Five hours had passed of Lone and Grimsley arduously studying each and every item on the table.
"Ah understand most of the smithin' an' the work put into ah little o'er 'alf o' these fuckin' things, but ah've nae clue about the rest. They're moor magic an' metal, lad," Grimsley shrugged.
Lone nodded. "My skill Item Examination is helpful and it did level up twice to advanced-level-nine, but yeah, if I tried to create an item Sofia and I could use to hide our MP with what little I know now, it might cripple me, at least I think so. I can't take that risk right now."
"Whad'ja reckon we need then? Someone wae the Magicsmithing skill? Or maybe the Artefactsmithing skill?" Grimsley asked.
Lone had heard of those skills and desperately wanted them both, but he knew no one with such talents. Magic item smiths and artefact smiths were very rare and usually enjoyed heavy protection from their employers, which would often be powerful leaders of nations or massive businesses like The Adventurer's Guild or some of the larger merchant unions on the continent.
He shook his head. "They'd be helpful, sure, but we've no access to one or the other. I was thinking about asking a friend of mine who's skilled in enchantment magic. He could help us to understand so much more about these items."
"Then let's dae 'at. Contact 'em," Grimsley replied.
"One problem. He's Prince Keining of the Keining Principality. Fella's kinda busy most of the time," Lone explained. "Reckon Gilbert would be any help? He told me he has some experience in enchantment magic way back in Milindo. I trust him too."
"The goat? Eh, feck, why nae? Could'nae 'urt, but 'at bastard's always tae busy fae ah drink. Or at least 'e 'as been every time ah've asked," Grimsley noted with a shrug.
"He must get time off occasionally. I need to report my recent skill gains to the guild's 'list' soon anyway. I'll ask him then. In the meantime, wanna take that automaton apart that I mentioned earlier?" Lone asked.
Grimsley grinned widely under his beard. "Feck aye ah dae! 'Ow'd ye get yer 'ands on one anyhow? They all belong tae super 'igh rankin' members ah the greater council or specific trusted folk o' said council, right?"
"Let's go outside. I have a feeling it will try to blow itself up again," Lone said as he got up, stored his mana concealing items, and left the room with Grimsley following him. "I stole it with consent."
"What the feck does 'at mean?" Grimsley asked. "And what'ja mean 'blow itself up again'? It's tried before?"
"Yeah. I spent the last two months holed up in the Farwinds and I tried to take it apart to study it. Y'know, improve my Steamforging skill or something. Fuckin' think knew it wasn't where it was supposed to be and it's programmed to go boom when it's been kidnapped," Lone replied.
"Then 'ow the feck are we supposed tae stop it fae doin' 'at?" Grimsley asked.
"I have a plan. Don't worry about it," Lone said as he went to where Breena was. He followed her aura to the training area where she was practicing her needle throwing skills. "Hey Bree, we're gonna go do something fun. Wanna come with?"
"O-Of course!" Breena replied. She quickly ran over to the target dummy she had been training with and collected her needles before she made her way to Lone's side.
The three then left the Spirit Pavilion and began walking at a rather brisk pace into the middle of nowhere, though most of the Crimson Foxkin Clan could be considered as such given the distance between its buildings.
"We gonna take apart an automaton or gae on ah feckin' 'ike?" Grimsley grumbled.
"Yes," Lone answered. 'Soph, is this far enough from anyone you think would be able to feel your mana?'
'Hmm? Sorry, I was focusing. Could you repeat that, please?' she asked sweetly.
Grimsley's face exploded in anger. "What the feck dae ya mean, 'yes'? Ya cheeky' feckin' cunt!"
Lone repeated his question to Soph to which she replied, 'Oh, yeah. I think the only person who could detect me from this far is that stupid dragonkin Divine, but he's not here anymore. He left fast... Do you need me for something?'
Grinning at Grimsley's annoyance, he said, "Summon Sofia Vladimirovich."
The love of his life appeared before his eyes and gave him a big hug before she got on her tiptoes and kissed him gently. "I missed you."
