^^ The Bone Fen's outer layer ^^

--- Dimitri ---

I gazed at her steadily, watching and waiting as she went through several stages of anger at my question, or the memories it dredged up, then acceptance at the fact that I had no social graces whatsoever when it came to causing emotional pain.

Pain was pain. Pain made people stronger. I did them a service, by saying what needed said, and making them stronger in the process.

Finally, she sighed. "He married me to someone, without my consent. An old, outdated idea that he, as my father, owned me, and could give me to whom he chose to further his own goals. It was strongly advised against by the Council."

I hummed. "I see. And you disapproved of his choice."

She snorted. "He was an infuriating, fat, stupid, ugly prick whose only good point was his money and titles, and that's why Father chose him. When I was told of the match, I found the toad, and demanded he rescind the marriage. When he refused, I challenged him to a Duel, and killed him." She frowned.

"And therefore gained all his wealth." I sighed.

She nodded appreciatively. "Exactly. Father did this again, and again, over the course of ten years, and eventually I got the idea to challenge him to a Duel. I just barely won, but we were both so wounded that the Chief declared a draw, and had the healers fix us up." She shrugged.

"And the Chief approached you with a job offer." I chuckled.

"Exactly... he didn't tell you any of this, right?" She asked suspiciously.

"No, it just makes sense... I never met your father, but the way in which you spoke to that man the first time I entered the Gard... he seemed like a servant of your father, with some sort of superiority complex. Wasn't hard to figure from there." I shrugged.

Father hummed. "And why not challenge him again, and kill him?"

"Because we're too evenly matched. I'm a better warrior, but he's a better Mage. He cheats, but there's no rules, so no one is able to call him on it." She grumbled.

Danil Sr. chuckled. "Seems like a man I'd like on my Council! Cold-Blooded... that's a quality many do not possess, but it's necessary for Strategy: the ability to make seemingly difficult choices without allowing emotion to sway them."

She nodded. "And that is why he's one of the Elders of the Council, despite his youth."

I hummed. "Well, I hate to say I do understand his methods and reasonings, but I'd prefer if he'd gotten your permission... ah well. Now! Grandfather, Danil Jr. will live with you and Davila in the City?"

He nodded. "Yes. There are a few other children there as of now, and they'll be good tutors for him where I cannot. Davila will also teach him, of course, and I will teach him the ways of War."

Tamil hummed, tilting her head. "I'm still confused, about something..."

"Oh?" He asked.

"Why are you called 'The Fen'? I get that you wear the bones of your enemies, but, if a clan of Warrior Giants shiver at the prospect of one appearing... what exactly is a 'Bone Fen'? And why are you only 'The Fen'?" She asked.

"Tamil... 'Fen' is our word for the numerous and terrible Demons of the Abyss. Not Normal monsters, but Demons that have no names, no stories. They eat Gods, kill Giants, purge Humans... They are made from concentrations of evil energy, given sentience, and they are nearly impossible to kill. He is known as 'The Fen', because he is also impossible to kill, and the bone armor is just icing on the cake." I explained quietly.

She blinked slowly. "Oh... so even Giants have natural enemies."

I chuckled at her logic. "Correct. Now to less morbid topics, hmm? Elder Danilovich, you've heard of the tournament We gave the gods for this blade I forged, yes?" I placed the unsheathed blade in my lap.

He nodded slowly. "Indeed... I heard your forging from the Arcanum. Well done... and Elf Tamil, you forged this peace-time to gather our champions?"

She nodded. "Indeed... Artemis and Apollo agreed to choose Giant Champions, to give the Fell a chance to keep the sword."

I blinked. "I wasn't aware..."

"They came to me in my dreams... I guess they knew another face-to-face would probably break my mind." She smiled.

"Alright, so well need to train our swiftest and smartest warriors, so they have the pick of the lot." I grinned.

"Apollo had already chosen his own warrior. Wouldn't tell me who, just 'they will know'. And Artemis has also chosen, the same way. Now I see why you don't like dealing with God's." She sighed and rubbed her temples.

