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Cro And The Alchemist
Cro was a young girl when her mother the Queen of Puhar died. The council of Bishops decided that they would take care of the daily affairs until the Cro was ready to be crowned.
The young princess was tutored by a man from a faraway land. The man was a trusted advisor to the dead Queen. The council of Bishops did not like this tutor because his ideologies were against the traditional values held by them. They tried to get rid of the tutor on several pretexts but the princess did not permit it.
When Cro was old enough to be crowned, the council kept postponing her coronation. After enjoying power for such a long time, the council was reluctant to give it up. Cro was not too eager to be crowned so she didn’t mind the delay. But it was brought to her attention that some of the Bishops have been stealing gold from the royal reserves. She did her own investigation and found out who the culprits were. She decided to teach them a lesson.
Cro told her tutor about how some Bishops in the council were looting people’s gold. She wanted to expose them and claim her rightful place. Together they hatched a plan to make the Bishops give up their power. Cro asked the tutor to leave the capital and make all the arrangements. She also did not want him to be present so that she will appear more vulnerable in front of the council. The tutor agreed.
A few days later when Cro and the council of Bishops were arguing about the daily affairs, the guard announced that a visitor had come to meet the council. Cro ordered the guard to let the visitor in.
The visitor was a young man from a distant land. He came into the hall and bowed before Cro.
“My Queen.” said the man.
“Stop!” interrupted the old Bishop. “She is not a queen yet. You should address the council.”
“Honorable Bishops. I am the prince of Gaki. Years ago on my travels beyond the forsaken mountains I met an alchemist. He trained me on the art of alchemy. From him I had learned the secret to turn any metal into gold. I want to give this council that gift.”
The word “gold” caught the attention of the Bishops. Cro noticed that.
“Why?” asked Cro. But her question was drowned in others that the Bishops were barking.
“How can you turn metal into gold?” asked the old Bishop.
“Can you show us?” asked the tall Bishop.
The alchemist was well prepared for these questions. He decided to demonstrate his skill to the Bishops. He gestured to his assistants and the assistants returned with a box that was as big as a human torso. At the top of the box there was a hole in one of the corners.
“If you throw any metal inside this hole it will turn into gold. Do you have anything that I can put inside it?” the alchemist asked.
A guard was sent to bring some scrap iron from the blacksmith. The guard returned with a sack full of the same. The alchemist took two handfuls of iron scraps and shoved them into the hole. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the box. It did not make any noise; no smoke or fumes came out of it. They couldn’t smell anything funny either.
“We will have the gold tomorrow morning after the sun rises.” said the alchemist.
This disappointed several Bishops in the council. Cro finally got to the chance to ask the question that was pestering her mind.
“You must be very generous to give us this gift.” Cro said to the Alchemist.
“What would you like in return?” she asked.
“I am glad that you asked that. When I returned to my kingdom after my travels, I saw that my kingdom was ransacked to the ground. I learnt that a giant three times the size of humans was terrorizing my people. It destroyed our lands and took our people as slaves. I want to fight that giant and free my people. I would be happy if you can grant me an army in return for my gift.”
Cro was not pleased with the offer. She asked the alchemist to wait in another room so that her council can discuss. She made sure guards are present with the alchemist to keep an eye on the box. Several Bishops spoke in favour of exchanging the gold making box for the army.
“I don’t believe in alchemy. Although, I am curious to know what is in that box.” said Cro.
“You don’t have faith in the workings of the mystical powers. Your tutor has spoiled you.” said the tall Bishop.
“Yes we have several tales from ages ago that describe the powers of alchemy and how it saved Queendoms at the time of need.” said the old Bishop.
Cro wanted to argue that they were just stories but decided to keep her mouth shut.
“I studied alchemy under a master in Niqt. It is tough art. The master himself was not proficient at it. You see he just heard the instructions orally during his travels. Anyway, what I want to say is, if somebody is giving us this mystic power we should take it.” said the skinny Bishop.
“Is it worth giving our army in exchange for gold? Shouldn't we think about it more.” asked Cro.
“Our soldiers have not seen battle for a long time. This Gaki will be a good exercise for them.” argued the tall Bishop.
“What if we are attacked when the soldiers are away.” asked Cro.
