《Combat Artificer》 Combat Artificer - 1 Xander woke up. This was normal, and something he generally did at least once a day. What was not normal was that he woke up in a blank space completely devoid of anything. He wasn¡¯t even sure there was actually light in this space, yet he could somehow see his hands as he put them in front of his face. ---YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR TRANSLOCATION--- ---INITIATING GODSMARKED TRAINING--- A thunderous voice boomed in the space, and at the same time as words appeared in front of Xander. Translocation? Godsmarked? What the hell was this shit? Some kind of weird dream? This didn¡¯t have the odd dream feel of any dream he¡¯d ever remembered, but maybe they only felt that way after waking up. ¡°Greetings, Godsmarked. I have been provided to you to assist in your training.¡± Xander whipped around at the sudden voice behind him and beheld a figure clad entirely in plate armor. Not a single piece of skin was visible, and with the voice being somewhat androgynous, he couldn¡¯t determine a gender. ¡°Who are you,¡± asked Xander ¡°and where am I, and what the actual fuck is going on?¡± He eyed the plate clad figure before him. It was head and shoulder taller than him, though he wasn¡¯t exactly considered tall himself, at 5¡¯9¡±. He tried to get a glimpse of something, anything, through the minimal facial holes in the helm, but was met with blackness, as if a fabric was plastered across the inside. ¡°I,¡± reverberated the figure in plate ¡°am called Estoc, and I am a servant of one of the divines. You are currently in¡­ a space between things would be the easiest way to describe it, I suppose. As for your third question, you have been chosen for translocation. I cannot answer as to why, but for some reason -- be it for their own amusement or perhaps to avert some future disaster, you have been picked by one of the gods to be transported to another realm.¡± ¡°Another realm? What the hell is that supposed to mean? I don¡¯t want to go anywhere! I have a wife and a house! Pets! I can¡¯t just go places without them. Is this even real? This has to be some kind of dream!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, this is not a dream and I have no power over whether you are transported. I was simply created to provide travelers like yourself an insight into the realm into which they are to be placed. Though, if it is any consolation, I am sorry. This cannot be easy for you. However, our time is limited, and I have a task. To teach you how to call upon and use your status.¡± With that, the figure waved their hand and a portion of floating text appeared in front of Xander. ¡°The folk of the realm you will be entering have access to a ¡®status window.¡¯ It shows them critical information about themselves and their classes, which we shall go over next.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Began Xander, only to be cut off by Estoc. ¡°Please do not interrupt, our time together grows short and I have explained your situation as best I can. Now, as I was saying, the status shows one information about themselves. Their level of injury, magical power, various physical attributes, as well as any skills they may have access to from a class or a title. This will become clearer as you utilize the window yourself. As for classes, they are gained from life experience, training, events in a person¡¯s life, or any other number of ways. Though it is uncommon for the average person to have more than two at a time, while an exceptional warrior or famed craftsperson may hold up to five. As one progresses through a class, it may merge with another class, and provide an immediate choice of another class. With this information provided, I now gift you the knowledge to access your own status window.¡± Estoc snapped their fingers, an odd metallic sound, and the knowledge was seared into Xanders mind. ¡°Ow, Jesus fuck what was that?!¡± shouted Xander. ¡°Knowledge.¡± Was the only reply he received as Estoc was swallowed by the nothingness of the space. ---GODSMARKED TRAINING COMPLETED--- ---CALCULATING CLASS CHOICES--- Words again appeared in front of Xander, though this time they were contained within a window that he somehow knew he could call upon and close at will. ---CALCULATION COMPLETE. CLASS OPTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS. SELECT TWO--- -[Farmer] -[Soldier] -[Trader] -[Smith] -[Magus (Lightning)] -[Artificer] -[Criminal] ¡°What the hell¡­¡± muttered Xander as he stared at the window. He wondered how these options were calculated. And what they¡¯d provide. Would any of them give him a way to get back home? Farmer, must be because some of his family owned a farm. Soldier he could attribute to his contract with the National Guard ¨C oh God the government is going to want to know I went, he thought. Trader could be from a retail job? Lightning magic, hm, that could have been from his time doing electrical handy jobs. Artificer? He did like to tinker and build things. Criminal? He wasn¡¯t sure, he¡¯d never really done anything particularly illegal. Maybe anyone could be one? With such little information provided, he had some hard choices in front of him, though some could obviously be tossed out, in his opinion. Right, farmer and criminal are out for sure. I don¡¯t exactly know anything about smithing, and I¡¯d need someone to teach me, and I¡¯m apparently going to be sent to somewhere where I¡¯m not going to know anyone. Which probably rules out magus, too, since I¡¯d probably need to learn about it. As much as shooting lightning sounds cool. In the end, Xander decided to go with the choices he felt like he at least had the most understanding of: Soldier and Artificer. ---CLASS CHOICES ACCEPTED--- ---GENERATING CLASS SKILLS--- [ARTIFICER] Level 1 PASSIVES [STORE] - [Analyze]d materials are stored for future usage by \[Creation\] ACTIVES [ANALYZE] ¨C Determine the material and relevant properties of an object within 1ft of caster [Creation] ¨C Creates a [Store]d material. Mana cost depends on quantity, rarity, and other factors. Mana cost: Low ¨C High [Manipulate] ¨C Manipulate the form of material that was produced by [Creation] [SOLDIER] Level 1 PASSIVES [ETERNAL MARCH] ¨C Increased Endurance. Scales with level. [WEAPONS OF WAR] ¨C Additional proficiency with melee and ranged weaponry. Scales with level. ACTIVES [SHOCK AND AWE] ¨C Inflict significant additional damage upon a successful strike. Mana cost: Medium. 3 minute cooldown. [Sprint] ¨C Increase movement speed. Mana Cost: Low ---CLASS SKILLS GENERATED. YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED TWO BOONS AS COMPENSATION FOR BEING REMOVED FROM YOUR LOCAL REALM--- ---BOON 1 DISPENSED--- Title: [Godsmarked] ¨C Imparts several passives on the title holder [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] ¨C You may receive additional objects from defeated foes [Speak in Tongues] ¨C Proficiency in languages of new realm provided [Quest] ¨C Patrons may provide you with tasks and rewards [Reformation] ¨C Physical ailments and deformities have been healed Xander paused reading as his vision became blurry, and he had to take his glasses off to continue. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. [Cargo Space] ¨C Integrated inventory function in status window [Titled] ¨C You have a greater chance of receiving titles than normal [Regenerative] ¨C You heal more quickly than usual, to the point where, given enough time, you may even regrow a limb ---BOON 2 DISPENSED. CHOOSE FROM PERSONALLY OWNED ITEMS IN FORMER REALM AS EQUIPMENT. MUST FIT IN INVENTORY OR OWN PERSON--- This¡­ was going to take a long time to calculate. A list of every item he owned began to fill the status window still floating in front of him. After an indeterminate amount of time Xander was ready. He had found out that the [Cargo Space] ability had granted him 10 spaces which he could place things in, though there was a size limit of roughly a large hiking backpack to them. More importantly, they were not limited to a single item, as long as they fit within another item, so he could load up bags and then store them. He was also very glad that he had decided to buy his own helmet and plate carrier, as anything that he had been issued during his National Guard contract that he was expected to return did not appear on the list of objects he owned. He had loaded up several bags with everything he could think of that would be useful, most of which ended up being camping and hiking supplies and medical supplies, in addition to a few guns and weapons that he owned--a 12 gauge shotgun, a .22 tube fed rifle, and a 9mm pistol with all the ammo he owned for them along with a small ¡°combat ready¡± gladius he¡¯d bought on a whim online, plus his ACH {Advanced Combat Helmet, for those of you not in the know} and plate carrier. He had also chosen the only books he owned that might come in handy: the boy scout handbook, and an old army manual on improvised explosives that he¡¯d bought at a surplus store. He was grateful for the inventory spaces, as there was no way he¡¯d be able to carry all of the things he''d gathered. Getting things into the inventory slots was as intuitive as simply touching them and willing them to get in the space. ---SECOND BOON COMPLETED. TRANSLOCATION TO REALM ¡°TILLANIA¡± INITIATING--- Xander passed out. This time when he woke up, it was dark. Actually dark, and not just some kind of void. He could feel the weight of his plate carrier and ACH, a bit of the scabbard from his gladius poking him as it hung awkwardly from the carrier and a similar feeling from the shotgun on his other side. He¡¯d opted to also put on his army uniform as they were sturdy, bug repellant, and most importantly of all, had big cargo pockets on each leg. He dug in one of said cargo pockets and pulled out a flashlight as he stood up. Turning it on, the darkness was banished from what appeared to be a cave. Unfortunately, there was also a skeleton slowly lumbering towards him about 15 feet away. Xander froze, staring at it. That was all really happening. A goddamn skeleton was in front of him and it was coming closer. At 10 feet, he unfroze, dropped the flashlight, and scrambled to get the shotgun in both hands. He almost felt on autopilot as pumped the slide, shouldered the rifle, and obliterated a fist sized chunk of the skeleton¡¯s ribcage and spine. The skeleton dropped to the ground as Xander dropped the shotgun, leaving it to dangle from its strap and clapped his hands over his ears, which were now ringing. ¡°Shit that was loud!¡± he yelled to himself, as he wished he¡¯d thought to actually put on the ear protection that was sitting in one of his inventory slots. His second thought was that tinnitus was actually no longer an issue thanks to the [Regenerative] trait that he¡¯d received. That didn¡¯t make the feeling any more pleasant, though. Xander knelt down to pick up the flashlight he¡¯d dropped, thankful that it hadn¡¯t broken or turned off when he¡¯d done so. Standing back up, he felt a slight¡­ tickling, for better want of a word, in the part of his mind that knew now how to open up his status. So, after looking around for any more skeletons, he opened it. ---You have defeated an enemy--- ---Bonus experience awarded for first defeat of an enemy of this type--- ---[Artificer] leveled to 2--- ---[Soldier] leveled to 2--- ---Touch remains of enemy to determine if [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] takes effect--- Upon this message, Xander cautiously sidled up to the scattered bones of the now un-undead and kicked one of them. He was amazed to see the bones begin to roll together and meld into a kite shield that looked to be made of rib bones. It was rather morbid, but a morbid shield was better than no shield. He picked it up and turned it around in his hands a couple times. It seemed to be sturdy, though he wasn¡¯t sure how sturdy exactly, considering how well the skeleton had held up to a 00 buckshot, which was to say, not very well. He managed to strap it to his arm in such a way that he could still hold and pump the slide of the shotgun and slid another round back into the tube while he was at it. Back up to six, gotta remember to keep it full. He opened his status again and reviewed it more fully. ---[Artificer] Level 2 Skills--- [Measure] ¨C determine exact measurements of an object that has been analyzed ---[Measure] and [Store] produce [Schematic] [Schematic] ¨C Store entire objects to be used with [Creation] ---[Soldier] Level 2 Skills--- [Effective Ordnance] ¨C You may imbue an elemental effect into one attack. Mana cost: Medium, Cooldown: 3 minutes Xander pondered the changes in his newfound status. Schematic seemed like it could be extremely useful, and anything that let him kill things faster and better in a world where skeletons existed was good. As soon as he got out of this cave, he was going to sit down and \[Analyze\] everything he had brought with him. Fortunately, the cave did not have many branches, and upon closer inspection seemed not to be natural in origin. Tool marks lined the walls, and small portions were gouged out of them. Maybe it was a small mine? After about twenty minutes of walking and a couple wrong turns to dead ends, Xander finally began to see sunlight. If this was a mine, does that mean there are people nearby? How will they react to me? God, I hope they¡¯re not aggressive. A skeleton is one thing, but I don¡¯t want to have to defend myself from someone alive. Another few minutes and he was out. He surveyed the area around him and saw¡­ not much. Mostly just trees. He had come out the side of a moderately sized hill and seemed to be in some kind of forest. He¡¯d rather have been able to see a town or something that indicated any level of civilization, but at least it wasn¡¯t a desert, right? True to his word, Xander sat down and began pulling all the bags he had brought with him out of his inventory space. ---Objects [Analyze]d--- Mossberg Maveric 88 12g Shotgun 12g 00 buckshot shotshell 12g slug shotshell Improved Hot Weather Army Combat Uniform Aluminum cook pan Fork Damascus Steel Gladius ¡­ This went on for the better part of two hours as Xander began to play with his skills provided by the Artificer class. He already had over a hundred materials [Store]d and quite a few items he could replicate with [Schematic]. Unfortunately, he was not able to store or use [Creation] to make food, so that was going to be an issue once he ran out of the food he¡¯d brought with him. He knew the theory behind gutting an animal, but he¡¯d never done it before. Guess he¡¯d have to learn on the fly in a few days. At least the water bottle with the water filter built into it was able to be put in [Schematic] so drinking water wouldn¡¯t be an issue. Though he¡¯d probably still boil it first. Looking upwards, it seemed to be roughly noon, and he adjusted his watch accordingly. Might as well get walking. He didn¡¯t see any smoke or anything else interesting to head towards, so he decided to simply head directly away from the mouth of the mine he had emerged from. Another few hours passed as Xander walked. Anytime he saw something interesting, he would [Analyze] it. ---Objects [Analyzed]--- Hogweed Ironbark Tree Printap Flower ¡­ Eventually, he came across a road. Well, road wasn¡¯t quite the word, more like a small, well-trodden path. It wasn¡¯t quite late in the day, yet, but he decided that it would be a good place to set up his camp. Xander was surprised at how little the trek and stress of the day had tired him and marveled at the effectiveness of [Eternal March]. He could easily have continued to walk for the rest of the day but was hopeful that if he stayed near this path that someone might come along who could help him find somewhere safer to stay than in some woods that may or may not have skeletons. In the meantime, he figured he could play around with some of the skills that he had acquired. Anything to distract him from the fact that he was far from home and might never see his wife, friends, or family ever again. He settled on [Creation] first. The skills from [Soldier] all seemed pretty straightforward in their application but using [Creation] and then [Manipulate] seemed like it had much wider application and nuance to it. A small piece of steel [Store]d from a knife was the first thing Xander opted to create. ---Stainless steel created--- ---Created materials will begin to degrade when more than 5 feet from creator--- Xander looked at the message that had appeared on his status window at the same time that a small cube of metal had grown in his palm. It was unfortunate that materials he created weren¡¯t permanent unless they stayed near him at all times, but it was still a massively useful skill. He¡¯d never be defenseless as he could create a number of personal weapons and armor essentially at will. He also noticed a slight drain on what he assumed was his ¡®mana,¡¯ which was confirmed by another glance at his status, showing the bar that represented it as no longer being full. He¡¯d have to be sparing with what he made for now so that he didn¡¯t end up with no way to create something useful in the case he needed to. He decided to try out \[Manipulation\] next, focusing on the skill and willing the cube to turn into a sphere, watching with interest as the piece of metal smooth and flowed almost as if it were liquid for a moment before settling into the shape of a sphere. Unsure of what else to try at the moment, he figured it would be a good idea to see what the rate of degradation on his created materials really was and put the marble on the ground and walked a short distance away from it as he began pulling supplies from his inventory space and setting up a small tent and sleeping bag. Once he was done, he walked back over to where he¡¯d left the small marble and discovered it completely rusted and pitted as if it had been sitting in the weather for years, if not decades, considering it was stainless steel. He expected it would completely disintegrate if left for even a day, which meant that anything he created and needed to keep would have to stay on or near his person, or perhaps within his inventory space. Testing that theory, Xander created another small piece of steel and willed it into his inventory space. He¡¯d check on it later. For now, he wasn¡¯t sure what else to do but eat an MRE and maybe read up on some of the books he¡¯d brought. After eating, Xander checked the created steel in his inventory and was pleased to find it still in good condition. He would at least be able to store materials he created in small amounts so that he could build up a stock of them. The marble he¡¯d left on the ground had already disintegrated. Another hour later and with the sun beginning to go down, Xander began to despair of meeting anyone on this path. Try to look on the bright side¡­at least there is a path to follow, right? I can just keep walking down it tomorrow. A few minutes after this bout of despair, Xander began to hear whistling; a jaunty tune that was slowly coming closer from the opposite direction of the setting sun. He tried his best to look at non-threatening as possible without actually taking off his armor or removing his weapons from his person. Which amounted to settling into his single camp chair and trying to appear relaxed. Eventually the mystery whistler came into view and was revealed to be what would be immediately recognized to anyone even passingly familiar with the fantasy genre as a dwarf. Squat, wideset, long beard, the works. Dressed in leathers, and carrying a bow, quiver, and axe, he looked perfectly at home in the woods. Combat Artificer - 2 ¡°Ummm¡­ Hello there?¡± was all that Xander could think to say to the dwarf, who had definitely noticed him and his, what he realized now was probably very odd looking, camp setup. ¡°Hello yourself,¡± came back from the dwarf, who was still carefully standing a good distance away. ¡°What brings you to the forest this day?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very lost, so I guess trying to get out of the forest is what brings me here?¡± Xander tried to inject a little humor to disarm the tension. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know how I could get to, well, anywhere, would you?¡± The dwarf looked at him for a long moment and seemed to be thinking. ¡°Doesn¡¯t know where they are, wearing strange clothes¡­ and using strange objects hmm. You wouldn¡¯t happen to be a [Godsmarked], would you?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ you got me. I have no idea where I am, or anything about wherever here is. I¡¯ve been here less than a day and I was really worried I wasn¡¯t going to be able to find a town or anyone to help me before I ran out of supplies. I don¡¯t really have the skills to be fully self sufficient out here. Would¡­ would you be able to help me get somewhere like a town or a village or something like that?¡± Xander felt a little awkward at being noticed as out of place so quickly, but he definitely didn¡¯t look like he was wearing anything even remotely like this dwarf was, and his tent was obviously not a material that would be available in a world where bows and axes were a common sight. ¡°Aye, I can do that,¡± answered the dwarf. ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to put up with a few things. First, I¡¯d like to see your status sheet to prove that you¡¯re not lying to me, and second, I¡¯m \[Track\]ing a bear that¡¯s been taking livestock from the nearby town, so you¡¯ll either have to wait here ¡®til I¡¯m done or come with me and watch my back. Though if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to set up camp here with ya as well, since it¡¯s gettin¡¯ dark.¡± ¡°Oh, okay, yeah that¡¯s fine. How, uh, how do I show you my status? And, I guess I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow, I don¡¯t fancy being alone out here; I¡¯ve already had one run in with a skeleton around here.¡± ¡°A skeleton,¡± the dwarf asked, interested ¡°Where¡¯d you find yourself one of them?¡± ¡°In what I think was an old mine, roughly that way.¡± Xander pointed in the direction he¡¯d come from. ¡°There was just one, I didn¡¯t see or hear anything else in it. It¡¯s where I woke up after being¡­ transported?¡± ¡°Ah, I see. They do tend to occasionally appear in caves, old mines, anywhere it¡¯s dark and people rarely go, really. Likely not the work of a [Necromancer], then. You must be fresh if you don¡¯t know how to show someone your status. You just sort of will it to happen and it does. Like this.¡± At the dwarf¡¯s words, a status appeared in front of him and then turned around. ---THRIPUS WOODHAMMER (DWARF)--- ---[RANGER] LEVEL 14--- ---[WOODSMAN] LEVEL 17--- Xander noticed that the sheet left off most of the details, but showed enough for a person to prove who they were. Seemed a convenient feature. Or maybe, one could decide how much information to show? He¡¯d try willing the same information to appear. His status appeared in front of him, and then turned around to face the Thripus. ---XANDER JONES (HUMAN, GODSMARKED)--- ---[ARTIFICER] LEVEL 2--- ---[SOLDIER] LEVEL 2--- Xander felt completely outclassed by the dwarf, who was 12 levels higher than him in his lowest class. He wondered just how much stronger, faster, and tougher such a level difference made the dwarf compared to him. ¡°[Soldier] and [Artificer], huh? Bit of an odd combination, but neither are bad classes. Everyone¡¯s are a little bit different, though, even if they have the same name, so maybe they¡¯ll grow to have a good synergy. You¡¯re definitely fresh at level two, and I can see the [Godsmarked] on your status, so I¡¯ll help ya. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re pretty confused right now, so ask away once I get my camp set up.¡± Xander watched the dwarf set up his bed roll and a small cloth tent just big enough to keep out any rain. While he waited, he decided he¡¯d try out creating something from [Schematic]. He¡¯d fired one shotgun shell, so he might as well replace it. His mana was full by now, recovered from the small amount drained by creating the two tiny metal cubes. ---12g 00 Buckshot Shotshell created--- Xander felt an immediate drain on his mana as the shell formed in his hand and opened his status to see that creating a single shell had drained nearly three quarters of his mana. So much for refilling his ammo on the fly, he thought. He¡¯d need to be proactive about restocking and do it during his downtime when he was safe, not in combat. Hopefully the bar would be full again by morning. He didn¡¯t have a great feel of the rate at which it recharged, yet. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m set up. Ask away, all that¡¯s left for the night is for me to eat, and I¡¯m happy to talk at the same time.¡± The dwarf sat down near his tent and began pulling some leather wrapped packets from a bag, which revealed trail rations as they were unwrapped. ¡°Hungry?¡± ¡°No thanks, I already ate. Fortunately, I came here with a few days¡¯ worth of food.¡± ¡°Fortunate for us both, then. I don¡¯t have to cut the amount I¡¯m eating and share.¡± ¡°So, where is here? I don¡¯t even know the name of this world, or, I think I remember it was called a ¡®realm?¡¯ There was a lot going on. And, I hope this doesn¡¯t come across as offensive, but I¡¯ve never seen a dwarf. Are there lots of dwarves? Are there other races? Do humans exist here, at least?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see, well to answer your questions in order, ¡®here¡¯ is the realm of Tillania, and you¡¯re currently in the Arjus forest in the kingdom of Dardin. Not much going on around here in this part of Dardin, mostly farming and the occasional band of guild mercenaries contracted to kill some big thing or other. Course, that happens everywhere else, too. Dwarves are about as common around these parts as humans are, and you¡¯ll see the occasional elf, though anything more exotic than that you¡¯d likely only see in a large city or another kingdom entirely.¡± Xander found the concept of something more exotic than an elf to be amusing but kept that to himself. ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯m glad to find out I¡¯m not the only human around. I think that would be pretty hard to adapt to. I¡¯m not really sure what else to even ask right now. I guess maybe classes? I leveled up after I killed that skeleton. Is that the only way to level up? By killing things?¡± ¡°Not always, it depends on a class. For example, a [Duelist] could earn experience for that class by winning a duel, even without killing someone. Or someone with a class geared towards crafting would gain experience for creating something. Your [Artificer] class might work like that. But for other classes, like [Soldier] your main way of gaining levels is going to be defeating things, likely through violence. I will gain some experience for successfully [Track]ing this bear, but the majority will come with taking it down. And don¡¯t worry about your levels, right now you¡¯re low compared to the average person, but [Godsmarked] have a tendency to catch up quickly, plus you should always remember that with enough preparation, just about anyone can defeat something higher level than them.¡± ¡°How do you know about [Godsmarked]? Are there a lot of them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a common occurrence, but there have been enough of them that the average person at least knows what a [Godsmarked] is. It doesn¡¯t hurt that they often become well known guild mercenaries or craftsmen, though there are still plenty that end up living quietly from what I understand. They¡¯re a tiny portion of the population, though.¡± ¡°Good to know people like me aren¡¯t feared or reviled, I guess. So, how long do you think it will take to find this bear, and how much help are you actually going to need from me?¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Luckily for you, I expect to be done with this affair tomorrow. We aren¡¯t far off from it now, as it¡¯s been staying relatively close to town now that it¡¯s learned it can take a [Farmer]¡¯s animals. I doubt I¡¯ll need much of anything from you, but out in the forest you never know what could happen, and two is always better than one. The weather¡¯s nice for a few months yet, so we won¡¯t need a fire. I¡¯m going to tuck in and sleep, I¡¯ve been walking for most of the day. Don¡¯t worry about setting a watch, the area isn¡¯t known for banditry, and my skills will wake me if any dangerous animals get too close.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good to know. Uh, thanks, for taking the time to help me. I really appreciate it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do, especially to a [Godsmarked]. They say you¡¯re put here for a reason, and I¡¯d hate to slight the gods by hindering that so early. Now go to sleep, we¡¯re rising with the sun tomorrow, if not before.¡± Xander did his best to sleep, but it was a long time before he could do so. Since he wasn¡¯t as tired as he should have been from walking so far with a plate carrier and helmet, he found his mind a whirlwind of thoughts as he lay in his sleeping bag. What was he going to do when he got to a town? He had no idea how to make a living for himself in a place like this. Would he be able to find a way to get home? He really hoped so. He was already missing Helen, and it hadn¡¯t even been a full day. She¡¯d probably be frantic that he wasn¡¯t at home and couldn¡¯t get in contact with him. He wondered if she¡¯d already called the police. It felt odd to realize that he was technically a missing person, now. Would he end up on one of those true crime podcasts about people who mysteriously disappear? Eventually, Xander fell asleep, his dreams full of strange figures in armor and the occasional skeleton. The morning came quickly, and he was awakened by the sounds of the dwarf, Thripus, he recalled after a few agonizing seconds of dreading having to awkwardly ask his name again, waking up and breaking his section of the camp down. Xander put his camouflage top back on along with his boots - he¡¯d been too ill at ease to feel comfortable stripping down any more than that ¨C and unzipped his tent, the noise drawing Thripus¡¯s attention. ¡°Mornin¡¯,¡± came from Thripus. ¡°Glad to see I don¡¯t have to try and wake you up through your tent. Time to get going after a quick breakfast.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± replied Xander. ¡°I¡¯ll get my stuff packed up and eat, then I¡¯m ready for whatever.¡± Xander went to work rolling up his tent and sleeping bag and stuffing them in their respective sacks before popping them into his inventory and pulling the bag that held his food out from a different slot. ¡°That¡¯s a handy trick, one of your class skills?¡± Thripus sounded a little jealous at the prospect of being able to store things and pull them from thin air. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, it was one of the things I received for being a [Godsmarked]. Little bit of a consolation prize for being ripped from my own reality, I suppose.¡± It sounded a lot more melancholy when he said it than he meant it to, but it was true. ¡°Ah, sorry. My understanding is that¡¯s something that many of the ¡®marked struggle with. Some never truly get over it. I can only imagine being pulled away from my life and placed somewhere I¡¯d never been before. Doesn¡¯t sound pleasant.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s been amazing so far. But it¡¯s at least looking up some since I met you.¡± Xander tried his best to sound grateful for the dwarf, and he really was. It was just hard to shake off the feeling of homesickness that was already overtaking him. He pulled out another MRE, unsure what else to say to continue the conversation and started to eat it cold as he didn¡¯t want Thripus wait any longer on him than he already was. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready,¡± he said, stowing his trash away. Never know when an empty plastic bag might come in handy, especially in a world where plastic bags might not even exist. ¡°Right then, let¡¯s get to walking.¡± Thripus shouldered his bag and began walking confidently in a direction. ¡°How do you know where it is?¡± ¡°My [Track] skill is high enough at this point that once I¡¯ve picked up an animal¡¯s trail, especially one as large as a bear, I can relocate it and follow it like it was the king¡¯s thoroughfare.¡± The ranger continued on, following a path completely invisible to Xander. The only sign Xander was able to identify at all was the occasional tree that had been used like a scratching post, bark stripped in portions and deep gouges marring the tree. Seeing that the scratches extended well above his head, Xander remembered just how big bears were. He should probably load for bear, literally. The mechanical racking sounds of him removing 00 buck from his shotgun and replacing them with solid slugs drew a curious look from Thripus. ¡°What is that thing, anyway? Some kind of [Artificer] weapon? Seems like an awful lot of moving parts for a weapon to me.¡± ¡°Uhm, yeah, let¡¯s go with that. That¡¯s the easiest explanation, I think. It¡¯s called a shotgun, and it fires a chunk of metal really fast at what I point it at, to put it simply. Also it¡¯s loud as hell, just a forewarning in case I end up having to use it. Do dwarves get tinnitus?¡± ¡°What¡¯s tinnitus?¡± ¡°Ringing in your ears that stays there forever because you heard too many loud sounds. Technicaly it¡¯s damage to your ears, I believe.¡± ¡°Ah, can¡¯t say that I have. But if it¡¯s a form of physical damage, any half decent [Priest] ought to be able to put it right, though they¡¯ll charge ya for it.¡± ¡°Okay, good to know that one, priests can magically heal things, which of course they can, I don¡¯t know what I expected, and two, it¡¯s pervasive enough that it¡¯s a paid service. Thanks for that. Wouldn¡¯t have even thought to ask. This is all¡­ I don¡¯t even know how to describe it. I just don¡¯t know what I don¡¯t know. Everything is new.¡± ¡°I hear the marked can struggle to integrate into society at times. Cultures and religions clash, and sometimes things would seem normal to any of us are things that some of them seem to consider immoral or wrong. Quite a few of them fall afoul of the nobility for a variety of reasons, from simple impoliteness to full on fomenting of rebellion.¡± Xander didn¡¯t know how to respond, so he didn¡¯t. They walked in silence for another few hours, Xander¡¯s mind wandering through thoughts of what the new world he found himself in and the societies in it would be like, and Thripus focusing on the bear¡¯s trail. Xander was so engrossed in his thoughts that when Thripus stopped, he nearly walked into him. ¡°We¡¯re close now. Time to keep quieter, make sure we¡¯re upwind, and move slowly. Fortunately for us, your outfit might look odd, but it does a good job making you hard to see in the woods. And I¡¯ve got my skills. Now just follow me, and try to step where I step. I don¡¯t fancy having to track this bear even further because we ran it off.¡± Xander kept the comment that the entire purpose of his clothes was exactly that, and just nodded, holding the shotgun a little closer. Slowly, the two began to move. Thripus was clearly taking a round about path, now, and Xander wondered how he even knew which direction ¡®upwind¡¯ was, since he couldn¡¯t feel any wind. After about a half hour of painstakingly creeping through the woods, they came upon a clearing, which contained the bear. Unfortunately, it also contained what Xander could only think of as a gryphon, which was currently eating the bear. Thripus was quiet and stock still, clearly thinking. Finally he motioned for Xander to come closer. ¡°A gryphon this close to town is bad news,¡± whipered the dwarf. ¡°We¡¯re lucky it¡¯s distracted by that bear right now, so we can try and plan something. Can¡¯t let it settle into the area, or it¡¯ll be more than livestock that start disappearing.¡± ¡°So what do we do?¡± ¡°Throw everything we¡¯ve got at it and then run like hell if it doesn¡¯t work. The woods are thick enough in part that we might be able to lose it and lay low. Just make sure you stick close to me if things go to shit. We¡¯ll do it like this: I¡¯ll fire the first shot, loaded up with all the skills I can throw on it. Then you follow up yourself as I¡¯m drawing another arrow. Hopefully that should be enough overkill it doesn¡¯t even know we¡¯re here before it¡¯s dead.¡± Xander pulled up his status sheet just to review what he could possibly do in this situation. Only two things really applied: [Shock and Awe] and [Effective Ordnance]. One just increased the damage of an attack, while the other applied an elemental effect. Unsure of what to pick, or even what all the available elements were, Xander decided to just go with fire. He gave Thripus a thumbs up, which the dwarf seemed to understand well enough, and then shouldered his rifle to take aim. From the corner of his vision, he watched Thripus do the equivalent with his bow. Thripus¡¯s bowstring twanged, and the gryphon immediately turn in their direction, a split second before an arrow embedded itself in its shoulder. Or rather, it would have embedded itself in the gryphon¡¯s shoulder, except that, to Xander, it seemed more like it exploded in several different ways, taking a huge chunk of meat along with it as the arrow shattered. They gryphon wasn¡¯t dead though, at least not yet, so Xander took that as his cue to fire the round that he had chambered earlier, when he was merely worried about bears. Again he felt the almost robotic touch of what he realized now was [Weapons of War] adjusting his posture slightly, straightening his aim, and holding him steadier than he would have been able to achieve without it. The report of the shotgun firing so close to him caused Thripus to flinch, and he even dropped the arrow he¡¯d been knocking. Fortunately for them, while the impact of Xander¡¯s round on the gryphon¡¯s chest was not quite as spectacular as Thripus¡¯s, it was a well placed shot, and went far deeper than the arrow had, though that might have just been because the arrow had simply ceased to exist upon all the skills piling upon it activating. [Shock and Awe] and [Effective Ordnance] proved their worth, as the hole that was left in the now very dead gryphon¡¯s body looked more like someone had fired a soda can at it than a twelve gauge slug, and was releasing copious amounts of smoke, as well as the scent of burnt flesh and feathers. It was not pleasant. ¡°By the hammers of all the gods, what in the hell is that thing?¡± Thripus nearly shouted, once he had gotten over the sudden noise and seen the gryphon collapsing to the ground. ¡°I told you it was loud,¡± Xander replied, shoving a finger in his ear in a vain attempt to relieve the ringing. ¡°Well, whatever the fuck it is, it did a good job. Probably would have bled out after the first hit, but you never know with gryphons. They¡¯re right tough bastards, and an injured one is probably even more dangerous to people than an uninjured one; they¡¯ve got a bad habit of viewing people as an easy meal. Let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t take some of the more useful bits like the talons and some feathers before we go. It¡¯ll sell well, and provide some proof of the kill. We can split the parts since you did help.¡± Combat Artificer - 3 ---Objects Analyzed--- Gryphon Talon Gryphon Feather Gryphon Beak Gryphon Bone Hide (Gryphon) Xander once more began following Thripus after they had stripped some parts from the gryphon. The ranger still seemed confident in his direction, and soon, they came across another trail, which began to appear more well kempt the further they walked. ¡°We ought to be able to reach town before the end of the day, long as we keep this pace up. Let me know if you need a break; my endurance is probably higher than yours from the extra levels.¡± Xander was glad to hear that he¡¯d be finding some semblance of shelter by the day¡¯s end. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯m fine right now. One of my skills, uhm, what¡¯s it called, ah right. [Eternal March] gives me increased endurance. Says it scales with level as well. That¡¯s good right?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not uncommon for skills that passively increase an attribute or something like that to scale with level, unless they provide a large one-time bonus. I¡¯ve a few of my own, [Track], for example, increases in power with every level in [Ranger] I gain.¡± ¡°I see. And what exactly is endurance, in terms of a status window? Is it just how long you can do physical exercise, or does it make you more resistant to being hit by something, too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s both, for the most part. Not so much ¡®resisting¡¯ something, though. A sharp knife will cut someone with a high toughness as well as someone with low toughness. But it allows you to push further and last longer through an injury, and that can make a big difference. A lower leveled person might lose a limb and die from shock or very quickly from blood loss if they don¡¯t stem it. A higher leveled person or someone who gains a lot of toughness from class skills could lose an arm and keep on going. Of course, they¡¯d eventually need to tourniquet it and or get some healing, but it wouldn¡¯t put them immediately out of action.¡± ¡°Wow. Pretty hand to have, then. Are there other attributes than just endurance?¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s dexterity, willpower, intelligence, a whole host of them. Some classes get really specific. I¡¯ve heard of [Bards] that get [Finger Dexterity], not just dexterity. A class can change a lot of aspects of someone, though it¡¯s not often shown outwardly, with the exception of strength generally showing more muscle than before.¡± ¡°Huh, okay. I guess that makes sense. Someone who¡¯s more flexible or smarter isn¡¯t really going to look any different that someone who isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Right, but don¡¯t conflate intelligence with intelligence. The attribute allows you to process and retain information better, but it doesn¡¯t necessarily make you smart. I¡¯ve met some pretty dumb mages before.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xander pondered these recent revelations. He was glad to be getting toughness from his [Soldier] class, but he did wish he could get some source of intelligence. Better recall was a dream for someone like him who tended to be forgetful sometimes. Maybe [Artificer] would grant him some at some point. It would be better than something like [Finger Dexterity]. The two walked in silence for another few hours, stopping for a short lunch around noon, or at least as close to noon as Xander could tell. He doubted he¡¯d set his watch perfectly. Hopefully there would be a clock somewhere in town, and hopefully they used a 24 hour day. They¡¯d broken out of the woods right around the time they¡¯d decided to break for lunch and the landscape was idyllic. Rolling hills that looked like the perfect place for pastures covered the horizon. Unfortunately, Xander couldn¡¯t see a town yet. Another hour in, though, and Xander was pleased to finally see some buildings. They were scattered and didn¡¯t much seem to look like a town, but it was still a sight for sore eyes. ¡°Is that the town?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± responded Thripus. ¡°Klimp is over the next hill. What you¡¯re seeing now are farm houses and barns. And no, I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s called ¡®Klimp,¡¯ so don¡¯t bother asking.¡± ¡°I take it that question gets asked a lot?¡± ¡°Unfortunately. It¡¯s not a large town, but it¡¯s a decent enough size. It¡¯s on the main road to the capital, so it sees enough traffic to sustain business, and the food and animals grown here flow out through the same roads. Which means you¡¯re in luck as a [Godsmarked]. There¡¯s a small mercenary¡¯s guild office in town, who I¡¯m sure would love to take in a fledgling [Soldier], and if that¡¯s not for you, then you might be able to apprentice with the town¡¯s [Tinker]. You¡¯re a bit old for an apprenticeship, but I¡¯m sure an exception could be made due to your circumstances. For your help with the gryphon, you¡¯re welcome to stay in my home until you make other arrangements. It¡¯s a bit small, but sleeping on the floor inside is better than an alleyway at least. I¡¯ll also make sure you get a good price on those parts, should you choose to sell them.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°I think I will. I¡¯m not sure exactly what I¡¯d do with them right now, and I don¡¯t have any kind of money that would be accepted here.¡± ¡°Fair enough, you¡¯ll probably be able to net yourself enough to stay at the nicer inn for a week, or one of the cheaper ones for two or three. Won¡¯t leave you much for buying things, but meals will be included. By that point I figure you¡¯ll have settled on something to start working towards.¡± ¡°What does working with the mercenary¡¯s guild look like? I¡¯ve just been dropped into a brand-new world and I don¡¯t know anything about anywhere, so I¡¯m not sure an apprenticeship is quite where I want to go.¡± ¡°Well, that can vary quite a lot depending on your skillset. Some people can hire themselves out as bodyguards, others take contracts to kill rare or dangerous creatures, some take to spying or scouting, it really depends on your class and your personal niche. For you, I¡¯d say you¡¯d probably either be working with a group taking kill contracts due to your [Soldier] class, or possibly as a supporting member for exploration contracts with your [Artificer] class. Having a combat class along with [Artificer] would make you appealing for that line of work; it¡¯s an extra guarantee that you¡¯d be able to look after yourself a bit better should you need to.¡± ¡°Hmm. I like the idea of exploring a lot more than just solely killing things. Do I need to provide¡­ credentials or anything? I don¡¯t exactly have any paperwork.¡± ¡°Your status as a [Godsmarked] will be enough proof for your lack of paperwork right now. They can help you get registered as a citizen of the Kingdom of Dardin, as well as the registration required to become a member of the guild. It¡¯s fairly straightforward. Mostly just an examination of your status window. I¡¯m a member myself, and it didn¡¯t take long at all to register. Just have to pop back in every now and then and let them update your record. They¡¯re actually how I got this contract for the bear. Farmers pooled funds to put it in with the mercenary¡¯s guild. Might be able to wrangle some extra hazard pay out of it since there was a gryphon involved.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay. I mean, that makes sense when I think about it. It¡¯s easy to prove something if it¡¯s on your status window. Wait, can status windows be faked?¡± ¡°Not by any conventional way that I know of. I¡¯ve heard of an [Illusionist] that was creating an illusion of a status sheet instead of his own, but someone with a skill saw through it. The fines were pretty harsh from what I heard. Nobody wants someone going around with a fake status. Wouldn¡¯t recommend trying it.¡± ¡°Not planning to. Mine¡¯s pretty sparse anyways, not much to hide. What kind of stuff is available around town? I assume there¡¯s a smith, of course. What about a¡­ chemist? Alchemist, I guess?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, there¡¯s an alchemy shop, a tanner and leatherworker, all the basic stuff. Now, if you want anything particularly fancy you¡¯d have to have to contract a merchant to bring it out to you or go to a larger town itself. But we make do fairly well. There¡¯s enough traffic that comes through that you can generally find what you want off of a trader passing by to somewhere else.¡± As they crested the next rise, Xander was finally able to see Klimp. Buildings lined what looked to be a well-used road, and there were two watch towers, one on either end of the town that he presumed helped the town watch over the road itself. It wasn¡¯t particularly impressive, but it was certainly not a disappointment either. ¡°I¡¯m just glad to have found a town in the first place. I could have wandered in a different direction in the woods and gotten lost.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s what I suggest when we get into town. First, we offload these gryphon parts before the shopkeepers close up, then we get you registered at the guild. After that, I can recommend a decent inn you can sleep in until you take your first contract, if that¡¯s the direction you decide to go.¡± The process of selling the gryphon parts was relatively simple; Thripus already seemed to know what they should sell for, and after some back and forth settled for what Xander assumed was only slightly less. The agreed upon half was then given to Xander, who squirreled it away in his inventory space for now. Filling his cargo pockets with coins didn¡¯t seem the smartest idea, and he didn¡¯t have a coin purse. Once the two were done selling the various gryphon bits, they began to move to another part of town. They had to cross the road to do so, and Xander noted a few wagons, not all of which were pulled by horses or oxen. Mixed in with the horses, donkeys, and oxen that would have traditionally pulled a cart on Earth, there was a scaled, hexapedal creature. Xander gawked at the first one before realizing that Thripus hadn¡¯t stopped and trotted to keep up. This world has some weird looking shit. Thripus lead him to the mercenary¡¯s guild next, just as he¡¯d promised. It was a simple, but sturdy looking brick building. Inside, there was a long counter with several stools, but only one attendant, and the walls were filled with boards upon which various sheets of paper, scrolls, and even some leather scraps were nailed up. The attendant waved at Thripus as he entered. ¡°Thripus! Got that bear sorted out?¡± ¡°Oh aye, more than sorted. Bear¡¯d been killed by a gryphon, which I and my friend here managed to take down.¡± Thripus tossed the beak of the gryphon, which still had some dried blood on it, onto the counter. ¡°Speaking of, I¡¯ve got a new member for you to get signed up. Found him in the woods. He¡¯s a [Godsmarked].¡± ¡°A [Godsmarked], you say? Well, well, we don¡¯t get many of those around here. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever had the pleasure of inducting one of the marked into the guild.¡± The attendant turned to Xander and held out her hand, ¡°My name is Dorly, and I¡¯m please to meet you.¡± Xander tentatively took her hand and shook it, hoping this was the correct course of action. ¡°Xander. Nice to meet you too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave you here with Dorly, once I collect my payment, of course. She can tell you how to get to the Talon¡¯s Mark ¨C that¡¯s the inn I¡¯d recommend by the way. You can find me at the bar there for a while after you¡¯re done, I¡¯d expect, and I¡¯ll gladly vouch to the owner for you.¡± At the mention of payment, Dorly collected a small purse from behind the counter and placed it in front of Thripus. ¡°Thank you kindly, Dorly. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need a drink after tromping through the woods. I¡¯ll see you at Talon¡¯s, Xander.¡± At that, Thripus made an about face, and exited the building. Combat Artificer - 4 ¡°So, you want to sign up with the mercenary¡¯s guild? Can¡¯t say I blame you. The pay is good, and most of the marked don¡¯t exactly have much to tie them to one place. It can be dangerous, though. Are you sure you¡¯re up for that?¡± Dorly gave Xander a critical look up and down. ¡°I think so. Obviously, I¡¯m still, uh, pretty fresh to all this, but I need some way to make money, and I¡¯d like to see and learn more about the world. Ideally, I¡¯d like to mitigate danger as much as I can, but I understand that there¡¯s going to be some inherent risk involved.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Once we get you signed up, open contracts are available to any member, but do you have any ideas for what kind of contracts you¡¯d prefer?¡± ¡°Thripus mentioned exploration contracts. Said my [Artificer] class would pair well with [Soldier] for those kind of missions. He also mentioned kill contracts, but I¡¯m not as interested in those unless there¡¯s nothing else.¡± ¡°I see. Well, there¡¯s just about always a kill contract on something up. Exploration contracts don¡¯t come up quite as often, at least in these parts, but you¡¯re in luck today. There is a contract to assemble a group to investigate and potentially clear out what might be some ancient ruins that will be heading out in the next week. There¡¯s still available space, so once we get you inducted, I¡¯ll add you to the list. No minimum level, fortunately for you; they aren¡¯t expecting much excitement, but it¡¯s standard practice to have places like that cleared before more thorough research or excavation is done. No one wants all their fancy scholars getting gutted by some crypt horror because they didn¡¯t do their due diligence in ensuring the place was cleared first. Bad for business. You just take a seat here,¡± Dorly gestured to one of the stools that was on Xander¡¯s side of the counter, ¡°and we¡¯ll get the process started. Just signing a membership contract and letting me copy your status down, and then you¡¯re set!¡± ¡°Can do.¡± Xander sat down at the counter. ¡°Do you need my entire status? Can I show that? I¡¯ve only ever shown a shortened version once to Thripus, and he had to explain how to do it for me.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll need your entire status. Have to make sure you don¡¯t have any titles like [Murderer] that would invalidate you from guild membership or anything like that. It¡¯s the same process as showing the shortened version like you did with Thripus but you just sort of¡­ allow more? It¡¯s hard to explain. We¡¯ve all been using the status window since we were children, so it¡¯s just intuitive for the average person. Give it a try and we¡¯ll go from there.¡± Dory reached behind the counter once more and retrieved several sheets of paper as well as a quill and ink. ¡°Alright, here goes.¡± Xander opened his status up. ---You have defeated an enemy--- ---Bonus experience awarded for first defeat of an enemy of this type--- ---For defeating an enemy 10 levels or more above you, you have been granted the title ¡°Slayer¡±--- ---[Slayer]--- Damage against targets that are a higher level than you is increased. ---[Artificer] leveled to 3--- ---[Soldier] leveled to 3--- ---[Artificer] level 3 skills--- [Improved Manipulation] ¨C Manipulate the form of a material. Reduced cost for [Create]d materials ---[Soldier] level 3 skills--- [Recon by Fire] ¨C Designate one projectile, which will detect hostile entities within 30 feet for 2 minutes. Cooldown: 10 minutes, Mana Cost: Low ¡°Oh, I leveled up after that gryphon,¡± said Xander. ¡°I guess that¡¯s not too surprising considering how low a level I am. Let me get this turned around for you now that I¡¯ve read through all this.¡± Xander again willed his status sheet to turn around to face outward, but this time focused on all the details of it. ¡°Mmm, looks good so far,¡± said Dorly. ¡°I can see it¡¯s your full status. Very nice titles there for your level, I assume that you got [Slayer] from the gryphon?¡± Xander nodded. ¡°Mmhm.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get to copying this down, let¡¯s see¡­ Xander Jones, human¡­¡± Dorly began copying out the status sheet while occasionally glancing back up to confirm some information. In only a couple minutes, she had completed the copy. Xander Jones, Human [Godsmarked] [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] ¨C You may receive additional objects from defeated foes [Speak in Tongues] ¨C Proficiency in languages of new realm provided [Quest] ¨C Patrons may provide you with tasks and rewards [Reformation] ¨C Physical ailments and deformities have been healed [Cargo Space] ¨C Integrated inventory function in status window [Titled] ¨C You have a greater chance of receiving titles than normal [Regenerative] ¨C You heal more quickly than usual, to the point where, given enough time, you may even regrow a limb [Slayer] Damage against targets that are a higher level than you is increased [Artificer] Level 3 [STORE] - [Analyze]d materials are stored for future usage by [Creation] [ANALYZE] ¨C Determine the material and relevant properties of an object within 1ft of caster [Creation] ¨C Creates a [Store]d material. Mana cost depends on quantity, rarity, and other factors. Mana cost: Low ¨C High [Improved Manipulation] ¨C Manipulate the form of a material. Reduced cost for [Create]d materials [Measure] ¨C determine exact measurements of an object that has been analyzed [Schematic] ¨C Store entire objects to be used with [Creation] [SOLDIER] Level 3 [ETERNAL MARCH] ¨C Increased Endurance. Scales with level. [WEAPONS OF WAR] ¨C Additional proficiency with melee and ranged weaponry. Scales with level. [SHOCK AND AWE] ¨C Inflict significant additional damage upon a successful strike. Mana cost: Medium, Cooldown: 3 minutes. [Sprint] ¨C Increase movement speed. Mana Cost: Low [Effective Ordnance] ¨C You may imbue an elemental effect into one attack. Mana cost: Medium, Cooldown: 3 minutes ¡°There we are,¡± said Dorly. ¡°Now we just have to get you signed on. Wait a moment while I grab a copy of the membership forms from the back room.¡± She retreated from the counter to a door set into the far wall before returning a short time later with another few pieces of paper in her hands. ¡°Okay, so, all you have to do is sign here,¡± Dorly indicates a blank space on the paper, ¡°and you¡¯ll be an official member. Don¡¯t worry about dues or fees, that comes out of the payments for your successful contracts. All these papers really say is that if you do anything illegal, steal from or harass another guild member, etcetera, etcetera, then the guild reserves the right to revoke your membership. Feel free to take your time reading it though.¡± Xander took the small stack of papers, which was revealed to be two copies, which he assumed meant he would be able to keep one and leafed through them. True to her world, the majority of the document was rules about conduct of guild members. Nothing stood out to him for any of the rules, and the rest seemed to outline how the guild took its cut of payments for contracts. ¡°I think I¡¯m fine with this. I¡¯ll sign now. One of these is for me to keep?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ve found it¡¯s good practice to give new members a copy of the rules. It saves us from hearing the lame excuses of ¡®but I didn¡¯t know I couldn¡¯t do that!¡¯ we used to hear so often.¡± Dorly slid the quill and ink pot over towards Xander. He took the proffered items and signed, awkwardly as he¡¯d never used a quill before. ¡°There, now you are an official member of the mercenary¡¯s guild. There are branches all across the continent, in multiple kingdoms. Membership, which can be proved by this,¡± Dorly pulled a small, metal pendant of two crossed spears, can get you through a lot of tolls at city gates, too. Welcome to the guild, and good luck on all your contracts! Is there anything else you need?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think so. Oh! Thripus said you could tell me how to get to Talon¡¯s, right?¡± ¡°Oh yes, I¡¯d forgotten about that. Take a left out once you get out of the door, and just keep walking that direction. You¡¯ll see the sign soon enough; it¡¯s covered in the talons of just about every beast you could think of.¡± ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± ¡°Mmhm! Always happy to help a new guild member! Stop by soon and I can help you look through the contracts and get you some more information about the exploration contract I¡¯ll be signing you up for.¡± ¡°Will do, thanks again.¡± Xander made his way out of the building and turned left. Soon enough, he came upon a building with a sign hanging from its eaves that read ¡®Talon¡¯s Mark¡¯ and was adorned with a number of talons. Xander noticed one that looked like the gryphon¡¯s talon he had sold, but the rest were a mystery. There were so many, to prevent the words carved into the sign from being covered, that quite a few of the talons were tied to strings and hung from the sign. Once he located the door to the establishment, Xander made his way inside. The Talon¡¯s Mark was a lively tavern. The tables scattered across the open space were mostly full, and the bar was similarly full. Xander stood in the doorway for a moment, feeling awkward as he tried to locate Thripus. The dwarf¡¯s height was not doing Xander any favors in making it easier for him to find Thripus. A few more agonizing moments of searching and he finally caught sight of the dwarf at the bar, with a fortunately empty seat next to him. Xander moved to sit down next to the dwarf. ¡°Hi Thripus. I got all set up at the guild. There was even an exploration contract coming up that I¡¯m getting my name on!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard about that one. The guild¡¯ll be happy to have you on it, they¡¯ve been trying to find a few more people to get on that contract for a week or two now. Not so many people are as keen on exploration contracts as they are on kill contracts.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Well, part of it is that some people view exploration as more ¡®work¡¯ than just hunting down something and killing it, even if it is less dangerous. The other, and more important part is that many classes gain experience through defeating things. They might also have other ways to gain experience in that class, but essentially being paid to progress is appealing to a lot of people.¡± ¡°I guess that makes sense. Maybe I¡¯m just not confident enough in my abilities yet, or maybe I¡¯m just risk averse, but kill contracts just don¡¯t appeal to me as much as exploring. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll end up taking some eventually, though. I don¡¯t fancy ending up poor.¡± ¡°Well, the guild is the right place for you, then. Play your cards right, and you can take some very well paying contracts, assuming you meet the requirements. As it is right now, though, it¡¯s pretty unlikely you would. As you level up, though, more and more things will become available to you.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, speaking of leveling up, it turns out I leveled up after we killed that gryphon. And I got a title from it,¡± said Xander. His casual comment about slaying gryphons and gaining titles drew a few inquisitive looks for a moment from the people seated closely, but no one interjected, and they all returned to their drinks. ¡°Not surprising, considering the level difference between you two. I¡¯d be more surprised to hear that you hadn¡¯t, the only shock is that it took you that long to notice. ¡®Spose you¡¯re just not in the habit yet of checking it frequently. You¡¯ll get used to it and find yourself opening it all the time. The title¡¯s rarer, but not exactly out of line for striking the killing blow like you did on an enemy significantly more leveled than you are. What was it? Get anything good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s uh¡­ hold on let me check again.¡± Xander opened his status sheet again and looked at his new title. ¡°It¡¯s called [Slayer], and it makes me deal more damage to things that are higher leveled than me.¡± ¡°Oooh, that¡¯s a good one,¡± said Thripus, who seemed not the slightest bit drunk despite having already knocked back an entire cup of whatever he was drinking during their conversation and starting on a refill the barkeep had poured him. ¡°Not the most uncommon one to have, I¡¯ve actually got it myself, but it¡¯s nice to have in a pinch, I can tell you that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Are there lots of titles? I don¡¯t really know much about them. Do they all provide some kind of bonus? And do those drinks not hit you at all?¡± ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s the endurance stat. That and the fact that I¡¯m a dwarf. Between the two, it¡¯s a pain in the ass to actually get drunk. As far as titles are concerned, there are more than I could even begin to count. Not all of them give a bonus, though, it just seems that they¡¯re a recognition of whatever it is that controls the status sheets has deemed to be a worthy feat. Most think it¡¯s the gods. Not all are good though. Dorly might have told you during the check of your status that she¡¯d be looking for any titles that would disqualify ya. Things like [Murderer], [Rapist], [Desecrator], titles like these can mark you as someone who has committed crimes. It¡¯s not a foolproof way of catching someone, as there¡¯s no guarantee that you¡¯ll get the title after doing it, but the guild wants to keep out as much scum as it can. The chance of having something like that permanently branded on your sheet is a good deterrent, too. It just about guarantees that you¡¯ll end up run out of town.¡± ¡°I see. Glad to learn that, not that I¡¯d intended on doing any of those things. How do I go about getting a room here? And a meal, too. I¡¯m pretty hungry now that I think about it. I¡¯ve never stayed at an inn like this before, things were different where I came from. Places to eat and places to stay at were generally separate things.¡± ¡°Ah, just call the barkeep over. Briggs is here tonight, and he¡¯s the owner of the place. Used to be a mercenary, that¡¯s where all the talons on the sign came from. Most of them are trophies from some contract or other he took back in his younger days, although it¡¯s tradition at this point for a patron to give Briggs a talon to put up on the sign if they come across one that isn¡¯t already up. They get some free drinks out of it, too. He and his wife, Gerty run a tight place. Things might get loud, but fights aren¡¯t tolerated, the food is good, and the beds are clean enough. It¡¯s a good price for what you get. Briggs!¡± Thripus called over to the man behind the bar, who was currently filling up mugs with what Xander assumed was beer. ¡°My friend here wants to rent a room for a week or two, and a meal too, when you¡¯ve got the time.¡± Briggs waved in Thripus¡¯s direction to signal that he¡¯d heard and went about placing the mugs he¡¯d filled in front of different patrons. Afterwards, he made his way over to Thripus and Xander. ¡°A meal and a room, eh? I think I can oblige you, long as you¡¯ve got the coin. If you¡¯ve made a friend of Thripus, then you¡¯re lucky, assuming he¡¯s as loyal a friend as he is a customer. Do you even drink anywhere else, Thripus?¡± Briggs laughed slightly as he ribbed Thripus. ¡°I can vouch he¡¯s got the coin, and I expect he¡¯d like something simple,¡± at this Thripus turned his head to Xander, who nodded. ¡°He¡¯s new to town, and well, everywhere else, too.¡± At this, Thripus very obviously mouthed ¡®[Godsmarked]¡¯ to the barkeep, which Xander presumed was to keep attention away from him that would be drawn if Thripus had actually said the word aloud. He appreciated it if that was the case. ¡°So he¡¯s a bit tight on funds, if you catch my meaning. Maybe you could throw him the welcome to town discount, yeah?¡± Briggs nodded sagely. ¡°I see, I see. Met a few like you when I was still doing guild work. So I know starting out fresh like that can be hard. I think I can work out a bit of a discount for you. How long will you be staying?¡± Xander pondered the question for a moment. ¡°Uhm, I¡¯ll be leaving this next week to go on an exploration contract, but Dorly didn¡¯t give me the exact date. I was supposed to get more information about it tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh that contract? There¡¯s another guildie staying here already for that one; you¡¯ll want to be staying for five days then.¡± Xander was glad that Briggs happened to know the date he¡¯d be leaving. Five days would give him some time to learn about the town and pick up some supplies. He¡¯d have to ask Dorly what he¡¯d need, as well as read up on the literature he¡¯d brought with him for ideas. ¡°Five days then, thanks for letting me know.¡± ¡°For your circumstances, I can do a silver a day, meals included.¡± Xander looked over to Thripus, who nodded, signaling that this was good deal. ¡°Sounds good. I can pay now? I¡¯ve got uhm¡­¡± Xander placed his hand under the bar counter for a moment and surreptitiously called some coins out of his inventory space. ¡°How many of these little copper coins make a silver?¡± ¡°Gods, Thripus, you really weren¡¯t lying about him being new. You didn¡¯t teach him anything about money? You¡¯re lucky he didn¡¯t stop to buy anything between here and the guild, some merchant would have robbed him blind!¡± Briggs chastised the dwarf for his lack of financial advice. ¡°10 of those is a silver, and 10 silver make a gold. After that it¡¯s platinum, which is 1000 gold, but you hardly ever see those around these parts. So that¡¯ll be five silver.¡± Xander quickly pulled some more copper coins out of his inventory until he had 50 of the small, copper disks, and placed them on the counter for Briggs, who quickly scooped them up and counted them faster than Xander would have thought possible. ¡°Pleasure doing business with ya. I¡¯ll bring you by some stew and an ale, if that¡¯s to your liking. What¡¯s your name, by the way?¡± ¡°Xander. Nice to meet you. Sure, stew sounds fine. I¡¯m just happy to eat.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, yourself. Name¡¯s Briggs if you hadn¡¯t caught on already.¡± Briggs turned to his right and headed towards a door to another area behind the bar, presumably a kitchen area, collecting more empty mugs as he went. Thripus turned to Xander and said, ¡°I¡¯m just about finished here, and planning to hit my bed like a rock. Glad you caught me before I left so I could swing you a deal with Briggs. He¡¯s always been fond of the marked after working with a few of them. If you need to find any place or anyone, you can ask him for directions. Man knows the layout of the town like it was his own tavern. He¡¯ll get you there with no trouble. Good luck on your contract, and feel free to visit before you go!¡± With that, Thripus placed a few coins on the counter, hopped down off his barstool, which Xander now noticed was taller than his own stool, and headed to the door. Despite the crowded atmosphere, Xander now felt very alone. Briggs brought him his food and drink, and collected the coin Thripus had left. ¡°Once you¡¯re finished, I¡¯ll have Gerty show you up to your room; the barmaid¡¯s off tonight, so it¡¯s just me and her tonight.¡± Xander nodded and ate quickly. The stew was good, hearty and full of what was close enough to be potatoes. The ale was less appealing, as Xander had never much cared for beer, but he was thirsty, so he drank it. When he was finished, he caught Briggs eye and waved at him as he was passing by with more empty mugs. ¡°I¡¯ll have Gerty out in a second with your key to show you the way,¡± said Briggs as he passed by with his armload of mugs. A few moments after he¡¯d gone into the kitchen area, a woman around the same age as Briggs, who appeared in his mid-forties, came out the same door. Seemingly knowing exactly where Xander was, she walked to him and said, ¡°I¡¯m told you¡¯ll be staying the next few days with us! Always happy to host a friend of Thripus. Come along this way and I¡¯ll get you upstairs and to your room.¡± Gerty gestured towards a staircase and exited the bar through a small gate where the bar ended before it would hit the wall. Xander followed, silent for lack of anything that felt worthwhile to say. Gerty led him up the stairs and into a hallway lined with doors. ¡°This one is mine and Briggs, if you need anything and can¡¯t find us downstairs, that¡¯s where we¡¯ll be,¡± she said, pointing at the door to a room that seemed to be larger than the others, if the space between it and the next door was any indication. ¡°And this one is yours.¡± Gerty stopped in front of the fourth door on the right. ¡°Here¡¯s your key, and don¡¯t hesitate to ask if you need us, dearie. Briggs told me that you¡¯re ¡®new¡¯ to town, as it were.¡± Xander offered a nod and a, ¡°Thanks,¡± in response before entering his room. Tired from a day of walking followed by strange social interactions, he locked the door, stripped down, and got in the bed. Laying there, with the muffled sounds of the patrons below coming through the floor, the realization that he was not at home, not even on Earth, and that he really might not see his wife, his family, or his friends ever again finally started to come crashing down on him. He began to cry and continued to do so until he fell asleep. Combat Artificer - 5 The next morning came, and Xander was tempted to simply stay in bed. He was still not over the shock of being so far away from home. The only thing that finally dragged him from the mattress was the fact that he was going to be going on a contract in less than a week and he needed to get supplies and more information about it. He decided the first task would be to flip through the improvised munitions handbook he had and see if anything seemed applicable. After about an hour of perusing, he had narrowed down a few things he might be able to achieve. The first was basic black powder, just charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter. The other two were ones he might be able to achieve as he had at least some of the materials in his inventory space, but he¡¯d have to visit an alchemist and see if he could find a few materials. The rest were things he discarded as completely unachievable, at least for now. He went through the list of things he¡¯d need to try and find in addition to the black powder ingredients: high percentage alcohol, which he assumed would be the easiest to find, sulfuric acid, potassium chlorate, and some kind of substitute for gasoline. With these, along with some of the things he¡¯d brought with him, he should be able to create a Molotov cocktail that he wouldn¡¯t need to light, as well as something with more kick than just black powder. **Author¡¯s Note: I¡¯m going to be intentionally vague on the creation of explosives. Yes, there is actually an old army manual for these things, but you¡¯re going to have to do your own legwork. I ain¡¯t teaching random people on the internet to make explosives** Xander made his way downstairs and saw Briggs at the bar, though it was significantly less busy this morning than the previous night. ¡°Hi Briggs. I need to find an alchemist for some uh¡­ reagents? Could you tell me where to find one?¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a decent one not far from here. Thartus deals in just about every aspect of alchemy you could find ¡®round these parts, and I¡¯m fairly confident he sells components and not just finished products. Take a right out the door, then cross the street once you get to the smithy. Thartus¡¯s shop should be right there in front of you, just ¡®cross the road from the smith. Oh, and whatever you¡¯re doing with those reagents, no alchemy in my rooms, thank you very much. Not after the last time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find somewhere outside to do it, don¡¯t worry. I think that would be best. Thank you for the directions.¡± Xander made his way outside, this time in just his camouflage uniform. His plate carrier, helmet, and weapons were stashed back in his inventory space, both to keep him from having to haul them around, and because it felt odd to wear them around town. Briggs¡¯s instructions proved accurate and Xander soon found himself outside of Thartus¡¯s shop, which had a sign beside the door reading Thartus¡¯s Alchemy: Potions and Reagents. Xander stepped inside. ¡°Welcome, how can I help you today?¡± Xander was greeted by what was either a very short dwarf or a gnome. He wasn¡¯t sure if gnomes existed here, and it felt impolite to ask at this time. The gnome and/or dwarf was standing near a large counter, behind which were shelves full of various vials, bottles, and baskets full of liquids, powders, and many, many different plant parts. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m looking for a couple things, and I¡¯m hoping you might have them.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got a lot of things, so I expect I¡¯ll have at least some of what you need.¡± ¡°Good, great uhhm let¡¯s see.¡± Xander pulled out the munitions handbook, which had several pages dogeared and flipped through a few of the pages. ¡°I¡¯m going to need charcoal, sulfur and potassium nitrate. Or saltpeter, it¡¯s also called that. Also, I need high percentage alcohol, sulfuric acid, potassium chlorate, and some kind of liquid that is flammable.¡± The alchemist nodded along with Xander as he listed off the supplies he was looking for. ¡°I know I have some of those things, but you¡¯re going to have to be a bit more specific with a couple of those. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever heard of sulfuric acid or potassium chlorate. Can you tell me anything about them?¡± Xander was disappointed, but not exactly shocked at this. ¡°Well, sulfuric acid is, of course, an acid. Gives off dense, white fumes when you heat it up or boil it that are toxic. Potassium chlorate, uh, it¡¯s a white powder, and it kills plants. When it¡¯s really pure it can be volatile with sugar? That¡¯s about all I know.¡± Thartus nodded in understanding. ¡°The powder I have, some of the herbalists in town do in fact use it as a weed killer in a few of their more esoteric beds. As for the acids, I have a few that would fit that description. How much of each of these things are you looking for?¡± ¡°The smallest quantity of each you can give me, I suppose. Right now I¡¯m just trying to test some things out.¡± Xander decided to omit the information that once he had a tiny amount analyzed, he¡¯d be able to [Create] his own. ¡°Also, would you happen to have a small scale I could buy?¡± ¡°I do have a small scale I don¡¯t much use anymore. I¡¯ll sell you the smallest vial of each of these reagents as long as you also buy the scale.¡± Thartus filled and placed the requested vials and placed them on the counter. He looked thoughtfully at them for a moment before adding, ¡°Please don¡¯t assemble them in my establishment.¡± ¡°That sounds fair. I hope one of these acids ends up being the right one. How much is that gonna cost me?¡± The cost wasn¡¯t unfeasible for Xander, though it did part him with most of the rest of his coin. He just hoped he would be able to buy anything else he needed with the rest of the coins he had. Though he was realizing now that all he really needed was food, since he could create and manipulate raw materials on the fly. ---Materials Analyzed--- Sulfur Charcoal Potassium Nitrate/Saltpeter Alcohol (Ethyl) Alcohol (Wood grain) Potassium Chlorate/¡¯Herbalist¡¯s Friend¡¯ Sulfuric Acid/¡¯Oil of Vitriol¡¯ Nitric Acid/¡¯Etching Acid¡¯ Hydrochloric Acid/¡¯Spirits of Salt¡¯ Dragon¡¯s Tar Xander left the alchemy shop pleased with himself. He had everything he needed, and a scale would make the process that much easier. Now he just needed to find a spot to try everything out. Maybe the mercenary¡¯s guild had some kind of training area? That would work well enough, and he needed to get more information on the exploration contract anyways. It¡¯s also the only other place here I know how to get to, thought Xander. Decision made, he followed the instructions he was given to get to the alchemy shop in reverse, then made his way from the inn to the mercenary¡¯s guild building. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Making his way inside the building, Xander found it to be more alive than it had been the previous evening. He spotted Dorly behind the counter, but there were also two additional attendants, another woman as well as a man, who was currently going over the details of a contract with who Xander assumed was another member of the guild. Another few humans and dwarves were perusing the contracts posted all around the walls. Seeing as Dorly was free at the moment, and also the only person in the building he knew, he made his way over to her. ¡°Hi Dorly, I¡¯m here to get some more information on that contract we talked about yesterday. Also, I was wondering if the guild had some kind of outdoor training area? I want to test out some abilities and maybe do some alchemy, and I don¡¯t know where a good place to do that would be.¡± ¡°Oh, hello Xander.¡± Dorly turned to the other woman she had been chatting with behind the counter. ¡°This is the new member I was telling you about that signed up last evening!¡± ¡°Ah, nice to meet you, Xander! Dorly was just telling me that you had signed on for the exploration contract. My name is Yiselca.¡± She turned back to Dorly, ¡°You signed him up, so I¡¯ll let you help him out. I should be putting up this new batch of contracts anyway.¡± Dorly nodded at that. ¡°So, you want to do some training, and find out more about the contract. Both are good ideas. I didn¡¯t know you were an alchemist, too, but I suppose that might go hand in hand with your [Artificer] class. There¡¯s not a lot of specifics on the contract. Mostly just a time for departure and the location of the caravan that will be heading to the ruins you¡¯ll be searching. Exploration contracts can be like that. After all, if they knew more about the place, it wouldn¡¯t be an exploration contract. The caravan will be leaving from the eastern watch tower at dawn in¡­ oh four days from now. There you¡¯ll be able to ride with the caravan and meet the other guild members going on the contract. You¡¯re the fourth, and so far the last, to have signed up. As for a training area, there is one on the outskirts of town that the guild has cleared out for those with more destructive abilities to train at. It¡¯s also near the eastern watch tower,¡± Dorly helpfully pointed eastward, ¡°in roughly the same area the caravan will be leaving from. It¡¯s become the unofficial rally point for most guild activities, since most everyone knows where it is.¡± ¡°Thanks, I really appreciate all the information you¡¯ve been giving me. Time to go make some bombs!¡± Xander waved his appreciation to Dorly as he made his way back out. ¡°Some what?¡± ¡°Did he say bombs?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a bomb?¡± Using the eastern watchtower as a guide, Xander managed to make his way to the training area. It was fortunately empty at the moment, but he could see gouges and craters in the ground amongst the battered remains of targets and dummies. Seems like a good area to him for this kind of testing. He gathered some fallen sticks and bits of wood and quickly got a fire started before getting to work. His ability to create glassware was going to come in very handy for this. ---Materials Analyzed--- Black Powder Picric Acid Lead Monoxide Lead Picrate Xander was pleased at his success. The instructions were easy enough to follow, as they¡¯d been designed to be able to be followed in a field environment. Now he just needed to start leveraging his [Create] and [Improved Manipulation] to start making some components and more of the compounds he¡¯d just created by hand. ---Schematics Stored--- Fuse (fast burning) Reactive Cloth Chemical Fire Bottle Blasting Cap Grenade Body Grenade ¨C Black Powder (complete) Grenade ¨C Lead Picrate (complete) After having lost almost the entirety of his mana from creating one complete shotgun shell, Xander decided to test the theory that creating individual components and then assembling them by hand would be cheaper. He was ecstatic to learn that this held true. He was able to assemble several of each of the explosives he¡¯d created in this manner, while he doubted he¡¯d be able to [Create] a single complete grenade or fire bottle at his current mana capacity. It did feel like he had more mana to work with since he¡¯d leveled from two to three, though. Maybe one day he¡¯d be able to create bombs on the fly. Now was the actually dangerous part, though: testing his creations. He opted on testing the safest one first, though he supposed ¡®safe¡¯ was only relative considering it was regarding a bottle that would splatter flaming tar if things worked correctly. He moved to an area that had a stone half wall he could duck behind, gingerly carrying his created devices with him. He had to carry them all at once for fear of them degrading due to distance from him. He wasn¡¯t sure what would happen, but the idea that they would spontaneously ignite or explode was not out of the realm of possibility. Storing them in his inventory space for future use was going to save him a lot of headaches in the area of safety. Xander placed all his explosives down on the ground next to the wall and picked up the first of the three chemical fire bottles he had created. Nothing to do now but throw it, Xander thought to himself. And so he threw it, as far as he could. As the bottle shattered, the dragon¡¯s tar inside of it ignited. The stuff was perfect for this application, not only was it as flammable as gasoline, it was thicker and stickier. Burning globs of it were stuck to the target he¡¯d been roughly aiming at. It also had the very odd effect of burning a deep violet. Xander was happy the formula had worked with a substituted chemical, he¡¯d feared that nothing would happen. He tested the other two bottles and found similar results, which was confirmation enough to him that this method could create a consistently effective Molotov cocktail. He moved to the other end of the wall to test his grenades. He¡¯d made two with black powder and two with lead picrate, and he was interested to see the difference between them. This time, Xander remembered to put his ear protection in, even if he would regenerate his hearing from any damage it received. Calling out one of the several lighters he had in his inventory, he had the thought that he was going to need to find some other ignition source eventually. Maybe they had magical fire starters in this world. Xander lit the fuse, threw the black powder grenade as far as he could, and then ducked down behind the stone wall. There was a satisfying boom that Xander could feel in his chest. He slowly stood up and saw that the wooden silhouette he¡¯d thrown the grenade at had a large chunk taken out of it, and quite a few holes. A success in his books. The next black powder grenade was thrown away from any targets, simply an experiment to test if they detonated consistently. Two for two wasn¡¯t a lot of evidence but Xander felt confident enough that they¡¯d work. The lead picrate grenades were tested next, and Xander could tell that they had a little more oomph behind them. The resonance in his chest was stronger, and the target he¡¯d aimed at was even more shredded. Happy with the results of his test, Xander opened his status sheet to check how much mana he had left. He¡¯d used a good portion of it creating his test rounds and wanted to see how much he¡¯d regenerated. Instead, he was greeted with another message on his status. ---You have created devices--- ---[Artificer] leveled to 4--- ---You have successfully created and detonated an explosive device. [Demolitionist] class granted--- ---[Artificer] level 4 skills--- [Rune Etching] ¨C Knowledge of runes and how to power them with mana. Further runes and knowledge gained by leveling ---[Demolitionist] level 1 skills--- [Explosive Reagents] ¨C materials and reagents used to create explosives have increased potency [Reactivity] ¨C Touch one item, which, upon your command, will explode as if it were filled with the strongest explosive compound that you have created. Mana cost: high,cooldown: 2 hours. Xander was happy to see his efforts had rewarded him. [Rune Etching] was fantastic. The sensation of having the knowledge of runes burned into his brain was an unpleasant sensation, but he already had a few ideas of things he could do with them. He would be able to make his own ignitor for his fuses, and there were a few runes that could have interesting effects on the bone shield he¡¯d looted as well as his gladius. And [Demolitionist]. What a stroke of luck, he¡¯d be able to do so much more with so much less now thanks to [Explosive Reagents]. [Reactivity] honestly scared him. It hadn¡¯t specified a size. If he decided to cast it on a giant boulder would it work and create a huge bomb? The potential for destruction was massive, and the idea that he could make anything explode just made it scarier. Imagine someone touching a button on your shirt and then it explodes an hour later. Terrifying. Considering that his status had updated, Xander decided he¡¯d go back to the guild. He didn¡¯t feel like using up any more of his mana making components. The lower his mana went, the more his head was starting to hurt. His mana was regenerating more quickly than it had even one level ago, but he didn¡¯t want to have a headache for a few hours while it regenerated. Combat Artificer - 6 Entering the mercenary¡¯s guild once more, Xander made his way up to the counter. Dorly was engaged with another merc discussing the details of a kill contract, so he made his way to Yiselca, who was free. ¡°Hi, I think I need to update my status. I leveled up while I was training. And I got a new class?¡± Yiselca raised her eyebrows at Xander. ¡°A new class already? You ''marked really do move fast. A single level isn¡¯t necessarily cause for your status to be re-recorded, unless you gained a particularly spectacular ability, but a new class certainly is. What did you get?¡± ¡°I got [Demolitionist], it¡¯s about making things that explode and then using them.¡± ¡°Hmm, can¡¯t say I¡¯ve heard of that one, not without researching our class lists, but we did have an [Explosion Mage] come through last year on a contract. He struggled to bring back confirmable proof of kills. Well, go ahead and show me your status and I¡¯ll get this added to your file.¡± Xander flipped his status screen around for Yiselca and waited as she copied it down once more. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll try not to come in too often for an update so I¡¯m not wasting your paper. Oh, also, what do you recommend bringing on an exploration contract?¡± Yiselca took a moment to think. ¡°Well, food obviously. There will be the opportunity to hunt, and the caravan will be bringing food with it as well, but you should always be prepared to be self sufficient for at least a few days. A light source is a must as well, torches if you can¡¯t afford something nonflammable, but then you have to be careful of potential gas buildups, at least if you¡¯re underground. Let¡¯s see, what else, what else. All the usual outdoors gear you¡¯d bring with you, for general tools you¡¯d likely want some kind of pry bar, rope of course, along with pitons and a hammer, because no one wants to fall in a hole. That should get you started. It really starts to depend on what exactly you¡¯ll be doing. This one is for some ruins, so some paper for drawing a rough map or taking rubbings couldn¡¯t hurt. Between yourself and the other guildies going, you should have just about anything you¡¯d need. You¡¯re new, so as long as you at least appear to be making an effort, no one¡¯s going to take it too hard if you don¡¯t have something. ¡°I appreciate it. Really, thanks for all the help. You and Dorly have given me a lot of advice already, and it¡¯s only been a couple of days. I¡¯d still be lost in the woods without people like Thripus and you two.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t mention it. We try to help all members of the guild, no matter how new they are.¡± ¡°Still, thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?¡± Xander noticed that there were people who looked to be waiting for an available attendant. ¡°Uh, no, I think that¡¯s it. I¡¯ll see you all later.¡± He waved and left the building. It had been made clear to him that he needed to get a few tools for this upcoming mission, and he intended to be as prepared as possible. The question was how to do it in the most cost-effective way, since he was low on funds. The answer was obvious once he remembered his skills. He could make them himself. However, if he wanted tools that could survive being away from him for more than five minutes, he would need to get the raw materials, which would still be a lot cheaper than the item itself. It would also be good practice for [Improved Manipulate]. Pleased with himself, Xander made his way to the smithy he had passed on the way to the alchemy shop the day before. It seemed as good as any place to find raw metal. He could hear the hammering from the shop already. Entering the smithy, Xander was blasted by the heat of the place. Inside was an average sized man, who was swinging the large hammer in his hand like he was three times the size he actually was. The effects of a skill and of status increases was still amazing to Xander, who just watched, impressed, until the smith was done hammering. When he had finished, he wiped his forehead and looked in Xander¡¯s direction. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve seen you in my shop before. Something I can get for ya? And call me Smith, everyone else does around this damn town.¡± Smith the smith made his way over to some finished products that were currently laying on top of tables set up around the space. ¡°You need armor? Weapons? Custom tools? I do it all, only barrier is material and price.¡± ¡°Uhm, actually, I¡¯m just trying to buy some raw steel. Doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s in ingot form, a broken piece, or even just dust and shavings. I need it to practice one of my skills.¡± Xander hoped the fact that he didn¡¯t need any of the man¡¯s crafting expertise wouldn¡¯t upset him. ¡°Mmm, bit of an odd request, but I think I can scrounge some things up for you. The shavings you can just take, saves me from having to sweep up as much. Have fun collecting metal splinters while I find some steel for you. Strapped for money as Xander was, he wasn¡¯t about to refuse the chance to collect a little bit of free material. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll get to it then.¡± He went about gathering small piles of shavings and curled shavings before forming them into a small block of steel and stowing it in his inventory. He got about a pound of steel this way. Xander doubted he¡¯d spend the effort again for such little reward, but it was still better than nothing. The smith was still rattling around near the back of the shop, tossing the occasional piece of metal, so Xander waited by the tables, feeling a little self-conscious. Not long after, the smith came towards him with an armload of various scraps of metal and a few broken items. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Dropping his armload on a table that was mostly clear of finished goods, the smith gestured to the pile. ¡°This here¡¯s about twenty pounds of steel. Still good metal, but it¡¯s either scraps that I¡¯d have to smelt down into larger pieces, pieces that didn¡¯t heat treat quite right, you name it. It¡¯s yours for two silver. I¡¯ve got a good supplier for metal that comes by regularly, so this kind of stuff tends to pile up and create clutter before I get around to using it. You¡¯re almost doing me a favor.¡± Smith laughed a little at that. Xander fished out two silvers worth of copper coins and handed them over to the smith. ¡°Thanks for the metal.¡± Smith shook his hand after collecting his coin. ¡°Thanks for the cleanup service. Feel free to come by if you find yourself needing more!¡± With his inventory nearing capacity now that he had loaded it up with twenty pounds of scrap metal on top of everything else he was carrying, Xander decided his time would be best spent getting food at the inn and then heading up to his small room to start on molding the steel and practicing his [Rune Etching] skill. Once in his room, Xander let the metal stored in his inventory clatter onto the bed. Then, he set about collating them all into four cubes of roughly the same size. He found it easiest to be touching the pieces, but he did find that if he concentrated hard enough, he could manipulate the metal when his hands were a few inches away from it. Now it was time to try out some of his ideas for [Rune Etching]. The library of information that [Rune Etching] had implanted in his brain wasn¡¯t massive, but it did hold some interesting knowledge and runes. The first thing he would create was a magical light. Forming a short, thin rod with a small bulb at one end out of the steel, Xander thought over how the process would go. Runes could be powered either by directly putting his own mana into them, or by a runic gathering array, which would collect ambient mana. The more mana a rune system required, the bigger the collection array required, either in size of the runes or by connecting multiple collection runes. For something like a light, Xander decided that a gathering array would probably be enough to power a few runes of light. So decided, he used [Improved Manipulate] to carve four light runes onto the bulb of the rod, one in each cardinal direction. Next, he carved a single gathering array as large as he could at the base of the rod. A line of etching was then run from the gathering array straight to one of the lines that connected the four light runes, forming a complete ¡®circuit,¡¯ as Xander thought of it. A dim glow began to emit from the runes on the bulb. But not nearly enough to be useful. Five more gathering arrays later, and Xander had what he deemed to be good enough to work as a flashlight or torch that he wouldn¡¯t need to recharge with his solar charger or worry about burning out. Being made of solid steel made it much sturdier too, though it was also much heavier. Maybe a light rune carved into a helmet would be good idea, so he could keep his hands free. Armor in general might be a good idea, now that Xander thought about it. His arms and legs were completely exposed save for his uniform, even when he was wearing what little protection he had. That could be made from his own [Create]d materials though; it would be sticking pretty close to him, after all. Next up was what Xander thought of as a magical lighter. There was a flame rune and carving that into a small rod of steel and then willing some mana into it cause a small flame to appear. Perfect for campfire tinder and fuses. Connecting it to a gathering area seemed like a poor idea. The only other runes that seemed applicable to his current situation were the sharpness and strengthening runes. Those he could carve into his gladius and connect to gathering arrays. And so he did. Up the center of the blade on both sides were a line of gathering arrays. On one side, the gathering arrays were connected to a series of sharpness runes that ran along the edge of the blade, and on the other was a similar setup but using the strengthening runes. Once he had completed carving the runes onto the sword, he found himself able to easily shave the hair off his arm, but completely unable to flex the blade. He was impressed. While he¡¯d been concerned about the actual combat worthiness of the blade before, he felt like he could attempt to chop down a tree with it now. That strengthening rune is going to come in handy for armor, too. It won¡¯t stop the force of a blow, but at least it should help keep things from punching through. Come to think of it, people would probably be willing to pay for things like this. I should set up a side business doing rune work. I bet Smith would pay me to put runes onto his work. Tempting as it was to continue with his work and create more tools, as well as armor, Xander was getting tired. The rune working had taken him longer than he had expected, though a good portion of it had been him planning out how to do it before actually etching the circuits. It was getting late, and he was at a good stopping point after finishing his gladius. Subduing the slightly manic urge to stay up through the entire night creating piece after piece. As Xander lay in bed, the thoughts of what he could do with the runes slowly ebbed away, replaced by an empty loneliness. His wife should be in bed next to him. He should be at home, and he should wake up in the morning, let the dog out and give him food, and then go to work. Not here, in this inn, in a world where he barely knew anyone. Sure, magical powers were neat, but if the options were between being with his wife and being able to shape metal with his hands, he¡¯d rather have his wife. Sleep came, eventually. He dreamed of strange, distorted shapes of steel, slowly morphing into vaguely humanoid shapes, but by the morning, they were forgotten. Combat Artificer - 7 Waking up, Xander¡¯s first thought was getting back to work. His second thought was visiting that blacksmith again to see if he could make some money. Anything to keep busy enough to ignore the crushing thoughts that had plagued him last night. He decided that he¡¯d be best served by completing his own projects, and then if he had time and mana, try and sell his services to Smith. There were still a couple more days ¡®til he needed to leave. The tools were a bit easier to create, as there was no etching involved. A crowbar was easy enough for him to make, as were the pitons, considering they were just a spike with a ring top. The hammer ended up being the hardest. He¡¯d gathered some sticks from outside for wood to create the handle, but it took him six different tries to get the balance right so that the head wasn¡¯t too heavy. He still had a few pounds of steel left over, but he decided to save it in case he needed it later, and just use created materials for his armor. Xander figured that the legs would be the easiest part to start with. He [Create]d some steel plates first. He formed one plate around the toe of his boot, then another further up, laced together with strips of leather [Analyze]d from the gryphon. He continued this process until he had a full articulated cover for his foot and ankle. For his calves, two plates, on in front and one in back were made, with the front extending upwards and past his knee to protect the joint. A similar setup was used for his thighs as well. He decided that the plate carrier he used would be good enough for now on his torso, though he''d be etching some strengthening runes into the ceramic plates. Arms were similar to legs, but scaled down, and he essentially just coated a pair of gloves he had brought in small plates for hand armor. The helm was going to be tricky. He felt that the ACH he had brought left him a little exposed, his neck was completely uncovered, as was his face. That could be bad in a hand-to-hand fight. He decided on something reminiscent of a great helm, but instead of a slit, he peppered the front of the helm with enough small holes to make it almost a mesh. He¡¯d be able to see out of it, but it wouldn¡¯t be letting someone¡¯s sword in. The strengthening runes he¡¯d be adding to it should offset the lost of rigidity that all the holes would normally induce. He¡¯d have to give it a good test with his hammer to make sure before he relied on it. Now that the shaping was complete, and he had walked around a bit to confirm the fit of the armor itself, it was time to start etching runes. Xander went through the runes he knew from [Rune Etching], trying to see if there was anything else he could put on his new armor. Ice, no. Fire, definitely not, same for sharpness. Smoothness? Don¡¯t really see any benefit to that. Damn, guess hardness and a headlamp are all I got. Still better than nothing. He started with the helm first. He etched a single light rune onto the forehead of the great helm and followed it up with a riveted piece of metal that could be slid aside to expose the rune. Two gathering runes seemed enough to power the light sufficiently. A few strengthening runes, especially around the facial mesh, and then the rest of the helm was filled with gathering arrays to provide as much mana to the strengthening runes as possible. The rest of his armor, as well as the front, back, and side plates in his plate carrier, were treated in much the same way. A few strengthening runes, and the rest of the space filled with as many gathering arrays as possible. Xander¡¯s test was simple and straight forward. He took each piece out back behind the inn and beat them as hard as he could with his hammer and crowbar. He couldn¡¯t make a dent, not even on the mesh for the helm. The few scratched he did manage were easily filled in and smoothed over with his skills. A success, as far as he was concerned. He put the armor back on one more time and held up a polished steel plate to see what he looked like. It wasn¡¯t too shabby. The plate carrier was an odd look in the center, but the armor itself fit well, and the great helm was slightly intimidating. Thinking back on his experience with Estoc, Xander realized it was similar to the being¡¯s helmet in style. The final touch that Xander could think of was to create and etch a small gorget to cover the gap between his helmet and the top of his plate carrier. He felt like some kind of techno-knight with the combination of past and future styles, the MOLLE webbing on his plate carrier holding various pouches and tools, while plate looked like some kind of esoteric circuit board, covered in runes and lines. Oh! He¡¯d almost forgotten his bone shield. Soon, it too was covered in a spiderweb of lines and runes, greatly increasing its strength. Around half the day had passed at this point, but Xander found himself still energized from the creative process. He removed his armor and then stowed it in his inventory, then began to head over to Smith¡¯s. It was time to try and make a little bit of money before he left to go on this contract. The next two days were filled with etching. Smith had been ecstatic to be offered the service, even if it was only limited to a few runes. Xander had even worked out how to create a sword that could ignite into flames along the edge when mana was actively channeled into a circuit, though the amount of strengthening and sharpness runes had to be reduced to make space. Smith the smith¡¯s shop was littered with various pieces that had been etched, each of which he¡¯d paid up to a silver for, depending on the size and complexity of etching it. He claimed that the additional properties provided by the etching would allow him to almost double the price of the wares. Xander was still a little fuzzy on the value of money here, but he didn¡¯t feel cheated by the pay. It wasn¡¯t a lot of work for him, just tedious to ensure it was done properly. And if he was able to stay at an inn for five days with five silver, meals included, he figured that the thirty or so silver he¡¯d managed to earn in those two frantic days would be plenty for the trail. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Soon enough, it was time to leave. Xander had bought some preserved foodstuffs to supplement his remaining MREs and was feeling confident that he had everything he could think of for this trip. The alarm he had set on his watch blared as he awoke. He¡¯d roughly calculated when dawn should be so that he could be up in time to get to the meeting point, but he¡¯d misjudged and ended up a little earlier than he probably needed. Better than being late, though. Xander decided he¡¯d just go ahead and get to the spot and wait. Xander did his best to exit the inn quietly while wearing an entire suit of armor. He was mildly successful, or at the very least no one deigned to shout at him for waking them up. Klimp was much more peaceful at this hour. Hardly anyone was out and about, and the road was empty. A few early risers had opened their shutters to let the air in or were leisurely opening their shops. It was nice to be able to take his time getting to the Eastern watch tower. At the watch tower, there were already a few people setting up. The wagons had evidently been staged the night before, and a few strong looking people were hauling additional crates onto the carts or shuffling them from one to the other. There was a group of three people who Xander presumed to be the other mercenaries that would be going along with the caravan. One bushy bearded man was dressed somewhat normally, in loose clothing that seemed like what many people he¡¯d seen in the area were wearing but was carrying a staff. A few small crystals were embedded in the wood near to tip of the staff, as well as small rings of steel up and down its length. It appeared as suited to being used as a quarterstaff as it might be for casting spells, so Xander was unsure what classes that one might hold. There was also a dwarf, dressed mostly in chain armor, though he had plates in a few critical places and joints. A hammer hung from his belt, and a shield was slung on their back. Some kind of melee fighter, presumably. The last member of the group was a stick thin woman, who was also the tallest of the group. She had a bow slung across her shoulders, a quiver at her side, and a small sword, or maybe it was a large dagger, strapped to the other hip. Her weaponry, and the fact that she was dressed in lighter studded leather armor had Xander mark her as someone with an archery related class. She would likely be the one Xander would be operating closest to in a fight, considering he¡¯d prefer to use one of his guns than have to draw his sword. Not having met anyone involved in the expedition before, Xander awkwardly stood around trying to keep out of anyone¡¯s way. Eventually, the group of three took notice of him, though, and made a similar conclusion to his ¨C He must be the last member of the guild affiliated part of the expedition. ¡°Hello there,¡± greeted the bearded, staff-wielding man. ¡°Would you happen to be our fourth member from the mercenary¡¯s guild? Dorly told us that another had signed on. Said it was your first contract, too.¡± ¡°Hi. Uh, yes, that¡¯s me. I¡¯m still new to everything with the guild, so please let me know if I¡¯m not doing something right. My name is Xander.¡± Xander held his hand out to the man, who shook it firmly. ¡°Atrax is the name. [Fire Mage], and [Scholar of the Ancient], a pleasure to work with you on your first contract.¡± Atrax gestured to his companions, first to the dwarf, and then to the woman who was standing behind him, easily looking over his shoulder. ¡°And these two are Graffus, [Shield Bearer] and [Earth Wielder] and Frazay, [Archer], [Ranger], and also a [Druid of the Forest].¡± ¡°Greetings,¡± Frazay nodded politely to Xander. ¡°Howdy,¡± rumbled Graffusus. ¡°I like your armor. Rune work?¡± ¡°Hello,¡± Xander echoed back. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s something I just recently got from my class. I¡¯m still a fairly low level, so I can¡¯t exactly do a lot of runes yet, but it¡¯s been great for armor so far. I¡¯m an [Artificer], [Soldier], and [Demolitionist]. I could maybe do a few runes for you on the trip.¡± ¡°Three classes already, and just starting your first contract, things are going well for you,¡± said Atrax. ¡°I think we can manage to help you along with the things you might not know, but we aren¡¯t going to baby you either. The best way to learn about guild work is to do it yourself and learn from where you fell.¡± Frazay and Graffusus nodded along with Atrax in agreement. ¡°Thanks, I appreciate it. I¡¯ll try not to mess anything up too badly.¡± ¡°Something always happens eventually. We¡¯re only mortal. What matters most is how you handle that something when it does happen,¡± chimed in Frazay. ¡°By the way, what does a [Demolitionist] do?¡± ¡°I make things that I can explode. I¡¯m only level one in it, though, so it hasn¡¯t offered me too much yet.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Graffus ¡°well you just be careful where you use that. I don¡¯t want to be getting knocked on my ass in the middle of a fight or dealing with a cave in from an explosion. Atrax is bad enough with his [Fireball] already.¡± ¡°I keep telling you it¡¯s an optimal skill for clearing out clusters of enemies!¡± This was clearly a sore spot for Atrax. ¡°Not when I¡¯m in the cluster of enemies, damnit!¡± Clearly, this had happened on more than one occasion. Xander smiled wanly. ¡°I¡¯ll try to watch where I throw things. I have a decent idea of the effective range of my devices. I have other, more targetable skills, too, from my [Soldier] class. Though, they can be¡­ very loud. Ideally, I¡¯ll just be supporting you with my [Artificer] skills as we explore these ruins though.¡± Graffus laughed at Xander¡¯s final comment. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s funny. One thing you¡¯re gonna learn about exploration contracts is that it¡¯s not a question of if you¡¯ll find something that needs to be cleared out of the area, but what you¡¯ll find.¡± ¡°Hmm. Guess I¡¯ll just have to roll with it and see what happens.¡± Xander shrugged noncommittally. He really didn¡¯t want to have to do a lot of fighting, but if it happened, then it happened. He certainly wasn¡¯t going to neglect defending himself if something happened. ¡°So what do we do while the caravan makes its way to¡­wherever these ruins are?¡± ¡°Mostly just play caravan guard, on the off chance there are a few bandits around or some beast or other decides we¡¯re encroaching on its territory. Shouldn¡¯t be much in the area though. We¡¯re heading East and then South for oh, probably a couple weeks depending on our speed, and there¡¯s not much out there besides the normal things one might find in unpopulated woods and plains. Gryphons and skeletons could be found in unpopulated woods and fields. Xander shuddered at the thought, imagining a gryphon swooping from the sky to haul a man from the saddle of a horse, or skeletons shuffling towards the camp in the dead of night. ¡°Right, normal things. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be fine, then,¡± he said, sounding a little unconvinced. ¡°Well, you three at least know the job, so I¡¯m sure that will help. I¡¯ll try and keep up.¡± Combat Artificer - 8 The final preparations were done before the sun finished rising, and Xander found himself riding on the lead wagon. The road close to town was mostly smooth, and he wondered if there were people with class skills that kept the road in good condition. As they moved further from town, ruts began to become more common, and Xander learned to keep a foot or a hand hooked on something to keep them from bouncing him out of his seat. Lunch was taken on the road, and dinner was a simple affair after stopping. Simple stews and dried foods were provided by the caravan, and many people had brought their own stores to supplement the rather bland meals. Xander spent most of his down time in the evening the first two days creating more fire bottles and grenades, black powder and lead picrate. He¡¯d decided that he wanted to have around ten of each, since he didn¡¯t have to worry about the weight or them breaking or being inadvertently lit in his inventory space. Atrax had been very interested in the fire bottles and had begged to see one used. The look of glee he had on his face as he had watched the bottle shatter and then ignite on his own had revealed his inner pyromaniac. Once he¡¯d learned that the bottles Xander made would degrade when away from him, he¡¯d immediately offered an entire gold for the recipe and method of creating them. Xander was reluctant at first, but ultimately decided to take him up on the offer. A gold was a lot of money for him right now, and besides, the man could literally conjure fireballs from his hands. Being able to make a Molotov cocktail was not going to make him any more dangerous to the world than he already was. Once he¡¯d reached the number of grenades and fire bottles he¡¯d set for himself, he began to spend his mana on upping his stock of shotgun shells. It only took half his mana to create one, now, so he would create one, stow it in his inventory, and then wait for it to refill from half full before repeating. This netted him a steady, if slow, stream of ammunition and still allowed him to remain ready in case something happened. Since he was sitting in the front of the caravan, he¡¯d placed his shotgun in his inventory and taken the .22 rifle from it. He wasn¡¯t expecting it to be more effective in any situation he¡¯d need it than the shotgun would end up being, but it did have a scope on top of it. The land had flattened out after the second day of Eastward travel, and he¡¯d taken to regularly scanning the distance with the scope to see if there was anything or anyone he could see. The only thing of note he¡¯d yet to spot were some birds, which were small and clearly harmless, and an oncoming train of merchants, which passed without incident. Atrax sometimes rode in the cart with him, and the two made light conversation. Xander liked the man well enough. Graffus had his own horse, or large pony - Xander wasn¡¯t sure how many hands tall a horse had to be to stop being a pony, nor did he much care ¨C and he occasionally rode to the front to check if anything had been seen and make conversation as well. Frazay had surprised Xander when, about an hour out of town, a large stag had come to the caravan and allowed her to ride it. The animal still seemed wary of the caravan, though, so she mostly rode in the back. Perks of being a [Druid of the Forest] he assumed. He wondered if the stag was the only animal she could call upon, or just the one she had chosen for this task. On the ninth day of travel, Xander finally noticed something through the scope on his small rifle: two small, green humanoid figures were dragging what looked to be the carcass of a giant spider into some nearby woods. When he¡¯d relayed the news to his new coworkers, Atrax had groaned. ¡°Ugh, goblins. Gods above these ruins are going to be a pain in the ass.¡± ¡°Goblins?¡± ¡°Right, I forget you¡¯re a ¡®marked sometimes.¡± Xander had finally admitted the reason he was clueless about so many common things to the team. It felt wrong to keep it from them when they might be relying on each other for their lives, and they had taken it well and appreciated his honesty. ¡°Goblins are about as smart as a dog, which is to say, not very smart. They¡¯re feral and live in packs in the woods, and breed like vermin. They¡¯re highly territorial, so they¡¯ll push out just about every animal from their territory. Once a big enough group of them forms and they start to starve from lack of resources, the group splinters and roam to other lands that can support them. They¡¯re cleared out any time they¡¯re discovered near a populated area; otherwise, they¡¯ll just constantly try and kill people. But out here in the wild, they can escape detection and sometimes large groups form. And a giant spider, you said? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was from the ruins we¡¯re headed to. They¡¯re more commonly found in that kind of underground space than in forests like this. If there¡¯s enough goblins, they¡¯ll likely attempt to take on the caravan once it¡¯s spotted, until we prove that we aren¡¯t worth the trouble. It¡¯s setting up shop near the ruins that they¡¯re relying on as a food source that is really going to rile them up. I doubt they¡¯ll stop coming at us until their numbers dwindle so much that they can survive as a pack on whatever else is in the area and no longer need the spiders in the ruins to supplement their food.¡± ¡°So, they aren¡¯t sapient? Can¡¯t talk, or anything like that?¡± Xander was uncomfortable with the idea of casually exterminating a group of humanoid creatures like that, though it was starting to sound like they wouldn¡¯t be allowing him much choice either way. ¡°The only sounds I¡¯ve ever heard a goblin make are grunts and growls,¡± offered Graffus. Frazay nodded in agreement. ¡°As far as I¡¯ve ever been able to observe, they¡¯re simply animals on two legs. It is uncanny how humanoid they appear, but even when I¡¯ve been able to secretly watch a group of them, I¡¯ve only ever seen animal-like behavior.¡± ¡°Weird.¡± Xander felt a little bit better about the situation now, or at least the morals of inflicting violence upon goblins. The things really were just big, green, rabid racoons. Which, thinking harder about it, was scary enough. A group of them would definitely be able to pile on and overwhelm a person. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°We¡¯ll need to inform the rest of the caravan that there¡¯s a possible horde of goblins in the area so that we can all be on the ready. I¡¯d keep your weapons close at hand for the next few days if I were you,¡± advised Atrax. The air of the caravan had become tense. Nothing else happened on that ninth day, but everyone was preparing for something. They were moving closer to a place that was within the presumed goblin¡¯s territory, so it was only a matter of time. The workers contracted with the caravan began carrying clubs around with them, or blades if they had one. The few scholars that had come with the caravan were doubly nervous and seemed ready to run at a moment¡¯s notice. Xander had made the choice to swap to his shotgun, and his mercenary compatriots were armed at all times. It happened in the late afternoon of the tenth day. A shout was raised from the right side of the caravan. From out of the woods which bordered the path they had been traveling, goblins began to swarm towards the caravan. Evidently, there was some kind of protocol for events like this, as the workers of the caravan began to draw the carts together into a wall of sorts, and then formed into groups to protect the horses and pack animals. Frazay¡¯s stag fled in the opposite direction to the goblins, released from whatever spell it was under. Graffus¡¯s pony was left with the other animals. As the caravan had formed up, so too did Atrax, Graffus, and Frazay, taking up a central position between the carts and the goblins. Xander hurriedly made his way to the group, though he¡¯d much rather be back with the carts. ¡°What do we do?¡± Xander was not liking this situation at all. The goblins were clearly worked into some kind of frenzy and were rushing towards the caravan. A large portion of the swarm had diverted towards the small group of mercenaries. ¡°Graffus will be the front line for the group. He¡¯ll use his shield skills to keep as many goblins off of us while I try to funnel the goblins to us. You and Frazay will be picking off as many as you can from behind us. What makes it by us the caravan will have to deal with, but the more we can handle ourselves, the less hard the caravan will be hit.¡± The goblins were almost on them at this point, and Atrax slammed his staff into the ground. To each side of the four mercenaries, a long wall of flame began to sprout from the ground. It wasn¡¯t enough to cover the entire length of the caravan, but a large portion of the goblins would now either have to go around the far end of the wall, or make their way through Graffus, who had already unslung his large shield and braced it. More than half of the goblins seemed to have chosen to try and fight their way past Graffus, rather than brave the flames or take a longer route. Soon, they were throwing themselves at his shield, trying to clamber over and around it. Graffus remained unmoved by the small creatures, despite the fact that Xander was pretty sure that the weight of the goblins in the frenzied sea of green was starting to crush the ones in the front against the shield. Any that made significant headway towards making their way past Graffus were met with a swift blow from his hammer, which crushed and caved in the chests and skulls of the goblins with ease. Xander decided that it was probably past time for him to begin doing something as well. Atrax and Frazay seemed to be having similar lines of thought. Frazay fired an arrow high into the sky, which, upon its descent, warped for a moment before exploding into a hail of multiple arrows, which rained down on the tightly packed creatures. Atrax lobbed a flaming ball from the tip of his staff near the front of the group Graffus was holding back, killing several and badly injuring more. The injured were soon trampled under the crush of green if they were unable to stay standing. Xander threw a bottle. He threw it hard, aiming for the center of the group. The chemical fire bottle shattered against the face of the goblins, and a swath of goblins were covered in the now ignited napalm-like substance. Graffus had said that he¡¯d only heard goblins grunt and growl, but Xander could hear the screaming from the creatures. A high pitched, keening shriek, that pierced the ears was let out by the burning creatures. As they fell, they were trampled by their kin, which in turn spread the sticky tar to their legs. It was horrifyingly effective. Xander threw another at the same area to keep the flames going, before pulling a grenade and his magical lighter from his inventory. He¡¯d chosen a lead picrate one due to the number of goblins and the fact that they were out in the open. Xander pitched the grenade as far from himself and his teammates as he could. The number of goblins had thinned significantly already, but there were still many to go. The grenade landed among the rear of the swarm as the five second fuse cord attached to it burned into the body of the grenade. The battlefield stilled, though only for a moment, as the grenade detonated, the attention of every goblin, dwarf, human, and horse taken for a moment by the noise of a grenade exploding. It was less than even half a second, but in the heat of the fight it felt as if it were a noticeable length. The explosion and subsequent shrapnel from the metal body of the grenade shredded the rear of the goblins, killing in a radius of roughly fifteen feet. More might have been injured at a greater distance, but the density of bodies was so high that much of the shrapnel never had a chance to go far. Xander threw a second, to similar results. Atrax continued firing flames to great effect, and Frazay had taken to firing arrows directly into the nearest goblins, with enough power that they would completely pass through two or three before losing the momentum to penetrate another. Xander pumped a few shotgun rounds into a goblin here and there that looked to be either eyeing the prospect of jumping through the wall of flames or trying to make its way around Graffus. The remaining goblins began fleeing not long after the second grenade. Xander hadn¡¯t even emptied the tube of his shotgun. It appeared the goblins had had enough of the intruders in their territory, at least for now. Xander found himself shaking slightly from the amount of adrenaline in his body. Then, the smell hit him. Burnt flesh, blood, and the loosened bowels of dead creatures hit him in the face like a thrown brick. He ripped his helmet off and vomited, doubling over to try and keep it off his armor. Graffus slapped him on the back as he finished heaving. ¡°Happens to lots after their first big fight. You get used to it after a while.¡± Graffus wrinkled his nose at the smell permeating the area. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t really get used to it, but you do at least stop losing your lunch.¡± ¡°Good work,¡± Atrax congratulated him. ¡°Those fire bottles of yours proved to be quite effective. And what was that other device you used? That was one of your ¡®grenades,¡¯ did you call them? My ears are still ringing! Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever seen an alchemical device that does that, though I have seen spells that were similar. But it packed quite a punch for someone without even ten levels to their name.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Xander weakly, still trying to recover from his stomach attempting to turn itself inside out. Frazay was still surveying the battlefield, occasionally removing arrows that still seemed usable from corpses. Xander also noticed her finish off the occasional goblin that was critically injured, ending whatever suffering it was in. Combat Artificer - 9 ¡°Say, didn¡¯t you tell us about one of your [Godsmarked] skills that had the chance to give you additional things from enemies? You should try that out before we move on. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to be around here when the smell starts to get even worse.¡± Graffus made a good point, but Xander was loathe to have to touch any part of the field of corpses in front of him. Pragmatism eventually won out, but only barely. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right. Ugh, I just don¡¯t want to touch them. This better be worth it.¡± Xander gingerly stepped past the former barrier of flames, now marked only by a line of burnt grass, and began touching corpses at random. After about five minutes of the sickening activity, something happened. Somehow, he could feel that [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] had activated. Xander watched, fascinated and horrified as the corpse he had touched began to fold in on itself, as if it were being sucked into a black hole. Soon, nearby goblins and parts of goblins were being sucked into the vortex. The wet crunch of corpses being compacted caused Xander to dry heave again, as the other mercs and a few of the caravan workers and scholars watched in morbid fascination. Eventually, the phenomenon stopped sucking in corpses, after clearing roughly 20 feet of the field. In the center of where the vortex had been crushing the bodies, was a fist sized, green orb, appearing to be filled with roiling smoke. With a small pop, the vortex ceased existing, and the orb dropped to the ground. Carefully, Xander picked it up and opened his status. ---You have defeated enemies--- ---Bonus experience awarded for first defeat of an enemy of this type--- ---[Artificer] leveled to 5--- ---[Soldier] leveled to 4--- ---[Demolitionist] leveled to 2--- ---[Heaven¡¯s Bounty] has created an object: Orb of Slaughter--- Orb of Slaughter --- Drive one target into a mindless rage. They will attack the closest living thing to them. Orb currently has: 1 charge. Kills until next charge: 10. ---[Artificer] level 5 skills--- [Ferrokinesis] ¨C Move a metal object without physical touch. Mana cost dependent upon weight of object. Reduced cost for [Create]d materials. Mana cost: low ¨C high. [Rune Etching] ¨C Additional runes have been added to library of known runes ---[Soldier] level 4 skills--- [Earthworks] ¨C Create a raised or depressed area of ground in a designated area. Mana cost is proportionate to the size of affected area. Mana cost: low ¨C high. Cooldown: 20 minutes. ---[Demolitionist] level 2 skills--- [Explosive Effect] ¨C Slain enemies have a small chance to explode at one quarter the effectiveness as if they had had\[Reactivity] cast upon them. Ability does not take effect if caster or allies would be within the blast radius, or if the caster does not wish it to. Xander relayed the effects of the orb, as well as the name his status window had given it, and the fact that he had leveled up. ¡°That¡¯s a nasty sounding orb,¡± commented Atrax. ¡°Driving things into a rage with power fueled by killing other things. Definitely a fitting name. I suppose the rage fits the theme of the goblins as well. Handy against a group, though. Suddenly turning one of their own against them can break up just about any cohesion a group might have had. Good find, I¡¯m jealous you have the ability to get things like that. Though¡­ I¡¯m not sure I want to watch, or hear, any more goblin compaction.¡± ¡°Yeah, neither do I. I get the feeling that I¡¯m not going to get anything else from the skill right now, and even if I was, I¡¯m not sure it would be worth it, having seen what I just saw. Let¡¯s just get the hell out of here. Do you think we took out enough of them that they¡¯ll leave us alone?¡± Xander did not want to have to deal with this again. His stomach ached from heaving after already losing its contents, and the smells were becoming a personal hell for him, and it was far, far too easy to recall the screaming of the goblins as they had burned. He just knew he would be hearing it in his mind tonight while trying to sleep. ¡°At least for now, though I worry that there are still enough in the overall horde for them to attempt again once they discover that we are interfering with one of their food sources,¡± posited Frazay. The rest of the caravan seemed just as keen to move on as Xander did. Not even considering how the place would start to smell soon, a slaughter of this magnitude would soon draw a plethora of predators and scavengers. Best not to be around for that. Everyone had had enough fighting for the day. A few of the workers had been injured, though none too badly, thanks to the mercenaries thinning the tide of goblins. A few nasty bites that needed to be sterilized and then bandaged, simple injuries that could be treated on the move. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. They had moved as fast as the animals would allow them to and had made good speed away from the site of the goblin attack with the remaining daylight they had. Camp was set up the same as it always was, and dinner was doled out. Some of the tension had eased, as the consensus was that the goblins were unlikely to make another move tonight or within the next few days. Stories and boasts were passed around the workers, who had broken into small groups around their fires. Who had saved who, boasts of which one of them had killed the most goblins. No one boasted to the mercenaries, who were around their own campfire, though. The killing field they had created to protect the caravan still had many of the members of the expedition awed. The scholars discussed what they might find in the ancient ruins, what kingdom or race it had belonged to, and more than one theorized the origin of the incident involving the creation of the orb. Xander found himself on the first watch shift and distracted himself by patrolling and practicing [Ferrokinesis]. Causing a small metal marble to float, circle his body, and perform various maneuvers in mid-air proved to be a good source of entertainment. He was able to get a good amount of velocity behind it as well. The ability had the potential to launch darts, or maybe even his grenades if he spent enough mana or gained more power and control as he leveled. After being relieved from his shift, he collapsed into his sleeping bag and quickly fell asleep, exhausted from the day. The next morning came too soon. Xander awoke to the sounds of the camp beginning its morning. He still felt drained, and groggy. He knew they would be packing up and leaving soon, though, so he dragged himself from the comfort of his sleeping bag and the inflatable mat under it. At least packing up was a quick affair when he could simply roll things tightly and then pop them back into his inventory. Feeling too lazy to actually make his way over to the cart that was serving breakfast, Xander made do with his own personal stash, preparing one of his few, precious MRE coffee packets. He was going to have to find out if coffee or something like it existed here. Mornings were not his thing. The other three mercs seemed in a similar state to Xander. They¡¯d all exerted themselves in one way or another during the fight and were feeling the effects of that this morning. Atrax haggardly packed up his bedroll before throwing it in the closest cart, climbing in, and laying back down, using the bedroll as a pillow. Graffus seemed to be in better shape, his class must provide him a source of endurance or something similar, but he was still letting out jaw cracking yawns as he prepared his pony for the day¡¯s journey. Frazay still hadn¡¯t managed to make her way from her own bedroll. Graffus pulled the roll out from under her once he had finished his own packing and was met with grumbled curses as Frazay slowly stuffed the few belongings she had pulled out the night before into her bags. Shortly afterwards, the caravan was on its way again. The caravan master reckoned that they would reach their destination by the end of the day and could begin setting up a staging area for the research and clearing of the ruins. Xander just hoped that there would be somewhere he could wash himself. If there wasn¡¯t, he would make one. He could [Create] water, though he wasn¡¯t sure if it would hydrate someone who drank it, considering the restrictions the ability had on food. It should do just fine for washing grime and blood off, though. He was feeling beyond greasy at this point. The last leg of the journey was uneventful. Lunch was, as usual, taken on the road, and the expedition reached the ruins before the light had died. In front of them was a large mound, reminding Xander somewhat of a Native American burial mound. A few obelisks still stood, lining what might have once been a road leading to the mound. Most were in pieces and on the ground, though. Words that Xander¡¯s [Speak in Tongues] was unable to translate were carved on the blocks. The line of obelisks terminated at a stone doorway set into the side of the mound. The doorway was mostly overgrown with brush, as was much of the mound, but the outline of the large arch was still visible. As soon as the caravan stopped, the five researchers that had come along were investigating the stone obelisks, discussing the origin of the language, and taking rubbings of the carvings. The working theory was that it was an ancient dwarven ruin, possibly founded during the diaspora they had experienced after a devastating civil war which was followed by a poorly timed conflict with an elven kingdom. The workers of the caravan were beginning to unload many of the crates, unpacking them to reveal large tents, desks for the researchers, and various other amenities for a semi-permanent camp. The mercenaries might only be here long enough to secure the area and wait for the arrival of more mundane guards, but the workers and researchers would be spending a long time wringing every bit of information they could out of the site. Xander waited with the other three mercs, who were alternating between observing the set-up process and scanning the area of the mound and nearby forest to ensure that nothing caught them unawares. ¡°So, what do you think it is?¡± asked Xander ¡°Looks like dwarven ruins,¡± answered Graffus. ¡°Been to a couple of cities that had a similar entrance, though those were still inhabited. Most of us dwarves don¡¯t like to move unless we have to. For the whole place to fall to ruin, something would have had to happen that would either force the population to move or killed so many that they could no longer maintain it. No idea what, though. Earthquake, war, massive pocket of underground gases, hell, they might have hit one of the underhive roads exposed themselves to a war with one of the kingdoms down there.¡± ¡°The underhive? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Thats what the race of bug people who live in massive tunnel systems and caves call themselves.¡± ¡°Graffus, they¡¯re called insectoids, not bug people. Don¡¯t be rude,¡± interjected Frazay ¡°Yeah whatever,¡± Graffus brushed the comment off. ¡°In case you can¡¯t tell, I¡¯m not very fond of them. There¡¯s been a lot of conflict between dwarven kingdoms and underhive fiefdoms over the years. It¡¯s less common now, but skirmishes still happen, and tensions stay high. I will admit that the underhivers have become somewhat less isolationist in recent years. They¡¯ve begun to allow trade in and out of their lands for the first time that anyone can remember.¡± ¡°Uhhuh¡­ well I hope it¡¯s not bug people. Not interested in starting a war with anyone, thank you very much. I hope it was just, like, an earthquake or something.¡± The idea of a race of underground insect people living in some kind of extensive tunnel or cave system was a little concerning to Xander. It was sounding like you were taking a potential risk just digging a hole in this world. Combat Artificer - 10 ¡°There¡¯s only one way we¡¯re going to find that out, and we all know what it is,¡± said Atrax, who seemed less concerned about the situation. ¡°Destroyed in war, toppled by a swarm of monsters, toppled by one giant monster, leveled by a giant magical explosion, hell, I¡¯ve even seen a set of ruins that was slammed flat by one of the gods, according to the scholars that were studying it. At this point, I¡¯d be more surprised if this city fell into ruins in a way I hadn¡¯t seen already. Job¡¯s the same basic format every time: show up, establish a base, check the ruins and surroundings for anything dangerous, and then take care of the dangerous things. We¡¯ve even got part of it done already! We know there¡¯s goblins around we¡¯ll have to deal with. I say we get camp set up and then, if the goblins don¡¯t launch another assault tomorrow that¡¯ll thin their numbers enough for us to be able to take the time to go clear the ruins themselves, then we draw their attention to force an attack.¡± Graffus and Frazay both nodded in agreement. ¡°Sounds like as good a plan as any,¡± said Frazay. ¡°I think we ought to take the time to set up a better defensive line for the camp on the side facing the goblin woods,¡± added Graffus. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to defend against them even if it¡¯s something as simple as sharpened stakes placed as a barrier.¡± ¡°I can put my new [Earthworks] skill to use and help out with that,¡± offered Xander. While he wasn¡¯t looking forward to another clash with the goblins in the area, it wasn¡¯t looking like he had much choice. If it was going to happen, he might as well prepare as much as he could, and there were only two things he could think of: making more explosives and fortifying the area. ¡°Aye, that would indeed be helpful. Atrax, I say you and myself go commandeer some of the workers and put them to making stakes and barriers. Xander, you can use that skill, and Frazay, do you think you can scout the area and see how close the main body of the horde is?¡± ¡°Of course, you think a [Ranger] and a [Druid of the Forest] can¡¯t sneak around some goblins?¡± Frazay said in mock offense that there was even a question of whether she could scout out the goblins or not. ¡°Well, we¡¯d best get to it. Let¡¯s go put some of these slackers to work.¡± Atrax sounded resigned to the drudgery of pre-battle prep work. Soon, Graffus and Atrax returned with several of the stronger looking members of the caravan. Frazay had already left for the woods to scout. The workers were put to the task of downing nearby trees and stripping the branches for stakes. Xander would pump half his mana into [Earthworks] and create a long section of trench in front of the stakes, then wait for the skill to come off cooldown. The displaced earth was moved behind the stakes to create a berm and provide additional height advantage to the defenders. The addition of skills to the work made the process significantly faster than I would have taken on earth. After only two hours or so, a defensive line had been created between the camp and the forest. Xander pondered what else he could do to better prepare for the upcoming fight. The realization that he could create something that would launch his grenades and fire bottles further than he could throw them struck him as the most immediate concern he could improve upon. After thinking over how he might design such an object, he settled on using a crossbow body as the basis for it. What he ended up with, after several iterations and tests with empty grenade bodies and empty jars, was what looked like a crossbow mated with a pipe. The crossbow body was much the same as a standard crossbow, but where a groove would be set for a bolt to rest, was instead a tube which a grenade or a fire bottle could be placed in. Xander had opted to use steel cable for the crossbow string since he was able to create it, and he hoped it would provide more potential power, or at least make it less likely to snap. The strings themselves were attached to a small mesh made of more cable that the projectile would rest against. The first test using just a single string of steel cable had shattered the glass he had tested it with. The pipe was slit down the middle on both sides where the string would need to move. A small hand-cranked winch provided a method for Xander to pull the string back to its tensioned position. To fire, he would simply pull the switch on the ratchet, allowing the string to pull itself forward from the position it had been winched to and fire the projectile. Xander found that he was able to launch a grenade about one hundred feet with his new bastardized crossbow, and a fire bottle went about a hundred and fifty feet. A definite improvement over a hand throw. He wasn¡¯t sure yet what to call it besides ugly, though. Later that day, Frazay returned, once again riding a stag. She made her way around the stakes and trench to reach the camp before hopping down and releasing the deer back into the woods. She looked annoyed, which Xander assumed meant she did not carry good news. ¡°We¡¯re quite close to the main population,¡± she said. ¡°And there are definitely enough of them for us to be concerned about another attack once they discover us here.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± cursed Atrax. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can enter the ruins then until we thin them out. Anyone have a plan other than what we¡¯ve already come up with?¡± Frazay shook her head, and Graffus shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± said Xander, ¡°But I do have another idea. If I can find a long enough rope, or enough sections to tie together, I can lay them out on the field and cast [Reactivity] on it.¡± Atrax nodded. ¡°Sounds good. We should all prepare for a fight tomorrow, so if there¡¯s something you need for it, you¡¯d best start now.¡± Graffus, Atrax, and Frazay wandered off to inform the camp of the impending battle tomorrow, leaving Xander in the field. He decided to go ahead and get to work on his idea. The process of laying the rope out on the field was simple enough, though it had taken a little convincing to allow various members of the caravan to allow him to take so much. He laid it out on the field in a zigzag pattern, with a rough spacing of fifteen feet between rows. It didn¡¯t take him long at all to complete, and not much mana either. Casting [Reactivity], however, drained almost the entirety of his mana. ¡°Oof. That¡¯s unpleasant.¡± Xander groaned. His head did not appreciate such a massive usage of mana all at once. The worst part was that he knew he¡¯d need to keep spending mana through the rest of the day to make a good stock of grenades and molotovs. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The rest of the day was indeed a slog of creation for Xander. Grenade after grenade and then Molotov after Molotov were churned out. Weapons were handed out to those who could use them. All the members of the caravan were preparing for the fight to come. Even the researchers had been given bows this time. Aiming wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue with the density of goblins that would be appearing. Xander made time to carve runes into Graffus¡¯s shield, strengthening the already formidable armature. Dinner was a quick affair, and a heavier than usual watch was set, though the mercenaries were left off the roster for it, considering the effort they were expected to put forth the next day. Xander found it hard to sleep when the time came for him to retire to his tent and sleeping bag, anxiety over how the next day would play out chasing his thoughts in circles around his mind. While the last encounter with the goblins and how his guildmates had handled it had inspired confidence in their abilities in Xander, he was still concerned about the number of goblins. Would three professional guild members and one newbie along with a group of people without combat oriented classes be enough? He supposed it would have to be. The only thing that was keeping him from panicking was that no one else seemed concerned. The goblins seemed to be treated as if they were a nuisance, albeit a somewhat dangerous one. The morning came, as usual, with the sounds of the people around him waking, leaving their tents, or cooking food. Xander rolled out of his sleeping bag and made his way out of his tent. The sound his zipper made still drew eyes despite the fact that the people around him had been hearing it for nearly two weeks. Xander supposed he couldn¡¯t blame them. He hadn¡¯t seen a zipper anywhere else in this world. He found his guildmates performing similar activities to the rest of the camp. After breakfast, a plan was established. Atrax, Graffus, and Xander would take a central position at in the defensive line. Frazay would be the one leading the goblins to them. The rest of the line would be manned by the members of the caravan capable of swinging a weapon. Those that couldn¡¯t, would be behind them with bows, or even just throwing rocks if they were unlucky enough to have been unable to get their hands on a bow. It was decided by a large majority that it was best to get the task done with as soon as possible, and so the camp was emptied as the line was manned. Frazay was sent off, once more riding her stag. Half an hour later, Frazay could be heard getting closer, making loud whoops and cursing at the goblins who were chasing her. Soon, the growling and howling of the goblins could be heard, too, a chorus of bestial savagery. Frazay, riding her stag, burst forth from the boundary of the woods, followed not long after by a veritable tide of green. Xander was startled at the sheer mass of goblins that had come forth. Frazay turned her stag to the left and quickly made her way behind the defensive line before dismounting and hurrying to her position behind Graffus. The tide of green had made it halfway through the clearing between the defenders and the forest, and Xander decided it was time to put his trap to use. He willed [Reactivity] to work, and the rope the goblins had been trampling exploded. As the rope didn¡¯t provide any shrapnel, Xander didn¡¯t expect too many casualties, and this held true. What he had forgotten, however, was that he had gained the [Explosive Effect] skill. While the rope only killed a small number of the horde, it was enough to trigger two instances of [Explosive Effect]. The average goblin was roughly forty pounds. Which meant that those two goblins suddenly exploded as if they had had ten pounds of lead picrate detonated inside of them. This caused a massive amount of carnage, as the blast itself shredded the goblins nearby the site of the detonation, and the bone shrapnel penetrated goblins even further out. It was on this day that Xander learned that [Explosive Effect] could trigger itself. The two goblins that had originally detonated caused several more to detonate, which caused even more to detonate, the density of the swarm providing the perfect environment for the skill. In the blink of an eye, half of the goblins that had emerged so far from the forest had been turned into a red smear on the churned ground. The chain of explosions had left many of the surrounding goblins dazed, and the defenders¡¯ ears were ringing. The press of goblins still rushing from the forest began to push the front of the goblins¡¯ assault forward again, though. Seeing that the goblins were still coming, Xander began to put his bastardized crossbow to work. Atrax and Frazay similarly began to launch arrows and fire spells at the rushing goblins. A long-fused grenade launched itself from the tube on Xander¡¯s crossbow and detonated within the mass of goblins. The carnage wrought by the grenade launched another series of secondary explosions across the battlefield. Between the area of effect skills that Atrax and Frazay were able to put forth and Xander¡¯s apparent advantage over densely packed enemies, very few goblins even made it to the defensive line for Graffus or the other defenders to deal with. The flow of goblins ebbed quickly, and soon the few survivors were scampering back into the woods. A cheer went up from the defenders, who were happy the fighting had been so light for them. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll be coming back any time soon,¡± commented Atrax. ¡°I think we¡¯ve brought their numbers down enough that they¡¯ll be able to subsist on other food sources.¡± ¡°That was impressive work with the rope and the bombs,¡± said Graffus. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen someone take so many goblins out with a single skill.¡± ¡°Now go out there and touch some of them and see what horrifying thing happens this time!¡± Frazay was far too enthusiastic about the effects of [Heaven¡¯s Bounty]. Xander personally found the skill to be quite disturbing, albeit useful. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll go do it. I don¡¯t like it, but it is nice to get a reward for my work.¡± Xander walked around the stakes and trench and made his way to the field of corpses. The explosions had been terribly effective, and he found more parts of goblins in some areas than he did whole goblins. He nudged corpses with his boot until he felt [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] take hold. Again, a vortex began to pull corpses towards it. The number was much larger this time than when it had created the orb, and Xander wondered if the ability was commensurate to how many enemies he had slain in a fight or if it depended on what item the ability was creating. The skeleton hadn¡¯t been affected in quite such a way, but it had also turned into an item that was of the same material as itself. The sickening crunching and squelching of the vortex died down, and a mask took form in it. It appeared to be made of a dark, bronze-like metal, and was the shape of a grimacing skull. For some reason, it made Xander uncomfortable to look at. He reached down and picked it up anyways before opening his status. ---You have defeated enemies--- ---For defeating over 100 enemies with a single usage of a skill, you have been granted the title [Horde Breaker] ---[Artificer] leveled to 6--- ---[Soldier] leveled to 5--- ---[Demolitionist] leveled to 4--- ---[Heaven¡¯s Bounty] has created an object: Mask of Doom--- Mask of Doom ¨C Allows the wearer to cast \[Aura of Fear\] at zero cost. [Aura of Fear] ¨C Non-allied targets within fifty feet find the caster to be terrifying. ---[Artificer] level 6 skills--- [Improved Creation] ¨C Created materials do not decay away from creator until 24 hours have passed. ---[Soldier] level 5 skills--- [Unstoppable Force] ¨C Increases strength. Scales with level. [Rally Point] ¨C Allies within 30 feet of you become immune to the effects of fear-based skills. Mana cost: medium. Cooldown: 1 hour. Duration: 30 minutes. ---[Demolitionist] level 3 skills--- [Maker¡¯s Ward] ¨C Become immune to the effects of your own demolitionist skills and explosives you have created. ---[Demolitionist] level 4 skills--- [Esoteric Explosives] ¨C Created explosives can now harm incorporeal or completely magical beings. Combat Artificer - 11 Xander could definitely use this. Making things run away instead of fighting them would be a great option to have. And [Maker¡¯s Ward]. What an absolutely amazing skill. Can you imagine trying to fight someone who can just detonate a grenade on top of themselves? Xander sure couldn¡¯t. That ability would make him a pure terror to fight at close range. He¡¯d have to be careful not to get lax, though. His allies weren¡¯t covered under [Maker¡¯s Ward]. He was also surprised to see that [Demolitionist] had leveled twice. It did make sense, though. That class had done most of the heavy lifting in the battle, and he had killed a lot of goblins. It was also his lowest leveled class, so perhaps it simply required less ¡®experience¡¯ to level up. Xander was trotting his way back to his allied when his foot caught the leg of a fallen goblin. He half tripped, and then stopped as he felt [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] activate again. This time, though, only a few goblins were processed, and a large hammer was soon created. Xander picked it up and quickly opened his status again. ---[Heaven¡¯s Bounty] has created an object: Shield Hammerer--- Shield Hammerer ¨C Reduces the effects of enemy shield-based skills within 15 feet and increases the effectiveness of the wielder¡¯s shield-based skills. This was interesting. It was an item that Xander himself had very little use for. He had no skills in his repertoire that required the use of a shield. He would bet his single gold coin, however, that Graffus did. Did [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] take his allies into consideration when creating items? Or did it simply create a random item, and it was a fluke that the previous three had been ones that he could use, and it was mere luck that he knew someone who could make use of the fourth? Xander didn¡¯t know, and in the end it didn¡¯t much matter. He was going to use the skill whenever he could regardless. If he couldn¡¯t use an item he¡¯d either sell it or gift it to someone who could. He wasn¡¯t getting a feeling from [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] that there was nothing left to be created, so he made a round of the field again. Soon, Xander had two more items and what felt like an answer to his question. The fact that the items he had received were a bow and a staff were as close to confirmation as he felt he was going to get that [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] was considering his allies in what he thought of as his ¡®loot pool.¡¯ ---[Heaven¡¯s Bounty] has created an object: Productive Bow--- Productive Bow ¨C Allows the user to fire ethereal arrows in place of a physical arrow. Ethereal arrows cannot support the usage of an active skill. ---[Heaven¡¯s Bounty] has created an object: Firebrand¡¯s War Staff--- Firebrand¡¯s War Staff ¨C Increases the potency of fire-based spells. All four of the items Xander had created looked as if they had been made by a master craftsman. The skull mask appeared as if a real skull had been transmuted to metal. The hammer, which had a pick on one end and a flat striking head on the other, was adorned with a motif of shield bearing warriors. The staff was made of a silvery but light metal, and twisting its way up the sides was what appeared to be red enamel in the shape of flames. The bow was not decorated in the way the others were, but instead appeared to be made of branches or perhaps vines that had been grown together in the shape of a bow. The bowstring itself was of a material Xander was unsure of but reminded him of mycelium. Each one seemed a perfect fit for each of his teammates. Xander was happy to give the items away, much to his guildmate¡¯s surprise. They had tried to offer payment for them, and he had refused. ¡°I think the ability created them for you, not for me,¡± he said. ¡°Besides, it takes zero effort or mana on my part to create them. It¡¯s a literal Gods given ability, so it feels a little wrong to make you pay for them.¡± The three mercenaries quickly went about testing their newfound items. Frazay was manically firing translucent, green arrows into the open area of the field at a rate that Xander had never seen an archer fire before; No longer having to draw and nock and arrow had turned the woman into a veritable machine gun. Atrax had lobbed a fireball, which was noticeably larger, at the field of corpses. His grin threatened to crack his lips it was so wide. It had taken some convincing, but Graffus had managed to get Xander to take his old hammer and strike his shield with it to test out one of his skills. Xander was knocked flat on his back immediately upon striking the dwarf¡¯s shield, as the weapon he¡¯d been using rebounded so viciously it had taken him with it. Graffus had laughed like a madman, clearly pleased. ¡°Oh, we need to be taking you on more missions, Xander!¡± Graffus was still chuckling. ¡°If this is the kind of thing you can get for slaying a few goblins, imagine what you might find from a real fight!¡± ¡°I would like to point out that it was more than ¡®a few¡¯ goblins. It was more like a few hundred,¡± countered Xander. ¡°It even gave me a title! I got [Horde Breaker], although it doesn¡¯t seem to give me any kind of actual bonus. Still pretty neat if you ask me.¡± Atrax chimed in ¡°That is a nice title. Something like that might open some doors for you if there¡¯s ever a contract focused on some kind of horde monster, or if there¡¯s ever a war. There¡¯s always a need for mercenaries with wide area skills in those situations. And if you can churn out items like this every now and then, the guild would likely give you a bonus if you allow them to distribute them as contract rewards.¡± ¡°Thank you for the bow, it is a magnificent item, and I am in your debt.¡± Frazay was surprising formal in her thanks. The item had clearly made an impact on her. ¡°Please, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m happy to give them to you all. You¡¯ve been a lot of help to me these past weeks already. I hope working with other mercenaries is half as nice as working with you three. Maybe we can work together again on a contract sometime one we¡¯re done here.¡± Xander was sincere in this gratitude. The proximity of people he had begun to consider to be friends more than mere coworkers had eased the aching void in his chest a little, and helped distract him from the melancholy thoughts of home he would otherwise have drifted to had he been alone. ¡°Actually,¡± said Atrax, ¡°we¡¯ve been discussing it amongst ourselves since the first battle with the goblins, and we would like to offer you a formal invite to our little group here. We all think you¡¯d make a great addition. You¡¯re easy to work with, and you have a great balance of offensive and utility skills. Plus, you¡¯ve proven yourself to be a decent person, through actions like this,¡± he gestured to the staff he¡¯d been given, ¡°and the fact that you refused payment. We¡¯d love to have you if you¡¯re willing.¡± Xander was shocked, and elated. He hadn¡¯t expected to be included so closely in their group, at least not so soon. It was an easy choice for him, considering how well he had worked with the three of them so far. ¡°I¡¯d love to be a part of your group! Thank you, really. I don¡¯t think you understand just how much this means to me. I don¡¯t know a lot of people here yet, so the idea that I¡¯m not just going to be left alone and adrift again at the end of this contract is, well, just amazing, honestly.¡± Frazay nodded her head at Xander¡¯s comment. ¡°We hoped you¡¯d feel that way. We¡¯ve actually been on the lookout for a fourth teammate for a while, but you¡¯ve been the only one who really fit the bill. The three of us have plenty of combat experience and skills between us, but we really wanted someone who worked well with us that could round out the team a little, as it were. It will allow us to take on more kinds of contracts, too, so it will pay off for all of us, I think.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Atrax chimed in again, ¡°We should let you know that we aren¡¯t permanently based in Klimp, though. We tend to travel around and take contracts where we can before we move on. Just in case that changes your decision. We won¡¯t take it personally if that¡¯s the case.¡± Xander shook his head, ¡°No, if anything that makes it more appealing. One of the reasons I wanted to do exploration contracts is to see more of this world. I¡¯ve got nothing that ties me down to Klimp. The only thing I¡¯d want to do is say goodbye to Thripus and thank him one more time before we go anywhere.¡± Graffus slapped him on the back, hard enough to move Xander a few steps. ¡°Well then, welcome to the team. You¡¯ll soon learn that it¡¯s common for us mercenaries to form groups. I¡¯m just glad we snagged ya before anyone else could!¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t think of any other mercs I¡¯d rather team up with,¡± said Xander ¡°just ignore the fact that I don¡¯t really know any other mercs. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I think it¡¯s time that I started work on my most important project yet: a shower.¡± Xanders shower had ended up being easier to create than he had feared. It was a simple affair, shielded by some spare canvas that had covered some of the supplies on the wagon train. An open basin at the top fed into a spiraling section of pipe, on which he had carved flame runes and a few gathering runes. It wasn¡¯t enough of a mana flow to cause the runes to give off flames, but it did heat the pipe up quite a bit. It was a similar design to how a tankless heater worked. The pipe lead to a crude shower head that split the flow into multiple streams of water. He¡¯d opted to use his own personal supply of steel for it, as well as wood from the leftovers of the stakes for the pole he¡¯d mounted it on. That way he could leave the contraption in place without worrying about it degrading. He was certain that other people would want to use it once he was done, and he didn¡¯t want to be pestered every day to create a new one. His first hot shower in nearly two weeks was glorious. He¡¯d had to add a few more flame runes to the pipes to get it the right temperature, but even without the benefit of soap or shampoo, he felt a hundred times cleaner after washing the sweat, grime, and blood from his body. Once he¡¯d finished washing his body, he decided he¡¯d do the same to his clothes. He changed into a clean set of his camo uniform, and set about scrubbing his used pairs of socks, underwear, and dirty uniform. He¡¯d hang them up to dry on the ropes holding his tent in place. Once he¡¯d relayed to the rest of the team what a shower was and how it worked, Frazay had outright threatened violence against Atrax if she did not get the first round with it, shaking her bow at the man. ¡°Gods,¡± she¡¯d nearly moaned under the hot water. ¡°If you don¡¯t keep making one of these when we camp, I¡¯m going to vote we kick you out of the team!¡± Xander had laughed at that. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have to worry about that. I¡¯ve hated how gross I¡¯ve felt these past two weeks. Now that I¡¯ve got this down, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever go so long without a shower again.¡± Atrax and Graffus had been similarly pleased with the apparatus, though Graffus had grumbled about how high he had to reach for the knobs. After his three teammates had finished showering, Xander decided that the rest of the camp could fend for themselves and provide water for the basin if they wanted a shower. Xander pondered the mask he had received from [Heaven¡¯s Bounty]. He felt the easiest way to use it would be to integrate it into his helmet. He sighed. It was going to make him look so edgy, wearing a skull mask, but the thing was too useful to pass up. Xander took his helmet and began reworking it. Soon, the mask was seamlessly placed in the center of the helm, giving the previously faceless great helm a much more sinister appearance. The next part was to re-carve the runes that had been strengthening the face area of the helm. What he ended up with looked like something an evil cultist would wear. Not really his aesthetic, but it certainly fit the theme of the skill the item granted. He also considered his [Rune Etching] skill. His new level had once again bolstered his knowledge of runes. Most importantly, it had granted him the knowledge that certain runes could create new effects when used in conjunction. For example, a strengthening rune run in sequence with a flame rune could be used to create a fire resistance effect. He¡¯d have to start combining runes at some point just to see what he could get. The move interesting rune he¡¯d received was a movement rune. He got the feeling that he could supplement his crossbow-like device with movement runes. If he could get a good enough handle on the rune, he might be able to achieve an effect that would instead prevent movement, too. That could be very nice on a shield, allowing it to absorb blows much more easily. That would best be left for later though, considering that one, he was tired and just wanted a rest, and two, he expected he¡¯d end up fighting something in the ruins and wanted a product he could rely on without needing more testing. After celebrating their victory, many of the caravan workers were set to the macabre duty of creating a mass grave for the slain goblins, to prevent drawing scavengers and to cut down on the smell. Xander¡¯s trench ended up providing a good basis for it and was being widened and deepened by hand to house the mass of flesh that would need to be buried. Fortunately, neither Xander nor the other mercs were asked to help, in recognition of their contribution to the fight. Perk of being a mercenary. Linking up with his new team once they had taken their showers, Xander asked the question that had nagging his thoughts ever since they¡¯d defeated the goblins. ¡°How and when do we go about exploring the ruins now that the situation with the goblins in sorted out?¡± ¡°Well, we should take the rest of the day to rest, in my opinion,¡± said Atrax. ¡°It would also be for the best to be available to defend the camp so soon after such a large amount of blood was spilled. While the goblins have most likely driven off most animals in the area, it could still draw a large predator to the area.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± this came from Frazay. ¡°Tomorrow we can start on the ruins after a good night¡¯s sleep. We should go slow and be methodical. We¡¯ll need to map out the area, and check every room, side branch, cave, whatever we find down there, for signs of monsters or other inhabitants. If this place really is the source of the giant spiders the goblins had been feeding on, then there likely won¡¯t be much else down there, but we still need to do the job right.¡± ¡°I just want to hit something with this new hammer,¡± Graffus added. ¡°Alright, makes sense. I guess I¡¯ll take a breather and think about any last minute things we might need.¡± Xander waved goodbye to the group and made his way to his tent to lay down and relax now that he felt so much cleaner. Thinking about what he would need for the ruins he went down a mental checklist. Tools? Check. Light? Check. Weapons? Check. That was when he had the thought that, since they¡¯d be underground, he would not be able to use his grenades. Well, he could use them, but it wouldn¡¯t be a very smart idea. That would limit him to his firearms and the fire bottles. He would need to create a few more of those to compensate. The smoke would be an issue, though. There might be a few runes that he had gained that could be leveraged as a solution, though. Xander spent the rest of the day trying various combinations of runes to try and filter out smoke or create clean air. What he finally ended up with was a series of runes that worked in conjunction with more mundane means. ¡®Air¡¯ and ¡®movement¡¯ runes forced air through small sacks of activated charcoal, and a similar series of runes continued that airflow on the next side. This was all integrated into a small metal mask, similar to a half face respirator. Xander managed to make the entire apparatus small enough to fit under a helm so that neither he nor Graffus would have to skimp on armor. For his own helm, Xander opted to go a little further. ---Z87+ rated polycarbonate created--- ---Rubber created--- He sealed the eye holes in his new skull-faced with the impact rated safety lenses he¡¯d created, and then began melding the rubber to the base of the helm to prevent any smoke from entering through the bottom. Air was allowed in through a hole in the rubber, and filtered in the same manner as with the half face masks he¡¯d already created, and another hole forced air out to create a good flow. He doubted it would protect him much from a natural gas buildup as the real concern there was lack of oxygen, but it should keep him comfortable in a smoke-filled environment. Maybe one day he¡¯d even invent some kind of flame thrower. He could imagine creating some kind of pump with the movement runes. Combat Artificer - 12 Dinner was better than usual. The caravan cooks had evidently broken into their own spice stashes to improve the night¡¯s meal. There was even some ale passed around. Xander went to bed full, and feeling as prepared as he could be for the days ahead of him. He dreamed of wandering through dark passageways, holding a light for his new friends. The next morning, Xander was ready to get started. Breakfast was had quickly, and he noticed that there was already a small queue starting to form for the lone shower. He met with the team and soon they were all ready to start. The entrance to the ruins was still mostly blocked with scrub and brush, so Xander decided to take it upon himself to start clearing the way, seeing as he was the only one of the four who carried a sword. The sharpness enhanced blade cut through the smaller plants smoothly, but the moment the sword bit into the bark of a small tree, Xander nearly dropped the blade as the shock of the blow traveled up the blade and into his hand. He¡¯d let out a small, surprised shout at the startle it had given him. Graffus laughed at him. ¡°Made the blade too strong, did ya? I bet you¡¯ll be feeling that tingle in your hand for a bit! What you have there is a sharp mace, not a sword! You¡¯re gonna have to add some flex back into that blade if you really want to use it. Let Atrax clear the rest of the way while you try and fix that.¡± Xander hung his head in mock defeat and let Atrax step in front of the group. The man simply incinerated the scrub in front of them with his spells, his inherent mastery of flame keeping the surroundings from igniting. Xander quickly went to work removing roughly half of the strengthening runes he¡¯d placed on the blade originally, replacing them with flame runes, similarly to how he had done for a few of Smith¡¯s pieces. The smoke the wind was blowing their way didn¡¯t bother Xander in the slightest, increasing his confidence in his mask design. It also reminded him to hand out the face masks he had created the night before. Frazay and Graffus were both grateful for the masks. ¡°This is a game changer! I been breathing in so much smoke from Atrax¡¯s spells that the inside of my lungs are probably permanently smoke colored!¡± Graffus was especially thankful, it seemed. Atrax had refused the mask, as apparently one of his passive skills allowed him to ignore the smoke. By the time Xander had reworked his etching on the gladius, Atrax had cleared the way to the entrance, leaving a swath of still smoking ground behind him. When they looked inside, Xander wished they¡¯d left the entrance blocked. It was filled with webbing, and he could see several dog-sized spiders skulking about inside. The team quickly retreated a small distance to plan. Xander shuddered. ¡°Gughhh, I hate spiders. I can deal with the little ones, but something that big? Can I just blow up the place?¡± ¡°No bombs in the ruins!¡± All three mercenaries had the same idea. ¡°I can at least use fire, right?¡± ¡°I guess so, it isn¡¯t like Atrax won¡¯t be using fire.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just have to live with that. So how do we deal with these fuck-huge spiders?¡± ¡°The same way we deal with everything else, Xander: kill them dead.¡± ¡°Real helpful Graffus.¡± Eventually, a real plan was formulated. Xander and Atrax would burn the webbing out of the room, and hopefully the spiders, too. If they retreated deeper into the ruins they¡¯d be dealt with later, and if they moved towards the party to escape the flames then they¡¯d kill it. Ideally, they¡¯d be cooperative and just die in the fire. Xander, Atrax, Frazay, and Graffus all crept back towards the entrance of the ruins. Atrax cast a fireball into the right side of the entranceway, and Xander threw a fire bottle at the left side. The webbing throughout the room quickly caught fire, and the spiders quickly dropped from their webbing. One landed in the violet burning pool of dragon¡¯s tar, quickly dying from the flames and heat, another fled deeper into the ruins, and two decided to attempt to make their way past the mercenaries. An arrow from Frazay halted the first in its tracks, and Graffus moved to meet the second, smashing through its exoskeleton with ease. ¡°Ugh god why do they have to be so big?¡± Xander lamented. ¡°Oh please,¡± said Frazay. ¡°Just wait ¡®til you see a wolf spider.¡± ¡°Wolf¡­ spider?¡± Xander had a sneaking suspicion that they were not related to the much smaller spider with the same name from earth. ¡°Yeah, ground hunting spiders the size of wolves. Known to hunt in packs. Hence, wolf spider. Don¡¯t seem ¡®em around here, though. They live in the tropical forests of Krepash.¡± ¡°I think I will simply refuse to go there,¡± retorted Xander. ¡°Hey, we go where the money is, and sometimes the money¡¯s in Krepash.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± The four mercenaries stepped into the ruins. Xander flipped the cover off of the light rune on his helmet, and held up the magical light he¡¯d created, shotgun slung across his chest and a Molotov in his other hand. Atrax conjured small flames that circled around his head, providing modest illumination for the man. Frazay produced a bundle several strongly glowing mushrooms from a pouch and held it like a torch, surrounding here with a soft, blue glow. Graffus had nothing to provide his own illumination. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Graffus, how come you don¡¯t have a torch or something?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Did you really not know dwarves can see in the dark?¡± Graffus replied, sounding mildly surprised? ¡°I didn¡¯t, no. That¡¯s really handy. I wish I could see in the dark.¡± ¡°Keep practicing with those runes and maybe you¡¯ll figure something out.¡± Xander felt a ping from his status sheet. He¡¯d slowly been getting more in tune with the feedback he was able to perceive from it, so he could at least tell that something had updated. He opened it to see what it would tell him. ---[Quest] has been provided with a task--- ---Current [Quest] task: make the ruins safe for research. Patron: Illato, minor god of research. Reward: 5 runes to be added to [Rune Etching]--- ¡°Hey neat, I got a quest! It says that uh¡­Illato? Did I say that right? Illato wants us to ¡®make the ruins safe for research.¡¯ And I¡¯ll get some more runes for it, isn¡¯t that cool? ¡°Did you just casually mention that you received a task from a god? Like, an actual diving being?¡± Atrax was dumbfounded. Xander shrugged. ¡°I mean we¡¯re here to do the same thing already, so I don¡¯t think it changes much. Plus, it says ¡®minor¡¯ god, so that¡¯s slightly less scary, right?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t insult one of my patron gods like that. I am a [Scholar of the Ancient], after all. What kind of people do you think would revere a god of research, huh?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry Atrax. I¡¯m sure Illato is also very scary.¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m sorry. But I really did get a quest from them!¡± The four mercenaries looked around the room once the flames had died out. Most of the webbing had burned, making it much easier to observe the space. If there had been any kind of adornments in the place, they¡¯d been lost to the ravages of time. One of the walls had a carving of what looked like a caravan of dwarves. ¡°Likely a depiction of the journey they made to reach this spot,¡± commented Atrax. ¡°Fits with the diaspora theory,¡± suggested Graffus. ¡°Shall we go deeper in?¡± Frazay was seemingly bored with the room already. ¡°Sure,¡± said Atrax. ¡°Graffus, you can see the best out of us, so lead the way.¡± The entrance room turned into a long, narrow hallway, just wide enough for a single person to walk. Fortunately, it seemed free of spiders and their webbing. ¡°Common in dwarven architecture,¡± said Graffus. ¡°This hallway would have served as one of the first lines of defense in case of an assault. The defenders would have had an easy time holding a choke point like this, even with significantly fewer numbers than the attackers.¡± The narrow hallway led to a similarly narrow spiral staircase. The tight confines were leaving Xander a little claustrophobic feeling, though his other group members seemed unaffected. Soon, they could hear the sounds of rushing, thundering water. The noise grew louder as they went deeper, and soon the staircase ended. Stepping out from the single archway at the bottom of the spiral, they were met with a massive cavern. To their left, the wall of the cave held an underground waterfall, which cascaded into the depths that it had carved out of the cave. Forwards and on the right, the lights of the party partially illuminated the sight of a massive underground city. Buildings were carved into the walls and grew from the floor like stalagmites. Some of the buildings were so tall that they met the ceiling. ¡°Woah,¡± said Xander, awed by the sudden transition. ¡°Indeed,¡± Graffus said, solemnly. ¡°This is a good site for a city. If whatever happened to it had been averted, I have no doubt that it would still be thriving today. Readily available source of water, a nearby forest for timber, and plainland for farming crops. This place would have been bustling with activity. Instead, it¡¯s dead and empty.¡± ¡°Maybe one day it will be inhabited again,¡± suggested Xander. ¡°Once the researchers are done with their studies, I don¡¯t see why people couldn¡¯t live here again, assuming it¡¯s safe to.¡± ¡°Maybe, maybe,¡± said Graffus thoughtfully. ¡°So we have to clear all this?¡± Xander asked hesitantly. ¡°Yep,¡± said Frazay. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it will go faster than you think,¡± explained Atrax. ¡°We¡¯ll have to sweep it building by building, sure, but I doubt we¡¯ll find much. The spiders aren¡¯t really all that dangerous to a human. Hell, even the goblins were defeating them. We just need to make sure there isn¡¯t anything more dangerous down here that is an actual threat. Anything the guards that will eventually be coming in wouldn¡¯t be able to handle. It¡¯ll still take a few days, though, so we¡¯d best get started.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan to me. Let me just carve a light rune here over the staircase to make it easier to find.¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± said Frazay. ¡°I always hate wandering around trying to find the exit again. Might be a good idea to carve one on each building we clear, too. That way we don¡¯t end up doing them twice.¡± So began a tedious three-day event. Several of the larger building were indeed infested with spiders, but the lack of windows in most of the buildings and the fact that many of the doors seems to be made of stone had kept most of the buildings empty. The party found several large masses of bones belonging to dwarves on the outskirts of the city, and many more skeletons were found laying in the remains of beds. Their current theory was that some kind of plague had swept through the city. Assuming anyone had survived, they would have been forced to leave a city that no longer had the population to sustain itself. It was sad to Xander. The sight of a larger dwarven skeleton curled around a pair of smaller skeletons had nearly brought him to tears. He couldn¡¯t imagine how scared these dwarves must have been, seeing a plague creep through their city, leaving their loved ones and then themselves without the strength to even leave their beds before finally passing. At the end of their third day, nearly the entire city had been illuminated by Xander¡¯s light runes. Xander was concerned, though. The quest he¡¯d been given to make the cavern safe still had not completed. That meant that there was still something down here. His answer to that question came when they stumbled upon the last of the mass graves at the farthest edge of the town from the entrance. This pile of skeletons was much the same as the others; a depressing amalgamation of the remains of many dwarves. What was different about it, was that it began to stir as they had come closer. Bones began to clatter as they pulled together, much like the vortex of [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] had pulled corpses together. Only, instead of being compressed together to form something, they instead were joining together. First, a rough blob, but soon an arm, then a second, followed by legs, and even a rough head, formed from the many skeletons that had laid in the pile. Combat Artificer - 13 ¡°Fuck!¡± shouted Atrax. ¡°A bone giant! Get some distance between yourself and it!¡± Xander hurried to follow his advice, as did Frazay. Graffus, ever the brave front liner kept somewhat closer to the necromantic beast. ¡°Kill the damned thing!¡± Graffus shouted, evidently enraged to see so many dwarven corpses defiled in such a manner. Xander needed no more encouragement, after activating [Sprint] and running faster than he¡¯d ever run in his entire life to get distance between him and the giant amalgamation of bones. He turned back to face the thing and fired a shotgun round at the center of the thing, activating [Shock and Awe] as he did so. A basketball sized hole was blasted into the chest of the figure, but it quickly filled back in with more bone as the shattered remnants of skeletons fell to the ground. Frazay and Atrax responded in kind, and a fireball detonated against one of the bone giant¡¯s shoulders as several arrows struck it on the left leg, which detonated into aggressive vines that began to grow up the leg, constricting its movement. ¡°I¡¯m swapping to grenades! I think the area can handle it!¡± shouted Xander, already cranking the string back on his crossbow as the bone giant struggled to clamber its way out of the skeletons around it with one stiffened leg. ¡°Go for it,¡± shouted Graffus, who was currently slamming his hammer against his shield to try and keep the thing¡¯s attention away from the ranged members of his party. ¡°FIRING,¡± screamed Xander, and Graffus raised his shield and huddled behind it. Seconds later, the grenade buried itself into the stomach of the bone giant. Another two seconds after that, it detonated, spewing bones and shards of bone out in all directions, some of which clattered forcefully against Graffus¡¯s shield. More bones shifted to fill in the gap, but the mass of the creature was reduced overall. It didn¡¯t seem capable of drawing in more skeletons from the pile it had crawled from, or reassimilating bones that had been removed from its body. Another fireball followed the grenade, this time striking the thing in the face. Between the location and the reduced mass of the creature, it was rocked backwards by the strike. Frazay was peppering the thing with arrows, which continued to grow vines, constricting it even further. Xander cranked the crossbow back once more and loaded another grenade. ¡°Firing!¡± Xander called out once more. Another explosion rocked the skeleton construct, ejecting more bone. Between the grenades, the fireballs, and Frazay¡¯s arrows, the beast was soon reduced to a more manageable size. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough grenades, Xander!¡± Graffus shouted and moved to striking distance of the no longer giant bone giant. The enraged dwarf was a flurry of hammer blows as he chipped away at the beast. Xander was not comfortable firing his shotgun into the melee like that, though Frazay seemed to have no issues striking the beast even with Graffus in the way. Xander stowed his shotgun in his inventory, removed the shield from his inventory and strapped it to his arm, and then drew his sword. He moved in to support Graffus, bone shield raised in defense. Atrax was holding back, as his repertoire of spells seemed wholly unsuited to being used while others were fighting hand to hand. Graffus blocked another blow from the bone giant, and Xander took a slash at the outstretched arm of the creature. He allowed his mana to flow into the flame runes he¡¯d inscribed along the length of the gladius. The blow cut through several of the bones of the creature¡¯s arm, and the shock was more manageable now that some flex had been added to the blade. The bones that had been sliced through sloughed off the creature¡¯s arm. He felt [Weapons of War] drawing his arm up involuntarily to deflect a swipe from the thing¡¯s other arm. The fight continued much the same. Frazay continued to demonstrate spectacular aim as the ethereal arrows from her new bow chipped away at the structure of the bone giant, and Graffus and Xander worked in conjunction to strike at the thing as well. Graffus would bait out a strike and catch it upon his shield, whereupon Xander would strike at the arm. When the thing¡¯s attention was turned to Xander, Graffus would hammer its legs. Soon, the bone giant was unable to sustain its form any longer. It was reduced to a small puddle of bones, vainly struggling to overpower the mercenaries. Graffus took to hammering the pile with gusto, and shortly there were no bones left moving. Xander¡¯s arms ached, both from shielding himself from the blows of the creature and from the force the repeated strikes had transferred from his sword to his arm. He was grateful that [Weapons of War] had kept him safe, as there was no way he would normally be able to use a shield, or his sword for that matter, so effectively. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Xander could tell that his [Quest] ability had updated already, without even opening the status sheet. When he opened it, he was met with text giving him details of the completed quest. ---You have defeated an enemy--- --- Bonus experience awarded for first defeat of an enemy of this type --- ---[Quest] task successfully completed--- ---Reward from Illato dispensing--- Upon reading the text about the reward, a soft, white light filled the area. A book appeared, floating in the center of the light. A crook and a scroll were emblazoned on the cover. Atrax, evidently recognizing the symbol, kneeled before it, as the other three mercenaries stood, uncertainly. ¡°YOU HAVE DONE WELL,¡± echoed a voice that was at once loud and soft, deep and high pitched. ¡°A TASK GIVEN TO FURTHER RESEARCH, A TASK COMPLETED TO FURTHER RESEARCH, AND NOW A TASK REWARDED, FROM THE FRUITS OF OTHER¡¯S RESEARCH. AS PROMISED, CHOOSE YOUR RUNES.¡± The presence that came with the advent of the voice retreated, and the book opened. Hesitantly, with three pairs of eyes on him, Xander stepped forward into the light and observed the book. Each page he flipped through was filled with runes, some simple, some so complicated and esoteric that Xander doubted that it was even a single rune. He got the feeling that he was short on time, though, and sped up flipping through, before he had an idea. He was pleased to find that there was, indeed, an index to the book. Rune of aphasia, rune of blood, rune of breaking, there are so many! Xander perused the alphabetically ordered list of runes. All were interesting, but a few struck him as more interesting or applicable to his current situation than others. After a few minutes of back and forth, anxiety rising as he felt an internal clock ticking down, he bit the proverbial bullet and chose his five runes: Rune of explosion, rune of silence, rune of intelligence, rune of weightiness, and gathering rune: ranged. He¡¯d chosen rune of explosion first, because of course he would, while the rest seemed like they could provide various useful effects to his weapons and armor. Considering the ruins were now safe, he should have plenty of time to play around with the various effects and combinations that they would open for him. Once he¡¯d mentally made his selection, the book closed, faded from existence, and the light that had been illuminating the space dimmed into nothing. ¡°Well,¡± said Xander, still shaken by the encounter, ¡°That was¡­something.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it,¡± said Frazay. ¡°You have to tell me what runes you selected!¡± Atrax nearly begged. ¡°I have got to know what kind of runes the god of research would deem worthy to reward someone with.¡± ¡°Well, there were a lot of options, and I was getting the feeling that I only had so much time to choose. So I actually ended up picking my five from what seemed useful in the index. Explosion, silence, intelligence, weightiness, and a gathering rune that will let me power a rune with my mana without having to be touching the item.¡± ¡°You chose your reward from a god by looking at THE INDEX?!¡± Atrax nearly shouted. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯d seen the way the book was written out, you would have too!¡± countered Xander. ¡°The thing was so dense there was no way I¡¯d have been able to read out every rune even if I had a full day!¡± ¡°Boys, quit arguing about it. I¡¯m sure Xander picked what he thought was best. Not all of us are speed readers with a high intelligence stat, Atrax.¡± Atrax grumbled in response, but quieted. Graffus was less interested in the aftermath of the divine gift. He was staring forlornly at the now scattered bones of the last mass grave they¡¯d discovered. ¡°Graffus? Are you alright?¡± asked Frazay. ¡°So many dwarves died here. Sick, maybe alone. Certainly scared. And these weren¡¯t even allowed a proper rest. The priests in the town must have either died or fled by the time this grave was made, otherwise it would have been consecrated to prevent something like this happening. The diaspora was hard, even for the cities that did survive, but seeing this really brings it home.¡± ¡°I think they deserve a monument,¡± offered Xander. ¡°Do you think that would be a good thing to do, Graffus?¡± ¡°Aye, a monument would be fitting, I think. Something for those that come after to remember them by. The researchers will likely end up cataloguing them and putting them to rest somewhere quiet, and then no one will ever know how they were just dumped like offal. A tragedy like this shouldn¡¯t be left to fade from memory.¡± Xander nodded in agreement, and kneeled down before the strewn skeletons and placed his hands on the smooth stone floor of the cavern. He used [Improved Manipulation] to raise a simple stone obelisk from the ground, similar in shape to the ones he had seen outside the ruins. On it was carved: THOUGH THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO PASSED IN THIS CAVERN HAVE FADED THE MEMORY OF THEIR DEATH HAS NOT. THEIR HISTORY WILL BE RECORDED IN THE ANNALS OF RESEARCH AND THE RECORDS OF THE GUILD, NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN AGAIN. ¡°That¡¯s the best I can think of. Anything you¡¯d like to add, Graffus?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the dwarf said. ¡°Could you add a small dwarven prayer for the dead to the base?¡± Xander procured a piece of paper from his inventory and gave it to Graffus, along with a charcoal pencil, for him to write out. The symbols were foreign to Xander, but through his [Speak in Tongues] ability, he was able to read what it said. Soon, the prayer was carved into the stone alongside the epitaph. WE COMMEND THESE EARTHEN SOULS BACK TO THE STONE, THAT THEY MAY ONE DAY SUPPORT THEIR PEOPLE AS THE STONE THEY LIVED UPON. Xander made his way to each of the mass graves and raised an identical obelisk and inscription as he had for the boneyard that had housed the bone giant. It was a solemn feeling affair, and the addition of the monuments alongside the light of Xander¡¯s runes on the surrounding buildings gave the place the air of a graveyard rather than ruins. The four mercenaries made their final trip up the long spiral staircase leading to the surface. Combat Artificer - 14 The researchers were grateful upon being told that the ruins were finally cleared. They¡¯d been forced to make do studying the carvings of the obelisks repeatedly while the mercenaries cleared the underground city. While they had already been informed of the findings of the mercenaries at the end of each day as they returned to the surface, there were gasps when the story of the bone giant was relayed. Such a creature required not only an abundance of death, but death in the presence of great misery. A creature like that would be easily able to wipe out a group of researchers probing the area. The next few days were slow for the mercenaries. While the researchers had stepped up their pace now that the city was open to them, there was little for Xander and the others to do. He spent his time playing around with runes. He¡¯d managed to make a few discoveries so far. The intelligence rune, interestingly enough, did not actually bolster the intelligence stat of a user. Instead, it seemed to allow simple parameters to be stated and set for the activation of another rune. Xander had already managed to create a motion activated explosive that would power a flame rune and thus igniting the blasting cap only when movement was detected by the intelligence rune within a certain distance. Similarly, the ranged gathering rune array allowed him to remotely detonate a bomb by powering a flame rune with his own mana at will. The explosion rune, while very space efficient, simply did not compare to a chemical explosive. However, when used in conjunction with a grenade and an intelligence rune set to allow power to flow into the explosion runes at the same time the flame rune was ignited did increase the power of his standard grenades. Xander was going to have to be very careful of the collateral these new devices could cause in a fight. Silence was very simple to use. When carved and powered, it created a small area of silence, with an invisible barrier that prevented sound from traversing it in either direction. Carving it around the tip of his shotgun had resulted in an impressively effective silencing effect. No longer did it give off a deafening blast from the tip. Instead, there was only the sharp but muffled crack of the cartridge¡¯s primer and the shell being ignited inside the chamber. He quickly repeated the array on his two pistols and the .22 rifle. His third rune project combined the intelligence rune, the rune of weightiness, and the movement rune. Using several of the intelligence runes in conjunction with the others, Xander was able to devise a mace that was incredibly effective in the force it could deliver. The intelligence runes were set to allow power to flow into the weightiness runes upon the mace striking something. The movement runes, through a slightly more complicated setup, were also triggered through a strike, though Xander had to create several arrays considering that different ones would have to trigger depending on the direction and angle of the strike. The combination of these runes increased both the momentum and the weight of the mace briefly as the mana held in the gathering arrays was used. Xander had intentionally overcarved the number of runes for movement and weightiness, so that the mana stored in the arrays was used fully and instantaneously, thus resetting the circuit and allowing the intelligence runes to ¡®close¡¯ the circuit again before the next strike. It would take some time to get used to but considering the mechanical way in which [Weapons of War] aided his fighting, he felt that a mace would be more conducive versus the finesse of a sword. Creating a few targets consisting of steel sheets, Xander was able to easily create large dents and rents in them. The mace was flanged instead of spiked, as Xander figured that spikes would only get in the way considering the crushing force that was being applied. This thing was an armor breaker and bone crusher, not something that needed spikes to injure. While his gladius from earth would remain with him as a backup and for nostalgia¡¯s sake, this new mace would be his main melee weapon, Xander decided. After a week of waiting, guarding the camp from threats that were no longer existent, the four mercenaries were relieved by another caravan, this one containing more researchers and guards than the previous one. The researchers were soon brought up to speed on the situation and there was a mad scramble amongst them to make their way into the depths of such a well-preserved example of an ancient dwarven city. The guards and workers were left to look after the camp and unload the new wagons. While the wagons and animals would be staying at the camp with the rest of the caravan, two horses were given to Xander and Atrax in recognition of the group¡¯s help in defeating the goblins and the bone giant. Xander happily accepted the horse, glad not to have to walk all the way back to Klimp. The trip would be long enough as it was. With the entire group mounted, and no carts to pull, they should be able to shave the journey down to a week. The journey was uneventful. Xander and Frazay both occasionally supplemented the party¡¯s foodstuff with game, Xander using his .22 for small animals, while Frazay bow-hunted, even taking a deer one evening. Xander was regaled with tales around the campfire of contracts that the group had previously taken, and cities they had been visiting. He learned that they planned to head West towards the capital, to the larger city of Anlet and seek more contracts there. He was happy to follow them and learn more about this Kingdom of Dardin that he found himself in. After eight days of travel, the group once more arrived in Klimp. The city was the same as when Xander had left it, the citizens bustling about their lives, and caravans passing through in both directions. They reached the town shortly after midday, and their first stop was the mercenary¡¯s guild. Atrax was soon regaling several of the workers and other guild members with stories of their fight against the bone giant and their defense against the hordes of goblins. Frazay was perusing the contracts posted on the walls, which left Xander and Graffus to collect payment for the group for the completion of the contract. Dorly, as well as two other workers were currently listening to Atrax¡¯s slightly embellished tale of hurling fireballs at a giant monstrosity of bone, leaving Yiselca as the only person behind the counter to help them. The woman looked conspiratorially at Graffus and Xander, asking ¡°Was there really a bone giant?¡± ¡°There was!¡± responded Xander enthusiastically. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t as big as Atrax is making it out to be,¡± added Graffus. ¡°Still, quite a feather in your hat to be able to say you¡¯ve defeated a bone giant,¡± commented Yiselca, impressed. ¡°Was there anything else interesting about the ruins?¡± ¡°Honestly, it was a little depressing,¡± said Xander. ¡°We¡¯ve written it all down as a report,¡± at this he manifested a few sheets of paper from his inventory that the group had worked together to write as they had traveled back to Klimp, ¡°but the short story is that it was an ancient dwarven city. Just about everyone there died of some kind of plague and the rest had to flee since they couldn¡¯t sustain such a large city on their own. Plus, I guess it was still filled with plague at the time, too.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± said Yiselca. ¡°That is sad. There are so few old dwarven cities left. Too many have fallen to one thing or another.¡± Graffus nodded sadly. ¡°Aye, I have no doubt that this one would still be a thriving city had it not been wiped out by sickness.¡± Yiselca smiled sadly at the dwarf. ¡°At least a dwarf had a hand in its rediscovery, right? There¡¯s that, at least. Speaking of, I assume that you two are here to collect your payments for the contract?¡± ¡°Yes we are,¡± said Xander. ¡°You can lump it all into one if it¡¯s easier for you,¡± said Graffus. ¡°We¡¯ve added Xander to our little group here, so we¡¯ll just divvy it up into four equal shares. He¡¯s proven himself quite handy to have around!¡± Xander beamed at the praise. ¡°It that so, Xander? Well, I suppose that means you¡¯ll be leaving with them soon. We¡¯ll miss having our own [Godsmarked] in town, but that¡¯s the way of things, I suppose. Don¡¯t forget us out here in Klimp when you¡¯re a famous merc taking contracts out of the capital!¡± Xander smiled at the woman. ¡°I won¡¯t, don¡¯t worry. Klimp has been good to me. Things could have gone so much worse for me when I came to this world, but Thripus, and then the rest of you here at the guild and around town helped me along. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to forget that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you think so highly of us, it¡¯s sweet.¡± Yiselca offered her own smile back. ¡°I expect you¡¯d like more than a smile for payment, though,¡± she laughed, ¡°let me get your payment from the back. We¡¯d already divided it into four, so I¡¯ll hand it out to each of you.¡± She left Xander and Graffus at the counter as she went to collect their payment. Xander waited at the counter while Graffus went to collect Frazay and Atrax to receive their payment. Soon, Yiselca was back, with four good sized pouches full of coin. ¡°Here you are, the client provided some extra coin to be doled out in the advent of extenuating circumstances, and I¡¯d say a bone giant counts for that.¡± Each purse was handed out with a smile, but when Yiselca handed over Xander¡¯s pouch she clasped his hand for a moment. ¡°Be careful out there, Klimp might be a small, slow town, but out closer to the capital the guild frequently becomes embroiled in politics. I¡¯d hate to hear that something had happened to you.¡± Xander appreciated the concerns. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, placing the bag of coins within his inventory. ¡°I¡¯ll try and keep my eyes open. And avoid the politics. Say, do you know if Thripus is around?¡± Yiselca nodded. ¡°Mmhm, he should be at home, I don¡¯t recall him taking any contracts this week.¡± ¡°Do you know how I can get there?¡± ¡°Yeah, he lives over on the Western edge of town. He¡¯s the third from the watchtower.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Xander offered another smile to Yiselca. She and Dorly had been beyond helpful towards him. After receiving their payment, the team deliberated on where they should stay. They all felt that a rest of a few days was in order after their week on the road. Xander and Frazay, who turned out the be ¡®the other guildie¡¯ that had been staying at Talon¡¯s both recommended the establishment, and so all four decided to stay there if the inn could house them. Talon¡¯s Mark was as lively as it had been the first night Xander had visited. Now that he had four friends with him, the place felt much less lonely, too. The four of them managed to find a free table. The barmaid, who Xander recognized, but whose name he¡¯d never gotten, soon came by to ask what they¡¯d be having. Xander inquired about the wine, feeling like he deserved a drink he might actually enjoy, while the other three were happy to stick with beer. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. When the barmaid came by a second time with their food and drink, and Xander asked if they had space for four. The barmaid paused for a moment, clearly thinking about the available space in the inn. ¡°Mmm, we don¡¯t have four rooms, but we do have four beds. There¡¯s two rooms left that have two beds each.¡± Frazay and Graffus shared a long look. ¡°It¡¯s your turn,¡± said Frazay. ¡°Ugh, do I have to?¡± Graffus nearly whined. ¡°His turn to what?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Atrax here,¡± Frazay gave the man a good-natured poke on the shoulder. He looked rather put out by the conversation at hand. ¡°Tends to wax philosophical after about three beers. Neither of us fancy discussing if we think that ¡®the soul is what allows the use of skills or if the soul is merely a byproduct of using skills¡¯, so we take turns. Enjoy your freebie, because you¡¯re up next time we have to share rooms. ¡°You two just aren¡¯t broadminded enough to appreciate a good discussion,¡± Atrax grouched. ¡°Besides, is nighttime not when you do your best thinking?¡± ¡°Nighttime is when I do my best sleeping, Atrax,¡± countered Frazay. ¡°Ugh, fine. I bet Xander will appreciate some philosophy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just use a rune of silence if you start keeping me up,¡± said Xander. ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by illiterates and troglodytes,¡± lamented Atrax. The group spent the rest of the day lounging, for the most part. It felt good not to have to worry about being out in the wilderness or when the next fight would come. Frazay procured what looked like a novel from deep within her bag and spent the afternoon reading. Xander idly fiddled with his runework once he had set up a small changing area for the two of them to prevent any awkwardness. Frazay had chuckled a bit at his sense of propriety, saying ¡°We¡¯ve all seen each other¡¯s skin out on the road. You¡¯ll get used to it the longer you work as merc, I expect. Still, I appreciate the gesture.¡± Xander discovered little new in his afternoon, as he wasn¡¯t putting much thought into the process. He did figure out a way to underpower runes and produce a lesser effect, though. A silence rune could be underpowered in such a way that it instead just muffled sound. Xander thought it had potential to be used in combination with an intelligence rune for active noise cancellation, but it was a backburner idea at best, especially since he was now immune to the effects of his own explosions. He¡¯d found that the skill had even covered the damage to his ears from a blast, and no longer had to suffer from as many loud noises. If he ever encountered a creature that could use some kind of sonic attack, it could come in handy, though. Night came, and the four mercenaries went to sleep. Xander heard several muffled shouts from Graffus of ¡°Shut up, Atrax!¡± or ¡°I¡¯m trying to sleep, damnit!¡± but beyond that, the night was quiet. He¡¯d missed sleeping in a bed more than he realized. It might even be worth the mana to make one when sleeping on the road. The next day came, and the party had little planned. The lack of activity had Xander on edge, as thoughts of home, his wife, everything that he had been taken away from, started to slip into the silence. The only way he knew how to cope right now was to keep moving. Leaving his new teammates at the inn, he decided he would visit Thripus to distract himself. The rest of his time he could spend at Smith¡¯s, perhaps, and earn himself some coin. Rising from his bed, Xander let Frazay know that he¡¯d be going out. He made his way out of the inn, waving at Briggs, who was behind the counter today. Making his way Westward, he soon came to the edge of town, near the watchtower. Third from the end, she said. On one side of the road the third from the end was a baker, which left Xander to assume that the small home on the other end must be Thripus¡¯s. He hoped he wouldn¡¯t be waking the dwarf up, but it wasn¡¯t that early. Thripus struck Xander as an early riser from their short time in the forest together. He rapped his knuckles against the door. ¡°Gimme a minute, gimmie a minute,¡± came a reply soon after. ¡°It¡¯s me, Xander. Hi Thripus!¡± ¡°Ahh, Xander! I was wondering if you¡¯d come by.¡± Thripus opened his door and gestured for Xander to enter. ¡°Come in, come in! I take it your first contract went well?¡± ¡°It was eventful, that¡¯s for sure. I guess you could say it went well, though, all things considered.¡± Xander spent a few hours with Thripus. Recounting his adventure, the fight with the goblins, the exploration of the ancient city, and the battle against the bone giant. Thripus was appropriately enthused at the defeat of the bone giant and laughed with Xander about vomiting after his first real battle. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve gotten on to a good team, then,¡± said Thripus. ¡°I haven¡¯t worked with them personally, but from the few contracts they¡¯ve taken since they made their way in to town, as well as what you¡¯ve told me about this one, it seems like they¡¯re proper professional mercenaries. If that¡¯s the case, hold on tight to them. You don¡¯t want to end up on a team of glory chasers or even worse, with a group of thugs that skirt the definition of banditry. The guild does its best to clamp down on those elements, but there are only so many types of people who are drawn to a life of fighting.¡± ¡°Thanks for the advice. I like them so far, I¡¯d even go as far as to call them friends, I think. So no worries about me jumping to another team. But I¡¯ll keep an eye open if we end up working with other teams, both you and Yiselca have told me now that the guild can get messy sometimes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s maybe not so bad as we might have made it sound. For the most part, the guild is a well-oiled machine, and an essential part of keeping the land tamed in many kingdoms. But yes, sometimes politics, either external or internal, can get in the way of things. Your team seems like they¡¯ve got good heads on their shoulders, so I¡¯m sure you can rely on them to help you navigate it if something like that does happen.¡± Their conversation turned to other things. How Xander liked the idea of continuing as a guild member. How Thripus got started as a member himself, some of his more interesting contracts, and how he¡¯d ended up in Klimp. That one was simple. The town had been quiet and pleasant enough, but not so quiet there weren¡¯t enough contracts or amenities for him, so he¡¯d decided to settle down after years of being an itinerant merc. Once the conversation had run its course, Xander said his goodbyes, as well as thanking Thripus once more for treating him so well on his first day in this world. His next stop for the day would be Smith the smith. ¡°Xander! Oh, I was hoping you¡¯d be back for some more rune work! I swear I¡¯ve had someone in at least once a day asking for more runed items. And I¡¯ve been all out for a week!¡± The man was ecstatic to see him, clearly. ¡°Well, I think I can help you out with that again, at least til I head out of town. I¡¯ve even got a few new runes I can do¡± Smith looked crestfallen to hear that Xander wouldn¡¯t be staying in town to be his personal rune smith but perked up at the mention of new runes. ¡°New runes, you say? What can you do?¡± ¡°Well, some of them definitely aren¡¯t suited to armor. I doubt anyone wants a rune of explosion on their chest. But I can make pieces that make no noise when they¡¯re moving or struck, which I imagine would be great for anyone who hunts or needs to sneak, and I managed an array that increases the weight of a weapon briefly when it hits something, or causes the flame runes to ignite briefly. But that¡¯s more work so it¡¯s gonna cost extra. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d also be charging extra for it, too,¡± Xander said knowingly. ¡°Mmm, I can see the use of both of those. I¡¯ll happily pay double the rate for the strike activated runes. That kind of thing is popular among mercenaries who either don¡¯t want to or can¡¯t spare the mana to power an enchantment. And I can¡¯t imagine anyone who wouldn¡¯t want silent boots in your line of work.¡± Smith was smiling already and Xander could see the gears turning in his creative processes. Xander also reminded himself that he should silence his own boots. He¡¯d forgotten to do so after the initial discovery of using it to silence his guns. Xander spent the rest of his day at Smith¡¯s, as well as much of his downtime over the next two days, working away at improving swords, making maces hit harder, strengthening armor, and silencing sets of greaves. He¡¯d gotten much faster and more confident in his rune carving now that he had a few set patterns he could use, and by the end of his time with Smith, he had almost gone through the man¡¯s entire stock. If he used a physical coinpurse instead of his inventory, he had no doubt it would be bulging. He¡¯d started taking gold for doing multiple items instead of silver for each as he had before. He wasn¡¯t sure what he would even need to buy, but knowing he had the money to do so eased the anxiety that the idea of being moneyless brought Xander. His teammates had teased him lightly about being unable to take a break, but the satisfaction of creating things, the payment he got from doing so, and the simple fact that it kept his mind occupied made the activity more than worth the teasing to Xander. They¡¯d stopped teasing him when they¡¯d learned how much he was making a day carving runes, and instead started trying to come up with a business plan to become traveling weapon merchants. Much to their mock dismay, Xander had no particular desire to run his own shop nor become a merchant full time. The team had had their rest and were ready to get on the road. Xander, Atrax, and Graffus had stabled their horses at the inn, which had had a stable adjacent to it for traveler¡¯s animals. Frazay had her ability to call upon an animal to ride. They estimated that at an easy pace, as there was no need to rush, it would take them about a week to reach Anlet. They¡¯d also be passing through a couple of smaller villages on the way. Final preparations were made, mostly purchases of food, and after Xander gave a few goodbyes to Thripus, Smith, Yiselca, and Dorly, they were off. The first day was uneventful to the point of boring. They saw few people or wagons headed East, and the landscape smoothed from the rolling hills of Klimp to flat plainland. The four of them wiled the hours away chatting about any and everything. A few hours before nightfall, they reached a small town with an inn. Fortunately, this inn had four rooms open, and no one had to suffer Atrax¡¯s philosophy for the night. The second day, they came across another town, this one slightly larger than the previous, but not as large as Klimp. In the center of the town was a large gathering of carts and wagons. Many were painted with fanciful figures of various animals and creatures, often making comically ferocious faces. With the number of villagers surrounding the caravan, it gave off a feeling like that of a traveling circus. As they rode closer, Xander was able to get a better look at the wagons. Many of them featured a wall of bars, and each contained a different animal. Many of them were animals Xander had never seen before. There was a group of what was similar to a small monkey, but covered in iridescent, bright green plumage in one cart. Another contained a few wolves, panting and lounging in the small space. Another held a solitary cat, big as a horse and the color of deep, dark smoke. It looked miserable. Xander felt awful for the animals, especially the larger ones, who had no business being confined to any space. He doubted the entirety of a zoo would have even been enough for some of these creatures. On and on the same scenes were played out, exotic animals being gawked at by villagers as the caravan merchants called out ¡°Exotic animals from the farthest of lands! Loyal companions! Add some color and flavor to your life!¡± Evidently the animals were for sale, though there seemed little interest from the villagers in actually buying anything. The only area Xander saw a transaction occur was from a cart selling ordinary dogs. Xander turned to his teammates to see what their reactions were. Atrax and Graffus seemed nonplussed, as if they considered the caravan rather tacky, but Frazay looked livid. Xander supposed that made sense, considering the woman was a druid. ¡°Is this kind of thing normal?¡± asked Xander, hoping to draw Frazay¡¯s attempt at killing the merchants with her eyes. ¡°Unfortunately,¡± grated Frazay. ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon for the guild to receive contracts to capture an animal instead of to kill,¡± added Atrax. ¡°Since the animals often end up in trains just like this one, we stay away from those. It¡¯s just sad.¡± The man shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s always a market for animals, whether it¡¯s a noble looking to add to their own personal menagerie or from those with a taming class that are looking to take the easy way out to acquiring a companion. This one is likely headed to the capital, to sell to both such people.¡± Graffus explained the reasoning behind carting such animals around in the first place to Xander. ¡°It just feels¡­ wrong. I wish there was something I could do about it, but I have no idea what that would be,¡± said Xander. The moment he finished his sentence, he felt a small ¡®ping¡¯ from his status and opened it up. ---[Quest] has been provided with a task--- ---Current [Quest] task: Rescue the great loravian panther. Patron: Hetra, patron goddess of cats. Reward: Animal Bond--- Combat Artificer - 15 ¡°Hey, uh, Frazay?¡± Xander asked, hesitantly. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®great loravian panther,¡¯ and why does the goddess of cats want me to rescue it?¡± ¡°¡­Are you telling me you just got a quest to rescue the giant panther over there?¡± Frazay pointed to the horse sized feline that Xander had previously noticed. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on board with it,¡± Frazay said, shocking Xander. ¡°Really? I was expecting more pushback from you guys.¡± Atrax shrugged, and Graffus offered, ¡°I¡¯ve never met a menagerie caravan owner that wasn¡¯t an asshole, so I¡¯m not complaining about a goddess given task to rescue an animal that clearly has no business being there.¡± ¡°Do you think I can just¡­buy it? I mean how many people are going to want to buy a giant, man-eating sized cat? That thing looks like it could bite me in half without even trying.¡± Xander pondered the best way to go about this. As distasteful as he found the caravan, he didn¡¯t want to just steal the cat, either. ¡°I¡¯d imagine there¡¯s a pretty good market for something like that if they can find some tamers,¡± Atrax said. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s fair, I supposed. Well, can¡¯t hurt to try it.¡± Xander handed the reins of his horse over to Atrax, dismounted and walked up to one of the merchants that was nearby the panther. ¡°I want to buy that one,¡± he said simply, pointing at the loravian panter. The animal was currently pressed against the back of its enclosure, panting, as a crowd of onlookers ¡®appreciated¡¯ its ¡®exotic beauty.¡¯¡± The merchant seemed dumbfounded that someone would want to buy such an animal in this village. ¡°You¡­ you want to buy the loravian panther?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± The man was not getting this through his skull. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You know those things are vicious, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident in my ability to handle the thing. Just tell me how much it costs already.¡± Xander was quickly becoming annoyed at this merchant¡¯s odd lack of desire to just sell him the damned cat. ¡°Ooookay. You don¡¯t look like the usual tamer type, but if you say you know what you¡¯re doing, then you must know what you¡¯re doing. Asking price for it is one hundred gold pieces, these cats are rare and there¡¯s sure to be buyers in the capital asking after it as soon as they hear we brought one in.¡± Xander didn¡¯t have one hundred gold. After the payment from the guild as well as his time working for Smith, he had maybe three quarters of what he needed. ¡°I¡¯ll give you fifty gold, and I¡¯ll enchant the bars on your carts to be stronger.¡± The merchant looked thoughtful. Xander knew that runework like that could fetch a pretty penny, so it was a tempting deal already. Greed won out. ¡°Hmm¡­ Sixty and the rune work.¡± ¡°Fifty, and you can have my horse, too.¡± ¡°¡­Deal.¡± Xander was surprised at the ease of the purchase. Either runework was more valued than he thought, or the merchant thought he was scamming him and considered the cat a lemon. Either way, he was the real winner here. The runework would be easy for him to do, if a little tedious, and the potential of the cat being an undesirable product was negated by the fact that the goddess of cats - Xander still wondered why there was a goddess of cats - had given him a quest to do so. The moment he shook hands with the merchant to seal the deal, he felt another update on his status sheet. After handing over the money, as well as leading his horse over to the merchant, he opened his status. ---[Quest] task successfully completed--- ---Reward from Hetra dispensing--- Xander felt a presence at his side, though no one else seemed to notice anything amiss. In his mind, he heard, The loravian panther above all others carries my favor. While I might have preferred that my wrath be visited upon cretins such as these, you have indeed fulfilled that with which you were tasked. Go now with this blessing. ---You have been granted the title [Cat-Touched]--- [Cat-Touched] ¨C You may form a bond with one feline creature, which lasts until either the caster or the targeted feline dies. Cooldown: 30 days. Mana cost: High. Duration: Until death. Xander knew what his next obvious step was. The merchant removed a key from his belt and handed it to Xander. Evidently, the man wanted nothing to do with getting close to the beast. Xander took the key and made his way to through the crowd, earning a few disapproving glares as his armored form bumped slightly against more than a few of the villagers. Staring at the huge feline, he really hoped this ability would work. He cast his newly granted [Cat-Touched] ability upon the loravian panther. Immediately, he was aware of the cat and its location relative to him. He could feel that the poor thing was cramped, bored, and stressed. The panther had swiveled its head to stare at him as soon as he had finished casting his ability. It was clearly aware of Xander as well. He wondered if it could tell as much about his state as he could its. Cautiously steeping closer to the bars, he held his hand up close enough to sniff. There were a few gasps and murmured voices behind him as he reached up to the cat. The panther sniffed him, and then chuffed, rubbing its head against his hand. Xander had heard a tiger chuff before, back when he still had an internet connection, but this one was far, far deeper than any tiger¡¯s. He had the sneaking suspicion that if this thing decided to roar at full volume, it could easily scatter the crowd and damage ears. He could feel the hope of the panther rising through the bond. He wondered if it could sense his intention to set it free, or if it was simply the first time the panther had been shown any kind of compassion. ¡°Alright buddy let¡¯s get you out of here. But first, you have to promise you won¡¯t hurt any of these people, can you let me know somehow?¡± The panther, surprisingly, gave a small nod. Xander was unsure if the animal was extremely intelligent naturally and the bond had simply given him the ability to communicate with it, or if the bond had increased its intelligence to allow it to interpret his instructions. Xander didn¡¯t know much about the animals of this world, but he felt that the second option was more likely. He could somehow see that there was¡­more behind the panther¡¯s eyes than when he¡¯d been looking at it previously, and it made sense that a skill bestowed by a goddess would be powerful enough to alter an animal in such a way. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Xander slowly put the lock in the key and turned it. There were more gasps and even a few shouts as the crowd noticed that he had begun unlocking the large door set into the bars. The crowd quickly began to disperse as people decided that they had much better, and safer, places to be than in front of a cart that was about to release a giant, predatory cat, leaving only a few braver observers hovering nearby. As soon as he had finished unlocking the gate the panther pressed a portion of its weight against the door, popping it open in its entirety. Gracefully, it slunk through the doorway and hopped the short distance to the ground, where it stood next to Xander, sniffing him inquisitively, and gave his armored shoulder a slight, but very rough, lick. Xander could hear the cat¡¯s tongue scrape against the steel of his armor. The cat was hunched in on itself slightly, and Xander could tell it was uncomfortable with so many eyes upon it. It would have to get more used to that, Xander thought, considering that it would likely draw stares wherever they went. ¡°What are we gonna call you, huh?¡± Xander pondered aloud, considering his newfound companion animal. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if you¡¯re a male or a female¡­ say, are you a male?¡± The panther gave a quick shake of its head. ¡°So female, then. What¡¯s a good name for a giant female panther, huh? You got any ideas?¡± The panther tilted its head slightly as if it were thinking but offered no answer. ¡°How about¡­ hmm¡­ Freyja? Sounds nice. It¡¯s an older style of naming an old god from my own world, which seems fitting considering your divine providence.¡± The panther seemed to consider for a moment before giving a nod, and Xander could feel that the animal was pleased to know it had a name. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get you out of this town before they start bringing out the pitchforks or something. Just gotta hand over the payment and get these bars sorted.¡± The villagers were still apprehensive of the pair, seemingly expecting the giant cat to go wild at any moment and begin mauling people. Xander made his way to the merchant, who was half hiding behind the wagon. Freyja had followed him at a sedate pace, and the man was clearly uncomfortable to see the animal looming behind Xander. Xander could tell Freyja deeply disliked her former captor and turned to the cat. ¡°Be nice Freyja.¡± The panther changed her demeaner in absolutely no way, befitting a cat¡¯s understanding of ¡®behaving.¡¯ But the admonition mollified the merchant somewhat. Xander counted out fifty gold worth of coins, having to resort to silver for some of it. ¡°Right then, let me get started on the bars and Freyja and I will be on our way.¡± ¡°You want to meet your new friends first?¡± He asked the cat, struggling not to resort to baby-talking it considering that it was at least somewhat intelligent. The panther cocked its head again at the new word and Xander felt its interest pique at the question. Xander made his way over to Atrax, Frazay, and Graffus, with Freyja padding softly behind him. The two horses were clearly wary of the new beast, but settled quickly as it made no quick or threatening movements. Frazay¡¯s stag however, looked like it would drop dead if it were not held by its own bond. Frazay was doing her best to soothe it, murmuring calming words to it and stroking its neck. ¡°Well, meet Freyja. Freyja, meet Atrax, Graffus, and Frazay. Please be nice to them. And their horses and deer!¡± Xander added the last bit quickly, seeing the panther¡¯s eyes drawn to the fidgety stag. ¡°She¡¯s real smart, it seems like. I have to engrave the bars on these carts as part of my payment for her, but I¡¯ll make it as quick as I can. Would you mind staying with her while I do that? I have a feeling that a lot of the animals would get riled up having her in front of their cage. Freyja, please wait here while I get this over with.¡± The panther let out what could only be interpreted as a rather bored sigh and made itself comfortable by laying on the ground. Its relaxed demeanor seemed to put his groupmates more at ease, and they were looking less like they were ready to draw steel and more interested in inspecting the cat. Xander quickly made his way back to the carts before the group of merchants could start to think he was considering making a run for it without engraving the bars. He made his rounds of the carts, quickly engraving a couple of gathering arrays and strengthening runes onto each bar. He could easily have added more per bar, but he wasn¡¯t exactly feeling charitable towards their business. Soon, he was done, and returned to his companions to find Frazay eagerly scratching Freyja¡¯s chin as the cat rolled and squirmed on its back. Atrax and Graffus were still at a slightly ¡®safer¡¯ distance but had good natured smiles on their faces. ¡°Glad to see everyone getting along,¡± Xander commented as he came closer. Freyja paused her squirming for a moment to look at Xander, but quickly went back to it as she sensed no displeasure from him. It didn¡¯t hurt that Frazay had not stopped her enthusiastic scratching of the big cat¡¯s chin and cheeks. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re bonded to the cat?¡± Atrax asked, slightly confused. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you didn¡¯t mention any animal bonding abilities, and it¡¯s not exactly a fit with any of your classes either.¡± ¡°Remember that quest I got to rescue her? The reward was an ¡®animal bond.¡¯ It gives me the ability to bond with one cat, and only cats I guess because it came from the goddess of cats, until one of us dies.¡± ¡°That is a unique gift to be given. It¡¯s very rare for people to be able to achieve a skill that is not in line with their class. Even items that allow one to cast something outside of one¡¯s wheelhouse are considered uncommon at best.¡± Atrax said, thoughtfully. ¡°Not much common about [Godsmarked], from what I hear,¡± quipped Graffus. ¡°And Xander here sure seems to fit the mold in that regard.¡± ¡°Sorry again about the delay, I hope it didn¡¯t put us back too far.¡± Xander felt a little guilty about putting them behind schedule. It had taken him about an hour to do all the bars, plus the time he¡¯d spent acquiring Freyja. ¡°Worry not, we aren¡¯t on much of a schedule. No one¡¯s waiting on us. And I don¡¯t think we would have made it to the next village before stopping for the night anyway, so camping out on the road was always the plan for tonight. Although, since you¡¯ve evidently sold your horse, do you have any plans for keeping up with us?¡± ¡°Uh, shit. Yeah that was maybe not the smartest move. I¡¯d kind of thought I¡¯d be able to ride Freyja here, but I guess I should maybe ask first since she¡¯s smarter than the average cat. If not, I guess I can keep up using [Eternal March], since we aren¡¯t exactly going much faster than a brisk walk anyways.¡± Xander turned to the cat, who was still stretched out on the ground, despite no longer being under Frazay¡¯s ministrations. ¡°Freyja, would you be alright with letting me ride you while we travel? It might be a lot faster than having to wait on me to walk everywhere, I¡¯m too short to be fast like you.¡± Xander chuckled at his own joke. Freyja¡¯s size really was just ludicrous. ¡°I¡¯ll even make sure I make you a nice comfy saddle so I don¡¯t make you uncomfortable.¡± Freyja appeared to be lost in thought after Xander¡¯s question. He could see the gears turning behind the cat¡¯s eyes as it thought the request over, and could feel it through the bond, too. While not really translated into words, the gist of it came across in the bond: While the idea of being ridden by any old stranger struck her as distasteful, she didn¡¯t mind so much allowing Xander to ride her, considering he had rescued her, and traded his other riding animal in the process. But the saddle better be as comfortable as he says it will be. Freyja gave a nod once she was done mulling the thought over. ¡°Perfect!¡± Xander was excited. While owning and riding a horse in his armor had made him feel rather knightly, riding a horse sized cat would make him feel like a magical knight. Which he sort of was, he realized, considering his mostly plate armor and ability to use skills. ¡°Let¡¯s get this thing started then so we can get out of here.¡± Xander began the somewhat trial and error process of creating a saddle for a cat. What he¡¯d ended up with was similar in construction to a harness that a dog or a cat might have worn on earth, with two loops being buckled around each front leg, and a larger, singular sheet of leather looping around Freyja¡¯s stomach area. He¡¯d made the leather as smooth and supple as he could to prevent it from rubbing and added quite a lot of padding under the saddle to help distribute his weight a little more for the cat. He even embossed runes of smoothness on the underside of the straps and saddle, going all out for the comfort of his new companion. Freyja didn¡¯t seem to mind the contraption one it was put on. The combination of the light construction and the smoothness runes making the saddle feel as if it were hardly there. Xander¡¯s weight was hardly anything compared to what the cat would take down and drag in its natural habitat, so her movement was not much impeded by a rider. Xander hooked his feet into the stirrup like straps he¡¯d added near where his feet would hang and gripped onto the handles he¡¯d built into the saddle. He¡¯d doubted that Freyja would appreciate something like a bridle or reins. Considering she was intelligent enough to respond to verbal commands Xander figured that she wouldn¡¯t need all that much direction, and if she did, he could just ask her to do what he needed. He still had a white-knuckled grip on the handles, though. He was certain that the cat could sling him from the saddle if it decided to. Combat Artificer - 16 ¡°Alright, Freyja¡­ I guess uh, I guess we¡¯ll just follow everyone else, since I don¡¯t really know where I¡¯m going.¡± The party started off again, down one horse, but having gained a much more exotic animal. Freyja had no trouble keeping up with the pace that was currently being set. If anything, Xander could feel that she was impatient. Having been cooped up in that cart for so long, he could feel the cat¡¯s intense desire to break into a run and stretch her legs. Xander leaned forward and scratched the cat¡¯s neck, eliciting another chuff. ¡°Let¡¯s get some running in for you, just let me tell the others what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Hey guys, Freyja wants to do some running. She¡¯d been in that cage for way too long. So we¡¯re gonna go on a big loop or something to get some of that energy out. Don¡¯t worry, though, I¡¯ll keep in sight.¡± Graffus, who was riding closest to Xander, as his pony seemed the bravest of the other animals and was therefore less shy of Freyja, nodded. Atrax gave a wave to signal that he¡¯d heard, and Frazay simply gave a wordless cheer. ¡°Well, that settles that, Freyja.¡± Xander could feel through the bond that the cat enjoyed hearing its new name. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you run! Just, don¡¯t go too far away from everyone.¡± With that, the cat sprung forward, claws digging into the ground underneath her. The horses shied away, started by the sudden movement, though none of them bucked or reared, thankfully. Xander was very glad he had had the foresight to implement handles into the saddle, as Freyja¡¯s gait at a sprint had him bouncing up and down and nearly falling out of the saddle until he seated himself more properly, leaning forward slightly and standing slightly on the stirrups to use his own legs like a set of shocks to even the bouncing. The cat was incredibly fast. He felt that they were easily going the speed of a galloping horse, and he could tell that Freyja wasn¡¯t even straining herself. Freyja, for her part, was having the time of her life. The big cat was frolicking out in the open space, and Xander could tell that the only thing that was keeping her from flopping onto the ground and rolling in the grass was his presence on her back. After a half hour of sprinting, hopping, and pouncing, Freyja was finally ready to return to the much slower pace of the rest of the party. Freyja lightly trotted back to the party, Xander still on her back despite having almost fallen off a few times and took up her previous posting next to Graffus. ¡°Well,¡± Xander said breathlessly, ¡°She¡¯s definitely fast. And riding a giant cat is absolutely nothing like riding a horse, I can say that.¡± Graffus laughed, ¡°Aye, there¡¯s a reason I stick to a horse besides the cost. Everyone thinks they want an exotic mount, but no one wants to relearn how to ride. Mostly the only folks you¡¯ll see riding something as exotic as what you¡¯ve got there will be other guild members or maybe a noble with some taming skills. Having her around is going to make you stick out as a merc like a sore thumb. Not that that¡¯s necessarily a bad thing. The threat of a large, predatory animal and a merc that can handle one can solve a lot of problems and open doors. Or at least kick them in, ha!¡± Xanders three mercenary companions remained in good spirits despite the delay of a couple of hours earlier in the day. Frazay was in especially high spirits. ¡°You know, I¡¯m really glad you managed to rescue Freyja, Xander. I¡¯ve always hated menageries, and not just because I¡¯m a ranger and a druid. It always struck me as pathetic to buy an animal that had been crammed into a cage by someone else and brought to you to be used with your skills because you either can¡¯t be bothered to go out into the world or are too cowardly to. I¡¯ve seen how you can handle yourself in the face of an enemy, so I know you¡¯ll do Freyja proud.¡± Frazay, having no compunction against baby-talking to the panther added, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right pretty miss kitty? Xander¡¯s gonna take good care of you!¡± The panther pressed her head into Frazay¡¯s outstretched hand, not minding the baby-talk a bit. ¡°I think she likes you, Frazay,¡± said Xander. ¡°Of course she does, I¡¯m naturally good with animals. Plus, she¡¯s smart, yes she is, so of course she loves meee!¡± Frazay spoke this last half to Freyja, slipping back into babytalk. Freyja was loving the attention. She¡¯d likely had little stimulation during her time in the menagerie, and though Xander assumed that loravian panthers were solitary animals, the cat was soaking up the attention from Frazay like a man who¡¯d been stranded on a deserted island being offered his first conversation in months. ¡°Say, do you happen to know much about loravian panthers, Frazay? Are they all this¡­¡± Xander waved his hand at Freyja in a general manner ¡°¡­ smart? Or sociable?¡± ¡°Hmm, well I wouldn¡¯t call myself an expert or any sort of them, or any of the large cats of this world, but I have heard of them. They have a reputation for being fearsome apex predators, able to take down any animal or creature that has the misfortune of crossing them, and they¡¯re known to be cunning to the point that hunting them is notoriously difficult. They¡¯re also, and I assume the merchant didn¡¯t tell you this, notably difficult to train or tame, even with skills. But her level of intelligence is far beyond anything I have heard of. I mean, how many animals have you seen that damn near preen themselves when you compliment their intelligence?¡± Freyja was holding her head high and proud, and Xander could feel the enjoyment she was receiving from having her unnatural intelligence recognized and discussed. ¡°I see. I¡¯d thought as much, though the bit about them being resistant to taming skills makes me extra glad I only gave them the barest rune etching I could get away with. Though I guess I did come one pretty strong wanting to buy her, so I guess I seemed like I knew what I was about. Anyways, I was thinking that the [Cat-Touched] title and skill I got is increasing her intelligence somehow, making her better able to understand me and work with me. What a name. [Cat-Touched]. Touched by the goddess of cats, I suppose?¡± Xander was starting to ramble and pulled himself out of it. ¡°That¡¯s all I can think of anyway.¡± ¡°Makes about as much sense as anything,¡± said Frazay, shrugging. It¡¯s not uncommon for a [Tamer] or other variations of the class to have skills or passives that increase some attribute or other of the beasts that they train and bond.¡± ¡°Are there a lot of [tamers] or tamer-like classes?¡± Xander found the idea of a class more focused around directing animals and providing them improvements interesting, as the few classes he¡¯d had any combat experience with, namely his current companions and Thripus, were much more focused on dealing damage in a much more direct manner. ¡°Yes and no,¡± Frazay said, confusing Xander somewhat. ¡°Yes and no?¡± he echoed back. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a significant gap of tamers in the ¡®middle¡¯ range of power. You see tamers who have access only to maybe local animals who may not be very powerful, and thus struggle to break into the middle reaches of power as they can¡¯t use their weaker animals, or don¡¯t want to risk them as is the case for those that get attached to their bonded animals, to obtain more powerful animals, thus relegating them to smaller, lower paying contracts, which also makes it very hard for them to afford anything from a merchant like we saw back there. 100 gold, even fifty gold, is a lot of money for most people Xander. We can¡¯t all custom create magical items for people to sell, after all. So it takes a lot longer to accrue that kind of money, especially if you have living costs, and the need to feed multiple animals. Speaking of which, what are you planning on feeding her?¡± ¡°Uhm, well, I¡¯d kind of just figured I¡¯d let her go hunt on our down time if we¡¯re in a good area for it. Beyond that, I guess I¡¯ll just have to use some of that ¡®easy money¡¯ I¡¯ve got to buy meat. I bet she¡¯d like to get some hunting in,¡± Xander said, scratching Freyja behind an ear. He could feel her delight at the idea of getting to go on a hunt again. ¡°Just no taking farmer¡¯s animals!¡± He instructed the cat, fearful that she¡¯d end up with a contract on her just like the bear Thripus had originally been hunting when they¡¯d met. ¡°I suppose that will do well enough while we¡¯re out of town like this. Once we reach Anlet, though, you¡¯re either going to have to stable her at a special establishment that can handle exotic animals, or handle getting the meat from a farmer or butcher yourself and feed her. And even then, you might have some inns turn you away if you want to keep her with other customer¡¯s horses.¡± ¡°Makes sense that there would be special places for special animals in the bigger cities if there are taming based classes. So you said that there were few tamers in the middle, because the lower levels of taming can be really rough to break out of. What about at higher levels of power?¡± ¡°Ah, those are the tamers that either got lucky, either by birth or location, and those that managed to make it through the slog of breaking out of the low levels. Some people are born into enough money that if they need to acquire a few good animals to start their career as a tamer, then their family can just buy them. Others are lucky to live in an area that had a natural abundance of stronger creatures. Like those wolf spiders I told you about, remember that?¡± ¡°Unfortunately.¡± ¡°Well if you happened to live in a place like Krepash where there are creatures like that just running about, you¡¯d certainly have an easier time getting yourself some high tier bonded animals. Even at low levels, a tamer with a good selection of animals can take on a wide variety of contracts. Of course, in a fight with another skill user, especially against someone higher leveled than them, a low level tamer is going to suffer. They might have lots of animals, but any high tiered skill user is going to be able to handle an animal, and the tamer¡¯s not going to be able to provide them much improvement beyond baseline if they¡¯re low level. So either the skill user kills all the tamer¡¯s animals, or simply dodge the animals and go straight for the tamer to end the fight. A lot of people go against conventional wisdom and seek out ways to make sure that the classes they can get or class amalgamations ¨C that¡¯s when your classes combine, you now about that, right? ¨C are as taming centric as possible. What they really should have gone for is a secondary class that would have filled in some of their gaps, because once a tamer with no other skillsets loses their animals or encounters something their beasts can¡¯t overcome, they¡¯re done for. ¡®Course, since it¡¯s so common to work in teams, if you come across a full tamer, they¡¯re likely working with a team to fill in those gaps instead.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°I see. That all makes sense in my head. I might feel differently if some dude sets three ¡®low tier¡¯ bears on me, though.¡± ¡°There is a certain strength to be found in numbers,¡± Frazay agreed, ¡°but you¡¯re selling yourself short if you don¡¯t think you couldn¡¯t handle a couple of bears with your skills and weapons.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. I¡¯m still looking at the world through the lens of someone who had zero levels. None of this was a thing in my world, people were on a more equal footing in that regard. We came up with plenty of other ways to kill things though.¡± ¡°So odd to think of a world without status sheets, classes, or levels,¡± said Frazay, thoughtfully. ¡°Right? How do they get anything done?¡± Graffus chimed into the conversation. ¡°In really roundabout ways involving lots of machines, mostly,¡± Xander answered, not really wanting to try and do a deep dive into the complexities of things like power generation, energy grids, gas engines, or other modern infrastructure. ¡°Sounds tedious,¡± Graffus stated. ¡°I think, compared to this world, it would be very tedious for you,¡± Xander agreed. ¡°Unless you wanted to end up in jail, or go to war, there wouldn¡¯t be much for you to fight. Unless you wanted to get into a career of professional fighting, but that¡¯s really only with bare hands.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll stick with here, thank you very much,¡± was Graffus¡¯s reply. Xander kept his reply, that he¡¯d like to be able to go home to his ¡®tedious¡¯ world and see his wife to himself. Freyja, feeling the spike of emotion he¡¯d had turned her head to look at him. Xander offered her a smile and a neck scratch for her concern. The group travelled much the same way the rest of the day. Camp was a simple affair that night. The weather was nice, and, since Freyja wanted to sleep close to him, Xander opted to simply use his bivvy sack with his sleeping back, which Freyja quickly curled around. It was uncomfortably warm being surrounded by a giant cat while also being in a sleeping bag, but once Xander unzipped it and managed to stick a leg out, he fell asleep quickly beside the dozing panther. The next day was even more uneventful than the last. There were no other interesting travelers on the road, and those that did pass them kept their animals a fair distance from the intimidating cat that was among them. Such a beast also marked them as almost certainly members of the mercenary¡¯s guild, and therefore not to be trifled with. The days passed like this. Some of the nights spent at an inn, where Xander had to beg the usage of the stables from concerned innkeepers, other nights spent out on the road. Freyja would often hunt on those nights, and the mercs would wake up in the morning to find the cat cleaning herself and the remains of a deer or other animal on the outskirts of the camp. It had been rather unsettling how stealthily the cat had managed to sneak away, kill an animal, and consume it so close to them without waking anyone. They had not been taking watches as this area was considered to be quite safe, the highway leading to the capital being well maintained in that aspect. The last leg of their journey took them through a stretch where they encountered no villages for two days. Apparently, according to Atrax, the land was not good for farming, and so there was little desire to settle in the area as it had no other unique resources. After those last two boring days, they were all happy to see the buildings of Anlet rising in the distance. As they drew closer over the course of the next hour, Xander was able to see that the city straddled a river, and boats and barges lazily drifted to and from the city, following the current. Situated as it was, Xander could see why it was a large town. Being on the intersection of a major land trade route as well as on a river must make it a veritable hub of trade. ¡°Welcome to Anlet,¡± said Atrax grandly, opening his arms wide. ¡°One of the largest cities in the Kingdom and known as the place you can get anything from anywhere.¡± ¡°Is there really that much trade that goes through the city?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Oh yes, the place is in just the right spot, and more importantly, inhabited by just the right people. Between the fact that it¡¯s on the cross of a river and the king¡¯s road, and the fact that many of the noble houses have holdings and estates in the area, there is the capacity and the desire for all kinds of exotic goods. The menagerie we passed will likely offload a good portion of its inventory here when it eventually arrives. See there,¡± Atrax pointed to a distance outcropping of buildings, which even from here Xander could tell were lavish, ¡°that vineyard is one of the Vitrax family estates.¡± Noticing Xander¡¯s lack of a reaction to the name, he clarified further, ¡°They¡¯re an old family of nobles, been around forever. Lots of money.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Xander. ¡°So, lots of people like that own house or manors, or whatever, around here?¡± ¡°Yes, essentially.¡± Atrax was slightly disappointed that Xander had had such little reaction to learning that there were lavish noble houses around. ¡°More importantly,¡± interjected Graffus, ¡°watch who you talk to and how you talk to them. You don¡¯t want to get some young, rich noble scion¡¯s coat tails tied in a knot. They¡¯ve got a bad habit of challenging people to duels, especially when they¡¯re drunk. Not that I don¡¯t think you¡¯d win, Xander, but sometimes winning a duel like that can lead to even more trouble than just letting them take first blood and leaving it at that. Having someone who can leverage that kind of money and influence pissed with ya is a special kind of headache. We usually stick to the less fancy areas specifically to avoid that kind of thing. At least then you only have to deal with the nobles who are obviously slumming it but think they¡¯re sneaky enough that no one can pick them out. In case you were wondering, they¡¯re usually very easy to pick out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. I like to think I¡¯m not too abrasive, so hopefully I won¡¯t offend anyone too badly. What the plan once we get into this town, anyway?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s flexible,¡± Atrax explained. ¡°Obviously we have to find a place to stay, and somewhere that can accommodate Freyja, as it¡¯s considered rude, and also dangerous, to leave a bonded animal completely unattended. While things should be fine as long as she is with you, if you need to go somewhere that she can¡¯t then she¡¯ll need to be at a stable for exotic animals. So ideally, we¡¯ll be looking for an inn that has that capacity. After that, we check the guild the guild for any good contracts. Interesting kill or capture contracts, exploration of course, bodyguard duty. That kind of thing. Once the good contracts dry up, we¡¯ll move on again. That¡¯s pretty much how we¡¯ve been operating this whole time.¡± ¡°Seems like a good enough plan to me. Flexibility is good. Have you three ever done a bodyguard contract?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Mm, a few. Most of them were pretty cushy,¡± commented Frazay. ¡°Except for that one with the assassins,¡± Graffus pointed out. ¡°Yeah, that one sucked. But we came out on top just fine,¡± said Frazay. ¡°You¡¯re just mad you took a crossbow bolt to the shoulder.¡± ¡°Damn right I am!¡± ¡°Is that kind of thing common?¡± Xander sounded concerned. ¡°Eh, not really. Half the time it¡¯s some right family who wants to make sure no one gets too close to some precious son or daughter as they¡¯re out and around town. Occasionally there is a concern about actual harassment or attacks and assassination attempts, but generally it¡¯s rare that that information is known. Most of the time they¡¯re just playing it safe, and since they¡¯ve got the money, then they¡¯d rather spend it on a set of guards here and there than risk an abduction or assassination,¡± Graffus explained. He was surprisingly unconcerned about the potential dangers of a contract type that had gotten him shot. ¡°Mm. I see. And we¡¯re the kind of team that an employer would want for a task like that?¡± ¡°More or less. We¡¯re decently well rounded. I¡¯ve got the position of frontliner and shield bearer, so I can provide cover for the person we¡¯re guarding if needed, Atrax has area denial covered, and Frazay can keep enemies pinned so that they can¡¯t get close or follow. And now that we have you and your ability to reshape things, that provides even more options for cover and escape. The only way we could be more desirable is if we managed to get our hands on a healer.¡± ¡°Are healers not common in the guild?¡± ¡°Not really. Most people who end up with the ability to heal are a [Priest] of some variety or other, so they often end up in the church. That¡¯s not to say that a [Priest] can¡¯t join the guild, it¡¯s just not very common. There are other classes that end up with healing skills, often those who depend on beasts or summoned creatures at least end up with a way to heal their companions, and there are [Healers] who are not necessarily affiliated with any one religion. But healing is a skill that¡¯s always in demand, so there¡¯s not much pressure for one to join the guild in the first place when they could just set up shop and let injured people come to them. So when one does join the guild they tend to get sniped and bundled into a team quickly.¡± ¡°Oh I see. Makes sense that healers don¡¯t have as much of a need to be a mercenary to make money. Kinda sucks for us, though,¡± Xander lamented. ¡°That it does,¡± Graffus agreed. ¡°If we manage to make enough of a name for ourselves doing contracts then we might be able to get one of our own, one day. It may not seem like it, but that bone giant is a great point to have on our list of achievements, even if it was a little on the small side for such a beast.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not normal for a group to encounter things like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal enough, but there are plenty of groups who would have deemed the money not worth the risk, retreated, and let another higher leveled team take on the giant. They still would have received a partial payment for the work they did do, after all. That thing could have seriously injured one of us with a good hit, especially you three, since you don¡¯t have any shield skills. Without a healer on your side, that can be a big risk and going down from four to three fighters can all but finish a fight. Not only has that person been taken out of the fight, unless you¡¯re willing to just leave them there to die, assuming they¡¯re not outright killed, then another team member is going to have to get them out of immediate harm. Cohesion gets lost, your damage output goes way down, and whatever your fighting has an easier time focusing on a target when there are fewer skills hitting it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think of it like that. You¡¯re right about the importance of team cohesion and placement. If that thing had been chasing me around instead of trying to hit you, Graffus, then it would have been damn near impossible to get a good hit in with one of my grenades.¡± ¡°And we were able to outmaneuver it mostly because of Frazay¡¯s abilities,¡± pointed out Graffus. ¡°Take any one of us out of the fight, let alone two, and everything starts to go to shit.¡± ¡°Got it. Well, uh, you guys just don¡¯t let that happen, obviously. Problem solved,¡± Xander said, at a loss for anything to really say about the reality of combat as a mercenary. Graffus laughed. ¡°Not planning to, but then again, no one ever plans to.¡± The conversation turned to lighter topics as they traveled into town. Atrax had heard good things about an inn across the river, simply named ¡®Robert¡¯s,¡¯ so they made their way towards that part of town. Taking in the city around them, Xander was awed at the mix of medieval feeling architecture with modern amenities made possible by magic. Street lamps were placed at regular intervals, topped with stone globes that glowed a soft yellow. Cranes, much smaller than they had any right to be, were pulling large crates from barges docked alongside the river. Xander assumed that there must some kind of magic either reinforcing the cranes or somehow making the crates lighter. After all, if he could make something heavier with rune, why not magic to make things lighter? Xander even noticed a few runes carved on what looked like a manhole cover, though he was uncertain of their purpose. He was quickly beginning to lump these things into a new category which he dubbed ¡®industrial magic.¡¯ You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. They passed people of all varieties and economic status. Xander saw rich and poor humans and dwarves, though there was certainly some stratification to where each preferred to gather, he even thought he saw an elf at one point, if the long, pointed ears were anything to go by. There were even odder folk in the crowd here and there that Xander noticed. Tall, lanky beings who seemed as if they had bark for skin. Barrel chested, furred people with long, swishing tails. He¡¯d have to ask about both when he could have a more private discussion with his group, away from people who might think him rude or ignorant. He tried not to stare too hard at any one person to avoid giving offense, but it was hard with some of the more outlandish and ridiculous seeming outfits he saw some of the richer peoples wearing. Robert¡¯s ended up being just off the main road, a few streets down from the arching bridge that crossed over the river. The proprietor seemed a professional enough man, and the operation of the inn seemed smooth, from what they could gather looking in from outside. Xander opted to wait with Freyja and the horses. Frazay¡¯s stag had been released once more as they entered the city. Xander wondered if it was the same stag each time or a different one. He hadn¡¯t thought to try and remember the number of antlers and compare against the previous time Frazay had summoned a stag. He supposed he could just ask her instead. The owner of the inn confirmed to Atrax that there was a small section of the stable that was capable of housing animals of the more exotic variety, and that there was space for four. The cost had been significantly more than what he¡¯d paid to stay at Talon¡¯s, five silvers to the one it had cost him there, though that had been explained away by Atrax as Xander not only having gotten an extremely good deal from Briggs as well as the fact that lodging just generally cost more in larger cities, at least if you didn¡¯t want to risk waking up to bugs crawling over you. There was also an additional three silver surcharge for Xander that covered Freyja¡¯s handling and food for her. He expected that he might be able to feed her himself for a cheaper price, but the time and effort it would save him in sourcing the meat, buying it, then feeding her made the price worth it to him. He could afford to stay there well enough with his remaining funds, and he was sure he could gather more coin by finding a smith to sell his labor to if they did not take on a contract soon. Having paid for their rooms, Atrax and Graffus stabled their horses before they headed to the guild. Xander opted to bring Freyja with them. He¡¯d grown fond of having the cat around already and hated the idea of forcing her to stay in an enclosed space when he didn¡¯t have to. Plus, the cat needed more exposure to crowds. He could tell that the looks she drew from curious passers-by still made her anxious, and he wanted to make sure she was able to overcome that fear. He walked beside her, occasionally letting her know that everything was alright. He felt her anxiety lessen somewhat by the time they made it to the mercenary¡¯s guild. The guild building in Anlet was a significantly more extravagant affair. The three-story building was made with white marble, and several large statues of warriors in various poses served as columns supporting a balcony on the third floor. The building was a hive of activity, with a constant stream of people entering and exiting it as they went about their business. ¡°Wow,¡± said Xander, awed at the grandeur of the building. ¡°I hear it¡¯s the nicest guild hall outside of the one in the capital,¡± said Frazay, craning her neck to look up at the edge of the balcony. ¡°They look like they¡¯re sure to have plenty of contracts,¡± Atrax said. ¡°Nobles always need work done around these parts.¡± So the four mercenaries and one loravian panther made their way inside. Freyja was fortunate that the doors were similarly large and grandiose to fit the rest of the building, and the ceiling was high and vaulted. She had little trouble following Xander into the building, beyond the stares she received from anyone who looked their way. The inside of the building was filled with the roaring murmur of many people conducting business at once. A long, carved wooden counter bisected the length of the room, and many attendants were helping people at it, or going around the room pinning new contracts up and taking old or completed contracts down. Atrax and Graffus got to work immediately, perusing through the multitude of contracts posted on the walls, discussing the pros and cons of this contract or that. Xander, not feeling like he knew enough yet about the process opted to watch the comings and goings of so many people. Frazay stood with him and Freyja instead of searching the postings like Atrax and Graffus. ¡°How come you¡¯re not looking through the contracts, too?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Meh, a job¡¯s a job. I¡¯m not quite as picky about them as Atrax or Graffus is, so I let them hunt out the best ones for me.¡± She gave a small chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s worked so far.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Xander said, going back to people watching. There were so many types of mercenaries. He saw robes and staves, crossbows, daggers and leather armor, warriors in full suits of plate mail with large shields, it seemed like the gamut of archetypes was available in this space. A few minutes into watching people go about their business, Xander was startled by a polite clearing of a throat near him. ¡°Uhm, excuse me, I was wondering¡­¡± The girl, who couldn¡¯t have been more than seventeen or eighteen, paused for a moment, gathering her courage, ¡°could I pet your cat?¡± Xander had not expected that. People¡¯s reactions to Freyja so far had ranged from apprehension to apathy. No one yet had expressed any desire to actually interact with her, let alone pet her. Xander turned to Freyja and asked, ¡°What do you think Freyja? Want some pets from her?¡± Freyja, ever needy for attention, stretched before flopping on the floor and rolling on to her back, exposing her chin for the girl to rub. She tentatively reached out to touch Freyja¡¯s fur, before settling into a slightly firmer scratch. ¡°She¡¯s so soft,¡± the girl murmured. ¡°Very,¡± Xander agreed. ¡°So what brings you to the guild hall? I promise I don¡¯t mean to come across as rude, but I don¡¯t see many people around your age here.¡± The girl bristled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m nineteen, thank you very much, so I¡¯m absolutely allowed to be here.¡± Xander held his hands up in mock surrender, ¡°Woah, woah, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you, I swear. I was just curious. I¡¯m new to the guild, so I¡¯m still getting used to how it all works.¡± The girl deflated slightly at Xander¡¯s apology. ¡°Ah, sorry, it¡¯s just a bit of a touchy subject for me. I¡¯m here to join the guild, even though my parents think I¡¯m too young. But I¡¯m not! I¡¯m past the age to be considered a grown woman! My name is Gabrelle, by the way. What¡¯s yours?¡± she asked, before crouching back down and going back to stroking Freyja¡¯s cheek. Xander chuckled. ¡°It''s Xander. I remember being nineteen too and desperate to get out from under my parent¡¯s thumb. Sometimes I miss those days, now. But that¡¯s the past,¡± he said a little sadly, unsure what else to say. Garelle noticed the tone of Xander¡¯s voice trending down and changed the subject. ¡°You said you¡¯re new, right? Have you gone on many contracts?¡± ¡°Just the one, though it was quite the adventure¡± Xander answered. ¡°I¡¯ve only been in the guild for, oh, I guess a little over a month now. But Frazay here,¡± he pointed his thumb behind him to where Frazay had been listening to Xander speak to Gabrelle, ¡°has been on plenty. Anything you want to know?¡± ¡°Well,¡± started Gabrelle, ¡°what¡¯s it like? Being out on the road, doing contracts? Fighting monsters and beasts?¡± ¡°Mm, well it¡¯s not as exciting as it sounds a lot of the time,¡± Frazay began. ¡°There are long days of travel sometimes, and the going can get rough and tough. Fights can turn into a dangerous slog with one mistake, and you¡¯ve got to keep your eyes and ears open at all times. Now, don¡¯t take that as me trying to turn you away from the trade. When the times are good, they are good. The adrenaline rush when you execute an ambush, the feeling of victory as you defeat a strong enemy. The friends, the people you meet, the places you see, I wouldn¡¯t trade it for any other career.¡± Gabrelle seemed thoughtful. ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad you were willing to give it to me without glossing over the bad bits, too. I think it helps me think about it better knowing that it¡¯s not like some kind of fairytale story.¡± ¡°What class are you, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Xander was curious as to what niche Gabrelle might fit. She wasn¡¯t wearing any equipment, and he found it hard to fit her into any of the archetypes he¡¯d seen so far. ¡°We¡¯ve got a [Fire Mage] and [Scholar of the Ancient], a [Shield Bearer] and [Earth Wielder], Frazay there is an [Archer], [Ranger] and [Druid of the Forest]. As for myself, I¡¯m an [Artificer], [Soldier], and [Demolitionist]. Between us, I figure we can manage to offer some advice or answer questions about a class type.¡± ¡°Uhm, well, my classes aren¡¯t very combat oriented,¡± said Gabrelle, sounding downtrodden. ¡°My parents keep telling me that they aren¡¯t useful for the guild and that I should seek employment elsewhere, but I want to see the world outside of Anlet! I¡¯m an [Herbalist] and a [Medic]. I was actually hoping to meet some other people my age here¡­ since I¡¯d need a group to achieve anything. But everyone is so busy and they all already seem like they have their own groups. I was just waiting in line to try and register before I saw Freyja here. I just had to pet her; I love cats. I think that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to miss the most about home, besides my parents of course, is the cat we have.¡± Frazay gave Xander a long look that said, ¡®Don¡¯t fuck this up.¡¯ Xander gave a small cough, feeling a little uncomfortable about trying to recruit the girl. ¡°Ahem, well, we uh, we just happen to be starting the process of looking for contracts in town ourselves. We¡¯d be happy to help you along and teach you the ropes. Frazay and Graffus and Atrax over there,¡± Xander paused to point over to the two men, still obliviously going through posted contracts, ¡°have a lot of experience under their belt. They¡¯ve done a great job mentoring me! I had no idea about any of this kind of thing before they taught me.¡± Gabrelle¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really? You¡¯d really take me on, even though I can¡¯t fight like the other mercenaries? And you¡¯re okay with me being low level?¡± Frazay chimed in with, ¡°What¡¯s important about a team is not always how they can fight! We like to have a wide variety of skills and options for us to be able to tackle any kind of situation. Just take Xander here, sure he can fight, but did you know he also does rune work? And don¡¯t worry about level! Xander also started out with less than ten levels under his belt, and he¡¯s done quite well for himself so far. Besides, I¡¯m sure one of the boys, especially Graffus, could teach you how to hold a sword if you really wanted. Though if you want to know a secret,¡± Frazay leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, ¡°bows are way better.¡± Gabrelle laughed at Frazay¡¯s joke, her previous nervousness forgotten, replaced by a giddy enthusiasm. ¡°I think I¡¯d like that, I always wanted to learn how to fight, but father refused to get me any kind of weapon, let alone pay for lessons. Though, I think the cost might have been part of the reason for not wanting lessons now that I think about it.¡± ¡°Well, lessons are free now!¡± Frazay said with a laugh. ¡°Xander, why don¡¯t you help Gabrelle get signed up?¡± Her question was a accompanied with a slight nudge to get him moving. Xander assumed he was mostly just supposed to hang around and give Gabrelle the appearance of already having a party to prevent the inevitable barrage of offers she¡¯d receive once it got out that she had even the potential to heal injuries. He wondered if it was wrong to snipe someone so early in their career that they technically weren¡¯t even in the guild yet but dismissed the thought. It would be mutually beneficial for everyone, and he¡¯d only had good interactions with his team so far. They would help her along with her growth as a mercenary, which seemed a good enough cause. He wasn¡¯t sure what other teams were like, after all. ¡°Uh, yeah, sure, I can help you get signed up Gabrelle. It¡¯s really easy. Besides, I need to update my status. It¡¯s been a few levels since I did it at the Klimp building.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to those two knuckleheads over there and make sure they select a contract that will fit with our new team,¡± said Frazay. The woman looked like she¡¯d just finished a crowning achievement, which when Xander thought about it, she had, if healers really were as rare for merc teams as he¡¯d been led to believe. With a team of five, they now had most niches covered for what would be needed for the vast majority of contracts: Frontline, damage and control, and now potential healing. ¡°I guess we better get in line, huh? C¡¯mon Freyja, let¡¯s snag a spot before these lines get any longer.¡± Xander started making his way to one of the shorter lines. ¡°Good idea, thanks for coming with me to sign up. I¡¯m, well, feeling a bit nervous about it,¡± Gabrelle admitted. ¡°That¡¯s perfectly normal,¡± said Xander. ¡°It¡¯s a big decision after all. But don¡¯t overthink it too much, though. As far as I understand there¡¯s nothing stopping you from deciding to longer do contracts and start a different career in the guild rules. Actually, I think I still have my copy from when I signed up! Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Xander fished the small stack of papers from his inventory, much to Gabrelle¡¯s surprise, the papers appearing in his hands. ¡°No harassing other members, don¡¯t commit crimes¡­¡± He read a few of the rules as he flipped through the sheets. ¡°Nope, nothing that says you can¡¯t just decide to go do other stuff if you don¡¯t like it. I met a tavern owner who used to be in the guild. Ran a good place. Here, you can read through them yourself if you want. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll give you a copy here like they did in Klimp. Things were slower there, so they had more time to take with each customer.¡± Xander handed the papers to Gabrelle. ¡°Thanks,¡± said Gabrelle, still distracted by Xander¡¯s ability to make objects appear from thin air. ¡°How did you do that?¡± she asked, curiosity overcoming her finally. ¡°Make those papers appear, I mean.¡± ¡°Oh, I forget that it¡¯s not normal sometimes, it¡¯s become a bit of a habit. It¡¯s a storage ability I have, tied to a title. You¡¯ll get to see it when they copy down my status, it¡¯ll make more sense then, I think.¡± Xander really just didn¡¯t feel like explaining he was a [Godsmarked] right now. The line moved at a decent pace, confirming Xander¡¯s comment that the clerks at this guild were much faster with their customer interactions. It was only a short wait for the two of them before they were face to face with an attendant, a middle aged man with a smooth-shaven beard. Everything about the man, from his crisp vest and outfits, to the small, round glasses sitting on his nose oozed professionalism, to the point where it even seemed as if he didn¡¯t even notice the giant cat looming behind the two. Perhaps he had encountered stranger things in his time with the guild. ¡°What can I do for you today?¡± He asked, forgoing any kind of small talk. ¡°Well, I need to update my status with the guild since I¡¯ve gained some levels, and Gabrelle here wants so sign on with the guild.¡± Xander stepped aside to reveal Gabrelle more fully. ¡°Hi,¡± She waved slightly at the attendant. ¡°He¡¯s right, I do want to become a mercenary.¡± ¡°Mmm, mhm. Alright.¡± The man simply nodded along with them and then said, ¡°We¡¯ll start with the updated status as it¡¯s something I can do here with paper, and then we¡¯ll get miss Gabrelle here a contract to sign. Is there anything else?¡± Xander looked to Gabrelle, who shook her head. ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t think so. My teammates are looking through contracts still.¡± Xander looked back to where Atrax and Graffus were, to see Atrax and Frazay in conversation, Atrax gesticulating wildly. He hoped the man wasn¡¯t mad about being consulted before bringing Gabrelle in. Hopefully the fact that she had the [Medic] class would smooth things over. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s see your status so I can copy it down.¡± Xander obliged, and was amazed at the speed at which the man could write. Was there a [Clerk] class? If Gabrelle was an [Herbalist], then it would follow that there must be other classes based on different professions. Xander hadn¡¯t thought about it before, but it made sense. Smith the smith must also have been a [Smith], which would explain why he had such little trouble swinging a hammer every day. Xander had just assumed the man had a high strength stat at the time. In no time at all, his status was copied down, and the ink was blotted, the sheet put away with a stack of other status updates on the counter. ¡°Now, please excuse me for a moment while I retried a copy of the contract.¡± The man quickly paced to a shelf set into the wall behind him and returned with the contract. ¡°You know the stipulations of the contract, miss?¡± he asked before proceeding further. ¡°Uhuh! Xander let me read his spare copy of the rules while we were in line.¡± Gabrelle held up the slightly crumpled copy of the contract in her hand. ¡°Good, good, that saves us both some time,¡± the man said, as if time were the most covetous things to be had at the moment for him. ¡°Just sign here, then, and you will be an official member of the mercenary¡¯s guild, once we complete your status check, of course.¡± Gabrelle quickly signed her name on the proffered papers, ¡®Gabrelle Inlessi,¡¯ and then opened and turned her status around for the man. Once again, his hand were a flurry as he copied Gabrelle¡¯s status over. Xander was not able to see her status from the angle he was standing, but even if he could, he would have been more fascinated by the fact that the attendant was able to write at such speed without even looking down at the paper he was copying too. His penmanship was amazing, too. ¡°Mm, everything appears to be in order. Please do return to us again soon! Now, if there is nothing left I can assist you with¡­ Next!¡± The man barked out the last word, as Xander and Gabrelle thanked him and moved to get out of the queue. ¡°Welcome to the mercenary¡¯s guild,¡± Xander said, celebratorily. ¡°Thanks!¡± Gabrelle had a large smile on here face, enthused to finally be a part of the organization she¡¯d been pining for since she was a child old enough to play pretend with sticks. ¡°Guess we should introduce you to the rest of the team, yeah?¡± Xander was glad to see that Atrax¡¯s wild gesticulations had ceased, and the man was talking much less animatedly with Frazay. She seemed to have calmed him down a little. ¡°No, I think having a healer is a great idea, I just wish you¡¯d asked me beforehand¡­¡± Xander was able to faintly hear Atrax as he, Freyja, and Gabrelle walked towards the group. Gabrelle wilted slightly, having heard as well. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be angry with me?¡± Gabrelle asked quietly. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be alright. He and Frazay just seem to find any excuse to argue with each other, but it never really gets between them. That¡¯s just how they are. I wouldn¡¯t worry about him taking it out on you. One of the few things that Atrax and Frazay don¡¯t argue about is that variety is good for a team, and you bring things to the table that we don¡¯t,¡± Xander explained. ¡°Oh. Okay, then.¡± Gabrelle still seemed unsure, but as they were only a few steps away at this point, it was a bit late to back out now. ¡°Uh, hi guys,¡± began Xander, feeling a bit awkward. ¡°This is Gabrelle,¡± Gabrelle offered a small wave, looking as shy as when she¡¯d first asked to pet Freyja, ¡°Gabrelle, this is the rest of the team. You¡¯ve already met Frazay, and this is Atrax,¡± Atrax nodded his head politely towards the young woman, ¡°he¡¯s our mage and the scholar I mentioned, and that¡¯s Graffus. He¡¯s out man, uh dwarf I guess actually, to make the phrase correct, who makes sure nothing gets too close to us squishier folks.¡± ¡°Pleased to meet ya,¡± Graffus greeted Gabrelle. He seemed to have no compunctions about the girl joining the team. ¡°Welcome aboard, Gabrelle. We got ourselves a contract here that should be just perfect to start you out on.¡± Graffus laughed, saying, ¡°It ought to be less of an event than Xander¡¯s first contract!¡± ¡°Did something happen on your first contract?¡± Gabrelle asked. ¡°Well, a few things happened. I expect Graffus is referring to the bone giant though. Or maybe the goblins? Nah, probably the bone giant.¡± ¡°A bone giant?¡± Gabrelle said, a mixture of awe and fear creeping into her voice. ¡°Well, it was a ¡®small¡¯ bone giant from what they keep telling me. Small must be relative though, because it sure didn¡¯t feel small to me. We managed well enough, though.¡± Xander was still proud of his contribution to that fight, even if he did feel the need to specify the size of the monster so that he felt less boastful. ¡°Wow¡­ I sure hope nothing like that happens to me any time soon.¡± Gabrelle let a little bit of anxiety creep into her voice. ¡°No need to worry about that sort of thing yet,¡± Graffus said. ¡°What we¡¯ve got is a nice, cushy bodyguard detail. With you as our fifth and rounding us out a bit more, Gabrelle, we¡¯re prime candidates for that kind of contract right now. Of course, we do still like to do other kind of contracts. We¡¯re all fond of exploration contracts, for example. Especially Atrax, since it relates to his [Scholar of the Ancient] class. If it looks exciting and pays well, we¡¯re willing to try it, as long as the risks aren¡¯t too great that is. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go on an exploration contract,¡± said Gabrelle, wistfully. ¡°I used to dream about traveling to ancient ruins or fallen temples deep in the forests and jungles.¡± ¡°I think we can manage similar, though maybe not that exact scenario,¡± Atrax said, finally joining the conversation. Gabrelle¡¯s desire to explore the world had evidently softened his stance towards her slightly. ¡°Us three have been to a lot of places and seen a lot of things, and I¡¯m sure you and Xander will have to opportunity to see more with us. If you decide to stick around. Mercenary work can be hard, and bloody sometimes, and none of us are going to hold it against you if you decide that either it or just our team isn¡¯t a good fit for you.¡± He evidently was unsure if Gabrelle would last, given her rather gentle demeanor and young age. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, I swear! I¡¯ve always wanted to be a mercenary and see the world, it¡¯s just that everyone around me always put me down for the idea¡­ Even my friends laughed at me when I said I wanted to join. They just kept asking why I didn¡¯t want to work in an herb shop or help with injured at on of the churches.¡± Gabrelle sounded completely dejected describing how her ¡®friends¡¯ had reacted to her dreams of adventure. ¡°Well as long as you¡¯re with us, you won¡¯t have to worry about being judged for being a mercenary,¡± Graffus chuckled. ¡°And we¡¯ll do our best to make sure you learn the trade, too.¡± Gabrelle clasped her hands together, looking like she might shed a few tears. ¡°Thank you so much for taking me on, I promise I won¡¯t be a burden.¡± Frazay clapped her on the shoulder, ¡°Well let¡¯s get this contract up to the counter and assigned to us so we can get you started! By the way, we¡¯re staying at Robert¡¯s if you ever can¡¯t find us. You¡¯ve got a place to stay ¡®round here, right?¡± Gabrelle looked nervous and said, tentatively, ¡°Well, I was staying at my parents¡¯. But they¡¯re going to be furious with me for going out and joining the guild after they¡¯ve been trying so hard to keep me from doing it. I don¡¯t have much coin right now, so I don¡¯t know if I could afford to stay somewhere else, though. Do, do you think it would be okay if I stayed with you? I don¡¯t mind sleeping on the floor! I¡¯ve even got my own bedroll. I¡¯ll have to wait until we get paid for this contract to buy much else, though¡­¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. You can sleep on the floor in my room if you really want to. It certainly won¡¯t be the last time you sleep without a bed in this line of work,¡± Frazay offered good-naturedly. ¡°As for equipment, you shouldn¡¯t need too much for this one. We should get you some armor just in case, though. Can¡¯t be too careful, after all. If you can¡¯t afford to buy any, if you ask Xander really nicely, I bet he¡¯d make you some if you can get him the raw materials.¡± Xander rolled his eyes at Frazay volunteering his services but didn¡¯t really mind. ¡°Yeah, I can do that if you need, Gabrelle. What kind of armor or weapons are you thinking about getting, anyway?¡± Gabrelle seemed taken by surprise by the question. ¡°I hadn¡¯t really thought about it, I suppose. My class doesn¡¯t offer me any strength or endurance, at least not right now, so I guess something light. I don¡¯t really know how to use any specific weapon either¡­ besides using a stick as a sword.¡± She was quickly sounding like she was realizing just how little she knew about combat. ¡°Right, so probably some studded leather like Frazay has. Light enough, but sturdy. As for a weapon, something simple. A simple club or a mace, probably. Maybe a dagger, too. I can¡¯t promise your outfit will be stylish, just that I¡¯ll do my best with what you give me.¡± ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Gabrelle gushed, grabbing Xander¡¯s hand in the process and hopping up and down a few times. ¡°I¡¯ll get you the best stuff I can with what I have saved up! Oh I¡¯m so excited to have my own armor and weapon!¡± Xander carefully retrieved his hand from Gabrelle¡¯s excited grasp. Having his hand held, in any manner, had reminded him of the way he used to hold his wife''s hand. He didn¡¯t fault Gabrelle for it, though, she had just been excited, and he kept the sad thought from his voice the best he could. ¡°Don¡¯t spend too much on it, you should try and make sure you always have a little bit to fall back on in an emergency. And some advice for you: I can work with things that have already been crafted, so if you buy a few broken swords or leather that¡¯s been torn, it shouldn¡¯t be an issue. Ought to save you some money, that way.¡± Gabrelle nodded, still wide eyed with excitement and seemingly in awe of Xander¡¯s ability to conjure her up some armor and a weapon or two. The five of them made their way to another line at the counter, which was moving slightly slower than the one that had been manned by the ultra-professional clerk. Xander turned to Atrax and asked, ¡°So what is this contract, anyway? Graffus said bodyguard detail, there any more details beyond that?¡± Atrax shook his head. ¡°Not really. Bodyguard contracts are often sparse in details. Otherwise, anyone could walk in and read about where some bigwig is going and what they might do. Once you accept the contract, you usually meet with the client beforehand to receive more details.¡± ¡°Makes sense. Who¡¯s it for, do we know that much at least?¡± Not that Xander would recognize any name that was given to him, but he still wanted to know. ¡°This one¡¯s for the Huraven family. A minor offshoot family of the Barony around here. That¡¯s the Ravelt family, since I know you don¡¯t know. The Huravens are old money, so they¡¯re a fixture in the social sphere, but they aren¡¯t notable for much. Pretty much the only thing they¡¯re known for is how involved they are with the local guards and constabulary. The family provides them with a lot of resources, and many members are part of the guard itself. They pride themselves on being peacekeepers and investigators for the barony that their family stems from.¡± ¡°Huh. Okay. Well at least they sound like a decently upright group. Law and order and all that.¡± Xander didn¡¯t have much of an opinion to give.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t get on their bad side, otherwise every guard in the city will be looking for an excuse to take you down a notch.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The five mercenaries waited for their turn in line, idly discussing what the contract might entail, or answering questions that Gabrelle had. Soon they were in front of the attendant, another man, who seemed slightly more willing to hold a conversation with customers than the previous attendant Xander and Gabrelle had seen. ¡°What can I do for you folks?¡± Atrax handed over the slip of paper that had been posted on the wall containing the contract details. ¡°We¡¯re wanting to take this contract here.¡± The man read over the contract quickly. ¡°See here it notes a request for a team that can defend, and preferably has a healer type of class. You five meet that requirement?¡± He looked the five of them up and down, trying to assess them. ¡°That we do,¡± Graffus said, looking up at the man. ¡°I play the role of the classic defender as a [Shield Bearer], we have a [Fire Mage] for area denial, an [Archer] and [Ranger] for providing covering fire, as well as an [Artificer] for utility who also happens to be a [Soldier]. And our newest member here,¡± at this Gabrelle beamed at Graffus and the attendant behind the counter, ¡°is a [Medic]. I¡¯d say we fit the bill pretty well, but you can pull our files if you really need to.¡± ¡°No, no, I believe you. Just have to ask, some teams think they can take on contracts outside of their scope. Sounds like you¡¯ve got yourself a good, wide net to cast, though. Good on you, I swear I¡¯ve seen so many teams that only do one kind of contract today. Nice to have a little variety. Give me a moment, please, and I¡¯ll have the details for the meeting with the client right over.¡± The man turned away from them and searched through a few drawers. ¡°Ah! Here it is. So many papers to keep track of.¡± Coming back to the group, he slid the new paper across the counter. ¡°There you are, day and place to meet with the Huraven client is all right here.¡± Combat Artificer - 17 Atrax took the paper and slid it into a pocket within his robes. ¡°Thank you kindly. ¡®Spose we¡¯ll be heading off then, always some final preparation or other to make before a contract. You know how it goes.¡± The five mercenaries and Freyja exited the bustling building. Freyja by now seemed more over her anxiety of being seen after spending some time inside with so many people around. Frazay asked the question everyone wanted to know the answer to. ¡°So? When¡¯s the meeting supposed to be?¡± Atrax pulled the sheet back out to double check the information. ¡°Two days from now, at the Huraven estate by the river.¡± ¡°Gives us some time, then,¡± Frazay commented. ¡°Lets us get Gabrelle nice and set up with what we can before we start. Well, by ¡®we,¡¯ I mean Xander, since he¡¯s making the gear.¡± Frazay laughed. ¡°If we¡¯ve time, then maybe Graffus can show you how to properly swing whatever weapon Xander makes for you before we go on the contract, Gabrelle.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯d like that, if it¡¯s no trouble, Graffus.¡± Gabrelle¡¯s voice was a mixture of pure excitement and timidity. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sure I can take some time to at least make sure you¡¯re not gonna hurt yourself.¡± ¡°What do we do in the meantime?¡± asked Xander. Atrax shrugged. ¡°Personally, I¡¯m pretty set. If you¡¯ve got any errands you want to run or preparations to make, I¡¯d suggest doing it sooner rather than later. Other than that, I have no suggestions.¡± Graffus nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got what I need for this one. Figure I¡¯d take some rest and some beer before we get back to work. Frazay had other ideas. ¡°Well I want to do some window shopping, and maybe some regular shopping. Now that I¡¯m only using arrows for skills, I¡¯d like to try and get some good, high-quality ones. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a fletcher around this town somewhere that will have what I need.¡± Gabrelle spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ve got to break the news to my parents¡­ I can¡¯t just disappear. And I need to buy the supplies for my armor, too.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll track down a good-looking smithy. Scope out my next money maker,¡± Xander said with a laugh. ¡°Though right now, I think I just want to buy some more steel and some leather to make armor for Freyja.¡± He scratched the cat¡¯s cheek as he said her name. He could sense that Freyja was interested in the idea of wearing armor from their bond. ¡°I pass a smith on the way to my parents¡¯, I can show you where it is,¡± offered Gabrelle. ¡°I can buy the metal I¡¯ll need there while we¡¯re at it. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯d appreciate that,¡± Xander said. ¡°It¡¯s off this way!¡± Gabrelle began walking down the street as the group separated. ¡°Come on, Freyja. Let¡¯s go get you what you need for your armor. We¡¯ll have you looking even more majestic.¡± Freyja chuffed in response, rubbing up against Xander as they began following Gabrelle, almost knocking him over. After what Xander felt was the equivalent of a few blocks, Gabrelle paused outside a building. Xander noticed a sign hanging outside the door depicting an anvil and a hammer. ¡°Here it is! Father says he makes good cooking knives. He¡¯s bought a few from him.¡± ¡°Mm, well a good knife needs good steel, so he ought to have what we need,¡± Xander replied. Making their way inside, they were met with a display room of various metal goods. Xander asked Freyja to wait in the entry room. Cooking knives were prominent amongst the items, but there were other creations as well. A few well-made daggers, nails, coat hooks, the smith here was clearly focused on more than just arms and armor. As they made their way further through the shop, they spotted the blacksmith, who was currently sharpening a newly made knife on a spinning grindstone, sparks flying. The two waited patiently for the man to finish. Once he put the blade aside, he noticed them and made his way over. ¡°Howdy there. What can I do for you two?¡± asked the smith. ¡°Lookin¡¯ to buy some steel,¡± answered Xander. ¡°Me too,¡± added Gabrelle. ¡°Just raw steel,¡± clarified Xander, realizing that just asking for steel in a smith¡¯s shop was rather vague. ¡°Ingots, bars, scrap metal, broken pieces you haven¡¯t gotten around to reforging. Don¡¯t much matter to me as long as it¡¯s good metal. I need, oh¡­¡± Xander paused and thought for a moment. ¡°Probably eighty to a hundred pounds for myself. And she¡¯ll need¡­¡± Xander looked Gabrelle over for a moment, measuring her roughly, ¡°about thirty or forty pounds herself. So a hundred and twenty pounds of steel if you have it.¡± The man¡¯s eyebrows rose as Xander asked him for over a hundred pounds of steel. ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot of steel you¡¯re asking for there, son. I¡¯ve got it, sure, but what, pray tell, do you need so much steel for?¡± ¡°Well, I like to make things, and it helps with my class. I¡¯m wanting to try and make some barding for my mount. She¡¯s a bit large, which is why it¡¯s such a large amount of steel. I was also going to make some pieces for Gabrelle here while I was at it.¡± ¡°Ahh, a fellow craftsman,¡± the smith said, smiling. ¡°I see, I see. Well, if you¡¯ve got the coin, I¡¯ve got the material.¡± A few minutes of haggling and hemming and hawing on both sides later, Xander was paying the smith for his steel, allowing Gabrelle to pitch in for her own portion. He¡¯d also opted to buy some brass as well, to plate some of the trim on Freyja¡¯s armor. He wanted her to look properly majestic, and it would also match the faceplate of his helm well enough. Xander was able to fit most of it in his inventory, but that still left about thirty pounds of steel to haul back to the inn. He¡¯d have to reorganize his inventory again, he thought. He¡¯d let it get sloppy and take up more space than it actually needed to. The smith had provided him with a crate to toss the rest of the steel in, considering the amount he¡¯d purchased, and Xander realized how much of a difference [Unstoppable Force] made for him as he easily hauled the box up onto his shoulder. Collecting Freyja, who had patiently waited for the two of them as Xander had asked, he parted ways with Gabrelle, who promised to find them at the inn and bring him some leather soon. Xander wandered back to the inn, on the lookout for a source of leather. He found one at a market stall halfway back to the inn. He felt like he got a decent price for the sheets and strips he¡¯d bought and piled them into the box he was carrying. Now that he had everything he needed for his project, Xander made his way back to the inn with no further stops. He took his crate to the open space behind the inn near the stables and sat down on the ground with Freyja, who had been faithfully padding alongside him. ¡°Let¡¯s get started! Let me see that big ¡®ol paw and start making you your very own armor.¡± Xander dumped the steel from his inventory and molded it into several ingots of roughly twenty pounds each. Separating out the thirty pounds that Gabrelle had bought and placing that back into his inventory he started the process of creating leg armor for his fluffy friend. His final product, at least for now, protected conformed to the top of her paws, but did not wrap around them, to allow her the use of her claws and prevent it from interfering with her range of movement. Instead, it was riveted to the next piece of armor that covered what would be the forearm for a human, allowing it to move up and down some with the movement of the paw. The ¡®forearm¡¯ covering consisted of two pieces of steel. On one side they were hinged together, turning it into an elongated, steel clam. The other end of the enclosure did not fully close, but instead held a set of straps to tighten the armor to conform to Freyja¡¯s leg. Several straps at the top of it held the piece in place by wrapping around the upper portion of her leg or looping over her elbow. The upper leg and shoulder were of similar clamshell construction and were held in place with straps that looped around the chest. Xander hated having to leave so much space around her joints, but for Freyja to retain her full range of movement and be able to run, sacrifices had to be made on armor coverage. Her body was much easier to cover, with large steel plates being able to be fitted onto leather and draped over her back, with a saddle integrated on top. Her neck was covered with overlapping plates of steel, and a helm was created that covered her skull and wrapped around her ears, leaving them unobstructed, to cover her jaws and cheek. The bottom was left open to allow her to open her mouth. Dusting his hands off, Xander was finally satisfied. It was good timing, too, as it was beginning to get dark outside. He would finish the detail work inside after stabling Freyja and getting something to eat. Freyja was reluctant to be left in her special, and much larger than the others, stall, but stayed once Xander promised to come back for her in the morning. Him telling her that she¡¯d also be served dinner there didn¡¯t hurt, either. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Xander rushed through his meal, eager to get back to designing and creating. He¡¯d had an idea while walking back to the inn that not only could he trim the armor in brass, but perhaps he could inlay the runes in brass as well instead of simply etching them. It would look much more refined that way. Xander went through the process of etching all the runes on the barding, first, once he¡¯d made his way back upstairs. The process was becoming much quicker for him as he was able to use [Improved Manipulation] to flawlessly etch the runes he used most commonly onto the steel. Strengthening runes dominated the center portions of the armor, while along the edges, silence runes would prevent the armor from clanking against itself and ruining Freyja¡¯s ability to stalk prey. Smoothness runes were placed on the underside in places where Xander felt like it might chafe. Now he would have to test the theory of inlaying brass into the rune etchings to ensure that the material didn¡¯t interfere with the mana traveling through the runes. Taking up a small piece of steel that he hadn¡¯t used, Xander etched a single light rune and a single gathering array. The visible result from the light rune would allow him to see if the rune was being interfered with instead of trying to calculate if a strengthening rune was able to withstand more or less force from a strike. The dim glow of the light rune being powered was already visible as it was powered by the gathering array. Next, Xander took up some of the brass he¡¯d bought, and wiped it across the runes, obscuring them for a moment. He used [Improved Manipulate] to transfer brass from the piece it was originally into the channels for the runes. Much to his surprise, the light was actually glowing brighter than it had been before. Xander had considered that it might degrade or even negate the performance of a rune to fill it with another material or at best have no effect, but he had not thought that it would improve the rune in any way. Was empty air perhaps not a very good conductor for the mana flowing through the channels? It must not be, if brass inlay increased its potency. There was nothing magical about the brass that he could tell with [Analysis], so the only theory he had right now was that certain materials might channel mana better than others. He¡¯d have to do more experiments with different materials to see what differences it made. But for right now, he had a lot of brass and a lot of empty runes on Freyja¡¯s barding, so he got to work. The finished product was polished steel trimmed in brass that was similarly polished, giving a golden appearance. All over the armor were small brass lines and characters where the runes had been engraved. Xander thought that Freyja would cut quite the figure in it. She would appear as if she were the mount of a great sorcerer, gleaming in steel and covered in runes as the armor was. Now, he needed to fill in his own runes with the leftover brass, but that would be a task for tomorrow, as he was getting tired. Besides, someone had begun to knock on his door. ¡°Xander? It¡¯s me, Gabrelle. Frazay told me this was your room.¡± Gabrelle¡¯s voice was muffled through the door. ¡°Coming,¡± called Xander. He stood up, joints cracking from his extended period on the floor going over all the runes, and walked to the door, opening it. Gabrelle stood in front of it, holding a pile of leather. ¡°Sorry it¡¯s so late, it was really hard to get away from my parents, and then I had to try and find good leather and ¨C Oh wow! Is that the armor you¡¯re making for Freyja?¡± Gabrelle had spotted the pile of polished metal on the floor of the room. ¡°Mmhm, just finished it, actually. Pretty proud of myself, if I do say so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so shiny, ooh I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll love it. The steel and the brass will contrast with her fur quite well!¡± ¡°Huh, I hadn¡¯t even thought of that. You¡¯re right, it will look good against her dark fur. Anyways, you can dump those leathers wherever. I¡¯ll get to work on your armor and some kind of a mace for you tomorrow. I¡¯m a little rune¡¯d out and I need some sleep. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have it done in plenty of time for your first contract. Come back by tomorrow when I¡¯m working on it; I¡¯ll need to measure it against you and see how it fits so I can make some adjustments and make sure it sits right. Don¡¯t want it rubbing you the wrong way, after all.¡± ¡°I can do that, I doubt I¡¯ll be going anywhere. Mother and Father were about as furious as I thought they¡¯d be, and now that I¡¯ve spent most of what I had on the leather and metal, there¡¯s not much for me to do but stay at the inn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. I hope they come around. I can get where they¡¯re coming from; it¡¯s a dangerous profession after all, and I¡¯m sure they just want to keep you safe. But acting like that is just going to push you even further away. At least we¡¯re still in the city for now, so make sure you visit them when you can.¡± ¡°I hope they do come around. This is what I¡¯ve always wanted to do, and it makes me sad that they can¡¯t see that forcing me to be something I don¡¯t want to has been driving such a wedge between us. Thanks for talking with me. I¡¯ll let you sleep now. See you tomorrow.¡± Xander laid in his bed and thought about his own parents. They¡¯d always gotten along well enough, but he¡¯d never moved back in after he¡¯d had the first opportunity to move out. He couldn¡¯t imagine having a conflict like that with his parents and having to live in the same home for so long. He¡¯d feel like he was tiptoeing on eggshells all day. He missed his mom and his dad. The morning came, and Xander rose at a reasonable time. Having his days filled with walking and activity had done wonders for his sleep schedule. He actually felt sleepy at a regular time, and so he naturally woke at a regular time. He went downstairs to grab breakfast amongst the other patrons of the inn before going back upstairs and bundling Freyja¡¯s armor up and taking it out to the stables. Inside, he made his way to the panther¡¯s stall, much to her excitement. She stretched, her claws unsheathing and gouging the dirt and rumbled out a chuff in greeting. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you look in your new outfit!¡± Xander said, excited to have Freyja try on the finished product. Fitting the armor to the cat, he stepped back, appreciating his product. Freyja did indeed look majestic in her new gleaming steel armor. The brasses added just the right level of flair without being gaudy, Xander felt. ¡°Very nice, very nice indeed. Everyone will be impressed with you, you big furball.¡± He gave Freyja some vigorous scritches on her exposed chin. Xander was sure that if she could purr, she would be right now. After getting her chin scritches, Freyja proudly pranced around a bit in her new armor. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it on for now, help get you used to it. I know it doesn¡¯t seem like a lot to you right now, but that set¡¯s heavy, ya know. It might throw off your balance some.¡± Xander wasn¡¯t sure how much the panther understood, but he enjoyed talking to her regardless. Enjoying being outside with the panther, he decided to conduct his work in the sun, outside the stables. He sat down in the grass and started pulling out the steel and leather that Gabrelle had bought. He decided that, while he was at it, he¡¯d pull everything else out of his inventory, too. He spent a half hour reorganizing his things to be more space efficient again, freeing up some more space in his available inventory slots. After that distraction, he began on Gabrelle¡¯s armor. Xander had decided that a brigandine, using the steel Gabrelle had bought as inner plates, would be a good balance of weight and protection. He started with the plates, turning the steel into small, thin sheets of metal. These would be sandwiched between two layers of leather and riveted in place, giving the leather its namesake studs. He soon had a large stack of steel plates and turned to the leather. Having never created clothing from leather before, it took Xander several tries with [Improved Manipulate] to form it into something resembling a coat. Xander then took the time to engrave the plates with a strengthening rune and gathering array each, filling them with brass now that he knew it was more effective. Having one layer of the leather coat ready made it much easier to create the second, since it was effectively just a copy of it. He then set about riveting the plates in place on the coat, with the rivets protruding from the outside layer of leather. After joining the two layers of leather together to create one seamless coat ¨C Xander very much appreciated not having to stitch the leather together, as he knew little about sewing and even less about sewing leather ¨C he started on the buttons on the front. He still had a good amount of steel, he hadn¡¯t used all the plates he¡¯d created for the brigandine, so he decided that steel toggles and buttonholes would work well for closing the coat. He¡¯d sized it as best he could to what he thought would fit Gabrella, but he might have to shrink it in some places for it to fit more comfortably. The sleeves might be a bit long as well. Time would tell. Now it was time to update his own arms and armor. The first thing he did was add runes of silence to his boots and greaves. He¡¯d make no footsteps now. He provided the edges of the rest of his armor with a similar treatment, hopefully it would allow him to move more quietly even in his full suit of armor. Xander was finishing this treatment up when Gabrelle found him. ¡°Ah, Xander! I was wondering where you were, it didn¡¯t seem like you were in your room. Oh! Freyja looks so cute in her armor!¡± Xander could have sworn he saw Freyja strike a pose, loving the attention. ¡°Sorry about that, just felt like working outside today, and I forgot to tell you. I¡¯ve got your brigandine here, it ought to be pretty sturdy. Just need you to put it on and see how it fits, and then I¡¯ll make you some leg plates, and a mace, too.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Gabrelle picked up the heavy leather coat and put it on, closing the toggles in the front. ¡°It¡¯s a lot heavier than anything I¡¯ve ever worn before,¡± she said, shrugging the coat into place. ¡°I¡¯d expect so, given that there¡¯s steel plates in between those to leather layers,¡± Xander replied. ¡°How¡¯s the fit?¡± ¡°Mm, it¡¯s a little loose in the shoulders. The sleeves seem fine, though,¡± Gabrell said as she stretched her arm out to test the sleeves. ¡°The waist feels a bit big, but maybe it¡¯s supposed to be like that?¡± ¡°I can definitely fix the shoulders up for you, but I think leaving the waist with some open space like that will allow it to absorb at least a little bit of a blow before it even impacts you. Here, hold still and I¡¯ll get the shoulders.¡± Xander stood up and placed his hand on Gabrelle¡¯s back, near where the shoulder blades met, and drew out some of the material to make it tighter. ¡°Better?¡± ¡°Wow,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone alter a piece of clothing like that before. I could feel it tightening up around me! It¡¯s an odd sensation.¡± Xander chuckled. ¡°It probably is, sorry. I didn¡¯t really think about it. I know I mentioned a mace for you, but is there something else you¡¯d rather have as a weapon?¡± Gabrelle thought for a moment before answering, ¡°No, I think for now something simple would be best. I¡¯d honestly probably end up hurting myself if I tried to use a sword, I think. I¡¯m hoping Graffus will be able to teach me some, though, because I do want one.¡± Combat Artificer - 18 ¡°Sounds like a good line of reasoning. I can always take the steel from this mace to make you a sword if you decide to swap. Let¡¯s get to crackin¡¯ away at it, then.¡± With that, Xander sat down again, taking more of Gabrelle¡¯s steel in hand. The young woman watch, entranced, as the metal flowed and grew into the shape of a simple mace with a round head.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so¡­ entrancing to watch,¡± she murmured. ¡°Thanks, I think? Let¡¯s get you a couple runes on here to make this thing hit a little harder. Or would you rather it burst into flames when you hit something? By the way, there are runes on the steel in that coat to make them harder.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a really hard choice. I think¡­ flames. Flames are more exciting. I want that.¡± Xander laughed. ¡°Funny, I went for the ones that make mine hit harder, but to each their own.¡± He proceeded to carve the requisite mana gathering arrays, intelligence runes, and flame runes in addition to the usual strengthening runes over the head of the mace. ¡°Now for the new part I just learned: the inlay.¡± He grabbed some more of his brass and filled the runes of the mace with it. ¡°There, done. Let¡¯s give it a test, shall we?¡± Xander handed the mace to Gabrelle, who held it in her right hand, eyeing it with wonder. Using [Improved Creation] he made a small steel plate target. ¡°Give it a good whack and make sure it activates.¡± Once Xander stepped away, Gabrelle wound up a strike with the mace. Upon striking the target the mace did indeed burst into flames, lasting for about three seconds before dying out and the rune sequence resetting. She¡¯d also managed to knock the target over. ¡°Nice job,¡± he congratulated. ¡°Seems to be in working order.¡± Gabrelle was still staring at the mace, despite the fact that it was no longer flaming. Finally, she shook herself out of her shock and then rushed at Xander, wrapping him into a hug. ¡°Thankyouthankyouthankyou! I¡¯ve never had my own weapon before, let alone a magical one! I promise to take good care of it!¡± ¡°Uh, you¡¯re welcome,¡± said Xander, taken aback by the sudden hug. ¡°Let¡¯s get you that leg armor now.¡± ¡°Oh, right! Sorry, I¡¯d forgotten about that.¡± Xander created a quick copy of his own leg armor, runes and all, and then sized it down to fit Gabrelle, since she was a bit shorter than he was. It fit well enough, and after donning all the pieces, Gabrelle look fit to play the part of a mercenary with the mace held in a loop at her waist. ¡°You¡¯re looking like a professional now! I think we¡¯ve got you set up with all the basics, so you ought to be set for tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you again so much! I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll be able to repay you for these things.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re part of the team now, and we take care of each other. Besides, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be saying the same thing to you when you eventually have to pull an arrow out of me or something,¡± Xander said with a smile. ¡°Well I hope it doesn¡¯t come to that, but I think I understand what you mean.¡± ¡°Anything else you can think of that you might need?¡± Gabrelle thought again for a bit. ¡°Not that I can think of, but I¡¯ll let you know if I think of anything.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Xander said. ¡°Feel free to hang around if you¡¯re bored. Freyja would probably love to have someone to play with if you¡¯re feeling like it. I¡¯m going to finish filling in the runes on my own armor, now.¡± Gabrelle decided to stay around, using a long length of a plant to play with Freyja, the cat animatedly batting at it and making small pounces onto it. She was soon distracted by watching Xander work, though. Watching him seamlessly join metals together and fill in gaps had reminded her of something. ¡°It¡¯s like watching a healer mend a wound, but for metal,¡± she realized out loud. ¡°Huh?¡± asked Xander, confused. ¡°Watching you meld the metal together; it reminds me of watching a good healer do their work. Passing their hands or tools over a tear or a defect in the body, seeing the skin smooth itself out without leaving a mark. I hope I¡¯ll be able to heal that well someday.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will, I just hope you don¡¯t get too much of your practice from me! Much as I¡¯d love to help you level up, I¡¯m not sure I want to get stabbed to do it.¡± ¡°Why have you four been so nice me? I don¡¯t feel like I deserve it¡­¡± Gabrelle¡¯s non sequitur surprised Xander. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The mercenaries I¡¯ve met have always been gruff with me. Called me ¡®girl.¡¯ Treated me like a child or a nuisance when I wanted to ask them questions about life as a mercenary. But you all haven¡¯t done that. Why?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Xander paused and thought. ¡°At least for me, part of it miiight be that I haven¡¯t been a mercenary long enough to become gruff and jaded, yet,¡± he said with a little humor. ¡°But the real reason is that everyone I¡¯ve worked with so far here in my time as a [Godsmarked], which admittedly has been a small number, has been kind to me and helped me learn about this place. Why shouldn¡¯t I give back the same that¡¯s been given to me? As for Graffus, Atrax, and Frazay, I don¡¯t know, beyond the fact that they¡¯re just good, friendly people. They seem like they¡¯re invested in doing the right things just as much as they are in making money or exploring the world. Aaaaand, it doesn¡¯t hurt that having a healing class makes you an extremely desirable recruit for most teams.¡± Gabrelle¡¯s eyes had widened when she¡¯d heard Xander mention being a [Godsmarked]. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a ¡®marked? Oh, how did I not guess? It makes so many little things add up!¡± ¡°I thought you were watching while the attendant wrote my status down, otherwise I would have mentioned it sooner.¡± ¡°Well, I tried to, but he wrote so fast and, well, it¡¯s really hard to read upside down.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fair. Sorry about that, guess it means you never got an explanation about the inventory ability. Here, I¡¯ll show you my status. I¡¯m done with filling in these runes anyway. It¡¯s not very time consuming when I¡¯ve already carved them.¡± Xander pulled his status up and flipped it around to see. Gabrell spent a couple of minutes slowly reading over Xander¡¯s titles and skill names. Xander had left off the descriptions of the class skills, not out of any desire to keep them from Gabrelle, but to keep the length to a quickly digestible size. ¡°Wow¡­ I¡¯ve never met a [Godsmarked] before! What¡¯s being one like? Where did you come from? What was that place like?¡± Xander was once again surprised. No one had ever really cared to ask him about where he was from. He¡¯d honestly preferred it that way as he didn¡¯t have to try and explain concepts and technologies that he had only a vague understanding of himself. ¡°Well, I guess at the start it was lonely and confusing. I got plucked from where I used to live, a place called Earth, without any warning. We didn¡¯t have anything like skills or magic or these status windows, so I was at a loss for just about everything at the start. I¡¯m fortunate that someone found me out in the woods, otherwise I would have wandered, lost for who knows how long. In a way, it¡¯s been¡­ frustrating. As much as this world is more exciting than my own and I¡¯ve gained powers I never even would have thought to image, I was still pulled away from my life without warning or consent. I had a job, friends, and family. A wife. We were planning on having children soon¡­¡± Xander trailed off, losing his train of thought for a moment. ¡°Uhm, sorry. It¡¯s still a bit of a tender spot for me. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever stop being angry at the gods or whoever it was that took me away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to bring up such an upsetting topic for you.¡± Gabrelle was saddened by Xander¡¯s story. She¡¯d always associated [Godsmarked] with glory and achievement. She¡¯d never stopped to consider that the ¡®marked were people who¡¯d had lives before they had been translocated to Tillania. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s probably good for me to let it out. I haven¡¯t talked to anyone about it much. Feels nice to. Uh, to answer your question about Earth, well, it was different. A lot different. We didn¡¯t have any magic, like I said, so we turned instead to technology. Just about every problem you can think of would have a solution that relied on technology to some degree. And there were only humans on earth. There were myths of dwarves and elves and various other races, but no one had ever managed to confirm their existence. So I didn¡¯t see a dwarf until my first day here, and the first time I saw an elf was in a crowd here in Anlet.¡± ¡°It sounds so different¡­ between being pulled away like that and having to relearn just about everything, I can see how that would leave you feeling lost.¡± Garelle stopped for a minute. ¡°Hey wait! I just remembered that you said you were maybe only being nicer to me because I was a healer!¡± Xander laughed, broken out of his sad thoughts by Gabrelle¡¯s sudden remembrance. ¡°I was joking, just joking, I swear! I mean it is true that we needed a healer, but that¡¯s not the reason I¡¯m treating you ¡®nicely.¡¯ And to me, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying to treat you differently at all. Just treating you like an adult and a member of the same team, just like I would with Atrax or Frazay or Graffus.¡± ¡°I¡­ thank you,¡± Gabrelle said, at a loss for any other words. ¡°Of course, I like helping people out. Especially my teammates,¡± Xander replied. Gabrelle and Xander both sat on the ground for a while longer, lost in thought, though about different things. Gabrelle was the first to stand, taking up the length of plant she¡¯d been using to play with Freyja before she¡¯d gotten distracted. Soon, the two of them were back at it, Gabrelle laughing at Freyja¡¯s antics, the giant panther acting like a two pound kitten. Xander watched the two of them play, amused. He was glad that Freyja was able to get along with other people. He¡¯d worried that the cat would be reclusive, or even lash out against other people, especially given her experience with the menagerie. Instead, her experience with being bonded had seemed to impart a desire for companionship on the cat. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the increased intelligence allowing her to enjoy other¡¯s company or some other quirk of the skill, but either way, he was glad to see it. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Freyja tired of the game before Gabrelle did, settling onto the ground comfortably as she chose to ignore the object being dangled in front of her, in a classic display of cat-like behavior. Gabrelle finally gave up, sighing at the loss of her source of entertainment, and made her way back to the inn, thanking Xander one more time before she left. ¡°Got any ideas of what to do now, girl?¡± Xander asked Freyja. He got a huff in response. ¡°Yeah, me neither. Wanna just take a nap?¡± Evidently pleased with the idea, if what Xander felt from the bond was anything to go by, Freyja rolled onto her side, still in her armor, and stretched out. Xander stood up and walked over to the lounging feline and laid down as well, using her furred stomach as a pillow. Soon, they were both asleep, enjoying the warmth of the sun and a day with little else left to do but nap. The rest of the day passed quickly for Xander, who spent much of it half asleep with Freyja. He vaguely noticed the comings and goings of people but paid them little attention. As evening approached, he stabled Freyja, giving her some more pets before he left. He ate his dinner at the inn slowly, in little hurry to do anything, before making his way back up to his room and settling in for the night. That morning, Xander awoke to knocking at the door. ¡°Xander?¡± He heard Graffus¡¯s voice through the door. ¡°Time to get up! We¡¯re heading out early to meet with the client. Atrax says it will ¡®look more professional¡¯ to get there early morning.¡± ¡°Wha¡­ uhh, okay, I¡¯ll get up. Gimme a second and I¡¯ll be down.¡± Xander rolled out of bed, groggily. He quickly dressed himself, put on his boots, and then donned his armor and grabbed his helm. Making his way outside, he found his four teammates in varying states of readiness. Atrax and Frazay were both ready to go, Graffus was still setting the straps of his armor, and Gabrelle was struggling with her brigandine. ¡°I¡¯ve still got to get Freyja armored up, let¡¯s meet around back next to the stables?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Sure,¡± answered Frazay. ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of time. We¡¯re just trying to go with the ¡®Ohh, I¡¯m so professional, we¡¯re on the job at the asscrack of dawn¡¯ kind of look¡± she said mockingly, throwing a slight glare at Atrax. Atrax just threw his hands up and sighed at Frazay¡¯s antics. ¡°Uhhhuhhh. Okay, then,¡± replied Xander. Freyja was eager to be released from her stall, wanting to join the gathering. As soon as Xander had the door halfway open, she squeezed out through the gap, racing to meet the rest of the team. Her enthusiasm was rewarded by Frazay and Gabrelle with lots of pets and scritches. ¡°Ignored by my own bonded animal¡­¡± muttered Xander. ¡°Come on, Freyja! I¡¯ve got to get your armor on, come here.¡± Dutifully, Freyja left the petting behind and trotted over to Xander. ¡°Good girl!¡± He praised the cat and offered her some scratching of his own before removing her bundle of armor from his inventory. ¡°Now let¡¯s get you all set up and fancy!¡± By the time Xander had finished putting Freyja¡¯s armor on, the rest of the team was ready. Gabrelle had finally managed to get her arms through the sleeves she¡¯d been struggling with. Apparently, according to the teasing she was still receiving from Graffus, she¡¯d tried to put one arm through the coat while still holding her mace and gotten stuck. The five mercenaries and their giant cat made their way from the stables of Robert¡¯s and began their journey to the Huraven estate. The estate was a sprawling, walled complex in one of the affluent areas of the town, set up against the river. The entrance was, of course, gated, and the two guards at the entrance tensed upon seeing five armed figures, one riding a huge panther looming behind them. The tension was eased when Atrax produced the small slip of paper with the meeting on it from the guild and handed it over. ¡°We¡¯re just here for the bodyguard contract is all,¡± Atrax said. ¡°No trouble from us, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Thank the gods, you five nearly gave me a heart attack coming ¡®round the corner like that.