Summary: In Aincrad, everything has a spirit. Sometimes, a weapon grows so close to it's holder, that it will manifest that spirit in various ways. Some say that truly powerful spirits can be forged into weapons.
Hey all, this is a new story that I'm working on in my spare time. I can't guarantee that it'll be updated as fast or as often as Caring For A Rat, but I do have two more chapters about ready that will be uploaded by the end of September. Thanks all for reading, and I hope you enjoy!
note: the cover was made by a friend of mine from Discord, DHersheyPlus, who put up with all of my nitpickiness over the details. please join, we'd love to have more people to talk about. link is /YcMKJ8Cb
Sword Spirits: Prologue
It began, like most things did, when Argo sent me a message. It wasn't the first time I would be chasing down a quest on her behalf, and it was far from the last. This time, however, she had opened with a rather unusual question.
[Argo]: Hey, Do you still have [Kizmel's Broken Sword?]
I paused, sheathing my sword, and leaned back against the dungeon wall. I had been grinding in this dungeon for the past three days, and was, quite frankly, getting sick of it.
[Kirito]: Yes, Why?
The Info Broker knew how deep Kizmel's death had cut all three of us. She had been our travelling companion for most of the Elf War, and even though it had been almost ten months since then, and we were now on the 57th floor, I still woke up in the middle of the night sometimes, screaming for her.
I had lost too many friends in this death game.
[Argo]: I found a Quest on floor 55 that requires "A deceased warrior's weapon."
[Argo]: You're the only person I know of who even found a drop that fits that description, and I hate to ask this of you, but do you think you could run through the quest for me?
[Argo]: It will probably consume the item in question, but you'll probably get a new weapon out of it.
I paused, and glanced down at my sword. It had served me faithfully for the past ten floors, but it was beginning to wear down. It could barely make it through the armor of the beasts on this floor, and I was spending more money on repair fees in the past week than I had in months.
But Kizmel's sword was all I had left of her.
"Live, and unite these floors." Kizmel's words rang in my ear, the last words she had spoken to me before her fateful duel with the Forest Elf Champion. She had gone in knowing that all she was doing was buying time for us to escape.
I had returned to the battlefield a week later to find her blade shattered next to her body.
[Kirito]: Send me the quest data, and I'll get right on it.
Argo's data sent me through the narrow streets of Granzam, deep into the unchanging grid of Wrought-Iron towers and dingy roads. It was at the end of an alley that I found the quest NPC, a burly, surly, ancient man who claimed that he wanted to "spirit-forge" one last weapon before he died.
It was the sort of quest commonly found in an MMO.
{No, I can't just spirit-forge a weapon out of Thin Air!} The NPC ranted, his dialogue wooden and jerky. {I must have the proper materials!}
"Would this work?" I manifeste [Kizmel's Broken Sword] from my inventory. The beautiful blade was shattered into pieces. Destroyed by the same blow that had taken her life. I still had difficulty looking at the item sometimes. But she had asked me to take her sword if she were to fall, and I would keep that promise.
The Blacksmith NPC hummed, poring over the pieces of metal, picking one up and bringing it to the light. "Good, this will form a nice base for your weapon." He said, setting it down "I can feel the connection between this sword, it's wielder, and you."
That was different. The NPC had seemed flat, before, like a generic quest-giving NPC, with rather simple AI. Only able to repeat a few words. In fact, I had cycled through his dialogue a few times before taking Kizmel's blade out.
Looking at him now, I could almost believe I was looking at a different person. His eyes held a spark to them, and his words a depth to them, that he had lacked previously. It was almost like placing Kizmel's Sword down had triggered a hidden flag in his AI.
"Now, what sort of weapon would you like?" The weapon order screen that was common to the more advanced NPC blacksmiths popped up in front of me, and I blinked. This was a great reward for what looked to be a simple fetch quest. Usually you only got weapons like this for exorbitant sums of money, or at the end of long quest chains.
Quickly, I typed my specifications for the weapon in. I had more control over the results with this weapon than any other time in the game, and I wanted the result to last me as long as possible. Especially if what the NPC was saying was true, Kizmel's sword would be used to make this.
