Stace yawned and rolled onto her back to stretch out languidly on the top of the tinker's wagon, then suppressed an intense desire to lick her armpit to straighten a knot of fur there. Gah! Stupid new instincts, she thought, stopping herself inches from the prize.
With a shake of her head, she watched the looming giant trees pass by slowly overhead for a few minutes, letting her mind drift into wakefulness while ignoring the murmur of voices from below. The canopy above—only rarely broken by snippets of blue sky—cast their path in the perpetual gloom she'd been experiencing since arriving in this fantastical forest. Still, she appreciated the odd rays of sunshine and already looked forward to escaping the oppressive weight of the titans around her.
The distinct musk, rattle, and clomp of horses hung heavily in the muggy air drowning out the scents and sounds of the forest.
She snagged a low-hanging leaf and ran a claw along its light purple veins before peeling the green skin away until only a handful of the lavender arteries were left. Which she spun between her fingers.
After a time, she rolled back to her stomach and scooched forward to peek over the decorative trim depicting interwoven flowers and vines that ran a foot and a half high along the top of the wagon. She and Chess had spent a good portion of the previous day creating and designing the trims and detailing.
She now had a few blank spaces inside the wagon that waited for her to acquire supplies to paint frescos. She could hardly wait.
The golem sergeant sat on the driver's bench with his entire focus on guiding the horses and surveying their surroundings. A pair of Chess’s crossbows sat loaded beside the armored figure within easy reach. Stace suppressed a shudder when his skeletal visage flitted through her mind. I hope he keeps his helm on from now on. All the art in the world doesn’t quite capture how disturbing an animated skull can be. Especially when it’s encased in honey-like sap.
“... has been grooming his eldest daughter to rule. She's only 19 though.” Amber’s faint voice floated up from the back of the increasingly intricate wagon, and Stace shifted closer to hear the woman over the steady clomp of the horses’ hooves.
A peek down revealed Ken riding one of the rearmost horses in the long line of 16 that pulled the remarkably large wagon Ken had talked them all through creating over the past few days. He had used silk rope, wood bars formed by Chess, and leather taken from belts and saddles to make what he called a jerk-line to hook all the horses together, all while directing them through the construction of the wagons with calm efficiency.
Each mammoth wheel on the huge wagon loomed taller than any of their party. Stace was still baffled by how quickly it had all come together.
Amber rode beside Ken on the only horse they weren't using to pull the wagons. The beautiful black mare had a lime-green mane and tail that Stace had yet to accept as real and not dyed.
It had taken the dwarf half a day to cajole the horses into properly pulling in the new configuration. A feat in itself according to Kan and Amber who were both a little in awe of his skills with the animals. Ashley had been his very attentive helper throughout. Taking to the dwarf and his often gruff, straightforward, and sarcastic nature like a duck to water.
Stace had to admit she was impressed with how patient and pleased he was with his new great-granddaughter. It was a distinct contrast to the often-tolerant frustration he expressed with Chess's attitude. Stace thought their conflict had a lot to do with how similar Chess and her grandfather were in many ways. Pig-headedness, first and foremost. Though she had to admit that it allowed them to accomplish a lot in a short time. Chess had even found time to start replacing Amber's armor with the new lavender wood.
Stace thought the wagons were cool. Even Kan and Amber were impressed with the results and had spent time gushing over the various improvements on what they were used to. The braking system had gathered a lot of attention. A boot would be jammed between the wheel and a large block that sat just in front of the back wheels. It seemed simplistic to Stace.
Ken had received a pair of perks for the creation of the freight wagon and its jerk line. One that gave a boost to his animal handling for horses and similar animals, including oxen, and let him get an instinctive sense when a draft animal in his care was hurt or strained. To say he had been tickled pink about this ability might be an understatement. His smile hadn’t left his face for most of the previous day. The wagon perk had given him a boost to wainwright, which hadn’t been on his skill list until the boost, and gave him the ability to foresee structural problems with wagons and other drawn conveyances.
Flemming rode on a small shelf jutting from the side of the wagon just in front of one of the huge back wheels. Hanging on like a firefighter. Stace had been worried that he might drop off and make a run for it, but Amber had explained that the binder could sense where he was at all times.
