Monica woke the next day to find Von had finally made it to bed. She looked over at him and noticed his face was red and his hair singed. Even what she could see of his arms had taken on a red hue as though he had stood in the sun too long. Something else seemed a little off about him as well, but she couldn't quite place it.
She continued to examine him as he slept and finally decided it was his arms. They seemed different. Were they a little more muscular than she remembered, or maybe it was just the redness playing tricks on her mind, or perhaps the light from the fireplace giving everything a red glare and she just hadn't paid enough attention.
No matter what it was, in the long run she guessed it didn't matter. Still, it bothered her to have not noticed something about her best friend. She continued to watch his sleeping form. Frowning slightly, she leaned closer, trying to discern what was different.
Then, it struck her. Von's arms seemed to emit a faint, ethereal glow, almost as if they were infused with some kind of magical energy. The soft light danced across his skin, casting gentle shadows in the dimly lit room.
Curiosity piqued, Monica reached out to touch Von's arm, her fingertips tingling as they made contact with his skin. She could feel a strange warmth emanating from his arms, a sensation that sent a shiver down her spine.
With a furrowed brow, Monica pondered the significance of this newfound phenomenon. Had Von somehow unlocked a latent magical ability during his training with Master Oren? Or was this merely a side effect of his prolonged exposure to the intense heat of the forge?
Whatever the case, Monica knew she would have to wait until Von woke to discuss it further. While she waited for him to wake, she visited the necessary room before returning to clean herself in the wash basin. She felt it was still odd for Von to sleep in past when she was awake. Smithing must be a lot more work than she suspected. When she watched the two in Milltown, everything seemed to go quickly and easily.
As Monica finished cleaning up, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the back of her mind. Von's prolonged sleep seemed unusual, especially considering his typically early rising habits. Yet, this was the second day he slept after she was already awake. Perhaps the exertion of his intense training with Master Oren had taken a greater toll on him than she realized.
With a sigh, Monica decided to give Von a little more time to rest before gently rousing him from his slumber. She busied herself with tidying up their shared room, arranging their belongings and ensuring everything was in its proper place.
As she worked, Monica's thoughts drifted back to their time in Milltown and the carefree days they had spent together. It seemed like a lifetime ago now, before they were thrust into the world of magic and mystery. Yet, despite the challenges they faced, Monica couldn't deny the sense of excitement that tingled in her veins at the prospect of uncovering new secrets and mastering her powers.
Lost in her thoughts, Monica didn't notice the subtle shift in the air until she heard a soft groan from the bed behind her. Turning around, she saw Von stirring awake, his eyes blinking blearily as he adjusted to the dim light of the room.
"Good morning, Von," Monica greeted him with a warm smile. "Sleep well?"
Von rubbed his eyes and yawned before sitting up in bed, his gaze lingering on Monica for a moment before he replied, "Morning, Mon. Yeah, I think I did. Must've been more tired than I thought."
Monica nodded, though the concern in her eyes didn't escape Von's notice. Sensing her worry, he reached out to gently squeeze her hand, offering her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry about me, Mon," he said softly. "I'm tougher than I look. Besides, I've got you watching my back, right?"
Monica returned his smile, grateful for his attempt to alleviate her concerns. With Von awake and seemingly no worse for wear, she pushed aside her worries for the time being, focusing instead on the tasks they had ahead of them.
She continued to flit about the room while Von used the necessary room and cleaned off. Looking over, she saw his chest and back also seemed different. 'Was he always so muscular?' she thought. She was certain he was always small for their age, but lately, he seemed to have hit some sort of growth spurt ahead of her.
'Oh well,' she pondered. If he gets stronger, he won't be picked on as much in Marsgate as he was in Milltown. She didn't mind being his protector, but knowing how boys were, at least to some extent, they seemed to be happier when they were protecting the girl; not the other way around. Some of the other boys even made fun of Von in the past because she defended him.
This was probably for the best, since he would also feel better about himself if he looked stronger, even more so if he really was stronger. He finished scrubbing himself down with the washcloth and put his clothes on. The extra outfits were already coming in handy.
