Gemwright Ch. 04

Exiting the town is nerve-wracking, but uneventful. We walk by the guards like nothing is out of the ordinary. Word has not reached them, it seems.

We get back to the caravan. I touch Sentral. Its mana reserve is at 31%. Note to self, don't rip up buildings with telekinesis. I let go of Sentral, but a moment later it connects to me and repeats the intruder alert from earlier. I remove my Zone ring.. wait, there's no need since the two Zones will overlap. I touch Sentral again and access its Zone. A man is walking down the path I requested.

I turn around. ¬we've got a visitor# I think it's friendly# I can ask them to wait until tomorrow if you want)¬

She shakes her head. She's been a bit quiet recently, but I don't have time to think about it. I order a golem out of Sentral and have it pick up some chairs I bring out of my cart.

¬you can attend this meeting if you wish, or through my eyes# if you want to sleep instead that's okay too)¬

Her response is short again. ¬I'll go)¬ The three of us depart immediately.

The fellow turns out to be the same shady man from the jeweler's.

I take the chairs from my golem and set them out, two on our side and a third on his. Hana and I sit down. Shady ignores the golem and sits across from us.

Me, "We meet again. Regrettably I don't have a table to set out."

Shady guy, "Not a problem. I trust you're not offended that I left as soon as you started making a mess. It seems the little miss is okay after all. May I ask what happened?"

Me, "The short version is that I had reason to believe Hanamaya," I gesture to her, "was in danger. I proceeded to over-react. I fled the city, and I believe I was undetected."

Shady, "I will ensure my companions offer the utmost politeness to her lady, should they ever meet. Now. While I pass no judgments on a man protecting his wife, this will draw attention. Ohanel was a man with powerful clients, and even beyond that, this happened in the rich section of town. Powerful people will notice, and Karmm will be put under scrutiny. We still wish to deal with you, but we want to do so before some noble's private army arrives, and we have to go underground.

Me, "Then let's talk business. I can merge and mold gemstones. You already know this. I can't manipulate all gems, only certain types. The gems I create will only be..." I almost said art, again, but he'd probably figure out that I... Wait, he can see my golem. I clear my throat. "... will only be art. For a gem like the one you've seen, I will ask 200 gold. I'm sure you have your own expenses with, uh, whatever it is you're doing, but I'm also certain you can sell this for 500 plus. For larger works, I will charge more. For bespoke works, we can negotiate something. I would prefer you to provide the gems. I can merge gemstone dust, chips, and raws."

Shades, "What can you work with? All gems? Metals?"

Me, "Yesterday was the first time I encountered gems I couldn't mold. I don't know what they were. I can use... Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Amethyst, Rhodonite, Jet, Peridot."

Shady takes out a pouch from somewhere. "Thank you. I have been authorized to pay you 1500 gold here and now, if you will create five pieces of art similar to Unloved Monstrosity. However, the gems must come from your collection. I'm sure you're tired after an exhausting day, but if you can prove to my superiors that you can produce intense value in a short amount of time, I think we can help you with your mass teleportation solution... As well as the Kinth vines for the little lady."

The little lady in question nods after a moment. "I would appreciate that."

I summon gems of each color from Sentral. While they are on their way, I ask, "Why trust me enough to bring a small fortune out here? I could easily kill you, take it, and leave town right now, a wealthy man."

Shady grins at me. "In my line of work I've had to risk my life more than once. This hardly even qualifies. I've got your measure. You wouldn't kill me without cause. You wouldn't even steal it from me. You're a naive fool who thinks of himself as a good man deep down. As long as I don't threaten you, and I've made very sure I haven't, you'll do well by me."

Me, "Huh. I'll have to work on being less of a pushover."

The gems arrive, and I look through them. Let's start with red/blue. Just like before, I merge them into a rough sphere, and have them encroach on one another. Done in 5 minutes. I float it over to him. He takes it, and it disappears into one of his pockets.

Peridot and Ruby next. I make the encroachment more swirly. 4 minutes. Then Amethyst with Rhodonite. The encroachment are angular. 10 minutes, because I took the time to put in right angles. The fourth is Diamond and Jet. I push the encroachment to look like branches here.

Me, "How about something a little different for the fifth?" I feel a little bad since he's over-paying me, even though we're using my stock.

