Chapter 7: Ch. 7

Hello there, dear readers! I'm so excited to bring to you this new chapter of The Thaumaturgist! As always, I truly do hope that you enjoy the new installment, and I hope that you will take the time to leave a review!

 

 

 

 

 

The Thaumaturgist (Chapter 7)

 

by

 

Elite Shade

 

 

 

 

 

Arono smirked as he hid on the fire escape, watching, through his binoculars, Daso's shop.

My love will know my devotion after she learns of my apprehending of the burglar, and she will throw her arms around me when she also learns of my unwavering devotion to her and her store's protection, Arono thought to himself as he watched and waited.

An hour passed, and he noticed a small figure walk up the steps to the front door, trying to open it. When the locked door didn't budge, Arono stood up slowly, still hidden from view, as the small figure darted around back through the alley. He followed the figure, while along the rooftops of the nearby buildings, and watched as they appeared to be studying the shop from the back, before they tried the back door.
"Mmph!" A light grunt escaped Soaria's muzzle as she pulled on the handle with all of her might. Just like the front, the back door refused to budge. Nevertheless, the young oshel persisted, tugging on the handle with every ounce of strength that she could pull from her small frame. Of course, the door was locked, and Soaria fell to the ground, landing on her long tail.

"Darn, " she muttered, rubbing the slight sore spot on her tail, before standing up and trying to peer through the keyhole of the knob. Arono pulled his rapier from its sheath, and lithely, as only an elf could, dropped down to the alleyway entrance, cutting off the intruder's only means of escape, and stealthily approached her from behind.

"The game is over!" Arono barked out, surprising his prey.

"Eep!" Soaria squeaked, turning around to see Arono's towering figure. Her heart pounded hard against the inside of her fluffy chest, and her breathing grew labored. With eyes as wide as the moons, she backed slowly toward the closed door with a soft whimper. "P-please," she managed, between heavy breaths.

"Plead all you want, for today, you face the blade of justice!" Arono cried out, lunging at her, only now actually taking full stock of her height, the fact that she looked like and anthropomorphic otter, as was the appearance of all oshels; and what appeared to be a school uniform that she was wearing, indicating that she was a child. In the split second after the realization that she was just a child and right before he could begin to stop his thrusting rapier, it was stopped altogether.

Arono gasped, realizing that a slender, almost dainty, hand had tightly gripped the end of the blade, between two fingers. Looking up the arm, Arono suddenly felt a chill race up his spine, as he saw the furrowed brow of Daso, before he saw her in what was to him, the absolutely most ravishing blue dress.

"Uh... m-my love! Hehehe, I was watching over your shop in your absence... apparently at a fine boutique!" He said, noting Daso's eyes narrowing even more.

"Miss Daso!" Soaria squealed, leaping to her liberator's side and wrapping her tiny, furry arms around Daso's leg in a tight hug. Sending a nervous glance in Arono's direction, the Oshel rubbed her head against Daso's side affectionately, with a wide smile on her muzzle. "I missed you so, so, so, so, so, so much, Miss Daso!"

Daso looked down and smiled, gently petting Soaria's head with her free hand.

"Aww, it's nice to see you again too, Soaria!" Daso said. Arono breathed a sigh of relief, especially when Daso's fingers released his blade, allowing him to re-sheath it, believing that the child had spared him from Daso's beautiful wrath.

"My Lady love! Today I have apprehended an attempted burglar, and then resumed my loyal vigil. It was shortly before you arrived that this young lady attempted to enter your shop, despite it being closed. I had made the slight error in thinking that she was yet another potential thief or vandal. Luckily, you of course arrived in time to prevent any serious harm befalling the child, who seems to know you quite well. I can tell that we both shall have a good laugh about this at a later time," Arono said with a bright smile, which faded when Daso looked back up, his eyes narrowing once more.

"M-My love?"

 

A little while later...

 

Soaria sat on the counter-top inside Daso's shop, gripping a delicious sandwich tightly in her paws. With each excited bite, her short legs swung back and forth in the air. Behind hear legs, her tail lightly thumped against the counter display window, in pure delight. Daso walked downstairs, carrying a crate, after changing out of the dress and into a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. He smiled at the little oshel as he walked by, restocking some of the shelves.

"How do you like that sandwich, Soaria?"

"I-It was lovely. Thank you very much," Soaria said with a grin on her muzzle, right before she gulped down the remaining third of the sandwich in a single bite. "Do you need help restocking, Miss Daso? M-Maybe I can lend a paw?"

"Aww, I doubt that you came all the way to my shop just to help me restock," Daso said, smiling reassuringly at Soaria, before he set down the crate of merchandise, and turned to the oshel.

Hopping off of the counter, she looked up at Daso with adoring eyes, and smiled. "M-Maybe can fill all of the low shelves?"

