I listened intently to the driver's explanation, his final words echoing in my mind: “The great, ominous archway carved from black stone…”

  It sounded like a portal to hell itself, and the thought sent a cold shiver down my spine. Yet, at the same time, I felt a strange flicker of curiosity about this Dungeon. It reminded me of the fantasy books I used to devour in my old life. The idea of facing monsters as a brave adventurer and discovering unimaginable treasures was… tempting. An involuntary grin tugged at my lips at the thought, picturing myself clad in gleaming armor, wielding a magic sword.

  Reality crashed back in, however, as I imagined fighting hordes of monsters with my current, pitiful abilities. Another shiver ran down my spine, this one less pleasant. As I physically shuddered, the driver glanced at me questioningly.

  “I was just thinking about the adventurer's life,” I explained, forcing a childishly fearful expression onto my face. “And realized it sounds really scary.”

  The driver burst into hearty laughter. “Yeah, I can well imagine,” he chuckled. “But from what I’ve heard, the Dungeon isn’t necessarily as dangerous as you might think, at least not at first.”

  Confused, I furrowed my brow. “It isn’t?”

  Slowing the carriage slightly, the driver expertly maneuvered it through a large, ornate stone archway marking the entrance to a new district. He carefully avoided collisions with other carriages and pedestrians crowding the narrower street. Once through the bottleneck, he frowned thoughtfully and elaborated.

  “Of course, I’ve never been in the Dungeon myself, so I can only tell you what I’ve heard from adventurers. The Dungeon is divided into levels, or floors. On the first level, you mostly encounter easy opponents: snakes, mangy dogs, maybe a giant rat or two. The deeper you descend, the stronger the enemies become. Eventually, you’ll find wolves, bears, goblins… and supposedly,” his voice dropped slightly, “even… things that defy nature.”

  At that thought, the driver visibly shuddered and refocused on the traffic as he made another turn. The carriage pulled over to the right side of the street, gradually slowing until we came to a smooth stop.

  Rubbing his nose, the driver pointed to the building on my right. “Well, here we are.”

  Following his finger, I saw we were parked in front of a sturdy stone building. A large, green wooden sign, shaped like a bubbling potion flask, hung above the door. Yep, definitely looks like an alchemist's shop.

  I hopped down from the carriage onto the sidewalk. As I turned back, the driver said, “I’ll wait here. But if you take longer than two hours, I’m leaving. Alright?”

  Oh. Surprisingly nice. Or maybe just good customer service.

  Nodding gratefully, I straightened my clothes. “Thanks. It shouldn’t take long, but I’ll try to hurry.” He gave me an understanding nod, and with that, I jumped down from the driver's seat and approached the massive wooden door of the shop.

  Pressing down the heavy iron latch, I pushed the sturdy wooden door inward and was immediately hit by a complex cloud of scents. Sharp, earthy herbs tangled with the cloying sweetness of exotic blossoms and the acrid, metallic tang of volatile reagents. I wrinkled my nose, my eyes watering. Quickly propping the door open for a moment to let in fresh air, I ventured deeper inside.

  Once the initial olfactory onslaught had dissipated somewhat, I pulled the door shut. The shop's interior was… surprisingly unremarkable. A simple wooden counter with a closed door behind it, a few tall, dark wooden cabinets lining one wall, and a small round table with four plain chairs in a corner. I had expected shelves overflowing with strange ingredients, bubbling alembics, and colorful potions, but there was nothing like that. It felt more like an apothecary's quiet office.

  Disappointed, I walked over to the counter, the floorboards creaking slightly. My gaze fixed on the small brass bell sitting there. As I raised my finger to press it, the door behind the counter creaked open.

  An ancient man, his back severely hunched, emerged slowly. He had a fringe of white hair around a mostly bald head. Scratching the back of his head with a sigh, his voice emerged rough and scratchy, like dry leaves. “I’m already here… honestly, the youth of today have no patience…”

  My eye twitched. I felt like I’d heard that exact phrase far too often. But whatever. He wasn't entirely wrong.

