Mythran's Master Of All

Ren woke up and got out of bed. “Ah! Another day and more to do.” He said and stretched. He left the apartment, went downstairs, saw the remains of his work from the night before and shook his head. “I should have pulled them apart last night when I took them out and examined them.” Ren sat down on the stool and pulled out each lamp, taking them apart and pulling out the wick. He was surprised the wick went all the way down the spout and then coiled around at the bottom of the lamp.

“No wonder they burn for so long. It takes a long time for the oil to travel all the way up the wick to burn.” Ren noticed that the rivets holding on the handle were iron, and used his blacksmith's tools to pop them out, leaving only the copper and traces of gold for smelting.

Ren turned on the forge and waited for the smelting apparatus to heat up. Once it was hot enough, Ren broke up the lamps one by one and put them into the smelter. The lamps were pretty thin, but after about 50 of them, the smelter was nearly full. Ren didn't stir the mixture, as he knew that the slight gold impurities would sink to the bottom. The molten copper simmered for a while and when some impurities came to the surface, they were skimmed off and put in the stone receptical by the forge. Ren looked into it and saw that the bottom was barely covered, and smiled. “It's going to take a while to fill that up.”

Ren watched the smelter, and then wondered what he was going to do with the copper when it was ready. The 2 blank molds I have are too thick to be practical to use for copper. What can I use... He thought and then kicked one of the stone bricks he still had set out for making the sinks. That's a great idea! Ren stored all of the bricks that were still out, then set them into a 1 foot square, the exact size of a paving stone. I'll have to watch the thickness. Too thin and I'll have the same problem as the lamps, too thick and it'll be difficult to work with.

Ren poured out some of the copper and let it fill the improvised mold, but only to about a quarter of an inch. He let it cool and took out a piece of charcoal to mark how high to fill the space. As it was so thin, the copper cooled quickly and Ren popped it out and set it aside. It came out to be just the right thickness. He repeated this process, filling the mold up to the line he'd made and kept making 1 foot by 1 foot squares of copper. When the smelter was about half empty, he added more of the lamps and let them melt, skimmed off any impurities if they appeared, then kept pouring squares of copper.

Ren eventually used up all of the lamps and waited for them to melt. He equipped his blacksmith's belt and decided that with these squares of copper, he was going to make that lamp recipe. No impurities came to the surface and he smiled. Ren poured the next square and waited for it to almost completely cool, took it to the anvil and hammered out a lamp. He wasn't used to working with metal that was so soft, so the first one was pretty much mashed into shape, and Ren laughed.

“This is definitely going to take some practice to get right.” Ren said and poured another square, then tossed the mangled lamp into the smelter. He worked for another half hour, just pouring and trying to make lamps. After the tenth one, he successfully had the technique down and the eleventh lamp came out perfect.

“Ha! I did it!” Ren said and held up the lamp and his Vision of Impurity couldn't detect any flaws. He took out one of the 10 flasks of oil that he had purchased a while ago, rather than open one of the 5 crates he picked up yesterday. He poured just under half of a flask of oil into the lamp and that almost filled it. Ren dipped the whole wick into the oil, let it absorb as much as it could, then slid the wick up the spout of the lamp. He put the cover on top and took out one of the Ice glyph stones, absorbed the enchantment, and put a single Fire rune on it.

“Here goes nothing.” Ren said, activated the Fire rune for an instant, and lit the lamp. It caught immediately and stayed lit. He set it on the stool he had sat on before and waited. It didn't flicker or go out. “Yes!” Ren exclaimed. He made another one, and then looked at the design. “You know, this could be easily adapted to hang on a wall or from a ceiling.”

Ren took out a piece of parchment and played with the lamp's design, moved the opening from the top to the front of the lamp, under the spout, then straightened out the spout. He added two pieces on each side so that it could be nailed to the wall.

