Fatal flaw that I am unsure I have written about nor can find in my notes or on any chapter but will try to go back at some point and write it in as it would aid in Raven's mental break… I forgot to remove her chakra, figured since BB got a change of appearance that she needed on as well. But if I have mentioned it before then ignore this, just wanted to appease my paranoia that I had stated it somewhere and have written several notes on reminding me to alter it in previous chapters at some point.
Chapter 26
Gideon painfully rose to his feet, struggling somewhat to breath as the agony in his left arm roared. Watching the wolf launched from its feet and into the trees struck him dumb, he knew of the power they had from his first instance in the inn with Alex, though it was an entirely different experience witnessing it from the side-lines. The moment the wolf hit the trees, its previous injuries combined with the force of the blast sheared it in two, sending pieces of it everywhere.
Shuffling over to Rhordan, he checked her condition. Finding her merely unconscious rather than in a fatal condition, he left her covered in the bushes for a moment to check the wolf corpse. The bloody scene sent a shuddering chill down his spine, the guts and blood covered most of everything around the group of trees while the actual body itself was tossed aside in two different directions.
Swallowing hard, he reluctantly tried to search the body for the core, the squelching blood causing one nauseating shiver after another coursing through his system. After several minutes he found nothing, he gave up his search and focused on acquiring the tail, theorising that it most likely didn't have one since he couldn't see its magical power before. Cutting off the tail proved difficult with his crude dagger, he was forced to used one of the severed claws to cut it off, a rather sharp instrument that he decided to keep with him.
Returning to Rhordan's side, he couldn't help himself from glancing in the direction of the previous fight, wondering if the others were dead as well as the lion. With Rhordan out of commission, he should stay by her side and get her to safety, though a part of him wondered what a magic core was worth. Shaking his head, he tried to focus on Rhordan, determined to save her first and run the risk of losing the corpses and the magic core. Yet, every attempt he tried to focus, his mind was brought back to the amount of silver they could get from the core alone.
Cursing himself, he gently heaved Rhordan over his shoulder, careful to not agitate her wound. He carried her back towards the fight, hating himself and his greed. Aurelia chirping at him as he walked, angry that he was taking her friend towards possible danger.
Finding the outskirts of the fight, Gideon rested Rhordan down on her front before creeping towards the area. The scene wasn't nearly as horrific as the torn corpse of the alpha, the only shock happened to be the Steel Lion's red corpse, its metal armour in pieces all over the place.
As he entered the remnants of the battlefield, he suddenly caught eye of Rhordan's tattered remains of her backpack that he been torn off and forgotten about during the fight, he quickly collected the important parts of it and promised to buy her a new one from the silver they would earn from the quest and the magic core.
With cautious movements, he claimed the tails of the two other wolves before approaching the lion. Taking a quaking breath, he used the claw to delve into the lion in search of the core.
Cutting through flesh and organ, he eventually came across a fist sized glowing grey stone, its bumpy exterior and pulsing light gave it a somewhat mystical feeling. Carefully cleaning and wrapping the magic core, Gideon placed it within his backpack and was heading back to Rhordan when he spied the pieces of armour scattered around like shrapnel.
The pieces were at least an inch thick, the length of some pieces measured greater than a metre, others less so. Working quickly, he used the sacks that they had bought for gathering to collect as many pieces of steel as he could. Once he gathered enough that he wouldn't be overburdened while carrying Rhordan, he left the battleground, wishing to get back to Bardia as fast as possible.
Carefully carrying Rhordan over his shoulder, he made it back to Bardia by dusk. Many travellers on the road passed pitiful looks towards him, knowing full well the injuries adventurers sustain on their quests. Gideon opted to head towards the inn first rather than the guild building, focusing on Rhordan rather than claiming the reward. The moment he walked through the inn's doors, he found Bob practically rushing out from behind the bar, a hidden glint in his eye as he approached them.
"How bad?" His thunderous voice boomed with worry as he stared at the blood staining the back of Rhordan's shirt, his stone like features shifting to that of concern.
"Flesh wound… didn't get to the bone… pain knocked him out." Gideon struggled to breath, the weight he was carrying and the injury to his chest combined made it difficult to breath and talk at the same time. Bob noticed the blood seeping out from Gideon's left arm, he swiftly lifted Rhordan from him effortlessly. Carrying her carefully up the stairs towards their usual room, he laid her down on her front on the cot.
Gideon followed behind, dumping all of his stuff into the corner of the room before standing beside the kneeling Bob, worry etching into his face at Rhordan's condition. Bob had pulled out an elegant knife and cut the back of her shirt, pulling the strip of cloth that Gideon had stuffed in there.
Her wound hadn't festered, and luckily it hadn't been infected by the time they had gotten back to Bardia. With a practiced eye, Bob examined the wound, checking for anything that could be hidden from the untrained eye of Gideon. Bob suddenly rose to his feet and swiftly left the room, he wasn't gone long before he returned carrying a sack with him. Withdrawing a small brown put filled with green paste, he set to work applying it to Rhordan's wound. Once he had covered her wound in a poultice, he was about to take the rest of her shirt off and wrap her in bandages when Gideon stopped him.
"Thanks, I can help my brother from here, what do I owe you for the medicine." Gideon tried to not sound suspicious as he spoke, avoiding Bob's curious gaze by looking concerned over Rhordan. Deciding not to argue, Bob handed him the bandages as well as a small pot containing the poultice.
"Here, use this on your wounds." Bob didn't look the type to take no for an answer, Gideon gratefully accepted. "As for price, poultice costs a silver per pot, bandages are fifty copper per roll. I'll take half as compensation."
Gideon fished into his backpack and pulled out a silver and fifty copper, determined to never be in debt to anyone again. When Bob tried to refuse, Gideon merely shook his head, still offering the pieces to Bob who accepted it. The giant behemoth of a man casted a curious glance towards Rhordan before departing from the room, not interested in accepting rent for the room.
Setting himself to work, Gideon removed Rhordan's shirt and, while trying not to blush, he tightly wound the bandages around her. Redressing her in his spare shirt, he took his own off to survey his own injuries.
The bite mark on his left arm covered the entirety of his upper arm, teeth marks burrowed deep into his arm. The pain was substantial, and if it wasn't for his concern over Rhordan then he doubted that he could have carried even half of what he did on his way back to Bardia.
Cleaning the wound, he hissed harshly as he applied the poultice, the burning paste sent bursts of radiating pain through him. Bandaging himself up, he sat there quietly, decidedly waiting for Rhordan to awaken before he did anything else.
A soft groan escaped Rhordan, she groggily woke from her painfilled slumber, confused at her new surroundings. Trying to raise herself from the cot cause spikes of pains to rocket through her, forcing her to settle back down. Flashes of memory sprang back into her mind, reminding her of moments before Gideon's near death and her new powerful attack that she unleashed onto the wolf. Fear and worry shocked through her as she remembered sending the wolf flying though not if she had managed to injure it or stop it.
Scanning the room, she found the boy in question asleep against the wall, a sigh escaping her as relief flooded through her. They had escaped from the forests and they were both alive, she could see the bandages on his arm reminding her of her own wound. Reaching around her back, she found herself in a new shirt as the hole where her injury should have been, wasn't there.
Bandages had been wrapped around her, though who had done it troubled her. Had it been anyone other than Gideon then her secret may have been exposed, though knowing that it was Gideon undressing her didn't make the matter any less awkward.
"You're awake?" A thunderous voice boomed, startling Gideon from his sleep as he leapt to his feet, swiftly pulling his crude dagger out from his belt. Seeing that Bob stood in the doorway, he calmed down and resettled himself on the ground before suddenly looking towards Rhordan, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"You're up!" Gideon rushed to her side, glad that she wasn't asleep anymore. Resting a hand on her shoulder, a small smile gracing his lips.