  The old man shuffled forward and leaned heavily on the counter, shaking his head wearily. “What can I do for you, my boy?”

  Clearing my throat, I gave a slight bow. “Please forgive the intrusion. I’m looking for an alchemist named Niclas.”

  The old man squinted, his lips smacking softly. “Aye, that’s me. What do you want, now that you’ve found me?” he asked, his tone turning slightly suspicious.

  Holding up my hands placatingly, I explained, “Please forgive me, I didn’t mean to be impolite. My cat is gravely ill, and I’m searching for an almost legendary ingredient. Perhaps it goes by a different name today. That’s why I’m consulting all the alchemists I can find.” His expression softened slightly as he listened.

  “A legendary ingredient… for a cat?” he asked, bewildered, scratching his head. “What ingredient are we talking about?”

  “In ancient texts, it’s called the Phoenix Ember Root,” I replied, recalling Lady Elara’s words. “It’s said to possess immense amounts of pure life force and the essence of rebirth. But that’s all I know. Not what it looks like, how to prepare it, or where it might be found. If it even exists.”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Now Niclas’s eyes widened in shock. “Gods above! Even if such an ingredient exists, it would surely cost hundreds, if not thousands, of gold! And all that for a cat?! What illness can a cat possibly have that can’t be cured with a simple healing potion?”

  Taking a deep breath, I spoke the cursed words. “My cat is trapped in an Aetherial Lock. And I need this damned ingredient, whatever it costs. But first, I have to find out what it looks like and where to find it.”

  Niclas’s face now mirrored a deep confusion. “Aetherial Lock? Can’t say I’ve heard of that, but perhaps I’ve just forgotten.” He shook his head slowly. “But I am quite certain I have never heard of a Phoenix Ember Root. If it has the effect you speak of, I would surely remember. That sounds like the Holy Grail of alchemical ingredients.” Shaking his head again, he continued, “So, unfortunately, I can’t help you. If there’s nothing else, I’d like to get back to my potions.”

  Shit… Of course, I hadn't expected a jackpot, but no lead at all? Bitter. Then, something else occurred to me.

  “There is one more thing,” I said quickly. “Could you perhaps tell me where I can buy a Codex Botanica?”

  The alchemist now looked even more confused. “What in the blazes do you want with that?”

  I sighed internally. Why can't he just answer? “I’m trying to narrow down the selection of ingredients by process of elimination,” I explained. “There’s already a clue in the name—‘Root’—so I’m trying to list all roots with even the slightest healing effect. That way, I’d at least have a few leads.”

  Apparently, a light bulb went on. “Clever,” he mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Even if the information about its location and preparation has been lost, that doesn’t mean the ingredient itself is. Perhaps it simply goes by a different name now.” Taking a deep breath, he looked at me intently. “Wait here.” He disappeared with shuffling steps back into the rear room.

  Now I was curious. It didn't take long before he returned, carrying a huge, ancient-looking book with a thick leather cover. With a groan, he heaved the tome onto the counter.

  “Here it is. The Codex Botanica. The collected knowledge of all known alchemical ingredients.” His grin widened. “However, it’s somewhat older; a new edition only comes out every few years. Unfortunately, young people aren’t as interested in alchemy anymore.” Lovingly stroking the dust from the cover, he slowly opened it and turned it towards me.

  Leaning on the counter, I saw the first page displayed four plants. Each had a detailed drawing and information. The first three were flowers for minor ailments—nothing interesting. But the last entry was a root. My curiosity piqued.

  Visible was a black-and-white drawing of a smooth, almost obsidian-black tuberous root, roughly heart-shaped. My fingers traced the aged parchment as I quietly read the heading aloud. “Salamander’s Heart…”

  Below the drawing was an explanation.

