“What happened back there?” Enzo asked as Tobias led him back down the street to his shop.

“Cornelia doesn’t really like outsiders,” Tobias explained over his shoulder. “Especially not ones with connections to dragons. Did you notice anything strange while you were there?”

“Aside from the entirely different atmosphere in her garden? Or the way the wind blew through the area, despite the high walls of bushes that should have cut off any air flow?” asked Enzo sarcastically.

Tobias rolled his eyes. “Those are examples of her magic. Cornelia is particularly skilled at ensnaring and sedating things,” Tobias explained. “The moment you heard her voice, she began taking control of you. Her magic takes time, but I’m sure you noticed the more you strained to hear her, the less concerned you were about what she actually said. Under her spell, you become agreeable. Eventually, she would have complete control over you.”

Thinking back, I remember being at peace with the world. My anxiety washed away, and I felt like I was wholly accepting of her guidance. Enzo nodded in agreement.

“She’s powerful enough to ensnare even the seasons,” continued Tobias. “That garden has been in a state of early summer the entire time I’ve been here. I suspect she lived here long before the star stone fell, and she’ll continue to be here long after we’re dead.”

“Is there any defense against her magic?” Enzo asked.

“Not really. Having someone along with you to disturb things is the most effective method, but odds are, anyone you bring with you will also be ensnared,” said Tobias. “I broke the spell on you when I hit you with your shirt, but I was only able to because Cornelia didn’t cast the spell on me as well.”

The pair walked into the workshop. Tobias walked directly to the workbench and began gathering some mining equipment. He was about to hand Enzo his own pack and tools, but paused. He looked at the young man’s thin shirt then disappeared into his own quarters, returning with a thick, leather coat. Tobias pressed the coat into Enzo’s hands and made him put it on before handing him a heavy pickaxe and a large, durable bag.

“I’ll have to be careful around her,” Enzo said as he slipped on the pack cautiously, careful to avoid the worst of the blistering. The coat formed a protective layer thick enough that he felt comfortable carrying the heavy pack without bursting any of the blisters.

“You said she would heal me though?” Enzo continued. “By the looks of things, I’ve done a decent job of healing on my own. A few more days and I’ll be good to go. No need to risk it with Cornelia, since she clearly doesn’t like me.”

“You won’t heal much past where you are without her help,” replied Tobias, shouldering a pack of his own and heading back out the door into the midday sun. “Talwen’s mana is intertwined with those wounds. It’ll have to be carefully drawn out of those blisters before they burst, or you’ll be burned all over again.”

Enzo thought back to the pain from the first round with Talwen’s fire. Really not something I want to experience again.

“Now then, we’re going to check your cave. I want to see these pools of iron,” said Tobias as Enzo joined him back in the street. “With some luck, Talwen’s flames will have burned the impurities from the metal and we can use it in combination with the fragments of the egg.” He gestured toward the gate. “Lead the way, my boy.”

Enzo nodded. “It’s a bit of a walk out there. We should probably expect to stay the night,” he said.

The old man grunted and made a face before returning to the house. After a moment, he left again, this time carrying some dried meat in a small pack. Satisfied, Enzo led the way from the village and back into the woods.

The trip back was quiet. Tobias wasn’t frail by any means, but the old man was not used to hikes through the woods either. Enzo frequently rounded corners, and hopped across streams that Tobias had to take much slower. The gradual incline didn’t help matters either, as Tobias frequently needed to pause and rest. In the end, it was nearly nightfall by the time they finally came to the plateau.

Despite the time since the fight, the area still felt off. There was a slight acrid smell that filled the area. The stones around the mouth of the cave were scarred and misshapen. Thankfully, wind had blown through the cave and pushed more of the ash from the room, but several piles of bones still lay along the edges of the cave.

Tobias shook his head at the sight. “I’m sorry you had to survive this.” He said a quick prayer, then took a shovel from his pack. Carefully, he scooped up each pile of bones and carried them to the rear of the cave and dropped them into the ocean. “It’s not a burial at sea, but they were sailors at heart,” he said to Enzo. “You may hold a grudge with them for attacking you, but they’re all dead now. The least we can do is return them to the sea.”

Darkness overtook the cave while Tobias worked, so Enzo did as he’d done countless times before. He lit a large fire in the middle of the room and spread smaller flames onto the walls of the cave. As Tobias finished with the remains of the mercenaries, Enzo warmed the dried meat. The pair ate in silence, each thinking about what transpired here.

When they were finished, Tobias gestured to the pickaxe near Enzo. He took the tool and began inspecting the metal left behind in the cave.

“Boy, can you drop some light on each spot I tell you to?” asked Tobias. Enzo nodded and placed several more fires around the room at Tobias’s request. “We’re in luck, the metal here looks high quality. Let’s get it up before any impurities begin to form as nature reclaims this cave.”

Enzo nodded. Didn’t think we’d be doing this all night, I was really looking forward to sleeping and starting this in the morning. He sighed and prepared to hammer away at another spot nearby.

“Don’t bother, son. Just watch and gather up what I knock free,” Tobias said as he swung the pickaxe down.

The tool collided with the rock, but instead of a chip of stone falling away, a large crack ran along the edge of the metallic pool perfectly. Two more swings, and the whole outer edge of the metal deposit was completely free of the surrounding rock. Tobias scooped the chunk out of the floor of the cave, and passed it to Enzo with a grin.

“My Affinity comes in handy for things like this. I can shape metals at will, creating tiny separations around a clear deposit like this is child’s play,” the old smith explained. “Just break up the chunks so we can easily carry it all back.”

Astonished, Enzo took up the hammer from Tobias’s pack and smashed the iron into smaller pieces. He worked as quickly as he could, collecting the smaller fragments of metal into the thick pouch he’d brought with him, but the old man was incredible.

In the handful of minutes it took Enzo to break and store the first deposit, Tobias had already freed two more. In all, the pair had collected all of the metal from the now deceased mercenaries in less than an hour.

Exhausted, and surprised at their incredible progress, Enzo collapsed against the wall of the cave. He extinguished the now unnecessary lights along the rest of the walls.

“You have got to teach me how to do that,” Enzo said, thoroughly impressed with Tobias’s skill. The old man just chuckled and pulled a bottle of mead from the pack.