We resume our old schedule of language class in the mornings and self-study enchanting in the afternoon. Thavim is never really able to reproduce my concepts. I guess the idea of molecules is so foreign to him that not only can he not picture but he just outright doesn’t believe me. And so the days of waiting on word from the king turned into weeks though we had heard rumors of a demon rampaging through downtown.
Finally a messenger brings a summons from the king to come meet with him. Nothing seems amiss as we enter the palace and are directed toward the usual meeting room. Once inside the King is in his usual seat, but instead of Detrouck there is another dwarf sitting to the right of Thrumgar.
We take our usual seats before he Thrumgar speaks, “I’m sure you’ve heard rumors of a demon running about. It was, in fact, the Maurezhi. Detrouck and quite a few guards gave their lives to destroy such a fiend.”
His pause here makes me wonder if I’m supposed to feel something for the loss of Detrouck or for the loss of men whose emissary was an assassin turned demon. I just try not to let any emotion show.
“This,” Thrumgar indicates with a wave of his hand, “is my new court wizard, Brondelle Pebblebender.”
I raise an eyebrow at the name. “Pebblebender? Are you, by chance, related to Ellibelle?”
“I am,” she replies, “Ellibelle is my sister. I’ve heard you’re learning several languages from her. Ellibelle doesn’t give praise easily but she positively gushes about you. You seem to have a knack for learning foreign languages.”
“I’m sure she’s exaggerating,” I reply. Honestly, I’ve barely put any effort into the language portion of my days, though I’m certainly not intentionally neglecting it.
“As heartwarmin’ as this introduction seems,” cut in Thavim, “I assume ye had sommat else t’ discuss fer summonin’ us?”
“Aye,” King Thrumgar responds, “but if spending a few minutes allowing these two to get acquainted can avoid some of our previous problems, I’m more than willing to make such an allowance.”
“Problems?” Brondelle inquires.
“Th’ last court wizard an’ th’ lad never saw eye t’ eye,” Thavim answers.
“He was of the opinion that I was not worth his time,” I add, possibly a little too quickly.
Brondelle seems to ponder that for a moment, “From a certain perspective, that does make sense. You have only seen seven winters. A court wizard is not usually accustomed to playing babysitter nor even teaching a child the basics of magic. While I’m certainly not attempting to defend his actions, I don’t think they were all that far off-base.”
“But what of you? Are you also unable to work with a child?” I ask. Perhaps it’s a bit confrontational, but I’d rather get this out of the way.
“With most children, I certainly am not the right person for it. You, however, seem remarkably composed for one so young. At the very least, I would like to give you a chance.”
“Wonderful!” I exclaim, and clap my hands together. I turn toward Thavim and King Thrumgar, “So when’s the next excursion? The last one was cut short and I wasn’t able to finish all of my experiments.”
“Regarding that,” King Thrumgar piped in, “when do you think you will be able to enchant something that you’ll consider worthy of selling? I have been quite excited to see what you could come up with but have as of yet seen anything that you’ve made?”
“Oh, I haven’t made any permanent enchants yet that I’ve thought were worthy of selling,” I evade. “I could make something today if you’d wish, but what if the asking price isn’t money? Well, not exactly money, anyway.”
“I won’t promise anything that endangers this city or my people,” Thrumgar firmly replies. “Other than that, I am open to negotiation.”
“I have come to understand that there is a school by the name of ‘Sorcery Consociation.’ I have also heard that this place, however, can be attended by nobles only. And even though I am no noble, I would like to attend,” I answer as straightforward as possible.
“Hmm. That is a school in human lands. I may not be able to strike a favorable deal with them to get you in, though it is not without precedent,” Thrumgar stares off for a moment as if in thought. “Bring me three enchanted weapons. Two of them as good as you can currently make them and one less so. The earliest you can attend is having seen 10 winters so that is your deadline for these three weapons. The one that is less good will be traded with the humans for a blank letter of recommendation to the Consociation.”
“Are the other two to be for your personal use?” I ask.
“They are. In fact, if they are at all as good as that pickax, they will likely be handed down with the crown.”
“What attribute do you wield and how much mana would you say you have compared to the average dwarf?”
