Chapter Four Hundred and Ninety-Three — Effigy
Chapter Four Hundred and Ninety-Three — Effigy "Can you lift me up?" I asked as I gestured to Calamity.One of his eyebrows perked up. "Are you just asking me because I'm the only man around?" he asked.I blinked, then shrugged a little. "You're also the tallest?""Alright, I'm okay with that," he said before making a stirrup with his hands together, fingers woven. I put my foot in it, and then stood up. There was a bit of a wobble as Calamity raised me. "Careful with the hair. And the ears.""Yup!" I said as I tried to stay balanced on one leg. I placed a hand on Calamity's cowboy hat and then reached my other arm way way up into the tree. It took a bit of effort, but I was able to carefully pluck the effigy down. Then I just hopped back and out of Calamity's hold, landing before him with a bend of the knees. "Thanks!""No problem. So, what's it look like from up close?"From the moment our group had stumbled onto the effigies we'd been divided about what to do. Awen wanted to inspect one, and so did Amaryllis. I was kind of curious myself, and so was Calamity. The only one that felt otherwise was Desiree. She was completely creeped out by them."Hold it up a little," Amaryllis instructed as she came closer. I did just that, holding the effigy up to the light coming in through the canopy above.The thing was kind of like a doll? It wasn't made of body-parts, at least, otherwise I would have been creeped out too. Instead it was... some sort of roughly woven cloth? It didn't feel like wool or linen or anything. This was a lot coarser, more rough and uneven, like really poorly made sackcloth.The doll had the proportions of a human, more or less. "Is it meant to be a man? Like, a human man?" I asked."No ears, no tails, no wings," Calamity said. "It's not a grenoil, either, they're shorter, and they're usually represented with wide mouths and large feet. At the very least, there'd be a big wide mouth painted on the doll's face, even one this basic.""Not a doll," Amaryllis said. "An effigy.""What even is an effigy?" Calamity asked. "Y'all are throwing that word around as if I've read books.""Ah, I know this one," Awen said. I looked at her, waiting for her to continue while I held onto the doll-thing. "An effigy is anything shaped like a person that's meant to represent that person. Or... people in general? Usually though, when people call something like that doll an effigy there's a magical connotation to it. Ah, I think Amaryllis might know more about that.""I really don't," Amaryllis said. And then she proceeded to prove herself wrong. "I'm a wizard, not a ritualist or shaman. Even puppetry uses a different sort of magical effect than these. Effigies are sometimes used as the spellcasting focus for more complex spellwork.""A spellcasting focus?" I asked. "I don't use one of those.""You don't," she agreed. "But your spellwork is also... basic. And when it isn't, it relies on skills to make up for your lack of knowledge. A proper spellcaster, be they wizard or ritualist, should have access to all kinds of magic. They'd be able to copy your Cleaning magic, for example, by breaking down the spells you use into the formula and components then casting that as a single spell. It's complex, but it's also generally very flexible.""Okay, I think I get it," I said."Do you?" she asked.I blinked, then thought really hard about it. "Is it like multiplication tables?" I asked."Pardon?""So, I know that seven times eight is fifty-six, because my mom helped me memorise that one as a little song. Five-six is seven-eight," I sing-songed. "But that's just a neat trick to memorise that one, uh, bit of math.""Go on," Amaryllis said with a slow, uncertain nod."Alright, so if someone uses a skill to cast magic, that's similar to me hearing a song that tells me the answer to seven times eight ... then when a wizard casts magic, that's like they figured out the same calculation by drawing seven rows of eight dots and counting them all up, I think?"Amaryllis hummed. "That's rather astute, and not entirely incorrect."I beamed."Using the same analogy, having a spell-focus is like giving a spellcaster an abacus. It allows you to work on larger, more complex spells without spending an eternity drawing fifty-six little circles on a page." She flicked her wrist, summoning her spell wand into her talons. "My wand here is attuned specifically to lightning mana, with some runework that makes holding an electrical charge easier. It doesn't do any of the work of casting a spell for me, but it can retain some mana that's already in the shape of a spell for a small while, charge itself up like a thundercloud, and generally help me aim and be more precise with my spells of a specific sort. It's a tool."Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon."And the effigy is the same?" Awen asked."It's something like that. I can sense magic on it, a complex bit of spellwork." Amaryllis gestured towards the doll for a moment, then frowned. It took a moment that probably felt awkward for Awen (who was now holding the doll), but eventually a bunch of small lines appeared in the air around the doll."Oh, it's the spell," I said. I recognized the same sort of tangled web of magic that made something like a fireball possible. Only this was a whole heap more complicated. "That's harder to cast than fireball, I'll bet.""A lot, yes, but also look at the organic curvature of these spell lines. This isn't something a properly educated mage would do. It's sloppy, and will lead to inconsistent results and mana expenditure." Amaryllis shook her head."What's it do?" Calamity asked.Amaryllis shrugged. "Not the faintest clue."Humming, Desiree leaned over and peered at the spell for a moment. "If I may be so bold, I believe I recognize some elements of this. Certainly, it