I turned my head to see Kristen leaning against the doorframe, a heavy metallic suitcase hanging in his hand.
"Uncle Kris," Alina exclaimed, rising from her chair to greet him.
"It's been a while since I last saw you, little Alina." He said with a warm smile, "You have grown a lot."
"Of course, I have grown—It's been a year since we met." Alina replied with a playful huff, "But it seems like you haven't changed at all."
Kristen chuckled, "I am still the same old Uncle you know, so don't worry."
He turned his head towards me, his hand resting briefly on my shoulder. "It's been a while, kid. How are you holding up?"
"Fine, the last few days have been…enjoyable ."
"I'm glad to hear that," he said warmly. His gaze swept the room. "I don't see Zeilona. Where is she?"
"She seemed to be tired from visiting the festival yesterday, so she is still sleeping."
"Well, you'd better wake her up then, I have good news for both of you," he murmured before placing the huge metal suitcase on the table with a thud.
"What's in there?" I asked, curiosity tugging at me
"Prosthetics," He replied. "Lylia made them herself. She really wanted to come with me and meet you, but she's buried under half a dozen projects right now."
"Aunt Lylia really likes the local pastries from Roshiere," Alina chimed in, "Make sure you take them with you."
Kristen nodded, "Already planned to. Oh- I already got the message from Asher, it seems like it's going to take him a whole day before he can return."
I left them to their quiet conversation and made my way towards Zei's room.
I carefully opened the door. Zei was curled in her blankets, her breathing slow and even. She still seemed to be in a deep slumber.
I nudged her gently in an attempt to wake her up, but to no avail.
"Mmmm," She mumbled in her sleep
A mischievous idea crept into my mind as I leaned in, my voice barely a whisper close enough for the words to brush against her ear, "Rise and shine, Zei."
Suddenly, she jolted awake, her eyes wide open, looking at me with a surprised expression on her face. "W-what are you doing, why, where?" She mumbled, half asleep, as I enjoyed her little tantrum.
"Kristen is here, he is waiting for us downstairs, so hurry up and get ready. Oh, Gerald's Sister is here as well."
"She glared at me with anger in her eyes before retreating towards the bathroom." I chuckled and left the room quietly to save myself from trouble.
"Soon after Zei came down as well, dressed in a fitted shirt with a pair of trousers and leather boots."
"Zeilona, it's been a while," Alina greeted her first with a warm smile.
"Miss Alina, what brings you here?" Zei asked in her usual composed grace.
"No need to be so formal, I just came here to meet with Asher, but he isn't here right now."
"Little Zei, it's been a while. How are you doing?" Kirsten joined the conversation.
"We have been enjoying our days to the fullest thanks to you."
"Oh, don't fret about it, it isn't a big deal. Come on, let's have breakfast first. Other things can be left for later."
We ate together, trading light conversation until Kristen finally set the suitcase in front of us again.
"Now then, let's get down to business, shall we?"
With a single click, the suitcase opened, revealing a metallic arm and a silver mask. The metallic limb shone in metallic luster under the morning light, countless intricate runes carved across the arm's surface. The mask was adorned with runes and a small, singular sphere that resembled an eyeball.
"They are beautiful." It was Alina who broke the silence, "Aunt Lylia's work always amazes me."
Kristen's eyes shifted towards me, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and try it."
I ran my hand against the prosthetic limb, it felt strong and sturdy. "How do I use it?"
"Simply bring it close to your severe limb. It will do the rest."
That… sounded kind of suspicious, however, I decided to trust him. Which, in hindsight, turned out to be a terrible decision.
I lifted the prosthetic arm, which was surprisingly light considering its sturdiness. The moment it came close to my shoulder, it latched onto it like a spider. The runes on the arm flared to life, shimmering in a blue radiance. Its grip was strong, piercing pain pulsed through me, and I hissed as warm droplets of blood trickled down.
"A little blood won't kill you, lad, bear with it," He simply said.
A moment later, however, the pain subsided, and Zei rushed to my side. "Are you okay?" she asked, her expression etched with concern.
"I-it hurts… but I'm fine"
"Try moving your arm a little then," Kristen muttered.
I got up with Zei's help and did as he said. Surprisingly enough, the movement of the arm felt natural.
"It feels just like a real hand," I said in awe.
"It's one of Lylia's finest works, it's a given that it will resemble the real deal."
"But that's not all it can do, Alina. Would you mind supplying the arm with some Ember?" He said
"Sure," Alina got up from her seat and held my arm against hers. A warm surge of energy enveloped my body, and all of a sudden, the fingers on the prosthetic elongated into razor–sharp claws.
"The sharp fangs can tear through the skin of anyone with ease," He said, "it will prove useful in combat or an emergency."
"Incredible," Alina murmured in awe, inspecting the arm.
"Adding a secondary weapon to a prosthetic limb is a complex process. It would require thousands of runic channels and countless runes to be carved carefully."
"If this thing were to go on sale, it would be worth a fortune."
"This…I can't accept something this expensive," I said
"Don't worry about it, Rayne," Kristen replied, his tone quiet, "while it might be true what Alina just said, but I am doing this because of my guilt as well. It was my duty to protect you two, and I failed in doing that.
"But it wasn't your fault as to what happened," I urged
"You might see it that way, but for me and Asher, it's a failure, so please accept this as a token of apology from me."
"...fine" I finally gave up.
A cheerful smile tugged at his lips. "Now then, shall we see the other prosthetic as well?" Kristen replied before turning his gaze towards Zei.