The Blood Alchemist, Chapter 1

Dusk was such a lovely time, the boundary between the tame day and the wild night. Not that the activities of the night didn't take place during the day, it's just no one cared to hide it anymore at night. The setting sun glistens off the river dividing Lautus from Azymus, shining as brightly as the polished white stones of Lautus in the distance.

Lautus was nice, but nothing like the Azymus. Most of those in Lautus would never cross that bridge; not that they would be allowed to. Technically, I wasn't supposed to cross the bridge; at least not alone, and certainly not at night.

I smile as I lean out into the open air, the breeze caressing my face. No sign of my watchdog yet. Perfect. With luck, the night was sure to be mine.

The sound of feet has my eyes turning down to the street. A girl makes her way down the street. Her red hair is pulled back in a braid that spills over her shoulder. Her hands grip the straps of her backpack. She gives no attention to others on the street and, likewise, they pay her no attention.

She walks quickly, with purpose. She must have a destination, but where was she going? She sticks close to the building, clearly trying to avoid attention.

She passes by a couple of men, who, like everyone else, she ignores. Unlike everyone else, they take notice of her. They both stand for a second, just watching her walk down the street. They share a glance before beginning to follow after her. Her pace doesn't falter in the slightest. She must not be aware of her tail.

Springing into a sprint, she ducks into an alley. So she was aware of them. Not that she could outrun them. They're on her heels.

I jump from my perch in the window, landing lightly on the ground. I should be on my way. I'd sat still long enough. If Clyde wasn't on my trail yet, he would be shortly. My eyes drift to the alley. My feet begin moving, curiosity demanding to be sated.

I can hear one of the men laughing as I reach the opening of the alley. Leaning against the corner, I peer into the alley. The girl's bag lays discarded on the ground. She probably lost it in the initial fight. Now she stands with her back to the wall, both men towering over her, keeping her from going anywhere.

"A pretty little thing like yourself shouldn't be wandering around alone," one of them says, leaning closer to her.

She flattens herself against the wall. "Stay away from me."

"Oh, come on now. We just want to have some fun. We won't bite," the second one says.

"Unless you want us too," the first says huskily, leaning even closer.

The girl reacts. She slams her head into his face. He falls back, yowling in pain, grabbing his face. She jumps at her opening, but the second man is faster. He catches her wrist. She spins, pulling her wrist to her and down. He loses his balance, falling forward. His head snaps back after making contact with her rising knee.

I can't help but feel impressed. I'm also rather glad I had decided to follow after them. This was rather enjoyable.

The first is back on his feet, blood trickling down his chin, blocking her path as she spins around. I can hear the click as his switchblade pops open. "So, you like it rough, huh?"

Perhaps now would be a good time to step in.

I don't get the chance though. The girl spins, one foot coming up to make contact with his hand, sending his switchblade flying out of his hand. That's to be the end of her winning streak though.

The second man is suddenly behind her. He wraps his arms around her, pinning her arms down and lifting her off the ground so she has no leverage. She kicks at the first as he steps forwards but he easily catches her leg, laughing.

"Hey!" I call, stepping into the alley.

Both men look towards me. They share a glance before the first drops the girl's leg, stepping towards me. "Why don't you keep moving pretty boy? We're a bit busy here."

I tilt my head. "Two on one doesn't seem very fair."

He growls, "You should mind your own business."

I smirk, easily closing the distance between us. He blinks in surprise at how fast I move. Eyes flicking to my ears before coming back to meet my eyes. There's a hint of doubt in them now. I take a deep breath. I'm not at all surprised by his scent. "Are you sure you want to try me, mutt?"

I barely dodge the punch he throws at me. He won't get another chance. I catch his wrist with one hand and right below his elbow with the other. I raise my knee as I bring his arm down hard. I release his arm as I feel the bone snap.

He cries out, falling to the ground, cradling his arm against his chest. I turn my head to look at the other man. "Are you smarter than your friend or just as stupid?" He releases the girl, letting her fall to the ground, holding up his hands. "Wise choice. Take your friend, get lost, and pray I don't see either of you again tonight."

He slowly walks closer. His eyes don't leave me as he pauses to help his friend up. I stand and watch until both men have disappeared around the corner. Satisfied they're gone, I turn back to face the girl. She slings her backpack on as she walks away.

"Hey, wait!" I call, moving after her. I easily catch up with her, reaching out to catch her arm. "Whoa!" I jump back, away from the knife she brandishes, holding up my hands. "Do you always thank people by threatening them with a knife?"

Her grey-blue eyes are hard as she stares me down. "I didn't need help," she says as she slowly lowers the knife.

I shrug. "If you say so, but it certainly didn't seem that way. Let me walk you where ever you were going."

She tucks the knife into a sheath on her leg. "Hard pass. Goodbye." She turns back around.

"You do know those mutts were the least of your worries," I follow after her. "They're at the bottom of the ranks here."

"The advice is appreciated, but unwanted. I can take care of myself."

"Are you sure? I could protect you. They're all afraid of me."

She stops. "How many times do I need to tell you I don't need help?" She glares at me over her shoulder.

A breeze comes down the alley, carrying her scent to me. I blink in surprise. Her scent is one I've never encountered. "What are you?" I step closer, breathing in her scent. It couldn't be possible, but it was the only explanation. Her eyes widen in alarm as mine widen in shock. "You're-"

"Bastian!"

I spin to find Clyde stalking down the alley. Not yet. I feel something catch my ankle. Before I can react, it pulls my foot back as a force slams into my back knocking me forward. Thankfully, my reflexes are fast enough to keep me from actually falling.

