Clueless

The hammer slammed onto the metal sending a mist of sparks flying as the man bent the metal over the horn of the anvil. Drawing the metal into shape.

“Lux.” a voice said, just as the clang of the hammer drowned it out.

“Lux.” it came a little louder but the man hammering away didn’t seem to notice.

“LUX!” The voice came out in a shout the third time and the man swung the hammer once more, before throwing it back in the forge. Pulling his goggles down letting them hang on his neck.

“What, Boman!?” Lux shouted.

Lux stared at Boman almost unblinking, the dark circles under his eyes making his annoyance deepen.
“How’s the project going?” he asked an air of superiority to his tone, as he picked up a small metal pin off one of the tables and rolled it around in his fingers.

Lux threw up his hands and made a vague gesture to all the bits and pieces of armoured plates laid on various tables. Made of a glassy metal, of a dull bluish-grey colour. “Would be going faster if I wasn’t trying to forgeweld this ‘fools’ mithril together.” Lux said. Hanging on a rack next to one of the tables was what could vaguely be described as a skeleton, if you squinted hard enough. The skull of which was smooth, featureless and textured.

“For the last time.” Boman shook his head like a disappointed parent. “Lux, I will not get you real mithril for a prototype.”

“Then you are going to have to wait.” Lux said, moving his hands to tell Boman to stand back, as he put his goggles back on and pulled the metal back out of the forge, swinging it wide enough for Boman to feel the heat from the metal. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Lux shouted over the strikes of the hammer.

“I have all the time in the world and would like to see the process of what MY money is paying for.”

“Yes, no expenses spared with praitine and mithril slag alloy.” Lux said sarcastically as he pounded a few more bends to the metal before replacing it in the forge.

Boman let a bit of anger snap into his voice “You are lucky I am giving you that.”

Lux didn’t turn around but gave his shoulders a big shrug as he stomped the bellows with his foot. “Just don’t come crying to me when a falling rock cracks it’s plating like it’s made of glass.”

Lux couldn’t stop Boman from poking around, without his funding the project would be dead in the water. But it still annoyed him listening to Boman shuffling around in between hammer strikes. Hearing the squeak of the articulated fingers of the frame's hand, followed by a question. “What all can these hands hold?” Boman asked.

“I’ve managed to get to grip with accuracy everything but a wrench and screwdriver. It can hold them but the motion of using them is tricky and too much on the individual joints.”

“Is that something you could fix?” Boman asked.

Lux took a breath so as to not grind his teeth. He hated the way the man spoke. It always sounded like he added ‘hmm’ to the end of everything he said.

“With time.” Lux said, “But the cost of moving it outweighs any benefit you would get from having it do small tasks.”

Boman let out a chuckle and let the hand go. Lux closed his eyes and breathed. Dunking the new piece of armour on the water to quince it. Pulling it free he ran a file along a few edges listening for any flaws in the hardness. Once satisfied he put it on the table with the others. “Could I get a demonstration?” Boman asked.

Lux sighed. “Must I?”

Boman smiled, “It is what I am paying you for after all.”

Lux walked to the other side of the room and wheeled another stand into the center of the floor. It had a framework skeleton almost identical to the first. The only difference being a series of tin disks mounted on it all etched with runes. From a table Lux lifted a leather harness with a tin plated on the back with the same rune, as well as matching gloves and straps across his boots. Lux licked his lips, “Watch carefully.” he said, his tone still neutral enough to sound like a request but even Boman knew it was an order.

Lux let out a slow breath when he opened his eyes. They were pure white. He slowly lifted his right arm and the frame did the same. He opened and closed his fingers, it followed though slightly more sluggishly. He lifted his left leg and shook his foot. The model mimicked him. He left the spell go and rocked on his feet. “Demonstration over.” Lux said pulling the gloves off.

“Oh. My. I am impressed.” Boman said, “If that works why must we make a ‘better’ model? Why go through my expense?”
Lux looked at Boman dead in the eyes. “Because it barely works. It’s made of tin and copper and can barely hold my spell workings.” he rubbed his temples. “And it gives me a splitting headache using it for forty seconds. If I can’t use it, some miner won’t stand a chance.”

“It seems to have worked to my eyes.” Boman said looking at the prototype.

“It might function but it doesn’t work. Its like sweeping the floor with a paint brush. Sure you could do it, but you’d just be making more work for yourself. Speaking of work, if you want this done you should leave me to it.” Lux put his goggles back on, and grabbed one of the metal bars from a barrel. “Come back in a month.”

“A month!?” Boman shot back.

“A month.” Lux confirmed dryly.

Even without looking Lux could feel Boman’s sneer “You’d better have it finished by then.” Lux heard him say as the man stormed out. Lux let out a sigh and got back to work.

–

A month passed and if not an hour to the day when Lux was arriving at this workshop Boman and his bodyguard were waiting with three other people and a cart. “You are late.” Boman said.

“You are early.” Lux said, “It was a short month and you are several hours early. I still have two plates to install.” he said, unlocking and pushing the door open, and walked down the stairs to the workshop.Muttering a small spell the room's lights came up. Lux went right to work locking the plates in place.

When he’d finished he waved Boman over. “It’s done.” he said, “Let me grab a few things and I’ll be ready for the presentation.”

“Oh…” Boman said with a fake sad tone. “You won’t be going.” he shook his head, “You did such fine work I thought I could show it to a different buyer. Someone with a much more…practical application. Who cares about some lowly peasant dying in the mine? You’re work should be used for something more grand. Think of it. An army of these could make war profitable.”

“We didn’t agree to this!” Lux shouted.

“Shame your opinion doesn’t matter.” Boman said, and snapped his fingers. Lux felt something hard hit between his neck and shoulder blades and it all went dark.

As Lux faded he heard the tail end of Boman and his guard. “Should I finish him boss?”

“No.” Boman said. “Leave him, he might come around, and if he doesn’t he’s still useful.”

Some time later when he came to his mouth tasted of copper, his goggles were cracked and his workshop was empty. “That snake!” Lux spat, flipping one of the tables. “I should have known. I should have known!” Lux shouted.

—