“Again.” Fena’s words were absolute. Her approach was far more heavy-handed than expected but it was necessary. The current task was proving to be more difficult than Jake had anticipated.

Jake took a deep breath and exhaled sharply as he began gathering mana around his skin. It boiled and burned, the air scorching his lungs as he inhaled through clenched teeth. The tension within his muscles built as the lactic acid within them clogged the vessels. On top of his skin, he felt the mana condense and coat his sweating body like a thick layer of clay. Just as he felt the bond begin to develop, his control slipped and he felt the mana fizzle out. Like shattered glass, he lost touch.

The moment his skin contacted the air, water splashed over him. The support fairies doused him in a torrent of water to cleanse him of the foul feeling. Steam rose from his skin and the air around him cooled. Jake’s teeth chattered and he squeezed his eyes tight to fend off the chill that cut into his bones.

Fena only gave him a few seconds to reset before encouraging him to continue. “Try it again.”

Reluctant but following her order, Jake closed his eyes once more and reached for his mana flow. He reminded himself of the steps he needed to take and began to walk through them. Gather. Spread. Bond. Harden. Seal. Jake’s mana flow bubbled and pulsed as he followed the checklist he had been taught.

Swirling around him, Fena recited the teachings within the black tome, her voice ringing in Jake’s ears as he split his focus between his mana and her. Having translated its contents, Fena assumed the role of teacher. With no other choice, Jake was forced to learn by listening. Fena repeated the key details, explaining what he should be doing and feeling as he progressed. Whenever he stumbled or felt a stutter, Fena coaxed him forward through the struggle. Jake's mana strained as he tried to perform the spell, and he could feel the tension in his flow. However, he was making progress. Little by little. Bit by bit. As the hours ticked by and Jake’s body grew tired, exhausted from the constant stress, he inched towards success.

Until finally the hot air around him boiled and he felt his skin scab over.

A day and a half had passed since Fena had called him into the practice room. She had taken several hours to translate the book, but it had been worth the wait. Jake finally achieved something that resembled what he had been told to make. Now that he could see it, feel it, and understand it, he understood why it would be so useful against the Maedra. The power radiating from his fingertips was enough of a tell.

Yet, they weren’t done. Not even close. “Let us refine it now,” Fena turned the page of the book and Jake nodded. The two support fairies doused Jake in water, cooling him off and resetting the raging fire in his blood. His mind calmed, his mana flow stabilized, and the boy sat down to cultivate. Activation was the first step. Now, he needed to normalize his usage. So far, Jake had only been able to control it for a few seconds. In a fight, he would need the spell to last for minutes.

Thus, he would spend his remaining time extending that limit. It was unfortunate that he would not be able to fulfill his other tasks. However, in the grand scheme of the battle, the skill would prove far more handy than anything else he could possibly use.

If he was planning to kill the Black Knight, he would need to master it.

With a few hours remaining, Jake left the library. He’d studied as much as he could, practiced Aura magic under Fena’s guidance with the assistance of the other fairies. In addition, he had spent the last few moments refining his own fighting techniques. The fairies had used small golems to act as sparring partners, giving him an opportunity to fight in the enclosed space against actual opponents which was definitely a bonus. Yir, always the lenient and forgiving mentor, made a minor exception due to the severity of the upcoming conflict. With the balance of the Ravine now in the air, some rules needed to be bent.

Three days had passed considerably faster than Jake had been ready for and the time he spent in the library felt far too short. He had crammed as much as he could into the window but it didn’t seem enough. No matter how much his magic progressed, no matter how much stronger he felt, he didn’t feel anywhere near the level he needed to be. Either way, the war wouldn’t wait. Time was up and Jake needed to be confident that what he had done would be enough.

“Hulgrok!” Jake entered the blacksmith’s storefront, shouting for his dwarf friend as he strode inside. A number of other patrons were already lingering, speaking with the assistant, but Hulgrok himself wasn’t in sight.