“I don’t think these are answers that a king should give out,” warns Brondelle half turning her head to the king as she says it.
“Aye, these be questions tha’ could theoretically topple a kingdom, lad. Could ye share with us why ye’d like t’ know’?” Thavim asks.
“Certainly. I’m best with fire and ice magic, but if King Thrumgar excels in a different type then I could potentially study up in that one to ensure a more potent outcome,” I reply.
“You mean you can just pick up a new attribute on a whim!?” Brondelle inquires excitedly.
“Probably? Faelynn said that I should be able to use all attributes, though I haven’t really gotten a firm grasp on anything but fire and ice. Figured it really couldn’t hurt to give it a try,” I respond feeling a bit embarrassed. “Could we maybe keep that part secret?”
“Lad,” pauses with a brief silence, “y’er s’posed t’ ask fer privacy b’fore blurtin’ out stuff tha’ ye want kept secret.”
Thrumgar makes a motion with his hand and the hidden guards all leave. Whelp. The cat might be out of the bag on that one.
“If that becomes widely known, maybe I can use a fake name at the Sorcery Consociation,” I mutter almost talking to myself. Still, I continue the discussion, “Oh, and I’ll need to know what type of weapon you prefer.”
“Many dwarves prefer hammers, but my preference has always been a sword. I operate best with earth magic with fire coming in a close second and I’d say I probably have just slightly above average mana in terms of other dwarves,” Thrumgar informs.
“Sire, is this not wise?” Brondelle asks.
“The boy could have assassinated me long ago with nothing more than his pickax if that was his aim. And besides, there seems to be a bit of trust lost between he and I after that last excursion. I’m hoping this will be seen as a way to make up for at least part of that.”
I nod my head a fraction. It does say a lot that he’s willing to trust me with his potential weaknesses. He seems to be going out of his way more than I would expect of a King, but I’m also not opposed to it. Let’s see, earth and fire, huh? That’s almost begging to make a lava enchantment. Gotta figure out how to wield earth magic first though. Maybe I won’t even have to bother with figuring out putting two enchants on the sword if I just put one enchant on a sword and one on like a ring or something. Maybe a necklace too to act as a key? Do I really want to make that magic known yet though?
“….Alvis? ...Alvis? ...ALVIS!”
“Oh, sorry about that. Had an idea on how to do the sword. What kind of sword, exactly? Do you use a shield with that sword as well or are we talking a two-hander?”
“Ye haven’t heard a word we said there have ye?” Thavim grunts out, but doesn’t really seem surprised.
Thrumgar is doing a silent belly laugh and eventually manages to eek out, “An arming sword, and yes a shield too.”
It would be pretty neat if the sword could do fire and the shield could do earth and they could be used both together and separate. But if I encrypt the enchant with a key then they can’t be done separately or alone. Unless I make a masterkey system. Just an extra layer of encryption to use both at once. Maybe put the entire thing on a ring with multiple gems and enchant the gems separately before having them set?
“Come on, lad,” Thavim says and picks me up out of the chair by the shoulders. I look up and notice that both the king and court wizard are now missing. I should stop spacing out like that.
“Oh, was there a decision on the excursions?” I ask as he sets me back on the floor.
“Aye, once a month. Next one be t’morrow. Gotta bring ‘nother Hunter an’ ‘nother guard. Brondelle’s comin’ too.”
“Think we can trust the guard this time?”
“If we can’t, I say we skip town. Cannae’ stay in a kingdom where th’ king wants ye dead.”
“Oh, speaking of, can we get some equipment for tomorrow? Like a couple of arming swords, a shield, a ring with three stones? Or should I go visit the hunters guild first?”
“I can grab the equipment ye need. These for practice or final product fer the king?”
“Practice. Or final product. Depends on how they turn out. Doesn’t need to be top of the line stuff. The ring can probably get by with two stones, but I want to try putting an enchantment on each stone.”
“Stones tha’ size won’t amount t’ much,” Thavim replies stroking his beard.
“That’s fine, they won’t be doing the heavy lifting anyway.”
“Alrigh’ then. I’ll see ye back at th’ house,” Thavim bid me farewell as he hands me a sealed letter, one that I assume is similar to the last and I head to the Hunters guild.
