Bookworld Online: Marsh Man

They all listened as I described the few times I had been in the old small boat and just wished really hard that the boat wasn't so hard to push and to go faster. The excited woman's face was almost glowing with delight, the skeptical man's interest had waned, and the two men that had been interested in the weight enchantment had perked right up.

“Are you serious right now?” One of them asked. “You felt the weight through the enchantment?”

“Yes, except that I think it's my perception of the weight.” I said. “I've had years to think about it and as far as I can tell, when you use magic on it, it feels like a cannon ball that gets smaller.”

“That's exactly what it's supposed to feel like.” One of the two men said. “You really do have a weight lowering enchantment.”

“What does the movement one feel like?” The excited woman asked.

I thought about that for a moment. “It's like putting your hand into a slow moving stream of water.”

“If that's true, then... to move... you would have to make the stream move faster, wouldn't you?”

I nodded and she let out a little squeal of delight. “I don't know how to describe the protection ward.”

“You don't have to. Most of us felt it when you came into the room.” Mage Lukas said. “It's like a detection spell or even a very light mage shield.”

“When you came in and weren't wearing a Noble's chest piece with the elaborate enchantment engraved on it, we had to assume it's on the wood you were carrying.” One of the men said. “I don't see any markings on the surface, which means you somehow put it inside the wood.”

The excited woman gasped. “That's not possible! As soon as you mark up or damage the engraved surface, the enchantment weakens and then breaks!”

I didn't say anything and slowly slid one of the thick boards over and it stopped in front of her. Her hands reached out and she shuddered when she touched it. She closed her eyes and her hands caressed the perfectly smooth wood.

“What is it, Mage Henrietta?” One of the other two women asked.

“It's not one enchantment in each piece of wood.” The excited woman said in a sexy voice. “All three of them are in this.”

“WHAT?!?” Everyone else yelled, except for Mage Lukas, who only nodded confirmation.

I slid the other two boards across the table and they stopped in front of the two men that were surprised by the weight enchantment. They both reached out and touched the wood and took in sharp breaths.

“She's right.” One of them said. “Weight is only one of them.”

“Don't charge them up yet.” Mage Lukas warned. “We don't know what could happen if you activate a movement enchantment without it attached to anything.”

“Sir, you... you don't understand what this means.” Mage Henrietta said, almost in a whisper. “A movement enchantment uses magic to cause actual physical movement of an object, even if there are no other forces acting upon it.” She said, reverently. “Something like this needs to be preserved for history's sake!”

“We're going to be too busy using them to worry about relegating them to the Hall of History in the capital.” Mage Lukas said.

“But, sir!” Mage Henrietta exclaimed.

“If you can't handle being in the first boat, then you'll be posted in the second boat with Mage Larson. Your only responsibility will be powering the weight enchantment.”

Many different expressions passed over her face for several seconds, then she sighed. “No, you're right. I need to calm down and see this for the opportunity that it is and not the potential for the future.”

Mage Lukas smiled and briefly touched her hand to pat it. “Once this operation is over, then you can worry about the impact this is going to have on society.”

Mage Henrietta smiled back and nodded.

Mage Lukas turned to face me. “I'm not going to ask where the Hag learned such powerful enchantments.”

“That's good, because questioning the Hag usually costs you a pound of flesh.” I said and he looked like he was waiting for me to laugh or something. “That wasn't a joke. She'd cut a strip off of you.”

Everyone in the room stared at me and didn't say anything.

“Let's try getting the weight enchantments to work.” I said. “As I described, it's intent and need when you don't know what to focus on. When you do know, start to do the same procedure as if you are infusing a potion... and only start. Don't actually do it. The enchantments are already activated and you just have to power them. No power, no effect. Some power, some effect.”

The two men that knew about the weight enchantment did it right away and the wood became light as a feather. They picked them up and easily moved them around, as if they weighed nothing. They deactivated the enchantments and the wood thumped onto the table and they slid the wood to the next two people.

Mage Henrietta hugged the piece she had and wouldn't let it go. “I'll do it! I will!” She said and rested her face against the smooth wood and sighed contentedly.

“Just ignore her for now.” Mage Lukas said to me and the both of us went to each person and coached them into how to work the weight enchantment. One of the women was nervous about giving her power away.

