by Kit Falbo
Around them, a young curvy lieutenant with spiky blond hair under her cap is filling everyone’s water cups. The general looks up to see me and Leon walking towards him. “Lieutenant Dusky, I wasn’t expecting you to be finished quite so soon.”
“Touched Chess here helped some, and I told him I would escort him to see you before getting back to work.” My appearance proves I was helping. You can’t even see the blue on my shoes anymore because of the ash.
The general snorts and looks to Leon. “Well get back to work then.” He now turns to me. “Chess huh. Chatwin said you were wanting to pester him. Never did tell me exactly about what. Guess that isn’t changing now that I’m in charge. What do you want?”
“Want? Nothing. I was assigned to give a gift to the head of the Order of Officers. Chatwin didn’t take me seriously, so I brought the gift to show him how good I am at what I do.”
“Who wanted you to give us a gift?”
“Alerin King.”
General Maye lets out a small chuckle, “Yeah that would have pissed Chatwin off. Doesn’t make me too excited either. Well get it out, show me what you’re offering.”
I reach into my bag and pull out the eltrim sword I had made for them. The green blade glows with power and two Officers stiffen. Their hands go straight to the hilts of their swords. Maye looks relaxed however. I extend the blade to him hilt first. He grabs and proceeds to inspect the blade.
“It’s supposed to be a weapon suitable for the head of the order and represent a little goodwill from the Touched to you.” Not exactly wrong.
He activates the flaming ball at the tip. It looks like a mini sun. “This could have caused a bit of damage if Chatwin had had this to chase his demon with.” He sinks the ball into the grass. It flares a little leaving a charred circle. “I didn’t think Alerin gave us a thought at all anymore. It’s a very nice blade. Maybe my daughter is right; maybe you Touched aren’t so bad and can be of some use.” He looks me right in the eyes. “I accept your gift. You may go now.” Then he turns back to the blueprints and construction workers who had tried to appear invisible after I pulled out the sword.
Leaving, I hear the general ask if they could get some Touched to help with the work to save costs.
When I make it back to the smithy, Byron asks if I found what I needed. I pull out the fairthen and coral ingots having decided that whatever utility is, it is probably better for the staff than alurite’s blinding effect. I decide to wait until the metals are combined before trying enchantments on the melted metal. When I ask him about it, Byron gives me a shrug and says, “That is probably wise.”
I cast my first spell, True Nature, excited to see the xp boost. I go through two more spells Strengthen and Best Day each netting me more xp before I decide to go to my storage chest here and put on the enchanting jacket I had made. Like my shoes, it helps me keep my mana up while I cast spells. It isn’t that I can’t dress like Mervlin. It’s just that I rarely need too.
Back at work, I keep on casting, and every time those small xp bonuses come up. I am skeptical before my third successful casting of elemental effects on the combined metals. Eventually, I run out of mana and we pour it into the mold. The time it needs to set will let me recharge.
I keep the gear on as I crack the mold and get ready to work the airy pink staff in the forge. It is at least half as light as any of the previous ones that I have worked. I start enchanting as I work, and again every bit of magic I push into it sticks. This is either going to be supremely powerful or have some kind of catch or twist to i,t making all the mana I’m burning on this wasted, probably the latter. With my last strike, I let it cool and then inspected it.
Coral-fairthen staff. Master crafted Epic quality. Enchanted. Durability 125. Three times per day, its wielder may choose to have one of these effects active.
One: Spells and charged abilities gain 20-30 elemental damage.
Two: Wielder gains +3 to all stats and damage effects produced apply a -1 to all stats penalty that lasts one minute but stacks 5 times.
Three: Minor weather control 1000 feet area and minor telekinetic abilities 10 lbs. or less.
12 Strength requirement. 10 artificing slots available.
I hope it’s light enough for Vale. It certainly is much better than the Iron staffs. Unlike other objects, staffs require the attached items to have charge effects, but don’t need artificing because the spots for the items are built in.
It takes my full mana to empower the Spellworks pin and place it on the staff. This last item turns it into a quest item and changes the title to Spellworks Staff. It also gives the ability for the wielder to send a five-second message to all members of the order. I look through the other crafting items I’ve brought for this project. I carefully affix all rare or higher to the staff. Five are attack-based that could use the utility aspect the best. Two are health-based. One turns out to be an actual healing spell. The other gives a temporary health boost. The last two add defensive abilities to create an ice wall and a thorn hedge.
For the price of a gold, I fast-travel to the edge of the magic quarter. The guards at the entrance are handling a line this time. Not sure if there’s an event going on or this is the backlog of visitors that had been put off by twisty nature of the place.
The twenty-four hours were up on Cook, so I summon him while waiting my turn. “Master.” He squeals as he forms into existence.
I think hard at him, “So dying. What happened? How did it feel?”
“Walking. Falling. Aieeeeeee! Ouch! Waiting again.”
Well, that is as descriptive as Cook is going to get.
“State your name and business.”
“Chess, I uh, just have a delivery to make.” I look around. “Sure is busy today.”
