Carrying Marcus on his back, Derrick went to the Healer’s ward.
In his head he was running all the possibilities in his head. What could he have done to prevent the worst from happening. A Grandsmith son, what if he decides not to continue to be a blacksmith after this ordeal. It will be the sinnest of sin to be the cause of ending a bloodline as profound as this. All these while, he was mumbling to himself as he carried Marcus “I am sorry to all the great masters. Sorry to all the Grandsmiths. Sorry to all the past ancestors of Daylight clan.”
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“He just needs PLENTY bed rest. Here is some tablets and some potions. The potions will quickly return to full health but the tablets is there for his wellbeing. Potions are good but they are not all powerful. Whatever that you got going to him tired out his body. I see that he is tired but i do not see any signs on heavy weights placed on him, not on the arms, on the back or on the shoulders. Magic must be in play here. I do hope you know what you are doing. He is just a kid. Thankfully, there no muscles overly sore other than those on his two legs. By tomorrow morning he will be all ok. But he is to take those tablets. The potions are for just in case. I do hope you know what you are doing.”
The doctor went on to talk about the different tablets effect and the potions that he handed over. He knew Derrick was a traditional blacksmith from around the district. It was easy to tell. The coarse apron, broad shoulders and rugged hand. Traditional blacksmiths have a special reputation to themselves. They keep to themselves and are hard on themselves. They do not mingle as much as the craftsmen of the new age. Some even has nasty tamper. Thinking back, who could fault them. The world has changed and it made them feel obsolete. Their workmanship is good but the time it takes and the reward it gives is now so little.
The doctor understood that this boy is most likely a new protege of the blacksmith. He knew it was not his place to stop them, but he still wanted to keep the young boy safe. Or at least safer. Heat resist potions, fire tolerance pills, muscle ache medications, anything that was suitable he tried handing over to the Blacksmith.
“That would be 32 gold. Thank you.”
“What ? 32 gold? You said he only needed bed rest. Why is it that i need to pay so much for just those words.”
“It is not just those words Mr BlackSmith. It is the Potions, tablets and medication that cost you this much. These moonwillow sap and heron’s grace cost 1 gold each and these are the best you can have for the kid. I know he is your Protege and you want the best for him…..”
The doctor continued to explain and brainwash Derrick, selling him the best items that he could that were beneficial to the kid.
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The Doctor was a good salesman. The art of making sales was not to make someone buy something that he needs at a high price. It was buying something he may need for an even higher price. Of course, the pinnacle of all that was to make someone buy something that he will not need at the highest of price but that was not his goal. He wants a repeat customer. Someone who will come back. And he was very sure the Blacksmith would come back. Given the amount of brainwashing that he did.
In the end Derrick gave in and bought all that and more. He paid a total of 38 gold for additional tablets.
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The next day.
As Marcus stirred awake, he noticed that lying by the bed was MasterSmith Derrick “Ah MasterSmith Derrick.”
Rubbing his eyes, “Good Morning, had a good rest on my bed?”
Blushing, Marcus nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. now drink this and take this tablet. Go back to sleep. The next time you wake up there will be work for you to do.”
In Derrick head, he was repeating to himself, ‘need to take thing slow.’
After making sure Marcus got his bed rest, Derrick began scrutinizing the necklace that he had previously handed to Marcus. As a MasterSmith, it was his duty to understand devices like these. As soon as he began observing the contraption on its entirety, he was perplexed. Everything was working fine. Nothing was out of place. No rust and no faulty connections. What could have gone wrong.
It was half an hour later that he understood what went wrong. In fact, there was nothing wrong. Everything was running perfectly. It was he who was mistaken. When he first put the contraption on Marcus, it was starting up. So it did not show any form of effect. After Marcus left the shop, the device finally kicked into place what was its last setting. The years of disuse did not make it lose it’s last setting. The only thankful thing was that the boy was stronger than he had though. The setting was at 2 times the gravity. The boy was about 20 kg in weight Meaning that he had been carrying his own weight of 20kg while running about. Being able to walk is a surprise by itself. The boy had been running and walking for over 50 minutes with that on. For most adults, carrying 10 kg while running and walking 50 minutes is a feat on its own. Imagine an adult carrying another of themselves while running and walking for 50 minutes. Without proper training, no adult would have been able to do that, much less for a kid. Although it is just 2 times for a kid is not as much, the persistence that he had was a different story. The only fear that Derrick had now was that it may have broken Marcus will instead.
Scratching his head bitterly, Derrick could only lament. He is really just a blacksmith and not so much a thinker.