someone like Tor could do about it anyway. Totally unfair. He looked at Rolph, feeling betrayed again. They were supposed to be friends, weren't they?
“Alright then. Just give me all the devices that the kingdom hasn't paid for, and I'll leave. You can freaking have it.” Tor was breathing hard and Rolph looked off into the distance.
“What hasn't been paid for?” The Major looked baffled and sounded confused as if he really didn't know. Kind of an oversight, since he ran a base that basically ran on things he'd built.
Tor just smiled. Really they hadn't paid for anything. Some of the shields and flying rigs, but not even most of those. None of the building gear or transports at all. Or the rivers that provided water. They hadn't signed a contract with him either. They could try to keep it all, he guessed, what was he going to do if they decided to? Take on the entire Noram military? That wouldn't work he knew. Too many of them were too well armed and shielded, at least until he developed a way to remove their devices from them, or destroy the fields at a distance. He could do it. It hadn't occurred to him before, but really, that was within the bounds of what could be managed. The devices were all on physical objects. A thrill of excitement ran through him then. All he had to do was create a field that used feedback to locate a certain kind of field and then destroy the metal, wood or stone it was on. It wouldn't even be that hard. In an instant most of it sprang into his mind.
Rolph didn't touch him, but did wave a hand in front of his face. Tor started and then grinned.
“Sorry, I just figured out how to take out all the magical devices in a given area. Selectively or even just anything magical at all. So yeah, go ahead and steal my home, try and take my work without paying for it, we'll see how that works out for you all…” Tor went into his hut and started packing.
He couldn't take everything with him, lacking space in his luggage, so he started tucking all the amulets into cases and making sure the boxes were flight ready, then he took his clothing, toiletries and such. The follow along floats wouldn't navigate the stairs or the hallway, a winding stone privacy screen with three switchbacks, so Tor had to carry them all on his own. Each trunk weight hundreds of pounds, except the clothing one, so he had to drag them out. It took a long time to get the six trunks he wanted. He had the rivers for Afrak ready to go and their excavating equipment, as well as his chest of gold, and another couple just filled with amulets of nearly twenty different sorts. The rest of them, well there were thousands of things in there still. He didn't want them stolen by the military… They seemed to like stealing his things for some reason. Them and the King.
He'd stolen his fiancee away. He didn't even want her for himself, it was just to punish him or make some weird kind of point to someone.
Tor mentioned this in a dead sounding voice as he lifted in the air. Pulling out one of the explosive weapons, a smaller one on a brass tube, cheap compared to normal weapons which were put on solid silver as a rule, but just as effective. Actually a lot more effective… Rising into the air with his cases following, thanks to the floats on them, he pointed the weapon.
“I'd get away if I were you.” He said darkly.
“Tor! No! I have stuff in there, so do Sara and Ursala. It's not fair to destroy their stuff, even if you're mad at me and dad…” The Prince sounded scared. Right well, girls did liked stuff, didn't they?
“Fine. Then all the amulets…” What could he do with them? The military couldn't have them and no one else around here was trustworthy enough to keep them out of their hands. Well, no one that would be able to stand up to the army at least. Petra would have been a good choice, but she had to do what Kolb said, which was what the King ordered. For that matter he did as well, that whole pesky knighthood thing. He could have said no and not knelt, but he had, so he was honor bound to do what Richard said too. But only if he heard it. From now on, Tor just wouldn't listen, that was all. Sorlee Farmer would have been fine, but Tor didn't think that she'd know she could tell the military to leave her stuff alone. If they asked for it she'd probably just hand it over without even requesting to be paid. That's what you did when powerful people wanted your stuff, right? It was kind of what powerful meant.
His family in Two Bends? They didn't need the money, now that their quick delivery service had taken off and it would probably just track the military to their door. Who did he know that he didn't care about that would at least make some money from it? It hit him like a ton of bricks. There actually was someone like that.
