Alchimia Rex

Talking with Dia about basic biology and medicine had made the day quite enjoyable. As it turned out, spells were just about the main drivers of understanding when it came to healing. At its most basic, diagnostic spells allowed them to quickly assess the presence of certain illnesses within a patient or the environment. Their understanding of microbes and viruses came from having maidens who could quite literally see them when they focused enough. Yet at the same time, their knowledge on the subject was full of holes. Maidens capable of manipulating germs were few and far between, so what was known depended entirely on the subject the maiden focused on.

Rick guessed this was one of the problems of having highly capable tools but a very small population of scientists. Meanwhile, Rick’s own world had such a large brain-pool of available talent that all easy avenues of research were well-trodden by now.

It was quite enjoyable, if a bit awkward, to have Dia drill him about stem cells for two hours, but she was clearly enraptured by the concept. By the time either of them realized how long they'd been at it, the sun had moved well past noon, and both of them had duties to attend to.

Dia, ever the maiden, insisted on accompanying him to his lab and dropping him off.

“By the way, Eva and Monica came back from their hunting trip.” She pecked his cheek. “And there’s this very strange news that Eva's ascended into a Vampire while she was out and about.”

“Huh, good for her,” he said, not bothering to hide the monotone. “I wonder what pushed her in that direction.”

She gave him a flat look. “I will be roasting her over a pit fire until she spills the details.” Hands on her hips, she arched her eyebrows, waiting for his answer.

Rick chuckled. “You got me. I made love to her so well that it caused her to ascend.”

After the festival, she’d practically locked herself in Thorley’s former castle, barely going out until the transformation into a Vampire had finished. And at that point she begged Monica to go out on an extended week-long ‘hunt,’ something the feline had been enthusiastic about. The plan was mostly Eva’s, though Rick had agreed because Monica was in need of a pick-me-up; her injuries had left her sullen and irritable with nothing being able to cheer her up.

Still, it would’ve been dumb to believe Dia wouldn’t see through the attempted ruse the instant she found out Eva had become a Vampire.

Dia narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing his amused smirk for several long moments before letting out a dejected sigh. “Fine, seems I won’t be getting the answers out of you.”

“Are you hung up about this?”

“I want to ascend. There are things I want to do that I can’t do as I am right now.” She glanced off into the distance. “I’m not even sure if it’s possible. Every record I find categorizes Raphas in the same area as Mimicas and Kanggals, a breed with no path to be traveled. The only hint I found about the possibility came from… the monster. She could’ve been saying it to mess with me, but…”

She looked exhausted as she spoke, her shoulders slumping and fidgeting with her dress. Rick watched her for a moment, pulling her close to peck her forehead. “When you interrogate Eva, tell her I want her to help you. I don’t know how useful what she knows might be, but I’m sure that if there is a way, you’ll find it.”

The maiden nodded with visible relief, pulling him into a quick kiss before running off. He watched her go with some amusement. A part of him wished to be there when the inevitable conversation went down. Then again, he was also sure he’d find out about it if or when Dia suddenly jumped his bones and dragged him to the nearest available stable surface.

There was something emboldening about the whole thing. Rick was only thirty, but thinking about that night with Eva made him feel like a teenager in all the good, non-awkward ways.

He stepped into the large building that was his “lab” and glanced at the dial near the entrance. It was a simple thing, with the ‘1’ at the top, and going all the way up to 6 at regular intervals. There was only one manually-operated hand, which was currently pointed between the two and three marks.

Rick stared at the dial and chuckled in amusement. People in this world had the concept of hours and minutes, but the one measure they used to divide the day was the “naps” Mousegirls took. It was apparently quite precise; the little maiden’s cycle was spread out in six hour-long naps that allowed them to remain awake throughout the day.

With the clock leaning closer to the third nap, it meant the night shift would be on their way soon.

“Code?” The Orc and the Mousegirl flanking the entrance doors stared at him with a cocksure smirk.

“I like apple pie,” he said, tapping his foot twice as he waited.

It was a rudimentary code. The number of times he tapped his foot needed to match the time of day, the length of his statement needed to be twice that, and he needed to state the last fruit he ate. Because apparently Mousegirls had a really good sense of smell. The whole point of the nonsense was to at least pretend there was some semblance of security. Rick wasn’t too sure about how “safe” it actually was when there were maidens out there that could read minds or create illusions, but it was something at least.

Cleared out and allowed to progress inside, he took the stairs and went to his office, greeting a handful of maidens along the way. There wasn’t any safety gear or uniform; the only commonality they shared was the purple cloth wrapped around either their arms or their necks.

