"Where's the weakling?"

A group of ten mages stand around the group, Venka, Morgan, and Katya had been in the middle of eating their meal, Alanna and Dusan hadn't begun yet to eat their meal. Nya had already scarfed down her meal with military quickness when the mages who made up the challenge team walked up to them."

Nya sighed in annoyance. "What's it matter to you lot? The match isn't till tomorrow Yacob."

The young man in question, Yacob, was a tall boy sporting a clean-shaven face and short straight military crew cut. He wore the trademark white robe and blue trimmings of the Protectors of Life Guild. "Please Nya," He grinned, "Are you scared? Don't worry, unlike the others we'll take that weakling very seriously."

"Are you still upset I didn't join you for your little date?" Nya smirked.

The boy's face reddened as he angrily retorted, "I extended that invitation to all of you, your power would be great in our quest to amass power, other than you, I and my five other ten-man groups have amassed the greatest level of magical power, even that weakling is useful for his analytical skills and martial ability"

"If you find him so useful why do you refer to him as a weakling?" Venka asked angrily.

Yacob smiled, "Unlike you first year's I've had several years to practice and hone my skills as a Pearl-Rank initiate. His magical ability is abysmal for a student at his level supposedly, the higher one's knowledge of the ancient language the more of their own power they can access, I'm sure you understand that well. That boy can already access to all his power, yet it's barely better than someone just starting out, it's not even about individual power, I could excuse that." He holds out his stone, "Let's say he's an 8 and I'm a 16, sure I'm only twice as strong, so he could tire me out, make me use twice as much effort to match his skill, but this stone lets me overtime turn that 16 into a 32, then 48, then 64, and so on. If the two of us were devoting ourselves to fully storing our energy into the stones, then in one year, I'd still have double the energy, but that's not what's going to happen, energy is spent throughout the day, lets imagine you need to give up 4 energy that's devoted to living through that day. Then he can only put in 4 energy, and I can put in 12, that's three times more energy." He turned to Venka.

"We've already beaten groups who've amassed more power than we had." She says angrily, "And unlike you lot, we've never had to resort to all our crystals."

"Well isn't that because you are hundreds of times our strength Venka?" Another mage said bitterly, "Unlike us who spent years amassing the energy and using it with our experience, you can pull off the same things at a leisure, you think you all would be were you were if not for your stupid talent?!" She looked at the mage, surprised at his ferocious glare. He had black hair entangled as if bed head, giving him a wild appearance.

"James is right Venka, I'm sure to you we're all weaklings, but don't you think then that someone like Faris, the antithesis to us, would fare worse?" Yacob looked at them grimly, "Besides, I didn't come here to fight, I just came to appeal to the weakling's common sense, if he surrenders, we'll deign not to take his paltry amassed magic, we just want your subservience."

"To use Venka?" Morgan got up, "That's the height of inelegance sir."

"No no, we don't want your magic, I'm sure you know what comes at the end of the year."

Katya scowled, "I can't believe someone like you is in my guild."

"Look, we don't hate the weakling, in fact, I respect him for lasting as long as he did, but even if he devoted every ounce of his energy into his crystal every day without having to use any of its or his energy, which is impossible, he'd still be weaker than any of the Pearl-Student's at the beginning of the year." He grinned at everyone's silence. "I also heard he's not taken any of the spoils of victory, so you've shared it amongst yourselves."

"Faris doesn't need it to beat you." Venka scowled.

"That is in all honesty an impossibility silly girl." Another mage quipped. "Besides, it would be easier on you all to join us, who knows what might happen in such a battle, that little energy? He might be overwhelmed before the failsafe activates, and we wouldn't be held liable for his weak self-leading to his death."

It was Morgan who had to hold back Nya and Katya who had to hold back Venka as they ran towards the woman, who hopped behind James in shock.

"So, you are threatening us?" Venka hissed.

"Merely warning you, it was surprising when he agreed to duel us, and foolish of him to duel us alone, unless you wish to intervene."

"Oh?" Seya smirked, "You're just upset and scared."

Yacob twitched. "What are you talking about?"

"You thought you had it all figured out." She stood up and walked up to him, he turned his face angrily. "You thought, 'oh! They are too skilled for our goons to take down, there's no point anymore, but look at that! They exhausted themselves with infighting!'"

