Draith
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Chapter 66 - Rags and Oil
🕑 Added 2025-04-05 14:00:08 +0000 UTCWhen I finished Bevel's lesson, she led me to my bed back in Tetherfall. She didn't say anything, she simply refused to let go of my hand until I was sitting. Only then did she leave.
I sat on the bed staring blankly at nothing. I didn’t know how long it was after Bevel left that a gentle knock came from the door. When I mustered the will to get up and open it, I found Tresla standing there, a crumpled sheet of paper in her hand.
"Hey," I said, waving her in.
"So, fight with your sister?" Tresla asked as she stepped inside, pushing the door closed behind her.
"Kinda. Might've let slip that Percival was the one who… you know," I said, making a stabbing motion with my hand.
"Ah. That would explain this," Tresla said, holding up the crumpled ball of paper in her hand.
"She left a letter?" I asked, hope surging in my chest.
"That… is a generous interpretation," Tresla said, passing me the page.
It… wasn't Nexxa's normal handwriting. The words were jerky and barely legible. It would've been downright unreadable if it hadn't been the same words written over and over.
"Perry, I'm sorry."
That was it, written two dozen times on a page ripped from her grimoire. It wasn't much, but it gave me hope. Hope that we could salvage our relationship.
Only… I couldn't follow her. Couldn't tell her I was sorry, or that I didn't hold it against her.
"She was clearly upset," Tresla said, shaking her head. "The old man didn't want to acknowledge it, but… she looked like she was on the edge of becoming a gray."
"A gray? Sorry, don't think I know that saying," I said, running my hand over the page, trying to smooth out the wrinkles. As if that'd somehow help.
Tresla huffed out a half-laugh, though it was considerably less musical than usual. "It's not a saying. It's something that happens to my people."
"I think that's more than you've ever told me about ‘your people’," I said, glancing at her shrouded form. “Other than the ears not being for show, that is.”
"There's a very good reason for that," Tresla said with a sigh. "What do you know about the Myrians?"
"Aren't they… some sort of…" I waved my hand, trying to remember what I'd read. "They're not solid. Some sort of mana-based creature."
"Light-mana, to be precise," Tresla said, a glint of red escaping her hood. “Very valuable. Used in anti-dragon warding arrays.”
"And… you're one of these Myrians?" I asked, part of me impressed.
Tresla's laughter was as loud as it was clear and crisp, echoing around the room in a melody that seemed to build on itself. She shook her cloaked hood back and forth. "No. I'm not a Myrian. Myrians are to me as a rat is to you. More alike than either of us would prefer to admit, but not enough to be the same."
"Huh. So, what's the name of your species then?"
"I'm afraid it doesn't have a name in Elinder. Or Altean for that matter. Only the Forgeborn have a name for us, and you have about the same chance of speaking that as it as you do saying Inertia's full name," Tresla explained. “The Forgeborn’s translates roughly to ‘child of light,’ with some other undertones that’re only significant to them.”
"So, what do you actually look like under that hood?"
"That… would be telling," Tresla said, a flash of red escaping her hood. Combined with what she'd told me and the laugh that followed, I figured she was winking every time I saw one of those red flashes. Or her equivalent, anyway.
"Just so you know, I'm basically picturing a short elf with transparent skin that has glowing rainbows inside."
Tresla simply laughed, filling the room with her sweet melody once more. After it calmed down, she stood, her hand on the door. "Good night… Percival."
"Good night Tresla," I replied as she pushed the door closed.
I knew what she'd been doing. She'd been trying to distract me. And, much as I hated to admit it… it'd worked.
Between the exhaustion of the day and the toll the Elixir had reaped on my body, I didn't have a single thought to spare by the time my head hit the pillow.
The next morning, I forced myself out of bed. I’d even got to the point of pulling my pants on. But then I’d noticed the staff someone had leaned up in the corner. We hadn't finished testing it. There were still three more utility functions and the combat spell to try.
Two of them weren't that fancy. Solidify would increase the density of any soil or clay it was cast on, potentially turning them into rock if I used enough mana. Crumble was basically the opposite, causing things to break down. From what Nexxa had told me, it was mostly used on farmland, to make the land easier to work. Something that hadn’t been needed in the hundred kingdoms for a thousand years.
