Chapter 74: Worth Every Copper_Millennial Mage

Chapter 74: Worth Every Copper

 T hadnt moved, and Terry was sitting with her, when Boma returned, stone te in hand.

 Here, this should be in order.

 T stood and walked to him, Terry appearing on her shoulder after she was up. Thank you. She took the tablet and looked over the short bill of sale before retracting her power from her finger, pricking it, and certifying the transaction. There you are. She handed it back. Oh! What would it cost to get one of those?

 Boma epted the te back, seeming to contemte. For transactions? Or do you want it connected to any specific archive or library?

 I mean, Id prefer it to be as useful as possible.

 He grunted. Probably wise. Adding additional connections isnt really that expensive, but more useful means more used, so youll have to get it re-inscribed quite oftenFive gold? With a rmended two-month re-inscribing timeline. That would be an additional four gold each time.

 Ts eyes widened. Thats crazy!

 Dont give me that look, child. Its aplex schema, and it takes a lot to ensure the connections dont muck up the archives they link to. We could do it in an artifact format, but that would be He blew out a breath, considering. Fifty gold? He nodded to himself. Yeah, fifty gold ounces for one of those.

 Fifty gold!? I could buy an apartment for thatWait T frowned. One moment; you can make artifact style items? With that specific of properties? They can interlink with archives, that doesnt seem like something that could happen randomly, even if the randomness was guided

 Boma stiffened, freezing in ce, before he turned to look at her. No. No, we cannot.

 She sighed. Fine. Ill ask again after Im an Archon.

 He seemed to rx a bit, still obviously a bit off kilter. Well, sureIf you think that would change anything.

 She did. I have a question regarding dimensional storage items, specifically of the artifact variety.

 He turned a bit more towards her. Very well.

 Well, I have two, actually. Questions, that is. First, how can I determine if it is safe to be in my dimensional storage after it closes? And second, how could I expand its internal size?

 Boma looked away, seeming to contemte. Well, your first question implies that you know your dimensional storage changes, sometimes. That isnt rare for artifact-style items, but the mostmon dimensional storages are uniform and constant. Open or closed, they are the same inside.

 She nodded. Mine alters its shape, seemingly based on my more basic goals. It also will offer up the item I reach for, so I dont have to take it from a specific location inside.

 He was nodding. Notmon, but not that rare. There are two subtypes of item that function in that way, that I know of. For one, all unupied space ceases to exist, when closed. It is theorized that the unupied space never existed at all, any perception of such is an illusion, meant to convey various things to the user.

 Thats a disturbing thought When I climbed in, I may have beenpletely surrounded, engulfed, but didnt know it? 

 In the other, the internal space is amorphous, but rtively static. It alters itself to give desired items to the user, and reshapes towards its users needs, but holds its form in the meantime. In those cases, they function much like standard dimensional storage items: closing them doesnt change the inside in the least.

 Huh, thank you. How would I determine which I have?

 Boma looked at her hip, where Kit hung, for a long moment, his mage-sight inscriptions activating. There is something blocking my direct view of your item. I can tell its a dimensional storage, because of the vor of the powering out the top, but the rest is difficult to see. May I examine it?

 T handed him the pouch. He had no trouble grasping it. Did Kit allow that, or did he ovee its attempts to avoid being grabbed? She might ask, after she got her other answers.

 He opened it, looking inside for a moment, then pulled it closed and handed it back. You have the second type. The internal space will remain in existence when the pouch is closed. It only reshapes to meet a sensed need, from you.

 T smiled in relief. She wasnt quite sure how much of a difference it would make, but she found herself happy that it was the second. Quick question: Was it difficult for you to grab the pouch from me?

 He grunted. Not really. Nice little defense, though.

 So, it did try to avoid him, but it wasnt very sessful At least, thats what she interpreted from his answer.

 He looked at his hand quizzically for a moment, then a flicker of power caused a puff of dust to rise off his palms. You coated the outside in iron? A bit rude, that.

 T swallowed. I apologize. I didnt really think of it. She smiled in what she hoped would be an innocent way.

 He grunted. Dont hand that to a Mage. You might cause all sorts ofunpleasantness. He shook his hands, then sighed, and wiped them on his robes. Now, as to your other question, how to make the space bigger. He gestured expansively, but not really indicating anything in particr. The quickest way would be for you to soul-bond the item. That will give it a boost to storage capacity rtive to the strength of your soul. He hesitated. So, Id wait until youre a bit stronger in that regard. His gaze hardened, briefly. You should wait either way. Be an Archon before soul-bonding anything else.

