Chapter 4: Freya


    Freya raced through the cobblestone streets to reach the candy maker. Her thoughts were on what a steel coin could buy. She was definitely getting a honey sucker. They lasted hours. They were her favorite, even though Storme said she was rotting her teeth. What else should she get? Three honey suckers were one steel. She suddenly stopped.


    Storme had given her the coin, and she had voted in favor of Gareth. Was it a bribe attempt, or was he making up for not taking her to the bakery this morning? Storme was always saying she needed to slow down and think things out before acting. He called her impulsive! But Gareth had promised to bring her to the Gaskil farm to see the new puppies!


    Well, she should have at least spent time comparing their two scripts before deciding. Storme had drilled into her the importance of appearing fair and impartial. Wait. Her thought process reversed. It wasn’t a bribe. It was a trick to ditch her! Storme hadn’t put on airs of disbelief at her pronouncement of Gareth winning like he usually did. They were up to something.


    Freya thought herself a tried-and-true companion to Storme and Gareth. She hadn’t told anyone of the time they had released old lady Beatrice’s chickens, only to walk down the road a few minutes later and offer to round them up for a few steel coins. Or the time the three of them went to Twin Rock Lake to go fishing since nothing was biting in the stream outside the town. It was the fact the blue pike they caught that day never traveled downstream that got them whipped. It was one of the few times Storme and Gareth had been punished.


    Twin Rock Lake was near the edge of the floating island; sometimes, large birds of prey flew up from below to hunt the pike in the lake. She never told anyone that Storme and Gareth continued fishing at Twin Rocks. They wouldn’t bring her anymore, but she covered for them in exchange for a few steel coins when they sold their catch in the city. The blue pike was the tastiest fish on the island and could be sold for good coin. Her mouth watered, thinking of the buttery blue pike Storme had once cooked for her.


    Well, Freya decided she would make haste to spend her steel coin and then find the boys. Well, haste for a ten-year-old girl was a matter of perspective. After buying her first honey sucker, she sucked on it while deciding what else to buy. She wasn’t impulsive! With a second honey sucker, two birch taffies, and a thimble of sweet water, she searched for her brother and Gareth.


    She started looking at the gate out of town to the city to check with the sentry to see if they had headed to the city. It was the most likely scenario if they were ditching her. Yadam, the bored sentry on duty, said he had not seen them today. Her next stop was the miller. They delivered flour for him regularly around Hen’s Hollow. No luck again. She wandered through the small town, checking with the business owners they frequently helped, but found no sign of them.


    Storme and Gareth were well-liked in town. They were industrious boys who were always eager to help in exchange for a few coins, making people’s lives easier. Freya also knew they did extremely well for themselves in terms of earnings. Two weeks ago, she had snuck into Storme’s tiny room at home and pried out the loose wallboard to see his hoard. He had stacks of 50 coins wrapped in paper. He had two tubes of 50 steel coins, three tubes of 50 copper coins, some loose steel and copper, and 34 silver coins! She returned the board and left everything as she found it.


    Freya eventually returned home and saw Storme’s fishing rod outside the barn. Today wasn’t the typical day he went fishing, so that didn’t surprise her, but it had been her last guess. She went inside and checked Storme’s small room, but nothing, and just to make sure, she checked his stash. Maybe they snuck into the city, avoiding Yadam, to go on a spending spree. After all, her birthday was coming up, so maybe they were out buying her something! But the coin rolls were all still there, and his silver had grown to 37.


    It was getting close to the midday meal, so Freya went to the leather worker’s shop to see her mother. “Freya! Sweetheart! What has you so down?” Mother asked when she saw her. Freya tended to wear her mood on her face quite openly.


    “Storme and Gareth ditched me this morning,” she said melancholily. Well, I guess if she really thought about it, she had ditched them, but who was splitting hairs? “Mother, I came by for lunch since Storme isn’t around to cook.” Storme was a great cook. He came up with the tastiest creations. His ‘cheeseburger’ had swept the pubs and inns across Skyholme, but an innkeeper in the capital had claimed credit for the grilled culinary treat months later, saying he tried it in the lowlands. Everyone in Hen’s Hollow knew the truth, though.


    “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. Pascal and his friends are on the common fairground.” Freya gave her mother her best ‘death’ stare, as Storme called it. She didn’t want to spend what remained of the day watching boys and girls hit each other with sticks and playing soldier.


    “Oh. I think Gwen and Sassy are at the tailor’s shop….” Mother tried again, and she turned up her death glare. In Hen’s Hollow, Gwen and Sassy were the only other girls close to Freya’s age. Gwen was the magistrate’s daughter and always talked down to Freya. Storme had called her a ‘stuck up bitch’ in private, and when Freya had repeated the phrase to her face, Freya had gotten a good spanking from her father after Gwen had told her own father. Freya had never revealed that she had learned the phrase from Storme. Another secret she had kept!


