The Silver Spire

[Jenny]

They eyed Faust warily as they moved, but they did not relax, almost as if they wondered if he had any food or money on him. The thought did cross their minds, and it would not be lost on Faust. They were poor and hungry themselves. They lowered their weapons sullenly as he spoke.

“Just how the hell are you going to do that? It’s tight up there, and it’s a long way to climb.”

[faust]

" Why, magic of course!" He laughed hard at his little joke. "But seriously. Magic." He took a step or two back and drew a quick circle on the ground with an ancient looking design in the middle that seemed to blur before the eyes. He spoke in an oddly resonating language for a moment and clapped his hands together suddenly. It was as if a shockwave had gone off when he did that, but no force met them.

Faust had expended some of his prana force to summon up a gold demon, a fairy of the wood. It was a tiny little female, flitting about on silken wings, and she giggled lightly. There was a flash of light and the pretty little thing disappeared with a pop. In her place appeared a feasting table with a roast hog upon it and honeymead, sausages and cheese.

"Go ahead," said Faust. "It's real. Help yourself."

[Jenny]

They all looked at him as if he were insane. Magic was nonsense to them and more than one of their eyes glinted because in all seriously they thought they were being toyed with. They murmured together at Faust’s strange behavior as he worked the circle, their eyes uncertain and beginning to back away to get away from the crazy person. They jolted back at the sound and stiffened expectantly. They just couldn’t believe what they were seeing! They jolted back a bit more as the fairy flitted, not wanting to get close to this strange conjuration they leaned forward, achingly, when the food appeared before them.

“Oh come on, guys, it’s only a trick of the light. It’s nothing!” A brash man strode forward towards what could only be a mirage. “It’s- “ he yelped as he actually struck a table and fell forward between platters. He came up, sniffing, looking over the food greedily and picked up a piece of the hog. He looked back at his companions, still somewhat in disbelief. He examined the piece of food, sniffed at it then tentatively took it between his teeth.”

“It’s real, boys!” He hooted and went in for more. The others scrambled behind him, all eager to get food in their stomach. After a few minutes of simply shoveling in what they could before they needed a good breath, their leader spoke to Faust with his mouth full.

“How the hell did you do that?” Munch, munch, swallow. “What’s your name again?”

[faust]

"You may call me Faust, and I am here to help the people in need." He bowed slightly. "How may I address you and your compatriots?"

[Jenny]

“I’m Aldaric, this is Emerick, Dachs, Luthor, Haimo, and Volker…” he went down the line as they gave a jerking nod in response. “We’re miners. At least we used to be.” There were mutterings and assents as they continued to clear the table of the food, a few having taken notice and joining in. “Those damn Tzeitelians closed down our livelihood and banned us from their damned city. We’ve got nothing left. You want to help us, you’ll find a way to open up the labor again and make it stay that way.”

[faust]

"How would you like to give up mining forever, Sir Aldarac?" He said with a steady gaze and a raised eyebrow. "I would like to enlist you and your company's services as my advocates, ambassadors, and advisors in this part of the sprawl. I may not have coin, but I can make more food on command as payment. I want to bring equality to the downtrodden and raise you up to heights you have barely dreamed. The Undercity must thrive." He stretched out his hand in a strongly symbolic gesture of invitation.

"Join me and I will make you famous. I will bring you respect, and the power to change your destiny!" He looked at each one of them in the eyes, making the personal connection. They probably thought he was a nutter, but he had honed his oratory skills considerably over the years and knew which psychological buttons to push at the right times. It had saved his life on more than one occasion.

[Jenny]

They stopped eating, looking at him guardedly. Aldaric straightened completely, swallowing his food, wiping his soiled hands on his dirty shirt, mostly the color of weak tea. He crossed his arms as he listened carefully to what the stranger had to say. As the others would follow Aldaric whatever his decision, for he was their pack leader, they quietly continued to shove every last edible morsel of food into their mouths. They muttered a consented thank you to this generous stranger.

Aldaric didn’t think much on it, for a fool would not accept this man’s offer. He uncrossed his arms, reached out a hand and took Faust’s open and expectant palm and gave it a firm shake. “We’ll do whatever you want if it means making a living again,” he grunted. “We’ll stand behind you.”

The others indicated assent. If he kept the food coming they’d do just about anything, especially since it meant not having to resort to violence, which they had done before a few more times than one should. These men were rough and their manner used to being blunt, aggressive, and relying on the strength years at the pick had built up. Making them behave might be a handful when it came in the face of their pure hatred for those that lived above them.

“Well that’s well and good for us, stranger,” one man with a bit of heart piped up. “But I have a family to feed. I’m all for sharing, but you see we cleared a whole table. If word got round that you have good there’s going to be trouble for you.”

[faust]

"That's where you fellows come in. I trust you all are adequate brawlers? Don't worry too much, though. I can repeat this little bit of magic quite a few times. I will need to sleep sometime, though..."

[Jenny]

They eyed him up and down, one snuffed his nose with his sleeve. “Yeah, ya wanna see?” He didn’t seem at all enthused with Aldaric’s decision, and as he strode forward, pulling his sleeves up his arms. Aldaric reached out and put his hand forcefully against the man’s shoulder.

“Volker, don’t. He’s only trying to help us.

Volker’s muscles flexed as he cussed and tried to calm down, glaring at Faust the whole time. “I’d like to see what that guy’s got. He’s just summoned a bit of magic. How do we know he’s not just saying pretty words?”

