by Aleron Kong
Richter smiled wearily back, “Hell yeah it is. That’s exactly why I think that you need an upgrade.” He handed his Elementum Short Sword of Freezing back to his friend.
The sprite’s eyes widened, “Are you sure?”
“I am,” Richter replied firmly. “We are in this together.” The chaos seed closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. A prompt appeared.
Do you wish to transfer ownership of the Elementum Short Sword of Freezing? Yes or No?
Richter selected “Yes.” Then he opened his eyes and extended a hand with his palm flat. It had cost a fair amount of soul stones, but Richter had soul bound all of his armor and weapons over the past few weeks. Despite the cost, it had given him great peace of mind. If he ever died again, god forbid, at least he knew when he was reborn, all of his items would come back with him. Specks of light gathered above his palm and spun around quickly before coalescing into a clear gem.
You have abdicated ownership of the Elementum Short Sword of Freezing. Safeguard the Crystal of Ownership. Whomever takes ownership of the crystal will be able to soul bind this object and will become its new owner.
Richter handed the crystal over to Sion and the sprite’s eyes lit up. It was almost like he thought the chaos seed had been messing with him until he saw clear proof. Richter was tempted to give his friend shit about that, but the sprite was clearly moved so he decided not to ruin the moment. With a smile on his face now, Richter’s Companion clasped the crystal in his fist. White light seeped out from the edges of his fingers before disappearing. When Sion opened his hand again, the crystal was gone, and the sword had a new owner.
“This is an amazing gift,” Sion said softly. He swung the short sword through the air, marveling at how the clear green metal caught the fading light.
“You deserve it,” Richter said sincerely. Then his face took on a wry twist, “You know, I would have done this earlier, but I thought it might be too much blade for you. Now that you’re all grown up though,” he said, referencing the extra foot of height Sion had gained since bonding to his pixie, “I’m sure you can handle a big boy weapon.”
Sion nodded sagely, “I can understand why you would feel that way. Every time you pee, you have to hold a very little sword. Over time, you must have started thinking that was normal.” The sprite held the short sword at waist height and slowly raised the point. “The rest of us are used to holding something larger.”
Richter rolled his eyes, “You know what, my friend, I’ve had it up to here with you. Actually,” he held his hand flat at chest level, “I’ve had it up to here with you.”
Sion shook his head, “Little joke from such a big man.”
“Ah! So you admit I’m big?” Richter said savoring victory.
The sprite’s face took on a chagrined look and he glanced at Richter’s midsection, “I misspoke. I meant ‘Little joke on such a big man.’ Then Sion gave Richter his best smarmy smile.
Richter went back to short jokes, “You know, you really should stand up when you talk to me…”
Sion shook his head in disgust, “Pathetic. You can do better than that. For instance, …”
The two friends kept walking and found solace in their mocking camaraderie. Both knew however, that bloody deeds and savage days loomed dark on the horizon.
CHAPTER 9 – Day 140 – Kuborn 30, 15,386 EBG
A few minutes later, the two friends went in different directions. Sion decided to take his new weapon to be honed at the Forge. Though to an outside observer the two had just been mocking each other, what they had actually been doing was reaffirming two simple truths. One, that neither of them were alone and two, that they would meet whatever dangers were coming, together. The Companions clasped wrists before they separated, and both felt better than they had when they first caught sight of the village.
Richter made his way to the catacombs. He had to speak with many people, and his Chamberlain was first on the list. Now that he was safely back in his village, he looked at the last of the prompts he had left to read.
You have trapped the soul of a Lugash! Soul level: Luminous. x 4
As horrible as the beasts had been, having another four luminous stones was nothing to turn his nose up at. He checked his inventory to see exactly how many captured souls he had. The count was sixty-one poor, forty-three weak, two hundred and two basic, one hundred and thirty-nine common, fourteen luminous, three brilliant, four special and one resplendent stone. Richter was actually surprised by how many he had been able to collect. The daily hunting of the lands around the village had paid off. Many of the poor and weak souls were actually in soul stones that could hold up to basic level souls, but that was because Richter used small pieces of marbled quartz to make his repositories. It was a bit of a waste using soul stones to capture souls smaller than their maximum capacity, but the marbled stone was so plentiful that it was the best option.
With his current Talents, he could use three soul stones per enchantment. One of the reasons that he had been grinding so hard was that he had an unresolved quest. Krom had charged him with obtaining enough high level souls that the dwarf could finish the skeeling armor and have it enchanted with powerful protections. If Richter used only common stones, he already had more than enough to enchant all six pieces of the armor set.
The problem was, enchanting was a one-shot deal. You got multiple chances for an enchantment to take hold as long as you were within the time window, but once it sunk in, that was it. Ideally, he would use luminous souls or higher, but monsters of that level were not easy to find, and they were even harder to kill. Still, Richter knew that he couldn’t wait forever. The goblin settlement was just the latest in a long line of multiplying enemies. He resolved to talk to Krom as soon as the dwarf got back from his Trial.
