.^^ Dragon-Hunter Boots ^^

— Rune —

The Gates of The Trial interested me more than much else. As I was one of the few privy to the information that Giant Country was in fact not a separate Realm from ours, but rather the second moon, Deus, which orbited Lunas, the first and biggest moon, I was interested in the architecture of the Gates, which opened into the Realm of Spirits as well as back into the Realm of the Living, but in Giant Country.

If I could figure it out, the energy problem of my Mirrors would be solved, and I could show that knowledge to the Dwarf Spirits who had given me the Mirror, in return for them giving the spirit of my arm back. Not reversing the sacrifice, but just receiving my arm as payment. Merging it with the metal arm would make the feeling of being incomplete go away, hopefully, though I didn't really care about getting the arm itself back. I liked my metal arm.

Devon stepped up next to the boy, Jalen, and slapped his back gently. "Alright, open your eyes, and spread the sand over the cliff!"

He opened his eyes, and gasped, watching the sunrise for a moment, as I saw his irises turn from green to black and gold, just like Devon's and Duncan's, though Roland's were pure gold. Perhaps a mark of status? My eyes, devoid of my glasses, saw Elemental Magic at work, just like the Gates before.

These Trials may have had a weirdly religious connotation, but it was not misplaced, it seemed. There was real magic to them, and I could see it work through his body, and smiled as I realized the secret to the Forenzian Giants, as well as their massive warhorses, who also had a bit of the golden magic inside them.

Then he shook himself, and poured the sand through his fingers carefully, where it left a dusting of magic on his hands, which seemed permanent. It was caught by a magical wind, and spread evenly, the golden light it was permeated with bleeding into the island, and replenishing what had been pushed into his body.

"Welcome to the Order of the Golden Isle, Squire Jalen of House Roland." Devon smiled, and ruffled his hair.

He grinned slowly, and then laughed, pulling out the dragon-bone sword from his belt. "Wow! So this is what it looks like... can I keep it, father?" He looked at Roland pleadingly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking me? It's yours, you brought it back as a Trophy from the Spirit Realm, all the way through the Giant Realm, as well! Treat it with respect, as you would any blade, and it will serve you well... perhaps Lord Rune will enchant it for you, if you apologize for calling him 'Mage', constantly, and disrespectfully." He said severely.

The boy blushed, and bowed his head to me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."

"You did well, I think. I've never been a part of something like this, and it was... interesting. The Elemental Magic in Your blood is intriguing to me, so I will allow it to flourish on its own... with a tiny little kick." I grinned.

While he was still confused, I gripped the sword, enchanting it and carving it with Runes of Focus and Strength, inside the Runes for Elemental Energy, so that his own natural abilities would amplify and focus through the sword more keenly, and also I sharpened it and made it more durable, drinking the energy of anything that hit it, so it would never break, and would heal him and refill his energy when he attacked someone or blocked an attack.

"What Elemental Magic? We don't have magic." Jalen asked.

Roland shook his head. "Yes, we do. It's what makes our bodies so durable and swift, and why we are very rarely mages. As you get older, your connection will grow stronger, and you will feel it more keenly."

"Interesting..." I hummed, and handed the sword back, sitting on the edge of the cliff as the boy and his father headed inside, after stabling the horses. "What a night, huh, Devon? Been a while since I saw something new. Thank you for inviting me. I was honored to assist in one of your Trial's." I smiled at her.

She sat next to me, and chuckled. "Thanks for showing up, actually... the people who escort you during your trial are symbolic, as well as actually important. Jalen has always been fascinated by magic, as well as the Knights, and also he's known since he was five that I was to be his Mentor, one day. So, a Mage, a Knight, and me. It was going to be you and Duncan, but he's off somewhere else, unfortunately."

"He caught the eye of the Princess of the Western Empire, actually. Seems she demanded a meeting. I told him that Refusing would be... inadvisable." I explained.

Before she could respond, a flyer appeared on the horizon, one of Western make. "Ah, and Wise Men do say never to speak of demons, lest they Appear..." I hummed.

