IoaUM Chapter 5

Knowing what was coming, I carefully knelt into the plush carpeting to allow Mama S to look at me. Johanna Silverfoot always needed to inspect her children, and she counted me among her other five. 

“You’re skinny, Kro.” She stated, displeased. “You don’t feed yourself, focusing too much on being handsome! Your beard barely grows, no woman would want you so hairless and childish anyways. The food’s ready, though I’ll have to prepare Anders’s portion.”

“I know you didn’t plan for me, Mama S. Let me–”

“No, no, no! I won’t have my baby boy waiting around for me to finish cooking! That old man’s long become used to sitting around, and it’s his fault I didn’t know you were coming for supper.anyways. If he’s gotta wait, then let him wait!” She swatted at her husband with her apron as he stepped closer, and he smiled as he leaned in and rubbed his nose against Johanna’s. For her part, she leaned into her husband with a smile before bustling away into the kitchen.

Regardless of any protests I made, I would be fed, and fed, and stuffed, and fed some more. I resigned myself to the treatment with a grin and stepped through the familiar home until I arrived at the diminutive kitchen table. With practiced motions, I set the hidden gears to spinning and the table rose two feet until I could sit comfortably while I ate. While the table finished its transformation, I grabbed my chair from a nearby closet, set it at the table and walked to the kitchen proper, where I leaned down and planted a firm kiss on the top of Mama S’s head.

“You don’t bother the cook when she’s in the kitchen!” She groused as she swatted at my knees with a large (for her) metal spoon. I let the blows fall on me and laughed as I retreated from her demesne. Anders hadn’t yet returned from changing from his more formal suit and trousers, so I sat alone at the table, enjoying the quiet sounds of a home well-lived in. My middle finger still ached, and I began to weave the complex photomantic construct in my mind to try to heal it further. 

Different from the instinctive elemental magics, photomancy was difficult for me. I wasn’t sure why that was, but it always had been so, and this was no exception. I struggled over the construct, my mana slowly filling the spellweave I created in my mind. With a force of will, I kept it from spilling over at all and ruining the construct, but the more the lines of mana wove together without touching, the more I struggled to continue forming the necessary construct. Finally, with a sloppy stitching at the end of the spellweave, I completed the photomancy and my aching finger returned to near normalcy.

I sagged to the table, resting my head as I recovered from the exertion of the complex magic. The silver fork I hadn’t realized was there poked into my forehead painfully, and I groaned as I sat back up. The table had been set while I’d been consumed in the mental effort of casting the simple healing spell, and two gnome faces looked up at me from their tall stools in front of me. The bowl of stew in front of me no longer steamed, and I felt a flash of heat cross my cheeks as I wondered how long I’d been concentrated on the spellwork.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would take me so long, it was still hurting, since the healer at the garrison wasn’t a full Mage. I just–”

“Hush, Kro. Enjoy your meal and then get some sleep.” Mama S cut me off as she began to tuck into her own meal. My bowl was filled with carrots, potatoes, and luxurious strips of meat. When I bit in, I knew it was rabbit, and I couldn’t hold back the groan of pleasure. I tucked in and quickly was scraping the bottom of the bowl, but even so I couldn’t help myself from looking over and watching as each of the gnomes finished their significantly smaller bowls without taking a single slice of the rabbit out. Before I could protest, though, Anders spoke.

“You need it more than we do. You’ve been busy today, and you need to recover. Plus, you know we can afford to keep eating meat, so I don’t wanna hear it. Do you want seconds?”

“No, I’m full.” I sighed.

“Then get some rest, son. We’ll see you in the morning.” Anders grabbed his plate to clear it and an exasperated Johanna swatted his hand away before taking it herself. I grinned wickedly as I picked my own bowl up and held it at my chest’s height, far out of Johanna’s reach, as I walked it to the sink. As I bent over to place it in the sink, though, she kicked me in the shin and shouted, “That’s my kingdom! Don’t be putting your dirty man-fingers where they don’t belong!”

With a flurry of swats and kicks she banished me from her kingdom, but not before I leaned down with a broad smile and kissed the top of her head. At my affection, she stopped her protestations and instead lovingly patted my cheek. “Sleep well, my boy.” She set to washing the dishes with a whistle and a hop, and the sounds of her scrubbing the dishes filled the air. How she found so much fulfillment in her domestic lifestyle was a mystery to me, but Mama S’s perpetual happiness was obvious.

