Alchemist's Cookbook

page 8

Page 8

In a great cave mix:

1 new toy

2 alchemists

1 mercenary

1 embodiment of nightmares

For a time allow the mercenary and the alchemist to plan. After this period, allow them to strike at the heart of nightmares.

They will have no idea what they are getting themselves into.

I will not go into detail on the after events of the battle. Most of the cultists who had not fallen in the fight committed suicide, and the rest escaped. Somehow we got all of the FAITH members out before anyone came to arrest them. We each took a few hours to recuperate, and then met in my room.

       “What a day.” June said, lying down on the bed I didn’t use. I sat on my bed, May beside me. Casita stood against a wall, though I could see he was considering sitting on the bed next to June. A part of me wanted to see that. Of course this was the same part that wants to see a blow out at a NASCAR race, and for the same reason. “I just want to go to sleep.”

       “Your room’s a door down.” I said. She gave me a look that, tired as it was, still seemed threatening. “Never mind.” We waited a minute and she fell asleep. 

       “We should be quiet, she needs some rest.” May said. Casita moved closer to us so we could whisper. “What was with everyone today? I can understand if a few people were a bit tired, but the entire city? Definitely a Fisch.”

       “Yes, I’ve killed a few that could. The drowsy scorpion, the Z puffers to name some of the weaker ones, but none of those could do this.”

       “What about a Witch?” I asked.

       “No, not powerful enough.” Casita said. “Witches are a humanoid Fisch that resembles a human, but they’re ugly as sin. They’re support Fisch at best, useless annoyances at worst. A paper mask is enough to protect you from most of their tricks.”

       “What if they got their hands on a tome?” I asked. “Maybe one that has to do with the human mind. A spore that spreads through the air and affects the sleeper, or a sound wave that prevents rest. Something like that.”

       Casita shrugged. “You’re the alchemist. Whatever it is, Wally knows about it.”

       “So we just ask him.” May said. “Maybe he knows how to beat it.”

       “He was enraged to the point he almost broke down his door.” Casita said. “He can’t help us, we’re alone on this one.”

       Something clicked in my head. “That’s it, he said not to sleep alone!”

       “If this is some desperate bid to get me to let you sleep with May,” June muttered.

       “No, that’s it!” Casita said. “Sandra came over last night, and you were sleeping with May, and Colonel Grit has Mrs. Good. Wally is the exception, but he’s an alchemist.” He paused and grinned. “I finally have an excuse to sleep with five girls at a time.”

       “Don’t you do that already?” 

       “Yeah, but now I have an excuse.”

       Not sure what’s more surprising. Casita’s comment, or that it was May who responded. I wonder about that girl some times. “So, don’t sleep alone. But, we can’t just do that forever.”