by Marcus Sloss
I handed him a marker worth a silver coin.
“Official name is Earth Mage Zack of Isles Blue. It is a slow week so a silver shall help mightily. Thank you. My spells, well obviously copy of text. Yet while that one is too expensive to do, books are selling for less than the cost to make them at the moment. Eventually, it will balance out but my whole supply would cost thirty to forty gold to make and I would be lucky to get twenty five.” He paused in his explanation and dug around for a book. He set the ‘Understanding Magics’ book on the counter. Satisfied with his display he continued
“All mage types get a non-catalyst spell, for brown mages, it is plant or tree growth. I simply discharge my aura into the tree or plant and it either grows or if fully grown increases the maturation cycle. Every evening if I have no books to copy I travel down to the fields. For a few coppers I help the smelon trees speed up their fruit cycle.
“Making paper requires a catalyst of thinly crushed tree bark and a tiny bit of aura. As for other spells, I can change elevation or shape the earth to make mud buildings, but the catalyst is a burrow mole claws or goblin heart. Both love the underground. The problem with mud buildings is you should still add an exterior like stone or wood to prevent water damage. I can remove roots of felled trees, squirrel tails which are common enough are the catalyst. They lift right out of the soil, barely any aura expended for what it would take hours by a normal man. These stone walls were used with labor and Earth magic. Moving, then merging marble is exhausting and painfully slow. The catalyst is common enough, crushed ant chitin. It is also needed in great quantities, which while not the hardest to get is time consuming. The paste of termites lets me meld wood together to form seamless walls of one piece. That is one of the easier ones.” Zack wanted to keep going when I stopped him.
I handed him the paper of my title. “Read this do not say anything about it out loud please.”
“Okay, this is interesting, not sure why you showed it to me, congratulations I guess.” Zack said as he extended the paper back to me.
“Thirty gold for every book, another thirty for an entire year of work, crummy room and shitty food included. Best I can do. You go with me to Fernlan north of here. Your books stay in a designated library, for everyone's pleasure. You retain the right to make copies if able at your leisure. I will be in the palace if you need time to think about the matter.” I made Zack an offer. I didn't have an Earth mage on my requested personnel list, and I am sure the builders could use him. If not I could. I legit was the boss of a rundown mud covered village. A guy who moved Earth was a great find, the books were a bonus. Also, I may die next time I went out, the books would stay behind and could really change some lives.
“Thirty five for the books. Forty for the year, half upfront second half at the end of the year an option to extend my contract at the same rate.” I think he expected me to counter back but I was willing to pay a hundred for the books. That is the great part of never mentioning money first. He mentioned his collection at thirty to forty gold and I suddenly got a bargain.
“Deal. So first time using these markers. Duke said I have a large bank account here.” I handed him the bag of markers and he picked out how much I owed.
“Works great! Look forward to helping you build up your village, I don't look forward to being sacked below a griffin for numerous hours.” Zack said.
“I will take my leave, but rumor has it some man has calmed the griffins in Lakeland and Fernlan, some new lord I heard. Pleasure doing business with you, we leave tomorrow morning. Have all your books ready to go to at the roost by tonight in case they need to run more than one trip. I am buying a lot of things. I look forward to working with you.” I took the history book he had mentioned earlier, gave the man a nod, and continued into the market.
My feet clumped and clapped on the clean tiled floor. The talk with Zack had taken enough time that more shops were open. I suddenly felt alone and did not like it. I was out of my element when viewing most things. I knew I could not rely on luck for all my transactions seeing as how I had no idea what was worth how much. I went to the market front and asked the guard for someone to fetch my new wife. He said his daughter could do it, she worked in tips. I gave the man a whole silver and with that, the little girl took off for the palace. I found a chair in front of a tea shop, bought a drink from the vendor and opened the book.
The book began by explaining how massive and expansive Vin was. The numerous oceans, the single landmass broken into three pieces, separate in most parts but a few connections between all three.
