Being daring, Tor ventured out to the ice manufactory carrying amulets for two more of them, hoping that handing them off wouldn't be against the rules. This was harder than it seemed like it would be at first. Really, he hadn't realized how much he'd been working in all, having been thinking of work as only being building, or maybe copying. Most of the time planning would have been done at a time like this, or helping someone do something at least. When he got to the place people were loading their ice and Collette, wearing a light pink workman's tunic and a broad tan hat that looked to be made of grass, waved at him and looked excited.
Looking around, she hopped over, a literal bouncing movement and kissed him. Her lips touched his and she gasped.
“No shield? I can't work with ice and have one on, but is it safe for you? No one wants to kill me… Unless your sister Tamerlane is more jealous than she seemed? Didn't seem like it the one time we met.” She gave him a look that wasn't exactly teasing, so Tor just chuckled and shook his head, black hair long enough to actually move a bit, even from the gentle shift of position.
“No, Terlee…” He stopped suddenly and tilted his head. “Honestly? I know for a fact she wouldn't harm you just for having dated, or even slept with, her future husband, but I don't know that she might not really be unhappy about it. She doesn't always talk about what she's thinking. Um… You might want to send her a letter or something, proclaiming the two of you friends? Then there will be no debts between you, including things like that.”
“Wait, I just say, “we're friends” and it magically means she can't be mad at me? I like that rule.” The pretty blond smiled sweetly.
“We're friends, aren't we Tor? I know I think of you as a good friend.”
Tor stuck out his tongue.
“Silly. But yes, of course we are. Only, it has to go both ways. You forgive people, but that doesn't mean you have to put up with them constantly trying to tear you down or anything. You have to be a real friend. Terlee really would be a good person for you to get to know though. She's quiet, but a good person.”
“Alright then. I'll send a letter off to her. Know where she is? Two Bends or…” A small breeze caused the hat to shift, making her grab it without comment.
“I don't really know. What I'd do it take it to the Two Bends Fast delivery outpost around the wall and have Stewart just hand it off to the next delivery people through to take to her. It should get there.”
“Done then. Kind of handy really. Would that work if I needed to get something to you, do you think?”
“Maybe? I need to let my family know where I am more, probably.”
“That doesn't explain the lack of a shield though, or that people keep trying to kill you.”
Tor shrugged.
It was as good a time as ever to try the field out, since she asked. He took her hand and kissed it gently, just to show he was really making contact. The whole time he looked right into her eyes, which made her blush prettily for some reason.
“OK.” He made his face go blank. “Now hit me.”
She hesitated, “What?”
“Shield test, hit me, like you really mean it.” Then he shut his eyes and let go of her hand in that order.
The shield engaged with the blow stopping her hand in the air about a quarter inch from his body. A decent uppercut to the stomach. Her field showed a lot more muscle under her work clothing and skin than it looked like. He opened one eye first and grinned.
Nodding, Tor turned it back off and asked her to trying choking him instead. The shield turned back on before she could make contact. When he had her just stroke his neck nothing happened. A warm hand moved around his throat from behind, hard with calluses, but pretty when he looked down, a solid dark tan color, almost brown. Petra. Gently she started petting him, but then made to tighten around his throat in a sudden rush.
The shield wasn't fooled. It made a soft sound as her hands flew away.
“Damn! Ow!” Shaking her hands, she grinned. “Full shield too? Like your newest ones? How does it work?”
That was hard to explain really, so he didn't try to tell her the whole thing. How it actually linked to a person’s own deep mind and used the information from that to tell if a threat was coming or not. Instead he just told her it responded to danger, even accidents, in case a person wasn't quick enough to turn it on or didn't remember to in a panic. That had happened too many times so far, and he'd almost lost people that way, including himself. This would help.
“Plus you can touch people now and actually enjoy a good party without acting like everyone’s always going to try and get you. Ohhh, hence the yellow sash! Very daring and bold around here, with this many people. Um… I'd like to, if… you aren't too busy already? Collette can join us. Not now, later obviously, duty calls and this ice won't sell itself. As it is the line will be going back to the wall by noon. We just can't make it fast enough. Oh well.”
Glancing around for the King, Tor quickly shoved the two amulet sets at her earning a pleased expression and a hug. Then he asked her what she and Collette would be joining him for, even though he was up for almost anything. A yellow sash probably meant something more than he'd thought…
“Yellow sash… it means you're paying for the drinks!” She said brightly.
Oh. He could do that, he laughed and shook his head slightly.
“I thought for a second it was an invitation to group sex or something. I just put it on thinking that people wearing them always seemed like fun. Well, drinks on me then.”
Collette heard that and hugged him from behind. A gentle kiss settled on his cheek.
“Oh? OK. I'm in. Pet?” The blond was obviously teasing him for his silliness. Petra joined in for a bit, then went to hook up the other two ice manufactories, an act which got cheers from the people waiting in the wagons. They had to load them by hand, and the person getting the ice was always hurried along by those behind them. Often loudly and with a little less than good cheer. Could a loader be come up with… no. That was work. Instead Tor shrugged and went over what Johanson, the finance counselor, had said to him the day before. Three days before he realized.
“We can hire people for that. Loading and deliveries? And lower the prices during festivals? It feels funny doing it, but I get the idea… more people will be able to buy it. We can just make more ice. I'm saving up for a house though right now. Maybe one of your magic ones? What do those run anyway, thirty-forty thousand gold?” Her voice sounded innocent, but not wheedling. After a second he got the idea anyway, she was trying to lower the price so he'd sell her one more cheaply. Shrewd bargaining. They were probably worth a lot more than that on the open market, but who had that kind of gold just laying around?
That made him blink. He stopped, and thought, and then blinked again.
“Um… Collette? You already own half the new magic houses… I have ten so five are yours or half the money from it if we ever sell them, whichever you want. I mean all of them, so if I make a thousand, half is yours and so on.” She'd helped design it, which was important. Yes, building was his part, but he wouldn't have thought of most of it without her. He tried to explain that clearly.