"Not to be disrespectful, but that was your fault Seya." Morgan had put down Nya, who had calmed down a bit. They had begun to make a scene, so getting into a real fight would be detrimental.

Seya ignored him as she continued, "So you thought to challenge us, if we said no, you'd gain a boat load of magical power, if we accepted, you had a good chance of winning." She held up two fingers. "One, you win, you get even more magical energy, two, you lose, but we've exhausted ourselves, so another group challenges us as we are even more exhausted, we have the most energy, and you've exhausted your energy beating us, so you'll gain more energy than we gain from you, and thus you get a net positive." She laughed now, "That's a cowardly move from the boy who said he wanted to earn my hand."

Yacob yelled at her angrily. "What does that even matter?! That boy will likely die facing us! Are you all so cold as to leave him to that fate?"

"It's a matter of believing in him I think." Mortimer was swallowing pieces of a meat pie. "I couldn't care less, but I don't think you're taking him as seriously as you say you do."

Yacob turned angrily, "Fine then! His death is on your hands."

"Are you sure you aren't desperate?" Seya grinned, poking him in the back.

"Don't touch me." He replied. James looked at his group then back at Seya and the other First-Years, he stuck his tongue at them before running off.

"So, Faris is going to win, isn't he?" Katya asked worriedly.

"I'll kick his butt if he loses." Seya growls.

"Oh?" Venka smirked, "So you do have emotions other than smug?"

"Oh, be quiet little girl."

"So, where is Faris though?" Katya turned to Venka, "Is he still in bed?"

"I came to check, yeah he is, but he made a bunch more Fairths."

"Oh?" Morgan looked up, interested.

"Maybe we should visit him?" They all grinned. Eager to see what he had made and to press him on what had happened the afternoon and night before.

They made their way past the students and into the Pearl dorms. As they made their way to the room, they noticed the lock had been fixed. Opening it they saw that the room was empty except for a large amount of paper on the floor.

"It looks like he left." Venka walked towards the center of the room to look at the papers.

"What are those?" Alanna asks, curios at Venka's expression.

She hands out the parchments to show her friends. They look in to see several sheets filled with short stories and poems, all with their own illustrations. Each person finds a sheet matching their dispositions.

"I quite like these, it seems Faris made one for each of us?" Morgan looks at his, a fairth of a wizard launching a powerful bolt of lightning. Nya turned hers around to see notes.

"It looks like he left a message?" The others turn their pages and see the exact same notes.

"Hey guys, Faris here, for fuck's sake can you stop opening my parchments to look at the Fairths, it gets disorganized and you don't even put them back right. I went shopping and got you guys some food my master had taught me had curative properties, it should help you guys out in your recovery. Also, please, check the doorknob. Have a good one.

P.S.
You won't see me till tomorrow.

P.P.S.

Don't touch my stuff.

P.P.P.S.

Seriously, food in the fridge, several fairths I made for you to look at, no touchy the other ones please!

They all looked up at each other, a little embarrassed.

...

Ventus flew swiftly over the forest, he had only stopped to rest and hunt thrice, and was making good time. His rush back home was in part to reach Faris quickly and in part to return to the safety of the stone nest and no-feathers-two-leg-friends. Ventus dived and banked to the right sharply, dodging the dive of the hawk. It attempted to bank upwards to get an advantage in height again but Ventus went right over it, buffeting the slightly larger bird with his wings, forcing it to land, he pinned it down and let out a chilling scream into its face, standing there for a few seconds. As he stared down the bird, looking into its grey eyes with his own brown, he began to feel a stirring, like he wasn't alone. The sensation alarmed him and he let go of the hawk, which scrabbled away from him before flying off in a panic. Ventus fluttered a bit before getting his bearings and taking off.

Unbeknownst to him the hawk wasn't leaving for another hunt, or returning to a nest, it flew higher and higher, towards a mass in the sky, the mass increased in size until its form was revealed to the hawk. Horns as black as midnight, large expansive wings, and hard scales of glittering reddish brown, each scale seemed a slightly different reddish brown. The dragon was muscular and proud looking, with a thick corded body suited for physical combat. On the crook between the Dragon's neck and shoulders sat a stout man with a short red beard and light brown eyes. He stroked it as he and the dragon flew towards the hawk. After a few moments the hawk flew into a cage securely tied to the saddle. Covering it up the dwarf chanted some words in the ancient language.

