Daiden rubbed his eyes after spreading a large piece of leather on the floor. He scratched the tip of his nose, a little ticklish from the smell. His eyes settled onto Deng next. He called the Multana Captain and urged him to stand up straight, measuring the latter from shoulder to calf. Some of the soldiers gathered as well, noticing the activity. They exchanged glances, confused at first, then again with a restless interest.

“What’s he doing?” the soldiers wondered, in unison. “He looks…like a tailor…a tailor!”

With a swipe, Daiden opened his Mioveroldian Page and placed it flat against the floor. He started with a simple thought, a half-circle based on the position of the straps from one shoulder to the other. From the vertices, he pulled a straight line from both sides of the half-circle and connected the extended edges with a sweeping arc. Daiden returned to the collar and gently pressed onto its centre, at its circumference. After drawing a flap, he took a moment to assess the integrity of his design. He folded his arms and swayed to one side, in a pout, a frown, switching between several expressions, and muddled in thought.

“Okay, it looks fine…fuck it!” said Daiden, out loud. “I don’t have all the time in the world here.”

Deng observed from the side, wearing a smile on his face. His soldiers chattered amongst themselves at a distance from him, eyes trained onto their benefactor.

After another nod of self-affirmation, the Takshakan Tailor pushed the design onto the floor. A thin aeter strand formed an outline on the leather, allowing Daiden to cut the shape of the collar using a knife. His hands addressed the straight lines on either side next. He separated and folded the excess leather and returned to the piece on the floor. His eyes traced along the exterior arc now – uneven, extending beyond the desired shape even. On his knees, Daiden made a careful cut at one end and tore away the excess. “A little rough, but that should do just fine…” With a deep breath, he smelt the leather once more. “Ah. This is exciting! Crafting is exciting! Wait, stop. Let’s not lose focus here.”

Satisfied with the outcome, Daiden retrieved a long stretch of the excess and cut it to make four, thinner pieces. He gently set them aside and plucked another, thicker piece of leather. With some sticky slime and a single fold, he made a stiff collar and glued it onto the smaller arc.

After a quick review on his progress, Daiden returned to bore holes on the outer portions of the collar, using a hard needle and a wooden mallet. He straight stitched with a thread first, and cross stitched over the result with the leather strands. His hands worked without rest, now carving a long, curved triangular shape to attach onto the collar. He finished the flap by binding it to the cloak with the last of the thin leather pieces.

Daiden absent-mindedly rummaged through his spatial inventory and removed two polished straps next.

“Attach these and I’m done…” thought Daiden. With a nervous gulp, he plugged them onto the sides and completed the production. His face eased into a smile, as he brushed his hand against the finished product. “What’s it going to be like?”

Daiden watched the aeter spill from the cape in a ripple, a gentle shade of red.

[Grim Falcon Cloak (Normal)

An unknown craftsman with great skill finished this product. Attacks can be deflected depending on the wearer’s skill. Due to the materials used, there is a very small chance to stagger the enemy when hit.]

“Not what I expected,” thought Daiden, a little disappointed. “It doesn’t induce any fire related effects. Is this what Anvi and Balder meant by needing an enchanter for options? Well, that sucks!”

“Very impressive!” whistled Deng, in that moment. “Is that for me?”

Daiden scratched the back of his head, his cheeks flush with embarrassment. “Yes, but I don’t think it’s as good as you think it is…”

Deng walked over to Daiden’s side and checked the specifications. He whistled again, only more impressed. The Multana Captain encouraged his soldiers to check the cape as well.

“A passive aura that staggers the enemy is very beneficial,” explained Deng, kindly. “You should give yourself some credit. You have my gratitude.”

“Ah, not at all,” blurted Daiden. “We still have some time. I can make more. My intention was to pad the front-liners on defence. This is the best I can do.”

“Interesting,” remarked Deng. “Do you come from a crafting family, Ser Daiden? You’re brilliant with the sword, and at command. But I must admit, I have never quite met a tailor like that.”

Daiden thought back to his classification as Takshaka’s Descendant and fidgeted a little. “Yes. Ah, something like that…”

Deng lingered on the response for a moment, but chose to refrain from pursuing the matter. He hurried his soldiers away. “We’ll come back when you’re finished, Ser Daiden.”

With a sigh, Daiden slumped onto the floor and returned to work. He immersed entirely in the process, faster with each completed piece. Towards the four-hour mark, he stopped his hands, noticing the dome flicker. He shook his head and continued, even as the walls receded. Leda remained by Daiden’s side, while the soldiers armed themselves.

“It’s a shame, but this is the most I could manage given the time!” complained Daiden, holding his fifth piece with both hands. After a final check, he waved at Deng. “Distribute them as you see fit. Make sure you wear one as well. I’ll make more, so don’t go about being selfless.”

The Multana Captain smiled back at the comment. “But I can’t do that…”

“Listen, we need you to stay alive,” said Daiden, bluntly. “Your soldiers are strong and brave, but they don’t have your aptitude for leadership. I insist.”

Deng relented after another exchange between them.

“They were all rated at normal…” thought Daiden, watching Deng return to his soldiers. “Luck, materials, or is it because I was in a hurry? I should probably speak with Balder about this.”