The duo does some studying! They find tales of legends long past! They decide to undertake a truly dangerous quest...but find some unexpected help. And they begin their trek into the depths of Aegis...and whatever awaits them down below.
"Ugh, this is impossible," Ochako whined, her voice muffled by the table surface as she lay face down on it. The duo had been there for half the day, already having gone through three dozen books and tomes in the hopes they could find something, but nothing had appeared yet that remotely matched the hilt she was carrying.
"I know it's frustrating, but I swear we're getting somewhere, I just know it!" Izuku murmured in reply, his hand scribbling more notes onto a pad as he stared at the book in front of him.
"Easy for you to say, I hate studying," Ochako grumbled.
"You didn't have to come here with me," he reminded her, for what felt like the tenth time.
"Stop it! I said I would!"
"Then maybe stop complaining?" Izuku replied, unable to keep the mirth from his voice.
Ochako contemplated throwing her quill at him, but managed to avoid doing so as if she missed, she was sure she'd get an earful from the priests of Kao that were this library's staff. Not that they were much better…half of them were busy putting on a play on the other side of the building, and the loud voices carried far too well and kept distracting her from what she was trying to read.
Ochako sighed, tilting her head to the side and picking up the hilt once more. She'd cleaned and polished what remained of it, making sure it was as restored as possible. She'd been able to finally pick up some subtle details; the hilt was made up of moonsilver, a rare metal alloy that could only be worked with once a year during the dual full moon. The craftsmanship that went into it astounded her, reminding her of the ancient artifacts she'd seen occasionally at her first major apprenticeship. She'd had a short apprenticeship with a dwarven mastercraftsman, and he'd often show her some of the ancient works that had been forged in the days before the Storms. The knowledge of how to forge such works of art was lost to the ages, but it didn't change how fascinating they were to glimpse.
There was a spot on the hilt where she suspected some type of gem had sat before, the inset looking like it'd fit a cut gem of some kind. It was odd to see a gem embedded in a sword hilt like that. She'd only really seen that in decorative weapons, and she had a sneaking suspicion this wasn't decorative.
Her musings were cut off when a hand reached over her shoulder and plucked the hilt out of her fingers, making her shoot up in shock and spin about to see who dared steal from her. Before her was a short, black-haired elven man with deep purple eyes, wrapped up in robes that indicated he belonged to the priesthood of Kao. "Where in the world did you get this?" he asked wonderingly, as he twisted it between his fingers.
"Excuse me, that's mine!" Ochako snarled, reaching up and snatching it back out of his hands, annoyed.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I just needed a closer look to see if it was what I thought it was," the elf said, a wide smile on his face as he kept his eyes locked on the hilt.
"And what is it, if you know?" Izuku asked, having slowly risen to his feet once he saw the strange man take the hilt from Ochako.
"It looks like the hilt to an ancient weapon of legend. Of course, it's somewhat difficult to be sure from a glance, but that inset is very distinctive, as well as the magical signature." The elf paused for a moment, tilting his head to the side. "Oh, how silly of me. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Niko Alren, priest of The Fool, at your service!" Niko took a deep, sweeping bow, one arm out wide as his short black hair fell in his face. He straightened up, pointing at the hilt in Ochako's hands once more. "Now, would you mind telling me how you came to find that?"
Izuku shared a glance with Ochako. The man was strange, but…he was a priest of Kao, the god of tales and legends; if anyone would know, it'd be one of them. She gave him a nod, allowing him to begin telling the story of how they fought the Fel Drake and the hilt was found there. There was a moment where they considered keeping silent about the encounter with the Archfey…but Izuku decided to speak up. Any information could be helpful, so he'd take it if it meant learning something useful.
"Well, never heard of a Shardling, but it is quite interesting that an Archfey noted the hilt! It does make sense though, if it's what I believe it to be. Come, come, I know exactly which tome we need!" Niko didn't wait for a response, flouncing off with a skip to his step.
Izuku grumbled under his breath, but grabbed his notebook quickly and began to trail after the elven man, Ochako quickly following. They watched Niko wander through a half dozen stacks of disorganized shelves, greeting every priest he passed, occasionally stopping and looking more lost than the duo felt before heading off in a new direction.
