The golem crafter, p.34
The Golem Crafter, page 34
part #2 of Ethria Series
I pointed at Zed. “He’s my master as of yesterday. I know he doesn't look like much, but he’s technically a Master of Force Magic. And he is a member of the Regional Masters Council. I am also as of yesterday, living at the Traser estate well within the city limits, and I happen to be able to make golems. That kidnapping son of a goblins-butt pisses me off.” I pointed at the sorcerer and his little entourage, then turned to Tol’geth. “Choose me as your champion.”
Tol’geth hesitated. “You are only level ten my friend. You have much power for someone so low leveled, it is true. But you would struggle against such as he, I would think.”
“I don’t care. It's not a fight of mage on mage, it's a fight of golem on golem. And trust me, if I can get the right supplies, I can build a golem that will knock his socks off!”
“Why would you want to take away his socks?” Traser asked.
Stupid freaking idioms! I thought, before sighing. “It's just an expression where I come from. It means my golem will beat his golem up.”
The Count shook his head, “I need proof that you can make one of these creatures. Else I can not allow this contest to happen. It would not be ethical, and it would embarrass myself and my court on new years eve, the second most holy day in the Dead Gods calendar.”
I grinned wickedly and cast Create Golem.
It cost me nearly 20 thousand mana, nearly all of my mana pool. It was so expensive because there wasn’t any easily accessible water anywhere. I had to concentrate hard while casting the spell, and my will almost broke several times as I forced the mana to manifest as physical matter.
As I worked my will, I felt my emotions calm, and my desire to burn the sorcerer alive turned into a desire to freeze him in carbonite. Or, just ice. Whatever I had on hand. To see him as a statue, permanently a fixture wherever I lived. The desire to see his frozen form, and revel in my victory. That desire slowly faded, as my emotioned calmed. It soon became a struggle to turn the magic into a form I desired. The world around me began to lose focus and color all together just before the end.
As the spell finished, my water dog sprang to life yipping its strange wave crashing bark, licking and slobbering over my robes, and then on the Count’s feet. Panting myself from the exertion of creating a golem out of nothing and nearly depleting my mana pool, I said “satisfied?”
“Very much so.” The Count said retreating a few feet to avoid getting splashed by my happy good boy. A second later my water dog spotted Ailsa and began barking at her as she continued to work on Zed. Doing, something. “If you can do that without any materials, I look forward to seeing what you can craft when given a few days time.” With that, he clapped his hands and ran up to the top of the steps. Once there, he planted himself firmly in his comfortable looking throne. He took and then downed a cup of what I hoped was water that a servant offered him.
“I am happy to announce this situation is finally figured out….” he went on to explain the details. There would be a golem duel in a few day’s time, on New Year's Eve to be exact. The victor would receive a boon from the Count himself. With that, everyone was dismissed.
As we left, I had to guide Zed up the stairs and out the doors. “Ailsa, what are you doing to the poor man? I doubt he can hear or see, or even breathe under all that.”
“Shhh, I’m almost finished!” I let my fairy friend finish whatever she was doing as we waited for a coach that Traser had called.
“Zed can stay the night at the manor. Tomorrow you two can start work on whatever you have cooking up there wizard.” He poked me in the forehead lightly.
“Really?” I glared.
“What?” He asked innocently as he took the shotgun seat next to the coach driver. Tol’geth took up the entire bench opposite us, as Zed, Ailsa and I sat on the other.
“There! All done. Now, we wait until morning.”
“Ailsa, can he even breathe? If he dies before tomorrow I’m not sure i’ll still have the standing I have now.” Ailsa buzzed her wings at me annoyed. “Just, please don’t kill him okay?”
“I will try my best sir!” She gave a little salute before she dropped herself into the tiny hammock she had woven out of Zeds hair. It still hung down from his beard. The rest of the old man's head was wrapped in intricate braid designs, some of which looked suspiciously like runes. But I didn't sense any kind of magic about the work, it just looked… odd.
