The Fusionist Book 4 -- Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Getting back into town was a bit nerve-wracking, as there was no caravan to sneak inside with, but fortunately the guards on duty only gave him a cursory glance before letting him through. Larek was thankful that they didn’t have anyone on duty that would be affected by his Perceptive Misdirection Fusion, but he was still wary of everyone he passed just in case he ran into someone who would be.

Instead of going back to the Inn right away, Larek spent some time looking for someone who might be able to construct a vessel for him.  Almost immediately, the Combat Fusionist discovered his first obstacle: an extreme lack of wood available in Day’s End. He supposed it should’ve made sense that they wouldn’t have large quantities of wood in such a dry area, where there were essentially no trees worth noting within miles. Larek had been fooled by the wood that the Inn possessed inside of its walls, but he quickly learned that such a display of material was more about prestige and to fancy-up the place rather than practicality, because while wood wasn’t exactly expensive in Day’s End, it wasn’t common, either.

Instead, most of the material used around the town was either stone or metal-based, as it was much more plentiful with a quarry nearby and ores from under the Lowenthal desert used to flow out from the area – before all the tunnels collapsed, of course.

Having had luck with a Cartwright in Swiftwater, he sought out the resident member of the profession in Day’s End, and while the man was friendly enough, his response to his inquiry about working on a project was met with resistance – but not quite in the way he expected.

“I’d love to do it, but I got nothing to work with!” the man complained, kicking what appeared to be a scrap piece of a spring away from him, which bounced off the wall of the large stone barn-like workshop.  Looking around, there were a few such pieces of scrap, but that was about it; the workshop was relatively bare, otherwise. Along the back wall was a large workbench with a myriad of different tools hung up or slotted somewhere, all of them neatly organized and ready to be used, while what appeared to be a forge was set up in the corner, its fires out because it wasn’t being operated at the time.

The reason for that? There was no projects that needed to be worked on.

The Cartwright went on. “I used to be extremely busy every day of the week, as we had caravans and their wagons moving in and out of Lowenthal constantly, and everyone needed their conveyances in tip-top shape! I even had to construct new wagons weekly because most caravans treat the ones they have so poorly that eventually they became impossible to repair without replacing everything, so it was easier and cheaper to simply buy a new one. But now with trade essentially coming to a halt, there’s no need of my services!

“As a result of my lack of necessity, there’s no more wood coming into the town from outside sources, and almost all of the ores that came out of Lowenthal has been sold off. I believe the last of it was already sold, though it still hasn’t been taken away yet; supposedly there’s a merchant coming to pick the rest of it up, but I haven’t really been paying attention to closely to that. They could be here already, for all that I know.

“But to fully answer your question, yes, I could build something like that out of very thin sheets of iron with a simple wood framing, but I don’t have enough metal for that even if I melted down every piece of scrap here I could get my hands on. There’s also no way I can afford the market rates to purchase the ore from the merchant who’s picking it up, either.”

Larek thought about it for a moment. “If I was able to acquire the ore, would you then be able to do it? If so, how quickly could it be done?”

The Cartwright looked skeptical, but he waved his hand at the empty workshop. “As you can see, if you can get that ore to me, I don’t have any other projects to occupy my time. Even given that, I believe it would still take me at least two days to complete it fully. Possibly faster if everything goes smoothly. I fortunately have enough wood for the framing and a small platform, but that’s about it – the real holdup is the iron. What do you need this for, anyway? It has no wheels, so I don’t even know how you expect to move it—”

“I’ll see about getting you that ore,” Larek said, interrupting the man before he could ask too many questions. He had no desire to explain that he was making something that could be used to fly through the air, because he doubted the Cartwright would believe him. “Hopefully I’ll have it for you by tonight.”

“Good luck. Those Merchants are tight-fisted suckers, so try not to lose all your money. By the way, you never asked how much I’ll charge for this project.”

Larek shook his head. “I’m sure you’ll charge me a fair price, but we can wait to see if I actually acquire the ore for you. You’ll be hearing from me soon.”

