Chapter 24 – The Giant Crab In The Room
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Previously on The Forgiven: Grimm, Liar, and Norse find the home of the famous Life Alchemist: Nicholas Flamel, in the form of a Giant Hermit Crab.
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"…..What am I looking at?"
"That….would be a giant Hermit Crab, boss."
"Alright. Just making sure I wasn't seeing things."
Shortly after joining up with Norse, the three Forgiven stared blankly at the humongous moving red crustacean pedaling itself down the river. Perched on its back was a black, one story high, stone house in place of its shell.
"That's a very unique house, and a very unique horse to go along with it. See, this is why I stress the importance of having an animal companion."
"Again with the pet thing," Grimm groaned. "But the more I look at it, the more I'm not too sure it's a pet."
One of Liar's brows perked up.
"Wait! Are you suggesting—!"
"He is also an unregistered Animagus?"
"It's got a beard. Crab's normally don't have beards."
They all squinted their eyes and saw that the Hermit Crab indeed possessed a long white beard that trailed in the water below it. As if sensing the presence of the Forgiven, the crustacean made a quick about face.
When it turned around, it saw only a lizard, a fox, and a penguin, gazing at it. The crab had seen stranger things in the forest, so it paid no mind to the three odd creatures.
As their target continued moving down the river, the Forgiven followed in human form.
"Alright, boss. So how shall we handle this? We were 'supposedly' to bludgeon him out of consciousness and abduct the sod, but I do believe that option is no longer viable."
"We can't revert him back to his human form with force and we can't use magic...This forest is pissing me off more by the second."
"And it would be a difficult feat to subdue and kidnap such a large body."
Liar shrugged.
"I suppose we'll have to do what we're oh, sooooooo talented in—Diplomacy." he said with disgust.
The edges of Norse's lips drooped, as she also dreaded the idea.
"Or we could kill him," Grimm answered offhandedly.
Norse and Liar stiffened looked to their leader, who was holding her chin, massaging it in thought.
"It's not like the problem goes away by kidnapping him and moving him somewhere else, right? That's a temporary solution. And a stupid one at that."
She paused to hear her comrades' thoughts.
"…..How long have you been thinking on this?" Liar asked warily.
"Ever since Albus gave us the mission."
"Of course, you have."
"You two do see my point, don't you?"
"Of course, we do."
Being with Grimm so long, it wasn't difficult to decipher her reasoning. The witch was never fond of half-baked measures. As long as Nicholas Flamel lived, there would always exist those after the formula to eternal life. And then what was to happen when the Forgiven no longer existed or when Dumbledore was gone? There was no guarantee the Alchemist would remain safe forever.
"It's easier to kill him than abduct or persuade him."
"He's a sodding giant crab! He's got thick shelling and—"
"See his eyes, how they stick out? Cutting them with my dagger would be a simple. We take out his eyes, then we invade his shell, and take him out from the inside."
"You're answering this all rather readily."
"And if anything, we have mine and Norse's Origin Magic to rely on."
"Huh…This is true. But do the positives of such a course of action outweigh the negatives?"
"What 'negatives'? We kill him, mission complete. We destroy the Stone at Hogwarts and no one can ever make the Elixir of Life again. Albus doesn't know the complete formula."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! 'Destroy the Stone at Hogwarts'? When did we decide this?"
Grimm rolled her eyes.
"After this mission, I'll bet you anything, Albus is going to have us guard the Stone at Hogwarts. When he does, we bypass the defenses, and destroy the damned thing once and for all. One less way Voldemort can resurrect."
"Wait! I believe we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves here. We should discuss the Stone at a different time."
"If you say so, but that is the course we're taking."
"The consequences from the Forgivers will be dire."
"Fock the consequences! The only actual consequences are we hurt Albus's stupid pride, and do what he couldn't bring himself to do! Kingsley will be disappointed, sure, but he'll understand. And Moody will give two shits about what it took to gain such a result. No more Nicholas Flamel, no more Stone, no more Elixir of Life, now and in the future. It's pluses across the board!"
