It was a morning like any other. Peggy had come in early and was enjoying breakfast with George and Uncle Theo in the coffee shop’s dining room, which was bacon, eggs and toast with milk. While chewing on some bacon, Peggy stared at the page of a book laid open on her lap.
The book held tips on how to pass a magic license exam. Having gotten up to two stars on her card, the next step for Peggy on her journey to master the magic arts was to gain a third one. Once she had that, she would officially be a full-grown magic user. But getting her third star wasn’t going to be as simple as getting the first two. It wasn’t enough just to master certain spells. Not only did she need to build her magic power up to a certain level, she had to show judges how good she was at controlling that magic power. And even that’s just half the battle. She also needed to take a test to show how much she knew about the laws and rules for using magic.
As for her Boss, he was in the kitchen doing some last minute baking before the work day started.
All in all, it was business as usual. But then –
“Gah!”
Peggy heard a man shout and looked up. She spotted blackish smoke leaking out of the kitchen door and her heart leaped to her throat.
“Boss, are you okay?” she cried out. She flew out of her seat, debating whether to check the kitchen or grab George and run.
But then Boss answered back, “Yeah, I’m fine.”
The door flew open and the black smoke that had been leaking out was sucked back in. Boss stepped out with his right hand held up where the smoke gathered and spiraled into a ball. The smoke was then covered and trapped in a solid, round ice crystal.
The vampire tossed the ice crystal into the trash bin with a frustrated sigh and said, “The oven, on the other hand, is not.”
“What happened?” George asked his father.
“It went haywire and turned everything inside into charcoal,” Boss replied. “I’m going to have to call an alchemist to take a look at it.”
“Why not let me take a look?” Uncle Theo asked. “I do know a thing or two about alchemy. I could probably fix it in a jiffy, and it wouldn’t even cost you a noble.”
Boss, however, bluntly refused. “No thanks,” he said. “The last thing I need is the oven spewing out ancient words in a deep, monster voice straight out of the Nightmare Realm.”
That would definitely fit in what you’d think a vampire’s coffee shop would be like, Peggy thought.
“That sounds so cool,” said George. “Let’s do it!”
Boss, however, scowled at his ten-year-old werelion son and said, “Absolutely not! You can do that on your own oven, but I’m not letting anyone do that to mine!”
Despite being a vampire, he absolutely HATED stuff like ghosts and monsters, basically anything you’d find in a horror movie.
As an extra precaution, he forbade anyone from going into the kitchen and went as far as to draw glowing line shapes on the door that would magically stop anyone from sneaking in.
Despite the decommissioned oven, it was business as usual for the vampire’s coffee shop. He unlocked the door as scheduled and manned the bar counter while Uncle Theo and Peggy went around taking orders from customers. Alan Ares, a young goblin man who was also the shop's newest addition, joined them around midday.
Late into the afternoon, when patrons became scarce, a giant lizard with a jungle-green color scales and a scraggly, red beard walked in. He had on a pair of blue denim overalls over a white t-shirt stained with brown, black and gray spots. His hands were covered in gloves made of brown thick leather and his feet was protected in a pair of big, leather boots. In his right hand, he held the handle of a big, red metal toolbox.
After burping loudly and setting his toolbox on the floor, the lizard called out, “Did someone call for an alchemist?”
He really startled Peggy.
The lizard was not what Peggy thought a typical alchemist would look like. This whole time, she always pictured alchemists as these sort of like scientists, dressed in white lab coats, or fancy suits or dresses. But the lizard looked no different from a classic repairman.
“About time,” Boss said crossly when he emerged from the kitchen. “Right this way.”
The lizard snapped his fingers twice and ordered, “Come, Gassy!”
Four pairs of metal spider legs sprouted out of the toolbox and lifted it up.
The toolbox wagged one butt end and went, “Bark bark!” before following the lizard into the kitchen.
Curious, Peggy followed the two fantastical men inside and watched as the lizard approached the huge, black metal box at the back, the oven. The front of the oven had a latched panel with vent lines, while on top, there was a big tube that stretched up into the ceiling.
After giving the oven a quick look-over, the lizard muttered, “Lookin’ good so far. Let’s see what the inside’s like. Gassy, inspect!”
“Bark bark!” barked the toolbox.
The lid on top flipped open and a bunch of metal spider legs with magnifying glasses at the end unfolded out of it. They swept the magnifying glasses over the oven for a brief moment before pulling away and stopped in front of the lizard’s face. Glowing red words flashed across the see-through glass at a rapid pace. But the lizard seemed to have no trouble reading it all.
He grimaced.
