The Leinyere Farmer's Daughter

This story was written as a part of the Tales of Leinyere Story Event on Literotica, a collaborative fantasy worldbuilding event from many talented Literotica authors. Look for the event on Literotica's story page to find links to a map of Leinyere, the official timeline of all our stories, and links to all the stories in the event from all the fantastic authors who have participated. Thanks for stepping into this world with us, and happy reading!

Thanks to Nouh_Bdee for organising the event!

My story is set in the equivalent of the early 20th Century. Magic and science are struggling to get along.

Writing it has been a collaboration between BDrew86 (https://literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=1378788) and myself. I created and wrote the world, she wrote the really hot sex.

We hope you like it, and all the other great stories in this world.

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Glladin stirred his midsun meal with one finger and hooked a piece of fish in his middle claw. "I miss fresh lavdoc." he sighed, giving the limp chunk a sniff. "The canned stuff isn't the same."

"Yeah, well. At least your's looks like fish. I don't know what this stew is, but it's not rabbit," Roksur grumbled. He pushed the bowl away and took a mouthful of ale. "The drink's ok though."

"It is one of the better ales in Galtin's Port," Glladin admitted. He took a deep drink out of his tankard to wash away the blandness of his meal. "Well, I guess we'd better get back to the shop and see what the surprise Master Tangford has for us."

"I guess so. Umm, Gll. Your fur." Roksur mimed rubbing the back of his hand across his face.

Gll growled and picked up a napkin. He carefully dabbed the ale foam off his face. "And that's why I prefer mead. Less mess."

Roksur laughed, "Well, you're not as bad as that dwarf in the shop next door. I'm sure he has a roast chicken wing in his beard."

"It's actually a Podl'adom pigeon wing." Glladin rose from his stool and straightened his kilt. "Very distinctive smell. Been there for nearly two weeks."

"Huh. Well, there you go. I thought I was imagining it." Roksur pushed open the tavern door and stepped onto the busy footpath. "Dwarves are great at crafting things and digging holes, but personal hygiene isn't always high on their list of priorities."

"True. Especially if there's coin to be had. They become very focused on their work."

The pair headed back through the caves to their shop on the Cog, wondering what new idea their boss had come up with. Master Tangford had a nose for new technology, but the people of Leinyere away from the Port weren't always ready for what he'd sourced. Or weren't prepared to pay his price.

"So, do you have any idea what his latest gadget is?" asked Gll.

"Not really. He's had a couple of different cargo landaus in the workshop the apprentices measured up. One of them said he had a Mage Master visiting as well."

"Curious. I wonder what it is. I've heard that the western guild in Portoa is working on a flying machine. Maybe that's it."

"You Anocots, always sticking your whiskers into other denizen's business." Roksur laughed. "I don't know, but he was very insistent that I had a good rest last night and a decent meal. That's really odd. Tangford usually has the more experienced salesbeings look after the latest creations."

"Hurrr..." growled Gll. "I'll be happy to sell something that gets us a decent commission. I'd like to get more than a few scraps for a sale."

"True... Oh, by Litheo's hairy nose! We'd better hurry." The enormous clock that towered over the Port started chiming the hour. Roksur broke into a run, and Gll loped along beside him. They rounded a corner and through the shop door just as the last note boomed.

"Harumph..." huffed Master Tangford. "You two just made it in time. I'd hate to have docked my new star salesbeings two scraps for being tardy."

"Sorry Master. The Cog bridge was busier than normal." panted Roksur.

"Yes. And the tavern was a bit slow serving tosun. Certainly a lot of people in town." Gll added, tugging his waistcoat to straighten it.

"Well, that's to be expected. It is coming into the season of Greentide. A lot of customers buying goods for their farms. Anyway, wasting time, wasting cogs. Follow me." Master Tangford pushed open the door at the rear of the bright sales area and entered the large stores area. An area near the rear cargo door had been cleared for a tarpaulin-covered large pile of something.

"Any idea what it is?" Roksur muttered to Gll.

His partner twitched his nose, trying to pick up a smell. "It's mechanical. But there's something different... And there's the Mage the others were talking about."

An elderly man dressed in a suit coloured Fire Mage red stepped out from behind the tarped object and nodded to the party.

