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Fixitt's Epiphany [P]; Private: Kalim
Topic Started: Wed May 16, 2012 2:55 am (814 Views)
Kalim
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What Doctor Fixitt told him about wings and thermals was a blank to him, really; he had never really been that interested in birds before, though he supposed he'd have to start learning about them, now. The mercenary followed the man into the shop's front room and took the book offered, flipping through the pages for a moment. Though it had few words, there were many diagrams that described in detail the inner workings of avians and their flight patterns. If he was really going to leave the ground, he'd have to start thinking like a bird. Or like a dragon, he thought, twitching his lips in a slight smile. A full grin was impossible with the remnant of the operation's pain still bouncing around in his skull. He took a step back clenched his fist before swinging it forward, noting the soreness in the limb. He rolled his shoulders as he nodded.

"So, you said it'll take a week for me to fly?" A long time for him to sit around doing nothing. Though, perhaps he could make use of it. Like the man said, he'd have to become accustomed to the wings, and he'd be useless in combat until he did. "Alright. I'll be back." He retrieved his cloak and shirt from the back room and returned, dressing before extending a hand to the doctor. "If this works, I'll owe you. Thanks." He glanced over his shoulder, seeing the wings stretched out behind him, and gave a short laugh. Even if assassins were still trailing him, he wouldn't have to worry much about them following rumors of a "winged man". The transformation could help him in more ways than one, it seemed. Grinning, he left the shop, fully intending to spend the next week learning the newest addition to his body inside and out.

--One week later

Kal woke early, like he had for the past few days, finding that he preferred to walk in the morning hours, before the main population of the city rose from bed. The mercenary quickly dressed. He had had to cut slits in his clothing to allow room for the wings, and sliding them through the thin holes was a chore, but he had begun to get the hang of it, among other things. His back no longer ached, having adjusted to the weight. It had been difficult at first, and his body had wanted to slouch to compensate, but he had the sense to force himself to stand straight. After sheathing his various weapons, he ventured downstairs. The bartender and owner of the inn glanced at him before returning to his task, shaking his head. When Kal had arrived, he had gotten more than a few strange looks, but after mentioning Fixitt's name, they had subsided, though a few had told him he was crazy for trusting the man, while a few admired the craftmanship of the wings. He had kept all other details to himself, though. He didn't want to turn into some kind of sideshow attraction.

The streets outside were mostly empty, and he walked along them with little thought to where he was going. He had done as Fixitt said, taking at least one long walk a day, though when he felt up to it and the traffic wasn't so bad he took several. It wasn't the only thing he had been up to. There was a sheer cliff just outside the city walls where he had gone each day to train. It had been too long since he had left the tutelage of his more senior mercenaries, and his skills were becoming stiff. Nearly dying had proved that. A slight breeze blew at his hair, and he kept his wings tightly folded against his back so they would catch the wind. His fists clenched at his side.

Efficient and powerful, that was what he needed to be.

Fixitt's place was only fifteen minutes from the inn he had chosen, and the mercenary wasn't even sure he would be there this early, but he stopped before the building and knocked anyway. His entire body felt tense; he had been waiting for this day.

As the door opened, he immediately spoke up. "I'm ready."
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Fixitt
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Fixitt simply smiled and nodded, shaking Kalim's hand and saying a single parting word, "Goodbye." With that the day was over, he slumped down into his fluffy chair and sighed, he was magically drained, he had plenty of mana in his body, but a service like that left him nearly bone dry, he didn't even have enough mana for the simplest of cantrips. He looked up to Rummsfield, "I'm going to need to rest for two days to get my mana back, now please pick me up some dinner, I believe the bread shop two streets over is having a sale." With that he let Rummsfield go about his business as Fixitt slowly drifted off into a deep restful sleep.

It was a week later and Fixitt was once again sleeping in his chair, it was a habit of his to walk downstairs from his room and napping on the chair, just in case someone needed his help in a split second. Rummsfield was tending to the shop, setting up chairs and polishing tools, when with a loud bang, the door opened, and Kalim spoke, "I'm ready." Even from those loud noises, Fixitt still snored loudly, a snore that rivaled even a dog's bark, and Rummsfield came up and nodded, "One moment sir, let me wake up Dr. Fixitt." With that he turned a brought his hand up, delivering a thunderous smack to the side of Fixitt's face, causing him to jolt awake as he blinked a few times, trying to remember where exactly he was.

