Ch: 8.5
When the work started in earnest, the non crafters headed out on their own errands while the three stayed below with Ivy who was a fair spiritual enchanter.
Her work was far superior to his in every way, but his gifts made his enchantments stick better, last longer and work more effectively.
It was her first time in the workshop. Mages, even orphan mages with few prospects, preferred books and papers in their craft. This place of smoke, sawdust and dangerous tools was outside her comfort zone.
Soon the music and the dancing brought her along anyway, joining in the rhymes that they called back and forth. Nonsense songs about whatever they had in hand at the moment.
A small mound of finished products began to appear. Gary and Shai worked together, too close together some would say, to make a brace of shields, bucklers and weapons.
Clubs, staves and mauls from Gary. Swords, daggers, maces and such from Shai.
Tallum concentrated on his and Liam’s armor, a project fortunately already underway. Liam’s as his birth day gift, and Tallum’s because an apprentice armorer always makes their own first. ‘Teaches you the value of a good fit and fine work.’ master Harlan had always said when discussing armor.
Ivy mostly concentrated on Tallum's backside… until she caught the scent of magic. “I smell what you are doing Gary, that's tricky.”
“You what?” He asked, keeping the beat with a rasp.
“Every mage experiences magic with a different sense, for me it's mostly smell and sound. Others see colors or hear music, some lucky bastards even get actual written messages from their own subconscious minds. It's how your body, mind and soul process magical information.”
“Your magic smells tricky, like a sheepdog, or bees guarding the hive… or birds in flight moving together in swirling clouds I wanna jump up and bite while I run and howl to themoon allnightlong with a packofgoodfreinds thatrealyknowhowtohuntandIwannadrinkfromastreamwhi…”
During his fight with Braden a few things had hit him, besides feet and fists. He tried one now, abruptly dropping Ivy from his gift without dropping the beat.
She reacted like she had been hit with cold water. Shaking and sputtering like a wet dog. “Damn tricky. What is that?”
“How about we meet up in the bath and we all trade info on our gifts and contracts? Get it all done at once.” Gary suggested.
“Good Idea, Ivy, head up stairs please, while I talk to these three.” Otho said, from the door.
#
When she was gone he said, “Now show me this spear you fools have made”
“Oh my, yes this is troubling, troubling in so many ways…Gary my boy do you still have that lovely flute?”
Gary handed it over to the old man, who began to examine it in detail.
While Otho was looking it over Gary read its message, plucked by his thought as he handed it over.
Forest’s Breath, Unique Recorder, instrument, Flute class, Iron Rank, Enchanted. Quality, fine. Animals, Monsters, Beasts and other low intelligence creatures respond to musician’s will in limited ways. Scales against will, intelligence and rank. Minor effects on humans and creatures of normal intelligence.
“How did that happen Otho? I never did that.” Gary wondered, while jotting down the message for Shai. As he slid her the note Otho peeked.
“Of course you did… what's this?”
She let Otho whisk the note away, while Gary protested. The geezer’s eyebrows began a mad dance as he read, finally he sighed and said. “Lets go up stairs and get this aired out in the bath.
In the steam clouds with Shai snuggling companionably beside him and all his friends and comrades gathered, Otho began his lecture.
“First, background from Zygnos’ notes. The void Gary is attached to is the very one Zygnos himself was bound to, it is unusually large and stable. Zygnos’ notes suggested that if your ability to transmute this energy were interrupted even for a moment you would vanish like a bad smell, body, mind and soul.”
“That's fun. Next, the elderly bathers outside, could wallow in Gary gravy until the mountains blow away into sand and not soak up enough to matter worth a humming bird’s fart. We are working on enchanted sponges though. We will keep you posted.”
“On a personal note, Zygnos was twenty five when he came here, so he likely never considered the possibility of a child being drawn through.”
“Finally before I open the floor to the main topic, which the lovely Ivy no doubt relayed; you are all precious to me and I expect all my treasures to be returned in good order.”
Gary took the floor and offered to start, since his were weird and complicated. First he tried to start with explaining Interface for the first time. Which infuriated Otho.
