The Unknown Alchemist

Chapter 12 - The human girl

Someone had seen the surgeon and vet rush through the city and into the house. Rumours had quickly spread that someone in the alpha pack was severely injured. Sari had spent the day turning away a steady stream of visitors but the flowers and gifts had piled up in the foyer. It wasn't until she spotted a sympathy card in the shape of a pair of bat wings that she knew word had leaked that Roedin was back, not dead after all.

Sari had married into the alpha family and so had few political responsibilities herself. She helped with some council matters and but generally provided support for the alpha prime twins as they tried to fill the impossibly large shoes their mother had left. So while the siblings were dealing with the governing of the city, Sari made the care of the mysterious human her own responsibility. She had never met a human before and in between changing the dressings and trying to keep the fever under control, she read all the books they could find on human anatomy and culture. For days on end Sari sat by the lamp reading to keep herself awake, one watchful eye trained on the girl and the other trained on the page.

The smallest part of her felt guilty for not learning more about humans. It had been a brief topic in school, mostly buried in history lectures or as a footnote in a textbook. After the Tidal Wars between sapiens and faunids, the humans had faded from society. Common Law gave them basic rights and preserves were set up where they could live in peace. But to the average citizen of Corinth, or any sapien city for that matter, the humans were invisible. Something you never really thought of.

After several days and nights of watching over of the girl, Adelyn had ordered Sari to bed and took over the role of trying to keep the human alive.

Sari's profound exhaustion was probably what triggered the dreamwalk. Dreamwalking was considered a rare gift or an ugly curse, depending on who was wielding it. Uncontrolled, it could drive a person mad. Dreams were a realm of fantasy and terror and without the skill to navigate carefully, Dreamwalkers often confused reality with fiction. When Sari had come to Corinth from her village she had been headed down that dark road. Sari had studied for a century under powerful sorcerers to bring her skill under control, but still her mind could wander off if she wasn't strong enough to stop it.

Like tonight.

Tonight the stress of Roedin's condition and the tension in the house weighed her down enough that her sleepy mind followed its natural curiosity to the human girl fighting for her life down the hall.

Sari's mind slammed into a wall of flesh and spikes. She yelped and bounced back, stunned that something had blocked her way into the dream. In front of her was a tangle of vines, twisting slowly like a flowing river. Here and there the vines would part and Sari could see flashes of images on the other side. She ducked her head trying to see through and reached up to grab a vine and pull it aside. A thorn pricked her hand and she gasped and drew her hand back quickly.

"I wouldn't do that," warned a small voice behind her.

Sari spun and took in the sight of a lush forest with a simple cabin in a small clearing. Smoke rose from the chimney and a pile of neatly stacked firewood was off to the side. On the steps of the porch sat a human child. She had on a light blue sundress and long red-brown hair framed her face. Her grass-stained feet were bare and on her lap sat a fox curled up in a ball. She stroked the fox, unafraid as Sari approached.

"Who are you?" asked Sari.

"Who am I? Who are you?" the little girl retorted. "Who are any of us, really? Who we are is only relevant in context with others. For it is our actions that define us, and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." She smiled down at the fox and scratched behind its ears.

Sari furrowed her brow at the nonsensical answer and tried a different approach. "Do you live here?"

"I do not live, because I do not die. I just, am."

Sari wondered if all human minds were so cryptic. The child spoke in riddles like a philosopher. Sari turned back to the vines and drew a sword. Perhaps she could cut away at the plant to push through.

"You shouldn't be here, you know. It's not safe," cautioned the child.

"What's behind there? What are you hiding?" demanded Sari. The girl looked forlorn as she stared past Sari's shoulder to the wall of vines.

"I wish I knew. I've been trying to find out for...a long time. It must be important. I hope it's important because it's very prickly. It would be such a shame to finally break through and find it was nothing interesting at all."

Sari swung at the vine but barely made a dent. She cut off a branch and another one grew in its place immediately. The girl suddenly appeared at her side.

"I'm Avery," she said. "This is my cabin. This is the fox. I never named him. I should have given him a name. I think the fox dead now. Dead with no name. He killed him. He kills everything. Hurts everything he touches."

"Who kills everything? Where is this place?" shouted Sari.

Avery gave her a funny look. "This is my mind," she said as though Sari was an idiot. Then she grew serious. "This is my mind and you shouldn't be here. It's not safe."

At that a vine whipped out from the wall and latched on to Sari's sword arm. The sapien screamed as the thorns dug into her flesh. Another vine grabbed her ankle and pulled her off her feet. Her body slammed to the ground knocking the wind out of her. She reached for her sword with the other hand to hack off the vines that were now dragging her toward the wall. More vines lashed out and wrapped around her.

Sari screamed as the thorns dug in and the vines began to strangle her. She was panicking and thrashing. A flash blinded her, and then utter darkness enveloped her. She felt strong hands reach under her arms and pull her out.

Sari lay on the bedroom floor gasping for breath. She clawed at her neck as though the vines were still there. Hayden put both hands to her face and held her still.

"Sari! Sari! Look at me! You're out." He held her face in his hands, forcing her to make eye contact. She was panting heavily trying to catch her breath and her head spun as she tried to comprehend what had happened.

"This human is not what she seems," she breathed.

"Sari! What were you thinking? Why would you go in there?"

"It was an accident, I didn't mean to! But once I was there I tried to get some answers!"

Hayden sighed and placed his forehead on his wife's, holding her tightly to him. "I couldn't wake you, you were in so deep."

"It was terrifying. I've never encountered a dream-shield that could attack you. She has been trained by a powerful sorcerer. How can a human having such a skill?"

Hayden's sank to the floor next to Sari. "I don't know if it matters. Petra doesn't think the herb is working...her chances of survival are slim."

Sari leaned into her husband's body and rested her head on his shoulder. "Her name is Avery."