Magical Engineering

The Great Hall was full. I don't mean that just every table had someone sitting at it. I mean that we had been forced to start setting up tables outside and pushing as many extra spots inside as we possibly could. Tomorrow was the start of the competition, and because of that, everyone wanted one last night of celebration.

Rabyn was constantly flitting about, personally checking in at every single table. Every time a dish was served, Rabyn was there, discussing with the group everything that the food evoked. He didn't just want the subtle tastes they could detect; he wanted how their emotional state resonated with each bite. The man was squeezing every tiny bit of practice he could in these last hours.

“You know, you could relax. That might help a little bit for tomorrow,” I said, as the orc plopped down in front of me for a moment.

“If I did that, how could I ever be prepared for tomorrow? Dave, I know you're not a perfectionist to my level, but the culinary arts require a level of dedication to the only craft that brings everyone together,” Rabyn replied without a hint of a joke in his tone.

I wasn't about to argue with him. There was obviously an artistry to food. And when it came to practices of uniting people everywhere, food was generally a common thing that people shared. Their tastes might be different, and while I was sure there were some species out there that actually didn't eat in a standard way, for the most part, meals were where people talked.

Throughout history on Earth, bread was broken as a way to calm tensions. Families gathered to discuss their days. People went to bars and restaurants just to have fun. So who was I to judge Rabyn for attempting to go the extra mile? If anything, it was praiseworthy.

“Alright, fair enough. How are things going so far tonight?” He looked surprisingly unstressed despite all of this. I didn't remotely believe it, but that was only because I had gotten to know the man over the last many months. So much of my early fears about him had evaporated away.

“Honestly, I think I've got the menu figured out for tomorrow, but it will depend on exactly how the event is structured. I believe no matter what they pull though, I can work it into what I have planned. I am still concerned about any true surprises they spring on us.”

“Same, but there's nothing we can do besides hope for the best there. We've done every bit of preparation we can, and I could be wrong, but I think we have a pretty good group of people here,” I replied. There was, of course, a very good chance I was wrong. I had no good basis for comparison to the untold number of factions within the Spiral. But the man sitting next to me did.

“I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We've put together a very powerful faction relative to its size. The problem is, we don't know who else is there yet. We don't know what events are coming after these preliminaries. This could turn into a giant mess. There are a lot of people out there that really want their own inhabitable planet right now,” Pryte said, joining the conversation as his fork clattered to the table.

“Yeah, but most of them also don't have their home and family riding on the line, so we're gonna win this no matter what,” Cecile added.

“Keep up that enthusiasm, guys,” I said, happy to hear it. I didn't know if it would be as easy as the brothers hoped, but I had every intention of putting my all into it.

“So, back to the actual reason I'm here. What do you all think of these dishes?” Rabyn asked, narrowing his eyes at each of us, making his point clear on how important he felt the question was.

“They’re great, I really like the purple sauce you’ve used for these green things,” Pryte said, as he pointed at different things on his plate.

“Ah, yes, that's a type of vegetable they grow on this planet called the sweet potato. That specific variety is purple, and what causes the color. I made it into a thick, creamy sauce to pair with what these Humans call asparagus. I was told the crunch with the interesting sweet flavor goes together quite well.”

“And this is one of what you're planning to serve tomorrow?” Elody asked, after taking a few sample bites of her own.

“One of many things that I have prepared. Again, it really all depends on what they specifically require,” Rabyn replied.

“Can I have everyone's attention, please?” A Dwarven voice suddenly rang out from the center of the hall. “Tonight, I've decided to pair your meals with a song. After all, I've got to prepare for tomorrow too, don't I?”

A loud round of cheering erupted, myself included. I was glad to see Connie up and enjoying herself. The Jester infestation had been the hardest on her and had come the closest to killing her. Seeing her ready to take control of the room again was a good change.

Looking much less enthused with themselves was the smaller girl hiding behind Connie. I couldn't tell if Orglina was nervous or terrified. But when it came to stage fright, the only thing you could do was force yourself through it. I knew this from a childhood of experience.

“You've got this, Orglina!” I yelled, trying to encourage her. Immediately after my cheer, calls from several others in the crowd, her siblings and friends, rose up to join me.

From the look on her face, I wasn't sure we'd actually helped. But she didn't run away, and that was what mattered. Instead, she stepped up next to Connie and began to work her own magic on the crowd.

At exactly the same time Connie's lyrics started to sweep over the diners, Orglina's unique magic infused itself into the performance. Everything was heightened. The music was beautiful, and I had a feeling that Rabyn's food was even further intensifying it.

The stirring deep inside me came from Orglina's mana orb, though. That I knew. Feeling it affect me again, though, was just as strange as it had been the first time. Connie wove a song of an empire long gone, and Orglina's magic made me feel as though I watched every piece, all the highs and joys as it started, and the horrible, depressing lows as it crashed down.

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As they finished, the crowd met them with cheers, applause, and tears. And while I couldn't say for sure if they would win tomorrow, they would certainly make a lasting impression. Orglina had already vanished from the center of attention before the song was even over. Beating her stage fright would take longer than a single week, it seemed.

“Huh, I knew she was good, but, actually, you know what? I don't know if I have the words for what that was. I have no idea how long it's been since I didn't have words or something. Well, we're gonna win that one at least.” There was a hint of longing in Pryte's statement.

“How did she manage to sing a song about the great mushroom fields like that? I had no idea she'd even known that much about our planet,” Elicec asked, still sounding somewhat mesmerized by the song.

“Wait, mushroom fields? I heard a song about the rise and fall of an empire and everything that came and went with it,” I added.

