No such thing as a Philosopher’s Stone
INT. ALCHEMY LAB/WORKSHOP, DAY. ITALY, RENAISSANCE ERA.
Glass-doored shelving units and wooden workbenches line the large room, and a large magic circle- like design is painted onto the center of the floor. Most of the shelves are messy and disorganized, lined with jars and bottles and random equipment. The only one not in chaos holds several bottles of glowing cyan liquid.
ALISTERA, late-20's, stands working with some sort of strange device, the same blue liquid dripping from it and into a beaker. NICOLAS, 15, is searching for something on a shelf.
NICOLAS (V.O)
The end of my apprenticeship to Alistera Teluure, a master alchemist,
came rather abruptly. The day started like most did- with me searching
for something my teacher had misplaced.
Nicolas shifts through the shelves for a few seconds longer
before speaking.
NICOLAS
Master, do you know where the half-unit weight for the scales went? I
can't seem to locate it.
ALISTERA
Shelf 3-C, between the Philosopher's stone and the recipe for transmuting
lead into gold.
Nicolas rolls his eyes.
NICOLAS
So it doesn't exist, or should I check behind the unicorn horn?
ALISTERA
What do you think? There should be a two-and-a-half unit weight in there,
though. It will take some basic math and a few other weights, but you can
still measure a half-unit of material.
Alistera turns around to look at Nicolas, who tilts his head and walks back to one of the workbenches. Not long after, he begins searching the cabinets again.
NICOLAS
Master, do you know where the two-unit weight went?
Alistera laughs. At the same time, a knock is heard from the front door. Nicolas leaves the room, and comes back a moment later with a plain envelope in hand. Alistera resumes working while he's gone.
ALISTERA
That was rather quick. Who was it?
NICOLAS
A courier. There's a letter here for you, though it doesn't say who it's from.
Nicolas walks over and hands the envelope to Alistera, then returns to his search through the shelf. Meanwhile, Alistera opens the letter, skims over it, and frowns.
ALISTERA
Nikki?
Nicolas looks annoyed at the nickname as he turns around again. Alistera has a worried smile on her face.
ALISTERA
I need to go take care of this. Why don't we end the lessons here, and you
go take the rest of the day off?
NICOLAS
(mutters) Not again...
ALISTERA
You should spend some time with your sister. The sky will be clear tonight-
why don't you take her stargazing again?
Nicolas sighs and closes the cabinet.
NICOLAS
Alright. Just let me clean up and-
ALISTERA
Don't worry about any of that that. Come along and I'll walk you to the door.
Alistera walks towards the hallway leading out of the workshop, and Nicolas reluctantly follows.
EXT. STREETS- RENAISSANCE ITALY- LATE EVENING
Nicolas runs down the empty brick streets of late-renaissance Italy, nimbly avoiding the few people out and about.
NICOLAS (V.O)
None of that morning's events were all that unusual. My teacher's paranoia
knows no bounds, and this wasn't the first time she'd shoved me out the
door. Normally, it wouldn't have been the last either.
Nicolas skids around a corner, down an empty side street and keeps going.
NICOLAS (V.O)
My little sister, on the other hand, was excited- she always has loved
stargazing. The only problem was that in my rush to leave, I'd left my
telescope in the workshop. Again. So, that evening I went to retrieve it-
which was hopefully enough time to satisfy master's worries.
Nicolas turns into a courtyard and approaches a heavy wooden door, taking a key from his pocket. However, the door is already open when he reaches for the handle. He frowns and opens it.
INT. WORKSHOP - SITTING ROOM LATE EVENING
The door has several bolts and locks in place, all of them unlocked. Nicolas opens the door and reaches for a leather case leaning against the wall next to the door frame, but
stops short. He sniffs a few times and wrinkles his nose.
NICOLAS
What on earth is that smell...? Did a burner get left on again?
He walks in, looking around before going down the dark hallway across from the door, looking confused.
INT. WORKSHOP- ALCHEMY LAB. DUSK
Nicolas walks into the large room, checking the strange alchemy equipment near the door. None of it is currently active. Light is cast in from a few windows set high in the
stone walls. He then turns his gaze to the rest of the room and freezes in place, his eyes wide.
NICOLAS
No...
ALISTERA SITS LIMP AGAINST THE FAR WALL CENTERED IN A BEAM OF LIGHT, HER VIOLET EYES WIDE OPEN. AN ORNATE SWORD HAS BEEN RUN THROUGH HER CHEST. BLOOD IS SPLATTERED AGAINST THE WALL BEHIND HER, AND SOME HAS DRIPPED ONTO THE FLOOR.
Nicolas quickly begins to cross the room, his eyes never leaving the corpse, and kneels down in front of her. Though it's clear she's dead, he puts his fingers to her neck,
checking her pulse. His shoulders slump a moment later, and he slowly closes her eyes.
NICOLAS
(quietly) Rest in peace, Master... no, Alistera. You were the best teacher
anyone could hope for...
Nicolas stays there for a few seconds more, eyes closed, then opens them and stands. A few tears run down his cheeks.
NICOLAS
(quietly) I-i should... go find help...
He begins walking towards the door, but stops short, frowns, and changes course to one of the large wooden glass-doored cabinets along the wall. While most of the shelves are
crammed with jars and bottles containing a wide variety of substances, one shelf is now completely empty except for an envelope, a small bottle of glowing cyan liquid, and a tiny metallic weight. Nicolas unlocks the cabinet and picks up the bottle and the envelope, which is addressed to him. He opens the letter as he walks to the writing desk nearby.
