I returned to the Raven‘s Nest with all haste, only allowing myself to catch my breath once the old planks of the ship were under my feet. It was hard to grasp, but a sense of urgency thrummed in my chest, of anxiety I was not sure how to combat. I knew my people to fight across the Shipwreck Bay and I knew my brother to fight the Snake Clan, but nothing immediately threatened Ravenport.

It was just a feeling. Just a feeling. The more I repeated the sentiment in my mind, the harder it was to ignore.

Below me, the Wreckage lied still. Every opening had been boarded shut and every light lit. It felt like a castle under siege. Strangely calm, with intangible disaster looming on the horizon.

By now, my Demesne was but a thought away and I entered it seconds after getting into a comfortable position in reality. I opened my eyes to a familiar devastation. The attack of the godlings had taken its toll on the space, and I still had not taken the time to repair the worst of the damages.

Being a godling, I had soared high and ever higher, without much thinking about the consequences, or limits of myself, really. I had come close to disaster, that time, and only my allies had fended off the worst of it.

First of all, my power was not limitless, as I had learned the hard way. Yes, I could rebuild my body with Essence...but what if I had spent it all? Yes, I could manipulate this space in Limbo with my mind alone, but it was not as endless as it had seemed. It could be destroyed by others and I could spend it on my own. I had been lured into a false sense of security because...well because I was used to important things being numbered or designated with a level.

Just because I could not put a number on it did not mean it was endless or without significance.

Repairing the damage was as exhausting as building it in the first place. There was a price to pay, always, and nothing came for free.

Speaking of which...I turned to the Skillforge, sitting where I had left it. The Gate had been closed by now, the Demesne of my attacker destroyed by my allies.

“I do not like him.“ Lily said as she came over.

“Huh?“ I said turning to her. “Who?“

“Him.“

“It is the advent of the last light, the one to devour you all until nothing but darkness is left for you to live the rest of your miserable life in. Doom, and the end of all things, as the darkness grows. You have brought that upon yourself, fools, and shall reap the death of a thousand broken hopes.“

The small voice spoke with...something akin to gravitas and thinly veiled hatred. There was the small ball of darkness, the one I had taken from the old temple of Heron‘s Demesne.

“Oh that thing.“ I sighed. “What has he done?“

“He does not shut up for a second. Not for a damn second.“ Lily complained exasperated.

“Where even is he?“

“He hides in the shadows under the forge.“

“Do not dare come closer, or I will expedite the curse of doom falling on you and everything you love!“ The voice said with no small amount of panic, as I bend down and picked the little black ball out of its hiding place. “Damn.“ He finally sighed.

„What even are you?“ I asked as I examined him closer. it was just a ball, roughly, with a smooth black surface. I could find neither mouth nor any other indication as to where his voice was coming from.

“Why should I tell you?“ The ball pouted.

“Well, I would advise you to make yourself useful, and be quick at that, or I will throw you out for the nuisance you are. There is no master for you to return to.“

There was a silence that stretched between us. Then the voice was there again, not as gloomy as before, but with a kind of forced neutrality. “Oh, master! If I had known, I would have been more grateful for the shelter you provide me with. I can see now, that I am indeed in your possession. I will bring death and demise to all and every one of your enemies, cursed be their sorry hide.“

“I do not have time for this.“ I mumbled putting the ball down. “Do not interfere and do not get on my nerves and we will get along just fine.“

“If I may unleash the power of unbridled despair in your name, master? It would be wise to place me somewhere dark, where the unexpected souls are more likely to step into my trap.“

“Lily, can you find a place for him? I need to get to work.“

“Sure, Hannibal. Come with, you unsufferable thing.“ Lily sighed and away they went, which...was kind of endearing, really.

I watched as the two orbs, the blue light and the black one, disappeared, bewildered, as always, as to what my life had become. Then I forced any and all distractions out of my mind. I was losing time.

I had a - let‘s say - rough understanding of how Skillforging was supposed to work. I had read the tome of the Golemmaker several times now, well skimmed through with the help of [Decipher the Ancient Truth]. But I still did not know how to actually do it. Looking at the Skillforge it was clear that there were receptacles for the constructs of the Skills I knew.

Just for the sake of trying it out, I recalled the weavings I had made for [Airwalk] and [Cutting Winds], took the Essence needed, and went ahead to weave them just like I had the first time, only now I did it inside the little golden mirrors that were meant for that on the side of the Skillforge. It was a bit difficult to get the change of perspective right, fickle even, as I did not create the real body of the Skill, but an image of it that could be seen in the reflective surface of the mirror.