"Glladin, Roksur, this is Master Landrov of the Mage Advancement Guild. The Master came to me with an idea quite a while ago. I thought it was worth looking at, so we developed this together." Tangford stepped forward, and with a flourish removed the tarp. "Taken a while to get it to this state."

Roksur's jaw dropped, and Gll's ears twitched in surprise. Before them was the largest autolandau either had seen. Such machines were a rarity anywhere in Leinyere and were usually small steam-driven two-seaters owned by the very rich. This was much larger and resembled a horse-drawn cargo landau.

Gll's curiosity got the better of him and he bounded over to the machine. "Has to be a cargo auto. I could sell these to anyone back home. No horses, but then, no snacks in an emergency. Hmmm. Steel frame and wheels with rubber. Nice. Nothing worse than breaking a wooden wheel on a rough track. Good load area with the engine mostly under the tray. You have a wheel to steer, not a tiller? Interesting..."

Roksur slowly walked around the auto. It was a magnificent machine. The high gloss Sales Guild green paint was set off with Fire Mage red striping and the brass steam engine had been burnished so that the entire shop could be seen in the reflection. He stopped and paced out the length.

"This is amazing, Masters. It has to be, what? About 10 of my steps, so 75 hands long and 25 wide? It looks spectacular, but who do you plan to sell it to? It'll be more than what a good horse-drawn landau would cost. And what powers it? That's a small engine for its size and carrying capacity."

Landrov chuckled, "Ahh, youth. I can see why you suggested these two for promoting the Landford. Up with the latest technology."

"Yes," agreed Tangford. "And we need Roksur's elemental skills. Right, so let's get started."

He stepped over the machine and rapped a brass tank. "We were at a combined Guild meeting and Master Landrov was lamenting the fact that young beings were not honing their elemental mage skills. They were more interested in new machines or the latest dance craze. I mentioned that I had one young human on my staff who could conjure a small self-sustaining fireball but he only used it for cooking at our annual midsun get-together."

Landrov chuckled. "Not that roasting pork isn't a good use of your skill. We were on the Mage Council balcony and that steamer "Portoa Princess" sailed in under the Cog. The smoke from the coal it burns... Horrible. I stunk for the rest of the sun. That got me thinking. Elemental fire is much cleaner, and hotter than coal or wood. I just needed a way to use it in some sort of engine."

"And I'd had this idea for a cargo landau that a farming village could share, but normal engines are too large. It would take up a lot of load space." Tangford said. "We did a bit of quiet investigation and found an Anocot researcher who had some novel ideas for reducing the size and improving the efficiency of engines."

"Was that Hasnk Dmzin? From memory, she had some interesting ideas for machines." Gll asked from the driver's cab.

"Yes, we met her in Rrmwite. An amazing mind. She had designed a much, much smaller and more powerful engine but needed someone with Dwarven contacts to get some of their special metals." Tangford laughed, which was a rare sight. "They liked the potential. The idea of a machine to move their goods without beasts, particularly underground, was very attractive."

"And the potential river of gold Gears or Quartos that would flow from sales. Dmzin got her metal, we have our compact engine, and the Dwarves in Podl'adom have been promised a machine." Landrov added. "To the question of who, and how anyone can afford it... Most villages have someone with basic fire mage skills. And most farmers would love to be able to move more goods to market without needing to look after horses, oxen, or whatever beasts the Islanders use. Team them up and it would be a boon for the village."

"Ok, I can see the potential customers. But it's still going to be hard to sell this to a farmer." Roksur said, scratching his head. "What price are you putting on it, Master?"

"Two Gears and seven Cogs."

Gll and Roksur looked at their Master in disbelief. "You're going to sell this for nearly the same price as a landau and a good horse? That's a bargain! Surely it's worth more than that?" Gll said.

"No, you're going to sell it. Not me. I believe we will sell dozens, if not hundreds of these machines and the variations we have in mind. People omnilandaus, ploughing machines, even smaller coastal or fishing boats. The price doesn't begin to cover the cost of this machine, but I want it to be seen. Away from the Port or Portoa, machines are very rare. People need to get used to it, see how valuable it can be. And an enterprising owner could sell cargo space to their neighbours. The more we can sell, the harder I can push the Dwarves to give us a better price on the metal. That's where the big cost is."

