Retro-Dragon Presents- Flycoren: Kausim

He had to find out where he got this wealth of knowledge, and pursue it further. He needed to know more about this sword.
“Wyllow,” His thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Roris. “Why don’t you grab a seat and tell me about your travels. I missed your company; an old man such as myself doesn’t have much interesting to talk about, and I’m sure Khondis hasn’t had a decent conversation in some time.” Khondis almost choked as Roris continued to speak. What was he doing? Wyllow was one of the last people he wanted to talk with; she wasn’t the one who knew anything about Tondris.
“I’m sure he would like to know the reason behind this schematic and why it got you in a heap of trouble.” Roris smirked at Wyllow.

Hearing her master ask her to come and sit down, she was more than happy to oblige him. Though the subject matter only made her raise concern. Wasn’t it Roris that told her to keep her tongue in her head about the papers in the first place? Why did he not seem to mind Khondis hearing it?
She shrugged assuming it was no longer a worry since it had been in Roris’ hands now and they were at home.
Pulling the chair out to drag it against the wooden grain of the floor, she sat down happily as a student eager for learning as she smiled just about as childishly.
Tapping a index finger to the side of her face, she decided to keep a side view on Khondis just in case he had some sort of mean streak to arrive while she as talking, but mostly she was facing Roris.
“Most schematics for blacksmithing are kept up in the keeps of the Temples of Casbael but most are just generic everyday weapons; nothing to really sort around in the dust for. But this one,” she gingerly took up the papers from Roris as he ate as she unfolded it to look at it with a heightened glee. “This schematic, this one right here is a link to one of the very few remaining evolution blades. Even in the history books there have only been five documented and in current day, three exist.”
“Who possesses them?” Roris asked between mouthfuls.
“Temper Kross owns the holy blade Serenius, the bastard sword of hell – Blazen Hell is in the possession of the mother of Casbael Mistress Scarlet. And the White Dragon, the ethereal daggers belongs to the Guardian of Vena, Mistress Hunter.” She responded easily, she had been taught that much at an earlier age. “But unlike all those ones, this schematic is a design to create an entirely new weapon. Any make. It could be a sword, dagger, lancet, you name it.” She tapped her fingers against the paper, “This schematic is unbound by the laws of creation. As long as you can mold the blade of a weapon you can create an evolution blade.”
“And why did it cause you so much trouble?” Roris enquired.
“Due to some of the elements required to create the relic weapons.” She retorted but noticed how Roris rolled his hand for her to continue. “Obsidian is a rare ore, not many blades contain the material, but you also need the ability of a priest and an alchemist to balance the weapon and finally…” she side glanced Khondis, “You need Aurail’s Scale.”
Roris smirked as he leaned in on the table, “Aurial’s scale is neither a metal nor an ore of any kind.” He spoke to Khondis, “And it is only grown in two places as it is a plant, Wyllow?”
She thumbed her bottom lip for a moment, “Priestess Walker, mother of the current Darkian is one place and the second place is… in Windin’ inside the tower of the keepers and no one has ever entered the tower. But the thing is with the schematic… it teaches us with the use of a priest and an alchemist that we can create a fake element of the Aurail Scale. That is why the schematic is high worth, to create an evolving weapon and a potent toxic element is of higher worth than Casbael itself.”

Khondis found himself raising an eyebrow to all of this information. And to be frank, it went over his head. These evolving weapons seemed interesting though. If people such as the Leader of Casbael, Scarlet kept these weapons from public reach, there was something special about them. What had made his ears perk was when Wyllow had mentioned Obsidian, when Roris had spoke of his sword being made of the very same ore just a few minutes prior. Khondis wasn’t fully sure what he was getting at with divulging this information, and even more so, the fact that he knew of Khondis and his past, and to trust him with this information. There was no denying he was up to something.
“Thank you Wyllow, I do believe that is enough information. I don’t like to brag, but I’ve taught you well.” He smiled warmly at the girl. Khondis just rolled his eyes. Pushing his bowl away, he had eaten just over half of it. All the talk about Casbael had made him lose his appetite.
“If you got that schematic from… Casbael, then…” Khondis folded his arms as Roris nodded lightly. That explained why he was a rich Blacksmith, Casbael had been funding him and his projects. Silence grew over the room.
Finally Khondis murmured. “I am weary, where am I sleeping?” He didn’t look up at either of the two who sat with him. He did not like finding out that they were involved with Casbael in any way, or the way that Roris linked his sword to Casbael. It did not bode well in the least. He needed time to think, even if that meant sacrificing his entire night sleep to find that solution.

