"That wasn't funny, Nyx! Your joke cost me a really nice shirt."
"Okay, okay... sorry. I thought it would be funnier, but I'm sorry I ruined your shirt."
Jerry's kitchen was busy again as ever. Now, he had the chore of preparing a rabbit stew, freshly caught thist morning by the two. Since Nyx thought it was funny to playfully spit fire at him the day before, the next morning Jerry hauled the golem along on a short hunt. Hunting outside the city looked for that moment a stupid idee, but nontheless they had it done. It took a while for Jerry to find any animal tracks, eventually coming across a rather plump rabbit. Even so, Nyx had his own thing going on. Just like back in Elth, a few birds were following him around, which wasn't a big deal until he started talking to them, asking if they'd seen more game around that they could hunt. Of all the birds, a titmouse, as Jerry described it, had dove them deeper in the forest, directing the duo and finally killing a deer. Sadly for the large animal, they brought it back to town and handed it over to the guards. The golem's abrasiveness was still raw following the episode they had put him through the other day, but the wizard's goodwill had mediated the situation, even if only for a short time. Although venison would have been better to cook with, he offered the animal's carcass as a gesture of goodwill. For what? The golem did not understand.
"Is that a talent of yours? Talking to animals?" With a final tug, Jerry tore the fur from the rabbit's flesh and threw the skin to Nyx. "There's a bag in the pantry. Put it in there. I'll give it to Poulle later. He knows how to make hats with it."
Nyx followed the request. "Only with birds, I think. I mean, I had a bear that followed me around, he loved licking my face. He was smart, as much as they come. I talked and he may understood my words but up until now I have got no words back, so I guess it's a one-way thing."
Jerry gave a nod, understanding the concept of comands as Nyx made it look, yet the wizard turned back to a crate. "Have you ever cleaned a celery root?" He handed the golem a round, plump root, full of little branches and dirt.
"It was one of my first chores, peeling vegetables, that is. They didn't really trust me with anything else since I began stealing meat, that and scrapping around." The brief history turned a small grin on the right corner of his mouth. Some memories were funny among the vast storehouse of his mind of his lifetime. "But... it looks fresh. Where did you get it?"
The details didn't escape the golem, just opening another string of discussions while preparing the product. "I grow them here, behind the house." Jerry grabbed two carrots, breaking off the leaves and tossing them to Nyx to be cleaned next. "I use fertilizer, plus a little magic for rapid growth."
His hand stopped cutting, staring blankly for a second before asking. "Jerry... what exactly do you use as fertilizer?" Their eyes met, Nyx searching his soul with just a heavy aura waving from his eyes and see if he was honest about what he was going to say.
Jerry caught the hint, perhaps due to his confusion the golem implied. "Oh, my God... I use a standard liquid fertilizer with phosphorus and potassium, get off with it man. I DID NOT SHIT ON THE FOOD!"
Nyx didn't really understand what those were, but as long as Jerry wasn't shitting the vegetables he was peeling, he was fine. "I suppose a little magic is in order to grow so fast. And from seeds, right?"
"Oh, they're in my bag. I've got enough to go around for everyone."
"Jerry, I want to know. How come you're the only one cooking around here?"
Jerry had just placed the chopped rabbit in a bowl of water, sprinkled a handful of salt over it, and left the meat to drain of any remaining blood. "Well, someone has to... I mean everyone packs food when we go out adventuring. Tho before we gallop off on our way, we split up the chores. Tho only Callahan and I have cooked so far, and now it's my turn. Well, Poulle repairs clothes, Cecil is the main doctor, most of us can use magic to heal but he is just THE guy, you know? Callahan brings some things for research when we travel. Although I don't think he has anything with him right now. Korp is a chemist, he works with Vlad and Jeon. And the rest take turns between themselves and us. But everyone does something."
He listened, turning his attention back and forth between the vegetable patch and Jerry. "I see..."
Minutes pass until something else comes to Nyx's mind. While they are working and cleaning up, the golem comes up with a question for the wizard. "Hey, Jerry."
"Yeah, what's up?" The wizard was busy drying and seasoning the meat and tying it with string, wishing to hang it inside a smokehouse to dry . "Hey, can you help me out for a second? I promise this is the last thing to do."