    Mother had gotten out her mid-day meal basket. Inside were pickled vegetables, rosemary bread, and some red apples. They ate in silence, and then something clicked. She hadn’t checked the barn. Sometimes, they all hung out inside, usually just when the weather was miserable, but they could be hiding in there. She quickly kissed her mother and hurried off while munching on an apple.


    Freya approached the barn through the high grass to be as quiet as possible. And when she was within three paces, she could hear them whispering. They were inside! How should she approach this? Should she scare them? Walk in like it was all a normal and fine day? Or should she try to listen in on their newest mischief? It’s not that she would ever turn them in, but getting some ‘leverage’ on Storme would be great. She might get them to escort her to the candy store in the city! They had a much larger selection.


    She moved to the back of the barn, away from the windows and the stall door. There were cracks in the siding, and she could look through them and see Storme and Gareth. That is, as long as they were not in the loft. Her movements were slow and careful, and soon, the whispering became coherent.


    “Storme, try and make a dagger with these steel pennies,” Gareth said. A few minutes passed, and then Gareth gasped and spoke louder, “Wow, that is an amazing blade. How did you get the ripples in the steel?” Storme responded in a whisper, and his back must have faced Freya because his response was too low for her to hear.


    She moved down a few boards and was able to see the pair. Gareth held a spectacular short dagger that rippled in the light from the window. Where did they get that? It must have cost quite a sum. “Storme, can you make another? We each should have one, and I will get sheaths from Master Aldrich.” Master Aldrich was the leatherworker for whom their mother worked. He had to be very good to have earned the master title.


    Then Freya saw something she couldn’t believe. Storme’s back was to her, but Freya could see one of his hands. He held about ten steel coins. The coins then flowed together like water while he held them. They rippled in his hand as they formed a dagger a little bigger than the one Gareth held just a few moments ago.


    It took all her will not to gasp and give herself away. Her brother had magic, and he had awakened! Why didn’t he tell everyone? Why didn’t he tell her immediately? Was there something wrong with his ability to control the metal? It seemed like a really useful feat. And they were told in the fables that there were no useless abilities. You just had to find a way to use them productively. She moved away from the barn ever so slowly, and when she was sure that they wouldn’t see her, she went into the house and to her room.


    Freya thought for a long time, the longest she had ever thought about anything. She was not impulsive! Her brother was smart, very smart. He had his reasons for not telling anyone but Gareth. She would keep his secret, and hopefully, he would share his magic with her when the time was right. She heard her mother enter the house. It must be close to dinner time. Maybe she should ask Storme for a dagger for her birthday…


    Chapter 5: The End of a Long Day


    After Gareth and I enjoyed a good laugh at our impending good fortune, we got to work. “How many coins can you make in a day, Storme?” Gareth asked. He was serious now and probably thinking about all the things we could buy.


    “Let me see how many steel coins I can make today. The smaller value coins will be easier to spend without drawing notice. We will have to think about creating a reasonable enterprise to cover our growing wealth in the future. I am not sure to what extent we should include Freya in our plans,” I informed Gareth.


    Gareth raised his left eyebrow. Yes, I had a soft spot for Freya, and if I didn’t include her initially, I usually caved after she begged and pleaded for a while. I didn’t have any memories of siblings in my past life. I was learning to be an elder brother and genuinely cared about her. I wasn’t sure where the disconnect had happened with Pascal. Probably because he never treated me like a brother. I think this was because he was a bit jealous of me growing up as I had learned things quicker and was really well-liked and praised by our parents and the townsfolk.


    I focused and made my first steel coin. Well, a lump of…not steel. “Looks like iron ore, not quite as shiny as steel,” Gareth helpfully supplied, taking the small chunk. “Well, if you can’t make steel, the copper will do.” He was trying to placate me because of my obvious failure and my disappointment.


    I thought for a few minutes, trying to draw on my knowledge of my past life. Steel had carbon in it. My ability could only create metal. Well, Gareth was right; I could always make copper. I was disappointed, though. Then, I spotted the crates of coal in the corner of the barn we used for the stove. I retrieved one coal lump, took the iron from Gareth, and focused on my ability to shape metal.


    It was the first time I could feel myself drawing from the aether core in my chest as I blended the iron and coal. It didn’t help my constant feeling of heartburn. The metal lump flowed over the coal, and I could feel the iron responding to my will to draw in the carbon. I zoned out for a bit, trying to find the correct balance and make it homogeneous throughout the lump.


    When I was finished, the excess coal fell away from my hands as dust. Besides needing to wash my hands, I now had a good lump of steel. I looked at Gareth, pride on my face. He spoke in a whisper, “That was amazing! It took you a few minutes, but I will be an orc’s cousin; you did it!”


    I turned the lump in my hand and focused on making it into a shiny new steel coin. I flipped the coin over to Gareth, who caught it with lightning reflexes. Yeah, Gareth was not only big but also a phenomenal athlete. He was quick, strong, and had excellent balance. While he rarely talked, he was also no dummy.


    “Stormy, we probably should dirty up the coins a bit. If we started spending shiny new coins all around town, that would draw attention, right? I don’t think I have seen more than a dozen coins this shiny in my entire life.”


