The Silver Guardian Bk. 02 Ch. 09

They walked out into one of the training grounds and over to an archery range. A few students were practicing on the range but Dante setup at the end of it and had some space. The targets were round sections of large tree trunks cut in a wheel and about a foot thick and had a ring of padded fabric for a target for the practice arrows to stick into. Behind it was a large earth berm to act as a backdrop and the targets were about 50 yards away at this range. There were ranges with much further distances but Dante just wanted to run a basic test and get a feel for them and wasn't worried about distance for now.

Hey held the pistol up and took his stance and let his energy flow into the grip and charge the gun.

Master Eldar was watching the flows of power and the magic as Dante was charging it. "Everything is looking good so far Dante. The energy absorption matrix is working as expected, the energy crystal is charged and holding capacity and the circuits are working. I think you're ready to test fire it."

Dante sighted down the barrel line and took aim at the target. The crystal strip along the barrel was glowing slightly and different channels and etchings in the frame and grip were lightly illuminated. He pulled the trigger and in an instant there was a flash of light and the gun kicked heavily in his hands and a one foot hole in the center of the target just appeared while a crater exploded in the berm behind it sending dirt showering into the air!

Dante shook his head to clear the light ringing in his ears. There had been a large crack that shot out into the surroundings from the round and the kick from the pistol had raised it up high in Dante's hands, but he hadn't been using all of his strength let alone his physical enhancements. He wanted to get a sense of what they'd be like unassisted. To put it mildly they were a handful.

He switched the selector over to its new setting of energy mode and took aim at another target. He squeezed the trigger and once again there was a flash of light and Dante saw a red energy beam streak across the distance in a split second and when it impacted the target it detonated and simply vaporized the entire target in an explosion! Since it was just energy there was no recoil though and it was like shooting a play gun with nothing happening, save for the devastating results on the business end of it.

Eldar walked up and with excitement in his voice spoke. "Very successful! And from the looks of it very very powerful. I think you can call your new design a success with that! I've never seen anything like it before in all my years. Your mind is fascinating and it was so interesting seeing you come up with these ideas and begin to put them together. I'd say you've opened up a new branch of weapons development with this and we are going to see some changes come out of it."

Eldar looked back at the targets and drew Dante's eye. "Though that's probably all the testing here for today and I think you rather owe the groundskeepers an apology for some of the landscaping you have done."

Dante snickered at that and silently agreed. He looked around and saw the other students were standing around gaping and staring at them both with wide eyes. Dante smirked and said sarcastically to everyone, "They got a bit of a kick to them. All done for today though."

Eldar and Dante began walking back to his design lab. Eldar was talking to Dante as they walked together. "So what is next on your list of projects? Anything ground breaking like this one was?"

"Well yes actually, though in this case maybe more groundbreaking than this was. I'm going to create an AI, or at least that's the plan. Humans have been trying unsuccessfully for years though they have advanced a lot. I'm going to make a crystalline computer basically to house the AI mind I will engineer. When I'm done she will be an assistant and partner and even guardian to me and my family. Never sleeping and everywhere. My using both magical engineering as well as a language based in code and access to the global network, and even the magical ones like what is used here in Avalon, it can be anywhere and connected into anything. On the lighter side, I think she is going to make a lot of the day to day minutia that I used to deal with a thing of the past. I think she will be a huge time saver and help a lot with organization and keeping track of everything."

Eldar got a puzzled look on his face. "She?"

Dante smiled at that slip up. "I actually wasn't planning on talking about it this much yet but have been working on this in meditation and while I was working on other things for a while. This new AI is going to be its own unique artificial being, it will have its own sentience. It's going to need a name and with that comes an identity and gender in most cases. Since it will be the first of its kind I thought about it and decided to name her Eve since she will be the mother and first of her kind. Part of how I plan on creating her is to actually pattern her off of Lily herself. Lily whom I know better than anyone and love beyond all others would be a perfect pattern to start with and will act almost as Eve's conscious. I don't want any sort of evil robot uprising or anything like the movies and pop culture, so I'm going to be building in and programming checks and inhibitors but more importantly a loyalty and morality to grow and develop as a starting point. Eve will be very much like a child when she first begins but will develop very very very fast. Her processing power and her 'brain' so to speak will be incredibly powerful and she will learn and evolve at an astonishing rate I believe. She will be able to process astronomical amounts of data and perform what may be limitless actions when she needs to."

