Chapter 37

Luke, Karla and Emalia arrived at the house excited beyond all means. They were finally going to make the Spellforge! Tonight! There was an air of excitement around them as they hurried in, wondering what would be going on right now. As they walked inside, the scene they found was very different from the one they had imagined. Everyone was quiet and solemn, almost like someone had just died.

“Yeesh! Why so glum?” Luke asked as he started at everyone there, more than a little spooked at the feel of the room.

“We found additional bits about what it means to become a Forgemaster, bud. It’s ... not what any of us have been expecting,” Jason told his friend with a serious look.

“What do you mean?” Luke questioned, wondering what his friend was going on about.

“I could tell you, but I think that I’d rather just show you,” Jason stated.

He then brought Luke over to where the Artificier’s Tome was sitting on the living desk and stared at what lay on the page. What he saw both amazed and terrified the man, as he witnessed the behemoth that was a Forgemaster. It was almost like looking at a mystical cross between Hulk and Doomsday! While the benefits were many, transforming into such a thing was ... scary, to say the least!

“That’s ... what you’d turn into?” Emalia yipped, blinking several times to be sure that she wasn’t seeing things.

“You would be ... something more than human but also ... less,” Karla said, turning to Luke with fear in her eyes. “Please tell me that you’re not considering this anymore!”

“This change ... it would be permanent?” Luke asked, still processing this new information.

“It would be, yes. Not only would the change be permanent, but you would not be able to shape change to maintain your regular human form, either. You would be, for all intents and purposes, a changed man,” Aaliyah informed the man.

“I need to sit and think about this,” Luke breathed, his head feeling a bit like a tilt-a-whirl at the moment. While he knew that what he’d be able to do would help his friends immensely, it would require a sacrifice on his part. A great sacrifice, if all of this was true, which it likely was. He knew that change was part of this, but just didn’t think it would be that immense!

Not to mention changing in such a way that would change the relationship dynamic with his ladies. He huffed for a moment, as he mulled things over, when he noticed a portion of the page that Aaliyah hadn’t pointed to, that for some reason, stood out to him. The man then got up and walked back to the book, staring at it quizzically.

“What about this portion right here? What does that say?” Luke asked.

“What portion? Where?” Aaliyah asked as she looked at the pages.

“This spot right here! You read everything else, but there was this spot that you missed,” Luke told the woman and she blinked, staring at him, then the page.

“Luke, there’s nothing there! It’s just a small bit of blank paper,” Aaliyah stated.

“I’m telling you, that there is writing right there! Can’t you see it?” Luke asked, thinking the whole situation was beyond weird.

“Can you ... write down what it is you see?” Phalmina asked, curious if he truly was seeing something that the rest of them could not.

“Sure! Anyone got a pen and paper?” Luke asked, and he had the items in his hand moments later. Luke then peered at the page and wrote down what he saw. After a minute’s worth of writing, Aaliyah blinked as she was able to make out the words.

“What the ... this is referencing something called Appendix A! But ... there are no appendices in this book!” Aaliyah stated, looking at the writing, then back to Luke.

“Where are you from again?” Phalmina asked, curious as to how he could be able to see this while everyone else there could not.

“My parents are from Trinidad and Tobago originally, but my whole family bloodline is just one big mishmash,” Luke told the fairy princess.

“Oh? Please, elaborate!” Phalmina enthused, as excitement lit her face.

“Well, even though I am a black man, my ancestry is all over the place. On my mom’s side, it’s a mix of Congolese, Chinese, and English. My dad’s side is a mix of Congolese, East Indian, Irish and Scottish. Like I said, it’s all a big mishmash,” Luke said to her.

“Could it be...?” Emalia questioned, her eyes going wide as saucers.

“If he can see things we can’t, then I believe he is!” Phalmina replied, a megawatt smile gracing her beautiful face.

“Believe he is what? What are you two going on about?” Sheena questioned.

“Luke being able to see writing that the rest of us can’t, along with knowing his ancestry, leads us to one simple conclusion. That he is a direct descendant of the Artificier!” Emalia replied in an awe tinged voice, as though she could scarcely believe it.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!! Are you saying that because I can see that writing, that you believe I am the Artificier’s heir??” Luke asked incredulously.