I patted my large friend on the knee. “Buck up Tol’geth, this time next week we’ll be able to ask for Pina’s release,” the barbarian perked up at that.
“Do you think?”
“What else do you think that boon is for? You heard the Count, he’s already going to order her into the custody of the City Mage. You remember that man we met kinda dressed like me but with that shawl thing around his shoulders and neck?” Tol’geth nodded. “Well, that’s him. He will see Pina is not a danger, and that she is already fully trained, and then let her go. Or, at least keep her safe until we can get that boon to ask for her release.” I leaned back on the bench. “The sorcerer and his buddies might still cause us some trouble though….”
“Their type is always tricky. Sneaky, and liars. I do not expect them to keep their word in this or in anything. Expect treachery, Rayid. Always expect treachery.” Tol’geth leaned back on his bench. We passed the rest of the carriage ride home in silence. I pulled up the golem crafting screen, then the Dragon Template, and began reading in more detail. I focused heavily on potential requirement supplementation. In particular the one thing I knew I couldn’t overcome right now. The requirement to need a Novice rank in a Higher Power, Death, Life, Blood, or Spirit magic.
“Requirement Supplement Options, Magic Type: Any one Greater Power may be supplemented with a mastery in at least two of the lesser powers at a -5% chance of success, or a journeyman rank in four or more with a -50% chance of success.”
A tiny screen appeared then, and as I read I smiled, laid my head back, and closed my eyes for the ride home. Thoughts and plans for the perfect golem racing through my mind.
Chapter 16: A Hard Day of Shopping
“I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.” - Tammy Faye Bakker
City of Sowers Vale, Magical Market District, Frega 57th, 2988 AoR
The first place I stopped at was the armor smiths shop I had visited before. The ebony-skinned man laughed at the request and told me “I'm nah statue maka, go speak to da lady ova thea…she make dracos all day...” The man’s voice was surprisingly a tenor rather than a baritone. He pointed towards a stonemason across the plaza from his shop. The artist there had indeed made several statues of dragons slumbering on their tiny hoards. But that’s not what I needed.
His accent was thick, but I was growing used to it. In my ears, it sounded like a pigeon form of English. “You don’t understand. I don’t need a statue, I need something with articulated parts. Hinges. It needs to bend and move like a dragon.” I moved my arms and legs showing what I was trying to say. This was my third attempt at convincing the man. As he opened his mouth to say no, I produced a gold crown. “You get this whole thing if it is the best quality you can make. What do you think?”
The large man’s eyes went wide at the sight of the fortunes worth of gold I had just offered. He said a few words in another language I didn’t know as he put a hand to his forehead. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. After a moment he looked back at me and said another few words that were clearly expletives.
“Congratulations! You have learned South-Western Pigeon Glass Tounge! Random Accent: Central Glass Islander.”
Ha! He’s not a native Torish speaker. That’s why my boon was having trouble in Torish! “Why don’t we just speak Glass-Tongue. Okay with you?” The man’s eyes went wider and he nodded stunned.
“Oh no, I am so sorry for what I said…” I laughed and brushed it off.
“Don’t worry about it. I get what it’s like to have language barriers making things harder to communicate. Now, about that skeleton?” I walked him through the schematic again. Several times a mix of recognition and realization lit in his eyes.
“OH yes, I can do this.”
“By tonight? Or tomorrow morning at the latest?” I asked.
“Uh, maybe. Do you want enchantments?”
“Anything you can do in that time that would improve the quality, yes.” The man nodded, as he thought about what he had to do.
“Yeah, this is doable.” I thanked the man and left, leaving behind his payment and the information he needed to deliver the finished product to the Traser manor.
Next, I visited an alchemist's shop. The place wreaked of chemicals, cleaners, and accelerants of various kinds. I found what I was looking for in a small display vial out on a counter. I ordered the largest pot I could buy from the place, and again gave the man instructions on where to deliver it later that day.
“This is going well so far,” I told Zed and Alderon as we walked through the market. “I already have two things off my list and it's barely been an hour!”
