Alchemist's Cookbook

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In a dark canyon mix:

       One young alchemist

       Two young ladies

       One wise Colonel

       One bold plan

       One platoon of soldiers

       One dangerous mission

       Chaos

       Introduce the young alchemist to his profession. Allow him to learn about his new home, and standing. Allow one Colonel to learn of a cash of special reading. Allow the platoon of soldiers to approach. Add chaos.

       

       The next day an alarm clock went off bright and early. I got up and wondered into the bathroom.

       CLICK.

       I looked up; June had already slipped out of her shirt and bra. 

       “Is this going to become a regular thing?”

       “Out.”

       I turned and the door unlocked. The moment it did I walked out, May walked in. “You too May.”

       …

       

       After we were all cleaned up May and June showed me to a large cafeteria a few floors down. I looked at the breakfast menu.

       “How come oatmeal is free?”

       “Because it’s nutritious, but inexpensive. The better food costs money, which you’ll earn at your job.” May said, she was getting bacon and eggs. I had some money, but I still got oatmeal. It really wasn’t half bad. “So, where’d you get, that?”

       June gave me a look, I shrugged.

       “The wunderpistole.” She pronounced the W like a V, as the Reaper had.

       “Found it.” She gave me a look. “Built it.” I took the device out, and she instantly snatched it up.

       “It looks like, a toy.” June said, snatching it from May and handing it to me. “How’s it work?”

       “Secret.” She gave me a look. “It’s quite hard to explain, and I’m not sure exactly how to describe it. I think it works by sending a pulse of breeding kinetic energy, so a small amount of force from the gun starts a chain reaction that results in a cascading effect, essentially reducing whatever it hits to shrapnel, though a lot of the terms the tome used don’t translate to English. Same thing with my pocket watch.” I put away the wunderpistole and took out my pocket watch. “It uses what I call a banality generator, making anyone nearby simply not notice the user, and even then it’s hard to focus on them. This is why June didn’t notice me my first day.”

       June turned red and clammed up. May grabbed the thing right out of my hand. I need to put it on a chain soon. “How’s it work.” She wound it. Suddenly I found my attention called to everything but her. Another girl who was carrying her tray suddenly lost her balance, but she couldn’t figure out who did it.

       “May,” 

       “Yes?”

       I held out my hand and the pocket watch found its way there. The moment the thing touched my hand I could focus on May again. I put it back in my pocket. “It’s not a toy.”