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“Nic and Peg are here as well; we were keeping Felicia company. Nicolas has been telling Yuletide stories,” Maevis cracked the door wide enough to see the two women enthralled as Nicolas sun his tale by candlelight.

Skye turned back to her friend and asked; “Do ye mind if I borrow you for a wee bit? I need yer help with something; just us...”

Maevis studied the lass for a moment before she smiled mischievously. Turning back to tell the others, she announced that she’d be stepping out to help Skye with something. Peggy started to stand up, but Maevis told her to stay and enjoy Nicolas’ stories. She peaked around the tiny fairy to look at her lady. When Skye grinned and nodded in agreement, Peggy returned the gesture, and went back to listening intently.

In truth; Skye desperately wanted to hear Nicolas’ Santa the Claws stories. Yuletide was her favorite holiday, and the stories of Santa were some of her favorites in general. Yuletide gave her an excuse to be overzealous; in a good way. Aside for the extra goodies she and Peggy gave out, Skye also always had a hand in decorating the castle. From the garland that was hung in the hallways, to the placement of the ornaments on the tree; Skye made sure to have a hand in everything.

Maevis could see Skye was arguing with herself over staying, so she asked; “Do you want to hear Nic’s story? We can stay if you want.”

Disappointment, then determination traversed her features as Skye replied; “No... No, I have too much to do, and only a few hours to do it..”

“What exactly is it, we’re doing?”

Skye looked at Maevis with a cheeky smile and replied; “We’re gonna make some armor...”

.....

By the time the two had made it to Warrick Forest, they only had a couple hours to actually work the leather. They’d done most of their reading while riding; after Skye had snuck into the stables and grabbed Thoth from his stall. He was oddly excited to see his owner, nuzzling her cheek as she talked softly to him. She’d been happy to see him as well, and told him so while hushing him, and leading him out of the stables.

Skye and Maevis had quickly read through the journals that Roland Snare had left. Anything having to do with the dragon hide, they’d read through it. Only when they’d gotten to the part of Lazarus’ death, did they hesitate.

The journal told of how Roland had cut the dragon’s head off, and why. According to Roland; the Ethereal Spear had caused him to rampage. In a moment of clarity; Lazarus had allowed Roland to land a debilitating blow on him. He then used his long sword to cut off his friend’s head.

Skye had actually started crying while reading it. The way Roland had described it was heart wrenching. Maevis teared up as well, but she kept herself in check. The princess couldn’t help but put herself in Roland’s place. She wasn’t sure she could kill Zazzy, and shook her head before the negative thoughts could overtake her.

Seeing her friend’s distress, Maevis sat on Skye’s shoulder and said; “Come on, dearie; let’s get started.”

“Aye, we need to go to the spring.. How are ye with directing magma?”

“Magma? Why?”

“It’s the heat. It says in the books that we need incredibly hot, pressurized steam for the leather to harden into armor.. Ima gonna need to shape it while it’s hot, too,” Skye stated as she thumbed through the last journal.

Maevis gave an utterly shocked expression before yelling; “SHAPE IT?! We don’t have the equipment to handle something that hot!”

“Don’t fret, Maevis; it’ll be fine. I took a pair of the gloves that the servants use to touch the bath basins while they’re on the fire. That, plus my ability to heal me self should be all I need,” Skye explained without a hint of worry in her tone.

Dumbfounded by Skye’s lack of concern for herself, Maevis rubbed her temples with her fingertips. The lass clearly had no idea of the pain she was in for, nor realized the amount of magic required to use all of her traits at once. She might wind up half dead trying to finish her task; if not completely.

The elder Fae got up from Skye’s shoulder to flutter directly in front of her, and inquired; “You do know what this entails, correct?! The amount of magic, control, and concentration required to do all this?!”

“You Barely have experience with your earth magic, and your Shaman trait takes a Great deal of concentration, by itself.. AND you’ll be directing the steam! There’s No Way we’ll come out of this unscathed!” Maevis’ voice and expression were strained as she tried to reason with her friend.

Skye listened to her friend as she’d yelled. Knowing Maevis had done it out of concern made Skye feel loved. It didn’t change what she had to do, but the sentiment was appreciated.

“I know yer worried about me Mae, and I know this is going to be painful,” Skye rolled up her sleeve to reveal a light scar near her wrist; “I’ve been scolded before, Ima fully aware of the pain Ima inviting.”

