Shit, I might actually be a bit aimless right now... Option paralysis was a real thing. Too many things that I could devote time to, too many things that were vying for my time. Being decisive was my thing but everything had limits. Traits, forced Levels, Fievil, reinforcing the Outpost, eating something other than cricket bars...
Thankfully, for my sanity, my avenue for contribution materialized with more spunk than I was feeling.
"Master Vanguard!" A young voice called, snapping me from my thoughts. The sound was accompanied by the chiming of bells and the two combined gave me a good idea of who it was.
"Hello Madeline," I said, turning just in time to watch the dwarfess tackle Blobby at full speed. She wasn't alone.
Marie, of all the people I expected to see at the outpost, was not it. So, I said as much. "Marie!?"
"Hi Mr. Ron!" the preteen called out with cheer from where she was half subsumed into my slime companion. "Glad to see you in one rocky piece!"
"So am I," I said, caught off guard. "But what are you doing here? I thought you were back in Wildwood helping with the bow making. Also, where are your parents!?"
"Oh, my mom came with me when daddy got deployed to Base Arachne," the young girl explained easily. She was already working Blobby like it was a pile of play-doh instead of a conglomeration of mystical energies given physical form tethered to a few transdimensional hunks of sentient crystal. The slime was totally cooperating with her as it retained whatever nubs Marie formed. She was giggling as the slime quivered with joy. Madeline was staring at the happenings with a curious smile, obviously taking mental notes of something.
"Right..." Where is Sam when you need him? He's good with kids! "I meant more why are you at Ock Outpost."
"Ooooh!" The young fae paused, snapping her fingers. "I leveled up, so we figured it would be good to spend some time experimenting with new things. Alan and Ava told me it was a good idea, actually, when I said I didn't want to go to the Bunker Boarding School. Not enough plants for me!"
"New things? Level--" I cut myself off as her information popped up.
"G-genesis," I mumbled, remembering the only other time I'd seen the word on anything pointed out by the Implants: the Genesis Amplitude in Samuel's club. Except now it was the little girl's Refinement...
"Oh yeah, I got a Refinement too!" Marie said, stepping back from Blobby to reveal an astoundingly realistic for the medium rendition of the Ock Outpost. It had been not five minutes of conversation. Could she have a shamanistic magic, or is she just crazy gifted and Gifted? The question rattled around in my head until Madeline broke in the conversation.
"She was also interested in learning about Infusion Artisanry," the dwarfess said. "Something about a fellow dwarf being too grumpy to teach her and an orc being busy fighting?"
"Ha! Let me apologize on Arnold's behalf," I said, shaking my head. "He's not so bad once you get past his rough exterior. His very rough exterior."
"It's okay! I knew you were here, and then I met Madeline who's super good with Infusions, and now I don't have to worry about any of that!" She sent a smile my way before patting her rendition of the outpost back into Blobby's bulk and starting something else without a single care.
Whatever Marie had going for her, she seemed happy and I wasn't going to question it. If she wanted a change of pace, the Outpost was both dangerous and safe at the same time but it wasn't my call. I was sure Sarah would have her stuffed away in the deepest corner she could manage if Marie wasn't likely to escape all on her own.
"Well, I happen to have some free time so why don't you show me what you've been working on?" I asked. Despite how innocent and good natured Marie was, I knew her woodshaping was on another level. If she got her hands on some wood Materials, and learned Infusion Artisanry, then what she could end up creating could go far. Scary far.
"Oh, nothing too crazy," the girl said, dismissively. "Ms. Sarah said they could use a few of your pendulum cannons and while I've been shaping the barrels, pendulum, and ammo, Madeline has been working the ant bits we brought with us!"
When I turned an eye on the dwarfess she shrugged. "It’s a commission and my dad has been working on weapons for the defenders as they break. He wants to throw you a feast, by the way. Because of the you know... granting of
With that meek of a response, I couldn't help but pop her on the head gently. Her entire head shook, the sound of a thousand chandeliers tinkling close behind. "You earned that yourself. All I did was lend a hand, so there is no need for thank you's of any sort. Now, I think I can help you ladies out for a few minutes. Is your mother at your shop, Madeline?"
"Yeah, she's spent all morning drooling over something so she's behind on her sorting," the dwarfess nodded, getting in some long distance shots on her poor mother.
"Ha! That works. I assume that's where you all are working?"
"Actually, we were in one of the new buildings!" Marie said, pointing over her shoulder at the southern stepped building. "It's where they are cutting bits and bobs out of animals."
"The first floor is processing for animals that were Pith Locked. Mainly the relentless fish," Madeline explained. "The second is a crafting space for whatever the Guard needs. That's where my dad is."
"Hmmm, well I don't necessarily want to get in the way," I said, remembering Sarah's insistence that I take it easy. Turning around and working blatantly in her 'turf' when she'd told me to rest would be quite rude. "Well, if your mom is okay with us using the workspace in the shop I can help there?"
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"No problem! We were actually on our way there since we ran out of Fire Infusions for the moment," Madeline said. "Since the hurricane started getting closer those creatures are tougher to find. Other than the fire ants, but no wagons have come from the south since the attacks started. My dad hasn't stopped complaining about that. 'Trade this' and 'Trade that'."
"Can't say I am surprised." With all I'd learned about elementals and the Shards, not to mention my nascent mana vision, the likelihood of finding a scrap of fiery energy anywhere was slim.