    I nodded and had been thinking the same thing earlier about the copper coins I had made. “Yeah, I know some basic magics can make coins clean and shiny, but it would be suspicious if we were always spending shiny coins and didn’t have the magic to clean them. Ok, Gareth, let’s see how much steel I can make.”


    I focused and started pulling on my aether to make a big lump of iron. I could feel the aether leaving my core again and focusing on my hand, pulling the most aether I had pulled to date. The ore ball grew, and I got distracted when the weight exceeded three pounds, causing me to fumble and drop it, breaking my concentration. I had plenty of aether in reserve, but this was good for now.


    I looked up to see Gareth’s jaw was slack, and his eyes bulged a bit. I picked up the lump and brought it to the coal crate, ignoring my friend’s dumbfounded stare. I needed to be near the metal to affect it, more than two feet, and the effort became unwieldy, like trying to tie down a tarp in a wind storm with thin twine.


    The iron flowed through the coal as I felt out the best balance between hardness and brittleness. To make my feat even more impressive to Gareth, I formed the new steel into 48 large new steel coins. This took several minutes as I had to do the first few individually before figuring out a trick to make them in batches.


    Gareth was right there when I was done picking up each coin and inspecting it. “Damn, Storme, we are going to be rich.” While he was focused on our new wealth, I tried something new. I was combining my two abilities. I tried to create copper and create it directly into a large copper coin.


    Success! I turned over the shiny new copper coin, feeling the weight. Gareth interrupted me, admiring my work, “Can you make other things? Armor or swords? Stormy, try and make a dagger with these steel coins?” He grabbed a handful of coins, pushing them into my hand.


    Huh, that was a good question. Did I need to have knowledge of blacksmithing, just know the shape or the end result I wanted? My metal shaping skill was much more powerful than I had realized. It gave me a ‘familiarity’ with the metal as I worked it, allowing me to balance the alloy or additives and eliminate impurities. I took 11 of the steel coins Gareth had pressed into my hand and started working it into the shape of a large kitchen knife with a full tang. I had previously helped my mother replace the wood and leather wrap on knife handles, so I knew what I wanted to make.


    The knife was 10 inches long with a single edge. “No, Stormy, make a dagger instead,” Gareth whispered, focused on my work. The flowing metal hypnotized him. I altered my thought, and with a thicker blade and tang, the two-edged dagger was now just 8 inches. I then remembered watered steel from foggy memories. Could I do that? Could I layer steel?


    I restarted and folded the metal. It looked like a puddle in my hands to Gareth, but I was working hard to fold the steel. Two, three, four, five—compressing the metal after each fold. The 5^th fold started to require effort. The 7^th, and I could feel myself needing to invest some aether. I could have gone further but stopped after 11. I then reformed the short dagger with the full tang and handed it to Gareth. He gasped and spoke with excitement, “Wow, that is an amazing blade. How did you get the ripples in the steel?”


    I was pretty tired and not sure how much aether I had left. I needed to experiment more to find my capacity. I spoke very quietly, “It is just watered steel. Folded steel. The master weaponsmiths in the city do it this way in order to add aether dust between the layers to enchant the blade.” I admired the dagger with Gareth for a while before he spoke again.


    “Storme, can you make another? We each should have one, and I will get sheaths from Master Aldrich.” I nodded and grabbed 10 of the steel coins in each hand. I focused on one hand and then the other, working the metal again. This dagger was much larger than the last, 13 inches. When I was finished, I handed the new dagger to Gareth.


    He now held both blades. “You know, Stormy, both of these blades are fine works of art. I will purchase sheaths and handles for them. But I think I should get the larger of the two. You know, since I am bigger, after all.” His grin had returned to his face.


    I rolled my eyes at my friend. “Fine. Take the daggers to get them sized for sheaths and handles.”


    Gareth hesitated for a bit before slowly turning toward the door. He probably didn’t want to miss what I would do next, as today was highly entertaining for us both. “I am just going to meditate for a bit and try to figure out how to sense my aether core. I promise I won’t do anything exciting without you.”


    The Gareth grin lit his face, and with his back to me, he said, “Well, just don’t get into any trouble without me.” With Gareth gone, I spent some time getting dirty. I cleaned up the barn a bit. My focus was cleaning out the loft to create a decent workspace. I managed to get filthy and blew out lots of dirty snot as dust invaded my nostrils. I was going to need another shower and my clothes cleaned again.


    The upper loft was eventually cleared, and the old family couch was mostly cleaned. I had it positioned on the far side of the loft with a short table in front of it. That way, we could sit by the tiny window at the back of the loft and not risk getting walked in on while I worked in the future.


    It was getting close to dinner, and my mother and father would be home in about an hour or so. I decided to run down to the river and wash up there rather than go to the bathhouse, which would be crowded at this time. Also, Edel would probably press me to meet her niece again. I suddenly panicked. Oh, Edel! We hadn’t gotten her soap in the city today. Ugh.