It took twenty minutes before he finally stopped, rooting through a pile of scrolls and books that were haphazardly tossed on a long, wooden table in the back of the library, the only light a sputtering magical torch hanging on the wall next to them. After what felt like another eternity, Niko cried out in happiness as he pulled a massive black tome from the pile, slamming it down on the table so hard half the things piled on it fell off in a flurry of papers and books. He began to flip through it quickly, scanning each page as he rapidly flicked through them, one by one, until he reached about two thirds of the way through the book when he stopped, pointing at the page peremptorily.
"Here we are! The Brothers Blades! As I thought!" he grinned, happily gesturing for the two to look down at the page.
Izuku and Ochako leaned in, confused at the plural when they held one hilt, only to see two identical swords drawn on the page, crossed as if they were striking one another. The hilt was a perfect match for what Ochako held in her hand, except there was a gemstone embedded in the hilt…a different one for the two blades. The blade on the left, a softly glowing white stone, versus the blade on the right, embedded with a black stone that seemed to suck the light around it in.
"Legends around these swords predate not only the storms, but Elysium itself. It is said they were created by two brothers, each of whom put a piece of themselves into the blade. One sword became known as One For All, a blade that infused its wielder with the strength of those who came before it, used to help save others. The blade's powers allowed one to grant strength to the helpless, to restore life and love and hope, to bring the light into the darkest corners of the land. But its twin, the sword of the elder brother, known as All For One, absorbs the strength of others. It consumes souls, and uses them to empower its destructive tendencies. That blade has been held by some of the worst tyrants and warlords the world has ever seen, used to bring chaos and calamity." Niko read, far too cheerily considering the subject matter.
"...then which one am I holding?" Ochako asked, both elated and horrified as she wasn't sure what she had in her hand.
Niko shrugged. "Who knows? No stone, no way to know! Fascinating, isn't it?"
"Fascinating isn't the word I'd use," Izuku muttered, staring at the hilt in her hands with consternation.
"Wait, so the stone determines the sword? So if we found the wrong stone we could just…find the right one?" Ochako asked.
"...what, you mean you want to remake it?" Izuku asked, aghast.
"Reforging a legendary sword? That sounds awesome!" she replied, beaming at Izuku.
"And what if it's the wrong legendary sword?" Izuku hissed.
"A sword is a weapon, Izuku. Doesn't matter what it does if we don't use it that way. Besides, if the stone's what matters, we'll just pick the right stone!"
"I don't think that's how it works," Izuku deadpanned. "I'm no smith, but I can't imagine a magical weapon can just be any old hilt holding any magical stone."
"I never said the stone was what determined the weapons qualities," Niko interjected. "I said the stone tells us which sword it is! But the stone doesn't exist, so not sure what good it'd do you. Much less the materials to make the blade. As far as the legends go, it was forged from metal from the heavens, and the stones for the hilts came from the lair of a terrifying beast, one which could unleash armageddon upon any who trespassed in its home. Oh, and it was said no ordinary fire could forge it."
Niko shrugged as he spun about, waving to all the other books nearby. "Of course, that's all legend. No one knows if it's the truth. For all we know it's as fake as Tiggs is…sometimes! That's why they are legends…the truth is rarely as pretty, nor does it wrap up in a tidy bow. Kao teaches us to spread hope and cheer even when we tell tales of tragedy, but the stories of those swords have never been anything but tragedy. Because according to legend, the wielder of One For All is meant to defeat the wielder of All For One…but as far as I know, the heroes that wield One For All always fall before the tyrants who control All For One. All For One wielders always seem to fail due to their own hubris and greed…so perhaps that's the real way the two swords defeat one another. Who knows? The legend is likely missing a lot of important context…that's how it always goes."
"...but reforging it is possible, isn't it?" Ochako asked, staring at Niko with an unnerving glare.
"Theoretically? Yes. If you could find all of that, that is. But there's nothing more to the tale, at least not here."
Izuku stared at Ochako's excited visage, feeling a tremble of fear run through him at the thought of recreating that sword. Something deep inside him was warning him, telling him it was a danger…but she looked so excited. Something about the thought had her practically giddy. Maybe it was just the thought of reforging an ancient artifact? It wasn't his place to decide or judge.