“We have plenty of new recruits and veterans among us. They can hold the front till we get reinforcements.” said the stocky Bishop.
“No amount of your arguments is going to convince me. I don’t believe in alchemy. I think that young man is lying to us. He is trying to steal our army. Where on earth do giants exist. Am I the only sensible one here.” fought Cro.
“Our tales talk a lot about giants. They are monstrous creatures that tormented people.” replied the skinny Bishop.
“I met a man who knew someone that had seen a giant.” said the tall Bishop.
“Okay my decision is final. I don’t want to trade the army for a gold making box.” said Cro.
“We respect your decision. But we will vote on this and decide.” said the Old Bishop.
All the Bishops voted in favor of exchanging the army for gold. The next day the court assembled to see the feat of the alchemist.
“Did he touch the box?” asked the old Bishop,
“No Master he did not. He was under our watch all the time.” said the captain of the guards.
“Go on. Show us the gold.” said the stocky Bishop.
The alchemist stepped closer to the box. All the eyes were on him. He opened a small door on one side of the box and there lay a solid bar of gold, no bigger than his palm and no thicker than his fingers.. He took it out and showed it to all the people in the court.
Everyone was surprised to see that. The old Bishop gestured to the alchemist to bring the bar to him. He inspected it and concluded.
“This is indeed a pure gold bar.” said the Bishop.
Cro interrupted them, “Arrrrrgh. How do we know the gold bar was not there all the time?”
The Bishops were disappointed that they didn’t think of that first.
“Yes that is a fair point.” said the skinny Bishop.
“I should have shown you the cavity to you before I shoved the metal inside. It was my fault. I am not a magician you see. Now that you are convinced that there is nothing behind the door, I request you to put some more iron scraps into the hole. You can see the workings of the alchemy with your own eyes tomorrow.” concluded the alchemist.
The guard threw some scrap iron into the hole on the top of the box.
Next day the alchemist opened the door on the side of the box and there was a gold bar similar to the one he made before.
The council exchanged the box for half the army. Cro was upset with this but decided not to show it. The Bishops took charge of the box and began to test it. They threw some scrap iron into the hole like the alchemist. Next day it turned into a gold bar similar to the one before. The box produces gold bars flawlessly for five days. On the sixth day, there was no gold bar behind the door. This led to a lot of commotion.
Cro suggested that they break the box to see what was inside it. The council disagreed. As arguments began to heat a messenger arrived with important news.
“Last night our borders were attacked. The new recruits cannot handle this. The walls can be breached anytime.” said the messenger.
The Bishop’s were scared to hear this.
“Great. We gave away our army in exchange for a gold making box and now our land is being attacked. Wait! The box is not working either. It is your greed that caused this distress. What are you going to tell our people?” asked Cro to the Bishops.
While talking Cro accidentally on purpose knocked the box. The side panels fell apart to reveal the inside. The box did not have much inside. They could see all the scrap that they had thrown inside collected in a sack beneath the hole. Above the door where the gold bar magically appeared was a small contraption. Cro took some of the gold bars and placed them in the contraption. When she opened the door everyone saw that the contraption gently placed a gold bar near the door. She closed the door and repeated again. The contraption placed another gold bar like before. Once all the gold bars were gone, the box did not do anything.
“Is this alchemy?” Cro asked.
The Bishops were ashamed. They admitted that their judgements were wrong.
“I will go to the fronts and fight in the battle. Even if it means my end.” Cro said to the council.
She left the council and went to her room. The council debated their follies and concluded that Cro should be crowned the Queen. They felt that it would immunize them from all the wrongs that they did. When Cro returned in her battle gear, the council bowed before her and asked for her forgiveness. They told her that they will immediately crown her as the Queen.
“If that is your wish. Go ahead and do that. I don’t have much time to waste.” said Cro.
The council gathered the people on the palace grounds and in a short ceremony crowned Cro as the Queen.
After the ceremony, Cro thanked the people for accepting her as the Queen.
Then she revealed to the council that the alchemist was her plan to teach a lesson to the Bishops who were stealing the Royal gold. She also discredited the Bishops for believing in alchemy and exchanging the army for gold. She assured the people that they are all safe and the army did not leave. She asked the corrupt Bishops to step down and return all the wealth that they had stolen. The Bishops obliged because Cro was their Queen now. Cro’s tutor congratulated her on her success and left her to tutor a prince in another kingdom.