"I don't have enough metal for the weapon you want." The NPC said as I finalized my request, and I sighed. "But if you can get me some ingots of [Dusteel], I'll make the weapon for you, free of charge."
At least this fetch quest would be a nice change of pace from the endless grind of Clearing.
Dusteel was one of the rarer ingredients, but it was high in Str and Dex, the two stats I favored most. Most often, it was found on the 53rd floor, but thankfully, I knew someone who sold some on the 50th. It would cost me, but it would be faster than having to go and grind for drops.
Or worse, hiring a blacksmith to go and harvest some.
"Hey Agil," I said as I pushed open the door, the shop was new, but Agil of all people would be able to have merchandise up for sale within two days of changing locations.
"Welcome to my new Store, Kirito." Agil threw his arms wide, gesturing to the largely-empty shelves, "Don't have much stock yet, but I'll fill it up soon."
"Looks nice," I hummed noncommittally. It would be easier to judge how effective his shop was when he wasn't so low on supplies. However, I wasn't the only customer Agil had at the moment. A familiar head of chestnut was browsing the few items on the shelves at the far wall. " Hey Asuna."
"Kirito!" my former partner exclaimed cheerfully, swiping closed the shop window as she turned around. "It's been a while. How are you doing?"
"Pretty well," I said, going in for a quick hug. "I'm just taking a short break from clearing." Asuna reciprocated my hug, although it felt like it was over too soon. It had been well over a week since I'd last seen her. "What about you? Heathcliff still keeping you busy?"
"Ugh," Asuna groaned, and sat on one of the empty tables that would have merchandise later. "He's been getting worse. Ever since we crushed Laughing Coffin he's been hounding me about getting a bodyguard."
I nodded. "He has a point, you know,"
"I do," Asuna groaned, "It's just that he's not giving me any good choices for a bodyguard. I'm fairly certain the last candidate was actually planning to watch me sleep."
"Well, that's not good." I walked up to Agil, "Three Dusteel Ingots please." The big merchant raised an eyebrow.
"You're buying ingots?"
"It's for a quest." I shrugged. Agil nodded as if to say "fair enough", and turned back to his inventory.
"Oh, I know!" Asuna exclaimed, with that look in her eye that indicated nothing good for me, you can be my bodyguard!" What?
"Asuna, I'm not sure…" I began, hesitating, trying to find the words.
"What, Heathcliff knows you're strong, knows we're friends, and we'll get to spend more time together. What's the problem with it?" Asuna crossed her arms, daring me to challenge her assertions.
"Well, I'm not part of your guild, for one. Do you really think your guild will let your bodyguard be an outside party?" Asuna remained undeterred by my statement.
"You're not just 'an outside party', Kirito, you're one of the strongest players in the game," Asuna said, staring directly into my eyes. "And most of the Clearers know that we were partners, I mena, people still talk about our early adventures."
I wasn't going to be able to dissuade her easily. Once she had her sights on a goal it was hard to dissuade her from it. "I'll think about it," I hedged, and Asuna nodded.
"I'll hold you to that."
"Oy, Kirito, I got your ingots here." Agil flipped open a trade window, and I balked at the price.
"20,000 Cor for three ingots?"
"Hey, man." Agil rubbed the back of his head "This is the last of my stock, and Blacksmiths are already paying a lot for these ingots. Each one is about five ores, you know." I hadn't known that. He was still charging me more than the "Market Value," But it would be a lot harder for me to find them anywhere else and he knew it.
"Fine, fine." I pressed the button, wincing as I felt the drain on my funds.
"Why are you buying ingots Kirito?" Asuna asked, peering over my shoulder as if she could read my quest log.
"I'm doing a quest for Argo, some new kind of smithing popped up on the 55th floor, but it's locked behind a fetch quest." I swiped my menu closed. "Thanks for the ingots, Agil."
"No problem Kirito, can't exactly let my most faithful customer down, can I?" The merchant grinned the grin of someone who had just come out on top of a deal, and I groaned internally. I had been saving up to afford a new chestpiece, but now that would have to wait a little.
"Can I come with you?" Asuna asked as I turned to leave the shop.
"Sure." I grinned. It had been a while since Asuna and I had spent time together, and even just walking together would be nice.
