Chapter 28, Guild Master Lucas

Reskeme and Micheal reentered the city and after nearly an hour of walking, they arrived in front of the Guild Elementals fury. By the time they found their way to the front desk, Reskeme couldn't help but notice Michael's pent up excitement. Reskeme stood back while Micheal approached the grey-haired lady at the front desk.

The Old lady rose and walked to the waiting room. Reskeme smirked at Michael's back as the young man shifted nervously. The stained wooden door opened before the old lady walked slowly back to her seat. The old lady sat behind her dark wooden desk and eyed Reskeme over her thick spectacles. Why did that old lady always look so grumpy? Reskeme could swear she reserved all of her hate for him.

Reskeme followed Micheal, receiving a long stare as he passed the woman's desk. They followed the grey-haired official of the guild, passing through the waiting room.

" How did it go Micheal?" asked the official.

" I hope the guild master accepts us." replied Micheal. The official glanced back, smiling kindly at Micheal.

" The guild Master will accept you if the weapon you created is valuable." said the official as they strode up to the guild Master's front desk.

" We cannot bring a weapon to the guild master. How are we going to show it to him if the guards won't let us pass?" asked Reskeme, realizing there might be a problem. Just as he asked, the guild master opened his door, peering out at them curiously.

" Oh, you 're back already. Its only been a few days. Are you finished with the item you needed to make?" asked the guild master, his eyes drawn to the tall spear in Michael's hand.

" Yes, guild master. We tested the spear, and it works for the both of us." replied Micheal.

" Milo, can you go get the spear for me? I want to look at all the runes." said the guild master stepping out of his office. The athletic man on one side of the guild master's door crossed the gap and cautiously held out his hand towards the spear. Noticing the man's caution Micheal passed the spear shaft first to the guard.

The guard took the spear and walked back to the guild master, presenting the weapon.

" Thank you Milo." The guild master eyed the spear from blade to shaft.

" Very interesting, you placed resonating runes and nullification. If you added a monster heart, this spear could be worth a lot more." said the guild master thoughtfully.

" I dont know how to do that. I have only studied the basics of runesmithing." replied Micheal sweat beading on the young man's brow.

Reskemes eyes bounced from the guild master to Micheal, unsure what they were talking about. He felt he was lacking heavily when it came to knowledge of magic. Reskeme drew his sabre, wanting to show the hole the spear had made. He froze as both the guards stepped forwards drawing their own short swords. Reskeme swallowed hard and held up his hands.

" Sorry about that, I wanted to show what that spear did." said Reskeme gesturing to the hole in the sabre's flat near the hilt. The guild master waved the guards down. Heart racing, Reskeme took in a deep breath, calming his nerves.

" Very nice, but how did life magic and soul magic cause the spear to penetrate steel?" asked Guild Master Lucas.

" It's a long story but I have a deviant form of life magic that makes it more like fire magic." said Reskeme, now much more confident telling his half truth.

"Interesting to think of all the things we could do with that. Now is for the proper test. Does it work for everyone?" replied Lucas, eying Reskeme with a keen gaze. Reskeme felt the hairs rise on his neck as Lucas channeled a small amount of mana.

" Follow me, there is a training room down the hall." said Lucas, following both of the steely eyed guards as they walked past an extremely nervous Reskeme. Reskeme waited for the guards to get down the hall before sheathing the sabre. Reskeme the official and Micheal followed Lucas. They followed into a spacious room with racks lined with various wooden weapons on a wooden floor and training dummies.

Lucas strode over to a wooden training dummy and without hesitation thrust the spear at the leather armour covering the dummy's chest. Reskeme winced as the spear passed through hardened leather and stopped buried in the dummy's wooden chest. Reskeme couldn't believe the guild master would waste expensive leather armour like that. He shudder to think of the damage that might happen to him if that spear enters his chest. Lucas wrenched the smoking spear out from its hole.

Lucas turned towards Reskeme and Micheal, grinning a winning smile.

" Well, that was unexpected. I wonder if the soul magic allows me to use this spear?" asked Lucas, turning to his guards. Lucas held out the spear to the taller of his guards. The woman took the spear, and after several long strides, struck at the motionless target. The sharp spear gouged partway into the hardened leather and rattled to a halt.