“Yikes,” he said. “Looks like the magic crystals took in more power than they could handle and overheated. You’re lucky the thing didn’t explode.”
It could have exploded!? Peggy thought, alarmed.
Boss, however, remained cool as a cucumber and replied, “Luck had nothing to do with it. I was pretty thorough with the enchantments on this place and everything in it. This shop’s probably even safer than the royal palace.”
“Yep, I can see that now,” the lizard said after reading a bit more. “Just what I’d expect from the famous Trickster who cracked through the magic defenses of the Ariela Kingdom’s ruling class. By the way, was it true that when you were at Paladia School, you - ?”
Boss quickly cut the lizard off and said, “Nope, absolutely not. And please don’t ever mention it again.”
He glanced back nervously at Peggy and the others gathered at the door.
What in the world did he do at Paladia School? Peggy wondered. Whatever it was, it was probably bad enough that the vampire was determined to take the secret to his grave.
Feeling withering stares at him, Boss tried desperately to change the subject and said, “Anyway, about the magic crystals, is there any way to salvage them?”
The lizard shook his head and replied, “No. If Gassy saw was true, the crystals in the oven are way past their last legs.”
When he put his hand on the oven and muttered some magic words, a thin layer of orange light shined around the oven. It looked like the oven was covered in the thinnest of fabric. But that same thin glowing fabric broke apart, pulling the heavy kitchen appliance to pieces with it.
Round and round the pieces flew with the lizard standing in the middle looking like a sun with planets orbiting around it. The lizard kept a close eye on the small bits and pieces of machinery that floated by his face until he spotted a diamond-shaped black stone among the debris and reached out to grab it.
“There we go,” he said, holding the stone to the ceiling light. He slowly turned the stone over while it was pinched between his thumb and pointer finger, looking at it carefully. “Yep, definitely can’t use this anymore. You’re gonna need a brand new one.”
Boss sighed and muttered, “I was afraid you’d say that. Do you think you can make one right now?”
“Of course!” said the lizard. “Who do you think you’re talking to? If you’re this town’s foremost magic expert, I’m this town’s foremost alchemy expert! Alright, Gassy! Bring out my lab.”
Gassy the walking toolbox went, “Bark bark!” And then it spat out a table full of glass tubes and beakers full of colorful liquids. After cracking his knuckles, the lizard grabbed two glass tubes and mixed liquids together into a beaker. Doing that, he looked closer to what an alchemist should look like in Peggy’s eyes.
When he noticed Peggy was watching, he stopped and with a grin, asked, “First time seeing an alchemist at work?”
Peggy shyly nodded in response.
“Let me guess,” the lizard said. “I didn’t look like a proper alchemist at first.”
“Well . . .” Peggy looked away and shrugged.
“Ha! Don’t worry about it,” said the lizard. “You wouldn’t be the first. I know most alchemists like to wear fancy suits and coats when they’re out in public. But alchemy can be dirty work, ‘specially when you’re working with machines or potions. You’re guaranteed to get stains splattered on your clothes.”
"Is alchemy hard?" Peggy asked.
The lizard stroked his chin while thoughtfully going, "Hmmm. I wouldn't say alchemy is hard, but like regular magic, it depends on the level. Making potions and simple magic items is a piece of cake as long as there's nothing wrong with the recipe and you follow it right. But the more powerful the item you're looking to make, the harder it is to make it. Not only because you'd need special materials, but also because you'd need to put in some really high level magic spells. And those can be hard to get right because of how lengthy they are. Most people wouldn't imagine it, but there's A LOT of math and writing involved with magic. And that's especially true with alchemy and magic item making."
As he talked, he resumed mixing liquids together until the final mixture turned pink in the beaker. While his left held the beaker of pink, he held his right hand out towards the toolbox and said, “Mold.”
“Bark bark!” went Gassy the toolbox.
A metal pincer claw popped out of Gassy holding a black box. The lizard took the box and poured the pink liquid into a small hole at the box’s top side. An orange light appeared at the left and right sides of the box that few as more pink liquid entered the box. As soon as the orange light became diamond-shaped, the lizard pulled the beaker of pink liquid away, set it down on the table and shook the box as hard as he could.
When he was done, he turned to the toolbox and said, “Alright Gassy, let’s light this thing up.”
“Sorry to interrupt,” said Alan, “but why do you call that thing Gassy?”
The lizard looked at the young goblin and blinked. “Because . . . that’s what I named it.”
The goblin scowled and said, I know THAT. What I wanted to know was WHY you named it Gassy.”
“Oh, that’s easy,” said the lizard. “This is why. Gassy, start!”