“Ah. I’ll fetch him.” Sid excused himself from the other patrons and hurried to the other part of the building. Jake strode up to the counter to wait. He earned a few side-long glances but ignored them as the sound of shouting bled out of the smithy. Sounds of loud crashing echoed from inside followed by more shouting until finally, Sid returned. “He’s coming. Please wait a moment.” The assistant looked disheveled now. Hulgrok must not have been too happy.

Jake nodded and took a moment to look around the store. With time to kill, he surveyed the inside of the store. Three days had passed but plenty of products had moved. The walls were largely stripped of armor and weapons. Anything that the Warriors could use had been snatched up and whatever was left likely had been deemed either too low in quality or useless. That being said, there wasn’t a lot left. Either the Warriors were desperate or that was just a testament to the quality of gear Hulgrok and Sid produced. An inspiring sight.

“Oi! Welcome back, lad!” Hulgrok stumbled out of the back room, shoving the door aside as he hobbled up to the counter. He carried a large black cloth in his arms and dropped it heavily onto the counter. Inside the cloth, Jake could hear the clattering of metal. Jake raised an eyebrow as he watched the dwarf untie the knot and expose the equipment beneath. There was more than the boy had expected.

“Have a look.” Hulgrok let out a low chuckle as he organized the equipment on the desk for Jake to see.

Two familiar blades hidden within black and red sheaths, a pair of short knives, a pair of gauntlets, and even a chestplate. All the same dull ruby red. Hulgrok stood over them with a wide grin on his face as he began to pull the weapons free from their sheaths.

First, he drew out the knives. Simple blades with singular edges that curved towards their tips. They were half the length of Jake’s forearms with handles sized to fit almost perfectly in his palms. Tassels dangled off their pommels, suitable for grabbing and twirling if Jake wanted to get pretty with his attacks.

The other twin blades, however, were much more exotic. Their handles were brown and black, a mix of functional and pretty. His fingers would curl around the gently rolling hills where the leather wrappings around the handle were neatly styled and tight. The guard, made of fine quality wood, had several delicate carvings within them with symbols overlapping and dancing with one another. At the base of the handle, a rounded pommel with two flattened sides stuck out. Two thin circles were carved onto each side of the pommel, acting as suitable containers for future enhancement sigils to be placed. The blades themselves were a beautiful blue silver. Extremely sharp, long, thin, made of metal far stronger than anything that could be mined within the Ravine. There was a faint, dazzling glow coming from the blades, giving them an elegance Jake definitely lacked. They were in much better condition now than when Jake had last seen them.

The gauntlets and the chest plate were shaped generically but shaped to fit comfortably on whomever wore them. The leather wrappings were adjustable and the undersides were lined with chainmail followed by a layer of boiled leather to keep the metal off his skin. They would be heavier than typical slabs of metal armor but they sported the extra layers of protection that Jake would find helpful against the Maedra. On their undersides, there were also circles where Jake could place enhancement sigils. Tiny details that Hulgrok and Sid had made sure to add to the designs to best fit Jake’s needs in the field against the common enemy in the Ravine.

“How’s it all looking, hah?” Hulgrok folded his arms over his barrel of a chest and let out another deep chuckle as Jake admired the work.

The boy plucked up the knives and twirled them in his hands. They were light, easy to handle, and the handles were broad enough for him to get a firm grip. Satisfied, he returned the knives to their sheaths and picked up the twin blades.

The Elvish metal practically sang in his grip. Jake felt comfortable feeding mana into the weapons and watched as their faint glow became more apparent. The weight in his hands practically vanished and Jake’s comfort with the blades felt almost natural. As if they were extensions of his arms. Jake smirked and took a few practice swings. The edges cracked and whipped through the air, neatly splicing the invisible enemies with almost no effort. Once more when he felt satisfied, Jake took a moment to admire the blades again.

Their edges weren’t the beautiful curves like they used to be and the handles definitely didn’t match the metal anymore. Despite being damaged, the blades were fairly straight and the tips were sharply angled along where they had been broken. Hulgrok had done his darndest to maintain the typical elven look but it had been impossible, especially with the cores of the blades having been broken. He had to shave off several inches which resulted in almost a third of their original length being lost. If there was any positive, the reduction in size made them easier to handle, that was for sure. If Jake came across another elf, though, they would definitely notice that the weapons had been tampered with. An unfortunate result but Jake had no regrets about his request. With how they were now, Jake could continue to use them in his fights against the Maedra.