The fencer gave her own smile, and I felt my heart skip a beat. Looks like I'm still not over that crush, I thought to myself. It really sucked, having a crush on someone far too good for you, but I had resigned myself to it even before Asuna had joined the KoB.
We talked about nothing of consequence on the way back to the 55th floor. She seemed grateful to get a break from her responsibilities as Vice-commander, and I was happy to spend time with her.
"So, what exactly is this new kind of item creation you're investigating?" Asuna said as we stepped into the alley that contained the Smith's shop.
"It's called Spirit-Forging," I said, bringing up Argo's notes on it, "And it requires 'A weapon imbued with the spirit of it's fallen wielder'." Asuna fell silent as I spoke, and her response was so quiet I almost didn't hear it.
"You're still carrying around her blade, huh?" The fencer brought her hand up to her chest, gripping the fabric above her collarbone.
I nodded. "She asked me to carry it, and I think she'd like that its metal will be used again. You're still wearing her pendant?"
"Yes." Asuna's hand dipped beneath her clothing and brought the necklace out for me to see. It gleamed dully in the dim light of the 55th floor. "It didn't seem right to replace it, even though there's far better accessories for the neck slot."
"Hey, I'm reforging a blade that was cutting-edge on the tenth floor with the intention to use it," I said, nudging her with my elbow, "You don't have to worry about me saying anything."
"I know, I know," Asuna said, letting go of the pendant. "It's just that most people won't even try to understand how she was so special to us, and…"
I nodded in understanding. Kizmel's death had hurt her as much as me, if not more.
"I'm back," I called out to the NPC Blacksmith as I opened the door to his forge. "Huh, that's different."
The old man was crouched down next to his anvil, and I could see him dragging a line of purple chalk on the ground, creating an elaborate design on the surface.
"Leave the ingots on the anvil." The smith didn't even look up from his work. "And the elf's blade too, while you're at it."
I wasn't well-versed in crafts, but even I could tell when a master craftsman was not to be interrupted. Thankfully Asuna understood it too, staying quiet as I stepped carefully over the pattern drawn on the floor.
The Smith stood up, clapping his hands together. "Good, good, this will be a fine blade. Light, Strong, and Sharp. I-" The smith paused, as if it pained him to speak, "I am grateful for the opportunity to do this. It has been far too long since I have done a spirit forging."
"Now, before I begin, are there any other items you have that belonged to this elf? With so much foreign material I will need all the help I can get to bind her spirit to the metal." It was probably just lore fluff, but… I glanced over at Asuna, who was thumbing her pendant thoughtfully.
"Here," The fencer said, pulling it over her head. "She would have wanted the best weapon for Kirito."
"Ahhh," The blacksmith breathed out, his eyes widening. "That pendant; it has quite a history, young lady." His voice rumbled through the room, taking on a depth I hadn't heard from many NPCs. "So much death, but happiness and joy too. That necklace is as intricately linked to her life as her sword is."
"Good," Asuna nodded, "That's good,"
"Asuna, you don't-" I tried to dissuade her, but her steely gaze sent me flinching back.
"What, I don't need to move on? This is my way of honoring her. She died protecting you; let me help protect you too." I quailed beneath her anger.
An awkward silence fell over us, broken when the smith coughed and grabbed his hammer. "Stand back please." He gathered up Kizmel's Sword, the Pendant, and the ingots I had made, and threw the ingots in a mold.
It was relaxing, somehow, to watch him work. He had disassembled the hilt of Kizmel's sword with startling efficiency, merging it and the Dusteel into one cohesive mass. Then he had slowly, steadily hammered out the alloy into a long bar, before starting to flatten the edges.
It was already far different from normal forging, which consisted of little more than hammering an ingot.
Slowly the shape of my future sword took shape before me. Somewhere around the half-hour mark I had collapsed into a seat next to the wall, and Asuna had joined me soon after. I had almost forgotten about the pendant when the smith snipped the cord free from it, and pressed it into the center of the blade, just above what would become the crossguard.
The metal bubbled as the Pendant, a small dark purple leaf sunk into it. When the smith flipped the blade over, I could see it from both sides. The steady ringing of the hammer seemed hypnotizing in a way, and I thought I saw the sparks begin to dance as the forging continued.