"What happened?" Rhordan somewhat forgot that Bob was in the room despite his domineering presence, eager to know what had transpired after she was knocked unconscious.
"You killed the wolf! You got one hell of a lucky swing in before you passed out, thanks to you I…" Gideon had quickly thought of a lie to fool Bob, hoping he wouldn't pry further into their quest, though that wasn't the case as the lumbering brute interrupted him.
"Boy! If you think for one second that I wouldn't recognise a dire wolf bite, then you must have hit your head." Bob's thunderous voice roared in rage as he spoke the most words he had ever said in their presence, stunning both of them though the look of confusion at the name he had given the wolves had him sighing greatly. "You have to be kidding! You went up against a dire wolf and you didn't even know it, you two either have the greatest amount of luck or actually have some decent skill."
Bob glared at both of them in astonishment, baffled by how two such youngsters could have survived an encounter with a dire wolf as bronze rank adventurers. Hunting dire wolves was, at the very least, a high silver quest, any less than that and the fatality rate would nigh on one hundred percent.
He was about to interrogate them further when he caught sight of the collection of sacks in the corner, the glint of steel gleaming through the edges of the bag. A sudden understanding sprang into his mind, causing him to erupt into a thunderous laughter, shaking the foundations of the building.
"You lured a Steel Lion to kill a dire wolf, I don't know whether to be impressed or struck dumb." Bob roared loudly, apparently loving the idea behind their ordeal earlier, his thunderous voice drowning out Aurelia's angry chirruping who had also been abruptly awoken by the hulking brute's booming voice. It took him several minutes before he managed to calm himself down, small chuckles escaped him now and then as he stared cheerfully at them. "You two are something else, it's a shame that you are stuck working as adventurers. Any physical combatant clan worth their salt would snap you two up in a heartbeat."
"Wasn't skill or tactic, rather the Steel Lion found us." Gideon grumpily recalled, their caution was worthless in the end as they failed to realise the sudden appearance of the magical beast. "It didn't take much to realise that our only chance of escape was the dire wolves."
"Wolves? As in plural?" Bob asked in surprise, an unknown note held his words but he seemed genuinely surprised at his new piece of information. Hunting one dire wolf was already a challenge, hunting more than one meant going against an alpha, a feat that not even low gold rank adventurers dared to try.
"Afraid there isn't much more I can say about the quest, its private between us and the client." Gideon reluctantly admitted, knowing full well that if word got back to Baltharn then they could lose any deal they had in place. Although they didn't like Baltharn, they needed the deal he offered as well as to repay him the silver they owe.
"Hmph!... don't trust the types that ask you to keep things quiet." Bob offered his advice freely, knowing full well the acts of those who hide in secret to be far worse than those out in the open.
"Don't worry, we don't trust him, unfortunately we don't have much of a choice." Rhordan huffed, though she agreed with him there wasn't much they could do, their freedom hangs in the balance. Gideon reluctantly nodded, he didn't know if they could fully trust Bob, but after he had helped Rhordan without hesitation he knew that Bob wasn't the type to sell them out or take advantage of them.
"Those are the worst kind, I would like to help but I think I know who you are talking about." Bob exasperatingly sighed, he knew all too well the schemes the guild director pulls on unsuspecting adventurers. Though the two before him could see through the guild director's lies, they had been caught in a trap of benevolence, a vicious and devious snare that twists the scales of right and wrong.
"You two have some history?" Gideon asked hopefully, if they could find others that had been in their position before then they might gleam some valuable information that could save them down the line.
"I wouldn't say that, rather I've seen his handiwork from the adventurers that cross my bar…" Bob didn't need to say more, it was rather self-explanatory what kind of state the other adventurers would be in after their first mission for Baltharn. Had they challenged the dire wolves head on rather than taking the cautious approach, they would have definitely lost a limb or two, or more likely their lives. "Baltharn isn't exactly notorious, his word play and lies can fool even the most astute person. That said, there are those that know of his skill… those that can see the value in him and fear him for it."
"You have any advice?" From what Bob had said, Gideon didn't believe they were going to escape from Baltharn's clutches any time soon. Nor could they just run away without aid or coin.
"Not much, repay what you owe and work hard to leave this town as soon as you can." Bob curtly stated, when it came to Baltharn, trickery and stunts wouldn't get you far. Hard work and perseverance were their only options, though that meant putting their lives on the line constantly. "Anyway, I'd report back in the morning, make it look like you had a lot of trouble dealing with the mission. Oh, and don't let him know about the Steel Lion."
Bob left the room, leaving the pair with much to think about. They had to get out from Baltharn's clutches, the sooner the better. After Gideon brought Rhordan up to speed on what she had missed out on while she was unconscious, she resided herself to going to sleep as there was little she could do in her condition. Gideon followed suit, tired and exhausted from his trek and the injuries he sustained, he fell asleep almost instantly.
With the break of dawn, Gideon and Rhordan woke to a knock at the door. Rousing himself, Gideon withdrew his crude dagger once again and held it behind him as he answered the door, daring not to take a chance with Rhordan in her current condition.
Prying the door openly slightly, he found Chrysanthis awkwardly shifting from one foot to another in front of the door. The moment she saw Gideon standing there she nearly hit the ceiling with how high she jumped, she stared at him incredulously before a smile bloomed on her face.
"I'm so glad you are alright! How is Rhordan?" Chrysanthis beamed, a note of worry etching into her tone as she asked after Rhordan. She clutched several books to her chest in comfort, dressed in her usual work attire rather than the comfortable set of brown clothes she had adopted after their first lesson.
"He's fine, took a strike to the back and isn't capable of walking at the moment." Gideon stepped through the door and closed it behind him, though he knew that Chrysanthis was more worried about her favourite student, he couldn't run the risk of exposing the Steel Lion's armour to the well-trained eye of Chrysanthis.
"If he is bed ridden then maybe we can continue his lessons? I can get the day off." Chrysanthis happily stated, eager to continue teaching Rhordan. In truth, she was worried for Rhordan's health, after she had arrived last night and got shooed away by Bob, she couldn't fall asleep. Tossing and turning the entire night, she couldn't help but worry about the twins, especially after she learned what they were sent after to hunt.
"I'll have to wake him and ask, you wouldn't mind if you waited downstairs?" Gideon had pretended to think before asking, trying to show that he was concerned over his brother's health. Chrysanthis nodded eagerly, smiling warmly she left back down the corridor and down the stairs. Returning to the room, he found Rhordan staring angrily and confusedly at him.
"Why didn't you invite her in?" Rhordan asked, baffled as to why he would shoo her away. Even though her wound had healed somewhat since last night, she was still bed ridden and would soon be bored with nothing to do. Chrysanthis' offer had her ecstatic as she could at least be doing something she enjoyed rather than laying there, motionless and useless.
"I need to redress your wound and hide the Steel Lion's armour." Gideon stated, working to cover up the metal pieces far better than he had the first time. He also grabbed the dire wolf tails as well, opting to hand in the quest and claim the silver, shoving them into the same bag as the metal. As for the weapons, he would wait until Rhordan was on her feet before claiming them. "Chrysanthis works the guild, I have no doubt that she could tell a Steel Lion's armour from a glance."
"I can dress my wound myself…" A blush bloom on her face, determined to not have Gideon remove her shirt again. Gideon sighed and collected the medicinal equipment, he knelt beside the cot and motion for her to remove her shirt. Rhordan was resistant at first, firm in her decision to heal herself, though a part of her knew she was being unnecessarily stubborn as she doubted she could reach the wound itself, let alone redress it.