Booted from my mount, the two girls giggled the whole time we walked to their craft shop. Blobby seemed more than content entertaining the two as the slime zipped back and forth thanks to its speed while I walked at a leisurely pace. My body still ached, but my recovery was startlingly quick. It was possible that the circulating of mana into Fievil had something to do with that, but I wasn't sure. It was also possible that my two advanced Traits were coming into play. I hadn't practiced 'clenching' my skin, but just like most of my Traits there was some instinctual understanding of how it worked. Multitasking like usual, I fed mana and trained my Traits on the short walk because... why not? By the time we met up with Adeline I'd managed to activate my Striated Dermis up and down my arm. Not the most finessed bit of control with it, but I knew the Trait would pull through if I needed it -- it had already helped save me from a ridiculous fall -- control was a matter of training.
Adeline was standing just inside of the circular stone door of their 'Infusions, Contusions, Intrusions, and Solutions' shop, staring at a wooden crate with vacant eyes. Madeline, acting a few decades older than she actually was, sighed and dismounted from Blobby. "Momma, you were supposed to keep working on sorting the last batch of loot."
The woman jumped high enough her head bounced off the ceiling before blinking and spotting our little group. Instead of wincing, or any other normal reaction a normal person would have, she dropped to her knees and started pleading for her daughter's help. "It was too much! I just needed a break and it’s so... shiny!"
"Okay, now you've got me curious," I said, unsure about the strange display but unable to leave it be. Mainly because the moment Adeline had moved away from the crate, a gentle buzz had started tickling my ears. It wasn't to the same extent as what Fievil and the Staff of Storm Ruling put out, but clearly there was something there that was more than met the eye.
"Oh no, nothing to see!" Adeline said quickly, folding herself off the ground with the ease that only high Mobility could muster. "Just a little trinket that came through during one of the recent defenses."
Adeline's eyes roved between our gathered group for a second, pausing for a second on her daughter. A conflicted expression passed her features before vanishing. "Actually, vaunted Vanguard, we would be honored if you took this."
"I was just curious," I said, holding my hands up defensively. "I wasn't trying to take anything from you all. It's just... giving me a feeling is all."
Madeline practically teleported in front of me. "You can feel it?"
"Something," I clarified. "It could be several things, which is simply why I just wanted my own peek at what's got you so curious Adeline."
"It's yours," the woman said with finality. There was an intensity in her eyes I hadn't been expecting.
"Wait, I really wasn't asking for--"
"Mr. Terrigan. I'll be frank with you. You did a thing for my daughter that has brought her immense joy and I have no other way to pay you back but with my goods. Your reputation when it comes to crafting is extensive. My husband has no less than three of your Blueprints in his brain that he still struggles to modify simply because of how well they work," Adeline said.
Oh, I guess it makes sense those can continue to be passed down like with the Miscellaneous Skill but I haven't thought about that little benefit of
The woman shook her head, any hesitation that had come at my curiosity seemingly replaced with amusement. "It seems you haven't been keeping up with the very thing you fathered. Considering how each time you dabble you break some kind of notion, I can't really be surprised. Your Blueprints are so thorough and clear, that people have a hard time imparting their own models for the Item they are creating. As a matter of fact, to my knowledge there are only two other Blueprints that have been developed beyond yours; one is for the lighting rods."
Clearly there is a problem if people haven't been able to work out their own Blueprints easily. Is it because of
At this, all three of the women shook their heads. I'd almost forgotten about Madeline and Marie thanks to Adeline's wild shifts. The Entities bless you, John, for raising a congruent girl like Madeline.
"The visualization is part of the recipe," Marie said, wagging her finger at me as if she were scolding me. "It would be like making a bread loaf on a flat pan. Both bread, but the form no longer matches the intent."
"That's a good way of putting it," Madeline agreed, rushing into the shop and scribbling away at a journal stashed off to the side. "By that analogy, the way the bread crust bakes is also affected which is why one-to-one changing of Materials or Infusions doesn't work without extensive modifications."
I groaned, massaging my temples as I realized the law of trifectas was once more at play. It was almost annoying how simple, but complicating, the interactions between target, intent, and potency could become. They played a role in Skills, both physically and in the realm of the Soul Hemispheres. Why wouldn't they play a role in Infusion Artisanry? Already, I'd seen the effects of the Material Deepening Technique in the creation of my Tortoise Amulet. If I had the resources and time to engrain that particular Item into a Blueprint, it would require that the one hoping to execute the recipe also manipulate their Pith threads via Gifts or post-Corporeal Limit Freeforming of Skills.
"Sh-- shoot," I grumbled, changing my word choice for the sake of the girls. "I guess I don't have an easy solution for that."
"See? Yet another reason you deserve this wonderful Material. You were made aware of a problem and, instead of shunting it off, tried to come up with a solution. A bit airheaded of you, but it matches your reputation well!"
"Oh, yeah? I thought my only reputation was that I handled problems with my head-- and not in the 'intellectual' way if you get my meaning," I huffed, crossing my arms.
"You create paths," Marie said quietly. I turned to face the young girl only to be met with eyes glowing a rich gold. "You cannot stop. A stampeding deer, breaking free of snares, carving game trails to food and leaving rubs to mark where you've trot. All us in the herd can hope to do is keep up, and maybe strike out once we are strong enough thanks to your protection."
"Marvelously put, Marie," Adeline said, clapping with cheer and dismissing the intense look the young girl had pinned me with. "Right, so that is sorted. The Material is yours to do with as you please. Now, what can I help you all with? I was expecting not to see you until supper Maddy."
Talk about a runaway train of a conversation. "They were hoping for some more tips for Marie's sake on using
"Well, don't let me stop you!" Adeline said, smiling widely and ushering us inside. "What better way to learn than with practice? What better example than the Vanguard?"
I can't help but feel like I've been played...