The Blood Alchemist; Chapter 2

I lean against the wall, staring thoughtfully at the door across the way. She hadn't come out of her room yet. According to the guard I had posted there last night, she hasn't so much as peaked out of her room.

Should I knock? What if she was still sleeping? Was she even still in there? Should I have a guard do a sweep outside the window to see if she had managed to sneak out? She wanted her backpack back. Surely she wouldn't leave without it, would she? Maybe I should find a maid and have them knock and offer her assistance. No, she would probably suspect that I had ordered the maid to spy on her for me.

Screw it. Breakfast was ready. I'll just knock and let her know. If I wake her up, I can just wait out here for her to get ready. Then I won't just be standing out here like a creep.

The door swings open, leaving my knuckles to make contact with air. The girl blinks in surprise. I quickly drop my hand, smiling. "Good morning. I was just coming to tell you breakfast is ready." I step back to allow her out of the room.

She steps into the hall, closing the door gently behind her. "I'm surprised you didn't send a maid to my room this morning." Her hair is free of its braid. It hangs loose in wild waves that frame her face and flow over and around her shoulders.

"Did you want one?"

"No. I would have sent anyone you sent to me away."

Of course she would have. I just turn towards the sitting room I had prepared for breakfast. She falls into step beside me. From the corner of my eye, I can see her quietly surveying the halls, taking everything in. She's probably looking for exit points. My eyes keep drifting to her hair. "Decided you didn't actually like your braid?"

She doesn't even glance at me. "I lost my hair tie yesterday. I didn't know until I woke up this morning." She absently runs a hand through her hair, grimacing as she comes across a small tangle.

"I could find you a brush and hair tie. If you'd like me to," I quickly amend as her narrowed eyes turn towards me.

"What's the catch?" There's a definitive edge to her voice.

"No catch. Just trying to be nice."

She studies me for a second. "Okay."

I blink in surprise. "Really?"

"I would prefer to keep my hair in a braid and putting it in one will be easier if it's brushed."

I almost can't believe that she's actually answering. Sure, they're simple casual conversation responses, but it's a start. I open the door to the sitting room, motioning for her to go in ahead of me. "I'll have someone get on that right away. "

She nods her head. "Thank you." She walks past me into the room.

I'm not sure if the thank you was for the hairbrush and hair tie or for holding the door. Maybe it was for both. I'm not about to question it. I'm not about to risk spoiling her seemingly good mood and risk my answers. I motion for the servant across the hall. Once they have their order, they bob their head and scurry off down the hall, intent to finish the assigned task as quickly as possible.

I turn my attention back to the girl, letting the door click shut on its own. She watches me pad across the room as she takes a bite from the apple in her hand.

"If there's anything in particular that you'd like, the chef can make it for you," I offer, sliding into one of the chairs at the table.

She shakes her head. "Butter me up all you want; I'm not telling you anything."

I reach out, pulling the plate of grapes to myself. "A shame. That is basically the only condition to getting your backpack back. Trust me, Clyde won't relent on that."

Her eyes narrow as she slowly lowers herself into the chair across from mine. "Fine. Start asking."

I lean forward, resting my elbows on the table. "Where are you from?"

She shrugs. "Not here." She casually bites into the apple once more.

"That's not a good enough answer."

Another shrug. "Too bad. I'm not about to tell you where I'm from."

"Why not? Are there more humans there?"

She slowly leans towards me. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Just like that, she leans back again, taking another bite.

"Fine. Let's say that there are, hypothetically," I add before she can say anything. "What reasons would they have for staying hidden? For letting everyone think they were gone?"

"A caution? Who's to say though? Maybe we just want to be left alone." There's a hard edge to her voice.

"They why strike out all on your own? Surely that would draw attention."

Unfortunately, she doesn't take the bait. She just sits there, watching me as she takes another bite of the apple. Before I can ask another question, there's a knock at the door. I don't even have the chance to call come in before the door opens to emit Clyde. "Good morning Clyde."

