[Mkguild] MK story part 4

[Christian Okane]

Here is part 4 of the Metamor Keep story.


Chris
The Lurking Fox


***************


   "Ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! Ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch!
ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch!
ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch!
ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch! ouch!"

   "Oh, stop. I'm nearly done," Caroline snapped.

   The two were alone in the small apartment they shared in the Keep. They
were seated on opposite sides of a table. Misha had his left hand on the
table. The fur on his hands had been shaved off and several complex magical
symbols were drawn on the exposed skin. In her hands was a tool made up of a
long, thin wooden handle with several sharp needles on the end. She would
dip the needles into a bottle of ink and then deliberately jab Misha in the
hand. Slowly and painfully the magical symbols Misha had drawn on his hand
were turned into permanent tattoos. Already he could slowly feel the power
in them starting to come to life with each jab of the needles.

   "I don't understand why people think that a tattoo is a good thing,"
Caroline said as she kept on working. "They are just mutilating their own
body."

   "The Lutins do this to prove their bravery," Misha said through clenched
teeth. "Now I understand why."


********************


   The trip was long but uneventful. Everyone was glad when they finally
landed in one of the courtyards of Metamor Keep. Stealth was surprised to
find Edmund waiting for him.

   "Welcome home!" Edmund said and hugged him. "Welcome home. How did your
visit go?"

   "It was nice," Stealth answered.

   "Were there any issues?" The paladin asked and leaned closer to Stealth.
"I've heard stories about Marigund."

   "It was an interesting place," Stealth said in slow measured terms.

   "Interesting?" Edmund asked. "Did you have any problems?"

   "It was an exciting place. So many people and so much to see. No one took
notice of me walking around in public."

   "They didn't mind a cheetah walking around?" The paladin asked, amazed.

   Stealth shook his head. "Everyone thought I was a mage."

   Edmund gave a chirp of laughter. "The Mages guild in Marigund does have a
reputation for some really unusual antics."

   "And I thought the people here in Metamor were strange!" Stealth
commented.

   Edmund gave a chirp of delight "Where did you go?"

   "Marigund city!" Stealth responded.

   "I know that already. But what parts of it did you see?"

   "All of it!" Was the short answer.

   Edmund cocked his head to the side in puzzlement. "All of it?"

   "Oh yes!" Stealth said excitedly. "I took the grand tour! Saw all the
sights."

   "I see," the paladin said slowly. There was a moment of silence before he
spoke. "You got lost again. Like in Hareford,"

   "Shut up."

   "You bring any cookies this time?" Edmund asked cheerfully.

   "Yeah but Misha stole them," Stealth joked.

   Edmund shook his head. "That damn little thing."

   They both laughed out loud. The two walked out of the courtyard and into
one of countless small corridors that made up Metamor Keep. In a
surprisingly short time they were at the door to Stealth's apartment. The
courier opened the door and waved his friend inside. Only when they were
alone did he speak. "Ed," Stealth started in a serious tone. "Have you ever
been somewhere for the first time and felt like you had been there before?"

   "I have," the paladin responded. "Usually I had been there before and
simply forgotten."

   Stealth shook his head emphatically. "No. I was in Marigund and it felt
familiar, like I had been there before. But I've never been there before."
He described what had happened at the ruins of Aurturius Square and all the
odd feelings and memories he'd experienced in Marigund.

   Edmund listened patiently while his friend described everything.
"Reincarnation is a common belief among the Centli people. Still is in spite
of strenuous efforts by the Ecclesia over the last 700 years. It is a very
common belief in the east and many faiths there have reincarnation at their
core. The official standing of the Ecclesia is that reincarnation does not
exist. The standing is that only one lifetime is sufficient to earn final
judgment. A soul is only judged once by the Great Creator," Edmund said in
clipped tones. "But many believe that some souls are not ready for final
judgment and must return. There is also the belief among some that souls
come back to this realm after judgment for reasons unknown."

   Stealth leaned forward, closer to his friend. "What do you believe?"

   Edmund was quiet for a long moment. "I understand the official standing
and why that is. But I also understand that I've seen things that do not
always match what the patriarch declares."

   "So," Stealth said. "You don't believe the patriarch."

   "Well," Edmund stuttered. "I mean. The patriarch is just a man and has
human foibles."

   "So," Stealth said. "You believe in reincarnation."

   The paladin shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just not sure."


*******************


   Slowly the pieces accumulated in the workshop. A dozen metal rods of
various sizes and lengths were found in a box along with a stack of wooden
dinner plates carved into the shapes of birds. 16 parts of 5 metals were
quickly recognized as the left hind quarter. One piece of skin was located
in the kitchens where it was being used as a skillet. One large section of
skin had been used in an art project and now was covered with a beautiful
landscape painting of the Sylvan mountains.

   Eventually word spread outside the guild that the Automatia department
was interested in any and all odd metal objects. This led to an endless
parade of people bringing all sorts of items. Most were useless junk and
many had no relationship to automatons but were very interesting none the
less. The later were bought and passed along to other departments or to
Cecelia Armhurst for inclusion in the museum.

   Cecelia herself brought the largest and most valuable piece. "Do I have a
prize for you!" she said to Carlisle as she pushed a handcart into the
workshop. On it was a large, long box that looked at first glance like a
coffin. Quickly all work in the room stopped as everyone crowded around the
box.

   Carlisle pushed through the crowd. "What did you bring us?"

   "We found this box this morning and I recognized it as automaton
immediately." The woman pulled off the wooden lid and carefully leaned it
against a wall. Cecelia pointed to a cloth covered object that was at least
four feet long. "Please take the other end it's quite heavy."

