A Lazy Mage Quests (Un)EZ Creds Ch. 01

Harry looked around and said, "They look like they always do What's the matter with you? I thought you were going to deal with all the spirits this guy brought along?"

Enough of this Spector thought I can see what is in front of my face. Or all around me for that matter. Damon assensed the multicolored, neon-like, glowing sigils all around him as he searched for a fire extinguisher or garden hose. He got his answer. It was convoluted because the sigils were not multicolored, but overlapping and intertwined. They were the true names of these spirits, created at the moment they went free from the elven mage.

Rev asked, "Do you have a fire extinguisher? Or even a garden hose? Something to use against these fire elementals if they decide not to leave?"

Harry told him where the fire extinguisher was and Damon couldn't believe he had not found it. Maybe it was the room crowded with spirits to his astral sight, with the sigils of true names adding their distractions, but Damon repeated what his father used to always tell him if it was a snake it would have bitten you.

Fire extinguisher in hand, Spector approached one of the fire elementals. He assensed it, noting the aura and the true name with the identical astral signature. Through their psychic link, Spector instructed his spirit to drop the confusion from this elemental. His spirit obeyed, the elemental looked about as it regained its wits and fled to the astral. The procedure was repeated for the last two fire elementals without incident. "Maybe we should keep a ritual sample of his blood," Spector said as he worked. "Maybe, we let this guy know we might have kept a ritual sample if he survives, so maybe he decides to leave worse enough alone," Spector said.

"That may be a good idea," Harry said as he told Igor to remove all the jewelry the unconscious elf wore, then check his pockets for credcard and keys. Harry had Igor bring a small vial and collect some of the elven blood as it leaked around Harry's fingers applying pressure to the wound. Harry noted with satisfaction that two rings and a cigarette lighter were foci. He slipped the ruined mono whip into the elf's pocket.

"Harry, do you have a torch of some sort?" Spector asked.

Harry said, "There should be a couple on the shelf under the workbench on the west wall."

Spector located a propane torch and once more noticed his red hands. Deciding to clean them instead of needing to clean them and everything he touched for a while, Spector looked around for a sink, and finding one, cleaned the blood from his hands. While washing, Spector checked his reflection in the mirror above the sink and wiped blood from his duster. After cleaning the worst of the mess, Spector went back to the torch, lit it, and started toward the water elementals. Brandishing the torch, Spector ordered his spirit to drop the confusion from each one at a time. Both left as soon as the confusion power was withdrawn from them. Spector extinguished the torch.

For the remaining earth and air elemental, Damon Spector loaded his pistol with appropriate capsule rounds and gathered all his spirits around the confused spirit as the power was dropped. The air elemental left quickly enough and the earth elemental departed after slinging a contemptuous limb in Spector's direction.

Harry said, "It looks like he was carrying a sustaining focus, a power focus and a spirit focus for fire elementals, keys, personal credcard and the certified credcard. The certified cred goes in my pocket because I delivered the focus as agreed, even if he wound up getting it destroyed the first time he used it. In this case, I think misused is more appropriate. Are you interested in any of the rest of it?"

"I have no real use for the spirit focus and I would just as soon have one of your custom made whips, say force two or so on the Walker-Riggs scale with the reduced karma feature. Why not sell his and we'll split the proceeds and I'll apply mine toward the cost of some goodies you can make for me. If you have any trouble getting a good price for the items, let me know. I know a few people who may be interested or even some folks in the group," Spector said, referring to the members in their magical group. "I could probably do something with the keys and credcard."

"Harry tossed the keys, saw Spector fumble them and walked the card over as loud banging came from the front door. Damon Spector checked the monitors then went and let in the SpeediER™ crew. Spector consulted his pocket secretary and noted they had arrived in under five minutes. No questions other than if they knew the cause of the injury and any treatment given. Spector answered, "His own mono whip," and, "nothing but pressure as instructed by the expert medical program. He was showing us how good he was with it on the practice targets." Damon hoped the half truth explanation would satisfy the response team well enough for them to write the incident off as an accident and not report it as an assault or worse. In less than two more minutes, they were gone with their client.

Damon Rev Spector was anxious to leave for several reasons, not the least was the possibility that the medical team would report the incident to law enforcement.

"Rev, are you sure you only want a force two whip? I could easily make you a more powerful one, and the cost could be offset by the proceeds from the jerk's foci," Harry said. "Or dress it up a bit by stitching or molding gold and silver into the grip, perhaps inlaying some ivory and maybe ruby or sapphires."

"No. A plain old force two leather whip is all I want. Force two isn't illegal. And a leather whip is easy to conceal and there's nothing flashy to make others covet it," Spector said and then thoughts started coming to him. "Unless it wouldn't be too difficult to weave some silver filaments into the braid, then it might be more effective against were-beings."

"That sounds great. After all, I like putting the art in artificing," Harry said. "And using different materials in their radical form makes it easier to create and reduces the cost to bond." As Spector was leaving he could tell Harry was getting excited about creating this new focus.

"Keep me up to date on how things are coming along. Maybe I'll think of something to add after I sleep on the idea," Spector said. "But I've got to get going." And see about binding that ally spirit I just saw in astral space before it went free. It's worth more to me than any of the foci I saw tonight Damon Rev Spector thought.