The ringing of steel as my hammer smashed down echoed out through my ears. Over and over, I worked the metal, my blows striking with the force of someone a lot larger than I was.
I stopped checking the pauldron. Curving the piece of metal around the horn of the anvil to get the right shape had taken a while, and I held it up, looking it over.
“Looks good.”“Thank you Master Illianar.”“Hmph. Once you finish it go ahead and put it up, it’s late. We’re done for the night.”“Understood.” I walked it over, to the workbench, an oil dip and I would let it rest for the night.
Master Illianar had already walked out when I finished and I closed up the smithy once I was through, heading out into the evening air.
Looking up, I could just see the shadow of the Ban’Dinoriel as the sunlight struck it. Showing the truth. That we were still trapped within.
I shook it off, and headed home, the crowds in the city as always were just as pressing, people wandered constantly, whether working, or for any of the thousands of reasons they might be on the street. The streets that were now clogged with elves.
Walking home, I once more stared up into the sky. While the shield kept us safe, it also trapped us, and it almost felt… Ethereal? Like it wasn’t just us that it trapped, but time itself. Every day felt exactly the same.
Despite days, and weeks, and months passing, it felt like no time had passed at all.
Everyone still acted as if the shield had just come down, that this was only a temporary thing.
And while I knew it was, it was also a bit… Despite being an Elf, I still felt like a human sometimes. I still had that restless urgency. To see the Elves simply carry on as if it was no big deal bothered me.
Especially since our attempts to break out hadn't been going well.
I’d actually started giving Mana Gems, collecting them and handing them over to Grunkle when he came to prepare for another raid, just another way I could try to help, so I could feel like I was doing something besides just… Waiting.
I kept myself busy, and I always felt like I was adding more and more onto my plate, and yet at the same time, nothing seemed to change.
“Arkhana’Cola! Get your Cola!” I flinched at the sudden yell, and looked over.
Sha’Narin, was out in his uniform, a box strapped to his shoulder and selling Soda.
It still felt super weird that we were selling soda of all things. It seemed so simple, and yet it wasn’t exactly something you could just get anywhere else.
Tea, Alcohol, or juices, and all three of those were becoming rarer thanks to the shield.
But Soda? Conjured Sparkling Water, and Conjured Sweetener. A treat that was becoming more and more popular.
I watched as at his call, the crowd shifted, and more than a few coins were handed over, as he stood tall on a stone wall alongside the road and sold. I watched for a bit, as he sold the conjured drinks, and soon he was out and the crowd deflated away from him, as he packed up the coin and started back.
“Sha’Narin!” I called out catching up to him, and he startled for a moment.
“Miss Dorah. Hello! I didn’t see you.”“You were busy. Looks like it’s selling well?”“Amazingly well!” He assured me, smiling brightly. “I’ll have to pick up more and head out again.”“Maybe, it is getting late.”“Hah, yes,but now is when a lot of the workers are heading home. It’s the perfect time to sell.” I nodded, he definitely had the right of it.
I sighed, as I realized I was going to have to conjure even more Sparkling Water, and Sweetener when I got back. A chunk of my mornings were now conjuring the ingredients. My schedule continues to tighten like a noose around me.
For all that I was an elf, it felt like I had no time at all.
“Miss Dorah? You okay?”“Just grumpy. I’m okay. Come on, I'll walk you back.”“Yes Miss. I’ve been practicing the Mana Gem Spell, I finally managed to get them to shift to Citrine.”“That’s amazing!” I congratulated him as he puffed up proudly.
“Hey there, Soda seller.” A voice called out, and we both stopped as along the road, an older Elf stood leaning against a railing leading into some sort of cafe? But he carried a pipe on him that he was pointing at us.
“Umm, Yes?” Sha’Narin asked, hesitating which was a bit weird?“I’ve been seeing you sell that stuff, even tried it. I’ve heard good things, and I’m looking to have some here. Go to your Master, and tell them the Yan Smoke House is interested.”“I will tell my Master.” Sha’Narin said, pointedly stepping back and keeping a distance from the man. He just grinned, waving the end of his pipe around and then slipping it back between his teeth as he watched.
Sha’Narin continued moving on quickly as I followed.
