Next day


"Hi, Gox."

"Hey."

"Taken a stroll around the house?"

"Yeah."

"Where ya going now?"

"I'm gonna try the stairs."

"Think you can do it?"

"Once I get the distance of each step it should be easy, it's the getting down part I'm worried about."

"Well, upstairs is where I'm going if you need help."

"Thanks."

Brody hurried up the stairs holding a medium sized wooden chest on his head. In the day and a half Goxlin had been using the Echo he'd been able to get around the lower story with only someone watching him to make sure he didn't run into anything. He said that he couldn't understand the details of objects but he could get a basic idea where an object was and its estimated size.

He was about to open a door to the room he was going to enter but it opened before he could get a hand on the knob.

"OH! Brody, need help with that?"

"Um, no, Ren. Want to help me sort this stuff?"

"Why not? What kind of stuff?"

"Just some old things. Lets go in here."

Ren closed the door behind them and sat on the floor with Brody. The chest was full of interesting (and some not so interesting) trinkets, a couple bits of old jewelry, a thick-banded wristwatch, some children's books, a heart shaped locket, a few photos in rusted frames and something that really captured Rens' attention.

On a rusted chain a gold pendant hung, it looked like a pocket watch but who wears a pocket watch around your neck? A small clasp held it shut, Ren twisted it and the pendant popped open. Inside was a large, beautiful sapphire blue gemstone. It sparkled as though full of stars and the tiniest flicker of light danced off its many cut faces. On the top half a very detailed transmutation circle glowed a faint neon blue. This didn't interest Ren much; his eyes had become the size of half dollars staring at the gorgeous jewel.

"Ah, I see you've found Chanty's Gem."

"This is his?" Ren squeaked.

"Yep."

"Where on this side of heaven did he find this?"

"He didn't find it-it was given to him."

"By whom?"

"Our Uncle. Not long after Chanty became a chimera our uncle Steve came through town and gave that Gem to him. He said he didn't need it and wanted Chanty to have it in hopes it would make him feel better. Oh boy did that work, both Brother and I think he was a crow in some past life cause he really loves things that sparkle. It wasn't long after that mom and dad passed away and our town was destroyed. There used to be two chests but we sold most of what was in that one in order to keep ourselves afloat for as long as possible."

"I'm really sorry to hear that, really."

"Hey, you couldn't have done anything and we've gotten along just fine."

"So, um, what's with the circle inside this thing?"

"That my friend is the reason Chanty can perform alchemy so well."

"But how can he use this to do alchemy if it's been in this box?"

"Easy, if you look on his right hand there's a small scar that looks just like that circle on his middle finger."

"How'd that happen?"

"Nobody knows. He just touched it one time and the mark just burned into his skin. If you ever see him use alchemy he always touches whatever he's going to transmute with that finger to instantly make a circle. But each new circle is a little bit different depending on what it's being used for."

"Does each one glow like that?"

"Yep. And it's all because of that gem."

"I thought you said it was from the circle."

"No matter how many times you turn it around you will still end up with the gem being the source of his alchemy abilities."

"Now I'm confused."

"Ok I said after he touched the circle in the pendant he as able to use alchemy because of it…but the gem is where the circle in the pendant gets its power. We know this because the day that happened the stone lost some of its shine. The more he uses it the dimmer it gets."

Ren looked at the precious jewel that glowed with the radiance of heaven thinking how can this thing have been any more beautiful than it already is.

"So I'm assuming it still has a lot of power still packed away in it somewhere?"

"Oh sure. I'm just wondering when he'll take a bit more of it."

"That's possible?"

"Yeah. All he's gotta do is concentrate on its power while touching it and some of its energy is passed to him. Each time his alchemy abilities increase in strength and he gains more knowledge about how to use it."

"Sweet. Any chance anyone else could try that, hmm?"

"Unfortunately no. I know this because we've tried."

"Why doesn't he just use it all at once?"

"Well…" Brody hesitated. "Even though he's never said it I think he's afraid if he doesn't take it slow all the new power will somehow change him. Make him lose interest in things he's always treasured, grow arrogant with new abilities that no one else has ever dared to try or dreamed of being possible. I don't think that would happen but better to be safe than sorry."

Ren found all this quite interesting and was about to ask another question but a ear piercing scream came from somewhere down the hall.

Both of them dropped what they had and bolted out the door to see what happened.

At the end of the hallway Gox stood in front of a door looking totally terrified.

"Goxlin what happened?"

Clen and Lame came up the stairs but Lame tripped before he reached the top.

"Who screamed and why?"

"Was that Annie?"

"Gox, what happened to you?"

"I-I-I---"

"You what?" Ren encouraged.

"I-I, Oh God I'm so glad I can't see!"

"Oh boy, what'd ya do?" Lame asked, elbows on the top step.

"I swear I didn't mean to! I was just investigating the upstairs and it's rooms, I had no idea she was in there!"

"She?"

……

……

After the longest time the boys figured out what he meant.

"You didn't walk in on Annie did you?"

"(gulp) Yeah."

"You peeping Tom!" Clen knocked him over the head.

"What was that for! I'm kinda beyond the point of peeping!"

Brody was now witnessing how fast you can go from genius to idiot in about three seconds. A woman could strip in front of Gox in broad daylight and he'd never be the wiser. But what was really sad is nobody else thought of that immediately.


Chibi me – ya know I wouldn't mind having one of those gems. Now you know what do get me for my birthday!

Me – not a chance.

Chibi me – (cries)

Me – I'm not buying it. Even if I were buying it I'd be buying it for myself.

Chibi me- That was a really bad play on words

Me – (ignores) Well now we know where the Dawn got his cool alchemy powers but is that all to the story or is there something else? Too bad I have to make you wait.