EPISODE 86: PREPARATION
— Edryan Queendom, Year: 7291. Season: Color Fading.
The night passed and went. A soft, quiet snow fell upon the mountain—blanketing it in a pure silver-white display. Footsteps echoed through the halls, as two mortals made their way to and fro. The Aspect of Knowledge, Rasheed, sighed and stared at the dull— lifeless orbs before him. There were six of them, each with the potential to change the world. Each was the last hope the Aspect held for dragons. Yet, in the nearly ten thousand years since the fall of Elrunian and the establishment of this… Elrunian Continent. Not once did Aspect Rasheed come close to fulfilling his goal. Not even all the knowledge of the realm could help him.
‘If the Gods or the Genesis of old were still present…’
Aspect Rasheed let that thought drift away as his attention fully aligned on the pair of Magi who found themselves at the footsteps of his domain. Hesitation no longer plagued him. Only a strange… calmness. His eyes constantly tracked the figure of an owl, who flew from the [Chosen of Madris] shoulder and onto that of Madria. The Aspect focused and listened to their conversation.
“We have limited time to prepare you Law… thank you for trusting me to help.”
The [Chosen] responded with a gentle smile and a nod to both Madria and his perk before turning away. The young woman watched his back until he disappeared around the corner before turning herself as the owl, Minerva , tugged on her ear gently. She laughed and turned to head toward the entrance of the Library of Final Hope. There was a determination in her eyes that intrigued Rasheed. The customs of Saphens were something the Aspect held extensive knowledge of, and the dance these two were only just stepping into was a trait he’d seen a thousand—thousand times.
The moment Madria entered the library, Aspect Rasheed opened his eyes to find her standing before him at the entrance. She hesitated once she saw him languidly sitting at a table. Six large orb-like gems were placed before him. Realm Guard Terra stood behind the desk of the librarian, inanimate, but both his and the guard’s visage seemed to give the young lady pause.
Aspect Rasheed smiled at Madria, although she was a direct priestess of Her , the Aspect wasn’t opposed as she and Lawruthian meant two entirely different things.
His smile seemed to remove the hesitation from Madria, or it could have been the chirp of the divine beast next to her.
“ Greetings Aspect Rasheed. I am Minerva Edryani — Keeper of the Codex! ”
My footsteps paused before a grand door that was reminiscent of the library. Except this door held a blacksmith’s hammer and refined ingot on its surface. The two items crossed one another as they displayed themselves over the glossy metallic grey doors. I took in a deep breath, briefly thinking of the plan I spent the night developing with Minerva, before slowly pushing the door open.
Intense heat, like that of the sun, blasted me a few steps back as the doors opened.
CLANG!
…
CLANG!
…
CLANG!
The sound of steel mashing against steel continued for several moments before the sound of metal being polished to a shine took over. I watched, a strange fascination overtaking me, as the blacksmith forged.
It paused and held up a gleaming stainless steel-like blade. Orange-red gems, like that of a campfire, met my gaze.
“Don’t stand at the door, boy, you’ll let out my heat!”
A masculine voice spoke. The automaton was made of flames, its voice was like that of scorching fire, deep with life and more. It was thick with accent and refreshing from the dreariness of this place. I entered, my eyes sparkling.
“You are…?”
I heavily resisted inspecting him after the warning from Realm Guard Terra. This was an automaton carved from pure flames. I knew it was possible, as my skill (Golem Forging) allowed me to craft golems from any material I could tangibly grasp. Its wording was… weird , and I’d yet to explore all its functions. I entered the forge and the doors closed behind me.
“I am Realm Guard: Ignis! Da first creation of Jaahgar — Master Smith, and da damn best-looking one as well.”
“You’re so… different. This Master Jaahgar, who was he?”
“ She… was…,” the automaton looked away. Its gems sparkling in the firelight of its own body. “… everything .”
Ignis shook its head and looked at me. “Now, what can I help ya with boy, t’is a mans workplace, and ain’t no place for children.”
I chuckled, “I’m here to prepare myself for Aspect Rasheed’s trial. I’d like to…,” I hesitated, but looked to my right and wiggled my stump before turning back to Ignis. This time, my voice was firm as I spoke.
“I’m here to forge .”
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Her small greeting out the way, Minerva didn’t hesitate to continue. “ I would like to present you this… (Page of the Codex).”
Two hundred mana points drained from her as Minerva brought forward a simple children’s book.
(Page of the Codex) — Heroic
Function:
Build a copy of any printed, or digital material stored in the Codex of Earth. This copy will be displayed in a written form and can be converted to any chosen language.
Cost:
200 MP.
Description:
Countless articles of knowledge are stored within the Codex of Earth. Take a page, a single book, and bring it into reality.
Madria watched on, not able to understand the conversation that was beginning to take place. It was clear that Minerva was talking to the Aspect, as the way their eyes locked the moment the bird chirped, told Madria all she needed to know. She stood there quietly and waited for the conversation to finish. Minerva would alert her if there was anything she needed. Madria wasn’t all too surprised once the prince revealed the intelligence of Minerva.