"Yeah, no problem." Nyx felt left out for a moment until Jerry picked up the conversation again.
"What were you gonna ask again?" he questioned as he grabbed the bowl of raw meat and headed for the door, nodding to Nyx to go first.
The golem opened the door, the afternoon sun hitting him squarely in the eyes, but his artificial nerves felt no pain. Unlike Jerry, who had to squint. "I wanted to ask who your god is?"
Jerry had caught the question with a puff, but neither of them had stopped, continuing to walk and turning onto the main street of the cul-de-sac. "My parents believed very much in Velgvil. He stands for the forest and vigor. Is this about—you know, about you?" Jerry still looked at the golem as they walked side by side and entered the yard of another house.
Oh, what am I getting myself into. The complexity of the scene Nyx had in his head was too overwhelming to process. While he and Cecil were checking the library, he looked for some books on this topic but didn't find any—maybe because he searched the wrong places—or maybe the library just didn't have anything, which kinda contradicted itself. Perhaps keeping the whole damnation to hell after death a secret was selfish. Tho how would the wizards respond to such a thing, other than to make it completely ridiculous, absurd, and worthy of being smacked over the head with a stick? Or just run home with their lives?
"So... Mr. Hero," he whispered the last part. "Whose god are you?"
Nyx pushed the ajar gate open as both stepped inside a newly back yard. "I'd say Tamira." At the far end was a small blackwood smokehouse. It was indeed that, the walls covered in a mixture of soot and grease, clear as night. With a few meathooks already at their disposal, tho Jerry had them scrubbed.
"Not a bad choice... Very popular in west..." Jerry added with some interest, more visually focused on the smokehouse but not meaning that he wasn't taking a thought about Nyx' words. "Pretty cool a god answered you and that."
"Well... it wasn't like that, but either this or hell, you know."
Now Jerry was giving his full attention to the golem after finishing hanging the rabbit. "Well, I'd say you made a good choice.." he smiled at the golem. "But... a god to save you from hell... kinda out of place but whatever."
Nyx handed back the wooden bowl, now it was his turn to speak. "Why? Isn't their whole deal around helping out?" Nix had at least some general idea of what gods should be, of what Tamira spoke about and overall her vibe, though maybe Jerry might have something to chip in. But Jerry just dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand.
"About a quarter of that is true..." Then he remembered who he was talking to. "I guess you've never been to any church, have you?" To which the golem shook his head. "Well... generally, the duty of the gods, or what they want to do, is to destroy demons and devils, help nature and lastly.. humanity."
Nyx was already sitting comfortably on the stoop of the house, listening at first but now wanting to ask a question. "Are they two different things? Demons and devils?"
Jerry raised both hands at Nyx. "Same coin, different sides." His right hand rises. "Devils are natural monsters, both are, but they are born in hell. Feeding on human souls... blah blah blah. You get the shtick."
On the other hand, he explains demons. "Demons are born somewhere, in their own plane, different from hell and our earth. It is said that every demon is born with the death of a person. How badly you lived, how many regrets you have... and so on. That kind of thing. Both are soulless, and sometimes some are worse than others. In a widespread desperation to wipe each other out and just eat humanity up."
The golem's hands clasped his knees as he listened. "Does that mean there are as many demons as there were humans? Like, ever?"
Jerry nodded. "Theoretically, yes. In short, all three sides hate each other." And the wizard just leaned down and sat on the stoop next to the golem. "Now--the job of people like you and gods is to protect and guide humans and all other species. Sometimes they make a hero, a priest or offer direct guidance to some lost fellow. If you're lucky."
Nyx rested his chin on the back of his hand, taking in the wizard's lecture—theoretically, what he has to do eventually. "Although I've given up on all that for a while now."
The golem just scratched his head ironically. "What? I mean... I'm right here. Not too much of a good proof?" For one moment only, Nyx teased the wizard with a cute face kinda like Kara used to to when he was under the water. His efforts paid off somehow as Jerry cracked a small smile and blushed but nontheless his stoic look came back.
Jerry just shrugged at the walking statue. "Maybe. But that doesn't mean I'm going to jump back in church pew with a candle in my hand. Look, I just don't really like to remember these things. Let's just forget about it."