She would only beam when Roris complimented himself for teaching her as she knew he was seriously right. He had been an utter amazing teacher on many subjects.
Seeing out Khondis pushed away the bowl, it only made her wonder. Wasn’t he the one looking for a meal not even a little bit ago… was that a sign that he thought what she had made was terrible. She tried not to think too hard on it, but it was still a bit agitating.
Ears flicked as she felt the slight nudge of Roris when Khondis made mention he was weary, only implying that she was too see to him.
“Out?” she asked. Roris nodded as he knitted his hands into one another and rested his elbows on the table before him. The deep intricate eyes were looking over Khondis with a glinting amusement as his hands hid the slight smile on his lips. She didn’t know what he was thinking but the way he was so silent only made her curiosity grow in leaps and bounds.
Pushing her chair against the evident ruts in the floor, she wouldn’t bother with their bowls as she figured the sooner she set up the bedding for Khondis the better, his ill tongue already painfully evident.
Stepping around Roris with a sucking in of herself, she slid around until she was free to step out of the still open door to the forge. The blacksmith itself was three fourths the house, but there was a small side room in the hot work area that would keep Khondis for the night.
Side stepping into the small room -only big enough for one person at a time and still, one had to duck – she seen the hay bundles all clean and crisp sitting there.
Thumbing her lip, she would disappear for a fleeting moment to return with a small pocket knife to cut the twine off the bales, letting them fall in sections to away from one another; almost as they were very poorly made dominoes.
Tucking the knife in the seam of her pants, she began to gather and rustle up the hay until it was like a chickens nest. It reached all three walls and licked the door of the small room. It was sad really that it did look like a one room one chicken coop, but she knew it was better than sleeping outside.
Ceasing her brow with a wrinkle of her nose, she knew she had better be hospitable to Khondis even if he was being an ignorant man from the very start. She wanted to make him sleep just on the hay itself, being prodded and poked in every spot on his body but already she could hear Roris scolding her for her ill manners.
Letting out the heavy annoyed sigh, she would wander her way back inside to the men not sure if they had been talking or not, upstairs to her own small room to retrieve a soft cotton sheet to lie over the hay.
Scooting back down the stairs, past Roris and Khondis to step back outside it would only take a moment of sorting the sheet over the pile of straw before she stepped into the frame of the door and combed back her bangs. A small part of her hoped Khondis hated it and hit his head on the roof with how tall he was. She barely cleared it.
Stepping backwards out of the door frame, she turned her gaze up to the open door to see Roris’ back. “It is ready.” She called back to them.

As Wyllow disappeared around the corner, Khondis knitted his eyebrows together as he studied the wood grain of the table. “Why did you make her tell me that, despite you knowing who I am…?” Khondis almost whispered.
“Let’s just call it, food for thought.” Roris smirked under his moustache.
“Don’t talk in riddles damnit.” Khondis found himself losing patience. “My sword is linked to Casbael, and you know full well what it’s capable of.” Khondis grunted at Roris.
“That’s not particularly true. I know not the power it hides, and it isn’t an evolving blade like the potential one we hold. Wyllow did not tell you the full story of that Schematic, but you know enough that its potential is far greater than that of the currently existing weapons. It would be a legendary weapon with unprecedented power.
“However we are faced with a very similar plight to that of you and your weapon. We know very little of it, and what it is capable of. We only know of the articles required to make it, and even more importantly where and how to get them. No one else in the world has that knowledge.” Roris leaned forward with his pointer finger placed firmly on the piece of paper.
“What’s your game? Because quite frankly, I’m not amused; I don’t like being played. Not many people can get away with catching me off guard as you have, I’ll admit, but if you think for a moment that I’m going to even have anything to do with Casbael, you are sourly mistaken.” Khondis stood up angrily, clasping his sword. Roris just seemed to glance up at him lazily.
“It is Ready,” Wyllow’s voice echoed through the small dining area. Roris’ head nodded towards the door.
“Sounds like your quarters are ready. That is, if you still hang onto the hope of finding out what your sword Tondris holds. Otherwise, feel free to walk out of here. But I assure you, this will be the closest you’ll ever get without having to walk right through Casbael’s gates to get the information you seek. Have a good night.” Roris stood up and disappeared out of sight. Khondis really didn’t care where he had gone off to, he was just glad to have him out of his sight. Feeling overly bitter at the inevitable defeat with logic, he could stand being around people anymore for the day.
Stepping down in the dirt floor of the Blacksmith he looked towards the female figure cast in shadows. Observing what looked to be a well wrapped meal for a horse in a closet he only looked up at Wyllow with distaste.
“A hay stack with a sheet on it?… No, you know what, that is fine- leave now.” Khondis pointed towards the door into the house.
“Actually, you know what. I am amiss. I need a glass of water first.” Khondis scratched the top of his head as he flopped onto the pile of hay, flipping off his boots.