Knowing Skye’s status, Maevis had to ask; “How’d you get that?”

The princess beamed as she replied; “Me first attempt at making soup, I was only nine. I couldn’t carry the pot me self, but that didn’t stop me from trying..”

“Ah, you did mention that you cook.. But that’s Nothing compared to both your hands being continuously scolded! Ye can’t heal yer self if you’re unconscious from pain!”

Skye squared her shoulders and faced her friend with a steeled resolve; “I need to do this, Maevis. Tidas almost died the last time he went up against his uncle. I Will Not lose him, I can’t... I won’t survive a second time..”

With a deep sigh of defeat; Maevis relented her opposition. She knew there was no changing Skye’s mind, not with her reason behind it. Skye was determined to protect her husband, even if it meant dealing with excruciating pain. Skye was the type who would do anything she could, to keep those she loved safe.

After having Maevis break down the chemical information to where she could understand it; Skye began to analyze the dragon leather in detail. She’d taken Tidas’ wedding shirt for a size reference. While she planned on making the armor adjustable, the general fit was still important. Based on the journals; the actual fit needed to be as accurate as possible. Since Tidas is only nineteen, he would need the leeway over the next several decades.

The leather was strange to work with to both of the women. For Maevis, it was the simple fact of it being dragon’s hide. To Skye; it was more about the duality of the material. It had the properties of everything else in nature, but it was also biological material. Maevis could break it down to it’s chemical components, but she couldn’t work with or manipulate it in any way.

Since Skye had multiple traits; not only could she break down and analyze the leather, but manipulate it like she could do to the earth below her feet. She could channel her magic into it; like she would into a person while using her Shaman trait. Then activate her earth aspect to shape and monitor the leather’s molecular reconstruction.

Maevis would have to create and control multiple tiny fissures to funnel the steam up to a specific, pinpointed place. As well as keep any actual water suppressed that Skye might lose track of. The princess would be controlling the leather, the steam, and her own healing during the shaping.

After explaining her proposed process to Maevis, the elder couldn’t find a flaw to it; other than her eventual searing. Skye would still have to hold the leather, to pour her magic into it; while it was being exposed to the steam. All while forcing the hardening leather to the required outline of armor. It was going to be tricky to pull off, but Skye had grabbed an entire bundle of the leather. She’d even cut several pieces into the front and back panels she’d need; in case she screwed up.

Skye grabbed Tidas’ shirt and studied it. She recalled how it looked on him at their wedding. How the sleeves were relatively tight on him. She didn’t want to make sleeves that connected to the torso; more like extended cuffs for arm shields. She decided to create long torso armor, forearm guards, and detectable shoulder guards.

Maevis had been working on a small cave system that would come up next to the hot spring. That way, if either of them lost control; the water and steam could be easily channeled to the spring. Skye liked the idea of safety backups, and agreed to that and one other condition that her friend posed for helping her.

“If it gets too bad, we stop; No arguments. I know why you’re doing this, but Tidas would be crushed if you were hurt trying to do something for his sake. You know it, too..”

Skye agreed without much thought on what Maevis considered ‘too bad’. The princess remembered very clearly how badly getting burned as a child had felt. The thought of pain like that radiating from both of her hands made her queasy. But if she didn’t do this now, she’d miss her chance completely.

Once they reached the capital, Tidas would find an actual blacksmith to study the leather, and make him armor. He could get sent into battle, or after his uncle, the moment they reached the palace. It was slim, but still a possibility. And Skye wasn’t taking the chance.

“Let’s do this, Mae. We’re running out of time; we need to be back before daybreak,” Skye stated as she put the gloves on, and began to build her magic within herself.

“Aye! Let’s make some Legendary-grade armor!” Maevis shouted before she opened the cave system she’d created to the water used for the hot spring.

The water surged down the constricting caves, becoming faster as it went down. Skye used her magic to push it along even more; causing it to hit the hot rocks at incredible speeds. The system of fissures Maevis had made filled, then burst with pressurized steam. It sounded and felt like rapid explosions going off below their feet as one connected to the next; continuously building upwards.

The ground shook as the fissures close to the top began to open and connect. Steam slowly began to come out of a crack in the ground in front of Skye, that was no bigger than two inches in circumference. Suddenly; massive amounts of pressurized steam shot out from the hole. Skye to screamed out in pain as it came into contact with the leather she held above it, and her hands. As the gloves almost instantly melted away; the scalding steam came into direct contact with her exposed hands.