The Peculiar Alchemist

5 || Kevin the Liar

The sounds of hooting owls in the distance filled the foggy forest as the night approached leading to the shadows darkening as they got longer, and longer.

Depending on the person, some would find walking through the forest at night to be a relaxing peaceful time, but others might disagree wanting nothing to do with the creepy atmosphere. After all, there are many hidden things in the woods, and the sinister runes carved by equally as sinister spellcasters usually deterred people from going there.

Especially those who could understand what the runes are telling them.

There were so many paths in the woods that lead to so many places, and Aubrey found himself walking through one of those paths to an unknown destination as he held on to a shovel.

For some reason, Agnes had been upset when he came, and she handed him this worn-out shovel he was holding telling him that it was about time he knew how to look for ingredients that actually mattered. Not that he minded going out to look for them, but she didn't exactly specify what she wanted.

And it seems like her helper, the liar who is totally not called Kevin, was forced to come along with him to show him what he needed to do.

In all honesty, Aubrey was not excited at all about the whole thing. The idea of being alone with this strange and infuriating person was unappealing. He made Aubrey feel very uncomfortable by just being there. It was awful.

In fact, walking into this creepy forest all alone not knowing where he is and what dangers lurked in the dark with the knowledge that he couldn't defend himself with spells sounded better than having the lying Kevin accompany him.

Aubrey was sure he could find whatever mushrooms, roots, or whatever plants Agnes was looking for, but why did he need a shovel?

Well, his question was answered when he snapped out of his reverie and found himself in the middle of a graveyard.

A disbelieving laugh escaped him.

"You're not serious about this, are you?"

The liar, whose name is totally not Kevin, looked back at him and arched his eyebrow. "What?"

"This- This whole thing. The graves, the dead people. We're not doing what I think we're doing, right?"

But totally-not-Kevin merely reached out for the shovel without saying a word back, and Aubrey hugged it closer to him in his repulsion at the thought of what it'll be used to. Nobody told him that they were going to dig up graves, and he was not happy with that at all.

"No." He defiantly pulled the shovel away when not-Kevin tried to grab it, and it only made the latter sigh before he yanked it forcefully from Aubrey's hands.

"You better get used to this, otherwise I suggest you leave."

He wanted to, badly, but there was one little problem. "I don't know the way back..."

Not-Kevin let out a snort before turning around surveying the place for something. Aubrey didn't know if he was just looking for a grave he liked, or a specific one, but he finally settled on one before he stepped on the shovel and started to casually dig completely ignoring Aubrey.

Bemused, Aubrey stood there watching the dirt fly in the air for a few moments before realizing that this wasn't the first time not-Kevin had done that.

That's when the gears started turning in Aubrey's head.

"Agnes uses human parts." He voiced out his realization as he watched his companion dig a grave. They're robbing graves now, and it was absurd.