Alex & Bain: Book 1: The Philosopher Stone

*Chapter 10*

We sat in the middle of the room across from each other. Jasmine stayed starring at me as if she were analyzing me. She sat with her legs crossed and hands on her lap. Her nails painted black with rings on each finger. Her eyes fixed straightly on mine, not even blinking. I didn't know what to do so I just sat there until she spoke.

"You have great power. I can sense it." She finally said.
"Ok but how do I use this great power I possess?"
"We need to find the thing that ignites it. When you first used your power you were trying to save Bain and without knowing your power came out of you. That feeling you have is what brings it out." She said looking and smiling at Bain.

"You will also have power over all the elements. The prophecy states that you can will fire, wind, earth, and water. Your siblings will the power of each of the elements but you and Alister will all four."
"Alister can do the same?" I asked shocked.

"Yes. Did you think he was the most powerful dark alchemy from spells and enchantments?" Jasmine said mockingly.
"What is he after Aenean?" my mother said.

"Aenean?" I whispered to Bain who sat close by me.
"That means jasmine in alchemy," Bain whispered in my ear.
"What he's always been after Willa, power! I found out from the older alchemy that the curator of light has vanished. They think Alister took him?"

"But why?" my mother asked
"Because that man was the living descendent to know the whereabouts of the philosopher's stone."

"The what"
"The philosopher's stone. It is a stone that is said to have the power to give who ever holds it immortality and ultimate power. If Alister is after it and gains that power he will be unstoppable. Even for you." Jasmine said looking at me.

"So what do we do?" I said getting up from my chair.
"We train you and we try and get the stone before him."
"Do we even know where to look?"

"No. The older alchemy had the curators take it somewhere far away and burry it. No one, not even the older alchemy know if its where about except that last living curator. Without him we are hopeless."

"So we need to save him." My mother said.
"Yes. Alister is staying in Seattle. That's where the curator was and the last time I sensed him."
"So you want us to go in and save the old man?" I said hesitantly
"It is the only way Alex." Jasmine said.

"If we go, we save malaika also." I said looking at Bain who now was standing directly behind me.
"It'll be too dangerous, we don't know where she is or if she has been pulled to the dark. It could be a trap." Jasmine said
"I can't leave her in there. Either we save malaika also or we don't do this at all." I said walking towards the door.

"OK. But you wont be able to go alone, your brothers and sisters will go with you." My mother said walking up the stairs.

"I'll call some of my friends also." Bain said walking up behind her.
"When do I start my training?" I asked jasmine who was looking at a book.
"Right now." She said as she pulled a table closer to us.
She pulled out four different items that represented the elements, a peace of metal, a lighter, and a cup of water. She placed them all in front of me lined up side by side.
"What about wind?" I asked, as I stood in front of the items.

"Wind is something that comes within. It is your soul and you heart. Those are the representations of the wind. Thus is going to be the strongest element." Jasmine said walking towards me.

"Now you must concentrate."
"What do I do?"
"Pick an element and wild the power within to control the element. Try the lighter, imagine the fire coming out of the lighter and being in your hand."
I stood their starring at the lighter trying to image it coming out. It started to shake but then fell.
"I can't do this."

"Your focusing too hard on what you think should happen. Focus on what you believe should happen."

"That makes no sense."
"Just close your eyes and believe that there is no lighter, that you can see the fire inside and you control it."
Once more I tried focusing on the lighter and picturing the container melting away and all that was left was fire. As I continued to focus I heard Jasmine laugh. I opened my eyes and there it was, just the fire swirling around in the air without the lighter container.

"I did it!"
"Yes now make it evaporate."
I closed my eyes and imagined that there was no fire, and just like that it disappeared. I felt so accomplished that I could actually do something in my control. We did this with each one of the elements.

With the metal she taught me to bend it with my mind into any shape I wanted. The water was a little tricky only because it would spill out of the bowl, but I was more determined then ever. Learning that malaika was alive and still breathing I knew I had to be the one to save her. After everything she has done for me I couldn't just abandon her.

As we continued to practice Bain came back down the stairs and following him were four other protectors.
"Alex, these are my friends, Tyler, Gabriel, Wyatt, & Leander." Bain introduced them as if they were heroes.

"Hello" I greeted each one.
They were all so tall and built like warriors. They each resembled one another as if they were brothers. Another like Bain whose features were a bit more soft and handsome these men were rugged and chiseled. Even though all four including Bain were muscular, they seemed to look like they had been protectors longer then Bain had. They all had the same marking as Bain did on the left side of their palm.

"So you're the great and powerful alchemist." Tyler said.
"I don't know about great and powerful."
"Lets just hope that you don't get yourself killed." Leander said. He seemed to be the more sarcastic one of the group.

"Don't listen to him." Bain said as he stepped away from them and stood behind me.
"Its crazy how things work out isn't it?" Wyatt said as he smirked at Bain and me.
"Yeah I know its against the rules for a" Before I could finished Tyler interrupted.

"Oh no its not that we accept that. Just we knew Bain was different. Ever since he was born we knew he would be."

"You guys almost ready." My mother called down to us.
"Guess we better get going."
"Where are we going?" I asked
"Seattle. That was the last place Alister had some activity so we're going to look around and see if we can find anything out."

Bain took my hand and led me up the stairs. As we walked into the living room my brothers and sisters all lined up with their bags all packed.

"Are we going on vacation?"
"No but a quest like this isn't going to take a day?"
"Ready?" Bain asked
"Do I have a choice?" I said as I walked past everyone out the door.

I was completely terrified of the fact that I might fail but I couldn't let any of them know.