    I grabbed an old leather backpack from the barn. The city was about a thirty-minute walk. I would swing by Master Aldrich’s leather shop and hopefully catch Gareth. Otherwise, I would make the run myself. My reputation was important to me, so I had to get the soap today.


    I had missed Gareth, and Master Aldrich was examining the daggers when I arrived. His gruff voice stopped me in my tracks as I was leaving since I had not seen Gareth, “Storme! How did you two come across these fine blades? I offered Gareth 80 silver for each, and he turned me down, saying they were yours.” His eyes were going back and forth from me to the daggers.


    “Yeah, they are, but I am giving the smaller one to Gareth. Are you making the handles and sheaths?” I replied, anxious to get the soap job done but not wanting to be rude to Master Aldrich, who employed my mother. I also thought 80 silver was way too light a price for the daggers.


    “Yes, I agreed on two silver and fifty copper with Gareth for both sheaths and another silver for wooden grips,” he replied evenly. Damn, Gareth, you should have negotiated that down to 2 silver total. Gareth sometimes got excited and forgot to think things through, or maybe he just didn’t care because of my new ability. Small sheaths were made from leather scraps and worth next to nothing. I pulled out three large copper coins. One of the coins was a shiny new one I had made earlier.


    “Here is a deposit, Master Aldrich. Do you know where Gareth went?” I was already backing out of the workshop after placing down the coins. He eyed me up and down. It was obvious his mind was working.


    “Gareth was off to the Perault farm to get some sausage,” he said. Damn, that was in the wrong direction from the city. And their sausages were not as tasty as the ones in the city that his mom liked. I yelled thanks before increasing my pace to a fast jog. I would have to go to the city without Gareth, and he would probably be upset.


    The run to the city was a straight road lined with small industries, farms, and orchards. The trip gave me time to think about other metals. I should try silver and gold tonight. We should also start forming a reason for our increased wealth and explain how we got the daggers.


    My first thought was daily work trips to the city to cover the increased coins. My second thought was maybe we could cover the wealth by saying we found an old cache of coins left by the Haikarum race that used to rule the islands.


    I recalled there had been a book in the bookstore that had pictures of hundreds of coins. Even in this realm filled with magic, coin collecting was a hobby. However, the hobby was not well received on our island. If I remember correctly, the book was in the discount bin. I slowed to a walk. I tried to create large copper coins while I walked. No issues, and by the end of the trek, I had 21 more large coppers in my money pouch. They were too shiny, though. I had come up with a plan to use them in the bookstore.


    I went through the outer city and straight to the soaper. The packages of soap were ready, and I carefully packed them in my backpack. The pack was really heavy for me alone, and my back was already aching as I reached the bookstore.


    The proprietor was named Wigand Goodholme. I developed a relationship with Wigand by delivering and picking up books for him that he was commissioned to repair. I had borrowed every cheap introductory book he had on magic for just a few coppers over the last few years. These books sold for between 50 and 200 silver, so he was doing me a big favor when he charged me a large copper to borrow a book for a week. He would loan me another as long as I brought the first back in the same condition.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Wigand’s bald head swiveled my way when I entered. “Hi, Wigand! I have a favor to ask. Do you still have that old beat-up book on the different dungeon, kingdom, and guild coins? I found some rich woman who was looking for something like it, and she gave me a few coins to purchase it.” My speech came out a little rushed, and I needed to slow down when I talked. According to Gareth, that usually happened when I was lying.


    Wigand flashed his bright smile, “I believe so. How many coins did she give you?” He was an entrepreneur, but I knew he wouldn’t overcharge me. He was already going through a stack of books in a rack marked as discounted.


    “Two silver. And she gave me a large copper to run the errand for her. If it costs more, then I can just return the coins to her.” I said, this time forcibly controlling the pace of my speech. Wigand opened the front cover and started tapping his finger on the page, thinking. The prices were usually inside the front cover.


    Finally, he said, “It is four silver. Hmm, ok, I will take the two silver. This book is over a hundred years old, and I don’t think it will sell unless I bring it to the capital, and I don’t plan on a trip there anytime soon.” He focused on me, “But if your new patron needs another book, you will send her here? I can procure almost anything from my contacts.” I nodded eagerly. I pulled out the 21 shiny large coppers and handed twenty to him. He was clearly puzzling out what kind of patron had access to newly minted coppers.


    “Does your patron have a name? Is she an adventurer?” He was obviously more than a little curious. And I guessed he thought the only person interested in the different types of coins would be an adventurer.


    “She was from the capital island but didn’t look like an adventurer. At least she didn’t have the guild’s medallion around her neck. She cleaned the coins with her magic.” My speech had quickened again, and I forced myself to slow. Damn it, Gareth was right; I talked faster when I lied. “I think she was just exploring the islands, and I mentioned the coin book I saw in the city.”


    Fortunately, Wigand just nodded and took the coins. I packed the book with the soap. “Wigand, how much for a lesser light stone?”


