Chapter 30, For A Prince 2

(Reskeme)

Reskeme gaped down at the numbers on the page and back to the drawing of the set of gauntlets. He initially thought it was just one glove but came to the realization it was two.

" That is just crazy! There is no way we can channel the mana for that many runes." said Reskeme knowing he couldn't do five runes much les six.

" This is a journeyman lvl project. No wonder this blueprint is in here. The cost of making it and the power requirement will make sure that no one makes it." said Micheal rubbing his chin.

" Soo they put this in the book, to make sure people will waste their time?" asked Reskeme.

"I assume that is what they are doing. There are several in the beginner's book that make little sense either. They seem far to advanced for beginner rune smiths." replied Micheal.

Michael flipped another page, passing a helmet, and stopped on a shield.

" This is more like it." said Micheal.

Reskeme read the description of the shield. Four amplification runes, two resonating runes, and two nullification runes.

" We will need one monster's heart but the mana cost is not as high as the last one." replied Reskeme.

" We need to make something no one else is. If we make this shield, we can make some money but I doubt it will impress the prince." said Micheal sighing.

" What would a prince want? He is royalty." replied Reskeme.

" I'm assuming he is already protected. But he will look for something that can be held as a symbol of his greatness." said Micheal.

" You mean like the stories of princes fighting monsters with their magical swords?" asked Reskeme curiously.

" Exactly, every young man dreams of charging into glorious battle with a magic sword." said Micheal miming swinging a sword around.

" I have been in battle with the Darva. There is nothing glorious about getting slaughtered. Protection from the Darvan mages and their scouts javelins would be far more valuable to me." replied Reskeme crossing his arms.

" That takes us back to the uncool shields." said Micheal.

" Why don't you like shields?" asked Reskeme curiously.

"Noone ever sings songs about shields. Songs are always about swords and fabulous horses carrying the noble knights into battle." said Micheal. Reskeme shook his head in disbelief, unsure exactly what to say in reply. Reskeme liked coins as much as the next person, but buying a sword and riding a horse to glorious battle seemed silly. It sounded like a quick way to take a javelin to the chest or break his neck from a fall.

" Well, that leaves us with a dilemma. Or we could just make a sword and a shield?" asked Reskeme curiously.

" Allright, we will make the shield and the sword. If we match them together as a set and use gold and silver inlay on the shield and sword hilt the prince might buy it." said Micheal shaking in excitement.

Micheal took out some chalk, and on the table top drew a shield and a sword. The sword was straight with a wide blade and a straight hand guard, tapering to a slightly pointed pommel.

" If the sword will be better at cutting like the spear was, then what will a shield do?" asked Reskeme.

" Your guess is as good as mine. It all depends on the runes and how we set them into the metal? The possibilities are endless." said Michael.

" Lets work on the shield, i want to see what it will do." said Reskeme.

" You are going to enjoy this. We are going to make a sand mold. Also, you will need to learn to tie runes to a monster's heart." said Micheal as he went to the storage room, returning with a heavy wooden bucket of red sand.

" What is that sand for? Putting out the forge?" asked Reskeme.

" If you will not be helpful, then go get us some food. Or you can start studying." said Micheal. Liking that first idea immensely, Reskeme left their workshop and headed towards the mess hall. He retrieved some food and while snacking on some fresh bread, Reskeme took a detour, looking for anything suspicious.

Reskeme couldn't forget that his purpose for being here was to find out if the guild was summoning demons. Michael might think he is lazy, but it was a bound to happen, eventually. He nodded to two guards standing outside of a door set into a metal frame, and kept walking. A presence washed over him and he shudder in excitement or was that revulsion? Breathing deeply, he forced himself to keep walking and not even glance a second time at the door. He could sense something odd as he passed that room. Whatever those two guards were guarding gave Reskeme the shivers.

Sadly, the door wasn't marked, but the fact that it was in what appeared to be a metal frame was a dead giveaway. Reskemes itched to see what was behind the door. But he couldn't just walk up to them and ask them to enter, could he? Reskeme knew it was a horrible idea but tried it, anyway. He approached the two armed and armoured guards.