“Good work, Hulgrok.” Jake returned to the counter and tucked the blades away. He then picked up the gauntlets and began to put them on, carefully tightening the straps and adjusting his clothes to make the fit comfortable. When it was time for the chest plate, Hulgrok stepped around the corner to assist with it. After some tight tugging, the two worked the plate in place and then Hulgrok tied off the dangling straps, tucking them away to keep the look clean. “How much do I owe you?” Jake fished out his coin pouch, ready to pay whatever price was asked.

Hulgrok smirked. “Fifty silver and eighty bronze will do fine, boy.” Hulgrok named his price and Jake promptly began to fish out the fee. He rounded up, however, and pulled out eighty silver and eighty bronze pieces. Enough to cover the bill plus plenty more. Hulgrok and Sid had put a lot of care into the work, had done it quickly, and they were even trying to be cheap with him. Jake knew the gear was worth far more than fifty silvers. If not for their relationship, everything might cost close to one gold coin or one hundred silver coins. From labor to materials to timing, it all added up. Hulgrok was far too kind.

“Boy, this is-” Hulgrok tried to dispute the payment but Jake just smiled and pushed it all across.

“Take it, Hulgrok. Consider it an investment if you want.” Jake grinned and began to collect the gear from the table. He tied his knives to his lower back, cinching them down around his waist to keep them firmly in place. The two Elven blades he placed on his left hip, opposite the magic blade on his right. He would likely trade it out later but only after he confirmed what enchantments he could place on the Elven weapons.

Hulgrok rumbled and collected the coins as Jake fiddled with his weapons. The dwarf swept the money into a heavy pouch and then set it down out of sight behind the counter. Jake finished adjusting himself and raised his hands, looking for an evaluation. Hulgrok gave a thumbs up for approval before raising his finger. Jake sighed and waited as the dwarf hobbled off into the smithy again. Sid finished with his customers and then approached to join in.

He asked, "Is the armor suitable?". The armorer peered over Jake’s wear of the brand-new equipment, letting out a subtle hum.

“It’s comfortable, yeah. Thanks, Sid. If you were planning to make something you should have said so. I bet measurements would have helped.” Jake planted his hands on his waist and adjusted his stance, settling on his heels.

Sid smiled and waved him off. “No worries. I only thought of it after you had left.” Sid leaned against the counter, putting his weight on one arm. “I noticed you were lacking in the protection department. Having something to cover your vitals helps a lot in close combat. The Maedra might not use weapons but you never know what you’ll come across out there.”

Jake nodded in agreement. While the Maedra tended to use clubs and claws, the Black Knight was armed with a sword. The gauntlets would help fend off some unwanted smacking, though, so Jake would still be able to use them against the Maedra. In general, any protection was better than none.

Hulgrok returned promptly with a large bottle and three cups. He let out a grunt as he slammed it all down and ripped the cork off the top of the bottle. “I ain’t a fan of the pointy ears, but Darius was a fan of me. Always had a joke and a quip to say. Never took himself too serious. Never cared about our racial squabbles on the surface. A good man at heart, and a good man I drank with.” Hulgrok filled the three cups and passed them out. Sid picked up one, while Jake grabbed the other. Hulgrok filled the third but, instead of grabbing it, he raised the bottle.

“A lost pup when I first saw him come stumblin’ to the village but he found his place. He fought hard, fought well, and became a companion I admired. He never once accepted my metal but I never once denied him a sharpening whenever he needed it. A braver warrior than most. A fiercer elf than any. And a damn good drinker.” Hulgrok’s voice bellowed into his shop as he spoke, his large belly rumbling as he chuckled and chortled. Finally, he extended the bottle outwards for a toast.

“To Darius,” he said. Jake and Sid clashed their cups against the bottle.

“To Darius!” they echoed.

