Chance had gone over the journal twice now, and could not find anything about breaking enchanted seals or even creating them. There were instructions for other incantations, all with warnings about the dangers of casting without proper training. Alyssia, I can’t find a single thing in here about enchanted seals. Are you sure there is nothing in your memory about it? Chance asked for the second time.

Yes, I have spent the entire time that you have been going over the journal looking back through the memories and not finding anything. There are memories of many incantations but nothing about seals. I am sorry. Maybe we can’t do it. What about thinking of the problem differently? Alyssia responded patiently.

What do you mean little one? Chance asked.

Well, if we can’t open the boxes can we do something else with them that would be useful? Encase them in something, make them very heavy, or something like that, she explained.

Beautiful that is a great idea! Let me look back through the journal with that in mind. He exclaimed.

Chance went back to searching through the journal again for third time convinced that he had seen something in there that might help out. About twenty minutes later, he leapt up with a shout. “I got it!”

What is it? Alyssia asked.

“It is an incantation of shrinking. If I can shrink the boxes down, then the entire box could be put in the pouch. It says that the incantation has a set duration but it could be that the pouch will pause the incantation time limit just like it maintains food in the exact same way it goes into the pouch. I would want to try confirm that it works that way before we tried it on the boxes though.” Chance explained.

I think that would work. I have a memory of spells working that way when placed in the pouch. When do you want to try incantation?

“Let’s go see about dinner and talk to Mom and Dad about it.” Chance said as he realized that it should be near time for dinner.

Chance met Jessica as he exited his room. “Momma said it was time for dinner.”

“Ok.” He said and scooped her up in hug and started tickling her as he walked toward the kitchen. Her giggles sounded down the short hallway and were a welcome sound in the house.

Chance set Jessica down in a chair between Mallory and his mother. Then moved to his chair on the other side of Mallory. It was a bit cramped as the table was designed for four but the girls were small, so they fit together on one side. The girls talked about what they had learned to do in the kitchen and what part of the meal they had helped to prepare. They seemed to have really enjoyed the quality time with Mom, Chance realized. Then looking at his Mom he also realized that she had enjoyed it just as much as the little girls, if not more.

After dinner, Chance sat down with his father and explained what he had found and how he thought it would work. His dad agreed that if Chance could use the incantation as it was intended, then being able to shrink the box and take the entire box with them would be ideal. It would also work well with the plan of letting the dummy boxes be stolen. His dad told him that he had found materials to build the boxes and had four of them completed already. He was keeping them in the forge in the secure storage where he kept the more expensive metals used in his forging.

“I think I should practice the incantation a couple times and see how long the items remain small outside of the pouch and then do another and put it in the pouch for a portion of the duration then take it out and see if the duration increased by the time it was in the pouch.” Chance proposed.

“Sounds like a plan,” his dad agreed. “Let’s find something that you can shrink.”

They settled on piece of plate steel from the shop. Chance and his dad carried it down to the secret forge and into the practice room after the girls had gone to take a bath.

“Alright, let’s try this.” Chance stated as he settled down into the protective circle and set the book down in front of him alongside the piece of plate steel, making sure that the steel was entirely inside the circle as well. Opening the book to the page with the incantation on it, Chance studied the rune on the page and the words associated with the casting. Alyssia moved from his shoulder to the work bench outside the circle.

“I am going to study the incantation for a bit and practice saying it as well as picturing the rune. After I think I have it down, I will try it. Sound like a plan, Dad?” Chance asked.

“Sounds good to me.” His Dad agreed.

Chance practiced until he could easily summon the image of the rune and speak the phrase straight through without a misstep. “Ok. I think I have this. Ready Dad? Ready Alyssia?”

Nodding his head Harold set down the scroll he had been reading and focused on Chance.

Chance began to speak the incantation, focusing on the steel plate and the size he wanted it to be as the notes on the incantation said to do. Then picturing the rune and speaking the incantation, he pushed his Ard through the rune and into the plate steel. He could feel the pull on his Ard and a slight flow through his bond from Alyssia. As he completed the incantation, the pull increased slightly and then stopped. Then he watched in awe as the steel plate began to shrink. It started out being about four spans to a side and ended up being about a quarter of a span to a side.

Harold stood there in awe watching the steel shrink. Once it stopped he reached out to pick up the piece of steel. Amazingly as much as the size had decreased, the weight had as well so the piece of steel was much lighter than he expected.

“Now we wait,” Chance said, “the notes say that the duration varies depending on strength of wizard and amount of Ard put into the incantation.” He reached over and started the sand timer.

“While we wait let me go get the things you will need on your trip.” His father said as he walked down the tunnel that lead out of the forge area and further underground.

