Chapter 2 Part 8

They started to work almost immediately, drawing plans, obtaining supplies, and preparing the necessary magics. “The small workshop in the west laboratories should be sufficient,” said Ultrecht as they looked over their lists.
Armegon frowned. “You mean the one outside the walls?”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“Isn’t it sort of dilapidated?”
“Yes, but at least we shouldn’t be disturbed.”
“Disturbed hell,” Armegon gestured expansively. “We can just put army of apprentices outside the door to the main labs and say ‘Guard’.”
Ultrecht hesitated and glanced at Avery, who just stood impassively. “Oh all right. I had wanted to keep this somewhat quiet, but if you insist.”
Armegon laughed, “With the rumor mill that runs around here? I tell you what, you try to do this in a quiet little spot somewhere on the school grounds and you’ll have more attention and rumors than a government bath house.”
Avery yawned and said, “He’s right you know. Look at all the stories that flew out of here about you in the smithy.”
With a put-upon sigh, Ultrecht shrugged and said, “Ok, ok. Let’s just get started.”
“How were you planning to power this enchantment?” Armegon asked.
“We all know that most of the truly powerful magical objects were created by either extra-planar powers, god-like beings, groups of enchanters, or sheer blind luck.” He received a nod of agreement from Armegon, but Avery looked like he was going to interrupt. Ultrecht held up one hand. “I’m classifying the works of the creator separately.” Avery nodded.
“Since we’re not going to count on luck, I suggest we work as a group. I will open and close the enchantment. Avery, you handle the manipulations, and Armegon, you work the recitation.”
Armegon looked doubtful. “You sure you want me to handle the recitation? Sorcery is a powerful style, but it’s not well suited to the stamina required to recite.”
“That’s where I think we can gamble a bit. You know that the power of the object is in the greater part from the recitation and the closure. When you are reciting you are pouring more power into your work each time you go through the words. In large groups you can trade off the individuals doing the reciting as long as you never break the cadence and keep your most powerful mages till the end.”
Avery interjected. “Why?”
“Because each repetition of the words gets harder and harder,” replied Armegon. “And any mistake will ruin the whole work.”
“Exactly,” said Ultrecht. “But I was thinking that if you were to build a slow rise in emotional level, you could recite until you get tired then start slowly building in a surge. We’ll close at the peak of your power.”
“Two problems: first, my emotions are usually angry, which may not be appropriate, and second, when you close you’ll have to contain all the power of that surge.”
“I was planning to pull in power continuously during the recitation. But you’re right about anger not being appropriate.”
Avery spoke up. “What if I were to help you build that emotional level and when you get to a strong enough point we link minds and I change those emotions to positive ones. After all there is as much energy in joy as there is in anger.”
“Ouch. That’s going to mean you and I will be completely open to each other emotionally and mentally. ”
“We did it once before. It came out all right then.”
“Yeah but I was walking around for weeks feeling like I should hug a tree or something.”
Avery smiled. “I know, all I wanted to do was drink and count money.” He shrugged. “It was just an idea.”
Armegon sighed. “Yeah, and it was a good one. I’m in if you are.” He turned back to Ultrecht, “But we still have the problem of power levels. If you continuously pull in power and I take too long during the recitation, you could easily kill yourself.”
“An acceptable risk for the goal involved.”

When they had all of their equipment and supplies in the lab Ultrecht looked to Avery and asked, “Are there any stray magics running around?”
Avery let his enchanted sight flow around the room. “Yes. There are a lot of minor magical residues all over the room.”
“Figures. Oh well, I guess it was to be expected in a magic lab.” He flipped through a sheaf of notes. “Can you cast a druidic spell for me?”
“Possibly. I’m not as well versed as Nikki,” Avery said referring to his druidic wife, “but I’ll try.”
“Good enough. Armegon, would you please dispel all the magic in the room? And Avery, would you bring the area back into balance with nature?”
Armegon didn’t reply, but simply began to cast. The dispel would attach itself to any spell-like magics within it’s area of effect and begin unraveling them. It would then unravel itself and disappear.
When his friend had completed his dispel, Avery opened his belt pouch and took out some spell items his wife had given him. He sat and began a ritual form of spell casting that had nothing to do with the ways of mages. It took about ten minutes and when he finished the room had a different feel to it, almost as if man had not visited this place in many, many years.
Ultrecht nodded with satisfaction. “Let’s begin.”
They each went to their assigned places. Avery started a fire in the small forge that stood in one corner of the lab, while Armegon laid out the tools and arranged the workspace around the anvil. The trio set solidly to the task of smelting and forging.