Still, he really wasn't comfortable with the possibility of bringing such a ruinous weapon into the world, even with her reassurances. "Ochako…I really don't know if it's worth the risk-"
She cut him off with a swift wave of her hand. "Izuku, the bad sword is bad, I agree. I'm not saying we make that. But think about what if it's the good one? You heard what he said! That sword brought hope. Look at this city and tell me hope isn't needed. Look at the world and tell me it's not needed! If we make this 'One For All', wouldn't it be worth the risk?"
"But if we make All For One-" he tried to argue, but was cut off again by the brunette's hand.
"If we make that one, we can just turn it in. The best mages and curse breakers in the world live in this city. It wouldn't be the first evil artifact they've dealt with after all!"
Izuku worked his jaw, turning to look at Niko. "Is it cursed? Like those weapons which control your mind?"
Niko shrugged. "As far as the legends say, no. It's actually part of the irony of their tale. Supposedly, neither sword compelled anything of their wielders…they chose to use them the way they did. It's unusual for an 'evil' weapon to be like that, but that's also the beauty of the tale and why it's my favorite. It is still in the hands of the one who wields it who chooses, no one else. So theoretically, assuming the legend is correct, which I once again remind you it may not be…there is no danger in creating it, so long as one chooses not to use it for evil ends."
Ochako gestured to Niko, a triumphant look on her face that faded when she witnessed the conflict on Izuku's. Letting her enthusiasm fade for a moment, she reached out and set the hilt down in front of the green-haired man and spoke softly to him. "I'm not gonna lie, Izuku…I really want to try. I…I just wanna be part of something big, you know? I want to prove to everyone I'm as good as I say I am. But this isn't mine. It's ours. We found it together, and I won't keep pushing this if you really are against it, and I won't be mad at you either. I get why you're concerned…but I trust that we can handle it if it ends up being the bad one."
Izuku kept his gaze locked on Ochako's, seeing the honesty reflected there. He believed her…if he said he didn't want to pursue this, she'd drop it. That…that meant a lot to him, but that also wasn't here nor there. He was afraid of bringing that evil into the world, but…could the good One For All could bring outweigh the darkness of All For One? The truth was, Ochako was right. The world was still fucked, to put it mildly.
It'd been three hundred years since the Storms had destroyed most of the known world, and even now no one knew the condition of the other two continents on Elyshia since none could safely cross the ocean to see. There were at best a dozen major cities left that he knew of, and none as big as Elysium. Small hamlets and scattered villages existed, but they fell with the times due to rampaging monsters or small arcane remnants of the Storms traversing the land. Supposedly, this 'One For All' could bring back some modicum of hope to the world, bringing light to the darkness that covered most of the land still. Now he merely needed to decide if it was worth the risk.
He took a deep breath as he made his decision, turning back to Niko. "You said here. Is there somewhere else we could find information?"
Niko paused for a moment, tapping at his chin in contemplation. "Not within the city…but there is one place that might, I reiterate, might have something."
"That is?" Ochako asked.
"The Aegis Ruins."
"Let me get this straight. You want to go to the undead infested Aegis Ruins to search for some information that may or may not exist about this hilt that may or may not be a piece of an ancient artifact from long before the Storms?" Tsuyu asked, staring at the two blankly. The trio were seated at a table in the corner of the Guild Hall, quietly talking amongst themselves about what they'd discovered so far.
"Well…yes?" Ochako said, squirming in place at the look Tsuyu was giving her. Izuku was tentatively willing to take the risk of reforging the sword. At the very least he was up to finding more information; perhaps there was a way to tell which hilt they held. But the Aegis Ruins? That was asking for serious issues.
"You realize we literally can't go to it at our current rank, right?" Tsuyu asked.
"What do you mean?"
Tsuyu sighed. "They ban anyone under A rank from approaching. The creatures there are too volatile and dangerous, they don't want them getting too riled up. Else they might strike at people traveling to and from the city. Every concerted effort to clear them has failed, but no A rank party is willing to go and handle it either. It's dangerous and dirty work with little reward possible. We literally can't go."
"Well…if we had an A rank with us we could, the party rank can be shifted to the highest ranked individual…" Izuku mused, stroking his chin.
"Do you know any A ranks without a party to ask? No one wants to go to Aegis!" Tsuyu exclaimed.
