The Quest of the Prodigy (The Alchemist of Time Book 1) Read online

  “You can trust me,” she promised. “I sort of understand what you explained about the Time Shifter. But if you have it to take you anywhere, why the need for the Bas House too? And how do you control the ship?”

  “Well, I need a place to live when I’m not traveling!” he said, as if it should be obvious. “The CPU in the Maintenance Bay controls my ship. And I have to have the Bas House constantly moving so the King and Queen don’t find it. I also find it’s easier to first move the Bas House over the time I want. If the Bas House is farther away from the year I want to travel to, it takes twice as long to get there by the Time Shifter. So I like to park it close by, in a manner of speaking.”

  “It’s still confusing,” she confessed. “But I guess I can accept that answer for now.”

  “Great, enough with the questions then!” Bas said. “Let’s get to Golden Hope Island, shall we? Time to return to the Maintenance Bay so we can go Infinity. That’s how we leave the Bubble Universes and reenter our desire time period.”

  Mimi nodded, pretending to understand. Temporal physics was starting to give her a massive headache, but she had no choice but to trust Bas knew how it all worked, and knew what he was doing.

  They grabbed onto the handle that circled around the Maintenance Bay below them and waited as Bas brought up the hologram of the universe. He pushed a space on it near Earth this time, and the Bas House lurched forward with incredible speed.

  The movement was jerkier than riding that wooden roller coaster at Coney Island, the Cyclone. Mimi clung to the rail, determined not to be sick. This was far worse than airplane turbulence. After a couple of jarring minutes, the Bas House stopped, and the stillness was just as sickening as the abrupt take-off.

  “Is it over?” asked Mimi, feeling sick.

  “Oh please don’t throw up,” Bas said, wrinkling his nose.

  Albert laughed, and Mimi smacked his arm.

  “It’s almost over,” Bas reassured her. “JAB, be the bee’s knees and prepare the Time Shifters for us, will you?”

  JAB nodded, and in no time, they were off.

  That brilliant light appeared again, this time from both of the Time Shifters. When Mimi opened her eyes again, she, Bas and Albert had left the Bas House and were standing in a very different time and place.

  Captain Deatherage regretted not getting that drink. It was cold outside, and a drink would’ve warmed him from the inside, and settled his nerves.

  The King’s words echoed in his mind as he rode toward the edge of the land, where the REP rested beside the Atlantic Ocean. I’d rather think of you as an idiot, than a traitor.

  Was that really all the King ever thought of him as? An idiot? Though it shouldn’t surprise Deatherage that the King thought so. He often gave Deatherage disapproving glares, but objectively, Deatherage had seen the King give almost everyone that same glare. Except for one.

  It was rare when Bellator got that look of disapproval. Deatherage was a bit jealous of this, and it had motivated him to turn his partner in when he found her book on Alchemy two years ago. He wanted a chance to be the good one for a change, to show her what it was like to disappoint the King. It had worked, and for two years he had little competition with Bellator in prison. But he still never seemed to please the King. The King never once, in those two years, looked at him like he looked at her, with pride.

  It was said once that jealousy is a mocking green-eyed monster. But for Deatherage, jealousy was fuel to excel in his missions. And now he had the ultimate leverage. For the person he was to rendezvous with soon, in mere moments, would be a complete game changer for him. He was beyond excited for this opportunity. He even whistled a little tune, hoping the act of whistling would help warm him from within. He hated this time of year, when the threat of winter turning even colder was always upon them, and the sun went down so early.

  The uneven roads were rugged and the pavement broken up. The horse seemed to know to avoid potholes, but it was slowing them down. Deatherage didn’t wish to harm the horse, but he couldn’t afford to be late. If his guest went to anyone else beside him, his opportunity would be lost.

  It wasn’t exactly a direct route, from the Wise Oak Inn to the Gate of Raw Earth. The Wise Oak Inn was next to the King’s Castle, and the King’s Castle was what was historically known as Central Park of Manhattan. He’d seen photos of the historic New York City skyline, and now it was all but gone. Only five skyscrapers remained, and the old bridge that still connected over the Hudson River. Deatherage could make out that ancient statue, the Statue of Liberty, getting closer. Though the green statue was gritty with rust, she still stood tall and proud as ever.