    It was the simplest bit of magic runecraft, a light stone that gave off light with a simple on/off control and could be recharged by someone who could manipulate their aether. These were cheap stones for reading and would eventually burn out after several recharges. He looked me over and pointed to my last large copper coin. I nodded and dropped the coin lightly on the counter. I swept up a light stone from the basket full of them on the display case. I said my thanks as I headed off. I knew the light stone usually cost 30 copper, so he gave me another discount.


    Shortly after exiting the city proper, I was on the road back home. Four figures lounging by the side of the road stood as I got closer to them. I groaned. Three boys and one girl around my age. I usually had Gareth with me and was never bothered. I could see them whispering to each other as I approached. One thing about Skyholme was it was a safe place, but the youth needed to occupy their time.


    The apparent leader, a tall thin, red-haired boy, took the lead as the others spread out. I had no chance to outrun them with the backpack I was hauling. The heavy backpack was also probably the reason they stopped me.


    The leader finally spoke in a high-pitched voice, “This is a toll road. 2 steel to pass unmolested, town boy.” It was a simple shakedown.


    I wasn’t going to pay. An adult should pass by soon. I looked down in both directions, and no one was in sight. Damn it. I turned to face the crew, who spread out and circled me. “Don’t make this hard,” the leader said with a more level voice. He was gaining confidence, but I guessed this was probably his first time trying this. I looked each bandit in the eyes, memorizing their faces. I won’t forget these kids anytime soon.


    The red-haired leader looked familiar, and I had seen him in the city before. The raven-haired girl was too pretty to be hanging with these ruffians. The fat kid with brown hair looked like he was allergic to exercise. The last one had facial features similar to the leader, probably a younger brother.


    I decided to try to scare the group. I put my pack down. I reached into it as they watched me like hawks and manifested a short blade of iron with a slight curve. They all took a step back and looked at each other for direction as I spoke confidently, “I am not giving you anything. Who wants to try and take it from me?”


    Well, I felt pretty sure of myself with a weapon in my hand, and then a fist-sized stone slammed into my shoulder and ricocheted up into my head. Two more stones hit me, and I wasn’t sure from which direction as I was already dazed. The pain told me one hit me in the left thigh just above the knee, and the other connected with my sternum. The head graze had me seeing stars, and by the time I oriented myself, I found the four racing to the city.


    They were probably just as fearful of me reporting them as they were of the blade. The blade? I looked down, and it was gone. I must have dropped it, and one of the ruffians must have scooped it up. I felt my temple and was bleeding a little from the head, but other than that, I would just have some nasty bruising.


    I ended up limping most of the way back to Hen’s Hollow. I forced myself to walk as straight as possible when I reached the sentry. It was Yadam, and he knew me well as he worked with my father. I headed straight for the bathhouse.


    Once there, I pulled out the soap, and Edel stopped her washing for a minute to extract two cubes of soap and produce the promised coins. She mentioned something, but I didn’t catch it as my eyes surveyed the bathhouse. I waved numbly to two business owners I knew before leaving. I could probably get some jobs if I socialized a bit, but I needed to rest and heal. It had been a long day.


    I made a quick stop at the pub, drawn in by the aroma. Tonight''s offering featured a warm, crusty loaf of bread accompanied by a rich, olive-seasoned paste that promised flavor. Alongside this were tender, soft spiced jerky sticks, perfect for snacking, and boiled yellow carrots that added color. I carefully packed the food into my bag and began the journey home. Oddly enough, the walk felt longer than usual.


    My family was in the kitchen eating dinner. I told them I had eaten already and was heading to bed. I was sure to keep the bloody side of my head out of their view. I was filthy, and I noticed my parents slightly concerned looks. Reaching my room, I still felt disoriented and was ready for a long sleep. The rock must have given me a concussion.


    I went to my tiny room, stripped off all my dirty clothes, and fell face down into the waiting blankets. It was only a few seconds before I was fast asleep.


    Chapter 6: Golden Opportunities


    Naked and lying face down, I was awoken by a pounding on the small door to my room. I moaned a little. My head, shoulder, thigh, back, feet, and chest hurt. The aether core heartburn was working full-time today. I was going to get back at those city bastards. The knocking continued, and I rolled over to see Gareth in my doorway, pounding on the open door.


    “You look like a sow after the breeding season,” he said with real concern in his voice. I stood, and the bruises were evident, and Gareth’s expression turned to anger. “Who did this?” he demanded.


    “Gareth, my friend, it was my fault for being careless,” I confessed while wincing. “We will get revenge, but in the future. It was one of the groups of kids from the city, and I memorized their faces. I couldn’t find you last night, so I did the soap run to the city myself,” he nodded slowly, putting the pieces together in his mind.


    “They tried to shake me down on the road for a few coppers. I created a rough short sword,” I paused, “I must have dropped it when I got the rock to the head. The group took off after throwing some fist-sized rocks at me. The only real damage is the rock that glanced up to my head.” I rubbed the massive bump above my right ear. The dried blood wasn’t evident to Gareth with my dark black hair until I pointed it out. It only made him angrier.