"If you say so." They both left the courtyard together and walked back to Jerry's place until the wizard broke the silence at the door. "Some gods give you a task to do. What's yours?"
Survive.
"I don't think I have one." A big fucking lie that was. "She said to do what I want with what I have."
Jerry just chuckled. "Classic."
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"Jerry's almost got it right. He missed the bit about how the gods sometimes choose souls to join their divine army. So saving you from hell isn't so far-fetched... if you ask me." His words were ended with a shrug.
"But I guess I don't have to make any offerings or anything. Right?" Theoretically speaking.
"Ha... no, that's only for devils or fiends or... ehm, some sick-minded feys..." The concept hit Nyx hard. Maybe Tamira had something like that. But if she did... Nyx had doubts that he would had end up carrying her last remains. Assuming Nyx was the only person on this side of the front didn't help his anxiety. But management he did. He only pushed the feeling deeper and kept distracting himself with what Cecil was trying to teach him.
Nyx was back in the fighting arena built in the university attic, with Cecil to attest to the promise he had made. Although Cecil could just as easily have spun the golem in the magic cauldron of spells anywhere, Cecil had discovered something interesting that he wanted to confirm. So that's why Nyx was standing in the middle of the ring, practicing electric magic. "Anyway, remind me. How do we make electricity?"
Nyx was still lost between his concentration over the magic and the past and future that might cut him down one day. "There are two ways."
"Right... the first?"
"By stretching the mana in thin threads and pulsing it at different frequencies."
Cecil nodded almost completely satisfied. "Like a guitar string." He looked up at the golem. A second later, he lit a cigarette just for killing time.
"Hmm... Yes... like that." Nyx flicked his tongue inside his mouth. He had remembered the pragmatic part, which seemed simple enough, but according to Cecil, it was actually the more difficult method. So, therefore, they had to do that first.
"And the second?"
"....I need to force the mana to expand. And how exactly do you expand mana?"
Cecil sat back down on the podium chair, reading over the instruction sheet. "You can compress it for fire, you can decompress it for electricity."
The cigarette tip glowed as Cecil inhaled the fumes, his eyes still fixed on the paper and at times to Nyx. Maybe he needs more time... Or maybe I should talk to Dörk, he can explain the runes or whatever glyphs are these a pack better.
Nyx was now fully focused, pressing his hand together at the fingertips. Cecil had offered the easiest method he knew by placing his tips and forming the threads between his hand. He had asked earlier if these would be visible, but only when they became electricity upon the application of vibrations. "Cecil, if you can do magic like this, how come you guys say words to perform a spell? I mean, how does that work?" Nyx still hadn't taken his eyes off his hands, but he didn't need to because Cecil was very willing to talk.
"The world is alive, kid. Well... I would say magic is. Remember—mana is all around us. Matter, life, souls—your pick."
"Even in old men like you?" A snide joke had to fly between the two at some point, so Nyx got the first shot with a small snort.
"Says the talking rock... But yes. And so, certain words that we accompany with mana or catalysts or ingredients cause spells... We'll get to that later... Right now, get some sparks going for me, will you?"
Nyx just growled under his breath, but he expected as much from a chump wizard like him, he just had to think of something better to throw back at him, but for the moment he just focused further.
But Cecil had just gotten up from the pew and headed for the stairs. "I'll be back in an hour. So just keep going. Hm? Okay!" Before Nyx could add anything—something he didn't yet know how to say—Cecil was already walking away, tho his footsteps still didn't creak the floorboards.
"Don't trip on the way down you sack of bones!"
The old man smiled on his way back in town. Oh yeah. Cecil liked the kid more and more.
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Back among the houses on the cul-de-sac, Callahan just smiled as he worked. His artistic side was on a roll, and as such he spent several hours a day—no more than four or three—isolated in his sketches. Now, these had reached the perfection of his talents. If anyone said anything ill of them, he might as well burn down the entire block.
Although he wasn't alone. "Callahan, buddy. Wow. Just wow." Dörk's simple compliments were not overlooked. For a good part of the sketches, they were detailed with measurements describing part of the armor concept for their rocky friend. Although he had only started two days ago, Callahan had a finished representation of a full-length arm protector.
