[Training] Molten Core Lesson

It had been a solid week of duties in the Guild Hall. She’s had three missions to her name, but those all occurred during the first week of her enlistment. After that was nothing but mopping and sweeping. Laundry and cooking. She recognized she was one of the lowest ranked mages in the guild and thus not powerful enough to go on any real evil destroying missions. It was days like this that she wanted to just go find the cringe again and beat him up some more. She thought there would be more excitement with being a Legal Guild Member. Her room didn’t even look lived in. Her uniforms were folded and pressed. No boxes. Nothing outside of the standard issued furniture. Only one decoration was there. The Metal Skull shaped mask from that dig she went to with her friend. It started at her most nights. Apparently it was an Artifact from Illyria. Standing up, she picked it up. The thing always bothered her. And what bothered her the most was the fact she couldn’t get rid of it or leave it alone. Looking at the back of it and the mirror, she sighed. It was ridiculous. Sure it was spooky looking and incredibly old, but it was just a mask. She needed to prove it to herself, so she placed it over her own face. Worse case scenario she would eat the damnable thing.

After a second of wearing it and looking at her own reflection, she screamed out. Her hands clutching at the mask as she doubled forward and back, thrashing around violently. And then Looked right back at the mirror. Yep. Even with her theatrics, Nothing. In books that was normally what happened. As she went to take it off, she took another trip. This was a bit rude to be honest. She was in another world, like before. Red hot molten metal flowed around the perimeter and behind a jagged throne that was about her size. Good no Goddess whose navel was beyond normal human sight. A figure walked out from the cascading slag and into view. It looked like a man in a dark metal full plate armor. A grill door in his chest. The helmet was angular and almost dragon shaped. The slag falling from his body like water from a fowl’s back. “Tremble all you want Mortal for I am…” It stopped and looked at her. Janine was definitely not trembling. “You’re not trembling?”

”You aren’t the first or even second Dimensional being that I have been brought before. And I am getting a feeling not the last.”

“Is that so? First person to put on the mask in over a thousand years and she’s a frequent flier. I’ve worked on this introduction. Practiced, Rehearsed in the mirror while I shaved….”

Janine crossed her arms in front of her. ”Yeah Trembling isn’t something I like to do. Sorry for my lack of empathy. Can we just get to business?”

“Can I at least say…” He was abruptly cut off with a sharp no. “Aw please let me finish. I haven’t said it in such a long time.”

The Noble Lady sighed and hung her head a bit. “Fine but don’t expect a big reaction from me.”

“No no no. Of Course not.” He held a fist to his face and cleared his throat. “Tremble all you want Mortal For I am the Soul of the Forge, Meltan! I will have you wield me as a weapon to serve the wicked Goddess Illyria. For the path you shall take will lead to total destruction!” There was a brief pause while he posed before he bowed. “Thank you very much.”

”Don’t mention it.” Meltan snapped his fingers and the molten horror-scape shifted away to a pure white modern style home. Rectangles, Simplistic, and plush. Even his armor was faded away to a simple white silk robe. Though his helmet remained. He walked over to a couch and poured a couple cups of tea. ”Ok. I might tremble now.”

He looked up with the tea cups in hand. “What? I work the forge for all eternity. When I relax, I like to be in comfort.” As he sat down, he gently patted the seat on the couch, seemingly offering it to her. “So about that whole wield me as a weapon thing. See the mask you are wearing in your world is the medium for me to travel there. It is a sort of way to get you used to being able to summon the Goddess. I am supposed to give you this big drawn out test which takes years to complete, if it is ever completed. But I’m so bored. My mask was placed on faces almost weekly by the cultist. Tell me, What type of Magic do you currently wield?” He took a sip of tea through the mouth section of what appeared to be a helmet.

Janine held the cup very nonchalantly replied. “Metallic God Slayer.” She then took a sip of tea as Meltan froze in place. Her face was a bit surprised by the tea. ”Wow this is good. You have tea like this in the forge?”

Meltan relaxed a bit more as the conversation moved to the tea. “Oh yes. Normally to activate the mask I must be given burnt offerings. So the cultist used to burn some good stuff. But then someone figured that I liked things that burned and began throwing leaves in the mask and setting fire to it. After a few years I had a literal ton of roasted leaves in my living room. I then learned that some humans placed roasted leaves in water then strained it creating tea. What a marvelous invention. Hot Leaf Juice!”