“We believe so, yes! That man lived long before either of our times, and we heard many stories about him. Each story centered on how crafty and clever he was, always staying one step ahead of his enemies. No one could defeat him or catch him unaware, as he was always planning for one contingency or another. Much like that comic character you’ve been telling me about. Man-bat?” Emalia asked.

“Batman. So, you are saying that this guy is my ancestor? The guy who was the proverbial and literal Batman of that age??” Luke asked again, still at a loss of whether to believe the fairies or not.

“You being able to see that writing when everyone else can’t would explain it! The Artificier was a far-sighted man, according to the stories and legends. It would stand to reason that he would leave secrets that only his heir would be able to see!” Phalmina finished.

“I’m ... holy ... that is some really cool shit!” Luke crowed, feeling like he’d just won the lottery with this news.

“It is pretty damned cool! I mean, how often is it you discover you are of the bloodline of a legendary mage?” Darnell asked, smiling at his new friend with pride.

“I’d say that’s a pretty rare occurrence! And ... one hell of a turn on!” Karla purred, looking like she wanted to devour Luke on the spot.

“Ok, you two! Save it for the bedroom! Aaliyah, you said that thing refers to something called Appendix A?” Amy asked, looking at the writing.

“Yeah, but I don’t know where Appendix A would be,” the witch replied with a shrug.

“Hold on a second. I remember there being some blank pages at the end of the book! Could that be where Appendix A is?” Xaera questioned.

“Show me these pages!” Aaliyah begged, stepping away from the book to let Xaera show her.

The troll woman stepped up to the table and, using her magic, started turning the pages. She flipped through the pages rather quickly, and Xaera only slowed down when she got near the end of the book. The last ten or so pages were completely blank and often had Xaera wondering why they were there. But to Luke, the pages were anything but blank and he smiled when Xaera stopped at the first blank page.

“Right there! I see more of that writing!” Luke yelped in excitement. “Jay, I need more paper!”

Quick as a flash, Jason went and grabbed more paper for Luke to write on and brought a couple more pens as well. Luke then started copying everything he saw in the book, doing his best to mimic everything he saw.

“Remember, every pen stroke must be in the copy! This language is old and one that can mistranslate easy if there are any missing parts of the writing!” Aaliyah warned Luke.

“Don’t worry! I know about making sure that you have every piece to the puzzle so you can solve it correctly,” Luke reassured the woman. It took him some time, but Luke finally finished the first page and handed it to Aaliyah, while he got to work on copying the second page. The witch took the paper and scanned it, her eyes getting wider with each sentence she read!

“Babe? What is it?” Darnell asked his wife.

“If I’m reading this right, and I know I am, it’s a damn good thing we didn’t go through with the process to make Luke into a Forgemaster!” the witch told him.

“Aside from what we found on the hidden page, what is the appendix saying?” Karla asked.

“It’s saying that Forgemasters. once created, gain a whole host of beneficial abilities. Enhanced strength, physical resiliency, and, of course, direct access to any and every type of magic the Spellforge is made with! The list goes on for a bit, but there are also some drawbacks to becoming a Forgemaster,” Aaliyah told them.

“Like what?” Jason wondered.

“The forge at which they are made, they are also tied to, like an anchor of sorts. It’s the only way they can live. They also become more than human, but at the same time, they lose much of what makes them human in the first place,” the witch sighed as she read.

“Sounds like there is always a price to pay for such power,” Luke huffed, not liking these limitations one bit.

“But ... there are ways to circumvent these limitations!” Aaliyah told them excitedly.

“What??” Emalia asked.

“How?!?” Karla wondered, hoping that she and Emalia could have their cake and eat it too.

“That information is contained in other tomes that were also written by the Artificier! Seven others, to be precise,” she told the group. “The list of these books is right here!”

“So, we have to go hunting for seven other tomes? Great!” Sheena said sarcastically.

“At least it’s not all twenty-nine other books that we need!” Aaliyah stated as she kept reading more of the pages that Luke was writing down for her.

