11 We Will Rebuild You

Flynn and Donovan walked back the way they came from. People with robes of different colors were running around, papers or other documents in hand. There were noises coming from every direction, deafening his thoughts. It still seemed rather organized, like a well kept machine.

They reached the elevator room again. A short and quiet elevator ride later they were in a completely different looking area. It was like an office mixed with a blacksmith's shop. The floor was cold stone with oil dripping about. The people there didn't wear robes, mostly tank tops, aprons and heavy duty gloves. Sparks were flying from different machines, steam filling the ceiling. The smell of oil, coal and the sounds of the machines made Flynn feel right at home.

He took a deep breath to fully appreciate the atmosphere. They walked straight through the room to the back. A door lead to a small wooden room with only a table and a sofa to wait on. Donovan didn't sit down to wait, he knocked on the other door in the room, Flynn followed.

The room inside was very similar to the one inside the first building Flynn entered. A desk with two chairs on opposite sides, cabinets on the back, potted plants on every corner, a sofa and a shelf. What differed was the color of the room. The floorboards were black and the walls were a very light pink. What stood out the most were the windows. Behind the desk was one big window stretching from the floor to the ceiling. It overlooked the whole city. The city was different than the one Flynn was just in. It looked rustic in design, but the materials were strictly modern. All the roads Flynn could see lead to the middle of the city, adorned by a huge tower. It dominated the view in its grandeur. It was majestic, but stricken by age. Vines grew around it and it was cracked all around. Clearly just a relic of its glorious past.

Faint footsteps approached the room. Raine entered from the right side of the room wearing a white suit and hat, long black briefcase in hand. The white color complimented his black hair and stubble.

"Go on, you can sit down." Raine said to Flynn. They both sat down. Raine placed the briefcase on the desk in front of Flynn.

"I assume the process went well, hmm?" Raine asked.

"Yeah, but it felt a little short? I don't feel like I know much of anything about magic or how to use it." Flynn replied, bobbing his leg up and down, looking slightly away."

"Oh don't worry about that, to gain the ability is fast, almost instantaneous. To learn and master it, though, will take time. But you won't need skill to get your arm." Raine reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden block and gave it to Flynn. He clutched it in his bandaged hand.

"Try and break it."Rained said with a smile. Flynn looked at him, then at the block. He gripped it tighter, focusing on it. He could feel the anger manifest in his hand. The wooden block began fuming and scorching. It was burning in his hand, yet there was no fire. The block shattered into ashes under his grip. He poured the dust on the floor. Raine looked at Flynn with wide eyes, slightly taken aback.

"I'm honestly a bit surprised that you managed to do it on your first go, especially after just being given the ability." Raine reached into his pocket and pulled another wooden block. He held it in front of him to show it better to Flynn.

"Your strength will just keep climbing. Take a look at what an experienced caster can do." Raine threw block over his shoulder towards Donovan. Without even moving, the block was burned to ash before it even reached him. Donovan looked down at the floor and smiled. Raine looked at Flynn with an expression that asked: "What do you think?"

"But I suppose that settles it, you can open the briefcase." He said with joy in his voice. Flynn wiped the rest of the dust on his shirt, then opened the briefcase. Inside was a fully built mechanical arm and three crystals, one orange, one blue and one black. Flynn felt the arm with his hand, it was freezing to his touch. The design was flawless and the detail intricate. It almost made Flynn jealous.

"You like it? I oversaw the whole production. I made sure it would be of the best quality, just for you." Raine smiled. Flynn was in awe, his gaze was fixated on the arm. He tried to speak but kept stammering, he couldn't put his amazement into words.

"I knew you'd like it, but that's not all." Raine reached back into his pocket. How much space did he have? He pulled out a small and ornate wooden box, decorated with golden designs. He placed it in front of Flynn and opened it. The shimmer of gold emerged from the box. It was an adorned pistol. Flynn recognized the model, a Colt 1911. The slide was golden with a glossy finish, the grip was carbon fiber and the rest was a smooth black metal.

"Handmade and an absolute magnificent showcase of skill, this beauty was made just for you. Some people said to make something more modern, but I knew a man like you would enjoy this model." Raine was absolutely correct, the Colt 1911 was one of his favorites. The simple yet efficient design was absolutely what he loved. Raine closed the box.

"But let's first deal with what's important first, your arm." Raine said as he stood up and guided Flynn to do the same. Raine held up the arm to his shoulder.

"Hold this for a moment." Flynn held the arm in place. It was surprisingly heavy, he wasn't sure how Raine thought he could be able to carry it. Raine grabbed the black crystal from the box. He inserted a key of sorts into the arm, which made a slot open up. He inserted the crystal into it and closed it. The crystal seemingly powered up the arm, as it lit up and the mechanisms started working. Raine held his hand in front of the arm as his hand started to glow faintly. He focused more and the light grew brighter.

Then, suddenly, the light shined ever brighter, the rays streaking across the room. The light seemingly shattered into pieces, and Flynn could feel the weight of the arm shrink, until it was completely gone. The arm was fully attached to him. He could feel and move his arm again. His eyes started to tear up. Raine stood proudly, hand on his chin, inspecting his work. Flynn felt at balance again. The sounds of the pistons and axes sounding like heaven to his ears, like the ping of an M1 Garand. Flynn was finally back to his old self.