Packmule (Rayage)

[Wrenmae]

43rd of Spring, 512 AV There was nothing that sounded like progress more than the lashing of whips. Really, it may sound morbid, but there was multiple purposes as always. First, the sound of whips elicited immediate attention, called the eye to the ear’s desperate scramble for definition. It summoned a gaze from other activities and held it, the forward progress of publicity. Second, it inspired. Well, to be on the other end of it, one might say it terrified more than inspired, but Shroud was of a mind that Inspiration and Terror could easily be one in the same. One led to another and vice versa. It was the cruel edge of the whip end with drove productivity, and now it was used by the drivers, pulling along carts of clay and material through the city of Sunberth and toward the Gated community. They were to break ground soon, begin the excavating and building for Rayage’s store. Personally, Wrenmae was happy with the progress. They’d be able to leave this shykehole soon, maybe to return richer men. At this point, the harvesting was over. Not many more supplies needed to be procured that wouldn’t be required after the shop had actually been built. Shroud hung off the edge of the wagon he rode on, slipping to the ground and helping to direct the team onwards. Honestly the last stages of the nuit’s business plan confused him. Alchemy was to create the products sold at Rayage’s store. Why? To what end? Where would he purchase the amount of things he needed in order to make that dream an ideal? Certainly not here in Sunberth, the lot of them hated magic, and most hadn’t the discipline to even comprehend alchemy. No, his supplier had to be someone else, probably slightly more expensive to risk their wares in such a dangerous place. His guess was Sahova, that before this building was done there would be need of nighttime transportation, utilizing the cover of darkness to hide the supplies for transformation. It wasn’t that Shroud minded all that much, such things were possible…but always drew unnecessary attention. He didn’t want to fight so hard to remain anonymous here only to be hanged on the technicality of working with a mage. It was a conundrum.

[Rayage]

It seemed that Moral was as good as inspiration. The nuit was feeling good about all of this, after all, the clay was getting moved to the building site. Though, he couldn’t help but think there might be a way to speed up the progress of moving the carts to the optimal location. He was a mage, and therefore he was always of thinking of ways to improve upon processes, or maybe that was a trait unique to the alchemists? Tools to create better tools, that’s the way of progression, and that was how he liked to operate. Nothing was more pleasing than creating and using shortcuts, but it seemed that the people of Sunberth didn’t like the innovative mind of the nuit. They are so strict on ousting magic and all its possibilities along with it. No longer would they be suppressed that is how they felt. While understanding the nuit thought that they should learn their place. He rather liked having workers. Didn’t they realize they were free from one form of servitude but always, always, would be caught up in another? Miza, that is the chains which bind them. In this world there is no such thing as freedom. One will always be bound by something or someone, including themselves and their own selfish endeavors or ideals. Men were foolish to believe otherwise. In this town of anarchy and freedom from rule the nuit say a whole new set of chains.

More and more the line of carts came and deposited the clay, only to return to the mine to collect more. Rays building project wasn’t the smallest building, but it wasn’t the biggest either. It was medium sized, and the pictured end result was going to be fantastic to start his shop out in. Yes, he nodded, perfect. He sat back and idolly watched the construction of his vision. He wouldn’t call it a dream, no, that was too powerful of a word for it. Never in his wildest of dreams would he see himself running a store, selling alchemical items to people who hated magic, and lying about it. Though it was just a scheme, and in all schemes therein lays a purpose. This wasn’t just a store, but a stepping stone to prove his value to the gated community. He would use the store to propel himself into politics, and once again be renown. That was the purpose of this store. Not to sell, though miza was always welcome, but to advance him to a higher state.

The carts came one after another and more and more the clay piled up. Yes, it was about time…

[Wrenmae]

The men worked with a sort of languid exhaustion. Load by load they dumped into the place the nuit had chosen. Some workers stopped to stare, briefly transfixed by the glory the gated community offered. Most would never be here again, doomed to stand outside gilded metal slats to stare in on a life they had no business of having.

Still more pored over the clay, shaping bricks to bake in the hot sun while murmuring meaningless conversation.

Sometimes, I wonder about you.

You don't say.

I do say. I say a lot of things. You rarely listen.

A familiar with a mind of its own. Shocking.

And how would you know? Not even an Irylid between us in terms of experience. I'm maybe the only of my kind on the whole of Mizahar.

How fortunate for the rest of your kind.

Because Mizahar is dangerous?

Because they got rid of you.


Ignoring the rest of the familiar's backwash muttering, Shroud paused long enough to send a wave of triumph and excitement into the dully toiling drones. It gave them enough speed to keep the production ahead of schedule, but there was a certain loss here. Boredom assailed the murderer from various avenues, threatening to overwhelm him, swallow him.

Turning back on the old nuit, Shroud shrugged.

"All according to plan, then. But I can't say it's terribly interesting to watch."

[Rayage]

Ray watched the workers enter the gates, it was one of the few times they would ever be able to afford being in such a place. The nuit had already claimed some land and it was upon it which the bricks were being poured, molded, shaped, and left to bake in the sun. Ray did not really care for this weather, it was much too hot for his liking, but little he could do for the sun was an entity of itself, the rays shining down providing light and warmth and hope. It seemed that, for once, the gods were on his side.

The nuit found it slightly amusing that he had included a lab in the blueprints of his structure. Little did the uneducated fools know what they were building, what they were inviting in, so open armed, to their community. Though no one could be trusted, especially someone who might try to sell him out, blackmail the alchemist. Wrenmae and Ray had been extra careful checking the workers, selecting them, but still uneasiness shook the wizard. He had to play every card perfectly if he was going to end up on top.

Rayage frowned at the words that spouted from the man, ”Not terribly interesting?’ he asked, repeating the last of what the man said in the form of a question, before he shook his head, ”I guess from a mortals standpoint it wouldn’t be, would it?” he asked glancing over the progress that they had made, ”With your help and encouragement the production is going way ahead of schedule.” he commented, ”How is that not interesting?” he asked him, ”By stating that you are doing yourself disservice.” he tried to explain to him, ”Look at it,” he said his gaze breaking from the baking bricks to the men, to the chain of workers hauling more and more clay, the line going farther than Ray could see himself, ”It’s amazing.” he said, excitement building up in his voice, ”It’s beautiful.” he said, daring to use the word. No, he wasn’t calling the skum they hired beautiful, but rather what they were accomplishing in such a short amount of time, ”This, my good man,” he smiled at the joke, ”is progress.” he stated being in a better mood than from when they had first met.

”How can you not be interested in this phenomena?” he grinned, ”We have the fastest, happiest, most motivated workers around! All of this,” he lowered his voice, ”because of you. This is your work, and look at it, the thing is practically building itself.” he laughed, ”You are very formidable indeed.” he nodded, aiming to stroke the others ego for a little while, perhaps get him to see the greatness in which he is helping along. ”Though, I do suppose interest is all in the eye of the beholder.” he ended, falling silent, content to watch this ‘miracle’ take place as he would have his building in no time flat.