Cane stopped at the dining facility just long enough to grab a breakfast tray before heading toward his dorm.
A hand landed on his shoulder.
Cane turned to find Zio grinning up at him, her black hair falling neatly around her face.
"How's the RED working?"
Zio raised an eyebrow. "Did you get shocked just now?"
Cane shook his head. "Guess not. You adapting to not shocking the crap out of everyone?"
Zio's grin widened. "Slowly! Even my hair's calmed down. Good hair days are back."
Cane chuckled. "Glad I could help."
They started walking together.
"They were talking about you at the pub last night," Zio said casually.
"You hang out at the pub?" Cane raised an eyebrow.
Zio shrugged. "Team has a few ales once or twice a week. Good for morale."
Cane grinned. "Sure…Good for team building."
"That, too." Zio bumped his shoulder lightly.
"Anyway... A couple of ruffians said someone took down Regor Nyle. One-on-one."
"Really?" Cane said, keeping his tone light. "What makes you think it was me?"
"They also said his eyes glowed like stars." Zio leaned closer, smirking. "Gonna deny it?"
Cane shook his head, smiling. "Suppose not. They were gonna rob us."
Zio's grin turned wicked.
"I heard they had to drag Regor behind his own horse."
"He got off easy," Cane said simply.
"Agreed." Zio paused at the next walkway. "This is me.
I owe you one, Cane. If you ever need a lightning mage, you know where to find me."
A few hours later, Cane slept soundly, smiling faintly as Sophie's familiar voice drifted in with the morning announcements.
He slipped back into peaceful slumber.
When he finally woke, he stretched, feeling fresh.
"I should pick up the adamantium Brammel ordered."
The Metallurgy shop was mostly empty when Cane arrived, except for Brammel, who was hunched over a workbench.
"That adamantium arrive yet?" Cane called out.
Brammel looked up, grinning. "Aye. Check the in-coming rack."
Cane found the adamantium blocks, stored them in his silver ring, and walked over.
"How's it going?"
Brammel held up a modified blunderbuss. "Lengthened the barrel by half a meter, widened the bore a bit."
"Increased payload?" Cane asked.
Brammel nodded, placing five heavy pellets on the bench.
"But you'll want that net light. Even then, don't bother shooting past twenty-five meters."
Cane studied a drawing pinned to the workbench.
"What about an encased cartridge? Like we did for the Main Gun on the Defiant?"
Brammel's eyes lit up.
"You mean packing the net inside the round? Smart. We'll need a breach loading system."
Cane nodded. "We already jammed things down the barrel. Might as well modernize it."
Brammel grinned wide.
"Right. Make me a few of those nets, lad."
"I'm on it."
Cane moved to the bin, pulling a large block of high-carbon steel.
Starlight bloomed overhead as he worked, drawing hair-thin strands of steel three meters long, braiding them into clusters of five.
He strengthened each braid with reinforcing lattices, compacting and tempering them until they shimmered under the forge light.
Dozens of strands later, he melded them into a single net—three meters by three meters, strong enough to snare a beast, sharp enough to cut.
Brammel picked one up, testing it by tugging hard."Pull too hard, and it'll cut ya. Good. If you're catching something mean, you want it to hurt."
Cane nodded, repeating the process until six nets were stacked neatly beside the workbench.
After leaving the classroom, Cane returned to the smithy, shifted back into Jonas Ironfist mode, and went to work creating HAVs.
A sudden pounding on the smithy door broke the rhythm.
Jonas opened the door, smiling behind the mask when he saw a familiar figure.
The fire mage from Regor's group.
"May I help you, miss?"
She nodded stiffly, ignoring the mask—it was common knowledge in town now: the "masked smith" was the one to see.
"Got a small problem. Hoping you could help."
Cane followed her to a wagon parked around the back.
There, sprawled awkwardly, encased head-to-toe in dirty, battered armor... was Regor Nyle.
"I don't need a new suit of armor," Cane said dryly.
"I'm not a suit of armor!" Regor's frustrated voice called out from behind the helmet.
"I'll pay whatever you ask. Just get me out."
Cane crossed his arms. "You're the lot who tried to rob Academy cadets."
The woman paled slightly.
"We were just... messing with them. It wasn't serious."
"Do you even believe that?" Cane asked.
"We were wrong," she said quietly. "Please. Help us."
