people. Wear clothes though. I think dinner is at nine. Might as well get a free meal too.”
The ride down the waterfall was fast and breathtaking, but fun and safe. There was a shield all the way around so you couldn't go flying off at all. It was just a matter of not going so fast that people drowned when they hit the water. It drove water up his nose, but that was fine, it was safe enough, he decided. That one waterfall slide at least. Tor made the trip six more times and then waited for everyone else to finish as he air dried and put his magic clothing back on. It occurred to him then that he could have worn swimming clothes and he blushed, but no one else had thought anything of a bunch of naked kids, not past the sight of them riding waterfalls at least.
The next event didn't need him to test personally, it was a fighting square, but the “weapons” were just weak shields that looked like swords in a glowing red about two and a half feet long and each person fighting got protected with a shield too, one that was strong enough to stop the swords blows and glowed a sudden and brilliant gold when hit, the look was kind of impressive. Get hit three times and you were “dead” and your sword vanished, leaving you holding only a focus stone handle. The cool thing was that you could block with the blades and it actually felt like hitting something real and made a clashing sound like metal would have. All the kids wanted to try it when it was explained to them, but Tor held back. He knew the system and actually had sword training. It wouldn't exactly be fair, would it?
Lyn kept staring at him, but now it wasn't just curiosity over his amulets he didn't think. No, now she probably saw a chance to make her dreams come true and he was someone that had knowledge of what she needed to do. That made him special to her right now. Hopefully she'd remember what he'd said and at least try. Burks had told him not to do everything for everyone, but it was so tempting to just make it all work for her. She needed to do it or it wouldn't mean as much. It was simple and obvious, but he had to fight not to do it anyway.
They wanted to keep playing with the “shield combat” gear but Tor saw that the next event was being set up already and got everyone to hurry over. This was the one he thought people would love the most. Or hate. You put on a harness that went around your middle and buckled in place, just so no one could drop it. After that you stood on a light tan focus stone plate that was about two foot wide and jumped. Then it took you into the air, magnifying your jump by about thirty times, slowly lowering you back to the plate. But you could also jump up and out in any direction, so it would allow some stunts. It always took you right back to the plate no matter what you did though. As you moved through the air you left a multicolored trail of sparks and light. It would be impressive after dark and looked kind of neat even with the sun out.
The colors were in purple and gold to start, but could be set by the person running the device if they got bored with that. The lights worked well and the landing was more gentle than it would have been if he'd actually jumped up in the air a few feet. There was clapping when he finished, his new group of young friends mainly, but by the time they were all jumping around and doing tricks, about fifty people gathered to watch. Tor clapped along, because they were doing things that he'd never dreamed of, holding hands and spinning around each other leaving brilliant spirals, flips in mid air and little dances comprised mainly of hand and arm movements and spins.
After that there wasn't a lot more to look at yet, so Tor waved good bye to the others and called Lyn over.
“Remember what I said? I'm serious. Ask for any of those people and show what you've made, explain it to them and see what they say. Really, you should do it before dinner.” She looked scared, but determined, which was better than Tor would have done at her age.
Was he asking too much of her? Well, if so, he'd make a point of tracking her down later and trying a gentler approach. The kingdom never had enough people that were builders, or even good copiers.
That thought made him want to slap himself in the head. He looked around for a rock, but couldn't find one. Well, later maybe. The idea was so basic, so… easy, that he should have thought of it before. It didn't even take any magic, not on his part.
Testing.
He'd set up a test and anyone that passed would get a full scholarship to Lairdgren. He could afford it. At first the idea was just for kids, but then he shrugged. If a person had talent, why shouldn't they get a shot? Most adults would have other things going on, jobs and families, but if they could work it out, why not? Was that doing too much for them? They had to have the will to try and talent to make it on their own, it was only a chance, if they took it.
Tor tried to hurry, but it took the rest of the afternoon, mainly because he had to go to Debri house to borrow a copying template. He'd stopped using them for the most part and didn't have any with him at all, not even old ones. Well, except the healing device one, but that was just too complicated to use for a test of people that hadn’t done it before.
There had been a couple simpler ones in his gear, but Holly Printer had borrowed those. He wanted to take someone with him, so he searched out Rolph, but he was actually working and being useful, helping load ice for an older woman driving a mule cart. There were a lot of older women in his line, probably because he was working with his shirt off and had a good bit of lean muscle on his giant frame. Who'd blame them for looking? Collette smiled the Prince's way when his back was turned, earning a wink from the woman on her cart. Well, they weren't being subtle, were they? Of course Rolph had a temperature equalizer on and magic clothing, so the lack of shirt was just to give them a show anyway, he realized.
Well then.
Tor grinned but didn't say anything. It never hurt to advertise, did it?
He wasn't always good with awkward social situations, Tor knew that, and even after apologizing to Heather, just showing up was a little nerve wracking. Especially since his little bit of rudeness before had actually ended up with him demanding all his templates back from them, which would have functionally killed their business for about a year or more. Going in asking for one now… awkward.
Changing on the doorstep, trying to be impressive, in green silk and dark brown leather, with soft boots in deep green, he knocked. There was a bell but it was higher than he could reach still. He wondered what they'd think if he came over someday and tied a rope to it? Better, he'd come at night. Even the Wards had a long rope on their doorbell and Count Ward was huge. The Debris didn't have that excuse. Tor glared at the bell, straining to look up when the door opened.
Instead of a doorman or butler, or even one of the people he recognized, it was a blond boy about his own height, if five inches taller counted as that really, who looked fifteen or so, maybe sixteen. When he looked down enough to see Tor, he smiled.
“Hi! I heard a knock. Um, this is Debri house… Is that what you were looking for? I mean the residence, not a shop or anything. But, well, if you need something I'm sure that someone here can find it for you. If we don't have it here, we'll send of it.” The boy sounded charming, rather than professional, as if the offer wasn't what everyone would be getting if they came and knocked on the house door.
“Hello. I'm Tor. Torrance Baker? Anyway, is Heather Debri here or… Kris maybe? I'm coming unannounced, so I can come back if I need to, I just had an idea, and as always, that means running around looking half insane.” Tor shrugged but the boy nodded.
“You're Tor? Sara said you were good looking, but I thought, you know, she was just saying that, because we kind of need you, but if I would have known I would have tried to meet you before. Come in! I'll get people, um… can I get you drunk? Maybe out of those hot looking clothes?”
Tor froze, and thank god, smiled. The rules, he remembered, just in time to not make a fool of himself. It was a proposition and he didn't have to take it, but he couldn't be rude. What was he supposed to do though? He scrambled and his brain worked manically.
A lot of royals had same sex partners. Heck, people probably though he and Rolph were an item, having been roommates, and then together so much after school. And this guy was cute, like a male version of Sara, so he was probably used to people saying yes to him. Gods. What to do? Finally he shrugged and just told the truth.
“Um, I come from a really rural place and men don't do things with other men like that. I'm not judging, or even saying no, but I doubt my backwoods mentality will allow for it any time soon. I don't want to be rude to you though, because it's a very nice offer, and you are very good looking. Unless I missed the meaning, which is possible, I'm new to all this stuff and like I said, the rules where I come from are really different. In that case just hit me a few times and well call it even?” Tor turned away a little and squinted, arms coming up slightly ready for the blow. If it came it would just hit shield, but it was a natural reflex for him.
The boy laughed.
