ISSN 2371-3747
Episode 003
January 2016
Lanis
By Rusty Knight
Episode 003, ‘Hangela’s Duck’

In the previous episode 002, ‘Lenden’s Dilemma’:

Lanis had to prove her skills to Master Lenden. With eight, five-hundred Flair usury notes, he sent Lanis hunting for gems. He was happy with two of the five gems Lanis brought back and was impressed with her skills as a mage’s assistant.

And now in episode 003, ‘Hangela’s Duck’:

Spring 6 Bear

Lanis finishes cooking the morning meal as is her duty now. She is excited that she is going to be working with Lenden in his lab, after morning meal, for the first time, today. Realising he can cast spells like the 'Lesser Sign of Sealing', means he has more than a little skill. Studying with Lenden is a stroke of luck. She could have done worse.
Setting the food on the dining table, Lanis sits down to eat with Lenden. She is eager to start and asks, “Master Lenden, when do we start in the lab today?”

Dishing some of the scrambled eggs onto his plate and then breaking off the drumstick from the roast duck, Lenden replies, “Did you kill my duck for the meal this morning?”

Lanis nods, “Yes, they are easy to come by. I can get another one.”

Lenden titters, he utters, “No, my dear, you do not kill my egg laying ducks. I use the eggs for more than eating. You do not start in the lab today. You go to Hangela’s for three new egg laying ducks. That is your task for study. Three egg laying ducks from Hangela’s. I’ll give you ten Flairs, but the three shouldn’t cost a total of one Flair, if you do this right.”

Dejected, Lanis mumbles, “Yes, Master Lenden.”

Lanis finishes eating the meal in silence, then cleans up the dishes.

Lenden brings her a pouch containing ten Flairs.

Walking out into Quantos, the gods are breathing stiffly northwest, hampering Lanis’ walking and the heat makes walking intolerable, but the gods are providing some partial cover in the sphere, for some relief. The walk today to Hangela’s takes almost an hour longer, because of the hampering by the gods, and Lanis’ reluctance to go to the mercantile.
Entering the building, Lanis sees the toyfem and she bravely approaches the trader. “Good day, Trader Hangela. I’m here on business for my master.”

Hangela nods, and she smiles disarmingly, which turns Lanis’ stomach. Hangela asks, “How may I be of service, Master Lanis?”

Lanis sighs openly. “I need three egg laying ducks for my master.”

For the next half hour, the two haggle over the prices of three individual ducks that Hangela shows Lanis. Each is very different and even though Lanis asks questions, Hangela is very vague in answering, simply replying shes not a farmer, just a trader. In the end, Lanis feels proud at haggling a price of two Dyns total for all three ducks. This is far less than even the one Flair, that Master Lenden suggested was the maximum he expected to pay. The most expensive duck cost eleven dusters, and it was all fancy with shiny coloured feathers. Hangela said it was imported from Shespan.

Realising she has no way of getting the ducks home, other than herding them, Lanis flounders with thoughts of getting the ducks home.
“Master Hangela, how do I get three ducks eight kilometers’ home?” asks Lanis nervously.

Reaching for a wicker cage, Hangela says, “For three Flairs, you can have this cage.”

Lanis doesn’t think its worth one Flair, so offers low. “I don’t think so. I’ll give you, maybe one. At most its worth two.”

Hangela extends her arm, and says, “For two, its yours.”

Realising she could have gotten it for less if she hadn’t said two, but she did say two. Lanis clasps arms. Then she pays Hangela the two Flairs for the cage and places the three ducks in it.

With some difficulty, Lanis carries the ducks home in the cage. Arriving home, after gods-set, she lets the ducks loose in the chicken run. Then setting aside the cage, she enters the house to find Lenden.

She tells her master. “Master Lenden, here are your coins. I purchased three ducks for two Dyns, but I had to purchase a cage to bring them home in, the cage cost two Flairs.”

Lenden waves off the coins, he says, “Hold onto those for future purchases for me. I’ll look at the ducks in the morning.”

Spring 7 Bear

Lenden is laughing so hard, that Lanis thinks he is going to stop his heart. He has been laughing for a minute, and she doesn’t know why. He looked at the three ducks and just continues bellowing out laughing.

Finally, he quit laughing and said, “Butcher that one for evening meal” Pointing to the fancy feather duck that cost Lanis the most.

“Why?” she asks.

Lenden, going serious, replies, “Because he can’t lay me one damn egg in his entire life, that is why. You brought back two drakes and one hen. Hangela saw you coming all right. You have to know your stuff when dealing with that dog. She’ll take your coin, all of it, and give you just about damn near any thing, even stuff you didn’t ask for, or even nothing. As a lesson to you, how much did you pay for that one, and that one?” He points to the two fancy feathered ducks.

Lanis answers, “Eleven dusters for the brightest one, and four dusters for the small one.”

Lenden nods, he says, “Okay, fifteen dusters are coming off your wages, I believe that equates to eight days pay. The two ducks are yours. Do with them as you wish. But don’t use my feed, unless you’re going to pay for it. Get them out of my chicken run and put them on the pond.”

Lanis frowns with mixed feelings. She now has her first property, but she is out eight days of wages. Hangela will pay for this somehow … Someday.

To be continued …

In episode four, ‘Really!’:

Lanis finally gets lab time, but is it what she is expecting from Lenden? She begins developing her own area of the lab and she explores the library, discovering a treasure she didn’t expect.

© 2016 by Rusty Knight with Inevitable Unicorn Press
www.inupress.ca inupress@inupress.ca

 
Awesome! You’ve completed reading episode 003 of ‘Lanis’, you want to read more from Rusty Knight! We have an easy link here for you to follow so you can get more, follow www.inupress.ca . to go where you can get issues of ‘Lanis’, ‘Markus’, and ‘Dragoman Bloodgrue’, along with much more from authors from Inevitable Unicorn Press. While there, you can follow the subscribe button and join our free e-mail subscription list, where you will receive one gift when you have first signed up. Once you have signed up to the email subscription list you will continue to receive more news and updates from Rusty Knight and the other authors from InUPress. The free bonus changes with time, the bonus was a pdf with the biographies of the protagonist group the, Black Swans, from Rusty Knight’s upcoming epic fantasy novel ‘Laret’. Later the bonus was an episode from the fantasy serial series ‘Markus’.
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We would like the acknowledge the work of the following:

The episode author is Rusty Knight
Our episode graphics designer is Rusty Knight
Our editor for the episode Donna Shumaker
The episode producer, publisher and distributor is Inevitable Unicorn Press known as InUPress
The Lanis series marketing and promotions are by InUPress

Have an wonderful day
Yours,
Rusty Knight
©2016 by Rusty Knight with Inevitable Unicorn Press
www.inupress.ca inupress@inupress.ca
www.rustyknight.ca rusty@rustyknight.ca

 
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