Private Tales Consequence

[Kristen Pirian]

Ooohh! Alistair seemed a touch bashful. Gosh, she didn't mean to cause him any distress, but in her clumsiness she appeared to have done so regardless. A minor misstep, so she reckoned, not quite worthy of being called an outright faux pas, but a misstep nonetheless.

It was polite, then, to not continue focusing attention to it.

"The day simply continues to brighten with good news. Splendid!" Kristen said, and clapped her hands together...or rather, would have, if she had her other hand. What happened instead was that her arms smacked lightly against one another and her left hand flopped over the stump of her right. It took her a second to even realize what happened. "My, that's...so common a gesture of mine that...ahem...well, once your work is complete, I shall be able to do so again! Ha, ha!"

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

"Yes, of course."

Alistair happily followed along with the subject change and lightly tapped on his notebook in his left hand. He had spent the entire day filling the notebook with various notes and calculations.

"Now that we have decided on metal, I will finalize the details for the hand. That should take no more than a week. We will actually craft the hand next week. You should be good to go after that."

Seeing Kristen's slip was enough to make his guilt rise back up as he quickly turned away and walked back to the other side of the room, gathering up their supplies.

"Yes, I promise you, Kristen. It won't be your hand, but it will be the next best thing."

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen followed behind him, standing by as Alistair collected all of the testing supplies. She was beaming magnificently, for perhaps this day would be second only to the day when she would first fit her new artificial hand, such was the effervescent feeling of goodness, that things in these recent times of trouble would at last be turning around and all might be well again (well enough, at any rate; the Academy was still the Academy).

"I know it has already been said, but I cannot thank you enough for this, Alistair."

Her lips pulled tight then, and her eyes were cast downward for a moment. She looked back up, negotiating for another second with a sentiment that she was inevitably going to give voice to—how she might say it gently.

"I...imagine you've not had many an opportunity to use your craft to help a fellow Initiate in the past."

Would something like this even have been allowed under the brutish old way, despite it being a boon to Alistair's learning and an alleviation to a fellow Initiate's particular woe?

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

"Don't mention it. Least I can do."

Alistair said as he finished up the last of his packing. He turned around to look at her sadly, his eyes flickering to the stump where her hand would be.

"You would be correct...I helped make a sword or two under an order, but never on my own will during the old administration...My talents were used elsewhere in the past."

His talent for enchantments and finesse had often meant he helped prepare obstacle courses with exploding runes, or...he would help develop torture techniques for the proctors. Alistair had not a problem with following an order, but he was glad things had changed.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen gave his answer a moment's time.

And then she asked, "And do you like the way things are now?"

Perhaps it was a question that probed a hair too much. Kristen made it no secret how she felt about the Revolution, whereas Alistair was always so guarded—and not just with respect to this.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Kristen directly. It was one of those questions that could very easily start a fight within the Academy. Many still agreed with the old ways, which caused more than its fair share of division between initiates.

He already knew which side Kristen was on so he knew the answer she was hoping for. He remained silent for a moment, deciding which way he wanted to handle this.

"Ultimately, yes. I still worry about the bureaucracy that the Academy is now subject to, but the old ways were creating dullards who only used brute force, incapable of paying attention to the bigger picture. It was bound to fall apart eventually."

@Kristen

 

[Kristen Pirian]

There always seemed to be a moment, whenever she asked a fellow Initiate questions of this nature, where a sort of volatility hung in the air. Alistair stopped and looked at her, and Kristen froze; not entirely out of fear, but most certainly out of uncertainty. What more firm proof was there than Edric and Kalix that violence could erupt swiftly and suddenly? Dreadlord Initiates, it had to be said, were far more prone to it than any other citizen.

Even though Alistair was Alistair, and around him she felt much safer than most other Initiates, still in that moment Kristen was acutely aware of the knowledge that he was as much a product of the old way as those others.

And then the moment was gone. Inwardly, relief.

"'Tis good to hear, Alistair, and I would agree on all counts. But for whatever fears you and I may have about the efficacy of the Academy in these present times, truly the change was a necessary one. The cost of that power which guaranteed security for Vel Anir was simply too high. Too ghastly."

She smiled, as one might to a kindred spirit. For all those barbarians like Ignatius or Charon who seemed to lament the very idea of nobility of spirit, of goodness within a human heart, there were those like Alistair to balance against them.