The last utility function could technically be used in combat, but I'd have to give up the staff for the duration. If I planted the staff in any soft material, such as clay or soil, then, so long as I could pay the mana cost, it would transform into a golem made of the material. It wouldn't be like the attendants or Neta the ropecat though, nevermind Keeper. All the golem would be capable of was relatively simple tasks.
Shaking my head, I hefted myself out of bed, grabbing the staff. I made it to the door before realizing I wasn't dressed, my pants still lying on the floor where I left them. Turning around, I'd just started the process of dressing myself when there was a knock.
"Yes?" I called out, expecting Calbern to respond.
"You alive in here?" Selvi called back, not waiting for me to answer before pushing on the door.
"Rags and oil, give a man a minute," I yelled, getting her to stop in place.
"Rags and… what?" Selvi asked, enunciating the syllables, as if trying to puzzle out how it was even a curse as she pulled the door closed.
I held a hand to my face as I took a deep breath. Had successfully avoided using that curse the entire time I'd been on Ro'an. And I was pretty sure I'd avoided English too. At least while I was awake. Only the first part of that had been in English. Just a single phrase. Still, it was one more phrase than I’d meant to utter.
Nexxa getting mad at me had clearly rattled me more than I'd thought. For a second, it felt like the weight was crushing my chest again.
"Nothing. Just… something I used to say," I finally replied to the door as I wrestled my pants on. That part was true. It’d been the only sort of cuss my old man had allowed. After he'd died, I'd spent an entire month swearing, just to spite him.
But…
It hadn't felt right.
Besides, with him dead, there hadn’t been much left for me to cuss about.
Pulling my upper robe on, I took a moment to look in the mirror Calbern had set up, running a hand through my hair. It was so… wild. Normally, Calbern kept it neat. But he was obviously busy this morning. That wouldn't be enough, on it's own, most days. Most days, I would at least make an effort to tidy myself up if he was busy when I woke. But with everything that happened yesterday…
Nexxa.
I liked the look. It felt appropriate.
Turing to the door, I pulled it open. Selvi was propped in a chair nearby. "Sorry bout that. Balthum preferred I just walk in."
I snorted at that. "What can I help you with Selvi?" I asked as I strode towards the front door, my upper robe still unfastened.
"You know how Calbern's been going up the peak every couple hours, to keep watch, yeah?"
I stopped at the front door, turning to look back at her. I hadn't known that. But then, yesterday had been busy, and then…
"He's there now?"
"Yeah. And he thinks he's seen something, off the coast," Selvi said, hustling to catch up to me.
"Already? How fast are their ships," I muttered to myself as I turned back to the door.
"He wanted you to go cast your bird spell on him so he could get a better look," Selvi said as she followed me out.
"Eagle Eyes," I informed her absently, picking my way over to the Ways Between. The entrance stood open, with one of Selvi's new trainees standing beside it. He gave each of us a nod as we passed.
That was going to take some getting used to.
Inside the crystal chamber there were several villagers working, most of them hanging on ropes near the bottom of the chamber, sorting stone. They’d even erected scaffolding throughout the chamber, with nets and ropes throughout. We passed them by with barely a glance as I went to the stairs. Neta raised her head when I entered, but otherwise simply remained curled up like a coil of cat-shaped rope.
To my surprise, Selvi was still following me as I ascended the stairs. Normally, she'd give me her message, then go off to do whatever other business she had in the village.
When I arrived at the top, Calbern was standing there, staring slightly south of the peaks to our east, his hand over his eyes. Something he rarely did.
"Calbern," I said, moving up beside him then casting Eagle Eyes on both of us.
"Good morning, master Perth. I hope you slept well. My apologies for not being there this morning, but after your sister's news about the refugees, I felt it best to keep a weather eye, as the Captain would say," Calbern replied. "And it seems my vigilance was justly applied. There is a small fleet traveling in our direction. Five ships, it seems. I'm afraid I cannot discern their flags."
"Too soon," I said again, shaking my head. "We've barely secured the meat. And there's no way for them to get up the cliff, nevermind a dock. It'll take us a week just to get to the coast. Not like Fang can handle it, even with the upgrades."
All that, was a series of criss-crossing ridges and narrow valleys, which made up the majority of the eastern part of my territory.
"We must also be wary of the wyverns. I dare say, they would not take kindly to us intruding upon their hunting grounds," Calbern noted, shifting his gaze slightly to the peaks that hugged the eastern most part of my domain.
Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I sighed. "Wish Nexxa was here. She could just fly over and greet them, zap any wyverns that got too close, and maybe even carve a set of stairs into the wall with the staff."
