The Autocraft Alchemist

Richard wasn't sure what to make of the questions that Edgar had asked. And from looking around the room it seemed like the old timers were all of differing opinions. Some wanted a chance to realize the days of the past, while others wanted nothing to do with it. When he looked at the younger people present, many of them looked just as lost as he felt. Though some looked like they shared the feelings of the more combative older generation, and had an energy that looked like they were looking towards the war.

"Alright, let's can it for now," Jackie said. "If you don't then I'm going to have to- good." She looked over the rapidly quieting room and gave an eyeball to those still whispering. When the room was finally quiet she stepped back and let Edgar take over again.

"What we are suggesting isn't something that everyone needs to follow. Many of the clan members have made lives for themselves. Many feel that they are too old for combat. And many just want to live the rest of their lives peacefully.

"There are no problems with any of those. But with an orc war coming. How many of us will be left if they overtake the walls and settlements? If you want to stand up again with the clan, then do so. There will be no forcing anyone and all opinions will be respected," Edgar said and looked around the room.

"The government missed the ratters. Who knows where the orcs came from. They could have been driven away from the country in the west. The one made from the old provinces on the other side of the wilds. Or they could be from a recent break. Dungeons have been found again. New dungeons. And we could be looking at a second wave. But we already know how to deal with them now."

Jackie patted Edgar on the arm and he moved aside. "Edgar tends to get wordy if we let him. It was something the old timers here should have remembered," she said and it brought forth a laugh or two. "There is no avoiding the fact that we are moving into another turbulent time. In the past we got through it together, with the clan. But this is a different age. Is the clan still needed? And do we play with the government or do our own thing? That is what we need to decide. Everything else is icing for now.

"From the drone footage that we've been able to see there is at least one settlement nearby. And we have attempted to communicate with the west to see what they know. But as always it's hard to get long range data or information since the satellite fragmentation that happened after the break.

"For now go home, back to your families, and hug them for all of us. Orcs never marched in the winter before. But those were fresh ones. Who knows how long these ones have been around and what they are going to be like. We may have until the spring, or longer. Or shorter," she said looked around the room. "We'll meet here again next week and discuss what role people want to play then." Jackie and Edgar then stepped away from the microphone and came down from the stage.

It was a hell of an info dump and Richard felt that he needed some time to digest everything. He wasn't even sure where to begin. And he looked to his father to see what the old man thought only to find his father already looking his way.

"This is a chance for the clan to revive. Only I wish that it was under better circumstances," his father said. "You'll need to decide if you want to join in or not. You're an adult. And you know your mother well enough that she would want you to remain safe."

"The clan couldn't rise again without a threat like this," Kent said. "Too many of of us have been put to sleep by peace. And have forgotten how we got here." Kent stood and walked to the door while the rest looked after him.

Indigo shook her head. "Kent always wanted what we have now. Only issue with peace is that it never lasts. We'll have to wait and see who decides on what. But I think that for many of us our decisions have already been made." She patted Richard's father on the shoulder and stood with the young woman who had been sitting next to her and left.

"Lets go and meet with your Mom," Richard's father said and stood. However, something caught his attention and he turned. "Though I'm afraid that we might have to talk a bit before that."

Richard looked to where his father was staring and found that Jackie and Edgar had approached the table while they were talking. He shared a look with his father to find out what was going on. Only his father shook his head and sighed.

***

Richard and his father had been asked to stay behind for a moment by Jackie and Edgar. And they shortly found themselves in the kitchen behind the stage of the hall. It was empty except for the 4 of them and looked like it had been designed some 20 years before.

"Hal has mentioned that you were an alchemist?" Edgar asked from where he was standing in the room. While there were enough chairs for everyone to sit at a small table. Only Jackie took a chair and his father decided to lean against the sink.

"That's right," Richard said. He had decided against taking a chair and instead to mirror Edgar.

"Jackie has also said that you have some rather powerful potions."

"Right."

"Sorry if I put you on guard at all. Clans are like all forces or groups of people, in that they tend to benefit from having a strong support element."

Jackie swatted Edgar on the arm. "What this fool is trying to say is that he hopes that you would be willing to lend your support to the clan even if you don't feel like joining up. Some of us will be fighting against the orcs no matter what. As we have spent too many lives to create a safe haven in the madness of the new world. And we aren't going to let some dungeon spawn take it from us."

"That… I mean. This is all a little much for me to really process. One moment I was shopping and the next I was pulled into," Richard waved his hands towards the hall and stage,"whatever that was."

"It's all a little much, I'll agree," his father said and shot a look at Edgar. "There's no harm asking for time Richard. We still have some of it."

Richard washed his face with his hands. They weren't asking for much. And assuming that they would provide him with the materials he would be able to just pump out potions. Helping someone when he could was important to him. And he never wanted to be the sort of person who would just stand to the side and watch.

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There was also what his father was going to do. What would the old man choose? Given his mother's feelings on the matter his father was probably going to stand aside. Which… made Richard glad. Since it would mean that his father wouldn't be fighting on the front lines. But also it felt like his father would want to be there. Working with his clan mates and fighting against the foe seeking to claim their land and lives.

While he could see where both of his parents were coming from. Richard didn't know which notion was correct. Wanting your family to stay safe vs wanting to fight to protect your family.

