A Crow's Dream of Clear Skies -- Chapter 8
Instead of taking the high road, Jasper made the decision to strut on through the pass.
Tucker pranced like a show horse – all high toed – as they approached.
“Hmm?” Diva peered over her shoulder to the red headed boy.
“Sure.” She felt proud of her accomplishment and saw no reason not to.
The guards stood motionless with jaws agape, like children in disbelief.
When the distance was fair, Tucker naturally returned to a striding pace, making for city.
Shit… I didn’t think through this far… sell the cores? Drop her off at her house? Go test the extent of our new souls in the pit?
“How about we get cleaned up, then go from there?”
As they approached the gate, Jasper signaled Tucker to take the turn at a fork in the road, leading them to the west of the city.
Shortly, they arrived at Crowley manner.
“Stable boy?” A little kid hopped out from one of the stalls. “Please give Tucker a bath, he’s filthy.”
“Yes, young master!” The ecstatic little boy sped about the stables, gathering the necessary items.
“My, my – I’m green with envy.” She eyed the white-haired lass in his arms. “But what in god’s name did you two do?” She eyed the slowly drying blood. “Surely that wouldn’t cause that much blood… as if I’d know.” She whispered under her breath.
“As you wish, Master Jasper.” She took the girl from his arms, nigh dropping her in the process. “A heavy wench, ain’t she?” She muttered beneath her breath.
I suppose I should get cleaned up myself.
His armor dropped to the bathroom floor with a clank, followed his blood-stained undergarments being tossed into a pile.
When he was done soaking, he dressed himself then proceeded back to the stables to gather the sack of cores.
He sprawled the cores across the workbench in the center and began to move about, bringing various materials to the table and tinkering, using a multifariousness of tools from the toolboxes, all the while deeply contemplating how to use each one.
Roughly speaking, arcane craftmanship is the creation of items that serve to incite magic without chants or inherent skills. To do this, artificial magic circuits are embedded in the item as a replacement for the caster.
His specific basis for using the cores was that they could be used as chassis of certain elements, potentially simplifying the needed enchantment for intended result. As such, he began working with the first ice element core, intending to create some sort of cold permeating item like the dwarves used to store food for extended periods of time.
When he finished etching, he ended up with a tier two. “Time to concoct the simple circuit liquid.”
With all said and done, he looked at his achievement: A disheveled mess of a circuit and core.
Jasper picked up the item in both hands and circulated mana from his left hand, through the item, and into his right.
He looked at the item with an, “Uh-oh…” as it blew up in a fiery explosion, throwing him against the wall of the workshop.
“Jasper?!” A hurried voice leaned on the door frame with an exhausted pant.
She began sliding down the door frame. With quick wit, he jumped over the central workbench and helped her up. An arm under hers, he led her to a char in the corner and set her down. “Are you alright?”
“Merely my creation blowing up in my face.”
“Well, it’s my first time attempting arcane crafting, so… I didn’t exactly expect it to go well. Although, I didn’t expect it to explode either…”
“Hold a candle to me?” He knelt and clasped her hands in his, sincerely looking her in the eyes. “How could I ever hold a candle to someone from the Lunacaster family, masters of the ice element. I am but a mere Jack of all trades, master of none.”
“I couldn’t hear you.”
“You’ve only just met me-”
“I can’t very well say no now, can I?” He sighed and collected his thoughts, “Thank you, Diva.”
Understanding her condition, he transfer the slightest amount of mana in her unconscious state in to ease the pain. When he was finished, he took her home where a butler aided her inside.
“Finally!” He marveled at his first successful creation.
As he stood there, admiring and rethinking the design, he felt something a little off with it.
He set the core down and stopped the cycle of mana flow, turning it off.
“Time to head in.” He walked out of the workshop and ended his day on a meal with mother… followed by more training with his cultivation technique, of course.
Sunday, the second day of the weekend.
He took a sip of freshly brewed tea. “What should I do today? Those items won’t be done till tomorrow… I guess I should check on the Black Feather’s progress. That should do for now.”
Tucker heard his call from the distance and headed in towards the stables.
“My pleasure, Master Jasper.” She bowed.
You won’t have to worry much longer.
He hopped up and thanked the stable boy as he set out for the city.
The square was bustling with people, fifty-fold the presence of the other day.
“Right here!” The old Orangutan came out of the woodworks.
“If you follow me to the old Guild, I’ll explain.”
Xing Xing had one of his understudies attend to Tucker.
“In the past two days, merchant selling their stock through us has increased by seven-hundred percent. I’ve gone ahead and expanded to Turquoise center, but truth be told that venue is about to overflow with stalls.”
“Their sales have procured a three percent loss since Friday.”
The massive building stood three stories tall with extensive brick work and paneling. A single man stood on a scaffold, painting the billboard of a sign. [Black Feather Trading Co.] It even had a black feather painted at the end.
“Well, when we announced it to the merchants, many offered to help with the repairs and material acquisition. They even pulled strings to get us some discount specialists.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Xing Xing led him into the main hall where Lang Su’s Cayote face directed the construction.
