Aghamores Lordly Chariot

The wizard watched patiently as his calculations manifested into form. Before his eyes a gray blue ghostly chariot appeared, complete with luggage rack and drivers seat! Two large black and gray speckled horses stamped their shaggy feet on the flagstones of the guild floor. The spell had manifested finally! After three weeks of study! Not to mention the three thousand gold dragons he spent on research! His masterpiece was done!
Aghamore laughed maniacally as he stood from his desk, singing with joy as he cluttered around the laboratory on his toes. He danced a small jig and shook his buttocks at the portrait of the guild founder on the far wall, Agonisties Claxon.
“I’ve done it! I’ve done it! No longer will my buttocks derive cankers for riding hard miles! Comfort is Aghamores way of travel now! Comfort like a king! “ He said.
His glee was interrupted as he saw two senior mages from the guild watching him at the door. Meraxes Kal and Jeddrin Dorn. Both were members of the creative circle, yet neither had any flair or originality, they were rich scholarly mages and their parents had bought their titles and positions, both disdained Aghamores commitment to adventure and travel, rumors had they had called him a vagabond mage of no great import.
“What a buffoon.” Meraxes muttered.
“Embarrassing.” Jeddrin intoned.
Aghamore stopped immediately, flushing red as he straightened himself into some semblance of order. He leaned onto the table, canting his foot over his heel, smirking. He waved a greeting.
“Salutations! My good men! What do you think of my newest creation?” Aghamore realized he had stuck his hand in spilled ink. But he kept his composure and tried not to dart his eyes toward the table and his hand and smiled a shit eating grin.
“Well?” He motioned to his carriage.
The mages glanced at it in introspect, opening the doors. Meraxes looked at Aghamore, his eye twitching in strange tick.
“By all means sir, go ahead.” Aghamore said. Meraxes put his foot on the carriage step and entered it wiping the seat and dusting his hand across the ethereal seat as if it could have had dust on it. Jeddrin walked to the rear of the horses, taking one by the foot and examining its hoof.
“Fine animals for a creation. How long will this spell continue?” He asked, looking down his nose at Aghamore.
“Two hours per order of spell ability my lord.” Aghamore replied. Jeddrin's eyes lit up.
Meraxes looked at Aghamore through the carriage’s round portal of a window, his face stern.
“And how long would that be for you? My spell slinging friend?”
“Well I’ve just accessed spells of the third order, so that would make it twelve for me.”
The mages exchanged stern but inquisitive looks.






Meraxes exited the carriage.
“Well it is quite comfortable on the inside, the pillows of the seats seem to be made of down. What on earth is it? Shadow weave?” Meraxes asked, rubbing his thumb and forefinger in the air as if the answer was right on the tip of his tongue.
“Ethereal matter mixed with moonlight or star beam.” Aghamore said. “Depending on time of day.”
Jeddrin’s face turned white. “You mean you’ve reached order of sixth level in spell casting ability in the span of four months without the use of a library! Preposterous man! How could you have done so without study or facilities in the north?” The two mages stood behind the horses gaping at Aghamore.
“Well it has been rough, but I’ve always had a penchant for books and reading. And for some odd reason I remember almost everything I read. Although I spend more time drinking and carousing than I do in study. Yes, I’m truly a prodigy. What can I say gentleman?”
“But, I have been quite busy these past few months, my companions and I killed Krimog the bandit lord. Dispatched a dragon priest cult from the under depths of our esteemed city, destroyed a pyrohydra in Nargothlarond and been given the title of high protector and a knighthood by the queen.”
He pulled on his gorget of knighthood, and winked. “Oh, yes, not to mention dispatching a vampire queen and her undead army in the south and saving the Barony of Lord Horst from the clutches of Netharese overtakers. And in the far swamps to the northeast, we took a commission of mercy from the dwarves, and scouting through the swampy mire, entered the citadel of Turrosh the half dragon and through guile and subversion my companions and I defeated a half dragon for the dwarven kingdom of Barad-Dur and in a masterwork plan of cunning, succeeded in rescuing a high born cleric of the dwarves who had been captured by the beast, after slaying the draconic fiend, we returned the healer to his people, gaining a dwarven hold in the north for my groups efforts. That was quite fun actually, the dwarves make great stout, and a flavorful, but deadly vile vintage called peppershnopts. Or pepperwine.” Aghamore burped, as if remembering the brews nasty after effects. “Gives you hellacious gas, but it’s damb good.”
Meraxes and Jeddrin gave each other surprised looks, but still managed to keep looking down at Aghamore with disdain. Meraxes was about to speak, but Aghamore interrupted him.
“Well, study is important and I’ve had quite the tutors and expert reconcilers.”
“Who may they be? Agonistes Claxon himself?” Jeddrin scoffed. The two mages began laughing, covering their mouths with their hands. Aghamore grinned with their joke, “Actually no. Someone more skilled.”









