Chapter 54: 54: Golden Messenger

"What did you find out?" Danika asked the tiny enchanter curiously.

"This apple was grown on a tree that was grafted onto the roots of a pussy willow." The little white mouse pointed to an apple seed that it had removed. It had a covering of gray fuzz that Danika would have called mold, but it was curiously uniform and did make the seed resemble a catkin. "It's quite incredible that its taint had any effect on you, the chance is miniscule," the little white mouse explained.

Shrubbery commented with sudden interest, "It takes a lot of skill and specialized magic to combine different plants. A few of the people in my guild have been trying to produce mixed berry bushes."

Danika was more distracted by the sudden image her imagination provided, of a pussy willow that had actual cats on it instead of catkins. She closed her eyes and shook her head hard enough that her ears made little flapping noises. She opened her eyes again, looked at the tiny enchanter and asked, "How long do you think it will last?"

The little white mouse stroked his chin thoughtfully and speculated, "Perhaps a day per year old the pussy willow was? It's hard to say."

Danika asked, "Any idea how old that kind of tree can get?"

Shrubbery spoke up, "I think most willows only live to be about 75 years old, but they can be grown from a small cutting, so I don't know if that would count as the same tree? I'm sorry ZipZing, I need to hop off for awhile, I'll return as soon as I can."

"Ok, thanks," Danika replied quickly.

As soon as Shrubbery vanished, Danika suddenly became very aware of all of the little white mice watching her again. She stiffened her spine and asked with false casualness, "What ingredients are needed to create a cheese making stone? How long do you all intend to stay here?"

The mice erupted into argumentative discussions again. The little enchanter replied calmly, "We don't know. Many of our enchanters have different theories, so far none of them have produced a successful variation. We came here because we heard that the enchanter who keeps the shop here specialized in enchanted infinity stones."

The fatter mouse who'd first spoken overheard this and spoke up with indignation, "But that second rate enchanter buys most of the stones he sells!" He pointed to the jars that lined the top shelves of the shelf lined walls of the room. Each one held a different color of softly glowing gemstones.

The little enchanter waved his paw dismissively and said calmly, "They are all charged stones anyway, not true infinity stones."

"Why do you need an infinity stone that doesn't produce cheese? Is it a component?" Danika asked.

The little mouse shook his head and explained patiently, with glances toward some of the other mice, "It's much easier to build an enchantment than to modify one. The written formulas we've acquired have all been flawed though. We need a working example of an infinity stone. Some of the charged stones here that we have examined hold an impressive number of charges, the people who buy them may never discover that they weren't true infinity stones, but they are useless for our purpose."

"If I got an infinity stone for you to examine, would you all agree to leave this place and live somewhere else?" Danika questioned.

One of the other white mice shouted at her, "We don't live here stupid cat! We have our lab!" Other mice immediately joined in, and yet other mice argued things like, "It's not really a cat," and "We've been living here for a week though?"

The fatter mouse came and stood beside the little enchanter. They exchanged a long look and then the fatter mouse nodded and the enchanter told her, "If you could provide a true infinity stone, we would happily agree to avoid this place in the future."

Danika looked at the arguing crowd of mice doubtfully and asked, "Can you really all agree on anything?"

"Probably not," the fatter mouse admitted laughingly.

"But we could create an enchanted contract that would enforce the agreement," the enchanter proposed sensibly.

The fatter mouse nodded.

Danika looked around and said decisively, "Then work on preparing the contract, and when my companion returns I will show you what I believe to be an infinity stone. If it turns out to be a charged stone like these, we'll do our best to acquire a real one for you as soon as possible."

Danika was afraid to pull out the squirrel's aqua stone and show it to the little enchanter right now, because the mice might simply decide to take it and get rid of her. Shrubbery might or might not be an effective combatant, but at least she was much larger. She added as an afterthought, "And if you're successful in crafting an infinite cheese stone, I would be interested in buying one."

"Fair enough," the fatter mouse agreed after exchanging another look with the enchanter.

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The enchanter looked at his arguing tribe and sighed. "These mice are so troublesome, I'll build the contract while you inform everyone that they'll have to put a print to it," he told the fatter mouse.

--

When Shrubbery finally returned, Danika and the mice were arguing conversationally over what flavor of cheese ought to be used.

Shrubbery asked nervously, "How are things going? Um, it's all dark again?"

"Is it?" Danika looked at the little lamp which had gone out and apologized, "I'm sorry, it didn't occur to me to save the lamp for you."

The little enchanter spoke up, "Light for your companion is no problem." He reached into his little pouch and pulled out a glowing stone that was bigger than the pouch itself, and asked politely, "Is this enough miss Dryad?"

Shrubbery nodded and replied with uncertain surprise, "It's better, thank you?"

Danika quickly sent the message she'd prepared for Shrubbery. Her little bird gave her a criticizing look as it delivered the note. Shrubbery read the note and then fished a small pouch out of her inventory and handed it to ZipZing.

Danika tapped her storage ring at the same time that she opened the pouch, and pulled out the squirrel's aqua gem. She set the gem down in front of the little enchanter and asked, "Is this a true infinity stone? It has never run out."

The enchanter pulled out a number of tools and a large crowd of small white mice approached. Danika snatched the gem back up. The enchanter gave her an exasperated look, and then turned to the other mice and shouted, "I'll turn anyone who interferes in my examination into a cat for a whole day!"

He turned back to Danika and said firmly, "I give you my word little Dragon that the stone won't be harmed or taken from you until the contract is agreed to."

"Dragon?" "Dragon!" "The cat is a dragon?" The crowd of mice exploded into chatter again. Danika ignored them and replaced the stone. She turned and handed Shrubbery's pouch back to her too.

The little enchanter examined the stone with growing excitement. He double checked it with a variety of tools and looked at it through three different kinds of flames that he conjured. "It's a true infinite water stone!" he declared at last.

The fatter white mouse quickly bustled forward and presented the contract to Danika. "I have forced, I mean everyone has placed their print upon it. As soon as you agree to it, the contract will take effect," he declared.

Danika read the contract carefully, and then waited while Shrubbery read it. The mice had added the clause that she had requested that said if they were successful in crafting the infinite cheese stone, they would contact her and sell one to her for the materials cost. The fatter mouse boasted, "I added the bonus!"

Danika replied politely, "It was very kind of you to offer the likeness of one of your tribe to carry messages. Please allow my party member to select the representative?"

"Certainly! Certainly!" the plump white mouse agreed.

Shrubbery whispered, "Wow! What did you do to them while I was gone? Are you sure it's ok for me to choose?"

"I'll tell you about it later," Danika replied with amusement. "Please do."

Shrubbery carefully examined the little white mice surrounding them. Some of them were trying to hide in the back, while others were bouncing up and down and shouting, "Pick me!"

After a moment Shrubbery pointed to a small mouse with larger ears than the rest. "Is that one ok?" she asked.

"Sure," Danika agreed. She held up the contract and announced, "I agree." The system popped up several notifications at once and the mice waved farewell and departed like a mist that had traveled on tiny white feet. In mere moments they had all vanished.

The top message announced: "Your party is the first to clear the White Mouse Messenger Acquisition Quest. Congratulations! A golden version of this mouse will also be available to each member of your party."

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