¡± One of the guards said, relieved. ¡°Thought you were here to stir up trouble.¡± ¡°Expecting that sort of thing? I¡¯d think that there would be few people who¡¯d want to ¡®stir up trouble¡¯ against a family so closely tied with the city guard.¡± Graffus probed the guard, whose partner looked slightly annoyed that he¡¯d given away that information. ¡°Oh, ah, uhm,¡± The guard put his hand to the back of his helmet as if he were going to scratch his head, gauntlet clanking slightly. His more disciplined partner butted in. ¡°That¡¯s for Lord Huraven to explain to you as details of the contract, I expect. I¡¯ll have Gavin go fetch the steward so that he can escort you to the lord.¡± The guard who had blabbed to the team looked grateful for the excuse to leave and head into the estate at a jog. Several minutes he returned, looking rather like he¡¯d been chastised, with a man dressed in well made and very conservative, at least Xander assumed it was conservative considering it didn¡¯t look like a tropical bird had been used to make it, clothing. He radiated sternness with his angular face, eyes observing the entire area like a hawk, and Xander could tell that he was the kind of man that was always on the lookout for something being out of place so that he could correct it. ¡°Gavin here,¡± he began, ¡°tells me that you five are here to begin the bodyguard contract for our Lord Huraven. My name is Vitril, and I am the steward of this fine estate. I will be escorting you to the gardens beside the manor, where myself and Lord Huraven will ensure that you are an appropriate fit for this contract before we proceed with any further details. The party had decided on the way to the estate to let Atrax take the lead in dealing with the nobility at the estate. ¡°Of course,¡± replied Atrax. ¡°I do not doubt that we will exceed your requirements, and so I welcome the scrutiny.¡± The steward nodded, apparently appreciating the answer, and turned on his heels to face the now opened gate that he had come from. ¡°Come along then, best not to keep the lord waiting. He made his way to the gardens once I was informed of your arrival. Ah, ehm, one last thing. Your¡­ cat. It is well behaved, yes? I shan¡¯t tolerate an animal wreaking havoc in our carefully tended gardens. If we need to detour to the stables to sequester it, speak now.¡± ¡°Freyja is very well behaved,¡± Xander answered quickly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Freyja?¡± He said to her. ¡°You promise not to tear up any of the garden, girl?¡± Freyja chuffed in response. The fact that Xander had coaxed a response from the cat at all seemed to impress Vitril enough, and he treated the question as resolved. ¡°Excellent, assuming that your mastery over, ah, Freyja I believe you caller her? Assuming it holds up to that standard, then that will be a point in your favor, I believe.¡± Once Vitril had turned back around, Frazay gave Xander a big thumbs up and mouthed ¡®good work.¡¯ The party followed Vitril through well-groomed winding pathways, which lead them in the direction of the largest building on the estate. Xander spotted servants here and there going about their business, carrying baskets and other goods, or tending to strange ornamental plants. As they approached the manor, Vitril turned down an offshoot of the path they had been following, taking them to one side of the building. Exiting the pathway, the space opened around them, revealing wide garden pathways. There¡¯s even a hedge maze, Xander thought. A vast array of plants, none of which Xander could name beyond being able to pick out some rose bushes, lined the area and paths, neatly trimmed so as not to spill out of their beds. A lavish outdoor table sat within a gazebo in one of the larger green spaces. Xander could see that there was a man already sitting at the table and considering that Vitril was leading them directly to the gazebo, he assumed that this must be Lord Huraven. Drawing closer, he was able to make out more features of the man. He was tall, if his seated height way any indicator, his hair was jet black, tied in a short topknot, and he was well built, clearly physically fit. Xander wondered what classes the man had. Is [Noble] or [Lord] a class? Or are they just pulling from the same kind of classes everyone else had access to? Vitril approached the gazebo and swept a bow to Lord Huraven, and said ¡°My lord, the mercenary team desiring to take on the bodyguard contract that you posted with the guild,¡± introducing the team. Huraven looked over the team for a short time, eyeing them each up and down, even Freyja, before speaking. ¡°Mm. Well, you at least appear professional enough. Come, sit, and we shall speak.¡± Atrax spoke up once again, ¡°Of course, thank you for seeing us, Lord Huraven.¡± He followed up with a short bow, and the team began filing into chairs at the table. Freyja laid down behind Xander¡¯s chair. ¡°As you already know, this is a bodyguard contract,¡± began Lord Huraven. ¡°Tell me, what qualifications do you bear that would make you fit for it? I would hear from each of you as to why you would be beneficial to a contract that involves guarding my own blood.¡± Atrax started first. ¡°Well, Lord Huraven, I am a [Fire Mage] as well as a [Scholar of the Ancient]. My fire-based skills allow me to effectively deny space to any enemy that wishes to draw near to us or the one we are guarding. I am also quite proficient in research, should a threat require more knowledge to be dealt with.¡± Lord Huraven nodded, and Atrax turned his head to Graffus, who was seated next to him. ¡°I am a [Shield Bearer] and an [Earth Wielder]. With my shield skills, I am able to protect myself or others around me from attacks, while my earth skills primarily serve to augment myself, allowing me to take even more hits.¡± Another nod from Huraven, and then it was Frazay¡¯s turn. ¡°I am a [Ranger], [Archer], and [Druid of the Forest]. While Atrax and Graffus serve to prevent enemies or attacks, I can use my abilities to down attackers from a distance, or slow down anyone or anything that might find a way around Atrax¡¯s flames.¡± Next up was Xander. Xander felt nervous about having to sell his skills to Huraven, but managed to keep it from his voice. ¡°I¡¯m an [Artificer], [Soldier], and [Demolitionist]. I¡¯m proficient in ranged and melee weaponry, allowing me to support my teammates at any distance, and I can create devices tailored to the situations we may be facing. I can also use my skills to reshape existing materials, allowing me to create defensive structures in the case we come under attack.¡± Huraven¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly upon hearing ¡®[Demolitionist],¡¯ but he made no comment. Gabrelle was the last and appeared the most nervous. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m a [Medic] and an [Herbalist]¡­ so, I suppose I¡¯ll be healing my allies if they need it.¡± Gabrelle¡¯s introduction was much shorter than the others, as she did not know what else to say. She thought for a moment and quickly added, ¡°And also the person we¡¯re guarding!¡± Lord Huraven looked the group over again, still appraising them. ¡°And¡­ the cat?¡± He questioned. Xander spoke up. ¡°Ah, Freyja is my bonded companion. She¡¯s quite intelligent, and so capable of helping us guard someone, as well as patrolling an area.¡± ¡°Mm. Interesting, I would not have thought that your classes would have supported bonding an animal.¡± Lord Huraven paused again, thinking. ¡°I believe you shall do. You appear able to handle a variety of situations as a team, as well as the ability to secure an area should you need to do so. I think we can proceed with the details of the contract now.¡± The team breathed a collective silent sigh of relief. Huraven had held his cards close to his chest the entire time, offering no indication during their introduction as to whether he thought they were fit for the contract or not. The man likely made quite the negotiator. Lord Huraven began speaking again. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you know, the Huraven family has close ties to the city guard and supports many of its endeavors. We¡¯ve recently been working on uncovering a smuggling ring in the city.¡± Huraven grimaced. ¡°The worst kind of scum. We¡¯ve had accounts of the trafficking of sentient beings, drug dealings, the whole gamut of banned activities. They have a stranglehold over the black market in the city, so it has been hard getting any information on them beyond what is available at a surface level. But we have been making headway, and they¡¯ve noticed. Recently, I was made aware of a threat against my family. This group feels that they can pressure me and my family into dropping this investigation into their activities. My eldest son and I are quite capable of defending ourselves, however, my youngest daughter, due to the combination of her age and her classes, is not. This makes her the easiest target for this group. We have had a few attempts at trespassing on the estate, so I am taking this threat quite seriously. You five will stay at the estate and guard my daughter as she goes about her days in the city and ensure that she is safe both here and outside the grounds of this estate, should you wish to proceed with the contract.¡± Atrax looked at his companions, all still seated at the table. He received a nod from each of them in turn. They would take the contract. The pay for it would be well worth the effort. ¡°We accept, Lord Huraven,¡± Atrax said. Combat Artificer - 19 ¡°Excellent! I shall have Vitril show you about the estate, and introduce you to Allesse, my daughter, as well as Huron, the captain of my guards here at the estate. Vitril will be your man should you need anything for the purposes of this contract; He is quite efficient at ensuring the needs of this household are met.¡± Vitril positively radiated pride at Lord Huraven¡¯s complement. ¡°Now, I must return to my business. Drawing my personal ire was not the most intelligent idea for a group that wishes to stay in the shadows, and I am now investing my personal time and funds into seeing that this threat is¡­quashed.¡± Huraven managed to make ¡®quashed¡¯ sound like ¡®throttled with my own bare hands.¡¯ He stood up and said, ¡°You have my thanks for accepting this contract. My family is important to me, and so I expect Allesse to be well taken care of.¡± The threat of what would happen if Allesse were not well taken care of was left to the group¡¯s imagination. ¡°Now, I bid you farewell until our next meeting.¡± With that, Huraven offered a crisp, short bow and began walking towards the manor. The five of them stood up from the table, the mood much lighter now that the rather oppressive aura of Lord Huraven having vacated the area now that they were no longer under his scrutiny. Vitril made his way to the group from where he had been waiting near Huraven¡¯s side. ¡°I am pleased his lordship found you fit for the contract. Every day that Allesse is vulnerable wears at his conscience. If you are ready, please come with me and I shall introduce you to Huron, and then to Allesse. Both should be in the manor proper, as I believe around now is when Allesse has her fencing lessons with Huron. Though, why she insists on the lessons with her classes, I know not,¡± Vitril added the last bit almost as if he were speaking to himself. Vitril lead the group into the manor from the garden area. The inside was just as lavish as the outside. Gold leaf was prominent on the wooden accent, and the floors were of smooth, white stone. A crystal chandelier glowed softly with its own magical light, illuminating the large entryway. ¡°This way, please.¡± Vitril indicated a hallway to their left, similarly decorated. There were many doors and openings in the hallway that Vitril led them down. He stopped outside one door near the end of the hallway, from which the ringing of steel could be heard. Opening the door, he stepped inside, beckoning the group to enter. It was a slight squeeze for Freyja, though she managed without much trouble. Inside the room were a man and a teenage girl, looking to be around fifteen or sixteen years of age. The man, who must be Huron, was easily fending off a flurry of blows from the girl¡¯s rapier. The girl bore more than a passing resemblance to her father with her dark black hair and above average height. They also had the same nose, Xander noticed. Allesse seemed frustrated with her inability to make a single strike on the man, and eventually threw down her blade with a frustrated noise. ¡°Ugh, when am I ever going to be able to hit you, Huron?¡± she said, despairingly. ¡°I keep telling you Lady Alesse,¡± Huron began, ¡°you¡¯re quite good for someone without class skills related to weaponry, but against someone with a class like my own, you will always be at a disadvantage.¡± Allesse made another frustrated noise and said, challengingly, ¡°One day, I¡¯ll make you eat those words!¡± Huron grinned and said, ¡°I look forward to it, my lady. However, I suggest we break for the day.¡± He looked in Vitril and the group¡¯s direction. ¡°It appears that your father has procured a team of mercenaries at last to be your guards. Perhaps you¡¯ll finally be allowed off the grounds of the estate now that you will have an escort. We should both make ourselves familiar with them.¡± Vitril took this opportunity to speak, saying ¡°Yes, his lordship has just entered these five mercenaries into the contract for the defense of Lady Alesse until such a time as the threat against the family is taken care of.¡± He turned the mercenaries and said, ¡°As you may have gathered, these two are Huron, the captain of the guards at the estate, and Lady Alesse, Lord Huraven¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°Greetings,¡± said Atrax, formally. ¡°Hello,¡± said Graffus and Gabrelle at the same time. Frazay simply offered a nod of her head. ¡°Howdy,¡± offered Xander. Freyja rumbled a chuff in greeting, drawing a smile from Alesse, who was amused that even the cat had greeted her. ¡°I think we shall get along splendidly,¡± Allessa said. ¡°Huron, I suppose you wish to speak with them?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Huron replied. ¡°I need to provide them with a family crest as proof of their employment, and ensure they are aware of their duties.¡± Allesse nodded. ¡°Of course, well, I personally shall be taking a bath after working up a sweat like this.¡± She turned to the mercenaries and said with some measure of excitement, ¡°Come and find me when you¡¯re done, and we can begin planning my first outing in weeks! I¡¯ve been feeling so cooped up with father refusing to let me leave the grounds.¡± She marched her way out of the room and vanished from sight. ¡°Now, let¡¯s have a look at you all,¡± Huron said, pacing back in forth in front of the group. ¡°All armed, two in plate, one in robes, and two in leather,¡± He mused. ¡°I¡¯ll wager you can handle an engagement afar or up close. That¡¯s good, because what we¡¯re concerned about is someone trying to snatch our Lady Alesse up on the street to hold as ransom to leverage against Lord Huraven to stop his investigation.¡± ¡°Is it not a better idea to just keep her on the grounds if it¡¯s such a concern?¡± Xander asked. It made sense to him, as much as Alesse might dislike it, it was significantly safer overall. ¡°Mm, unfamiliar with the nobility, I see. On the face of things, you are right. It would be safer. However, there are appearances that must be kept up as nobility. Having to hide in one¡¯s own estate out of fear builds a reputation of weakness. It would put the social standing of the house back decades and require a significant amount of coin and concerted effort to reverse. Lady Allesse also chafes at confinement, to the point where we were beginning to fear she would attempt to sneak out. Thus, a middle ground is taken, where Lady Allesse can be watched over by a professional mercenary team to be kept safe as she goes about her days and participates in activities.¡± ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Xander was shocked at the intricacy of noble life. It sounded unpleasant to have one¡¯s every action sized up and attributed to their reputation. ¡°You¡¯ll also oversee her security on the grounds of the estate. As such, you¡¯ll be expected to have at least one of you on guard even through the night. Take shifts, if you need. But with the recent attempts at trespassing ¨C which happened at night, of course ¨C we are taking no chances. If you have any additional suggestions for security, please see me about implementing them. I understand that mercenaries sometimes have¡­ exotic methods at their disposal for the security of an area.¡± Xander decided now would be a good time to pitch an idea he¡¯d had thinking about area security. ¡°I actually have an idea for something we could implement. I¡¯m not sure if anyone has told you our classes, but two of my classes are [Artificer] and [Demolitionist]. I¡¯m fairly confident that I could create a device that would make a loud bang ¨C nothing that would damage the area, of course ¨C if anything draws too close to it. They could be placed along the borders of the property as well as places like the windows of Alesse¡¯s room. ¡°I admit I find the idea intriguing. If you can demonstrate a working prototype to me, then I will give my approval to place these devices,¡± Huron said, thoughtfully. ¡°If there is nothing left, I shall show you to the suite you shall be using while you stay with us. It¡¯s located only a few doors down from Lady Allesse¡¯s personal room, for your convenience and, more importantly, a speedy response time.¡± The guard captain paused for a moment, thinking. ¡°There is also a stable on the property capable of handling your companion there,¡± he gestured to Freyja, ¡°if you should find the need to utilize it. Simply ask any of the staff and they should be able to direct you to it.¡± No one else seemed to have anything to add to the conversation, and so Huron led them out of the room, back through the hallway, and back to the entryway they had come in. They were led to a large and ornate staircase to the second floor, and then up a smaller, but just as ornate staircase to a third floor. There, Huron showed them the suite they would be using, as well as indicating which door was Allesse¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to settle into the space, and I¡¯ll have someone fetch you once Lady Allesse is finished with her bath,¡± he said, once he had completed guiding them. ¡°Ah, and here is the key to the suite, I¡¯d almost forgotten. There are several adjoined bedrooms you may use.¡± With that, they were left alone in the manor. ¡°Just one key?¡± asked Xander. ¡°Looks that way,¡± answered Atrax, who had taken the key from Huron. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get this door opened and I¡¯ll make some copies for us. No need to bother our hosts for it,¡± Xander said conspiratorially. ¡°Indeed, let¡¯s see our rooms for the next¡­however long,¡± interjected Frazay. ¡°I hope they have baths¡­¡± Gabrelle said wistfully. ¡°My hair could use a wash.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Inside, the suite proved to be as lavish as every other area of the house had been. A full six bedrooms connected to a large main space that contained several tables, couches, and bookshelves. Another door led to a tiled room that contained a large copper tub and a screen to change behind. There was no cooking area, but Xander supposed that guests were likely not expected to cook for themselves in a place like this. He quickly duplicated the keys with some left over brass in his inventory and distributed them amongst the team. ¡°Aaah, now this is the life,¡± Frazay sighed, sprawling out on one of the many couches in the main area. ¡°We should really take contracts like this more often!¡± ¡°Say that again when it¡¯s your turn for night watch,¡± Graffus ¡°Or when our next protectee is hurling insults at you because your armor doesn¡¯t match the theme of the event they¡¯re going to. Alesse seems decent enough so far, but gods I¡¯ve had some people I¡¯ve had second thoughts about actually protecting on bodyguard contracts.¡± ¡°Graffus has a point,¡± Atrax commented. ¡°We¡¯re going to be rubbing shoulders with a lot of people who are going to be looking down on us as little better than servants. All of you, try and keep it from getting under your skin. We don¡¯t want to cause any incidents.¡± ¡°Mm. Well, so far this seems nice,¡± Xander added. ¡°But I can see where Graffus is coming from.¡± ¡°If the beds are as comfy as these couches are, I think I could get shouted at all day and no mind,¡± decided Gabrelle. ¡°So we¡¯re just hanging around until someone comes and fetches us?¡± ¡°Aye,¡± said Atrax. ¡°Who knows how long that will be. Between being a noble and a teenage girl, that bath could take the rest of the day for all I know. Make yourself comfortable.¡± ¡°Say less,¡± said Xander, who plopped down at a table, as Freyja claimed a large couch for herself. ¡°Say less?¡± asked Atrax. ¡°Oh ah, it¡¯s a phrase from my home. Like, it means, something along the lines of agreement with an idea. ¡®Say less¡¯ about the details and I¡¯ll still go along with it, I suppose? I¡¯ve never actually had to explain it before. But I was just agreeing with you.¡± Xander hadn¡¯t run into any confusion with his way of speaking yet, and so was surprised that this was what stumped someone. ¡°Huh. Interesting. ¡®Say less.¡¯ I think I like it.¡± Atrax said. ¡°I guess I should get to work on this alarm is opened my big mouth about¡­¡± complained Xander. And so he did. Not eager to work with testing explosives indoors, especially in a room as lavish as this, he opted instead to test the mechanism he¡¯d been thinking of with a light rune. He created a small tube, as that would be the shape that the final product should be, and inscribed a light rune near the tip. Between the light rune and the gathering arrays that would power it was an intelligence rune. Xander was slowly getting a feeling of how he could instruct the intelligence runes, and he was beginning to suspect a couple of things. One was that they, along with some of his other runes, gained a measure of additional power when he leveled, and that a cluster of intelligence runes could be used to hold a more complicated or specific instruction. So, he created and linked three intelligence runes in sequence, creating a few rough ¡®if¡¯ statements. The idea was that if that rune detected movement, and if it was within ten feet, and if the source of the movement within ten feet was from a being greater than roughly thirty pounds, then the light rune would activate. It took him about seven tries before he got one that didn''t power the light rune, or kept it powered the whole time. He estimated that it took about two minutes for the gathering arrays to collect enough mana to fully power the intelligence runes and allow them to interpret their instructions, which was nice. Otherwise, the device would go off as soon as it was created, making it useless. He placed the runed tube on the far side of the room. ¡°Hey Gabrelle, could you go walk towards that piece of metal I just set down? I want to make sure it¡¯s working.¡± Gabrelle looked at him uncertainly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t explode.¡± ¡°Alright, if you say so.¡± As Gabrelle approached the tube, the light rune at the tip lit up, the series of intelligence runes triggering properly and passing the mana in the channel to the light rune as she came within ten feet of it. ¡°Perfect!¡± Xander cheered. ¡°Graffus, can I get you to do the same thing? I want to make sure it functions properly even with, uh¡­ height variances.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m short, I know. I¡¯m a dwarf, it¡¯s not exactly like we aren¡¯t all short, so it don¡¯t bother me none.¡± Graffus grumbled, but also walked towards the tube. It worked just as well as it had with Gabrelle. ¡°Thanks Graffus. And thanks, Gabrelle. I think I can make this work. I¡¯ll use a fire rune and a little bit of powder packed into the tube instead of a light, and it ought to make a loud enough noise for an alarm. Hopefully Huron will be willing to provide the metal for it, because I¡¯m just about out of steel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a clever little invention there,¡± Frazay commented. ¡°We should have you make some and put them out next time we¡¯re out on the road, too. ¡°Yeah, that would be a good idea, though I think we should still have a watch,¡± Xander said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there are skills that could bypass something like this.¡± ¡°Probably, there¡¯s a skill for just about anything,¡± Graffus added. ¡°I¡¯ve even seen a few sneaky assassin types teleport short ranges. Or at least move so fast they looked like it. Never did find out which one it was.¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s kinda scary,¡± Xander said. The thought of teleporting assassins made him realize something: other than his mace and shield, he had little way of safely fighting someone in a crowded area. He couldn¡¯t exactly go about chucking grenades in the town, and even his guns were subject to hit anything downrange of him if he were to miss. He needed something to give him an edge in a melee fight. A creeping smile grew over his face as he considered the fact that he would be immune to a flashbang that he created, allowing him to detonate it on top of himself in a fight and disorient whoever he was fighting. The flash from his normal grenades was already quite impressive, and if he remembered correctly from the little he knew of explosives, it was the potassium chlorate that was the culprit. Perhaps he could create a compound with greater amounts of it and lesser amounts of the other explosive components to create a flash powder. Then he¡¯d be able to create a thin metal container for the powder and detonate it with his runework. The only thing that was stopping him right now was the space that would be required to test such a device, and the fact that going around testing explosives would probably terrify the staff of the estate. He¡¯d have to ask if there was a place he could test his idea out when he demonstrated his alarm device to Huron. While he was pondering how he could go about creating flash powder, there was a knock on the door. Atrax stood up from his seat, hurried over, and opened the door. Outside was a staff member, dressed like some kind of maid, Xander thought, who said, ¡°Lady Alesse has finished with her bath and will see you now.¡± ¡°Ah, of course. We shall be there shortly,¡± Atrax replied. Once the door was shut, he turned to the group and said, ¡°Well, you heard her! Let¡¯s get up and get on the job!¡± Frazay groaned. ¡°But I¡¯m so comfyyyy,¡± she whined. ¡°Up, up, up!¡± Graffus said to her, dragging her limp form from the couch as she bonelessly flopped onto the floor from the couch. ¡°Fiiiine,¡± Frazay said, standing up from her prone position on the floor and dusting herself off. ¡°But only because we¡¯re getting paid.¡± The five of them, and Freyja too, since Alesse had seemed amenable to the cat, made their way to the door that Huron had pointed out to them as Alesse¡¯s. Atrax rapped his knuckles on the door, calling out, ¡°Lady Alesse? We were told you asked after us.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, come in, come in,¡± Alesse¡¯s voice was heard through the door. As Atrax opened the door, she added, no longer muffled by the door, ¡°And please, just Alesse. I get enough formality from everyone else in the house, thank you very much.¡± ¡°Right. Alesse then,¡± Atrax replied, ushering the rest of the team inside the room before entering himself and closing the door. The room was even more lavish than the guest suite they were staying in. An archway in one direction led to what must have been a bedroom if the large, four poster bed was any indication, another led to a balcony with glass doors, and a third to a combination of a bathroom and a closet, wardrobes filling the room except for a tiled area that held a bath and changing screen similar to the one in the mercenaries¡¯ own suit. The foyer of the room they stood in was larger than the one that led to the other rooms in their suite, and thus contained even more tables, couches, cushions, bookshelves, and curios. ¡°Come, sit with me at one of the tables and we¡¯ll get to know one another,¡± she said with a smile, and added slyly, ¡°and get to planning our first excursion.¡± So the group sat around a table, and exchanged pleasantries with Alesse. They learned that she was a [Painter], [Astrologist], and a [Jurisconsult]. Xander then learned that a [Jurisconsult] had something to do with keeping up with laws. He thought of it as some version of a lawyer. Definitely no classes that would lend themselves to defending oneself in combat. The [Painter] class certainly explained the amount of painting that covered the walls, and he noticed an easel as well as brushes scattered in various places. The paintings often featured constellations, befitting an [Astrologist]. Alesse had enthusiastically shown off the telescope she had near the balcony. Only Atrax and Gabrelle showed any real interest in it though. Once introductions were had, the real business began. ¡°So, now that I am no longer to be confined to the grounds of the estate, I am dying to get out and visit my friends, as well as make a few public appearances to cement the fact that the Huraven family is not afraid of these threats. I still don¡¯t know why Father is taking this so seriously; this isn¡¯t the first time the family has been threatened by criminals, and I doubt it will be the last.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just being careful,¡± offered Gabrelle. ¡°I suppose so,¡± answered Alesse, ¡°but it¡¯s still so boring not being able to go out. I was thinking that I could knock out seeing a few friends as well as a public appearance at the same by visiting one of the restaurants on the river. I¡¯ve missed their seared fish, mmm¡­¡± Alesse reveled in the thought of the fish for a moment before continuing, ¡°I think that if I send out the invites today, I should be able to arrange for the event to be two days from now. I will, of course, inform the restaurant that you¡¯ll be escorting me. I don¡¯t mean to offend but, well, I¡¯m not sure they¡¯d let you in otherwise. Certainly not armed and armored as you are.¡± ¡°Two days should be fine,¡± Atrax said. ¡°That gives us time to get the lay of the area around the restaurant as well as chart out a path there and back. Ideally, I¡¯d like to take a different way back than there, to help throw off a potential ambush.¡± ¡°I suppose that could be arranged, it won¡¯t make much difference to me, since I¡¯ll be riding in a carriage,¡± quipped Alesse. ¡°Evening time, two days from now at the Golden Gryphon, then. I shall inform you if the plans change, but I doubt they will. I swear Thea and Selle would never do anything but bury their heads in their books without me. That should be all for the day, so I¡¯ll let you be about your business.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Atrax nodded respectfully to Alesse. ¡°Ah, as we are to be guarding you, would you be remiss if Graffus here were to stay with you? We shall be taking roughly five hour shifts to ensure that someone is by your side at all times, if that is acceptable to you.¡± ¡°Oh yes, of course! I¡¯m sure between myself and my handmaids, I¡¯m sure that he can find a suitable conversational partner.¡± Alesse assented to the request. Graffus glared at Atrax for volunteering him for the first shift for a moment before settling into a neutral, professional expression. ¡°Aye, I¡¯m sure I can,¡± he said diplomatically. Combat Artificer - 20 The mercenaries, now one less, returned to their suite to relax. Frazay reclaimed her spot on the couch she had taken up residence on, while Atrax perused the bookshelves interspersed along the walls. Gabrelle was exploring the rooms as well as eyeing the tub, which seemed to have its own source of running water. Xander, however, did not settle in. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to go find Huron and pitch this alarm device to him and ask if there¡¯s an area I can work on some experiments. I¡¯ve got an idea buzzing around my brain that I want to get out.¡± Xander said. ¡°And it will be a good excuse to give Freyja some outdoors time, let her get familiar with the area.¡± ¡°Have fun,¡± Frazay lazily waved from the couch. Atrax grunted, already deep within a book, and Gabrelle didn¡¯t even hear him over the sound of rushing water filling the tub. ¡°Come on Freyja, let¡¯s go and get you some exercise. And find you some food, too.¡± Freyja hopped up from her own couch, which was already beginning to show her shed fur, excited to at the prospect of exploration and food. Xander wandered down the stairs and through the hallways until he encountered a member of the staff, a portly man who was straightening a row of pictures hung on the wall. ¡°Uhm, excuse me, could you tell me where I¡¯d find the captain of the guard? Huron, I believe was his name.¡± The man started and clutched his chest for a moment, and Xander realized that with his silenced boots and Freyja¡¯s naturally stealthy movement, he¡¯d essentially snuck up on the man. ¡°Ah! Beg your pardon sir, but you scared the daylights out of me. Didn¡¯t hear you coming down the hallway. Ah, yes, mister Huron, he¡¯d likely be out by the guard house running drills about this time of day. It¡¯s out back, on the other side of the manor from the gardens.¡± The man was still breathing heavily from being startled so suddenly, but managed to relay where Xander could find Huron well enough. ¡°Thanks,¡± said Xander. ¡°Sorry about startling you, I didn¡¯t mean to. Guess I just walk quietly,¡± he said, adding a lame laugh. Xander made his way outside, and ended up on the wrong side of the house. ¡°Damn,¡± he muttered. ¡°Could have sworn this was the right way. Place is too big.¡± He opted to circle around the outside of the house, observing the walls as he went, instead of trying to navigate the labyrinth of hallways inside the manor. The many balconies would make it easy for someone who had a high amount of agility to climb up to any of the floors, he noted. Alesse¡¯s balcony would definitely need some of the alarms mounted to the bottom, he decided. Rounding the corner to the far side of the manor from where he¡¯d exited, he spotted a large, dirt training yard, which currently held several guards, including the one that had let slip that they¡¯d been expecting trouble. Huron was standing in front of the scattered formation, leading them in a drill involving various sword strokes and stabs. Occasionally he would stop and correct the form or stance of one of the guards before resuming the rote drills. Xander drew closer and sat in the grass nearby, watching the drill go on. He created a large, wooden ball for Freyja with [Improved Creation]. Once he gave it a kick, Freyja immediately pounced upon the ball, large claws gouging into the material as she hopped about swatting at it and rolling it around. Eventually she managed to get enough of a grip on it to flop onto her side and begin rabbit kicking it, throwing bits of wood as he gouged the ball. The guards had stopped drilling, even Huron, and were instead watching the massive panther act like a kitten with a toy. Xander noticed them after a few minutes and decided that now would be a good time to speak to Huron, since the drill had stopped. He made his way over, leaving Freyja with her new toy, and waved to Huron. ¡°Hi Huron, I have a couple questions for you.¡± Xander said. ¡°Oh? Well ask away. I doubt I¡¯ll be able to get the men back in focus for a good while anyways,¡± he said with a slight chuckle. ¡°Sorry about distracting you all, I¡¯d planned to wait until you were done with things or I could catch your eye at a stopping point. I had figured that while I waited, I¡¯d give Freyja some exercise and stimulation. But, uh, back to my questions, I have a prototype that I can show you of that alarm device, and also, I was wondering if there was an area where I could test out some less¡­lethal devices. Just in case we end up having to defend Alesse in an area with more people. A lot of my repertoire would cause collateral in that kind of situation, so I¡¯m trying to get out ahead of that potential situation.¡± ¡°I appreciate your foresight in thinking about collateral damage; not all mercenaries are as concerned about such things. As for a training area, here in the drill yard would likely be the best area. Feel free to use it as you please when we aren¡¯t using it ourselves.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Thank you for allowing me to use the area. One more thing, though. The device I¡¯m planning on testing is going to be extremely loud. So if you could let the staff know not to worry, I¡¯d appreciate it. I doubt I¡¯ll get to a product that will be ready to test until tomorrow, though. I need to try adjusting some mixtures first.¡± ¡°Mm. Thank you for letting me know about the potential disturbance. I¡¯ll ensure that the staff do not panic should they hear anything strange in the next day or two. If you¡¯d like, I think I¡¯ll let the lads off for the day, and you can show me this alarm you mentioned.¡± ¡°Sure, I can make one in a couple of minutes while you send them on their way.¡± Xander went ahead and began using [Improved Creation] to form the tube with one open end that he¡¯d need as a base. Huron looked at the metal growing in Xander¡¯s hands with interest before turning and hollering out to the cluster of guardsmen behind him. ¡°I¡¯m calling it for the day! Dismissed!¡± The men quickly scattered, having no interest to be in the area now that they were not required. Xander knew that hanging around after being dismissed from a formation was a great way to be voluntold to go do something. ¡°The yard is all yours for this display,¡± Huron said, gesturing Xander towards the dirt area. ¡°Awesome. Let me just get a rune carved in here¡­¡± Xander trailed off as he concentrated carving the flame rune in the bottom of the tube and etching a line upwards and out of the inside of the tube. ¡°Right, let¡¯s get over to the dirt before I finish this.¡± Xander and Huron made their way over to the dirt of the training yard, and Xander placed the tube facing upwards on the ground. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see, now to put a charge in there,¡± He created a small amount of black powder and tamped it down into the hole. ¡°Cap the hole to keep water out,¡± a thin film of plastic coated the opening of the tube, ¡°and now it¡¯s done except for the rune work. It should go off if anything of a decent size comes within ten feet of it. Once I carve the runes, it takes about two minutes for it to gather enough mana to start functioning. So, let¡¯s get that done¡­¡± The three intelligence runes and the gathering arrays took form on the tube. ¡°And done! Now let¡¯s back up and give it a couple of minutes and then test it.¡± The two men backed up from the tube, still facing upwards in the dirt. They waited in silence, as Xander checked his watch a few times to ensure that enough time had passed. Once about three minutes had gone by, he said ¡°Alright, that should be plenty of time. Would you like to do the honors of triggering the device? Or shall I?¡± Huron eyed the tube suspiciously. ¡°I believe I shall defer to you in this endeavor.¡± Xander laughed. ¡°That¡¯s fair. Here goes nothing.¡± He walked towards the tube. Once he reached the ten-foot mark, the runes activated properly and the black powder in the tube ignited with a loud bang and a small gout of flame and smoke from the top of the tube. Even knowing it was coming, it still caused him to jump a little. Xander reckoned it was roughly equivalent to a gunshot in loudness, though maybe not as loud as the shotgun had been before he silenced it. He turned back to face Huron. ¡°So what do you think?¡± ¡°I think¡­ it is a very successful alarm device indeed. While I¡¯m not sure I would want these surrounding the entire property, I would very much like to see them installed in certain areas around Lady Alesse¡¯s quarters. Namely, outside her windows and balcony. What would you need to create more of these devices?¡± ¡°Nothing too complicated. I just need steel, sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter. An alchemist should have those three components, and the steel can be of any grade. It¡¯s just a container, really. It could even just be iron. Whatever is easiest for you to acquire.¡± ¡°I will see to it that you have these supplies delivered to you tomorrow so that they can be installed. I shall go speak with the steward about it immediately, unless you have more need of me?¡± ¡°No, that should be it. Thanks again for letting me use the yard.¡± ¡°Of course. Good afternoon to you, Xander.¡± Huron made his way to the manor, to look for the Vitril, the steward. Looking around the now empty training yard, Xander clap his hands together. ¡°Alright,¡± he said to himself. ¡°Time to get to work.¡± He first created himself a small table and a chair which he could use to sit at and try out different mixtures in small metal bowls he also created. Freyja was still batting her wooden ball across the green space nearby, unconcerned by the loud noise her bonded partner had created earlier. Xander created three different mixtures of his lead picrate mix, each one heavier on the potassium chlorate, though the amounts of it as well as the amounts of the other components varied in each one. He ignited a small amount of each in their metal bowl, observing the brightness of each mixture as it flashed into a puff of smoke. They all did a decent job, but the one with the most potassium chlorate had created the most light. He continued this process for about an hour, going through different mixtures, some of which lost their ability to ignite properly due to improper ratios, until he settled on one that had produced a large amount of light while also burning very quickly. He was particularly proud of that one, as he had had the idea to introduce magnesium into the powder, giving it an intense light. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ---Materials Analyzed--- Flash Powder ---Schematics Stored--- Flash Powder Xander was quickly losing light after choosing his formula for the flash powder. He shaped the wooden desk and chair he¡¯d created into a simple ball and rolled it out of the training yard, leaving it by some bushes. By that time tomorrow, it would be turning into a pile of dust that would blow away. ¡°Come on Freyja, let¡¯s find you some dinner, and then find me some dinner.¡± Xander managed to find another member of the staff, this time a young woman who seemed extremely timid, though he was unsure if her nervousness was because of him or because of Freyja. Though, judging by the way the woman stared at Freyja, he decided it was the cat she was scared of. But he did manage to get directions to the stables from her, and hurried that way as to put some space between the poor woman and Freyja. At the stables, they were able to provide Freyja with enough fresh meat to satisfy the cat, and Xander opted to have her sleep there in a stall, at least for that night. Having eaten her fill, Freyja had no desire to walk all the way back to the manor anyways. Now alone, he made his way into the manor and stopped another servant. This time he managed to neither startle them, nor frighten them half to death with a large animal. After a much less stressful interaction for this staff member than their previous two compatriots, Xander found that there was a kitchen area that regularly served food to the staff, who often were unable to stop at traditional mealtimes. He supposed that made sense. It was probably hard to eat lunch at lunch time if your job was to serve lunch in the first place. Stomach filled, he wandered the hallways until he finally reached the entryway again and climbed the steps up to their room. Considering no one had come to get him while he was working on the flash powder, he judged that his other four teammates had decided to give him the graveyard shift. Which meant he¡¯d better go take a nap before he had to get to guard duty. Xander entered the suite, to find his companions in various states of laxity. Atrax was still reading, Graffus had managed to find some beer, which he was currently drinking, and Gabrelle was mending what looked to be one of her socks. Xander hadn¡¯t realized that she had been prepared enough to pack a sewing kit. ¡°Hey Xander,¡± Graffus waved and greeted. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re back, you¡¯ve got your shift at midnight, til five I think.¡± ¡°Ugh. I guess it serves me right for not being around when shifts were set. I¡¯m going to go pass out until midnight then, I guess. Someone come wake me up when my shift¡¯s starting.¡± Xander made his way to one of the unclaimed bedrooms and stripped down before falling into bed. Several hours later, he was awoken by a soft shake. Frazay was waking him up for his shift. ¡°Ughh, okay.¡± He said quietly. ¡°Let me get dressed and I¡¯ll start my shift.¡± Frazay nodded, and said, ¡°We¡¯ve been staying in the main area of her room, so just be quiet and don¡¯t wake her. Gabrelle¡¯s after you,¡± and then left to go get her own sleep. Xander dressed quickly in the clothes he¡¯d left on the floor beside the bed and strapped his armor on. Creeping out of his room, he made his way out and to Alesse¡¯s door. He sure hoped he wouldn¡¯t wake her. A man in armor with a skull for a helm quietly entering your room with no sound of footsteps seemed like something out of a sleep paralysis nightmare. He slowly opened the door, grateful that the hinges didn¡¯t squeak. Stepping inside, he quietly closed the door and then seated himself at one of the tables near the door. He resigned himself to a long five hours. He figured he¡¯d start making the casings for some flashbangs, and then practice some runework. After an hour, he had more than enough casings in his inventory for flashbangs, and he was bored of randomly sequencing runes. He hadn¡¯t discovered anything from it. He opened his status out of boredom to review his skills. ---You have created devices--- ---You have devised explosives--- ---[Artificer] leveled to 7--- ---[Demolitionist] leveled to 5--- ---[Artificer] level 7 skills--- [Automaton] ¨C Create an automaton that persists for 24 hours, utilizing your available materials from [Improved Creation]. The automaton can perform simple tasks as well as attack or defend, depending on its form. Mana cost depends on size, form, and complexity. Mana Cost: low-high. Cooldown: 5 hours. Duration: 24 hours. ---[Demolitionist] level 5 skills--- [Smoke Screen] ¨C Summon a cloud of smoke in a radius of 10 feet around you. You can see through the smoke, while others cannot. Cost: Medium. Cooldown: 5 minutes [Boobytrap] ¨C Damage from explosives that a target cannot see is increased against that target. Xander had not realized that he¡¯d leveled up. He really needed to get into the habit of checking his status more often. The combination of creating new things as well as coming up with the flash powder and flashbang seemed to have tipped him over a level in both his [Artificer] and [Demolitionist] classes. Maybe even creating all the casings had contributed to the level. Concentrating on [Rune Etching], Xander was disappointed to feel no new intuitions or runes from the skill right now. He¡¯d have to continue testing his theory of runes affecting the operation of other runes and hope for more progress in the skill at a later time. At a loss for what to do, Xander decided to test out his new [Automaton] skill. Unsure of what to create, and not really needing anything in specific, he opted to create a fist sized mechanical spider. Amazed, Xander watched as it formed in his hand as if he had used [Improved Creation]. But instead of a single material, a bronze clockwork spider was taking form. He could see a variety of gears and springs, quietly whirring and ticking away as the spider form fully. Soon, it was complete, though still unmoving. Xander quietly ordered it to step onto the table from his hand. The automaton smoothly scuttled from his hand onto the table, and then stopped. Xander looked at it, thoughtfully. It clearly had no mind of its own. It followed his instruction to the letter, and then froze. It could definitely come in hand for rote tasks, maybe guarding an area for its duration, if it was intelligent enough to interpret that instruction, and the fact that it could attack would make it a handy thing to be able to call upon in a fight. Though he doubted the small clockwork spider would be able to do much but annoy someone. But if he had enough spare mana to dump into it, being able to create a sword wielding, human sized automaton, it might be enough to turn a fight in his favor should he run into problems. At the very least it would serve as a distraction. He spend the next couple of hours testing the limits of his little clockwork spider. It was not able to take more than three instructions at a time, to Xander¡¯s annoyance, but it could be given instructions like ¡°spin in circles until I raise my hand.¡± He was sure that this would open some options in the future for setting his creations to tasks, but he just wasn¡¯t quite sure what exactly those options were. Given that he was trying to be quiet, and in a dimly lit room, most of his ¡®experimentation¡¯ with the little spider was really just Xander relieving his boredom as he ordered the thing to perform little acrobatic tricks or climb the furniture. He did notice, after ordering it behind one of the couches, that, despite not being able to see the spider, he knew exactly where it was. They shared some kind of bond through the skill allowing him to sense the presence of his automaton. That could come in handy if he could create one and set it to follow someone. He imagined making a tiny little bug and ordering it to follow someone so that he could track them. It felt very James Bond. With his new spider companion, Xander¡¯s shift went by much more quickly than before he¡¯d checked his status. Soon, his five hours were up as he heard the muffled chime of a clock somewhere in the house ringing five times. He took the opportunity to set his watch correctly. He¡¯d constantly forgotten that it wasn¡¯t correct any time he¡¯d been near a clock, and as he set the hour to five in the morning, he saw that he was about an hour and a half slow. Not too bad for eyeballing the sun to get a time, he thought to himself. He made his way out of Alesse¡¯s room and back to the suite to wake Gabrelle. She was wrapped tightly in her blankets, though Xander was glad to see from the leg that was sticking out at an angle that she¡¯d opted to wear some smallclothes. Waking up someone who slept naked was always an awkward affair. ¡°Gabrelle,¡± Xander whispered. ¡°Wake up.¡± Gabrelle was evidently a heavy sleeper, as she didn¡¯t shift so much in the slightest from Xander¡¯s whisper. He shook her lightly on the shoulder. ¡°Gabrelle, it¡¯s time for your shift.¡± Gabrelle¡¯s eyes shot upon being shaken, and she made a small ¡°eep¡± upon beholding Xander¡¯s looming skull faced figure leaning over her, as she sat up and scrambled to the far edge of the bed. ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to scare you, Gabrelle.¡± ¡°Xander? Gods, you scared me with that helmet, waking me up like that!¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. My bad. I forget that it looks like a skull sometimes when I¡¯m wearing it.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m certainly awake now,¡± Gabrelle huffed, as she drew the bedsheets back to her body to cover herself. ¡°Now get out of here so I can get some real clothes on!¡± ¡°Right, sorry. Enjoy your shift,¡± Xander said with a wave, leaving Gabrelle¡¯s room. Considering that it was already a little past five, it seemed pointless to sleep for an hour or two before he was awoken by the comings and goings of his companions starting their morning. So, he opted instead to sit at one of the tables in the main area and start the process of filling, sealing, and engraving the flashbang bodies he¡¯d created to turn them into a fully functional flashbang. The process of creating things was cathartic to him, and he enjoyed slipping into a focused state as the rest of the world seemed to fade away while he carefully etched a flame rune and a ranged gathering array on the inside of the grenade before filling it with flash powder and sealing the top. By the time Frazay, who was the earliest riser of the group, made her way into the room, he was just finishing up all the explosives. He should have plenty to use if he needed them. Though, he should test them and make sure they weren¡¯t too explosive, he thought. He¡¯d made them small, counting on [Explosive Reagents] to make up the difference, but he should make sure they weren¡¯t just smaller fragmentation grenades. That would be unfortunate in the case he needed to use them in the city. He¡¯d test them later in the morning when the loud bangs wouldn¡¯t wake people up in a panic. Combat Artificer - 21 ¡°Morning Xander,¡± said Frazay. ¡°I figured you would have snagged some sleep after your shift.¡± ¡°Eh, I figured I¡¯d just get woken after an hour or two by everyone else getting up. I¡±ll just go to sleep earlier in the evening now that I know I need to be awake from midnight on.¡± ¡°I suppose that makes sense,¡± Frazay replied. ¡°What¡¯s your plan for the day? I¡¯m starting to get bored, myself. I was thinking I¡¯d ask you to make me a target dummy for archery.¡± ¡°I can do that. I spoke with Huron yesterday afternoon, and he said I could use the training yard when they weren¡¯t doing drills on it, so I¡¯d imagine it would make a decent spot for you to shoot, too. But if I make you a target, you have to help me test out these new distraction devices I made.¡± ¡°A distraction¡­device? What does it do?¡± Frazay asked, equal parts curious and cautious. ¡°Well, it explodes¡­¡± ¡°Of course it does,¡± Frazay interjected. ¡°BUT,¡± Xander continued, ¡°it¡¯s designed to create an extremely loud noise and bright light, to disorient people or things nearby. In my world, similar devices were used by police¡­uh city guard? Forces before they would storm a building or room. I realized I needed a nonlethal type of explosive to help me in fights, since I can¡¯t just throw grenades everywhere around here. I¡¯m actually considering trying to create some kind of irritating smoke bomb, too, since I have those air filters I created for you all. I think it would be a lot easier to fight someone while they¡¯re also trying to cough their lungs out. But I need to talk to an alchemist or an herbalist to find something that would work. Huh, Gabrelle¡¯s an alchemist. Maybe she¡¯d know. I¡¯ll ask her next time I see her, too bad she¡¯s on shift right now. Anyways, back to the flash bang, which is what the ¡®distraction device¡¯ I mentioned is called, since it uh, well, flashes and goes bang. I¡¯m not going to test it on you, exactly. It¡¯s just that, since I¡¯m immune to my own explosions, I can¡¯t really tell if it¡¯s enough to really disorient someone, you know? I just want to light a few off and have you tell me if you think they¡¯ll do the trick.¡± ¡°I suppose I could help you out. Hell, I might even have you make a few for me, it could be pretty handy to have in a close up fight that I¡¯d need to get away from. But it better be a nice target.¡± ¡°Tell you what, for helping me out, I¡¯ll make the target a wooden statue of Atrax.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got yourself a deal, Xander!¡± ¡°Hell yeah. First, though, I want to get some breakfast. I¡¯m starving, and it¡¯s more like lunch for me now anyways.¡± ¡°I could eat,¡± replied Frazay. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Xander and Frazay shared a quick breakfast. It mostly consisted of different breads, with jams and meats to place on them. The manor was beginning to wake up, and the two of them saw many of the servants beginning to start their day. The two of them made their way out of the manor and out to the training yard. Fortunately, it was unoccupied at the moment, so there was no need to wait to start testing. ¡°Okay, so, first, I just want to make sure they aren¡¯t dangerous and throwing out shrapnel or anything before we do anything else. The metal is pretty thin, and I¡¯m hoping it will just blow out the side or the top, not rip the thing into pieces. Let me make a few wood boards to see if it¡¯s throwing shrapnel and we can watch from here.¡± ¡°Alright, that seems like a smart idea.¡± Xander got to work creating a cluster of wooden silhouette targets on the far end of the yard. Walking back to Frazay, Xander withdrew on of the palm sized, tube shaped explosives from his inventory and held it up to show Frazay. ¡°Here it is, let¡¯s see how they do.¡± With that said, he tossed the tube hard, landing it roughly in the center of the targets. Nothing happened. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it supposed to explode?¡± Frazay asked after a second. ¡°Uhm yeah, why didn¡¯t it ¨C shit, that¡¯s right. I have to detonate it with my own mana. Can¡¯t believe I forgot about that! Okay, here goes the real bang.¡± Xander willed his mana towards the ranged gathering array on the flash bang, and it detonated. To Xander, it was almost like watching a video of a bright light with the brightness turned down on his phone. He knew that it was bright, but to him, it just wasn¡¯t. The sounds was similar, like listening to an explosion from a movie. It sounded like it was loud, but again, the volume had been turned down. Frazay was a little more affected, though the distance kept her from experiencing the worst of it. She waved her hands in front of her face, trying to clear the spot the flash had created in the center of her vision. ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± she said. ¡°I think that that¡¯s pretty damn distracting. And if it had gone off next to me, I think I¡¯d be pretty disoriented.¡± ¡°Ah, excellent. It seemed like it was loud and bright to me, but it¡¯s just hard to judge. Let¡¯s see if it shredded the targets or not.¡± Xander made his way over to the targets to inspect them. The casing of the flashbang had indeed blown out the side in a ragged tear. The targets seemed to be intact though. One had been scorched near the base, but no shrapnel had been thrown out from what he could tell. Xander considered it a success. After all, flash bangs weren¡¯t perfectly safe even on Earth. ¡°Nice, seems like they work well enough. That oughta even the odds if someone tries to get in a fight with me. Actually, evening the odds is wrong. I¡¯m trying to find as many ways to cheat as I can.¡± Frazay nodded. ¡°No such thing as a fair fight when your life¡¯s on the line.¡± ¡°Guess I¡¯ll make you that target, then.¡± Xander repurposed the wood he had used to make the targets and added some more to the mix, molding it into a statue of Atrax. He was glad the [Improved Manipulate] skill took more from his mind and intention than from his hands, as he¡¯d never been very artistic. The statue was the spitting image of Atrax, down to the way his beard was often ruffled from him running his hand through it while he was reading. Frazay laughed as the statue took form. ¡°Oh, this is just too good. I¡¯m gonna pepper that smug face with some arrows and then show it off to him! Thanks again, Xander. Staring at a bright light for about a second was a small price to pay for this!¡± As Xander vacated the space between Frazay and her new target, he could see the woman already drawing her bow. A translucent, magical arrow absolutely obliterated the faux Atrax¡¯s left arm. ¡°Oops, might have gone a little too heavy-handed there,¡± Frazay said to herself. ¡°Well, have fun, Frazay! Don¡¯t completely demolish that thing before you can show it off.¡± Xander waved to her, though he wasn¡¯t sure she even noticed from how hard she was concentrating on putting arrow after arrow downrange. Xander had decided that he would visit Gabrelle to take up some more time in the day. He really wanted to know if she had any ideas about any plants that were irritating to the lungs or eyes when burned. Plus, this was her first contract, and he thought she might appreciate having someone check in on her. He hoped that she was getting along well enough with Alesse. The two were close enough in age that they might even be able to become friends. Arriving Alesse¡¯s door, Xander heard the sound of raised voices, though he couldn¡¯t quite understand what was being said. Alarmed, he tried to open the door both quietly and quickly at the same time, but only succeeded in opening it quickly. ¡°And he wouldn¡¯t let you even practice on your own?! The nerve of that man!¡± Alesse half-shouted, sounding frustrated. ¡°He caught me with a stick once as a child and broke it in half in front of me! I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever forgiven him for that.¡± Gabrelle said, angrily. The two of them looked at Xander, who was standing in the doorway, awkwardly. ¡°Xander? Everything alright?¡± Gabrelled asked, more quietly than she or Alesse had been speaking before. ¡°Uhhh¡­ I heard yelling?¡± He said, the awkwardness of barging into a conversation like that was overwhelming him. ¡°Oh, apologies for that,¡± Alesse answered. ¡°I was just so irate at how Gabrelle¡¯s father treated her passion! Swordsmanship, or rather swordswomanship in our case, can be just as much of an artform as dance!¡± She turned back to face Gabrelle, ¡°Next fencing lesson I take, you are coming along with me! We¡¯ll put those arms to use and get you to drop that ugly mace!¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± Xander interjected defensively, ¡°I think it¡¯s a pretty good mace!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a brutish weapon, completely devoid of any finesse!¡± Alesse argued, passionately. ¡°Well, yeah. That¡¯s kind of the point, I¡¯d rather finish a fight as fast as possible with as little flourish as possible,¡± Xander said in counterpoint, gesturing to the mace at his own mace hanging by his belt. ¡°Ugh,¡± Alesse lamented, throwing her arms up, ¡°another mace user! I¡¯m surrounded by animals,¡± she said in jest. ¡°I could go get Freyja and really surround you with an animal,¡± Xander suggested. ¡°That actually sounds quite nice.¡± ¡°It is, she¡¯s really soft,¡± Gabrelle chimed in. ¡°Anyways, what brings you here, Xander?¡± ¡°Oh right. I¡¯d almost forgotten. Two things, actually. The first is I just wanted to check up on you, since I know this is your first time doing something like this. Though it seems like you¡¯re getting along just fine,¡± he added with a smile. ¡°The other is that I wanted to get your thoughts on an idea I had involving plants, since you¡¯re an [Herbalist]. Do you know any plants that are irritating to the throat or eyes when burned? I was thinking I could make some kind of smoke bomb that would also make it harder to fight inside of its smoke. I¡¯ve already created a mask that can be worn to filter smoke out of the air.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°What a novel idea,¡± Alesse commented. ¡°It¡¯s actually something that was used back where I come from. It was called ¡®tear gas,¡¯ and it was used to clear out crowds or flush people out of buildings by law enforcement on occasion. The name tear gas is because it irritates your eyes, nose, and throat, and causes your eyes to tear up and cry and your nose to run. Vomiting is pretty common, too. I¡¯m trying to recreate something with a similar effect, though I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to make something quite so effective. I¡¯ll be happy if it just makes people involuntarily cry and cough.¡± Gabrelle had been quiet, listening to Xander¡¯s description and looking thoughtful. After he was done, she said, ¡°Well, itch weed might work. It is irritating even when not burned, it can cause rashes and even blisters if you¡¯re really unlucky, if you brush up against it. Gods help you if you get it in your eyes, I¡¯ve heard the burning is hellish. When it¡¯s burned, the smoke is almost as irritating to the eyes and throat as it is in plant form.¡± Xander raised his eyebrows at the description. ¡°Mm, that does sound promising. Does it need to be fresh or does is the smoke still irritating after it¡¯s been dried?¡± ¡°Its irritating properties should persist even when dried. The oil of the plant is what gives it those properties, so even dried and powdered it can affect the skin. It¡¯s actually a common, if somewhat cruel, prank to play on someone: put a little bit of powdered itchweed in their clothes and they¡¯ll have a miserable week or so.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a similar plant where I come from,¡± Xander said. ¡°It¡¯s called poison ivy. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how pissed I would be if someone put poison ivy in my clothes. God, and the stuff spreads when you scratch is because you¡¯re spreading the oil around.¡± ¡°Itchweed has the same property when it comes to scratching.¡± ¡°Is it common?¡± He asked, ¡°Or will I need to find a shop somewhere to get it? Is it even used in anything?¡± ¡°Not that I know of,¡± Gabrelle answered. ¡°But it is quite common. You can likely find some here on the estate. It¡¯s a tenacious plant, and I imagine the gardeners here spend at least some of their time each day keeping it from spreading into their garden beds.¡± ¡°Oh, I know there¡¯s some around,¡± Alesse said. ¡°I accidentally rolled into a bed of it when I was eleven. I think I cried at least once a day for a week. Baths were agony, and that¡¯s just the warm water, let alone the actual scrubbing. In fact, I can show you some if you¡¯d like. My legs could use a stretch, and I¡¯m quite interested in how this ¡®smoke bomb¡¯ would be created.¡± She smiled mischievously ¡°I can think of a use or two for something like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that,¡± Xander said. ¡°And I don¡¯t mind teaching you how to make a smoke bomb. They aren¡¯t particularly dangerous, at least compared to some of the other things I can make. They do get quite hot, though, so don¡¯t set them on anything flammable,¡± he explained. The three of them made their way outside, and Xander remembered that Freyja was still in the stables. ¡°Oh, by the way, would it be a bother if we swung by the stables so that I could let Freyja out? She doesn¡¯t like being cooped up for too long.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all, the extra walking will do me good,¡± Alesse replied. Gabrelle seemed less enthusiastic about the prospect of extra walking but stayed silent. The two young women and Xander soon became two young women, Xander, and a giant loravian panther. Freyja was happy to be let out and showed her gratitude by rubbing her entire body against Xander, chuffing. She nearly knocked him over. She proceeded to rub against the two girls, as well, eliciting laughs from them as they struggled to stay upright. Once Freyja was done with her greetings, they headed to the gardens. ¡°The patch I rolled in is still there, assuming no one¡¯s ripped it out since I was there last.¡± She pointed to a large tree near the edge of the gardens, surrounded by its own copse of smaller trees. ¡°I used to love climbing that tree as a child. I still like to visit the area when I need some time to myself. It¡¯s out of the way from everything else in the estate. There¡¯s not even a path to it, you have to step over one of the beds to get there.¡± Alesse led Xander, Gabrelle, and Freyja to her personal spot amongst the trees. There, she pointed out a patch of scraggly looking vines with small, serrated leaves. ¡°That¡¯s itchweed. Try not to fall in it like I did.¡± Xander walked over to it and crouched down, bringing a gloved finger close to it. ---Objects [Analyze]d--- Itchweed ¡°Thanks for showing it to me,¡± he said to Alesse. ¡°You two ready to learn how to make a smoke bomb?¡± Gabrelle perked up, excited to be included in the activity. The two of them nodded enthusiastically. ¡°First things first, you¡¯re gonna need a good work station! Let¡¯s gather some wood up and I¡¯ll make you a table and at least one chair you can keep here for when you visit. Just grab all the sticks you can find.¡± After about fifteen minutes of gathering sticks and fallen bits of wood from the trees, Xander deemed they had enough for a small table and single stood. Using [Improved Manipulation] he joined the various wood bits together to create first a rough table, and then used the remaining to create a stool with a small back. He created two more chairs with his own created wood. Freyja had opted to climb into the large tree and lounge. ¡°How come you had us gathering up sticks if you can just make the wood appear like that?¡± Alesse asked, slightly miffed. ¡°Ah, my materials turn into dust if they spend more than a day away from me,¡± Xander explained. ¡°This way, you have your own table and chair out here. Now, for the fun part! Let¡¯s sit down and start. All you need to make a smoke bomb is a pan, some fire, sugar, saltpeter, and some paper or a tube. A fuse helps, too,¡± he added, ¡°but it¡¯s not necessary.¡± Using [Improved Creation] Xander created two small bowls, one filled with saltpeter and the other with sugar, before making a simple cooking pan. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get our fire set up, gimme a minute for that.¡± Using his skills once again, he created a small plate with several flame runes on it, and then suspended it on several legs to keep the flames farther from the table. Etching the mana gathering arrays on the bottom of the plate and connecting them to the flame runes, small flames sprung up from the metal. It reminded him of a camp stove, without having to use any gas. ¡°Now that we have that, we can start. It should take, oh, roughly twenty minutes or so to prepare it. Oh, and we¡¯ll need that tube.¡± He belatedly created a tube. ¡°Why is this so exciting?¡± Gabrelle whispered to Alesse. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m really enjoying it.¡± Alesse replied. Xander smiled, having heard them. He liked teaching people things. The last opportunity he¡¯d had to teach someone something had been when he showed Atrax how to make a fire bottle, and he¡¯d yet to see the man ever use one. ¡°So you take your sugar and your saltpeter, and you mix it together, roughly half and half. Maybe a little bit more saltpeter than sugar.¡± Xander dumped the two bowls into the pan. ¡°Now you just have to put the pan over the flame, make sure it¡¯s not too hot, just a small flame is all you need, and keep the mixture nice and well stirred.¡± Xander reached down and fished an unused stick from the ground, using it to stir up the mixture. A few minutes passed of this, as Alesse and Gabrelle watched, waiting for something to happen. ¡°After a bit, it should start to turn brown. There, you see that? It¡¯s actually the sugar starting to brown and turn into caramel. Another few minutes and it should be ready.¡± Another five minutes passed of rapt attention from the two women, before Xander interrupted the silence, saying, ¡°Ah! There we go. See how it¡¯s turned into a thin paste all of a sudden? That¡¯s what we want, it¡¯ll start to burn if you keep it on much longer. Now we can just sort of¡­ push it into the tube.¡± Xander took the pan from the small flame and tilted it over the tube, scraping it out of the pan and with his stick, filling the tube up. ¡°Now let¡¯s add a fuse to it, because I like fuses. You can just light this stuff on fire without a fuse, though.¡± Creating a length of black powder fuse, he stuck it in the top of the smoke bomb while it was still warm and malleable. ¡°And there you have it, a smoke bomb!¡± Gabrelle and Alesse looked at the tube inquisitively. ¡°And that¡¯s it?¡± Alesse asked inquisitively. ¡°No magic, no fancy ingredients, just¡­ sugar, saltpeter, and heat? I can just make this whenever I want?¡± ¡°Yep! Well, maybe not whenever you want. Setting off smoke bombs all the time might get you in trouble. But there¡¯s nothing particularly special about it. You can get saltpeter from most alchemists, hell, they might have some in a shed around here, it¡¯s good for removing stumps, too. Makes mushrooms grow on it, I think. And sugar, well, you can find that in the kitchen. Who wants to do the honors and light it?¡± ¡°Ooh, me! I want to!¡± Gabrelle enthused with childlike glee. ¡°Alright, alright. Let me get rid of this burner here,¡± Xander reshaped the runed metal into a small cube. ¡°And get out my lighter.¡± He removed his magical lighter from his inventory, its flame springing into existence around its stip. ¡°Here,¡± he offered it to Gabrelle. ¡°Now just touch the flame to the fuse and take a couple steps back.¡± He went ahead and took his own advice, stepping back from the small tube. Gabrelle extended her hand out to the fuse, and the flame from the lighter touched it. It immediately caught fire and burned towards the tube. Gabrelle hadn¡¯t expected it to burn so quickly, and stepped back quickly, startled. The fuse reached the mixture Xander had created and the tube began to release smoke and short gouts of flame, the area quickly becoming enshrouded in a fog of smoke. Being a rather small tube which was filled with only a small amount of the mixture, it burned out fairly quickly, but it still released a prodigious amount of smoke. Xander had placed his helmet on to filter the smoke from the air one it had begun to spread, while Gabrelle and Alesse were trying to wave it away from their faces, laughing and coughing intermittently. ¡°Oh, this is going to be so much fun for next time I play a prank on Selle! The poor girl will be mortified, I¡¯m sure. I can imagine the look on her face already.¡± Alesse was already thinking of ways to use the smoke bomb. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine putting itchweed in this without some way to filter the smoke,¡± Gabrelle said to Xander, handing him his lighter back. ¡°If you do plan on using it, you¡¯ll need to make us goggles and masks like you mentioned or we¡¯ll be just as affected by it as any enemy.¡± Xander nodded, ¡°Yeah, I need to get some more leather, glass, charcoal, and some cloth to make you four some masks to protect against it.¡± He looked up at Freyja, who had wrinkled her nose at the smoke which had risen to reach her as well. ¡°Don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do about Freyja, though. Think I just won¡¯t be able to use it, it would be pretty hard to get a mask with a good seal on her with all that fur. If I have to use it, I suppose I¡¯ll just have to instruct her to get out of the area.¡± As he finished speaking, Xander heard a few yells, coming closer. ¡°By the trees!¡± He heard, faintly, through his helm. Soon, several guards, along with Frazay and Graffus rushed into the clearing, weapons drawn. They were a bit confused to see Xander, Alesse, and Gabrelle standing in the mostly faded smoke. Freyja evaded detection for the moment, still perched in her tree. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Graffus asked. ¡°When we saw the smoke and couldn¡¯t find Alesse or Gabrelle in Alesse¡¯s room, we feared the worst!¡± He sounded angry, and Gabrelle was shrinking in on herself, while Alesse remained defiantly unconcerned by the chastisement. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s my fault, Graffus,¡± Xander said, rubbing the back of his head as he took off his helm. ¡°We got to talking about some ideas I had for another device, and we ended up out here to take a look at some plants that could be useful for it. Aaaand then I taught these two how to make a smoke bomb. Which is where the smoke came from, if you hadn¡¯t guessed by the name. Maybe not my most well thought out sequence of actions, you¡¯re right. I should have let someone know that we were going to be leaving the room. The smoke bomb just kinda happened, though. I got excited about teaching.¡± Xander could see Graffus¡¯s eyes roll near to the back of his head. ¡°Honestly, Xander, I expected a little more consideration from you. Gabrelle may have the excuse of being new and still young, but you acted like you were Alesse¡¯s age!¡± Alesse bristled at the comment, looking like she wanted to say something, though no words came from her. Xander slumped his shoulders and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry Graffus. It won¡¯t happen again. Still getting used to some of the quirks of mercenary life, I guess.¡± Frazay butted in, saying, ¡°Ah, don¡¯t take him too seriously, Xander. He¡¯s just mad he had to run all the way here. You¡¯re gonna have to teach me how to make one of those, too, some time. They look fun.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, I can do that later. I guess we should all get back to the manor for now, though,¡± Xander said, feeling embarrassed to have been the cause of such a situation. Freyja dropped from her perch on the tree, landing lightly on her feet, startling a couple of the guards. ¡°Yeah, come on, girl. Let¡¯s go back inside,¡± Xander called to the cat. The group of them returned to the manor. Alesse and Gabrelle returned to the noblewoman¡¯s room, while Xander, Freyja, Frazay, and Graffus went back to the suite. There, they found Atrax napping on one of the couches. Frazay returned to her own couch, and Graffus marched back to his room, grumbling something about ¡®kids these days.¡¯ Combat Artificer - 22 Xander sat quietly at the table, still feeling down on himself after realizing the fright he¡¯d caused everyone. Eventually, he settled into creating the bodies for some smoke grenades. He opted to create them the same size as his fragmentation grenades, so that he could launch them from his crossbow. The body was similar to that of the frag grenade but featured several holes on one end to release the smoke. He decided that it would be prudent to fill them outside, as he would need to grind up the itchweed, and he didn¡¯t want to spread that oil anywhere inside. As he was working on the smoke grenade casings, there was a knock at the door. Being the closest to said door, Xander stood up and went to open it. ¡°Hello?¡± He asked as he opened it. Huron¡¯s face was revealed in the doorway. ¡°I hear you caused a bit of a stir earlier,¡± he said, sternly. Xander rubbed the back of his head nervously. ¡°Uhm, yeah, I guess I did. Sorry about that, it wasn¡¯t my intention at all.¡± Huron dropped the stern look from his face and laughed. ¡°Ha! No need to look like a beaten dog about it, mistakes are to be learned from, not despaired over. If nothing else, it was a good exercise to see how quickly the household guards would respond to an incident. I¡¯m quite pleased with how they handled it, actually. I¡¯m only here to let you know the supplies you told me you¡¯d need for the alarms are here.¡± ¡°Oh¡­Oh! That¡¯s right, I¡¯d completely forgotten about that. Just tell me where it¡¯s at and I¡¯ll get started!¡± Xander was glad the man had not really come to lecture him. He seemed like he could be the drill sergeant type of commander when he wanted to be, and Xander wanted no piece of that. ¡°I¡¯ve had it unloaded down by the training yard. Some ingots of iron, and a cask each of charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter.¡± ¡°Excellent, then I¡¯ll get to work right away. Sorry again about startling your guards like that.¡± ¡°Part of the job is getting startled eventually, now on with you, let¡¯s get those alarms up!¡± Huron clapped Xander¡¯s shoulder and bid him farewell. Xander left Freyja to catnap on a couch with the other mercenaries, and made his way back to the training yard. Frazay¡¯s target in the shape of Atrax was still standing at the far end of the field, though it resembled Atrax, or any other human, no more. It was simply a broken pillar of wood. On the side closest to the manor were the ingots and small casks that Huron had mentioned. Xander created himself another desk and got to work. He made about thirty of the things before he ran out of supplies to create black powder. Instead of the plastic he¡¯d used before, he capped the tube with iron that was so thin it was essentially foil. He ¡®pocketed¡¯ the rest of the iron, about a twenty pound ingot¡¯s worth, as payment for his work. He¡¯d had the idea to do all the runework on the devices except for a small section of channel between the gathering array and the intelligence runes. Setting them up would be quick, now. He just had to figure out the best places to put them. Piling the tubes in the now empty cask of saltpeter, he made his way over to the outside of the manor that Alesse¡¯s windows and balcony opened up to. Atrax and Alesse were out on the balcony, discussing something that Xander didn¡¯t really understand. Something about divination and how she was able to ¡®read¡¯ the stars to get broad feelings of how something might go on occasion. Xander shouted up to them from the ground, ¡°Atrax, Alesse! I¡¯m going to be installing some alarms on the wall and around the windows and balcony, just so you know.¡± He watched as the two of them both peeked their head over the edge of the balcony to look at him. Alesse waved. ¡°Thanks for letting us know, Xander,¡± Atrax hollered back. Xander pondered how he was going to get the devices up to the wall so that he could attach them to the stonework with [Improved Manipulate]. He considered creating stairs out of the side of the building, but then he would have to go back and flatten the wall where he¡¯d manipulated it. He settled on a plain, old-fashioned wooden ladder that he created for himself. He started with the most important places, placing one on the corner under each of Alesse¡¯s windows, and interspersed them along the bottom of the balcony. He placed the rest randomly along the wall, creating a vertical minefield for any would-be infiltrator. Now that they were all placed, he could start on one side and start quickly etching the tiny section of channel required for the alarms to start powering up the runes. He managed not to set any off, though he was certain that he almost set off one or two as he frantically climbed up and down the ladder moving it as fast as he could to get the system complete. Alesse and Atrax had watched him occasionally, cheering him on at times, and laughing at his manic pace on the ladder at the end. After all that climbing, Xander was tired. He decided that he¡¯d be best served by settling Freyja into her stall, and getting himself some food before retiring for the day. He¡¯d have to stay up from midnight on through the day again, and be on high alert since Alesse wanted to go out. Xander had a hearty meal of stew and bread after ensuring that Freyja was given her own meal for the night. Climbing up the two flights of stairs to the shared suite, he entered and made his way to his bed. He took the time to lay out a change of clothes and his armor this time. It would hopefully take less time for him to get ready tonight. Xander awoke to Frazay shaking him awake again. This time he was less groggy, having gotten more sleep. ¡°I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up,¡± he whispered, waving Frazay off. ¡°You can go to sleep now. I¡¯ll get ready and head in.¡± Frazay nodded in response and left him to get ready. Xander threw his clothes on and strapped his armor down. He hurried his way down the hall and made his way to Alesse¡¯s room. He sat down at the same table, summoning his shotgun and laying it on the table. He¡¯d forgotten to last night, distracted by lack of sleep and his new skills. Not that it took him any time at all to summon the weapon to his hands from his inventory. He settled into the chair and prepared for another long, boring shift. About two hours into his shift, Xander was startled to his feet by a loud bang and a startled cry from the direction of the balcony, followed by a thump. Grabbing his shotgun and holding it at the ready, he rushed out to the balcony door and flung it open. Looking down from the railing, he could see a figure picking itself up off the ground and trying to hobble away. Xander figured that they must have landed badly on their leg. ¡°Freeze!¡± He shouted. ¡°Or I¡¯ll open fire!¡± The figure glanced up at Xander and broke into a limping run. ¡°Fuck,¡± muttered Xander as he took aim at the man¡¯s leg. It might still kill him, but he¡¯d rather take him alive and try to squeeze him for information. [Weapons of War] once more took over, shifting his shoulders, leaning him into a better posture, and bracing him for the coming impact of the shotgun. Xander pulled the trigger, and there was the muffled crack of his silenced weapon and the bright flash of the shotgun being fired in the dark. Following this was a strangled scream, and Xander saw the figure trip and hit the ground, clutching their leg. Not dead yet, good, Xander thought. No longer caring for the look of the wall and unwilling to let the intruder out of his sight, he moved to the railing of the balcony and placed a hand on the wall. A very thin set of steps began forming on the wall, and Xander hopped onto them, forming more as he climbed down the wall. He was fortunate that there was enough wall from the balcony to the next corner for him to create a steep staircase all the way to the ground. He set off a couple more of his alarms, but the small explosions didn¡¯t bother him, since he was shielded from them by [Maker¡¯s Ward]. The intruder, who Xander decided was a man from the way their voice sounded as they continued to howl and curse in pain as they made very little headway in escaping with one mangled leg, was still nearby. He jogged over to the man, shotgun still at the ready and flipped the cover off of the light rune on his helm, temporarily blinding the intruder, who was adjusted to the darkness. Stopping a few yards away, Xander kept the gun pointed at the intruder and looked him over. He was gaunt, thinner even than Frazay, with thin cheeks and bony fingers that were clutching his profusely bleeding leg. A few small knives dotted his belt, the only bit of color on his otherwise black clothing. He was still cursing and trying to drag himself away from Xander. ¡°Lose the knives and I¡¯ll get a tourniquet on you!¡± Xander shouted at the man. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯re looking like you¡¯ll bleed out way before you make it anywhere.¡± The man looked back and forth between Xander and the bushes he¡¯d been dragging himself to, before finally exclaiming ¡°Fuck! Fine, you got me.¡± He removed the knives from his belt and tossed them aside out of his reach. ¡°Xander! What¡¯s going on?¡± Xander heard Frazay¡¯s voice from the balcony. He chanced a glance back at the balcony to see the rest of his team looking concernedly out from the balcony, with a frightened Alesse standing behind them, wrapped in a set of sheets. ¡°Someone tried to break in!¡± He called back. ¡°Get Gabrelle here, quick! I¡¯m about to put a tourniquet on him so he doesn¡¯t bleed out, but he might need more than that. We want him alive, so he can answer questions!¡± Xander retrieved one of the tossed daggers with [Ferokinesis] and floating it up by his head. ¡°Try anything and I¡¯ll put another hole in you with your own dagger, and I won¡¯t work on patching that one up.¡± He slung his shotgun across his back and kneeled down by the man. Creating a strip of leather, he worked it under the man¡¯s leg, who groaned and paled even further than he already was from the blood loss. Xander was surprised he didn¡¯t pass out. He joined the leather together into a single band and then removed material from it, tightening the band around his leg, a few inches above where the shotgun had mangled his calf. The pressure elicited another cry of pain from the intruder, but the flow of blood did stop. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re in luck. I managed to stop the bleeding, at least for now. You ought to make it ¡®til our healer gets here. And then I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be having a nice chat with someone about what exactly it was you were doing here.¡± With his hands now free, Xander took a few steps back and trained his shotgun on the man again. Another minute or two later, Gabrelle came running from around the corner of the manor. Several guards were running with her. She stopped by Xander¡¯s side, panting. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± She asked, anxiously looking him up and down. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°No, but he is.¡± Xander pointed to the figure that was laying sprawled out on the ground, barely conscious at this point. ¡°Thought he was going to bleed out for a minute there. Figured you could patch him up a little bit more to make sure he pulls through. Plus, it¡¯d be good experience for you, right?¡± Gabrelle nodded, slowly, taking in the sight of the man¡¯s leg and the pool of blood underneath him, illuminated by Xander¡¯s helm. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ never healed something like this before,¡± she said, uncertainly. Xander shrugged. ¡°Well, better him than me for your first time, then. I doubt you could make him any worse, just do what you can.¡± Gabrelle took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. ¡°You¡¯re right. I can do this.¡± She stepped forward and knelt down by the half-conscious intruder. She placed her hands over his calf, as a soft, blue light began to envelop them. ¡°Broken¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°You really did a number on his leg, Xander,¡± she said, louder. Turning back to the injured leg, she assessed further, her blue glowing hands traveling up and down the length of the injury. ¡°I think I can set the bone and fix some of the worst of it. Though I¡¯m not sure he¡¯ll ever walk properly again without the intervention of a higher leveled healer.¡± The blue glow around her hands intensified, and Xander watched with interest as the man¡¯s leg straightened from its broken angle, eliciting a groan from him, and the area where the shotgun had done the most damage to the leg close up some, though it was by no means fully healed. Gabrelle had broken into a sweat, the process evidently intensive for her, and she wiped her forehead one she¡¯d finished. ¡°Phew. Okay. I think you can take that tourniquet off. The absolute worst had been taken care of.¡± She sighed. ¡°That was harder than I thought it would be.¡± Xander turned to the guards to speak and saw Huron jogging up to the group. He opted to wait for the guard captain to join the situation. As he reached the cluster of guards, he barked, ¡°Report!¡± All the guards turned to Xander, who had been there first, and so he spoke up. ¡°Guy tried to climb up to the balcony. Alarm scared him and he fell. When he tried to run, I shot him. Seems like he¡¯s pretty much passed out now, but Gabrelle has the worst taken care of. He shouldn¡¯t be dying tonight.¡± ¡°Hmm. I am glad that these ¡®alarms¡¯ of yours were a success. Though I would much prefer that they had remained unneeded in the first place.¡± Huron sighed deeply, turning to the guards behind him. ¡°Two of you go fetch a stretcher, I don¡¯t want to risk opening that leg back up by dragging him to the lockup.¡± Turning back to face Xander and Gabrelle, he spoke again. ¡°You have my thanks for stopping him. Who knows what he might have ended up doing to Alesse¡­ though nothing I can imagine is good. The cost of hiring your team has already paid dividends. Let¡¯s get you back inside and settle Lady Alesse back in.¡± He looked at the cluster of guards still remaining. ¡°Once Jarn and Brek come back with that stretcher get our would-be kidnapper loaded up and put into lockup. Someone find me once he wakes up.¡± Gabrelle, Xander, and Huron made their way back to the manor, leaving the guards behind them. Returning to Alesse¡¯s room, he was met by Graffus and Atrax at the door. Further in, Frazay was speaking softly to Alesse, who was still wrapped tightly in her bed sheets and looking distraught, and softly rubbing the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Good work, Xander!¡± Graffus slapped Xander on the back as he entered. ¡°I heard you handled that bastard quite well. And I¡¯m glad to see, or rather hear, that your weapon is no longer so loud.¡± ¡°Thanks, Graffus,¡± Xander said tiredly. The adrenaline rush he¡¯d experienced chasing after the man and then dealing with a bleeding leg was starting to fade, and he now he felt drained. He went to one of the couches nearby, Gabrelle moving to sit with him. Huron made his way to Alesse and sat with her, sandwiching the teenager between himself and Frazay. ¡°Alesse? Are you alright? Did anything happen while Xander was pursuing that man?¡± Huron nearly spat out the words ¡®that man,¡¯ and it drove home to Xander that Huron cared deeply for Alesse in an almost fatherly way. It made sense to him now how he treated her safety and why he continued her fencing lessons even though she would never be able to match him unless she received a fourth class, which Xander understood to be a rare occurrence. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m fine, Huron,¡± Alesse said, sounding on the verge of tears. ¡°Nothing else happened. But¡­ that man was coming after me?¡± Huron nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes, Alesse. That¡¯s what we believe, and certainly what it looks like. We¡¯ll likely be able to find out more after we question him, but I can¡¯t imagine what else he would be doing, trying to climb the wall to your balcony.¡± ¡°I just¡­ why does this have to happen to me?¡± Alesse finally burst into tears. In-between sobs, she managed to stutter out, ¡°I-I¡¯ve never done anything to them, and I was s-so scared when I heard that noise and then the yelling...¡± She began to cry even harder, ¡°and there was SO much blood! Gods, why did he bleed so much?¡± Frazay gently grabbed Alesse and held her to her chest as the young woman cried, beyond words at this point. She stroked Alesse¡¯s hair and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s all okay. He¡¯s not going to be getting anywhere near you ever again. You know, I cried too the first time I saw so much blood?¡± Alesse sniffled, and managed to ask, ¡°You did?¡± Frazay nodded. ¡°Mmhm. It wasn¡¯t anything like this, it was the first time my father took me hunting. When he hung up the deer to let it drain, and I saw all that blood, I burst into tears and ran away.¡± Frazay laughed a little. ¡°It took him two hours to find me, hiding in one of the bushes behind the house.¡± Alesse managed a small giggle, the story having distracted her enough to break the cycle of sobbing. ¡°But¡­ you got over how it made you feel?¡± she asked, hoping for an answer that would give her some hope of this event not haunting her forever. ¡°Eventually, yes. It¡¯s still unpleasant to me, anyone who likes blood is a weirdo in my opinion. But it doesn¡¯t bother me like it did when I was younger. It¡¯s okay to dwell on things like this for a time. It happened, and you¡¯re allowed to think about it. But don¡¯t let it consume you. If you can manage to find that balance, then in time, the memory and the feelings will fade, become more manageable.¡± Alesse nodded, disentangling herself from Frazay¡¯s arms. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, sitting a little straighter, looking more put together despite the puffy eyes and runny nose. ¡°And thank you, Xander. For guarding me. I am in your debt.¡± Alesse bowed her head somewhat formally to Xander after saying this. ¡°Please, your thanks are enough, Alesse. I was just doing my job, and besides, it was the right thing to do. If I¡¯d seen a man dressed in black trying to climb into a sixteen-year-old girl¡¯s window while I was out and about on the street, I¡¯d have done the same thing.¡± ¡°Still,¡± Alesse said, wiping her nose on a corner of the blanket. ¡°I shall find some way to thank you for what you did for me.¡± Xander nodded in understanding. ¡°I get it, just¡­ don¡¯t feel like to have to do anything big. I¡¯m already getting paid, after all.¡± Before Alesse could argue with Xander further, Huron interjected. ¡°I suggest we all try and get some sleep before the rest of the night passes. After all, we still have an event tomorrow evening¡­ unless you wish to cancel, Alesse?¡± He asked in such a way that it implied he would support the idea of Alesse canceling her plans to meet friends. ¡°I¡­ no.¡± Alesse said. ¡°I still want to see my friends. And it would be sending a bad message to the rest of the noble houses if I canceled so suddenly and hid away again. I will be okay, especially with my favorite mercenary team guarding me.¡± She threw a smile at the gathered team members. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll try and get back to sleep¡­ crying did tire me out a little.¡± Alesse gathered the sheets a little tighter and stood up, shuffling back to her bedroom. The rest of the team dispersed as well, save for Xander, who was still on shift, and Gabrelle. ¡°Do you mind if I stay here and keep you company?¡± Gabrelle asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to get to sleep before my shift starts in a couple of hours, not after all that.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Xander. ¡°I understand how you feel. I¡¯m a little shaken up, too, to be honest. That was the first time I¡¯ve ever, ah, shot someone. It was different than it was with the goblins. Although that was pretty rough. I actually threw up after my first fight with them. The sights, the smells, it all hit me right in the face once everything was over. So you¡¯ve got a better starting track record than me.¡± Gabrelle giggled quietly. ¡°Did you really? I can only imagine how bad it must have been to make you do that.¡± Xander gave an exaggerated nod. ¡°I hope you never have to smell burning goblin¡­ though you probably will if you stick with us, considering mine and Atrax¡¯s skills. Speaking of which, how are you feeling about mercenary work so far, now that something has actually happened?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll admit that up until now, this contract has been pretty boring. But it¡¯s been good getting to know all four of you and seeing how a team works together. I¡¯m starting to realize how serious it can get, though. The kind of injuries that you can inflict or have inflicted on you are¡­¡± Gabrelle trailed off, trying to think of a word to describe how she felt about it. ¡°Bad? Grievous?¡± Xander asked, helpfully. ¡°Sure, that works. However you describe them, they¡¯re serious. Getting to heal something like that, even to the lesser extent I was able to with that man¡¯s leg, is good experience for my class. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve leveled up in my [Medic] class, but I¡¯m pretty sure that I gained one tonight. I just haven¡¯t had a chance to check yet with everything that was going on.¡± ¡°Well, go ahead and check then!¡± Xander said. ¡°I won¡¯t be offended if you take a few moments to yourself to check your status.¡± ¡°I should, shouldn¡¯t I,¡± she said thoughtfully. Xander watched as she seemingly stared at nothing for a few minutes, reading her status with a slight smile. ¡°I take it you leveled up by that smile.¡± ¡°I did! And you want to know what I got?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°[Stem Bleeding]! That sure would have been handy to have half an hour ago!¡± Xander chuckled, stifling it with his hand to keep the noise from waking Alesse. ¡°Seriously? It¡¯s like you¡¯re being taunted! That is a nice skill though, being able to stop the bleeding on a deep wound takes a lot of the immediate danger away. I think. I¡¯m not really trained in healing beyond how to put a tourniquet on.¡± Gabrelle nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes, if I can remove the threat of bleeding out, it gives me a lot more time to work on an injury.¡± ¡°Well, congratulations on the level and new skill!¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± The two fell into a companionable silence. Xander had always enjoyed the company of people who didn¡¯t feel the need to fill every silence with words. He¡¯d never minded just sitting quietly with someone and enjoying the company. He was glad Gabrelle had joined the team. Which reminded him of a question that he¡¯d meant to ask earlier. ¡°Hey Gabrelle?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve decided to keep on with the mercenary work, are you also thinking about sticking with the team?¡± Xander asked. Gabrelle seemed confused. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Uh, well, I just, uh¡­ There¡¯s a lot of teams out there that would jump at the chance for a healer. And you didn¡¯t really know that when you joined, which I feel a little bad about.¡± Gabrelle laughed softly. ¡°You four took me in, provided me with equipment, and have been nothing but kind and understanding with me. Graffus has even taken the time to show me how to swing my mace properly and how to hold a shield. Though, I¡¯ll admit, his is a little heavy for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± Xander said. And he was. Even discounting the fact that she was a literal life saving asset to have on the team, he enjoyed her company. She was kind, and had a passion for learning about how to be a mercenary that spread to Xander at times from how intense it was. Even with the short amount of time he¡¯d known her, he was proud of her for the growth he¡¯d experienced. Maybe it was just his biological clock ticking, he pondered. He and his wife had planned on having children in the next year or two. Before he¡¯d been¡­ removed from Earth. Perhaps this was him latching on to some kind of paternal feeling as a way to cope with that. He certainly wasn¡¯t attracted to her in a romantic way. For one, the idea of romance outside what he considered his still extant marriage left him feeling apathetic, and for another, he had ten years of age on Gabrelle, which was a line for him that he wasn¡¯t interested in crossing. Whatever it was, he meant his next words. ¡°I¡¯d be sad to see you go, it¡¯s been nice having you on the team.¡± Gabrelle smiled at him. ¡°Thanks. Really. You¡¯ve all been making my childhood dreams come true since the first time we met. I¡¯m looking forward to more adventures with the team. Hopefully more exciting adventures, though maybe a little less violent that how tonight turned out.¡± Xander held up an imaginary glass. ¡°I¡¯d drink to that,¡± he said. ¡°If I had anything to drink.¡± Gabrelle, getting the idea, held up her own imaginary glass and mimed clinking it against his own. ¡°To excitement,¡± she said. ¡°To excitement.¡± Combat Artificer - 23 Xander¡¯s shift drew to a close as the two of them idly chatted. As his watch buzzed out an alarm he¡¯d set to notify him of the end of his time guarding Alesse for the night, which drew a curious look from Gabrelle, he bid Gabrelle good night and made his way to bed. Being able to take the time and relax while talking to a friend had helped immensely in taking the edge off his nerves, and he quickly fell asleep for a few hours. He woke to the sound of his name being called. ¡°Xander?¡± Atrax called again. ¡°Huh?¡± He mumbled back to the man. ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake now. We were planning on making a quick trip to check out the restaurant that Alesse chose before Gabrelle¡¯s shift is over. But we need to keep at least one other person around just in case. I figured I¡¯d ask and see if you wanted to come. Graffus said he would stay if you wanted to come.¡± Xander thought the situation over before saying, ¡°No, I think I¡¯m good. Besides, I have to fix the stairs I made out of the outside wall, and talk to Huron about getting more supplies to replace the alarm devices that got triggered. And I also wanted to put some smoke grenades together.¡± Atrax nodded. ¡°Fair enough. Well, we¡¯ll see you in an hour or two.¡± Xander checked the time, noting that it was about eight in the morning. So he¡¯d only gotten about two hours from his after-shift nap. Still, he felt refreshed from his previous tired state. He thought about his tasks for the day, and decided that his first order of business should be fixing the steps he¡¯d used [Improved Manipulated] to create last night. It made the balcony to Alesse¡¯s room easily accessible. Next would be replacing the alarms that had been triggered. Then, if there was still time before Alesse¡¯s dinner, he¡¯d mix up some smoke grenades. He entered Alesse¡¯s room once more, finding Gabrelle still at the same seat she¡¯d been in when his shift had ended, Alesse was dressed and moving about the room, gathering paints and brushes. ¡°Morning,¡± He greeted the women. Gabrelle waved in response, and Alesse turned her head to face him. ¡°Good morning, Xander! What brings you back here so soon?¡± ¡°Gonna fix the wall so you don¡¯t have your own personal outdoor staircase growing out of it anymore,¡± He joked. ¡°Oh. I suppose that makes sense. Good luck, don¡¯t fall! And thanks for fixing it, too.¡± Alesse returned to scrounging for something in a pile of paints. Xander made his way out to the balcony and observed the steps he¡¯d created. It had been a good idea he¡¯d had in the heat of the moment. He should really try and think more about how he could use his abilities to reshape the terrain around him. Reshaping the ground under someone to break their footing would give him an advantage. Even better if he could trip them. And he could quickly grow walls to shield himself. But this particular terrain needed to go back to how it was. Carefully stepping back onto the narrow steps, he placed his hand on the wall once more and carefully began smoothing the steps to be flush with the walls once more. Once he stepped onto the grass, there was no evidence that there had ever been stairs growing from the wall. Xander dusted his hands off by clapping them together, and set about finding a guard. He spotted one nearby one of the doors and approached. Dressed identically to every other guard he¡¯d seen on the estate, he didn¡¯t even notice the guard was a woman until he drew close enough to notice the longer hair. Xander kept assuming that, since the forms of technology were primitive on this world and the political system was similarly medieval, that their social standards would mirror his expectations from Earth about the time. But classes really did change that. If you had a class that let you be a guard, it didn¡¯t matter if you were a man or a woman, the class made you a good guard. He shook his head at the thought that in some ways, this world was more progressive than earth as he approached the female guard. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he asked. ¡°Could you tell me where I might find captain Huron?¡± The guardswoman thumbed behind her, into the manor. ¡°Just saw him enter, he mentioned something about getting food. If you hurry, he¡¯ll likely still be at the kitchens.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Xander said and hurried his way to the kitchen area. There, he did indeed see Huron, enjoying his breakfast at a sedate pace. Grabbing his own plate and some food, Xander went and sat across from the guard captain. ¡°Morning, Huron,¡± he greeted. ¡°Morning, Xander,¡± Huron replied. ¡°I hate to bother you while you¡¯re eating, but I just wanted to let you know that I¡¯ll need some more of those components so I can reset the alarms. The metal they were in is still fine, so I just need the other parts.¡± ¡°Mm. Thanks for letting me know. I¡¯ll have it delivered to you sometime tomorrow hopefully. In the mean-time, it might be best to let your companions know that your system has a hole or two in it for now so that they can be on high alert during their shifts.¡± Xander nodded in response and the two men finished their breakfast, though Xander was significantly faster at eating than Huron was, and so left before him. The stairs hadn¡¯t taken as long as he¡¯d feared they might, and he couldn¡¯t work on the alarms without an outside source of black powder ingredients. That meant he had time to put together some smoke bombs. He wasn¡¯t sure yet what to name them. It wasn¡¯t real tear gas, but calling them ¡®itchweed grenades¡¯ just didn¡¯t roll of the tongue. Cough bomb? Definitely not. Xander pondered the conundrum as he made his way back out of the manor and towards the training yard. He shrugged to himself. Tear grenade would work well enough for a name. Short and simple. He created himself another table in the dirt and then put on his air filtering helmet and created a set of long gloves for himself, too. He didn¡¯t want to get any of the itchweed on him. He created a pile of each of the materials he¡¯d need to fill the casings of his smoke bombs. Fortunately, he was able to create the itchweed an already crushed form, as if it had gone through a mortar and pestle, saving him from having to do it himself. Using [Improved Manipulate] he worked it thoroughly into the mixture for the smoke bombs. It should already have been hard and crystalized, impossible to work with in such a manner, but his skills allowed him to mold it like he was folding an ingredient into dough. Once he was satisfied with the mixture, he began pulling clumps of it off and filling the grenade bodies with it. Soon enough, he had ten tear grenades, which he figured should be plenty. Checking his watch again, he decided that he had plenty of time to release Freyja from her stable, and relax in the suite before he needed to armor himself and Freyja up and get ready to go out and guard Alesse at the Golden Gryphon. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Freyja was happy to be let out of her stall. While it was still before ten, she had gotten used to being let out earlier, and he felt the mental equivalent of a grumble about his lack of timing from their bond. ¡°Sorry Freyja. I got distracted making things. Let¡¯s get you onto your favorite couch, will that make up for it?¡± Freyja responded by rubbing her cheek on his shoulder. Xander laughed, and said ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, then.¡± Xander spent the while in comfort, having decided to climb up onto the couch with Freyja. The big cat made a wonderful pillow, making up for how much of the couch she hogged for herself. His teammates came back about half an hour before Gabrelle¡¯s shift was up, and filled him in on their findings. ¡°It¡¯s in one of the nicest areas by the river, obviously,¡± Atrax said. ¡°But it¡¯s a bit of a walk, which leaves a lot of space for any kind of ambush.¡± ¡°Are there multiple ways to get there?¡± Xander asked. ¡°I was getting to that!¡± Atrax said, annoyed that Xander had asked before he could answer. ¡°There are a few ways to go. I¡¯m thinking that we would take one way there, and a different way back. Neither are what I wouldn¡¯t consider as the ¡®main¡¯ pathway there, so hopefully it will throw any potential assailants off the scent.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Xander replied. ¡°Get a look at the inside?¡± ¡°Briefly,¡± said Graffus. ¡°They didn¡¯t want us hanging around much, the place is too good for the likes of us simple mercenaries, you see,¡± he explained sarcastically. ¡°But enough to see that there is seating on two floors and a few balconies. They were at least able to tell us that Alesse¡¯s table was on the second floor, and not on a balcony, thankfully.¡± ¡°Mm, yeah that¡¯s probably for the best. How should we go about guarding the place?¡± Xander was unsure if they should just focus on Alesse or try and secure the entire area around the restaurant. Frazay answered him. ¡°I was thinking that I, you, and Freyja would be best positioned outside the building, patrolling around to look for anything out of sorts. That would leave Graffus, Atrax, and Gabrelle to keep watch over Alesse¡¯s person.¡± ¡°That makes sense to me. Graffus should be close to her at all times anyways so he can use his shield skills, and Atrax can make space between Alesse and any attackers while Graffus shields her and moves her outside for us to get back to the estate. And Gabrelle will be able to heal any of the three of them if they¡¯re surprised.¡± Graffus nodded his head, agreeing with Xander. ¡°And that leaves you two and Freyja to watch for anything. Between Freyja and Frazay¡¯s senses, anyone who wants to sneak by ought to have a hard time of it. You can provide some extra firepower or move to intercept anyone that you three do discover, Xander.¡± ¡°I like it. Glad we¡¯ve got a solid sounding plan hammered out. One of will have to tell Gabrelle the plan, too, when she gets in. Who¡¯s on next shift, anyway?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Me,¡± Atrax replied. ¡°Well, if ya¡¯ll need anything, just wake me up. I think Freyja and I are going to take a nice little catnap until it¡¯s time to get ready.¡± The two of them did just that, Freyja falling asleep far faster than Xander, being a professional at catnapping. Xander and Freyja¡¯s nap time was soon up, and they were awoken by Graffus throwing a pillow onto them. ¡°Time to get up,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± Freyja let out a small hiss from being awoken so suddenly, but Xander could tell it wasn¡¯t very serious from how she was feeling through the bond. For himself, a simple ¡°Ugh, okay, I¡¯m up,¡± sufficed. Rolling off of Freyja and the couch, Xander began summoning his and Freyja¡¯s armor from his inventory. He armored himself quickly, used enough to the process at this point that he rarely fumbled with the leather straps. Freyja took slightly longs, as her armor was larger, and she had to be coaxed down from her comfy couch spot. The two of them were still ready in time to make their way down with the rest of their teammates. Down in the entrance room of the manor, Xander and the rest of the teammates who had come down the stairs met with Frazay, who had been on shift, Alesse, and two members of the household staff. A maid and a driver, who would be accompanying Alesse. One to drive to carriage, and the other to attend to any miscellaneous needs that Alesse might have, as well as to notionally be present as a chaperone for the situation. Graffus would be riding in the carriage with Alesse and her maid, to provide protection should anything happen, while the rest would guard the carriage from outside. Soon enough they were off, the carriage moving slowly to allow for the mercenaries who were on foot to keep up easily. Xander rode on Freyja, trying to keep his head on a swivel as they slowly traveled towards the Golden Gryphon. The trip, while tense, was short, and they arrived at the Golden Gryphon without incident. Xander breathed a sigh of relief. Either there had been no ambush at all, or they¡¯d avoided it by taking an alternate route. Alesse, Graffus, Atrax, and Gabrelle were let inside by a muscular man who was in front of the door. Some kind of bouncer, Xander assumed. That left himself, Frazay, and Freyja outside the building. The carriage and its driver had moved to a designated waiting area adjacent to the restaurant that housed many other carriages. The driver was already deep in a conversation with another driver that he apparently knew from another house. ¡°Well, guess we should get to it¡­ whatever ¡®it¡¯ is.¡± Xander said. ¡°I think we ought to do a circuit around the restaurant and then move from there,¡± Frazay responded. ¡°Sounds like a plan to me. Just looking for anyone suspicious I guess?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Frazay grunted. ¡°You heard the lady, Freyja. Let us know if you see anyone suspicious.¡± Xander said to the cat, patting her on the neck. The two of them began making a clockwise circle around the restaurant, looking around the area, peering up at the roofs of buildings, and watching the comings and goings of the restaurant patrons and people on the nearby streets. This was repeated several times with the same results: nothing of interest. On the sixth patrol around the building, though, Freyja halted, and let out a low growl. She began scenting the air, and Xander followed her gaze to a roof several buildings over. There, he saw a dark figure laying flat against the tile shingles, angled to be facing towards the Golden Gryphon. They were quickly noticed by the silhouette, who began running across the rooftop before jumping to another building, out of Xander¡¯s line of sight. ¡°Did you see that, Frazay?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Once he started running, I did,¡± she replied. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Well we aren¡¯t going to catch him, he¡¯s long gone already. We should let the rest of the team know, see what they want to do, and go from there.¡± Xander continued his patrol around the building, paying extra attention to the rooftops, while Frazay made her way into the restaurant to confer with the team. She returned soon after to tell him what the group¡¯s thoughts were. ¡°Atrax and Graffus are both concerned, for sure. But no one¡¯s is really sure what we can do about it. Hopefully, the fact that we noticed their lookout will have them rethinking any potential ambushes. Leaving now is just as risky as leaving when Alesse¡¯s done, so, in consideration of ¡®public appearances¡¯ we¡¯re going to wait until the dinner is completed and leave like normal. They haven¡¯t told Alesse yet, there¡¯s no point until we leave. Might as well let her have a pleasant dinner, at least.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°Sounds as good as anything else. We¡¯ll just have to keep our eyes peeled. Not like we weren¡¯t already, though.¡± The three of them continued their patrolling for about another hour before Alesse¡¯s dinner reached its end. As Xander saw her leaving the building, he noticed that Graffus was staying very close to her and that Atrax and Gabrelle weren¡¯t far behind. Alesse looked worried, leading him to assume that she¡¯d been informed about the watcher they¡¯d discovered. She was quickly bundled into the cart and they all began moving, taking the second alternate route that they¡¯d discussed earlier. Xander, as well as the rest of the team, was even more tense than he had been on the way to the restaurant. He kept his eyes on every rooftop and alleyway he could see and held his shotgun at the ready. Even as paranoid as he felt, the speed at which the ambush began took him by surprise. One moment, the rooftops were barren, and the next, there was a figure on top of it, their crossbow outlined with the light thrown out by the streetlamps. Combat Artificer - 24 Half a moment after the figure had appeared, Xander felt a tremendous impact on this armored shoulder, and heard a crunch as the crossbow bolt impacted on his left side. The force was so great, it threw him from Freyja¡¯s saddle. He let out a strangled ¡°Agh, fuck!¡± as he hit the ground. Rolling to his feet as quickly as he could manage, given the situation, he tried to assess himself. It wasn¡¯t hurting yet, likely due to the adrenaline, but the wet crunch he¡¯d heard as the bolt had impacted and then bounced off his armor led him to believe that something was broken. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was his collar bone or the shoulder itself, but he was having trouble lifting his left arm. Xander looked about to see that there were several more figures with various ranged weapons on top of other nearby roofs, and that his teammates were already engaged with them, though it appeared he was the only one struck. He watched as Frazay nimbly stepped aside and an arrow skittered against the cobblestone road. Atrax was burning arrows into ash as they flew towards him. Graffus was presumably still in the carriage, ensuring that Alesse was shielded. Several bolts and arrows decorated the outside of the carriage already, and he could hear Alesse¡¯s muffled voice shrieking in fear, though it did not sound like she was in pain. Gabrelle was already rushing towards him, and Freyja was letting loose a growl of such intensity that nearby windows were rattling. ¡°We have to get the cart out of here!¡± Atrax shouted, waving his hand as another crossbow bolt turned to ash in front of him. He ran towards the carriage, where the driver was cowering behind what little cover he could. ¡°Move!¡± Atrax screamed at the man, ¡°Get back to the estate!¡± He then slapped the rear of one of the horses that had been pulling the cart, startling the animal into a run. Xander¡¯s, admittedly little used, combat training finally asserted itself and he sprinted into the first spot of cover he could find. ¡°Go with the cart!¡± He shouted to Freyja, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, but you¡¯re going to end up getting shot out here!¡± He could feel her reluctance through the bond, but she obeyed his order, quickly catching up the carriage. If anything, the horses began to run faster as they realized a predatory cat that was even larger than they were was chasing them. He tried again to lift his left arm, but only succeeded in moving it a few inches. He felt something grating in his shoulder area as he tried. ¡°Fuck,¡± He cursed to himself. He wasn¡¯t going to be able to use the shotgun like this. Allowing the shotgun to slip back into his inventory, his 9mm pistol materialized in his hand. Normally, he¡¯d doubt he¡¯d be able to land a hit at all on a moving target at that range with a pistol, but he hoped that [Weapons of War] would allow him to exceed his normal limits in that regard. Popping up from his small piece of cover, the stone column of a lamppost, Xander searched the roofs nearby for a target. Unfortunately, his target spotted him slightly before Xander did, and had loosed a crossbow bolt at him. Time seemed to slow down for Xander. While he did not think the crossbow bolt would penetrate his armor, there was still the danger of the impact. He already had one broken arm, he couldn¡¯t afford another broken bone. There was also the distinct possibility of it striking his chest with enough force to stop his heart, like being kicked by a horse. He didn¡¯t think crossbows were supposed to hit that hard. His mind raced for ways to avoid being struck, before latching onto one of his skills. Focusing as hard as he could on the steel tip of the bolt that was hurtling towards him, Xander activated [Ferokinesis] pouring as much willpower into it as he could. Both he and his target were surprised to see the bolt stop several feet from him, hovering in the air, before Xander released it from the grasp of his skill for it to clatter onto the street. The shock of the crossbowman of seeing his arrow halted in such a way proved to be his undoing, as Xander recovered faster than he did. Once again feeling [Weapons of War] guiding his arm, he pointed his pistol at the figure on the roof and pulled the trigger. The small crack of the runically silenced pistol was accompanied by the muzzle flash of the gases escaping from the barrel, and the figure crumpled to the shingles before sliding off the roof entirely. Frazay and Atrax were still engaged by several bowmen. He only noticed that Gabrelle had reached him when she called out to him. ¡°Xander! Are you okay?¡± She shouted over the chaos of skills being thrown about the street. ¡°Your arm looks broken!¡± ¡°Get into cover!¡± He shouted back at her, waving his pistol to the column he had just stepped out from. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine until things are over!¡± Xander realized that he would heal perfectly fine due to his [Regenerative] passive skill, but that didn¡¯t stop his shoulder from throbbing in pain as he continued moving. Xander was pissed at this point. The shock of the ambush had worn off, and the pain of his wound was setting in. These bastards had shot at him. Were still shooting at his teammates. Had tried to kill a sixteen-year-old girl just to get to her father. These people were scum, and he had no empathy for them, and therefore no compunctions against killing them. He activated his helmet¡¯s [Aura of Fear] and began using [Ferokinesis] to suck any arrows and bolts he could see off target. Screams and yells of fear began to ring out nearby, as both the criminals on the roof as well as anyone hiding in the nearby buildings were struck with fear. Xander methodically began to fire his pistol at any target he could find on the roofs. The pressure of the fusillade of arrows relieved for Atrax and Frazay, they were able to return fire more accurately as well. Atrax conjured and began using a long, flaming whip to crack strikes upon those within his reach, and Frazay was firing arrows faster than even Xander was firing his pistol. The attackers were soon scattered, retreating from the radius of fear that Xander was putting out, as well as from losing too many of their number. Xander tiredly let his pistol back into his inventory and leaned against another lamppost. The motion caused his shoulder to spike in pain again, and he let out a pained grunt. Gabrelle trotted up to him again, hearing his pained noises. ¡°Xander, please let me look at your shoulder. The fight is done, now.¡± She pleaded. ¡°Okay, yeah. Yeah, let¡¯s get something done about this,¡± He ground out through gritted teeth. He willed his plate carrier as well as the armor covering his arms, his gorget, and his helm into his inventory, leaving only his camouflage blouse left. Gingerly, he unbuttoned the blouse one handed and did his best to shrug it off, revealing a tan t-shirt underneath. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get this off by myself with my arm like it is,¡± he said. ¡°Can you help me? I don¡¯t really want to have to cut it off.¡± Gabrelle nodded and had him lean forward so and hang his other arm out in front of him much like his broken one was already doing and slid the shirt off his body. The shirt jostled his shoulder slightly as it was removed and he hissed in pain again. ¡°Thanks,¡± Xander said through his clenched teeth. ¡°Here, sit,¡± Gabrelle commanded. Carefully, so as not to move his arm anymore than necessary, Xander sat down on the road. Gabrelle kneeled down and peered at his shoulder and collar area. Xander followed her gaze and saw a deep, dark bruise already spreading across the front of his shoulder where the bolt had struck him. She moved her hands to the bruised area, the soft blue glow of her class¡¯s skills enveloping her hands. ¡°Damn¡­ looks rough,¡± Xander commented. Gabrelle looked up momentarily from her hands and whatever it was she was able to see with her skills. ¡°It¡¯s not great, but it could certainly be worse. It¡¯s a relatively clean break, fortunately it wasn¡¯t shattered by that hit. I should be able to set the bone and reduce some of the bruising now, and with a few more applications of my skills, you should be back to normal in a day or two. Now, hold still, and let me set it.¡± The light surrounding Gabrelle¡¯s hands flashed brighter momentarily and Xander felt something shift in his shoulder, which was accompanied by a sharp pain. ¡°Agh!¡± He cried, from startlement as much as the pain. ¡°Sorry,¡± Gabrelle said with an apologetic smile. ¡°The rest shouldn¡¯t be painful; I¡¯m just going to reduce the bruising and the swelling.¡± Her hands again glowed brighter, though not as bright as they had when she¡¯d set his shoulder, but this time the glow stayed. She slowly moved them over the ugly bruise and slowly, the throbbing pain in his shoulder subsided. He held still though, as of yet still reticent to move the arm. The glow faded from her hands, and she stood up. ¡°There! That should hopefully be the worst of it. You¡¯re still going to be very sore, and you¡¯re not going to have full range of motion yet, but you should at least be able to move it. Give it a try.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Xander followed the command, experimentally lifting his left arm. He was able to lift it enough to be able to use it, but not with much strength. And it was quite sore to move. Still, it was an improvement from its previous state. Xander sighed, relieved to be rid of the constant pain. ¡°Thanks Gabrelle. That would have been hell to wait and heal on my own. Especially with needing to get back to the estate.¡± He looked around at his teammates, who were still on guard, watching for any stragglers or counterattacks. ¡°Anyone else need any healing?¡± He called to them. Atrax waved an all clear, and Frazay responded ¡°Nope, I¡¯m good!¡± ¡°I can feel that Freyja is okay, so I¡¯m hoping Graffus and the cart are fine and at the estate,¡± he said, loudly enough for all three of them to hear him. ¡°The bond is pointing in that direction too. Should we check the bodies? Do we alert the guard or something, too?¡± ¡°Checking them is probably a good idea. Doubt we¡¯ll find much, but it¡¯s worth at least making sure. And I expect the guards are already on the way judging by how much screaming there¡¯s been,¡± Atrax replied. ¡°Oh, yeah, that makes sense.¡± Xander belatedly realized he should turn [Aura of Fear] off, summoning his helm for a moment to do so; contact with the item seemed required to activate or deactivate the ability. He was glad he remembered to do so, as soon after, several guards, some armed with crossbows, appeared around the bend. Frazay was still rifling through the pockets of the attackers that had fallen from the rooftops, so Xander, Atrax, and Gabrelle made their way to meet the guards, Xander still shirtless and sporting a nasty bruise. As the three of them drew closer, the guards with crossbows leveled them at the party, and one of them barked, ¡°Halt! Explain yourselves!¡± ¡°We were ambushed,¡± began Atrax, ¡°while fulfilling our bodyguard contract for Lord Huraven.¡± He withdrew his mercenary charm as proof that he was indeed a member of the guild. ¡°We sent the carriage on with some others from our group and fought back.¡± He gestured at the bodies of the fallen criminals. ¡°Obviously, we won.¡± The lead guard, the one who had called for them to halt, nodded along with Atrax¡¯s story, mulling things over. ¡°Mmm. We were informed of that contract, and you do meet the description of the mercenaries that were hired well enough. And the¡­ scene here seems to corroborate an ambush, like you said. Came at you from the rooftops, I see. Still a couple bodies up there I can see. Learn anything of use from any of them?¡± Atrax shook his head. ¡°Just shouting and shooting. The only ones down here were dead by the time they hit the ground.¡± Frazay called out from her position by one of the fallen men, saying ¡°They¡¯ve all got a little stamped coin on them. Two daggers on one side, and skull on the other.¡± The lead guardsman nodded again. ¡°That¡¯d be the group Lord Huraven¡¯s been looking into, alright. Just about any member who¡¯s worth anything to the Bone Daggers carries one of them.¡± He sighed, before turning to his subordinates. ¡°Alright you lot, somebody go fetch a cart so we can get these worthless lumps off the street. And a ladder, too!¡± ¡°Is there anything you need from us?¡± Xander asked, eager to return to the manor and hopefully have his arm fixed even more. Though, he had to admit, it was already feeling much better. ¡°Nah, nothin¡¯ I need from any of you, I believe your story, and it lines up with how these bastards do business. Besides, I know where to find you if I need to ask any follow up questions.¡± Xander nodded, and he and the rest of the team began making their way back to the manor. As they were walking, and Xander was buttoning his blouse back over his torso, a thought struck him. ¡°Did you find anything good, Frazay?¡± Frazay smiled crookedly. ¡°Oh, nothing much. Just some pocket change, some knives, and you know, a prewritten ransom note with where Lord Huraven should meet to negotiate the release of his daughter.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xander and Atrax both shouted at the same time. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell the guard?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this go to them immediately so they can, I don¡¯t know, raid the place or something?¡± ¡°Who do you think runs the guard?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°We give this to Huraven, and he¡¯ll jump on this information faster than it would travel through that guard to his boss, and his boss¡¯s boss, and so on and so forth. It would just end up on Huraven¡¯s desk, but a day or two later instead of tonight.¡± Xander nodded, slowly. ¡°I see. That makes sense. And I suppose the guard would have demanded to take the note if you¡¯d mentioned it.¡± ¡°Oh yes, they love their evidence, the city guard does.¡± As they continued their way back to the Huraven estate, Xander checked his status. ---You have defeated enemies--- ---Bonus experience awarded for first defeat of an enemy of this type--- Xander realized that he had killed another human being for the first time. He felt slightly sick to his stomach. ---[Soldier] leveled to 6--- ---[Soldier] level 6 skills--- [Reactive Armor] ¨C When cast, the next strike upon you is diverted by an explosive blast. Mana cost: low ---Class synergies detected--- ---[Artificer], [Soldier] and [Demolitionist] classes consumed--- ---Class [Combat Artificer] granted at level 18--- ---Empty class slot detected, please select a class from the following list--- -[Farmer] -[Trader] -[Smith] -[Magus (Lightning)] -[Criminal] -[Rune Lord] -[Tinker] -[Guard] -[Ranger] -[Mounted Knight] Xander stopped in his tracks, assaulted with too much information to be able to consume it and walk at the same time. His classes had¡­ amalgamated? That was what Frazay had called it. Class amalgamations. His classes had fused together into [Combat Artificer]. All of his previous skills were still there, but now under the umbrella of one single class. He could already feel how his passives that scaled with level were more powerful now than they had been, having jumped from at most level seven to level eighteen. And he had new options to choose from. He recognized the classes that he¡¯d been presented before, when he¡¯d been told that he would be translocated ¨C the thought of how he¡¯d been ripped from his home still rankled him ¨C but now there were newer, and more interesting, choices open to him. ¡°Everything okay, Xander?¡± Frazay asked, noticing that he had stopped. Atrax also stopped and looked at him. ¡°Uhhh, yeah. Yeah, I¡¯m okay,¡± He said, mind still on his new choices. ¡°I was just checking my status, and my classes, they all, what did you call it? They all amalgamated. And then I got a list of classes to pick to fill my empty second slot.¡± Atrax¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°All three amalgamated? That¡¯s impressive. Usually just two classes bind together like that. Must have been quite the maximum level boost, eh? Congratulations, by the way.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Xander trailed off as they resumed walking, and he continued staring at the list of available classes. He was pretty sure he knew which one he would pick, though. While [Tinker] and even [Mounted Knight] held some appeal, [Rune Lord] seemed too interesting to pass up. Runes had opened up so much utility to him already through his single [Rune Etching] ability. He couldn¡¯t even being to imagine how a class like [Rune Lord] would increase his abilities to work with runes, but he knew that it would be immense. With a little bit of trepidation, he selected the class. ---CLASS CHOICE ACCEPTED--- ---GENERATING CLASS SKILLS--- ---[Rune Lord] level 1 Skills--- [Engraved in Memory] ¨C Increased Intelligence. Scales with level. [Rune Library] ¨C Provides access to a library of runes. More runes become available with increased levels. [Runic Lordship] ¨C Power and efficiency of runes is increased. [Brand] ¨C Brand an enemy within 30 feet with a rune of draining. Health and Mana will be provided to the caster equal to the amount that is drained over time by the brand. Mana Cost: medium. Cooldown: 1 minute ---[Rune Etching] and [Rune Library] produce [Rune Master¡¯s Library]--- [Rune Master¡¯s Library] ¨C Vastly increased knowledge of runes and rune behaviors. Xander stumbled as a huge lake of knowledge was suddenly pumped into his mind. Fortunately, he was saved the embarrassment of his teammates noticing, as he was walking slightly behind them. It hadn¡¯t been quite as painful a process as when he¡¯d learned how to access his status sheet, or even when he¡¯d gotten [Rune Etching]. There was almost a degree of separation, and he got the feeling that it was almost source outside himself, that he was granted access to by the [Rune Master¡¯s Library] skill, and that the skill would function almost like a boat in the ¡®lake¡¯ of knowledge, allowing him to safely access the vast array of knowledge now available to him in more digestible amounts. Coupled with [Engraved in Memory] allowing him to memorize things more easily with an increased intelligence, it was an incredible skill, giving him access to a huge amount of utility, both in and out of combat. The four mercenaries made the rest of the walk back to the Huraven estate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the gate, it was obvious that the household was in a state of alarm, as the number of guards was far higher than the two that were usually stationed there. They were greeted by a full ten guards at the gate, armor and weapons gleaming in the light of the nearby streetlamps. Combat Artificer - 25 ¡°Did Freyja and the carriage make it back safely?¡± Xander asked, anxiously, despite being able to feel that Frayja was near from their bond. One of the guards nodded. ¡°Aye, they all made it back safe enough. Though the carriage itself looked a bit like a pin cushion.¡± Atrax interjected, saying ¡°Excellent, I¡¯m glad they were able to make it back in one piece. But we have urgent information for Lord Huraven that we need to relay.¡± The guard nodded again. ¡°¡¯Course, well, let us get the gate open and we¡¯ll let you be on your way.¡± The four hurried their way through the estate until they reached the manor. The cart was haphazardly parked near the entrance, arrows and crossbow bolts still jutting from it. They made their way inside, and up to Alesse¡¯s room, where loud sobs could be heard through the door. Xander could sense that Freyja was behind the door. Opening the door, Xander saw Alesse, the source of the sobbing, with her face buried into Freyja¡¯s chest, who was patiently allowing the young girl to use her fur to soak her tears. Graffus stood to one side, and Huron and Lord Huraven both stood in the room. The two men looked awkward, unsure exactly how to comfort the young woman. Gabrelle and Frazay swiftly detached from the group to go comfort Alesse. Xander and Atrax learned what had happened once the cart had left the scene of the ambush. Once the horses had started running, they¡¯d made it a few more streets towards the estate before two members of the Bone Daggers on horseback had attempted to intercept the carriage. Freyja, having been sent with carriage, had made sure that the attempt remained only an attempt by mauling both horses, swatting one of the riders so hard with her paw that he was thrown into a nearby building with a caved in chest and biting the other with such force that they were nearly bisected. She actually still had some blood dried around her mouth that she kept surreptitiously trying to clean off with her tongue. After that, the carriage had experienced no more attempts at interception. Once Alesse had been calmed somewhat and was no longer sobbing, just hiccupping slightly, Frazay made her way to Lord Huraven and quietly handed him the note she¡¯d found on one of the corpses. As he read the note, his posture changed, instantly. Gone was the awkward posture of a father unsure how to comfort a teenage child, replaced with his usual steely, businesslike demeanor. He had business he could attend to, now. He motioned for the mercenaries to gather around him. ¡°Give me an hour and I¡¯ll have an elite team of twenty ready to hit the compound mentioned in the note. You¡¯ve proven yourselves to be quite effective in combat, and as such, I¡¯d like to offer you the opportunity to join in this raid. You will be compensated in addition to the contract you are already on, of course, should you wish to join. Alesse will be kept safe here by Huron until you return. I doubt that they¡¯ll be mounting another attempt for at least another couple of days, anyway.¡± Xander looked at his teammates. ¡°I¡¯m in. I¡¯m sick of these fuckers, and I¡¯m still angry about being shot.¡± Graffus nodded. Frazay chimed in with ¡°If it pays as well as I hope it will, then I¡¯m in, too.¡± The rest of the team responded with various other affirmations, even Freyja giving a vigorous nod.¡± ¡°So what kind of place is this ¡®compound,¡¯ anyway?¡± Xander asked. ¡°If I¡¯m correct, it is an old warehouse near one of the docks in one of the¡­ less reputable areas of the city,¡± Lord Huraven explained. ¡°Evidently, it is no longer being used to store traditional cargo, instead serving as space for the Bone Daggers to conduct operations. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s their true lair, but a place such as this is bound to hold information and personnel of importance. Even if it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯m quite keen to repay their efforts with some of my own.¡± Xander nodded. If he was mad at this criminal group, he couldn¡¯t imagine how Huraven felt, considering they¡¯d tried multiple times to kidnap his daughter. ¡°We¡¯ve got an hour or so to prepare then?¡± Lord Huraven nodded. ¡°Good, because I have an idea.¡± As Lord Huraven vacated the room to put together his raid team, Xander sat down on the ground and began creating a pile of leather and some sheets of glass. ¡°What are you doing, Xander?¡± Gabrelle asked, curious as to why he was filling the room with materials. ¡°I¡¯m making some gas masks,¡± he answered. ¡°Like I told you about for the itchweed smoke bombs. These will last for twenty-four hours away from me, so it¡¯ll be plenty of time for this raid. So I¡¯ve got an hour to make twenty-five masks. Planning to flood the place with the tear bombs as we breach, to make it harder for them to fight back.¡± Gabrelle nodded in understanding. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it, then.¡± Xander manically put together mask after mask, creating a leather facemask with two glass eyes, and a steel filter on one side filled with activated charcoal. Once he¡¯d created the first one, it was easy to duplicate twenty-four more. He didn¡¯t need one, as his helm already worked well enough. Next, he turned to the rune work, etching the required runes to force air to flow in through the activated charcoal, and out through a small flap in the bottom of the mask. All in all, it took him about forty-five minutes to do. His new [Rune Lord] class was already shining through, as he found his speed at etching runes to be much faster than it had previously. Speaking of which, he should check and see if churning out twenty-five runed items had netted him anything. It was still level one, after all. ---You have created runic arrays--- ---[Rune Lord] leveled to 2--- ---[Rune Lord] level 2 skills--- [Rune of Shielding] ¨C Place a rune on a target within 30 feet, which will create a field that absorbs damage before shattering outwards, damaging enemies within 10 feet. Mana Cost: medium. Cooldown: 1 minute Xander was pleased to have leveled the class up so quickly, giving himself a small fist pump in celebration. ¡°Get something good?¡± Frazay asked, having noticed him staring off into space, reading his status. ¡°Yeah, I leveled up my new class already.¡± Xander said, proudly. ¡°New class?¡± Graffus said, not having been filled in that Xander had received a class amalgamation and had been considering his options for a replacement class to fill the empty slot. ¡°He got a class amalgamation and got to choose a new one because of it,¡± Frazay quickly explained. ¡°Speaking of which, what did you pick?¡± ¡°I went with [Rune Lord]. It seemed to go the best with what I already do. Runes have been really handy for me so far.¡± ¡°[Rune Lord]?¡± Graffus asked, eye¡¯s wide. ¡°That¡¯s a powerful class, Xander. Anything with a title like ¡®lord,¡¯ ¡®king,¡¯ ¡®baron,¡¯ or something like that tends to offer much more mastery over an area than the average class. A [Rune Carver] of the same level, for example, likely just won¡¯t be able to do as much or create as powerful things as a [Rune Lord]. You chose well.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. It was the only one available to me with anything like that in the name. It¡¯s already given me access to a lot of runes and even information about runes that I¡¯m going to need to go over and test when we finally have some down time.¡± ¡°Your growth has been quite impressive,¡± Atrax commented. ¡°I guess the rumors of [Godsmarked] making up for their previous lack of levels so soon after arriving are true.¡± Gabrelle clapped her hands together excitedly, ¡°Congratulations, Xander! Oh, maybe you can find some runes to help me heal people?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet what all I have access to, honestly, but I¡¯ll certainly keep my eye out for anything like that.¡± Lord Huraven returned while they were still talking, and looked questioningly at the pile of odd masks on the table near the door. ¡°The team is ready. You said you had an idea¡­ does it have something to do with those?¡± He gestured towards the masks. ¡°It does,¡± Xander replied. He began to explain his idea of flooding the warehouse with itchweed smoke and equipping the team with masks that would filter it out. Lord Huraven began to grin maliciously as the plan was laid before him. ¡°Hmm, yes¡­ I think this will work nicely,¡± Huraven commented. ¡°And it will provide an opportunity to take even more of these criminals alive. I need every bit of information I can get to stamp out this ring once and for all. They¡¯ve threatened my family far too much to ever be allowed to exist in even the smallest of forms.¡± ¡°Xander, let me check your shoulder before we head out again. You should have full range of motion after another quick healing,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°Oh, yeah, I¡¯d forgotten about it. Let me unbutton real quick.¡± Xander undid the button on the camouflage blouse once again, baring his shoulder to the [medic]. Instead of reaching towards the injured shoulder with glowing hands again, though, she stared wide eyed at his shoulder. ¡°Where¡­Where is the bruise?¡± she asked, quietly. Xander looked down at his shoulder himself, and saw that there was no trace of a bruise left. He rotated his shoulder carefully and found that it caused him no pain. Finally, he realized what had happened. [Regenerative] must not only increase his ability to heal injuries, but also the speed at which they healed. ¡°Huh. I didn¡¯t know [Regenerative] did that¡­ handy.¡± ¡°You have a trait that allows you to heal faster?¡± Graffus asked, sounding jealous. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it also made me heal faster until just now, but it seems that way.¡± ¡°Ugh, [Godsmarked]. You really do get some crazy stuff.¡± Lord Huraven coughed. ¡°Time is of the essence for this raid. I suggest you gather your arms and armor and meet me by the gate.¡± He turned on his heels and left the room. ¡°He¡¯s right, we should get moving,¡± Atrax said. ¡°Give me a second to get my armor back on, and I¡¯ll be ready,¡± Xander replied. Quickly donning his plate carrier and armor again, he turned to Freyja. ¡°You be good and stay here with Alesse, okay Freyja? Make sure nothing happens to her.¡± The big cat let out a sad yowl. She didn¡¯t like being left behind. ¡°Awh, I know, girl. But you¡¯d just end up with itchweed in your eyes, and neither of us want that.¡± Freyja grumbled a slight growl in protest but settled down next to Alesse. ¡°She likes to snuggle,¡± Xander told the teen. Arriving at the gate, the mercenaries saw Lord Huraven in front of a group of well-armed and armored guards. Even from this distance, Xander could tell they were a cut above the average guard he¡¯d seen. They were all dressed in full plate mail and carried shields and maces. As they drew closer, he was able to hear that Huraven was explaining how they would be joining in the raid, that Xander would be hitting the building with tear bombs, and that masks had been created for them. Reaching the group of elite guards, Xander handed one of them the masks. He''d stuffed them into a pillowcase he¡¯d found in a cupboard in Alesse¡¯s room. ¡°I made them thin, so they should fit under a helm,¡± he said to the guard. Soon, the masks had been distributed and put on, straps adjusted properly. Xander had tested the fitment on a few of them once his teammates had put them on and was pleased enough with the seal. The group, now twenty-six strong, began a brisk pace towards the warehouse that they would be raiding. The few people on the streets at this late hour quickly scuttled out of the way of the large group. Their pace slowed as they neared the dock that the warehouse was situated next to. The elite guard force as well as the mercenaries began to creep along walls and avoid as many lines of sight as possible as they approached the warehouse. Once they reached one of the exterior walls of the warehouse, the lead guard stopped, holding his hand up for everyone else to halt as well. Silently, they motioned for Xander to come to the front. ¡°We¡¯re near a door,¡± the guard, who turned out to be a woman under all that plate, whispered. ¡°You¡¯ll lead with your¡­ smoke¡­ thing, and we¡¯ll pile in after.¡± ¡°Okay. Just one thing though,¡± Xander whispered back. ¡°I¡¯ll throw a flash bang in, too, to disorient anyone near the door while the smoke grenade starts. Once the bright flash and loud bang go off, you¡¯re clear to breach.¡± The lead guard nodded. ¡°Understood. The door¡¯s just around the corner. Doesn¡¯t seem like anyone¡¯s guarding it from the outside.¡± They began gathering around the doorway, and Xander was glad the building had no windows to speak of. He tested the handle of the door carefully, seeing if it was locked. Unfortunately, it was. Time to put [Unstoppable Force] to the test. Summoning a tear grenade in one hand and flash bang in the other, Xander lifted his foot up and kicked the door as hard as he could. The thin, wooden door flew open immediately and Xander chucked the two grenades into the building, activating the runes on them as he did so. Yells of confusion began to ring out as those who were near the doorway inside were blinded by the bright light and startled by the loud noise. The group of guards immediately blitzed into the building, and Xander heard even more yells as the sounds of battle began to ring out. Once the guards had entered, Xander and the other mercenaries followed. Xander began throwing more tear grenades throughout the large, open building, and soon the space was flooded with the irritating smoke, as the surprised yells and curses soon turned to hacking coughs. Drawing his mace and pulling his shield from his inventory onto his other arm, he began to prowl through the smoke and his teammates spread out around him. He noticed Frazay and Atrax form a pair as they engaged a burly man with a wooden club, Atrax curling a flaming rope around the man as he began screaming. Gabrelle appeared to be sticking close to him, and he was glad to have someone to watch his back in the smokey room. Graffus had immediately peeled off and raced towards the first figure he¡¯d seen, slamming his shield into them and then punching them repeatedly. Xander engaged a thin, disheveled woman wielding a rapier. Judging by her state of relative undress, she must have been awoken by the commotion and rushed to the fight. Xander took a slash from the rapier on his bone shield and swept at her legs with his mace. He could hear the bones crunching as the runes, now also empowered by his new class, activated on the mace, magnifying the impact. Her leg was knocked into her other leg by the force of the blow, toppling the woman to the ground as she screamed in pain. Xander moved on, and Gabrelle followed; he doubted that she¡¯d be getting very far with a broken leg; she¡¯d be rounded up with the rest of the captured syndicate members. The raid was over quickly, and as the smoke cleared, aided by one of the guards who had access to some wind-based abilities, the figures of dead, wounded, and captured criminals were revealed. The group of mercenaries reconvened in one corner, while the guards began herding, or in the case of those with injuries like the woman Xander had engaged, dragging the criminals that were still alive into another corner. Most had to be led to where they were going, barely able to see through the tears and irritation that persisted even after the smoke had cleared. Fifteen minutes later, the warehouse was absolutely packed with city guard, as they processed, interrogated, and healed to consciousness the criminals. The mercs left them to their business, deciding to head back to the estate with the more elite guards that had participated in the raids. Lord Huraven was personally waiting for the mixed group of mercenaries and guards at the gate when they arrived. The guard that had spoken to Xander before they¡¯d breached the warehouse door informed the lord of how the mission had gone. Though he couldn¡¯t quite hear the conversation, Xander could tell that Huraven was pleased at the results he was hearing. Once Lord Huraven had finished debriefing his team of guards, he made his way over to the five mercs. ¡°Latana tells me that your idea with the smoke was instrumental in them being able to capture as many members of the Bone Daggers as they did.¡± Xander wasn¡¯t sure who Latana was, but assumed that it must be the name of the woman who had just been speaking to Lord Huraven. ¡°You have my thanks, and my assurance that there will be a hefty bonus added to your contract payment in recognition of your work on this raid.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you Mister¡­ Lord Huraven.¡± Xander had never called anyone ¡®lord¡¯ before he''d come to this world and stumbled a little bit remembering that the man likely expected people to use his official title. ¡°I¡¯m just glad things went as well as they did, and we were able to help.¡± Lord Huraven did not react to Xander¡¯s stumble over his title, instead opting to nod his head in response. ¡°With any luck, these captured criminals will be able to lead us to other areas controlled by the Bone Daggers, which will lead to more captures, and so on and so forth. I have hope that this event will be like removing the keystone from an arch for the Bone Daggers, and the group will begin to crumble.¡± Combat Artificer - 26 Xander wasn¡¯t sure what else to say in response to Lord Huraven, so he simply nodded along with the man. ¡°Now, if you will all excuse me,¡± he said to the gathered mercenaries, ¡°I must see to organizing the information that is still flowing to me.¡± He began to turn, but stopped, speaking again. ¡°Also, Alesse is still being guarded by Huron, so please, take the night off if you feel the need. A little sleep will keep you in better shape to resume your duties on the ¡®morrow.¡± With that, he completed his turn, and began striding back to the manor, speaking with several people who looked to be other high-ranking guards. As the crowd at the gate dispersed and went their separate ways, the five mercenaries turned to face each other. ¡°Sleep?¡± asked Frazay? The other four nodded as one. Soon, they were all in various states of undress and laying out on their beds in their guest suite. Xander had no trouble falling asleep; he was bone tired from first the ambush and then the raid on the warehouse. He was glad he wouldn¡¯t have to wake up at midnight tonight. They¡¯d decided that Gabrelle¡¯s shift would be the first to resume tomorrow morning. Xander woke up late the next day. At some point in the morning, Gabrelle must have let Freyja out of Alesse¡¯s room and into the guest suite, because he found the huge feline curled up next to his bed. He stretched, yawning as he did so. ¡°Blugh,¡± he grumbled out as the grogginess of sleep slowly faded from his brain. The noise he made woke Freyja, who was soon climbing onto the bed, nearly crushing Xander as she did so, and leaving him only a tiny portion of the large bed. ¡°I guess that¡¯s my cue to get up¡­¡± Now dressed and fully awake, Xander made his way into the kitchens for a late breakfast, scrounging through whatever was still around. Frazay had been asleep on one of the couches, and had mumbled something incoherent at him as he¡¯d walked by. Atrax was presumable on shift at this point, so Xander had not seen him, nor had he seen Gabrelle or Graffus. They must be out and about at this point in the day. Once he finished his breakfast, Xander returned to the suite to poke and prod Freyja until the cat reluctantly jumped down from the bed, annoyed. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s outside time,¡± he said to the cat. ¡°I need to stretch my legs and try to study some runes, and you need to¡­ do whatever it is giant, soul-bonded cats do when they¡¯re outside. Go pee on a bush or something.¡± Freyja huffed in response. Making his way to what he was beginning to consider his ¡®usual¡¯ spot near the training yard, Xander was able to hear the ring of metal on metal coming from the area as he came around to corner of the manor. As he fully turned the corner, he was able to see Gabrelle and Graffus in the dirt training area. Graffus had his shield up and was circling and weaving around Gabrelle as she did her best to strike the dwarf with her mace, the head of it flaming up with her strikes. Every single strike was either dodged or deflected by his shield. He wasn¡¯t even allowing the young woman to get a full strike on the shield, instead skillfully ensuring that the mace glanced off when he couldn¡¯t step out of the way. For her part, Gabrelle looked tired. She was wielding the one-handed mace with both hands, and her strikes were far slower than the one Xander had seen her take at the target back when he¡¯d created the mace for her. Another few minutes passed of Gabrelle making futile swings at Graffus before she gave up and dropped the mace, exhausted. She dropped to the ground, taking a seat on the dirt, gasping for air. Seeing that the two were done with their training, Xander moved closer, Freyja deciding to wander off, probably to go pee on a bush. ¡°Training, I take it?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Or did Graffus just really piss you off today?¡± Gabrelle gave a breathless laugh before responding, ¡°Graffus said he¡¯d start giving me some lessons in combat.¡± She paused, taking time to breathe again. ¡°But, I didn¡¯t expect it to be this difficult. He just told me to try and hit him for our first lesson, and, then he just didn¡¯t let me!¡± The last part sounded accusatory, as if Graffus should have just let her hit him. ¡°She¡¯s got spirit, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Graffus said, entering the conversation. ¡°But not an ounce of training. Without a weapon skill giving you any guidance, you¡¯re gonna have to learn the hard way,¡± he told her. ¡°Notice how even with you using a mace I was able to take advantage of how you were swinging? That¡¯s what we¡¯ll be working on for your next lesson, by the way. I¡¯m going to teach you how to properly swing that piece of metal and you¡¯re going to keep swinging it until you get it right,¡± Graffus said, taking malicious glee from Gabrelle¡¯s exhausted sigh in response to his statement. ¡°Practice does make perfect,¡± Xander said encouragingly to Gabrelle. ¡°You won¡¯t regret practicing if you find yourself face to face with someone you need to whack with a mace.¡± Graffus nodded approvingly. ¡°I know you''re frustrated, Gabrelle. But this is a skill that could very well make the difference between life and death for you in this line of work. As such, I intend to train you thoroughly.¡± ¡°Thanks, Graffus. I appreciate it,¡± the young woman said. ¡°But I am still mad that you didn¡¯t let me hit you even once!¡± Graffus laughed. ¡°You¡¯ll have to practice a lot more for that!¡± The two of them departed from the training yard, heading back to the manor, leaving Xander alone. He made his way to a comfortable looking patch of grass by a tree and sat down, using the tree as a backrest. He pulled a small notebook, still blank, that he had packed into his inventory when he¡¯d been translocated. It felt far more than the couple of months that it had been since that had happened. He¡¯d been keeping himself so busy, and so many things had happened that it felt more like it had been years, not months, that had passed. Thinking about it, he was shocked at how quickly he was adjusting. I guess you really can get used to anything, he thought to himself. He shook his head. Best not to get stuck in the kinds of thought traps that thinking about his translocation and Earth would lead him to. Instead summoned a pen into his hand as well, and focused on [Rune Master¡¯s Library]. Focusing on the skill felt a bit like looking at a massive shelf of books, with no idea which one to pick. Trying to keep that mental image in his mind¡¯s eye, he tried to focus his will on a particular topic. Something he was already somewhat familiar with would be best to start out with. As he thought of mana gathering arrays, one of the tomes seemed to stand out from the others, no longer a faceless book in a mass of other similar tomes. Mentally selecting it, he felt his skill truly begin to interface with the vast amount of knowledge that it had access to as runes, arrays, and various insights began to circle around his mind. It was far too much for him to be able to retain without the skill running, at least not until his intelligence skill was higher, but he was able to mentally inspect each rune and the knowledge associated with it individually through the skill. There were a variety of gathering arrays. He recognized the ranged gathering array he¡¯d received as a reward, as well as the passive gathering array that he¡¯d learned from [Rune Etching] scattered amongst the various runes. Inspecting each one, interested to see what the differences were between them, he began to realize that there were many ways to create gathering arrays that functioned in essentially the same ways. There was one that was more efficient at collecting mana than his original mana gathering array, which he scribbled down in his notebook. It was interesting to him, as what seemed to make it more efficient was the fact that it was the rune for gathering mana, but composed entirely of smaller, connected versions of the same gathering rune. Like a big ¡°A¡± written out with smaller A¡¯s. He wondered if that kind of trick would work with other runes. The other rune that stuck out to him amongst the throng of runes floating in his mind was the personal mana gathering array. From the description he was able to gather, the array seemed intended not to gather mana and power a sequence of runes, but to instead gather mana and pass it directly to the one who carved it. To do so, it required a custom rune intended to personify the maker. A maker¡¯s mark. Through that mark, it would then pass into the already stored mana of the maker who had put their mark into the array. This would increase their passive mana regeneration, but not the actual amount of mana they could hold. Xander resolved to create several of these arrays on his armor. More mana was always good, and he would be able to create things even more quickly, especially those things that were of less common material. The only sticking point was what his maker¡¯s mark would be. He idly began sketching out runes and pictograms, quickly becoming frustrated by his lack of artistic ability. After a very frustrating half hour of trying to create something that suited him, he finally muttered, ¡°Fuck it,¡± to himself and drew a bold X in the array where a maker¡¯s mark should go. He liked X¡¯s anyways, and it was simple and easy to create. He didn¡¯t mind his maker¡¯s mark being simple, he more of a function over form kind of person anyway. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. With his mark sorted, Xander began to ponder his next thought: how to ensure the rune functioned as efficiently as possible so that it fed him as much mana as it could. He knew now that inlaying his runes with brass had increased the efficiency by reducing the ¡®resistance¡¯ the mana faced as it traveled through the channels, but he had yet to test any other materials. He mentally went down his list of metals that he had [Store]d from [Analyze]. He had all the common metals one would expect to find in various items from Earth, iron, steel, copper, tin, brass, bronze, aluminum, and even gold from his wedding band. He also had lithium from the rechargeable batteries, but that would just catch on fire, making it a bit pointless as an inlay. Silver was notably absent, and he knew it was a good conductor for electricity, rivaling even gold. He¡¯d also heard of other rare metals in various conversations, though he had yet to encounter any of them. He wondered if he¡¯d be able to acquire any samples of them at a smith or jeweler. He¡¯d heard Graffus mention both greenstone, an iridescent green metal that made good jewelry, and devil¡¯s iron, so named because it was a bold crimson color. It was an exceptionally dense metal if he remembered what little Graffus had mentioned about it. It had been in a conversation about how the dwarf wished he could afford a mace made entirely of devil¡¯s iron. He shouldn¡¯t limit himself to just metals, either. He had to consider that mana might flow better through gemstones, or rock, or even wood. Xander made up his mind to make a quick trip to a jeweler and a smith today before his shift. He called out for Freyja, who came padding back to him. He would put her up and get her fed before he went out. Once he¡¯d done so, he¡¯d ask around and see if Vitril had any recommendations for shops to visit. Xander found himself in front of the jeweler that Vitril had recommended. Entering, he was greeted by an elderly man who was behind a counter in the shop. ¡°Good afternoon, is there anything I can help you with?¡± ¡°Uhm, I was wanting to look at some jewelry, specifically silver and greenstone. And it might sound a bit odd, but devil¡¯s iron if you have any, though I know it¡¯s more the purview of smiths.¡± The old man listened, nodding. ¡°Is there anything kind of piece or style that you¡¯re looking for, specifically?¡± Xander pondered the question. Was there any jewelry he actually needed or wanted? He¡¯d never been one to wear anything but his watch and wedding ring. Speaking of which, his band had become quite scratched up over these past months. He¡¯d be devastated if something were to happen to it, maybe putting it on a chain around his neck would help keep it safe. ¡°Mmm, I¡¯d like to look at the chains you have, I want to hang my ring around my neck to avoid damaging it.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. I¡¯ve got quite a few different chains. And you¡¯re in luck, I do have one that is made of devil¡¯s iron. It was a custom order, but the client never picked it up. I¡¯ve been looking for a way to get rid of it for over a year now, but it¡¯s simply not very popular for jewelry. It¡¯s sturdy, sure, but the weight annoys most people.¡± ¡°I ¡®spose that makes sense,¡± Xander replied. ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯ll bring you out a selection of silver and greenstone chains, as well as the single devil¡¯s iron one that you can look over. I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡± The shopkeeper began gathering several chains from different drawers and trays in various areas of his workshop behind the counter. Xander browsed and inspected several pieces that were on display, studded with gems. ---Materials Analyzed--- Diamond Ruby Saphire Emeral Amathyst Opal Tourmaline After a few minutes, the elderly man returned with seven different chains, three silver, three greenstone, and one larger, crimson one that must be devil¡¯s iron. ¡°Take your time, fashion, even with something as subtle as a necklace, is something worth thinking over,¡± the man said discerningly. Xander picked up each chain in turn, looking them over. ---Materials Analyzed--- Silver Greenstone Devil¡¯s Iron He had what he needed, which meant he could just leave the shop, but now that he¡¯d had the idea of placing his ring on a necklace, he was more seriously considering the chains. Most of the silver and greenstone ones were thin, and delicate. Xander supposed that must be what was in style currently. The devil¡¯s iron necklace was simpler, the links of the chain larger. It was also noticeable heavier. The sturdiness, simplicity, and even the weight of the necklace appealed to Xander. He needed something that wouldn¡¯t break easily, and he liked the idea of it being a slightly noticeable weight. That way he wouldn¡¯t forget it was there as easily. ¡°How much for the devil¡¯s iron necklace?¡± he asked. The shopkeeper was clearly pleased with his interest in the dud product. ¡°Considering the circumstances around it, I can let it go for half a gold piece. That¡¯s barely more than the cost of the material, I just want it out of my shop at this point.¡± Xander didn¡¯t bother haggling with the man. He simply counted out five silver coins from his inventory, placing them on the counter for the old man. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said to the man as he pulled his wedding band from his hand, the tan line from wearing it constantly now exposed, and placed it on the necklace. He put it around his neck and did the clasp. The weight was noticeable, but not uncomfortable around his neck and he tucked the ring under his shirt. ¡°Of course,¡± the shopkeeper replied. ¡°Good doing business with you, and I hope you patronize my establishment once again.¡± Xander left the shop satisfied with his errand and returned to the estate. Now it was time to get down to testing. But first, he had to devise a test. He pondered the best way to test his theories as he walked back. The light rune had worked well when he was testing the alarm rune sequence and comparing the difference between unfilled and brass inlaid runes due to its easily visible output. He figured it would work well here, too. He would create a long rectangle of steel, with a single gathering rune. Attached to the gathering rune would be twenty light runes. Normally, a single gathering array would only cause three of the light runes to even dimly glow, with the rest not even receiving any mana to create a glow. With this set up, he¡¯d be able to compare how well each material conducted mana through the runes by seeing how many light runes it could power with one gathering array. He was pretty proud of the idea, as it was simple but effective. He¡¯d have to do it inside, though, so it would be easier to see the light of the runes. Returning to the stables first, he retrieved Freyja from her stall, the cat still full and lazy from her meal. He¡¯d allow her to continue lounging in the suite while he worked. Inside, he found Atrax on one of the couches, deep within a book, as usual. Graffus must have started his shift. Freyja immediately made her way to the couch she¡¯d claimed and began to drift off to sleep once again. Xander decided the best place to run his tests would be in his bedroom in the suite, where he could shut the door and close the curtains to remove as much light as possible from the situation. The next hours for Xander were spent hunched over the rectangular block of steel and runes he¡¯d devised, carefully inlaying different materials in the runes, making note of how many light runes it powered, and how bright the runes at the end of the powered sequence were. As he¡¯d expected, materials like stone and wood made poor conductors, and actually reduced the amount of light versus not having an inlay at all. Glass had surprised him in doing better than brass, though not by much. The fragility and rigidity of the material made it unappealing to him, though. Devil¡¯s iron was worse than brass. Bronze performed slightly better than brass, and copper even more so. Gold and silver were currently the top performers, and he could not distinguish any real difference between the two from the number of light runes powered or their brightness. He decided that he¡¯d better be thorough, though, and didn¡¯t stop after finding that gold and silver the high performers of the metals. Next, he tried various different plastics and rubbers, which proved to be almost as poor as wood had been for mana conductivity. He was shocked to find that, while most of the gemstones performed similarly to simple stone in conductivity, rubies and sapphires both surpassed gold and silver in their conductivity. He was unsure why, as he was fairly confident that they weren¡¯t electrically conductive. Clearly mana did not behave like electrons. This meant that for his runic circuits to be the most efficient, he¡¯d need to fill the channels with ruby or sapphire. He wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to walk around covered in gemstones, though, and the fact that it was susceptible to shattering was also a concern. He decided that the best way to prevent drawing any more attention than possible, which, admittedly he already drew quite a bit with Freyja and his runed armor, and to reduce the chance of the gemstone shattering and falling out of the rune entirely, he would make the runes he carved deeper than he previously had been, fill them most of the way with ruby, and then cap them with silver. It would be less of a noticeable contrast with his armor than the brass had been, making the runes less noticeable, and if the gemstone did shatter, then it would still be held in place by the silver, keeping the efficiency from being reduced as much as if it had fallen out of the rune. Satisfied with his research for the time being ¨C he¡¯d need to test other materials as he discovered them ¨C Xander resolved to start redoing his existing runes before he began trying to create his new personal mana gathering array. It was a quick process, his ability to modify and create runes had increased even more with his new [Rune Lord] class, and he was now able to move as fast as he could go with [Improved Manipulation] for sequences that he was familiar with. With neither gemstone being cheaper than the other, he opted for a ruby filling, as he just liked the color a little bit more, even though it wouldn¡¯t be visible. The complicated, glittering red veins that his runes had become gave a somewhat intimidating appearance in the darkened room, still lit only by the light runes from his material tests. Capping it with silver, the armor looked much more normal, and one would have to closely inspect it to even see that it was runed in the first place. Now for the new sequence. Xander took out his notebook and opened it to the section where he had taken notes on gathering arrays earlier. His current working idea was to use the carve the array on any open sections of armor, as he hadn¡¯t yet discovered anything else he¡¯d want to put on the plates, and then surround it with and link it to the more efficient gathering array he¡¯d also noted down. Hopefully, this would funnel even more mana into the array, and consequently, into him. Combat Artificer - 27 The going was much slower than his work with the already existing runes, as the arrays were both unfamiliar to him and much more complicated in their form than any rune he had yet etched. He was able to squeeze five of the arrays in total onto his armor, one on each shoulder, one on each thigh, and one on the back of his helm. Filling the runes first with ruby and then a thin layer of silver, he mentally congratulated himself. If it worked as well as he hoped, it would allow him to increase his skill usage in combat and create more things before needing to take a break, especially since he preferred to keep at least half his mana at any given time. Putting on his armor, Xander felt no different, but then again, his mana was not very depleted. His pool had grown drastically when his classes had combined and shot him up to level eighteen, and [Create]ing natural materials such as metals and gemstones did not drain too much, nor did manipulating the materials. He¡¯d need to drain more of his mana, and he might as well be productive while doing it. Sitting down again, he began creating more shotshells, as they had traditionally cost him quite a bit of mana. While the cost had not changed, the impact it made on his mana was less noticeable now, and he was able to create plenty before he reached half mana. He was pleased to see that, looking at his status sheet, he could noticeably see the bar filling up, whereas before it had been so slow as to be imperceptible. Of course, this could also be due in part to his increased level and intelligence stat, but Xander felt he had to attribute at least some of it to his new array. With this level of regen, he could use his skills about as often as he¡¯d like, and use skills that would be a constant drain, like [Ferokinesis], more consistently in combat. Finally looking around and paying attention to the world around him, Xander noticed that it was beginning to darken outside. He should eat and then sleep before his shift, as it was the amount of sleep he¡¯d be getting would be paltry. He stretched, his neck aching from his crouched position during his tests and made his way out of his room to fill his belly. Freyja was still asleep on the couch. Xander¡¯s shift came too soon. He was still tired and groggy from the small amount of sleep he¡¯d managed to gather before Frazay had shaken him awake. He groaned to himself as he laced up his boots. He¡¯d be struggling to stay awake for the next five hours before Gabrelle relieved him. Xander¡¯s shift passed uneventfully. That next day, after taking a nap, he reset the triggered alarm devices with the materials that Vitril and Huron had acquired for him, but no attempts came. Not that night, and not the next night. Three days after they had participated in the raid on the warehouse, Vitril knocked on their door. ¡°Lord Huraven has requested to speak to all of you, at the same gazebo where you first met,¡± Vitril said, waiting patiently for the mercenaries, who were all in the room at the moment, besides Atrax, who was on shift, looked at each other and then began to rise and make their way out the door. As the group passed Alesse¡¯s door, Vitril knocked on it as well, informing Atrax of the news once he opened the door. The five mercenaries, as well as Freyja, who had followed the group out of the door, made their way down the stairs of the manor and then into the gardens adjacent to it. There, in the gazebo, sat Lord Huraven, just as he had when they¡¯d first met. The group all shuffled into the gazebo, unsure as to what exactly the nature of the conversation would be. As they sat at the table that Huraven was already seated at, his normally frigid expression cracked slightly into a small smile. ¡°I am pleased to inform you that the raid you participated in was indeed the keystone in taking down the Bone Daggers. As of last night, the group has been, to the best of my knowledge, stamped out. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve guessed by now, this means that your contract has been fulfilled, and more importantly, it means that my daughter is now safe from that criminal scum. You have my gratitude, and of course, my payment, bonus as well. I¡¯ve ensured that the funds have already been made available to the guild to disburse to you. I just want to say, that I have been impressed with your work. Should you ever find yourself in need of employment, my doors and the city guard¡¯s are open. Each of you would be a valuable asset in the city. Please understand, I am not trying to tempt you away from the life of adventuring, I know that mercenaries rarely settle in one place, but should you ever decide to hang up your hat, as it were, do consider my offer.¡± The group was silent for a moment after Lord Huraven spoke. That was probably the most emotion the man had showed in any interaction with them. The total collapse of the criminal syndicate that the Huraven family had been under threat from was also a bit of a shock. They¡¯d had no news of the ongoing investigation, and so had been unaware of its extensive progress. ¡°Thank you, Lord Huraven,¡± Atrax spoke up after the moment had passed. ¡°We are happy to have been able to be of service.¡± ¡°I would say that you have been more than ¡®of service,¡¯ considering you foiled not one, but two attempts to kidnap my daughter, at injury to your own team, no less, from what I hear of the incident. I am pleased that it did not seem to be a lasting wound, though. Should you ever need a recommendation from a client, I would be happy to provide one, considering how well you¡¯ve acquitted your duties.¡± It seemed that Lord Huraven was quite sincere in his gratitude. ¡°You are of course welcome to continue to use the guest suite for another few days until you can arrange for other accommodations as well. I hate to seem brief with you, but I have quite a bit of work cut out for me to ensure that no Bone Dagger members slip through the cracks. Once again, my gratitude, and goodbye.¡± Lord Huraven rose from the table and quickly paced back to the manor, leaving the mercenaries and Vitril, who quickly followed his employer after a bow to the mercs. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad he¡¯s a happy customer?¡± Xander said, somewhat questioningly. ¡°He¡¯s a good one to have in our pocket, for sure,¡± Atrax replied. ¡°Having the recommendation of any noble house, especially one as old as the Huravens will make it more likely to be accepted for other contracts that nobles have put out. You saw how there was a bit of an interview before we could formally accept this contract. It will be a good addition to our resum¨¦ as team.¡± Xander nodded in understanding. ¡°So it will open some doors for us if we pursue other contracts for nobles?¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°I wonder how much the bonus will be,¡± wondered Graffus. ¡°I hope it¡¯s enough for us to be able to take a contract with some travel, next,¡± Gabrelle said hopefully. ¡°I could go for some time outside of the city as well,¡± Frazay commented. ¡°I¡¯m up for whatever,¡± Xander said. He trusted his more experienced teammates to pick a good contract. ¡°Aye, it would be good to get away from the hustle and bustle, I¡¯ll keep an eye out for anything like that when we head to the guild to collect payment.¡± ¡°Well, I for one, have been enjoying the amenities of civilization,¡± Atrax countered. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been outvoted,¡± Xander pointed out to him. Atrax sighed in minor annoyance in response. ¡°Speaking of the guild, when do we want to go pick up our payment?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°And do we want to stay at Robert¡¯s again?¡± ¡°I liked Robert¡¯s alright,¡± Xander said. ¡°The beer wasn¡¯t too bad there,¡± was Atrax¡¯s input. ¡°I¡¯ll miss Alesse, but it feels a little odd to be staying here for no reason¡­ I felt out of place here even with the job giving me a reason to be here,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s fair,¡± Xander replied. ¡°It does feel a bit like overstaying one¡¯s welcome.¡± ¡°Right then, we head to the guild and find rooms at Robert¡¯s for tonight?¡± Frazay questioned the group. Nods were had all around. Xander had little to pack, as most everything he needed or wanted was on his person or in his inventory space. His companions also took little time to ready themselves, as they were light travelers, used to being on the road. Well, the three more experienced mercs were. Gabrelle simply had little to pack because she owned little at the moment. They made their goodbyes to Alesse, who surprised the team with a small portrait of each of them. Xander¡¯s was of him standing out on the balcony, shotgun at the ready. Gabrelle and Alesse shared a hug, Gabrelle promising to write to Alesse about their next adventure if she was able. And with that, they made their way off the estate. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The mercenary¡¯s guild hall was as crowded as it had been the first time Xander had been there. He suspected that it was always busy, with the population of the city and the number of passers-by. As Graffus and Atrax once more peeled away to scour the walls of contracts, Xander, Frazay, Gabrelle and Freyja made there way to the back of one of the lines to see a clerk. Xander turned to Gabrelle. ¡°So, decided to stick with us and the mercenary life in general?¡± Gabrelle laughed at the question. ¡°Of course I have, I already told you once! Beside, there¡¯s no way you¡¯re getting rid of my now that Graffus has promised me lessons. Sure, some parts of this job were¡­ gory. Gruesome, even. But I got to flex my ability to heal. I leveled up. I got to learn about the world around me, instead of just doing the same things every day, day after day. I don¡¯t want to give up on that kind of excitement yet.¡± Frazay nodded. ¡°Once you get a rush like that from a fight, you¡¯ll never feel anything quite like it again.¡± Xander nodded in understanding. ¡°Just double checking. Didn¡¯t want you to feel pressured to stay, is all.¡± The line was moving quickly, and they were soon in front of the clerk, a diminutive man with half-moon glasses. ¡°Can I help you?¡± he asked, in a nasal voice. ¡°We¡¯re here to collect our payment for the Huraven contract,¡± Frazay relayed to the man. ¡°Mm, Huraven. Let me check.¡± He wandered over to a board on his side of the counter, muttering ¡°Huraven¡­ Huraven¡­ where¡­ ah! There it is.¡± He struggled to reach the paper pinned to the board and had to result to jumping to snatch it from its pin. He returned, looking down at the paper and back at each of the mercenaries in turn. ¡°Hmm, you match the description of the team well enough¡­ especially the cat¡­ but there should be two more of you, yes?¡± ¡°Oh, ah, Atrax and Graffus are looking through the contracts on the boards.¡± Xander pointed them out to the man, who stood on his stool to get a good enough vantage point to be able to see the two mercenaries. ¡°I see, good, good. I shall collect your payment and return shortly.¡± The small man hopped down from his stool and made his way out of a door that had been behind him. A few minutes later, he returned with a large purse, which he sat down on the counter, causing the coins inside to clink together. ¡°Your payment, bonus included. Fifty gold for the each of you. You must have impressed your client quite a deal for that much to be added as a bonus.¡± Xander reached out and hefted the coin purse. ¡°He did say he was quite pleased with our work. I¡¯m happy to see he was pleased enough to show his gratitude monetarily, too.¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°No, not until we end up selecting a contract,¡± Frazay replied. ¡°Then good day.¡± The man waved as they walked off before calling out for the next group. The group reconvened by the contract boards. Atrax and Graffus were still perusing the available contracts, but had taken a break to inquire about the pay. ¡°So, how much did we net?¡± Atrax asked. ¡°Two hundred and fifty,¡± Frazay replied. ¡°So fifty gold each.¡± Graffus whistled. ¡°Damn¡­ that¡¯s a hefty bonus. Perks of working for old money nobles, I suppose.¡± ¡°You two find anything interesting on the board?¡± Xander asked. ¡°A few, but most are a bit low paying or involve an excessive amount of travel, amongst the ones that are outside the city itself. There is one we both found interesting, though. A contract to retrieve a stolen enchanted weapon. Seems that someone ordered quite an expensive sword, but it never made its way to Anlet. Paper states there¡¯s some knowledge pointing to highwaymen who have been operating on the roads leading to Anlet that the shipment would have been traveling from. Roughly a week¡¯s worth of travel, if we get Gabrelle a horse.¡± ¡°Is the pay good?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°For a simple job like this, I¡¯d say so,¡± Graffus responded. ¡°Says there¡¯s a nominal pay amount if we can locate where the blade is or who has it and return with just he knowledge, and a significantly larger payout for bringing back the weapon itself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good short trip for Gabrelle¡¯s first contract outside of Anlet itself,¡± Atrax commented. ¡°And I haven¡¯t seen anything else interesting posted about outside the city, either.¡± ¡°Well I suppose that settles it then,¡± Xander said. Gabrelle seemed excited. ¡°I¡¯ve never been so far out of Anlet! Certainly not far enough to ever have needed a horse¡­ Oh! I¡¯m going to have to get a horse! Goodness¡­ what am I going to name a horse?¡± Graffus shrugged. ¡°I named mine ¡®horse,¡¯ so that¡¯s taken.¡± The mercenaries went through the line once again, confirming their interest in the contract. There was no interview to be had later for this contract, just a few sheets of paper that gave some extra details. The gist of it was that the caravan that this special order had been ambushed, according to the few surviving members of the caravan, a week from the city. Almost all the wagons had been captured, including the one that the special ordered weapon was on. The client wanted their weapon back, but didn¡¯t care about any of the other supplies. Included in the information was an approximate location marked of the ambush marked on a map. Robert¡¯s Inn once again had space for the five mercenaries, as well as a stall for Freyja. They decided they would take two days off before beginning their journey out of the city. Gabrelle wanted to buy more travel supplies, and of course a horse. They all would enjoy not having to spend five hours every day guarding a teenager, except perhaps Gabrelle, who had been on a much friendlier basis with Alesse. Xander looked forward to getting back to a regular sleep schedule. Waking up at midnight every night had thrown him off. He also had an entire library of runes to study, and he wanted to study as much as he could before they set off, and during their days of travel. Doubtless, he would find himself reworking his runes as well, and he already knew he wanted to rework his mace to incorporate the denser devil¡¯s iron. Xander¡¯s first area of research was one other elemental effects. He¡¯d only created an array that would create flames on a weapon. But he wanted the versatility that being able to create other arrays would bring, so that he could tailor his weapon arrays to his enemies. Accessing [Rune Master¡¯s Library], he began writing down the runes as they appeared in his mind¡¯s eye. Runes for frost and lighting seemed straightforward to him, but there were more that were both more complicated and less flashy in their operation. There was a rune of corrosion that Xander definitely wanted to add to the flanges of his mace, that would act as if he¡¯d coated the weapon in an acid. A few different arrays seemed to be focused on creating toxins within a struck target, and still others focused on making the object that was struck more brittle. Xander wrote it all down, as he knew there was no way he¡¯d be able to remember them all with his current intelligence stat. He spent most of that first day researching runes, and most of the rest of it trying to come up with ideas for how he could implement what he wanted for his new mace. The design that he had roughly sketched out kept all the trappings of his original mace, the impact triggered increase to momentum and weight having proved themselves in combat. However, he wanted to incorporate the corrosion effect into it as well. He decided to focus on a single effect and increase its power as much as possible instead of using two or more effects with less power individually. The entire shaft of the mace was densely runed with the more effective gathering array he¡¯d already discovered, and half of them led to the runic circuits that would increase momentum and weight for a short time upon being activated as well as the strengthening runes. The other half would power the corrosion runes, also designed to activate upon a strike. Stopping only for a dinner break, Xander began work on the new weapon. He started with a head and flanges of devil¡¯s iron, the denser metal leading to a smaller overall head so as to keep the mace from being too heavy to effectively wield. Xander didn¡¯t mind it being smaller in that manner. It would simply concentrate the force he delivered with a blow. He then connected it to a shaft of steel. With the easy part done, he began the process of painstakingly fitting as many improved mana gathering arrays as he possibly could up the entire shaft of the weapon, ensuring they were deep enough to hold ruby and silver filling. The head of the mace ended up being just as densely packed with runes, the arrays for the impact activated corrosion effect taking up every inch of available space on the flanges, and the momentum and weight arrays were squeezed together due to the smaller size of the mace compared to the first. By the time he was finished, it was time for him to sleep. He¡¯d have to wait ¡®til tomorrow to test the weapon. Xander was excited to test out his new mace. The bright crimson head of it gave it an exotic look, and the silver coating over the ruby inlay stood out against the red. It was bright and early, as Xander had immediately gone out to the stable area behind the inn after a quick breakfast. He created a small steel target to test with, giving it angled legs in the back to prevent it from getting knocked over. Mace in hand, Xander swung at the target, the runes activating as the devil¡¯s iron head struck the target. Xander felt the odd sensation of the weight and momentum increasing for a moment as the mace embedded itself in the target, crumpling the center of the target. Xander put his boot against the target and wrenched the mace back and forth until it broke free from the target, revealing where the flanges had punctured the steel in places. The edges of the holes from the flanges were sizzling as if dipped in acid. He could see it eating the metal away in real time, enlarging the holes. It continued sizzling and smoking for a solid five minutes before ceasing, having enlarged the relatively small holes in the target into a single gaping wound in the target. Xander was impressed. He imagined that it would be just as effective on flesh or hide as it would be on solid materials like steel armor or bones. Of course, with the impact being so great, the mace might be overkill for anything he¡¯d consider ¡®normal.¡¯ But against something like another bone giant, he¡¯d take every advantage he could. Satisfied with his mace, he pondered where his next area of research should be. Probably his armor, he thought. Utility enchantments would be nice, but they weren¡¯t as integral to keeping him intact as his armor was. Xander opened his status sheet to see if he had made any progress in his class the previous night, considering how many runes he¡¯d carved and inlaid. ---You have created runes and runic arrays--- ---[Rune Lord] leveled to 3--- ---[Rune Lord] level 3 skills--- [Runic Dominion] ¨C Runic arrays that are not your own have a reduced effect within 50 feet of you if you wish them to. Scales with level. Xander was pleased to see progress in his newest class. [Combat Artificer] had not leveled up since it had been amalgamated, though it had not really been all that long, Xander considered. He expected that the progress of the class would be comparably slow to [Rune Lord] since it was a higher level. He¡¯d yet to come up against any other arrays, so it wasn¡¯t a particularly exciting skill for him, but it had the potential to be useful if he ever did. Combat Artificer - 28 Before he got sucked into researching runes again, he released Freyja from her stall. The cat was still full from her meal last night, and lazily followed him about as he settled into a patch of grass, [Create]ing himself a small chair to relax in as he pulled out his notebook again and activated [Rune Master¡¯s Library]. This time, the area of his focus was wider. Before, he¡¯d been able to focus on runes that would create a damaging effect. This time, though, his desires were broader. He wanted ways to strengthen materials, ward off elements, reduce impacts ¨C especially that, after his run in with that crossbow bolt, and anything else that could potentially make his armor more effective. Thus, the amount of runes that were pushed into his mind was significantly more than yesterday, almost overwhelming him with their volume. He quickly began scribbling them down with brief descriptions before dismissing them from the skill, to reduce the ache in his head that it was causing. By the time he was finished, he realized that he probably wouldn¡¯t have time to actually do the rune work on his armor or shield unless he stayed up far too late to be rested for their trip the next day. But he would at least design the arrays for each armor piece so that he could begin the process tomorrow when the stopped for the night. The end result of his time scribbling out the approximate shapes of his armor was a system of arrays that should provide better overall protection than what he currently had. He had also decided to create two additional plates that would cover his sides and remove the kidney plates in his plate carrier. That would give him greater overall protection as well as space for runes. The inside of each piece of armor would be absolutely filled with gathering arrays, as would the back of his shield. The outside would include the original runes he had used, strengthening, silencing, and the new personal gathering array, with the addition of a sequence of runes on each piece. that would reduce the momentum of any object that was coming at him too quickly. It wouldn¡¯t stop them, but a lot of the oomph would be taken out of any blow that were to strike him. The arrays for elemental resistance seemed useful, but they took up large amounts of space, and Xander had yet to deal with an enemy that had used an element, so it seemed like a suboptimal use of his limited space. The next morning, they were packed and ready to begin riding out. Gabrelle had purchased a rather sedate mare the previous day, a good mount for someone who had never owned a horse before. It was happy to plod alongside Graffus and Atrax¡¯s horses, though it still shied away from Freyja if she drew too close. Frazay¡¯s stag seemed to have finally gotten over its fear of Freyja as well, having spent enough time near her to realize she wasn¡¯t going to eat it. Gabrelle, upon the advice of Frazay, had kept her purchases for traveling equipment light, so as to not weigh herself or her horse down any more than necessary. As they were traveling through the town, following a road adjacent to the river that led Northward, Gabrelle began to look uncomfortable. Eventually, unable to keep it to herself any longer, she blurted out to the group, ¡°We¡¯re going to pass by my house¡­ and I haven¡¯t said goodbye to my parent.¡± Xander turned in his saddle to look at her. ¡°Do you want to?¡± ¡°I¡­ well, yes. But, they were so angry with me when I told them I¡¯d signed up with the guild and joined a team, and we haven¡¯t spoken since. I don¡¯t want to leave them in the dark about leaving town, but at the same time, I¡¯m scared to go back and see them.¡± Frazay replied next, saying ¡°You should tell them. We¡¯ve got your back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°They deserve to know, and I don¡¯t want to leave things off where they were. The house is just up there on the right.¡± As they rode further down the road, Gabrelle stopped them, pointing out a nice-looking house to their left. Looking at the house, Xander assumed that Gabrelle¡¯s parents were upper middle -class, considering the neighborhood, which was well kept, and the size of it compared to those in the slums, tenements, and poorer areas of the city. He was starting to realize now why Gabrelle¡¯s parents had opposed the idea of her becoming a mercenary so vehemently. A poor family would likely be more supportive of the idea, as becoming a mercenary was one of the ways one could climb out of poverty, assuming you didn¡¯t die first. But being in an already successful middle-class family, that pressure wasn¡¯t there, and her parents likely wanted her to be able to choose a normal, safe occupation. Drawing closer to the house, Gabrelle dismounted, Frazay holding the reins of her horse for her, and hesitantly walked up to the door. She paused in front of it, steeling herself, and took a deep breath. After her preparation, she used the small, brass knocker set into the door, and thumped it several times. About a minute later, a woman, who was obviously Gabrelle¡¯s mother, considering the similarity of their faces, opened the door. ¡°Gabrelle! Oh, by the gods, it¡¯s been days! And we haven¡¯t heard a word from you, we were so worried! Are you okay? Is everything alright? Who are these¡­ is this the team you mentioned?¡± The words all tumbled out of the woman before Gabrelle could even say a word, as her mother wrapped her tightly in a hug. The strength of Gabrelle¡¯s mother¡¯s hug squeezed some air out of the young woman causing her to grunt. ¡°Uff, uhm hi mom. Yes, I¡¯m okay¡­ and I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t come back or write or anything. But you two were just so angry! I didn¡¯t want to face that again¡­ and yes, these are my teammates.¡± Xander awkwardly waved as Gabrelle¡¯s mother looked them over, clearly assessing whether they were ¡®worthy¡¯ of being on a team with Gabrelle. She withheld any verbal judgement, for the time being, though. ¡°Please, do come in, all of you. I¡¯ll put on some tea, and we can all talk things through,¡± Gabrelle¡¯s mother invited. ¡°Your father¡¯s upstairs in his workshop, I¡¯ll go fetch him. I think we both owe you an apology for¡­ how we reacted. Not seeing you or knowing where you were or how you were faring for the past few days has given us time to see that we overreacted. I¡¯d rather you be a mercenary and still speak with us or at least write, then have you in the city but hating us. Ah, I¡¯ve forgotten to introduce myself to your friends, I apologize for my manners. I am Herria, and, as I expect you have guessed, I¡¯m Gabrelle¡¯s mother. Please, do come in.¡± Herria ushered them inside, where, after hitching the horses nearby and Xander asking Freyja to stay put in the yard behind the house, they were greeted with a modestly sized living room and dining area. Looking about, Xander noticed that there were clothes of various styles and sizes folded or hanging on most of the available surfaces. ¡°Please excuse the mess,¡± Herria began explaining, ¡°Gabrelle, your father, ah, his name is Roland,¡± she said for the benefit of Gabrelle¡¯s teammates, ¡°he¡¯s thrown himself into his work ever since you left.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a [Tailor],¡± Gabrelle said to the mercenaries. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no issue,¡± Atrax said, smoothly, ¡°We all handle stress differently, and often in a less¡­ productive manner than this.¡± ¡°Sit, sit,¡± Herria gestured at the dinner table, which was mostly free of clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll get your father from his workshop and start the tea, dear.¡± Herria disappeared around the corner, but the sound of her hurrying up a set of stairs could still be heard. A short time later, two sets of footsteps coming down the stairs sounded out, and around the corner came Herria and Roland, whose hair was the same color as Gabrelle. He appeared somewhat disheveled, being unshaved, and his hair looked as if he¡¯d been running his hands through it. ¡°Gabrelle!¡± He said as he rounded the corner. ¡°Oh, my girl, I was worried we¡¯d never see you again!¡± Gabrelle was swiftly dragged into another hug, this one even more crushing than her mothers. Instead of a grunt, this one allowed only a squeak from her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Gabrelle said guiltily. ¡°I just didn¡¯t know how to continue things after the way we left off.¡± Gabrelle¡¯s father released her from the hug, taking a seat at the table with the rest of the group. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the way I reacted, Gabrelle. I just¡­ I¡¯m afraid for you. You¡¯re our only child, and the thought of you going away from us, well, it hurts. Let alone the fact that this line of work is dangerous.¡± As he said ¡®dangerous,¡¯ his eyes flicked over to her teammates for a moment as if they were a physical representation of danger. Xander supposed they were, to the man. They were all of them armed and armored for their travels, in stark contrast to either of Gabrelle¡¯s parents. ¡°But¡­ if the options are forcing you to do something you don¡¯t want and ruining your relationship with us, or keeping you in our lives even in a small way, I know which one I¡¯d rather have. Just¡­ please write.¡± His last sentence was almost pleading. ¡°Father¡­ We¡¯ll be coming back. I¡¯m not leaving forever!¡± Gabrelle explained, though she did shoot a questioning look at Atrax. Atrax nodded at her, adding, ¡°I expect we¡¯ll be operating out of Anlet for a good while, there is a wealth of contracts that fit our dynamic fairly well here, though, I¡¯ll admit, some of them may have us ranging farther than others.¡± He paused, before saying, ¡°But I promise you, sir, we will take good care of your daughter. She has already proved herself to be a valuable teammate in the short time we¡¯ve worked with her.¡± Roland nodded uncertainly. ¡°I¡­ see. And what exactly has Gabrelle been doing with your, ah, team?¡± He asked awkwardly, less out of suspicion and more out of an attempt to connect with what his daughter had chosen for a profession. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m a [Medic],¡± Gabrelle interjected. ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing? I¡¯m not on the front line of the fights, though Graffus here is finally giving me the lessons in combat I wanted so badly,¡± She added lightly. ¡°Though, they aren¡¯t nearly as fun as I thought they¡¯d be¡­¡± ¡°Do you find yourself in need of a [Medic] often?¡± Roland asked, nervously. ¡°Not too often,¡± Xander chimed in, ¡°Though, she did set my shoulder after, ah, an accident I had. Fell off my mount¡­¡± Xander realized halfway through that he probably shouldn¡¯t say, ¡®after I got shot with a crossbow.¡¯ ¡°Fixed me right up. I¡¯d rather have her skills and not need them, than not have her and find myself in need of healing,¡± he explained. Graffus nodded, ¡°Yes indeed. If you find yourself in need of healing out on a contract, it can be quite difficult to get somewhere where you can get it if you don¡¯t have a healer on the team. Of course, we split our pay equally, as just the ability to heal us when needed is vital. We aren¡¯t expecting her to rush into the fight without a combat class,¡± he explained. ¡°The lessons are to ensure that she is able to defend herself if she should need to.¡± Gabrelle looked torn between assuaging her father¡¯s fears, and being indignant that it was being implied that she¡¯d be sitting on the backlines, even though that was her job for the most part, having no combat related skills, at least for now. It was not impossible for her to achieve a third class that would allow her these things, but it would take either a lot of training or some kind of achievement to do so. She opted to stay silent, simply nodding her head slightly at the explanation. Roland seemed to relax somewhat with this explanation, no longer in as much fear of his daughter being in direct danger. ¡°Ah, I see. We always told Gabrelle she could make a good career and living off of healing. I suppose¡­ this is just one of the ways one can do that.¡± Herria came back in with the tea, and the seven of them settled into a more comfortable routine of conversation. Xander and Roland spoke about Roland¡¯s [Tailor] class, and Roland, once he learned that Xander had created the brigandine that Gabrelle was wearing, marveled at the seams and the lack of stitching on the coat. He even had some good advice for Xander on ensuring proper fitment, especially in the armpits, which Xander had struggled with. Gabrelle admitted that the coat did rub somewhat in the area, and under Roland¡¯s guidance, Xander adjusted the coat to fit slightly better, much to Gabrelle¡¯s delight. ¡°Do you think you could maybe¡­ make her some more armor?¡± Roland asked politely. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you about that, actually, Xander!¡± Gabrelle exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯d really like to get some leg armor like you have¡­ ever since I watched you sweep the legs out from under that woman that night¡­ I¡¯ve felt a little exposed without leg armor.¡± Roland looked nervous again at Gabrelle¡¯s mention of combat, but stayed quiet. Xander nodded, the explanation making sense to him. ¡°Sure, I think that would be a good idea. Are you wanting to keep the brigandine, or go with a breastplate to go along with the leg plates? I suppose I ought to make you a helm, too. Gotta keep that noggin safe,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°If we stop by a smith on the way out of town to buy some steel, I can start working on it while we travel. I have to redo the runes on my armor, anyway. Ah, we should pick up some more brass too. I¡¯ve found other things that work even better, but uhhh, it¡¯s probably a bit too pricey to fill the runes on your armor with rubies or sapphires. Brass is a good, cheap option that still works well.¡± Gabrelle nodded, and said ¡°Thank you! Uhm, if it¡¯s not too much trouble, I think I¡¯d like a breastplate. Not that the coat you made me isn¡¯t amazing, but I quite like the look of the steel armor I¡¯ve seen people wear at the guild hall.¡± Atrax, as well as the rest of the mercenaries, had been drawn to the conversation, interested in hearing about Xander¡¯s rune work. ¡°Wait,¡± Atrax said, ¡°You¡¯re filling runes with gemstones? By the gods, that would be expensive to have done.¡± ¡°It definitely would be, if I couldn¡¯t use [Improved Creation] to make my own. But, it will only work for me¡­ since they¡¯ll decay in a day if they¡¯re more than a few feet from me. Anything I make for ya¡¯ll has to be from already existing materials, so it doesn¡¯t turn to dust after a day.¡± ¡°Xander,¡± Frazay began, ¡°do you think you¡¯d be willing to also do some rune work for us on what we already have?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Xander replied. ¡°I¡¯ve actually been wondering why no one¡¯s asked until now.¡± ¡°Well, enchantments and runes are often pretty expensive affairs, and we didn¡¯t want you to feel like we were taking advantage of our friendship with you, or anything like that¡­¡± Frazay explained. ¡°Ohhhhh¡­ I think I see now. I get it, I do. But it¡¯s really not that much trouble for me to do some simple engravings on your stuff! I¡¯ve got the basic stuff down at this point, it¡¯ll hardly take me any time at all. Besides, if it helps keep you safe, then by extension, it helps keep me safe!¡± Atrax, Graffus, and Frazay breathed a collective sigh of relief. Clearly, this had been something they¡¯d been nervous about asking. ¡°Then, I suppose we¡¯ll all be buying some brass at a smith,¡± Atrax commented. They spent about an hour at Gabrelle¡¯s home, the young woman catching up with her parents, telling them about her first contract, though she omitted some of the gorier details. Eventually, though, they managed to extricate themselves from the building, Gabrelle¡¯s parents waving at her from the doorstep. Gabrelle seemed much relieved now, having salvaged her relationship with her parents. The closest smithy, according to Roland, was the one that Xander and Gabrelle had visited the day that they¡¯d been getting steel for Gabrelle¡¯s coat. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Stopping in front of the shop, the group elected Atrax, who grumbled about it but complied, to hold the reigns of the horses outside. Inside, they were greeted by the smith, who was, once again, sharpening a knife. ¡°Welcome! What can I do for you fine folk today?¡± ¡°Ah, we¡¯re here to buy some steel and brass. Again,¡± Xander said. ¡°Oh! I remember you, now. Damn near cleaned me out of scrap metal, you did. How much are you looking for this time?¡± ¡°Just a few ingots worth of each, if you have it in stock.¡± ¡°Aye, I¡¯ve enough of it still to sell you that.¡± The four of them, Graffus having been given some coin from Atrax to purchase for him, paid for their metals. Gabrelle purchased the steel, while the rest of them split the amount of brass. Xander also purchased himself an ingot of steel, to have spare metal to work with. He also planned to update his armor somewhat, covering the joints that were exposed by his plate with chainmail. It would be interesting to practice on doing runework on something so small. He wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d even be able to, though it would still be better than nothing, even without any runes. He¡¯d incorporate the idea into Gabrelle¡¯s armor, too. The first day of their travel continued without impediment, once they left the city. The landscape slowly faded from densely packed city to farmland and vineyards, with the occasional mansion or noble¡¯s summer home dotting the landscape outside the city. The party located an inn as the light was beginning to fade, which had space for them to stay at. Unfortunately, the proprietor was either unwilling or unable to facilitate a giant panther, turning Xander and his mount away. He could tell his group was upset with this, but stopped them from starting an argument with the innkeeper and getting all of them kicked out. He¡¯d expected this kind of thing once he¡¯d realized the reactions that Freyja would be getting from the average person. Besides, he would be plenty comfortable in his tent, especially with a giant, living furry pillow to use. The innkeeper at least agreed to allow him to camp out on the property as well as eat meals inside, as long as someone watched over Freyja. Settling into his tent, glad that he¡¯d had the inventory space to pack a large, spacious one, he decided to start his new runework on his armor, as well as experimenting with the chain mail idea he¡¯d had. The runework was comfortable, rote work for him, as he densely etched mana gathering arrays, personal mana arrays, and then his defensive arrays and silencing runes all over the different pieces of his armor. Once he had finished that, he tested out using [Improved Creation] and [Improved Manipulate] to create a small section of chainmail. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he just was not capable of creating runes small enough for the small sections of wire. Thinking about the best way to handle the issue, he remembered the existence of scale mail. Each scale should have space for a small gathering array on one side and a hardening rune on the other, which would make it more effective than un-runed chainmail. Creating a pile of scales with runes, he began attaching them to leather sheets, which would wrap around his exposed elbows, neck portions, and knees. Satisfied with his work, he fell asleep, using Freyja, who had long since fallen asleep, as a pillow. The next day of travel fared much the same as the previous, though this time, there was no inn to be found. As they set up camp, they were passed by a caravan of merchants, who briefly stopped to warn them of potential bandits if they were planning on continuing down the road for a few more days, before they continued on past the mercenaries. Xander showed off his new scale mail joint coverings to Gabrelle and Graffus, asking if it was something they would like to have with their own armor. Xander could reclaim the leather from Gabrelle¡¯s coat to use for their wraps. They were both pleased with the idea. After their dinner of preserved rations which they had bought in the city, Xander began his work on Gabrelle¡¯s new armor, taking her coat to reclaim the steel, brass and leather he¡¯d used for it originally. Soon, he had arm and leg armor for her that matched his own, as well as scale mail coverings for the joints. For her helm, he created what amounted to a kettle hat, with a wide brim to protect her face from overhead strikes. The breastplate was a simple affair, two places conforming to her front and back which would bind together with buckles on each side. He knew better than to create ¡®boobplate¡¯ as he thought of it, as the protrusions were nothing but another thing for weapons to gain purchase on. Instead, the armor came to a more traditional point, forcing weapons that stabbed it head on to skate to one side or the other. A gorget built into the front would prevent any stabs that slide upwards from making their way to the neck. Overall, Xander was quite pleased with his work. The runes went more quickly than they had on his first iteration on his armor, essentially being an exact copy of it. It looked quite fetching with the near gold runes covering every available surface, and due to the silencing runes in strategic points along the armor, the wearer would be almost completely silent. His teammates were suitably impressed with his work, especially Gabrelle. ¡°I always wanted to be a knight, going on adventures!¡± She said. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll finally look the piece, even if I¡¯m not a [Knight]. And this armor is even magical! Even as a child I never dreamed I¡¯d actually be able to get my hands on something like this.¡± She clasped her hands over one of Xander¡¯s shaking it vigorously. ¡°Thank you so much, Xander!¡± ¡°Uhm, of course, you¡¯re welcome,¡± He said, taken aback once again by Gabrelle¡¯s enthusiasm. The young woman really did have a deep passion for adventuring. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll start work on you three¡¯s armor next,¡± he said to Graffus, Atrax, and Frazay. The next day, they passed another group of travelers, who similarly warned them to be on the lookout for bandits. They¡¯d apparently come across several abandoned wagons and signs of a struggle, though there were no bodies. ¡°Seems like we¡¯re on the right track,¡± Graffus commented, after the group had passed. ¡°Indeed,¡± Frazay said. ¡°This group of bandits can¡¯t have been operating for too long this near a city like Anlet. Otherwise, someone would have done something about them already. Either the city itself, or someone putting a contract out on them. My guess is they¡¯re either a band of criminals from Anlet that got muscled out of their territory and turned to robbing travelers, or they from farther afield and set up shop near a well-traveled road to make some quick gold before returning to wherever their normal hunting grounds are. Hopefully they are still around, but as long as we can find the site of one of their raids, I should be able to track them down with my [Ranger] skills.¡± Atrax nodded. ¡°We should be on the lookout now, though. We¡¯re getting close enough that we might run into an ambush ourselves. We should take up watch shifts through the night.¡± There was a collective groan, even though they all knew Atrax was right. Still, no one likes being woken up in the middle of the night to take a shift. That evening, Xander etched his runework into Graffus¡¯s armor, the dwarf appreciative of the extra protection the runes would offer his shield and armor. They both decided to hold off on etching his [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] created hammer, though, as no one had any idea if runes would affect the already existing enchantment. During his shift on watch, Xander decided he should experiment some more with his skills. He hadn¡¯t been keeping up with them as much as he should, focusing almost entirely on his runic work. Most of his skills tended to produce a bit of a commotion, so he was limited in what he could practice without waking up his teammates. [Smoke Screen] was quiet, but, obviously, produced ten feet of smoke, so he¡¯d need to step away from the ring of tents for that one. Making his way from his teammates, he activated the skill. Instantly, smoke began billowing from him, though to him, it was barely a light mist, filling a ten foot by ten foot sphere around him. It lingered, too, seeming to resist the slight wind that was blowing. After about ten minutes, though, it did slowly begin to disperse with the wind. It would be very handy in a sticky situation, Xander assessed. The only other two skills he felt he could test without waking up his teammates were [Reactive Armor] and [Automaton]. Walking back to the tents, feeling his mana already filling due to his gathering arrays, he cast [Reactive Armor]. There was a slight glow around his armor for a moment, and then nothing. He supposed that there wasn¡¯t much else to test about the skill without taking a hit. [Automaton] could only be cast once per day, so Xander spend some time pondering what he should create to test out. It should be something that would lend itself to utility and combat, he thought. He spent a good while coming up with just ideas, all of which would need to be tested at some point. A small, skittering spider-like automaton which he could attach a grenade to was one, though it would be destroyed after the grenade went off. Could be useful in certain situations, though. Perhaps it could also be used to scatter mines out in an area for him, though he¡¯d probably make it larger in that case. He shied away from creating a typical, human shaped automaton. It simply didn¡¯t seem like it would be able to keep up with a human in actual combat, as it had no skills it could use. Maybe something like one of those robot dogs he¡¯d seen on the internet before being taken away, with a crossbow so that it could fire bolts, or maybe even grenades. What was something that could work to increase his personal combat potential, as well as provide him some extra utility? Thinking it over, he had the idea for an automaton that, while it technically would be able to, was not designed to be mobile by itself. Instead, it would sit like a backpack on him, and it would have multiple limbs, which would be used for different purposes. Four long and spindly spider-like limbs would provide him a way to move over difficult terrain or climb without having to use his own limbs, a few ¡®utility¡¯ limbs with claw like ends could hold different things, keeping his hands free if he needed to work, and two articulated arms that ended in round shields could help defend him. He expected he¡¯d have to mentally give directions to the automaton for movement, but hopefully, since the skill stated it could attack or defend, it would act on its own during combat to keep him from having to micromanage it. This one intrigued him the most, and he wondered what else he could create as personal devices. The only other thing that occurred to him was, perhaps, wings, but Xander felt that they might be too heavy to function. Perhaps they¡¯d allow him to glide, though. For now, he wanted to test out the backpack, as it would be something he could continue getting used to working with while they rode the next day. The backpack proved to be rather expensive, mana-wise, though it wasn¡¯t much of an issue with his increased mana pool from his higher level and intelligence stat, and his new regeneration. He also had not considered how heavy that much steel, which was the material he¡¯d opted to use for this iteration, would be. Fortunately, his advanced level of [Unstoppable Force] made it a non-issue for him to wear it. He would have to be self-aware of how top heavy it made him, though. Slowly he ordered the spider legs to unfold from their current position, which was slotted into the sides of the square backpack, making them hard to notice, and marveled at them as they did so. I¡¯m a real techpriest, now, he joked to himself with a small chuckle. Directing the limbs down to the ground, he found that they were easily able to support his weight and lift him from the ground. He experimented moving exclusively with the spider legs while dangling from the backpack, which strapped over his shoulders, as well as across the chest and his waist. It was awkward at first, but soon, he was able to easily move at a high speed with the legs, faster than he¡¯d be able to run on his own. Stopping back in the center of the tents, he practiced other motions with his new toy, using the spider legs to stab at imaginary foes, and blocking their phantom counterstrikes with his automaton¡¯s shield arms. Once he tired of that, he began using the two clawed armed he¡¯d ended up creating to pick up and throw rocks. The strength behind the steel limbs was quite high, which meant Xander was unable to see where the rocks were landing once he¡¯d thrown them. Overall, he was satisfied with this experiment. He¡¯d probably keep it up for now, practicing with it so that he could be effective with it in combat by the time they found the bandits. The other automatons would have to wait until he had more downtime, as would his idea of wings, which he was realizing might be best as a combination of runic arrays that would flap a skeleton of lightweight metal and some kind of cloth or feathers rather than an automaton. Taking his new backpack automaton off and commanding it to fold its limbs back into itself, he then took off his armor as well. It was time for him to wake up Graffus for the next shift and go to sleep. The next days passed much the same, Xander spending time off of Freyja walking on his spider legs, which creeped out Gabrelle to no end. Apparently she found the spider-like imagery somewhat disturbing. For Atrax¡¯s and Frazay¡¯s armor, Xander opted to instead turn the brass into thread and embroider the runes onto the leather and cloth. The magic still worked, fortunately, which lead him to some interesting ideas for a cloak, if he ever found the runes that would cause the cloth to mimic the terrain around it. That would be amazing for camouflage. Xander spent his free time learning new runes and trying to come up with various ways to implement them. He hadn¡¯t made any progress on a camouflage cloak, but he did discover a lightness rune, which would be crucial to his eventual wing project. Xander checked his status sheet during this time, seeing that he had once again leveled up from creating so many runic arrays. ---You have created runic arrays--- ---[Rune Lord] leveled to 4--- ---[Rune Lord] level 4 skills--- [Reversal] ¨C You may create runes that are the inverse of their original function Xander knew this would open up even more options to him, though some of the runes seemed either redundant or downright useless. An inverse fire rune ended up functioning about the same as a frost rune did, and he couldn¡¯t even begin figuring out what the inverse intelligence runes, which he¡¯d started calling ¡®dumb runes¡¯ did. On the sixth day since they set out from Anlet, the encountered a ragged group of travelers on the road. Apparently, they were the survivors of a recent ambush by the bandits that they were tracking down. They¡¯d been walking all night and part of the day to try and distance themselves from the highwaymen, for fear that they¡¯d attack them again. The women amongst the group had been especially fearful, and the things that were relayed to Xander and the other mercenaries about why the women were so fearful of the bandits finding them both sickened the mercenaries and hardened their hearts regarding committing violence against the bandits. Not only were this group raiders and thieves, they were murderers and rapists as well. Xander hardly even considered them human beings at this point. Gabrelle was particularly distraught upon hearing of the casual torture the raiders had inflicted upon the caravan they had ambushed. The young woman had never been confronted with just how cruel people could be to their peers. The mercenaries spent some time providing some food from their stores to the group, as they had little for themselves. Xander mended what little clothing they had, using up the rest of the leather that had been Gabrelle¡¯s brigandine, while Gabrelle herself mended the wounds that many of the escapees carried. The tired, sad group thanked them profusely for their kindness, and kept moving towards Anlet, and the relative safety that the city would bring them. Before they left, they relayed to the mercenaries roughly where they¡¯d been ambushed, a spot about six hours walk from their current position. ¡°We ought to be able to catch up with them by tonight and find their position,¡± Frazay practically growled. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll be planning another ambush so soon, hot off the tail of their current spoils.¡± Atrax nodded in agreement. ¡°Tonight would be a good night to strike, depending on the number of them. They¡¯ll likely be distracted and celebrating their victory. If that caravan had any stores of ale whatsoever, I can guarantee that they¡¯ll be cracking it open tonight.¡± The mercenaries all agreed that they would reach the site of the ambush and track down the raiders, continuing through the night if necessary. They rode for a couple more hours before reaching the ambush site, their mounted pace being significantly faster than the wounded group of survivors¡¯. Dismounting from Freyja, Xander observed the scene of carnage. Bodies were strewn about, and the remains of several burned wagons dotted the site. Several of the corpses were also incinerated. There were no intact wagons left, leading the group to assume that they¡¯d been taken by the bandits. Frazay began sweeping the area, looking for tracks to follow, while Xander, Atrax, and Graffus were cautiously looking about, ensuring they were not taken unawares, in case the bandits were still in the direct vicinity. Gabrelle had vomited once she¡¯d caught a whiff of one of the charred corpses and was currently catching her breath. Frazay made her way back to the group, saying, ¡°I found their trail. Look like they took the same way out of here as they did in. We should get a move on while we still have the light.¡± ¡°We should continue on foot, though,¡± Graffus suggested. Horses¡¯ll make too much noise.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Atrax agreed. ¡°We should tie the horses up nearby and track them on foot.¡± The rest of the group agreed, and so, the mercenaries continued on foot. Xander walked alongside Freyja, who was stalking through the woods that bordered the road as they all followed Frazay. As darkness crept over them, Frazay continued tracking, though their pace slowed. Eventually, they began to hear the sounds of raucous laughter, and see the lights of campfires. The mercenaries moved even slower, being as silent as they could, though none of them quite matched the elegant grace with which Freyja crept silently through the darkened forest. As they neared the far border of the small patch of woods, they were able to observe the goings on of the marauders. There were about ten of them, by Xander¡¯s count, and they were indeed celebrating. Cuts of meat and supplies from the raided caravan, including copious amounts of alcohol were being passed around. Disturbingly, a trio of women were also being passed around between the groups and campfires. Two of them were dressed in rags, which covered little, while the third had been stripped to complete nudity. They had the far-off gaze of someone who had seen and experienced much trauma and were unable to cope with it. Xander gritted his teeth in anger, and he could practically hear Frazay vibrating in anger, though in actuality she was completely silent and still. He was sure his other teammates were as disgusted as he was, though he could not see their reactions in the dark from his position. The five of them continued creeping closer to the edge of the forest, until they heard the muffled sound of a string snapping followed by the loud clattering of metal and a curse from Graffus. Evidently, he¡¯d stepped on a well concealed tripwire, and a bundle of pots and pans fell to the forest floor near them. Instantly, the laughter in the bandit camp shifted to cries of alarm. A man with wild, disheveled hair stood up and moved his hands in a patterned movement, raising them as a ball of fire raced from them, hanging in the sky over the edge of the forest and illuminating the area that the mercenaries had been creeping through. Combat Artificer - 29 ¡°Fuck!¡± Cried Frazay. ¡°Move!¡± More yells of alarm rang out from the camp, as the bandits raced to grab their weapons, standing up quickly and knocking improvised tables over, and pushing the battered women out of the laps they¡¯d been forced onto. Xander raced into cover behind a tree, and Freyja sprinted out of the light, prowling amongst the forest once more in the dark. Xander noticed his teammates also moving into cover as arrows began to fly into the forest. Frazay returned fire in kind, and Xander heard a muffled scream as one of her shots flew true. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ get out there and get them!¡± Screamed the wild haired man, tossing another fireball into the sky, further lighting the area. Several of the bandits began sprinting towards the treeline. Xander managed to lean out from cover, [Ferokinesis] primed to snatch any arrows off course, and fire a shot with his shotgun at one of the running men. The stricken man stumbled, the impact of the buckshot knocking him off balance, but he made it to a tree. Wounded, but not dead, Xander thought to himself as he pumped another round into the chamber from the tube. Five shots left before a reload. The wild haired leader continued barking orders, and threw another, smaller fireball in the direction of Frazay, her translucent, slightly glowing arrows giving away her position as they continued to fly one after another. She took cover behind the large tree she¡¯d chosen, as the fireball washed over the front of the tree, charring its bark. The leaves on the lower branches crisped and began to burn. She returned fire at the fire mage, forcing him to duck behind an upturned tabletop that had been supported by several barrels before being flipped into a makeshift barricade. Xander took note of his companion¡¯s positions, feeling Freyja off to his right slowly circling around to the back of the bandits, in true stealth predator fashion. Gabrelle was further behind him. Graffus was making his way forward to the bandits that had made their way to the tree line, darting from tree to tree as arrows flew by. Xander watched as an arrow plinked off his helmet, not even slowing the dwarf as he made it to the next tree. The bandits were doing much the same, six of them, one being the one that Xander had clipped with his shotgun, moving from tree to tree towards the mercenaries. Atrax was making his way towards the edge of the forest, farther off to Xander¡¯s left, likely to directly combat the enemy mage. He was circling wide to avoid the bandits that were moving into the forest. Considering the speed at which bandits were encroaching on his position, and the fact that they were darting from tree to tree as they did so, Xander decided it would be unlikely that he¡¯d be unlikely to get a good shot off, and stowed his shotgun in his inventory, materializing his red tipped mace and bone shield in his hands. He moved to begin intercepting one of the bandits that was making his way towards Frazay¡¯s location. She was doing a good job of keeping many of the bandits pinned, but with so many in her field of view, it was impossible to suppress them all. Needing more speed to reach the man before he got to Frazay, who was currently distracted by keeping three other bandits at bay with her arrows, Xander hoisted himself up onto his spindly metal legs as they unfurled from his back. The silhouette he cast in the firelight hanging above him must have been monstrous to the bandits who could see him skittering along on spider-like limbs. Catching up to the bandit, who was unaware of him, back turned to him as he focused on making the final distance to Frazay, Xander opted to simply run him over with the pointed legs he was carrying himself on. Catching up to the man, who had paused behind a tree, one of front legs of Xanders automaton backpack skewered the man, entering near his collar bone and puncturing out his opposite side near the waist. The man screamed for a moment, and Xander stamped on the man several more times with his new mechanical limbs, silencing him. Frazay finally noticed him and the man he was mauling, and nodded quickly in thanks, calling out ¡°Good work!¡± before returning to firing at the bandits who were hoping in vain that she¡¯d run out of ammunition so that they could rush her position. Graffus was currently occupied with two of the bandits, though he was holding his own well enough. One of them was the bandit that Xander had shot, and he was hunched to one side as he tried to swing at the heavily armored dwarf. The swing was battered aside, and Graffu¡¯s hammer lashed out, crushing the man¡¯s knee and dropping him to the ground before Graffus had to redirect his attention to the other bandit who was now swinging a club at him. Atrax had finally made his way to the treeline, drawing the fire of the archers and the enemy fire mage. Atrax was once again incinerating arrows to ash as they flew towards him, and the two mages were hurling fireballs at each other, neither one able to strike the other and their various skills allowed them to shield themselves from the washes of flame or jerk the incoming missiles off course. Xander began making his towards the three bandits that Frazay was firing at. No longer impeded by arrows, thanks to Atrax¡¯s efforts, Xander was able to rush directly at the bandits. He heard several shouts of ¡°What the fuck is that thing!¡± amongst the archers, as he careened towards the still pinned bandits. This time, though they had noticed him, and did their best to use the trees to keep him from being able to simply trample over them. One of them misjudged his use of cover and, while he shielded himself from Xander¡¯s charge, he opened himself to an arrow in the neck from Frazay, dropping the man to the ground, lifeless. Xander dropped to the ground onto his own feet, his charge defeated, and unfurled the rest of his mechanical limbs, raising all eight of them menacingly as he faced the bandits, bone shield raised, covering the rictus grin of his skull shaped helm. The two bandits began to circle him, doing their best to ensure that they kept a tree between them and Frazay¡¯s location at any given moment. For her part, Frazay simply swapped her fire to the archers that were firing upon Atrax, striking another, downing the man. From her position, she was unable to fire upon the wild haired leader, who was screaming curses at Atrax as he flung bolt after bolt of fire. What neither Atrax, the screaming fire mage, nor the remaining archers noticed was the form of an absolutely massive panther stalking closer to their turned backs as they focused on the two-legged mercenaries that were assaulting them. As the loravian panther crept withing pounding distance, she immediately pounced upon the enemy mage, crushing the man underneath her paws as she ripped his head clean from his shoulders with a crushing bite. The two remaining archers screamed in fear as the cat suddenly appeared in their line of sight, mauling their leader to death in an instant, and tried to scramble away from the cat. They were far too slow, though. One was incinerated by Atrax, no longer held in check by an enemy mage, while Freyja pounced from the corpse of the mage onto the other archer, knocking him face first onto the ground as she severed his spine with a bite to the back of the neck. Back in forest, Xander was still contending with the two bandits, who were now once again having to deal with arrows flying towards them any time they moved from one piece of cover to the other. Xander moved slowly towards the nearest man, mentally commanding his automaton to defend him. As he drew closer, the bandit sprinted at him, making a wild slash at his torso. Xander felt [Weapons of War] guiding his instinct and raised his shield to catch the blow. However, he felt no blow against the shield. Instead, both he and the bandit were greeted with a flash of light, fire, and sound, as the bandit¡¯s arm was wrenched backwards way from his shield by a small explosion. Xander had forgotten that he¡¯d cast [Reactive Armor] all those days ago, and was now seeing the results of the spell. He capitalized on the man¡¯s surprise and swung his mace at the man, who raised his arm reflexively to try and mitigate the blow. The mace impacted the man¡¯s raised left arm, and its runes activated, increasing the momentum and force of the blow, as it continued towards the bandit¡¯s ribs, crushing both them and the arm. The bandit began wheezing out a scream as he dropped to the ground, and Xander could already see the effect of his corrosion array eating through the man¡¯s clothes and then into the skin. His attention was torn from the morbid sight as he felt an impact coming from one of his automaton¡¯s limbs, jostling him slightly. He turned to face the other bandit, who had snuck around to Xander¡¯s back while he was distracted by the now downed marauder, who was gurling in pain and coughing up bloody foam. The sneak attacking bandit seemed shocked that he¡¯d been blocked by one of the shield-bearing arms of Xander¡¯s backpack, as Xander rounded on him. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. First and foremost, Xander resolved to cast [Reactive Armor] on himself again. As the glow of the skill surrounded him, he began a flurry of stabbing blows at the man with his spider legs. The bandit dodged the first, second, and even the third strike from Xander¡¯s four pointed limbs, but the fourth struck him in the shoulder, skewering the man. Xander used the strength of the metal limbs to hoist the now screaming man into the air, whereupon his remaining three spider legs impaled him in the chest, silencing the noise. Xander looked around him, dropping the corpse to the forest floor, and saw that there was no more combat, and heard no more yells, or screams. The bandit with the crushed ribcage had expired, and so there were no noises near him at all. He saw Graffus jogging towards him, having eliminated the two bandits he¡¯d been fighting, though he had a slight limp to the run. The other mercenaries were converging on his position as well, and he could feel Freyja coming nearer through their bond. In the silence, he could hear one of the women in the bandit camp sobbing quietly. ¡°Is it over?¡± Gabrelle called out, finally, breaking the silence. ¡°Aye¡­ it¡¯s done,¡± Graffus said breathlessly. ¡°Graffus, you okay?¡± Xander asked, having noticed his limp. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright. Made one of the most classic mistakes you can make: assuming an enemy was down without killing them. Once I crushed that bastard¡¯s knee, I focused too hard on the other one I was fighting. He paid me back with a nasty wallop to my ankle when I turned my back. Crushed his head for that one,¡± Graffus growled. ¡°Well, have Gabrelle look at it in a minute,¡± Xander replied. ¡°Glad it¡¯s not more serious.¡± Frazay came out from around her scorched tree, smiling. ¡°Holy shit, Xander, that was wild watching to take out those bandits. You can move fast with those legs!¡± Gabrelle had caught up to them at this point, and hearing Frazay¡¯s comment, added, ¡°And the way you killed that last bandit¡­ Xander, you¡¯re kind of scary, has anyone ever told you that?¡± Xander shook his head and chuckled a little uncertainly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been called scary before, actually.¡± Atrax and Freyja finished making their way to the party as well, the cat radiating pride as Atrax complemented her on her ambush. ¡°Did you guys see how Freyja snuck up on that mage?¡± he asked, enthusiastically. ¡°I did,¡± replied Graffus. ¡°He was there one moment, and on the ground headless the next. Can¡¯t say I¡¯d ever fancy a bout with a cat like that.¡± Freyja rubbed her still bloody muzzle on Graffus¡¯s shoulder affectionately, leaving a new smear on his armor. ¡°Blugh,¡± Graffus said, backing away from the bloodied cat. ¡°We should sweep their camp now, and check on their¡­ victims,¡± Xander said solemnly. Frazay nodded. ¡°Maybe hold Freyja back, they don¡¯t need any more frightening right now. Poor sods.¡± Xander agreed, and the five of them began walking towards camp, ensuring each of the ten marauders they passed were dead, and there were no counter attacks waiting for them behind upturned tables or behind tents. The sobbing of one of the women could still be heard, and they used that to home in on the location of the woman, which was a tent as far from the fighting as possible. Frazay held up her hand, motioning for the rest of the group to stop, as she neared the tent alone. Carefully, she used one end of her bow to pull the flap of the tent back, revealing three terrified women huddled together. They were wrapped in small blankets, to cover themselves as much as possible. All three looked to have been crying. They looked fearfully at the mercenaries outside of their tent. ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t hurt us¡­¡± The closest of the women said, through muffled sobs. ¡°We, we aren¡¯t bandits, please.¡± ¡°Hey now, no one¡¯s going to hurt you anymore,¡± Frazay said, soothingly. ¡°We saw how they were treating you. We know you¡¯re not bandits. We¡¯re with the Mercenary¡¯s Guild, we came from Anlet.¡± The women broke into more sobs upon hearing this, though these seemed to be less of fear and more of gratitude and joy that they were no longer going to be subjected to the ungentle attentions of a band of roving marauders. Xander turned the sheets as well as some other fabrics he found in and amongst the other tents into simple clothes for the women to wear, as they had none of their own left to them. Speaking with them, once they finally calmed down from the fear of the slaughter of the bandits, and then the joy of realizing they were being freed, it came out that they¡¯d been there varying lengths. One had even been from the caravan that their client¡¯s sword had been coming in on. ¡°I remember that sword, the leader, they all called him ¡®Firebrand,¡¯ claimed it for himself, said it was too nice for any of the other bandits to handle. They didn¡¯t like that¡­ but they also didn¡¯t want to get burned.¡± The group searched around the camp, looking for anything else of interest. They found some coin, which was liberated from the bandit¡¯s stores, though nothing else was of any particular interest to the already well-equipped mercenaries. One of the women took a sword from a pile of discarded weapons, belting it around her waist, but other than that, most of them had little interest in the remains of the loot from various trading caravans. Xander, however, began rendering down all the metals he could find into ingots, especially any gold or silver ornamentation he could find. This would give him a source of inlay materials that wouldn¡¯t be tied to being in proximity to him. He also formed various weapons and armor into a steel ingot or two and stored them and some of the choicer cuts of cloth and leather in his inventory. It would be handy to have in case he needed to create anything for his teammates. The bodies of the bandits were left where they fell, none of the mercenaries feeling that they deserved any kind of a burial. Upon a closer inspection, the now headless leader of the group did indeed have an ornate sword strapped to his waist. Fortunately, it had survived Freyja¡¯s attack. It was quickly removed from the corpse, and stowed in Xander¡¯s inventory for safe keeping. Xander had given the sword a once over before stowing it, and seen no runes, leading him to believe it was enchanted in some other way that he was unfamiliar with. He was hesitant to start swinging it around to see what it might do, since he had no knowledge of the possible enchantments, and he didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone or damage the blade by accident somehow. Once Xander created some leather boots for the women they¡¯d rescued, they began leading them back to the horses, where they would camp for the remainder of the night. As they neared the remains of the ambushed caravan, they skirted around it, to prevent any more trauma to the victims from having to see even more bodies and corpses, especially considering it would be reminiscent of the ambush upon their own groups. The next morning, they began walking back to Anlet. Xander had opted to allow the woman with the sword, who introduced herself as Teri, short for Terianna, to ride Freyja. She had been the least nervous around the cat of the three women, and had even been brave enough to pet her and thank her for her part in the fight. The other two women were riding on Graffus¡¯s and Atrax¡¯s horses. The mercenaries felt it was right to let the rescued women ride instead of having to walk, and to be frank, they would have slowed them down without the horses, given their battered and malnourished states. Xander continued practicing his spider walk, giving his legs a break every now and then, not that he really needed to with [Eternal March] keeping him from getting particularly tired. The other mercenaries were similarly able to walk all day without much trouble. They stopped early on their first day of travel, and Xander used [Improved Creation] and [Improved Manipulation] to create a shower once again, inscribing it with fire runes for hot water, mostly for the three women¡¯s benefit, though he¡¯d definitely be taking one of his own once they¡¯d finished. His four companions were also looking forward to being able to clean themselves from the grime they¡¯d accumulated during combat and travel. With their slower pace, it took them ten days to return to Anlet. All three of the women had been originally traveling there. Two of them were hoping to link up with any remains of their caravans, or at least with the same trading company, and the third had family in the city that she¡¯d been intending to stay with. The first thing that was done was to swing by a guard station that was near the entrance of the city, to relay what had happened with the bandits, and for the three women to give their statements. A small reward was paid out for their elimination of the bandits before the city itself had to deal with it, as the guard had become aware of the issue from the multiple survivors of caravans that had come through, but had yet to muster to forces required to hunt down and eliminate the bandits. Each of the three victims were personally delivered by the mercs to their final destination, with some coin in their pockets from the reward from the city guard. It had been small compared to the payment they¡¯d be receiving for bringing the sword back, and none of them felt comfortable leaving the women completely destitute. The first woman to be dropped off was the one who had been visiting family, and the reunion was tearful and full of thanks towards the mercenaries. The other two women, one of which was Teri, had more subdued and professional welcomes, as they were rejoined with their original companies, but not their caravans, who had already moved on. The two women took the time to sincerely thank the mercenaries before they left, though. Xander hoped they¡¯d all be okay. He knew that back on Earth, an incident like this would take years of therapy to even begin to undo the damage. But this world was crueler in some ways, and so people were more hardened in general compared to Earth. But he knew there would be lingering damage. He hoped that [Therapist] was a class out there somewhere. Combat Artificer - 30 Returning to the guild, they were given the final component to their contract: delivering the sword to the client. The client in question was a scion of the Vitrax family, and the location of the delivery was to be the Vitrax estate that Atrax had pointed out on their first day entering the city. Since there was still daylight left, the mercenaries decided to go ahead and get the contract over with, so that they could receive their pay from the guild. Mounting up, the five of them rode out of the city the way they¡¯d first arrived as a team of four, and took a road leading along the river that would take them to the Vitrax estate. Even from a far distance, Xander was able to tell that the compound was far more lavish that even the Huraven estate had been. The Vitraxes must be extremely wealthy. He supposed it made sense then that they had the money to throw about to have lost items retried, or to be ordering enchanted swords in the first place. As they neared the gate that would allow them to enter the estate, which had a trio of guards stationed at it, Atrax quietly said, ¡°Be on your best behavior, everyone. Lord Huraven might have forgiven any perceived slights, but the Vitraxes are known for issuing duels for any impingement upon their honor.¡± ¡°Got it, keep my mouth shut,¡± Xander replied. ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep to, ¡®Yes, Lord Vitrax and No, Lord Vitrax.¡± ¡°Probably for the best,¡± Frazay chuckled. ¡°I suppose I ought to do the same thing.¡± The guards at the gate were informed of their business, and one of them trotted off towards the estate to inform whoever it was that ought to know. About fifteen minutes later, the guard was seen jogging back, quickly being outpaced by what was, judging by his dress, which was extremely colorful, a noble. Reaching the gate, the flamboyantly dressed nobleman enthusiastically said, ¡°I hear you have brought my sword! Ah, but where are my manners, introductions first, of course. I am Erillian Vitrax, first in line for the seat of the Vitrax household.¡± He swept a short bow at the mercenaries, as the guard finally caught up, huffing and puffing. Atrax, still mounted, offered a bow from the saddle, introducing himself. ¡°I am Atrax, mercenary and mage, Lord Vitrax. And these are my teammates, Frazay, Graffus, Xander, and Gabrelle.¡± He gestured to each of them as he named the mercenaries for the Lord. Xander looked Erillian over, thinking the man looked like a bowl of sorbet ice cream. The ruffles on his collar and his cuffs were a bright orange, whilst his tunic was a lime green. The pants he wore were similarly lime green, but with a blue tartan pattern to them. It must be in fashion currently, or else Xander doubted the man would be wearing it, but it would have been considered beyond tacky back on Earth. ¡°It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances, my mercenary friends,¡± the noble said. ¡°Now that we have introduced, I must admit, as you likely can already tell, that I am quite anxious to see my new sword.¡± Atrax turned to Xander, making a gesture that managed to convey ¡®Well? Bring out the man¡¯s sword already!¡¯ Xander decided to add a little flair to removing the sword from his inventory, holding both his arms out, palm upwards, willing the sword to materialize from his inventory space laying flat across his palms for the man. The theatrics seemed to delight the noble, who, based on his dress alone, Xander had correctly assumed had a flair for the dramatic. ¡°Oh, I do love a good magic trick!¡± Erillian said, clapping. Xander held the sword out by its scabbard so that Erillian could take the hilt, which the man did. Once Xander released his grip from the scabbard, Erillian brought it fully into his grasp and slid the sword from its protective covering. The blade was just as ornate as the hilt, covered in gold inlay, with ¡®Erillian Vitrax¡¯ inlaid down the center of the blade. The Vitrax scion took a few steps backwards, then experimentally gave the blade a few swings. ¡°Hmm,¡± he said, assessing the sword, ¡°Good balance, to be sure. Now¡­ Let¡¯s see how these enchantments do¡­¡± He turned to face the gate and its metal bars and swung the sword at it. The blade flashed a deep green as it struck the bars, and sheared through them cleanly, with hardly any resistance at all. Erillian laughed. ¡°Yes! Yes, this will do nicely,¡± he said turning to the mercenaries. ¡°You have my thanks for bringing me the blade. I was loathe to wait any longer for it and was considering riding out myself for it. Now, I just need to have my armor done¡­¡± he trailed off thoughtfully. Frazay perked up at the mans statement, and, slapping Xander¡¯s back quite roughly, though he didn¡¯t feel it too much due to his armor, said, ¡°Well, Lord Vitrax, I think you just may be in luck. We happen to know a specialist in rune work who I¡¯m sure would be happy to make themselves available to you.¡± She gave Xander a push when she said ¡®sure.¡¯ Erillian faced Frazay as she began speaking, eyebrows raised in surprise. ¡°Is that so? I would be extremely interested in meeting this specialist. I¡¯ve always loved the way runic arrays looked on a piece of armor, but by the gods, it¡¯s hard to find anyone to do the work. They¡¯re all in the capital, busy as bees. Where is this one? Also in the capital?¡± Xander shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Ah, it would be me that she is referring to, Lord Vitrax.¡± Lord Vitrax clapped again and laughed, finding the situation hilarious. ¡°Glorious, what fortune! To think, the team I ended up hiring from the mercenary¡¯s guild to bring me my enchanted sword would also bring me someone to do my armor!¡± He cleared his throat, slightly, ¡°Though, if you don¡¯t mind my asking, what classes do you have that would make you a proficient mercenary and rune worker? I do of course need to view them to verify that you can indeed do the work. Ideally, I¡¯d also like to see some of your work.¡± Xander nodded in understanding. ¡°Of course, Lord Vitrax. I am a [Combat Artificer] as well as a [Rune Lord],¡± Erillian¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing Xander¡¯s classes, clearly interested. ¡°I¡¯ll open my status for your viewing.¡± Xander did so, dismounting from Freyja to allow the noble easier viewing of the status window that was now floating in front of Xander. Erillian nodded, satisfied. ¡°As for examples of my work, you are free to view any of the runes on my comrade¡¯s armor, and, if you¡¯d like, I can show you my mace as well.¡± Xander unhooked the mace from his belt and carefully offered it to the noble. ¡°Mmm, yes,¡± The noble was looking closely at the dense network of runic circuits that covered the head of Xander¡¯s mace. ¡°Your rune work looks good. Very dense. And I see you¡¯re using an inlay, I quite like the look of that, it¡¯s certainly something I¡¯d like on my own armor. Would you be willing to view my suit of armor today? We can speak about what you¡¯re able to offer and what I would like to have on my armor. I expect it will take some time, so I will extend the courtesy of a guest suite for yourself and your compatriots. Our stables is quite able to care for your exotic mount. One of my cousins is a tamer, you see,¡± He explained. ¡°We¡¯d love to stay, Lord Vitrax. Thank you for your hospitality.¡± Frazay quickly answered for Xander. ¡°Ah, yes, I can, I can take a look at things for you, Lord Vitrax,¡± Xander said somewhat nervously. He hadn¡¯t been expecting any of this at all. ¡°Marvelous! Come, all of you, and I shall show you to my personal armory.¡± The five mercenaries rode in silence as they followed behind the noble¡¯s brisk walk. He was clearly in a good mood, whistling a jaunty tune as he walked back to the estate. They passed row upon row of grave vines, with gardeners carefully tending to them here and there. Soon, they were moving through the outbuildings on the edges of the compound proper. Erillian led them to one of these outbuildings, which was larger than the rest. He threw open the doors grandly and ushered them inside. ¡°Welcome,¡± he said dramatically, ¡°to my armory!¡± The inside of the building was one single, large room. It was finely adorned, dark wood floors and wall paneling contrasted with gold ornamentation and accents. Weapons lined all four walls, some of which, Xander noted, were runed. If he didn¡¯t have access to [Rune Master¡¯s Library] he¡¯d already be trying to memorize the runes he could barely make out on the weapons to test later. Multiple armor stands lined one of the walls, covered in various suits of plate mail, leather armor, and even a suit of chainmail. Xander really hoped it wasn¡¯t the chainmail that Erillian wanted done. He¡¯d hate to have to tell the Lord that he couldn¡¯t get his runes that small. The center of the large room was kept open, likely as an area for training and sparring. Erillian walked over to one of the suites of plate mail, saying, ¡°This particular suite is the one I¡¯d like you to rune, if we are able to come to an agreement on what will be inlaid on it. If you can meet all of my needs, I¡¯ll pay you, oh¡­¡± the noble trailed off thinking. ¡°Let¡¯s say one platinum coin. That¡¯s about what I paid for the sword.¡± Xander almost shouted at the man. A PLATINUM COIN? That was more money than he¡¯d ever seen in his entire life on this world. He heard a couple of gasps behind him, his teammates equally shocked. God, how would he even spend a platinum coin? There was no way anything he¡¯d ever need at this point in his career would even cost half that much. What was he going to do, buy a swath of land? He¡¯d have to hire a banker or something to invest it for him, wouldn¡¯t he? Either way, he knew he¡¯d try his damned best to fulfil this request. This kind of opportunity was not something that would come around again. ¡°I ah, I think I can do that¡­ Lord Vitrax.¡± Xander said in a daze. He¡¯d almost forgotten to call the man by his title he was so shocked. ¡°But uhm, just so you know, to get the most efficiency out of your runic circuits, I¡¯m going to need to fill them with either rubies or sapphires and then cap that with gold or silver, whichever is your preference.¡± ¡°Mmm, I see. I believe I can arrange to have those needs met, though it may take me a day or two to collect all the materials. Now tell me, what exactly is it that you can do for my armor. Or¡­ would you rather have a quick spar first?¡± Erillian took a rapier off the wall as he asked the question. ¡°Ah, uhm¡­ I don¡¯t think I would offer too much of a challenge, Lord Vitrax. Also¡­ my weapon is designed to acidically eat through metal and then flesh¡­¡± Erillian blinked, pausing for a moment. ¡°Ah, perhaps it¡¯s for the best that we don¡¯t, then¡­ Let¡¯s cut to what you can do for the armor then,¡± he said with a nervous chuckle. Apparently the idea of being slowly consumed by acid did not sit well with him. Xander explained to the noble the arrays he had on his own armor. The strengthening runes, silencing runes, the momentum reduction arrays, and the personal mana gathering arrays that all covered his armor. Erillian had nodded along with the explanation, interested. He¡¯d even been intrigued by the light rune that Xander used a riveted cover to swivel on and off, keeping it covered when needed. The man wanted them all, which Xander has expected. What he hadn¡¯t expected was his only additional request for the armor. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Do you think you could create an array that would amplify my voice? I find it to be quite crucial to be able to be heard over the din of battle.¡± Erillian asked. ¡°Mmm, you¡¯ll have to give me a moment to research that, your Lordship, if you don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll need to use a skill.¡± Xander had replied. ¡°Of course, of course, I always love to see a craftsman at their work,¡± the scion replied. Xander sat down cross legged and activated [Rune Lord¡¯s Library]. The skill was becoming easier for him to use now, and he had less trouble remembering all the runes he¡¯d learned, though he still preferred to write them down. Searching through the mental library now available to him, he searched for amplification runes and arrays. He found several that would work well, but none of them transferred sound. He continued searching, finally finding a two-part array that did transfer received sound. Sadly, the arrays required a physical link, so there would be no wireless phones for Xander yet, but he could use them to create what would essentially be a landline telephone between two locations if he so desired. The two part array, one part of the array acting as a microphone, and the other a speaker would work in conjunction with the amplification runes to take the voice received inside the helmet and play it out through the other portion of the array at a louder volume. ¡°I think I have something that should work,¡± he said, standing back up. ¡°But you¡¯ll have to give me another moment or two to test out my theory, Lord Vitrax.¡± ¡°By all means, I¡¯m quite interested to see how it goes. I¡¯ve never had the opportunity to see the work done in real time.¡± Xander created a small section of steel, engraving on one side the receiving portion of the sound array, then, in-between the line that would connect the receiver to the speaker, adding three amplification runes, and then finally the ¡®speaker¡¯ portion of the array. Several gathering arrays also connected to the whole circuit, powering it. ¡°Test, test, test,¡± he spoke into the side of the steel plate that contained the receiving array. ¡°TEST, TEST, TEST,¡± was blasted out of the other side of the plate, echoing through the room. It was like speaking into a megaphone. Erillian laughed. ¡°Yes, I think that will do nicely!¡± Xander nodded at the lord, ¡°Then I¡¯ll make sure that it makes its way into your helm, Lord Vitrax. I can start now, if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Of course, that would be lovely. I shall show your companions to the location of the guest house and the stables that you¡¯ll all be using while you work.¡± With that, Xander was left alone in the armory. With nothing else to do, he started taking down the suit of armor that he¡¯d be working on, carefully laying each piece out on the floor. He decided to start work with the chest and back pieces, as they were the largest. He wasn¡¯t sure how long this was going to take him, as he didn¡¯t want to settle for making a carbon copy of the arrays he¡¯d already done for his and his allies¡¯ armor. It would still be the same arrays, sure, but he wanted to try and get the rune work even finer and denser for this level of payment, even though he didn¡¯t think it would make all that much of a difference. Appearance was important, and he got the feeling that Erillian only accepted what he considered to be the best. Thus began a long three days, as Xander painstakingly carved tiny, dense runic arrays onto the armor for Erillian. With the runes being so small, he found himself having to go back and redo them sometimes, as he was not used to working at this level of detail, causing it to take even longer. Erillian often stopped by to watch him work, interested in the process, as well as the progress on his armor. Frazay had agreed to take care of Freyja for him, putting her in her stall for meals and watching over the cat while Xander worked. Halfway through the second day, Erillian had several small chests of gemstones and gold delivered to the armory for Xander to use. The third day Xander spent filling the runes with the gemstones, and then with gold. By that afternoon, he was finished, revealing a suit of armor that was densely covered in golden runes. He¡¯d even created a small knob on the side of the helmet that broke the circuit for the voice amplification array in one position, and completed it in another, allowing it to be switched on and off as desired. Erillian had been quite pleased with that. ¡°Splendid, absolutely splendid,¡± Erillian enthused, looking at the armor, now sitting back on its display. ¡°I love how the gold brings out the runes against the steel¡­ It¡¯s so hard to look fashionable in combat, but this is certainly a step in the right direction. You have my thanks, Xander, for your work. And, most importantly, you have my payment.¡± With his last words, he flourished a coin from his hand, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. A single, platinum coin. Xander carefully took it from the noble. ---Materials Analyzed--- Platinum ¡°Thank you very much, Lord Vitrax. It¡¯s been a pleasure working with you. This piece has been great for testing my limits.¡± ¡°I¡¯d suggest you find yourself a bank for that coin, my friend. You¡¯ll have trouble spending it otherwise,¡± Erillian said with a laugh. The mercenaries rode out from the Vitrax estate the day that Xander had finished the etching and inlaying of Erillian¡¯s armor. As proud as Xander was of the work he¡¯d done, he kind of hoped that Erillian wouldn¡¯t be recommending any other nobles to him. He¡¯d found the ordeal rather stressful, with the constant fear of offending his patron hovering over him, and the man randomly entering to look over his shoulder. For the amount he¡¯d been paid, it was worth it though. ¡°Hey guys, uh¡­ how do you invest money in this world?¡± Xander finally asked, as they back towards Anlet¡¯s mercenary guild to pick up their payment for the retrieval of the sword. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a few different ways, I suppose,¡± Atrax began explaining. ¡°Though, since we¡¯re often on the move, there¡¯re probably only two that would work well. You could either give the money to a broker of sorts who would manage it for you, and take their pay out of a portion of what they make with your money, or you can personally invest it in companies of your choice, and the funds you make from that would flow into an account in the kingdom¡¯s banks set up for you.¡± ¡°Huh. That¡¯s actually pretty similar to how it would have worked on my own world. I guess I should use a broker, though¡­ I know next to nothing about business around here, or hell, anywhere.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a whole host of them around the city, I¡¯m sure. You can likely get a few recommendations for one at the guild, there are likely some that work with the more well off merc teams,¡± Atrax said. ¡°Congratulations, by the way,¡± Graffus said. ¡°You earned yourself more than a pretty penny from that chance encounter.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re paying for the rooms at the inn now, right?¡± Frazay asked. Xander laughed. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll technically be just as well off as you all are once I hand things over to whoever is going to manage my money. But maybe if things go well enough in the future, I could see funding some team expenses. Hell, we could even start pumping more funds into the account to make more back in the future. That way we¡¯d all have something to retire on?¡± Frazay looked thoughtful. ¡°You know, I never really considered much what I¡¯d do after I got too old for mercenary work, assuming I make it that long. Not having to work for my keep sounds pretty nice. Maybe we should be putting funds away with a broker when we can¡­¡± Graffus looked at her, bewildered. ¡°You aren¡¯t already? Xander, I¡¯ll introduce you to my broker. He¡¯s a decent sort, been workin¡¯ with him for a few years now, though I¡¯ve certainly put nowhere near what you¡¯ll be able to towards investments.¡± Frazay looked at Graffus in confusion. ¡°Wait, you have a broker? Atrax? What about you? Does everyone have one?¡± Gabrelle helpfully piped up with, ¡°I don¡¯t have one!¡± Atrax rolled his eyes at Frazay, saying ¡°Of course I have one, Frazay, did you think I spent every copper I make from contracts on books? What have you even been doing with your money?¡± Frazay looked around almost guiltily. ¡°Well¡­ What I don¡¯t spend, I just sort of¡­ hold on to. Once it gets to be too much to carry, I go by the bank and deposit it into my account.¡± Graffus sighed, loudly. ¡°Looks like it¡¯ll be three recommendations my broker will be getting. He ought to be paying me a finder¡¯s fee at this point.¡± The rest of the trip to the guild hall was spent alternately ribbing Frazay for her poor money management skills and educating Xander and Gabrelle on the financial system for the Kingdom of Dardin. Xander also took the time to finally update his class information at the guild, having forgotten to last time they were there to pick up payment from Lord Huraven. ---Xander Jones, Human--- ---[Godsmarked]--- [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] ¨C You may receive additional objects from defeated foes [Speak in Tongues] ¨C Proficiency in languages of new realm provided [Quest] ¨C Patrons may provide you with tasks and rewards [Reformation] ¨C Physical ailments and deformities have been healed [Cargo Space] ¨C Integrated inventory function in status window [Titled] ¨C You have a greater chance of receiving titles than normal [Regenerative] ¨C You heal more quickly than usual, to the point where, given enough time, you may even regrow a limb ---[Slayer]--- Damage against targets that are a higher level than you is increased ---[Horde Breaker]--- ---[Cat-Touched]--- [Cat-Touched] ¨C You may form a bond with one feline creature, which lasts until either the caster or the targeted feline dies. Cooldown: 30 days. Mana cost: High. Duration: Until death. ---[Combat Artificer] 18--- [Store] - [Analyze]d materials are stored for future usage by [Creation] [Analyze] ¨C Determine the material and relevant properties of an object within 1ft of caster [Improved Creation] ¨C Created materials do not decay away from creator until 24 hours have passed. [Improved Manipulation] ¨C Manipulate the form of a material. Reduced cost for [Create]d materials [Measure] ¨C determine exact measurements of an object that has been analyzed [Schematic] ¨C Store entire objects to be used with [Creation] [Rune Etching] ¨C Knowledge of runes and how to power them with mana. Further runes and knowledge gained by leveling [Ferrokinesis] ¨C Move a metal object without physical touch. Mana cost dependent upon weight of object. Reduced cost for [Create]d materials. Mana cost: low ¨C high. [Rune Etching] ¨C Additional runes have been added to library of known runes [Automaton] ¨C Create an automaton that persists for 24 hours, utilizing your available materials from [Improved Creation]. The automaton can perform simple tasks as well as attack or defend, depending on its form. Mana cost depends on size, form, and complexity. Mana Cost: low-high. Cooldown: 5 hours. Duration: 24 hours. [Eternal March] ¨C Increased Endurance. Scales with level. [Weapons Of War] ¨C Additional proficiency with melee and ranged weaponry. Scales with level. [Shock And Awe] ¨C Inflict significant additional damage upon a successful strike. Mana cost: Medium, Cooldown: 3 minutes. [Sprint] ¨C Increase movement speed. Mana Cost: Low [Effective Ordnance] ¨C You may imbue an elemental effect into one attack. Mana cost: Medium, Cooldown: 3 minutes [Recon by Fire] ¨C Designate one projectile, which will detect hostile entities within 30 feet for 2 minutes. Cooldown: 10 minutes, Mana Cost: Low [Earthworks] ¨C Create a raised or depressed area of ground in a designated area. Mana cost is proportionate to the size of affected area. Mana cost: low ¨C high. Cooldown: 20 minutes. [Unstoppable Force] ¨C Increases strength. Scales with level. [Rally Point] ¨C Allies within 30 feet of you become immune to the effects of fear-based skills. Mana cost: medium. Cooldown: 1 hour. Duration: 30 minutes. [Reactive Armor] ¨C When cast, the next strike upon you is diverted by an explosive blast. Mana cost: low [Explosive Reagents] ¨C materials and reagents used to create explosives have increased potency [Reactivity] ¨C Touch one item, which, upon your command, will explode as if it were filled with the strongest explosive compound that you have created. Mana cost: high, cooldown: 2 hours. [Explosive Effect] ¨C Slain enemies have a small chance to explode at one quarter the effectiveness as if they had had [Reactivity] cast upon them. Ability does not take effect if caster or allies would be within the blast radius, or if the caster does not wish it to. [Maker¡¯s Ward] ¨C Become immune to the effects of your own demolitionist skills and explosives you have created. [Esoteric Explosives] ¨C Created explosives can now harm incorporeal or completely magical beings. [Smoke Screen] ¨C Summon a cloud of smoke in a radius of 10 feet around you. You can see through the smoke, while others cannot. Cost: Medium. Cooldown: 5 minutes [Boobytrap] ¨C Damage from explosives that a target cannot see is increased against that target. ---[Rune Lord] 4--- [Engraved in Memory] ¨C Increased Intelligence. Scales with level. [Rune Library] ¨C Provides access to a library of runes. More runes become available with increased levels. [Runic Lordship] ¨C Power and efficiency of runes is increased. [Brand] ¨C Brand an enemy within 30 feet with a rune of draining. Health and Mana will be provided to the caster equal to the amount that is drained over time by the brand. Mana Cost: medium. Cooldown: 1 minute [Rune Master¡¯s Library] ¨C Vastly increased knowledge of runes and rune behaviors. [Rune of Shielding] ¨C Place a rune on a target withing 30 feet, which will create a field that absorbs damage before shattering outwards, damaging enemies within 10 feet. Mana Cost: medium. Cooldown: 1 minute [Runic Dominion] ¨C Runic arrays that are not your own have a reduced effect within 50 feet of you, if you wish them to. Scales with level. [Reversal] ¨C You may create runes that are the inverse of their original function Combat Artificer - 31 To Xander¡¯s surprise, there was a well-established banking system, that, by various skills and artifices managed to keep their branches relatively up to date on account information, though it could take up to a week for some of the more far-flung banks. He could set up an account with the bank that his new broker would have access to and deposit funds as he wished into that account for the broker to continue managing for him. The profits from his managed investments would go into a different account under his name that would act more like a savings account which he could also deposit personal funds into that he didn¡¯t want to invest. Picking up their payment from the guild was an easy affair, the payment and confirmation of completion having had plenty of time to make its way through the paper pushing of the guild in the three days that they¡¯d spent at the Vitrax estate. Their next stop was in a middle-class area, full of small shops and boutiques. Graffus led them to a thin, two-story building with a sign on the door reading Ironshoulder Investment and Brokerage. Graffus knocked on the door heavily, and was answered by a ¡°Come in!¡± from the other side. Graffus threw the door open congenially, saying ¡°Cousin! I¡¯ve got some clients for you,¡± with a laugh. The dwarf sitting at a desk with papers piled high groaned. ¡°Graffus! I swear you only come by to bring me more work! Can¡¯t you ever just¡­ oh I don¡¯t know, visit for once in your gods damned life?¡± The dwarf said this with some humor behind it, lessening the vitriol that would normally come with such words. ¡°Oh come now, Kreglin, I know you¡¯re always on the lookout for more clients. Besides, these are my teammates! I couldn¡¯t, in good conscience, take them anywhere else.¡± ¡°Hi, Kreglin,¡± Atrax waved. ¡°How¡¯s my account looking?¡± ¡°Well enough, this year¡¯s harvest and subsequent distillation has been good, so your investments in brewing have made a good return already.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Xander said. ¡°Your broker is also your cousin?¡± Graffus laughed at the question. ¡°What self-respecting dwarf doesn¡¯t have a cousin that works in finance?¡± ¡°¡­ Is that some kind of stereotype I don¡¯t know about yet?¡± Xander asked, confused. Kreglin interjected, explaining to Xander. ¡°Being long-lived, investments are an attractive proposition to us dwarves. Though we¡¯re really fifth cousins. The Steelshoulder clan is a widespread one. ¡®Fifth cousin¡¯ just doesn¡¯t quite roll off the tongue like ¡®cousin¡¯ does, though. There¡¯re a lot of us in finance, actually. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t know that already, what, are you a [Godsmarked] or something?¡± ¡°Actually, I am.¡± ¡°Graffus!¡± Kreglin said accusingly at his cousin. ¡°You¡¯re just now helping him get set up with an account?¡± Graffus held his hands up defensively, ¡°Hey, hey, to be fair, this is only his third contract, and we¡¯ve been busy! But ah, Xander just recently came into a bit of money, and was asking about investments, which is what brought us here.¡± ¡°¡­ How much is a ¡®bit?¡¯¡± Kreglin asked, suspiciously. Xander looked around, nervously. ¡°Uhm¡­ a platinum?¡± ¡°A PLATINUM?! You¡¯ve been wandering the city with a platinum coin?¡± ¡°Well, I did just get it today, we only stopped by the guild to pick up our payment for a contract before we came here.¡± Kreglin massaged the bridge of his nose. ¡°Oh, Graffus. What have you brought me? Well, I suppose at least you haven¡¯t been walking around with a target on your back for too long. You haven¡¯t told anyone about it, right? Walking around with that kind of coin is just begging to be robbed.¡± ¡°No, no, I haven¡¯t mentioned it to anyone, besides my teammates, who were there when I got paid anyways.¡± ¡°Good. Honestly, I don¡¯t even want to know how you got it,¡± Kreglin said. ¡°First things first, we are taking you to the bank to open an account for you and me to begin your investing, assuming you are accepting me as your broker, yes?¡± ¡°Uhm, yeah. Sure. If Graffus and Atrax are both satisfied, that¡¯s a good enough endorsement for me.¡± ¡°Excellent! Well then, Mister Xander, did I hear that from Graffus correctly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well then, Mister Xander, we shall go to the bank forthright and get that coin off the street and set to making money for us both.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Graffus interjected. ¡°I forgot to mention. Frazay and Gabrelle want to start accounts too.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me they have a platinum coin, too¡­¡± Graffus shrugged. ¡°Probably not?¡± The process of setting up the accounts at the nearby branch of the kingdom¡¯s bank was smoothly navigated by Kreglin, who seemed to know every worker there. He clearly spent time in the establishment. Xander¡¯s platinum coin needed to be verified by the tellers, who had all gathered round, marveling at the rare site. Apparently, coins were embedded with some kind of anticounterfeiting magic which could be checked by the bank. Once that was finished and the coin came back clean, the one thousand gold it was worth was credited to his account. Gabrelle also created her accounts, and Frazay added Kreglin as a manager to her bank account, deciding to invest everything that was stored there. Xander felt much lighter now that the coin was no longer weighing down his metaphorical pockets. He¡¯d had it stashed in his inventory, not his real pocket, of course. The party once more made their way to Robert¡¯s. The innkeeper actually recognized them this time, informing them that they only had space if two of them were willing to double up. Frazay and Gabrelle volunteered, with the promise that next time they needed to double up like that, it wouldn¡¯t be them. They resolved that tomorrow they would make their way back to the guild and look for more contracts. Gabrelle pushed for a contract that would take them farther out from the city, and Xander had agreed with her. He wanted to get to do some more exploring. He¡¯d come to enjoy traveling with his teammates. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it They awoke bright and early the next morning to head to the guild and scope out contracts. At this hour, the guild was not nearly so busy, and all five of them began scouring the noticeboards, looking for anything interesting. Not long into their search, they were interrupted by Gabrelle saying, ¡°Oooh, what about this one, guys?¡± They gathered around Gabrelle, who was pointing at an exploration contract that must have been pinned that day. There was a call for a small team to clear out what was theorized to be some kind of ancient temple far to the South, in the jungles of Krepash. The researchers were already onsite, but the original mercenary contingent had given up after a few attempts at making it past the traps that seemed to fill the temple. That team had left soon after the regular guards for the camp had arrived, leaving the project in limbo. ¡°I think this one would lend itself well to our team,¡± Atrax commented. ¡°But¡­¡± Xander began. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to see the jungle!¡± Gabrelle said, excitedly. ¡°What about¡­¡± Xander started once more. ¡°And Xander should have no problem disarming traps, right Xander?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°Uhmm¡­ Big spiders?¡± He responded. ¡°I mean, yeah. I can disarm traps, I¡¯d think. But¡­ aren¡¯t there giant spiders there?¡± ¡°Yeah, what of it?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°I don¡¯t like giant spiders¡­¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be a baby,¡± Graffus ribbed. ¡°We can handle a few spiders.¡± Xander resolved to actually make a flamethrower during their travels. The contract was pulled from the board, and the clerk at the counter provided them with a slip of paper with details of a river boat that would take them to the coast, where they could take another, larger, boat down the coast of the continent, which Xander still didn¡¯t know the name of, down to Krepash, far outside of the Kingdom of Dardin. All told, it would be roughly two months of travel, but the pay was good enough to justify it. The reward had been increased since the previous team had been unable to complete it. The travel time would also give Xander a chance to work on his flamethrower, or as he was mentally dubbing it, the ¡®Spider Killer 5000,¡¯ as well as various other ideas and projects. The mercenaries took the next day to ensure that they were well supplied with food and any various tools that they felt might be needed. Gabrelle in particular bought a few things beyond just food: a new kit for stitching up wounds, in the case that she was unable to heal them closed, a metal container containing several different wide acting antivenoms, and a very well-made leather pouch that she could place various herbs and plants within. ¡°I hear there are lots of interesting medicinal plants in the jungles of Krepash, so this will be a great opportunity to get some experience in my [Herbalist] class,¡± Gabrelle explained, when Xander had questioned the multipocketed bag. The day after their supply run, they met the captain of the ship that they would be taking down the river, which Xander learned was also named Anlet, though he wasn¡¯t sure if the city was named after the river, or the river after the city, and the mercenaries, their horses, Freyja, and a large amount of raw meat that Xander had bought, were loaded onto the ship. With the permission of the captain, Xander had made a quick detour to a smith and bought several ingots of iron, so that he could make a large, refrigerated metal box for Freyja¡¯s food. The only stipulation to being allowed to build the box on the ship was that he also had to leave it there. Xander expected that this was highly skewed in the captain¡¯s benefit, but he didn¡¯t mind all that much. It was just a box with a hinged lid and some ice runes. It took him less than an hour to make, and he¡¯d save money not having to buy smaller amounts of food at every stop. For her part, Freyja didn¡¯t seem to mind her meat cold, and, in fact, quite liked it frozen on occasion, the solid hunks of meat providing her with an interesting challenge to overcome, distracting her from her boredom of being shipbound. Atrax, of course, spend his time reading, as well as researching temples to the South in some books he¡¯d bought before they left. Frazay mostly occupied herself with bowfishing, having tied some twine to one of her physical arrows, keeping the diet of the mercenaries, and Freyja, more varied. Graffus trained Gabrelle hard. Every day, they were out on the deck of the boat, running through combat drills, or sparring. A few of the sailors and other passengers even began taking up watching their bouts, and Xander saw a few bets here and there placed on when Gabrelle would land a hit on Graffus. After two solid weeks of training multiple hours a day, every day, with no breaks, Gabrelle ended one of the bouts with a cheer. Not only had she finally managed to land a hit on Graffus, tricking him into blocking with a feint before swinging out and catching him in the knee with the stick she was using for training, the achievement of overcoming that block, as well as the vicious training routine, had granted a third class to her: [Follower of the Hammer]. It apparently boosted her abilities with hammers, maces, and other blunt weapons, much like Xander¡¯s [Weapons of War] granted him skill towards the usage of weapons. She also gained some skills that would allow her to imbue her strikes with extra damage and effects. For his part, Xander bent his nose to the grindstone in designing a runically operated flamethrower. The tank itself was simple, being just an aluminum drum that he could strap to his back, with a rubber tube that was clad in more aluminum leading to what was causing him frustration: the actual thrower for his flamethrower. After several days of trial and error, he finally settled upon a design. The device, which would be held from the top by a handle jutting out of it, allowing it to be held against the bottom of the arm, contained a runically powered pump. When a knob was twisted to complete the circuit, the pump, which was essentially a fan with movement runes engraved upon it, would begin to spin, drawing the liquid from the tube into the cavity of the pump, and then out of the narrowed nozzle of the tip of the flame thrower. A small rod with a flame rune that would also activate when the circuit was activated would ignite the fuel as it left the nozzle. A one-way flap valve with a spring that opened when the fluid began to flow out of the nozzle prevented most of the issues he¡¯d had with the fuel slowly dribbling out of the tip when the pump was not being used. There was still a small amount that leaked out after it was turned off, but it no longer leaked the entire time. For fuel, he decided to continue using dragon¡¯s tar. It was sticky already and just the right consistency, and didn¡¯t cost too much for him to fill up the tank with [Improved Creation]. His final test involved him going to the edge of the ship and activating the weapon, causing a stream of flaming dragon¡¯s tar to jet out the nozzle, leaving an oily, fiery trail behind the ship as he drained the entire tank dry. With the power of the pump, which he¡¯d densely engraved with movement runes, and fully powered, and the narrowing of the nozzle increasing he pressure of the fluid, he was able to achieve a range of about seventy five feet with his flamethrower, if he angled it upwards a little. He was quite pleased. Atrax had told him that he would put him out of a job at this rate. The next project Xander wanted to work on, now that he could incinerate any spiders he saw, was improving the resistance of his armor to blunt impacts. The momentum reducing arrays on his armor would surely help, but ever since the incident with the crossbow bolt, he¡¯d been wary of being struck again with so much force. The power a skill could put behind something was insane. The idea he had was to bond his armor with a layer of foam, copied from the foam pads of his ACH, so that the force of a blow taken by his armor would be reduced. It was a quick fix to apply, though he had to rework some sections of his armor due to the fact that it sat further off of his body now. His helmet was designed with suspension already, so it only received padding on the sides. Combat Artificer - 32 Now that he¡¯d completed his immediate ideas, he was feeling rather listless. The ship was quickly becoming confining and boring, and he found himself slipping into depressive spirals of homesickness. His wife would never get any closure for his missing persons case, they¡¯d never find a body because he was still alive, just¡­ not on Earth. Would she ever move on? Had she moved on already? Surely not¡­ It had only been a few months. But what if she had? Round and round Xander¡¯s thoughts chased themselves, and he found himself becoming snappish and withdrawn. Finally, Frazay sat him down and plainly asked him, ¡°Xander, what¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t normally act like this.¡± Xander was taken aback by the question. He¡¯d been trying to keep everything locked up tight, and hadn¡¯t realized that it was so obvious that something was wrong. ¡°I¡­ sorry. You¡¯re right, I¡¯m not acting like I usually do. It¡¯s just¡­ with all this time on the ship, it¡¯s let me do too much thinking. My thoughts keep turning to home, and my wife. I still miss her. I haven¡¯t gotten over the fact that I¡¯m probably never going to see her again. And to her, it must be like I died! But there¡¯s not even a goddamned body to bury¡­ Because I¡¯m still alive, just here instead. Ugh, I have got to find something to do to keep my mind occupied.¡± Frazay put her hand on Xander¡¯s shoulder, comfortingly. ¡°Xander¡­ I¡¯m sorry. We didn¡¯t realize, but I suppose we should have. You¡¯ve mentioned her before, after all. If you ever need, or want, to talk about it, to any of us, we¡¯re here. I might not be able to relate to the experience, but I can at least sympathize and lend an ear. What you went through¡­ it¡¯s not something that a person gets over quickly. If anything, you¡¯ve handled it surprisingly well. And, if it helps to keep busy, then, yeah, you should find something to keep you occupied. Because we were worried about you.¡± ¡°I¡­ thanks. I¡¯m not used to this kind of thing. My friends before, we never really talked about anything like this. But seriously, thank you. Just¡­ letting it out has made me feel a little bit better. I guess it helps, putting words to a problem.¡± Frazay patted his shoulder once more. ¡°Just try not to shut us out,¡± she said, before leaving him back to his thoughts. Xander pondered what he should do to take his mind off of his homesickness. He knew that it wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d just be able to mentally resolve yet. The wound was too fresh, still. He wondered if he¡¯d ever get over it, or if he¡¯d pine after some aspect or other of his life back on Earth for the rest of his life. Wracking his brain for a project that could occupy him, he remembered his idle idea of creating wings when he¡¯d been coming up with ideas for his automaton backpack. He¡¯d had the thought of wings but discarded them as something that would operate better as a runic device. Now that was something that could occupy him. He¡¯d need to think of lightweight but sturdy materials, first, though. He opened his status to check what he had in his [Store] skill from things he¡¯s [Analyze]d. ---You have created devices and runic arrays--- ---[Combat Artificer] leveled to 19--- ---[Rune Lord] leveled to 5--- ---[Combat Artificer] level 19 skills--- [Improved Ferrokinesis] ¨C Strength, distance, and force with which [Ferrokinesis] can be used increased. ---[Rune Lord] Level 5 skills--- [Improved Rune of Shielding] ¨C Damage absorbed by [Rune of Shielding] increased. [Rune Tattoo] ¨C You may manifest runic arrays directly on your body. Huh. Xander had forgotten to check his status after creating that flamethrower, and it must have tipped him over the edge. The boost to [Ferrokinesis] was certainly welcome. [Rune Tattoo]¡­ was interesting. He could think of a use for it immediately, though, as he was expecting that he would need a lot of mana to create the materials he¡¯d need for his wings. After all, he¡¯d remembered that his watch had a body that was made of carbon fiber. He willed a large personal mana gathering array to appear on his chest, and one on his back, stripping his shirt off to take a look. Thin, silver runes had appeared on him, almost looking like metallic threads under the skin. He could feel the mana he¡¯d spent on the skill already rapidly refilling and smiled. Between the two arrays on his body, and the ones on his armor, he should be able to create quite a bit of carbon fiber. Xander spent the next week just sketching out idea and deciding which runes he¡¯d need to use to make the apparatus work. In between sketching out his ideas, he created small sheets of carbon fiber, the modern material quickly draining his mana. By the time they reached the coast, Xander was finally satisfied with his drawings, though he was still not entirely sure it would work. He¡¯d opted for something similar to bird wings, with scales of carbon fiber to act as feathers. Several additional carbon fiber rods would come out from the ¡®shoulder¡¯ of wing the to allow more space for the scale-feathers to be mounted, giving it more lift. The wings would be attached to a harness that would go under his plate carrier. Sequences of intelligence and movement runes would cause the wings, which attached to the harness on a ball and socket joint which would be covered in smoothness runes, to flap up and down. Xander was still unsure how to vary the rate of the flapping, though. Lightness runes, or really, inverse weightiness runes, would adorn every single part of the wings, which, combined with the already lightweight nature of carbon fiber, should hopefully make it nearly weightless. Strengthening runes would also abound, ensuring that the feathers were not ripped off, or any components crack or break. The rest of the first month of their travel, now on a sailing ship, hugging the coast of the continent as they traveled South, Xander spent creating more carbon fiber, and slowly creating the skeleton of the wings. He layered the sheets of carbon fiber in opposing directions, strengthening the already strong material even further. Each inner sheet was engraved with ruby inlaid runes and gathering arrays, while the outer was inlayed with silver which created a multilayered system of runes, a first for Xander. This kind of thing would allow him to fit a huge number of runes in a relatively small space, now that he considered it. He¡¯d probably want to replace his armor with layered carbon fiber, too. Plus, it would look badass, he thought to himself. Testing the wings, now that they were finally in one contiguous piece, proved troublesome. His first iterations had not even lifted him off the ground, though they had created strong gusts of wind. Increasing the number of, and power to the movement runes had worked. His next test, however, found him clutching a rope tied to the mast, as his mechanical carbon fiber wings forcefully flapped, trying to lift him higher. He hadn¡¯t yet worked a way to make them slow down, and that mistake had almost ripped him away from the bounds of the ship¡¯s deck. He¡¯d ended up having to use [Improved Manipulate] to break the sequence of runes on the wings, ending the terrifying ordeal, and dropping him into the sea, where he angrily hoisted himself up to the deck with the rope he was still holding. Another two weeks of testing kept leading him to similar results. He was so close that he refused to give up, but he was becoming increasingly frustrated. How was he supposed to get the runes to follow his commands in such a nuanced way? In a moment of clarity, as he was angrily bashing the wings against a wall, he realized what the issue was. He was creating arrays that would flap in a set pattern, which was enough to lift him off the ground, but offered little to no control, and no variation in the speed or power of the flaps. What he needed was not a set of hard instructions, but something that would respond to his own ¡®touch,¡¯ as it were. Hurriedly, he laid the wings back out on the floor. They were completely undamaged, thanks to the strengthening runes. He began undoing the intelligence runes that originally caused the wings to flap, smoothing them over and peeling back layers of carbon fiber to give him a blank canvas. What he did next was fill the space back up with intelligence runes, but left them, for the most part, with more vague instructions, clustering them for even more ¡®processing¡¯ power, as he thought of it. One cluster would vary the speed of which the movement runes were used to flap depending on how much mana he fed it. Another array would tilt the wings up if he fed it mana, and a separate one would similarly tilt it down. He created as many movements as he could possibly think of, making the wings as close to fully articulated limbs as he could. He¡¯d have to learn to use them like one has to learn to walk, but it would allow him to move the wings with his mind, and the drain on his mana would be negligible, since most of it was powered by existing gathering arrays. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. By the time he was finished re-etching all the runes on the sheets of carbon fiber, it was time for him to go to bed. It was hard for him to sleep, as he kept thinking about different ways he could use the wings, and what might go wrong, maybe he should try this rune there, but eventually, he did fall asleep. As soon as Xander awoke, he was right back to his project, pulling it from his inventory, making his way to the deck, and strapping it onto his torso. Experimentally, he began feeding mana into different arrays. He was able to make the wings flap, wrap around him, stretch out, angle this way and that. It was everything he wanted. Before flying, he spent several hours just¡­ wandering about the deck, getting used to the balance of having wings strapped to his back, opening them, closing them, practicing just about everything he could think of short of actually trying to fly. Finally, he could contain his excitement no longer, and began feeding his mana into the ¡®flap circuit¡¯ as he thought of it. The jet-black wings, covered in silver runic script, unfurled and began flapping, kicking up gusts of air. Soon, he was lifted from the wooden deck of the ship, and still gaining altitude. As always, his teammates and the passengers on the ship¡¯s deck watched his test with interest. Still experimenting, Xander fed more mana into other arrays, angling the wings forward a small amount, giving him some forward momentum, just enough to keep up with the ship, as it had begun to move out from under him. Xander cheered. This was his best test, yet. He lessened the mana flowing he was feeding the flap circuit, slowing the speed at which the wings were beating, and he, ever so slowly, began to drift back onto the deck. He cheered again. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± His teammates cheered along with him, happy to finally see his device succeed, and that Xander had been pulled out of his funk by working on it in the first place. Xander spent the entirety of the next month of travel learning to fly. Between his wings and his automaton backpack, he would no longer need to burden Freyja by riding her, freeing her to make her way next to Xander however she wished. He would also be able to provide air support, hopefully, for his teammates, firing his shotgun, or perhaps even the flamethrower, though the tank would need its placement adjusted, from on high. Between his [Improved Ferrokinesis] and his newly padded armor, he should be able to deal with any traditional arrows and bolts. For more esoteric skills¡­ well, he¡¯d have to get good at dodging, and learning to know when it was better to just stay on the ground. When he opened his status for the first time after creating his wings, he was greeted by a prompt informing him that he¡¯d gained a title. ---For creating an item that many would consider to be a magnum opus, you have received the title [Craftsman]--- The month of travel passed quickly to Xander, who found himself quite taken with his newfound ability to fly. He was sure there would be at least a few other people with skills, or perhaps mounts, that allowed them to fly, but he had yet to see any. Such a thing would surely allow one to dominate a battlefield in a profound way. His companions were happy to see that he did not sink back into a mood once he had finished the wings. For their part, the trip was either leisurely, in the case of Atrax and Frazay, or productive in the case of Graffus and Gabrelle, who continued their training regimen, with Gabrelle now occasionally able to land a blow on Graffus. The port that the ship dropped the mercenaries off at was small, surrounded by only a fishing village. As the ship docked, men, women and even children flocked to the docks, as they began haggling with the sailors and a few merchants that had brought their wares to with them on the ship. The captain likewise was haggling for supplies like fresh water and foodstuffs with the villagers. The mercenaries made their way off the ship and through the crowd, checking the map which they¡¯d been given by the guild with the location of their final destination. The village was marked on the map, but unnamed, and they would need to travel Southeast on the road out from the village for about a week before breaking from the road and following a small trail that had been blazed by the original expedition that led deep into the jungle. The village was quickly left behind by the mercenaries. The landscape they moved through was tropical, with dense foliage on both sides of the road, and mountains far off in the distance. It seemed to remind Freyja of home, and the cat would frequently peel off from the group, since Xander was no longer riding her, to prowl through the tall plants. Occasionally, she would come back with the remains of a small animal that she had managed to catch. Xander alternately walked, hoisted himself onto his spider legs to keep up with the horses, and flew. The time he took flying above his companions, he would spend observing the area for anything interesting or dangerous. He struggled to spot much through the thick blanket of plants and trees, however. Once, he did manage to spot what he thought might have been a wolf spider scuttling through the underbrush, but he wasn¡¯t quite sure. It was alone, and moving away from them, though, so none of his companions were particularly concerned about it once he¡¯d relayed the information to them. After a week of travel, often checking their map and comparing it to noted landmarks, the party did indeed come across a small trail leading off from the path they were on. From this point, it was a three-day trek into the jungle for them to reach the researcher¡¯s camp. As they made their way into the jungle, webbing began to become more and more noticeable. In a few places across the trail it was so thick, they had to pause for Atrax to burn the path clear. Xander considered using his flamethrower, but decided it was a little bit too much of a forest fire risk. The journey ended up taking them an extra day due to the amount of webbing they encountered, but they did find the camp ono that fourth day, still intact. As they walked into the clearing that had been made, Xander noticed two guards hauling the corpse of a large spider out of the way, dropping it in the brush outside the perimeter. More guards were seen cutting down the webbing that constantly accumulated in the jungle area, keeping it from growing too dense. ¡°I knew there¡¯d be giant spiders¡­¡± Xander muttered. The camp was butted up to one end of a large ziggurat. Xander expected that it would be overgrown and crumbling, considering that it was supposed to be an ¡®ancient¡¯ temple, but there was not a single plant growing on the stone sides of the building. That seemed wrong. There were numerous carvings and pictograms that he could see on the side of the temple, and all of them seemed to include spiders. ¡°Great. Spider temple. You bastards dragged me into the spider jungle to the spider temple.¡± Atrax mused over the carvings. ¡°Mmm, could be a temple to one of the gods surrounding fate. They¡¯re often depicted as spiders due to their weaving ability. ¡®The threads of fate,¡¯ is often interpreted literally in imagery like this.¡± ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± Xander said, sulkily. ¡°Spider temple full of traps. Let¡¯s just go talk to the researchers and figure out how to get this place cleaned out.¡± The group met with the lead researcher, a woman looking to be in her mid-twenties. She was dressed pragmatically for the area, in canvas pants and a loose shirt, and introduced herself as Severa. ¡°So, you¡¯re here to clear out the temple? The last group of mercenaries gave up after one of them caught a spike through the leg. Though, I think they also tired of the webbing that infests the damned place.¡± ¡°Fortunately, the webbing won¡¯t be a problem for us,¡± Atrax said, conjuring a small ball of flame in his hand, as if to say ¡®because we can just burn it down.¡¯ It worked better than if Xander had brandished his flamethrower, because the woman would have had no idea what it was. ¡°And traps shouldn¡¯t be much of an issue with our artificer.¡± The woman nodded. ¡°Mm. Sounds like you¡¯re the right set up for this, then. We¡¯ve been getting antsy out here, unable to study anything but the outside of the temple. The guards don¡¯t have any trouble with the spiders out here, but there¡¯s no getting them into the temple. The spiders are ¡®too dense¡¯ and they ¡®don¡¯t want to fall prey to any traps,¡¯¡± the woman said, somewhat mockingly. Xander found it rather hypocritical, considering there was likely no way the woman or other researchers could make it through the temple, either. ¡°So, when can you get started?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make our first foray into the temple today, scope things out,¡± Atrax relayed. Xander groaned quietly. He really didn¡¯t want to do this. Combat Artificer - 33 Standing on top of the ziggurat, which is where the entrance of the temple was, the group looked in at the mass of webbing and eight legged bodies. Many of the spiders were the size of large dogs, while others were more normal sized. Xander didn¡¯t know if they were juvenile giant spiders or just regular ones cohabitating with the giant spiders, and quite frankly, he didn¡¯t care. He¡¯d swapped his wings into his inventory for the large tank that accompanied his flamethrower as they were climbing the stone steps and had asked Atrax if he could test it out on the webs first before the man incinerated them with his skills. Xander turned the knob on the flamethrower to the ¡®ON¡¯ position, and the pump in it whined into life. The nozzle began to spray out dragon¡¯s tar at high speed, which was ignited by the flame rune sticking out in front of the nozzle. The webbing, and spiders, were doused in the sticky, flaming substance, flaming spider scattering as their webs began to catch fire. Xander laughed, crying out, ¡°Burnnnn! Burn you fuckers!¡± ¡°Wow, you really hate spiders, don¡¯t you,¡± Frazay commented. After several more seconds of coating the entire entrance in flaming tar, Xander turned the flamethrower off. ¡°Yes,¡± he said to Frazay. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Once the dragon¡¯s tar had finished burning, the five of them stepped inside, Freyja hesitantly following behind the group. The was no furniture in the room or at least, there was none now. It was just a simple stone entryway which led deeper into the stepped pyramid. The walls depicted many scenes of spiders descending upon men from on high, or weaving complicated webs, often with human victims caught in them. They warily eyed the staircase leading further into the monolithic structure. Traps were on their minds, and each of them was already pulling out light sources. Xander once more unshielded his light rune, Atrax conjured a small ring of flames that followed him around, and Frazay still had her glowing bundle of mushrooms. Gabrelle revealed that she had purchased a small ever-burning torch. The way she explained it made it sound like it was really just a sturdy stick that had been enchanted with illusory flames. Graffus, of course, didn¡¯t need any light. ¡°So, how do we proceed?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°We already know there¡¯s traps from the last group. Xander? Any solutions?¡± ¡°Uhh, if you can spot them then I can definitely peel the walls back to get at any mechanisms or just seal over the holes or pressure plates¡­ but that depends on us seeing them first. Let me think¡­¡± Xander sat and thought for a couple of minutes. He could roll a bunch of metal balls down the stairs¡­ but if they started bouncing then they might miss a pressure plate or some other mechanism. Ah! [Ferrokinesis], that could work. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got it. I¡¯ll make a plate of metal the size of the stairs and use [Ferrokinesis] to press it down on each step to trigger any traps before we get to that spot. How¡¯s that sound?¡± The group agreed that it would be their best option for the stairs, but that they should reassess when they reached the bottom or came to a larger area. So, Xander led the way, levitating a rectangular sheet of steel as far in front of him as he could, which was significantly farther than he was previously able to, thanks to [Improved Ferrokinesis]. Before they went down the steps, Xander pressed the plate down on as many of the steps as he could reach, and then, as he took his first step down, he pressed down on the step that had previously been just out of the reach of [Improved Ferrokinesis]. He heard a small click as he pressed the sheet against the floor and a large spike shot out from the side of the wall. The hole it had been concealed in was cleverly worked into the carvings of the wall, making it look like it was supposed to be there. The spear slowly cranked back into the wall, whatever artifice that powered it clicking and whirring. ¡°Welp, there¡¯s one¡­¡± Xander said. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can neuter this.¡± He made his way down the steps, continuing his routine of pressing new steps with the metal sheet as he did. Reaching the set of steps right above where the spear would deploy, Xander activated the pressure plate again. Once the spear shot out again, Xander reached out and placed his hand on it, using his manipulation ability to sever the spear at the wall. ¡°There,¡± he said. There were three more traps on the set of stairs, two more spike traps in similar configurations to the first, and one that shot an entire line of spikes up through the step. That one had been startling, as they¡¯d deployed and hit his steel sheet with a loud clang, forcing it upward. All were similarly de-spiked by Xander. The next room of the temple, which Xander reckoned was a quarter of the way down the ziggurat, was lined with fresh scorch marks. Covered in a tiled floor, it struck him as stereotypical. I suppose there¡¯s always space for the classics, he thought to himself. ¡°So what do we want to do now?¡± Xander asked. ¡°I suppose we should see how the trap functions,¡± Atrax mused. ¡°Mmm¡­ what if¡­ I did this, instead?¡± Xander placed his hands on the wall outside the room and began using [Improved Manipulation] to push the stone out of the way, creating a tunnel. He was able to manipulate material several feet away from him at this point, though he still struggled to do so without touching some portion of it. His teammates followed him as he simply carved a tunnel around the room. Breaking back into the hallway that could be seen on the other side of the room, Xander dusted his hands off. ¡°You ain¡¯t trying if you ain¡¯t cheating,¡± he said. ¡°No fire traps for us today, thank you very much.¡± Graffus laughed, ¡°You¡¯d make a good miner, ya know? You¡¯re almost as fast as a high leveled [Miner] moving through raw stone.¡± ¡°Almost as fast?¡± Xander asked, impressed, though not at the complement from Graffus, but at the idea that someone could really mine through solid rock at that speed. ¡°Almost,¡± Graffus returned, with a smirk on his face. The second set of stairs proved much longer. Their pace was slow, as Xander was still testing every single step for traps. He was beginning to feel tense, as he¡¯d yet to find one. The worry that somehow, his method would overlook a pressure pad or tripwire began to gnaw at him. He was almost relieved when he finally heard the click of another pressure pad being activated by his sheet. That is, until it was followed, not by spikes or flames or poisoned darts, or, actually anything that Xander could see, but by a sound. A loud sound, the sound of a large, stone object being dropped on top of more stone, echoing from far up the staircase. ¡°Aw fuck, they didn¡¯t!¡± Xander yelled. ¡°I swear to god if this is a giant rock in a tunnel trap I¡¯m going to be pissed. That is so fucking clich¨¦!¡± He turned to his teammates, ordering, ¡°Everyone, get back up against the wall, I¡¯m going to make us a cubby to avoid whatever is coming down the stairs.¡± Working quickly, Xander began hollowing out a portion of wall, which his teammates quickly piled into, squishing together in the relative safety of the small nook. Xander kept eating away at the wall with [Improved Manipulation], providing more space for the mercenaries to get away from whatever it was that they could hear rumbling down the steps, quickly drawing closer. Not thirty seconds later, a huge boulder came rolling down the stairs, passing them in a flash. Another half a minute passed, and they heard a huge, smashing crack as the boulder presumably embedded itself in the doorway at the end of the staircase. The entire temple shuddered slightly, as dust fell from the ceiling in the staircase. ¡°Stupid fucking spider temple.¡± Xander grumbled under his breath. ¡°Stupid Indiana Jones boulder.¡± Louder this time, he complained, ¡°I hate the jungle!¡± ¡°Oh come on,¡± Gabrelle teased him, ¡°You¡¯ve only been once! You can¡¯t judge the whole place just by one¡­ evil spider temple or whatever this is.¡± ¡°I can, and I will!¡± Despite the fact that a boulder had just passed over the steps, Xander insisted on checking for traps as they made their way down the rest of the stairs. He was gratified by the discovery of several more traps, which, instead of shooting out spears, seemed instead designed to trip people as they were running from the boulder. Various metal rods at shin height were projected from the wall when the trap was activated, spaced far enough away that they would catch the legs of anyone running down the steps. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Reaching the bottom of the steps, they discovered that the boulder had indeed lodged itself in the doorway. Anyone who managed to outrun both the bolder and the trip-traps would be trapped in there, unless they had a way to get through a multi-ton boulder. Fortunately, the mercenaries did. Tunneling through the boulder in the same manner he¡¯d tunneled around the tiled trap room, they were met with the largest room yet. The dry rotted remains of pews and other seats lined most of the room. The only noticeable feature left in the room was a large, stone altar upon a raised dais. Looking harder at the altar, Xander noticed that several large cracks ran down the sides of it, as if it had been struck with a great blow. He felt a tug on his status and opened it. ---[Quest] has been provided with a task--- ---Current [Quest] task: restore the altar. Patron: Yrrilm, Goddess of Fate, Weaver of fortunes both grand and desolate. Reward: ?--- Xander held his hand up to alert his companions. ¡°I just got a quest,¡± he whispered. ¡°Wait, why am I whispering?¡± Xander asked himself more loudly. ¡°A quest?¡± Gabrelle asked, confused. ¡°It¡¯s one of my [Godsmarked] things,¡± Xander explained. Sometimes, a uh, a god, will give me a task. Wow, that sounds way more profound when I say it out loud.¡± ¡°You get tasks directly from the gods?¡± She asked in amazement. ¡°Sometimes, yeah. Just hasn¡¯t happened in a little while. That¡¯s actually how I got Freyja. The patron goddess of cats asked me to rescue her.¡± Freyja yowled in response to the mention of her rescue. ¡°I just¡­ wow. Like messages from the gods. Wait, which one is this for?¡± ¡°Uhm, I hope I¡¯m saying this right, it¡¯s from Yrr¡­ilm? Yrrilm? My status called her the ¡®Goddess of Fate, Weaver of fortunes both grand and desolate.¡¯ A collective shudder ran through the group. ¡°What,¡± Xander asked, anxiously. ¡°Is that bad?¡± ¡°No, not necessarily bad, exactly,¡± Atrax began explaining. ¡°But¡­ Yrrilm has a bit of a reputation. It¡¯s generally understood that she is responsible for weaving death into one¡¯s fate. So¡­ there are a lot of stories and myths, most of which end tragically.¡± ¡°Oh. That¡¯s kind of scary¡­ I guess I should stay on her good side then, right?¡± Xander asked his teammates. ¡°Yeah, that would probably be for the best,¡± Frazay responded. ¡°What are you supposed to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to fix the altar.¡± ¡°Oh, well you can do that, right?¡± Graffus asked. ¡°I mean, I assume so. Still have to make it over there without getting skewered though. But ideally it will be a simple fix.¡± Making his way closer to the altar, still probing the floor with his sheet, Xander began to see that the altar would, in fact, not be a ¡®simple fix.¡¯ The entire surface of the altar was covered in runes and imagery of a goddess that he assumed must be Yrrilm. It had indeed been shattered, the point of impact in the center of the flat top of the altar spreading cracks throughout the object. ¡°Okay, this might take me longer¡­ This thing is just¡­ absolutely covered in runes. Come to think of it, I¡¯d bet that whatever was keeping the traps powered might be runes, as well.¡± ¡°What do you need to fix it?¡± Atrax asked him, stopping his casual perusal of the bas reliefs of the walls of the room now that it had been cleared of traps. ¡°Technically, nothing, as long as I can find all the pieces. I can already see that there are a few missing, maybe scattered across the room. If I can¡¯t find them, then I¡¯ll have to really do some thinking and try to recreate the runes on the altar for the portions we can¡¯t find. Would you all mind looking for any pieces of this thing, while I start melding it back into one piece?¡± Xander¡¯s companions thankfully agreed to help him look for pieces of the altar that might be scattered around the room. Soon, he had a small pile of promising chunks of stone, a few of which definitely had portions of runic script on them. Looking at the piece as a whole, he had no idea what effect the runes would create. He recognized gathering arrays, some movement runes, even a few light runes, but many were a mystery to him. So began a very frustrating 3D puzzle. Xander could perfectly meld the stone back together, and had done so for the majority of the altar, binding the runes back together and reconnecting their circuits. Now, he was trying to figure out where all these little pieces were supposed to go. He had to take several breaks, to allow himself time to calm down from the frustration of the task. Several hours later, he had placed all the pieces they had been able to find that had runes on them, but a few spots were still missing. Xander angrily expelled air through his clenched teeth. ¡°There¡¯s still a few spot missing¡­ I¡¯m going to have to spend some time researching this, and figuring out what all these runes mean so that I can fill in the blanks. I¡¯ll take a rubbing of the altar and then we can go back up. It¡¯s probably past dark already, and I could use some sleep at this point, before I begin banging my head against the wall.¡± As the group agreed with him, they all began heading back up the stairs. Just before he left the room, Xander turned around and said to the empty air, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not abandoning the quest¡­ just taking a break to do some research so I can finish.¡± Climbing their way back up was much faster than coming down had taken them, and as they reached the top of the ziggurat once more, they saw that it was indeed dark in the jungle. They heard a few shouts from the guards on shift as their lights shone from the top of the structure, hailing their return. They were met halfway down the stairs that led down the outside of the temple by the lead researcher, who still hadn¡¯t given the mercenaries her name. Xander always hated being treat like he was nothing more than hired help. ¡°Is it clear? Can we go in?¡± She asked eagerly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s clear,¡± Atrax said, tiredly. The relayed what they had encountered during their exploration of the temple. The lead researcher appeared slightly upset about the fact that Xander had tunneled through the stone of the temple, as well as the giant rock striking the wall and lodging itself in a doorway. Apparently, she was concerned that the structure of the temple would be compromised, though the thing seemed pretty damned sturdy to Xander. ¡°Our runic expert here had taken it upon himself to try and repair the altar that was on the lowest floor,¡± Atrax explained to the woman, gesturing at Xander. ¡°He¡¯s very keen to see what the array will do once it¡¯s been recreated.¡± The woman had raised her eyebrows at ¡®runic expert.¡¯ ¡°You can do runes?¡± she asked quizzically. ¡°And you decided to be a mercenary?¡± Xander shrugged. ¡°I like the lifestyle, what can I say.