Chapter 20
The hero is full of hot air
"So let me get this straight," the tool shop owner said to us. The maids and I, dressed for combat of course, had headed to town early that morning and several of the townspeople had been gathered. The blacksmith, the seamstress, the basket maker, along with their apprentices all stood around outside the shop. "You want to make a huge bubble out of fabric, that has an opening in the bottom. Through that opening you want to shoot hot air, in the hope the fabric will fill up with hot air and rise to support a basket. To this end you want a simple magical item made that has one purpose; get super hot. Place it at the bottom of the hole and you should have an unlimited supply of hot air."
"Possibly put into some sort of stove," she agreed with a nod of her head. "I want it to be safe, and to direct the air upwards into the fabric above it. So it has to be hot enough to make lots of hot air, but not hot enough to melt through the metal thing it's inside. Hopefully the blacksmith can make an iron stove or container of some sort that would serve."
He nodded, muttering that was probably doable.
"Having filled the bag with hot air," the tool shop owner went on, "it would rise off the ground, allowing you to travel south in a basket you hang beneath the bag more quickly than walking. Some kind of air boat, in the end."
"That's right. What do you think?"
He considered. "I suppose a very hot rock could be made with magic. Yes, a big 'ol rock that just got as hot as it could."
"A design with vents all around the bottom could draw cold air unto the stove unit," the blacksmith mused, stroking his beard. "Then just a pipe stuck into the hole so the hot air didn't escape. Kept clear it would stay cool enough I reckon."
"But the cloth required!" protested the seamstress. "I don't think you could sew together all the clothes of all the people in town to get a big enough bag!"
"Cloth can be made though," Alita pointed out. "I mean someone makes it. Just make more of it."
"Sure, but why would we do that?" the basket maker asked. "You really think this crazy thing is going to work?"
"You would do it because we would pay you to do it," she told her acidly. "And leave it working, or not, to us."
"Well why didn't you say so?" she asked, brightening considerably. "If you're paying I'll make you whatever size basket you want!"
"That's more like it," she replied with a wink to me.
Guess I'm footing the bill for all this. Wait, what does that even mean? What do feet have to do with bills? Ducks have bills, does that relate in some way?
"We'll have to work fairly closely together," the seamstress decided. "Work out some kind plan so it all works together. We'll need rope, lots of it, to tie the basket together. Thread, cloth, glue maybe? To be big enough to hold..."
"Four people," Clarissa told her.
"That's a big basket," the basket maker told her. "Going to take some time."
"Making that much fabric and sewing it together will be weeks," the seamstress warned us.
"So will making this magical rock," the tool shop owner told us. "It won't be cheap either."
"Gold we can get," I told them. "Just keep track of it and we'll see you are all paid. Time isn't a factor, at least for now. Work together and do it right, we may only get one shot at this." Huh, seems I've said that before about something else.
"Because you don't want to crash and die?" the blacksmith asked.
"Exactly," I told him. But the real reason is that the Dragonlord is a winged dragon. He sees this thing floating around and may just decide to pay us all a little visit.
The townsfolk adjured to the town hall, a big enough space to start laying out plans for the floating basket. After I emptied my coin purse for them, of course, as did the other maids. That at least showed we were serious about the project and we promised them as much gold as they asked for later.
After all, if it really is going to take weeks I'll have plenty of time to raise my 'level' and earn gold.
"There's still a problem," Rose quietly spoke up. "How do we make it go where we want?"
"Leave that part to me," I told them. "Come on, I think I have an answer to that problem."
We headed into the forest where Kethrinax was, and she greeted us.
"You're up early," she told us. "Want to get an early start on practicing?"
"Actually," I said, "I wanted to run something by you. You're pretty strong, right?"
"I should say so. Why?"
"And you scaled those mountains pretty well, and swam really well, you can basically go anywhere right?"
"Yes..." she answered suspiciously. "I suppose so."
"How would you feel about helping us out with a little project? Heck, I suppose we could pay you too, if they leave us any coin."
"You have my attention."
I laughed. "I thought that might help capture your interest. What I want you to do is this..." I explained the whole floating basket plan, and came to the part she could play. "We hook you up to a harness. Then you just drag us along behind you, in a straight line south to where we think the token is."
"You really have a high estimation of my strength," she exclaimed. "I don't think any one dragon could do that!"
"Oh." I was disappointed. Is this going to work at all then? Will we have to come up with some sort of sail?
"What about some of your kin?" Rose asked. "Working together you could do it, right?"
"Maybe with two more," she decided. "But finding two dragons willing to go against the Dragonlord is going to be tricky."