----------------------------------------
“Hi Analise!” I smile and wave as I walk up to the front desk of the Hunters Guild.
“Alvis, welcome back! What brings you here today?” she responds with a smile.
“More of the same, I’m afraid. I may have spaced out during the negotiation, so I honestly have no idea what this one says,” I answer a little embarrassed.
“Nothing for it, then. Sasha!” Analise shouts across the large entrance hall of butchers for her coworkers attention who looks mid conversation. She glances our way before bidding them farewell and joining us.
“I need you to cover for a few,” Analise says.
Sasha wordlessly takes Analise’s seat behind the counter and the two of us proceed through the hallway and tavern. The crowd seemed just as rowdy as it usually did but no one took leave of their senses long enough to stop us this time.
Once in the guild masters room, we all sit and he brews us all a tea again. And we all take a synchronized sip.
“There’s another excursion tomorrow,” I say as I hand over the letter.
“I don’t actually know what this letter says,” I warn.
He opens the wax seal with practiced ease and reads to himself as Analise and I sip on our tea. He looks up after about half a cups worth, “All it says is that you’re required to bring someone along that can deal with monsters. It did not specify who or how many.”
“Ah. Well, while I would rather keep the entire affair under wraps, I’m afraid that’s getting harder and harder to do. Would you be willing this time around, Analise?”
“Do you usually run into demons on these trips?” Analise asked, her voice slightly monotone.
“Since this is the second one, I doubt I could give a definitive yes or no on that score. Although you have already accompanied me once on this trip, so bringing you could significantly reduce the chance of an information leak. That is, of course, if you can deal with the monsters.”
“Monsters aren’t really my specialty,” she replies.
“Then, whoever it is that you recommend that you’re reasonably certain can work with a child and that also won’t try to kill me will be fine.”
“I’d like to jump in here,” says the guild master. Come to think of it, I don’t even know his name.
“Considering how well the last expedition went, I’m a little reluctant to send another of my hunters along such a perilous journey,” he says looking up from his cup of tea, “but I can’t exactly outright tell the king ‘no’ without a valid reason. Especially when he’s paying. So I think tomorrow I will join you.”
“That sounds wonderful! But do you not have guild master duties that would keep you from coming?”
“I have been training someone as my replacement for quite a while,” he replies, giving a sidelong glance at Analise. “It may be educational to find out how they do in my absence.”
Analise visibly rolls her eyes, “Father, you know I don’t want your position. I don’t feel that I can order others about for tasks that I myself cannot complete.”
“That’s only half the job. Don’t worry, dear. As long as there are no surprises like the ones that this boy seems to herald, you should be fine.”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
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“Alright, now that everyone is here, I’d like us each to introduce ourselves,” I announce sitting on the wagon beside the guildmaster. I stayed up half the night figuring out this strategy. “I’m sure you’re all aware, but in fairness, I will begin. My name is Alvis, and this excursion is to test out dangerous enchantments!”
I indicate to my left and Thavim steps forward. “Aye, I’m Thavim. I’m something like th’ lads mentor.”
Next is another guard in full plate mail. “I am Rudgraer Bonebrow,” is all he says.
“Brondelle Pebblebender. I’m the new court wizard.” She seems a little bashful. Odd.
And now we’re all the way back around to the guild master that I should already know the name of but don’t.
“And I am Winston Hargrave, guildmaster of the hunters guild,” he finishes with a nod.
A surname? “Hargrave? Does that mean you’re a noble?” I ask.
“Oh-ho! You mean you had no idea this whole time?” he replies.
Oops. Guess the cat’s out of the bag. “Honestly, I didn’t know your name at all. You never introduced yourself so I’ve just been thinking of you as ‘guildmaster.’ I even stayed up late trying to find a way to weasel out of having to introduce you.”
“Hahahahaa, that suits me just fine! I’ve no need for accolades or I would be running a guild in a human city instead! Just keep things as loose as you have been and everything will be fine.”
“Sounds easy enough,” I sit down on the wagon, “Everybody ready?” Their grunts of affirmation were all that were uttered and off we set.
