“You’re not going to stop making the toys, are you?” Sari asks, pushing her food and drink away. Wanting another taste of the sweet and spicy tea, she pulls the cup back and takes a quick sip. “Don’t you realize what will happen if you continue?”
Rolling her tongue in her mouth, Catarina gets off her chair and retrieves a few items from around the room. One of them is a small, fake leg made from the same glossy material as the toys. It has hinged joints with tubes that run up to where they would connect to their owner’s living flesh. Handing the prosthetic to Sari, she presents an orb that she aims at the table. With a hard squeeze, the device fires a spray of sparks that ignite one of the noodle bowls. An assistant hurries with a bucket of foam to put the flames out and takes the orb away from his boss. The final object is a thick ring made from the same strange material, which Catarina slips over a pipe and tightens with a screw to lock it in place. She takes her seat and tosses the device to Timoran, who immediately hands it to Delvin.
“I’m going to say no because there is more at stake here than your comfort. Nevra Coil depends on those figurines for money and advancement,” Catarina explains while taking the fake leg back. She falls into a small trance as she examines the hinges, snapping out of it when Nyx clears her throat. “Imagine what the world will be like if I mastered replacement limbs like this one. You see, the material we use for the figurines was created by a gnome in Rodillen named Geoff. He calls it waterstone because it is tough when solid but it can be melted into a liquid. It is very malleable and we’re still exploring what happens when it returns to a hardened state. Durability is an issue and what better test for that than a child’s toy. If I can find the perfect method to making waterstone resilient to damage or even make it self-repairing then I can help a lot of people who need new limbs. These would be lighter than metal, which would lessen the strain on a person’s body. It isn’t easy using metal legs and doing arms in anything other than wood is impossible because of the weight. Furthermore, the toys are prototypes for a variety of devices. The sparks from Nyx and Trinity are a watered-down part from a self-defense item that I just showed you. By putting a harmless version in the toy, we can gauge lifespan of the device and how it handles with constant use.”
“You can do that without putting the world in danger,” Delvin argues, putting the strange pipe on the table. “I understand that this is important to many of your projects, but you don’t have to include the public. These toys are making them remember things that they shouldn’t and that can release our enemy before we’re ready.”
“Baron Kernaghan isn’t coming back early,” the exasperated gnome declares, leaving the champions in open-mouthed awe. She can see the question in their eyes and takes a tiny sip of tea to calm her nerves. “The gnomes know all about him. We were freed from Gabriel’s curse when one of our kind became a champion and tried to change the prophecy. Her actions created a backlash that awoke the entire race and caused a few . . . incidents to occur. Let’s just say we used to have more cities around the world and leave it at that. Anyway, we’re aware of the Baron, the temples, and your destiny. To prevent others from getting curious, we play along with the curse. Not everyone has the benefit of having the mind of a gnome, which is why my kind were able to handle the returning memories. I know how sensitive your destiny is, which is why I didn’t include any of those details.”
“But your toys are creating a similar backlash,” Nyx argues, leaping to her feet. A jar of sauce bubbles and overflows before the half-elf can curb her temper. “People are getting curious and freeing themselves from the curse. Gabriel is keeping it under control, but it will get worse if you don’t stop. Silly dolls won’t make or break the Gnomish people.”
“They bring in enough money to keep several of our public services running,” one of the assistants chimes in as he hangs up his apron. The red-haired gnome bows to Catarina when she scowls at him. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but they need to know that this is not only about you and progress. Most of what the toys bring in goes directly to the city coffers. Lady Warrenberg is not only an inventor and one of the architects of Nevra Coil. She’s one of the Matrons who keeps the city going.”
Blushing from embarrassment, Catarina takes a slingshot out of her back pocket and loads it with a pink cube. She hits the cringing assistant in the mouth, which is covered in a sour-tasting gum. Tossing the slingshot onto a nearby couch, the inventor goes back to her meal with exaggerated slurps. When her assistant tries to muffle a complaint, she blindly points at the door and snaps her fingers. He continues muttering as he goes to get the sticky mass removed from his lips.
