Michael Chatfield
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Ilus Rises: Chapter 12 Part 2 of 2
🕑 Added 2024-01-26 12:00:06 +0000 UTCThough it was odd that he couldn’t be summoned. She pushed the thought to the side, collecting the contents of the box. Pelagia replaced Euron writing on the back of the writ.
“If you could confirm receipt of the funds,” Euron pointed to the writ.
“Thank you,” Mya accepted the pen from Pelagia, signing the last place. The binding in her chest, twisted and released. She let out a grunt from the relief.
The writ flashed and the silvery lines faded to black.
“If you are ever in need of our services there are several branches within Misty Cove and an in any major convergence city. The Emerald Bank is open to all,” Euron smiled and tilted his head in a bow. “Please take this token, it will bypass the tellers so you can take care of your business in a more discreet manner.” He held out a carved piece of wood with the banks emblem, infused with a mana.
“Thank you for your help. What time do you close tonight?” Mya took the offered emblem and stored it.
“We close in,” He checked a timepiece on the wall. “About four hours.”
“Ah perfect, that should be enough time. Depends on the who the buyers have a writ with. If they have it here we’ll be swinging back in a couple of hours.” Mya moved for the door, Valter standing up to follow.
“Good day Euron, Pelagia,” Mya tipped her hat to them.
Euron smiled and bowed his head, Pelagia following a sudden half-second afterwards. Ah she’s so cute learning. Mya grinned to the guard.
“I think mine’s bigger,” She whispered.
He frowned at her as she whistled down the corridor, catching Valter sighing as he ducked his head through the doorway. He made eye contact with the guard with a sigh that she picked up as big guy talk for ‘sorry about her’.
The other grunted and shrugged with a slight grin. Which she took as ‘well you are big’.
Valter took in a suffering breath and followed after her. Yep, bank guard was definitely grinning now.
She glanced back. Perfect! Valter’s ‘I’m tired of your shit’ face was in full force. She had a hard time not skipping down the hall.
They exited the bank, Valter quickly taking the lead.
“Guessing Maz’s next by the direction we’re headed?” He asked.
“Correct.” Mya sunk into the thoughts that crept up while in the bank.
“You’ve been silent,” Valter asked a few roads later.
“You know what I’ve been thinking?” She asked.
“No.”
“Limos, he said that he can pretty much travel anywhere and his card is still working so that tells me that he probably is able to and not blowing smoke. Though like Sorelli he can’t appear here.”
“Okay,” Valter frowned in thought, still checking their surroundings.
“He said that he couldn’t go places where we’re being observed. The LTC like to keep a low profile and stay back from things as we saw with Hedgewick and Jaxus. They weren’t worried about putting up a government that would work well with them. Though its clear they don’t want to govern other people, just trade.”
“Then someone is watching us?” Valter said, turning down a street.
Mya followed him, making sure that there was no one in earshot. “I guess? At least someone or something that Limos is wary of.”
“He knew about these bodies and alluded to the fact that he has done trades with gods before. He might be on their radar.”
“But gods don’t have the power they usually do on the elemental planes. Instead the elemental lords hold sway here.”
“Irshon, he said that the Elemental Lord of the Water Plane owed Desari a favor,” Valter said.
“And he might have his eye on her. So he can’t reach us because the elemental lord is watching her,” Mya snapped her fingers. “Oh that could be it. Though why would he be so worried?”
“Maybe he’s made deals with others that went bad? He could have enemies? Probably does. He could want to keep his movements hidden? If we can summon him then we might be bait?”
“Limos sees us as useful, a band to clean up and help with tasks across the realms. Though he has a number of such ‘problem solvers’.” Mya worried her lip with her teeth. “That man is an enigma.”
“And I think that he wants to stay that way.” Valter held his words, Mya could feel the building thoughts. “I made an Oath with Xander. I did not want to make another, Limos had me in a corner, though the contract thus far has not been the kind that uses us up and makes us pawns in his game as Xander’s did. We have a surprising amount of autonomy. We haven’t done one of his quests while here and nothing of note has happened.” He breathed in and out. “Though I do wonder if that is because he can’t be summoned here and thus might not have power in this plane.”
“We still have all of those missions from him. I think he has his fingers in this plane plenty. Here we are.” They slowed as they reached Maz’s Materials.
“Orignal sign,” Valter said.
