Amidst chatter, the villagers gathered to Mutuba Smithy, in awe of the finished armour set. Built from the Chrun’s Descendants’ exoskeletons, the amour flowed with a simple yet elegant design, double-plated and light for those in harmony with agility and strength. Daiden appreciated the detail as well, the patterns especially. Some of the more experienced blacksmiths staggered instead, at the sight of something indescribable. They felt a sense of both remorse and inspiration, held together in singular thought, “Will we ever be as good?”

Daiden almost touched the armour but paused when faced with an odd shimmer. It caught the armour in an embrace and ate away at it until nothing remained. He recognized it, the light of a spatial ring. He then turned to Zane and pointed at the empty stand with a frown.

“Did I not tell you this already?” reminded Zane, with a straight expression. “This is a reward, and you’re only allowed to earn it through the conditions I’ve set.”

Daiden lowered his head, with a sense of dejection. “Yes, yes. I remember.”

“Good, very good then.”

With nervous energy, Daiden waited for more to follow. But even as the seconds passed, the Lord of Fire continued to move without answer. “I don’t want to sound impatient, but the conditions, I can’t work towards a goal without knowing what it is.”

Zane stared at Daiden and tilted his head to one side, feigning innocence. “I never agreed to sharing those conditions with you. They’ve been set. And with any luck, you’ll fulfil them sooner than later.”

“He…he’s more infuriating than the Godvildian High Lord,” thought Daiden, in a state of calm, now a little accustomed to the Lord of Fire’s eccentricity. Aloud he said, “May I make a different request then?”

Zane nodded.

Daiden tapped at his throat, now fully healed, and summoned his named weapon. He handled Takshaka with confidence and offered the sword to his blacksmith. Zane lowered a little and stroked his beard, in observation of the blade. He recognized the jade stone, and then the cracks – leaking a small amount of aeter with every passing moment, cracking more from the stress. The Lord of Fire clenched in recognition of the aeter form. He concluded his appraisal with a nod but shook his head in retreat.

“You can’t afford its repairs, I’m afraid,” said Zane. “I’ll need clarified serpentstones to reconstruct the blade. You might find some in the Capital City of Suntaria, but the required amount might go as high as 12,000 bloodstones. The only other way is for you to mine the mineral from Rebellion Grave.”

Zane raised his head and hummed. He knelt again for a second observation, closer this time. His fingers toyed with the escaping aeter and traced to its tendencies. He uncovered a personality, hidden underneath layers of mysteries not meant for him to open. He uncovered an ego, that threatened retaliation from the probe. Satisfied, his lips then curved to a smile.

“Ah…you’ll also need the Troll King’s Eye,” said Zane. “There’s a strong ego in your sword, and I’ll need a medium to hold it when fixing the blade. I’m afraid that you’ll have to wait a long time to make this happen.”

Daiden sank from the revelation. He assessed the situation immediately, more upon mention of the Troll King. He remembered the title from the Origin of Takshaka, a three-way war between the powerful residents of Rebellion Grave. His heart rested in realization of his own strength in comparison to the Royal Candidates. Daiden cursed the thought with a frown. “An actual king and not a candidate…I’m not strong enough to raid the forest yet.”

“You worry about things that need no worrying at the moment,” said Zane, with a smile. “You’re an immortal now, with time on your side…well, not so much with Nilheim. Still enough. Still enough. I can put it simply for you, you know. I’m a nice person.

“Imagine becoming a soldier, and then using your talent to rise to the position of Captainship, perhaps become a General, or a Lord even. You can raid Rebellion Grave with an army. Don’t worry about your present predicament, not with your potential anyway.”

Daiden addressed Zane’s kindness with a smile as well. He shrugged away the eccentricity from the Lord of Fire and bowed in thanks.

“I would recommend that you use an alternative sword to avoid more damage to your named weapon,” the Lord of Fire warned. “Go to Kir, and rely on him while I’m away, for both your armour and your weapon. You don’t need to pay him any fees. I’ll have it covered through your payments with me.”

***

The Lord of Fire watched Daiden depart and quietly navigated to an isolated space behind Mutuba Smithy. He dropped his hammer to the side and opened his Mioveroldian Page. His index finger tapped at its centre and pulled, extracting a white aeter-constructed sphere. It separated from his hand and hovered to his forehead. With a pop, it dispersed entirely. Zane heard a familiar voice from inside his head then.

“We’ve curbed the invasion at Sol Sanctum. Traces of the war end on the stairway, never having made it to the temple. We suspect the return of the Pillar. Interestingly, it might seem that the child I sent your way is ‘actually’ the key to stopping Nilheim, and not merely a political prop. I will say more when we meet in person. But we must keep him a secret until he grows to be able to protect himself.

- Aelius Bloodheart”

Zane realized it more than the Godvildian High Lord, having peeked into Daiden’s Mioveroldian Page. He remembered the somewhat polluted aeter form, the existence of Takshaka – everything linked to the presence of the Awakened. The Lord of Fire paused for a moment, with a sigh, and gazed towards the Sea of Trees. His expression waned with tiredness.

“Young Bloodheart,

I suspected as much. He is safe here for now, but I’d much rather purge the villagers of their memories of the last couple of days, if such is the case. I’ll instruct Daiden with a false identity; he may stick to it until the time comes. The Relictan Army on the outskirts of the forest appear to have retreated for some reason, perhaps due to news of Sol Sanctum. They may have left someone behind, however. We must speak with the Relictan Prince and correct the situation of this meaningless war. He’s a smarter man than his father.

- Zane Morgul”

The Lord of Fire sealed his message in an orange, aeter-constructed sphere as well. He stared and toyed with it, at the tip of his finger. With another sigh, he pushed it into his Mioveroldian Page.

“Well, I suppose it’s time for me to prepare my return to the Capital City.”