Chapter 58: Undiminished Intensity

Chapter 58: Undiminished Intensity

Talas eyes were pulped.

Stone shards had been driven deeply into them, bouncing around within her ocular orbits and rendering the soft organs to little more than bloody jelly.

She had not allowed Holly to inscribe her eyes with the same defensive enchantments that covered the rest of her exposed flesh. The very idea had given her shivers.

She was paying for that, now.

In abject agony, she dropped the hammer, reaching up to feel at her face.

Her cheeks were slick to her touch.

She could vaguely hear people calling out, and what was likely the sound of running boots drawing near.

It was hard to hear over all that screaming. Who is screaming at a time like this?

Her fingers searched upward until she found the mush-filled cavities of her eye sockets.

Her inscriptions still worked perfectly, and her mage-sight brought her an all too detailed look at the devastation. Her thoughts were full of curses as she tried to override the pain, letting her mage-sight guide her fingers to the fragments of stone in her eye-sockets. Thankfully, it looked like most of what was there was in large pieces, which she quickly pulled free, despite the nauseating agony and general revulsion that the action brought forth within her.

She closed her mouth, and the screaming came to an abrupt end. Oh it was me. That was a bit embarrassing.

The inscribings around the ocular orbits in her skull, had activated, and were in process of attempting to repair her eyes, but she didnt want to chance the big chunks. What remained amounted to sand, and that shed have to flush out later, if the scripts didnt take care of it.

Hands fell on her shoulders, and she realized that people had been calling to her.

Mistress Tala! What happened? Are you alright? What do we need to do?

It was she couldnt place the voice, and the pressure and itching in her eyes as making it hard to focus. No danger. She managed to get out. Mistake. Dont touch the hammer. What idiot thought that was a useful tool?

The itching turned to an irritating burning sensation as the hands left her shoulders, and she heard other people begin to arrive.

The guard who had spoken to her, at least she assumed he was a guard, relayed her words to the others as they came up, and they sent runners back to the caravan with word that they were not, in fact, under attack.

Finally, light began to return to the world, and she began blinking rapidly.

She heard the one whod spoken to her speaking to someone else and was able to focus enough to hear. Her eyes are gone, turned to pulp. I The guard paused, seeming to gather himself. Ive not seen the like. How was no other part of her touched?

Trents voice came back. Do you see the glowing lines, guardsman? I knew it was a guard.

Yes, Master Trent.

Her magic protected her from whatever happened. Apparently, it didnt extend to her eyes. Because, idiot that I am, I didnt think to protect my eyes from physical damagewait a moment. Why didnt the ending-berries stop this?

She thought back, even as she bent over, blinking furiously over her refilling sockets.

The shards were incoming, I couldnt blink fast enough so I tried to pull back She groaned. And she heard Trent moved up beside her. Im an idiot. I somehow pulled the end-berries protective power back, without realizing it. That was a stupid reaction. I suppose we cant expect our subconscious to behave rationally. Still, it had kept the damage confined to her eyes, themselves. There is that...

Tala. Im here.

No, Mistress, eh? She supposed he saw this as a dire situation. Hi, Master Trent. Good of you to come.

He seemed a bit stymied by her reaction but pressed on. We can get you healed up right quick. Ill send for Master Tang. He has some inscribings for healing, which should help, but we likely wont be able to restore your sight fully, or maybe at all, until we return to Bandfast. You wont bleed out, though. He hesitated. Are you ok?

She kept blinking until, finally, a clump of goopy sand fell from each eye, and she could see. Ow She sat back, looking over at him.

He made a face and shifted back. Youdo not look great.

Just what every woman wants to hear.

He snorted. Your eyes look fine, thoughhow? I mean, theyre a bit blood-shot, but the guards said they were pulped

Oh, he was right. That really hurt.

Trent frowned. Mistress Tala Then, he made a silent Oh You have self-healing inscribings.

She nodded, noting the return of the honorific. No longer as concerned, it seems. Yup, at least around my headthey rusting hurt, though. And Im starving She pulled out a small bag of dried fruit and began scarfing it down.

Better than being blind.

Too true. She reached down and picked up the offending hammer with her off-hand. What a moronic bit of magic. This. This is a She trailed off as she saw the rock or, more accurately, as she saw the remains of the rock. It had been turned entirely into gravel, which had been scattered out to nearly a dozen yards. She could tell because there were still tendrils of kinetic magic steaming off of the bigger chunks. She felt a smile tug at her lips. This is dangerous.

Trent regarded the hammer skeptically. You do have a tendency to pick up dangerous items May I? He held out his hand.

Tala placed the hammers handle into his awaiting palm and watched as his mage-sight scripts activated. Huh, a repeating hammer. An efficient one, too. Most dont have this kind of scope. He glanced at her. The best Ive seen only takes about half the force acting on the striking surface and redirects it. This is much better than that. He glanced at the destruction, then at her face, which still felt slick. Well, better in most circumstances. He sighed. I could have warned you to wear protective gear. Youre lucky it didnt shred your clothes He looked at her pristine clothing, mage-sight still active. Ah you picked up all sorts of items, didnt you.

She smiled. I tried to make it a profitable trip.

He sighed, handing the hammer back, handle first. Be careful, Mistress. Artifacts arent toys.

She grunted. Im beginning to realize that.

About time. He smiled humorously, seeming to be trying to take some bite from the rebuke. It didnt work.

Fair enough, I suppose. She pulled out her incorporator and sprayed her face clean with a minimal amount of water, generated by a large amount of power. I know I promised to be more careful; I apologize. I really did try to take this slow and carefully.

Thank you for the apology, and for recognizing the slip. Trent sighed and handed her a small towel, pulled from his own dimensional storage. She accepted it gratefully, drying her face and chest, where the water had dripped.