Norse and Liar stared at Grimm with a conflicted gaze.
"…..I don't like where this is heading, boss."
"Flamel is an innocent life."
"That idiot crab's lived his life a hundred times over. He should have died ages ago. Are you lot really conflicted over ending his life? Are you kidding me?!"
"Grimm!"
"What?!" she shrieked, out of breath.
"Calm down, boss. This isn't like you…You are our leader, but you've always asked our counsel before acting, have you not?"
Grimm took a deep breath, and then exhaled.
"Sorry. You're right." She held her head, feeling a little dizzy. "We can talk about the rest later. But right now, can you give me actual, substantial reason why we shouldn't just kill him now?"
Seeing their leader regain her composure a bit, Liar and Norse relaxed.
"No, I suppose not, as a matter of fact. Eliminating him seems like the most prudent measure. Norse?"
She faced them both with a guilty expression.
"It is my wish we speak to the Alchemist than kill him."
"That's….surprising…." Liar muttered.
"What?! Why?! Tell me this isn't about getting into trouble with the Forgivers—"
"It is not!" Norse fidgeted nervously and signed the next part with care. "I want to ask the Alchemist's help…..for Liar's sake."
…
The three went quiet for a solid minute. It was clear a heavy shadow hung over them all with Norse's last words.
"Alright. We talk to him," Grimm finally spoke.
This time, it was Liar, who was furious.
"ABSOLUTELY, NOT! You know, I will never consent to—"
"LIAR! I'm not talking about the Elixir of Life." Grimm answered with a calm tone. "Nicholas Flamel is a brilliant Alchemist. It's not like the Sorcerer's Stone is the only thing he knows how to make. You understand?"
"But…!"
"Norse. We've talked about this. We're not using the Stone or the Elixir. BUT—" She turned to Liar. "—he might know another way."
The wizard was still struggling with his temper, but managed to keep it under control.
"Alright," he replied reluctantly. "But if he refuses to talk, we kill him and be done with this business."
"That's what I wanted from the start."
Grimm and Liar looked to Norse for her consent.
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With a small nod of her head, the large witch agreed to the terms.
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As fast as the crab moved, the Forgiven were able to eventually surround Flamel with their animalistic speed, at a shallow portion of the river.
Before the crustacean, Grimm morphed into her human form.
"Dumbledore sent us. We need to speak with you."
The Hermit Crab made no immediate response. Assuming he had chosen to listen, one by one, the Forgiven introduced themselves and briefed him on the threats of the pursuing mercenary guilds. When they finished the explanation, the crab scratched its beard with its claw, as it mulled over its decision.
"Very well. I will go with you," clicked Flamel.
"Um….good? I suppose," Grimm said, rather dumbstruck.
"Is something the matter?"
"We didn't expect you to come along so easily."
"When you get to be my age, you learn to trust your intuition."
"Is that right….?"
Flamel leaned towards the witch and positioned his protruding eyes in front of her.
"Most certainly." If the the crab had a face, it would be smiling. "Why don't you all come aboard? It's quite homely on the inside." He gestured to the shell on his back.
The Forgiven were apprehensive at first, but ultimately decided to take him up on his offer.
Nicholas Flamel's shell as indeed "homely". The moment the visitors stepped inside, a hearth flickered with warm fire and illuminated the insides. The floor was lined with soft, wooly carpet. Comfortable sofas and lounge chairs had blankets draped over them. And all along the walls were various vials and chemistry apparatuses. There were even a couple of lab benches for potion brewing. The only subject of décor that did not fit the image was the large amount of recreational drugs on some of the shelves.
Liar let out an impressed whistle.
The three Forgiven instantly jumped into their own claimed chairs and melted lazily into the cushions. As they made themselves comfortable, a large ball of orange fur leapt onto Grimm's stomach.
"You're a fat ass cat, aren't you?" she said, while stroking its head. It purred pleasantly in response.
"That would be my cat, Crookshanks," Flamel's voice echoed inside.
"He looks….nice…..and old?"
"Yes. Quite."
Grimm had a strange premonition.