¡± The five mercenaries, and Freyja, who was still quietly tagging along, made their way back to the confines of the camp. Xander could tell that Freyja was itching to get out into the forest and do some hunting, so Xander gave her permission, with the caveat that she shouldn¡¯t go too far off, and not to get stuck in any spider webs. The five of them then ate a short dinner and retired to sleep, setting up their tents in a free space within the camp. Xander pulled his armor into his inventory, freeing himself from its weight, though with his increased strength score, he barely even noticed it anymore. He pulled out the rubbing he¡¯d taken of the altar, made with a huge single piece of paper he¡¯s used [Improved Creation] to make, and began studying the massive array. The thing was complicated beyond belief, far more advanced than anything he¡¯d ever created, except perhaps, for his wings, which if the sheets of carbon fiber were flattened out, might exceed the size of the array on the altar. Xander delved into his [Rune Master¡¯s Library] skill and began the arduous process of identifying runes. Scribbling out notes and descriptions on his giant sheet of paper, Xander eventually fell asleep, pencil still in hand. Fortunately for him, he did not drool on the paper, and so avoided ruining his rubbing. Xander woke up the next morning with a sore neck from his awkward sleeping position. After a stretch and some breakfast, he moved back to his proverbial grindstone, staring at the sheet. It ended up taking him three entire days of research with his [Rune Master¡¯s Library] skill to identify each rune. He still had no idea what the array actually did, but he was starting to get some ideas, as well as thoughts on what runes might be able to complete the missing portions of the altar. There was a great deal of symmetry to the array, and that was allowing him to fill in several of the gaps without actually having to know what the array did, as he could copy from other non-damaged sections. However, there was one segment near the center that did not have a copy elsewhere on the array. Xander spent another two days just theorizing what the array was supposed to do. Tracing each rune to the ones they were connected in sequence to, he deduced that many of the runes were designed to attract¡­ something. There was no clear rune that was tied to the attraction array. He was also still unsure what the light runes were for. Perhaps they were purely cosmetic? But he got the gist of it, if not the purpose or the material to be attracted. It appeared to be some kind of array that would attract something, some kind of nonphysical energy that wasn¡¯t mana, and collect it. What it was used for afterwards, he had no idea. He supposed the Goddess must use it, if she wanted it fixed. But judging by the context he was picking up around the design of the array, and the few bits of runes that were visible on the edge of the damaged center portion, he managed to research what they might be. They looked like storage runes. Which intrigued Xander. He hadn¡¯t know storage runes were a thing until now. Would he be able to create mana batteries with this? The little information he did get from the library skill on the rune seemed to suggest not. Instead, it seemed more that it¡­ warped the space around it. Perhaps he could make a bag that was bigger on the inside than the outside. He¡¯d heard of those amongst the chatter of the guild, and apparently, they were as expensive as they were desired by adventurers. Xander shook his head, clearing his thoughts. The runes he needed to carve were almost certainly storage runes. He just had no idea what they were storing. He supposed he didn¡¯t need to, to fix the altar. Satisfied, he gave himself a mental pat on the back for finally figuring everything out, and went to go inform his companions. Combat Artificer - 34 Soon enough they were all down in the bottom most room of the temple, though they were not alone. Several researchers were poring over the carvings on the wall and taking rubbing of the more interesting sections. The mercenaries ignored them and headed straight towards the altar. Xander took some rubble from the boulder that had crashed into the doorway, and spread it out over the alter, using it to fill in the last few imperfections in its surface. Xander leaned over the altar carefully etching the repaired, but still blank patches. Then, he connected those patches to the array as a whole. He immediately felt the tug on his status as soon as he finished the last connection and opened it. ---[Quest] task successfully completed--- ---Reward from Yrrilm dispensing--- A pressure fell upon the room, and the lights seemed to dim. The ceiling felt lower than it had before, and the walls closer. And it wasn¡¯t just Xander who experienced it. His teammates, and the researchers looked about, disturbed and frightened. A whisper reached Xander¡¯s ears. You have restored my altar according to my wishes. You have my thanks, mercenary and [Godsmarked]. Before I bestow upon you your gift, I would request that you have the room emptied. ¡°Hey guys,¡± Xander called to his teammates, who were still looking around, trying to find the source of the presence that was weighing down the room. ¡°I need everyone out. Now, preferably,¡± he added, anxiously. His teammates began to herd the researchers out of the room and up the stairs. They were all too eager to have any excuse to leave the heavy feeling room. It was only a short time until the room was empty except for Xander, standing a short distance away from the altar. Excellent, the whisper returned. Now, you shall be granted a small piece of knowledge, seen through a sight that only my most devoted have witnessed. Perhaps one day they shall return to this temple of mine. Observe the altar. Xander watched the alter, confused and a little bit frightened. The channels of the rune began to slowly fill with a deep violet glow, creeping towards the center of the altar and the array. The room filled with the glow, and he heard questioning voices from outside the doorway. ¡°Stay out!¡± he called to his team and the researchers, unwilling to look away from the altar, stricken with a feeling of morbid fascination. As the purple reached the light runes, there was a flash of more purple light, and there, in the air above the storage runes, a rune which he¡¯d never seen before was somehow projected by the light runes. It¡­ hurt to look at. It really hurt. Xander tried to look away, and found that he couldn¡¯t. The pain increased, and he realized belatedly that he had begun to scream. He felt¡­ something inside of him tearing. Suddenly, it was over. He collapsed to his knees as the purple glow disappeared, leaving only the torches that had been set up in the room to illuminate the room once again. He teammates had rushed into the room as soon as the glow had faded. They were circled around him, but he was having trouble hearing them through the sound of blood rushing in his ears. He felt dizzy. Finally, the spell passed, and his hearing slowly shook his head, staggering back up to his feet. ¡°Xander? Xander, are you okay?¡± Gabrelle¡¯s voice faded back into his hearing. His teammates were all looking at him, worried. ¡°I¡­ yeah. Yeah I think I¡¯m okay.¡± He answered after taking a moment to collect himself. ¡°What happened?¡± Frazay asked, insistently. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m not sure¡­ Yrrilm spoke to me, said that she¡¯d show me something. Then, the array began to glow purple¡­ and a rune appeared.¡± Thinking back to the rune, Xander somehow instinctively knew exactly what it meant. It was the rune for soul. Which meant¡­ the array designed to attract, the movement runes, the storage arrays. The altar was designed to literally rip the soul from someone, and somehow, it was stored and then channeled back to the goddess. He skittered backwards, further away from the altar. ¡°Get the hell away from that thing,¡± he urged his team. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous! I know what it does now, that was the final piece she showed me¡­ that thing, the altar, it¡¯s capable of taking your soul!¡± He¡¯d continued backing away from the stone altar, fearing that it might activate again. His teammates followed him, needing no more urging after they¡¯d felt the presence in the room of the goddess to leave. Xander caught his breath outside the room, leaning his back against the stone wall as the researchers and his teammates looked at him, concerned. He¡¯d begun to hyperventilate, and he took some time to force himself to breathe deeply. He had broken into a cold sweat, and he was still shivering slightly from the mixture of fear, panic, and adrenaline that had coursed through him. ¡°The soul?¡± Atrax asked, gently. ¡°Are you sure? That is¡­ extremely powerful, and extremely dangerous magic.¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± Xander answered. ¡°I¡¯m absolutely certain that that is what the altar is designed for. To what purpose, I don¡¯t know. But¡­ I felt it almost take my own before it stopped. And that rune I saw, hanging above the altar. Somehow, it projected the rune when it was activated. It was the rune for ¡®soul,¡¯ and combined with the rest of the array, when it¡¯s active, it¡¯s designed to¡­ attract the soul, and then store it at the altar. Presumably for the Goddess to use, somehow? I don¡¯t, I don¡¯t know. I just know that that room is a death trap. If it ever activates again, it will probably kill anyone who¡¯s in there. I think the only reason I didn¡¯t die is because Yrrilm deactivated the runes before it could finish killing me. I could feel it, straining and almost ripping out of my body.¡± Gabrelle put her hands to her mouth horrified, and the rest of his teammates looked grim. ¡°Well, we¡¯re done here,¡± Atrax said, gently, ¡°so there¡¯s no need for us to ever go back in there¡­ alright Xander?¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah, okay. Let¡¯s uh, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± He looked at the researchers, some of whom were looking back into the room quizzically. ¡°If you want to go back in there, I can¡¯t stop you. Well, I could. But I won¡¯t. But just know¡­ you¡¯ll never get me in the same room as that thing ever again.¡± Most of the researchers opted to return to the surface with the mercenaries. Two, however, had decided that they would continue investigating the altar. Xander hoped they would be okay. He had no idea how the array would normally be activated without the intervention of a Goddess. They quickly gathered their things, packed up their tents, and informed the lead researcher of Xander¡¯s discovery. Much to his frustration, the woman was more interested than horrified. She was quite miffed that Xander refused to divulge the soul rune to her. He¡¯d point blank refused, stating that attempting to artificially add the rune to the array, even while it was not active, could easily kill everyone in the room, or possibly even further in distance than that. They quickly left the area, all the mercenaries eager to put distance between the place and them. Somehow, the spider infested jungle they¡¯d have to camp in that night felt more welcoming than the temple did. Throughout the next week of travel, Xander would wake up in a cold sweat, panicked, the vision of the rune hanging over the altar lingering in his mind¡¯s eye even after he¡¯d awoken. The frequency of the nightmares lessened after that first week, but during their travels, as they began sailing back towards the Kingdom of Dardin and Anlet, he would still occasionally wake to the same dream. When Xander next checked his status, he saw that he had obtained a new title. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ---You have seen something of the beyond and learned from it. Title granted: [Edge Watcher]--- On their third week of sailing, Xander realized that he had, one, become somewhat obsessed with the soul rune, constantly turning it over in his head, and two, his greatest fear had become having his soul ripped out of his body and stored somewhere to be used as someone, or something, else¡¯s leisure. He needed to conquer both issues, or he knew they¡¯d eat away at him, and he¡¯d never stop having the nightmares. Even if he did, he thought that he still might awake some nights with that scene replaying in his head. He got to work immediately, falling back into his coping mechanism of distracting himself with creation. He pondered what exactly it was that he wanted to do with the rune, but in the back of his head, he already knew. He wanted an array that would bind to his own self, keep his soul tethered to his proximity, so that it could never be ripped away from him like that ever again. The next problem was where the array should go. Xander decided on his mask, for two reasons. One, it was the only portion of his armor that he had not made with [Improved Creation], meaning it would persist even when away from him, and two, he wanted to replace his steel armor with carbon fiber anyways, and he didn¡¯t want to have any kind of transition period where he¡¯d be without his new soul safety tether. Gabrelle had been frequently visiting Xander throughout the trip, taking any opportunity to speak with him. Often, she visited him in his room as he planned out his sequences of runes that would go onto the mask. He was actually beginning to worry that she had developed a crush on him, until one day she confided in him her reason for visiting so often. ¡°Xander, I was really worried about you¡­ I¡¯ve never seen you like that. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anyone so frightened of something before. To be honest, I¡¯m still a little worried about you. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Xander repaid her honesty in kind. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I really am, Gabrelle. I almost had my soul ripped out of my body. How do you even begin to cope with that? I¡¯m trying though. I¡¯m terrified of it happening again, I never want to feel anything pulling at me like that ever again. That¡¯s actually what I¡¯m working on now¡­ a way to use the soul rune to anchor my soul to myself so that nothing can ever do that to me again.¡± Gabrelle nodded. ¡°I understand, I think. Well, I don¡¯t, of course. I¡¯ve never experienced something so awful. But I understand feeling the need for protection from something before you can begin to really process things. I uh, I felt a bit like that on the night that you stopped that intruder at the Huraven estate. I¡¯d never, and I mean never seen a wound so fresh and so¡­ grisly. And I remember thinking to myself, ¡®If this is the kind of thing that people with combat skills and classes can do, what hope do I ever have in a fight? How can I be a mercenary?¡¯¡± She paused, taking a breath. ¡°It¡¯s the real reason I wanted to take lessons from Graffus. I wanted to have some kind of assurance, anything at all, that if I ever ended up against someone with skills like that, that I wouldn¡¯t just die. Like, immediately die. That¡¯s what I felt like, like if I were to ever face off with someone who had a combat class with my [Medic] and [Herbalist] skills, I would be snuffed out like a candle.¡± Xander nodded. It was probably true. The difference of scale between what someone with damage related skills and what someone without them could do to each other was massive. ¡°But, now that I have my [Follower of the Hammer] class, I just, I feel so relieved. It might still only be at level one since we haven¡¯t had to opportunity to fight anything, but just knowing that I have some level of protection now with my own combat class¡­ it¡¯s let me sleep a lot better. So if that array helps you start to not feel afraid, I think you should do it.¡± Xander nodded again. He understood completely what she meant. In this line of work, he would be more surprised if not having a combat class didn¡¯t elicit a sense of existential dread. And it lined up very similarly to how he felt. Once he finished this soul protection circuit of runes, he too would, hopefully, be able to sleep better. ¡°Thanks Gabrelle,¡± Xander offered sincerely. ¡°I really mean it. Being able to talk it out like this has helped me more than I thought it would. Oh, and, since you have your combat class now¡­ let me know if you ever want a new weapon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Xander. I¡¯m just glad to know that you¡¯re working through things in your own way. As for my mace, well¡­ it¡¯s a bit of a sentimental piece,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°After all, it was made by my favorite [Artificer].¡± Just before they reached the port in the Kingdom of Dardin where they would swap to a caravan that would be headed upriver, Xander decided he was ready to implement his plan to protect his soul. He¡¯d also begin replacing his armor. He¡¯d managed to save up quite a stockpile of carbon fiber while he was researching the best way to lay out his newest runic protection. He decided that it would be carved on the inside of the mask, as he had not engraved the inside of any of his armor yet. The main array would take up the entirety of the forehead area, while the rest of the inside of the skull mask out contain gathering arrays to provide as much power as possible to the circuit. He¡¯d spent so much time researching and thinking over it, that etching the runes came easily to him. He opted to use the gold he¡¯d taken what felt so long ago from the bandits outside of Anlet to fill these runes with. That way, not even the inlay would degrade on the mask. The final touch to the array was something to represent himself, connected directly to the soul rune. He carefully etched the X that he had chosen as his maker¡¯s mark and connected it to the soul rune. He didn¡¯t see anything happen, he didn¡¯t feel any different. But he could feel the mana flowing through the array, just like all of his arrays when he focused on them. That alone was enough for him. He felt confident that it would work. He breathed a sigh of relief, and tension that he hadn¡¯t even realized he was carrying slowly fell away from his neck, chest, and shoulders. Xander spent the next five days of travel, of which there would be roughly twenty-five more, creating his new carbon fiber armor. The layers would each include different functions, though some ended up being duplicates to make it a little thicker. He decided that the extra space afforded by the layered construction would give him the opportunity to incorporate the elemental resistance arrays that he¡¯d toyed with before. Each piece of armor would include three sheets of strengthening runes, two sheets of momentum reduction arrays, and a sheet each of personal gathering runes and frost, fire, lightning, and earth protection arrays. The final outside layer would be composed of silencing runes, making the armor completely silent. Xander tried to speak out of his new helm the first day he¡¯d finished it and found that it also completely silenced his voice. He¡¯d had to go back and remove a small portion of the runes around his mouth area so that he could speak. All in all, he was quite proud of the armor. It was jet black, with silver engraving, just like his wings. Even the brass mask had had layers of carbon fiber molded over it, keeping the original shape of the skull, but providing additional protection. As a set, especially with the wings, he felt the armor looked quite intimidating. And the completely silent nature of it had led him to startling people more than once when he was wearing it, coming up behind them and trying to get their attention, and forgetting that he made no noise doing so. Frazay had tried to elbow him one time when he¡¯d startled her from behind, and Gabrelle had to heal the bruise it left, she hit him so hard. He¡¯d hardly even felt the impact, though. Encased in his suit of carbon fiber, able to fly, and with his soul firmly anchored in place, he felt safer than he had in a long while. He took to flying again, though not to scout. He simply enjoyed the activity. It felt so freeing to not have to walk, to be able to soar above everyone. The drain it caused on his mana was completely offset by the additional regeneration provided to him by his personal gathering arrays. At this point, between his levels and stats increasing his total mana, and his regeneration being off the roof, he was able to create ammunition easily, even on the fly, as the spent mana refilled quite quickly. Xander was lazily drifting through the sky above the caravan, pondering other ways he could use the soul rune, what contract they¡¯d be taking next, just letting his mind wander, enjoying the sound of the wind as it rushed over him, when his thoughts were interrupted by an arrow slamming into his torso. The impact was reduced by his arrays, and the rest was absorbed by the foam padding lining the armor, but it was still enough to throw him off course. He¡¯d never been struck by anything while he was flying, and he found himself struggling to regain control, finally doing so significantly closer to the ground. When his wings finally unfurled and he caught himself in the air, he was greeted by the sight of the caravan being raided. A few of the wagons had caught fire, possibly from Atrax, who was throwing fireballs as highwaymen vainly fired arrows at the fire mage. Occupied as he was with the bandit archers, who were taking cover behind an embankment that lined the road on the side of the river, he was unable to stop the rush of men, and dwarves, that was flowing towards the caravan from the other side of the road, from a copse of trees. Combat Artificer - 35 He could hear screaming already, and several members of the caravan were dead, having been struck by the arrows of the bandits. The families that were traveling with the caravan sheltered as best they could, crawling under carts or hiding behind crates in the wagons themselves. He estimated that there were at least thirty of the marauders, not including the archers, and they were making a dead sprint towards the caravan. The few guards of the caravan were forming up to make their stand and meet the bandits, giving the rest of the caravan members as much time as they could give to escape. He saw his companions, minus Atrax, hurrying to join the guards, drawing their weapons. Frazay began firing immediately, her immaculate skill with the bow allowing her to make shots at an unbelievable distance, and her skills began to activate in the crowd of bandits. Xander noticed the same vines that had grown on the bone giant taking root around the bandits caught in the skill¡¯s path, wrapping around legs, arms, and torsos alike as they hacked at the roots to break free. Still more feel to Frazay¡¯s fire, not all the arrows bearing a skill. Xander decided that he¡¯d best get to helping too, and began to fly towards the bandits, swooping low over them. Fifteen feet above the bandits, he released a grenade amongst the throng, activating it by channeling mana into the flame rune set into the inside, causing it to detonate and throw shrapnel throughout the crowd. A secondary explosion from [Explosive Effect] rocked the area, annihilating the small crowd of bandits that Xander had bombed. But that group was only a small portion, the bandits having scattered to better counteract Frazay¡¯s skills, and there were still at least fifteen of them as they clashed with the guards. From the air, Xander noticed a couple of the caravan guards knocked to the ground as they were hit full tilt by a bandit charging into their lines. Distressingly, he also saw Gabrelle knocked to the ground as well. Frazay had disengaged and moved back from the line once the bandits drew near, and Graffus stood unshaken, hammering any exposed bandits. Xander flapped his wings, bringing him as close to the melee as he could, casting [Improved Rune of Shielding] on Gabrelle¡¯s prone form before casting [Reactive Armor] on himself as he crashed into a bandit at the edge of the fray. He¡¯d been going too fast in his attempt to get within range of Gabrelle, so landing smoothly wasn¡¯t really an option. Though Xander couldn¡¯t see it, the sword that was swinging down towards Gabrelle rebounded several inches from her head, deflected by a blue glow, giving her time to roll to her feet and properly engage the man that had bowled her over. Xander untangled himself from the bandit he¡¯d smashed into, viciously hammering his gauntleted fist into the man¡¯s face as he did so, disorienting the bandit. As the man tried to scramble away and wipe the blood from his eyes, Xander caved his head in with his mace, which had materialized in his hands, along with his shield. He caught sight of the large, armored form of Freyja batting a man clean off his feet, chest shredded wide open from her claws before another figure confronted him. Xander was faced with a wild-eyed man wielding two axes. Raising his shield defensively, he activated his [Automaton] skill, feeling the backpack forming, the straps sliding across his armor and binding the automaton to him, while he waited for the man to attack. As soon as the man rushed him, he commanded his automaton arms to open wide. As all eight of the machine¡¯s arms sprang to life and opened wide, the bandit hesitated. That hesitation cost him his life, as Xander swung at him with a [Shock and Awe] charged strike from his mace while he¡¯d frozen for a second. The bandit recovered in time to bring up one of his axes in an attempt to block the strike, but the combination of runes and the skill powering the strike of the mace shattered the wooden haft of axe before continuing on and burying the mace in his chest. Xander put his foot to the now dead bandit¡¯s waist and yanked the mace out of its fleshy prison. Looking around, he noticed that the bandits at the edge of the group were fleeing. No longer faced with a bandit to fight himself, Xander opted to help clean up the few remaining fights, teaming up with the other guards and his groupmates to finish the last few bandits that were locked in combat. Gabrelle had managed to dispatch her opponent, and linked up with Xander as he was moving to relieve Graffus, who was currently fending off three bandits on his own. The numbers now evened, the highwaymen quickly fell. Xander quickly checked the field again. He caught a few more glimpses of the bandits fleeing through the trees before they disappeared from sight. The archers must have also fled, as he heard no more sounds of combat, only the weeping of scared children and distraught families mourning any loved ones that had been killed or injured in the ambush. Xander was confirmed correct about the archers having left when Atrax joined them, informing them of that exact thing. ¡°Should we follow after them?¡± Xander asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother,¡± Graffus said. ¡°We won¡¯t be seeing them again. With how many we took out, it¡¯ll be a long time before they¡¯re able to try anything serious again. Besides, we¡¯re needed here.¡± He gestured to the disheveled caravan as people rushed about, filling buckets from the nearby river to put them out. Gabrelle nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll start triaging and healing those who can still be helped,¡± she said, trotting off to the first wounded figure she saw. ¡°What do we do?¡± Xander asked Graffus. ¡°Stay close. Provide strength for the people who can¡¯t fight for themselves. They need to feel protected now, more than ever. And, we can clear the bodies out of the way.¡± The dwarf grabbed the ankles of a dead bandit and began dragging it away from the caravan. Xander figured it was probably the most useful thing he could do in the moment and reached down to grab the corpse¡¯s arms and help Graffus carry it. As he touched the body, he felt a familiar feeling in his status sheet. [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] was activating. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± he groaned. ¡°Graffus, [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] just activated. Drop the body.¡± They both dropped the corpse back to the ground as the familiar vortex began to drag bandit corpses into its maelstrom, shredding them into their constituent parts with horrifying, crunchy, wet noises. A few onlookers, Gabrelle included, having come to see what the commotion was about, vomited from the sight. After five corpses had been consumed, the magical bandit blender stopped, and in the place of the swirling viscera, a backpack appeared, slowly falling to the ground. Xander looked at it, confused. ¡°A¡­ backpack?¡± He reached down and picked it up. ---[Heaven¡¯s Bounty] has created an object: Greed¡¯s Reward--- There was no other information about the backpack, beyond the fact that it was, for some reason, named. Xander hesitantly opened it, to find that it was empty, though the inside was spacious and lined with many interior pockets. ¡°It¡¯s empty¡­ weird. It¡¯s just a backpack from what I can tell. Nothing magic about it, other than it¡¯s origin.¡± Gabrelle had finished heaving, and was slowly making her way towards Xander and Graffus. ¡°What¡­ What was that?¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Another ¡®marked thing,¡± Graffus said, thumbing towards Xander. ¡°Uhhh, it happens sometimes when I touch a body. They occasionally get turned into items. It¡¯s weird. And no, I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s so¡­ gross. Here, have a backpack.¡± Xander tossed the empty canvas and leather back to Gabrelle, who caught it awkwardly, and then, fully realizing where it came from held it away from her. ¡°Eww! It¡¯s made of people! I don¡¯t want it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not made of people! I think. The people were just¡­ consumed as fuel to manifest it? Anyways, it¡¯s all yours, I sure don¡¯t need another backpack,¡± Xander said. ¡°But¡­¡± Gabrelle let out, but was interrupted by Xander. ¡°Come one Graffus, let¡¯s haul the rest of this trash out of here.¡± Gabrelle steeled herself and looked in the bag. It was clean, empty, and had plenty of pockets for her herbs. ¡°Well¡­ it is a nice bag¡­¡± she said to herself. The rest of the month-long trip back to Anlet proved to be uneventful. Xander provided daily showers for the caravan as a small way to cheer up some of the glum families that had lost a loved one in the ambush and raid. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was at least something. The party arrived back in Anlet, happy to be done with their exploration contract. Entering the guild hall, the air was different than it was the previous times that they¡¯d visited. It was just as busy as it usually was, but things were quieter, more subdued. As they reached the counter to receive their payment, Frazay leaned forward and asked the clerk, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t heard?¡± The clerk asked in amazement. ¡°No, we¡¯ve just got back from an exploration contract,¡± Frazay answered. ¡°Ohhh, I see. Well, you ought to know, we, that is, the Kingdom of Dardin, is officially at war. Have been for nearly two months now. The northern kingdom of Thrask, the bastards, have invaded. They¡¯ve been eying our farmland for years, and now they¡¯ve decided that they aren¡¯t willing to pay for the crops anymore. As I¡¯m sure you know¡­ the king reserves the right to draft any individual into the kingdom¡¯s army. That means that if things start to go poorly, well¡­ who do you think the first people that will get drafted are? People like you, who have real, concrete combat experience and the skills to go with it, that¡¯s who. It¡¯s got everyone down, I doubt there¡¯s a mercenary hall in the country that¡¯s not looking like this right now.¡± ¡°Dardin is at war?¡± Xander asked anxiously of his teammates after they¡¯d left the guild. ¡°So it would seem,¡± Atrax said grimly. ¡°Do you really think the kind would draft us?¡± Gabrelle asked. ¡°I¡¯ve only seen it once before, but it was before my time as a mercenary¡­¡± Atrax answered. ¡°If things start to go poorly for Dardin¡¯s armies, I don¡¯t think the kind would hesitate to draft every mercenary that is a citizen of the kingdom that he can get his hands on. We¡¯d either have to flee to another kingdom and hope to gain citizenship there, or be branded as deserters.¡± ¡°Thrask is a large kingdom,¡± Graffus commented. ¡°It¡¯s a hard, cold land. The folk are tough up there. They¡¯ll support any bid for their king to grab better farmland. Considering the size disparity between Thrask and Dardin¡­ we should be making preparations for war, ourselves,¡± he said grimly. The five of them stayed at their usual inn, Robert¡¯s, and reconvened at a table for dinner. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll split us up if we get drafted?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Doubtful,¡± Graffus answered. ¡°The king¡¯s army knows that mercs work best in teams, so they¡¯ll likely draft teams as a whole, and have us supporting a company of regular soldiers. With our well rounded team, the variety of area of effect attacks we have, as well as the fact that we have a healer on our roster¡­ I expect we¡¯ll be quite appealing to the crown.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Xander cursed. ¡°And there¡¯s nothing we can do about it?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re not tied to this land like we are, Xander,¡± Gabrelle said, ¡°But I grew up in this city. My parents live here. If the crown calls, I¡¯ll answer. I¡¯ll be damned if I see Anlet burned.¡± Xander looked at each of his teammates in turn, seeing a resolve to defend their homeland that he didn¡¯t share. ¡°I see¡­¡± He said, finally. ¡°Well, I might have a home here in this land, at least not yet, but I¡¯ll go where you go. If one of us goes, we all go,¡± He said with finality. He raised his mug of ale. ¡°If one goes, we all go,¡± they echoed back, bringing their mugs together. ¡°I think,¡± Atrax said between sips of his drink, ¡°That we should wait before we take on any more contracts. We have enough in our pockets to stay here for some time, and I¡¯d like to hear more news from the front before taking another contract.¡± A month passed before they heard news, and Xander did not spend his time idly. His first idea had been that he might be fighting more highly leveled skill users. If Dardin began drafting it¡¯s mercenary citizens, then surely Thrask would begin doing so as well. What would he do if he came up against someone with defenses like him? He needed something that could provide overwhelming force to overcome any armor he encountered. So, he set out to design something that would likely defeat even his own armor: a runic gauss rifle. Using a levitation rune to keep a one-inch diameter steel ball floating in the center of the barrel, a dense array of movement runes lining every inch of the layered carbon fiber barrel would propel the steel ball from its resting place at the rear of the barrel at a blistering speed forward. He¡¯d tested it on several suits of runically augmented armor that he created, and only the most densely runically layered armors had been able to withstand the one-inch steel ball hitting it faster than the speed of sound. Xander had created a small picatinny section so that he could transfer the scope from his .22 caliber rifle onto the gauss rifle, giving him the ability to strike targets at extreme distances. Unless they had armor that was created of multiple runed layers, Xander doubted that anyone would be able to survive being shot with this rifle. Hell, even if their armor did resist being penetrated, the impact alone might kill them. The other device he created¡­ he felt guilty for creating. It was insidious. Far, far more insidious than any rifle could ever be. He called it a soul ripper. Using some of the principles he¡¯d learned from the altar, he¡¯d created a grenade that, when it briefly flared to life before destroying itself with a small explosive, would attract the soul of anything within a fifty-foot radius. He¡¯d unfortunately had to test it on several animals he¡¯d purchased, and it had proven horrifyingly effective. It was tedious to create, requiring a long, coiled sheet of metal for the runes to be engraved upon, but the effects were undeniable. When he''d tested it, the animals he¡¯d bought, which were interspersed at varying distances from the grenade has simply¡­ died. There was no obvious damage to them, one moment they were standing, and the next, they had fallen, lifeless as the device ripped their souls from their bodies. Even momentarily having one¡¯s soul removed from the body was enough to prove fatal. He wasn¡¯t sure if other adventurer¡¯s would have abilities that might be able to defend against this weapon, or perhaps increased willpower could factor in to being able to resist for a time, but somehow, he doubted that most people, especially the average soldier, would have any form of defense against this. He hoped that he¡¯d never have to use it. He¡¯d resort to conventional explosives first. The soul ripper grenade was his last resort. The news from the front was not heartening. Graffus had been right, and the Northern Kingdom of Thrask was making steady gains with their armies. If Dardin wanted to hold on to its farmland, it would have to begin drafting mercenaries. The country, being wealthier than Thrask, despite its size, had a higher-than-average population of mercenaries. It was hoped that this would be able to tip the scales of war, the combat tested mercenaries of Dardin would outnumber what Thrask could muster for its own mercenary citizens. A group of troops supported by a merc auxiliary team would almost always win out over a similar number of troops that was not supported by higher leveled skill users. The drafts began to roll out that very week. Mercenary teams which had skillsets suited to large scale combat were prioritized, and while Xander and his four teammates did have area skills available to them, there were some teams which consisted of almost nothing but wide area attacks. By the second week, such teams had already been claimed by the crown. Now, teams like the one Xander was a part of were being drafted, the Kingdom of Dardin beginning to rush more and more mercs to the front lines to stem the string of losses they¡¯d been suffering as the defensive line was pushed back. Fortress cities were being isolated near the border as Thrask¡¯s front line encroached further, and those same cities were falling under siege as Northern forces surrounded them. Combat Artificer - 36 It was on the third week that Xander and the team were notified of their draft. They¡¯d been staying at Robert¡¯s for so long that the guild now knew where to find them if they were needed, and had sent a runner to inform them that it had received an official notice from the Crown¡¯s forces that Xander, Graffus, Gabrelle, Atrax, and Frazay were, as citizens of Dardin, to be drafted as auxiliary forces to the army and support the war effort until such a time as they were released from duty. They were to report to the recruitment office for in the city of Anlet as soon as they were informed. At the recruitment building, the mercenaries were confronted with a line of people which wrapped around the building. Some of them had the looks of fellow mercenaries, most of which were sullen, others were proud looking young men and women who had decided that they should answer the call to war, and still others were tired looking folk who sought to support their families or climb their way out of poverty by joining the kingdom¡¯s forces. A man dressed in a crisp military looking formal jacket stepped up to their group as they stood, looking at the line. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve received a notice of enlistment?¡± The man asked. The mercenaries all looked amongst each other for a moment before Frazay answered with a simple, ¡°Yes.¡± The man nodded absently, not particularly interested in them beyond ensuring that things were kept orderly. ¡°Then you¡¯ll want to find yourselves a spot in the line and wait for your turn to be processed. It¡¯s quite a large batch today, so I recommend you gather your things so that you can leave tonight if you haven¡¯t already. They¡¯ll be sending you all off, I expect. The mercenaries amongst the group will be sent to strategic locations along the front, while the greener recruits will be sent to receive some training before they see battle.¡± The five of them quickly made their way back to Robert¡¯s now that they¡¯d learned that their enlistment would not be a quick affair, and that there was a distinct chance that they¡¯d be sent off to wherever the crown needed them not long after their papers were done. Gathering their things and collecting Freyja and the horses, they retraced their path to the enlistment building. The line had grown slightly, but that was to be expected. They slowly made their way to the back of the line and resigned themselves to a long day. It took several hours for them to make it to the front of the building. There, they hitched their horses to a post out front, and made their way inside. Freyja was left with instructions to ensure that no one tried to take the horses. Inside, they waited another, shorter period of time, until there was space to begin processing them. In turn, each of them were required to state their name, verify that they were a citizen of Dardin, and show their status sheet. It took some extra time for Xander to be verified ¨C His guild membership had technically included citizenship, and a runner was dispatched to verify his status. Once the paperwork was completed, the mercenaries, along with roughly thirty other people, drafted mercenaries and willing enlistees both, took an oath of service. It was short ceremony, and afterwards, they, along with everyone else who had enlisted that day so far, were lead to a large square nearby that was being used as a waiting area. As the rest of the day progressed, groups of enlistees trickled into the square. Several men in armor, wearing tabards denoting them as members of the crown¡¯s army, patrolled the various crowds. They would often dress down the new recruits, giving them impromptu lessons on how to properly salute, or the proper way to stand when addressed by a superior. The mercenaries were mostly left alone, though. It was easy to tell the difference between the men and women who were not mercs and the mercenaries by the simple fact that the mercenaries were already armed and armored. The volunteer enlistees would be provided these things during their training. One particularly aggressive soldier, Xander was already thinking of them as drill sergeants, stopped and gave a nearby group of recruits a tongue lashing for their slouched posture. Soon, the soldier had the recruits on the ground doing various exercises, including the ever-classic pushup, to ¡®correct¡¯ them. Xander watched the show, reminiscing a little on his own basic training back on Earth. He doubted that these recruits would receive training for nearly as long as he had, though. Xander imagined that once they¡¯d been taught how to properly hold and use their weapon and wear their armor, they¡¯d be shipped to the front. From there, it would be sink or swim for them. As evening began to fall, everyone in the square was rounded up into a rough formation, where they were told that they would be gathering whatever belongings they had with them and heading out of the city, where they would set up camp just outside the boundaries of town. Assignments would be given out in the morning. Large communal tents were already in place for those who did not have their own. Almost all of the mercs opted to use their own equipment, splitting into their preexisting teams and settling in for the night. Xander, Atrax, Gabrelle, Graffus, and Frazay all sat around a fire quietly. Freyja was laying on the ground behind Xander. ¡°Where do you think we¡¯ll be going?¡± Gabrelle finally asked, breaking the silence. Graffus shrugged. ¡°Besides Northward, I couldn¡¯t tell you. We¡¯ll find out in the morning, just like everyone else.¡± ¡°Have you ever been in a war, Graffus?¡± Xander asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t. We¡¯ve been in fights and battles together, sure, but I¡¯ve never participated in something so¡­ large.¡± Graffus shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Once. A long time ago.¡± He didn¡¯t offer any more information, and Xander decided to let the topic be. If the dwarf didn¡¯t wish to speak about it, Xander felt he had no right to probe further. The mercenaries continued their silent gathering for another hour or so, before finally retiring to their tents. Xander was woken the next morning by the sounds of the camp beginning to rise. Stretching in his sleeping bag, he roused himself and got dressed. He practiced manifesting his armor directly onto his body instead of piece by piece and manually strapping it on; he¡¯d realized that it might be something he could do about a week ago, and he still hadn¡¯t quite gotten it down. His armored boot materialized in his hand instead of on his foot like he¡¯d meant, and he sighed, sitting back down to put it on. Once he was dressed and armored, he woke Freyja up, ruffling the cat¡¯s fur until she finally deigned to start her process of stretching and getting up. Outside of his tent, Xander saw his teammates also getting ready. Across the camp, the same scene was replaying in most of the mercenary camps, as well as most of the communal tents. A few of the recruits who had brought their own tents were being loudly woken up by some of the soldiers in charge of training. ¡°Morning,¡± he said to his teammates, stretching again. ¡°We find out anything yet?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Atrax replied. ¡°I expect they¡¯ll call us all in soon.¡± Not long after Atrax had replied to Xander, a call did indeed begin echoing through the camp. Xander could hear a loud voice, yelling, ¡°Form up! Outside the barracks tents! Mercs to my right and training bound recruits to my right!¡± The soldiers that Xander could see began echoing the call, ensuring that no one was unable to hear the orders. Soon, they were all herded in that direction, where Xander and his teammates joined the crowd of mercenaries that had gathered for the call. The training bound recruits were being ordered into an actual formation, the training cadre forming them into neat rows. Xander found his feet unconsciously slipping into the position of attention at the prospect of having to stand in formations. Fortunately, no one seemed to care if the mercenaries were in any semblance of order. A man, Xander presumed he must be some kind of officer, as his armor and tabard were more ornate than what the other soldiers he¡¯d seen were wearing, began to address the gathered crowd. ¡°Today, you will receive assignments as to where you will be placed in the war against Thrask¡¯s aggression! Whether you were drafted or willingly volunteered, know that the crown values your service and thanks you. Now, as I have you all gathered, assignments will be distributed. If you hear your name called, move to the soldier that called it and form up behind them.¡± Papers were quickly distributed amongst the training cadre soldiers, and names began to ring out. The volunteer enlistees were called seemingly at random, but Xander noticed that entire teams were being called on the mercenary side. He was glad to see some confirmation that their team would not be split up. After about half of the mercenaries had been called forward, shuffling into groups behind different soldiers, Xander caught his own name, as well as that of his teammates being called. They moved to join the group of mercenaries that had been called by the same soldier. When all the names had been called, there were ten teams of mercenaries in the crowd that Xander found himself in. Noticeably more than were in the other groups. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Once there were no more names to be called, each soldier began to address the group that had formed behind them. The soldier standing in front of Xander and over thirty other mercenaries took a deep breath. ¡°Alright, you all. You¡¯ve been assigned by the crown to the command of Lord Vard,¡± the man said, looking down at the sheaf of papers to confirm the information. ¡°Lord Vard and the soldiers under his command will be traveling North to the city of Ilbek, which is currently under siege by the Thraskian army. Lord Vard¡¯s task, and therefore your task, is to break the siege and resupply the city. You are to meet with his contingent five days from now, where, if you keep a proper marching pace, he should be at the crossroads of the Northern highway and the trade route Eastward.¡± The man did not ask if anyone had any questions, simply walking away after having read out the orders. Xander turned to his companions. ¡°Guess we¡¯re siege breakers, now. Wonder how big this army we¡¯re supposed to link up with is.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Atrax shrugged. ¡°If we¡¯re supposed to break the siege and deliver supplies, I¡¯d imagine a few thousand? Must be important to them if they¡¯re assigning so many of us mercs to the task, too.¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, Ilbek is one of the Northernmost fortresses. Holding it is vital to maintaining the defensive line in the north,¡± Graffus explained to his companions. Similar conversations where happening throughout the crowd, as various people questioned those more knowledgeable about the kingdom¡¯s geography about Ilbek. ¡°Come on,¡± Graffus said, gesturing to his teammates. ¡°If we¡¯re going to make it on time to catch Lord Vard, we should get moving. I¡¯d rather get there early than late.¡± Graffus¡¯s teammates followed his advice and filtered themselves out of the crowd. Soon, more mercenaries began to follow their same course. The volunteers, who had been separated from the mercenaries before, were led away by various soldiers, beginning their journey to their training destinations. It only took Xander and his team three days to reach the crossroad that had been mentioned in their orders. Being mounted, they were somewhat faster than a marching soldier. With nothing else to do, they, as well as a few other mercenary groups who had kept up with them, either by mounts or skills, set up camp. Over the next two days, the rest of the teams trickled in. Xander spent those two days ensuring that he had a good stock of grenades, both fragmentation, which were all remotely detonated with his runes, as well as soul rippers. He was high on ammunition, and his new main weapon, the runic gauss rifle, required only steel, allowing him to create essentially infinite ammunition. The loading mechanism for the contraption was a simple tube that he could dump more of the steel balls into, holding about five at a time, plus one in the chamber, levitated in place by runes. What time he wasn¡¯t spending making grenades, he spent ensuring his scope was properly zeroed in by shooting holes through trees. He¡¯d needed to make a few adjustments to the scope, and now he felt confident that between the additional magnification and [Weapons of War] he could make quite long ranged shots with the weapon. A few hours after the last merc team had trickled in, late in the afternoon, but still a few hours before dusk, Lord Vard¡¯s army appeared in the distance, marching along the Eastern trade road. The soldiers were marching at a good pace, if in poor formations - in fact, many were not in one at all - and within the hour, the army, which Xander could only tell was over a thousand, reached the crossroad. A halt was called, and the soldiers, relieved to be done with marching for the day, tiredly began setting up various tents. ¡°Guess we ought to report to Lord Vard,¡± Frazay said. ¡°Wherever he is.¡± ¡°I expect he¡¯ll be near the back, on a horse, with the other officers,¡± Graffus commented. Asking one of the nearby soldiers where they could find Lord Varden, they were answered with a pointed finger towards the rear of the army, and ¡°He wears white armor.¡± Xander¡¯s team was the first of the mercenary teams to deign to report to Lord Vard, perhaps not being as upset about their involvement with the crown¡¯s military forces, due to their earlier discussions on the topic. Regardless of the reason, they were the only mercenary team in sight when the spotted Lord Vard on his warhorse. The soldier¡¯s description of ¡®wears white armor¡¯ has been correct but hadn¡¯t prepared them for the sight. The man was covered head to toe in plate that had been enameled a lustrous white. Gold leaf traced graceful patterns over it, lining the edge of each piece. Xander even noticed that the man¡¯s breastplate had a few runes on it. He could see that they were strengthening and impact dampening arrays. As they walked closer, Xander realized with some amusement that his armor was the exact opposite of Lord Vard¡¯s. Where the lords what gleaming white, Xander¡¯s was a dark, matte black. The lord had gold trim, Xander had silver trim. The rest of the officers had more traditional plated armor, and word embellished tabards with Dardin¡¯s symbol, a rising sun set over a river, embroidered on them. Lord Vard and the other officers and nobles around him noticed the mercenary team heading towards them as their heads slowly turned to watch them draw near. It felt odd being stared at like that. The lesser nobles and officers seemed to be waiting for Lord Vard to take the lead. Xander supposed that the situation might be as new to them as it was to him. Drawing close enough to speak, Atrax took it upon himself to introduce them. ¡°Lord Vard,¡± he began politely. ¡°The mercenary team consisting of myself, Atrax, as well as Frazay, Graffus, Xander, and Gabrelle, reporting to you as ordered.¡± Lord Vard remained silent for a time, looking each mercenary over critically. ¡°Are you all they sent?¡± He finally asked. ¡°Ah, no, my Lord,¡± Atrax replied. Pausing to search for diplomatic phrasing, he said, ¡°Our fellow mercenaries, of which there are ten teams, including us, are camped at the crossroads. They perhaps do not share our sense of urgency in directly reporting, but I am sure that they are liaising with your soldiers as we speak.¡± Lord Vard grunted. ¡°Hmph. Well, at least one of the teams they gave me seem like real professionals,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the rundown of the plan, since you actually bothered to show up. The rest of them can get it second hand from the soldiers or other officers.¡± He paused, shifting his seating on his horse, and resumed. ¡°As you know, we are to break the siege on the city of Ilbek. We have only three thousand soldiers to do so with. That is all that could be spared at the moment. You might not have noticed, but we have a particularly large supply train. With our numbers being what they are, we do not expect to be able to defeat the entirety of Thrask¡¯s forces on the field. What we can do, however, is punch through their encirclement of Ilbek, make our way to the city, and deliver ourselves as extra manpower for the city as well as our supplies, to ensure that the city can sustain itself during the siege. This way, we can ensure that the city will not fall, without having to dedicate a larger number of soldiers to the task that are needed elsewhere. Once we succeed, one of three things will happen. We will outlast the Thraskian force, and they will move on to a fight that is more advantageous to them. We will hold until sufficient forces can be mustered from Dardin to defeat the Thraskian army that is sieging the city. We somehow manage to defeat the sieging force with our own force once combined with the defenders of the city. The ideal situation is that once we resupply and reinforce the city, the sieging force will quit the field and move on, giving us a stable base of operations behind enemy lines.¡± Lord Vard turned his head to one of the officers behind him. ¡°Captain Uril, I am assigning this team to you. The rest of you will have to wait until the rest of the mercs deign to show their faces.¡± With that, Lord Vard lightly kicked his heels against his horse, commanding it to walk forwards, and left the group of officers and mercenaries. He appeared to be heading towards a large tent that was being erected. Xander was unsure if it was the man¡¯s personal tent or some kind of command center. The rest of the officers dispersed, except for Uril. He cleared his throat and introduced himself. ¡°I am captain Uril, as you no doubt heard. I am in command of a company of three hundred soldiers. Three thousand soldiers in total, and ten captains,¡± he explained. ¡°You¡¯ll be reporting directly to me for any assignments, so consider yourself outside the chain of command save for Lord Vard and myself. If anyone tries to convince you otherwise¡­ let me know. Now, give me a run down of your skills so that I can decide how best to use you to augment my forces.¡± After listening to Xander and his teammates briefly describe their skills and abilities, he nodded. He spent a couple of minutes thinking, looking off into the distance before finally making a decision. ¡°Mmm. I would say that you would best be used by first hunting down any skill users that are making a large impact on our forces as we attempt to punch through, and then, joining the fight with the rest of the company. We aren¡¯t the tip of the spear for this formation, but we are close. We¡¯ll be required to hold our line for as long as we are able so that we can get the wagons through Thrask¡¯s line. We¡¯ll have to have the entire action completed before they can begin to encircle us. Fortunately, they won¡¯t be able to bring the entirety of their force to bear on us. If they leave the city unwatched, it will open them to an attack on their rear by the forces that are still in Ilbek. You will be my knife, while my traditional forces will be my hammer.¡± The mercenaries nodded, slowly. While they might not like the idea of having to go toe to toe with skill users that, potentially, might be the same or even higher level than them, it was a strategy that made sense. A competent area attack specialist could decimate an army if left unhindered, and considering that Dardin¡¯s forces would be clustered tightly to break through the encirclement, it would make them a ripe target for such attacks. ¡°Understood, captain Uril,¡± Xander finally said, seeing that no one else was going to respond to the man. ¡°Where are you and your company located? We can move our camp to a closer proximity.¡± ¡°That would be excellent,¡± Uril responded. ¡°I shall show you, it will be easier that way than trying to explain where it is in this¡­¡± Uril waved his hand disgustedly at the mass of milling soldiers trying to find places to sleep, ¡°whatever it is.¡± As they began following Uril, who had dismounted, and was leading his horse by the reins, the man continued speaking. ¡°A large portion of this army are still fresh. They lack the discipline of a veteran force,¡± he complained, ¡°and it shows in how they conduct themselves. I never would have seen disarray after a march like this even a year ago. I¡¯m unsure about my fellow captains, but I intend to have my own company well ordered by the time we reach Ilbek.¡± Xander nodded along with the man. He could understand his frustration. Used to more order himself when it came to military matters, he couldn¡¯t see how anything was getting done right now with the chaos going on. ¡°How long until we reach the front?¡± He asked. ¡°If we keep up a good pace, two weeks. After that, we will have to quickly make our way the last few days¡¯ march to Ilbek to avoid being intercepted by any Thraskian forces before we can even engage their siege force.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bold plan, but an effective one,¡± Graffus commented. ¡°I don¡¯t see much else that could be done if Dardin is unwilling to leave Ilbek unsupported.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Uril replied. They continued walking in silence for another few minutes until Uril stopped. In front of them was a slightly neater cluster of tents, aligned in rows, with soldiers and lower ranked officers moving about purposefully. ¡°I made sure to tell the few more experienced soldiers available to me to show the company how to properly set up their tents,¡± he explained, looking proud of himself. ¡°It appears to have worked,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°Where are we setting up our camp?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°Ah, you may set up near my own tent. It¡¯s just over here.¡± Uril led them further into the rows of tents, and, just past a large tent that was filled with what looked to be higher ranking soldiers going over maps and papers, indicated an empty plot of land. ¡°My tent is just there,¡± he said, pointing out a tent that was only slightly larger than the average soldier¡¯s. The team made their way back to their original encampment and began packing it up. The mercenaries that had been loitering in their own nearby camps had dispersed amongst the army as a whole by this point. They untied the horses from stakes that they¡¯d hammered into the ground and led them on their trip back to Uril¡¯s company. Now that some of the hustle and bustle of the army finishing their march had passed, Xander caught many of the soldiers starting either at him, the rest of the team, and especially at Freyja. He caught several instances of conversations where one soldier was explaining to others that the crown had drafted the mercenaries and that they¡¯d be acting as auxiliary forces to the army. The reactions seemed to range from interest and excitement all the way to being offended that the crown felt that the Dardian army needed mercenary help. Xander and Freyja claimed a spot on the empty ground near the command tent, his teammates finding spots nearby, forming a rough ring of tents around where they would set their campfire. They idly chatted, making small talk as they prepared their food. They turned in early, expecting tomorrow would start early for them. Combat Artificer - 37 They were correct in their assumption that the day would be starting early. Before dawn, the camp began to come to life as those on the last shift of the night watch began to rouse the rest of the camp. Groans and stretching were seen and heard across the encampment as soldiers began to pack up tents and supplies. Another day of marching was before them, and once they were fed, it began. The five mercenaries rode with Uril, who was in the rear of his section, which was marching in a ragged group, somehow managing to look better than the rest of the companies despite their disorganization. Uril spent the morning asking the mercenaries about the contracts they had been on, getting a better understanding of what they were capable of. When he¡¯d learned that Xander could, in fact, fly and that his wings were not just some fanciful cloak, he was elated. ¡°The scouting you¡¯ll be able to do! This will allow us to avoid Thraskian forces much more easily than we had anticipated. How far can you see? Do you have some kind of magnifying device that you can use? I¡¯m sure I could requisition a small telescope for you if necessary.¡± ¡°I have a ¡®telescope¡¯ already that should work fine, but thank you for the offer,¡± Xander replied. ¡®Just tell me when you want me up, and where you want me looking, and I can do some looking.¡± ¡°Excellent! Once we reach the front line I shall have you regularly scouting our path to Ilbek.¡± ¡°So tell me, Uril. What kind of defenses does Ilbek have? Everyone seems confident that the city will be able to hold as long as we can reinforce it. Does the Thraskian army not have the siege equipment to start chipping away at the walls?¡± ¡°Ah, good question, Xander.¡± Uril began to speak a little louder for the benefit of the rest of the nearby team. ¡°Ilbek does have wall mounted siege weapons, with ballistae being the most common. There are a few catapults as well, situated at strategic points on the wall. From what little communication and the scouting reports we¡¯ve received, Thrask has constructed some siege weapons as well, and are building more. The existing weapons of Ilbek have done a fair job at managing to destroy any siege weaponry that does come within range, but it¡¯s only a matter of time until Thrask either constructs enough weapons to be able to start destroying Ilbek¡¯s defenses. However, there¡¯s no way they¡¯d be able to level the whole wall; it¡¯s quite well constructed, and there are several high level masons in the city whose sole job is to repair any damage to the walls as soon as it occurs. A breach is possible, either through the wall or one of the gates, but it would be a single choke point which the defenders could use to funnel Thrask¡¯s forces and limit them bringing their superior numbers to play. However, that is the situation as it stands now. As more and more siege weaponry is built, the chances of causing multiple breaches, or a skill user capable of either empowering the siege weapon or being able to act as a siege weapon itself becomes more likely. Hence the pace we are setting. We aim to reach the city before that critical point is reached.¡± The mercenaries nodded amongst themselves. As none of them were tacticians, they didn¡¯t have much input to offer; it seemed a good enough plan as any. ¡°I suppose I could empower the ammunition of the siege weaponry once we are within the walls of Ilbek, as well as help destroy any enemy siege weapons by flying out and dropping bombs on them. Hell, I could probably make some more for you as long as materials can be made available. I am a [Combat Artificer], after all. Ever heard of a mortar?¡± ¡°That would be most useful. We¡¯ll need any line of defense we can get once we are there. What¡¯s a mortar?¡± Xander spent the next fifteen minutes describing how a mortar would operate, as he understood it. For him, it would be essentially a small, black powder cannon tilted at an upward angle that he could use to launch his explosives to new distances. He was thinking that he could make some grenades into the shape of something reminiscent of one of those nerf foam footballs, with the little fins. He¡¯d have to do a lot of testing to get the powder load right so that he could get as much distance as possible, without destroying the missile. He¡¯d stopped talking at some point in the explanation and begun to just think about the idea. Maybe some form of wadding would help protect the grenade that would be launched, while also propelling it? He thought more on it, and realized that wadding of some sort would almost certainly be required to create a good enough seal for the gases to eject the projectile. Then he stopped a moment, realizing something. He¡¯d already created a runic gauss rifle. What was stopping him from taking the same principle and upsizing it? Nothing, he realized. He could make a giant recoilless cannon with enough materials and enough runes, though he figured that multiple smaller mortar style launchers would be better for siege defense. ¡°Xander?¡± Uril asked. ¡°You sort of trailed off after explaining that a mortar launches a projectile with an explosion, out of a tube of metal. Is everything alright? You looked quite thoughtful.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Xander responded. ¡°Oh, sorry. I got a little distracted and was having some ideas about how to make the launchers better.¡± Uril laughed, and Xander¡¯s teammates joined in. ¡°He does that sometimes,¡± Graffus explained. ¡°Best just to let him do his thinking, or he¡¯ll just keep getting distracted as he picks at the idea until he¡¯s finally done.¡± Xander rubbed the back of his head in mild embarrassment. He did have a bit of a habit of getting lost in thought or sucked deep into projects. He wouldn¡¯t necessarily say that it was a bad trait, though. It had served him well in many ways on this new world. The next week and half passed similarly to the first day. They woke up, ate, and began moving once the camp was fully packed up. A short break was had around noon for the soldiers to regather their energy with some lunch, and then it was back to marching until the final halt was called for the day. All the while, the long trail of wagons carrying supplies for the besieged city of Ilbek trundled along behind the army, pulled by horses, oxen, and the occasional odd reptilian beast that Xander had first noticed in Klimp. As they neared the front lines, Uril began asking Xander to periodically take to the sky, looking for any activity or any Thraskian raiding forces that might have made their way past the forces of Dardin. So far, Xander had only seen emplacements manned by Dardian forces. Many looked to be only semi-permanent, wooden palisades walling off areas for the forces stationed there to operate out of. He did notice one city off in the distance, though, off to the left of the army he was scouting for, with high walls of stone. One of the fortress cities that he¡¯d heard of, he guessed. Uril used a system of runners to relay Xander¡¯s findings, which were slim, directly to Lord Vard. The next day, the last day of traveling within the boundaries of the territory that Dardin controlled in this war, Xander finally saw something of note to relay. From his vantage point on high, he could see through his scope that a temporary encampment of Thraskian forces was currently fending off a contingent of Dardian soldiers who were attempting to raid the camp and push the invaders from it. Xander quickly returned to the ground and spoke to Uril of what he¡¯d seen. The captain immediately sent a runner to Lord Vard with the information and a request for orders. A different runner quickly returned with orders from Lord Vard. Any available mounted forces were to break away from the main army and assault the Thraskian encampment, assisting their fellow soldiers. Uril looked to the mercenaries riding next to him and said, ¡°Well? You¡¯re mounted! Start moving!¡± He barked his orders at the mercs as he turned to another one of his runners, dispatching them with orders to relay to the small contingent of mounted forces under his command. Rather than hop on to Freyja, who he told to follow and protect his ground limited companions, Xander once again flapped his mechanical wings, pushing mana into the circuits, and lifted off the soil. Once he had gained sufficient altitude, he brought his runic rifle into his hands from his inventory and began flying back towards the encampment. Peering through his scope as he drew closer to the battle in progress, he saw that the Dardian soldiers were being pushed back by the superior numbers of the Thraskian force. They must have assumed that they would have the element of surprise by attacking the Thrasian soldiers while they were camped, making up for their lower number, but that had clearly not played out as intended. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Of particular note to Xander was a large plate armored man who appeared to be using skills that allowed him to manipulate the earth. Soldiers near him were skewered by spears and spikes of stone rising from the ground, and he raised columns of dirt to shield himself and his allies from the arrows of the Dardian forces. Xander decided that he needed to go. The Dardian soldiers also had skill users amongst their ranks ¨C all the soldiers were technically skill users, but Xander was focused more on the visibly noticeable skills ¨C that were preventing the assault from completely crumbling. Xander drew closer still, until he felt that he was well within the effective range of his weapon, and took aim at the earth wielding soldier of Thrask. He could feel [Weapons of War] steadying his aim, making the flapping of his wings hardly noticeable to him as he located the man¡¯s torso in his scope. For good measure he activated [Effective Ordnance], mentally selecting a corrosive effect before he fired. The rifle was recoilless as he activated the runic circuit in the rifle, rocketing the one-inch steel ball towards the man as another ball dropped into the chamber, levitating in place. Continuing to watch through the scope, Xander saw the ball punch through the man¡¯s shoulder, having gone slightly wide of his intended target of the soldier¡¯s chest. The man was thrown to the ground by the impact of the projectile piercing his plate armor, and Xander watched him scramble to his feet, clamping the hand from his uninjured arm over the hole. The man must have at least some increase to his toughness to be able to recover so quickly from a blow like that, Xander thought, but no amount of toughness would change the fact that the corrosive effect of [Effective Ordnance] began to take hold, and smoke began to leak from the wound as the acid like skill began to eat into his flesh and armor alike. Xander fired another shot at him as the man frantically began to try and claw off his armor near the effected shoulder, screaming in pain. This one struck him in the chest, finishing him off and ending his pain. The Thraskian soldiers looked about frantically, trying to discern what had slain one of their heavy hitters. They still held the advantage, but the sudden loss of the earth wielder had shaken them, especially as the death did not appear to have come from the Dardian forces they were fighting. Nevertheless, they continued in their counterassault, and Xander searched for more important members of the enemy force. Noticing a man near the back of the counterassault who appeared to be giving orders, Xander loosed another shot, striking the man near his waist. He quickly bled out from as blood from a severed artery caused by the sudden shattering of his pelvis flowed from his body. The mounted forces from the Ilbek relief force were nearing the battle by now, and the Thraskian soldiers had taken note. A hasty line of defense was in the process of being manned as the mounted forces slammed into the distracted enemy, pushing deep into their encampment, trampling men and tents alike. Xander began to fire in earnest, looking for any soldier that appeared to be holding their own against the mounted assault, and taking down archers that had begun to switch their fire towards the horsemen and mercenaries of Dardin. Whenever he ran dry, he would use [Improved Creation] to refill the loading tube of the rifle. Through his scope, Xander spotted Frazay near the rear of the formation of horsemen, expertly firing arrows from the back of her stag. Freyja had leapt into the fray near his other teammates, throwing men to the ground, crushing them under her claws or ripping into them with her fangs. Gabrelle and Graffus were lashing out at soldiers as their horses raced by, and Atrax¡¯s flaming whip lashed out at men who believed themselves too far from the attack to be struck. The Thraskians were quickly forced into a route as the mounted soldiers that had struck them from the flank continued to ride them down. Many were killed as they ran to deny them the opportunity to rejoin a larger force, though some inevitably escaped. The mounted forces quickly met with the other Dardian soldiers that had originally been assaulting the camp, but Xander opted to return to Uril and give him the report that the maneuver had been successful than to touch down and listen to whatever was going on at the site of the battle. His teammates would be able to fill him in when they returned. He¡¯d spied them again after the battle, and none of them appeared to be wounded. Captain Uril dispatched another runner to inform Lord Vard of the small victory, appreciative that Xander had rushed back to give him the information. When his teammates arrived with the rest of the mounted soldiers, they informed Xander of the origin of the battle. It turns out that Xander¡¯s guess had been correct, and that the smaller Dardian force had thought the encampment of Thraskian forces to be unaware and unready. While they might have been unaware, they were certainly not unready, and the pushback against their assault had begun almost immediately. It was fortunate that the army had been passing by when it had been, as otherwise the Thraskians would have repelled the assault and killed many more of the Dardians as they were forced to retreat. The march had not ceased for the battle, as there was no time to be lost for their task. Xander got the feeling that if Lord Vard had not had mounted forces able to quickly make the distance to the camp and back, that he would have left the other Dardian forces to die, prioritizing his task to get to Ilbek as fast as possible. The rest of the day Xander spent almost entirely in the sky, doing his best to spot the various forces that Thrask had throughout the area. Between him and the rest of the scouts operating for the army, they were able to steer far away from any of the armies that Thrask had in the area, using the land as best they could to their advantage to stay out of sight. The true push had begun, and the soldiers could all feel it. A feeling of tenseness crept of the army as they marched, and one could no longer hear the chattered conversations, singing, and whistling that one would have a week ago. Everyone marched in silence, as if staying silent was the only thing keeping them from discovery. The pace of the march did not speed up, the duration of the marching lengthened. Where before they had stopped at dusk, now they continued to march forward for several more hours into the darkness before setting up the bare minimum to make camp. Six hours of sleep were allotted, and the next day was set to be another eighteen-hour march. Xander knew that the increased endurance from skills and levels were the only things keeping most of the soldiers running, and he doubted that this kind of forced march was sustainable for much longer than it would take for them to reach Ilbek. Even meals were eaten on the move, carts moving into the formation at large to distribute food to the soldiers. Ilbek could be faintly seen in the distance, set upon a hill, surrounded by a tall wall of stone. Halfway through their third day of marching, Xander spotted the encircling force from the air. They had Ilbek completely surrounded, though the majority of the Thraskian sieging army was situated near the two gates set into the wall, one facing South, and one facing North. They were encamped far from the walls, out of the range of the siege weapons, waiting for the city to starve, surrender, or for more forces to arrive so that they could take the city. Xander wasn¡¯t sure how many soldiers were in Ilbek, but, getting a rough count from the air, he estimated that the entirety of the force outnumbered the army that would be coming to support the city outnumbered them at least three to one. Assuming that Ilbek had a similar number of forces to the army Xander was with, a three to one ratio was nowhere near enough manpower to assault a fortress like Ilbek. With the addition of the new forces that were making their way to Ilbek, once they were in the city it would be tantamount to suicide for the Thraskians to try and launch a full-scale assault. On the other hand, even with their numbers double, the Dardian forces would still be fewer in number than the Thraskians, meaning they would not be able to take to the field and break the enemy army. The true decisive force here was the supply train. With it, Ilbek would be able to outlast the enemy, who were forced to use their own supplies and whatever they could scavenge from outlying towns. Xander swooped down once again to Uril and his teammates, telling them that he was able to see the encircling force, and the various concentrations of their forces. Uril nodded grimly, saying, ¡°We always expected that they¡¯d have a large number of forces stationed at either gate. It will be a hard fight, for sure, but we don¡¯t need to defeat them, just punch through and hold long enough to retreat into the city. Losses will be had, but Ilbek has been deemed a tactical necessity. From it, we will be able to strike not only at the rear of the Thraskian armies but make forays into Thrask itself.¡± The march slowed slightly as preparations were made. The army narrowed, filing into a column formation. The most elite forces of the army were concentrated at the front, intended to punch into and through the forces keeping watch over the Southern gate. Uril¡¯s company was the third from the front. They would be critical in establishing the beginnings of the corridor that would have to be held for the wagons to break through and make it to Ilbek. It wasn¡¯t long before the encirclement of Ilbek was visible from the ground. The Thraskian forces were not idle, having spotted the approaching army within minutes of it coming into view. They were hastily rearranging their lines to face the newcomers, and Xander could see runners moving franticly between tents as orders and information traveled through the network of tents. The Thraskians were forced to leave a portion of their forces facing the city lest they fall prey to an attack by the forces still within. Combat Artificer - 38 The tension mounted even further than it had been the past two days, as the distance between the two armies drew nearer. Xander could feel it in the air like a static charge, and he found his arm hair rising as goosebumps appeared on his skin. Some unknown line was crossed by the Dardian army, and suddenly the call for the first company in the column, consisting mostly of mounted forces, was given to charge and they horses began to break into a gallop as the cavalry began to draw weapons and lances. Another order was called out from the rear, and Xander could hear that it was Lord Vard¡¯s voice, even as far away as the man was near the center of the formation. He knew not whether it was a skill that was increasing the volume of the man¡¯s voice or some kind of enchantment, but the effect was undeniable. ¡°CHARGE!¡± Rang out over the army, and as one they broke into a run, the final stretch of their weeks long journey nearing. The horsemen, already ahead of the army from their early start, continued to put distance between them and their allies as they moved further ahead of the army, and skills began flying between the two forces. Those amongst the cavalry with ranged skills, especially their mercenary auxiliaries, focused their skills on the front lines of spear and pikemen arrayed against the cavalry charge, rending large gaps in the line as more Thraskians moved men up to fill the gaps. The Thraskian army answered the charge with arrows and skills of their own as defensive skills flared up on both sides, bouncing arrows away and absorbing skills or deflecting them off course. The sound of metal on metal as the first line of cavalry met the forces of Thrask was thunderous. The continued pushing forward as deep as they could as their compatriots behind filled the gaps created behind them. Eventually, the sheer density of bodies slowed their momentum and they were forced to begin fighting hand to hand from horseback instead of trampling over soldiers. Xander saw many of the horses begin to be taken down as they slowed or stopped. Some riders were crushed or trapped underneath their horses, slain before they could free themselves. Others continued to fight on dismounted, holding the gap as long as they could for the footmen to arrive and continue applying pressure. Before the Thraskians could reorient themselves and begin to move men from the flanks to encircle the first company of mounted soldiers, the second company of footmen arrived, filling the gap and beginning to widen it, relieving the pressure on the horsemen. The momentum of the Dardian push began to be regained, and they pushed forward again, drawing closer to the forces that had been left to face the Southern gate. Xander turned to his teammates, as their time to enter the fray was nearing. ¡°Stay safe in there,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m expecting every single one of you to make it through to the city. I¡¯ll be doing my best to support you from the air.¡± Not waiting for a reply, he swept up into the sky, drawing forth his rifle and searching for suitable targets. There were many, archers and ranged skill users quickly beginning to fire into the centrally massed group of Dardian soldiers. As the second company entered the fray, Xander could see that his teammates, Freyja included, were on one edge of the formation, already carving their way through the Thraskian forces, and focusing on the enemy skill users with larger, flashier skills. Taking aim, Xander began to down the skill users that were throwing, casting, and shooting a variety of skills ranging from fireballs and ice storms to arrows that became a rain of snake and ripples that turned the earth to quicksand in portions of the field. One by one, men and women began to fall, large holes torn into their chests and torsos. By this point, the pressure and movement of the Dardian forces had forced the soldiers tasked with watching the gate to turn and face their new enemy or risk being taken from behind. Seeing that the majority of the most impactful ranged skill users had been taken out by himself as well as the other mercenary teams who were joining the fray, some of whom remained near the edges of the fight, solely firing skills at archers and skill users, Xander decided that the best way for him to help break through would be to begin dropping grenades on the as yet unengaged forces that the Dardians still needed to punch through. As he swooped lower over the enemy army, he began to become the target of skills and arrows, as he did his best to dodge them. Arrows bounced off his armor, robbed of their momentum and unable to pierce his armor, while he focused more on dodging the skills he could see racing towards him. As he cleared the front of the Dardian forces, he began manifesting his grenades into his hands, dropping them into the enemy below him, detonating them as they fell to the ground. He flew in a straight line towards the Southern gate, dropping his line of grenades, and as they fell and detonated, secondary explosions from [Explosive Effect] rippled outwards from his original explosion, shredding yet more Thraskians. Xander¡¯s efforts opened a small corridor in the Thraskian army, and his allies below quickly took advantage of it, pushing through to the end of the encirclement. As more and more Dardian bodies entered the fray, they began pushing outwards, widening the wedge they¡¯d driven into the forces arrayed against them. Whoever was watching from the city must have been gathering their forces for just such a moment, because as soon as the Thraskian line was breached, the gates began to open, ushering forth a wave of fresh cavalry, sallying forth from the safety of the city and rushing to meet the other side of the Thraskian army and widen the gap from their end. As Xander was no longer confronted with specific high value targets he could snipe from the air, and he risked killing his own allies with his grenades, he looked about to locate his teammates. Finding them after a few agonizing moments, he dropped lower, folding his wings before opening them again nearer to the ground to slow his descent. Ten feet above the fighting, he stowed his rifle in his inventory, folded his wings, and deployed his automaton backpack. The spider-like legs of pack absorbed the shock of the landing for him, one of them skewering a Thraskian soldier as he fell, throwing him slightly off balance. Lowering himself to his own two feet, he raised the spider legs, allowing the skewered man to slide off the leg, and deployed the claw and shield arms as well, ordering the who apparatus to defend him as he moved through the throng to his teammates. ¡°We¡¯ve punched through,¡± He yelled at them over the din of battle. It was hard to be heard over the yells, screams, and clanging of steel on steel. ¡°We need to widen the corridor for the wagons!¡± His companions acknowledged him with various nods or shouted confirmations, and, together with the soldiers around them, they began a more concerted push to widen their portion of the gap. Xander found himself fighting side by side with Gabrelle, the young woman holder her own against the enemy soldiers now that she had her own combat class. Xander decided that he should really make her a shield, as we caught her dodge a near hit from the corner of his eye. Her mace struck out against the attacker, the mace bursting into flames and searing the man¡¯s skin as it impacted against the side of his head, dropping him to the ground. Xander¡¯s automaton limbs were in constant motion, blocking nearby attacks and lashing out at any nearby enemy soldiers as he laid about him with his mace, breaking bones with every strike and eating through enemy armor even with a glancing strike. Slowly, open space began to form between the to edges of the corridor that Dardin¡¯s forces had created, and more was being made each moment. Seeing their time approaching, the wagons, still protected by the last two companies, began a slow roll towards the army, still out of range of arrows and skills. Xander found himself confronted with a hulking man, head and shoulders taller than he was wielding a huge shield and a longsword in his main hand. The man clearly had multiple defensive skills, as Xander was not able to make more than a small dent in his shield, despite the massive impact of his runed mace. The larger man was similarly unable to penetrate Xander¡¯s defenses, his blows deflected by Xander¡¯s own shield, as well as by his automaton arms. The one that did manage to bypass his defenses glanced harmlessly off his armor. Xander did see that his elemental corrosion array was beginning to take effect though, the shield beginning to smoke where he¡¯d managed to land strikes upon it. He redoubled his efforts, going for a greater quantity of blows with less wind up against the shield, until nearly the entire thing was beginning to smoke as it slowly began to fall apart on the man, who released it with an angry yell. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. As the enemy soldier shifted his grip to a two-handed hold on his sword, Xander activated [Reactive Armor] again, having used it many times during the fight already, and cast [Brand] upon his foe. The big man staggered slightly, taken by surprise at the searing pain that had burned his chest. If he¡¯d been able to see it under the armor, he would see that a large rune had been branded onto his torso. Xander could already feel the energy flowing from the ability into him, invigorating him. He allowed the man¡¯s next strike to go through, as [Reactive Armor] took effect again, blowing the strike off course. Xander too advantage of the brief moment of disruption to swing a heavy blow at the man¡¯s knee, buckling his stance slightly for a moment, but more importantly, beginning the process of corroding the man¡¯s armored shell. He was repaid by a counterattack, the man having swept his disrupted blade into another attack, catching Xander on the shoulder and staggering him despite the impact being reduced by his runes. This man as strong as he was tough. He quickly staggered to his feet, raising his shield against the next strike, and then casting [Reactive Armor] again to ward of the next when it came. Xander, however, had an idea, and didn¡¯t allow the next blow to strike his armor. Instead, he swung his mace at the sword that was speeding towards him from the side. His mace impacted with it, and Xander¡¯s suspicion that whatever skills were bolstering his enemy¡¯s defenses would not be as effective on his weapon, since it wasn¡¯t armor. The sword snapped, and the corrosion array that had transferred its effect quickly began to turn the rest of the blade into a smoking heap of sludge. Unarmed, his opponent fell quickly, falling to a flurry of blows. Gabrelle, having dispatched to foe nearest to her stepped in to join Xander in felling the man, and together they hammered him to the ground before Xander¡¯s runes finally melted the armor open, revealing the softer flesh underneath the armored carapace of the knight. The man, who was prone at this point, was dispatched by a mace strike to his spine, which shattered it and spread the corrosive acid array to his skin, though he was already dead before it took effect. The gap was now wide enough for a single wagon to fit through, and the caravan increased its speed, now fending off the arrows and skills directed towards it with the help of the ninth and tenth companies and their mercenary contingent. They quickly reached the gap and began to move into it single file, making their way to the city. As the first wagon made its way through the entirety of the gap, riddled with arrows, but still whole, a cheer went up from the Dardians, who redoubled their efforts. Soon the gap was wide enough for two wagons to move through, though that seemed to be the maximum that they could push against the enemy forces. As the wagons trundled through the gap created for them as fast as they possibly could, Xander and his team bunched up into a tighter formation, sticking together as best they could in the chaos of battle. Now, they just had to hold the line for the last wagons to make their way through, and they could begin moving with the rest of the forces to the city. ¡°There, that¡¯s the last wagon!¡± Atrax called out, pointing to a wagon nearby. Xander realized that it wasn¡¯t followed by another wagon only once Atrax had pointed it out to them. ¡°Let¡¯s move with it,¡± Graffus called out. ¡°We don¡¯t want to end up encircled out here. Doesn¡¯t matter how much more skilled or higher leveled we are compared to them, they¡¯d pull us down with sheer numbers!¡± The team moved to cover the rear of the last wagon, as the corridor began to close, soldiers slowly flowing out of it as the final wagon passed and making their way towards the city. Many found themselves isolated from their allies as they tried to leave, the Thraskian forces pressing into the areas that had been left empty by the Dardians and were cut down. Xander counted himself fortunate that they had decided to stick close to the final wagon, avoiding such a fate themselves. What followed next was even more brutal than the operation to punch through the Thraskian siege force. Now that they were all the way through, they were forced to fight a slow rearwards retreat as they backed up toward the city inch by inch. They couldn¡¯t allow their forces to fall into disarray now, or the Thraskians would be able to make it through them and to the wagons, cutting them off before they could make it through the gates into the safety of the city. Many more soldiers fell in this rearward action, as the Thraskians were finally able to bring their numbers fully to bear, pressing down on the front of Dardian line in an attempt to break them. It was only when they reached the range of the siege weaponry on the city walls that the soldiers of Thrask were forced to concede, as huge ballista bolts and hurled rocks began to fall among their forces, flung from the city wall. The Dardian soldiers quickly disengaged and made their way into Ilbek, where they were greeted with cheers and fanfare from the defending soldiers as the gate was rebarred and the portcullis dropped once again, sealing the city from the outside once more. Lord Vard made his presence known by loudly asking, ¡°Who is in charge of the city? Is Lord Etras still in command?¡± A man on horseback, unarmored but wearing fine clothes, further in the crowd, shouted, ¡°Vard! By the gods am I happy to see you! I¡¯m still alive here, no thanks to those bastards outside.¡± ¡°Ahh, Etras, glad to see you¡¯re still in one piece. Come, we have much to discuss, let us get the supplies stowed and the walls fully manned again, then we shall discuss amongst ourselves how to move forward.¡± ¡°By all means, Lord Vard,¡± Etras said, more formally, ¡°You¡¯re the savior of the day, after all.¡± The two nobles clearly had some prior history, and began amicably chatting as if they weren¡¯t in a besieged city following a pitched battle. Xander turned to his teammates and said, ¡°Guess we should find Uril and figure out where we¡¯re staying.¡± ¡°Aye, that sounds like a fine idea. I could use a rest,¡± Graffus replied. It took several tries, but one of the soldiers they asked had seen captain Uril recently, pointing the direction in which he¡¯d been seen. Making their way through the milling crowd of soldiers, they eventually spotted Uril, who was in conference with several of his lieutenants. As they drew closer, Uril noticed them and smiled. ¡°Ah, my mercenary friends! I¡¯m glad to see that you made it. You did good work out there, I hope you know. And Xander, I saw what you did, flying over the Thraskians and opening the last of the corridor! I¡¯ll put putting in a recommendation for a medal for that, once things calm down, you can be sure of it.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you, captain Uril,¡± Xander said awkwardly. ¡°Now tell me, what brings you to me?¡± Uril asked. ¡°Just wondering where we¡¯re going to be staying so we can set up and hopefully get some rest in,¡± Frazay asked. Uril nodded understandingly. ¡°Mm, well we haven¡¯t been told anything about that yet, but I do happen to know that most of the buildings are empty right now. With Ilbek being so close to the border, most of the citizenry fled soon after war was officially declared. There¡¯re a few stubborn hold outs, but for the most part everything is abandoned. So just find yourself an empty in and make yourselves comfortable. Just let me know which one once you find it so I can send a runner to you if needed.¡± The mercenaries didn¡¯t need to be told twice, and set off to find a suitable inn. They found a nice looking one not far off and made their way inside. It was indeed empty, and they noticed that had, disappointingly, been cleared out of its stocks of alcohol already. They set up their things in the rooms of their choosing, and Atrax volunteered to be the one that would relay the inn of their choice to Uril. Settling in and finally able to truly relax for the first time in two weeks, Xander laid out on the bed, allowing his armor to fade into his inventory. As he was finally drifting into what promised to be an absolutely amazing nap, he had a sudden, profound thought, as one does when they are about to sleep. Only this one was very relevant, and very important to him. How was he going to feed Freyja now? The supplies that had been brought with the caravan likely did not include much, if any, raw meat. Xander himself only had a small amount in his inventory, enough to feed her light meals for the next couple of days. He kicked himself mentally for not considering this issue. With an enemy army surrounding the city, how was he supposed to go out and get fresh meat? Wait, he thought. I have wings¡­ I can fly over the encircling forces and maybe hunt for food to feed Freyja. He could make himself another rune powered freezer so that his kills could be kept fresher longer, and he wouldn¡¯t need to go out every day. He really hoped that his wings had enough power to lift him and a deer. He resolved to tell Uril of his need the next time he saw him. Maybe he could soften the ask by also offering to bring in fresh meat for the city on occasion. Mind set on his task, Xander began to wander the inn, grabbing any metal implement he could find. Pots, pans, and pewter mugs all were formed into sheets of metal that he melded together to create another hinge lidded box. It was a mishmash of materials, giving it a somewhat patchwork look, but he didn¡¯t care much about that. He just cared that it would hold the frost runes that he began to carve on the inside of the box, quickly filling the empty space within with frigid air. Satisfied with his solution to the problem at hand, he made his way back to the room he had claimed and managed to return to his nap. Combat Artificer - 39 Xander was awoken by knocking at his door. Both he and Freyja lifted their heads to look at the door, the panther having decided to crawl up into bed with Xander at some point, taking most of the space for herself. ¡°Xander?¡± Frazay¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°We¡¯ve got orders. Well, you¡¯ve got orders, really, and the rest of us are just tagging along.¡± Slowly dragging himself from bed and out from under one of Freyja¡¯s paws, Xander asked, ¡°Why just me?¡± ¡°Dunno,¡± was Frazay¡¯s response. ¡°Runner just said that Uril wanted us, but especially you, to meet him at the central keep.¡± ¡°Ugh, I hope it¡¯s nothing too bad,¡± Xander grumbled as he hopped around trying to put on his pants quickly, not remembering that he could have just manifested them onto his body in his still groggy state. Halfway through putting on his boots, he remembered that he could do that, and manifested his top and then armor onto his body. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get better at remembering that¡­¡± he muttered to himself. Opening the door, he saw that Frazay was still waiting for him. ¡°Is everyone else ready to go?¡± he asked. ¡°Atrax and Gabrelle are still getting ready,¡± Frazay responded. ¡°Graffus somehow fell asleep still in his armor, so he didn¡¯t even need to get ready. Runner¡¯s downstairs at the bar.¡± She thumbed behind her, towards the stairs that led down to the main level of the inn. ¡°Cool,¡± Xander said. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll head down and wait.¡± ¡°Cool?¡± Frazay asked quizzically. ¡°It¡¯s not cold out yet.¡± ¡°Uhh, good, great? When I say something is ¡®cool¡¯ then I¡¯d be implying that it¡¯s good, or neat, or something like that.¡± Frazay shook her head, bemused. ¡°You¡¯re weird.¡± Xander made his way downstairs with Freyja, finding a fidgety, impatient looking man sitting at the empty bar. He looked like he was built to run. Xander wondered if [Runner] was its own class. Surely there were speed focused classes. After all, he had the [Sprint] ability. Thinking on it, he realized that he should try to utilize that skill more in fights. He¡¯d be able to reposition much more quickly. Xander had thought that he was acclimating to this world somewhat but realizing that there were skills that he never used reinforced the fact to him that he had a long way to go. The runner didn¡¯t have anything to say to Xander, remaining silent and obviously impatient as the two of them waited for the rest of the team to make their way down. Graffus and Frazay were the next two down, Graffus having taken his time to gather his belongings. Gabrelle was the next down, looking disheveled, he long hair sticking in multiple directions from being slept on. Atrax was the last down, the man hurriedly coming down the stairs still fastening his robe properly. ¡°All here?¡± The runner asked, speaking for the first time that Xander had seen the man. ¡°Yep,¡± he replied. ¡°Then let us move to the keep. I will lead you there.¡± The man stood up and walked right out the door, expecting the mercenaries to follow. It took them a second to collect themselves, but follow they did. Catching up to the runner, who, despite not actually running, was walking at a pace that almost had the mercs running to keep up with him, they began to head towards the center of Ilbek. There, rising above the rest of the buildings, the central keep stood, like a second, smaller fortified city within the walls of Ilbek. The road that passed through the Southern gate led directly to the keep, and the runner led them down it, speedwalking the entire time. They soon passed beyond the walls of the keep through a small gate. Looking around at the structures surrounding them, Xander saw little but angular, stone buildings. This place was designed purely for function. There were none of the design elements of the shops and building that filled the rest of Ilbek here. They followed the runner into the central, and largest, building of the keep, where they were taken to a large meeting room, which contained a number of officers and nobles. Xander noticed both humans and dwarves amongst the crowd, as well as captain Uril. Lord Vard and Lord Etras were both present as well, sitting across from each other at the head and foot of a long table. Entering, the runner announced ¡°Lord Etras, Lord Vard, distinguished guests, the mercenary team you requested.¡± He swept a deep, but quick, bow, and gestured to the five mercenaries, still followed by Freyja, who managed to squeeze into the room, looking somewhat comical in the process. ¡°Ahh, excellent. Thank you, Darrio, you are dismissed,¡± Lord Etras said. Darrio the runner, who had never bothered to introduce himself to the mercenaries, took his leave. ¡°Now, captain Uril here was telling us that you had some interesting ideas for new siege weaponry, is that correct, Xander?¡± Lord Etras said, facing the mercenaries. All eyes in the room turned to the mercenaries as well, anticipating Xander¡¯s answer. ¡°Ah, yes, your lordship,¡± Xander said. ¡°I am a [Combat Artificer] and a [Runelord], you see, so I had some ideas on creating a new form of weapon that could be placed on the wall. It¡¯s called a mortar. With the correct sequence of runes, it would be able to launch one of my explosive devices quite a long distance.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Interesting,¡± Lord Vard said. ¡°Is there perhaps some what you could demonstrate this ¡®mortar¡¯ to us? We are low on materials, so I am unsure if the materials for you to create any siege weapons could be procured at this time.¡± ¡°Of course, Lord Vard,¡± Xander said. ¡°I am capable of creating my own materials, though they will only last twenty-four hours once they are taken any significant distance from my person. However, the device itself does not require much material, consisting simply of a metal tube and a base. I can create an un-runed version for you and demonstrate the basics of how it would operate, if you¡¯d like.¡± Xander was proud of himself for keeping his cool. Being quizzed by two lords, as well as stared down by the multitude of other people in the room was wearing on his nerves. ¡°That would be helpful, yes, if you are capable of doing so in a short period of time. There are still other planning considerations to be had after this discussion.¡± Xander nodded, and quickly began creating a steel tube with [Improved Creation] and [Improved Manipulation]. He attached it to a base with a small crank that would allow him to change the elevation of the tube, giving him the ability to fire at multiple angles. In all, it took him roughly ten minutes to create, as the various officers watched with interest. Placing the device on the table for easier viewing, Xander began to give a presentation on how it would operate. ¡°Now, this device currently does not have any runes, but the inside of the barrel would be lined with runes that, when activated, would propel an object at speed out of it. This crank here allows the angle of the tube to be set, allowing one to vary the distance that the fired projectile will land. That¡¯s really about it. With this, I should be able to launch explosives at any Thraskian forces that come too close to the city. Ideally, it should fire even further than the catapults or ballistae that are currently available to you.¡± Lord Vard nodded thoughtfully, considering what Xander had told him. Finally, he asked, ¡°Would the average soldier be able to operate this device, or are they limited to you even if we provide you materials so that they last longer than twenty-four hours?¡± Xander thought for a moment, before asking, ¡°I believe captain Uril mentioned to me that there were some highly leveled [Mason]s in the city, is that correct? If so, you could have them carve out a large number of tone projectiles that would fit within the tubes, and then begin carving them with runes that would cause them to explode when they strike the ground. I could also create the mortars in such a way that the sequence of runes would only be completed once a button is pressed, or a trigger is pulled, which would allow anyone to operate it. They wouldn¡¯t be able to fire as quickly as if they were being directly fed mana, though, requiring some time for the gathering arrays to collect enough mana again to power the sequence.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Mmm¡­ yes. Yes, I think that would work nicely,¡± Lord Vard said, almost to himself. Xander noticed Lord Etras and the rest of the officers nodding to themselves, too. Any way to force the Thraskian army further from the walls was desirable. ¡°I shall make the materials available to you immediately. I will have an aide take you to a warehouse containing raw materials that would otherwise be used for siege weaponry. Take whatever you need to create enough of these devices to cover as much of the wall as possible. Once you have completed them, I shall have the [Mason]s tasked with creating ammunition for you to work your artifices on.¡± Vard paused for a moment, about to dismiss them. ¡°Is there anything additional that you need for this task?¡± ¡°Ah, not for this task, Lord Vard,¡± Xander began, nervous to ask the man what he¡¯d intended to ask captain Uril, ¡°But, I have a rather exotic mount with me here. A loravian panther. She requires a large amount of fresh meat, which I have come to realize is not something that will be easily had within the city walls. I am capable of making it past the Thraskian army with my created set of wings¡­ would you be willing to allow me permission to hunt the nearby land to provide meat for her? I¡¯d be willing to also do my best to bring back extra that could be distributed amongst the foodstuffs already stored, of course.¡± Lord Vard pondered the question for a moment. ¡°Yes.¡± The man said. ¡°Yes, I believe that will be acceptable, however,¡± the man said, ¡°I want you to create the mortars and at least a small stockpile of ammunition first. I may also take advantage of your abilities and have you operate as a messenger to inform the rest of our forces of our success, once we have established ourselves.¡± Xander nodded in agreement. If it allowed him to feed Freyja, then he¡¯d agree to whatever tasks were needed. If he¡¯d been disallowed, he likely would have enacted his plan anyway, just in secret. ¡°Of course, your lordship. Whatever you need, I am at your disposal,¡± he said, as formally as he could manage. ¡°Excellent!¡± Lord Vard said happily. ¡°Then, if there is nothing else, I shall have you begin work on these ¡®mortars¡¯ as soon as possible. Vantelle, please escort Xander and his team to the warehouse where he can procure his supplies,¡± Lord Vard spoke to a woman who had been standing near the table, taking down notes. ¡°When he is done, have the [Mason]s informed of their new task, as well.¡± ¡°Of course, my lord,¡± Vantelle said. Vantelle quickly ushered the mercenaries out of the room as the various officers began to discuss other matters related to the siege. They followed her as she hastily led them out of the central building of the keep and over to a smaller, though still large, squat stone building. Informing the guard stationed at the door of the building of her orders, she led the mercenaries inside. In the warehouse, Xander was confronted with piles of lumber, thousands of feet worth of coiled ropes, stacks of iron and steel ingots, everything that would be needed to create or repair medieval siege weaponry. ¡°This should be plenty,¡± He said. ¡°More than enough.¡± He made his way over to the ingots of steel, hefting one and looking it over. He placed as many of them as he could in his inventory before it filled up. Lord Vard¡¯s aide, Vantelle, watched with interest as the bars disappeared into thin air once Xander hefted them into his hands. ¡°Alright,¡± Xander said after taking the steel. ¡°That should be plenty to get some of these up on the walls. I figure eight of them spaced equally will give full coverage.¡± Vantelle nodded at him, saying ¡°Then I shall inform the [Mason]s of their task, and have them inspect one of these devices once you are complete. What location do you intend to install one at first?¡± ¡°Uhh, I hadn¡¯t really thought about it. I guess the Southern gate? Yeah, I¡¯ll do that one first, so you can send them there. And I¡¯ll do one at the North gate, and on the East and West points, and then there will be one in the middle of each of those points as well.¡± The woman nodded as he spoke, and Xander realized that she was writing down everything he said, somehow managing to write as fast as he was speaking. Must be a skill, he thought to himself. ¡°Very well,¡± she said. ¡°I shall direct them there so that they can determine the size of the projectiles they¡¯ll be creating.¡± ¡°Sounds good. Uh, a simple ball should work fine, no need for anything too fancy.¡± ¡°I will let them know.¡± Xander and Freyja made their way to the Southern gate. His teammates had split off from them once they¡¯d passed back by the inn that they¡¯d been staying at. ¡°Sorry, Xander,¡± Gabrelle had said. ¡°But I¡¯d rather take a nap and catch up on sleep then follow along and watch you make tubes on the wall, no offense.¡± ¡°None taken,¡± Xander had replied, as the rest of the team made their way into the inn, leaving him and Freyja in the mostly empty street. The two of them headed to the Southern gate, passing runners going in both directions as information constantly flowed between the outer walls and the inner keep. Soldiers made their way to their assigned stations or were coming back from shifts, giving the city a slight appearance of life despite the almost complete lack of civilians. Xander had noticed a few, who had been unwilling or unable to leave the city before the siege. They mostly stayed inside, looking suspiciously out their windows. Reaching the gatehouse, Xander began climbing the steps set into the wall outside it that led to the top. There, several soldiers were stationed. Some were watching the enemy forces for any movement, while the rest stood ready by a large ballista that faced out towards the Thraskian forces. Xander noticed inquisitive looks from the soldiers as he sat down near the edge of the gatehouse, but no one questioned him. He wondered if they had already been informed of his project by a runner, or if the fact that he was wearing skull faced jet black carbon fiber armor and was followed by a giant panther simply intimidated the soldiers into not asking any questions. He suspected that it was the latter, as he had not informed anyone but Vantelle of his intention to start at the South gate. Drawing forth some of the steel he¡¯d taken from the storehouse, he flattened a portion of it into a sheet. He quickly began etching movement runes, all leading to one end of the sheet. Once finished, he flipped the sheet over and covered it in gathering runes. Using his material manipulation skills, he then rolled the sheet of steel into a tube, seamlessly melding the two edges together, and capping one end of it to serve as the bottom. The easy part done he pondered how best to manufacture the base. He settled on a base that could be cranked to circle left or right with a toothed gear mechanism, while the tube would sit in a stand that could also be cranked with a separate handle to change its elevation. That would give it a full three-hundred-sixty-degree firing arc, though he hoped no one made the idiotic decision to fire it into the city. The trigger mechanism ended up being a button that, when pressed, connected the gathering runes to the movement runes inside the tube. Now the whole apparatus just needed testing. He¡¯d sized the tube for projectiles that were a little larger than his own grenades, thinking that slightly weightier projectile might be better. Since round stones would be the ammunition that he¡¯d be runing for the siege engineers to use, he decided that would be the best munition to test. He created a nice smooth orb of stone that would fit perfectly within the tube and then began to engrave runes upon it. The entire ball would be covered with runes of explosion, except for a portion that housed the gathering runes required for it and a set of intelligence runes that would trigger and flow mana into the explosion runes only when the ball struck the ground. Hefting the stone, he rolled it into the tube, and cranked it to a forty-five-degree elevation, facing out towards the Thraskian forces that kept the Southern gate locked down. He wasn¡¯t much of a mathematician, so he had no idea what the best angle was for the most distance, forty-five just seemed an easy one to pick. He depressed the button set into the base, and the stone shot out of the tube with a small fwoomph of displaced air. Xander watched as it sailed over the Thraskian army, unnoticed by them for the moment, and continued on, finally plummeting to the ground and detonating far beyond their lines. As it hit the ground, Xander saw a spray of dirt rise into the air as it detonated, and the faint sound of the explosion reached his ears, far enough away that there was a slight mismatch between the two. Using his [Measure] skill, he saw that the projectile had landed just over a mile away. He was impressed, and considered the runic launching tube a success. Xander finally noticed that the soldiers that were stationed on the gate were watching with interest and awe as he had created and then tested the weapon, and excitement vibrated through them as they saw just how far the Thraskian army might be pushed back. It wouldn¡¯t break the siege of the city, but it would force them to spread thin to encircle the city at a much larger distance, and there was no way that any siege weapons they constructed would be able to reach the city walls from that distance. Xander went around the wall, installing seven more mortars just as he had on the Southern gatehouse. The process went much faster than the first one that he¡¯d installed, now that he was no longer having to test them as he went, his design having proved itself to work well enough. It was after noon when he finished, and he made his way back to the inn he and his teammates were staying in. As he entered, he found another runner waiting for him, though this one seemed less impatient. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the break, and was idly chatting with Atrax about how things were going in the city. Combat Artificer - 40 Noticing Xander enter the runner said, ¡°Ah, Xander, correct?¡± ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me,¡± Xander replied. ¡°Excellent. I¡¯m to inform you that the [Mason]s have begun having the stone ammunition that they have begun carving out stored in the same warehouse as the rest of the siege supplies, so that you may begin empowering them at your convenience.¡± ¡°Oh, alright. Um, thanks.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The runner hopped off the stool he¡¯d been on by the bar and turned to Atrax. ¡°It was a pleasure meeting you, but I must be off now, duty calls me back to the keep.¡± With a wave, the runner made his way out the door and broke into a light trot as soon as he hit the street. ¡°So much for getting a break¡­¡± Xander sighed. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll go ahead and get this over with. I¡¯m technically not supposed to leave to get Freyja food until I build up a stockpile. I guess it¡¯s not a huge issue¡­ yet. I still have a couple of days worth of food for her. I¡¯m just glad it doesn¡¯t go bad in my inventory.¡± ¡°Well, have fun completing repetitive tasks,¡± Atrax said. ¡°You did volunteer yourself, after all. No good deed goes unpunished.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. You¡¯re right. I did bring it down on myself, I guess. I¡¯ll see ya¡¯ll later,¡± Xander said making his way out to the open city. Not feeling like taking the time to walk, Xander decided to practice his [Sprint] skill, as he had yet to use it. He looked ahead at the road that led straight to the keep, and noted that it was mostly empty. A perfect time to test his ability. Activating [Sprint], he broke into a run, feeling the slight drain on his mana as his legs began to pump faster than he¡¯d ever run in his life. While he wasn¡¯t a blur to the people he passed by any means, he was still preternaturally fast with this skill active. He¡¯d need to test using it to move side to side, or even backwards, so that he could reposition and dodge during a fight, but for now, baby steps. Or rather, baby sprinting? It wasn¡¯t long until he reached the inner gatehouse of the city, where he turned off the ability, cutting the minor drain on his mana. He made his way over to the supply building for the siege weapons, and the guard let him in, already having been informed of Xander¡¯s business. Stepping inside, Xander groaned. There were many, many new piles in the warehouse, and each of them was a large pyramid of identical stone spheres. The [Mason]s were capable of churning out stone components at industrial speeds, it seemed. Xander looked at his hands as he imagined individually carving out runes with his abilities on each and every one. At this rate, he¡¯d spend the entire siege doing nothing else besides carving runes, getting Freyja food, and running messages for Lord Vard. Xander thought over the issue at hand. There had to be a way to automate this process, even if it was just a little bit. Using [Automaton] might work, but that was not a permanent solution, requiring him to stop by once a day to resummon it, and would also reduce his combat effectiveness. Not ideal at all. Leaning against one of the crates of in the warehouse, Xander pondered how he could achieve his desired outcome with runes. With enough intelligence runes¡­ yes. With enough intelligence runes, he could create what something like a CNC machine that would carve the runes out for him, as well as a few very simple constructs that would do nothing but unload unruned stone balls from one pile, and store the runed balls in another location. Xander sat down to work, starting first by taking up one of the stone munitions that had been created and going through the process of carving the runes into it. Since all the runes were interconnected, he could place a finished one in one part of the carving machine and have it ¡®trace¡¯ that sequence of runes and carve it into a blank ball as it traced it. Now to figure out the mechanisms and sequences he would need to create such a device. He settled first on the device that would trace the runes he carved into the ¡®master¡¯ ball. Creating a small, circular setting for it the stone to rest on, Xander then added four wheels that would be able to spin the ball in various directions. Rising up above the wheels that would spin the ball, he created a needle that rested in one of the grooves of the runes. Since they were all connected, it didn¡¯t matter where exactly the process was started, only that all of the runes were carved. Xander then began to carve runes for movement onto each wheel, linking them to multiple intelligence runes, that would vary the speed at which each wheel was turning so that the ball could be rotated in any direction and orientation. The intelligence runes all referenced the small needle that rested in the grooved portion of the runes, and soon, he had a device that was constantly rolling the ball around as the needle moved through each section of the many runes carved on its surface, like a silent, three-dimensional record player. Next, he needed to link it to a device that would copy the movements of the wheels on a similar base, but hold it against a bit that would carve into the stone. Creating another base that would copy the movements of the master base was easier than creating the master base had been. He simply used intelligence runes set up in such a way that if the wheel it referenced moved this much, then it too should power its attached movement runes in the exact same manner. Now, he needed to consider what kind of automaton he would use to move the stone balls, as it would affect the shape, or at least the height, of the milling machine. Xander felt that a full humanoid construct would both be too time consuming to try and create, while also being a waste of resources. Instead, he opted for a medium sized spidery construct, though it would only have six legs. The central ¡®body¡¯ would be a ring which would have the same sequences of runes carved around it as Xander had used to create the effect that levitated the ammunition in the chamber of his gauss rifle. The little loading drone would be able to climb up the side of the crate, lower its body over one of the balls, and engage the runes lining the ring, levitating the ball in stasis with the body of the spider, where it could then move the ball to the runic CNC machine. Feeling inspired, Xander decided that the same type of cargo spider could be used to catch the finished runed balled as it was released into a gently sloping slide that would wrap around the whole carving machine. Like a gumball machine, but for explosives. Once caught by the spider, it would move it to a completed pile or create a new one next to an existing pile. Instead of trying to create one construct that could do both, Xander decided that it would be easier to create two of the spiders. One would load blanks into the machine, then grab another, and wait until the carver had finished carving and dropped the ball onto the slide, and load the next in, before repeating. The other would catch the ball as it reached the end of the slide, and then move it to another pile of finished munitions. Now, he just had to implement it. It took Xander six hours of nonstop rune etching, testing, re-runing, and retesting before he was able to say he was satisfied with the process. He knew it was dark outside by now, but at this point, he refused to stop until he was done. Most of his failures had revolved around the spiders that would load and unload the stone explosives. Some of them just didn¡¯t move correctly, others hadn¡¯t been able to identify the correct piles to pull from or use to store, and some hadn¡¯t been able to properly catch or move the stones. But he¡¯d finally worked the kinks out of his little production line, and he watched with satisfaction as the first of the balls rolled onto the back of the waiting construct, its runes engaging to catch it. The spider then scuttled over to an empty space in the warehouse, lowered its body carefully to the floor, and disengaged the runes that held the stone in place. Lifting its body up high off of the stone, it then returned to its waiting position for the next ball. The other spider had already deposited a new blank into the carving machine, which used a spinning drill bit of the hardest, densest steel Xander could create with the ingots available to him, and was currently returning to the machine with another blank ball that it would deposit once the machine had tilted the newly runed ball onto its gumball machine-esque slide. It was pleasant to watch, if rather loud as the drill bit whirred away, the runes into the surface of the ball. He watched a few more iterations of the machine, ensuring that there seemed to be no hangups. Each of the balls took a few minutes to be fully carved. Pleased with himself, Xander left the warehouse and his very first self-acting constructs inside. He¡¯d return to a good number of them in the morning, though there were enough blanks stored in the warehouse already that he doubted the single machine would be able to carve them all in one night. The sound of the drill was barely able to be heard through the heavy door as he shut it. A new guard was on shift, who nodded to Xander as he began his walk back to the inn. He needed to feed Freyja from his very small stock of meat from his inventory, and then he¡¯d go to bed. He was mentally drained after having created not one, but three constructs. On his walk back, allowing himself a more leisurely pace than his [Sprint] fueled rush he¡¯d taken to get to the warehouse, Xander pulled up his status sheet. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ---You have created runes and runic sequences--- ---[Rune Lord] leveled to 6--- ---[Rune Lord] level 6 skills--- [Improved Brand] ¨C You may choose any rune or sequence of runes that will be branded upon an enemy. Mana cost increases with complexity and number of runes. Mana Cost: medium-high. Cooldown: 1 minute. ---For creating a functioning golem, you have been awarded the title [Golemancer]--- ---[Golemancer] ¨C You may imbue a construct you have created with a measure of intelligence, if it meets the threshold of complexity to be considered a true Golem. This effect stacks, and mana cost increases with each application. Mana cost: high. Cooldown: 24 hours--- ---You have created devices and explosives and defeated enemies--- ---[Combat Artificer] leveled to 20--- ---[Combat Artificer] level 20 skills--- [Creation Mastery] ¨C When supplied with a source of mana, [Create]d materials do not degrade. [Improved Explosive Reagents] ¨C Increased potency of [Explosive Reagents] Xander slowed his walk, considering what had just been made available to him. [Improved Brand] opened up too many options to count in combat. He could make enemies so heavy that they¡¯d be unable to stand, or so light that they¡¯d be blown away by a strong gust of wind. Burst into flames, or, of course, make them explode by branding them with a rune of explosion. He really needed to research some healing runes, both for Gabrelle, and for this ability. If he could brand a healing rune onto an ally, then that could be the difference between life and death for his friends, allowing Xander to stabilize them at range so that Gabrelle could get to them. [Golemancer]. Now that was a doozy. He could make some kind of robot with this, couldn¡¯t he? He wasn¡¯t sure just how many times he¡¯d be able to afford to apply the effect with his current mana pool, but he imagined it was more than one. He could make himself his own little army of golems now. But what, exactly, did he need golems for? To fight for him, was an obvious answer, though he imagined that he could come up with some ideas for golems that would perform other tasks as well. Golems that would haul heavy items, or to perform repetitive tasks, like the three he¡¯d just created. He could probably recreate his [Automaton] backpack now, saving the skill for uses like tracking an important target. On that line of thought, Xander realized something. Why stop at just the added arms? Why not turn his entire suit of armor into a golem. It could be ordered to mimic his actions exactly, but with a system of runes in place, that could be integrated into another sheet of carbon fiber on each piece, it could magnify the force he¡¯d be able to apply, giving him even greater strength than he already had. Surely the complexity of an entire suite of armor that could theoretically move on its own, though it wouldn¡¯t be ordered to do so, would be enough to cross the ¡®threshold of complexity¡¯ that he needed to be able to cast the spell. Xander found the lack of any clarification as to what that threshold was to be quite frustrating. The need to create rune circuits for the golems to power their movement and actions would preclude him from ever being able to create and deploy them during combat, though. Anything he wanted would have to be made well ahead of time. The skills he gained from [Combat Artificer] were just the icing on the cake. Just about anything he ever bothered to create would be runed, which would provide the materials he created to be provided with a source of mana. He¡¯d finally be able to provide suits of armor that were as protective as his own to his teammates. They¡¯d be nigh-unstoppable against the average person. Xander had yet to fight one on one with someone who held a skill advantage over him and his team, so he was unsure what things would look like in that case, but still, it had to be better than not having multilayered runic carbon fiber plate armor. He¡¯d have to start creating as much of the stuff as he possibly could. He began doing so even as he finished his walk to the inn, draining his mana reserves completely has he made as much carbon fiber as he possibly could. With his personal gathering arrays, he could already feel his mana refilling, and he drained it again, further increasing his store of the material. The inn was quiet, Xander¡¯s teammates having already turned in to sleep. Morning began early in the city, everything running on the schedule of the military, now. He roused Freyja from her sleep on his bed and prompted her to jump down, feeding her several cuts of meat from his inventory. He rubbed the soft fur on Freyja¡¯s cheek, ¡°Don¡¯t worry girl, I¡¯ll be getting you more food tomorrow. Promise. I won¡¯t let you go hungry.¡± The cat rubbed her head against Xander¡¯s chest, chuffing happily at the attention. Dematerializing his armor into his inventory, he flopped onto his bed, quickly falling asleep. He dreamt of gears and clocks, and plate armored figures obscured behind a veil of moving cogs and wheels at first, but his dreams transitioned to more ¡®normal¡¯ dream sequences through the night. He awoke, feeling sad. He¡¯d just been dreaming that he¡¯d been on the couch with Helen, and they¡¯d been watching TV together. The show had been mishmash gibberish, the stuff of dreams, but the feeling of just sitting there with her, enjoying her company¡­ he found himself shedding tears as it hit him just how much he still missed her. God, how was he supposed to live on his own? She¡¯d been the responsible one. She reminded him when he had appointments or that he needed to eat something. Xander hung his head, as more tears fell. She had to be hurting, too. But even worse. She probably thought he was dead, or even worse, had run out on her, abandoned her all alone. Freyja nuzzled up against his shoulder, distracting him for a moment. ¡°Hey¡­¡± he said to her, sniffling slightly. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± he asked, wiping his eyes. Freyja looked at him sadly, able to feel that he was upset through their bond, but not knowing why. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll be okay. Just thinking of home,¡± he told the cat, rubbing her head. ¡°You hungry? I still need to go out and get you some food¡­ Yeah, that will help me clear my head. Something to do,¡± he said, more to himself than to Freyja. ¡°But first,¡± he said, ¡°I gotta see how the warehouse is doing, and probably talk to Uril.¡± Opting to fly to the warehouse, Xander quickly stepped inside, happy to see that several large piles of runed stone balls had been set up by his assembly line. The machines¡­ golems? The golems were still skittering around, loading blanks and stowing munitions. Satisfied, Xander left the warehouse and went back to the city at large. Xander asked around of the soldiers that he saw on the street until one could direct him to captain Uril¡¯s location. It was still early in the day, the light of the sun just beginning to rise over the walls, and Xander wanted to be able to make the most of his hunting time. He¡¯d head back to the inn and dump out his entire inventory so that he could fit as many deer, or whatever other animals he could find inside the newly emptied space. Third company, as Xander thought of it after their position in conducting the breach of the siege forces, was stationed near the southern gate in multiple houses and businesses. The garrisons were already filled by the forces that had been inside the city, and so the new additions to the forces of Ilbek found themselves commandeering empty homes to use. Another soldier in the area was able to direct him to a building that housed captain Uril and his staff, where Xander found the man penning some missive or other. ¡°Captain Uril? Do you have a moment,¡± Xander asked. Uril hadn¡¯t noticed his entrance, his steps silent as he entered the room. ¡°Hmm?¡± Uril turned around in his seat, ¡°Oh, Xander, hello. What is it you need?¡± ¡°I just wanted to let you know that I¡¯ve created a system to rune the ammunition for the mortars. One is churned out and stored in the warehouse every few minutes. I finished it last night, so there¡¯s a decent stockpile already and it¡¯s getting larger.¡± ¡°Ah! Excellent, excellent. Tell me, how did the installation of the mortars go, by the way? I heard that the range on the single round fired was¡­ impressive.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. Yeah, it went well. Thing fires just a little bit over a mile.¡± ¡°A mile?!¡± Uril asked, in awe. ¡°That¡¯s double what the ballistae can fire! Gods, Xander, we really are going to push them far out. How simple is it to operate? Do you need to give a demonstration to the siege engineers?¡± ¡°It¡¯d say it¡¯s pretty easy to use, though there¡¯s going to be some math involved for the range. I¡¯m terrible at trigonometry, so someone who¡¯s better with numbers than me will have to calculate that. One crank angles the thing up and down, and the other crank rotates it. The big button on it makes it fire. I can draw out the range at forty-five degrees so someone can do calculations, if you¡¯ve got a spare sheet of paper there.¡± ¡°Of course, here you are,¡± Uril said, scooting his chair aside for Xander and moving a fresh sheet of paper onto his workspace at the desk he¡¯d been using. Xander quickly drew a flat line, labeling it ¡®1.2 miles,¡¯ and then drew an arc above it, labeling it with ¡®45 degrees.¡¯ ¡°Hopefully someone who can do math can make some more sense of this than I can,¡± Xander said, sliding the sheet slightly towards Uril. ¡°I expect one of the nobles or aides surrounding Lord Vard or Lord Etras will be able to make some use of this, if not the siege engineers themselves. I shall ensure that it is delivered for them to review before they conduct tests with these new siege weapons. Is there anything else?¡± Uril asked. ¡°Not really,¡± Xander said. ¡°Now that I have a stockpile of ammunition for the mortars, and I don¡¯t even need to be on site to make more, I am going to go hunting and see what I can bring back food-wise for Freyja. That¡¯s my panther¡¯s name, by the way.¡± ¡°Understood, thank you for letting me know before you left. I haven¡¯t heard any rumblings of you being needed for anything else, so for now, consider yourself dismissed for the duration of your hunt.¡± Combat Artificer - 41 Xander left Uril to finish his writings and found a house with a large enough yard for him to spread his wings wide, leaping as high as he could, which was quite higher than he used to be able to on Earth, flapping his runed wings to continue his liftoff. Soon, he was soaring above the buildings, and above the walls that encircled Ilbek. He gathered more altitude for himself, feeling his ears pop from the altitude change. Once he was confident that he was out of the range of even skill enhanced arrows, he flew outwards towards a patch of woods that he could see in the distance. As he passed over the Thraskian army, a few of the more keen-eyed observers spotted him. A few skill users still tried their best to reach him, but none were able to. Flying over and then past the encircling army, he began to lower his altitude as he neared the forest. He was on the look for any movement, occasionally using his scope to peer at the edges of the woods. Circling the outskirts of the forest, hoping he was high enough that any animals would ignore him, Xander caught sight of movement through his scope, further within the forest. Carefully bringing himself down to the ground, he crept further into the trees. There, he was able to catch sight of a small herd of deer, which had not yet noticed him, mostly thanks to his silencing runes on the armor. Xander took aim at the largest of the deer, a buck, and fired. As the buck dropped, he fired upon the rest of the herd as they began to flee the silent deaths of their fallen herd mates. He managed to bag three deer in total. Enough to feed Freyja for a while. Xander hoped that he would be able to fit all the deer in his inventory. Two of the deer fit in his inventory, but Xander was forced to haul the other deer back to the city by hand. And by wing. It took him significantly longer to take off, but he did manage to lift the deer off the ground. He went in wide circles, slowly gaining altitude. He must have looked like some massive predatory bird to anyone looking at him from a distance, carrying away its kill. Despite his increased strength from [Unstoppable Force], Xander¡¯s arms were burning by the time he touched down in front of the inn, catching odd looks as he came to the ground hauling an entire deer. Dragging it out back behind the inn, he left it on the ground, and went inside to let Freyja out. She¡¯d be getting a large meal today. The long marches had had even the cat eating lightly the past few days, and Xander wanted her to eat her fill. The other two deer would go into his frost box, where he¡¯d be able to carve parts off them to feed Freyja at his leisure. Finding and bringing back the deer had only taken Xander a couple of hours, and he was now free to begin work on the other projects he¡¯d been considering. He really wanted to try adding another layer to his armor to turn it into a golem so that he could test out [Golemancer]. He already had plenty of carbon fiber to do so, after his bout of creating the stuff last night. He¡¯d need to modify the armor some, though. For the movement runes to work as a single circuit, the armor would need to be better connected. No more leather straps and buckles. It wouldn¡¯t be an issue since he could now equip the suit directly from his inventory. Returning to his room at the inn, he caught Gabrelle on her way out. ¡°Oh hi, Xander! How¡¯s your morning going?¡± She asked. ¡°Hey Gabrelle. Oh it¡¯s going alright. Managed to snag a couple of deer for Freyja, so her food situation isn¡¯t so critical now. Just heading back to my room to test some stuff out with my armor. Speaking of which, would you like a new set? Made out of the same stuff as mine? It¡¯s a lot lighter than steel, but just as strong, if not stronger. And the way it¡¯s made let¡¯s me put a lot of runes on it.¡± ¡°That does sound nice¡­¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°But are you sure it¡¯s okay? It¡¯s not going to cost you too much or anything? I don¡¯t want be a bother or a drain on you.¡± ¡°No, no, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re far from either of those things. I just hit level twenty in my [Combat Artificer] class, and it¡¯s given me a way to make the materials I make permanent, as long as I provide them with a source of mana. So I was thinking that I¡¯d make all of you a new set of armor. I figure Graffus will take one as well, but I don¡¯t know if Atrax or Frazay will. Neither of them wear any heavy armor¡­ Maybe I can at least convince them to take a breastplate or something like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really nice of you, Xander. You¡¯re spoiling us with all these items, you know? I don¡¯t think many mercenary teams have someone that can just¡­ churn out custom magical items for the team. I don¡¯t think I can ever repay you for all the things you¡¯ve given me. Literally, considering how much Erillian paid you for his armor. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever have the funds to pay for gear like that.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing I really like the idea of keeping you all alive,¡± Xander laughed. ¡°I doesn¡¯t cost me anything but time, and mana I guess. But if it keeps my friends safer, I¡¯m happy to do it.¡± ¡°Thanks, Xander. It means a lot to hear that you consider me a friend. I never had many growing up. I was always the ¡®weird mercenary girl¡¯ as a kid. So having you, and Atrax, Graffus and Frazay, too, has been really nice.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Gabrelle,¡± Xander said sincerely. ¡°And don¡¯t sell yourself short, you¡¯ve been a great friend to me as well. You really helped me think things through, back on the boat. But back to lighter subjects, where are you headed to?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s maybe not a lighter subject,¡± she began, ¡°but I¡¯m headed to go heal the wounded from the battle. There aren¡¯t a lot of healers in the city right now, so they need every bit of help they can get.¡± ¡°That¡¯s our Gabrelle,¡± Xander said. ¡°Hope you get a level or two out of it, too.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s to hoping,¡± Gabrelle said, as she began to move towards the stairs. ¡°Have a good rest of your day, Xander.¡± ¡°You too!¡± He called after her, before entering his room. Xander called his armor into his inventory from his body, and then began to remove it piece by piece back out of his inventory and into his hands, where he began laying out each piece on the floor. He began sealing the suit together, using the carbon fiber he¡¯d created the night before to make joints which could rotate, extending the layering of runes on them so that they matched the rest of the armor. Soon, he had a hollow, life-sized action figure. He was even able to stand the armor up if he propped the joins in just the right angle. Realizing that someone other than him might need to take the armor off of him if he were ever to fall unconscious, he created small hinges and clasps in the armor that could be used to extract him from the suit if the need ever came about. Xander pulled it back into his inventory, and then rematerialized it over himself. The armor covered him entirely now, even the backs of joints and his armpits were covered by carbon fiber. Experimentally, he began rotating his arms, and moving his legs to see if this new design would restrict his movement. He was no longer able to reach his arms straight upwards, nor could he squat down and rest on the balls of his feet anymore. The knee joints didn¡¯t quite bend enough for that. But neither of those were major concerns, and the range of motion he needed to fight or complete everyday tasks was still intact. Now he needed to create a new layer of carbon fiber and fit it over the entirety of the armor. The new layer would hold movement runes and intelligence runes that, when powered, would allow the suit of armor to be moved in its full range of motion purely by the runes, and the intelligence runes were set up in such a way that they mirrored his movements exactly. Putting the suit back on, he tested it once again. He didn¡¯t notice any difference wearing it, which he assumed meant that the runes were working. After all, they should just be mirroring his movements. Taking the suit off once again, he posed it so that it was awkwardly standing on its own. It was time for the moment of truth. Xander activated [Golemancer] and felt the drain on his mana. Checking his status sheet, he saw that the ability had taken a quarter of his mana. He looked back to the suit of armor, and saw that nothing had changed. He mentally commanded it to stand up straight and was delighted when it did so. He began marching it around the room, and having it strike poses. It seemed to be roughly on the same level as the things he could make with [Automaton]. He wondered how far he¡¯d be able to push the intelligence of his suit with the [Golemancer] skill. He didn¡¯t need it to be able to hold a conversation. What he wanted from it was to manage the movement runes on the suit and intuit his commands to apply greater force when he wanted, turning the whole suit into something akin to power armor. He also wanted it to be able to take over and ferry him to Gabrelle in the event he ever lost consciousness in a fight, or defend him if it wasn¡¯t able to get him to Gabrelle. As long as he didn¡¯t die from any wound that knocked him out, he would presumably recover just fine due to [Regenerative]. He didn¡¯t think it was capable of such instructions quite yet, but it was a start. He wouldn¡¯t be able to apply any more stacks of [Golemancer] to it until tomorrow. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. With the rest of the day looming, Xander dived right into Gabrelle¡¯s armor. He didn¡¯t want to stop and remember the dream he¡¯d had this morning. For the most part, the armor was a copy of his original iteration of his carbon fiber armor. Despite having created it before, the multiple sheets of runes still took time for Xander to complete and then inlay, layering them on top of each other. When he got to the helm, he paused. What should it look like? A skull didn¡¯t really fit Gabrelle. She was an enthusiastic soul, and full of life. Eventually, he settled on a helmet that was set up the same as his, including the air filtration system, but where his was a skeletal face, hers would be her own face, in a gentle smile. It would fit her attitude for most things, and perhaps the smiling face would be disconcerting to enemies in battle. As he was finishing, Xander heard the sound of a distant explosion. He tensed for a moment, wondering what was going on, before he realized that it must be the siege engineers finally testing the mortars. He was done with Gabrelle¡¯s new armor, though he wondered if she¡¯d want it to be a color other than solid black. He supposed that he could cover it in a very thin layer of some other kind of metal or material if she really wanted. But for now, he really wanted to see how the mortars were fairing. Leaving Freyja, as lazy as she usually was, to nap after her meal, Xander stepped outside of the inn and took to the air, trying to locate the mortar that was firing. He heard another explosion, closer this time, and swiveled in the air, seeing a cloud of smoke and dirt rising past the wall. That would be the Northeastern mortar emplacement. He flew closer, and saw that there were several men on the wall and a small pile of runed stone balls arranged next to the mortar. He landed a short distance from them on the wall and drew closer under their inquisitive gazes, giving them a friendly wave. ¡°It working alright for you?¡± Xander asked the group of men. ¡°Are you the [Artificer] who created these things?¡± One of the men asked him. ¡°That¡¯d be me, yep,¡± Xander replied. ¡°Perfect, I was hoping you¡¯d be able to be around for our testing. Is there anything special we need to know about this apparatus? It¡¯s called¡­¡± He looked down at the sheaf of notes in his hands, ¡°a ¡®mortar?¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s called, yes. Umm, nothing particularly complicated about it. The two cranks let you change the directions the tube faces and is angled at, and the button fires it. Just don¡¯t drop the ammo off the side of the wall, or it will probably go off. That¡¯s really it. I heard you fire it already, so it seems like you¡¯ve got it down. I just came to watch, honestly.¡± The man nodded, scribbling a few more numbers down on the sheet. ¡°As it stands, we are just dialing it in, as it were. The diagram of the distance you provided was quite helpful, but we wanted a few more angles and distances to confirm our calculations. And also, we wanted to see how effective it would be against the encamped forces,¡± he said with a malicious chuckle. ¡°It seems to have them in slight disarray.¡± Xander looked out at the Thraskian forces, where the dust had cleared from the site of the impact and explosion and saw the small forms of men running to and fro in the distance. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve already ¡®dialed it in¡¯ enough to be able to hit them, then?¡± ¡°Oh yes,¡± another one of the siege engineers, this one a dwarf, replied. ¡°To be honest, we were able to make all the calculations based on the diagram you gave us, we just wanted to test and confirm the numbers. And what better way to test brand new siege weaponry than to fire it at your enemy?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say I can think of a better test, under the circumstances,¡± Xander answered to the dwarf¡¯s rhetorical question. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve confirmed the numbers and distances, we¡¯ll be splitting up and each of us will be manning one of these,¡± the first engineer explained to Xander. There¡¯s already a stack of ammunition at each one. With this, we should be able to force them to pick up camp and start moving it back until they¡¯re more than a mile out. That will give us a lot more breathing room.¡± ¡°Good to hear. Lord Vard and captain Uril both know where to find me if you should need anything or run into any issues, though I don¡¯t expect you to. You¡¯ll want to give the thing about a minute between shots for the arrays to fully charge.¡± ¡°Thank you for the information,¡± a third engineer said, ¡°and thank you for creating these. The next few hours are going to be very fun.¡± Xander watched as the Thraskian army was bombarded from eight points on the city wall. The enemy forces quickly packed up their gear under the fire of the mortars and made a break for it. The siege engineers tracked their movement as best they could, raining explosive stone balls down on them as they moved further from the city, inflicting more losses upon the enemy. The encircling force was soon only barely visible from the walls, distant silhouettes that had been forced back over a mile from the city. The encirclement still held, but it was spread dangerously thin. Spirits were high in the city. The supplies brought in by Lord Vard¡¯s army and then the forcing back of Thrask¡¯s army had buoyed the spirits of the tired defenders. Soldiers walked with a new spring in their step, no longer afraid of an assault at any moment. Now, it was just a matter of time until the enemy was forced to quit the field, or reinforcements came to break the siege once and for all. Xander was called upon for little, now that his system of mortars was self-sufficient. He filled his days with hunting for Freyja, donating the excess to the cooks in the city, who were always ecstatic to have fresh meat come in, and tinkering with various ideas. Gabrelle had loved the armor, liking that it matched Xander¡¯s, not desiring it to be any other color. Graffus, surprisingly, had politely declined Xander¡¯s offer of new armor. ¡°Xander, this armor was my father¡¯s, and his father¡¯s. I appreciate you improving it for me, but to discard it would be¡­ shameful for me,¡± the dwarf had told him. Xander hadn¡¯t realized that Graffus had such a deep tie to his armor but hadn¡¯t pressed the issue. Frazay had also declined a new suit of armor, on the grounds that she moved better and faster in leather. The woman would brook no arguments, as Xander had tried to explain that the carbon fiber would be just as light, if not lighter than what she was already wearing. He suspected that she simply didn¡¯t feel like changing her outfit. Atrax had accepted a small breastplate that he could wear under his robes. Each day, Xander cast [Golemancer] on his suit of armor, until it reached a point where it was able to follow his commands to his satisfaction. He now had confidence that it could defend him in the event he fell unconscious, and the few tests he¡¯s managed to run in operating the suit like powered armor had gone well. He¡¯d crushed several rocks into gravel in his hands with the suit. [Golemancer] had reached the point where it took a full half of his mana to cast before he was satisfied with the armor. He decided that he wanted to create a personal ¡®assistant¡¯ of sorts as his first golem that he wouldn¡¯t be wearing. Well, technically the third golem he wouldn¡¯t be wearing if you counted the two spiders that were still dutifully working in the warehouse. For this one, he also opted for a human form, though it would be of steel since it wasn¡¯t intended to be for combat. Just something to test out the limits of what he could do with [Golemancer]. He created a vaguely female form, slim and pointed. He gave it, her, as he thought of the golem already, four arms so that she would better be able to hold things for him or work on the tasks that she was set to. She was covered in ruby lines of runework, Xander having opted to leave the gemstone inlay visible. It made for good decoration. She was set up in the same way for movement as his armor was, giving her a full range of movement. He decided to name her Juniper. He¡¯d always liked that name, and it wasn¡¯t like he was going to have a kid he could give the name to, now. Every day, he cast [Golemancer] on her. By the fifth day, he could order the construct out into the yard behind the inn to play fetch with Freyja. By the tenth day, he had to add runes to the inside of her mouth so that she could produce sound, because the construct had become capable of relaying messages that it was given. Gabrelle had found out about it and began leaving amusing messages that the construct would give to him. ¡°Master, I have gained true intelligence!¡± Had been the first joke message that Gabrelle had left for the machine to tell him. Xander had nearly had a heart attack before he realized what happened, and he could hear Gabrelle laughing through his door. He¡¯d set the construct on her, ordering it to put her in a headlock once it managed to catch her, though he left out a steel-fisted noogie for the order. On the twentieth day, Xander could no longer afford the mana cost to cast [Golemancer] on Juniper. She was capable of performing any simple task she was given, and, if a task was demonstrated to her, she could copy the motions she¡¯d been shown, allowing the golem to perform even complicated tasks. Combat Artificer - 42 Still nothing had changed on the front. The spring had slowly faded from the soldier¡¯s steps, and the drudgery of living through a siege returned. Xander began his next construct, which was not human shaped at all. He created an eight-legged killing machine. He scaled up spider construct that he¡¯d first made, and, instead of a levitation sequence of runes in the center of the body, he replaced the center of the body with a large, carbon fiber tank. He layered it several times with runes for strengthening and fire resistance. It connected to a similar apparatus and nozzle as his own flamethrower, giving the construct its own ability to spit seventy-five-foot bursts of flaming, sticky tar. Two additional legs in the front of the construct were designed not for walking, but to be used as weapons, similar to his own spider-like legs on his [Automaton] backpack. Xander had also managed to replicate that with his new [Golemancer] ability, and he now had a permanent pack attached to his armor, also made of carbon fiber, and layered with all the same runes as the rest of his armor. The flame spitting spider he created was the size of a horse, most of which was dedicated to the large tank of dragon¡¯s tar that made up its rather bulbous body. With another twenty days¡¯ worth of [Golemancer], the spider was capable of responding to just about any combat situation. Still nothing had changed. News from the front was hard to come by, but what Xander did hear was not good. Thrask had continued its push, and Dardin¡¯s forces were still on the backfoot. Their victory at Ilbek had not had as great an effect on the war as had been hoped. Gabrelle had been reduced to tears, ashen faced, as she was given the news that Anlet had been taken. Xander hoped that the city had not put up too much of a fight, allowing Thrask to take over without too much destruction. It was not a city that was designed for defense. Three months after they¡¯d arrived to the city, Xander and his teammates were called to the central keep once more. Dressing in his armored suit, Xander left Juniper and Freyja, along with his unnamed spider tank, and followed his teammates to the keep. There, they were one again confronted by a table containing Lord Vard, Lord Etras, and a variety of officers and aides. ¡°Xander.¡± Lord Vard greeted him as he entered. ¡°Atrax. Graffus. Gabrelle. Frazay.¡± He greeted each mercenary by name as they entered the room. ¡°What service can we offer, Lord Vard?¡± Atrax asked the man. Lord Vard heaved a deep sigh. ¡°We are close to surrendering. Supplies are dwindling, and no reinforcements are coming. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard, the front has not been holding up well. Thrask has pushed past Anlet, and we¡¯re far too deep in Thraskian held territory to have any hope of anyone from Dardin making it to us. We originally thought that Thrask would stop once they claimed the farmlands and vineyards surrounding Anlet, but¡­¡± Vard took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. ¡°Thrask has not stopped. Instead, they have angled for the capital. They aim to claim the whole country, and plan to do so by cutting off the head of the kingdom. The crown cannot be allowed to fall into Thrask¡¯s hands. I¡¯ve been ordered to send any mercenaries under my control to make their way to the capital. There, they are to aid the defense of the king in any way required of them. If the city cannot hold, which is likely, considering the pace of the war so far, then King Nartan, Queen Yetrelle, and their children must be escorted out of the country, so that the lineage may survive, even in exile. Thrask may control the territory of Dardin, but they must never be allowed to stamp out the line of the true king of these lands.¡± Xander and his teammates looked at each other in surprise. None of them had realized that things were so bad. For Ilbek to have given up hope, and the capital to be threatened so, then things were more dire than even the rumors purported. Vard continued, saying, ¡°The other mercenary teams are being informed of this same order as we speak. Due to your team¡¯s exemplary service, however, I wished to tell you in person. I have also signed a commendation for each of you. You are now no longer simply auxiliary forces, but commissioned officers of Dardin.¡± Lord Vard reached into a small box on the table and placed five small insignias of the Dardian kingdom on the table. ¡°May they bring you luck. You, along with the other mercenaries, will meet at the gate at once. There, you will ride out, and break through the thinned lines however you see fit. Gather your things. May the gods grant you speed.¡± Xander was stunned. They were just supposed to¡­ ride out of the city? Break through the thousands of soldiers that encircled the city? It had taken an entire army for them to break through to the city three months ago. His teammates were similarly speechless as they grimly filed out of the room. The crown was so desperate for mercenary reinforcements that they would assign them to a suicide mission. Xander shook his head, disgusted. What else was there to do. He wasn¡¯t sure about the rest of his teammates, but he¡¯d killed many of the Thraskian forces, and was the architect of the new siege weapons that had pushed them back. He doubted that he would be well treated if he was still in the city when the army surrendered. If they even allowed him to live. For the first time in his life, Xander truly understood the phrase ¡®between a rock and hard place.¡¯ Silently, he and his teammates walked back to the inn, and gathered their things and their mounts. Finally, Graffus broke the silence. ¡°Well, it¡¯s been an honor serving through this short war with every single on of you, and with any luck, we¡¯ll continue serving past tonight.¡± ¡°It has,¡± Xander agreed. ¡°You all have given me a home and friends in a world I came to with neither of those things. I refuse to let his be the last day our team does a mission.