Hirokuun sat on the roof of the academy. He had grabbed a bite to eat, and then slipped back into the shadows. There were too many people there, and quite a few were elves, who might recognize his tattoos. They were very close to the racial tradition, but with a few adaptions on his part. He was special, so why shouldn't his tattoos be as well.

The lycan he had spoken with earlier still loomed in his thoughts, but so was that other woman... the other elf. Her opinions of war seemed so... naive. War was necessity. Peace was only a time between wars, so that both sides can prepare. There was no stopping it. He had learned that, and accepted it. If only others could too...

Then, his ears picked something up. Someone was shouting, but a ways away. It sounded interesting though, so Hirokuun decided to move over to investigate.

Skirting soundlessly over the rooftops, Hirokuun realized the sound was from inside. Well, at least it sounded like there weren't as many people there. Well, here's to hoping they weren't elves...

Hirokuun slipped down and entered the building to see a dwarf and a human before him. He recognized them from earlier in the day, when he wrestled with the Lycan. What shocked him was the blade in the boys's hand. It was unlike anything he had seen. Instinctively, upon seeing a blade in someone's hand, he took out his Naginata and shifted stances.

"Boy, what have you got there? Speak now. The blade seems made not by humanoid hands... at least, not in this time."

He had no control over his arm. It swung around and made him face the voice. It was the Elf-man who'd challenged him eariler that same day. He relaxed his thoughts, and his arm relxed. The sword lowered, and he put it on the table beside him.

"I'm not sure myself. We've been arguing over it for some time. There are no written records, no evidence of such a thing ever existing. We are not even sure how old it is. It looks as though it was forged recently."

Calvin eyed the man. He stood with his weapon drawn. Clavin didn't mind, he seemed like a precautionary person.

"Aye, and it burned me hand!" Kanizan chimed in, looking at his red palm.

Calvin nodded, "and yet, it does nothing to me. It is only warm to the touch, most unlike a blade should be."

"I've heard of blades that are picky about there wielder, but this is somethin' new te me. It's almost as if the blade itself is...alive. There are rumors o' sentien' weapons." Kannizan was rubbing his palm when he saw Lakota leading a small group of students down into the forge, and seeing the archer girl among them made him feel good. She seemed like she was always alone.

"Ahhh. Right now, before we begin, I want you all to look at something." He motioned to Calvin to walk over with the sword.

"Can anybody identify the make of this blade?"

"Burnt your hand eh, dwarf? But not the human's. How interesting. Perhaps it's got to do with the fact that the boys got a fiery spirit raging inside of him. He was prepared to fight me. That in itself takes guts. But, that could be nothing. I've heard everyone say that can't pick up my weapon. It numbs the hands." Hirokuun pulled it close to him, looking at the faint patterns of frost that were made on his naginata. It was strange. He had thought it was only for the gifted. Maybe it was. But that would mean... this boy...

"I don't think I've seen anything like it. But perhaps you should learn more about it before you get yourself hurt. Swinging a blade in my direction isn't the best thing to do. Just some friendly advice."

"I will join you for that practice. It is an area of weaness that I planned on improving when I came here. Isilifeleen did not mention that she was not a student but had been hired to teach archery, because in one sense that of the use of the sword and shield she was.

Isilifeleen finished the last few bites of her breakfast adn deposited her dishes in the opening to the kitchen where they were put after a meal, She shifted ehr bow case on her back for now .and joined the Lycan as the girl gathered others to join her.

Coming here ad been a real departure from Isilifeleen's career path but she figured she could learn more by coming here than trying to do this all on her own.

"I have no control over it's movements. It reacts to my thoughts, not my body..."

He touched it again. It was not any steel or iron he's ever seen. Nor was it any other metal. He put the thought aside.

No one in the room could identify the blades make. The Lycan teacher, the Archer teacher, Kannizan, and this starnge Elf man were all clueless. There was but one other person who could tell him where it came from. His father.

"Kannizan, I need to find my father...may I be excused from campus..."

Kannizan nodded at Calvin. "Aye, lad. Ye run 'ome and find Brenan now. An' ye tell 'im that Kannizan is wonderin' about this blade." He watched as Calvin took off, blade in hand, to go find his father. Kannizan then turned around.

"A'right now, I've assembled ye all for a quick crash course in field repairs of yer weapons and armor. Can ye tell me what the leading cause of equipment failure is?" He carried on the class, showing the group how to use the hilt of swords to crudely beat dents out of their armor, and how to use a helmet to sharpen their swords. As he wrapped up, he noticed it had started to get dark, and Calvin had still not returned. He began to worry.