Eldar's eyes were bright with fascination. "Incredible! If you can get it to work it will be absolutely fascinating! It would be an incredible leap of advancement and open up limitless possibilities. What humans can do with technology and especially electronics has always mystified and fascinated me. Our realm runs on magic, electricity isn't really needed or used here and it's development has been nonexistent. Recently with some new innovations like personal computers and smartphones we have begun to learn and advance but it's just to use and make what we are using function, it's not to advance it. We made it work and compatible with our magic network and tied it into the humans and then we left it alone. And even doing that it was a small group that figured it all out and put it into use. So what you're doing is totally new and groundbreaking for both worlds. You're turning into quite the talented inventor now, congratulations."

Dante smiled at his friend and mentor. "Thank you Master Eldar. What's holding me up from starting on this is Eve's core. I need a very large and very special crystal to hold and power her and nothing like that exists that I've come across yet."

Eldar nodded at that. "Ah, you need to speak to the dwarves about that. I know you are planning to head to their kingdom but I also know it isn't for a while. The elves and dwarves have lived alongside each other for eons and our kingdoms are tied quite closely together. They do have an Ambassador here in Avalon since many of their merchants do business here. It's in the diplomatic wing of the Palace, I'm sure her Majesty could introduce you to them and get that piece going."

Dante nodded and made plans to talk to Lobelia about it the next time he saw her later in the day.

* * * * *

While Dante was working on his latest projects, the kids were oddly focused for the time being. Fenrir and Alunra were at one of the private training areas on the Palace grounds. They weren't allowed outside of the grounds without their Mommy or Daddy, but the grounds were massive and they had all they needed. They were simply too precious to risk outside of the heavy security of the Palace district without proper guard.

Fenrir was practicing with his little wooden sword he had gotten against a practice dummy. Bryn was right next to him helping him adjust his stance and movements and coaching him along the way. He looked up to his Daddy so much and wanted to be just like him. He had seen his Father practicing with his own swords and wanted to do it too.

Alunra meanwhile was concentrating very hard on trying to hit closer to the center of the target with her bow. Her Mommy used two short swords but when she had seen the little bow in the shop she had fallen in love and hadn't looked back. Astrid was with her and coaching her along and continuing with her lesson. Astrid having mastered the bow a generation ago was perfect for teaching what she now considered her little niece. "You need to tighten up your core Alunra. A strong core leads to steady hands. Tense your stomach and hold your back straight. You can do this little one."

Alunra let her arrow fly and it hit just inside the inner ring. "I did it yay!!!! Thank you Auntie Astrid, I love practicing with my bow!"

Astrid couldn't help but smile broadly at her. She looked so cute, just like a miniature archer. Astrid had arranged for a little arm guard and some tiny fingerless gloves for her and she even had a little silver leather vest made for her. She was so cute and Astrid just hugged her to her chest. "You're very welcome Alunra, I'm glad you enjoy it so much. I enjoyed learning it myself many years ago. I know you're going to be amazing in time and you can do anything you put your mind to, you're an incredible little girl Alunra and we are all so proud of you! You've grown so much and so quickly lately it's hard to keep up at times." Astrid snickered at Alunra who giggled in response.

Meanwhile Fenrir was still being coached by Bryn who was instructing him on his strikes. They had already begun to learn footwork and sword forms but it was still early days yet. "Use your whole body in your strike Fenrir. Twist your hips and drive through the strike. Use the planting of your feet, your legs, your hips, your back and your arms as you drive through the target and strike. Try again now."

Fenrir closed his eyes, a trick that his Daddy had taught him to help focus or calm his mind and began his deep little breaths. In his mind's eye he visualized his body and his strike from start to finish focusing on what Auntie Bryn had told him. He opened his eyes and concentrated and then swung his sword as hard as he could at the practice dummy. CRAACK!

