The Secret of Giving

(30 Lormesta 5116, Ta’Illistim)

Mister Aurach spoke softly as I was preparing to go out on a patrol with Mister Barreaus.

“But what is the sense in having a protective majic if one does not use it?”

“Do you need natures resistance on your armor?” he whispered to me.

I was not really sure. I had a weatherproofing spell around me, was that what he meant? He said armor specifically. So I explained my confusion to him. It is times like this that I always wonder if people are inwardly rolling their eyes and wondering how I even got this far. But in my defense, my Bard Guild promotions do not require me to learn about ever so many things that happen out there in the world.

Of course, Mister Aurach was the straight-faced picture of decorum as he explained it to me. He reminded me of Grandpapa.

As he sketched out the details of this remarkable ranger spell, it jogged something in my memory that Aetheri had told me about months ago. It was a buried memory in the pile of so many other things I figured I would not be able to afford. And I had forgotten all about it.

“Wow, how awesome!” It was going to be my first ‘Wow’ of this process.

He looked closer at my armor, then shook his head, telling me, “Wait, thats chain, I can’t help you.”

“Is it?!  I thought it was brig,” I whispered quickly to him. Armor is not my strong point, but I thought I had held the line with both Aetheri and Mister Taluric about wearing that metal stuff.

I quickly did a fine bardly inspection on my armor and told him I was pretty sure this was a set of brigandine. Whew, it really was proper rigid leather.

“Let me see it a moment please,” he whispered again.

I put Mister Barreaus off a bit longer, and went to my room to change out of my armor so Mister Aurach could assess what I normally wear. It is a beautiful set of ladies’ deep blue scalemail that Aetheri had enchanted 6 times as a gift to me.

Mister Aurach looked the armor over carefully, double checking for padding and stuff. He nodded at me and handed it back to me.

“Will be back  in an hour,” he softly told me, inclining his head and then disappeared into the surroundings.

“An hour! Wow, this was going to be quite the something,” I thought to myself. I went back to my room, worked my way into the armor and my clothes, and headed off on a patrol with Mister Barreaus.

The bounty was not going to be difficult with two of us, and went by quickly. By the time I got back to town, I still had  33 minutes before Mister Aurach would come looking for me. I had so many questions for him!

I spent that time running errands and getting chores done. I was finishing up sorting out the laundry when I heard Mister Aurach’s whisper on the wind.

“At the dais.”

“Wow!” I said it aloud. To the closet, I guess? “This was really happening,” and proceeded to undress and remove my armor again.

He and the curhound (I gave a wide berth to that fearsome creature) were waiting on the dais when I got there. I handed him my armor and he scurried all three of us to somewhere quieter.

Within a protected and beautiful little secluded glade, he called upon the power of thorns to protect him and reached for a bottle of some mysterious potion.

Aurach softly said, “Count the potions, it should take 8.”

Counting. I could barely breathe, so I had to focus on this seemingly simple task. I kept up with his potion pouring.

When all the potions were absorbed into the leather, Aurach spoke a quiet phrase in flowing elven and gestured at my sculpted royal blue scalemail. There was a vibrant white aura surrounding the royal blue scalemail, with a soft pulse. The scalemail in Aurach’s hands seemed to grow more rigid in his grasp.  After a few moments, the aura subsided. And he handed my new, improved armor back to me.

“Enjoy and may it protect you well.”

“Wow,” I stared at the armor. Any kind of protection from those nasty thorns I was so susceptible to was going to be incredible.

“Now, tell me how it works please, Mister Aurach?” I asked him.

“Just wear it.” It was that simple!

“Wow,” Yes, again. And I am studying for a life of performance and words…

“Thank you very much!” At least that was better than another ‘Wow’, right?

“Now, I have bandit patrol,” he told me, inclining his head, and we were off back to the Shining City.

“You take very good care of me, Mister Aurach. I know Grandpapa and Father appreciate it,” I told him. I am pretty sure my husband does, too – but I was still the stupified bardess with the stunted vocabulary, completely in awe of new magic. Well, it was new to me.

We got back to the dais, and I knew he was about to go on patrol so I renewed my songs to start his patrol with.

“Should last a very long time,” Mister Aurach whispered. “And should remove about half of any damage taken.”

“I feel safer just holding it!” I whispered to him.

“But what is the sense in having a protective majic if one does not use it?” he asked me quietly. That was hard to argue with.

“Thank you ever so much!” I whispered to him, and then he was gone in the blink of an eye.

“Wow!” I said it aloud. Totally. Again!

Mister Barreaus was already preparing for the patrol we were going on, and memories of thousands of past battles momentarily came to my thoughts, distracting me from my awe-filled state of mind.

“I need to get my armor on and stuff,” I told Mister Barreaus, and headed back to my room to get ready.

“Wow…” I said it one last time as I settled into my armor with a big smile. It was time to get my wits back and proceed with wherever this patrol would take me.

 

Author: GSBardess

A young bardess named Luxelle is currently learning her trade and hoping to one day make a name for her songs in GemStone IV. Follow along with her adventures in life and song.

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