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The Big Oof! Volume 1 Chapter 34: Dabbling in the Arcane
🕑 Added 2023-03-30 08:10:39 +0000 UTC“Wait so, you’re telling me you have to FEEL whatever you want to ‘cast’ inorder to understand how to use it?" Bennett asked incredulously.
Letting out a deep sigh at the fact she was playing tutor for some ignorant giant buffoon, but decided to continue to play along and nodded firmly. "Yes, that is correct," she replied, unfazed by Bennett's reaction. "It might come as a shock to you, but you must have a deep understanding and connection with the element in order to manipulate it effectively.” She said dryly. “And feeling its essence is the first step in achieving that, so usually that comes with burning yourself."
"That's ridiculous. Why the hell do I have to burn myself to get an understanding of how fire works?" Bennett threw his arms up and eyed the shopkeeper with a mixture of skepticism and disgust.
The shopkeeper scowled at his words and leaned forward. "Because magic is not some parlor trick, young man," she said firmly. "It requires discipline, dedication, and sacrifice.” She said, tapping her finger on the desk harshly. “I don’t expect some ignoramus who can't even fathom how hot fire can possibly get, simply expect to wield its power without putting in the effort to understand it on a fundamental level."
Bennett's expression twisted in anger, his eyes narrowing at the shopkeeper's response. He couldn't believe that some primitive, whose society had barely even discovered the wheel, had the audacity to suggest that he, a fucking licensed engineer, needed to be taught the concept of fire and how hot it could get. The very idea was an insult to his intelligence, and he bristled at the thought of being spoken to in such a condescending manner.
"Listen, lady," Bennett growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I didn't come here to be belittled by some delusional floppy-eared freak. I know how fucking hot fire can get.” He said with a snarl. “I’m ASKING you to teach how to use this fucking mana or whatever the shit you call it and MAKE fire.”
With wide open eyes, the shopkeeper stood shocked at Bennett's harsh words, and she took a step back. " Y-You! You dare speak to me in such a manner!?" she basically yelped in disbelief, her voice quivering with indignation as a finger raised into a point. "I am a registered MAGISTER, a MASTER of the arcane arts, and I will not be insulted by some brash and uncivilized man-child!" Her entire hand trembled in anger as she struggled to contain her emotions. “Apologize!”
Azeline released a deep sigh as the thick tension filled the air. She stepped between the two and took on the role of the voice of reason. "Let's all calm down, shall we?" she said, looking at the two fuming individuals. “We all have our unique backgrounds and perspectives, so both of you must accept that neither of you is ignorant and know how fire works.”
A scoff came out of the tall and lanky man’s mouth. “I highly fucking doubt that-” Bennett tried to let out, but immediately cut off.
With a chopping motion, Azeline pointed at him with her entire hand, causing Bennett to recoil. “STOP IT!” She scolded with a stern and motherly tone. Satisfied with how cowed her companion became, Azeline hand became more gentle and beckoned him to cooperate. “Now come, show her that… thingy that plays music.” She ordered.
Bennett grumbled under his breath, but reluctantly complied and pulled out his device. He then began tapping away again until a series of lively and dramatic sounds of stringed instruments erupted from the device.
The Shopkeeper's eyes widened in amazement as she gasped deeply at the wondrous and enchanting music that made her feel as if they were standing in a snow-covered forest, surrounded by the quietness and stillness of winter. Closing her eyes, she could FEEL the piercing cold as the melody flowed through her body like a gust of icy wind. The crispness of the music made her feel as if she was gliding over the frosty ground, and the harmonious blend of the instruments brought an ethereal quality to the piece that was unlike anything she had ever heard before.
"Wondrous..." She gasped out, staring at the brightly colored screen full of musicians. Each one held some type of stringed instrument, except for the one seated at a large wooden box with strings within it itself.
The enchanted woman once again slowly reached out to grasp the datapad. “Nuh uh, no touching.” Bennett said, slowly pulling it away.
The white haired woman's face contorted into despair as if someone had just kicked her puppy and snapped her head up at Bennett. “But why!? You clearly have no understanding of how it works! You’re just being selfish!” She accused, her voice laced with frustration and disappointment.
Being told by a malnourished primitive that he had no understanding of how his OWN DEVICE worked, Bennett felt his irritation start to rise again. “Please, I beg you! I’m a highly trained Mage, allow me to examine it!” He heard the woman plead as his grip tightened around the device.
However, the man had an idea. "Funny you should say that," he said smugly as he handed the device to her. "Why don't you try to activate it?"
Azeline’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Bennett while the Shopkeeper nearly leaped in excitement as she eagerly took the device from him. She hemmed and hawed at the construction and material in use in the magical tool while her fingers danced across the smooth surface. But her smile soon turned into a frown as she tried her best to activate it.
Bennett watched with a mixture of amusement and annoyance as she fumbled with the device, trying her best to activate it. However, the Shopkeeper found herself struggling to get anything other than a black screen as she twisted and turned the thing. "H-How… How did you...?" She stammered, staring at the screen. "Why is it inert?"