“So you could have simply read me these descriptive messages or written them down to show me at your conv… ooo, They are all stored away in your mental files are they Gary….? Let's move on shall we?”
When he got to the graphic display of his pools Otho was beginning to turn colors.
“Two mana pools, one spiritual, the other etheric? Nonsense, humans can't store etheric magic beyond background levels.”
Pockets! and similar abilities and enchantments were popular with anyone able to access them. Gary’s were excellent but not unusual, beyond their whimsical name.
He spent more time than strictly necessary explaining that the name of his ability was the feeling you get when you put on a favorite coat and find a stash of forgotten money.
Artisan took some explaining for the non crafters in the bath, but they got it across together, mostly with Tallum’s help, Shai only talked about smithing, dancing and music, which was clear to Gary and Otho, but lost on most of the others.
Familiar stranger was tricky to describe, so Gary just materialized copies of the message for all the literate members to share with their neighbors, making Otho’s blood boil.
“So just like that, poof there they are in plain text. Gary, I don’t like you very much right at his moment.”
Homebody, he just printed to irritate Otho. He looked like he was being slowly boiled. The Bathers all knew about his contract so he barely mentioned it. “Any questions gang? If not, who's next?”
All but Liam’s hands shot in the air. He looked around, counted on his fingers and raised his hand as well.
Gary pointed to the girl with the intoxicating walk. “I’m gonna pick Shai first cause… you know.” he grinned winningly at her.
“Whats yer sixth gift ya great fool?”
“I told you all, just now.” He said.
“No you didn't” Tallum said, while Liam counted again and raised his hand once more.
“I did…” He counted off; “Homebody… Pockets!, Artisan, Interface and Familiar Stranger. Six. Who's next?”
Liam held up five fingers. “See? Liam counted. Next!”
“Five Gary,” Otho said slowly.
“Exactly.” He said. “What were we talking about? Ohh yeah, Tallum’s next!”
“Foolish boy’ kin ye produce that ‘Print’ power again fer a list o yer gifts an attributes?” Shai asked with a wink.
“As you wish.” He said slowly and carefully, as though the phrase was more significant than it appeared. Then lists began to appear in the hands of the literate Bathers again.
Might:Normal Homebody
Resilience:Plus Unknown/nullUnknown/null
Agility:Plus, spear Wanderer's Legacy, Pockets!
Will:Normal Artisan
Mind:Normal Interface
Animus:Normal Familiar Stranger
“See, all there, next?”
“Gary,” Tawny asked sweetly. “dear friend Gary, where is the information on your other Contract and the gift associated with Resilience?”
He held up his own copy, now the size of a poster board. “See, right there it says Resilience…” He drifted off, watching Shai bob in the pool. “So yeah.”
“This is a tough nut to crack Otho.” Amicus said and the two old men conferred in the far end of the pool.
Finally, Otho said; “It's the only way.” and motioned for Tawny to join them. After a moment she held her palms up in flat denial and waved an aggressively pointed thumb at the two men.
She waved Shai over to join the growing meeting as well. Shai shook her head and waved a huge fist in a very forthright way.
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The two men must have won because she looked upset, but resigned to some unpleasant task.
Gary for his part felt tired and foggy like he had not in a long time. He drifted in the pool wondering what he was forgetting. It wasn't important.
His mind slipped away, catching snippets of their talk.
“Poke him where? Wae me what?” Shai sounded upset. Hard to tell. Tallum didn't want any part of something or other. “...thumb ye say?”
‘Strange.’ He thought.
“An tis nae agin the law o the church nor the land?” Shai was not having it with someone, poor schmuck. So sleepy.
“But There be moral considerations dae he nae consent!”
‘You go girl! No means no’ He thought dreamily.
#
“Sorry gang, I got a little sleepy there, Tallum if you are ready, let's hear your stuff.” He said when his mind cleared.
Tallum had the god of Crafts Contracted to his Mind attribute, with the spirit of Fire on his Might and the spirit of Earth on his Resilience. His gifts had only begun to grow, increasing his abilities in his crafts in subtle but significant ways.
