Amenities Maketh The Home

  He waved a hand. "Think big pieces of cloth that keep you warm."

  She still looked confused, but he didn’t catch it—he was already heading toward the storage room, where he kept the hides of various creatures that Dusk and Sparky had hunted.

  Grabbing a few of the thicker hides, Traebus grimaced as he ran his fingers over them. Changing a material into an item was already a challenge—changing one material into another was nearly impossible. The hides he had collected were mostly saurian, thick-scaled and tough, better suited for armor than something remotely comfortable.

  Still, it was what he had.

  With a sigh, he dragged the heavy hides toward the lab, unlocking the reinforced stone door once again. Dusk, always silent and observant, trailed behind him, and to his mild surprise, Vaelya followed as well. Her expression was unreadable, but her curiosity was clear as she stepped inside the lab for the second time.

  Traebus tossed the hides onto the worktable, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, let’s see if I can make these things into something less horrible to sleep under and more like an actual blanket."

  He pressed his hands onto the thick, saurian hides, letting his mana flow into them, feeling out the material’s structure. Unlike cloth or softer furs, these were rigid, layered with overlapping scales and tough sinew, designed for protection, not comfort. He frowned. Changing a material’s form into a usable item was one thing, but changing its entire composition—softening something meant to be armor into something comfortable—was on an entirely different level.

  The first step was loosening the rigid bonds within the hide. He directed small pulses of mana into the fibers, gently unraveling the dense structure between the scales and softening the underlayer. A faint crackling sound filled the air as the material reacted, resisting the change before slowly yielding to his control.

  Next, he focused on refining the texture. He needed the outer layer to remain durable, but the inner side had to be pliable, warm, and able to trap heat. He fed the mana through the hide’s surface in slow, steady waves, encouraging it to thin and relax, softening the once-impenetrable skin into something closer to woven leather. Sweat beaded at his temple as he regulated the process, ensuring he didn’t burn out the material or force it into something too fragile.

  When the material began to shift, he moved on to the final step—binding the effect permanently. He traced a series of delicate runes along the hides, etching them into the very fibers, ensuring the magic wouldn't fade or break down over time. A soft blue glow pulsed from the inscriptions before sealing themselves into the hide, their energy settling in place.

  The hides now looked less like armor and more like thick, heavy blankets, still retaining some durability, but flexible enough to provide warmth instead of stiffness.

  Traebus stepped back, breathing hard, but satisfied. He barely had time to appreciate his work before he noticed Vaelya staring at him, her expression caught somewhere between shock and awe.

  She stepped closer, running her fingertips over the softened surface of the hides. What had once been rigid, armored scales now had a flexibility and warmth that they never should have possessed. She flipped a corner over, inspected the rune work, and finally looked at him with something close to certainty.

  "You will make a good ally," she said simply.

  Traebus blinked. "Oh? So that was the official test, was it? Turn reptile skin into functional bedding? Glad to know that’s the qualification standard."

  Vaelya ignored his sarcasm, grabbing a handful of blankets and draping several of them over Dusk’s back before gesturing toward the door. "Come. To the house."

  Dusk gave Traebus an unbothered look before obediently following her toward the exit, the weight of the blankets doing little to slow him down.

  Traebus huffed, shaking his head. "Yeah, sure. No problem. I just do all the work, and you two handle the grand delivery procession. Definitely an equal partnership."

  With Vaelya's tattered armor hanging on by sheer stubbornness, Traebus couldn't ignore the fact that she needed new gear—not just for protection, but for his own sanity. Her current outfit was distracting, worn-out, and one wrong move away from falling apart completely.

  Sighing, he set aside the freshly made cutlery, bowls, and plates and turned to something far more involved—tailoring a proper suit of clothing and armor for Vaelya.

  He started with a woven tunic, blending lightweight iron-threaded fabric with reinforced leather panels, ensuring that it was flexible yet sturdy. The tunic had a fitted chest piece with reinforced plating beneath the fabric, allowing for protection without restricting movement.

