I looked up at Roman curiously, wondering what he wanted. He had curly brown hair and an average build, yet his eyes seemed deep, far deeper than they should be.
"What would you like commissioned?" I called out as i scanned the crowd around me. A lot of people were leaving but roman and Tiana stayed.
"I want gauntlets, 2 inch claws with some simple designs" he described and I thought about it. This would be great practice for my forging course and have time after class. Now, the pay.
"Will you provide the material or will I need to?" I asked out, making him nod slowly.
"I will provide the main material but you will need to use your own for the claws" he explained before we got to the final question.
"And how would you pay me?" I questioned. He pulled out his watch and I got a text.
[Roman grato has sent a friend request]
Accepting it, I saw another text.
[I can pay in cash, 10,000, an elite material, Or I can give you a favor]
I looked up at him for a moment, thinking about this. I can't use cash here so that's out. A favor would be nice but what would I need him for?
Then, I realized something. Why did he text me this offer? Does he not want Tiana to know? What is the nature of there relationship? Actually, why do I care? I typed out a question before sending it out.
[What materials can you provide?]
He typed out a reply soon enough, gaining my full attention.
[I have a lot but the thing i have in mind is called spirit leather. Dropped off a weird bat demon]
Looking up, I nodded and he smiled. Tiana looked back and forth between us before he walked towards me, holding his hand out. Taking it, I got a notification.
<5 lb of shadowy steel transfered>
Nodding slowly, I walked away, towards koi studies without eating lunch. Tiana lunged forwards, trying to catch me off guard.
Suddenly, veil shot out, forming a wall of white vines.
'Master, get ready' Veil called out with a fire in her voice. Turning around, I saw her staring at me wide eyed.
"This isn't your origin, its your bonded" she breathed out with something I didn't recognize. How did she know? Looking around, I saw almost everyone was gone expect us. Then, I say 2 golden bone flowers and paused.
'Veil, where did those flowers come from?' I called out as she squirmed. Then, she slowly retreated into the tattoo.
'When we got pinned by the light bonded she had' she answered quickly, making me nod. So, thats probably light koi. I thought elemental koi was supposed to be rare? I keep seeing it all around me.
I walked out in a rushed, checking my back to make sure she wasn't following me before walking out onto the side walk.
'She wants me dead? Why? Because I won't do as she says? Spoiled much' I complained to veil, who sighed.
'Well master, you probably threaten her standing here. You got the same grade as her but you hide more of your strength. She just figured out your origin isn't me so you have a trump card, along with your moon dancer path you can't use yet' veil explained it to me, helping me understand. Then, I got an idea.
Walking into koi studies, I saw Mr. Loaking at the board writing something out. Taking a seat, I started.
I sent out the contract to Tiana, hoping she would accept. Then, I watched as she came in through the door but she didn't walk in, scanning the room. When our eyes met, it was like a tention unleashed itself in the room.
Whispers started and grew wildly, reaching us. Suddenly, a blue wave of energy fell down over thr room like a blanket. Sitting under it, I felt like I was drowning but I held on.
"Now now, you both can talk after class but now is my time. Sitting down" he called out in a calm voice, almost cheery but his koi was anything but. It was like any wrong move would crush me.
She slowly sat down in a nearby chair before he started.
"Today, we'll be talking about elemental koi. Now, before you get your hopes up, you can't completely convert your koi until you reach ember rank" Mr. Loaking started, but someone in the back of the room raised there hand.
"Yes Ms. Vera?" He called out in a slightly annoyed voice. Looking back, I saw an average woman with dark straight hair falling behind her.
"Mr. Loaking, why can't we convert our koi completely in the spark rank? And can we convert our koi to more than one element?" She called out in a stern voice, suprising me. She has some depth to her, doesn't she?
Then, I notice Tiana smirking and rolled my eyes. What a bitch. She cant play nice for 2 hours? Why hasn't she accepted my contract?
