Binding a slice of life.., p.10
Binding: A Slice of Life Progression Fantasy (Millennial Mage Book 3), page 10
Lyn shuddered slightly, opening her eyes and focusing on Tala. “What are you doing?”
“Hmm?”
“What are you doing, Tala?”
“Oh, I’m just practicing.”
Lyn sighed. “Can’t you just enjoy the meal?”
“I’m doing both.” Tala took another big bite, relishing the harmonizing flavors.
Lyn shook her head, taking a last bite and setting fully half the food log back on the plate before her. “I’m full.”
Tala ate the last bite of her own, leaving her hands empty as she savored the mouthful before swallowing. “Really?”
“This is much too much food for me.” Lyn hesitated, looking to Tala’s empty plate. “Do you… want the rest?”
Tala brightened. “Are you sure?”
Lyn pushed the plate across the table, pulling out her book again. “Enjoy. I bet this would be a pain to reheat. I can get another tomorrow.”
Tala picked up the food, happily. “They do sell smaller versions.” She pondered for a moment. “Even Littler Caravans?” She shook her head. “No, this was called the Biggest Little Cheesy Caravan. I’m sure they have a medium Little Caravan… or something like that.”
“That makes no sense.”
Tala shrugged. “I didn’t make up the names.”
Lyn sighed, leaning back, hands coming to rest on her stomach. “That was quite good. Thank you, Tala.”
Tala smiled around a new mouthful.
“So, I suppose I should be doing the exercise every time I think of it, too?”
Tala nodded, mouth still full.
“Very well…”
Tala saw a flood of power immediately begin to radiate from the other Mage. Tala swallowed. “We really should get you a magic-bound item or an innocuous incorporator.”
Lyn sighed but didn’t stop. “I’ll look into it tomorrow.”
Tala smiled and took another bite, all the while maintaining both the void around her gate and the two flows of power into her body and knife. It did feel odd, keeping a portion of her self bereft of power, but she was getting used to it. Thankfully, the magic void was not at a surface level, so she wasn’t creating a vulnerability in her defenses. It wasn’t at a physical level at all. Her gate was deeper, somehow, than the flesh it connected with.
Tala had just finished her food—or rather the second half of Lyn’s food—and Lyn was still going strong with her practice, when Tala had to release her hold on the power within herself, slowing the accumulation of power. She stood, stretching.
“Lyn?”
The woman looked up from her book and smiled. “Yes?”
“I’m supposed to ask you to schedule my meeting with a senior guild official.”
Lyn’s smile moved towards a smirk. “I thought I saw you drop by the guild.” She nodded. “Sure. I’ll do the scheduling tomorrow.”
“Great. When should I show up?”
Lyn gave her a long look. “I’ll know… tomorrow.”
“Oh… right.” Tala glanced away, feeling a bit foolish. Of course, she wouldn’t know now… “Good night, Lyn.”
“Good night, Tala. Sleep well.”
“You, too.”
***
Tala woke early, as usual. She smiled up at her plain ceiling, stretching under her blanket. Good morning! She felt fantastic.
After she’d filled the tub and started the fire beneath it to heat the water, she returned to her room for her morning routine.
She moved through her physical exercises, doing her utmost to maintain the void around her gate throughout. She kept the excess power streaming into Flow. Waste not…
The split concentration made it even harder for her to balance through the complex movements, but she was beginning to get the hang of her strengthened body. As such, she only fell a few times.
She also did her utmost to keep her breathing in the correct patterns, along with maintaining the other things Adam had taught her.
It was a fairly complicated conglomeration of things to focus on, and she had no doubt that she’d have been unable to even attempt it if not for her enhancements.
Her stretching and physical exercise complete, Tala stripped down and headed for her bath. I’ll get the hot water incorporator today. That will remove the need for the fire.
She put out that fire before climbing into the tub.