 Understood. That was my n.

 Good. His eyes narrowed for a moment, before he grunted, seeming to ept her word for it. Once you are an Archon, and you bond that pouch, if the increase in capacity isnt to your liking, we can do a simr working to what we just did. Youll have to provide other,patible storage devices tobine with the pouch, but that should increase the working capacity.

 T found herself nodding. That seems simple enough. Thank you.

 He gave her a long look. Simple? No. Rtively easy? Sure.

 She shrugged. Fair enough. Oh! Shed almost forgotten. You do lensing items too, right? Incorporators?

 We do. Why?

 Well, first off, why do I have to recharge his cor, if its a lensing item? She patted Terrys cor.

 Quick answer is: you dont. He held up a hand, to quiet her objections. You are voring your portion of that cor, if it is the type it appears to be. That allows it to be bound to you but doesnt actually use that power. No power store can be infinite, so you have to refill that tag, every so often. If you were in an area of high enough magic density, it would fill on its own, the iing magic being automatically vored by the remnants of your power already in the cor.

 I suppose that makes sense. Thank you.

 He nodded. Sure. Anything else?

 Well, Im interested in buying incorporators. I have one for water, but its cold water. Could you do one for hot water? Like near boiling? Id also be interested in any generic ones that you might have avable. After a brief moment, she had a thought. What about coffee? Id definitely want a coffee one.

 Heughed. Hot water is easy, we might even have one on hand. If not, well have the diagrams in ce to make one quickly. Coffee? That is a ratherplex substance. He looked away, not meeting her eyes. It wouldnt be easy to make, anding up with such a diagram, such a device, would likely cause friction with the Growers Guild, which cultivates that crop in parts of the cavernplex below this very city.

 T found herself grinning. You already have one, dont you. She thought for a moment. Thats where the coffee in the waiting roomes from. How do you keep it from discorporating?

 Mistress T, your conjecture is unwarranted. Im afraid we cannot easily create such aplex incorporator.

 She cocked an eyebrow at him. Ill bet you cant.

 He gave her an exasperated look. I do apologize, the research required to create such would be extensive, and prohibitively expensive. Even if you had the funds tomission such, we simply do not have the time.

 Fine, fine. I wont push. How much for the hot water one?

 Thirty silver.

 She didnt know how to feel about the price. It seemed both too expensive and too cheap. Why? And how did you know the price already?

 He shrugged. Why the cost? They are useful devices to some, but overall, they are inefficient. How I know it? One is no harder to make than another once the details of its construction are known. All incorporators I can sell you will cost basically the same.

 She grunted. I can spend up to a gold ounce on a few of these. Theyre good training for my umtion-rate and useful besides. Which ones do you have in stock? Ill want a hot water one, whether I have toe back or not.

 Boma was nodding, working on the tablet theyd used for the earlier transaction. From what she could see from her angle, it looked like he was going through a manifest list of items and materials this guild had on hand. He then manipted the information,bining it with a secondary list. Here are all the incorporators that we can create onmission for a certified Mage. If we have it on hand, that is indicated, here. He pointed to a column of Xs and nk spaces to one side of the te. Take a moment to have a look.

 She smiled, epting the tablet. After a moment, she looked up in confusion. This one says diamond. You can make a diamond incorporator?

 Not as useful as it sounds. Any jeweler worth their metal will be able to tell its not quite right. Plus, incorporated material degrades based on the connected mass exposed, along with various other factors. The more rigid the creation, the faster it discorporates as well.

 T grunted. Ah, so diamonds dontst very long.

 No, less than a minute. He shrugged. Though, some of our clients have said its quite fun to send out a spray of diamonds.

 She smiled, opening her mouth, but he cut across her.

 Before you ask, no, it is not a harmful spray, nor can it be made to be so. I understand that there are some industrial applications for diamond dust. He indicated another incorporator listing. If I remember right, it is a very effective material for grit-sting to clean various items. The fact that it discorporates so quickly afterwards is a benefit as well. He hesitated. To be clear, the incorporator, itself, does not do the sting. Thats an entirely different device.

 Huh, I suppose I can see that.

 There were a surprising number of options, but they were all for unified materials, in one state or another. Only homogenous incorporations were avable.

 This one says: Hot air. How hot? And justair?

