You grab a light breakfast and pack your things. You expect to be in London before nightfall.
Around noon you see a group coming south toward you--six people, peasants from the dress, moving seemingly without haste. Merlin slows.
"What have we here, do you suppose?" he asks, not entirely to himself.
--M. J. Young
*shrugs*
"Well let's find out*
*pick one and try a read minds on them, and continue down the line if I can't get it*
*If I get a bad vibe, I will draw my katana, try to turn on the vibro and drop into Chow En Lai*
Adam
Their minds are rather unlike those of humans you've encountered--and unlike those of the wolves, as well. You cannot penetrate the first two, as they close the gap. However, as you reach the third, you find someone who is eagerly wondering whether you will taste good after they rip you apart.
--M. J. Young
*cast fireball centered in the middle of the group, if they are moving slowly without haste, should be interesting*
Adam
Your fireball bursts directly behind them. The three in the rear are now afire, or at least their clothes are burning, while the front three have been singed by this. None look the particularly worse for the damage, but they now begin running toward you.
"I guess Tubrok was hoping to catch us off-guard," Merlin says. He casts a spell very similar to yours, and another sphere of flame races out and explodes somewhat in the midst of the group, who are now more separated than they were. The two in the lead are now clearly aflame and slowing in their approach, but those behind are not so badly injured.
They will be upon you before you get another chance with this, and in any case you'll be in the blast radius if you attempt to hit them with it again.
There is a thunderous blast as Geneice unloads the first round from one of her FN57s into the first of the creatures, which collapses instantly; the other gun fires before the echo has died, and another enemy dies with the echo as she continues firing, wounding the remaining four.
After four more shots, only one is still standing--barely--and it turns to flee toward the woods. She blows its head clean off its shoulders with one more shot.
"That," she says, "used entirely too many bullets."
"But it was effective," Merlin says.
--M. J. Young
*Grins*
"True, but I'm sure I would have only done it with one less bullet"
*smiles*
"She does have a point, aside from magic to create exact copies of the bullets we already have, there doesn't exist the technology, the facilities nor the materials readily available to make more. Either way I'm not worried, we are hear to learn to not rely solely on our body and technical abilities, and that we are doing fine. So far, we have repelled every attack without engaging in melee combat, they are testing our abilities. Eventually, they will realize that attacking us is as foolhardy as us attacking them. At any case, let's get to London."
*tosses a fresh magazine to his wife, and if she tosses the partally spent one back, will load it as we travel*
Adam
You make the rest of the trip unimpeded, arriving in London in late afternoon. Merlin knows an inn that should be comfortable and as safe as anything can be in London, and you have rooms before sunset, and dinner promised shortly.
--M. J. Young
"Hmm should have brought my Guitar, would have been a perfect opportunity to practice on it, oh well, will just have to pay more attention to my wife"
*Grins*
*waits till we aren't in public*
"In the previous world, I came up with a formula to increase the attributes of a person. I called it the Super Soldier Serum. I don't think the tools exist to make more of it here, but it should work. I figured if you wanted to try, it would boost your attributes as well. I also had a thought that it would be a perfect component to permenantly boost attributes in a spell. As Geneice and I already took it in a previous world, it would not work on us again, but as regrent of a spell, should do the trick. Either way, just the kinds of thoughts I have when I have time to contemplate"
Adam
I don't see the serum listed on your equipment. Do you believe you have some with you, or if not were you thinking you could create more with the equipment and ingredients available here?
"Super soldier serum, you say? It increases your strength and endurance and such, without any detriment to, say, your ability to think? It sounds fascinating. I am, though, a wizard, and an old man for that. I don't think that fighting will ever be my forte. Still, the idea of being a bit stronger--the enemies are rather fearsome at times. Tell me more about this."
--M. J. Young
*I took a box of 50 doses, and 50 anti serums with me from Why Spy, I figured I could find new uses for them, and use them and my abilities with viruses to create new and interesting things with them*
"Yes, I spent a fair amount of time developing it on my last world. The human body is built on DNA, which is an acronym for Deoxyribonucleic acid, which is the basic building blocks of our abilities and who we are. It determines if we are susceptible to certain genetic diseases, as well as determining how strong, fast, gifted you can become. I worked on viruses which are one of the smallest and deadliest organisms around, they live to reproduce, so you can see if left unchecked, they can wreck havok. The common cold, where you sneeze, feel bad, etc is an example of a virus, their trait is they constantly mutate, so each time you get a cold, it's a different variation on it.
