Timothy Nugent Author
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Chapter 76 - Drama
🕑 Added 2024-10-30 13:00:02 +0000 UTC“So, how long until you can make it?” Blake leaned in, excited.
“Dude. I already told you, I don’t know,” replied Oliver.
“Come on, you must have some idea.”
Oliver shook his head. “Look, all I’ve made so far is low level stamina potions. All they can do is raise your Physical Stamina by one for an hour. After I make like a hundred of them, I can move on to the magical variety. When I ‘master’ those,” Oliver used air quotes. “I’ve got four other freaking attributes to get through. Then, and only then, can I choose which potion to ‘master’ next.”
“Well, how long will it take you to brew a hundred potions?”
Oliver threw his hands up. “How the hell am I supposed to know?”
“Math,” Blake replied, deadpan. When his brother failed to respond, he continued, “I watched you make one before. It takes, what, thirty minutes?”
His brother shrugged. “Give or take.”
“Give or take how much?” Blake pressed.
“AGAIN. How the hell am I supposed to know? The stupid nanomachines in my brain don’t have a clock.” He pointed directly in Blake’s face. “And, you destroyed my phone.”
“Then borrow someone else’s.”
“Yeah,” Oliver huffed. “Cause that worked out so well the last time.”
“That time, you wanted to surf the web,” he reminded his brother. “Just tell them what you need it for, and I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to help you out.” After a moment of consideration, he added, “Just don’t ask Brent.”
“Fine, I’ll do it,” his brother relented but seemed worried at Blake’s enthusiasm.
“Thank you. For now, let’s just assume you can make two potions an hour. If it takes fifty hours to master an attribute, it’ll be three hundred to finish all six of them. That’s… that’s like an entire month.”
“Where are you getting this ‘fifty hours’ number?”
“You said you have to make a hundred potions to gain mastery.” Blake reminded him.
“No, I said LIKE a hundred of them,” Oliver emphasized.
Blake groaned. “Oliver, Oliver, Oliver… You gotta help me out here. How many does it tell you to make to master the potion?”
“It doesn’t. It just has this bar that slowly gets filled up. Look, I was just excited I was getting somewhere, and you have to go ruin the mood with math.”
Blake ignored the complaint and continued. “It’s probably the same mastery bar my spells get. When you focus on the bar, does it give you an exact progress percentage?”
“Uh…” his brother crossed his eyes as his focus turned inward. “Yeah. It says twenty-two point three percent.”
“Okay then,” Blake took a deep breath but smiled. “Here’s what I want you to do. Go borrow someone’s cell phone and see how long it takes you to brew a potion. Then, look at the bar and see how much progress you’ve made. When you combine the two numbers, you can figure out how many hours it’ll take.”
“That sounds complicated.”
Blake was taken aback. “What?”
“That’s a lot of math,” his brother complained.
“I know it’s been a while since I used one, but don’t cell phones have calculator apps?” Blake replied sarcastically.
Oliver rolled his eyes. “No, I mean, like figuring out what numbers to use and when to multiply.”
“Did you fail algebra?” Blake asked in disbelief.
“What? No!” he protested. “But, that was like four years ago!”
“It’s been ten for me,” he reminded his brother.
“Yeah, well, I’m not a nerd.”
“Really?” Blake said deadpan. “Cause’ I'm benching cars and fighting every day, while you’re playing with your beaker set.”
Oliver raised his shaking hands. “That’s cold, bro. I wanted to fight, remember? But ‘Lord Blake Summers’,” he mocked. “Said no.”
Blake shook his head. “Sorry. Just get those numbers. I’ll be back in an hour, and we’ll figure it out together.”
He left his brother to his work and strode toward the cookhouse, spear in hand. Blake was elated with his brother’s progress and hoped he did not dampen it in his enthusiasm. It had been hours since he last ate, and his stomach protested its ill-treatment. After a moment of thought, he decided he could store his weapon later, after he was full of tasty food.
On his way, he heard voices raised in an argument. With a sigh, he detoured around the bunkhouse to investigate the commotion. When he rounded the corner, he found Jordan in a heated discussion with a young woman in her upper twenties.