Once dressed, they went downstairs for breakfast before heading out to their respective lessons. As they enjoyed their breakfast, Von and Monica eagerly exchanged stories of their experiences from the previous day. Von recounted the intricate process of metallomancy he had learned from Master Oren, describing in detail how he had melted down beast cores and forged them into magical weapons under the watchful eye of the master blacksmith.
Monica listened intently; her curiosity piqued by Von's description of his training. She marveled at the idea of using magic to shape metal, imagining the skill and precision it must require creating such intricate weapons. It was a stark reminder of the vast array of magical disciplines existing beyond her own area of expertise in luck and chaos magic.
In turn, Monica shared her own experiences from her training session with Mistress Hellyne, describing the challenges she had faced in harnessing the unpredictable forces of luck and chaos. She spoke of the exhilarating rush she felt when she managed to successfully control a surge of chaotic energy, as well as the frustrations of dealing with its unpredictable nature.
As they talked, Von couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Monica's determination and resilience in mastering her unique magical abilities. Despite the inherent dangers of luck and chaos magic, she faced each challenge head-on with unwavering courage, a trait that Von had always admired in her.
With their breakfast finished and their minds buzzing with excitement for the day ahead, Von and Monica bid told the innkeeper they would see him later and made their way out into the bustling streets of Sungrove. They walked side by side, their conversation flowing effortlessly as they made their way to their respective lessons, eager to continue their journey of discovery and growth in the magical arts.
Stopping at the Bladesteel Forge, Monica told Von she would meet him for dinner and not to spend so much time in the smithy today. Von hugged her with a reminder to not let any more ice demons escape. He might not be there to help her, and her instructor, escape this time. They laughed.
Looking back, it was a fortuitous for Von to have decided to enter the cavern just in time to lure the demon away during their encounter, but she hoped to never have to deal with something like it ever again. She returned his hug and swatted him playfully before dashing down the cobblestones heading to the academy and her next lesson from Hellyne. 'Too bad I don't pick up magic as fast as he does,' she thought, as she made her way to the academy.
Master Oren opened the door to the shop just as Von was preparing to knock. "Good morning to you, Von. I wasn't sure I would see you this morning after you stayed so late last night."
The boy despite looking tired felt elated to be there. "I have to finish what I started. The sword and dagger are so close to being done, and I want to show you and me that I can do it." He paused for a second, "Not only that, but you are going to teach me how to forge armors today and explain the differences."
"That I shall, Von. First," he said as he motioned the boy into the forge area, "you have to complete that ugly sword of yours." He followed in behind Von and looked at the green blade with the green grip and yellow cross guard. Shaking his head, he asked, "Do you know what it will do yet, or are you leaving it to chance?"
"Huh?" responded the boy. "What do you mean, leaving it to chance? Aren't the powers imbued by the cores?"
"The beasts the hearts come from give us an idea of what it might do, but unless you coaxed the specific form during the forging process in order to imbued it with your specific desire, it may randomly choose among all the possibilities. For example, on your sword, swamp dragons possess strength and endurance surpassing that of other creatures, to allow them to navigate the dense terrain of their swampy homes with ease. This can be imbued into the weapon. However, as inhabitants of swamps, some swamp dragons have a special affinity for plant life, with the ability to manipulate or control it to their advantage causing the plants to grow rapidly, entangle enemies, or create obstacles."
Von looked puzzled. He had only thought the swamp dragons were strong. He didn't know they could control plant growth. He started to say as much, but Oren continued.
"Given their habitat, swamp dragons have been known to control or summon mists to obscure their movements or confuse adversaries or control weather patterns within their domain, allowing them to summon storms or clear skies at will. Any of these abilities could be obtained from a swamp dragon core. Sometimes, you could even coax two abilities out of it, like strength and endurance plus plant control. This is usually what I try to do."
"Isn't that really three abilities? Strength, endurance, and plant control?" Von asked.
"I supposed you're right. I just hadn't thought of it like that before."
"So, what are you going to try to gain from it? It will take a lot more effort since you didn't choose it during the forging process."