Reluctantly, she removed her shirt, holding herself up slightly to allow Gideon to remove the bandages. Rhordan hissed slightly as he pulled off the final part of the bandage covering her wound, yet despite the pain her wound had been healing far faster than it would have done so on its own.
Cleaning the paste off, he checked her wound before reapplying the poultice and rebandaging her. Once he finished redressing her wound, he set about working on himself, finding his wounds to be far more aggravated than Rhordan's own. A slight worry coursed through him as he wondered what could have been in the teeth of the dire wolf that might have gotten into his wounds. Using the last of the small amount of poultice, he lightly redressed his wound, making a mental note to find a healer to have a look at it and buy some more poultice. Collecting the bags, he threw them over his other uninjured shoulder.
"Alright, I'm gonna head out, I should be back hopefully by the afternoon. I'll hand in the quest and see what I can do about selling the Steel Lion parts. I won't claim the weapons until you are on your feet." Gideon informed her of his plan, taking the sword with him as he headed towards the door, he casted his gaze over to her. "Is there anything you want?"
"Something to eat would be nice." Rhordan meekly asked, somewhat ashamed of how useless she felt at that moment as she readorned the shirt, stroking Aurelia's feathers as she laid back down. Gideon nodded and left the room, making his way down the stairs he found Chrysanthis sat with her back to him, speaking merrily with Bob. The moment Bob saw him he motioned to the side of the bar beside the stairs, a place where Gideon could hide the bags on his back.
Quickly dropping the bags behind the bar, he kept the one containing the dire wolf tails encase he was asked for proof. Approaching Chrysanthis, he thought through a series of believable lies that he could give for leaving for a long absence to selling the metal. He didn't want her mentioning his long time away from Rhordan when she was injured and unable to move.
"How is Rhordan doing?" Bob addressed Gideon's arrival, drawing Chrysanthis' attention to him. She beamed brightly at him, a slight glimmer of hope that she could go and teach her favourite pupil.
"He's fine, his wound is healing nicely…" Gideon trailed off slightly as he remembered his own wound, shaking his head he ignored the dizziness plaguing his eyesight. "He is eager to begin learning, he nearly leapt out of the cot when he heard of your offer of a full day of teaching."
Chrysanthis radiant smile seemingly brightened to an intensity that rivalled the twin stars, she could barely contain herself as she bolted off upstairs at a speed that stunned both Bob and Gideon. A slight sigh of relief left Gideon as he realised he didn't need to lie to her, her eagerness to teach outweighed her rational thought or her curiosity. Gideon felt a spark of familiarity rise in him, Chrysanthis reminded him of Starfire and her occasional single mindedness.
"She's eager…" Bob grunted, a slight tug at the side of his mouth briefly crossed his face before disappearing, the slightest evidence of smile that was gone before anyone could notice. "How's your wound?"
"Not good, do you know of any healer in town that I can go to?" Gideon worriedly asked, knowing full well how devastating an infection could be, and that was in their own world with advance medical care. He had tried to ignore the wound, but when he whipped his head around to watch Chrysanthis leave, he nearly fell if he didn't brace himself on the bar.
"Decent healers are expensive, though the guild should have their own." Bob thought aloud, recalling the last time he was in the guild building. "If you are looking for a check-up, they should offer it free of charge."
"Thanks, also could I trouble you for a meal to be sent to our room?" Gideon asked, withdrawing the small pouch they used to hold their silver and copper pieces. He took out twenty-eight copper pieces, remembering that he hadn't paid the rent for that night.
"Sure, I'll take it up in a bit once they are settled." Bob took the copper pieces, learning from the night before that the boy before him doesn't like owing anyone. He couldn't exactly blame him, being under the thumb of the guild director it would cause anyone to distrust owing anyone for anything.
"Thanks. I should be back by the afternoon. I know Chrysanthis is up there but…" Gideon was about to ask for Bob to keep an eye on them though he was cut short as he held up a hand.
"Anyone staying in my inn is under my protection." Bob curtly stated, effectively silencing Gideon who nodded his thanks before collecting the bags and disappearing out the door.
As he walked through Bardia, Gideon thought of the many places he could take the Steel Lion's parts that wouldn't report back to Baltharn. Though he doubted that the guild director would have that far reaching influence that he could receive intel from other guilds or shops around Bardia, however that didn't mean he wanted to run the risk of it getting back to him.
A painful twitch coursed through his system, reminding him of his wound. Gideon wanted to get rid of the metal pieces first before going to the guild, sucking in a deep breath he pressed onwards. His mind reeled back to the Crystal Blood potion they had, one sip of that and his wound would be a thing of the past. Even Rhordan would be up and about rather than laying on the cot practically immobilised, a thought that almost made him use it.
The reason for his stay of hand lied in appearance, if they turned up in Baltharn's office with no wounds to speak of after fighting three dire wolves, then they could say goodbye to whatever cover they had in place. It was an unfortunate fact of having something as powerful as the Crystal Blood, in order to keep it hidden, they couldn't use a single drop of it.
Shaking his head, he turned his thoughts to where he could take the metal and the core, somewhere far from the city centre that would accept the materials. A sudden memory of when he was exploring popped back into his head, the armoury where he had run into the stingy old man.
The Yellow Bird Armoury, why it was called that was beyond him but what Gideon did remember was spying an anvil through a door in the back. If his assumption was correct then that armoury should have a forge in the back, and if there is a forge then they would need materials to create the equipment they sell.
Following the route he had taken before, he found the oddly bright yellow sign with the little flying white bird. The shop itself was old with wooden pieces crumbing from decay, the style mimicked that of the Blue Cat Inn with a slightly smaller size and bulky doors, and a lot less patchwork. Entering the shop, he found the old man from before writing in a book, several pieces of various stones around the desk he was working on.
The shop interior had weapons hanging from the walls, and from the rows of shelves in the middle of the room, half the building had been cut off with a noticeable mismatched coloured wall that led to where the forge was located. Among the various weapons were pieces of armour, and even in one corner was a small table filled with jewellery. The desk the old man was sat behind had been placed in front of the corridor leading to the forge, preventing anyone from getting to it without going through whoever sat at the desk.
The old man had a tall and powerfully built form, a surprise to anyone who wasn't of this world as Gideon had found out by the people staring at him when he tried to make a mocking about his shape when he was thrown out. The old man had long shock white hair tied into a single ponytail, his wrinkled facial features the only indication of his age and the battle worn look in his eyes.
As Gideon entered the shop, the old man's sharp green eyes glared into him, boring a hole through his body as if someone had pierced him with a sword. This feeling was supposedly his exertion of will over his own power, something Gideon didn't realise the first time around and nearly lost his life when he irritated the powerful combatant.
"What do you want, boy?" His thunderous voice could rival Bob's, though without Bob's size it didn't nearly have the same effect. Gideon marched into the shop, somewhat afraid of the power that the old man possessed though resolute in his desire to sell the items in his backpack, he stood rigidly before the old man before he spoke.
"I am not here to buy anything as I do not have the coin." Gideon challenged the old man's patience as a twitch formed in his eye, he continued before the old man could speak. "But, I do have something to sell… if you are interested."
Taken aback, the old man scrutinised Gideon before reluctantly shifting the items on his desk aside. A slight look of determination in his eyes, and a mischievous grin gracing his face, intent on getting back at the disrespectful boy for his antics before.
Heaving the sacks onto the table, Gideon winced hard as his left arm flared with intense pain. Biting his lip, he fought through the pain to withdraw a few pieces of the Steel Lion's armour. The metal pieces stunned the old man for a second, snatching what looked to be a magnifying glass and inspected them with a trained eye.
