‘So you’re learning tobe a Battle wizard?’
‘Of course not, that’stoo crude for me. I play with people’s minds. It’s much more fun. Ispecialize in believable deceptions. Did you like my fierydog?’
‘Yes it was verybelievable. The brick wall across the door was the clue that brokethe illusion.’
‘Of course it was. Itwouldn’t have been much fun if I didn’t give you a chance todisbelieve would it?’
‘So what are youlearning while being his apprentice?’
‘I’m learning how towork with other wizards to create mass illusions that will fool theenemy into making mistakes, sap their morale and confuse them whilethe other wizards fry them.’
‘It sounds like youexpect to fight a battle sometime soon,’ Aquitain said, somewhatsurprised.
‘Master Featherdownsays that you can never be too prepared.’
‘I suppose he’s right.I’m interested in illusion magic, perhaps you can show me how youdo some of your tricks some time,’ Aquitain suggested.
‘Are you really?’ askedJaz. ‘Nobody else is. They all think I’m a pain in the pants.Perhaps I will show you some tricks. What are you doing hereanyway?’
‘I’m Aquitain theLogicon. I’m the new magic equipment repairman. I can also makespecial items if you can afford them.’
‘No. I don’t own anymagic items yet and I haven’t got anything much of value totrade.’
‘Perhaps you can tradesome of your knowledge about illusions for some of mine aboutmaking magic items.’
‘It’s a deal Aquitainbox-on-legs. What am I going to learn first?’
‘If you help me toreorganise this workshop, I’ll tell you the names of some of themagic ingredients and what they’re used for.’
‘Goodo box let’s stopall this gabbing and do some work.’
They spent the nextseveral hours rearranging benches, tools and materials, andexamining the contents of packets, jars, sacks, bottles and boxes.There were ample supplies of many magical reagents that would beuseful for repairing standard wizard type items, but few for makingnew magical gear using Aquitain’s prime skills which were orientedstrongly around the use of gems and crystals. These were in shortsupply or not available. He would have to find them locally.
Jaz helped movenumerous small items and objects around asking countless questionsabout everything. Aquitain did his best to answer them but even hewas stumped over the use of some of the reagents present. His bestanswer was that the reagent was something rarely used but importantfor rare magical rituals, as he didn’t like admitting he didn’tknow.
Eventually, Jaz saidshe had to go and wouldn’t be around for a few days but she woulddrop in as soon as she could because she wanted to learn more.
She said that she spenta lot of time in the library and he should visit it, as there weresome rare books there. Aquitain was relieved when she left but alsopleased to have met her, as the little woman was pleasant andcheery to have around. However, even though the gnome was verylikable, one thought was ever present in his mind, Jaz had probablybeen sent to spy on him by the High Wizard.
He sat in the cornerand considered carefully what had happened over the last day. Eventhough no restrictions had been placed on him, he felt imprisoned.Logic told him that his situation was perfect. He was safe, he hadsomething to keep him occupied, and all he had to do was wait untilhis grandfather sorted out the legal problems that the Archon hadwith him and Facit, then he could get his own body back. After thathe would be free to search for his father or go back toPanmagica.
Unfortunately, therewas no time scale on how long this would take. It could be days,weeks or even months, while every day he became more like a trueLogicon and less like a newman. He was still contemplating hispredicament when Zephira arrived and found him in his room. Heasked her to lock the workshop door and slithered out of his bodyshell and reformed as a newman shape.
‘Can we talk?’ hewhispered and he gave her the hand sign to mindlink. She agreed andhe linked minds with her.
‘What’s wrong?’ sheasked.
‘I don’t know. I getthe feeling we’re being closely watched. I had the High Wizard’sapprentice here all day. She’s a chirpy little gnome woman calledJaztrix and seems innocent enough but she’s too close to the HighWizard for my liking.’
‘I was warned abouther.’ replied Zephira. ‘She plays illusion tricks on everyone anddrives them mad. Did she do anything to you?’
‘Yes,’ said Aquitain.‘She created a very good illusion of a rat which caught fire thenchanged to a fiery dog. I didn’t think it would hurt me much but Iwas concerned that it would set the workshop on fire. I eventuallyworked out it was an illusion, but I was concerned about why Ididn’t see through it more quickly. Then after she left I checkedsomething and made a curious discovery.’
‘What?’ she said withgrowing excitement.
‘Let me show you theworkshop through my eyes. +<image of workshop room>. He usedhis power to detect the glow of magic. Now look, +<new image ofworkshop>.
‘By the Powers, it’sgot a strong purple glow.’
‘Yes, that indicatesrelatively strong magic. I searched the workshop while rearrangingeverything, thinking that there must be some powerful item hiddenin here, but there isn’t. The magic essence is coming through thewalls, floor and ceiling. I examined the rock behind them, and itverified my conclusion.
The workshop is sittingin a magic node. In fact, the whole town is sitting on a magicnode. Many rocks and crystals tend to accumulate magic essence to agreater or lesser degree. When you get a natural rock formationthat strongly accumulates magic essence, then you get a magicnode.’
‘What does that mean?Is that good or bad?’ she asked a little unsure.
‘It means that it’seasier, quicker and hence less expensive to make magic items. Itmeans my source will replenish quicker. It means magic effects usedhere will be stronger. That’s what happened with the gnome’s fierydog illusion, I couldn’t see through it because it was much morereal than usual.’
‘That doesn’t soundvery exciting to me,’ she said.
‘Maybe not, but it doesexplain one of the secrets about this town. There’s heaps of magicessence available here
