CH105 Magical Girl Toymaker
Fufi and Alex emerged from the portal pipe into the pipe nexus, a creation of Merumeru located on Bob and Martha’s farm. The number of upward-facing pipes in the walled-off section remained unchanged, with known routes leading to the town and the swamp. Aqua had indicated that one of the other pipes should lead to Merumeru's current location. Clucking chickens, some adorned with helmets, perched on the wall. A young apple tree in the area was showing signs of winter coming, its leaves yellowing and falling. Apart from the pipes, the only other exit was a metal gate, constructed from pipes, giving it a somewhat steampunk appearance.
Alex examined the apple tree, noting signs of grafting on its severed branches. She was unsure of the location of the trees from which the nymphs had taken the grafts. Touching an unusual indentation in the trunk, which served as a phone charging port, Alex impulsively placed her phone on the wooden dock. The charging icon changed to a small lightning bolt. Although Luna’s modifications kept her phone perpetually at 100%, it was useful to confirm the tree's continued function as an electronics charging station.
“Neat!” Fufi craned her head around Alex. “It still works.”
“It has lightning in it.” Alex repeated what a certain nymph said months ago. “I suppose there could be some use for this but the tree ladies said that letting the original one grow naturally is the best choice. At least it isn’t dropping apples all over the place. Anyway, let's go see Bob and Martha.”
Alex opened the gate and regarded the cows and sheep hanging around. Not wanting to let them in the walled off area, she closed and secured the gate then headed to knock on the farmhouse door.
“Hello?” Alex knocked. “Is anyone home?”
“Maybe they are out in the fields. It is harvest time after all.” Fufi took to the skies and looked around. “Yep, come this way!”
Alex followed the flying flamingo to Bob pulling a log back from the tree line. “Hello Bob, nice day.” The day was overcast.
“Starting to get colder.” Bob kept talking and pulling the log with a rope. “I’m getting wood set aside for next year. This is too green to use for firewood.”
Alex nodded. She knew that in most cases wood had to season before it could be used for stuff. “Are you Martha and Kaide doing okay?”
Bob pulled the log over to a pile of other logs and rolled it into place. “Yeah, though Kaide had to go to sleep until spring.”
“That’s right. She’s an aspen nymph.” For some reason Alex expected to see her here with her parents. “They lose their leaves in the winter.”
“Yep, me and the misses are settling in for the coming winter.” Bob untied the robe from the log and coiled it back up. “How about you? What are your plans for when it gets too cold to travel?”
Alex eyed the felled lumber, feeling a sense of nostalgia. “I’m not quite sure. My plan was to go find Merumeru and see what trouble she’s been up to for the past month.”
“She’s popped in here a few times.” Bob pointed back to the walled off area in the distance. “Though not for very long, that girl is always buzzing about busily with some scheme or another.”
Alex shrugged. “Aqua said she’s building a castle. I’m a little worried that she’s gotten a bit over her head if that is her plan. Don’t castles take decades to make?”
“I guess it could take that long. But with enough high level masons and a quarry nearby I don’t think it would take even a year for a small one.” Bob scratched his beard.
“Wow, classes are crazy convenient.” Alex balked at thousands of tons of rock going up in months. “Are things staying safe here? Some of the tribespeople have been taking to heading into the woods. No chieftains coming up and demanding things?”
“There have been a few horsemen but when they saw Kaide they decided to be on their best behavior.” Bob chuckled. “A couple travelers have started rebuilding some of the farmsteads out here but if anyone got any bright ideas they’ve discarded them so far. Other than scavenging abandoned places I don’t think they are doing much.”
“Let me know if something happens that I can help with.” Alex spoke without thinking much.
“If you are around I will, you’ve been off galavanting around for weeks at a time.” Bob chuckled.
“I guess so.” Alex gave a guilty-looking smile. “Have to do magical girl stuff you know?”
“Don’t worry about it.” The farmer gruffly stated. “Martha and I were prepared to spend our final years alone after we lost our last neighbor within a day’s travel. Getting our Kaide back was more than we could ever have hoped for. As far as Martha and I are concerned you are doing good work and should keep it up.”
“Thank you.” Alex said.
“We will!” Fufi added.
“One last thing,” Bob turned to look towards the gorge. “There is someone at the grotto who said she was looking for you a few days ago. I said you were out but you swing by here from time to time. She said she’d wait.”
“Is it someone I know?” Alex thought maybe it was Aqua. “Might be? Do you know anyone that looks like a cross between a fish and a person?”
“Full fishtail?” Alex considered Marina, but she was back in town.
Bob shook his head. “No, she has legs, well one leg, the other one is a peg leg. One of those gemed flamingos was with her too.”
“OH!” Fufi got excited. “Another magical girl! We should go meet her.”
“Off you go.” Bob chuckled. “You can swing by the house for dinner if you’d like. No pressure though. I know you are busy. Nice outfit by the way.”
Fufi grinned. “Yeah, it lets us use Merumeru’s portals.”
“You want one?” Alex offered. “I made some extras. One of the pipes goes to town, the other goes to a swamp.”