“Gets the point across.” The building was a decent size, butted up against its neighbors, as if they leaned on one another to remain upright.
It was three stories tall and one of the wider buildings in the street. The twin wide doors were batted back and forth by patrons entering and exiting. Most crafters, others locals with a bolt of material, a box of nails here, planks of wood there.
A window opened, someone looping at length of rope over a pulley above it.
“Watch your heads!” They swung out a bundle of wood and lowered it down.
Several of the disjointed windows were strewn across the surface of the building, each with their own pulleys.
“Well, lets go see if Maz is interested.” Mya said.
“Looks a bit general for goods,” Valter followed her.
“Did you check out the windows?”
“Little skewed?”
Mya chuckled. “That and the grade of materials they’re made out of as they go up is a higher quality.
Valter studied them. ”The pulleys are made well but the metal is better as you go up. The windows are better made the further up. There are subtle runes in them too.”
“I’m betting Maz deals with materials for all kinds of people,” Mya pushed open the door to organized complexity. Signs hung between aisles that were stuffed with materials. People in frocks helped out customers.
“How can I help you today?” A bouncy woman stepped up to greet them.
“Old Roberts said we should head over and talk to Maz. We have some goods to sell he thought she’d be interested in.”
Her smile grew more genuine. “Old Roberts is such a dear, this way.” She led them through people getting all kinds of items. And up a set of stairs that could’ve been pulled from a ship. Guess they don’t have much room for them land lovers stairs. Mya grabbed onto the railing ascending to the next level.
There were less customers, the frocks people wore were the same. Counters held some goods and runes scrawled across glass offering protections.
They stepped up to the third floor, the chaos was markedly less, with a half dozen counters. Some customers were examining goods that were laid out on tables, woods, bolts of fabric and ingots for three of them. A fourth was flipping through pages in a book, an attendant waiting in his frock.
A man reading a book looked up at their arrival and stepped up to his counter.
“This is Steven, he can help you and take a look at your goods.” She held out a hand towards the man. He smiled and bowed his head.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get your names?” The girl asked.
“I’m Mya and the walking hunk of muscle is Valter.”
“Old Roberts told them to come here to sell on their goods.” The girl added for Steven’s benefit.
“Oh,” His smile deepend. “He’s got a fine eye Old Roberts. Thank you Sirena.”
She gave a little curtsey and headed back for the stairs.
“I can appraise the items for you and give you a rough value,” He waved to the counter.
“I’ve appraised them myself.” Mya took out her ledger and flipped to the pages she wanted. “Here and on are the goods I have.”
He looked at the ledger, his eyes widening. “This is impressive.”
“I like to keep a clean ledger and I’ve got a fair eye at appraising, though you’re welcome to take a look if you’d be interested?”
He turned over a page. “I think that I might need to get Maz herself for these. I’ve not seen these items before and I’d rather err on the side of caution to make sure that my evaluation is accurate.” He gave her a strained smile.
“I appreciated when someone know’s when to ask for help,” Mya smiled.
“I’ll be back in just a moment.” He turned and went through a door between cabinets filled with tools.
A few minutes later he was back with a woman wearing a frock, putting a pencil behind her ear.
“Steven here tells me you got a ledger that would put my own to shame.” She smiled. “Name’s Maz. Mind if I take a gander?”
“Please,” Mya said.
She scanned through the book, Steven back a half-step, watching her and reading the entries. Her eyebrow raised as she flipped the page. She shifted her weight to one hip and leafed through the remaining pages.
She tapped on the last page of the ledger. The entry for Robert’s income was wavy and obscured. It would be to anyone but Mya and the other horsemen.
“Do you have samples for these items?”
“Of course,” Mya took out a roll, similar to the one she’d rolled out on Roberts’ counter. The look as she showed more precious items as it unfolded was priceless and drew people to hook themselves before she’d started her talk.
“A good collection,” Maz said. “Steven can you sense the increased man of the items. Its harder as unlike mana around us its been solidified into these items.”
He squinted at the items. “I can.”
“What would you think their quality is?” She waited, watching him.
“Around the Yellow mark? Some of it, the stuff at the end I would put in the Yellow Flecked Green.” He pointed to what he was talking about.
“Correct. How do you know if you’re dealing with an item of a different elemental affinity?”
