Draith
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Chapter 101 - More Than Meets The Eye
🕑 Added 2025-05-16 14:00:13 +0000 UTCThe night passed without incident, though I might've stayed up later than necessary looking through the new grimoires and waiting for Bevel. Just in case she decided she wanted lessons after all.
And sure enough, there were dozens of interesting spells. Many of the first Order spells were similar to ones I already had, though even those had their own distinct touches.
My favorite spell was found in the ring of the man who’d attempted to sneak into the enchanting workshop.
A first Order Worlds spell called Phantom Hand.
It wasn’t actually a hand. Instead, it created a minuscule portal that would ‘grab’ an object and ‘move’ it to a new location completely ‘invisibly’. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why the person who wrote the spell thought hiding the true function was a good idea. It was obviously a Worlds spell. All a mage would have to do was cast it once and they’d know it.
As I gave a second look through his grimoire, keeping an eye for similar misleading descriptions, I discovered it was definitely a pattern. He had an ‘Invisibility’ spell that was similar to Dimension Step, though its range was only a dozen feet and it created a small pocket of temporary space. Was definitely scribing that one. Seemed like a great emergency spell, though it’d be even better as a single use Magit. Decided I’d call it Gone though. Invisibility would be reserved for the proper spell. Keeper had several versions of spells that would be actually serve to make me disappear, though they were all third Order or higher spells.
Speaking of third Order spells, he had two different third Order Worlds spells. One was similar to Secrets of Telthen, in that it let me mark spots to teleport through. Paths of Terra Vista used trees instead of water though. And the range was limited to actual root network. There were notes that indicated that the spell could let the mage move from one end of Terra Vista to the other through a specially cultivated network of trees.
That seemed like the sort of thing I could easily implement across Cape Aeternia. A few thousand transplanted trees and the accompanying Bloom spells and I’d have a backup network. All I had to do was get to Pegasus soul first.
Really, that just meant I had time to prepare.
The other third order spell was called Reviton’s Remarkable Reststop and Repository. Despite the fancy name, all it did was create a temporary spatial pocket. The caster could bring whatever they wanted inside when it was created, but then they’d be stuck inside until the spell was canceled. The caster needed to bring anything they needed with them. Including air.
I wasn’t able to decipher all of the runes involved, but combined with everything I’d learned from Keeper’s spells, I was pretty sure I had all the pieces to build my own storage rings.
When I closed the grimoires, I had a small smile on my face. I really wanted to talk about everything I’d read with someone. But Bevel had never shown up, Xoth was likely on his ship and it was late besides.
I toyed with the idea of going to talk to Keeper for a second before sighing and throwing myself into bed.
When I rose the next morning, Tamrie sent me to Inertia's workshop.
"She's had some ideas on how to improve the design," Tresla explained with a long yawn. A whistle-clank from Inertia interrupted her, causing Tresla to shake her hood. "Sorry, Inertia says her apprentices had questions that caused her to re-think her approach to the Talons."
“Oh yeah? That’ll be interesting,” I said, glancing over towards where Inertia and her apprentices were working. Then I looked back to Tresla, sitting in a chair. Even now, she still seemed thinner than she’d been. “How’re you doing? You recovering okay?”
Her hood swayed slightly as she drew a piece of wyvern leather out of her cloak. Then she tossed it towards me.
“Thanks, but I don’t need any more…” I stopped as I inspected the crest she’d sewn onto the leather. It was a little chipmunk. Or what the locals called wood rats. “This is for Bevel?”
There was a tinkling laugh from beneath her hood. “Yeah. Was going to give it to her myself, but she hasn’t been around. Thought you could give it to her.”
I sighed. “Haven’t seen her much either. Pretty sure she’s still spending time with her sister.”
“Understandable. Spending time with family after thinking you lost them… I know the feeling,” Tresla said, her voice losing its pleasant undertones. Then she shook her head, a glint of red escaping. “But she’ll get sick of her sister soon enough, you’ll see.”