Dachs, nodded forward his head. “Yeah, show us something, Faust. What do you have to back us up when the real heat comes on?”

“Guys, guys…” Aldaric stepped between them, palms forward. “Don’t get him testy. We’re making a truce here. Just do as the guy says, huh? Hey, “he turned his head to Faust, rolling his eyes as if he were in the middle of children, “you can bunk at my place.”

[faust]

"Well," I am not much of a boxer, but I am something of a marksman." Faust shoved aside the hanging flap of his overcoat to reveal his modified pistol.

" If you would like a demonstration, I would have one of you toss a stone up and outward for me. When the man was ready, Faust spoke.

"Throw!" He brought the gun up, but not much past his hip. When the stone was a good hundred feet out, he fired, there was a brilliant blue streak as the stone shattered, flaming pebbles falling to the ragged concrete. He holstered his weapon.

"If you fellas desire more, he said, throwing the coat down and rolling his sleeves up, "then by all means, come at me. Faust motioned at the two men who were eager to test his mettle. He took a relaxed stance, narrowing his eyes. He put his fists up.

[Jenny]

The discharge was Tzeitelian technology, Aldaric observed, but the casing was entirely foreign. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. So he did have the Tzeitelian’s trust, after all. Maybe this guy really could help them out. He was all for helping himself, but he was sensitive to the dweller’s situation. Too many of them had fought tooth and nail against each other only to starve to death in the gutter.

The man snorted and threw up the stone with a smirk, humoring the elf, flinging it carelessly without regard for careful aim. Others made appreciative noises as the rock was shattered into small bits from the pistol’s discharge.

“Fancy weapon you got there,” he sneered and shifted his weight forward, eager for a brawl.

“No, no fighting,” Aldaric growled, raising his hand, making his authority heard. “We’ve had enough of that already. Remember, he filled our bellies. We owe him that.”

The man looked cross, spat on the ground and glared, but stepped back and lowered his fists.

“Come on, I’ll show you to my home.” Aldaric motioned for Faust to follow.

“Meet up here tomorrow ‘round noon,” he called to the others over his shoulder.

He tramped down the rubble of the streets, kicking up dust. He headed through town, stepping over rusted train tracks. The train itself was half on its side, the glass blown out, the once-shining metal pitted and scratched up.

“Everything’s gone to shit down here. The Tzeitelians like to test out their weaponry down here, everything’s blown up or shot up or destroyed. Their excuse is that we’re nothing but rebels, swarming to take over Tevaeh. But we’ve got a right to stand up for ourselves. We’ve got the ore but they’ve got the weapons. We’ve tried to keep it from them, throw our weight around a little, but they just get through our lines. We’re nothing but dirt to them, the hard labor.”

[faust]

"Another time, then." He said to the two men, before picking his coat up and putting it back on. He followed Aldaric. That will change, I promise you. I intend to see it through, even if it kills me." He said that last with a sharpness in his voice.

[Jenny]

“So what’s the plan?” Aldaric looked at him measurably as they walked. “What makes you think they’ll listen to an outworlder?”

They turned through an alley. Around them yawned more apartment buildings. Landry was hung to dry on the balconies, blankets and other linens. All were ragged, reused, and bleached to kill parasites, but the stained color, the bluish hue of ore dust, could not completely come out of them, embedded deep, mixed with sweat.

The houses were no better, derelict, smallish and huddled together. Aldaric dug out a key from his shirt pocket and unbolted the door. He had to give it a shove with his shoulder to open it, since it stuck against the door jam, swelled with age and humidity. The walls were old and stained and there were lighter patches where artwork once hung on the walls. The house looked like it had been pillaged once or twice, anything of valued pilfered and marketed for a tin of beans or a loaf of coarse bread.

[faust]

"I have knowledge of technology that will help everyone here, on Tevaeh live safer, better lives, with more ease." He wasn't put off in the slightest by the shabby conditions. As an Elf he had seen and endured similar treatment from racist human poli-clubs on Earth.

"But the really important knowledge I can impart, I give freely to the people of the Undercity. It's time to end this segregation once and for all" there was a fire in Faust's eyes again.

""The tentative plan is to gather the folk of the Undercity to us and unite them by ridding the downtrodden of hunger. When we have done that, it is time for a revolution! Any who can learn magic, I will educate. No more will high society weapons hold sway over your lives. Magic shall be your secret weapon."

[Jenny]

Aldaric let a soft sound escape his lips, a small squeak, even paling a bit as he looked at Faust, stunned and taken aback. “No one has done the likes for us, Faust. It can hardly be believed. Why, we’ve been trod in the blue dust of the mines for so long it’s the life we know.” He shut his mouth and frowned. “It can hardly be believed,” he said again. “We’re not used to trusting anyone besides ourselves, much less an outworlder, if you get me. If you’re simply toying with us…”

He considered what Faust had to say. “We’re hungry, I’ll give you that. Haven’t had a real stick-to-your-ribs meal for a long time other than today, due to your generosity. But magic? Do you really think we can do something like that, us?” He pointed to himself, looking pensive.

There was a distant boom and the house shook, dust kicking itself off of the eaves and settling itself into a fine coat. Another booming noise, with several patterings, trembles and shivers of the surrounding buildings.

Aldaric let out a long, drawn out sigh. “They’re at it again, the Teveahns. They test their weapons, you see. It’s all the same to them if we don’t rest peacefully. The city’s riddled with pock marks and holes where they’ve gotten to the habit of blowing things up.”