The Alchemist's Practice Chapter 1

Edric's parents had died. The letter said it happened a month past. A fire took their family home and them with it. His brother's body was nowhere to be found, but there was little hope that he survived the incident.

Edric knew from the moment he awoke something was amiss. It felt as though someone had placed several stones atop his head, and he was trying to balance them the whole day. He had even failed at making a basic potion, much to his master's disdain. Now he knew why.

He was interrupted in the middle of his studies by the letter, and when he noticed it was from Wynn, he knew it was significant. His stones told him it wasn't a love letter.

The sages say that the feelings one gets are remnants of the god's powers residing within us, and those more attuned to their energies can sense things. Things that have happened, are happening, and things that have yet to be. Edric never claimed to be one of those folk who could sense, but if one day could make him believe it was today.

Dear Edric,

Wynn's handwriting was atrocious, as always. The only saving grace was a small flourish she did at the end of his name that made him smile each time he saw it. He couldn't tell if it was something she unwittingly did when writing a 'c' or if it was her way of letting him know she was trying to make it look nice.

I don't know how to say this, so I'll just come right out and say it. Your Da and Ma have passed. There was a fire that took your house and them with it on Iyar 6th. Your brother is missing too. The folk couldn't find his body, so they searched the woods as far as they dared but couldn't find him.

Edric's hand trembled as he read the first paragraph again and again, again and again, until the words became foreign to him. This couldn't be true. It must be some mistake.

I wish I could have wrote to you with better news, Ed.

Ed was Wynn's nickname for him from when they were children. When they grew older, it became scarce on her tongue, saved only for times when she was upset. Or when he was.

I know you're in the middle of your studies, but you should come home so we can have a proper funeral. You'll have to settle their affairs too, but that shouldn't take long And selling the farm should help pay for your expenses at Sybold for a while.

Sell the farm? There's no way Edric could do that. It's been in the family for generations. His father would have his hide if he sold it.

But his father was no longer in this world, and Edric's uncle and his family were leagues away. Wynn was right. He could sell the farm, and it would give him more freedom. Working as an apprentice in Sybold has afforded him a more than modest living, but everything is more expensive.

Edric shook his head to disabuse himself of the notion. He wasn't going to let that land fall out of the Foster name. But if he wasn't going to sell the land, then what would he do with it?

The spiral of thoughts distracted Edric from the rest of the letter and the darker thoughts bubbling beneath. After a few moments mulling over his own question, he finished reading.

I can't imagine what you're feeling right now but know that I'm here for you with whatever you need.

Love,

Wynn

Edric knew that Wynn was partially lying. She had lost her parents at an early age, and though she was too young to remember them well, she had experience with loss.

Edric reread the letter a few times, but the words just didn't seem to sink in. He hadn't seen his parents in years, ever since he moved to Sybold to study alchemy, and couldn't imagine them not being there when he returned. He couldn't picture their house burned to the ground.

Warm stone steps in summer, sheep grazing across the rolling fields, and his little brother crying inside. His mother's loving smile, his father's approving gaze, and their stoic yet melancholic look before he left for Sybold. He knew in his mind that these were the last memories he would have of them, but it didn't yet reach the deepest parts of him.

He needed to return home. There was no question of that. If he wasn't to sell the land, he needed to work out what to do with it. A representative would be too costly and too impersonal. And, he would be lying if the letter from Wynn wasn't part of his decision. The fact that she sent the letter was more meaningful, and he hoped that she wanted to see him too.

Right now, Edric was in the middle of his apprenticeship, and he knew that if he asked for time away, his master wouldn't allow it. That was just the way they worked.

Edric had a thought. Why did he have to ask for permission, anyway? He's an adult now, and he could make his own decisions. He could just leave.

Edric almost decided right then and there to pack his things and run out in the dead of night but thought better of it. If he left without saying anything, then he would most definitely draw his master's ire. He would make his own letter, and then he would leave in the dead of night.

Edric wrote a hasty explanation for his sudden departure, saying his parents passed and that he needed to take care of some things back home. He said that he would be back in a few months and then start working as an apprentice again.

He packed a few essentials: travel food, his coin purse, a few potion pocketbooks he felt could come in handy, clothes, and his Sybold bank seal. Without another thought, Edric found a wagon headed in the direction of his hometown and was off.

Edric was heading back home, back to Mayel.

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If you've made it this far then thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of The Alchemist's Practice! If you did, don't forget to give it a heart at the bottom. I certainly don't mind tips either :P

I think Vocal is a great platform for a serialize novel similar to how they used to publish chapters of books in newspapers or magazines. It's also a way for me as a writer to try and maintain a deadline of one chapter a week, and will hopefully help me with my other writing as well.

If you enjoyed this then be sure to check out my other stories on vocal, and my full length novels on www.mcleansnovels.com. If you want a free novella then head to www.mcleansnovels.com/free-book to snag a copy.