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The party sat under a stunted pair of acacia trees, intent on completing their discussion before nightfall. Being outside the city helped make certain they wouldn’t be overheard. They might stand out to a passersby on the road several hundred yards away. If anyone questioned the party upon their return, they’d enjoyed a picnic. Three loaves of bread and a half-pint of honey in a clay jar provided the food. A shared waterskin, along with the shade, helped fend off the dry heat.
Glenn wasn’t really hungry but, since Derek didn’t share their spending good coin on a meal, Glenn didn’t either. He felt a little guilty about it. He planned on mentioning it sometime down the road.
Stephi sat on her travel basket placed between Glenn and Kirby. Derek, sitting between Glenn and Ron, leaned his back against one of the acacia trunks.
Ron dipped his torn piece of bread in the honey and passed the jar to Derek. After chewing for a moment, savoring the taste, the warrior druid swallowed and cleared his throat. “Sterjin’s Glass Receptacle Fabrications offers a formidable challenge to our objective.”
That wasn’t news to Glenn. No way Higslaff would’ve sent the party on a cake adventure. Besides that, Ron and Kirby’s somber mood since returning from their scouting mission couldn’t mean anything else.
“Dude,” Kirby said, “just call it Sterjin’s Glass or Sterjin’s like everyone else in the city. Or just ‘the glassblower’s shop.’”
Ron glanced to his right. “Precision matters, Gurk. Of those comprising our party, only you and I had knowledge of the establishment’s proper name.”
Uncowed, Kirby said, “And now Kalgore, Marigold and Jax know how everyone but you calls it.” The half-goblin grinned and made eye contact with Derek. “Keep the honey moving around.”
Derek pressed a large piece of bread into the honey jar, then shoved it into his mouth. Packing the bite into a cheek, he complained, “This tooth makes everything taste a little bland, like it’s been dipped in water.” He scowled and shoved the jar into Glenn’s hands.
Glenn held the jar for Stephi while Ron began again. “Sterjin’s Glass Receptacle Fabrications offers a formidable challenge to our objective.”
The warrior druid ignored the half-goblin thief’s rolling eyes. “Utilizing a Detect Enchantment Spell, I was able to observe magical warding on the entrance, specifically the door frame and the door itself. The window frames are similarly warded.”
“That’s bad,” Derek commented before shoving a plain piece of bread into his mouth.
Kirby leaned over and took the jar from Glenn’s grasp. “It gets better,” the half-goblin thief said before dipping bread and cramming the morsel into his mouth. “Meaning worse.” The wad of bread muffled his words.
“Indeed.” Ron took the proffered clay jar. “Upon entering, the Detect Enchantment Spell ceased.” He looked from Derek to Stephi. “The spell’s duration had not yet elapsed.”
“So, it cancels detection spells,” Derek said. “Is that all?”
“Gurk and I were not able to determine parameters of the warding.”
The big warrior’s face twisted in anger, like someone just insulted his mother. “Could stop anything Scroll Casting Barbie tried casting through it.”
Glenn looked to Stephi to see if Derek’s comment bothered her. She gave him her ‘whatever’ look, but didn’t say anything.
Apparently unfazed by the warding concern, Kirby sat up straight. “Dude, tell them the cool part next.”
Ron raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the half-goblin thief.
“The glass guardians,” Kirby said. “They’re life-size, totally nude chicks...uhh.” The half-goblin’s muddy skin showed signs of flushing as he looked away from Stephi. “I meant to say unclothed warrior women made of glass—with wicked crystal daggers.”
Stephi rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“My heirloom item vibrated when I came into close proximity, which indicates they are in some fashion, enchanted.”
Glenn asked, “Like the silversmith’s golem in Three Hills City?”
“Silver golem’s gotta be a lot better than glass,” Derek said. “Even if there’s two of them.”
“The enchantment process to create a glass golem fortifies them,” Ron said. “Makes them far more durable than might be expected of mere glass.”
“Like bullet-proof glass?” Stephi asked.
“Yeah, sort of,” Derek said, excitement draining from his voice as a thought surfaced. “Remember that adventure when we tried to loot that collapsed Athena temple?” His gaze shifted from Kirby to Ron. “The glass knight guardian really kicked our ass.”
“Indeed,” Ron said. “At that point in the campaign our characters were all fifth rank.”
“But we were pretty much out of spells when we fought it,” Kirby said.