“There. One wall mounted top loading lamp.” Ren said, then made 6 of them. He took one, loaded it with oil, and soaked the wick. It was a little harder to slip the wick up the spout because of the position of the opening, but Ren managed to get it settled. He nailed it to the wall next to the stairs and lit it. The spout was far enough away from the wall that there was no danger of fire catching, and the lamp itself didn't get hot because the spout was well away from the base and the oil inside. The only thing burning was the oil at the tip of the wick.

Ren nodded and went up to the apartment and mounted 2 of the wall lamps in the bedroom, 1 in the bathroom, and 2 in the living room. He sat down on the couch and noticed that there was literally nothing to look at but a blank wall. Ren laughed and took out a bunch of the stone bricks that he'd used as a mold for the tub and built a small fireplace. It was just a stack of bricks at the back, then a row in front and up the sides, then he turned the top row of bricks so that half stuck out and added another row across top to hold them in place. Once it was braced properly, he put a single brick on the bottom and enchanted it with a double Fire glyph, thinking about Lucy using it. Ren activated it to see if the flame was big enough, and smiled. It was perfect and he deactivated it. He'd build a mantle for it later.

Ren went back downstairs and poured out the last of the copper from the smelter, making several more copper squares. He stopped pouring when his Vision of Impurity let him see there was only gold left in the smelter. Ren took out a gold coin and examined it. He saw that it wasn't just gold. There was a bit of iron in it to make it stronger, and it was stamped with where it was from and who made it. Ren didn't get a recipe to make it, either.

“No copying coins, then. Should I make my own?” Ren asked himself, then shook his head. “No, I'm better off just making square slivers of it, I think.” He took out a stone brick and a chisel, then gouged out a half inch deep grove in the stone's surface, about an inch wide and 2 inches long. Using the small crucible, Ren poured small amounts of molten gold into the small space, and used a Wind stone to cool the metal and popped it out by hitting the stone lightly with a hammer. Ren repeated this until all the molten gold was used up. Ren scraped the inside of the smelter with the skimming tool to make sure all the gold was out of it. The last thing he needed was more contaminates while he smelted things.

Ren turned off the forge and looked around. He had 15 slivers of unmarked gold, 60 one foot squares of copper, and enough lamps to light the building... until the second floor is done. Ren took the box he used to move dirt and filled it with the dirt that he'd used to make the molds for the tub and sinks. Once that was all dumped back outside, Ren went inside and didn't know what to do with all the dirt bits left on the paving stones.

“Do they even have brooms in the game?” Ren asked out loud, then opened the Order menu. He searched for a while but couldn't find anything. “You'd think the general store would have a broom, but it doesn't.” Ren shrugged. “I'll try to remember to make one later, but for now... Wind power it is.” He took out 2 stones he'd already had enchanted with Wind, but they weren't anywhere near strong enough, so he absorbed them and enchanted a quadruple Wind glyph on each and activated them. He blew the dirt across the floor and guided it to the entrance to Teepo's place. Once it was off the paving stones, it could be shoveled. Ren moved one of the 4 paving stones out of the holder he'd made for them and blew the dirt into the hole. Teepo came over to see what Ren was doing. The small amount of extra dirt made no difference to the entrance, as it was only dirt anyways, so Ren didn't bother shoveling it away. Teepo crawled out of the hole and asked what was going on. Ren filled him in on what he'd been doing as Teepo crawled up onto his shoulder. Ren put the paving stone back, then he stood up to look at the floor.

“Yep. Nice and clean.” Ren said and then there was a knock on the front door. He walked over to the door and opened it. A dwarf stood there and nodded to Ren, and Ren nodded back. The dwarf stood there and looked at Ren from head to toe. He scowled a little, as if he didn't like what he was seeing. Ren stared back, and saw that he was about 4 feet tall with a full head of long brown hair, mustache, and beard. He wore heavy plate armor covered in a kind of poncho, had a shield strapped to his back, and a large double-headed battleaxe hanging from a belt tied around the poncho.

“Can I help you?” Ren asked.

“I have your anvil.” The dwarf said.

“Oh! That's great!” Ren said and stepped back. “Please bring it in.”

