Tools of the Trade

Valor had barely been aware of the rumbling when the light finally died around him.

The Chosen of Earth opened his eyes to find Brunhilda staring at him across the armory.

The young man blinked his blue eyes once, and then looked down to see he still wore his half-plate as before, but now held one of his sturdy longswords in his right hand while carrying a circular shield buckled about his left arm. The shield was white with the image of rampant black bull upon its face, rimmed in iron.

He was now armed once again.

Once Valor realized this, he looked up with a sudden smile. "I cannot thank you enough Lady Rainhart. I can think of no more convenient skill than Summoning Steel."

The Commander of Truce only shook her head, seemingly unfazed. "Think nothing of it, Warrior of Light… hmm… I suppose I'll be using that title more literally from now on."

Valor remembered his glowing. "Yes, I apologize for the light. I do not know how I did that or why it happened. I am still quite new to the Earth Crystal's blessings."

The woman gave a dismissive wave of one armored hand. "Again, it was nothing. What concerns me more is the rumbling. I don't know how aware you were in your… state… but it began quite abruptly seemingly in response to your power. It lasted less than a minute and then subsided into a shiver that ended quickly after. Nothing alarming by any means, but still unexpected."

A strange sense suddenly came to Valor. He looked down, his eyes searching. "…Yes, I sense something different about the Citadel… somewhere below."

Brunhilda raised her chin. "I shall ask the dwarven delegation since they spend most of their time in the depths of this place."

Valor nodded. "Of course. Now I believe I should confer with the other Chosen. Perhaps one of them has a better idea of exactly what has happened."

Brunhilda gave a curt nod before sweeping her sword up in a respectful salute. "Very well then, Lord Valor, I shall see to the training of my soldiers in the northern bailey beyond the Citadel's North Gate. If you would, please meet me there after you have met with your fellows."

Valor gave a quick salute with his own blade. "I would be honored to, Commander."

With a final nod, Lady Rainhart left the armory, quickly acknowledged the guards outside the archway, and then strode north toward the Great North Gate of the Citadel.

Valor remained, still elated at having gained a new skill. His mind still reeled with all the possibilities. His personal armory was leagues away but each weapon in it could now be brought to bear in the blink of an eye. He bowed his head in reverence, thanking the Crystals.

"Oh hello, may I enter the armory?" came a familiar voice.

"Of course, Priestess," one of the guards announced and Sana-Lynn stepped into the breadth of the dome-shaped chamber.

The blond girl came in slowly, her sturdy white cloak wrapped about her. Her white hood was down now, her long honey-colored hair framing her pretty face. As always, she carried her white staff in one hand, tapping it against the floor with each deliberate step she took.

Valor beamed at her. "Ah, Sana, you would not believe what I have just learned!"

She gave him a small apologetic smile. "You have learned how to summon weapons to you. A truly glorious skill for a warrior."

Valor simply gaped at her. "…Well, yes, but how did you…?"

"Our orbs resonated when you summoned your power. I have learned that my water and your earth powers are now very closely linked."

Valor hid his disappointment at her sudden knowledge. "I would imagine all four of our powers are rather closely linked, as are we."

Sana took another step forward. "Yes, but we are linked much more closely than the other two are linked with us… or even each other."

Valor finally stowed his shield across his back, but just held his sword down. "Very well, and what does this mean?"

"I'm not certain. There are hints, but the answers are always just out of reach," Sana finished in frustration. With a quick calming breath, however, she looked up, her hazel eyes meeting Valor's steady gaze. "Something has changed in the Citadel, however."

Valor gave a quick nod. "Yes, I have felt that too."

"Oooh, hey, are we sharing our feelings, 'cause I just had a whopper," came another familiar voice, one that made Valor sigh.

Gantz leaned on a section of wall just inside the archway next to a rack full of spears. The guards outside didn't seem to have noticed him till he spoke up.

As usual, he wore his dark outfit from head to toe, a bandana wrapped about his thick head of raven black hair. Effortlessly, he balanced one of his wicked knives on a finger as he spoke. "So I was wondering if anyone else has been emitting strange black smoke lately? And what in the realm was up with that shaking?"

Sana giggled. "Well, Gantz, the shaking had something to do with the Citadel shifting in some way below us. As for your odd black smoke, it seems the rest of us were glowing with light at the time."

The thief gave an confused look, suddenly sheathing his knife. "Wait, I'm a bloody Light Warrior too, right, so why was I farting shadow outta my hands while the rest of you were being lambent?"

Valor growled at the thief's vulgarity. "Probably because you are a wastrel and knave and the Crystals know it!"

