The power, the thrum of mana, the shudder he felt… It all came to him in an instant. It wasn't just his armor, it was his armor. Every contour, every edge and joint. It was all so fitted perfectly to him. Not even the weight was noticeable, it felt as if it had always belonged on him.

He drew a sharp breath and inspected himself. Much like how Eri's armor had replaced her dress, his armor had swapped places as well, at least he presumed so…

"This… This wasn't just repaired!" He shouted in surprise. How had Fea managed to do this?! he thought to himself.

"And this suit of armor fits me perfectly as well," Eri noted, looking down at herself once again. "If I had to guess, Fea must have used some truly powerful enchantments."

Felix could no longer help himself, he desperately wanted to see the intricate work that Fea must have put into their armor. With a blink of his eyes, he activated his mana sight.

Eri, enter– Her consciousness entered his before he could finish speaking.

Wow… she said at a loss for words. With his mana sight, Felix saw tiny, dense traces running up the length and width of Eri's armor. And, where joints formed or completely separate sections touched, the traces formed there.

Move your arm! He demanded.

Eri did so and the two of them watched as traces separated before rushing off to another point of contact. No one piece is out of contact with another! Felix realized. There were always two points touching one another, no matter the rotation or how much she moved…

Incredible! Whoever made this armor, they made sure to build in overlap. It was, to put it simply, a work of art.

Felix was now very curious about the changes made to his gear. Peering down, he did his best to observe his cuirass and what he saw did not disappoint.

Much like Eri's, his cuirass was covered in thin, almost delicate traces. Mana thrummed and coursed through them at a steady beat… A steady beat that was oddly in time with his heart.

The overall effect from what he could see and feel was that the armor would respond not only to his commands and guidance, but also to his own body. He would have to test this.

And speaking of testing things… His gaze drifted to the hilt of a sword. A wicked smile formed on his face as he reached for it.

Be careful, the amount of mana radiating from it… It looks dangerous, Eri warned, and she was right to do so. The sword, even at rest, was brimming with mana. It was so bright that it made it impossible to make out the enchantments.

But Felix would not be satisfied unless he held it in his hands…

So he did.

Pulling out the sword, he heard a faint hiss. Curious, he stopped and lowered it back into its scabbard. Another hiss. He raised an eyebrow. Oh?

Gripping the hilt tighter, he whipped the blade out. HISS!

The blade sliced through the air, through the ambient mana… Eri took several unconscious steps back.

"P-please Felix… Not in the manor at least," she begged.

He perked up at that. "Oh, right. We're still in the manor…" He let out a sigh and slowly slid the sword back into its home. "I'm definitely going to be testing out all this," he declared.

In fact… It suddenly dawned on him, he was stuck waiting for Yarnel to finish with his tests. That, and Felix had only one other errand he wanted to get done for the day. Wait! The ring!

He began desperately searching his body, his armor, for any pockets or pouches that were originally a part of his clothes.

"What's wrong?" Eri asked with concern.

"The ring and key! I put them in my pocket but now…" He gestured to the armor.

"Well, considering that our clothes were replaced with the armors, what if we try to reverse the effect? Surely Fea would have thought of that."

Felix froze, clearly annoyed that he hadn't. "Yeah… I guess that would make sense." He looked to his protected hand, there was no sign of his ring but he had to believe that Fea wouldn't have made that large of an oversight.

Unsure of where he was supposed to focus, he decided to try imagining the ring back on his finger. He closed his eyes and guided the mana towards the spot. Curiously, the armor reacted subtly, as if coiling as the mana passed by.

It's almost as if it's alive, he commented to himself. So strange… But he had to let the thought go as the mana reached his finger. Please, bring my clothes back–

A bright flash and the sudden weight of his clothes were instantly noticed. Ending his mana sight, he gave an approving nod as he inspected himself. Not a single thread looked out of place.

Still… He reached for the pouch he stored the other ring and key. Good, he thought, visibly relaxing as he felt their shapes.

"So, how did you manage that?" Eri asked curiously.

"I simply imagined the ring back on my finger and gave it a little mana," he answered.

"Right, then this should work–" In an instant, Eri was back in her dress.

"Yeah, just like that," Felix said with a hint of humor in his voice.