Over the next three days they cast two identical chimes. The polishing and final finish work took another two days.
“Gentlemen, I believe we are ready to enchant,” Ultrecht proclaimed.
Armegon stretched until his back popped. “It’s about time,” He stated, rubbing his hands together impatiently. “Now comes the fun part.”
"Right then. Let’s start.” So saying, the Master Elementalist placed one of the chimes on the bench they’d designated the enchanting table among the other items they would use. Each of them took a moment to review their carefully written script. Permanently enchanted devices require strict attention to detail, lest the results be flawed and possibly dangerous.
When the others nodded ready, Ultrecht very deliberately and with solid concentration began to cast the intricate spell that would allow the chime to accept a permanent enchantment.
Armegon watched carefully until the spell structure was complete, then he cast a simple spell that created a sound. It was a specific sound, one that oscillated at exactly four hundred and forty cycles per second.
It was now Avery’s turn. He placed a drop of rainwater, a pinch of sand, and a tiny burning brand on the chime and quickly cast a simple binding. A miniature whirlwind combining the sand, fire, rainwater, and surrounding air sprang up atop the chime.
With satisfaction showing on his face, Armegon carefully place an uncut blue sapphire into the little whirlwind. It floated just inside.
“Good, Good,” murmured Ultrecht.
Armegon gestured and the sound intensified. Using his sight, Avery peered deep into the stone. Its internal matrices were vibrating to the sound. He could sense the core frequency and natural harmonics. They were correct. He looked up and nodded.
Ultrecht nodded in acknowledgment and began pulling in raw magical power.
Armegon took a deep calming breath then picked up a scroll from the table. He wet his fingers with the water from the center of the ocean and traced the lettering of the scroll with his fingers. As his fingers passed, the letters appeared ghostlike, in the air over the chime. When the completed scroll was floating in front of him, he tossed the now empty paper aside and began reciting the words.
Avery watched carefully for three hours until the strain of what they were doing began to affect his friends. When it looked as though Armegon was about to falter he stepped up next to him and started whispering in his ear.
“What’s the matter bonehead? Is your feeble concentration slipping already? While ago you were boasting, and now you can't deliver. No wonder you can't keep a girlfriend.”
Armegon’s face hardened.
“I thought you were good at this. Maybe I was wrong, or perhaps your slovenly and lazy nature is just coming to the fore?”
Armegon’s voice strengthened a bit.
“We should never have involved you in something this important. Your pitiful whining and obvious incompetence are going to make you nothing more than a weak link. Wonders of the creator, Bah! You couldn’t wonder any further than your own slime trail, you miserable slug.”
Suddenly Armegon’s body jerked and a corona of fury fed power blazed from the very pores of his skin.
Avery immediately reached out and touched his friend’s face completing a spell they’d both prepared earlier.
Armegon had purposely left all of his mental defenses down and Avery was now in total contact with him. The Ranger poured all of the love, admiration, and joy he felt in his friendship with Armegon into the cauldron of Armegon’s emotions, purposely twisting all of his emotions to positive ones. All of the power behind the sorcerer's fury style of magic blazed out in emotions bright with joy and wonder.
His voice nearly singing, Armegon recited the glowing words in splendor.
Ultrecht struck. With all of the power he could muster he closed the framework of the enchantment and merged it with the very atoms of the chime. A sense of rightness ensued almost like an audible pop, the components joined and the spell ended. He staggered back and nearly fell.
Avery gently pulled away from his friend. Armegon nodded and quietly sat down in a nearby chair.
“Is it finished?” He asked in a soft voice. “’Cause I’m not sure I can go through that again.”
Ultrecht leaned close to the table. On it sat an ordinary looking chime. Almost hesitantly he picked it up and examined it. It looked fine, so he placed it in a wooden rack that would hopefully hold all of the chimes soon. He flicked it with a fingernail and it rang with a beautiful A note that seemed to tug at his very soul.
“I’d say we were successful,” Avery stated quietly.