Gantz just rolled his eyes at that, while Sana giggled. Afterward, she seemed to think for a second with a finger to her chin. "You know, Gantz, I think I might have an explanation for you."

"Well, I am certainly all ears, Miss Priss," the thief replied.

Valor suppressed his knee-jerk frustration at Gantz's disrespectful manner. In a flash, his longsword was gone, and he forced himself to fold his arms in anticipation for Sana's explanation.

Clearly elated, the white mage stood up and tucked her free arm behind her back, holding out her white staff straighter before her. This stance quickly reminded Valor of what the old Headmaster Dalton used to do before lecturing about some old lore.

"The Shadow Source…" Sana declared mysteriously, pausing to grin.

Gantz quickly stood from the wall. "Yeah, yeah, I'm intrigued already, bookworm, enough with the suspense."

Sana's grin grew. "An incredibly rare skill tied only to a few dozen known bloodlines, and unique to the peoples of the east… as far as the records could be traced anyway."

Gantz shook his head. "Yeah, okay, I guess I qualify there, but aren't we four supposed to be the gallant light fighting the shadows? Why am I full of this… shadow stuff?"

"That's not the only thing you're full of…" Valor quipped.

Gantz rolled his eyes at Valor, just as the Chosen of Earth realized he had spoken louder than he'd meant to. However, he just smiled as insolently as he could at Gantz, which, infuriatingly, made the thief grin back quite genuinely at him.

Sana just looked between the two of them with a playful grin before resuming her scholarly stance. "It is said that the Shadow Source is tied to an ancient pact of sorcery. A legend of the east speaks of a young warrior that had to protect his village from an invading force many times greater than his people could possibly stand against. In his journey to seek power, this warrior sought out an ancient site of strength said to house the guardian spirit of his clan. The warrior meditated at this shrine for many days, trying to commune with the ancient spirit that was said to dwell there. 'I seek power not for myself,' the young warrior declared, 'but to protect my people,'"

Sana paused again, seeming to make certain that Valor and the thief were listening. The warrior found that he was indeed rapt. Sana's words seemed to resonate in Valor's mind, and he found himself envisioning her story as easily as if he were in it.

The Chosen of Water continued. "Only after a fortnight during a darkening storm did the spirit finally answer the young warrior. 'Power sought for the sake of protecting others is indeed a noble pursuit, but I have seen it corrupt those who gain it nonetheless. Therefore, I shall not give you the power you seek. What I will give you is a tool, nothing more and nothing less. Your devotion to the mastery of this tool is what will determine its power, but this foe is yours to defeat.' With that, a great wind serpent appeared to pull down a black swathe of storm clouds from the sky. With one talon, it wrapped this darkened cloud about the young warrior until it seemed as if the mortal were shrouded in black smoke. 'You may use this, mortal. It is not power in the strictest sense, but it will allow you an edge over your enemies if you hone its use to that of your keenest skill,' and with this, the spirit was gone."

Sana took a quick breath. "This is all that is known of the Shadow Source, and there are no other corroborating stories or evidence to prove that this ever really happened at all. It may truly be nothing more than a mere story."

Gantz shrugged. "Well, hellfire, it works for me. That bloody wind serpent the story mentions must be Bahamut. It's the only thing that makes sense. Ye gods, that old bastard must have been busy back in the day."

Sana nodded quickly. "Yes, you must be right, Gantz. All of our blessings are tied to the Crystals and the Eidolons are their physical manifestations."

Valor tapped his chin with an armored finger. "Yes, and from what the story mentions, it seems this skill is tied to a form of wind magic, not actual shadow."

The white mage shrugged. "Perhaps, Valor, but every source of light emits a shadow and that shadow is no more evil than the light that created it."

Gantz walked slowly up to the other two. "Right, a tool to be used! Tools aren't good or evil, it just depends on what they're bloody used for."

Valor's eyes suddenly widened. "Yes, tools, we are being given tools! And now of all times with a mighty enemy at our doorstep - this can't just be a coincidence!"

Sana looked to him with a nod, her voice somewhat grave. "Yes, Valor, but against so many… Will it be enough?"

Valor didn't know, but he knit his brow determinedly. "It will simply have to be, Sana-Lynn. It has already been made clear that the Crystals can no longer help us directly. They have done what they can, but as your story mentioned, this enemy is ours to defeat."

A sudden irritated look crossed Sana's features. Valor noticed. "What is it?"

The girl went back to gripping her staff with both hands. "I just remembered Robin. I wonder if she has learned any new skills from all this."