There was one final prompt blinking in the corner of his vision, but as he had reached the catacombs, he decided to wait before accessing it. The guard stationed at the entrance saluted, clapping one fist to her chest. Richter returned the salute and kept moving. After walking down a long hall for several hundred meters, he once again stood in the room of the Great Seal.
Richter took a moment to look at it. What had begun as a simple mosaic had turned into a pulsing representation of his awakening Powers. The pattern was comprised of four spirals that met in the center of the design. Two of the spirals depicted Air and Life magic. These both throbbed with light. The other two spirals, which represented Water and Dark magic, remained only inert tile. It might have been Richter’s imagination, but whenever he saw the giant symbol, he felt a faint compulsion to awaken the final two spirals. In recent weeks, it had started to even feel like the tiles were reproaching him for not bringing them to life. Richter knew that was crazy… but still.
He walked past the seal and into one of the side tunnels. A few seconds later, he was standing in front of Randolphus’ office. The chamberlain was bent over his desk, furiously scribbling on a piece of paper. It was a scene that had become as familiar and comforting to him as seeing a father sitting in his favorite chair. Richter smiled at seeing the oblivious man. He ultimately had to rap his knuckles against the door frame more than once to announce his presence.
Randolphus looked up in surprise. The man was a marvel of organization, but it wasn’t uncommon for him to get lost in a world of documents and papers. Randolphus recovered quickly and stood up with a smile on his face, “Welcome back, my lord. The retrieval of the sprite took longer than expected. I trust…” The chamberlain’s voice trailed off as he saw the weary look on Richter’s face.
“Sit down, my friend,” the chaos seed said. “We need to talk.” Once they were both settled, Richter clued his chamberlain into everything that had happened that day. He started with the deaths of the three guards and then spoke about the two guards that had been injured in the lugash attack.
Randolphus sighed heavily, “I can see that the deaths of the guards are weighing on you.” Richter nodded, and the chamberlain just sat in silence w
ith him for a minute. When he continued, his tone was understanding but educational. “These things will happen, though, my lord. They will continue to happen. The wilds are dangerous. From what you have told me, the fact that we live upon a Place of Power means that monsters will continue to be attracted to our settlement. I am honestly surprised that we have not had more fatalities.”
Richter understood what Randolphus was trying to do, but it didn’t make him feel any better. “I cannot keep losing people,” he said quietly. “It was my fault that the bugbears got into the village.”
“But it is not your fault that these three guards died,” Randolphus said, cutting him off. His voice was gentle but firm. “I do not know where you are from, my lord, but I have been able to tell that you are new to this part of the world.” He paused for a moment, allowing Richter to respond. The chaos seed kept quiet, though, and after a few second Randolphus continued. “The truth of the matter is that The Land is a world of violence. Death has always come on swift wings. You have come far since the night of the attack, my lord, both as a man and as a leader. Still, no matter how far you progress, you cannot change reality. It reflects well on you that the deaths of your men weigh upon you, but losses are inevitable.”
The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes while Richter digested his chamberlain’s words. The man’s counsel didn’t make the chaos seed feel any better, but it did remind him of his duty. Ultimately, he realized that Randolphus was correct. Richter had always known that building his village would require sacrifices. All he could do now was to work hard to minimize future losses and honor those who had fallen.
“I want a ceremony tonight,” Richter said. “Everyone should be gathered in front of the memorial wall, and we will add the names of the dead. We will honor those who have fallen. I also wish to speak with their families before the ceremony. Make sure you let Terrod know as well.”
“It will be done, my lord,” Randolphus said with a bow of his head. He picked up a pen, “What were their names?”
“Gregane, Amara, and Nitol,” Richter replied. He said each name slowly, tasting them as he spoke.
Randolphus began to consult his notes, “Gregane was single. Amara was among the group of guards that came to the village with Sergeant Caulder. She has a husband here, but no children. Nitol…” Randolphus sighed heavily, “Nitol has a wife, my lord. She is pregnant.”
Richter felt his heart drop. It took a moment for him to collect his thought and emotions. Once he had control again, he said, “The families of the dead will receive the entire stipend for the year of work their loved ones agreed to. If any family of Gregane ever show up, they will be given his stipend as well. I also want it made clear that Amara and Nitol’s families will be well provided for, so long as I lead this village.”
“It will be done, my lord,” Randolphus repeated with another short bow of his head. “You can rely on me.”
“I know that I can,” Richter said without hesitation, “but now I need to tell you the rest.” He went over the attack by the lugash and Liddle’s report about the goblin settlement. The chaos seed then shared his suspicions that the Dark portal leading to the necromancer’s lair might be behind the increase in undead monsters in the area. He finished by saying, “I need a war council put together tonight. Have everyone meet in the conference room after the ceremony. Assemble the usual people. I will need their council.”
“Who, exactly,” Randolphus said delicately, “would you like me to gather?”
Richter was confused for a moment by the question. Obviously, he would want Krom, Sumiko, Quasea… Then it came flashing back to him that almost all of the village leaders had been taken by Nexus in one fell swoop, just that morning. With everything that had happened, it seemed like months ago. The chamberlain was right, though, some of his best people would be gone for up to a week. He slammed his fist down on the table in frustration and cursed Nexus’s name.
