Chapter 6

Bum bah, la dah bum ba, la dah bum ba. Jack hummed in his head while he was cauterizing.

Normally Jack would have a music box playing as he worked, since he didn’t have one at hand, humming would have to do. The gremlin had her head turned away while he finished up cauterizing her wound. Finding it kind of funny seeing her to expect some kind of pain despite her arm being as limp as a dead fish. Lucky for her, making prosthetic limbs and attaching them to people was child’s play. The luck though was that the bone was cleanly cut. If he had to file the bone down then she really would have been in a world of suck.

With the cauterizing done, Jack reapplied the bandages with the numbing agent on it. Trying not to laugh as he watched as gremlin still wincing and bracing herself for pain that would never come. Soreness was another story, but that was a later problem. The second part though was going to be a bit trickier.

“You’re all set.” Jack said as he poked the gremlin girl’s cheek.

After waiting a moment, the gremlin girl opened one eye to look at her arm then back to Jack. It was funny in a way to see her disbelief as she inspected her arm.

“Any pain, discomfort or tightness?” Jack asked as he stood up fully, putting his knife away while holding the cauterizer in his other hand. leaning on it like it was a really ugly cane.

“N.no. Thank you for helping me.” The gremlin said as she lightly touched her arm to inspect it.

“Don’t thank me yet, you’re still down an arm and the job ain’t done until you get a replacement.” Jack said as he looked at the gremlin, just now realizing just how rude he’d been. “Shit! Sorry, I didn’t ask for your name when I gave you mine. What’s yours?”

The gremlin was staring at him with big wide eyes with her mouth gaping like a gaping fish. Staring at him as though he was speaking tongues. That or she probably had a stroke of some kind.

“Hey….” Jack said trying get the gremlin’s attention. “Helllloooooooo?” he called while waving a boney hand in her face. “Wake up!” he shouted while flicking an ear.

“Owe!” the gremlin winced while rubbing her ear.

Ok, good to know. If you want their attention you have to flick their ear. Noted. Jack thought to himself.

“Oh, good. You’re back.” Jack said with his arms crossed. “Where did I lose you? You looked like you forgot how to breath for a second.”

Once the gremlin girl came to her senses, she practically tackled Jack as she yelled, “You can give me back my arm!?”

Jack nearly jumped out of his… ok, maybe not skin. But he did nearly trip of over his own feet for a second time when the gremlin jumped up and clung to him with her face inches from his own. There was a frantic and desperate look in her eye that demanded answers.

“Yes! I absolutely can!” Jack answered as fast as possible. “I can’t regrow it but I can make you a new one!” he said while trying to pry her off to no avail.

As soon as he said that, the little gremlin clung to him all the tighter as she used her arm and legs to hug his rib cage tightly.

“Thank you!” she cried in joy. “The stories of the ancients are true! Thank the gods they’re true!”

“You’re getting snot on my ribs!” Jack complained while still trying to get the gremlin girl off him.

“Sorry!” the gremlin squeaked, realizing what she was doing and jumped off of him to land on the ground in front of him.

After looking himself over and ripping off another piece of cloth from the bodies to wipe off his bones, he turned back to the gremlin girl to get some answers.

“Ok, first what is your name?” Jack asked. “I need to know what to call you.”

“Frizzy.” Frizzy said without any delay. Still looking up at him excitedly while cleaning her face.

“Alright, now we’re getting somewhere. Can you tell me if there are any other humans around or nearby?”

Frizzy looked, her face contorted from deep thought. One that said she was really searching her memory for the word. Jack could practically see the smoke coming out of her ears and heard the gears in her head grinding against each other. After a minute of her thinking and coming up with nothing, she shook her head with a down cast expression.

“I’ll sorry but I have never heard of humans before.” She answered.

That’s…. a little worrying to hear.

“That’s fine…” Jack said, trying not to worry. “If you don’t know than maybe somebody else does.”

Jack turned his attention two fresh corpses and used the Reanimate spell on them. Turning them into a pair of zombies before he ordered them to walk around to collect as many bones as possible from the surrounding area. With the orders given, Jack took a seat on a pile of rubble to sit across from Frizzy.

“Alright, next question.” Jack asked while making himself as comfortable as possible as a pile of stone will allow. “Does anything or anyone live here now?”

“No Ancient. No one lives here. Everyone says this place is cursed. The only reason people come here is to scavenge for magic items that might still be around. Most of it are small items, like this one.” Frizzy said as she dug in her pocket to pull out a small glass marble.

Carefully plucking the marble from her outstretched hand, Jack a closer look. He held it up to the light to examine the internal arcane scripts inside before letting out a chuckle.

“Yep, you got lucky with this little beauty.” He chuckled while rolling the marble in his fingers. “Good thing it’s enchantment isn’t set to fully activate as well.”

Tilting her head, Frizzy took a step closer to get a better look at the marble.

