Winter was starting to settle, leaving the grass covered in glistening frost when Yaric started his morning combat training. Both unarmed and armed combat had become more intense as Hiawatha pushed him during extra lessons.
The Corporals were due to head back to their units later that week, after intensifying the scout training even more than what Hiawatha had been doing with combat. Yaric had spent hours training one-on-one and even one-on-three, sometimes combining with Lauren when requiring a partner. They’d even been pitted against the other students in various competitions and challenges.
Much of the increased pressure was due to the nature of the Corporals' time constraints, but there was also the looming Winter Solstice Tournament. Once Yaric moved into his 8th year he’d be in a combined class with the 9th and 10th years, receiving lessons personally customized to his own needs and progress.
Ivan wasn’t waiting for the next year. Archery lessons still included practical exercises and moving targets, as well as increased emphasis on maintaining and even repairing your own equipment, but Ivan put increasing emphasis on components for space-related spells. He had promised to help over a year ago and now felt that Yaric was ready to begin learning the complex spell forms.
Of course, this was all on top of his regular lessons, it didn’t replace anything. Worse, the spell components were drastically more complex than anything he’d learned so far, to the point that he still hadn’t been able to successfully create a single one. He was getting much better, and it certainly had a positive impact on his abilities in general, but space-related magic wasn’t just logic and manipulation of reality, it included conceptual aspects as well.
Most of his other lessons continued as they always had. Even though they had always been very busy, at least they weren’t getting more intense like his mornings and most evenings. Magic lessons actually seemed slightly more relaxed. Yaric had progressed to the point that he could cast every spell in just one to two seconds, and his aim was becoming increasingly impressive. He was even casting his spells while talking to his friends.
Emil gave the impression that he was waiting for Yaric and the others to move up a year so he could personalize their lessons as soon as possible. He constantly dropped hints regarding how much more work they would have, and even reluctantly gave them a few additional components to work on, mainly improved and more complex versions of what they already knew. Yaric was looking forward to learning better offensive magic, as Emil had acknowledged that Lloyd had spoken with him, and he’d promised to teach them a more persistent fire spell in the new year. Their recent experiences made it impossible to deny the benefit they would receive.
There was one other change besides the increased pressure with the Corporals finishing their lessons and the upcoming class change. Music.
It hadn’t been easy, but Yaric had stopped by Dorian’s store after their last appeal. Corey and Lucy had been so overwhelmed by the sudden return of their farm and the funds to replace their equipment that all four wanted to leave the farm as quickly as possible, despite how much they liked the couple. In the end, Corey assured them that he would be able to get everything repaired or replaced before the start of the planting season, and insisted that they would be sending a gift after they harvested their first crop.
Everyone felt awkward and needed a break, so Yaric had taken the plunge and made his decision on the way back to campus, deciding to stick with six strings and purchasing two instruments with very different sizes. They both had very different sounds and playing styles, but Yaric was assured that the notes and chords were played the same way on both. Yaric’s spare evenings no longer existed, with music lessons and practice taking place on any day he didn’t have archery or scouting.
Yaric’s friends had similar issues. They were all receiving hints about the personalized magic they’d be learning in the new year, and their one-on-one lessons were all coming to an end as well. Sven had already finished most of his special crafting lessons, though more than one instructor had left him with exercises and challenges that he would be working on for months.
Special lessons with instructors brought in specifically for them were coming to an end as well. Lauren’s lessons obviously finished at the same time as Yaric’s, but Li Na’s instructors were going back with the Corporals as well. The difference with Li Na was their approach to the last few weeks.
Her instructors started taking over and interrupting some of the morning lessons on top of her usual evening classes. Li Na stood behind them with a wide grin on her face while her instructors hijacked combat lessons and arranged fights for Li Na to practice the lessons they’d been drilling her with, much to Hiawatha’s initial chagrin. That changed when Li Na started collapsing formations and smacking classmates around in the initial exchanges, forcing everyone to adapt to the unusually powerful and focused assault when they first made contact. No one was used to such high intensity focused on a single point.
“Took twelve of you to take me down,” Li Na boasted after her last lesson with her private instructors.
“Lina, you were knocked out in two seconds. And you didn’t even get close enough to strike,” Lauren sighed.
“Yeah, well, everyone has been training specially to stop me. And it still took twelve of you.”
