“The students have all arrived, and they are waiting for you in the main chambers,” Biff said to me as I finished polishing a batch of fourteen simple copper rings destined for the Duke’s soldiers as Single Use Spell rings. “And the custodians from the university just finished delivering and installing your toy city.” He added.
I took another twenty seconds to finish buffing the last of the rings, inspected their shine, and then placed all fourteen into an orange velvet drawstring pouch and slid it into an interior robe pocket. I could make fourteen standard rings out of a single ounce of purified metal or three large banded rings that could hold sockets. For the single use spells, I only used three stages of purification for the copper, as tradition required and the bank commissions demanded. These copper rings would be the home to SUS first or second level spells.
But for the more substantive rings that will have durability and longevity to them, I was using Dwarven Copper, which required a longer purification process. I had several blank Dwarven Copper rings with five sockets in them. I had used them all up with the gems that Guildmaster Toleraine had sold to Special Services. I was wearing a ring with five, 28pt elemental gems. It was a heavy hitter, and I may end up giving it to one of the other Commanders at some point.
Happy with my final touches on the SUS rings and purified coin bars I made for the bank’s commission after their delivery a couple of hours ago, I looked up at my friend. “Thanks Biff, let’s get this college party started.”
He rolled his eyes at my humor and waited for me to get up from my seat at one of the open desks that I had chosen for cleaning, buffing, and polishing work. I passed him with a pat to his muscular shoulder, and he followed me up the winding stairs that exited through the giant marble column in the back of my shoppe. The winding staircase was made of polished brass, and it rose high enough to complete two and one-half revolutions before entering the main floor. It exited through an excellent illusion. I appreciated that the entrance was at the back of the marble column because it allowed me to enter the main floor without many people seeing how I arrived, and to depart the same way.
I poked my head into Meeting Room 3, or as it was intended originally, Show Room 3. Now it was going to serve as the Map Room. I had plans for this room. The university’s architecture program had built a scale model of the city, and the hydro engineering and sanitation program had a scale model of the major sewer lines and waterways under the city that they built based on the architecture department’s model. Both were part of my request to commandeer resources from the university and have them brought to my shoppe. That part of the plan had been recently set up in this room.
“They did a great job aligning the sewer levels below the city with a nice gap so we could view it,” I observed. “I think maybe we could get some of the students to connect the entrances above to the spaces below with thread or yarn later.”
Biff grunted, not impressed with the idea of college students joining our team.
I looked over at him. “But we can look at this later. We don’t want to be late for our party.”
He rolled his eyes again. “I heard you the first time.”
“I know you did,” I said with a grin.
There were a lot more students than I had expected, and I understand why Biff had not used one of the other two private showing rooms. We might have all squeezed in, but it would have been tight. I had asked for just the president or leader of each group, but like many college students, they decided to play loose with rules and authority. Given what I planned to ask of them, that suited me just fine.
The whispering and laughing stopped abruptly as I got near, and one of them noticed me. Word spread quickly, along with a few elbows to ribs, and they settled down a couple of seconds before I stopped ten feet away from them. This was going to take some balance between authoritative showmanship and daring. I needed them to trust me, but also respect my role. A number of them were as old or older than I was, and that could prove an issue.
I shouldn’t have worried, however. I discovered later that my reputation preceded me, and apparently, a few of them had learned about my escapades in Shark Bay, Park Pond, and Barricade Park with the undead. My dad knew all about it, and odds were it got passed around the faculty and then to some students, where it quickly grew and exaggerated.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I’m sure you are wondering what on Alluvion I had in mind when inviting you here.”
There was some nervous laughter, but they were keenly interested in why I asked for each of them personally. Part of their discussion that I overheard as I was approaching was to nominate one of them as spokesperson, and so a young man with curly red hair and fair complexion asked, “Right. We are all wondering that exact thing, Patron Istari. All we know is that classes are canceled, students are being sent home, and we were told by our advisers to report here immediately by order of the president and Duke.”
I nodded my head seriously and looked around at the group before me. They ranged in age from a few years younger to a few years older than me. They were a diverse group, although they were mostly humans. I did not see any elves or dwarves, but there were a few students of halfling descent.