"So don't tell them. They don't need to know why we're going there. We're just hiring them for the first floating basket test. We'll have to be careful how we talk when they're around but they don't need to know I plan to kill the Dragonlord. The one doesn't even have anything to do with the other, if you think about it. And who doesn't wish they could kill the Dragonlord? You said even dragons aren't exactly friends with him, so if we say we plan to do it, that's still a far cry from being able to. They would all just laugh at us, just like you did."
"I suppose if you wanted to see just how far it could be pulled," she mused, staring off into space. "How much gold are we talking about here?"
"I don't know what the townspeople will charge us," I admitted. "Or how long it will take to take so I know how much I'll have in that time. Basically I'm just going to spend my time until it's ready fighting monsters and raising money which will probably take the next several weeks. Hopefully that should cover any expenses." Even outrageous ones.
"The maids will be with you," Alita told me. "Since we've told them about raising 'levels' the other maids have been itching to try it out too. They want magic of their own, and I can't blame them. We'll all pool the gold we get, it should be plenty even if they're unreasonable about it."
"But your duties in the castle!" I protested. "The king!"
"Screw the king," Rose blurted. "This is more important!"
The other two stared at her, and she blushed deeply and looked like she wanted to hide somewhere.
"Wow, Rose, that was… Wow. You said it," Alita told her, looking at her in awe. "Screw the king is right. He can pick up his own dirty laundry from now on. Doesn't he know there's a war on? We'll head back, tell the maids to drop everything, armor up, and get out here. We'll make way more as monster hunters than we did as maids in any case, even holding back some gold every day as a 'salary' to make up for our not working at the castle anymore. We'll need rooms in town but we'll manage."
"Won't you get in trouble with the king?" I asked. And how is this going to be pinned on me? Will I be welcome if I was the reason all the maids left? I suppose he wouldn't be able to prove that, and they made their own decisions. I didn't force them into doing anything.
"What's he going to do, send his guards after us?" Clarissa said with a laugh. "We outnumber them two to one at this point. And by the time he realizes what's happened we'll be several 'levels' above them. They won't be able to intimidate us into coming back or punishing us."
"We're at will employees anyway," Rose told me. "The king can fire us, or we can leave at any time, for any reason. It's not so great usually, because that threat of losing our jobs is always hanging over us. Yet another wonderful rule by our wise and loyal ruler. He probably thought we could never find anything else and so wouldn't do anything to risk our position. Going to work against him this time though. I mean, the decent thing to do on our end would be to give a few weeks notice so new maids could be brought in. But this is more important," she reiterated. "And being a maid doesn't require all that much special training. You just do what needs to be done inside the castle. He'll find more. We need the gold for the floating basket and there's only one way to get it now. He's not going to finance the effort, if the castle's coffers even contain anything at this point. There have been rumors of 'hard times to come' which we all took to mean 'we're not getting paid pretty soon because of gold shortages.' Believe me, this works out well for everyone."
"Rose is right," Clarissa told us. "The people in the castle like having maids around to do stuff, but they don't need them. Not when we could be doing so much more. Besides, maybe he'll be relieved to a certain extent he doesn't have to pay us anymore."
"And let him live without us for a time," Alita put in. "Maybe he'll realize how valuable we are and the next maids can be paid more as he sees exactly what doesn't get done with us gone. He'll realize he needs to pay us a good wage or we'll just find something else that does."
Would he? I thought. I don't know that it works like that. "But we only need the basket to get the token. I mean it's too late now, we told them to start working on it, but the token just gets me the armor. To involve the whole town in something that just benefits me-"
Clarissa shook her head. "No, you're wrong about that."
"Wha?"
"Don't you see? To make this all work the townspeople will need to all work together. They'll have a common goal for once, and something exciting and new to occupy them. Oh, sure, most won't believe it'll ever leave the ground but in the back of their minds they're going to be thinking 'but what if it does?' This isn't about you, or the token. It's about them. Getting them excited about something again. They've been without hope for so long, worried about the Dragonlord and what he might do next, they've just given up. Seeing this basket actually float into the sky? Knowing they all had a hand in making that happen? Their spirits will be lifted just as much as the basket will be."
"And what if we did find the token using the basket?" Alita asked. "Imaging floating back over the town, and holding it up for all to see. They'll know the prophecy is finally coming to pass. That you are the hero that will defeat the Dragonlord. And again, they all had a hand in making it come to pass. Won't they start to wonder, hey, what else could we accomplish if we worked together?"
If they do, it'll be the most dangerous thought ever in history, unless I miss my guess. "They might," I admitted.
