by Aaron Oster
He grinned as a wicked idea came to him, one that he had somehow not thought of before.
Five minutes later, he was knocking on Ivaldi’s door with Grace standing beside him. Scratch that — he was actually pounding hard enough to rattle the entire house, but Morgan knew that was necessary
“What in the bloody hells is all the…? Oh, it’s you.”
The dwarf looked much the same as he had just a couple of weeks ago, though he was now missing a chunk of his beard, which looked as though it had been burned off.
“Yes, it’s us,” Morgan said, stepping past the dwarf and into his house.
“Sure, why don’t you come on in?” he said sarcastically. “Make yourselves at home.”
“It’s good to see you again,” Grace said, giving him a warm smile as she walked past.
Ivaldi just let out a snort and turned to follow, but just as he was closing the door, something in his periphery caught his attention. Turning, the dwarf’s eyes widened in horror at the complete and utter destruction of his ‘front lawn.’
“What in the bloody hells did you do to all my traps?” he exclaimed, whirling on Morgan, who looked anything but apologetic.
“They were in my way,” Morgan replied with a shrug.
“So you destroyed my entire property?! How the hell am I supposed to fix all of this?”
“I’ll put all the stone back when I leave,” Morgan replied. “And only a few of the traps went off, so it isn’t a big deal.”
Ivaldi took one more look at his lawn, which represented nothing more than a massive crater spreading as far as he could see. He’d just finished with the last traps yesterday, and now he’d have to do it all over again. The dwarf just shook his head and had to stop himself from shedding actual tears. He would have to remember to key the traps next time so they wouldn’t go off when this human was around. Otherwise, he’d be spending eternity just putting his traps back in place.
15
“So, what are you doing here?” Ivaldi asked as he stumped past them and headed into the tunnel at the far side of his house.
“We came to ask where the ingredients for your miracle serum could be gathered,” Morgan replied without preamble.
He always found that getting right to the heart of the matter and not dancing around the subject was the best way to get what he wanted.
“I was wondering where that last vial had gotten off to,” he muttered. “Are you in the habit of stealing from people who help you?”
“Not at all,” Morgan said. “But I am pragmatic, and my entire race could benefit from something as valuable as that. I would be more than happy to compensate you for your loss.”
Ivaldi let out another snort as they entered the forge, stomping over to an anvil he’d been working on and lifting an oversized hammer.
“There’s nothing you could offer that would interest me,” he said, slamming the hammer down on the now dull metal and not really doing much.
The dwarf snorted once again, dropping the hammer in disgust. Snatching up the piece of metal, he shoved it back into a raging fire and slammed the doors to the kiln shut, turning back on them.
“What about some rare metal ore?” Morgan asked.
“Please, there isn’t a single type of ore I don’t already have in here. That is, unless you’ve managed to get your hands on a bit of Godsteel…”
The hopeful tone in the dwarf’s voice was audible, though Morgan’s denial of having any more of the rare metal quickly made him lose interest.
“What I do have,” Morgan continued, reaching into the Spatial Bag at his side and withdrawing a lump of shimmering, multicolored ore, “is a piece of metal from a Pinnacle beast. One who ate and converted it into something even our smiths can’t wrap their heads around.”
Ivaldi perked up a bit at this, approaching and taking the chunk of metal from his outstretched fingers. Though he feigned indifference, it was easy to see that he was excited as he turned the lump one way or the other.
“It’ll do,” he finally said, dropping the ore on his metal table and bending down to retrieve something from inside.
“Does that mean you’ll tell us where to gather the rest of the ingredients?” Morgan asked.
“Not on your life,” Ivaldi replied, coming up with what appeared to be an inverted telescope mounted on a strange base.
“We have more of this ore if you’d be willing to trade,” Morgan said as Ivaldi placed an eye to the wider end of the contraption and began examining the metal.
“As fascinating as it is, no. I don’t want to share my secrets. I’ve never even told my own race about it, so why do you think I’d tell you?”
Morgan’s fingers twitched as the dwarf once again refused him, and he had to try very hard to keep his emotions in check. That was the problem with actually having to feel. The reality of needing to deal with emotional problems was something that had taken him a long time to come to terms with, and even now, he still found it hard to remain in control.
It didn’t help that he could feel the Beast King starting to fight him again, the presence of the World Beasts, mainly Breaker, beneath this very mountain, riling him up and making him want to come out and fight.
“I don’t understand why you’re so unwilling to help an entire race when you clearly have the ability and means,” Morgan said, trying to appeal to the dwarf’s sense of decency.
“Please. What have they ever done for me? Besides, they’ve gotten along just fine without my serum until now, so why the sudden urgency?”
“Have you forgotten about the impending war?” Morgan asked. “The barrier is barely holding together as it is, and we’re only weeks away from a major battle. Do you really want to see more people slaughtered for no reason when you could have done something to prevent it?”
“Look, kid,” Ivaldi said, finally looking up to meet his gaze. “This world is shit, plain and simple. Wars will always be a problem so long as there are people to wage them. Poverty, hunger, illness and so much more will not simply stop. People die. That’s just the way the world works. Trust me. I’ve been alive long enough to see it all happen.”
