A little while later, Damian left the medical centre on his own, moving back into his family mansion. Lilith had stayed behind, somewhat reluctantly, as Theon had convinced her to let him teach while he treated Lyra and Hans.
Despite her unwillingness to become a doctor, Lilith was always hungry for knowledge to feed her intelligence. It was a hunger that, occasionally, even overshadowed her obsession with Damian.
Now, it was time for Damian to meet the fifth and final person he needed to see today: Ylva Stoneforge.
Making his way down the basement of his home, he entered a large hall filled with strange equipment, a large number of workbenches, and something akin to a forge. Here, he found Ylva. Bent over one of these benches, she was absorbed in the process of inspecting a large wad of papers filled with strange drawings.
Ylva was short, perhaps half Damian's size. Her body, lean and powerful, carried an unexpected allure. In fact, Damian considered her quite beautiful. Her brown hair fell down her back in two long, decorated braids, practical enough to keep out of her way while she worked. She wore something akin to an ornate robe, clinging somewhat to her surprisingly slender body.
This woman was one of the few non-Bloodkin living on the Moroi estate, and deeply respected by them. She was not only a personal friend of Lavinia, but also one of the top catalyst crafters in the city.
"Quiet down, boy," her calm, sonorous voice vibrated through the air as soon as Damian entered the hall, despite not having said anything yet. "I'm trying to focus here."
Nodding, Damian simply took a seat on a nearby chair, and decided to watch the master craftswoman work. His eyes devoured her form hungrily. To be honest, he'd always admired Ylva. Beautiful and talented, what was not to like?
Unfortunately, there was one problem…
"Careful, boy," her voice sounded again, now with a hint of amusement. "Don't let my husband catch you looking at me like that. He might just decide to teach you a lesson."
Damian, not surprised that she found him out despite still standing with her back towards him, grinned confidently. "And how's he going to do that to a dead man, Ylva? Or are you telling me he's been let in on the secret?"
"Hmpf, of course not," Ylva snorted, waving her hand dismissively, still bent over the table. "That good for nothing would spill to the first person offering him a drink."
"And yet, you remain with him," Damian sighed dramatically. "I'd take good care of you, you know?"
"Hehehe," Ylva chuckled with a hint of ridicule. "Don't make me laugh, boy. You can't even take care of yourself right now."
Damian's eyebrow twitched slightly. "Harsh but fair as always, beautiful Ylva." Recovering quickly, he shook his head with a renewed smirk. "Just give me a few years, alright?"
"Think that's gonna matter?" she asked with amusement, clearly not taking his words seriously. "Amberkin don't break commitments, boy. You know this."
Parting his lips, Damian was about to counter, but Ylva quickly shut him down. "And we don't cheat, either!"
Immediately, Damian groaned helplessly and rolled his eyes. "Right…"
As an Amberkin, Ylva belonged to one of the more rigid Eldkin types. Honour, commitment, and tradition were the usual hallmarks of Amberkin society. This mindset made them one of the hardest kintypes to corrupt. Even if they were still easy to manipulate, it was often hard to get them to do exactly what you wanted.
Yet, the reason she worked for the Moroi, and not the ruling Amberkin clan of Eryndor, was because she didn't belong to it. The Firehammers ruled the Amberkin of Eryndor, and when Ylva began to show her talent in catalyst crafting, a small group of them ruthlessly suppressed her.
So, when Lavinia came to her with an offer of support and friendship, it was gladly accepted. By the time the Firehammer at large realized what they'd lost, it was already too late. Ylva had made commitments to Lavinia, and like most Amberkin, she wasn't going to break them.
Ylva chuckled at Damian's frustration, and then, with a sigh, she dumped the papers she was holding on the table in front of her. "Anyway, I've clearly already lost my focus."
She beckoned Damian over. "Come here, then, boy. Lala has already told me what needs to happen, so let's see what we're dealing with here."
Smirking slightly at Ylva's nickname for his mother, Damian stood up from his chair and walked over to her. On the way, he took out his catalyst, Nox Aeternum, and twirled it in his hands with a gentle smile.
"Here you go," he said, handing her the sword, hilt first.
Nodding, Ylva took the sword almost reverently. Holding it in both hands, she channelled her myst through it and sighed, admiration sparkling in her eyes. "It's truly a masterpiece. I don't know where this Marcus character got this thing, but this would be a once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece for me."
"For now, maybe," Damian smiled, the picture of charm. "But I'm sure your craft still has several ceilings to break."
Smirking, Ylva glanced at him with amusement. "Flaterrer…"
"Is flattering a different word for speaking the truth?" Damian blinked innocently, cocking his head.
"Yeah, yeah, that's enough now. You don't need to convince me to do this, you know?" she finally waved her hand, despite the small smile playing on her lips. "To be honest, I'm looking forward to creating the first catalyst, specifically designed for a new type of Eldkin."
She held up the sword to eye height, carefully inspecting it, "And with this thing as a basis, I think it might be my best work yet…"
But then, groaning, she lowered it a little again. "At least, assuming you people would give me the time I need rather than trying to hurry me."
Damian shook his head with a wry smirk, "Sorry, Ylva. I need to leave in a week. There's no postponing it. Can you do it? The Moonkin parts of my new genome have been making it harder to channel myst…"
"Of course I can do it!" she immediately scoffed, as if offended. "It just won't be as good as it could be!"
"Anyway," she continued, now shooing her hand in his direction. "Break your bond with it before you leave, and come back in a day, alright? I'll need you to spend most of your time here this week, so I can properly calibrate it to you and your… whatever type you are now."
Chuckling, Damian nodded and quickly broke the bond with his catalyst. It felt a little uncomfortable, but nothing truly painful. It felt like he'd lost a part of himself, but he knew he'd get it back better than ever.
Yet, before he left, there was one more thing he needed. "Before I go, Ylva, could I borrow a regular Bloodkin catalyst for today? I need to take care of something, and need my ability to channel myst…"
Looking up from her work, Ylva raised an eyebrow. "Does Lala know about this… something?"
Damian offered a wry smile but stayed silent. It wasn't that his mother would disapprove if she knew—she'd simply insist on finding another way. Yet, any alternative would mean involving a third party, and that would risk the secret of his survival slipping out.
For a moment, silence fell as Ylva narrowed her eyes at him.
"Fine," she finally scoffed a chuckle. "But be back in two hours, or I'm informing her."