I never noticed his storage, before. She handed the damp towel back. Is that new? She gestured to the sack, nearly the size of a backpack, once again slung over one of Trents shoulders.

He glanced at it, then shrugged. Yeah, I figured it was time. Im going to be taking some different types of contracts, going forward, so I cant count on the wagon for Renix and my things. He patted the bag. Seemed worth the expense.

She nodded. Artifact, right? Bound to you? That wasnt one I saw in Artias shop. Then again, Artia would likely have sent Trent to the Constructionists, or elsewhere, if hed stopped through.

Yup. Ive had constructed dimensional storage in the past. He shook his head. Just not worth it in the long run. Too costly to maintain for personal use.

Too true.

And with theadvice Master Grediv gave me, empowering it myself isnt an issue, like it might once have been. Trent stood, before she could question him about that.

The guardsman who had gotten to her first was waiting nearby, and she walked over and thanked him.

He was understandably surprised to see her eyes had healed, but he seemed happy for her. Im so glad that your injury didnt last. That looked quite agonizing.

She gave a pained smile. Oh, it was. Thank you, again.

He gave a shallow bow. My pleasure, Mistress.

Tala bid Trent goodnight, and Trent promised to inform the other Mages, as tactfully as possible, that there had been no threat, just a simple, minor accident.

Thank you, Master Trent.

He nodded acknowledgement, waved goodbye, and headed back for the main circle of wagons.

Well, all things considered, that went pretty well.

She snorted a derisive laugh. All in favor of sleep?

Eye, eye! She laughed again, feeling a bit of mild hysteria at what shed lost, even if just temporarily.

She sat up, wiping her sleep and tear encrusted eyes.

The weight of the previous night was still pressing down on her, and she needed a distraction. She pulled out a bit of jerky, but instead of tossing it, she sat in on the roof-top in front of her.

It sat there for a good minute, her staring at it, before Terry popped into being with a slight flick of power.

He bent down and snapped up the meat before looking up at her, as if asking, You called?

She felt herself smile. So, Terry. What are we going to do?

He tilted his head to the side.

What do I mean? Well, I think youre good to have around, and you seem to like staying around. Is that true?

He bobbed his head.

Is it just for the jerky?

He tilted his head to one side, then shook slightly.

Not really?

He bobbed his head.

Why else then?

He gave her a flat look.

Right, right, you cant talkCan you show me?

After a moments hesitation, he bobbed his head slightly. Then, he moved forward.

Tala reached forward, not sure what to expect.

Terry flicked his head forward and bit her, not too hard, but it would have broken skin, except a small bit of the remaining ending-berry power kept her whole. Didnt even activate my scripts.

Terry looked a bit amused, somehow, but flicked his head at where hed bitten.

Because you cant hurt me?

He tilted his head, then shook.

Not quite rightBecause Im hard to hurt?

He nodded to that.

And I feed you.

He nodded.

Her eyes widened, several things clicking into place. Like a pack-mate.

Terry nodded once, decisively.

You dont have a pack a kettle? She seemed to remember a teacher calling a group of predatory birds a kettle.

Terry gave her an odd look, then nodded.

Youre alone.

He stepped forward tentatively.

She smiled. You dont have to be alone. You can stay with me.

He straightened, shimmying slightly, and settling back, almost sitting, like a duck settling down atop its eggs.

A few rules.

Terry cocked his head but didnt rise. Instead, he opened his mouth.

She let out a little laugh, and heard Den shift, groaning in his sleep. Tala lowered her voice. Fine, fine. She tossed him another bit of meat, which he caught easily. So, first rule: No killing humans, except at my say so.

He finished the bit of meat, then dropped his beak, giving her a skeptical look.

She lowered her voice a bit further. Yes, yes, I know you helped me with those brutes in Alefast, but I dont want that to become a habit. Ill ask for your help if I need it, ok?

He shimmied slightly, settling down to listen.

Ok. No killing animals or creatures that belong to humans, again, unless I say so.

Terry let out a little huff, then bobbed affirmatively.

And, whenever any other human is around, you need to stay this size. She gestured to his current shape, roughly the size of a raven, if an entirely different shape. We might make exceptions in the future, but not now. Again, unless I say so.

He seemed to consider for a moment, then gave a bit of a shrug. It looked almost comical from his avian body.

So, do you have any requests?

He opened his mouth.

She smiled. More food?

He opened his mouth wider.

A lot more? You can still hunt when were in the wilds. She hesitated. Ill need to get you a collar, if you want to come into the city. Right, there should be someone with a ton of them, in this caravan.

Terry leapt to his feet, head low, eyes angry, hissing.

She held up her hands, glancing towards Den, but she didnt see any other movement. Its up to you, but the collar protects you from the citys wardings, its defenses. It isnt because youre a pet.

He hesitated at that, then tilted his head as if in thought. Finally, he nodded, and settled back down.

She gave him a narrow-eyed look. Im going to make sure it only functions when Im around. You cant just use me to get a collar and go on a killing spree in any city you like.

He settled down further and let out a disgruntled huff.

Glad I thought of that She had to remind herself that this creature had tried to kill her. It was likely older than any currently occupied human city, and it was not a pet. We might have to imply youre a pet, and a hatchling, to keep people from being suspicious.

He rolled over onto his back, feigning sleep.

Alright, alright. You dont really care, so long as I dont think of you as a pet.

He cracked one eye, then opened his mouth.

She snorted a chuckle and tossed him another bit of jerky. He snapped it up happily. Ok. Ive things to be about.

This was a perfect distraction from the traumas of the previous night. She had put them from her mind completely. They werent affecting her, not one bit.

She didnt even notice that she had to wipe a few stray tears from her cheeks. Nope, not thinking about it at all.