"BOOOMMM!"
Harnio looked around at the smoke and dust and started coughing.
"Harnio! Are you okay?"
He opened the door and stepped out of his room. He looked up and saw the blacksmith looking at him with a worried face.
"Cough… Cough…" He waved his hand. "I'm... cough... fine. Just an experiment I was working was stronger than I expected… Cough..."
"You're covered in dust. Go clean yourself up. There is someone here who wants to talk to you. They're also from the tower as well. He said his names was Eiken or something."
Harnio nodded, "I'll clean up after I've seen him…"
He walked with the blacksmith and stood in front of Eiken while bowing. "Hello professor."
"What happened to you apprentice?"
"Just working on an experiment. It blew up in my face."
Harnio looked around the smith scratching his arm. "It was a lot stronger than I thought it would be."
"As long as you're not in danger than I approve… Have you thought about what we talked about before?"
Harnio shook his head. "I've been busy here. There has been a lot of things to do. So, I haven't had much time to think about it."
He looked at his feet and sighed. "Professor you know I don't want to do that… There is too much to learn and read."
"Yes, yes… I hope that eventually you'll change your mind… Since this is your home and all. Also, those students who were hurting you, they've been punished for destroying library books… Destruction of knowledge is such a terrible crime here."
Harnio nodded and stared at the scroll in Eiken's hand. "I'm sure you didn't come here just to tell me that professor. What task do you have for me?"
"Hohohohoho. Observant as always. This is a special request for you… No one else in this tower could do it except for you. It comes from special clients."
He watched as Eiken placed it on the design table. Harnio walked up to it and sat down unfurling it reading the request with a smile on his face.
"This is an interesting task…"
"What do they request? I haven't opened it myself…"
Harnio turned and looked confused at the feet of Eiken. "You never opened it? Why? You said it's from a special client. That doesn't make sense…"
"The request is to be sent to an artificer… Hence, it's in your hands. You've got that ability, also you seem to have understood the language of the ancients."
Harnio lowered his head hiding his red face and turned to look back at the scroll. He turned and looked at the blacksmith. "Brother come look…"
"Brother?"
"Yes… That's right. I'm his brother, and I've helped him through a lot of trouble… What is it brother?"
Harnio pointed to the scroll. "They're asking for a thin material that allows for energy to pass through, but doesn't allow it to escape…"
Harnio sat back in thought. "Thin material… It has to be strong, if not strong then it will just burn when we add an essence to it…"
"It sounds like we need to get the tailors to make something special."
"Yes… The tailors wouldn't have anything on hand that we need… So, we'll have to find the materials for them so they can make the material."
"Cough… Cough…"
Harnio turned and looked at Eiken's belt. "Do you want some water professor?"
"Hahahaha. I'm not used to be ignored. So, I take it that you're accepting this request?"
Harnio looked at the blacksmith's hands and nodded. "Yes. We'll take it. Just thinking about what the material could be made of…"
"For that I may have a solution… But also, it's quite dangerous to get it."
"What do you suggest?"
Harnio turned and looked at Eiken's hand as it pointed to the ceiling.
"The roof… How could the roof be made into material?"
"Hahahaha… No, I don't mean the roof. I mean above the roof."
"You want us to go there? You know how dangerous it is up there. You can see it from the tower how bad it is…"
Harnio looked at the request and his eyes started shinning. "The surface… The grasses. I'm sure the material could be made from those grass fibers."
"Look what you've done professor… When he's like this, he'll ignore everything until he's completed the task. So, since you suggested the idea how do you suggest we get up there?"
"Hohohoho blacksmith, I'm sure you already know the way up there…"
"Apprentice, I must attend some meetings with other professors. They're wanting to think of some ways to bribe you to become a professor… Ahhh, youth…"
Harnio turned and saw the back of the professor walk out of the smith.
"Ahh apprentice… Before I forget, did you finish reading through that book I gave you?"
"Yes professor… It's very interesting."
"Did you read the part about the tower?"
Harnio nodded. "Yes, professor I also read that section. It's a pity that no one has gone to the top. So, it's not sure if it's true or not."
"Since you're getting some grasses. I'm sure you can find out."
Harnio stopped looking at the parchment and started to look at the ceiling, his eyes lost in thought.
"If I'm going up there, I could find out…"
"Don't be stupid… You know how dangerous it is up there. The grass is acceptable, but climbing the tower from the outside… That's an instant death sentence. I won't help you in that."