Shady smiles, "Go for it."

I gather Diamond and form it into a rough, hollow ball about 6 inches wide. I insert Peridot to create something like a branch from one side to the other. Next is Amethyst in the rough shape of a bird of prey. It, too, is hollow. I shape it to appear like it is just taking off from the branch. I close the Diamond sphere, and make some thin connections with Diamond to keep the bird in place. I give it to him too.

Me, "And that's 5. Anything else?"

He looks at Bird mk2 with a complicated expression. I guess it's too large for his pocket, he covers it with a cloth and holds it in his hand.

Eventually, he says "No, thank you. This will be good." He holds out the pouch from earlier. I lift it with telekinesis.

Me, "What did you have in mind for the mass teleportation?"

Shady, "Oversized Gate scrolls. They were created with the idea the King would use them to move a certain item of his. However, the mana cost was too high to realistically use as often as was required, and so the king found another solution.

"After seeing you rip a stone building apart with what I'm pretty sure is telekinesis, I warrant you have the mana reserves to use it and hold it open long enough to travel through.

"The scrolls are a set of 4. When activated, a link will form between any that are unfurled. Make sure that only 2 of them are open, or something bad will happen. We don't know what that something is. Is this acceptable?"

Me, "Yeah, sounds fantastic."

Shady, "We will acquire these for you on the condition that you take commissions like this on the daily. The duration will be one week, or until a private army shows up and we need to go to ground."

I flick a wordless question at Hana. She agrees.

Me, "We agree."

Shady, "A couple more quick points then. One, you were not at Ohanel's; instead, you were window shopping for vases at 'Wed's Antiques'. If you're questioned by the constabulary, tell them as much. The employees will back your story, and have a description of you. And two, my name is Wed." He stands up. "May our partnership be a profitable one."

I stand up and shake his hand. I guess that's all for today. "To profits, and a cushy retirement."

He smiles and turns to leave. "A parting gift. We will be in contact tomorrow." he drops some vines ¬Kinth=)¬ Kinth apparently, on the chair he'd been using, then continues walking. I levitate them over to Hana.

I tell the biped golem to collect the chairs, then start walking back with Hana. I put my hand on her shoulder. ¬what's wrong£ you are uncharacteristically quiet#)¬

¬a lot is wrong# how do I even describe it# mostly I'm just shaken# I'll feel better tomorrow)¬ From her emotions, it seems she's a little scared of... Me. I let go of her shoulder. I disconnect the telepathy as well

Me, "Hey, let's sleep apart tonight. I'm sure you want to try your new gross, soft bed right?" I give her a big smile. It's a lie, which is why I disconnected first. But I can't blame her, it's been an intense day. "If you want to sit out tomorrow, just say the word." I leave her. Oh. I reach out to her cart and turn the outer light on.

If I'm being honest, I'm tired too. Let's just go to sleep. I need to unwind. Maybe I'll take a break from everything tomorrow. Fuck, I really need to learn a water heating spell. Wait, can't I use fire crystals for that!? Guess I'm going shopping tomorrow after all. As much as I love hot water, perhaps a warm bath will help Hana as well.

- - -

(Side story)

What the fu-... heck is my life right now?

I'd been having fun bullying the jewel crafter when the gods saw fit to punish me for being a bad girl and saying bad words. That's how I feel. But Grey got to do it! Haa...

I flinch back as the golem walks in front of me towards Sentral. Its arm light was off, but I know how much light Grey's Diamond-and-Jet rod can produce, and that golem's arm is bigger. I turned and walked back to my cart.

He really scared me today. I know he didn't mean to; he was scared too, that I'd been hurt somehow. Looking into his mind, the stupid rock had misunderstood something and told him I'd been attacked. I should be happy he was willing to go to such lengths to protect me. But seeing that absurd display of power drove home the difference between us.

I step into my cart, my 'home'. I gently tap the Sapphire, and, yeah, the light turns on...

Telekinesis doesn't have the power to rend stone, right? I'm no magician, only a telepath, but it seems to be that only an Archmage would be able to do what Grey did to that building, if limited only to telekinesis. In Grey's thoughts, he has plans to get far, far stronger than this. How long will it be before he can crush a castle with his mind from the other side of the world? A year? Less?

I set down the Kinth vine that Wed had given me, and think about how this started.

