Morgus E014 Part two, Scarlet Tasmanian Tiger Tuna

Morgus

Written by Kenneth Shumaker

Episode 014, ‘Scarlet Tasmanian Tiger Tuna’

Written on September 14, 2017

Part one published on Virily on March 29, 2018.

Part two published on Virily on April 5, 2018.

We continue now with Morgus episode E014, part two ‘Scarlet Tasmanian Tiger Tuna,’ on …

Winter 22 Unicorn

Missing a beat in his hammer’s rhythm, his friend looks up. Grinning, Terrec nods, returning to work, he picks up his pace.

A while later, with the mare properly shod, Terrec walks over to Morgus and clasps arms. “Mor, old boy, nice to see you … did you bring my wagon back with the horses intact?”

Grinning evilly, Morgus rubs his belly as he answers, “you’re short a horse. Me and my friends got hungry, Terror Tot … and your wagons missing a spoke as the street was a bit rough where I had to go. But otherwise, it’s all good … let’s go inspect the turd.”

Slapping Morgus’ back, knocking him forward, the giant of a farrier nods, saying, “let’s go Morgus and see the damages.”

After inspecting his wagon and horses, Terrec is humming, and hawing with his massive hand covering his chin as he looks at the rear hoof one of his horses hitched to the wagon.

Then grunting, he curses to Ibon and turning to Morgus, Terrec says, “I have to give you back all your coins except the rent … I can’t find anything extra to charge you for. There’s no damages to wagon or horses, and you brought back what you took. Damn man … we’ll have to do more business. Now if I recall … I believe you left me ten coins. So, I owe you 7.72 coin in return.”

Walking to the house they enter into the foyer and Morgus waits for Terrec to return, not wanting to disturb the farrier’s little brother, Essen, further.

Returning with the deposit coin change, Terrec hands it to Morgus reluctantly as he asks, “you sure there’s not more we can do for you?”

Laughing, Morgus counts out five Dyns for Terrec, handing him the coins while saying, “I may need a wagon again some day, not now … later my friend.”

Mounting his horse, the mage heads northwest on Drescol, toward Hessan Estate.

…..

Arriving at Hessan during the evening meal, he settles in to eat with the others after grooming and stabling Rex, which he attends to before enjoying the sumptuous meal. 

Winter 23 Unicorn

It’s an hour before gods-rise under a partially covered sphere, and Morgus is leaving Hez’s Imvor morning service in the Hessan manor chapel when there is a bell ring at the front door.

Gesturing to Ada as she starts toward the door, Morgus says, “I’ll get them.”

Looking over at him, Ada nods and continues to the cellar stairs to fetch Larap’s morning meal.

Briskly opening the front door, Morgus and Square greet the farmer, Lasiter Platter, who is burdened with leading a pair of mules loaded with hides.

Whistling, Morgus asks, “how many, Lasiter?”

The Hessan vassal farmer beams a broad smile which stretches across his face. He motions to the two mules behind him, “I’ve acquired ten high-quality hides, now that I know your specifications.”

Chuckling, Morgus steps outside, closes the door and walks towards the craftshop as he says, “follow me.”

Over at the craftshop, they unload the ten oxen hides, and with the hides inside the shop, Morgus inspects each.

Several hours later after the inspections and a social visit, a happy Farmer Platter is leaving without any hides and with being thirty-three-coins richer. He has been paid full price for each hide plus a three Flair tip bonus. He steps high, happy with an order for twenty more hides like these.

After midday meal, Morgus spends until evening meal doing more research on his new spell. And then he continues research again after the evening meal until Hez arrives in his lab at two hours after gods-set carrying a leather bundle.

When Morgus invites the Cleric into Morgus’ office, Hez sets his bundle on the desk and unrolls it, where he displays an elegant set of highly functional parchment crafting knives.

Morgus inspects each of the eight razor-sharp knives. Each straight and even, or curved blade, is precisely as desired by Morgus, just as he had explained his needs to Hez.

Appraising the knives, Morgus assess the set to be worth an estimated 115.00 coins. Happy as he wiggles in his seat, he excitedly counts out twenty-four gold coins, sliding the stacks across to Hez, then saying, “well done my friend. I have something else for you … can you fix these for resale?”

He brings the sets of knives acquired from Beraran off his shelf; displaying all of them for Hez.

The smith/cleric looks each set over, shaking his head slowly. When finished, Hez answers as he looks Morgus in the eyes, “one set I can fix, the other two can only be melted down again and forged into something new.”

Pushing the three sets of Beraran crafted knives to Hez, Morgus utters, “they’re yours, do what you want.”

…..

By the time Morgus feeds and then offers Square a bowl of milk, he then is ready to crawl into his own bed. It is ten in the evening, and he has researched his new spell for another six hours today, as well as acquired the knives he wanted for parchment making.

It is now time to start getting things ready for constructing a new spell tome. He has enough hides and all the equipment and space he needs.

Morgus goes to sleep smiling, even though he calculates he only has three-hundred coins left to his name now.

Winter 24 Bear

Being jarred by a barking Square, yet again, Morgus is frustrated as he swats at the persistent hound pouncing on the edge of his bed. Relenting to the hound, Morgus dresses in his gear as obviously the beast is aware of some danger and seems to be in a panic.

Finished dressing, Morgus has heard running on the stairs a minute ago, heading upward.

Grabbing his staff now that he’s dressed and has his mage’s gear on, Morgus rushes to the stairs where he meets Elmar and Barran running downward.

The four of them continue down the stairs as Elmar says, “I heard disturbances outside and Tussel shouting, ‘wights.’”

They reach the second floor where the four hear Larap scuffling in his room, shouting in his course cracking old voice. “Get away!”

Turning to Barran, Morgus says, “go wake the priests, get them up here.”

With Barran continuing down, the others lose sight of the private as Elmar, Morgus and Square rush in through Larap’s open door into his bedroom.

Elmar’s lantern, with its ‘continuous light,’ supplied by Morgus, exposes three wights trying to corner the old pampaloo, Baron Hessan, who is jostling position, moving around furniture trying to avoid the walking-dead, in an attempt to reach the safe room attached to his.

Elmar’s light chases one wight off, who runs past the arrivals, rushing out of the room and down the hall. Leaving Morgus and friends to deal with two confused walking-dead and with Larap rushing for the saferoom.

Written by, Kenneth Shumaker 

©2017 by Kenneth Shumaker with Inevitable Unicorn Press

www.inupress.ca inupress@inupress.ca

To be continued in the next Morgus episode, 014, part three, ‘Scarlet Tasmanian Tiger Tuna,’ …

May the words stay with you!