text: *If you ever made it to the mountains' base, you would find the many entrances to the cave. At first, all you would see is three gaping mouths that lead somewhere, and if you were careful, you wouldn't end up as a meal to creatures lurking within. Of course, this wasn't a problem for Salitour, seeing as he's lived in these mountains...nearly his whole life. He knew his way around.* *With a long dark cloak made of wool and silk, and a hood covering his head, he walked on through to the second cave opening. His pointed black shoes made small stuffing sounds as he walked on through, holding an orb of light above the palm of his hand to see better. Living in such a place never bothered him, save for his mentality and the thoughts of what lurked far and beyond his reach.* *The walls had stalactites and stalagmites lining against the ceilings and floors, to which Salitour avoided. With the long corridor he went through, he descended a long stairway, and pulled down a crystal lever that looked out of place. It was an old mine shaft that worked like a dumbwaiter, that he used to go up and down his home. Once he was free to roam around in the large space below, he took off the cloak and hung it out to dry.* *His place looked like any others, according to his mind. There were a few tables sitting against the walls, all lined with metal for carving and weaponry. There was also a long red rug on the floor that kept the room warm. It looked similar to a royal throne room, hence the very large space full of pillars and tapestry lining the walls. With his cloak now off, the clothes he was wearing had the style of a rock star; the shoulders of his shirt holding jagged layers of leather, while the rest was more of a black suit with golden buttons aligning the bodice of his shirt.* *His hair was long, and tarnished with a harsh silver, though felt very soft to the touch. His skin could have matched his hair, if not for the cracks along his face and hands that made him look as though he were stone. He was well built, physically, and his eyes were always shadowed by a frown. He never liked having to go to the villages far from his home, but it was for a good cause.* *Taking out the basket he had brought with him, he placed it on one of the tables. It was time to get to work. Grabbing an unfinished sword that sat on the table, he took out an item from the basket. It looked like red sand. Walking over to his work space, he moved some objects out of the way, and held the sword at a 45° angle. With a few whispered words, the red sand turned to liquid blood and fell against the metal of the sword, making it glow and burn until it welded into place.* *Salitour watched as the blood ran along the blade, making it sharper, if not stronger and lighter than most swords he created. The hilt of the sword held the symbols of a dragon, though curbed endlessly until it hit the ball the dragon was holding underneath its claw. This was a sword that was created for sharpness and speed. No longer a heavy weight, anyone would be a fool to think of it as a toy. It could quickly slice through anything it touches, destroying what was once there.* *He had candles lit around the place, and also used his form of magic to put the sword in a glowing rest so it could be cooled down. Floating for 15 minutes, the sword fell into Salitour's grip, to which he gently pressed his fingers against the blade. Immediately his skin was cut, and his hand bled. He gives a nod of approval, his skin reforming once he takes his hand away. The cracks on his skin reformed, making him flex his fingers with another nod. It was ready to be given to the King's most trusted Knight. He will deliver it later in the evening.* *With a long journey ahead of him, he would tend to cleaning up his area, before taking leave, and going through another hidden door that showed off a long corridor of doors that went to many parts of the whole establishment. There even was a kitchen in it that he would sometimes make himself and the monster below meals. Being a wizard blacksmith was hard work, and though his customers were proud of his weaponry, no one dared to ask how he made them. It was his secret, and his secret alone; and that's how he liked it.* *Walking out of the caverns’ mouth, Salitour traveled on through the hard and cold snow, knowing what lay ahead for him. The Kingdom’s first town, Salthorn would take a couple of days to get to. With no horse or carriage; to make the trip on foot is the way Salitour could use, unless he gets some help. As the wind bit into his sharp silver skin, his golden eyes glared straight ahead as he continued his slow pace through the slush and wet snow.* *15 minutes out into his walk, he stood still, his ears picking up a sound. Tilting his head towards the sky, a being seemed to be falling from the sky. Their short screams flew by him, as they fell into the snow face first. It happened so fast, he wasn’t sure if the being was a creature or a person. Turning his whole body around now, he watched the being stumble onto their feet, and noticed that it was someone who wore something close to a wizard outfit. The colors are outlandish, with bright green and yellow, some blue and purple, and a bit of red.