Unspeakable Secrets The Alchemist Series (A Dark Medieval Progression Fantasy)

Chapter 8 Alchemy

"Anyway," continued Victor, "why don't you look through your father's codex and we can start your alchemy training tomorrow?" And with that, he left Connor alone in the workshop.

Connor sat at one of the workbenches with his codex in front of him and ran his hands over the smooth, metallic surface.

The polished metal gleamed golden in the workshop lights. Strange runes covered the edges, with a much larger rune in the center and several runes in a circle around it.

Nothing his uncle said had suggested that alchemists used runes, yet here they were.

Had his mother made them?

Victor had always said that she was a powerful magic user. Maybe she was a witch who could create magical runes? He touched the center rune gently as though through it he could once more see his parents.

The rune lit up with a blue glow at his touch, and a humming sound filled the air. Blue light flowed out from the center rune into the ring of runes surrounding it and from there to the edges of the codex until every rune contained the soft blue glow.

The humming grew louder until Connor's teeth started vibrating. His heart pounded in his chest.

Had he activated some kind of defensive measure?

He dropped the book and felt a sharp pain as he did so.

The surface of the codex had formed a small, sharp edge, which cut his thumb.

Two drops of blood fell from his thumb and splashed on the center rune before he could react.

The blood flowed into the center rune and vanished. The blue glow turned red, and his heart leaped up into his throat.

He'd just found out he was an alchemist and now he was going to die before he could open his father's codex.

The humming grew louder and more intense until he felt like every fiber of his being was shaking apart.

The red glow intensified. He wanted to run, but his body wouldn't respond. He couldn't even twitch. Paralyzing magic? Just what kind of trap had he sprung?

He couldn't even blink. He could only watch... and accept his fate.

The humming died down, leaving an eerie silence in its place, and the runes turned from red to blue.

Connor inhaled sharply, and his limbs came free all at once. The codex opened to the first page.

"Access granted. Welcome, Connor Varas," said a strange, metallic voice that seemed to originate from the codex itself.

Connor let out a relieved sigh. Was alchemy going to be full of surprises like this?

But, even after what felt like a near death experience his excitement hadn't dimmed in the slightest.

He tentatively touched the codex, and when it didn't do anything noticeably... odd, he started flipping through the pages.

His father's codex... that now belonged to him.

Victor had said alchemists could make potions, but how was Connor to expect the sheer variety and power they contained?

The Potion Victor had given him was impressive. But, there were potions that gave the strength to tear down castle walls. Potions that granted speed swifter than the wind. Potions to regenerate from most any wound...

Even a potion that would make the imbiber's urine purple, something which caused Connor to let out a childish giggle.

There were potions to do things he hadn't even dreamed of, and he couldn't wait for the day he could make them.