"Failure to clean, check out and maintain your armor and weapons after every use," says Isilifeleen promptly.

He paced back and forth, to and fro, in his room. He mind was racing. He had left the school grounds without a problem, but when he reached home, his father was not there. Then, when he went to his fathers work, his foreman said he had not seen him all day.

There was not hind or hair of him on the entire island. He had not returned to the forge, or proceded to any of his other classes that day. He had returned and rushed promply to the library. It was said to be the most extensive collection of combat based knowledge in the known world, although Calvin doubted that. He was sure the librays at Rhoste Citello and Emera Citello were far more extensive.

He thumbed through every book he could find on the mythology and make of blades, and yet found nothing on his sword. He was clueless.

Thats when he had returned to his quarters. Tired and weary...but not before over hearing a very interesting converation as he'd passed by the Head Masters office. This was what he thought about now.

Hirokuun sneaked along behind Calvin as he left campus. He was going to follow the kid home for two reason: learn about this blade, and make sure the kid didn't get himself killed.

When Calvin arrived at home, and didn't find his father, Hirokuun considered making his presence known. However, when the kid began to leave, he didn't want to be found, but presented. And so, slipping into the shadows and sneaking behind him again, Hirokuun tracks the boy back to the school.

After Calvin had settled in his chambers, Hirokuun decided the time was right. He stepped out from a corner, and called in a hushed tone. "Oy, kid. What have you found out about that blade? You've peaked my interest about it... and that's hard to do."

"Why do you keep showing up out of nowhere? What business do you have with this blade? It's mine..."

His defensive guard was lowered when the man did not reply.

"I am just a little frustrated. I have found nothing more than I already have. I know no more about this blade then anyone else does. No written records, no oral records, none of the librarians could tell me. My father is missing..."

Calvin turned around and peered out the window.

"I'm not sure what the world is coming to, but it doesn't feel right. Tell me...how does a poor butcher come across such a tremedous item?" He held the sword up.

"He was the son of a sheep herder...and yet he procures something like this...it doesn't add up. This and that stranger conversation I heard today...nothing is going quite right."

As Kannizan headed up to the living areas to check on Calvin, he thought to how well educated Isilifeen had been. He also felt stupid when it dawned on him.

I never see her with other students because she is an instructer!

He tugged on his beard in frustration, and almost walked into Calvin's door. He was about to knock when he heard voices coming from inside the room. It seemed Calvin was back.

Kannizan but his ear to a crack in the wood and listened. He didn't enjoy eavesdropping but he felt it necessary at times. He couldn't really tell what was being said due to his own heavy breathing, but he felt frustration in Calvin. As he leaned in closer, one of the straps on his belt broke, and a repair hammer fell to the floor with a crash. Kannizan sighed, as he knew that the noise alerted the two in the room that he was there.

"Kid, I'm not going to lie, I might now where you could possibly find some information about that blade. It would require a bit of a travel, but it might be worth it after all. Especially if knowledge is what you're after. I mean, look at this."

Hirokuun takes out his double bladed Naginata, and holds in gingerly. Then, in a swift motion, he stabs it into the ground at a slight angle, so the the other blade faces Calvin. "Feel that."

At Calvin's touch, the blade seems to freeze over, covering the steel in frost, and chilling Calvin to the bone.

Picking his weapon back up, Hirokuun says, "This was given to me by my family... you said your blade burned all others but you, it could be the same build as this Naginata. I must say that it's possible-"

Hirokuun's head whipped around at the sound of a crash outside Calvin's door. He gestured to Calvin to stay quiet, then with one fluid motion, cuts into the door at a height that would sever a man's neck from his shoulders, and then proceeds to rip open the door. Due to the dwarf's size, he was unharmed. "Are you spying on us dwarf? Speak truthfully, or I won't miss this time." Hirokuun knew the truth. He was just making sure his intimidation still worked.

"Are you mad! Kannizan. Come in..."

Calvin eyed the other man suspiciously. How had he procured an enchanted weapon. He also doubted the two were of the same make. It just wasn't likely. He was traveling no where. Not until the need arose. Still, the conversation he had heard had bothered him. He feared what might happen tonight...if anything at all. Still, the conviction in that mans voice was almost undeniable. He had made a threat, he had made a promise.

Kannizan eyed the elf with disbelief. "Lad, I've cut down more elves than ye know, and all of them with twice yer experince in fighting. Ye sure ye want to swing again?" He took two confident steps forward. "I figured Brenan would be gone. I hear troubles brewin, and with ye at school, ye knew well he'd be in the middle of it."