“Twenty-nine? That guy made twenty-nine other books aside from this one?!?” Sheena choked, thinking that finding such books was all but impossible.

“Yeah! Appendix A goes on to outline every book he ever wrote! Appendix B, which starts here, details each book and what we’ll find in it!” Aaliyah said excitedly.

“Count on a guy like him to make the amount of books he made a Prime number,” Luke said with a chuckle.

“So wait, there is also an Appendix B?? Damn, this guy was a bit paranoid!” Darren commented.

“Well, given the amount of raw power he commanded, and all the knowledge he had that was being coveted by the Dark, wouldn’t you be?” Daelina asked her fiancé.

“I supposed I would be,” Darren admitted, seeing the logic in keeping such things a secret.

“There isn’t just an Appendix B, but an Appendix C as well!” Aaliyah yipped, getting more excited with each page she read and translated.

“What is in Appendix C?” Phalmina wondered, curious about everything this man had kept hidden.

“It is a list of every apprentice that he ever took! Who they were, what their talents were and whatever they created, from books to powerful magical artifacts! I mean, this guy wasn’t only paranoid, but he was exceptionally thorough!” Aaliyah stated, still in shock over this new information!

“How big is the list of apprentices?” Jason wondered.

“Pretty big! The man took in and trained over thirty apprentices! Each one of them going on to become powerful wizards, sorcerers or witches in their own right!! Next to each name is a list of the things they did and any creations they made!” Aaliyah chatted as she wrote down the translations in English.

It took the better part of an hour to complete the list, but when it was done, everyone had a look at the writings and were awestruck. Merlin, the mythical wizard of Arthurian legend, was on there, but it was the only one that the group recognized. Every other name on there was one that no one knew, which saddened the group. The fact that these other spellcasters were lost to the annals of history was a tragedy.

“This would be a good thing, except for the fact that Carman found us and gave us an ultimatum with a clock attached to it! We only have three days!” Felicitae lamented, thinking they wouldn’t find what they needed in time.

“Wait a minute ... I recognize a couple of these titles!!” Valerie stated as she looked at the list, pointing to a couple of them.

“What?? Which ones?!?” Aaliyah asked, turning to look at the list.

“These titles, which were written by this woman, the sorceress, Shayara Ekatria! I have two of her books!!” Valerie said excitedly.

“Wait, where did you get these books? How come I didn’t hear about them?” Dominique questioned, looking at her former mistress.

“That’s because I didn’t look at them until a few years ago! Remember those books that I have stored in that storeroom beneath the shop? The ones I told you could kill you if you tried opening them?” Valerie asked her onetime apprentice.

“Yeah! Wait, how do you know that Shayara Ekatria is the one who wrote them?” the dark-skinned woman wondered.

“Because I figured I was strong enough to at least glance inside at the first few pages and not die from the magical wards designed to keep the uninitiated out. It turned out that I was right! I was able to look at the contents and the foreword, but that’s as far as I dared go. Any further, I’m not sure what would have happened,” Valerie confessed.

“You said that you tried this when? Years ago?” Sheena asked, curious about how long it had been for the witch.

“At least four years ago. My power levels have progressed since then, so maybe I am able to take a gander at a few more pages!” the woman replied excitedly.

“It might be time to try again! Oh, and I’m curious if you would mind bringing those books here?” Jason wondered.

“Why do you want them here?” Valerie queried.

“Just so we are able to make copies of these books. While it is best to retain the originals, such knowledge shouldn’t be lost or kept out of reach. If for nothing else, to keep it archived here, a place of complete safety,” Jason told her.

“All right. I see the merit in doing that, as long as the originals wind up back in my hands,” Valerie agreed.

“No issues there!” Jason smiled.

“There is also a list of bookstores, much like mine that do bear investigation! I’m pretty sure ones that I’m thinking of have at least one of these books we are looking for! Possibly even two!” Valerie told them as she grabbed a pen and paper, jotting down the names of these occult bookstores.

“Well, that would certainly be a big help!” Eva commented, thinking that such knowledge should always be in the proper hands.