Then, all at once, “Almien!” The liquor in the cups vanished. Hulgrok drank directly from the bottle. Of all the liquor Jake had drank thus far, the fire in his mouth was the most potent. His senses were overwhelmed, his sinuses were cleared, and he tasted the overpowering flavor of spice on his tongue. He nearly choked as he downed the mouthful. He exhaled fire, coughed, and set down the cup as he continued to try and regain his breath. Hulgrok bellowed another laugh as he watched the youngin’ struggle.

“Ah, it may have been a bit too strong for ya. You’ll live. It’ll put some hair on yer chest.” The dwarf wiped off his mouth and then drank the liquor in the final cup, emptying the share for his fallen friend.

Jake finally recovered after his coughing fit and cleaned up the spittle that had dribbled from his mouth. “What was it that you wanted to talk about, Hulgrok?” When he came and dropped off the blades, Yae was with him. Hulgrok had requested her not to be there for the pick up for some reason, so Jake was curious as to why.

Hulgrok’s happy smile faded a touch as the dwarf planted his hands on the table. “Ya fightin’ the beasts is gonna get ya killed, son. Ya should leave this place and go topside. The world above is far safer for ya. I’d hate to see ya lose yer life fightin’ in this pit.” Hulgrok collected the cups and then passed them to Sid. He kept the bottle, though.

Jake raised his eyebrows and looked across at the dwarf, unsure of how to feel. “Thanks for the concern, Hulgrok, but I think I'm a little too deep now. Don’t you think?” Jake couldn’t turn his back on Ewana, on the Ravine, on the Oryx. He’d already invested his time, blood, and lost friends. He couldn’t just ditch it all now. Not when he had more than one personal reason to put his magic to work.

Hulgrok let out a low hum as he nodded. “Aye, that you are, but you are young, boy. A place like this ain’t worth yer life. There is much more tah see. Prettier skies. Prettier women.” Hulgrok smirked, winked, and raised the bottle. “Tastier drink.” He guzzled down another mouthful, belched, and then settled the bottle back on the table. “Fightin’ the Maedra is an admirable cause. One that many have died for, but it’s nonsense to waste yer youth in this abysmal place. Even that lass of yours. You should take her away from here.”

Jake frowned and looked down at the bottle. Recent memories of Chul and Darius both crossed his mind. Their smiles, their eyes. Their hopes for him to be better. “You’re right, Hulgrok. The Maedra aren’t worth my life. Which is why I asked you to make me fine blades. So that I never have to pay that price.” Jake planted his hands firmly on the pommels of his swords. He gripped two of them tight and stood tall. “I’m armed by the finest smith in the Ravine, with armor from the finest armorer. With this gear, I won’t lose to some pathetic bags of meat.”

Hulgrok stared at the boy for a moment, as if baffled by the words. However, a broad smile emerged from beneath the dwarf’s puffy beard. His throat opened and a booming laugh filled the air, a laugh full of pride. A laugh that was followed by a hefty swig of alcohol. “Aye! Words fit for a warrior! It seems there is no swaying you. Well then, Jake. I wish you glory and fortune in the tunnels.”

“Thanks, Hulgrok. I’ll come again.” Jake bowed his head and Hulgrok let out a huff of approval. Jake waved and said his goodbyes to the two before departing.

Afterwards, he paid a hopeful visit to the seamstress. As expected, his clothes weren't ready. Even though she had heard of the sudden need to expedite orders, Jake’s wasn’t finished. She had been overwhelmed and wasn’t able to complete much of what she had promised. Even so, Jake thanked her and the two planned for a later delivery regardless. Not having the proper pair of pants wouldn’t mean the difference in a fight so Jake would deal with what he had.

With only a few hours remaining until it was time, Jake finally returned to his Ewana house where Yae and the others were likely to be waiting. He had isolated himself to train and focus and he hadn’t taken a break to visit them since. Even when he stepped out to get food, Jake hadn’t stopped to see them. With preparations taking priority, Jake couldn’t allow himself to be distracted. In hindsight, this choice was a mistake.