Eri gave herself a quick inspection before returning her attention to him. "Now, as much as I would love to play with this…" She held up her hand, showing off the ring. "I do have a lot that I must attend to. What will you do?"

"I still need to return that other ring to that hunter. After that? I might just head out to our little training spot and try out my gear. I won't do too much, though, as I'm sure Yarnel will come looking for me before too long."

Eri pursed her lips at that. "Please be more careful," she said, almost whispering. "I had a chance to look through your memories and–" She shuddered. "Gods, Felix. It was horrible."

He nodded. "And thank the Gods I was in shock. But I'm doing much better now. Whatever Yarnel did, it accelerated my healing." Felix lifted his hand up and flexed it to prove his point. It also didn't escape his notice that his ring had a slight purple glow to it.

Actually, I'm amazed it wasn't damaged or destroyed… He hadn't thought about it, but the ring had to have taken a direct hit from the fire. And yet, it doesn't look like it has a scratch. He set that thought to the side as Eri suddenly reached and pulled him into a hug.

"Seriously, be careful. I'm… I'm getting a bad feeling about that crystal, ever since you said there were two souls in there."

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He wrapped his arms around her and tightened their embrace. "I will. Yarnel is studying it," he repeated. "And, besides, I might have an idea…"

They separated and she gave him a curious look. "Oh? What are you thinking?"

"I'm wondering if I can communicate with them–"

"What?! Is that possible?"

He gave her a shrug. "I don't know, but I think so. If at least one of those souls has enough consciousness left, I might be able to reach out to it."

"And what then?" She pushed, more intrigued than anything else.

"That, I don't know. Not yet, anyway."

Eri slumped her shoulders, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Felix…"

"Don't worry, Eri. I don't plan on taking any chances with this. I will first find out what all Yarnel has learned before I attempt my idea. But I think the only way for me to do anything will be to get inside that crystal and have a little chat."

She straightened herself before staring directly into his eyes with a wry smile. "Fine, but don't be mad if you end up hurt again."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"Because I want to test out our armor." She leaned close and added in a whisper, "In a different way."

"Oh. Oh…" Felix suddenly had several ideas on how they could test their armor…

***

Felix and Eri stepped out into the clearing, saying their goodbyes before splitting up and heading to their respective partners. The day was still young, with the sun slowly reaching for its zenith. The sky itself was clear and a light breeze blew, a reminder that summer was on the way out.

Felix took it all in with a smile, he wasn't going to let what happened to him earlier get in his way. Not if I can help it, he thought, subconsciously flexing his right hand. Indeed, it was amazing that Yarnel was able to heal it back to such a state. He would never admit it, but if Aluin or Eri had tried, his hand would almost certainly still be wrapped up.

Though, it does make me wonder how he managed that… He let the thought trail off as he brought his gaze up to Zira. She returned it with a worried one of her own. Apparently, she's still moping… He held back his amusement. Earlier this morning it was him who had doubts, now their roles were reversed.

Hey, he said, giving her a mental nudge. How's my princess?

Zira let out a snort, a hint of a smile forming. Better, now that my pillow has arrived.

Coming to a stop next to her, he reached up and gave her chest a solid pat. That's good to hear, however… It's a little early for your pillow. It has a few things it must finish before it is ready for use.

Humph! Since when does my pillow have anything to do, other than being my pillow?! she demanded.

Since before I hatched you, he commented with a wink. Anyway, it looks like I will be spending tonight with Eri–

Must you?

He winced, feeling her longing for him. Yes.

Her mood suddenly shifted. Fine, then I shall have to find a replacement… This pillow was starting to lose its shape!

Felix furrowed his brow. Hey! I'll have you know that I take good care of my shape!

Zira scoffed. You're getting a little too small for me too! Soon my snout alone will be larger than you!

Now hold on– He cut himself off as he caught the sight of four people leaving the large tent over near the hatchery. All of them he recognized, but one in particular he focused on…

Shit! Quick Zira, let me on! he shouted, already making his way over to her side.

Huh– Before she could figure out what was going on, Felix scrambled up and landed upon his usual perch.

Get us to that group! He mentally pointed in the direction.

