I came to myself happy with earning a free spell and also realizing that all three of the other golden cognitos were standing around me with looks of concern in their eyes. I felt tears running down my cheeks.

  “I did not feel like I was gone very long,” I said, and they were visibly relieved to hear me speak and to wipe at my eyes.

  “It was not too long, maybe a minute.” Jade said, “But combat in the Spirit Realm is fast. A minute here can be quite some time there. What happened?”

  I took a sip of my juice, which had been refilled, I was sure, by Bella.

  “It's hard to explain,” I spoke to Jade both because it was her gem but also because she would understand this better than I.

  “Just describe what you saw, or felt, or experienced.” She gasped suddenly. “You were not alone!”

  “I met a spirit of hospitality that was somehow connected with the gem.”

  She said, “All things have a spirit; it's just that most are so insubstantial that they cannot interact with the material realm. Remember how I said that all things have an essence and a presence? That was the gem’s and it was strong enough to communicate.”

  “It gave me good information, and what it showed me was beautiful.”

  “Ah. That explains the tears. We thought you were in pain. But it was your first time in the Spirit Realm. You were very, very lucky that it was a beautiful spot. That memory will always be available to you now. The flip side is that the horrors can never truly be forgotten either. It is one of the reasons sorcerers are so odd. Their memories are not like other mortals.”

  “And they talk with things that are not there,” Stix added.

  “Oh, they are there, Stix. You just can’t see them.” Jade said and then looked over his shoulder with eyes widening in surprise.

  He turned around in his chair rapidly, seeing nothing. He looked back, and Jade was smugly taking a sip of her water.

  “Oh, haha.” He said, glancing once more over his shoulder before settling down once again.

  I shook my head and grinned. This was actually my second time in the spirit realm. The first had been with Bella, although the circumstances were different.

  “I learned two things of importance. First, the 49pt gem houses a spirit of hostility, along with no magical powers to choose from. I am familiar with what it is now. It is like a prison awaiting the warden to compel it to action.”

  “And that is what your Bella was trying to warn you about.”

  “Yes. It is possible that I could have compelled it to do some action, and it is also possible that I would first have had to win a contest of wills with a legendary spirit.”

  “Surprised. Unprepared. Untutored.” Jade remarked.

  “So, low odds then?” I asked.

  “Not for the spirit.” She remarked. “I’m for sure leaving it with you and Bella to put in your special box. But what was available in the 42pt gem?” She wanted to know.

  I gave her the list, which she wrote down in her book. “And I think that, as powerful as that gem is, and I otherwise would have suggested you not mess with it and trade it for some good stuff from a powerful sorcerer, I am pretty confident that, given the nature of that spirit and your skills and knowledge, you can wield it well. Oh, and you get up to three of the choices this time.” I explained her options as they were made known to me.

  “Sweet!” She said. And after a minute of thinking, she said, “Can you pick out the Ectoarmor VI, Scry Unknown Magical Object, and Spirit Door?”

  I focused my will. “Done.”

  She asked, “What do I owe you?”

  “I have an idea, but let’s wrap it all together. You keep the 42pt, 35pt, and 28pt gems, give me the 7pt, 14pt, 21pt, and 49pt. I will give you five sockets in your staff and two 14pt gems to add to your staff, a ruby for blood armor, and a topaz for a fire attack.”

  “Sounds fair.” She said.

  “I’m not done. Even though I am not going to be walking around with that 49pt amethyst, it is still not a fair deal for you. I’ll also give you both of these rings.”

  I took two rings off my hand and handed them to her. “Put them on so you know how they work.”

  She put them both on and smiled. “You are giving me Gwydion's Five Socket Dwarven Copper Ring of Lesser Protection from Elements and Gwydion's Five Socket Copper Ring of Lesser Elementals. One has a protection spell for every element, and the other summons a Lesser elemental from every element.”

  “Yes, and sorry about the name, it comes with them on their own.”

  “That seems like an even better trade.” She said, having already accepted a lesser deal.

  “And I have some ideas about how you can help as well, but I never did ask what your crafting skills are.”

  “Oh,” Jade said, “they are nothing special. I am a master astrologer, a journeyman bonecarver, and cartographer.”

  I thought about that for a minute. “I’m not sure what your astrologer crafting can do for us, but we can check with Red. But as a skilled carver, you can definitely help with our rune work, and we may want to create some detailed maps of the city, Undercity, and surrounding areas. Red would have a better handle on that as well.”