Chance stood there waiting and watching the sand run out of the hourglass for several minutes until he could hear his father making his way back up the tunnel. Soon his father came walking up out of the mouth of the tunnel pulling a small cart behind him. Looking at the strain on his father’s face as he pulled the cart he wondered what all his father was giving him.

Harold stopped once the cart was up on the level floor of the forge area. “Son, some of this is for Horace and some is for you. I initially planned to give Horace his portion once he came home, but if the incantation for shrinking works I want you to take his to him in the capital.” At this he stepped aside and pulled a tarp from over the cart. There on the cart was the equipment for a complete forge albeit a smaller one but enough to start his own shop. The anvil was shaped like no other anvil he had ever seen and there looked to be runes carved into it. There were all the parts to put together what looked to be a small furnace as well as a smelter, quenching tank, and bellows, all engraved with runes and intricate carvings. A small chest sat open with a complete set of beautifully crafted hammers and tongs, as well as buckets with all of the other tools and devices a master smith would need.

“Dad, I can’t take this. The entire thing must have cost a fortune. What if I lose it?” Chance exclaimed.

“This is the forge set of the Smithe family. Made by the Dwarves for my ancestor when they taught him the secret of Dwarven Steel. It is given to the son when he completes his training in the crafting of Dwarven Steel. It is his until he can set up shop and create a crafting den such as this one. Then he must make his own. The set is then put aside for his son. Thus it has been and thus it shall be. The set itself is made of Dwarven Steel and is enchanted by Dwarven craftsmen to imbue the material crafted on it with a higher level of strength than a normal forge. The furnace requires no fuel only the incantation be spoken and the fires will burn as hot as those lit by the molten rock deep in the earth. The tools will never show wear or lose their edge.” His father explained. “I ask that you take this to Horace in the capitol and if he is not ready for it to hold it for him until he is ready for it. I feel it will be much safer in your care than here for some reason.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Now for your family gift. While the Blacksmithing heirlooms that are passed from generation to generation go to the first born son. There are a few items that go to the additional sons unless there is only one child. I also still have the things to give you that are from me as well. I am sure your mother has her own gifts too.” His dad grinned and walked to the back side of the cart where he picked up a war chest and carried it around and set it on the floor beside the table. He opened the chest and reached inside. He pulled out a finely craft chainmail shirt and padded black gambeson. “This I crafted for you earlier this year so I hope it still fits. I left some room for you to grow into it. It is made from Dwarven Steel and thus weighs considerably less than a similar steel mail.” He laid it aside and reached inside again. This time he drew out a small jewelry case. “This ring marks you as a Dwarf Friend. You need only show it to a Dwarf and any help that is in their power to give will be given freely. Do not abuse this. There are only three of these rings that were ever made to my knowledge. They are all in our family. One was my the first Smithe that saved the Dwarven King, which I have given to Horace, one is mine, and the other is this one that is now yours. Mine and this one both have a story behind them and how they were earned, but that is for another day. Keep it safe, for it is a sacred trust given to our family. The ring is enchanted, and will only appear when it is desired to be visible, otherwise it will not be visible or even feel like it is there.” His father took the ring from the box and placed it onto the index finger on Chance’s right hand and uttered a brief incantation. When the incantation was finished there was a brief flash and the ring immediately shrunk to fit his finger perfectly and where previously the stone was etched with a hammer and tongs it was now etched and inlaid with a silver dragons head with an image of crossed hammer and tongs visible behind the head.

“How odd. The symbol on my ring did not change when my father placed it on my finger and cast the incantation. It just shrunk to fit.” His father said in wonder.

Shaking his head and turning back around to the chest, he reached in and pulled out expertly crafted long sword. “And finally there is this. My ancestor was granted two weapons from the Kings Armory, an axe and a long sword. The axe is called Damnation and sword is called Salvation. Horace was given the axe when he left for the Academy and I give you the sword now. Both were forged centuries prior to that day and had been in the King’s family armory since they were made. Both are made of Dwarven Steel and never need sharpening. At the time of Salvations crafting it was enchanted with a powerful incantation placed upon it that will heal the wielder of their wounds. It will draw Ard from you if need be or it can draw the life force or Ard from your enemy to heal whomever is holding it.” Handing the sword to Chance, “Draw the sword from its scabbard and repeat after me.”

Chance glanced at the sword as he placed his hand on the grip. The pommel was a black stone similar to the one on the ring with the same crossed hammer and tongs inlaid in the stone. The cross-guard started from an engraving of the crossed hammer and tongs emblem, identical to that on the ring and pommel, then extended outward and curled up and then back toward the blade. There were engravings of runes down the fuller of the blade. The scabbard in his other hand was somewhat plain with the emblem of hammer and tongs on the Dwarven Steel locket at the top.