  Virtues & Effects: Holds fiery essences granting temperance against heat. Chewing a small piece raw allows one to endure great heat unharmed for a time. Favoured by smiths and explorers of burning mountains. Stirs the blood; excessive consumption may agitate the heart. Preparation: Consume a small portion raw. Virtue lasts roughly one hour. Take no more than prescribed.

  Hm. Several clues. The Phoenix Ember Root had potent life force and rebirth energy. But what if it also looked the part? Where did ‘Ember’ come from? Coloring? ‘Root’ was self-explanatory. Anything related to phoenix, fire, ember, root, healing, rebirth was a potential lead.

  “This is exactly what I need… could you tell me where I can buy the Codex Botanica?” I asked pleadingly.

  Niclas looked at me intently, then snapped the book shut. “You can buy it at the Arcane Sanctum… for twenty gold pieces,” he said, rubbing his chin, his tone strange.

  Twenty gold pieces?! Even with the ten gold from Lady Ainsworth, I'd only have half… and nothing left to actually buy the root. My head hung low. I’d first have to acquire a lot of money.

  “Come with me, my boy…” the old alchemist said. He was already halfway to the back room, beckoning me.

  Puzzled, I followed him around the counter and through the doorway. We stood before a staircase leading down, which Niclas began to descend slowly. The wooden steps creaked. What felt like ten thousand different smells assaulted my nose. Tears streamed from my eyes, and I had to cough violently.

  Niclas just chuckled. “The youth of today… can’t handle anything…” he wheezed.

  We stood on a small landing with three doors. Green steam billowed from under the door ahead, light flickered beneath the left one. Niclas walked purposefully to the right door and tried with shaky fingers to insert a key. Unlocking it, he pushed it open slowly and went inside.

  The room was dimly lit by a small cellar window high up. Niclas walked purposefully through the darkness until he disappeared. Confused, I waited near the doorway. He’s not going to murder me, is he? But my paranoia proved unfounded.

  Niclas reappeared, breathing heavily. As he stepped into the light, I saw he carried another large book, confusingly similar to the Codex Botanica. Without warning, he thrust it into my hands. The sheer weight made me stumble back. Questioningly, I looked at the old alchemist.

  “Boy,” he began, panting slightly, “I’ll make you a proposal. I will lend you the penultimate edition of the Codex Botanica. Hell, you can keep it. It just gathers dust here, and no one buys the old editions anyway.” He explained this while painfully rubbing his lower back.

  “Just like that?” I asked skeptically.

  He just shook his head. “Nothing is free, my boy. In exchange, I ask three things. First: should you find information about the Phoenix Ember Root, or the plant itself, share it with me. Second: take good care of the book. And third:” he fixed me with a stern look, “thank me properly. Because the youth of today know no ‘please’ or ‘thank you’…” He then launched into a lengthy monologue about terrible young people.

  Is the information really so valuable he’d give me such a precious book… or is this Codex worth much less than he claims? Fundamentally, it didn't matter. I had what I was looking for. He knew neither who I was nor where I lived. He couldn't even get the book back. So why is he doing this?

  My thoughts drifted to Ivo… whom Pip had helped. Neither of us gained anything but the knowledge of doing good. Was that why Niclas was helping me? A simple act of kindness?

  Carefully placing the heavy Codex on the floor, Niclas looked confused, but I just held out my hand. If I'm thanking him, I'll do it right. Cautiously, the old alchemist took my hand. His grip was surprisingly firm.

  “Master Niclas,” I said, looking him sincerely in the eye, “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. You have no idea how important it is for me to help my cat. She is the most important thing in the world. Therefore, I promise I will cherish the Codex Botanica. And of course, I will share any information I find about the Phoenix Ember Root with you.” I said it solemnly, head lowered slightly in respect.

  When I looked up, the old alchemist regarded me with an unreadable expression. His brow was still furrowed, but the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

  “Well then, get going. Take the book and get to work. The youth of today waste so much time. Go on. Go. Your cat is waiting!” he shooed me away.

  He was right. I couldn't afford to waste time… Pip was waiting.