Tala had to release the void and rest for a few minutes before she returned to that exercise. It certainly felt like she could hold for a bit longer each time, and the instructions given to Lyn by her master had indicated that this exercise was tailored to be safe. Once she felt recovered from it, she was recovered. There was no danger of injury due to repetitive strain over a short timeframe, just so long as she followed the instructions.
Thank all for that.
She finished up and allowed the water to drain away. A few minutes later, clean, dry, dressed, and refreshed, Tala came out into the empty living room. Lyn’s still asleep?
She glanced at a window and saw it was still dark out. What time is it?
Tala had simply gotten up when she’d awoken. She felt rested, but she really didn’t know how long she’d slept. She’d always trusted her body to wake once it had the rest it needed. Maybe, I should get a clock… or a pocket watch? Those could be incredibly expensive; the mundane ones were almost as much as their magical counterparts if she remembered correctly.
She sighed. Yet more things to eat up my funds… Her stomach made a resonant, forlorn, gurgling wail, and Tala found herself grinning. “Alright, alright. I’ll go find something to eat.”
She looked around. Terry was nowhere to be seen, so she returned to her room.
There he was, curled up on her pillow. Huh… She renewed her internal void and sat, considering. Should I let him sleep and just read until he wakes up? That probably wasn’t necessary; he did seem to sleep a lot during the day.
“Terry?”
One of the avian eyes popped open, regarding her.
“I’m leaving.”
He groaned with a deep, trilling sound but was instantly on her shoulder, eyes closed once more.
“Well, that works, I suppose.” She stood and departed. If he’s actually sleeping, how does he stay balanced? It was a question for another time.
The streets were still dark as she strode through Bandfast. Let’s see… I remember seeing a clock tower around here somewhere…
She did, indeed, find the tower in question shortly after. Seven past four in the morning. It wasn’t as early as she had feared, thankfully, but it was still too early to reliably find food. She groaned in irritation, pulling out a hunk of jerky to chew on in the meantime.
She flicked a bit to the side, and Terry caught it without seeming to move. Only the slow grinding of some inner parts of his beak and lack of meat hitting the ground indicated that he’d taken the bite.
Tala found a park near a breakfast place, the latter of which was still closed. She sat on a deceptively comfortable bench and pulled out one of Holly’s books. It should open in an hour or two. I can wait.
She spent the time reading the book and practicing the maintenance of the void. Her enhanced vision made reading with less-than-optimal light no issue, and she was able to practice the void at the same time.
After what seemed like a surprisingly short period, Tala was pulled from her tasks by the sound of a lock grating within a door. She looked up and saw lights on within the eatery, a worker unlocking the front door. Magic lights, eh? They did provide a much more consistent, reliable illumination. Even a copper-inscribed item could provide days of light, if done properly, with the added benefit of being able to be turned off. Yeah, if I had a business, I’d invest in such lights. They were likely hooked into the city grid for power. Cheaper than using harvests.
More importantly, however, the place was open now. Hey! Very nice.
She could still see the clock tower. Six in the morning already?
The two hours had passed without leaving much of an impression. Still, I finished another set of reviews.
In fact, she was well into the third set of topics she’d decided to tackle.
In addition, if her estimates were right, she could now hold the void for nearly twenty minutes, even while splitting the power between her physical self and Flow. That thought made her think back. Ahh, right. I’m in the middle of my sixth cycle of the exercise, aren’t I?
She closed the book, tucked it into Kit, and stood. “Breakfast time.”
She was the first customer through the door, but as she entered, she saw other people moving about on the street outside. She likely wouldn’t be alone in the restaurant for long.
“Hello! Welcome, and good morning. What can I get for you?”
Tala looked over the menu. I need to get some jugs to buy coffee in bulk… “Morning to you. I think a couple—no, four—breakfast sandwiches and the largest coffee you have.”
The young man hesitated. “Well, we sometimes sell coffee by the gallon, when a foreman wants to treat their workers or for similar situations. Are you looking for that amount?”