" Stab it again!" said Lucas, waving towards the tall woman. The guard thrust the spear again, receiving only a small hole in the armour, the spear blocked by the leather armour.

" Well, what did I expect?" said Lucas, looking at no one in particular.

" Why did you tell your guard to try? She cannot channel mana?" asked the official standing perfectly straight next to Reskeme.

" Its was an experiment. Those damned runes books say its not possible but we will never know until we try." Replied Lucas, analyzing the spear in his guard's hand.

" What do you think?" asked Micheal clenching and unclenching his fists.

" Its rather interesting. I was curious to see what you would make. Wallace, can you fetch me two guild medallions?" asked the guild master towards the straight-backed official.

" Of course! Right away sir." replied the straight-backed official. The official left the room, shutting the double doors to the training hall behind him.

" Well, with items like these, we can make some good money. You will need to specialize in armour as few mages will fight hand to hand." said Lucas.

"What about body mages?" asked Micheal.

" They are common amongst mages, I suppose. Do you think you can make armour that can stop attacks?" asked Lucas.

" My runes are very limited, I only have the basics to rune crafting." said Micheal shrugging his shoulders.

" That can be fixed. With your membership to the guild you can get a copy of the apprentice runes novel." replied Lucas.

Micheal cracked a smile, Reskeme could feel the man's excitement as Micheal practically bounced in place.

" You smile but the apprentice is simply a cheap poorly made copy of the journeyman's book of runes." said Lucas noticing Michael's excitement.

" How can I get the journeyman's book?" asked Micheal. The door opened, and the official returned with two amulets in a copper hue.

"There is an auction coming up in ten days. There is a competition between all of our members. What you may not know is his royal majesty the prince, will attend the auction. Whoever makes something unique and special enough for him to buy will be offered a copy of the journeymen's guide to runes." said Lucas, putting his hands into the pockets of his dark robe.

Wallace strode over and presented a copper hexagonal amulet to Reskeme and then Micheal.

" These are the symbol of your membership. Channel mana into the amulet to make it yours." said the official.

Reskeme took the amulet, touching the smooth copper. He glanced from Wallace to the guild master, Lucas. They were watching him with interest as he placed the leather cord of the amulet around his neck. Reskeme remembered his first experience with a guild master and a damned amulet.

All he could think about was the fact that the church suspected Lucas of summoning demons. Reskeme grimaced, remembering that Lucas could sense mana being channeled. Reskeme couldn't be too judgemental. He had to remind himself that he was, in fact, a demon. And he needed to stay vigilant to avoid getting caught at all costs.

Reskeme channel manna into the copper amulet, feeling a slight connection to the piece of metal. Ahh, that must be how they would identify he was the owner? Reskeme nodded to himself, sighing in relief. This time, he had gotten lucky. Well, he hoped so, as he felt Michael's faint channeling as well.

" Now that you have both linked to the runes in the amulets, I will be on my way. The amulets will allow you to buy and even sell to the shops inside the guild. The prince of Pentir is going to be heading to the front to lead the army in nearly a month. He will be here looking for armour and weapons that can give him and his guard an advantage." Said Lucas, eyeing the spear. Instead of returning the spear to Reskeme or Micheal, Lucas passed it to the second of his guards. The guard known as Milo took the spear, grinning like a man on his name day.

" I will keep the spear. Dont worry, there will be a copy of the apprentice's guide to runes in your new workshop as payment." said Lucas.

Reskeme grimaced. A royal? He turned to Micheal, and the official named Wallace as guild master Lucas and his guards left the training room. The second of the guards holding the spear in his hand, the faint channel of mana filling the room as undoubtedly the man tested channeling his connection to the spears runes. Well now, Reskeme knew one guard was some sort of mage. Reskeme had to use all of his willpower to hold himself back from demanding the guild master return the spear.

" Milo, careful not to hurt yourself with the spear, it's dangerous." said Reskeme unable to stop himself.

" Dont worry about it, I am good with a spear." Replied the grinning guard.

" Thats because you deal with hard wood all the time." grumbled Reskeme. Judging by the other guards chuckling, he wasn't quiet enough. The guard scowled as he followed the guild master out the door, his glare promising some sort of revenge for the comment.