Chapter 31, For a Prince 3

(Reskeme)

Reskeme opened the leather book to the first page that was helpfully marked by index. He looked down the list of various things until he reached the place labeled monsters' hearts in a list from stage one to stage five. Reskeme wondered what each level meant. He remembered Micheal saying they were going to use a stage one monster's heart.

There was a number 300 marked next to the first stage monster heart, so Reskeme flipped to that page. Labeled on the top was an image of a thumb sized rock that was red and pitted all over. Reskeme thought it looked more like a piece of cobble stone than something worth nearly four gold crowns.

He read from the top, taking in all the information. Reskeme felt like he had a good idea for what to do. It was very similar to when he created his battle runes. He needed to create a pattern of runes inside the monster's heart to give the mana something to power. Even the Initial stage monster's heart was a powerful thing that pulled in mana purifying the mana.

Reskeme learned that on the initial stage a monster's heart was far weaker than the peak stage monster's heart. If he had to compare their power. He would say the initial stage was as powerful as a rat, compared to the peak stage, which would be as powerful as a pure bread war horse.

Shaking his head at the sheer difference in power, Reskeme analyzed all the different formulae. His goal was to find out how to create a dome of mana when the user activated the shield. He would regret selling such a powerful weapon, but once he learned to do it, he could create something for himself that did the same thing.

The first issue Reskeme could see was the fact that he would need to create a four layered mana dome that could fit inside his palm. Runes that small would be difficult to judge how well they were placed and even shaped. Wait a minute, was he placing his runes wrong when he channeled his battle runes?

From what he could understand, Reskeme would need to channel four runes, with the stabilizing rune on the surface of the heart. Followed by three runes floating in the shape of a half sphere. It sounded very similar to the way he would create his four runed attack spell. Reskeme was confused as to the last part. He would need to create runes on the shield, one resonating rune for each of his power runes, and three nullification runes.

He smiled, flipping the page. Now rune smithing was making a lot more sense. For every power rune he needed a nullification rune to protect himself. And for every set of power runes, he needed two resonating runes to combine all the runes together. His head swam with ideas. Shifting in his chair, Reskeme grinning, practically bouncing off the wooden chair. For once he actually had the means to sit, relax and just safely practice. His rune channeling until now had been all practical.

So sitting and reading the book of rune crafting for apprentices was extremely helpful. First, he learned he knew almost nothing about runes. Second, he discovered battle runes were just an unstable form of the runes used by rune smiths. No wonder, Kellar was in the army. He had no need for safe magic. If this book was right, then Reskeme was lucky to be alive. Reskeme took in a calming breath. It's ok, he told himself! That was battle rune. Battle runes were meant to be dangerous, after all. Or as the book called them, highly unstable and unpredictable runes.

After all of his hard work with practicing the runes, Reskeme really didn't want to stop. Reskeme gave the runes a try. He pushed back his chair and stood in the center of the room. What should he do? Right as he was contemplating his next move, Micheal pushed open the door. Reskeme eyed the doorknob, getting an idea. Micheal walked over and sat in the only wooden chair. Reskeme strolled over to the door, passing Micheal and channeled his mana carefully.

He watched Micheal and slowly channeled mana over the wooden door, first blocking off sight of the doorknob, and then with a second layer of mana he created another metal doorknob on the other side. Reskeme grinned and strode back towards Micheal leaning casually next to the young man.

" So what did you learn?" asked Micheal, looking up from a wooden plate piled with meat and bread.

" I understand why you think battle runes are so bad. They don't have the proper nullification and resonating runes." replied Reskeme, hoping he said it right.

" You actually sound intelligent, like a cultured individual." replied Micheal his eyes wide.

" Thats sounds more like an insult than a compliment." said Reskeme.

" It was a backhanded compliment." replied Micheal stuffing the steaming loaf of bread into his mouth.

" It should almost be ready to add the runes to the front of the shield." said Micheal eying the square metal frame.

" Dont we need to make it look fancy before we add runes?" asked Reskeme.

" No, but I would like to shape the metal first. Its only once we power the runes that we cannot mold the weapon or shield any more." replied Micheal stretching.

" Oh, I did not know that." replied Reskeme breathing in the hot dry air of the forge. The smell of smoke filled his nose, mixing with the sour smell of sweat and coal.

" Have you decided what you are going to add to the monster's heart?" asked Micheal smiling.

" Yes! Now all we need to do is go buy one." replied Reskeme.

" You don't need to worry about that. I went and bought two, with all the money we received on credit and the discount on the first one i figured we could afford two of them." said Micheal, presenting two thumb sized thumb sized rough stones.

" And how much of our credit did you spend on both of them?" asked Reskeme, pushing down his anger. Michael flushed, scratching his head sheepishly and glancing from the two plain looking stones to Reskeme.

" Well, now we only have one gold coin of credit." replied Micheal quietly. Reskeme felt woozy. His head spun. He thought he was going to be sick. Four gold crowns? Just like that, Micheal had spent four gold crowns.

" Four gold crowns! You only got two? For four gold crowns!" asked Reskeme, aghast.

" Well, we would have only got one for four gold crowns if we did not get a huge discount on the first one." replied Micheal easily.

" And don't be too surprised. Now we can have the shield create an effect and the sword do something else. You should be exited. With the guilds generosity we can make something truly amazing." said Micheal excitedly.

Breathing deeply of the sweltering air in the room, Reskeme slowly calmed his racing heart.

" That sounds exiting. If we sell both of the weapons we might actually make our money back?" replied Reskeme, sighing in resignation. He had two admit a sword and a shield would be amazing if they both could use mana.