"And you are not a dullard, Alistair," Kristen said, satisfied with that until precisely one second passed. "Though I suppose that didn't even need to be said. Just understood. Not that I was thinking you ever were, I merely wished to affirm...gosh, I'm making it worse, aren't I?"

She laughed awkwardly. "I'm just going to go now. We shall meet again in a few weeks, yes?"

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair chuckled as Kristen stumbled over her words.

"Yes, until then."

He moved to leave, his smile dropping shortly after he was gone from her presence. It was true, he was no dullard, but he recognized that he was an outlier from most of the initiates the Academy had raised in that same time span.

Still, he had not doubt that he likely was not as gung ho for the revolution as Kristen had been. Those on the opposing side were dullards and monsters, but make no mistake, those monsters had been the bulwark of Vel Anir for centuries and that change was not likely to occur instantaneously.

Kalix was proof of that and there were many more. Not to mention, weapons were useful for certain endeavors. There were time where the best response was to throw a wrecking ball, like Kalix out into the waves of enemies and let destruction reign...However, not every problem could be fixed with a hammer.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

THE FORGE​

Everything was more difficult over the next two weeks.

Mostly it was the little things. By the grace of the Holy Sentinel, did all of the little things add up to be an enormous mountain of frustration! As it had been with the blast room, trying to open doors and carry things in her hand was a tricky business. Her writing was in a woeful state, for her left hand simply lacked the elegance of her right and her normally pristine calligraphy suffered tremendously as a result (oh, but it looked like she'd regressed a decade!). Putting on her clothes in the morning, goodness, what an absolute struggle! And the privy! Gosh, the privy! There was one time in those two weeks when Kristen desperately needed to relieve herself, the tightness in her bladder unbearable, and, whilst bouncing from foot to foot in something of a panic, she was engaged in a colossal battle with her belt and her garments. Fortunately, an embarrassing disaster was averted just in the nick of time.

Suffice it to say, Kristen simply couldn't wait until Alistair's work was done.

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. But, today, she just had to go check in on it. And to that end, once the free period came around for the day, she decided to check the forge. See if Alistair was perhaps there.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair opened the door looking completely disheveled with deep bags under his eyes. Yes, this was Alistair at his best.

"Sorry, wasn't expecting you. Come in."

It was rare to see Alistair in such a state, in fact, the other rune mages knew that this was one of the few places where you could see him like this. Of course, the setting was doing him no favors.

Reflecting the light of the forge around the room, tens of hands were scattered about the room. If Kristen was not aware of what she was coming to claim, it would have looked rather frightening.

Alistair had begun the final stages of his work nearly a week ago, but none of the hands he had made so far were up to his standards. It was always just the slightest mistake, his hand not moving in the way he was used to. The last dying gasps from his injury.

Even so, Alistair never lost determination. His last attempt was nearly done, and he was pleased with it. The porcelain was done, and the adamantine lines would need to be shaped. The most difficult bit was the fitting of some of the last interlocking joints which required precision.

" I believe I am almost done."

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen was taken aback by the disorderly look of the Alistair who greeted her at the forge door, her rapid blinking the surest sign of it. There were other Initiates, male Initiates, who "roughed up" well; those whom anyone might expect such a state of them, looking dirty or disheveled as if they'd gotten out of a fight—the more brutish types. Alistair she did not take as one. His home was in orderliness, and to see him so left her stunned.

It took her a moment to shake loose the grip of that surprise and actually follow his invitation to step inside.

Her eyes skimmed briefly over the collection of dud hands, hardly cognizant of them in any true sense of the word. Even the thought of her own hand, the finished product, the whole reason why she'd come today, went to the wayside. How could she focus on any it?

"Alistair..." Kristen said, her lips pressed into something of a thin, guilty line, "...are you feeling quite alright?"

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair whipped back around in confusion at Kristen. He looked her up and down and then around the room like he was looking for what might cause her to be worried.

"Yeah, why would you ask?"

He would have left it at that, but when he walked by a piece of metal, he caught his warped appearance and laughed.

"Oh, you mean this. Yeah, I'm fine. Sometimes I just get like this...You don't want to stop when you are just starting to feel like you are getting into a rhythm. Sorry about my appearance. Usually, only the other rune initiates see me like this."

