868 Chapter 868 Exploring Aezam’s Capital (2)
Once Marcus, Mrazivý and Amira had finished their introductions, Faaiz led them into his workshop.
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‘They certainly are going all out.’ Marcus thought.
Naturally, with Amira being a part of the Eazim clan’s main family it made sense that Faaiz would try to show off and hopefully gain her patronage.
“Now as you can see these are the works that are currently in progress by some of our most talented sculptors. Surely you can see the majesty with which they are able to create even from their unfished works.” Faaiz said, directing their eyes to one of the nearby cultures.
For a moment the woman who looked to be in her late sixties turned around and nodded their way before continuing with her work.
What she was making depicted a half dozen people aboard a boat that was clearly meant to be sailing across the Antim Lake.
While the work was not finished, it was quite clear to see already that the woman was very skilled. What she was doing would have been very difficult to replicate on Earth by hand, but with the use of magic tools and skills the sculptors were able to work with far larger pieces than what would be normal back on Earth.
Of course not all of the sculptures were as grand as this one, with one of the artisans not far away working on a sculpture of a young girl who was standing nearby as his model.
Going down the line Faaiz showed off and gave a brief background about each sculptor and what they were currently working on. Doing his best to extol the greatness of his workshop.
Finally at the end were three small slabs of polished stone that were unblemished.
“If any of you wish to give it a try, I have prepared a few practice slabs that you can use.” Faaiz said.
“Sure, that sounds like fun.” Mrazivý said, enthusiastically moving in front of one of the slabs.
Shrugging his shoulders Marcus followed behind her, though Amira abstained.
‘Now what should I make?’ Marcus thought a pensive look on his face.
He certainly had experience working with metal and other items that went into forging, but he had never made anything like a sculpture.
‘I suppose having a reference that I can see would be useful for my first time trying this.’ Marcus thought turning his gaze towards Mrazivý.
He figured eh might as well try to make a sculpture of his wife who was engrossed in her own work at the moment.
Taking the provided tools and receiving a bit of guidance from Faaiz, Marcus got to work.
Using his high stats and enhanced hand eye coordination, Marcus moved at a blistering speed that no normal person could keep up with.
It was quite obvious that Faaiz had proposed that they test out sculpting on their own since he figured they would never be able to finish in a single day and have to come back to continue.
Of course, if what they were making was life size that would certainly be the case, but the stone that they were working with was only around fourteen centimeters tall. For Marcus and Mrazivý who were both over level seventy, it was easy enough to move at super human speeds without making many mistakes.
Within around four hours both of them had finished the main structures of what they wanted and needed only add details.
‘Well, it is not a masterpiece, but for my first time I would say it is pretty good.’ Marcus thought once he had finished.
He had sculpted Mrazivý and it was the point to where it could easily be recognized as here.
The work itself looked like something an amateur would make, but thanks to Marcus’ forging experience it did not look like a disaster as most first time sculptors would have created.
Mrazivý for her part actually had experience with all manner of arts being a princess and was doing a decent job herself.
What she had made was actually a small sculpture of Gwyneira in her dragon form.
This had attracted Faaiz’s attention since it was not like most people had seen a dragon before and could accurately depict one the way Mrazivý had.
“Where did you happen to see this manner of beast? I have never heard of anything like ti before.” Faaiz said, his interest clear to see.
Certainly Mrazivý could not tell him that what she had made was a sculpture of her ancestor who was still very much alive and instead made up a quick story about seeing a dragon in the mountains of the far north.
“Ah, a beast of this majesty reminds me of the one that is said to have been the companion of our nation’s founder. If you come with me, I have a sculpture depicting them. It was recently commissioned by Sulb Clan.” Faaiz said.
Finding this offer to be attractive, Mrazivý agreed, and Marcus along with Amira followed Faaiz to an area where several statues were being stored.
Sitting at the center was a truly beautiful statue that was painted vibrant colors.
The statue depicted a powerful man holding a long trident while riding on the back of a large bird that had mostly red feathers.
With just a single look Marcus could figure out that the beast the founder of Aezam was meant to be riding was a phoenix, a mythic grade beast in the same league as a dragon.
‘I can see why now the tiny sculpture of Gwyneira made him think of this. They might not look similar, but the depiction of a mythic grade beast still invokes a sense of awe no matter what species it is.’ Marcus thought.
For several minutes they examined the statue of the founder of Aezam riding a phoenix.
When they had gotten their fill Marcus and Mrazivý motioned for Faaiz to take them back and he quickly led the way to the main work area.
“It is clear to see that your workshop is of a truly high quality. We have other plans today, but I think we will be back later to have something commissioned.” Mrazivý said before they left.
This made Faaiz quite happy, and he told them that any guests of the Eazim clan were welcome back any time.
“Now where are we off to next?” Mrazivý asked once they had left the sculpture workshop.
“Our next stop is a jeweler who the Eazim Clan frequently calls upon for their work.” Amira said, before stepping into their carriage.
“So Amira, does the founder’s champion still watch over this country?” Marcus asked while their carriage took them to their next destination.
This seem to catch Amira off-guard momentarily since the question seemed out of nowhere, but she quickly remembered the statue they had just seen.
“No, from what I heard our founder’s beast companion traveled with him when he left long ago. However, I do believe that it is said that its descendants watch over us. But this is just a tale I heard when I was young. Personally, I do not believe that such a beast still lives in Aezam.” Amira replied.
Still, despite Amira denying it, Marcus felt that there was probably more truth to what she had heard as only a story.
‘Perhaps Boreas or Gwyneira will know more. I can take a quick trip back to Borealia and ask them. If a mythic grade beast really is here, it would be best to know what we can about them just in case.’ Marcs thought.
After that they continued on their way and stopped by the jeweler.
There Marcus brought Mrazivý a few accessories that were in styles native to Aezam. The magical effects they had were mundane compared to what Marcus could make himself, but they certainly had a better aesthetic, since the items he made were normally more practical rather than meant to look good.
As soon as they finished with the jewelry they continued on their trip through the artisans’ district until they made it to their final stop.
It was starting to get late in the day and the sun was starting to set on the horizon, but Marcus was feeling more excited than he had all day.
For their last workshop they were stopping at a forge that was among the best in Aezam and was said to be the workplace of several masters.
Unfortunately, when Marcus asked if any of them could work with Amethros, Amira had not known, so he figured he would just have to come and see for himself.
‘This will be my first time visiting a forge outside of Borealia. I wonder how things are done here. Will they be incredibly similar, or do they have techniques unique to the region?’ Marcus thought, his eyes filled with anticipation.