She found herself grinning, almost uncontrollably. “Oh, yes. How much would that be?”
“A silver, if you don’t have a container. Half that, with one, assuming it’s clean and easily usable.” His eyes flicked to Terry, and he smiled. “That’s a beautiful bird. Does it have a name?”
“Thank you, his name is Terry.” She smiled in return. “As to the order, I can keep the container in the first case? Then use it as my container to get the cheaper rate later on?”
“Of course.” He looked back to Terry. “Good morning, Terry.”
Terry cracked an eye and let out a little, drowsy chirp.
“He’s pretty neat.”
“I like him.” She patted the supposedly sleeping bird. “How much for the sandwiches?”
“Twelve copper.” He hesitated. “But, if you want, we can do a group breakfast deal.” His smile shifted back towards one of professionalism, rather than friendly interest.
“Oh?”
“It’s six sandwiches and a container of coffee for one and a half silver ounces.”
Tala frowned, her coffee-less brain doing quick math. That’s almost a quarter ounce, silver, in savings. “That’s fantastic! I’ll do that.” She hesitated. “Why the deal?”
The young man shrugged. “A few other eateries have started opening as early as we do, some earlier, and the boss wants to keep our customers loyal, at least those who buy a lot.” He quirked a wry smile.
She shrugged. “Makes sense, I suppose. Thank you. Is that deal available with the discount, if I bring back the container?”
The worker smiled. “If it’s clean, empty, and usable, as I said before? Then, yes, that would drop the deal price by a half silver. I’ll get that started for you.”
She glanced to his name tag, then back up to grin at him. “Bnar, I think I’m going to become a regular whenever I’m in town.”
The young man was surprisingly quick at his job, and she left in less than ten minutes, a cloth sack containing the sandwiches and an earthenware jug full of coffee both safely tucked away in Kit.
She’d been right, and quite a few customers had come in after her, but Bnar was already handling them quickly, efficiently, and professionally. I don’t think I could do that job. She pulled out one of the sandwiches, taking a large bite.
It was a heavy, whole-grain bread with a sausage patty, fried eggs, chopped bacon, and a savory yellow sauce that tied it all together. Oh… my… I’m so glad that I found this place. It was quite good, to say the least.
She ate the sandwiches as she walked towards the work yard, only pausing to take deep swigs from the jug of coffee. Each of the six masterpieces was varied, and the eatery’s menu indicated at least two dozen more combinations to try. She’d liked the first one the most, so far, but she appreciated the variety more than she likely would have liked six sandwiches of the same type. I never considered the downside to eating so much. I’m going to have to be careful to avoid becoming sick of certain foods.
She was just licking her fingers clean of the red sauce from the last treat when she arrived. Tala was quite glad to have eaten and to be arriving at her first destination so early. I’m getting into a good pattern. She grinned. The sun still wasn’t up, on this autumn morning, and she was well into her tasks for the day.
True, she’d paid a bit more for breakfast than she’d planned, but it should mean less expensive breakfasts going forward. And I got the jug I’d been hoping for, so… She shrugged. My budget can be flexible.
There were a couple of guards patrolling, but the work yard was otherwise empty of people, and the guards didn’t give her more than a cursory glance and slight bow. Her cargo-slots stood to one side, and she saw other groupings of cargo-slots and some of cargo wagons, which she assumed were for other Mages to empower for their own ventures. Were there others before? Probably. She thought back and realized that, yes, there had often been other cargo items in the work yards she’d empowered cargo-slots in. Never really paid much attention, I suppose.
The guards moved on as she walked towards her task. I guess I look like I belong? She had no idea how they assessed possible threats. They could probably tell I’m a Mage. Their bows lent weight to that assumption. Dealing with a Mage is likely above their pay grade.
Tala shrugged and smiled, a thought coming to her as she refocused on her purpose. I can divert into the cargo-slots.
