A Tale of Rael, the Last Alchemist🔊

Once upon a time, in the ancient city of Argoth, there lived an extraordinary old man named Rael, known by the city's inhabitants as the Twilight Alchemist. He was the last of his kind, bearing the knowledge and craft of a type of science that was nearing its extinction, burdened with the loneliness of his dying craft.

Rael lived in a grand tower at the city outskirts. His castle-like abode was overgrown with vines and weird colorful flowers that seamlessly intertwined with the stones and windows. Elves, centaurs, and even the rare unicorns were regular visitors of this mystical place lured by the abundant array of magical concoctions and potions that Rael stirred up with his alchemical skills.

Despite his age and celestial wisdom, Rael carried a troubling secret. This secret was a rot that consumed him from within, an irreversible curse laid upon him by an envious rival in his youth. His life was ebbing away, drained by the curse, leaving him with feeble attempts at reversing it.

One day, Rael received a visit from a young and curious boy named Milo. He had heard tales of the Last Alchemist and was eager to learn. Rael saw the spark in the young lad's eyes that reflected his own vigor during his youthful years.

'Alchemy is not about distilling materials and creating gold; it's about transmuting the raw energies of the universe,' Rael would say to Milo, who found himself instantly captivated by the subject. Milo became Rael's first and only disciple, absorbing the timeless knowledge with great ardor.

Milo was trained in the art of transformation, understanding the spiritual, physical, and elemental energies. From deciphering ancient scriptures, learning about herbs, and powders, to an understanding of magic, Milo delved into the complex universe of alchemy. The duo spent countless nights gazing at the stars, understanding the connections between celestial bodies and alchemical reactions. And thus, began the transformation of an ordinary boy into a potential alchemist.

As Milo's training neared its end, Rael decided to reveal his secret to Milo. With gloom in his heart and his faded eyes welled with tears, Rael told Milo about the curse slowly turning his body into stone. Realizing the urgency, Milo made a resolve. He would not let his master, his friend fade away into oblivion. Thus, Milo began working on the greatest alchemical challenge of his life, breaking Rael's curse.

Milo combed through hoards of ancient scriptures, travelogues, and diaries of past alchemists. He spoke with sages, consulted oracles, held sessions with astrologers, but the definitive cure eluded him. Milo started losing hope, but Rael continued to cheer him with a weak smile.

Time was running out, but then an ancient text caught Milo's attention. It made a vague reference to a legendary flower 'Lutherus,' believed to possess the power to break any curse. The only difficulty, it was a mere legend, its existence was not proved. The flower was said to bloom on a moonlit night on the peak of Dragon’s Nest, the highest and most dangerous mountain in the world.

Driven by desperation and the will to save his master, Milo embarked on his quest. He crossed dangerous forests, battled monstrous creatures, climbed treacherous terrains, until finally, he found the legendary flower, glowing in the moonlight atop Dragon's Nest. He hurriedly returned to Argoth, as Rael's condition worsened.

Using the Lutherus flower, Milo proficiently prepared what could possibly be his greatest alchemical concoction. Around midnight, he administered the potion to Rael. There was a moment of bated breath that seemed like eternity. Then, Rael's hardened skin began to soften. The stone curse was lifting; the impossible had been achieved.

Milo's joy knew no bounds when Rael's stone eyes blinked open, full of life once again. 'You have accomplished what I couldn’t,' Rael voiced feebly, tears brimming in his eyes. 'You are not just an alchemist, but also a sage who understood alchemy’s true essence: transformation.'

And thus, Milo, the one-time-scruffy boy, carried forward the legacy of Rael, the Last Alchemist. The city of Argoth profited from this revival of an ancient science that brought with it wisdom and transformation, all thanks to the determination of a boy turned alchemist.