"You've talked about how the humans use their magic to create stone weapons and armor, we've seen it." Ytte explained as she walked towards the center of the workshop. I'd never set foot inside it, but as soon as I walked past the threshold, I was hit in the face with heat, almost as if I'd stepped into an oven. My second eyelid reflexively flicked up to protect my eyes as I looked around. Stone tables ringed the room, all primitive but sturdy. Various experiments I didn't understand filled the tables' surface and keelish bent over them, doing something that drew my attention. That wasn't the reason I was here, though, and something in the center of the room was obviously what Ytte was guiding me towards.
"There are things that we saw from the people in Shandr that made me think, though I didn't know what it was." Ytte continued. "The armor the white-haired one wore was shiny, loud, and strong. We've never seen anything quite like it, except for some of the weapons that the humans used against us."
"Metal." I supplied. "It's extremely difficult to pull from the earth. The vast majority of Stonespeakers work exclusively in stone, even though it's an inferior material. It's just not worth it to separate the correct materials from the stone that's readily available."
"This metal seemed to speak to me." Ytte spoke as soon as it was obvious I was done speaking. "There is much we can do with it, so much that could be done to push the Empire forward. But where could we get it?"
"Then this stone the Allmother provided to us contains metal in it?" I asked in answer to her question. "That would be useful, but I fail to understand why it would be so valuable to us as to compel you to drag it hundreds of miles to get here. What am I missing?"
Ytte bowed her head. "You're quickly understanding, even without any explanation. I quickly realized that this stone was valuable, but how to extract the metal inside escaped me. We've discovered some processes that allow us to refine the metals from within stone, but that's unimportant and not the reason why we've brought you here. After discovering ways to extract the contents of different materials, I turned my attention to the rock, but to no avail. The strength, heat, and other techniques that work on other things leave no mark on this stone. It's been rather frustrating to know nothing about it."
I cocked my head to the side, curious as she got to the truly interesting part of this all. Ytte paused, waiting for something, but it obviously wasn't me. When one of the keelish researchers behind me stepped away from his table, I turned to look at him. When I met eyes with Shraal, the old grayscale bowed his head as he flared his frills.
"I was guided by the goddess to seek out Ytte's efforts." Shraal explained. "After several weeks of prayer and work, we learned that the specific reason that this stone was conferred on us was because of its properties. This stone was the one that a particularly aggressive warlord used as a token of his conquest through the southern hills of his homeland and the northern plains of the Indlovu's Republic. He pressed on, stopped by the Indlovu but still able to sweep through the Sheer Pass and into the Wilds. There, he met his demise, but through all this conquest, he carried the stone, a reminder of something in his original home. The specifics of much of this are unclear to me, but this is a conqueror's stone."
"And Nievtala is the goddess of conquest and victory." I added as I understood what he was getting at. With my more direct and accessible communication, I turned my attention to Nievtala and asked her, aloud, "Is this stone somehow sacred to you? Or, does it have additional properties because of this conqueror's path?" As expected, she answered, not through her divine presence, but through the System.
❮❮ I cannot give you specifics regarding the conqueror himself nor his actions, but it can be understood that he did influence the minerals in this stone. Regardless of his own unbelief, he used this stone as a testament to his strength and conquest. Some nonsense about how his own strength came from the earth itself instead of the gods of the other countries. Regardless, with his devotion to conquest, the iron within the stone has been imbued with something of my divinity and has become tisarite. ❯❯
"Victory's alloy?" I asked, intrinsically understanding the intent of the name of the metal. "What's tisarite best used for?"
❮❮ I'll give you a single guess, little fang. What will the goddess of victory and conquest's divine alloy be best suited for? ❯❯
It didn't take much for me to understand what she was getting at. Before I spoke, though, I glanced down at the pure white mark that had been imprinted on my chest months ago. I grinned and looked up at the heavens as I asked, "A spear?"
❮❮ I suppose there's no need for me to strike you down, then. So wise. ❯❯
After her teasing, the goddess withdrew her presence. Even as I asked how to prepare the tisarite, she gave no response. As I turned my attention back to my physical location, I saw Shraal prostrate on the ground, while Ytte looked at me with eyes gleaming with expectations. The others around me had obvious worship in their eyes, and I raised both hands in a placating gesture.
"I've received enlightenment from the goddess regarding this stone and the metal found within. Unfortunately, I don't have any additional information about how to extract or work with the alloy, but it's called tisarite and it's the Goddess's 'divine alloy', as she explained it."
"And it should be forged into the shape of the goddess's symbol? A weapon for her Voice and Disciple, no?" Shraal asked as he stood and met my gaze. As I flared my frills in agreement, he looked heavenward and said, "May our steps be as sure as Nievtala's and our fangs and claws ever wetted in the blood of her foes."
"Amen." A handful of the other researches intoned as Shraal finished his brief devotion.
"Amen." I added. "Now, is there anything you need from me?"
"Not at this time." Ytte replied with a click of her teeth and bowing head. "Shraal and his fellow devoted have made progress, and I believe that it will be only a couple more weeks before we're able to refine a spear befitting of its material and your stature."
"Sounds good." I answered as I readied myself to leave the workroom. "I'll keep my ears open to see if there's anything you need from me. If not, I'll focus on construction and anything else that needs my attention. I must admit, I don't think I have much of an idea of what to do to create a new nation."
"There will always be something to do." Ytte replied with a smile. "Thank you."
I flared my frills in acknowledgement and walked out of the workroom. As I did, Joral stood waiting for me. His smile widened as he walked toward me. "Do you have a moment, Zaaktif?"