"Steel Lion armour, where did you get this?" The old man asked incredulously, unable to believe that the boy before him had killed a Steel Lion. Though his interest was more in the metal pieces rather than the boy, yet a part of him subtly glanced back and forth occasionally with a vague curiosity.
"Luck and a lot of effort." Gideon curtly stated, he didn't want to explain the particulars encase it gave reason for someone to ask questions at the guild. The less people that know about their predicament the better, he didn't know who works for Baltharn and who doesn't, nor does he want to cause a scene. Anonymity is survival.
"Hmph… judging from the amount here, I'd say this is worth… ten silver." The old man grunted, loathing the lack of information he received from the boy as his curiosity rose. Gideon stared wildly at the old man, even though he didn't know the exchange rate for metal to coin, he doubted that it was worth as low as that. He could melt down the steel and resell it as chunks for far more.
"Ten silver? With this amount of steel, you could make several swords and armour that are worth the same as that… each!" Gideon gripped, determined to at least leave with twenty silver minimum. Arguing with the old man wasn't an adventure he would survive, but he refused to be walked over yet again.
"True… but I don't know if you stole this, and it isn't worth my time or effort to deal with guilds or clans if you did." The old man smirked at him, knowing that if the boy didn't reveal where he had gotten the metal then he wasn't getting what it was worth. Gideon was infuriated, until he remembered the ace he held.
"Fine, never mind, and here I was thinking about adding in the magic core as well." Gideon stated, heaving the bags onto his back once again, turning away quickly to hide the smirk on his face. His tactic proved fruitful as the old man floundered for a few seconds before shouting out to him, a note of anger in his eyes as he knew he was caught.
"Wait!" Pretending to sigh, Gideon tried to return his face to that of uninterested and uncaring, hoping to not give away that he was loving the idea of making winning one over the old man. Turning back to the old man, he levelled a stare that demanded why he should be stopped. "Let me see the core."
"Why should I, you don't seem that interested in buying the metal pieces after all." Gideon coldly stated, enjoying the flinch that shook the old man as he reacted to his words. He knew he was playing with fire as this old man had the power to end him with just his pinkie finger, but he had to rely on the fact that he was reputable trader. That and he wouldn't risk sully his name killing a weakling like him over something like a magic core of a low ranked magical beast.
"Fine, forty silver for the metal pieces, and I won't go any higher than that." The old man harshly glared at the boy, annoyed that a youth had managed to rattle him so effectively. Gideon pretended to think about it, though internally he was overjoyed, yet something bugged him. Staring at the pieces of metal before him, and casting a quick glance to the pieces of armour on display, an idea sprang to mind.
"Twenty silver for the metal pieces." Gideon stated, startling the old man once again, sending him for a loop. Taking a second to allow the old man to collect himself before he made his demand. "And two decent chest plates made from some of the metal pieces."
An eruption of laughter broke from the old man, he couldn't fathom why the boy would half his already high price for the metal until he asked for the armour pieces. The old man figured the boy to be an adventurer, that and he had a partner as well given the two chest plates. Judging from the way he was sparing his left shoulder, the old man had to assumed he was injured from acquiring the metal pieces.
"Deal, now the magic core." Holding out his hand, the old man smiled at the boy, finding himself thrilled to meet such a cunning young man after countless blockheads had graced his shop. Gideon deposited the metal pieces back onto the table with a smile, enthusiastic that he got what he wanted as he shook hands with the powerful old man, wincing slightly at the intense grip that nearly crushed his hand. He knew that he couldn't walk away with the full forty and try to hand it over to Baltharn without him asking questions, the less that the guild director knew of their abilities, the better.
Withdrawing the magic core from his backpack, he gently handed it over to the old man. Hopeful he could get something decent for this, though knowing how stingy the old man was, he knew it would be a struggle to get anything without fighting for it.
Taking the glowing dark grey bumpy ball from Gideon's hand, the old man scrutinised it with the same magnifying glass. Examining it intently, he drew back with a slight gasp, shaking himself and trying to play it off with old age though the raised eyebrow on Gideon told him that he had been caught.
"A high-quality Steel Lion core, not bad, not bad at all." The old man reluctantly admitted, he figured that if he tried to lie and cheat the young man out of the core, he would leave with it and the metal pieces. The cunningness of the boy before him wasn't something to be trifled with, if he played his cards right, he could get out of the deal better off than Gideon.
"So, it's worth quite a piece?" Gideon faked surprised, though he didn't know anything about magical beast cores, the look in the eye of the old man when he examined it told him everything he needed to know. He did suspect that the old man knew he had spotted his blunder as he had told him the truth, or at least close to the truth as possible as he wouldn't have stated it as high quality if he wanted to swindle him out of the core.
"Twenty silver pieces." The old man stated, stunning Gideon much in the way that he had done to him before. Yet as Gideon tried to recover and retort, the old man continued. "That's already higher than the usual price for the core, the metal pieces are worth more because there is a great deal more of it than a single core."
Gideon couldn't argue with the old man's judgement, he didn't know what a single core could be used for, but he did know that it can only be used once while there were many metal pieces to use from. Thinking carefully, he casted his eyes around the shop, searching for anything that he could barter for along with the silver for the core.
"How about a sheath for that sword of yours?" The old man offered, he took Gideon's scanning of the room as his way of finding something that could be added into the transaction for the core. The old man had been intrigued by the covered sword when he had entered, and curiosity as a blacksmith encouraged him to try and have a look at it since he couldn't directly see it through the bindings.
"No need, I don't use it." Gideon dismissed absentmindedly, not realising that with that phrase alone he revealed an important fact that he shouldn't have. The old man knew of only two reasons why a person would carry a covered sword without actually using it, the first was transport which wasn't likely with a young lad like him on his own, and the second was that the sword wasn't usable.
In the second case, if the sword wasn't usable then bringing it to a forge to get it repaired would be the logical course, yet the boy before him didn't ask for that the moment he entered, and the boy knew that this place was a forge as he was trying to sell materials here without actually asking if the armoury took the. Piece together all those separate pieces of information, only one logical option was left. The sword was cursed, and too powerful to be discarded.
"For a young lad like you to carry a powerfully cursed sword is rather bizarre." The old man grunted, levelling an intense stare at Gideon. Revaluating his previous opinion of him, he watched as the boy practically leapt several feet into the air, staring incredulously at him. "Show me."
The two stared at each for a long intense moment, neither moving nor speaking a word as they held a battle of wills. Gideon didn't want to show the cursed sword to anyone, let alone a skilled blacksmith such as the old man, though he did berate himself for bringing it to his trained eye. The old man's curiosity refused to relent on the matter either, resolved to examine the sword even if it meant paying more for the magic core. Tense minutes passed before Gideon reached for his dagger, assessing the chances he had to escape from the powerful old man before the situation devolved into a fight.
"I never thought I'd see the day the old geezer would meet someone as stubborn as him." A new voice startled both of them from their battle of wills, standing by the doorway was a boy as young as Gideon, dressed in full steel plate mail armour and a dark hood resting behind his head. He had unkempt dark brown hair and striking green eyes, his large form and sharp features looked fairly similar to that of the old man.
"Grey, how many times have I told you to call me master!" The old man grumbled, irately irked that his own grandson's youthful exuberance caused him to disrespect his authority. Grey's arrogant behaviour and lack of respect was the reason he now lived in Bardia rather than with their family's home close to Averia. The old man himself only lived in Bardia for the simple reason of refusing to sell his shop, he had run this forge after inheriting it from his grandmother, a famous and well-respected blacksmith that directly opposed the main family's wishes to bow to the king of Averia.