"Please, please, continue..." Callahan's charm was gone, replaced by satisfaction and total ego. "But let's not forget our agreement."
"No problem, buddy." The main man threw a gold coin back at the bear-like wizard as per their deal. And it was worth it. The gauntlet looked tough, and it was. The design was intimidating on paper. A tough leather base over which Callahan added metal plates to the back of the palm and forearm, slightly bent to fit the shape of the arm, useful for blocking blows or cracking bones with one swing. The open spaces were bare, and the first sets of phalanges were protected by metal guards. Callahan couldn't resist adding a square spike to each knuckle but in Dörk's perspective it meant business.
Because the shoulder protection was wider, the details were proportionally broad but equally beautiful. Three oblong plates, likely made of metal, were attached to a base of tough leather. Along the arm, other metal plates similar to the gauntlet were assembled in a group of three, forming a sort of transition between the gauntlet and the shoulder armor.
"I haven't thought about colors for the leather yet. But I've gone with black so far."
Dörk was excited about the idea. A beautiful figure like Nyx could carry an air of menace in such armor. "That reminds me of that book... The Ripper of Lhemtook. Not a bad thing to read while on road.." The wizard commented amusedly, seemingly to no one in particular, but the only other person there was Callahan. "I've been thinking about something myself. Maybe a full chainmail tunic from shoulders to thighs? What do you think?"
Callahan rested his chin on the back of his hand and nodded. "I had something similar in mind, but I'm not convinced yet ..."
A second later, the door opened, revealing Cecil entering and shutting it behind him. "For someone who has work to do, you guys sure know a good way to slack off." Not that he has done something else. Even though he was getting on in years, his eyes caught the sketch from a few paces away. Even he was impressed how good the details were. "How do you young folks say it—wicked?" He remarked with trust about the sketch
Both remained nonchalant, except for Callahan, who was still riding the wave of creation. On the other hand, Dörk looked the wizard over. "As for your business, Cecil, we've done everything the general needed us for. Where exactly were you?" His question gave off a temper impression at his senior's assumptions, but he wasn't entirely wrong.
Cecil just smiled calmly. "Well, obviously, training the kid. I mean, I thought we all had to do something to help, right?" His sarcasm scratched Dörk's ego. Until now, his internal plan was to establish a connection between the general and the golem so that he could join the game. Although it seemed that Cecil had misunderstood the glyph master's idea. "Anyway, I came with something else to show you. I'm sure you'll both like it."
The wizard didn't immediately discuss where the group was headed, but Callahan couldn't keep his mouth shut for long. "Even so, seriously, what we doing now?"
Dörk had the same question, but he was mostly curious about what Cecil had to show them. Almost a third of an hour later, the mages were ascending the stairs of the building's tower that led to the unknown fighting arena.
They both took in the hallway and the decor, which they assumed was Cecil's new place for his shenanigans. "Kid, you still here?"
As they entered through the archway, Nyx turned his head at the newly arrived trio. This time he was sitting on the floor and had changed stance. Instead of trying to conduct electricity through all five pairs of fingers, he narrowed it down to one, which, during Cecil's absence, finally managed to produce a constant arc of power, now about 12 inches long between the two tips but was left to die.
"Hey, guys." He acknowledged them with a nod, although he hadn't expected Callahan and Dörk, who were watching things unfold through the room.
"Is this where you've been hanging out the last few days, kid?" Callahan asked with a laugh at the golem, still admiring the location. He was more interested in the armors on the edge of the ring, already standing next to one and studying the designs. Even though he wasn't a blacksmith, one of his hobbies besides drawing and sketching was jewelry design. "What a fun way to pass the time..." But Callahan lost his words and just remained staring at the metalwork.
The moment gave Dörk the opportunity to join the conversation, leaning towards the golem. "Hey kid... How you've hanging? Although absent lately due to exhausting work, the wizard was heartened that the 'boy' was self-reliant and sought to learn on his own.
The champion of the god simply lay back, offering a good view of the ceiling... and a good view for Dörk of the golem's upper form, as he felt himself blush slightly. "Pretty okay. I'm moving between Jerry, the city, the fields, and now with Cecil." His eyes showed his wide white iris. "What have you guys been up to?" He glanced twice between the wizard in front of him and Callahan, now talking to Cecil about something on his papers at the podium.