Finally, the woman twisted it over once more and found what looked like a simple button and decided to gingerly tap it. Immediately the device sprang to life causing the Shopkeeper's giggle in delight as she stared at the bright screen. The intricate and vibrant colors and patterns danced across the surface, creating a mesmerizing display. It seemed any attempt at progressing past that wondrous point was met with failure and odd symbols.
The petite, white haired woman brought the datapad close to her face and squinted as she examined the thing. “This is… I’m not familiar with these letters…” She murmured herself, gently swiping across the impossibly smooth surface. “How did you get it to play that enchanting music?” She said, looking up at the giant.
“I’m the only one that can use it.” Bennett said with a condescending and shit eating grin.
A confused and blank look fell upon the Shopkeeper's face as if she didn’t understand a single word the giant infront of her spoke. “What? That’s ridiculous.” She replied, waving her hand dismissively. "There is no such thing as a magical item only one person can use." she said mockingly as she went back to staring at the device with a mix of curiosity and confusion.
Bennett plucked the device at her hand which caused her to yelp in protest. “NO! GIVE IT BACK!” she yelled as the man biometrically unlocked it with a quick press of his thumb. The shopkeeper's eyes went wide in shock as more colors and shapes flowed smooth and quickly to show a new screen. “H-How?” She muttered, reaching up once more.
However, Bennett relocked the datapad and placed it in her hand with a smirk on his face.
Snatching it out of his hand, the woman fussed with the device once more and after a while, she came to realize that he was most likely telling the truth. The woman's expression softened as she looked up at the giant sheepishly. “M-May you please do that spell again?” She asked with a polite and humble tone, to Bennett’s delight.
“I DON’T KNOW…” Bennett said, locking his fingers behind his head as his eyes looked up and away. “I’m some ignoramus who can't even fathom how hot fire can be!” He said in a disingenuous and annoying tone.
Azeline gave Bennett a sharp look, no longer amused by whatever charade these two idiots were locked in. "BEN! Stop being difficult!" she shouted, causing him to flinch once more. The shopkeeper looked at Azeline with a bright smile, but her expression quickly changed as Azeline turned her ire towards her. "And you," Azeline said firmly, "apologize!"
The shopkeeper's will started to falter as she looked down. “But, I-”
“APOLOGIZE.” A dangerous look formed on Azeline’s face as her hand slipped up to her dagger.
Successfully cowed, the Shopkeeper looked down and twiddled her thumbs. "I-I apologize," she basically whispered with hot pink cheeks. Looking up, she saw that the Northern Blonde woman wasn't appeased by such a weak attempt and became angrier as she started to unsheathe her weapon. “I APOLOGIZE!” The Shopkeeper shouted, her voice shaking with fear.
“There, now can we PLEASE do what we’ve come here to do and move the fuck on with our lives?” Azeline said in irritation as her glare shifted between the idiots that flanked her.
Bennett grumbled and rubbed his temples to help alleviate the oncoming headache. Part of him wanted to get the last word in, but he thought better of it after seeing that Azeline looked like she would deck him in the face. Taking a deep breath, the engineer closed his eyes for a moment and spoke up, "Look, I'm just asking you what are the principles of using magic or mana or whatever. I only want to know the step by step process of how to materialize it."
The Shopkeeper looked up, her expression changing from fear to confusion. "What do you mean by principles?" she asked, tilting her head. "It's not like baking! You can't just follow a recipe and expect it to work!” She said, throwing up her arms and turning around towards her desk. “It's a refined feeling, an intuition that you have to tap into." The white hair woman continued as she closed her eyes and started gracefully waving her hands.
Suddenly, a slender, pointed instrument made of bone began to tremble on the edge of the table before slipping off and gently levitating in the air. Bennett stared in disbelief, but quickly engaged his implants and observed the white energy swirling out of the Shopkeeper. At first, he thought the woman had figured out a way to manipulate gravity, but upon closer inspection he found something far less elegant. Invisible tendrils extended from her fingertips and wrapped around the instrument, pulling it a long in the air in an odd balancing act.
Bennett raised an eyebrow at the display, his curiosity piqued. "So, I guess that’s what she meant by intuition…" he said quietly under his own breath while watching as the instrument floated back into her hand. He could see how inefficiently she was utilizing the energy and how clumsy the tendrils were. There were a plethora of wasteful movements that used up more resources than it rightfully should and that wasn’t even including how the spellcaster was brute forcing everything.
It was as if a firehouse was blasting at full strength into a tiny water bottle.
"Fascinating," Bennett said, causing the shopkeeper to turn back and face him, her eyes now holding a hint of pride. "I'm curious, since you said this was an art that required intuition, does that mean anyone can learn it?" he asked, genuinely interested. "Or is it only reserved for those with a certain innate ability?"
The Shopkeeper scoffed at the question and waved her hand dismissively. "Of course not! This isn’t so unrefined as picking up a club and slamming it into the ground to make the earth move!" she replied, causing Azeline’s eye to twitch in agitation. "While it is standard for a mana user to manipulate some aspects of magic, they’re still incredibly limited towards one who endured years of practice and discipline to truly master the art of the arcane."