When I retreated to the corner I’d deemed my own space as a boy, I was unsurprised to find that she’d somehow prepared my bed between all the meal preparations, and without further thought, I changed into the nightclothes the Silverfoots kept prepared for me and collapsed into the fluffy bedding where I lost consciousness. As usual, my dreams were formless, painful things, and I woke early enough to, with a groan and a stretch, make my way into the washroom before Mama S had completed her preparations for breakfast. My entire life, I’d never managed to wake before her, even though she was at least 350 years old and past middle age for a gnome.

There was no facility large enough for me in the washroom, and I’d known there wouldn’t be. The water was already warmed, and I made an effort of splashing it over my face and through my hair. While I attempted to clean myself, I caught wind of my body’s stench and pulled off my robe to attempt to clean myself for civilized company. Johanna, miracle worker that she was, had cleaned my clothes from the day before and laid them out in the washroom for me so after I had stripped my nightclothes and washed myself as best as I could, I dressed back into my shirt, slacks, and waistcoat. I looked into the mirror.

A long, pale face topped by dark mussed, curly hair greeted me, my blue eyes ringed by thick, dark circles. No beard on my jaw, just patchy stubble. My fancy waistcoat was patterned with a flame motif, one of my favorites, though with the cold and fires, I wished I’d worn my overcoat yesterday. After the explosion in the Greens, the red silk sported several scorches that even Johanna’s magical ministrations had been unable to completely clean. I would need to swing by my home to either replace the waistcoat or at least get an overcoat. After all, there was my image to protect! Ugh. I would be on the prowl again today, and I couldn’t afford to appear run down to the public.

I watched my own face drop as the frustrating necessity of posturing settled over me. The sole Unbound Mage of Kormos couldn’t show weakness before the public or the Families or the Blues or the Legeona or the mob. Even if that weakness was singed silk. My spectral hand grabbed a towel and I began to dry my face with the soft cloth before exiting the washroom and nearly stepping on Johanna. She continued bustling around the house as always and smiled up at me as I prepared myself to leave.

“You’re not leaving without breakfast.”

“I–”

“You’re not.”

“... No, I’m not.” I conceded as Johanna lifted up a thick crust of bread, the smell fresh and enticing. Even with her insistence, Mama S was quick and handed me a sandwich I could carry with me as I left the house. Before I dug in, I made sure to kiss her goodbye, and she held me tightly before swatting at me with her apron.

“Be home again soon. We miss you.”

I nodded my agreement as I walked out into the atelier and towards the door. Anders was nowhere to be seen, but the two Hrog Clan guardsmen were ready and making sure none of the early day customers caused any trouble. The orcs were huge and sported the scars and Brands of retired Legeonates. I walked into the store and they sized me up as I entered the enclosed space. I couldn’t help but notice that their “small” batons could easily reach me without trouble, and even a single blow would break my concentration on magic, if not my skull.

“Hey boys. How’re we doing this fine day?”

One simply grunted, while the other grimaced, his tusks hiding his lips. “Workin inside. Not bad. The elder know you?”

“Why else would I be in his house?”

“Robbin him, hurtin the missus, intrudin, bein stupid. Don’t care why, but I’d crack you one and toss you out.”

His callous disposition towards violence was typical for those who’d survived the front lines, and I figured it was best not to antagonize them too much. “I’m family, just took the height from the rest of ‘em.”

“Sure.”

“Tell Anders that Krollas went home and thanks for the meal. I already told Mama S goodbye.” Without another word, I continued walking out the door, when the previously silent one suddenly asked, “You that Mage?”

Normally, I wouldn’t respond beyond a “yep”, but this one’s tone demanded a true answer, especially given the insult that was asking for someone’s name in orcish culture. “Yeah, you’ve heard of me. Krollas the Unbound Mage, controlled by no Family nor institution but still a true Mage of Kormos. I don’t know your name, but if you require my assistance, you’ll need to consult with your captain before I’ll be willing to tie myself into one of the Families’ problems.” The orc didn’t react to the obvious insult of me mentioning I didn’t know his name nor exploits.

“You really murder the Magistrate’s kid?”

Of course that’s what he’s asking. “He wasn’t a kid, nor was he the Magistrate’s. But yes, he’s dead.”

“We like you. Be remembered in your deeds. I’ll make sure you learn mine by the next time we meet.”

As much as I hated what that insinuated, I couldn’t do anything more than nod my acknowledgement and finally escape into the brightly lit streets of a morning in Kormos. Now, I just needed to swing by my house before getting back to the Ragarrs for some additional questions.