075 – Next Steps – More Tests

Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 115

I’ve sat through some pointless meetings before. This was not so much pointless for me as it seemed to be a contest of egos. At least we know clearly who one of our adversaries on this planet is. The rest seem to be high-minded and of sufficiently elevated ego that Caspian’s opinion of them is not entirely unfounded. I expected a bit more snootiness, for my part.

Humor them, play their game, and get on with life

The next morning after Roxanne left, Verigan, the elf that had been acting as the go-between for the elves and Caspian, and the evaluator for Steven, arrived with an amulet on a necklace and a bit of paper with some writing on it. He was as formal and polite as ever.

Steven let Verigan in, closed the door and turned to follow him into the suite. Caspian was already here. Cyrril was absent as usual. Also as usual Verigan started at the reason for his coming.

“Steven, it has been decided that you need to retrieve a sword. This particular sword historically was wielded by a line of kings. Our research about its’ reputed characteristics lead us to conclude that it will be a useful tool in your potential dealings in the kingdom of Krogg.”

Caspian was a moment ahead of Steven to the punch. “What’s special about it, and how will Steven recognize it, and obtain it?”

Verigan looked at his notes, and read from them. “The wielder of the sword apparently ‘could not be touched by magic. It is described as being a straight two-edge sword, simple crossbar, wire wrapped grip.’ As for obtaining it, the kingdom it is in was conquered and destroyed over four hundred years ago.”

Steven had started getting dressed once Verigan had started his briefing. Much as Caspian was of general disposition to verbally spar with the elves, Verigan in particular had ceased to rise to Caspian’s barbs. Now Caspian was apparently trying to puzzle something out.

Steven settled his coat and backpack. “How many days am I expected to be?”

Verigan turned and looked down to Steven. “It is expected you will not be more than two days. You are being sent to a ruined city to hunt through. Our last reports of the area said that things were still of good general condition, but uninhabited. The Kingdom that destroyed the city looted it thoroughly, but left it standing as a monument. It is off any current trade routes, so there are few people who travel there.”

Caspian interrupted. “You are talking about Umieswe, aren’t you?”

Verigan looked to Caspian. “No. Umieswe is to the south east of the continent, and next to the eastern inland trade routes. That was sacked two hundred and forty three years ago, during the Trades-Mans War’s. Steven is being sent to Nydecia’s capitol, east of the center of the continent, destroyed during the Charman Empire consolidation.”

Caspian had to think, this was not a name he readily recognized.

Verigan turned back to Steven. “Our research suggests that the area has some residual magic about it, but it should not be anything belligerent. Also that the sword was not among the treasures looted from the city. The published histories report that the city fell with the death-by-old age of the last king and that the remaining royal family was slaughtered and buried on site rather than taken prisoner. It is expected that this sword is still in the city, and most likely in royal possession. Therefore find The King. Take his sword as your own.”

Steven considered this. “Will I need a shovel?”

Verigan put his paper aside and held out the necklace. It was a silver link chain with a medallion the size of a large coin on it, a stone set in the center of the medallion. “We don’t know. You are being sent alone to scout as a test of your abilities. When you are ready to return, squeeze the medallion, it will activate a teleport and bring you back to where you are teleported from. On your report we can further assist you. Such as to send you with a team of diggers.”

Steven nodded, took the necklace, put it on, and tucked it under his collar. “If I can’t return of my own accord, how long until someone comes looking?”

Caspian answered before Verigan could “They give you two days, I will come on the forth.”

Verigan considered this, and then nodded at Caspian.

Steven patted himself down: belt with a few things and the sword; pack with water bag, and food for a few days; blanked tied to the pack. Coat, hat, gloves, necklace, a few sundries in his pockets. Did he want the camera? No.

Steven looked at the crossbow. He had put it aside, figuring this was a quick effort, and decided he was right to leave it behind.

“I suppose I am ready, Verigan. Where do I leave from?”

Verigan had watched, approving. Now he picked up his paper and motioned to the door. “The café across the street will do. So long as we go quickly.”

Steven got the door, and Verigan stepped out, followed by Caspian. Steven closed the door and followed. Verigan apparently chose a point at random, drew a stick of chalk from his pocket, and put a quick mark on a paving stone in the café’s courtyard.

He turned and looked at Steven. “Hold still please.”

Caspian watched as Verigan set up the teleport spell, locking its locus to the chalk on the cobble. Then with a swirl of energy and a brief puff of displaced air Steven was wrapped up and gone.

Caspian finally had a compliment to Verigan as he started to walk away. “That was very efficient. How will we know when he is returning?”

Verigan stopped and turned. “The barriers around the city warn when someone is passing through them. The spells are discriminating enough to forewarn the correct parties. I expect that you are not among that group.”

