Page 84 of Steel & Thunder
He holds a finger up, reaching under the counter and placing an oval shaped stone on top.
“What’s that?” Besides a rock.
“A cleansing charm,” he explains like I know what that is. “Place that right below your belly button for about five seconds, you’ll feel it start to warm up as the spell activates.”
“Oh, wow.” That is a lot handier than I was expecting. “I was just gonna ask if you had any ideas for what I could do on my own.”
“There are certainly less magical solutions,” he offers, “but they all require a lot of time and effort that is better spent on what comes after the cleaning.”
Morbid curiosity almost has me asking about those alternate solutions, but I think better of it. “Do you sell a lot of these?”
“Oh yeah, one of my best sellers.” He nods. “I’ve been trying to convince the head of the Healer’s Guild to let me start selling some that will work as contraceptives, but they won’t budge.”
“They make them for that too?” I can think of a few girls back home who would have found a charm like that very useful.
“You’d be surprised what the mind comes up with when a person is dedicated and horny enough.” He’s joking, but given all the new things I’ve discovered in the last week—several of them in this very shop—there has to be some truth to that.
“How much are they?” I look down at the small and unassuming smooth stone.
“Four gral.” My stomach sinks a little. That was almost as much as my entire wardrobe.
“Oh. I, uh, don’t have any money.” I frown, scratching the back of my head. I’ll need to talk to Sir about how I’m getting paid. Or if I’m getting paid at all.
“Well, I’m sure we can come up with some way you can pay me back.” He eyes me lecherously before sliding the stone towards me. “Kidding. Consider it a gift. Not just for you, but for Khazak.”
“Really?” I know I shouldn’t be surprised by the kindness by now, but I’m still not expecting it.
“Yeah. I know it’s only been a week, but I think you’re good for him.” He smiles and waves off my concerns. “The charm holds fifty charges. When they’ve all been used, you can either find a healer who knows the spell to recharge it or just buy a new one.”
“Got it.” I nod and take the charm and slide it into my pocket. Fifty charges should be more than enough for the next two months. Who would even know that spell? Gods, I can just imagine trying to ask Corrine to recharge it. “Is there anything else I should know?” Using unknown magical items can be dangerous.
“Don’t use it more than three times a week and never more than once a day. Good way to end up malnourished.” My eyes go wide. I never considered that. “Other than that, just have fun.”
“I will. Thanks.” I smile at the horny orc.
“Yes, thank you, Brull.” Khazak steps back inside at that exact moment. “The boots look wonderful. As much as I would love to stay and catch up, David and I need to get back to work.” He turns to me. “Ready?”
“Yes, Sir.” I nod and clutch the charm in my pocket. Can’t wait to surprise him later. One that won’t end with an arguably well-deserved spanking for once!
“Good to see you as always, brother.” Brull walks us to the door. “Don’t be a stranger. You either, David.” With a wink, he shuts the door behind us.
We continue our march south, leaving most of the bars and shops behind us. I notice the buildings around us getting bigger, not taller but taking up more space. Off in the distance, I can see the wall surrounding the city getting closer, and I think I spot a section where it opens up entirely.
“This is the industrial section of the city,” Khazak explains as we walk. “Mainly workshops and factories as well as a few storehouses.”
That explains the size of the buildings. Manufacturing things takes space.
“See that building there?” He points to a lot on the right. “That is where Jarek works.”
On our right is a set of smaller buildings surrounding a large open yard filled with young trees—a nursery. I see a pair of orcs surround one and use magic to remove it from the ground, almost like they’re melting the earth away from its roots. They lift it and bring it to an open-air building, laying it onto a workbench. Then, still using magic, they begin to bend and shape the tree in tandem. It’s fascinating to watch.
“That’s what Jarek does?” As far as I know, we just have regular woodworkers and carpenters in Lutheria.
“He made much of the furniture in my home personally,” he muses. “A housewarming gift.”
As we continue walking, I think I hear the sound of running water. Not much farther ahead, I see where the wall ends and gives way to reveal the banks of a wide river on our right. Looking across to the other bank, I see a small cottage in front of an open clearing, one that is filled with livestock—cows, goats, chickens. So that’s where they’ve been keeping them.
“The area we use for farmland is an island.” He gestures across the river. “The river forks about two kilometers east of here and then loops around to rejoin two kilometers in the west.”
