Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Alchemist Duty

After getting Neo and Mika their Guild Seal tattoos the group regrouped at the Marianne where they planned to set sail for the Godwin Estate.

Sitting on the bed Connor groaned as he laid down, "It normally doesn't take me this long to recover after a fight."

"That's because your powers are growing faster than your body could handle," Gabriel spoke crossing his arms, "this is both a good and bad thing, having you vulnerable like this is risky."

"I'll guard him then," Neo spoke with Merlin flying around, "you're safe with me soldier."

"Count on me too!" Merlin spoke seeing Roscoe approach the bed and rest his head on the mattress where Connor pet the canine head gently.

"I'll protect you," Roscoe smiled up at his master.

"I'll keep an eagle eye view from the crow's nest," Tercero spoke exiting the room.

"But we promised Jaya we would investigate the Godwin Estate," Connor spoke trying to get up but Jaya entered the room.

"No! Roscoe, keep him down on that bed!" Jaya ordered sternly seeing Roscoe chuckle and put his paw on Connor's chest and force him to lie back down, "It's already settled, Mika and I will just explore the estate."

"Uh no! After what happened in Ravenstone it's too risky for us to split up again," Connor argued seeing Kyler enter the cabin.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head mate, I'll escort the ladies, I won't let any fiend lay a hand on them," Kyler smirked confidently seeing Seth enter with Ginjer sitting comfortably on his shoulder.

"As will I, the four of us will investigate the Estate for Mary's research notes," Seth spoke looking to Ginjer, "care to join us Ginjer?"

"Uh no thank you!" Ginjer scoffed hopping down and approached Gabriel, "I'll head back with Gabriel."

"Then it's settled then, Roscoe and I will stay on the ship and make sure Connor recovers," Neo spoke turning to Seth, "while you four get that research."

"Glad we're all in agreement then, set sail for the Godwin Estate," Kyler ordered leaving the cabin with the others.

"Who the bloody hell are you ordering around meathead?!" Mika yelled from the deck where Jaya slammed the cabin door shut hearing the muffled bickering from the two heroes with a roll of her eyes.

Jaya then approached Connor and held out a small red potion vial, "Drink up and rest, we need our leader."

"Yes doctor," Connor chuckled taking the potion.

While the heroes made their way to their next location Isaac was in Bloodstone where he stood on the balcony looking out to the sea in the distance, hearing his phone ring with an ominous ringtone he set for Reaver, with a loud sigh Issac answered the phone, "what do you want now? Is the file I sent on the model not pretty enough? Oh no, I bet her cheeks are too big."

"Don't get cheeky with me, care to explain why the guards I had posted outside your mother's home are dead and why she is missing?" Reaver spoke unable to see the smirk grow across Isaac's face.

"Why father, surely you don't suspect I had anything to do with that? Why would I jeopardize her life? If I didn't know any better, I would say this is part of a kidnapping ransom plot, perhaps I should thank them? She in safer hands of a kidnapper than with you," Isaac spoke leaning on the rail, "now if that is all, I have work to do, running your empire and all."

"Don't get smart with me boy, I know you had something to do with this," Reaver replied his voice showing his annoyance with Issac.

"And yet where is the proof?" Isaac smirked, "Next you're going accuse me of Renee's disappearance."

"Speaking of that topic, she is missing, where is she, boy?" Reaver asked his tone sounding dangerous while Isaac took a seat at his desk unafraid of his father's threats.

"How should I know? She an adult, skilled one at that too, slipping past your thugs is child's play to her, she could be in Samarkand by now, she smart enough to know not to call me, if you wanna find her, do it yourself, tatty bye~" Isaac smirked hanging up having always wanted to throw his father's own words back in his face.

"Bravo," Isaac heard a man's voice say but didn't react on the count he recognized it and glanced over to see the masked Highwayman lying on the rail of the balcony seductively, "Hey handsome~"

"Ugh," Isaac grunted in disgust rolling his eyes, "what in the world are you doing here Calen? You're supposed to be with Renee."

"Who do you think sent me?" Calen smiled approaching Isaac's desk and took a seat on it much to the older man's annoyance, "she wanted me to make sure you're taking care of yourself."

"I should be the one making sure she doing that," Isaac chuckled leaning back in the chair, "is she ok?"

"She misses you but yes she ok," Calen smiled and turned the monitor to a news report on Ravenstone, "Actually that's also the other reason I stopped by."

