Secrets of The Alchemist

Chapter 5

An unbelievable amount of rows and turns that created a maze of stalls. Products spanning from what I’d see in a regular stall in London, to glowing orbs of every color with what seemed to be shadows moving inside of them. From various stalls aromas drifted through the air, foods I couldn't recognize in smell, but it smelled more heavenly than anything I’d ever sensed. Some stalls and sections in this place had puffs of smoke or splashes of dust erupting into the air from unknown sources. The whole place was the most magical, unreal place I’ve ever seen. 

“Welcome to Murgot Lane.” Selene told me from beside me, I looked at her face to see the usual seriousness holding a small smile. Alistars voice spoke from my other side.

“The man we’re looking for is somewhere in this mess, usually we would split but we don't have enough time to regroup. This way.” He said in a ‘follow me’ sort of manner. I didn't have much of a choice of going off on my own as he had his steel-like grip on my arm and dragged me along, weaving around the crowd of people, as if I were a child who could get lost at any moment. I looked towards Selene for help, she merely shrugged in response.

“Considering how inexperienced you are with alchemy, it’d be best if you stuck with me.” He said. “All questions you have may be answered later, when we aren’t surrounded by people and when we get what we need.”

Despite the hurried state I was forced into, I was able to notice even more things than before. Stalls with odd-looking artifacts and trinkets were scattered throughout the area, other stalls had normal looking food and ingredients, while others sold strange liquids and complicated looking equipment. A gust of wind blew past, making the ocean of people stop in their tracks, raising their arms up like a shield in order to prevent them from being blown away. Once it passed, I looked up in curiosity, barely being able to catch what seemed to be people flying on brooms. I hear a tongue click come from Alistar.

“Broom fliers, how irritating.” And with that, we continued walking.

It didn’t take much longer for Alistar to spot the man he was looking for. After doing so, he tugged on my arm, notifying me that we were moving once again and motioned Selene to follow suit. The man we walked towards looked around the same age as Alistar, with a scruffy beard and piercing ice blue eyes with his auburn hair being pushed back. He was talking to a polynesian looking man who looked to be selling talismans in his stall. 

    The man spotted us coming towards him, he seemed surprised but not unpleasantly so. He said his goodbyes to the man attending the stall he was at and made his way over to us. 

“Alistar,” he said as he pulled him into a friendly hug. “What brings you here, old friend?” 

“Nothing pleasurable Nick, we need information, but we should go to a less inhabited place to do so.” the expression of relief as he had hugged his friend had returned to his rigid stare.

Nick sighed, “So it's that kind of reunion, alright follow me.” 

He led us through the crowd, I noticed as we walked the bodies we had to pass were thinning progressively. Alistar had let me go by the time he had spotted ‘Nickolas’, Selene walked up beside me coming close to my face as she said in a low voice.

“That’s Nickolas Klinkhammer, he’s-” I couldn't help but let out a snort at the guy's name. 

“Klinkhammer?” I asked while choking back laughter.

She glared at me for the interruption, “one of the most renowned members of the Alchemic Parliament.” She finished. We both looked over at the two older men walking in front of us. 

“So this whole Alchemy thing…” I begin to ask. “It’s like a whole other world? I mean there’s a whole government and city.” 

“You have no idea.” She said, “The alchemist world has been around for centuries, our society has been around longer than the non-alchemist society, there’s a lot you have yet to learn.” Her hand tucks away a stray curl that fell onto her face before she continued to speak.