They’d switched his binding from Ashley to Ken the day before so the girl could once again bind her pets, and he wasn’t going to let a man who tried to kill his family escape. Ashley's slave control rod now sat in a small loop on his wide belt.
Despite the intervening horses, her new ears easily picked up the pair’s conversation over the clamber, and Stace rolled onto her back to listen after making sure her new crossbow was in easy reach. Amber's stern warnings about remaining armed, were still fresh in her mind. Some practice had shown that shooting came to her naturally, almost like she'd once possessed a similar skill that she couldn't quite remember.
Stace developed a new appreciation for her improved hearing as she listened in. Finding it easy enough to filter out the sounds from the horses.
“Is that unusual? For a woman to inherit?” Ken asked.
“Not at all. Though some see it as… less than desirable,” Amber answered.
“Canfree,” Ken reasoned.
“Amongst others.”
“That alone doesn’t seem like reason enough for all this tomfoolery and death.”
“What I know is the Heel is quickly becoming a popular trade port due to its location and, well, I don’t want to ruin that surprise. But the Duke of Canfree lacks access to a seaport. He's a jealous man.”
“His entire duchy is landlocked?”
"Largely. The Canfree's ducal seat, Hydihao, is sitting on a water rift. So, they have easy access to seafood," Amber explained.
"I see. What about the church?" Ken asked.
"The church will generally stay out of this type of infighting unless it impacts them negatively,"
"That's an excellent nonanswer," Ken said ruefully.
Amber laughed. "Sorry, habit. There is rarely anything the church doesn't have some hand in."
"Greed often follows power. So, I take it, Canfree isn't Count Caldur's Duke?"
"Count Caldur is sworn to Duke Izaheld to the southeast. The Canfree ducal seat is just north of this forest."
"So, the forest falls under Caldur county?"
"Neither. Ostensibly it belongs to the resident Dryads. Some treaties a few centuries ago conceded their sovereignty, but no one's seen one manifest in nearly a century. Only this track is technically part of Caldur county. Along with rights to harvest dead trees. Though the Caldurs and Canfrees import or harvest most of their wood from elsewhere these days. Too many bad confrontations with the dryads over the centuries."
"You seem well educated on the particulars of this forest."
"Local politics and geography were part of my education."
"What are the most pressing recent local politics then? Other than what you've all been caught up in?" Ken prompted.
"The Duke of Canfree just finished a war to take a county outside the kingdom to his northwest called Groban. He won, but the reports say it was very expensive... Others say he's building for a play at the crown, but that's a silly rumor."
"So, he had a pyrrhic victory?" Ken asked, using the English word.
"Pyrrhic?"
"Oh right. There was this famous king from back in Earth's history known for saying. 'If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined.' He won battles, but the cost was too high to win the war," Ken explained.
"Not sure if it was that bad but his losses were high," Amber said.
"How many legitimate sons does Canfree have?"
"Seven legitimate sons and three daughters, and the last I heard over three dozen reported living bastards."
Ken whistled. "Man gets around. That's a lot of kids."
"To be fair he's on his third wife, and that's only the children who've survived infancy."
"That makes it more impressive. I'm afraid to ask how the first two wives died."
"He is an impressive and handsome man, for a human. I saw him when he last attempted to broker a union between his third son and Caldur's eldest daughter. His first two wives died in childbirth."
"Oh? That's rather... mundane. I thought it would be something else. Given his and his bastard son's apparent proclivities. I take it Count Caldur rejected the union?" Ken asked.
"The Count dotes on his daughters, and as he lacks sons of any sort he wants them to inherit if possible. He hasn't sought out beneficial unions for them and has gone out of his way to reject others. Also, it's known he split his core at each of their awakenings. He loves his wife, and if he has any bastards no one knows about them. So, no one is expecting him to produce a son after so long. Half-elves have a hard time conceiving at the best of times. Then, two children are impressive for an elf still in her first century."
