The Alchemist's Clock

[exanimated 1360]

The withered old man would look towards his notes with tired eyes- gazing past the esoteric writings he had been collecting for centuries. Past that his own notes, books ‘pon books of different recipes, learnings, and notes from his students- almost all now having become skilled alchemists or mages who have left the nest. A short sigh would escape him as he looked to the blueprint, a short smile coming to rest ‘pon his countenance.. This man, he had traveled the planes of existence, learned the secret languages of Iblees and Moz’strimoza, gotten to the pinnacle of alchemy- yet could nothing save him from the passage of time. Surely the klones could, yet they too will wither.

 

And so he continued his work in the dark, no one but his old friend Daija standing at his side to help him. Every so often he would glance at the paintings of his daughter and his son, Ruben and Vasati- both long gone as he had not seen them in many years. Yet still he moved on. He thought of his lovers, those he had again not seen in eons and he did not want them to see his waning sanity, the slow loss of his vision or the deterioration of his body.

 

Yet the work continued. . And continued. . Decades of plans leading to this final stretch as the gentle ticking would enter the ears of the man. Slowly he would turn towards Daija, his friend and student who he had taught some of his advanced arts. And so she would look at him with very little hesitation, her hand would slither forth. A dagger. And so it would pierce into the flesh of the man, piercing his beating heart with ease, barely a muscle to go through. A cough of blood would escape him as he stared forth. . only for his vision to be cut to see his own body falling lifeless, a headless mess.

 

Now the lab was silent besides the gently ticking coming forth, a knife through the now cold room. And so Cain Thelin was gone.

[TreeSmoothie 4895]

Somewhere, an elf still feigning as a human sips on tea as she watches the sun set. "I vonder how Cain is, these days."

[Juno. 1276]

R