" Halt, do not approach!" shouted one guard, putting one hand on the hilt of his sword. Reskeme kept his hands clear of the broken sabre's hilt and halted.

" Am I not allowed back there?" asked Reskeme, cocking his head in confusion.

" NO! Unless you have the personal approval of guild master Lucas then you cannot enter." Replied the guard, glaring menacingly.

" But I'm a member of the guild." replied Reskeme, pointing to his copper amulet.

" I don't give a damn. Even if the goddess of war, Lytheria herself, were to come with you. You still wouldn't get past." replied the guard staring down his nose disdainfully at the copper amulet.

"But Vern, he might get past, she is a goddess." Replied the other guard, smirking.

" I know that! And shut up. I'm trying to make a point. Anyway... As I was saying. A copper amulet will only allow you into the shitter, the mess hall and to the merchants. So don't think you can just come up to a locked door and enter." Replied the guard, scowling and staring down his crooked nose at Reskeme.

Reskeme took a step back. Well, he guessed he deserved that. Smirking to himself, Reskeme stuck out his tongue in a childish mana and skipped down the hall.

"Thats right! Run away!" shouted Vern down the hall.

Reskeme could hear the chuckling of the other guard as he turned the corner. He stopped his skipping, as that had been for effect, and headed back towards the workshop. Glancing down, he almost kicked himself. The entire time he had been wandering, he had devoured all but a half loaf of the bread.

Ten minutes later and an odd look from the cook, Reskeme, return to the workshop. He opened the door to see Micheal packing sand into two metal frames.

" What are you doing?" asked Reskeme, shutting the door behind him. A gust of hot air hit Reskeme. Smelling smoke and sweat already forming on his brow, He placed the two loaves of bread on the worktable next to the leather book.

" I am setting the cast for the shield." said Micheal.

" And how does putting sand in metal frames help you make a shield?" asked Reskeme, as He wiped sweat from his brow turning to the forge.

"If you be quiet and watch, you will see." replied Micheal. The heat grew, and Reskeme glanced to see a metal bowl sitting in the coals glowing slightly.

Reskeme watched as Micheal patted down the sand, forming an indent in both of the metal frames. Once Micheal was finished with playing with the sand, he lifted both sides and stuck them together. Micheal used two metal latches and clamped the metal frames together. He then dragged the frames right over next to the blistering heat of the forge.

Standing next to the door and nibbling on one of Michael's loafs of bread, Reskeme watched with interest. Using a long claw like bar of metal Micheal heaved and picked up the large white hot bowl. Reskeme shielded his eyes, watching Micheal as the sweat soaked man tilted the bowl. On the top of the steel frame of the mold that Micheal had made was a metal funnel. Micheal poured a stream of white hot metal into the mold, his muscles flexing and rippling as he strained. Micheal finished pouring the metal placing the bowl on the edge of the coals.

" There we go. Hey! That is my food," Said Micheal, his eyes widening.

" Sorry, I was bored, and the bread was great." replied Reskeme, swallowing the remanent of the bread.

" Whatever! I wanted more than just bread, anyway." replied Micheal taking a bite of the single remaining loaf of bread.

" Where have you been? You should really study the apprentice rune book before we attempt a complex series of runes." Said Micheal gesturing to the book on the table.

" Study?" asked Reskeme, confusedly.

" You can read, can't you? asked Micheal grinning.

" Yes, of course I can read. Why does everyone think I can't?" asked Reskeme flabbergast.

" Maybe because you walk around with threadbare pants and a blacksmithing apron." replied Micheal smirking eying Reskemes attire.

" Hey, this apron is all I have. If I owned better clothes, I would wear them." replied Reskeme, crossing his arms defensively.

" Well, now we have plenty of time to make you knowledgeable. Read this book while I get myself some food." said Micheal gently passing Reskeme the leather book.

" How long until the metal cools?" asked Reskeme.

" It should only take four or five hours. By the way, if you damage the book. I will make sure the guild master knows exactly who was responsible." said Michael to Reskeme's amused look. Reskeme grumbled, walking to the table and opening the leather-bound book before sitting in the wooden chair.