Chapter 6: The Early Years – Chapter 5

When people think of working metal, they probably think of blacksmiths. It is similar to how glasswork, is often confused with glass blowing. They forget the best features of both materials when they are hot, is that they are liquid.

 

A child wearing a heavy robe that covered all their features stoop by an A-frame holding a thick vine-like rope. The rope went over the A-frame and wrapped around a pulley. The vine was attached to a large accordion with thick heavy clay plates on top and bottom. The other end of the vine was attached to a counterweight. Pulling down on the vine caused the accordion to raise, and letting it go caused it to fall.

 

Every time the child let go, large amounts of air were pumped into the furnace. A second child was standing in front of the kiln and signaled the first kid to stop. The second kid then began maneuvering the front of the smelter. Removing the front of what looked like a large plug, an opening had appeared. The plug was set down, then a pair of tongs were pulled out. Looking at the lines of material on the sides, it was easy to tell the tongs were cast.

 

Using the tongs skillfully, a crucible was extracted from the furnace filled with liquid metal. The child walked over carrying the large crucible carefully. The crucible was brought to a clay pillar with a hole in the top. The liquid metal was poured into the opening until it began to rise from the opening. The excess was poured into a small bucket to avoid it sticking to the crucible. The kid operating the bellows removed the hood, revealing Rex's face, as he watched Kira work carefully.

 

“Well done Kira, that's another successful pour. Let's let it cool, and then we can crack it open.” Rex said to the little girl, who was removing her hood with a smile on her face.

 

If the smelter wasn't used for steel, it was used for glass. The heats required are similar, which is useful. A second square kiln was made operated by a bellows. It was used to cook coal and coke it, this is a process to remove the Contaminants, so it will burn much cleaner. The kiln is then used to heat treat the finished steel products.

 

Heat treating sets the grains of the metal. By adjusting the temperatures, and how it cools, you can adjust the hardness by controlling how the bonds are set.

 

The reason Rex was stuck to operating the bellows was simple.

 

“Why is she so much stronger than me?” Rex had asked this many times.

 

She was only slightly taller, but she could easily lift her body weight. The adult succubi were even more impressive. This had made him feel like he was living with the amazons.

 

“Hey! Hey, can I break it now?” Kira was holding a sledgehammer they had made, her eyes were glowing in excitement.

 

The first time she was told to shatter one of her creations, she had cried through the entire process. Then seeing the dull clay explode, and reveal sharp steel inside, seemed to ignite something in her.

 

This memory crossed his mind, as the little girl swung the hammer straight down onto the mold. The mold shattered and revealed what was inside it. A zigzagging sprue ran down the center, and many spearheads connected to it. He had designed it for 20, but 4 failed to cast. These would be discarded and remelted down.

 

This whole process had been like magic for the succubi who did not know how tools were created. Any future blacksmiths they meet will be appalled.

 

Heat treating was a much harder process, he also had to leave it to Kira. Succubus eyes seem to be different from human eyes entirely. Rex didn't know what color spectrum she can see, but she can see the changes in the color of metal, much better than he could. The fact that she flew meant her eyes had to be better developed than a human eye. After the first few days, she was able to figure it out quickly, once he described what she was looking for. Now 6 days later she was nearly a pro.

 

As long as it was something new, or made something she found pretty. Then convincing her was almost laughable, the issue was the little girl's interests. Walking into the hut they shared, he looked around. The walls were covered in hanging weapons, except the corner he slept in. On the floor were various colorful pottery, and monster statuettes. Little glass beads and marbles were dotted around. Glass cups, bowls, and plates were new additions.

 

Rex was still forced to eat with his hands, but he felt like only half a savage, now that he had a plate. It was so much different when he didn't have a choice about how he ate. He had to revolt, the succubus bread was making him sick. Looking at his wasted, and emaciated frame. he sighed in relief.

 

“I look so much better now!” He smiled at himself happily.

 

In exchange for his slightly fuller build, the succubi had decided they liked what Kira did with her room. Being surrounded by charmed enemies, with myriad weapons in easy reach, this is what every hot-blooded young succubus should strive for! The more shocking thing was, that they all agreed with this sentiment. Now he got small game, fruits, and berries. If they are really happy with him, he might even get a vegetable.