He looked to Kalim and remembered it had been a week, he stood up from his chair and nodded as if he was still in a daze, "Yes yes... the wings, it's been a week. Should be used to them right? I'd hope so, lemme changed into my clothes before we go." He was in fact sleeping in his outdoor clothes, he seemed to notice this and just smoothed out the wrinkles, nodding to Kalim, "Oh right, already wearing it, lets go then. To the docks for some flight tests. I'll be asking questions along the way."

With his mind questioning the wings and their possible flight capabilities, his mind seemed to flip on, as if he hadn't been asleep a few moments ago. Once outside he started to lead Kalim towards the docks, "Now, I want you to answer these simple questions in order, be as descriptive as you can, this is for science after all." The more descriptive the better, the more information he could collect the more tweaks he could make to create a perfect set of wings... or some other item to duplicate it. He nodded as he started to put his words into his memory, just as he would memorize Kalim's own words, "How are you movements? Was it particularly hard to move normally with the wings? Did you feel the weight difference through out your body or just your back, legs, and arms? Then finally, can you actively manipulate the wings?" The last question was crucial, if he hadn't gained control over them, he could forget about flying.
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Kalim
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The tension inside his body subsided as he stared inside the shop to see Fixitt sprawled in a chair, fast asleep just like the first time he had entered, and Kal glanced at Rummsfield in bemusement, his expression carrying a silent request. The doctor's assistant complied, smacking Fixitt hard enough to knock him out of his nap and make him sit up. He looked to the mercenary standing in his building and seemed to adjust quickly, standing up and straightening his clothes before directing him to the docks. Kal had been wondering where they would test the wings, and the location was suitable, or at least, no better than anywhere else in or around the frigid city. He followed the man out the door, being careful not to let the tip of the wings bump against the doorframe. Another thing that took getting used to, but he was adapting nicely. The biggest problem he had now was the cold that the wings conducted, though moving them slightly was enough to keep away any serious issues like frostbite, the motion generating heat to ward it off.

As they turned onto the street outside the shop and began walking towards the docks, Fixitt directed a few questions his way. He nodded, expecting there to be some, and answered as best as he could. "It affected everything at first. Moving my arms, legs, walking, all of it was different. I tripped a few times, but I think it's just because I hadn't gotten used to the balance. I got tired quicker too." Nothing too severe, but he knew his limits well enough to notice a change. "My back hurt too. I don't notice it as much, but it's still there a little." He grimaced. "Sometimes I tried to roll my shoulders, and the wings moved instead." That had led to some nasty incidents where he smacked people behind him, nearly leading into a brawl. To answer Fixitt's last question, he halted and let the wings flare out behind him, twisting the tips of them into different angles before letting them flap once powerfully enough to send a breeze towards the doctor. He smiled slightly and folded them back against his back. He had been practicing, perhaps more than was safe so soon after the operation, but he had wanted to know their full potential. So far he was satisfied.

His display got a few looks, but by now they were nearing the docks and most of the workers turned their attention away once they saw him standing near Fixitt. "You're pretty well-known around here, aren't you?" Kal asked as they continued walking, the smell of saltwater carried to them on the breeze. He stared ahead, already bracing himself for what was about to come, nervous and excited at the same time.
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Fixitt made a note of the difficulties and recounted all of the ways he could fix them so the next time there would be far less trouble. Though when Kalim made the wings flap, sending a rather strong gust of wind up, Fixitt started to shake with joy as he smiled, the wings were really working. Though when he heard him say he was well known Fixitt nodded, "Well yes, take a closer look at quite a few of the salior's and dockworker's arms, every two or three have some metal prosthetic or had a medical treatment from me. One out of ten probably owe me their very lives... which I get repaid in pie from quite a few of them, meat, cherry, apple... more pies then I can count some days." He had done a lot to help people, sometimes for little to no money, but Kalim didn't need to know that.