“Just like how Major Godfrey has half the transports, or Petra half the magical clothes. But even if you didn't, say if Petra wants a house, or you want anything I make, all you have to do is ask. What's the point of having friends if you can't help them out every now and then?” It made sense to Tor, but both of them seemed both excited and gave him strange looks at the same time. Not disbelieving, just… slightly shocked.
It kind of made him wonder what friend meant where they came from.
It was that way, three ice manufactories set up, three lines forming and both girls giving him an odd look, that the Prince finally found him, pulling up in one of the royal carriages. It would have been safer and more comfortable to travel using his Not-flyer, and several times faster what with all the early preparations for King’s week going on, but then the two Royal Guards and the tall Princess wouldn't have been hidden from view as easily. Not that the Royal Guard cared about hiding themselves, just the fact that they had cargo with them.
What they called the royals when they traveled. Cargo. It was kind of telling as to how they thought of the nobles, wasn’t it?
“Tor, you are not out here working are you? I'll tell my daddy and mommy on you if you are.” In the bright light the red in Rolph's hair was almost back. Karina's too. It had been pure black a few weeks before, not even that long, but that didn't seem to have lasted. Maybe she should go bleach blond? That was holding out pretty well for Trice. Karina had gone to a red military bob and while a little young, looked like she could almost pass in the ranks now if she had too. Both wore black clothing, not military, but loose and soft looking with over long sleeves that had to be pushed up. It looked slightly uncomfortable, but if they were happy about it, why not?
Karina didn't look happy though.
Her face was still dark and down, her gaze barely lifted to his face and he doubted that anyone else was even visible to her except as a torso. Moving in he hugged her, expecting to hit shield and be shrugged off, but hitting soft fabric and lean girl, arms wrapping him tightly and not letting go. Well, a bit clingy and moody was better than standoffish and glaring.
A conversation started behind him about hypocrisy and how if he wasn't wearing a shield, why should Rolph have to. Stepping up behind him his big friend aimed a slap at the back of his head, triggering the shield and throwing Karina back. She didn't swear or call out, but it had to hurt. She glared at Rolph, while Petra explained happily and he turned the whole thing off again.
It turned out that the royal kids hadn't come to stay yet, just collect him, along with Wensa, who he gave an awkward hug to as well, Royal Guard or not. It got a smirk from the man she was with, but Wensa didn't respond to the humor of it. She wouldn't have batted an eye if he'd kissed her, Tor knew. Not because she wanted it, no, it was just part of the training. That didn't mean the guards wouldn't make fun of each other or crack jokes though. Strange ones often involving violence or death, but they had a collective sense of humor, even Wensa.
Somewhere, in that possibly soulless husk she claimed as a body.
She looked a bit younger now, her gray hair a solid brown, her wrinkles smoothed with makeup. Not too much, but enough to make a difference. If she got out of the uniform she'd look almost human. It was an interesting affect, since he'd mainly seen her pretending to be an accounting instructor in grand Royal Guard tradition. That was, she'd actually become an accounting instructor and was one of the best the Lairdgren school had before Rolph left and she followed her charge back to the Capital. They weren't just scary fanatics, trained from near birth for their job, they were all smart too. Even the stupid ones at the gate that kept him out all those times. Of course even being brilliant didn't mean they couldn't be a pain in the rear if their work of the moment required it of them.
That was pretty much their job as far as he could tell.
The plan, after loading up on magical devices was to go around “visiting”. It was a King’s week tradition, you took snacks, small gifts, normally wine or spirits, and put people on the spot by showing up on their doorstep without warning. It was so you could set up private parties and assure your own invitations, or beg a place to stay if you didn't have one yet. It sounded… fun was the wrong word. Tiresome came to mind, but Tor didn't say that.
Traditions must be upheld, or what was the point of having them? Instead he kissed Petra and Collette on the cheek, and went with Rolph and Karina to his room and collect up some junk to hand out. He gave them each a bunch of new amulets. Normally that cheered the Princess up, but this time she just grunted.
Princesses didn't grunt. Titter and twitter, chuckle and if highly derisive, snort. But grunt? Especially when given one of her favorite things. Stuff. It was dismal to watch. Well, it was a lot of things for them all to play with later. No weapons and nothing that would hurt anything, except the boats, carriages and protective housing. Those could be a problem if set up in the wrong place or at the wrong time. It was an excuse to get a shield on Karina that she couldn't leave off, just hoping someone would kill her.
Tor waited until the Prince had his back turned and kissed her. It was incredibly inappropriate, but Tor had a hunch it might be taken as funny or playful. It was on the lips and well enough done she started responding, depressed or not. It got a smile from her, if a weak one. They were nearly halfway down the hall, a box full of things floating behind them, a large one too, in case they met up with more people than they'd counted on, when Karina caught on to what he'd done.
“Hey!” She sounded outraged, but it was her funny, mock outrage, thankfully.
“You changed my clothes!”
From dismal black she now had on light mint green, and wore a skirt instead of flowing pants. The belt was gold and sparkly and her shoes weren't military boots, but delicate slippers that would have looked right at a palace function. It wasn't the change that was daring though, it was the fact that the green dress was very nearly transparent. Oh, it hid all the naughty bits well enough, thicker fabric there, but it looked good. Sexy. You could see her belly button, swell of breast and line of hip without straining even.
Rolph spun and looked at it.
“Oh, good, were off the black thing then? What should I change too then? I could match Tor's look, it's pretty unique or maybe-” Closing his eyes the Prince suddenly wore a nice tan cotton thing that looked stylish, with heavier lines of brocade down the front of the shirt, light blue in two stripes. It didn't have pants though, it just was gathered at the waist with a gold cord and hit mid thigh, on his feet were sandals that had dark leather straps and wooden bottoms. Karina finally broke into a grin and matched him but with brown stripes. It was a good enough look, if less sexy, so Tor followed suit, making his brocade stuff green. That seemed right, didn't it?