"Someone's a bit more insistent these days," Daso said with a grin, reaching down to ruffle Soaria's headfur.

Soaria playfully batted Daso's hand away and giggled a little, before reaching down into the crate and pulling up and armload of small trinkets. With a bit of direction from Daso, Soaria then began lining the mysterious items along the lower shelves.

"Miss Daso?" Soaria piped, placing an odd metallic object onto the second-lowest shelf, "Who was that man? He... he called you his love... is he your boyfriend?" Daso froze.

"That's just some idiot who thinks I'm a girl," Daso said as he picked up the last two objects and placed them on the highest shelf of this row of displays.

"But you are a girl now, Miss Daso." Soaria looked up at Daso in confusion.

Once more, Daso overlooked being called Miss by Soaria, and ruffled her headfur. "Physically... well... I guess... but I'm still the same old Daso that I was before falling into that pool! I even still have my original strength, despite my new... figure."

Daso emphasized this by casually hefting her newly forged war hammer, its crystal encrusted head glinting in the light, which was two thirds of Daso's height, from it's secret hiding place within a nearby false panel in the wall.

"Woah," Soaria fawned, her muzzle wide open in amazement as Daso replaced it, sliding the false panel back into place. "You're amazing, Miss Daso! When I grow up, I want to be just like you!"

Daso chuckled, blushing a little, patting Soaria on the head, and then picked up the empty crate. "I only did what was necessary to help someone in trouble," Daso explained. "And please Soaria, you don't have to call me Miss."

Soaria licked the back of her paw thoughtfully, grooming it until every last hair was in order, before returning her eyes to Daso. This time, her vast pupils carrying a hint of sadness. "I wish I was as pretty as you," Soaria mumbled, covering her muzzle in embarrassment immediately afterward.

Daso, still not used to being referred to as pretty, looked down at Soaria, unsure of how to proceed. He bent down onto one knee, and gently lifted her chin with his hand, looking her right in the eye.

"Soaria, you are already a very cute little oshel. In time, you will one day grow into a very beautiful young woman," Daso said, deciding to be as blunt as usual.

"R-Really? You think so?" Soaria asked.

"Yup!" Daso said, happy to have brightened Soaria's mood.

"Oh wow!" She bounced up and down, her tail flopping happily against the ground. "I wonder how I'll look wearing a pretty dress, like yours!"

"Uh... hehe, yeah, I'm sure that you're going to look stunning," Daso said, blushing a little at being reminded of the fact that he had been wearing such a thing before.

"Mine would need a tail hole, though... I think," Soaria said as she peered over her shoulder, as if to double-check that that her tail was still present.

Daso looked at Soaria, taking into account the little oshel's outfit, which looked like a girl's uniform for school.

"True. There's a shop I had to go to because all of the clothes here did not include anything other than dresses and... skirts... to get some pants in... uh... my new size... as well as a couple of other things..."

"Is that where you got that pretty dress?" Daso blushed.

"No... that was a gift... it's complicated..." He blushed again before continuing. "Anyways, I remember seeing a sign saying that they do custom alterations for any species. Maybe when you're a little older, you'll be able to afford all kinds of pretty dresses and outfits," Daso said, still a little unsure of how to speak with children.

"D-do you think that you could take me to go... when I finally do get to?" She asked, looking up at him with her wide eyes, compelling a yes. She smiled after he said it, before she took on a more thoughtful look.

"Miss Daso?" Soaria's ears drooped a bit, and the smile fled from her muzzle. "Did you ever have to go to school?"

"There are no schools in Ruhk, Hence why most people from there, end up dying there," Daso explained, his eyes now the ones taking on a thoughtful look.

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"I pretty much had to educate myself in everything I know now." Daso reflected on how often he would read and re-read his many different books, all of which he acquired by trading whatever he could each time to get them, and on two separate occasions where he found and claimed, via salvage, some books and other supplies from two fancy-looking long covered riverboats that had attempted to brave the Valucia swamps, clearly unprepared for their journeys into the hazardous environment, as their dilapidated appearances had suggested either time. The second time he had not only found valuable loot inside, but also what remained of the crew, all of which were in pieces, serving as a grim reminder that the toxic air and the blade leeches were not the only hazards of the swamp, not by a long shot.

"So Soaria," Daso said coming back to the present, and smiling at knowing just how far he had come, "any particular reason why you decided to sneak away from the shelter?"

Soaria took a moment to answer. "I-I dunno," Soaria replied quietly, wiggling her tiny nose as she did while looking away guiltily, "I-I guess I was a little bored. I don't have too many friends at the shelter, and..." the Oshel cast her eyes down toward her clawed toes. "... I guess... I... got a little scared... being all by myself again..."

