Kael cursed again, turning his attention back to his work, more out of stubbornness than hope, only to notice something strange.
When he tried to snuff the flame from his hand, he accidentally hit one of the scales.
And it turned darker.
The change was minor, subtle enough that someone not looking for it might miss it, but Kael had been staring at these materials long enough to notice differences like they were neon signs. The hatchling-green deepened. The surface looked slightly more glassy. It resembled the adult basilisk scale a bit more, still not obsidian-black, but closer to it.
"So it can be heat treated…" he thought.
He glanced from the altered scale to the rune, now finally calmed down, no longer flaring, no longer in that violent active state. It sat there like it hadn't just tried to turn his hand into roasted meat. Like it was innocent.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
He thought about how to use it best without harming himself.