© spacebar
The young princess was tutored by a man from a faraway land. The man was a trusted advisor to the dead Queen. The council of Bishops did not like this tutor because his ideologies were against the traditional values held by them. They tried to get rid of the tutor on several pretexts but the princess did not permit it.
When Cro was old enough to be crowned, the council kept postponing her coronation. After enjoying power for such a long time, the council was reluctant to give it up. Cro was not too eager to be crowned so she didn’t mind the delay. But it was brought to her attention that some of the Bishops have been stealing gold from the royal reserves. She did her own investigation and found out who the culprits were. She decided to teach them a lesson.
Cro told her tutor about how some Bishops in the council were looting people’s gold. She wanted to expose them and claim her rightful place. Together they hatched a plan to make the Bishops give up their power. Cro asked the tutor to leave the capital and make all the arrangements. She also did not want him to be present so that she will appear more vulnerable in front of the council. The tutor agreed.
A few days later when Cro and the council of Bishops were arguing about the daily affairs, the guard announced that a visitor had come to meet the council. Cro ordered the guard to let the visitor in.
The visitor was a young man from a distant land. He came into the hall and bowed before Cro.
“My Queen.” said the man.
“Stop!” interrupted the old Bishop. “She is not a queen yet. You should address the council.”
“Honorable Bishops. I am the prince of Gaki. Years ago on my travels beyond the forsaken mountains I met an alchemist. He trained me on the art of alchemy. From him I had learned the secret to turn any metal into gold. I want to give this council that gift.”
The word “gold” caught the attention of the Bishops. Cro noticed that.
“Why?” asked Cro. But her question was drowned in others that the Bishops were barking.
“How can you turn metal into gold?” asked the old Bishop.
“Can you show us?” asked the tall Bishop.
The alchemist was well prepared for these questions. He decided to demonstrate his skill to the Bishops. He gestured to his assistants and the assistants returned with a box that was as big as a human torso. At the top of the box there was a hole in one of the corners.
“If you throw any metal inside this hole it will turn into gold. Do you have anything that I can put inside it?” the alchemist asked.
A guard was sent to bring some scrap iron from the blacksmith. The guard returned with a sack full of the same. The alchemist took two handfuls of iron scraps and shoved them into the hole. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the box. It did not make any noise; no smoke or fumes came out of it. They couldn’t smell anything funny either.
“We will have the gold tomorrow morning after the sun rises.” said the alchemist.
This disappointed several Bishops in the council. Cro finally got to the chance to ask the question that was pestering her mind.
“You must be very generous to give us this gift.” Cro said to the Alchemist.
“What would you like in return?” she asked.
“I am glad that you asked that. When I returned to my kingdom after my travels, I saw that my kingdom was ransacked to the ground. I learnt that a giant three times the size of humans was terrorizing my people. It destroyed our lands and took our people as slaves. I want to fight that giant and free my people. I would be happy if you can grant me an army in return for my gift.”
Cro was not pleased with the offer. She asked the alchemist to wait in another room so that her council can discuss. She made sure guards are present with the alchemist to keep an eye on the box. Several Bishops spoke in favour of exchanging the gold making box for the army.
“I don’t believe in alchemy. Although, I am curious to know what is in that box.” said Cro.
“You don’t have faith in the workings of the mystical powers. Your tutor has spoiled you.” said the tall Bishop.
“Yes we have several tales from ages ago that describe the powers of alchemy and how it saved Queendoms at the time of need.” said the old Bishop.
Cro wanted to argue that they were just stories but decided to keep her mouth shut.
“I studied alchemy under a master in Niqt. It is tough art. The master himself was not proficient at it. You see he just heard the instructions orally during his travels. Anyway, what I want to say is, if somebody is giving us this mystic power we should take it.” said the skinny Bishop.
“Is it worth giving our army in exchange for gold? Shouldn't we think about it more.” asked Cro.
“Our soldiers have not seen battle for a long time. This Gaki will be a good exercise for them.” argued the tall Bishop.
“What if we are attacked when the soldiers are away.” asked Cro.
“We have plenty of new recruits and veterans among us. They can hold the front till we get reinforcements.” said the stocky Bishop.