"Oh?" Daso asked, looking down at Soaria with a smile. "The silver lining I'm hearing there is that you have made some friends, and therefore are not as alone as being literally alone."

Soaria's ears perked up, and a smile graced her muzzle. "Well," she began shyly. "There's one boy at school. He looks at me a lot... and we've talked a little bit... and eaten lunch with each other..." She stared up toward the ceiling with large, dreamy eyes. "Sometimes, I catch him and he smiles. I smile, too, but..." Soaria shook her head sharply and the smile vanished from her muzzle.

"Ah, so little Soaria has a boyfriend," Daso teased, as he walked off with the empty crate, setting it down in the storage room.

"No!" The oshel countered quickly, following at Daso's heels, her ears perked in surprise as her eyes went large, showing the big brown irises. "I-I-It's not like that at all!" Soaria professed. Daso was certain that it if weren't for her brown fur, he would have seen a crimson blush on Soaria's face.

"Oh?" Daso said again, with a slight smirk.

"Freshel is just a friend... who happens to be a boy... that's all! He's not my boyfriend!"

Daso smiled and chuckled while holding his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay! I completely believe you," Daso said, his continued smirk suggesting otherwise. Soaria grumbled, before she started to smirk herself.

"D-Daso?" Soaria looked up with a hint of mischievousness, delicately re-arranging her headfur as she spoke. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Daso blushed at the thought. "N-No! I'm a guy! A-And I'm not interested in other guys!"

"Are you sure?" Soaria cocked her head to the side. "'Cause that guy you beat up sure seemed convinced that there's something going on between the two of you." Soaria giggled at how red Daso's face was becoming, appearing to be much more at ease than she usually was.

"I've already told you! Arono's just some deluded idiot! That's not even the first time I've beaten him up and thrown him into the dumpster out back!"

 

Back at the dumpster out back...

 

A low moan echoed out of the dumpster and into the alley, startling a few klasha drakes nearby. The pigeon-sized, winged reptiles squeaked indignantly before fluttering away to a nearby rooftop, one dropping a small white lump of klasha drake droppings, right into the very dumpster Arono was in as they flew away.

 

Back in the shop...

 

"I've been busy!" Daso said, after being asked by the young oshel if he had a girlfriend then, since he kept insisting that he was not interested in any way shape or form, a little excessively, that he was not interested in any guys whatsoever. Daso noticed her giggling at his expense, but said nothing. Just at that moment, there was the familiar chirp from the holographic phoenix, indicating the arrival of a new customer. Thankful for this interruption to their embarrassing conversation, Daso looked at the finely dressed businessman who had entered and was looking around, seemingly confused.

"Welcome to Daso's," he said, flashing his most winning grin.

The man continued to appear confused as he looked at Daso, and then to Soaria.

"Uhm, yes... I'm looking for a Mr. Daso... I've heard that he does top quality work, as well as custom jobs. Would you mind fetching him for me?"

"I'm the only Daso here sir, but what you've heard is the truth. All of my products are top of the line, and crafted by yours truly."

Ever so slowly, Soaria maneuvered herself from Daso's side to hide behind him, her tail laying still between her legs, still skittish around new people. Daso casually reached down and gently pet Soaria on her head, while the man seemed to be thinking something over.

"You're Daso? The Thaumaturgist?"

Daso smiled with pride at this, and nodded. "You are correct sir."

"Uhm... oh... all right." The man sighed as he shook his head. "I need to place an order for a custom job, and I hear that you are not affiliated with the local chapter of The Thaumaturgist's Guild, correct?"

"Yes sir!" Daso replied, now looking at the man with curiosity. He appeared to be middle aged, with a slight paunch beginning to develop beneath his suit. There were some flecks of grey in his otherwise brown, combed-back hair. The undershirt beneath his suit jacked was white, and had a few ruffles running down the front.

It was a tie as to which was his most distinguishing feature, his very bushy eyebrows, which resembled a species of brown furry caterpillars; or his larger than normal, hooked nose, which was bent in three places, showing that it had been broken numerous times.

"Any particular reason that you're lookin' for a freelance Thaumaturgist?" As Daso asked, Soaria slinked away from him, exploring the depths of the shop. Padding between rows of shelves, the young oshel's eyes twinkled with wonder at the many different strange devices around her on the displays. The shop was larger than she had anticipated, and contained a host of curious objects.

"Hmm," Soaria hummed to herself, as she reached high on her tiptoes to grasp an odd-looking metal object that had caught her eye from its shelf.

"Well... my son may have insulted the High Magus' daughter... mainly by rebuffing her offers of courtship... he claimed that she was being...  quite insistent," the man said, looking embarrassed by the whole situation that he was explaining. "So now I, as well as the rest of my family, are black listed by the guild."