He walks casually across the room, hands clasped behind his back. He stops in front of the table between the two of us. He nods his head to me. "Good morning Bash." His eyes turn towards the girl. "Considering how hard it was to convince you to come, I'm surprised you didn't even try to leave your room last night, Olivia."

The girl freezes, mid-bite, eyes wide in shock and alarm. She slowly lowers the apple from her mouth. There's a slight shake to her hand. "What?" Her voice is barely above a whisper.

Clyde slides into the last open seat at the table. Olivia. Was that her name? If it was, why did she looked so concerned that Clyde had somehow figured it out? I could understand the shock, but the alarm seemed a bit unwarranted. "Clyde-"

"How do you know my name?" She demands, cutting me off and rising from her chair. Every muscle is tensed, ready to fight. Her eyes flicker to the door.

Clyde glances back towards the door before casting Olivia a questioning look. "I found it on the one note in your sketchbook. Do you prefer to be called Liv like in the other note?"

Her face goes blank for a second as his words sink in. "You went through my stuff?" Her voice has a dangerous edge to it, coated in anger.

Not that I could blame her. "Clyde! What-" A knock at the door cuts me off this time. Olivia takes a halting step back, hand brushing the dagger sheathed on her leg. Clyde arches an eyebrow as I turn my head to the door. "Come in!" I call.

The door opens to admit the servant. Without a word, they cross the room and set a hairbrush and hair tie down on the table. Giving me a quick curtsy, they leave the room. I turn my attention back to Clyde. "Why would you go through her stuff? That's rude."

He doesn't take his eyes from Olivia. "To make sure she isn't a threat. Why do you have so many maps?"

I perk up at that. "How many?"

"More than one person needs."

"Well, I need them," Olivia objects.

"Why?"

"So I can get where I'm going."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know, that's why I need the maps."

Clyde gives her a skeptical look. "If you don't know where you're going, how are maps going to help?"

"Because I'm not looking for a place," she snaps at him, "I'm looking for a person."

"Who?"

She stares hard at Clyde. I can see the deliberation in her eyes. "The Blood Alchemist," she finally says.

The Blood Alchemist. I had heard of him; I remember the stories from when I was a kid. He was supposedly a warlock who worked with blood and could use it to control and manipulate people. "He's just a myth. A bedtime story for kids."

"No, he's not," Olivia snaps.

"Why are you looking for him?" I decide to placate her belief that the Blood Alchemist is real.

"He's the only person who can help me."

"Help you do what, exactly?" Clyde demands. "All the stories say he uses his power for his own gain."

Olivia blinks. "What? No. That's not true."

Clyde arches an eyebrow. "Because you grew up hearing a different set of stories? Who's to say which set of stories are true."

Olivia clenches her jaw. "Because my mother knew him."

"Fine. Let's say he is real and not as bad as the stories say," Clyde says with a shrug, "None of the stories talk about where he lives. So, it's like you said, you're not looking for a place. I don't think I have to tell you that you can't use a map to find a person. That's not how they work."

Olivia's hand flies to the chain around her neck. She fingers it for a second, deep in thought. Finally, she sits back down, folding her hands calmly on the table. "Bring me my maps."

It's a simple command, spoken calmly with sure authority. Clyde's eyebrows go up in surprise before narrowing in suspicion. I stand before Clyde can respond. "Clyde, take us to her stuff."

Olivia and Clyde give me equally surprised looks. Clyde casts a quick glance at Olivia before he also stands up. "Fine." He turns to the door and begins walking. "This way."

I'm not surprised that Clyde leads us to his room. The walk is long enough for Olivia to brush and braid her hair. She's tossing the finished braid over her shoulder as Clyde opens his door. He holds it open for us to walk through.

Olivia deposits the brush on the table by the door. She doesn't even glance back at Clyde, so she misses the cold glare he gives her for doing so. Her attention is on the table further inside the room. Papers are spread across it along with what I assume must be the sketchbook Clyde had mentioned.

Upon reaching the table, her first course of action is to grab the sketchbook. She skims through it quickly before grabbing her backpack. After quickly shuffling through whatever else is in the backpack, she puts the sketchbook in it and sets it back down, turning her attention to the maps.