“Something wrong?” I asked this time, and Sha’Narin nodded.
“Yes Miss. Very much so. That’s a Smoke House… A Blood Thistle Den. Never ever, go inside that place, or accept anything they offer you. I’ll have to tell Tira’Nore, and hope they leave us alone.”“Blood Thistle den?”“It’s a drug, Miss Dorah. It’ll turn you into a Thistlehead, obsessed with it, and addicted to it. Unable to stop needing more.”“Oh.” It was like an Opium Den… Right on the street!?” I turned back to see the cafe-like building with the hazy curtains that protected those inside from anyone seeing…
Ew.
“Yes Miss, definitely avoid such a thing, you are special, and they will try to use you. I’d hoped with the Ban’Dinoriel, that the dens would close down. They must have stored an absurd amount of the drug.”I suppose so.
—--
“Think you can do it?” Papa asked, an obvious challenge and I sent him my smuggest look.
Me? Not able to complete a challenge!? Never!
I took up the amulet, this was a bit of a tricky enchantment, but I wasn't going to give up!
I’d been watching Papa enchant the amulets all afternoon, and so I’d been learning the enchantment as he worked.
Controlling the dust to flow over the amulet correctly, I closed my eyes and started. Flowing my Mana through the dust, around the energized Greater Magical Essence in the center, until I created the correct path, like an electrical circuit, until finally the Mana flowed.
Tink! It echoed out, as my attempt finished and the enchantment locked in, a second noise popping up in my head, as I leveled Enchantment as well.
[Master Enchanting has been learned!]
I breathed out, as I realized I’d made another milestone. The surge of ability… The new information flowed into me, and I stilled.
I’d dived deep into enchanting at this point, my understanding had grown, that same knowledge, of how to guide mana through the dust and Essence to create the Enchantment…
I could follow it back. All Enchantments would have a trail, and once you know the trail… You know the Enchantment.
[Enchanting Lv. 50 1/500] [Master]
-[Apprentice Enchanting: Reduce cost of Enchanting]
-[Journeyman Enchanting: Minor improvement in enchantment power]
-[Expert Enchanting: Use more reagents for an improved effect]
-[Refined Enchanting: Improve power of Enchantments placed in weaker areas]
-[Master Enchanting: Examine Enchantments to learn them]
My Master Ability… I could examine any Enchantment and remake it.
“Dorah?”“Papa… If I take an Enchantment, and just follow along the Mana trail… Can you let me see that?” I asked, pointing at one of the other pieces of work he’d been doing this morning, a very advanced enchantment on a dagger, a very fancy dagger in fact.
Papa did so without question, bringing it down from where he put it on the workbench and placing it in front of me.
I took a moment examining it, watched the way the Mana flowed, the lines, the patterns, I knew most of them already. Like math formula. Sure Math got very complicated, but it had rules, and the more of the rules you understood the easier the entire process became.
This Enchantment was complex. Brilliant Shards, which were like crystalized Mana. Golden Pearls, to let the power flow gentler, disrupting points where the enchantment became too rough… And lots of different Essence.
I followed the path, writing it all down with my free hand on a piece of paper… And then I stepped back.
“That’s the Enchantment.” I said looking at the design I’d created, the lines and flows, and notes on what went where.
“That’s right.” Papa said, as he looked it over. His eyes roamed over my design before he looked up and our eyes met. “You figured it out. You understand.”“Yeees?” I said hesitantly, cause the way Papa was speaking sounded serious.He just smiled at me and reached out cupping my cheek. “You can see the flow of the Mana, the outline, the shape of the enchantment. You understand.”“Yeah.” I agreed this time, and he just smiled as he rose up and took my hand pulling me along with him as we went upstairs. I just followed along, more amused than anything as he pulled me happily along until we reached Mama and his room. He entered and Mama was there, bloated like a balloon ready to pop and relaxing on a comfy chair as she sewed of all things.
I never really expected Mama to be the type, but she actually was capable of sewing clothes together, which was obvious as she was making clothes for my little sibling.
“Hmm?” She looked up seeing Papa tug me over, and then to my amusement, I was pushed forward until Papa wrapped his arms around me… Was he showing me off?
