The Mechanical Crafter, page 21
part #1 of The Mechanical Crafter Series
I fumed hearing the story. A union was supposed to protect its members from exploitation and improve working conditions, not be the ones that exploited them. That wasn't a union: that was an extortion scheme. Apparently, he wasn't the only one to do it, though. Manny told me that there were more influential and proper guilds, but the union idea was new and quickly catching on in popularity among the gangs as a scheme to make money.
I wanted to rant and tell the goblins the proper way to form a union, but from the look of general fear among them, it would do little good. Besides, a glance at Greebo reminded me of the main priority then. I whisper the command to Inspect Greebo.
Greebo Kneecapper
Level 4
HP 5/25
Mana 10/10
I turned to the group of goblins watching. "Greebo needs a doctor or a healer immediately. Why hadn't anyone sent for one?"
The watching group turned their heads and lowered their gazes, ashamed. But it was Manny that spoke. "We don't get any healers coming to this neighborhood--not that we could afford them, even if they did. Best we got is the Witch. But none of us got the coin to get her help either."
I scooped up Greebo and demanded to be taken to the Witch. Manny guided me out of the apartment and down several streets until we came to a decrepit-looking shack behind some buildings. It was covered in perpetual shadow by the houses surrounding it and had a small picture of a cauldron and flowers in the window.
Manny knocked on the door and called out, "It's me Manny, Witch Everwoods. We need your help."
A decrepit old woman answered the door who was so stooped over her shoulders practically touched her knees. Manny bowed to her and explained the situation. While he did so, I whispered the command to Inspect to see who I was dealing with.
Evanora Everwoods
Witch - Level 11
I was surprised to see that Witch was an actual class and not just some local phrase to describe the old woman.
Manny finished his explanation, and the Witch ushered us in. The goblin though declined to enter but wished me luck. I didn't have time to question him as Greebo started to shake in my arms, and I quickly entered the home. The room had a hazy, smoky look, with herbs and flowers hanging from the ceiling. I could hear the bubble of a cauldron in the corner of the room and there were various skulls, candles, and instruments like mortar and pestles, jars of odd-looking fluids, and powders on the wooden shelves on the walls.
Though her body seemed frail, the Witch's eyes displayed a keen intelligence and an eye for detail. She directed me to put Greebo on the single bed in the small room, and after I lay him down, she started to examine him. Her long, curled fingers quickly checked the goblin's body and pressed, poked, and touched various parts to determine the extent of his injuries.
With Greebo finally out of my arms, I got a good look at the old woman. She was wearing a long black dress that covered her body from neckline to ankle and a shawl that wrapped around her shoulders. Even though her head was uncovered, I couldn't tell what race she was other than that she wasn't human. Which was given away by her pointed ears and the many sharp teeth in her mouth that I glimpsed as she murmured to herself while examining Greebo.
When she finished, she looked up and asked me, "You the one that beat this poor child almost to death?"
"No, someone else did. The attackers did a pretty good number on me too, but I think he got it worse because they couldn't kill me."
"Well, it's good that you brought him here. Another couple of hours, and he'd be dead. Gots his insides all hurt and bleeding."
I used Inspect and saw that Greebo's health was low and dropping hit points every so often. "Can you save him?"
She nodded, "I can try, but it ain't going to be cheap or pretty. You got the coin?"
"How much?"
"20 silver."
"That much? I thought you were the cheaper option compared to the healers."
She cackled. "I am the cheaper option for this much damage. I'm bringing him back from near death, lad. The fancy white-robed priests and priestesses would charge gold, not silver, and that's if you could convince one to overlook his being a goblin. Most won't even work on a goblin cause they're an 'evil' race and their gods don't like them."
"Aren't there any goblin priests?"
"Yeah, they live in the wildlands far from the city. But they really are evil and more concerned with blood sacrifices than helping their tribes. So, you have people like me, old shamans and witches with a good knowledge of herblore and a bit of magic when that's not enough. But the magic reagents cost money, so I can't do it for free."
I checked my funds and found that I did not have enough to pay the full fee. "I'm sorry, but I only have 12 silver." I produced the coin and offered it to her. "Please help him, and I promise to get the rest."
She considered me for a moment, likely trying to judge if I was telling the truth. It must have been hard for her since I didn't have facial expressions. But whatever she saw must have been enough. She sighed and muttered, "I'm getting soft in my old age." Then, more loudly, she said, "Okay. I'll take the 12 silver as a down payment, but you have one week to get me the remaining 8 silver or replace the reagent I'm using to help your friend. I can't go into the dungeon to collect them, and no one wants to gather them for me, so I have to pay those extortionists at the herb shop for what I need."
"I agree. Just please save my friend."
Repay the Healer
You've agreed to repay the Witch Evanora Everwoods for her work. You must return within seven days with eight silver, 2 lbs. of Sphagrium, or .5 lbs. of powdered Sphagrium.
Reward: 15 XP, An improved reputation with Evanora Everwoods.
