Chapter Five Hundred And Eighty One – 581
Harn brought his hammer down. Sparks flew like a brilliant waterfall of purple-blue motes before they vanished, eaten up by the relentless cold. Outside the forge hed commandeered, night had fallen. The winds were brutal but Harn welcomed themtonight, his work required more than simple heat.
He lifted his hammer. The haft was of rich, golden-green wood and the wide head was fashioned from a chunk of purple-white crystal. Mana crystal, in fact, part of a set of tools Harn had fashioned for his personal use. None among Elderthrone could manufacture Mana crystal of course, that required a level of power beyond a Masterbut Ahkestria had a remarkable selection of raw materials. Hed arranged for their construction in the Leviathan Depths and it had cost him more crowns than hed seen in his life.
Worth it, he thought with a grin. Harn set the hammer down beside the huge black iron anvil and inspected his work.
Mana Folding is level 64!
The layers are solid. Steady. He rapped his knuckles against the breastplate. It rang like a bell, and a spark of bright purple flashed from the point of contact. Smithing, far as Harn was concerned, was less about following rules as it was following the shape of things. The armor in his hands was once a hunk of ice, but by listening to the material and his instincts, Harn was able to make something more.
The shape had come out just as he envisioned it at the outset, which wasnt always the case. He was better at Smithing now, his Skill pushed well into Adept, but problems always had a chance to arise. Those problems and imperfections were amplified by the materials; something too advanced, too strong, and hed struggle with making even the simplest of tools. His lengthy experience with Leviathan bone had prepared him well for the strange material hed been handed.
Harn set the breastplate down. Evie. You know its rude to lurk.
An annoyed grunt came from the rafters above. The forge was built to the specifications of giants, and the ceiling was at least forty paces high. How long have you known I was here?
Harn picked up his crystal hammer and put it away with his others. Since you snuck in through the window.
Noctis tits. She dropped to the ground, falling like a leaf from a tree and landing without a whisper. Thought I was gettin better.
You are. But so am I, Harn said with a grin. He nudged the breastplate on the anvil toward her. Here. Thats for you.
Its done?
Aye. Was tricky working with ice, but when it came down to it, that stuff hammers out like steel. Just needs cold instead of heat.
Evie lifted the chest piece of her new armor and gazed at it in wonder. It's beautiful.
Harn grunted. Better be. Had to burn six Mana Potions on that; the ice kept soaking up my Skill faster than I could provide it.
Really? Is that normal?
Not for base iron or steel, but higher grade materials are thirsty. Leviathan bone requires me to drink four per span of material or else my folding can fail, and High Steel needs three. And those are reduced numbers, thanks to my Skill levels.
Evie clutched the cold material to her chest, a small gasp her only admission to how blasted cold it was. Is it strong?
The Mana Folding I did strengthened the material, and it was already tough as High Steel. With my hammers, Harn said, nodding to his unrolled pack of tools. I was able to push it well beyond. Cant do more to it, not just cause Ive hit my limit on Mana Potions for the day. More and itd stress out the matrices in the ice. But its bettern my armor, thats for sure.
Evie grinned. Excellent. Next battle Ill wade hip deep in bodies.
Dont get carried away. Its strong, but it aint perfect. Orichalcum and mithril are different beasts entirely, and if you run into weapons made of it you dodge. No direct hits. Itll score and break, and if its made anywhere near as good as mine, mithril will cut you in half.
How often can I expect that, though?
Not a lot, I admit. But we have a way of runnin into too many dangers all at once. Just keep its limitations in mind.
Fair enough. Evie looked around. Wheres the rest of it?
Over there, in the smiths chest. Harn gestured to a wide box where completed pieces were set out. Arm, leg, shoulder, all the bits were covered in the strong, flexible material. Hed even forged a helmet. Theyll link up if you feed em a bit of Mana. A trick I learned makin strapless armor for the Legion.
Evie slipped the pieces over her body, locking them into place with a deft hand. Its cold.
Surprised?
I shouldnt be. Evie rotated her shoulders, checking her range of motion. The pauldrons moved perfectly. She twisted her torso, grinning all the while. Snug as sin. You got better.