“With everything staying put, people have come out of the woodwork to actually go to places instead of wasting half their day wandering around lost or getting groped.” The guard’s eyes narrow. “Weren’t you here yesterday when the curse was lifted?”
I picture the conversation. It was me. How’d you manage that? I freed this arch-devil, and she’s probably causing trouble elsewhere. No. I didn’t want to go there, so I say, “Just for a little bit.”
“Well enjoy your visit.”
Cook and I make our way back to the spire that houses the Spellworks. The once mostly empty wobbly streets are now bursting with life. I even spy a few players waiting at Lady Else’s door as I walk by it. A few magicians are using earth magic to fill in odd dips that remain in the road. The area around the Spellworks that had looked dead yesterday is looking a bit spruced up. I even see people moving boxes into one of the once abandoned houses.
Inside the spire, people are milling around a bit. “Hello?”
“If it isn’t Chess,” calls with a familiar twanged voice.
“Bolle?”
I glance around seeing no one I recognize until a stranger says “Right here.” He’s tall, with red hair and rosy cheeks, looking nothing like the duplicates I had seen before.
“You’re fixed!”
“I have you to thank for some of that. Well, almost all of that. The books helped some, but with those lost revived we more than tripled our membership, and some of their old ideas were better than the new ones we were trying.”
Then I do see a face I recognize in the crowd. “Jasper! I wondered where you went off too.”
“Oh, I never left. Once people started coming up, it was crazy. They really needed the extra hands. Quite a few people haven’t recovered from the fact they’ve been out of it for sometimes hundreds of years. Luckily, I’m experienced at helping with even the oddest of problems. You finish the staff?”
I nod. “I’m about to ask Bolle here to help me with the lift up to see Vale. Want to join me?”
Jasper agrees, and Bolle agrees to escort us. The lift starts rising. Floors that were once abandoned are now packed with people. Roz is there. No longer a man, she’s applying makeup with a mirror. A burgundy dre
ss hugging all her curves. She winks at Jasper as we pass by.
Vale is working furiously away at his no longer empty desk. It appears he’s writing a lot of letters; a fresh stack off to his left. Surprisingly, he still looks the same as when I left, still in the body of his highness Berry, just a bit wearier. It takes him a moment to realize we are there.
“Oh! I wasn’t expecting you back so soon. Jasper has been a lifesaver with organizing people. I hope you’re not going to take him away. We are paying him well for his work, in crafting materials.”
“What? No, if you need him to stay longer and he’s willing, that’s fine. I’ve just come because I’ve finished your staff.” I can’t help but follow that up with, “why aren’t you back to normal?”
Vale’s brow wrinkles. “So soon. Well, the fix requires you to know what you looked like before. It’s been so long I just don’t remember. Bolle had a painting to go from. Roz, I swear, looks a bit too more like a famous actress then I think she did before. “
Roz yells through the door. “I heard that!”
Vale yells back, “You know I’m right!” Then he takes a breath. “I’ve never been one for paintings, and I’ve seen myself enough times in the mirror that this is me when I dream. There might be something in my old family estate. I don’t suppose you could…”
“No.” I interrupt him. “I’m sure you can get some Touched to help you, but that kind of work doesn’t really fit my skill set.” What I don’t say is that I also don‘t want to get caught up in a new chain quest when this one is already cutting into my work time. I reach into my bag and pull out the staff. “This is what I’m good at.”
I hand it to Vale. He stands up and examines the pink cloudy glass surface, totems, and gems glowing from the spots where I had affixed them.
“This is amazing.” He says with more awe than any of the other recipients have so far. “You’ve already done so much for us. If you ever need help, we’ll be at your service.”
I think. “There is one thing. Do you know where the Order of Shadows is and who heads it?”
The staff glows briefly, and I assume he’s selecting one of the utilities. A few seconds later the papers on his desk start magically organizing themselves into piles while Vale returns his attention to me and my question. “What do you mean? I thought you knew. Afterall, he’s the one who told us you were coming.”
I’m struck a little dumb by the obviousness of it. Alerin King. Politician. Jasper’s self-described not-the-man-to-fail-on who has his own information agents. He is the head of the Order of Shadows. “Thank you. You can have Jasper for a few days. I need to get some more work in at the forge before I go greet Mr. King again.” I say my goodbyes, I leave kicking myself mentally a little on the way back.
Chapter Twenty-one - Chess
I spend the next few days working the forge and getting items up for auction. Between running around to the orders and making the quest items I used to hire Noxtimus, my bank account had taken a little bit of a hit after the rent and reactive room costs had come rolling through. I find myself contemplating getting one of the headsets, so I can do overtime at the Gamer’s Gate. Mel is ordering three specialty chairs that players can use and hook up to while at the shop.
The test staffs I’d done in fine iron brought me a decent price. I don’t know if it is that players can handle the strength requirements or they just wanted the newest item on the market. Byron finishes his own iron bow design. This one is shorter and lighter. I even experiment with some silvered Iron for a few weapons, though with the cost of a silver ingot, it didn’t seem worth it unless a player needed the weapon for a specific quest.