  With all the air raids from the Queen’s Court over the years, Deatherage had always been surprised that the statue still stood. But as a general rule, historical landmarks were no longer targeted, not since the terrorists had been defeated a few hundred years ago. Both sides agreed it wasn’t the citizens they were fighting, but each other. However, the innocent bystanders were still affected negatively by the poor condition of the world.

  Riding along the pathway, Deatherage smiled as he saw another familiar, smaller statue. The Sphere, another memorial of that strange 9/11 historic event, was a bronze and black colored statue that looked like an upside down demented sphere. It was meant to symbolize world fair trade, but had been harmed from the debris of the attack.

  Deatherage wondered if he was going to be late. Perhaps it hadn’t been wise to stop at the Wise Oak Inn first, but he had to do what he could to please the King, and the King for whatever reason desired to know about Dark Alchemy. It was strange to Deatherage that he wished to know about such an awful art.

  While Deatherage might have been confused about why the King was interested in Dark Alchemy, there was one thing he was clear about: his rendezvous was going to be completely perfect, and his ticket for a big win with the King.

  The Sphere statue now far behind him, he made his way to the shore where the Gate of Raw Earth stood tall. He paused outside the gate. His only ticket had been sent via raven, and if the bird had done his job properly, then his princess would be here soon.

  Although Deatherage had designed this plan of seducing Princess Odette for political gain, he was genuinely excited to see her. He was getting very curious to see what Odette had looked like. It would be difficult to see as it was getting darker and darker, with the sun mostly set. Moonlight and the candle lantern he held in his hand would have to do.

  Getting her a ticket had been a great challenge. Deatherage hoped when he presented Princess Odette to the King, he would be so pleased to see his daughter again he’d not think to ask how she got there. Deatherage wondered if he could claim the Queen had given her a ticket.

  The land around him was open and flat, far enough from the King’s City to provide a good view of the stars on a clear night. The misty moonlight and clouds covering the sky were making that almost impossible tonight. The stillness, calming to some, put Deatherage on edge. His career was active, and this stillness felt like the eye of the storm.

  Deatherage tensed as he heard soft footsteps crunching twigs and leaves on the ground. He held his breath. What if somehow the King knew of his plan, and had sent a guard to stop him? His heart pounded at the thought. He’d be killed for treason.

  It wasn’t a guard. A fair blonde maiden wearing a black cape was coming from the shadows of the Gate of Raw Earth.

  Deatherage let out his breath. The cold air captured it, and for a moment refused to let it go.

  “Princess Odette?” he asked.

  “My Captain?” she responded, sounding shy.

  He let out another exhale of relief. It truly was her!

  Deatherage quickly dismounted his horse, ran to the princess and wrapped his arms round her. She jumped willingly into his arms and wrapped her legs around his torso for support. Without any need for words, his last letter having said it all, their lips met in a passionate kiss.

  Around them wind rustled t
he grass, owls hooted into the night, and crickets chirped, and for once in his life, Deatherage found the calm to be peaceful.

  Finally they broke the kiss to gaze at each other. His lips were hot from her touch. She pressed a small hand against his jaw.

  “I can’t believe it’s really you,” she whispered, her voice soft and angelic to his ears.

  He stared into her blue eyes, reminded of his King. These eyes were much kinder than their father’s. He ran a hand over her angora-soft blonde hair and pressed a finger gently to her smiling lips.

  “It’s really me,” said Deatherage with a deep and happy sigh. “Come, let us go to your father’s castle, I have arranged a guest room for you.”

  “Oh, my Captain!” she squealed. “You’re so thoughtful!”

  He pulled her into another kiss. Phase one of his plan had gone off without a hitch.

  Taking her hand in his, he squeezed it tight and led her to his horse.

  Mimi’s eyes were suddenly bombarded with gold. Gold was everywhere! Bas had said the island was made of gold, but she never dreamed it’d be so spectacular. Time travel may still confuse her, but it certainly had its perks. She couldn’t have imagined such a place.