  The shoulders and upper arms featured layered strips of magically treated hide, stitched into interlocking patterns, providing natural articulation without sacrificing defense. The bracers were a combination of light metal weaving and hardened leather, designed for deflecting strikes without adding excess weight.

  For the leggings, he carefully integrated stitched-in metal fibers, ensuring they remained breathable yet durable. The knee guards were reinforced, bound with a light shock-absorbing enchantment, making movement easier while protecting against impact.

  The boots followed the same philosophy—tough but not cumbersome, designed for silent movement and easy terrain navigation. He incorporated runic bindings along the soles, giving them a slight grip enhancement, useful for slippery or uneven ground.

  Once the base materials were properly shaped and constructed, he began layering enchantments into the armor, sealing them with carefully inscribed runes on the inside lining.

  Once the base materials were properly shaped and constructed, Traebus began layering enchantments into the armor, carefully inscribing runes along the inner lining to bind the magic permanently. The first enhancement focused on durability, ensuring that the material resisted tearing, fraying, and general wear, significantly increasing its lifespan even under harsh conditions. Next, he wove in flexibility, allowing the armor to move like a second skin, granting unrestricted mobility without sacrificing protection.

  Considering the jungle’s unpredictable climate, he incorporated temperature regulation, allowing the outfit to adjust to external conditions, keeping Vaelya cool under the sun and warm in the frigid nights. Knowing that combat was inevitable, he reinforced the tunic and bracers with impact resistance, enabling them to absorb and disperse shock from blunt force, softening what would otherwise be bone-breaking blows. Finally, he added a layer of elemental insulation—not full fireproofing, but enough to dissipate heat and moisture, ensuring the armor wouldn’t become ruined by rain, embers, or excessive humidity.

  By the time the last rune sealed itself into the material, the entire set hummed with quiet power, the magic subtly reinforcing every fiber without interfering with its natural movement and feel.

  Once the final stitches were woven with mana, the entire set hummed with quiet power, the magic blending seamlessly into the fabric, bound into permanence.

  After sealing the final rune, Traebus stepped back, admiring his handiwork. The armor was complete, and, for once, something in his life had gone exactly according to plan. No explosions, no unexpected magical side effects, and, best of all, no traumatizing near-death experiences.

  Still, there was one last hurdle: actually giving it to Vaelya.

  Dragging the freshly enchanted armor off the worktable, he made his way out of the lab, locking the vault door behind him, and headed for the house. His boots echoed slightly as he stepped inside, his gaze sweeping the small but well-kept interior, before landing on Vaelya.

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  She sat near the fire pit, working on something with thin fibers and careful fingers—probably more woven mats or some other sorcery of craftsmanship that he didn’t understand.

  Traebus cleared his throat, holding out the armor. "So, uh… I made you something."

  Vaelya glanced up, her sharp green eyes flicking to the bundle in his arms.

  He shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware that he was standing rigidly, like an idiot offering a bouquet to a woman who might stab him for doing so. "It’s armor," he clarified, as if that wasn’t obvious. "Better than what you’ve got now."

  Her eyes drifted down to her own clothing, her shredded, barely held-together leather armor, before returning to his face.

  Traebus quickly looked away, fighting the heat rising to his ears. "Not that I—I mean, it’s just—what you’re wearing now is… um." He coughed. Abort. Abort.

  Vaelya slowly raised an eyebrow.

  He forced a smirk, doubling down on humor to save himself. "Look, I’m just saying, it’s distracting, okay? And not in a ‘good-for-survival’ kind of way."

  Vaelya exhaled softly through her nose, amused. "You find my armor distracting?"

  He blinked, realizing too late what he had just admitted.

  "I mean—" He floundered for a second before throwing up his hands in defeat. "You know what? Never mind. Just take the damn armor."

  To his immense relief, Vaelya finally reached out and took the armor from his hands, inspecting the stitched metal threading, the layered durability, and the intricate runework woven into the fabric. He watched as she traced a finger over one of the subtle reinforcement engravings, her expression shifting into something almost... impressed.

