34 Frost 120 Steel
“Didn’t I already impart Elemental Deference to the viscerite used to make these?” Talon nodded as they approached not one, not two, but three pairs of boots aligned in preparation for the final bit of forging required to make them complete. Each pair had been made specifically to measure and Talon was proud of that work. There had also been a fair bit of...fun...while getting those measurements. He cleared his throat.
“Yes. These require a few more techniques incorporated beyond just basic elemental deference that the rest of the ensemble gives.” Talon brought them both up to the anvil and his bondmate took up his usual post directly within reach. Grabbing his tools, Talon assembled them so that they were easily within reach.
“First, you remember the Lightstep Boots I made for that elven patron a few seasons ago?” Talon had charged a hefty price for them but the man had not been phased. As soon as he mentioned the project, Aoren was nodding.
“Yes. But, didn’t that incorporate the skills of a teleportation mage and kinetics?” Talon nodded. He picked up his smaller hammer and began lightly tapping on the intended arcane pathways so that they could be properly primed for work.
“Yes. I am going a similar but different route with these. I am focused less on weightlessness and more on being able to cover tracks when the need calls for it.” Aoren had a quizzical expression on his face for a few moments before it dawned on him.
“You want it so that the elements will cover your tracks.” Talon nodded. At his bondmate’s hesitant expression, he made a clarifying statement.
“It would not be a passive power. This is one of the abilities that the wearer will have to active tap into and activate. I do not expect that it will work against the likes of a masterful tracker but it would be enough to confuse less skilled hunters and attackers.” That seemed to placate his bondmate. Talon stepped up to the first pair of boots and the two of them got to work. Carefully, Talon awoke the aetheric pathways within the first boot. He then took hold of his bondmate’s hand and gently guided him to where he needed to both channel his elemental magic and prompted him with ideas about what he had in mind. He allowed his partner to perform the rest. Aoren was the elementalist and would have a better understanding of how the technique needed to be performed. Talon simply observed and then inlaid the magical action into place so that it could be called upon.
Unlike with many of the enhancements that Talon had built into the fundamental material that the entire ensemble was made of, he made a series of triggers within the pathways linked to the techniques. As Aoren introduced one style of the magic, Talon created a set of controls so that the power was not constantly active but rather, could be called upon at will. As he was examining the work, he made a few careful modifications to some of the underlying enhancement already in place so that they worked more seamlessly together. He was glad for the tier of dragonshards that he had used in the fundamental viscerite that went into the creation of everything. Without that, this would have been impossible to pull off. The price had been worth it if it meant fashioning artifacts that could keep those he cared about safe.
Once the first pair was complete, Talon then moved on to the second and in time he moved on to the third until finally all three pairs were finished. He did not know at what point in time in the day that he had finished with the work but he had a feeling that it was much later. Rising from his position, Talon stretched as was his habit. Across from him, his bondmate did the same. Talon turned to clean up his tools as his work was complete in that respect. He then looked at Aoren before gesturing to the largest pair there.
“Try them on. They are yours after all.” Aoren quirked a brow before picking them up. Together the two of them went to a room set aside for a few demonstrations for the artifacts that Talon made. There were several straw dummies and racks of ordinary weaponry or armor that had been used over the years to serve as a means of gauging an artifact’s success. Aoren sat down on one of the benches, tugging on his boots before slipping on the new ones. He rolled his ankles, testing out the fit before rising to his feet. Talon observed, curious to see what his bondmate would do first.
“Can you set up a dummy for me?” Talon nodded. He walked up to one of the straw dummies, pulling it into place so that it was in a good position. Talon stepped out of the way so that he could watch. Aoren bounced on the balls of his feet for a few moments before letting out a slow exhale. He kicked off with one foot. There was a spark in the air as fire suddenly gathered around one boot as he delivered a roundhouse kick to the dummy. The spot where the kick landed was scorched. Even before Talon could say anything, Aoren was picking up a nearby bucket of water and putting out a growing fire. With the fire put out, Aoren took up his position again. He adopted his stance and tested his balance before performing another flaming roundhouse kick with the opposite foot.
The set of roundhouse kicks was followed by more electrified ones thereafter. Talon watched carefully as his bondmate tested whether the protections he had put in place hindered or helped his typical fighting styles. If this was to be the armor that he wore, there had to be an absolute certainty that it would not impede his ability to perform. A shower of electricity jumped over the frame of the dummy before skittering across the stones of the floor. Twice more, Aoren delivered kicks until with one final blow he kicked the dummy firmly in the chest area sending it flying back to hit the wall with a forceful gust of wind. Afterwards, Aoren stood there, still in his fighting stance as he caught his breath. Between the work at the forge and this brief bout of testing, he was undoubtedly tired. Talon had to commend his bondmate for his show of strength. It was impressive to see him work with such dedication even after a long day of working already.
“How is your balance?” Talon stepped up to his partner. He began walking around him in a circle, inspecting his form carefully.
“Good. My stance is firm, better, I would say. Since these were made to measure, they fit perfectly.” Talon nodded.
“Tightness, discomfort?” Aoren shook his head as he went to one of the nearby benches. He propped one boot up so that it was easily inspectable. Talon came to sit beside it. He leaned in so that he could observe the leather up close. Drawing upon his Semblance, Talon saw no break in the flow of the enchantments that had been placed upon them. They were active and functioning. He brought a hand up to run his fingers along Aoren’s calf muscle, seeing neither scuffs nor damages in the integrity of his work. He would have to commend the arcane tailors from the Circle. They had done an excellent job of keeping the protections intact.
“Any interruption in the flow of your magic?” He inspected the Negation magic that had been put in place over the boot. He had specifically designed it so that the aether of the armor would be able to recognize the wearer and not inhibit the flow of any magic they used. Incorporating that aspect into the mnemonosyte and compounding it with Semblance had taken him weeks to finish. He glanced up at his bondmate, Aoren shook his head. Talon gave a satisfied nod of his head.
“No interruption. Only thing different is that they are new. A little stiff but that is to be expected.” Again, Talon nodded. That was to be expected. They were brand new and had not been worn. They also had not adjusted to the actual wearer yet. He expected that some of the Masquerade magic incorporated would help fix that.
“You will need to break them in.” Talon moved to get up from the bench but found a hand pressed to his shoulder. He looked up at his bondmate curiously. Aoren was staring at him intently. His partner’s thoughts were quiet.
“I can think of a way to break them in.” Talon blinked at Aoren and then suddenly blushed. His bondmate’s hand was beneath his chin then as Aoren leaned in. Before Talon could say another word, Aoren’s mouth was covering his own.
Talon heard a snap of Aoren’s fingers.
The lamps in the workshop went dark. The only lights left were the soft glow of the various magical crystals in the various rooms…
...and the fire in Aoren’s eyes.
