<>Ambiance <> The moon is starting to shine down over the path from the monastery letting those that walk it make it down without extreme danger. Misati continued to enjoy the quiet garden, Xocolotl sprawled next to her. Skyla heads on down the mountain, whistling a cheery tune. Off key. Jackal follows Skyla, hoping she'll find something useful in the forge. They might need heavier stuff to take on the animal man..."So you think you can improve their forge?"
Skyla "Oh sure, just walking past I saw their fires weren't banked properly for instance. I mean they could get half again more heat if they were to just change the configuration.
Jackal "Banked properly? This more of your shop talk?"
Skyla "Well..you asked!" she says, wounded. "Was I just supposed to say yes?"
Jackal "I didn't mean it like that Skyla. I don't know about forges. I was a farmer, not a blacksmith." He holds up his hands for calm. Skyla sighs a little, "Sorry.. I thought I was explaining it pretty well."
Jackal "Well you just have to account for my lack of learning I suppose." He grins and pats her on the shoulder. Skyla laughs, "One of these days I'll teach you everything about forges." Jackal snorts. "Well that might be awhile...didn't Salas say we would outlive even the dragonblooded?"
Skyla "Yeah.. especially if I find the Wood Dragon's Cleyew!"
Jackal "...the what?"
Skyla "The thing Opal Blossom - that horrid bitch - stole from us!"
Jackal "Ahhh." Pauses for a moment. "You know Skyla she was a member of the circle if only for a little bit..."
Skyla "We all make mistakes." she says coldly. "That was one of our biggest."
Skyla "The worst part is she probably didn't even KEEP it. How could you SELL something like that??"
Jackal "We don't know that. Still, I was like you when I was young...you'll-. Well you might not get over it come to think of it. It's not like you're going to grow up in three hundred years now is it?"
Skyla "What's THAT supposed to mean?"
Skyla "I'm already grown up!"
Jackal "I'm not sure. You haven't developed your lady like manners yet apparently." He smirks and continues to walk, looking down at the town. Skyla pouts, "Have too." Jackal smiles. "I don't know, I haven't seen Merayen declare vendetta on Opalblossom...yet. Although she and Misati were certainly...heated."
Skyla "She just doesn't understand what we lost." she sulks. "Everyone should hate Opal. Why don't YOU hate her?"
Jackal "I don't hate her because...well..I think I would have been angry before. Now things seem on a different scale. If that makes any sense." He seems to be struggling with the words. Skyla looks over at him, "Um... no, not really." Jackal sighs. "I didn't think it would. So she stole it. So what? You think we can't get it back? If things are like how I remembered them a few locked doors wouldn't give us much trouble at all."
Skyla "Well first of all, we don't know where she..or IT...is. And it can't have been bought cheaply. You don't think it's in the hands of the Realm, or some other powerful person by now? We're not the only ones with power."
Jackal "How would the realm get it? They haven't sent legions out here in ages. But what i'm saying is it isn't lost and if we didn't have more important things to worry about we could go find it. There's not much that could stop us."
Skyla "She SOLD it... for a LOT of money, I bet. Who else could afford it?"
Jackal "Lookshy, any number of people in Nexus. The guild...one of the deathkings? There's many powerful people out there without looking to the realm." Skyla sighs, "Yeah... stupid Opal Blossom bitch."
Skyla "Do you think Misati will turn on us too?" she asks quietly. Jackal is quiet for a moment. "I'm not sure. She seems to pride herself on her dishonesty...but then again Opal Blossom always SEEMED honest as well."
Skyla "Maybe she won't then. She's not hiding it, so ...she...oh i'm confused." she frowns. Jackal chuckles and pats Skyla on the back. "You'll learn. I should take you to Nexus sometime. There's a place that keeps you on your toes."
Skyla "I don't think I'd like it there..."
Skyla "The Guild... well they're not all bad, but they're not good either. Don't they control Nexus or something?"
Jackal "No, the guild doesn't control things in Nexus. They just have a vested interest in it. Same as any place really."
Skyla "I dunno. I still don't think I'd like it."
Jackal "It's not for everyone...but it's the greatest city you'll find outside of the Blessed Isle."
Skyla "I like Nulam."