“Since when do you get to take a lazy day?” Lydia asked from the air. She landed in front of the market. A lot of the men screamed in fright. I saw the guard tighten as if the griffin was going to eat his face off. I gently rested a hand on his shoulder.
“Be calm good people of Lakeland. The Duke will announce soon enough that men no longer need fear the spell of hate that gnawed at all the griffin's hearts. They still get agitated like women do with men, but no more attacks.” I called out to the crowd and seeing Lydia not attacking men close to her proved my words true.
“I will return today, I feel the cubs shifting, in a few days they will be born strong thanks to you. I will send the Fernlan pride south as soon as I arrive, they should be well rested and non-fatigued from the big meal of two days ago. I will have them bring those who wish to leave Fernlan. I also promise to only eat some of, and not all of that yummy war boar. Of course at your approval my Earl. Yes, we griffins have excellent hearing.” Lydia said and I laughed. Griffins and war boar. Like humans and bacon... To do list...
Bella and the little girl who was sent to fetch her climbed off Lydia's back. As soon as they were away Lydia jumped into the air and flew north. I waved goodbye to her but she never looked back.
“My dear Bella, I desired your company to view the market's wares. Will you join me?”
I extended my right arm elbow out and she linked arms with me.
“Certainly my husband. There is this bookseller I love to visit here, he is right over here. Oh, he is closed up at the moment. Oh well, I was hoping to get a book for my spare time in Fernlan.” Bella said with a grin and a skip.
I was going to comment when Zack came from behind the closed up stall. “Did I hear my favorite daughter of our mighty Lord Riza mention Fernlan? Fret not my dear, rumor has it some fancy new lord bought my entire cart and is shipping it not far from you, not far at all. He plans to build a library, this is a good start, but if he wants to rival the other nobles he will have to go south and get more. It sounds like a perfect vacation idea. Cool weather during the summer in the south while book hunting.” Zack said.
Bella was no dummy, she caught on right away and her blue eyes shined with joy. “That does indeed my mage friend. I look forward to reading more of the books you keep hidden behind high prices. If we will be seeing more of each other in the near future I will bid you a good day until then. New husband to woo, a lady never rests.”
She was a charmer, she had managed to leave both me and Zack smiling and happy as we moved into the market. “So dearest, what does your endless bank account want to acquire. Lily said you gave Velia free reign of your purse. I am interested to know where I fit into that aspect and if we can afford a large collection of books. How much a dowry did my father give you? I was his favorite, he always said that one day I would be able to choose a man I wanted. Not a marriage of politics. My entire life he stressed that. He would talk about how my mother and he were such a perfect couple. If he had stayed a lowly knight or demoted back to a soldier she would have been his only wife. The passion he spoke with was clear in his eyes. His grief at her loss was covered by his love for me, his first wife's only daughter. He promised he would pay a mountain of gold for my dowry to ensure I got the perfect man for me.”
“Did you talk to your father this morning?” I asked with raised eyebrows as I gazed down at her.
“We talked about it over tea, he summoned me and
Lily out for a drink after we fixed our hair back to perfection. He was thorough in his assessment that I was certain this is what I wanted and then checked again. I think he is sad to see me go. Like a part of him is dying by me growing up. He assured me he would visit often and made a lifetime vow to stay off the wine to be able to come see the grandkids often. Assuming we have some and that the griffins don't eat him when he demands to be taken. He can be a stubborn man sometimes.”
“First the news of your dowry, your father never mentioned one and while I think you are worth a mountain of gold I never asked. Your father seemed to take it hard that I picked you over Una. I think he wanted to be rid of her... Let us not dwell on it and focus on the future.
“The good first. I have lots of money, the god or gods that sent me here did so with a loaded purse of pure coins. I don't know the final number but easily over a thousand gold is left.” I handed her the purse with the markers. “At least I hope, I haven't gotten the tally on the prices for the personnel or livestock we needed. I also should have a few things that are for sale, no idea how much they will fetch. Needless to say, we will stick to below five hundred for today.