She walked to the start of the line, right hand outstretched. Her gate was gushing into the magic-starved void that she currently maintained around it.
It was a mild additional effort to interpose the mental construct and funnel the power through it as she touched the first charging panel, but it seemed to work well enough.
Every indicating symbol flared to life instantly, glowing fiercely in the early-morning dark.
It was too much power.
She snatched her hand back, allowing the void within her to fill, her eyes widening. Rusting, really?
Surprised, she thought back, remembering that she’d been able to charge the cargo-slots the day before in mere seconds by shunting her full flow into each. Right.
Thankfully, she was able to see the cargo-slot bleeding off the excess power.
Then, she remembered the first time she’d empowered cargo-slots of this type. Didn’t it take nearly a minute? There’s no way I’ve increased my flowrate by sixty times since then…
That had been before she was using the mental construct. Wow, those really do make a difference. Hmmm… I think it took around ten seconds per indicator when I began using the mental construct.
More than anything, that spoke to the benefit of well-formed mental models for what she was doing. And my mental model has only gotten better since then.
Tala forced herself to focus back on the present. She rebuilt the void, splitting the power further and sending a bit more than half of the power into Flow, just less than a quarter into her own body, and about a quarter into each cargo-slot as she tapped down the line. That should be just more than I used yesterday.
Each cargo-slot’s three indicating symbols pulsed to full brightness after the touch, the influx of power, and a couple of seconds. It wasn’t instantaneous, but it didn’t need to be. A smile grew, spreading across her face with every success.
She reached the end of the line, charging the last cargo-slot and almost laughing in delight. Yes!
Even so, she felt her grip on the power slipping and allowed the void around her gate to fill in, the flow of power drastically slowing. Good to know, splitting the flow further requires much more attention and lowers the time I can hold the void.
She felt a bit of a headache, but a swig of coffee seemed to help.
Splitting it three ways had lowered her time to just more than a minute. Her smile didn’t fade, however. So, I can increase the difficulty by splitting the flow further, eh?
She stretched her arms upward, arching back and feeling her muscles respond happily to the motion. Well, I’m way too early to go to the training yard for the class… But maybe they’d let her use a space until they needed her? It was worth asking. Maybe the Constructionists are open? It was after seven in the morning. I’ll drop through there first.
That decided, she turned and strode towards the Constructionist Guild building that she’d visited the day before, Terry happily sleeping on her shoulder.
Chapter: 9
Mana
The Constructionist Guild was open—or so it seemed.
Tala noted that the entrance didn’t actually have doors on it. I guess they never close? That seemed a bit odd, but Tala guessed that Mages, especially Archons, likely kept odd hours.
As she strode inside, she again felt the magic in the surrounding stone scan her and project an infrared pulse, at least to her magesight.
It was nearly a minute before an attendant came out, looking a little bleary-eyed. “Mistress? How can we help you?” She was inscribed but not a Mage. An assistant?
Tala frowned. “Did I wake you? I’m sorry, the entrance was open so—”
The attendant held up her hand, clearly stifling a yawn. “It is more than fine. We wish to be available to our customers whenever they need us.”
“Oh… okay.” Well, I’m here already, and she’s already awake. “I came to see if my incorporators were ready. I commissioned two yesterday.”
The young woman pulled out a slate from behind a nearby desk. “Name, please?”
“Tala.”
She waited for a moment longer. “Full name, please.”
“Don’t have a last name.”
“Oh!” She colored slightly. “My apologies, Mistress Tala.” She began working on the slate. A moment later, she brightened. “Here you are. Yes, they are complete. I can see you’ve already paid, so let me go grab those, and we can confirm receipt.” She left the room for a moment. Returning, she handed a small wooden box to Tala with a small bow, her slate now tucked under the other arm.
Tala took the box and opened it; the lid was attached with small brass hinges that moved smoothly and silently. Sitting in the cushioned interior were two obviously magical devices.