"You were there huh? Meet the heroes, did you?" Isaac asked adjusting his glasses.

"Sure did, they were able to defeat one of those masked brutes, was surprised myself to see their true form," Calen spoke looking at a picture of Isaac with two children one being Renee and the other Calen.

"That leaves four then, I take it you intend to join their cause?" Isaac asked seeing the Calen think about it.

"Well, there are some cute warriors so the company wouldn't be so bad, I mostly came to see if they are truly good or in it for their own gain, what do you make of them Isaac?" Calen asked glancing over to the man who removed his glasses to clean them with a cloth.

"I can't speak for all of them but I trust Connor, he is the hero who can save us in these horrible times," Isaac spoke placing his glasses back on.

"Whelp!" Calen spoke hopping off the desk, "That's all I needed to hear, you are a tough cookie to win over, if you vouch for them, I'll let Renee know."

"I would say keep her safe for me but I think we both know she's more than capable of defending herself," Isaac chuckled watching Calen head to the balcony.

"Do you think she is one of the three?" Calen asked peering over his shoulder to Issac.

"I am sure of it, her path will cross with Connor's very soon, you make sure she ready," Isaac spoke watching the highwayman hop over the rail.

Arriving at the private island docks the group could see an ominous house resting at the top of the hill in the distance.

"So, this the Godwin Estate," Jaya spoke setting foot on the dock, "we'll be back soon!"

"You be careful in there! You hear?" Tercero called from where he kept a lookout seeing the four walk off the dock and onto the beach.

"Well, isn't this charming architecture," Kyler said sarcastically as they walked up the stone path and walked past two horse statues and two Balverines statues.

"From what I know of the Godwins they weren't exactly a 'normal' family, from what I heard the whole family were skilled alchemists, pushing the boundaries no alchemist should cross," Jaya explained shivering at the statues.

"The lamps are lit," Mika pointed to the old lamps near the closed front gate, "could someone be here?"

"Guess it wasn't completely abandoned," Seth spoke shaking the gate and looking at the chain keeping it closed, "Kyler, you're up."

"With pleasure," Kyler smirked grabbing the chain and ripping the metal off pushing open the gates, "ladies first."

"Oh please," Mika spoke rolling her eyes and walking through and up the steps to a large chessboard design where they found three empty statue pieces and several skeletons of Balverines.

Hearing a roar up ahead the group approached the green hedge cages where they saw many animals behind different enclosures. Seth approached a large cage where very large moths flew around, "this one read 'Corpse Moths' Huh wonder why they're called that?"

"When a predator is nearby they bunch up together to create a Hollow Man-like appearance," a woman spoke making the group turn to see a redhead girl with glasses holding a feeding bucket, she appeared to be around her thirties, and had a notable scar on her cheek.

"I was under the impression this place was abandoned and the Menagerie animals were all dead," Jaya spoke seeing the woman smile.

"It had been, my name is Elizabeth," she smiled picking up some feed and tossing it into an enclosure where several white rabbits hopped around, "these are called Celibate Rabbits, named so because, for the longest time, people thought they just refused to reproduce, this is far from true, these species of rabbits mate for life, that why breeders have a hard time, if the rabbits aren't into each other there nothing you can really do to make them reproduce, chemistry is important to creatures too."

"Warning do not stick fingers through cage?" Mika read looking through to see several squirrels behind a chain fence enclosure, "bitters?"

"Very bitty, the little darlings, Predatory Squirrels," Elizabeth spoke pulling out a slab of meat and putting it through a slot where the cute squirrels hissed showing off their razor-sharp teeth before swarming onto the meat and tearing into it viciously.

"Damn!" Kyler flinched having been surprised by how vicious they were.

"So, Elizabeth, who are you?" Mika asked suspicious of the stranger woman watching her approach an enclosure where she entered and petted some chameleons sunbathing in a tree.

"Calmer Chameleons, nothing startles them! Probably why the species are targets for predators," she smiled filling their food bucket, "I'm not avoiding the question by the way."

"Ok so what the deal?" Seth asked crossing his arms hearing chicken clucking behind him and turned around to see an empty enclosure.

"Invisible Chickens!" Elizebeth smiled entering the pen, "Here chicky chicky!"

Throwing feed to the ground she knelt down and picked up something where they saw a hairless chicken with almost scale-like skin appear in her arms, "this species of chicken got their name because they are the master of camouflage."

"Are all these the same animals that had been dead in this menagerie years ago?" Jaya asked looking around at the rebuilt menagerie.