Gantz barked a laugh. "Robin, really? Do you really think that harridan could possibly have the patience to actually learn something from anyone?"

The white mage answered with only a shrug and a sigh.

IIIIIIIIIIII

Robin Magus marched down the old stone staircase that spiraled into the depths below the Citadel. The air was a thousand years musty, and only the occasional bracketed torch provided a pool of light in the darkness, but the black mage's glowing eyes saw well enough, aided by the light emitted by the runes of fire that hovered about her.

She still fumed at the dwarfs' dismissal of everything she had said about magic and its uses. They hadn't even wanted to try and understand, claiming that their ancient runic carvings possessed all the magic power anyone should ever need – as if mere carvings could possibly stand against the primal power she wielded!

The black mage growled, wringing her charred black rod in both hands. Shrouded as ever in her singed robes, she continued to descend.

Robin had felt the rumbling and knew something about this blasted place had changed, but what exactly she wasn't certain. Since she had entered the depths, however, Robin had discovered that the bright silvery Citadel above was simply the tip of far larger structure that existed beneath the earth. Indeed, there seemed to be little metal down here. Everything was stone, tunnels and stairs both seemingly molded from the earth instead of being built into it. Robin could now sense traces of an ancient form of earth magic all about this place, but it had been difficult to feel at first. She had even tried to see if she could pry out chunks of stone with her earth magic, but the stone here had not responded to her call.

"Whatever power was used to shape this place has fundamentally altered the earth around here," Robin mused as she stepped onto a stone landing. Just beyond the landing an earthen tunnel angled gently down directly before her. The tunnel was not rough-hewn, but perfectly smooth, as if some powerful hand had truly shaped the earth. Bracketed torches burned with pools of light, as before, though the shadows were still dominant. Undaunted, Robin continued down again.

So far the path had been straightforward; fortunate since she didn't know her way around here… and yet, something was pulling her on. Robin knew it must be the Orb of Fire tucked within her robes. It wouldn't be the first time the orb had done so. The last had been when she'd been lost within the bloody labyrinth of Cornelia trying to find her way to the king. That time, the orb had led her to find the blasted thief Gantz in what had turned out to be a fateful encounter.

So where was fate leading her this time? Could this dwarven mystic that she would confront someone incredibly important?

Robin doubted it. It had to have something to do with this place. The strange feel of this underworld realm pointed toward some kind of special significance.

She wondered at this significance as the tunnel ended in another spiral staircase of molded stone steps. The black mage continued to descend, but slowed when she began to hear the rhythmic clanking of metal on metal, like a smith hammering away. Faint at first, Robin continued on, and the sound became louder and louder until she entered under an archway into a large domed chamber. Here was stone construction, obviously built more recently than the ancient earth around it. Several stone kilns surrounded a large anvil in the center of the chamber. A multitude of iron implements hung from rack just behind the anvil… and hammering at it was a short woman, no taller than Robin herself, but definitely broader.

Her back was to Robin as the mage entered the forge. Robin felt a slight increase in the heat of the place, though she knew that fire and heat barely affected her, so for a normal person it would actually be quite warm down here.

Indeed, the dwarf woman at the forge was bald, sweat glistening on her bare scalp. She wore a sort of leather frock that left her powerful arms bare. She was not as broad as the male dwarves above, yet still seemed like a tree trunk to Robin.

"I donnae care why ye're here, uplander. Leave now while ye can still do so under yer own power." The dwarf woman announced without turning. Her hammering began again soon after.

Her dwarven accent was much thicker than that of the delegation dwarves above and it took Robin a moment to realize she was being dismissed out of hand. "A mistake, dwarf!"

The black mage summoned a burning sphere the size of melon, which coalesced above one open hand. "You had best give me a good show, or I will burn you to ash!"

The dwarf woman actually roared. "Bloody bumbling humlings!" she spat, turning her fierce countenance toward Robin, just as a ball of burning flame was flung at her.

In less than a second, the dwarf held up one bare arm and in a flash of light, a strange metal gauntlet came into existence, fastened to it, just as the fireball reached her.

Oddly enough, the fireball was sucked into the steel back of the gauntlet, leaving only a harmless puff of smoke, which the dwarf batted away with her now armored arm.

The dwarf's voice had a hard angry edge to it. "I will break ye in twain!"

Her fireball dissipating, Robin was quickly reminded of when she had fought the wight in the crypt back in Cornelia. She noticed a glowing rune etched on the back of the dwarf woman's gauntlet, but her own anger came to fore. "You are welcome to try!"

