Daiden slowly swiped at the air, forming his Mioveroldian Page from start to finish. He held the page at its bottom and carefully flipped it towards Zane Morgul. The latter cleared an itch from his throat and tugged at the page. He inspected the edges, and then quietly the quality of aeter. With a huff, he touched the front of the page and forced the emergence of Daiden’s information. He read it once, and then once more. His eyes narrowed when confronted with an abundance of what could only be described as strangeness.
[[Class: Takshaka’s Descendant (Normal)You have inherited the will and story of a mythical being. But you are insignificant without accomplishments. Build your accomplishments and grow into a myth. Ehedus will reward you based on the epic you write.
You are mildly resistant to abnormalities. You are slowly becoming one with the sword.
—
Aeter Form: Takshakan Swordsmanship (Sword Aeter)] [Jade Serpent’s Breath] [Verse One of Takshakan Swordsmanship] [Currency: 1,000 Bloodstones]]
The Lord of Fire sighed, scratched his beard, and retreated from Daiden. With a simple gesture, he instructed the soldiers at the gate to clear Daiden for entry into Mutuba Village. Zane frowned, calmed and then requested for the Awakened to follow.
“Thank you for putting your trust in me,” said Zane, appreciatively. “Some might call you lucky for drawing a named weapon from the garbage heap that is the world in between, but I know better. Nonetheless, there’s no denying the luck of nature. Don’t let it get to your head.”
Daiden noticed the Lord of Fire jump from one thought to the other. It tempted him to equate the blacksmith to a rambling, senile old man. But he refrained from making an opinion. He could see it, traces of an orange, translucent aura, resembling the intensity of a wrathful flame.
“Yes, there is one other thing that bothers me,” said Zane, suddenly. He stopped his feet and turned, reflecting a fierce gaze. “Your Mioveroldian Page, it’s not very clean.”
Daiden stiffened in bewilderment. “What?”
“It’s too disorganized!” clarified Zane. “You do know that you can arrange your information in a cleaner format, yes? Well?”
“I’m sorry!” apologized Daiden, without protest. He hurriedly traced the structure of the page and flipped it over to Zane; with a bow, he requested aid from the Lord of Fire. “I’m a bit of an idiot when it comes to organization. Could you kindly educate me?”
“Not kindly!” huffed Zane.
“This man…he’s quite the character, isn’t he?”
Daiden observed Zane poke into his Mioveroldian Page. He watched with interest, as the corners stirred, shifting in aeter form and colour. It absorbed from the Lord of Fire, a thick orange flame. Zane eased from his trance in that moment, shedding away from his apparent senility. Daiden clenched his teeth at the sight, tense from anticipation.
“Well, what do you think?” asked Zane, dissipating the Mioveroldian page in from of him.
With a gentle swipe, Daiden restored the page and glanced through the information in its updated form.
[[Currency: 800 Bloodstones
Deity: Ehedus
Citizenship: Godvildian
Rank: (Unclassified)
Race: (Sealed)
Blacksmith Bond: Zane Morgul (Vulcan) | Monthly Fee: 200 Bloodstones
—
Class: Takshaka’s Descendant (Normal)
You have inherited the will and story of a mythical being. But you are insignificant without accomplishments. Build your accomplishments and grow into a myth. Ehedus will reward you based on the epic you write.
You are mildly resistant to abnormalities. You are slowly becoming one with the sword.
—
Specialization: Takshakan Swordsmanship (Sword Aeter)
Jade Serpent’s Breath. Verses of Takshakan Swordsmanship (1/7).
Class Items: Book of Dancers (Sealed). Origin of Takshaka (Sealed).
Granted Skills: Ehedus’ Embrace. Mioveroldian Constitution. Aeter Understanding and Implementation. Mioveroldian Knowledge (Fragment).
]]
Daiden sparkled at the arrangement of his Mioveroldian Page. In admiration of the structure, he glanced through the page once more, more carefully this time. He read through every line, some seemingly normal, and others worth question. His face tensed with concentration. He read it again. Slowly, he moved away from the page and bowed to Zane.
“Thank you!” said Daiden, sincerely. “I’m not sure what it means for you to be my blacksmith, but I’m sure it’s worth everything in the world for a Vulcan to associate with me.”
Zane crumpled. He felt thrown from the gratitude. “I expected him to react more poorly given how difficult it is to earn money here early on. Does he not know?”
The Lord of Fire cleared his throat and awkwardly acknowledged Daiden’s gratitude. He then asked, curiously, “It’s necessary for you to enlist to the army, Daiden Lost. Your potential for growth aligns very well to the path of combat. I’m a generous person, but I must confess that the pay is a mere twenty bloodstones a month, even lower as a stipend through the course of your training.”
“Then I will work harder, to try and earn more!” said Daiden. He remembered from his time in the Earthen Realm, how important it was to layer potential with hard work, more so in a world saturated with talent. Even with praise, during his time as a gymnast, Daiden exercised obsession, wary of those around him. “I don’t care why you may have chosen me, but I will hold onto it with blood and sweat.”
It stemmed from both caution and selfishness. Daiden inferred from the conversation between Aelius and Magellan, the reputation and influence of the name, Zane Morgul. He didn’t need much more.
“Well, I suppose I was right in judging him as a favourable young man,” thought Zane, kindly. He relented, with a sigh, and casually tossed a ring towards Daiden. “Here you go. You make it sound like I’ve cheated you for some reason. Consider this an act of goodwill.”
With the transfer of ownership, Daiden noticed the ring shimmer. His knowledge urged an interaction. He slowly touched the ring, allowing it to float and move in a circle around him. It appeared to be in a process of investigation. With caution, the ring approached the six exoskeletons and tapped at them, one after the other.
“What?” blurted Daiden. He shivered in a fright, watching the ring eat away at the exoskeletons. He hurriedly turned to Zane, in search of an explanation, and stuttered again, “What…just?”
