Erik Lehnsherr made his way through the kingdom, a bag of metallic weapons strung across his back as he made his way along the long winding road towards the tall gray tower that loomed over the entirety of the city. The sun set over the mountains in the distance and set the ground ablaze with red light as his eyes scanned the landscape around him before landing on the structure before him, blacked out on one side from shadow and illuminated yellow and red on the other. He pushed at the door and it opened with little resistance. He glanced around the inside, the room darker than the shadow outside.

"Hello?" He raised a brow, glancing around inside before walking in. He looked to one side and found a door. Upon quick examination he realized it was locked and turned around to find a spiral staircase climbing the walls by the door. He set off up the stairs, the sound of his boots echoing off the walls.

Halfway up the stairs he stopped, blinking for a moment as a voice sounds softly in his head, "I knew you'd be coming..."

He glanced around and noticed that he was the only one in the tower at the moment. He shook his head and dismissed it as voices through the wall. After all, on the other side of the wall WAS the rest of the castle, seeing as this tower was built to accommodate the royal wizard. It had baffled the entire kingdom when the queen had decided to bring in a magic-man and bring him to the castle. She had specifically said when she began her rule she would have none of it. But Erik guessed, what with the shift in relations among neighboring kingdoms, she had decided to go back on her statement to bring in help.

He continued up the stairs and stopped on the top landing, looking around in the dark and finally finding the wooden door leading to the room the wizard has always been found in. Erik pushed the door open with little force and had to shield his eyes from the bright light streaming in through the window, contrasting with the dark of the previous room.

He looked to the window that flooded the room with light, the silhouette of a man casting a long shadow across the floor.

Erik moved the hand from his eyes as they began to adjust to the light. He blinked a few times, the man in front of him starting to come into focus. Dark brunette hair that framed his face and piercing blue eyes. The robes he wore were silver in color, much like a lot of the profession uniforms around the kingdom. "Charles Xavier?" Erik asked, seeing if he had the right person.

"Yes. That would be me." He jumped down from the window and crossed the room to him. "Hello, Erik."

This made him blink in surprise, "How do you know my name?"

Charles gave him a brilliant smile and crossed the room to settle himself on a stool, "I am a magic man, Erik. I can tell a lot about you. Now why don't you tell me why you're here?"

Erik smirked at him playfully, "Shouldn't you know?"

Charles watched him for a long time and smiled, "I suppose I should, shouldn't I? Let me see..." Charles stared intently at him for a long moment before smiling, "You've come to have some weapons enchanted, have you not?"

Erik nodded slowly for a moment before holding the bag of metallic equipment, "A blacksmith coming to a magic-man. I think its common knowledge that I'd be here for that." He spread some of the items on the table, ranging between daggers and axes.

Charles smiled widely and looked them over one by one, examining each one carefully before looking back up at him, "These were very well crafted.. I've never seen anything made this precisely..." He raised a brow, quickly searching through mind to find the answer to such a feat.

Erik watched him closely, his eyes trained on Charles as they seemed to flicker and he had the strange feeling that someone was sifting through his thoughts and memories. He dismissed it and shook his head to get rid of the nagging feeling as he answered, truthfully, "I'm good with metal. That's all."

After a moment, the magic-man gave a gleeful smile, seeing into the depths of his mind and realizing that while the statement was still a truth, it wasn't the whole story, "Is that all? I'm seeing that you have affinity of sorts with metal... Do you mind demonstrating?"

Erik gave him a long look before the black-smith narrowed his eyes and almost snarled, "What are you talking about? I'd need my tools to demonstrate anything."

Charles walked around the table with the metal items spread across it and put one hand to his head and held the other one out towards Erik, "Don't move, I can show you what I mean..."

The feeling of paranoia swept over him once again and signaled a red alarm momentarily before he glared and caught Charles's hand, "Just cast whatever you need to on these so I can GO."

The smaller man looked confused for a moment then sighed and put his hands down, "Yes of course. I apologize." He wandered around the room for a moment, as if searching for something. He glanced back at Erik, a smile gracing his features, "Now, Erik. Not a word. I need complete concentration for this. I have to focus... Ah." He picks up a small bag and smiles, coming back over to Erik and the equipment. He dips his hand inside and pulls out a white powder, kept in the palm of his hand.

Erik raised a brow at him, taking a step back and keeping quiet as he was commanded.

"Great Watcher, enchant these metallic beings! For they must be lead with your guidance!" He threw the power on the equipment, a cloud a white smoke filling the air around them. Charles gave a smile and dusted his hands off on his robes. "There. You're metal weapons are now enchanted."

The black-smith stared at him for a long time before narrowing his eyes at him, "Bull... Shit. That was talcom powder. Is that really all you do, magic-man?"

A knowing smile spread across his face, "You doubt my power then, Erik?"

He crossed his arms, shifting his thickly covered feet to change his stance, "I do. You're a complete liar. You possess no real magic abilities whatsoever. There is no such thing as magic."

Charles narrowed his eyes at the taller man and took a step towards him like before, "Then hold still and let me show you my power. I CAN read your mind, Erik. Just let me try it..."

The metal-worker rolled his eyes and watched him, brows raised, "Alright then. Fine."

The so-called sorcerer approached him slowly, causing Erik to take half a step back as the closeness between them made him uncomfortable. Charles lightly laid his fingers against Erik's temples, shutting his eyes and focusing. He could hear Erik's voice speaking in his own head, "This man is too close. This is ridiculous. Does he not understand personal space?"

Charles smiled and took his hands away, "Yes. I see. You're thinking about how I'm too close to you. Am I making you that nervous?"

Erik snarled slightly at him, continuing to look skeptical, "Oh really? That was obvious. That wasn't magic, it was common sense."

Sighing exaggeratedly, Charles shook his head, some of his loose brown curls swinging around, "Alright then, fine. Think of something completely random. Something I couldn't possibly know."

After another scowl, the blacksmith reluctantly agreed and leaned forward once more into Charles's hands.

Charles took a deep breath, his fingers lightly digging into Erik temples. A long silence stretches across the moment until Charles looks confused, "Erik... What is so special about the northern forest?"

He stared at him for a long time, the older man taken a bit off-guard as he pushed away from him, "Nothing. I just lost a dagger there. Its not important."

Charles looked interested and moved toward him once more, hands at the ready to touch his head, "I could help you find it if you wanted. Why not?"

Erik moved all the items back into his bag and shut it, backing away from him, "No. I'm not letting you touch anymore." He narrowed his eyes at him, daring him to take a step closer.

The magic-man ignored his warning and walked towards him once more, "Please, Erik. I wouldn't hurt you I jus-!" He yelped and stared at his wrists with wide eyes as the rings on his wrist that go with his robes came together and formed into a single band that clung firmly to him and held together his hands, "What...? Erik! What is this?"

The black-smith blinked at him and bolted to the door, flinging it open and running through it. Charles at his heels, sprinting across the platform towards the stairs. Erik twisted just before he got to the stairs, reaching back towards Charles and focusing. The smaller man glanced down as he felt the metal braces around his ankles shift and move together as the rings on his wrists had done. Just before reaching the stairs, Charles fell forward and hurdled to the floor, hitting with a loud thud and looking up to see Erik running down the long stone passageway, "Erik, wait!" He laid on the floor, squirming around and tugging at his limbs.

Charles stayed still for a moment, listening. He winced slightly as he could hear the loud sound of the bottom door shutting and it echoing off the walls of the now empty tower.