"They are, it took many years to collect them, most are rescues, but as you can probably guess most of these animals are endangered, I look after them here where they can live their fullest lives, well almost fullest, I have to make the rounds to feed and clean their pens," Elizabeth explained exiting the coop.

"Topiary Swans?" Kyler read looking into an enclosure expecting to see the swans in the water but instead saw the nearby bushes moving and two green feather swans exit the bushes after blending in.

"Clever trick huh? They build their nests in bushes and because their feathers are that lovely shade of green, brown, and black they blend in so predators can't spot them," Elizbeth explained tossing some feed to the swans.

Approaching a darkly lit enclosure Mika saw several red eyes in the darkness below scurrying around and moving around a massive hamster enclosure.

"Deepwood Devil Hamsters, nocturnal little darlings, have to keep them all separated till they reach a certain age, otherwise they eat each other!" Elizabeth spoke adding pellets and seeds to their bowls.

Approaching another enclosure Mika watched several red fur monkeys climbing around the jungle gym made for them. One baby sat on the ground playing with a ball when it then spotted a bug that startled it making it burst into flames, "WHOA!"

"Combustible Northern Monkeys! The two-way mirror allows us to view them without startling them, they are highly nervous creatures, don't worry that baby is fine," Elizbeth pointed where in a burst of flames the baby reappeared and ran over to its mother.

"Where do they go?" Kyler asked crossing his arms and watching her put food through a slot to feed the monkeys.

"Your guess is as good as mine! I don't think they vanish completely from this word, I believe that the flames act as a defense to scare away predators giving it a chance to flee," Elizbeth explained approaching Seth.

"Shape Shifting Giraffes?" Seth read with a raised brow looking up into the enclosure to see two giraffes around eight feet strolling by before their forms suddenly transformed into two dogs rushing over to Elizabeth who filled their bowls.

"Amazing, isn't it? I believe these creatures may have started poor Mary's obsession with transformations," Elizabeth explained while petting the two shapeshifters.

"What do you mean?" Jaya asked seeing Elizabeth think on it.

"How should I put it? Mary was a very disturbed young girl, she hated being human, I think her parents or perhaps her mother is to blame for that, abuse is sadly common among closed-off families. She defined all creatures as 'Pure' free from the corrupted ways humanity has, she wanted to be free and to be a creature to be 'Pure' herself," Elizabeth explained looking to Mika, "that's why you four came here isn't it? To help her?"

"How did you...wait a minute," Mika spoke narrowing her eyes before sniffing and growling at the scent she picked up, "You're a Balverine."

"Bloody hell, you ain't gonna transform and attack us, are you?" Seth asked being cautious but was ready to draw his gun if needed.

"Oh no!" Elizabeth chuckled, "You may find this very hard to believe but not all Balverines lose themselves and become wild animals, most maintain what makes them human once, like me, others see it as the next step in power, forming cult-like groups like the Balverine Order for example."

"Then I guess we can cut to the case, I am an alchemist and our friend was the victim of horrible experiments, I am hoping Mary's experiments, her notes, can be the key to creating a cure," Jaya explained seeing the woman study the group.

"What if you can't girl?" Elizabeth asked setting a feeder bucket down to cross her arms.

"Then I'll find a way to conceal her form, a monthly potion or something, but until I cross the bridge my goal is creating a cure," Jaya declared determined to aid her new ally.

"So, alchemy is what cursed you?" Elizabeth asked Mika who nodded, "Then you probably have a good shot, Mary's experiment involved a Balverine a curse that would have been permanent but wasn't, if alchemy is what damaged that girl, then alchemy can fix it."

"Are you the only Balverine here?" Seth asked seeing the woman chuckle while leading them up the path towards the house.

"Nervous handsome?" she smirked with a teasing wink.

"W-what? No! Just curious!" Seth defended clearing his throat.

"You can all relax, it's just me, has been for a while," she spoke leading them out of the zoo and to the main gates.

"Where Mary failed, Commander Milton succeeded, by using Mary's formula and Professor Faraday's technology he became an exact copy of the Hero of Brightwall, well almost," Gabriel spoke, "while the Hero was pure light, Milton was a corrupted darkness and became what the Hero would have became had he followed another path."

"So, Mary's formula could be the key," Jaya spoke going into thought as they approached the mansion, "hopefully her notes are still lying around."