Rick’s office was at the very top, though tucked away from sight, easily mistaken for any other office room in the building. Inside, however, it wasn’t the typical empty area yet to find a use. The room had been intended as a comfortable place. A lounge chair (he needed to commission wheels on chairs), a desk, a bookshelf, and a coffee table on one end with a sofa at the opposite side of the room. Everything was made out of wood since that was the easiest available material on short notice.

The whole place looked like a disaster zone, where a tornado had rushed in to dump stacks of books, papers, parchments, and scrolls all over.

Basically, it was a home away from home.

Rick stopped in front of the desk, sifting in search for the magestone before activating it. With a quick toss up to the roof, the stone affixed itself in place and bathed the area in its pale blue light. He would’ve preferred to have a window, but the walls were flimsy, and any outside observer could potentially just bull-rush through to get to him. It would have to wait until they had a proper fortified structure in place.

Also, glass was apparently a tempting target for robberies. Some fire-wielding maiden could just up and cut the glass from the frame and sell it for a pretty penny.

Rick sat down on his mostly-comfy chair, and began to put some order to the chaos on his desk. Most of the work was separating reports from plans and proposals. Rafaella had been hard at work drawing designs for potential engines. Rick didn’t understand even half of them since they didn’t operate using actual flammable/explosive chemicals to run. That said, they also appeared entirely impossible to create, as they’d require elemental stones the size of Rick’s head. The notes pointed out that such an item on its own would cost more than a small castle.

This much was to be expected. The Metalmouse had a hyperenergetic streak to her madness, one which Rick planned to let run amok for the time being. The goal was to aim for the stars, see what insane designs she could come up with, and then use the insights from those to figure out actionable steps that didn’t cost the whole city’s gold reserve.

It was an impossible goal: to have a functioning jet-engine airplane within the next decade.

There was a staggering number of necessary technologies to make this dream a reality. A lot of them were faced with normal problems, like how to make fuel. Others were no less important, but ones that Rick couldn’t readily answer: how would you fight against an airborne maiden with this? Lots and lots of brainstorming and redesigns and reviews.

Putting aside the theoretical stuff, he checked over the reports and production logs. It was the aspect of his work he loathed the most, but that was also necessary. If or when something eventually went wrong, being able to trace back to the source of the decision that led there could prove crucial. Especially when said potential mistake involved explosive materials. Rick hoped it never came to that, but too much of their work was based on poorly-remembered specifics from his own world.

Tomorrow, every worker in the lab was scheduled to meet and brainstorm ways to make their work safer. He’d need to review those proposals too, and compare them to the proposals from the previous week.

Fortunately, there was solace from this administrative hell. Tucked in a little drawer was a notebook that contained Rick’s chemistry work. It was a list of every substance, formula, and process he could remember, followed by every scrap of math he could think of to double and triple-check it all. The whole thing was written in code, mostly at Eva’s insistence that no one should ever be allowed access to the information therein.

There was a soft knock at the door.

“Speak of the devil…” Rick muttered under his breath. The bond allowed him to sense that it was Eva on the other side, and she had quite a bit of apprehension and anticipation about her. “Come in.”

The door didn’t open; instead, Eva emerged from the shadows in front of it. He took a moment to take in the sight of her, trying not to make it too obvious that he was staring.

She’d changed.

There was the physical aspect of it; she was slightly taller now, her skin had lost some of its paleness, her ears had become slightly more rounded, and her face now had sharper edges. Eva looked closer to a human, but in a way that was decidedly not human. Her eyes were slightly too large, the angles of her cheeks and face slightly too sharp, her smile slightly too wide. Fledgling Eva had appeared closer to a cosplay involving pale makeup and contact lenses. Vampire Eva teetered at the edge of the uncanny in a hauntingly beautiful way.

This Eva wore tight black pants that made her legs appear longer and her thighs more prominent. By contrast, the white chemise was humble and airy, baggy over her lithe frame in a way that left many things to the imagination. The one teasing feature of her shirt was the low cut at her neck, exposing just enough of her bare throat and clavicles, hinting that there was nothing but skin under the white cloth. It added a touch that made her almost androgynous if not for her long black hair being braided into a conspicuously familiar purple cloth.

Despite the physical changes, what stood out the most to Rick was how she held herself. Her ruby stare made clear that his attempt to not be obvious had failed. Her cheeks gained a hint of color as she didn’t move a single step, standing a little straighter, raising her chin just an inch, biting her lip.

Evangeline wanted him to look.

“Good to have you back.” Rick’s words broke the spell.

Eva gave a slight nod, satisfied with his greeting and stepping closer. There was something almost regal about the way she moved, approaching the desk with a self-assurance that she’d sorely lacked until now.

“I brought you tea, my Lord.” The way Eva spoke those last two words made a shiver run down his spine. Rick hadn’t even noticed her holding the porcelain mug until she’d circled to the side of the desk and placed it in front of him.

“Thanks.”