“I’m sorry, Randy. I forgot for a moment. Just bring Terrod, Caulder, Hisako, Yoshi, Sion and Tabia. Also, include the hill sprite Liddle. He will be undergoing the meidon later. You will most likely find him by the Quickening.”
“Not the elders?” the chamberlain asked.
Each of the races represented in the village had an informal leader. The elders frequently represented them and brought concerns to Randolphus. In the past, their aid had been invaluable, but Richter just couldn’t get past the feeling that letting them take a more active role in village affairs might lead to problems down the road.
Richter shook his head, “We have things to get done, and I don’t want this to turn into a town hall meeting. There are decisions to be made. It is clear that we need to take care of the goblin settlement. The undead attacks must be dealt with as well. Those lugash were horrible. If I didn’t have my elementum blades, they might have killed us all.”
“I understand, my lord. Is there anything else that I can do to help now?”
Richter shook his head, “No. Alma is doing reconnaissance, and she is still beyond the range of being able to communicate with me. She should return in the next few hours, though. There is no point in any further planning until I can provide accurate and up to date information on the goblin camp. That does remind me, though. Have Bea here after the ceremony as well. I need him to upload the latest map data into the Knowledge Table.”
“It will be done, my lord.”
Richter thanked his chamberlain and then left the catacombs. There were still many things that needed to be done, but one was at the front of his mind. He needed a new weapon.
CHAPTER 10 – Day 140 – Kuborn 30, 15,386 EBG
Futen found him before he left the catacombs. The orb started floating along beside him.
“Greetings, my lord,” the remnant said in his monotone voice.
“Futen,” Richter responded, “has anything happened in the past day that I should be aware of?”
“Three strike teams hunted outside of the city in addition to your war party, Lord Richter. Two were able to bring back deer. The third suffered an attack from some type of large insect, but they prevailed with only minor injuries.”
Richter nodded, “Anything else?”
“Nothing of note, my lord,”
“Well at least there’s that,” Richter said. He told the remnant about the goblin settlement and that there would be a meeting that he should be at later. The chaos seed also told him to find the families of the dead guards and to bring them to the Quickening. The orb floated off.
Villagers greeted their lord with smiles on their faces. He put a false smile on his face and waved back, but his heart was still heavy. Richter made his way to the Forge of Heavens. Cherry red glows could be seen from the inside of the building, and the sound of hammers striking anvils echoed out despite the late hour. When he entered, the dwarven and human smiths all greeted him with nods and gruff hails, but they stayed at their tasks. This didn’t bother Richter at all. A smithy was not a place to let one’s attention wander. A momentary lapse in concentration could lead to injury.
One thing that did surprise the chaos seed was that someone was working at the main anvil. He hadn’t ever seen anyone there besides Krom. Richter quickly used Analyze and found that the mountain dwarf’s name was Bowdin. The smith seemed to be hammering on a warhammer, of all things.
“Ah, greetings milord,” Bowdin said in a rough, but respectful, voice. He set down his hammer and picked up the cooling metal he had been working on with tongs. The hammer head went back into the furnace to heat again. The dwarf gave an order, and one of the other smiths started stoking the flames. Richter grew even more curious.
“I must confess that I am surprised to see someone other than Krom using the main anvil.”
“Ay. Krom can be tighter than a cold arsehole dipped in glue, that be for sure, har har!” The dwarf had a gruff, deep bass laugh. “He for sure do na like to share.”
Richter smiled slightly, “I won’t argue against that, but he is the
village Smith. Do you have permission to use the main anvil?”
Bowdin’s eyes widened in understanding, “Did he na- Well, of course, the fool did na! The fool! Ay apologize, milord. Krom should have told ye. I am second in command of the Forge. The Smith gave me control over the anvil before he left for his Trial. After Krom, ay have the final word here. Excepting yer lordship, o’course.”
To prove his claim, Bowdin placed his hand on the anvil, and the lights inside of it came alive. Richter nodded, “Very good then, smith Bowdin. I hope you understand my caution.”
“Of course, yer Lordship,” the dwarf said, bowing his head.
“Well, what are your capabilities?”
“Ay be a level forty-four smith and have some small skill in Earth magic and Enchanting. It makes me work more durable.”
“So you’re only one level away from journeyman status then?” Richter asked.
“Ay,” Bowdin said proudly, “and as soon as ay reach the rank ay’ll be going for me Trial as well. Ay also have one more important subskill, Dense Forging. The weapons ay forge will be heavier, but they also have increased damage.”
Richter nodded. A subskill like that could definitely be useful. It seemed like it might lend itself more towards large weapons, though, like mauls or claymores. Since his favored weapon type had become small blades, he was wary to have a weapon constructed to be heavier than normal. A high attack speed was a large part of his fighting style, and a denser weapon probably meant a slower weapon. “That sounds like it could be useful, but I’m assuming that extra weight will decrease my attack speed.”
“It can indeed, yer lordship. That be only if yer Strength is no up to the task, though. Here. Look at this dagger.” The smith pulled a dagger with a ten-inch blade off of a weapons rack.