is a complex working, as Lady Amaryllis said, but not altogether uncommon. Take note of the primary structure, in the centre? It bears a striking resemblance to a spell we frequently cast in my homeland.""Oh?" I asked.She nodded. "It is to ward away mosquitos. They are most annoying."My gaze panned from the effigy to the others hanging from the trees. They were mostly the same, made of the same rough materials at least, though no two were identical. "Do you think they're meant to ward away people?""They're not working if that's the case," Calamity pointed out."They could be specifically targeted and we happen to be outside of the bounds of that targeting," Amaryllis said. "A spell to shoo away mosquitos might not work on gnats. Or so I suppose. Insects of that sort aren't an issue where I'm from, and so I never had to invest much time learning this type of spell's intricacies.""Not even fruit flies?" I asked.She sniffed. "I'm an Albatross, not some Flowerpecker or Toucan."I giggled, but then remembered that I was supposed to be serious about this. "Well, the effigies aren't affecting us, Maybe they're aimed at the pixies? I don't think they made these." The doll was bigger than a pixie to begin with and they didn't seem like they'd care for this kind of thing. "It could be the pink creature the pixies warned us about?""So we keep on going?" Calamity asked. "We're not all that far from the base of the mountains again."I nodded, and after asking for another boost to get up to the tree, I did my best to tie the effigy more or less where it had been before. Amaryllis said it wasn't necessary, but I disagreed. This was someone's thing and they'd put it here on purpose. It was all natural materials too, so it would probably decompose and couldn't be counted as litter. At least, I didn't think so?With that done, we headed out again. It was approaching time for a snack, so we got out the last of our nuts and trail mix after giving most of it to the pixies and nibbled on that as we moved together as a group.It didn't take long to find a trail.Unlike the deer trails and open tracks we'd encountered so far, this one was pretty wide, and had clearly been built on purpose. There was a pretty stark difference between a space where branches had been picked up and one where they hadn't been.Calamity took the lead, pressing through some low-hanging branches and urging us to be quiet. I didn't like the idea of being caught skulking through someone's forest, but I liked being caught even less, so I lowered myself down and tried not to step on any loose leaves and such on the ground as I kept up with Calamity.We came to a small opening soon enough, a space where the forest gave way to a rocky clearing, one where a quaint little stone house sat, and one where a man was tied from his wrists to a pole sticking out of the ground in the backyard."That... looks a lot like Sir Aberrforth," Amaryllis noted.
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Chapter Four Hundred and Ninety-Four — The Binding of Aberrforth
Chapter Four Hundred and Ninety-Four — The Binding of Aberrforth "We need to save him, right?" I whispered to the others. "It's the right thing to do... probably?""Probably?" Desiree asked. "Why would saving this poor soul be improbable? TThis is a man bound to a pole, all alone — save for this mysterious summer cottage, curiously isolated entirely from polite civilization. A more suspicious setup I could not devise. Even putting aside the obviously unsavory nature of his captivity, recall that we were sent here specifically to save this man. So I say again: why would saving him not be the right thing to do?""He might be enjoying it," Calamity said.I turned to him. "How?" I asked.Calamity flushed a little under his fur and rubbed at his cheek. "I'll explain when you're older," he said, which was very not helpful! "We probably should help him out.""Where are his friends?" I asked. "I mean, the pixies saw five people, right? That's one. Where are the other four?""Eaten already?" Awen gasped."Eaten?" I repeated. "That was an option?""Girls, Calamity, calm yourselves," Amaryllis hissed. Calamity raised an incredulous eyebrow and pointed to himself, but Amaryllis ignored his look of indignity and ploughed on. "Obviously we need to save Sir Aberrforth, it's what we're here for. The choice is between going loud and going quiet.""So we can dash in, get him, and run?" I asked.Awen nodded. "Or, ah, we wait until nightfall, sneak over, and try to free him quietly? That might be a lot safer.""What about the 'talk it out' option?" I asked. "Someone needs to be living there, right? It doesn't look abandoned at all. And they can't be, uh, uncivilised or anything. They have a garden.""Having a garden isn't the end-all-be-all in terms of who is or isn't civilised," Amaryllis said. I disagreed on principle, but didn't want to start an argument.This person had a nice garden. It was set up as three long, rather wide rows. There were stones stacked on stones, kind of like the sort of fence I was used to seeing on roadsides, but this one held up a lot of packed dirt within which the actual garden was growing. That way, the person working on the garden wouldn't have to bend down much to get to their plants.Further in was another garden, with several big bushes covered in little flowering berries, surrounded by herbs and freshly tilled, weed-free soil.This wasn't just a quick hobby garden, there was a lot of work here. I couldn't imagine someone who spent this much time working on something being that bad of a person.Even if they had someone tied to a pole in their backyard."The problem with walking up to anyone like that is that it destroys any opportunities to try anything else," Amaryllis said. "We can't sneak over and save Sir Aberrforth if the person knows we're