Janine could easily see the hardest part of mastering this power would be dealing with Meltan’s personality. The ravages of time seemed to have made him a sort of goofball. Lord of the Forge and he preferred soft cotton. Perhaps she could use this to her advantage. Sipping her tea she closed her eyes. Even though he was metal, she doubted she could eat him. Most likely if he was a pure entity of his magic, he would have a molten core. And his experience vastly outmatched her own in this style. ”Perhaps we can come to a bargain then.” Meltan’s head came to a silence from the laughter as he listened. Obviously intrigued. ”Magic today is much quicker and requires a bit more fluidity between different styles. As such I could not wear you at all times. But in lieu of a single offering before i place the mask on, I can offer you a weekly stipend of high quality tea leaves, slightly roasted in the mask. In return We will share the same body. Your knowledge of the magic, and my knowledge of my body and the world as it is would be quite powerful.”

Meltan placed his hand on his ‘chin’ and considered this. “So you will give me tea every week better than birch?”

Janine placed her hand on the Soul’s knee, sympathetically looking to him. ”Sweetie. Birch is not a tea-leaf. That’s just normal leaves.”

Meltan leapt to his feet, his robe burning off as his steely body burned white-hot. Janine was blasted through the universal tunnel and back into her body. The mask on her face starting to change into a plain white featureless mask. Red curved lines where the eyes would be. A similar line drawn from edge to edge where the mouth would be. Janine tilted her head from side to side, looking at it. It had no real method of attachment. Her uniform was also transformed into a white blouse that adhered to her form. Underneath was a dark blue one piece leotard. White gloves went over her wrist, boots matching the style donned her feet. Her shoulders bore a two layer white cloak. Just before Janine could look at the backside of it, she felt her body moving towards the window. Soon she found herself flying out of it. Well less flying and more jumping high. She felt lighter than in her Golden Goddess form. Meltan was in control. His first time let free in the world no doubt.

”Seem you have some energy to burn off. Go ahead and get a feel for it. We will tag out when needed.”

Leaping from one building roof to the next Janine’s body released Meltan’s voice. A bit gravely and low-pitched. ”Where do I find tea?”

Janine thought in her separate soul space. That was a good question now that she thought of it. As the answer came to her, she felt her foot hit the rooftop. ”Speaking of which. Switch with me in. It would be easier to take you to it than explain it.” After landing on a peak, Meltan dropped their arms and head limp as Janine took over. She felt heavier and more in control. Leaping over to the wall of a nearby building, she pushed off and landed on the street. The masked figure now walking the street instead of leaping across the building like an idiot. ”We will start you off with a nice green tea. Once we get to the cafe, I’ll instruct you on how to order it for yourself. Afterwards, show me how I can use your magic.”

Why wait? Turn your palm up and think sphere. That seemed rather simple. Doing as instructed, Janine continued walking. With a clear image of a sphere in her mind, Meltan metal started to bubble out from her glove, floating above her fingers forming a molten sphere. Now throw it on the ground. Seeing where this was going, she lobbed the orb towards a safe alley way and watched as it started to darken in the air. By the time it finally hit the ground the orb was a cannon ball thudding hard on the dirt. As we become more in sync, you will be able to channel more fire into your metal. That will enable it to stay molten for longer.

Liking this prospect, she walked over and picked up the sphere. It was quite heavy. ”I look forward to your tutelage. How long will this stay around?”

I make real metal items. Not Magical Illusions of steel. They won’t and are already aligned to be infused with more magic.

This was quite a bit of useful information. She could use this to make some instruments for the guild. No more Neophyte status for her. After a bit more walking, she stopped and turned towards a cafe entrance. ”Time to switch again. You can do this.” Her hand went up to her face swiping across the lips. Their souls switch control again.

”So do I just go in there and say I want tea?”

”Only if you are a barbarian. But you have the body of an elegant lady. See that small table there? Sit down at it and look at the menu. After a few minutes a woman in a black dress will approach you asking for your order. Just ask for their Green tea and honey.”

With a physical nod, Meltan walked over sat down, crossing their legs with the ankle over the thigh. Their head suddenly jolting forward as Janine found the power to smack him once. ”LADY’S BODY! Knee over thigh, Foot to ground. Slight angle. We are not showing everything under the skirt.”

Meltan placed their hand on the back of their head and bowed lightly. ”Sorry. Wait how did you just smack me?”

Janine wasn’t certain herself. ”I’m not certain. I felt an extreme amount of anger and suddenly you were smacked.

”Most interesting. Seems a strong enough emotion can allow our souls to touch while sharing this body. We have much to learn on both ends.” Meltan thought to himself that Take overs usually had one entity take control of another, but their arrangement in the name of speed and ease of use was new, even with all his experience. Speaking of experiences, the woman in a black dress arrived to take his order.