    I pulled on some cleaner clothes while Gareth fumed, probably planning some type of revenge. “We have bigger fish to fry,” I noted, now dressed and trying to downplay the situation. Gareth had gotten himself into trouble a few times defending me. I noticed the food I had picked up last night, and my stomach reminded me I hadn’t addressed its needs. The olive paste bread wasn’t looking so good after sitting so long. The carrots were now mushy. Gareth took one of the jerky sticks and quickly chewed it down.


    “I’m going to the bathhouse this morning. You can grab some coins from my stash for the sheaths and handles. I gave Master Aldrich a deposit yesterday.” My memory was still a little fuzzy, and I could not remember how much I had given him. “Get us some new matching belts to go with the sheaths,” I added. I started reaching for the remaining jerky, but Gareth swiped it before my hand got halfway. While munching on the jerky, he walked to the wallboard where I stashed my coins, popped it off with a solid strike, and took out two rolls of coins.


    “I will see you at the bathhouse after I stop by Master Aldrich. I could use a hot soak myself,” he said as he smelled his armpits. I had just planned on getting a cold shower, but a warm bath might be good for my aches. “I will also stop by the apothecary for a salve for your bruises.” He paused and grabbed a few silver I had in my stash before replacing the wood panel cover. I had worked hard to save these coins, and Gareth was already acting like we were nobles with unlimited coins.


    “Spend frugally, Gareth, and haggle, for goodness’ sake! Master Aldrich is already suspicious. I devised a plan for laundering our coins in the city. While I was at Wigand’s bookshop yesterday, I spun a tale I was getting a book for a benefactor from the capital who was visiting Solaris. He seemed to buy it, and I think it should be a good cover for us in the city,” Gareth nodded, swallowing the last of the jerky.


    “Laundering. I thought we were going to age the coins, get them dirty, not clean them?” My past life idioms kept entering my speech unintentionally, and Gareth could usually puzzle them out, but when he didn’t, I had to explain. So, I had to take a moment to explain the concept to Gareth.


    “Laundering means hiding the origins of the coins. We are going to make people think our new patron is supplying us with coins to buy her things. Oh yeah, the patron is a woman from the capital,” I struggled to remember what I told Wigand yesterday, but my head was throbbing. “I think I said she was not a dungeon diver or adventurer, just a merchant. We can flesh out her background together later.” At least that idiom Gareth was familiar with.


    “Yeah, my best idea was saying we found a cache of buried treasure,” Gareth responded, “but that might be limited. How many times can you say ‘we found buried treasure’ before people start following you every minute of the day?” Gareth turned and paused in his movement, obviously thinking. “I will bring you some breakfast from the pub as well,” he said, probably feeling guilty about eating my jerky well after the fact. “Go get cleaned up.” He left, and I heard the front door close, and shortly after, another door opened in the house.


    Was it Pascal or Freya? Based on the time, my mother and father would be off to work by now. I had given Freya the larger bedroom in the house. Well, Pascal got the biggest bedroom after my parents. We only had three sleeping rooms in the house, and my bedroom had actually been a writing and reading room. It had been big enough for a desk, chest, and one wall of shelves. It also had a large window that Freya’s did not. Most importantly, it was on the other side of the house from the three bedrooms. I had snuck out numerous times to rendezvous with Gareth at night for minor mischief.


    In the closet-sized room, I was able to squeeze a long, wide bench after removing the desk. My mother gave me a great new mattress to reward me for giving Freya the larger room. The shelves had various books, clothing that wasn’t stored in the chest, two pairs of shoes, six hats, a collection of skipping stones, six rolls of twine, a roll of fishing line, a box of fishing hooks and lures, four silk handkerchiefs of varying colors, a checkers board game with pieces, three decks of cards, three sets of throwing dice, one of which was dragon bone, three flutes, one of which was expensive mahogany from a dungeon reward.


    At least that was what the man said, who I bought it from, but it was more likely just carved from dungeon mahogany. There were also three empty glass flasks, twenty-eight carved figurines of various beasts, and a wooden box with an assortment of steel and copper coins. My real hoard was in the secret compartment in the wall, which I was fairly certain Freya was aware of.


    The mahogany flute was worth at least a full gold and was the one I practiced on. I was terrible at playing it, but I could get a rhythm going for a song. I was not too fond of singing, so supplying the tune was much preferred. Almost everything was trophies from work Gareth and I had done for the townspeople. I loved the dragon bone dice as they had been lucky for me when Gareth and I diced against each other. I also had made a GO board, but that was at Gareth’s house. I also commissioned a chessboard but ended up selling it for 30 silver after Gareth didn’t like playing because I beat him so soundly every time. Getting six times my investment back had made the sale worth it.


    I noticed Freya was in my doorway. She looked at me with a focus I had never seen on her face before. “Father said to let you sleep. I told them you cleaned the barn yesterday and were tired. Also, last night at dinner, Pascal convinced Father to bring him to Captain Callem’s farm for a sword lesson. Father said I should check to see if you and Gareth wanted to come. Pascal was sour on that idea, but father told me to ask you directly.” Freya had spoken with poise and clarity, not like her. Something was up. Was she angry with me for not letting her hang out with us yesterday?


