Toku was late. What was most unfortunate, however, was that he did not know that he was late. One might wonder how a boy of fourteen (and a very mature fourteen, at that) would not realize that he was late for his studies...but then, even a boy of sixty-five would not realize this if he was asleep. And, as it turns out, Toku was currently enjoying a particularly vivid dream about how he had so impressed his master during his lessons that he had been given the evening off to go on a date with that cute girl he always saw at the Crossroads but never had the guts to say anything to...but I really am getting off track. In short, Toku was late and sleeping soundly.

Luckily, it was just at this time that the miners began the morning work on the new shaft. Whenever the miners began a new shaft you could always count on a little extra noise in the tunnels that day. The rock at the Crossroads was so thick and hard that explosives had to be used to “crack the shell,” as the miners called it. So, just as Toku had ordered the cute girl a very expensive meal of surface meat and fruit at the most expensive restaurant in the kingdom, the great blast of the explosion ripped through his subconsciousness, and the restaurant (not to mention the cute girl) evaporated before his dream-eyes, and he woke up with a start.

Bleary-eyed but heart racing, he searched frantically for the origin of his rude awakening. As his eyes darted back and forth, his mind slowly began to clear. Unfortunately, with clarity of mind came the startling revelation that he had overslept and was going to be late for his studies. Immediately the hammering began in his chest again, and he leaped from bed, threw on his black apprentice robes, grabbed his alchemical gloves from the corner, and darted out into the main chamber of his family's cave. His mom had left a piece of dried meat on the stone dining table for breakfast, so he grabbed it and began chewing on it as he flew out the single, heavy, metal front door into the long tunnel that would lead him from the third residential shaft to the Crossroads.

To our eyes the shaft would have appeared very dark and foreboding. It seemed to stretch endlessly in both directions, snaking its way through the darkness of the earth. But to Toku, who was born and raised in the Lower Kingdom, the deep, dark light that would not even register on our retinas seemed to light up the corridor as if it was lit by the noon-day sun. He could see every nameplate etched into the wall beside the metal doors that appeared regularly every 50 feet. Now, it is important that the reader understand that this tunnel was not the craggy, dingy cavern full of moss, mold, and bats that one tends to think of when imagining a deep, dark tunnel. This lengthy corridor was the product of master artisans and if you could see it in the light of day, you would be amazed by the smoothness of the walls, and the perfect right angles that formed the ceiling and the floor. The floor was expertly carved with intricate patterns and pictures that were not only beautiful but also provided traction on stone that otherwise was cut so smoothly that it would have been more like walking on ice.

Toku raced down the corridor, darting around the occasional pedestrian, all the way to the Crossroads. Here the tunnel opened up into an enormous chamber. This great atrium was just as well crafted as the long shaft from which Toku had just come. The high ceiling had been shaped into a perfectly symmetrical dome, polished to a mirrored shine that served to reflect what little light was available so far below the ground. Enormous pillars rotated around the dome, supporting the roof and helping to break off the vastness of the cavern.

As Toku darted along the edge of the Crossroads, he could just make out the large group of miners at work on the new mining shaft. Such occasions always meant the Crossroads would be extra busy, and there was already a large group of spectators pressed up against the warning ropes, eager to watch the explosions. Ahead of Toku the usual merchants had set up their carts of wares selling mining equipment, dried meat and mushrooms, and smooth, suede clothing. There were even a few surface carts today selling fresh meat, cloth, vegetables, apples, and strawberries. Toku's family had never been able to afford a luxury like strawberries, but he loved the wonderfully sweet fragrance that lingered in the air as he ran past.