"Well Ms. Vera. I'll answer both. You can't convert your koi to elemental koi completely because its not strong enough. It can slowly accommodate what it can but after a certain point, it will stop because it can't hold any more attributes of that element" he answered the first question smoothly but took a minute to answer the second. Clearly uncomfortable.
"As for if your koi can be converted into 2 elements. it can but not everyone's can. As i said in the last class, koi is a divine energy. By converting it once, it holds the aspects of said element. However, if you sucessfully convert it again, it would hold the aspects of both elements at once. But, each conversion takes away from its malliability. Some people's koi isnt strong enough to hold more that one" he finished quickly with an unsure tone. How does one know how strong their koi is? How do I check mine? I know mine has a hint of plant koi in it but How much does it really have? Then, he continued with his lecture.
"While you can't completely convert it, you can start now, however, it is exceedingly difficult without a trait. Don't worry too much as its not impossible otherwise. There are materials that can help you start to convert your koi, but you'll need to meditate in an area filled with that element" Mr. Loaking explained, drawing my attention. Slowly, I raised my hand.
"Yes Mr. Felix?" He called out in a weirdly tired voice. Standing up slowly, I looked at him.
"How do we check how much our koi has converted towards an element?" I called out clearly,finally seeing a smile on his face.
"Aah yes, you all will learn it soon in Ms. Bell's class bur since you asked. Your system can check for you. You tap on your rank and it breaks down the make up of your koi. I suggest you all do so at some point before the next class" he clarified before droning on with his lecture. However, my attention was drawn to a status notification.
Staring at it, I had a question. What is an ally in the system? I know what the word means but what does that mean in the system? Is it like a friend system?
I glanced at her for a minute before swiping it away for later. Then, I heard the bell ring.
Standing up, I walked out, heading towards the hall of life. Im going to need to explain a lot to Ms. Solaris. Then, I need to name my koi hammer something fitting. Walking out, I watched as the students walked in all different ways, thinking about Kasteel.
...
Standing in Ms. Solaris's personal forge, she stood at her anvil staring at me.
"So, what happened?" Is all she said but I felt a somber dread in her voice, like she already knew but didn't want to hear.
Going through it again, I made it past the bat, how his arms fell like pieces of meat, the oblique, the moss, then finally, my massacre. She was typing up something on her watch the entire time with a tight face. When I finally finished, I felt this invisible weight coming off of me.
Looking back at her face, it didn't look disappointed or angry. Not sad nor cold. She looked determined, throwing me off.
"I thought of your next assignments. Your goal is to make a full set of armor by the end of the year, of great quality of course" she called out sternly before tapping on her watch one last time.
"I handled your report, now, you are going to start learning how to truly protect what you love as a forger. We'll start with a breakthrough plate" she called out as she walked around her personal forge, grabbing at random metals around the room untill a small pile formed at the side table next to the anvil.
"We always start with mixing all the materials together, forming one compound" she explained as she hammered down with a golden hammer like the sun. The pile of browns and Yellowstone smashed together smoothly as she hammered down. Within 7 hits, all that was left was a dark Grey metal block.
"from here, you want to shape it into a tube for future shaping" I watched as she slowly forged it to her body's measurements. She taught me how to measure my own body, how to use those measurements on the metal, and how to later it, making it stronger.
30 minutes later, she finished, holding a dark grew breast plate to her exactly size. Setting it down, she glanced at me for a second before putting her hammer away.
"You should have a finished price by the end of the week. I'll check up on you wensday" she called put while pushing me out. Walking towards an empty forge, I pulled out my koi hammer and held it in both hands, looking at it's surface.
It was a solid silver, yet it wasn't because of the metal, but because of my moon affinity. Then, the countless vines wrapping it tight. It needs a name that encompasses both the moon and plants that makes it special.
Moon's forest? No, that sounds like an actual forest. Moon's reach? I dont like that either. Feels like a moon with hands. Then it hit me.
"Your name is going to be lunar root" I called out, igniting a change to the hammer.