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I finally found an editor, so hopefully you won't need to put up with my typos and poor/dyslexic editing skills anymore.
:) ***
CHAPTER 32: A family Matter
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"All done."
Ethan nodded to his first wife as she finished her enchanting work. She'd thrown herself into it with gusto when they'd returned to the Argo, and he got the distinct impression that she was distracting herself. He could feel her anxiety about meeting her mother, just barely held at bay by the work she was doing.
"Here you go." The wood elf handed the newly cut out and enchanted piece of dragon leather armor to him, and he took it.
Alana, Beth, Taloni, Rachel, and even Selene had seemed quite interested, so they had assembled in the Argo's captain's cabin for the first test. His wives were on the bed while the drop-dead gorgeous Brazilian beauty watched from just inside the closed door. Ethan didn't consider the wood elves enemies -- far from it in fact -- but he saw no reason to reveal his armor; hence the inside testing.
He poured a tiny drop of his deep mana into the newly enchanted piece of dragon leather and then tossed it to Selene. She caught it and looked confused. He grinned, then summoned it to his forearm.
It shot across the room, landing on his forearm where he activated both the sticking and hardening enchantments. Instantly it curved down and wrapped around his forearm, as solid as any piece of steel once in place. He could feel the sticking enchantments engage and moved his arm and hand experimentally. His new vambrace stayed put and didn't slide around, offering essentially complete freedom of movement while also perfectly protecting his forearm. He rapped on it with his knuckles and it didn't give; it felt nearly as strong as steel.
"Damn girl, you outdid yourself!" He said to the wood elf as he continued to move it around experimentally.
Alana beamed.
He deactivated both the sticking and hardening enchantments and the vambrace fell off his arm and to the ground, soft as any other piece of leather. He summoned it again, locked it into place, and then released it again and summoned it again before it had hit the floor.
Everyone clapped.
"Now, you just need to do something about the color master." The Fey said as her wings fluttered in excitement. "It's not very pretty."
"A good color scheme could help a lot, and it's not just aesthetics." Rachel agreed. "You should have some kind of symbol or sigil for yourself."
"And we could make a flag and fly it on the Argo!" Taloni said jumping up in excitement. Her wings became a blur as they held her in midair for a moment before she let herself down. Ethan didn't think she realized that she did it. It was wonderful to see her using her wings so instinctively.
"That would be pretty cool." He agreed as he felt the vambrace on his arm. "Damn, I feel like I just leveled up playing some RPG."
"Plus 10 armor to help with any good D20 rolls by your opponents?" Selene chuckled.
Everyone started at her.
"D&D?" Ethan asked.
She shrugged. "My little brother was into it."
"I didn't know you have brother." Beth said.
The Brazilian woman gave her a pained smiled. "I did."
As one, all of Ethan's wives got up, climbed off the bed and wrapped her in a group hug. She looked somewhat uncomfortable at the gesture, but also quite happy about it too.
"Anyway, how about that armor huh?" She said when they let go.
Apparently taking the hint, Alana nodded. "Yeah, now you just need to decide on what other enchantments you want on it. It currently has summoning, sticking, self-repairing, and then the enchantment which makes it harder, stronger, and stiffer; so four. I can fit one or two more enchantments on it, depending on what they are."
"I would suggest fire resistance." Rachel said immediately. "There's the black dragon to consider, and I'm sure Kyrupto will be around again eventually."
"Good idea." Ethan agreed.
"Agreed." The wood elf said. "Dragon leather takes a fire-resistance enchantment well, so there's room for one more; even a pretty big one."
"Strength." Ethan replied instantly. "When Lord Delmar ambushed us, Kendra was able to block and parry things so incredibly well because of that. I'd love the same advantage."
"Okay." Alana nodded. "Just realize that a strengthening enchantment -- or any other enchantment that increases physical attributes -- has limitations because each piece of armor with a strength enchantment interferes with the others. The more pieces enchanted to increase strength, the greater the interference, so there's a point of diminishing return."
"Oh?"
"Yes, it's like this." With her hand, Alana made a curve in the air that went up sharply at first then levelled off. "The first strengthening enchantment can add about half your original strength. The second can add about half that again, so about one quarter of your original strength, for three quarters total. The third only adds half that again, so only about one eighth of your original strength, and so on; halving each time. Two enchantments will increase your strength by about three quarters, four by over nine-tenths."
"About ninety-four percent." Rachel offered more precisely. "But it'll be very small increases after that, and you'll never quite get to double."
"Almost double still sounds pretty good to me." Ethan grinned. "But if it keeps halving from there, then yeah; I don't see a point in doing more than four."
"Still, nearly double is a
huge
advantage." Selene pointed out. "I've done martial arts my entire life and that's an absolutely
massive
advantage."
"And with the additional leverage of a spear..." He rubbed his hands together excitedly.
"Damn, I already can't beat you." The Brazilian woman sighed.
"Well, I don't see why we couldn't make a pair of vambraces like Kendra's for you to use." Ethan replied. "There's enough dragon hide left for that, so if you wanted to use a pair we could probably make them. You'd be welcome to use them as long as you're traveling with us."
The Brazilian beauty cocked her head to one side and got a confused look on her face. "Really?"
"Sure." He nodded. "It's a useful enchantment and the forearms are a target in combat, so why not? Besides, I'd feel better knowing that more people on the Argo are combat ready."
"Thank you." She smiled and Ethan couldn't help but notice that she also had perfect teeth. Geez, was any part of her body
not
flawless?
A giggle from the bed made him turn his head. Taloni had a strange sort of smile on her face and mischief in her pretty lilac eyes.
"What?" He asked her.
"When she leaves the Argo master?" The Fey had a sly grin on her face. "We all talked about how she can't stay on Earth, so she'll need to come back to the Ten Kingdoms. And she can't do that unless she can communicate with someone here to open a portal. And she can't do that unless..." The Fey gave him a pointed look and then glanced at the bed.
"Why Taloni Ejder, are you playing matchmaker?" Alana asked with a similarly sly grin.
Beth had a barely suppressed smile which was making her adorable dimples stand out. "Well, that only leaves one wife left to find."
Rachel was nodding with amusement written all over her face.
It took Ethan a moment to do the math. Alana, Beth, Taloni, and Rachel were his current four; Kendra might be five. That in turn -- if the Fey's logical observation did come to pass -- would make the caramel-haired beauty wife number six, indeed leaving just one left to find.
"Don't I get a say in this?" Selene asked wryly
"No." All of Ethan's wives chorused with identical teasing smiles.