¡± At the Southern gate, grim mercenaries were beginning to gather. Xander and his teammates echoed their demeanor, a mixture of anger, betrayal, and resignation. Graffus had explained to Xander that higher-leveled skill users were generally difficult to contain or jail, and that if they were taken as prisoners, there was a real chance of summary execution simply because there was no easy way for Thrask to keep them captured. Soon, all thirty-four mercenaries had gathered. Those that had not come with a horse had had one provided to them, a final thank you for their participation in the battle three months ago. The gates were cracked open just enough for them to slip through, and then they were off. A mad dash was started, headed straight to the Thraskian forces, a mile distant. As Xander took to the air, rising above the rest of the mercenaries on their mounts, he saw that the Thraskian forces were already moving into formation, having spotted the small party rushing towards them. The distance that had been created by his mortars was now turning against his allies. He sped ahead, hoping to disrupt the forces that had begun to line up against the incoming charge. Xander held nothing back for this endeavor and materialized a soul ripper grenade in each hand. Arrows began to plink against his armor once again, and he zigzagged between skills that were fired at him. He swooped over the line of pikemen that was formed up to counter the mercenaries¡¯ charge and dropped the first grenade. He continued to drop his soul rippers through the line, and as they detonated, cries of alarm began to ring out. Men were simply dropping dead behind Xander, silently falling to the ground, followed by the small pop of the grenade destroying itself. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Xander turned around, preparing to make a second pass, when he felt something impact one of his wings. Before he knew it, he was on the ground, colliding with soldiers on the ground. He heard a distant shout of ¡°Xander!¡± from the riders. But Xander had other, more pressing concerns, now. His new carbon fiber spider legs hoisted him quickly to his feet, clawed grabbing arms and round tipped shield arms fending off blows. He quickly dropped a pair of conventional grenades directly at his feet, detonating them and killing the soldiers nearby that were attempting to strike him, and setting off several secondary explosions. He looked over his shoulder and found that his left wing had been sheared off halfway down its length. Whoever had done it had to be an order of magnitude more powerful than Xander. Xander was surrounded by Thraskian soldiers. He couldn¡¯t fly. But there was one thing he could do. Create such a distraction and kill so many soldiers that his allies would have a chance to make it through the lines. Another man rushed at him, and instead of impaling him with his spider legs, Xander used [Improved Ferrokinesis] to lift the man by his armor, quickly bringing him within reach and touching him, casting [Reactivity] as he did so. He threw the man at his comrades, and activated the ability, shredding the man into a bloody spray and killing the soldiers that had been bowled over. He cast [Reactive Armor] on himself and began throwing grenades in every direction he could see enemy soldiers. He even began throwing out the itchweed smoke grenades. Men screamed in pain all around Xander. Some were blinded by the smoke that was filling the area around him. Others were bleeding out from shrapnel wounds caused by the bones of their former allies that had detonated from [Explosive Effect]. Xander had turned his section of the battlefield into a hellscape, and now that his spider tank had arrived, it began to truly look it. He ordered the construct to hose down any soldier it saw, and soon, burning, screaming figures were seen running and flailing as they fell to the ground. The mercenaries were riding past now, the enemy too occupied with Xander to be able to mount a defense. He¡¯d done his job. Now it was time to get out of here. He stowed his mace in his inventory, and as he clambered up on top of his spider, he felt another tremendous blow strike him. He tried to climb further up the spider, but found that he couldn¡¯t. Looking down at his shoulder, he found that he was pinned to the steel of one of the spider¡¯s legs by a long, obsidian black, stone spear. As he began to use his abilities to meld the stone and break the section that was pinning him, another struck him, this time in the back. Xander couldn¡¯t feel his legs. The stone spear must have struck him in the spine, he thought, panicking. Another one hit him, though he couldn¡¯t feel it. Just the impact as it shook the spider tank, pinning him further. He couldn¡¯t even get a look at whoever was hitting him with these things, as he was pinned down face first against his construct. Sluggishly, he ordered the thing to turn around. He could feel the blood dripping over his body under his armor. The intelligence guiding the armor¡¯s construct twitched and spasmed as it tried to wrench its creator free of the spears to no avail. As the spider finally finished turning, Xander was able to get a glimpse of the man who had impaled him three times already. He was red eyed and coughing, but Xander could see another spear forming in his hands as he walked towards Xander. His next shot sheared the front of the flamethrower off the spider, rendering it useless as dragon¡¯s tar slowly leaked from the now broken device. The man stalked closer to Xander. ¡°You fought well,¡± He said. He had dark brown hair and piercing, black eyes. An angular face, whose lines were unable to be hidden by the stubble that covered it. ¡°A shame that we could not have a true fight.¡± His plain, grey robe rippled slightly in the wind as the irritating smoke blew over him. ¡°Who says I¡¯m done?¡± Xander said weakly, struggling to get air into his lungs. ¡°I say you¡¯re done.¡± The man said. Another spear appeared in his hands. ¡°And I say you¡¯re done,¡± Xander replied to the man. The man laughed. ¡°Defiant even in defeat. You would have made an excellent opponent. It truly is a shame that you were distracted when I struck you. Die well, mercenary.¡± As he cast the spear towards Xander¡¯s heart, his keenly attuned senses caught a small burst of mana from his defeated foe, as if he¡¯d activated a low-cost skill. Looking down at the now limp arm dangling from the strange spider-like construct, he noticed a small, round object on the ground. ¡°What is tha¡­¡± There was a purple flash for a moment. The man dropped dead alongside Xander¡¯s still warm corpse. Xander couldn¡¯t hear the screams of fury from his teammates, who had been watching, waiting for him to escape, as they were sure he would. Couldn¡¯t hear Gabrelle crying or the animal wailing of Freyja as Frazay dragged both of them onwards. After all, he was dead. Or at least, he was supposed to be. ~~~~~~~~~~Three Years Later~~~~~~~~~~ Xander woke up. This was not normal, because he was supposed to be dead. He clearly remembered being skewered through the chest by a stone spear. He tried to look around but found he could not, only able to see the wall across from him, which was covered in a velvet red wallpaper with gold trim. Panicking, he brought up his status sheet. ---You have defeated enemies--- ---[Combat Artificer] leveled to 21--- ---[Combat Artificer] level 21 skills--- [Maker¡¯s Aegis] ¨C Maker¡¯s ward now applies to anyone or anything which the caster designates. ---You have created runes and runic arrays--- ---[Rune Lord] leveled to 7--- ---[Rune Lord] level 7 skills--- [Runic Kingship] ¨C Power and efficiency of runes is further increased. ---For killing an enemy over 50 levels above you, you have been granted the title [King-bane]--- ---[King-bane] ¨C Damage against targets that are a higher level than you is extremely increased--- ---For tethering your soul to the mortal plane and preventing it from passing on, you have gained the title [Revenant]--- ---[Revenant] ¨C Your soul may inhabit an item that has been marked to represent you. Your skills may be used even without a body, but if the last item that contains your mark is destroyed, your soul will finally pass beyond the veil--- Oh. Oh dear. Xander realized now why he was still ¡®alive.¡¯ Although he technically wasn¡¯t, he was gathering. The array which he¡¯d carved onto his mask to tie his soul to him had continued even past death. But he had no body, did he? He was simply¡­ bound to the mask. He checked his status sheet and noticed that his mana was full, but seemed to be growing as if his maximum capacity was increasing with his rate of regeneration. Disturbingly, he no longer had a bar indicating his health. How long had it been? Clearly long enough for someone to have moved him to a new location. If Xander was a ghost now, or rather, a ¡®revenant,¡¯ could he shift his perspective around the object he was tied to? He felt out his ¡®body,¡¯ which was amorphous at best to his senses, and tried willing it to move. Slowly, he drifted forward, out of the helmet. So that was a yes. He found that he could not move more than a foot away from his mask, though. He rotated his small, amorphous, and invisible body around to look at his helmet. There, on a pedestal, sat his helmet. He could see that it had been ripped, with what must have been great force, considering how well it had been attached, from the rest of his armor. Looking down at a plaque that was mounted on the pedestal, he read ¡®Helm of Xander Jones, the final foe of General Terron Winter, third son of King Martin Winter.¡¯ Combat Artificer - 43 He was a fucking trophy. The¡¯d put him on display in a trophy room. If Xander still had blood, it would be boiling. He spun his vision around, noting other pedestals with various items on them. He was sandwiched between a broken sword and a single gauntlet, both presumably from some other defeated foe of Thrask. Xander took stock of his abilities. He needed to find out if his companions had survived the war, was his first thought. He knew at least one had, because, as he slowly calmed, he could still feel Freyja through the bond, though it was faint from the distance between them. All he could discern was a direction. If Freyja had made it, surely others had as well. Now, how was he supposed to get out of here as a disembodied helm without raising an alarm? He could see sunlight streaming in from a stained-glass window in the room, so he knew it was daytime. He would be well served by at least waiting until nightfall. Then he could form himself a body as quickly as he could and try to escape from wherever he was. There was a hitch, though, he realized. He could create himself a body, but he¡¯d have to relearn how to walk, as he¡¯d be directly controlling and powering runes to do so. Perhaps it would be better to just create a small piece of metal inside his helm and use [Ferrokinesis] to levitate himself away. Much quieter, and hopefully harder to notice than a metal figure clumsily trying to escape while learning to walk. Xander froze as he heard the sounds of footsteps echoing down the hallway that he had been placed in. A Thraskian noble, dressed in navy blue, with white ruffles at his collar and cuffs, turned the corner. The man slowly made his way down the hall, perusing the items that were on display. He didn¡¯t seem to notice Xander, even as he walked through the spot that Xander¡¯s form was, blacking out Xander¡¯s vision. The noble shivered as he passed through Xander, though, possessed of a disconcerting feeling. So, he really was invisible. That was a benefit, he decided. Not much of one, though, since he¡¯d be tied to his armor, which wasn¡¯t invisible. Settling in for to wait for darkness to fall, Xander shifted his perception back to within the helm, looking out as if he were wearing it. He was already turning the ideas for a new body over in his head. He was going to scare Gabrelle so fucking badly for all those trick messages she¡¯d left for him on his golem. No more admirers passed by the trophies, though Xander caught sight of several members of castle staff coming and going from both directions. One of them, a maid, had stopped to dust each object. Xander found the idea that he had been getting dusted every day like some kind of bookend infuriating. Night finally fell, and Xander made his move. He used his abilities to create a film of steel on the inside of his helmet and then lifted himself off the pedestal with [Ferrokinesis]. It was a slightly disorienting experience, though he quickly adjusted. Rising higher, he pressed his helm to the stained-glass window and manipulated a hole into it so that he could simply levitate himself out of the window. If one had been looking, they would have seen a disembodied, jet-black helm with a skull for a face cautiously peek out of a hole that had appeared in a stained-glass window set into the wall of king Martin Winter¡¯s palace. The bodyless piece of armor then floated out of the hole and onto the roof of the building, out of sight from the ground. Xander looked over the edge of the roof with his disembodied vision. He was in a huge city, surrounded by walls. The building he escaped from was clearly a wing of a palace, a sprawling compound of lavish buildings. He¡¯d never seen this place before. He assumed that this must be the capital of Thrask, though he¡¯d never heard the name of the city. It seemed to be a well-fortified city, as he could see that, in addition to the walls, there were frequent patrols of watchmen both on the walls and within the city itself. Xander thought his situation over. He was a bodyless ghost possessing a similarly bodyless helm, trapped inside a city full of people he considered his enemy. Even if he didn¡¯t think of them as the enemy, he doubted that a floating helmet would be left unmolested. Xander thought that he could probably gain enough height to go over the wall, but he was unsure if he¡¯d remain undetected. Moving himself about with [Ferrokinesis] felt clumsy and disorienting still, and he didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯d be able to gather much speed. He¡¯d have to hide out somewhere in the city while he put a body together for himself and learned to use it. Xander pondered the best place to hide, before remembering that with his skills he could create his own. He identified a patch of barren streets and slowly levitated his helm from the roof of the palace to it, touching down on the ground. Activating [Improved Manipulate] Xander began to hollow out the ground around his helmet, sinking down into the ground. One he was below the level of the street, he reformed the cobblestones and then dirt above him, sealing himself underground. Xander continued burrowing downwards, reforming dirt above him to prevent a sinkhole from forming. Once he estimated he was deep enough, maybe forty feet below the surface he stopped, and began widening his tiny area until he had space to create a small piece of steel, upon which he engraved a single gathering array and light rune. With the dim illumination, Xander went to work. He used [Ferrokinesis] to hold himself against the walls of the tiny cavern and began manipulating away at the dirt and stones. One there was a large enough space, the size of a very cramped cubicle, he stopped. He didn¡¯t want to collapse the roof onto himself by carving out too much. He created stone and lined the dirt walls with it, strengthening the space as he continued to work. Xander heaved a mental sigh of relief. He was safe as he could be, circumstances being what they were. Now he could work on creating himself a new body and armor. Though, body and armor would now be one and the same, he mused. He started by creating a body of steel, jointed with ball sockets like a posable action figure, with a faceless head. With his helmet resting on the torso of the steel mannequin, Xander began etching movement runes onto it, much as he had with Juniper. He wondered if his golem had survived. He¡¯d ordered it to follow his teammates. Once he¡¯d finished etching the movement and intelligence runes and then powering them with gathering arrays, Xander tested out the body, flowing tiny bits of mana into it. Various bits of it twitched and spasmed. Slowly, he managed to get it to sit up. His experience creating and then controlling his wings was helping him, as this was a similar learning process. Still sitting ¨C the tiny cavern was too small for it to stand ¨C he used the arms to reach out and grab his helm, placing it on the faceless head of his new body. Xander began carving out and reinforcing his cave, creating wooden posts to relieve the weight of the ceiling. Soon, he had a ten foot by ten foot cube carved out of the soil, deep below the Thraskian capital. He used this space to practice pacing about, getting a handle on his new mode of transport. Xander experimentally rotated his head a full three hundred and sixty degrees, silently chuckling in his mind. His wrists were similarly able to fully rotate, as was every other joint. Satisfied for the moment with his ability to move, he set about creating a new set of wings and armor, once more utilizing carbon fiber. The first layer he created was the personal gathering arrays. Xander noticed that they were improving his mana regeneration even without being worn. He wondered if his arrays had always done that, and he¡¯d just never realized it before. The other thing he noticed was that his mana bar didn¡¯t deplete like it used to. Before, when he was still alive, when he spent mana, he would be able to see the bar that represented his entire mana pool, and a line within it that represented his current total. Now, he simply had a mana pool, and when he spent it, it grew smaller, and when it regenerated, it grew larger. He was starting to feel that maybe he didn¡¯t have an upper mana capacity anymore. He opted to create three more layers of gathering arrays, to test his theory. He watched as his mana totals ballooned far past anything he¡¯d ever achieved before. With enough gathering arrays, he¡¯d be able to spend mana without ever worrying about running out. The creation of the rest of the carbon fiber that he¡¯d be wrapping his mannequin body in went quickly thanks to his new levels of mana regeneration. Runing them still took time, but Xander no longer needed to sleep, not having a living body. Soon he was once again clad in many layers of carbon fiber. Many, many more than his previous suit had contained. Xander hoped that the additional layers would protect him in the case that he encountered someone like Terron Winter again. He mentally shuddered as he remembered the ease with which the man had skewered him through his armor. Next, he created a new set of wings, changing little from his previous iteration besides the addition of several extra layers of additional strengthening runes. His backpack of arms was also recreated, and he cast [Golemancer] on it, starting the process of bringing it back to being able to operate somewhat independently of him. Xander spent three days and nights under the city, and he took the opportunity to cast [Golemancer] twice more on his backpack, bringing past the level of [Automaton] in its ability to follow orders. He spent some time creating various sounds runes on a patch of carbon fiber he places over where the mouth of his mannequin would be, until he was able to speak, forcing sounds from the runes. Xander¡¯s final creation was a small, stainless steel disk coated in glass, upon which was carved the same soul binding array that sat on the inside of the mask. With any luck, that was the ¡®mark¡¯ that [Revenant] referred to. If his helm was destroyed somehow, he should end up back at the disk he¡¯d created. His business finished, and with a handle on controlling his new body, Xander began to tunnel upwards, filling in the void behind him to keep his secret room containing his backup mark from being discovered. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. It was a quiet day in the city of Grentus. Ever since the war had ended some two years ago, life had returned to normal for the citizens of Thrask¡¯s capital. There had been some rumblings of a robbery at the King¡¯s palace, but such things made no impact on the lives of the average man on the street. The day ceased being quite for the citizens of Grentus that were leisurely occupying a square near one of the city gates, as Xander burst from the ground, laughing in his strange, new metallic voice. Flapping his wings, he took to the air as the people around him screamed in shock and fear, and cries of ¡®monster!¡¯ rang out across the square. He was quickly over the gate and flying into the distance before anyone could respond to his presence. Judging by the sun, which was still in the East, the morning not yet over, Xander was headed Southwest. His flight plan was a straight line towards where he could sense Freyja. No longer needing to breathe, Xander flew as high as his wings would take him, rising above the clouds. The fact that he couldn¡¯t feel the wetness of the clouds or the chill of the wind as it rushed by him dampened his mood somewhat. There was a lot that he was going to have to come to terms with regarding his new state of existence. Xander occasionally dipped below the clouds, viewing the land below him. He recognized none of it. Just how far into Thrask had he been taken? He remembered that Graffus had said that it was a large land. Xander shrugged to himself. He supposed it didn¡¯t matter, in the end. He¡¯d just keep flying until he got to where he wanted to be. After two more days of flying, he recognized Ilbek in the distance. He shuddered to himself again, remembering how he¡¯d died outside the city. Lord Vard had intended to surrender the city anyway, so it was best to keep away from it, in case it was already occupied by Thrask. He kept flying, looking for the front line as he continued South. He was pretty sure that he was heading back towards Anlet. He was unable to spot any armies, there were no Dardian defenses to be seen. He remembered Vard mentioning that Anlet had fallen, but surely there must still be forces from both countries still in the area. All he spotted were fields and roads, with the occasional speck of a person. Maybe it had been longer than he¡¯d thought¡­ Was the war over? None of the buildings he had seen bore the signs of damage. Just how long at it taken him to wake up? He could see Anlet now, in the distance. As he drew closer, he was able to see that the edges of the city were rather ragged. A few burned out shells of buildings still stood, but the overall damage to the city seemed minor. Freyja was definitely in the city, he could feel her much more strongly, now. Night was falling swiftly in the city as Xander finally drew near to his destination. He was nearly invisible to anyone who would be looking upwards by the time he was over the city, blending in with the darkening sky. He circled lower, homing in on the spot that he could feel that Freyja was in. He thought he recognized the building that his senses were leading him to. No, he definitely recognized the house. It was the house that Gabrelle¡¯s parents owned. He could see Freyja now, and hear her as well. The cat was yowling at the sky, and beside her, he could see another figure, with blonde hair, craning their head to look at the sky. That was Gabrelle, surely, he thought to himself. Excitedly, he sped up, rocketing towards the ground before spreading his wing and arresting his speed, spider legs extending to cushion his fall. Gabrelle let out a small shriek as his new, heavier frame hit the ground with some force, despite the cushioning of the spider legs. Before he could finish standing, Freyja had pounced on him, bowling him over. The big cat had her face pressed to his, and was inhaling great whiffs of air, sniffing him. He could feel her confusion through the bond. She knew it was him, but he didn¡¯t smell like he used to. ¡°Hi Freyja,¡± he said, unbothered by the large paw pressing on his chest. The cat chuffed and flopped her entire body on top of him, rubbing against Xander. If he hadn¡¯t been made of carbon fiber and steel now, he might have been crushed. Gabrelle was standing in shock, staring at Xander. She hadn¡¯t uttered a word since she¡¯d seen him, but her mouth was slightly agape. He turned his attention to her, despite Freyja doing her best to block his line of sight and awkwardly said, ¡°Uhhh¡­ hi Gabrelle.¡± ¡°¡­Xander?¡± She slowly asked. ¡°Is¡­ is it really you?¡± ¡°In the flesh,¡± he said and then added, ¡°Metaphorically speaking, anyways.¡± ¡°Huh? What the hell are you talking about?¡± Gabrelle asked him, shaking away her shock. ¡°Freyja! Let him stand up!¡± she told the cat sternly. Freyja reluctantly rolled off of Xander, allowing him to stand. As he stood up and began dusting himself off, Gabrelle launched herself at him. This time, he was prepared, though, and activated his movement runes to remain upright as she pushed his chest and then began to punch him center mass. ¡°What the fuck Xander?! We thought you were dead!¡± She¡¯d begun crying as the punches flew. ¡°It¡¯s been three years! THREE FUCKING YEARS! And you just now bother to show up?¡± The punches slowed and then stopped, as Gabrelle stood there, glaring at Xander as tears continued to drip down her face. Xander was stunned. Three years? He¡¯d been¡­ dormant? Asleep? For three entire years? Slowly, he lowered himself to sit on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ three years?¡± He asked softly to Gabrelle. ¡°Yes, Xander,¡± she said, still sounding somewhat frustrated. ¡°We¡¯ve all spent three years thinking you were dead.¡± ¡°¡¯We¡¯ve all?¡¯ So everyone made it out? Graffus and Atrax and Frazay? They¡¯re all okay, too?¡± Xander verbalized a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t have to capacity to actually sigh anymore, but it still felt satisfying to make the sound. ¡°Every single mercenary made it through because of you, Xander,¡± Gabrelle said softly. ¡°What¡­ what happened? I saw you, I saw that man¡­ he¡­ stabbed you. Right through the chest. And then he just¡­ dropped to the ground.¡± ¡°So uhhh¡­ About that, Gabrelle. Maybe it¡¯s best if we go inside to talk. I think we both have some catching up to do.¡± Gabrelle nodded, and they both, followed by Freyja, went inside. Inside, he noticed Gabrelle¡¯s mother, Herria looking inquisitively at him as he entered. ¡°Gabrelle? Who¡¯s this? I heard you yelling outside. Is everything okay?¡± Herria asked. ¡°Sorry mother,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°Everything is okay. This is Xander¡­ you met once before, when I was leaving for my first contract outside of the city.¡± ¡°Xander?¡± Herria said, eyebrows raised. ¡°But¡­ Aren¡¯t you supposed to be dead?¡± ¡°I am, technically,¡± Xander answered. ¡°Xander, what are you talking about?¡± Gabrelle asked angrily. She was not in the mood for his antics right now, which only encouraged him. ¡°I am dead, Gabrelle. I died. Sit down, and I¡¯ll show you.¡± Gabrelle pulled a chair out from the nearby table and slowly lowered herself into it. ¡°Okay¡­¡± she said, unsure. Xander raised his arms and lifted his helmet swiftly off his head. Herria gasped loudly, bringing her hands to her mouth, and Gabrelle jumped to her feet, taking a few steps away from him. He supposed he did look uncanny. His face was a blank oval of steel, broken only by runes, and the only major feature was a black patch of carbon fiber that contained the arrays and runes that allowed him to mimic speech. Gabrelle¡¯s eyes were wide, darting over his face. Xander laughed, the voice no longer muffled by his helm. ¡°Goddamn, dying was almost worth seeing the look on your face!¡± He placed his helmet back on his head, hiding his visage once more. ¡°But seriously, I did die. Remember that sequence of runes we talked about? On the boat back from Krepash? The one I told you would tether my soul, keep it from being ripped from me like I almost had happen. Well¡­ turns out it kept working even when I died. Here, look at my status.¡± Xander opened his full status and turned it around to face the girl. He realized he still thought of her as a ¡®girl¡¯ than a grown woman, despite the fact that she¡¯d gone through battle and war with him. And now, she would be twenty-two, not nineteen. He needed to think of her as more of an adult, he admonished himself. Gabrelle slowly read over his status, putting the pieces together in her head. ¡°[Revenant]?¡± She finally asked. ¡°So you¡¯re¡­ some kind of spirit?¡± ¡°I guess so. If you think it¡¯s a shock to you, think about how I feel! I can¡¯t feel or taste anything! I¡¯m piloting a steel body with runes, now. It¡¯s¡­ been an adjustment, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯m even barely adjusted at that. And now I find out that it¡¯s been three years since we tried to break out of Ilbek. I thought it had been, like, a couple of weeks when I first woke up! I don¡¯t even now why it took three years in the first place!¡± Xander was working himself up. There were so many unknowns about his situation, and he had no answers. ¡°Xander, Xander, you¡¯re alright,¡± Gabrelle said, soothingly. ¡°And you¡¯re right. This is must all be as odd for you as it is for me. I¡¯m sorry for being so angry with you earlier. It¡¯s just¡­ I thought you¡¯d been ignoring us for three whole years for a moment there, just letting us think you were dead.¡± ¡°I get it,¡± Xander said. ¡°I¡¯d be mad in your shoes, too.¡± He noticed that Herria was still standing there, staring at him. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry for being dramatic and scaring you and your mother,¡± he added. As she noticed that Xander had turned his gaze to her, Herria slowly sidled behind a corner, out of Xander¡¯s line of sight. He must have made her greatly uncomfortable with his inhuman face. Maybe he should work on that. Carve it into something that looks a little bit more normal. Or¡­ he could carve it into a skull. That would be amusing. He¡¯d have to think it over. Xander continued on, asking Gabrelle, ¡°Where is everyone else, anyway? Why aren¡¯t you with the rest of the team?¡± Gabrelle shift uncomfortably. ¡°Well¡­ they don¡¯t like to come back here. There¡¯s a lot of bad blood between them and the Thraskian government. They aren¡¯t technically barred from entering the country, but¡­ they get hassled a lot. Oh, I guess you don¡¯t know, but Thrask won. Took the capital a few months after we broke out of Ilbek. One of the reasons that our team is so disliked is that our team was one of the ones involved in smuggling the king and his family out of the country before the capital fell. Thrask did not appreciate that, but with us being mercenaries, it gave us some leeway, keeping us from being outright arrested or exiled. Still, we mostly operate out of Sempta, now. It¡¯s between what used to be Dardin and Krepash. The work is decent out there, but I like to come and visit family when I can. It¡¯s¡­ good to have you back, Xander. Contracts just¡­ weren¡¯t the same without you. And they were a hell of a lot harder, too,¡± she said, with a small laugh. ¡°You¡­ you are staying, right?¡± She asked, nervously. ¡°Of course, Gabrelle. To be honest, I don¡¯t have anywhere to go. I don¡¯t own any property, and I don¡¯t have any connections besides you four. It¡¯s not like I could go to war with Thrask by myself. Well, okay, I could go to war with Thrask by myself, but that seems pointless now. They probably like me even less than they do the rest of the team. That man? The one that¡­ killed me? He was the third son of king Martin. I killed one of the princes at Ilbek. I don¡¯t know how common that knowledge is, but I imagine that Thrask won¡¯t be happy to find out that I¡¯m not one hundred percent dead.¡± Combat Artificer - 44 ¡°I¡¯d heard that one of the princes had been slain during the war, but not that it was at Ilbek, and certainly not by you. From what I heard, he was very high level¡­ is that why you have the [King-bane] title? How did you manage to even kill him?¡± ¡°Uhh, gosh, this is going to sound bad. I¡­ ripped his soul out. When I found out that we were going to war, I started creating grenades that would briefly activate a similar sequence of runes to what was on the altar that I saw. I never wanted to use them, they were a last backup. But¡­ escaping from Ilbek had me pull all the stops out. That¡¯s how I made such a big gap in their forces, it was with those grenades. I call them ¡®soul rippers.¡¯ Morbid, I know. I managed to activate one right before everything went black¡­ I¡¯m glad I got that bastard. He was toying with me the whole time I was pinned by his spears.¡± ¡°Xander, that¡¯s¡­ horrifying. You ripped their souls from their bodies? I guess I can¡¯t complain too much¡­ It¡¯s the only reason we managed to escape. The things you make are¡­ scary, sometimes.¡± ¡°Yeah. Even I felt guilty about making that one. But we have a saying, back where I¡¯m from. ¡®All¡¯s fair in love and war.¡¯ Those people we out to kill me and my only friends on this world, so I don¡¯t feel too bad about killing them. It was probably less painful than one of my other grenades, to be honest.¡± Gabrelle nodded, understanding, but remained silent. ¡°So¡­ what now?¡± Xander asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Gabrelle answered. ¡°I¡¯d planned to end my visit tomorrow, anyways, so I guess we can head out to meet the rest of the team together, if you¡¯d like. As for the rest of the night¡­ I don¡¯t know. I had planned to sleep soon, so I suppose we could go to bed. There is a guest bedroom you can use.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d enjoy traveling with you much more than on my own,¡± Xander said. ¡°But uh¡­ I don¡¯t sleep anymore. I¡¯ll still take the guest room, though. I think it might be nice to just lay back and let my mind wander without purpose. I¡¯ve been flying for days to get here.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sleep anymore?¡± Gabrelle asked, shocked. ¡°That sounds nice, but frustrating at the same time¡­ so many extra hours in the day that need to be filled. Well, you are welcome to the guest room, of course, even if you¡¯re just laying on the bed.¡± Gabrelle reached out and grabbed Xander¡¯s gauntleted hand, although he couldn¡¯t feel it. ¡°And Xander¡­ It¡¯s good to have you back.¡± The two of them chatted for a while longer, Xander catching up on how Gabrelle was doing. She¡¯d made significant progress in her combat class, [Follower of the Hammer], as well as in her [Medic] class through the remainder of the war between Thrask and Dardin, and then in her mercenary contracts after the war. She was now easily capable of holding her own on the front line with Graffus, though she admitted that the dwarf still had no trouble besting her in one-on-one combat. The two of them retired to bed, Gabrelle to her own room, and Xander to a guest room across the hallway, on the second floor of the house. He laid down and released his mana from his runed body, allowing it to go limp. It was as close as he could get to relaxing. As he laid there, he let his mind wander. He thought of how he¡¯d be able to modify his body if he wished. He could add extra limbs to his form, or even change it entirely. He felt attached to the basic human form, though. It just felt¡­ right. He wondered if Juniper was with his teammates. He¡¯d be able to cast more applications of [Golemancer] on her now, with his ever expanding pool of available mana. He wondered what would happen with repeated applications of the ability. Halfway through his musings on how he would create an even better spider tank, he heard a yell from Gabrelle¡¯s room. Pumping mana back through his runes, Xander leapt from the bed and ran out the door, barging into Gabrelle¡¯s door across the hallway. ¡°Gabrelle! Is everything okay?¡± Xander said, taking stock of the room. Freyja was now awake in one corner of the room, looking about in surprise at the sudden commotion. Gabrelle was sitting upright in her bed, clutching the sheets to her chest. She was breathing heavily, and Xander could see sweat on her face. ¡°I¡­ It was a nightmare,¡± She said after a pause. ¡°I have them, sometimes, now¡­ after¡­¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Things were bad in the capital. I still dream about it sometimes.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xander said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wish that whatever it was that happened was something that you didn¡¯t have to experience¡­ and I¡¯m sorry for barging in like that. I just, I heard you yell, and I thought that something had happened.¡± Gabrelle chuckled weakly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not your fault. And I¡¯m glad that your reaction to hearing me yell is to come check on me.¡± ¡°Is¡­ there anything I can do?¡± Xander asked, hesitantly. Gabrelle looked embarrassed as she thought about his question. Finally, she answered, ¡°Would¡­ would you mind staying with me? It¡¯s always hard for me to get to sleep after a nightmare like that, especially when I¡¯m away from the team.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Xander answered her. ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all. Like I said, sleep isn¡¯t something I need anymore, so you don¡¯t have to worry about keeping me up. Where, uh, do you want me to sit?¡± ¡°Are you okay with¡­ sitting in bed with me? I¡¯d really just like to be held¡­ I want to feel secure.¡± Xander felt bad for Gabrelle. Whatever she¡¯d seen during her time in the war after his death had left a deep mark on her. ¡°If it makes you feel better, I don¡¯t mind,¡± he answered, after thinking his answer over. ¡°Thanks,¡± Gabrelle said, softly. She scooted to one side of the bed, allowing Xander space to come and sit next to her. Quietly, he stood and slid under the covers, sitting his back against the headboard. The bedframe creaked slightly under the weight of his steel body. Gabrelle shifted closer to him, and he draped an arm over her shoulders as the woman snuggled up to his carbon fiber armor. ¡°You¡¯re cold¡­¡± she murmured. ¡°Sorry,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll try to work on that.¡± Gabrelle managed to fall asleep again, leaving Xander to his thoughts. He held perfectly still, not pumping any mana into his arrays, doing his best to keep from waking Gabrelle. He felt awkward, sitting there, holding her. He couldn¡¯t feel her embrace, the arm she¡¯d wrapped around his right leg. He only knew because he could see it. He needed to research more runes, so that he could try and mimic a sense of touch. He didn¡¯t want to hurt someone by accidentally applying too much force. And more importantly, he had found it extremely saddening that he had been unable to feel Gabrelle clasp his hand earlier in the night. He spent the rest of the night activating his [Rune Master¡¯s Library] skill, searching through runes that he might be able to use to allow him to at least feel pressure, if not temperature. By the time the morning light began to shine through the window, Xander had a few ideas for rune sequences that would provide him some feedback for temperature and pressure. He¡¯d have to learn how they felt to him and start getting used to correlating that feeling to pressure and temperature, but he felt confident he could do it. He was reminded of the account of a blind climber who used a camera that electrically stimulated his tongue to ¡®see¡¯ the rock faces that he was climbing. His mind would hopefully learn to interpret these new mana signals as touch. Instead of him feeding mana to them through a connection, these runes would instead feed mana to him according to the strength of the sensation. He¡¯d add a layer of carbon fiber over his steel body with the rune sequences, and it would hopefully allow him to start to feel things. Gabrelle interrupted his thought by beginning the stir. The light from the window in her room had begun to shine directly on her face. Slowly she opened her eyes. ¡°Morning,¡± Xander said to her, noticing she was awake. The young woman shrank in on herself slightly. ¡°Morning,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I¡­ hope I didn¡¯t make things too awkward for you¡­ I don¡¯t know what I was thinking last night.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine,¡± Xander said quickly. ¡°I really don¡¯t mind. I got some good thinking in about more runes for my new body last night, actually. I don¡¯t really have a sense of touch right now, you see¡­ so I¡¯m going to try and fix that. But I didn¡¯t mind holding you, if it helped you sleep better. I believe in the concept of platonic cuddling.¡± ¡°Platonic cuddling¡­ That¡¯s a new one,¡± Gabrelle said, assuaged that she hadn¡¯t damaged her relationship with Xander. ¡°I think I like that phrase. Do you¡­ think we could do this again, then? If it¡¯s not weird for you. I haven¡¯t gotten sleep like this in¡­ over a year I think.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Xander said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re gonna have to work out some way to not be so damn cold, or you¡¯ll freeze me to death in winter,¡± Gabrelle chided him with a chuckle. Xander laughed. ¡°I think I can work something out. Maybe some heat runes would work. I could always crank them up and heat up a whole tent for you. So what do you need to do to get ready for the trip?¡± ¡°Well, I need to get dressed, for one,¡± she said. ¡°I know you¡¯ve already seen me in my smallclothes from last night¡­ but I still feel exposed, thinking of changing in front of someone. Do you mind stepping out, and I¡¯ll pack up my things and meet you downstairs?¡± ¡°Not a problem,¡± Xander said, sliding out from under the blankets and standing. ¡°I¡¯ll see you downstairs.¡± This early in the morning, neither Herria nor Roland was awake. Xander made his way silently down the stairs, thanks to the runes on his armor, and sat down at the kitchen table. Waiting for Gabrelle to come down, he began creating small sheets of carbon fiber and runing them with various sequences, testing his theories of simulating touch and temperature. He settled on one for each that gave him very clear mana feedback and resolved himself to create more on the journey out from the city. Gabrelle made her way down the stairs about fifteen minutes later, dressed in the carbon fiber armor that Xander had created for her three years ago, though to him it felt like it was only a few months. The two of them matched now with their matte black armor, though Gabrelle¡¯s smiling facemask contrasted his grimacing skull. Herria and Roland both come out from their own room soon after Xander and Gabrelle met downstairs. Herria had clearly told Roland that Xander was some kind of ghostly monster, as the man would hardly even look at him. Xander was starting to regret his little display with taking off his helmet. He¡¯d probably be best served by not flaunting the fact that he was a [Revenant] now, he didn¡¯t want people to be automatically afraid of him, or to refuse to work with him. He should probably visit a guild house, too, to get his status updated. Maybe not here in Thraskian controlled territory, though. He didn¡¯t want his name getting back to the authorities just yet, even it was only a small chance. Would he even be allowed to rejoin the guild? Surely they had been informed of his death. And now he had the [Revenant] title. Xander wasn¡¯t sure if that was one of the titles that precluded membership. He hadn¡¯t exactly been provided with an exhaustive list. Maybe he should go to the one in Anlet¡­ they at least might still have his old status updates filed away somewhere. Roland and Herria had busied themselves in the kitchen, trying their best to keep as much distance from Xander as possible without appearing that they were doing so, leaving Xander alone at the table with Gabrelle, who was eating a few pieces of bread and meat for her breakfast. ¡°Hey Gabrelle¡­ am I still technically a member of the mercenaries guild?¡± Gabrelle tilted her head, thinking as she chewed her food. ¡°Mmm¡­ maybe? They were informed of, ah, your¡­ demise. But I¡¯ve heard stories of mercenaries who returned after reports of their death. It¡¯s not exactly common, but I would think that they should have some kind of protocol for this kind of thing. I take it you¡¯re wanting to be reinstated?¡± Xander nodded, saying ¡°Yeah, if you guys are still doing contracts, then I want to be able to, too. Do you think I should try here in Anlet before we go? Maybe they still have my old status updates? I was thinking that might help.¡± Gabrelle shrugged. ¡°It certainly couldn¡¯t hurt,¡± she said. ¡°Do you think I should be worried about trying to do this in a city that Thrask controls? I don¡¯t know if it would be a good thing for my name to be put out, here.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much. There is¡­ a lot of bad blood between the mercenary¡¯s guild and Thrask after the war. A lot of mercenaries from Dardin died during the war, and the guild hasn¡¯t forgotten about it. So I wouldn¡¯t worry about them cooperating with Thrask any more than they absolutely have to. And, since I¡¯ve never heard that you were the one that slew the prince, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s common knowledge. Maybe the king of Thrask didn¡¯t want it being known that a mercenary was the one that killed his son? I don¡¯t know. Either way, I think it would be best to make a stop by guild on our way out.¡± ¡°Alright, I trust you. You¡¯ve got the lay of the land way better than I do. Let¡¯s go.¡± The mercenary¡¯s guild hall wasn¡¯t nearly as crowded as Xander was used to. There were maybe half the number of mercenaries going about their business in the building as he remembered. Had the war really gone that badly? It took little time for Xander and Gabrelle to see a clerk. ¡°How can I help you?¡± The woman asked. ¡°Uhm, I need to get¡­ reinstated? Not sure what exactly to call it. But you were given a report of my death a good while ago, and, as you can see, I¡¯m still here. It was about three years ago. My name is Xander Jones. I updated my status a couple of times here, maybe you still have them here somewhere?¡± The female clerk looked at him interestedly. ¡°Mmm, now that¡¯s something I haven¡¯t had to do before. Let me first check and see if I can still find your papers. With any luck they¡¯re still laying about somewhere in a folder or book. We hardly ever throw anything away here, you see,¡± she said with a small chuckle. The woman, rather portly, with dark brown hair, stood from her stool. She took up a small monocle that was resting on her desk space, and made her way to a door behind the counter and then out of sight. It took nearly twenty minutes for the woman to return through another door further down the building. She looked a little disheveled, and spots of smeared dust were visible on her blouse. ¡°Found it!¡± She said, waving a folder at Xander. ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Xander said. ¡°So¡­ what do I need to do now?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s take a look here at your file¡­ Hmm. Yes, I see there is a note in here, it describes you falling in battle at Ilbek. Wait, you were at Ilbek?¡± The woman asked, with awe. ¡°Uhh, yeah, I was,¡± Xander said, feeling uncomfortable with where this was going. ¡°But¡­ there was only one mercenary who fell during the fight that day. Are¡­ are you him?¡± She asked, quietly. ¡°The one that everyone thought died so that they could break through? I¡¯ve heard stories about that day from a few of the mercenaries who survived the war that were there that day.¡± Xander looked about, but the woman¡¯s low tone hadn¡¯t yet drawn any outside attention. He leaned in and replied in a quiet voice. ¡°Yeah. That was me. Listen, I don¡¯t know if Thrask is going to be happy that I¡¯m not dead, so I¡¯d like to try and keep things quiet, if possible. You know?¡± The clerk nodded, conspiratorially, looking to either side. ¡°Of course, of course,¡± she said in a whisper. She cleared her throat and returned to a normal voice. ¡°Ahem, so now I¡¯ll just need to see your status sheet so that I can get a new copy in your folder and verify your identity. If you don¡¯t mind?¡± Xander took a deep breath. Now he would find out if he was going to be banned from the guild. He opened his status window and flipped it around to face the clerk. He watched as she scrutinized it, comparing it to the most recent copy of his status that he¡¯d had taken down over three years ago. He saw her do a double take as she read the portion of his status that contained his titles. ¡°I¡­ I need to go get my superior. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t complete this for you, but¡­ I¡¯ve never seen a title like that. I need to confirm if it is disqualifying or not. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She looked nervous, and was now avoiding eye contact with Xander. ¡°Of course, I understand,¡± he said politely, trying to hid his disappointment. He just knew they were going to officially kick him out of the guild now. A few minutes later, the clerk returned with a stern looking woman. Her black pants and white ruffled shirt were as crisp as clothes possibly could be, and her light brown hair showed the hints of grey beginning to take root. A few wrinkles were apparent on her face, and they seemed to correspond to the frown that she was currently wearing. ¡°Theresa has informed me that you have a title that she is unfamiliar with, is that correct, sir?¡± The supervisor asked of Xander. ¡°Yes, that about sums it up¡­¡± Xander said. ¡°Would you mind showing me?¡± Xander once more opened his status and showed it to the older woman, the clerk that had originally been helping hovering by her side. The woman pursed her lips as she stared at his title. ¡°Mmm. That is¡­ different,¡± she said, with a knowing look at Xander. ¡°I need to check the official list. Give me a moment.¡± The two staff members disappeared through another doorway as Xander waited anxiously. Fortunately for his nerves, the two of them were not long in their research and returned. The clerk that had been at the counter looked noticeably happier, and that gave Xander hope. Fully returning to the counter, the stern supervisor said, ¡°Your title is¡­ acceptable. It¡¯s not on the list. However,¡± she said, ¡°you are in a bit of a grey area. Your title is borderline, from what I can understand from its description.¡± She gave him a hard look and quietly continued. ¡°If it had said something like [Lich], not only would I have denied your membership, but I would be required to call upon the guard, and every mercenary within this room, immediately. Consider yourself informed.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Xander said. ¡°I mean it.¡± ¡°Now, Theresa will copy your status down and your file will go back into the active members. It might take a few weeks for your¡­ update to make it to all of our guild houses. Good day.¡± Xander concluded his business at the guild as swiftly as he could. It was disconcerting to him to realize that many might consider him a form of undead. He supposed that in the technical sense, he was undead. He had died but was persisting after the destruction of his body. Combat Artificer - 45 He and Gabrelle quickly made their way out of the city of Anlet, both of them eager to remove themselves from Thrask¡¯s sphere of influence. It would be a three-month journey for them to reach Sempta, and then another month of travel for them to reach the city of Braytol, the capital of the country, and where the rest of his friends were unknowingly waiting for him. Gabrelle explained to him that the roads they would take were well-traveled. A large amount of trade caravans flowed from Sempta. The land separated the former kingdom of Dardin from Krepash, and many exotic trade goods made their way first into Sempta from Krepash before traveling North. The country also boasted several major ports, allowing the merchants of Sempta to further bolster the goods that they would bring overland to other kingdoms. Unfortunately, the wealth that consistently flowed back and forth along these roads made them a target for banditry. And with the head of government now being so far North, response times to such incidents has slowed somewhat, further emboldening he thieves and highwaymen who would prowl the roads on occasion. Combined with the fact that the war against Thrask had displaced many, and that there had been a rash of desertions from the Dardian army near the end of the conflict, and you had a recipe for rampant banditry that was still sweeping across the country. The one caravan that Xander had seen on the journey so far had been heavily guarded. When they¡¯d taken a break for Gabrelle to each lunch and work some of the soreness of riding out of her body, Xander had taken the opportunity create more of the runed carbon fiber sheets. One layer was for the touch runes, and the other was for the ones that would sense temperature. A third layer of heat rune ¨C he¡¯d discovered during his research on the topic of temperature runes that heat runes were distinct from fire runes in that they heated an object instead of producing flames ¨C would give his body a facsimile of the warmth that a living body should have. That one was mostly for the benefit of Gabrelle, who constantly complained how cold he was. He decided that he would put the touch sensing runes on the outside of the three layers on his body. He managed to get his hands covered by the layers of carbon fiber, as he considered them to be the most important area to have a sense of touch on, and for the unconscious social cues having dead cold hands could elicit. The rest would follow that night when they stopped for the night. It only took a week for Gabrelle, Xander, and Freyja to be accosted by a small group of bow-wielding bandits, half a day¡¯s ride outside a small village. Five ragged men appeared from behind the trees that were near the road, carrying knocked bows. ¡°Give us your things and no one has to get hurt!¡± One of the men, who was daring to stand a little closer than the rest, demanded. Xander assumed he must be the leader. Gabrelle tensed, her hand gripping the round mace that Xander had created for her. Freyja uttered a low, rumbling growl at the men, who stepped further back from the cat. Xander sighed mentally. This trip was already off to a rough stop. Looking at the men, Xander felt no fear. Nothing these men could do to him would be able to even damage him. Instead, he felt pity. They were dirty, tired looking, and appeared desperate. They had to be, for them to think it was worth trying to accost two heavily armored warriors and a giant cat. He decided that it would be best to scare them away. They didn¡¯t deserve to die for being hungry and desperate. They¡¯d at least had the decency to try and make demands instead of simply trying to ambush them like every other bandit experience Xander had had. Xander activated his mask as [Aura of Fear] rolled out from him. The men scattered, screaming, and several dropped their bows as they all began running. Soon, they were gone, back into the woods from which they¡¯d appeared, and Xander toggled the ability off. Gabrelle arched an eyebrow at him, the tension slowly easing from her posture. ¡°[Aura of Fear],¡± Xander explained, ¡°My mask lets me cast it, remember?¡± ¡°Ah, right. I had forgotten. I wondered what kind of spooky ghost magic you were working on them,¡± she said with a chuckle. If Xander had still had eyeballs, he would have rolled them at Gabrelle. ¡°Yeah, yeah, ha ha,¡± he said mockingly. ¡°In all seriousness, though, it just didn¡¯t feel right to kill them. They¡¯re just scared, hungry, and homeless.¡± Gabrelle nodded. ¡°Things are still bad in some parts of the country¡­ The war with Thrask destroyed a lot of smaller towns as they took over. I¡¯m glad you had some way to keep things from turning into a fight.¡± That night, Gabrelle asked Xander to hold her again. The prospect of killing five men who had had no chance against the two of them had reminded her time during the war again. He laid next to her in her tent, which was much smaller than his own, and wrapped his arms around her. Gabrelle tensed slightly as she felt his arms enclose on her, but relaxed as she sank into the hug. ¡°You¡¯re warmer now,¡± she said, surprised. ¡°I added some runes that would make me feel warmer for you when I was adding the arrays that would let me feel things. By the way, I can actually feel you now. It¡¯s¡­ nice.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten how nice it was to have someone hold you¡­¡± he trailed off, lost in thought. It had been so long since he¡¯d had even a long hug. He hadn¡¯t realized how touch-starved he had become. ¡°I know what you mean¡­¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°Living life as a mercenary, always being on the road¡­ it hasn¡¯t exactly given me any opportunities to experience things like this. Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°For being able to do this for me without making it weird or letting it come between us in some way.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Xander answered. ¡°I¡­ you¡¯re one of my closest friends, Gabrelle. If there¡¯s anything I can ever do to help you with something, then just know that I will.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a good person, Xander,¡± Gabrelle said, sleepily. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re my friend.¡± She snuggled up closer to him, and Xander idly rubbed her head, still getting used to the new sensations of touch that he was training his mind to recognize. With his artificially warmed body, Gabrelle was soon asleep, as Xander laid next to her, staring at the ceiling of the tent. What was he doing, he wondered. Was this a step too far? He didn¡¯t feel any lust in the situation. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he could feel lust anymore. He¡¯d never been a particularly sex-motivated man. Was this inappropriate, though? Gabrelle was nearly ten years his junior. Would she ever come to expect more than just platonic and supportive cuddling from him? Xander had no answers, his thoughts anxiously chasing themselves around his head. Would the rest of the team judge him if they ever noticed him ¡®sleeping¡¯ with Gabrelle? He didn¡¯t know. He also didn¡¯t want to stop. Even just the platonic touch was soothing to Xander. It helped take the edge off his struggles. Now, not only was he still trying to cope with the fact that he¡¯d been ripped from his original home and life, but that he was also dead and had lost three years of time. He¡¯d take anything he could to help him. The began to come, and Xander gently slipped out of Gabrelle¡¯s grasp, exiting the tent. He watched the sun rise, its rays slowly spilling over the horizon and across the land. It was beautiful, and he admired the clouds as they gradually shifted colors as the sun rose behind them. He was glad he was still able to experience things like this. There was still joy to be had in existing, even if the nature of his existence was¡­ different. Gabrelle awoke soon after, also exiting the tent, strapping on the last of her armor. ¡°Morning!¡± She said, cheerfully. ¡°Morning,¡± Xander replied, still looking out at the sun. ¡°Whatcha doing?¡± she asked. ¡°I was just watching the sun rise, is all. Nothing much. It¡¯s just nice to appreciate the small things, sometimes.¡± ¡°Mmm, I get that. I¡¯m more of a sunset girl, myself. I always love how the clouds and the sky turn so orange. Also, it means I don¡¯t have to wake up so early.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Sunsets are nice too. What¡¯s the plan for the day?¡± ¡°More riding, just like the rest of the week,¡± Gabrelle said with a weary sigh. As they rode, Xander broached a question that he¡¯d been considering to Gabrelle. ¡°Would you still want me to look into healing runes for you?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Gabrelle replied. ¡°I¡¯ll take anything that might make my job a little bit easier.¡± ¡°Awesome,¡± Xander replied. ¡°It will take some testing and research before I can get back to you on anything concrete, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your work. It¡¯s worth waiting on.¡± As they walked, Xander mentally commanded his spider legs to follow Gabrelle as she rode down the road. He slipped into the almost trancelike state he entered whenever he activated [Rune Master¡¯s Library]. He metaphorically thumbed through the volumes of runes, searching for anything that would be related to healing. There was a sparse selection to choose from. Evidently, runes relating to healing were far less common. There was one that accelerated the body¡¯s natural ability to heal, and it struck Xander as the most likely to be useful for Gabrelle. Most of the ¡®healing¡¯ runes he¡¯d looked over had pertained more to mending nonliving materials when provided with raw material of the same type. With the application of amplifying runes in the circuit, Xander figured he could make something that could be slapped onto a wounded person and help prevent them from dying while Gabrelle worked with her skills. Even if it wasn¡¯t capable of stabilizing someone who was critically injured, it would still ease the burden of having to repeatedly heal them, allowing Gabrelle to move on to the next wounded after healing only the fatal damage. That was assuming that there were other wounded, though. Either way, Gabrelle had asked him several times about healing runes and it was time he finally made good on his agreement each time to look into them. ¡°Gabrelle,¡± Xander called out to her. ¡°How would you test a healing rune?¡± ¡°Well, the easiest way would be to test it on a small injury that I could heal with my skills if the rune doesn¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°Oh. That makes sense. I think I have a sequence of runes that would greatly increase the natural healing of someone, but like you said, that requires an injury to test it on. Too bad we don¡¯t know anyone who¡¯s hurt,¡± he joked. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Gabrelle said, looking at him. ¡°That¡¯s just too bad.¡± ¡°Gabrelle?¡± ¡°Yes, Xander?¡± ¡°Why are you taking off your gauntlet?¡± To Xander¡¯s surprise, Gabrelle had undone her gauntlet and the armor on her forearm on her left arm and drawn a knife, making a shallow cut on the top of her arm. ¡°What the hell Gabrelle!¡± Xander said. ¡°You said we needed a wound to test it on!¡± She retorted. ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t expect that!¡± ¡°Just get me the little rune thingy so we can get this tested out. It stings, so I want to get it healed already.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even made the runes yet!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Well, you better do that, I guess.¡± Xander worked as quickly as he could to create a small bangle that contained the healing rune, several amplifying runes, and a host of gathering arrays to power the overcharged rune. Handing it to Gabrelle, she took it from him. ¡°Awh, jewelry? For me? I didn¡¯t realize we were courting, Xander!¡± The young woman teased. Xander would have blushed if he was capable, his mind drawn to the dilemmas he¡¯d considered the previous night. ¡°Just put it on,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re no fun,¡± Gabrelle said, sticking her tongue out at him. She placed the bangle on the wrist of her lightly wounded arm, and the two of them watched at the cut slowly scabbed over. Over the course of fifteen minutes, the scab shrank and fell off, revealing unmarred and healed skin. ¡°Guess it works pretty well,¡± Xander said. ¡°Nowhere near as fast as just using your skills though. Took nearly twenty minutes just to heal that papercut you gave yourself.¡± Gabrelle shrugged. ¡°It will still have its uses. It¡¯ll be great for aftercare. Remember when you broke your shoulder and I thought that I was going to have to come back and heal it a few more times to get it back to full working condition? This¡¯ll reduce the number of passes I have to make on someone who¡¯s been injured.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t the be taking away progress on your [Medic] class?¡± ¡°Mmm, not really. Almost all the progress seems to come from the first application of healing, and I get very little from additional applications of healing for the same wound. Also, my class amalgamated last year, I lost [Herbalist] and [Medic] and they became [Healer].¡± ¡°Oh! Well, very belated congratulations,¡± Xander said. ¡°Thanks,¡± Gabrelle replied with a laugh. The two mercenaries, and Freyja, traveled for another two weeks with little happening. The two of them enjoyed their time together, idly chatting as they rode. Xander inquired about the contracts the four of them had completed after they¡¯d lost him. Gabrelle relayed that they¡¯d mostly stuck to exploration contracts, enjoying the travel and new sights, with a few bodyguard and kill contracts interspersed to help keep their funds at a good level. Xander figured that they must be well off enough, since Gabrelle could afford to spend so much time traveling just to visit her parents. During the second week, as they were still riding South down a major trade road, they both began to hear shouts in the distance. ¡°What do you think it is?¡± Gabrelle asked him. ¡°I dunno. I¡¯ll fly up and check, though. I hope it¡¯s not a caravan being attacked¡­¡± Gabrelle nodded to him and he flapped into the air, gaining height and then flying further down the road. He noticed that Gabrelle had kicked her horse into a canter as he flew over her. Even without the scope on his rifle, he could see that what they had heard was indeed a caravan under assault. A long train of wagons was halted up ahead, and he could see one was burning. Looking through his scope, he saw guards skirmishing with men in mismatched armor, and a few archers on either side firing at each other, as it was too dangerous to fire into the melee for fear of hitting their own men. Xander swept lower, matching Gabrelle¡¯s speed and pumped additional mana into his sound runes to simulate yelling as he turned his head to face her. ¡°It¡¯s an ambush on a caravan! They¡¯re holding their own, but it looks like an even match!¡± Gabrelle shouted back, ¡°Let¡¯s go even the odds! I¡¯ll meet you there!¡± Xander rose back into the air and Gabrelle urged her horse into a gallop, taking the animal as fast as it could go. Freyja kept pace beside the horse, though she chose not to outpace it. Xander was on site much faster than Gabrelle was due to his wings, and he flew over the bandit archers, unnoticed. He dropped three grenades amongst the cluster of nearly twenty men, detonating them as they hit the ground. Explosions ripped through the archers, and a secondary explosion triggered by [Explosive Effect] took out another five of the bandits. The bandit archers had been reduced from a crowd of twenty down to only five, four humans and a dwarf, all stunned and confused. Xander dropped down on top of the nearest bandit, crushing him under his steel body. He¡¯d come to realize over the past few weeks that due to his choice of steel for his body, he was extremely heavy. He could also survive falls of much greater heights since he didn¡¯t have to worry about things like joints, bones, or organs. The man he¡¯d crushed didn¡¯t even utter a sound as he died. The other four bandits had recovered by the time he had straightened up from his fall, and three arrows and a crossbow bolt bounced off his black armor. He pulled his mace from his inventory, replacing his rifle, and charged at the next bowman, who dropped their bow and pulled a long dagger from their belt. Xander swung at the man, who jumped back beyond the reach of his mace. But not beyond the reach of the pointed legs of his pack, one of which stabbed the man through the neck. More projectiles plinked against his armor as the two remaining men and single dwarf tried vainly to find a weakness in his armor. As he rounded on them, they began to run. Before they could get too far, Xander cast [Improved Brand] on the nearest of the bandits, willing an array of flame runes and gathering runes to power them to burn themselves into the man¡¯s skin. He went up in flames within seconds as the last two bandits continued fleeing. Drawing his rifle again, Xander shot the dwarf and human bandit in the backs as they ran, dropping them. He idly wondered if that was frowned upon in this world. By this point, Gabrelle and Freyja had joined the fight, charging into the flank of the bandits that was nearest to them. Gabrelle had hopped from her mount and was battering men and dwarves to the ground with her flaming mace. As Xander watched, making his way over to the fight, he had the thought that Gabrelle must have progressed quite a bit in her class. The ease with which she kicked a man to the ground after crushing his left shoulder was impressive, and far beyond the natural strength of her slight frame. Freyja needed no skills to be a killing machine. The large panther was bowling men over and crushing them with her paws, slicing them to ribbon when they were unarmored, and exerting enough weight and force to crush bones when she encountered metal armor. A swingle swat from one of her massive paws was enough to kill a lightly armored bandit, if it was placed well. Xander once again drew his mace and shield and picked up speed, hoisting himself up onto his spider legs as he broke into a mechanical gallop, aiming to link up with Gabrelle and Freyja. He aimed a kick at a passing bandit¡¯s head, steel filled carbon fiber boot effectively becoming its own mace as he splattered the contents of the man¡¯s head onto the ground, not even losing momentum as he closed on Gabrelle¡¯s position. Not long after Xander obliterated the bandit archers, and he and Gabrelle had begun to press the bandits on one flank, the attack was broken. Bandits fled from the caravan as the guards with bows began to fire upon them, cutting more down as they scattered amongst the field, running towards a hill which would put them out of sight of the caravan. Xander stood next to Gabrelle and watched as the men and dwarves fled, dwindling from sight. Combat Artificer - 46 A man in better quality armor than the rest of the guards stepped forward, walking up to Xander, Gabrelle, and Freyja, who was licking blood off her fur. ¡°You have our thanks for the assist. That would have been a much rougher fight for us without you three.¡± Xander liked that he had included Freyja in his count. The panther had done a lot of work during the fight. ¡°Of course,¡± Gabrelle answered breathlessly. ¡°We heard the fight as we were coming down the road and rushed to see what was happening. I¡¯m glad we got here in time.¡± The guard leader nodded appreciatively. ¡°You both fought well. Mercenaries?¡± He asked. Gabrelle and Xander both nodded in response. ¡°If you¡¯re both headed to Sempta, you¡¯re welcome to ride with us,¡± the guard offered. ¡°We¡¯d pay for your services of course,¡± he went on to explain, ¡°but there is safety in numbers these days on the road.¡± ¡°I think that would be nice,¡± Xander said. ¡°What do you think, Gabrelle?¡± Gabrelle shrugged. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s definitely safer, being part of a larger group will make us a less appealing target than if we were alone, and I won¡¯t pass up the opportunity for a little extra coin.¡± ¡°Well, that settles it, then,¡± Xander said to the man. ¡°We¡¯ll ride with you until we part ways in Sempta.¡± ¡°Excellent! I¡¯ll inform the caravan master. Make yourself at home while we collect ourselves and treat the wounded.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also a [Healer], I¡¯d like to help with the wounded, if you¡¯ll allow?¡± Gabrelle asked. ¡°Of course!¡± The man said. ¡°We don¡¯t have one of our own, so your help will greatly appreciated. We are limited to bandages and stitches, and a few of the men took some nasty cuts in the fight.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°I¡¯ll see to them right away. I¡¯ll be back soon, Xander. Oh, and I¡¯ll test out your little bangle here, too!¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Xander replied. ¡°I¡¯ll just uh¡­ I dunno. Be here? I¡¯ll help move the bodies out from the way of the carts.¡± ¡°Alrighty,¡± Gabrelle said, waving behind her as she followed the guard leader to where the wounded had been gathered. As Xander helped some of the guards haul corpses, he felt a click, and he knew that [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] was taking effect. Corpses of bandits began to get sucked into the meat grinding vortex of the skill. All twenty of the archers were consumed by the maelstrom, as well as a good number of bandit corpses that had been in the hand-to-hand combat. The guards that Xander had been helping were backing away in fear from the gory event as Xander watched in mild disgust. He really didn¡¯t understand why the skill had to be so¡­ gross. As the gore and viscera faded from view, it was replaced by a small bundle of black cloth. Picking it up, Xander noticed that it was incredibly soft and unfurled it to reveal what appeared to be a cloak, emblazoned with a golden spider. ---[Heaven¡¯s Bounty] has created an object: Cloak of Death¡¯s Freedom --- ---Cloak of Death¡¯s Freedom ¨C Grants the wearer the [Death¡¯s Freedom] skill--- ---[Death¡¯s Freedom] ¨C You are immune from the effects of spiderwebs and similar effects--- Reading over the description of the item, Xander felt that there was a meaning behind this cloak. It was the first interaction he¡¯d had from one of his [Godsmarked] skills since he¡¯d died, and it felt too on the nose to be a coincidence. He had a sneaking suspicion that the cloak was made of spider silk, and [Analyze] confirmed his suspicion. Yrrilm must have influenced the skill somehow. But what was the message? Was it a warning to him? Disapproval that he¡¯d escaped the grasp of his natural death? Or was it approval from the Goddess, perhaps she appreciated that he¡¯d used the rune that she¡¯d taught him in such a way. He wasn¡¯t sure. But he wasn¡¯t being smote down from on high, so he hoped it was the latter of his ideas. He fastened the cloak over his back, finding that it fit around his wings perfectly. The guards were looking at him with a mixture of confusion, awe, and fear. An hour later, Xander and Gabrelle reconvened. She noticed his cloak and commented on it, asking, ¡°Where¡¯d you find that?¡± ¡°Had another incident with [Heaven¡¯s Bounty]. It made me this cloak. Gabrelle, I think it had some additional meaning behind it¡­ the title it was given was ¡®Cloak of Death¡¯s Freedom.¡¯ It has a spider on it. It¡¯s made of spider silk. I think¡­ I think Yrillm influenced the skill somehow, to send me a little message. The item reminds me of the temple with that altar, what with the spider motif, and she is the Goddess responsible for weaving death into fates. I just can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s happy or angry with me. Is she mad that I escaped my fate, or pleased that I used the rune I learned from her to do so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s definitely not a question I have any answers to, Xander. In the end, does it matter? You got a nice cloak, and nothing bad happened.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s just hard not to think too hard about it, you know?¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve never had a god issue me a task or speak to me, Xander.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± That night, Gabrelle asked Xander to stay with her again. It was becoming regular enough that he had begun not even setting his own tent up. She looked tired as he ducked into the tent, more so than he¡¯d seen her any other day of their travels. ¡°Is everything alright, Gabrelle?¡± He asked. ¡°You look¡­ exhausted.¡± ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s, well, it¡¯s the killing. I find that it takes a lot out of me, now. I don¡¯t regret doing it, I know we saved lives from those bandits, but¡­ it¡¯s still hard.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. I understand. What you¡¯re feeling, well, it tells me that you¡¯re a good person at heart, that you still feel things like that.¡± ¡°Xander,¡± Gabrelle asked, ¡°Do you ever think about the people you¡¯ve killed? Sometimes I do¡­ and I feel awful that I can never remember what they looked like.¡± ¡°Sometimes,¡± Xander answered quietly. ¡°I try not to think about it too much. They were out to hurt or kill me or someone I cared about, or to do harm to their fellow man, and I stopped them before they could. I try to frame it in that way. But, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s hard. I¡­ I don¡¯t even know how many people I¡¯ve killed now, or helped to kill by way of creating a weapon. I never thought to try and tally a count until now¡­¡± Gabrelle reached out and took his hand in hers. ¡°Do you think it will ever get easier?¡± ¡°Honestly, Gabrelle, I don¡¯t know. Part of me doesn¡¯t want it to. If I ever stop caring that I¡¯ve had to kill someone, then am I still a good person? In the moment, I justify it sometimes. Like those bandits on your first contract outside the city. What they did to those women¡­ the way they slaughtered the caravans. I wanted them dead, and it felt right to do so. But afterwards. Afterwards, I still felt¡­ dirty.¡± Gabrelle nodded quietly. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, finally. ¡°For what?¡± Xander asked. ¡°For talking with me about it. For admitting that you felt similarly. I¡¯ve never asked anyone else that question before. It helps to know that I¡¯m not alone in how I feel.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°You¡¯re never alone. At least not when I¡¯m here,¡± he said, trying to soothe her anxiety. Gabrelle hugged him, and he could see a few tears on her face. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± she whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to bed,¡± Xander said gently, once he disentangled himself from her embrace. The cloak did not magically prevent him from being bound by hugs. He wrapped the tired young woman in her blankets and laid down beside her, pulling her wrapped form against his chest. ¡°Try and sleep, now,¡± he said, and ran one of his gauntleted hands through her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll be here keeping watch.¡± It took a while, but he eventually managed to put Gabrelle to sleep. Xander pondered their conversation. He hadn¡¯t thought much recently about his killing. He certainly didn¡¯t enjoy it. He felt guilt that he had killed so many men with his weapons, when he thought about it. But what else was he supposed to have done? They¡¯d attacked him, his friends. Slaughtered and raped innocents. He supposed the guilt of slaying was the burden one had to bear if they allowed their conscience to remain intact. He¡¯d rather feel bad about it than ever become cold to it. Gabrelle stirred and shifted in her sleep more than she normally did, and Xander wondered if she was having a nightmare. But she didn¡¯t wake in the night. As the morning came and Xander could hear the camp beginning to wake, he gently jostled her and called her name. ¡°Gabrelle, it¡¯s time to get up. People are starting to wake up and pack up,¡± he said to the sleeping woman. ¡°Mmmm, blugh. I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± she muttered, curling up into a ball under her blankets. ¡°Don¡¯t make me throw the covers off you,¡± Xander said with mock sternness. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± She said, still unwilling to make her own way out from her bedroll. ¡°Watch me,¡± He said, and yanked the covers off the woman. ¡°Hey!¡± Gabrelle protested. She held her arms together, blocking as much of her body from view. Xander found it amusing that she did so. He¡¯d been cuddling her to sleep on many nights for weeks now, and he¡¯d seen her in her smallclothes frequently. They weren¡¯t even scandalous, consisting of a white shirt and a set of loose shorts. It was nowhere near as revealing as beachwear from Earth, though he supposed that this land was more conservative in that regard. ¡°Gabrelle. You¡¯re still wearing a shirt. I saw you in that outfit literally just last night. You aren¡¯t even wearing anything particularly revealing.¡± Gabrelle looked at him in exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s the principle of the matter!¡± She said with a huff, though she did lower her arms. ¡°I¡¯ll let you get dressed,¡± Xander said with a chuckle, and stepped out of the tent. The caravan was indeed setting itself up to begin moving, and merchants and their assistants were bustling about the carts, or eating breakfasts before they began moving. Gabrelle emerged from the tent, clad once more in armor. ¡°Covered up enough yet for me to be able to look at you?¡± Xander asked, without actually looking. Gabrelle huffed again in response, as Freyja made her way over to the two of them, rubbing her side up against Xander and then Gabrelle, circling them and repeating her rubbing. ¡°Good morning to you, too,¡± Xander said to Freyja, giving the cat some scratches. He marveled that his new fingers could feel his gauntlet press against the cat¡¯s body, and feel the warmth as it permeated his glove. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Freyja rumbled a chuff in greeting to the two of them. Gabrelle began packing up her tent while Xander stomped out the remains of the coals from their cook fire the previous night. Gabrelle opted for rations that needed no cooking for her breakfast, eating bread and some dried fruit. Xander was a little bit jealous. He missed food, though eating had always been more of a task that he had to remember to complete. Now, though, he wished he could bite into a really good apple again. They left with the caravan, riding along with the wagons. Well, Gabrelle rode. Xander alternated between using his spider legs and a loping, tireless jog. He was too heavy for even Freyja to carry him safely at this point. Neither of the two mercenaries mentioned their conversation the previous night. As they continued South, Xander noticed that, over the course of the next several weeks, it began to feel a little colder during the nights. Fall, and then Winter must be on their way. Gabrelle began to really appreciate the warming runes he¡¯d added to his body, as he never grew cold in the night. They traveled for another month without incident. At the end their first month with the caravan, they were once again set upon by highwaymen. The rolling hills of the area made it easy for bandits to hide near the road, and as the carts were being driven down the road, as cry went up from a lone figure that had crested the nearest hill. Soon, men and dwarves were pouring forth from behind the hill, and more were coming from another hill on the other side of the road. They carried their shields raised to mitigate any arrows that were fired their way. They were significantly more organized than any of the other bandits Xander had ever dealt with. They had a contiguous front line that did not break into ragged groups as they charged across the short open space towards the caravan, and archers were arranged behind both group. Xander briefly wondered if they were former soldiers. Shouts of alarm rang out from the caravan as the guards scrambled to protect both sides of the train of wagons. The two-pronged attack would force them to spread thin. Xander took up his rifle from his inventory, leveling it at the line of bandits that was charging the side of the caravan he was on. He fired the five rounds in his loading tube into the line, the steel ammunition punching holes through the raised shields of the oncoming bandits, killing and wounding those that were struck. Before he started to reload, he quickly activated several skills. He cast [Earthworks], raising a stomach high wall of dirt that would prevent the bandits from rushing directly into the line of guards. The width of the wall didn¡¯t stretch the entire portion of the caravan, but Xander figured any little bit would help. Next, he activated [Automaton], and a steel form began to grow next to him. A shining, metal bear took form next to him, and he ordered it to charge into the fight and disrupt the bandit line. Finally, he cast [Reactivity] on himself, his armor glowing as the skill took effect. As the line of bandits drew closer, though a portion of the front line had split to try and avoid the onrushing steel bear, Xander brought his arm back and materialized a grenade into it. He pumped mana into his movement runes and threw the grenade as hard as he could manage. It didn¡¯t quite rival the range of his crossbow grenade thrower, but it was still a solid fifty yards, and it saved him from having to stow his rifle and pull out and load the crossbow. He began throwing more as the first one detonated near the line of bandits that was still making their way towards the caravan. The first grenade landed slightly in front of the running bandits, taking out only a few bandits as the shrapnel hit their legs or made its way past their shields. The second and third grenades were better throws, and the third one Xander managed to land directly on a raised shield, detonating it as it bounced to the ground under the sprinting bandit¡¯s feet. Two holes were torn into the rushing bandits, though no secondary explosions were set off. Xander was impressed that the holes he had blown in the front of the bandits were swiftly filled by more men, showing discipline he hadn¡¯t expected. Gabrelle stood next to him, mace drawn, ready and waiting, and Freyja was just behind him, rumbling out a growl. As the bandits began clearing the last stretch of open space before the line of guards defending the caravan, he focused on [Maker¡¯s Aegis]. He designated everyone in the caravan as a protectee of the skill, leaving only the bandits as potential targets. He went back to throwing his grenades, aiming to land just past the first row of bandits and into the second or third. They were numerous, Xander had never encountered so many bandits at one before. He switched to his long disused firebombs for a moment, getting off two more throws and splattering bandits and the ground around them with flaming dragon¡¯s tar. Then, the fight was joined and the melee began. Arrows began to rain down on the carts and defenders as the bandit archers from both sides of the caravan took firing stances. Xander did not join the melee, however, trusting Gabrelle and Freyja to secure the area around him. He ordered his steel bear, which had been mauling bandits in the rear of the group to begin making its way to the archers. The various men and dwarves scattered as the metallic bear rushed them, and they began to fire skills and arrows at the automaton. Ignoring his creating for the moment, Xander used [Creation Master] and [Improved Manipulation] to lift himself higher off the ground with a column of stone. His rifle faded into his inventory once more, and instead of pulling out his mace as he normally would, he instead manifested the large, aluminum tank of his flamethrower onto his back as the nozzle and pump portion came into being in his hands. He dialed the thing to the on position and raised the nozzle at an angle. With one hand he began hosing bandits pushing in from the backlines down with sticky, clinging flames, and with the other he began drawing more grenades from his inventory and chucking them at any spot that looked like the bandits might break through. [Maker¡¯s Aegis] held true, and the defenders that he had designated with the skills were completely unaffected by the explosions and shrapnel, while bandits that had been standing right next to them were reduced to barely recognizable human remains. As Xander began to run low on dragon¡¯s tar, and his arm was arched back in the process of throwing another grenade, he was struck from behind, staggering him. If he hadn¡¯t been made of steel, and therefore much heavier, he would have been knocked clear off of his stone pedestal. Turning around to face whatever or whoever had struck him, he saw a large number of bandits making their way through the lines of wagons, heading towards the exposed backs of the defenders who were still holding their side of the caravan. The other flank must have crumbled, letting the bandits through. ¡°Fuck,¡± he growled to himself, and then yelled ¡°Behind us! They¡¯ve broken through the other side!¡± As he finished his cry of warning, he saw one of the bandits activate a skill, conjuring a spear of ice and flinging it at him. He braced, aware of the strike this time, and the icicle shattered against his armor in a spray of ice. The man was too far to reach with [Brand], and his skill had blown right through [Reactive Armor], though it had not been able to make a scratch on his dense, runed armor. Since they were amongst the carts, Xander hesitated to detonate more grenades, as his ability only shield people, not things, and shredded carts would slow the caravan down once they made disentangled themselves from the fight. He also couldn¡¯t deploy his soul rippers. They weren¡¯t an explosive, and so they would kill anyone hiding within a cart or any defenders that were too close to the epicenter. Xander could tell that this battle was not going well for the caravan, and that it was entirely possible that there would be so few survivors that they wouldn¡¯t even be able to continue on as a trade caravan after this. He called out to Freyja, who was still nearby, shouting, ¡°Freyja! Get out of here! You¡¯re the least armored of us, and we won¡¯t be able to heal you like this. Go get Gabrelle and take her out of here!¡± He then turned his head to Gabrelle¡¯s direction, hopped down from his pedestal, and then he and Freyja both began to make their way to her as the bandits on the from the other flank closed in. Drawing close enough to be heard over the yells and clanging of steel, he shouted to Gabrelle. ¡°Gabrelle!¡± The woman briefly turned to look at him after fending off a blow with her mace before returning her focus to the dwarf she was fighting. Xander stepped up beside her and together they slew the dwarf with repeated strikes from their maces, earning them the space to back away from the rapidly thinning line of defenders. ¡°Gabrelle,¡± he said again, ¡°You and Freyja need to get out of here. Things are not looking good.¡± He pointed at the bandits who had almost completed their rush to strike the back of the defenders, most of whom were unable to disengage and turn to face their new foes. ¡°But¡­¡± Gabrelle said, before Xander interrupted her. ¡°Get the fuck out of here!¡± He yelled at her. He physically lifted her by the shoulders with his rune powered strength as she struggled against him and threw her on top of Freyja. ¡°Go!¡± he ordered the cat. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay!¡± He called after them as Freyja took off running, weaving through carts and jumping over bandits as Gabrelle held on to the cat¡¯s armor, sprawled on top of her. Turning to face the bandits, many of whom had already begun clashing against the ragged defenders, ending many of them with stabs and blows to their backs, Xander tightened his grip on his mace. He began to throw grenades again, the fight at the edge of the caravan far enough away from the wagons to be able to do so. He was almost out of them. He blew ragged holes in the massed bandits and secondary explosions rippled out like aftershocks from his grenades, but the defenders were still falling at an increasing rate. Soon, he was out of grenades entirely. As he detonated his last grenade at his feet, giving him space to look about, Xander could no longer see any guards fighting. Bandits at the edge of the fight and further along the caravan were dragging men and women from their hiding places within or under carts. Some of the bandits would round up their victims, herding them away, while others indiscriminately slaughtered men and women as they found them. Xander was fully surrounded now, and he was angry. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the bandits. The most dangerous one he¡¯d seen so far had been the one throwing spears of ice, and he¡¯d been unsuccessful at harming Xander. The bandits crowded around him, just out of reach of his pointed spider legs, and jeered, shouting insults at him. After a minute, seeing that he was not going to surrender himself, they rushed him from all sides. Xander activated [Smoke Screen] as soon as they closed in on him, blinding the closest bandits with smoke as he materialized his shield onto his off arm. He dodged a wild, blind strike from a startled bandit as one of his spider legs stabbed another bandit behind him through the chest. With no more defenders left, Xander was free to deploy his tear grenades, and his smokescreen grew even denser as a cluster of three smoke grenades spewed irritating smoke into the air. Xander grabbed a flailing bandit and hoisted him into the air, activating [Reactivity] as he did so, and threw him into the gathered bandits who had yet to dare to enter the smoke. They were already beginning to cough and leak involuntary tears as the smoke grenades spread out from the sphere of his [Smoke Screen] skill. To the bandits eyes, it would have appeared that a man flew out of the dense smoke that was blocking their view of the black armored figure that they had surrounded. Xander, of course, was able to see through the smoke as the surprised men tried to catch the man he¡¯d flung at them. As they wrapped their arms around the thrown man to try and arrest his fall, Xander activated the second portion of [Reactivity] and the man exploded, throwing blood and bone into the crowd. Two more secondary explosions rocked out from the explosion site, killing even more bandits. Xander estimated there had to be over a hundred bandits still, though they now were too hesitant to enter his smoke screen. He pondered just leaving, he had enough space to flap his wings and fly up, leaving the caravan behind and rejoining Gabrelle. But, he thought, there were still some people alive in the caravan, and he hated the idea of leaving them to the untender care of deserters turned bandit. It¡¯s not like I can die, he thought. Worse comes to worse, I¡¯ll just wake up thirty feet underground again. He was an untiring, runically powered, steel mannequin clad in carbon fiber that was even more densely runed than his fake body. He could slay low level bandits and soldiers all day. Assessing the risk, Xander removed a soul ripper grenade, then another and another until he had four. He¡¯d slipped his mace and shield back into his inventory, and now held one in each hand. The other two were clasped in the manipulator claws of his backpack that he so rarely used. At once, he threw all four out from himself and into the crowd of bandits. Shouts of alarm came from the circled men and dwarves as the small metallic objects sailed out from the smoke and landed amongst the crowd. The runic weapons had scarcely enough time to touch the ground before Xander activated them, and four large swaths of men dropped dead onto the ground. As he activated his soul rippers, Xander felt an odd sensation, being within the boundary of the weapon for the first time. It was like an echo of the feeling he¡¯d felt when the altar had activated, and he could feel an invisible force trying to tug on his ghostly body. It was held tightly in place, however, tethered to the soul binding array on his mask. The shouts of alarm soon turned into cries of fear as the bandits watched their compatriots fall to the ground, silent and still. They began to flee, running in every direction, and Xander angrily stalked out of the smoke of his ability. He was frustrated with himself, and he was frustrated with the situation. He ran down a bandit, runic legs pumping as he swiftly caught up to the man and his mace appeared in his hand before he caved the running bandit¡¯s ribcage in from behind. Bandits were scattering all over the place, and even the ones that had not been directly in the crowd encircling him had still seen their companions begin to run and picked up on the cue to flee. Xander sighed inside his head, letting his arms hang limp. That fight had not gone as he¡¯d expected. He¡¯d anticipated breaking the bandits on his side and then heroically moving to the other flank to reinforce them before forcing those bandits to flee, too. Instead, he¡¯d underestimated the number and discipline of the enemy, and the opposite flank had crumbled far more quickly than he would have thought possible. As he wandered through the empty wagons, searching for survivors, he cursed at himself. He should have activated [Aura of Fear], despite the inconvenience of his targets moving away from him in terror. He should have left Gabrelle and Freyja on one side of the caravan and moved himself to the less defended flank. They might have been able to hold, then. He was shaken from his melancholy by the discovery of the first survivors. Combat Artificer - 47 Two children, a young boy and a slightly older girl, stood behind a disheveled looking mother, who had frozen in fear, staring at Xander as he turned the corner around a wagon. ¡°Hey¡­ hey. It¡¯s okay,¡± he said, trying to sound soothing. ¡°It¡¯s over. The bandits are gone.¡± The woman, no longer frozen after being given this information, began shaking, sinking against the side of a cart and sobbing. The two children at her side soon began to cry as well. ¡°Oh gods¡­¡± she sobbed. ¡°They killed him. They killed him!¡± Unsure of what to do, Xander moved on, feeling even guiltier. If he¡¯d just thought about the situation a little more then maybe this could all have been avoided. He continued searching for survivors, calling out for anyone who was alive to come to his voice. He collected a small, ragged band of survivors over the course of an hour. Many of them were children, their parents having stashed them in hard to find places before laying down their own lives attempting to prevent the bandits from ever finding them. He found a few still surviving guards, all seriously wounded, and did his best to bind their wounds. Hopefully, they would survive until Gabrelle returned, or he could go fetch her. He took the time to create small medallions for the most seriously injured, containing a healing rune and amplification runes on one side, and gathering arrays on the other. He hoped it would be enough to keep them alive. Half an hour after Xander and his band had finished searching the wagon train for any last survivors and checked the fallen to see if any yet lived, Gabrelle returned. Riding Freyja, her horse having been lost, slain, or stolen by bandits, in the confusion of the attack, she looked around sadly at the depopulated carts. Her shoulders were slumped, and she shook her head at the sights and smells of violence surrounding her. She finally came across Xander and the ragtag survivors, who were gathering what supplies they could from the carts. She immediately jumped down from Freyja and ran to Xander. ¡°Xander!¡± She cried, running over to him. ¡°Thank the gods you¡¯re okay! What were you thinking?¡± She asked him angrily. Xander looked around at the desolate site of the battle and the few survivors of the battle and shrugged helplessly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just leave them¡­¡± He said. ¡°So you just thought you¡¯d try and sacrifice yourself? Again?!¡± She yelled at him. ¡°And how dare you hoist me up like that and throw me onto Freyja! If I choose to fight, then I will fight!¡± ¡°I¡­ sorry. Can we talk about this in private?¡± He gestured behind one of the wagons. ¡°Fine.¡± Gabrelle stomped behind the wagon, away from the poor souls who were still gathering supplies for their journey onwards. Following her, Xander nervously tapped the back of his helm, thinking. In his eyes, he¡¯d ensured that she and Freyja both were able to escape a near certain death. ¡°So?¡± Gabrelle asked testily, arms crossed. ¡°First off, I¡¯m sorry for throwing you onto Freyja, but ¨C¡° ¡°As you should be!¡± Gabrelle interrupted. ¡°But,¡± Xander continued, ¡°Things really were going poorly. You see how the caravan ended up. I just¡­ didn¡¯t want anything to happen to you. Or Freyja.¡± ¡°You still took away my choice, Xander. I do not appreciate that, even if you did ¨C¡° ¡°I had to use the soul rippers again, Gabrelle!¡± he said angrily. ¡°That¡¯s how bad things were! I ran entirely out of grenades and there were still enough bandits to take down the rest of the guards and start raiding the caravan while they surrounded me. I had to use the tear grenades and the soul rippers, neither of which I could have risked with Freyja or you around.¡± ¡°But what if something had happened to you, Xander? Did you even think about that? How would I even tell Atrax, or Frazay, or Graffus that you survived Ilbek and then fucking died again on the way to see them?!¡± ¡°Gabrelle. I¡¯m already dead. I¡¯m a [Revenant]. If one of those bandits had managed to completely destroy my binding here, I¡¯d end up being drawn back to Thrask. I left another one of my sigils there. Which, to be fair¡­ I should have mentioned. You didn¡¯t know about it.¡± Xander realized that he had neglected to mention that he had already created another binding for his soul. ¡°Why do you always forget to tell us things like this?¡± She said, interrupting him again. ¡°¡­It also would have been pretty inconvenient to come all the way from the capital again,¡± he continued. ¡°Here, tell you what. I¡¯ll make another mark, and you can hold onto it. That way, if I do get blown to bits somehow, I should wake up bound to the mark and I can make myself a new body.¡± Gabrelle chewed the inside of her lip, thinking. ¡°Alright. Alright, fine. I want you to make each of us one of those marks to hold onto for you, though. But I¡¯m still angry with you for manhandling me like that.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll try not to¡­ but don¡¯t expect me not to throw you out of the way of something if I see it coming!¡± ¡°Ugh. Whatever, Xander.¡± ¡°Back to serious talk though¡­ where do we go from here? There¡¯s nowhere near enough people to continue the caravan, and the horses are dead, gone, or stolen. The wounded at least will need healing before they can walk, especially some of the guards that managed to survive. Some of them are in bad shape-¡± ¡°Right. Right, you¡¯re right, I should go heal them right now.¡± Gabrelle abruptly turned about and returned to the survivors, immediately getting to work healing those with the most grievous wounds. Xander was glad none of them had died before she¡¯d arrived. Wandering out after her, he stopped next to Freyja. ¡°I really pissed her off, didn¡¯t I?¡± He said quietly to the cat. Freyja huffed, as if she were also insulted with Xander, and wandered away from him. ¡°Even my own soul-bonded companion¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°What a shit day today had been.¡± He sat down and rested his head against a cart wheel, releasing his hold on the runes of his body for the time being. He wanted to let his mind rest. Despite not experiencing physical tiredness anymore, he was certainly feeling mentally exhausted right now. Slowly, he re-exerted control over his body again, straightening up. Gabrelle was still moving down the line of wounded laying on the ground. He idly created a platinum medallion, just large enough to carry his soul binding sigil on one side and the gathering arrays to power it on the other. He finished it with a soft leather necklace that looped through it. He¡¯d give it to Gabrelle when she was in a better mood. Gabrelle seemed to have calmed down somewhat by the time she finished healing those who were still unable to walk. They¡¯d set out immediately, and as they walked, she would apply healing to those worst off when she recovered enough mana. Everyone was glad to put the graveyard that the caravan had become behind them. Xander had been afraid to even touch the bodies, carefully picking his way through the road as they¡¯d started off. The thought of [Heaven¡¯s Bounty] activating again and potentially sucking up all those bandits churned his nonexistent stomach. He and Gabrelle walked together, silently. He could tell she was still upset, but she no longer seemed angry. They didn¡¯t make it too far, walking for only a few hours before the sun began to set. The remains of the caravan began to make meager campsites. Xander found himself in Gabrelle¡¯s tent again. ¡°Are you okay, Gabrelle?¡± He asked, filling the awkward silence between them. Gabrelle hadn¡¯t quite settled down to sleep, so Xander was simply sitting near the entrance of the tent. ¡°I¡­ yes. No. I don¡¯t know.¡± Was the answer he received. ¡°Are you still upset with me about the battle, or is it something else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Well it¡¯s two things. The first is just that all the death, the killing. You know it gets to me sometimes. And the other thing¡­ I thought I lost you, Xander. Again! You were one of, if not the closest friend I had before you¡­ passed. And to get you back, only to feel like I¡¯d lost you not even half a year later¡­ I was scared. I was so scared that I was going to find you dead.¡± ¡°Gabrelle¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I am so, so sorry. I should have told you about the marks. Then you wouldn¡¯t have had to worry so much.¡± Xander reached into his inventory and withdrew the medallion he¡¯d made. ¡°Here. I made one for you.¡± Gabrelle reached out and took it from him, turning it over in her hands as she admired the intricate patterns carved into the platinum medallion. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said quietly at last. ¡°Now you¡¯ve got a little piece of me with you,¡± Xander half joked. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I take good care of it.¡± Xander and Gabrelle held each other tightly as the woman fell asleep. Rather than the usual one arm around her shoulder that Xander had usually gone with as he laid flat on his back, letting his mind wander through the night, he found himself on his side. Holding Gabrelle with both arms, the woman was holding herself tightly against his chest, her own arms wrapped around his torso in kind. It was pleasant, and Xander was glad he didn¡¯t have to worry about his arm going numb, as it surely would have had he still had blood flowing through veins. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! He spent the night chasing his thoughts around his mind. He wondered if this was cheating. He was holding another woman close to him as she slept, even if it wasn¡¯t with romantic intentions. Was he even married anymore? For him it had been close to a year, but for the rest of the world, and Earth he presumed, it had been three. They¡¯d never find a trace of him back home. He likely would have been declared dead. Xander hoped his life insurance policy had paid out and that there weren¡¯t any issues with his disappearing and not leaving a body. That would at least help Helen along. She¡¯d be able to pay off the house, or maybe invest the money. Take some time away from work. He still felt guilty for leaving her behind, even if he hadn¡¯t been presented with a choice to bring her or to not go in the first place. Xander removed himself from Gabrelle¡¯s grasp as the sun rose over the horizon, waking her up in the process. He stepped out of the tent to allow her space to get dressed and armored. Looking about at the remnants of the caravan personnel, he sighed, and he subconsciously sunk into a slump. His thoughts were drawn once again to just how poorly he¡¯d planned during the battle yesterday. Sure, he wasn¡¯t a tactician, but he should have been able to assess the situation better than he had. He knew that he tended to focus far too much on what was right in front of him, and struggled with the larger picture sometimes, but he¡¯d never expected it to cause such collateral damage to those around him. He wasn¡¯t just ¡®some guy,¡¯ anymore, he was starting to realize. He had power, far more than the average person, especially with his new¡­ state of being. He couldn¡¯t just operate as a single cog in the machine during a fight now. He had to do better, think about the larger state of things and how his skills and abilities could best be used to win battles at large, not just individual fights, now. He resolved to talk to Graffus about it. The dwarf had mentioned that he had been part of a war before the one they¡¯d all participated in. Perhaps he would have some insights to share. More and more people began to rise from their slumber as the sun shone brighter in the sky, and it was not long before everyone was awake. Xander was nervous about the days to come. The next town was still three days¡¯ ride from their location, as far as he could discern from the map that Gabrelle had, and with the large majority of their contingent now walking, he estimated that the time it would take them to reach the town would be closer to a week. The other concern was their lack of numbers. There were less than twenty of them, all told, and such a small number of people on the road would appear to be an easy target for banditry. The group that had fled yesterday would still have enough numbers to easily overwhelm such a small group. Even if an attacking force wasn¡¯t able to kill him, Gabrelle, and Freyja, the rest of the caravan would likely be killed. Xander also needed to update Freyja¡¯s armor. He¡¯d managed to make Gabrelle a carbon fiber suit, but had fallen at Ilbek before he¡¯d gotten around to making one for the cat. He needed to cover her exposed chest and belly. Assessing the problems in front of him, Xander decided that one of the best things he could do while their camp was having a meagre breakfast and changing bandages and dressings for the wounded as Gabrelle made another round for healing was to create a golem. With the single application of [Golemancer] he could cast today, he would be able to have something that would function on the level of [Automaton] and be able to help defend the survivors. He opted to create a golem based off of his own form, a metal frame around which he would layer carbon fiber. This one, as well as at least the next one, would be based on the human form so that they could more easily assist the survivors with menial tasks. He also hoped that they would be less frightening or strange to the beleaguered men, women, and children than giant metal spider-like creatures or strange wheeled figures. He set about creating another mannequin, this time opting for devil¡¯s iron for the inner frame. He wanted the thing to be able to charge through lines of men or even horses with ease, and the dense metal would lend itself to that. Once he was finished, he began to directly wrap the runed layers of carbon fiber that his armor consisted of ¨C minus the personal gathering arrays ¨C onto the blood red metallic figure. It didn¡¯t need to be able to take off its carbon fiber carapace, so there was no sense in creating it like a traditional suit of armor. Xander realized that he also never needed to take off his armor, but he did like that his armor could be taken off. It added a small human element to his form that he enjoyed. Their start was delayed by almost an hour as Xander finished his new golem, but he considered the addition of another defender to be worth the wait. Once he was finished, he had a matte black, faceless figure laying spread eagle on the ground. He activated [Golemancer], feeling the familiar sensation of a high mana cost skill draining the resource from him. The faceless figure stood up at his command, gathering itself mechanically from the ground. Soon, it was marching stiffly along with the rest of the group as they began their journey for the day. Xander asked Gabrelle to keep her eyes peeled as he began to work on the new armor for Freyja. Most of the armor pieces would be the same as they had been in their previous steel iteration. To cover her chest and stomach, he would use interlocking plates that would allow her to retain most of her flexibility, though he doubted that she would be able to twist her body as much as she could currently. He created and runed the sheets of armor as they walked, his spider legs carrying his body along smoothly as he used his hands to create and rune sheets of carbon fiber, filling the runes with ruby as he normally did for all his creations now. By the time they stopped for lunch, more to give the group a break than anything, Xander was ready to fit the carbon fiber to Freyja. He had to remold the chest armor to fit more properly, but the rest went on easily. The cat was now black and dark smoke grey, looking even more intimidating than she had in steel armor, which was already quite intimidating to anyone who didn¡¯t know her. Xander didn¡¯t feel like she was very intimidating at the moment, though. Freyja was currently rolling around on the ground, rubbing her armored back against the grass as Xander rubbed her cheeks and scratched her chin. He gave her a good paw rub on each foot for good measure as the cat chuffed and grunted in enjoyment. Their pace was not anywhere near what Xander would have liked, but there was no helping it for the time being. The wounded could only walk so fast, but he hoped that in another day or two, Gabrelle would be able to get them all back to a state where they could walk at a faster pace. He was anxious to get to the next town, where they could drop off the survivors to wait for the next caravan to come through. Xander didn¡¯t hold much confidence in his ability to prevent more deaths if another attack were to come. As they walked, Xander put his mind to what his next automaton should be. He wanted to keep with the human element again, for the same reason as the last one, but he felt a little deviation from the norm would still be alright. He had a ¡®tank¡¯ with his devil¡¯s iron core golem, what he needed now was something fast and deadly. Not that the tank wasn¡¯t deadly; a single punch from it would easily be able to kill a man as long as it was properly placed. He settled on aluminum for the body of the second golem. He wished that he had had the opportunity to discover a sample of titanium to work with, but he doubted that properly processed titanium could be found in this world. With the addition of some strengthening runes on the frame, it shouldn¡¯t make much of a difference anyways. The form would be sleek, thin. The knee joints would bend like a cat¡¯s, giving it greater explosive power for sprinting or jumping. He¡¯d give it four arms, like he had with Juniper, so that it could overwhelm foes more quickly. He imagined a slim, tall, four-armed figure dashing from opponent to opponent on the field of battle. He would give it short swords so that it could make quick stabs with its four arms. The idea reminded him that he needed to provide his other golem with weapons, as well. A tower shield and a halberd would fit well for the one he¡¯d already created, he thought. They stopped early for the day; the wounded too tired to continue to walk much further. Xander immediately got to work on his next automaton, so that he would be able to cast [Golemancer] on it as soon as it was ready the next morning. Gabrelle made another round through the wounded, lessening their injuries. Xander kept true to his design ideas as he began to form the aluminum frame of the golem. The feet ended in large, cat-like paws, which he added permanently exposed claws to for better traction while running. The legs rose up to joints that he used Freyja¡¯s back legs as a model for, though they were greatly downsized. The torso and head were more human, with the exception of the two additional arms. The hardest part was getting the balance correct between the cat legs and the human body, so that the golem wouldn¡¯t have to be permanently hunched forward or leaned backwards to achieve balance. The seventeenth iteration of him shifting weights and tweaking the placement of the torso and the angles of the leg joints yielded results, though he was already getting frustrated by the fourth try. He then runed the aluminum frame, covering it with movement runes and strengthening runes. The legs were especially heavy on the movement runes. He hoped the greater density of them would increase its speed. The carbon fiber wrapping was the same as with the previous golem, multiple layers of runes protecting it from physical and elemental damage. When he was done, he had a long, thin body splayed out on the ground. Standing, the golem would be just over seven feet, making it far taller than he was. The short swords were a simple affair, plain steel blades with unadorned cross guards and hilts. Their value was only in their runes, and Xander runed each blade differently. On one, an array would cause the sword to burst into flames when struck. Another held a similar array to that of his mace, corroding anything the sword struck. The third would become electrified when it made contact with a target, and the fourth would become so cold that it would flash freeze flesh. He hoped that the variety of elemental effects would allow at least one of the weapons to be effective in any given situation. Against humans, he expected any of the blades would fair well, but should they come up against some kind of monster, the spread of effects could be useful. For his already walking golem, which was currently standing stock still at the edge of the camp, he first created a massive tower shield. It was wide enough to easily shield the entirety of the golem from arrows as well as another person. Xander opted to make the entire thing out of sheets of carbon fiber. All the layers that made up his and the golem¡¯s armor were included, but he added multiple layers of the array that would reduce the impact of anything striking the shield. Taking the gladius that he no longer used from his inventory, he made an overhead chop at the shield, and found that once he got within a few inches of the shield, it was like trying to move the weapon like cold molasses. Stowing his sword back into his inventory, he began work on the halberd. He decided that he would create the metal head of the weapon of devil¡¯s iron, in keeping with the theme of the golem, as well as to provide it with a greater force of impact when swung. The golem should have no issue handling something of that length and weight one handed, he felt. He decided to eschew any elemental effect for the weapon. Instead, the head was heavily runed with strengthening and sharpness runes, as well as arrays to increase the impact of the weapon¡¯s blows. This way, Xander thought that the point of the halberd would easily be able to pierce armor, while blows from the beak and blade would sweep men, or potentially even horses, off their feet. A multi-layered tube of carbon fiber filled with gathering arrays to power the runes of the head, as well as strengthening runes for the shaft itself, finished the weapon off. Combat Artificer - 48 Xander ordered his tank golem to come to him and take up its weapons. Once it had plodded over and mechanically bent over and picked up its armaments from the ground, he then ordered it to one edge of the camp. There it stood, with orders that if anyone that was not from the camp drew near, it should bang its weapon on its shield until further orders were given. It could help Xander guard the camp tonight. Gabrelle had done fine work in healing the wounded, but all of the survivors, even those that bore no wounds were exhausted from the walk. It had been especially hard on the children, with the uninjured adults taking turns carrying them on their backs so that they did not have to walk the whole way. As Xander did not need sleep, he decided that he would take the watch for the entire night to allow everyone as much sleep as possible. While he was at it, he¡¯d create a small wagon that the shield bearing golem could pull behind it to set the children in. That would make it easier for everyone. The camp awoke the next morning to find that Xander was still patrolling around the small ring of tents, and that there was a small, red wagon in the center of the camp, just large enough to fit the few children of the group on. Small smiles were had by the parents as the children jostled each other climbing up and down from the cart as they explored the new item that had appeared overnight. Breakfast was short, and then they were all back to walking. Gabrelle had done a fine job with the wounded, and Xander was pleased to see that those that had been struggling with their wounds the previous day seemed to be having little trouble this morning. His shield-bearing golem had a roped tied around its waist as it hauled the children behind it on their wagon, unencumbered by their weight. Xander had created cushions for the seats and several blankets as well, so most of the children were wrapped up and cozy for the journey ahead. The younger ones, at least. He noticed that the two oldest children, the boy and the girl he¡¯d found first with their mother, spent most of their time looking anxiously out at one side of the road or another. Afraid of another attack, he thought with an internal frown. He was too. Xander carried his second golem like a sack over his shoulder, the extra height of his spidery backpack legs preventing it from dragging on the ground. As soon as he felt the [Golemancer] ability come off cooldown in his status sheet, he cast it upon his newest creation. Soon, it was on its own two feet, prowling alongside the clunky steps of the other golem in the center of the group. Gabrelle rode Freyja at a walking pace at the front of the train of people, while Xander made up the rear. He frequently took to the air to scout the nearby areas for any potential bandits, but he saw none. The large band they¡¯d encountered must have chased off or absorbed any other roving groups. He hoped that would hold true until they reached the next town. Throughout the day, Xander debated with himself on whether it would be better to create more golems or to augment the combat effectiveness of the two he already had with [Golemancer]. Xander considered that he¡¯d have to micromanage each and every golem if they only had a single application of the skill on them, and admitted to himself that it was something he¡¯d struggle with in the heat of a fight. He would instead cast the ability on the two he had already created, allowing them to act more independently of him during a fight, alternating which one received a new application each day. Xander was relieved each day that they did not encounter another group of bandits on the road. The two golems were both walking and moving more coordinatedly after additional applications of [Golemancer]. The shield golem was no longer clunky, instead able to walk in a more normal fashion, as if it were merely a large man in plate armor, while the four-armed, sword wielding golem was able to make more use of its agile form. Xander had tested out its speed one day and was impressed watching it break into a sprint, leaning forward into the run. By Xander¡¯s estimate, it would be able to outpace a horse. He spent each night on watch with his two golems, ensuring that the camp was as guarded as it could be without any of the still living occupants having to sacrifice sleep. Now that the wounded were fully healed, thanks to Gabrelle, and the children could be pulled in their wagon, their pace improved, and Xander regained confidence in their ability to reach the next town on the map within his original estimate of a week. They met no one on the road that entire week. Xander knew caravans were fewer and farther between than they had been previously, but it was still an eerie feeling to him, the road deserted each and every day of travel. Still, he¡¯d rather encounter no one than encounter another group of marauders. On their eighth day of walking, the town of Rantol came into view. Looking at the town from his scope, Xander could see that there was a wall of barricades surrounding the entire town. The town must have suffered attacks from bandits as well. He was just happy to see that the town was intact though. The figures of guards could be seen atop small cobbled together watchtowers near the road. Xander made his way to the front of the group towards Gabrelle. ¡°Looks like the town is walled up,¡± he said to her as he drew within easy earshot. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised,¡± she responded. ¡°But it¡¯s not deserted?¡± ¡°No, I could see a couple of people on some small towers they¡¯ve made. So there¡¯s at least a few people left.¡± ¡°Mmm, hopefully they let us in.¡± Xander periodically checked on the watchtowers facing them from the town. Soon, the sentries noticed their group, and he could see movement as men and women waved to each other or pointed in his direction. Several bow wielding figures came to the towers. As the group neared the edge of what Xander assumed was bow range, he spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re getting close to where they could fire on us. Think we ought to go on ahead scope things out while the rest stay back here, Gabrelle?¡± ¡°Probably a good idea.¡± She turned to the survivors, who Xander could tell were anxious to reach the safety of the town, and said, ¡°Wait here, please. We¡¯re just going to go talk to the folks guarding the town is all.¡± Xander ordered his two golems to guard to rest of the group as he, Gabrelle, and Freyja walked closer to the ramshackle gate that had been built on the road entering town. They continued walking until someone from the wall cried ¡°Halt!¡± They both halted as requested. Xander held his hands up, indicating that he was unarmed. The ability to manifest his weapons from his inventory directly into his hands made the gesture somewhat moot, but the guards up on the tower didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°What¡¯s your business?¡± Called out the same voice from the tower. Xander looked at Gabrelle. ¡°Should I talk, or do you want to?¡± Gabrelle shrugged. ¡°You can do it.¡± Turning back towards the tower, Xander yelled ¡°We were part of a caravan until a large group of bandits killed many of us. What you see here is all that¡¯s left. We have children and wounded with us. I¡¯m just trying to get them somewhere safe.¡± He could hear murmuring from atop the tower, as a quiet discussion took place. Once the voices quieted down, he heard, ¡°Alright! But no sudden moves, and don¡¯t try anything. Once you¡¯re inside, you can talk to the mayor and he¡¯ll decide where to go from there with you.¡± ¡°That sounds fair. Thank you,¡± Xander replied. As he, Gabrelle, and Freyja walked back towards the waiting survivors, the gate blocking the road began to move. Small wooden wheels on the bottom of it allowed several men to haul it to the side an open enough for a single wagon to pass through. After being beckoned towards the gate by the two mercs, the group began moving towards the town, and what they hoped was at least a small measure of safety. As soon as they all passed through the gate, it was drawn back into place, sealing the town from the outside once again. As Xander entered through the gate, he was confronted by a host of men and women wielding bows, axes, pitchforks, and any other farm implement that could easily be used as a weapon. He could see a few scythes in the crowd that had been converted into war scythes by tilting the scythe blade upwards to be in line with the shaft. In front of the crowd stood a rather harried looking man with a large beard and slightly nicer clothes than the farmers behind him. Xander assumed that this must be the mayor. The folk standing behind him looked anxious, as if they feared that Xander and the group of men, women, and children behind him could be bandits in disguise. Similarly, the survivors of the caravan were tense, frightened by the armed crowd in front of them. The mayor spread his arms and gave a small chuckle. ¡°Welcome, fine folk, to Rantol. I wish we could greet you in better times and without a host of weapons, but times are not as they once were. Please, be at ease, all of us,¡± he said with a pointed look behind him at the still anxious townsfolk. ¡°I do not believe that you pose a threat to us, burdened by children and light on supplies as you are¡­ come, we can speak more at the tavern, though there¡¯s little to serve.¡± The mayor turned around and began shooing the gathered crowd away, haranguing them to return to their homes and jobs. Once the crowd had dispersed, the mayor faced them again. ¡°I apologize for the display, but there have been¡­ incidents before, where cutthroats have attempted to enter the town under the guise of refugees and take the gate so that their fellow blaggards might pillage the town. My name is Garrett, by the way.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°I understand,¡± Xander said, nodding in agreement. It seemed that one could not be too careful, this area of the kingdom seemed to be becoming a lawless no man¡¯s land. ¡°Mine is Xander. We¡¯ve encountered some of those cutthroats¡­ what¡¯s left of us¡­ well, it¡¯s not even half of what the caravan Gabrelle and I linked up with originally was.¡± ¡°Linked up with?¡± The mayor asked. ¡°We,¡± Xander gestured to Gabrelle and Freyja, ¡°Were traveling alone at first to reach Sempta, but encountered a caravan that was under attack from some bandits. We joined in to help them fend the attack off, and they gave us the offer to travel with them, as well as to pay us for our services.¡± Xander shook his head. ¡°Not that it ended up doing them any good¡­ the next group we encountered was significantly larger than any I¡¯ve ever seen before. Think a lot of them were deserters¡­ They had decent arms and armor, and a level of discipline I hadn¡¯t seen from bandits before. Even though I was able to force them to flee after an extended fight, there were enough of them to easily keep me surrounded while the others killed and raided.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ heard tell of this group,¡± Garrett said, sadly. ¡°You¡¯d be correct in assuming that a good many of them are deserters. We¡¯ve managed to avoid their avarice for now by being a fortified target, but many of us fear the day they turn their eye on us. You say you managed to break their attack? Even if it may not have saved your caravan¡­ it gives us hope. Every one of theirs slain is another reason for them not to attack a town like ours. There will be cups raised to you and yours when word gets out about this. Would I be correct in assuming that you and your friend are mercenaries, then? I can¡¯t imagine anyone else who would be comfortable making the journey alone as you had intended.¡± Xander nodded at the man¡¯s question. ¡°Yeah. We aim to rejoin the rest of our team in Sempta. I¡¯ve been¡­ away for some time. I didn¡¯t realize how bad things were in this part of the country. Gabrelle told me about it, but, it¡¯s different to experience it.¡± ¡°Mmm. I see. So you intend to move on from here once you¡¯ve rested?¡± The mayor asked, sounding a little crestfallen. ¡°I¡¯d hoped to be able to contract you for the town¡¯s defense, at least for a small while, in the event that we do come under attack.¡± Xander turned to Gabrelle, who had been listening, but had not engaged in the conversation. ¡°What do you think, Gabrelle? I¡¯m a bit anxious to get to see everyone again¡­ but a day or two couldn¡¯t hurt?¡± Gabrelle nodded. ¡°Honestly, I could use a break. Healing and walking all day for a week straight has me a bit worn down. I could see taking a short rest here before we move on. But not on a contractual basis. If the town is attacked, we¡¯ll join in the defense, of course, but we will move on as soon or as late as we decide to.¡± The mayor gave a small bow of appreciation. ¡°Of course, I completely understand. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish.¡± He looked at the weathered band of caravan survivors that were still standing behind Xander and Gabrelle. ¡°Will they be traveling with you as well when you leave?¡± Xander turned to look at the group that he and Gabrelle had been shepherding the past week. ¡°Well, uhm, I suppose that¡¯s up to them. I¡¯d assumed that they¡¯d want to wait until the next caravan came by and rejoin their companies, if they have one¡­ but I supposed I never really asked.¡± He turned to Gabrelle and said more quietly, ¡°What do we do? I mean we can¡¯t just¡­ abandon them on the road if they decide to leave with us.¡± Gabrelle sighed. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll want to go back out there any time soon. The injured could do with time to rest, even with the healing they¡¯ve received. It would be best for them to wait for a caravan. I¡¯ll speak to the remaining guards and make sure to¡­ urge them to wait for the next one to come by before moving on,¡± she replied in hushed tones. The few guards had taken over the nominal leadership of the group, as Xander and Gabrelle, despite their help, had kept aloof of the politics of the group. ¡°Thanks,¡± he replied, breathing a mental sigh of relief. He wished he could still physically sigh. Maybe he should modify his metal body to do that, he thought, distractedly. Turning back to Garrett the mayor, he asked, ¡°Is it going to be an issue if they decide to stay?¡± Garett held up his hands in a placating manner. ¡°Oh no, heavens no. The area might have fallen into chaos, but we¡¯re still gods fearing folk in this town. It wouldn¡¯t be right to leave the victims of those¡­¡± He struggled to find a word to describe the bandits, ¡°monsters, without help. You¡¯re not the first group of survivors to make their way to town, and sadly, I doubt you¡¯ll be the last.¡± Xander nodded in understanding. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said to Garrett. ¡°I can help shore up your defenses and create some sturdy weapons for you as repayment for your kindness. I expect that¡¯s worth more than coin right now.¡± Garrett clasped his hands together, struggling to contain his excitement. ¡°Indeed! Indeed it is, you don¡¯t know how glad I am to hear that, good sir. We¡¯ve done our best to fortify the town, but¡­ we¡¯ve only so much to work with.¡± It took far more than the originally planned ¡®day or two,¡¯ that Xander had originally proposed, but once he got started on a project, he was loathe to leave it until it was finished. Gabrelle was good natured about the delay, and seemed to enjoy her off time, only tending to the occasional accidental injury in town, much to the delight of the folk that lived there. No healer lived in the town anymore. The one that had been there had been drafted during the war and never returned. Xander¡¯s days were filled with wood, stone, and metal. He formed the wooden walls that had been erected around the town into a proper palisade, complete with pointed tips and a walkway at the top which could be used to patrol the wall. The four small towers that had guarded the town, two at either end of the road that led through town, and another two halfway in between each of those, were taken down one by one by Xander. In their place rose stone towers which lookouts could use to observe the surrounding terrain, or to provide a place for archers in the event of an attack. Crenellations surrounded the top of each tower to give cover to anyone standing upon it. The wheeled portion of wall that had been used as a gate to block the road into and out of Rantol were replaced by their own wooden gatehouses. Xander even spent the mana to create a metal portcullis which could be dropped into place if the need arose. In the two weeks he spent bolstering the town¡¯s defenses, as well as creating an arsenal of spears, shields, bows, and simple armor, he found that he was burning mana faster than he was regenerating it. The nights he spent with Gabrelle, comfortably snuggling her gave him some time to regenerate, but the drain on his overall reserve was noticeable. It had grown large over the month of traveling with the caravan, enough to compensate for what he was spending now, but it still pained him to see so much of it spent. It was for a good cause, though, so he didn¡¯t mind the expenditure too much. Another caravan still had not appeared by the time Xander finished the final portion of the defenses for the town, the second gatehouse, which would open to the portion of road that he and Gabrelle would be taking to head to Sempta. With the weapons that he¡¯d furnished the town, as well as their newer, sturdier wall, Xander felt confident that they¡¯d be able to weather any attacks that might come their way. But there was no reason for them to stay now, and they¡¯d already delayed more than had been intended anyways. As Xander and Gabrelle began to gather their things, word somehow managed to spread throughout the town of their departure. By the time they had left the inn, nearly the entire town was gathered outside to see them off. Mirroring their first meeting, Garrett was once again standing in front of the crowd, which was unarmed this time. In his arms were two small boxes. Xander, Gabrelle, and Freyja, who had been given the run of the town during their stay, stood opposite the crowd, unsure of what to do or say. Garrett saved them from their uncertainty by speaking first. ¡°We¡¯re all sad to see you go, though I knew you would eventually move on. As the mayor of the town, I feel it¡¯s only fitting to see you off after what you¡¯ve both done for our village.¡± He proffered the boxes, one in each hand, to the two mercenaries. Xander and Gabrelle both carefully took the boxes into their hands, Xander turning it over several times, thoughtfully. It was a well-crafted box; Garrett must have had it commissioned by the carpenter in the village especially for this occasion. ¡°Go on,¡± the mayor said. ¡°Open them.¡± Xander opened his box, mirrored by Gabrelle. Inside of each was an identical, rolled up scroll. Xander look at it curiously without removing it from the box. It appeared to be vellum, and he could see the elegant writing showing through the back side of the rolled paper. He looked at the mayor curiously. Garrett, seeing Xanders confusion, began to explain. ¡°Written on each of these scrolls, you will find a deed for a small plot within the village, adjacent to each other. They¡¯re currently empty, but they are now yours to do with as you see fit, should you find the time to do so; I¡¯m sure you¡¯re quite busy people, after all. But it seemed a proper gift for the people who helped make sure our town continues to exist in these times. You¡¯ll always be welcome here in Rantol as long as I am mayor, and long after that, I expect. And, as land owners within the town, you¡¯ll never be able to be denied entry should such an unfortunate occurrence ever come to pass.¡± He swept a formal bow to the two of them as he finished his explanation. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Xander said in amazement. ¡°I never expected to own property here. Thank you, I appreciate your gratitude. I wouldn¡¯t have required payment for my work, but your thanks is welcome, Garrett.¡± ¡°Thank you, Garrett,¡± Gabrelle said as Xander finished speaking. ¡°I, too, did not expect to be given something of such value. You have my thanks as well, especially as it was Xander who did most of the work,¡± she said with no small amount of humor. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Garrett replied. ¡°Having a healer in the town, even for such a short time, has eased life considerably for us. If you ever decide to put down your sword, err¡­ mace, we would love to have you as a healer here in our little village.¡± Gabrelle smiled. She had no intention of ever stopping her adventuring career, at least not until she was too old to physically continue, but it was nice to feel welcomed and wanted in such a way. She inclined her head in thanks to the mayor. ¡°Perhaps one day,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you again, for this gift, and for hosting us at the inn for so long.¡± ¡°It was well worth the small cost, considering what you two were both willing to give to us without expectation of payment,¡± the mayor said. ¡°If you ever come back this way, please do visit.¡± Combat Artificer - 49 As Xander, Gabrelle, Freyja, and Xander¡¯s two golems made their way towards the gate that would lead them to the road once more, there were many handshakes, claps on the back, and heartfelt thanks. The men and women that Gabrelle had healed of their injuries, both from the caravan and the town itself with everyday injuries, clasped her hands and thanks her, or waved to her and called out goodbyes. Xander was met with many respectful nods by the guards of the town, who stood to gain the most from the improved defenses and weapons he had provided. These things could be the difference between life and death for them some day. Freyja had managed to gather a cult following of children, unbeknownst to Xander, as she had wandered the town during his days of working. There were many of them gathered around her, stroking her fur in the places her armor did not cover her, and she carefully rubbed her cheeks against many of the children as she moved past. Some of them were crying, sad to see the cat go. Xander smiled inside. It warmed his heart to see the cat doted upon so by the children. The well wishes ended abruptly as the gate closed, cutting off the sounds of the townsfolk. A final cry of ¡°Safe travels!¡± from one of the guards atop the tower situated next to the gate as they began their journey again echoed towards them. Xander turned and waved to the guard and the town before continuing on with Gabrelle. Xander felt mentally restored, the weight of protecting the survivors finally off of his shoulders. They would be safe in the town until they decided to move on with another caravan. Perhaps some would simply decide to integrate into the town and stay, even. His perceived failure during the battle that had resulted in the destruction of the caravan still weighed on him, though. He hadn¡¯t spoken to Gabrelle about it, yet. Perhaps he would discuss it with her, see what insight she had for him. As they walked, they also talked. ¡°Past Rantol, the issues with banditry should begin to lessen,¡± Gabrelle explained to him. ¡°The closer to the border of Sempta we get, the better patrolled the land will be. Thrask might not be doing much to halt the issues within the country, but they do maintain a garrison near the border. And Sempta itself has their land more under control, considering they weren¡¯t involved in the war between Thrask and Dardin.¡± They didn¡¯t encounter anyone on the road that day. Looking at the map that Gabrelle kept in a leather tube in her bag ¨C he realized it was the same one he¡¯d gifted her after the mishap with heaven¡¯s bounty ¨C he saw that the next city they¡¯d pass through would be just before the border of Sempta. It was marked on the map as Hardan. Gabrelle told him that Hardan was a trade and mining town. Much of the traffic coming to and from Sempta on the main road came through the town, and there were several iron mines nearby. From Hardan, large amounts of iron and steel were processed and flowed out to fuel the work of the [Blacksmith]s, [Tinker]s, and other artisans of Sempta and the former kingdom of Dardin, now just another territory of Thrask. Xander¡¯s two golems stood sentry on either end of the camp, ordered to alert him should anyone come near. He¡¯d continued applying [Golemancer] to the two constructs, though he still had a ways to go before they would reach the level of stacks that he had managed to apply to June, though. Still, he felt confident that they would be able to detect any intruders, and it¡¯s not like he would actually be asleep anyway. Sitting in the tent with Gabrelle, he finally spoke up. ¡°Gabrelle? About the¡­ the attack on the caravan. I can¡¯t help thinking that I could have done more. Could have planned or thought about it better¡­ and if I had, all those people might not have died.¡± Gabrelle looked at Xander sadly. ¡°Oh Xander,¡± she sighed. ¡°There¡¯s always something we could have done better when we look into the past.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± he said dejectedly, ¡°but¡­ I just wish I¡¯d done more. Thought harder about things, instead of just rushing into the fight. I could have used by abilities better. I didn¡¯t use my mask at all for the [Aura of Fear]. If I¡¯d trusted you and Freyja to hold one side, I could have gone straight to the other flank, and maybe it wouldn¡¯t have collapsed¡­ there¡¯s just so much that might have gone differently.¡± Gabrell laid a hand on his armored shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do about it, now Xander. The only thing you can do, the only thing that can make all that carnage, all that death, mean anything is to learn from it. It sounds like you already are, in your own way. We all have failures. I¡­ watched so many die, unable to heal them quickly enough to keep them from fading away, during the war. I still see them, sometimes, when I close my eyes. But I¡¯ve started to forgive myself for it. I did what I could and what I thought was best at the time. Looking back, not all of my decisions were the best, though. But all I can do now is try not to repeat those mistakes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I know you¡¯re right. I just, I can still remember it all happening so vividly. Seeing those fuckers pulling people out of carts, dragging them off by their hair, or just putting them to the sword right then and there. And¡­ I hate myself for not being able to stop it. It feels like it was all my fault.¡± Gabrelle nodded. ¡°It¡¯s hard, when you¡¯re one of the ones with power. People like us, people who have classes that can let them change the world around them, be it through violence or other means, we do bear a special kind of burden. And a certain kind of hubris. I¡¯ve met so many mercs who¡¯ve said the same thing, and I¡¯ve felt it myself, in the time when we were without you, that things were my fault. That if only I¡¯d done something different, or tried harder somehow, things would have gone better. And maybe they would have. Maybe, Xander, the burden of fault does fall on people like us, because who else could do anything?¡± Gabrelle took a deep breath. ¡°But I don¡¯t believe so. I think that it¡¯s prideful to think that we can always succeed, that there¡¯s always something more we can do, or that we have minds that are so much better that we should have thought of something that no one else should have. Despite the gifts that the gods, or the status sheet, or whatever you believe in, have given us with our classes and skills, we¡¯re still just human.¡± Xander nodded slowly, silent. He was still mulling over her words. It would take time for him to come to terms with such a large failure, but perhaps, if he could view through such a lens as Gabrelle did¡­ he might one day be able to. Gabrelle interrupted his thoughts, with a good-natured slap on the back. ¡°Well, I¡¯m only human, anyways. Who knows what in the hells you are at this point.¡± Xander chuckled slightly at her comment. ¡°Fuck, I sure don¡¯t¡­ but my mind is still human. I don¡¯t feel like I think any differently. I still feel the same things. Some things are¡­ muted, a little, though. This body doesn¡¯t have the same, ah¡­ feedbacks? I guess that works. It doesn¡¯t have the same feedback as my human body did.¡± Gabrelle cocked an eyebrow at his statement. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ well, I guess an easy one to explain is lust, or arousal, whatever you want to call it. I¡¯m pretty sure I can still feel turned on. But at the same time, even though I can feel things, it¡¯s just not quite the same. It¡¯s all uniform, versus how like, if you are touched by something on the back of your hand and then on your palm, it feels different. So there¡¯s no¡­ erogenous zones. A hand on, say, the inside of my thigh would feel the same as a hand on my shoulder. So there¡¯s not the same physical feedback. The whole process feels¡­ duller. The upside is, I don¡¯t have to deal with any awkwardness that the average man might when it comes to platonically cuddling, I suppose.¡± Xander paused, thinking, as another example came to him. ¡°It¡¯s similar when I find something funny. I can still find things funny, but, without the ability to actually smile, or open my mouth and truly laugh¡­ it takes some of the effect away. Sure, I can make the sound of laughing, but it¡¯s just me operating my runes, there¡¯s no physical shaking of my body as I laugh, and I¡¯ll never start to feel my stomach start to cramp from laughing so much.¡± He released a sigh, the noise issuing from the runes on his facial area. It, too, was less satisfying than a real sigh. ¡°Fuck, even sighing isn¡¯t the same. I hope I start to adjust. It¡¯s not¡­ major for me. It kind of reminds me of when I was struggling with depression, years ago, to be honest. The muted feelings. But still, it irks me.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Gabrelle nodded slowly, taking in the information that Xander was giving her. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure exactly what to say. I think I understand your analogy about depression. After the war, when it really start to hit me just what we¡¯d all gone through¡­ things felt so¡­ far away. Like my emotions were all an arm¡¯s length away instead of inside me like they should have been. I hope you do adjust, Xander. I¡¯d hate for you to have to live with a frustration like that forever¡­ something like that might seem small now, but what about five years from now? Maybe¡­ maybe you can modify your body in some way? I don¡¯t know. But I do know that I have confidence in you.¡± If Xander had lips, and wasn¡¯t still wearing his helmet, he would have smiled. ¡°Thanks, Gabrelle. I¡¯m sorry for bringing up such heavy topics right before bed¡­ but I just needed to get those thought out of my head. Talking with you about things like this, well, it makes them easier, in a way, for me to process.¡± He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a short, sideways hug. ¡°You know, if you ever need to talk about things yourself, I¡¯ll listen. I know you¡¯ve mentioned¡­ things that happened while I was gone, but you¡¯ve never gone into specifics. If you ever feel the need to talk about them, or anything else for that matter, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Thanks, Xander,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe one day. I¡¯ve¡­ mostly made my peace with things. Mostly. I made it out of things in far better shape than many can say they did. It¡¯s good to know I have an open ear in you, though. Speaking of listening to my needs¡­ do you think I could rest my head on your chest? It¡¯s starting to get colder, now, and those heating runes are really nice. I¡¯ll need a pillow of course, with that hard armor of yours, but mmm, there¡¯s nothing like a warm pillow on a chilly night.¡± ¡°Weirdo,¡± Xander retorted. ¡°Pillows should be cold! A cold pillow with a warm blanket is the perfect, soothing counterbalance. But whatever floats your boat, I guess.¡± Gabrelle laughed in response, and tossed the small pillow that went with her bedroll onto his chest. Soon, he was being used like the world¡¯s deadliest body pillow as the slim, blonde-haired woman curled up to him, threw one leg over his waist as he lay on his back, and laid her head on the pillow that his chest was beginning to warm up. He pumped a little extra mana into the runes that kept his steel body mimicking the warmth of a human body as Gabrelle slowly fell asleep. There were still two months¡¯ worth of travel for Xander and Gabrelle to reach their location within Sempta. Xander realized that besides the name of the country, he knew little about where they were going. ¡°Hey Gabrelle, what¡¯s the name of the city in Sempta that we¡¯re going to?¡± ¡°Oh, I guess I never mentioned it. It¡¯s a port town called Rock¡¯s Bay. It¡¯s named after the big piece of stone that rises up out of the center of the bay. It¡¯s a busy town. Reminds me of Anlet, actually, though the ships are larger.¡± ¡°Huh. Alright. Thanks. Should I expect things to be different than they are in Dardin?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ Not really. It¡¯s warmer, since it¡¯s further South, but other than that, it¡¯s not too different. From Thrask down the Krepash, the cultures are generally pretty similar. North past Thrask there are some dwarven kingdoms, though of course there are still other races that live in the kingdoms. Graffus is probably the best one to tell you about them. South of Krepash, you have the Elven fiefdoms. I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re called fiefdoms and not kingdoms, though. Just are. I don¡¯t know much about them. I know you¡¯ve seen elves before in Anlet, and you¡¯ll see them in Rock¡¯s Bay, too, but they tend to keep to themselves. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever had the opportunity to speak to one.¡± ¡°Wonder why they¡¯re like that,¡± Xander said. ¡°Beats me,¡± Gabrelle replied. ¡°Theories abound, though.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, like what?¡± Xander was interested now. ¡°Well, the two I hear most are that they¡¯re either so snobby and stuck up their own ass they don¡¯t deem the average person ¡®worthy¡¯ to speak to in the first place, which I don¡¯t believe, or that, because they¡¯re so long lived, even more than dwarves, they just struggle to relate to people who are born, live, and die in what must be to them, a short period of time. Like, imagine someone talking about their whole life to you, but from your perspective, it¡¯s just been a week. I don¡¯t know if that one¡¯s true either, but it rings a little truer than them just being asses. Xander nodded, but stayed silent. The concept of anyone living that long was hard to wrap his head around. Would he end up like that? It¡¯s not like he was aging anymore, after all. Maybe he could make friends with some elves if that turned out to be the case, he thought to himself with a mental laugh. He tried not to think about the fact that if it were true, he¡¯d end up watching everyone he knew in this world grow old and die before him. ¡°Something on your mind?¡± Gabrelle probed him, not having received a response. ¡°Mmm, just thinking about what living that long must be like. I wonder if it¡¯s lonely for them if there aren¡¯t many other elves around.¡± ¡°Might be,¡± Gabrelle posited. ¡°¡¯Course, you live as long as an elf, and spending a century in a city doing trading might be like taking a few months for a business trip before returning home. Hard to tell.¡± ¡°Hmm. Maybe. So weird¡­¡± He trailed off, unsure what else to say about the topic. ¡°Do the dwarven or elven kingdoms war with each other like happens here?¡± He asked, finally. ¡°Uhmm¡­ I assume so? Well, I know the dwarves have. They had a big civil war once, and I¡¯ve heard of other wars, too. The elves? Not much news comes from there, but I¡¯ve heard of the occasional myth involving some relic or other lost during an elven war. Atrax might know. I do know that a few generations back, the king of Krepash tried to take a portion of an elven fiefdom¡¯s land and was soundly rebuffed. They had far fewer soldiers, but considering how long they lived for, they were also much higher leveled.¡± ¡°Huh. So not only are they immortal or nearly immortal, the fact that they exist so long basically guarantees them superpowers?¡± ¡°Well, I guess you could look at it that way. But how many people do you think can tell the difference between, say, a level seventy-five woodcarver¡¯s work and a similar piece by an elven woodcarver who¡¯s level two hundred or whatever? Not many. Mostly elves, which is why they tend to do more exporting than importing, and even then it¡¯s mostly goods for people who are vain enough to care about that level of difference. I suppose it¡¯s more valuable in a combat situation, where things like passive skills are just taken up to incredible levels. But still, no matter how highly leveled someone is, if you put enough holes in them, or hit them hard enough, they¡¯ll go down. Merc teams have taken out elves before, from what I hear. They aren¡¯t immune to having their own criminal element.¡± ¡°You know, that¡¯s something that the first person I ever met in this world told me. That with enough preparation, you can defeat anything that¡¯s a higher level than you. Guess he was right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good advice. Although, even better advice is to avoid having to defeat things that are higher level than you in the first place,¡± Gabrell countered. ¡°Oh yeah, because I totally get to choose what level the random things I face in life are.¡± ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t?¡± Gabrelle asked, sarcastically. ¡°Sucks for you, I do.¡± Combat Artificer - 50 Xander spent the journey to the border thinking of ways to improve his body. Most of them were cosmetic, though. He reshaped the blank mannequin face of his head to match as closely as he could remember what his own face looked like. It had proved a challenging task, but the fact that he still had his phone and a solar charger stashed away in his inventory helped quite a bit. He¡¯d used pictures of himself that had already been taken to work from. Seeing the pictures of him and Helen together had¡­ hurt. That was the best way to describe it. It wasn¡¯t physical, but it still felt like a knife was being twisted somewhere. Gabrelle had been fascinated with the device, obviously having never seen a smartphone before. ¡°Is that¡­ your wife?¡± She¡¯d asked tentatively, catching Xander looking at a photo of him and Helen together on a trip they¡¯d taken to Colorado. He remembered that she¡¯d tried an edible and gotten way too high and ended up freaking out and then vomiting. ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s Helen,¡± he said. He missed her long, brown hair, her button nose, and the dark brown eyes that she always said weren¡¯t as exciting or as interesting as his blue eyes had been. He¡¯d always told her that hers were just as nice. ¡°You two look so happy together, there. I¡¯m sorry that you were taken from her¡­¡± Gabrelle said, trailing off. She picked back up on a lighter note, saying, ¡°The painter did an excellent job! I¡¯m surprised you have so many paintings on that¡­ phone, you called it? How does it store them?¡± Gabrelle¡¯s complete lack of understanding of how technology worked served as a good distraction for Xander, shaking him out of his spiraling thoughts. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s¡­ god, how do you explain a phone to someone who¡¯s never seen one before?¡± He asked himself out loud. ¡°Uhmm, it¡¯s not a painting ¨C ¡° ¡°Then what is it?¡± Gabrelle interrupted him, confused. ¡°It¡¯s called a ¡®picture¡¯,¡± he explained, ¡°and this thing here, the camera,¡± he pointed to the lens on the back of the phone, ¡°it¡­ hmm. How to explain. It captures a rendition of the light that is passing through its glass? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s quite right, but honestly, I¡¯m not exactly sure how a camera works either. But anyways, that captured rendition is then stored on the phone. There¡¯s a lot that goes into that, and I don¡¯t even know how to begin to explain it. Here, smile for me.¡± Gabrelle gave him a confused smile as he turned the camera to face her and snapped a photograph of her. ¡°Why am I smiling?¡± She asked. ¡°Cute,¡± he said, looking at the image he¡¯d captured of the confused but smiling woman. ¡°I took your picture, now you can see it.¡± He turned the phone to face her, showing off his newest photograph. Gabrelle squinted her eyes at the photograph. ¡°Is that really what my smile looks like?¡± She asked. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand at all how that works.¡± ¡°Well, to be fair, that is not your natural smile at all that you were doing there, so no, it¡¯s not really what your smile looks like. Wanna see something really neat, though? It can take moving pictures.¡± ¡°Moving pictures? But pictures can¡¯t move, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Okay, technically you¡¯re right. What it actually is, is a series of pictures taken in very quick succession and then played back in the same order so that it looks like the approximation of movement.¡± ¡°I¡­ think I understand?¡± Xander swapped his camera app to video and began taking a video. He was glad that the simulated warmth of his fingers ¨C he¡¯d had to take off one of his gauntlets to use the phone ¨C was enough to operate the touchscreen. Gabrelle, of course, had no idea what was going on, still staring at Xander as he pointed the phone at her. He reached out with his free hand and booped her on the nose. ¡°Boop!¡± he said, as she swatted at his hand. Then he showed her the video. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ wow. And these were common on your world?¡± She said, taking in the fact that she was watching herself get booped on the nose on a loop. ¡°Everyone I knew had one, though they¡¯d only been invented roughly twenty years ago. Seems like every year they get better, too. Mine¡¯s probably quite outdated by this point.¡± Gabrelle¡¯s eyes widened at the thought that such a thing could ever be considered ¡®outdated.¡¯ ¡°Would you show me more of these pictures?¡± It was at this moment that Xander knew that using the secure folder on his phone to protect the more¡­ racy photos he had on his phone separate them from his general gallery had been a good idea. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve got lots. Some are from trips I¡¯ve taken, others are just¡­ random photos I decided to take for some reason or other. Ones of my cat, of the dog, the yard we had¡­ Feels like my whole life used to be on this thing.¡± They¡¯d spent the rest of the night together, Gabrelle laying next to him as she eagerly awaited each new photo. It seemed that with each new photo she was shown, she had a new question. What were cars, how had they managed to afford such a nice house (it was solidly middle of middle class), she questioned every little thing that piqued her interest in the photos. When Xander got to a beach trip, she was rather perturbed though. ¡°Why¡­ are they dressed like that?¡± She asked him, and she could hear a slight judgement in her tone. ¡°Were there ah, an excessive amount of prostitutes at this beach?¡± ¡°What? No!¡± Xander answered quickly. ¡°What do you mean ¡®dressed like that?¡¯ They¡¯re beach clothes. Have you never seen a bikini?¡± ¡°Uhm, no. I don¡¯t know about whatever it is that you just said.¡± She was still scrutinizing the photograph. ¡°Mmm, I guess it¡¯s a cultural difference. I have noticed that people around here are more¡­ conservative about how much of their body they show. I suppose it really makes more sense why you were so embarrassed at me seeing you in your night outfit. Where I¡¯m from ¨C and I¡¯ll admit that it¡¯s not like that everywhere on my world, there were places where it would have been unthinkable to show that much skin ¨C people were generally less concerned about showing off some skin. Of course, showing off your bare breasts or going without pants was still considered to be indecent. There were actually laws against doing such a thing in public in many places. But the beach especially was a place where a lot of skin was shown.¡± ¡°I see¡­ And it makes more sense that you were so unfazed by seeing me in my smallclothes, considering that an outfit like¡­ that is normal where you¡¯re from.¡± ¡°Well, that and I¡¯m made of metal,¡± he answered. ¡°I might be hard, but I can¡¯t¡­ get hard.¡± ¡°Oh by the gods, Xander!¡± Gabrelle scolded him. ¡°That was both a terrible pun and gross.