The mages went white. Meraxes stomped a foot. “Dare you mock the founder of our great guild? Braggert!”
“I’m not mocking him merely mocking the mocker Meraxes, you.” The two of you should know I have been to the library of Kelemvor the dragon mage in Amarath Kor, who I admit is on very good terms with Tara my companion magus. I have also studied south to the meditative and exquisite monasteries of Elen Enin, and had the very esteemed pleasure of being tutored by a fine mage by the name of Kollsvien in my youth. I’m very excited about traveling to the far east across the deserts to meet Marid, a sphinx from the Kosi clan in the far deserts. She owes me a favor for saving her life. I can show you a sketch of her if you’d like. I warn you it does her no favors she is twice as exquisite in the flesh. And so my fellow acedemics, it’s no wonder I’ve grown in power in the last few months.” And what have you two done to improve yourselves these past few months? “Aghamore said in a condescending tone.
Meraxes was visibly shaken and so angry he couldn’t talk. One of the horses relived itself on Jeddrin’s foot, and whinnied. Jeddrin scoffed in anger as he tried to fling the green refuse off of his foot.
“Oh, well that’s an unpleasant side effect I’ll have to remedy. Well gentleman, I must be back to work now good day. Aghamore stepped forward and shook Meraxes hand, ink gushed over the mages palm and his eyes went wide.
“You bastard! You’ll pay for that!” Meraxes muttered, shaking his hand as he left. Aghamore patted Jeddrin on the back wiping the rest of the ink off onto the young mages exquisite robe.
“Oh, what a fowl man!” Jeddrin spat, hobbling out of the laboratory.
Aghamore grinned as they left.
“Pisspots.” Aghamore said, shaking his head.
Just then Lord Oleon, the Gnomish guild master entered the room.
“Aghamore, greetings boy. So this is your new creation eh?”
“Yes my friend.”
“Quite nice, yes very comfortable.” He said, sidestepping the horses urine and dung. Looking through the windows.
“Very good my boy, what have you called the spell.?”
“Aghamores Lordly Chariot.” He replied, washing his hands.
The gnome stared at him with clear introspective eyes. He looked down at the floor and put his hands behind his back.
“Very, bold, very bold indeed.”
“Thank you master.”
“Very aggrandizing.”
“Aggrandizing?” Aghamore said.
“Aghamore, let me give you some advice. The world does not revolve around you. Everything you do is about you. Try to see the world as something more than your stage. It’s in bad taste. Braggarts are usually the first to fall in a fight. Being a celebrity and a hero are two very different things. Notoriety can have its good sides and bad. I think you’ll realize that in the next few months. Just be careful. Good job on the carriage. The gnomish master said a few words and magical energy dispelled the creation.
“Please clean up the mess.”
He said turning. As he was about to move out of the room he stopped and looked back at Aghamore.
“By the way, good ruffage you gave those two snobs. I think it was about time for both of them, you should see how they teach their students, embarrassing. Politics you know. Just watch your back. And I wouldn’t brag about Kollsvien if I were you, he was a bad seed and may have a few enemies here, although I doubt those two know of him, they are too young.”
“I see your point I was on a rant.’ Aghamore said.
“Right, I see. He was a character wasn’t he?” The gnome master said.
“Did you know him well?” Aghamore asked curiously.
“He was my student at one time. But turned to banditry for moneys sake. Just remember where it got him Aghamore. Dead.” The gnome said sadly and left.
Aghamore felt ashamed. He grabbed a broom and began cleaning the laboratory.