On the fourth day after dropping off the staff, Jasper is back, waiting for me with a cold beverage and a few large bags filled with crafting supplies from his work at the Spellworks. “Finally made it out of there?” I quip while accepting the drink. It tastes like cold honey and cardamom.
“They tried to convince me to join, promising to activate my latent magical potential as a companion. As it was, they stuck me with a pin and declared me an honorary member of the Spellworks.”
“Well, we only have one more to do. Do you think Mr. King will be at the bakery today?”
“He takes appointments there, though we haven’t made an official one. It couldn’t hurt to check.”
The Whole Pie is packed, and I find myself wondering how many people here are members of the Order of Shadows. The person at the counter smiles. She is cheery and young. “How may I help you?”
I can’t help but wonder if she is secretly an assassin.
“My friend and I are here to see Mr. King. We don’t have an appointment, but he’s probably expecting us. The name is Chess.” I take a moment looking at the selections. “And one of those crumbly buns.”
Jasper taps me on the shoulder and flashes me two fingers.
“Make that two crumbly buns,” I say.
“Have a seat. Your order will be ready in a few moments.”
Within minutes, two large guards, with their hands on their weapons come out of the back to escort us; they didn’t bring the crumbly buns. They open the door to Mr. King’s den but don’t enter after us. He is sipping some amber drink from a patterned crystal glass and raises a snow white eyebrow at our entrance. “Chess, Jasper, welcome. How’s your little project going?”
Like he didn’t know. “We’ve completed them all except the one for the head of the Order of Shadows.”
Alerin takes a sip, “Surprised Chatwin would accept that. He’s a bit stubborn.”
I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes, “He retired. Something to do with a fire? General Maye who replaced him seemed to like it.”
“I did hear something about a fire. You didn’t have anything to do with that did you?”
“I was with Vale at the time, and I can say I was as surprised as he was seeing the smoke from his tower.”
He gives me a little smile, “Was this before or after the magic quarter stopped moving?”
I find myself annoyed by this game. “I know you’re the head of the Order of Shadows, and probably know everything I’ve done. Can you tell me what you would like me to make for you?”
Alerin starts to laugh, a big bellyful of laughing. Then he stops and flashes a grin. “I was going to have you running around the city doing little things for clues. Who told you?”
“Vale. Though I would have checked with Lady Else before running around town.”
“Leave my mom out of it.”
I look to Jasper whose eyes widen. I suppose she had pinched his ass. “Vale makes sense. You have helped him more than any of the orders. Fixing the quarter and boosting their ranks. Most of the time you Touched seem to just run around with no purpose, even though your actions impact us all.”
“So, what would you like me to make for you to complete my quest?”
“Nothing. This position doesn’t exactly call for having any symbol of its office. We have none of those fancy badges. Don’t worry though. Your job is done.” At those words, I get the quest complete notification. “I will step down from my position on the city council, and Jasper here can attempt to win it. Between this job and that one, my time has been booked up and it will be nice to not be so busy. I’ll lend what support I can to him, but it won’t be easy, considering how underground we like to keep our politics here.”
I groan a little inwardly. The last thing I need is more chain quests taking up my time. “What do you need us to do?”
“Jasper just needs to be his friendly helpful self. I have a map of the official voting district and even the names and addresses of some of the secret voters. He’s already known for offering his help to people, so his going to them or their families specifically shouldn’t be too out of the ordinary. The list is only about half of those who will vote, and not wholly accurate so he should still be out helping people.” He gathers up some papers from a table and hands them to Jasper. “You should get working. I plan to step d
own tonight, and there will only be three weeks before the election. Don’t tell them you’re a candidate.”
Jasper takes them and rushes off, leaving me alone with Alerin. “What do you need me to do?”
Alerin pours some drinks, a new one for him and one he hands to me. “You are a pickle. Not personally, just the fact that you are a Touched and Jasper is your companion. Citizen’s don’t like the idea of having their representative be under the control of a Touched and, well, public opinion about Touched is not entirely positive. You’re lucky this is an inner-city district. If it was one of the ones near some of the popular Touched hangouts, I would say you had no chance.”
“You saying I need to run around and convince voters I’m on their side?”
Alerin shrugs. “That could help. It could also hurt. Might be better off for you not to be around. One thing an election needs though, is money. Gold. I’ll help put his name on the ballot, but it will cost some. Then there are bribes, bodyguards, and other things. Since I did say I am willing to help, you provide me with money, and I’ll have a trusted crew help you get Jasper elected.”
“How much?”
“As much as you can give to me every week starting tomorrow, until the day of the election.” A quest notification pops up.
Funding the future. Provide gold to Alerin King to help support Jasper’s election. Rewards: Variable, based on amount of gold provided.
I hit accept, “I’ll see what I can do.” I sip in the drink he provided, and a warm butterscotch peanut flavor coats my mouth, then hand him back the glass.
“Oh, Chess?”
“Yes, Mr. King.”
“If this endeavor is successful, you are planning on lobbying for Jasper to be crowned King, are you not?”