  Starla offered, “And along with the rune carving, if you’d like, we could exchange some of your lower-level sorcery attack and defense spells for my healing and elemental rune spells.”

  I snapped my fingers. “Starla, I have quite a few blank rune stones and rune sticks. I’d like to add those to your efforts, and I would also like to experiment with adding runes to sockets. Healing would be an amazing rune to start with.”

  She got excited. “Runes will give exact powers, whereas gems are more random. We could create healing rings without your extra expenditure of casting points to call out the gem powers.”

  I smiled. “I would like that. The costs of that alone are beginning to wear me down a bit. Plus, the effort takes time and concentration.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Bella, could you please bring some of the blank runes that Davon gave me? I think maybe a box of each to start.

  Yes, Gwydion. And thank you for heeding my warning.

  Bella, you probably saved my life. I thank you for giving me the warning. How many times have I said that I don’t know what I would do without you?

  More than once. She said, and I felt she was happy.

  “Bella is bringing some blanks. I think we know what you two are doing this morning.”

  And they both laughed.

  “But first, let me add those sockets, and you can add your gems. You will want to put the most powerful one in first since we know it has a strong, benign presence.”

  And so I made the sockets, and Jade put the 42pt, 35pt, and 28pt gems into the sockets. Her staff was named the Magestaff of the Amethyst Walker, and it had some spells that went beyond those she used from her own spell repertoire. It was more powerful than a simple magestaff.

  Bella dropped off the two boxes of runes along with a 10pt topaz and a 10pt ruby.

  You really are something special. I sent to her.

  She smiled and walked away.

  I concentrated on the gems and pulled up a Third Element Fire Blast spell and a Third Element Major Blood Armor spell, respectively.

  “You can put them both in now, but I will need to give some advice on the spells. First, the fire spell is an area of effect spell and pretty strong at the third level, or Element. You can put from one to ten casting points into it, with each doing around five damage, but there is a random nature to it.”

  “That will give me a solid attack option. Thank you.” She said.

  “It is only good once per day, but it is a heavy hitter. The blood armor spell is different than most spells you will encounter. You sacrifice health for protection. In essence, for every health point you put into the spell, you will get two points of invisible magical armor that an opponent would have to go through completely before you take physical damage. It wouldn’t stop you from drowning or choking on poison gas, but acid, fire, blades, etc., would not harm you until the magical protection is depleted.”

  Starla said, “I have the same ability in my staff. Follow Gwydion’s advice closely and don’t be alone when priming it.”

  Jade nodded her thanks to Jade and then asked me, “How much can I use?”

  I assumed she meant health points. “You can use as much as your entire health minus one. If your health drops to zero-”

  She finished, “Death is forever.”

  “Exactly,” I said.

  “Well, my health is thirty-five, so I could use thirty-four points.”

  “Nice, that is solid health,” I said.

  “I have good endurance as well. Health is equal to your Life plus half your Endurance.” She remarked.

  “I did not know that,” I said.

  Stix and Starla agreed with me and thanked her as well.

  “Do you have a lesser healing potion handy?” I asked.

  She pulled one out.

  “Okay, then I suggest someone help you by holding the potion. When you use that much health that fast, you will go all wobbly and will spill it all over yourself.”

  Starla said, “Gwydion helped me with the same kind of spell. I would have spilled it all down myself. It is an unpleasant feeling to lose that much health, and your vision will go all flashy and red, but the potion will help quickly, and then you will have the magical armor.”

  Jade handed the potion to Stix. “Would you help? You have the steadiest hands I know.”

  Stix had seemed like he was distracted and disinterested during the long conversation with Jade, but he was eager to help.

  Jade commanded the ruby to use 34 of her health points and then fumbled twice trying to get the potion to her lips. Stix helped her, and a moment later, she was out of breath but much better.

  “When you go downstairs to work on runes, Starla will take you over to the potions, and you can use a Minor Healing potion to take you up closer to your max. You should then heal normally throughout the day.” I offered.

  “Thanks, Gwydion, I would appreciate that. And thank you for being so honest and generous with the other things as well.”

  “You are helping the city and a new friend. I’m glad I could help.”

  I turned to Starla. “Could you also explain to Jade what we are doing with the journeymen spell books and get her started on that? Also, introduce her around so she can begin making friends.” I looked at Jade, “The group is still new enough that you coming in a day or so later is not a big deal.”

  Starla nodded. “Sure.”

  All eyes turned to Stix.

  “What?” He said. “I didn’t do it.” He added by reflex.