“Sure,” I said, choosing not to press her on her mention. She’d have said more if she wanted to. Instead, I turned the piece of leather over in my hand, before holding it out to her. “Maybe you should hold onto this until then.”
Tresla accepted it, tucking it back beneath her cloak.
A whistle-hiss-rattle-clang from Inertia drew my attention, and I wandered over. She waved her wing at me, unfurling the new set of designs she’d been working on. Basically, she'd found a way to stretch our supply of Forgehearts, by making each Talon have a limited flight time. By adding a compression chamber or four, a single Forgeheart would be able to grant powered thrust for an hour after three of charging. She indicated there were other better changes we could make if she had access to better materials, but these were possible with what we had.
It would let us get more people in the air, even if we wouldn't be able to keep them up as easily. But an hour of powered thrust was a lot. Especially since powered thrust could be cut to glide instead. There was a good chance a Talon would be able to stay aloft all day, under optimal conditions. They wouldn’t be quite as fast but it was a solid trade-off.
It was a good idea, and I spent a couple hours going over the designs with Inertia and her apprentices, who she simply referred to as Bolt and Nail.
When I'd asked if those were their actual names, Inertia let out a long whistle-hiss of laughter. Tresla’s musical chime-like laughter had joined her before explaining, "They're apprentices. They have to earn better names."
"Huh," I grunted, before returning my attention to the designs. While most of the Talons used Forgehearts, I also had some spare Air essence materials. Which brought up hot air balloons. Inertia and I ended up going down an entirely different rabbit hole as we discussed methods of air travel other than gliders.
Including a dirigible. Inertia was fascinated by the idea of a rigid structure that was capable of flying without any magic at all. So fascinated, I was worried I'd delayed her plans with the new thruster design. Thankfully, she set her apprentices to the task as she started drawing out new ideas.
Much as I wanted to continue, Tamrie interrupted. Well, she stood to the side, quietly tapping her pencil on her journal in that way that meant she wanted my attention, but it wasn’t so urgent she’d interrupt.
"Problem?" I asked as I grabbed a rag and started wiping my hands down. Even in a magical workshop, grease still reared its head on occasion. Wasn’t even sure what I’d touched.
"Not as such," Tamrie said, though she was frowning as she tilted her head behind to the side. "Though I 'spose that depends on who you ask. Its the stone-ladies. Esbee and Banya."
"Uh… Esbee?" I asked.
"Soap Bottle. S. B. Esbee," Tamrie replied, sounding out each letter slowly. "Said she couldn't be dredged to keep explaining her name."
"Right. She couldn’t be… dredged. Anyway, what about them?"
"Well, they've been right helpful, but one of the new refugees attacked them while they were hauling timber for the new lift. Claimed they were a dirt devil or some such. Something 'bout the war out west," Tamrie replied, tucking back a curl of her hair with her pencil. "Esbee stopped him, and she kept from flattening him out like a manta, but… well, by the rites of rope and rigging, attacking someone means being hung from the nets."
I winced.
"That's not where the problem is," Tamrie continued. "The problem is that he didn't hurt her, but he managed to hurt himself in the attack. He's on about how they're not even people, and how they should be exiled."
"Do I… you just said the rites have rules for attacking someone. Why does this need me?"
"Sure'n they do. They state since he swung first, it's on him. Should be strung up for a day for trying to incite violence, he should. And that'd be all well and good, ‘cept, according to Vetrov, he's got hold of valuable contacts out west. Ones who'd be willing to trade that ore you're hoping to mine for grains and such."
"That… is so not a factor," I said, running a hand down my face. "What did Myris say?"
"She said it'd be a waste of a net, but stringing him up was the thing to do," Tamrie replied. "Was gonna have her do it, but Ser Calbern said I should check with you."
"Myris is right. It is a waste of a net. He's not bound to us. More likely to cause trouble if we string him up,” I said, looking back into the workshop where Inertia’s apprentices were getting whistle-hissed at. Was a little jealous of them. I turned back to Tamrie. “Let's give him a choice. He can either be strung up on the net if he wants to stay… or he can take the next ship out of here," I said, shaking my head. "Are the refugees still being told the rules? This isn't Spellford."