The dwarf picked up his dufflebag and came inside. Ren looked around outside, but didn't see anyone else or any kind of cart, then shrugged and shut the door. He turned around and went to where he had the borrowed anvil and stored it.

“You can put it here.” Ren said and pointed to the spot he'd just cleared.

The dwarf opened up his dufflebag and took out an anvil that was only a foot long and didn't have a stand.

“What is that?” Ren asked.

“It's the anvil you ordered.” The dwarf said and put it down in the designated spot.

“No... it isn't.”

“Yes it is. You ordered the small anvil.”

“No, I did not.” Ren said and opened his Order menu. “I clearly ordered the medium anvil. It comes with a stand. That is not a medium sized anvil.” Ren closed the menu and frowned. “What am I supposed to use that for?”

The dwarf shrugged. “This is your anvil. You can do what you want with it.”

Ren shook his head. “I'm sorry. That is not the anvil I ordered, and I won't accept it.”

“So... you are denying payment for the goods delivered.” The dwarf said, getting mad.

Ren started to get mad himself. “You aren't listening. You haven't delivered what I ordered. I'm not going to pay you for something that isn't mine.”

The dwarf inched his hand towards his batteaxe.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you.” Ren said. “This is my shop, and I won't have any unruly behavior in it.”

“Then pay me what I am due.” The dwarf said.

“I might have paid you a compliment if you'd had my anvil, or even an excuse that it's delivery was delayed... but as it stands right now, I don't owe you anything.” Ren said.

The dwarf pulled his battle axe out of it's holder.

“Don't make me do this.” Ren said.

The dwarf gripped the batteaxe in both hands and readied himself. Ren sighed as the dwarf charged.

“You're BARRED!” Ren said and opened the door. A wave of magic picked up the dwarf and ushered him out the door and tossed him into the street. A few people were walking by and stared at the dwarf as he picked himself up and dusted off his poncho. Ren gathered up the dwarf's dufflebag and the small anvil and went back to the open door.

“So you are too cowardly and weak to fight for yourself.” The dwarf said.

“Ha...hahaha!” Ren laughed at the dwarf. “Fight you? What for? Because you're being stupid and not listening?” Ren said and stepped up to the edge of the protection barrier. “It's like you're intentionally trying to provoke me. Are you doing this on purpose?” Ren asked, and the dwarf's eyes widened. “That would be the best explanation for your behavior.”

The dwarf clamped his mouth shut, and Ren nodded. “I thought so.” He tossed the small anvil to the dwarf, who caught it easily because he was barely 10 feet away. Ren tossed the dufflebag the same distance to land beside the dwarf, who's eyes widened in surprise.

“You can just take yourself back to wherever you came from.” Ren said and turned around. “I'm cancelling my order.” Ren walked back to the doorway of his building. “I'd rather try to buy an old anvil from a friend, than buy one from you.”

The dwarf looked around at the people staring at him and frowned. It wasn't supposed to happen like this! The dwarf thought as Ren went inside and closed the door. The dwarf walked over to the building, or at least tried to. He hit the edge of the protective barrier that surrounded the place, and bounced back. What am I supposed to do now?

Ren sighed as he closed the door, and then put the borrowed anvil back in its place. “Maybe Donan really will sell me this old anvil.” Ren thought. I'll worry about that when I get back. He stood there for several minutes, thinking about what to do next. There was another knock on the door and Ren wondered who it was. He knew it wasn't the dwarf again, because being barred meant staying about 5 feet away from the building, so he walked over to the door and opened it.

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“Clint!” Ren exclaimed.

“Howya doin'?” Clint asked.

“I just had an unruly dwarf in here, trying to pawn off a tiny anvil on me.”

Clint laughed. “Ah reckon ya gave'im th' boot, righ' quick.”

“Darn tootin'.” Ren said and grinned.

Clint slapped a hand on Ren's shoulder and guffawed. “Tha's good. If'n you let'em git away wit anythin', they'd be all over ya b'fore ya knew it.”