“I won’t put up with your gaslighting anymore,” the woman scolded. “It needs to stop, or you don’t get to see Noah again.”
Blake stopped short, unsure if he should approach the couple.
“You can’t do that, Bella!” Jordan yelled, his southern accent strained. “He’s my son, too! And, I’m not ‘gaslighting’ you, there really is magic! I told you, I can prove it!”
Bella threw her hands into the air. “Do you seriously expect me to believe that crap!? I’m not some six-year-old that’ll believe everything his dad says. You’re confusing him, Jordan, and it needs to stop.”
Jordan closed his eyes and clenched his fists with shaking arms.
“What, are you going to hit me now?”
Jordan slowly breathed out to control his temper, and opened his eyes. “You know I would never do that,” he said.
“Oh, you won’t hit or yell,” she agreed. You’ll just shut down and leave, like you always do.”
“I never left you,” he reminded her evenly. “You kicked me out.”
Yeah… I don’t want to get in the middle of this.
Blake slowly backed away, careful to remain unseen. As he retreated, the heel of his foot caught on a rock. He quickly caught himself, but the damage was done. The sudden movement alerted Jordan.
“Blake!” he yelled, eyes alight with victory. “You have to show her!”
Blake froze, eyes wide.
Bella turned with a frown to see who interrupted their private conversation. Her eyes tracked down from his young, lightly-stubbled face, past his stained leather armor, to the spear he held in his hands. She curled her lip and sneered. “Yeah. I’m definitely gonna believe some high schooler playing dress up.”
“Oh, you will in a minute,” Jordan replied confidently.
Blake raised his hands, his palms outward. “Uh… this seems like a private argument. I don’t really want to get in the middle of it.”
“Too late,” Jordan disagreed. “Just show her some magic and put this argument to rest.”
Bella put her hands on her hips and replied sarcastically. “Yes, Blake. Show me a magic trick. Maybe make a rabbit appear out of your ass,” she suggested.
Both Jordan and Bella stared expectantly at him as they waited for a show. Immediately, his mind considered the four new spells he had yet to cast. Unfortunately, none of them were flashy. Alacrity would make him faster, but speed was a hard thing to judge while close up. Mind Sense had no visual effect, and the distant clang of a hammer on steel would overwhelm the effect of Dampen Sound.
I guess Gale it is.
Blake, however, did not wish to kill or heavily injure the woman, no matter how unpleasant she currently seemed. If he used it against her at this close range, she would be picked up and crushed against the warehouse wall.
Okay, I’ll show her two spells.
“Watch closely, and don’t blink,” Blake advised.
He turned his head so he could see behind him and activated a Guided Spatial Step. The world around him shifted, and he immediately appeared twenty feet away.
Then, before either audience member could react, he raised his hands and completed the short cast sequence Gale required. With the sound of an explosion, the built-up pressure wave was released. Both Jordan and Bella stumbled sideways until they caught themselves against the wall.
Oops! Still too close.
Blake underestimated the spell’s power. It was meant to be used in combat to fling his enemies away, not against normal humans.
“What the hell was that!” she shrieked as she pushed off from the wall unsteadily.
“That,” Jordan said with a smirk. “Was magic.”
Bella whirled on her ex-boyfriend. “No, I’m serious!” She then addressed Blake. “How did you do that?”
“The short explanation is magic.” He shrugged. “The long explanation is… well… long.”
She wrinkled her brows. “Are you talking about the little bugs? The… nano-thingies?”
“Oh, so he already told you.”
Jordan snorted. “She stopped listening to me about five seconds after I started talking.”
“You were saying ridiculous things!” she defended.
“Not so ridiculous now, is it?” Jordan pointed out.
“I mean,” she trailed off. “It’s possible the wind just happened to blow when he raised his hands.”
“Uh huh,” he said dryly. “And the teleportation?”
“I probably just blinked!”
“He told you NOT to blink.”
“Well soooorrrry. I was surprised.”