Important somehow.
The sandals on his feet felt funny to walk in and nearly made him stumble several times before he got the hang of it, but Karina took his hand as they walked out, so he wouldn't land on his face. At the bottom of the stairs she turned to him and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you. I know I'm being a pain. No one wants to be around a doom cloud all day. Thanks for being so nice. I didn't know that when Alphonse brought you home from school I'd be getting such a good friend too.” Her voice sounded soft and subdued, but Karina tried for a smile. It failed pretty badly, but it was an actual attempt.
In the back of the carriage, which annoyed Tor more than a bit, being a bit cramped, with five people. Karina cuddled up to him closely enough that Rolph made a face at him. Then he relented with a huge sigh.
“Screw it. If you can keep a smile on her face for the next two weeks I'll glue the two of you together. Just make sure he has fun sis, or dad will have our behinds. And don't rub it in with Varley or it will be cruel. She really likes Tor, and now that they can't get married…”
Wait, Rolph knew that Varley was mildly upset over her plans changing, but could barely see massive depression in Karina? What the heck was up with that? Karina nodded, murmured “of course” and laid her head on his shoulder, which couldn't have been comfortable given the angle.
Well… Tor could try to entertain her if it would help. She was nice enough and cute, if not as good looking as Varley. But looks were only one thing. Being a good person counted for a lot more. Varley was nice too, but that didn't mean she was a better person overall based on looks. It wasn't like such things were measured on a scale or something, each bit nudging you over others. Besides, she lied a lot, and manipulated. Being smart, she did it well too. That was hard for him to understand, it simply not being his way most of the time. He could lie, but mainly didn't bother. Who cared that much about what he thought anyway?
Something that Tor did notice was that he liked Karina a lot better now that she was pressing herself up against him. It was kind of shallow, but a real effect. Not just lust, he liked her more. Did that happen to everyone? Would he suddenly be friends with Maria if she was sitting there not Karina? All his life Tor had thought that friendship was a mental thing, not some physical mechanism, but what if it was both? Was love the same way? Did people love those they could touch and hold more than people they couldn't or weren't allowed too? It was an interesting idea.
When they got to the first place Tor felt like groaning and running away. If he’d been alone, he simply would have. It was Trice's parents place.
Wonderful.
Tor looked at Rolph and sighed, but his big friend just looked baffled. Was he claiming this wasn't pay back for Tor making him apologize to Maria? He'd seen Trice's mom after the Queen’s day attack, but the last time he'd seen both Eric and Mercy, Tor had kind of been being a petty jerk, demanding back gifts because his feelings had been hurt by Trice. It was just stuff he'd made too, not anything valuable. His argument had ended when the war with Austra began, but he hadn't made amends at all. His palms sweat and heart started racing before they reached the door. Karina still cradled his arm and the case of gifts floated along behind them, like it was supposed to.
The door man was new, probably hired just for the holiday. Her parents were wealthy enough, but didn't live in the Capital all the time. Their house here was great though. It was real. Nice, but not some fake palace in miniature like most of the royals had here. Really, if he'd been picking what to make his own home look like, it would have been this. Only in a light purple. His house, his rules, and purple was his favorite color. The palace thing he had was nice too though, if over done.
Even he could tell that it would look horrible in any color but cream and gold. Making it all purple would be hideous.
Tor hit the sigil on the truth amulet, just tapping his chest on the outside of his clothing, nowhere near the amulet around his neck. It was the intent that did it, not the action. He knew what he meant, and it was enough. Anyone could do it if they bothered to focus a little. They smiled when they saw the glow, but looked slightly troubled.
Ah. They had no reason to know what it meant. It could be a weapon, shield, or just an amusement. He bowed low and then went to all fours lowering until his head touched the floor. It was hard to get the words to come out, because of his great embarrassment, but the words were all true. He'd been a jerk and took his pain out on innocent people. Tor couldn't ask for their forgiveness, because he hadn't earned it yet, but it had to be out there that he was sorry for it. Then he listed off how he'd been petty about mere things, and was wrong to have demanded it back at all. It was a gift and that meant it wasn’t his to ask for.
Rolph explained the glow and what it meant, which got a murmur of appreciation from Eric. Taking him by the shoulders and hands they pulled him up and into a hug with back thumping from the Duke.
“Don't let that trouble you, it's forgotten already. Things were tense after all.” He reassured the much smaller man. Karina nodded at him, apparently getting the idea that letting current anger make you act like a beast didn't help in the long run. The whole thing was embarrassing, but at least Rolph shouldn't feel alone now. He'd taken his turn too. If with a lot less crying and hitting. Then he hadn't told the Duke that he loved him either…
Looking up he saw Trice standing near the back of the room, her face blank and body tense. If she expected him to beg for her forgiveness on the floor she was going to have a wait. A very long wait indeed. He'd forgiven her mainly, and hadn't always treated her as well as he should when he was upset, but that didn't mean he wasn't mad at all. Maybe he'd like her better if they were touching? Walking to her slowly Tor grinned and hugged her. She melted into his arms and didn't move for a while.
“Something for you. “visiting gift”.” Tor had it in the box for her just in case they met up. He held up the plain white disk with its single white light coming out of it making a blip the size and shape of a pea. It was on a heavy silver chain that had cost several golds. Chain was hard to make. The gold ones had cost even more.
“Thank you, it's lovely!” She said and had him help her put it on. An oversight on his part, she couldn't do that with one hand herself. Crap. He'd have to fix it on the next one.
“Does it do anything?” This came from Karina, who, if she was worked up about him touching her cousin really wasn't letting it show.
Tor looked at Trice and nodded.
“Glittery hook. Part one. Give it a try?”
She hit the amulet, and her left arm was back. It was lumpy and didn't fit smoothly, and was too white. At first. It morphed as she looked at it, the feedback from her mind shaping it to what should be there, without conscious effort on her part. The lumps of protruding bone under flesh shifting and seeming to melt, the arm being more delicate than he'd thought. A minute later you couldn't tell she didn't just have her own two arms. Without hesitation she touched it with her other hand.
