In the Sewers

I wake from meditating to a familiar sound.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Meditation has progressed to level 9!

Meditation

Level 9

Wis +9 Int +4 Cha +4

A skill for recovery. HP 40/hour MP 40/hour

I look over at Ruby who is still meditating, I simply enjoy looking at her. I can't help but admire her beauty and wonder at possibilities. No, I can't think like that, we are bound together for life. What if I confess and she doesn't feel the same? How awkward would that make things?

It's better to just be friends and companions. Especially since I could die anytime in this world. Maybe if it was my old world...Ah, who am I kidding! In my old life I would have never had the courage to approach someone as beautiful as her!

My thoughts are interrupted as Ruby starts to stir. I quickly get up and act like I am busy doing something before she opens her eyes.

Ruby says "Yay! My meditation skill went up two levels!"

"Good morning and that's great! Would you like some breakfast?"

Ruby says "Sure. After that do you want me to show you the forge?"

"Yes, please."

Ruby gets up and stretches, she smiles as she notices me watching her from the corner of my eye. Then we sit down and share breakfast and after that we get ready to head to the forge.

Ruby says "How do I cross the river?"

"Like this." and I sweep her up into my arms and jump across the river. Ruby's heart starts pounding and not because of flying through the air.

"Did you just say eep?"

Ruby hits him on the arm and says "No, I did not!"

"Ow, okay, okay, I'm sorry!"

I rub my arm as we head back to the room Ruby was imprisoned in. Ruby walks over to the back wall and points at a rock.

Ruby says "Channel mana into this rock and the room will open."

I walk over and put my hand on the rock and channel some mana into it. A section of the wall vanishes as if it was made of smoke. Behind it is a fully equipped forge with a full set of tools.

Ruby says "Before we go in you should know a few things. One the forge will only work while I am in the room, two you cannot take anything that's in the room right now out, three, time moves faster in the room."

"It's enchanted with time dilation? Awesome! Do you know the rate?"

Ruby says "I don't know what you just said, but every six hours inside is an hour out here."

"That is so awesome! I'm going to be using this room a lot!"

I am so excited I rush over and hug Ruby before I think better of it. Ruby freezes in surprise at first then smiles and hugs me back.

"Oh sorry, I guess I got carried away."

Ruby says "Oh, it's fine, I don't mind at all."

"Okay, first thing I need to do is carry the two hundred and fifty pounds of iron ore I've mined over here. That's a lot of running back and forth, do you just want to wait here?"

Ruby says "Yeah that's fine, I'm feeling a little run down."

"Run down? Are you alright?"

Ruby sits with her back against the wall and says "Yeah, I'm feeling like I used to when it was past time for me to be unsummoned so I can rest, even though I have plenty of mana. I don't understand it myself."

I kneel down next to Ruby and say "We can do this later, let's return to camp for now and you can try sleeping, maybe meditation doesn't count as rest for you."

Ruby pats his hand and says "No, no, I'm fine. I'll just sit here and relax while you run back and forth like crazy."

"Are you sure, Ruby?"

Ruby says "Master I'm fine. Just go already!"

"Well, okay if you insist."

I then spend the next hour running back and forth from the camp to the forge hauling iron ore. Ruby sits and tries to rest but every time I run in she can't help but open her eyes and watch me. On my return from the last trip I am also carrying two torches and three books.

Ruby asks "What are those for?"

"I've been meaning to finish reading these but just haven't wanted to take the time. So I thought I might read them in there so it doesn't take up much time."

Ruby says "Oh, I guess that's smart."

"Um, thanks?"

Ruby laughs and says "You are so serious all the time."

"Well, it's kinda been life or death since I was summoned, sorry."

Ruby says "No, I understand. I was just wondering what you would be like if you were more playful."

"Anyway, I'd like to try out the forge now if you are feeling up to it."

As answer Ruby stands up and steps into the room, as soon as she enters, the forge lights up and a wave of heat hits me. It gets worse as I step into the room after her, making me really glad of the fire resist I got from the bond with her. Ruby moves to the side of the room and sits on the stone bench that's there.

Ruby says "I power the forge just by being in the room, but I don't know anything about how to use it. To be honest I never paid much attention to what the Archmage was doing."

"That's fine. I've never done this before but I'm fairly sure I know the theory behind it at least."

Ruby sits and watches as I fill a crucible with raw iron ore and place it in the forge. While it is heating I get some ingot molds ready, then sit and watch the iron ore melt and bubble.

"So, I know I need to wait a bit for the impurities to burn off but I don't really know how long it takes so this will be a bit of trial and error."

Ruby says "Okay, I just plan to sit here and rest anyway."

"Are you still feeling drained?"

Ruby says "Yes. If anything it has gotten worse."

"You said you felt this way when you needed to be unsummoned? But you aren't summoned anymore so what could we do?"

Ruby says "Yes, the chains used to maintain me but when the Archmage would unchain me to run the forge I would feel this way until he put me back in the chains."

"But the chains are gone now and you aren't an elemental anymore so can you think of anything that might help you?"

Ruby says "I feel I just need.....to.....rest....."

Ruby's form starts glowing and as I watch she shrinks down to a glowing red puff of light and flies towards me. When the puff reaches me it hits my chest and I feel a sharp burning pain.

When I look down at my chest there is a medallion with a fire motif embedded in my chest. I touch it gently wondering what just happened.

"Ruby? Can you hear me? Are you alright?"

I hear Ruby's voice in my head "I'm fine, just sleepy."

Reassured that she isn't in any danger, I turn back to what I was doing. The fact that the forge is still going strong also helps to lessen my worry for Ruby. I then realize I have probably left the iron in the forge for too long and pull it out and pour the molten metal into the ingot molds.

*DING*

Congratulations! You have acquired the craft skill Blacksmithing!

Blacksmithing

Level 1

Str +1 Fire Resist +1

You can turn metal ore into crude items.

*Item Created*

Steel Ingot

Quality: High Grade

'Wow! High grade steel? How did that happen?'

I quickly put more iron ore in the crucible and put it in the forge. While I am waiting for it to smelt I find myself rubbing the medallion and find that it is warm, even warmer than the air in the room with the forge going. I take that as a good sign since Ruby is a Flame Spirit.

Come to think of it when she turned into the puff of light she looked just like the other spirits I saw. Maybe this has something to do with what happened to her because of me. I spend the next few hours turning the two hundred and fifty pounds of iron ore I mined into twenty high grade steel ingots.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Blacksmithing has progressed to level 2!

Blacksmithing

Level 2

Str +2 Fire Resist +2

You can turn metal ore into crude items.

I then return to my camp to catch and cook some fish to eat. After eating I gather up all the armor and weapons I have collected and start carrying them to the forge room. I then proceed to melt them down into another ten ingots.

Ruby thinks "Yawn!"

"How are you feeling?"

Ruby thinks "I feel much better now and I understand some things as well."

"Like what?"

Ruby thinks "Well, I now have something called spiritual power, I have to use it to maintain my human form. I ran out and that's why I became an amulet."

"Oh good. I was worried something had gone wrong!"

Ruby thinks "Oh, you were worried about me?"

"Of course! You just suddenly turned into a puff of light and then this amulet. What was I supposed to think?"

Ruby thinks "I can see your point. Normally a spirit that ran out of power would return to the spirit plane to recover, I guess this means you are my plane ha ha ha."

"Well, as long as you are recovered it isn't important how."

Ruby thinks "I am still recovering but I have recovered enough to stay awake now. But I will be staying as an amulet for a bit."

"That's fine, I'm just doing boring crafting stuff for now anyway."