---
“Are you sure you don’t have any?”
“No.”
“Do you think you might eventually get any in?”
“No,” the shopkeeper was short and stocky. If it wasn’t for the human only orders in place, and the fact she had no facial hair at all, I would have suspected her of being a Dwarf. She had a different accent too, one I couldn’t place. Clearly she wasn’t from this city.
“Oh come on, someone has to have something! You’re the fifth magic and novelty shop I've been too. What about antiques? Collector’s items? I’d be willing to pay? Oh, or stuff brought in from...”
“I have told you already! No one has seen a dragon on this side of the Great Sea in nearly a hundred years! Now, either find something else to buy or get lost! I have other customers waiting.”
I looked behind me, and there was in fact no one there. I just stared at the lady. “Okay, fine I don’t have anyone else coming in right now. But at this point, you’re getting annoying. Now, is there anything you actually do need from me? Or do I need to call the Market Warden?”
I sighed, turned, and left the shop. The sign at the top held a picture of an adventuring party fighting a dragon. The letters under it named the place “Adventurers Emporium: Everything you will need under one roof.”
Lies… I thought. Everything I need except dragon stuff…
“No luck again Wizard?” Alderon asked. Traser had asked the young man to show me around to all the shops where I might find the things I needed. The only thing I really needed was dragon skin. Dragon bone if they had it, but the skin seemed to be the largest part of the golem I needed to make.
“I spent all yesterday afternoon prepping. Making golems out of different material at the Traser Manor. I even got the skill up to level 6 when I mixed water and earth.”
“Mud golem wasn’t it? I’m sure the house servants were not pleased.” Alderon said, fighting back a snicker.
“And practically useless,” Zed said. He was the third member of our little shopping group. Ailsa had left the strange facial hair wrappings on all night, but this morning she had declared whatever she had been doing to be finished. When I asked what was going on, neither of the two were willing to give me a straight answer. Instead, Zed had insisted he come with me on my shopping spree.
Ailsa had stayed home fearing her presence might antagonize the Market Warden and his goons again. Tol’geth just needed some time alone to work through some things. The man had spent all afternoon yesterday burning off some steam breaking my creations. This morning his mood had not improved, so he stayed behind sharpening his sword and sparring with Traser. The knight had taken a particular interest in sparring with the high-level warrior, despite what he had said in the Crystal Caverns.
“Yeah, Mud Golem. Not my finest creation. But, it got me to level 6 in golem crafting. Experiments right?” The old man smiled, happy his student had finally taken his first lesson to heart.
“Don’t you have the ability to substitute some of the parts?” Zed asked as he switched gears, playing with his beard.
“How did you …?”
“You forget, I'm your master. Besides that, I’ve learned a lot about golem making, even if I don’t have the skill myself.”
“Alright fine. Here is the list of what I need. Some dragon meat, dragon bone, saliva, and scales. I need a pure elemental node crystal of whatever element I want the dragon to have the properties of. I was thinking about fire. You know, I’m a pyromancer…” Zed waved that idea away.
“No, you’re going to use a Force Node Crystal. You need practice with your Force magic, and this will probably make it easier for me to observe and take notes!” I just stared at him for a few seconds. When he didn’t blink or show any signs of explaining I asked the obvious question.
“Where am I supposed to get a Force Node Crystal?” I had up till that point found different ley lines of the basic elements. Nodes existed along those elemental ley lines where the flow of the magic became “kinked” or stagnant. “ I have never even heard of a Force layline before.” Zed snickered.
“Oh, that’s easy! Have you ever heard of a Hearthstone before?” I groaned slightly.
“Oh! I have!” Alderon said. “Those are the crystals granted by the king or other high nobility to settlers. They grant local leadership access to the settlement screen.” Zed patted the young page on the head.