He was so weird. I'm aware he was initially interested in me because his 'slanted eyes' and tongue fetishes outweighed his revulsion of telepathy. He sees me as cute, even now, but below my neck I'm not particularly attractive to him. He exaggerates to himself about my beauty for my sake, and I in turn carefully hide the fact that I know. I don't fault him for that.

I saw him as my ticket out of that village, to a better life. I know I'm not traditionally attractive. Few men would select plain ol' me, given the choice. So when I knew Grey was interested in me, I talked it over with my mother and she understood. She brewed me a pot of Euko then and there, and taught me how to please a man. I tried not to think about how her words were probably how I was conceived.

For my part, I've always been... cold down there. Masturbation was never terribly satisfying, and I was sure sex would just be me faking it until he was done. This was acceptable. He's a rich traveler. It'll be worth it to break out of Farnn.

That all went out the window though. When I met that devient, ready to give him my virginity... I felt his desire for an ordinary-looking girl like me, and I reached towards it. Too hard, it turned out. When I deepened the connection, he seized onto me and unconsciously stabbed my mind with his desires. I should have pulled back, but the heat of it, it felt.. good. I felt sexual desire for the first time in my life. It was hot, too hot, I was burning alive, and I loved it. He lit a fire in me that burned and excited. My tongue experienced pleasure, wrapped around his. Having the first orgasm of my life from my tongue... I wanted more. I'd do anything to feel this more. The fire of my brand new desire was stoked by the telepathic connection. I would purposefully draw us close, mentally, so I could revel in the intensity of his emotion, his desire for me. It has to be him.

I start preparing to go to bed.

When he drew back with his odd fear, the fire grew inside me. I didn't know how to deal with it, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was restless.I considered, for the first and only time, truly harming him. I could break into his mind and force him to forget those fears. I could alter him in exactly the way he feared most, and then rape him. To turn my mind from such sad thoughts, I masturbated again for the first time in years. It felt pleasant this time. The confidence boost knowing he wanted my body helped. It took the edge off, but the need was still there.

But then he came back to me, and we finally, finally made love..! The pleasure was intense, as was the relief as the 'bonfire' died down. When I pleasured him with my tongue after, the fire finally extinguished. The smoldering is still there, it will come back I'm sure, but the desperation is gone.

I step into the shower.

Almost more strange than my change, though, is how well he treats me. He built me my own separate house/cart, out of gemstones! Gemstones! Its value is incalculable, literally, and here I am living in it. The mattress costs more than my mother makes in half a year. And the sheets, they're so soft! The sheer luxury of it makes my head spin. And this shower, I love it, it's so convenient, and he's dissatisfied with it! He wants the water to be hot!!

I've spent my entire life poor. So when he casually said he'd earned 500 gold... a life-changing amount of money for anyone, it bit me in the chaps that he didn't care! "It's just money." I'd heard that float through his mind afterwards. He wants enough so he can afford stuff like mattresses and gems and such, but it doesn't hold much intrinsic value to him.

It's baffling to me.. Money means you can afford food. Money means you won't live on the street. Money means my mother and I won't have to sell our bodies to get by. And he just.. handed money to my mother, intending to never tell me, so I'd be happy she was okay when I came to visit. I know he's powerful, but it's just such an alien mindset. 'You never have to worry about money again. He would absolutely hand you that 1500 gold from earlier if you asked him.' The thought makes me feel complicated. I can't understand... I take some time to cry out my confused emotions. The shower water pouring over me carries away my tears and my uncertainty down to the drain at my feet.

I step out of the shower feeling a little better. The cold water helps me think. Okay, I've got this. I've got this.

What should I do next? My fire is doused, but of course I'd be willing to make love any time he asked it. I truly meant it when I told him I'd do anything he wanted. If he wants something, I want him to do it. But, if we had sex tomorrow, it wouldn't be as intense, as special, for either of us. My body is the way it is. I've seen his fantasies, and I qualify for several things he likes, but there are other things he wants I'll never be able to give him. I think I want to pick up a second female who does. She can please him on days where my fire is low, like today. And when my fire blazes back up, I'll claim my place, pressed against his lips... Mmm...my core warms, and I consider taking the edge off again. Then I shake my head. No. Let's save my desire for Grey. I'll cultivate this fire he gave me. He changed me, yes, but I like this me. I like it a lot.

