NOVEL FROG Vol 3, Ch 18. Cores and Crystals
They were swimming back from the shrine and spring, transitioning back into shallower, warmer water. Bonny lay on Eloisss’s back and let the lamia do the work, her long tail undulating in slow arcs.
Kanae stayed underwater, darting after fish and examining bits of shells and shiny things found among the weeds and sandy patches.
“Elss, when I talked to Kama this morning, I didn’t exactly deny her request outright.”
“What did you ssay?”
“That I would get back to her. Whoever it is asked for me specifically. All I know is that she’s someone we’ve met and I have to promise not to tell anyone before Kama will tell me who it is.”
“You didn’t promisse?”
“Not yet. If I did accept, it would be just me and her. None of you are allowed to know who it is or come into the room.”
“Ssusspisciouss.”
“Right!? I think it's someone important. Someone that's afraid of people knowing.”
“Did sshe ssay they were important? It could be Brooke.”
Bonny laughed. “I don’t think so. Kama called her a client.”
“Could it be a priesstesss?”
Four of the priests they had interacted with were women. Mila and Gloria worked in the Temple of the Seven. Altha and Helem were newly blessed by Recovery.
“It could be. I already had sex with Gloria and her goddess, so I don’t think it would be her. Probably not Altha or Helem either, they still think they owe me something. I don't think they would try to hide from any of you.” Bonny said.
“Gloria may want more sex with you.”
Bonny shook her head, even though Eloisss couldn't see her. “She would talk to Hope first. Mila might be in a relationship with Cassius. The first time I met him was through her.”
“Perhapss sshe doessn’t want him to know.”
They both thought for a minute, sliding silently through the water. Bonny’s arms still wrapped around the lamia’s waist.
“It could be. I’ll think about it some more, but I’ll probably ask who it is. I don’t want you to get angry if I accept.”
Eloisss sighed with a long drawn out hiss.
Once back, the three of them dried, changed, and headed back up to the room. No one else had returned, so after a quick lunch and a special dessert for Kanae, they set out to check on Nestor, the mage.
The tower still looked like an erect dick, round and tall, with a small building set against the base of the tower and an expanded upper floor that bulged out from the shaft. No one answered the door, so they let themselves in and started climbing the circular stairs.
“Anyone home?” Bonny called up at the halfway point.
There was a commotion and a reddish otter stuck his head over the edge of the stairwell. He waved and shouted down, “Hi, Bonny!”
“Hi, Rube.” She called back.
He was one of the apprentices they had caught selling phony elixirs infused with arcane slime. They had run into him several times since then, often at the brothel, where he was a frequent customer. He had been afraid of them at first, but had slowly warmed up over time.
The gray bearded Nestor was standing and waiting when they arrived, but backed away when Eloisss slithered up.
Kanae yipped a greeting and set off to smell things around the room.
“Hi. Sorry for not checking in earlier. Things got a little exciting after our last visit.” Bonny said. “Any further problems with assassins or anything?”
They had last visited the tower the day before Zeal and Wrath attacked the city. Wrath cultists had threatened Nestor into cooperating with them and planted a cursed book for Bonny to take.
Nestor shook his head and pointed to a table on one side of the room. “No. I’ve made progress on crafting some wands, but I'll need to acquire some hard to find items to complete them.”
The table held several pieces of wood that looked like broken Harry Potter wands. They were split in half lengthwise and had tiny writing inscribed in strange patterns along the hollowed out insides.
The mage pointed to a hollow near the base of the wand. “I need mana crystals and some material to form wand cores with in order to finish them.”
“What’s a wand core?”
“Have you read the books I gave you?”
Bonny blushed. “I’ve been a little busy since you gave them to me.”
“A core helps attune mana to the spell structure. It can be anything related to the spell. For example,” he picked up a pair of wand halves. The two pieces of wood had a series of linked rings carved into each half. “I've inscribed a binding spell in this one. Depending on what we use for the core, it can be expressed in different ways. For example, if we create a core using iron that was previously used in manacles, it may form magical cuffs. If we use twine, it may tie up the target with magical rope.”
“That’s … a weird example. Why binding?”
“One of the guards has a restraint skill to help apprehend criminals. She thought it would be helpful for other guards, so we translated and transcribed it into the wand.”
“Oh. That’s a good idea. Are all of these the same?”
“No, each is a prototype for a different spell.” He pointed to another wand with small arrows carved into it. “This one can shoot arcane projectiles.”
