“Literally?!”
“That's what their legends say. Their god made them from the mountains. Took a stone, carved it, and gave it life.”
“Huh. Actually, some of our Earth legends say that the first man was made from clay. But that's just a story.”
“Clay? But clay is so fragile.”
“I guess that would explain our mortality.”
He made a huffing snort. “I suppose it would. Ah, look here. This is one of the best blacksmiths in the city.” He waved at a shop window and stopped.
On display were an assortment of blades, some pieces of armor, and metal bits that I didn't recognize.
I looked up at Kas. “Does he have a forge out back?”
“A forge?”
“Yeah, with a fire to heat the metal and a—whatchucallit—an anvil for shaping the metal on. Metal-working stuff.”
“I told you that they have Metal Magic.”
“So, what? They don't need to use fire?”
“No. They simply command the metal.” He waved at the window above the display and toward the back of the shop.
I followed his motion to see a man sitting at a counter, holding a rectangular piece of metal with a pair of pincers. With his other hand, he drew a stone rod with a pointed end over the metal. The rectangle thinned, flattened, and became a dome.
“Is that a magic wand?” I pointed at the rod, excitement making me go nearly as straight as it.
“A what?”
“A wand? You know, to direct magic. Please, tell me that's a magic wand!”
“Uh. Well, he's using the stone to direct his magic. So, that sounds accurate.”
“Oh, my God! A magic wand. They really do exist! This isn't heaven or hell, it's Potter Planet.”
With a look of bafflement, Kas said, “I think you've misunderstood me, Mate. There is no magic in that rod. The magic is in the man. He uses the rod as a tool to hone his magic. He's an elite craftsman. Most Ricarri can't do what he does.”
“Just let me have this,” I said dryly.
Kaspian chuckled. “Very well. Call it a magic rod.”
“Wand. It's a magic wand.”
“Yes, that. Just don't call our world Potter Planet. I don't like the sound of that.”
“Deal.”
We went past more armorers, bladesmiths, and suppliers of general metal objects like hinges, locks, and clasps. Then we hit the jewelry stores—a whole block of them.
“These stores mark the border between the Ricarri and Chelli neighborhoods.” Kaspian paused to smile down at our hands—I was swinging them as we walked. “The Chelli have Earth Magic and are experts at gem retrieval.”
I stopped swinging to ask, “Which ones are the Chelli?”
“The little ones.” He nodded at a cluster of small people standing outside a jewelry shop.
They paused when they saw us, some of them letting out excited yips, and bowed to Kas.