    I remembered who Captain Callem was. He was an old naval officer who had retired to our island, Titan’s Shield. He had a small farm outside of town. He had been a marine or an arms master, I think. The title of arms master meant he had achieved mastery over at least five different weapons.


    He had taught and mentored my father and uncle in the sword when they were in their first year at the Academy in Hen’s Hollow. Father mentioned that Callem had a sizable pension from the navy, and his small tobacco farm gave him a good amount of coin on top of that. Supposedly, his tobacco had a unique magical effect and was very expensive. Gareth had wanted to sneak out and pick a few leaves once, but I convinced him not to risk angering him.


    I had never planned to fight in my reincarnation. I planned to live a slothful and hedonistic lifestyle once my abilities awakened. Now, after my encounter yesterday, I wasn’t so sure. I should at least be able to defend myself, right? Skyholme gave its youth a modicum of training in weapons at the Academy.


    “When are they going?” I asked. Freya’s face lit up with surprise. Well, I had made it known many times that I had no interest in the sword. In my past life, I wrestled in high school and continued in my first year in college. I quit after not making the varsity lineup in college despite winning the wrestle-off in my weight class.


    The coach had tried to explain his decision, but I wasn’t having any of it. I had busted my ass the summer before my freshman year of college, and then being told a senior deserved the spot because he had been on the team three years! But those memories were just a hazy dream now. That one experience had a lot of emotions tied to it, so maybe that was why I remembered it.


    Freya finally composed herself from the shock of my answer. “Tomorrow after breakfast. It is Father’s day off. Also…” she paused, “Are you going fishing today?” I had forgotten about our normal schedule. Today, I would usually go to Twin Rocks with Gareth. If we had a large catch, it was usually good for a silver coin or two in the city. I had to think that changing our routine might be suspicious, and the blue pike was our biggest revenue generator.


    “Yes, we are going fishing, but just by the river today. Are you coming?” Her face lit up, and she was already nodding emphatically. “Great. Get the poles together and wait by the barn. I’m going to the bathhouse and getting some breakfast. I will get us a packed lunch.” Our favorite fishing spot on the river was just a 10-minute walk, but we usually stayed there for a few hours. A sloping rock formation right by the river was very comfortable to recline on. Hopefully, none of the other local kids would be there today. The best swimming hole was just 50 yards upstream from the spot.


    Freya bolted out of the house. She returned an instant later to grab my tackle box on the shelf while wearing the biggest and brightest smile the entire time. After she had left in a whirlwind, I stood stiffly and painfully and made my way to the bathhouse.


    When I arrived, Gareth was at the bathhouse and had two small meat pies, one chicken and one lamb for me. There was an empty dish behind him as well. He must have gotten breakfast for himself, probably his second breakfast. I thanked him and ate in the small lobby, scarfing down both pies and ignoring the heartburn from my aether core. He then handed me a vial with a thick white paste in it. I uncorked it and sniffed. “There should be enough for applying after the bath and tonight before bed,” Gareth said. The smell was reminiscent of lemons.


    Gareth reached down to the floor to produce and unwrap a package. Pulling out two black leather belts, each with a simple sheath holding the daggers. “Master Aldrich had Antal mold white boar tusk harvested from a dungeon for the handles and wrapped them with leather stripes from a black forest rabbit from a dungeon. He said it would be a shame to use anything less on these fine blades.” He was grinning broadly.


    More likely, Aldrich felt guilty for charging such a high sum. Well, the work was very fine as I inspected it. The belts were plain, but all of Master Aldrich’s work was of high quality and would last a very long time if properly cared for. Antal was a sort of medic in town. He had a low-tier ability that allowed him to shape and fuse bone. He could even mend a person’s broken bone. It was his only ability, and he had made quite a good living. In fact, he was one of the wealthiest men in town and was responsible for most of the figurines of mystical beasts in my room.


    Gareth added, “I told him we found the blades in a rotting chest in the woods and cleaned them up ourselves. I think he believed me.” I shrugged, as it would not be the first time we found something in the woods surrounding the town. These would definitely be the most valuable of our finds.


    Not that many of the 300 people in town had much wealth. The surrounding farms added another 200 people to our total population during town festivals. There were no extremely rich individuals in Hen’s Hollow. Gareth interrupted my thoughts, “I got us the private room with the two big tubs.” I walked with him to the private room and saw Gareth walking before me, trying to sneak a peek into the women’s showers as we passed. I shook my head and resisted the urge myself.


    Right now, I was in too much pain to try to get a glimpse behind the angled screens. At the right angle, you could only see a small corner of the room, and the women who bathed in that corner were almost always older women. The younger women generally swam in the river and didn’t use the showers often.