"So let them have this. A big, beautiful symbol of their unity and cooperation."
That will hopefully not be so big as to attract the wrong kind of attention and go down in flames at the claws of the Dragonlord. "Can you find some?" I asked, turning back to Kethrinax. "Given a few weeks?"
"I know some likely places," she admitted. "We dragons spend a lot of time just guarding our hoards, maybe that's why things have gotten as bad as they have. If we had been more active, maybe the Dragonlord wouldn't have arisen as he did. Still, the only thing I can do now is my part. I'll go look. Check back here once a day or so in two weeks, and I'll see who I've come up with."
"Thank you."
"He's our problem too," she admitted. "Go on, you've got gold to recover. I'll have to promise them a lot, so get to it."
"Good luck."
So much for an interview, I kept forgetting the tool shop owner wanted one, and now she's leaving. But hey, now I can offer him an interview with several dragons not just one. That will make up for it, right?
The next few weeks passed quickly. The maids, at least the younger ones that could fight, all left the castle that very day. Working in groups of four to make sure they didn't get into any trouble they couldn't handle they slowly worked their way outwards just as I had. The gold they earned got them better equipment though most went into the general fund to raise the basket. When they got magic and felt they could handle it they broke into groups of just two, doubling their potential earnings. As before I was slightly worried monsters would get smart and start staying away but every morning there were just as many of them as there had been the day before. I was staying in town, not having returned to the castle since the maid exodus, which had nothing to do with me not wanting to run into the princess and everything to do with just being too busy. That's what I told myself, anyway. I didn't know what kind of reception I would get, if I would still be welcome, given the king must by now know what happened to all his maids. They were all "working" for me now, or at least in service to the world directly as I wasn't exactly paying them. They were earning their gold the hard way. Clarissa for one was happier than she had ever been, mostly because she didn't have to wear cat ears anymore.
For my part I headed between the nearest towns carrying supplies and raising my own 'levels.' I learned several new spells including one that would return me to the place I had left from, so I didn't have to buy Wyvern's wings and could more quickly go to get needed supplies for the floating basket and return with them. At that point I knew seven spells, and within the week knew an eighth, the worthless spell of Repel. It would keep monsters away, guess how, so not only did I hate using it for that reason but I wanted monsters to attack me. So that one I hardly ever used.
After thee weeks I found Kethrinax had returned, with two dragons in tow. Both were male, though I couldn't tell just by looking at them despite them being bigger. They could just be older, after all. She introduced them as Tompkoner, the red dragon, and Fredelistorn the blue.
"Greetings," I told them respectfully. "Thank you both for coming. This could be an exciting time for both our kinds, if this project works out."
"Or it could be a terrific disaster," Tompkoner pointed out. "You're serious about this floating basket idea?"
"We are," I assured them. "Construction is going well and the principal is sound." The townspeople did some tests with a scale model, not wanting to waste a lot of resources on this despite our promise of payment. Putting a candle inside a lightweight frame of paper eventually made it rise into the air, so we're all hopeful it will work at a larger scale as well.
"Disaster would be good for a laugh," Fredelistorn agreed. "And this isn't some kind of trick?"
"Would I trick you?" Kethrinax asked, a bit exasperated.
And would she admit it straight out if it was?
"To get my treasure? Yeah, maybe."
"I don't even know where it is," she told him. "If you died, it would remain undisturbed forever."
Hey, when this is over, maybe have the tool shop owner research a spell to find treasure hoards of dragons that have been dead a long time. There must be some, right? Enough to make the effort of discovering such a spell, if that's even how it works, feasible. Actually how does that work? How do people that don't absorb magical creature's life force like we do come up with new spells? Have to ask him about that.
"It better," he growled.
"That aside," Tompkoner said, looking at me. "How much are we getting paid for this, anyway? Kethrinax here was quite vague."
"I suppose whatever you think is fair?" I offered hesitantly. "We're paying a lot for the supplies to make the thing, but we've been keeping some back for you three." I untied my pouch and dumped it out, no longer surprised it seemed to contain far more gold than it should have. It made a small pile there in the grass, and all three dragons looked about ready to ponce on it, or me, or the others in an attempt to secure it for themselves. "We'll have more, the basket will take at least another two weeks, and we're all strong enough to range fairly far from the castle. Stronger monsters require more gold, so that helps. We'll also provide for your meals while we're here, I talked it over with the farmers in the area. I didn't know when you would be back but now that I know you're here I'll have some cows brought."
"Ummmmmm, cow," all three went.