Robin switched powers and electric blue runes suddenly sprung up around her. As she did this, she noticed the dwarf woman take a warhammer from the anvil.

Static sparks traveled along one free hand as Robin sent an arc of power flashing toward the dwarf woman. Electric blue runes etched into the side of the warhammer flared to life and Robin's lightning was absorbed into it just before the dwarf slammed the warhammer into the earth at her feet where the magical energy dissipated harmlessly.

"Nice defense, dwarf, but you'll get nowhere unless you can attack!" Robin yelled.

"Ye want offense, I'll give ye bloody offense!" the dwarf roared back and suddenly a rune etched into her very forehead glowed to life and she made a sharp gesture with one arm.

Suddenly, the very earth at Robin's feet jutted up, slinging her toward the dwarf with great speed. Utterly surprised, pain exploded through the mage's gut as the dwarf punched her out of mid-air. Gasping in shock and pain, Robin could do nothing as the dwarf clamped one strong hand around her wrist and dragged her toward the anvil.

Still wheezing from having the wind knocked from her, Robin tried to defy the dwarf, but all the strength in her body was gone. Even in her pain, she knew she had lost this fight, but tried to claw and smack at the dwarf. It was no good; she might as well have been slapping a stone. However, it wasn't until the dwarf placed Robin's right hand on the flat of the anvil did panic truly set in. The black mage roared and screamed, trying to fight free of the dwarf as the other raised the warhammer in her free hand.

Poised to bring it down, the dwarf gave Robin one last lingering look of utter hatred. That look shook Robin to the core, but was merely a preamble to what followed.

The dwarf then slammed her warhammer down, crushing Robin's right hand to a pulp.

The agony was immediate, shooting up Robin's arm in arcs so powerful that the glow of her eyes dissipated, leaving the green irises evident for the first time since she had discovered her power twelve years ago. So scathing was it that she couldn't even cry out. Tears of pain immediately sprang from her eyes as the dwarf woman released her and she fell to the ground, simply writhing where she was, unable to do anything but fight the urge to pass out.

A cold sweat sprang from Robin's brow as darkness clawed at the edges of vision, but she managed to wriggle upon the ground in silent throes of agony, trying instinctively to put some distance between her and the dwarf. The pain only grew greater however, sapping the last of Robin's strength and stealing her breath until it was hard to breathe. Every twitch brought a renewed reverberation of scathing agony until it was simply too much to bear and she blacked out.

IIIIIIIIIIII

A cool breeze flitted over Robin Magus's face as her green eyes fluttered open. She found herself in a plain bed, one of a dozen in a long silvery hall that was undoubtedly the Citadel's infirmary.

She was still draped in her singed black robes, though her tall peaked wizard's hat was missing. Her short mussed orange hair was exposed, though the strip of black mask wrapped about her upper face was still present. Her charred black rod lay across a nightstand to her left.

Quickly enough, Robin brought her right hand up before her. It was apparently healed, though still quite stiff. The black mage flexed it a few times, amazed.

"You're welcome," Sana-Lynn cut in angrily. The white mage came up, dressed as ever in her ridiculous white robes, red triangles embroidered all along the hem. She carried her white staff in both hands, looking as if she might bludgeon Robin with it at the slightest provocation.

Such a thought immediately raised Robin's ire, but a sudden twinge of pain in her hand saw it drain away. Instead, she said nothing, merely propping herself up in bed. She focused on feeling the breeze again, blowing in from several open arched windows across the way that led out to a silver balcony.

It was nearing twilight now.

"Are you going to say anything, Robin Magus?" Valor Loftlan asked, his armored arms folded as he came to stand at Sana's side.

Gantz suddenly peeked over the edge of her bed. "You did something really stupid and got pummeled. Miss prim wasn't even going to heal you at first."

"He's damn right I wasn't going to heal you, Robin bloody Magus!" Sana shouted, "And the next time you get injured picking an idiotic fight with an ally, you will be healing on your own, do you understand me?"

Robin didn't answer. Sana and Valor both continued to glare down at her while Gantz turned and jumped over on the bed next to hers, lying on his side and propping himself up on one arm. He seemed eager to watch what would happen next. Robin just shook her head at his manner, but continued in silence, looking to her right hand. She remembered the incredible agony from before. It was still so real to her.

Her voice was hoarse. "…Please," she said before pausing. The other threes' eyes widened in surprise at that single word, but Robin was not finished. "Please… wait for me on the balcony outside. I wish to speak to you all there."