¡± ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Xander molded other parts of his body to be more human as they traveled. His hands now looked more natural, with fake wrinkles and lines on his palms. His arms were no longer simple tubes, instead shaped to match his original arms. The same was done with his legs. He resisted the urge to give himself a chiseled sixpack, instead opting for the flat stomach that he¡¯d had before. He even gave himself a butt. What if he ever wore a pair of pants again? He couldn¡¯t have them fall off because he had no ass! His entire body was still coated in the two layers of carbon fiber that he needed to feel touch and temperature, though they conformed to his alterations of his body. By the end of their second month, as they were nearing the border and the town of Hardan, Xander would resemble a blackened statue of a human, sans genitalia, which he had not bothered to create for himself, if he were to be spotted out of his armor and standing still. Moving, one might ponder why a man had painted himself matte black. It was only up close that one would notice the small things that he had yet to overcome. His mouth didn¡¯t move when he spoke. He didn¡¯t breathe. The small, natural, movements and twitches a body might make as one conversed were hardly there at all. He also didn¡¯t blink, and facial expressions or a raised eyebrow were just as impossible as moving his mouth. Still, it felt better to look more like his old self. He no longer feared people being as frightened by him if he were to take off his helm, though he imagined they might still be disturbed by the uncanny valley he would occupy by lacking so many social cues with his body. He had no idea how to create a moveable face out of metal, or any other material. He could, perhaps, use something softer, like cloth or leather, with movement runes on them to simulate facial muscles. But the idea of having a leather face seemed kind of creepy to Xander. Even then, it would require him to understand the many muscles of the face, which he currently did not. Hardan began to loom in the distance, the smoke of the many refineries that processed the iron ore that came to the city from the mines visible far before the roofs of the buildings came into view. The whole town seemed to be covered in a haze of smoke from the smelting that went on in the city. ¡°And there¡¯s Hardan,¡± Gabrelle said, sounding somewhat annoyed. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Not fond of the place?¡± ¡°Not particularly, no. Hate all the smoke, plus, the guards at the border always give me and the rest of the team a hard time whenever we cross. Though, I think they hassle everyone that crosses either way. I don¡¯t think Freyja likes the smoke either.¡± ¡°Mmm. Well, we have daylight still. Want to just pass through the town instead of stopping at an inn?¡± ¡°Yes, I think that would be nicest. The border crossing is actually at the far gate, the city butts right up to the border. So there are Thraskian guards at the gate, and then there is a post for the Semptian guards just down the road from the gate. We can get through that and then camp on the road once it gets dark.¡± ¡°Sounds fine to me,¡± Xander said. Hardan was a grimy town. Xander noticed swarthy men in aprons and covered in soot taking breaks here and there outside many of the smoke belching buildings. If he still had real eyes, he expected that they would have become irritated within minutes of entering the veil of smoke that blew through the town. Warehouses abounded, and most of the shops he noticed from the road they trod were dedicated to metalworking tools and other things that one might need to process raw metals. This meant that he also saw several alchemist shops, as well, catering to the various chemical processes used to separate stone from metal. Wagons and hand pulled carts filled the road, forcing the two mercs and large cat to weave through traffic at times to pass through crossroads. The walk through the town took roughly two hours, though their pace was slow due to the amount of wagons and foot traffic they had to contend with. The city really was a sprawl, Xander thought, with the number of warehouses and refineries that dotted the city. As they approached the gate that would lead towards Sempta, Xander could see that there was a line formed at the gate as travelers were inspected. There were three guards, and each one would beckon to the next person in line as they finished inspecting a traveler. ¡°So what do we have to do for this?¡± Xander asked as he, Gabrelle, Freyja and the two golems made a small cluster at the back of the line as more travelers slowly queued up behind them to wait their turn to get through the gate. ¡°They just take a look at your abridged status to make sure you aren¡¯t a wanted criminal. The guards at the border of Sempta do the same thing again, but they¡¯ll also inquire about your reasoning for entering the country.¡± Gabrelle explained to him. ¡°Oh, okay. That¡¯s pretty easy. I hope the golems aren¡¯t gonna be an issue¡­¡± The golems were indeed a problem, though it was only a slight one. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but can you prove to me that they aren¡¯t just people in costumes?¡± The guard that had inspected Xander¡¯s status and then compared it to a list of names to watch out for in a bored manner that indicated that he had been doing this for hours already asked him. ¡°Uhmm¡­ what do you want me to do, exactly? The armor doesn¡¯t come off, it¡¯s part of them. Is their weight something that could prove it? They should both be really heavy, since they¡¯re golems. You could¡­ hit one? I guess, yeah, you could hit one with your sword if you really wanted to. They won¡¯t flinch or anything.¡± The guard shrugged. ¡°I suppose that will work. Hold my papers, for a moment, would you?¡± He asked, handing the sheaf of names to Xander. The guard drew his sword, and carefully lined up a swing at the chest of the shield bearing golem. Xander mentally commanded the golems to stand stock still and not to retaliate in any way against the strikes that would be aimed at them. The guard swung his sword, but halted it at the last second, instead lashing out with a strong kick at the golem¡¯s torso. The golem, of course, was unmoved, and the guard cursed as he held his foot up off the ground. ¡°Damn that thing is sturdy¡­ Thought for sure I could catch it off guard with a kick like that. I was sure that you were trying to smuggle someone in a suit. It¡¯s not the dumbest thing I¡¯ve seen, not by far. You and your golems are cleared to go through.¡± The guard walked back to his post with a slight limp and sighed, returning to his bored posture. He gestured for the next person in line to come forward. Gabrelle was waiting for him just outside the gate, looking amused. ¡°They finally let you out?¡± Xander mimicked a snort. ¡°Yeah, finally. Can you believe that guy thought they were people in suits? One of them has four arms for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± Gabrelle shrugged. ¡°Hey, at least it wasn¡¯t me this time that got hassled with something stupid. I had one guard once that didn¡¯t want to let Freyja through with me because I didn¡¯t have a taming class. Called her a wild animal!¡± She turned to Freyja, who was waiting beside her, and babytalked to the cat. ¡°You¡¯re not a wild animal, no you aren¡¯t! You¡¯re a sweet, civilized baby, yes you are!¡± The babytalk was accompanied by Gabrelle vigorously scratching the panther¡¯s chin and cheeks with both hands. ¡°Still not as bad as the TSA,¡± Xander said as the cat flopped over under Gabrelle¡¯s scratching. ¡°What¡¯s the TSA?¡± Gabrelle asked, pausing her petting momentarily, causing Freyja to rumble in annoyance until she continued. ¡°Uhh, basically what we just went through but on steroids.¡± ¡°¡­What are steroids?¡± ¡°Damnit, just let me have my colloquialisms. They¡¯re both somehow extremely thorough in investigating you and yet incompetent in doing it.¡± ¡°That sounds terrible!¡± ¡°Oh, it is,¡± Xander said with faux grimness. The walk to the border was only another thirty minutes, where Xander and Gabrelle once again found themselves in line, this time at a small building that seemed to be a garrison for a minor contingent of guards for the inspections. There were posts hammered into the road, leaving space for a wagon to go through, acting as lanes for lines to queue into. A guard was posted at each lane, half of them dedicated to traffic exiting Sempta, and the other half to entering the country. Gabrelle and Xander both decided to take the same line, filing up to the shortest of the available lanes. Gabrelle was the first through. ¡°Status?¡± The guard asked, just as bored at the Thraskian guards had been. Gabrelle flipped her status around to the guard who lazily looked down at his own list of names. Seeing that she did not match any of the names on the list, he moved on to the next of his questions. ¡°Business in Sempta?¡± He asked. ¡°I¡¯m a mercenary operating out of Rock¡¯s Bay. Coming back from a trip.¡± The guard nodded at her and she was let through, leaving the man to be faced with Freyja, who he somehow hadn¡¯t noticed standing behind Gabrelle. ¡°Uh¡­¡± The guard said, trailing of as he stared at the giant cat in confusion. ¡°The cat¡¯s with me,¡± Gabrelle said, not having gone far, yet. ¡°Ah, uh, alright then¡­¡± The guard moved out of the way of Freyja as she sauntered past the posts in the ground and then the guard. The man shook his head, clearing the distraction from his mind as he turned to face Xander, who was next in line. ¡°Hi,¡± Xander greeted the man. ¡°Welcome,¡± the guard said, still distracted. ¡°Status?¡± Xander pulled up his status and then flipped it around to face the guard. ¡°Mmmhm, alright.¡± The guard said, looking down at his sheets of names, flipping to the back to see any names starting with an ¡®X.¡¯ ¡°Reason for coming to Sempta?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also a mercenary, travelling with Gabrelle, who you just saw.¡± He glanced behind him. ¡°I¡¯m also traveling with my two golems that I¡¯ve made.¡± He thumbed behind him to indicate to the guard where they were. ¡°Mmm, what was your class again?¡± ¡°[Combat Artificer], and also [Rune Lord].¡± ¡°Alright, I suppose a golem could fit there¡­ Only ever seen a few before. Some [Tinker] came through with some, once. Though there weren¡¯t quite as¡­ agile looking as yours.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s neat. I¡¯ve yet to meet someone else who has golems. Thanks for that,¡± Xander said. He was already wondering just how rare golems were, and if there might be people he could trade tips or information with, maybe even services. ¡°Well, you¡¯re clear to go on through.¡± The guard stepped aside and gestured for him to move along. ¡°Welcome to Sempta, don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± Xander made his way to Gabrelle and Freyja. They¡¯d been waiting just a short distance down the road to keep out of the way of the traffic slowly flowing through the border. ¡°Guess we just keep on walkin¡¯ for a couple more hours until we lose the light?¡± ¡°Mhhm! Just another whole month of walking, huzzah.¡± She said with absolutely no enthusiasm in her voice. ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s not so bad. ¡®Course, I don¡¯t have leg muscles to get tired, so I might be biased. Ya know, I don¡¯t think I ever asked, but how were you able to take the trip up to visit your parents in Anlet? I mean, it¡¯s taking us three months to get back, and I assume it took you around the same to get there, and part of it through pretty dangerous territory. Is this something you do regularly? You four must be doing well for yourselves now, if you can take that much time off.¡± Gabrelle shifted, uncomfortably. ¡°Well¡­ to be honest, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been able to visit my parents since we moved to Sempta. As for the whole team taking time off, Atrax, Frazay, and Graffus were going to take a bodyguard contract when I was leaving. Not sure what they¡¯ve been doing if that contract¡¯s finished. Also¡­ uhm, we might have ended up using that account to help us fund the team. Since you didn¡¯t have any next of kin or anything¡­¡± Gabrelle nervously ground one of her feet against the earth as she guiltily avoided looking at Xander. ¡°Huh. Okay, that¡¯s fine,¡± he said with as close an approximation to a shrug as he could make with his shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re not angry? Promise?¡± Gabrelle asked. ¡°I mean, what do I really need money for? I don¡¯t eat, I don¡¯t sleep, so inn rooms are optional ¨C besides, it seems like I¡¯ll just end up in yours, anyways ¨C and I can make pretty much everything I¡¯d ever need. The only thing money could do for me is to influence people. And that sounds like a lot of work that I don¡¯t want to deal with. I¡¯m just glad it didn¡¯t get lost in the war or something, and went to all of you.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± Gabrelle started. ¡°But it still feels a little wrong now that I know you didn¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Really. If you all feel so bad about it, you can put me back on the account, but I still wouldn¡¯t have an issue helping you four out with things like that.¡± Gabrelle let out a sigh of relief that she¡¯d been holding in. ¡°Phew. I was really worried you were going to be mad at us for using it. But that account is all that kept us afloat right after the war¡­ work was scarce for us in Thraskian territory for a good while, when we returned to Anlet to try and get back to work. Kreglin profited quite handily from the war. As soon as he saw it coming, he invested in metal processing ¨C for the weapons and armor, I guess ¨C and a whole host of other things that I still don¡¯t see the reasoning behind.¡± ¡°Mm. War makes money, it was a huge industry in my world, too. Far bigger than here, actually. Our currency was quite different though, so I don¡¯t really know how it compares in an exact sense.¡± Gabrelle nodded, seeming a bit sad. ¡°Yeah¡­ feels a bit wrong though, to profit off of it, even indirectly. Like it was blood money.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty hard to ethically source that much money. It¡¯s like it has some kind of natural tendency to slip into dark territories. At least, that¡¯s how I see it. I¡¯m no economist.¡± The two mercenaries, two golems, and single giant panther continued walking down the road, occasionally being passed by wagons heading to any number of cities located within Sempta, and sometimes passing other travelers on foot. Their pace was faster than the average person¡¯s walk, the skills given to them by their classes allowing them to move at greater speed for longer distances without tiring as they should have. They were also no longer slowed down by having a large group surrounding them. Xander hoped that they could make up some of the time they¡¯d lost from the incident with the caravan and then him staying so long at Rantol. Combat Artificer - 51 The land here was flatter. It had started flattening out before they had reached Hardan, but he hadn¡¯t really noticed until now. He could still see clusters of trees here and there, or a forest, but much of the area seemed to be flat grassland. Occasionally, off in the distance, he could see herds of some kind of animal. They were too far away for him to identify, even with his scope, so he asked Gabrelle about them. ¡°Oh, those? They¡¯re wild frurons. You¡¯ve probably seen at least some. They¡¯re the six legged scaly animals that some people use for carts.¡± ¡°Is that what they¡¯re called? I never learned the name. Fruron. Froohh-rawhn. Huh. That¡¯s hard to say and I don¡¯t even have lips. Not anything we need to worry about, I assume?¡± ¡°Not unless we get in front of a whole herd on the move, then you could run the risk of being trampled. Other than that, you leave them alone, and they¡¯ll leave you alone. Hear they have a nasty bite, though.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Xander grunted an acknowledgement. As the light began to dim, they set up camp near the road. As Gabrelle set up the tent, started a fire, and began to cook for herself, Xander busied himself with creating more grenades. He had not replenished his supplies after he¡¯d run out during the ambush on the caravan, and he mentally kicked himself for not doing so, even if there had not been any consequences. This time. He decided that he would continue to create the individual reagents and then combine them into the grenade, as it was still cheaper than creating a grenade or firebottle outright, but he was beginning to realize that with his increased mana pool and rate of regeneration, outright creating grenades to throw was now an option for him, should he find himself running out once again. He managed to create five standard grenades and one soul ripper by the time Gabrelle had finished cooking. They began to talk as Xander continued making his devices, Gabrelle sitting a few feet away from him, eating her dinner. ¡°Come up with anything new, lately?¡± She asked as Xander sealed the top of another grenade. ¡°Mmm¡­ Not really. I think when we get to Rock¡¯s Bay, I should sit down with an alchemist and see if they have any interesting recipes or reactions they¡¯d be willing to sell to me. And of course, I should keep on with my runeworking. I might be biased, but I feel like I¡¯m pretty good at it. On the other hand, I know that there¡¯s just so much more that I don¡¯t know about it. It¡¯s like a whole other language in some ways, and while I¡¯ve got what amounts to some sentences down, I feel like there¡¯s a lot of nuance and syntax that could change how things operate in certain contexts.¡± Gabrelle nodded the kind of nod that one does when they¡¯ve asked about the weather and received someone¡¯s life story instead. ¡°Mmhm.¡± Xander didn¡¯t notice anything however, and continued to work on creating more reagents and bombs. ¡°I could also probably improve my gun. It¡¯s got a pretty low amount of shots available to it before I have to refill its clip¡­¡± He trailed off, distracted for a moment as he thought of how he might do so without making the thing unwieldy. Perhaps a tube with a spring could hold more? He cleared the thoughts from his head with a shake. ¡°But uh, where was I? Right, improving the gun. I just haven¡¯t gotten around to doing it. I¡¯ve been, well, just a little distracted feeling ever since, you know, I woke up as¡­ me but not me?¡± This time, Gabrelle¡¯s nod had more understanding to it. ¡°I think that¡¯s understandable. It¡¯s a big shift for you, surely, and you¡¯re still adjusting. You don¡¯t get over or used to something like what happened to you in a couple of months, Xander. I sort of know how you feel. We were all a bit like that after Ilbek. Seeing you die. Seeing so many others die through the course of the war. I would find myself just¡­ thinking sometimes, instead of doing the things I probably should have been doing. Or just feeling listless.¡± ¡°Is that something you¡¯ve managed to get over?¡± ¡°For the most part, I suppose. I still find myself dwelling on things. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever stop. But, I don¡¯t flinch anymore when I hear a sword drawn from its scabbard. And I no long recall so vividly the men and women I would find myself healing as they screamed, or bled, or thrashed whenever I see blood or hear a scream. Most of the time. Sometimes, though, it still take me back there, in a way. I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t see things or think that I¡¯m really back there, but my heart will start to race and I feel like I¡¯m getting ready for a fight.¡± Xander looked at her thoughtfully. ¡°Gabrelle, have you ever heard of PTSD?¡± ¡°Uhm, no, I haven¡¯t. What¡¯s peetee-ehssdee?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an acronym. Stands for post-traumatic stress disorder. It used to be called things like battle fatigue in my world, before they called it PTSD. And probably other things long before that. It¡¯s uhh, a condition, that¡¯s common among soldiers, but it can happen to anyone who goes through something traumatic. It can be a lot worse for some people than others, but I couldn¡¯t tell you why, really. You could have three people go through the exact same event and one could come away with no issue, one could have a minor case of PTSD, and the other could have an extreme case. People just¡­ process differently. ¡°Mmm. Alright? But, what is it? All you¡¯ve told me is that it¡¯s a condition and it can be caused by trauma.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not an expert, so my explanation might be flawed. But, we have instincts, right? Certain things come naturally to us, to help us survive. Like how you might jump back without thinking when something startles you suddenly.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Gabrelle said, following so far. ¡°But we also learn things like that as we go through life. Like muscle memory. If someone were to swing a sword at you, you wouldn¡¯t think ¡®oh, alrighty, that guy there is swinging a sword at me, I better bring my arm up at this particular angle to deflect it.¡¯ You¡¯d just do it. Your brain has become accustomed to it and reacts almost for you without thinking. Sword coming at you equals block.¡± ¡°Mhmm¡­ I¡¯m not sure what that has to do with how I feel though.¡± Gabrelle said, thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m getting there. I¡¯m just trying to set a base understanding for you that our brain is really good at doing things and making connections for us so that we can react quickly in situations. Does that make sense?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Well, when you¡¯re exposed to a traumatic event, it obviously makes a big impact on you. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be traumatic. They¡¯re often life threatening or extremely emotionally damaging. Or both. But, you survived. So you have a set of things you can do that will help you survive a traumatic situation. Sooo, some people¡¯s minds, they unconsciously sort of¡­ latch on to that set of things. A soldier with PTSD, they might hear, say the ring of steel, even if it¡¯s just a blacksmith hammering, and their mind, it immediately takes them back to that set of instructions that helped them survive whatever event or events marked them so badly. For some people it¡¯s so bad that they will even think they¡¯re back at that situation, or relive it in some way. To the point where they might become violent when set off in such a way, because they might believe, for instance, that they¡¯re fending off enemy soldiers. For other people, and this is what I think, and emphasis on ¡®think,¡¯ that you might be experiencing, it¡¯s less. Something that reminds them in some way of a traumatic event, it puts them in a sort of state of alertness. They can become more easily agitated, you get the things you mentioned before, like a flinch, or racing heart and adrenaline rush. Because your mind associates the thing that set you off, like the sight of blood, with a dangerous, traumatic situation and is getting you geared up to defend yourself in some way.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Gabrelle stared at him as he dissected and explained the topic in a mixture of awe and confusion. The awe was from the feeling that one gets when another person explains something to you and suddenly, something somewhere clicks in your mind and the things you¡¯ve been dealing with suddenly make sense. The confusion was because she had no idea how or why Xander would know about this. ¡°I¡­ uhm. That makes sense. It makes¡­ a lot of sense. I never thought of it like that. I¡¯ve heard stories of other soldiers, the one¡¯s who have it really bad. Of men waking up screaming, swinging their sword at anyone who gets close. Things like that. To think, that it¡¯s all, in a way, the same condition, just in varying degrees of severity, as what puts me ill at ease when I see blood sometimes¡­ How do you know about this?¡± ¡°Mental health had become a lot more important, and to some extent, better understood in the past few decades in my world. PTSD was especially something that was studied, as it was so damaging to veterans coming home from war. And, as a soldier, well, more like a member of a militia? I went through the same training that full-time soldiers would go through, but I wasn¡¯t a full-time soldier, just had monthly exercises. Anyways, we were all taught about the things to look out for in the soldiers around us that might indicate PTSD, so that we could encourage them to seek treatment.¡± ¡°And¡­ what was the treatment?¡± Gabrelle asked, hopefully. ¡°Uhm. Well, to tell the truth, I¡¯m not exactly sure. I know that were some very complex medicines used, but my understanding is that a lot of it was sort of deconditioning your body to react that way when something reminded it of the traumatic event. Being aware of the process, mindfulness is what it was called, of your emotions and then doing your best to redirect it, and also exposing yourself to potential triggers in a safe environment. Well, I think the exposure part only happened if the case was light enough that there wasn¡¯t a risk of the patient flying into a rage or something. I never really witnessed anything like that myself.¡± ¡°Mmm. So you¡¯re saying that, when I see blood and my heart starts to race, I should just¡­ be aware of it? What does that even mean?¡± ¡°Uhm, just understanding why it makes you feel that way. So, when your heart starts to race or you feel like you¡¯re getting ready for a fight in a situation where that¡¯s not helpful, acknowledge to yourself that you understand why you are feeling this, be aware of the things that are happening in your mind and body. And then, start to do what you can to bring yourself down from that heightened state. It¡¯s definitely something that takes time and practice. And, honestly, I can¡¯t even guarantee that I explained it properly, or that it will work for you. Sorry, Gabrelle, if I got your hopes up. I didn¡¯t mean to try and make you feel like I had some kind of ¡®cure¡¯ for it.¡± ¡°No, no, Xander. Don¡¯t be sorry. I¡¯m¡­ glad, actually. I¡¯m glad that I can begin to put a finger on why these things really happen to me. Even if it¡¯s something I never get over, just¡­ knowing has made it much less distressing. Before, I hated that I didn¡¯t understand why it would happen, because I know that so many other people saw so much blood, too. But Graffus, his heart doesn¡¯t race like mine at the sight of it. It¡­ it made me feel weak, like I was less than the others because of it. Having an explanation, and you mentioning that it doesn¡¯t affect everyone the same, it¡¯s helped me at the very least with that.¡± Xander had stopped creating grenades as he began to explain his rather limited understanding of the nuances of mental health to Gabrelle. As she finished speaking, he scooted closer to her and wrapped her in a hug. ¡°Gabrelle, you are not weak, and you are not lesser than anyone on the team. Not now, and I¡¯d wager not then, either. I don¡¯t know what you, and the rest of the team, went through. Maybe I never will, and that¡¯s okay. But you survived, and you¡¯re strong.¡± He dropped the hug and placed his helmeted forehead against hers, placing his hands carefully on her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever let anyone tell you that you¡¯re less than what you are because of what you feel.¡± He gave her shoulders a small squeeze and then lifted his head away from hers. Gabrelle stared at Xander. She hadn¡¯t seen him so passionate about many things before, and certainly not recently. ¡°Thank you, Xander.¡± She said at last, trying to think of a response. ¡°I think I needed to hear that¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯ll always have a response like that in the wings for you, but I can guarantee that I¡¯ll do my best to listen when you need to let things out. You¡¯ve given me the same courtesy, after all. Now let¡¯s get you into bed, the fire¡¯s died down while we were talking.¡± He stood up, offering a hand to Gabrelle. ¡°You wanna be the big spoon or the little spoon tonight?¡± ¡°Big spoon.¡± They resumed their journey as the sun crept over the horizon. Xander cast [Golemancer] again ¨C it was the four armed one¡¯s turn ¨C as soon as the ability was off cooldown. Both of them were nearing the same number of casts of it as Juniper had had, which reminded him of a question he had for Gabrelle. ¡°Hey, what happened to Juniper? Did she make it out with you four?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, she¡¯s fine. Same as ever. Helps us out with carrying things and all the little chores of traveling. It¡¯s nice, kind of like having a maid that can actually keep up with a group of adventurers.¡± ¡°I guess I did design her to be a helper. You know, it feels weird for her to have a name but not these two. What do you think I should name them?¡± ¡°Halberd and Shortsword?¡± Gabrelle answered, unhelpfully. ¡°Mmm¡­ no. Definitely no.¡± Xander said with finality. ¡°I was thinking about Atlas for the one with the shield, and Lynx for the one with the cat feet.¡± ¡°Atlas sounds nice. Strong. Where did you come up with it? And Lynx?¡± ¡°Atlas was a mythological character who held up the sky. And a lynx is a type of cat from my world. They had big paws to help them walk over snow. So it seemed fitting since I gave that one paws.¡± ¡°I think they sound nice.¡± ¡°Then Lynx and Atlas it is!¡± The newly christened Lynx and Atlas did not react to being named, being that they were golems, but Xander liked that he no long had to think of them as variations of ¡®the one with the shield¡¯ and ¡®the one with four arms.¡¯ Little of import happened during the rest of their journey to Rock¡¯s Bay. Xander finished stocking up on grenades. Freyja continued her occasional night hunts to keep herself fed. Gabrelle and Xander took up sparring with each other on occasion. Xander spent time attempting to implement a sense of smell, but was unsuccessful. He shelved the idea for when he wasn¡¯t traveling. The ground became sandier the closer they drew to the coast. It had taken them more than three months, and no small amount of violence, but Xander was finally able to see the buildings of Rock¡¯s Bay over the horizon. He could see fishing boats out on the water, as well as larger ships anchored in the bay. The town surrounded the roughly semi-circular bay, and he could already see the single, monolithic rock that jutted out from near the center of the bay. There was a lighthouse built upon it to guide ships in the dark to the bay as well as to keep them from running aground on the rock itself. Xande guessed that the town was even larger than Anlet, considering that it was able to encompass the entire bay with a myriad of warehouses, living districts and other areas. However, the town seemed to lack the lavish noble estates that Anlet had had. He figured that the ones that held the largest coin purses in this town would be of a mercantile nature, and not nobles. ¡°There it is, finally,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten how used I had gotten to the smell of the ocean. Ahh, and the breeze. It¡¯s nice, even if it is a bit cold.¡± She adjusted the cloak she had unpacked a couple of weeks ago from her back as the days continued to grow colder as the wind blew against her hood. ¡°Just keep me out of the water, thank you very much,¡± Xander commented. ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to work out some kind of solution to not being able to swim that doesn¡¯t involve me just walking back to the shore.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t swim?¡± ¡°I mean, I know how to swim. But I¡¯ll just sink like a rock now. Or more accurately, I¡¯ll sink like a large piece of steel.¡± ¡°Oh yeah.¡± ¡°Maybe I can make some kind of inflatable buoy. That way I could at least get hauled back up¡­ or maybe see if I can¡¯t get my wings to work well enough under water to propel me about. That might work.¡± Gabrelle shrugged. ¡°Well, for now try not to let anyone throw you in the bay.¡± She pointed to the Southern portion of the bay. ¡°We¡¯d been staying at an inn in that area of the town. It¡¯s a good middle ground between the expensive parts and the slums. Plus, it¡¯s not too far from the guild hall.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good place to start, they¡¯d probably be using the same inn so you could find them, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they said they¡¯d do. But if we can¡¯t find them for some reason, we can check with the guild. They could be out on contract. They¡¯re going to be so surprised to see you.¡± ¡°I bet,¡± Xander replied, and a sudden, gnawing thought seized him. ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡­ they¡¯ll be put off by what I am now, will they?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why they would¡­ I think you¡¯re worrying about it too much.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± Combat Artificer - 52 The group of them, Xander, Gabrelle, Freyja, and two golems drew gazes when they entered the town. It reminded him of being in Anlet with all the stares they, especially Freyja, had received. Even though he was covered in his armor, he felt a little anxious, like someone might suddenly call out to the surrounding people that he wasn¡¯t human. The road they had been following into the city narrowed as they reach the town limits, transitioning to a cobblestone paved street. Alleyways and side streets offered dozens of potential shortcuts and alternate avenues to reach other parts of the city, but Gabrelle continued to lead Xander down the main street. Eventually, the main street split in two, one portion curving Northward around the bay and the other Southward. They turned to follow the Southward split, Xander dutifully following Gabrelle, since she seemed to know where she was going, Freyja and the two golems following closely behind the to mercs. Xander noticed himself gawking, just has he had his first time in Anlet. Some of the ships that were moored at the long docks that reached out into the bay were massive. The city must see a huge amount of cargo enter and exit it every day. He did notice an elf here and there, their pointed ears and aloof demeanor giving them away as did their choice of clothing. They seemed to prefer earthy, natural tones and loose, flowing pants and shirts, or robes. Xander imagined that they would easily blend into a forest with such clothes. The entire town was brightly colored, the houses and businesses painted in varying pastel shades ranging from pinks and reds to vibrant greens. It made the place feel more¡­ alive, that was the best way he could think of it, than the other cities he¡¯d been in. Xander did his best not to lose Gabrelle in the crowded street without bumping into anyone, while also looking around at all the colorful houses and shops. The few people who did bump into Xander, either by his own fault or their own, were surprised at just how unyielding the man they¡¯d just collided with was as they bounced off his armored form. ¡°Oh, ah, sorry,¡± Xander said as he nearly shoulder checked an elf because he wasn¡¯t looking where he was going. The elf barely spared him a glance as they continued on. The two mercenaries and their exotic entourage found themselves in a primarily mercantile district, where people went to do their shopping or conduct business with other [Merchant]s, [Accountant]s, [Broker]s, and the various other classes and professions that kept the flow of goods and services through the city operating smoothly. ¡°Not far now,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°We take this side street here¡­¡± She turned onto the street, ¡°and we¡¯ll only be a few streets away now.¡± The inn that Gabrelle had led them to was tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the main street. It was on a quiet, narrow street. Most of the buildings seemed to be houses for the people of the city who worked in and around the area, though Xander did notice a few shops here and there catering to the small, everyday things that one might need. Bakeries, shops selling pots and pans, a potter with cups and plates on display. Inside, the inn was clean, tidy, and not too crowded. Even the atmosphere felt orderly, as a stern looking woman surveyed the few people eating or drinking at this time of day. It was clear that this was her domain, and that she ruled it with a fist of steel. The woman turned her sharp gaze towards Gabrelle and Xander as they entered, and then to Freyja as the cat followed through the doorway. A look of recognition passed over her face at the sight of Gabrelle and the giant cat, and she made her way from behind the counter over to the mercs. ¡°Gabrelle, yes? That was your name?¡± The woman said upon reaching Gabrelle, skipping any greeting. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you remembered me after so many months, Jempta!¡± Gabrelle responded. ¡°Mmm, I don¡¯t exactly have many patrons that bring a giant cat with them. And who¡¯s this? I see you¡¯ve picked up a friend with matching armor. People starting to copy you now?¡± Xander inclined his head at the woman, her sharp face, rigid body posture, and well maintained ¨C if greying ¨C hair all seemed to demand respect. ¡°My name is Xander.¡± At almost the same time, Gabrelle spoke up, saying, ¡°Oh no, he¡¯s not copying me! He actually made my armor.¡± Jempta had no issue parsing both of their statements at once. ¡°Mhmm. A pleasure to meet you, Xander,¡± she said in a voice that sounded like it was not a pleasure, simply a required formality of an introduction. ¡°Will you be staying at the inn with Gabrelle and the rest of her teammates? And will you be requiring accommodation for an exotic mount? We¡¯ve only space for one, unfortunately, and I believe it has just been filled,¡± she said with a glance at Freyja. ¡°Ahh, yes, I will ¨C¡° Xander began, before he was interrupted by Gabrelle. ¡°He¡¯ll be staying in my room,¡± Gabrelle said quickly. Jempta raised her eyebrows slightly, but made comment. ¡°And the mount situation?¡± She reiterated. ¡°No mount,¡± Xander told her. Jempta nodded. ¡°There is a room across the hallway from the three rooms that your teammates have rented,¡± she explained to the two mercs. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve seen them since this morning, but I don¡¯t believe that they have gone out for any significant period of time. They just recently paid for a few more weeks. I assume you¡¯ll be wanting to stay for the same amount of time?¡± Gabrelle nodded, and handed the coins over to the older woman, already knowing the price of staying at the inn, given it had been operating as their home base for quite a while at this point. Xander and Gabrelle brought Freyja over to the stables where she would be feed her meal. The panther flopped over onto the pile of wood shavings, eager to take a nap be have time to be lazy after their months of travel. She was asleep before the two mercs even made it out of the stable. Xander decided that he would post his two golems at the door to Freyja¡¯s stable. They would just take up space in what would likely already be a small room. Atlas and Lynx were ordered to stand out of the way in a corner of the stable, taking the appearance of two black statues that had been placed in storage. Standing outside the stables, Xander asked Gabrelle, ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Well, we could either go out and try to find our team, which would be difficult, or we could just¡­ wait for them to come back. They might have just gone out to the guild or to do some shopping. Jempta will let them know we¡¯re back. I don¡¯t think that woman has ever forgotten a thing in her life. Why don¡¯t we just wait in the room? I could use a nap, to be honest, and you can¡­ do, uh¡­ something? Maybe work on your gun like you mentioned that one time?¡± ¡°Sure, I guess. It¡¯ll at least keep my mind off of the anticipation. I¡¯m kind of nervous, honestly.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing to worry about, I promise. They are going to be so excited to see you, I just know it.¡± Xander nodded in response, still feeling unsure. The two of them went back into the inn, the stair creaking under Xander, and then up to their room, which was on the third floor of the inn. Gabrelle removed the rest of her armor ¨C she¡¯d taken her helm off before entering the inn ¨C and laid down on the bed. ¡°Aahh,¡± she sighed, stretching out on the bed. ¡°That¡¯s it right there. Nothing like the first nap you take after a long, loooong, trip. Wake me up if you think they¡¯re here.¡± Xander was left to his own devices, Gabrelle falling asleep nearly as quickly as Freyja had. Unsure what else to do, he took up Gabrelle¡¯s suggestion of working on his gun. His only complaint with the thing at the moment was the fact that his original design held only five of the steel balls. He thought over the best way to increase the rune gun¡¯s capacity. A tube that extended down the length of the rifle would be the simplest solution. The question was whether it would be better to implement a spring to move the ammunition through the tube or to use a runic solution. Xander opted to use runes for one simple reason: not needing a spring would give him space for more ammo. Removing the original tube that stuck out from the side of the rifle, Xander created a tube that ran the length of the barrel, following along the bottom of it until it curved upward and fed into the side of it in the same spot that the original tube had. Inside of that tube were movement runes that would keep the ammunition pressed into place by moving it down the tube and into position. It would be filled from the end of the tube nearer the barrel, where Xander could flip open the hinged cap of the tube, insert a finger, and use [Creation Mastery] to populate more steel balls into the tube.¡± The process only took him an hour or so, and when he was done, he found himself anxiously waiting. Despite what Gabrelle had said to him, he was still afraid of being rejected by them. I mean, he was an undead. What if they took umbrage with that? Speaking of being undead, he had promised Gabrelle that he would make an amulet for each of the other team members. He had just finished the runing the fourth of the platinum disks that would draw his soul to it when he heard footsteps and then the sound of a fist pounding at the door. He stood up, stowing the disks, and then froze upon hearing the voice on the other side of the door. Gabrelle had bolt upright, startled by the knocking. ¡°Gabrelle!¡± Graffus¡¯s voice came angrily through the door. ¡°What kind of fuckin¡¯ joke do you think you¡¯re playin¡¯, girl? Having the innkeeper tell us ya brought Xander back with you!¡± Gabrelle stared at Xander, wide eyed. This was not how she had expected this to go, though as she thought about it, the reaction was making more sense. Frazay¡¯s voice chimed in after Graffus had finished speaking. ¡°Gabrelle? There better be a good reason for this!¡± Gabrelle answered the angry voices on the other side of her door with, ¡°Uhmm, I¡¯ll be at the door in a second. I promise it¡¯s not a joke, please done be mad!¡± She quickly rolled out of the bed and anxiously walked towards the door. Xander followed behind her to offer support and also to help back up her claims. She quickly opened up the door to reveal the faces of Graffus, Atrax, and Frazay. Their gazes were focused on Gabrelle for a moment, expecting her to be alone, but, almost as one, their eyes were drawn to the figure in black armor standing behind Gabrelle. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Uh, hi guys!¡± Xander said, adding a small wave to the greeting. The three mercenaries were silent, staring at Xander for a long moment. Atrax was the one to break the silence, his brow furrowed in confusion as he said, ¡°What?¡± Atrax¡¯s verbalization broke the spell over Graffus and Frazay and they, too, spoke up overlapping each other. ¡°You¡¯re not dead?!¡± ¡°Where have you been?!¡± Xander chuckled nervously. ¡°Uhm, aheh¡­ how about we talk about it inside, and I can tell you all about it.¡± The three mercenaries quickly piled into Gabrelle¡¯s room, making the small room feel especially cramped. Xander backed up near the far corner of the room as Gabrelle and Frazay sat on the bed, Atrax settled onto the floor, and Graffus leaned against the now closed door. They were all staring at Xander. ¡°Well?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Xander started. ¡°I guess I should just start off by showing my status sheet.¡± He pulled up the sheet, flipping it around for his teammates to read as he began speaking again. ¡°First off, so I can prove that I¡¯m really me, and also so I can start explaining how I made it out of Ilbek.¡± Xander took a deep breath and continued. ¡°The short answer is¡­ I didn¡¯t.¡± Eyebrows were raised amongst the group as they shifted in confusion, not having read down his sheet to his [Revenant] title, yet. ¡°I died. That¡¯s why I needed my status sheet to help explain. If¡­ if you look at my titles, you¡¯ll see [Revenant]. That rune array I made, the one that was supposed to keep my soul from getting ripped out of my body? Well¡­ it also kept my soul from moving on ¨C¡° ¡°So you¡¯re an undead?¡± Atrax asked. ¡°But why¡¯d it take you three years?¡± Graffus asked at the same time. ¡°Uhhh, well, I don¡¯t know. I just woke up one day after about three years. Yeah, I think technically I¡¯m an undead¡­ some kind of spirit? I don¡¯t really have a body anymore ¨C¡° ¡°Then what¡¯s in front of us?¡± Frazay asked, confused. ¡°Right,¡± Xander said. ¡°So, to keep it simple, I¡¯m¡­ piloting? Piloting is probably a good word. I¡¯m piloting a metal construct through various runic arrays.¡± He unclasped the buckle on his helm and slid it up and off of the construct¡¯s head, revealing the matte black exterior that matched his armor. ¡°Okay, so let me get this straight,¡± Frazay said, after taking a moment to stare at Xander¡¯s carved face. ¡°You died, but your spirit was stuck, so you lucked out ¨C if you want to call it luck ¨C and got a title that let you keep existing. Woke up three years later and made yourself a body at some point, then found us somehow. Right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah that about sums it up. I tracked down Freyja through our bond, that¡¯s how I found Gabrelle.¡± ¡°Huh. Wow.¡± Frazay said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ it? Ya¡¯ll aren¡¯t weirded out by me not being strictly alive anymore?¡± Graffus shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just happy you¡¯re still around, Xander! Losing you was¡­ rough. I think it was partly because you were the only one who fell. It just didn¡¯t feel fair.¡± Atrax chimed in with, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the first mercenary who wasn¡¯t ¡®strictly alive.¡¯ There have been a few sentient undead over the years. Vampires who managed to get an [Unblooded] title are allowed membership, though I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever worked with one or even met one. And Borgras ¡®Bonelord¡¯ Hartuck was famous, oh, fifty years ago or so despite having been turned into a skeleton while interrupting a necromantic ritual.¡± ¡°If you haven¡¯t been hunted down by the guild by now, or stricken from above by one god or another, I don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t still be friends. You have been inspected by the guild, right?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°Yeah. I let them look at me in Anlet before we left. They were able to reinstate my membership¡­ lady there said I was, ah, a ¡®grey area.¡¯¡± ¡°Mmm, that sounds about right. You¡¯ll probably have a closer eye kept on your status updates from now on,¡± Atrax said. ¡°What now?¡± Xander asked, still in disbelief that he¡¯d been welcomed into the fold so readily. ¡°Well¡­ we could celebrate.¡± Frazay said. ¡°You and Gabrelle could catch us up your journey back, and we can tell you all about the contracts we took!¡± Despite not being able to drink, Xander was wrangled downstairs, where he found himself at a table surrounded by his long-missed friends. Drinks were ordered, and then he and Gabrelle were plied with questions. ¡°Did anything happen on your journey?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°You¡¯re nearly three weeks overdue from when you said you¡¯d return,¡± Atrax commented. Gabrelle and Xander were coaxed into retelling the story of their three-month journey. Their first encounter with the bandits that Xander had scared off, their intervention during the first attack on the caravan they¡¯d discovered. None of it was left off. Xander let Gabrelle do most of the talking, content simply to be around his friends and watch their reactions. He got a dirty look from Frazay when Gabrelle described how he had hoisted her up and thrown her like a sack of potatoes over Freyja¡¯s back. Once their tale was told, it was the three other mercenaries¡¯ turn to expound on the contracts they¡¯d taken. The first contract they¡¯d taken after Gabrelle had left had been a bodyguard contract. The merchant they¡¯d been contracted to watch over apparently had a bad habit of stiffing business partners with legal loopholes. The man had gotten on the wrong side of the wrong person and decided that he needed protection. It ended up being a waste of his money, but he had apparently been a nightmare to work with. He¡¯d dragged the three mercs into just about every whorehouse in the city, and consistently tried to treat them more like porters than bodyguards. He¡¯d tried to wiggle out of paying the guild, but had failed. Contracts stipulated payment for the services of ¡®bodyguarding,¡¯ regardless of whether or not any threats were actually fended off. The second contract had been a kill contract, simple and straightforward. A gryphon had needed to be taken care of in the surrounding countryside. It had begun taking horses from a horse breeder, and after they¡¯d nearly lost their prize stallion, the breeder had put in an urgent contract with the guild. Actually killing the gryphon hadn¡¯t been too hard for the three of them; Atrax and Frazay had grounded it with ranged attacks once they¡¯d found it, and Graffus caved its skull in with his hammer. The hard part had been finding it in the first place. They¡¯d spent three weeks just tracking down the flighty beast, and had failed to sneak up on it on several occasions. All five of them avoided talking of the war any more than necessary. They celebrated their reunion and spent the evening chatting like it hadn¡¯t been three years and one of them hadn¡¯t just reappeared from the dead. Xander could feel the tension he¡¯d been carrying in his mind that things would be different, that he¡¯d be treated differently by his friends, slowly starting to unease. If he still had muscles, he¡¯d probably be able to feel tension in his shoulders releasing. He probably looked silly, he thought, sitting there in his full armor not partaking in any of the drinks, but he didn¡¯t care. Just being able to talk and laugh again, even if laughing was¡­ different now, it was the best night he¡¯d had since he woke up in Thrask. As the evening ended, and the drinks stopped flowing, the five mercs began to push their chairs in, Atrax and Gabrelle significantly more wobbly than the other three. Graffus, as always, held a consummate mastery over his liquor, while Frazay had simply been more responsible with her amount of drink. Xander of course wasn¡¯t drunk in the slightest, not that he minded too much. He¡¯d never been a big drinker. No one was surprised that Atrax had had too much ale to drink; the fire throwing man had a tendency to cut loose when it came to celebrating. Gabrelle had shown herself to be a lightweight, starting to get tipsy by the second glass. That, combined with the constant topping up of drinks and the festive air had led to her becoming even drunker than Atrax. Xander held a steadying hand out to Gabrelle¡¯s back as she leaned precariously after managing to push her chair in. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you to bed,¡± he said to her. ¡°Awhhhh okayyy,¡± she whined. ¡°But we were having so much fun!¡± ¡°I think everyone else is ready to go to bed though, Gabrelle,¡± he said gently. Frazay chuckled as Atrax and Graffus made their way up the stairs, Atrax clutching dramatically at the railing on the wall. ¡°I think that would probably be for the best, she definitely needs to sleep all¡­ that¡± she gestured broadly at the swaying woman, ¡°off. By the way, which room is yours, so I can let you know when we head out for the day.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Xander began, feeling awkward about how he was going to explain the situation to Frazay. Gabrelle beat him to it, though, happily exclaiming, ¡°He¡¯s gonna stay in my room! Since he doesn¡¯t need to sleep and all.¡± ¡°Mmmmhmmmmmm,¡± Frazay said, with a pointed look at Xander. ¡°Not like that,¡± he said, defensively. ¡°And we¡¯re gonna snuggle!¡± Gabrelle enthused. Frazay¡¯s look somehow became even more pointed, her eyebrow arching. ¡°Platonically.¡± Xander deadpanned, almost ready to give up and let his body drop to the floor. ¡°Mhhm!¡± Gabrelle agreed. ¡°Plat¡­ pluh- ugh. Platonically,¡± she sputtered out. ¡°Not even gonna ask about it,¡± Frazay said, rolling her eyes as she climbed the stairs, following Atrax and Graffus. ¡°It¡¯s platonic!¡± he hollered after her, slowly helping Gabrelle to the stairs. Getting Gabrelle up the stairs to the second story was an entire adventure in and of itself. Each step in the staircase was a dire enemy that had to be carefully overcome with precision and determination. That is to say, Gabrelle was too drunk to actually climb the stairs. Five minutes later, and only halfway up the first flight of stairs, Xander sighed to himself and said, ¡°Gabrelle can I just carry you up the stairs? You¡¯re never going to make it up at this rate.¡± Gabrelle huffed, offended, and said, ¡°Nuh-uh! I can do it!¡± She broke from Xander¡¯s grasp and grabbed the railing with both hands, and moved to take another step up unaided. She didn¡¯t pick her foot up enough, though, and caught it on the ledge of the step, forcing Xander to catch her before she bashed her head on the steps. ¡°Ooof¡­¡± She said, slowly. ¡°Maybe, maybe I can¡¯t¡­ are stairs supposed to spin?¡± ¡°Come on,¡± Xander said, gently scooping her up. ¡°Let¡¯s get you in your bed.¡± He carried her up the rest of the stairs, doing his best not to jostle her too much, and then paused at the top of the stairs. He contemplated the speed of the walk to the door while carrying Gabrelle versus the glacial pace that the drunken woman would take, and decided that he¡¯d just keep carrying her until he reached the door. Setting her down in front of the door, Xander fished out the key for it from his inventory. ¡°Thanks,¡± Gabrelle squeaked out as she roughly leaned up against the wall next to the door. With the door open, Gabrelle was shepherded by Xander to the bed, where she at least managed to undress herself down to her smallclothes, saving him the embarrassment of having to do it for her. ¡°Alright, down you go,¡± he said as he helped guide her to sit and then lay on the bed. ¡°Ooooh, I don¡¯t like that the room is spinning,¡± she said, a little shakily. Xander really hoped she didn¡¯t vomit. That would be annoying to clean off the bed. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± he said, doing his best to sound soothing as he laid down next to her. ¡°You¡¯re just drunk still.¡± ¡°I want to stop being drunk now¡­¡± she whined sadly. ¡°It¡¯s just gonna take a while, Gabrelle. You had a lot to drink. Come here, I¡¯ll hold you and maybe it will make the spinning better for you.¡± ¡°Mmph, I hope so¡­¡± She wiggled closer to Xander, who wrapped her up in a hug, carefully positioning her onto her side so that if she did vomit, she wouldn¡¯t inhale any, and held her head to his chest. ¡°You¡¯ll be okay,¡± He said, stroking her hair. Gabrelle groaned. ¡°Ughhh, I don¡¯t feel like it.¡± ¡°But you will, I promise.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Gabrelle, despite her discomfort, quickly fell asleep, leaving Xander to his thoughts. He was amused with the situation. He¡¯d never seen Gabrelle drink to any serious degree before, and seeing her enthusiasm for life only magnify itself under the lens of drink had been sweet. Xander very much appreciated the lightness she could bring to a conversation. He just hoped that this was something that was not a regular occurrence for her, or he might have to have a sit down with the young woman. Xander continued holding Gabrelle close, glad she had not vomited on him, as he settled in for the night. He found himself replaying the celebration and conversations they¡¯d all had over again in his head, still enjoying the fact that he was finally back with his friends. Most importantly, they hadn¡¯t treated him any differently than they had before. Combat Artificer - 53 Light was beginning to shine through the single window of the room, but Gabrelle was still fast asleep. Xander gently shook her, eliciting a groan before she turn over, out of his grasp, and pulled the covers higher onto her body. Xander reached out and shook her again, finally breaking her from the spell of sleep. ¡°Bluughhh¡­ oh I feel like shit.¡± Gabrelle managed to get out as she pulled the covers even farther up, covering her head. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you that drunk before.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been that drunk before, honestly. I don¡¯t know what I was thinking.¡± Xander chuckled. ¡°Well, I imagine this might put you off drinking for at least a short while.¡± ¡°Yeah probab- wait. Did I¡­ I told Frazay we were going to snuggle, didn¡¯t I? Ughhh, ohmygods, why did I do that?¡± ¡°You are a very happy drunk. I think you were just excited about it and wanted to share that? But uh, yeah. She gave me a look. Like the ¡®you better not be sleeping with my daughter¡¯ look that parents give. I don¡¯t uh¡­ I don¡¯t think she proscribes to the idea of platonic intimacy.¡± ¡°Well, she doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s missing,¡± Gabrelle said with a huff, before groaning at the feeling the huff caused her head. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°What you need it water. Hydrate or die-drate, they say.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone says that, Xander.¡± ¡°Well¡­ not here anyways. You just¡­ wallow in your suffering there, I¡¯ll get you a cup of water.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ I will indeed be wallowing.¡± Xander removed himself from the covers and stood. He contemplated miming a stretch, but it felt a little bit pointless, so he didn¡¯t. He made his way down the stairs and over to the bar, where a man, younger and less stern of countenance than Jempta, was currently tending to the few customers that were seated at this hour. Once he procured a cup and water to go in it, he made his way back up to the room and forced Gabrelle to take the cup from him. ¡°Come on, drink it. I know you don¡¯t want to move, but you gotta drink the water, Gabrelle. It¡¯ll make you feel better after a while.¡± ¡°Fiiiine.¡± Gabrelle reluctantly sat up and took the cup from his grasp. She was taking a sip when someone knocked on the door. ¡°I got it,¡± Xander said to her, waving to her to stay sitting. Xander opened the door to reveal Frazay, who leaned against doorframe in an attempt to appear casual that didn¡¯t strike Xander as being ¡®Frazay¡¯ at all. ¡°Sooooo,¡± she said, ¡°How was you two¡¯s night?¡± ¡°Oh my god, Frazay, for the last time, we are not fucking!¡± Xander said exasperatedly. ¡°We were just snuggling!¡± Gabrelle called out defensively at the woman. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s helping how the situation looks¡­¡± Xander sighed. Frazay held up her hands in surrender. ¡°Whoa, whoa, I didn¡¯t mean to get you so riled up. I was just messing with you,¡± she said, standing straighter. ¡°I believe you when you say it. Plus, I mean¡­ how would you even¡­¡± She gestured at Xander¡¯s waist area. ¡°You know, since you¡¯re all¡­ metal-y.¡± Xander would have scowled if he could move his face. ¡°Yeah¡­ I can¡¯t, even if I wanted to. Which I don¡¯t. Because we¡¯re platonically snuggling. Ugh, god. Saying ¡®platonically snuggling¡¯ defensively really just doesn¡¯t sound convincing, does it?¡± ¡°No it doesn¡¯t,¡± Frazay said, earning herself another huff from Gabrelle. ¡°But uhh, I¡¯m sorry if I upset you when I brought up your¡­ condition.¡± Xander stepped back, waving the comment off and allowing Frazay into the room. ¡°No, no, I get it. You were just joking around. I¡¯m just still getting used to¡­ being like this. There¡¯s still things I want to work on regarding this body, so I don¡¯t even know what to truly adjust to, even,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°I can either laugh about it or cry, and I think I¡¯d rather laugh about it right now.¡± Frazay nodded in agreement as she moved to sit at the foot of the bed. Turning to Gabrelle, who was still grimacing and drinking her cup of water, she said, ¡°That bad, huh?¡± Gabrelle nodded, spilling a little bit of water onto her lap. ¡°I feel worse than if I¡¯d actually gotten hit in the head with a mace. Which I have before! Why is this worse? Frazay chuckled. ¡°Well, that fancy armor of yours doesn¡¯t protect you from hangovers, and I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t have a skill that gives you endurance, right?¡± Gabrelle nodded. ¡°Yeah, that would do it. Plus you¡¯re a lightweight. I¡¯m surprised you even made it up the stairs to get in your room.¡± ¡°Xander had to carry me¡­¡± She said, pouting slightly. ¡°She was not going to make it up on her own,¡± Xander chimed in. ¡°I still think I could have!¡± Gabrelle defended herself. ¡°You almost bashed your head on the stairs!¡± Xander retorted. ¡°Okay you two, no need to argue like a married couple if you aren¡¯t doing the deeds of a married couple,¡± Frazay joked. ¡°Ugh, Frazaaay!¡± Gabrelle said. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Xander said, the mention of marriage reminding him of something. He placed his hand up to his chest as the realization fully hit him. His wedding ring was gone. How had he not thought about it before? No, how dare he not have noticed it before? Was it somewhere on the field outside of Thrask? Buried or burned with his body? Had some scavenging soldier taken it from his body? It had been over three years now. There was no way he was ever going to find it. He leaned against the wall he¡¯d been standing near, and sank to his haunches in a squat, still thinking. ¡°¡­ Xander?¡± Frazay called out to him. Xander shook his head, realizing that he¡¯d completely zoned out thinking about his ring. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You okay there? You got quiet and then you didn¡¯t hear what we were saying.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ I, ah¡­ You mentioned marriage and I just realized something. I don¡¯t have my wedding ring anymore¡­ It¡¯s gone. And I doubt I¡¯ll ever find it again. It¡¯s either under the ground somewhere at Ilbek or in some soldier¡¯s pocket, I¡¯d guess.¡± ¡°Awh, Xander,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I wish¡­ I wish we could have gotten it for you on that day.¡± Frazay nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not fair, I know. To lose something like that, especially after being lost to the person it was supposed to bind you to. That¡¯s got to be hard.¡± Xander sighed. ¡°Yeah¡­ just another piece of me that got lost that day¡­¡± he trailed off, avoiding the pitying looks of his two teammates. He shook his head, trying to banish the thought, and changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, what brought you here, Frazay? You said last night you were going to let us know when we were heading out for the day, right?¡± ¡°Mmhm, that¡¯s right,¡± she said. ¡°Graffus has probably already dragged Atrax downstairs to force some food down his throat. I suggest we do the same for Gabrelle.¡± ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t wanna. My stomach feels¡­ not great.¡± ¡°Trust me, some food in your belly will help,¡± Frazay said. ¡°I¡¯ll step out and head downstairs while you get dressed, Gabrelle,¡± Xander said. Downstairs, Xander found Graffus and Atrax at the bar. Atrax was sullenly eating something that looked like porridge, while Graffus was eating some bread. Graffus waved at him as he came down the steps and Xander moved to go sit beside the dwarf. He waved off the barman who had started to head in his direction. ¡°Sleep alright?¡± Graffus asked him. ¡°Uh, well I don¡¯t really sleep anymore. But laying in bed was still nice, I guess.¡± ¡°Huh. Well I guess that¡¯s good at least? You seen Frazay and Gabrelle?¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re still upstairs. Gabrelle is getting dressed, they should be down soon. She¡¯s gonna need a bowl of whatever it is that Atrax is having, I expect. Atrax grumbled something indistinct through his mouthful of porridge. Xander sat with the two men, enjoying their company in silence. Not long after he settled down on a barstool, which had creaked threateningly under him, Gabrelle and Frazay came down. Gabrelle was not in her armor for the first time since he¡¯d seen her at her parents. She had on a light blue robe of thick material that looked like it was quite warm, and also had a hood hanging down on her back. Frazay was dressed in a brown, warm-looking vest and long-sleeved shirt, with dark green trousers. Taking stock of Atrax and Graffus, he noticed that they, too, were out of their armor. Well, Graffus was. Atrax was wearing a set of robes like usual. The dwarf wore a light coat, black of color, and trimmed with black fur. His pants were a dark grey. Xander was starting to feel awkward as the only person not in armor. ¡°Should I¡­ not wear armor?¡± He asked, looking back and forth between his four friends. ¡°It feels weird to be the only one wearing armor. But it also feels weird to not wear armor¡­ people are going to stare at me since I¡¯m made of metal.¡± ¡°Xander,¡± Atrax said, finally speaking up. ¡°People are going to stare at you for wearing black plate armor with a skull face, too. It just depends on which you¡¯d rather be stared at for more.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ that¡¯s fair. Also I kind of have to wear the mask¡­ It¡¯s what has my binding on it. Speaking of my binding,¡± he pulled the three platinum disks, complete with leather necklaces, out of his inventory, ¡°I made these for you. Gabrelle already has one, but these disks have the series of runes that is binding me to, uh¡­¡± He looked around and lowered his voice, ¡°undeath.¡± He resumed speaking at a more normal volume, saying, ¡°So, that way if something happens, I should get pulled to one of these!¡± He handed out a binding talisman to Atrax, Graffus, and Frazay, each of them taking their time inspecting the runes on the piece before stowing them away. Atrax opted to wear his around his neck, but Frazay and Graffus both tucked them into pockets inside their coat. ¡°Wow¡­ thanks, Xander.¡± Frazay said. ¡°Feel¡¯s like you¡¯ve entrusted me with your life,¡± Atrax commented. Graffus just solemnly patted his jacket where the medallion lay in a pocket. ¡°So what do you four think? Clothes and then I have to wear this mask anyway, or just stick with the armor?¡± Graffus shrugged. ¡°Armor sounds easier for you.¡± ¡°And wouldn¡¯t you have to take apart your helm just to wear the mask?¡± Gabrelle asked. ¡°Armor it is, then,¡± Xander said. Frazay explained to Xander that they had planned to swing by the guild and pick out a contract, and then to go shopping for anything they might need to complete said contract and prepare before heading out the next day. Evidently, they¡¯d been waiting for Gabrelle to return from her trip before starting another contract. They picked up Freyja from the stables, and then they were off. The walk to the guild hall in Rock¡¯s Bay was not far, and Xander soon found himself looking at the building. It was not nearly as resplendent as the guild hall in Anlet had been, but it was still large. The building had the air of a business, matching much of the rest of the town, and was constructed of grey stone. Inside, it was quiet, mercenaries tending to their business and quickly leaving. If the outside had felt like a business, the inside felt like a library to Xander. ¡°Why¡¯s it so quiet?¡± He asked his teammates, finding himself whispering. Frazay shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Place is just like that. Come on, let¡¯s go look at contracts.¡± This time, all five of them moved as a group to peruse the contracts posted on the boards around the walls. ¡°Mmm¡­ no more bodyguard contracts for a while,¡± Graffus said, moving on from the contract he¡¯d been looking over. ¡°What about this one?¡± Gabrelle said, pointing at one of the slips of paper. Kill Contract: Sea Drake A sea drake has set up a nest on the coastal cliffs to the North of Rock¡¯s Bay. It has begun to attack boats that stray too close to the cliffs. ¡°A sea drake?¡± Xander asked curiously. ¡°Type of dragon,¡± Graffus said, scratching his bearded chin in thought. ¡°There are dragons?¡± Xander asked in disbelief. ¡°Of course there are, haven¡¯t you heard about them by now?¡± Frazay responded. ¡°Literally not once has anyone told me that dragons exist in this world since I¡¯ve gotten here,¡± Xander said. ¡°Well, there¡¯s dragons. Not too common round populated parts of the world. The big ones, anyway,¡± Atrax explained. ¡°Is a sea drake a big one?¡± ¡°Heavens no, they¡¯re¡­ medium? Ish?¡± Frazay said. ¡°Define ¡®medium-ish,¡¯ please.¡± ¡°Ehh, larger than a gryphon, but not by much.¡± ¡°So large enough to hoist a man into the air easily, then. Still, seems a bit odd that it¡¯s attacking ships as a whole, you¡¯d think something so big would deter it.¡± ¡°Mmm, if it¡¯s set up a nest, it likely has a clutch of eggs. Any kind of drake or dragon is extremely territorial when it comes to their eggs¡­ which, actually, makes me think,¡± Frazay said, pausing for a moment. ¡°Hmm¡­ I did recently get [Druidic Bond], which will let me bond a creature that trusts me sufficiently. There¡¯s no way we¡¯d get a full grown dragon to trust me, of course. At least not safely or in any reasonable timeframe. But an egg. If I could get one of those eggs to hatch, I bet I could raise it and bond with it.¡± Xander could see the gears in Frazay¡¯s head turning as she pondered having a ¡®medium-ish¡¯ dragon as a bonded companion. It would be a powerful boon in a fight, surely. Once it grew up, anyway. But the downside was that you¡¯d have to take care of a dragon. They were already taking care of one large, predatory animal, though. Maybe it could be friends with Freyja? Combat Artificer - 54 ¡°But how are you going to incubate an egg?¡± Atrax asked. ¡°You can¡¯t just sit on it until it hatches or keep it tucked into your coat ¨C you¡¯d break it eventually.¡± Xander spoke up. ¡°I could probably rune up a little holder for it to keep it warm. Still no guarantee it will hatch though, you know. We don¡¯t exactly know the perfect temperature and conditions for a sea drake egg. We ought to try and emulate the nest as best we can. If there¡¯s more than one, maybe I can set a few different temperatures. But, uh¡­ what would we do if there¡¯s more than one that hatches?¡± ¡°We could always sell them,¡± Graffus offered. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a few tamers around that would jump at the chance to get their hands on a baby sea drake.¡± ¡°I suppose it¡¯s better than letting the eggs die¡­¡± Gabrelle said, thoughtfully. ¡°Okay then. Seems like we have a plan of action for what to do after we take out the sea drake. But uh, how do we do that?¡± The plan was rather straightforward, though Xander wasn¡¯t exactly happy about it. He would be the bait, which, he had to admit, made sense as he was fireproof. He would keep the thing occupied so that Frazay could line up a shot of her entangling vines. Then the rest of the team would engage, doing their best to keep behind the dragon, where it couldn¡¯t breathe flames over them. Atrax would be using his pyrokinetic abilities to help shield the party from any flames that came their way. Xander, of course, intended to try and just fill the dragon full of holes with his rifle, but Frazay had warned him that sea drakes were extremely agile, and he might have a hard time getting a shot off on it. Not only were they agile, but dragons were known for their tough scales, to the point that they were considered to be an upgrade from steel. Xander sensed an opportunity for a new material to add to his repertoire when Graffus had mentioned the scales¡­ Xander had a backup plan in case Frazay was unable to bind the dragon down, or it took wing, but he¡¯d need the help of his golems. With that in mind, he figured that an extra set of hands, or rather, two extra sets of hands would be helpful. ¡°Where¡¯s Juniper? I think she might come in handy.¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s in my room,¡± Atrax answered. ¡°I was having her collate some of my notes into a single notebook. She¡¯s quite handy for rote tasks like that.¡± ¡°Makes sense. We should bring her and the other two golems along for extra support. Plus they can carry stuff for us.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re settled on the sea drake contract?¡± Graffus asked the group. A consensus was quickly reached that they were, indeed, settled on the sea drake, and so they brought the slip up to the desk to receive additional details and register for the contract. Unfortunately, the details were sparse. The only thing that hadn¡¯t been included in the short description of the contract was the specific location of the dragon¡¯s supposed nest. ¡°You be careful, now,¡± the man who had registered them for the contract said as they were leaving. ¡°That thing¡¯s killed several fishermen already.¡± The mercenaries exited the guild, and decided to split up to do their shopping for the journey. It was only a few days¡¯ worth of travel, but all of them, minus Xander, admitted that they needed to top up on food before they could leave, and each of them had a few other errands they wished to run. Xander didn¡¯t mind, though. It would give him time to make his own preparations. While the rest of the mercenaries went about their errands ¨C Xander had left Freyja with Gabrelle, so that the cat would get some more time outside ¨C Xander was in the inn, sitting on the floor of his and Gabrelle¡¯s room. Around him were lengths and rolls of steel cable. He¡¯d created a few hundred feet of the stuff, and now was working on some steel javelins which he could attach the cables to. His hope was that, if Frazay¡¯s skill did not work, then he and the rest of the team could use the javelins to pin the beast down. The heads of the weapons were barbed, so that they would not easily pull free once they were embedded. If the drake took to flight, the three golems could be used to hold onto the cabling and act as anchors, reeling it back to the ground. Once the lengths of cable were attached to javelins, ten in all, he engraved a few gathering runes on each weapon so that they would not decay as the golems carried them over the next few days of travel. It wasn¡¯t long after he finished the javelins that his teammates began to return one by one. Atrax was the first, having only needed to buy food. Frazay was last, coming a full hour later than the rest of the team. She had apparently been scouring the blacksmiths and fletchers in the area to find the highest quality arrows she could. They had an early supper, putting Freyja up in her stall to eat her meal, before turning in early. They planned to leave by dawn, and put the town behind them in search of the drake. Xander found himself thinking over the contract as he laid in bed, Gabrelle snoring lightly next him. Everyone had seemed so nonchalant about taking a contract to kill a dragon. Large than a gryphon was¡­ pretty large. And it could breathe fire, and it was fast! Had there always been this much room for error in their contracts, or had his experience with death opened his eyes to just how haphazard life as a mercenary could be? Thinking back, all of the contracts he¡¯d taken had had a significant amount of unknowns. Why did that bother him so much more, now? Mulling it over, Xander started to realize something. He was scared not of being injured himself, but that something might happen to one of his teammates. He¡¯s just found them again, and the prospect of seeing one of them burned to a crisp by some kind of dragon was not something that he wanted to see happen. Could Gabrelle heal burns? Surely she could. If Xander still had lungs he would have taken a deep breath, held it, and then slowly released it in an attempt to calm his overactive mind. Since he couldn¡¯t do that, he tried to at least direct his mind to something productive: thinking about how to kill that dragon even faster. Most of Xander¡¯s ideas ended up suffering from the same problem that their currently existing plans had: the dragon would be hard to hit. Between that and the fact that he¡¯d never gone up against, or even seen, any type of dragon before, he was at a bit of a loss for what else to do. His best bet would be to remain flexible, he felt, so that he could adapt to whatever came. That morning, they quickly ate and packed their traveling gear. Freyja and all three golems were collected, and Xander cast [Golemancer] on Juniper, who had now fallen behind on the tally of casts of the ability. He wanted to try and keep his golems roughly equal in terms of ability. He was realizing that after about five casts, the returns of the ability were diminishing, especially considering the mana cost of the ability after so many successive casts on a golem, but he was hoping that there was still something to be gained by stacking so many casts of the ability on his golems. Freyja was armored up, and showed her excitement to be out on a journey again. The big cat rubbed up against Xander as he contended with her movement while trying to put the armor on, like dressing a squirming child. The golems were holding three javelins and their associated steel cable each as a rolled bundle which their arms were put through, and Xander carried the last one wrapped diagonally across his own chest. He¡¯d explained his backup plan to the rest of the team when they¡¯d questioned the cabling and the javelins, and they¡¯d been pleased with the addition of a backup. Gabrelle had purchased another horse in the city the day before, and was riding it alongside Atrax and Graffus¡¯s horses, and Frazay¡¯s stag. Xander, between his spider legs and his rune powered body, was plenty capable of keeping up with a horse by himself, without even mentioning his wings. Lynx could as well, though Juniper and Atlas would likely be outpaced by a galloping horse. The streets were much quieter this early in the morning, and the mercenaries quickly found themselves outside the city. Freyja, no longer needing to act as a mount, ranged further away from the party as she burned off some energy, though she returned frequently. The golems trod mindlessly, but efficiently, behind the five mercenaries. They followed the road Northward, where one could see the land slowly rise. As they rode, and the land began to rise, the shore became obscured by the hills and cliffs that began to take form on the coastline. Taking wing, Xander was able to see that this rise continued beyond site, and that there was a small range of mountains in the distance, hugging the coastline. He could see nothing large in the air or on the ground that would indicate a dragon, though, and relayed his findings to the rest of the team. ¡°Oh, those mountains?¡± Atrax had said when Xander inquired about them. ¡°That¡¯s the Shattered Hammer mountains. Legend has that it was formed when a magical weapon was destroyed during a battle between two powerful foes. At this point no one is sure if it was a spat between two gods, some kind of divine artifact breaking, or if it¡¯s just a completely natural range of mountains, but I can tell you that almost no one lives out there. There are quite a few nasty creatures that inhabit those mountains. Well equipped mercenary teams occasionally travel out that way to bring back monsters or their corpses for study or for alchemical purposes, but it sees little travel beyond that. Trade routes make a wide berth around the mountains to avoid anything that lives in the range. Entirely possible that our drake hails from that area.¡± There were still two days left before they would reach the cliffs faces that supposedly housed this sea drake, but the mercenaries were taking no chances. It would not do to be ambushed in their sleep by petty brigands or some other creature while on the hunt for a dragon. As such, Xander volunteered to take over the night watches, partly because he didn¡¯t want his teammates to lose out on sleep, but mostly because he was embarrassed at the prospect of entering Gabrelle¡¯s tent in front of the entire team. He knew it was silly, and that Frazay already knew ¨C hell, she might have already told the rest of them and explained it for him. But he still felt quite a lot of trepidation over it. So, he and the three golems slowly patrolled the immediate area of their camp. Freyja came and went through the night, at one point dragging the remains of some strange, winged creature back to the edge of the tents where she finished consuming it. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The next two days of traveling went without issue. Nothing in the area threatened the decently sized group of mercenaries, golems, horses, and giant cat, and they had yet to see any sign of the drake, though they remained on alert for any movement from above, especially on the third day of travel. Nearing the area on the map that had been marked as the approximate area of the nest, they left the road, which had departed somewhat from the cliffs that made the coastline and started to head for the marked area. It was there that they finally began to see signs of the drake. There were odd patches of scorched ground amongst the scrub that grew near the cliffs, and other areas of churned dirt, as if a large animal had rolled or rooted in it. Picking up these signs, Frazay took the lead and began to use her tracking skills to zero in on the location of the drake. They tied their horses to one of the few trees in the area, and proceeded on foot, doing their best to remain as quiet as possible. The golems were the least successful of them at being quiet, but with orders to avoid any bushes and patches of scrub that might make noise, none of them managed to alert the drake, which remained unseen. Finally, Frazay held up her hand for them to halt, and they formed a huddle, speaking in hushed tones. ¡°As best I can tell,¡± Frazay whispered, ¡°its den must be in the cliffs around here. It¡¯s likely there¡¯s some kind of cave in the cliffs that we¡¯ll have to draw it from.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s my job, right?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll all take cover as best we can in the brush and trees and you¡¯ll try to draw the drake out and keep its attention while I try and ground it.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll just wait until I can¡¯t see you guys anymore.¡± With that, the party began to hide. The golems were ordered to walk into denser patches of scrub and then lay down while Frazay melted into the landscape and from Xander¡¯s sight due to her abilities. Gabrelle found a tree to crouch behind, obscuring her from line of sight of the cliff face, while Atrax and Graffus both found bushes to shelter behind. Freyja slunk behind a portion of scrubby trees, vanishing from sight. Soon, Xander was the only one out in the open. Looking around, satisfied that his teammates were not immediately noticeable, he moved to the edge of the cliff and thought a moment on the best way to create a loud noise, before settling on something that didn¡¯t require him to drop his rifle, which he¡¯s taken out from his inventory. Pouring more mana than he ever had before into the runes that he used to mimic speech, he began to yell at an ear-piercing volume. ¡°COME ON OUT, YOU BIG-ASS LIZARD! WE GOT BUSINESS AND FIGHTIN¡¯ TO CONDUCT!¡± He waited for a moment for anything to happen. Nothing presented itself to his yell, it seemed. He stepped closer to the edge and looked over, seeing nothing. Taking a step back, he was about to yell again when a flash of blue rocketed up past the cliff¡¯s edge, and Xander was forced to stumble back, dropping his rifle and catching himself with the legs on his pack as what he assumed must have been a tail lashed out and struck him with significant force, even through his armor. Looking up, he could see, undulating and flitting about in the sky above, the sea drake. It was a classical fantasy blue for a dragon, but that was about where the resemblance ended with what Xander had imagined. First off, Frazay had been¡­ lenient when she described it only a little larger than a gryphon. This thing was long, looking like some combination of a European dragon and a Chinese dragon. If he had to compare it to an animal he¡¯d seen before, it was like a long-tailed lizard, but winged. And giant. Xander estimated the thing to be nearly thirty feet in length. This drake could not hold still, either. Its two large wings beat furiously, and its entire body managed to undulate, keeping it in constant movement as it zipped back and forth above Xander, like some kind of hellish, reptilian hummingbird. It must have some kind of latent magic, because there was no way in hell something like that should be able to move as it did. Xander¡¯s thoughts were cut short as he looked up at the dragon above him, as it opened its mouth and bathed him in flame, holding still for the first time since it had appeared ¨C just for a moment ¨C though Xander couldn¡¯t see it through the fire. Frazay took this moment to attempt her shot, but the moment of stillness had already passed, and the creature had returned to undulating even as it breathed more flame at Xander. The arrow passed through the coils of the creature, and alerted it to the presence of other beings on its territory. Leaving Xander, who the beast assumed to be burnt to a crisp, it darted through the air towards where the arrow had come. Frazay, now revealed as she¡¯d stood to take her shot, began to fire more arrows at the drake as it closed the distance between them with frightening speed. Xander took wing, following the drake as he ordered the golems to stand and move to follow the drake as well. A ball of flame streaked through the air from Atrax as it curved to intercept the drake. It was unharmed, the flames washing harmlessly over its scales, but it served a sufficient distraction to halt the beast for a moment, giving Frazay an opportunity to flee and create more distance, as Xander neared the drake again. ¡°GET BACK OVER HERE!¡± He screamed at the thing, pumping mana through his speech runes until they could hold no more. The drake, startled by the noise, as well as the appearance of a foe in the air, turned its attention back to Xander. He was close enough now that he could uncoil the javelin from his chest, and he did so, the cabling dangling below him as it fell to the ground and dragged along as he and the dragon flew circles about each other, similar to two animals circling each other on the ground. The drake was letting out a deep, guttural hiss, that reverberated within the mercenaries¡¯ armor on the ground. Xander cast the javelin at the beast, trying to speed and guide it with [Improved Ferrokinesis], but the throw went wide as the drake reacted swiftly to the thrown weapon, flitting out of the way with speed that should be impossible for a flying, thirty-foot-long lizard. Xander cursed to himself in his head. He was going to have to get a lot closer to this thing if he was going to be able to bind it up. Frazay was still firing arrows, the ethereal blue streaks marking them as from the bow that Xander had given her, but the few that managed to strike true were deflected by the drake¡¯s scales. The dragon ignored her, still focused on Xander, who it deemed to be the greatest threat due to his ability to take to the sky. Besides Atrax, who had taken cover once again, none of the rest of the team had given away their position. Xander ordered Atlas to uncoil and throw one of the javelins, not at the drake, but at Xander himself. He caught the projectile with [Improved Ferrokinesis] and guided it into his hand. The drake reacted to this with another bout of flame, which washed over Xander with as much effect as Atrax¡¯s flames had had on the drake. Xander steeled himself mentally. If he could have, he would have taken a deep breath. Then, with a powerful flap of his black wings, he rushed towards the drake. Now that he was closer to the beast, he could see that its mouth, still hanging open from the blast of fire it had spit, was filled with daggerlike teeth, and its claws were similarly sized, curved protrusions from each of the thing¡¯s toes. The drake apparently took this as a challenge and sped towards Xander itself. The two collided in the air, a flurry of blue scales and black carbon fiber. The drake coiled its long tail around Xander¡¯s torso and clamped its jaws down on his left arm, while Xander plunged the barbed, steel javelin into the scaled flesh that surrounded him, aided by [Shock and Awe]. Letting out a bellow, the drake tightened its coil around him and scrabbled its claws against his armor in an attempt to find purchase, jaws still tightly locked on his arm, attempting to rip it from his body. If he¡¯d still been made of flesh, the drake would have long since succeeded in that attempt. The drakes violent thrashing and constant movement threw cable that dangled from its side this way and that. A particularly violent spasm, as Xander attempted to push the javelin deeper, threw a length of the cable into the air, where it was thrown over the drake¡¯s right wing. Seeing an opportunity, Xander let go of the javelin, now firmly lodged in the flesh of the drake, and reached out towards the swinging cabling using [Improved Ferrokinesis] once again to draw it into his hand. He pulled tight with his one free arm, forcing the drake¡¯s wing to fold against its side as it struggle to keep flapping its wing. The drake was not able to break Xander¡¯s grip, however, and with only one wing functioning, the two of them began to spiral to the ground, the drake still scrabbling for any purchase on Xander¡¯s armor and trying to rip his arm off. It was a hard landing for the drake, as Xander managed to end up on top of it as they corkscrewed into the ground. Its hold on Xander¡¯s arm was broken, along with several of its teeth, by the fall. Xander ordered the golems to rush the drake and do their best to plunge more javelins through its scales before the thing could fully recover from its falls. Soon, it was sprouting several more dangling length of cable, which were dutifully being held taught by the three golems. Panicking, the beast released its coiled grip of Xander, who quickly distanced himself from its whiplike tail, still holding onto his length of cabling. Between him and the three golems, the drake was nearly pinned to the ground as it bucked and flailed, belching flames at its metal tormentors. The rest of the team moved from their positions of cover and sprinted to the rear of the reptilian monster, where they reconvened with Xander, whose position put him near the near of the thing himself. Frazay began to fire the steel arrows she¡¯d purchased in town at the drake, her abilities allowing her to penetrate the scales that protected the monster. The drake thrashed and bellowed more, but was unable to fully turn its head to face Frazay or the other mercenaries. Atlas¡¯s javelin had struck it in its long neck, and the cabling the golem now held tight in its hands restricted the movement of the drake¡¯s head. Graffus darted past the lashing tail of the drake, rotating his hammer so that the pick end was forward, and struck the haunch of one of the drake¡¯s back legs. The pick ploughed into and then past the scales of the monster, and then into the bone of the leg, shattering it as the leg buckled, dropping the beast to the ground as it struggled to get its other back leg back under it. Between being turned into a pincushion by Frazay, and being beaten to a pulp by Graffus, the drake finally succumbed to its multiple injuries, collapsing to the ground. Dropping his length of cable, Xander retrieved his rifle from where he¡¯d dropped it and ensured the beast was dead with a shot through its head. Gathering together, Graffus and Frazay breathing heavily, they planned their next step forward. Combat Artificer - 55 ¡°What next?¡± Xander asked of the team. ¡°Eggs first, and then we harvest the dragon for any valuable parts. Scales, teeth, claws, and whatever bones we can carry. Xander, do you think you can get me into the cave the drake flew out of?¡± Frazay asked, trying to calm her heavy breathing. ¡°Yeah, I can make a rope ladder for you to climb down once I find it.¡± Taking a few steps back from his teammates, Xander flapped his way into the air again, before dropping below the ledge of the cliff. There, directly below where the drake had risen above the cliff and struck him with its tail, was a small opening in the cliff face that the thing would have just barely been able to squeeze itself through. He quickly returned to the top of the shear cliff and used his abilities to raise two columns of stone. Forgoing the tedium of creating a rope ladder from its constituent parts, Xander spend the additional mana to create twenty feet of rope ladder, which he tied to the two stone columns. Motioning over to Frazay that she was clear to start climbing, he hopped off the edge of the cliff, catching himself with his wings. Xander waited in the small cavern opening for Frazay, uncovering his helm¡¯s light rune as he did and then moving to secure the dangling bottom of the rope ladder so that it did not wobble too much. It was not long before Frazay climbed down the ladder and was herself standing at the cave entrance. ¡°Come on,¡± she said excitedly. ¡°Let¡¯s find those eggs!¡± The cliffside cave was not deep, and it was a short search for them to find the nest of the drake. Nestled in a large pile of stones, around which laid the smoking remains of scrub and tree branches, lay four eggs. They easily rivaled ostrich eggs in size, and they were a mottled blue and black in color. ¡°Looks like the drake breathed fire over them pretty consistently,¡± Xander remarked. ¡°They¡¯ll need to be kept quite hot.¡± He drew closer and took off one of his gauntlets, resting his bare, steel hand on the piled stones to get a feeling for how hot they were. It would have blistered the skin if he¡¯d had any. ¡°Too hot to easily handle, actually. Stones are hot enough to burn you.¡± Frazay looked questioningly at him. ¡°But you can still do it, right? Keep them hot, I mean?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, they¡¯re just going to be a pain to handle, move, and store, since they¡¯re going to be so hot they¡¯re a fire hazard. Let¡¯s leave them on the stones for a moment while I rig something up.¡± Crouching down, Xander first created a square, steel plate, wider than one of the eggs. He runed it with flame runes, and powered them, causing small flames to spring up from the plate. Next, he created a stone bowl that the egg could rest in and suspended it on steel rods where the flames would lick against the bottom of the bowl. He repeated this process three more times, increasing the height above the flames by an inch for each one to vary the level of heat each egg would receive. He carefully placed each egg in a stone bowl. The eggshells seemed quite thick and sturdy, but Xander was not willing to chance any drops or falls, handling them as if they were chicken eggs. He reshaped the stone bowls to fit the eggs perfectly once they were in place, and then made a delicate cage around the egg, which would prevent it from falling out while it was being transported. The golems would be able to carry the hot pieces of metal and stone without issue. Xander carefully flew each egg up to the golems, who received the eggs and their runed holders without issue. Frazay climbed back up during this process. The stone columns and rope ladder were left to decay after twenty-four hours since they had not been provided with a source of mana. While Xander and Frazay had gathered the eggs, Graffus had done to work on the drake, and was in the process of skinning the beast when Xander finished ferrying the eggs. Xander and Frazay both moved to stand with Atrax and Gabrelle, who were observing the process with somewhat morbid fascination. No longer tied up with ensuring the eggs were at a proper temperature, Xander was itching to get his hands on the various parts of the drake and [Analyze] them. Moving up to the dwarf, still busily parting the hide from the drake, Xander reached out to run a hand down the scales of the drake. They were incredibly smooth despite the wild life it must have lived. He moved to the front of the monster, touching the teeth as well as the claws on its front feet, rapping his knuckles against the thick skull of the corpse. ---Object Analyzed--- Sea drake scale Sea drake hide Sea drake claw Sea drake tooth Sea drake bone Satisfied, Xander took a step back to ensure he was not in Graffus¡¯s way. Curious, he asked, ¡°So if dragon scales are considered to be better than steel, what about drake bones? Or claws and teeth?¡± Still staring at his grisly work, Graffus called out an answer. ¡°Scales are definitely the strongest part of a dragon. The teeth, bones, and claws, while by no means weak, don¡¯t hold a candle to the scales. They¡¯re valuable more due to their rarity and the reputation of owning a piece of crafted work that includes components of a dragon. If ya give a noble the choice between two identical knives, and one has an antler hilt, and the other has a dragon bone hilt, they¡¯ll pick the dragon bone one every time and pay triple the price.¡± Looking the dragon up and down again, its length even more apparent now that it was still and stretched out on the ground, Xander grunted in understanding. ¡°Mm. Makes sense. I can¡¯t imagine many people want to tangle with one of these¡­ speaking of which, Frazay, this was definitely bigger than ¡®only slightly larger than a gryphon.¡¯¡± ¡°Weeeelllll, in length maybe, but a gryphon is pretty weighty, too. This thing is all tail! But in all seriousness, this sea drake is big. My understanding is that the average sea drake is not so large. It must be old. Really old. Probably flew down from the mountains to nest. Almost a shame to kill it¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°Oh well. Bad luck for it that it ended up so close to a town and trade routes.¡± Xander nodded in understanding, and Gabrelle spoke up. ¡°You mentioned the nest, and I can see the eggs now. How long until they hatch, though?¡± Frazay looked up, thinking to herself. ¡°Mmm¡­ if I remember correctly, they normally hatch relatively early in the new year. So, a couple of months, I¡¯d say? Atrax huffed a sigh. ¡°So, we¡¯re stuck egg sitting and unable to take travel contracts until they hatch?¡± He asked, sounding annoyed. ¡°Think of it as an investment,¡± Frazay countered. ¡°If even one extra one of these eggs hatch, we¡¯ll easily be able to cover our costs for the couple of months of waiting. And, of course, we¡¯ll all split the profits. Plus, we¡¯ll have a drake of our own! We¡¯ll be the envy of all the tamer teams and we¡¯re not even real tamers!¡± ¡°Fine, fine. We should scout out a buyer for any extra drakes ahead of time, though. I don¡¯t want to deal with an un-bonded drake in the inn.¡± Freyja sauntered up to the portion of the drake that Graffus had already skinned and took a calculating sniff. Satisfied with whatever criteria the big cat had in mind, she took a large bite, slicing off a chunk of the meat with her incisors. Evidently pleased with the taste, the panther messily began to tear into the corpse as Graffus finished skinning it. While the drake was being processed, Xander decided to run a few tests on the scales now that he had analyzed a sample. He created a small cube of the scale material, and an identical cube of steel. Using [Measure] he could tell that the scales were roughly one quarter the weight of steel, though they¡¯d still be heavier than carbon fiber. Given that it had some flexibility to it as well, it would make an excellent material to laminate multiple layers together to create more rigid pieces of armor. Xander may have just found a replacement for his carbon fiber armor, though his wings would still remain the jet black material. Given that it was now looking like they had at least a couple months of down time, he would have plenty of time to test things out, as well as do some of the other research he¡¯d been wanting to do. He felt the familiar tickling of his status sheet and opened it up. ---You have defeated enemies and created devices--- ---Bonus experience awarded for first defeat of an enemy of this type--- ---[Combat Artificer] leveled to 22--- ---[Combat Artificer] level 22 skills--- [Improved Reactive Armor] ¨C [Reactive Armor] is now capable of diverting blows of greater force. The journey back was as easy as the journey to the drake¡¯s location had been, and, three days after they had defeated drake, they were back at the guild with bundles of scale, teeth, bone, hide, and claws to prove that they¡¯d defeated the drake. The payment for the contract was a pittance compared to the hundreds of gold each of them made from the sales of the materials. The high leveled crafters in the town were nearly ready to fight each other to purchase the various parts of the dragon once word made its way around town that some mercs were looking to sell what they¡¯d harvested from a sea drake. Flush with coin, the party settled down to comfortably wait and hope that the drake eggs hatched. Xander had made large stone stands for each of the artifices that kept the eggs warm so that the hot metal wouldn¡¯t scorch the inn floors, or worse, set fire to the building. Frazay, despite knowing that it was far to early for the eggs to hatch, was constantly checking on them as they incubated in her room. Atrax, for his part, began to look into potential buyers for any drake hatchlings they might have in addition to the one that Frazay intended to bond. Xander was quickly able to determine that the drake scales were far and away better than steel in almost every way. He began to recreate his carbon fiber armor with sheets of dragon scale. Once he¡¯d transferred his mask over ¨C also coated in dragon scale ¨C he observed himself in his new suit of armor in a small, polished sheet of metal he was using as a mirror. He was¡­ comically blue. He looked like an armored smurf. He sighed. He definitely needed to add some color to the suit, or he¡¯d never be able to take himself seriously. He added some carbon fiber back into the mix, coating the armor entirely in the black material. Then, he added some actual scales, instead of sheets, back on top of the armor in a few spots. His pauldrons and kneepads were now finished with blue dragon scale-mail, bringing some color back to the armor. This time when he asked, his teammates had been more amenable to the idea of Xander creating armor for them, even Graffus, though the dwarf had requested that Xander simply add a few layers of dragonscale to his already existing armor rather than replace it. For Atrax, he created a cuirass of the dragon scale material that he could wear under his robes, much as he had with the carbon fiber armor Xander had made for him in Ilbek. It, along with each of the other pieces, were heavily runed with protective arrays that would help negate elemental and physical damage alike. For Frazay, he created a new brigandine and set of pants that was lined with multiple layers of the scale sheets, making them appear as similar to what she already had as possible. Gabrelle had requested that he mimic the suite of armor he¡¯d made himself, but she wanted more blue than he had. He created her a new set of dragonscale plate armor, but inverted the colors he had on his own. Her shoulders and kneepads were black, and the rest of the armor was a fantastical blue. For Graffus¡¯s armor, Xander coated it in sheets of the material to add layers of runic protection, and then topped the entire thing off with natural looking scales, giving the appearance of a set of scale armor. All of them were quite satisfied with what he¡¯d made; dragonscale equipment was considered to be some of the best a merc could hope to get their hands on. Even Freyja¡¯s armor was updated with the dragonscale. With plenty of time still on his hands ¨C creating the armor had only taken a week ¨C Xander moved on to his next project: updating his body. But first, he needed to find the knowledge relating to the human body to be able to do so. Xander only knew one learned man, and so he turned to him in his hour of need. ¡°Hey Atrax,¡± he asked as the man was eating breakfast. ¡°Is there, like, a library or something around? I want to do some¡­ testing. And I need some diagrams of the human body, especially musculature of the face to research.¡± Atrax raised his eyebrows at Xander. ¡°Mmhm¡­ I¡¯m not gonna ask what for, but yes, there is a library. You¡¯ll have to pay a fee to use their resources, of course, but they likely have the knowledge you¡¯re seeking. You can even pay to have a book copied so that you can keep it for your own. Otherwise, everything stays within their walls. It¡¯s¡­¡± Atrax paused, gathering his sense of direction before pointing, ¡°Roughly that direction. Big, squat, stone building.¡± Xander had to pause twice to ask for directions, but he did eventually find the library, which, as Atrax had said, was a big, squat, stone building. A tiny trickle of people entered and exited the archway that led into the building. Many of them wore robes and appeared to be either scholars or spellcasters of some sort. He felt a little out of place in his armor. Inside, there was a counter by the door, which was occupied by a female dwarf. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°May I help you?¡± She asked, giving Xander and his armor an appraising look. ¡°Are you lost?¡± ¡°Ah, no, I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m lost. This is the library, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the dwarf said. ¡°Sorry, we just don¡¯t exactly get a lot of people in full plate armor.¡± Xander forced out a congenial chuckle. ¡°Heh, I imagine not. I suppose that¡¯s a bit of a quirk of I have. Always armored. I was told that there was a fee to enter and use the books?¡± ¡°Right, yes, there is. And what, exactly, are you looking for?¡± After paying his entrance fee, Xander was told where he might find medical diagrams of the body, which was in a small section of shelving near one of the walls of the building. He made his way in that direction after a final admonition from the clerk at the desk that if he were to damage a book, he would have to pay for a replacement or to have it repaired. Interspersed through the rows of shelving were areas with tables and desks, some of which were occupied by other people doing their own reading or research. Locating the few shelves of medical texts the building offered, he began to peruse the titles that presented themselves to him. Many seemed to be treatises and theories on how healing magic operated and how different classes affected it. A few, however, did seem to be anatomical in nature, and Xander carefully removed them from their places. As he flipped through pages and pages of various diagrams of the human body, Xander began to have an idea. He really, really, wanted to feel more human again. He wasn¡¯t as concerned with the mechanical operations of his body, but for reasons he couldn¡¯t quite articulate or put his finger on, he desperately desired to look human. He wanted a face that could move, to be able to make expressions. The ability to wear something other than armor and be able to blend into a crowd. With the diagrams in this book, he could begin to figure out how a face could move, and try to use runes to emulate that. Using the dragon scale material, he could create a new, lighter internal structure for a body. Not quite bones, since that wasn¡¯t really a necessity, but a framework at least. Over the top¡­ silicone. He had a silicone watch band. It would get him a pretty close approximation to a layer of flesh. The only issue was that the silicone he had access to was a flat grey. But that was a problem for the future, when he managed to actually replicate facial movements, and that could take a good while. Carefully, he began to use his own paper to trace the diagrams and labels of the human skeleton and facial muscle groups that he could find. Finishing, he reshelved the book and walked back to the inn. He decided that he¡¯d spend some time with Freyja while he worked, and let himself into her stall, where the big cat was lazily sprawled on a pile of hay. She chuffed a greeting at Xander as he entered, but didn¡¯t move from her comfortable spot. ¡°Hello to you, too,¡± Xander replied to the cat, moving to sit down next to her. He ran his hand over her head. ¡°Mind if I do some studying in here?¡± Freyja yawned, and let out a small grunt. Xander took that as her not minding, and so he leaned back against the wall of the stable and took out his tracings. There were over forty muscles in the face, he had learned that while tracing the drawings. He wasn¡¯t sure that all of them were used to make facial expressions, but he was willing to bet that quite of a lot of them did play a part in them. But how was he going to make the silicone actually move? If he runed one side or another of the silicone, it would stretch in an odd way as the top or bottom was pulled more than the other side. He needed something in the middle¡­ ah! He could embed strings of small carbon fiber beads in place of muscle fibers. With movement runes on them, they would move the silicone in a similar manner to muscles. But the beads would have to be small. Very small. He had yet to manage to create runes on chainmail with his abilities, so how was he going to do it with tiny beads? He was stumped. His abilities just weren¡¯t capable of that yet. Wait. His abilities weren¡¯t capable of that. But what was stopping Xander from manually scratching the runes with the tiniest, sharpest point he could achieve and a set of magnifiers? Nothing, he realized. With the shakiness of human fingers a thing of the past for him, he should be able, with some trial and error, to physically etch the two movement runes needed on a tiny bead. He went to work immediately, first creating a large convex lens that would magnify the bead. Then, he created a pen of steel that came to the finest point he could manage with his skills, which seemed to be fine enough for this purpose. Creating a tiny bead of carbon fiber, he clamped it down on it with his fingers, using them as a vice as he used the runes that powered his body to hold the bead perfectly still underneath the large convex lens that he had made a small stand for. Under the lens he was able to see the bead and the point of the steel pen he¡¯d created clearly. He wiggled the pen around under the magnifier to get a feel for the tiny movements underneath the glass. Once he was satisfied, he carefully pressed the steel tip against the bead and made his first mark, his movement rune fueled hand making a precise scratch no longer or smaller than he had intended. Smiling internally, he carved the rest of the movement rune on one side of the bead, then carefully rotated it so that he could carve another for the opposite direction. There was just enough space left in the center for him to carve out an array for him to pump mana into. Xander fed the tiniest amount of mana he could into the bead and watched as it dragged itself across his palm. He¡¯d done it! This was the smallest piece of runework he had ever created. And now that he had one, he could use [Schematic] to save him the hassle of carving each one individually. The last part of the equation, besides testing out the idea in its entirety was achieving a natural flesh tone on the silicone that matched how his own had looked. Perhaps he could melt some of the silicone and mix it with a pigment? Hmm, if leaving behind his skills had been the key to the bead, could his skills offer him anything of value in this situation, or did he need to resort to doing it all by hand in this case as well? Xander realized something. He had never tried to modify anything but the shape of a material he produced. Could he simply¡­ will the silicone to be a different color? He activated his [Creation] ability and focused on the silicone being the same color he remembered his skin being, instead of the dark, flat grey of the silicone he had analyzed. Xander was surprised to see a small cube of flesh tone silicone in his hand. How had he never realized that he could do that? He supposed he had never really needed to recolor anything before. And, considering he was relatively happy with his current color scheme, he didn¡¯t see much of a need to recolor anything but the silicone he was using. Regardless, he was happy to have all the components he needed to make a passing human body. Now, he just needed to actually make one. It was fortunate that Gabrelle had taken over so much of Freyja¡¯s care in the three years that Xander had been in his unconscious state, because Xander spent the next few days completely locked away from the world in their shared room. He had created a small desk that he was conducting his work on. There, he created first a replica skull, complete with movable jawbone and teeth. He carefully compared it to the diagrams he had copied, ensuring that it was as accurate as possible. Then, he created a layer that was half of the silicone that would take the place of skin, and carefully embedded the strings of runed beads in them in all the places that the diagrams indicated there should be muscles, before covering it all with the second layer of silicone. Sitting there in front of him was an eyeless, silicone face. It was kind of creepy, even if it did represent a significant amount of progress for him. He carefully fed mana into the runed beads and watched as the face in front of him twitched and contorted. As he got a better feel for which sections could do what, he was able to make the silicone head smile, grimace, and even raise one hairless eyebrow. That was another issue he was going to have to address. He¡¯d completely forgotten about hair. He could live without having body hair, but having no eyebrows would just be weird. He had nylon in his list of analyzed materials from a piece of clothing. He could use that to create threads for hair, like some kind of barbie doll. With proof of concept, Xander moved on to the process of creating a skull that he could use for his own. He decided that he would use the dragon scale material once again due to its lighter weight and increased strength over steel. Using pictures of his face as a reference, he recreated his own skull as best he could. Once the skull was made, he ensured that there was a divot that would fit the skull mask that his soul was bound to. Carefully, he removed it from his helm and placed it over the face of the skull. It fit eerily well. He was fortunate that the mask only extended to the top teeth, freeing the jaw from any impediment. Once the mask was firmly attached to the skull, he strained his spirit as far away from the mask as he could, observing the skull from roughly a foot away. He moved his body so that its head was roughly in line with where his point of vision was, and then brought his hands up to the skull and began the process of coating it with silicone, placing the beads in the correct spots, and then finishing it all off with another layer of silicone. In front of him was another eyeless, silicone face. It was even creepier now, because he recognized it as his own. First things first, we gotta get some eyes in that head, he thought to himself. He created a set of glass eyes, utilizing his newfound ability to color his created materials to make them as convincing as possible. It was less uncanny looking now, appearing more as if he¡¯d just shaved every inch of hair off his face and head. He began creating thick threads of nylon to give himself eyebrows, carefully attaching each hair to the silicone with his skills. He repeated the same process on his head with slightly finer threads, emulating a medium length buzzcut for simplicity¡¯s sake. Leaning back, he looked at the convincing replica of his own head and face. He fed mana into the runes on the beads embedded in the silicone of the face and smiled at himself. God that¡¯s creepy, he thought. It was like watching his own severed head move. Now, with the hard work of the head and face completed, he could go about improving the skeleton for the rest of his body. He set about recreating a skeleton that would match his height, but with an extra trick or two up its sleeve. Namely, he attached a blade to each forearm that rested between the ulna and radius and could slide out and lock into place, piercing through the silicone. He runed them both with his signature acidic array. One day, he would surprise someone with them, and it would be awesome. He didn¡¯t intend to bother creating fake muscles for anything but his face, but he did intend to cover the skeleton he was creating with the fake silicone skin. He¡¯d finally be able to feel comfortable wearing something other than armor. He could buy clothes, something other than his camouflage uniform, and go out with his friends without feeling so self-conscious. He coated the skeleton in a layer of silicone, and then paused his process, thinking. He needed the runes that would serve as his sense of touch and temperature recognition, and he also wanted to keep the arrays for warmth so that he would not feel unnaturally cold. He realized that he wasn¡¯t going to feel exactly like the real thing to anyone who touched him, but it was still a whole hell of a lot better than the solid steel he currently was made of. Maybe he¡¯d finally stop straining the chairs he sat in, too ¨C he¡¯d been having to scope out the ones that looked the sturdiest. Xander shook his head, clearing his mind and turned back to the task at hand. Eventually, he settled on coating the half-formed silicone dummy in front of him with small sheets of foil thin leather. The first layer would emanate heat from runic arrays so that he had a convincing body temperature, and the second layer would hold the runes that allowed him a sense of touch. He layered the touch sensing runes more tightly in areas that would traditionally be more sensitive on the body, hoping that it would allow him to achieve slightly different ¡®kinds¡¯ of touch. The leather, combined with the fact that it was comprised of multiple sheets, would allow him to retain a natural range of movement, where a single contiguous layer would restrict him more. He capped the layer of runed leather with more silicone and began the tedious work of shaping the outside of the dummy to look as close to himself as he could get, once again using pictures from his phone as a reference. Four days had passed with Xander hunched over his workstation and then over the body he¡¯d created as it lay on the floor. But finally, finally, it was done. He settled his point of view back into the mask and adjusted forward until he was able to see out from just past where the glass eyes would be. He settled his old, steel body into a sitting position on the floor. It would be a useful backup if he found himself in need of a fresh construct to pilot for some reason. He released the multitude of tiny streams of mana that constantly flowed from him into the construct and it sagged slightly, the natural friction of its joints the only thing keeping it in its sitting position. Then, he began to feed mana into the various arrays and runes of the new body he¡¯d created. The nude body that was splayed out on the floor twitched, the fingers slowly curling and uncurling. Slowly, Xander sat up, inhabiting the new body. He experimentally turned his head from side to side, and then extended his arms, turning them this way and that as he stared at the hands he¡¯d created for himself. With a laugh that came from the sound producing arrays he¡¯d placed on the inside of the mouth of the skull. ¡°Ohh, this is so much better!¡± He enthused to himself as he brought himself to his feet. He gave a slight hop, no longer fearing that he would cave in the floor if he acted too rashly. This body was much lighter than the steel one, but the core of it was just as strong, no, stronger than the steel. Sure, the silicone and leather could be damaged, but none of those contributed to his actual combat effectiveness. They were just a layer of humanity over his artificial skeleton. If someone caught him on fire, he¡¯d still be unharmed, just annoyed that all the silicone had melted off of him and that he¡¯d have to fix it again. Repairing the body would take significantly less time than his original process of creating it, though. Everything he had done had been stored in [Schematic] in the case he needed to produce a large section of his covering. Small cuts or tears could simply be fused back together with his skills. Xander was still standing in wonder at his new body when the door opened, revealing Gabrelle. ¡°Ah!¡± She shrieked. ¡°I¡¯msorryIdidn¡¯tknowyouwerenaked!¡± She shouted, covering her eyes. Xander stared at her for a moment in confusion. Then it hit him. He was really naked. He needed clothes now again. Embarrassment rushed to him and his cheeks would be bright red if he had been able to blush. ¡°Uhm. Shit. Sorry. I kind of¡­ forgot about clothes,¡± he said to Gabrelle, who was currently trying to close the door behind her with her eyes closed. ¡°Hold on.¡± He said, and concentrated on manifesting one of his camouflage uniforms over his body. The pieces of clothing appearing, sitting on his body just as they used to. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m decent now.¡± Gabrelle slowly opened her eyes, still uncertain. Once she caught sight of Xander standing before her, looking almost exactly as he had three years ago, her eyes opened wide. ¡°You did it!¡± She shouted, excitedly. Xander nodded his head enthusiastically. ¡°Yeah! I can finally go out and wear clothes and at least pretend to be normal again!¡± He stepped up to Gabrelle and wrapped her in a hug. ¡°I¡¯m soft now! And still warm! It is the right amount of warmth, right?¡± Gabrelle let out a grunt from the tight hug. ¡°Uff, uhm, yeah. I think so. Gods, it¡¯s, well, it¡¯s almost weird to see you in anything but your armor now.¡± Xander released her from the hug and chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I guess it kind of is. I need to buy some clothes now¡­ All I have are these uniforms,¡± he said, gesturing to his current outfit. ¡°Do you think we could go clothes shopping sometime? I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s ¡®normal¡¯ for clothes here.¡± Gabrelle smiled at the prospect of some clothes shopping. ¡°Of course! I love looking for outfits, even if I don¡¯t have that many of my own. I am a [Tailor]¡¯s daughter, after all.¡± ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll trust your advice when it comes to fashion. I didn¡¯t have much of a fashion sense even in my own world.¡± ¡°Do you want to show off to the rest of the team? They¡¯ve been a little worried about you, to be honest. You were being kind of¡­ obsessive. I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s seen you in four days, and that¡¯s only because I sleep in here! You¡¯ve hardly even spoken a word!¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Xander said apologetically. ¡°I just got really caught up in the process. I¡¯ve been¡­ I don¡¯t know, craving? Desperately craving to feel more human. The modifications I made to the steel body,¡± he gestured to the steel construct still sitting on the floor, ¡°were a step up, but it was nowhere near where I wanted to be. But this, this is good, I think. I¡¯m sure there will be little things that I end up doing to improve it, but I feel just so much better already.¡± ¡°Graffus and Atrax are downstairs eating right now, and Frazay is probably staring that the eggs. Come on, let¡¯s show you off!¡± Combat Artificer - 56 Xander¡¯s teammates were quite impressed with his achievement. Graffus pulled him into a hug and slapped him on the back, making a comment about how good it was to see him out of his armor again. Atrax wanted to know if this had been the reason that Xander had needed diagrams of the human body, impressed with the accuracy of the facsimile. He noted that it could use a couple of wrinkles in the face and on the hands for some extra authenticity, but it was otherwise quite hard to tell anything was off. Frazay, who was indeed in her room, inspecting the drake eggs, likewise enthused over Xander¡¯s transformation back to something more human. She¡¯d spent several minutes poking and prodding Xander¡¯s face, and having him make different expressions. It turns out that it was past dinner time when Xander had finished on that fourth day. The rest of his team was preparing to go to bed. Xander realized that he had no idea what they had all been pursuing so far during their break. Sliding into bed, the first time he¡¯d done so since he¡¯d begun working on his new body, and wearing his tan undershirt and a pair of boxers, he decided to change that. He turned to Gabrelle and asked, ¡°What have you been up to since I locked myself away?¡± Gabrelle, for her part, was still readjusting to Xander¡¯s new form. Before, when he¡¯d been a steel figure armored in carbon fiber, there had been a slight physical disconnect. But now, he looked, and felt, human again, and she was not used to that anymore. So she was on her own side of the bed still when she answered. ¡°Mm, I haven¡¯t done much. A little shopping. Pursuing some medicines I could prepare and store in case we need them.¡± She paused. ¡°Xander?¡± She asked. ¡°Hmm?¡± Xander replied. ¡°Do you¡­ do you think it¡¯s more awkward if we cuddle now?¡± Xander cocked his head as he thought his answer over. ¡°Not for me,¡± he finally answered. ¡°Is it for you?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ maybe? I don¡¯t really know. It just, well, it feels a little different. Before, it was, Gods, I hate to say it this way, please don¡¯t be offended, but before, when you were all¡­ metal-y, it was easier to feel a little bit of a disconnect. You¡¯re the only person I¡¯ve ever done anything like this with, Xander¡­ So, it was easier to feel less awkward about it when you were¡­ well, less human seeming. But now, it¡¯s going to be like actually cuddling someone, and that¡¯s still new to me. And new is¡­ scary sometimes.¡± ¡°Ahhh, I think I get it. And don¡¯t worry about me being offended. I can see where you¡¯re coming from, I think. I personally don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s any less awkward than before, just more comfortable for you now that you don¡¯t have to contend with an entire suit of armor in your bed. But, uhm, if you¡¯re feeling uncomfortable, we absolutely don¡¯t have to do this. I can get my own room easily.¡± Gabrelle seemed to shrink in on herself slightly and she said quietly, with a slight pout, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wanted to stop¡­¡± Xander nodded in understanding. ¡°Just need some time to adjust, then? That¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be here if you feel like it, just like I¡¯ll still be here if you don¡¯t. Don¡¯t feel like you need to rush yourself.¡± He gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder as he laid back, mimicking sleep. About thirty minutes later, Gabrelle scootched closer and he wrapped an arm around her as she settled in next to him. ¡°I was cold,¡± she murmured in explanation. Laying there quietly, Gabrelle wrapped in one of his arms, he finally opened his status sheet. He¡¯d felt that familiar tingle of something changing within it, but he¡¯d been too busy celebrating to feel like dealing with it at the time. ---You have created runic arrays--- ---[Rune Lord] leveled to 8--- ---[Rune Lord] level 8 skills--- [Miniaturization] ¨C Your rune engraving abilities may now create smaller runes. Huh, well that would have been nice to have, Xander thought to himself as he stared at the status message floating in front of him. Was it just coincidence, or could one influence what skills they received on their status sheet by pursuing certain things? Considering that there were rewards for titles, and one could potentially gain a class by doing something specific, Xander didn¡¯t consider it too far-fetched to think that some of one¡¯s skills might be influenced by previous achievements or training. Still, there had to be some randomness involved. Otherwise, how would he have gotten skills like [Earthworks]? He hadn¡¯t exactly spent much time digging trenches in this world. That morning, Xander resolved to go get himself new clothes. He wanted to own something other than the same four camouflage uniforms he had in his possession. Gabrelle had agreed to go with him. He wanted to get a nice pair of boots, too. The tan suede leather boots he¡¯d brought with him from Earth were no longer with him after he¡¯d lost them along with his body, so he was stuck wearing his armored greaves for the time being. He¡¯d spent time during breakfast catching up with the rest of the team, and apologized for not speaking with them for four days. It turned out that none of them were up to much, considering that it had been less than a week since they¡¯d turned in the drake contract. Atrax was still trying to find buyers for the potential drake hatchlings, and Graffus had sent a letter to his cousin Kreglin to ask him to put out some feelers as well. Frazay was spending much of her time in the library that Xander had visited, researching drakes and dragons to ensure that she could properly care for one and that they hadn¡¯t missed anything about incubating the eggs. Unfortunately, while anatomical descriptions of the various kinds of dragons existed, there was precious little about their life as animals, and even less on their reproductive cycles. ¡°Ready to go?¡± Gabrelle called to Xander as she came down the stairs. She¡¯d opted for a warm looking doublet and similarly thick looking pants. The pants were a cream color, while the doublet was a leafy green color. Over top of it, she wore brown, utilitarian looking cloak. Xander thought she might be a bit overdressed for the cold, but he had noticed that Gabrelle seemed to absolutely hate feeling cold, so he chalked it up to that. Stepping out of the inn for the first time in his new body, Xander looked around. No one was staring at him this time, the few people out on the side street the inn was located on quickly bustling about their business as their breath fogged the air. A small spot of tension eased in his mind. He looked right, then left, and asked Gabrelle, ¡°Which way?¡± ¡°Mm, I supposed that depends on what kind of clothes you¡¯re looking for. Do you have any ideas at all?¡± ¡°Uhm, well, I like simple. I don¡¯t want to dress up like the nobles we saw in Anlet. They looked like some kind of tropical bird. Greens, browns, dark reds, black and grey. Those were the colors I often found myself wearing back home. Earthy tones for the most part, I suppose. Sturdy, would be a plus, too. I don¡¯t hate how these fit,¡± he said, gesturing to his uniform, ¡°but I¡¯m getting a little bit tired of the pattern. I¡¯m not exactly trying to blend into the woods here, and I feel like it makes me stand out having a pattern like this in a city.¡± Gabrelle nodded, thoughtfully. ¡°Hmm. I think I know a shop. Frazay¡¯s been there before, and I¡¯ve bought a couple of things myself. They cater to mercenaries, woodsmen, soldiers, the kind of people who tend to like the sturdy, utilitarian clothes you described. It¡¯s this way,¡± she said, indicating her right, and began walking. Xander trotted to catch up, and followed along, looking at the various shops and shop windows they passed. There were a surprising amount of shops in the city, but he supposed that made sense considering the amount of goods and, presumably, people that flowed through the town due to its positioning on land and sea trading routes. They passed smiths of all sorts, from shops ranging from cutlery to battle axes and all the way back down to delicate jewelry. Clothing stores, tailors, and seamstresses abounded, displaying bolts of cloth and outfits proudly in their windows. He took note of a few alchemy shops as well; they might have interesting products he could look into after he got some outfits. Gabrelle led him to a shop that had a stone ground floor and then two wooden floors on top of it. A sign hanging out from the stone wall read Brakk¡¯s Clothier Shop: High Skill, High Level. ¡°This is it,¡± she said to Xander. She gestured towards the door for him to enter first, and followed behind him. Inside, the building was paneled with well worn wood, matching the well-trod wooden floors. Shelves contained various bolts of cloth, and there were many different pieces of clothing hanging from the walls or on their own stands. A few were even dangling from the beams of the ceiling. A tall, reserved looking man greeted them from behind a counter. ¡°Welcome, my guests, to Brakk¡¯s Clothier Shop. I am, of course, Brakk. May I help you select any items today?¡± ¡°Uhm, hi,¡± Xander said back to the man, still staring around the shop and standing near the door. ¡°Ah, I think I¡¯ll browse a bit first. I¡¯m not exactly sure what I¡¯m wanting yet.¡± ¡°Of course, of course, take your time, and don¡¯t hesitate to ask for any information about a piece.¡± Brakk replied. Xander and Gabrelle moved further into the shop, circling the different shelves and displays on the floor. Looking at the pieces on the wall, Xander spied on that caught his eye. It was a cloth jerkin that was dyed dark green. Diagonal stripes of lighter green met in the center of the shirt to form a small sunburst. He rubbed the fabric between his fingers, and found it to be quite soft, belying the sturdy appearance of the thick cloth. In the end, he settled on three outfits, so that he could vary his appearance somewhat. One was the green jerkin that he had spotted as the first item of interest, and with it went a pair of black trousers. Underneath the jerkin, he would wear a white linen shirt with long sleeves. The second outfit was a maroon doublet, that would be fitted snugly to his torso and arms. The pants were a loose set of grey pants. The fasteners for the doublet and the pants were polished brass, which Xander liked. The final outfit consisted of a light green jacket, trimmed in black, which would be worn with another white shirt underneath it, which had polished onyx buttons on display, as the jacket was intended to be worn either open or only partially closed. The pants were the tightest of the three, being designed to be skin tight, but only just. They were black as well, and down the side of each leg ran a decorative set of polished green buttons of the same color as the jacket. This would be his set of more formal clothes, should he ever need to dress up a little more than usual. Gabrelle gave her approval for each outfit, ooing and aahing at the appropriate intervals as Xander held them up for her to view. Xander also purchased a fourth set of clothes, but it was not for everyday wear nor for formal events. It was a thin, cloth gambeson and matching pants that he could wear under his armor so that his normal clothes weren¡¯t damaged in a fight. They were both a dark green, darker even than the jerkin he had also chosen. He brought all four sets of clothes up to the counter, where Brakk looked them over with a critical eye. ¡°Mmm,¡± he said, holding up the green jerkin and looking back and forth between it and Xander. ¡°A good choice. The green will wear well on you, as will the maroon. The pants are all complementary to the outfits as well.¡± He turned his head to Gabrelle, ¡°Will there be anything for the lady?¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Oh no, we¡¯re just here for him today,¡± she replied. ¡°Very well, then. Come, step to the side here and let me measure you so that I can ensure the outfits will fit properly.¡± Xander complied, and dutifully held his arms up for Brakk to begin measuring. The man chuckled at the sight. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯ve long since surpassed the need to physically measure a client. Just let me get a good look at you and my skills will do the rest.¡± Xander dropped his arms, embarrassed, and Brakk circled him a few times, eying him more intently than a bird of prey. He retrieved a notebook and charcoal pencil from a pocket of his pants and began to scribble down numbers. ¡°There,¡± he said. ¡°All done. If you¡¯d like to wait here in the shop, I can have these ready for you forthright. If not, you are welcome to pick the outfits up at any point in the day. Of course, there is the matter of payment to be made before I begin to fit the clothes to your measurements.¡± ¡°Oh, um, of course. How much will it cost?¡± ¡°Mm, well, sir, you seem to have quite an eye for good fabrics. Between that, and the fact that all my outfits are improved by my skills as a [Tailor] ¨C water resistance, or blood in the case of your gambeson, stain proof, harder to rip or pop a button than a piece from a less skilled tailor, that sort of thing, you see ¨C and I only explain as I seem to sense that shopping at a clothier of a caliber such as mine,¡± he said with a hint of pride in his voice, ¡°might be a bit of a new experience for you. Ah, but where was I? Ah yes, the cost. For the four outfits, you are looking at fifty gold.¡± Xander raised his new eyebrows. That seemed like quite a bit of money. Hell, he¡¯d negotiated the price down to one hundred gold for Freyja, plus a little side work. He looked over to Gabrelle who nodded encouragingly at Xander. ¡°He¡¯s worth it, trust me. I¡¯ve seen Frazay fall in mud and come away without a spot on her clothes before.¡± Xander nodded, slowly. ¡°Alright then¡­ fifty gold it is.¡± He counted out fifty gold from the proceeds of their sale of the drake parts and placed them on the counter. It¡¯s not like he was spending much on anything else, anyway. ¡°Excellent,¡± Brakk replied. ¡°Now, will you be waiting here, or will you be picking the pieces up later?¡± ¡°Oooh, can we watch?¡± Gabrelle asked, excitedly. ¡°Frazay never wants to, and I do so love to see a good tailor work.¡± ¡°Sure, we can watch.¡± Xander replied. Brakk wasted no time getting to work on the clothes and he laid his notebook containing Xander¡¯s measurements on the counter. From out of sight underneath the counter, he procured a needle and spools of thread of various colors, as well as a very small knife. Xander watched in awe as the man deftly cut the seams that needed to be adjusted on the various pieces of clothing with inhuman speed and precision. His needlework was no less magical. In fact, it was literally magical. Rather than sewing by hand, the man¡¯s skills allowed him to manipulate the needle in the air, and it passed rapidly back and forth through fabric as he held pieces of fabric in the proper positions. In less than twenty minutes, all four sets of clothing had been altered to fit Xander¡¯s proportions. They were lovingly bundled together and placed in a small cloth bag that Brakk told him came complementary with his purchase. They both thanked the [Tailor] and made their way back outside. Standing out in the brisk air with his bundle of outfits, Xander felt good. He hadn¡¯t just gone out and shopped for himself in¡­ he wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been. Had he ever done that in this world? Every purchase he could remember making had been for the purposes of better equipping himself to for supplies for a journey. Looking over to Gabrelle, who was raising her hood to shield her from the slight wind that was blowing, he asked, ¡°Boots?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, yes, I suppose you do need a pair of boots or two. Probably two, I¡¯d say. One for your everyday and one to wear with that nicer outfit.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Know a good place?¡± ¡°We could go to the shop I got my last pair at. They¡¯ve got men¡¯s and women¡¯s boots.¡± ¡°Sounds, good! Lead the way.¡± The cobbler¡¯s shop that Gabrelle had mentioned was not far from their location, only a few minutes¡¯ walk. It would seem that this area contained a cluster of high-quality shops catering to mercenary clientele. Now that he thought about it, they weren¡¯t very far from the guild hall, so the shop¡¯s location made more sense to him now. Arriving at a shop that proclaimed itself at Dustral¡¯s Cordwainery. A window at the front of the wooden shop showed several pairs of boots on display, from boots for a rugged woodsman to fine, polished leather dress shoes. This shop was somewhat busier than Brakk¡¯s had been, though that was a low bar. Brakk¡¯s had been empty at the time, and there were only two other people, not counting the shopkeep, in the shop. The store owner was a dwarf, and he wore a leather apron over a simple, sturdy looking linen shirt and plain brown trousers. The most notable piece of clothing he was wearing were a pair of boots which came up past his knees and were covered in small leather cinches, the fine work of his craftsmanship on display. ¡°Welcome, welcome!¡± The dwarf called out to them as they entered. He was currently occupied answering questions and making suggestions to the other pair of customers in the shop, so Xander, followed by Gabrelle, took the opportunity to browse. The left half of the shop appeared to be dedicated to shoes designed for women, from small, decorative shoes that a noble or wealthy merchant might wear to full sized pairs of boots that were suitable to go into battle with. The right half was for men, and ran a similar gamut ranging from decorative to functional. Xander wandered through the rows of shelving containing boots of various sizes, taking note of a few pairs of boots that seemed to look sturdy but comfortable, as well as a set of polished black knee length boots that he thought would look good with his formal outfit. As Xander continued to browse, the dwarven shopkeeper finished with his other set of customers and made his way over to Xander and Gabrelle. ¡°Is there anything I can help you locate?¡± He asked politely as he made his way to the two mercenaries. ¡°Ah, well, I need a new pair of boots,¡± Xander said, gesturing to the armored pair of greaves he was wearing. ¡°So I can see,¡± The dwarf agreed. ¡°Is there a particular style or function you are seeking?¡± ¡°Well, I was thinking black for simplicity¡¯s sake, and one pair that comes up roughly to the bottom of the calf for my everyday use and one pair that¡¯s maybe a little longer for more formal events. I liked this pair for the formal idea,¡± Xander said as he indicated towards the pair of tall boots he¡¯d spied earlier. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how to tell what¡¯s my size.¡± The dwarf nodded as he looked at the pair of boots Xander had pointed towards, holding them up for inspection. ¡°Mmm, yes, these would do fine with some formal clothes, if I do say so myself. Pop off one of those greaves of yours and let me take a looksie and eyeball the size. Then I can recommend you an everyday pair as well.¡± Xander complied, manually taking off a single armored boot then holding his pantleg up as instructed and the dwarf spent roughly thirty seconds looking back and forth between the boot, holding it at multiple angles, and Xander¡¯s foot and leg. ¡°Hmm¡­ This pair ought to fit well enough. The buckles up the side and over the top of the foot should help ensure a good fit. Now, for the other pair I would recommend¡­¡± The dwarf wandered a short distance away, pulling a set of shorter boots off a shelf, ¡°these. They¡¯re the specified height, and they¡¯re sturdy but soft leather. Fully waterproof, too, just like all my boots. As long as you take good care of them ¨C a service I offer as well, by the way ¨C they will take good care of you and your feet.¡± Xander looked the boots in the dwarf¡¯s hand over. They were simple black leather boots with laces running up the front of the boot. It reminded him a bit of the combat boots he¡¯d had back home. ¡°I like them,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll take both.¡± Another fifty gold later ¨C Xander was realizing that items from higher leveled crafters came at a premium ¨C he and Gabrelle walked out of the shop. Xander stowed his outfits and two sets of boots in his inventory. ¡°Anything else on the list for today?¡± Gabrelle asked him. ¡°Not really. I just wanted some clothes and some boots. Though, I am a bit interested in stopping by an alchemy shop on the way back to the inn.¡± ¡°Oh, what for?¡± ¡°Just wanted to see if they had any advice for useful chemicals or reactions that I could maybe use in the future.¡± Xander walked into the first alchemy shop they passed on their walk back to the inn, a small establishment with a wizened, grey-haired woman resting on a stool near the counter that was set in the back corner of the store. Various fluids, powders, and fresh and dry herbs sat in jars, vials, and baskets throughout the shop. ¡°Hello!¡± Xander called out as he opened the door and made his way inside. ¡°Ahh, greetings. Welcome to my shop,¡± the woman said, making no attempt to get up from her stool. ¡°What brings you here this morning?¡± ¡°Well, I was wondering if you had any components or recipes for¡­ well, interesting reactions, I suppose.¡± ¡°Interesting? That¡¯s quite broad, especially as I consider most alchemical interactions to be interesting, young man.¡± ¡°Sorry, I suppose that was vague,¡± Xander said. Gabrelle had wandered off, looking at the shop¡¯s selection of herbs while Xander spoke to the owner. ¡°Uhm, I¡¯m looking for things that might be useful in combat. Explosive reactions, of course. Interesting poisons perhaps? Anything you think might be helpful, I suppose.¡± ¡°Mmh. I don¡¯t generally carry things that explode, but I do have some poisons ¨C not on the shop floor of course ¨C that I sell to mercenaries that come through. Let¡¯s see, what else¡­ ah! I¡¯ve a fun one I can sell you. A concoction that is a fast drying, powerful adhesive. Would you like it premixed or are you looking to purchase the knowledge from me?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like the recipe, please. And I¡¯ll also want to purchase the required reagents. What kind of poisons do you happen to have?¡± After a short discussion on the various toxins the Alchemist carried, Xander settled on a paralytic poison extracted from a local fish. If he ever needed to take someone or something alive, it could come in handy. The poison was cheap compared to the recipe for the adhesive. The old woman had firmly stated that she wouldn¡¯t take less than seventy-five gold for it. Xander was glad he was able to carry all his coin with him, he hadn¡¯t expected to be spending so much today. Still, the idea for another nonlethal method of attack seemed worthwhile. He hoped it would help slow down any enemies that were faster than him. Throw a few jars of glue at them and hope their arms and legs start to get stuck to themselves. The recipe called for the liquid that was squeezed from a fresh milkcap mushroom, sticky spider silk, and the bile of a giant toad. Xander purchased a small amount of all three, analyzing the materials as the vials were handed over. They¡¯d need to be boiled once they were combined, but somehow ¨C Xander hadn¡¯t been great at chemistry, and that certainly carried over to his understanding of Alchemy ¨C the spider silk dissolved into the solution and the entire thing would change color to a light yellow. It would then need to be bottled and removed from air exposure before it began to dry. ---Materials Analyzed--- ---Milkcap milk--- ---Sticky Spider Silk--- ---Giant Toad Bile--- ---Spinefin Toxin--- After giving his thanks ¨C and coin ¨C to the [Alchemist], Xander and Gabrelle made their way back to the inn. Xander stepped into the room while Gabrelle politely waited outside so that he could change into one of his outfits. He chose the green jerkin, white linen shirt, and black pants. Once he¡¯d put them and his boots on, he called out to Gabrelle that it was safe to come in. ¡°What do you think?¡± Xander asked, holding his arms out to display his outfit. ¡°It¡¯s nice!¡± Gabrelle enthused. ¡°You chose well. It¡¯s¡­ distinguished but simple. Just what you were looking for, right?¡± ¡°Mmhm!¡± Xander looked into the mirror he¡¯d created before to look at his body, as it had not yet disintegrated from being out of his presence, and tried out a smile. He dropped it though, after he noticed something. His teeth were still metallic, and he had no tongue. That was probably¡­ off-putting for people. Atrax had also noted that he needed some wrinkles and creases on his hands and around his eyes. Instead of letting it put him in a bad mood, he decided to just go ahead and fix it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Gabrelle asked, looking at him curiously as he peeled his lips back to look at his teeth in the mirror. ¡°Oh! Uh, giving myself better teeth. I guess I looked a bit odd from an outside perspective.¡± ¡°I suppose that make sense.¡± ¡°And a tongue. It¡¯s probably weird for people if I open my mouth and they don¡¯t see a tongue in there.¡± ¡°Huh. I hadn¡¯t noticed, but you¡¯re probably right.¡± The teeth were simple, as Xander simply gave the dragon scale teeth he¡¯d created a light coating of the drake tooth material he¡¯d analyzed before, giving himself a more natural tooth color and texture. The tongue however, he took a bit more time on. He wanted to be able to move it, mostly just so he could stick his tongue out at people. He created a silicone tongue, once again willing the color to change, this this time to the pinkish red of a tongue. Inside were the same beads he¡¯d used to mimic muscles in his face, which would let him move it about. Xander attached the tongue to the inside of his mouth, glad that it did not obscure the runes he had set up for sound, and turned to Gabrelle and stuck his tongue out at her. Gabrelle chuckled and said, ¡°Well it looks real enough to me!¡± Xander let out a sigh of relief at Gabrelle¡¯s passing grade for his modifications and then sat down on the bed. He then asked her a very important question. ¡°What are we supposed to do for the rest of these two months?¡± Combat Artificer - 57 Gabrelle shrugged. ¡°Uhmmm¡­ I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s a yearly guild sponsored tournament next month, you could do that?¡± ¡°A tournament?¡± ¡°Mmhm!¡± Gabrelle said, sitting on the other side of the bed. ¡°They run it every year, and the winners usually get some well-crafted item or a sum of gold. It¡¯s a little different every year. I tried to get us on as a team once, but Atrax said he doesn¡¯t like tournaments. I think it was more that injuries are so common. It¡¯s frowned upon, and against the rules, to actually kill your opponents, but your entry fee covers any healing you need, and there are multiple healers stationed all around the ring. Of course¡­ accidents do occasionally happen.¡± ¡°Huh. Sounds pretty brutal.¡± ¡°Oh it can be, but it¡¯s all in good sport. You don¡¯t have to be a merc to join the tournament, but most of the participants are, so there¡¯s a very rough sort of comradery between the contestants. For the most part, anyways. There¡¯s always bound to be sore losers, I suppose.¡± ¡°Mm. It would give me something to do. Any idea what the prize is supposed to be this year?¡± ¡°The rumors are saying that it¡¯s access to a very selective contract, but those are just rumors. There¡¯s a posted reward of five hundred gold pieces already. Mostly it¡¯s the bragging rights that come with winning the tournament.¡± ¡°I see. That sounds like it could be interesting. Maybe I¡¯ll sign up.¡± Xander held his hands up, looking them over as he began to add the creases and wrinkles he¡¯d forgotten in his state of excitement the day before. Satisfied, he turned back to Gabrelle, who was busy brushing her hair. ¡°How does one sign up?¡± Continuing to run the brush through her hair, Gabrelle replied ¡°You can register at the guild hall ahead of time, or pay your fee day of, if you¡¯re willing to wait in line.¡± ¡°Ahead of time sounds better. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± That night, Xander laid back in the bed as usual, Gabrelle occupying her own spot nearby, sapping the heat from his body. It had been several hours since Gabrelle had fallen asleep, and he was idly daydreaming about what a tournament of skill users would look like. Distracted as he was, Xander did not notice the patch of shadow in the room that slowly detached itself from a large pool, making its way to the bed. He did notice, however, when the patch of shadow resolved itself into the figure of a man in the darkness, who was already bringing down a dagger aimed at his skull. Before Xander could react, the dagger made its way into the silicone of his false skin and then penetrated the mask he had slotted into the skull he¡¯d made. The dagger then wedged itself deep in the dragon scale material of the skull. Huil had thought that this would be a harder mission to fulfil, considering the urgency that had been placed on him when it was given. The target, one Xander Jones, had somehow managed to kill Terron Winter. He¡¯d been thought dead, but had recently reappeared and made his way out of Thrask controlled territory. The king had been none too happy to hear of this, and had angrily dispatched an order to kill the man, and so, being the closest agent with a suitable skillset, the task had fallen to Huil. His skills had allowed him to infiltrate the darkened inn with ease, none noticing his passing. Another set of abilities combined to make his first strike on Xander extremely potent, with the addition of a few other skills he¡¯d activated. One of these skills had muffled any sound and impact that might have awoken the woman sleeping next to the man he¡¯d just assassinated. She''d wake to quite the surprise in the morning, seeing his dagger sprouting from his latest kill¡¯s face. He always left a dagger in his successful kills. A little calling card of sorts. He was not expecting the corpse he¡¯d just produced to loudly utter, ¡°What the fuck?¡± and reach out to grab one of his arms in a bone shattering grip. As soon as the dagger had passed through Xander¡¯s mask and broken the runic array binding his soul, he felt his perspective forcefully repositioned as he found himself in the dark. Straining his ephemeral body forwards, he realized that he had been dragged to the amulet that was still around Gabrelle¡¯s neck, which confirmed for him that his original array had been destroyed. He needed to find out why he¡¯d been marked for assassination, and also stop the man before he left, or even worse, decided to tie up the loose end that was Gabrelle and kill her too. It was an odd sensation watching his body in third person as he fed mana into the arrays that powered it. He spoke loudly, asking the assassin, ¡°What the fuck?¡± And grabbed the man¡¯s arm. He passed so much power into the runes in his aggressive grab that he felt the bones of the arm break under his grip. The man yelped in pain. The two noises in quick succession woke Gabrelle from her sleep as she sat upright, startled. Gabrelle looked at the source of the noises that had awoken her and was startled to see a man dressed in black currently in the process of being grappled by Xander. She cried out in startlement, and leapt from the bed, creating distance from the man and her unarmed, unarmored self. ¡°Assassin!¡± She cried as she fumbled through her belongings to get to her mace. Xander found the constant shifting of his perspective as Gabrelle moved quite disorienting, but managed to keep line of sight of his body as he jerked the man forward and grabbed at his clothes with his other arm. The assassin struggled to break his grip, grabbing another knife from the folds of his clothing and stabbing at Xander several more times, plunging the knife with expert proficiency into his ribs where the heart would be as well as slashing at his neck. Unfortunately for the assassin, this had no effect on Xander, as he firmed his grip on the man¡¯s outfit and hauled him into the air by his broken arm and clothes, standing up out of the bed and then slamming the man into the floor. He picked the would-be assassin up again and slammed him into the wall before adjusting his grip on the dazed man so that he was holding both of his arms, pinning them against his side. With the short scuffle seemingly over, Xander called out to Gabrelle, who had found her mace and had been circling around the bed to get an opening. ¡°Bring your medallion over here and drape it over my neck, Gabrelle. I¡¯m bound to it and you moving around like that is really disorienting.¡± ¡°What? Oh! Okay,¡± Gabrelle responded, hastening over and taking the necklace off and passing it over Xander¡¯s head. Adjusting his perspective to roughly where it had been before, Xander felt much more comfortable. ¡°And I guess go get the rest of the team? And the guard? I want to find out why this bastard here,¡± he shook the assassin, who had started to try and squirm out of his grip, and tightened his grip, ¡°just tried to kill me.¡± As Gabrelle hurried out of the room to wake the team, she found that they, along with a few other curious patrons of the inn, were already out in the hall, alerted by her yell after seeing the assassin. Graffus had been just about to kick the door in when she opened it. The dwarf rushed into the room, hammer in hand, wearing nothing but a pair of underwear. He saw Xander with a man pinned against the wall and raised off the floor and relaxed a little bit. ¡°That our assassin?¡± He asked Gabrelle. ¡°I ¨C yes, that¡¯s him,¡± she responded. ¡°¡¯Spose we ought to fetch the guard then¡­¡± he said. Graffus looked around until he spied someone in the crowd who was fully dressed. ¡°You there, go fetch the city guard!¡± As the person hurried off, the rest of the team crowded around the door in varying states of undress, blocking the view of the other onlookers. ¡°Go on, everything¡¯s sorted, nothing else to see here,¡± Frazay shooed the nosey patrons away. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Inside Xander questioned the man. ¡°Why¡¯d you try to kill me?¡± The man gave a strained laugh. ¡°Why does anyone do anything? I was getting paid.¡± Xander sighed mentally. He wasn¡¯t really sure how to interrogate someone, and he wasn¡¯t comfortable resorting to torture. ¡°Okay¡­ who was paying you?¡± ¡°The person who wanted you dead,¡± the assassin retorted. ¡°Goddamnit, man, just tell me!¡± Xander shook the assassin again, angrily. The assassin hissed as his broken arm was jostled. He spat at Xander, hitting him directly on the forehead where his dagger was still protruding. ¡°Who do you think it was, you idiot! You killed a prince! Did you never consider that would earn you someone¡¯s ire? Maybe if you cross your eyes you can see the Thraskian emblem on the dagger I shoved through your face!¡± The assassin retorted angrily. ¡°What are you? What kind of monster can take a dagger in the brain? No wonder you¡¯re wanted dead!¡± Xander cursed internally. Of course it was Thrask. He¡¯d have figured it out himself shortly if the assassin¡¯s comment about the emblem on the dagger held true. He was going to have to take more precautions from now on. He hoped this wasn¡¯t going to be a regular thing. He¡¯d hand the man over to the city guard, though he expected that there¡¯d be little to tie him back to anyone specific in Thrask. Regardless, Xander wanted him sentenced under whatever laws held sway over Sempta. Xander manifested thick, steel shackles with his abilities and used [Ferrokinesis] to guide them into place and snap them shut over the man¡¯s wrists. He didn¡¯t have much sympathy for the man as he once again yelped in pain as his injured arm was tweaked. Xander then did the same for his legs. He¡¯d have to tell the guards that the manacles would only last a day. ¡°So, what¡¯d he say?¡± Atrax asked from the doorway, peering inwards. ¡°Said he was hired by Thrask, but that¡¯s all I got. Not exactly sure what else to ask, and I doubt he¡¯ll give me anything more specific, anyways.¡± He turned to the assassin still in his grip and asked sarcastically, ¡°Would you? Pretty please?¡± The assassin viciously spat, ¡°Go to hell and hit every rock on the way down!¡± He then clamped his mouth shut. ¡°Guess not, then.¡± The city guard arrived in short order, and the man was quickly taken into their custody. Five guards slapped their own set of manacles on the man and began pulling him outside. A sixth stayed behind and gathered the story of events from Xander and Gabrelle. He kept glancing at the dagger that was still sticking out of Xander¡¯s face. Finally realizing what the guard was looking at, Xander reached up and yanked the dagger free of its prison and placed a hand over the slit it had left behind, mending the material. The guard failed to suppress a shudder as he watched Xander. He inspected the blade, which was indeed stamped on the hilt with the Thraskian emblem of a stag and an eagle. He handed it to the guard, who gingerly took it. ¡°Evidence, right?¡± Xander asked. The attempted assassin was led away by the contingent of guards that had answered the call for help. The team was still clustered in Xander and Gabrelle¡¯s room, awkwardly standing around, unsure of what to do. Finally, Frazay broke the silence. ¡°I guess Thrask knows where you¡¯re at, now¡­ Do you think they¡¯ll try again?¡± She asked. ¡°I guess they do,¡± Xander replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He made it pretty clear that someone wanted me dead for killing that prince, Terron Martin¡­¡± Atrax piped in, saying, ¡°It¡¯s possible, but I would expect it to be a while if they do try again. Assassins like that are valuable, and, no matter how badly they want you dead, it costs some political capital to have an assassin that¡¯s even tangentially tied to you caught out operating outside one¡¯s borders. They¡¯ll want to be sure before they try again, both to avoid any kind of trade sanctions from Sempta as well as to avoid any further embarrassment. Though, like you said, I¡¯m sure that Thrask will vigorously deny any involvement. Perhaps they¡¯ll claim it was a noble still mourning the loss of the prince.¡± ¡°Mm. Well that makes me feel a little bit better¡­ but god damn, that guy was fast on that first strike. It¡¯s like he came out of nowhere!¡± Graffus nodded understandingly. ¡°Having someone with stealth focused skills get the drop on you is¡­ scary. It¡¯s also something that a lot of people don¡¯t survive. I imagine you saw why what with the, ah, dagger that was sticking out of your head. A lot of them have skills that will amplify any damage they make on an unaware person, or on their first strike.