Jackal "Yes...it's a nice place. Although it's a shame it seems to be having so much trouble...although I wonder if it would have so much if it wasn't for us being there?" Skyla frowns, "Yeah... we seem to bring danger with us."
Jackal "But I don't think we can leave it either."
Jackal "The whole area is just in chaos."
Skyla "Not anymore... I hope Jhord is okay." Jackal nods. "He'll be fine. We just have to make sure he and the rest of the village isn't put to the sword by some glory hound lion monster. Skyla rubs her head, "But how can we protect them if we're not THERE?" Jackal grins. "Well if you had just did as I told you..."
Skyla "What?"
Jackal "I wanted to come out along and deal with the problem while you were back at the villiage but you all decided to come along."
Skyla "Oh... well how can we protect YOU if we're not HERE?" she grins.
Jackal "I'd be fine. Besides you could just find some other old man to fight your battles for you. Maybe try than Shan the Blade character Merayen is after.
Skyla "I don't think I'd like Shan the Blade."
Skyla "Besides, maybe you'll grow up in 300 years." she grins Jackal laughs and swats Skyla on the back. "I don't know, I might be too old to learn, even at 380."
Skyla "What a boring life you'll have then!"
Jackal "I don't know, it's been pretty exciting so far."
Skyla "But how can you stand the thought of not learning anything new?"
Jackal "Well it's a bit late- no I suppose it isn't too late to learn a new trade. I suppose i'll have the time to master it as well."
Skyla "You have all the time in the world, Jackal... We're going to live a long, long time."
Skyla "I'm going to be seventeen, next Calibration!" Jackal pauses for a moment. "But will you look it?" Skyla shrugs, "You'll have to tell me." Jackal smirks. "You don't have a mirror?"
Skyla "Not on me. I suppose I could look in Balthasar's sword... he keeps it well-polished."
Jackal "Well ask Salas if he has one...maybe Misati has one. I don't think Merayen would want one..."
Skyla "You think we'll be here long enough?"
Jackal "Depends on how long you take fixing those forges I suppose. You should probably take a bath afterwards though, can't have you covered in soot on the way to the lion man. That doesn't look intimidating." He chuckles to himself. Skyla laughs, "That's actually a good idea... I could use some relaxation."
Skyla "You should take one, yourself. You're a bit stinky." Jackal snorts. "Well some of us have planning to do rather than go swimming in the lake making eyes men."
Skyla "You should go up and plan in the bath. I hear you get great ideas while washing."
Jackal "They say that about alot of things though."
Skyla "Like what?"
Jackal "Bathing, on the latrine, while having sex, sleeping under a tree. You'd think it would be easy for people to have ideas." Skyla scratches her head, "I have my best ideas at the forge."
Jackal "Really..."
Skyla "Yeah, just the other day, I was forging a ploughshare, and I thought of a way to make it cut through the earth more easily by...oh... am I doing it again?" Jackal laughs. "A little. But go on, I might pick something up after awhile." Finnre`Merayen slides out of the darkness with a small smile. "Here you two are." Misati come walking down the path, both hands clasped behind her back. Off to the side, the large panther follows her. Skyla describes her idea enthusiastically, showing angles and making demonstrative gestures with her hands. Misati ducks a wild hand gesture from Skyla
Skyla "Oh, Sorry Misati!"
Jackal "Ah, Hello Merayen. Skyla was just describing her...plow idea." Notices Misati and nods.
Skyla "I was just telling Jackal how to make a better plough." Misati nods and gives a small smile. "So I noticed" Skyla looks at his face, "I think you just rescued him from death by boredom." Finnre`Merayen nods, "So I can see... she seems very excited about the idea."
Skyla "Well, it's a good one. It should reduce the strain on the oxen and horses, and cut the time needed to plough the field down by a lot!" Skyla launches back into her explanation Misati nods politly with obvious, but good natured, feighned interest Jackal listens for a moment before piping up "Wait...what's a lever?"
Skyla "Really?"
Jackal "I know how to read Skyla, but i'm not a craftsman." Finnre`Merayen nods and thinks.
Skyla "Okay, well... you know how..." she thinks for a minute. "Okay.. well you know how you were helping me fix that house the other day, and we were using shovels to pry up the really big stones?" Jackal nods.
