The pylons had sprung up on the outskirts of Ellomyr with little fanfare.
No two seemed alike. One was crafted from an irregular chunk of crystal. Another was a tangle of synth and wires around a stone frame. Yet another was an octagonal box mounted on a pole that insulted anyone that walked past it in a fluent torrent of The Truth.
Norvo regarded the two pylons nearest the front gates of the village in puzzlement. “They are very impressive Zenea, but what do they do?” He gestured at the constructs with one arm, his white robes flapping in the wind.
The diminutive Jack looked up at him, nearly hopping from foot to foot in excitement. The scraps of synth and animal bones on her green leather jacket chattered as she shivered in excitement. She raised a small rectangular device in her hand which was featureless except for a very obvious, very red button. “Watch this,” Zenea beamed, mashing down the button with a thumb.
There was a sharp crack as a wall of energy exploded into life between the two pylons, a scintillating barrier of swirling yellow and green force. A sharp chemical smell permeated the air like the aftermath of a storm.
Zenea dug around in the drit underfoot with the tip of her boot, excavating a small stone which she flicked at the barrier with the deft kick. The stone impacted the barrier with a flash of sparks, bouncing off and hitting the ground where it came to rest, sending grey curls of smoke drifting up into the air. “Lets see anyone get through that intact,” she said with an air of satisfaction. “I mean, that was only a partial activation. I didn’t want to fire up the entire network just in case it went kablooey.” She pushed the button once more and the wall dissipated with a fizzing noise.
“Well thank the maker for small mercies,” the glaive responded flatly. Norvo then cleared his throat, pointing a finger to the left most pylon. A nearby cart left at the threshold of Ellomyr been neatly bisected by the barriers energy field, both halves listing on to the ground and beginning to smoulder.
A pink tinge touched Zeneas cheeks as she followed Norvos gaze, coming close to matching the mohawk on her head. “Well, obviously we’d need an alarm or something. To stop things like that happening.”
“Obviously,” the glaive replied, unconvinced. He was suddenly glad he had been engaged in the simple labour of helping to build Ellomyrs rapidly expanding housing developments, rather than toying with the energies Zenea was happily unleashing. “Perhaps next time you can consult with the town Elder and you can conduct an official test? Perhaps a little further away from Ellomyr.”
Zeneas bottom lip curled inward in a display of petulance. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” she said reluctantly, looking down at her boots and scuffing the ground with her heels.
“In the meantime, you can deal with that,” Norvo said.
Zenea looked up, the smell of smoke causing her nostrils to flare. The two halves of the cart were now burning merrily, sending grey plumes of smoke into the air.
***
Norvo is a Graceful Glaive who Sees Beyond.
Zenea is an Impulsive Jack who Crafts Unique Objects.
HamsterOfWrath 