Parcelius the Alchemist is the 6th book in the Tales of the Emerald City series by Sergei Sukhinov. It was published in 1999.
Description[]
This sixth installment of Sukhinov's spectacular "Emerald City" saga introduces lovely but cold Langa, Princess of Darkness, henchwoman to the evil Pakir. At her command, the alchemist Parcelius does his utmost to produce the devastating Black Flame, which Pakir needs for his conquest of Magic Land -- and the world. When his efforts fail, he leads an army of golems to a certain underground cavern, where the Flame is reputed to be already, and the saga assumes a cosmic dimension.
Parcelius and his followers settle down and begin work on his proposed City of Universal Happiness. After the others build him a fortified palace, he unpacks his books and equipment and sets up a laboratory. But all his efforts to restore magically the old-time powers of his Storybook Folk misfire, and they flee to Durban’s city. He tries to pursue them on Vasil’s back, and instead, he finds himself face to face with the sorceress Langa, Princess of Darkness. She is Vesa’s daughter, abducted by Pakir as a child and now the latter’s "gal Friday." She assigns him the task of producing the devastating Black Flame for Pakir within a month, and the sinister Koshchey the Immortal will be watching his every move. Under the watchful surveillance of Langa and Koshchey, he creates a small army of brainless golems in his laboratory.
Ellie and Strasheela call on him, with the request that he use his elixir of life to restore the Woodman and Almar. He agrees, on condition that Ellie make him King of Yellow Land, and that she marry him in a year’s time. She reluctantly agrees, and he accompanies them back to the Emerald City, his head filled with grandiose plans. Langa lets him use some of her magic to save the Woodman and Almar, but she reminds him of his deadline for producing the Black Flame.
Koshchey and Snagbough, clearly in charge now, insist that the Alchemist and his golems set out on a quest to a certain underground cavern, where is reputed that, ages ago, a dragon brought a Black Flame from the stars and has been guarding it ever since. They hope, of course, to seize it for Pakir. Eventually, Parcelius reaches the cavern and meets Creig, the Star Dragon. Creig refuses to involve himself in the local intrigue, and he departs at once, taking the Black Flame with him. Parcelius has failed! Their path takes them to the edge of the Subterranean Sea, where they witness a terrific sea battle taking place in the distance!
| Sergei Sukhinov's Magic Land books | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tales of the Emerald City | 1. Gingema's Daughter 2. The Fairy of the Emerald City 3. The Sorceress Villina's Secret 4. The Sorcerer's Sword 5. The Eternally Youthful Stella 6. Parcelius the Alchemist 7. Battle in the Underground Land 8. King Midgety 9. The Sorcerer from Atlantis 10. The Knights of Light and Darkness | |||
| Fairy Tales of the Emerald City | 1. Corina the Lazy Sorceress 2. Corina and the Ogre 3. The Sorceress Villina's Ward 4. The Little Dragon 5. The Crystal Island 6. Corina and the Magic Rhino 7. Three in the Enchanted Forest 8. The Black Fog 9. Master of the Winged Monkeys Prequel: Goodwin the Great and Terrible | |||