“Um sure. Nothing wrong with an extra set of clothes.” Bob absently replied.
Alex summoned the carriage. “Lets see here.” She entered and ruffled through the wardrobe bringing out a couple sets of outfits with red shirts, blue overalls and a matching cap. “You’ll have to get some black boots to complete the outfit. I’m not much of a cobbler. Aqua might have some extras if you can catch that nereid.”
Bob accepted the bundle of cloth. “Thanks, most boots come black so that should be hard.”
The farmer tucked the clothes under his arm and bit them good day.
They retraced their steps, passing the workshop, the well, and the dam. Their journey continued down the steps leading to the gorge, where the grotto was situated.
“Hello,” Alex called into the damp cave. “Is anyone in there?”
Some splashing and flapping followed.
“Who goes there?” A female voice called out from inside the grotto.
“We asked first!” Fufi exclaimed in her high pitched voice.
“Cousin!” A flapping followed and a flamingo with a gem in her forehead flew out into the open. “Fancy meeting you here!”
“Funi!” Fufi jumped up and down, flapping her wings.
“Fufi!” The other flamingo repeated the motion.
“Meet my contractor.” She gestured a wing at Alex. “How have you been?”
“Oh we’ve been fighting the good fight.” Funi craned her neck so it was facing behind her. “Come out here Ariel. Looks like you can complete your side quest.”
“Ah, so you are Alex.” What could only be described as a sea elf stepped out of the temple. Though she dressed more like someone who stepped out of a pirate movie. “Pleasure to meet you.”
The magical girl had finned ears, gills on her throat and skin a very light blue. She wore a bicorn hat, a flamboyant jacket, puffy pantaloons, stockings and buckled shoes. One of her legs was a peg leg. She even had an eyepatch.
“Wow, you look like you’ve been through some rough times.” Alex said.
“Yeah, me and my crew were fighting on the high seas.” She chortled. “But in between ships right now. Luna gave me a quest to come here and help with a specialization ceremony.”
“I told you right?” Fufi talked fast. “When a magical girl turns level 5 she’s got to pick a theme for the kind of magical girl she wants to be. What did you decide? I know you probably don’t want maid or nature themed. But there has to be things that you like that synergize well with being a magical girl.”
Alex hadn't given it much thought. Fufi's effusive descriptions of different magical girls and their exploits had simply seemed like her familiar being overbearing. She really should have considered it more carefully.
“I picked privateering.” Ariel puffed up her chest. “Protecting the high seas from demonic cultivators has been my game for years now.”
“So you are a pirate?” Alex gaped.
“The term is privateer.” She corrected Alex.
“That’s not important right now.” Funi led everyone inside. “You have to go to a place of worship for your goddess to specialize. Luckily we found this nice grotto someone built.”
“They even built it on a waterway. I would have never traveled this far inland if there wasn’t water nearby.” The sea elf hobbled around gesturing at all the fancy decorations in the grotto. “Whoever made this did a good job. It is lovely.”
“It was a group effort.” Fufi proudly strutted around. “Alex helped excavate the rock, the nymphs and Nereids planted mushrooms and flowers and Merumeru made the statues with Edelweiss’s help.”
“Hats off to the excellent craftsmanship” Ariel removed her hat and did a curtsey. It was cute.
“How’s being a pira… er privateer magical girl work?” Alex asked.
“Most of my powers are tied to a ship.” The sea elf explained. “I can manipulate wind and water a little as well.”
“So it is like being a captain?” Alex thought the girl looked like a captain.
Ariel shook her head. “No, that is a leader class. Magical girls make terrible leaders. Didn’t Fufi teach you that?”
Fufi crossed her wings. “I did, Alex is just being stubborn.”
“Shouldn’t a ship have a captain?” Alex sounded defensive. “I mean, who is in charge if there is no captain?”
“Most of the ships are made by humans. And most humans that have leadership classes are fully in control of demons. Trying to get someone like that is really difficult.” Ariel talked slowly, like she was explaining something to a child.
“Oh.” Alex got it. Yvne had a noble class for example, but she was demon possessed so getting rid of the demon without killing her might take some special methods she didn’t know anything about. Cecil sorta was a leader? But being vice guild master kept him in check.
“Anyway, you should ask Luna for a specialization. What will you pick?” Funi sounded surprisingly like Fufi.
Alex gave it some thought. “Fufi’s right. I don’t see myself being a magical maid or a nature magical girl. Being a harpy was kinda fun but it wasn’t really me. Let me think a moment.” Alex thought about what she enjoyed the most. She liked tailoring and cooking. But she thought that her greatest accomplishment using magical girl powers was creating Rose, Lily and Edelweiss.
“So what did you decide?” Fufi prodded.
“If I had to make a decision right now. It would be a toymaker magical girl.” Alex spoke with uncertainty.
Alex’s phone rang out.
*Ding* [Class Evolution: Magical girl has become: Magical girl Toymaker]
A fanfare played from seemingly nowhere and little pink fireworks sparked across the grotto to Luna.