Best believe it, kid. Check the details. Harn swiped his hand, sending a blue screen rotating into her view.
Name: Frostguard Armor
Type: Armor (Set) (Enchanted)
Lore: Forged by Adept Smith Harn Kastos, this set of armor was made specifically for Evie Aren. Mana Folding has been used to imbue every bit of this icy set with power, greatly increasing its durability. When equipped by someone with an ice attuned core, the armor grants them additional synergy.
Of A Piece II - Forged to fit seamlessly together without straps or buckles of any kind, it enhances the Dexterity of the wearer by +10.
Rime-Hardened III - Increased durability due to increased density of ice Mana.
Iceborn Synergy - Enhances the potency of ice based Skills.
Evie whistled. Thats pretty.
It aint enough, but itll keep you safe, and thats as much as I can manage for now.
Evie punched him in the shoulder, and her ice-covered fists rang against his bone plate. Big softie.
Harn grunted. Wear the helmet. I know you dont like em, but itll be stronger with the full set.
And hide this gorgeous mug? Evie hung the helmet from the belt that had been worked into the armor. Ill keep that in mind.
Harn studied her, making sure it all fit properly. Nothing jumped out at him, and her motion tests were flawless. You look good. Big. Adult, even.
I can buckle my shoes and everythin. Evie looked down at her new, icy boots. When I need to.
Mags would be proud, he said.
Evie froze only a heartbeat before she hugged the burly warrior, and Harn only put up with that for so long. Alright, alright. Get off. Youre givin me frostbite.
Evie stepped back, eyes brighter than usual. Didnt wanna hang on too tight anyway. Not sure how Palin does it. Like grabbing a block of steel.
Speakin of, grab that material there. We got work to do before we head out.
What? I thought we were restin before Felix had to run at some rock.
They are. Me and you got things to do. Harn eased the slab onto the giant-sized anvil. That armor of yours is high-grade; too complicated and time consumin to recreate tonight. But Im not lettin this ice go to waste either.
What dyou need me for? Evie asked.
Harn grinned, and his scars made it monstrous. Mana battery.
Ugh.
The place Felix had found didnt really have a name. It was a tavern or sorts, one of the few in Cold Rock, but the food was excellent according to Kimaris. When the two of them entered, the place was filled with patrons, each of them bent over huge tables with mugs the size of small barrels. The whole place was carved out of the rock, looking more like a cave than a building, but there was a firepit in the center where some sort of meat was sizzling, and several glowing shards of ice along the ceiling provided further illumination. There was no music, but the chatter was lively and very loud. Felix even spotted a few of his own oathbound giants in the crowd, mingling with the younger Risi.
I heard the food is great, Felix said, by way of apology. He adjusted his fine black jacket and examined the embroidery along the sleeves again. It was of blue flames, but he Willed the stitching away. It felt a bit too fancy for the place. Sorry for the noise.
Vess was beside him, as beautiful as ever. Her gown, a green and blue affair, was far nicer than the leather and furs all around them and yet she looked as if she belonged. I like it fine. Its lively.
A young girl made her way to the two of them, wiping her hands on a once-clean apron. She looked to be no more than fifteen, all skinny arms and legs, but was taller than Felix by at least a foot. Sol talla, Humans! Welcome to Ettas! Im her daughter, Sata. Havent had any Humans here before, but you came with the Frostkiller yes?
Frostkiller? Felix asked.
Yes, the one that skewered that Theriums skull? Everyones been talking about him all evening! A Minotaur! Theyre a Lost Race, you know?
Felix smiled. We arrived with him, yeah.
The girls face lit up. Amazing! You hungry? Thirsty? We got places at the bar and a few tables over by the firepit. Us giants dont much like the heat.
Felix spared a glance for Vess, but she merely watched him. He cleared his throat. Do you have anything a bit quieter?
The girl glanced between the two of them, and her blue skin flushed darker. I see. Follow me.