They all stared in stunned silence for a few seconds before Valor gave a slow nod. "As you wish, Robin Magus. Come, let us go." He and Sana turned quickly enough and went toward the arched windows across the way. Gantz lingered a few extra seconds before giving an incredulous whistle. Then, in an eye blink, he rushed passed the other two like a blur.

Robin lingered in bed, trying to sort out her thoughts. Anger and outrage at Sana-Lynn's words were still trying to take purchase within her, but a single twinge of pain in her right hand stopped it. As well, the utter hatred that had been in the dwarf woman's eyes just before she had brought her hammer down was something Robin would never forget.

Anger was good. It was a source of energy, of determination. It was doubly good for the black mage since it is what ignited the flame within her, linking her to the primal fury that powered her magic… yet it had to be controlled. She had always known that. However, she only thought she had been controlling it until now, but it had been controlling her instead. Her will had always been strong, but still not strong enough it seemed.

The black mage looked at her right hand again, suddenly clenching it into a fist. Now was the time to take true control of herself, to channel her power without it twisting her. There had always been a balance to maintain between her and the fire within her, she just hadn't mastered it yet.

Now it was time to try.

Minutes later, Robin emerged onto the balcony, still righting her peaked hat upon her head. She held her charred rod in her hands, gripping it securely, but not wrenching at it. Her green eyes spied the other three Light Warriors: Valor tall in his plain armor, his blue gaze steady, his short brown hair waving a bit in the breeze. Sana stood to his right. Her face was suspicious, as she no doubt anticipated an explosion from Robin. Gantz leaned on the railing, balancing a single one of his fool knives on the tip of a finger effortlessly. They were all waiting expectantly, even Gantz despite his air of nonchalance. Robin knew enough about him to see it.

Yes, she had learned quite a bit about them all, and, despite her best efforts, she had even come to trust them. "First I have a request for you, Chosen of Earth."

Valor gave a cautious nod. "Ask," he said.

"Raise your sword above your head," she ordered curtly before adding, "…please."

The warrior narrowed his eyes but quickly summoned a bastard sword in one hand before raising it above his head. Its double-edged blade shone faintly in the evening light.

"Here is one thing I never thought to do with my runes of magic," Robin admitted. She suddenly closed her eyes before holding her rod out to point it at Valor's uplifted blade. Blazing runes sprung up around Robin just as her eyes snapped open, glowing fiercely once again.

Yet one of the fiery runes that hovered about her suddenly flew toward Valor's upraised blade with such speed that it turned into a fiery streak that wound up around the blade before igniting, turning the bastard sword into a blazing torch. The other three all gaped in amazement as the fire of the ensorcelled blade flared.

Robin continued. "It won't harm the steel, but will definitely add extra damage to anything you strike with it, especially things vulnerable to fire. This is another tool at my disposal, an idea gleaned below in the forge. It doesn't have the staying power of the carved dwarf runes, but you'll have five minutes of effect at least."

Valor shook his head incredulously. "I wonder if I will ever stopped being amazed this day."

Robin frowned. "You are simple-minded, so its doubtful that it will ever stop happening," but there was no sting in her words and Valor actually smiled.

The black mage lingered a bit, everyone waiting for more. Gantz even sheathed his knife, leaning forward expectantly.

Robin sighed. "I am not one for speeches or other such sap, but the four of us are the Light Warriors," she paused, walking up a few steps and holding her charred rod out toward the others. "So let us shine together."

Valor nodded first, the fire of his ensorcelled sword winking out. Without hesitation, he went up and lowered his blade, touching its edge to the end of Robin's focus.

Gantz actually barked a laugh. "Still can't believe this is actually happening, but what the bloody hellfire, let's give it a try." He went up, unsheathing one of his long knives and twirling in one hand before touching the edge to the other two weapons.

They all looked to Sana-Lynn where the white mage hesitated. "Maybe I'm the one in a fever dream, but…" she suddenly smiled and came up, touching her white staff to the others' chosen tools. "It would be nice to be united for once."

Robin looked to her. "We have always been united, Sana-Lynn, I just needed more time to see it."

Gantz gaped. "Wait, is… is that the first bloody time you've actually used one of our names?"

The black mage sighed irritably. "Don't get used to it, you bloody git."

The thief gave an insolent grin. "Sure thing, you livid little peck."

Robin just shook her head, but failed to stifle a chuckle.

Valor brought back his sword before it vanished in a flash of light. "Well, at any rate, Robin Magus, it is good that you have finally joined us."

Robin simply looked off into the twilight sky. "It is at that, Chosen of Earth, it is at that."