Derek leaned forward. “We had more spells then, than we have now. Even when we’re fresh.” He reached over and took the honey jar from Ron. “And you said there’s two of them.”
Kirby looked down and frowned. “It gets worse.” His yellow eyes met Ron’s hazel ones. “Tell’em.”
Ron took a deep breath. “Please refrain from commenting or asking questions until I complete my observation so that I will be less inclined to omit any important details.
“Gurk will then clarify or rectify any omissions, and possibly supplement with his observations.”
While everyone acknowledged with a nod or an affirmative word, Ron lifted the waterskin to his mouth and drank. He wiped his lips and passed it off to Kirby.
“As Gurk noted, there are two elegantly crafted glass statues that incorporate formidable-appearing crystal daggers into their design. As they have been identified as enchanted, or magical, creatures, a logical assumption is that they are golems.
“The interior of Sterjin’s Glass Receptacle Fabrications is similar to that of Higslaff’s pawnshop. The exterior consists mainly of granite and limestone construction.”
Ron pulled a small leather-bound book from his satchel, opened it to a page near the middle, and passed it to Derek.
“Visitors to the establishment first step into a large display room. The entry door is made from red oak and is reinforced with steel bands, and opens into the display room. I estimate it to be thirty feet deep and forty feet wide. The flooring is stone as are the walls. The shelving is built into the walls, and reaches up to the eight-foot ceiling. Both shelves and ceiling are constructed from red oak. Four limestone pillars support the ceiling, and presumably the structure’s second story.
“The only windows in the establishment are narrow, being approximately eight inches wide and four feet tall. Two are set to either side of the main entry door and are filled with stained glass. Intense Light Spells equal to one-hundred-watt bulbs, render the windows decorative.
“A four-foot-tall granite counter runs lengthwise across the room, separating the display area from the work area. On the left is a door that presumably leads to a storage area, and access to the second story of the building. Gurk and I observed it opened briefly, revealing spare tongs, metal blow-pipes and other equipment necessary for creating high-quality glass jars, vases, and bowls.
“The right-hand portion of the work area has two granite tables set several feet apart, in front of the door leading to the furnace. To the right and left of the furnace are two pairs of three ovens stacked atop each other up to the ceiling.
“There is a constant, intense flame within the furnace, yet there is no evidence of any fuel source to maintain the flame or heat. One might imagine coal with a constant bellows or some sort of magically pumped liquid fuel.”
Ron held up a finger to forestall Derek’s question, and then continued.
“It seems there are two glass-blowing artisans on duty at a time, each pair working eight hour shifts, and the shop runs twenty-four hours a day. In addition to the artisans, there is an assistant behind the counter and there is a guard. The guard we observed was human. He wore breastplate, had a round shield, and was armed with a mace and a short sword. A steel helmet rested on a hook next to where he sat on the customer side of the counter, along the left-hand wall.
“Finally, there is what might be termed the shop foreman. He also serves as salesman. Both Gurk and I suspect the individual we observed is an enchanter, armed with a small sword and wearing a gold ring of impressive quality, which leads me to suspect the ring may have magical properties.
“While there are many glass items for sale on the shelves, the artisans read specifications written upon slate chalkboards, which the assistant occasionally erases and updates from a ledger. It is plausible that most of their work is contracted in advance.
“The two glass guardians, formed to the shape of six-foot-tall, voluptuous females stand to either side of the main entrance. They are tinted blue, crystal clear, and have sculpted sapphire eyes.
“The business does allow one to observe the process for several minutes, before the salesman inquires if the individual intends to contract the services of Sterjin’s Glass Receptacle Fabrications, or purchase off the shelf. Inquiring about services and prices, it is logical to surmise that only the wealthiest of clients, or those in desperate need, might afford Sterjin’s Glass Receptacle Fabrications’ offerings.”
Kirby cut in, “I could negotiate him down.”
Ron frowned. “The stated fee for their crafted items, I believe, is purposefully inflated to encourage those without sufficient need and or resources to depart without further inquiry.”
Kirby again interrupted Ron, offering him the jar of honey. “We saved ya some, dude. It’s almost empty.”
The warrior druid thanked Kirby, then said, “While I finish my portion of bread, provide the remaining pertinent details of our scouting endeavor.”
“Right.” Kirby grinned and scratched his nose. “So, after arrogant salesman dude talked to Lysine, then sort of gave us the brushoff, we went back outside.