“It's all right. It can only hold so much magic and negate so much weight.” I reassured her and she looked surprised. “That's why the minimum to work them is someone who can infuse at least one batch of potion.”

“I thought you just said that we didn't have to infuse it.”

“You don't have to, just initiate the procedure and hold it.” I said.

“What... what if I can't do that?”

“Let me show you how, Mage Larson.” I touched her shoulder and she looked like she was going to say something, then I slid my magic through her arm and started the weight enchantment through her.

“Oh, my god.” She whispered.

“Can you feel that?” I asked.

“Sweet lord, yes.” Mage Larson said and gave me a look that told me that she wanted to have sex with me, because it was the same look that Diane had after I had delivered all of the new stock for her store.

_______________

You have a minor choice to make. It will affect your relationship with Diane and possibly Gillis.

A) Tell her to meet later. B) Tell her you're taken. C) Kiss her. D) Fill her with magic. E) Ignore her.

Oh, damn. That's not good. I thought and read them again. Dammit, I do not want to mess up what I have with Diane, not after everything that's happened. I read them once more and sighed. I choose B.

_______________

I bent over and whispered in her ear. “I'm seeing someone.”

“I don't care.” Mage Larson whispered back.

“We can't have sex.” I clarified.

“We're going to be deployed for a month or more in a hostile area. You are going to need to relax at some point and we are going to be a very long way away from whoever she is.” Mage Larson said. “I'm going to be right there with you and I am very, very willing to let you have your way with me at any time.”

Everyone in the room turned to look at us, because for those last two sentences, she didn't try to whisper at all.

“Mage Larson.” Mage Lukas said and she looked at him. “Did I just hear what I just heard?”

“Yes, sir.” Mage Larson said. “I've never felt magic like this.” She said and just her fingertip moved the wood around the table and she slid it over to the skeptical man. Since I was the one that had charged it, it was still active and he didn't have to do anything to it.

“You don't have to keep touching it?” He asked, surprised.

“No, once you make that mental connection with your magic, you can be anywhere in the boat and still have it work.” I said and went to lift my hand from Mage Larson's shoulder. She grabbed it and closed her eyes as she tried to share her magic with me. She made my hand tingle and that was all.

“I'll need to stay in contact with it, since my range is so limited.” Mage Larson said.

“It would be best if we all did. At first, anyway.” Mage Lukas said. “Perhaps by the end of the mission, we will all have enough experience that we won't have to.”

I cut the magic to the wood and it thumped to the table. The skeptical guy did it on his second try and started to chuckle at how easy it was to lift such a thick piece of wood. After another hour, they all had the hang of it, even Mage Henrietta, once she realized that we would be going out to the boats for a practical lesson on the movement enchantment. She still didn't let the board go, however.

We left the garrison and avoided the other soldiers that were using horse and hand carts to load supplies. We went through Diane's property to get to the dock I had built and saw the dozen large flat bottomed boats that were being loaded with those supplies.

“We're really doing this in the morning.” The last woman said.

“At dawn.” I said and they looked at me with surprise. “We get to eat breakfast first.”

“You can't honestly...” The skeptical man started to say and Mage Lukas put a hand on his shoulder.

“I was going to inform you in a more private setting.” Mage Lukas said. “This is a military operation, so we are on the military's clock here.”

“We don't have to fight, do we?” Mage Larson asked.

“No, you are boat pilots only and I chose you specifically for that reason.” Mage Lukas told her. “No combat will be required.”

“That's a relief. I failed the basic combat course at the academy.” Mage Larson said.

“How did you fail the basic one?” The skeptical man asked.

“I don't like punching people.” Mage Larson said and shrugged her shoulders.

“Oh, geez.” The skeptical man sighed. “I'm glad I'll be in Mage Lukas' boat.”

“You still have to watch the supplies.” I cautioned them. “We're leaving the construction teams there as well.”

The mages looked a little surprised.

“What are you building?” Mage Henrietta asked.

I looked at Mage Lukas and he sighed.

“If you're approving them for this mission, then I'll be giving them a full briefing after this.” Mage Lukas said. “I'll clear up their confusion.”

I nodded and went to one of the empty boats and quick as a flash, applied a little number ten potion to the front bench seat and attached one of the wood pieces. I waved to Mage Henrietta to sit and she handed me the board she held and sat down.

“Ohhh, that's so nice.” Mage Henrietta said and rubbed her butt all over it as she slid around a little.