"Should be, as long as I lived here on the island I never set foot in Mary's lab, too many cruel things happened down there," Elizabeth spoke opening the doors and leading them inside.

Later that day the four searched the ruins of Mary's lab, searching through high and low for anything that could be of use to Jaya.

"Find anything?" Seth asked after reading some documents that had been scattered across a table and looked over to Kyler who lifted a fallen tank for Mika who picked up the papers to examine them.

"Nothing!" Mika growled, "This is pointless, the woman sounded like a nutjob, I doubt she kept her formula in a journal!"

"She was a sick girl, Mika, her diary tells a sad story," Jaya spoke setting the old diary down, "I feel sorry for her, such a brilliant mind, I wish she could have seen how truly beautiful she was."

Looking around Kyler approached three chairs in a row attached to a machine that he concluded had to be the essences extractor, "it has to be here."

Looking around Jaya went into the thought and approached the workstation, "If I was in Mary's shoes, while working on my formula, I'd keep the paper and pen close."

Looking around the desk Jaya peeked under and began knocking on the wood till she heard something hollow, "Bingo!"

Slamming her fist on the wood it opened a secret hatch where she pulled out many diagrams and notes, approaching Mika asked, "Did you find it?"

"Let's see," Jaya spoke studying the notes and looking over the other pages, "it is! My goodness, this formula is extraordinary! I can see where she failed, Milton was correct in using Faraday technology."

"So, what do you think? Think this could help Mika?" Kyler asked crossing his arms and watching Jaya study the notes carefully.

"I believe I can, it going to take me a while to study Mary's work and maybe longer to formulate a cure for it, but I believe we are on the right track Mika," Jaya smiled at the other.

"I won't get my hopes up but I do appreciate that you are trying," Mika said forcing a smile back.

"Now I recognize you lot, you're the 'wanted terrorist' from the news," Elizabeth spoke seeing Seth chuckle.

"The only 'terrorizing' we're guilty of is being a thorn in Tirich and Reaver's sides," Seth smirked seeing the woman go into thought.

"So, is it true? The hero who leads you, is he truly the Lost Prince?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, magic and all," Kyler spoke brushing dirt off his pants from the search of the lab.

"May I speak with him?" Elizabeth requested seeing Seth look to Kyler who shrugged.

"I don't see why not. He's on the ship," Seth spoke leading the way.

Later that day as the sun began to set Connor stepped out of the Captain Quarters to see Elizabeth step onto the ship.

"Oh hello, can we help you?" Connor asked with a kind smile.

"I have a request if his majesty will allow it," Elizabeth asked formally.

"I'm not exactly on the throne yet but what's your request?" Connor asked seeing the group listen in, curious what she would ask of Connor.

"When you take the throne I am hoping the Crown could help sponsor the rebuilding of the Godwin Estate to become Albion's first Animal Reservation, for many years many caretakers like myself have protected the island fiercely from those who would harm the animals," Elizabeth explained.

"What a noble cause, that an idea I would back with no problem, but I can't make any promises just yet, I don't know what the kingdom spending budget will be but I hope to reopen this island as Albion Animal Preservation and Nature Reserve," Connor smiled shaking the woman hand.

Later that day the group set sail waving goodbye to the island caretaker who waved from the docks.

"Wise move to not make any promises, we know you broke," Seth chuckled.

"Oh hush!" Connor glared looking to Jaya, "How soon can you work on the cure for Mika?"

"Well, given my current equipment that will be much harder, I wish I had a proper lab to work with," Jaya sighed.

"Perhaps I can help with that, everyone, return to the Sanctuary, I have something to show you," Gabriel chimed in.

Upon Gabriel's request, all the heroes began to appear in the Sanctuary which was noticeably cleaner and there seemed to be an addition of new doors.

"What you wanna show us, Gabriel?" Connor asked taking a seat on a nearby chair.

"As some of you already know these two doors lead to the Sanctuary Dressing Room and it's Armory now, I can show you the other rooms, starting with this one," Gabriel spoke pushing open the doors into a sitting area.

"A lounge?" Seth asked his eyes like the others widened when the room began to expand and two doors appeared at the end of the room, "what happened?!"

"The Sanctuary like the Map table in the other room is full of magic, it adjusts itself to its owner's needs, this room is called the LIVE Room which I suspect is a typo in the Book of Heroes. I have corrected that and now present the Living Quarters," Gabriel explained approaching one of the two new doors and opening it to reveal a hallway filled with ten doors.