“Well I have water attribute mana,” His eyes widened in realization. “It is rather heavy earth element.” He stepped back and forward. “I can feel the difference in my circulation.”
“That’s some good understanding of your own mana system,” Mya said. “Most wouldn’t be able to sense the change on their mana.”
“Its taken some work,” Maz said dryly, with a proud smile. Steven scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“What did you realize?” Maz asked.
“Well if you are of the water element, when you’re around water based items then your mana will move smooth. If you’re around air it can create eddies. If you’re around fire it can move faster. Around earth it moves slower. The stronger the element, both myself and in the item the greater the effects.”
“Not enough to stop a caster, but a poison made of an opposing element can throw one’s system in chaos,” Mya said. “Or assist them.”
Maz took out a vial from her frock, a blue liquid in the bottom. She took a pinch of the earth essence sands and dropped it into the vial. It turned a muddy color, then white, slipping into red, quickly through to orange and slowing as yellow accumulated within it and a few flecks of green appeared.
“High yellow grade earth essence.” She swirled the vial again. The color didn’t change. “Delphina, Calder, get over here, going to need your help with testing things.”
Two more servers moved from their counters.
“Delphina you take these three, Calder, those four, Steven these two. I’ll look at the rest. If you aren’t sure of your results note it down and we’ll compare at the end.”
The other customers were glancing over, trying to peek at the items on the counter.
Valter took a seat facing the counters and the stairs.
“Miss Mya, could you tell me the properties of this?” Maz tapped a bolt of fabric.
“I’m not sure the origins of this one. It’s a special kind of fabric that will retain the color that one pigments it with. With the right pigmentation it will keep the water off of a person while remaining breathable. Great for shirts or pants of a sailor.”
Maz took out an eye piece, holding it up to her eye and studying the fabric closely.
“Miss Mya, these eyes, you say in your ledger that they would allow one to see through the ground, could you explain?” Calder turned the glass jar filled with water and Stone Drake eyes.
Mya moved over and tapped the top. “I’ve seen them used as a material to create different lenses that will allow someone to see through the ground and know what kind of materials are there. Useful for miners. Also useful if you want to check what metals you’re dealing with at a glance.”
The questions flowed as tests were carried out. The other customers had slowed in their own purchases. Interested in the new items. Mya dutifully went through the various items.
Maz clicked her tongue and rubbed the back of her neck.
“Would’ve been faster to jus take your ledger at face value.”
“Always check the goods,” Mya smiled.
Maz let out a snort. “What kind of price you looking for?”
“These items are rarely seen in the water plane, something that might not be seen in decades.”
“We live next to a convergence point, trade might be rarer, but that doesn’t mean its non-existent,” Maz crossed her arms.
“I’ll offer you the same as Old Roberts, thirty percent more than the equivalent water realm good.”
“Ten,” Maz said.
“At least thirty, this quantity and at this rarity,” Mya shook her head.
“Most of these are battle damaged.” Maz crossed her arms.
“Carefully harvested and the ledger has all the information you need,” Mya said.
“Twenty but that’s stretching my purse strings. I’ll even take on that chain you have.”
“The chain is a masterpiece,” Mya rallied. “runes that anyone interested in them would pay a fortune for.”
“Steel is steel.” Maz shrugged.
“Imbued with the fire element!” Mya poked the counter with her finger. “Each would make a terrible weapon against sea beasts. You’d have enough to create cannon balls even cannons that could imbue that heat on every shot.”
“Twenty five.” Mya leaned forward.
“Twenty three,” Maz gave a tired shrug.
Mya narrowed her eyes at the woman, studying her for a few solid minutes. “Alright, twenty three.” She held out her hand.
Maz’s face bloomed into a smile as she grasped it. “Good doing business with yah.”
Mya grinned too. “And you as well.”
“Truth—what did Roberts pay?” Maz asked, holding her hand.
“Twenty,” Mya’s grin took on an impish quality.
Maz snorted as she rolled her eyes, releasing Mya’s hand. “That wily bastard and his charms.”
Mya laughed as Maz smiled.
“Alright, come into the back lets get you sorted out.” Maz raised her voice. “Looks like we’re going to be having some new exclusive goods in a few minutes. Steven could you update the ledgers?”
“Yes Maz.”
“Good lad.” Maz waved to Mya. Valter rose and followed, they went around the counter and through the door she’d come through. Racks held organized materials and storage devices.