“As for who handles what in the house, you will. You are my first wife! I am open to you and Velia managing the finances. I really think you two will get along. You both have similar personalities and while Velia can be bossy she should not be competitive. I think she would be as happy with my choice, as I am. And Pipi, how do I say this. Another sweet girl but not on the same caliber as you two girls. She is about safety and protection. She will easily defer to you and not challenge you, and if she does I will intercede. Pipi will treat you as sweetly as I will and be a wonderful sister wife.
“Now the bad. I know I mentioned it last night, but Fernlan is a rough gem. And by rough, I mean a pile of shit with no gem in it. It is going to be harsh for a lady like you but I will figure it out. I have what I hope is three building crews coming north and I recently hired Zack for his earth magic. We will do all we can to get the village in better standards for you, the people, and your father.” I said with a slump as I rubbed her back gingerly.
She frowned but didn't lose her spirit. She rose on her toes and planted a kiss on my cheek and a reassuring pat on my hand. We passed a few stalls while we talked, most sold food or drink. One of decorative wood carvings, one of the paintings. I ordered painting supplies in bulk to be delivered to the roost tonight. I mentioned how I loved her paintings more than the vendors and that earned me a pinch on my butt. It was slyly done, I was impressed by how she pulled it off without notice.
I took us to a potion stand. I asked her if any were needed and what she would recommend. I explained who was on my to hire list and a potion expert was not one of them. With both of us being uncertain of what was needed we decided to ask the vendor for a common in stock list and a special order list. That way if we needed something we had a rough price, with item type and availability. We could send a griffin out and get what we needed the same day or next day, depending on when the griffin left Fernlan. When we found a catalyst seller, we did the same thing with the lists. Always the lists.
I was having a great time with Bella on my arm but I was feeling nervous being out in the open without any guards. That was until I spotted Una trailing us. She put a finger over her lips and I kept going. I may have despised the woman's demeanor but I didn't hate the feeling of having backup close by. Bella was having such a good time I choose to not tell her and spoil her mood.
The next stall was run by a fire mage. He had torches, lava stones, and trinkets for sale. He explained the catalyst for the torches and stones were lava golem parts. The golem which lived by volcanoes was harvested for its heart and rough exterior. The lava stones which were used to burn sewage and trash required the shell like skin of the golem and the torches needed the heart. There were still areas not too far from cities controlled by humans where these creatures could be farmed. The price had of course gone up drastically since the safe zones, but it was like the books. People were buying less as prices went up. Prices got so high that people couldn't afford to buy the torches and inventory piled. Bella did the haggling for a dozen torches, five gold a piece and a set of Lava stones at forty gold. He said light the fire when needed, extinguish when not, bring them back when they no longer flamed when lit. Or find another fire mage or expect to refill the torch containers. Most people never recovered the lava stones for refill due to the nasty stuff they burned. The torches should last a few years before any issues. A hundred gold worth of markers was given, but I felt they were a good purchase. It also sounded like a fun adventure for the future. Travel to one of the cities with these golems were close by and slay them for expensive parts.
A few stalls later, I found a fishing vendor and got some lines and hooks. These were far superior to the ones the goblins used. I got a guide on river fishing too in pamphlet form. Included regular fishing, anchored lines, and trotlines.
By far the largest stall was in the back corner. I had missed its entrance but Bella somehow knew I would want to see these wares. She pulled me towards the stall until I got my man toy fever and hauled her over as quickly as I could. It was a siege weapon seller. There were arrow ballista single shot, multi shot, catapults, caltrops, and crossbows. I was in a man cave of awesomeness. I almost felt bad for worming out of Bella's arm upon arrival.
“How much for the arrow thunkers?” I asked. The seller was a man in tight riding clothes with a shiny bald head and large curly mustache. He gave me a confused look. “Those, we call them crossbows where I am from.”
He turned his head as if I were crazy. “The bolt launchers? The design is new, easier to load than the older models we have. We built a crazy amount for the war effort. Since the peace accords, we have been overstocked. I can do some great deals.” He said.
