The Zeltivan Monument Series Part 3: The Materials

[Leigo]

Blond didn’t really get what was Tock’s – as he now knew to call her – problem. Surely nicknames weren’t the most pleasant things in the world, but did little miss fancy pants really think she was so important that they were unusable? Petch - Even Tock was a nickname! Itching to yell some of his thoughts, he’d keep his damn mouth shut. It wasn’t really his fault he was so irritable these days, that didn’t make him feel any better though. For the moment shutting up was just about all social pleasantry he could handle. Another thing peaked his curiosity was she openly repeating that she had mothered those creatures. She wasn’t literal on that one. Much likely was some magic ordeal, like when he was explaining to Aehra how he and Onuo were brothers. Never minding that too much, he’d keep his questions and observations for later. If it was really magic, she wouldn’t just tell. Especially not to him – or so he thought. Perhaps if he got to know her a bit better he’d get her to spill it, but that was ways off still. Taking the rope thrown to him, he’d try and repeat what the others had already been doing. The whole thing was done quite fast, probably because all of them had supervision and, other than Leigo, they all had a clue as to what it was they were doing. Not yet sure what were they supposed to do once the ropes were secured, he’d look quizzically around as people dug a whole around the boulder’s base. He guessed as much – the ropes were there to ease the passing of stone onto the wagon, but just how would they go about it? It was strange being completely foreign to such mundane things. Not that he’d complain, but it was weird.

[Iris Timandre]

51st of Summer, 512
The Konti caught the bag of food supplies. There really was one small problem. Iris had no clue how to cook anything. She never had to cook any meals because she had family members who did know how to whip up a good meal.

Iris shrugged, she thought she's give it a try anyway. She opened the sack and saw that there were a couple of fish in the bag. Seafood, Iris had eaten countless fish in her sixty year life. Iris thought she'd be able to at least attempt to prepare some seafood for the workers.

She reached into the sack and touched the fish. It made Iris feel less homesick. Iris needed some sharp steaks to stick the fish on she knew that much. Looking over at Tock Iris yelled.

"I need some wooden steaks or something to that effect."

Reaching her right hand into her backpack, Iris pulled out her cooking knife. Though she had no idea where to start with preparing a good fish to eat.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock paused in her work to come over and help Iris, grumbling under her breath about soft-handed Konti who didn't know how to complete a simple task on their own. It was as if the blonde had never swung a hatchet before in her life! She gathered a few pieces of scrap wood, pulling the hatchet off her belt. With a few quick, precise strokes, she cut some thin stakes that the fish could be cooked on. "'Ere ya go, Sook," she said. "Ain't needs nothin' fancy now, but the lads is gettin' 'ungry, aye?" Figuring the Konti wouldn't be able to handle the firewood either, she summoned Choppy over. She set him in front of some of the larger scrap pieces and told him, "Chop!" The axe began swinging on his metal axle, and before long the wood was cut down to manageable pieces and they were able to start a small cooking fire. The preparations continued, with several long wooden beams set like levers against the back side of the boulder, their tips pressed down into the dirt until they were just under the dug out and exposed bottom of the stone. After lunch, a combination of the application of leverage, and the weight distribution of the pulley system, would allow them to lift the otherwise impossible to move boulder. Mathematics and tools conquering nature. With the preparations complete, Tock called for a break, and the men gathered around the fire to await the results of Iris's cooking. A few of them also had minor injuries; bruises, scrapes, and cuts, which were the expected consequences of a job like this. Physical labor was rarely able to be done without at least a few minor injuries, and it was nothing unexpected on a job like this. Though with a Konti healer around, perhaps the men wouldn't have to suffer such injuries for long. As Tock was stretching out her sore muscles during the break, Tock heard some animal sounds from somewhere off in the woods. She glanced about nervously, sitting beside Leigo and asking him, "Whatcha think 'at were?" She was hoping there was no danger nearby. Most animals would be driven off by a group of humans this size, frightened by the sounds of falling trees and construction work. But one never knew for sure, and the last thing they needed was a bear or mountain lion... or something worse.