“Everyone climb aboard.” Mage Lukas said and they all did. I went to the head of the boat and untied it, picked up the push pole, and poled out from the dock and faced us straight.

“I'll handle the weight enchantment and also steer.” I said and went to the back of the boat. “I suggest you all sit and hold on.”

“I agree. Any movement in a boat can be jarring.” Mage Lukas said. “Seats, everyone.”

They all sat and held on.

“Anytime you're ready, Mage Henrietta.” I said with my hand on the rudder and activated the weight enchantment Mage Henrietta sat on. Everyone felt the boat rise about halfway out of the water and Mage Henrietta moaned a little as my magic grazed her.

“It actually works.” One of the two men that recognized the weight enchantment said. “The entire boat and the contents are much lighter now.”

“Oh... ohhhhh!” Mage Henrietta moaned as I felt her magic pass by mine and enter the movement enchantment. She didn't gradually add magic like I explained and just dumped it in. The boat jerked and then took off at its fastest speed.

“WHOOOOAAAA!” One of them men yelled and I wasn't sure if it was happiness or terror.

“Ease back, Mage Henrietta.” Mage Lukas advised and she didn't listen. “Mage Henrietta?”

“Uhhh... uhhhh... oh, god... oh god!” Mage Henrietta gasped and the boat lurched again and all movement stopped. The boat slowed down and coasted for a short distance, so I used the pole to slow us down and brought us to a stop.

“Are you all right?” The skeptical man asked her.

“B-b-better than all right.” Mage Henrietta whispered and eased off of the front bench. She stumbled a little and put her hand on the skeptical man's shoulder for balance. He gasped when I felt her magic jump to him. She made her way to me at the back of the boat and sat down on the bottom of the boat and not on the bench there.

I wasn't sure what she was doing until she slid her robes up to her knees and gave me a view between her legs. No one else could see what I saw, since they were all facing forward. She slid off her underwear and showed me that they were soaked.

“You did that.” Mage Henrietta whispered, sucked on the cloth a little, and placed them on the bottom of the boat to dry.

“Mage Falcon, you're next.” Mage Lukas said and the skeptical guy took the bench seat. “Please be more mindful of your companions than Mage Henrietta was.”

The skeptical guy chuckled and took the seat. “I'll do my best, sir.” He said and it took him three tries to establish the connection properly, then the boat puttered a little bit.

“Remember Private Drake's words. It's a slow stream. Just imagine your magic is making it flow faster.” Mage Lukas said.

“Yes, sir.” The skeptical guy said and closed his eyes to concentrate. It took him two more tries, then he got it to work. We moved along at a slow speed and then went faster and faster. We peaked out and he let out a little laugh. “I did it! I DID IT!”

“Excellent, excellent.” Mage Lukas said. “Slow us down and we can let the others try.”

“Yes, sir!” Mage Falcon said and did just that. One of the other men took over and it was a similar experience, so I turned us around and we headed back towards the dock. The other man did it a little easier and then the other woman had a turn. The last to try was Mage Larson and she looked nervous. After several minutes of reassurances and coaching from Mage Lukas, she was able to get us moving at about half speed.

“Wonderful work!” Mage Lukas said in encouragement and helped her back to her seat. “Now it's my turn.” He said and sat down. “Private Drake, I'll do the weight one as well.”

I cut off my magic to the enchantment and the boat sunk down into the water.

“That's amazing.” One of the men said. “I almost had the feeling that it was always lighter, you know?”

“We have to ask him what configuration he used.” The other man whispered. “We have to compare it to our family's secret crest. It's definitely a lot more efficient than ours.”

Mage Lukas had no problems using both enchantments, since all he did was power them. He took us all the way back to the dock and I steered us into the proper slip. I poled us to a stop and then tied the boat up, then helped the women disembark by offering them a hand. They each thanked me as I did and the last to leave the boat was Mage Henrietta.

She thanked me as well and discreetly handed me her now dry underwear. “Actions speak louder than words.” She whispered and walked away. No one commented that the back of her robes from the waist down were wet, since she was in a boat.

What they didn't know was that her words had a poignant meaning to me. For the entire two hour lesson out on the water, she had sat in front of me with her legs spread wide and without underwear on. The source of her wet robes was not the water as the others had assumed.

It was from her constantly dripping womanhood.