TinkerToy Mage

3

.^^ the Painting ^^

— Rune —

Seeing the ocean whip by under us was a therapeutic experience. An endless, frothy, grey and white expanse, full of wonders I'd never imagined correctly, I was sure of it. I'd heard stories, of course, the Half-Elf had been a fisherman, and the Gnome had been a dock-worker, before their exiles, but I'd never seen it up close.

The aircraft was of an interesting make, and once everyone had settled down, and the Elf woman had explained the situation in sparse detail, I was given the run of the ship, and it's engine room.

Three different engines seemed to determine its lift and direction, as well as speed, and it could even hover, something I hadn't seen before. I made a note to study these engines, and make my own for the Construct, once I recreated that Bag of Space that the Elves protected so dearly.

The ride took about twelve hours, during which I ate some cured meats from my satchel, and drank some of my water, still watching the ocean, and finally drifted off to sleep.

—

A soft movement woke me, and I had a hand cannon against the temple of the Male Elf, the Captain, immediately.

"Easy there, just waking you up. We've arrived." He said quietly, and pointed out the window.

I glanced down at the window, and hummed at the sight of a large port city, almost exactly as the Half-Elf had described. "Is this Lumeria?" I asked.

He blinked. "Yes? How'd you know that?"

"Matched a description I was given... though I can't see any cesspools from here, the Twin Spires of Glass seem to be apparent." I smirked, and patted the Construct. "Any changes in the night, Construct?"

"Two beings attempted to open my port while you slept, but I rebuffed them with a gentle static charge. A third, the elf woman, scolded them, and they were whipped on the flight deck at dawn. Thirty lashes, is what I counted." He answered easily, as awake as ever.

"Ahh, I see. Thirty lashes is the punishment for attempted theft? Interesting..." I hummed.

The Captain looked between us. "That thing really talks? Or you already knew?"

"It talks, yes. The Construct doesn't sleep, and catalogues everything it senses. It also has standing orders to rebuff all those who would intrude upon its privacy, and my own, with varying degrees of... intensity." I smiled, and stood up, stretching. "Alright, well, I suppose we'll be landing in the Dry Docks? Or somewhere private?"

He shook his head. "The Council has heard your argument about the Construct being your property, and is going to meet us to determine if you would be receptive to a Deal, which they've heard you like."

"I do like deals, yes. I'm a Merchant Craftsman, after all! I'm sure this will be fun." I shrugged, and sat down, beginning to clean my rifle, whilst keeping an eye on the city, learning its structure, it's circular compass-rose construction. Even this time of night, it was still lively, with lights in every district, centered in certain points, but still widespread. There was little true darkness in this city, meaning I would need my polarized glass lenses, to see properly.

Adding the polarized layer was easy, and I did so quickly, as the flyer lowered itself through the sparse clouds, and landed between the two Glass Spires.

I commanded the Construct to follow me out, and he did so, shimmying his way out of the cargo hold, and then making his way to his feet, off to one side. The crew filed off to another side, with the Captain, while the two elf Mages came to stand by me, the female holding my notes in one hand, and the bow in another.