“That title makes me seem so old and I’m only in my forties,” Catarina says with a small chuckle. She sighs and reaches up to remove a silver pin from her hair, unleashing her waist-length tresses. “So you can see the situation. The city loses a lot of money if I stop production and I can’t wait for you to defeat the Baron. That could take years and Nevra Coil doesn’t fly solely on raw magic. At least not yet.”
“Then we need to find a middle ground,” Luke claims, finishing his honey-flavored tea. He pauses to devour his fifth plate of noodles, his hunger finally being satisfied. “If we think about it then we can find a way to make everyone happy. Would we be able to see the factory? Maybe something there will give us an idea.”
“I can give you a tour in the morning before the shipment goes out,” the inventor promises with a casual wave of her hand. Her mind is starting to wander to a solution, so her voice becomes faint and distant. “I’ll have my assistants show you to some of our guest quarters. Though I would like to show something to Luke, Nyx, and Fizzle first. There’s no rush, so finish eating and I can make more tea if anyone is interested. I’m still waiting to hear a verdict from Sir Wrath.”
The barbarian pauses with his cup at his lips. “Delicious. Do you happen to have an Ifrit mead variety?”
“I might have one bag left.”
Catarina goes to check her tea closet, leaving her guests to continue their meals in awkward silence. The clink of forks on plates and teacups on dishes mix with the sounds of the busy assistants. Luke tries his best to remain calm, but he finds himself unable to look in the smiling gnome’s direction. Sitting next to him, Nyx quietly moves her food around since her stomach is too twisted to eat.
*****
The Founder Museum covers the top three floors of Inspiration Tower and is a collection of everything that led to Nevra Coil’s creation. The first level has prototypes of famous inventions that are encased in glass boxes or chained to tables to allow guests to activate them for a few seconds. Each one sits under a brightly lit warning sign that reminds guests that they must be responsible and not aim anything at others. Notes and diagrams cover the walls, most of which are barely readable even by those who can understand what they are talking about. Sitting in the middle of the second level is a statue of Voran, his red eyes glowing whenever someone steps onto the dais at his metal feet. All of this is casually pointed out by Catarina as she leads Luke, Nyx, and Fizzle to the top floor on Inspiration Tower. She assures them that there is plenty of time for sightseeing, but their current destination is of the utmost importance.
The pipe-covered, iron doors push open on well-oiled hinges and the smell of sweet incense wafts into the stairwell. Divided into sections, this level of the museum contains a room for every gnome whose work led to the creation of Nevra Coil. Each door is a finely crafted painting of the associated inventor and can only be opened by stating the name of whoever is pictured. A few visitors are looking at the small devices that adorn the walls of the maze-liked hallways, stopping only to silently pat Catarina on the shoulder as she passes by.
“Here we are,” she whispers, stopping at the painting of a familiar figure. “I’ll let you get a good look at this before we go inside.”
Unlike the more refined paintings they have seen, Fritz Warrenberg’s smiling face is covered in grime and he is holding a polished wrench. The sheen o
f his greasy hair and the spark in his red eyes are perfectly captured by the artist. Smoke is wafting off his clothes as flames burn in the background, vague enough to be either a fireplace or an explosion. Standing next to him is Bessaria with a nervous expression on her face, her head slightly turned toward something off to her left.
“Fritz Warrenberg,” Catarina says while tenderly stroking the metal frame.
The door swings into the lantern-lit room where glass cases adorn the right and left hand walls. Notes and tools are displayed with glowing buttons that can be pressed to project the item’s history on the blank ceiling. Set against the back wall is an iron statue of Fritz sitting astride Bessaria. The memorial is flanked by long, narrow pools of running water that end at empty flower pots. Illusionary fish swim among lotus leaves and a mechanical frog sings from one of the corners. Nyx wipes at her tears as she touches the face of the statue, forcing a smile when Luke puts an arm around her shoulders. Wanting to leave a gift, Fizzle hovers over the water and whispers a spell to add a purple fish to the collection. The drite smiles at Nyx who waves her hand to create two more illusions, one a fiery goldfish and the other an emerald catfish.
