It’s been a couple of weeks since Kobi’s encounter with the Skyman. In that time, he has searched the forge library for information on them. He has been searching for anything that could help him gain the Skyman’s trust.
No small feat. No one has had contact with a single Skyman on the mainland since the Great War.
Finding the weapon molds was easy. The Skymen weapons are of a lightweight iron that will not be too heavy while flying through the sky. Throwing blades, light short-swords, single handed maces are all forged from a special iron found in one of the deeper mines of the mountain top.
No matter to Kobi, he had already been mapping the mines, and already found the cave with the type of iron that he needed, the special iron is purple in tint. It didn’t take long for him to mine enough material for the weapons he wishes to make. Then he spent days forging these weapons.
Every time he forged one, he would leave it out by the tree where the Skyman was seen. Kobi would return the next morning to find the weapon gone.
After the third time he left a weapon, he returned to find a bushel of corbaberries left for him.
This cycle repeated for a few more days with weapons and fruit being exchanged until one day, there was a piece of Skyman armor left behind.
It is clearly an old relic, but still pristine in condition. As Kobi picks up the armor, he realizes that this is different from everything he has ever forged. This armor was from the same material cave as the weapons he was forging but this one has a light purple tint that almost glows to it. For the first time in his life, he is holding an actual magical item.
Depending on the material that makes the magical item allows the item to last much longer than normal but would need cleansed about every century or so to re-strengthen the magic. The Great Forge has a large pool for this purpose in the magi wing. This practice depends on the material and spell for each item. The Gilbert Knight’s war hammers do not need to be cleansed as they were enchanted for the purpose of serving the King forever.
The magi wing of the Great Forge is something that Kobi has been avoiding. Even in solitude, he knows magic is dangerous. If anyone found out that he researched magic at all, his life would be in danger. But deep down, he knows just by being on the top of the mountain is a death sentence in the Capital.
So, the Skyman is testing him. He will try to rise to the occasion.
Kobi takes the chest plate into the forge.
He boldly walks down the main corridor then turns down the magi hall. Doors line both sides of the hall, all domiciles for magicians of old. A few turns until he enters the magi’s old workspace. A couple steps in, and Kobi is deeper into this room than he ever had been.
The main hall looks much like the forge hall with workstations lined throughout the room. Kobi notes that it kind of looks like a magic classroom. The main room has five rooms off it. From his left seems to be the main office for the leaders, then a supply room stacked with all kinds of mysterious items, a library, a room with several water pools, and a locked room that Kobi cannot open.
Kobi sets the armor on a workstation then heads straight to the library.
The room is massive. Hundreds of bookshelves filled with ancient magic books and scrolls fill the room. There must be more than a hundred thousand books! How will he ever find where to start?
Just as he has that thought run through his mind, a book flies off a shelf and lands on the table to Kobi’s left. The five-hundred-page book opens to a particular page. Shocked Kobi sits down and begins reading. As he reads, the pages turn for him. Once he has read about twelve pages, the book flies away on its own. Immediately, a new book replaces the last. This process repeats itself several times.
Kobi waits after the last book flew away. Magic certainly scares him now.
Quickly, he steps out of the library and enters the pool room.
On the wall of the room is a large staff, Kobi pulls it off the wall and sticks it into the stagnant water. He begins to stir it. Centuries old spells awaken in the water. It begins glowing as he stirs. Blue, green, red, orange, yellow, black and white lights highlight the water. Smoke begins to fill the top of the pool. Kobi continues to stir. This is a process that will take hours, the water sat unmoved for a thousand years.
Kobi knows exactly what to do, he just doesn’t know why.
After several hours of stirring the water mixes gold; it’s ready.
Kobi retrieves the chest plate from the main hall and sets it in a steel container then lowers it into the gold water. He leaves it to return to the library. The cleansing process will take all night.
As the plate sits in the magical water, it is being purified and strengthened. The magic has faded from centuries of nonuse. This process will return it to its former glory.
Kobi is too excited to sleep so he decides to pass the time by reading. He returns to his reading spot and thinks about the origin of magical weapons. A book comes to him. All night, books fly across the library for Kobi. His thirst for knowledge is never quenched. As he learns things that no man in the kingdom knows, he craves to see the forge return to its original greatness. This forge has a place in the modern world.
Finally, the armor has been purified. Kobi leaves his books and retrieves the plate. He takes it to the main hall and gathers cleaning supplies from the storeroom. He wipes the plate down, and buffs it to a shine. It is now glowing bright purple. The magic has been renewed.
Eagerly, Kobi takes it outside to where it was left for him. He drops it off, then goes to the room he claimed as his own. With nothing to do but wait, he crashes. He sleeps the entire day and night.
When he wakes the next morning, he enthusiastically rushes to where he left the armor outside.
As he approaches, he sees that the armor is gone, and a basket is in its place.
He opens the basket to find wrapped cuts of meat ready to be cooked. Meat is one of the main things he has missed from the world below. Beside the basket is a piece of paper. Kobi picks it up to read it. It simply says- tomorrow, midday…
Relics of the Old Age 