So that's how you sell a body, KRS thought to himself as the students left the rickety shack Where an almost certainly Necromancer Or other death attuned caster lived. Walking up to a central Plaza with Each their own piece of weird Ephemeral Bluish thing in their purses. The Tall, Handsome, Leader type of the group Named Azeal Spoke out “I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to the library to figure out what the hell I have in my pockets right now.” Another in the group, A lankier, more hard-faced man named Carver Nodded and said. “I think I'll go with you. It's always nice to know the value of whatever one has. Anyway, it was more than enough payment, to learn a place where we could sell Excess bodies. And a spell to transfigure it to something smaller Without damaging it too much.”
Nodding because he was also pleased, KRS said. “I think I shall go earn some money first, I do not wish to waste too much time.” The third boy, Harper. Turn quizzically and asked. “You know, a quick way to make money now? Could you perhaps show me? I'll pay you a small portion of my earnings.” “Sure”, said KRS “with two will be paid more.” Azeal and Carver Looked at each other, Then Azeal Said. “Sure, if you know that's good for you. Here is my mana sign if you ever need to talk, just carve the rune before you use message or druidic call. I see you guys around.”
And with that, there were two And Harper said. “So, Chris Right? How could we make some money here?” Krs looked up at Harper and said. “We both have very little mana inside of us, And the more mana, the more unmanageable portal travel becomes. The people in the Plaza Need runners In and out with messages and orders of goods. Taking just two or three low paying orders Through, Will gain us enough wealth to purchase school supplies that are sorely needed.” Having said this. Krs now, Chris. Started jogging towards the Plaza, With Harper in hot pursuit.
It did not take long before they Found a mission to Deliver proof of a delver's death. And stopping Harper before They went through main public portal #3 Krs said. “Remember how you felt when you came through the portal the first time?” Harper nodded and said. “Yeah, like hammered offal.” Nodding, Krs said “Yes, that's because you keep all the mana inside of you and try to hold onto it, if you instead let it go right now. The spell will get a much cleaner read, and as you suck up mana on the outside, The headache and the rest of the aches will not follow you for the rest of the day.”
“Oh God, I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I know it. Ah, ah. Death.” Moaned Harper as Krs was pushing him along the path. “You'll get the hang of it”, said KRS. “Or you'll die.” He added. Looking blearily to the side, Harper moaned. “Why? Why did I go with the monster?” After a while, they found the party that had issued the mission and having delivered proof that they had delivered it. Was summarily paid, in gold, as krs insisted. Having proved their trustworthiness, the same party sent them, on a provision run.
“In, out, here, there. Why are they doing this?” Harper asked. Pretty much to the world as he was lugging two massive sacks of provisions Down the road. “Would you like to know or would you just like the money?” Asked krs. “Both”, said Harper. “I always pick both.” Smiling at this normal speaking thing he had heard of Krs said. “Each one in that party is analogous to second or a third circle caster. If they go through a portal, they're pretty much out for 2 to 8 days, they're just at the cusp where They're good enough with mana that they won't get hurt at all when going through a portal. But have so much of it that the portal has problems Finishing the spell, so they have to lower their defences. A 4th or 5th circle Will need just a couple of hours, and a 7th circle well Seconds I should think.” Having heaved the rations all, the way back to the client, they got paid again in gold. They were asked if they wanted a different little mission, but KRS declined, gesturing towards Harper, they went out on the street. Where Harper went “What did you say? 3 missions. Now we only have gold. What are we going to do?” Krs Shushed Harper And continued standing around for about 10 minutes, before they saw an arm gesturing down A side alley.
Meeting at the entrance of the alley, there was a man with silver eyes. “Hello young ones. Would you like a mission?” Krs smiled and said. “That would depend entirely on the mission now, wouldn't it, Sir?” As Harper looked sceptical, the man smiled and said. “But certainly! I only need some Writings. We are going into a ruin, you see, and I need Some translations that my buddies have. It'll be easy. It'll be nothing at all.” Krs smiled to the man “Sir, you know as well as I. The students at this school are Given certain protections. You want something that you cannot get Through whoever is looking to undercut you. We want to be paid, please be assured, Sir, that our greed for silver is not enough to embarrass our school.”