“It was good training,” Sven acknowledged. “We’re all used to long lines making contact with each other, no one had much experience with assaults that put so much pressure on a single point. We might not have any problems stopping you anymore, but that’s only because we have more experience now. Most classes never experience anything like that.”
“Yeah!”
The following magic lesson had another change signaling how close they were getting to the Winter Solstice Tournament. Just like the previous year, the class had already completed the entire year’s lesson plan, leaving Emil with no other choice but to move on to spells they wouldn’t normally be learning yet.
“Alright, listen carefully,” he said gleefully once the class had settled in their seats. “We’ve finished everything 7th years usually learn, but there are still several weeks before you move on to your new class, so we’re going to start learning more advanced spells from today.”
Emil looked like everyone had just won a fantastic prize.
“I want you all to study this spell form and work out what the changes are for yourselves. There’s nothing here that you don’t already know, it’s just a new arrangement.”
‘New arrangement’ was an understatement. The spell form he showed them had all the same components as the shield spell they’d learned, but it was significantly more complex.
“It’s lots of smaller shields in one spell,” someone called out from behind Yaric.
“And why would we want that? What would this new spell do that the one you already know doesn’t?”
The class quietly whispered to each other as they discussed how lots of smaller shields could be beneficial.
“Failure points,” Sven eventually said. “This spell makes a shield with different segments, so if something gets through it would only break the part it struck, the rest of the shield would be intact.”
“Excellent! Yes, this spell is designed to ensure that your entire shield isn’t brought down all at once. As a bonus, piercing your shield only damages one part of your spell form, so the backlash is much smaller as well. That alone makes this spell very useful in a fight.”
“Do you have to recast the entire spell to restore the broken part?” Lauren asked.
“Good question. With this particular spell, yes. You can’t restore the components that make up any specific section while still channeling arcana, but there is a more advanced version that allows exactly that. It isn’t even all that much more complicated. Learn this first though, and if you become proficient, I will show you how to adjust all shield spells so they can be reinforced or reconstituted after casting.”
Most of the lesson was spent trying to create the entire spell form. No one enjoyed the backlash when their shields were broken, so everyone was eager to learn how to alleviate the effects.
It always took a few days to get a new spell down, but the more Yaric and his friends learned, and the more they pushed themselves, the shorter that time became. Lauren managed the spell before the end of the lesson.
“Great work! Someone test the sections please, we need to ensure that Novice Silver has managed to create the individual sections correctly.”
She had. Li Na struck Lauren’s shield without any hesitation or any warning, slamming her palm into the construct and driving straight through. Three sections flared brightly, visibly separate, before disappearing almost instantly and leaving a hole in her shield. Lauren barely flinched.
“Very well done, you managed to cast this spell in a single lesson. Keep practicing until you can cast it consistently.”
Yaric was cutting it close, but he also managed it in the same lesson. Sven helped him test the sections, breaking one after another in rapid succession.
By the end of the lesson, both Sven and Li Na were certain they were very close and would have it down during the next class. Yaric had managed to cast the spell twice more in the short time he had left, while Lauren pulled it off over a dozen times over the duration of the class.
Law was next, but the lesson started off with the delivery of a message.
“What’s that?” Lauren asked, leaning over Yaric’s shoulder to look at the slip of paper.
“I think it’s from Lloyd.”
Yaric recognized the handwriting, but Lloyd usually sent a messenger if he wanted to meet. He had sent written messages before, but not usually via an instructor.
Meet me for lunch in the usual place. Bring your friends. You have a job.
“Another appeal?” Lauren queried, reading the message along with Yaric.
“Maybe.”
“I bet it’s another bunch of criminals for us to catch. Or dangerous beasts. Or dangerous beasts running a crime business!”
“It can’t be Lina, I think Lloyd is meddling with the jobs we get?” Yaric sighed.
“What do you mean?”
“Haven’t you noticed how he’s given us every appeal ever since we ran into those skathári? It’s always been through him, and the first one he gave us he tagged along. To watch us. I think Lloyd is choosing the appeals we get. Why else would we have gone back to settling disputes and moving things?”
“You believe he’s curating them?” Sven asked.
“We have run into several unexpected problems,” Lauren admitted. “No one anticipated we’d wind up in fights with gangs or facing creatures we shouldn’t be fighting when they decided to allow us to take appeals as Novices.”
