Chapter Seven

"FIREBALL!!!"

The bright orange blast ricocheted from Lina's outstretched hands and crashed into the heart of the forge's oven. The fires blazed, roaring with sudden light.

Lina, dressed in clothes similar to her father, her hair greased back and tied up tightly, put her hands on her hips and grinned.

A fan slapped down on top of her head, forcing her to squeal in protest. "NO!" Luka snapped, also dressed like Lina. Her eyes blazed, almost akin to the fires in the hearth. "You little idiot! You're not supposed to do that!"

Lina looked up at her mother with watery eyes. "You said LIGHT the FIRE!" she accused.

Luka bared her teeth. "Did I say with magic?"

"Did you say without?" Lina shot back.

Delmas squeezed in between them, picking Lina up not-so-gently and flinging her over his shoulder, like she was as light as a pillow. Lina squawked, then just held herself limp in his grasp. There was no use protesting that she was too old for this sort of thing.

"Luka-chan, you weren't specific," Delmas told his wife sternly. "But Lina-chan, you should no better than to light a fire in such a small area with magic." He walked over to where Gourry stood, also with greased-back hair and an apron, and dropped her on her feet in front of him. "Smarten up, both of you."

Luka sighed, and Lina sulked.

"Now, listen up. The lighting of a forge is a very delicate matter, indeed," Delmas continued, as Luka used Mosu Varium on the fires that Lina had lit. "When you light the forge, you're giving life to a beast with a mind of its own. It obeys no one, least of all the one that gives it life. If you do not contain it or show it who's boss, it WILL consume you."

Lina crossed her arms over her chest, instantly skeptic. Gourry, however, listened closely, entranced. Lina wanted to kick him.

Luka stood beside Delmas, her eyes serious. "We ourselves have learned through trial and error how to tame the flames," she said. "You, too, will learn your own limits. It's never the same for anyone. That's the first thing you need to get through your thick skulls."

Gourry blinked, but this time Lina was nodding. Apparently Luka's blunt wording was a better way to get through to her, rather than Delmas's poetry, which got through to Gourry.

Luka's eyes fell on her youngest daughter. "Lina-chan, your job is to infuse your creations with magic. Whatever the person's forte is, you need to create their weapon as such. I know your own personal strength is fire, but I also know that you have learned other spells, as well, correct?"

Lina snorted. "Of course."

"Then while Gourry-kun works a tool, you need to be the one casting the magic upon it. Even if they do not know their own strength, it's your job to not only find it, but to infuse their weapon with it." Luka's face was so serious that Lina found herself feeling a little nervous.

"For example," Luka said, her gaze falling on Gourry. "You would have to be able to figure out what Gourry-kun's specialty would be, before you make him a blade of power."

Lina and Gourry exchanged confused looks. "But, I can't use magic," Gourry admitted. "I never learned how."

Luka sighed. "Being unable and not learning how are two different things, not one," she snapped. "Lina-chan and I can sense a high capacity off of you, Gourry-kun."

Lina nodded when Gourry looked at her for confirmation. "I've told you that," she said plainly.

"I guess," Gourry shifted on his feet. "I just don't have the head for spells."

Delmas, who had been quiet, was nodding now. "I can relate to that. While my magic capacity is small, even what I have is still enough to cast a light spell. But I, too, don't have a knack for spells."

Gourry wondered about that. For someone so good with words, why couldn't Delmas cast spells? There was alot more to the man that he let everyone see, he concluded. It was probably better not to pry.

Lina scratched her chin, staring at Gourry thoughtfully. "But I can't imagine Gourry having a primary element," she admitted.

Luka smiled. "Oh, but he does. You'll find it's pretty obvious once you hit on it."

Lina blinked. "You know what it is?"

Luka rolled her eyes. "Idiot. You want us to make him a blade, and you think I can't tell what his forte is? Please."

Lina edged closer, so close that Gourry felt a little nervous. He stared back at her, and suddenly decided not to be so nervous. She looked different, smelled different, but the eyes, wide, inquisitive, and bright, were the same.

And suddenly, her eyes focused, and she groaned, slapping her hand on her forehead. "Oh, man, so many jokes," she moaned. Luka laughed, really loud.

Delmas and Gourry blinked at the two women, both confused. "I give," Delmas said. "What is it?"

"Air," Lina muttered.

Luka nodded proudly. "Exactly."

Delmas laughed. Gourry tilted his head to one side, still not getting the joke. "I think I'm missing the punchline," he said.

"You ARE the punchline," Lina answered back. She looked over at her mother. "Damn, that wasn't easy," she admitted. "I felt like I was swimming in syrup, there."

Gourry wondered if he should be insulted. "What exactly did you do?" he asked.

Lina instantly got into her lecture mode. "I'll try to keep it simple for you. Basically, when I looked at you, I tried to look INTO you as well, to see what was inside of you."

Gourry, despite himself, went pink. "Should you be saying that sort of thing in front of your parents?" he murmured.

Lina gaped at him, going red. "You are a moron," she said flatly.

Luka stepped in bravely. "Basically," she said. "Lina-chan was trying to sense something from you, from your own aura. Every human has every element within them to some degree, even people who cannot use magic; it's the one that's dominant that's the easiest to see."

"Your aura is weird, Gourry," Lina admitted. "It's like... a quilt. Alot of different things were there. But air was the most prominent."

"Oh," Gourry nodded, trying to get his head around it. He still didn't understand very much, but at least he could grasp at some things. Magic was sometimes nothing but white noise to him.

"I'm still going to kick your ass," Lina warned calmly, her eyes sparking, before she turned back to her parents. "And now what do we do?"

Delmas held up a length of thick string. "That's when you, Gourry-kun, take the basic measurements of the person, as usual." Gourry walked over and held out his right arm, and Delmas swiftly ran the string up and down, then around, then up and down again. "Your basic place is as a smith, Gourry-kun," Delmas went on. "But because magic is involved, you have to understand a bit about that, too."

Gourry sighed, dropping his arm to his side heavily. "I don't know if I can do that," he said pathetically.

"You'll learn," Delmas said gently. "It's hard at first, especially if you're not an adept, but it does get easier."

Gourry wanted to believe him, but he had his doubts.

Luka was staring at Gourry, her eyes unfocused. "I can picture the perfect blade for you, Gourry-kun," she said, her voice almost breathless. "Since you're attuned to air, and Lina-chan is attuned to fire, and since the two compliment eachother so well..." she grinned, then turned to Delmas. They clasped hands, both looking as excited as two kids in a candy store. Delmas was nodding so hard it looked painful. "I know what you're thinking, my love!" he declared.

"Care to share?" Lina wondered weakly, a little sickened by this romantic display.

Both turned to her, their hands still clasped. "A sword that amplifies fire!" Luka declared. "One that uses your magic, Lina-chan, as a boost on the blade!"

"You could even use fire to sharpen it!" Delmas agreed. "And with the added focus of your power, Gourry-kun, the blade would be even stronger!"

Lina stared for a moment, a shiver of pleasure running through her. She grinned, a huge, wide grin. "That's PERFECT!" she declared.

Gourry scratched his head. "I don't think I get it..." he admitted shyly.

Lina hopped in front of him, her eyes shining, her hands clapped in front of her. "You will, you will!" she exclaimed. "Let's start, let's start!"

Luka and Delmas changed their pose, so that their hands were out and pointing to the anvil and bench. "Park your asses, then, and let's go!" Luka replied.

Lina dragged Gourry forward to obey. She shoved him down onto the bench, then shortly followed.

And then, the real hard work began.