“She’s a Master Enchanter.” Papa said simply which was… I mean, yeah my system told me that too, so for Papa to figure it out that quick was… Well not surprising considering his enchanting brain.
Mama just blinked, looking from him to me, and I was just smiling happily, cause Papa was being affectionate.
“Really?”“Yes. She’s earned the right to call herself a master.” Papa said, and Mama slowly shifted into a pout.
“That’s not fair.”“It’s the truth.”“Not fair still.” Mama said then she wrapped her arms around her stomach. “This one will be a Ranger!” Mama said, like she was desperate for some sort of win, and Papa just hugged me tighter.
“I told you.” Papa said, and Mama just grumbled.
“What? You’re acting like me learning enchanting is new?”“It’s not that… Your father and I made a silly bet before you were born. I said you’d be a Master Ranger, and your Papa said you’d be a Master Enchanter like him…” Mama pouted, deeply.
And then I grinned.
“So what did Papa win?”Neither answered, but Papa chuckled as Mama pouted all the more.
Oh well, either way, I just giggled cause Mama was cute when she was pouting.
“My little sibling is growing again.” I mumbled, noticing just how big her tummy is.
“They should be ready to see the world soon… Hopefully.” Mama said the last bit a little annoyed, as if blaming them for not coming soon enough.
Laughing, I did a quick heal over Mama just to make sure everything was okay.
Soon.
—--
I blocked and stabbed, and once more pushed Grunkle back. He was still taller than me, but not by nearly as much. He still had absurd skill at times, but…
He wasn’t really stronger than me anymore. My blows pushed him back, my armor gave me the weight and strength to match his own. His elite armor might be enchanted to hell and back, but he only tended to wear a few pieces while training.
I think he was lazy and didn’t want to have to repair, or clean the equipment after, so it was usually in lighter training gear.
And so Grunkle and I were much more evenly matched.
With the distance, I focused.
“Seal of Righteousness!” I declared, as I powered the seal, and my sword and shield glowed, ready to strike with extra power.
He looked me over from over the lip of his shield, and then sighed.
And I watched as he cast a spell over himself.
I felt like buzzing.
He’d made a mistake!
“Dispel!” I declared loudly, even if we were alone in the field, even if no one could see.
I stole the spell from him. And he rolled his eyes as I had it!
This wasn’t his trick slow spell, I held the spell for a moment and examined it first.
Even as he rushed in to try and stop me.
I held the spell. Able to fight him off, as I looked it over.
It was weird!
Super weird. I’d been right all that time ago, it did have a weird almost wild taste to it. The original magical flow wasn’t elvish. It wasn’t Arcane at all. It was like… He’d taken a spell he’d seen and added enough Arcane structure around the spell, that he could re-cast it himself. It was rough, and kinda…
“Hey Grunkle?”“What?” He demanded, lashing out, trying to use the distraction to strike me, but my shield was there, his blade skittering away as he spun the blade to keep the shield from damaging his edge, and then striking again.
“This spell… Is there a reason you never showed Grandma El’Tela? She could probably help you make it cheaper and more effective. It’s a bit clunky.” I told him, he narrowed his eyes, and cast the spell again on himself, suddenly his speed surging. I finally accepted the spell, letting it flow over myself, and as I did.
My examination of the spell had already been completed. It wasn’t honestly that complex now that I could look it over.
But it wasn’t an Elvish spell at all.
[Spell Learned: Arcane Bloodlust]
“You learned it from the Trolls.” I said confidently as I matched his speed, the feeling of my heart pumping, my muscles flexing. I felt like I’d just dumped a massive amount of Adrenaline into my body, as I lashed out and started fighting Grunkle all out.
And then I blinked, staring at the sky.
“I allowed you to learn my spell, so I could once again remind you. Accepting random spells without knowing their ins and outs, will often lead to a foolish overconfidence.” He spoke, his face blocking the sky above me as his blade was down and at my throat.
My heart was still pounding and I realized what had happened.
I’d stopped fighting smart, and started fighting almost wildly, the adrenaline surge… I hadn’t been ready for it.
