The Shamer's Daughter - A Fanfiction

Chapter 13 - The Alchemist

Somewhere in another world, Rikert the smith must have put her arm on his anvil and hammered as if it was a piece of iron. It felt as if it would have hurt less if the dragon had just ripped it off entirely. Dina's head was pounding and her throat still more than sore and it didn't help that the air around her was filled with unrecognisable smells and a hint of smoke. Because she was lying down, her tears didn't run down her cheeks, but sideways towards her ears instead.

"How are you?" Nico asked. The sight of the tormented girl had pulled him back to reality and made him focus.

"Alright." Dina said, even though it was far from true. But no matter how stupid it seemed, she didn't want to worry him further because he had already been through so much. Dina had seen it. "Where are we?" She asked and her voice was more of a whisper than an actual voice.

"We're with Mr Magnus." Nico said, even though Magnis was standing right beside him, perfectly capable of answering the question himself. But Nico felt so much responsibility, that he couldn't let any of the others speak just yet. But when Dina asked who this Mr Magnus was, the tall bearded man spoke for himself.

"That's me." He stepped closer, so Dina wouldn't have to turn her head to see him.

"Are you a doctor?" She asked, feeling the bandage around her arm and smelling rubbing alcohol and iodine - a smell she recognised from her mother. But Magnus shook his head.

"I'm an alchemist."

"A gold-maker?" Dina wondered, mentioning the only thing she had ever connected with the word. He shook his head again and this time with a slight irritation.

"I'm a scientist. Gold making is pure fraud and ignorance. Alchemy is about chemistry and physics through a much more scientific approach - something I never fully got to teach the young man messing with your pillow." Though Magnus wasn't smiling, there was a gleam in his eye and if Dina hadn't been there, he probably would have slapped Nico playfully on the head. Nico snorted but let go of the loose thread he had been trying to pull from her pillowcase. His nerves made him fiddle with the button in his sleeve instead.

"There is nothing in this world that Magnus can't make sound dull and boring - I would know. He was my tutor and teacher for almost 15 years." A weird boyish smile was showing on his face in spite of his still moving hands.

"15? It was barely 9!" Magnus said as he was moving around a few jugs and pots.

"I know. It felt like 15 though." This time Magnus actually slapped him, with a book he had in his hands. Not hard enough to be mean, but hard enough for it to hurt just a little bit.

"Ouch! I said almost!" Nico said as he grabbed his head. But Magnus chuckled slightly as he turned away again. It wasn't till Magnus moved that Dina noticed the girl behind him. She was short, but still taller than Dina. Her perfectly white teeth were showing as she laughed at the boys and her hair fell in waves over her back. And Dina felt as if she already knew her.

"Day?" She said without thinking and the room grew quiet at once. Dalie looked confused as to why she already knew her name, but introduced herself politely anyway.

"I guess Nico mentioned me?" She said as she left the doorframe she had been leaning against.

"Something like that." Nico just said, not wanting to explain how she had seen her in his head right now. But he didn't have to, because at that moment, she automatically looked Dina in the eye without having been warned. It didn't take her long to look away with a gasp. Dina had only seen one thing in her light blue eyes. A man with an arrow through his heart.

"I suppose you're the Shamer's daughter?" Dalie said looking at the corner of the table by the window. You could tell she was trying to be nice, but she was still shook and her eyes were watery again.