As he reached out to grasp the mug, her touch lingered against his fingers. She became still again, observing him with hawkish focus, seemingly in search of something in his eyes. Yet the longer she stared, the longer her soft, thin fingers remained in place, the redder her face was becoming.

“Are you…?”

When he spoke, she leaned closer, stealing a kiss. Eva shuddered, biting his lower lip lightly before leaning away. “You were with Dia earlier,” she whispered with half-lidded eyes, her tone carrying the inflection of mere observation.

Eva vanished into a black mist.

Rick nearly dropped the mug as she reformed on the sofa. “That’s new,” he steadied his grip and leaned back a little, watching her more carefully.

“One of several things.” She tried to play it cool, mimicking his relaxed pose, but her face was still bright red. “Is the tea good, my Lord?”

Now that she repeated the title, Rick idly wondered when she’d stop playing with the word like she was savoring some sort of piece of candy. There was something affectionate about the way she said it, and he suspected she wanted to get him used to it. He wasn’t entirely sure whether to feel bothered that it was working.

Turning his attention to the mug, he gave it a sniff. He couldn’t place the smell, but there was something fruity. The flavor was equally unfamiliar; it made him think of some mix between apple cider and chamomile. It was slightly sweet, but it blended well. “Where did you get this? It’s good.”

“I found some of the herbs during the hunt; their scent reminded me of you.” She very slowly and conspicuously crossed her legs. Normally it would’ve been impossible to tell from the distance where exactly she was looking, but Rick could feel her focus dancing over his lips. “There’s an Evergarden who lives near the gate, she was more than happy to share the rest.”

“Happy?” Rick arched a brow.

“Happy, hurried, terrified…” Eva shrugged, turning away, a finger caressing her rosy lips. “I thought it prudent to spread the word that I became a Vampire, and this was the quickest way that let me be here undisturbed.”

He frowned now. “Are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” She cocked her head slightly, giving him a confused look.

“Just checking.” He took another sip from the beverage. “Lots of things have happened, and I’m guessing you’re… figuring things out?”

Eva stiffened for a moment, rubbed her cheek, and looked down. “Is there… something you don’t like?” Something about the earnest way she asked the question made Rick feel a twinge of concern.

Wordlessly, he stood up and marched over to the sofa, taking up the unoccupied spot and making some room on the coffee table for the mug. There, he turned to Eva, who was now a shade redder and staring directly at her knees. Whatever confidence she’d been carrying, it had likely evaporated, evidenced by her blush.

“Could you elaborate?” he asked, placing his hand atop hers.

The maiden took a moment to glance his way, opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. She quickly turned towards the mug, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. For a moment, Rick suspected that she was trying to find the right words.

Then a rush of nervousness swept over him, a fluttering of butterflies in his stomach, a burning sensation on his face, and an overwhelming fear that a wrong move could bring everything crashing down.

The emotions were gone as quickly as they’d come, leaving Rick blinking rapidly and trying to piece together what had just happened. “You… that was the bond. That was you.”

Eva nodded quickly, not looking away from where his hand held her own.

Setting aside concerns of potential ways someone could weaponize this against him, Rick took a moment to do a quick review of the encounter so far. Her clothes were clean, and there was a floral scent of soap. Her hair had been carefully woven with purple cloth. Her face had a hint of makeup. She’d moved across the room as if she’d rehearsed it.

“You didn’t get back to Sinco today, did you?”

She shook her head. “Monica was carrying the bulk of things. She got back today.”

How to phrase this… Rick reached out, scooping her off of the seat and pulling her onto his lap. Eva let out a squeak before quickly wrapping her arms around his neck as if afraid that a fall might actually hurt her. This close to her, he could feel her body was slightly cooler than his own, refreshing in a way.

“Does this answer your earlier question?”

Eva turned to look into his eyes. “Yes.”

She dove forward. This time her arms wrapped around his head, her fingers digging into his hair. Her tongue forced its way past his lips, tasting everything all the way to his molars. She breathed in sharply, pushing her body against his, pressing harder as if she wanted her shirt to vanish out of discomfort.

“I can smell you.” She pulled away, staring into his eyes. “I can hear you, I can see you.” Eva leaned closer, inhaling him. “There’s so much more I can sense now. Everything is so… alive, vibrant, beautiful.” She cupped his cheeks. “You’re beautiful. Like a flower, so delicate, yet so…”

“Uhm… Eva?”

Blinking rapidly, she froze again, vanishing into mist and reappearing next to his desk. The maiden rubbed her reddened cheeks. “It’s… going to take a while to get used to this.”

“Not to sound like I’m repeating myself, but are you alright?” He asked, trying to ignore how his own cheeks were warm.

