Completed Going Home

[Kynier]

80th of Winter, 518 A.V.

The day he had been looking forward to the most all season had finally arrived. His final payment had already been made, and the construction of his new home in the Seaside Market had been concluded. Kynier was eager to go and live somewhere with comfortable interior space again. But he’d be lying if he were to say that he’d miss living on The Sunset Tide with his Svefran friend. It was not a “good-bye” and more of a “thank you” when he took his few possessions from the ship. Not seeing Kailani on a daily basis was going to take some adjusting.

But it wasn’t going to be the first time that he had lived alone in his life. Part of him wished to return to that simple form of living. One where he did not have to worry about the conveniences of other residents and their possessions. Where he was the free, truly free, to do what he wished in his own home and whenever he felt like it. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that it wouldn’t be a hard transition. Yet, it was something that he was greatly looking forward to.

Before the seventh bell had come to pass, Kynier had made his way to the Seaside Market district to where his new home lay. Walking to the eastern side of the nameless river, he came to the property with a simple wooden fence around the perimeter that wouldn’t efficiently keep anything out. The sorcerer already had plans to replace it, but first, he needed to settle into his home. The path leading to the front door was already well beaten from the daily approach and departure of the people that had built the structure. Kynier walked straight to the wooden door and stopped to admire it.

It was far better than the flimsy door he had to his place in the Sunset Quarters. For one thing, the door sat neatly in its frame and the wood didn’t look one storm away from collapsing to rot. He turned the handle, and true to the foreman’s word, the door was left unlocked. There was a small table made of spare planks of wood from the construction with the key to the place left on it. Kynier picked it up and twiddled it around his fingers as he examined the empty space.

What struck him first was how quiet it was. No shouts or screams of impoverished, nor the soothing lapping of the sea. It was nearly eerie how silent the place was. Kynier walked over and opened each window, and a fresh breeze coursed through the place. It was then he decided that he needed to plant a tree or two on his property. Something about the rustling sound of leaves in the wind had an appeal in such a dreary city like this. As he stood in the common room, he saw the first bit of movement in the corner. A shadow.

Kynier introduced himself to the shadows of the place. All of them sounded young, which only made sense to the Nightstalker. He asked each of them their names and explained how they were welcome in his home. Kynier smiled at the soft reminder from Akajia that he wasn’t left alone despite his efforts. For the next bell, he walked around the place with his Mighty Quill in hand making notes on a slip of parchment. A list was formed of all the things he was going to need to convert the place from an empty space to a livable environment.

One list was for furniture, not limited to but including a bed, dinning table, couch, chairs, side tables, and shelves. There was also a simple reminder written with the single word “food”. Living in the harbor forced him to only have enough food for one day at a time when he wasn’t settling for dried meats and stale breads. Now, he had an actual kitchen he could work with and places for pantries. Once his list for everything was made, he was out the door (that actually could lock!), and off to the markets.

[Kynier]

Ledger Changes :

Fine Armchair x3 = 60 gm
Fine Bed 40 gm
Fine Chair x3 = 15 gm
Bookcase Average (50 Books) 8 gm
Fine Couch x2 = 40 gm
Cupboards Good x2 = 8 gm
Desk Fine 12gm
Dresser Fine 10 gm
End Table Fine x3 = 6 gm
Fireplace 15 gm
Hearth good 6 gm
Firepit 1 gm
Shelf set Fine 4 gm
Table Fine 8 gm
Wardrobe Fine x2 = 20 gm
Wash Basin Fine 10 gm
Good Lock x2 = 160 gm
Good Key x3 120 gm
Total: 543 gm

Going from vendor to vendor in the city to purchase everything he could think of, and even a few items he realized he needed as soon as he saw them, took the day away from him. The eighteenth bell was forty chimes past by the time he was able to start making his way back. Several items would require a day or two before they could be delivered. Regardless of whether they were coming today or in a few days, Kynier gave the same instructions to each of the vendors. To leave the items just outside the door, and he’ll worry about moving them inside.

After he had stopped at the No Man’s Land tavern for a meal, he started on his way home. Kynier had elected to not purchase any large quantities of food today and wait until he had installed all his storage. The next few days were likely to require a lot of organization. It wasn’t so much moving as starting over. When he was pack on his property, he was pleased to see several pieces of furniture were left waiting outside the door, including the bed. Kynier unlocked the front door as well as opening the door to the bedroom all the way.

Setting his cloak and his pack aside, he started working on bringing the bed into the house. It was in a crate and wrapped in a protective cloth. Kynier broke open the crate and took it out, which allowed him to prop it up on the side. Then he stood at the side, draping an arm over against the other side. One foot was wedged underneath at about the center of the bed. When ready, Kynier would lift the bed using a leg and both his arms while taking a step. It was and arduous process, one that caused the muscles in his leg to burn before he was halfway towards the bedroom. Most of the difficulty came from the awkwardness of moving the bed on his own, but it was still a bit heavy.

