Chapter 38, For A Prince 4

(Reskeme)

Drenched in sweat and breathing heavily of hot air, Reskeme strained his aching muscles. The rhythmic clanging of Michael's hammer striking the metal sent vibrations up through his arms, all the way to his chest. Reskeme turned the long thin blade as Michael's blows lengthened the red hot steel. It was almost time. Reskeme breathed deeply, calming his nerves for the next part. His hands shook slightly as he released the metal from his firm grip between the tongs. After all, Reskeme didn't want to pull the burning metal on top of him if he passed out again.

The forge sweltered, the heat waves of the forge dancing, distorting the painted cobblestones of the workroom. Reskeme walked over and examined the drawing table, reaffirming in his mind what he needed to do. The sword they were crafting wouldn't be as simple as the spear they had made previously. After all, the sword would have a monster's heart fused with the tang of the sword. The item in question looked like a chunk of rough brown rock the size of the tip of his thumb.

" Are you ready?" asked Micheal his voice deep and tired. Reskeme was jealous of the man's endurance. Michael was doing the toughest job, and still he could go for twice as long as Reskeme could with his thin wiry arms. Reskeme flexed his arms, grumbling. Unlike when Michael flexed, Reskeme's arms didn't bulge and ripple. They simply rose slightly. Shaking his head, Reskeme examined the sloppy drawings he had drawn.

Reskeme examined the squiggles covering the page, grimacing at the poor representations of runes. When Reskeme channeled mana and visualized the runes, they formed perfectly in the image he imagined. According to the rune book, both the size of the runes and the precision of the runes had an enormous impact on the runes' affects. The book was overly complicated and made Reskemes head hurt, but it exited Reskeme to try this one out. If it wasn't for Michael's constant help Reskeme would have been horrible lost in what to do.

" Do think this pattern of runes will actually work?" asked Reskeme, curiously.

" It has all the proper components. Depending on how well you create the runes, the swords affects will be different." said Michael waving his hand to the red-hot bar of metal.

Micheal pulled a pouch from underneath his thick scorched leather apron and gently sprinkled a substance on the surface of the metal.

" What are you doing?" asked Reskeme.

" This is a mana amplifier." said Michael.

" How does spreading crushed stone across the metal make it stronger?" asked Reskeme, dumbfounded. Micheal sighed and using thongs, he turned the metal bar over, spreading the crushed stone lightly over the other side.

" This is the stone created from a crushed monster's heart." replied Michael.

" How much did you spend on that?" asked Reskeme, fearing the answer.

" Dont worry about it. Here is the monster's heart." reply Michael, deflecting the question.

Taking a seat in the wooden chair next to the table, just in case. Reskeme clenched his fist around the rough brown stone, calming himself through steady breathing. Reskeme checked his mana gauge, making sure he wouldn't run out. He grasped the gauge. Just like ten minutes ago, the circle was still three quarters full.

His veins filled with fire as he channeled mana. Reskeme focused on the monster's heart, channeling mana into the stone. He swayed as the toxic power flowed through his body, pulling him into the small stone in his grasp. Knowing what to expect, Reskeme was prepared. The swirling mana filling the monster's heart bombarded his senses. The cascade of light, both blue and vibrant reds mesmerized him, filling the space. He formed the runes, slowly creating his spell. Unlike with the shield, Reskeme wanted to create something mischievous for the sword. He channeled his light mana, creating the first layer of mana around himself. Slowly channeling more mana, Reskeme created three more layers.

Reskeme hoped that the layers of mana would function as they were intended to. He smiled as he finished. The surrounding air shimmered with his own mana, shading the inside of the monster's heart in a vibrant white. Reaching out with his mind and will, Reskeme felt for his body. With a force of will, he pulled, forcing himself outside. Grasping his head and trying not to scream, Reskeme dropped the monster's heart from trembling hands.

" Well, did it work?" asked Michael, leaning over Reskeme's prone form.

" Test it out, I only used my illusion mana so it shouldn't burn you alive." said Reskeme gesturing towards the seemingly normal rock on the stone floor.

Michael reached down and gently picked up the monster's heart. Reskeme swayed on his feet as he stumbled unsteadily back to the wooden chair. His pulse quickened as Micheal walked back to the unfinished straight sword on the anvil. Micheal slid a silver hilt up the tang.

" Dont we need to place the handle and crossguard after the blade is finished?" asked Reskeme, confused.

" Just follow my lead. When I add a soul rune, create a flame rune next to it. I mostly just need you to channel mana for the weapon." said Micheal placing the monster's heart into the center of the separate graceful cross guard.