The Vampire made a point to look away. “Everything is so much sharper now.” Eva closed her eyes and inhaled. “You met with the Malumari today. I can smell that she was on you, angry. There are still traces of your adrenaline, there’s a violent smell on you. I should’ve been there, whatever it was that happened.” She turned to look at him. “From here, I can probably count your eyelashes if you close your eyes.”

“That’s… wow.” He blinked quickly. “Nothing uncomfortable?”

“No, no, not that I’ve encountered thus far. This…” Eva shuddered, smiling slightly. “The senses aren’t even half of it.” She made a wave of her hand, and the magelight died, plunging the room into darkness. “I couldn’t disrupt that before, now it barely took a thought. I can feel power flowing through me.”

A flicker of red disrupted the black that surrounded him. Rick focused on the speck of light.

Her voice lowered to a whisper. “It’s literally in my veins.” The light moved in a circle, leaving a trail of glowing light—a bloody halo. “This isn’t even a spell, it’s just saturated blood.”

The halo floated over Eva’s palm. She moved to raise her hand and leave the disk floating in the center of the room. The maiden vanished into mist again, this time reforming right in front of him. Bathed in the red light, she looked down at him with a predatory focus.

“It’s impressive.” He commented, leaning back against the sofa, even though his heart was hammering now. “I’m happy you’re enjoying the change. Seems it was the right choice.”

"It’s thanks to you that it was possible." She straddled his hips, swaying a little. "You gave me this."

He held her thin shoulders to keep her in place. "You seem drunk."

"I am," Eva gave him a dopey grin that looked only slightly terrifying when she flashed her fangs. "I’ve read that ascensions involving powerful emotions leave a strong impression. I can just close my eyes, breathe in, and I’m right back to that night." Her hands idly caressed his chest. "I can almost feel your body against mine as we danced… how that damn skirt barely covered anything… the way the net bit into my skin… your large, warm hands…"

She reached out to grab his wrists and pulled them against her chest.

"Evangeline," Rick spoke a bit more firmly now. "Are you sure this is safe? You told me to be wary."

The red light died out, and the room was back to total darkness. Eva shuddered a little. "No, you’re right." Her voice was heavy with resignation as she pulled his hands away from her breasts, moving them down to her hips. "If my power flares out, it would likely hurt you." The vampire let out a sigh. "But… I’m glad you still want me."

"Sense of smell again?"

She wiggled her hips against his own. "You’re poking me."

"And what a glorious poke that would be," he hefted her off of his lap, surprised at how light she felt as he blindly maneuvered her to sit next to him. "Let’s just calm down a bit."

There was a prolonged silence after his declaration. Though the room was absolutely black and he couldn’t see his own hand in front of his face, he could feel her eyes staring at him blankly.

"What?"

"No, nothing," Eva’s voice carried a certain hesitation. "It’s just… this reminded me of something."

"Hm?"

"When I… before." Her tone strained a bit. "I had servants."

Rick raised a brow. "Yeah?"

"And if I was… worked up, they would sometimes offer… aid. Of the more unilateral variety."

"And…?"

Eva didn’t answer for a moment. "Looking back, the act always felt… cold. It was a chore to be dealt with." Her hand fell on his shoulder. "I don’t want you to feel that way."

He nodded, smiling slightly. "I appreciate the sentiment."

"It’s not that I don’t want to," she hurried to say. "It’s just that… I don’t think I’d enjoy it."

"No worries."

"The thought of using my mouth…" She shuddered.

Rick frowned. "Like I said, no worries."

"I mean at all. It’s just so… I don’t understand why someone would enjoy that."

"Got it. Loud and clear," he growled.

"I don’t mind some forms of poking, just not the sort that requires me to get a closer look at your poke-stick. Not that it’s not an impressive one, just, you know."

He gave her a deadpan stare, or at least he hoped he was looking in the right direction. "You done?"

"Yes." The mirth was thick in her voice. "I think I got what I came for tonight. I need to put some practice into making myself safe again." She leaned closer, licking his neck, whispering into his ear. "Either that, or I'll have to figure out how to keep you from getting elemental poisoning every time you pin me down, my Lord."

The next moment, she was gone.

The magelight flickered back on, the blue light returning the room to normalcy, revealing the absolute absence of the Vampire.

"I know you’re blushing!" he screamed out to the corridor, sensing her relative location on the other side of the door.

There was no answer, only her closing off the bond and no doubt making a rushed escape before her head caught fire. Meanwhile, Rick wondered what he’d done with his life to get him to where he was now, sitting alone, hot and bothered, while simultaneously being in multiple serious relationships.

"Guess I’ll go find Monica."

He downed the lukewarm mug of tea, gave his work a final check, and headed out. There was this mild sense of lingering frustration from the bond, and he didn't want to leave the three-meter tall "most powerful warrior in the city" brooding.