I also glanced around the shoppe to make sure there were no others present. We were alone. I turned my head to Biff and asked, “Biff, can you please seal the door. I don’t want any customers to wander in until after I have spoken with the leadership team here.”
Of course, I didn’t need Biff to seal and lock the door. I could do that at a mental request to Bella, but it gave me a moment to arrange my thoughts and a few moments for the students to settle into the seriousness of our gathering.
Biff opened the door, spoke quietly to one of the brawlers outside, and then closed and barred it from the inside. The crossbar was more show than anything else since the magic that created and maintained this space was not limited to a wooden crossbar on a polished brass reinforced wooden door.
“Thank you for your patience, everyone.” I began.
All eyes turned back to me from where they had watched themselves get sealed inside the magical shoppe. “What I am going to tell you is a secret and must be kept a secret for a few more hours. Before I tell you, I am informing you now that by order of the Duke, if you discuss this with anyone not already present in this room, you will be imprisoned until such time as the Duke finds time to send you to court.”
A few students didn’t like it, and mumbling broke out.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
I raised my hands. “If you feel uncomfortable, then you are free to leave right now.” I turned to Biff, who had remained at the door, suspecting something similar to what had occurred with the irregulars. “Please open the door and let anyone out of the shoppe who approaches. No questions asked.”
Biff placed his hand on the bar but did not remove it, waiting to see if anyone approached him.”
The stirring of emotions quieted.
My hand was still raised. “I do not need your verbal consent. If you remain here, I know who you are, even those who came without a direct invitation. Remaining means you accept the terms.”
Nobody moved, but there were a lot of eyes looking around at each other.
“Very well. Bella, please greet our guests by name so they know they are welcome here.”
I could tell from the immediate shock and startled looks that Bella had communicated with them all simultaneously and silently in their own minds, naming each and undoubtedly adding a welcome.
“Last call, do any of you wish to depart?” I offered.
They were all on edge, but nobody moved toward the exit. Their curiosity outweighed their caution.
I nodded. “I’m proud of all of you. First, other than keeping secret what I tell you until the time it is generally known, and believe me, you will know when that is, you are under no obligations. Once I’m done with my piece and answer a few general questions, you are free to leave and not participate in any of the plans being organized. Do you all clearly understand that you are free to walk away when we are done here, and your only commitment is to remain silent about what you hear for a few more hours?”
I received some nods and verbal responses.
I began. “I have been appointed Commander of Special Services by the Duke in a Council meeting a couple of hours ago, at a meeting of mage and military leaders. Our city is in danger. In fact, the kingdom is.”
One of the students, a long-haired brunette dressed in the most recent fashions and carrying an oversized, overstuffed shoulder bag, asked in a panicked voice, “Are the undead attacking again?”
There was real concern in the room now, and after looking briefly at her, they turned their full attention on me.
“No, there are no further undead attacks that I am aware of-” they began to ease their tension. “It is far worse than that, I’m afraid.”
The group looked confused, scared, and uncertain. It was time to get to the point and let them know what we were up against.
“A goblin invasion horde is on its way to the Walls, and according to the Duke, the invading force is larger than any previous army, and they are marching on Keelwell. It is not like either of the previous three Goblin Wars. They are not attacking the South in general. They are coming here. To Keelwell.”
The room erupted in noise. I stopped trying to make out individual questions as they burst out loud. “When will they be here?” “Where do we go?” “What do they want?” and “What can we do about it?” were all common fragments I heard among their rising shouts.
Bella, can you make the sound of a loud bell toll just once in here to get their attention and settle them down, please?
BWROOOONG!
The sound of the bell echoed across and around the main floor. Even my staff clasped their hands to their ears as the sound drowned out any possibility of talking or hearing conversations.
I raised my voice as the echoing ended and added emotion to my voice. It was not at all hard since I have been on an emotional rollercoaster myself for the past twenty-four hours. “I expect you to be fearful and have lots of questions. But you are here because the Duke needs your special talents to help us save our city and everyone we love who lives here.”
I had their attention once more, although it was far more distracted than earlier. I had no right to expect better self-control out of them than the mages showed in the Duke’s war council. But I didn’t have time to help them process this information. I needed to press on.