“If you have lived for as long as you say, shouldn’t that make you want to help more, not less?”
“It’s because I’ve lived so long that I don’t see any point in helping,” Ivaldi sighed. “Now, unless you’re here to ask me to forge something else, I’d appreciate it if you just left.”
Morgan bit back a retort and wondered why the dwarf had even bothered helping Grace when she’d been injured. If he were as callous as he was trying to make Morgan believe, he’d have left Grace to bleed out and die. But he hadn’t. The answer finally came to him then, and he turned quickly to Grace.
“Would you mind coming out with me for a second? There’s something I’d like to check.”
Grace, who’d been keeping quiet while Morgan had been talking, jumped a bit at the sound of her name. Apparently, she’d been either deep in thought or daydreaming.
“Um…yeah, I can come,” she said, clearly confused.
“Good riddance,” Ivaldi said. “And put my lawn back where it’s supposed to be!”
Morgan headed down the tunnel, keeping silent as he looped back through the switches designed to deaden sound. When he emerged back into the main house, he turned to address Grace.
“I need you to convince him to give you the location of the serum’s ingredients.”
“What makes you think that I can do it, when you couldn’t?” she asked, surprised at the request.
Morgan smiled at that, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Because, despite how he acts, he has a soft spot when it comes to you.”
“What?” Grace asked, her confusion growing. “No, he doesn’t. Ivaldi is just as mean to me as he is to you.”
“And yet when you were injured, he gave you one of the needles. Something he’s never done for anyone else.”
“How can you be so sure he’s never helped anyone
but me?”
“Because, if he’d helped another dwarf, chances are that they’d go back and report it, and within just a few days, Ivaldi would be forced to give up a sample. Seeing as all the ingredients could be gathered here, don’t you think we’d have seen more of it around?”
“I’m sorry, Morgan, but I’m afraid I still don’t understand,” Grace said, looking a bit embarrassed.
“Alright, I’ll explain it differently then,” Morgan said. “This can be a good lesson in critical thinking, one that may very well help you in the future. So, listen carefully.”
Grace nodded eagerly at the opportunity to learn more, which was something that Morgan was pleased to see. In the beginning, she’d bucked at his teaching methods. Now, though, she seemed to hang on to his every word and remembered what he’d taught. Even better, she learned to adapt his teachings and use them when the time was right.
“If Ivaldi had used his serum on another dwarf, even once, they would have gone and reported it to someone of authority. We have to figure that any halfway decent person would do so, and if Ivaldi would have been willing to save them, they would have had to be one of the good ones. They would undoubtedly feel guilty about giving up his secret, just as you did, but would do it for the greater good of their race.
“Now, as soon as the dwarven ruler discovered this serum, he would demand answers, and, even as stubborn as Ivaldi is, he wouldn’t refuse the ruler of his people. Now, think of the implications for just a moment. The dwarves are allied with all the other races in Faeland, and they’re about to go into a largescale war. But what have we failed to find?”
Morgan went silent here, waiting for Grace to work the answer out in her head.
“We didn’t find any vials on any of the defeated beastmen,” Grace said after a few moments.
“Exactly!” Morgan replied, feeling an odd sense of pride as Grace provided the answer he’d been leading to. “Which means…?”
“That I’m the only one he used it on.”
Morgan smiled at that and nodded in approval.
“Now, get back in there. Go tug on that disgruntled dwarf’s heartstrings and get him to give us that formula.”
“But…That sounds so sneaky,” Grace said, looking more than a little uncomfortable with this plan.
“Subterfuge is one of the greatest weapons that anyone can employ. But, if it makes you feel any better, you don’t have to try and be manipulative. Just go in, talk to him and ask for the recipe. Trust me, he’ll give it to you if I’m right.”
Grace bit her bottom lip, still looking unsure of herself, and Morgan knew that he would need to give her a little extra push.
“I believe you might be ready to push one of your skills up a notch. You’ve progressed enough using your Air Pulse that I think we can give it a bit more juice. If you go in and talk to him – even if you don’t succeed – I’ll give you the energy you need to upgrade the skill when you come out. We can even begin training with it tonight when we make camp.”
“Really?” Grace asked, perking up a bit. “You’re not just saying that to try and bribe me, or make me feel better about what I’m about to do?”
“If you feel guilty about manipulating someone – even if it’s not actual manipulation – then I don’t want you to change. You’re a good person with a good heart, and everyone, especially Ivaldi, can see that. The reason I’m allowing you the upgrade is because you earned it. Trust me, I wouldn’t allow you any more energy if I didn’t think you were ready. And besides, all the cores you’ve collected are yours to use. I’m only holding onto them for safekeeping.”
Grace seemed to relax a bit at that and finally returned the smile, though she still seemed a bit hesitant.
“Do you really think of me that way?” she asked, her cheeks going a bit pink.
“Go on,” Morgan said, holding in a chuckle.