When he got halfway through the doorway to the bedroom, he stopped and moved to the other side in order to begin using his other foot to lift. By the time the bed was resting against the wall close to where he wanted to put it, Syna had already descended beyond the horizon. Kynier took some of the scrap wood he had requested they leave behind to light a fire in the fireplace. With a flick of his finger, he sparked a trace of res with flames. He ignited the wood and filled the room with light and shadow. Once he stood up an went to the front door and looked at the collection of items he still needed to bring inside. “Wish I had asked Kailani to help me with this part,” he muttered to no one in particular.

He decided that for now, he only needed to bring everything inside so that they were not exposed to the elements. It took him an additional bell and a half to move the rest of it in. Cupboards, chairs, a couch, and several new dishes and eating utensils. Once it was all inside, he decided to take the couch out of its container. With a short sword, he pried the cap of the crate and broke off the side panels. He made sure he removed all the nails before adding the new scraps to a pile set beside the hearth. Then he positioned the couch to be in front of the fireplace before sitting down with a heavy sigh.

Arms, legs, and fingers were sore and stiff from the labor. Kynier took several chimes to enjoy relaxing on the couch with his head resting on top of the backrest while basking in the gentle warmth of the fire.

[Kynier]

Once another fifteen chimes had passed, Kynier stood up from the couch a bit reluctantly. There was more to do that was best done at night, when people were less likely to see what was happening. From his pack, he took a goblet and went into the kitchen to where the water pump was. He cranked on the handle a few times before water spewed out of the faucet. It came up with a gurgle and had a brown tint. Kynier scowled at the glass and kept pumping the handle to see if the quality got any better. After ten more pumps it did not. “Damn,” he said in disappointment.

The nameless river was not exactly a clean supply of water, but he had hoped for a well with cool fresh water. That was now going to be another project for the future, somehow establish access to clean water so that he didn’t need to boil everything that he pumped up. What he held in his hand wasn’t intended for drinking water, so it wasn’t a problem for right now. Kynier took the cup with him outside, out the back door, onto the stone patio. A three-foot stone wall enclosed the patio with a small gate allowing access to the outside.

Kynier closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he delved into the depths of himself. Djed from his core answered the silent call and arose to his hands. Waving it about, Djed flowed from his fingers to drift over the surface of the walls and floor. He coated the patio and continued around to the side of the building. Careful were his movements when spreading the base of the weave, trying to keep a steady consistency with the Djed as he spread it around the exterior of his home. Kynier willed it up over the roof where it would be most important to have the shield. After a single lap around his home, it had a faint shimmer as the magic waited for him.

Kynier held out the cup of water, tainted as it was, and offered it to the weave for a task. “Prevention,” he whispered softly as he willed the shield to prevent water as well as Djed from coming through the barrier. When the murky substance was added, the weave flared once with a vibrant blue before fading from sight. He went back inside to the kitchen, where he pumped up some more water from whatever source he was getting it from. Quickly, he returned outside to stand by the southern facing wall. He through the glass of water at the window of the bedroom. A translucent ripple emanated from where the water was stopped by the shield.

The fluid slid straight down to the grass, leaving the building completely dry. Kynier smirked in satisfaction as he went back inside. The cup was placed on the kitchen counter before he turned to gaze back on the common room. The fire snapped and crackled as the light danced across the floor. A heavy sigh escaped him as he realized that settling in was not going to be a quick as he thought it would be.

[Kynier]

As he looked at all the crates still laying around, Kynier realized he had several issues to approach if he wanted to begin the next shield weave that he had in mind. All the interior, including the walls and ceiling were next to receive a coating. However, having the crates around created obstacles, places where the weave would be absent from. And there was also the couch which was in the way. Kynier paced the room a few times, thinking over how to work around his little problem. As he did, he also realized that there would only be more shielding to accomplish as soon as more furniture arrived.

With that in mind, it seemed appropriate to accomplish it in stages rather than all at once. Right now, he’ll start with the more important area to begin with. He stood at the edge of the kitchen, looking out on the common room, where he took a deep breath. Simultaneously, he tapped into his power at his soulcore, while bringing his hands up to in front of his mouth. Fingertips touching those of their counterparts to make a large “O” in front of his lips. With a firm grasp on his Djed, he exhaled long and slow.