I land my footing and turn back towards the girl. She's already running, but I know I'm faster. Not faster than Clyde though. I'm gaining on her as she rounds a corner and Clyde catches up with me. I know I should stop when he manages to get in front of me, but I try to duck around him.

He simply throws out an arm, stopping cold. With my momentum, the impact is enough to knock the wind out of me.

I lay on the ground, sucking in air, staring at the sky. Clyde glares down at me, clearly unamused. "Did you really think that would work?"

Having my breath back, I flip off the ground. "I need to catch that girl."

Clyde raises an eyebrow. "Did she rob you?"

I make a face. "No. Why would you assume that?" Clyde continues to stare at me, one eyebrow raised. I raise a finger. "That was one time and that is not the point." I point my finger in the direction she ran. "That girl is human."

Clyde's face remains unchanged. "We're leaving."

I grit my teeth as Clyde begins moving, grabbing my arm so I can't take off. I could get free, but there was no way I was going to catch up with her while trying to shake Clyde. "Help me catch her and I'll stay out of trouble for a whole month."

Clyde stops, looking at me. "A whole month?" I nod. He narrows his eyes. "Swear it."

"I swear on the Bright Star that I will stay out of trouble for a whole month if you help me catch her."

With that, he releases my arm. He takes off after her, morphing into his wolf form. I follow after him. As it turns out, the alley she entered is a dead end. I can see her at the far end, trying to open a door. It's either locked or jammed, seeing that it doesn't open.

She looks down the alley, spotting us. Shame I already swore to behave for a month. I could have easily caught up with her, seeing as she couldn't go anywhere.

She quickly glances about. The only possible escape for her is the fire escape on the one building, but the bottom ladder is pulled all the way up. I could make a one-story jump to catch it, but there's no way she could.

She turns and runs at the wall opposite the fire escape. She must be charging a door. I smirk. Good luck breaking it.

Only, she doesn't run into a door. She jumps up at the wall, using it as a springboard to push off of. What was she thinking?

It gets her higher than just jumping would have, but not quite high enough. Her midsection slams into the landing of the fire escape. I'm impressed that she actually manages to hang onto the landing.

She's trying to recover when we stop below her. Clyde, back in his human form, easily jumps, catching the ladder. He grabs the landing and is pulling himself up as the ladder falls. Clyde stops in front of her on the landing, dropping to sit on his haunches. He studies her for a second before offering her a hand.

Her head turns to look at the ground. Seeing me below her, she grimaces. "Why won't you just leave me alone?"

"I'm curious, stubborn, and determined," I reply. "Can't we at least talk?"

She looks back at Clyde and sighs. "I don't really have a choice, do I?" Ignoring Clyde, she swings one leg up onto the landing before rolling onto it.

Clyde steps back as she stands, watching her carefully. If she did try to run, she wouldn't be getting past him. He follows behind her as she makes her way down.

Back on the ground, she sits down. She takes a deep breath, slowly exhaling as she runs a hand over her hair. "Alright, let's get this over with."

As I look down at her, I can't help but notice how tired she looks. "You need to sleep."

"Hard to get a good night's sleep when you're doing so with one eye open."

"Then why don't we talk in the morning?"

She arches an eyebrow. "You expect me to trust a guy that chased me down to watch me sleep?"

"Forgive me for being curious about where a human came from."

"Not here. Can I leave now?"

I narrow my eyes. "No. I have so many more questions."

She yawns, stretching one arm over her head. "Such as?"

I close the distance between us, dropping to my heels. "Where exactly did you come from? What are you doing here? Are there more humans where you're from? Why let everyone think you're all gone? How did you manage to get everyone to think you were gone? Where are you going? Are all the stories about humans true?"

She stares at me, blinking. "That's. . . A lot of questions."

I smile. "That's only some of them."

Clyde sighs. "Yet you've missed the one you should have led with." We both look at him. "Her name."

"Right." I look back at her. "What is your name?"

She stares at me. "I don't think I'll tell you."

"What?"

"Technically, I don't have to tell you anything. I just agreed to talk, which I am doing." She smiles sweetly.

I have no words to reply. I just stare at her. Clyde starts laughing. "I think I like her."

I shoot him a glare. "Fine, you have a point, but maybe you'll be more agreeable in the morning."

"Again: not trusting you to keep an eye out while I sleep."

I think for a second. "What if. . . You had a locked room to sleep in?" I can see her forming objections as she narrows her eyes, tilting her head. "That locked from the inside. . . And had a bed- a comfortable bed."

She just stares at me. "Are you going to offer me breakfast next if I say no?"

"Would that make you say yes?"

"No," she says, shaking her head.

My eyes narrow. I'm running out of ideas.

Clyde suddenly moves. Stooping down, he grabs the back of her backpack. Before she can react, he pulls it up. "Hey!" She objects, trying to stand as quickly as he's lifting. This is certainly not going to help. "Clyde!" I object, jumping to my feet.

Clyde places a hand on her back, shoving her forward as he pulls the backpack to him. She's barely on her feet, so she stumbles forward, right into me. Thankfully, my reflexes are faster, and I manage to keep us both from falling.

She growls, shoving off of me and spinning on Clyde. "Give it back."

Clyde slings the backpack over his shoulder. "No. If you want it back, come with us. Once you've answered his questions in the morning, I'll give it back." He nods, sliding his other arm through the other strap. I don't need to be facing her to know she doesn't like that answer. "Look, as amusing as it is to watch Bash get a taste of his own medicine, I don't want to be out here all night." Clyde holds up a warning hand as her hand twitches towards the dagger on her leg, "Try it and I'll take that too."

Without another word, Clyde begins walking, brushing past the girl without so much as a glance back. She spins, staring after him in angered shock. I take Clyde's cue and turn to follow after him. A second later, I hear her footsteps following after us.