On a basic level, I took a dead virus, and reprogrammed it to target specific strands of DNA, and resequence them, basically telling them what I wanted to do. This specific retro virus, deletes the old strand of DNA, and inputs what I programmed into it over it. For example, if someone with small muscles got this virus, I would rewrite it so that the body works to redo. It takes about a week, since it's not an instant process, but the results have been amazing. I will warn you, you might not want to use the serum here in this low tech world, it might not work or work badly. But using it as a component for a magic version, will work, and probably will work well."
Adam
Merlin finds the entire thing fascinating, and you spend a few hours talking about DNA, RNA, and other aspects of molecular biology--which he picks up remarkably well for someone with so little knowledge of modern science.
Eventually he retires for the night, as do the two of you. Geneice comments on how truly intelligent Merlin is, that he is not only interested in everything but has an amazing ability to grasp ideas well beyond his experience.
Merlin does not roust you in the morning, but is having breakfast when you come down. "I've asked a few people about this rumored magic sword," he says, and it seems to have stirred up quite a lot of excitement in the city. Several have tried to pull it--unsuccessfully, of course. Word is spreading."
--M. J. Young
*sits down and yawns and orders some breakfest*
"Well that is indeed interesting news, we should make an appearance, stay for a half hour, watch some people try. Stay in London to sundown and teleport back, it's much too dangerous to be traveling at night, and we know have people's attention."
Adam
The others agree that this sounds like a good plan.
It is late morning by the time you get to the square where the stone rests. There are several people hanging about, and interest focuses on you as you approach. Apparently they are wondering whether you will be the one who pulls the sword.
"Let's keep back, make it clear we have no intention of attempting to pull the sword from the stone but are just here to watch, like them. Probably they get two or three a day to try--most of those in London itself will have tried by now, so we'll be seeing people who have traveled the distance from other cities or come in from the country, to see whether the story is true and give it a try."
Geneice finds a place to sit on a stone wall across the street. Merlin settles there as well. A few more people gather, and some leave, but after an hour or so no one has made the attempt to pull it.
Someone sits on the wall a dozen yards away.
"Do you come often?" Merlin asks him. "We heard about this, and came to see it."
It takes the young man a moment to realize he is being addressed, and then he answers. "Yeah, I try to get out here every couple days, at least for a while. A lot of people tried it the first couple days--I tried to pull it meself, but obviously I'm not born to be the king of England, am I. But you got to be lucky now to see someone."
Merlin nods.
--M. J. Young
"Very interesting, well I think we have seen what we have came to see. Anything else of interest around here?
*if not, which is my guess, ok with heading back to Merlin's Grove with a teleport*
Adam
"We didn't actually see anyone try to pull the sword from the stone," Geneice says. "That is what we came to see. Now, maybe we don't want to wait for that--but how many people get a chance to visit Londinium before the reign of Arthur?"
"Well," Merlin says, "I don't know just how much there is to see. It's not like there's a theater here, or a museum--and finding street performers is very hit-and-miss. You're more likely to find pick-pockets, I'd wager, but you'd better be sharp-eyed if you expect to notice them. Still, it can't hurt to stay the day and depart at dusk. We might get our chance, and we can disappear under cover of dark less dramatically than we can in the daylight. I'll stay here and watch, if you'd like to explore a bit. Or I suppose if you'd like to return to the grove, I'll catch up with you this evening."
--M. J. Young
"Ok we'll wait to see if someone pulls out the sword, it's what we came here to do, just figured there would be a crowd around it, but I guess the excitement of it all has worn off. Either way, we'll leave at Dusk"
*will wait there and see what happens*
Adam
Late in the afternoon someone does attempt to pull the sword.
You can tell by the look on his face that he has come here for this; there is a determination about him mixed with an uncertainty.
Everyone else watching can tell as well, as a cry arises, and people start running from all directions, shouting as they do. By the time this man has mustered enough courage to step up to the sword, there are probably half a hundred people encircling him, breath abated.
He stretches his arms as if calling strength to them, appears to whisper a prayer, then rests one hand on the stone and the other on the hilt of the sword.
Muscles ripple under mail. Strain crosses his face, which starts to redden, then darkens, as he struggles to force the sword loose. He tries rocking it one way, then the other. He seems to be holding his breath, straining every muscle in his body.
Then with a huge gasp he deflates, not quite collapsing but evidently aware that he has used every bit of his strength and accomplished nothing.
A feeling of disappointment ripples through the crowd; they apparently had hoped this would be the king. After a moment, applause starts, for the courage of a man who tried, even though he did not succeed.
"Well, excellent," Merlin says. "It obviously is working, and people are taking to it well. At least for the present, the sword will await the boy who will be king.
"Shall we pick up our belongings from the inn? I'd say we're done here."
--M. J. Young
"Works for me, let's get our stuff and head back to the grove"
Adam
Geneice looks at you, grins playfully, and suddenly says, "Suck it, Trebek"--and vanishes.