“I guess,” Yaric replied grudgingly.
They didn’t have time to discuss it anymore as High Mage Sniders began their lesson. It wasn’t nearly as interesting as the possibility of another appeal, however.
Lloyd was waiting at his usual table, already eating the food arrayed before him.
“Sit. We can eat first and talk after.”
Yaric didn’t mention the obvious pointlessness of Lloyd’s suggestion.
The food was good, and they ended up discussing their recent lessons despite Lloyd indicating they would talk later. Lloyd was particularly impressed with the magic lesson they had had earlier that same day. Not only were they learning spells usually meant for 8th years, but two of them had managed to cast the spell in a single lesson.
“That’s not the reason I’ve called you here today,” Lloyd said once the meal was over. “You four have another appeal.”
It was exactly as Lauren had guessed. Lloyd pulled the official paperwork from a pocket and placed it on the table in front of them.
“This one should be easy, but it is potentially more dangerous than I would have liked. I think Sven will appreciate it though.”
“I would?” Sven asked, looking surprised.
“It’s horses!”
“No,” Lloyd replied with a laugh. “Though it is a specially crafted device for a well-known businessman. It will be difficult to load the pieces on a cart, but it’s also very expensive. There have been issues with previous deliveries in the past so he’s requested an escort in addition to the help with loading his precious contraption.”
“What is it?” Sven asked, sounding interested despite his earlier surprise.
“A propulsion system. Instead of channeling arcana and using inscriptions, this device uses steam. No magic necessary. It’s heavy, expensive, impractical, and requires lots of fuel, but some people have expensive hobbies. Either way, your job will be to help load the disassembled device and escort it to his residence. I’m expecting this appeal to be very easy but keep an eye out. There’s a reason his appeal was granted, so don’t let your guard down just because you’re in Lekton. And don’t forget that the goal might be to damage the device, not steal it.”
“We won’t. Will we need to help move the pieces when they assemble it?”
Yaric didn’t miss the hopeful tone in Sven’s voice.
“I have no idea,” Lloyd chuckled. “The appeal covered loading and delivery, but it’s entirely possible that he might request help with unloading as well. Use your discretion.”
The steam device would only be arriving the following week, so Yaric and his friends went back to class for now. Yaric sat practicing his new shield spell while simultaneously working on his storage chest during their woodwork class, failing every time but making rapid progress. His chest didn’t move along as rapidly as it could have, but the tradeoff was worth it.
Evening fell along with a deep chill. The Corporals would be leaving the very next day, so this would be Yaric and Lauren’s last lesson with them. Lessons had been getting increasingly difficult over the previous weeks, so both Yaric and Lauren approached the archery range with some trepidation. Neither had any idea why the Corporals wanted to hold the last lesson there.
Three kegs and a small pile of food sat beside the range, surrounded by ravenous wild Corporals. Ivan looked on disapprovingly, but he didn’t object when they passed him a drink as well.
It was a farewell party.
Night had fallen before the ‘lesson’ was over. Yaric kept expecting them to suddenly give him a difficult task after every round of beer, but they genuinely just had fun. Many of his previous mistakes and accidents were brought up, of course, but it was all good-natured teasing, and each Corporal spent more time talking about the mistakes of other Corporals than anything else. The biggest shock was when they started introducing themselves by name, instead of the simple ‘Corporal’ they had always insisted on. Even Ilves stepped forward to give them his first name.
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At one point a guitar was brought out and handed to Yaric, with the insistence that he play them a song. Yaric knew that they were fully aware of how he had just started lessons, but they kept on insisting, saying that they deserved some music at their farewell, and if he didn’t play then bringing the guitar would be a waste. The argument only ended when Corporal Jones snatched the guitar back with an annoyed frown.
“Just play something simple, like this.” He then proceeded to play one amazing song after another, leaving Yaric speechless. The rest of the Corporals thought it was hilarious, and even Lauren was laughing.
Eventually the party had to wind down, mostly because they ran out of beer, but both Yaric and Lauren were sorry to have to say goodbye. There was no doubt that they had learned a lot over the past few months. Each and every lesson had taught them more than everything they had known while scouting in the competitions.
Li Na had had a similar experience, though her instructors had taken over a table at one of the staff dining areas. Again, no one said a word or interfered in any way.
