Alchemist Apprentice (The Alchemist Book 1) Read online

  Alchemist Apprentice

  The Alchemist Book 1

  Dan Michaelson

  D.K. Holmberg

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Author’s Note

  Series by Dan Michaelson

  Similar Series by D.K. Holmberg

  Chapter One

  The inside of the room was small enough for Sam to feel his sister approaching, though he could hear her well enough. Mia’s feet thudded across the floorboards, and he glanced up from the book resting in his lap to glare at her.

  “Would you stop that?” he snapped.

  She paused almost perfectly still. He hated when she used her magic to taunt him.

  “Is that better?” She said without moving her lips.

  “Stop that too.”

  “How can I stop both? First, you want me to be quiet, and then you want me to be loud?”

  “I didn’t say be loud.” Sam looked back to the book. It was another he had brought from the small library. He might not have his sister’s connection to magic, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t read about it.

  “What do you have there?” She flopped down in front of him.

  Sam tried not to look at her, but she leaned forward and forced him to pay attention to her. A wide grin spread on her face, and there was a hint of something in her deep blue eyes suggesting a prank in the works.

  “A book.”

  “I can see it’s a book, silly. What one is this?”

  “It’s one Elinorav let me borrow.” He looked up at that, meeting her gaze, waiting for her to question him. It wasn’t quite that Elinorav had let Sam borrow it. “You could read them too. With your potential, you might actually learn something useful.”

  “I’ve tried reading what he brings you, but I’m not interested. Besides, you’re the one who wants to go to the Academy.”

  Sam couldn’t deny his interest—though he doubted he ever could go to the Academy. Not from the Barlands. They didn’t take their type. “There are two problems with that,” he began. “Not only do I not have any magic, but I’m also too old to get chosen.”

  “You’re only seventeen. That’s not old for anything!”

  She tucked her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and began to rock in place while humming softly. Even that was done to annoy him.

  “Do you have to do that here?” he sighed.

  “Where else would you have me do it?” She swept her gaze around, and Sam sighed.

  The room was tiny. The school was tiny and not nearly large enough for the number of students, but out here, near the edge of the Barlands, no one really cared much for trying to teach anyone anything. Sam was thankful for the small room that permitted him enough space to at least have a chance to read on his own, not that Mia would ever understand.

  “I don’t care what you do; just do it somewhere else,” he grumbled.

  She laughed and continued rocking, singing softly. For all he knew, it was a song of power. Mia had a natural ability Sam didn’t, a talent he could only study. It was the reason he spent as much time as he did reading. If he could find even a little way to use power, he could at least be useful for their father.

  Sam turned his attention back to the book, positioning it near the lantern resting on the table next to him. Between the lantern and the fire in the hearth, he had plenty of reading light.

  This book was one of Elinorav’s newest additions. It described how various chemicals could be mixed together to create alchemy, something that wouldn’t even require any natural ability. Though, as Elinorav often liked to tell him, having natural ability made everything easier.

  “What does this one do?” Mia asked.

  “It’s a book. It doesn’t do anything.”

  “What’s it about?”

  “You don’t have to keep asking me questions, you know.”

  “I want to ask questions. That’s the only way I learn.”

  “That’s not the only way you can learn.”

  He shook his head as he looked over the book at her. At fourteen, she still didn’t attempt to develop what were obvious natural abilities. Things like freezing mid-step. That was something he couldn’t even begin to attempt, but she did it without trying. If what he’d read about magic was right, she could easily be accepted into the Academy and study there, and from what Sam had read of those who came through the Academy, she’d be given more opportunities than he could even imagine.

  There would certainly be more opportunities if either of them hadn’t stayed out here. The edge of the Barlands was difficult and brutal, and there was a part of Sam that longed for the safety of the capital city of Tavran. Though were Sam honest, it wasn’t the city that he cared about. It was the Academy.

  “Why won’t you talk to me?” she asked, dragging her chair closer to his and leaning over and looking at his book.

  Sam suppressed the frustration. “Just enjoy the fire while you have it, won’t you?”

  She turned to the fire. “It’s a little too hot.”

  “Too hot?” He shook his head, laughing to himself. Only Mia would feel a fire to be too hot. Then again, with her magic, it was possible that she didn’t feel things the same way. It was entirely possible that she couldn’t.

  She shrugged. “Well, it is. At least for me.”

  “Was he done?”