Merlin laughs jovially. "I guess it's up to us to pick up the suitcases." He heads for the inn.
You get the rest of your gear there, and Merlin asks whether you want him to do the teleport or want to try your emergency escape.
--M. J. Young
*sighs*
"At least I don't have to mow the lawn"
*goes with Merlin to gather their stuff*
"I'd like to try the emergency teleport, I figure I owe my wife a good spanking anyway, if the tent is a rockin, don't come a knocking."
Adam
Merlin seems puzzled as you gather the gear from the inn. Finally he asks.
"Mow the lawn?"
Once that's settled, he says he will wait to be certain your departure is accomplished and then will walk outside and find a quiet place so that the innkeeper will think both of you left by normal means.
You say the activation words and shift abruptly to the grove. Geneice is waiting playfully. "What kept you? I've had enough time to reset mine, and air out the bed."
As an aside, most people don't realize this but matching sleeping bags can be zipped together such that they form one double-sized sack. There's a small gap in the bottom sometimes when this is done, but stuffing any substantial bit of clothing there will patch it.
--M. J. Young
*grins*
"Well I had to get our stuff, then come back, besides I had to make sure you picked up the house before the breadwinner got home."
*smiles*
"Lawn is grass, in the future there are houses with lawns that need to be mowed, or cut by a machine. I hated that".
Adam
"Cutting grass? Why don't they just let the sheep and goats eat it? Or is the grass stored like hay for your livestock to eat later?"
From Geneice: "How long do you need before you're ready for dinner? I've started a bit of stew."
Merlin catches up by teleport. He commends both of you on your teleports, and reminds you to reset them. Geneice tells him she's done hers while she was waiting, and offers him some of the stew when it's ready. He says it sounds good, and he just wants to clean up a bit and stow his spare clothes from the trip.
--M. J. Young
*I will reset my teleport, before eating*
"Well as long as it takes to reset the teleport hun, I wonder how hard it would be to teach these people to make pizza, I mean it's pretty easy to make, and since the Romans spread Tomatoes all over the place, cheese and the grain for the crust should be easy. I miss pizza and pasta."
*as for the lawn*
"Sheep and Goats are not that common, unless your on a farm, at any rate, men are made to cut the lawn."
Adam
Adam
"Do you want me to make pizza, or do you want me to try to make it? I warn you--you're the cook in this family, you know. This stew was a challenge to my abilities. Back home, cooking supper for myself meant popping a premade in the microwave. I may be Italian, but daddy never thought I needed to know how to turn tomatoes into sauce, and since I could always buy sauce it didn't seem that important to me, either.
"Besides, do you think anyone could build a pizza oven around here? You need the kind of heat that comes from a forge for that kind of thing, don't you?"
--M. J. Young
*smiles*
"I can cook ok, as for Pizza and an oven, I had an old brick oven in the yards of one of my old homes, never used it, but the design is quite simple. They say the brick oven pizzas are the best. I can probably build one, will take awhile, but I know it can be done. In any event, guess it's time to goto the Inn and see what's for dinner."
Adam
"Bah," Merlin says as he overhears you and approaches. "Why waste our money?" He throws a blanket on the ground, and then, with a long unintelligible sentence, a single complete turn of his body, and a wave of both hands, he covers it with food--ham, lamb, salad, fresh vegetables, bread, butter, and more. "I really should devise a spell that makes less food, but the animals are happy with the scraps and I don't use it often."
"So," Geneice challenges, "if you can create food like this, why do you make us cook it?"
"Simple, my dear. You will not always be able to rely on magic, and so you need to know how to do things other ways--and to practice them, as well. Don't worry, I'll teach you to create food soon enough. Creation from nothing is not simple, though, and we want to be certain you're ready for it."
--M. J. Young
*smiles as he watches them go back and forth*
"Watching you two go at it is amusing, but can you customize what food you could create? For example, I like ham, but not a big lamb fan, too much of it as a kid, and if it isn't prepared right, it's greasy. I would substitute turkey or chicken instead, and since you have bread, and ham, you need cheese, and mayo, and some of the fresh veggies like lettuce and onions, and you got yourself a very good sandwich. I would also make pizza a staple in the spell. Oh and don't you mean me cook it?"
*ducks or braces for the smack*
Adam
Merlin: "That's a good question. I always create the same feast, and pick what I want from it. No idea what turkey is, but there's a cornish hen over there--not a big fan of chicken myself, but a little bit is good now and again. There's lettuce and onion in the salad. Cheese, well, you can keep cheese pretty well, so I didn't bother including it in a spell designed to create fresh food. I don't happen to have any at the moment, but I do buy it a few times a year and it lasts. What's mayonnaise? What's pizza?"