Normal scouting lessons with Ivan resumed once they had left, placing Yaric and Lauren back with the rest of the class. It was a nice change, but Yaric knew he would miss the advanced lessons.
Sven and Li Na had kept their word, casting the new shield spell in the very next lesson. Several others achieved the same thing by the end of the week, but no one was as proficient as Yaric and his friends. Lauren even worked out a complicated variation and managed to cast it herself.
“Try to break through this one, Lina,” Lauren challenged smugly.
Li Na didn’t hesitate for a moment. Lauren had barely finished speaking when Li Na’s fist broke through a section. Her punch had only just smashed through when she slowed dramatically, a look of surprise on her face.
“What was that?”
Lauren had to take a moment to get her bearings again. Breaking this shield somehow disorientated her in the same way as the first shield they’d learned.
“It was two shields,” she finally managed to mumble.
“Two?” Yaric was impressed. The spell was so complicated already, casting it twice felt far beyond him.
“Yes, but it was just the normal spell behind the new one. I thought the first shield would slow Lina too much for her to get through the second. And it doesn’t need to be in sections if it only needs to stop the last bit of force.”
Lauren wasn’t able to manifest the spell form for Yaric to see, so she tried drawing the changes she’d made. Emil noticed their discussion and came over to have a look.
“You made changes?” he asked, sounding very surprised.
It took several minutes to explain, but Emil obviously understood what Lauren had done far better than Yaric did. He created the spell form in light for Lauren to confirm.
“I only anchored the center points, and I charged from the outside,” Lauren explained, pointing out the differences in Emil’s copy. He changed it up in seconds.
“That’s it.”
Yaric stared. He’d been completely off. His idea had been casting both spells simultaneously, one in front of the other. Lauren had technically done just that, but instead of two entirely separate spells, each anchored to the palm, Lauren had cast the basic shield spell with the anchor on her hand, as usual, then linked it to the new segmented spell, with the anchor on the first shield. She also linked them so charging the basic shield also charged the segmented shield in front, instead of having to channel into two spells at once.
The change seemed tiny, and in many ways it was, but joining the two spells and using them as a single linked spell drastically changed the complexity. Such a small change made what had seemed completely impossible into something that was only very difficult. Yaric had a new appreciation for the complexity and subtlety of building spells.
Building on Lauren’s idea, Yaric worked out a way to keep the channels open. Instead of charging the spell and releasing the cast, he could keep powering it, hopefully boosting the strength over time. He did make sure to confirm his idea with Emil however, he didn’t want another explosion.
“Of course that will work, though not quite how you hope,” Emil explained. He quickly recreated Yaric’s spell. “See here, where the shield itself is formed? That can only hold so much, so you will never be able to go past a maximum threshold. You can improve those parts yourself, which will increase the strength, but you can’t continually make your shield stronger indefinitely. It also won’t repair damage, see here? The structure breakdown occurs over there, so channeling more arcana won’t help. I can tell you that this is part of creating a shield that repairs itself though, so well done. This is excellent work! You four are going to be so busy next year!”
Emil looked unduly excited about the extra work Yaric would have to do, but Yaric himself didn’t care. He needed to push harder. What was the point of surging ahead if you didn’t work to increase that lead?
The week went by in a blur, as more and more lessons finished the year early. Getting a head start at the end of the previous year had helped to lay the foundation, but everyone had managed to keep pace as well, keeping the advantage and allowing them to move ahead once again.
Yaric put on his armor early, but he didn’t head down for training. Delivery of the propulsion device was due later that morning, and Yaric and his friends needed to be there to meet it. Lloyd was always pushing them to wear their armor whenever they were off campus, but this time it really would help. They hoped that escorting the shipment in full armor would help deter any possible attempts at theft or sabotage. Instead of being discreet, they would be a large, blaring warning to anyone thinking of making some kind of attempt.
Li Na strapped on her mace, and all four carried staffs. Yaric also had his signal rod, just in case. Lloyd would probably cancel the appeal if he left without it anyway.
A brisk jog was all it took to get to the inner docks in time, though they still miscalculated. The boat arrived on time, but obviously it didn’t simply drop off all its cargo in seconds. Yaric had to wait half an hour for the shipment to be offloaded, where they found two wagons waiting, each with its own driver.
“You the mages?” the older driver asked.
“Just Novices sir,” Sven replied. “We’re to help get everything loaded and escort you to the destination.”