"I see... that seems a little petty," Daso said, and the man nodded. "Anyways, what's the job?"

"I've recently acquired an old and run-down fort outside the city... actually... they're little more than ruins... and apparently a group of bandits had been using it as their headquarters. I had to hire a group of mercenaries to roust them out of the place. Unfortunately, they keep trying to retake it, and seem pretty keen on getting it back," the man explained as he pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment and followed Daso over to a nearby table, where Daso set the roll in the very center and flipped a switch on the end.

The parchment unrolled on its own, and revealed itself to be a map of the nearby region, very intricately detailed. Daso observed that the fort was quite a bit further away from the city than the man had implied, in a long stretch of grasslands. It appeared to be built into the only rocky outcropping for miles, which itself was quite elevated. Its location put it at the center of a triangle between Pharanx, the city of Kends, and a large walled town named Poeri, meaning that the fort was quite the valuable piece of real estate for any group of bandits looking to rob the cart routes between any of these locations.

"Anyways, I'm having the entire place renovated, top to bottom," The man explained removing his bowler hat and wiping his brow with a handkerchief he pulled from his coat pocket, before placing the hat back onto his head and continuing. "And I need a massive overhaul on the defenses and the security system... mainly having one installed in the first place... it's a big job... do you think that you can handle it?"
Daso noticed the man's name written down on the map, Holst Gwentin, recognizing the name immediately.

"Wait a minute... you are Holst Gwentin? The shipping magnate?"

"Yes, miss, I am indeed. I do apologize for the rudeness of a lack of proper introduction before," Holst said, suddenly remembering his manners and bowing slightly, removing his cap as he did so. He was mildly surprised to find the young lady before him waving his gesture off dismissively.

"Not a problem."

Just before Holst could say anything in response to that, a loud metal crash echoed through the shop and drew both of their attention. Both pairs of eyes fell upon the sheepish-looking form of Soaria, who was now nervously wringing her paws. She stood, guiltily looking at her shuffling feet, between two aisles. Her long brown tail lay motionless on the floor behind her. In front of her was a bright piece of metal, crafted in a horn-like shape. Dark flakes were scattered across the ground, having escaped from the object's bell.

"Oh, no," Soaria said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Excuse me for one second sir," Daso said, flashing the man another grin, before he made his way over to Soaria. "Are you okay Soaria?"

"Mhm," Soaria replied softly. She continued to wring her paws together. "I'm so sorry, Miss Daso. I think I broke your thingy."

Daso smiled again and picked the little oshel up, carrying her over to the counter and setting her down on it, lightly tapping her sneaker against a small bronze cube on the floor.

"There's nothing mechanical that's broken that I can't fix." Daso assured her.

The cube shuddered for a moment, and then broke apart into several floating pieces. From a core piece, eight blue beams of light extended, each passing through three of the other floating pieces. The floating metal bits reformed into a spider-looking, mechanical automaton, held together by the blue beams, Soaria and the Holst both stared at the device in awe, as it scuttled over to the fallen object and debris, and quickly began to sweep up the black ashy substance with its front legs, while another beam of light extended from the center, picking up the metal horn and reaching up to the shelf it had fallen from, setting it back in place. It then scaled the shelves, not disturbing any of the other displays, and deposited the collected ash back inside the object, before scampering back down and returning to where it had ben activated, disassembling and reassembling back into the cube, the blue beams retracting back into the core as it did so.

"There we go!" Daso said cheerfully, before gently patting Soaria on the head, and then reaching under the counter to produce an apple, which he handed to Soaria before returning to the customer, with a pen and a note pad, to get down to business.

"Now sir, I would be more than happy to embark on this project, of which I am confident that I can make quick work of." Daso's eyes twinkled not only at the idea of the challenge, but also at how much shelt he could charge for this job.

"Y-You will?" Holst said, surprised at Daso's apparent confidence, the corners of his mouth turning up into a light smile. "I'm a little surprised that you're so willing to take on a job like this... and, I must confess, I'm still a little surprised that a young lady like yourself not only does this kind of work, but is also so eager to head into what is most definitely quite the dangerous situation. Do you work alone?" He was surprised by Daso's solemn nod.

"Indeed I do sir. You'll find that I'm not like most of the women you are familiar with," Daso said confidently, surprising the older man by picking up the large forge hammer with no effort whatsoever, and casually swinging it up to rest on his shoulders.

"I see... uhm... th-then, shall we get down to discussing the cost?" Holst stammered, impressed by this display of abnormal strength coming from such a slight frame.

"Of course!" Daso said, his eyes twinkling once more.

 

 

 

 

 

And there you have it readers! I was especially excited to bring to you this new chapter! I truly hope that you enjoyed the new chapter!

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