I chuckled and rocked baby Danil in Davila's lap, and he settled back down, falling asleep. "Indeed. They do tend to give people headaches. But that is three months away. I have time to make another run through the human realms to check the market... or I could just let my wares run through the market, see how they're taken to..." I hummed.

"They'll probably need more goods, for that. Just one more load that size should do." Tamil hummed, gazing at the baby.

Father hummed. "I can send for another batch... but you'll need to pay for the last one."

I nodded. "I've got the pay covered, tenfold. Let's just say that I came into a bit of wealth, due to an old friend."

Father opened his mouth to question me, and an earth-shaking roar cracked the bark of the tree, cracking stones on the streets as well.

I slowly looked at Tamil. "Let's never speak of demons again, hmm? Names have Power."

She nodded. "Agreed... can you handle it?"

I chuckled. "I've got Ymitros the Hellion, Danilovich the Fen, Wyler the Driven, and Dimitri the Dwarf. We can handle anything."

I leapt out of the window, and bent my knees to brace for when I landed. Father and Danil Sr. landed next to me, and cracked their necks identically.

I started jogging towards the sound, and spotted Ymitros as he flew towards me.

I cocked my head, confused, and simply caught him to my chest, skidding back a few feet. "You alright, Ymitros?"

He growled unintelligibly, and picked up his shield, the Rune-Stones blazing white. His axe blazed as well, and he darted back towards the behemoth that was coming out of the forest.

Standing as tall as Tauren the Savage, the Bone-Fen was armored in several layers of Dragon Scales and Bones, of several different ages, and his skull was protected by the skulls of several Bug-Like monsters that lives in the Western edges of the Continent.

Ymitros chopped at the armor on its knees, and it kicked him with all its might, sending him hurtling back towards me.

I caught him again, and then shook him. "Oi! Ymitros! Oi!" I slapped him harshly, and his irises reappeared. "You awake now?" I asked.

He grunted, nodding.

"Good. I need you to attack its spine. Nothing else. Go. Rip out its fucking spine!" I shoved him, and he grinned, darting behind the creature and hacking at its spine.

We used the resulting confusion to come closer.

"Good plan..." Danil Sr. grumbled, and picked up a boulder, tossing it in one hand. "I need a clear shot at its forehead."

I nodded and activated my Chaste Runes, then leapt at the monster's throat, grabbing a plate of its neck armor, and heaving on it. It ripped off with a wet, sickening pop, and I dropped it, grabbing another.

Its left hand reached for me, and I leapt onto its head, grabbing the iron rings embedded into its horns. Likely the previous owner of the skull had been tamed already.

I roared and pulled, turning him to face Danil Sr. by pure force.

The boulder landed between his eyes, cracking through three different layers of bone armor, and revealing a different type of skull. I landed on this one, and in the resulting rage, he'd forgotten about me, so I drove the horn I'd ripped off into his skull as deeply as I could.

Two layers of bones cracked, then shattered when I twisted, but it still wasn't enough, as we were only half of the way to his actual skull.

I dodged his enraged swings, and then rammed the horn into his skull once more, summoning lightning to strike it and drive it in like a nail.

The Fen fell to his knees, howling an ethereal cry that creaked and crackled within my bones, as it's entire skull shattered, and then shed off.

Ymitros backed up to where father and Danil Sr. stood, and I reached into the gaps, gripping the Fen by its scruff, and yanking it out.

A large squid-like creature with ink-black skin and no bones was now struggling in my grip. Father hummed. "Good... now we just need to toss it into the Rune-Forge to kill it."

I nodded and shoved it into a large bag that Danil Sr. had tossed me, tying it shut. We walked back to the square as the children began tearing the enemy husk apart, and taking the bones to their fathers and mothers for smithing. Dragon bones were very good fuel for forges, and scales, when melted, were very good for steel.

I tossed the bag into the rune-forge, and called down lightning to stoke it even higher. The creature shrieked pitifully, but soon popped with a sickening sound, which, because it was in the bag, luckily didn't go anywhere.