"….How old is this cat?"
"Oh, I don't know. You lose count after the first hundred years."
"""You gave your cat the Elixir of Life?!""" Grimm, Liar, and Norse exclaimed.
"You disapprove?"
All three groaned at how outrageous it seemed.
"You greatly disapprove."
"Understatement, Flamel," Liar answered. "Although, oddly reasonable, all things considered."
"Hmmmm….You are ill."
The atmosphere in the room cooled to subzero temperatures. Like the house was suddenly emptied of all its air. Crookshanks leapt off Grimm and scampered away.
"Or cursed with something fatal…"Flamel finished.
A look of graveness appeared on all the Forgiven's expressions.
"…..You can tell?" Liar asked.
"Intuition, my young friend. I have a sense for these things, especially within the space of my own shell."
Flamel found a good spot on the river bank to settle, stopped, and curled up into his own home. A wall of the house folded in, and the crustacean moved through, clicking around a little before he found a cozy position for his legs. Crookshanks gingerly hopped on the head of his owner upon his arrival.
"Why don't you take your human form?" asked Grimm.
"Alas, I have lost the ability to do so. I'd taken quite a liking to this body, so much so that one day, I realized I'd stayed in it for three decades! I'd actually forgotten what my original body looked like, or would look like after so much time had passed. So now I am stuck this way. A rather silly tale, I know."
"Not so much 'silly', as ridiculously stupid. I thought you were supposed to be a genius."
"Hoho, not one to mince words, are you, young lady?"
"How do you do business with your….condition?" Liar looked him up and down. "I talked to the potion seller at the settlement and he spoke of your house. He never mentioned you were your house."
"Ah, yes. I park myself nearby and have Crookshanks go out to run errands my robust figure cannot manage. I dare say, some of them may mistake Crookshanks for my Animagus form."
"Still….staying like that?"
"I know how it may seem, but in actuality, I find my present anatomy far more preferable to the former. Being Animagus yourselves, I'm sure you find distinct advantages with your animal counterparts? And any disadvantages it may possess can be adapted to." With deceptively smooth motions, the crab gracefully began preparing some refreshments with his oversized pincers. "Coffee? Tea?"
"Coffee. Black."
"Tea."
"Ah, excellent! Sign language. I'd learned it in my boredom, but never had much use for it. I apologize that I cannot sign back," he clicked jovially with his pincers.
"I wouldn't suppose you have anything I could smoke?" Liar inquired.
"Recreational?"
"Haha….Probably best to stay sober."
The crab picked a large jar off the shelf full of brown leaves, along with paper and other materials to roll it in. He then placed them all in front of the wizard like a meal served quick from the kitchen.
Liar did a take back to the shelf full of drugs.
"Do you sell those?"
"No. They are my personal medications."
"Why would you need to take drugs, when you're already in a weird trippy forest?" Grimm almost laughing. "Sounds like a bad mix."
"Yes, well. When one possesses eternal life and is also in command of a brain too smart for its own good, one does feel the need to find methods of….coping with their existence," Flamel explained, as he distributed the coffee and tea.
Grimm inhaled the drink's scent through her nose. The smell immediately set her mind aflare, as she took a full savoring taste of the brew.
"This is really good, Flamel. I think I'm starting to like you," she said with a cheerful tone.
"I hope it will not make killing me any more difficult."
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Grimm narrowed her eyes over her coffee cup. "It won't."
"Good, I imagined it wouldn't."
If the crab had a human face, it would certainly be smiling.
"Now, that we have exchanged pleasantries, I believe we should address the giant crab in the room. Hohoho!"
The three Forgiven and the Alchemist laughed at the terrible joke.
"Yeah, I'm definitely starting to like you," Grimm said fondly. "And you're right. So let's talk."
"You wanted to consult with me about this young man's condition." Flamel's eyes settled on Liar.
"Yes."
...
"Hm." The crab's mouth clicked absent mindedly, as he touched his claw to Liar's head and chest. "You've suffered a curse. An old one."
"Years back," the young man answered. "Scuffle with a rather bad booby trap."