Failure: Make an enemy of the Evanora Everwoods and be cursed.
Once again, I wondered at the convenience of this world's quest system. It must have been so much harder to swindle someone when a person could make an agreement like this or made it a quest so that people were held accountable for their promises. It made me wonder if there were lawyers or other professions that specialized in these kinds of contracts or if the quest system had made that type of work obsolete.
"Come back for your friend in three hours. He should be able to move around by then."
I started to turn toward the door when a thought struck me. This might be a perfect opportunity to use Magic Spell Scanning. I turned back to the Witch and said, "I'd like to stay and watch, please. I have a fascination with healing and would like to learn some if I could."
She considered me for a moment then shrugged and pointed to the corner of the room. "It's your money. If you want to watch it, it's fine with me. Just do not interfere with my work."
I went where I was directed. As I sat, I whispered the command for Magic Spell Scanning and targeted Evanora Everwoods. In my vision, the Witch turned green, and everything else returned to its normal color. As the Witch worked on Greebo, she whispered and chanted. She carefully felt along the goblin's chest until she elicited a groan of pain from Greebo. She then reached into a pouch hidden beneath her robes and pulled out a handful of dried herbs that she sprinkled over the injured area. Slowly, but with deliberate care, her fingers moved in a specific pattern. Her chants and words didn't make sense to me, but they were in rhythm to the movement of her fingers. A green glow slowly built around Greebo's chest, and I felt an electric charge build in the air as the glow got brighter. Then the charged feeling disappeared along with the glow around Greebo.
Spell scan complete. Spell: Minor Regeneration. Components: 0.04 lbs. Sphagrium. Minor Regeneration schema recorded and added to the database.
I was excited to read the notification. Unlike when I used it on those clerics, my Magical Spell Scan captured something I could actually use. I was so excited that I must have made some sound because Witch Everwoods gave me a scathing look before returning to her work. She repeated the spell over the rest of the goblin's injuries, one at a time. She had to straighten out the goblin's broken arm first, which made him cry out in pain, but she was surprisingly gentle and was careful to set the bones straight before casting her spell again.
I tried to use Magical Spell Scan again but got the message:
Schema already recorded in the database.
Which meant that she's used the exact same spell repeatedly on Greebo. I wondered if there were other forms of the spell that could be scanned. Perhaps a major or grander version of the spell.
After an hour, she was finally done. Sweat beaded across her brow, and she had to sit on a stool near the bed. "I’m sorry; it’s the best I could do. Your friend should wake soon, and when he does, he'll be starving. So, make sure that you feed him. Most of the energy for his healing will come from his own body. My magic just sped up the process and stopped the bleeding inside." She shook her head sadly and pointed to an oozing wound I’d not noticed before under Greebo’s rib. “That is a terrible wound that will not heal on its own. It’s from a cursed weapon, and it will gradually and painfully rob the boy of his health until he has no more life energy to keep him going.”
“What do you mean? Is he going to die then? Isn’t there anything you can do?” The guilt that Greebo might die from being involved with me hit me like a Mack truck, and I felt weighed down by it.
She wiped the sweat from her brow and answered, “I’ve slowed it down, but I just don’t have the herbs I need to break the curse and heal him fully. If I went to the herb shop, it would cost me several gold coins to buy, and I just can’t afford that.”
“Gold? I already gave you all my money and promised to pay you more. Is the herb shop the only way to get this herb you need?”
The witch sighed wearily, “No. There is another way--a dangerous way. You could go into the abandoned mine on the third level of the dungeon. That’s where the plant, the Cruixiotix vine, grows. But it’s hard to find even there.”
“Is that it? I just have to get this vine for you?”
She looked at me sadly. “No, it’s not that simple. No one goes into that mine anymore, not to dig out the ore or to harvest the plants that grow there. There’s a powerful poison mist that kills folks that sprung up there a few months past. Adventurer’s went in, but none ever came out. Now, it’s just not worth it to most to go there when there are easier places to hunt and dig. If you can get me the Cruixiotix vine, I will be able to break the curse that plagues your friend.”
Cursebreaker
You have to collect a special plant that the Witch Evanora Everwoods needs to break a curse and finish healing Greebo. You must return within three days with 3 lbs. of Cruixiotix vine, or .7 lbs. of powdered Cruixiotix vine.
Reward: 100 XP, A cure for the curse that is on Greebo.
Failure: Greebo will die.
“Three days? Is that all the time I have?”
Evanora nods. “I’m sorry. But that’s as long as the goblin’s body will hold out.”
I thanked her for helping Greebo as much as she had already, scooped him up into my arms, and promised to return before three days passed with both the Cruixiotix vine and the Sphagrium I’d promised her. She nodded, too tired to do more than walk me to the door.
