Parvil, Aspen, Gretchen: Conversations of Catastrophe

Parvil was just on the edge of sleep when a small rattling like a metronome woke him as his sending stone rattled on the small counter that served as the portable home’s kitchen. This late he would have ignored it, if not for the color of the glow from the stone signaling who was calling. He stretched out as far as he could without disturbing Aspen who was sleeping next to him. Pawing at the stone he nearly sent it skidding out of reach but managed to put enough pressure on it to slide it back and into his grip.

“Yes…” he said, still gravely from just waking up as he tried to whisper into the stone.

There was a long pause, long enough Parvil for a moment thought the caller gave up, realizing he was probably in a place where the time was different. But eventually a voice spoke, as Parvil held the stone to his ear. “Parvil? Thank The Fair Lady you answered.”

“Yea…” Parvil tried to silently clear his throat but couldn’t manage it, “Sorry…I took so long…I was…” he yawned. “Sleeping.”

“Okay this is important so wake up.” Gretchen said.

“Give me a minute…” Parvil said.

“Fine.” Gretchen said, “But hurry this is seriously important. I don’t even know if I should be calling you but I don’t think they took me seriously.”

“Wait, who didn’t take you seriously.” Parvil asked, trying to adjust to hear better but not to disturb Aspen.

“Constable Geoph.” Gretchen answered.

“Hate that guy…but…wait go back…what happened? Why’d you even need to talk to Geoph?” Parvil asked.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you about…” Gretchen sighed. “Someone tried to blow up my shop…with me in it…” Gretchen said, slowly so it would sink into Parvil’s still sleeping brain.

But that kicked him out of it. “WHAT!?” Parvil half shouted before shutting his mouth, even though it was too late, a groggy Aspen mumbled something and shoved limply at Parvil not that she’d had much space for leverage or much room to move someone that much bigger than her.

“Is that Aspen?” Gretchen asked.

“Say Hi, Aspen.” Parvil said holding the stone to her mouth.

“Eye…” Aspen said in a mumble.

“Eye to you to Aspen, but both of you really should wake up for this, as cute as it all is.” Gretchen said.

After a few moments of waking up and getting enough of their heads’ on straight to have a working brain between the two of them they started the conversation over.

“Okay…so from the top.” Parvil said, “Someone tried to blow up your shop? How’d they do that?”

“I don’t think they knew I work on things in the shed out back. It was a drop off for repairing an enchantment and adding one on top.” Gretchen explained. “When I finished the new runes and tested it the thing went pop.” she said. “Though that’s nicely put. Had I not been testing in that dry creel, I don’t know how many people could have gotten hurt.” Gretchen added.

“What kind of enchantment?” Aspen asked,

Gretchen paused, either thinking or checking notes Parvil or Aspen couldn’t tell. Though she eventually spoke. “Reinforement of runes, and enhancement of focus.” She said, slowly reading it from her notes. “They wanted a fireball circlet for casting the spell just by thinking. It worked a few times then went critical and let a crater behind my shop.

Parvil looked at Aspen and raised an eyebrow, but she shook her head not really to entertain that idea yet. “Then what happened?” he asked.

“I fired it a few times, to see if the runes held, after three, it just started glowing yellow, same as the topaz. Blast was strong enough to discharge its mana too, raw mana from the circlet’s protection runes.”

“Fast, hot, and chaotic…” Aspen said.

“It didn’t quite turn the sand of the creek bed to glass but it tried.”

“Professional work…” Parvil said. “Not many can rig a rune like that and live to tell about it.”

“They didn’t…they made me make my own method of death.” Gretchen said.

“Who’d want to do that? You don’t have any enemies.” Parvil said.

Gretchen paused, this time not like she was thinking of someone to blame but unsure if she wanted to point the blame. Though she eventually did. “You do though…and you know me and visit often…if someone wanted to hurt you, but couldn’t get to you…they’d go after people you know…” Gretchen said somberly, clearly not wanted to have suggested that, or pointed out that fact.

“She does have a point…” Aspen whispered.

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it…” He said, “And that broadens the list quite a bit…”

“It’s a start.” Aspen said, before speaking to Gretchen again. “Work with Geoph, and I’ll send someone to speak to you directly from my side of things. Don’t talk to anyone else about this. We don’t know who’s working with or speaking to who. We don’t want them to know we are working to find them. And don’t take any more orders until we know what’s happening.”

“That’s my big business…But fine.” Gretchen said, “But I can’t close shop forever.”

“I’ll be on it tomorrow.” Parvil said. As if he didn’t already have a dozen plates spinning. “Think of anything else weird about it, and find or remember the runes. We’ll try to figure out if they are from a book, or if they are someone’s own creation.”

“I’m sure I have a copy of them around here somewhere.” Gretchen said. “I’ll need some time to find them. But we’ll figure it out once I do.” She said.

“Don’t contact us…” Aspen whispered. “We’re traveling with a group right now, and don’t want any more info getting out than will naturally.” she said.

“I understand.” Gretchen said. “Just don’t leave me hanging too long.” she said. “I don’t like the feeling of being watched.”

“I know the feeling.” Parvil said. “But we’ll contact you the moment we know something or can tell you something you can do,” he said.

“Thank you both. You two are far too good of friends.” Gretchen said.

“It's just what friends do…” Parvil said. “We’ll catch whoever did this.”