 

The succubi hate walking, so why would they dig in the dirt?

 

He rolled up his burlap sleeves excitedly, a myriad of wounds in a grid, was shown on both forearms.

 

“There's an entire 7 this time, that might not be poisonous!” He was incredibly excited about this.

 

The succubi couldn't eat, so how would they have any idea of what they picked was edible or not? Sometimes their rewards were, probably, enough to kill him 10 times over. He had begun composting the waste materials. Sometimes these tests caused him to break out in rashes or hives,

 

I need to make fertilizer, and start growing my own food...

 

It's tiring to be sick all the time. He wasn't going to take any risks and tested everything. He couldn't trust it would be from the same plant, unless it was physically connected.

 

“If I can't escape, I can only farm. I can't rely on them for my food anymore. I might die if this continues.” He smiled sadly to himself.

 

Kira was the youngest, so she was closest to the edge of the settlement. Distance is meaningless with flight, for them at least. A waist-deep hole sat in the corner, the rocky ground was softest there after all. His dream was to tunnel into the mines below and be able to come and go as he pleased.

 

Rex walked into the little house, oddly the succubi would not let him move into another domicile. They could remember every kid that grew up here, it made the impression of the city, more like a cemetery. Succubi have to be solitary, it's how they survive. Just like vampires, they tend to infiltrate enemy lines. They will live among enemies most of their lives. He speculated it's why they tended to have such a weird aesthetic sense.

 

He walked over to a burlap backpack he had sewn. Who knew how many prisoners died, to contribute the cloth for this backpack, Rex had gone numb to it. It was only actually 12 a month, over 200 years. This was the agreement for the succubi to live in the mine, and they were honest idiots. As they had long lives and very low self needs, they were very lazy. It was just like cats if they were fed with nothing to do. They were perfectly happy just napping in the sun forever.

 

“It's so strange, they are never here now. It's like they only come back to sleep, and check on Kira.” Rex said to himself. “It's less checking on Kira, and more checking if she has eaten me yet. And if she hasn't, requesting more things.”

 

The freshly forged spearheads would be turned into javelins that the “mama's” used for hunting. They couldn't use bows in flight, as all the shoulder movements affected their flight. They even tended to favor a strange sideways throwing technique, as it turned them away from what they were attacking after they threw their spears, allowing them to fly away.

 

“But they become truly deadly when coated in poison, concocted from the food they collect for me.” Rex had to admire his handiwork, he hated wasting anything. His job had thoroughly instilled this principle.

 

The prisoners were truly reliant on the succubi for food, as they couldn't trade with their captors. 80%, or more, of the abundant fruit, and vegetables, found here. Were all poisonous. Even though the succubi couldn't sustain the numbers to truly rule this place, the prisoners couldn't do without them. It is what kept this very delicate balance, on the island.

 

“Where have all the adult succubi gone? I was supposed to get my bath today?” Rex mumbled as he saw the sun had risen.

 

-

 

On an island, a day's flight from Carlog island was another small island. This was an island of death, where nothing grew. Steam was issued from cracks in the ground, and pools of azure fluid formed dots all over the island. Rex would instantly recognize it as sulfuric acid. The ground was porous, and the smell of rotten eggs permeated most of the island.

 

Adult succubi were truly predatory creatures. They no longer even needed air to survive, they lived entirely on life force. Inside a cave, a brave, and adventurous, succubi explorer had discovered a large naturally forming hot springs. She had brought this information back to her sister's, for any succubus in between Carlog island, and the mainland.

 

The succubi mama's had been here the last 4 days on a vacation. They were sprawled out in various states in the water. They had some trips back, and forth over the last couple of days. They would grab some food on the way for their pet, and to get him to make more decorations. They were surrounded by weapons, all oiled to protect against the water. He had pressed it from the seeds, using a heavy stone. They had higher heat resistance than humans and were all thoroughly enjoying the near-boiling water.

 

“This has been a truly wonderful experience, why didn't we get Kira a pet sooner?” One of the long-haired succubi said.