“Good. These parts are everything. You can put the big one on here, and the rest can go on the other one.”
‘The big one’ turned out to be a massive cylinder with several short pipes attached. It took all four of them to maneuver it safely onto the cart. Some of the other pieces were just as heavy, despite being smaller. Multiple lengths of pipe and several rods were slid into the gaps once all the larger pieces were loaded.
“Right, we’re off. Try and keep up.”
Yaric tensed, waiting for the mad dash to safety. Four mules plodded forward, pulling the carts along and moving slowly away from the docks. Li Na skipped along beside them.
“Okayyy…”
Nothing suspicious happened along the road, but there were several times when someone had to jump to protect the cargo. They initially formed a diamond, covering the front, rear, and flanks, just in case there was an attempt to steal the parts. In the end, the real danger came from random pedestrians.
Pieces that hung out over the edge were knocked more than once, causing metallic clanging sounds when everything shifted. Just ten minutes on the road was enough to get everyone covering the sides, with a pair flanking each cart. And they still had to direct traffic further to the side, despite marching next to the carts in full armor.
Yaric had always been under the impression that escort jobs were long and boring, but he found that he was on edge during the entire journey. Time did go slowly, as he was constantly watching for people pushing too close to the carts, but the tension couldn’t be more different from the boredom he’d expected.
None of them knew the exact address of the final destination, so everyone was surprised when the carts pulled to a stop at a walled compound just outside the most expensive part of the city.
“Ah, there you are!” Cornelius called, stepping out from the compound. He was dressed in fine silks and wore several rings, though that wasn’t an unusual style amongst dwarves. Cornelius pulled himself up to look over the sides of the carts. “Beautiful, beautiful. We can finally finish the assembly.”
“Do you require help unloading?” Sven asked politely.
“Ah, the arcanists from the Academy! Thank you for your timely help. It is much easier to get these parts off the carts, but if you don’t mind, any help would be appreciated. Come, let me show you where they will be going.”
Cornelius led them a short way up the road to another door in the side of the compound. This one was very large and slid on a rail, opening to reveal a large, bare room. Bare save for an oversized carriage with a flat bed at the rear.
The carriage was almost entirely made of metal, from the rims and spokes of the wheel to the structure of the carriage itself. Three large levers sat on the front seat, and only then did Yaric realize that no harnesses were obscuring his view, or any structure at the front whatsoever. The carriage sat on a large ramp, angled to point out the door and down the road. He did not doubt that the slope of the road would allow it to gather speed quickly.
“This is my steam carriage! Or rather, it will be once we install the engine,” he added more quietly. “We’ve been testing it all week. The suspension, steering, everything. We just need to do a few rolling tests, then all that’s needed is the propulsion system you brought with you and it will be good to go.”
“Why don’t you see more of these on the roads?” Sven asked. “It seems much more convenient in cities. Is it still very new?”
“New? No, this is very old technology. And I do agree with you, it would seem easier inside a city like Lekton. No feed to bring in, stables to muck, or excrement on the streets. Unfortunately, it just isn’t practical for most applications.”
“How so?”
“There are many reasons. Donkeys and mules are cheaper to purchase and far cheaper to maintain. They might need feed, but this thing needs coal to run efficiently. Feed is both lighter and more easily available. If your mule is injured or sick, it’s far easier to find a healer than it is to find someone who can fix something on a steam carriage, and that’s not even taking into consideration how difficult it could be to get the damaged part to a capable blacksmith.
“And don’t get me started on logistics. When I saw my first steam carriage I had dreams of starting my own transportation business. I didn’t realize just how much coal needed to be kept along the route. Ironically you would probably need teams of mules to keep the coal supplies stocked up on your delivery route, making the whole exercise pointless. That isn’t to say that there are no advantages to a steam carriage, but it seldom makes business sense.
“Pack animals are simply cheaper and easier over short distances. Long distances are dominated by boats whenever possible, and over land you will find that the logistics required for steam carriages are simply staggering. Pack animals are again easier for most instances.”
Sven thought it over for a second. “Wouldn’t it be possible if there were a lot of these carriages though? Then it would be worth using a few to carry fuel for the rest.”
“Ah, a common idea. And a good one! Unfortunately it would still require infrastructure to be built just for the steam carriages, and for no good reason in most cases.