  “You probably did.” Jade said with an arch to her eyebrow, but I think it is your turn for magic.”

  “Oh. That’s what I meant.” He said lamely.

  We rolled our eyes.

  I looked over at Jade. “Also, think about what spells or skills you have that could be made into SUS rings. We can discuss it more later, but I will want a personal set of your spiritual attack and defense spells in case I need them, and will give you a blank SUS ring for your troubles. You can fill them however you want, from me or anyone here willing to help you. That offer is from me. If we can identify additional city needs, then there will be additional rings you could get as well. And since you are helping, I will get you a ring like Starla is wearing as well. It is one of my Dwarven Copper, five-socket rings with first-level SUS crystals in each socket. But the ring remains viable for new SUS crystals or a gem after you use the crystals because they vanish when used.”

  “Or runes,” Starla added.

  “Or runes. Thanks, Starla. Those are going to be great.” I amended.

  I looked back at Stix. “So, you can also trade for SUS rings with spells or skills and either buy or offer services for sockets in your weapons.”

  “What would the cost be for five sockets?” He asked.

  “Standard rate would be a thousand per casting for five sockets, but I’d do it for one thousand total. It will cost me five casting points for each, plus I need to unseal and then reseal each weapon for the enchantments to work and not wear off.”

  “How about I give you five hundred and a Lesser Magical Restoration potion?”

  “A negotiator.”

  He smiled.

  “Sure, I’ll do that. And you are under no obligations to the city. But you probably do have some skills that would be helpful, and I can get you blank SUS rings that you can fill with whatever you want.”

  “Sounds fair to me.” He said.

  Jade said, “Which translates to he thinks he is getting the better part of the bargain.”

  Stix looked hurt. “Be nice. I just brought you back from the very brink of death.”

  “With my potion sitting at a table with others who could have done it as well.”

  “They could have done it, but maybe not as well.” And he gave her the puppy dog eyes again.

  She laughed. “Whatever.”

  Stix rummaged around in his backpack for a minute and pulled out a thin leather bag that sounded like it had coins in it. He handed it to me along with a familiar blue potion.

  I put his potion into my potion vest and drank the remaining two minor potions. I quickly unsealed, cast sockets, and sealed his magical weapons. I was able to discern that they had a number of features to them and were not merely a one-spell item.

  The first was named Leng- Fighting Stick of the Cold Hand, and the other was named Re- Fighting Stick of the Hot Hand. They had charges to them like a wand, but they recharged over time. The time recharge was far better than a sunrise recharge, as I had discovered in my talks with Isaac.

  I handed them back and said, “There you go. They are especially good weapons.”

  “Yep.” He said, offering no other comment.

  “Before I head out, are there any skills that you would like to trade for?”

  He thought about it, and I could see he was calculating what to share and what to keep secret.

  “The more powerful the skill or spell, the better the ring you get in trade.” I offered.

  “What do you mean?” He asked.

  “The ring metals are based on levels. Copper is first and second, silver is third and fourth, gold is fifth and sixth, and platinum is seventh.” I explained.

  “You have several seventh-level spells on your staff, then.” He said.

  I raised my eyebrows.

  “I saw the platinum rings.” He said.

  “Good eyes,” I admitted. I had only kept my staff up briefly, and I had not faced the gem side toward them. I didn’t want to get into a discussion about fifteen sockets before I got to know them better.

  “In that case, I have a first, second, and two fifths.”

  “Two fifths, huh?” I said, impressed.

  He shrugged. “Special situation.” He partially explained.

  “What are the skills or spells?” I asked.

  “Avoid missile, Greater Dodge, Two Weapon Mastery, and Avoid First Strike.”

  “I am familiar with all of them. I don’t need the Two Weapon Mastery, but if you are able, I’ll take five of each, which would give you ten magical copper and five magical gold SUS rings to use.”

  “I don’t have that many skill points and would need to use one of my potions.”

  “You don’t need to use your own. Let’s add another. I’d give you four minor Skill Recovery potions to cover your forty skill point cost. That way, you break even.”

  “I’d rather do better than break even.” He said, slowly.

  Starla was not impressed by his attitude. “The other journeymen are doing all of this without expecting a ring for a ring. Gwydion is being very generous. Each of those magical rings is worth a lot of money.”

  Stix looked at her, seemed like he was going to say something, and then shrugged. “Ok, that’s fair, I guess.”

  “We can all head downstairs and take care of it there.” I offered. He agreed, and we walked down to exchange rings for skills.