the financial damage you’ve suffered.”

Mark was laughing in happiness as he took hit after hit from the pipe, each breath pushing him further and further into euphoric delirium.

“So, what do you think?” Noah asked.

“I’ve never felt like this before. I feel like I’ve grown a hundred dicks, and a hundred women are all sucking me off at once!”

“I told you you’d like it.”

Mark emptied the pipe quickly and started licking the ash to try and keep his buzz going. “More! I need more!”

“Here, this will hold you over for a bit.” Noah handed him a spoonful of Elutrin, wrapped in parchment. “Just add a pinch to your gonlief, and you’ll be set. The first taste is free, so if you want more, you’ll have to buy it. I’ll be here at this time every seven days to sell you more. However, I don’t have enough to sell to others, so if you don’t want to run out, you’d better not tell anyone. Understand?”

“Yes! Sure! Of course! Thank you!”

Noah walked away, leaving Mark to stew in his madness. Once he was alone, he dispelled the illusionary wolf and removed his bandage disguise. Noah remembered returning to the academy after the Knight’s Sheath burned down and seeing Galvin smirking at him. Galvin was smart enough not to say anything that could incriminate him, but he was clearly responsible. Still, Noah had to be completely sure before proceeding, and now that he had that assurance, he could exact his revenge. Mark’s fate was sealed, and there were three more to punish. He’d get to them in time. Noah knew how to be patient.

Over the coming months, life that the academy improved for Noah. He continued with his studies to advance his alchemic arsenal and search for clues to time magic. Alexis and Sophia were there to help with his alchemy, breaking down and combining various ingredients for his other projects, and he, in turn, assisted them in their own research. They had yet to fully rectify their relationship, but he saw them steadily closing the distance. Still, he was careful around Sophia. He saw the way she looked at him, the feelings bubbling within her. He made sure to never be alone with her, to always keep Alexis between them.

As for Lady Zodiac, the two of them had to continue to play student and teacher, concealing their plans to leave Colbrand. They were both under constant scrutiny, so they couldn’t talk much, but the air had been cleared between them, and the tension was gone. All they had to do was wait.

As this was going on, Noah continued selling Elutrin to Mark, each dose making him more dependent and less willful, while his performance during lessons plummeted. He was smoking several times a day to feed his addiction, which was turning into a fortune for Noah. Mark was the son of the most powerful shipping magnate in Uther, and had a bad habit of throwing money around to get what he wanted. He would quite literally take what he wanted, break everything else, and hurl coins at people as hard as he could, as though firing them from a blunderbuss.

That said, as Noah raised the price more and more, Mark eventually ran out of his own money and started stealing from his family, often paying for drugs with jewelry and antiques made of precious metals and gems. Noah had to draw the line when he tried to trade a painting for drugs. Mark also paid with information regarding Galvin and the others, spilling every secret he had to get high. Noah kept some of the money for himself and gave Cyrilo the rest. When spring reached full bloom, he met with Cyrilo and laid out the next stage of his plan.

“I see you’ve managed to return to business as usual. I think you have more girls now than before the fire,” he said, sitting with her in her office.

“This mansion has so many rooms, I had to fill them up, or I’d just be wasting money. Besides, it’s easy to find women willing to sell themselves. The challenge is separating the whores from the courtesans.”

“Speaking of money...” Noah took out a sack of coins and laid it on the table. “Courtesy of Mark Saveat.”

“How goes your plans against the other three?”

“Henryk Schtern has already been taken care of.”

“The first day he came here, he asked for the youngest girl I had and was rather disappointed with my selection while glancing at the maids. When he found out about my curse, he tried to hire me for service at a specific time of night, if you get my drift. I immediately didn’t like him. So what did you do?”

“Remember how you broke down all that clinker waste I gathered from the blacksmiths? One of the elements salvaged was called titanium. I used it to fashion a small pin...”

Picking the lock and sneaking into Henryk’s room was easy, almost disappointingly so. It was the middle of the night, so everyone was asleep, and by channeling his mana into the door, Noah could eliminate all sound. Before entering, he checked for any latent spells, tripwires, or other traps, but found nothing. He slipped in and closed the door behind him, then removed a rag and bottle from his pocket. Chloroform, the fibers soaked it up greedily.

Noah approached Henryk’s bed and grabbed his face with the rag. The sudden force woke him up, only for him to lose consciousness once more. Noah had to see him blackout to make sure the vapor had done as it needed to. Once he was out cold, Noah flipped him onto his stomach, facedown. The back of Henryk’s neck was sterilized and anesthetized, and with a sterile blade, Noah made a small incision.

The next part was rather tricky, and it had been a while since Noah did it. He took the titanium pin and drove it into Henryk’s spinal column with steady hands. Slipping it between the vertebrae was easy, but it took all of Noah’s focus to get the angle right and strike the specific nerve. Henryk’s body spasmed as it went in and then became still. He was still breathing, but there was no reaction no matter where Noah poked him with his knife. He was completely paralyzed from the neck down. Noah closed the wound on his neck, eliminated all traces of his presence, and disappeared.

“You should have heard him screaming the next morning, crying that he couldn’t move. Sir Kiev thought he was just lying to get out of running laps, but Henryk was limp as a rag and couldn’t feel anything below the neck. No one had any clue what was wrong with him, and no matter what the healers did to try and help him, they couldn’t undo the damage. He was taken away and won’t be returning. Instead, he’s going to spend the rest of his life bedridden, unable to do anything for himself.”

Cyrilo, who had once burned with such fury towards Galvin and his friends, as well as towards Noah, now seemed conflicted. “When you told me you had plans for vengeance, I didn’t think they’d be like this. If you could sneak into his room and put a pin in his neck, why not just slit his throat?”

“Because I want him to suffer, and he can’t do that if he’s dead. According to Mark, Henryk was the one playing lookout in the parlor that day. He was waiting for me to show up, and when I did, he left to tell Galvin. Well, now he can spend the rest of his life looking at the same spot on his ceiling while his family and caretakers neglect and abuse him. I wonder which will degenerate first, his mind or his body?”