"You want to travel to the Aegis Ruins?" A soft voice interjected, making the trio turn about to see a tall, slender man, wrapped in a white robe. Izuku blinked, pausing for a moment, before recognizing the dual-colored hair and heterochromatic eyes from earlier, the one who had been in the training courtyard when Izuku did his magic test.
"Um…well, we uh…we're looking for information," Izuku managed to sputter, a bit thrown off by the random stranger interjecting himself into their conversation.
"There is a quest to clear the Ruins of its undead, and discern the source of the corruption that continues to produce such dangerous creatures. I wish to clear it, but none will join with me. If you are willing to travel there and take that quest, I shall go as well," the soft spoken man continued.
"We don't have an A rank though-" Izuku began, but was cut off by the taller man holding up his hand.
"I am Shoto Todoroki, A Rank adventurer. But you miscalculated. As you are both C, we require at least two B Ranks to be considered. I know Miss Tsuyu here, but we will require one more if we want to take this quest."
"Wait, you know him, Tsu?" Ochako asked, turning to look at the druidess.
"Know of him. We've not done work together but he's come to my shop a few times. He does most quests solo though."
"I do not require assistance for most, but I am not fool enough to delve into Aegis alone. If we can find another B Rank, I believe we can work together and accomplish our tasks just fine."
Tsuyu held one finger up to her in contemplation, before nodding. "We could ask Tenya. I've done some quests with him before. And he seemed to like the two of you when we spoke earlier."
Shoto nodded. "Tenya is currently in his room. Shall I retrieve him and see if he is interested?"
Izuku blinked, sharing a confused glance with Ochako. "That's…kinda fast, isn't it?"
Shoto tilted his head to the side. "Is it? I had assumed you wished to prepare and set off as soon as possible."
"Well, we do, but-" Ochako began, but was cut off once more by the dual-haired man.
"Excellent. I shall retrieve Tenya and see if he is amenable." Without waiting for a response, he strode off, his footsteps light and swift as he vanished into the crowd.
"...that was weird, right?" Ochako asked after a moment, turning back to look at Izuku and Tsuyu.
Tsuyu shrugged. "Adventurer's are weird, Ochako. It's part of the package. It's not unusual for parties to form quickly and disband quickly when the mission's done. I think he's been after this mission for a while now but no one would go with him. So he's probably very eager."
Izuku shared another glance with Ochako, the blacksmith shrugging. "I mean…it'd get us what we want. And he's A Rank, so he's gotta be strong. If Tenya's B Rank then sounds like we got a solid team, dontcha think?"
"Hmm. I guess. I'll need to get some more stuff though, if we're gonna do this."
The sound of footsteps interrupted the annoyed rebuttal Ochako was about to make, Shoto approaching the table with Tenya behind him. Tenya adjusted his glasses and stared down at them with a mildly polite look.
"Shoto tells me you wish me to join you on a quest?" Tenya asked.
Izuku gestured for him and Shoto to pull up some chairs, and after the two men took their seats, he explained the situation, Ochako interjecting to add details he missed. The hilt, what they learned about it, Ochako's desire to reforge it, the knowledge that might be at the ruins, etc. He ended it with his hands out wide, in a 'what can you do?' gesture as he smiled sheepishly at them.
Shoto nodded. "I am fine with this. I want to find the source of the undead. If you are capable, that is all I need."
Tenya chopped his hand once. "It would be a noble quest to finally end the threat coming from Aegis. Not to mention, reforging an ancient sword of hope seems like a noble quest to me!"
"Assuming it's the right sword," Izuku pointed out.
Ochako rolled her eyes. "It's in how you use it that determines what a sword does, Izuku. If it's the 'evil' sword, we just won't use it for evil! And if it's cursed or something, we can just turn it in and you know they'll take care of it. Hells, we could present it to Queen Morrigan, I bet she'd be fascinated!"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Tsuyu replied. "Izuku was right earlier. If we intend to go into Aegis, we need to prepare…and most of all, we'll need enchantments. Some undead don't have physical bodies, so a normal weapon won't hit them."
"I am a skilled enchanter, if I have a space to work I could do what we need," Shoto said.
"My family keeps an enchantment room at our estate. Could you work from there?" Tenya asked.