"Sure…" Grey sarcastically quipped, approaching the table and leaning against it, casting a glance towards Gideon inquisitively while ignoring the glare from the old man. "Hey, wait… I know you… aren't you the new recruit that beat Conrad?"
"He beat Conrad. Conrad… the former ace crown guard, Conrad." The old man couldn't believe the words leaving Grey's mouth, the boy before him was already interesting enough but this was pushing it.
"Yep, Conrad did have the repressor on, but he managed to break his jaw. It was impressive!" Grey approvingly exclaimed, grinning widely at Gideon as if he was an idol. The gut punch from learning of the magical item that reduced Conrad's physical strength to the same level as he did diminish the victory quite a bit, though people were still impressed with them which was somewhat confusing. Gideon was startled to learn that someone as young as Conrad was a former crown guard, a group of soldiers that supposedly are the elite guard dedicated to protecting the king.
"Regardless, I still want to see that sword." The old man adamantly refused to relent on his position, levelling a glare back at Gideon, the two returned to their battle of wills.
"Emerald, right?" Grey remembered the name that the instructors had called out, it was difficult to decern between the twins unless you were standing before them. The colour of his eyes gave away the reason for his adventurer's name, though he still had to ask. Gideon refused to shift his gaze from the old man, determined to win the battle of wills. "How about this, if you let the old geezer have a look at that sword of yours, you can have a special weapon from our personal stock."
The deafening silence that filled the room chilled any living thing within, even Grey shuddered as he watched the cold eyes of the old man painstakingly slowly turn towards him. Nothing was said as the old man thought over this proposal, deciding whether this was a fair trade considering he had to create two chest plates and hand over forty silver.
"One weapon from the unidentified pile and twenty silver for the magic core, that's my offer." The old man turned to Gideon, ignoring Grey's sudden protests from his outlandish offer. From the words and Grey's protests, Gideon could tell that this offer was far less than the special weapon from their personal stock, but it was better than nothing.
"Two, and I pick." Gideon countered, glaring down the old man, challenging him to counter his offer. Grey's mouth hung open, staring incredulously at Emerald as if he had just insulted the mother of all mothers and didn't care if he set himself ablaze with hellfire.
"Deal." The old man reluctantly agreed, ignoring Grey's jaw on the ground as he shook hands with Gideon. Grey just stood there, shifting his head from one to another, trying to wrap his mind around what had happened before him.
Gideon hesitantly took the sword from his back, staring it for a moment before handing it over to the old man. As much as he wanted to protect it and keep it from those who would use it for ill intentions, he and Rhordan needed a set of good weapons, and he doubted the ones they would get from Baltharn would be anywhere as good as the ones the old man had in his scrap pile.
Scrutinising each and every detail of the sword, the old man turned it in his hands. His skilled eye and thirst for knowledge trailed over the sword relentlessly, refusing to submit until he knew the sword in its entirety. He did wish to remove the bindings wrapping the sword, a closer look could give him far more details then with them on yet doing so could adversely harm him in the process, especially if it's a powerfully cursed sword.
"He's going to take a while, why don't I show you the unidentified pile?" Grey finally managed to get his jaw under his control, opting to forget what had happened rather than dwell on it. Motioning Gideon to a door past the desk, he offered a friendly smile. Seeing Gideon's hesitancy, he sighed as he realised how important the sword was to Emerald. "Don't worry, he may be a stubborn old geezer but he's honest. You have my word that he won't try to steal the sword."
Exhaling a deep sigh, Gideon reluctantly followed Grey into one of three doors leading out of the shop room. While the one at the far end leads into the forge, the one to the right would most likely lead upstairs. The door to the left opened into a smaller room divided into three parts, the first and closest to the door was a row of beautiful weapons and armours hanging delicately on the wall, the next took up most of the room with shelves and racks holding what looked to be a large amount of stock for the shop.
In the far corner where Grey led him, stood a lone table filled with various weapons in various stages. Some were mere parts or broken stubs, others looked to be parts of a larger set, only a few of them were actual weapons that looked viable. There was also barrel beside it that was filled with metal parts vaguely resembling weapons or armour.
"Welcome to the unidentified pile, everything here is either from my or others' adventures, or merchants wishing to unload stock quickly before returning to Averia." Grey enthusiastically stated, smiling proudly at the pile of junk before Gideon, hoping to not show the fact that its was mostly useless junk. "As per the name, all of these haven't been identified, so there may be something valuable here or not."
"Is identifying that difficult?" Gideon asked as he perused the pile, ignoring the barrel for now and focusing on the table. He activated his magic sense ability, hoping to see if he could spy anything valuable.
"Not exactly, rather it requires a person with a magic sense to evaluate them, and they aren't cheap. So, anything that doesn't look like it's worth anything its chucked here until we either can be bothered to get it appraised." Grey chuckled, leaning against the table and picking up a piece of a sword and playing with it in his hands. Gideon's search found many different items with magic power, some brighter than others though most with the most magical power happened to be the chunks or broken pieces.
Casting a quick glance around the room, his eyes were caught by the brightly glowing weapons and armour on the far wall. Each blazing a different colour, some even glowing in different colours much like that of Gram's armour. Wrenching his eyes back to the pile, he caught something in the corner of his eye.
The barrel beside him had an intense dull glow, one that drew his attention as it shone with a light purple colour. Working his way through the barrel, he zeroed in on the intense energy which seemingly grew stronger with each piece he removed. Gideon had to force himself to stop and examine a random piece of equipment after another, hiding the reason for his search into the barrel.
Once he took out the last piece between him and the intense purple light, he was nearly blinded by the sudden surge of light exposed from being uncovered. Gideon pretended to sigh and hold his eyes, using it to prevent himself from being blinded. Yet, as he continued to stare at the powerful object, he realised that he wasn't being blinded, rather he could see the full effect of the magic contained within the item. Reaching in, he pulled out a short steel rod with a wooden grip.
Looking at it with the naked eye, its unassuming form would make anyone think that it was a chunk of metal, however it was perfectly cut. It was approximately half a foot in length, and thick enough for someone to just wrap their hand around it. In the centre was the dark oak grip, shaped to fit a person's hand perfectly. Altogether, it looked like a piece of a larger part that didn't exist, as if it was purposefully made to be that shape rather than that of a larger construction.
"I'll take this." Gideon spoke carefully, examining the weird construction with admiration and wonder. A glimmer of hope that he was right in assuming that this was a weapon rather than a part, and with the purple light matching that of Rhordan's, he figured that she might be able to use it.
"You sure? It's just a handle, I think there is something else in here that is far better." Grey was baffled by Gideon's choice, he knew that there had to be a worthwhile weapon in there other than that stump. Yet the look the fellow youth had in his eyes dissuaded Grey from arguing further, shaking his head, he decided that it was Emerald's choice after all.
Placing the handle on the table far from the other pieces, he set about looking through the other pieces. Finding nothing of interest, he burrowed into the barrel once again, hoping to find something of interest though nothing much turned out. As time wore on, Gideon realised that he wouldn't find anything of value, returning to the table he thought about just grabbing one of the decent looking daggers for himself.
Leaning back, he noticed something on the ground behind the table, he remembered during his pursuit of the steel rod he had practically chucked pieces aside. One of them must have fallen to the floor, picking up the strange weapon, he examined it carefully. The item looked to be made off a dirty silver metal that hadn't been cleaned properly in a lone time, it had a large plate that had three slits at one end and two dense metal straps underneath it.