He took out a pair of tongs to hold the box and put it close to the side of Gassy that everyone would later find out to be the toolbox’s rear end.
Gassy barked and then, while making a “toot” noise, spat hot blue flames out that brushed around the black box. Basically, the reason the lizard named his toolbox Gassy was because it could fart fire.
After watching the toolbox go fiery “toot” for a while, Boss glanced at the lizard and said to him, “You better not make my oven like that.”
But the lizard assured the vampire, “Don’t worry. I’m nothing if not professional.” And then he burped.
That didn’t do much to reassure Boss.
"By the way," the lizard continued while cooking whatever he poured into the small black box, "you planning to join the race this year?"
Race? What race? Peggy wondered as she listened to the men talk.
Boss crossed his arms and thoughtfully went, "Hmmm. Honestly, I haven't really thought about it."
So he said, but Peggy could tell by the look on his face that the vampire actually just did not want to join.
"Why not?" asked the lizard. "You made a career out of outrunning the knights. I'm sure you've got a decent shot at winning."
Scowling in dismay, Boss said, "I didn't make a career out of anything like that. Besides, that was years ago when I was a kid. I doubt I can pull off the stunts I did back then."
"But you're still a Four-Star spell caster, aren't you? asked the Lizard. He pulled the black box out of the flame and then moved to dip it in some cold water.
"There are others who're just as good at magic as I am," Boss said over the sizzling of intense heat against water.
"It still wouldn't hurt to try," said the lizard. He split open the black box and out popped a pink, diamond-shaped crystal. "What about you two? Wanna join the race?"
Peggy and Alan exchanged looks.
"Sorry," said Peggy, "but what race are you talking about?"
The lizard's eyes widened in astonishment. "You don't know about the race?"
"They're from out of town," Boss explained.
The lizard went, "Oh, that explains it. Well, the race I'm talking about is a contest that this town holds every year. First person to reach the finish line wins. Magic can be used, but only as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. And obviously, direct attacking or fighting is not allowed."
He held his hand out to the toolbox and it spat out what looked like an old-fashioned type-writer. The lizard stuck the crystal onto the top of the type-writer where paper usually goes and then, with a practiced hand, rapidly danced over the keyboard with his fingers. Dozens of small hammers followed his fingers' pace and bopped on the crystal. It was a nonstop music score with a lulling affect on Peggy in an otherwise quiet afternoon in the kitchen.
To keep from falling asleep on the spot, Peggy whispered to Boss, "What's he doing?"
Boss gave Peggy a quick glance and replied, "He's inscribing a magic spell onto the crystal. Magic items need to have magic spells written on them so the item would know what to do when used. Alchemists who make magic items used to do it by hand, which can be a pain in the rear. But with that type-writer, they don't have to go to that kind of trouble anymore."
"I see," said Peggy. "So it's kind of like computer programming."
Alan happened to hear everything and asked, "What's a computer?"
After punching that final key with a strong tap, the lizard declared, "Done!"
He pulled the crystal from the type-writer and then once more looked it over with a piercing eye. And then he said, "Okay, let's get this baby in place."
But before he could install the crystal into the oven, Boss stopped him.
"Wait," said the vampire. "Don't think I didn't notice you put that weird magic spell on the crystal. Uncle Theo put you up to it, didn't he?"
"Uh . . ." the lizard went, but his shifty gaze was all the answer that the vampire needed and he silently glared.
Finally, unable to handle the pressure, the lizard hung his head and said he would do it over again. When he was finally done, he tossed the crystal into the ring of flying machine pieces and then spoke some magic words. The pieces quickly gathered together and assembled themselves until they were once more a whole oven. After the oven returned to its spot in the kitchen, the lizard took a look inside and then fiddled with the switches.
"There," he said, "all done."
Boss tried the oven out for himself and nodded with satisfaction. He thanked the lizard for his good work and after a brief discussion about payment, it was time for the lizard to leave. But before he left, he had a question for Peggy.
"Say, young miss," he said to her, "you asked an awful lot of questions about alchemy. Are you interested in becoming one yourself?"
Peggy, however, shook her head. "No, I was just curious," she replied.
"Oh, well that's a bit disappointing," the lizard said. "But in that case, what do you plan to become in the future?"
"Well . . ." Peggy hesitated to answer. In all honesty, she had no idea what she wanted to be in the future. She never thought about what she would actually use the magic she learned for.
Sensing he might have said something he shouldn't have, the lizard decided to cut their talk short and go home. But even after he left, his question stuck to Peggy like glue.
What do I want to be? She wondered. What do I want to do?
She would mull these questions over and over in an endless cycle, never to truly fade away as days passed.
No comments:
Post a Comment