Jake returned home to find that both Yae and Xul were nowhere in sight. There was no Tul either. On top of that, Helena and Lydia were both in the main room, sitting together and making preparations to leave the village. It seemed that they had decided to leave earlier than originally planned in order to avoid getting drawn into the upcoming fighting. They wouldn’t leave without helping, though. They had prepared plenty of sigils for Jake to utilize and Helena even wrote a few pages of notes about the sigil itself so that Jake could learn and replicate it.

Most importantly, Helena informed Jake as to why the house was so empty.

Yae had barricaded herself in her room.

Xul had volunteered for the mission.

And Tul had been found dead in the tunnels.

At first, Jake thought he had heard it wrong. He wanted to believe that Helena had misspoken. He thought that someone was playing a joke on him. But then the pieces fell into place. Tul only took up missions in the White Tunnels, escorting caravans and travelers. The caravan that started this whole emergency had been attacked in the same timeframe after Tul had stepped out. The likelihood of the caravan being the same one he had protected was low but not zero. Caravans were sent out at unknown frequencies to lower the chances that the Maedra might learn any kind of schedule or rhythm. If Jake was right, only two caravans had probably entered the tunnels that day.

Which meant that the news wasn’t false.

Jake felt his anger boil within him and his emotions nearly overcame him. His mana bubbled at his fingertips and his face burned with rage. He wanted to race off into the tunnels and eviscerate every flesh bag within those dark tendrils that they called home. He wanted to tear the head off the Black Knight and skewer its skull with a spear so he could use it like a flag to show off to the other Maedra. He wanted to do so many unspeakable things to those creatures…

But the first thing he did was remove the weapons from his waist and place them down in the corner of the room. He then removed his armor and neatly placed it all on top of his rucksack. Comfortable, he walked upstairs to Yae’s room and knocked twice. There was no answer at first but after a few more knocks he heard some shuffling. She opened the door, her head bowed and her face covered by her hair. Jake said nothing as he embraced her.

He held her tight, listened to her howls as she cried into his chest, and let her cling to him. She pleaded for Tul, begged the gods to return her brother. She screamed for Jake not to leave and get hurt. She asked him to get Xul so she wouldn’t lose anyone else. Words of a shattered heart poured out of the young girl as she pressed her face into his chest. Helpless and unable to do anything else but scream.

Jake cradled her until she was too tired to cry and could no longer shed tears. When she couldn’t stand, they sat down against the wall. When she couldn’t cling, Jake nestled her into his lap and continued to hold her against his own. But he could not wait forever. The Maedra were coming and though Yae didn’t want him to leave, he needed to. Tul was just one of many possible casualties that would happen if he let the Maedra continue to grow, breed, and evolve. The longer they waited, the more dire things would get.

Jake assured Yae as well as he could, gave her every promise that she asked for, and kissed her as warmly as she desired. Still, her eye remained filled with fear and desperation. She loitered close by as he rearmed himself and remained quiet as he checked over the equipment in his rucksack. She helped him pack extra rations and asked him over and over if he had everything he would need. Like a worried mother hen, she nipped at his heels. Knowing what her mental state was, he never snapped at her nor did he let himself get annoyed. Calmly and patiently, he absolved as much of her fears as he could. Though he doubted it did much. When he found himself finally standing at the door, she looked at him with tears already gathering within her eye again.

“I’m off,” he muttered.

“Please come home,” Yae begged.

“Yes ma’am.” Jake leaned down to her and gave Yae a gentle kiss on the forehead. He ran his fingers through her hair and then hugged her close and tight one final time. When the time was up, he gave Helena and Lydia a final, confident nod before leaving.

The door didn’t close behind him but he didn’t look back. Keeping his eyes forward, Jake pulled his cloak tight around his body and adjusted the weapons on his hips. He strode out of the yard and around the wall into the street. Surprisingly, Xul was waiting for him there. The Oryx had a harsh expression on his face and his hand squeezed his spear. Jake didn’t say anything to him. The men exchanged glances before Xul fell in at his side.

Before, Jake had ventured into the tunnels to avenge his friends. Now, they had attacked his family. To say it was personal was one thing but it felt far more than that. This was intimate. As if the Maedra had struck his home.

He would make sure to bleed them dry.