Cat With a Raygun

After leaving Davis's smithy, Joe stopped by some butcher shops to see what kinds of animal hearts he could procure for Belstak. While pig, chicken, and cattle forms didn't seem useful at first glance, one never knew when being incognito would require different options.

Otto was still in the middle of selling things when Joe caught up to him. “How are the sales going?” Joe asked him.

“Well, your arcane devices aren't selling, I'm sorry to say. People love their use, but the price is just too much to bear. I've had complaints over the asking price, but officials here in the market have confirmed the value with their own appraisal abilities. Is there a way to make them with less valuable components?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. I've checked looked into my methods a bit in the libraries here in Trenos and I can't find anything that even approaches how I make things. No mention of my profession at all. As far as I know I'm the first one to do this, and the first one to have this profession.”

“Have you spoken to any other mages,” Otto asked, then quickly added, “Other than the one you're training, I mean.”

“No, given how rare mages are, and the experiences you underwent dealing with people trying to take advantage of that rarity, I have been loathe to advertise myself. Maybe I should, though. There are mages here in Trenos, right?”

“I think they have one or two in the palace in the center of the city,” Otto said.

“Maybe on another trip. I was thinking about doing something else, though. After I took out those bandits to the west of here I received a bounty reward. I wonder if there are any bounties on monsters that you or the others from our town can earn. You know, to help with their training.”

Otto contemplated Joe's suggestion for a moment, “Yeah, I like that idea. I'm still getting used to the newest hammer Melanie crafted for me.”

Joe smiled at that, “Well, don't get too used to it. I've gotten an idea for something that will help her become better at enchanting, so I'm sure she'll produce new weapons for everyone before long.”

“Your mind never stops, does it? I guess that means you'll discover a method to make cheaper arcane devices soon enough.”

“I suppose I can brainstorm about it while I go look for bounties,” Joe laughed in reply to Otto's comment. “I'll be back in a bit.”

And think about it he did. While he was making small talk with the guards at the barracks command where the bounties were all posted his mind was looking at everything he knew about the arcane energy flow. Of course magisteel was the best medium for the manachlorians, but Joe knew from crafting other things that it isn't the only thing that works. Of course, everything else he's used has been infused with mana powder, which is only nominally cheaper than magisteel.

And where does the mana powder come from? It's pulverized mana crystals, and the crystals are the result of earth minerals being infused with large amounts of manachlorians over time. So could other things work if infused with the same energy over time? The spring that bubbles up next to the mana diamond certainly is infused with energy. So why not go back to Joe's original idea of circuitry?

After Joe picked up a couple of good bounties he went back to see Otto. “Hey, Otto. Do you think you're going to finish before the market closes?”

“Unless people are suddenly willing to pay for your devices, yes, I think so. Why?”

“Cause I want you to buy a bunch of copper ore for me,” Joe replied while handing over some platinum coins. “See how much you can get for that amount of money. I'm sure you'll have room in the chest.”

Otto took the coins from Joe with a confused look on his face, “Not a problem. But where will you be?”

“The bounties I picked up are for areas I haven't been to before. I'm going to see how far I can get before sunset. I'll meet you at that tavern over there just after dark,” Joe said while pointing to one of the many taverns in the city.

“Okay, but don't hog all the glory yourself, you hear?” Otto warned.

“Don't worry, I have no intention of actually engaging with these yet,” Joe assured the merchant.

Joe used Backtrack to get near the northern gate of the city, then made his way out with the usual traffic. After that he started running along the northern road. Joe cast Speed Boost through the greaves of his armor and he suddenly started moving fifteen times faster than normal. The armor's enhancement effect also meant a single casting would last over 100 minutes.

It only took 2 castings of Speed Boost to get to the region identified in the first bounty, in which time his Running skill went up to 11. After he felt he was close enough he used Backtrack to get Mankerin. The second bounty was near Telknock. The roads north of Trenos were frozen from the wintry temperatures, but they were bare, the last snow had long since melted in that area. Here in Mankerin it wasn't quite so. Snow blanketed the ground, meaning it would be harder for him to run.