"That had to rankle. It's another point of contention between the two. All in all, it sounds like Canfree is a dangerous man. If not for some bumbles, bad luck, and you all finding yourselves in his way, he would have succeeded with his plans here. In fact, if he has the Count, as it appears, he still might have all the cards. We should consider a quieter approach to our coming endeavors. The less attention we gather the better. It might be best if you all 'died', or we find a way to really be tinkers," Ken mused. "Speaking off, I've been meaning to ask, does it require any sort of permit to be a tinker?"
"Canfree is an asshole," Chess's voiced disagreement floated out from below Stace.
Ken tsked. "He managed to use local bandits to first draw out Caldur then capture him. All without direct use of his own men."
"He used his men on us," Chess pointed out.
"I think that was an attack of opportunity that, thank the Lord, fell apart on him. Think of it. If you hadn't run he would've had the three of you and likely all of your horses once his men had shown up. All by using one bastard son. Who, I'm sure he's willing to disavow if things went sideways. Amber is right though. The fact that you killed one of his legitimate sons will still be a problem. Where did this son, what's his name, fall into the hierarchy?" Ken asked.
"Nathan was the youngest son," Amber supplied.
"So, the baby?"
"No, Canfree has a legitimate daughter, Emma, that is younger. Thirteen springs I believe?"
"It's been thirteen years since he had a legitimate child born? Are you sure he's not looking to replace his current wife?" Ken asked.
"It's not likely. She's Duke Izaheld's youngest daughter and she's already given him four children, which is impressive for someone with a quarter elf blood. It would be nearly impossible to remove her legally. And if she dies suddenly, a war he can ill afford is likely to find him. Besides, the pair are two peas in a pod," Amber explained.
"You have that expression too? I think I got the picture now. Who is the current king?" Ken asked.
"Queen Lydia Casuhion V, may she live forever, is the current monarch of Brastia. She’s been on the throne for just over a century and is likely to remain there for a long time if she’s not killed. Rumor has her more than three-quarters elven; though a mix of elven races. She's a very secretive person but a competent ruler."
"How popular is Duke Canfree?"
"With whom?"
"His people? The other nobles?" Ken clarified.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"Depends. He's known as an effective General which makes him popular, feared, and hated in equal numbers, depending on who you ask. The bankers love him since he's always borrowing and managing to pay them back."
"What about lord Caldur?"
"His people love him. He's light on taxes and big on education and infrastructure spending. While keeping the farmers happy. He's known for leading from the front and doggedly pursuing what he sees as his duty. Which some see as a particular weakness."
"Well, his recent failures give credence to that idea," Ken observed.
"This is boring," Chess interrupted from below. "I'm going to finish installing the interior redwood veneers... Politics." Chess spat the last word.
"You need to know this stuff," Ken's voice rose more clearly over the sounds of straining horses and tackle.
"I think I've heard enough for now. Call me when we get to Yhyslimron," Chess countered, followed by the sound of the back door slamming and Ashley waking in protest.
"You should really take a longer break from your magic," Amber called after her.
"I'm fine," Chess shouted back through the door.
"Is she?" Stace barely caught Ken asking Amber over the steady thump of horse hooves on the hard trail. Or Amber's grudging response, "as long as we don't have to fight, she should only have the headaches. The cooldown on her ability is a good limit for now."
Stace took the opportunity to sit up and look around like she'd just been woken by Chess's antics.
The lead horse pulling the freight wagon snorted at the sight of her but quickly settled when Ken's aura spread out to settle around them.
He met her gaze and smiled. "Good morning sunshine."
Stace matched his smile with her feline equivalent, then shrugged. She was at a loss of what to do with herself now that they were moving and the frantic work of the last few days was behind them.
"Fuckin A!" Chess exclaimed from below.
"Now what?" Ken called out.
"I just got a point in Mind!"
"She's definitely gonna be fine now. If she sticks to her wood manipulation," Amber said.
"We really need to work on her language," Ken said.
Amber agreed and Stace echoed them silently. It was cringe-worthy, hearing such a beautiful woman swear like a roughneck.
A handful of seconds later Chess started singing The Beatles' song, Yesterday, a capella. She'd been singing the song a lot over the last few days.