As they arrived at the docks a boy with a metal leg came running up with two of his friends, fishing poles in their hands as they headed towards a small fishing boat. He stopped and looked up to Fixitt, "Thank you for the tune up yesterday Mr. Fixitt. As promised the payment will be all of the fish I catch, I'm gonna catch a ton today! Bye Mr. Fixitt it!"

Fixitt smirked as he waved goodbye, the children entering the boat as a few adults strolled towards it. Fixitt turned to the only empty dock he had reserved, he turned his head to Kalim and pointed out, "Get to the edge of the dock and flap your wings until you fly, once you get some courage we'll try running jumps off of it." He knew the tests might take a while if there was something wrong with the wings, but if nothing was wrong and his crackpot theories were correct... then Kalim should only take a few seconds to fly.
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Kalim
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"You...get paid in pie?" He blinked, and decided it would probably be safer not to continue that line of questioning. What Fixitt asked for in return for his services was his business. He was happy enough having his own procedure done for free. He was beginning to think more and mroe that this doctor was a good man, though. Insane, yes, but certainly well-meaning. He believed he had chosen well in who to do the operation, regardless of the fact that no others would have agreed. His eyes followed some of the men and children around them sporting metal limbs. "It's an interesting craft, I have to say. It looks like you've helped a lot of people."

He nodded at Fixitt's instructions and headed towards the end of one of the dock platforms, his boots touching the very edge. He looked nervously as the water, cold enough to freeze his blood. He pointedly ignored it, instead focusing on the peculiar line of nerves that connected the wings to his brain. The wings flared out behind him, and a haze of steam lifted from the nodes as they warmed up. The pair flapped powerfully behind him, once, twice, gusts of air blowing around him. He felt the ground come away from beneath his feet, and he looked around, wide-eyed as he was lifted up. He hovered there for a few seconds before touching back down.

He looked back to Fixitt, his grin broad and ecstatic. "They worked! I...," he laughed, "flew!" His body was trembling, a mix of nervousness and raw excitement. He flapped the wings again until he went airborne again, staying there for a few more seconds before his boots returned to the dock. He laughed again. "Now what?" He was still scared, but he wanted to test the wings, see what they were capable of and what their potential in combat was. Even while his brain was gibbering like a little kid, the mercenary half of him was evaluating the possibilities. Surprise strikes, soaring straight over fortifications, attacks from any angle; the possibilities were endless.
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Fixitt
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Fixitt smirked at Kalim's reaction to the fact that Fixitt got paid in pie... to tell the truth it was all some of the families could pay. He had to give free limbs for all of the metals that he has smuggled in for his use, after all, it wasn't about making money, but it was about learning as much about prosthetic works as possible. Fixitt grinned as he saw Kalim walk to the edge of the dock, he watched as his wings flapped and his boots left the ground, Fixitt started to clap his hands together like a child as Kalim laughed.

Fixitt shouted out to him, "Well come on then Kalim! Show these people that man can fly without spells! Show them the miraculous works of Dr. Fixitt!" A bit dramatic for his usual scientific exploits, but this one was about flying, no child doesn't have the dream of flying under his own power one day... and now Fixitt could grant that childhood wish to anyone. That is if Kalim can get above a few inches off the ground.
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Kalim
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The mercenary nodded at Fixitt's encoragement, his eyes turning to the icy water surrounding the docks. Failure would mean falling in, though with so many people around he didn't think he had to fear freezing to death. It would just be embarassing. But he had come this far, and he didn't want to fail, even if the price wasn't horribly severe. It was time to spread his wings and fly.

Kal removed his cloak and unbuckled his sword, laying them in a pile. He would need to learn to fly with the weapon on his back, but for now the extra weight would give him too much trouble. He backed away, stopping where the pier began, and bent his knees before running forward, his wings flapping furiously behind him. The end of the wooden planks came closer with each second, and as he reached the very edge he took a deep breath and launched himself off it, squeezing his eyes shut, anticipating the shock of ice-cold water on his skin. Instead, he felt a cool breeze, whistling through his hair and stinging his face, and he opened them to see waves passing beneath him, accompanined by the sound of the metal wings beating powerfully on either side.

