My dear friends, I come here to inform you that although I cannot say much about myself, know that I was the alchemist you were seeking.
I was not always this old... But when my beloved left, a part of me left too. That never mattered much to me, because before you, someone else visited me, a young man, over 100 years ago. I believe he is no longer alive...
In this letter, you will find the recipe for what you came looking for and a bit more. If you look in the mud, you will find the sword that Evandro left behind. I saw it and found it very ordinary, so I exchanged it for something more... let's say, better, and buried alongside it another sword for Alexander.
My dear friends, your stay has refreshed the soul of this old man that I am. I cannot help you too much; part of the journey is facing the obstacles on your own.
Here is the recipe, which is simple to make:
- 3 leaves of kastanós-common
- A pinch of powder from any tree trunk.
- A chip of stone.
Boil everything — and rest assured it only works when cold — and then strain the liquid. Do not forget that it can only be placed in any container after it has cooled down. It is flammable, but only with fire sparks, so it is safe in any container.
This recipe is old, perhaps one of the first I learned when studying the properties of kastanós-common.
My friends, do not forget, you have the same goal, the same target, and it will come down to only one thing for you: something that is not about you, but about others.
All of this is bigger than you; it is about giving hope without keeping it. Alexander was not destined for anything, but he had a path prepared, and he chose it. Evandro, you were destined, but you can choose not to follow the prophecy. It is always about choices.
Besides, I feel that Alexander will be important to you in the future; something tells me that not everything will go as planned. The prophecy comes from something almost human. Certain things of the divine escape our understanding, and we cannot predict or know how they will be. (Please do not read this part aloud.)
A war is approaching, and it will come in a way that no one can predict. The future has not been written; there are, of course, fragments showing us milestones, but none have been fulfilled, and they can change due to our failures and human choices.
May faith guide you. Evandro and Alexander
…
A sudden silence entered the environment; even the euphoric Alexander froze in shock at the last words. It was like a sword piercing his insides, turning his stomach. Deep down, in his deepest thoughts, he knew it was true.
Evandro, with wide eyes and half-open mouth, walked to a part of the mud where there was a small protrusion with some tiny points of reflection and threw the letter at Alexander's chest.
He crouched and quickly dug with his hands, revealing two xiphos, double-edged, made of polished silver, with unintelligible designs between the blades and on the hilt.
Along with the two swords, there were two belts with scabbards for the swords, each with two jar-shaped containers attached to them.
Alexander, not even bothering to read the letter, rolled it up and placed it in his bag. He was sweating and blinking, and in his usual exasperated manner, he grabbed the sword and the belt.
"After all, the old man has his surprises..." The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and his eyes shone under the reflection of the mud-covered sword.
Evandro murmured, gritting his teeth. "We need to wash this..."
He paused and frowned, looking at himself and the clothes he and Alexander wore.
"Actually, we and everything we have needs a bath."
Alexander sheathed the sword and unsheathed it again, testing it while speaking in a calmer and more animated tone.
"Don't worry, it'll rain again soon..."
Evandro shook his head and shrugged.
"You're right... Besides, we can't waste time. Let's get back quickly."
He furrowed his brow and looked up at the sky.
"How long will it take, more or less, to get back?"
Alexander raised his eyebrows and stretched out the palm of his hand.
"It'll only be 5 days... It took me 3 days to reach your house and another two for us to get here. If we don't stop along the way, we might even arrive earlier."
He bit his lips and sighed as if thinking about something.
"Actually, I forgot we have a problem... We'll have to take a little detour... We can't pass through the village. By now, they must be looking for us everywhere."
Evandro gave a few light taps on his forehead.
"Actually, Alex—Xander... I think it'll be hard for us to avoid a fight... It's almost certain we'll run into something like that on the way..." he said while massaging his slightly wet white beard like someone deeply pondering.
Alexander lowered his eyebrows, visibly irritated.
"So you suggest we give up? Or worse... that we should go through your village first?"
Evandro remained silent, not even listening, still wandering in his thoughts, looking at the sky.
"Listen, great hero... If you're going to give up, this is the time. One way or another, I will get what I want."
Evandro continued without answering him.
He seriously thought that maybe he should speed things up... His mind was trying its best to think of something, but he had difficulty coming up with anything that made real sense.
It was as if his brain was available, but he couldn't access it directly.
He thought and thought. He felt like he was dreaming again. Calm waters crossed his mind.
His uncle had taught him to clear his mind and bring clarity in moments of obscurity, both internal and external.
Click!
A key turned in his mind, and he 'woke up' from his dream, with Alexander's muttering as he paced back and forth anxiously.
"If he's the hero, we're doomed... What's gotten into him, huh?"
Evandro smiled and raised his eyebrows.
"Hey!"
Alexander stopped abruptly, blinking a few times.
"Huh?! Snapped out of your crazy trance?!"
"Actually, I was diving into ideas... And I know exactly what we need to do."
Alexander crossed his fingers behind his back.
"What?"
"We're going to do something worse... After all, that's where the concentration of soldiers is higher at the moment. But no stalling.
"We're going to my village, and we'll draw attention in the middle of the square."