It was curious, how Jeremiah came to know. Ebony knew there were observant people in the world, but she'd hardly been around Jeremiah ever since they'd met on the dock in Port Lovolon. The only explanation was that someone had told Jeremiah.

Her first guess would be Midas. His job was to keep an eye on the crew. It was primarily to look after everyone, but in doing that duty there also came the responsibility to take care of anyone who threatened the whole. It was most likely him with his near super-sense that had figured out her true gender.

Still, despite the betrayal she'd clearly faced, Ebony couldn't help feeling a sense of relief. At least around her superiors, she was free to act as she was. And in addition, this little revealed truth had now become a path to being useful. To having a purpose.

Holding the recently signed contract in her hand, Ebony approached the warehouse where Rassa had spent the last two days constructing gods knew what. When he'd demanded as many mirrors as Ebony and Aegin could find, they'd been sufficiently stumped as to why he needed them. What could mirrors possibly do? That was when he'd told them his master plan.

Ebony was to say the least, sceptical. If it took an entire lightning storm to charge the crystals with lightning, how could mirrors possibly charge another with light? No matter how many times light was reflected, it was still light. At least that was what she'd always believed, but Rassa's determination had made her question it.

She entered the warehouse without ceremony. The massive room had little beyond an entrance a few metres squared that served as an office. Ebony put the rolled-up contract on the table there and then walked through to the main storage room. To one side sat the crates of crystals, the other side empty. The far end of the warehouse was dominated by a myriad of mirrors fixed to various surfaces, including the rafters. Then on the floor were several specially shaped glass pieces that Rassa had taken from a looking glass, all fixed into position in front of a table with a small stand that currently stood empty. Rassa stood to the side, surveying the position of the mirrors. Aegin sat on a stool just beyond the office door where Ebony paused.

"Is he done ye-"

Ebony paused as she turned to see that Aegin had most certainly fallen asleep. She rolled her eyes and kicked his chair. Aegin jolted awake, steadying his balance as Ebony walked across the warehouse to where Rassa stood.

"That was rude," Aegin mumbled before settling himself again.

"The contract has been signed, it's sitting in the office," Ebony reported.

"Good," Rassa replied, "Thank you".

He glanced at her briefly as he stepped over to the pile of crystals to the side. Ebony stood where she'd met him, looking up at the mirrors.

"So you're really convinced this will work?" asked Ebony.

Rassa smirked, "I don't suppose you'll believe it until you see it?"

Ebony didn't reply, but nodded when he turned back to her with a small crystal between his fingers, no bigger than a pumpkin seed.

"It's okay, I wouldn't have believed it either," Rassa replied, "But this world has a lot of things that have yet to be discovered. Or Re-discovered as the case may be".

Rassa approached the little stand on the table and placed the crystal upon it delicately.

"I'd get into the office with Aegin, the light will harm your eyes," Rassa stated.

"What about-"

"Accelerated healing, I'll be fine," Rassa replied.

Ebony hesitated, but then gave a short nod and returned to the office, dragging Aegin unceremoniously off his stool, to which he gave plenty of protest but didn't fight.

"Alright, please work," Rassa said as he looked up at the hole he'd carved out of the roof, the noonday sun hanging overhead.

He ascended the rafters, then shifted a single mirror ever so slightly.

The affect seemed almost instantaneous. Light hit the mirror Rassa held and rebounded onto another, then another, then another. Splitting again and again until the twelve mirrors on the ground each held their own portion of light. They reflected onto a thirteenth mirror, which cast the light straight down the eye glasses.

The light pinpointed into a single stream, and pierced the Evanine Crystal that waited for it.

There was a pause, a moment when Rassa believed he hadn't done enough, then the crystal suddenly blazed to life like the sun crystals Rassa had seen in those memories of Star Crash Coven. After all, this was how the sun crystals were made. He'd only made a miniature version though, it took far more effort to create the giant crystals Rassa had seen in that city.

Rassa shifted the mirror back, and the light reflect in the mirrors ceased, even the light in the crystal faded, but the job was done.

Rassa dropped back down to the floor, approaching the crystal. He smirked, then took the hollow cylinder of metal he'd brought from his jacket pocket and placed the crystal inside where it rested part way down and sealed it inside with another metal piece.

"It's done!" he called out to Ebony and Aegin.

The door opened and the two of them entered the main warehouse again. Rassa pointed to the pile of crystals.

"Throw me one," he said.

Aegin approached and picked up a crystal about the side of a grape, throwing it to Rassa who caught it easily. Rassa spoke again, "Don't look right at the light".

He then held the plain crystal aloft and in his other hand, held the pen-like cylinder that narrowed to the width of a pin. A small button was encased in the side near his thumb, and Rassa pressed down it.

A laser of light shot out the narrowed end, and Rassa pointed it at the uncharged Evanine Crystal, slowly moving the beam across its surface until a black mark remained where the laser had passed by. He released his hold on the small button and the laser receded to nothing. Rassa put the crystal pen down and held the marked Evanine Crystal aloft. A rune mark was now engraved upon it, it was simple enough, a circle inside a circle.

He threw it back to Aegin who caught it.

"So what does this do-"

Aegin flinched as Rassa suddenly appeared before him, his fist hovering just a few centimetres from Aegin's face. Ripples like that on the surface of a lake moving out from it.

"What the-"

"Holy gods!" Ebony said in shock, covering her mouth, "What did you carve into that crystal?"

Rassa stood back straight, retracting his fist, "Protective charm. Though it'll only last so long before it needs to be recharged. And in addition, it won't last as long against mist related attacks, those are far stronger than physical ones".

"Protective...this is a little more than a charm, Rassa," Ebony replied, "It's an impenetrable shield!"

"Until it needs to be recharged," Rassa replied.

"You hit me," Aegin said absentmindedly as he looked at Rassa.

"Did not," Rassa replied with a smile.

"You didn't even hesitate," Aegin said.

"I knew the charm would work," Rassa dismissed.

"What if I dropped it?" Aegin asked.

Rassa scoffed, "You move like a snail to me, I would have stopped".

Aegin raised an eyebrow, "I know I can't hurt you anyway, but I totally get to trial the next one while you hold it".

"You sure? It'll hurt your hand," Rassa said, "It's like punching a solid wall".

"Pfft, you are not getting out of it that easy," Aegin glared at his friend.

Ebony smirked, "Well, how do you want to use this...protective charm?"

"Sell it," Rassa replied. Ebony's smile dropped.

"We'll look like swindlers, only someone stupid would fall for that," Ebony replied.

Rassa shrugged, "That won't matter, stupid person or wise, we only need one. Once the effects are noticed..."

"Then the coin will roll on in," Aegin replied, a grin appearing on his face as his earlier beef with Rassa evaporated at the prospect of abundant gold.

"Pretty much" Rassa agreed.

"Can it only protect individuals?" asked Ebony out of curiosity.

"It can protect more than that, but it's relative to the size of the crystal and what the crystal is touching," Rassa said.

Ebony and Aegin both stared at Rassa.

"What?" asked Rassa, "You're a real mystery, you know that, right?" asked Ebony.

Rassa smirked, "It's one of my best qualities".