Harnio smiled and nodded. "Who said anything about climbing…?"
"So how are you thinking about getting up the tower?"
"We're going to use the wind to push us up…"
"You mean you're going to fly?"
Harnio shook his head and pulled out a piece of parchment and started to draw. "We're going to catch the wind and let it pull us up."
"Ohh no… Not me as well… I have a family and need to be in one piece so I can look after them."
Harnio sighed and nodded. "I understand, but also I know I can't do this without you brother… I'll make sure that our protection will keep us safe from the winds… Please come."
"Fine… You design the protection and I'll forge it with your help… But if I see the protection isn't sufficient, I won't go…"
Harnio smiled and looked at the blacksmith.
"Thank you… When it comes to the wind, we'll be safe."
He lowered his face as he felt it heat up and looked at the blank parchment.
"You… looked at me. That's a first… I trust you brother. Let's forge it and I'll leave the inscriptions to you."
Harnio nodded. "Also I'll design the wind lifting elevator… What do you think of the name?"
"Hahaha… That name is terrible… How about wind catcher?"
Harnio nodded. "Fine… Wind catcher it is… It seems my names are still not good enough yet."
Harnio started drawing on the parchment and mumbled to himself.
"Hey… Harnio… Harnio!"
Harnio looked up and rubbed his bloodshot eyes yawning. "What is it? I've almost finished."
"You've been designing for the past three days. Come eat."
Harnio looked around and at his still dirty clothes and sighed. "It happened again… I need to learn how to control it."
"Control what? Just go clean up and come eat. I've got some people to introduce to you, but you really do need to bathe… You stink."
Harnio stood up and sighed as he walked towards his room at the back of the forge.
"It seems when I concentrate on something it happens, but not every time… Is it me or something about me?"
He took his clothes off and threw them in a pile and turned on the water battery to bathe himself. "There has to be a way to control it…"
He cleaned himself and dressed in fresh robes and left with a look on his face. "I wonder who he wants me to meet?"
He walked into the forge and stopped as he saw a woman standing next to the blacksmith and a young woman. He lowered his head and took a step back.
"Harnio… wait. These are the people I want you to meet."
Harnio stopped moving and kept his head down and scratched his arms nervously.
"This here is my wife, and the little one is my daughter…"
Harnio nodded and quickly raised his hand then lowered it. He felt his face turning red and started to breathe heavily.
"He's a little uncomfortable around new people… But he is a good person. He calls me brother."
He scratched his ear."I… I… shouuuldddkeeeppppworrkkkingg…"
"Child… I understand. It is nice to meet you. I've wanted to meet you for a long time and say thank you… You've helped our family a lot recently. So, thank you… We all appreciate it Harnio…"
Harnio felt a tear form and fall down his cheek. "I III did ittt to learnnnn. Blacksmithhhhisssmyyybrooothhherrr."
"I know you won't join us to eat, but there is a plate of food on the table there for you already… Please tell your brother if you enjoyed it… If he is your brother, then you can call me sister, okay?"
Harnio nodded and smiled. He walked slowly around them and sat at the design table looking at the plate of food.
He kept his back to them as they sat together and ate. He wiped the tears on his face with his sleeve and smiled eating.
He looked at the design and a determined look came on his face.
"I must make it so he comes back in one piece… It needs to be stronger and safer for him."
He picked up a pen with the other hand while he ate he drew the design, while chewing and talking to himself. He looked down at his plate and turned around looking around the forge.
"Thhankkk…"
"Where did they go?"
"They left ages ago Harnio… They called out to you, but you mustn't have heard them. Did you like the food?"
Harnio nodded. "It was very delicious… Also, the design is finished… Have a look I'm sure you'll want to come as well when you see what I've done."
He looked at the blacksmith's feet as they walked over and stopped at the table. "This design is very good… There's no way that we'll get hurt if we're wearing this. What's the inscriptions?"
Harnio looked at the design. "They are for a wind wall type of defense. The wind will hit the wall and power the wall. So there is no need for extra batterys."
"That's a great idea brother. What about the wind catcher?"
Harnio pulled out another design and slid it over to the blacksmith. "Wow… I like this… I'm so coming to the surface with you… We should be able to get a lot of grass as the same time as going to the top of the tower."
Harnio nodded and smiled. He stood up and put on his apron. "Let's get to work then. We have a lot to do."