"Could you not repair the gate, master Perth?"
"It opens directly on the ocean. Remember the shark?"
"Not that one, master Perth. There were two others that were mostly intact, were there not?"
"I…" I trailed off. He was right. And the coordinates we'd calculated for one of them should roughly match up with a point close to the coast. "Might just be able to."
"Should I remain on watch…" Calbern trailed off as he turned towards me. Then he let out a long-suffering sigh. "I had thought we were beyond this, master Perth.” His hands reaching for my collar.
"Rough night," I said with a shrug. "More important things to worry about."
Calbern looked like I'd slapped him, his unfailing dignity… failing.
"Sorry. I just meant…" I waved a hand towards the west, and Calbern recovered his composure. "Ah. Yes, of course. My apologies, master Perth. Still, you are the Magus Dominus. Appearances matter."
I took a deep breath, nodding to him. "Sorry. I'm being… Sorry."
"Apology accepted. Now hold still," Calbern said, his hands already setting to work.
I did as he said, waiting as he set me right. While he was fixing my appearance, I was contemplating what I'd need to fix the Waygate. Nexxa had left me everything I'd need. More than enough to repair several doors. And then there was the workshop. I'd need to spend time learning my way around, but once I did, our own monster parts wouldn't be so useless.
A single day, and Nexxa had helped solve half my problems. If I'd had her for another…
Me and my stupid mouth.
Couldn't be helped. Soon as Calbern finished adjusting my appearance, I turned towards the stairs. Only to realize Selvi was still there. Had been there the entire time Calbern had been tidying me up.
"Was there something else?" I asked her, stopping just under my beacon.
"No. I mean… yes. It's just… now that we have guards again, I thought I should take up my position. As bodyguard," Selvi said, glancing towards Calbern.
"Bodyguard?" I asked, unable to hold back a snort. "This is cause of yesterday, isn't it?"
"Master Perth, it would-"
"The new guards are still pretty green, aren't they?"
"Yes," Selvi said immediately, nodding her head with emphasis.
"And it's gonna be pretty tough for you to show them the ropes if you're stuck to my hip all day, don't you think?"
"Yes," Selvi agreed once more, her head still nodding sharply.
"So, wouldn't your time be better spent training them?"
"Yes, Magus Dominus," Selvi said, and I swore I could detect a note of relief in her voice. Then she nodded to me and hustled down the stairs, taking them two at a time.
"Calbern," I said, staring towards where he'd spotted the ships on the horizon. Even with Eagle Eyes, I could only make out a smudge that might be ships.
"Yes, master Perth," Calbern said, his tone returned to his usual professional timbre.
"Thank you. For everything. I really am lucky to have you," I said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "And… I'm sorry I've been such… roperot, lately. You deserve better."
"That is… apology accepted master Perth. And, I too, am sorry," Calbern said, clapping a hand on my shoulder in return.
"Nothing to apologize for. But accepted anyway," I said, squeezing his shoulder before letting go. "Now, I need to go. Try to remember trouble can come from any direction, and all that, right?"
Calbern's lip turned slightly up at that. "It seems, master Perth, that is especially true in your case."
"Hey!" I objected with a laugh, before waving him off and descending.
It was time to fix a Waygate.
Comments
Jouni Osmala
I suspected that from the initial reactions. But it was clear that he wanted to keep it quiet, and didn't want to see him as a reminder of what has happened. "But now that path has been rendered… untenable." Risking another glance, I caught a hint of a frown, before his face returned to his impervious poker face. "Well, my ambitious son," Perth's father said with a cold chuckle that sent shivers down my spine, "Congratulations on joining our ranks, Magus Dominus. And thank you." "Wait at least a day before having Calbern ask your boon of me. You will not depart for a month." He was thanking Percival because he chose the path where he didn't need to see someone else in his son's body nor see his son's body die. And once Percival made the oath, he also wanted to make it right by him also, but he asked Calbern to act as intermediary, it would have bee natural for son to ask his father directly but using intermediary instead made it clear he didn't want to see him more than what was needed for the appearances. The least bad path for him was treating him like a son send to be Magus Dominus far away, while avoiding unnecessary contact during preparation period. A real son would have gotten bit more personal touch during a single month of preparation before 20 year task in other side of continent even if he was busy.
Christopher
The reaction Nexxa had made me think his father knew immediately that Per was no longer the same son, somehow.