“My father helped us design Nevra Coil’s flight system and inspired the creation of the Lizard,” Catarina says while she wanders around the room. She lingers in front of a case where a collection of notebooks are on display before she returns to her guests. “He was a great inventor, a loving father, and . . . amazing at everything. After mom died, he raised my brother and me while continuing to build his inventions. We grew up in his workshop and he would always stop to help us with our studies or to build a toy with us.”
“It’s hard to believe Fritz was ever married,” Nyx admits with a chuckle. She peers into one of the empty pots and moves away when metal roses sprout from the bottom. “No offense, but I remember him coming off as a lecherous womanizer. Took a little time to realize how kind and sweet he truly was. I guess we really didn’t get to know him. You see, he never talked about you. This is the first we’ve heard about a son too.”
“The womanizing was an act to hide his pain. Dad missed mom a lot, but he refused to let anyone feel sorry for him. So he faked it,” the somber gnome explains as she rests in front of the statue. She remembers being a child and sitting under her father’s worktable, her curious eyes watching him for hours. “He never liked telling people about his kids unless he could introduce them. I was called to Hamilton Military Academy once to meet Selenia, but it was rare that he pulled me away from my work. Proper gnomes don’t gloat about the successes of their immediate family unless those people are physically there or have passed on. Doing so on the behalf of other is very rude and unbecoming of a noble inventor. As for the three of you, he said that he didn’t want me to get pulled into whatever you were involved in.”
Reaching into her back pocket, Catarina pulls out a leather wallet and opens it to reveal a small portrait. A young Fritz is standing next to a beautiful Gnomish woman, her blonde hair in six thick braids. Standing on a worktable is a little girl in an oil-stained dress and a smaller boy is hiding below with a hammer in his hand. She hands the wallet to Luke who smiles at the warmth that flows from the happy scene.
“My father didn’t like to talk about my brother after the accident,” Catarina says as she stands and extends her arm to Fizzle. The drite hops onto her shoulder and nuzzles her cheek, smearing the layers of grease. “Max was investigating Weapon Dragon technology to build some specialized defenses. There was an explosion in his lab and he lost all of his limbs. You see, the void only warns us of death. We play it off as predicting everything, but it doesn’t protect us from severe injury. Accidents happen even with precautions, which is why we have an entire building dedicated to caring for those who have been crippled by their own inventions. As you can guess, I’m very interested in prosthetics to help my brother and everyone else who suffers from the loss of a limb or four. My father helped me with his studies on how living things moved. He never had a knack for medical devices even though his blood sharing technique has been refined and adopted since he messaged me the preliminary report.” She takes a deep breath and pulls a small box out of a hidden compartment in the statue. “Anyway, I didn’t bring you here to tell you stories. I wanted to give each of you something.”
“But I’m part of the reason Fritz is dead,” Luke bluntly states, his body shuddering from guilt. “I know he doesn’t want me to blame myself for what happened, but I feel respons-”
“I heard that you hold too much of the world on your shoulders and need to get smacked every now and again,” Catarina interrupts, nodding at Nyx. The channeler gently flicks the warrior in the back of the head, sharing a smile with the gnome. “You were one of his dearest friends even though you didn’t know him for long. All of you. My father had associates, but he didn’t have close friends like those he made at the academy. That’s why he left something for each of you, which he sent to me on the night he died.”
Opening the box, she hands a small notebook to Fizzle who gingerly holds it in his hands and hops to the ground. He squeals in delight at the pictures of apples, each one with a detailed description of their taste and where they can be found. Nyx accepts the wrapped package and delicately opens it to reveal a fiery dress with thousands of tiny sparkles. She can see that it is perfectly tailored to her body and the fabric is as soft as griffin fur. The final item that Catarina removes from the box is a bronze pendant shaped like a real human heart. Luke holds the necklace in front of his eyes, a look of confusion on his face until he sees the inscription on the back.
“Don’t lose this, kid,” the forest tracker reads with a smirk. Unclasping the simple chain, he puts the pendant on and tucks it under his shirt. “It beats along with my heart. That’s going to take some getting used to. What’s with the dress?”