Walking over to Bennett, the Shopkeeper extended her hand and held out the bone instrument as if she was offering it to him. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t confuse me with those barbarous buffoons that swing a sword or axe around for coin.” She said with disdain.
Cocking his head to the side, Bennett looked at the bones device with revulsion. " Why the hell are you handing me a piece of bone?" He asks with disgust leaking in his voice. "Did you even clean it properly?"
A loud click rang out as the shopkeeper smacked her tongue and glared at the petulant man. "You bumbling philistine!" She said in anger, shoving the instrument into his grip with force. "It's a damned mark carver!" She snarled, crossing her arms and turning away. "Since you're so incompetent, this is the fastest and most reliable way for me to gauge how DEFICIENT you are!"
Bennett hummed in interest and examined the supposed mark carver in his hand and ran his fingers along the simple designs etched into the bone. A new sense of intrigue filled his eyes as he re-engaged his implants, but when he refocused, he nearly recoiled in shock. A small amount of the energy swirling within him was starting to sliver into the instrument as if they were feelers trying to find a way to connect with it.
"What the f..." Bennett muttered under his breath, as he saw the threads of energy coil around the instrument. He could still hear the Shopkeeper hurl insults his way, but he was too engrossed in the strange interaction to pay the woman any heed.
Suddenly, he felt a strange sensation.
The threads of energy finally found a way to interface with the device, and Bennett's mind was blown. He winced as if something was scratching at the back of his mind, but he held firm as the scratching started to intensify. It wasn’t an uncomfortable sensation, but a completely alien and fascinating one as he felt whatever was in his hand had come to life.
Realizing he should say something, Bennett looked at the rambling woman and spoke up. "Uhhh, is this normal?" He asked, causing her to turn around in a huff. A new flurry of insults were about to come out of her mouth, but the sight in front of her caught the Shopkeeper off guard.
“N-no…” She said with wide eyes the moment saw that the mark craver was glowing brilliantly.
Gingerly taking a step closer, the woman squinted her eyes and examined the bone instrument with a mix of awe and confusion. “Usually one with still budding power would only be able to fill a portion of a groove…” She said, switching to a serious tone. “However, this is… Only enchanters can do this… Or an Artificer.” She looked up at him with surprise and then back at the glowing mark carver in his hand.
Bennett raised an eyebrow as he processed her words. "Wait, aren’t Artificers a big deal or something?" he asked with uncertainty.
The Shopkeeper waved her hand dismissively. "Ignore what I said. Artificers are very significant, but becoming one is a long and arduous road that begins with crafting or enchanting.” she explained. “But seeing how much… potential you have, that means that is an actual path you can choose to pursue.” The petite white haired woman looked up at him with a glint of excitement in her eyes.
Looking Bennett up and down, the Shopkeeper’s gaze looked as if she was completely re-evaluating the person in front of her and held out her hand. “My name is Aranthelwenya.” She said, looking at him expectantly.
A difficult look spread across Bennett's face as he hesitated to take the outstretched hand in front of him. His attention then briefly turned to Azeline in the hopes she could give any guidance, but the woman appeared to be struggling to control her agitation. However, despite her obvious frustration, she gave him a subtle nod, urging him to accept the Shopkeeper's gesture of goodwill
Taking a deep breath, Bennett finally reached out and shook Aranthelwenya's hand firmly. “Bennett.” He said curtly, unable to help the slight animosity he still held for the petite woman.
Aranthelwenya nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. "Ben-nett" she sounded his name out loud. “A fascinating name.” She finished before turning her attention to the rune carver still glowing in his hand. "Well, Ben-nett… I’m not highly educated in any of the disciplines required to use a mark carver, but I can teach you a thing or two."
“What say you?” The petite woman asked with deep interest as she started up at the man.
Bennett looked down at the glowing rune carver in his hand before turning his head towards Azeline who was already pinching the bridge of her nose before shrugging "Eh. Why not?" he shrugged
"Teach me everything you can." His voice was firm and resolute.
-
The sun had already gone down when Elijah and Yana finally made their way back to the empty town center and noticed each of the shops had all closed for the day save for one. The warm glow of light spilling from the open shudders of the small store had caught their attention. It was the very same one that both Bennett and Azeline entered when they first split off to go do some prep work for tomorrow's foray.
Elijah looked over at Yana who was on his shoulder. "You think they’re still in there?" he asked, gesturing towards the still open shop.
Yana tilted her head slightly, her violet eyes squinting at the building in question. "Ya, I can feel that idiot in there…" she said, confirming his suspicions.
A difficult expression spread across Elijah’s face at her words.
She can FEEL us? He thought to himself as he started to make his way to the store.
But Elijah soon dismissed his thoughts as shouting and excitement from within the store became louder and more frantic. As he pushed open the door, a yelp of excitement greeted him, followed by a blonde elf barreling his way.
“FINALLY! Please save me! PLEASE!” Azeline pleaded, grabbing onto the man.
Comments
David Ellis
Azeline was Bennett's magic guinea pig, it seems, but Elijah is definitely not the person to help her. Once he catches up, he'll probably make Bennett flip her skirt as proof of his magic powers or something.