Stace took the opportune break in the conversation to study the woman who'd clearly stolen Chester—Chess's—attention, now that she'd finally removed her helm. How she could wear the thing for days on end, Stace didn't know.
Arresting and striking were the best words that she could find to describe Amber or Lynn as Chess often called her. Like with Kenneth's new form she itched to draw the beautiful woman, only the jostle of the wagon stopping her this time.
'Woman' wasn't entirely right, she noted. She, like Chess's adopted daughter—that was another mindfuck she hadn't quite wrapped her head around yet—had a hodgepodge of traits from different beastkin. Her ears, peeking from the gleaming black mane of hair she had flowing from the top of her head, were round and erect just like a black bear's. Tawny fur covered most of the center of her face making her appear to have a dense speckling of freckles, blending seamlessly into the smooth skin of the rest of her face. The smooth shaved sides of her head added a touch of uncanny valley to her visage that was somehow fixed by the thick scars bisecting both sides of her neck and by the draw of her entrancing green eyes sitting above her high strong cheekbones. The citrine cat's head torc around her neck and the jailhouse teardrop under her eye rounded her look into something primal and fierce.
Stace gave herself a little shake. Even she could see the appeal. And though the armor hid it, she was sure Amber had a remarkable figure. The simple grace when the big woman moved bespoke a deadly predator. She moved better than Stace now did naturally.
She let a wistful smile crease her face at what could've been with Chester if only he'd grown up a little before… Well, she wished Chess luck with her pursuit. Even as oblivious as the pair were.
"Have you given any further thought to what pyth you're going to take? You should consider taking something. Reaching level two is easy and likely, given what's happened in the last few days for you two," Amber asked, raising her voice over the slow, steady clomp of hooves.
Stace lowered herself from the roof, onto the back step before jumping to the side of the road, clear of the long string of horses. She waited for the wagons to pass before clambering up the side of the freight wagon and moving to perch behind the pair of riders.
"I was thinking about the Dragline Silk Pyth. I could use it to make ropes that I could enchant," Stace said.
"It's a bad…" Amber started before Ken cut her off.
"Spiderman? Really?" Ken turned to look up at her.
"I… uh..." Stace felt her face and tail fur bush out in embarrassment under his raised eyebrow.
"Stan Lee was older than me, kid," Ken said sardonically. "But Amber is right, it's a bad fit for the Class you've chosen. You said it yourself, you want to go the tattoo route."
"That explains so much," Stace murmured, then sighed. "It's not fair. You're all getting cool new abilities while I'm forced to wait."
"You should take the Penetration and Soft-step Pyths since you have them already," Amber offered, not for the first time.
"There's not even enough to get close to a rank up," Stace complained. "But, sure, I'll do it later."
"Dampen Odor and many of the lights are popular enchantments," Amber reasoned. "Strengthen Ligaments and Dash might be good ideas if you're looking to enchant people though. That said, there are others we don't possess that might be a better fit. Like Gopher's Strength or Elven Vitality. Even Troll-skin would be good if we get more."
"Gopher's Strength? Seriously?" Stace asked. "Is that translating properly?"
Amber only nodded. Stace shared a look with Ken who mouthed, 'ask Ashley'.
Stace shrugged and kicked the stack of wood with her heels. "Anything else we have that you would suggest?"
Amber held up a finger before digging into her belt pouch and removing a sheet of Chess's wood paper and reading. I need to get her to make me a bunch, Stace reminded herself.
When she finished, she handed the sheets to Ken before speaking.
"Dampen Odor, or even Binding is a thought. They could lead to some interesting abilities. Though both Ken and Ashley have Binding. If you want cheap but still lucrative Water Breathing might be a really good option. The Heel is a port and if the body art you're proposing could give even limited water breathing it could be quite popular with the sailors. Not to mention, it's common for fishermen to pick some up regularly," Amber explained. "Remember we can always pay to have it removed if you find something better you want to replace it with down the line. Just remember to stay away from class skills that require it."
Stace thought about that for a minute before deciding she wanted new abilities even if temporarily. "You know what? Dampen Odor sounds like it's a good match for my other Pyths and if Water Breathing is cheap and you don't mind, I'll take it until something better comes along."