Djed poured through his lips and through the space between his hands. Taking his hands away from each other as he continued to blow, Kynier turned the palms away from him and gradually spread his arms apart. The Djed followed suit as it spread out to fill the common room like a mist. Then, he directed the energies to latch themselves onto the walls, ceiling, and the floor. Even the couch was coated. The only thing left uncovered by the base of the next shield was the fireplace. Special attention was given to ensure the Djed had managed to spread to the floor beneath the couch as well.

Once it was all settled, the weaving began. Like the one he formed outside, this shield also developed a glimmer as the shield took form. Kynier suspended the completion as he stepped forward to stand near the fire. One hand reached towards the fire, as a part of his Djed was diverted to form liquid res at his fingers. After several ticks, his fingers were coated with it and he willed it to attract the flames to it. A few embers moved from the fire to ignite his Reimancy, which he immediately flicked at the couch. Globs of fire fell on the furniture as well as the floor only to disappear suddenly as the weave absorbed it as part of a task.

Then he released the connection to the Djed as the shields covering the room pulsed crimson. Afterwards, they faded out of sight, leaving the room to look like just another project to be done. Kynier pulled some more res and attracted a small flame from the fireplace that was no larger than his thumb. With a gentle toss, the flame fell on the couch, where it bounced once before settling on the cushion. But it was truly on the cushion, there was a thin barrier between the two that prevented them from touching. Made a wave of his hand the res fueling the flames broke down, killing the flame.

[Kynier]

Using his short sword again, Kynier popped open the lids to all the crates he hadn’t opened yet to check exactly what all he got. Inside one was one of the armchairs that he had purchased. Kynier strummed his fingers on the side of the crate it sat in as he looked around the room. Then he cast his gaze to the door leading to the patio and thought it would fit outside rather well. Pulling on the top ledge of the crate’s side, he kicked at the bottom to break it apart. Kynier made it a conscious effort to set aside all the scrap wood by the heart. Later he could go through the scraps and remove all the nails so they could be used for firewood.

Once the crate had been broken apart completely, Kynier squatted down in front of the arm chair and gripped it below the plush armrests. With a loud, extended groan, Kynier lifted the chair off the ground and began back-peddling towards the backdoor. The steps were small as he was leaning back a lot to counter balance the weight of the chair that he could not hold up on his own. There was a lot of strain on his legs and back which he tried to breath through with quick breaths. Once he was out the door, he carefully lowered the armchair back down gently.

With all its weight back on the ground, Kynier breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Then he scooted the chair off to the side where it would have an excellent view of the river and the Gated Community across the water. Kynier sat down, finding the chair extremely comfortable and enjoyed the night view for several chimes. The stars were shining a bit bright and Leth was mostly shadowed in the sky. As Kynier was look up, he noticed something. That there was no awning or overhang for the patio. “Hmm. That won’t be good the next time it rains.” With a hand he squeezed the padding of the armrest as he thought about that little dilemma. Until an awning was installed, he’d have to keep the patio clear of furniture. Unless….

The patio was elaborately made of stone, so why shouldn’t the awning also be made of stone? It would be expensive to commission one to be made. Kynier stood up from his seat to run a hand over the ledge of the patio wall. Then he looked up at the edge of the structure and compared it to the location of the firepit. An image was already forming in his mind, one he felt the need to plan out more before attempting it. Kynier went back inside to his pack to withdraw his artisian’s kit, his measuring rope, and a sheet of parchment. In one corner, he drew out a two-dimensional layout of the patio. A rectangular box with a circle inside to indicate the firepit.

Kynier was going to shade the entire patio when he considered the smoke from the firepit. It would need ventilation, or the smoke would simply accumulate inside the awning. What if he only did three-quarters of the patio? That way the firepit was still exposed to open air. In a separate corner of the parchment, he started forming a three-dimensional image of the patio with an awning above. Had it gone all the way to the edge, he could’ve provided several support beams to keep it sturdy. To do that with a shortened awning would cause some obstruction to the patio itself. Also, he didn’t want to hinder the view of the river from any of the comfortable seats.

There was something from the books he had gotten from the library that would help. An illustration of a support system that was very effective. An arch. Kynier drew the lower end of the awning resting on top of an arch that gradually extended from one side of the patio to the other. Once he was done with his drawing, he walked back outside. First, he intended to begin with the lower end. It would determine the overall shape of the addition. Kynier set the drawing down on the armchair and walked over to firepit to measure how far it in reached. He made not of the measurement and intended to add another two inches to it.

Then he walked over to a patio corner and measured out where the firepit’s length plus two inches ended. He made a little mark, then measured another foot from that mark to make another. Then he set the measuring rope down and made a mudra with his hands. His thumbs and pinkies came together to form circles, which he interlinked with each other, while setting his remaining fingertips together at full extension. The Earth mudra. Kynier half-closed his eyes as he delved for his power. He took a deep breath, one that filled the lower regions of his lungs more than the upper section.