With so many people in the Crossroads, Toku quickly gave up on the idea of cutting through the middle of the cavern. Instead, he chose the longer but quicker route of walking counterclockwise along the edge of the great circular hall, passing shaft after shaft that radiated out from this central chamber. After passing by the entrances to the Second Residential Shaft and then the First Residential Shaft (which was reserved only for those of noble birth), Toku finally came to the King's Corridor. The mammoth gate that guarded the royal household and palace was located directly across from the new shaft now being delved out on the other side of the Crossroads. The great iron doors, emblazoned with gold and silver images of regal authority, towered all the way to the ceiling, and it was only due to the masterful art of the craftsmen who had constructed the doors that they could even be opened. They were so perfectly balanced on their hinges, embedded deep into the rock, that even a single person could push open the slabs of solid metal without any great amount of effort. Of course, this did not mean that just anyone could open the kingly doors. If you had any misconception about that fact, the twenty armed guards—ten in front of the double-door, and ten behind—would quickly remind you of your place. A gatekeeper sat stolidly in a little booth to the left of the regal entrance, ready with his book of the day's appointments to approve or deny passage to anyone who would dare request an audience with the king.

However, it was not to the King's Corridor that Toku was running. Rather, he sped right past it, barely taking the time to glance at the dark black mail and bright, polished swords of the king's personal guards. Finally, he stopped in front of a seemingly unobtrusive little door. Toku stood before the door, taking a moment to catch his breath. Now, while this door would seem quite ordinary to you or me, it was really quite extraordinary in the Lower Kingdom. In fact, there was no other door like it beneath the earth. That is because this door was not made out of the usual iron or copper out of which all the other doors in the kingdom were crafted. Instead, it was carved out of some ancient sort of wood that had been aged and worn to a deep, rich brown. A single etching of a circle with radiating lines adorned the front. It was this door that Toku now pushed open, and it was on the other side of this door that Toku found himself facing two great, gleaming, angry eyes, starring down a sharp beak of a nose and a scruffy, peppered beard.

“You're late.” The sight of that unkempt beard was bad enough, but the tone of the old man's voice and his piercing eyes made Toku wish that he had hurried just a little bit faster through the Crossroads.

“I know, Master Aleric. I overslept.” While most boys Toku's age would certainly have come up with some kind of an excuse, Toku was not the type to lie about that sort of thing. There really was no point to it, anyway. Toku had learned long ago that there was no better lie detector than those razor-sharp eyes that hid behind his master's beard.

Aleric moved aside to let Toku pass. Taking this as an invitation to get to work, Toku walked past his master and started to climb down the steps into the lab. Aleric's voice stopped him just as he reached the first step.

“We have a visitor today. She would like to see just how much you have learned from me so far. The experiment is already set up for you in the lab.” Aleric paused, his face softening just a bit. “Just do your best.”

A visitor? Toku had never known Aleric to allow visitors to lessons before. This must be a big deal.

“Who's here, Master?”

Aleric's face was as emotionless as ever, hidden behind the flowing waves of black and gray hair. But Toku thought that just for a moment a hint of worry, or was it anger, drifted into those bright, piercing eyes. Just then a woman dressed in the flowing, white robes of a master alchemist stepped out into the corridor. Toku could not help but stare at her, open-mouthed. She was beautiful, queenly. Her face exuded a quality of authority he had seen only from one other person—his master. But she was different from him too. Aleric's face was a great mix of things, much like his beard. It could be equally frightening or comforting, serious or jolly, all depending on the time and place. But there was no trace of joviality or kindness in this woman's face. Her gaze was as hard as the stone that surrounded them. Toku felt a shudder run through his body. He knew who she was, though he had never met her. This was the King's personal alchemist, Master Leicho Gin.

“I certainly hope this apprentice will prove to be worth my wait.” The woman's voice came out smooth and cold. “You do understand, boy, that it is not your place to make me wait.”

“Now, Gin...”

“I have already been forced to wait for this lazy apprentice, Aleric...do not make me remind you of your place as well!”

Aleric's eyes narrowed, and Toku felt that the only thing colder than this woman's face was Master Aleric's gaze back.

