[solo] quality assurance iii
Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 11:02 am
45 Searing 121
Talon finished putting away the armor and weapons that had been tested thus far. He was adjusting the plate armoring that had been inspected. Examining some of the plating with his Semblance, he rubbed his thumb over a spot with a slight furrowing of his brow. There were some alterations that needed to be performed on a good number of the pieces but that would come in time. He was more concerned about the basic structure for the moment. Taking out a piece of charcoal, Talon made a smudge on the area where the improvement needed to be made. Behind him, Aoren and Velkan were finishing up some stretches following their pause for lunch. As Talon was placing the lid back on some of the crates, Velkan’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“There’s something that I’ve been wondering.” Talon turned so that he could look at his apprentice. He picked up a list of the items that they had been tallying that would need to be brought back to the forge in order to be reworked. Talon arched an eyebrow and canted his head in Velkan’s direction, even as he made a notation on the list to indicate he was listening.
“How did it happen?” Talon paused. He looked up from the document in front of him. His eyes drifted to Aoren. The two of them shared a moment of understanding as they considered the other Avialae’s question. After a heavy silence, Talon sighed.
“It was a combination of stupidity, foolishness, luck and sacrifice.” Aoren choked on some of the water he was drinking as Talon answered. He cast his bondmate a fond smile. “I will never forget the ordeal. It is a moment of great pride and a moment of equal shame. Beyond that, I think it is something best left in the past.”
Talon looked at his apprentice. The young man looked as though he had more questions but for the moment was keeping them to himself. Finishing up what he was doing, Talon turned to the next set of material that needed to be tested. It was a set of leather armor that had been reinforced with runeforged techniques to make it more durable, lightweight and more flexible. The armor was typically worn by either the battlemages of the Sky Guard or their Skyriders. Aoren was already beginning to pull some of it on.
“Are you ready?” He looked at Velkan who nodded and stepped forward so that he could begin to don the armor. Talon went to the center of the Circle of Wandering and stood, summoning his pact blade as he waited for both of them to ready themselves. While Velkan picked up a pair of swords, his bondmate picked up a polearm. He spun it, testing the balance before nodding in satisfaction. Again, Talon opened his senses up to the flow of the aether around them. He attuned his vision so that he could observe the weapons and armor as they were being used. At the moment, no obvious flaws stood out to him but they would show themselves during the course of the sparring. When the two of them took up their positions, Talon simply waited. It was Aoren who moved first. His partner leapt forward, jabbing the polearm in his direction. Bringing up his sword, Talon met the sharp tip of the polearm headon without shifting his position. He watched carefully as the ripples of the impact illuminated the aetheric pathways within the structure of the weapon. Satisfied that the reinforcement were holding, Talon shifted, arcing his blade upwards so that he could smack it upon the broadside of the end. Again he watched as the ripples of the impact illuminated the reinforced pathways within it.
He and Aoren continued to go through a series of maneuvers, testing the different angles of the polearm to make sure that the enchantments placed upon it were sound. When it was clear that there were no glaring deficiencies, Talon stepped back with a satisfied nod. Aoren set the polearm aside as Talon allowed his blade to dematerialize. The ache of the blade’s impacts sent a shiver across his muscles. He breathed through the experience until it passed. Then with a flick of his thoughts, Talon conjured his bow and arrow. He was not the greatest bowman but he at least could manage a few shots to test the stability of the armor’s defenses against being pierced. Aoren stepped forward, dropping into a defensive stance as he prepared himself. Talon tucked the true pact arrow into the shaft of his boot. He then duplicated it and knocked the replicant arrow. Taking aim at Aoren, he released the arrow with only a minimal amount of force giving his partner enough reaction time to deflect the arrow with the leather bracers of the armor.
Velkan stepped forward then and raised his swords. Talon duplicated another arrow and aimed at him. The young man crossed the blades in front of him so that the arrow hit the swords. Talon watched as the ripples of the impacts illuminated the pathways in both the armor and the weapons as he took aim and released. It was a slow but purposeful series of movements that the three of them went through as they examined as many angles as possible to check for deficiencies. When Talon spotted a weak point in the structure of the armor that Aoren was wearing he lowered his bow, keeping that section focused within his vision. Moving forward he motioned for Aoren to expose his left flank. Taking out his charcoal, Talon outlined the aetheric pathway that was in his vision before stepping back.
Turning his gaze to the sky, the sun was beginning to dip lower putting the time at later in the afternoon. He looked at both Aoren and Velkan.
“I think that is enough for today. We have a healthy list of improvements that need to be made. We can take these materials back to the shop. I think the Guard will be pleased with some of the latest pieces that we send to them.” Velkan smiled, displaying satisfaction. As his apprentice, Talon knew that the young man felt a great deal of pride at being part of the team that helped outfit the city’s military. Talon made a mental note to set aside some material to fashion not just the standard reinforcement that were made for the general Sky Guard but for Velkan’s siblings and for Velkan himself. He would make sure to have Velkan be part of that process. Teaching the young man some of the more advanced techniques in runeforging would do him some good.
“What did you learn today, Velkan?” His apprentice was setting his swords into one of the crates as he answered.
“That I should never get in a fight with Aoren.” The raven winged Kathar barked a laugh.
“Oh but how will you learn to be a better fighter? Come on, I’ve got plenty I can teach you!” The two grinned at one another before Velkan continued.
“I learned that you prefer to inspect the materials you create yourself, as opposed to letting others test it for you.” Talon nodded his head. “Our work, even as diligent as we are, needs to be examined with a critical eye. It’s easy to forget that runeforging is only effective if the enchantments align properly.”
Pleased with the young man’s answer, Talon squeezed his shoulder. He helped both Velkan and Aoren assemble the crates. When they were ready, Talon expanded his grasp of the aether flux until he could cast a net over the crates. He then extended his wings and took to the skies alongside the other two Avialae. Turning back toward Kalzasi, Talon was satisfied with the day’s work. It was meticulous and could be demanding at times but it was important. If the Sky Guard were going to weather the trials they faced every day, they needed the proper equipment to protect them. If nothing else, it would be just one more thing that stood between them and the horrible creatures that they were continually forced to deal with on a day to day basis as they kept both Kalzasi and much of the region safe from the creatures below.
Ahead of him, Aoren and Velkan were practicing various aerial maneuvers as they rode the air currents through the skies above the wildlands. He considered his apprentice. The young man showed great promise. He was eager to be a force for good in the world. Perhaps there were the makings of more than just a Runesmith within him. It was a question for another time. For the moment, Talon followed the two of them with the crates in tow as they soared through the skies and back toward Kalzasi. There were some long days ahead of them as they worked to complete the season's order but he was glad to have the team that he did. With his growing duties however, Talon would need to consider expanding. He set his thoughts toward how and when. It was time to take on bigger projects. He had a feeling he would need to.