He barked out a laugh that held a hint of alarm in it, as he realized just how unprepared he was for flight. But his brain seemed to take over for his lack of knowledge, stimulating the nerves necessary to keep the wings moving. He sailed over the bay, ten feet above the water, going as far as he dared before he faced his first challenge: turning. He angled his wings the way he saw birds do it, letting one drop down and skim the surface while the other lifted, catching the wind on it's broad side. It spun him around, quicker than he expected, and Kal nearly crashed into the water as he shook off an onslaught of vertigo. Despite the cold, his forehead was damp with sweat and his breathing heavy as he flapped the wings as hard as he could to give himself altitude. He quickly flew back to docks, flaring the wings behind him as he neared and boots touching down with a clunk. The momentum kept him running for several feet before he skidded to a stop, nearly falling flat on his face.

He panted as he looked around, seeing many of the dock workers watching, some cheering and clapping their hands. Some approached Dr. Fixitt to congratulate him. Kal pressed a hand against his back; it ached, but no less than any part of the body might after a workout. He was using muscles in ways they had never been used before, and it would take time for them to accomodate their new purpose. While the spectators gathered around, Kal simply sat down on the pier, using his cloak to wipe at his face.

It worked...I'm a winged warrior. An aerial threat. Maybe this will give me the advantage I need...

He looked to the blond doctor, his expression tired but a small smile on his face. "Thank you."
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Fixitt
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Fixitt grinned as watched Kalim, it was only a few short steps and then he was in flight, flying above the water. His mind was already pumping out ideas for winged warriors or winged mages, it would cause foot soldiers to be able to fight in the air with blades and bows. His mind was wandering as people crowded around him to congratulate him and shake his hand, which he did as a reflex as the hands got uncomfortably close. He broke out of his thinking trance when Kalim spoke up, simply thanking him, which caused Fixitt to laugh for a few short moments before replying, "Don't thank me yet, you're wearing the prototype, it's an unfinished design, I mean... I haven't even figured out how to properly weaponize it yet."

He walked over to Kalim and started to inspect the wings, "No signs of abnormal stress, no cracks in the quicksilver, even no node corrosion from the odd magical formulas and runes I put into them, very good. As for weaponization... to thin for a crossbow mount, hmmm possibly put in formula to allow access to the blade like feathers for makeshift throwing knives. Hmmm perhaps I could thin the edges of the wings and make them into blades so you can fly and slice someone up with a wing... hmmm you'd need to dive but it would do some serious damage, I'll have to start doing research right away." He turned and started to walk towards his shop, looking back to speak his parting words, "If you have anything interesting for me to make, do not hesitate to stop by Kalim, I make more then prosthetic limbs, I'll take on any interesting projects." The crowd parted to let Fixitt walk, his mind already thinking of how to weaponize the wings for maximum efficiency.
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Kalim
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Kal frowned at the onslaught of words from Fixitt as the doctor looked at the wings, apparently looking for signs of breaking from their test flight. The mercenary was relieved to hear that there were none. He tried to pay attention as the older man rambled on, but ended up droning him out. Clearly, now that he knew they worked, Fixitt had a whole range of plans involving wing designs. It was a win-win situation for both of them, and even if the thought of others having the metal wings somewhat ruined the thrill of having his own pair, by the time Fixitt was able to widely advertise his newest product their purpose most likely would have been fulfilled for him. Besides, he doubted military tactics would ever adapt completely to deal with winged threats on a single enemy basis. That advantage remained firmly in his favor.

Kal nodded to Fixitt as the doctor began to walk away. "I'll take you up on your offer. Your skills are...interesting." Metalworking, but with a twist. If properly explored, who knew how far it could go? He already posessed a fair amount of weaponry that took advantage of it, but he thought that the eccentric grafter could take it even further. He hoped it wasn't the last time they met, even if he never wanted to go under the knife again.

Kal turned towards the dock, watching the sparkling water. How long had it been since he fled Istan? Searching through Imythess for strength, he had ended up just falling into his normal routine, wandering from job to job. Getting the wings was the only real step he had taken towards his goal. He had begun to fear he was wasting his time, and he likely still was. Running would get him nowhere. He had to return and face his foes toe-to-toe. He would leave tomorrow, he decided. That would give him time to prepare for the trip. And until then, he had wings to test.

Kalim charged towards the ocean, launching himself from the dock, his wings spreading behind him.
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