I slip under the blankets, and gently touch the Sapphire. The lights dim, then turn off. My blankets are so soft, oh, this is nice.. I close my eyes, but continue thinking.

How do I get him to agree to a second girl? He shouldn't, but I suspect he'll bend over backwards to make sure I feel loved, that he doesn't need anyone besides me. Maybe if I reframe the request as me asking for it, so I could be a telepathic voyeur? Might work, and I do want that a little. But it would be a partial lie, and I don't want to keep any more secrets than I do. I could just be open and tell him about these feelings, my 'bonfire'... no, I don't want our lovemaking to be obligatory, or scheduled. I don't want him to feel he has to hold back on days I'm cool, or that he has to embrace me when I'm hot. What's the best way to do this?

Haa... Why is being in love this hard?

- - -

[Day 11 | Day 3 at Karmm]

The next morning I meet with Hana for breakfast. I'm just finishing up a quick project. She looks happy; I'm relieved to see she's cheerful again.

Hana reacts to my expression, "Don't worry, I'm made of tougher stuff! We've got something to talk about today. You're not gonna like it."

Me, "I'm glad about the first part, and sad about the second. What do you want to discuss? I'll hear you out."

Hana, "Let's talk about it later."

Me, "You're teasing me."

She smiles, and nods head.

Me, "I'm probably going to stay here for a little while. There's some projects for me to work on. You're welcome to stay or go into town."

Hana, "Someone has to buy the groceries! You're making the food cart today, right?"

Me, "Yeah, it should be ready by the time you get back. Oh, maybe pick up some chilly crystals, we'll need it for the cart."

Hana puts on a face. "Have your brains fallen out of your ears? They're cold crystals! Cold!" I laugh, and she smiles.

Me, "Grab some burning crystals too, I want to try to make a hot bath for us some time."

She punches my arm. "Goof."

I levitate over the purse, and give her some gold. Then I remembered that gold coins are worth quite a lot, so I put in some silver too. Silver can be broken for copper, and most stores won't bat an eye.

Me, "Hey, I want you to take this too." I hand her two bracelets. They're Jet exterior, with a tiny Sapphire visible and more Sapphire below. "Put one on each arm. If you need to contact me, touch the Sapphire together. Try it now." She puts them on, and moves her arms into a loose x, pressing them together.

Sentral contacts me ¬bracelets connected# contact wearer)¬ and disconnects.

Me, "Sentral just told me to contact you. Since the town is out of my personal range, our conversation will be through Sentral."

Hana stands on her tip toes and gives me a kiss... Chaste, unfortunately. "Thanks for looking out for me. I'll be back later. Bye!" She takes off at a jog. I watch her cute rear as it gyrates with her movements.. then shake my head, and get to work.

I want to make the food cart Hana mentioned yesterday. This one'll be a bit trickier than a living arrangement. I want the back quarter as a walk-in freezer, for meat primarily. The next quarter will be a walk-in fridge; eggs, milk, fruit, vegetables. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit, I don't really know how to plan out the kitchen portion of it. I know I want fold-out seating, and a bar on the side to eat at. For the chilled rooms, I think I want a double layer of insulation to reduce heat incursion. Not like Mohz 9.0 and 10.0 can't handle the weight. It'll be held on by a few connecting cylinders in the corners or center. The temperature will be regulated by cold crystals. More for a colder room, fewer for a warmer room. Eventually, when I have a glut of gems, I'd love to make the cart a particularly large golem that can store, cook, and serve food with just my telepathic say so, but there are a lot of hurdles in the way of that goal.

An hour or four passes, and I've finished the frame and the insulation. I'm working on meat hooks and shelving (do I even need meat books? Nobody's going to manage to hurt themselves on these right?) when Sentral notifies me of the bracelets touching. Shoving down any urge to do something rash, again, I calmly connect to Sentral, and to Hana. ¬hey how are things going)¬

¬everything is fine# I'm completely safe# I happened to meet Wed and he offered to help me with shopping)¬

See, myself? World's not ending. ¬hah are you being kind and sweet or an insufferable handful£)¬

¬I'm always kind and sweet= so rude)¬

Hahaha... she follows up, ¬anyway my love# is there anything you don't want me to talk about£)¬