‘ Who did he think he was fooling all this time? It was blatantly obvious you two could communicate… at least to those close to you, ’ Madria said internally, chuckling.
She watched as a book materialized before them. The young woman reached out and caught the book the moment it finished before it could fall to the ground. She studied the cover, but its language was a mystery to her. The book’s characters were unlike anything she’d ever seen. Madria could tell it was a children’s book as she opened it and began to flip through the pages. It seemed to be something related to strange colored fish, as the cover ended on a red, then, blue fish.
Minerva chirped and tugged on Madria’s hair, directing her toward Aspect Rasheed. Madria understood what she wanted, and quickly she stopped perusing the book and handed it to the waiting Aspect.
The book appeared tiny in his hands, almost comically so, but the Aspect held it with reverence.
“This… is knowledge from another realm?”
Aspect Rasheed’s voice was shaky, but the excitement present in it seemed to brighten the entire atmosphere. The constant heavy atmosphere picked up as the colors grew more vibrant and illuminating. The flames that lit the halls brightened, and the mountain seemed more alive . The mana within reacted as its Aspect did.
Madria noticed all of this and more, her eyes slightly widening in the process. For a brief moment, Madria felt the same hesitant joy and excitement before her Intent retook control of her immediate surroundings and returned her state of mind.
“ There are plenty more where that came from. What is the price for such a tome, ” Minerva questioned.
The Aspect continued to carefully flip page after page of the children’s book. A small joyous chuckle came from his mouth. His aged golden orbs radiated the passion he felt. He inhaled, a long breath that sucked mana into him. Minerva’s eyes squinted, carefully studying every detail of the Aspect as he reacted to the children’s book.
‘ The mana is acting… strange, ’ Minerva observed. Every single detail was being recorded and notes were being taken for later. Currently, Lawruthian was preoccupied with his task. So everything was left to her.
“I’m certain you’ve noticed how each book is tasked with a specific color. Common, Uncommon, Rare, Legendary, and Mythical. Although valuable, it is clear this is a children’s rhyme meant to help the young of this world learn to count. This is valued as Common.”
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Madria was confused as she listened to only one side of the conversation. One side, however, was enough to give her pause.
‘ Knowledge from another realm? ’
Her silent question to herself would remain unanswered, but Madria's eyes took on a strange, pondering gaze as she looked at Minerva. Regardless, it wasn’t her place to question the abilities of her [Chosen].
“Chirp.”
Three more tomes swiftly manifested before Madria as Minerva cast her skill. Each one was different from the last, but Madria caught them without fail. The items were light and the strength of her attributes points were high.
“ These are basic knowledge for the world this is from. One is a beginner science book. One is an early human history book, and the final is on early medical science… tell me what are their values? ”
Minerva did her best to act normal and casual, but internally she held her breath. This was it… this was the turning point of their plans. Aspect Rasheed’s specific decision on what he would value these at was an intricate part of tailoring a specific end goal the two had in mind.
Carefully, Madria set the books in the palm of Aspect Rasheed. These tomes were larger than the previous, yet still, they were tiny compared to his palm.
For a long moment, the Aspect just stared at each book. One blue for science. Another green was for history, while the last was red for medical science. Then carefully, like it was the most precious thing in the world, the Aspect flipped the pages of the red book.
Minerva didn’t know if he could read it, as all the books she presented were in English. Regardless, the Aspect seemed to be doing just fine without any help from her. She tsked internally, as she and Lawruthian wanted to use that as a bargaining chip if possible.
’ No matter, it wasn’t a vital part of the plan. ’
The Aspect finally paused in his reviewing of the book, briefly his gaze flickered to the six orbs next to him before he began to peruse the remaining two books. Madria stood there, knowing something major was taking place. At this moment, she wished she could communicate with Minerva. Her eyes flickered over the tomes the dragon perused, her mind wondering the prospects of what knowledge from another realm meant.
Suddenly… multiple dots began to click within Madria’s mind.
‘ The Rails… procuring honey… Law’s Sweet Golems… has he been using Minerva’s ability since his birth? Perks are powerful… his strangeness… it all relates to… ,’ Madria began to summarize. She gazed at the large horned owl with ebony-gradient feathers and the same red-gold eyes Lawruthian held, her thoughts spinning. Yet, before she could establish any more hypothetical system manipulations, Aspect Rasheed finished his perusing.
“This one…,” he floated the green book up. “…grants access to a single Uncommon book.”
Minerva nodded in understanding. The Aspect continued.
“This one is Rare,” he said as the blue book floated up. Minerva held questions, but now was not the time for them. Her only goal was getting the information Lawruthian needed and confirming what sort of knowledge the Aspect truly desired.
“This…,” he began, the red medical science book rising into the air. “…is Mythical .”
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“ Forge…? Ya want to forge in my… Realm Guard: Ignis’s blacksmith’n armory?”
The flame-built golem scoffed as I studied it. Just like Terra, the golem was massive and the flames that built it took structure and order. Each flickering light appeared to be a chain of interwoven mesh that covered Ignis’s entire body. They appeared like undulated leaves linked together in a massive formation. One that was made of flame and not steel.