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“Hey Thavim,” I interrupt his silent trudging as we travel to our destination, “do people have to be in contact with an enchantment to activate it?”
“Aye, lad. There’ve been few recordin’s of those tha’ din’t need t’ touch a magical object t’ activate it.”
Hmm. Does that make my ability more unique than I thought? Also, wouldn’t that make an enchantment relay all the more valuable? Since I’m sitting on the wagon, I get a little clay out of my pack and form two balls. One of which I enchant with the lock and heat before I set it on the bench next to me while the other I enchant with the key and hand to Thavim. The key and lock enchantments barely use any magic at all, just the minute amount at the start before the item activates and then it just stays open until no longer supplied with mana.
“Can you power that ball?” I ask of Thavim. He does so and the ball next to me activates causing it to heat up slightly.
“Wonderful! Thank you!” I recollect the balls and squish them back into leather sack that holds the rest of the clay in my pack.
“Say, lad...”
“What’s up?”
“Did tha’ just…,” he kind of trails off at the end of his sentence.
“Yes. I needed to confirm that those other than me could use it. Thanks again!”
Thavim stumbles a little looking bewildered but otherwise continues without comment.
If others can use a relay so long as they have a physical object that they are in contact with, then these enchantments should go for a fairly large sum. A bow and arrow set seems particularly lucrative. Arrows that explode on impact that the shooter supplies with mana through the bow? Hmm. It would be devastating, yes, but very limited in number of uses from just the number of arrows. Can I enchant an object that then enchants another object? A quiver that can place an enchantment on an arrow would be fantastic. As we pull up to the site of the cave, I turn to the guildmaster.
“Winston, would you be willing to help with one of my more dangerous experiments?” I ask.
“That depends. If it seems like I’m going to come to harm, I’m going to have to refuse,” he replies.
“We shouldn’t come to harm, though the risk can be minimized further if you choose to help me.”
“Very well. What would you have me do?”
“I’m going to enchant an arrow and channel magic into it. I just need you to shoot it as fast and far away as possible once it’s done. We can stand behind that hill for safety and everyone else can hide in the cave.”
He raises an eyebrow at that. “I’m surprised you think all that is necessary.”
“We may have had a closer call than I was comfortable with last time due to my own stature and lack of skill with the bow.”
“I’ll follow your lead, then.”
I get out one of my own arrows so as to not waste his. I enchant the lock to match the key on my pendant and then proceed with the while loop that I’ve been looking forward to. If things go well, the arrow could spectacularly explode. If they don’t the spell could just peter out. And if they go terribly, the spell runs wildly out of control, sucking all the mana from my body and killing me. And likely everyone else from the resulting blast. A for loop would negate that problem entirely but then I’d never know the outcome of a while loop. And if I’m going to start incorporating programming into enchantments, then I should at least know the possible repercussions.
Wait a second, if I’m enchanting the arrow directly, doesn’t that mean that it will never activate? And doesn’t that also mean that it will wildly continue to suck mana from me?
I ponder this problem as I head away from the hill where we plan to shoot placing clay balls just shy of a hundred feet apart in a straight line. Hopefully this will give us a little bit of safe separation. Though if it these are constantly supplying mana as the arrow flies directly over, won’t the explosion just be that much larger? I place down ten clay relays and rejoin the group.
I go back to the old method of skewering a clay ball with the arrow and enchanting the ball on the arrowhead. Once the clay gets squished, the spell should violently detonate. And if I make it directional, it should violently detonate in the direction the arrow is facing.
“Okay everyone! This is the test that I wanted to do last time and never got around to. This is the most dangerous of all the tests that I have in mind. I’d like Winston with me on that hill and the rest of you in the cave.”
“Doesn’t that seem like a bit much?” Brondelle asks.
“I thought so last time as well, but then I miscalculated and things happened closer than I was comfortable with.”
“Believe me lass. If no other time, do as th’ lad asks when he says sommat’ is dangerous. This be far from idle chit-chat from ‘im,” Thavim adds but then promptly heads to the hill himself.
Once the others are in the cave I brief Winston. “Once I’m channeling mana into this clay ball, you must take every effort to not destroy it. An enchantment breaks violently if it does so when filled with mana and I aim to exploit that.”
