Rael sighs as he returns to the living room turned storage space to gather his father’s tools. He had been sighing quite often, more so when around his father.

Rael grumbles a bit while sifting through the bin of tools located in the area that was once his mother’s favorite spot to read. The window Rael used to gaze through while listening to his mother’s soothing voice was now covered with blueprints and schematics for inventions that never reached completion. The books that once lined the shelves are now replaced with half completed contraptions and spare parts.

Rael had saved his mother’s modest library from the mess of his father’s disregard and safely stowed them away in his own room, the only place in the home were the majority of the wood floor could still be seen.

Shrugging off the unpleasantness he felt every time he came to this area, he turns back towards the hallway and his father’s work room and notices his figure in the threshold. His father was looking alert but confused, scanning the room with his baggy, dark eyes. “Rael, where did my tool bin get moved to?” he asked confused. “It’s in the corner by your schematics father,” Rael calming pointed out, “I’ve already gathered what you may need though.”

Rael hands him the pack he had filled with a few hammers of differing weights and sizes, nails of assorted lengths and thickness, and measuring tools among other general items. “Well,” Bax began after examining the packs contents, “this should do to get things started, anyway.” Closing the pack, Bax motions for Rael to follow and heads towards the front door of their home. Excitement creeps back into Rael’s pace as he and his father begin the trek to Sanvar.

Rael exclaims in his thoughts, Seeing the places that old man Oos described in the tales of his youth was something he fantasized about in those rare times he was allowed to attend the lessons. When his father wasn’t drilling him in material composition and implementation, Rael would be reading his mother’s books and dreaming of adventure.

A few years after his mother’s death, Bax stopped visiting Sanvar. He had become more reclusive with time, and had left most of the repair work to Rael. It’s not as though Rael minded too much though, he could take his time in town once all the steam systems had been checked and Rael often found his way to the Hunters Hall. Everyone in Sanvar knew Rael and his father and quite a few Hunters were more than happy to give some pointers to the eager son of the great inventor. Rael learned how to wield a sword a shoot a bow with reasonable accuracy due to these Hunter’s kindness.

This, of course, only fueled Rael’s desire for adventure. The excitement of scoring a hit on a distant target, the methodic and tiring practice of sword forms, and the stories the Hunters told while relaxing in the courtyard of the Hunters Hall often kept Rael from returning home until well past sundown. Those days Rael would stay awake in his room, recounting the Hunter stories while giving himself active roles in the events. Playing and replaying the tales, choosing different actions in each and playing out the scenario to the inevitable end of Rael conquering adversity and saving Sanvar from what often ended up as a much more serious issue than what the original story detailed.

Lost in thought, Rael was surprised to look up and see that they were now in front of the central home. Bax was looking at him through his still obviously fatigued eyes with curiosity and a bit of worry. Rael shook off the residual fantasies and gave his father an embarrassed smile. “Are you ready Rael?” his father asked. “Yes,” Rael answered, “I will introduce you to the mainlanders and they can tell you the rest.” Bax grunts in response and reaches for the bark door. Just as his hand reaches the lever, the door burst open from the inside.

“That rotten old man is going to get slapped!” A deep voiced shout was accompanied by one rather large figure and a smaller more lithe form moving through the doorway. “Easy there Varith,” came an amused baritone from the slim figure, “I’m sure he meant calling you a “hairless bear” as a compliment.” The large bald man named Varith gave the smiling man at his side a glare and stomped off without even a glance at the bewildered father and son. “Ah, Rael!” exclaimed the still smiling man, “Good to see you didn’t have trouble bringing your father as you feared!” Bax cast a sidelong look at Rael at the comment and Rael returned another nervous smile before replying. “Kremmr, this is my father, Bax.”

“Good to meet you, good sir!” Kremmr stated as he extended his hand in greeting. “Indeed.” Bax replied while still eyeing his fidgeting son. “It seems you have already met with my son, and it seems that rather large man won’t return for a moment, should we go inside and discuss the repair work or wait for his return?” “Nah,” Kremmr began, “Varith is a bit…sensitive, about the state of his hair, or lack thereof so he may not be back at all.” Laughing at his own comment, Kremmr stepped to the side to allow the father and son to pass by and enter the home. “Rael!” came a shout from the table located in the middle of the room. The origin of the voice was from an attractive looking woman, about the age of Rael with blonde hair cut shoulder length, who was currently waving at the pair. Another nearly identical women sat next to her, the only difference being that the second women had her hair long and gathered in a tail style at the base of her neck.

“Hello Marsyn,” Rael replied to the women who greeted him, “Marsyn, Corryn, this is my father, Bax Maridyne.” Rael motioned with his right hand towards his still sour looking father. The twins stood and shook hands with Bax, giving the normal greetings and seated themselves once more at the table. “Oh good,” came a gruff voice from the end of the room opposite the door, “now that you’ve introduced each other, can we discuss how we are going to get these people out of my home?” This response, of course, came from old man Oos, who was leaning against the door that lead deeper into his home looking rather displeased.

thought Rael. Rael smiled at that. “Hello Oos,” Rael greeted the perpetually sour old man. “I brought father just for that reason.” Oos glances at Rael and his father and grunts. “Good, that bear you saw trudge out of here doesn’t have the manners of a five year old. These twins here, while both are pleasant to the eyes, only the one with short hair can hold a conversation, and that twig man there thinks everything I say is a damned joke!” Kremmr began to laugh at this and Oos sent him a withering glare. “My apologies good man,” Kremmr says through his laughter, “but most of your observations of my companions are things I’ve mentioned in one way or another to them, and got the same response!” Kremmr continued to laugh as he made his way to the seat next to Marsyn.