Hair rose on Reskeme's neck as Michael channeled his soul mana. Reskeme shook his head shaking clearing the fog covering his mind. Just like with the spear, Micheal created nullification runes on each side of the blade and the pommel. The runes covered every part of the blade except for the crossguard. Reskeme channel his own mana and created a resonating rune around the monster's heart embedded in the silver crossguard. Then, working in tandem with Michael, they created both soul and green fire runes inside the nullification runes.

His senses tingled as his mana formed runes along the blade. The red steel of the sword shimmered and shifted as the runes formed of mana sunk into the blade. The metal cooled from red hot to dark black cold steel. Gasping, Reskeme fell back, leaning against the wall.

" This is ridiculous. Why is channeling runes so draining? We haven't even powered the runes on the sword yet and I'm exhausted." said Reskeme, his eyes drooping from fatigue.

" Dont worry, we can place the blade back into the forge for an hour to heat it back up. The runes we place inside the blade while folding the steel and the ones on the outside will be tough to power. We will each need to power five runes." said Micheal.

" Why did I agree to this? I feel like I have been half dead from exhaustion the whole time we have been working on the sword and the shield." said Reskeme sliding down the wall to sit on the hard floor the swelling heat parching his throat as he took in deep unsatisfying breaths.

" Come over here and get the shield. We need to polish and add some silver inlaid." said Micheal striding next to one of the spinning grinders.

Having no clue of what to do next, Reskeme spun the wheel for several hours while Michael slowly and carefully ground the front and the back of the shield smooth. Micheal lined the rim of the shield with silver wire.

" I still think we should add some gold wire as well, maybe even some gems." grumbled Micheal as he gripped the leather straps on the back of the shield.

" I think that is a stupid idea. A shield is intended to stop you from getting killed. Adding more useless things like gold and gems will make it heavier." said Reskeme. He admired the reflective shield. He had to admit the silver wire on the edge of the shield with the graceful swirls of the green and purple runes shimmering lightly was rather beautiful.

Reskeme couldn't wait to see the shield in action.

" We will finish the final polishing and maybe even set a few gems so they don't break when we power the weapons." said Micheal smiling as he stare at the reflective surface of the silver shield.

" What weapon should we power first?" asked Micheal curiously.

" Lets do the sword, we should have enough power for one of them today." replied Reskeme.

" I sure hope that you didn't mess up. We have no more gold to buy more monsters hearts." said Micheal slumping to the wooden chair.

Reskeme eyed his mana gauge, surprised. The blue circle should be nearly empty. Kellar was right, all of his practice was making so he could channel a lot more mana. With all of his channeling so far today, Reskeme's mana gauge was still half full.

" We don't have the time to waste. I say we power the sword today." said Micheal, I still have the power to do it.

Reskeme walked over to the mostly finished sword. The sword's blade was resting underneath the coals of the forge, only glowing a bruise red despite the long time in the forge.

Clasping Michael's muscular shoulder, Reskeme braced and channeled. He willed his mana to fill the runes. Feeling for the faint connection, Reskeme smiled as the runes on the surface of the sword and the unseen runes began drawing both his and Michael's power all at once. He felt as though he was a box filled with water and someone had walked by and kicked his fragile side. Mana spilled through him uncontrolled until Reskeme felt like he was a wrung out wash cloth.

Reskeme was so focused on channeling into the runes that he didn't realize when his will pressed on the monster's heart. The tide of mana flowing into the sword stopped, and Reskeme's head ached. Micheal glanced over at him as though he wasn't there, his eyes wide with both confusion and fear.

" Reskeme where did you go?" asked Micheal swiveling his head around room. Reskeme pulled his focus from the monster's heart and immediately Micheal's eyes open wide in confusion.

" How did you do that?" asked Micheal shocked.

" How did I do what?" asked Reskeme innocently.

" Disappear, you disappeared a second ago." said Micheal, his mouth agape as his excitement overcame his confusion.

" I don't believe you. I only place four illusion runes inside the monster's heart. It should only disguise me, not make me hard to see." said Reskeme confused.

Gesturing towards the sword hilt, Reskeme said," You try it i want to see."

Hopping up and down like a young child, Michael strode over and picked up the now cold hilt of the straight runed sword. He grasped the hand and a half sword underneath the cross guard and stared at the unfinished weapon. Reskeme watched wearily, and then Michael vanished. Reskeme blinked. One moment Micheal was standing right in front of him. And the next Michael blended in with the wall behind him. Reskeme squinted. excitement welled in his chest. Micheal moved and his outline immediately was noticeable.

" Thats awesome! Let me try." said Reskeme with wonder as he stare mouth agape at Michaels near perfect camouflage with the back wall of the forge.