“By firing it far away with a bow,” finishes Winston. “I see.”
“Thavim, I did recommend you stay in the cave for this,” I scold.
“Aye, an’ like last time I refuse t’ go hide while I leave a child in danger.”
“Yes, but I did feel the need to reiterate my recommendation.”
“Winston, I’m going to hold your leg,” I say as I walk up to him and grab his thigh, “when I squeeze, I want you to loose the arrow in the direction that I went earlier. Directly after we are all going to drop to the ground. Do not attempt to watch the arrow land. At best it will blind you, and at worst it will kill you. Additionally, should my calculations be off, this arrow will completely drain me of mana. It will either make me pass out or kill me outright. I’m really hoping for the former. Any questions?”
“Lad…,” Thavim begins, “I can’t let ye do an experiment tha’ will kill ye.”
“I actually kinda doubt that it will kill me, but every one of these experiments had the potential to kill all of us. That’s kind of why we’re doing them so far from the city, remember?”
“Aye. But I’m not happy ‘bout it.”
“Alright, get ready.”
I pour mana into the pendant around my neck and feel it redirect into all eleven balls of clay for a moment before the draw from the arrow ball really kicks in. As soon as I feel it, I squeeze Winston’s leg who releases the arrow with the thwick of the string. We all dive to the ground, all the while I can feel the arrow drawing more and more mana as it travels. I’m starting to feel a little sleepy just before I’m startled back awake by a resounding boom that makes my teeth chatter and shakes dust upward from the ground.
Right after the arrow made the earth shake, Thavim and Winston start to get up, but I grab their sleeves and shout “STAY DOWN!” Not a moment after they had gotten back on the ground did rocks and dirt clods begin raining down on us. Winston looked to have taken a nasty rock to the head and had a bleeding gash but Thavim and I seem to have gotten by unscathed. At least I can hear this time.
I apply a little healing to Winstons head before I remember I’m low on mana. I stagger a bit from the effort but manage to remain on my feet.
“We might need to take a break,” I manage to mumble out before I fall over onto the hillside.
----------------------------------------
“Welcome back, Alvis,” says Brondelle as she stands above me, a faint glow from her fingertips dissipating.
“Thanks. I think I may have used too much mana.”
“I’ll say. That explosion felt large enough to rival a volcano,” she intones.
“Shouldn’t have been anywhere near that power,” I mumble and struggle to get back to my feet, “though I would like to see the damage.”
Brondelle offers her hand to help me up and I accept it. She drags me back to a standing position and I’m a little wobbly on my feet but am able to stay upright. We scale the hill where Thavim and Winston await us at the top.
“Lad, ye may wan’ t’ not be makin’ so many o’ these,” Thavim advises.
“I agree. The mana draw alone nearly killed me,” I reply a little sourly. I knew what was going to happen, but wasn’t prepared for the migraine nor how sluggish it would make me feel.
“No lad. I’m no’ talkin’ ‘bout ye. I’m talkin’ ‘bout a war fought with none other than these weapons,” he said and indicated the direction the arrow had flown. “Tha’ could wipe out a city.”
“How can you tell? I can’t see anything from here.”
“Come, lad,” is all he says and leads us toward the impact site.
I couldn’t see anything because I didn’t realize I was supposed to be looking for the absence of things. Nearly a thousand feet from our hilltop was the edge of a crater. The crater itself is maybe fifty feet in diameter, but the depth of it is as if a giant worm had burrowed into the earth. I couldn’t even see the bottom. Whelp, no one died and I was able to see the destructive power of a while loop. Looks like there is no upper limit to cause a buffer overflow. Or perhaps the user is the buffer and the overflow would be death. I wonder if death would cause the spell to fail or if the explosion would still happen. This isn’t really something I’m willing to test, though.
“That worked a little too well,” I finally announce to everyone present. “I’m thinking a little less oomph in the next one.” We all just stare into the abyss of the crater I’ve left in the ground.
“So...lunch?” Thavim asks offhandedly.
I gasp in mock exasperation while turning away from the hole, “Why Thavim, when did you pick up telepathy?”
“Telepathy-shmepathy, I’m hungry.”