She led them to an office in the back and took out her writ book, with Emerald bank’s emblem. She opened a draw and pulled out a bottle, thumping it on the counter. “Writ?”
“Yeah I’m up for the core burn.”
Maz grimaced. “I can tell you it don’t get easier.”
“Nah, it don’t but tasting everyone’s booze ain’t bad,” Mya winked.
Maz laughed. “I like you, spritely.” Maz looked into Mya’s eyes, searching them till she found something in their depths.
“And not at all surface deep. Great many secrets to interest one.” Her eyes sparkled, turning to the book and flipping it open, she drew the pen and added in the details of the deal.
She grabbed a box as she wrote and put it on the desk.
“Can throw the goods in there, we’ll check it, sign, bit of blood and we’ll be on our way. I’d be interested in any other items that you come across.” She looked up from the writ.
“Will do if I’m in the area again. Also, you know anyone that deals in cores?”
Maz stood up. “I got some of them.” She reached into a drawer, leafing through books and put it on the table.
“Here’s a list of the wares.” She expertly flipped open to the pages on cores and mana stone.
Yellow Core – Cost 1,000 GP
Description: Yellow grade core. Water Element attributed.
Quantity: 15
Yellow Flecked Green Core – Cost 2,500 GP
Description: Yellow Flecked Green grade core. Water Element attributed.
Quantity: 9
Yellow Mixed Green Core – Cost 5,000 GP
Description: Yellow Mixed Green grade core. Water Element attributed.
Quantity: 3
Green Core – Cost 10,000 GP
Description: Green grade core. Water Element attributed.
Quantity: 2
Core prices only changed based on demand and need. They were as stable as gold prices. Always good to have a just-in-case.“I’ll take your green cores instead of coins if that works for you?” Mya asked.
“Yeah that’s fine, not many people round here are crafting Epic level items. Most just buy it to help keep their ships enchantments powered up and running for a long time.” Maz stood, reading over the writ before she turned it to Mya.
“All reads good to me.”
Maz nodded, signing the writ, then cutting her forearm to drip on it.
Nice to have natural healing again, sowing yourself back together is such a bother. Her thoughts made her chew on her cheek, after all liches rarely had living and breathing bodies. She cut the back of her hand, dripped and signed.
The oath was completed, leaving them both grunting.
“Why the fuck does it feel it pulls on a different part of your damned soul every fucking time?” Mya growled as Maz lowered the bottle from her lips and handed it over.
“Cause life’s a bitch and it likes fucking you.”
Mya snorted and drank from the bottle. It burned with spices as she lowered the bottle to the table.
She hissed in a breath and let it out in a rush.
“Worse that getting a nipple in a bandolier buckle.” Maz winced.
“Yeah, don’t ask, three hour fight. ‘Bout near shot my tit off.”
Maz raised the bottle in grimace and salute, drinking again.
Mya indulged in a second drink and put it to the side, putting her hand over the storage crate she released the items, they dropped from her ring into the box in a stream till she removed her hand, checking inside for anything she’d forgotten.
The oath loosened a bit.
“Here you are,” Maz tore out the writ and gave it to her.
“Thanks. Be seeing you!” Mya touched the brim of her hat.
“Catch your around planes walker.” Maz said.
Mya looked back, Maz grinned, saluted her with the bottle and took another swig.
She led the way through the shop and back out to the street.
“Bank or Cregor?” Valter asked as they stepped out.
“Cregor next. Sun’s getting low now.” Mya looked up through the semi-transparent collectors. Magical lights were starting to come on, not a flame to be seen. Wouldn’t be smart on a dock-city.
Valter started forward. “What she mean by planes walker?”
“Someone that can get between the planes. Usually traders or people seeking adventure,” Mya said.
“Guess that’s technically true, even if landing here was only to escape the duke and his men.”
Even if she and her fellow traders were persecuted in Irdun, they could head to another world, another plane. Trading across the planes. A shiver ran through her body as thoughts started to come together.
If she could make contacts across different places and have a way to jump between planes and worlds. Well Aetheria had a way before they took the gem.
Maybe there’s a way to increase the gem’s range? Limos had different items he used to cross realms. If she could turn some of the jobs over to her traders. Maybe he’d be interested in trading with some sailor merchants.