“What do you mean, Ancient?” She asked, looking over the marble more closely.

“Pleeeeeeeease just call me Jack.” He pleaded. “And what I mean is that if it was, you probably wouldn’t be carrying it in your pocket.” He said while carefully placing it on flat stone surface. “That my little blue associate, is a pressure engine core. It is normally put in a metal container filled with water that is connected to piping then from the piping to a machine. It heats up the water to turn it to steam that would power the machine. This one was made for small machines. Not the most powerful but it has some kick to it.”

Jack hadn’t realized it, but he had been fully engrossed in explain the pressure core that he wasn’t paying attention around him. He had been lost in thought while remembering how the magic item worked and what possible uses it could serve. Honestly it was a very lucking find since they were a pain to make. Not because it was a complex arcane script to make, far from it, Jack just really hated working with glass. The stuff was terrible with conducting heat, and once you did get it hot enough to shape was like trying to sculpt with warm honey. All gooey and didn’t want to retain the shape you put in it or shaped it to. Fighting with the stuff the whole time while trying to make it keep its shape while it cooled was not his idea of a fun time. He’d take working with metal any day.

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After his little day dream and moment of respect for the crafters who masted the art of making and shaping glass, he turned to see that Frizzy was practically on top of him again. Listening to him as if he just told her the secret to eternal youth.

“… Frizzy?”

“Yes, Ancient.” she answered without so much as blinking.

“Again, just Jack.” He said as he leaned back a bit. “Frizzy, you really need to learn about personal space.”

Frizzy for her part didn’t move an inch as she continued to stare at him intently.

“Frizzy, if you were any closer, you’d be inside my ribcage.” Jack said as he was now starting to feel a little uneasy. “I’m going need you to take a big step back.”

With that, Frizzy took as big of a step as her short legs allowed. Still hanging his every word as if waiting for more word of profound truth from him.

“O…. okay… Anyway, you got lucky. Had the pressure core fully turned on, it would have burned hot enough to burn through your pocket. Maybe even scortch your leg a bit.”

“WHAT!” she yelled before looking at the pressure core accusingly.

“Yeaaaaaaah. Those cores burn really hot.” Jack said while looking at the two zombies that were picking through the rubble to collect bones.

“I was going to use that to warm my den!”

That outburst made Jack snap his attention right back to Frizzy.

“Are you insane!” He shouted back. “Bad! Bad blue girl! Bad! Are you trying to cook yourself?!”

“How was I supposed to know that it did that!” she shouted back at him. “A lot of the knowledge of the ancients is lost! None of this stuff comes with instructions! You’re probably the only one who knows how it all works!”

Not one to lose in a shouting contest, Jack yelled back. “That is a very fair point! I am sorry I yelled at you!”

Unfortunately, the little gremlin was proving to be just as stubborn.

“Then why are you still yelling at me!” she demanded while the zombies came back to drop a pile of bones next to them both.

“Because what is common sense to me is no longer! I just woke after nine hundred years! Before today, I had skin! the panic I’ve been pushing aside is creeping in and I’m letting out at the worst time!” Jack yelled back, surprised by his own confession since he was actually panicking since the reality of his world was really starting to set in.

“That sounds offal! Would a hug help?!” Frizzy yelled now out of worry instead of trying to win the shouting contest.

“Maybe! A hug might help!” Jack replied.

With no need for further invitation, Frizzy slammed into him with an arm to give him a half hug. Giving him as much of a squeeze as her small frame could manage. Jack for his part hugged her back and gave as much of a squeeze as his weak arms could manage. Holding her tight as he could feel her trying to give him what little comfort she could.

For a brief moment, for one fleeting moment, Jack let himself get lost in the hug.

It was the first touch in over nine hundred years that was filled with compassion. He had no idea when he last heard a kind word, a hug from a friend, shared or just casually spoke with someone. Before he died, he had been locked up alone in cell. The only interactions being his jailers interrogating him or beatings to find out where the dungeon core was. His last moments of life were so full of bitter hate and spite that revenge had been his sole obsession. Yet even death brought him no peace. He had only found himself in a new jail cell. One that was infinitely worse since he couldn’t taunt his jailers. He had been trapped in a literal void with nothing but his own thoughts. Fighting with everything he had to stay sane yet still he felt pieces and parts of who he is slip away.

Now here he was. Free from that abyss to find the world he knew as a crumbling ruin.

Even most of who he was physically, and no small part mentally, was also gone as well. He was still able to remember all the skills he had learned to become a master Fabricator. While he was in the void, he reviewed all those skills over and over and over again just to have something for his mind to stay busy and hold onto. Everything else though was lost in a mental fog. He had glimpses but nothing that was truly hold on to. And the hug only furthered the feeling that there as so much of himself that was missing. He felt faint echoes of comforting memories, yet no matter how much he tried to hold on they slipped just beyond his grasp.