Amber glanced over at her and nodded. "We're all a team now."
Ken snorted a laugh as he read the list and Stace noticed a fleeting smile on Amber's lips.
Stace looked back to Ken. "I missed something."
"Only that my granddaughter is still a child," Ken observed. "Logistics is an organizational skill?" Ken asked Amber.
"That's hardly new," Stace observed.
"Yes, but I don't recall exactly what it does," Amber answered Ken's question.
"I think I want it. It could have great synergy with my abilities. I had Dampen Odor on my list also. But it fits Miss Haes better. Especially if she can turn it into a tattooed ability somehow. I would like reduced carry though. If my class gives me an ability to move the benefit onto the animals it could be a huge advantage,” Ken reasoned.
Amber kicked her horse forward a half step faster and called out to get Chess’s attention.
Ashley popped her head out, followed by a quick scattering of her pets as they burst from the door and into the sky overhead.
“Would you get your mother to hand us the Pyth box?" Amber asked. "We each want to take a few and now is as good of a time as any. You should take the available Harvest and whatnot we have for yourself.”
“Sure!” Ashley chirped and ducked back inside, coming out with the box in short order and handing it to the big woman after removing a few bags for herself.
"I’m gonna take the Power Attack again, since there is enough for me to get another rank, and the shield because it’s close to enough for my next," Amber explained as she began handing out the small bags to each of them.
After a brief stop and some fumbling to properly mix the crystals into waterskins, the group set the horses in motion again and began drinking to a chorus of complaints from each of them over the various and often horrific tastes.
Dampen Odor brought back a vivid memory of sucking the white juice from and eating a large dandelion when she had been small and it took a considerable amount of willpower for Stace to choke it down and keep it there.
"Apparently I can still distinguish bitter tastes," she'd added her complaint to the mix.
"The bitter taste of power," Ken joked as he choked down his own concoction. Whining about old boot leather and soggy paper.
After that first gross experience, the other three were unremarkable. Penetration tasted like a very dry red wine, and both Soft-step and Water Breathing tasted no different than water.
Ken eagerly read his new windows.
Logistics Pyth: Rare: Rank 3: [1/80 Doses for next rank]
Active: Open an ethereal ledger that automatically records all items you own or are directly responsible for handling within Rank x Mind(mod) meters. [Current 12 meters]
Passive: Increase the effective storage of all solid containers you own or are directly responsible for handling within the above radius including those in personal storage spaces by Rank x Mind%. [Current 12%]. This is a dimensional effect. The effect stays active for Rank x Mind hours if you move away from the containers. If the effectcanceledlled all excess items are discharged randomly within a one-kilometer radius.
Reduce Carry Pyth: Common: Rank 2 [13/40 Doses for next rank]
Passive: Reduces the effective weight of items carried on your person or held in your hand by Rank x Str(mod) percent. [Current 6%] This does not affect the mass of items.
"Hot damn, that's good. Better than my two," Stace whistled.
"I think I'll keep logistics but I'm on the fence with Carry. I'll see what it produces at levels two and five before deciding," Ken said.
"It reduces the weight of anything you hold in your hands. You can wield heavier weapons with it, amongst other things. I'd have taken it myself if I didn't have my eye on a different route," Amber advised, tapping the head of the hammer at her belt for emphasis.
"I hadn't considered that. That's why it cautions about mass, isn't it? Does it make me stronger then?"
"In a way. If you try to drag something or otherwise can't pick it up it has no effect. It also doesn't affect how much you can pull on say a bow, or rope, for instance. Other than the weight of said items," Amber explained.
"So, what do your new abilities do?" Ken asked Stace, who obliged him.
Water Breathing Pyth: Common: Rank 3 [13/80 Doses for next rank]
Active: Produce magical gills allowing you to breathe underwater for Rank x Con(mod) minutes. Rank times a day. [Current 6 minutes, three times a day]
Passive: Reduces your body's need for water when over 70 percent of your body is submerged in non-caustic liquids by 2 x Rank x Con(mod) percent. Max 75% [Current 12%]
Dampen Odor Pyth: Uncommon: Rank 2 [31/40 Doses for next rank]
Active: Dampen all scents produced from you, your equipment, and mount by 5 x Rank x Perc(mod) percent for Rank x Perc(mod) minutes. [Current 30% for 6 minutes] Can be used Rank times a day.