“Okay, now that's even better than I realized. She was tailoring the song per listener. That is a special skill. Hell, possibly unique. I wonder if it takes both of them to do that? Orglina's mana orb is a little strange on its own, so that could explain it,” Pryte replied, sounding deeply impressed.

“Conceptual mana orbs on their own are always incredibly difficult to categorize. Toss in the fact that this one plays on emotions, it will be very hard to predict just what she'll be capable of with it. I'm still a little surprised you let her keep it, Dave,” Elody said. Despite her words, there was no judgment in her tone, just a bit of surprise.

“She found it. Who was I to take it away from her?” I answered, knowing that in reality most people would have. I knew that the Anemoia mana orb was extremely powerful, and leaving it with someone like Orglina was not the most tactically sound use of it, but at the same time, why not let her grow up learning to use it? And she was learning to make great use of it.

“It makes you someone different, Dave,” Glunderlin said as he joined us with a tray of his own food.

“Didn’t think you’d be joining us tonight,” I replied. There were several smaller Reltleon celebrations happening in the city, and I had figured the former mayor would want to be a part of them.

“It seemed prudent to see if I had any part to play here. Recently, the System has been insistent that I find my place within the Spiral, and I believe that includes this faction, primarily,” he replied.

“Ah, I had heard something about that. Two new quests?” I was glad he was telling me before I had to go to him about it. Not that we would have time to pursue them just yet, but they coincided with things we needed to figure out. And that meant they were not just Glunderlin's problem.

“Surprisingly, yes, even at my age, the System has decided to give me a few new ones. And it picked some very difficult ones at that. But I've decided to rise to the challenge,” he replied.

“Well, once you're ready to really start undertaking those quests, we're all here for you. I have a feeling they intersect with a few things we need to take a look at as well,” I said, hoping to reassure him that he wasn't in this alone.

“Thank you, but the number of things I keep asking you to do, even without asking, does seem a bit high, doesn't it?” Glunderlin looked away guiltily.

“We're not going to measure things out in favors and requests to each other. You're part of this faction. You're a friend. We're definitely going to help you,” I replied. Several voices echoed my sentiments around the table.

“Thank you.”

It was obvious he wanted to say more, to disagree, to somehow refuse our help. But at the same time, that just wasn't possible. Realistically, there was no way he could fight his way to the heart of the highways without the rest of us. If there was anything like that siren waiting out there, it'd be a hard path to take.

Glunderlin’s appearance, possibly influenced by the food and drink, had convinced me I needed to make a speech. Or at least say a few words. I doubted I had a full speech in me. This room was full of people who lived in a faction that I nominally ruled. Several of them would be competing for this faction tomorrow. I felt like it was part of my job to say something at least. That's what the important people did in movies and books, right?

So to that end, I took a deep breath, stood up, and clanked my glass several times to try to get attention. It didn't work at all. Luckily, Connie noticed my attempt and did it for me.

“Hey, everyone, shut up. Dave's got something to say!” her voice belted out across the room.

The room went silent, all heads turning towards me. The problem was I actually didn’t have anything to say. I just thought I should say something.

“Uh, yeah, hey, everyone. Thought I'd know what to say by the time I actually got your attention. Turns out I don't. But I want you all to know you're doing great, and if we can just keep up this momentum, we're going to get Cecile and Elicec's planet free. Thank you for everything you've done and will do.”

It was a terrible speech. They all applauded anyway. Hell, several people whistled.

“See, you're figuring this thing out already. Mel was right. You are the right man for the job,” Pryte said as I sat back down.

I had no response. Instead, I dug into my food. Tomorrow would be interesting.

Karlinovo

“So I know why I'm not at the giant dinner. What brings you out here tonight as well?” Karlinovo asked. He had come out to check on the gate and all of the inner relays he had set up to the new defensive towers, as well as a few of the sensors he had added. To his surprise, Quarilyn had beaten him here.

“The same reason, I'm guessing. Neither of us wants to chance a repeat of what happened the last time Dave was off-world. And considering even more people are going this time, it does leave us ripe for an attack.” Her reply was a bit muffled as she was currently holding a screwdriver in her teeth.

“Yeah, yeah, I suppose that’s about the best answer. So I know why I'm here. But why are you sticking around anyway? You've certainly got a home you could go back to that's much safer,” Karlinovo asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

It was obvious why the other two Olkerfins hadn't left. One of them had clearly grown very attached to Dave, the other had a ton of unresolved feelings for Pryte. And romantic feelings generally made people do really stupid things. Not that Karlinovo was complaining. It meant he had a few more smart people around to help with what he needed to get done.

“Elody and Yorela are the closest thing I have to family. So I'm not gonna leave them to do this on their own. I had already been worried enough that I'd lost her after the Archives, so this time, she can't get rid of me so easily. But enough talk, hold this.” Quarilyn handed the man a frayed cable as she worked to patch in a much thicker one.

Karlinovo took it without question. There was work to be done after all. And there wasn't much time left to get it done.

There is an order of Paladins that I am hesitant to call an order. Not for any philosophical reason, but because I am not entirely sure they exist, and if any of the Paladin orders know otherwise, they are not discussing it. But within certain records exist references to a Paladin order of Soul.

Now, considering there are plenty of branches of soul magic that exist within the Spiral, even if they are a bit rarer than other types, it seems natural that there would be Paladins of the Soul. So where are they? Hopefully, in some future edition, I can add more information, but at the moment, all I can find is their order name listed in a few ancient volumes of all Paladin orders.

The Paladin Classes by Zolinjar