“Exactly my boy!” He glared at me. “At least someone here has been attentive to their studies.” I opened my mouth to protest that I did in fact know what they were, but Zed just continued on. “And there is a Hearthstone in the center of the market. Just over here!” A few minutes later we stood in front of the Shop Access Point, the pillar where Banker Kim had set up shop. Her little booth was still there, but Kim was nowhere to be seen. Only a tiny sign that read ‘out for the day, be back tomorrow’. Apparently, whatever I had spent in the exchange was enough to allow her to take a day or two off. Shrugging, I examined the pillar.
The stone and concrete platform protected at its pinnacle and center, a large opaque white crystal. In places, you could see clear through it, but in other spots, it was milky white. Along the sides of the platform were bronze hand imprints where people could access the shop during festivals or holidays when the Count opened it. “Okay, we are here. How am I supposed to get a Node Crystal?” Zed laughed and climbed atop Banker Kim’s now empty table. “Wait, you’re going to hurt yourself, what are you doing?” Zed laughed harder and pulled himself atop the stone pillar.
Several passers-by laughed at the old man’s antics, and I was left just shaking my head. After a few minutes of struggling, Zed finally stood triumphant atop the protective pillar. “Ha! I knew I could do it, these old bones still have some kick left in ‘em! Hehe!” With that, he turned and lifted his staff clear above his head.
“Wait! What are you..?!” He brought the thick applewood staff down atop the crystal. A crack as loud as thunder rang through the market, and the crystal was cut in two pieces. One half fell to the ground at my feet. Zed kicked the other half off the pillar and towards me. “What did you do!” I looked at Alderon, but the boy looked unconcerned.
“I got you what you needed. Now, help an old man down from here…” I did my best, but in the end, I needed Alderon’s help to get the wily man down. “We need to get out of here before the Warden comes. Let’s go!” I hissed at Zed as he landed on the ground.
“No, first pick up those pieces.”
“You just broke a priceless crystal. I’m sure the Count will want you hanged. How are you not running for the hills?!”
“Oh, Wizard Rayid, that wasn’t the Hearthstone. That was the…” Zed lifted his staff to silence the boy, but the truth hit me.
“Ah, that’s the residual crystal off the node. I take it that it's usually just smashed and cleaned up at night?” Alderon nodded. “And that it’s not thought of as very valuable because no one practices Force magic?” Zed sighed.
“Drat, I thought that prank would have gotten more traction. Eh, it was fun to see you panic there for a minute though, ha! Now pick up those pieces and let's get going. There’s a gem smith who owes me a favor for fixing his wagon a few months back.”
---
“I thought this was an enchanter's shop,” I said as I stood outside of Yiddle and Fiddle’s building. The place was large and was one of the few truly permanent structures in the magical market. That meant as I had learned from Alderon, that the partners had been extremely successful.
“It is. Yiddle owes me a favor.” I tapped the sign that said that Yiddle was no longer in residence. Zed just cackled as all old people seem to have the ability to do. “Don’t believe everything you read kid.” With that, he pushed open the door to the place, and I followed suit.
“I think I’ll stay out here.” I looked back halfway into the building at Alderon. “I’m a page of a knightly order. You know, honesty above all else? That kind of thing?”
“Ooooh, right. Best you stay out here then. We’ll be right back out after Fiddle” I emphasized the enchanter’s name. “Takes a look at these crystals.” I closed the door behind me and allowed my eyes to adjust to the dark room.
“So, do you think you can do it?” Zed asked. He stood in front of a wooden counter at the back of the shop. All around the room were displays of various kinds. Racks of weapons, a glass display case of gems and jewelry, and a small shelf full of books. I fought the initial compulsion to go and look at the titles and instead focused on the conversation.
On the other side of the wooden table I found a tall skinny man, as tall if not more so than Tol’geth, which was a sight to see. The man's eyes shifted over the half of the crystal that Zed had placed on the counter. “I don’t know Zed, I’m not a tinkerer. I enchant things. I picked up a little bit of the craft, but…” Zed slammed an open palm on the wooden table.
