Belle

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They found Damien outside of a blacksmith's stall, but not just any blacksmith's stall. This one had a smithy of golden fire burning coals around a circular barrier of iron. The smith was shaping a rare material called glass malakyte, which was more of a rock than a metal, but a very strong rock. Famous ancestral weapons of noble houses are forged from glass, which was the most popular material used for weapons in the Dragon War. Gunnar Karvine used a broadsword made from glass called Dragonslayer when he slew Kidar, and Robar Busch used a glass warhammer called Thunder when he killed the last King, who was Trevor's father.

"There you are," called Darien, as he approached his brother. Damien was a day younger than Darien, but he was a few inches taller, with ginger hair in comparison to Darien's brown.

"Damien Busch," said Karlon, shaking Damien's hand.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, Karlon," marked Damien, then he looked to Trevor and added "And so are you.", shaking his hand.

"Good to see you again," said Trevor, smiling.

Damien then grinned as he looked at Belle and Melody, saying "I don't believe we've met, my ladies."

Belle blushed as she said "Belle Vestarr, my lord. And this is Melody." Melody bowed her head.

Belle could feel her heart racing as Lord Damien smiled at her, then Karlon blurted "What are you working on?", looking into the blacksmith stall.

Damien turned back to the blacksmith and answered "I'm actually not working on anything. I'm doing a bit of improvement on Lightning." That was the name of another ancestral weapon of House Buch, a glass katana with a gem of storm malakyte on the pommel.

"What do you mean 'improvements'?" asked Melody.

"Just reinforcing the blade," answered Damien. "Katanas are pretty thin."

"Well, they're made to cut through armor," said Karlon.

"Thin armor," Damien corrected, then he banged his fist on Darien's shoulder pad and said "Not this stuff."

"I'm not sure what improvements you would need to make to a glass blade, my lord," said Belle. "I thought it could cut through even the strongest armor."

"You can't be too careful."

"Can't argue with that," agreed Trevor.

"If it can cut through flesh, it's good, but if it can cut through metal, it's even better," smirked Melody. The others looked at her with widened eyes that showed concern. Belle especially found it unnerving for an eleven-year-old to be talking about such violence.

"Anyway," said Damien, trying to change the subject. "Trevor, what have you been up to?"

"Ready, my lord," the blacksmith suddenly called to Damien, and he presented him with a long, curved sword with a slender, teal blade of glass malakyte. The storm gem on the pommel gave it crackling electric lightning around the blade that would electrocute anything it touched, save for the one who used it. Melody reached to touch the blade, but Damien quickly pulled it away from her, knowing it would shock her.

"Oh, come on," Melody whined.

"It could kill you, Mel," said Belle, pulling her hand back.

"Any weapon could kill me," Melody argued.

"You can't touch a weapon with a gem on it," assured Belle.

"Yeah, it could shock you, burn you, freeze you, and who knows what else?" added Karlon.

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