On the exhale he pronounced a deep toned “ah” that he held out for the duration of the breath. Djed came forth easily and flowed through his hands to form a gaseous res. It drifted from his hands to settled on the one-foot wide area he had marked. There, it changed into a solid that stacked up continuously until hit was over his head by a few inches. Kynier took another breath before continuing to annunciate “ah”. This time, it was with intent and an image of dense stone in his mind. The vibrations of the “ah” in his body soothed and empowered him.

The solid res transmuted to stone of matching color with the rest of the patio. Color had still been a challenge at times when it came to making stone magically. His focus now was more on density. Kynier added more res to help fortify the support pillar as it took shape. A rectangular pillar formed, not entirely even at first, but he corrected it by cutting away at the stone with additional res, breaking it down to sand which fell away. After a series of breaths, the pillar first pillar was completed. Kynier caught his breath and felt the exterior of the addition to test how smooth the surface was. Then, he knocked on it with his fist experimentally. It sounded and felt rather thick. Satisfied with it, Kynier picked up the measuring rope and measured how tall the pillar was before moving to the other corner to make another.

[Kynier]

It was a very peaceful feeling, using magic again in this way. He was outside and not feeling very fearful of being discovered. There was no small amount of joy that he took from that. Even in Syliras, there wasn’t an opportunity to perform magic out in the open. Mostly, that was because of how crowded Syliras was and how rarely Bourin needed to take him outside the city walls. Strange how something so simple could feel so good. Kynier enjoyed it though he knew it was something he shouldn’t really get accustomed to.

At the other corner of the patio, he held the measuring rope down and marked the same measurements as he had previously. Then he held it vertically, one hand holding an end on the top of the small wall. Res permeated from his body as a gas to collect over the square segment of the patio wall that he had designated. As before, it transmuted into a solid form of res to amass into a pillar. Kynier took long inhales with equally long exhales as he fueled the needed res for this part of the impromptu project.

Through his reading, he had learned that the long inhales and exhales were a breathing pattern associated with the earth element. Or at least, according to the book that Doler had granted him. When Kynier breathed in, he filled the lower portions of his lungs that caused his abdomen to extend rather than expanding his chest like normal breathing did. When the res was stacked up to the height that matched the other pillar, Kynier took the measuring rope away and changed his focus. Res continued to extrude from his body as the pillar hardened and changed.

Kynier compressed it for greater solidity, which required added res to maintain the desired width. Along the surface, the res rippled to fluctuate the color of the new stone to match the rest of the patio. After a few chimes, the second pillar was established. But Kynier didn’t take a pause to check his measurements. An impulse of impatience kept him going, producing more res and moving onto the next stage. The translucent mist hovered up in the air, creating a bridge that connected on pillar to the other. Kynier felt sweat beginning to run down the back of his neck as he continued to add more. The power of his Djed flowing through him this way caused the night to feel uncomfortably warm.

Taking a step back, he observed the arc of res that he suspended in the air. With adjustments here and there to make it appear more consistent and even, Kynier eventually was satisfied with the shape of it. With an emphasized exhale, he willed the res into stone, skipping the phase of changing it into its solid form as he had done with the pillars. Beginning at one pillar, he focused on the res that had seeped into the stone to change, attempting to make it all a single piece rather than having it precariously placed on top.

Inch by inch, he formed the arch that connected the two pillars together. A small tremor had formed in his hands by the time it had been completely formed and had the finer adjustments for an even shape done. The top section was a flat surface from end to end, where the awning was going to rest. Kynier ceased the flow of Djed with a bit of a gasp. Hands quaked as he wiped the sweat from his brow and around his eyes. While he wanted to continue further, he knew that he should stop and pick up again in a few days.

Kynier walked around the patio, examining it. The way it was set, it wouldn’t hang over the firepit and catch the smoke. Unless there was a wind that blew it towards the house. Reaching up, he patted various parts of the arch to test its firmness. It was smooth in texture, and the corners were reasonable rounded, though could use more attention. In his mind, he started envisioning patterns that he could have etched into the stone, giving it more depth and aesthetic appeal. Part of him considered the possibility of disguising some glyphs into those patterns. Nothing complex, most likely a few runic pathways for magic to more efficiently be spread throughout the patio should he need an impromptu shield cast over the area.

After ten chimes of examining it and thinking, he sat back down in the armchair that he had brought out. Lighting a fire had crossed his mind, but he was still sweating from his reimancy. But as soon as he was settled into the seat, he felt sure that he wasn’t going to be able to get back up. It felt so good to sit down and just appreciate the view.