“Forgive me, Master Leicho,” Aleric said, making a sweeping gesture with his hand in a mock bow. “May I suggest, however, that rather than place blame on the lad for not knowing about a surprise evaluation, why not get right down to business so that we might not waste any more of your valuable time?” Aleric's eyes twinkled as he saw the woman's shoulders tense at the subtle reprimand. Without a reply the regal woman briskly turned and they all walked down toward the lab.

Normally Toku loved going down to the lab. There was nothing he liked more than to practice alchemy. Usually he only got to work in the lab after he had finished his chores and readings, which Master Aleric always made sure were plentiful. But once there, surrounded by curiously shaped instruments and bubbling chemicals, he could relax. Doing alchemy, Toku could forget about the troubles of the day. There was no war with the Upper Kingdom. There was no worry about where the evening's food would come from. There was only the world around him—a world of spinning clusters of atoms and flowing energy. The chaos of the world was reduced to the nicely ordered, neatly packed particles he could change and rearrange.

Unfortunately, the past several days, Toku had been having trouble performing his experiments. For some reason he had found it more and more difficult to concentrate. The neatly ordered stacks of molecules eluded him. It was as if they would slip through his mind like a fish slips through the fisherman's fingers. The more he tried to connect with the subatomic world, the harder he found it became to hold on to the connection. His concentration would waver—and in alchemy, losing one's concentration means failure. Now, in addition to these troubles, he had to perform in front of the most powerful alchemist in the kingdom. A funny knot began growing in Toku's stomach. He could not remember ever being this nervous.

As he stepped down into the lab, Toku saw that the experiment he had been working on recently was already set up for him. The alchemical crucible sat on the lab bench, filled with the golden-hued amplifier liquid. The gold and lead plates on the sides of the large crucible had been buffed to a mirror-like shine. Sitting next to the apparatus on the bench was a large block of galena, lead ore.

“Alright, Toku, let's not keep Master Leicho any longer. Get started and purify the ore like we've been practicing.”

Toku took a deep breath and put on his gloves. The right glove was embedded with a gold strip in the palm that matched the gold plate on the side of the crucible. The left glove had a similarly modeled lead strip. Luckily Toku had just buffed and cleaned his gloves the previous evening. Given the concentration problems he had been having lately, a bad glove connection was the last thing he needed.

Slowly he placed the lead ore into the crucible, letting it sink to the bottom until it was completely submerged in the golden liquid. Taking a deep breath, he grasped the edges of the crucible with his gloves and began to place himself in the meditative-like state that good alchemy required. Slowly his mind began to block out the world around him, and he felt his consciousness zooming in on the lead ore in the crucible. As he concentrated harder he felt his mind wandering freely along the many connections between the molecules of lead sulfide that made up the stone. Sweat began to form on Toku's brow, but he was oblivious to anything around him. He turned his mind to delve deeper into the ore. The individual atoms began to come into focus. He could feel the pure lead binding tightly to the sulfur. When he finally locked his mind into the energy of the individual atoms, he began the painstaking process of moving the lead away from the rest of the stone. He reached out with his mind to the nearest lead atom and grasped it.

Suddenly a stab of pain shot through his brain. But the pain vanished so quickly, Toku wondered if he had not just imagined it. He was not sure what had happened, but he told himself not to let go of the concentration he had established. Forcing himself to forget the pain, he reached out once more to grab the lead atom. Again, the pain shot through him, but this time it lingered. He felt his connection slipping, but he forced his mind to close around the atom. The pain screamed in his head, and suddenly the particle he held in his mental grasp seemed to just burn away. Frantically, Toku scanned around with his mind. All about him the atoms were disintegrating, empty nothingness growing in greater circles around where the atom he had first tried to grasp had been. Pain like nothing he had ever felt before burned his mind just as the molecules were burning up around him. He could not hold the connection any longer. With one last effort, Toku tried to grab at a lead atom that was about to be burned away. As the ring of destruction reached his outstretched mind, he screamed in agony. His mind burned as if his brain had been replaced with molten lava. His vision flashed and paled. Finally, as pain became all that he could comprehend, darkness finally surrounded him and Toku knew no more.

