Jennifer Jones
Stories
4
Chapters
1,292
Words
687.3 K
Comments
0
Reading
2 d, 9 h
-
NOTE: If this is found on a site other than Royal Road, or the linked Patreon, it was not posted by the author. Please find this tale, here: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/47826/millennial-mage Tala returned to her room, only to find a note on the slate, which was affixed to her door, below the room number. The note simply read: ‘Please see the Front Desk.’ A different older woman was sitting behind a desk, situated in an alcove of the large atrium, at the front of the inn. The matron stood as…-
211 •
-
-
The shop was closed, and the stall packed up, when Tala arrived. She knocked on the side door, and it was a moment or two before she heard movement beyond. A young man opened the door. “I’m sorry; we’re closed-” Brandon’s eyes widened, as he saw her. “Mistress Tala!” He stepped backwards, fumbling to pull the door further open. “Please, come in! Dinner isn’t quite ready, yet, but we’re happy to have you.” Tala smiled slightly and gave a small nod. Again, something felt…odd about…
-
211 •
-
-
After Tala had summoned her knife from across the room, her surprise gave her a moment to pause. While examining the knife in her hand more closely, she, again, noticed the berry stains, and that had reminded her of the horror her face must be to behold. She stepped into the bath room, and used the gloriously running hot water to scrub the stains from her face and hands. Thankfully, the inn had provided a bar of soap that seemed to be quite effective against the berry juice, removing it completely from…
-
211 •
-
-
Over the next hour, Tala filled the fruit picker seven more times, each time moving back to the rock, or another convenient seat, to process her harvest. During that time, she lost another shirt, and two pairs of pants. With one of each left, she was forced to continue her work without other covering. It wasn’t unpleasant in the cool weather, but it definitely left her feeling like every tree, rock, or bush held some hidden watcher. She filled both glass containers completely and ate a picker-basket…
-
211 •
-
-
Inside her newly acquired dimensional storage, Tala reached out and placed her right hand back on one wall and pushed power out, directing it straight from her gate into the surface just as she had with the first cargo wagon she’d tried to empower. The wall greedily drank in the magic, and there didn’t seem to be any resistance due to her lack of a mental construct to shape the power. “Now, this is amazing.” The changes she’d described were complete, so she cut the flow of power and pulled her…
-
211 •
-
-
Now that everyone at the table had finished eating, Tala was becoming increasingly aware of their attention on her. Finally, as that tension threatened to break into conversations, or at least questions, she stood. “Archon Grediv. Would now be a good time? I’m afraid that I need a bath after the week on the road, as should be apparent, and I have other appointments this evening after our discussion. That in mind, I’d be grateful for some of your time, now.” Grediv took her flood of words in stride…
-
211 •
-
-
Tala glanced up as she walked back out into the market, noting the ever-present dome of magic above her head. She’d decided that she liked the view from this side much more and found herself smiling as she basked in the magical glow that few, other than she, could easily see. Despite her revelry, she walked quickly through the market, looking for her final purchase of the day. She found a barrel seller near the western end of the market, and was able to purchase a small, iron-bound keg and two glass…
-
211 •
-
-
Tala grunted, looking around at the magical items filling Artia’s little shop. “No offense taken, Mistress.” “Most of the items, yes.” Tala walked over to the wall of bags and found that many of them seemed to Those without spell-lines, and some with, had a Artia made a happy sound. “That had always been my husband’s, Adrill’s, theory, though no Mage would ever take the time to discuss it with an uninscribed.” “I’m getting the feeling that you all aren’t great at finding…
-
211 •
-
-
As Tala walked up to Brand, ready to depart the work-yard and truly enter the city of Alefast, Renix came over as well. “Mistress Tala?” He seemed mostly better, but he still had a bit of a far-off look in his eyes. “Yes?” “Master Trent asked me to give this to you.” He held out a rolled piece of thick paper. Tala unrolled it and identified it as a map with a small patch of trees emphasized. “Ahh, yes. Thank you.” She turned to look around, but Trent and Atrexia were already gone.…
-
211 •
-
-
Tala closed the item creation primer and looked up, just in time to see a group of caravan guards returning from the city gates, which were now only a few hundred yards away. Adam was in the group, and while the others moved on to the wagons further back, Adam paused to speak to Den, turning his horse to ride alongside their wagon. Tala moved closer, and Adam smiled before speaking loudly enough to include her. “We’re going to have to surrender to an inspection.” Den groaned. “Why? That is not…
-
211 •
-
- Previous 1 … 104 105 106 … 130 Next