Passive: Reduces the chances someone can pick out your natural scent in any environment by Rank x Perc(mod) percent. [Current 6%]
"See? They seem very lackluster. Pretty much do what they said. I do wonder what breathing water will be like though," Stace murmured.
"You got the gills version. It won't seem any different than breathing normally. If it had been the other version, you'd have to learn to let yourslly take water into your lungs. Which is… painful. The downside is this version has a shorter duration," Amber explained.
"Well thank the Lord for that," Ken said.
Stace nodded in mute agreement.
After the pyth talk, Stace found herself agreeing with Chess as Amber and Ken fell into a deep political discussion about the benefits of a democratic capitalist society, whtly existed in a nearby Gnomish country, versus the local form of feudalism and sought out the roof of the carriage again for another nap. Why not? she asked herself. I'm a cat now, and cats are prone to naps.
----------------------------------------
When she woke again the sun had made significant progrtowardards the hidden horizon and they had stopped.
Chess and Amber were busy setting up some sort of ritual beneath a particularly large tree that rivaled the size of the fallen titan they'd harvested the beautiful magenta wood from. Even the generally straight path gave the tree a wide berth.
"So, there are ways for thieves to access inventory spaces?" Ken was asking. He busied himself with brushing a horse while his attention was focused somewhere behind Stace.
"That's not what I said. I mean there are ways to do it. But the abilities are controlled by the nobles and Luminous' followers," Ashley's voice answered from nearby and Stace turned to find the anime cat girl lounging at the other end of the roof, running a small brush along her long tail in her lap. Her ever-present pets were nowhere to be found.
"Just because something is outlawed doesn't mean people don't have it. Surely there is a god of thieves, the disadvantaged, or the unwanted? I mean it seems you've covered the rest already," Ken asked.
"A god of thieves? Not that I've heard of…"
"Really?"
Chess started giggling below.
"What is so damn funny?" Stace asked her in a stage whisper.
"These people are sooo fucked." Chess gasped. "As soon as you start mentioning Loki around them, unintentional or not…" Chess shook her head and laughed harder. "So fucked."
"So, there aren't any ways of identifying someone's class or level?" Ken asked.
"Not that I've heard of. If there was, I'm sure it's a tightly held secret. That sort of power… I don't even want to think about it," the large Golem Kan said with a visible shudder. "Can you imagine…"
When her mirth had faded, Chess butted back into the conversation. "Luminous is such a lying asshole. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd suppressed knowledge of a God of the, how would he put it? Unclean? With extreme prejudice."
They all shut up and Stace wondered what was happening behind Amber's full helm before the intimidating woman spoke.
"I agree, but blasphemy is dangerous. You need to stop trying to wrest his attention like this. His church has already caused us enough grief. And Freya can ill afford the power to hide you from the attention of other gods right now," Amber cautioned. "Now let's finish this offering so we can keep moving."
Everyone grew thoughtful for a time and Amber and Chess quickly finished their preparations. Amber, Chess, Kan, and Ashley got out a handful of instruments and began playing a very familiar song. Stace just couldn't place the name.
The handful of small items they'd placed in a hollow between a pair of roots were quickly turned under a patch of roiling soil and the group got the wagons ready to move again.
Chess and Ashley stood apart from the group, with Ashley tucked under Chess's arm before Chess left her daughter and helped remove feedbags from the last few horses.
"What is that about?" Stace asked Chess, nodding at Ashley, as they pulled away slowly. The pair sat in the back door of the tinker's wagon watching while Ashley lingered near the tree as long as possible before sprinting to catch up with them. Her flock of pets in her wake. Stace noticed there were large tear tracks marring the young girl's face when she joined Ken on the other rear horse in the freight wagon's team.
Ken leaned over to say something to his great-granddaughter before laying a hand on her shoulder for a moment.
"Her parents are buried there," Chess explained tersely.
"Oh," Stace said and watched the tree fade slowly into the distance.