“Is there anything else you can think of that could help us find such books faster?” Phalmina asked, remembering that they were on a timetable.

“Hmm. There is someone who might be able to find more books for us. Hell, he might even have a few of additional tomes of the Artificier! Even if he doesn’t, he could certainly direct us to the places where they can be found!” Valerie said with a slight wince.

“Wait, wait, wait! Just who is it you are talking about Val?” Dominique questioned, looking over at her former mistress.

“You know the man. You’ve met him a few times and you know him well,” Valerie told her onetime apprentice.

“Not him!” the Egyptian woman argued.

“It has to be him! He’s the only contact I have that consistently delivers the items I need, and on time!” Valerie argued.

“Who is this ... him you are referring to?” Amy asked, curious about what was going on.

“This him is a contact of mine who is a fence, and a damn good one at that! He procures special items, books, artifacts, and more, all across the spectrum. From the magical to the mundane, he has no issue getting his hands on them. Considering it’s how he makes his living these days, it’s not surprising that he’s been consistent with delivering what he promises,” Valerie stated.

“I would assume that what he delivers is the real McCoy?” Jason asked, making sure that Valerie wasn’t just playing up the man’s skills.

“That he does! I have no idea how he does it, but somehow, he finds a way to get his hands on what it is I’m looking for. I have yet to encounter a fake that he sold me, as everything I have is the original article,” Valerie reassured Jason.

“But you’re leaving out a few key facts, Val,” Dominique sighed, shaking her head.

“Which is what?” Sheena queried.

“The fact that this fence is a warlock, and a rather powerful one at that!” Dominique told them, raising more than a few eyebrows at this news.

“A powerful warlock? Just how powerful is he?” Phalmina asked a little worriedly.

“Powerful enough to where he was the Dark Father of his own coven! Killed quite a few people during his heyday as well! Good people who would have been a big help to us today had they survived!” Dominique told them, hoping some of the others there would see that dealing with this man was a bad idea.

“Dealing with a Dark Father?? Are you insane?!?” Darnell questioned, knowing that warlocks who held such a title were no pushovers and more dangerous than they seemed.

“Normally, I would agree with you, but not since he swore the Oath of Neutrality and Defense,” Valerie rebutted, which caused Dominique and Aaliyah to look at the woman in shock.

“Oath of Neutrality and Defense?” Hayley wondered, still new to everything to do with the hidden world of magic.

“An oath that is taken while standing upon a place of power, to take no sides and to stay out of the affairs of light and dark. The magic called to swear this oath is binding and holds them to neutrality for life. If they violate that oath, then their magic is stripped away and they then become normies, never to wield magic again,” Aaliyah explained.

“Damn! Sounds like it’s something that would be considered life changing!” Karla said out loud.

“It is. Those who swear such an oath must walk a fine line between light and dark. Effectively, they must have dealings in equal measure with both light and dark, or at least demand prices that fall along either line. Lots of rules that have to be followed if you’re going to stay neutral like he does,” Valerie told them.

“He’s still a perv though, isn’t he?” Dominique questioned, already certain of the answer.

“Yes, he’s still quite the perv, but at least he’s a predictable perv. That makes dealing with him a lot less of a hassle than it would be for someone who is unpredictable,” Valerie stated, and Dominique nodded, seeing the merit of such a viewpoint.

“Can you get ahold of the man?” Sheena asked, eager to see what he had in his collection of wares.

“I can, but at this hour, it would be best for me to call him in the morning,” Valerie replied.

“This list of bookstores, though, you are sure they have legit tomes and grimoires for sale?” Aaliyah asked, looking at Valerie.

“Some of the grimoires that have helped me jump in power came from those stores. So I’m pretty certain you will find a few things there of use,” Valerie promised.

“Regardless, we should get ourselves some shuteye, so we can hit those bookstores first thing in the morning. As it stands, we only have two and a half days,” Jason reminded them all, and they nodded at the sobering thought.

“Before we all get some rest, maybe we should get to crafting the Spellforge?” Aaliyah suggested.

“Shouldn’t they both be crafted at the same time?” Phalmina asked.