Gll tugged his whiskers and frowned. "Speed? Distance? Load? Maintenance?"

"Fifteen Gallops per hour maximum, depends on the mage or the fuel, 40 full ale barrels, maintenance could be done by any decent blacksmith with some training we'll provide."

"That's impressive. So why us?" asked Roksur.

"Simple. You're both very good salesbeings. Don't let that go to your heads..." Langford warned. "You have different sales skills that complement each other, which is why I originally teamed you together. And you are a minor elemental fire wielder, while Glladin is mechanically inclined. Perfect for this machine."

The rest of the afternoon was devoted to Master Landrov working with Roksur to determine his level of elemental skill, then how to use that skill to heat the boiler. Master Tangford showed Gll over the controls and how to use coal or wood if elemental fire couldn't be used. Both beings were impressed by the thought that had gone into the autolandau. It had been designed for most races to use, not just humans or similar. The steering was geared and used a large wheel to turn instead of the tiller most autos used, the cabin was large enough to accommodate the largest beings in Leinyere, and could be heated for travel around the frozen south.

"I can't believe Tangford designed the auto to seat a Bullboar. They think the bow and arrow is a wonder," said Roksur, leaning on the railing at the edge of the Cog after they had finished for the sun.

Gll nodded. "I know. But I do appreciate the thinking to make it easy for us without human hands. Too many toolmakers forget not everyone has four long fingers and a thumb." He leaned over the railing and stared at the galleon slowly sailing underneath. "That machine is going to wreak havoc on the shipping guild and stablers. We could take goods quickly to Eikclav, or Portoa, or anywhere without needing ships or horses."

Roksur nodded slowly in reply. "And we'll be there to take their gold when they panic." He turned around and looked at the clock towering over the Cog. "In ten years those machines will be everywhere. And we will have been there at the beginning."

Gll laughed and rubbed his hands together. "I'll be able to get fresh lavdoc from a nice inn here on the Cog, instead of the canned bog from a cliff tavern. So..." he turned and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Where are you thinking we should visit first?"

Roksur scratched his nose. "Needs to be close and not in a war zone, so The Marches are out. I don't know, probably go out on a trade route and meet some village people. Go west. Life is peaceful there."

"Go west?"

"In the open air. A lot of farms out on the Plentyful Plains need their equipment updating. The Mourn River is about four hundred gallops, so let's say two, maybe three suns travel in the Landford. Most beings have seen some modern machinery there so they aren't complete Bullboars. Reasonably close if we need any repairs."

"So that's what we're going to do." Gll stretched up and growled. "Good. Let's get some last meal. That inn has a couple of suckling pigs roasting and by Egan's golden hand, the smell is making me crazy."

"Yeah. I can smell it, so I can imagine what it's like for you. How about we treat ourselves to a meal at that new tavern down in Peach Quay? It's run by the Fisher's Cooperative, so it should be all fresh."

"Now that's another good idea. I think I can spare a few extra scraps to celebrate. Let's go."

They headed back to the Cog bridge to work their way down through the cliff cave roads to the foreshore, excitedly talking about the new machine and the two Master's future plans.

"If all goes well, we'll be like them." Roksur grinned, pointing at a large statue at the bridge approach.

"Who? Zerek Galtin? Both of us can't be the Founder," purred Glladin.

"No, I'm Zerek. You're one of those rat catchers from his ship," laughed Roksur, waving at the bronze figures of two domestic cats at the statue's feet. "I hear they had a good life."

"Right... Did I mention we believe there's good evidence that Humans are related to those tree climbers in Síochánta?" Glladin growled good-naturedly and hit Roksur in the back of the head with his tail. "I'm getting thirsty, so I'll meet you at the tavern. Try to hurry. It'll be your turn to buy the ale when you finally get there." He dropped his hands to the ground and sprinted off.

Roksur watched the black Anocot streak over the bridge and into the cliffs, expertly dodging around pedestrians and traditional animal hauled landaus. He shook his head and sighed. "By Aersus, he's quick. Ah well."

