Eryn held up the glass sphere up to her eye, watching the orb of fire held within slowly rotate. Romeo sat across from her with a wide smiling splitting across his face. Eryn glanced through the orb and towards him. Romeo began to happily bounce in place.

"Come on. Say it.”

Eryn sighed. “No.”

"Cooooooooooome on." Romeo tilted his head until he was almost looking up at her upside down. “Just once.”

"Romeo…"

"Just admit it. They are cool."

Eryn put down the explosive and picked up another, this one cackling with caged lightning. She noted it seemed to shine with a much higher intensity than the flame. She cast an eye on the rest of the bombs Romeo had brought. That actually held true when compared to all of the other contained magics, save for maybe the shadow and the cloudy ice.

"They are… Something."

Romeo threw his arms up dramatically. "What's wrong with them?"

"Well-" Eryn delicately put the bomb down. "Are they safe?"

"Completely!"

"Really?"

"Mostly safe."

"Romeo?"

"It's a bomb, okay? I mean, it's as safe as a bomb can be." Romeo plucked one up and rapped it sharply against the table. Eryn instinctively jumped back.

"Are you insane?" she hissed.

"Look, this is what I do. You do book things. I do explodey things," Romeo said. He lifted the bomb up to eye level and pointed to small piece that was set in the middle. "See this here? Just so long as this isn't depressed, the bomb can't go boom. I put a thing in it. I mean, yeah it can shatter if you hit it hard enough, but nothing will happen. The magic will just dispel. It’s harmless. It’s mostly harmless.”

Eryn did not look convinced. "A thing?"

"Yeah. See, a crystal."

Eryn leaned forward, though with great reluctance, to get a closer look. "You're using a crystal to disrupt the magic?"

"Yeah. It's just like you taught me. Magics can cancel each other out. So, fire magic has a crystal imbued with water. Light with shadow. So on and so forth."

"But wouldn't that-"

"Wouldn't that take hours of trial and error that could caught horrible amounts of destruction that may or may not have led to some of Banksy's stuff getting blown up? …Nah."

"I take it that is my answer?" Eryn said with a shake of her head.

"I'm am going to refuse to speak on the grounds that I may incriminate myself…. And then Banksy will learn how his stuff got set on fire…. Again. Or burned. Or frozen. Those are new though. Never done that to him before. You could actually say I’m a pioneer in that sense.”

"Oh Lovejoy…"

In spite of herself Eryn found herself smiling. It really was amazing what the boy could do when he put his mind to it.

"Sooooooooooo?"

"Fine. They are quite exceptional. Are you happy now?"

Romeo thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "Nope."

"No?"

"Cool. The word you are looking for is cool!" Romeo urged. "I want you to say they are cooooooool."

"Fine." At length, Eryn let out an extremely heavy sigh. "They are…cool."

"I knew it!" Romeo punched the air. "Thanks Eryn."

"Is that really all you wanted?"

"Well, a little bit, yeah." Romeo grinned before he picked up two of the bombs, lightning and water, and placed them side-by-side. "There was something else though. See, I've been thinking. Can I combine magic?"

"Combine magic." Eryn sat up straighter. Her interest was piqued. This was magic theory in its most basic form.

"Yeah. Like. I dunno. I tried a few times but one will cancel the other out usually and it will actually result in a reduction in the explosion instead of enhancing it." Romeo shrugged. "I want them to both go off and combine the effect. I mean I could throw two bombs I guess, but that seems like a waste if I could get it done with one."

Eryn's large, brown eyes shone with the excitement of a challenge. She pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and nodded. "Very well. Let's get to work as soon as possible. I will requisition a work area for us."

Romeo beamed.

"I knew I could count on you!"

xXx

Makina waited patiently, or what constituted as patiently for her, next to Lexi as an older man with a graying beard inspected Lexi's sword, Nightmare. His name was Octavious Edge. He was the current host of the Dance of Blades and had been for the last fifty years, taking over the position when he was only twenty. He had seen many fights in his day and remembered every single one of them down to the last detail. Despite his great interest in the competition he was ironically a terrible fighter and was next to useless with a sword, or any other weapon for that matter.

His knowledge of weapons was unparalleled, however.

"Nightmare. Three-time champion. Elven-made, Mountain of Gorin," he said softly as he ran his hand over the blade, careful of the razor-sharp edge. "Not even a scratch on the blade. Wonderful metal workers, the Elves of Gorin. What I wouldn't give to watch them forge a blade. Though, I have no doubt its wonderful condition also lies with your consideration of the sword. It truly is beautiful."

"Thank you," Lexi said. She has always liked Octavious and his calm, gentle way of speaking.

"I trust you have done no modifications to it since the last Dance of Blades?" Octavious asked, his dull blue eyes lifting up from the shimmering blade to look at Lexi.

"None. Nightmare has remained in perfect condition, just as you said."

"Wonderful. I did not expect any trouble, from either of you." He smiled and pulled a small stone from a basket that sat beside him. It had a cloudy color that seemed to swirl like smoke trapped in a glass. With a practiced hand Octavious pressed the stone against the blade. When he pulled his hand away the stone remained. A bead of grey against the blackened steel. He handed the weapon back to Lexi.

Makina leaned forward to look at the stone. "Are we done?"