"That's the Princess?" She asked.

"Most likely, or maybe just her personal transport, taking him home." I hummed, and covered my eyes, firing a blue flare up, to tell them to land near me. The flyer slowed, circling us carefully, then setting down in the clearing at the top of the cliff, a few yards away.

I stood and made myself nice with a handful of cleansing water, doing the same to Devon after a look for permission. The doors opened, and I grinned at Duncan, awkwardly escorting the princess, a full foot shorter than him, and him having to lean a bit so she could hold his elbow comfortably.

When Roland and Jalen exited the house cautiously, I splashed them both with the cleansing water, and stepped forward, pulling Roland casually. "Lord Rune Faequell humbly greets the Princess." I said cordially, bowing, and nudged Roland.

He bowed his head. "And Knight-Captain Roland, Patriarch of House Roland, welcomes the princess to the Golden Isle, Forenzia. I see you're breaking in my son! Good, he needs all the training he can get!" He grinned, losing the formal air almost immediately.

She smiled, and giggled. "He is a treat to have around, yes... I was just asking him about joining the Royal Guard, but he says he has prior commitments, and is not allowed to join anything, until he is of age?"

"Yes, until he passes the final Trial, he is a Squire of the Order of the Golden Isle, and is under oath to continue his training. When he reaches 18, and finishes his final trial, he may do as he pleases. Until then, he is under my direct command, as his Mentor and Father." Roland nodded seriously.

She hummed. "Interesting... Understood. It's just two more years, I suppose, what's the harm? Either way, your company was pleasant, and I would wish it again, next week... perhaps sundown on the sixth day? Don't be late." She released his arm, and patted his cheek, before striding back into the flyer, and taking a seat on a large silken pillow, the interior of the craft as luxurious as its gilded exterior.

He stood there stupidly, until the cargo hold closed, and the flyer took off, the downdraft making him step back.

Roland grinned. "Caught the eye of a princess, eh? That's a fine catch. Now come on, congratulate your brother, he's just finished his Trial of Sight!"

Duncan grinned, shaking his head to clear it, and grabbed Jalen, tossing him onto his shoulders. "Yeah? Where's your trophy, come on, show me, don't be a stiff!"

Jalen brandished the sword, wiggling it in front of his brother's face. "Ha! Mine is a magic sword made of Dragon Bone! Way better than your stupid Shell!" He gloated.

"Oi! You take that back, you little blight!" Duncan growled, and the two began tussling on the grass, the swords tossed away to make sure no one got stabbed.

I laughed, and shook my head. "Is this what having brothers is like?"

Devon nodded, sighing. "Nine times out of Ten? Yes."

"It's fun... anyway, I'm sorry to run, but-... hey, tomorrow? Meet me at Dawn, in the Sanctuary, if you want to go? I've got an idea, and I'd like your help, but it's gonna be interesting, and I think you'll enjoy it." I grinned.

She nodded. "And Jalen? He's my Squire, now, so he goes where I go."

I hummed. "Even on Dates?"

She blinked, and then looked at Roland. "Shit, do I have to take him on dates with me?"

Roland snorted. "Unfortunately... until the Trial of Growth, he goes where you go. Not in the same room, of course, but you did sign up to be his Mentor."

She nodded. "I did, yes. Alright, then yes, he will be with me."

"Easy enough, I suppose... oh, and you never got to meet her, before, your eyes were closed! Jalen, Duncan, Fifi; Fifi, Duncan and Jalen." I smirked, as the panther made herself visible, and pounced on the two wrestling boys, purring loudly as she rubbed her head against them. They yelped in sync, and then laughed at each other's reactions, before petting the cat who demanded they do so stubbornly.

Devon smiled. "Cute. Now explain the giant metal panther?"

"I wanted to see if I could make an Automaton. So I did. Simple, really. Took me about three days of hard work, but here I am, and here she is." I shrugged.

She paused. "Wait, back up, Duncan... you were with the princess all night?" She grinned lewdly, and he blushed.