Micheal walked over to the metal frames and using metal thongs he unlatched the mold. Using the thongs Micheal pried apart the two frames, leaving a sandy piece of thin metal. Micheal grasped the metal and placed it on the anvil. Micheal gestured to a wooden brush with metal bristles.

" Get that brush and clean all the sand from the metal." ordered Micheal. Reskeme walked over, grasping the brush and brushed off the red sand.

" Why don't we just put the metal in water?" asked Reskeme, panting as he used both hands to scrape the metal with the tough copper bristles of the brush.

" Because then we won't be able to shape the metal. Cooling the metal slowly will make it soft and malleable. And cooling it rapidly with water makes the metal hard." replied Micheal gripping the metal firmly in the metal thongs.

Reskeme brushed, and after numerous strokes he revealed dark metal. He revealed an ugly slab of metal that looked like a steel sewer grate. After all the sand was removed, Micheal placed the piece of metal on the flat of the anvil. Micheal passed Reskeme the metal thongs.

" Here, take these and grip the top of the shield. Hold it tight on the top of the anvil. I need to shape the metal." said Micheal picking up a large hammer that was as long as his forearm, with a metal head bigger than Reskeme's clenched fist.

Micheal brought his hammer down with a clang! Reskeme hands shook and his arms vibrated. Where the hammer struck was a dent and that continued to happen as Micheal struck the metal. Reskeme was happy he had inserted the cotton balls into his ears, as the sharp clang was unnerving. Nearly twenty minutes of hammering later and Micheal was drenched in sweat. Reskeme arms throbbed as he gripped the metal thongs in numb hands.

" Put it in the forge, and make sure the metal us under the coals." said Micheal gasping for breath. Nodding his head and flexing his trembling arms, Reskeme carried the partly formed metal shield to the white-hot coals of the forge. Heat pressed down on him as he settled the metal under the coals.

" Pump the bellows, we need to make the metal hot." said Micheal.

" When are we going to put in the monster's heart?" asked Reskeme, trying to give himself a breather.

" That will go on the rear of the shield. It needs to be protected from attacks." said Micheal.

" We could mount it just over the arm straps?" asked Reskeme.

" We can do that. I will need to weld a bracket for the monster's heart." said Micheal panting, the whoosh of the bellows filling the room with gusts of sweltering heat.

Micheal took the thongs from Reskeme, pulling the bright red metal from the coals. He placed the shield on the anvil, keeping one hand on the thongs and holding out the other hand, placing it on Reskeme's shoulder. Breathing deeply of the hot air, Reskeme channeled mana. His veins ached and his body trembled as soul mana was channeled through his body.

" Let me do this part, don't place any runes for now." said Micheal. Reskeme watched in interest as a rune the size of Reskeme's palm formed on the back of the shield. Purple mana glimmered, twisting and forming thin threads that slithered like a snake spiraling in a circle. The twisting lines connected to form a nullification rune right where the monster's heart would end up being placed. Turning the shield quickly, Micheal added more runes. More mana was torn from Reskeme, making him stagger with fatigue. Two more smaller rope like runes formed side by side. The bright red of the shield faded, leaving the metal an ugly coal black of burned metal.

" Now, lets heat the shield again and weld on a bracket for the monster's heart. It is your turn, I hope you don't mess up or we will have to start over." said Micheal placing the cool dark metal back into the coals.

After pumping the bellows for what felt like an hour of arm numbing work, Micheal pulled out the shield placing it face down on the anvil. Arms trembling and drenched in sweat, Reskeme picked up one of the two monsters' hearts. He immediately felt a disturbing pull. The damned thing was trying to pull mana from him? Reskeme visualized what he needed to do.

He checked his mana gauge, and sure enough the blue filled most of the small circle. He breathed in the hot air, calming his nerves. Reskeme turned to Micheal as the man used a hammer and a chisel to make precise strokes, creating a thumb-sized indent. The man used the chisel, creating a bracket of metal for the stone. Micheal used some small thongs taking the rock from Reskeme placing it inside the bracket of metal. Micheal used his hammer and expertly hammered each of the metal teeth he had made to bracket the monster's heart.

To Reskeme it appeared as though the shield had thin claws that were reaching out and grabbing the stone. Shimmering around the stone was the nullification rune engraved in the red hot metal.

" There, make sure you don't screw this up." said Micheal wiping his brow with the back of one hand.

Reskeme wiped his sweaty palms on the leathery apron he had borrowed from Michael's parents.

First, he channeled the stabilizing rune on the surface of the monster's heart. The Monster's heart fought him, but forced his mana to carve the leaf shaped stabilizing rune into the surface of the plain-looking stone. Still channeling his mana, Reskeme tried to channel into the monster's heart itself. He gasped as he was pulled into the monster's heart.

His focus was dragged inside the stone. He blinked rapidly, unable to comprehend the storm of mana raging around him. Every colour, ranging from light red to faint purple, swirled like thunderclouds. His mind throbbed, feeling as though he had been his by a runaway carriage, twice. Focus! Reskeme!!... He heard a faint shout as though he were underwater and someone was yelling at him.

He needed to hurry. His mind throbbing and aching, Reskeme formed first one rune, followed by another, and then the last. Using his mana, Reskeme powered the runes, shrouding himself in a curtain of his own mana. All three runes forming a half sphere around himself blocking of the raging mana around him.

Shrouded by a dark green fire, he felt for his body. Feeling nothing at first, Reskeme desperately tried again. There! He felt something. Using all of his mental fortitude, Reskeme pulled, forcing himself back. He gasped. Every nerve felt as though it were on fire. His body ached and his eyes water as he stared up at a pale-faced Micheal. Reskeme forced a smile. He really wasn't looking forward to next time.

" Did a carriage run me over while I was channeling?" asked Reskeme, wheezing out a pained laugh. Micheal cracked a smile, the relief plain on his face.