Ch. 36 Learn first, train later..

"Smithy! You in the back!?" Emmie yelled out as they came inside the Forge. Smithy Jones wasn't at the counter so they figured he was out back working on his billet.

"Give me 5 minutes! I'm about to do a Heat Treat!'

"No problem!" Emmie, Serah and Gabriel took a seat in the front shop while they waited on Smithy.

"Decided you needed something after all eh?" Smithy Jones walked out from the back with a small cloud of smoke following him. After wiping his hands he asked what he could do for them and Serah pulled out the locked box. "I asked Lady Ara to help us open this box and she sent us your way. Anything you can do?"

Smithy Jones picked up the box and started a careful inspection. After a few seconds be told them he could definitely get it open and he could do it right now. "For 10 Silver, I'll get it opened right now."

Gabriel gave a subtle nod and Serah handed over the coins.

Smithy Jones walked to the back and came out with a strangely carved stone. It was round on one end and had pencil sized piece coming off the side of it. It was some sort of Magic Path Stone, Gabriel could recognize the carvings as Magic Paths, but he couldn't tell what ones. Smithy Jones held the long end close to the lock and slowly pushed it into the keyhole. The stone began to light up and change shape as he pressed it in before long it had transformed into the proper shape to unlock the box. Smithy pulled the tool out without attempting to unlock the box. Going into the back he packed some sand into a small wooden box and placed the tool into the sand before packing more sand around it. He pressed the box then broke it in half. Taking out the took the placing the box pieces back together and banding it together. He poured some metal he had heating into the hole from where the took was removed. After five minutes he broke the mold open and retrieved the key before walking to the front and putting it into the keyhole. Turning it, the box unlocked and he handed it back to Serah.

"That key will unlock that box as long as you don't break it. Thanks for your patronage!" Smithy gave them a small bow before sending them on their way so he could get back to work.

"Well, what's in it?" Emmie tried to pop open the box and look for herself, but he was thwarted by the Swift movements of Serah, who stuffed the box under her shirt in hurry. "It's Gabriel's! It's up to him to open it!"

"Let's head back to the river and I'll open it there. Just in case it's something valuable." The girls got to walking toward the river with a bit of pep in their step. On the way out of the gates, they spotted a food stall selling Roast Pork skewers. Gabriel gestured to Serah and they stopped to buy a few. Gabriel made himself look like a greedy bird by acting unsatisfied until Serah bought him 5 skewers. This was just an act to have her buy enough to share with Gala when he got home.

It was after noon when they finally got back to the river. Gabriel hopped off Serah's shoulder and asked her to take out the lock box. "Shall we see?" Serah opened the box to reveal an orange potion with no label. (What the hell is that? No label? Orange? What kind of potion could that possibly be?) Gabriel felt like he got screwed out of some Silver, but at least he would have a lock box for his valuables. The chest didn't have a lock on it, so he would keep the gold coins and jewelry in his lockbox from now on.

"Strange potion, maybe you could sell it Gabriel." Emmie suggested Gabriel sell it to help with his disappointment. She had never heard of an orange potion before and she was an alchemist. She figured he could at least sell it to the Alchemist Guild and make some gold. "No, I think I'll save it for later. Please put my belongings into the hiding spot Serah." Gabriel was in rush to get home and start reading so he rushed Serah along.

"Well, it's been a pleasure, I'll see you again in 3 days time. If you need anything, draw a bird in charcoal in this tree and I'll come find you. Thanks for the help you two!" Gabriel ran behind the tree, put the bag and box into his Tiny Dimension then took flight.

(Go faster wings! I have things to learn!)

Gabriel arrived home in less than 10 minutes. He ran through the illusory trunk and into their base. "Gala, I'm going to learn some books so it's up to you to take care of base. I brought a present back to thank you ahead of time." Gabriel dropped 3 Pork skewers on the ground from his Tiny Dimension, he had already eaten 2 of the 5 on the way back. It seemed like Serah was enjoying feeding him and he wasn't going to turn that down. "This is food from the village, it's delicious. Don't eat the sticks though, they could puncture your throat." Gabriel wasn't worried about food as they had plenty of bear meat left and Acorn had been storing any nuts he found by chance in his spot at the base. Gabriel also had a few pounds of Hermitberries and Rockberries in the Tiny Dimension if need be.

After making sure his two companions were all set he pulled the bag of books from his Tiny Dimension. Dumping the bag out, Gabriel gently spread out the books on his bear pelt. (What should we start with?) Gabriel was so excited that he forgot to figure out what he wanted to learn first. (Doh, Languages of Torvazi should be first so I can actually read everything.)

'Would you like to acquire knowledge from Languages of Torvazi?'

(Yes.) There was no pain this time when assimilating this knowledge, just a feeling of being under pressure. Gabriel wasn't sure if it was because he had more magic stat or if it was just easier to learn than the other books he already had. After only a few minutes, he could already the pressure lifting. (Perfect. Now I can study the other books, if they don't knock me out I may be able to finish learning today and get back to raiding tomorrow! Time to test a Theory.)

'Would you like to acquire knowledge from The Study of Realms?'

(Yes.) Once again Gabriel was hit with the feeling of pressure, but no pain. (Maybe because they're both information and not skills they don't cause pain. Guess I'll find out after I do Wind Magic Theories.) Another 5 minutes went by the pressure disappeared.

'Would you like to learn Magic Wind Theory?'

(Okay, so first, the wording is different from the system. It said Learn, instead of Acquire Knowledge, so maybe there is something to Extreme Comprehension... maybe I should focus on acquiring knowledge instead of learning skills. Anyways, Yes.) Immediately Gabriel felt an ever increasing amount of pain coming from his head. He gritted his teeth to bear the pain, if he didn't pass out and could hold on through the pain, he'd be able to get another book done after this, maybe both.

*Rawwwwwkkkkkk* Gabriel cried out in pain as Gala watched from her pelt. She had already seen this before and wasn't as worried this time. She prepared to carry him to the river if he passed out, as the first thing he would want is water. Before long Gabriel's cries ceased and he was still standing, just shaking his head back of forth like he had something stuck on his head. 'Are you okay Gabriel?'

"Not right now Gala, please don't use MindSpeak right now, it hurts too much and I've still got two books to go. I may need you to handle things if I pass out again though, thank you ahead of time!"