"Wha-hey, no, that's not- I'm too young, she said, so- I mean-" he began stuttering and mixing sentences, and she pounced on his moment of weakness.

"So you wanted to?" She smirked.

His blush spread to his ears, and he covered his face. "Shut up!"

"Ooh!!! I wonder how that would work, are you her boy-toy now? Her little Extra-Virgin Knight-Cake on the Side?" She pressed her advantage, and poked his cheeks as he growled at her.

Roland began laughing explosively, and patted Duncan's head. "Don't worry, you're technically nobility, and of a Highborn Family, so I'm sure she won't reduce you to that low. Consort, maybe. There's other Heirs, older than her, so she's not the Crown Princess. Either way, Devon, leave him be, we've got work to get to, Contracts to fill. Duncan, report back to Dashiva immediately."

He stood up, and nodded. "Yes, Father."

I opened a mirror casually. "Would you all like a ride? I've got some things to handle in Ulfavir as well."

Devon nodded. "Just a few minutes, while Jalen gathers his things?" She gave him a look, and he scurried off, returning with his saddlebags full, leading the horse behind him. "Good, You're sure you've got everything?" She asked severely, and glanced at Roland, turning away.

He dropped the saddlebag, and ran over, hugging Roland tightly, before darting back over to her, and picking up his bags. "Ready." He nodded.

Duncan nodded. "Sure, I'll take a ride. Much easier than finding a Flyer, on this island."

I chuckled. "Maybe Not for very long..."

Roland lowered his eyebrows suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm thinking of building my own, specifically for Ulfavir, and transport to the Sanctuary. Or maybe permanent Mirrors. I'll have to think about it." I shrugged, and walked through, into Raava's Office.

Dashiva looked up from her place sitting in her husband's lap, while Raava sat at a different desk, all three of them doing paperwork. "Oh? Is that little Jalen? What's he doing here?" She stood, and made her way over, ruffling his hair, then pausing when she saw his eyes.

"I'm a Squire, now, aunty Dashiva!" He grinned proudly.

She smiled and kissed his forehead. "Yes, I'm very proud of you! Good for you, Squire! Talja, look, Jalen is a Squire, now!"

The Elf man smiled warmly. "Very well done, little Squire."

"Now what was it you needed to do?" Devon asked me.

"Ah, I was making something for the Rendezvous I was planning for us..." I led her into a mirror, into my workshop, and set a pair of boots on my workbench. "I'll make another pair for the little guy..." I murmured, and handed them to her, starting another pair after measuring his feet.

She set her feet into them, keeping on the thin boots that she'd changed into when we got back, and gasped when the material melded into her boots, just like the coat, but these changed the look slightly, turning bone white, and with blades on the toes and heel, as well as the thick, powerful talons and cleats around the edges, designed to grip any surface, and hold on.

"The hydraulic interior will absorb most any impact from most any height, and the gravity motors in the calves will give a bit of a boost to jumping and maybe a swift hover, but nothing crazy, unfortunately. It's also acid proof, and will use gravity to let you walk on any surface, even upside down, as normally as you would anywhere else, so long as one boot is always in contact with a surface. The cleats will grip autonomously, so you don't have to worry about anything. And the gravity, carefully spread out, can perhaps be used to simply glide downwards for a nearly unlimited amount of time... turning the air into honey, in terms of the speed in which you fall through it. Useful, if you're crossing a chasm or some such. You'll still have to walk up the distance you went down, but it's better than nothing..." I explained the effects, while I worked.

She hummed, and then laughed when the flaps opened, looking like little wings on her calves, and she hovered a few feet off the ground for a moment, before hitting the ground silently.

"Oh, and they're noise canceling. I added that because you're loud when you walk." I waved a hand casually, and pulled the leather off the molded feet, beginning to write the Runes in with metal engraving and stitches, using gilded thread.

She laughed, not bothering to disagree. "It's never bothered me before."

"Wait, So you make magical items, but you're just giving them to her? What's the catch?" Jalen asked suspiciously.