Scanning the weird metal plate, he found nothing out of the ordinary, other than the three large slits in a row at the front. Gazing at it with his magic sense, he found it covered in some form of barrier, one that made it almost invisible to his sight yet there was a pure form of energy hidden within it, one that he could only make out as it was calling out to him somehow.
"I'll take this as well." Gideon declared, out of all the other pieces available, this was the only thing of interest to him. He could have gotten any of the decent looking blades, instead he went with the weird plate as the energy inside sung to him. Truthfully, he should have gone for something that would help them in the short term, but he couldn't deny the alluring pull of the plate.
Leaving the storage room, they found the old man sat at the desk pensively thinking, his hand scratching his chin. Before him laid the sword and a small pouch, noticing the two return he stood up. Holding out hand, Gideon passed him the two items he had picked out from the pile, a surprise look crossed his face.
"Interesting… May I ask why you chose these two?" The old man was suddenly respectful, a note of terror in his eyes whenever he looked at Gideon. Grey had wanted to ask, but a part of him knew to remain quiet until after Emerald had left.
"The steel rod thing looks like a full weapon, if it was a part then there would interlocking pieces somewhere on it or other evidence that it connects to something else. That or marks indicating it had been broken off from one." Gideon's summary corresponded with the old man's, he nodded approvingly though somewhat irked that the boy had picked up the one item that he himself was looking at. "As for the other, there wasn't much else that took my fancy. Other than its odd silver colour and peculiar shape, I picked it for no reason."
"You are right about the steel rod, I had suspected as much but never thought to further enquire about it. As for its power, it's not strong, so if you do unlock it then it might not be useful in the long run." The old man explained, not noticing Gideon's mock shocked look when he had said it held no power. "That old silver wrist weapon comes in a set, that is the right hand while the left is somewhere else. At first, I thought it was steel or actual silver metal, but under further inspection it turned out to be made of an unknown metal that most likely belongs to a beast. As for how strong it is, that I do not know since I have never managed to activate it."
"You are willing to part with these?" Gideon asked incredulously, after hearing the old man break down each of the items he had chosen, it seemed as if they were worth keeping.
"I tried to have the old silver weapon appraised, but there was nothing to be found." The old man shrugged, believing that the weapon had no magical power of its own. "As for the steel rod, that was appraised at having a weak aura and no one knew how to activate it. Though I think the apprasier's skill was somewhat lacking. As for why I am willing to part with these items, a merchant must be able to know everything about what they sell, otherwise they could lose face in selling junk as priceless treasure."
"That understandable." Gideon agreed, if a sword merchant couldn't tell the buyer what exactly they are buying then they could sell it for a price far higher than its actual worth, or far lower and get swindled out of a major score.
"Here is your forty silver, the chest plates will take me a few days to make. Come back then to collect them." The old man handed him a pouch full of silver pieces, he then picked up the sword and before he handed it to Gideon, he grabbed his right shoulder tightly. "If you are adamant about keeping this sword… then heed this, what you have isn't something that should ever see the light of day. Whatever you do, don't let anyone know you have it."
A shuddering chill thundered through Gideon's body, the slightly scared look in the old man's eyes furthered the point he made. With trembling footsteps, Gideon left the Yellow Bird Armoury, securing the sword and pocketing the silver into his backpack. He couldn't wrap his head around the old man's warning, he already knew that the cursed sword would be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands, yet a part of him figured that their previous estimate of extreme danger wasn't enough.
Powering onwards, Gideon shook his mind, opting to deal with the sword at a later date rather than to constantly worry about it now. Heading in the direction of the guild building, Gideon could feel his wound painfully pulse with every step.
Gideon made it to the building as his vision started to swim, sending him stumbling forward and into one of the large, open doors. Holding himself steady, he pressed forward into the building, managing to mumble enough to get directed towards the healer's room.
Sat before him was a stout looking man with an almost eagle like quality to him, his sharp eyes scrutinising his wound. The man's white lab like coat and brown shirt and trousers gave him the look of a school nurse, his short blond hair and sharp brown eyes completed the look.
"Your wound is infected, a rather powerful infection surprisingly." The healer stated, returning to his desk and pulling out a book. His office was roughly the same size as Baltharn's, though his had a desk, two basic wooden chairs, and a high platform bed in a corner. Other than that, it was fairly sparse. "Tell me what bit you?"
"An alpha dire wolf." Gideon struggled to keep himself conscious as the pain ramped up, his mind clouding over slightly as he tried to speak. In his current condition he couldn't afford to lie, his very life depended on getting the right treatment.
"Of course, hold on." The healer groaned, seemingly knowing all too well the type of injuries that adventurers acquire, and this one seemed to be quite a common one. He returned moments later with a vial of yellow liquid, handing it to him before retaking his seat. "Drink that, stay within the guild building for the next hour and if the symptoms don't elevate, return to me at once."
With that, Gideon was shooed out of the healer's office, surprised that he didn't have to pay for the medicine. The pain amplified somewhat, forcing Gideon to down the yellow liquid. The taste of it nearly had him throwing it up, he persevered and headed back out to the lobby. Approaching the reception, he spoke with the girls behind it, learning that he now owed the guild fifty copper pieces instead of getting a free helping hand from the guild.
The bite from a dire wolf was quite common, and although the alpha may have a more infectious bite, the same cheap medicine works for both. Paying the fee, he enquired after the guild director, hoping to hand in the quest while he was still within the building. Within minutes, he found himself sat deliriously in Baltharn's office, watching the guild director finish up the document he was working on.
"You don't look so well, Gideon. Have you seen the healer?" Baltharn faked concern towards Gideon's condition, he was hiding a slight smirk as he noticed a certain someone missing.
"Yeah… He gave me something to drink and told me to wait an hour, thought I'd come here and hand in the quest." Gideon grinned slightly, watching the fake expression on Baltharn's face break away to genuine surprise, he stared stunned at him for a few seconds before collecting himself.
"I am glad to hear that, though I wonder what happened to Rhordan." Baltharn tried to regain control of the conversation, hoping he could use Gideon's missing brother as a tool to unhinge him.
"He's fine, got a bad slash on his back and can't move much. Chrysanthis is with him, I thought you knew?" Gideon innocently asked, immensely enjoying the look on Baltharn's face as he tried to recover from his shock. Although Gideon was struggling to remain conscious, he found torturing Baltharn to be a good sport to distract him.
"I'm glad to hear that, I do hope he recovers." Baltharn's teeth grinded together as he glared death into the papers on his desk, clearly upset that his plan had failed. He knew that they would be, at the very least, heavily injured, and the best-case scenario would have been if one of them had died, but this wasn't what he had expected.
"Concerning our reward, I have the three tails with me." Placing the bag onto the desk, Gideon opened it to show the three tails to Baltharn's shock. "I would like to take the silver the now and wait to claim the weapons once my brother is on his feet."
"No need, here." Baltharn reluctantly sighed, handing over a piece of paper with the guild's seal on it. He then pulled out three silver pieces and handed it to Gideon before explaining the paper. "I've already sent a note to the crafter's guild, their shop, the Iron Masons, is awaiting your arrival with that piece of paper. Show them that and they will allow give you your weapons."
"Thank you, Baltharn." Gideon smiled warmly, taking the note and pocketing the silver. "Is there anything else?"
"No… no that's fine…" Baltharn muttered, returning to his work looking for anything that could distract him. Gideon left the pale guild director to his work, returning to the main room, and waited for the potion's effect to take hold. He spied many of the merchants' wares, some holding his interest while others looked nothing more than trinkets. From what little Gideon knew of the written language he had learned from Rhordan, he found the prices to be quite high for even the little trinkets.
Gideon sat there watching adventurers pass through the main doors, some dressed extravagantly while others looked no better than he did. Some were followed by an entourage of uniformly dressed men, while others clumped together in groups. It was quite the spectacle to behold, even in his half delirious state.