“No amount of your arguments is going to convince me. I don’t believe in alchemy. I think that young man is lying to us. He is trying to steal our army. Where on earth do giants exist. Am I the only sensible one here.” fought Cro.
“Our tales talk a lot about giants. They are monstrous creatures that tormented people.” replied the skinny Bishop.
“I met a man who knew someone that had seen a giant.” said the tall Bishop.
“Okay my decision is final. I don’t want to trade the army for a gold making box.” said Cro.
“We respect your decision. But we will vote on this and decide.” said the Old Bishop.
All the Bishops voted in favor of exchanging the army for gold. The next day the court assembled to see the feat of the alchemist.
“Did he touch the box?” asked the old Bishop,
“No Master he did not. He was under our watch all the time.” said the captain of the guards.
“Go on. Show us the gold.” said the stocky Bishop.
The alchemist stepped closer to the box. All the eyes were on him. He opened a small door on one side of the box and there lay a solid bar of gold, no bigger than his palm and no thicker than his fingers.. He took it out and showed it to all the people in the court.
Everyone was surprised to see that. The old Bishop gestured to the alchemist to bring the bar to him. He inspected it and concluded.
“This is indeed a pure gold bar.” said the Bishop.
Cro interrupted them, “Arrrrrgh. How do we know the gold bar was not there all the time?”
The Bishops were disappointed that they didn’t think of that first.
“Yes that is a fair point.” said the skinny Bishop.
“I should have shown you the cavity to you before I shoved the metal inside. It was my fault. I am not a magician you see. Now that you are convinced that there is nothing behind the door, I request you to put some more iron scraps into the hole. You can see the workings of the alchemy with your own eyes tomorrow.” concluded the alchemist.
The guard threw some scrap iron into the hole on the top of the box.
Next day the alchemist opened the door on the side of the box and there was a gold bar similar to the one he made before.
The council exchanged the box for half the army. Cro was upset with this but decided not to show it. The Bishops took charge of the box and began to test it. They threw some scrap iron into the hole like the alchemist. Next day it turned into a gold bar similar to the one before. The box produces gold bars flawlessly for five days. On the sixth day, there was no gold bar behind the door. This led to a lot of commotion.
Cro suggested that they break the box to see what was inside it. The council disagreed. As arguments began to heat a messenger arrived with important news.
“Last night our borders were attacked. The new recruits cannot handle this. The walls can be breached anytime.” said the messenger.
The Bishop’s were scared to hear this.
“Great. We gave away our army in exchange for a gold making box and now our land is being attacked. Wait! The box is not working either. It is your greed that caused this distress. What are you going to tell our people?” asked Cro to the Bishops.
While talking Cro accidentally on purpose knocked the box. The side panels fell apart to reveal the inside. The box did not have much inside. They could see all the scrap that they had thrown inside collected in a sack beneath the hole. Above the door where the gold bar magically appeared was a small contraption. Cro took some of the gold bars and placed them in the contraption. When she opened the door everyone saw that the contraption gently placed a gold bar near the door. She closed the door and repeated again. The contraption placed another gold bar like before. Once all the gold bars were gone, the box did not do anything.
“Is this alchemy?” Cro asked.
The Bishops were ashamed. They admitted that their judgements were wrong.
“I will go to the fronts and fight in the battle. Even if it means my end.” Cro said to the council.
She left the council and went to her room. The council debated their follies and concluded that Cro should be crowned the Queen. They felt that it would immunize them from all the wrongs that they did. When Cro returned in her battle gear, the council bowed before her and asked for her forgiveness. They told her that they will immediately crown her as the Queen.
“If that is your wish. Go ahead and do that. I don’t have much time to waste.” said Cro.
The council gathered the people on the palace grounds and in a short ceremony crowned Cro as the Queen.
After the ceremony, Cro thanked the people for accepting her as the Queen.
Then she revealed to the council that the alchemist was her plan to teach a lesson to the Bishops who were stealing the Royal gold. She also discredited the Bishops for believing in alchemy and exchanging the army for gold. She assured the people that they are all safe and the army did not leave. She asked the corrupt Bishops to step down and return all the wealth that they had stolen. The Bishops obliged because Cro was their Queen now. Cro’s tutor congratulated her on her success and left her to tutor a prince in another kingdom.
© spacebar