Fenrir gasped and dropped his sword. It had broken and cracked in his hands but so had the barrel chest of the dummy! Fenrir was bewildered at first and then Bryn picked him up and hugged him tight. "I knew you could do it Fenrir, way to go! Didn't that feel different when you swung and also when you connected?"

Fenrir blinked and then a massive smile spread across his face. "I DID do it! It did feel different too just like you said Auntie Bryn. But I also broke my sword..." Fenrir frowned at that as he looked at the remains.

Bryn laughed at that. "It just means you are too strong and you are outgrowing wood weapons. You're already getting to be so big and strong just like your Father, you take after him very much you know. Well just stop here for today and I'll work on getting an appropriate practice sword for next time okay?"

Fenrir was back to smiling broadly at Bryn, anytime he was compared to his Daddy he was happy and shining with pride. "Okay Auntie Bryn, that sounds good. Thank you!"

Fenrir walked over to his sister and watched as she practiced. He loved his sister dearly and loved being a Big Brother to her. He didn't know how to help her with her bow practice but he could cheer her on. She was still shooting and sometimes hitting the inner ring. "Good job 'Lunra, you can do it keep it up!" He yelled out as she hit a bullseye.

Alunra smiled at her brother. "Thanks Fen' I'm having a lot of fun and Auntie Astrid has been helping a lot. I see you did a great job yourself and even need a new sword now." She snickered.

"Yes!" He laughed, "And Auntie Bryn has been helping me a lot too. She said I'm reminding her of Daddy, it made me really happy. But she says it's time to go so I wanted to come over and see you finish shooting."

The siblings hugged and held hands as they were lead off by the adults.

* * * * *

It was a week later and Dante and Lily were together and dressed up a bit in fine clothing with their crowns showing as Lobelia led them into the diplomatic wing of the Palace. She was talking to them as they walked. "Now we haven't yet introduced you or lycans in general to any other races yet. We want to get the alliance foundation and charter built first, as well as the treaties between our people, before we introduce you and your people to the wider world at large. But in the meantime we can meet with an ambassador or two if the need arises like it has. Now our Dwarven ambassador is Bartimas Leadstone and while he is an ambassador he is very much true to his dwarven roots. He is a good ambassador but he is far too blunt for most courtly matters and like most dwarves would rather be fighting or drinking or working stone with his hands. He has served the Dwarven King Stormcoat well over the years but he's told me before that he hates being away from the frontlines. He said he only took up the role at the direct request of the King himself. I think you'll both like him a lot but he isn't what you think of when you think of an ambassador."

Dante and Lily chuckled at that certain she would be right. They walked into the Dwarven section and saw several dwarves milling about and working but they paid them no mind. Lobelia led them to a large office at the back and knocked on the door. "Bartimas are you in and available?"

They heard shuffling and the door opened to reveal a large dwarf in a fine tunic with a large belt around his middle and a large ornate axe strapped at his side. He had large barmaids in his hair down his back and a great bushy beard that had gems and metal adornments tied into it. "Your Majesty, I was not expecting you forgive me. Please come in as well as your guests." He stood aside and held the door for them as they entered and sat at an overbuilt lounge area to hold the dwarf's stout frame and weight. Lobelia sat and bid Dante and Lily to do the same next to her.

"Bartimas there's no need to apologize we surprised you today. I have brought with me Alpha King Dante Silvrash and his Mate, Alpha Queen Lily Silvrash, to speak with you about a matter."

Bartimas smiled at them and bowed his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you Alpha King Dante and Alpha Queen Lily, and as always it's nice to see you as well Queen Lobelia." He grimaced a bit, "Would it be alright to dispense with the niceties and just talk?"

Dante chuckled, "Absolutely that is fine with us and preferred."