Cane tapped a knuckle lightly against Regor's sealed helm.
"Pretty big war mount tied up at the stables. I could use him."
Regor growled. "You want my horse?! Do you know who I am, smith?"
Cane laughed softly.
"A thief, a braggart, and someone completely defeated.
How am I doing?"
Regor groaned.
"Fine. The horse is yours."
Cane nodded.
"Have one of your people deliver it to the Academy stables. Make sure the stablemaster signs a bill of sale."
He smiled under the mask.
"Then I'll cut you loose."
**
Odom eyed the massive war mount with open reverence.
"I bet your name's Prince or something like that."
The black stallion blinked, eyes brimming with intelligence, as Odom ran a hand along his muscular flank, frowning at the scars.
"They been using spurs on you, Prince?" he muttered, rubbing the horse down carefully.
Cane entered a few minutes later, still smiling at the memory of cutting Regor out of his armor.
Thanks to the arrangements, the mount was officially in his name—a "gift" from Jonas, his masked alter ego and business partner.
"How's my horse?" Cane asked, noting the gentle care Odom was showing.
"Any concerns?"
"Hooves were trimmed recently, but the shoes are loose," Odom said, checking again.
"And whoever had him before... used spurs a lot. Scarred him up pretty bad."
"Prince, huh?" Cane grinned.
Odom reddened slightly.
"Don't mind me. I name things without thinking."
"Prince sounds just fine."
Cane knelt, taking out his tacking hammer.
"I don't use spurs. Let's get your shoes fixed."
As Cane worked, he felt the stallion's soft muzzle huff against his hair, curious and playful.
He chuckled, patting the huge neck.
"We got rid of that bad man, Prince. It's green pastures from here on."
Odom mucked a nearby stall, glancing back over his shoulder.
"We're short on space. A few mounts are out on missions, but normally, we'd be full."
"No problem," Cane said easily.
"I've got a stall waiting for him in the capital."
Dhalia: There's a food vendor in the central court! The Academy brought a bunch over with the VIPs!
Clara:ME! Wait for me!
Cane nearly collided with Fergis as he turned onto the walkway.
"Heading to the vendors?" Cane asked.
Fergis grinned and gave him a thumbs-up—then slowed, spotting someone unexpected.
"Moriwynn..." Cane murmured.
The elven commander appeared in front of him without a sound, her eyes flicking immediately to his glowing star-marked eyes.
"Very interesting," she said, voice cool.
Cane offered a polite smile.
"Commander. Is Gryphon Company on shore leave?"
"I asked you to call me Mori," Moriwynn said, her tone sharper than before.
Cane opened his mouth to reply—
—and a hand landed on his shoulder.
Elohan.
The elf smirked lazily at Moriwynn, his presence somehow tilting the entire energy of the courtyard.
"Moriwynn," he said smoothly. "I thought you'd have returned home by now."
Moriwynn's face soured.
"How are you here, thief?"
Elohan ignored the jab.
"Just making sure you don't bother my apprentice."
Both Cane and Moriwynn turned—
—but for very different reasons.
"Apprentice?" Moriwynn's habitual frown deepened.
"You're interfering in my personal matters.
I asked Cane to join me in the Sunset Court."
Elohan's smirk widened.
"Giving Cane leave to call you Mori... Isn't that title reserved for family and close friends?"
"I'm not going to the Sunset Court," Cane said, cutting through the tension.
"Nor am I interested in elf politics."
Moriwynn's blue eyes flashed.
"You have no reason to turn me down."
"Sure I do," Cane replied calmly.
"I don't want to go."
Elohan burst out laughing.
"Goodbye, Moriwynn."
Moriwynn's gaze lingered on Cane for a moment longer—something calculating in her eyes—before she gave a short, graceful bow.
"My words may have caused offense. I apologize.
Let us discuss this at a later time."
She vanished in a shimmer of light.
Elohan watched her go, then turned back to Cane.
"Why does my sister want you in the Sunset Forest?"
Cane blinked.
"Your sister?
Biological... or cultural?"
"Hmm?" Elohan shrugged.
"Same parents. I'm her elder brother. The shame of the family."
He grinned, completely unbothered.
Cane shook his head.
"She called me a metal singer once.
Invited me after I accidentally immersed with her sword."
Elohan's grin widened even further.
"Oh... so that's why."