“Soulsteel?”

“It’s a magical metal,” Bob said, floating closer to the rod. “One of the key components in making soulsteel is soul essence. From what I’m sensing this rod seems to be a weapon of some kind. The markings are intricate, and this sort of work is far beyond any average enchanter. This weapon is priceless.”

The rod was a dark blue with silver engravings. It felt light, but solid, and was just thick and long enough for me to wrap my hand around it comfortably. I felt a tingling as a did, and instinctively I fed mana into it. I felt a tingling sensation flow through my body. The silver lines began to glow, and then in a flash of light, something entirely different was in my hand. “Woah.”

“Well, that’s certainly a weapon.” Bob's pages fluttered as I stared at the odd spear now in my hand, or was it something else? The blade was longer than any spear Brooke or Yolana had shown me and it had a crossguard. The blade was black with silver markings as was the haft. Just below the crossguard was the rod, silver lines now glowing more faintly. “Some sort of sword-spear?”

“It seems so.”

I swung it down, and it made a whistling sound. It was light, far lighter than a normal weapon would be. It also felt comfortable, more so than any other weapon I had used. I took up a basic stance, my body facing right, and spear held in two hands. I stabbed forward, pulled the spear back, then swung low. It was a move Brooke had taught me when we’d been trying out the naginata. “This is amazing.”

“I don’t think that’s all, Dick.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think it changed to suit you. Try and focus on it while thinking of transforming it into a blade of some kind.”

I felt a connection to the weapon. It was hard to describe as were a lot of the newer sensations I’d felt in the past few months. It was like what I felt during the binding ritual, but not as strong and always there, at the back of my mind. I focused on it and pictured a basic shortsword in my hand. Brooke had said some called them arming swords or short blades, but she and the clan preferred shortsword. There was a brief flash of light, and then I was holding a shortsword. The blade was black with silver markings, and the handle was the rod. The guard was as basic as they came. I focused and try to increase the length of the blade. It glowed and to my surprise, the blade increased in length. Over the next few minutes, I messed around with it, changing it into all sorts of weapons, even guns, which was a shock.

Bob coughed. “I’m glad you're enjoying your new toy, but there’s something else we need to talk about.”

I focused on turning it back into just a rod, and it did. I smiled. I was definitely glad I had snatched this. In fact, maybe I should have taken more things. Although, at the time I had been pretty stressed and preoccupied.

I focused on Bob who floated closer. “I need to teach you a basic spell to hide your mana pool from others. We'll also need to buy another charm for it. We can’t have people asking how you suddenly increase your mana capacity by so much, certainly not DOSA.”

“Will a basic spell do?”

“It should act like a sign to others. If someone tries to break it, you'll know, and by DOSA law that's actually considered an attack. The spell I'm going to teach you will be less about shielding you, and more about making it harder for others to sneak past without you being alerted. It might be a good idea to teach you two that can overlap.”

It was a good idea, and not something I hadn’t considered myself. Zara had asked about my increase, but I had been able to brush it off as it hadn't been that large. This increase, however, was too much, and though it hurt to lie to her, I couldn't let her in on things, yet. Not just for my safety, but for hers.

I placed the rod back in my pocket, lamenting the fact I wouldn't be able to use it outside of the pocket, not anytime soon at least. I had no doubt the fae and DOSA would be looking for it.

Bob was halfway through teaching me the patterns when the side door banged open and Litra matched in, an angry look on her face. “You said you wouldn't keep me caged!” She stopped a few feet away, and looked like she was about to take a swing, or swipe in her case. Her claws were out, and tail lashing wildly.

“I haven’t caged you.”

“This infernal place won't let me leave. Every time I try and take to the open field I return.”

“What are you… Oh, that’s not a real field.”

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“What? I can see it. I even spotted a herd. I want to hunt.”

“It’s just an illusion, Litra,” I said. “And I can get you food. What do you eat?”

“I like man meat.” Bob snorted and stifled a laugh, but I just stared. Man Meat? Did she mean human flesh? I suppose I should have been surprised since she was a dragon. This human form was not her true form. Her true form made humans look like bugs, and to her, they were probably just food. It was a shock, but it made sense. Her human form had made her seem more… well, human, but she wasn’t human.

A good thing we didn't let her out in Portland.

“What did they feed you when you were… caged?” I asked.

“They didn’t,” Litra said. “They used spears to push something into me.”

“Needles?”

“What are needles?”

How is her understanding of English so messed up? She understands some things, but others just go over her head. How does she even know English? Do they speak English on other planes?

“Is there anything else you eat, besides man meat?” Bob stifled another laugh while I just rolled my eyes. Thank god, Uliena wasn't in here or it would be innuendo city. Litra frowned. “Do you have horse?”

“You eat horse?”

She nodded, grinning. Her fangs made it look predatory. “Oh yes, back home, horse and man meat were the best, and I loved chasing them when they ran.”

I wasn't sure if the cottage could prepare horse, but there was no harm in trying, although I would try more human foods first like beef, and chicken. Maybe she’d end up liking them. I really didn’t want to try and get the cottage to make a dish from human meat. I hadn't asked where it got the food, but Bob just said magic, and I was fine to leave it at that.

“Go inside, and I’ll be there in a minute. Then we’ll get you something to eat.” She left, and I sighed. “She’s gonna be different.”

“She’s a dragon,” Bob said. “Don’t let that human form fool you. If you put a human child in front of her and said it was her dinner, she’d probably rip him open and feast on his innards. It’s messed up, but that's how it is. You eat chicken, cow, and fish. Dragons eat all those, and also people from humans to elves to orcs and more. Not just dragons either. Some orc clans and even elves eat humans. Hell, in some planes, they sell human meat at butchers as they do here with normal poultry here. They raise them like cattle, and drain them of blood, and slaughter them for meat.”

I swallowed and held a hand to my stomach. “That's enough, Bob. I get it.”

“Don't worry, the Nexus Ascendancy doesn’t allow such things, at least not publicly and in most of their planes. And you're not really human anymore.”

“How? I guess I've got magic, but everything else is still human.”

“If you want to see it that way, you can. Some would say you’re a different race, while others would call you a magical human. Either way, you’re not a mundane human.”

With those oh-so-pleasant thoughts, I headed to the cottage where Uliena was chatting with Litra. Uliena didn't eat, so she just watched as I had the cottage make a number of dishes for Litra. I started with fried chicken which she loved, and then a few others. In the end, her favorite was the kebab. She seemed to like holding the stick and tearing off the small chunks of meat. It was lamb, and I was glad I hadn't had to get horse or man meat.

“This is good, not as stringy as man meat.”

Excuse me? Man meat? Oh, honey, I can show you some man meat.

I sighed while Bob laughed. “I told you might come to regret it.” I ate with Litra, going for some kebabs as well. Litra wasn’t a fan of the fizzy drinks and spat out after her first sip. “It was moving,” she hissed, her claws out. “It was just… never mind, try this.” She liked the still juice and the milk. She watched warily when the cottage gave me a cup of fizzing cola. “Is it alive?” She asked.

“No, it’s just fizzy.”

“Fizzy? It's angry?”

“No, it's…” I sighed. “It doesn't matter. When you're done, you can sleep where ever you want, as long as it's not my room. Mine is on end upstairs. It won't rain or get cold in here, so you can sleep outside if you want. Bob is the moss bed still there?”

“Mhm.”

“I shall sleep on the green bed,” Litra said, getting up. She turned back just before she left. “I… You… It’s good that you did not cage me.” She walked out.

“Was that a thank you?”

I believe so. Now, how about we head upstairs?