The girl was just fishing for compliments now, and as much as she’d earned them, he wasn’t going to stroke her ego. The best way for someone to remain humble was by constantly reminding them why they should practice the act of humbleness in the first place.
“Alright,” she said, blowing out a long breath. “I still don’t think I’ll be able to get it, but wish me luck.”
Just then, Morgan flashed back to a similar situation, one he’d had with Sarah. Though the circumstances were different, he could clearly see her now, giving him a wide smile, her beautiful face practically lighting up the room. He could hear her voice, playful, sweet and so full of life.
“Wish me luck.”
“Why should I do that?”
“Just do it, okay!”
Morgan could feel his eyes growing moist and blinked quickly to clear them. That had been the conversation they’d had before Sarah had gone out to face Frush in the academy’s tournament. He’d acquiesced in the end, wishing her luck in her fight, though it had taken him quite some time to figure out why anyone would need to feel lucky.
If one was properly prepared, then all the luck in the world didn’t matter, so much as skill and technique. But he now understood the value of the odd practice. It was less about asking to be lucky than it was looking for assurance. Grace was nervous, and it manifested itself in a way that she looked for assurance and approval in the form of asking him to wish her luck. But, unlike with Sarah, Morgan already knew the right response to this phrase. So, instead of asking why she would need luck, he gave her a reassuring smile.
“Good luck, Grace.”
16
Grace felt her heart rate increase as she headed back down the tunnel, Morgan vanishing from view as it curved sharply to one side. She was still unsure as to why he believed she’d be able to succeed where he failed, and she also felt horribly guilty for what she was about to do. No matter how Morgan put it, she felt dirty for exploiting someone’s feelings, just so she could get something out of it. No matter what he offered, she couldn’t get the feeling to go away.
“I can feel you eating yourself from the inside out,” Lumia said from her spot on her shoulder. “Why don’t you try and focus on something else instead?”
“Oh, yeah, like what?” Grace retorted, keeping her voice down.
“Maybe you could think about the upgrade to your Air Pulse. Do you have any idea how much stronger it will become? Perhaps you will see a new property unlocked. Or maybe, even a complete change in functionality.”
“Skills don’t just completely change,” Grace retorted. “That would be ridiculous.”
“And yet, it has happened several times, to Morgan and me.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, turning around another bend.
“Do you have any idea what Morgan’s ability is?” Lumia replied.
“I’m assuming something to do with air, maybe fire or earth? Space, maybe?” Grace said.
Truthfully, she’d never been able to get a handle on Morgan’s ability. It was just so ridiculously diverse that there was no single category that seemed to fit.
“While Morgan’s ability does contain the foundation of air, it actually has nothing to do with air. At least, not anymore.”
Grace’s ears perked up, and she slowed to a halt in the center of the tunnel, eager to hear what the drake had to say.
“While I won’t tell you what Morgan’s actual ability is, as he has not done so himself, I can tell you what it was before he became a supermage.”
Grace braced herself, prepared to hear of some epic abilities that far outstripped her sad combination.
“His original abilities were called Gravity and Air. He had four skills. One that doubled his Strength, one that doubled his Agility, one that allowed him to fly and one that let him summon a lance made of air.”
“Those sound…amazing!” Grace exclaimed.
All of Morgan’s skills were perfectly geared toward fighting and complemented one another extremely well. Hers, on the other hand, were just a sad mishmash of disjointed skills that could hardly be used with any great flow or rhyth
m.
“And yet, he believes that yours are even better,” Lumia replied. “While his skills allowed him to fight, yours give you more than that. They give you the ability to track, defend, attack up close and at range. You can move faster by decreasing your density and hit harder by increasing it. In essence, you have everything he did, only better.”
“I can’t fly,” Grace said, trying to deny what Lumia was telling her.
There was no way her ability was better than Morgan’s.
“But you may be able to one day,” Lumia replied, the corners of her mouth turning up.
“How?” she asked, her brows pulling together in confusion.
“I’ll leave that up to you to figure out. But you can be sure that if your skills continue to develop in the way Morgan and I envision, you’ll soon be able to do a lot more.”
Though Grace was burning with questions now, she knew that if Lumia did not want to give her the answer, no amount of prodding or pleading would help. Because of the information she now had, she was far more excited about the prospect of upgrading her Air Pulse skill, and when she began heading down the tunnel once more, she felt just a little less guilt over what she was about to do. Not because her moral compass had been compromised, but rather, due to distraction.
This was exactly what Morgan had intended. Lumia marveled at his ability to think so deeply into the psychological aspects of humans. When she’d first met him, he’d always been a linear thinker. If it was straightforward, it made sense, but if he had to try and think his way through something that didn’t have to do with fighting, he was pretty much at a loss.
The two years of training had changed him far more than he realized, and Lumia could not have been prouder. Grace was on the right path and would hopefully grow into a powerful and kind supermage. And, when she did, it would be all thanks to Morgan’s teachings and the lessons he imparted along the way.
Grace heard the sound of ringing metal as she approached the end of the tunnel and entered into the forge to see Ivaldi attempting to break pieces off of the large ore with a hammer and chisel.