“While it is ideal, it is not necessary! According to these notes in the appendices, the Forgemaster can be made separately from the Spellforge! There’s also the fact that the notes do say that it should be crafted while under the light of the full moon! It will absorb the power and intent of our spellcraft much easier than on any other night!” Aaliyah informed them.

“And it is a full moon tonight! So, we should get to crafting the Spellforge ASAP then!” Sheena said as she looked outside.

“So, the Forgemaster can be made at the Spellforge at any time then?” Luke questioned.

“Yes! The thing about the Forgemaster, is that he or she is only as powerful as the Spellforge they were enhanced at. So, the more powerful the Spellforge...”

“ ... the more powerful the Forgemaster will be!” Karla finished.

While she was still not liking the idea, she wasn’t going to stop Luke if this was what he wanted. Besides, she wanted to see what these workarounds would mean for Luke, if he was to go through with the process. Emalia was of the same mind, hoping and praying to Gaia that whatever the Artificier left behind would work out as they hoped.

Everyone then got to work, finishing their prep work of the spells they would need to create the Spellforge. While Luke wasn’t becoming a Forgemaster that night, at least the night and the power of the full moon wouldn’t be wasted. As everyone who could use magic was getting ready, everyone who couldn’t, bustled about in the house.

The levels of magic needed to create the Spellforge were going to be high, and it would drain everyone significantly. Luke, Karla, Elizabeth and the others moved around the kitchen and the rest of the house, prepping food and places to rest. Once that was done, they headed out back to help with ensuring that everything was there.

After double checking and placing everything they could, the normies stepped back and let the Gaians and mages take center stage. The moon was nearing its apex, so they had to start soon and finish just as the full moon crested. From there, the blessings of the moon and Gaia would empower the forge even further, making it truly a one of a kind place of power.

Since it was their home and land sacred to Gaia, Jason and Sheena started the incantation. They began with simple runes of consecration, to purify the land further, so the magic of the Spellforge could take root. Phalmina then joined them, adding her magic to theirs. Then Xaera, Aaliyah, Felicitae, Amy and the rest of them also drew upon their own magics, adding it to the well of power.

Letting the spirit of Gaia guide them, Jason and Sheena etched runes of power on the ground, letting it seep into the soil. This gesture saturated every speck of dirt beneath their feet with their respective magics. Once this was done, they then pulled at the pile of stones that the ladies had procured, doing the same to them. After that, they then moved onto the metals that had been purchased, nearly drowning it all in magic.

With everything swimming in the magical energies of everyone present, Jason then reached out with his magic and started shaping everything. He began with the basic tools that every Forgemaster would need, such as hammers, chisels, tongs, awls, etc. Everyone assisted him in crafting these items, taking special care in their shaping and design, etching runes upon each tool to ensure the magic would hold fast.

They imparted their intent on each tool, making sure that these tools could only be used in service to Gaia and her allies. Slowly, bit by bit, the Spellforge began to take shape as the magic flowed around them. Workbenches made from magical wood, tables, chairs, a furnace, and even a roof to keep the rain and snow off it in bad weather.

The most important part, the anvil, came last, as such a thing would require the utmost confidence and focus to complete. Everyone poured out all that they had into the metal that would become the anvil, shaping it into what it needed to be. They purified the metal, removing any impurities, no matter how minute they were.

Once that was done, everyone then focused their magic upon the metal itself. They placed a multitude of runes within the metal, stamping each atom with their power. Soon after, the metal began to glow. It started in at red, then transitioned to orange, yellow, then finally, pure white. The moment it turned white was when the shaping began, and everyone moved in unison, following Jason’s lead.

Much like a potter shaping clay, Jason shaped the metal of the anvil, letting his magic guide him. The image of what it should look like popped into his head and he followed that image, making the metal respond to his power. Slowly, the metal began to take shape, first as a large block, until Jason elongated the ends with his magic. Bit by bit, the white metal block started to take the shape of an anvil.

“I know everyone’s tired, but we’re nearly there! Keep going!” Jason said through gritted teeth, as he continued to direct the flow of magical power.

