Chapter 11
Copyright J.B. Norman
Maybe he got scared off by the guards hired by Constantine von Braidford, or maybe Roland finally Alchemy Punched him hard enough to keep him down for the count, but Alveric von Strom does not make a reappearance on the group’s return trip to Middlesbrooke. And for the first time in a long time, Lucia decides that she’s actually having a good day. And, for the first time in a long time, Lucia, Petra, and Apolline have full wallets and full pockets. So Lucia decides she’s having a really good day.
With her share of money from the job — plus a contribution directly from the Ducal treasury after Roland mentioned it to Duke Charles — Apolline is able to make the long-overdue renovations to Great-Uncle Pollux’s house.
“Let’s see how it’s coming along, shall we?” Apolline says to the others as they stand on front porch. She slowly pushes the door open and Lucia, Petra, Alda, and Roland follow her inside.
The old house still looks like no-one has set foot inside it for years and years, but the builders’ efforts are starting to show. Lucia still doesn’t want to actually live here, but she’s no longer worried the building is about to collapse onto her.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Lucia says, surveying the foyer.
Suddenly, Alda shrieks and leaps into her brother’s muscular arms.
“What’s wrong?” Roland asks.
“There’s a rat!” Alda cries, burying her face in her brother’s shoulder. “There’s a big, gross rat!”
“Don’t worry,” Lucia says, tracking the large furry shadow scurrying across the floor. “I got this.”
Her furry lynx ears twitch with anticipation as she tenses her muscles and prepares to spring into action.
She leaps.
“Come here, you!” she growls as she pounces, graceful and agile even in her human form.
Lucia snatches up the rat in one smooth motion, using her momentum to roll through as she hits the floor and deftly comes to a stop in the far corner of the room. She springs back to her feet. When she turns back to her companions, the rat’s tail is protruding from her mouth.
“Oh, Lucia,” Apolline murmurs, burying her face in her manicured hand, “you didn’t.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Roland groans.
“That was, uh, excellent form on your pounce, Lucia,” Petra notes, a slight green hue rising in her blue features.
Lucia stares gravely at her companions and throws her arms up indignantly.
“What?” she asks defensively through a mouthful of rat. “I’m a cat!”
“That was awesome!” Alda exclaims.
Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door.
“Who could that be?” Apolline wonders aloud. “We haven’t even moved in yet.”
Quickly stuffing the rest of her prey into her mouth, Lucia follows behind Apolline as the Aurorean sorceress opens the door.
“We’ve been looking for you,” the man at the head of the group standing on the doorstep says. Although he is battered and bruised, he has proven himself to be quite persistent.
“I don’t believe this,” Lucia mutters. “These guys. Again.”
“Hey, you lot!” Alveric von Strom calls. “We’re not finished with you!”
“Wait. Do we know each other?” Roland asks, staring blankly at the bandits.
“Of course we know each other!” Alveric von Strom says. “You beat us up! Twice! And now, we’re going to get even.”
Roland continues to stare blankly. “Of course!” he says in the sudden flash of insight. “I recognise you from Uncle Chuck’s cotillion! Yeah, you were dressed up as a polar bear, weren’t you?”
“No, I was most certainly not dressed up as a polar bear,” the bandit says.
“No, Roland. It’s the bandits. From before,” Alda notes.
“Highwaymen,” Alveric von Strom insists angrily.
“Oh. Of course! Them!” Roland says. He turns to the bandits. “Well, we’d love to help you with that, but we’re kinda in the middle of our tour. Come back later.”
He starts closing the door.
“Hey!” Alveric von Strom yells, thrusting out his hand to catch the door and begin forcing it back open. “Don’t you dare! I’ll have you know that thanks to you and your bald ape, I’ve been banned for life from the Alchemical Society! Me! Alveric von Strom! They retroactively disqualified me from the previous competitions! They took my plaques off the wall!”
“That’s too bad?” Roland offers, not quite following his rival alchemist’s ranting.
“But now, I — Alveric von Strom — will have my revenge,” he declares as he reaches for his sword. “You’ve ruined me, and you’ve left me no choice but to ruin you right back!”
Roland rolls his eyes. “Oh, fine. Let’s get this over with.” He flexes his arms and cracks his knuckles as he glances back at his companions. “Don’t worry, guys,” he assures them. “I got this.”
He surges forward.
“Alchemy Punch!”
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