I turned and hugged my wife. “Bella he said great deals and overstock! The best shop in the whole damn city just said my favorite words.” I was so happy I did a dad dance... Ouch, I qualified for those now... and it infected Bella who twirled then giggled.
The haggling lasted an hour, and by the time the sun was at its midpoint for the day I was done. Numerous bolt launchers were purchased. As were traps for the Horde and traps for catching animals. I maybe went overboard and bought the small ballista that could be mounted on a cart. Yup so amazing right... I was excited to test it on orcs. The demo was done in a tiny range. Blunted bolts were shot at a padded wall with about one shot every ten seconds. It worked on a three lever design. A mechanism with a pull of a lever loaded the bolt. The next lever used lots of pulleys to help get the rope tight. Then finally the trigger lever. He fired it in ten seconds. When I tried it was like twenty five but I was awkward and unskilled. I bought it, the test arrows with it, and two hundred bolts. Bella thought I overpaid considering the war was over. When I explained the large scale war was over she smiled. When I said the small scale war raged on it dampened her fun.
I decided to end our market adventure on a good note. I bought her some cake and tea and proceeded to simply talk to her. It was a lovely time. We headed to the palace where she left saying she needed to prepare for leaving tomorrow. I told her if she finished I would be in the training grounds or the livestock market. I mentioned how I need to learn how to swing weapons. She giggled at me like I was jesting.
The moment she was out of sight Una popped up. Girl was a damn ninja. I did not have anything positive to say so I walked in silence with her by me as we entered the training grounds. It was bustling with activity. Men sparred, wooden swords smashed against each other, some cracked mock weapons against dummies. In the middays heat most were drenched in sweat. The women who fought all wore rider outfits. The men were in armor or without. The bustle and sounds were rich as the stench of body odor.
Una approached an old scarred man with the face of a leathery bulldog. They exchanged sharp angry words and I was glad to be standing on the edge of the training grounds. The argument lasted f
or a few minutes when Una came over to me.
“That is master trainer Baldwic, and I have never seen him so angry. My father has ordered him to pick a replacement. To pack his family because he is moving north to train some untested whiny noble. I think it best you do not introduce yourself today.” Una pushed me back to the road. “I will guide you to the livestock market. It is across the bridge on the east side of the river to keep the smell down from the citizens. You are in luck, with winter approaching there are many sellers who brought in stock from the south via griffin. Father has been buying up a majority of it but there should be a good market still.” Gone was the hostility or need to prove anything to me. She was direct and to the point.
I was a bit sad to see the mighty trainer so upset. Mainly because I knew I would bear the brunt of his frustration. I decided that I would introduce myself to him when he arrived in Fernlan. I whistled while I walked toward the outer city wall. Una shadowed me in silence.
I wanted to hold my nose as we passed the slums. It was gross, but for the most part, the people looked content. Sure there were beggars, and every time something made a squishing noise under my boots I refused to look down. But they were not starving. I did want to throw the lot of them in the river and give them a good scrub. Then order a water mage to flood the area in the hopes some of the filth would be removed. Though, not my city, not my problem.
We passed the large lowered drawbridge and crossed the slow flowing moat. The clunk of travel over the wooden bridge was loud in my ears. I inspected the Horde portal as we passed it. It was basic in its design, efficient in most ways. With two days left until quota time, logs were being piled high on one side. I didn't have to ask to figure out they saved the food until the day before or the morning of. Guards were posted around the portal for obvious reasons.
No one seemed to notice me as anyone special or of import in my simple clothing. A few noticed Una but her reputation kept them away. She was not one of the nice ladies you begged to for some change. We strolled along a long cobbled road with fields off to our sides. An irrigation system was dug between the fields. Workers tended to the plants as rabins ate at weeds. I got to see the creatures for the first time. The ones I saw had a thin fur, long snout, and were about knee high on most workers. They were focused on their task, neither human nor animal looked up at me. It gave me hope that some were purchased with my list I gave out yesterday.