NEOPHYTE(ALCHEMISTS​ OF FORONA #1)

The girl in red

They reached the city as the last rays of the evening bounced off the numerous houses on either side of the road. During this time Sinyk found out that Evan was a talkative man. Though he tactfully avoided his past,he babbled on about the present.They talked about the weather, his village back home ,the capital city, the local gossip, the nobles, the king.

When Sinyk asked how he knew all this stuff,the balding man puffed up and answered that​ as a innkeeper it paid to know all the news. It seemed some people came to the inn just for information.

He also learned something about the city itself. The traders district was further divided into two sections:the east and the west sections. According to Evan, the East was where seventy percent of the population consisting of middle class and the poor people lived.The kingdom's best craftsman resided in the Western section where the nobles and truly wealthy lived.

The innkeeper pointed at various shops advising on the quality of it's products.Only when his wife grumbled in her sleep did Evan shut his mouth. She had been asleep the whole way but her husband seemed not to mind. Maybe this was a normal occurrence.

The daughter had woken up long before he had. She was a shy little creature who refused to open her mouth no matter how much he tried to coax her.She simply sat within the protection of her mother watching him with big watery eyes.

Giving up he focused on the surroundings.The road was busy with people returning home after a long day's work. The road was wide enough to accommodate all of them but still not big enough to ride.Thus the mind numbing slow pace.

Distracted by a woman shouting at her husband, something about drinking too much, he did not notice that the cart had come to a halt. Infact everyone around them had stopped and were uneasily watching a procession in front of them.

Two riders in pure white clothes with red embroidery rode on majestic stallions.On the left horse sat a tall lean man with red hair.He carried himself with an air of self importance.

Sinyk however was too busy gawking at the pretty girl next to him.She was breathtaking with wavy red hair and lean frame identical to the man.Her sky blue eyes stared ahead blankly as the man led her through the parting crowd.

He wondered who the girl was who made his heart race like this.He had never felt like this before. Many men in the crowd were having similar problems.Only after she had vanished from sight,the earth moved again. 

He heard Evan chuckle,"You should close your mouth and stop drooling.She is a high born from the western section.",as he resumed their course.

Sinyk's face turned red as he tried to protest."It's not like that.",he stuttered.

That simply made the man bark a laugh which caused the wife to grumble again.

"Anyway,she would never go for you.So I suggest you keep as far away from her as possible."

 The boy was hurt. He knew he didn't have the looks or money for her to choose him but such incidents did happen, even if rarely.

"What do you mean?",he asked masking his disappointment.

Evan looked back,a quizzical look on his face,"Didn't you see the emblem on their arms?It was the symbol of the house of Flamel."

It hit him like lightning. Everyone knew the the Flamels. They were the royalty among alchemists. However that was not how he knew them. It's current head,Servon Flamel was the one who had been responsible for discovering the dark practices of Maliveas Rine and capturing him.It was said that he had very vehemently insisted that the entire family be eliminated but the king had relented.