“It's soft… and warm! Mom feel!” She held it out and then turned it palm up and wiggled the fingers.
“I can move it! I can't feel it, but it's an arm! It 's a real arm. You made me a real arm?” Tears started down her face, then Mercy's, Eric had a huge smile, being way too manly for tears in public.
“Wait!” Tor got everyone to stop with a single word. That was rare. Of course this was magic, and that was his thing. When he gave a warning there people actually listened. Sometimes.
“It should work and feel right, but there's no sense of touch yet. I can pass the sensations to the brain, but I haven't learned how to pick them up. Not just yet. So it's going to take visual feedback to make it work right for now. Kind of a hassle, really you should practice touching yourself before you touch anyone else with it, get used to what it takes to control it.” He nodded to her seriously, but everyone else laughed.
It was that funny that he couldn't make it feel yet? Or that lame. Well… He'd hoped to have it perfect for her by now, but this at least gave her something while she waited for him to figure out the rest of it. The joke went right past him until Trice ran over and kissed him hard.
“I'll do that, make sure to practice touching myself, before I do anyone else with it.” Her voice held her normal teasing quality.
Oh. Sex jokes. Well, it was still a good point. Keeping his face serious he looked at her skeptically.
“Um, what did you think I meant? You could tear something off with that thing you know…”
The smile came slowly even as he fought it. Then the laughter was louder.
They sat around and traded stories, got told off for trying to talk business by Rolph, who pointed out that Tor taking a break for two weeks was the first time in ten years that the entire Counsel of Counts and the entire royal family agreed on anything. Eric and Mercy relented then, their looks suddenly worried, as if Tor might be ill or something.
When they left Trice wanted to come, so she got a clothing amulet and changed to match, her colored stripes being deep gray for some reason. No one else was dressed like they were, so they looked a bit odd to Tor, but no one in the city seemed to think it a bad thing. In fact people waved when they saw them, sometimes whistling or calling out until they waved back.
Not everyone, but the nobles all did, even stopping their shopping and errands to show their children and talk to them. What they were saying he couldn't tell, but the kids did things like clap and jump up and down. He finally got it when one young, but extremely tall, royal lady with a little boy next to her point and told her son who they were dressed like.
“Look! It's the ancients! That little one there is the Green man, the one that invented magic, remember the story daddy told you?”
The boy clapped and ran at Tor, giving him a big hug around the legs.
“Magic!” The little boy might have been three, but that was hard to tell, he bounced and clapped so happily that Tor gave him a little glow amulet on a hemp string that let him change the color of the air around him. The kid seemed pleased and it got applause from Rolph. The mother just looked at him wide eyed for a moment and then bowed deeply.
“Thank you sir.” She said, her voice humble for some reason. The little boy bowed too.
“Tank you, Gween man.” He said changing the colors on his amulet as the mother went wide eyed. She bowed again several times then. It was a bit awkward, but she gave Tor a hug too.
Karina smiled prettily, happy for the moment and leaned into him, Trice did too on the other side and whispered into his left ear as they moved down the street a little.
“Did you just hand a little kid a piece of magic that would probably market for several hundred golds?”
She wrinkled her nose at him.
“That kid's going to be fifty and telling everyone about the time he met the real Green man on the street!”
That got a laugh from Rolph who moved up next to his cousin and touched her new arm gently. Trice stared down at it and smiled, not getting his point. The Prince shrugged.
“All I can say on the matter Trice is that Tor isn't the Green man. You know that, Count Lairdgren is. What he'll end up being I don't know, but he's all him.”
The Ducherina flexed her new hand and looked at it closely for a second.
“Yeah. I guess I can see that.”
The carriage was ridiculously cramped and the only thing that made it bearable was that Trice and Karina took turns sitting in his lap. Sure, they were both bigger than he was, so he couldn't see anything, but that just meant he kept getting hit in the face with their breasts, since both sat with an arm around him, leaning onto Rolph as they did each time. He wasn't as enthused about it, but they were his relatives. Tor could get that.
Wensa and the male guard who didn't give a name both sat watching out the slits of windows on the other side. They got a whole side to themselves in case something happened and they had to move quickly. That they were better at doing that than he was, Tor didn't doubt. Pretty much everyone was. He was better at hiding though, he bet. He could wedge into little places these giants wouldn't even think to look in. Perfectly equal.
Yep.
When they finally got to Debri house, over half an hour later. Sara's mom's place, which did indeed look like a miniature palace, and kind of funny for it, Tor felt the dread rise again and knew what was coming, so he just hopped out and went to. The last time he'd been there he hadn't just been a jerk, it was worse than that. Way worse. At this rate, he told them, he was going to end up spending his whole vacation on his knees apologizing to people.
He held up his hand and stuck out his tongue as the laughter started.
“I know, even I'm not so dense as to not get the joke there. Sigh. Even innocent comments get warped by you people don't they?”
Heather Debri didn't make him grovel long, at least not alone. He hadn't said more than “I owe an apology for my actions” before she joined him on the floor, head next to his.
“As do I.”
His list, threatening to kill them all and destroy part of the city, then destroy her family’s business, probably bankrupting them, kind of beat her having not paid him yet. Yes, the payment was late, six months or so, but he wasn't hurting for money. They weren't either, they even had the coin she informed him, but it was sitting aside in a secure vault somewhere else in the Capital.
“No big thing.” He had enough gold. Too much probably. If he had it that meant someone else wasn't using it. They needed to make more jobs. He started to ask about the idea, the woman looking suddenly interested. After all, investment in growth led to more income and that meant they could afford to hire more people. Plus it wasn’t her gold, but if they could be a part of the whole effort, Debri House could still turn a profit. Tor suggested the focus stone idea Johanson had.