  The island was only the size of a small city, suspended in the air. The city looked to be on top of a round golden platform. The three of them walked to the edge of the street, led by an excited Albert.

  Albert pressed a hand against the glass-like shield that covered the island in a giant bubble. Both siblings oohed and ahhed when the glass shimmered at Albert’s touch. It reminded Mimi of a force-field, like in the sci-fi movies their dad was obsessed with. Mimi considered taking a picture of it with her phone to show her father later, but then realized how difficult it would be to explain where they were without earning a trip to the nut house.

  The streets were paved with gold, like golden meadows. About a mile from where they landed were homes stacked low and flat, with the roof of the bottom house the patio for the house above it, like a giant apartment complex. The only skyscraper on the island Bas identified as a mall.

  “It’s a small town,” said Bas, “but it’s comfortable. Has a few shops, and everyone knows everybody. Like I said, it’s a small town. That force field helps protect it from the weather elements. They call it an island, but it’s an island that floats in the clouds. Overpopulation took over the Earth, and they had to start making islands everywhere around the year 2598 to make enough space for all of us humans. Some of the wealthy few got to live in stations on the Moon and on Mars, and that left floating islands for the less rich and famous.”

  “But why gold?” Albert asked.

  The time-traveler tapped his chin with the brass trumpet, clearly thinking. “Because it’s cool?”

  “Actually,” said a voice, “it’s to celebrate the breakthrough of Alchemy.”

  The three of them turned around.

  “Aimon! Son of a gun, how long were you standing there? How did you know we were here?” Bas asked. He gave his old friend a spirited hug, and Mimi stared as the time traveler made introductions.

  She may have sworn off boys after her failure to charm her crush Tucker back home, but she found herself drawn to the alchemist. He was the complete opposite of what she had been expecting, which was someone immature and annoying like Bas, and the stranger was cute.

  His hazelnut hair might have fluttered in the wind if not for the gel holding it in place. The hazelnut locks were trimmed over his ears, creating an almost preppy sort of look, like he belonged on Wall Street. He wore a white robe with a gold belt sashing it together. She gave him a shy smile, but Aimon didn’t seem to notice her.

  “Aimon!” a voice called from behind. Another boy around her age marched down the road toward them. “What’s going on?”

  Like Aimon, he wore a white and gold robe that reminded her of a church choir robe, though his belt was blue in color. He was also rather attractive. Mimi gave her head a mental shake. They had come here to find her a teacher of Alchemy.

  “Oh hi, Richie,” Aimon greeted him, looking like he had been caught. “These are my new friends. This is Richie Stiles. And this, this is Sebastian Barkley. You remember him, right?”

  “How can I forget? Your father curses his name even to this day.” His voice was soothing, and Mimi melted a bit inside.

  “I said it was an accident,” Bas muttered under his breath, looking offended.

  “Yes, well, let’s forget about that,” Aimon said with a weak smile and looked from Richie to Albert. “Richie, will you take this young man to my study? I need to have a word with these two.” He pointed to Mimi and Bas.

  Richie nodded. “Sure thing, Aimon. Don’t forget, dinner is soon.”

  Mimi frowned and started to follow, not wanting to leave her brother in the hands of a stranger. She lived in a stranger-danger generation. Bas gently grabbed her shoulder.

  “Your brother will be fine. We’ll only be a minute,” he assured her.

  Albert didn’t turn around, and Mimi watched him disappear, the goldenness of the city swallowing him whole.

  “What is it?” Mimi asked briskly, not liking being separated from her brother.

  “It’s, well, you,” Aimon said bluntly. The way he said it made her feel like an orphaned puppy that no one wanted to take home from the pet shop.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Well, it is,” Aimon said, his voice no longer hypnotic.

  Mimi folded her arms, suddenly no longer impressed by Mr. Hamilton. Her crush dissolved. They only met a second ago, and he was already sending her away? How rude!

  “What he means is what I’ve been worried about,” Bas said with a little more courtesy in his voice.

  “And what is that?”

  “That you’re not Prodigy material,” Aimon said in the most unimpressed voice she’d ever heard.

