Alexander Vulcanus: The Reach

Chapter 3 - The Reach

Unlike other days where Alexander studied books, practiced magic, and other such things, today he only studied one book, practiced one magic, and did only one other sort of thing, which wasn't actually anything all that spectacular. Today Alexander would be studying alchemy, practicing making potions, and working more on his cart. The time that Fiona and he had set to sell it was approaching quickly, and as such Alexander was finishing up on his cart. Fiona was helping at this point, and they were sharing new information they had about the best times to sell. With their time well spent, and their cart and potions ready, they headed off towards The Reach.

Once again they set up their shop next to the old man, greeting him as they stopped. Business continued as regular, the Old man got quite a few customers more today than he did the previous and some of them were also interested in Alexander and Fiona's potions. Nearing the end of the day without much event more than the previous- about 4 or 5 customers had come by and bought potions which ended them up with 24 denarii -the same man from the day before had come by. He had come to praise their shop, for the potions had worked extremely well.

"Thank you so much for your potions, they have indeed helped me and my group with our task today and I believe you should perhaps sell them for more. Although I personally would love to continue buying at such a cheap price and maybe I could have a discount in the future? These potions are of a quality at which I believe you could sell them for 2 or 3 denarii instead of just one. I, of course, have not ever actually had another potion from a different shop but you are the only one here and your potion has helped so much I believe that you should take my proposition into consideration."

The man said this very quickly and quite quietly, which did leave Alexander trying to understand what the man had said while Fiona quickly responded with "Thank you for your praise, we will be sure to give you a discount in the future, you were our first customer of course." With that said, the man left. Alexander had finally pieced together what exactly the man had said, trying to thank him as he walked off, but before he got a word out of his mouth the group of bounty hunters had also returned. Unlike the man before they were not satisfied. "You two caused us some great trouble today. I told you that you would pay if the potions were not up to quality, and oh would you look at that!" The man pointed towards his right where a man would have stood had there been one, as if making some point. "One of my friends died because of you, and you had best be happy that you aren't dead because of it. At least your strength potions worked. I'll tell you one thing mate and that's that you're going to hand over your strength potions to us right now or we're going to have a problem."

Alexander looked over at Fiona after the bounty hunter said that. She had no worry in her eyes. Fiona only sat with a smug smile on her face, quiet but clearly conveying a point. Alexander looked over at the old man's shop and saw that he had closed the window from which he was previously selling from. With no other option, Alexander began packing potions into a bag. Alexander continued until about half of the strength potions were in the bag when Fiona whispered to him

"Stop packing those, put some of these in there." and handed him a few potions. He couldn't quite tell what they were, but he guessed they probably wouldn't make the bounty hunters happy. Handing over the potions, Alexander sat still while they looked through them. The hunters couldn't tell what the strange potions were either. They figured they were strength potions like the rest and took them. After that encounter, the old man finally said something more to Alexander and Fiona.

"Why would you do that to them?" he said, questioning Fiona, "There were much better options to deal with that situation so why that one? Any and all alchemists know how bad that is, to be doomed to another body." While Alexander stood looking puzzled, Fiona replied:

"I see no point in letting them come back. If they want to steal our items they can grow into the ground forever." Just after hearing this Alexander realized what the potions were, transmutation potions. He figured by the way she said it, they would turn into some type of plant upon drinking them. Continuing their conversation, the old man nodded

"I guess you're one to not play around. It is good to meet another alchemist and another wizard at that. My name is Evander, it is very nice to meet you."

Fiona seemed startled for a second, a very quick look on her face of surprise that withered away just as soon as it had come to her. Alexander figured that she was only reacting to the fact the man had identified her as a wizard, as he was quite startled himself. Fiona replied, "Well, my name is Fiona, and it was nice to meet you and we really must be on our way as we have more potions to brew." Quickly packing up before Alexander could move a muscle, Fiona urged Alexander to take the cart. As they left, Fiona explained to Alexander who the man was, an ancient war demigod who was largely responsible for the uninhabitable surface and hatred for wizards. This was very alarming for Alexander, but he quickly wondered how Fiona would have known just from a name that the man was a demigod.

"So how do you know for certain this isn't just a man named Evander, who isn't a demigod?" he asked, and Fiona pondered for a second, then replying with

"I could sense it, to simply put it. He had a certain aura of hatred and destruction about him. I feel he had the power to stop those men from attacking us right then and there." Once they had returned to the place where they typically brewed potions they stopped to talk.

"So about this man, how are you able to sense his aura, as you say? And why didn't he stop them if he could have?" Alexander asked, but Fiona only ignored him, instead replying with

"If they truly do think that our health potions aren't good maybe we should mix them differently. If we can increase some of the ma-"

"I asked a question, and it would be helpful if you answered. I don't like to be kept in the dark." but Fiona just continued, as if he had said nothing.

"If we can increase some of the magical elements it may aid them more." and as such she started to brew more, putting more Sheer roots (a root from one of the few magical plants that evolved to grow underground without sun, the Sheer tree) into the potions. Alexander figured that Fiona was simply shaken up from the whole situation and wanted to focus on one thing at a time, as he was in quite the same situation himself. He began to follow Fiona's idea and just make more potions. By the time they had finished a couple of hours later, the Reach was void of people except for in one section. Today was indeed the once a year celebration of the people's success founding Rome underground, and practically everyone, old or young, thief or shopkeeper, was there. Alexander and Fiona decided to finally participate, as they had ignored the celebration every year beforehand.