“Nope!” Rolph clapped his hand over Tor's mouth the instant he started to mention it. The move didn't trigger the shield at all. It was interesting to touch people again after all that time without, giving him a new perspective on things. One of them was that, as huge as the Prince was, he could move both quickly and with near total control. Tor normally felt like someone had tied fish to his feet.
The other thing was that more than anyone, Rolph was worried about him working too hard. Tor didn't work that hard though. No one could really. There were only twenty-four hours in a day and you had to sleep part of the time. Every few weeks at least. It was self-limiting that way.
The cool blond that walked in looked lovely, her skin golden and the cream dress she had on covered only part of one shoulder and barley hit her thighs. Still, she looked a little warm. Reaching out Tor realized she didn't have an equalizer on. Neither did Heather. From their sweat it wasn't cool in the room, so was it a comment on him? Well, he could have been a better friend he knew. Hence the knocking his head against the floor.
Head dropping in shame he swallowed. They'd rather suffer this heat than wear an amulet he'd given them? He felt like he should grovel more but Sara started yelling. Loud. It was a happy sound though.
“Trice! Your arm… how? Oh my god, is it.. does it..” Sara was on Trice like a magnet meeting it's pair. She touched the arm, screamed happily and started kissing it as Trice wiggled the fingers.
“Don't worry, it's magic, not flesh, but it feels real doesn't it? I can't feel with it yet, but Tor says that's coming. He made it for me. I should have known when he said he was making a “shiny hook” it would be something like this, shouldn't I?” Tears came into her eyes again.
Heather Debri froze, staring at the arm for at least a full minute while the girls celebrated. Then, slowly, she walked over to Trice and put her hand out as if to touch it. Trice reached out and took her hand, making the forty odd year old woman gasp. At first Tor feared her hand was being crushed, but that wasn't it at all.
“Patricia… Do you realize how much it would cost to purchase something like this?” Her voice sounding awed.
Trice smiled and shrugged, “More than I have on me?”
“More than the value of Noram probably.” Heather shook her head and regarded Tor with wide eyes.
“I'm… not certain I'm just saying that either. You couldn't afford to purchase a work like this. I don't think anyone in the world could. I wouldn't have thought it was possible at all. Not even the King could get something like this for gold. Probably not even for a landed title.” The woman kissed it herself and closed her eyes.
That got Tor to shrug.
“Right, well, you know, that just means that if someone needs one, and I have time to make it for them, they get it for free. I should eventually have devices for all the limbs, so if someone needs one, you can just send them to me for it? Or, you know, I can send some over to you and you can just distribute them to your shops and retail outlets to be given away to people that need them? If that's not…” Tor didn't know what it wasn't, but suddenly everyone in the room was bowing towards him. He bowed quickly, baffled. Heather walked over and gave him a hug, which made Tor a little uneasy. She was a bit older, but kind of hot. Also his friends mother.
“We can do that, Master Tor. Simply let us know what you'd have us do.”
Then, of course, changing the topic without warning, Sara wanted to join their merry band of “visitors” and grabbed a rack of wine bottles for the purpose, but they couldn't fit everyone in the back of the golden wood and enameled cream of the royal carriage. Not without sitting on top of Royal Guards and Wensa rather politely informed them that wouldn't work. They needed the guards to be ready, not half smothered in young bodies as fun as that sounded. The other guy smiled and shook his head a little.
“Drawback of the job.” He intoned, his voice deep, matching his size. The guy wasn't the biggest man Tor had ever seen, but had to weigh over three hundred pounds, all muscle. Wrapped around a core of death.
Which right now was chuckling at them a little.
Duh. Sometimes he was a moron. Tor sorted his amulets and found the carriage, a tiny disk of focus stone, white like the rest, with a glowing horse on it. Holding it at arm’s length with his left hand a simple tap got the thing to appear.
It was purple on the lower half and deep blue on top, but otherwise it looked a lot like a regular carriage. A box on wheels, except as he touched the amulets sigil, which was held in the very nose of the vehicle, the whole thing stretched back, becoming longer, adding seats inside. Then he made the top transparent, leaving a solid shield in place, but making it look like a box open to the air. There were no wheels, because it didn't need them, it just floated about a foot from the ground.
Opening the door he waved everyone inside. Wensa didn't want to however, not trusting something new that she hadn't practiced in for years.
“We can't be trapped inside if something happens, we may react incorrectly or make an error that costs our charges lives.”
Tor nodded, he could understand that. New things were always a risk, even the ones he made. Touching the amulet again he made a second layer at the back, with an uncovered but comfortable seat. Raising them well above the street, the shape much more like the top seat some carriages would have for guards, something that Wensa had practiced with most of her life no doubt. Then he put in steps going up the side. It was all in purple now. That proved to be good enough for the woman, who wasn't just trying to be a pain it seemed.
Climbing in the driver’s seat, directly in the middle of the front, Tor placed his hand on the controls. It worked like a Not-flyer really, except the purple rounded hand piece he grabbed hovered in the air on its own. It felt like smooth glass in his palm, finger wrapping around it easily. It could go about as fast as a military Not-flyer, most likely at least. Possibly faster actually, he hadn't tried the new “magic carriage”, but it had some extra features he wasn't telling anyone about yet. For now he went slow, not much faster than the carriage from before. Rolph called out to the driver to take that back to the palace, which was a bit of wisdom Tor lacked.
The man would have sat there waiting for them if no other instructions came. He may try to get food and water, but drivers had been known to wait days without leaving in a situation like that. It was something Tor needed to internalize instantly he knew. Protect your people, even from themselves. Check.
Driving the new magic carriage was pretty simply, as long as he didn't go too fast or get lazy and stop looking for people walking out into the street. Half the time it was like they didn't even see the rather large craft until they nearly walked into it. It was this level of attention to the outside world and the much better visibility he had compared to a real carriage that allowed him to see the girl walking towards the new craft before she noticed them. She didn't look very happy, a little miserable really, if Tor could judge such things from a distance, but she'd still hurt his friend, so she must pay.