Jordan turned back to Blake. “Think you can give her another show?”
He sighed and checked his interface. According to it, he had to wait another thirteen seconds before the spell could be recast. He let them know, moved another ten feet away, and waited while the couple bickered.
I just wanted to get some supper.
Finally, when the cooldown period ended, he gained their attention and recast the spell. Once again, they were rocked backward, although this time with less force than before.
“Is that good enough?” Blake asked.
Jordan turned to Belle to await her answer.
The confused woman remained frozen as she tried to come up with a logical explanation for the phenomenon she just witnessed. After she failed to explain it away, Bella slowly nodded.
“Good,” Blake nodded once. “Then, I’m going to get some food.” He turned and stalked away. Over his shoulder, he said, “You two can work out whatever argument you were having without me.”
Behind him, he heard a new argument begin, and he did his best to tune the bickering out.
That’s one thing I don’t miss.
Over the years, Blake had been in a few relationships, but none had lasted. He liked to keep things casual and without labels. However, he had yet to find a woman who shared his views. Inevitably, his partner became serious and wanted to confine him in an imaginary box of her design. When he resisted their efforts, each took it personally and left.
As he neared the cookhouse, he considered the past. For all his casual relationships, he realized he was lonely.
He observed the budding village. Now that they had four constructors and a plethora of people, the town was taking off. He knew his father would be bustling in the kitchen and ecstatic to show him his latest meal. His mother, he was sure, was ready to showcase something she had learned about the town. Meanwhile, Oliver was hard at work for once in his life.
The ten-foot wall around their fifty acres was almost completed. Once finished, they would begin its upgrade so they could utilize the shield generator as soon as it became available. At level two, the wall doubled in height, and added a ‘wall walk’ along with crenelations. This allowed town defenders to remain safe above the enemy while they rained down spells against their attackers.
He shook off the thoughts.
I don’t have time for a relationship, but at least my family’s alive this time.
As Blake neared the cookhouse, he heard raised voices inside, and paused to listen.
“Why do you gotta be such a dick all the time?” Montgomery yelled.
“I am not being ‘a dick’,” Rajesh replied calmly in his Indian accent. “It is not my fault you can not take constructive criticism.”
“Constructive criticism!” Montgomery’s voice rose beyond his prior yell. “Is that what you call it? Here’s some ‘constructive criticism’,” Montgomery said sarcastically with air quotes. “Don’t be a dick!”
“That is not helpful, and it is rude,” Rajesh replied, annoyed.
“Oh good, now you know how it feels.”
Blake deflated as he hung his head in frustration.
I just wanted some freaking food!
Even though Blake had promised his father he would sort his old friend’s drama out, he had avoided the issue. Despite their heated disagreements, they continued to function as a team, and Blake hoped they would come to an understanding on their own.
It looks like I have to intervene after all.
He barged into the cookhouse and immediately interrupted the argument. “Okay, that’s enough.”
Only Montgomery, Jeff, and Rajesh were seated within the small dining room, but at Blake’s command, all eyes immediately shifted to him.
“We’re going to work out whatever problem you have between you before you run everyone out of the faction like you did the cookhouse.”
Rajesh frowned and glanced at the empty tables beside him.
“We didn’t run anyone out,” Montgomery argued.
“Really? Then where’s Dahteste?” Blake asked.
Montgomery shrugged. “She said she likes to eat at home.”
“You’re telling me, after fighting goblins all day, she’d rather eat hot dogs alone at home than my dad’s free gourmet cooking?”
“Oh. When you put it like that…” His friend frowned.
“So, what’s the real problem between you two?” Before they could answer, he added, “Remember, I know you two can work together. After all, you did it for years.”
“Sounds like torture to me,” Montgomery muttered under his breath.
Jeff nodded.
Rajesh ignored the insult and stated, “He is too reckless.”
“You’re too cautious,” Montgomery countered with a pointed finger.
The Indian opened his mouth to respond, but Blake silenced him, “Both of you, shut up.” He turned to Jeff and asked, “Tell it to me straight. Is Montgomery being too reckless?”