"I missed you too. Mind taking us to a really remote location? Somewhere big enough for my portable fortress? I kinda wanna spend a few nights there with all of my effort being put on this, but I'd rather not have you locked up if we can avoid that," Lone said.
"Wait, wait. If ah'm feckin' oof tae the middle ah naewhere tae fiddle aboot wae ah automaton fer ah few days, then ah need tae let Shana know ah'll be gone," Grimsley interjected.
"Fair. Be right back," Lone said and then applied his Agility.
He also used Survivor's Speed and Tower Shield Mastery's active effect Full Charge with the buckler of his wrist. Lone was now tearing through the clan's territory like a star through the skies.
He was barely able to stop himself without smashing right into Grimsley's forge. 'Man, my top speed is fuckin' nuts now. That only took a few seconds but I had so little control. I was lucky to not go through the smithy or right past it. I'll only apply Agility on the way back and nothing else.'
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Lone knocked on the door and shouted, "It's me Shana, Lone! You in?"
The door opened a couple of moments later and the short teenaged dwarf gave him a quizzical look. "Where's Uncle Grim?"
"With Soph and Breena. I'm kidnapping him for the next few days. Wanna come with? I don't really wanna leave you here on your own. I need him for a big favour and hell, you're learning magic from Gil, ain'tcha? He teach you any enchantment magic? Ah, it doesn't matter. Come with. I'm officially kidnapping you too. Breena could use a training partner while Grim and I sweat over my toys," Lone said before he scooped the girl up in his arms.
"Wait wait wait! Uncle Grim has orders he needs to fulfil! We don't just live here for free like leeches. I'm also getting another lesson from my master tomorrow. I can't come with," Shana protested.
Lone shimmied a hand to the front of the smithy's door as he closed it and created a note stating Shana and Grimsley would be busy for three days and any complaints about that could be forwarded to his and Sofia's address. "There we go. All sorted. Hold your breath. Then again, if you don't, you might get a resistance. You're a dwarf, so you can handle a bit of pain, right? 'Specially for a forge girl. Or would you rather I was gentle?"
"What? Put me down!" Shana protested as she squirmed in his grasp to no avail.
"Nope. This is a kidnapped, after all," Lone chuckled and then applied his Agility.
About a minute later and he had returned to Soph, Breena, and Grimsley's, sides in the middle of the nowhere within the clan's territory. He carefully put Shana down on her feet but she collapsed to her knees and ejected her lunch onto the grass below.
"Feck! Scared the shite ootta me, lad. When ye said ye could apply yer Agility, ye really meant ye could apply it, eh? Come on, lass. On yer toes. I figured he'd snatch ya. Safer bet, tae be 'onest. Dinnae want ya gettin' shite fae the logistics folk just 'cause ah'm takin' ah wee 'oliday fer ah few days," Grimsley said.
Shana had a powerful scowl on her face as she got up, wiping her mouth as she did. "Uncle Grim, we can't. We can't let these people think even less of us just because Lone asked you for a favour. I know he's your best friend but responsibility comes first."
Lone wore a guilty frown. "You guys get shit here for being dwarves? I didn't know that. That's fair enough. I'd rather do this all somewhere secluded, but maybe I can fit my plans to work in the confines of the cl-"
"This bastard 'as an automaton at 'e says ah can 'elp 'im take apart. Ya want in on 'at anaw or ya tae fussed wae what other people think o' us?" Grimsley interrupted.
Shana's eyes widened. "Is that true?"
Lone nodded. "Sure is. Stole it straight from the capital."
"Prove it," the teenaged demanded.
'Man, this kid has so much fire in her. Gotta love it. She'll be a hell of a smith one day with that personality of hers,' Lone said before he waved his hand and a four-metre-tall hulking man of metal appeared.
It's eyes flashed red and it boomed, "Assessing. Location. Topside. Initiating. Self. Des-"
Lone quickly shoved the thing back in his Dimensional Storage. "I already know where the bomb inside of it is. Gonna take that out when we play with it. So, is this kidnapping now consensual?"
Shana has a look of extreme anticipation in her eyes. "Sure, whatever. Let's go! I haven't packing though."
