Marcus
should be awake and in the workshop before he arrived back at the
palace. At least he hoped they were. He didn’t fancy having to
search the city for the two enchanters or wait all day for them to
make an appearance.
His stomach growling, Thad made a quick
stop by the kitchens before heading out to the tower. The rest of
the residence had already broken their fast, but thankfully, there
were more than enough leftovers for Thad to have his
fill.
Once his belly was full, Thad made a
straight line for the tower. Inside, he found Marcus working hard
but didn’t see Roger anywhere in sight. “Marcus, do you know where
Roger is at?” Thad asked, wanting both mages there before he
started his explanation.
“That scatterbrain headed into town to
see if the blacksmiths had any more rings made up for us. He should
be back within the hour. Unless he gets himself lost,” Marcus said,
never taking his eyes off his work.
“Might as well use my time wisely,”
Thad said to himself as he picked up one of the small steel rings
inset with a brown crystal. Thad focused his mind and started
working on the enchantment. It wasn’t for a shield like the others
had been, and he knew it would be a weak comparison to what he
really needed made, but it would have to suffice until he and the
others had proper items for the enchantment.
“Thad. Didn’t expect to see you here
this time of day,” Roger said as he set a small bag of rings on the
counter. “What brings you out?”
“This,” Thad replied, holding up the
steel ring he had been working on. “I have an idea, but for it to
work, we are going to need at least two dozen spades with this
enchantment.”
Marcus and Roger examined the ring
closely. “I wouldn’t be able to do that enchantment at all, Thad. I
can see how it works, but it’s just outside of my ability,” Roger
said, shaking his head, his lips pursed tightly
together.
“I can do them, but they’re going to
take a bit more gems and a lot more work than one of your rings,”
Marcus replied after a few moments.
“I know, but first, we need the
materials. What do we have?”
“Your elfin friend Parson just sent
back a nice-sized load of gems, including a fair amount of those
tigereyes you have been going on about. As for the spades, Roger,
he can run back to the smithy and to the other shops and see what
he can get his hands on,” Marcus replied, tugging on his
beard.
As Roger rushed out to procure the
spades, Thad and Marcus started separating the gems that would be
used in the enchantment. Thad was amazed at the large amount of
gems that Parson had been able to find with Avalanche’s help. If
they were to be sold at the market, Thad was sure that one could
buy a small kingdom with them. Shrugging his shoulders, Thad
upended one of the heavy bags onto the table.
Using his mage sight, Thad picked out
the gems that held the strongest affinity for the earth element.
When he had first thought of the plan, he had feared that they
wouldn’t have enough supplies to complete the project, but now
those fears had been swept aside.
Roger returned a little over an hour
later, carrying nine spades in his arms. “This was all I could
find, but the blacksmiths agreed to make another two dozen within a
fortnight, though they weren’t happy with it.”
“I don’t care if they’re happy with it
as long as they do it,” Thad replied, taking one of the shovels
from Roger.
Thad stayed late working on the shovels
completely, two before his strength was completely spent. As far as
enchantments went, it was complex. As far as how it worked, it was
simple. As soon as the spade touched dirt or rock, it would break
apart the bonds holding the earth together within a one-foot
radius. It was similar to the enchantment he had used back in Rane,
but without knowing what kinds of earth might need to be broken
down. He had to add in a much wider array of spells.
His head throbbing, Thad stumbled
through the palace halls
should be awake and in the workshop before he arrived back at the
palace. At least he hoped they were. He didn’t fancy having to
search the city for the two enchanters or wait all day for them to
make an appearance.
His stomach growling, Thad made a quick
stop by the kitchens before heading out to the tower. The rest of
the residence had already broken their fast, but thankfully, there
were more than enough leftovers for Thad to have his
fill.
Once his belly was full, Thad made a
straight line for the tower. Inside, he found Marcus working hard
but didn’t see Roger anywhere in sight. “Marcus, do you know where
Roger is at?” Thad asked, wanting both mages there before he
started his explanation.
“That scatterbrain headed into town to
see if the blacksmiths had any more rings made up for us. He should
be back within the hour. Unless he gets himself lost,” Marcus said,
never taking his eyes off his work.
“Might as well use my time wisely,”
Thad said to himself as he picked up one of the small steel rings
inset with a brown crystal. Thad focused his mind and started
working on the enchantment. It wasn’t for a shield like the others
had been, and he knew it would be a weak comparison to what he
really needed made, but it would have to suffice until he and the
others had proper items for the enchantment.
“Thad. Didn’t expect to see you here
this time of day,” Roger said as he set a small bag of rings on the
counter. “What brings you out?”
“This,” Thad replied, holding up the
steel ring he had been working on. “I have an idea, but for it to
work, we are going to need at least two dozen spades with this
enchantment.”
Marcus and Roger examined the ring
closely. “I wouldn’t be able to do that enchantment at all, Thad. I
can see how it works, but it’s just outside of my ability,” Roger
said, shaking his head, his lips pursed tightly
together.
“I can do them, but they’re going to
take a bit more gems and a lot more work than one of your rings,”
Marcus replied after a few moments.
“I know, but first, we need the
materials. What do we have?”
“Your elfin friend Parson just sent
back a nice-sized load of gems, including a fair amount of those
tigereyes you have been going on about. As for the spades, Roger,
he can run back to the smithy and to the other shops and see what
he can get his hands on,” Marcus replied, tugging on his
beard.
As Roger rushed out to procure the
spades, Thad and Marcus started separating the gems that would be
used in the enchantment. Thad was amazed at the large amount of
gems that Parson had been able to find with Avalanche’s help. If
they were to be sold at the market, Thad was sure that one could
buy a small kingdom with them. Shrugging his shoulders, Thad
upended one of the heavy bags onto the table.
Using his mage sight, Thad picked out
the gems that held the strongest affinity for the earth element.
When he had first thought of the plan, he had feared that they
wouldn’t have enough supplies to complete the project, but now
those fears had been swept aside.
Roger returned a little over an hour
later, carrying nine spades in his arms. “This was all I could
find, but the blacksmiths agreed to make another two dozen within a
fortnight, though they weren’t happy with it.”
“I don’t care if they’re happy with it
as long as they do it,” Thad replied, taking one of the shovels
from Roger.
Thad stayed late working on the shovels
completely, two before his strength was completely spent. As far as
enchantments went, it was complex. As far as how it worked, it was
simple. As soon as the spade touched dirt or rock, it would break
apart the bonds holding the earth together within a one-foot
radius. It was similar to the enchantment he had used back in Rane,
but without knowing what kinds of earth might need to be broken
down. He had to add in a much wider array of spells.
His head throbbing, Thad stumbled
through the palace halls
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