“You tripped me.” I told him, and he looked at me like I was stupid
“You left your feet open bouncing around and trying to flail at me. A foolish mistake.”“That spell… It’s a bit strong.” I told him, and he looked at me smugly. Then he reached out, and I took his hand and he pulled me up. “I still feel weird.”“Bloodlust is a natural ability most Trolls can do. They pump Mana through their blood, heightening their physical abilities, making them surge with fighting power. It even powers their casters. But, it is the spell of a wild warrior, and if you wish to learn it from me, you’ll first need to control yourself.”“I already learned it.” I told him, and then reached over. “Boop.” I cast it, as I poked his chest, not on me, but on him. And he jolted.
Then he dispelled it with a wave and suddenly his hand came down.
“Ow!” He bonked me on the head!
“You are truly, utterly impossible.”“That’s rude.”“You learned it after stealing it once.”
“I mean… It’s not that complicated. And you really do need to refine it a bit more. Want some help?”His eye was twitching as he glared at me, and then he took a breath and let it out. “It could be an interesting experience to go over the spell. It’s been a century since I first developed it.”“Sounds fun!” I chirped, because it did sound fun. And Grunkle even looked pleased with the idea.
Besides I wonder what it’ll end up looking like if I master it. One of the few things I hadn’t learned yet was speeding up. Well and slowing down…
I should learn Slow.
“Grunkle. Can you teach me your slow spell as well?”He sent me a look once again like I offended him and then bonked me!
“Ow!”
—---
I groaned. I’d just finished a warm bath and was ready to collapse into bed. It had been a long day. I’d gotten busier and busier, and today I’d gone to visit Chocobo Too, to see how she was doing, and she was basically getting large enough to start training… Which was an ordeal. She wasn’t large enough to really ride yet, but getting her used to bridles, and saddle, and more importantly, getting her used to being around me without trying to eat me.
She’d tried a few times, and thankfully she hadn’t really gotten a good chunk out of me yet.
Not that she wasn’t trying.
Either way, between that, and all the casting for the shop, helping enchant, creating the soda, my own physical and magical training, El’Tela’s training which had jumped up recently.
She’d finally gotten another glyph set up to her satisfaction, so I was once more training in her room under intense mana trying to work on Arcane Mind. That and Mental Strength had interested her, so I was working on that too.
Yet, every day might be full and busy, it was also fun. I loved improving, and most of the time I was doing it with family, or people I liked.
Master Illinar was a grump, but he was cool too.
Even if the Trolls were still out there. Still causing trouble.
I lay back on the bed, pillow fluffed up and cradling my head, my ears shifting to rest more comfortably.
And I sighed letting the tension of the day dissipate. A nice sleep, and tomorrow morning, when the sun rose, would be a new day.
“Thank you for a peaceful night’s rest Elune.” I whispered, a minor prayer, just one of those little additions to my day that I felt helped my connection to the Goddess.
And then I heard it. A banging noise.
I sat up in bed pouting at my peace disturbed, getting up I padded to the door and opened it only to flinch at the noise.
“Wha?” I headed out, as there was a lot of yelling going on, and as I looked around Papa came running out of his room.
“Dorah! I… We might need you. Come here.” He called, and my feet moved as I padded over. Then I heard Mama groan in pain and my back stiffened as I hurried right past him.
“Mama!?”“Do-Dorah? Eugh.” She grunted, and I realized what was going on. I’d had a sudden fear of something terrible, but this was more horrifying than that.
“Your water broke.”“It- It did. Yes.” Mama grunted, looking unhappy as she was half sitting on her bed. “Sha’Narin is already going to grab a Healer. So don’t look so frightened.” Mama said, but oh boy was I very frightened.
Thankfully I wasn’t forced to somehow figure this out. El’Tela came down, and took control, and not long after Meniel of all people showed up happily taking over even more and helping.
Only one problem.
“So that’s how you handle that, now come here, and I’ll show you how to check dilation.” She offered, but I just stared at her horrified at what she had just said.
“That might be a bit -Eugh…. A bit much for her.”“Ah well, nothing better than a little hands on experience for this. This is something every healer should know. Come on Alah’Dorah, you are a healer, get over the feelings you have and come help.” Meniel offered with a confident smile as I swallowed and shook myself.
She was right… BUT I DON’T WANNA!