Kenneth Shumaker, A.K.A: Rusty Knight
Morgus
Written by Kenneth Shumaker
Episode 015 Part Three, ‘Blue Dog’s Ball’
Written: September 25, 2017
Part one published on Virily on April 12, 2018.
Part two published on Virily on April 19, 2018.
Part three published on Virily on April 26, 2018.
We continue now with Morgus episode E015 part three, ‘Blue Dog’s Ball’ on …
Winter 25 Unicorn
Calculating the total fees by adding the charges for all expenses, this equal five Dyns a day if using staff bunking, their services and the stables. At a hundred Flairs for ninety days the offered fees equate to just slightly more than ten Dyns a day. He reassesses his offer; instead deciding to move Halda to the third-floor guest room. “You can stay on the third-floor in a guest room across the hall from my lab, and you’ll use my personal lab and library for your studies and research.”
They clasp arms and the sergeants quickly leave as Morgus further discusses magic with Halda.
The two warriors make several trips to bring in the sacks of coins; totalling forty-two bags containing fifty Royal Flairs in each of them.
Morgus thanks the officers and the two warriors join the nine privates waiting outside. The City Watches team departs and leaves Halda at Hessan estate to begin her studying.
…..
Waddling in, Larap joins Morgus in the Chamberlain’s office as Morgus is studying the second Chamberlain’s tome for the sixth hour today. The Baron says in an animated fashion, “Ada says you have a new woman rooming on the third floor. She says that the woman is here to study a spell that you’ve perfected?”
Nodding and smiling broadly Morgus stands and bows. “Yes, Baron Hessan. As such, I’d like to fully repay my loan from you. Payment to be made to the full amount of eleven-hundred coins. Plus, the tenant has paid the Hessan estate fifty coins for her stay of ninety days.”
Wagging a finger vigorously at Morgus, Larap grins cheek-to-cheek widely. “I believe she paid you a hundred-coins for her ninety days stay here … but I do understand there are expenses you will incur with her here as well so I might forgive your slight.
Laughing boisterously, Morgus then smiles and then takes a drink of his warm ale. He sits again and says, “yes, you’re correct, Baron Hessan.”
As Hessan turns to leave, Halda arrives with Square whose tail is wagging as she walks beside the new mage.
Larap and Halda exchange pleasant greetings as the baron exits the office.
In Square’s jaws is a fist size rough woollen blue ball.
Halda chuckles childishly, and then says, “your hound has been showing me around … at least the elf sentry said the hound and you work together … is she your familiar?”
Thinking about this question, Morgus looks down at Square who looks back up at him. He smiles at her, and she barks one woof at him, dropping the ball. Morgus looks back up to Halda. “No … not a familiar, maybe better … a loyal animal companion who I don’t deserve, but who on at least two occasions has saved Hessan Manor … if she demands your attention … listen and obey her … but where in the world did she get the blue ball?”
Scratching behind Square’s ears while looking down at the yellow dog, Halda smiles and chuckles evenly. She then looks back up at Morgus and says, “she never showed me my room or yours, or the lab … I brought the blue dog’s ball with me as I had heard about your great golden hound.”
Grudgingly, Morgus closes the royal bureaucracy tome. He rises slowly to his feet while saying, “it’s time you learn. You can start studying tomorrow after the morning meal. I work alone in the lab before morning meal … understand? … you’re welcome to work as late as you like.”
Winter 26 Unicorn
A longbow in hand, running onto Hessan estate, Analand approaches a frustrated Barran who is carrying a lantern illuminating the area with a bright twenty-foot diameter circle of Imvor-orange light around him while he is on patrol.
The Elffem stops laughing long enough to catch her breath and point back the way she had just run from, pointing at two frustrated walking-dead just outside the radius of the bright light’s glow. She says, “I caught up to two more wights near where I found the first three.”
After he fully opens the shutter on the continuous light of the hooded-lantern to illuminate a larger radius of thirty-feet he pulls a whistle from his chest which is hanging on its thin silver rope, Barran starts blowing the whistle.
The actions cause the wights to back away, out thirty-to-forty-feet as they snarl and growl at the two living as they both stand and hold their positions.
…..
Square snarls and yelps a couple times as she leaps from her sleeping mat to run over to Morgus who is lying awake in bed.
The mage answers her, “yes, I hear it too. Let’s go and investigate, Square.” Getting out of bed, he changes out of his night clothes as he dresses and outfits himself in his mage’s working gear.
The two then run down the broad central staircase two steps at a time. Bounding down the two flights then slowing to go through the interior’s ground floor and exiting out the front door of the manor.
Outside, Morgus peers around the grounds. The two see the lantern light and hear Barran blowing his whistle every fifteen seconds or so.
Carrying his own continuous light lantern, Morgus quickly leads Square over to the light source and sound to join the two guardians.
Morgus greets Analand, with cheer. “Gods-grace and good fate, Elffem … hunting was good I see. How many?”
Peering out into the darkness, Analand replies, “I count two … standing shoulder-to-shoulder.”
Handing his lantern to her and boldly holding his quarterstaff, Morgus walks out toward the two walking-dead. Before leaving the brighter light, he turns back. “Barran, go get the priests.”
The estate private rushes off, leaving the other three to deal with the walking-dead.
Leaving the brighter circle of continuous light lamp illumination to go out into the outer dimer light away from the lantern, Morgus tempts the two wights as he gets into their comfort zone.
They rush him as he stops and rests his staff against his shoulder.
Square stands steadily by his leg.
Touching his thumbs together as he raises his hands to his shoulder height, his fingers splayed into a fan pointed out toward them, Morgus waits until the two are about four feet from him and then he releases the Seven Hells of the spell by uttering the verbal phrase, “fire.”
Reacting both walking-dead ducks quickly down under the sheet of flames, one of them has their clothing catch on fire.
Following this unsuccessful blast in quick succession, Morgus utters, “fire,” again with the hand’s fingertips aimed lower as he saw he had aimed too high the first time, having only scorching the two with his first burst.
This time he burns them both, scorching them enough to drop them from their unlife – ending their threat. He rushes to them, along with Analand following him, to put out the flames on their clothing.
As they’re busy putting out the fires, Morgus chuckles impishly, and then he says, “I said fifty apiece. So, we owe you a hundred, right?”
Nodding eagerly once as she puts out her last fire. “Correct … a hundred.”
The End.
Written and produced by, Kenneth Shumaker.
May the words stay with you!