After much, much longer trek than Before During which Harper had asked Many, many questions Including. “What the hell was that? Why didn't we take the easy money? How do you know that guy? How do you know those rules?” Krs answered as they walked. “That we have certain protections are in your guidebook. They are not for certain, and you can still be killed, but You are under a certain Corona of protection. I do not know the guy, but I did see him as we took the second mission, He's a man on the cusp of becoming a silver, and someone becoming silver gets incredibly greedy. Everyone knows this and so do not wish to do business with someone at the breaking point. Which means we will get a much larger pay-out for much less work.” “If he pays”, said Harper, under his breath. Nodding, KRS said “Yes, if he pays or lives long enough to pay us. But we Then have a translation someone wants and will pay us for. This is a business, there is a large conglomerate of people doing this business. They run out everyone who tries to undercut or enter the market without giving them a cut.” “Wait, holy shit, someone's going to attack us?” Asked Harper worriedly.
Shaking his head, Krs Answered “As I just told you, you are under a certain amount of protection. Now if you do these jobs every single day. And keep undercutting the market. Yes, someone is going to cut you. But if you do these things once a week, twice a week. You need to remember now that you are a student of Narsinia And that comes with a certain amount respect owed. Now the price of all these lessons I'm giving you is the gold that we gathered. Give it here. I have to buy something.”
“My little curriers, did you get what I wanted? And what's with the massive wriggling sack?” said the silver in the alley. Krs smiled and gave him the vellum he was supposed to and answered “Just some private business, Sir, nothing that you need to think about, we would like to be paid in high human coinage. We will also accept some old scribers tools if you have them.” Smiling, the silver said “Oh yes, I might have some of those. Let me just go get them.” Stepping forward and ever so subtly on this massive sack Causing it to wriggle and emit a weird sound Krs reiterated. “We would very much like to be paid in high human coinage.” Shiftily looking back at the bag, the silver relented and paid up before stalking down the alleyway.
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“Again, I must say, what the hell was that? First you buy a massive bag of rabbits, have us haul it all the way here and then, somehow scare our Business Contact with it. This was the plan all along and it somehow worked?” Looking a bit weirded out, quizzical and frankly, a little sick Harper accused/ complemented Krs. “Yes. Yes, I did. And yes, yes it did.” Answered Krs, “Now would you please help me over to the General shop on the third spoke of the plaza wheel If you count from the first portal. Please and thank you.” Exasperated but still hauling the bag Harper started muttering. “Of course, rabbits........ That makes sense............. Let's spend all the money on rabbits......... And it bloody worked..........”
Coming out of the general shop, still with a massive bag of rabbits, Krs was more than pleased. He could afford, one set of old scribers tools, Some druidic blessed fast-growing trees, And quite a few seeds, Mundane and magical. Smiling at Harper, he said. “Could you please help me with the bag over to the dorm? It is quite heavy.”
“Wait, you're saying these are magical rabbits?” Exclaimed Harper. “No, no, no.” Answered Krs “They are only slightly magical. Only the backwards horns and a bit of their blood is magical. Though if skinned, their skin makes a very good though mundane writing vellum.” “OK, please, hypothetically imagine that I'm stupid.” Said Harper. “How is a massive wriggling bag of slightly Magical rabbits enough to scare a man into paying us? It just doesn't make any sense.”
Breathing quite heavily from the exertion, Krs did his best to answer. “Remember when I said that the more mana you have, the more the portals Have to work and use your own mana against you. Well, that goes almost double for animals. Which is why when you get magic animals into the Plaza, you have to have extra spells and dampening fields and all sorts of expensive and time-consuming things in place.