Skyla "The shovel was acting as a lever, and the smaller stone you balanced it on was a fulcrum. You use a lever to get more strength and power. When you pushed down on the shovel's handle, the stone came up!" Misati whispers to Finnre "does she always go on like this?"
Skyla "It's kind of the same thing with swords. Your hand on the grip is the fulcrum. That's why you can feel the balance shifting when you move your grip up or down, and it feels best when your hand is in the right place. It multiplies the power in your arm." Jackal nods! That's much more his area. Skyla smiles, pleased. "See, I told you, you'd pick it up in no time!" Finnre`Merayen laughs softly. "See, all you had to do was talk his language."
Skyla "I'll try to relate everything to swords from now on." she grins Jackal chuckles and shakes his head. Misati smiles at the two Finnre`Merayen stretches as she walks.
Finnre`Merayen So, Skyla, what were those doors made out of exactly... was it the same as your hammer?
Skyla "I didn't have time to really inspect them, but from what I saw they were... I wish I could have carried them with us. Imagine what I could make with it, if it was pure Orichalcum?!"
Finnre`Merayen I wondered... if they were, what would you do with it?
Jackal "Can you even melt that stuff? I thought the weapons of the chosen were unbreakable."
Skyla "Well, I was thinking about making something to help us deal with those demons in the ravine... metal that has been warded for so long against the demons, SHOULD retain some of the resonance of that magic, and be easily attuned to damaging them."
Skyla "Oh yes. It takes a superheated forge, and special tools, though... in fact, Dailas is made for it."
Finnre`Merayen So... what you are saying is taht you could forge weapons designed to fight demons, weapons that might make it possible for us to win a fight? Skyla nods solemnly, "But I'd have to figure out how to transport that metal back to Nulam... and... I think I'll need to modify my forge again.."
Finnre`Merayen What sort of forge will you need?
Finnre`Merayen What can produce the heat needed other than the fires of the Sun? Skyla closes her eyes, thinking, "I'm...not sure. I just know mine's not hot enough."
Skyla "Maybe I could use some sort of lens to focus the sunlight on it... it's tied to the Sun, right?"
Finnre`Merayen Perhaps the earthblood, or fires of the South? Perhaps the fires I've heard burn eternally from there?
Skyla "But how will I get that here?"
Finnre`Merayen Well, I am just giving suggestions... it may be unworkable except in the proper places
Jackal "Makes you wonder how they worked it in the past if it was so hard..."
Skyla "That's just not acceptable... there's GOT to be a way to do it here..."
Skyla "I'm going to bring back the glories of the First Age if it kills me."
Skyla "I just wish... I wish I remembered how Aeas used to do it..."
Jackal "Well...you could try and ask him? Can't savants speak with the dead?"
Misati "Just a suggestion, but you seem to be better at comming up with new ideas, rather then trying to find old ones"
Skyla "Aeas...is really REALLY dead." Skyla looks over at Misati, and smiles, "Thanks... you know... you're right. I can do this on my own!"
Finnre`Merayen All you need are the tools and your own mastery of the crafting ways
Skyla "Hrmm.. I wish I could summon Fire Elementals..."
Jackal "Well I think you have time to learn..."
Jackal "You could always see if you can get Balthasar to just talk them into doing your work."
Skyla "Yeah, I think I do... and these demons aren't causing trouble yet."
Finnre`Merayen "Yes, but who knows what they are doing in the time before we get to them?
Skyla "I'll have to ask him about that."
Skyla "I'm sorry, Mera... I can't make them until I know how.."
Finnre`Merayen No, but we may not have time to wait for you to make the weapons.
Skyla "But there are so many... I don't know that we can take them without them."
Finnre`Merayen We may have the power to do so, when we go up against them.
Skyla "Well, maybe we should see how this battle with the Moon-Chosen goes." she says doubtfully.
Finnre`Merayen I have no doubt we will succeed Skyla smiles "That's cause you're a little crazy."
Finnre`Merayen Perhaps, or perhaps I know the truth of our battle.
Finnre`Merayen We fight for a righteous cause... and so we shall not fail
Skyla "I hope that's enough."
Finnre`Merayen I am sure it will be enough this time. Session Time: Wed Apr 26 00:00:00 2006
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