 

“They should both come of age at about the same time too, this will be good for Kira. She can realize why succubi must be alone. What species would be happy with a woman he could not sleep with, but must know others enjoy? She must know he is afraid of her, but she seems to think it is because succubi are so much stronger than, whatever he is.” One of the succubi was laying down with only her face exposed.

 

“A big sister, as it's called.” The exchange succubi replied.

 

She was off to the side on a rock, reading a scroll that was left by another succubus. This was how they passed information to each other since they couldn't leave their posts for long periods.

 

The mama's only really checked it every few months.

 

“Then she will realize they can't be together, and drop her hobbies to go be a real succubus.” Another long-haired succubus answered the one that was currently only a face above water.

 

“Oh, right, We need to go fishing, and then he wanted to go back to the toilet tree. The place where we found him.” One of the succubi said. “We will need to leave soon to make it back on time.”

 

“The beastmen are preparing to attack the port city of Drawnell. The prisoners might be delayed this time. We might see another 10-year war again.” The exchange succubi said.

 

“So you are saying we should thoroughly enjoy these hot springs while we have time?” The floating succubus asked.

 

“Indeed, get ready to thoroughly relax ladies!” The exchange succubus said.

 

-

 

“AAAHHH!” BANG!

 

Rex yelled as he was dropped to the ground by the succubi. They quickly flew up into the air, leaving to go fishing.

 

“Bye! I'll come to get you when we're done!” Kira yelled happily to them.

 

Rex laid on the ground, while he collected himself for a few seconds. Standing up, and beginning to untie the vines.

 

“I couldn't convince any of them to come into the tree. Some of them even slapped me with their tails...” Rex had several spade-shaped bruises on his face.

 

They got so angry when he asked, and their boneless tails can generate a lot of force. It hurt worse than getting whipped.

 

“They said you pooped all over it, don't worry though. I made sure to tell them you only pooped around it!” Kira said consolingly.

 

How long has she been watching me!

 

Rex was too shocked to say anything, instead just shaking his head, and headed to the tree.

 

His pottery area already had new growth, the unfinished kiln had collapsed. He walked over to the tree and crawled through the hole.

 

Ah, it was so good to be free!

 

He got down into the cave feeling, a sense of nostalgia overtook him. The time he spent here, had been too short for him. This is how he felt every time he visited one of the places he worked at previously. He had worked at giant manufacturing plants, producing thousands of parts a day. And now he had been reduced to tears, by memories of living in a cave.

 

The little girl walked up behind him slowly and patted his head.

 

“Do you not feel at home unless you spread your poop around? As long as you bury it, you can spread it outside my house, I won't tell the mama's!” Kira was trying to console him.

 

Rex just stared at the little girl with a deadpan face. All he felt was disappointment and pity. She had sincerely tried to understand a being different than her, but that did not excuse the conclusion she got. He felt like the middle-aged father, shopping for clothes for his daughter, and got a nasty look from a cashier.

 

What the f&^% is wrong with you!

 

Sighing softly as his emotions were completely blown away by her, he walked towards the hole he had carved in the wall.

 

The little girl followed, carrying the tools in a bag. As she was stronger, this was only proper, he could barely carry it after all. They had brought steel pick, axes, a sledgehammer, a hammer, a set of wedges, a crowbar, and some lock picks. It was quite a bit of stuff, but Kira carried it easily with her little limbs.

 

Rex looked at her little arms and legs. They were long and slender.

 

Perfect for trapping their prey, and squeezing the life out of them. I wonder if boa constrictors also eat their mates?

 

Kira looked back at him confused, then put on a proud look. She began raising, and lowing, the bag over her head.

 

Rex just smiled at her before looking at the hole. He could see the metal door, it wasn't rusted, and seemed to have a finishing coat. He wasn't strong enough to budge it. It felt like something was stuck behind it, and he just didn't have the strength to move it.

 

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Crawling out of the hole, and looking at the little girl, he said.

 

“Crawl into this hole, and push against the door. I will grab your ankles, and if anything happens, I'll pull you out.” Rex was ashamed to push her into the fire, but she was the stronger one.

 

“Okay!” She must have thought this was a game.

 

She hopped headfirst into the hole and began shimmying forward. Rex moved forward and grabbed her ankles, but quickly ran into a problem.