  Mia flicked her gaze to the door leading out of the school, toward the back classrooms. Sam had already learned most of this material, which allowed him to read more. He always found himself drawn to books on natural materials, plants and medicines and the things that could be done with them. There was a power and knowledge, and it was that power which Sam wanted nothing more than to be able to reach. In his mind, if he could understand things that no one else did, there was a possibility that he might have a certain kind of magic himself.

  “Nearly. Though, to hear him tell of it, he still had quite a bit he wanted to show us.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what to make of it, though. I know you could probably teach the class yourself.”

  “Don’t say that to Devon.”

  Mia twisted so she could look toward the door. Her legs remained tucked into her chest. And she claimed she wasn’t cold. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Because he gets touchy about those things,” Sam said. “You know that as well as I do.”

  “You would think he’d be pleased as punch that he has somebody who is learning as much as you are from him.”

  “It’s not that,” Sam said, shaking his head.

  How could she understand? There were times when he wished he could have that simple innocence again.

  A pounding at th
e door caught his attention, and Sam looked to it.

  “What do you think that is?” Mia asked. “It’s too early for anyone to come for—”

  The door came thundering open. A pair of soldiers stood in the doorway. They were a common enough sight these days, especially since Olway had annexed his home village of Erstan. They were damp and dirty.

  Dirty.

  That thought rang alarm bells and Sam’s mind, and he grabbed for Mia but was too late. One of the soldiers was there, already grabbing her and dragging her away.

  “Sam?” She asked. Her voice was thin, shaking with fear.

  “It’s going to be fine,” he said.

  When they grabbed for him, he didn’t fight.

  “Where are they taking us?” she asked as the soldiers shoved them through the door, outside of the small, ragged school on the edge of Erstan.

  Sam raised a hand to silence her, but one of the soldiers shoved him hard, and Sam staggered forward, stumbling and landing near the corner of the school.

  He scrambled to his feet, but not quickly enough. Rough hands grabbed him and thrust him forward again. It took all of Sam’s effort not to stumble again, and he staggered toward his sister, trying to keep up with her. If they got separated…

  Sam wouldn’t allow it.

  He stumbled toward her again, trying to keep pace.

  Mia shivered in the dampness. It wasn’t a heavy rain like they often got, but it was a steady drizzling. Had it been heavier, he would’ve heard it from inside, and he would’ve probably felt the effects in the hearth, the water draining down the chimney, threatening to put out the fire, leaving smoke trailing into the room.

  Distantly, thunder rumbled, followed by a crackle of light. It sent a shiver through Sam, and he resisted the urge to look behind him.

  “Kal blasted storms,” one of the soldiers muttered and shoved Sam forward again.

  He reached the edge of a wagon and knew what he had to do. He climbed on. He helped his sister up, looking to see that it was empty.

  But it wouldn’t be for long.

  “Where are they taking us?” she asked again.

  “I don’t know,” he lied.

  These days, ever since Erstan had been annexed, there was only one thing Olway cared about. The mines. Mia might be too young to go to the mines, but Sam wasn’t, something he was acutely aware of. And the soldiers didn’t care one way or another so long as there was a steady supply of bodies heading there. What did they care if they grabbed a couple of poor street kids? He could practically feel their disregard for him. It seemed to emanate from them.

  He pulled his sister close. Three others were dragged from the school. Boldan was a few years younger than Sam and muscular. He would have been a prize for the soldiers. Geld and Vestahr were both about Mia’s age. Neither of them were terribly large. The rest of the students inside the school were all younger than them.

  The wagon jerked to a start. One of the soldiers climbed on the back, looking at each of them with darkness, before tilting his helm forward as if to protect himself from the drizzling rain.

  Mia sat upright.

  Sam knew before she even did anything that she intended to do. He rested a hand on her arm, shaking his head.

  “I can help,” she mouthed.

  “You do that, and they realize what you can do…”

  He didn’t have to explain further. Magic wasn’t uncommon in the heart of Olway. Not that Sam would ever know. But out here near the Barlands, they would believe that they were tied up in something worse. Something darker. The Nighlan. The soldiers would be more likely to kill them than to praise them.

  “Just sit back,” he said, tapping her on the arm, trying to calm her.

  Mia stared, though she didn’t say anything more. Sam could feel the irritation bubbling within her. He was the source of it.

  “I’ll get us free,” he said.

  “How?”

  He looked at the others. Anything that he did would have to help all of them.

  But first… It wouldn’t be all of them.

  Sam wanted to help the others from the school, but it would be him and Mia if he had to choose.

  The wagon rumbled across the rocky ground. The rain cast everything in a dreary gray. He could practically feel the wagons pulling them from the relative safety of Erstan, and the minor comfort of the school, and off toward the terrifying unknown.