* *“Whoo! What a landing!” the person spoke, picking up a pointed hat that was covered in snow, only for it to be quickly dried up. Pulling their hat back onto their head, they now noticed the blacksmith standing with a nonchalant expression. “Good day, my good sir!” they spoke enthusiastically, their skin, he saw, was a peachy pink, and their eyes multi-colored: one being red, the other gold. They also had pointy ears that flickered within the wind. “I’m sorry if I stumbled upon you so suddenly. The name’s Maxwell. I’m a traveler like you, but it seems you need to be somewhere in a hurry. Can I interest you in a new way of traveling?”* *Salitour just continued to stare, allowing the person to go on. “Well then, what if I told you that I have a little snack that can help you along your journey?” Patting his pockets gently, and beginning to look about, Maxwell mumbled to himself, “Ah, where did I put those blasted things?” Taking off his hat, showing off a head of dark brown shaggy hair, he stuck his hand inside, and pulled out a small red tin box that had the symbol of a blue rose on it.* *Opening the box, there was a set of three cookies, all with different symbols upon them. Salitour looked on, not letting the man out of his sight for the moment. “These, my friend, are very special cookies that allow you to be granted any wish. But, for a price. You would be able to keep the wish going for as long as you wish, but if it starts going too far, well...that’s when you take this.” Maxwell pulls out a small vial that was filled with a red liquid that looked crystalized. “Drink this at the stroke of midnight, and your wishes will fade. No one will remember anything, only you will know what happened. You shall tell no one, for it’s only your secret, and yours alone.”* *Both men gave glances to the other, before Maxwell broke out in a loud laugh, “Shall we start by getting you where you need to go? It takes you 2 days to get to the town of Salthorn, right?”* *“How did-”* *“Ah, this I will tell in time, but I can see you’ll be late in your arrival. So please, take it. This is a once in a lifetime offer.”* *“And...you’re not charging?”* *“No charge needed, sir. Just your happiness is all I prefer. Mm? Are you interested?”* *Maxwell held out the cookies with a smile as bright as a sunny day. Salitour stared at the cookies, and then back at the salesman. Placing his hand upon the box, he held it in a tight grip; and no sooner had Salitour touched the box’ Maxwell quickly vanished. The vial hung around Salitour’s neck, and with a blink of his eyes, he couldn’t remember what he was doing standing. He needed to get to the King’s Palace in a couple days. Staring down at the box in his grasp, he frowns and opens it to see 3 cookies. All of them had writing on it, “Make A Wish,” he read slowly with his eyes.* *Taking out one cookie, he took one bite; tasted the sweetness of it, and quickly finished it. His mind soon flooded with images of things he could do with the power he held. He could wish for anything, but being the smart man he was; he only had one task. “I wish I had wings, so that I could fly.”* *Just as he spoke the wish, he fell to the ground, dropping the prized sword as his body began to writhe in pain. Gasping for air, his hands fell to the snow, gripping it tightly as his heart thumped slowly in his chest. A sharp pain ran through his back, causing him to groan as the structure of bones pushed their way out from his skin, forming the shape of wings. They ripped his cloak, soaking it in blood as a mass of veins, tissue, and muscle formed along the bones, before dark grey skin formed over it; tightening into place. As he sat up, panting heavily as tears ran down his face from the pain it caused him, he stood up on shaking legs, feeling the tips of his wings grow in, and the rest form against the bones of his spine. His hand grasped the sword, and anything else he brought with him. The box was placed into his pockets, while the vial still sat underneath his shirt.* *Now that he was standing, he could feel the wind pass against the new pair of wings that stretched far, the colors of a dark grey and navy blue blended together. They were like dragon wings, powerful and steady. His mind sent messages to the pair, silently making them flap gently within the wind. They had feelings, and now he could go on his way. Sending more messages, he pursed his lips, his golden eyes glaring as he spoke one word, “Fly.”* *His wings flapped heavily against the wind, and his body soon shot into the sky. He was nearly 20 feet off the ground, and could see the landscape getting smaller and smaller, until he began the journey towards Salthorn.