Runeblade

After sealing his compact with the elders of Three Fields, the atmosphere had turned raucous and celebratory. Beer flowed like water, and the deer that he and Porkchop had slain earlier in the day was brought out for a great roast.

Normally, that would have been excessive for a group of seven, but with their eighth being a greater meles, it was only just enough. Kaius thanked his blessings that whatever magic supported a greater beasts frame allowed them to function on smaller amounts of food than their size would suggest, otherwise they would be in a far worse state when preparing their travel rations.

He even managed to get drunk, though his pleasant buzz got more and more difficult to maintain as his control on Rapid Adaptation slipped. At least he managed to squeeze two levels out of the skill as a consolation prize, Hurrin’s stout was strong stuff.

**Ding! Rapid Adaptation has reached level 21!**

…

**Ding! Rapid Adaptation has reached level 22!**

While there was the temptation to decide on the name of their soon-to-be dynasty, the elders decided rightfully to wait for their missing member, Holt, before they made any decisions. That went double for actually planning the gargantuan task of enticing the other villages to join their banner, or how they would entice others to come forward with any potentially hidden legacy skills.

That sat just fine with Kaius. He needed allies, and a base of power, but he had no interest in running a full blown dynasty, not yet at least. Having those decisions made in his absence would be far better for creating a level of separation between them and Unterstern.

Eventually though, the night grew long, and he and Porkchop were led upstairs to the rooms of the inn. Luckily, the largest room had a set of double doors, so Porkchop was still able to squeeze in.

He never ended up making it to the bed, instead curling up on the bearskin rug that lay in front of a smouldering fire alongside his brother. With Porkchop’s growth spurt, they would have just broken the damn thing anyway.

Sleep took him in moments.

…

The sun shone bright, nary a cloud in the sky as Kaius crossed Three Fields. He still felt a little groggy after the night before, though mostly from mild sleep deprivation. His resistance skill might have been unfortunately effective against beer, but it was equally so against hangovers.

Porkchop padded alongside him, his coat on full display. They’d freed him from his barding for what would hopefully be the last time, and had stowed it in their dimensional bag. Kaius had taken to stashing the thing in his emptied pack, which he wore. No way was he leaving something that valuable behind, even if he did know practically the entire town.

Walking down stone paved streets, Kaius gave friendly nods to those he passed and recognised, making a beeline to the rhythmic hammer blows that echoed from the workshops a few blocks away. They might have been set at the very edge of the town, but the place was small enough that the sounds of smithing carried far.

“What are you hoping that Eilish will be able to do when making me my under-armour? Wont it be missing enchantments?” Porkchop asked.

Kaius smiled. His bond-brother’s only exposure to artefacts were from the masterworks that the system had spawned, and he had very little knowledge of the more mundane creations that a skilled crafter could create.

“They will, but a good artisan can still create artefacts without them. They lean more on the innate properties of the materials, and their own skills to draw out the full effectiveness of the items. Though, enchantments are more flexible, and it will definitely be worth our while to take whatever we get to an inscriptionist in Deadacre.” he explained as they crossed the street, rounding on a half dozen workshops.

Eilish, and her husband Yondar, shared the most grand. Equal parts leatherworking shop and smithy, it dominated the street. Unlike most buildings in town, it was built entirely from stone. No one wanted their house and shop going up in flames due to a forge mishap.

“We will still be able to get it enchanted?” Porkchop asked as they approached the building, surprised.

“Oh, yes. it's not quite as efficient as having the inscription worked into the very creation of the artefact, but the people with the skills to do that are few and far between. Now come on, we’re here.” Kaius replied, pushing open the heavy oak door that led into the reception of the workshop.

Eilish was waiting for him with her partner, Yondar, at her side; the pair standing behind a counter that stretched across a good half of the room.

“Kaius! Right on time.” the head of the Three Fields’ artisans said warmly.

“Good to see you, lad; it warms the heart to see you well.” Yondar said, smiling at him.

Kaius returned the man's grin. He’d always liked Yondar. Though he didn’t know the man all that well, he’d always been kind and friendly.

“Yondar, good to see you. I hear that your wife has volunteered your services?” Kaius said, as Eilish rolled her eyes at him.

“That she has. A worthy trade for the gift you have given us; let alone the honour of crafting a piece for a Forest King.” he said, dipping his head respectfully to Porkchop. “Now, you said that you needed some sort of … under-armour? It would be good to see what I will be working with.”

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“Well, I’ll let the man himself do the talking.” Kaius said, ushering Porkchop forwards.

His bond-brother towered in the shop, but he took a respectful seat in front of the counter.

“Hello! It is nice to meet you.” Porkchop said to Yondar.

The man smiled, though Kaius could see that he was still a little unsettled at having a massive meles sitting in his place of work.

“Nice to meet you too! Now, how can I help?”

“Well, I have a bloodline skill that creates a heavy plate armour around my body. I was hoping for something tough that can help to absorb impact, but still stand up to a light bit of abuse if I'm caught out before I can summon my plate. It would also be perfect if it has a way for us to secure some cargo on my flank, and potentially some extra padding on my spine with some sort of loop for Kaius to hold onto during a charge.” Porkchop explained, visibly getting more excited as he went through their ideas.