 He smiled. We can make it as hot as you desire, though efficiency drops exponentially. So, it cant even create more than a minor burn, even if you held it flush to your own arm. As to the chemicalposition of whats created? He shrugged. For those: Non-toxic in roughly the ratios found around us all the time. Mostly heard of them being used to speed drying or curing times. Some Mages who had baking hobbies have tried to make ovens from them, very precise temperature output and all, but the throughput was never sufficient for their purposes, given the point was incredibly precise temperatures over an enclosed space. Simr for a crazyd who tried to use one to inte somerge cloth bag to fly; he imed the same issue with output volume. Dont know that any Archons ever tried either of those tasks, though.

 This one, here, says me. That would burn something, right?

 That is the idea. Ludicrously inefficient, as expected. I, myself, can only create about a four-inch, very thin me for a short time.

 So, worse than my inscribed item and more than four times the price. Not that Ive used that outside of starting the fire under Lyns tub But what does it actually produce?

 A gaseous fuel at a high enough temperature tobust virtually instantly. And before you ask, the amount of fuel that can be produced at lower temperatures is equally miniscule, and it doesntst very long; it''s tooplex a material for a durable incorporation.

 These are not as useful as Id hoped

 He smiled. I imagine that youre a bit underwhelmed, yeah?

 Just a bit

 Well, you dont see these everywhere, do you?

 I suppose thats true. She sighed. Ill just take one for water, as close to boiling as reasonable, one for hot airat whatever temperature you think is reasonable for drying everyday items, when wet? And one for coffee.

 He gave her a long-suffering look. The hot water and hot air incorporators will cost you sixty silver, together.

 She nodded. Thats a lot, but I should be able to use them to good effect. She decided to not fight him on the coffee. For now. When can I pick them up?

 He took the tablet, working up a sales agreement before handing it back. Tomorrow? These are well known designs. Im d you didnt have too specific of temperature desires, because if we havent worked out formations for exactly what youre looking for, itd require starting from scratch.

 Its not just a minor adjustment?

 He shook his head. No, it is not. He didnt borate.

 Alright then. She confirmed the bill of sale. Thats all I can think of, right now.

 Well, its been a pleasure. Doe back, once youre an Archon. I think well have a more productive time. He smiled.

 She nodded, respectfully. Thank you. I think we did all I needed us to. Truly, thank you for all your help.

 He gave a slight bow and strode away, te in hand.

 * * *

 It had been a very productive morning, and T was quite ready for some lunch.

 With Kit mostly empty now, she decided to swing by home to load up the jerky, though she didnt particrly want that for lunch.

 Terry didnt seem to mind the detour or the bits of jerky she regrly flicked out for him.

 While she was home, after the jerky was stored, she looked around Lyns kitchen. There was a very simple, inscribed hot te without any means of powering it, and there was arge firece in the living room, though shed never seen Lyn use it.

 In the firece itself were wrought iron fixtures for hanging pots or kettles over the me, and others to allow skewered meat to be turned over the heat. There were heavy doors set into the brickwork beside the hearth that were clearly intended to be ovens, of a sort.

 I have no idea how to use any of this. She let out a long-suffering sigh. It would have been nice if the academy actually taught us practical skillsNow that she thought about it, hadnt there been a cooking ss avable? I didnt really have time...

 Shed have to seriously consider figuring out how to cook, if she was going to be around the city much of the time. Or, I could just go on more caravan trips, and pay off my debt faster That was probably a better choice.

 Now, Terry, where should I get food? She locked the door behind them and turned towards the nearest group of restaurants. I wish I could practice some while eating She could read, at the very least.

 She ended up choosing a new ce, drawn in by the scents.

 Twenty minutes, and half a silver,ter, she exited the eatery, bearing what appeared to be a small log, one end easily the size of two of her fists. It was two-thirds as long as her forearm. What was I thinking? This is huge!

 The meal wasposed of an incredibly thin, flour tbread, wrapped around ayer of melted cheese, then anotheryer of the incredibly thin bread. Inside that doubleyer of goodness was a medley of tender chicken, heavenly pork, fluffy rice, fried beans, perfect spices, cooked vegetables, mild cheese, and swirling,plementary sauces.

 She sat down at an outdoor table, just staring for a long moment. The menu inside had listed this one as the Biggest Cheesy Little Caravan. As that was a much tooplicated name, T just thought of it as a food log.

 Terry appeared on the other side of the table, and she took a moment to get arger than usual chunk of meat for him.

 He ate it just as quickly as usual.