“Speed is the only consistent advantage of steam carriages. Animals have to rest, these do not. But any time someone is willing to go through the difficulties of supplying a steam carriage for a quicker delivery, you will find that arcanists such as yourselves can do the job for a similar cost, but with instantaneous delivery. Short travel distances are always easier with pack animals, and long distances are either cheaper or exponentially quicker for the same cost. It just isn’t feasible. Maybe it would be if you arcanists weren’t in the transportation business,” Cornelius added jokingly.
Cornelius led them back to the carts, where several people were already unloading the pieces and carrying them to the carriage.
“If you can help move these larger pieces, it would be much appreciated.”
It only took ten minutes for the students to get the larger pieces inside and carefully placed on the opposite side of the room.
“Is this a hobby then,” Sven asked respectfully.
“Ha, no! Well, yes, I guess it is as well. But this beauty won’t be driven around for fun. I didn’t say every application was unprofitable, did I?”
“But what else is left?” Li Na asked.
“There are several applications. There’s a salt marsh near the capital, for instance.”
“I know it,” Sven said, prodding for clarification.
“Well, it’s almost 90km’s from end to end. Almost entirely flat and with a proper road along the entire way. The problem is that there’s no fresh water at all from beginning to end. Pack animals can’t make the journey, but steam carriages have no problem. Three separate businesses compete for cargo on the salt marsh route. I’d estimate that half of all steam carriages in the kingdom can be found on that road.
“Then there’s a family friend with his logging business. That’s where I first saw a steam carriage, and they’re crucial for his logging.”
“Logging? How do they help with that?” Sven asked.
“Transport, what else? The forests run along a river, which is the main transport route. He simply floats the logs downriver. But first, he’s got to get the logs to the river. Dragging those massive trees would be the single biggest job on site, but instead he has his men clear a road and then uses steam carriages to pull the trees to the river. He once told me that without the carriages he’d need twenty times as many staff and it would still take five times longer to get each tree to the river. I have no idea how accurate that is, but take it as you will.”
“And yourself?”
“Ah, I have a business deal with Happy Plains. It’s not even a town really, more like a collection of farms with a central processing area. But it’s famous for its dairy products. Some of them have a three to five-day shelf life, and they’re very expensive delicacies. Most people will never see them. Happy Plains is about 60km’s from Lekton, so donkeys and mules make the journey in around two and a half days. Pack animals have to be rested every few hours, and they need to sleep overnight. My steam carriage will be able to do that in just one day. It won’t move much faster, but it will travel nonstop, night and day. I will be selling those goods with a two to four-day shelf life, instead of receiving them just before they expire.”
“Sounds like a good business,” Lauren replied.
“We can only hope! I’ll be starting next month if the tests go well. We know everything works, but the steam system adds a lot of weight, and it’s very high up. Since this thing turns by using the brakes, I need to be certain it will be stable enough that it doesn’t tip over. Or simply keep going when we pull the brakes,” Cornelius laughed.
“Are you testing it now?” Sven asked, sounding hopeful.
“No, I'm afraid we need to get the carriage back up the hill each time, and I have too many staff off today. It will have to wait until tomorrow.”
“We can do it!” Li Na suggested enthusiastically.
“I’m afraid my driver isn’t here either.”
“We can do that too… I can drive it! I know magic,” Li Na added, waggling her fingers suggestively.
“Ha ha! I like your spirit. Unfortunately this is very complicated to steer. You have to slow the correct wheels down by just the right amount, or you could crash. And it takes a lot of strength to operate the brake levers.”
“I could pull the brakes with one hand and toss your driver with the other,” Li Na replied. “Magic!”
“Truly a wonderful attitude. I must decline, however. The skills required to successfully steer one of these are not something you can simply pick up. There are two things I can do, however. First, you must stay for lunch. It will be ready soon it’s too late for you to head back without eating. Second, my driver did say that he might be here this afternoon. If he is, and you four are still here, I will arrange for him to give you a demonstration. Deal?”
Li Na didn’t look like she was going to drop it, but a gentle nudge from Sven was enough to get her to reluctantly agree.
Cornelius led them back out onto the road. This time he opened a wide door further downhill, on the other side of the carts that were now being turned around to head back.
Inside was a beautiful, lush garden, filled with flowering plants and carefully manicured grass. A large table sat directly opposite the door.