    The private room we entered had two of the largest tubs in the bathhouse and water circulating through a small artificed pipe, keeping the water hot. I stripped and quickly slid into the left tub before Edel could come in and sneak a peek. Oh my! I was in heaven as the hot water melted the aches and pains away. Gareth took the other tub. Edel briefly appeared right after we submerged, took our clothes to clean them, and thanked me again for the soap delivery.


    After soaking for a bit, I spoke, “We are going to fish the river today.” Even with my eyes closed, I could mentally see Gareth arch his brow in question, so I answered the unasked question. I whispered, “We will stick to our normal routine today. I will not make coins until tonight after I am sure my core is topped off.” It took an entire day to replenish an empty core, exactly one day for an untrained core. There were ways to accelerate the core’s recovery, but I hadn’t practiced any of those skills. The books I had read on magic detailed them; I just needed time to practice them.


    I continued, “But tomorrow, instead of instruction with your mother, we are going with Pascal and my father to Captain Callem’s for sword instruction.” I smirked, anticipating Gareth’s reaction. His tub water splashed as he sat up hastily, water hitting the floor in a waterfall.


    Excitement laced in his voice, “You are not pulling my leg, Stormy. That would be a cruel joke if you were.” Gareth had always wanted to play with swords but followed my lead instead. He would make a fantastic warrior, but I had always pushed our path toward commerce. Fighting only increased your chances of getting injured or killed, but I had been na?ve. Trouble would find me. It was best to prepare to defend our interests.


    “Yes, Gareth, we are going.” I looked over to see his fist pump, splashing hot water everywhere. He would be wired all day and probably not sleep tonight. When we finished scrubbing and rose from the tubs, Edel entered with our cleaned clothes and smiled as she handed them to us.


    I grabbed a towel and started dressing before Gareth joined me. Edel must have scented mine with vanilla again, which is my favorite. “Why don’t you take the larger dagger,” I said, handing him that belt and sheath.


    “Thanks, Stormy. I will be sure to take it easy on you tomorrow,” a little dark humor in his tone. Oh, shit. Yeah, Gareth was going to beat me silly tomorrow. Maybe I should save some of the lemon-scented salve. After dressing, I used the lemon-scented balm, and it immediately had a positive effect. Together, we left, stopped to get some packed meals for lunch, and headed to the barn.


    Freya was there, waiting anxiously, and the three of us went to the river. No one was swimming. The fishing went well—fourteen harvestable fish between us. While we fished, Freya kept asking for us to take her to the city and reminded me at least five times her birthday was approaching. But we had evolving plans, and I wouldn’t commit.


    Gareth kept talking about swords. He was trying to puzzle out what specific sword he should focus on learning. In the end, he was torn between the saber and the scimitar. Our island produced many of the city guards throughout Skyholme, so we were versed in melee weapons growing up, and our first year of the Academy would focus on the craft. My brother and his friends aspired to be city guards or marines on the skyships.


    It was a pleasant day, and the misty clouds let the sunshine through for most of the day. I napped and fished, speaking little and focusing inward on exploring my core. I hadn’t developed the ability to see or manipulate aether yet, but from my readings, I knew a mage’s core was like another limb. You just needed to learn how to control it. I didn’t actually make progress as I kept falling into brief naps in the grass. What I needed was a spell. Innate abilities that drew on my aether core were fine, but imprinting a spell on my matrix could train me on using my core and manipulating aether.


    Using our new daggers, we gutted the fish and made fillets to carry back. Gareth carried our load home in the fish bag, and we chatted about other kids in town. All of us contributed to the gossip wheel of our tiny town.


    Back home, we split the fillets, and I went to cook for my family. I made a simple garlic butter to cook the fish and had a side of saffron rice with diced sweet peppers. I had been a good cook before being reborn. Recipes, by far, seemed the easiest thing for me to recall from my past life. I think this was because I had taken so much joy in cooking. I found most of the ingredients I was familiar with in the Sphere. My family gushed over the meal, and Pascal couldn’t shut up about the trip to learn from Captain Callem tomorrow. My focus was not on the dinner. It was on what I would do in a few hours, testing my limits.


    With the family asleep and certain a full day had passed since I had last drawn on my aether core, I was ready. I decided to go for it, completely draining my core and making as much gold as possible. I hadn’t even made any silver yet, but I felt confident I could make gold. I focused on the manifestation and soon felt my core draining. It was like vertigo, no, fainting without actually fainting. When I knew I was tapped out, I looked at the product. A good-sized ball of gold was in my hands. I had done it!


    How much gold, though? I needed a little aether to use my shaping ability, so I waited an hour while laying in bed playing with the golden lump. Then, focusing on my shaping skill, I started to make one coin at a time. Thirteen small coins with almost enough for a fourteenth! And I knew a mage’s core would grow 10 to 20 times after puberty, according to the books I had read! I placed three of the coins in my coin pouch and the remaining ten coins into the secret wall vault. I wrapped the coins in cloth and shoved them in the back in case Freya came snooping. Sleep came easy after that from the happiness and fatigue.


    ? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne


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