What could he do though? Beating her up would be wrong, and just make him the bad guy, provided he won the fight, which he wasn't certain of by any means. There wasn't much time to think though… What would have bugged him after he'd broken up with Trice?
“Um, Sara? Quick… Start making out with Karina, um, drop your top or something… be as naughty as you legally can. Both of you look like your having fun, quick!” His voice was hurried and sounded stressed even to himself. It probably came across as a squeak in the back.
Whatever it sounded like, Sara didn't pause but half a second, took her top down and started kissing the Princess. Good kissing to, with enough passion to sell it as real most likely. Tor couldn't turn around to watch, but he saw the look on Lilli’s face, and as they passed so did Karina. Tor heard a sudden gasp of air.
“Tor… that was brilliant! Use me and throw me away will you. Bitch… Not a week out and I'm riding in a magic vehicle no one has ever even heard of before, making out with a girl better looking than she is and have a smile on my face. See, I do have friends. Real ones. She couldn't even get a date before she met me hardly and only got her eye fixed because I know Tor.”
That grumbling rant led to a longer one which made Tor wince. Their little group of girls was called “The Rabble” and seemed based on the personality of Lilli and her penchant for getting other people to do stupid and shallow things. Stealing from shops, having sex on dares and the emotional abuse of the other girls, even if they were a Princess. She offered love and warmth, as well as excitement, but it came at a cost. Obedience to an unstable bitch. For that love Karina had been collecting devices from Tor, which wasn't hard to do, and getting money from her parents, which was, honestly, more difficult to manage, since they asked questions when it came to golds, even a few coins. Karina had also performed more and more advanced sexual acts on the girl. They all had. They were really all Lilli’s girlfriends, though a couple played with each other too sometimes, Karina informed them.
“Everyone stopped talking to me now though. Even Yardley and we were friends I thought. Special friends I mean. At least as close as Lilli and I were. So I don't know what's going on. She didn't look happy did she?” The tone to her voice wasn't gleeful or anything like that, just considering. Even when mad she was a decent person, Tor decided. Her little group had kind of been a bad influence. Especially Lilli, having all those girlfriends…
“Wait…” Tor looked back and swerved a little then locked his eyes on the road and tried to speak without sounding too panicked at having almost crashed.
“You can have more than one girlfriend?”
Sara giggled, her voice low and sultry.
“Sure, girlfriends, boyfriends, lovers. It's generally considered a bad idea to have more than six of each. Really it gets too hard to manage past about three in my experience. It can be done though. But if you’re going to really go into it, you need to start keeping a schedule and have your calendar in order. Proper planning is key.” She paused, her voice sounding like a smile touched her face.
“You have a bunch of girlfriends though, don't you? I don't know about lovers…”
He did? News to him. Who? Petra? Yeah, she'd count. Ursala? Maybe.
Rolph tapped his shoulder and asked who he was sleeping with rather bluntly. Tor shook his head no. Not that his friend couldn't know, but wouldn't it be indiscreet to go blabbing it all around? Apparently it was a moot point because Trice filled them all in pretty accurately.
“Petra Ward, Collette Coltress and her sister Bonita who's really sweet, Countess Thorgood. I think that's it so far…”
Sara cleared her throat.
“Well…”
Everyone giggled and played for a while as Tor drove over to Tovey's house, Wensa, bless her, calling out the needed turns well in advance. Otherwise they would have gotten lost a dozen times. Then she said something really loud.
Tor missed the meaning the first time Wensa yelled it.
“Go to ground!” He stopped and everyone piled out fast, not knowing what was going on Tor waited for the vehicle to clear and turned it off.
People were staring off into the distance and a sound, like thunder came from some funny looking dots in the sky. Triangles. Five of them. They tore across the sky as fast as his eyes could follow. Kolb had said they were quick, but Tor had thought his flying rigs were at least close, half as good maybe, but no worse than that.
He was wrong.
So much so Tor couldn't believe it at first. These things ripped across the heavens sounding like they were tearing it in two, behind them they left white lines of smoke or something. Strips of cloud?
Before he could do more than stare like a moron the King’s palace exploded. Streamers of smoke hit it and it turned to light and fire, with smoke in a dozen shades of gray. Did they have the shield up? Please let them have the shield up.
He chanted it almost like a talisman. What could he do? How could he fight those things? Men flew, pointing force lances and probably explosive weapons but nothing happened. The Austran craft were too fast and too far away to hit. Even the best marksman couldn't hit them from here. They needed a really big weapon. There was one that would work… but that one was in the palace, if the building was still there at all, around the neck of Squire Gerald, who, if he was inside the shield couldn't use it to fight, even if he did anything other than hide or run away.
They could run…
“Wensa, Not-flyers! Get them to safety… try Wildlands Station. I'll… I'll… try to stop them here…”
He needed a place where the view wouldn't be obstructed and searched the skyline for anything that might work. Using his flying rig to loft to the top of the clock tower, easily fifty feet up, Tor found a ledge and sat on it cross legged, closing his eyes. He knew the field, but didn't have time to build a device.
It had to be direct effect.
It was insane to think of doing it, but there was no time to debate the idea. The field had to be huge, and strong, and it had to work now. It could rip him apart, but that was what it was, right? Everybody died sometime. He’d just have to make sure he finished it first. Otherwise he’d be dying for nothing.
He closed his eyes, knowing what he was going to do and then focused. Going deep, into the bottom of himself, for a while the whole world was nothing. Then he just knew it was done. However long it had taken. That he was still alive was interesting.
Not that he’d complain.
When he opened his eyes the world was nearly silent, bits of smoke from four places in the sky trailed down to the ground and the last one flew away at what seemed like full speed, after half a minute, cheering started. He sat with his left hand held palm down in front of him, pointed at the sky, taking in the noise for a while.
When he got back to the ground everyone was still standing there, even Wensa. The magic case that looked like a trunk, but wasn't there, had followed him the whole time. It really was convenient, he thought as he checked what people had and then passed out the new shields and flying rigs to Wensa's companion, who didn't have one, but could use it. Wensa already had the newest stuff. He hadn’t given it to her, but she pulled it out to show him. She’d probably taken it from his room.