Before the Cartwright could say anything else, the Combat Fusionist had taken off for the Inn again. He had a fairly good idea who this “Merchant” who had bought up all the rest of the ore was, though he wasn’t looking forward to talking to the one that had kept Serena captive. His reluctance wasn’t necessarily because he didn’t like the fact that the man had someone in indentured servitude, which sounded like slavery, but because he was unsure how much the man actually knew about the woman and the monster she had either become or had been possessed by.

* * *

“Find her! She has to be here somewhere!” Paleth shouted at the two people in front of him, incensed at their incompetence. “I paid a hefty sum to purchase her debt, and I’m not about to let that go to waste!”

His two Caravan Guards, Emilia and Gort, passively stared back at him, weathering his outrage stoically. Sometimes he wished they would cringe and bow subserviently like he thought he deserved from his subordinates, but then again it was their calm and extremely competent natures that led them to be the best Guards that his money could buy. What was even better, their contract was still active for the better part of a year, so while they might have both undergone the change that granted them these magical abilities that many people seemed to have nowadays, they weren’t about to break the contract. He secretly thought that they were grateful for it, otherwise they would be encouraged to go fight monsters and close these Apertures that had sprung up all over the Empire.

They’d already had plenty of opportunity to improve themselves by fighting the monsters found along the trade routes, of course, so it wasn’t like they were lacking in experience by staying his Caravan Guards. If anything, what Paleth was doing was even more important than their work, as he was supplying necessary materials to crafters who were making the weapons needed to combat the monsters and Apertures. That included why they just happened to be in the town of Day’s End, where they were picking up the last of the ore that had come from Lowenthal and the Drekkin cities underground. As this was the last of it for who knew how long until the tunnels were reopened – if they ever were – he was going to make a killing when he sold it further into the interior of the Empire.

He was expecting such a glorious payday that he had splurged and bought the debt of the very woman he was now haranguing his guards about. The beautiful Dyran, Serene Grovewhisperer, had accompanied the final caravan out of Lowenthal from the Kingdom of Androthe and her homeland before the tunnels collapsed, but something had apparently happened to her along the way.

Paleth thought that it was simply old Drekkin superstition, but supposedly they believed that some sort of demon prowled the tunnels around their underground cities, said to possess unwary travelers to make them commit foul deeds. They even developed a special – and valuable – metal that they used to bind the victims that these demons possessed, worn in a chain necklace that restricted their abilities, whatever those might be. It was that chain necklace that first drew him to the green-haired Dyran when he just happened to be in Day’s End when her caravan arrived, but it was the story that she had incurred a hefty debt against the Drekkin that allowed him to purchase that debt and have her for his very own. The caravan master had been desperate to get rid of her and make his money back, as he had to pay for whatever crimes – which he never received details of, but they didn’t matter to Paleth – himself, and they both walked away from the exchange happy.

At least, he had been happy until she had up and disappeared the night before. At first, he had planning on simply killing her and disposing of the body… well, not him, but his guards would take care of it… so that he could obtain the chain necklace around her neck, but when he discovered that she had an enchanting singing voice that Innkeepers would pay him for access to it in their common rooms, he began using her as an additional way to make money. When her fame spread far enough, he was at the point where he didn’t even have to pay for lodging his people, which was more than worth it on their own.

Of course, this all counted toward her debt, but it would be a long time until she paid off the 5 platinum she had cost him to purchase her it.

But now she was gone, and the necklace with her. But he would find her and make sure she never left his sight again. He’d been too lenient with her, despite the warnings he received from the Merchant he had purchased her from that she was dangerous. He’d never seen it himself, but if she was able to escape so completely from him and his Guards, then there must be some truth to it.

“It is possible that she left Day’s End—” Emilia noted, but Paleth immediately shook his head.

“No, that would’ve been noted.  Besides, where would she go? The nearest inhabited town is a few days away on foot, and none of our supplies are missing. She wouldn’t leave the town without some way to survive out there, even if she wanted to escape.” Looking at them intently and deepening his voice to impart the seriousness he was projecting, he said, “Like I said: Find her. She’s in town somewhere. She couldn’t have just disappeared.”