Shai had no Contracts at all and a gift just starting to manifest.
Liam’s Contract with War to his Agility was his most potent and least favorite attribute. His gift was a low cost no cooldown thrust attack that pierced with almost explosive power.
Ivy was an unusual case, her contract with Joy on her Resilience attribute was made by her parents in an attempt to control a rare and often fatal heart condition. Joy typically refused to Contract children on principle, relenting only for cases like hers.
Her Contract with the god of Beasts was equally unusual, in that it had manifested spontaneously overnight, bound to her Might. Sending her to her parents room begging them to allow her to complete it.
Such cases were rare, but it did occur in the outskirts of human lands occasionally. Sadly, a monster event had engulfed her village while she was away having her contracts completed, consuming her entire previous life. An orphan at ten, she came to Otho’s care.
Tawny’s contracts with Healer, Joy and Order made her a potent force. She was bound to Healer at her Mind and Resilience, with Joy at her Will and Order holding her Might.
She attempted to explain her gifts but got no traction, any more than she understood the subtleties of their crafts. It was all healing and a few buffs, debuffs and a sleep and paralysis spell she could cast at short range.
#
As the group spread out, going about their tasks Gary stumbled on a heated exchange between Liam and Aisha. She had been very quiet since the Adventurer’s guild plan had been hatched.
“…can’t believe you would take this risk, five years with War and you might never see action, or chance becoming a journeyman Adventurer? Madness!”
He slipped out the shop entrance by unsummoning the bell and crept away silently. 'If she wants him to accept becoming an acolyte of War she is in for a rough ride.’ He thought.
#
He was in the garden, practicing his shamisen with Shai twirling in joy when Tallum came lumbering up. Gary suspected the rolling walk was an unconscious affectation, an attempt to make himself less intimidating.
The giant boy eased to the ground with the grace of a falling leaf. “Faker” Gary cheerfully complained, to his friend’s confusion.
“You are weird, are you really not going to tell us what gift you have from Resilience?”
Shai swooped over and punched her brother so viciously, he might have felt it. “Did ye nae see how dumb he got when we did press him on that ye great oaf?” She hit him again.
“Dinnae smash me boy’s brains to mush ere I be done wi him… he do keep telling me tae please nae kill him in the morning. Tis odd.”
The music had gone sour at Tallum’s question and was wandering into territory best left to the imagination. The poor boy was slack jawed and drooling just a little.
“Dae ye see? Now I’m fer soaking him in the bath agin, Aye me fingers will be naught but prunes, ye great lumbering mound o meat!”
She took his instrument carefully from slack fingers. “Pick me boy up, ye clod. Tis yer work, ye must carry him.” As they went inside she was still grumbling about it being a fine afternoon for dancing.
#
Poor master Theophus had come by with a Justiciar, only to find an empty hillside, now strangely fertile, with rich black soil at its once barren top. That must have been frustrating.
#
None of the Bathers mentioned Gary’s now clearly magical fits and avoided topics likely to cause him to become “Tae dumb tae breathe.” Shai threatened violence on anyone who dared play pranks with the problem.
Aisha came to the baths less and less as the group’s plans and training began to move in a much more directed way. Liam’s sad and hurt expression slid into view on more than one occasion.
Gary slid down beside Liam and bumped his shoulder into the other boy’s companionably. “Wanna talk?”
“No.”
He tried again. “Wanna spar? I’ll let you beat my ass.”
Liam fired back. “Just like you let Dannyl beat your ass this morning?”
Gary grumbled. “That kid is squirrely as hell. Makes me feel like I’m wearing lead boots.”
“whats lead? Is that the Zepplin thing you keep mentioning?”
“It is heavy metal… I need distortion though, and pickups and an amp… I don't wanna be the guy that invented the pedal-board in this world!” He thought for a minute. “I did see an amp and pickups…” He smiled, slow and sneaky. “Hey Liam. wanna do something dumb?”
#
Merchant Fargnahan was pleased to sell his white elephant, letting it go for one gold and three bronze marks. A positive steal to Gary’s mind, since he could now explore the secrets of magical sound amplification. The pathetic library at the college had little to offer on any topic with real world applications.