They did, pacing behind the youthful server as she led them past the rowdiest of patrons and into a smaller hall beyond the bar. Smaller was relative, of course. The corridor was tall and wide, just short at only thirty feet. Black-iron doors were set into the stone here, only a few, and the girl led them to the one on the very end.
Here you are. Quietest place I know, Sata said, opening the door and revealing a long chamber set with chairs, table, its own firepit, and a long open area set with fur pelts. Felix and Vess walked in, and the girl smoothed her apron. Ill get you some grub and wine. Ma said shes only got the hard stuff left, but if you came with the Frostkiller then I know youre tough enough. With a wink, she left.
A delightful child, Vess said. And so tall. What must she think of us?
It is odd, isnt it? Standing in these spaces meant for them? Felix gestured to the oversized table and chairs. They made him feel like a toddler at the dinner table. I imagine they see us and cant quite wrap their heads around living so small.
A likely thing, Vess agreed. She paused, considering the table with him. Should we sit?
Ah, give me a second.
Stone Shaping!
Beyond the firepit, a table and chairs rose from beneath the fur rugs, shoving them aside. They were blocky and plain, but properly sized for them. Thats better. After you.
A ruler and a gentleman. Vess sat at the table, arranging her skirts across her long legs. She wiggled, slightly. A little hard, but at least my feet touch the ground.
Felix frowned, concentrating. Finesse with his shaping Skills was hard for him, but hed been practicing with his metal work. He focused on the seats of the chair, letting the pattern of the Skill flow through him. It wanted to move stone, form it, carve it, to allow the earth to take shape. Carefully, Felix shaved off a piece of the seat beneath Vess, curving it slightly.
Stone Shaping is level 96!
Vess jolted in her seat before looking down. Oh, thats much better!
Felix goggled at the notification. A level from just that? Why?
Hello? Felix? Is something wrong?
Hm? No. No, its fine. I just gained a Skill level for that modification, and Im not sure why. Stone Shaping was already level 95, and its been torture pushing any thing beyond level 90. He scratched his head. Last time it went up, I was fighting a Greater Elemental.
Well, I would imagine its a matter of understanding. Most do not face as many life-threatening situations as you do, some not even in their entire lives. Yet they still manage to level their abilities. My own growth has been accelerated by your troubles, but even still I have needed to grasp a greater understanding of my Skills to truly push them.
Right. Yeah, Harn and Cal mentioned that before, Felix said. Months ago. They said that anything after hitting Apprentice Tier would be a lot harder to advance. Ive definitely seen the greater understanding leads to gains theory in action before, but mostly it hasnt really mattered.
Your Unbound nature, perhaps?
Maybe.
Undoubtedly your insistence on resisting forces far beyond your Tier and level has contributed to your swift rise. She held out two hands, balancing them like scales. Risk. Reward. I do not know much of Master Tier, but I cannot imagine it is a simple thing to Temper into, Felix. Perhaps you shall require greater understanding, going forward?
Felix sighed. I was afraid of that.
Vess smiled, and her cheek dimpled in that way Felix found very distracting. You will figure it out. Later, we can discuss some techniques I was taught as a child.
Techniques? Like your visualization one?
Just so. Coming from a place beyond the Continent, I cannot begin to understand what you have not been taught, so we can go over the basics. Hopefully they will be of some use.
If theyre anything like your visualization technique, then Im down for it. That saved my butt down in the water.
Vess smile deepened, and it was like her smile got brighter somehow. That makes me happy, Felix. Now, she straightened, leaning away from the table to adjust her hair. Let us talk of other things. It is so rare to have you alone, uninterrupted and without prying ears. I plan to take advantage of it.
Felix battled a flush in his cheeks and lost. He leaned back, fiddling with his cuffs. Advantage?
Felix, please. I am of the nobility, Vess said, her own cheeks coloring prettily. And among us, there are things one must know when courgetting to know one another. Only, this might berude.
I trust you, he said.
Vess huffed a relieved breath. And I, you. I do not wish to make you uncomfortable. If you wish to stop my questioning that is absolutely fine. In fact, I can stop now if you are feeling
Vess. Please, Felix said. Whats the question?
Tell me of Earth, she said. And your family.
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