Geneice: "Think you're clever, do you?" As you duck, suddenly you are thrown off balance by what can only be a TK pulse. You catch yourself before you fall.
--M. J. Young
"Mayo is a spread you put on bread, made from eggs and oil from veggies, it's white, creamy, a bit salty, but it makes almost any dry sandwich a joy to eat, at least that's my opinion. As for Pizza, it's usually a flat dough, with raised edges, usually with tomato sauce, which is usually crushed tomatoes, seasoning, with cheese, usually a Italian one spread on it. You usually put veggies like mushrooms, or onions on it, and meats like pepperoni, another Italian mean, or sausage. The possibilities are endless, but defiantly is good."
*after the blatant attack*
"That was uncalled for, if we didn't have company around I would put you over my knee and spank you" *winks*
Adam
"Italian? Italia is near Roma, isn't it? I had no idea they had such things. But then, they are an empire. They probably have many things we do not know.
"There is no particular reason you could not conjure just about any food you wish. I think it helps, though, if you have food available when you create the spell. I designed mine in the presence of a banquet served by Uther some years back, and so in essence I'm duplicating his feast, although I have learned to tweak it a bit here and there. I'm not sure how I would create a food for which I did not have a sample, but then, that would be interesting to attempt."
She giggles. "You think you could catch me, do you?" Tearing up a handful of grass, she tosses it at you, and runs toward your tent.
Merlin shakes his head. "Youth," he says, "is wasted on the young."
--M. J. Young
*smiles*
"Well in all fairness most of what I described of Italian cuisine is about a thousand years off, but the basics are there. As for the feast, well the turkey would be hard, it's native to North America, about 3k miles across the western sea, and would be hard to get a sample. The pizza and mayo I could make pretty good examples of."
*as he gets hit with grass*
"Your only as old as you feel, and I don't plan on growing up. As for outward appearances, you know more than most that can be taken care off. Oh and if the tent is a-rocking, don't come a-knockin"
*runs after her to the tent*
Adam
Fast forward to the next day, when a pair of dissheveled versers crawl out of a tent to be greeted by an elderly wizard.
"Ah good, you're up. Grab some eggs, and when you're ready we're going to do some more learning. You'll recall that some time back we learned how to draw history from an object. Well, now we're going to learn how to do that with a location." He looks over at you. "Well, clean up a bit, and have some breakfast, and let me know when you're ready."
--M. J. Young
*grunts as I see the wizard and grabs my backpack with my bath items, and a change of clothes, and tosses Geneice hers, and heads toward the brook, or spring or river we have been bathing in, after doing that and putting on his armor, starts making some eggs as he talks*
"Ok we are ready, so are we doing that here, or at a place with history like Stonehenge?"
Adam
"That's an interesting idea; but Stonehenge would probably have too much history--too much has happened there, you wouldn't want to hit it all on the first try. Let's try something closer and a bit less steeped in history. I will show you the pattern here, and then we'll head out to Uther's old haunts to try it. How does that sound?"
He projects the skill pattern into your mind, so you can see how it's done. It's not that different from the history of object, but it is focused more broadly and suggests a skill that gets more breadth and less depth in its detail.
--M. J. Young
"Ok let's do this"
*gets ready to head out*
Adam
Merlin takes you all on a walk through the mist, so you reach the castle in a few minutes.
It does not look like there's been any upkeep in recent years.
"I don't like the look of this place," Geneice says. "I mean, if I were a mobster, this would be the perfect place to turn into a base."
"What's a mobster?" Merlin asks.
--M. J. Young
*smiles and laughs at both their responses*
"Jeesh, this isn't some 30's Al Capone movie, ok a "mobster" is a member or an organized crime family, a collection of individuals that organize their efforts to make crime profitable, and less dangerous then doing it on your own. I grew up in New Jersey, named after the isle of Jersey over here, so I know a lot about the Italian mafia, which is where I met Geneice in Italy, that it itself is a funny story. At any rate, I'd be more worried that it is a perfect place for Vampires to take over."
*pulls out his M29*
"Ok are we heading inside, or doing this outside?"
Adam
"Inside is better," Merlin says.
Geneice draws her FN-57s. "Then let's go," she says.
You approach the building with caution. The front gate is not secured, and you enter the shade of the arch. The interior gate is also open, and you are soon in the bailey looking toward the front door of the castle.
"One here, and the other inside, perhaps? That way you'll be focused on different places. Who wants the bailey, and who wants the foyer?"
--M. J. Young
*looks at Geneice*
"I'll take the foyer, but let me use my detect undead and ghouls spell before going any further, I hate to separate us, and have them attack the one without support."
*as long as I get no complaints, I will try my spell, and see if I can sense anything, then we can proceed with what Merlin suggests*
Adam