 

Her tail keeps poking me in the face...

 

She was pushing, and pulling, on the door. Her tail was retracting and extending, out of the tunnel with her movements. It felt like he was constantly getting pushed hard. Succubi didn't have much feeling in their tail, and he doubted she realized she was doing it.

 

“I almost got it open.” She shimmied forward before pushing hard, she heard a dull thump behind her.

 

“Dammit, my eye!” She heard Rex curse out, and turned back confused.

 

“Are you okay?” She asked confused.

 

“Oh a rock just fell, it's nothing. Is it open?” He asked, she could hear him rubbing his face.

 

“Yeah, it is, I'm gonna go in now!” She said.

 

Rex released her as she started crawling forward. After that he slid the bag through to her, she pulled it through and set it down.

 

Rex crawled through, but he found this room in a similar state to the Mausoleum room. It looked like a workshop with various stations. Everything was destroyed with age, nothing seemed to have survived. Roots and pieces of the ceiling had fallen, some of the equipment was destroyed completely. It wasn't even worth salvaging, water had also leaked in.

 

This had confirmed Rex's guess though. A resource-rich island without a proper dock, and a man who seemed obsessed with never losing control. He lived alone on this island, or with very few trusted attendants. He was very well off, probably a researcher of some ancient kingdom.

 

His research caused him to want to lock himself away, he never wanted it to see the light of day. He also could not bear to see it destroyed, so he buried it away.

 

“We need to go open that other room, this room doesn't matter to us!” Rex said excitedly. “Why care about the egg, when the chicken is right over there!”

 

Rex began crawling eagerly through the hole, turning back to get the tools from Kira. He immediately opened the bag and began pulling tools out.

 

-

 

The two eager children had worked for an hour and excavated a door. They had to because this one possessed a lock. A plug had been placed over the lock to keep concrete from getting in. Rex had already removed the plug and was using a pick to feel inside the mechanism. His eyes were closed and his ear was pressed to the door.

 

“The tumblers are on the bottom, then it turns clockwise. It's a single-stage tumbler, with a spring.” Rex took out a tension tool, it looked like a bent flat-headed screwdriver. “On modern locks, the tumblers are on top, because when the spring fails the tumbler will fall naturally into position.”

 

He opened the lock in less than 3 seconds after he used the tension tool. 3 of the 4 tumblers, the springs had failed with age. He only had to push down the final tumbler, and then turn it unlocked.

 

“Are you sure you're not a prisoner?” Kira was looking at him with some suspicion.

 

“I briefly worked for a company that sold locks.” He said this without shame.”We were expected to know our product well enough to open it without a key. Simple locks, can only really be achieved in so many ways.”

 

With the lock open, the door still wouldn't move. The hinges had rusted shut, this door opened out and had exposed hinges.

 

Reaching into the burlap bag, he pulled out a punching wedge. The hinge was just standard, with two leaves, and a pin holding it together. He placed his punch over the pin and signaled for the little girl holding the hammer.

 

“Kira, I need you to hit this.” Kira looked at him nodded and walked forward.

 

She hesitantly raised her hammer, and missed the wedge, striking his arm.

 

Rex yelled loudly, nothing had broken, but that had hurt him.

 

“Why did you do that?” Rex asked angrily.

 

“It's dark, we didn't bring a torch. I can't see too well” Kira replied in apology.

 

Rex looked at her dumbfounded, then his expression warped as hatefully as possible. This would be the only chance he could express his dissatisfaction, to his tiny captor.

 

“Let's go get a torch, shall we?” He rubbed his sore arm, as he walked towards the exit.

 

-

 

They had taken the hinges apart and pried open the door with the crowbar. They were in a fairly small room, Several bookcases, and a door were all that remained. Rex walked over to the floor, a safe was set into the concrete. You could walk across the room in 4 steps, it was very simple and basic.

 

Various books and scrolls were kept in here, but age had deteriorated them too far to read. The ceiling was intact in this small room. This small room had confirmed his guess, the furniture was different sized. He assumed the original owner had been very slender.

 

The desk was empty and had been cleaned out. The safe looked like it had been sealed with some kind of solder. He used the ax head to clean it out, then began picking the lock. The springs in this one were still intact.