We’ll whatever. Tor decided not to worry over it and just nodded.
He didn't have to yell “to the palace” or anything stupid like that, everyone else already leaving for it. Every person in the city that could fly was already up in the air and moving towards it as fast as they could go and hundreds zipped in using Not-flyers, more running on foot. He flew hard, a snail’s pace that didn't make them equal in the air at all to Austra. The palace was on fire.
At least the smoke made it looked like that. The buildings around it were gone, all those poor people too. Fires burned all over the place a complete and even circle around the shield. Which was still up. Right… they didn't know the Austran craft were gone. He didn't really know that either, they could have more, couldn't they? They'd have to signal the palace staff somehow when it was safe. For now it was better they didn't try to come out, because the fire could catch if it wasn't damped first. They could lose the city at this rate.
Flying towards his house Tor thought about what he had at the moment. Water pumps that could reach up to ten miles and a nicely flowing river. It was a start. Air chokes too. He ran to his room and grabbed the stone plates and amulets. Reeling a bit at the door, suddenly dizzy. Awkward to hold in the hand, the pumping devices, since they weren't meant for that, but they'd serve. It was all he had.
He ran carrying all of them in a floating trunk outside. People called to him but he didn't understand them. Tor felt exhausted, more than he could handle, but the fire had to be fought, no lying down and napping now.
Slowly, fighting for each move, he laid the devices on the river bank and started passing the other end to anyone with flying gear. If he knew them, it didn't register. Not until Nita came up to get one too.
“Hey. I… we've a stop, fire in… go.. right.” He thought the words were correct. They sounded like the ones he wanted. In a strange way at least. She pushed him down, tumbling with him. Why would she do that? Was she mad at him? Or… did he fall? How odd.
Well, he probably should have found her earlier. They were friends and she was a shy girl in a new place. It had really been rude of him not to consider her feelings first. Someone else was calling orders and people did what they said. Petra. That was right, she'd fought fires with this kind of gear before, with Karen and him in Ross, so she could tell them what to do. Good. He needed to sleep anyway.
But he couldn't. Fire. He tried to stand up, but since the sitting part didn't work, that seemed pretty ambitious at the moment. Even out of it he could tell he was mainly just kind of flopping around a bit. Nita was saying something. It didn't sound right though, warped and wobbly somehow.
“You're hurt. Stay still. Sleep or… I don't know. Stay with me. I won't leave you. I'll stay until you don't need me.” The tone, the cadence, it was all really off. She could stay. That would be good. Tor had to fight that fire or people would be hurt though. He must have said that out loud, because she shushed him and started telling him what was going on, talking softly like she did. Barely audible. He liked her. She was nice, and fun.
That's where he'd had fun. He remembered now. Spending time with her, doing stuff in Warden. See Rolph, Tor thought, he could have a good time, and did. Hmph.
A giant came and carried him in. It would look ridiculous and he could walk, couldn't he? Count Ward took him up gently. Tor didn't like him much he decided. All the girls liked him though, and wanted to have his babies. They didn't like Tor. He was jealous of the man. Yeah, that was it. He got all the pretty girls and took them from Tor. Varley and Ursala… and Maria.
The man shook his head.
“No Tor… you took them from me. Except Maria. She's mine still. Because you gave her back to me when no one else could. Now rest friend. The fire will be defeated and all will be well.”
Later someone fed him and made him drink water. It wasn't until the morning light hit his eyes that he really woke up. He felt weak, but everything seemed to be working fine otherwise. He started to pull himself out of bed when he noticed that Nita was sleeping next to him. Right, she'd told him she wouldn't leave. She looked… wonderful. Her face wasn't pretty and her body was nice but not the best in the world, and none of that mattered compared to who she was. It colored the way he saw her, that was clear, but she was his friend. That's what really counted.
He however, reeked. Horribly.
It wasn't the scent of fire or even sweat, but something worse, like something was dying. He felt fine, mainly, if tired still, so tried to wash it off in the shower. It worked, kind of, buried under the lavender soap, but he could still smell it. No mice would have died in the walls or anything, they didn't have spaces for rodents inside, being solid potential, not even energy. After a while he realized it was either him, or all around him like a cloud. It didn't get stronger, so he ran a tub and tried to soak it off. That's where Nita found him.
“Good morning! Everyone thought you might sleep for days, like when you're working, but here you are already. Would you like food brought up or anything?” She sounded happy enough to see him up and about. He'd just been more tired than he thought. That had to be it.
“Food is probably a good idea. Can you smell that though? Here.” He held his arm out for her, suddenly embarrassed, but she just took the arm and sniffed.
“Lavender? Water? Yummy Tor? What am I missing?” She wasn't just being polite, she really didn't smell it at all. The scent of death covered him, but… only in his mind?
Oh.
Wonderful.
In a way, it was, kind of, because he didn't want to smell like that, but it wasn't a great thing for him to have to put up with either.
He'd killed those Austran craft drivers tough. He may have had to, but he'd done it.
Himself alone.
Right. That would explain it. When you took a life, it tainted you, made you closer to death yourself. Everyone knew that. So he was smelling what he'd done? Or more like it, he was making himself imagine that stench?
Fair enough.
If you kill it shouldn't be easy, should it? This was part of the price he had to pay, and eventually there would be more of one.
There always was. Actions had consequences, and killing someone was a big action. No matter who they were or why you did it.
He could have gone to breakfast, or had some of whatever meal was closest, but Nita wanted him to stay there and rest. So after remaking the bed, letting the sheets clean, he climbed in and lay there, looking at a ceiling he knew for a fact wasn't there. Food was brought on a nice wooden and metal tray, and was bland, either made that way or because he couldn't taste anything except rot. After that, Tor wanted to take a nap, but couldn't. He had work to do, vacation or not.
“The fire-” the words were worried not grumpy or rough at least.