He would have her back, but if she somehow eluded him, he’d rather just kill her and take the necklace as compensation. It would be a severe disappointment, as he enjoyed not having to pay for lodging lately, but he’d at least be able to recoup what he’d paid for her debt by selling the special chain to the right buyer.

As the two Caravan Guards turned to leave to follow his order to find the woman, Paleth noticed someone coming through the Inn’s entrance. The man was fairly nondescript in serviceable-yet-slightly dusty clothing seen on nearly 90% of the male population of the Empire, and the Merchant nearly let his gaze slide past him, but when the individual looked his way and started moving toward him, he took another look. Hmm… there’s something strange about him. Is that a woodcutter’s axe on his belt and a walking staff in his hand? Also, why does he look familiar? Oh, yes, I think I remember him from the common room the day before. I wonder…?

“Wait. Have you had a chance to ask this man if he’s seen Serena? He was also here yesterday,” he told his Guards.

They shook their heads – which was surprising, because they were usually very thorough in whatever they did. To have missed this man in their questioning raised some questions.

Having seen that they were now looking at him, the man faltered slightly in his step as he continued to approach Merchant Paleth, which was slightly suspicious all by itself. When taken with everything else, he locked his fingers together in front of him on the table, giving his Guards the sign that he wanted to question this individual and to capture him if he attempted to run. Gort nodded almost imperceptibly out of the corner of Paleth’s eye, and the Merchant knew that he had gotten the message across.

“Merchant Paleth?” the man said, his voice much deeper and with a strength behind it that was surprising, and was at odds with his appearance.  As a Merchant, he prided himself in being able to read a person or a situation so as to best take advantage of them for the most profit, but everything he was reading now about this man was utterly confusing. When Gort slipped his hand over the handle of his sword attached to his belt, showing that he thought this individual was extremely dangerous, that just added to the mystery.

“Yes, I’m Merchant Paleth. Is there something I can help you with?” Paleth asked with as much earnestness in his voice as possible. If the man was dangerous, he didn’t want to have a confrontation here in the Inn, as he could end up getting hurt if there was a fight; that, and he wanted to lure the man in with a false sense of security by having a chat. Conversation was always preferable to a confrontation, as one could learn so much more from the former – and he might get some answers with just a few simple words. Much easier that way.

“Are you the merchant that bought all the rest of the ore from Day’s End?”

That… is not what I was expecting him to say. Wow, I’m really off with my reading of people today; I guess losing Serena has affected me more than I thought. That being said, it was now obvious who this person was.

“Ah. You’re one of those who believe that we’re taking advantage of the situation here in Day’s End and profiting off your misfortune, aren’t you? Or at least you work for someone who believes such a thing? I’m sorry to disappoint you and your employer, but the deal has already been made and we’ll be leaving tomorrow.” He paused for a moment as he sat forward, staring at the man for a few seconds with an intense gaze. “You can tell whoever sent you that if I encounter any type of misfortune to my caravan or discover any misdeeds preventing me from taking that ore away from here, that’ll be the last mistake they or their families will ever make. Do I make myself clear?”

Sufficiently cowed by his threat, as his ruthlessness was known around these parts, he expected the man to immediately leave – and was surprised yet again.

“Uh, well, that’s not why I’m here. I don’t work for anyone in particular, and I don’t care what you’re doing with the ore. However, I do want to buy it from you. How much are you expecting to make from it when you take it from here?”

Paleth was tongue-tied for a moment as he comprehended the question, before chuckling at the joke the man just told. “Buy it from me? Ha! Seriously, who sent you? There’s not enough money in Day’s End to cover how much I’m planning on making from this. Unless you have a rich uncle who lives in the capital that can loan you 15 platinum, then you’re—”

Paleth cut himself off as the man whipped the pack that the Merchant hadn’t even noticed off his back and began reaching inside of it. Emilia and Gort pulled their swords out and held them out toward the man threateningly, but he didn’t even seem to notice as he started pulling out one platinum coin after another, placing them in 3 stacks of 5 coins in the center of the table.