“Fine then… Everything of mine in there, take it and give it to Dorgal Sorvee. Tell him that half the proceeds are to go to Meredith Sorvee directly, he can keep the rest. I can count on you to do that much, can't I?” Tor asked, his voice suddenly sad instead of bitter as he had intended it to be.
After all, Rolph had been his best friend. For him to have helped betray him like this, to take away his home…
“Sorvee… Tor, you hate that guy! More than once I've heard you say that you wished you could test your new devices on him or his bully friends…”
“Yeah, he's a jerk, abusive and sarcastic for no reason, using his intelligence as a weapon rather than to help people. But notice, as far as I know, he's never actually tried to destroy my life and then hide it from me. He's an ass, but he never hid that from me or worked against me in secret pretending to be my friend, did he? You all knew. Your dad was the one that told Trice to do it, made her, and Connie… I told her I had feelings for her and she hide this from me? Am I the biggest joke ever or what? Varley, Karina… you. No one told me. Instead you all made Trice eat my anger for all that time alone. I nearly killed her over that Rolph. I don't know if she ever liked me at all, or if it was all just following orders, but that's still too much to heap on her. Sara and Ursala too. All of you kept me in the dark and let me go on hating Trice, when she didn't even have a choice in the matter. Why?” Tears came to his eyes then. “I was actually happy you know. For once in my life I was happy, even though I knew the whole thing was only a joke to her. A girl actually willing to spend time with me and not tear me down and you all took that away from me. Screw it, do whatever you like, you royals always do anyway!”
Tor took off then, in a direction. He didn't know where he was going or why really, but staying here wasn't an option. Tears streamed back, after they dripped off his face enough to leave the shield. Well, he realized after a while. That was done. No one would want him back now. That was fine. He didn't need them anyway.
After all, he could be alone… alone.
He didn't need other people for that. No one did. If they weren't his friends, well, he wished them luck and decided not to even destroy all the things he made for the military or anything. That was as non-petty as he could manage right now, but it would have to do.
He flew for hours, just following the coast line once he hit it. Tor thought he was going east at least. Oh well. As good a direction as any, right? He kept going until it started getting dark, the edge of the world growing first pink as clouds caught the sun, a stark line of them against the light blue, then a darker line of blue-black behind it. Looking at it he felt small and insignificant for a while, until he looked down and realized that he'd hit another ocean. Tor blinked and shook his head. Well, that made his decision for him didn't it? If he kept going, the only thing under him would be water for thousands of miles. The air was humid from the damp expanse in front of him, but Tor didn't mind. He wasn't feeling the heat at least.
Looking around he saw a city to the north, close enough that he might be able to reach it before nightfall if he hurried. Maybe he could get something to eat? Even worked up as he still was, hunger had finally started to call to him. It had been a day since he'd eaten, or near enough at least. That long since he had water too, he realized, thirst suddenly ripping at his throat with the attention. He flew faster towards the early lights in homes, seen through the windows.
Like many of the cities he'd gone to, this one had a large clearing in the middle. Instead of a central square, this place had a park with manicured grass and funny looking tall plants, about twenty five feet high with leaves like giant fingers at the top, spread in greeting. So friendly trees at least.
Tor waved back.
No need for him to be rude after all.
The trunks looked smooth and bare of green, except for the lines that ran around them every foot or so. Tor settled by the edge, hoping that it wasn't against the rules to land here. Things like that varied from place to place. There were people and they looked at him, but smiled in a way that felt friendly, a few even waved to him. Possibly inspired by the trees?
Almost all of them wore simple clothing, made of a light, airy looking material. Most, but not all, of the women wore white dresses that flew outward as they spun, not rising high enough to show more than leg. Mainly at least. A few had darker flashes showing in the more athletic moves. People smiled at him and called out hello, so he waved back to them too. It certainly seemed to be a friendly enough place.
A man wearing light blue clothing and a funny hat that looked like a helmet, who had a club on his right hip,