 Well, here it goes.

 What followed was truly something to behold. Each bite was a subtly differentbination of vors, textures, and scents.

 It. Was. Glorious.

 Her mind was bent entirely towards the consumption of her lunch, her book forgotten as she simply enjoyed.

 She ate the whole thing.

 Leaning back, she let out a contented sigh. She pulled out her water incorporator and took a careful drink. Hey! I didnt gag myself. Im getting better control.

 Terry was stretched out in the sun on the other side of the table, ignoring her.

 She nced towards the eatery. Should I get another?

 It was a tempting thought. Her stomach objected. She couldnt remember ever feeling so full.

 No, T. That should have fed you for days. You dont need anothernot right now Maybe, she could reward herself with a second after her visit to Holly,te this afternoon. Yeah. Thats a good n.

 She groaned contentedly as she pushed herself up into a standing position. Yeah, not another now.

 Terry blipped to her shoulder as she pulled out Lyns sheet once more. Now, where to for my massage?

 Her belly full, she wandered through the city.

 It was alright that she was taking this day a bit easier than she had thest three weeks. She was due for a break.

 I can train tomorrow.

 Lyns directions led her to an unassuming building without a sign out front. If it had been in the inner circle, shed have assumed it was a house. As she thought about it, she realized that it could still be a home. Its not like the guards do sweeps of the buildings, ensuring people only sleep in one part of the city. She took another moment topare her location to Lyns directions. Is this the right ce?

 She checked Lyns sheet again. This seems to be the right ce Still uncertain, T walked up to the door and knocked.

 A decidedly feminine voice called from inside. One minute, please!

 T waited.

 The door opened to reveal an older woman with gray-streaked, ck hair. She was smiling, highlighting the pleasantly warm smile-lines and crows feet on her face. She was just slightly taller than T and petite. How may I help you?

 T nced down at the paper she held once more. Are you Emi?

 The womans smile deepened. I am! You must be Mistress T. Come in,e in. She stepped back, her long skirt swaying about her as she gestured for T to enter.

 T stepped across the threshold, processing what her mage-sight was telling her about the woman.

 Emi, like most people, had a gate, through which power flowed into her body. It was a bare trickle, whenpared to any Mage. Lacking a keystone inscription, Emi wouldnt be able to alter or control the flow consciously. Even so, the diminutive woman had gold inscribings set into her shoulders, arms, forearms, and hands, all focused on increasing the strength and dexterity of the limbs and preventing that increased strength from causing harm.

 As T contemted what she was seeing more closely, she saw that, undeying the inscriptions, indeed surrounding them and encapsting them, was more magic of the same type, but based in the womans flesh, rather than the inscribed lines. Again, its like arcanous beasts in the wilds, or the guards.

 It appeared as if Emi, through the years, had somehow acquired naturally urring magics directly corrting to her inscriptions. That cant be a coincidence. Do human bodies adapt to the inscribings? She realized that, if that was the case, it would exin why Mages whod been getting the same inscriptions, consistently, for years, seemed more powerful than others.

 Emi tilted her head. Have I lost you, Mistress?

 T blinked, returning to the present moment. I apologize. Your inscriptions are fascinating, and you seem well practiced in their use.

 Emi smiled happily. That is a kind way of saying Im quite old.

 Ts eyes widened, but before she could respond, Emi chuckled.

 Oh, I know thats not what you meant, Mistress. Now,e with me. You are my whole afternoon.

 T followed Emi through the simple building to a back room. Mistress Lyn didnt tell me what the cost would be.

 The kind Caravan Guild functionary? Right, that was her name. Well, I have you for three hours, so well do eight silver. If, at the end, you dont feel it was worth it, we can discuss alternatives.

 That seems more than fair.

 The room Emi had led her into had a waist high, padded table in the middle, appointed much like a bed. Have you received a massage before?

 Not really?

 She barked a softugh. Well, well talk for a bit, then youll undress and get under the sheet, face down, and Ill see what I can do.

 Alright.

 So, tell me whats bothering you.

 Over the next ten minutes, T exined what she was feeling from her back and limbs, as well as some of the changes that shed noticed over the past weeks.

 That done, Emi left so that T could undress and get in ce on the table.

 When the woman returned and began to work, T slipped into heavenly bliss as, through the early afternoon, each muscle was slowly cajoled into giving up its tension and pain.

 Worth every copper.

MillionNovel

Chapter 74: Worth Every Copper