“There’s a two-story brick building to the right that’s a bakery.”
Ron cleared his throat. “Interpret left as to the east, with Sterjin’s Glass Receptacle Fabrications’ entry door facing south on the east to west running street.”
“Yeah, right, east. Bakery’s on the corner.” Kirby glanced to his left, at Ron. “Talking to a few people, when we got the bread, the upstairs floor is apartment rooms for the glass-blowing guys. On the left is a building just like the bakery, but with no business sign telling the type of business. It’s deep as two buildings, so it sort of makes the two-foot wide alley a T, with the narrow parts going north and south. It ain’t rundown or boarded up or anything. Me and Lysine think it’s like the business offices and supply storage for the glass place. The big storage building’s west wall,” Kirby said, emphasizing the compass direction, “has a door that’s super big with a short ramp up to it, and wagon ruts, too. The front door is sort of normal, but looks pretty sturdy, with a latch for a padlock. Probably for at night.”
Kirby scrunched up his face. “Some dude with a sword sort of watches the business office and the glass shop from the street.”
Kirby shook his head. “He’s either the worst thief in the world, or wants people to know he’s there for a reason.” The half-goblin thief nodded his head while thinking to himself. “Bet they got, like, someone watching twenty-four seven.
“Bad thing is that there’s only like about a foot between the buildings along the sides and a little over two running between buildings behind. In this town there’s sharing walls or a couple feet. Plus, I saw iron rails partly dug into the ground. They got two-inch nail spikes sticking up. Nobody’s gonna want to try squeezing between Sterjin’s and the bakery or storage place.”
Kirby reached over and picked up the empty jar sitting next to Ron. He said, “Tell’em about the pottery shop and the pipes and what we figured they’re for, Lysine, and the shoemaker dude.”
Grinning, the half-goblin began scraping his finger along the inside of the jar, licked the bits of honey and bread crumbs off his finger, and began the process again.
Ron cleared his throat. “The elderly cobbler. His single-story shop, also of brick construction, is on the corner, behind or north of the bakery, and east of the pottery shop. The cobbler presents himself as an ill-disposed individual who mistreats his apprentice.”
Ron didn’t elaborate, other than offering a look of disgust.
Kirby said, “Beats on him pretty good, by what we saw and the bruises.”
That upset Glenn, causing a scowl.
Stephi said, “He shouldn’t be allowed to do that. Why didn’t you do something, Gurk?”
Gurk flinched, ducking his head. “I wanted to, but Lysine said we were on a scouting mission.” He made eye contact with the party leader. “If the opportunity presents itself, we can take action.”
Stephi’s wings fluttered in irritation and asked Ron, “Why’d you stop Gurk?”
Derek cut in. “We’re here because of you, Miss Do-Gooder Barbie. If Lysine or Gurk got marked as troublemakers, everybody’d be watching them if they ever went back around there.” He leaned forward. “You wanna try doing the mission with only me, you, the gnome and your bird?”
The big warrior sat back. “I ain’t dying to help some apprentice that gets thumped when he does something stupid.” He pointed sharply at Stephi. “But say the word, Stupid Miss Do-Gooder, and I’ll kick the cobbler’s ass for ya, and you can stay a fairy forever.”
Glenn jumped to his feet, fists balled. “You take that back.”
Derek remained seated. “What? We’re here because she did something stupid and she’s wanting to do something else stupid.”
“Men!” Ron said sharply, then continued in a moderate tone. “Gentlemen, after engaging in a brief discussion, Gurk and I determined it wise to refrain from intervening, by and large, for several of the objective reasons Kalgore suggested.”
“Yeah,” Kirby said, yellow eyes glaring at the big warrior, “we get it, but you didn’t have to be a—”
Ron leaned forward and snapped, “Gurk,” cutting the half-goblin thief off. Then he motioned to Glenn. “Jax, please return to a seated position.”
Glenn sat down in a huff, glaring at Derek and Ron. “If you already decided we’re not going to do anything about it, why’d you even mention it?”
“So that everyone in the party would be aware,” Ron said. “And refrain from intervening, even though our natural inclination is to do so.”
Except for Derek, Glenn thought, but didn’t express it verbally. The gnome healer could hardly stomach the big warrior’s crossed arms and smug expression. Instead he reached out and took Stephi’s tiny hand in his and squeezed gently.
Pent up anger in his voice, Kirby said, “Just tell them about the heat pipes and the elemental fire spirit.”