Verigan picked up a pebble from a planter. Caspian sensed him put a spell on it that connected to the mark on the paving. He then handed the pebble to Caspian.

“That pebble will vibrate when the mark is activated as the return teleport locus. Good day, Mage Caspian.”

Caspian found himself replying by polite habit. “And good day to you, Verigan.”

Caspian picked a second pebble from the planter, and put them in a pocket as Cyrril swooped in to land on Caspian’s shoulder. The little dragon looked from his master to the departing elf, curious that the usually base level antipathy was not in his master’s mood. Rather his base level mood was mostly puzzlement.

Shortly before Verigan arrived, Rox was met by a two-wheel horse drawn cab and taken to a small shop on the lower flats of the city. Here she was met by a young male who showed her into a work room, and then disappeared. An older male elf was bent over some apparatus. Rox opened her magic senses and identified that there were assorted objects that carried static levels of magic. It reminded her of The Sorceress’s work room.

The older somewhat wrinkly elf was doing some delicate thing, but Rox could not see what through his back, so she stood and waited for him to finish. The elf straightened and arched his back to relieve some strain, and then put a white cloth over his current workspace, and turned on his stool to face Roxanne. He looked her up and down.

Rox had worn one of the skirts she used for travel, with a tunic and vest. She had the staff with her and the chains in a pack over her shoulder.

“So you are Rodira’s descendant.” He spoke in the local language.

“Yes sir.” Rox answered him in English. If this was going to be a powers test, it could go in both directions.

Whether he understood her or not, he continued. “Rasgan was supposed to send you with a note of introduction.”

Roxanne held up the paper she had hitherto wrapped around her staff. “Right here, Master Iver. I will also need it for my introduction to Master Eklund.”

Master Iver took the note and glanced over it, then held it out to return it.

Rox noticed a change on it and stopped herself from taking it. Before she gave it over it was totally mundane, now it glowed to her magic senses. She switched to the first language she knew from this planet.

“What did you just do to it?”

The older elf almost cracked a smile. “Very good, you are magically aware, and have potential to use more than one language.” He waved a hand across the sheet and its energy evaporated.

Roxanne now reached out to it, sensing that it was now unchanged from when she had last possessed it.

Master Iver changed to the same language Rox last used. “You will need to know the local language when you deal with Master Eklund. Unless you know the local traders dialects.”

He stood up before she could take the conversation further in that direction. Standing, Master Iver was nearly half again as tall as Rox, but just as skinny, where many of the elves were proportionally heavier.

“As you should be aware, I have been instructed to determine your fundamental levels of ability and your current level of instruction. The former can be done with a spell, the latter with some time in both classroom and on a training pitch. Please follow me.”

He turned and walked with the gate of someone on their early old age, beginning to loose equilibrium but as yet too proud to use a cane. Rox followed to a work area, and quickly recognized a personal work area.

He stopped at a work table with several things in array. In the clear area before this table sat a stool and an array of items on the floor, in a chalked design of an octogram with inscribed pentacle.

Master Iver pointed at a cleared table. “Deposit all your magic imbued items there. And to your perhaps embarrassment, I mean everything.”

Rox was pleased that she had not worn the local clothes today, and so was spared the embarrassment from when The Sorceress had done the same thing to her. She left the staff and bag of chains on the table. She had not cast spells on anything else, and by her own senses could not sense any other magic on her that she knew how to remove.

“I believe I am as you require, Master Iver. Would you please check to be sure?”

The old elf looked at Roxanne first with some potential annoyance, then with his magic senses. “You are correct, child of Rodira. Step onto the stool.”

Rox looked at the pattern on the floor, and went clockwise around it to ‘north’ and then stepped right into the middle and onto the stool that had been set in the middle. Master Iver looked briefly pleased, than set about finishing his spell setup. His method was not as constrained as Rox remembered The Sorceress using. She figured it was telling in the difference in the skill level of the two casters.

Shortly he had the spell up and running. This time Rox was able to follow it, and sense the pieces of the spell being put together and into motion. When done, Rox felt she was outside herself looking in and could sense a not-quite sphere of energy that swirled around her that had its poles at points above her head and below her feet, and that there were swirls or nexus points of energy within her own body at the chakra points, with streams of energy moving through them. There were secondary points in her limbs that had lesser swirls running out to them and back to the corresponding central points. Last all the cells of her body gave off energy that were effected by and contributed affect to the swirl and overall passage of energy around her.

Rox looked at Master Iver, and for a moment, could see a similar pattern of energy in him and around him.

Then he collapsed the spell, ending it, and swiftly Rox felt her senses return to within her and to normal.