With both tasks done, I looked upon the prism on top of the forge, where a disjointed mess was turning, showing me all the imperfections of what I was about to create. It looked like a ball of yarn, at best, of an image of twisted garbage at worst.

I put my fingers on the keys of the instrument-like contraption and sat there, stunned into inaction. What now? I knew the fractals and the theory, somewhat, but what was I supposed to do with something I thought to be an instrument.

Well, there was just one thing to do. I pressed down on one of the keys, holding my breath. A deep, guttural sound vibrated through the instrument, filling the space and displacing every other sound that had been around me.

Inside the prism, the projection of the combined Skills twitched and reverberated with the sound, slowing down its spiraling and shifting ever so slightly.

“I have no idea what I am doing.“ I finally said after the sound had dissipated.

“Because Skillforging is an art no one has ever mastered, even as our creator came close.“ There was a voice in my head.

I jumped in surprise, grabbing my temples.

“What?“

“You really should not be surprised. I was announced, after all. I am the thought-construct of the Pathforger, managing the web of knowledge the dispersion of his forges has created. I was also tasked with introducing new scholars to the intricacies of using the Pathforger’s Skillforge.“

“Why are you in my head?“

“Why are you in your head? You realize we are in Limbo and only spiritually present?“

“Yes, of course, but you are...“

“Would it help you if I tried anthropomorphizing the forge in an attempt to suggest a thinking being to your mind‘s eye so as to not distract you from the task at hand? I could turn the mirrors into eyes and speak with a moving set of keys...“

“Forsaken gods, no. I am fine. I can deal with this.“ I shouted quicker than I thought I would. That was just a terrifying idea I wanted nothing to do with.

“Are you ready to receive my instructions, then? I am a Skillforge, and as thus an instrument to translate your mind, knowledge, talent, and raw feelings into something that can twist the very soul of the System. Its Skills. The most precious, most sought after, most fought over reward of the system governing mortals and gods alike. But the Pathforger changed that. He learned to coerce the very law of our existence into clay, ready to be worked by artists and scholars.“

“That sounds good, forgive me if I seem apprehensive about you. I did not come by you free of treachery and deceit.“

“That is understandable but ultimately inconsequential. The Pathforger has no allegiance besides his own and it matters not to him, or me in fact, if you decide to try it now or in a hundred years. He is patient if nothing else.“

I took a deep breath. “Very well, what do I need to do?“

“As with everything relevant to the gods, your will is what forges reality. All you need to do is learn how to translate it.“

It was difficult for my brain to even begin to understand what was happening. But it boiled down to something basic. You had the patterns of the weavings, which Skills were made out of. Weavings always followed a pattern, a rhythm if you want, and you had to break them up, remake them by playing the instrument. The mirrors to the side gave you the instructions on how to play, a completely new and multidimensional way of translating music. Learning to play these rhythms, these notes together, in not only a completely new way incorporating both patterns but according to your own wishes and desires, was impossible. For me at least. That is where the forge came in.

It helped me read the notes, so to speak, and indicated what to play, but more importantly, it listened to my wishes and did his best to help create what I wanted. There were errors of translation, obviously, as I had to translate the Skill into the patterns, change it, communicate it verbally with the forge, which then finetuned the result for me and told me, with words and lights indicating which key to press, what to do. Way too many steps were required as to not lose meaning on the way.

But it was working!

It was a child playing the flute for the first time, disharmonious and...awful, truly. But under the careful and patient instructions of the forge, I learned by the minute, improving my technique, glimpsing what the music did to the projection of the Skills and the principles behind it.

Slow and steady we worked on a first piece, a test to bring two Skills together. I had no idea what I was doing besides what the forge told me to do. But slowly and steadily the full sound of the instrument coerced the fractals to untagle themselves in the projection.

Like a snake charmer the music made the lines and shapes move, find new arrangements for them, make them settle down in new configurations until I had something new, something whole.

“Is it done?“ I asked the Skillforge.

“Nothing left to do but try, fail, and try again.“ It said in a monotone.

I took a deep breath. Made the preparations and...tried.

[Cutting Winds] combined with [Airwalk] should have been an easy combination, as I was only trying to combine two wind-related Skills with each other. The Skill had no name, so I went to the deck and activated it in my mind.

In the explosion of a rampaging storm and splintered railing, I was shot through the side of the ship far out across the bay, as if tossed by a giant, completing my spinning and turning arc with a back-breaking splash in the middle of the sea. I lost my consciousness for a second there, but the growing panic of being on the open sea at night brought me right back.

Try, fail, and try again.