"I have enough stuff for all of us for months if need be. Let's all hold hands now," Lone said as he put his left hand in Soph's right, and grabbed Grimsley's arm with his other hand.
Soph's left hand held Breena's while she swiftly grabbed Shana's.
Then next moment, Soph had teleported them dozens upon dozens of miles away in an instant.
The following day, after having rested properly as instructed, Lossa had summoned the local council such was her right as the current matriarch.
Usually, it was them demanding her presence, so while she was nervous and expected heavy pushback for what she was going to ask of them, she felt oddly empowered.
'If my life isn't in danger, I should take everything as a learning opportunity, right? That's how you live your life, isn't it, Lone?' she thought with a smile as she awaited the arrival of the people who actually controlled the clan.
Not too long later her somewhat jovial mood was crushed by her nerves as all eight of the Crimson Foxkin Clan's elders entered the Matriarchal Hall in unison.
'They met up beforehand and discussed why I would call them and how to reprimand me for wasting their time should this prove to be a petty matter, didn't they? My own flesh and blood, older than most but with less wisdom than a boy so young he's barely a man. I think even little Breena would make for a better elder than this lot. But they are all X-rankers, and power speaks louder than words...' Lossa concluded.
The elders took their seats, all of which resided above her own matriarchal seat, because of course they did.
First Elder Lelgu furrowed her brow as she often did when looking or talking to Lossa and she said, "Why have you summoned us, Matriarch Lossa? Is it to discuss the source of your returned immortality?"
'Look at them all getting excited. You're all dying to tear me to pieces to help your children's children who had their own unfortunate outbursts of emotion and awakened just as I did. Well, where was your filial piety to me when I was overcome with joy to the point of awakening to Life? Disgusting that they expect so much from someone they have put nothing into,' Lossa sneered internally.
"I am afraid not. And as I have explained previously, I have not regained my immunity to aging. I was simply healed," Lossa replied.
Seventh Elder Teesta, her own grandmother, scowled at her. "This nonsense again. Well then speak, child. Why did you summon us?"
"Lone Immortus has asked of me to arrange a meeting between him and the local elders, thus, I am here to inform you that you will keep yourselves in a state of readiness for when he says he will be available for that meeting. Judging from the letter he left informing the clan of the dwarf Grimsley Ironsbane and his niece's situation, he should be back in two days, so the meeting will be in three. It will last from eighth bell until he ends the meeting or twelve hours pass. Whichever comes first," Lossa stated in the most powerful and confident tone she had ever spoken in.
The fury on the faces of all but two of the elders was incredible to witness. Of the two not utterly enraged, Eighth Elder Irona wore a curious expression on her face while Sixth Elder Raleel's mood was completely unreadable.
"You dar-"
Seventh Elder Teesta's increasingly loud shout was stopped by First Elder Lelgu raising her hand. With a serious look, she said, "You are using your privilege on this, of all things? Divine Dragonsworn sought out the boy and left without killing him despite him being Void-touched. We would have met him without you needed to do this."
Matriarch Lossa smiled kindly. "I needed to be sure. I know how little my opinion is respected among you lot. At least for today until the meeting with Lone Immortus is over, I'm no longer your head-nodding puppet."
First Elder Lelgu shook her head in disappointment. "Your renewed state has made you delirious. No matter. Ill of mind or not, the privilege has been used and it will be respected. I will not use my right to veto on this matter. Matriarch Lossa, you henceforth lose the right to command the elders for any one matter the first elder agrees to."
Lossa didn't reply and just kept smiling. She stayed like like as all of the elders left one after another. Her grandmother was the last to leave and the way she looked at her confirmed some of her decades-old suspicions.
"Foolish girl. So incredibly foolish and wasteful," Seventh Elder Teesta more spat than said.
Lossa disagreed. She was no fool. This was the most liberating moment of her life and she felt free. Even if it was only for a fleeting few days, the elders had no power over her and she had, instead, exerted her power over them.
"I hope he makes you all kneel and that he humbles you as he humbled me," she whispered. "These fox have eaten so many snakes they've seen themselves become them. I so very look forward to you all seeing what a true fox is capable of."