Jeff tilted his head and considered the question. After a moment, he raised his hand and rocked it back and forth.
So there IS some truth to the claim.
“Okay, Jeff, let me guess how it goes. Montgomery comes up with a risky plan, and Rajesh disagrees. They argue for ten minutes until Montgomery just goes ahead and implements it. You and Dahteste just go along with it, even though you two probably have suggestions of your own, but in the end it works out. Am I right?”
“Hey!” Montgomery blurted.
Blake quickly silenced the man with a stern glare and turned back to Jeff to see his reaction.
Jeff reluctantly nodded.
Blake sighed. “Okay. The way I see it, we have two options. We can either split you guys up, or I appoint a team leader.”
“Who was the leader before?” Rajesh asked.
“You mean before I went back in time?” After the Indian nodded, he replied, “We didn’t have one. We essentially voted on what we’d do.”
Montgomery snorted.
Rajesh pointed across the table. “I assume that he and I often disagreed, and Jeff sided with him. Am I right?”
“Jeff didn’t always side with him,” Blake corrected, “But yeah, you and he always saw things differently.”
Rajesh nodded in satisfaction. “Then YOU moderated his reckless behavior. YOU were the leader of the group.”
“No, I was more of a diplomat. I just calmed tempers and made sure we came to an agreement.”
Rajesh shook his head. “Unlikely. According to you, there were four of us. If you sided with me in an argument, what happened?” Then he further explained, “It would be two against two.”
Blake frowned. “Montgomery usually just gave in.”
The Indian nodded. “It is as I thought.”
Was I really the group leader?
Blake thought back to the past. In the beginning, nothing ever got done, as Montgomery and Rajesh argued endlessly. Eventually, Blake was no longer able to take it. He demanded they vote on any issues, and took charge of the process. When the group was evenly split, he was almost always the deciding vote.
Maybe I was. It definitely didn’t feel like it.
“Well, as much as I’d like to join your group and make it like it used to be, that’s not an option. So, do we appoint a leader, or split the group?”
“That depends on the leader,” Rajesh replied.
For once, Montgomery agreed.
“Well, I doubt either of you would follow the other, right?”
They both nodded.
“Then that leaves Dahteste or Jeff.”
“Appointing Jeff is the same as appointing Montgomery,” Rajesh argued.
Jeff crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes.
Blake snorted. “Oh, you’d be surprised what he has to say when Montgomery’s not around.”
Montgomery frowned and glanced over to his friend, but Jeff’s expression did not change.
“Can he even speak?” Rajesh asked.
“I can,” Jeff confirmed. “I just choose not to most of the time.”
“Why stay silent?” Rajesh asked.
Jeff uncrossed his arms and shrugged. “What’s the point?”
The simple response summed up the quiet man completely. He chose not to answer the question directly, and did not even bother to clarify his statement.
Blake knew what Jeff meant by the answer, but Rajesh likely did not. He decided to elaborate. “He doesn’t see the point in filling the silence like Montgomery does, and as long as he doesn’t have a strong objection, he’ll just go with the flow.”
Jeff nodded.
“Then he is a natural follower, not a leader.” Rajesh argued.
“Maybe,” Blake admitted. “But, why not give him a chance. It can’t be worse than it is now, right?”
“Why not Dahteste?” Rajesh asked.
“Do you think she’d be a better leader than Jeff? I honestly don’t know anything about her,” Blake admitted.
Rajesh grew quiet as he contemplated the answer. Finally, he shook his head.
“Okay, then it’s settled. The next time you go out, Jeff will decide what to do.” He saw the man grin in satisfaction and pointed his finger at him. “That means you have to explain what you want them to do fully. Don’t just grunt and hope they understand.”
Montgomery snorted, while Jeff looked offended.
Whatever. I need to eat.
Comments
John Doe
"Don’t just grunt and hope they understand.” Ok, now that was funny! :-)
Lance Wheeler
Fun times arguing about nothing
Undead Writer
Thanks for the chapter!!
Andreea Robertina
Thank you for the chapter!
