Return to Jorgaldur Volume I: the battle mage

Heart of the Eternal Flame

There were only a few daylight hours left when they reached the village that had a magical jewelry platform. There weren't many repairs to be done there, but there were orders for the crafting of new rings, bracelets, earrings or necklaces.

Eldi hoped to exchange recipes again. He was curious about the elven jewels, since he had been able to see first hand the beauty and delicacy of their designs, which didn't make them less effective. But, this time, he didn't get the welcome he had expected.

"I'm neither interested in your designs nor in showing mine," the craftsman declared coolly, before turning and leaving.

He wasn't the only one capable of crafting jewelry, but he was the only one who was present at that time in the village. Oddly, he wasn't an elf, although it was impossible to know his race. A dark hooded cloak was covering his face and body. Only the eyes could be glimpsed, within which there were a purple color covering a strange yellow pattern. The skin around these was the same purple color.

He wasn't the only one hiding in that kind of clothes, and none of them seemed to be interested in the newcomer, unlike the elves. Or a passing pair of dwarfs who had greeted him too effusively, before fading away among the trees on which the locals' dwellings had been built.

Luckily, he got a few materials, enough to make level 70 jewelry, but not 75. He had crafted a pair of rings and a necklace, which he was now examining, unsure whether turn himself. He had been feeling for a long time that someone was watching him.

"Sir, do you know how to make necklaces?" asked a childish voice.

Eldi turned to meet a short figure, wrapped in the same mysterious clothes as the jeweler. Only her eyes were visible, also a purple color, but much lighter. The yellow pattern that stretched across her iris was much richer and more intricate than man's, and singularly beautiful. It looked like a work of art.

"Yes, I can make some necklaces," he replied softly, smiling.

"Would you make me one?"

Eldi was a little surprised at the request, but soon smiled. He had no doubt that this was the reason she had been watching him. And he had no reason to refuse. There were several ornamental necklaces he could make, some uniquely beautiful, and he had enough material for many of them.

On the other hand, the girl's level was surprisingly high for her age, or for what seemed like her age, because you can't be sure when the race is unknown, and only the height and the eyes can be seen. She was above level 50, so he didn't know if it would be better to craft one that had bonuses to her.

"What kind of necklace do you want?"

The girl put her hands inside the cape, then extended them towards the man. They were holding a beautiful tennis ball-sized gemstone, the same purple color as the girl's eyes. It was delightfully carved into what would technically be a pentagonal hexecontahedron, a polyhedron of sixty equal faces, each with five sides.

Instead of shining, it seemed to absorb light from each of the faces, through which infinite depth could be felt, and the diffuse shape of a three-dimensional drawing in fine yellow lines could be seen.

"One with this stone!" exclaimed the girl.

Eldi picked up the gem with the utmost delicacy, fearing that the enthusiastic girl might end up letting it fall. He examined it carefully, while the girl's eyes seemed to be examining him. There was some fear and some excitement in them.

"What are you doing, Menxilya!?" a voice suddenly exclaimed.

It was the same man Eldi had spoken to briefly before, the jeweler. His gaze went from the girl to the gem, and then to the man who was holding it.

"Give us back the gem, it is very important to us," he demanded in an arrogant tone, that was also intended to be threatening.

"No! He can do it!" protested the girl.

"Don't be stubborn, you know it's impossible. We've spent years trying to find the method," the mysterious man disapproved.

"I know he can!" the girl yelled.

You could tell from his frown that he wasn't happy. His purple eyes were staring at the high human, extending his hands toward him.

"Please give us back the gem, and tell her that you can't do anything with it"

Although the words might seem respectful, the tone was not. He looked exasperated, but also tired, and there was a deep melancholy in his voice. Eldi didn't hide the gem, nor did he give it to him, but looked at him somewhat puzzled by what he had just found out.

"In fact I can, but..."

Using the gem as a reference, he had found a single recipe, a somewhat peculiar one. There was neither the name of the necklace nor its effects, not even a drawing of the result. Only the necessary materials, the gem among them.

"This is not a game!! You can't laugh at our hopes!! At our legacy !!" he shouted, totally out of himself, taking a step towards the high human.

Several elves approached when they heard the screams, in addition to some hooded figures. They stared in fear at the gem Eldi was holding, at the screaming man, and at the girl, whose eyes were shedding tears, as she was hanging onto the hooded man's arm.

"Let him! He can do it!" she sobbed.

With the girl trying to stop him, the man stood still, unable to move, unable to risk hurting her, even a bit. He tried to hold her with extreme softness, as he was glaring angrily at who was holding the gem. He couldn't tolerate him pretending to be capable of something that was impossible.

"... but I'm missing a material. I have all the others: the Heart of the Eternal Flame; magic silver, platinum, gold, mithril, orichalcum and adamant; rubies from the Eternal Mountain; Sapphires from the Incommensurate Sea..."

The hooded man lowered his arms and looked at Eldi incredulously, unable to assimilate what he had head.

"Sa... Sapphires? Silver? Does it also ... need silver? And...? How... How do you know the name of the gem? How do you know the materials? What... What is missing?" he stammered, having completely lost the confidence he had had a few seconds ago. His eyes seemed to want to pop out of their sockets.