She carefully shuffles through them. As she does so, I can see that the largest is an overall map of what I can only assume is the world as I can see dots with names next to them. My eyes first find Lautus and Azymus. I also notice a dot labeled The Coast next to what appears to be a large body of water.

Maps sorted, she steps to the side. "Pick it up," she says motioning to the largest map.

I don't hesitate. I wanted to study it closer. As I'm examining it, Clyde comes to stand by my side. He studies the map for a second. "Is this supposed to convince us of something?" He asks.

She shakes her head. "No, just to prove a point." She holds out her hands. "Now give me the map." I surrender the map into her hands. Just like that, a red dot appears on the map.

Clyde immediately reaches for the map. As soon as it's left her hands the dot disappears. Clyde examines where the red dot had been, lifting the map up to peer beneath it. He offers the map back to her. She reaches out for it. Once her hand is on the map, the red dot reappears. We just stare at the map and its solitary red dot.

"How?" I ask, amazed.

Olivia shrugs, setting the map back down on the table. "Not sure. According to my dad, I'm the second person it works for."

"The second?"

"My mother was the first. She got it from the Blood Alchemist. It was to lead her back to him if she ever needed his help."

"If your mother is the one who knew him," Clyde interjects, "Why isn't she the one going to find him?"

Olivia fingers the chain around her neck. "She died years ago."

"And you think being her daughter will be enough to convince him to help you?"

Anger flares in her eyes. "I have to try!" Sadness clouds her eyes, washing the anger away. "He's the only person who can help."

"Maybe we can help." The words are out of my mouth before I can stop myself. I don't have to look at Clyde to know he dislikes this suggestion.

Olivia just stares at me. Her silence is broken by laughter. "I admire your optimism, but unless you can do what the Blood Alchemist can, you can't."

"How can you be so sure?"

"A demon attacked my home. He turned my friend into a hollow. He's also chasing after me. So, unless you can undo what he did to my friend and also overpower him, no, you can't help me."

"What is a demon?" Clyde interjects. "And a hollow for that matter?"

"Exactly?" She shrugs. "He called himself a demon and when I demanded to know what he had done to my friend he said he had turned him into a hollow. From the stories, my mother told me, a demon seems to have the same powers as the Blood Alchemist. You only know you're dealing with a demon when they use their power though. That's when their eyes turn red. A hollow is just. . . hollow. An empty shell of who they used to be. They don't speak, eat, drink, sleep. They just stand there, staring at nothing, skin deathly pale and eyes solid black." She closes her eyes, but I already saw the pain there. She must be thinking of her friend. She reopens them, shaking her head. "That's why I need to find the Blood Alchemist. He's the only person who can help me."

"Then I'll help you find him." The words are out of my mouth before I fully realize what I'm saying. I don't have to see Clyde's face to know he is less than impressed with this idea than my previous one.

Olivia crosses her arms. "Really? You're just going to help me? No strings attached?"

Of course, she was expecting a catch. I smirk. "Of course. And since you doubt my sincerity," I feign a hurt expression, "I'll even go all the way back to your home with you to make sure you get there safely."

Her eyes narrow to slits. "Not a chance." She turns to the table, gathering the maps. "I've wasted enough time answering your questions." Gently, she slides the maps into her backpack, closing it before slinging it over her shoulder. "I'll be leaving now."

"What? No!" She ignores my objection, continuing to walk to the door. I look at Clyde who doesn't so much as twitch. He just calmly watches her pass.

He suddenly turns towards her. "I'll show you to the gate."

She just bobs her head, not bothering with a verbal confirmation.

I sigh and begin following. "I'm still coming with you." I feel a smug satisfaction when both Olivia and Clyde spin to face me, both with different objections written on their face. I don't stop walking though. "If you won't stay and answer my questions, I'll just have to follow you until I get them all answered," I shrug as I pass her, "And I guess I can help you while I follow you."

"That is the exact opposite of staying out of trouble," Clyde hisses.

I turn to face him as I let the door swing open. "If you're so worried about me getting into trouble, you can come to."

"And just where do you plan on going?" A cool voice asks from behind me.