“Is out. Some people were injured fighting it and in the bombing, but no one was killed from the attack itself. The area around the palace was already cleared, I guess because this could happen? So everything is fine and you're still on vacation. How fun! We should do something together, if you get the time. I know you're a busy man and all and may have other plans, so it's not problem for me if you can't. We're still having King’s week I hear, to show the Austrans that we aren't afraid. Even if everyone is secretly terrified. I want to help with it, but I don't know what to do.” She chattered merrily, not waiting for him to speak or really giving him a chance to at all. It was nice though, and reminded him a bit of being home in Two Bends. When thirteen people spoke all at once no one got heard, so you had to learn to wait.
Tor grinned.
“There's lot's to do for it, you can help me organize my stuff? And um, would you sleep in here, with me? It may be a little awkward when we have other people in for sex, but I'll deal if you will.”
It was a throwaway line, Tor was trying to act all royal and sophisticated, but he ruined it with a smile, Nita didn't though, she lowered her head and gave a smile that definitely didn't ruin anything at all.
“I've never done that. Sex with more than one person. Maria has. She said it was fun, but complicated, and it really helps if you liked everyone involved. She does, like everyone, I mean, so not a huge issue for her. But I'd love to stay! Does that mean you're my boyfriend? It would be grand to tell father I finally caught a man I didn't have to pay and who wasn't being bribed to be nice to me by someone else.” Her hand went to her mouth and eyes widened. She suddenly looked worried, though it was hard to tell why.
“Oh! I didn't mean… I'm not trying to pressure you or anything. I was just talking…” Her voice trailed off soft and embarrassed, but Tor nodded his head against the deliciously soft pillow.
So it was just Nita being shy again, that and not thinking she was good enough. Silly of her. Tor decided sleepily to correct that if he could.
“Oh, yes. Of course you're my girlfriend. Apparently I have several, however that works. Though it would be nice if people would let me in on things like that earlier. Like this. Thanks.” He was drifting off as they spoke, so he put his arms out for a hug and pulled her into bed with him, it was meant to be playful, but he really did fall asleep. Exhaustion just took him hard and didn't let go, wouldn't listen to his arguments and made him sleep for a while then. She was gone when he got back up, but then he didn't expect her to actually lay in his arms awake while he slept or anything like that. It would be uncomfortable and waste her time.
Tor got up and stretched, not really feeling stiff or anything, but knowing that collapsing due to… whatever it had been, wasn't normal for him. Dehydration? That had happened recently, and he really wasn't really drinking enough water. He'd been out all day and all he'd had was a bit of fruit juice that morning. Kind of a brilliant plan actually, not having any liquid like that. Thinking it a good point he went to the bath room and drank cool water from the tap. If anyone had managed to poison this, then he deserved to die. It was clean and crisp when it came out, filtered, and probably about as pure as it could get.
Normally he'd, well, he'd probably run off to the palace and then try to fix everything he could with magic, instead of letting people do some actual work and use their own ideas. Right now he should rest, but… well, other than sleep, which was simply done for now, what else could he do?
How about check on Petra and Collette, then on all his other friends? Petra had been leading the fire fighting, at least the flying pump portion of the events. Was she all right? He'd been sleeping and hadn't even thought to check! How selfish was that? Stupid sleep, always getting in his way every day like that.
It didn't take him long to find her at all, about ten seconds, because the dark and pretty girl was standing in the hallway, not ten feet from his door, nodding seriously at someone. A much smaller, incredible good looking looking dark haired man was saying something to her. It took a second for Tor to get who it was, as he was dressed in a plain brown and green canvas outfit and black boots, instead of the servants uniform or nice black or green jacket he'd seen him in most of the time before. His grandfather, Burks Lairdgren. A sitting Count of all things.
“Petra! Are you all right, is everyone well?” His voice sounded scared and a little girlish, but they were all friends. They wouldn't mock him for it. Not too much at least.
“Tor love! You're up. Good. Bonita said you'd eaten and talked to her earlier, but she's not too sure if you're in your right mind yet. Everyone is fine, a few burns, a couple even major ones, but the healing devices did the trick, and everyone is fixed already. Most of the wall around the King’s palace is gone, but we have crews rebuilding right now. The shield seems fine. It held perfectly of course. Do you need anything?” Her voice was kind and warm, Burks smiled.
The older man, who looked maybe thirty, if that, and was actually over three thousand, or so Tor had been told by the King, and no one had denied that it was simple truth, walked to him directly. The hand that came out wasn't there to shake, it touched his head in an annoying and invasive fashion, resting over his eyes, fingers wrapping the top of his head. Eyes closed, Burks looked at Petra and nodded. Or he would have been looking, it was a weird way to do things, but what could they say? When a person got to be an elder, over eighty in most places, they were to be revered, even if they were doing bothersome or annoying things.
Burks Lairdgren, his grandfather, had lapped eighty so many times it probably seemed like a joke to him if he bothered to think about it at all.
“His field pattern is badly degraded. Too much building with too little rest for far too long, I'd guess, then he ripped his field nearly into pieces using direct effect to create a blast that should have taken days to build for even the best, months more likely. He needs to rest and recover. I'm not really sure why he isn't dead to tell the truth.” The old man looked at him and nodded.
“Not trying to talk past you Tor, but Miss Ward here needs to know what to do with you. Right now that pretty much means anything but building or magic of any other sort. You know what it means to degrade your field! You should have been checking for it. Did you really think you could shape the world using your own information and never pay the price? The way you've been doing it?”
The man continued on for a long while, as Tor and Petra stood there. The meaning was clear, if Tor had to do something like that again soon, build a super-weapon out of thin air, it would kill him.
“Which would be annoying, and make your mother cry, so, how about you skip that one? Rest for a while and don't do anything too big.”
Looking at him Tor tilted his head.
“Um, how long?” He asked, wondering if he'd be able to get back to work in the next few weeks, when vacation was over.
“About twenty or thirty years.” The Ancient said firmly.