Soon the pain in his arm dulled and the effects on his mind lessened, Gideon found himself returning to his senses. The relief flooding through his veins caused him to sigh happily, grateful for the respite from the agony. Getting to his feet, he bid farewell to the girls at the reception and asked them to thank the healer for him, he left the guild building. Before he decided to return to Rhordan, he went to the Iron Masons shop, a rather extravagant building close to the guild building itself, wanting to know what options they had available to them.
The Iron Masons' shop was far larger than the old man's, with an actual second floor to it. It had rows upon rows of weapons and armour all laid out neatly and with precision, certain sections of the building had guards protecting them as well as sections containing the most beautiful equipment on display, except those beautiful creations had little to no power within. Inside, Gideon was approached by a lovely looking lady in a bright purple dress, she smiled warmly at him.
"What can I help you with, sir?" The woman's soft voice rang out, her long black hair and bright blue eyes shone with happiness as she addressed him. Startled, Gideon's pain addled mind reeled from the sudden interaction with such a beautiful woman. Carefully regaining himself, he pulled out the piece of paper Baltharn gave him.
"I don't want to collect this yet, but I would like to see what is available." Gideon tried to sound important in front of the woman though he fell short as his mind swooned and he stumbled slightly, clutching his mind, he berated himself from coming here and not returning back to the Inn to rest.
"Certainly, Sir. That token gives you two weapons from a various assortment of swords, short swords, daggers, and axes." The woman smiled sweetly, somewhat uncaring that he had displayed a token from Baltharn and had described what could be traded for it. Gideon sighed deeply, he should have known that it was a damn token, one given to loyal customers to encourage them to return. "The token has to be redeemed within the week it was claimed."
"How long do I have left?" Gideon was irritated, he should have known that Baltharn would pull something like this, forcing them to act quickly and without time to think properly. The woman took the token and looked at the various symbols on it, handing it back just as gently as she had taken it.
"This afternoon, actually rather soon." The woman offered a sympathetic smile, standing there with her arms folded behind her.
"Can I have a look at the short sword please?" Gideon reluctantly asked, the list of weapons available, this would most likely be the best for them. The standard sword was too clumsy for him to use, and daggers didn't have any range or weight behind them, axes were out of the question without a second thought.
The woman disappeared for a split second and brought with her three different short swords, laying them on a table near the back of the shop for Gideon to inspect. The first short sword looked like a larger version of a dagger, the second had a similar shape to that of a machete while the last was what Gideon expected a short sword to look like. Gideon picked up the last short sword, unsheathing it he quickly swung it through a few basic moves before sheathing it again.
"I'll take two of these, thank you." Gideon handed her the standard short sword, somewhat surprising her with his request. She was expecting him to get either a sword or axe and then get a dagger or short sword as a backup but not two together, though retaining her professionalism she left to collect the two short swords while returning the prop pieces.
Gideon hoped Rhordan would accept his choice in weapons, he figured they needed a weapon better than the crude daggers they had, and the short sword filled that role without impairing them by being large or clumsy. The woman returned shortly and handed him two sheathed short swords as well as a special buckle to attach them to a belt, thanking her once again he left the shop and returned to the Blue Cat Inn.
Tired and with his mind still addled somewhat by the effects of the infection, he stumbled into the inn to find Bob at the bar working as usual. Walking up and sitting down on one of the bar stools, he asked for a pint of ale before he sparked up a conversation with the lumbering giant.
"Thanks for earlier, I didn't think that my wound was that serious." Gideon smiled at the giant, lifting his tankard to him in gratitude. Sipping the bitter liquid, helped alleviate some of the pain residing within him, he had to force himself to drink slowly otherwise he would be on the ground much faster. "Alpha dire wolf's have a nasty bite."
"That they do, I take it Baltharn was surprised at your arrival?" Bob eagerly asked, a slight smirk on his face as he awaited the details of the interaction.
"Surprised would be an understatement, he lost his composure the moment I told him Rhordan was alive as well." Gideon chuckled, raising his tankard in mock cheer at his accomplishment. Bob's smirk grew in size, pouring himself his own tankard and raising it with Gideon's. "I also got a good deal on the Steel Lion parts, even managed to haggle two chest plates as well."
"Good deal and chest plates?" Bob's surprised expression stunned Gideon somewhat, he thought that he would be proud of his achievement. "The Iron Masons don't offer good deals and chest plates just for those parts."
"No, but the Yellow Bird Armoury does." Gideon corrected Bob's assumption, though that was short lived as the giant nearly dropped his tankard.
"You got Paylor to hand over two chest plates and pay for the Steel Lion parts." Bob's jaw dropped somewhat, stunned at what he was hearing. He knew the old man to be the most stubborn and stingy person alive, he could give nobles a run for their money if he wasn't adamant in staying peacefully in his shop. "I'll need to pay him a visit sometime, see if he has finally gone senile."
The two shared a chuckle, drinking their ale and carried on their conversation, talking about whatever came to mind. Their merry conversation drew in others from around the bar and a lively discussion broke out over one trivial matter or another, they even discussed matters surrounding adventurers. Nothing of importance came up, but Gideon eagerly participated in the conversation, weighing his own opinion in on certain matters, and at some point had to break up a fight that broke out over who was the hottest receptionist girl at the guild.
Soon, night fell and the people in the bar dispersed over time, eventually Gideon bid Bob farewell before adjourning to his and Rhordan's room. He found her still laying on the bed, happily chatting with Chrysanthis. They paused their conversation when Gideon entered the room, he had forgotten to knock and received a harsh glare for it. Sitting down, he dumped his backpack and items into the corner of the room.
"You don't look so well, are you alright Gideon?" Chrysanthis asked, concern in her eyes as she looked over his pale face. Rhordan shifted her attention to him as well, a note of worry in her eyes as she saw how pale he was.
"Nothing to worry about, the bite just got infected and I drank quite a bit with the people down in the bar. Thought I'd give you two more time alone." Gideon's voice was somewhat slurred, the alcohol addling his mind slightly as he sat there, his eyes wanting to shut itself against his will. "The guild healer fixed me up, told me to stay within the building for bit to ensure I didn't get worse."
"You should get some sleep, you don't look too well." Chrysanthis worriedly stated, kneeling beside him and looking into his eyes. Gideon waved her off, happy that she showed genuine concern though she didn't have to, he was more tired than in pain. "No no, me and Rhordan was just finished up anyway, you get some sleep alright?"
"Yes ma'am." Gideon mockingly saluted like a soldier, earning a glare from Chrysanthis and one from Rhordan as well. Laying himself down, Gideon propped his backpack behind his head and bid Chrysanthis farewell as she left. "Did you have fun?"
"Yeah, I learned quite a bit, I should be able to decipher more of the book now." Rhordan happily replied, getting herself comfortable on the cot. She did have a slight note of guilt twinging her heart as she watched Gideon get himself comfortable on the floor, his injury giving him quite a pale colour. "How did your day go?"
"Got forty silver for the Steel Lion parts as well as two chest plates for us." Gideon groggily said, closing his eyes to rest for a bit while speaking with Rhordan, who had recoiled slightly from the sudden boon of both silver and defensive gear. "Also handed in the quest, nearly gave Baltharn a heart attack and got us both short swords. The token for the reward only offered a limited selection and would have gone out of date today."
"Typical." Rhordan was hardly surprised by Baltharn's tactics, though she did revel in knowing that he had panicked when he learned of their survival. The forty silver and chest plates were what had her smiling, it meant their chances of survival rose greatly. "Wish I was there to see his face…"
Rhordan cut her sentence short when she heard Gideon's soft slumbering breaths, he had fallen asleep during their conversation and now laid there quietly. She softly smiled and laid down to rest, content in knowing they had a future ahead of them.