I cleared my throat. "Yes, I agree. Is that satisfactory? Also keeping in mind if this does all work, as I hope, many people may express an interest in such a mode of travel. You'll be in a good position to start your own service doing this and charge what you want. At least for a while, until other dragons see they can make money doing the same and undercut your cost, forcing prices down."
"Reasonable. I assume we're talking about a pile that big for each of us?" Tompkoner clarified.
"It may take some time, so that's possible. We are going as far as we can to the south, so I do what you to feel your time is being compensated fairly."
"Then I'm agreed."
"As am I," Fredelistorn agreed.
"You know I am," Kethrinax said in a resigned tone. "Glad that's settled. Make yourselves at home, boys, we'll be here until they call for us."
"Townspeople won't get nervous we're here, will they?" Fredelistorn asked. "I don't want there to be any misunderstandings."
"They've been told you're here," I assured them. "They're fine with it." Sort of. I mean it's not like they could do anything about it. But I told them dragons would be helping, and they agreed no other creature could do what we need. Mainly drag the basket where it needs to go. A hundred flying creatures was suggested, but how would we get them all to fly in the same direction? Only dragons are smart enough and strong enough to do this. So they at least won't try and attack them, or panic if one happens to get near the town.
"Good enough for me."
And so the next two weeks passed as well, and the floating basket came together. Of course it was just laying there at the moment, and we were trying to figure out how to start filling it. The townspeople had created a sort of arrow shape, and put sails on it to help the dragons out, so it wasn't just a bubble. The basket was elongated as well, and would almost comfortably fit the four of us, the stove, and some supplies. Almost. It was going to be a tight fit, but somehow I didn't mind. The townsfolk were nervously glancing at the dragons, who were there in their harnesses, waiting for the bag to be inflated so they could get into position. (Impatiently waiting, they said the smell was terrible but as long as were on our way soon they could stand it) The basket had been made with solid attachment points they hoped would hold up, but we would have to take it slow at the beginning to make sure. Knotted into them were the ropes that would dangle down and attach to the dragons, who would walk side by side and pull us along. To say I was nervous was a bit of an understatement, as so many things could go wrong.
At least the magical heat source worked out. Others have been expressing interest in such a thing to heat their homes in the winter. One wonders why they haven't already made such a thing. One hot rock, even an expensive one, would be cheaper than all the wood they must burn in a year to keep their houses warm. And in warmer months they could use it in their stoves for cooking, or to heat bath water, or iron clothes, any number of uses. I think they'll be a popular item this town exports fairly soon.
"Why not just hold it open?" Fredelistorn suggested. "We are fire breathing dragons, after all."
"Agreed," Tompkoner said. "Held open wide enough it shouldn't be singed, and it should start filling up with hot air if we all shoot some fire into it."
"You won't roast any of us holding it?" asked one person in the crowd.
"Excuse me!" Fredelistorn exclaimed, sounding hurt. "I am a dragon. Flame precision is a point of pride for us. Why once I cooked an apple right on the tree, and the leaves nearby it weren't even singed."
"I once cooked an egg, right under a chicken who didn't even notice," Tompkoner bragged.
"That's nothing," Kethrinax chimed in. "I once threw an egg into the air, flamed it in mid-flight, and when it landed in my mouth it was cooked to perfection."
"Once, I came upon a man who was fishing," Fredelistorn told us. "He was chewing a bit of grass, and I blew a stream of fire so fine it caught just the tip of the grass on fire. He had a big nose too, wasn't even singed."
"Please," Fredelistorn yawned. "Once I found a young man with long hair laying on a tree branch. When the wind blew the hair I set a single strand on fire. He didn't even notice until his entire head went up. It was hilarious, watching him dive into the water below to put it out. He looked ridiculous climbing out soaking wet, his hair all burned up unevenly."
"That's all well and good," Kethrinax started. "But one time-"
"If we could return to the subject at hand?" I cried, figuring this might go on the rest of the day if I didn't say something. "Filling the bag with hot hair- I mean hot air?"
"Oh, right," she replied, a bit sheepishly. "It's fine, hold it open."
So those of us with high 'levels' (figuring if they did miss, we would be the ones to best survive) held the bag open, and the dragons got into position. These working on it said they had coated the inside with various things that would hopefully keep the air in better and I hoped they were not too flammable. The dragons shot their fire into the opening, again and again, and the bag began to expand and lift. At a certain point the piping from the stove like contraption was put into place, and more hot air was captured by the bag. It got bigger and bigger, and to the amazement of most the dragons had to be quickly harnessed as the basket lifted off the ground.
It's going to work. Loto would would proud. We're on our way!