Ren nodded. “So, does this mean you brought me something?”

Clint chuckled. “Ah'm tempted ta let ya stew fer a while, like ya did ta me... but ah gotta get back to th' ranch.”

Ren laughed, too. “Normally I wouldn't mind waiting, but I'm trying to get everything done before I leave.”

Clint nodded. “Ah remember ya sayin' somethin' abou' tha'.” He said and pulled Ren outside. “Ah got yer surprise righ' here.”

Ren stepped out and saw a horse coming down the street, pulling a large cart. “Hi, Izabeal.” Ren said to Clint's mount standing by the building, and the warhorse nodded. They waited for a few minutes, while the cart driver turned around in the street and then backed up to stop near where they stood.

“What is that?” Ren said, as he heard an impact from the inside of the large crate on the back of the cart, which rocked.

“Yer gonna lov'it!” Clint exclaimed. “She's all trained up an everythin'.”

There was another impact and the crate rocked harder.

“You trained her like this?” Ren asked, perplexed.

Clint laughed. “Nah, ah did it all in a big pen. She's jus' mad about bein' in tha cage fer so long.” He walked Ren over to the back of the cart and Ren looked inside through one of the airholes.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Ren said and looked again. “Are you serious, Clint?”

“Ah shore am.” He said to Ren. “Boys!”

2 men hopped off from the front of the cart and came around to the back. With Clint and Ren's help, they got the crate off the cart and onto the ground.

“Ya better step back a bit. She's a might territorial.”

Ren stepped back about 6 feet from the end of the crate and Clint nodded. The 2 men pried off the side of the crate that was facing Ren. It fell open, landed a foot from Ren, and the creature stepped halfway out.

“What is that?!?” Teepo asked, surprised.

It was the largest Bighorn Ram that Ren had ever seen. It was nearly 5 feet tall, was quite muscular in the legs. The huge horns protruded from the sides of the head, came forward at least 6 inches, then wrapped around in nearly a full circle. The ram looked around at it's surroundings and noticed Ren staring at it. The ram pawed the ground and huffed.

It's a bighorn ram, Teepo.

“Back away!” One of the men said.

“No.” Ren said and stood his ground. “I've run from lots of things before; but lately I've been learning that I can choose what to do... and right now, I choose to stand my ground.”

“Don't challenge her!” The other man said, but it was too late.

The ram dropped her head and charged. As she was only 3 feet away, she didn't have much room to get a good run and Ren caught her by the horns and stopped her. She tried to push, but Ren's dwarf ability Rock Steady kept him planted and Ren leaned into her and pushed her back. There was silence on the street as everyone saw Ren move the bighorn ram back a few inches. The ram was just as surprised as the spectators were and stopped trying to push. Ren let her go and she stepped back and lifted her head. She eyed Ren and huffed.

“Git outta there! She's gonna ram!” Clint said.

Ren smiled and shook his head. The ram reared up and tilted it's head forward. It took a moment to get all that weight moving towards Ren, but then she pivoted and dove for Ren's head, trying to smash with her horns. Ren's hammerpick appeared in front of his face and her head hit that instead. A gong sounded and a small shockwave emanated from the hammerpick. The ram stepped back, dazed and a little confused. Clint started laughing and the 2 men with him wondered what was happening.

“Ren...” Clint said between guffaws. “Ah was a little worried ya weren' gonna be able ta handle 'er.”

Ren smiled. “So was I at first, but then I remembered what I could do.”

The ram looked at Ren and huffed again.

“Stop.” Ren said in a commanding voice. The ram hesitated for a moment, shook it's head and reared up again. Ren sighed. “I don't want to hurt you!” Ren said as the ram tried to slam into his head again with her horns. Ren held up the hammerpick and another gong sounded as she bounced off of it and then nearly collapsed.

“Stop!” Ren commanded again. The ram stumbled a bit, then knelt at his feet. Ren reached out a hand and ruffled the fur between her horns.