4 #4
“This provides me with the perfect opportunity to discuss various types of handles. In the south, carpet designers often fit carpets with a single long loop, attached to the front of the carpet by both ends, like a horse’s reins.
Other crafters prefer small, braided handles like the ones I have.
They’re better for a tighter, more secure hold, and there’s less chance of them getting caught on something during a flight.
In the north, crafters often attach a single rope to the carpet, which is used for steering and as a handhold.
Rarely, you may find carpets with straps or belts to firmly secure their riders.
These are more commonly installed for humans who may have difficulty holding on by themselves, or with single-rider carpets designed for flight at extreme speeds.
I do not recommend such carpets. They are woven almost entirely with the hairs of restive unicorn colts, which makes them fast and agile, but also wild, unpredictable, and less likely to heed commands.
They’re apt to land you in very dangerous situations.
Which brings me to the topic of carpet shielding.
“Most carpets are daubed with a toughening solution on the bottom, to provide extra durability and protection from beneath. Rarely, the underside of a carpet will be soaked in unicorn blood, a very expensive process which provides a limited defense against magical effects.
“Due to the extensive training, the highly detailed work, and the valuable materials involved, the price of a low-grade magic carpet, one with no speech capability and limited altitude, far exceeds the annual salary of the average household. And then there are the maintenance, cleaning, and repair costs to consider, which are out of reach for all but the wealthiest members of society, even in a kingdom as prosperous as Belavrin. Add to that the fact that magic carpets are limited in how many units of life energy they can support—ah, I didn’t explain that yet, did I?
“Unicorn hairs from the strongest, oldest mares and stallions are typically used to craft more powerful carpets that can carry three or four living beings at a time.
No carpet has ever been able to sustain more than four, and the carpets who can bear that many humans are slow, expensive, and unable to fly very high.
Their stamina is also reduced, which means they can only fly for a few hours before they must be rolled up and allowed to rest and recharge.
For this reason, as well as the matter of cost and maintenance, horses and carriages remain the preferred method of transportation for most humans.
Some people do ride the wyverns of the Red Mountains as well, but those creatures are highly volatile, as likely to devour their riders as obey them.
They deserve their own treatise, so I will regale you with information on their species at another time.
“A magic carpet like myself, with a nice blend of hairs from unicorns in various stages of life, can fly for several hours at moderate speed while carrying one or two living beings.
Their weight or size does not matter, nor does the weight of their luggage, although if you pile too many possessions onto a magic carpet, they will interfere with our agility, and they may tumble off when we flex, ripple, or turn.
The faster we fly, the faster our stamina drains, and the sooner we require rest in our rolled-up state.
When at rest, our unicorn fibers cease to glow, and we cannot see, hear, or sense anything around us.
“There is one exception, however. Even at rest, a magic carpet can be wakened and activated by the voice of a human with whom that carpet has developed a psychic link.
Such a connection forms when a carpet and its dominant rider share significant experiences and develop a relationship based on loyalty, care, and respect.
It can happen quickly, or it can take years to develop.
“A rider who is linked to a carpet can call upon that carpet from any distance, and the carpet, whether active or at rest, will be able to sense the location of the rider. The carpet will feel the urge to fly to the rider, and while the summons is not a compulsion, it is a powerful motivation.
“Magic carpets are susceptible to the vagaries of weather. We can be thrown off course by an unexpected gust of wind, which may land our riders in a treetop or at the bottom of a gorge. A carpet as wise as myself can anticipate such issues and self-correct whenever possible. As you’ve seen, I have the capacity to think ahead and respond to danger.
“When it comes to other aspects of the weather, be assured that, although I experience certain tactile sensations and I can sense heat and cold, temperature extremes do not hinder me or threaten my well-being. I dislike the cold because it stiffens my fibers a bit, but it does not prevent me from flying. The sun’s heat does not trouble me either—in fact, I rather enjoy it—but I have a natural aversion to fire, which could destroy me.
I would also rather not fly through thick forests full of thorns and sharp branches which could tear me.
“Since we are susceptible to blades, acid, and fire, my kind are typically not ideal for battles. At present, there is no such thing as an indestructible magic carpet, though I suppose one may eventually be created. As I have said, the science and art of carpet craft is relatively new, and it stands wide open to future alteration and invention…”