True magical lore was kept in secret libraries belonging to various cults and restricted to members only. The physical sciences seemed to have stagnated in the early enlightenment period.
There was little in the way of machinery beyond the water mills that ran many of the craft halls. Triphammers in the forges, mills for grain but nothing beyond that.
Most college alumni, students and staff considered ritual magic and enchantment little better than story-time for the kiddos, giving the topic short shrift wherever they could.
Ivy found the precise and detailed sigils and magic circles of both enchanting and ritual magic fascinating. She could and would expound in great detail on the topic with little provocation.
Giving her a chance at the Harmonium was like dropping fresh meat in front of a hungry dog.
“... OK I'm going, and tell Otho to stop following me… yes the dog. Your dog, he won't stop following me.”
He left, calling over his shoulder, “remember who’s workshop this is lady!” Shai was at the top of the steps waiting for him.
“Ivy’s staying in, she has something on the workbench.”
#
Running with Liam was much less of a struggle since Shai started taking him dancing every night and most afternoons. He had to visit Jennah to have his clothes taken in, especially in the seat of his pants. Shai came along to make sure he followed her instructions.
“Aye, it needs tae cup his arse just so, kin ye make it of something silky?”
Jennah was delighted to have a co conspirator. “If I rouche the seams here, just a touch it will nestle in and really accentuate the crease.” She said, indicating someplace awkwardly near his taint.
“Nae he must be able tae dance freely… mayhap a kilt? Di ye think?”
Jennah was really enjoying herself now. “I was thinking gauze and silken veils, in pastel shades…”
#
When the bargain was struck he went out into the wide street and screamed at the uncaring sky “I can't believe this is my life now!” The shoppers and crafts people stopped for a moment, realized it was the new local crazy and went about their days.
The kilt was OK, it took a little getting used to but it was nice. Very free, Shai was a big fan of the look, and a bit handsy too.
When he began a mournful song, she swayed and danced to the tune of his guitar as he sang and walked, while she danced.
“t’wer a sad song boy, what be a Gigolo? I nae understand.”
When he explained in graphic detail the meaning and lyrics of ‘Just A Gigolo’ she went white then red in rapid waves.
“That were as naughty as yer Fat Bottomed Girls! Be ye thinkin me bottom fat?”
That was an obvious trap, so he decided to play the most dangerous game. Brinksmanship, riding the razor's edge between victory and utter destruction.
“If I see a bottom I like more I will let you know.” He made a display of checking out all the backsides in the area, then circled around her. “So far so good. Though widow Poonya is bringing the heat.”
“Aye, an I’m ninety six, If me arse looks that bonny I'd be glad.” She said, before she hit him. Hard.
#
That week end was the festival of Order, marking a month until the orphan’s birth days.
To be honest, the festival of Order was boring. At least on day one, day two was pretty dull as well, “I really don't get the whole religion thing here,” Gary said in the quiet of the orchard. “Why is Order unpopular?”
“It be no just tha Order be dull and dry as dust and his rites be too boring tae survive sober, but his justicars be taking pride in being even handed to all, save then their hands be more even in the craft and market districts than ever they were in the higher quarters.”
“So there are six gods and six spirits... Or seven gods and five spirits?”
“That be more Otho’s area, mine people hae a different way than these do.”
“Tell me yours then. I heard your catechism, but I want to know more. I want to know more about you and your world.” As they strolled among the trees, she explained;
#
There were six gods of men, human in form, male and female and six spirits of nature, some with and some without genders.
Light was genderless, and was the flip side of Lady Healer, both represented by the sun. Order and Earth were also linked, with Earth being female.
War shared his portfolio with fire, who was genderless. Lady Joy and the spirit of Water both were female, while the god of Secrets and the god of Beasts were male sharing the moon as their icon.
“That’s pretty complicated…” He said, thumbing through his notes from her previous recital. “But it seems like you put the gods and spirits on the same level. Am I reading that right?”