So, when we hauled over something roughly the size of a man with the mana signature that was anywhere from a fourth level wizard to a mundane man and fluctuated wildly, as the rabbit's expelled mana and took in Mana. The deviation from the norm was enough that, the math did not add up to screwing us. Maybe we were in league with this enemies, and someone was looking for an excuse to come down on him like a bag of bricks. Maybe we were not what we seem to be, weak boys and wanted him to attack us, so we had Legal standing to kill him?” Carrying the bag for a while down the road Harper said with a small voice. “That's scary.” Krs could only nod and go “Yep.”
Sweating away, the boys finally came to the dorms, and Krs said. “It really was a pleasure working with you, Harper. I'm in cohort 582. Send me a message spell if you want to meet up. I fear I will do nothing but study for the next week. Have a good day.” Setting the writhing bag on his shoulder, He entered the dorms.
Walking towards his door, In the hallway between rooms Krs saw posters Printed and put up. The posters were for services, as tutors, teammates, Sparring partners, and even companionship. Right below These advertisements were, odds on gambling, try outs for different special teams and challenges in the arena for honour and Wealth. Getting to his room, he poured the entire bag inside and shut the door, during his midnight readings he had found a secret about the rooms. If one wanted to, they could freeze time for all an everything that entered their rooms, twice every semester. This seems to be a rule left over from when People would break into the rooms, but now that people no longer could break into rooms. The rule still held, now. This was a rule he had read in the Nersinian Rule book so just to be sure, he checked by counting to 10 and then quickly darting in and out. It did seem that the rule was still in full force here. Silently congratulating himself Krs Headed off towards the library.
Now in this and all other planes, it seemed to KRS that there was no more beautiful building, then the library. a massive ever shifting entity Filled with temples and so many departments that to simply list them all would take the entirety of the life of a mundane. If the first reason for the bustling Interest and industry of Narsinia was the dungeon and its delvers. Then the second reason for coming to this magical place Was undoubtably the library. A true wonder of the age, open to all as long as you gave every book and scroll you had with you as you came through the portals a chance to be copied into its massive vaults. The library was truly a magic entity in itself, but it was shackled to Narsinia, no portal may go to it. Nor could you stay within it without paying Rent in either services, coinage or equipment.
Heading over to the first semester student desk, Krs waited in a staggering cue for near 3 hours before he was gestured towards the bench. This was not an unusually long time to wait, as the library seem to love to have students fumbling within it there was almost always not enough Librarians on duty at the benches. In fact, it was normal for first years without a wealthy patron or family to be professional cue keepers, standing in line for a couple of hours for a few gold pieces. For there was no line cutting in the library, and more than enough terrifying stories of what happened when one tried.
“Again, let me get this straight.” Said the third-year student librarian in front of Krs giving him a weird look. “You want the book on elementary Ritual sacrifice. And you're saying it's for good? I should call the servants and have you fucking disintegrated! You want forbidden books just like that!” She may have started soft, but she ended screaming at quite a loud volume. Krs just stood there letting the onslaught of righteous stupidity wash over him, this woman was clearly from some God forgotten sect of or another. They had a tendency to view every other Thing one might sacrifice too as blasphemy, apostasy, heresy and every other Y They could think of.
After a bit of screeching, a librarian came past to see about the noise. Taking over from the spiritually challenged woman he listened to Krs request and asked. “Now this is not technically on the Forbidden text lists, The school even has a special Course for this. But it is Restricted to not for first semester Students. You see, we had a hell of a time getting the books back from the students. He, he Hell.” He smiled to himself at his little joke. And continued. “When we checked to see what was the mater, it turned out that almost 98 of 100 first year students. Who checked out the books was subsequently killed by whatever they were sacrificing to or for. Thus, the books being restricted.” The librarian said apologetically. “Now if you can come up with a good reason why you need these books?” He said without a hint of enthusiasm as he smiled condescendingly.
“OK, OK, you have convinced me, sacrificing animals to Narsinia within your own room, For the reason of upgrading your room is just as good a path as Sacrificing your own mana.” looking just a little bit fed up with being caught in another logic trap the librarian Relented, and gave out two books. Ritual sacrifices a book with a black cover, and a small book, little more than a pamphlet Called the folly of Simon and the key. Thanking the librarian, Krs sat down at a nearby desk to read the new books.