   He gently grabbed one and was surprised by the weight of the object.
Carefully he and Cecelia placed the object onto an empty table. The cloth
wrapped around the object had been tied in place with thick metal wire made
of steel. It took a sharp set of cutters and considerable pressure to cut
the wire. Slowly they removed three layers of cloth being sure that they
missed nothing. Finally the last layer was removed revealing a pipe like
object made up of a hundred parts all carefully articulated into one, four
foot long piece.

   "It's the backbone!" Idette said. "The entire spine."

   "And in perfect condition!" Alton added with a broad smile as he ran his
hands along the peice.

   Sometimes the search uncovered more than just parts.

   The girl came into the office with a large cloth sack that took
considerable effort for her to carry. She was young enough that puberty had
only just started to mature her into a woman. Her blonde hair was neatly
combed and she was wearing a dress that although clean was a little worn
around the edges and was probably second hand.

   The contents of the bag were placed on the table in front of Carlisle.
They were an assortment of shapes, sizes and materials. Carlisle examined
the items for a moment and then looked up at the girl standing nervously in
front on him. "These are fake," he said harshly. "I'm not paying for fakes."

   The girl reached out for the parts. "Then I'll take my stuff and go
home."

   Carlisle brushed the girl's hands away. "Did you make these Joeline?" the
man asked in soft tones as he pointed to the items.

   "Yes," she said boldly. "My father taught me how to do it."

   He nodded and smiled. "He's hired." he said bluntly. "And I'll see that
you are enrolled as an apprentice in the Automata dept."

   "What? But why? They're fake!"

   "I know, but they're good fakes." He tapped one of the pieces with a
finger. "This took real skill to make. I'll need to you both to make another
such item here under my supervision. To judge your skill levels."

 She smiled broadly. "Sure!"


*************


   "I found it!" Idette said waving a scroll around.

   "Found what?"

   "Where our automaton came from," the woman answered. "In the year -93 the
emperor Creserius declared all Automata an abomination and all known
examples destroyed."

   "That happened several times over the life of the empire," Carlisle
commented dryly. "And you should have learned that in my Introduction to
Automata class."

   "Yes master Baldren," she said in clipped tones. "But this scroll is a
copy of the official imperial decree signed by the emperor himself. And it
shows that he appointed Iulius Aprontinia to see to the task."

   "Aprontinia?" Carlisle asked and leaned closer to the woman. "Nevittia
Aprontinia was one of the founders of the Guild itself. Are they related?"

   "They must be as Iulius Aprontinia was the praetor of Pintia which was
the empire name for Marigund," the woman explained. "I think we can assume
that when ordered by the emperor to destroy the automaton he didn't. Instead
he took it apart and brought the pieces back here."

   The wizard nodded in agreement. "A good theory. Why did he risk angering
the emperor by keeping the parts instead of destroying them?"

   The woman shrugged. "We cannot tell why but perhaps he just did not want
to see such a work of art destroyed."


******************


   "Are you sure it's safe?" Joeline asked. The girl was standing next to
the metal lion.

   "No," Carlisle answered. "Which is why I am trying it myself before
letting any others do it."

   "What if you get stuck in there?" Joeline asked.

   "Then I'll have several hundred years to figure out how to get out," the
mage joked but no one laughed.

   "My soul will remain in my flesh and blood body," the man explained. "I
am merely extending my mind out to the lion to control it."

   The small group of mages was clustered around in the middle of the
workshop. On the floor was the metal lion which was finally finished after
being half completed for so many years. years. Next to the table a large bed
had been set up.

   Carlisle lay down on the bed and took as few moments to get settled. Then
he closed his eyes and seemed to fall asleep.

   The lion suddenly opened its eyes and lifted its head slowly.

   "Can you hear me?" Idette asked.

   The metal lion turned its head and stared directly at the woman. "Yes,"
came Carlisle's voice from metal feline. The lion stood up slowly and
unsteadily. It stood there wobbling about like a drunken sailor standing at
a bar. Then the feline walked across the floor staggering about at first but
slowly becoming more steady with each step.  The metal feline slowly walked
in circles moving each leg with slow deliberate care. "This feels odd. I've
been in animal form but this is different. The form is slower than a real
lion but there is more strength. We most certainly need to enhance the
animation with spells. And the sense of touch is very inferior but this is
well made. I can think of a score of improvements we can make to this
already!" The metal lion turned to where the recovered parts lay scattered
across a dozen benches. "You're next!"


******************


   "Carlisle!" Alton shouted. His voice carrying across the room in spite of
the other noises in the workshop.

   The mage came running to the workbench where the craftsman had been
working. "What?"

   Alton held up a small, palm sized piece of metal. It was mostly covered
with dirt and grime but one corner was clean and glistened like new. The
craftsman pointed to the clean portion. "There's a number there, someone
inscribed a number onto the back of this plate."

   Carlisle leaned closer and peered at the piece. There scratched into the
metal was "34*93*71."

   "It's a makers number perhaps," was the man's opinion.

   "Better," Alton said and held up another piece of metal similar to the
first but fully cleaned. He placed the two pieces close to each other and
Carlisle saw that they fit together perfectly. Then Alton turned over the
fully cleaned plate and pointed to the back. There neatly inscribed was
"34*93*72."

   "They numbered all the parts!" the mage shouted in delight.

  "Part number and location on the body!" Alton added.

   "Good lord!" Carlisle shouted. "This will cut YEARS off the reassembly."


*****************



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