“Oh come off it Fiddle! I know that Yiddle is here, I've seen your shop full of trinkets day in and day out.” The man began to protest but Zed cut him off. “And don’t give me that nonsense about Yiddle leaving you a bunch of stock. You have been doing commissions under the table. I know, I've seen more than one person walk out of here with nonstandard gear. Come on, you and Yiddle both owe me a favor.” Fiddle blanched white, as he looked from Zed to me and back to Zed.
Tol’geth hesitated. “You are only level ten my friend. You have much power for someone so low leveled, it is true. But you would struggle against such as he, I would think.”
“I don’t care. It's not a fight of mage on mage, it's a fight of golem on golem. And trust me, if I can get the right supplies, I can build a golem that will knock his socks off!”
“Why would you want to take away his socks?” Traser asked.
Stupid freaking idioms! I thought, before sighing. “It's just an expression where I come from. It means my golem will beat his golem up.”
The Count shook his head, “I need proof that you can make one of these creatures. Else I can not allow this contest to happen. It would not be ethical, and it would embarrass myself and my court on new years eve, the second most holy day in the Dead Gods calendar.”
I grinned wickedly and cast Create Golem.
It cost me nearly 20 thousand mana, nearly all of my mana pool. It was so expensive because there wasn’t any easily accessible water anywhere. I had to concentrate hard while casting the spell, and my will almost broke several times as I forced the mana to manifest as physical matter.
As I worked my will, I felt my emotions calm, and my desire to burn the sorcerer alive turned into a desire to freeze him in carbonite. Or, just ice. Whatever I had on hand. To see him as a statue, permanently a fixture wherever I lived. The desire to see his frozen form, and revel in my victory. That desire slowly faded, as my emotioned calmed. It soon became a struggle to turn the magic into a form I desired. The world around me began to lose focus and color all together just before the end.
As the spell finished, my water dog sprang to life yipping its strange wave crashing bark, licking and slobbering over my robes, and then on the Count’s feet. Panting myself from the exertion of creating a golem out of nothing and nearly depleting my mana pool, I said “satisfied?”
“Very much so.” The Count said retreating a few feet to avoid getting splashed by my happy good boy. A second later my water dog spotted Ailsa and began barking at her as she continued to work on Zed. Doing, something. “If you can do that without any materials, I look forward to seeing what you can craft when given a few days time.” With that, he clapped his hands and ran up to the top of the steps. Once there, he planted himself firmly in his comfortable looking throne. He took and then downed a cup of what I hoped was water that a servant offered him.
“I am happy to announce this situation is finally figured out….” he went on to explain the details. There would be a golem duel in a few day’s time, on New Year's Eve to be exact. The victor would receive a boon from the Count himself. With that, everyone was dismissed.
As we left, I had to guide Zed up the stairs and out the doors. “Ailsa, what are you doing to the poor man? I doubt he can hear or see, or even breathe under all that.”
“Shhh, I’m almost finished!” I let my fairy friend finish whatever she was doing as we waited for a coach that Traser had called.
“Zed can stay the night at the manor. Tomorrow you two can start work on whatever you have cooking up there wizard.” He poked me in the forehead lightly.
“Really?” I glared.
“What?” He asked innocently as he took the shotgun seat next to the coach driver. Tol’geth took up the entire bench opposite us, as Zed, Ailsa and I sat on the other.
“There! All done. Now, we wait until morning.”
“Ailsa, can he even breathe? If he dies before tomorrow I’m not sure i’ll still have the standing I have now.” Ailsa buzzed her wings at me annoyed. “Just, please don’t kill him okay?”
“I will try my best sir!” She gave a little salute before she dropped herself into the tiny hammock she had woven out of Zeds hair. It still hung down from his beard. The rest of the old man's head was wrapped in intricate braid designs, some of which looked suspiciously like runes. But I didn't sense any kind of magic about the work, it just looked… odd.
I patted my large friend on the knee. “Buck up Tol’geth, this time next week we’ll be able to ask for Pina’s release,” the barbarian perked up at that.
“Do you think?”