“Aye, that be our way, but nae here in the big towns, here thae nae revere the spirits an dinnae Contract them hardly.
Gary thought hard, his head was still a little foggy for some reason. “What about the pets in the orchard, the kids had familiars harvesting the trees and herding fowl. They have Contracts with the god of Beasts right?”
“Nae, is an animal affinity gift, is the mark o the god o Beasts’ favor, but nae many accept the gift here.” She perked up. “Hush now, it be starting.” The evening of day two was a bit more lively.
A bonfire was constructed on the temple square, where clergy and cultists of Order conducted their exacting rituals. Another was built in the market yard, ostensibly for the lesser folk to enjoy the same kind of precise and regimented observance. Order was not popular outside the nobles merchants and upper crust.
Order’s staid and conservative ideas got little attention after young Muktar, a stout middle aged alchemist, threw packets of powders into the flames causing a flurry of brightly multicolored sparks to erupt continuously.
With wild glee, a spirited jug band started, basically everyone in the poor quarters giving a big middle finger to their betters. They beat on washtubs, basins and trash bins, many of the instruments he had traded were adding to the awful din.
The band was terrible. Gary thought about using his gift to tighten them up, but Shai held him back. “It be tradition, we make an awful racket, nae music.” She grinned, “Order do hate it.”
Late in the night, once Order’s fire in the temple quarter was out, the market ward started really jumping. The jug band tightened up by itself and was doing a respectable job, being led by some plain clothed acolytes of Joy, including a small one with a distinctly Joyous violin. Gary and Shai joined the swirling mob and danced themselves to exhaustion.
#
In bed that night huddled close, watching the stars through a skylight Gary made just for her he asked “how do you know if the god of Beasts has marked you?”
She squirmed closer. “Dae ye be thinkin on yer aptitude fer fowl an the hives? ye are a dab hand there no lie.”
Gary leaned back, stretching languidly against her.
“She says I really know my way around the birds and the bees …” He gloated.
She chuffed loudly, ruining the mood and grabbed him by the bird and bees firmly, saying “An ye be coming along apace, it be a while ere ye get a brown apron fer yer pajamas, boy o mine.”
“So you declare yourself a master of the craft?” He goaded, enjoying life in the danger zone.
“You seem to like playing with mine so much I made you one of your own.” He said pulling out a flat square box of beechwood rubbed the color of golden sunshine.
He handed it to her with a smile and: “Happy early birth day, Dread Pirate Shai.”
She gave a wiggle of delight and opened the box under the light of a paper lantern that appeared just for her.
A long strand of flat linked bronze rings fell into a loose net of bronze chain growing finer and more delicate, decorated with tiny silver bells and disks at the edge. It tinkled sweet, merry chimes as he lifted it from the padded case.
“What be it? Besides a lovely bit o craft?” Gently, he pulled her to her feet and draped the strangely warm, metal net over her bare hips. It buckled on her left hip just at the waist and trailed longer to her right, like a shawl or sash. As she moved it sang with a melody of its own.
Chimes of the Wild, Instrument, Unique, unenchanted, This item may be enchanted to Iron Rank Plus by a qualified sorcerer. Significant penalties to stealth.
“It's a ding-a-ling my dear.” And he began to sing, swaying her to the gentle, childlike rhythm.
When I was, a little bitty boy
my grandmother gave me
A cute little toy…
Silver bells hanging on a string,
She told me it was my ding-a-ling-a-ling!
Ding-a-ling was not a term for boy-parts in his new world… yet. But Shai picked up immediately when he got to the next verse.
Once I was climbing the garden wall,
I slipped and had a turrible fall…
Fell so hard I heard bells ring…
I must have landed on my ding-a-ling-a-ling!
She swayed and giggled in his arms as he sang his silly stolen song, with Shai joining in and singing along, her swaying hips making the chimes sing softly.
…And if this song
you will not sing,
Ya must be playin with yer own dinga-a-ling!
It was good to score boyfriend points. Very, very good.
“Ah mae be needin an apron fer yer pajamas sooner than I hae thought.” She cooed, invading his personal space in delightful ways.
#