"I can't promise anything at the moment," Richard said. It felt to him that Jackie and Edgar's expressions fell a little. "But at the very least I don't mind crafting potions for the clan. I'll need the materials at least. And we'll have to discuss what would be helpful. As I can't say that I know what is good for war aside from the Weak Healing Potions that I can make."

Jackie smiled, stood, grabbed Richard's shoulders, and squeezed. "Thank you. And even if it's just healing potions it'll help save many lives. We'll connect again either before or after next week's meeting," she said.

Jackie and Edgar said their goodbyes before excusing themselves. It seemed like there were a number of people that they wanted to speak with and didn't want to keep them waiting.

"Well son. How about coming over for supper. I told your Ma that you'd be in the area and she'd like that."

Richard smiled. "Probably for the best. Since I think that I need some of her home cooking after all this."

***

The ride to his parents house was spent in companionable silence. Though for Richard it was more that his mind was spinning from all of the things that had just been dumped onto him. And he found that he was sitting at an impasse and he needed to make a decision.

Joining the clan probably wouldn't be an issue. It would give him a place to belong, as well as more people he could trust to enter the dungeons with. A source of people coming to him for potions. And maybe even a mentor to advance his alchemy, assuming that he needed to learn the traditional manner of crafting potions.

Joining the war on the other hand… He couldn't see himself doing it. Fighting on the front lines, shoulder to shoulder with clan mates, all while trying to kill someone or something else and hoping that the same wasn't done to him. But there was a difference between fighting a skirmish against ratters and open field combat with a fantasy race of monsters. Monsters like orcs.

There was also some consideration about how much of his alchemy abilities should he reveal to the clan? While it should be a safe place for anyone descended from the original members. There was always a chance. One person could cause waves that could swallow up countless others. Which was a real fear of Richard's considering that he had already almost ended up in a basement once before.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "What do you think about Jackie," Richard asked. "She seemed like a good enough person."

"Hmm? How do you mean?"

"Is she someone who is trustworthy enough to tell about my Alchemy Rank?"

It took a moment for his father to respond. "I do. But it's really up to you how far you want to tell things. You can always fill them in later, and there shouldn't be any harm in waiting until you feel confident enough in the clan to reveal it."

His father's words helped Richard with deciding what to do. Maybe he would share his rank with the clan later. But for the now there was probably no harm in not doing so.

The truck finally pulled into the driveway and they both sat there a moment after the car had been shut off. His father looked at him, and Richard nodded. It had been a don't say anything to your mother look. Something that he had been getting a lot of from the old man as of late.

"Outside of my alchemy, what are we going to do?" Richard finally asked.

"Everything that we can," his father said. "Sometimes that means more than we are willing to give. While other times we wish that we could have given even more. This time… it might be a little bit of both," he said and got out of the car. Richard sighed and followed after him.

"Richard!" his mother said when he walked into the house with his father. It was strange that she didn't bother to welcome her husband home at all. And instead he snuck deeper into the house with a smirk on his face. "I'm glad to see you. It was too bad that Thanksgiving had to turn out the way that it did. Those blasted things."

"Mother, I too feel disappointed by the terrible turn of events. It would have been better had they waited for the day after. Perhaps around noon? By then all of us would have been right on our feet proper. And could have given them the little dastards the welcome they deserved."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "You're making fun, but people died. Those that were closer to the wall, they didn't even find their bodies in the end." She shuddered. "Just like your uncle."

"I've heard the same Mom. Only we can't let them take the good times from us like that. And we need to accept what happened and press on."

"Oh, when did you finally grow up? Are you really the same son of mine who I never see? Does this mean that you'll be coming by a lot more often? We live in the same city, unlike your sister over in Rowan. She comes about as often as you do."

"I do try to come by when I can. Before I was just busy all of the time." Though that was when he was employed. And after escaping that job he didn't feel like doing much. Which wasn't something that he wanted his mother to hear.

"What did you and your father get up to? He said that you were nearby the other day as well. But you didn't come by then?"

"Ah, well." It was then that Richard realized why his father had snuck off like he had. He was using Richard to deal with his mother instead of receiving the aggro himself. "It wasn't anything special. Just meeting with some of the clan members is all."

His mother stamped her foot onto the group. "I told your father that I didn't want you kids to get involved with them. He makes me so cross sometimes," she said and her lip trembled.

"Don't worry about it Mom. I asked him to introduce me to some people. Just to talk and see. I thought that maybe I could meet some people who I could trust to go into the dungeons with. After all, after immediate family, there's nothing like extended family right?"

She frowned at him. "Family is family, right. Found and blood can be the same." Her manner perked up. "Maybe you could meet someone? And then maybe give me some grandbabies? You aren't getting any younger you know? And your sister is saying that she still isn't ready for it. That's not how a family works, and children come along when they come, you know?"

Richard half listened to his mother as he looked deeper into the home where his father was hiding. With the hope that Richard would deal with his clearly under-socialized mother. Just where had the old man been? And it wasn't that Richard minded of course. But it would have been nice to have some back up. As well as a second ear.

He watched on as his mother started getting supper ready. And found that it helped having a reminder of what he wanted to protect. While Welf never was a place that Richard really cared for. The city was where his parents and family home was located. And he would hate to see it destroyed.

Richard felt that he had come to a decision. And that on some level he was going to use his alchemy to help protect the peace that people have become used to. While he would also make sure to try and stay as safe himself as possible. There would always be risks, for anyone. And not just for crafters. And it would be up to him if he was powerful enough to resist them.