Dörk just rubbed his neck about it. "Eh... it's been kind of rough," he said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. "A lot of work, a lot of stuff to produce for the hospital... then some for the city. Anyway, sorry for being so absent lately." He said a little apologetically.
The atmosphere in the room hadn't been particularly tense before, and it wasn't tense now either. Although Dörk had dragged the golem to the south side, he wasn't a 13-year-old boy desperate to hold his father's hand. Mentally... no matter how fucked up his life had been, he was about 30. That meant he could do what he wanted and react as he saw fit. "It's okay. I understand... But if you could convince Callahan to teach me one of his spells, it would be worth it." Nyx's voice was a little playful, even though his previous thought had been more serious.
Dörk understood what Nyx wanted—something in exchange for the time lost. "Well... he's already working on something for you. Maybe..."
Nyx interrupted the wizard mid-sentence. "The armor?" His voice hushed with satisfaction, just loud enough for him to hear.
The wizard nodded in amazement. "Yes, yes. You'd think it's something simple, but it's actually very beautiful. It's only on paper, though and not a quarter done. He and I, and if others want to help- eyeing Cecil in a comic way- we'll start working on it as soon as possible." Dörk stretched out his hand to lift the talking statue off the floor, but the moment the golem grabbed his palm, the wizard's back felt the weight of the rock body.
Cecil and Callahan were still discussing the arena instructions, the latter passing one of his papers to Dörk. "Please use your expertise, hmm?" his voice hummed to the glyph specialist. The writing was the same as on the other pages of paper passed among the wizards, something only Nyx did not understand.
The main man's arm rested on the podium while his mind followed the instructions and the few diagrams. "My... What have you found here, Cecil? So?" he whistled, his attention now fully in the game. Aside the horn filters, healing scrolls, or small glyph bombs placed here and there for the city's protection, an 'autonomous battle arena' felt like gold spilled on the floor. "It reminds me of one of those rooms in the dungeons. You know what I mean, Callahan?"
Their partner just responded with a nod, continuing to read another paper.
Cecil's expectations were always spot on. Although he could understand some things, the weak link in a chain always ruined... well, the whole chain. "I was wondering—it says on your sheet that the armour receives power through the ring." His index finger followed the exact words. "I want to see if the kid can pick up on that power while he's on it."
The golem's forehead merely furrowed, but he felt no malice or anything else. "Is that why you left me here?"
Cecil did not answer and just rolled his eyes playfully to the stone-boy.
Dörk understood. He hadn't had a chance to take a look at what he thought were glyphs and runes on the inside of the armored cans. He slipped the papers over to the golem standing next to him and stepped a few paces back into the ring. "Hold this for me." Up close, the armor loomed a few inches taller than him, perhaps as tall as Nyx or Callahan. Dörk grunted. His eyes tried to peek out from under his helmet before his hand grabbed a strap at the back holding the breastplate in place. "I could take all this off... However, I would like to—"
"I get it."
Callahan walked over to the glyph specialist, nudging Nyx to follow him. "Hold it steady." At the command, the golem and Dörk grabbed the set by shoulders, and Callahan grabbed the metal boot, lifting it up like a horse being shod, resting its foot between his thighs. His lips formed a happy grin. "Look." The sole was clean, but his thumb brushed against a glyph or rune—only Dörk could tell the difference—engraved in the metal.
Nyx held the set now alone, losing and giving a fast jerk before taking back full control, while Dörk moved his face closer to the engraving—"A rune of your kind, Dörk?" his remarke had the wizard giving a small nod.
The rune was a different sign from what Callahan had seen before. But for Dörk, it was clear. Two rhombuses head to head, in which point a line that branched out in several simetric directions toward the edge. Not many knew the symbol's significance but for Dörk—it was called an antenna.
"Smart move, old boy." Dörk's voice conveyed his enthusiasm. "Now we have a problem."
The perplexity was not clear for an answer from whom. "What is it?" Nyz revved his voice into a questioning, self-reflective tone. Even so, the explanation could just as easily have gone in one ear and out the other with both men being decades ahead compared to him intellectually. Though—
"Ever had a tattoo?"