“What else do you think that boon is for? You heard the Count, he’s already going to order her into the custody of the City Mage. You remember that man we met kinda dressed like me but with that shawl thing around his shoulders and neck?” Tol’geth nodded. “Well, that’s him. He will see Pina is not a danger, and that she is already fully trained, and then let her go. Or, at least keep her safe until we can get that boon to ask for her release.” I leaned back on the bench. “The sorcerer and his buddies might still cause us some trouble though….”
“Their type is always tricky. Sneaky, and liars. I do not expect them to keep their word in this or in anything. Expect treachery, Rayid. Always expect treachery.” Tol’geth leaned back on his bench. We passed the rest of the carriage ride home in silence. I pulled up the golem crafting screen, then the Dragon Template, and began reading in more detail. I focused heavily on potential requirement supplementation. In particular the one thing I knew I couldn’t overcome right now. The requirement to need a Novice rank in a Higher Power, Death, Life, Blood, or Spirit magic.
“Requirement Supplement Options, Magic Type: Any one Greater Power may be supplemented with a mastery in at least two of the lesser powers at a -5% chance of success, or a journeyman rank in four or more with a -50% chance of success.”
A tiny screen appeared then, and as I read I smiled, laid my head back, and closed my eyes for the ride home. Thoughts and plans for the perfect golem racing through my mind.
Chapter 16: A Hard Day of Shopping
“I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.” - Tammy Faye Bakker
City of Sowers Vale, Magical Market District, Frega 57th, 2988 AoR
The first place I stopped at was the armor smiths shop I had visited before. The ebony-skinned man laughed at the request and told me “I'm nah statue maka, go speak to da lady ova thea…she make dracos all day...” The man’s voice was surprisingly a tenor rather than a baritone. He pointed towards a stonemason across the plaza from his shop. The artist there had indeed made several statues of dragons slumbering on their tiny hoards. But that’s not what I needed.
His accent was thick, but I was growing used to it. In my ears, it sounded like a pigeon form of English. “You don’t understand. I don’t need a statue, I need something with articulated parts. Hinges. It needs to bend and move like a dragon.” I moved my arms and legs showing what I was trying to say. This was my third attempt at convincing the man. As he opened his mouth to say no, I produced a gold crown. “You get this whole thing if it is the best quality you can make. What do you think?”
The large man’s eyes went wide at the sight of the fortunes worth of gold I had just offered. He said a few words in another language I didn’t know as he put a hand to his forehead. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. After a moment he looked back at me and said another few words that were clearly expletives.
“Congratulations! You have learned South-Western Pigeon Glass Tounge! Random Accent: Central Glass Islander.”
Ha! He’s not a native Torish speaker. That’s why my boon was having trouble in Torish! “Why don’t we just speak Glass-Tongue. Okay with you?” The man’s eyes went wider and he nodded stunned.
“Oh no, I am so sorry for what I said…” I laughed and brushed it off.
“Don’t worry about it. I get what it’s like to have language barriers making things harder to communicate. Now, about that skeleton?” I walked him through the schematic again. Several times a mix of recognition and realization lit in his eyes.
“OH yes, I can do this.”
“By tonight? Or tomorrow morning at the latest?” I asked.
“Uh, maybe. Do you want enchantments?”
“Anything you can do in that time that would improve the quality, yes.” The man nodded, as he thought about what he had to do.
“Yeah, this is doable.” I thanked the man and left, leaving behind his payment and the information he needed to deliver the finished product to the Traser manor.
Next, I visited an alchemist's shop. The place wreaked of chemicals, cleaners, and accelerants of various kinds. I found what I was looking for in a small display vial out on a counter. I ordered the largest pot I could buy from the place, and again gave the man instructions on where to deliver it later that day.
“This is going well so far,” I told Zed and Alderon as we walked through the market. “I already have two things off my list and it's barely been an hour!”
---
“Are you sure you don’t have any?”
“No.”
“Do you think you might eventually get any in?”
“No,” the shopkeeper was short and stocky. If it wasn’t for the human only orders in place, and the fact she had no facial hair at all, I would have suspected her of being a Dwarf. She had a different accent too, one I couldn’t place. Clearly she wasn’t from this city.