Having explained all that he needed to. He moved back over to the forge, where he put on thick black gloves, an apron, and some goggles. Alistair moved to introduce the metal to the forge as the temperature in the room began to sharply increase.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

He seemed rather relaxed about the matter of his appearance, and that helped put Kristen's mind at ease.

"Fair enough, then. I, not being one of them, certainly do lack for occasions where I might see you so."

And occasions to even learn what, precisely, most of the tools and implements inside of the forge were used for. But she wasn't the one with expert knowledge here, merely the beneficiary thereof.

So for the next few moments, as heat poured forth from the forge and both she and Alistair were bathed in that light, she watched him work before starting conversation.

"The, um...plethora of defective hands on display tell the story of quite the learning experience. I should hope the endeavor has not been too frustrating for you."

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

"No, it was a learning experience." A terse response for a subject that while enlightening had driven him made for some time.

Thankfully, he had saved the adamantine for the last part of the process so as not to waste the precious metal. Instead, most of the defective hands were the product of simple mistakes when it came to fitting the joints together. Some pieces were so delicate, that the slightest mistake could ruin the whole hand.

As expected the adamantine lines were pouring in nicely. He held his breath as the last bit of metal poured into the grooves all the porcelain hand. He stepped back with a sigh as he would let the metal cool and solidify.

"The final hurdle."

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen remained utterly silent during this last stage of the assembly. She did not know until she beheld it with her own eyes, but molten metal had a certain way of commanding respect. The sheer danger of handling it assured caution from anyone of a sound mind.

The liquid adamantine stilled as time passed. It was much like when one of those foreign frost mages turned water in a jar to ice, save that the adamantine in its liquid form had a far more perilous aspect to it. Yet, as it cooled and the danger subsided, the glistening beauty of the metal began to shine forth.

"A magnificent specimen," Kristen said of the hand. "Will we be able to do the fitting this day?"

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair had moved his face close to the hand as his eyes looked for the smallest imperfections in the metal. He stood like that for nearly a minute until he finally pulled away, seemingly satisfied with himself.

"What? Oh, yes. I don't see why not. The metal might feel a little rough out the edges and the porcelain is delicate until the lacquer and enchantments are placed upon the hand."

The lacquer would be simple, and so would the runes although those would take longer. Alistair already had the specific runes in mind to improve durability and handling. It was just a matter of carving them all into the hand. Those could likely be done by the end of the day since none of them were foreign runes to him.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen raised her singular hand (her other arm as well, but the lack of symmetry made the coming gesture lopsided) and waved it side-to-side.

"Forgive my eagerness! I do not mean to rush. 'Twould be best for the metal to be smooth and the porcelain not so fragile, no? One errant flick of the wrist might ruin your hard work." Some exaggeration there on that last part, but still she retained the sentiment of preferring to wait for the finished product.

"I shall wait for it. Have the Proctors given you leave the entire day for this project?"

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

"Yes, given the nature of the project. I was given the time to complete the hand."

Alistair carefully moved the hand over, even without the runes, the adamantine weaved itself in a graceful pattern over the hand.

"The adamantine is already making the hand sturdier. It won't break from a flick. Hell, when I put the runes on it, the hand should be able to knock out a charging warhorse...I would not go trying that though. While the hand may hold up, your muscles won't."

Alistair took from a table a thin carving blade and it began to glow with a soft blue light. He started carving without saying anything, as his hands moved across the hand with practiced ease. He was in his element.

"Let me add a few preliminary runes and then we will perform the fitting."

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Goodness! A charging warhorse, he said. Much like the idea of punching a hole through a wall, Kristen didn't think herself to be in eminent danger of entertaining that notion either. Not...intentionally, anyway. What a most peculiar and perilous day it would be if ever she found herself with no choice but to punch some cavalryman's charging steed.

Let me add a few preliminary runes and then we will perform the fitting.

"Very well, that is agreeable," Kristen said.

She set her knapsack down beside one of the old wooden chairs inside the forge and then took a seat. Alistair seemed, at least to Kristen, engrossed in his present work, so she let him be.

A task made easier, of course, by the mounting worry and embarrassment now gripping her chest and clouding her head, distracting her usual need for socializing. Soon she'd have to remove the bandages from around her wrist, and then...Alistair would see it, that most unseemly sight.

Alistair Krixus