“I assume it needs a different type of core?”
“Yes. Iron would still work, but would be best if it came from an arrowhead or something that was thrown. A core requires intent and meaning. Wood from an arrow shaft would also work. The core for this one is more versatile than the restraint spell, so you could use stone if you wanted a projectile that wasn't an arrow. However, wood and stone don't transfer mana as well as iron, unless they’re magical.”
“What are the others?” There were two other pairs of wand halves on the table. One had parallel lines carved along it and the other had a wavy line that looked like water. “Do the carvings mean anything?”
“No. I added them to help identify them." He pointed at the pair with parallel lines. “ This one is levitation and can move small objects. The other creates water.”
“I have that skill. [Create Water!]” Bonny held out a cupped hand as she invoked the skill.
A dark cloud formed above her hand and a torrent of rain poured out, quickly filling her hand and spilling over. She dismissed it and the rain stopped. She drank the water that she managed to retain in her hand.
“That’s never happened before. Usually it’s just a sprinkle.”
Eloisss slithered up behind Bonny and wrapped her in a hug. “Your affinity increassed, Love. That makess it sstronger.”
Bonny frowned. That raised another question. “Does it work differently if it’s an arcane or elemental spell?” Or Divine, but she didn’t state that out loud.
Nestor answered, “Functionally, no. Affinity affects power and control, so if you have access to both, you should use the one you have the higher affinity with.”
“So, you can take a skill and make a wand from it? What about healing? Uh, mending.”
“Divine and demonic magic works differently. You should ask at the temples.”
Bonny's association with the two was well known at this point.
“Oh. I could just ask one of the gods, right?”
Nestor and Rube took a step away. Both looked uncomfortable.
Bonny continued, oblivious to their discomfort, “Back to crystals. What’s a mana crystal?”
“Solidified mana. You can find them in high magic areas. I used to have a few stored with the other materials, but I can’t find them now.”
“So it’s like a magic battery?”
“Bat-airy?”
“Something that stores energy?” Of course they wouldn't know anything about technology or electricity.
“Yes.”
“Can you buy them? And stuff for the cores?”
“Sometimes, depending on the merchant, but I can’t afford them. I was hoping I could convince you to find the materials. I’ll split the profits with you, of course.”
“Where would I find them? Are there magical core things just lying around in the forest? Do we need to buy some manacles and shave pieces of metal off of them?”
“The guard will provide the iron. I heard you're fighting monsters, like the demons that attacked the city yesterday. If you can bring me samples, we can test them to see what would work.”
“Oh, sure. I can do that.” She shuddered. “Maybe not spider parts though. What about high magic areas? Where are they?”
“You might have to go to the forest for those. Monsters tend to gather in high magical areas, so if you see a bunch of them, mana crystals could form there. Anywhere there’s a concentration of magic.”
“Oh.” She paused in thought for a moment. “If we just need high magic concentration, then what about …”
‘Violet?’ Bonny focused her thoughts on contacting the slime.
[yes, bonny]
‘I’m talking to Nestor about mana crystals at the tower. Please let everyone know that I’m fine and where I am, then join me.’
[okay]
There was a brief pause, then a pop and Violet was standing beside her. The slime girl was wearing a blood spattered white dress with dark leggings. The crown visible inside her head slowly spun around a marble-sized bead of Bonny’s cum. The pearl grew and shrank over time as it was slowly consumed and additional material was periodically added.
[[here]]
Bonny eyed the blood. “What were you doing?”
[[patrolling, freja took the trainees to the forest]]
“What!?”
[[they need experience]]
Bonny sighed and flashed her cleansing aura around them. She no longer used it all the time, to avoid accidentally affecting Willow’s sapling. The blood splatters dried out, faded, then broke down into dust that quickly vanished.
“Fine. What do you know about mana crystals and crafting?”
[[a lot, alva made wands and amulets]]
Alva was Nestor’s former master. She had died years ago from a fall from the stairs. Violet thought Nestor caused it, but they hadn’t reported it due to lack of proof.
“Do you know where we can find crystals or stuff to make cores with?”
[[i can make crystals]]
“You can? Will you?”
[[yes, i helped alva many times, it will take a day to create one]]
“Thank you, Beautiful.” Bonny pulled the slime girl into a hug and sloppy kiss.
[[i will require food to replenish the energy required to create it]]
“Anything you want. If I can get it.”
Violet's eyes flicked down for a moment and she smiled slyly.
[[i am certain you can provide what i need]]
