"Oh I'm going to hate this" muttered Wraithvine as they entered the town to drop off Slippery Sam. Amatu put the bell back in a pack that Wraithvine enchanted so only Amatu could open it, and, to avoid thieves, a curse on the pack so only those that had no intention on stealing it from Amatu could touch it without getting their hands proverbially "slapped".
Poor Wraithvine was going to endure a lot of discomfort while they researched why the bell did that to magic users, the painfulness of its effect proportional to how powerful the being's magic was, it seemed, and how to protect friends while letting that rather painful effect fell enemy magic users. It seemed it was a wonderful anti-magi / anti-wizard weapon of immense power, at least that was ONE of its many abilities, though it seemed Amatu's ability "command", was getting stronger, too. For any time he said a direct, harsh, command to someone, they seemed almost compelled to obey, along with his ability to touch someone and heal them, and several others.
@internutter/challenge-03219-h310-on-the-road-to-destiny -- Anon Guest
They had eventually worked it out. If Pondermoore acted as full cover between Wraithvine and the bell, Amatu could use it without fear of knocking out their strongest ally. Progress of a sort. What they really had to do was protect the bell, and possibly Amatu, from ne'er-do-wells in the big city.
Which meant making sure they could not lift it from Amatu's waist. The resulting pouch looked very ordinary, if one didn't bother to read the runes at its mouth. Wraithvine and Amatu could.
"If lost, return to Amatu Baumkyn?" said the lad of destiny. "Do not open?"
"It has more power than you think," said Wraithvine. "Runes of ownership, runes of caution. And on the inside, a silence spell."
Amatu peeked, "It just says 'shoosh'."
"The oldest words are the most powerful. Put the bell in there. Please."
Amatu did so as if cradling a non-existent clapper from causing it to ring. An experimental jiggle revealed absolutely no effect on Wraithvine.
"Now for the fun part. Amatu, you tie it shut, Miss Vee? Try to 'just look' at the bell."
Pondermoore, Wraithvine's previous experimental assistant, had her hands firmly in her armpits. Her sulking expression had many cautions to give to Vee.
"Gram'ma said not to hurt me..."
"This will only sting a little."
"That's what she says about iodine," grumped the child of the group, but she did take the pouch off of Amatu and tried opening it. "Ow!" She sucked her fingers. "That stings!"
"Yes. Do you still want to look at the bell?"
"Mmmaybe?" She could reach the handle, but grimaced the instant she touched it. Sealing the pouch up, she gave it back to Amatu. "Here, I don't want it any more."
"Perfect. The words of returning put a mild geas on you, which is now complete. Protection runes make anyone who is not the owner feel a very unpleasant sensation if they persist in trying to take what isn't theirs."
"It felt like bees inside my skin," complained Vee, still massaging her hand. "I'm telling Gram'ma."
"Good, then I can tell her about the number of times you tried to ring the bell on me."
"Only 'cause you made me eat vegetables and let me think it was berries..."
"News flash, my little, your Gram'ma's been trying to learn that spell for years."
Slithery Sam rang his tin cup against the bars of his cage, waking Rawr, who had been trying to sleep. "Oh my gods, can we please move on? After you lot, I will be glad to reach justice."
Only one more day's travel, and they would find out what the thick of it looked like.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / michaklootwijk]
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