  "This is good work," she finally said, giving him a nod of approval.

  Traebus crossed his arms, grinning despite himself. "Of course it is. I made it."

  She ignored his smirk, standing up with effortless grace. "I will change now."

  "Yeah, yeah, do what you—" He paused. "Wait, here?!"

  Vaelya gave him a look.

  "Okay, no! Nope, got it, I’m leaving!" He spun around, nearly tripping over the doorway in his haste to escape. "Just yell if the armor tries to kill you or something."

  As he hurried outside, shaking his head at his own damn awkwardness, he muttered, "Gods, I hope I don’t have to hand-make everyone’s outfits in this world."

  Standing outside as dusk settled over the island, Traebus took stock of just how much was still completely and utterly wrong with his life.

  First and foremost, the island needed a perimeter wall—not just a loose “I hope the monsters don’t try climbing this today” kind of wall, but a fully enclosed, tall, reinforced barrier that ensured nothing short of a flying apex predator would be getting in. As much as the gatehouse and cliffs had slowed the last attack, it was only a matter of time before something smarter—or more stubborn—decided to bypass them entirely. If he had learned anything from the repeated attempts on his life, it was that anything with claws and teeth would absolutely try to murder him at the worst possible time.

  Then there was the gate and bridge reinforcement problem. Sure, the stone had held, but only barely. He was not about to have another “oops, the gate cracked open” moment, not after the last time had resulted in an impromptu lizard wrestling match and a near-death experience. Reinforcing it with metal plating was an option, but he wondered if he could infuse it with active defensive enchantments—maybe self-repairing mechanisms or something that electrocuted anything that hit it too hard. At this point, building something that actually fought back was starting to sound very appealing.

  Of course, all of this was meaningless if he couldn’t handle bigger magic projects. His rings were good, but they weren’t enough. If he wanted to get serious about this whole survival-and-thriving thing, he needed better tools. The rings were a start, but they bled mana faster than he was comfortable with, and the moment he tried to do something really ambitious, he'd probably just pass out on the floor like an idiot again. His magic needed refinement, something that let him handle more power without feeling like he’d been wrung out like a wet rag afterward.

  And that brought him to the lab coat. Yes, it was completely ridiculous to think about wearing a coat in the jungle, but this wasn’t about comfort. A properly enchanted lab coat could give him an extra layer of protection, minor self-repair capabilities, and embedded utility spells to keep his work from blowing up in his face (again). He had iron, obsidian, and even Nekrium—plenty of materials to work with. And if he could create something unprecedented, then maybe—just maybe—he could actually start building his own future instead of just reacting to constant threats.

  He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a quiet half-laugh, half-sigh. "The sky's the limit, huh?" he muttered, glancing up at the darkening sky.

  His hands itched to start working—to improve, build, and refine—but one step at a time.

  For now, he had a lot to think about. And an absolutely absurd amount of work ahead of him.

  Traebus stood outside, staring into the deepening dusk as his mind raced with plans, problems, and half-formed ideas. The list of things he needed to do was growing faster than his ability to get them done, but that was nothing new.

  He barely registered the gentle nudge against his hip until he blinked down at Dusk, who regarded him with his usual calm intensity. The big lizard bumped him again, this time a little firmer, as if saying, Enough. Sleep.

  Traebus let out a breath, rolling his shoulders. “Yeah, yeah. I get it,” he muttered, rubbing his temple. "The world’s not ending tonight. Probably."

  With that, he followed Dusk inside, stepping into the warm glow of the firepit. The moment he entered, his eyes landed on Vaelya, already curled up in the corner of the room beneath one of the reptilian skin blankets, her breathing steady, her form still. He hesitated for a second, watching her sleep, before shaking his head and moving toward his own makeshift bedding.

  Unlike Vaelya’s woven mat, his bed was still a glorified pile of hay and wildland debris, but it worked well enough. He didn’t need comfort—he just needed rest.