"Years back, you say?"
Liar gave a serious nod.
"Hmmm…. If you were brought to me earlier, I might've concocted something, but as it stands now…" Flamel's eyes drooped. "I've regret to inform you the curse has had years to progress to an irreversible state."
Grimm and Liar looked away, trying to hide how crestfallen they were. The two were prepared to hear that exact answer. It still hurt, despite it.
On the other hand, Liar's expression was unchanged and stalwart.
"Then the Elixir of Life—!" Norse started.
"Norse!" Liar cut in. "We made a rule. A promise…..We do not cheat death. People die, when they die." The young wizard bit the inside of his lip to steel his resolve. "It is the only way we can excuse ourselves for at least some of the things we've done. The lives we've taken, we treat like our own. That was our agreement."
"Death comes for us all," Grimm added without emotion.
"Fock that! This is different!"
"NORSE!"
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*Sigh* "Sister…." Liar said with a soft, almost pleading voice. "Do not tempt me further than I already am."
From Norse's eyes, tears fell like rain drops. She buried her head in her fists, nails digging deep into her skin, knuckles white as snow. The witch shook with rage and despair.
As if deciding to put an end to it all, to end the dangling false salvation before them, Grimm strode coldly to Flamel. She pulled a long dagger from her cloak and positioned the blade right beneath his head. The Alchemist stared at her, summoning no resistance whatsoever.
"Young, so young…." he muttered. "But wise…."
Unlike before, the elder spoke with a voice befitting his great age. It was a tone so distant and far, like coming from a fading dream.
"You three are so much wiser than I. To know the truth of death, and accept it whole, while I fearfully tried to escape it. How unsightly," he lamented. "Thank you for granting me an end, for I had not the courage to do it myself."
Grimm tightened her grip on the dagger and started pressing the tip against Flamel's skin.
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"Can you slow down the process?" Grimm asked quietly.
"Hm?"
Liar stood up.
"Grimm!"
"Can you slow down the spread of the curse? Can you treat it?" Grimm asked again.
"GRIMM!"
"It's not cheating death, Liar!" she barked at him. "Tell me, Flamel. Can you treat it?"
The crab scratched his head with his claw for a moment.
"….Yes. A cure is impossible, but a treatment to extend his life is within my ability; though, I cannot promise how long."
"THAT'S NO DIFFERENT FROM THE ELIXIR!"
"It would be very different from my Elixir."
"SHUT UP, FLAMEL! Just because you are afraid to die, does not mean I am! I will NOT cheat death!"
Norse abruptly stood up, crossed the floor, and punched Liar's jaw loose.
"Hm. Haven't seen that in a while," Grimm remarked.
The large witch pinned the wizard below her and grabbed his cloak, her face red as fire. Never did she ever want to speak so badly as she did now. To yell, to scream at Liar from the top of her lungs. Small puffs of air escaped her lips, threatening to make a sound. Her oath, being completely forgotten.
She wanted to tell him he was being stubborn. She wanted to scold him for being so foolish. She wanted to empty out all things that festered in her heart.
*Pat*
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Norse felt Liar's cold hand cover her mouth, stopping her from speaking.
"Okay…" he said softly. "Okay…."
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At Liar's consenting words, Norse backed off from him.
"That was….dramatic," Flamel said awkwardly.
"We have our ups and downs," Grimm responded in a carefree manner.
"So I am under the impression you will not be taking my life today?"
"Nope. Sorry, Flamel. The kingdom won't be coming just yet."
"A tad disappointing."
"You'll get your chance. I promise that."
Flamel sighed. "I suppose, I am hardly in a position to argue."
Crookshanks hopped down from his owner's head and nudged his claw. The crab began petting the pet he almost left behind. Grimm put her dagger away and also began stroking the cat's fur.
"Cheer up, old man—crab—whatever. You're going to live more thrills in the next few years than you've ever done centuries."
"Oh? And what makes you so sure of that, young lady?"
"Four special words."
"Hm?"
Grimm flashed a malicious grin.
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"Welcome to the Forgiven."