Grillo and I were geeking out over crafting materials again just like we have been the whole past week. After my surprise introduction, the dwarf and I had hit it off and become good friends. I had a lot to explain to my dad, and I had to do the same with my mother as well. I wanted to have both parents on the same page after all. At first, my mother had cried thinking that she was my second mother but after I explained she was the only one and dad had a lot to live up to she calmed down. The next time she saw my dad she gave a big grin like she just won a gold medal. Both my parents realized I'm probably the prophesized one and we're proud of that too.

I didn't have time for that though, unlike my parents I had to worry about things they never had. Saving my whole species was a lot of pressure to be under. Having a smith at hand was a necessary luxury if I was going to accomplish what I needed too. When I first gave Grillo samples of all the metals Zotherg gave me access to the dwarf had wanted to hire others and start a mine. I told him about Zotherg, and that opinion did a complete reversal. I reassured him that Zotherg was fine with providing materials as long as it's "Gently Harvested" using my earth magic.

We had some small pieces of adamantium and mithril. I had given a lot of small gold and silver chunks found to Grillo as advanced payment for future services. We also found several metals I had never heard of one of which was called Elorium which felt like polished bone and had an ivory sheen to it. It was lightweight and super strong. The rest were soft metals that had certain functions in things dwarves made. Imperium was a soft metal that once forged would bend when forced too but would reshape itself back after the initial force is depleted. It was a self-repairing metal that was good for making a second layer of armor. The last metal Aliril was one of the most magically conductive metals in existence, but neither of us had any idea how to use it. Of course, we also found iron as well.

Grillo had decided to stay with us after already delaying his departure several times. He gave his caravan members money and instructions before sending them off. The old dwarf had unloaded several crates more stuff off the wagon before it left. In one container had been a fascinating pauldron and gauntlet set that had interested me. Its design had been impressive, and Grillo had explained it was an old attempt to make a miniature version of the mana crystal powered motor circuits for a Rune armor. I was confused by what a "Rune Armor" was and asked Grillo about it. The dwarf face lit up, and he began explaining in great detail and storied flare about the massive giant armors his people built.

Rune armors were war machines that dwarves built to deter enemies. The could be of any size but when someone said "Rune Armors" most people thought of the giant colossal ones that dwarves are famous for making. The most famous being "The great Titus" that was the only one to have a core enchanted by Elves. That meant it could recharge itself after being used given enough time. The others all ran off substitute power sources, some of which were very inefficient. One of which required a mana crystal of the highest purity that was about the size of the hope diamond.

Motors that ran off of mana were strange but fascinating to me. One could use a particular type of wire to conduct mana while utilizing a substance that draws mana at one end and a mana source at the other. This would create one directional flow and is very different from electricity I knew about from earth. One could develop functions by adding in enchantments or patterns in the wire. Grillo's gauntlet, for example, used wire coils that made metal joints move similar to how an electromagnetic field makes an electric motor spin. The difference was all he had to do was coil the wire one way to make it move one direction and the opposite to go the other way. It was extremely simple as mana appeared to be extremely malleable and respond to sentient will. Grillo didn't have to even make full motors; he just needs to bond wire loops onto the armor that created the necessary force in the right places for the armor to move properly. The circuit that controlled which lines receive power, however, was far more complicated and honestly currently beyond my comprehension. It was a timer that connected multiple oneway circuits that responded to the will of its user. Some of the problems were Grillo didn't make it and had a limited understanding of how it worked himself. Maybe if an enchanter explained it to me, I would better understand it.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

One of the armors problems was energy efficiency, and Grillo had tried using electricity generated by a steam engine to lessen the drain on mana crystals. He had a rune placed that was typically used to turn mana into lightning but had its effect reversed. It was clever, and I was genuinely impressed by the imagination considering that electricity was a recent discovery by dwarves. The steam engine used a lot of coal and was met with scoffs by my father. The wastefulness of resources being the main reason elves looked down on many species. I, however, saw the potential.

In my last life, I had been a man who was pro-green energy. There's a reason I hated hippies almost as much as Eric Cartman. People sometimes in my last life would try to compare me to one, and I loathed them for it. There's a difference between thinking drugs should be legal and love free because you want them and what I believed. Nothing in life is free! I believed in being efficient with my resources and harnessing natural energy whenever possible. My house, for example, was an earth and argon insulated building that was powered by natural geothermal energy.

Geothermal energy is harnessed by using the Peltier effect. Basically, if you take a metal bar and one end is hot while the other is cold electricity can be harnessed from the difference between the two. A solar panel is a glass bonded to a metal. When light hits a solar panel, it has to change forms to pass through. I told Grillo about these methods of harnessing energy, and the dwarf became interested in implementing the new methods to his model. It looked like we were going to have a lot of fun shortly.

Emma came by again and gave me a big pouting face. Once before Emma had gone to my parents and given them tears until they came and got me to take a break and go play with her. I got the "You shouldn't make a girl cry" statement with some attitude from my mother. I didn't exactly take it without a fight though. First, I said " You know I'm an adult trapped in a Childs body right? Also, I don't want to hear about morals from my parents that have had many partners over to our house while I was an infant." My mother's face turned bright red, and her ears flicked in panic. She hadn't considered yet that I was fully aware back then.

I knew I couldn't stay much longer, but I had to talk to Grillo about another matter. My dad mentioned that soon I would be old enough to choose my first weapon. Since Grillo was here, it was a perfect time, and I knew what I wanted. I asked Grillo if he could make me two small balanced ax's that could be thrown like a tomahawk. The dwarf had grinned from ear to ear. An ax was a dwarf weapon and what most dwarfs made for their children when they came of age. My dad had freaked out when I asked for this. Elves referred to axes as weapons of pure death. Hammers build, swords and spears have martial arts that allow them to be used as shields or disarm enemies without killing, but axes were either used to kill people, animals or plants.

I eventually convinced my dad that it was best to use a weapon that kills when necessary. My dad momentarily looked away and sighed mumbling in resignation, "and he shall wield death in each hand."