Earlier
Grey and Paylor watched Gideon leave the shop, a stupefied expression on his face. Neither said a word as they watched the retreating form of the young lad, though Grey had something on his mind that he couldn't quite shake.
"You have absolutely no idea what that sword is, do you?" Grey bluntly asked, turning to look at the old man. His arms crossed over his chest as he watched the old man grin wildly.
"Nope." Paylor answered honestly, his smirk growing wilder by the second. Knowing full well he had managed to rattle the boy, earning his pay back on the brat for earlier.
"You just wanted to get your own back at him, didn't you?" Grey sighed, knowing the old man's antics got him into more trouble than necessary, he just hoped Emerald wouldn't be too upset with them. He quite liked the new adventurer, and how he stood up to the old man with a similar level of stubbornness.
"Partly." Paylor curtly responded, separating out the pieces of Steel Lion metal, scanning each one. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Grey was looking rather confused by his word. "That sword of his is wrapped in Altharian Binds."
"Altharian Binds!" Grey nearly fainted from shock, just hearing the words caused him to stumble from his perch against one of the shelves. Staring incredulously at the old man, he tried to wrap his mind around what he had said. "Altharian Binds, the most powerful set of bindings known that can contain the power of legendary items for nearly a thousand years… doesn't that mean he is carrying Vampiric's Edge? The legendary weapon of the ages, the one that was wielded by the great hero, Bask?"
"Not exactly." Paylor dismissed Grey's frantic bleating, calmly arranging the metal pieces in terms of which was suitable for full plate mail and those that could be fashioned into swords. "Vampiric's Edge was the only known sword to be bound in Altharian Binds, but supposedly… there were others."
"Regardless, we just let him walk out of here without even trying to buy it." Grey couldn't understand the old man's antics, it truly baffled him why he could be so calm. "Even if it wasn't a legendary sword, those bindings alone could fetch hundreds of thousands of gold pieces."
"I don't know if they are, they share many of the characteristics, but I know not if they are the real deal." Paylor levelled a stare at Grey, determined to silence him before he rattled on forever. "There has been a recent spree of fakes appearing in the market, if I am uncertain that they are real then I could lose my reputation in a heartbeat."
"Still…" Grey tried to argue though he was cut short by the old man glaring at him.
"Vampiric's Edge is a blood elemental sword, a form of magic that has been banned for quite a while. That said, blood swords cannot be cursed, nor can they be as powerful as a legendary weapon without draining the blood from millions." Paylor explained in detail, taking a seat at the desk, continuing to keep Grey silent until he had finished speaking. "That sword is cursed, and if they are bound by Altharian Binds then its quite possible it belongs to one of the six legendary weapons of the six original clans. If they are really Altharian Binds… then that has to be one of the six weapons."
"I thought the Six Blades were kept within their clans, they hadn't been seen for a long time because the clans refused to showcase them." Grey enquired, somewhat confused as to how a legendary blade could fall into the hands of young lad such as Emerald.
"That is what the clans want everyone to believe, in truth, the Six Blades were lost in the battle against the Tyrant King. No one knows where or what happened to them after that, some even speculated that they were destroyed." Paylor recalled the words of his own master, though his master hadn't been there that day, he was the apprentice of a master at the time nearly four hundred years ago. The history of the battle at Death Heights had been altered to cover up the truth, that the Tyrant King had been practicing in the forbidden arts of the demons. "First, I have to confirm that they are Altharian Binds."
"Why didn't we try to get it earlier, surely it would be far better if we had it now rather than trying to get it down the line when more people…" Realisation dawned on Grey, he finally understood the old man's antics earlier. "You scared him into ensuring that very few people ever see it, meaning we can come after it later when we have confirmed the swords identity."
"You catch on quickly." Paylor praised Grey, glad he didn't have to explain the reasoning behind his actions, yet there was something he was missing. "Although many people wouldn't know the truth behind that sword, that boy would be all but impossible to trade with, especially if he believes that that sword is too powerful to be in the wrong hands."
"Surely he would hand it over once the price is right." Grey didn't believe that there was no one who couldn't be bought, after being among the nobles since birth, he knew all too well how money can buy people. "And if he was stupid enough to refuse then we could just steal it."
"Hmph… I praised you too quickly." Paylor sighed, shaking his head as he turned to Grey, intent on lecturing him properly. "That boy is stubborn, and cunning, even if he didn't refuse to sell the sword, once he knew how interested we were in it then we would be paying about the same as any other noble would willingly offer. As for stealing it, he was surprised at how I knew it was cursed sword, I highly doubt that he has told anyone else about the sword's existence."
"So, if we steal it then he would know it was us." Grey shared Paylor's sigh, realising his blundering in trying to act first without thinking. A thought occurred to him, one that may crack the old man's image somewhat. "I gave him my word that you are honest, and here you are plotting to swindle him for a legendary sword."
"Wrong, I am honest… but that doesn't mean I cannot shut out other competitors from acquiring the blade." Paylor grinned, he valued his reputation far more than even the vague chance of getting a legendary sword, though that didn't mean he couldn't be somewhat underhanded towards those that would try to snatch the sword from the boy. "Also, what do you think would happen if any of the nobles heard that a mere commoner was running around with a supposed legendary sword?"
"They would kill him by any means…" Grey gloomily stated, shuddering slightly at the things he knew nobles would do to commoners if they had something they were even partially interested in. A legendary sword, even the rumour of one, could send all three kingdoms into a violent uproar, and caught at the centre of the bloodthirsty rampage would be Emerald.
"Exactly, by keeping that sword a secret, he is doing himself a favour. Even if it helps us in buying time." Paylor grinned shifted to that of fox, eyeing its prey from afar, knowing at any moment they could pounce and claim the kill with little effort. "For now, I need you to keep an eye of him, stay out of sight. The more we know of this boy the better, if we can offer him something he cannot refuse, then all the better."
"Yes, Sir." Grey reluctantly acknowledged the old man's command, though he could act arrogantly around him, he didn't dare refuse an order. However, the thought of seeing a legendary blade with his own eyes did spur him onwards. Yet, a part of him liked Emerald, he would be a good friend to have, if he didn't have that sword strapped to his back.
Author's Note: The above and below note in bold is because I am an idiot and forgot certain facts, or didn't write them down and too busy to search for them. From this point onwards, Rhordan's chakra is gone, and she hardly notices it since they had been focused heavily on surviving. Though I may make mention to it in future chapters.
Fatal flaw that I am unsure I have written about nor can find in my notes or on any chapter but will try to go back at some point and write it in as it would aid in Raven's mental break… I forgot to remove her chakra, figured since BB got a change of appearance that she needed on as well. But if I have mentioned it before then ignore this
Hope you all liked Paylor, he's going to be important later, and grey as well, but not for what you think…
Comments
Frog31791 – Thank you for your praise, its nice knowing that people enjoy my work.
Eris – Thank you for your comments and your continued support of me work. Sorry to say that the wolves aren't much more than a threat needed taking care off, as for the secret missions… who knows…
Magical beasts are weird, none magical types like the dire wolf, only offer dense fur or tough meat, good in some lower ranked adventurers but generally useless. Dire wolf's are akin to the large and powerful rats that come after the standard beginner monster. There will be another kind of dire wolf beyond this if anyone thinks that I am making light of them.
Magical power isn't coming for another few chapters, I have mapped out a lot of chapters so far and I will put in pieces here and there, but nothing solid until much later.