"I didn't ask for anything from you, either, did I? Perhaps I already took my toll?" I smirked evilly at his pale face.

"Oh shush, it's the same as always, 'A Loan, and a Favor if you keep it, darling', Yeah?" She said in a horrible attempt at my voice.

"No, this time it's a gift. Also, your impersonation of me is horrendous, and just for that, His are a loan." I smirked at his curious, yet suspicious, look, and handed him the finished boots. "Don't worry, they aren't cursed. If they were, you'd already be dead. Never touch magical items that you're not sure of." I lectured casually.

He yelped and dropped them, backing up.

I sighed, shaking my head, and Devon laughed, handing them to him again. "He's right. Unknown Magic is more dangerous than a thousand swords. Always be on your guard around unknown magic. But you can trust Rune. He's a bit weird, but he's nice."

"Gee, Thanks. You're not half bad yourself." I commented dryly.

She laughed and kissed my cheek, then punched my arm. "All in good fun, Rune. So what's this mission?"

"Just an Ice Behemoth, actually, nothing big, I was just using it as an excuse to take you somewhere beautiful again, like with BriarFang." I shrugged, deciding to be entirely honest.

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yes. I figured two birds with one stone, I get a date with you and a contract fulfilled, all in one day, plus I don't have to look like I'm fishing for reasons to take you places. I can probably finish the Behemoth off by myself, but the Glaciers are supposedly some of the most beautiful terrain on the planet, and I've never seen them, so it all fit together." I nodded.

She chuckled. "Alright... I like the honesty, and I think Jalen should see a Pro at work, so we'll go with you, have a little picnic, and he can watch as you and I take down the beast, with no magic."

I raised an eyebrow. "I was just going to boil it alive. It's a snow creature. Why would you use a knife against it?"

She showed me her belt with the pistol I'd given her, and the sword she'd attached to the other side, along with the collection of thin knives on her cross-sheath. "Firstly, because I'm a Knight, and blades are usually our go-to to kill things. Secondly, to prove I can. And thirdly, because magic doesn't solve everything."

"Name one thing magic can't solve." I challenged facetiously.

"Heartache." She smirked, ready for that question.

"Easy, remove the memories, no more heartache." I fired back.

"Cancer!" She frowned.

"Remove the tumor, flush the system, poison the body and permanently lower the healing property magically, so that the cancerous cells don't develop in the future; and though there's an increased risk of infection, from the lower white-blood-cell count, you're cancer-free." I nodded.

She blinked. "Wait... really?"

"Yeah, that's a thing. The gnomes do it when one of their own gets cancer." I explained.

She hummed. "Wow... Okay. But still, I can solve many, many problems with my weapons. Maybe not all of them, but a lot, and that's the point."

I nodded. "Alright, Point received, I'll work on how to kill a Behemoth with only weapons. Anyway, you, Squire, are you any good with a bow, or just the sword?" I asked.

He blinked slowly. "I can shoot a bow as good as Duncan... why?"

I nodded and placed a bronze compound bow in his hands, which was almost as tall as him. "Consider that another Loan. It shoots fire arrows. Now put those on, get used to them, and then we should all get some rest, and be ready to leave by sundown."

He sighed and nodded, pulling the leather boots on, then yelped as they stretched, covering his body and creating the armor I'd made several times before, as well as the addition of the boots, and a Shield, which I'd snuck into the bow.

"There! Properly armored and equipped, no one can ever say I put a youth in danger!" I grinned at Devon.

She laughed and kissed my cheek again. "Yes, thank you, but I'll handle his Favors. I'm his Mentor, I've assumed all his Debts."

I hummed. "That's not how it works, but I suppose I can make an exception... it's a favor to you more than him anyway... now, go sleep, I've got some work to do before we leave. A commission from the Council, one that I found interesting."

She hummed, interested. "What is it?"

"You'll see. It's not a weapon, finally, which is a plus. I grow weary sometimes, only making things for war. An item for peace is a new, and happy Change to my Routine." I smiled, and then shooed them both up to the Tower, and the piles of pillows.