The rest of the team seems glued to their spots on the edge of the crater in disbelief while Thavim and I walk back towards the cave and our camp.
Thavim and I discuss the next enchantments over lunch while the other three sit in relative silence. Maybe they’re in shock? I mean, I think I did just create the first ever artillery spell and shot it from a handheld weapon. Not even from a catapult or ballista.
“Alvis,” Brondelle starts, “what do you intend to do with that enchantment that you’ve just displayed?”
“Oh, that wasn’t intended for the explosive effect. I mean, not originally. Originally, I just wanted to see if I could make an enchantment that would continuously draw mana,” I reply. I’m not too certain how to easily tell them what a while loop is and why it’s dangerous.
“But wouldn’t that cause whatever is drawing the mana to kill the magician?” she inquires.
“Exactly! So I needed a way to stop that from happening. And destroying an active enchantment causes the mana inside of it to explode. So I needed a method of stopping the mana draw – that’s the destruction of the circle, rune? let’s call it a rune – but because of the excess of mana that it drew in the process it needed to be very far away upon destruction. Thus, the bow and arrow.”
“Won’t the king take issue with you creating such a destructive enchantment?” she asks.
“I can’t see how. I informed him it would be dangerous and he supplied an area specifically to test it out. And even if he does, the enchantment has been destroyed. I get that dwarves don’t see enchantments as single use, but for these experiments single use really is the best. No pesky failed enchantments left behind.”
“Don’t you think that a little selfish?” the knight Rudgraer chips in. Almost forgot he was here with how quiet he’s been staying.
“Selfish how?” I ask.
“Something that you may consider a failure others may consider a great success. Just because it doesn’t measure up to your standards doesn’t mean that it’s inferior.”
“And what would you do with such an enchantment were I to lay it before your feet? Planning to start a war? No, I guess on this scale it would be more of a slaughter than a war. At least until other nations develop a defense for it. But it also has the fatal flaw of nearly, if not wholly, killing the wielder. Did you plan to use your dwarven brethren as disposable parts for such a powerful enchanted weapon?”
I pause to allow him to answer, but when none came, “You’d think you guys would be more concerned about fixing the problems inside your own walls before looking for trouble outside of them anyway.”
“And what trouble would a child suggest exists within mighty Saoghal Feòir?” Rudgraer growls rising to his feet.
Oooo fun. I think I’ve struck a nerve. I’m definitely doubling down.
“Tell me, is the care extended from the previous king’s guard escort indicative of the general hospitality of the entire guard?” I don’t pause this time for an answer, “You know, I never did find out what that was about. Was that guard sent by the king? Was he sent by you? You’d think that an explanation or at the very least a ‘sorry one of our own tried to murder you and your friends,’ but no. I received apathy. So what am I to deduce?”
“A child wants an apology from the king’s guard?” He nearly roared.
I take a glance at the rest of the group to see what their stance on this is. Winston has a bit of a smile going on underneath his mustache and goatee. He seems to be enjoying the entertainment. Thavim just looks tired like he’s done with this. I may have pushed things too far if that’s his expression. Brondelle is studying the bottom of her empty cup.
“Brondelle, you seem a reasonable sort. Would it be possible to enact some sort of screening process for people that intend to come along so things like this won’t keep happening?” I ask jerking a thumb in Rudgraer’s direction.
She sighs and sets her cup down, “Rudgraer, take a walk.”
“Just who do both you and this whelp think you are to order around the King’s Guard!” He shouts, spittle flying from his helmeted head.
The sound of gravel sets my hairs on end and I jump to my feet in alarm. Surprisingly, the sound is coming from Brondelle and Rudgraer sinks into the ground. He panics and waves his arms about attempting to keep balance and then to find purchase. He finally stops sinking as the ground gets to his neck, successfully pinning his arms to the sides of his head.
“I am the Court Wizard. It seems the entire King’s Guard is in need of restructuring if even you can’t decipher the outcome of a four on one fight, let alone against four wielders of the arts, not to mention against two of the most powerful in the entire kingdom. Perhaps the rest of the day stuck there will aid your cognitive processes if not your will to survive.” Brondelle turns on her heel and walks back to the cave where we’d set up camp.