“When we were in Freedom, Fritz suggested I get a tailored dress because my favorite one kept giving me trouble,” Nyx replies while tenderly folding the clothing and tucking it into her pouch. “I guess he sent in my measurements and had this made. What does the inscription mean?”
“That I shouldn’t lose my courage or let failures damage my heart. As he said, I carry the world on my shoulders like an idiot,” Luke says as he bends down to scratch Fizzle on the head. “You have a long journey to taste every apple in that book. I’d be happy to help in your quest when we finish with the Baron.”
The drite flutters into the air and gives a quick kiss to Catarina’s cheek. “Fizzle do it for Fritz. Please tell what Aedyn get.”
“Lord Karwyn was given a very special gift since Fritz grew really close to him,” the gnome explains, placing the empty box back into the statue. With a long breath, the gnome slumps to the floor and lets the tension leave her body. “My brother refuses to marry due to his injuries and I was given my mother’s wedding dress as per our traditions. So Aedyn was given my parents’ wedding rings to use when he gets hitched. Took three visits and contacting my father’s spirit to convince the stubborn priest to accept the gift. I thought Nimby would be the most difficult person to give his present to, but Aedyn was the unexpected challenge.”
“You met Nimby?” Nyx asks in surprise.
Catarina holds up her hands to stop her companions from raising their voices within the memorial. “It was an odd encounter. He snuck into my father’s funeral and hid in the shadows during the ceremony. He approached me the next day and was a mess. There were apologies, begging for death, and . . . he was simply miserable and pathetic. My father left a letter for him that he wrote while on his way to the bridge where he died. I never read it, but I got the basic idea from what Nimby said before he left. He was forgiven for everything and told that it’s never too late to be a hero. That’s all I know.”
“So he’s still on our side,” Luke whispers while touching the arm of Fritz’s statue. “Even in death, you’re looking out for your friends. Take care, old gnome.”
The young warrior heads for t
he door while Nyx stretches to give the statue a gentle kiss on the cheek. Catarina takes the channeler by the hand to lead her out of the room, neither woman having the strength to talk. Fizzle lingers behind to blow a puff of rainbow mist on the metallic face. He whispers a spell to make the statue smile and wave for a few seconds before the enchantment ends.
“Bye-bye, Fritz,” the drite says before darting out the closing door.
*****
The Baron’s sword pierces Delvin’s chest as if he is not wearing any armor. The warrior’s body is thrown at Timoran to stop the barbarian’s charge, but the brute slices through the corpse to continue running. Weapons clash and the bare-chested nobleman pushes against the great axe while his free hand casts a lightning bolt at Sari. The gypsy ducks the spell and counters with a blast of cold that strikes her enemy in the back. With a subtle flex of his spine, the Baron shatters the thickening ice and moves to let Timoran stumble into the remainder of the spell. Stepping around his defeated opponent, the warlord shatters the frozen barbarian with a quick strike to the forehead. Flipping his sword over his head, the Baron beheads Fizzle and catches the weapon to hurl it into Sari’s chest. The impact is powerful enough to rocket the young woman into a tree where she remains like a gory decoration.
“I’ll kill you!” Nyx screams from above before she unleashes a wave of black fire.
As the Baron prepares to block the spell, he notices two forms darting in from his sides. He leaps away from Luke’s attack to strike Dariana in the stomach. The blow knocks her into a distant boulder, which crumbles on top of her. Drawing a thin dagger, the warlord parries the forest tracker’s attacks and kills him with a quick slash to the throat. It is too late to block the fire spell, so the Baron lets it roll over his body. Nyx lands near the edge of the cliff with a sword of flame in her hands and her violet eyes nervously watching the dying inferno. Bursting from the fire, a smoking hand punches through the half-elf’s chest to grab her own blade and pull it through the gaping wound. The Baron casually slices the channeler’s head off and lets the corpse tumble into the abyss below.
The Merchant of Nevra Coil (Legends of Windemere Book 8) Page 14