Yondar dutifully took notes, sketching out ideas as he mused on what was possible. The man eyed his bond-brother intently, noting down measurements that he could tell purely by sight.

“That does sound doable, though would you be able to show me the armour?” Yondar asked.

“Sure! Is here fine?” Porkchop asked.

As soon as Yondar nodded, Kaius watched mana start to glow within his bond-brother as he channelled his skill. A scant few seconds later there was a pop of displaced air as heavy overlapping plates of thick jade appeared around Porkchop, the floorboards creaking under his new weight.

The armour was still just as fearsome as it was the first time he had seen it, covering his bond-brother’s front section in an imposing defence. Sure, there were still gaps between the armour, and it didn’t fully seal him in like a normal suit of heavy-plate, but that would change as the skill levelled.

Yondar leaned in, clearly fascinated by the armour. “Remarkable. The weight alone must be quite something, no doubt it would be useless without your impressive might. Though, I can see why you would like some under-armour. Tell me, will it encompass more as you level?”

Porkchop nodded.

The leatherworker immediately scribbled more notes. “Perfect. Originally I was considering some sort of variation of a Hiwiann lightweight saddle, but even that will be too high profile if the armour ever stretches down your spine. Sorry, Kaius,” Yondar shot him a small smile. “Best you’re going to get is some extra padded leather and a few loops for your hand and feet holds.”

He laughed. “That's more than alright. What of the saddle bags?”

The artisan nodded. “I’ll do something similar, make it so you can tear or cut them free without damaging the bags themselves, though from what I know of armour skills you might already be in need of a replacement before it reaches Porkchop’s flank.”

Placing his notebook on the counter, Yondar drilled out a staccato rhythm on the polished wood with his fingers. “Now, I have everything we need. I assume you will be getting it inscribed at Deadacre? You have the coin for Self Repair?”

Kaius nodded. It would be a significant cost, but they should be able to cover it with ease if they sold off Porkchop’s old barding and their blink knives.

“Fantastic, that makes everything a lot easier. It’ll probably be the only enchantment the under-armour will be able to support, though you might be able to swing Well Fitted or Self Cleaning as well depending on which one I'm able to work into the armour, but if you go that route I have the perfect material.” The artisan shot him a knowing grin. “Something I am sure you will appreciate.”

“Oh?” Porkchop asked.

“One moment.” Yondar said, before he hurried away from the counter and dipped into a back room.

Eilish rolled her eyes at her husband’s antics as a muffled curse slipped out of the open door. “Always caught up in his ideas, that one.” she muttered.

Yondar returned a moment later, carrying a bolt of leather nearly as big as he was. It was thick stuff, nearly a thumb width, and looked as supple as anything Kaius had ever seen. Almost too supple, for something that would be armour.

The artisan set the leather down on the wide bench with a huff. “Kaius, you remember that Stone Charger your da brought down a few years back?”

Kaius looked at the man in shock, nodding slowly. It had been a fearsome beast, bigger than Porkchop was. It had crossed the mountains from the deep Sea one spring for some unknown reason. Terrifying things they were, though thankfully rare. They had a propensity to charge through anything that pissed them off, which was everything.

His father had promptly returned him to Three Fields in Hurrin’s care before setting off on its trail with Jekkar, returning victorious a week later.

Yondar smiled at him. “I bought the hide off him and Jekkar, and have been saving it for the right project. A bit of a waste to dilute its potential by splitting it up, so I've been sitting on it. It’s downright perfect for this use. Softer than you could imagine, but with remarkable shock absorbing qualities and durable as a titan.”

Kaius merely swallowed and nodded in gratitude. It would be nice to have something else of his father’s to bring with him on his travels. Porkchop, on the other hand, stared at the leather with open glee, before he leaned in and gave it a sniff.

“Oh! One of these. I’ve never seen one in person, they live too close to the mountains, but some of my denmates have said they are down right infuriating to put down.” Porkchop said.

Yondar chuckled. “That would line up with Jekkar’s incessant prattling about the hunt, yes. Anyway! I should be able to have this ready by morning the day after tomorrow with EIlish’s help. I’m sure you have much more preparations to do for your journey today. And no asking about payment, you’ve done enough for us. Think of it as a gift.”

Kaius looked at the wisened leatherworker in appreciation. “Are you sure?”

“I am. Now shoo! I have to start immediately if I’m to have any hope of getting this done in time. Go bother Yanmi about some potions or something.” Yondar said, ushering them out of the shop. Kaius allowed himself to be pulled along by the man's energy, entering out into the shining sun once more.

“Don’t forget to check in with Jekkar for rations!” Eilish called out, before her husband waved a final goodbye and shut the door to their shared workshop.

Kaius smiled and shook his head.

“Are all people so weird? That was weird right?” Porkchop asked, looking back towards the shop before looking at Kaius.

He laughed. “Yes, he’s a little eccentric, but he means well. Now come on, we’ve got a few more places to visit.”

As a pair they set off into Three Fields. Potions and rations, then they should be good. After that, it would be a simple matter of enjoying some well earned rest and relaxation, before he readied himself to say his goodbyes.

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