Luke chance a look over at everyone there and he could tell they were all teetering on the edge of exhaustion. Even the Fairies, who were normally so chipper and upbeat, looked about ready to pass out. Luke wanted to go over and help, but he knew that he’d more of a hinderance than a help.

They all dug down deep, knowing that they had to finish this now, or risk this whole thing being a total waste. The anvil was nearly complete, as it was slowly drifting down from its perch in the air, to the ground. Jason pulled out one final spell, calling forth the runes he needed and placed them on the underside of the anvil. With that done, the anvil finally took its final shape, as it touched the ground.

Jason huffed and puffed and looked on in disappointment, wondering if something had gone wrong. He then gasped, as though remembering something, and walked over to where the main hammer they had crafted and etched with magic, lay on the workbench. Jason carefully picked up the hammer and ever so gently tapped the anvil with it. A ring sounded on the air, clear as a bell and loud enough to be heard from a ways away.

Moments later, the ground lit up as sigils of power flared to life from the magic that empowered them. It wasn’t just the ground that came to life, but also the tools, the bench, and every inch of what they had crafted and consecrated fairly glowed with magic. A grin replaced Jason’s worried look, as he was now certain that the Spellforge was crafted as it should be.

“It’s done,” he said simply, and everyone there let go of the magic they were holding. A few of them wobbled and started to fall, but Luke, Karla and the rest of them were there to catch them and guide them to the ground gently.

“I didn’t think that using magic could look so tiring!” Karla commented as she helped Luke in bringing Emalia to her feet.

“What we just did is about the equivalent of running the IronMan triathlon, in record time! While it may look flashy, fancy and cool, wielding magic does drain you,” Jason told his friend, as he helped a few of the others back to their feet.

“How does that work? The magic I mean?” Luke asked.

“Imagine like ... the magical power is like electricity from an outlet, with you being say ... a lamp. The one drawing the magic can plug into this power, but when they do, they can only draw so much at any given time. Try drawing too much and you will burn yourself out,” Jason replied.

“Ah! I think I get it!” Luke replied, nodding at how much sense it made.

“Yeah! So, while we still have access to this power, we need rest and food before we can use it again, and not suffer any negative effects from it,” Jason finished.

“Sounds about right. Need some help there?” Elizabeth asked, noting that her friend looked about ready to fall over.

“Please! While I am able to stand, I’m running on fumes!” Jason told them. He wasn’t the only one, as Sheena, Felicitae, and Valerie all managed to keep their feet to the spell’s end, but only barely.

“Let’s get everyone inside before we fall over ourselves!” Sheena half laughed, half yawned.

It was a bit of a chore to move everyone inside the house and out of the cold, but they managed it. There were a lot of comfy chairs and squashy loungers around the house, so it was easy enough to find a spot for everyone. Darnell and Aaliyah’s children were another matter, as there was barely room for them by their parents.

Jason and Sheena fixed this by drawing on a small amount of magic, focusing on making a pair of small beds for them. They were both tired and drained, but they pushed out what they could, making a pair of beds grow out of the wood beneath them. The children were delighted as the beds were situated right next to their mom and dad and they crawled in, clonking out the moment they lay down.

“Whoa there, bud! C’mon! Let’s get you two to bed!” Luke said as Jason nearly collapsed to the ground.

Luke caught him and held him up, doing what he could to keep his friend upright. He slung Jason’s arm around his shoulder and half carried the man up the stairs to his room. Karla had done the same with Sheena, half carrying the ebony Shaman to her room with Jason. Once they were in bed, Luke and Karla headed down and brought Phalmina up, making sure to be careful, since she was pregnant.

The couple also made sure Emalia was comfortable before they headed out back to look at the Spellforge. There were so many questions on their minds, but they knew that these questions would have to wait until their friends were rested and awake.

“So, what sort of things do you think you’ll be able to create from the Spellforge?” Karla asked.

“I don’t know what I’ll be able to create, but I do know that they are going to be seriously epic! I mean, being able to craft weapons such as Caladbolg? How cool is that??” Luke wondered as his eyes took on a faraway look.