ALISTERA (V.O.)
Dear Nikki, I've moved the Elixer somewhere safe, but this last vial is for you. Do what you will with it, but you know the rule- keep it out of the public eye.
That being said, you're capable of doing incredible things with it, so I hope that someday you'll find a reason to break that rule.
Nicolas sets the bottle on the desk, pulls a tall stool out from under thee desk, and sits down. His eyes never leave the page in his hand.
ALISTERA (V.O.)
I've arranged for another former student of mine to take over the workshop. He has agreed to continue your training and look after you and your sister, should you choose to continue along this path. I know this is all so sudden, and that you must have questions about my death- but it's safer if you don't pursue those answers. Goodbye, Nicolas. Stay out of trouble.
Sincerely, Alistera Teluure
Nicolas wipes away another tear, smiling as he folds up and pockets the letter. He stands up and reaches for the bottle, which had been set on an envelope- the same envelope from that morning. Nicolas stares at it for a moment, his smile fading, then takes a piece of paper from the envelope.
TORRIAN (V.O.)
Dear Alistera,
I've had enough of your games. Time's running out, and yet you continue to
stall. I know it's been completed for at least a century, perhaps more- and
it's time for you to deliver. Fail to do so, and both you and your little students will unfortunately need to be punished.
Instead of a signature, an odd triangular emblem has been burned into the stationary.
NICOLAS
That's...
EXT COURTYARD DAY (FLASHBACK)
Nicolas and Alistera sit outside in the courtyard by the workshop door. Plates sit next to them, both empty, and Nicolas is eating the last of a piece of bread.
NICOLAS (V.O)
I remember that mark.
Nicolas draws the triangular symbol in the dirt, and Alistera scowls. She looks around, then quickly erases the lines with her foot.
NICOLAS (V.O)
I asked about it once, and got an odd response. While my teacher usually
believes in long explanations to dispel the curiosity that comes with
dangerous topics, all I could get out of her this time was a strong warning
to forget I'd ever seen it.
INT. WORKSHOP- ALCHEMY LAB. NIGHT
Nicolas is still sitting at the desk, staring at the letter. the light of sunset has been replaced with moonlight.
NICOLAS (V.O)
That warning struck me as little more than paranoia back then. But in that
moment, sitting next to her corpse, her paranoia suddenly seemed too valid
to ignore.
Nicolas carefully places the letter back in its envelope and leaves it on the desk. He picks up the bottle, and quickly leaves the workshop, passing Alistera's body as he goes.
NICOLAS (V.O)
I didn't give any thought at the time to where the Elixer was hidden, or how
my 20-something teacher could have finished something a century ago, or
even little details like the half-unit weight on the shelf.
INT. WORKSHOP - SITTING ROOM NIGHT
Nicolas takes the spyglass case from beside the door and leaves quickly.
NICOLAS (V.O)
No, the only thought on my mind was of my sister's safety- and that lasted
until long after it was too late to turn back to the promise of the extraordinary.
INT. WORKSHOP- ALCHEMY LAB. NIGHT
Alistera's corpse is still sitting against the wall. The door is heard clicking shut.
NICOLAS (V.O)
There was one odd fact that I didn't learn until years later- Alistera's
body disappeared after I left the workshop, as if she'd simply gotten up
and walked away.
Alistera's hand twitches, and then her face twists in pain.
ALISTERA
Damn it all...
Alistera pulls the blade from her chest, then tosses it away from her. She then relaxes again, breathing heavily with her eyes closed.
TORRIAN
That was quite the show you put on. A bit excessive, but you always have had
a taste for the dramatic. Though I must ask, was framing me for your
'death' truly necessary?
ALISTERA
Dramatic? I'm not the one still lurking in the shadows, Brother. Your
sinister act is far worse than anything I'm guilty of.
Alistera opens one eye and smirks.
ALISTERA
Too much longer and he'd start to notice how I don't age, and besides-
framing you means he'll be too wary to be of use in whatever scheme you had
in mind for him.
Moving slowly, Alistera takes a glass vial of bright blue liquid from a pouch at her side, uncorks it, and swallows its contents in one gulp. The color begins to return to her pale
cheeks.
ALISTERA
Ah... That being said,I do appreciate you not slaying the boy on the spot.
He's a cautious one, so he won't be nosing around anytime soon.
TORRIAN, 30s, walks into the moonlight, a calm, though unamused, expression on his face. His eyes are the same violet hue Alistera's are, and on the back of his left glove
is the same triangular mark that was on the letter.
TORRIAN
Come now, I'm not the uncivilized brute you seem so convinced I am.
You've achieved something truly great-the least I can do in return is allow
your ignorant apprentice walk away-useful or not.
Though if your assessment of him proves incorrect, he will need to be dealt with.
Alistera glares at him. Torrian's expression remains neutral.
TORRIAN
Now then, I do believe you owe me something- and you know full well I'm
not talking about something as trivial as Elixer. Where is the stone, Alistera?
Bio:
Olivia Zuern is a game designer, artist, programmer, writer, dreamer, and geek extraordinaire. Her inspiration comes from a wide variety of sources, and while she tends towards cheerful tales of myth and magic, she has become madly obsessed with Lovecraft’s terrifying tales in recent years. However, regardless of whether the idea sprang from pixie dust or eldritch mystery goo, her reasons for creating are always the same- to inspire, and to push herself a bit further than ever before.
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