The bag burned, and we nodded, heading back towards the tree.

"I'd heard you could use magic... but this is my first time seeing it." Danil Sr. hummed.

I grinned. "Yeah, well, I've gotten a lot better ever since I met other Mages. I was totally self-taught before, and apparently wasting a lot of energy when I cast spells... ah well. Now, about those goods... I think I'll check on my contacts in the Inman Clan... see if they bred my horses like I asked."

Father nodded. "I'll see if Ymitros can watch Davila and Tamil."

Danil Sr. hummed. "And I must return to my duties in the Arcanum... if we're going to be facing Fen's now, in the battles... gods help the weaker clans." He sighed.

I smiled. "Once the Tournament is over, they will be." I nodded.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "What?"

"The losers of the tournament have promised to give their blessings to all the clans that share their Craft. I do hope Ares is one of the contestants... or all the other War-Gods." I chuckled.

He nodded. "I see... yes, that would be quite beneficial."

"Well, I'm off!" I started jogging towards the Inman's Village, about four villages north-east of ours.

---

The horse breeder sighed when he saw me. "It's only been two weeks, Dimitri."

"I know, I'm just curious to see if your stallions have taken to the new mares?" I asked, gazing at the herd.

He shrugged. "Taken to? Maybe not. But breeding? Yes, they can't move ten steps without one of them mounting them. You'll have your Foal's soon enough."

I hummed. "Good... alright. Well, just let me know, if you need anything special for them."

He nodded and went back to stirring oats in a large pail, mixing in flak seeds and and silver wheat, and other nutritious items.

I decided to visit Henrick, while I wasn't busy.

---

My forge was almost exactly the way I'd left it, except my desk was much neater. My little Homunculi, Lumen, had been straightening it obsessively.

I smiled and patted his head, then sat down. "How goes it, Lumen?"

He held up a hand, then shook it side to side slowly.

"So-so? Sorry, little guy." I patted his head again, and leaned back. "Feels weird, being in this forge... I guess I need something to do, huh?"

He nodded and pulled a sheet of wood up onto the desk, showing me the blueprints on it.

I gazed at it, and raised an eyebrow. "You want me to make another sword?"

He shrugged and sat down.

"Hmm... well, I don't have any more Star Stones... so that's not possible, without a trip back to the Human realm... which I'll be making soon." I grinned.

He clapped his metal hands softly, then leaned back again, shutting down his lamp, to simulate sleep, and conserve energy.

I pulled out my sword, and hummed at the black and red blade. "To think that I made something even the gods covet... a twin for you would be... overkill, right? The universe has a very precarious balance. Too much power on any one side tips the scales... so maybe I have to give your twin to the natural enemy of whoever receives it, to keep the balance?"

It hummed gently, curious, then again in agreement.

"Then I suppose I'll have to use darker ingredients... you were made of gemstones and silver... your twin will be made of Bones and demon's blood." I smiled and stood, walking out to the Rune-Forge.

The bag with the Fen's blood and flesh was still there, so I went and found the broken bones and horns that had been attached to the bone-fen's armor. I dragged them to the forge, and nodded simply. "And a Star-Stone will complete you..."

My carriage stood, stocked and ready, so I left a note for Father, and took off for the Portal at top speed, nearly ten times as fast as I flew with Davila and Tamil in the carriage. Not a particularly pleasant flight, but swift. Only about 4 hours later, I was at the portal.

I gave a small iron chest filled with gold and diamonds to the Dragons, (the best kind of stash,) as well as a large pile of plain deer carcasses. They hungrily tore into them, and I pet them, marking the entire cave with my scent.

Just before, I had captured several deer and small rabbits, and released them on the island, so as to give them something to hunt. I didn't want them to starve, after all.

I headed through the Portal after that was done, and entered the Troll Market without really slowing down.

Oze wasn't there, but several traders were, and still active. I saw a stall, manned by a small elf, with some of the wares I'd left Oze to sell.