  He tried to think about what they could do to get free. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he had to do something. There would be no chance for them to escape once they reached the mines.

  The challenge now was going to be figuring out possibilities.

  Another crack of lightning followed by a rumble of thunder. The soldier muttered again, but he didn’t look up. Sam turned his attention off to the side and looked over the edge of the wagon.

  “Be ready,” he said.

  Mia’s eyes widened. “What are you going to do?”

  Sam shook his head. He didn’t need her betraying him, but he also needed her alert. “What I have to.”

  He made a retching sound and then leaned forward.

  It toppled him out of the wagon, where he crumpled on the ground. He quickly grabbed a fistful of the puke weed he’d seen, shoving a bit into his mouth and gripping more.

  Hands grabbed him and jerked him up.

  Sam wasn’t the largest person. Certainly not large for his age. Living on the street had made him too lean. When he came face-to-face with the soldier, he licked his lips nervously.

  He had swallowed the puke weed, hoping he had taken enough of a dose to make an impact.

  “What do you think you’re doing, boy? Trying to escape?”

  “I’m going to be sick,” he said.

  The soldier shoved him back, grabbed Sam by the face, and twisted his head from side to side. “You look fine. Get back on. Don’t worry. You get paid. Eventually.”

  “Sick,” Sam muttered again.

  “And I said get back on the wagon,” the soldier said. He kicked Sam in the back, which sent him staggering.

  Sam knew that he had to make this look convincing. He wasn’t an actor, but this was a part he had to play. He slowly crawled toward the wagon, though it had only slowed, not stopping completely.

  He handed a fistful of puke weed to his sister, nodding to it, and she glanced down briefly before seeming to recognize his intent. It was a bitter weed and thankfully not poisonous, but it would make them miserable for a time.

  She shoved it into her mouth, turning her head off to the side as she did.

  Now to give some to the other three.

  “You try jumping off the wagon again, and I might have to do more than just kick you,” the soldier said.

  Sam’s stomach already started rumbling.

  Is it enough?

  He had no idea. He had no idea if it would help, only that he could feel his belly starting to grumble, arguing with him. He wasn’t about to do anything other than swallowing it down until the pressure built enough that he had a way out.

  Mia leaned toward him. “Sam? It hurts. We didn’t have to do this. I could get us out.”

  He smiled at her. “I know you could.”

  “I…” She trembled and started twitching.

  He had read about puke weed. He had read about most of the plants that were found in Erstan. The wagon rumbling sent a jolt of pain up his side, through his belly. He tried to ignore it just a little bit longer.

  He couldn’t have himself getting sick before Mia.

  They had to time it right. If he were thrown off the wagon before she succeeded… His stomach churned. As it contracted, he swallowed again, trying to force the nausea down.

  “What are you doing?” The soldier knelt toward him, and he rapped Sam on the leg more sharply than necessary.

  Sam looked up and realized that he was shivering. He was hurting now. “Sick,” Sam said. “Told you.”

  “You said you were going to be sick. What’s wrong wi
th you?”

  “Fever…”

  It was about all that he could get out.

  He leaned forward, and then he did retch.

  It came out as a violent explosion, and he made an attempt to actually try to keep it from spilling all over the soldier but wasn’t completely successful. Some of it splattered on him, and the rest managed to spill out onto the road.

  He still had a fistful of puke weed in his other hand, and as the soldier grabbed him, he tossed it behind him, hoping the others would recognize it. They didn’t need as big a dose. They could take even a few bites, and maybe they could vomit before reaching the mines.

  The soldier slammed Sam in the stomach, causing him to keel over and vomit again.

  A slap across his face was barely felt. The soldier shoved Sam, and he toppled out of the wagon, landing in his own vomit. He tried to roll off to the side when a boot struck him in the belly.

  Then he heard his sister.

  It was a soft wailing sound, a moan that came from her, and he looked up to meet her gaze.

  Then she threw up. The soldier got a face full of vomit.

  Sam tried to get to his feet. The soldier was going to be no less brutal to her than he was to Sam.

  When his fist drew back to strike Mia, Sam was helpless to stop it.

  She cried out, and she toppled off the side of the wagon.

  The wagon toiled to a stop.

  One of the others near the head of the caravan sauntered toward them. Sam tried to remain curled up, looking as helpless as he could. He wanted to reach for his sister, and anger boiled up within him as the soldier casually kicked her in the legs as he came past her before joining the other soldier near the back of the wagon.