They almost seemed to be spiralling up above the blade.
Asuna grabbed my shoulder and shook it. "Kirito-"
"You're seeing it too?" I whispered back.
The sparks continued to spiral as the smith hammered, turning darker, darker, and even darker, until they were purple specks gleaming in the dim light of the forge. They even seemed to be forming… a… sha… pe…
"Asuna-" I choked out as I took in the sight before us. She didn't say anything, but grabbed my hand and squeezed. Letting me know that she saw it, too.
Kizmel stood before us, her figure made from sparks. Even though it had been almost ten months since I had last seen her, I could still lay her features over the construct that hovered over the anvil.
With a final, echoing ring, the smith brought his hammer down on the blade one last time. Kizmel's figure glowed, and the sparks that composed her figure exploded across the room, fading before they could touch a surface.
The old man lifted the blade up, and wedged a crossguard down on it, the handle clicked into place soon after.
"Here," He said, holding the blade out, hilt first. "I still need to make a scabbard for it, but you should test her out first."
I gingerly took the hilt, still in awe of the show of magic far more blatant than any I had seen in Aincrad before, my fingers shaking as I wrapped them around the handle.
A voice, an oh so achingly familiar voice echoed in my mind as the Blacksmith let go of the blade.
"Kirito?"
"Kizmel?" I breathed, staring at the blade as it shone dully in the dim light of the forge.
"Where am I? Am I-? Where did you find a spiritforger?"
"Kizmel? You're-"
"She's in the sword, aye," The blacksmith said, rummaging around in his toolbox. "Or, rather, she is the sword. Probably one of the best pieces I've made. The three of you must have been close."
"Asuna, you-" I choked out, thrusting the sword at her, "It's-" The fencer wrapped a hand around the hilt before I could finish speaking, and I saw the same shock and elation that must have been on my face.
"Kizmel? Kizmel!" She was crying. Why was she crying? Was it something I did?
"It's okay, Asuna, I'm here." Kizmel's voice was so comforting that I started to cry too. She was back. Kizmel was back. She was alive, in a way.
"Tha-Thank- Thank You." I didn't know when I had started sobbing, but I tried my best to speak through the sobs, turning to the blacksmith, "I- I can- I can pay whatever you want. Name- Name your price. I'll, I'll pay it."
The smith looked me up and down. Taking in my trembling body, and how my hand refused to leave the sword he had made, even though Asuna was cradling it as close to her as possible. "I need an apprentice," The smith said, setting his hammer down on the anvil. "Find me an apprentice, and I will gladly forge you any number of items."
"I-I" Asuna said in between heaving sobs, "I think I- I know a person who'd- who'd like to be- be your apprentice."
It took us almost half an hour to leave the shop. The second one of us let go of the sword, Kizmel's voice vanished. We eventually settled into a simple walk, Kizmel hanging at my side, Asuna resting her hand on the hilt.
"You never did tell me, Kirito," The dark elf bound into a sword said as we walked, "How did you find a spiritforger? My people thought that they were only myths now."
"I actually didn't," I said, running my hand down the scabbard. "I was following up on a quest for Argo. I'll have to think of something really nice to get her..."
"Aw, that's so~ sweet, Kii-bou." I felt a weight on my outside shoulder. "If ya really wan' ta give me somethin' nice, i wouldn' mind dinner with ya."
"Argo…" I turned, barely aware of Asuna moving with me.
"Oh," The info broker gasped, then a wide grin overtook her face, "Did I interrup' you two in the middle o' somethin'? Ya finally makin' a move, Aa-chan?"
I wrapped one arm around Argo and pulled her into a hug. I wasn't quite crying, but it was definitely close. "Thank you," I said with all the fierce joy and gratitude I could muster. "Thank you so much."
Argo may have hesitated when she had asked me to investigate this quest, but I was so, so glad that she did go through with it.
"Kii-bou?" Argo brought one hand up, and I grabbed it, guiding her down to the sword that hung on my hip. As her hand wrapped around the hilt of the sword, she gasped, and I knew that she was experiencing the same thing that I had when I had first held the sword.
"Hello Argo," Kizmel said, the dark elf spirit's rich voice made the info broker shiver as it rolled across her mind. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"