The Coyote kept his face in designs, pointing to a couple of men across the table and ordering them around. “It’ll be done by next Sunday.”
Xing Xing walked over and started inspecting the plans.
“Relax. No need for formalities. I’m younger than y’all, after all.”
“I was actually busy acquiring a Demon Soul”
“Better than I hoped for.” He released the suppressed version, measurable at 7,000 years like the prince.
“Well, this young one owns an entire Trading Company, is in the top of his class, and is privileged with countless information.”
“All I’m saying is that it’s hard to measure me by normal means.” He shrugged his shoulders with arms out. “It is what it is.”
“On another note, where’s my share stand?”
Jasper froze, “Did I hear that right?”
He locked up, placing his hand over his face. Taking a deep breath, he tilted his head back and his hand slid off, dangling at his side. “THREE MILLION?”
“Huh?” Jasper looked down. “Oh, well if you put it that way, I guess not. Though I never thought it would boom like this.”
“Xiong Hao, good timing. Bring Crowley his share.”
“You got it, boss.” He turned from the banister and walked off.
“Understood.”
“Not a problem, though it doesn’t sound like something that should be in Trade Building.”
“Go ahead, shoot.”
“I’ll make it happen.”
“Thanks.” He received the heavy hand of stars. “Say, what’s the Carnitine’s yearly worth?”
“I plan to over throw them eventually.”
Jasper coughed, then proposed the next question. “Also, what’s the average income of a merchant?”
“What about me?”
“Meaning?” Jasper sighed.
“Okay, I’d like to enact a new principal. Half of whatever I make goes back into the Guild for expansion.”
Xiong Hao rubbed Jaspers hair pulling a few strands from the ponytail, “What, too much money for you to handle?”
“Fair enough.” He gave a manly chuckle.
As he stood on the corner of the street in the shady side of town, he pondered his next move.
“Hey, what’s up?” Jasper turned and jeered.
“Me? Yeah, I was just thinking of what I should do next. Y’all know where I can have some fun?” Jasper joyfully asked.
“Really? That’s so kind of you.”
“Wait, wait. Can I say it?” Jasper turned, facing the thugs with a devilish grin and an aura of frightening proportions, “Give me all ya’ got.”
From the alley way, you could hear screams and yelps with flashes of purple light. Shorty, Jasper emerged unscathed with an extra 50K in hand, pocketing it.
[Turquoise Center]
“Seems like a hotspot for school girls.” He recalled a few faces from his previous life as he scanned the crowd. Two of which popped out to him: Mimi and Kanzaki Aoi.
“Gnome girl!” He jogged up to Mimi.
“That’s not my name!” She declared in utter frustration.
“You want to apologize?” She quickly changed her stance – no longer guarded, but empathetic of his words.
“Yeah…” Her demeanor turned soft, almost disheartened. “I will.” She spoke with heavy heart. “I’d also like to apologize.”
“I was in the wrong for calling you out like that, I wasn’t myself that morning.”
“I accept, whole heartedly.” Jasper returned to his upright position. “So, this time, without being rude… Might I ask the name of this pretty little lotus?” He gave a heartfelt smile.
“You may already know this, but my name is Jasper Crowley.” He gave a curtsy bow. “Please, call me Jasper.”
“Sure thing.” He smiled joyously. “So, what brings you to Turquois center?”
“I heard that it was recently occupied by a new band of merchants called the Black Feather Trading Co. I was curious what all the recent commotion was about.”
“How about we go grab a snack at that pastry shop over there and talk a bit. I’d like to get to know my classmate a bit.”
They walked into the little shop and up to the counter. Jasper asked for a scone and a cup of tea, “… and whatever the lady would like.”
She’s always been reluctant with accepting kindness she knew she could never repay.
“Really?” She wished for confirmation and he nodded. “Then I’ll have this, and this… and that, and this… a few of those, and that… Oh! Also, a cup of lady gray tea.”
He paid with two silvers from the thugs and they sat at a table nearby. Shortly, the shop owner brought the two teas, Jaspers scone, and Machiko’s massive assortment.
“So what rank are you?” She asked innocently.
“13.”
“What, you’re not gonna tell me? I was there at the pit. You’re at least 10, right?”
“Yeah, no problem.” She took a bite of a raspberry tart.
“What? No way.” She sounded ecstatic, spitting crumbs across the table.
“I’m not surprised.”
She was always levelheaded with things like this.
He noticed her eyeing a set of earrings, lotus’ ironic enough. When she walked to the next stall he broke away for a second and bought them, returning before she noticed he was ever gone.
Jasper looked down to Machiko as she looked up.
The delicate and slight chill of twilight crossed his lips as he took a breath.
“It’s fine, I’d prefer to walk home by myself.” She averted her gaze for a moment, returning with a cheerful façade. “Besides, I like the lonely walk home. It’s fun.”
“Then, at least let me give you this before you go.” He pulled the lotus shaped earrings from his waistcoat and placed it in her palm. “I saw you eyeing these earlier. A memento to our new-found companionship.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He muttered solemnly to her fading silhouette.