Ignis looked me up and down and scoffed. “You’re a wee bit small ta use my forge. What do ya craft, boy?”
“My name is Lawruthian, and I build golems, automatons… like you .”
For a few seconds, Ignis stared at me. Then a bright, booming laughter erupted from the automaton’s face. Ignis’s head was a mass of pure orange-red flames that somehow gained definition to look roughly humanoid. He didn’t have a nose nor ears, but when he spoke, flames undulated from where I imagined his mouth would be.
“Ya don’t build golems, boy . Ya craft them—bring the essence of what they once were ta the forefront as ya breathe life into them. That’s what my master did for me when I was none but a raging flame consuming a world once released from my star. That… is what ya need to do for your creations,” Ignis began. He continued to talk as he turned back to his work. The automaton grasped another ingot before he began to hammer away.
“There are no Saphen size tools here, boy, wait a bit and I will make you some. Then we’ll see what types of golems you craft. In the meantime, make yourself familiar,” Ignis finished as he gestured around the forge.
I accepted that as the dismissal it was and began to gaze around. The blacksmith wasn’t just large and a place that served as a workshop. Decked against half the walls were countless weapons of all types. Spears, swords, halberds, axes, shields, whips, and more. If you could think of it, then it was there against the wall. While the other wall held armors, giant-sized armors built for beings twice my height and larger. There were hundreds of workstations, but the greatest of them all was where Ignis forged. The clangs of his hammer created a rhythmic beat, like that of a heart.
I walked toward the weapon wall and stopped in front of a majestic blade. It was centered, and it was clear all weapons paled in comparison. It stood as tall as me, and on its hilt was carved two horned dragons that intwined themselves around the blade. One was red, the other blue, and the gems that decorated their bodies as scales glittered like the night sky. On the pommel of the blade were six grey oval gems that seemed dull and lifeless compared to the rest of the weapon. I frowned as they appeared to be an obvious discrepancy in the fine craftsmanship of the blade.
“(Inspect).”
Armament: [A Ballad of Red and Blue] — Divine
Function:
Extinction
Six gems, six unfulfilled potentials, as you battle gather the potential of slain enemies before releasing them in an all-consuming burst of flame and ice. Enemies hit by this attack are inflicted with {Extinction} which will begin to collapse members of the inflicted species on the battlefield.
Function:
Titan’s Might — Passive
Titans are the physically strongest creations made by Realm Lord Elrunian, for but a moment, join them in strength. Boost Base Attack by 1000% — 5000% as the battle continues.
Function:
Crimson Embrace
Upon activation, release a barrier of crimson flames that protects the user from incoming attacks. Enemies hit by the barrier are inflicted with {Incinerate} as Base Attack is multiplied by 1500%.
Function:
Azure Resurgence
Draw upon the elemental energy of water, increasing regeneration by 3500%.
Function:
Echoes of Eternity
Summon the echo of Red and Blue as ethereal guardians to fight for you.
Cost:
1000 MP, 1000 SP per function. Function: Extinction requires no Life Points to cast.
Description:
Dedicated to a friend, a guardian of knowledge, and father to-be.
The clanging of Ignis’s hammer continued as I read the functions and description of [A Ballad of Red and Blue]. The functions gave me pause, but what truly intrigued me was the description. I gazed intensely at the red dragon on the hilt of the blade. Its two pairs of horns were very familiar. Pieces began to fit into place and I could feel a burst of excitement coming from my connection to Minerva.
I turned and continued to peruse the forge and specifically the wall of weapons. Across the room, I spotted the armor of my [Eternal Set] with what appeared to be [Limitless Love]. A small sense of relief filled me as I knew I hadn’t lost the gift my mother prepared for my coronation. Hopefully, [Eternal Love] was with my detached arm.
My attention returned to the weapon wall until the clanging came to a halt. “Come here boy.”
I smiled ruefully and left the wall of weapons. In a short few seconds, I was before the Realm Guard. He held his palm out and within were a set of exquisitely crafted tools. The largest of which was a hammer with an axe blade on the back of it. I hesitated, small flames flickering on Ignis’s palm and body.
“I ain’t gonna burn ya boy, I am in perfect control of my temperature.”
I nodded in response and began to grab the two tools waiting for me. The first was a chisel with swirling runic patterns carved to the dull edge. They were |Longevity|, |Renewal|, and more carved to protect the chisel from the wear of time and use.
Ignis was warm, but far from hot. His temperature was no hotter than that of the average person. My attention was drawn to the hammer and ax combination, the hatchet held more emphasis on its hammerhead rather than the blade. Its large purple-steel color was new and made me feel like I was grabbing something I never knew I was missing.
“[ Golemancer’s Hew ].”
“(Inspect).”
Armament: Golemancer’s Hew — Common
Function:
Channel your mana to better craft and forge golems with precision, as you enhance its structural integrity and imbue it with greater skills. Reduce all Life Point usage by 50% when crafting. Increase the likelihood of developing exceptional work by 50%.
Description:
A Golemancer’s Hew is the first thing every apprentice golemancer is given to start their journey. This one is yours.