  Bas didn’t defend her this time. He shifted his red cowboy boots uncomfortably on the golden paved road.

  Mimi placed her hands on her hips. “And what exactly is Prodigy material?”

  “Someone who has potential to be a warrior of both the body and mind.”

  Mimi fumed. She wasn’t popular back home, but this was downright disrespectful. He didn’t know her at all.

  “I happened to have been chosen,” she shot back, suddenly proud instead of scared and confused.

  Aimon clearly was not used to having people talk back to him. He pushed up his golden glasses in disgust and walked right up to her. She gulped as his face came inches away from her own.

  “Because I am Aimon Hamilton. In my three years at my school I have seen nearly every student at Academy of Alchemy prepare, fight, triumph and fail. You resemble the students who fail. Students who focus on the mind more than the body. To be a true Brother or Sister of Alchemy, both mind and body need to be equal. It is pointless having a strong captain with a weak vessel. Your vessel is your body, and your captain is your mind. You have an intelligent captain, according to Bas, but I can see your vessel is weak and useless in combat. You can serve no purpose.” He held a hand up to Mimi to stop her from arguing. “I’m sorry, Bas, but you have made a mistake. After supper, I suggest this vilipend journey of yours come to a swift end.”

  “Yes, of course. I was wondering if my Diary was right in choosing her, this confirms that it was wrong,” Bas agreed.

  Mimi was crushed. “How can you just call someone worthless like that?” she asked Aimon, trying not to sound as hurt as she felt by his judgment.

  “As a Prodigy!” Aimon corrected. “Not as a human being. You’d make a fine…whatever it is you do back home. But I can’t foresee you being the Prodigy I asked for. I recommend you take her home, Bas. Find me another Prodigy.”

  “What were you saying about dinner?” Mimi asked Aimon, suddenly desperate to stall.

  “Yes, yes, right this way. Keep silent, though. My father doesn’t like unannounced visitors. Especially banished ones,” he said, looking at Bas.

 
“What did you do?” Mimi whispered to Bas when Aimon turned away.

  “Nothing.” whispered Bas to Mimi. It sounded like a heavy piece of nothing to her. They followed Aimon down the Main Street toward the Academy.

  MIND OVER matter. Mimi was determined to make the most of whatever time she had left. As they walked, she looked around with interest at the long street of shops.

  There were people leisurely strolling down the golden sidewalk. Some of the people were students, judging by the white robes they wore. It reminded her of a southern town, or at least how the movies depicted southern towns, as a friendly and slow-paced population. The only south Mimi had experienced was visiting her grandma in Orlando. But between the agreeable weather and the smiling faces in the streets, she felt like it must be the south. It was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of New York City.

  The older citizens didn’t wear robes, but suits and oriental dresses. Even those in less extravagant clothing looked happy. Mimi wondered if the town had any troubles, or if people truly were happy here.

  Her mind was distracted as she began to look in the windows of the shops they passed. The New Yorker in her loved window shopping. Mimi didn’t follow fashion, preferring to spend her money on books over clothes. Her friend Meredith always complained that was why she didn’t have a boyfriend, and she feared Mimi never would if she always spent her time reading instead of being social. As Mimi read the names of the shops, she thought back to her friend, and knew Meredith would kill to be there experiencing fashion from the future.

  The shops were all different shades of gold. There was a general store, a doctor’s office, a couple of retail clothing shops, a bookstore, and a café with a sign that read “Students! Get an A and get a free ice cream sundae!” outside. Next to the café was a police station that extended to the other end of the block. That quickly, they reached the end of the street and the end of the town.

  The Academy of Alchemy came into full view once they had hiked up a steep, golden paved hill. The Academy was even more breathtaking up close, as wide as an entire block in New York City, but on the shorter scale of only two floors. The outside of the building was a mix of bright gold and copper gold, and the detail were incredible, with crown molding, Roman style columns, and an enormous gold fountain. The fountain had a giant globe spinning slowly in the center, with liquid gold spitting from the top of the Earth. Engraved in Latin around its base were the words: “Ubi ibi est aurum, ibi est spero.”