Shoto nodded solemnly. "Yes, all I require is a setup. Although we will need the materials."
"I can get them, if you tell me what they are. I don't carry them in my shop, but I have connections to suppliers," Tsuyu offered.
"Does anyone need something smithed? I feel like I'm not contributin' much," Ochako said sheepishly.
"I could most assuredly use a new spear! I have been meaning to get mine replaced, but I have not found a smith I prefer yet!" Tenya replied.
"Can you craft channeling rods? I am better able to wield my magic if I put them into my staff," Shoto asked.
Ochako waved him off. "Psh. That all? Anythin' special for them?"
"Attune them to ice magic? That is my specialization."
Ochako paused, rubbing her chin. "Yeah, yeah, I can do that."
Izuku nodded. "Then I'll go get the rest of our supplies? We'll need rations, holy water, that sorta thing. How long will it take for everyone to finish up?"
"A few days at most, less depending on how much you need me to enchant," Shoto said.
"Day, maybe less. Channeling rods and swords aren't difficult," Ochako said.
"Let's say three days then?" Izuku offered. The assembled group all nodded in agreement. "Alright. I'll leave my sword and crossbow with you then, Shoto?"
"Yes. I can enchant them without issue."
Ochako reached for her hammer, then paused and chuckled nervously. "Um…I'll have to bring my hammer to you I think. Uh…gonna be hard for you to work on it without me I think."
"I am certain we will be fine!" Tenya said. Ochako shared a look with Izuku, the green-haired man offering her a mischievous smile and quickly jerking his head towards the armored man. Ochako returned the smile, grabbing her hammer and gently setting it upon the table, the reinforced wood groaning beneath the weight. Tenya reached out to lift it and paused as it didn't move. With a determined glance, he wrapped both hands around the shaft and tried to lift, but it barely budged. He stood up to his full height and glared at the hammer, resetting his grip and trying once more, but it did not even move an inch. Tenya looked over at the giggling Ochako and narrowed his eyes. "Is this some sort of childish prank?"
"No, I told you, you'll need me to move it!" Ochako giggled again, reaching out and lifting the hammer with a simple gesture, the pink flare of her magic visible sparkling between her fingers.
Izuku took pity on Tenya and spoke with an indulgent smile. "She's a powerful gravity magic wielder, so her hammer is significantly heavier than a normal one so she can take advantage of the larger mass. I have um…'strong' alteration magic for self-enhancement and I have trouble moving it."
Shoto shrugged. "I will only need you to set it down upon the enchanting surface then, it does not need to move once it is in the runic circle. So you may accompany me to drop it off. You can pick it up once you've returned with the channeling rods."
"Well, sounds like we have a plan. So um…meet up here when we're all finished?" Izuku said, placing his sword and crossbow on the table.
The others gave various sounds of agreement, which made Izuku smile sheepishly. He glanced over at Ochako, watching her beaming face as she said something to Tsuyu, the druidess cracking a smile at whatever the brunette said. He couldn't help but feel a warmth flood into his chest as he looked at her, realizing that ever since he'd met her, his life had been significantly better. She'd saved him, helped him, got him some recognition, found him a party, and best of all? She'd been his friend. He wasn't sure he could ever truly repay her…but for now, he'd help her in her quest to reforge this sword, regardless of his reservations. He owed it to her, and come Hells or high water, he'd make her desire reality.
"Everyone got everything they need?" Izuku asked, checking the straps on his chest piece once more. He knew they were fine, but nervous energy made him check and double check once more before pulling his sword from its sheath.
"I'm good," Tsuyu replied, a subtle shimmer of magic between her hands telling him she was staying on edge for the next step.
Ochako nodded, her hammer slung casually over her shoulder. She looked relaxed, but Izuku noted the tense grip she had on the hammer, having lost all traces of playfulness as they approached Aegis, the disturbing energy that seeped from the ancient fortress sending chills up everyone's spines as they approached.
Tenya's grip on his new spear tightened as he rolled his shoulders. He quickly moved his left arm back and forth, testing the shield he'd ended up asking Ochako to forge when she had finished his spear much quicker than he'd anticipated. Izuku could see the confident smile on the knight's face as he ran through another quick agility test with it, appreciating how light yet durable it felt. Ochako's smug grin as she watched him check it out made it clear how she felt about her craftsmanship.