“Each of you is a leader in a wide range of disciplines and clubs at the university. I am putting together a team of individuals with very special talents to achieve some unusual and unexpected defenses for the city.”
A short, plump, red-haired girl named Aldreim with thin gold-rimmed glasses spoke up. “I get why Adric is here.” She pointed to the red-headed spokesman. “He is the captain of the archery club and can do all sorts of things in defense of the city. But I am the chairwoman of the calligraphy club. Unless you need an especially pretty note sent to the goblin king chastising him for trampling our grass or something, I have no idea why I am here.”
I imagined that, given the broad range of clubs I had asked for today, she was not alone in feeling this way.
Adric chimed in. “My sister is one of the smartest people at the university-” he began, and I could tell from his sister’s reaction that she was as startled at his compliment as she had been about the goblin invasion.
He continued. “But I agree, what on Alluvion could writing letters do with saving our city?” Perhaps recalling that he spoke to a mage and recalling the voices and bell in his head, he added belatedly, “My lord patron.”
I crossed my arms and nodded, showing that I took the question seriously. After a moment, I motioned for Daria, a young apprentice jeweler who was sent to me after my meeting with Guild Master Toleraine from the Jewelry and gem sellers guild. The guild master’s note promised, in his own words, “special talent and obedience” from Daria. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I remember being in her shoes at that age. And noticing the look of wide-eyed fright, I had forgotten to share with her the subject of this meeting as I had with the other staff.
The young apprentice walked over, carrying a satchel she had been holding for the past half hour or so when I had asked her to keep an eye on it and bring it to me when I called.
“Thank you, Daria. Please stay by my side for a few more minutes if you would.” I opened the satchel she continued to hold and withdrew a sheet of parchment. I stared at it and then held it out for the chairwoman, Aldreim, to examine.
She walked the ten feet from the group to where I stood. The walk was short, but she made it seem as if it were a quarter of a mile long with her short strides. But she took the parchment and looked at it.
“Do you think you can reproduce that symbol in equal quality and detail?” I asked her.
She looked up at me and then back at the parchment. She scanned the symbol and, with an arch of her eyebrow, she replied. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I can draw this symbol at least this well.” She smirked.
I liked her spunk. She had just been told that an army of human-eating monsters was on its way to her city, and she still had enough pride and moxy to point out that she could draw better than I could.
A few people snickered.
I kept a serious face. “Are you certain? It needs to be exactly like this. It cannot be wider where it is narrow, longer where it is short, or embellished with little curls where they do not exist. It could be a matter of life or death to make such an error.”
She read my body language and heard my warning. She took a longer, more careful look at the symbol. After about thirty seconds, she replied in an equally serious voice, “I am certain, Patron Istari.”
I reached out for the paper and took it from her. As she turned to move back to her spot, “I said. Please stay here for a moment.” I looked up at her brother. “Adric, come here, please.”
He moved more quickly and with more confidence to stand at his sister’s side.
I handed him the parchment. He stared at it and then back at me. “Umm, what am I looking at?”
“Adric, do you feel confident that your sister is capable of reproducing this symbol in exact detail?”
She gave him a look that told him he'd better say yes. And he did.
“I think that she could reproduce this exactly, change its size, or write it upside down without missing a stroke.”
She nodded, accepting his answer.
“Then, Adric, how useful would you say a silver arrow would be with this rune meticulously and exactly engraved into it that exploded in an area of effect against any target, living or constructed, that you hit?”
His eyes widened, and after a pause, turned to his little sister and said in a voice full of both apology and pride, “I would say that she would be a prized member of your special services and a fiery pain to the goblins.”
A moment passed, and the students all cheered. While nobody else had a clue why they might be there, they just witnessed how a ridiculous and forgettable club at the university might prove vital to their city. And it meant that the rest of them might prove equally valuable and helpful.
“Okay, we have assembled here student leaders from the following areas: engineering, architecture, archery & fletching, javelin & spear, lapidary, chemistry, alchemy, geology, shot put, slinging, Keeper of the All Night club, sculpting, juggling, fashion & design, snorkel and swimming, darts, bookkeeping, and calligraphy.
“Here is what I have in mind...”