“15 platinum, you said? I was worried for a moment that it would be more,” the man said, apparently relieved. Paleth had to calm himself down a little as he saw the wealth so simply placed on the table, which was at least 50% more than he expected to earn from the ore once it was all sold. That wasn’t even considered transportation expenses and the overhead involved in the process, along with all the negotiation time it would’ve taken to secure maximum profit from those he conducted business with.

“Uh, yes, that seems to be in order. Where—?” he started to say, before he had to start again as he temporarily lost control of his voice from the excitement in it. “Where did you want it delivered?”

“The Cartwright here in town. I have a project I need assistance with, and the ore is a necessary component.”

Even better. “I can have that done as soon as we’re done here. Is there anything else I can help you with?” he asked.

“Actually, do you have any extra travel rations? Food that won’t spoil for a month or longer? I’m going to need enough for at least 3 people to last that long.”

In Merchant mode now, having recovered from the shock of selling the ore at an extremely high profit margin, Paleth thought about what he had available inside his caravans. He certainly did have foodstuffs that were suitable for lengthy periods of time, though he didn’t have nearly enough for 3 people to last an entire month. He’d already sold most of what he’d brought with him to the local merchants in Day’s End for a low markup, who then sold it to the population for their own profit. If he played it right, he could probably buy some of it back from the local merchants at the markup price and still come out ahead from this man who seemed to be made of money.

“I can have that delivered along with the ore. All it will cost you is… a single platinum,” he said, and he sensed his Guards stiffen at his words. They might not be merchants, but even they knew that he was screwing over this man with a price that was enough to feed three people for a year, if not longer.

Reaching inside the pack, the man withdrew another coin and placed it on the table. “Done.” As Paleth went to reach for it, the man spoke again. “However, I know that you’ve vastly overcharged me for both the ore and the food, but I’m willing to overlook that if you answer a few questions for me.”

Ah. Sharper than I thought. “Alright, fair enough. What is it that you wish to know?”

“Was it you that put that chain on Serena Grovewhisperer?”

Again, not what I expected. He shook his head, before explaining where she got it and how he obtained her. It wasn’t a secret, after all, and it was probably easily enough discovered if the man had simply asked around Day’s End since the transaction happened in the town. Paleth thought that he was being tested, so he answered honestly since there was no reason to lie.

“Ah, I thought it might be something like that. Then did you know that she had been possessed by a monster?”

“No, that’s just a superst—did you say, ‘had been’?”

The man nodded, before pulling something else out of his pack and dropping it on the table. It was a familiar chain made of special Enexro metal supplied by the Drekkin. The last time he had seen it, the unbreakable chain had been around Serena’s neck, but now it appeared as though it had been cut cleanly through one of the links – which was an impossibility if what was said about Enexro metal was true. It could be melted down at high temperatures, but it was nearly impossible to cut through without very special and expensive materials.

“Yes. She attempted to attack me by subverting my will and I had to put a stop to it… permanently. Once she was dead, her body dissolved and disappeared once what was possessing her left its host, leaving this behind. I apologize for being the bearer of bad news, but I thought you should know.”

For the first time in years, Merchant Paleth was at a loss for words. He wasn’t sure what to say, so he simply picked up the chain and let it run through his fingers, identifying right away that it was the same chain; he had momentarily thought it might be a fake since it had been cut cleanly through, but there was no mistaking Enexro metal when you held it in your hand. It had a subtle feel to it, like a hum that couldn’t be felt or heard, which made it easily identifiable.

“Well, if that’s all, then I’m looking forward to your deliveries. I have more to do today, so I’ll leave you to get to it.” The man moved to leave, and Paleth’s Guards began to prevent him, but the Merchant made a motion with his hand indicating that he should be allowed to depart. While he was disappointed that Serena – who was a monster, apparently! – had been taken away from him, he would easily be able to recoup his loss from paying for her debt with the chain he was holding in his hand. In addition, he’d made enough from the transaction with the ore to allow him to not only expand his caravan, but to look into some additional markets.

But first, he had to fulfill his end of the bargain and get some things delivered.