Slow down, Felix… What's going on– Oh. Finally, she realized his urgency as she turned in the direction he had indicated. That's the elf right? The one whose ring you have?

He gave her a mental nod. I want to return it to him.

Well, don't fear. He's not getting out of my sight. She let out an amused chuff, finding his urgency to be funny.

Yeah, yeah… he grumbled. I just don't want to forget about it, okay? With how busy we are, I might never get another chance.

Taking off at a slow trot, Zira glanced back at him. Never? Do you think you're being a little dramatic?

Maybe– Look… I just want to give the ring back, okay?

Alright. That was all she said as she picked up her pace.

They made their way through the 'runway' that sat between the manor and hatchery, weaving past a group of workers. Curiously, it was a mixture of elves, dwarves, and gnomes, along with two golems. The golems themselves were quite rotund and had short, stubby legs and arms. Yet, somehow, they managed to keep up with their waddling…

The sight honestly made Felix laugh. However, before he could comment on them, Zira was already well past. Instead, he returned his gaze over to the group of four. The group noticed their approach and came to a stop.

"Well, hello Felix and Zira!" Master Realgar called out. He was the first one to step up from the group as Zira came to a stop before them.

"Hello, Master Realgar–" He slid down and onto the ground. " –Julous and Doram."

The two elves took that as their cue to approach as well and each offered a handshake. "Hey Felix," Julous said rather casually. However, Doram gave him a serious look…

"Thank you for rescuing me," the elven hunter said, giving a stiff handshake and a bow.

But Felix shook his head. "No, don't thank me. I didn't do anything. It was Solanna and Tracker who found you all, and it was Zira who carried you."

"Right…" Doram said, looking rather nervous. Yet, despite that, he approached the amethyst-colored dragon and offered a deep bow to her. "T-thank you."

She returned it with an equivalent one of her own. "You are welcome. How are your injuries?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

The elf seemed to relax at that. "Healed– I mean, healed enough that I don't need to stay cooped up in there." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, back towards the tent.

"Oh please, it wasn't that bad. You had a few of the women fawning over you, not to mention Falzan seemed to take a liking to you…"

Felix raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing, not wanting to interrupt them. He turned his attention over to the Sage and the third elf, the very same one he found clinging to life.

"Where's Master Aluin?" he asked, a little surprised that the dwarven Sage would be here instead of the elven one.

"What? Am I not allowed to assist with the elves?" the dwarf said, folding his arms and giving him a glare.

"N-no! That's not what I meant…" Felix stammered, but the Sage quickly broke into a laugh.

"I'm just messing with you. Master Aluin and Master Josephel went out to start collecting the elven Chiefs. I've been stuck on babysitting duty, as you can see." Master Realgar winked as he gestured to the clearing.

Oh, I guess that makes sense… "Ah, do you know when they will be back?"

The dwarf shrugged. "They'll probably be popping in and out all day. So, only the Gods know when they will be done. Why? Is there something you need to discuss with Master Aluin?"

He shook his head no. "I was just curious, is all…"

"Oh? So is this just a social visit then?"

"Actually, no. Not exactly… I have something that belongs to–" Felix stopped as he noticed the third elf was staring up at Zira with wonderment in his eyes.

"Oy! Arlen! It's not nice to stare!" The dwarven Sage shouted teasingly.

The elf in question jolted and rapidly blinked before facing Felix. "Sorry," he whispered, giving a small bow.

Felix returned the bow with a smile and held out a hand. "It's alright, she's used to being stared at. I doubt she even noticed."

Arlen peered down at his hand before slowly raising his own. They gave an awkward handshake before Felix continued.

"Actually, you are the reason why we're here. You see, it was me who found you out in the forest. Me and Julous, along with a few others, went out to search for bodies… And well, as we found one, I happened to spot something shining…"

Felix dug into his pouch and pulled out the metallic ring. Instantly, Arlen's eyes went wide as his jaw fell to the ground.

Felix gave him a grin. "Yeah, I figure it was yours. This ring probably saved your life. If I hadn't spotted it, I don't think we would have found you until it was too late."

The elf continued to stare at it in shock and it took Felix waving it to get his attention. "Anyway, here you go–"

In the blink of an eye, he found himself swooped up into a crushing hug.

"THANK YOU!"

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