The next few days at home were colored by a mix of emotions. The three men were somber they would be going separate ways for their next adventures and coped with that uncomfortable feeling by making jokes. One such morning after they had all finished their morning prayers atop the treehouse Riakon started them off.

"Hey Roden."

"Hey Riakon." Roden said knowing the big Dragonkin had something clever to say.

"Maybe when you're done with school you won't be such a bad cleric."

Roden rolled his eyes, at yet another jab at his perceived clerical ineptitude. Roden didn't mind it, in fact as the days wore on he felt he would miss Riakon's ribbing.

"I don't know man. But if I run across a book on how not to be seduced by my mother I will be sure to pass it along."

"Ooooo burn, cacaw."

"Jeez Roden, you went right for the throat on that one."

Roden shrugged, "Been saving that one for a few days."

Riakon shook his head, "I just meant you can touch up on Advancements and Augmentations."

Roden eyed him suspiciously. Despite the sincerity of Riakon's words, they were laced with cunning criticism.

"Oh don't worry I planned on it, but I'll also be sure to touch up on how not to lose my magic."

"He's got you there, cacaw."

Sensing a losing battle of wits, Riakon changed the subject.

"Hey guys, I was thinking we only have a couple days left before we have to leave. Why don't we get our loot checked out?"

"Fuck yeah, cacaw!"

"I'm down, what do we have again? I was a little preoccupied suffocating to remember what I grabbed."

Riakon went back to his room to retrieve their three dimensional bags and set to laying out all of their new found wealth. The first set of loot came from Grok's bag and was primarily various potions, vials, and decanters. Each one contained a liquid some appeared to be duplicates, but Roden knew for certain they all had some magical properties thanks to his Sight of the Magi.

The second load of loot contained a multitude of boxes and other small pieces. The first box Riakon pulled from the bag was no bigger than a loaf of bread, but it was engraved in a beautiful swirling pattern. Errk snatched the box as soon as Riakon set it down and popped it open. Inside was a folded white cloth. Once removed from the box it was revealed to be a cape. Without a thought Errk hopped to his feet, whipped the cape around his shoulders, and secured it to his shirt with the two clasps.

The cape was a nice touch to his visage. In the ocean breeze it billowed out behind him giving him a heroic presence. Roden gave a small golf clap as Errk posed in what he had apparently decided was his new cape.

"Okay I guess we will find out what that does as soon as he has a moment to link to it."

"Don't worry I'm already on it, cacaw."

Roden rolled his eyes, "Okay what's next?"

Riakon had already pulled out a couple more slender boxes and a pile of precious gems in various colors. Roden grabbed the smaller of the two boxes and popped it open. Inside was a sleek wand made of nearly black wood. All along its shaft was a spiralling pattern that reminded Roden of a unicorn horn.

"Well I doubt we can use it, but I'm sure it's worth something."

Riakon tapped his chin and nodded. He'd already opened his box and spun it around for Roden to see. Errk could have as well, but his eyes were closed in concentration. Inside was a thick chain of silver. Rode tilted his head as he lifted the chain from the box. To him it looked like an oversized cuban link necklace that was surprisingly heavy even for its large size.

"Hmmm I wonder what it does." Riakon said, scrutinizing the piece with furrowed brows.

Even with his vast Game Master knowledge Roden couldn't identify any of their items by sight alone. He shrugged, "Me too man, me too.What's left?"

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"Well on your last trip you pulled that sword of yours, some more gems, this jug…" he held up a silver jug embossed with gold filigree, "And this."

The last item was a small chest with little ornamentation, but Roden remembered that chest as being particularly colorful under his Sight of the Magi so he'd chosen it despite its size and weight.

"Well go on already."Roden urged the Dragonkin.

"Okay jeez."

Riakon attempted to open the lip, but rapidly discovered it had no latch. The big man frowned at the piece before attempting to brute force it open like a particularly stubborn pickle jar. After a few moments of grunting and prying the box snapped open with a sharp crack followed by a puff of white smoke.

Roden pushed himself back with his heels while the powder clung to Riakon's snout and lips. Before any adverse effects could come over him Riakon wiped away the offending powder with a glowing hand cleansing and cleaning himself all in one motion.

"You see that is exactly why you are the one who opens strange chests."

Riakon rolled his eyes before turning his attention to the small chest. He withdrew a strange looking pair of round goggles. They were a sleek black with what looked like cloudy lenses. The strangeness continued when Riakon turned them over and there was no strap to hold them in place.

Riakon frowned, "What do you think?"

Roden shrugged, "No clue, I do remember that chest was bursting with magic so they have to be something worth their trouble."