 

He used the tension tool to apply pressure, then proceeded to push the tumblers around, and finally got them stuck in position. It took less than a minute, to open the lock.

 

He pulled open the safe but found it full of white powder. He used the ax head and observed it closely. He gave it a sniff, then a lick, before spitting it out.

 

“It's salt.” He said.

 

He began digging in the salt, almost elbow deep he found something buried. He lifted and pulled, exhuming an oilskin-wrapped package. It had also been waxed, he began opening it carefully.

 

Inside he found several books, these had been what he was looking for.

 

He set them on the desk, pulled out one, and opened it up.

 

When reading a book in a different language, his ability acted like a translation tool. Most punctuation was removed, and the grammar was skewed.

 

“So they made those bars...”Rex mumbled to himself.

 

The more he read, the happier he became. He realized even in this world, his ideals were no longer alone.

 

The man who moved here had been a prominent, and famous enchanter. He had been researching the very transformations of mana itself when he was approached for a job. He was made to build a weapon that could kill people by extinguishing the source of life. He had been told it would be used against the skaarm, and he would be a hero. He made the weapon, but they used it indiscriminately.

 

The man lost the ability to sleep at night. He had died, but his research was in Rex's hands now. The man could not tolerate seeing his research destroyed, then chose to die in the place his lab was hidden.

 

“Another Oppenheimer, huh?” Rex said to himself.

 

“Are you done yet? I am getting bored!” Kira was standing holding a torch as he read.

 

“Yeah, let's go back to the other room, I want to take a more detailed look.” He said placing the book carefully in the oilskin.

 

They made their way into the first room, crawling through the hole. This time they didn't need tools, so they left them.

 

The room was in just as bad a state as Rex had thought, everything was moldy, or rusty. Rex was carefully looking for any of the tools. None of them were intact, but he planned to use them as only references. He piled them by the door and then had Kira crawl through. They piled them onto the ground for Kira to pick up later.

 

They made their way outside into fresh air, Kira was carrying the tools. She had taken out her wings and was about to take some of the tools when Rex stopped her.

 

“Take this back instead, it is very important. Treat it like your pottery, and make sure nothing happens to it.” Rex passed her the oilskin containing the books.

 

She could tell this was important, and put a serious expression on, before flying away with the books.

 

Rex watched her fly away with a serious look on his face, as he waved solemnly. All alone next to the tree, until he had a realization.

 

What have I done! I COULD HAVE ESCAPED!!!

 

Rex's expression instantly changed to panic, screaming out loudly.

 

“WAIT! COME BACK, I changed my mind... You can take the tools...” No one answered his lonely call.

 

Rex was standing alone next to the tree, tears streaming from his eyes. He looked over at the pile of vines next to him. He smiled brokenly, as he continued to cry.

 

“I should probably start tying the knots... who knows when the mamas will show up after all...” Rex said as he reached for a vine.

 

-

 

Rex stood up slowly from the ground and began untying himself. He had a resigned look on his face.

 

I am going to be stuck here until the boat arrives.

 

This is the conclusion he came to. It had been dark when Kira had returned. Rex had sat by his tree with vines tied to him for over 3 hours. Then a frantic little girl with tears in her eyes was seen, zipping over calling his name. It was clear she had been delayed and was frantically looking for him.

 

If I escaped, that little girl would turn the island over. Until she dragged me out kicking and screaming.

 

He looked over at the group of succubi being scolded by the little girl. Some of them occasionally shot him accusatory looks.

 

I have no doubt they would hunt me down like a dog...

 

He walked into the girl's home, sitting in the corner. It was too dark to read, and they didn't have candles. He was surrounded by snarling monster statuettes. Sitting in the corner he tucked his legs into his chest. He placed the books in his lap, he would sleep with them there.

 

This was his only hope, in a world where he felt like he was surrounded by monsters.

 

“I need to use this 6 months to digest all the information I can, from these books.” Rex said as he gently stroked the cover of the book. “You may not know it, but in the world I come from, you'd definitely be someone great. You saw connections, where no one previously did. I wonder if it would be appropriate, to call you an Einstein.” Rex whispered to the books, the only thing left of a great man.

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