When Toku awoke, it took a few minutes for his head to clear. The first thing he saw was the great mass of hair streaming down from his master's concerned face. Beneath all the hair were his master's eyes, probing and scanning, trying to figure out if Toku was alright. There is nothing more reassuring than having those eyes watch over you, Toku thought. Although he was still struggling with the elephants tap-dancing in the back of his head, Toku did his best to stand.

Tottering on his unstable legs, it was all Toku could do to keep from losing consciousness. He lingered half-standing, half-sitting, holding on to Aleric's arm for support. Finally, the elephants finished their number, and Toku took a look around him. It looked like a hurricane had ripped through the lab—at least that is what Toku would have thought had he known what a hurricane was. The crucible was in pieces, strewn about on the lab bench, golden liquid oozing around its remains. Much of the instrumentation on the lab bench had been splattered with amplification liquid, and a few shards of the crucible were embedded in the nearby wall and ceiling. Amidst all the chaos of the ruined experiment, however, there was absolutely no trace of the block of galena.

Surrounded by failure and destruction, Toku did manage to find one happy thought: Master Leicho was covered in the sticky, golden ooze that was now dripping in a steady stream off of the lab bench to the floor. Her pristine white robes were now a rather irreverent shade of yellow. Her face looked just as sour.

“Are you alright, Toku?” Aleric asked, his hand on Toku's shoulder.

“I...I think so. What happened?”

“It's quite obvious what happened!” Leicho spat the words out at Toku before Aleric even had a chance to respond. Toku felt life coming back into his shaken legs—his body preparing itself for the onslaught this stone-hearted superior was about to rain down upon him.

“This is what happens when lazy apprentice alchemists try to show off. Not only did you waste my time by being late, but now you waste my time here. At least I now know the depths of your incompetence as an alchemist...and your incompetence,” she roared, leveling a finger at Aleric, “as a teacher!”

More than the insult to himself, this insult to his master caused Toku's heart begin to burn with anger. Toku had only the greatest respect for his master. Aleric had been the first to discover the potential he had for alchemy and had agreed to take him as his apprentice when no one else would. Normally the supreme concentration and connectedness with the elemental world was passed on only along the family lines already associated with alchemical talent. It was extremely rare for someone without an alchemist blood-relative to have the gift, and it was even rarer that these gifts were discerned and exhibited at such a young age—especially from a child of two miners, the absolutely lowest rank someone in the Lower Kingdom could hold.

Aleric, however, took the insult in stride, and simply offered Leicho Gin a towel. Somehow, the even-tempered master had managed to remain perfectly clean—even his beard was completely dry and ooze-free. Taking his master's lead, Toku also steadied himself and tried to remain calm. He did his best, however, to burn a hole through Master Leicho's head with his eyes. Unfortunately he failed, and she did not even bother to notice.

“Well, I can see that I will have to recruit my alchemists from the other schools.” This statement came as a bit of a shock to Toku. First of all, apprentice alchemists were never put into service before they were passed by their masters, and Toku was nowhere near that level yet. Secondly, and even more surprising, the King never needed to recruit alchemists. There were few enough in the kingdom as it was...it was all they could do to keep enough low-level alchemists trained to purify the ore the miners took from the ground. Any alchemist in the kingdom would jump at the chance to work in the king's household. Everyone knew that meant true freedom—unlimited resources for research and development, not to mention the obvious benefits being associated with the king would bring. The king did not "recruit" alchemists, especially apprentice alchemists from renegade masters. Obviously something was up—something that required more alchemists than were already trained.

After wiping the bulk of the golden goo off with a towel, Master Leicho quickly cleaned herself with a simple alchemical separation, not unlike what Toku had just attempted. Finally clean of the pungent yellow liquid, she gave Aleric one last searing glance and stormed out of the lab with the same pride with which she had entered, but this time without the nobility. Toku could not help but feel relieved.