“Come, I will have something brought out here. You rest in the shade and take it easy. There are several things I must see too, so I will leave you here. I’ll also fill out whatever you need before I go, in case I don’t make it back before you leave. And don’t worry about the propulsion system, it is perfectly safe where it is.”
Sven brought out the appeal for Cornelius to sign. He spent several minutes writing an additional note on the back, then said his goodbyes.
It was peaceful in the garden. The plants blocked out much of the sound from inside the compound, and while any sound coming from the road seemed to be amplified, there was so little traffic that they were left alone in their own private oasis, quiet save for a fountain bubbling quietly somewhere out of sight.
Lunch wasn’t long in coming, and Cornelius hadn’t held back. Long skewers of meat were accompanied by large platters of fruits or salads, accompanied by two pitchers of cider. It was even cold, despite there being no arcanists to cool it down.
Yaric found that the garden was a great way to destress after being alert to danger for so long. They were going to miss Flora, Fauna, and Fiends no matter what they did, so all four leaned back and relaxed. The shade was welcoming, as even though the sun was already starting to feel weak, it was still just as bright. Yaric felt like he could nod off if he wasn’t careful.
Sven was excited by the steam engine, as expected, but Li Na seemed surprisingly enthusiastic as well. There were major differences, however.
Unlike Li Na, Sven kept talking about the design, pointing out structural features that he’d noticed and speculating on things like how the power was transferred to push the carriage forward. He knew it must go to the wheels, and speculated that it was likely something similar to a water mill, but he couldn’t tell just by looking at the pieces of the device.
Li Na was far more interested in guessing how fast it could go, or how quickly it could turn. She was convinced that it could go faster than a horse, and even if it couldn’t, Sven should be able to add more power so that it could. It didn’t matter how much Sven tried to explain that it didn’t work that way.
The discussion continued until they were surprised by a dessert. Slices of soft chocolate cake were brought out along with an apology from Cornelius, who confirmed that he wouldn’t be able to make it back out any time soon, and a request that they eat as much as they want before they leave. He seemed to feel that he’d failed as a host.
Every slice of cake quickly disappeared.
“He said we could eat as much as we want, right?” Li Na asked.
“Yes,” Lauren replied hesitantly.
“Well, what if I want more cake?”
“There isn’t any more, Lina.”
“There isn’t any more, here.”
Lauren sighed dramatically. “Are you really going to go and ask for more?”
“Of course,” Li Na said brightly, bouncing to her feet. “You should get some more too.”
“I’m okay, thanks.”
“More for me then!”
Li Na skipped down the path that led into the compound, following the route their food had taken.
“I guess we’re going to have to wait for her,” Yaric said.
No one said much while they relaxed in the quiet garden. Yaric was even more relaxed now that he’d eaten, so much so that all three fell into a heavy stupor while they waited for Li Na. All three of them leaned back to listen to the bubbling fountain and faint buzzing of insects. No sounds from the outside world dared intrude on the quiet garden.
The peaceful silence was broken by the slow clack of wagon wheels on cobblestone.
“Wait, that’s why Cornelius couldn’t come,” Sven said suddenly, sitting up straight. “He said his driver might come by this afternoon. He must have arrived!”
“What makes you say that?” Lauren asked lazily.
“Listen to those wheels. Do you hear any hoofs accompanying it?”
Lauren and Yaric sat up as well, both of them suddenly alert.
“No, I don’t. Lina is going to be so mad.”
Just then the large wheels of the carriage came into view, rolling down the cobblestones surprisingly slowly, but visibly gaining speed even as they watched.
The front of the carriage rolled past the edge of the doorway as well, floating high above the leaf springs that kept it steady. A head and shoulders came into view first, as the driver was leaning forward over her knees, utterly focused on the road ahead. Her hands clutched the brake leavers, constantly making small adjustments to each to keep the carriage moving in a straight line.
Short blond hair fell across her face, but not far enough to hide the small pink tongue that stuck out the side of her mouth in concentration. The carriage was already trundling faster when Yaric noticed the driver’s mace sitting on the seat beside her, next to a plate of chocolate cake, both rocking slightly with the motion. Then the driver was gone, and the rear bed of the carriage rolled past, moving ever faster.
Yaric and Lauren glanced at each other, but Sven was on his feet before them. All three tore out the door and onto the road.
“LINA!”
“LINA!”