"Almost." Octavious answered.

He looked at Lexi and gave a small nod. She returned the gesture and rolled back her sleeve. Slowly she lifted Nightmare up and pressed the blade against the back of her forearm.

Makina's eyes went wide. "What are you-?"

Lexi drew the sword back, pressing down forcefully as she did so. Makina gasped. The sword sank into Lexi's flesh half an inch. Eyes narrowed in concentration Lexi pulled the sword free. Where there should have been deep wound was nothing more than a thin red line that leaked barely a drop of blood.

"What?" Makina shook her head back and forth, long silver hair falling against her cheeks. "Why did you do that?"

"All blades must be tested." Lexi said as she sheathed Nightmare. "Just in case a fighter were to use a weapon modified by magic."

Octavious nodded. "A real risk these days, it would seem. The arena will also be ringed by magic detecting crystals, as always."

"For what reason?" Makina said, her shock beginning to fade.

"There are no advantages given in the Dance of Blades," Lexi answered. "You must win by your skill with a weapon and your skill alone."

Makina harrumphed. "Magic is a skill. A true Spirit Goddess could defeat a hundred humans without the use of a blade. Such a simple and barbaric weapon."

Lexi smiled behind her scarf. "Perhaps you will show me such a skill one day."

Makina gave what she thought was an intimidating look, her eyes narrowing. "Do not tempt me, mortal."

Lexi's smile grew until the mirth shone clearly in her eyes. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it."

xXx

Jiana was waiting for Cross when he returned to the guild, sitting calmly at her favorite table near the door and a steaming cup of tea. Cross also spied a very large and very shiny diamond ring adorning her finger.

"That's new," he commended lightly as he sat down across from her. "The Master?"

"Yes. He said he's grown bored of looking at it. I think he's trying to get on my good side," Jiana said, holding up the diamond and watching the light scatter. "I gave him quite a scolding. He was nearly out of his medicine before he told me. He knows how long that journey can take."

Cross shifted in his chair. "You should have told me there was a rush. I would have-"

Jiana shook her head. "There was no need. If the master ran out it would have been of his own doing. I also keep an extra vial for emergencies. Besides, it might be good to give him a scare one of these days. He does little more than lounge around these days. It's hard enough to even get him up at all. He says age is catching up to him, but I think we both know he is just being lazy."

Cross smiled. "He is getting old, you know."

"He still has many years left to live before I will allow him to give out on us." She spoke with such conviction that Cross had no doubt in her words. He doubted the grim reaper himself could stand up to the Mistress. "You were gone a long time. I am glad to see you've returned with no poison in your blood, this time"

"Less poison," Cross corrected softly.

"Oh?" Jiana took a long sip of her tea. "So, you did go through the forest."

Cross leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "You knew that already. You knew I would go through the forest again."

He was not asking.

"Of course, I did. I like to think I know you better than anyone else," Jiana said. She smiled but it quickly turned morose. "Tell me, Cross. How is the forest?"

Cross understood the real question. "You knew the elf who guarded the forest, didn't you?"

"I did. In a time before I was the Mistress of this guild. She was a good woman. Noble and Kind. I admired her greatly." Jiana sighed heavily. "You said 'guarded', did you not?"

Cross nodded silently.

"I thought as much." Jiana took another long drink from her cup, her fingers gripping the ceramic tight. "I have lost many comrades over the years. It never gets easier. Though I suppose it is better that way. When you no longer feel the string of death, you truly lose what it means to be alive." With a deep breath Jiana cut herself off and looked to Cross. "How did it happen?"

"She was taken away," Cross said quietly. "Hunters."

Jiana nodded. "And her daughter?"

"Healthy. Maybe overly so" Cross idly reached up and touched his chest where Misa had first stabbed him. "She has nurtured the forest. It is strong and she…" Cross trailed off.

His final night before leaving Cross had offered Misa a place in his guild. A chance to be a member of his family. He could still see the pained look in her eyes. The conflict tearing at her heart. As she had stared at him with those wolfish green eyes, for a moment free from her usual scowl. She had gripped his hand so tightly that night that even now he could feel her warmth. He had been sure she would come with him….

"Cross?"

Jiana's voice broke through his thoughts and he looked up.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "She is safe. She will keep the forest safe and the forest will keep her safe. I am sure of it."

"I am glad to hear that.”

Cross ran a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me? About the Elves? That's why you actually sent me, isn't it? You wanted to know."

Jiana leaned back. "You spent quite a bit of time in the forest. I'm sure you realized how different that girl is from you, from all of us."

Cross nodded slowly.

"That is a difference that cannot be overcome by force, only by trust and understanding. It had to be your choice to enter that forest and it had to be her choice to allow you to do so. Otherwise I would have been pointless."

"You know, she didn't exactly make it easy." Cross said with a wry smile.

“I’ve no doubt you were being difficult yourself.” Jiana returned the smile over her teacup. "That which is easily gained is often easily lost. You'd do well to remember that."

"I will do my best, Mistress," Cross said as he stood up from the table.

"I do hope so." Jiana gave him a thoughtful look." Especially since I hear Alice is back. You wouldn't want her to think you've grown lazy in her absence, now would you?"

Cross scowled as Jiana grinned at him and he heard Servilia giggle from her desk.