"Living Quarters? Like we can sleep here?" Kyler asked opening the door to a small dorm-like room perfect for a night's rest.

"That's right, so instead of sleeping on the ship or Taverns you can all rest safely here now, if I am correct the room you choose will accommodate your needs," Gabriel spoke looking to Jaya, "why don't you test it out? Take a room think about what you want on the other side and open the door."

"Okay," Jaya spoke approaching a door and placing her hand on the doorknob closing her eyes, thinking about what she needed, and opened the door to reveal a large room with a whole Alchemy station on one side of the room and the other two closets filled with ingredients.

"Oh shit!" Kyler spoke going back to the room he was at and thinking about what he needed and opened his room to reveal a whole at-home gym.

"What brilliant magic!" Seth smiled watching Jaya enter her room.

"This is perfect! I can keep our potions stocked in here and work on the cure for Mika!" Jaya smiled touching her new equipment.

"Speaking of stock," Gabriel spoke leading the group back to the Map room and lead them to another room where he opened it to a decent size warehouse filled with many items, "the Hero of Bower Lake had quite a collection, mostly potions, gifts, and various trophies he and his sons kept in here."

"Good place to store your potions, Jaya," Tercero spoke picking up an old cutlass curious what the story behind the sword was.

"What did this room lead to Gabriel?" Connor asked pointing to another door.

"The Bathrooms, with a master bath, a perfect location for cleaning the blood off your clothes during your battles," Gabriel spoke and pointed to the door next to it, "and that's the Dining area, of course, we haven't stocked up on food yet but that the room to eat your meals."

"Where does this door lead?" Seth asked looking at a wall of promises the Hero of Brightwall made and looked to the door next to it.

"Oh, that's just the Treasury," Gabriel spoke casually getting everyone's attention.

"Treasury?" Connor repeated approaching the doors and opened them then quickly slamming them shut in disbelief at what he saw and opened the doors again to make sure what he saw was indeed real.

"What is it? The King broke or something?" Kyler asked peeking over Connor and almost letting his jaw drop, "holy shit!"

Curious Seth peeked and gasped when he saw the mountain of gold filling the other end of the room spilling out onto the carpet, "is that real?!"

"How much gold is in here?!" Connor asked approaching the book in front of the mountain of gold and looking at the deposits and withdrawals made seeing many more deposits were recent, "rent money payment?"

"Oh yeah guess you didn't know did you? Well, you see when the Hero of Bower Lake, Sparrow, first started his quest he didn't have a single gold coin to his name, so his guide at the time suggested he work some jobs between quests, he worked as a Blacksmith, did some work as a Bartender, did many Bounty Hunter work, worked as a Wood Cutter in the farms, did many Slave Rescues, all the gold he put into buying property," Gabriel explained seeing a pile of gold appear above and rain down on the mountain.

"Gabriel, how much gold is that?" Seth asked seeing Connor frozen at the book before approaching to read the number and nearly choked, "Is that in the Millions?!"

"No bloody way!" Kyler gasped looking at the gold, "This is just rental money?!"

"Well rental money collected and added to Sparrow's account for the last five hundred years," Gabriel explained, "he was very smart with his money you see, during his journey he bought and rented out many homes, and his son did the same thing! They still own all of Bowerstone, Westcliffe, Oakfield, Aurora, Brightwall, hell even Bloodstone! The renters think they are paying their rent to Sparrow Housing a company name the hero created to disguise that he was the landlord."

"So, this money would end up going to Albion's national budget once Connor takes the throne?" Jaya asked.

"Or he can spend it as he pleases," Gabriel spoke seeing Seth wave his hand in front of Connor's face.

"He's still in a state of shock," Seth told the others when he got no response from Connor.

"I'd be too if I found out my ancestor left me a fortune!" Kyler spoke looking around the vault.

"Well technically it is yours too," Gabriel spoke seeing others turn to Gabriel, "did I not tell you? Well, I mean the bloodline has expanded five hundred years you and Connor are technically relatives from the same bloodline just very distant relatives."

"Meaning we're not related anymore, it has been five hundred years since his great-great grandpappy shacked up with my great-great grandmammy," Kyler teased with a chuckle.

"Still, this is amazing, this money can rebuild the whole country," Seth spoke picking up a gold piece, "I'd say your grandpa Sparrow still looking out for his family."

Remaining silent Connor was still frozen in shock where Kyler sighed and picked Connor up effortlessly and carried him out of the room.