"There there Speckle." He placed a cloth over the cage. That combined with his words in the ancient language calmed the bird down and prevented it from being harmed by turbulence.

I still don't know why you keep that little bird with you, even before you became a rider your kind would live hundreds of times that creature's life.

The dwarf chuckled, shaking his head, "Well, I find Speckle to be an excellent tracker at times. And it pays to have eyes in the sky that no one will suspect."

Well your 'excellent tracker' was just outmaneuvered by a simple owl and would have died unless you intervened.

The dwarf shook his head as he patted his dragon's neck. "Come now Volund, that wasn't an ordinary owl, it's movements were too sure, it was likely an expert hunter, and it had a purpose. Besides, I don't think he would have killed Speckle."

And why wouldn't he? Volund was confused, as a dragon he could not imagine a hunter as experienced as the owl not finishing off an adversary if it had that enemy in the optimal killing space.

"Speckle wasn't scratched at all, in fact is seems like the owl aimed its claws to pin down Speckle without squeezing it's talons, and… It seemed to recognize my intrusion."

That's odd, you normally don't get that reaction from simple wild creatures. Only two have ever responded like that…

"The fanghur and nïdwhal." The dwarf continued, but the owl simply recoiled from my touch, it didn't attack.

Would a mouse stand before a wolf?

He laughed, "True, interestingly enough it is heading towards Ilrea."

That being said we should continue on our way, wasting time for a hunt, especially a fruitless one, is a taxing endeavor.

"True, but even then, I enjoy being in the air." He grinned as his dragon let out it's coughing chuckling laugh.

It's been just ten years since the little dwarf I bonded to threatened to throw himself off a cliff due to fear of flying.

"Even dwarves can change, but like stone you have to hit us hard enough."

Nasuada will be pleased to see us.

"That she will, they probably need all the help they can get down in Surda, and my presence here will likely help with morale. Hopefully Neewah, Jericho, Hophram and Berkfel can handle themselves without us."

They are all skilled riders and dragons, we can spare time away, though, I envy them. I miss the heat of combat, the enemies poured down like a flood and I could test my might and mettle against them.

"I miss the thrill of battle as well friend, hopefully this year's games won't take too long, we'll see Nasuada tomorrow."

The dragon continued his flight towards Ilrea, slowly overtaking Ventus, who paid the shadow above him no mind, even after it passed him.

Faris walked down the town square, he was a good way away from the slums, he was heading to the industrial district of the city. He looked down on his notes and schematics. "hopefully it will work out and they won't ask too many questions." He walked with a purpose as he began to hear the sounds of blacksmith hammers. A circle of buildings stood in front of him. Each one was its own forge, he walked towards the second to the left. Inside was a middle-aged man with scraggly brown hair and stubble.

"Excuse me sir!" Faris screamed at the top of his lungs. The man looks at him, then scowls.

"I'm not taking apprentices yet, and if you're here for an order get your master to come fetch it himself." He returned to his forge.

Faris yelled again. "I actually came here for an order I put in!"

The man looked at him, after eying the boy up and down he laughed. "Sure you are."

Faris sighed, "gauntlet able to fit between 25 and 50 units through interlocking segments, vaguely cylindrical addition, 43 units in length, 25-unit diameter at base, which is solid and closed off, 18-unit diameter near the entrance, grooved insides in a corkscrew like formation. All of this in a mix of stainless steel, iron, Damascus steel final layer, with gold and silver lining and finishing. Mercury filled within to help prevent overheating. 4 extra miniature cylinders, 7-unit diameters throughout, 40 units in length. 150 measures of Seithr oil flax seed."

The old man looked at the boy, slightly impressed. "So, your master had you memorize all the requirements? That's not even all of them."

"I know. Just above the gauntlet are thin hollow grooves that 7 unit long thick knives one unit long at the base, tapering at the tip. Also, here's the 2,000 gold pieces." He hands the man a large coin bag. After weighing it to his satisfaction he turned back to the child.

"I still don't believe you were the one who brought this in. This design is… it's unlike anything I had seen before. It was so detailed, and so much work had to be put into it."

"I know, you likely needed to use magic to shape the metal when it got to the hardest points right? And discovered doing so also had an odd effect on the metal?"