Shoto's grip on his staff was tight, his hood down, revealing his scarred, half-elven visage to the world. He'd been comfortable enough to drop it shortly after they left the city, explaining that he didn't like how the citizens would stare at him. Izuku could understand that, having been the subject of strange glances many times over the few weeks he'd been in Elysium.
With that final confirmation, Izuku took a bold step forward, leaving the safety of the treeline and taking his first step onto the broken, cracked cobblestone path leading to the entrance to the Shield Gate, or well, what remained of it. Without the trees to block his vision, he could finally see the full scope of the Aegis Ruins, the remainder of what was once a massive defensive fortress that once served Elysium as the main deterrent to any land-based assaults.
The fortress itself was a towering edifice of blackened stone, once a proud building reduced to one tower and three half-towers surrounding a broken, shattered main building where the bulk of the army had resided. Its defensive fortifications were a trio of walls, concentric circles that had only one viable entrance, its ancient defensive wards still keeping them standing strong even after the Storms destroyed everything nearby, setting the entire region aflame and drowning it beneath the bloody rain that came with the disasters.
The three sets of walls had to be passed by any would-be attacker, and it was known that many lesser undead lay in wait to strike at passerby who would dare attempt to enter their hunting grounds. The Shield Gate was the first obstacle to pass, then the Bow Gate, and finally the Sword Gate, before one could even approach the ruins of the fortress itself. And once in there, they knew that they'd have to delve into the depths that existed beneath the fortress itself. That was where everyone theorized whatever was creating all these undead had to be, the thing that created the dark, seeping energy that sapped at one's life and empowered these mockeries of life within the ruins.
And they were now responsible for finding it and finally, finally, ending the danger of the Aegis Ruins. Izuku was pretty sure this was a terrible idea…but they needed to find more information on the swords, and this was their best lead. Plus, this needed to be done. The undead that crawled from Aegis had slain gods know how many people, or cursed them, or infected them with a wasting disease that made their last moments on Elyshia truly tragic. Ending the threat would be something that Izuku was more than happy to work towards. So with that…he strode up to the Shield Gate confidently, his senses attuned and ready to react at the slightest hint of danger.
And…they passed through it without issue. Which was even more of a problem in Izuku's mind. His finely tuned senses weren't detecting anything dangerous around him. Even if the intelligent undead were staying away from the first gate, the mindless ones should have been roaming about and come to strike at them, yet he detected nothing. They saw nothing.
The same pattern continued for Bow Gate and Shield Gate. It was nerve-wracking, the five adventurer's on guard for an attack at any moment and yet, not a single sign of life (or unlife, as it were). Nothing but the sound of dead branches crunching beneath their feet, of the soft whispers of the wind, of the occasional roar in the distance of some predator chasing its prey far away from them. Every step weighed on Izuku, his concern multiplying as nothing happened.
"Something should have attacked us by now, right?" Ochako asked, her quiet question echoing like a shot from a cannon across the silent lands as they halted before the shattered wall that was all that remained of the entrance to the keep proper..
"It's as if something wants us to get closer," Izuku murmured, his eyes scanning the path before them for the slightest hint of an ambush or trap. Some undead could slip through solid objects, including the ground, without issue, so everyone was carefully eyeing the ground beneath them as well as every possible nook and cranny nearby.
"That bodes ill for our mission, if so," Tenya replied as he shuffled forward.
"If we're being invited in, it would be rude to refuse, wouldn't it?" Ochako asked, a dangerous grin crossing her face as she gripped her hammer tighter.
Shoto arched an eyebrow at her enthusiasm, but kept his mouth shut as Tsuyu giggled softly.
Tenya nodded, his expression tense but focused. "Yes, we have a quest to complete regardless of what awaits us down below. We should continue on and simply be cognizant of the threat."
Izuku cracked his knuckles, pointing his sword towards the gaping entrance across the open courtyard, a set of cracked stone stairs barely visible leading down into the darkness. "Well…that's our target. If there's a trap anywhere, it's down there."
"Well, nothing to be done for it, our targets down there. Let's do this," Ochako said.
Izuku nodded. "Yes…let's."