Finding my way I forge a new path
Cutting through wood with what alchemists hath
Fields not mountains I seek for swift passage
Cross this land I must to pass on my message
Who is this messenger?
Hint 1:
The path I once took may soon be lost forever.
Hint 2:
My personality's kind of split. One side tends to remember, the other tends to forget.
Hint 3:
I'm a prism that has helped advance both art and science.
Hint 4:
What do alchemists have to work with in their quest?
It's not the answer but should unlock one of the clues
UPDATES:
2019.09.30 - Minor update on title and tags to better fit the puzzle.