“Oh come on, someone has to have something! You’re the fifth magic and novelty shop I've been too. What about antiques? Collector’s items? I’d be willing to pay? Oh, or stuff brought in from...”
“I have told you already! No one has seen a dragon on this side of the Great Sea in nearly a hundred years! Now, either find something else to buy or get lost! I have other customers waiting.”
I looked behind me, and there was in fact no one there. I just stared at the lady. “Okay, fine I don’t have anyone else coming in right now. But at this point, you’re getting annoying. Now, is there anything you actually do need from me? Or do I need to call the Market Warden?”
I sighed, turned, and left the shop. The sign at the top held a picture of an adventuring party fighting a dragon. The letters under it named the place “Adventurers Emporium: Everything you will need under one roof.”
Lies… I thought. Everything I need except dragon stuff…
“No luck again Wizard?” Alderon asked. Traser had asked the young man to show me around to all the shops where I might find the things I needed. The only thing I really needed was dragon skin. Dragon bone if they had it, but the skin seemed to be the largest part of the golem I needed to make.
“I spent all yesterday afternoon prepping. Making golems out of different material at the Traser Manor. I even got the skill up to level 6 when I mixed water and earth.”
“Mud golem wasn’t it? I’m sure the house servants were not pleased.” Alderon said, fighting back a snicker.
“And practically useless,” Zed said. He was the third member of our little shopping group. Ailsa had left the strange facial hair wrappings on all night, but this morning she had declared whatever she had been doing to be finished. When I asked what was going on, neither of the two were willing to give me a straight answer. Instead, Zed had insisted he come with me on my shopping spree.
Ailsa had stayed home fearing her presence might antagonize the Market Warden and his goons again. Tol’geth just needed some time alone to work through some things. The man had spent all afternoon yesterday burning off some steam breaking my creations. This morning his mood had not improved, so he stayed behind sharpening his sword and sparring with Traser. The knight had taken a particular interest in sparring with the high-level warrior, despite what he had said in the Crystal Caverns.
“Yeah, Mud Golem. Not my finest creation. But, it got me to level 6 in golem crafting. Experiments right?” The old man smiled, happy his student had finally taken his first lesson to heart.
“Don’t you have the ability to substitute some of the parts?” Zed asked as he switched gears, playing with his beard.
“How did you …?”
“You forget, I'm your master. Besides that, I’ve learned a lot about golem making, even if I don’t have the skill myself.”
“Alright fine. Here is the list of what I need. Some dragon meat, dragon bone, saliva, and scales. I need a pure elemental node crystal of whatever element I want the dragon to have the properties of. I was thinking about fire. You know, I’m a pyromancer…” Zed waved that idea away.
“No, you’re going to use a Force Node Crystal. You need practice with your Force magic, and this will probably make it easier for me to observe and take notes!” I just stared at him for a few seconds. When he didn’t blink or show any signs of explaining I asked the obvious question.
“Where am I supposed to get a Force Node Crystal?” I had up till that point found different ley lines of the basic elements. Nodes existed along those elemental ley lines where the flow of the magic became “kinked” or stagnant. “ I have never even heard of a Force layline before.” Zed snickered.
“Oh, that’s easy! Have you ever heard of a Hearthstone before?” I groaned slightly.
“Oh! I have!” Alderon said. “Those are the crystals granted by the king or other high nobility to settlers. They grant local leadership access to the settlement screen.” Zed patted the young page on the head.
“Exactly my boy!” He glared at me. “At least someone here has been attentive to their studies.” I opened my mouth to protest that I did in fact know what they were, but Zed just continued on. “And there is a Hearthstone in the center of the market. Just over here!” A few minutes later we stood in front of the Shop Access Point, the pillar where Banker Kim had set up shop. Her little booth was still there, but Kim was nowhere to be seen. Only a tiny sign that read ‘out for the day, be back tomorrow’. Apparently, whatever I had spent in the exchange was enough to allow her to take a day or two off. Shrugging, I examined the pillar.