Riakon held out the spectacles for a moment, both men eyeing them curiously, before Riakon said,

"Ahhhh fuck it." and placed the lenses on the bridge between his eyes. The goggles themselves were too small for his face. They had clearly been designed with a more human-like physiology in mind. However, after a few heartbeats the lenses slid down to cover his eyes. Multiple brass prongs unfolded from the bulky frame. One on either side slid back along his head, presumably looking for ears that were not there. They eventually latched onto two of Riakon's small horns that stuck out from the sides of his face. More of the prongs fanned out over his brow and snout creating a look more akin to a mask than goggles. Riakon for his part flailed about his hands scrambling about his face in a futile attempt to restrain the device.

After about a minute the contraption had worked its course and had settled into place. Realizing the thing was done and he was physically unscathed, Riakon sat up straight and looked around.

"So?" Roden asked.

"I…Think I need to connect it to my magic. This is going to take a bit."

Roden shook his head, and chuckled at the predicament before him, "Right on man. I'm gonna go see what the others are doing."

As Roden moved to stand Riakon held up a finger, "You know, you probably need to connect with that sword of yours too. Might as well do it now."

Roden cursed to himself, he didn't know how to connect his magic to a magical item, but Riakon was right.

"True, but…How do I do that?"

A predatory grin spread across Riakon's face, "Ahhh another thing left out of your training I see."

"Yeah yeah c'mon."

"Alright alright, just sit like you are going to meditate for your spells, but instead focus on the object you are trying to connect with. Yours should be like mine and you will feel your connection to your god allow the object, in this case your sword, access to some of your magic."

"Okay I'll give it a shot."

"Perfect."

For nearly an hour all three men sat with their eyes closed with all of their focus directed toward their newly acquired items. Roden had already gotten into the habit of pulling his new sword off his hip when he sat on the ground or laid flat so when he moved to meditate he pulled his weapon across his knees. He had no reason for the movement other than it felt right in the moment. Perhaps he'd seen someone do something similar once, but at the time he couldn't recall.

Roden did as Riakon described, with the sword across his lap he closed his eyes and focused on "Her".

The thought appeared in his mind as a whisper without sound. A foreign thought that had strayed into his consciousness. His face contorted into a look of uncertainty, but he pressed on. Roden could always feel the presence of his Divine magic in his core. When he had first made his Divine connection all those months ago in the Outpost, he had connected to Era. That connection was warm and felt like a small flame within him. Ever since he'd swapped his connection to Zamira that power had felt like a pool of cool water on a hot day. Yet that pool held a promise of power ready to be unleashed in a wave.

As he focused on "Her" he urged that pool within himself to join with Hyade. He imagined the waters of his power washing over the sword, but no matter what he tried both sides remained unmoving. Something told him, he was doing something wrong. He took a deep breath and tried again. Nothing had changed, he could feel "Her" across his lap, but something was keeping him from…He opened his eyes and drew Hyade from her scabbard. Roden took in the full beauty of Hyade for the first time and found himself in awe at the sight.

Hyade was unmistakably a sword with a wooden blade complete with a rippling grain along its length. The groove or fuller along the back edge followed the gradual curve of the blade until it tapered out a few inches before the tip. Despite the timbered origin of the weapon, when Roden lightly tested the blade with his thumb he could feel the scalpel thin edge that promised to slice anything it touched. Roden laid Hyade across his knees once more and threw himself into another round of deep concentration. Almost immediately he could feel Hyade's magic radiating off her. The magical energy felt like a torrent ready to wash him down river. Hyade's power was a flash flood that bulled him over any time he reached out to her. After repeated failed attempts at coaxing a connection between himself and his new sword he heard Errk stir from his meditation. Without a word he leapt from the treehouse nest and Roden could hear the flap of his wings accompanied by the distinct sound of his cape whipping in the breeze.

With Errk finished, Roden knew he didn't have enough time to make the connection. Instead he focused on simply trying to communicate with Hyade. There appeared to be some form of will within the sword that was blocking him. Yet that same will had communicated some feelings through whatever link they already shared, however tenuous that link may be. Roden resigned to simply attempting to communicate a greeting to his new companion. He imagined greeting Hyade as if she were a spirit in a grove. Just when Roden heard Riakon begin to adjust his posture, he thought he noticed Hyade's energy shift ever so slightly. Yet no connection was made. Roden opened his eyes as he heard Riakon stretch out from his seated posture.

"Goodness gracious what an adventure that was." he said, sounding weary.

"Yeah? Did you get your connection?"

"Of course, these goggles are amazing. If my understanding of the spell matrix is correct these things have a number of spells and magical effects loaded into them. Some of which are powered by the item itself."

"Oh you'll see when I finally get to put them in action."

Roden rolled his eyes, "Always so dramatic."

Just then Errk burst through the upper canopy of the treehouse and landed in the center of the nest, his white cape wrapped around him. Before either of the others could react Errk erupted into a blinding white light.

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