  Dusk settled beside him with a slow exhale, the large lizard’s frills flicking slightly as he adjusted his position. It didn’t take long before the smaller lizards trickled inside as well, Sparky leading the charge as he zipped toward his usual sleeping perch, curled up in a smug little ball atop one of the warm stones near the fire.

  With his entire odd little family gathered in for the night, Traebus let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. For the first time in a while, there was no immediate threat, no pressing danger, no emergency to address.

  And for once, the night passed peacefully.

  The scent of cooking meat roused Traebus from sleep, and for a few long moments, he didn’t move, allowing the warmth of the fire and the distant sounds of sizzling food to pull him fully into wakefulness.

  Cracking one eye open, he turned his head toward the source of the aroma and found Vaelya already awake, tending to the fire. She was cooking some of the smoked meat, but she had also gathered fresh vegetables from the farm, mixing them into something that looked like a meat-based pancake or flatbread.

  Traebus stretched with a groan, feeling the familiar soreness of existing as he sat up. He watched for a moment, mildly impressed that she had already gotten to work. "Alright," he said, voice still rough from sleep, "I was gonna make cooking utensils today, but you’re clearly outpacing me in survival skills.”

  Vaelya gave him a quick glance before flipping the food, unfazed. “You are slow.”

  Traebus snorted. "Yeah, yeah. I was too busy fighting monstrous death lizards and repairing my entire damn gate yesterday. Excuse me for not being an early riser.”

  Vaelya merely hummed in acknowledgment, turning the food one last time before moving it onto one of the stone plates Traebus had crafted the night before. She handled it with ease, as if she had always used such things, setting it neatly beside a matching bowl. The utensils Traebus had made rested nearby, waiting to be used. He watched for a moment, mildly surprised that she had taken to using them so naturally.He blinked at that, realizing how much effort she had already put into making this place livable. It made him feel slightly guilty for being a full-time magic menace while she was putting in the basic work.

  Still, as he grabbed a portion of food and took a bite, he mentally added ‘proper cooking utensils’ to today’s list of projects.

  After eating, he stood, shaking the sleep from his limbs. "Alright, I’ve put off the cave materials run long enough. Dusk, Sparky, Tank—you’re coming with me. We’ve got some real hauling to do."

  Dusk chuffed in acknowledgment, and Sparky, still groggy, chirped from his sun-warmed perch.

  Tank, from his usual resting spot outside, snorted heavily, which Traebus chose to take as agreement.

  With their destination set, he prepared to leave, ready to make real progress today.

  As Traebus adjusted his gear and prepared to head out, Vaelya, who had been watching him with arms crossed, finally spoke.

  "And what am I supposed to do while you run off into the unknown?"

  Traebus paused mid-motion, his instincts immediately going on high alert.

  That was a trap.

  He could hear it in the subtle way she asked—too casual, too smooth, like she already knew the answer she wanted. And if he said something like "Oh, you can stay and work on something here," he had the distinct feeling he’d never hear the end of it.

  Carefully, he turned to face her, squinting slightly. "Well… if you’re so interested, you could just come with us."

  Vaelya’s serious expression broke into a sharp grin. "Good answer."

  Traebus let out a slow breath. "Knew that was a test."

  She chuckled, stepping past him to grab the new armor. "I may as well see how this holds up in real use." She pulled on the reinforced tunic and bracers, adjusting the fit before rolling her shoulders. The magic-infused fabric flexed with her movements, shifting like a second skin rather than stiff armor.

  He watched her for a moment, admittedly pleased that the outfit worked exactly as intended.

  "Just don’t run off or get eaten," he muttered. "This isn’t some casual stroll through a market."

  Vaelya gave him a dry look. "You just said I could come. No taking it back now."

  Dusk let out a low chuff, clearly amused, while Sparky—who had been climbing up Tank’s side—gave an enthusiastic trill.

  With that settled, the four of them set out, heading toward the stairwell that led down to the lower jungle and shoreline.

  Traebus took a deep breath, feeling the humid air shift as they moved. Hopefully, this trip wouldn’t result in a near-death experience.

  Though, knowing his luck? It absolutely would.