The stone and concrete platform protected at its pinnacle and center, a large opaque white crystal. In places, you could see clear through it, but in other spots, it was milky white. Along the sides of the platform were bronze hand imprints where people could access the shop during festivals or holidays when the Count opened it. “Okay, we are here. How am I supposed to get a Node Crystal?” Zed laughed and climbed atop Banker Kim’s now empty table. “Wait, you’re going to hurt yourself, what are you doing?” Zed laughed harder and pulled himself atop the stone pillar.
Several passers-by laughed at the old man’s antics, and I was left just shaking my head. After a few minutes of struggling, Zed finally stood triumphant atop the protective pillar. “Ha! I knew I could do it, these old bones still have some kick left in ‘em! Hehe!” With that, he turned and lifted his staff clear above his head.
“Wait! What are you..?!” He brought the thick applewood staff down atop the crystal. A crack as loud as thunder rang through the market, and the crystal was cut in two pieces. One half fell to the ground at my feet. Zed kicked the other half off the pillar and towards me. “What did you do!” I looked at Alderon, but the boy looked unconcerned.
“I got you what you needed. Now, help an old man down from here…” I did my best, but in the end, I needed Alderon’s help to get the wily man down. “We need to get out of here before the Warden comes. Let’s go!” I hissed at Zed as he landed on the ground.
“No, first pick up those pieces.”
“You just broke a priceless crystal. I’m sure the Count will want you hanged. How are you not running for the hills?!”
“Oh, Wizard Rayid, that wasn’t the Hearthstone. That was the…” Zed lifted his staff to silence the boy, but the truth hit me.
“Ah, that’s the residual crystal off the node. I take it that it's usually just smashed and cleaned up at night?” Alderon nodded. “And that it’s not thought of as very valuable because no one practices Force magic?” Zed sighed.
“Drat, I thought that prank would have gotten more traction. Eh, it was fun to see you panic there for a minute though, ha! Now pick up those pieces and let's get going. There’s a gem smith who owes me a favor for fixing his wagon a few months back.”
---
“I thought this was an enchanter's shop,” I said as I stood outside of Yiddle and Fiddle’s building. The place was large and was one of the few truly permanent structures in the magical market. That meant as I had learned from Alderon, that the partners had been extremely successful.
“It is. Yiddle owes me a favor.” I tapped the sign that said that Yiddle was no longer in residence. Zed just cackled as all old people seem to have the ability to do. “Don’t believe everything you read kid.” With that, he pushed open the door to the place, and I followed suit.
“I think I’ll stay out here.” I looked back halfway into the building at Alderon. “I’m a page of a knightly order. You know, honesty above all else? That kind of thing?”
“Ooooh, right. Best you stay out here then. We’ll be right back out after Fiddle” I emphasized the enchanter’s name. “Takes a look at these crystals.” I closed the door behind me and allowed my eyes to adjust to the dark room.
“So, do you think you can do it?” Zed asked. He stood in front of a wooden counter at the back of the shop. All around the room were displays of various kinds. Racks of weapons, a glass display case of gems and jewelry, and a small shelf full of books. I fought the initial compulsion to go and look at the titles and instead focused on the conversation.
On the other side of the wooden table I found a tall skinny man, as tall if not more so than Tol’geth, which was a sight to see. The man's eyes shifted over the half of the crystal that Zed had placed on the counter. “I don’t know Zed, I’m not a tinkerer. I enchant things. I picked up a little bit of the craft, but…” Zed slammed an open palm on the wooden table.
“Oh come off it Fiddle! I know that Yiddle is here, I've seen your shop full of trinkets day in and day out.” The man began to protest but Zed cut him off. “And don’t give me that nonsense about Yiddle leaving you a bunch of stock. You have been doing commissions under the table. I know, I've seen more than one person walk out of here with nonstandard gear. Come on, you and Yiddle both owe me a favor.” Fiddle blanched white, as he looked from Zed to me and back to Zed.