"Hullo, Mr. Dimitri! How are you?" He asked, grinning happily.

I smiled. "Doing well, thanks! I've got another load of wares here for Oze to sell, actually."

He nodded. "Alright, I'll store them and get right to work selling them at your agreed-upon prices! Have a great season, Mr. Dimitri!"

I smiled and brought the wares down, a bit at a time, and leaned against the counter. "Now, my last bit of business... I need to find a rare gem... would you be able to point me to it?" I asked him.

"What type?"

"Star-Stone." I answered simply.

He hummed seriously. "You said Rare... those are really hard to get, seeing as Elves don't sell them to anyone who isn't an Elf..."

"I'm half-elf, and the Giants have a good use for them. We don't just hoard them." I shrugged.

He nodded. "I could get you one or two, but they'd be pricy."

I set a small bag of five diamonds on the counter. "How's that?"

He gazed at the diamonds critically, and hummed. "I'm not a Gem-Cutter, but I'd say that would work, just on my opinion. I'll go haggle some stones up for you." He darted over to a dwarf, then sold the diamonds for gold, then took the large bags of gold to an elf, and conversed softly with her.

She argued, but then sighed after something he'd said, and handed him three small, glowing stones.

He came back, and handed them to me carefully. "And there you have it, sir!"

I chuckled and handed him a few Giant Gold Coins, then stuck the stones in my pocket, headed for the surface.

---

As I reached the Forge again, twilight had just started, leaving the lightning I pulled from the air silhouetted against the abyssal, cloudless sky.

The single crushed Star-Stone I spread over the coals heated the fire to a temperature just like the first time, but instead of gems, I poured in bones and blood, melting them just the same way.

They were the same as the gems, in the way that they changed consistency reliably, so I was able to calculate the amount of everything I needed.

The skin on my hands blistered and cracked, adding my blood to the mix, which made me grumble. I wasn't wearing the fire-resistant armor that Henrick had made me this time.

Either way, the mix was ready for hammering soon enough, and I added the demon-blood I had left to my barrel of Obsidian, as a slicker Quench. The magic of quenching the the blood of an enemy would also make it stronger.

I lit my hammer, then began to pound on the metal, roughly shaping and folding it for as long as I could. Eventually, the metal was too densely packed to allow for another fold, so I began shaping it more accurately.

After a last, deafening lightning strike on my anvil, I plunged the sword into the quench, bare-handed, which wasn't my best idea.

I let the sword sit to cool, and crafted a handle out of a dragon's tooth that had been left over. I carved it into the same shape as its twin, and noticed, belatedly, that the metal had turned white, with blue stripes.

I cracked off the quenching crystals, and then set aside the steaming blade to continue cooling.

Hesitantly, I placed a tear-drop shaped stone (that I'd found in the Great Forest) in the fire, and called out as much magical energy as I could, pulling from everything around me, then pushing it into the stone as I carved an old Yenlui.

It stood for Balance and Harmony, unless you drew it backwards, in which it became Chaos, the equal and opposite of Odin's Fate Rune.

The metal, (which was actually part of a meteorite, and had the same properties as silver, despite its white color,) soaked up all the magic like a bottomless pit, and even the forge went almost cold before it was sated.

I slipped it into the hilt of the sword, and gripped it with a single hand, hefting it. "You... will be known as 'Venator'... on amount that the main components of your body are dragon-based, the greatest hunters." I whispered, and carved its name carefully into the spine of the blade.

The blade growled softly, and I finished up, then gave it a sharpening. "And there, all finished." I slipped it into its sheath, and set that sheath next to its Twin.

They hummed back and forth for a few minutes, and I shrugged, walking past the shadows of the gods that were being nosy, as always.

I patted a boulder, and then swung the new blade at it, activating the Chaos Rune-Stone. The boulder turned to pure salt, and the blade sliced through, continuing on its journey towards my legs.

I growled and muscled it to a stop, then sheathed it. "That was rude. Please do try to be nicer, Vinnie." I chastised the sword, and made my way home while it grumbled at me.