Giving another glare in Kremmr’s direction, Oos moved his way to the opposite end of the table and took his seat. Rael and Bax took the remaining empty chairs across from the twins. “So,” Bax began, “I need some information about your vessel if I’m going to be of any help to you mainlanders.” “Indeed.” Kremmr agreed as he adopted a more serious tone and folded his hands on the table.

And so the conversation went, Bax asking questions about materials and measurements of the stranded ship while Kremmr and Marsyn gave as detailed answers as they could. After an hour of this Q&A, Rael began to lose interest and his attention wandered across the gear and equipment the Hunter party had stored in a corner of the room. There was an assortment of spirit weapons, on a shelf there lay a pair of daggers with serrated edges and a green core signifying a speed type. He saw Marsyn practicing forms with the cruel looking weapons the day they met.

A pair of enormous gauntlets lay on a shelf that seemed to radiate violence. Small red cores embedded on the knuckles would provide an enormous boost to strength for the wielder, though the size of the gauntlets would make most people unable to use them, but fit Varith’s massive hands perfectly. A bow was leaning against the wall, the grip was slim and wrapped with well-worn leather and the limbs connected to the grip started thick with a high gloss and tapered into a curved tip where the string would be attached. Both of the limbs had intricate designs etched into them, depicting creatures that Rael could only wonder at. The detailed creatures had small green and yellow cores for eyes, indicating a speed and dexterity enhancing weapon.

The most impressive to Rael though was a thin sword that Kremmr had told him was a rapier. The blade was just under a meter in length and had a silvery sheen, the guard was connected to the pummel and encrusted with numerous green, red, and yellow cores, allowing whoever possessed it to gain an immense boost to mobility, strength, and dexterity. The amount of cores on this one weapon made the Sanvar Hunters who saw it look at their own weapons in shame and regret. Most had only one or two cores used in their forging, and had been handed down from a parent or relative that had retired from the Hall.

As Rael was staring longingly at the marvelous weapons, the conversation taking place at the table seemed to be wrapping up. “Well I won’t know exactly what more is needed until I speak with the captain of the vessel then.” Bax said and began to rise. “I apologize that we could not be of greater assistance in your preparation, Mr. Maridyne.” Kremmr shrugged after his statement and also rose from his seat while stretching. “No, no,” Bax dismissed with a wave, “you gave me enough to know what sort of tools are going to be needed, now all I need is to speak with that captain of yours about what sort of materials will be sufficient.”

Rael freed himself from his reverent gaze and stood next to his father. “Rael, I’m going to go home and get the rest of the tools I need and head towards that ship.” After nodding to the gathered hunters Bax made his way out. “So Rael,” Kremmr said while giving another of his smiles, “I noticed that your attention wandered during our conversation with your father.” Rael’s face turned a shade of pink and he gave a bashful smile. “No need to be embarrassed,” Marsyn laughed, “I could hardly follow it either.” “That’s because you are too hyper, sister.” The group turned to look at Corryn, surprised as she had not spoken until now, even during the discussion. Marsyn recovered first. “And you are too serious. I am going back to the ship first.” She makes a face at Corryn and leaves the home.

Old man Oos rose from his seat with a groan and looked towards Kremmr. “If you are done here, please leave my house before I take a stick to that stupid looking face of yours.” Oos reached for a walking stick he kept leaning on the wall as if to make good with his promise right then and there. “No need for the stick, my less than amiable host!” Kremmr said with a laugh. “I will head towards the ship as well, I assume you will accompany me, Corryn?” Corryn gave a nod, collected all but Varith’s massive gauntlets and followed Kremmr towards the door. Stopping there and turning towards Oos, Kremmr gave another mischievous grin and said, “If you see the hairless bear again, do tell him where we’ve gone.” With another laugh and a grumble from Oos, The door closed and Rael was left alone in the home with the disgruntled Elder. “Rael my boy,” Oos said, seemingly to have improved his mood greatly with Kremmr gone, “I know you fancy yourself a Hunter, but please refrain from being influenced by that man.” Oos set aside the walking stick he had threatened the impish Hunter with. “Now, are you hungry? I’m sure I could have something ready shortly.”

Rael sighed inwardly. “I’m fine Elder, thank you for the offer though.” Oos nodded and began to walk over to the gauntlets still taking a good portion of space on the shelf. “Well then, if you don’t mind, please locate that overgrown shit pile and give him back his mittens.” Oos’ face regained its sour look as he hoist the large weapons and shuffled his way to Rael. “No problem Elder, I would be happy to help!” Rael couldn’t help but become excited while holding the weapons. Oos turned his sharp gave to Rael’s face, sending a chill up the youths back an erasing the happy look on his face and said, “Take heed to be even less like the fool owner of those things. A man like that will often find himself at the mercy of his own moronic ideals.” Satisfied his message had been received, Oos followed Rael to the door and saw him out.