She was waiting for something from him about the hay, but nothing honestly came. Other than him being bossy and frustrating her.
Giving a dismissive wave of her hand to the idea of leaving, she was certainly more than happy too. There was no drive or desire to stay even in the closest proximity to the sour man.
Though it would seem sweet freedom was nothing but a ploy. Turning her eye over her shoulder to see him flipping off his boots, she clicked her tongue. Tucking her fist to her hips, she trudged back towards him as she leaned forward – nearly in half; the key around her neck falling forward as she glowered at the man.
“You need a glass of water, well from what I can see sir.” She wrinkled her nose at him, “You have two hands, two legs and a heart beat. You can get your own and plus,” she stuck her tongue out at him. “I am not your maid. Just because you are snotty and ill with your words means nothing to me.” She gave a pointed finger at him, “You are just a cranky bitter man and I will not have a moment more of it.”
She flicked up her nose as she turned sharply on her feet to whirl around towards the door. “Good night sir.”
Okay perhaps she should have just bitten her tongue with Khondis, but he was only proving to be rude on all levels. Even if he said please, she would have gotten it… maybe. But no she was tired from her travels which translated over to her not wanting to play hand helper tonight. She only obeyed Roris because he was her master, this Khondis fellow wasn’t getting anything else from her. He had a meal, had a bed, he was better off than he could be in her mind.

“Wow, someone has hit their moon cycles at an early age…” Khondis mumbled as Wyllow had stormed away. Rolling his eyes he turned on his side and rested his head. Feeling his armor creak and groan, he decided he would rather sleep without his armor tonight. Loosening his belt he unlatched the side of the armor until they fell loose. The forges kept the cramped little room very warm. It wasn’t going to be a very comfortable sleep, he couldn’t even lie straight; he had to be curled into a fetal position.
But at least without his armor on, he may get a few hours. He would much rather leave before the other two awoke, even if he was troubled by Roris and what he had told him. Who did he think he was? He probably made up everything just to get a good riot out of it. Well, it worked, that was for sure. Khondis was usually good at keeping a level head, but so much information so fast left his head swimming with questions.
Casbael… Why did they have to have a hand in everything? Anything worth its weight in gold was owned by Casbael, that or they protected it. They were so fearful of the world that they kept everything from it. Afraid to know what the world could be if left to its own devices. It had become a world based on what they said was the right thing to do, and everyone had grown divine interest in them ever since they had brought peace over the lands sixteen years ago. But the world was still far from pure. Rogues, thieves, and unruly lords still plagued the lands, waiting for their turn to step against the Casbael law.
Casbael hadn’t saved him when he had been cast into the shadows five years prior, and they certainly weren’t there today when he saved the misfit girl Wyllow. What a strange girl. How could Roris even stand being around her for more then a few brief minutes, and on top of that, what did he see in her? To take her in as an apprentice, either he pitied her so greatly that he felt obligated to do so, or there was something more to the blonde girl. She did seem overly obsessive over weapons and other such forged goods, maybe somewhere deep in the depths of her lay at least one useful bone in her body.
Either way, she was more annoying than helpful to him. Both of them were more trouble then they were worth. He could already smell his hide burning if he were to ask for help now. He had been doing just fine for years now, he wasn’t about to change his ways over someone claiming to help him get what he wanted. How did he even know what he truly wanted? He couldn’t know, not in the least.
“Damnit…” Khondis huffed as he turned over. As he lay in the silence he heard a knock on the front door, and a muffled “Open Up!” Khondis could hear a group of men chattering in an angry tone outside. “We know you’re keeping the monster in there, open up old man!” Khondis sighed and sat up. ‘What now?’ He thought.
The loud metal latch opened as he heard Roris pipe up, “What is the meaning of this, do you know not the hour?” He sounded less than pleased. Khondis peaked around the corner through the Blacksmith towards the front door. Still bare-chested he held his sword in hand.
“Give up the boy; he’s under arrest for the murder of three citizens today.” Khondis grit his teeth. Those bastards were about to make the tally go much higher than that if they pissed him off any more.

She hadn’t even been able to get in her own bed when the knock at the door came, though she would hardly call it a knock. Much rather a blunt slamming of ones fist!
Opening the door to her room to see Master Roris trudging down the stairs, she couldn’t help but wonder what was going on.
Having stripped herself down to the bare minimal of a closely fit shirt and the cloth shorts, she crept out of her room and down the stairs to see the burly man standing in the doorway of the house. Her ears shot high as she heard them demanding the boy which she already knew meant the foul tempered Khondis. “Three people are dead?” she muttered beneath her breath as she placed her bare feet on the worn floor to step out fully.