Could he even call himself ‘Jack Smithson’ anymore? He knew that is who his status pages said he was. But could he honestly say that was still ‘His’ name? Was he even still the same person since he was missing much of who he was?

These thoughts plagued Jack as he continued to hold onto Frizzy. Everything he had been trying to push from his mind since waking up was now overwhelming him. Doing his best to try and compartmentalize these thoughts to something more manageable. Doing his best to hold on to the feeling of the hug so he doesn’t lose himself.

“Anci-“ Frizzy started to say in a soft voice but caught herself. “Jack… are you ok?”

Jack, being brought back to reality by the question, thought for a moment before he answered. He could say yes, that he was just fine. But that would have been an obvious lie. There was no sense in lying to himself or Frizzy. It was better to face the truth for what it was.

“No… no I’m not.” Jack answered, “I am utterly lost and completely out of place here. And I don’t even know if I’m still me.”

Frizzy said nothing as she squeezed him a little harder.

Jack appreciated the sentiment since he kept him in the moment. But unless she could help him reclaim his lost memories, there was little she could do to help him. Besides, she still needed a new arm and he still hadn’t finished what he started. Gods knew he could use the work to keep his mind busy and it was as good a place as any to get started in this new world of his.

Taking a metaphorical breath, Jack patted her on the back to let her it was ok to let him go now. To her credit, she understood right away and let him go while taking a step back.

“Alright Frizzy, now that I had my moment of personal crisis. Let’s make you that new arm.” Jack said as he dusted himself off and then made sure he wasn’t leaving his knife and hammer behind. “Do me a favor and grab that cauterizer?” He asked Frizzy.

Following his instructions, Frizz scurried over to the cauterizer before resting it on her shoulder.

“It’s still amazing that you ancients could just make new limbs like that.” She said as she quickly moved to stand next to him.

Jack called over the two zombies and told them to carry the pile of bones they have collected so far. Once the pile was collected, he told them to following close behind him before leading the way back to his old workshop.

“That is not completely true. Most people that lived here can’t do what I’m going to do.” He said while Frizzy hung on his every word like a dutiful student. “Most people here where were tradesman, bakers, farmers, scholars, artists, and craftsman. Basically, everyone you would need to build a community. The reason I could make a replacement arm is because I was a Fabricator.”

The sheer wonder in her eyes when he looked at her would have make Jack smile… if he still had a face.

“What’s a Fabricator?” She asked like an excited child.

“Fabricators are people who make machines, magic items and other gadgets. It’s like being a smith, a mason, and a bunch of other trades but we inscript them with magic to do all kinds of things.” Jack answered with a bit more swagger in his step. “Most of us can’t use spells, so we had to learn how use arcane circles and scripts in order to enchant the items. It’s like being a mage except the magic we make is permanent and reusable. Kind of like making a statue that moves compared to summoning a monster. With the statue, it can take a while to shape and carve. Then there was making the arcane circuits for how it will move and what it can do. But once it is done, it will stay and follow your directions for a long time. With a mage, they can summon a monster, it will take seconds to do, it will follow directions but it won’t stay long.”

“That’s amazing!” Frizzy said as she was practically hopping with excitement. “Is that how you are going to make my arm? Are you going to make it out of stone?”

Jack was practically oozing with pride as he took one cocky step after the next.

“I could make it out of stone, but that would be really heavy for you.” He said as he rounded a corner. “We also don’t have enough metal to make a proper arm with either. And that is another part of what it is to be a Fabricator. We see a problem, study it, then make a solution to that problem. See it, understand it, solve it.”

Frizzy was practically hopping as she followed close to his side. Growing giddier as she listened to what people of his profession did and was eager to hear more.

“That is so cool! What are you going to make my arm of since stone is too heavy and there isn’t enough metal?” She asked now growing thoughtful at her own question.

Not one to just give the answer out of hand, Jack chose to remain quiet and let Frizzy puzzle it out on her own. It was good for outside the box thinking and that kind of skill was helpful no matter.

Frizzy was thoughtful as they walked down the block, saying nothing as she really gave the question some thought. By the time they reached the next block, she seemed have an epiphany.

“You going to use wood with the metal?” she asked. “I know some rich members in my clan who have door hinges for their dens. Are you going to use the metal for the elbow and the wood for the arm?”

“Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t be off the mark.” Jack said, impressed that she got the basic idea on the first try. “Most prosthetic were made with metal for the joints while the rest was lacquered wood. Buuuuuut, we’re not aiming for normal. Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary!”

“Then what are you going to make the arm out of?” she asked, confused since she didn’t see too much around them besides a heap of rubble.

“Think outside the box. What do we have? What can we use? What can we have tried and what haven’t we tried yet?” Jack asked as they got closer to his workshop.

Frizzy thought more about it as Jack said nothing while they walked. He was a little disappointed that she didn’t get it right away. But it was understandable since that kind of mindset was one that needed to be learned through practice.