Holding the sword, he began to repeat the incantation after his father. Chance could feel the Ard moving from him, as well as Alyssia, and into the sword as he uttered the words. The sword then began to hum and a sense of warmth flowed from the pommel up his arm and spread throughout his body and he could feel through his bond that Alyssia was experiencing a similar warmth. He could vaguely hear a song in the flow of Ard similar to the one he heard when he bonded with Alyssia. The melody slowly began to increase in volume, then two more melodies joined in. He recognized the “voice” of these melodies from before. They were melodies of his and Alyssia’s Ard. Soon the melodies merged into one beautiful harmony. Chance once again felt the familiar tingle of power as the melodies combined were stronger than the individual parts. Then the harmony began to slowly fade out and become individual melodies once more.

Chance felt amazing, he could not remember feeling this refreshed and energized. Alyssia my dear. How do you feel?

I feel great! I seem to have an abundance of energy at the moment.

The sword felt light in his hand, almost like an extension of his arm, as if he was in perfect harmony with the blade. He felt as if he could swing it all day without tiring.

He glanced at his dad, who was staring in wonder. “What?” he asked his dad.

“The sword did not do that when I repeated the incantation. It hummed briefly and from what I can tell that is all that it has ever done. The music I heard was wondrous. There seemed to be three songs playing at once then they merged and formed one perfect harmony.” His dad responded.

“That was the Ard coming from Salvation bonding with the Alyssia’s Ard and mine as well. I experienced something similar when I bonded with Alyssia but it was only the two of us. It was even more beautiful though from what I remember. Don’t you agree Alyssia?”

“Yes. This was beautiful but our song, Chance, was glorious.” Alyssia smiled and said.

Chance slid the sword back into its scabbard. He glanced at the pommel as he did so and noticed that the pommel now had changed to match the new emblem on his ring. He raised it up further and saw that the cross guard and locket emblems had changed as well. “Amazing, simply amazing.” He whispered. He took off the enchanted belt and slid the Dragon Dagger over next to the pouch and put Salvation on his right hip and put the belt back on.

He and his father sat and talked for a bit longer before the steel plate began to slowly increase in size until soon it was back to its original size.

“Well it looks as if the duration is about a twenty minutes. Let me shrink it again and then we can place it in the pouch for ten minutes. Then take it out to see if it works.” Chance suggested.

Thirty minutes later they were rewarded with the plate growing back to its original size, after having been placed in the pouch for ten minutes. This meant that the pouch worked to suspend the incantation’s timer. With that Chance began to shrink down the forge equipment his father had just given him and began to store it in his bag. He was only able to about a third of it after all of the Ard he had used so far this evening. He would have to do the rest over the next hour or so. He was also careful to write down the key word associated with each item in a journal he had begun to keep for this purpose. He had decided it would be best to keep track of what he put in so he could take it out as well.

Once the cart was empty, Chance put chainmail shirt and gambeson in the pouch and headed with his father back upstairs.

They realized once they were above ground that sun had set and it was dark outside. Deciding that now was as good a time as any to move the boxes to the pouch and the dummy boxes into the open.

Alyssia can you go to the roof and see if we have any visitors nearby watching the house or the yard and boxes? Chance asked. Try not to be seen.

I would love to. Alyssia said, and I won’t be seen. With that she turned and jumped into the fireplace and began to climb up the inside of the chimney.

After a bit Alyssia responded that there was a man watching each gate but none in a position to see what was going on within the walls. They finished the rest of the boxes and loaded them with scrap metal and packing, and then sealed them with the King’s Seal. Once the boxes were sealed they began shrinking the dummy boxes and carrying them out one at a time, so that they could move them quietly. Thankfully the time it took to build the boxes and load them had given Chance time to recover his Ard. Once all of the boxes were out in the yard next to the real boxes, Chance began to shrink the real boxes and place them inside the pouch. Each box was noted in the journal and on a separate piece of paper that Harold was going to keep just in case the journal was lost. Soon they had the dummy boxes back to full size and stacked where the old boxes had been. Chance was exhausted, he had used a lot of Ard today and felt like he was about to collapse.

Alyssia suddenly swooped down and landed on him. He knew she was coming and expected her but still let out a startled yelp when he turned his head to look at her and saw a little black dragon on his shoulder. Alyssia laughed and said, what don’t you recognize me?

Chance reached up and ran a finger down her side removing the soot that covered her from her climb up the chimney. You need a bath if you expect to sleep in my bed tonight my Love. He chuckled in response.

She launched herself from his shoulder and glided over to the water trough and dove in. She glided about for a bit then dove under the water and swam around until the soot was all gone. Then climbing back out, she launched herself once more into the air and flew around until her scales were dry.

You are getting really good at flying my dear. Chance told her.

Thank you. She responded. It really is not that difficult once you get the hang of it.

She landed on Chance’s shoulder as he was walking into the house. Chance discovered that the girls were once again in his bed but there was a palette on the floor again so he settled down there and went to sleep.