The next half a season was devoted to learning more about the Landford. Master Tangford had both beings partially dismantle the machine and rebuild it to make sure they could answer any questions a potential customer had. Master Landrov paid the occasional visit when the autolandau was test-driven out of the workshop and around the Cog. The Landford was disguised on those occasions with a non-functional standard steam engine that the Mage Master enchanted to produce a cloud of thick smoke. The size of the machine attracted a reasonable amount of attention, but Landrov was confident that the illusion was sufficient to prevent thieves or other Guild members from taking too much of an interest.

"I have an idea if the price is too expensive for a farmer or the village. An owner can pay me over time to use the Landford. One Gear on delivery, then one Cog per season for the next two years. After that, it's theirs and they won't have the Watch visiting if they don't pay." Master Tangford said to his two salesbeings. "Obviously I'd prefer gold upfront, but if that helps a sale..."

Gll shrugged as he stowed his bag in the cabin. "You're the Master. That sounds like a good plan. We'll keep that as a last resort if the customer is undecided."

"We'll leave out the part about the Watch knocking on the door. Don't want to scare them until they've signed the contract." Roksur muttered. He returned his focus to the incantation he was taught to increase the potency of his natural ability. A small blue ball flickered to life in his palm and gradually grew to the size of his fist.

"Stabilise it." Master Landrov murmured, carefully watching the preparations.

Roksur nodded. He rolled his free hand over the fireball, squeezing the surrounding halo to increase the density. Once it was to his liking, he gently rolled it into the Landford's firebox and closed the door.

"Well done Roksur. Keep a close watch on that fire. I don't know how long your incantation will last, but you will get a sense of it flickering out. Don't ignore that feeling." He clapped his student on the shoulder then stood beside Tangford. "May the Goddess Alithea guide your venture."

"And may Egan help you return a profit. Farewell. I expect regular updates." Master Tangford said, with a wave.

Gll waved back. A quick glance at the pressure gauge confirmed what his ear could judge and he slowly eased the drive lever forward. The Landford smoothly rolled out of the workshop and onto the giant Cog hanging over the harbour.

Roksur pulled the chain for the warning whistle. An ear-piercing shriek echoed around the cliff walls, scattering beings and animals alike. "Better not do that again," he laughed.

"Please don't. That's something that needs to be changed. We don't want to scare customers." Gll grumbled. "And it hurts my ears."

"Sorry. I'm a bit excited, that's all. I can stuff a rag into the whistle later."

"Sure. I can understand that. Wait until we're out of the cliffs and on the Olden Road. I think I'll need a stretch by then. This is going to be hard work driving down to there."

The commotion from the whistle had died down by the time they reached the Cog bridge. The large machine had become a normal sight during testing, but the more observant residents of the Port realised that it wasn't belching black smoke like on its previous outings. Roksur was busy yelling answers to questions flung at him while Glladin tried to navigate his way through the narrow cliff roads. Eventually, they worked their way out of the cave system and back into the open.

Gll eased back the drive lever and applied the brake. "Well, that was fun. Lights. We need lights. Can't believe we didn't think of those."

Roksur peered into the firebox view tube and grunted with satisfaction. "Fire looks good. I'm surprised you didn't run over someone. They just wanted to stand in the middle of the road and gawk."

"You'd think they'd never seen a landau without a horse before." laughed Gll. "I forgot those in the cliffs would have no idea what we were up to on the Cog."

"Well, I think they'll soon see more around. A few of those people talking to me were very interested in the information paper I handed to them. I'm glad the Master had those printed."

"I'm also glad he gave us some Cogs for the trip. It will be nice showing a bit of silver for a good room and meals." Glladin pulled a map out of his bag and studied it. "Ok, so that took us longer than I expected. The next village is about thirty gallops. Let's stop there, talk to a few beings, and tomorrow head west towards Systava Crossing. I hear there's a lot of farms along the Mourn River, and the Crossing does a lot of trade."

"Right, then let's roll! But first..." Roksur found a cleaning cloth and shoved it into the whistle, then pulled the chain. It gave an asthmatic wheeze, which made Glladin laugh.

"Sounds like you speared a duck, but it's better. Thanks."

"No problem." Roksur settled back in his seat as the machine started moving. He turned and asked, "How do you know what a stuck duck sounds like?"

Glladin grinned and stretched his hand. Three long, sharp claws shot out from the top knuckle of each finger. "I just do. What happens in Eikclav, stays in Eikclav though."

"Ok, fair enough," Roksur said.