coming. It's tossing our element of surprise in the trash.""Yes, but stealing isn't very polite," I pointed out. "Wait, would this be kidnapping? I'm confused.""Is it stealing if the thing we're taking back is a person?" Desiree asked. "I'm uncertain if the label of theft truly applies. I think, from a purely legal standpoint, it might fall under the prerogative of a rescue, which would be judged differently than theft.""Oh, rescuing isn't kidnapping," I agreed with a nod."Ah, uncle always says that there aren't any judges in the wilds," Awen said.I shrugged. Whether or not something was legal or not wasn't something I usually made a fuss to care about. I cared more about doing the right thing. "Let's ask? Otherwise, we might be in for a fight. I... I might be hoping here, but I hope that whoever caught Sir Aberrforth is at least reasonable?"Amaryllis hummed. "Alright, plan B then. Broccoli, how far can you summon a burst of Cleaning magic, and can you do it while not observing where the magic is?""Uh, I guess?" I said.Amaryllis nodded, then pointed to a bush some ways behind us. "Close your eyes and make that bush clean," she said.I did, and felt a small tug at my mana reserves. When I opened my eyes... the bush looked like a bush? It was hard to tell if it was clean or not. "Did that work?" I asked."It did. We're using that as a signal. Broccoli, go be yourself at the local. Does anyone volunteer to accompany her?"Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site."I'll go," Awen said."Good. Then the rest of us will wait for your signal. If they're hostile, one burst. If they're uncooperative but not hostile, two bursts, and if they're friendly and willing to give us Sir Aberrforth, three quick bursts of Cleaning magic at this location. Understood?""I think so, yeah," I said."Good, then repeat the instructions back to me," she ordered. I did as best I could, and Amaryllis nodded to herself. "Close enough. Let's not waste any more time. If we hear a scream or get any indication that you're in trouble, we're rushing in spells-blazing. Consequences be damned."I suspected that was the best I would get. Amaryllis really did care, in her own way."Okay then! Awen, stay close? If anything happens, I guess we will try our best?"Awen didn't look as sure as I felt, and I didn't feel all that sure myself. Sure, this was a cute cottage with a nice garden. It was inviting, and the air smelled like fresh herbs and the space was clean and clear, with birdsong and skittering little animals, but it was so far from everything that... I don't know, it felt wrong to just approach? Also, the effigies were kind of a loud 'stay away' sign.Well, something being a little scary never stopped me before! I shored up my bravery and stepped forwards with as much confidence as I could muster. I only slowed down a little to flash a thumb's up to the forest behind me where my friends were hiding.Awen stumbled out of the woods with me, clutching her crossbow close while she scanned around us for threats that weren't there yet.It only took a minute for Sir Aberrforth to notice us. He blinked behind big bushy eyebrows, then turned to look towards the cottage. "Who are you two?" he hissed."Hi!" I said in a loud-ish whisper. "I'm Broccoli Bunch, from the Exploration Guild." I tapped my pin. "We're here to save you?"Aberrforth's brows rose, but he shook his head. "No. Shoo. Get out of here, kids.""Are you sure?" I asked. "You seem a little tied up.""No, this is all part of the plan, you see," he said. "I'm going to win her heart over if it's the last thing I do!""Who's heart?" I asked. Sir Aberrforth looked a bit out of sorts. He was wearing a nice gambeson, with some embroidery on the edges and a clean tunic beneath. Both were stained with sweat, and from the bruising around his wrists, it looked like he'd been tied to the pole for a while. Still, he looked like a pretty strong guy, and the pole wasn't all that thick. It wasn't like it was a whole tree trunk, more like a thick branch whittled down into a straighter shape by hand.Sir Aberrforth was well-muscled for an older guy, and with skills being what they were, he should have been able to break out easily enough."The witch's," he said with a sigh, his eyes lighting up for a moment. "Laine. She's the one who tied me here, but it's... it's complicated.""You're in love with the witch who tied you to a pole?" Awen asked, her eyebrows nearly reaching her hairline.Sir Aberrforth nodded. "Yes, and it's not what it seems. Laine she... she's testing me, you see. Her heart's been broken before, and she's wary. She wants to be sure I'm the one who can withstand her tempests, literal and metaphorical. It's her way, her tradition. But I swear, she's kind-hearted, clever, a true healer of the woods, and-"I tuned him out and glanced at Awen who shrugged faintly. Was Sir Aberrforth under some sort of spell? If so, that was really awful! "One moment," I said before I raised a hand towards Sir Aberrforth. He had time to blink before I blasted him with Cleaning magic. The sweat stains disappeared, and he looked a little more put-together and clean."Why did you do that?" he asked calmly."I figured it might clean away any love magic?" I tried.Sir Aberrforth chuckled. "Ah, that's thoughtful, but no, there's no magic influencing my feelings. My affection for Laine is genuine! It's all part of her challenge to me."Awen lowered her weapon slightly, still suspicious but curious. "Her challenge? So, this Laine, she's a witch who tests her suitors like this? It seems... intense."I wasn't sure I liked this. Had my Cleaning magic worked? I felt like it should have, but maybe there was more at work here. Or maybe Sir Aberrforth was just nuts and there was no amount of Cleaning that would fix that up.
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