I took Greebo’s sleeping form back to his room, and when I got there, the other goblins were practically jumping for joy that Greebo was alive. They slapped me on the back and carried Greebo back to his bed. Well, most of them did. One or two goblins were annoyed they couldn't claim his stuff, but the rest were happy. Greebo woke soon after, happy he felt better but with complaints about a pain in his side and a great hunger. The other goblins all donated bits of food to help with Greebo's tremendous appetite, even the ones that coveted his stuff and it warmed my heart to see them willing to help him.
As Greebo ate at his bed, the other goblins wished him a speedy recovery but went on about their normal activities and left Greebo and me. I watched him eat the bread and meat and wondered how to tell my friend that even though he felt fine now that he was still dying. It turned out that he already knew.
“How long do I have left, Repair?”
The question startled me but I answered, “Three days. How did you know?”
Greebo put down the meat he was eating and smiled sadly. “I know Nailspitter. I’ve seen what’s left of the goblins that he thinks betrayed him and his glorious cause.”
My shoulders hunched, and I placed a wooden hand on his shoulder as I tried to explain. “I’m so sorry, Greebo. This is all my fault. Nailspitter was trying to send a message to the Gnomish Research Institute through me and you got caught up in this. There’s a lot of research money that the Goblin Researchers and the Gnomes are going to compete for. Hundreds of thousands of gold.”
“That’s a lot of coin. No wonder Nailspitter was so forceful with you. I can kinda understand why he was so mean about it too. We goblins don’t get many chances to get ahead in this city. The Goblin Research Center takes any kind of us that show we got brains and makes them learn. They teach mechanics, design, and stuff with steam machines.” He waved his hand dismissively. “It’s a bunch of stuff that’s too big for my head, but they make machines that are used in factories and some powerful armors and weapons that use steam to power them instead of magic. None of it is real pretty or smells good, but it's all goblin made with goblin smarts.”
“So, the Goblin Research Center is like a college, helping goblins?” The thought that I’d agreed to beat some group that sounded like a charity made my stomach sink. Or, rather, it felt something like that since I didn’t actually have a stomach any more.
Greebo snorted. “Help us? Nah. Didn’t you hear me say ‘take’? They kidnap children, and the ones that are smart enough to learn get training. The others get thrown out on their ears and are often hurt from working with hot metals or dangerous machines. That lot of goblins say they’re working for all of us, but they only look after their own pockets. If they get that money, the rest of us goblins ain’t gonna see a copper of it.”
Well, that made me feel better. For a moment, I had thought that I was on the wrong side of things. “So, Nailspitter and the Goblin Research Center are rotten?”
“As rotten as a cumberline fruit left out in the sun for a week.”
I didn’t know what a cumberline fruit was, but from the scrunched-up face Greebo made, it must have been something that smelled awful.
Greebo shrugged and said, “But that's why they want that coin. But why would it matter to you whether the gnomes or the goblins win?”
“The gnomes have promised to not only cancel out the 27,000 gold debt I owe them but get me citizenship so that I’ll legally be a free citizen instead of their property.”
“What does being a citizen get you except being taxed?”
“It gets me my freedom. As much as I hate to admit it, right now, I’m their property. I know the gnomes haven’t made an issue of it, but I hate knowing that they could have me recalled and order me around if they wanted to. It burns me up inside every time someone has to notify them of what I’m doing or treats me like a thing instead of a person. I know that being a citizen won’t really change much, but it’s the freedom it affords me. It’s a burden lifted from my mind that someone will stop me from doing what I want or going any place I choose. The knowledge that I’m not in control of my own life and destiny.”
Greebo sat and listened to me rant and then patted my wooden plated knee. “I get what you mean. Before the great war, when we warred against the lighties, the gnomes, elves, humans, and dwarves, goblins were slaves to anyone bigger and stronger than us. Orc, trolls, giants, dragons, you name ‘em, and some goblin was digging their ditches, cleaning their tents, and doing their cooking. We were beaten and killed. Just cause. But after the dark alliance lost the war and the accords were signed, we goblins became free of all that.”
There was silence in the room as the other goblins stopped what they were doing and listened to Greebo. “Some of the old orcs or trolls will say that we should never have surrendered. They brag about the gold and treasure and lands they had. They argue that we should still hold to the old ways and fight the lighties. But no goblins want to go back. My grandpops fought in the war, and he said, ‘It’s better to die on your feet than live on your hands and knees.’” There was a murmur of agreement from the goblins in the room. “So, when I say, I understand how important freedom is, that’s what I mean.”
“We are poor, but we are free,” a thin goblin across the room said.
Greebo nodded.
It was heartening to know that Greebo really did understand how I felt. “Thanks for understanding why I have to get stronger to win this competition. I’m just sorry that I got you mixed up in this and that you got hurt and cursed.”
“Yeah, Nailspitter likes to make his enemies suffer while they die. I can already feel this emptiness growing in me.” He looked up at me with tears in his eyes and asked, “Wasn’t there nothing that the witch could do?”
“Yes, she said she could cure you, but I had to get her some plant from the mine on the third level of the dungeon.” I patted his arm. “Don’t you worry, I promise to get it and get you right as rain.”