So why run? Joe hopped above the snow and just before he landed back in the powdery mix he cast Cold Snap making a sheet of ice to glide across. He then used Speed Boost to start moving quickly. The speeds he was moving at would normally be reckless for traveling across ice, even with his Agility score now at 227, so Joe used Levitation not to lift himself off the ice, but instead to keep him balanced and straight on the ice. The constant casting of both Cold Snap and Levitation would have been a drain on his mana pool, but with his Meditation being boosted by his armor kept the drain very minimal. He had about two hours before he was due to return to Trenos, and in that time his mana pool only had a net loss of 200 mana.

- - - - -

“Have you made any progress in getting to the bounty area?” Otto asked as Joe walked up to the handcart where Otto was waiting right next to the tavern.

“I got to the first one. My new spell conduit is great, it helped me move really fast. I also gained a level in Speed Boost. I only cast it four times, but I guess because the quality was greatly enhanced it still added to the spell's development. I also gained a level each in two other spells I was casting today, Cold Snap and Levitation. Not to mention I also gained 3 levels in Spell Conduits, so all in all, the last four hours have been very good for me. I might travel like that again soon to discover new locations as well as train some of my spells and skills.”

“Well, now you're making me jealous,” Otto said. “I don't even have Speed Boost, much less any of the rest of those spells or skills. Well, anyhow, let's get going out of town and back home so we can plan for these bounties.”

Joe took the handles of the handcart and used his head to indicate to Otto that he should sit on the chest in the cart.

“I'm perfectly capable of handling the weight of this on my own, Mister Showoff,” Otto objected.

“I'm not trying to show off, but I can see in the dark. After we leave the gates we won't have torches any more.”

Otto looked puzzled, “Don't you have magic to make light?”

Joe put down the cart handles and looked embarrassed, “Oh, yeah, I don't use that spell enough. Thanks for the reminder. Let's go.”

- - - - -

Ferric greeted Joe and Otto as they passed through the portal back to Rust's Edge. “Welcome home. How was the city?”

“I made lots of sales, I'll work out my commission shortly and pass the rest to the creators of what I sold,” Otto replied.

“That's great,” Ferric said. “Joe, how did your things sell?”

“They didn't. Everyone mentioned that they're too expensive for what they do. And they're right. But I have an idea of something that might work to bring down the price. I'll just need to borrow some manachlorians from the diamond.”

“Well, I guess we can spare a drop or two, since it is you,” Ferric joked.

“Before that, though, I looked at bounties posted in Trenos. I picked a couple that I think you guys can handle in groups. I can get you guys close to one, but not the other yet. I kind of want to finish traveling to the other location tonight, but I guess it can wait until tomorrow while the first group is going after the first bounty.”

“Good idea. Get some rest. Oh, what's the first bounty for, by the way?”

“Frost bears,” Joe replied.

Ferric and Otto both stopped in their tracks and in unison said, “Frost bears?!? Are you crazy?”

“You guys can handle it. You two along with Melanie make a very powerful fighting force. Add in Eleanor with a satchel of Healing Potions and Sally and both of their bows and you guys can handle them.”

Otto looked to Ferric then back to Joe, “Are you sure? Frost bears are bad news all around.”

“Okay, take Belstak with you. Frost bears, from what I've read, are the size of regular bears, so his giant boar form should be able to ram into them.”

“And what is everyone else going to be fighting?” Ferric asked.

“Ice weasels. There's an infestation near Telknock.”

Ferric nodded his head, “No wonder you're sending so many Scouts there. Ice weasels are not that tough, but their numbers make them more dangerous.”

“Exactly. I figure speed is better against them, so it's mostly Scouts in that group. Plus they'll have Tess as a healer.”

The next day would certainly be interesting.