"They're told, sure enough," Tamrie said even as she jotted my decision down in her journal. "Suspect that with this one, 'twas in one ear, out the other, just as like."
"Just as like," I agreed, looking back towards Inertia's workshop, where she was back to banging away. Really wanted to retreat inside with her and work on more airship designs. "I need someone who's versed in law to handle this sort of thing."
"So you've said," Tamrie acknowledged, tapping her journal. "Seven times now. Ser Calbern's been looking."
"Sorry. Just venting. What does it say about me that I'd rather be fighting a monster than presiding over legal matters?" As Tamrie opened her mouth to respond, I held up my hand. "Don't answer that."
She bit her lip for a second before saying, "Ain't nothing wrong with preferring problems that can be solved with a zap and blast, though it does leave a lady wanting."
"That… makes no sense," I said, shaking my head. I still found myself smiling a little.
"As you say, Perry," Tamrie said, bumping my elbow with her own. "Now, there's been some discussion about that heartwood. Vetrov's given me a proposal for where you might best lay the greenhouses. That more to your liking?"
“Much,” I replied, following Tamrie down to the Waygates as she talked, passing my pages of roughly sketched proposals. Vetrov had been thinking of putting the greenhouses in a canyon that ran almost parallel with Verdant Point, on its south end. While I didn't object with keeping them out of the wind, I knew we'd want more light than she'd had in mind. Perth had learned that much just through osmosis.
Plus, I wanted at least one Waygate between wherever we installed the Tier-3 materials and the harbors.
After checking with Tamrie, I decided to spend some time scouting out alternate locations for the greenhouses.
"I… are you sure I need to come with you?" Tamrie asked, eying up one of the modified Talons. It still had two Forgehearts, since using only one would require completely new frames, but it did have new compression cylinders installed.
"If you're going to be my assistant, I’d prefer it. I'm not always going to be close to a Waygate," I said as I inspected the changes on my glider, double checking the work. “Won’t force you though."
“I… I ‘spose it’s the thing,” Tamrie said, swallowing heavily as I looked over hers as well. She looked away as I double checked her straps, but nodded back once I confirmed they were secure.
"Okay. We'll do a few test runs first, so you can get used to it," I said, nodding towards Inertia, who I'd managed to pull away from her plans long enough to watch over Tamrie’s first attempt.
I might've wanted Tamrie to follow me but I didn't want her to get hurt.
My assistant nodded, swallowing once more as Inertia launched herself from behind us, setting Tamrie's glider wavering.
Unlike the Tethered, Tamrie did not take to flying like it was second nature. Even after an hour of practice, she still looked uneasy at the controls.
It was bad enough that after the first few minutes, I'd offered to find another way for her to keep up with me. Which was when she'd gritted her teeth, shook her head, and took off into the air.
She was still shaky, but she wasn’t letting it slow her down anymore.
We spent the next few hours scouting the area around Tetherfall and farther west, south of Mount Aeternia and Mistvale. Figured it’d be nice if we could haul soil from Mistvale straight to the greenhouses once they were built.
With that in mind, Tamrie suggested using the Waygates as our main focus point. Which meant we were near the bluff on the west edge of my territory, not far from where Vaserra had tore out her father's heart, when Calbern found us.
After our first stint in the air, Tamrie had landed back in Tetherfall, disappeared over the edge and returned bundled up in so much fabric she looked practically double her usual size. Her face was nearly invisible inside the thick fur hood. Despite her ridiculous getup, she was the first one to notice his rapid approach.
"Ah, there you are, master Perth," Calbern said as he came to a stop beside me, inclining his head slightly. Considering the haste he'd approached, I was getting ready to sprint after him to fend off another attack. Then he continued his explanation without prompting, "It seems the representative from the Shaper's guild has arrived."
Comments
Jason Hardman
TYFTC! Some typos: “Won’t force you though. -> missing closing quote mark She was still shaky, but she wasn’t let it slow her down anymore. -> wasn't letting it
