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Three Silver Threads

(a sequel to 'The Silver Alchemist")

By ~Awakened~Published 2 years ago 5 min read
1
Image by Express.co.uk, edited by yours truly

The stars are in perfect alignment. The time for the final trial is nigh. The alchemist was up late, yet again, monitoring and predicting the positions of numerous celestial bodies. He had been patiently waiting for the ideal night, the perfect moment to finalize his restless research. Tonight... was the night.

"Knowledge lies within the stars. The truth is out there indeed," he chuckled to himself, stealing a glance through is telescope. He quickly made one last note on his laptop.

Initiating the final trial.

He set aside his research equipment and dawned the meticulously modified goggles he always had fastened to his fedora. As he rested them on the bridge of his nose and the lenses came into focus, the world around him immediately took on a new appearance. A faint blue and shifting neon haze settled on the inside of his tent, the different swirling hues practically mesmerizing. Spectacular as the now visible auras were, Trinket did not have time to gawk at their beauty. He exited the tent and laid eyes on the barren sands around him, which now appeared black, save for the radiating colours drifting up through the cool night air. He walked a few meters from his pitched tent to the salt and chalk pentagon star he had previously outlined in the sand. As expected, the salt lines seemed to be the only things that emitted absolutely no aura, though the sand itself emitted very little.

Argent Trinket, the Silver Alchemist, turned his gaze to the starry night sky. The light, the colours, were unlike anything he had ever seen before. Van Gogh, a most renowned post-impressionist, could never have captured the beauty within the stars through Trinket's enlightened sight. Trinket tore his wandering eyes away from the magnificent burning lights and managed to focus on a singular constellation: Orion's Belt, the three stars he had waited to see. He waited, and let not a single doubt invade his concentration. Slowly, the stars began to connect, a silver thread stretching from each flickering light. A pyramid emerged from the astrological shapes; a promising sign indeed. Trinket concentrated with all of his might, time becoming relatively nonexistent as the stars shifted across the sky. For what seemed like a split second, an eye blinked inside the pyramid, and suddenly, the sky spun around him. Astonished, Trinket blinked almost in sync with the phantasmal eye. The shapes vanished, as did the eye, and the alchemist was pulled from his trance. He flung the goggles from his face and immediately broke into a cold sweat. In the distance, the sun could be seen beginning to hover above the horizon. A sudden wave of panic washed over Trinket, and he rushed into his tent.

He frantically took inventory of his belongings, and a horrible sense of Deja-vu took hold of his gut.

"Flamel!" he shouted, and turned to see, through the aperture of his tent door, Nicholas Flamel mounting a camel while stashing Trinket's laptop in his satchel.

Trinket needn't have said a word. He already knew precisely what was happening.

Hearing Trinket's shout, Flamel quickly motioned the camel to pick up the pace. Trinket already knew that without a camel he would surely be left in the dust if he attempted to catch up on foot. He knew exactly what to do. Rather than kicking up sand in a desperate running spree, he started sprinting. But while he sprinted, he waved his hand ahead, and the ground before him quickly transmuted into solid glass, and soon his sprint became much faster than the camel's bounds.

Flamel turned and reached into a pouch beneath his coat in an attempt to defend himself, but Trinket was quicker and predicted this move. He dived down and grabbed a fistful of sand, throwing it into Flamel's face, which was soon covered in red hot glass shards. In a fit of hate and spite, Flamel clawed at his eyes, falling off his mount in the process.

"Nicholas, you don't need to be psychic to know how this is going to go down. Hand over my research."

Hissing and spitting hot sand, Flamel stood, eyes milky white, and said, "I won't. You're going to have to steal it back."

However, Trinket predicted that response as well, and used the time to swipe the laptop from the bag.

"You're quite resilient, Nicholas. I'll tell you what, you walk away now, with or without my research, and the next time I see you, I will put up a fair fight. Deal?"

Flamel cackled. "I'm taking your notes now. And believe me, the next time you see me, it won't be a fair fight."

"If you say so. Another day, then?"

"Heheh, indeed, foolish Trinket," he said, stumbling for his camel. "I know that with your secrets, I won't need my sight." With that, Flamel set off toward the rising sun, believing the encounter to have been a success. Trinket was more than ready to retire for the day, having stayed awake all night long, but he was well aware that something must be done.

"All of this knowledge and power must not be contained to an object. Now that I have achieved clairvoyance, there is no need to have such dangerous knowledge lying around for people like Flamel to steal." Trinket snatched up his research and walked to a polished sundial next to his tent. He raised the laptop above his head.

Crunch! The laptop was snapped in two as the alchemist brought down the device, smashing it on the gnomon.

"Now to bury the broken pieces and rejoice in the fruits of..." Trinket started, and paused, because of course he was to be interrupted by shrill cursing far-off in the distance.

"TRINKET!!" Flamel screamed at the top of his lungs.

Trinket sighed and simply returned to his tent. Though he was exhausted, he was certain that no matter what, Flamel could no longer threaten him. After centuries of research and studies, he was finally ready to rest.

* * *

Greetings, guys and gals! It's me, the author. This was a shorter sequel to my short story "The Silver Alchemist," one of my personal favorite works I have written thus far. If you enjoyed this story, you are certainly going to enjoy the prequel, so go check it out if you haven't already. Anyway, as always, live long and prosper. Have a fantastical day.

~La hiena relámpago,

Zap Aura

Sci Fi
1

About the Creator

~Awakened~

Silence. Ego can be one's downfall, as well as a wall that must be broken down to breach the fifth dimension. This, you must remember in the times to come.

(In case there is any confusion, this is Zap Aura's updated page)

Twitter: @ZapAura

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