He looked at the boy in a new light, scratching his beard he asked. "What's your name son?"

Faris smiled, "I'd prefer not to be hounded after. I thought you doubted me?"

The black smith grinned, "Cheeky bastard aren't you, then again only someone bold or insane would ask for that, it's such a ridiculous and heavy contraption I have no idea what it's for."

Faris was handed the item, and nearly buckled over. It was a gauntlet and greaves combination, with trigger activated wolverine like claws, and what appeared to be a miniature cannon on the top, this cannon had 4 smaller barrels attached to the sides. It was as impressive looking as it was impractical. Unless one had magic of course. Faris took 5 quartz stones and inserted them into the shaped grooves along the weapon. The blacksmith stared in awe as Faris was able to fit it in his arm and lift it up and down.

"Hmmm… it feels a little stiff, you have the other supplies I asked for right?"

"Aye, the 1000 gold you sent earlier helped me get the supplies, but I'm most interested in the 105 'bullets' you ordered, some were hollow, some were solid, and some had been spherical as opposed to some others that were conical."

Faris smiled. "Thanks! Those are extremely important. I can show you what it is for, on the condition that you tell no one. Also…" He takes out another bunch of gold. "I want you to make a second one."

The blacksmith grinned, "I'll get one of the test dummies then…"

The blacksmiths in the area had two rules, don't steal the techniques of others, and don't mess with old man Gurant. The blacksmith was once a member of the Varden, and had been trained by dwarves from childhood, he was a truly skilled man, but ornery as a mother bear with newborns. It took a lot to get his attention, and even more to gain his respect. He had been working on something strange for the past month, it had been making him both frustrated and driven, whatever it was, they knew he had been paid handsomely before he even began, and would be paid even better after. They had wanted to see what it was, but the two rules they lived by, especially the latter one, kept them from coming. That of course didn't stop them when they heard a huge boom and explosion emanating from Gurant's workshop. The blacksmiths who could leave their work rushed out of their forges to see a truly terrifying sight. Gurant was laughing maniacally as in front of him lay a mess of molten destroyed steel.

"Gurant what happened here?" A senior blacksmith spoke fearfully, worried the old man finally went mad.

"That boy is a genius! The spokes to the side extend unto the ground to keep balance, and those magic stones provide extra counterbalance to both the cannon and its payload, keeping it on target! The grooves on the inside help the missile burst through the air at greater speeds! Whoever taught that child, he's a true master, it helped that the boy seemed to understand blacksmithing himself! Is he truly an apprentice? If so, no wonder he brought the schematics to me, his master would claim it." He continued his almost insane mumblings as a blacksmith tapped him gently. He turned quickly, shooing away the rest of the blacksmiths. "Oh, don't bother me! I have to get back to work! He'll be back in a month! I need to perfect the designs!"

.

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Afterword:

Sorry if it took long! I was held down by a mix of writer's block and cramming for finals! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! I think it might be cool to introduce at least one rider, and seeing as I've had attention of elves, humans, and urgals, it wouldn't be fair to not represent a dwarf. If you remember, dwarves and urgals were included into the dragon rider pact by Eragon, so while likely rarer than the other races, a dwarf rider could occur. He hasn't been named yet because I don't have one yet, but next chapter or the chapter after will introduce it. Also, cannons! Cannons! CANNONS! At this point though I've introduced so many characters I need to make a document to keep track of everything everyone is doing now lol.

Now to reply to comments, Thank you to Sullenwhitedevil and Idhun's Durmgrist Feldunost!

You both commented about Faris making a Fairth that alluded to some popular movies and books, one such space faring franchise especially, I'll keep it in mind for the next few chapters!
Also, I've not read the Kingkiller chronicles, but I can't claim that Faris isn't somewhat based on multiple characters in stories I've read. I will be sure to check out the Kingkiller Chronicles. Also thanks for your comments about the elephant! I'm glad I described it well enough that it could be understood, for any other things I'll work to make it clearer and more detailed, the use of Fairths to place images s actually a very important training method for Faris, and you guys will see how it is utilized next chapter during the fight, though even with everything Faris has on his side I'm not thinking he's going to win, but I'll see how to plays out when I write it down. Thank you for all your comments! It's really cool when I get all these comments.