"Ain't she beauty?" Kenji said, grinning ear to ear while three blacksmiths and their apprentices continued to hammer at the masses of red hot iron.
"What am I looking at?" Jack marvelled, unable to understand what all these huge iron plates and straps were supposed to form.
"A little trick that might see victory that much more likely. Used to call it a min/max strategy back in the day, but all you need to know is that this will be effective."
"Because of this opinion that iron somehow damages Fae magic?" Jack rose an eyebrow, "you could pile on as much as you like, without the magical properties to magical items like those Starfire bracers I don't see this doing much more than annoying the enemy."
"Well, living rent free in your opponents mind has a benefit in itself," Kenji whispered, and sat down on a crate while he watched the blacksmiths work.
Slowly, Jack let his sword sheath rest against the wall as he took a seat of his own. Seeing Kenji stare into the flickering forge with such intensity, Jack started to chuckle.
"What's wrong, do I have somthing on my face?" Kenji frowned, patting down his nose.
"It's just strange. If circumstances were different I feel as if you could have been one of the choir boys I grew up with. I'm having trouble remembering what you are, and yet, I also have trouble remembering why I should care."
Jack continued to chuckle, as the whole purpose of the crusade seemed so...weak. Here in the forges blasts if heat hit his face, powerful men worked alloys of the earth into huge plates and some creature wearing a boyish youth like a coat had orchestrated the whole thing.
"Mabye we should get a beer then, you and me. We have time you know, and it's good to let off some steam once in a while," Kenji stood up, and offered a hand to Jack.
With one hand Jack clasped the silver knife at his belt, as he stared at that outstretched hand. He felt in his mind how easy it would be to pull Kenji close, and to feel the blade sink into the monsters chest.
The thought made him sick.
Stowing the silver blade away, Jack grasped Kenji's hand and was lifted to his feet.
"Hey check this out! I'm amazed Almanac was able to get this made, but it's going to be really cool!", Kenji said excitedly pulling Jack to see a huge spike Morningstar and lair of thick armoured gloves, all sized for a giant.
"They're glowing, cold air, is the metal fitted with an enchantment of cold?"
"Try freezing! Once we get the High Tier Ice Gem in from Almanac's lab both the gloves and Morningstar will be coated in magical ice. The slightest touch could freeze a limb, a solid hit would freeze three men. I can't wait until it's done, even if it's going to be the most expensive item in Tariak it'll make a HUGE difference in the battle."
As Kenji continued to talk excitedly, Jack nodded along and allows the words to flow over him. The boy's sheer enthusiasm of nice in itself, and his endless energy that reminded Jack of his years shut away cleaning tombs, praying in the dark and singing to gods that did not care.
"Kenji please," Jack said, finally forced to get a word in, "keep some of this for when we get to the tavern. As a Templar I was never allowed to drink, and I'm interested in finding out if it tastes as delicious as the soldiers have been saying. Oh - you wouldn't mind if I invited them would you?"
Kenji flashes white teeth, and pulled back his fiery hair.
"Of course, as long as I get to invite me friends too. And the Guildmembers, with the bad blood between us all it would be nice to have a drink and get to know who we'll be fighting with. The newcomers will appreciate it too I think, those adventures that came so far to help us deserve to be thanked properly."
"Agreed, but we'll need much of the drink if it really tastes as good as they say. Food too, since a siege is unlikely with the starving nature of our enemy I think it should be ok to eat like kings."
"Like kings!" Kenji laughed as he clapped Jack on the shoulder and led him back to the Golden Goose Guild.
It didn't take much to get everyone in the mood to party - what with the gloom of incoming conflict having already like a sour cloud through Tariak already.
And while arrows stopped being fletched, walls cease to be repaired as fast and soldiers steel gleamed a little less - the smiles made it all worth it.
Mead, women, entertainment and food was rolled out as if for royalty. That night those who would fight filled themselves with a year's worth of revelarly while those who could not continued their labour through the darkest of night and into the early morning.
When Jack awoke amongst his men, he discovered the hellish pain of a hangover first. And his wrists clasped in shackles second.