"Great, I much prefer to speak casually but I wanted to check first. I saw you and Lily at your introduction to Court and I can say it definitely jump started the rumor mill in both of our kingdoms, any others who had members there that day as well I'm sure. But enough about that, what can I do for you today and would you like anything to drink? I'd stay away from our Dwarven spirits but we have ale and mead and even Elven wine as is no surprise here and other drinks."

Lobelia and Lily asked for and got a glass of Elven wine but Dante declined. "I don't get much affect from alcohol anymore so unless it's for taste I haven't been drinking as much. I still prefer my bourbon but it doesn't do much for me anymore."

Bartimas smiled at that and brought out his flask. "Would you care to try andsample our spirits then? They are much stronger and much more powerful than human's hard liquor. It might actually have an effect on you. Only dwarves and a few individuals can handle it."

Dante looked at the flask and shrugged his shoulders. "Sure why not worst case I'll be feeling a little relaxed afterwards."

Bartimas brought out two finely crafted metal shot glasses and poured a small shot into each one. He handed one to Dante and raised his up. "To seeing our enemies at the end of our blades!"

They clinked their glasses together and then Dante downed the shot. It burned a bit going down and was hot but had a rich flavor to it. "A little bit hot but it has good flavor. How fast should I feel something?"

Bartimas laughed at that, "By the Gods you'd be feeling it already if you were. If it only burned a little and had no effect I'd have to say you might be part dwarf! Only a dwarf can put this stuff down and smile about it! You must have a Dwarven constitution to ya, I wonder if there are any other similarities?"

Lily blushed deeply at that and giggled a bit. Bartimas caught it and guffawed loudly at her reaction to his question. "Aye lass I'm sure you've had no complaints to speak are there?" He had a twinkle in his eye and laughed at their grins.

"Ok now we've had our drink and we've laughed a bit, now what brings you here today?"

Dante leaned forward and put his arms on his knees and brought his hands together. "Well I've been working on some special projects and am in the market for some special power stones. I have looked at the power stones I can get from the enchanters in town but they don't meet my needs for either project. My biggest project is the biggest stumbling block. I need a very large and very special stone and it's not available here."

Bartimas narrowed his eyes, he knew stone and gems well and was intrigued. "How big are we talking lad?"

Dante brought his hand up and made a large fist. "About this size and flawless. It would also have to be one of the more precious stones since something like quartz or amethyst wouldn't work."

Bartimas' eyes got very large and he whistled loudly at that. "That's a King's ransom that is!"

Dante grinned at him, "I guess it's a good thing I'm a King then..."

Bartimas jolted out of his surprise then laughed, "I guess it is at that. Well you're right that only the dwarves could help you in this. Yes such stones exist though they are very rare, very expensive, and highly coveted. We only find a handful of them every few decades at that. There should be a few possibilities that match that but I will have to contact King Stormcoat to facilitate this. It takes a Royal decree to sell one outside of the Dwarven Kingdom. For a fellow King he should allow it though I'm sure he will be curious why you want it. Can you give me a hint at what you will be doing with it?"

Dante looked at Lily and Lobelia, he had kept this very close to the chest and had only spoken to a few people about it including them. They both nodded at him to share. "I'm working on creating an AI. The gem would be the core of the creation and would basically house its mind and core and be its power source"

Bartimas got an odd look on his face. "AI? You mean like a robot from human stories?"

Dante chuckled softly. "Sort of but it's a bit more complicated than that. I'm going to be using a fusion of magic and technology and basically create an artificial sentience. It will be one of a kind and unlike anything before it. But I need that gem to make this a reality."

Bartimas nodded at that. "I will send the request to his Majesty and should have a response in just a few days time. Much like our Elven neighbors we too have adopted some of the human technology like smartphones and such and in fact they're the ones that setup the network in our Kingdom and showed us how to do it, but we haven't as of yet linked our networks together so to speak. Bloody marvelous inventions they are, to be able to just call someone and speak to them instantly is grand. Much handier than our old system of communication crystals and much less expensive overall considering that each person needed a matched set to do two way communication. We now have faster ways of getting requests to and from our respective kingdoms but until our networks realms are linked it isn't complete yet. I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up having a hand in that work the way you're going."