¡± ¡°Jeez. That¡¯s scary. Guess they¡¯re shit out of luck if they don¡¯t get the drop on you or that first hit fails, though, right? Guy didn¡¯t seem too hard to handle once I got ahold of him,¡± Xander thought out loud. ¡°Aye, stealth specialists do tend to suffer in a straight fight, which is why they avoid them like the plague,¡± Graffus confirmed. Xander felt around on his forehead, noticing that his mask seemed to be in two pieces. ¡°Awh, that fucker broke my mask,¡± he whined. ¡°I thought maybe he just pierced through some of the binding runes, but the whole thing is cracked in half¡­ guess that¡¯s it for that particular piece of equipment.¡± ¡°Consider yourself lucky,¡± Gabrelle chastised him, ¡°the rest of us wouldn¡¯t be only minorly inconvenienced by a stab through their skull.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Fuck, I gotta work on protecting my binding a little bit more. It was¡­ pretty disorienting trying to move my body around watching from third person while also having someone moving around. And make a new medallion for you, Gabrelle.¡± Gabrelle shuddered as she thought, ¡°I¡¯m just glad he didn¡¯t decide to go for me first¡­ I didn¡¯t hear a single thing or wake up in the slightest until I heard you shout, Xander.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°He must have had some kind of skill, because I also didn¡¯t hear anything, and I was awake for it.¡± Eventually, the mercenaries split up and went back to their rooms. Xander went downstairs to the stables and retrieved the two combat-oriented golems, Atlas and Lynx, and brought them upstairs to the room, where he posted one at the head of the bed on either side with orders to defend himself and Gabrelle. He stayed up fixing himself and his new binding. First order of business was to pull out the broken mask, where Xander confirmed that it was indeed split right down the center where he¡¯d been stabbed. Quietly placing it aside so that he did not wake Gabrelle, though he wasn¡¯t sure if she was actually asleep yet considering the previous excitement of the night, he took the medallion in his hand and coated it in several runed layers of dragonscale, hoping that it would help protect the binding. Using his material manipulation skills, he inserted the coated disk into the center of his skull. Then, he had an idea. Why have only one binding on his body? Creating two more medallions, one for Gabrelle, and one for his secondary binding, he coated one of them just like he¡¯d done for the one that now resided in his skull. He pushed it through the silicone and then attached it behind his ribcage area, roughly where a heart would reside. Hmm¡­ why put it where the heart is, though? I should put it somewhere less likely to be targeted, Xander thought to himself. He then moved it further back, fusing it to a section of his upper spine, so that he could still bring his point of view to his usual spot. Looking at his face in a small, polished piece of steel, he then ran his hands over his neck where the assassin had stabbed him repeatedly and mended the rent silicone. Satisfied, he quietly climbed back into bed, though it wasn¡¯t exactly relaxing. He spent the rest of the night alert and waiting for the next attempt on his life, even if it was unlikely that there would be another attempt so soon. The next morning, Frazay knocked on the door, informing him that there was a guard downstairs who had asked to see him. ¡°Oh, okay. I guess I¡¯ll go down and see what he wants,¡± Xander replied. Downstairs, Xander made his way to the town guard who was waiting near the stairs. ¡°Xander?¡± The woman asked. ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± he confirmed for the guardswoman. ¡°I¡¯m here to follow up with you regarding the¡­ incident last night.¡± ¡°Mm, alrighty. That makes sense.¡± The woman gestured to a quiet corner of the inn, which was mostly empty this early in the morning. Once they were both there, she asked Xander in a low voice, ¡°Do you know why someone would want you dead?¡± Xander nodded. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Thrask is not happy about my continued existence,¡± he replied. The guard cocked an eyebrow. ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Well, I might have killed a prince during the war between Thrask and Dardin.¡± ¡°¡¯Might have?¡¯ Wait¡­ that was you? I¡¯d heard that one of the Thraskian princes had died during the war. Is that why you¡¯re in Sempta now?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ that¡¯s definitely a big part of it. It¡¯s also where my team relocated to after the war, so you could say I followed them here.¡± ¡°Hm. I suppose that makes sense. The fellow that was apprehended last night has been¡­ uncooperative. Seems like he¡¯s at least somewhat of a professional, because he¡¯s not been dumb enough to outright lie. He just either refuses questions or answers in vague half truths. Did he say anything to you before we arrived?¡± The guardswoman leaned forward as she asked. ¡°Just that it was Thrask that wanted me dead. And I think that¡¯s only because he knew that it would have been pretty easy to figure that out from the emblem on the dagger. Didn¡¯t give me any specifics, though, unfortunately.¡± ¡°Hmph. Well, it was worth hoping. Evidence is pretty clear; he¡¯ll be tried for attempted murder soon. Hopefully he talks soon to try and lessen his sentence. Otherwise¡­¡± The woman crudely mimed herself being hung by a rope. ¡°Anyways, we¡¯ll be in touch if we happen to need to go over anything or gather any more testimony. You¡¯ll be staying at this inn for the near future?¡± ¡°At least until the new year, from my understanding.¡± ¡°Good. Hopefully, you have no more need of our services, Xander, but if not, the city guard always answers a call for their help.¡± Combat Artificer - 58 At a loss for what else to do for the day, Xander decided he might as well sign up for the tournament that Gabrelle had mentioned. If he won, then he¡¯d be happy, and a little richer. If he lost, it was still valuable experience fighting higher leveled skill users. His experience with the assassin the previous night still weighed on him. If someone was going to be putting a bounty on his head he needed to learn to fight people that were on a similar level or even higher than he was. The lack of lethality would be hard, though. He¡¯d never fought someone in any type of duel before. Only in life-or-death circumstances. He¡¯d have to make sure he didn¡¯t go overboard, and maybe come up with some ideas for nonlethal fights. Definitely no grenades. Flashbangs should be okay, though. Making his way to the guild hall alone, he watched as the morning foot traffic began in earnest. People were coming out of houses and inns and heading to jobs or running morning errands much like Xander. He liked watching a city wake up, he found, more and more people appearing and joining him on the street as the sun rose higher. He should take more morning strolls, he thought. The mercenary¡¯s guild was still relatively empty, which suited Xander just fine. Less time to spend waiting in line. He was helped by the next available clerk, a bearded dwarf with a polished brass monocle. He was perched upon a tall stool that brought him to the proper height for the counter. ¡°What can the mercenary¡¯s guild do for you today, hmm? Here to put in a contract?¡± Xander realized that he must not look much like a merc at the moment, wearing a maroon doublet and black pants. ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯m actually looking to register ahead of time for the tournament next month, if I¡¯m able to.¡± ¡°Ah! I see, apologies for the mix-up. We find that most of the contracts we get are posted in the early hours of the day. That¡¯s what I get for assuming, I ¡®spose,¡± the dwarf said with a small laugh. ¡°But yes, you can certainly go ahead and register for the tournament. It¡¯s twenty gold, and just so you know, there¡¯s a mandatory status inspection that is done before you begin the tournament. Not that that should be a problem, if you¡¯re already a guild member.¡± ¡°Nope, shouldn¡¯t be an issue. Let¡¯s see, twenty gold¡­¡± Xander fished the money out of his inventory, ¡°here you are.¡± The clerk scribbled Xander¡¯s name down on a sheet of paper and said, ¡°Excellent, I¡¯ll ensure that you¡¯re registered, and you won¡¯t have to wait in line the day of the tournament.¡± Strolling slowly through the city, Xander considered what kind of weapon he should use for the tournament. His mace was a little¡­ lethal for an event where you weren¡¯t supposed to kill your opponent. He imagined that breaking all their bones and subjecting them to a powerful acid would not go over well. He wanted something that had some range, too, since his rifle was also out. A chain with a small weight at the end could work¡­ His [Weapons of War] would presumably allow him to use the weapon, and he could also use [Ferrokinesis] to move the chain as well. Rune it up with some lighting runes, now that he could more easily engrave smaller runes, and he could taze an opponent as he whipped them with the chain, or even try to wrap them up. He kept his pace slow as he walked back to the inn, turning the idea of the new weapon over in his head. He was liking it more and more. It had the potential for reach, while also being able to be reeled in and used at close distance. If an opponent was faster than him, he could make wide attacks with the chain and combine the attacks with [Ferrokinesis] to try and tangle them up and electrocute them. Plus, it would be flashy, surely the crowd would enjoy it. For some reason he felt the need to try and be entertaining for the crowd that he assumed would be watching. At the inn, he made his way up to his shared room, knocking before entering, just in case Gabrelle was changing. ¡°Come in,¡± came her muffled reply. ¡°Oh, hi, Xander.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± he greeted back. ¡°Got any plans for the day?¡± Xander asked. Gabrelle sighed. ¡°Not a thing. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had this much down time since I became a mercenary! I don¡¯t know what to do with myself!¡± Xander laughed. ¡°I know what you mean. But Frazay¡¯s right, the wait will be worth it if we can hatch even one of those eggs. I signed up for the tournament for a spot of excitement. Plus, I figure it¡¯s a good training opportunity, get to go up against highly skilled individuals. If you¡¯re not going to join and fight, you think they¡¯re hiring healers for the tournament?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea! I¡¯ll have to check and see. Would get me some good experience for my class, and some coin, too.¡± ¡°Mmhm! Well, since you¡¯ve got no plans for the day, want to help me test out a new weapon and do some sparring once I get it made?¡± ¡°I think that sounds a hell of a lot better than just laying around!¡± Xander first made himself the weapon, roughly twenty feet of chain made of devil¡¯s iron, that he capped off with a small, round ball of the same material. He¡¯d hold off on runing it until after he¡¯d sparred with Gabrelle. Not that he wasn¡¯t confident in the elemental protection arrays he¡¯d layered into her armor, but better to be safe than sorry. ¡°Is there a good place to spar around here?¡± He asked Gabrelle. ¡°Mm, we can either head outside the city a bit and find an open space, or we can use the communal guild area.¡± ¡°Which do you think is better?¡± ¡°Well, considering you¡¯ve got quite a bit of chain there, I¡¯d say it might be better to do it outside the city. You¡¯d take up too much space in the guild area, I think.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± A half hour¡¯s walk after armoring up, the two mercenaries found themselves past the outskirts of Rock¡¯s Bay. There were still houses and buildings dotting the landscape around the city, but open spaces and fields were easy enough to find. Xander and Gabrelle found a relatively flat, open area were Xander¡¯s new chain wasn¡¯t going to hit anything important and started to set up. ¡°So how do you wanna do this?¡± Gabrelle called out, roughly ten feet away from Xander. ¡°Uhh, I just want to practice using it, so just a regular spar? It¡¯s not got any runes on it, so I doubt that it will be able to do much through your armor.¡± ¡°Alright, well I¡¯ll let you start!¡± Xander nodded, and held the excess coils of the chain in his left hand. Using his right hand, he began to spin the head of the chain the round ball was attached to, bringing it up to speed. He was glad that he could feel [Weapons of War] activating as he aimed center mass at Gabrelle¡¯s torso, giving him the sense of the perfect time to release the chain from its spin, and shooting the ball and chain towards Gabrelle. Gabrelle, prepared for just such an occurrence, quickly hopped out of the way as she began to advance on Xander, drawing her mace. Xander yanked on the chain, drawing it taught and pulling the ball back in direction, then activated [Ferrokinesis], drawing the ball back towards him and Gabrelle with even greater force. Gabrelle was not expecting the ball to make such a sudden change in direction and was struck soundly on the back, forcing her to stumble forward a few steps. Taking advantage of her stumble, Xander used his ability to snake the chain around her legs, and then yanked it back towards him, pulling her feet off the ground and dropping her as he reeled her in, dragging her through the dirt. Once he pulled her through the dirt to be laying next to him, he asked, ¡°So, whatcha think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Not one bit,¡± She replied with a huff. The two of them continued sparring for another couple of hours, Gabrelle beginning to fare better once she got a handle on what Xander could and couldn¡¯t do with the length of chain in his hands. Xander, for his part, found that if Gabrelle could manage to close the distance between them, he struggled to land hits by throwing the head of the chain out. He learned that he was better off grabbing chain close to the ball and using it like a flail to beat on her armor, while using the other free end to try and tangle her up with his [Ferrokinesis] skill. Gabrelle was able to land plenty of hits on him as well, but neither was out to injure the other. ¡°Phew,¡± Gabrelle said at the end of their training session, wiping the sweat from her brow. ¡°That was good exercise. We should do this more often! I¡¯d forgotten how fun it was to get out and have a good spar.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Xander said. ¡°This has been nice. I think I¡¯ll take you up on doing this more often. I need all the practice I can get before the tournament.¡± The rest of the month until the tournament passed slowly for the mercenaries. They were not used to such an excess of idle time, and it chafed at them, with the exception of Atrax, who was using the time to conduct his own esoteric research in accordance with his [Scholar of the Ancient] class. Frazay at least had her drakeling to look forward to, and Gabrelle had picked up sparring with Xander most afternoons. Graffus, however, seemed to be the one that was most affected by the standstill pace. Once Xander and Gabrelle noticed that the dwarf was beginning to become irritable, they began making a point to include him in their sparring sessions. For Xander, it was a humbling experience regarding his own shield work, as the dwarf was far and away better than he was with a shield. He was even able to deflect Xander¡¯s ball and chain at specific angles, making it harder for Xander to recover the momentum of the weapon. A week before the tournament, Xander got down to runing the chain, using his improved runecarving abilities to densely cover the chain links in strengthening runes and lightning runes, each individual link beginning to look like a hand carved work of art. For the head of the chain, Xander engraved the momentum enhancement arrays in conjunction with lightning and strengthening. Practicing out in the field, the weapon now crackled with electricity as he swung it around, and the head of the chain traveled further and faster with each throw. It took him a little bit to get used to the difference in momentum, but overall, it was an improvement. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Soon enough, despite the glacial pace of activity the mercs were suffering through, the day of the tournament came. Gabrelle had managed to secure a position as a healer for the matches, so she and Xander decided to walk to the tournament together. Xander was surprised when he made his way down, suited up in his armor, to see his three other teammates waiting for him. ¡°What?¡± Frazay had asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t think we wouldn¡¯t come watch, did you?¡± ¡°I guess I hadn¡¯t really thought about it¡­¡± Xander said, rubbing the back of his helm, a little embarrassed. Having his teammates watching him seemed a lot more important than having a bunch of random people watching his matches. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do fine,¡± Graffus encouraged him. ¡°And if you don¡¯t¡­ we¡¯ll let you live it down. Eventually.¡± Atrax joked. ¡°Just have the decency not to go down in the first round!¡± The tournament was clearly a yearly event. Xander had noticed the stands being set up on the outskirts of the town, rows of wooden, stadium-like seating being taken out of storage from some warehouse and placed in a large ring. Vendors were hawking trinkets and food. Some of them even had carved figures of contestants that had made an impact last year that were competing again. All around, people filled the space around the arena. Most of them were just there for the show, slowly filing into seats that were set far behind raised walls. Behind these walls, were robed figures that Gabrelle told him were skill users that focused on barrier type skills, so as to prevent any accidental injuries to the crowd should a contestant¡¯s ability or attack go wide, or a broken weapon fly too far. Xander was glad he had registered early, as there was a long line of hopeful entrants queued up and slowly entering the waiting area outside the arena for contestants. It was here the team split, Atrax, Graffus, Frazay, and even Freyja, who Frazay had insisted would enjoy watching the fights, made their way to get seats while there were still any left, paying their entry fee. Gabrelle waved goodbye as she moved to join the growing crowd of healers that were congregating in a separate waiting area. Xander was left to head over to the representative that was letting contestants pass into the designated zone for them. The man had a stack of papers containing names and what looked to be brackets for the beginning of the tournament. ¡°Um, hello,¡± Xander offered to the tournament representative, who appeared to be rather annoyed to be standing out in the cool air directing foot traffic. ¡°Yes?¡± The man said rather testily. ¡°I preregistered for the tournament, do I need to go see someone or can I just go wait with the others?¡± ¡°I can check you off here,¡± the man replied. ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Xander Jones.¡± The man spent a few seconds leafing through his papers until he reached Xander¡¯s name, and nodded to himself. ¡°I found you, you¡¯re alright to go wait.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Xander found himself on the outskirts of a milling group of variously armed and armored contestants. Some of them evidently knew each other, while others, like him, had no one to talk to in the crowd. He didn¡¯t mind too much, he wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d even be able to hold a conversation without shouting over the din of voices in the area. He could still hear one particular merchant crying over the noise about how he had the finest necklaces for sale. Perhaps the man had some kind of vocal skill? After a couple very boring hours, the same man who had been directing contestants to their waiting areas made his way over to the mass of contestants, where he shouted over the noise to gain everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Contestants! The official cut off time for tournament registration has come. Those of you that are here will be competing throughout the day and, if necessary, the following days, to determine which of you is worthy of the prize of first place! You will be called up during the match directly before yours, where you can wait to compete. In the interim, you may wait there,¡± the representative indicated behind him where a section of the stands had been reserved for the contestants. Now, without further ado, I¡¯ll be calling up the first two contestants. Dravus Vartek! Hildren Breen! You will be the first match, assemble in the middle of the ring. The following fighters will be Bartek Frode and Carlisle Promb! That¡¯s Bartek and Carlisle! The rest of you, make your way to the stands.¡± Xander shuffled along with the rest of the crowd to the reserved seating and found himself roughly in the middle of the stand. The two first contestants, Dravus and Hildren, were facing each other near the center of the field, with roughly thirty feet between them. The field itself was ovular, fifty feet wide in the center, and about one hundred feet long, giving the combatants plenty of space to use their skills. A gong that Xander hadn¡¯t noticed, set near one of the protective walls, was struck, and the fighters held their weapons at the ready and began to close the distance between themselves. One of them, Dravus, Xander thought, was wearing leather armor and brandished two short swords. He circled the other fighter widely, assessing them. The other was dressed in scale armor, wielding a flail in one hand and a shield in the other. She kept her shield pointed at her opponent, turning to face him as he circled closer and closer. Dravus, having circled just outside of striking range of Hildren¡¯s flail, made the first move. Xander thought he must have activated some kind of skill, like his own [Sprint], because the way he went from a seemingly slow and controlled circle to dashing straight for Hildren seemed like it would be impossible without the aid of a skill. He aimed high with one of his swords, baiting Hildren into blocking it as he swung his other blade low, catching his opponent on the side of the knee. Hildren¡¯s leg buckled for a moment, but her armor saved her from any serious damage, and she returned Dravus¡¯s slash with an elbow to his face, the man not able to create distance fast enough to prevent her smashing his face. A little dazed, Dravus stagged backward out of reach and spat a mouthful of blood. Hildren didn¡¯t let up, though, rushing forwards and slamming him with her shield, staggering him even further. The woman swung her flail at him, but only scored a glancing hit as Dravus tumbled out of the way. The fight continued on much the same, with Hildren refusing to let Dravus fully recover, battering the man around the field, much to the excitement of the crowd. Every time she scored another hit on Dravus, there was a chorus of cheers from the stands, as people shouted and whooped in encouragement. Dravus was finally knocked out cold with a vicious slam to the side of his head with Hildren¡¯s shield. It had proved to be a more effective weapon for the woman than her flail. The man collapsed in onto the dirt of the field in a heap as the gong rang again and two healers rushed out from their waiting area. Draven was quickly back on his feet, though still unsteady, as the crowd continued cheering for Hildren. Once the cheering had died down, the next fighters were ushered onto the field. The contestants after them were called down from the stands to wait as the second fight started. Xander was called up to the stands after the fifth fight ended, making him the seventh fight of the day. There had been a range of skills and skill levels on display already. While most of the contestants seemed to be more martial in nature, there were a few robed figures amongst them, and one had already won their match by pummeling their opponent with stones and then encasing them in dirt and stones as they hit the ground. Most of the bouts had been short, with one fighter quickly overpowering the other, though one had dragged on to the point where even the crowd seemed to get bored, as the fighters had been very evenly matched. Xander made his way down from the stands and stood next to his opponent. He would be going against a mountain of a man, easily head and shoulders taller than him, and half again as wide. The chainmail wearing man had a claymore strapped to his back and was already standing in the waiting area when Xander arrived. ¡°Hi,¡± Xander said, trying to be polite. He got an uninterested grunt in reply. Right, then, Xander thought. I¡¯m electrocuting him straight away. Xander found himself spending more time considering how he was going to fight the man standing next to him rather than watching the fight that was currently happening. In fact, he was scrutinizing his opponent so much that he was surprised to hear the gong ring out, signaling the end of the match. The attendant who had been calling out names said, ¡°Alright you two, go on out there and get ready!¡± As Xander made his way out to the center of the makeshift arena, he indistinctly heard the attendant call out the names of the next two contestants, but it was hard to hear over the sounds of the watching crowd. It appeared that he had been matched against someone who already had at least some popularity in the city, as cheers and cries of ¡°Jarnel the Giant¡± were being called out before the match had even officially begun. Xander and his opponent, Jarnel, met in the center of the arena, Jarnel finally giving Xander the courtesy of a nod before the two of them backed away from each other to create some distance. Jarnel pulled the massive claymore from its place on his back, and Xander uncoiled a length of his chain, beginning to spin it, both fighters taking a stance at the ready. Jarnel¡¯s posture was wide, almost like that of a sumo wrestler, while Xander had his left foot forward, right arm twirling his length of chain. The gong rang, and both of them made their first move. Xander released his chain, aiming to strike his opponent in the gut, while Jarnel produced a thunderous stomp, which churned the earth beneath him. From his stomp, jagged spikes of stone began to protrude from the ground, and they suddenly launched themselves at Xander, shattering on his armor and obscuring his vision a little from the dust they created. Jarnel took the physical hit to the gut easily enough, but he wasn¡¯t expecting the weapon to electrocute him so severely, causing his muscles to spasm and clamp, ruining his stance before the head of the chain bounced off of him. The large man made the decision that he would be best served by getting closer to Xander and using his claymore rather than let Xander try to pummel him from a distance. He started off with another stomp, which caused the ground to ripple outward from his foot. As the ripple reached Xander, who was currently yanking the chain of his weapon to cause the head to fly back towards him, he was startled to find that it caused his feet to sink several inches into the soil. He was forced to drop his [Ferrokinesis] on his weapon ¨C he¡¯d intended to guide the chain back at Jarnel as it returned to Xander ¨C and use his [Improved Manipulation] to loosen the hold of the stone that had formed around his boots before he finished the job by yanking his feet free. There was no more time to get another throw off, as Jarnel had been sprinting towards Xander the entire time that he¡¯d been dealing with his feet being bound to the ground. The head of his chain had managed to reach Xander, though, from his earlier pull on it, and so he gripped his weapon like a flail in one hand and wrapped a few lengths of the excess chain around his other fist. Jarnel had reached striking distance at this point, and his claymore was swinging towards Xander¡¯s armored thigh. Jarnel was startled when what appeared to be an additional arm appeared from Xander¡¯s back, followed by several more. The first arm to appear had been one of Xander¡¯s rune powered, shield bearing arms from his backpack, which slammed into Jarnel¡¯s two handed sword, deflecting it towards the ground. The blow was slowed and disrupted enough by the sudden appearance of these extra arms that he was left open to a hit from Xander, who swung his improvised flail at Jarnel¡¯s shoulder. The man seized up as the ball hit him, despite the impact being cushioned by his chainmail and the gambeson underneath it. Xander didn¡¯t let up, and lashed out with his left fist, uppercutting into Jarnel¡¯s stomach, though he was careful not to fully power the runes that moved his skeleton; he didn¡¯t want to end up killing the man by rupturing an organ. As the chain made contact again, Jarnel¡¯s muscles intermittently locked and spasmed again, preventing him from reacting or retaliating against Xander. Xander used this opportunity to wrap some of the excess chain he had around the man, keeping him in constant contact with it, and fully disabling him as his body seized up. Xander stepped away from the prone form of Jarnel, and the gong rang. He slowly realized that he¡¯d tuned the crowd out, and that they had been cheering, roaring, and stomping their feet as they watched the two men fight. The cheering continued a short while after the gong was rung, as Xander did his best to remove the chain from Jarnel as quickly as possible so that the man would stop being electrocuted. The big man just laid on the ground, groaning, as another pair of healers rushed out to tend to him. Xander left him to them as he jogged off the field. Jarnel soon followed, though he made a detour to exit the stadium rather than to the waiting area that the six other victors were at. Combat Artificer - 59 Xander was not called back that day, though he did stay to watch the various fights. He found it fascinating to see the variety of skills that were on display. Some people seemed to have ended up with narrow specializations, only able to use skills of one element or another, or focusing on only a single type of weapon, while others were able to throw out a dazzling array of abilities and effects, or used multiple types of weapons depending on how their fight was going. There were even a few people who used no weapons at all, having skills that empowered their own bodies, as well as their punches and kicks. By the afternoon, the first round of the tournament had concluded, and the number of hopeful competitors has been halved. As people and fighters trickled out, Xander considered what he¡¯d seen for the day. Comparing himself against the other competitors that had won their fights, he was decidedly on the less flashy side when it came to his abilities. He wasn¡¯t able to shoot flames out of his hands, or instantly raise columns of stone to block a blow. Instead, he relied on his preprepared equipment, his runically enhanced artificial body, and his passive abilities. He wasn¡¯t worried about things like being burned, electrocuted, or even poisoned as one fighter had done to another, since these things would not affect him beyond damaging his cosmetic silicone shell. The things that were concerning were abilities that would tie him down or people who could completely outfight him. He¡¯d seen one robed skill user completely encase their opponent in ice, ending the match immediately. The healers had had to request the man to break the skill before they could tend to their frostbitten charge. Gabrelle had been part of that group of healers. Various other abilities, from sticky webbing to magically manifested ropes and chains had seen use to varying degrees of success. He¡¯d also seen some men, dwarves, and a singular elf, who had consummate mastery of their weapons and were able to overcome their opponents through various means. Some had been extremely tough and strong ¨C one had defeated their opponent by throwing them over the walls, as going outside them was disqualifying ¨C while others were incredibly fast and light on their feet, using dexterous strikes and finesse to disarm their opponents and strike pinpoint blows to disable them. Going over the concerns he had, he made a short list of things he could do to alleviate some of his worries. He¡¯d definitely need to wear his cloak. He was already kicking himself for forgetting to wear it today. If he¡¯d ended up going against someone who could create sticky webbing, he could have ended up completely subdued and glued to the ground. He¡¯d also want to add a layer of flame runes on his armor that he could pump mana into if he needed, melting any ice he might find himself encased in. Against the fighters who were physically strong, he¡¯d want to be able to be heavier, making it harder to move him or throw him around. Arrays of weightiness runes he could power when desired would help solve that problem. Against those fighters that were faster than him, he was coming up short for a runic solution. He wasn¡¯t sure of any kind of way to accelerate his thinking or his movements past what he was already at. Which meant he would need to slow them down to his level or outlast them and wear them down with the few hits he might be able to get in. As he sat in the stands, waiting for the crowds to clear out a bit more before leaving, he thought over his options. If he didn¡¯t have runes for the problem, what else did he have? Flashbangs were certainly an option. Disorienting his opponent would allow him to get hits in, but what if that didn¡¯t work on everyone? He himself was immune to them, so it was not unreasonable to assume that someone else might have an ability that let them shrug off disorientation or even fight blind. If he could manage it, binding them with the chain was also a solution, but he wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to wrap it around someone who was an order of magnitude faster than him. What else¡­ oh! The glue concoction and poison he¡¯d purchased recently. Poison, as long as it was not immediately lethal, was explicitly allowed in the rules of the tournament, as there were many skills that incorporated some kind of poison or toxin in their effects. The paralytic poison he had could be added to the blades he¡¯d hidden in his forearms. If the old lady alchemist he¡¯d bought it from was correct, even a small cut that got the toxin in it would begin to slow down an opponent, allowing him to get even more hits in, until they were unable to function. The glue, if he could manage to splash it or land a hit with a bottle and shatter it, would hopefully help as well. It wouldn¡¯t stick them to the dirt, unfortunately, simply caking a thick later of soil on their boots, but it could potentially gum up the joints of armor or limit mobility by binding their arms partially to their bodies or clothes. And once it dried on their clothes and to their skin and began to harden, it would restrict them even more as their clothing stiffened. He didn¡¯t have time for it in a single night, but creating a modified version of his flamethrower that would instead shoot out the sticky, fast drying material would be an excellent nonlethal crowd control weapon. For now he¡¯d have to settle with bottles. He considered directly manifesting the material from his hands in a fight, but he decided it would not be advantageous to glue his hands to his opponent. With the stadium finally emptied out enough for Xander to comfortably leave, he stood and began the trip back to the inn, where he¡¯d meet his teammates. The area outside the stands was still crowded, and the merchants were also still out in force, selling food to bystanders who had grown hungry while watching the fights. He even saw a couple of the more popular contestants signing autographs for people. One was signing his name to a decorative looking piece of clay that was still wet, which Xander assumed would be fired for some kind of permanent memento, while another was using a dagger to carve his initials into the brass crosspiece of a young man¡¯s sword. The crowds thinned the further away he got from the temporary stadium, people branching off to various parts of the city. No longer constantly being jostled by strangers and doing his best to make sure that he didn¡¯t accidentally trample anyone with his new body, Xander was able to speed up his pace. Soon, he was back at the inn, where he found the rest of his team at a table, already celebrating his victory. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s our winner!¡± Frazay called out, holding a mug up towards him, as she spotted him entering the building. The rest of the team cheered and held up drinks as well, as Xander moved to sit with them. ¡°Good show out there,¡± Graffus commented to him as he got to the table. ¡°You dropped that lug like a sack of rocks.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Xander replied. ¡°I was pretty worried for a minute there when he sank my feet into the ground and rushed me¡­ There¡¯s just something terrifying about seeing someone that size coming at you and swinging a giant sword.¡± ¡°Well, I think you handled it pretty well,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°Here here!¡± Atrax raised his mug again in agreement with Gabrelle. ¡°So how do you think tomorrow will be?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°Uhm, I¡¯m not exactly sure,¡± Xander said. ¡°I tried to pay attention to the matches after mine and come up with some ideas for things. I have a few that I can implement, I think, but it¡¯s still a toss up. I feel like now it¡¯ll be getting into the matches where the people who really know what they¡¯re doing are going to shine. And I haven¡¯t exactly been in the game for as long as them. But I have some tricks up my sleeve, as they say. Like being able to take a dagger through the skull and keep on fighting,¡± he said with a small chuckle. After the celebration, where, thankfully, no one over drank this time, Xander found himself in his shared room starting the process of his tournament ideas. Gabrelle was busying herself with creating some poultices that she could use for injuries that weren¡¯t worth a healing skill on the other side of the room while Xander began adding another layer of runes to his armor. This layer was nothing but flame runes and arrays to channel his own mana, and such did not take him too long to laminate onto his armor. Gabrelle hadn¡¯t been paying too much attention to the process, engrossed in her own work, and so she was quite taken by surprise when Xander¡¯s helm burst into flames as he tested the runes out. Startled, she stood up quickly, almost knocking her own supplies onto the floor. ¡°What was that?¡± She asked, concerned, as the flames disappeared from the helm. ¡°Oh, sorry. I should have warned you¡­ just some flame runes I can turn on in case someone tries to encase me in ice. I saw someone do that in the tournament, so I wanted to make sure I didn¡¯t lose like that. Everything else I¡¯m gonna work on should be less, uh, disruptive, though. Sorry again.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I suppose that makes sense,¡± she replied, still a little frazzled by the sudden startlement. She rearranged her supplies as she sat back down and slowly restarted her own process. ¡°But let me know if you¡¯re going to do something like that again, please.¡± ¡°I will, promise.¡± The weightiness runes he wanted to add would go onto his own skeleton rather than his armor, so that he could modify his weight even when outside of his armor. He felt like it could be a handy trick to have. The process took a little bit longer than the flames runes due to him having to get to the skeleton in the first place through the silicone and touch sensing layer of leather as well as the awkward angle of working on himself. But after about two hours, he had the empty spaces on his skeleton engraved with arrays that would allow him to increase his weight, making it harder to push him around. Once that was complete, he spent some time making and bottling the glue he¡¯d recently discovered. He already had plenty of flashbangs. Gabrelle had long since finished her own work and was lounging on the bed, lazily swapping between reading a book and looking at what Xander was doing. As he stood up Gabrelle asked, ¡°All done?¡± ¡°Mm? Oh, yeah,¡± Xander replied. ¡°Think I¡¯ve got everything I need, or at least that I thought of.¡± ¡°Good, because it¡¯s getting late. Some of us actually have to sleep, you know!¡± ¡°Shit, sorry,¡± Xander apologized. ¡°I guess the time got away from me. I wish I still had my watch¡­ wait. I can just make a new one, can¡¯t I?¡± Xander slapped the size of his head in realization. Using [Schematic], he spent the hefty chunk of mana to create a copy of the watch he¡¯d [Analyze]d on his first day on Tillania. The time was completely off, he suspected that it was the exact time that he had [Analyze]d the watch, but it felt nice to have it again. He¡¯d change the time next time he found a clock somewhere. As he got into bed and Gabrelle curled up against him, she said quietly, ¡°You really did do well out there today. We¡¯re all proud of you for putting yourself out there in front of everyone and competing, you know.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Xander took her hand for a moment and squeezed it gently. ¡°Thanks. I really mean it. It feels¡­ good, to know that I have you all there for me in the stands.¡± The next morning, Xander headed out to the tournament early. He wanted to beat some of the crowd, and he also just wasn¡¯t sure what else to do. It was likely going to take most of the day still to go through the next set of rounds, so he didn¡¯t want to start anything else. Sitting in the competitor¡¯s section of the stands, which was currently sparsely populated, Xander looked out at the arena floor. He wondered who he¡¯d be matched against. He supposed it made sense not to tell people who they¡¯d be matched up against to prevent people from preparing too much for any one particular opponent, but it was quite frustrating not knowing what to expect. As the morning wore on, more contestants and fans began to make their way into the stands. By midmorning, the arena was full, and the fights were ready to start. The first two fighters to be called were both robe wearing caster-type skill users. They met in the center of the arena and then backed away from each other, and as the gong rang, each of them began to throw skills at the other as they did their best to dodge, block, or disrupt their opponent¡¯s skills. With the amount of movement and deflection of skills going on from both parties, the barrier specialists were finding themselves frequently intercepting projectiles that went wide. Surprisingly, the crowd seemed to love it, uncaring that the only thing between them and catching a fireball to the face was a group of increasingly annoyed skill users protecting them. One of the fighters finally got a lucky hit in on the other, distracting them with a large orb of some kind of ghostly green flame that he flung at his opponent. As the other caster was busy using their own skills to alter the course of the ball of flame and deflect it from hitting him, the one that had cast the green fireball had followed up with a crackling bolt of lightning which burst through the green fireball that had been acting as a distraction, striking the loser in the chest. The stricken man was thrown from his feet by the force of the skill and lay crumpled on the ground where he¡¯d landed, unmoving. As the crowd cheered and the gong range, signaling the end of the match, several healers ran out to attend to the prone man. Unable to immediately get him back on his feet, he was swiftly dragged off the field, where even more healers crowded around him, kneeling to assess him, or hovering around. Several minutes later, after the start of the next match, Xander noticed the healers on the sidelines throwing up their arms and cheering for themselves. The man who¡¯d been struck by the lightning had finally been brought back to his feet. Roughly halfway through the tournament, Xander¡¯s call to take part in the next fight came. He¡¯d been growing tense waiting for it to happen, to the point that it was somewhat of a relief to know he¡¯d be next rather than becoming nervous. He moved out of the stands to the waiting area, where he was joined by his opponent, a woman wearing loose fitting clothing and bearing no weapons. She must be one of the fighters that he¡¯d noticed used no weapons of their own, either being casters or having skills that empowered unarmed strikes. Unfortunately, Xander was not able to tell which of these categories the woman fell into. As the woman reached Xander, she surprised him by sweeping into a formal bow and saying, ¡°It will be a pleasure to fight with you today. My name is Treyanna, may have your name?¡± Feeling awkward with the formality, Xander returned the bow as best he could in his armor before replying, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Xander. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Likewise. I would wish you luck, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve no need for it, and I¡¯ve no wish to call misfortune upon myself by wishing luck upon my opponent,¡± the odd woman said with a chuckle. ¡°Uhm, thanks anyways. It¡¯s the thought that counts, right?¡± Their conversation was interrupted by the gong ringing, signaling the end of the match and the beginning of their own bout. As the two previous fighters vacated the field, Xander and Treyanna moved to the center of the field and then split, as seemed the standard for the tournament. Xander took his position on the field, readying his chain. Treyanna¡¯s posture was neutral, still not giving Xander a clue as to what her area of focus might be. The gong rang, but Xander held off on attacking just yet. Treyanna had yet to make a decisive move either, the two beginning to circle each other at a distance. Realizing that Treyanna was content to wait for the first move to be made, Xander decided to launch a probing attack, hurling the ball at the end of his chain weapon at the woman. As soon as Xander loosed the attack, Treyanna¡¯s hands snapped up in a defensive posture, and Xander was surprised to see her slap the metal ball away. Some skill must be allowing her to ignore the effects of the electricity as well as being able to deflect a fast piece of moving metal with her hands in the first place. Xander was confident now that Treyanna was an unarmed fighter, and she confirmed this even more as she began to duck, bob, and weave around the chain as Xander slung it around, attempting to hit her with it. Despite his best efforts, all of his attacks were blocked or dodged as Treyanna closed the distance between them. Now that the advantage of distance had been removed, Xander once more switched to holding the weapon like a flail, taking up the slack in his off hand. As Treyanna continued rushing towards him, no longer slowed by having to dodge Xander¡¯s attacks, he struck out with the flail, timing the strike to when she would enter his reach. However, as the attack drew closer to her, Treyanna twisted herself out of the way, her body and movement speed empowered by skills to allow her feats of athleticism that no ordinary person could achieve. As she twisted to avoid Xander¡¯s weapon, one of her hands shot out, striking Xander¡¯s own hand. Somehow, Xander felt the chain of the weapon slip out of the hand that Treyanna had struck. He had no idea how - he had had a firm grip on the chain, and as far as he could tell, the strike had not managed to force him to open his hand. Regardless of how it happened, the head of the chain was now free flying, propelled by Xander¡¯s attempted strike. Before he could react to the situation, before the head of the weapon fully took up the slack and would have been stopped by his off hand, Treyanna lashed out a kick, her balance unimpeded by her twisting dodge. The kick struck Xander¡¯s off hand, and once again, he felt the weapon slipping from his grasp. She must have some kind of skill that allows her to disarm an opponent, he thought to himself. She didn¡¯t give him time to think much beyond that, though, as she immediately followed up her disarming of Xander with a solid punch to the chest, staggering him several steps back. Had he possessed a set of lungs, Xander likely would have been winded. As he did not, he was able to recover from the strike quickly. As Treyanna followed up on her strike, trying to keep herself within striking distance of Xander, he swung a backhand at her as he regained his balance. Then, he did three things as close to simultaneously as a person can do. First, he activated his weightiness runes to prevent Treyanna from throwing him off balance as easily with her strikes. Second, he activated the arms of his backpack, all eight of them springing to life and extending, which fluttered his black and gold spidersilk cloak from the movement. Thirdly, he startled Treyana by manifesting his bone shield onto his offhand, which was the hand that he had swung at her. She had been expecting a simple, flailing strike and had easily moved to duck under it. The sudden appearance of the shield, turning it from a backhand into a full on shield bash, startled her, and, unable to correct her duck to avoid the shield, she was struck in the face by Xander¡¯s shield. The force of the blow tumbled her backwards, though she turned the fall into a roll, quickly returning to her feet as she rolled backwards. Wary once more after the sudden shift in the fight, Treyanna was now facing a Xander wielding a shield, and noticed with amazement as a mace seemed to materialize into his other hand. Eight limbs, four of which ended in wickedly sharp points, were splayed out from his back. The two went back to circling each other, looking for an opening. This time, Treyanna broke the circling, sprinting towards Xander with her incredible speed. Xander raised his shield in anticipation, holding his mace at the ready as his runically enhanced weight allowed him to settle even deeper into a defensive posture. He wasn¡¯t expecting Treyanna to grab the edge of his shield as she reached him. It was unclear to him whether she had intended to throw him over her shoulder by using the shield as a grab point or to actually break the shield, but either way, the shield was ripped clean from the handles holding it to his arm and went sailing behind Treyanna. The woman, capitalizing on Xander¡¯s loss of his shield kicked out at him again, but this time wasn¡¯t able to move Xander due to his increased weight. Xander attempted to grab her leg with his now free arm to hold her in place as he swung his mace at her, but once again, she was too fast for him. She withdrew her leg before he could grab it, and once again disarmed him with one of her skill enhanced strikes. Throughout all of this, the woman was dodging and deflecting strikes from Xander¡¯s backpack spider legs. The two of them were at a stalemate. Xander had lost two weapons to the woman, and expected that even if he managed to get to one of them and pick it back up, he¡¯d quickly find himself disarmed again. Despite disarming him, Treyanna was unable to land a decisive blow on Xander, his armor and runic body able to absorb the force of her punches and kicks. Once again, the two of them separated, Treyanna backing off for a time to prevent one of Xander¡¯s spider legs from getting a lucky hit in. Xander considered what his next course of action should be. He could try hitting her with a bottle of glue, but he doubted that the woman in front of him would allow herself to be hit by a glass jar. She was too fast, and even if he was on target, he felt that she had the speed and agility to catch the thing midair. What he needed was the paralytic poison he¡¯d considered the previous night. Frustrated with the situation, Xander stripped off his gloves, exposing his hands, which caused Treyanna to grin. ¡°Going to try fighting fire with fire?¡± She asked, sounding amused. Her amused expression turned into one that was a mixture of confusion, disgust, and horror as two blades penetrated out from Xander¡¯s forearm through his skin with a metallic rasp and a click as they locked into place. Passing his hands over the blades, they came away dripping in paralytic poison as he readied himself once more. In each hand, he manifested a flashbang, clutching them tight in his fists, which now sat below his two arm blades. Treyanna recovered from her visceral reaction of seeing her opponent slide two, large blades from his skin and brought herself back into her own ready stance. Xander slowly approached, fists raised and at the ready. Though still somewhat disturbed by the blades, and concerned about the mysterious liquid that they had been coated in, Treyanna was confident in her ability to fight at close range like this, fist to short blade. Unfortunately for her, Xander was counting on her being confident in this situation. At the two clashed, Xander relied on his armor and heavy body to tank through punch that she aimed at him as soon as he came within range. As her fist struck his chest armor, causing her to lean forward a bit into his punch, he opened both of his fists and detonated the flashbangs. Suddenly blinded and deafened by two extremely bright and loud explosive devices, Treyanna reeled backwards as she felt the blades her opponent wielded inflict two deep cuts before she could back away out of range. One opened a gash on her shoulder and the other sliced along her ribs. Shaking her head and doing her best to use the peripheral vision available to her that wasn¡¯t a giant sunspot, she navigated away from Xander as she regained her bearings. Xander watched as the poison did its work. Within a couple of minutes, he could tell that she was slowing, and between that and the aftereffects of the flashbang, he was able to land more and more cuts on her arms and legs as she tried to defend herself from Xander¡¯s relentless advance. Once she stumbled to the ground, limbs becoming uncooperative from the poison coursing through her veins, it was over, and Treyanna knew it. Rather than suffer more of the poison or some other form of attack, she weakly raised her arms in surrender and called out, ¡°I yield! I yield,¡± as she slowly tried to stand and continue backing away. Xander backed off immediately, not wanting to continue the fight any more than would be sporting, and he heard the gong ring out in response to his opponent¡¯s surrender. A trio of healers trotted out to the woman, quickly cleansing her of poison and beginning to heal the various cuts on her body as they walked her off the field. Once he had collected his fallen weaponry and stashed it in his inventory, Xander made his own way from the arena, heading back to the stands as the crowd continued to cheer his victory. Combat Artificer - 60 As the rest of the fights wore on, Xander thought over his own battle. He found the ease with which Treyanna had been able to disarm him disconcerting. It didn¡¯t quite feel fair that she could just make his weapons slip out from his hands. But then again, as he thought about it a little more, it¡¯s not exactly like his own skills were fair when it came to an all-out fight. He could touch a man and then make them explode. Granted, [Reactivity] had a two-hour cooldown, but he doubted that it would make the person he was about to explode feel it was any fairer. The same could be said for his body, which was able to take much more of a beating than he had any right to be able to. He supposed that it was better to say that the status systems allowed people to be extremely proficient at certain things, rather than that it was ¡®unfair.¡¯ Those proficiencies and abilities could be overcome in any number of ways, and that was why mercenaries so rarely worked alone. A team could shore up the defense that one member might be lacking with the skills of another, and so on. The last fights of the second round wore on as Xander thought about the skills system as a whole and how much of an impact it made on people. It certainly seemed to skew towards specialization, for one. He was, he felt, a bit of an oddity in that his classes allowed him such flexibility, the combination of [Combat Artificer] and [Runelord] allowing him to engage in ranged and melee fighting as well as create minions of a sort, on top of his ability to tailor-make his own equipment for whatever situation might be at hand. Most people, if they were in a fight where their class did not thrive, could do little about it, having to rely on their teammates to either pick up the slack or change the battlefield in such a way that they could make more of an impact. Frazay needed people like Graffus to shield her from enemies who wanted to get too close, and Graffus needed people like Frazay to deal with the enemies that they couldn¡¯t get to. He was startled from his thoughts by someone walking out onto the field and waving to the crowd. No other fighter had joined them, so he was unsure as to what they were doing in the arena. Their purpose, however, became quite clear as soon as they spoke. In a voice that was augmented either by some artifice or by a skill, the man¡¯s voice rang out over the field to the crowded stands, roaring ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and esteemed visitors from across the seas, you¡¯ve seen the first two rounds, and we¡¯ve shaken the chaff from the wheat! The next few rounds, as the number of competitors are halved over and over, will see the cream of the crop rise to the top! Today and tomorrow, you¡¯ll see the highest speed, highest intensity skill user battles you¡¯ve ever seen!¡± The crowd cheered at the man¡¯s boasts for the tournament, and he paused, waiting for the roar to die down. He continued, ¡°Up next, we have our first two fighters of the third round! One is a combatant you all know well, a competitor who has performed well each year! The King of Ice! Shiver and shake in your boots for Urtel ¡®the Ice King¡¯ Crond!¡± Urtel Crond, the ¡®Ice King¡¯ the announcer spoke of, stood from his place in the stands, raising his arms high as he entered the arena to the cheers of the crowd. A chant of ¡°Ice King! Ice King!¡± accompanied by stomping feet was had around the arena. ¡°And up against the Ice King, we have a fresh face! Someone who¡¯s never competed in our humble tournament before, but by the gods, that hasn¡¯t stopped them from winning! Let¡¯s hear some noise for the mysterious, black plated warrior, Xander Jones!¡± The man raised his arms high, spinning to face every side of the arena, as people cheered once again, though there were no chants to be had for Xander. He wasn¡¯t established enough to have earned one, he supposed. Fuck, they put me up against the ice guy¡­ Xander thought to himself as he rose from his own seat and made the journey to the center of the field. Guess these runes weren¡¯t for nothing after all. Meeting Urtel at the center, the two of them traded a quick nod to each other before separating from each other. As Xander and Urtel split from the center of the field, the announcer moved over to the gong where he spoke once more. ¡°Alright folks, let¡¯s get this match started! Three, two, one, fight!¡± On ¡®fight,¡¯ he struck the gong. Urtel went for a match ending blow immediately. As he had in the previous match that Xander had watched, he clapped his hands together and activated the skill that had earned him his nickname. As the clap rang out, Xander, through his temperature sensing runes, felt the temperature instantly drop as ice began to rapidly form around his body. Before he could even begin to move, a thick layer was encasing him, growing thicker by the moment and obscuring his vision with a pale blue haze. Muffled by the ice, he could hear the announcer cry, ¡°Ohh! Looks like Urtel has gone for his signature move and entombed his foe in ice! Unless our black plated friend has something up his sleeve, this might be it!¡± Fortunately, Xander did indeed have something up his proverbial sleeve. He pulled his cloak into his inventory to prevent it from being destroyed, and then activated the flame runes engraved all over his armor. He could feel the heat immediately, and the wetness as melted ice waterlogged his armor. ¡°What¡¯s this? It looks like Xander does have something up his sleeve! He appears to be¡­ glowing? No! He¡¯s on fire! And he¡¯s melting his way through Urtel¡¯s ice block! Looks like we¡¯re in for a fight after all!¡± The crowd was cheering and roaring as the flame wreathed figure of Xander finally melted enough space in the ice to begin breaking out of it, sending shards of melting ice flying. Free of the ice, Xander ceased feeding the runes mana, and the flames winked out of existence. In the short time they¡¯d been on, he had begun to feel the silicone begin to melt from the heat, and he expected that it would catch fire, costing him his sense of touch if he kept it up any longer. He¡¯d likely need to fix the outer layer of fake skin and hair on his body tonight after the tournament. A bolt of ice of ice cast from Urtel that shattered against his breastplate returned his mind to the fight. Xander swiftly moved to close the distance between him and Urtel, who had been backing up as Xander melted through the ice that he¡¯d been encased in. Swinging his chain, he cast it forward, aiming at Urtel. The Ice King replied by raising up a wall of ice that stopped the head of the weapon dead in its tracks. Xander reeled the weapon back in and began to spin it again, building up momentum as he navigated around the wall of ice. As soon as he came around the wall, he was met with two ice bolts, one aimed at his head, which obscured his vision for a moment as it shattered against his helm¡¯s faceplate. The other destroyed itself on his shoulder, rocking him slightly to one side. The distraction, for that was what it was, served itself well, and Xander slipped to the ground, having lost all traction. Looking around, he saw that Urtel had created a slick field of ice around himself behind the wall and was expanding it with his abilities. Xander struggled to regain his feet as the man pummeled him with ice shards. They didn¡¯t do any real damage, the impact almost completely absorbed by his armor, but they kept him from returning to his feet, knocking him around and skidding him across the ice. Annoyingly, Urtel had no issues moving across the ice, befitting an ice mage. ¡°Uh oh, looks like Urtel has gotten the drop on Xander and created a field of ice! He¡¯s not letting our newcomer get his feet under him, and at this rate, the whole field will be covered in ice soon!¡± If he couldn¡¯t move on top of the ice, he¡¯d just have to break it. Activating his weight enhancing runes, he poured mana into them until the weight of his body caused him to shatter the ice under him. Finally able to stop being pushed around on the ice, he managed to get his feet under himself. Taking a slow step forward, the barrage of icy projectiles no longer able to rock him, he slammed his foot down, shattering another portion of ice and bringing his armored boot down onto the soil beneath, leaving a deep footprint. Slowly, Xander began to pick up speed, running at Urtel, who was still frantically pelting him with ice bolts. Crashing through the ice beneath him, Xander finally reached a full sprint, closing distance again with Urtel. Activating [Sprint], he increased his speed even more, startling Urtel with his rapid pace. The man attempted to skate away from him, gliding over the ice, but his, admittedly graceful looking, movement over the ice was no match for the speed of Xander¡¯s frenetic, destructive rush. In little time at all, Xander was close enough to attempt to strike him with his chained weapon. Urtel countered once again with his wall of ice, but this time, instead of going around it, Xander decided to try and surprise him by going through it. As Xander burst through the wall of ice, empowered by his runic body and the sheer momentum his artificially increased weight coupled with [Sprint] had gathered, he also crashed into Urtel. Evidently, the man had been hiding directly behind the wall, hoping to ambush Xander as he made his way around. The force of Xander¡¯s body hitting him threw him nearly ten feet, and Xander mentally flinched as he heard the sound of multiple bones breaking with a disturbingly loud series of crunches. Urtel hit the ice field he¡¯d created and slid another twenty feet before stopping, where he lay, unmoving. Several healers ran out, recognizing the severity of Urtel¡¯s wounds, but were stymied by the ice the mage had conjured over the ground. They slipped, fell, and skidded along as they tried to make their way over to the injured figure that they needed to heal, and Xander was appalled to hear the crowd laughing as if they were watching a group of rodeo clowns. He tromped his way over to Urtel, leaving a trail of crushed ice in his wake, where he then began to crush another trail of ice toward the healers, who were finally able to make their way to the man and begin healing him. ¡°Well folks,¡± The announcer hollered, ¡°That seems like the end of this match! The Ice King was put down hard, and Xander can claim attempted regicide for this fight!¡± Xander felt the pun was in poor taste, as he very well might have come close to actually killing his opponent by accident, but the announcer elicited a smattering of laughter at joke. He finished creating a trail that the healers could use to remove Urtel from the arena and continue their healing, and made his way to the stands again, ceasing his stream of mana into his weightiness runes as he left the ice. He found it hard to pay attention to the rest of the matches, instead focusing on the area of the healers, who were currently crowded around Urtel. Xander felt incredibly guilty for how badly he¡¯d injured the man, especially as it had been on accident. He¡¯d been barreling forward full force to get through that ice wall, and hadn¡¯t expected Urtel to be taking shelter behind it. Instead, he¡¯d thought that the man would have continued to try and make space between himself and Xander. He kept replaying the moment of impact in his head, his [Engraved in Memory] skill making it far too easy to review over and over in excruciating detail. Reviewing the scene in his mind, he felt certain that he¡¯d at the very least broken Urtel¡¯s arm, shoulder, and some of his ribs, as well as concussing him, if not fracturing his skull as the man¡¯s head had snapped to the side and then impacted Xander¡¯s armor. It was like watching a car crash in slow motion, only he was the car. He hoped the man would be alright, and was relieved to see him finally stand up, though he was clearly still in pain and seemed unable to properly walk. Surely, with enough time spent with the healers, he¡¯d be back on his feet. He was startled to realize that he¡¯d been focusing so much on Urtel that the rest of the matches had finished, and that the last one for the day was going on. In fact, even this match was almost over, and one of the combatants, the lone elf who had enrolled in the tournament, had disarmed their opponent and was currently battering them down past their shield. With a few expertly placed stabs, the elf¡¯s opponent was unable to move their arms any longer, forcing them to surrender. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°And Illanno wins another match! But hah, that¡¯s no surprise, eh?¡± The announcer crowed, and the crowd laughed with him. Clearly, the elf had participated in the tournament before, and was expected to do well. ¡°And that does it for today! Tomorrow, we have our last two rounds, and it¡¯s looking to be a toss up! Will Illanno take the win this year? Will it be our mysterious newcomer? Or will it be one of our other contenders? Find out tomorrow when we narrow our twelve contenders left down to one champion!¡± Once again, the slow process of emptying the stadium began. This time, Xander opted to leave as soon as the event was over. He¡¯d end up in a crowd no matter what, so he might as well get back to the inn a little earlier. He made his way out of the arena and navigated around the various gaggles of people surrounding various stalls set up outside the stands and joined the crowd that was sluggishly moving towards the city proper. Xander sighed mentally. He should have flown to the inn, but he hadn¡¯t considered it, and now he was too boxed in with the crowd to be able to spread his wings without hitting someone. Slowly, the pace of the people in front of him sped up as the crowd lessened, until he was free to walk at his own pace once again. Ducking into one of the larger alleyways, he took advantage of the lack of people to leap into the air and make his way over the building tops. He noticed the occasional person pointing at him and smiled inwardly. He really needed to get back into flying more often. It was relaxing, and far more convenient for traveling. Touching down in front of the inn, startling a few people who had been walking down the street nearby, he folded his wings back against his armor. Stepping inside, he was greeted by the lively atmosphere of a bar after a sporting event. People were lined up across the bar, drinking, eating, and discussing the matches that had gone on today at the arena. He moved to claim a table that was still empty, as he¡¯d beaten his team to the inn by flying there, and noticed that at least a few people had recognized him. He heard the occasional snippet of conversation as he passed people as people said things along the lines of, ¡°Isn¡¯t he part of the tournament?¡± and ¡°That¡¯s the one that fought Jarnel!¡± Finally making it through the packed seats to the table he¡¯d been angling towards, he sat down to wait for his team. The bartender by this point knew not to bother with trying to serve him, and so he was left alone with his thoughts as he waited. It was odd, sitting in a room full of people who seemed to recognize him, but didn¡¯t know him. People kept stealing glances at him when they thought he wasn¡¯t looking. If this was the amount of ¡®fame¡¯ that one got for doing well in a local competition, he was glad he wasn¡¯t actually famous. Just this was making him a little uncomfortable. Fifteen awkward minutes later, Atrax, Frazay, and Graffus entered the inn, followed closely by Gabrelle and Freyja. They all, including the big cat, made their way over to table Xander had chosen, once they¡¯d spotted him, and took seats around him, with the exception of Freyja, who instead sat on her haunches between Gabrelle and Xander. Atrax was the first to speak, saying, ¡°Damn, Xander, you hit that guy like a cart hitting a small child that ran into the street! Remind me not to get in your way next time you need to get somewhere.¡± Sheepishly, Xander nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ it was an accident; I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d try hiding right behind the wall.¡± He turned to Gabrelle, asking ¡°Is he going to be okay? I saw that you all were able to get him awake, but he seemed¡­ rough still.¡± ¡°Oh yes, you really did a number on him, Xander. That level of blunt force trauma can be a nightmare to heal,¡± she continued, and Xander wilted under her commentary. Noticing his shift in demeanor, Gabrelle added, ¡°but, he will be fine. It¡¯ll just take a few more sessions of healing, is all. And those will be covered under the fees he paid in the first place to join the tournament.¡± Xander felt some of his guilt ease as he was told that his former opponent would end up just fine. ¡°Uh, well, if you see him for healing¡­ let him know I¡¯m sorry, alright? It was not my intention to do that much damage to him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°Now let¡¯s celebrate that win!¡± Frazay interrupted, gesturing towards to barman to come by. Drinks were had, though once again, no one went overboard like that first night he¡¯d arrived, and the team took turns ribbing Xander good naturedly about ¡®accidentally¡¯ defeating his opponent. As the evening drew on, they separated to their own rooms, Freyja was stabled again, and Xander was free to make his way to his room with Gabrelle. Taking off his helmet once he was back in the room ¨C he was glad none of his teammates had asked him why he was keeping it on ¨C he created another small piece of steel to use as a mirror. The last one had disintegrated since he¡¯d last used it. His arming jacket had suffered as well, the exterior of it completely singed. Still, it had held up better than he would have expected. ¡°Xander! What¡¯s wrong with your hair? And your face!¡± Gabrelle asked, sounding horrified. Looking into the mirror, he saw what had Gabrelle so disturbed. His ¡®hair¡¯ was a single large matt of melted nylon, and his face was lumpy with misshapen silicone, some of which had charred black. He expected that the rest of his body looked much the same. ¡°Ugh, it was those fire runes. They burned pretty hot, and it did not play nice with my body. Give me a few minutes while I fix this.¡± He pulled his armor into his inventory, leaving him in his gambeson and looked over his exposed hands and feet, which were similarly lumpy and charred. Using a combination of the mirror, [Improved Manipulation] and [Schematic], he fixed his face first, and then his hands and feet, mending the gashes his arm blades had cut in his fake skin as well as the lumps and burns. ¡°Uh, Gabrelle, do you mind stepping out for a minute?¡± ¡°Um, sure, but why?¡± ¡°I need to get naked so I can see if I need to fix any burns on the rest of my body.¡± ¡°Oh! Right, of course,¡± she said, sounding a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ll step right out, just let me know when I can come back in?¡± ¡°Sure, it won¡¯t be long.¡± Xander said. As Gabrelle exited the room and shut the door, he pulled gambeson into his inventory as well. ¡°No peeking,¡± he muttered to the two golems that were still stationed at the head of the bed, mostly as a joke to himself. Despite his hopes, they had not seemed to gain any form of sentience despite the repeated applications of [Golemancer] that he¡¯d continued to apply to Atlas, Lynx, and Juniper. He inspected the rest of his body for damage, finding that, while the arming jacket had protected most of him from being charred, the intense heat had still caused the silicone to deform in places. It was easy to reshape back into the form that [Schematic] indicated that it should be, however. Once he was done, he manifested a set of clothes from his inventory ¨C a tan T¨Cshirt, boxers, and one of the pairs black pants he¡¯d bought. ¡°Alright,¡± he called to the door, ¡°you can come back in. I¡¯m decent.¡± Gabrelle opened the door back up and stepped inside, looking Xander up and down. ¡°Much better,¡± she commented. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you just wandered out of crypt anymore.¡± ¡°Thanks. What should we do until it¡¯s time for bed?¡± Gabrelle shrugged noncommittally. ¡°I dunno. I¡¯d planned to settle in and read a little before turning in. Is there something you¡¯d like to do?¡± ¡°Not really, I¡¯m just a little bored.¡± ¡°Is there anything you need or want to do for the matches tomorrow?¡± ¡°Mmm, I do have one idea, but it¡¯s a quick one. Mind if I read over your shoulder once I¡¯m done?¡± ¡°If you happen to find the various uses of frogsleaf and how it can be used to accelerate the healing of a set bone, then be my guest.¡± ¡°What, no steamy romance novel?¡± Gabrelle flushed a little. ¡°Nooo¡­ well, not this time, anyway.¡± Xander laughed. ¡°I knew it! Awh, don¡¯t be too embarrassed, I¡¯m just teasing. It¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. Well, nothing to be too embarrassed about anyways. But, ah, I will probably hold off on reading about herbology.¡± Xander¡¯s idea was a simple one. If he wasn¡¯t going to be able to hit an agile opponent with a jar, then why not make the jar explode so that he¡¯d only need to get the jar close to his opponent? He created a series of small, coin-sized disks and carved an explosion rune on each of them, along with an array that would allow him to remotely power them. The single rune wouldn¡¯t be enough to do much damage, but it would surely break open the jar and throw the glue in all directions. Carefully, he dropped a single explosive disk into each of the jars that he¡¯d previously filled. With nothing else to do, or at least, that he felt like doing, Xander slid into bed next to Gabrelle, who was still reading, and using a small pencil to make occasional notes in the margins of the book. ¡°Done already?¡± She asked. ¡°Yep, it was a pretty small idea.¡± ¡°Mm, well, I¡¯m just about at a good stopping point, so how about we try and get some sleep for tomorrow? Well, me that is. You just¡­ do whatever it is you do when I¡¯m asleep. Wait, you don¡¯t stare at me while I¡¯m sleeping do you?¡± ¡°No, I mostly just stare at the ceiling as I try to zone out.¡± ¡°Oh. Good, I guess. It would be weird if you stared at me the entire time.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xander decided to return to some older ideas he¡¯d had that night, now that he had the time and more experience with rune work. Namely, the idea he¡¯d had for a cloak that could adapt to its environment, creating a kind of adaptive camouflage. He already knew that he could arrange runes to sense temperature or touch, so surely he could have them sense color. But how would he translate the color that the runes sensed into being displayed on the cloak? Colors were just different wavelengths of light¡­ perhaps some kind of modulated light rune could display the color? But then it would glow in the dark, even if he powered the light runes as little as possible. Maybe an inverse light rune could be used instead. Rather than putting out light, it could absorb more or less light, leaving what was reflected naturally by the cloth and picked up by the eye as another color. He¡¯d have to start with a base color that what a combination of all the colors of light ¨C a bright white. Then, he could cover it with intelligence runes that would detect nearby colors and an array that would interpret these sensed colors into how much light the inverse light runes would absorb. That should work. An array to detect color, in three parts for the primary colors of light. Each part would detect how much red, green, or blue were in the color. Then, more intelligence runes to translate those numbers into how much to power the inverse light rune. If the color was white, maxing out each array for red, green, and blue, then the inverse light rune would be unpowered, leaving the cloak white for that portion of the array. If it was black, the rune would be fully powered, leaving the cloak a deep black. Anything in between would vary the power of the runes and hopefully produce another color. He¡¯d have to test it out and work out the exact levels of power that would achieve the proper colors, but in theory it should work. All the thinking of runes that could detect color, ways to display other colors, and runically sensing what was nearby brought him to another idea: thermal vision. He already knew he could sense temperature with runes. And he¡¯d had the idea of using light runes to display color. He could use a similar idea to the sections of runes he¡¯d use on the cloak, and instead use runes that would detect heat and light runes to display colors that corresponded to different levels of heat. Slap that onto a pair of goggles and he had heat vision. Inspired, he carefully slid out of the bed and made his way over to the desk in the room. He created a set of metal ¡®goggles¡¯ that would fit over the eye slits of his helm, with an elastic band that would keep them in place. On the outside of the opaque metal ¡®lenses¡¯ he engraved a multitude of runes to detect heat, similar to how the runes on his body worked. These, however, were linked to multiple amplification runes, magnifying their sensitivity. They were linked to light runes on the other side of the lens, layered as tightly as his new [Miniaturization] skill would allow. An intelligence rune would modulate each light rune according to the corresponding temperature sensing rune on the other side of the lens. White for freezing cold things, scaling up to a blue for cooler temperatures and transitioning to red for warmer colors, and a blazing orange for fiery hot. These light runes would act as individual pixels and hopefully allow him to see heat signatures even in pitch darkness. He spent the next few hours painstakingly carving the runes on the lenses of his goggles as tightly and neatly as possible, powering it with gathering arrays on the sides of the goggles where they flared out to block any incoming light from disrupting the light runes. When he was finished, and the runes were fully powered, he could already see the faint light shining on the inside of the lenses, shades of blue indicating the background of the room. He held them over his eyes and looked left and right. He could see the form of the desk and the shape of the room, and the red spot that was Gabrelle¡¯s form underneath the covers. He looked at his own hands, seeing the warm red tones that his heat runes put out. The two golems were much harder to see. They were essentially the same temperature as the wall, causing them to blend in. He could just barely see them outlined, likely because their smooth surface was a little bit colder than the wooden walls, but he had to look closely to do so. This highlighted the downside to thermal vision. Against anything that was the same temperature as their environment, like constructs, undead, or potentially even reptiles due their cold-blooded nature, they would perform poorly and leave him at a disadvantage. Still, it was a useful tool, allowing him to navigate in the dark without giving away his position by having to use a light. Satisfied, he stashed the goggles in his inventory, and made his way back to bed. He felt much more relaxed after the mental challenge of creating something new and was much more content to lay back on the mattress and wait for the morning to come. Combat Artificer - 61 That morning was the to be the last day of the tournament. Xander was already pleased with his performance so far, but he wanted to win. Having the tournament under his belt would be something he could point to as an achievement for picky employers. Hell, people might even come to him and his team for contracts specifically. There had been those rumors Gabrelle had mentioned about the tournament winner getting some kind of exclusive contract, after all. Xander was unsure of the veracity of those claims, but it wasn¡¯t hard to believe that someone who acquitted themselves well in the tournament ¨C even without winning, necessarily ¨C might catch someone¡¯s eye for a job. Xander made his way to the arena as he had the past two days, though he opted to fly this time around. Taking a seat in the now mostly empty competitor¡¯s area, he thought about how the day might go. There¡¯s twelve people left, including me, Xander thought to himself. So that would be¡­ twelve down to six, then six down to three¡­ wait. How are they going to work that out? Xander wondered to himself about the logistics of the final match as the rest of the competitors trickled in. He¡¯d arrived early compared to everyone else, except for the most dedicated fans. He¡¯d wanted some time to let his mental jitters about being in what amounted to the semi-finals settle down. He was going to have three, or maybe even four matches today, assuming he continued winning. And everyone else had to be thinking the same thing. That many matches meant that some of them at least might have to pace themselves, hold back on using abilities that had particularly long cooldowns in case they needed them later. There was also the factor of just plain old fatigue. One might find themselves more tired than their opponent in later matches if they had to go all out in their opening fight. Xander, however, did not need to pace himself much at all. His abilities, for the most part, were shorter cooldowns, and he often did not rely on them too heavily during a fight, and his body would not tire no matter how hard he pushed it. That might give him a leg up and allow him to overpower his opponents who would need to be more conservative with their energy. As the stadium filled and the allotted time for the start of the matches came, the announcer from the previous day made an appearance once again. His voice boomed across the open space once more. ¡°Welcome back to the final day of our little tournament! These last three matches are going to show us who¡¯s who here in Rock¡¯s Bay. ¡®But wait,¡¯ some of you may be asking yourselves, ¡®there¡¯ll be three finalists!¡¯ That¡¯s right, folks! And you know what that means! A. Three. Man. Beat. Down! We¡¯re going to toss ¡®em all in the ring and let them sort out who the winner is!¡± The crowd cheered for the news of a three-way fight as the final round. Xander hadn¡¯t considered that as an option for the resolution of the final round, but it made about as much sense as anything else, he supposed. It would certainly be a crowd pleaser. He was going to have to make sure he was prioritizing the right fighter while also keeping himself from being ganged up on, assuming he made it to the final round, that is. As the first fighters were called up, Xander settled back to wait his turn. He wondered who his opponent would be. At this point, only those who were high levels, very skilled, or like in Xander¡¯s case, had some kind of combination of skills that made up for their lack of levels or skills were left. Surveying the nine other people currently in the stands, he tried to take in his potential competition. There were a few he recognized. Illanno, the elven duelist. The hulk of a man who¡¯d thrown his opponent clear out of the ring earlier in the tournament. The mage who¡¯d bound his foe in a stone tomb after knocking them to the ground. The others were less distinct to him. They all seemed to lean towards being melee fighters, with the exception of the lone mage. Xander supposed that made sense. In a tournament where you weren¡¯t allowed to outright kill your opponent, things often were going to come down to being able to take more than your opponent could as you fought. Not exactly the specialty of most mages. There was a mix of armor amongst the remaining fighters, ranging from leather all the way to full plate like Xander¡¯s own. While he might not be able to get much of an idea of their fighting style, he felt he could at least ascertain if they would be doing a lot of moving and dodging by how light their armor was. Looking down at the arena and the two righters who were clashing, Xander saw that one was in a set of thick, heavy looking plate armor that featured decorative cogs on it and wielding a two-handed mace. The other was a man in leather and chainmail who was wielding a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. Xander remembered the heavier armored fighter, somewhat, having noticed their armor before. But they played their cards close to their chest, and hadn¡¯t used any abilities that had caught Xander¡¯s eye during the tournament. Perhaps they relied more on their equipment or passive abilities than actives. Regardless, they seemed to have the upper hand in the fight, as the longer reach of the two-handed mace was keeping their opponent from reaching them. For their part, the dual wielding hopped back from a swing of the mace and pointed their sword at the plate armored fighter¡¯s chest. A blue bolt discharged from the tip of the sword and struck true, rocking the heavier fighter backwards. The dual wielder used this opportunity to slip inside the guard of the mace wielder and plunge their dagger into the knee joint of their opponent, where it became lodged. Surprisingly, the mace wielding fighter reacted very little to having a knife shoved into their knee, as they swung a fist at their opponent, forcing them to back off once again. They experimentally flexed their knee, and then, with force, bent both knees, dropping their weight into it. As they did so, there was a resounding crack of breaking metal as the dagger, now in two pieces, was ejected from the knee joint of their armor. The fight was over shortly after that, the dual wielding warrior unable to significantly injure his opponent through their armor plating. All it took was one hit from the two-handed mace to finally connect in a moment of distraction, and he was on the ground with a broken arm and shoulder. Xander decided he¡¯d have to watch out for the heavily armored fighter. The amount of protection they fielded might even allow them to shrug off his elemental weapon no matter where he struck them. As he was thinking about how someone might move wearing that much armor, as well as completely ignore a deep stab into a joint, his name was called, breaking his line of thought. ¡°Up next, we have our mysterious Xander Jones, no longer so mysterious! You see, I had myself a trip down to the Mercenary¡¯s Guild yesterday and had a look-see at our friend¡¯s file! And would you believe it? He¡¯s been with us for less than five years! That¡¯s right, we¡¯ve got a genuine [Godsmarked] here, folks! And not only that, but a distinguished soldier! Fought in the war between Thrask and Dardin, and helped take Ilbek! Hell, they thought he was dead until he turned up after the war three years later! Guess you can¡¯t take all the mystery from a man like him! I give you¡­ The Wraith of Ilbek!¡± A portion of the crowd quickly took on a cheer of ¡°Wraith! Wraith! Wraith!¡± While Xander made his way from the stands and onto the field and the announcer finished his introduction of Xander. Xander wasn¡¯t sure how much he liked being known as ¡®The Wraith of Ilbek,¡¯ but he supposed there could be worse monikers to have. At least the announcer hadn¡¯t given away his status as a [Revenant] to the masses. That was something he¡¯d prefer to keep private, with the exception of his teammates and friends. As the cheers died down, the announcer continued. ¡°And up against our Wraith is Soldek Tringum! A master of the shield, Soldek has consistently placed highly in our humble yearly tournament! Will this year be the year he finally takes it all the way? They say he¡¯s never failed a bodyguard contract, and that nobles and merchants alike seek him out as their first choice for protection. I present to you, the fabled Dwarven Shield of the Bay!¡± Another portion of the crowd stomped as they cried out ¡°Soldek,¡± stomping at each syllable. Soldek, a barrel-chested dwarf clad in bright green enameled plate armor made his way down to the arena opposite Xander. In his hands were a shield, similarly enameled green and with a depiction of a figure bearing a shield as its heraldry, trimmed in gold, and a double hammer headed warhammer. Soldek gave Xander a form of salute, crossing his hammer over his shield for a moment and nodding his head. Xander, wanting to return the gesture, did his best to stand at attention and snap a salute of his own at the dwarf. The two separated after the exchange of salutes and the gong rang as they reached the appointed distance from each other. Soldek immediately took up a defensive posture, raising his shield and holding his hammer at the ready. Xander similarly readied his weapon, spinning it to bring up its momentum. The two stared at each other across the field, and Xander could tell that Soldek was ready for a long haul. The dwarf made no effort to move from his spot, save to turn to face Xander as he circled Soldek. And why would he, Xander realized. He was facing off against a dwarf that was dubbed the ¡®Dwarven Shield of the Bay.¡¯ Clearly, he must excel in defense and counterattack rather than offense. He was going to force Xander to come to him and then try to take him down during an opening. Xander wasn¡¯t sure what exactly the dwarf could do at a fifteen-foot distance, though. He¡¯d have to bite the bullet, find out, and roll with whatever punches his opponent threw. He launched his ball and chain at the dwarf¡¯s shield, wanting to find out if the electricity of the weapon¡¯s enchantment would be able to make its way to the dwarf. Soldek took the blow on his shield as expected, and unfortunately for Xander, seemed to suffer no ill effects from the elemental enchantment. That wasn¡¯t unsurprising, though. What was surprising was that Soldek¡¯s shield seemed to drain all of the inertia out of Xander¡¯s weapon, to the point where even the sound of the clank of the metal ball striking the shield was weakened. It fell to the ground rather than bouncing off the shield as it should have, leaving Soldek no worse for wear as Xander quickly reeled the weapon back in with his hands and [Ferrokinesis]. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Soldek made no attempt to move from his spot, still, as Xander cautiously continued circling the dwarf. Xander briefly considered attempting to use his rifle, since Soldek was so kindly holding still, but he wasn¡¯t sure if even that would make it through the dwarf¡¯s impressive shielding abilities. He threw out another attack with his weapon, and found it expertly blocked by Soldek¡¯s shield once again. How was he supposed to defeat an opponent who could weather his every blow? He wondered if this was how some of his opponents had felt, watching their abilities fail to penetrate his armor. He went over the tools available to him in his mind as he continued to launch unsuccessful attacks against Soldek. For his part, Soldek seemed content to block every attack and either wait for Xander to tire, or force him to come closer to attack, whereupon Xander would then be on Soldek¡¯s playing ground. He¡¯d already considered his gun, which he was uncertain of penetrating the dwarf¡¯s shield. Glue bomb? Soldek would likely catch it against his shield. Poison? He¡¯d have to get in close, and that was exactly what his opponent wanted. Flamethrower? It would either be entirely useless against the dwarf¡¯s shielding skills or be too lethal if it was effective. What abilities did he have that could work? He could use [Brand] to begin draining the dwarf of his vitality. That was a definite start, and it would force Soldek to do¡­ something. What else could he¡­ oh. Underneath his helm, a smile began to form on Xander¡¯s face. It was so simple, it was something he¡¯d done before in the heat of combat, yet it was something he¡¯d nearly failed to consider at all. He could just¡­ pick up his opponent with [Improved Ferrokinesis], and there was likely little that the dwarf could do. Drawing closer, though still out of reach of Soldek, Xander tested his theory out as he flexed his ability. Soldek was lifted off the ground by his chest piece, flailing as he tried to escape the invisible grasp on him. Making sure that he was still out of range of the dwarf¡¯s flailing, Xander began marching his squirming opponent to the edge of the field, ignoring the indignant shouts of anger coming from the dwarf as they neared the walls that denoted the out of bounds marker. Soldek was gently deposited on the ground just past the wall and released from Xanders ability. The gong rang as Soldek touched down on the ground. ¡°Well¡­ I guess that¡¯s the match,¡± the announcer said, awkwardly. ¡°It was, ah¡­ truly something to behold,¡± he said to the crowd, who had grown bored watching a fight that consisted of nothing but blocked probing attacks and then cleanly levitating one of the fighters out of the ring. Not exactly the most exciting match of the day by any metric. ¡°Xander Jones wins this one. Let¡¯s hope the next fight has a little more oomph, eh?¡± He said, attempting to get the crowd riled back up. Soldek, feeling somewhat humiliated by the method of his elimination from the tournament, stalked away from the field. Xander hoped the dwarf didn¡¯t take it too hard. An ability like [Ferrokinesis] in a world where so many things were made of metal, especially armor, was almost unfair to have. Though, he could feel that the dwarf had been at the upper limit of what he could lift with the skill. He could use it for a surprisingly powerful extra burst of force ¨C he should really test out pushing his opponents around or away with the ability ¨C but when it came to sustained force generation such as lifting an object, there was only so much the skill could manage. If his opponent had been a similarly proportioned human in plate armor, Xander wasn¡¯t sure that he¡¯d have been able to manage lifting them. Regardless, it had won him this match handily, and that was what he was concerned about in the short term. Taking up his seat again, Xander watched the rest of the matches in the round. They were all significantly more enjoyable for the crowd than his had been. He sarcastically wondered if his reputation in the area would be forever sullied by a boring match. The remaining four matches of the round went slower than the previous days¡¯ matches as the contestants were trying to pace themselves, but despite the slowness, there were still only six total matches in the round, so it was over in a short amount of time. Now there were only six hopefuls for the title of champion. Xander, Valteria, the clockwork themed knight from the first match, Illanno the elven duelist, Eltrox, the earthen mage who entombed his opponents in stone, a lightly armored fighter named Kariel who wielded a single longsword, and another fighter named Bral who took Kariel¡¯s dedication to a single weapon to the opposite extreme ¨C the man had axes, maces, at least one sword, and many daggers strapped to what seemed like every inch of his body. Xander wasn¡¯t sure how Bral could even move properly with all those weapons mounted to his armor, but his effectiveness was undeniable considering he¡¯d made it this far into the tournament. The semifinal round was about to start, and the announcer launched into another speech. Mercifully, for Xander at least, it was a short one. ¡°Just two more rounds to go! Every single fighter left in those stands has proven their skill, but after this, only three will be left! I hope they saved some energy for their next fights¡­ because we aren¡¯t taking any breaks here! Let¡¯s go on ahead and get everybody¡¯s favorite [Duelist], Illanno, out here! Facing up against the masterful elven duelist will be¡­ Bral! Let¡¯s see how an elf of one weapon fares against a man of many!¡± The answer to that question was quickly settled. A man of many weapons, or perhaps just Bral, fared poorly against Illanno. No matter what weapon he used, he was outfenced, outparried, or just plain outskilled against Illanno. The elf, in a classic fencing pose, seemed capable of baffling any attack with his delicate looking rapier. He gracefully parried Bral¡¯s longblades and expertly deflected or dodged heavier attacks by maces and axes. Soon, the field was littered with scattered weaponry that Illanno had finessed from Bral¡¯s hands, and Bral was left with only daggers. Though Bral never stopped fighting, wielding a dagger in each hand, it was only a matter of time as Illanno scored more and more hits with his own weapon. In the end, a battered, bloody Bral collapsed on the ground from the blood loss of the multitudes of cuts and stabs that he¡¯d suffered at the hands of his opponent, too weak to continue standing. The crowd had been waiting, almost in awe of the skill of Illanno, remaining quiet in anticipation. Once Bral collapsed, however, a rousing cry was raised as the duelist¡¯s supporters cheered and whistled for his victory. As the crowd finally settled down, the announcer called up the next two semifinalists: Xander and Eltrox. ¡°Up next, we¡¯ve got Eltrox the Tombmaker and Xander the Wraith! Let¡¯s hope this match is a little more exciting, eh?¡± The announcer said, ribbing Xander¡¯s previous performance. The crowd chuckled along with his sentiment. Xander was happy with this match up. Unless Eltrox had some tricks up the sleeves of his robes other than pummeling his opponents and then trapping them with hardened soil and stone in a sort of makeshift cairn, Xander felt his ability to take hits and his material manipulation abilities would see him through the day. As the two of them faced off in the center of the field, Eltrox stared grimly at Xander. Xander offered a small nod to the man, which was returned, and then they separated from the center. Xander expected Eltrox to open up strong, as he had in every other match Xander had seen. As the gong range, Xander activated [Improved Reactive Armor] in anticipation of this and Eltrox proved him right as he used one of his skills to conjure a series of medium sized stones and blast them at Xander like some kind of giant rock shotgun. With such a wide area of attack, it was impossible to fully dodge, though Xander did try. Xander was still caught by two of the stones, one being blown away from him by [Improved Reactive Armor], and the other shattering itself against his waist on his armor. Fortunately, the impact didn¡¯t throw him off balance, the force dampened by his runic arrays and the foam padding on the inside of the armor. Xander retaliated by launching the ball and chain at Eltrox, forgoing spinning it to gain momentum and instead exclusively using [Ferrokinesis] in a bid to startle the man. Eltrox reacted quickly, however, and whipped his hands up high above him. As his arms rose, so too did a wall of stone, which Xander¡¯s weapon impacted against harmlessly. Taking advantage of the barrier between them, Xander moved to get closer to Eltrox. As he walked, however, he noticed more and more resistance against his feet. Alarmed, he looked down to see that his feet were sinking into the ground as he ran, as if the soil were turning to a shallow pit of quicksand. Slowed as he was, it gave Eltrox time to lean out from his stone wall and launch a single, larger stone at Xander. Fortunately, Xander was able to activate [Improved Reactive Armor] again before the stone projectile impacted, and it was blown to the side by his defensive skill, broken into smaller pieces. He was faced with a similar dilemma to his fight with Urtel the Ice King: fighting a mage that could shift the terrain to their advantage and then pelt him with their abilities at their leisure. At least this time he wasn¡¯t sliding around on his face while being impacted by icicles. He needed to be able to get to Eltrox to end the match. The mage had already proven he could erect a barrier capable of blocking his weapon at range. He just needed a method of transport that was less susceptible to the drag of the quicksand-like mire that the arena had become. Fortunately, he had just the thing. Xander¡¯s spider legs once again sprang from this back, briefly displacing his cloak before it settled back into place. Hoisting himself up on the mechanical legs and ripping his feet from the sucking grasp of the skill altered earth, he began moving forward again, the sleek, pointed legs of his backpack suffering none of the drag that his feet had been. Eltrox backpedaled from Xander, unimpeded by his own skill, casting volleys of stone in a vain attempt to knock Xander to the ground which were deflected by [Improved Reactive Armor] and mitigated by his physical armor. Just as it had with Urtel, the match was decided as soon as Xander reached the mage. Unable to stop Xander from reaching him, Eltrox fell to a single touch of the lighting enhanced chain, body seizing up at the electricity raced through his musculature. The gong was rung, and Xander removed the man from the shocking grasp of his chain weapon. ¡°Good fight,¡± Eltrox grumbled as he dusted himself off, before making his way off the field. ¡°You too!¡± Xander called out after the man before heading back to the stands. Combat Artificer - 62 To Xander, the third fight and final fight of the round was the most interesting. While Illanno had shown almost preternatural skill with his weapon, he felt... cold was perhaps the best way to describe his fighting style. Calm, cool, and collected at all times. Kariel, on the other hand, seemed a much more passionate fighter. Despite also showing an extreme amount of skill with her chosen weapon, she was much more on the offensive against Valteria, striking flourishing blow after blow against the insanely armored figure of Valteria right from the start. Valteria, the clockwork knight, responded with a wide sweep of their hammer, forcing Kariel to leap backwards to avoid the blow. For a while, the match was a careful balance of Kariel darting in to strike blows in what should be critical and lighter armored sections of a plate armored warrior, only to be rebuffed by Valteria¡¯s armor and forced away by their massive hammer. Where Kariel needed to succeed every time and avoid her opponent¡¯s massive hammer as she moved in to strike, Valteria only needed to get lucky once as they tanked all of Kariel¡¯s blows. Xander watched with interest as Kariel landed slices and stabs on Valteria¡¯s knees, elbows, even the area of the Achille¡¯s tendon, all to no avail. It was like there was no flesh underneath all that armor. Perhaps, Xander thought, there wasn¡¯t? Was it so unthinkable that someone other than him might be able to create a suite of artificially movable armor? Or that they might be a spirit of some type? It wasn¡¯t out of the bounds of reality, though from his limited understanding, becoming a sentient form of spirit or other undead was rare, and becoming one that wasn¡¯t illegal was even rarer. Maybe he¡¯d get to find out if he got to fight with the clockwork knight. Eventually, Kariel¡¯s luck ran out, and, as she was making another blow against the knee of her significantly taller foe, Valteria landed a vicious elbow to the woman¡¯s jaw, the force of which spun Kariel partway around. Even from this distance, Xander could see that the woman¡¯s jawbone was clearly broken, hanging at an unnatural angle. Before she could recover, Valteria slammed the butt of her hammer into Kariel¡¯s back, knocking the dazed fighter to the ground. The clockwork knight then planted a boot firmly on Kariel¡¯s prone form, preventing the woman from managing to stand up. After a few moments of vain struggling on Kariel¡¯s part, she eventually gave the signal for surrender, dropping her longsword from her hand. A group of healers ¨C Xander spied Gabrelle amongst them ¨C made their way to Kariel, setting her jaw and healing her of any other minor wounds she¡¯d incurred in the fight. Valteria waved off the offer of healing, not seeming to need it. ¡°And there you have it!¡± The announcer yelled. ¡°We have our three final contenders! Illanno, the foremost [Duelist] of the city! Valteria, the giant knight! And Xander, the newcomer! Who will win? Let¡¯s find out right now! Valteria, don¡¯t bother going anywhere, because you¡¯re up next along with our other two finalists! Come on down and let¡¯s see who today¡¯s winner is going to be!¡± Xander and Illanno both made paths down to the arena from the now empty section of the stands they¡¯d been seated at. Various chants from the crowd for each of the three contestants overlapped into an indistinguishable roar as the three fighters moved to the center of the arena. The three of them faced off for a moment. Illanno was still cold and calm, saying nothing, making no moves, and seemingly relaxed. Valteria, however, startled Xander with a surprisingly high-pitched voice for someone so large and said, ¡°I like your armor, Xander.¡± ¡°Thanks! I like yours too. It¡¯s¡­ big,¡± he said. ¡°But in a good way,¡± he hastily added. Valteria laughed a similarly high-toned laugh, ¡°Thanks. Want to compare notes after this? I¡¯m always looking for input for improvement.¡± Xander was surprised by the offer, but intrigued. After all, he had a grand total of four friends, and as much as he loved them, a few more wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Uhm sure, that sounds great, actually. What about you, Illanno?¡± Illanno ignored Xander¡¯s question. In fact, Xander wasn¡¯t even sure the elf had heard any of the conversation between his two foes, as he hadn¡¯t reacted in the slightest. He almost seemed to be in some kind of meditative trance. Or, maybe he was just a cold-shouldered ass. Xander wasn¡¯t sure. He tried not to take it too personally though. He had been told that elves were a bit¡­ disconnected from the rest of society, after all. The three of them separated, and Xander shelved his personal thoughts on Illanno¡¯s behavior. As he walked away from his two opponents, he tried to decide who the most dangerous of his two opponents was. Illanno had speed and finesse, while Valteria had armor and strength. It was hard to decide, they were both great threats in their own right. However, for this particular scenario, Xander felt that Valteria was the one to truly watch out for in this fight. Illanno might be able to disarm him or even land a stab in a joint in his armor, but neither of those were fight enders for Xander. Valteria¡¯s hammer, however, looked like it could bat him around the field if she got a good hit in on him, even with his weight enhancing runes on. He¡¯d have to be careful he didn¡¯t let her get a hold on him and try to throw him out of the ring in the event the giant knight found it difficult to combat him in other ways. Once enough distance had been gathered by each of the three fighters, they turned to face each other again, waiting for the gong to ring. Whoever was in charge of ringing the gong had decided to let the crowd, and the fighters, linger in anticipation for, it seemed. After roughly thirty seconds of anticipating the ring that would signal the start of the match, everyone was relieved to hear the gong struck. The final match had begun. Xander spun the ball at the end of his chain in one hand as he eyed his opponents. They were both acting similarly, sizing up their enemies and weighing who to go after first. Valteria was the first to move, holding her hammer and warily making her way towards Illanno. Xander followed suit, albeit at slower pace. It felt unsporting to simply sit and watch his two opponents duke it out while he waited. Illanno held his rapier towards Valteria, but angled himself so that he could see both of his opponents. As Valteria came close enough to strike at Illanno with her warhammer, they did so, making a two-handed sweep at Illanno, who stepped back just far enough that the hammer whistled in front of his chest. As the weapon swept in front of him, the elven [Duelist] counterattacked, his rapier flashing out and scraping against Valteria¡¯s armored wrists, drawing sparks. Sparks seemed to the only thing his attack drew, however, as Valteria was unaffected by the blow and delivered another attack with a backswing of her massive hammer. Seeing that Valteria was occupied with Illanno, Xander took the opportunity probe the clockwork knight¡¯s resistance to his elemental enchantment. During the backswing that Valteria had aimed at Illanno, who had calmly stepped back just out of reach once again, Xander¡¯s weapon sailed through the air, empowered by its momentum enhanced runes and a blast from [Ferrokinesis]. It impacted heavily against Valteria¡¯s shoulder, rocking the knight to the side slightly and throwing her swing off balance. As the ball bounced off of the knight¡¯s armor, the only damage shown was a faint dent. The elemental rune enhancement had not made it through the armor, and other than being knocked off balance for a moment, the massively armored fighter was yet again unaffected. The three of them settled into a sort of stalemate for a time. Valteria trying to pin down Illanno, Illanno smoothly dodging her attacks, and Xander launching his weapon at both of them. Illanno had masterfully deflected Xander¡¯s weapon several times, and sidestepped and weaved around his other attacks almost as easily as he did with Valteria¡¯s hammer. Valteria continued to shrug off his attacks as easily as they had previously. Something had to break, and Xander decided that he would be the one to break it. Casting [Improved Reactive Armor] on himself, he slowly drew closer to the two fighters, continuing to throw out attacks with his chain weapon. Soon, he was almost as close to Valteria as Illanno was. As the heavily armored knight went for another swing, wider this time in an attempt to force Xander back as well, Xander manifested a flashbang from his inventory and tossed it to the ground. His two opponents reeled as the explosive device detonated and obscured their vision with its bright light. As soon as the device activated, Xander then activated [Smoke Screen], blanketing all three of them in a sphere of smoke that only he could easily see through. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Xander decided that to go after the softest target first: Illanno. No matter how good of a hit he got on the disoriented Valteria, no single hit was going to take them out of the fight. Illanno, however, seemed much more vulnerable, and proved to be so as the head of Xander¡¯s weapon buried itself in his side. Judging by the force with which the elf was thrown to the side by the artificially enhanced momentum of the weapon, at least a couple of his ribs were broken. Before he could follow up on his attack or confirm that Illanno was out of the fight, however, Xander was blown backwards by a gale of hot steam. Valteria had finally activated a skill of some kind that had a visible appearance. From the knight burst forth a gale of heated steam. The force of it dispersed Xander¡¯s [Smoke Screen] and knocked him a short distance away. Illanno, already on the ground and less armored than Xander, was simultaneously tumbled on the ground away from Valteria and burned by the steam. The injured elf weakly crawled away from the two standing fighters, and several healers ran out to meet him. Xander and Valteria held off on clashing as the healers entered their line of sight, instead trying to assess each other¡¯s weaknesses as they regarded each other. ¡°That was a dirty trick,¡± Valteria commented as Illanno was brought to his feet and helped off the field. Xander shrugged. ¡°Not my fault most people can¡¯t handle being blinded by a bright light. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s permanently damaging or anything.¡± During their short intermission, Xander was formulating a plan to try and deal with Valteria. He didn¡¯t think he was going to be able to do more than cosmetic damage to the knight with his ball and chain. He also was struggling to get a good reading on the proportions of the knight¡¯s body under all that armor, making [Brand] difficult to use, and a partial marking would be ineffective. He could swap to his mace and try to slowly wear away at the armor, but that would be time consuming and give Valteria many opportunities to make counterattacks or display other skills. They were definitely too heavy to lift with [Improved Ferrokinesis]. Given how much metal seemed to be involved in the joints of their suit, perhaps gumming it up with the fast-drying glue would slow them down. Once the healers were a sufficient distance away, the two commenced circling each other, angling for the right moment to strike. Xander struck first, surprising Valteria by manifesting a glass jar and tossing it at her instead of his usual attacks with his weapon. The knight raised their arm to deflect the projectile, and it shattered, splattering glue all across the end of their arm, wrist, and hand. Some of it splashed further up their arm and onto their chest, but it was not enough to do anything. Valteria tried to wipe the fluid off of their arm quickly, backing away to prevent Xander from rushing in to take advantage of the situation, and found the substance to be incredibly sticky. Another jar was launched from Xander¡¯s free hand, where it shattered and splashed against Valteria¡¯s waist and one of her knees. Unsure as to the effect of the fluid that Xander seemed intent on coating them with, Valteria went on the offensive once more in a bid to prevent him from throwing any more jars. Unfortunately for the clockwork knight, Xander¡¯s spider legs were capable of propelling him over the field faster than the heavy armored knight could run, with the added bonus of leaving him free to throw even more jars as he was chased. Soon, a thick layer of the glue coated Valteria¡¯s armor in multiple spots, concentrated around the joints of their armor. As it seeped into gaps in the armor and began to dry, the scraping sound of metallic components could be heard. Valteria began to grow slower, knees and hips providing far more resistance than they normally should, and their hammer blows were affected as well as the joints in their arms and shoulders began to gum up as well. It was still not enough to stop Valteria though. Doggedly, they followed after Xander, and he eventually ran out of jars of glue to throw. He debated creating more from his [Creation] ability, but decided it was pointless. The knight was about as coated and soaked in the glue as they were going to get. It had had a noticeable effect, at least, and he would have to work from there. Though the attacks from the large hammer were easier to avoid now, there was still a significant amount of force behind them, so Xander needed to be cautious. He still didn¡¯t have a way to break through the armor of his foe, at least not without killing them, and he still didn¡¯t fancy a prolonged session of beating on Valteria with his acidic mace. If he couldn¡¯t break through the armor, was there a way he could use it against his opponent? Of course! He was surprised he hadn¡¯t had the idea sooner, but if he could get close enough to briefly touch the knight, he could start using [Improved Manipulation] to start welding the joints of the armor together. He would still need to get close, but he¡¯d only have to make small, quick touches against his foe rather than trying to make larger hits with his mace. And every successful attack he made would make it even harder for Valteria to move. Ready to put his idea to the test, Xander changed his grip on his weapon as if he were intending to use it as a flail, and came in closer to Valteria, settling back onto his own two feet, rather than continuing to outrun them. He came into range of Valteria¡¯s hammer and quickly danced backwards from the swing the knight leveled at him. As soon as the hammer passed by him, though, Xander darted forward again, activating [Sprint]. The sudden burst of speed allowed him to get in close enough to run his free hand over part of Valteria¡¯s knee, the material flowing into one piece as he molded it together. He paid for it, though, as his opponent struck him with the butt end of the hammer, knocking him back away and staggering him. Valteria then aimed to lash out with a kick at Xander as he staggered backwards, but instead stumbled as their knee failed to bend. Confused as to why their leg was no longer working as intended, Valteria took a limping step forward, but Xander had already had time to recover after the failed kick and managed to sidestep the overhead blow Valteria had desperately swung at him. As the knight lifted their hammer, Xander dashed forward, again aided by [Sprint], and clamped a hand down on Valteria¡¯s right elbow, sealing the armored joint shut. With one arm half locked in place and one knee unable to bend, and every other joint gummed by the glue Xander had doused them in, Valteria¡¯s movement was severely limited. The harder it was for them to swing their hammer at Xander, the easier it became for him to seal more and more of the armor shut. Little by little, Valteria was reduced to a motionless figure, unable to move inside of their armor. Xander drew closer, weapon held loosely at his side, and was about to ask if Valteria surrendered when he was once again surprised. A panel on the chest large breastplate of the knight blew forward exploded outward and off of the knight¡¯s armor, and struck Xander square in the chest, knocking him flat. Following the heavy, metallic projectile was a much less heavy, fleshy projectile in the form of a deep violet skinned woman who was roughly four feet tall. Landing atop the metal plate that was still resting on top of Xander, Valteria shouted, ¡°I¡¯m gonna win this tournament, damnit,¡± as she attempted to pry Xander¡¯s helm from his head. Unfortunately for Valteria, without her oversized suit of armor, her strength left much to be desired when matched up against Xander¡¯s rune powered body. He quickly brought his hands up to Valteria and grabbed her arms in a tight grip. He used his hold to jerk the woman to one side as he shifted to dislodge the plate that was on top of him. Then he stood, lifting the odd-looking woman off her feet by her arm, looking at her curiously. He¡¯d never seen someone with purple skin before. He shook the questions from his head. Staring at people like that was rude, anyways, and he certainly knew how it felt to fear judgement for being ¡®different.¡¯ Still dangling Valteria by one arm, he asked, ¡°Do you surrender?¡± Valteria slumped and sighed as the fight finally went out of her. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± she said sadly. ¡°I surrender.¡± Xander gently placed her back on her own two feet and the woman raised her hands and backed away from Xander, signaling her surrender. The gong rang and the crowd, who had grown silent watching Valteria hanging from Xander¡¯s grasp, exploded into a clamor of cheering, chants, whistles, and various other celebratory noises. The announcer trotted out to the edge of the field and called out, ¡°And there you have it! This year, The Wraith of Ilbek has come out on top! Better luck next year everybody else! What an amazing match that was, huh? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a fighter where one of the contender¡¯s armor was sealed together like that!¡± The rest of the announcer¡¯s monologue was drowned out by the cheering as Xander looked around a bit confused as to what he was supposed to do now. Did he go back to the stands? Was he supposed to leave and collect his winnings at the guild? His thoughts were interrupted by a light rapping on his armored side. He turned to see a rather abashed looking Valteria looking up at him. ¡°Could you¡­ undo what you did to my armor? It¡¯s too heavy for me to move on my own¡­¡± the violet skinned woman asked him, sounding embarrassed. Combat Artificer - 63 ¡°Oh! Uh, yeah, I can do that. Sorry, I didn¡¯t even think to offer,¡± Xander said. Or rather, half-yelled, so he could be heard above the crowd. Xander and Valteria moved over to inspect her suit of armor, which had fallen to the ground after she¡¯d sprung from it. ¡°Wow,¡± Valteria said as she circled the suit, which effectively doubled her four-foot height to a hulking eight, ¡°these are some smooth joinings¡­ it¡¯s like you flowed the metal together.¡± She traced a finger over one of the sealed joints. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t damage it too badly,¡± Xander offered. ¡°I probably went about as deep as I could go with such short contact. I wasn¡¯t taking any chances after I watched you snap that dagger with your knee. Well¡­ the armor¡¯s knee. How does this thing even work? Is it rune powered?¡± Valteria grunted in frustration. ¡°Damn, that probably means that the gears and bearings are damaged¡­ I¡¯ll need to take the whole thing apart to get it walking again.¡± She turned to face Xander, ¡°And to answer your question, no, it¡¯s not rune powered. I¡¯m a [Tinker] and a [Mechanist]. I made it myself,¡± she said proudly. ¡°It¡¯s partly powered by my abilities, and partly powered by different magical artifices.¡± She sighed. ¡°Runework is too hard to find, and expensive, too¡­¡± ¡°Huh. That¡¯s awesome. Why don¡¯t I have a giant, magically powered suit of armor?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯d have to build one, for starters. It¡¯s not like you can just buy one in the market square. Also, you¡¯d need to have, you know, a class that would allow you to make one or power it.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m a [Combat Artificer], so I think I have that going for me,¡± Xander said with a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s what let me manipulate the metal on your suit.¡± Valteria looked at Xander with renewed interest. ¡°An artificer, huh? Now I¡¯m really hoping you¡¯re still willing to compare notes later.¡± ¡°Definitely still interested,¡± Xander said. ¡°If that suit of armor is any indicator of the type of things you like to make, I think we¡¯ll be getting along real well in no time at all.¡± He looked around for a moment. ¡°But, uh, first I guess I¡¯ll help you drag this thing off the field. Also¡­ do they, like, give me my winnings here, or am I supposed to get them at the guild, or what?¡± Valteria laughed. ¡°You¡¯ll pick them up from the guild. Haven¡¯t you ever done this kind of thing before?¡± Xander shook his head. ¡°Nope,¡± he said as he moved around to the head of the suit of armor and used [Creation] to produce a length of chain that he wrapped around the chestplate. ¡°Wait, really?¡± ¡°Mmhm, this is my first tournament, actually. I wanted to get some training for fighting against other skill users. I¡¯d say it was a success,¡± he said flippantly. Valteria shook her head in disbelief as she watched Xander settle the plate of metal that had been ejected from the breastplate of the armor roughly back in place and then walk back over to the length of chain he¡¯d left lying on the ground after wrapping it around the suit¡¯s torso. Picking up the chain, Xander began to drag the suit off the field, leaving a furrow in the dirt behind him. Valteria trotted up to Xander as he neared the edge of the field and told him, ¡°I have a cart on one end of the stadium. If you don¡¯t mind also helping me get this hunk of metal on the cart, I should be able to manage from there.¡± ¡°Sure, not a problem. I was realizing just about now that I might have consigned myself to dragging this halfway through the city. Cart sounds a lot better,¡± Xaner replied. While the crowd slowly filtered out of the stadium for the last time, Xander followed Valteria to an exit near the end that she¡¯d left her cart. There, outside the ring of stands that encircled the arena, were several carts. Some were small hand carts, others were full sized and had a mule, horse, or donkey waiting in their harness. One, however, stuck out to Xander, and made him assume it was Valteria¡¯s. It had no yoke or other method for which to hook up any kind of animal, but was certainly too large for the small woman to pull by hand, especially considering she wanted to put an eight foot tall suit of armor on it. Near the front was, instead, a strange looking device. A few gears could be seen on the outside, and on one end was a glowing dome that seemed filled with a dense, swirling, green mist. From it ran several tubes and pipes that terminated somewhere beneath the cart. Xander took an educated guess on what it was, assuming it to be the propulsion method for the cart, a magical engine of some sort. Xander wondered if Valteria¡¯s suit filled with devices like that. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just¡­ stand it up and let it fall onto the cart, then push it the rest of the way up there?¡± Xander half asked, half suggested. ¡°Mmm, try not to let it fall to hard, if you can, please.¡± Valteria asked of him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to break anything off the cart.¡± Xander dragged the still rigid suit of armor around to the back of the cart and tried his best to be careful as he hauled it to its feet, still using the chain as an aid. Once it was standing upright he shuffled it forward as best he could closer to the back of the cart and let it fall slowly onto the cart. The thing was damn heavy. He wondered just how much power or mana it drew to function between Valteria¡¯s own skills and whatever other devices powered it. Once it was laid down onto the bed of the cart with a heavy thump and the creaking of wood, Xander moved to the feet of the suit and lifted them up, using them to push it onto the cart fully. ¡°Wow,¡± Valteria said, impressed. ¡°You made that look easy. Last time I had to get that thing onto a cart I had to hire three men to do it.¡± Xander flexed the nonexistent muscles in his arm momentarily with a laugh. ¡°What can I say? The benefits of a combat class, I guess.¡± As well as he felt things were getting on with Valteria, he certainly wasn¡¯t ready to have the ¡®I¡¯m actually a spirit piloting a rune powered construct¡¯ conversation with the woman. ¡°Well,¡± Valteria said with a slight grunt as she began climbing up onto the cart herself, ¡°I¡¯m off to my workshop to start getting my armor fixed back up. I¡¯m still holding you to your offer to come compare notes about our fight, though! Come by around dinner time if you¡¯d like. Workshop¡¯s in the mercantile district down the road from the guild. Sign outside says ¡®Valteria¡¯s Mechanics and Sundries.¡¯¡± ¡°¡¯And Sundries?¡¯¡± Xander asked. ¡°Mmhm! Just because I can make death machines doesn¡¯t also mean I can¡¯t fix a clock.¡± ¡°Fair enough. I ¡®spose I¡¯ll see you this evening then. I¡¯ve got to pick up my winnings and then I should meet up with my team to let them know I¡¯ll be out.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got a team? You really are a professional merc and not just a moonlighter, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I feel like a professional most of the time,¡± Xander said jokingly. ¡°But we do take contracts regularly, yes. Though we¡¯re on a bit of a¡­ break while we wait for an investment to pan out.¡± ¡°Is that so? Maybe I¡¯ll get to hear more about it later, then. I¡¯ll see you soon, Xander!¡± Valteria waved a goodbye to him from the driver¡¯s seat of the wagon before fiddling with some unseen element of the arcane motor. With a clacking, whirring noise, the device sprang to life, vibrating slightly, and the cart began to trundle away. Xander stood for a few moments, watching the strange woman and her strange cart leave before saying to himself, ¡°Guess I ought to go get my money.¡± As the area he was in was relatively empty, seeming to be some kind of storage area for merchants to store a cart if needed, Xander decided to skip the crowd and the gawking stares, or god forbid, requests for autographs, and used his wings to bring himself into the sky. As he winged his way upwards, and then towards the guild, he opened up his status sheet, and saw that there were new entries within it. ---For becoming known by the moniker ¡°The Wraith of Ilbek¡± by over one hundred people, you have been granted the title ¡°The Wraith of Ilbek¡±--- ---For defeating all opposition in a large tournament, you have been granted the title ¡°Champion¡±--- [Champion] ¨C Damage in nonlethal combat or for the purpose of others¡¯ entertainment is increased The title granting him [The Wraith of Ilbek] seemed to be purely cosmetic, simply a recognition by whatever power or powers that governed the status sheets that he had achieved being known by enough people by that title. [Champion], however, provided a tangible, albeit niche, benefit. Really, they both just felt like bragging rights that had been attached to his status sheet. He wondered if people sat around and compared their sheets against each other¡¯s to see who had the most interesting titles or the strangest achievements recognized by their status sheet. With a mental shrug, he shelved those thoughts ¨C He¡¯d arrived at the guild. The titles were there, they weren¡¯t going away, and they weren¡¯t hurting him. Xander gradually circled lower until he alighted on the street, choosing a portion that was mostly free of passersby so that he didn¡¯t accidentally slap someone with a wing as he was touching down. Tucking his wings back into place on his armored back, he walked the short distance from where he¡¯d landed to the door of the guild building and opened it. Inside, it was business as usual, though perhaps a little on the lighter side. Xander wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to attendance at the now finished tournament or just coincidence. He made his way to the next available attendant, a tall woman wearing a green jerkin and a yellow shirt underneath. ¡°What can I help you with today?¡± She asked. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up my winnings from the tournament,¡± Xander said, a little uncertainly. ¡°Name¡¯s Xander Jones. I¡¯m not sure exactly how I¡¯m supposed to go about doing that though, other than doing it here.¡± ¡°Ah, I see,¡± The woman said, peering down at Xander from the vantage of her greater height. ¡°For that, I¡¯ll have to confer with my superior. Please wait here.¡± The woman came back with her superior, a dwarf who looked even shorter than he actually was as he walked next to his subordinate. ¡°Jarep will be handling the rest of your transaction,¡± the woman told him, indicating towards her supervisor as she did so. Then she left the two of them to go help another waiting merc. ¡°So, you won the tourney, eh?¡± Jarep asked. ¡°Mmhm!¡± Xander said happily. ¡°It was certainly a learning experience for me. I¡¯ve never seen so many fighting styles before.¡± Jarep nodded. ¡°Everyone¡¯s always on their best form for the tournament. Not like out in the wild where some unwashed criminal is trying to bash your brains in with a rusty mace, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Xander chuckled along with the dwarf, uncertain if he was downplaying the worth of the tournament in a roundabout way by trying to say that it wasn¡¯t indicative of real mercenary work, or just idly chitchatting just how different jobs can be. The dwarf did have a point, though. Xander¡¯s life and death fights were much more frantic, and dirty, than Xander¡¯s experience in the ring. ¡°All¡¯s fair when it¡¯s your life on the line,¡± he said, trying to be as neutral as possible since he couldn¡¯t tell how the dwarf was leaning. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Exactly,¡± Jarep said with a sagely nod. ¡°Now, as for your winnings, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to wait a tad bit longer.¡± He noticed Xander cocking his head questioningly at his statement and added ¡°Not too long, though! It¡¯s just¡­ well, the runner that was supposed to give official notice of the winner hasn¡¯t made it here yet.¡± ¡°Ohh, well that¡¯s okay. It was pretty packed around the arena,¡± Xander commented. ¡°I managed to circumnavigate most of the crowd ¨C I was scared I¡¯d be stuck there ¡®til next morning with a line of people trying to get me to sign my initials to various objects. I can wait around for a bit.¡± Jarep laughed at that. ¡°Oh the young do love their good luck trinkets. I always tell them that they¡¯d be better off spending their time training harder, but such is the purview of youth.¡± Xander quietly nodded along. The dwarf was proving to be a bit curmudgeonly. He bet that the dwarf would chide local children to stay off his lawn, too. ¡°Anywho, I¡¯ll let you know as soon as I receive word from the runner. Then I can officially disburse your credit slip.¡± ¡°Credit slip?¡± ¡°Well, we don¡¯t usually hand out thirty-pound sacks of coin,¡± the older dwarf explained. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to take the slip to one of the banks or brokers in town and they¡¯ll credit the coin to your account. You can withdraw it all from there, of course. Your business is your own when it comes to how you handle the coin after it¡¯s been transferred from the Mercenary¡¯s Guild to yourself.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°That makes sense. I should still have an account in my name¡­¡± Did he? The team had been drawing from his investments for group expenses, so presumably his accounts were still active. If not, he supposed he should make a new account anyways. Couldn¡¯t hurt to have funds stashed away somewhere other than in his inventory. After about ten more minutes of waiting, a breathless looking woman came through the door, holding an envelope. She quickly made her way behind the counter, locating Jarep as she did so. Still breathing heavily from her run she said, ¡°Here¡¯s the tournament winner, Jarep. Got here as fast as I could. Damned spectators filled up the roads all around. Still, good time overall. I should be here well before¡­¡± the woman trailed off as she noticed Xander on the other side of the counter. ¡°Wait,¡± she said, confused. ¡°How¡¯d you get here before me?¡± ¡°I cheated,¡± Xander explained, and extended his wings a hair to add to the explanation. The woman harrumphed with a slight pout, and handed the envelope over to Jarep. ¡°Thank you, Yerell. Go have a sit down and drink some water before you do anything else,¡± Jarep told the runner. Despite seeming like a potential grouch, he at least seemed to care for his workers. Turning back to Xander he said, ¡°If Yerell¡¯s reaction is anything to go by, I¡¯m sure your name will be the one I see on the paper here, but you¡¯ll have to humor me. For this much of a payment I¡¯ll need to be sure, and that involves me ensuring your name with a look at your status sheet.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Xander agreed. ¡°Might as well do it the right way.¡± Jarep nodded absently as he broke the thin wax seal on the envelope. It wasn¡¯t an embossed seal or anything fancy. It looked more like someone had simply dripped a candle over the mouth of the envelope to keep it from popping open. From within he withdrew a small slip of paper with only two words scribbled down on it: Xander Jones. He nodded to himself. ¡°Congratulations Mr. Jones, on winning the tournament. Just the formality of my confirming your name on your status sheet and I¡¯ll let you be on your way, credit slip in hand.¡± Xander pulled up the abridged version of his status sheet and flipped it around to be viewed by the dwarf. ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Jarep said, nodding as he confirmed Xander¡¯s name. ¡°Give me a moment, and I shall return forthright with your payment.¡± Jarep ambled over to a desk, and removed a sheet from one of its many cubbies. Then, using quill and ink, he began filling out information on the sheet before blotting the ink dry with a small sprinkle of sand. Xander watched at the dwarf made a flourishing signature on the bottom of the paper, once more blotting it dry, before he retrieved an envelope from another cubby, placing the slip inside of it. He then produced a small wax sealing kit from a drawer set in the base of the desk. The kit was enchanted at least in a small way, as Jarep seemed to be melting the wax in the small brass cup without needing a flame. The wax was poured, sealing the envelope, and Jarep pressed a ring that Xander hadn¡¯t noticed to it, embossing it. The dwarf then walked back to Xander and carefully handed the sealed envelope over the counter to Xander. ¡°There you are,¡± Jarep said. ¡°Don¡¯t lose it, now. I can¡¯t tell you how much of a headache it would be to for me to deal with making sure no one can try to use a lost credit slip.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Xander offered. ¡°Thank you.¡± He inspected the envelope briefly. The wax was a bright yellow, and Jarep¡¯s ring had embossed the symbol of the guild onto it ¨C two crossed spears. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Taking Jarep¡¯s words about losing the slip to heart, Xander stowed it safely in his inventory and decided that he should go straight to the bank. It was a ten-minute walk to the one nearest to the guild hall. There, he found out that his accounts were active, though the rest of the team¡¯s names had been added to his investment account. The teller kindly informed him that the guild had petitioned for his account to be reopened with the balance that it had originally had when they¡¯d gone about the paperwork reinstating him as ¡®alive.¡¯ There was apparently a special note in his records about it. With the tournament finally concluded in its entirety for Xander, he made his way back to the inn. He could fly, but he wanted to just let his mind rest for a short while. So, he opted to make the twenty-minute walk instead, enjoying the sights and sounds. A few people clearly recognized him from the tournament as he noticed them do double takes or point him out to their friends, but no one approached or bothered him as he continued his leisurely paced walk back to the inn. As soon as he entered the doorway of the inn, he was greeted with a chorus of cheers from his teammates. They¡¯d already found a table and were celebrating his win with beer and ale. Someone had provided Freyja with a saucer of milk. He hoped they hadn¡¯t tried to spike it with something. ¡°Xander! There¡¯s our champ! What took you so long?¡± Frazay questioned him, beckoning him over to the table, mug in hand. ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I was collecting my winnings from the guild hall, and then I had to stop by the bank.¡± ¡°Oooh, business first, how very mercenary,¡± Frazay teased. ¡°That big knight sure did put up a hell of a fight,¡± Atrax enthused. ¡°But¡­ it was a tiny person inside? How did that work? I was too far away to see the details.¡± ¡°Uhm,¡± Xander started off, thinking of how best to explain it. ¡°It was like a machine that she piloted? I didn¡¯t get much of a look at the insides of it,¡± he explained, ¡°but I¡¯m assuming that she looked out of the helm and the rest of the body used some kind of artifice, or skill, or magic to mirror her movements. I think. And she wasn¡¯t that tiny. Just¡­ a little shorter than Graffus. And purple.¡± ¡°Purple?¡± Gabrelle asked. Xander shrugged. ¡°Like, a deep violet purple. Have any of you ever met someone like that?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say that I have,¡± Graffus said. ¡°Could be from another continent,¡± Atrax said. ¡°I think it was¡­ oh gods damnit it¡¯s on the tip of my tongue. They¡¯re¡­ distantly related to elves? Maybe? Ah! Pix! She could be a pix. I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re purple. Or blue. Both?¡± ¡°A¡­ pix? I heard the announcer mention ¡®esteemed visitors from across the seas.¡¯ Just how many races are there besides human, elves, and dwarves?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s the bug people ¨C ¡° Graffus started off before being interrupted by Frazay. ¡°Insectoids, Graffus!¡± She chided him. Graffus ignored her. ¡°Bug people,¡± he continued, ¡°and there¡¯s the pix like Atrax just said, let¡¯s see¡­ the vorn ¨C those are the tall furry ones that have tails. I¡¯m sure there are a few more¡­ Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever met any of them besides a vorn, though, and that was just once. Strange fellow, just kept asking me about different kinds of vegetables and what they tasted like. Apparently they only eat meat, or so he told me.¡± ¡°The folk that lie beyond the borders of our continent aren¡¯t my area of study,¡± Atrax said. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I even remembered what a pix is, and I¡¯m not even entirely certain she is a pix. For all I know she could have been dyed purple in some kind of magical accident.¡± Xander looked to Gabrelle and then Frazay, receiving shrugs from both. ¡°Travel between the continents is really that uncommon, then?¡± ¡°Well, think about it this way,¡± Graffus said. ¡°You have to brave a long, potentially dangerous journey by sea. That means you need good, high-level sailors, and a very well-equipped boat. That alone can become quite expensive. So there¡¯s the factor of cost and the factor of danger. A not insignificant number of ships that go out that far to sea just¡­ don¡¯t come back. And for what reason would they brave the journey? Most resources they can, I assume, source from their home continent. Perhaps there are rare herbs that grow only on this side of the sea, but that¡¯s a lot to risk for just a plant. So that mostly leaves traders who specialize in something so niche that we¡¯ve probably never even heard of it, the intrepid explorer type, and the occasional person that wants to get so far from home that they flee to an entirely new continent.¡± ¡°Mmh.¡± Xander grunted, taking in the explanation. He realized that the ease of intercontinental travel back on Earth had been informing his thoughts of travel, still. ¡°That makes sense. I wonder what it¡¯s like over there. Wait, is it just one ¡®over there?¡¯ Are there more than two continents?¡± Frazay shrugged again. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever heard of the one other one.¡± Gabrelle offered, ¡°I¡¯ve read stories about islands far out to sea¡­ but those don¡¯t exactly measure up to being an entire continent.¡± ¡°I guess I can ask about it when I see her later¡­¡± Xander said, his mind still distracted from his realization that sea travel was thoroughly dangerous. ¡°¡¯Later?¡¯¡± Frazay asked, eyebrows raised. ¡°Huh? Oh,¡± Xander realized that he still hadn¡¯t told the team about Valteria¡¯s offer to come visit her and her shop that evening. ¡°Yeah, she asked me if I¡¯d like to come over this evening around dinner time and compare notes on our fight.¡± As he said the word ¡®dinner¡¯, he realized something. ¡°Shit¡­¡± he said. ¡°How am I supposed to pretend to eat?¡± Atrax laughed. ¡°You¡¯ve got a date with a purple woman from another continent who wears a giant suit of magical armor, and you¡¯re worried that she¡¯s going to judge you because you don¡¯t eat?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a date! It¡¯s¡­ a meeting between potential colleagues? I don¡¯t know. Not a date though. She¡¯s a [Tinker] and a [Mechanist], so I¡¯m interested to see what kind of things she¡­¡± Xander was interrupted by Frazay, who joined in on Atrax¡¯s line of teasing. ¡°Mmmhmmm. A woman invites you over for dinner and to ¡®compare notes,¡¯ and it¡¯s not a date,¡± she said sarcastically. ¡°Just take it slow and get ta know her,¡± Graffus offered. ¡°That¡¯s the way a real man ¨C or dwarf - woos a woman.¡± ¡°Do you know about contraception?¡± Gabrelle asked him, holding a straight face for as long as she could before it cracked into a smile. ¡°Even you, Gabrelle? Betrayed? By my whole team?¡± Xander exclaimed dramatically. ¡°Why would I take dating advice from you four anyway?¡± He retorted, trying to turn the tables on his team. ¡°Not¡­ that I¡¯m ready, or looking to date by the way. I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve seen ya¡¯ll going on dates yourselves. Uh, not that your advice was bad advice, Graffus. I agree with you on that, actually.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know,¡± Atrax said in a faux pompous voice, ¡°that I am very successful with the ladies.¡± ¡°Tch,¡± Frazay snorted. ¡°The ones that take payment, maybe.¡± ¡°You only know that because you sleep with the same ones!¡± Atrax exclaimed. Frazay shrugged. ¡°What can I say? Everyone loves me, men and women.¡± Graffus rolled his eyes at the two of them. ¡°Definitely don¡¯t take their advice. As for me, well, I¡¯ve got a century or two before I need to think about settling down. What¡¯s the rush? It¡¯ll happen when it happens. Or it won¡¯t. That¡¯s just how life is.¡± Xander had forgotten just how long-lived dwarves were. He was always thinking of Graffus on human terms, as if he was just a short, broadly built human rather than a member of a completely different species. The difference in priorities, or at least patience, was eye opening. Frazay turned her eye towards her next target: Gabrelle. ¡°And when are we going to find you a date, hmm?¡± Gabrelle stared like a deer struck by headlights. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°You know, a man. Or a woman. Or a dwarf?¡± Frazay explained, sounding like she was having to spell it out. ¡°Someone you want to spend time with¡­ not platonically?¡± She added with a rib at her and Xander¡¯s earlier embarrassment around the misinterpretation of their relationship. ¡°Maaaybe I¡¯m just not ready yet?¡± Gabrelle suggested. ¡°Awh, come on,¡± Atrax said, joining in, ¡°Surely someone has at least caught your eye, right?¡± ¡°Oh, stop teasing her,¡± Graffus admonished the two of them. ¡°Yeah,¡± Xander agreed, though with more levity. ¡°If she gets any redder people might think she¡¯s from another continent, too.¡± ¡°Fiiine,¡± Frazay said with a dramatic sigh. ¡°But if you ever need to gossip about a guy¡­ I¡¯m all ears,¡± She told Gabrelle. ¡°You¡¯re all ears for any gossip,¡± Atrax quipped. The afternoon wore on in similar fashion, the five of them talking, laughing, and teasing each other about various subjects. Xander learned that Atrax had found a potential buyer for any drakelings that hatched beyond the one that Frazay had reserved for herself. It should only be another month or so, now. Graffus had apparently taken up fishing as a hobby. Atrax had gotten into¡­ something. Xander didn¡¯t quite understand the topic beyond that it involved the study of how fire operated at base level of skills. Gabrelle spent much of the conversation talking about the various injuries she¡¯d seen during the tournament. Frazay was still spending most of her free time sourcing what scarce knowledge there was about drake biology so that she could raise the drakeling more effectively. Soon enough, though, it was time for Xander to excuse himself from the table. He needed to change into something other than armor, and then he needed to actually find Valteria¡¯s workshop. He was always a little nervous about being on time ¨C the one thing that seemed to have really stuck with him from basic training was a fear of being late for things ¨C and the fact that he didn¡¯t have an exact location for the place he was going only exacerbated that. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly how he could be late for ¡®around dinner time,¡¯ but that certainly didn¡¯t stop his mind from feeling like he might be. And so, around dusk ¨C the days had grown shorter, he observed to himself ¨C he found himself once more on the street in front of the guild house. Combat Artificer - 64 He''d dressed in his casual clothes and walked there, leaving his armor, wings, and golem assisted backpack in his inventory. He had almost worn his more formal attire, but decided that might be overdressing after waffling back and forth on the idea several times. No one had recognized him this time without his signature armor, and he decided he liked things a little better that way. It was nice to just be another person on the street, not feeling people¡¯s eyes on you or wondering what they were saying about you. Xander took up a slow but purposeful pace towards the mercantile district that was near the guild hall. He found himself looking at every sign for every shop he passed, as he had no idea which one might be Valteria¡¯s. He wished she¡¯d been a little more specific with her directions. ¡®Down the road from the guild¡¯ encompassed a lot of stores and workshops. He just hoped it was actually on the main street and not tucked away on a side street. He noticed the tailor¡¯s shop he¡¯d visited with Gabrelle, Brakk¡¯s, as well as the shoemaker he¡¯d bought his boots from as he walked. By this point he was fairly deep into the area and was beginning to worry he¡¯d missed a sign somewhere, somehow. It didn¡¯t help that as it was getting darker, the signs were becoming harder to read. Rock¡¯s Bay didn¡¯t have the level of public street lighting that Anlet had maintained. Still, he hadn¡¯t reached the end of the district, so he couldn¡¯t double back just yet. Finally, towards what he assumed was near the end of the district, where shops were beginning to mingle with homes, he spotted the sign. It was attached to a modestly sized, wooden two story building. A stone chimney rose from the far side of the workshop, though he noticed what appeared to be a metal vent of some sort mounted on a side wall nearer the road. A small window on the first floor was set up as a shadowbox, displaying a few odds and ends to anyone passing by. Xander saw a small clock ¨C he realized he¡¯d never set his watch and took the time to do so, hoping the clock was actually set to the correct time ¨C along with an intricate looking crossbow with a winching mechanism, as well as some more esoteric devices whose function he was unsure of. It wasn¡¯t late in the day yet, but considering that many of the shops he¡¯d seen seemed to be in the process of closing up for the end of the day as the light was lost, he wasn¡¯t sure if he should just walk on in. He opted for knocking first, rapping his knuckles against the door. It was times like this that he appreciated having an artificial body. The fact that he didn¡¯t have a heart that could beat faster due to the social anxiety he was feeling or that he didn¡¯t have a stomach to worry about upsetting with stress sure made it a lot easier to manage his feelings and get out and take himself out of his social sphere of comfort. He knew it was silly. After all, he was just having a casual sit down with someone who he wanted to become friends with, or at least professionally acquainted with. But this kind of thing had always rattled him a little, though he''d managed to keep a handle on it for the most part. Outgoing would not have been the most apt description of his social life back on Earth, though. He waited patiently for a reply to his knock and was rewarded as the door opened. He was confused, however, when a man, appearing to be somewhere in his late twenties or early thirties, opened the door. He had a dark brown, bushy mustache that matched a disheveled mop of similarly dark brown hair and was wearing a leather apron over a sturdy looking shirt and pair of pants that had many small spots burned through them in multiple places. ¡°Can I help you?¡± The man asked. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Xander started, stricken by awkwardness. ¡°Uhm, I¡¯m looking for Valteria?¡± The man nodded in understanding as he opened the door fully. Looking back over his shoulder he called out, ¡°Miss Valteria! Your guest is here!¡± He then turned back to face Xander and said, ¡°Wait, you are the person Valteria invited, yes?¡± Xander quickly nodded an affirmative. ¡°Mmhm, she asked me to come by this evening.¡± The man breathed a small sigh of relief. ¡°Phew, I¡¯m glad you are. I should have checked to see if you were a customer first,¡± he said with a small laugh. ¡°It would have been a bit awkward if you weren¡¯t the person she invited.¡± Xander heard the clatter of tools being placed down and heard Valteria¡¯s voice from inside the shop. ¡°Thanks Jarrett! Go on and let him in and then you can go home for the night. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, as always.¡± The man, Jarrett, stepped aside from the doorway and beckoned Xander inside before slipping out the door himself. ¡°Good night, Miss Valteria,¡± he called behind him before shutting the door behind him. Taking a moment to look around, Xander absorbed the eclectic workshop he¡¯d stepped into. Several workbenches were placed against the wall throughout the space, and each one had their own pile of what appeared to be a clutter of parts, from gears to bolts to round little glowing glass baubles that Xander had no guess as to their purpose. Tools of all kinds hung on the remaining empty space on the wall. A small forge was placed near the vent that he had spotted earlier, with a metal hood to catch the smoke hanging from the ceiling and piped to the vent. Ingots and warped chunks of metal were piled near the forge, though there was no fire burning in it at the moment. Xander spied Valteria hanging a small ballpeen hammer on a peg on the workbench she was sitting at. Hopping down from her stool, Valteria turned to face Xander and said, ¡°Welcome to my workshop!¡± She gestured broadly at the room around her. Xander gave a small wave and replied, ¡°Hi. Uhm, thanks for inviting me¡­¡± Xander trailed off, standing awkwardly a few steps in from the door. The two of them stared at each other for several agonizing seconds before Valteria finally came up with something to say. ¡°What was that stuff you threw all over my armor? It¡¯s going to take me weeks to chip it all off.¡± ¡°Oh! Uh, don¡¯t worry about chipping it off. It¡¯s a glue from an alchemical recipe I bought, but since I made it with my abilities, it should just sort of¡­ disintegrate after about a day from when it was last close to me.¡± Valteria¡¯s shoulders sagged in relief. ¡°Oh thank the gods,¡± she sighed. ¡°I was considering trying an acid bath at this point.¡± She regained her posture after a moment and beckoned him over. ¡°Would you like to come upstairs? We can both sit down up there.¡± ¡°Sure, that sounds fine to me,¡± Xander replied. Valteria led him to a staircase at the back of the workshop leading to the second story of the building. As he reached the landing at the top of the stairs, he was met with a much cozier atmosphere than the disorganized workshop below. The stairs came up into a living and dining area of sorts, a small table with four chairs populating the portion closest to the stairs. The table had several drawings and sketches of mechanical devices in varying levels of completion spread out on top of it. Further into the room, a small couch was set against the wall, next to a bookshelf. A fireplace was ensconced at the back of the room, along with a table for preparing food. A narrow hallway led to the other rooms of Valteria¡¯s home, though Xander couldn¡¯t tell what they were, since the doors were closed. ¡°Come, sit, sit,¡± Valteria insisted, gesturing to the table. Xander pulled one of the chairs out from the table and sat down, watching Valteria do the same. ¡°So you wanted to talk about the fight in the arena, right?¡± Valteria nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, though I¡¯m interested in getting your opinion on a couple other things as an [Artificer]. But we can talk about that in a little bit. First, I want to know what you thought about the suit overall, as someone who fought against it.¡± ¡°Mm, okay. Well, it can certainly take a hit. I got a couple of good hits in on you, and it seemed like I was only able to do cosmetic damage. I¡¯ll admit, though, that the ball and the chain is not the weapon I normally use. The mace I use has a corrosion enhancement on it, though, so I thought it might be a little¡­ deadly for a tournament. I imagine it might have been fairly effective on your suit. I also thought that the lightning enhancement on the ball and chain would be more effective. But once I got a couple of rounds in, it seemed like most people had some way to get around it, you included. So, the suit itself is pretty resistant to physical damage. Assuming you don¡¯t already have some way to mitigate things like acid, I¡¯d say that that¡¯s all I can think of in that regard. Really, the two biggest things I noticed were some issues you had with range of motion and with your fighting style. Not exactly sure what you can do about range of motion. I imagine that¡¯s more of a mechanical limitation. But it combines with your fighting style to make you vulnerable to someone ¨C or something ¨C who can actually damage your suit. Once I was able to get inside your guard, I was able to get a hit on you and away before you could do much. Admittedly, your gears or whatever it is that moves that thing were also gummed up with glue, so that was a contributing factor. So I guess that¡¯s three things. Flexibility and range of motion, because it could make it hard for you to deal with a small or very agile opponent. Fighting style, you need to have something in the wing for when an opponent is able to get inside your guard, be it a different weapon, or a skill like what you used to create all that steam. And then a minor quibble about maybe finding a way to protect the inner mechanisms of your suit from environmental factors like mud, or glue, or whatever you might encounter.¡± Valteria nodded along patiently as she listened to Xander think his way through his review of her mechanical suit. ¡°Mm, that all makes sense. You¡¯re right that flexibility and a way to shield the gears, bearings, pulleys, and all the other various little things I¡¯ve shoved into my suit from the environment would be good, but, at least at this point, I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s something I can do. Your comment about my fighting style is, as much as I hate to admit it, spot on. I was able to simply outlast and then smash my opponents when they made a mistake throughout the whole tournament. I did struggle with getting you out of my guard. And there was the one with the knife, he got in my guard too. That would have been a problem if he¡¯d had something that would damage the suit, you¡¯re right. I need to learn how to adjust for that. Or maybe come up with something to keep people from being able to capitalize on being inside my guard.¡± She sighed. ¡°Got any ideas?¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­ Spikes that shoot out of your armor? Lightning that arcs around your legs? Fire? What about that steam thing you did? That knocked me around pretty well.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°The steam takes a while to recharge¡­ it¡¯s a magical device. Spikes? Lightning? That sounds good, but ah, how exactly am I supposed to implement that? Spikes, well, I worry they wouldn¡¯t be able to penetrate armor. I like the lightning idea, but that sounds expensive. I could easily spend the entirety of the prize money for the tournament ¨C which I didn¡¯t win anyways ¨C or more on something that would be able to produce that level of elemental power and is customized to work for my needs.¡± Xander nodded thoughtfully. ¡°If you did have the purchasing power, what would you need to implement a defense like that?¡± Valteria rubbed her chin for a moment as she thought the question over. ¡°Mmm¡­ I can think of three different ways to do it. If I could get my hands on something with large amounts of latent elemental energy, like, say, a core from a lightning elemental or perhaps the right organ from a different lightning producing monster, I could use it as a battery and channel that elemental energy through conduits out around my armor. Similarly, if I was able to get my hands on something that naturally produces raw magical energy I could do something in the same vein, but I¡¯d have to find, or more likely create myself, a way to convert that into the kind of elemental energy I want before pumping it out of my armor. That one would have the added benefit of allowing me to potentially change what kind of energy I¡¯m converting the raw mana to, which would give me some added flexibility. Thirdly, I could pay for some kind of runic array. They¡¯ve all got their pros and cons. The runes and a lightning producing core would be the least flexible. Between runes and a lightning core, the cost could vary¡­ a low grade or smaller core would probably be less expensive than having runework done, but a more powerful core could run more than an array. A raw mana producing item would be the most expensive, I¡¯d reckon. Not many beasts that use or produce undifferentiated mana, from my understanding. And the ones that do tend to be quite nasty, from what I¡¯ve heard. But still, I¡¯d easily be looking at upwards of three-quarters of a platinum to implement even a lower grade core between having to source and buy one and all the parts and materials I¡¯d have to buy and create to implement it.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Xander said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that things like that could get so expensive¡­ and I thought spending twenty-five gold on a pair of boots was painful! So is that why you joined the tournament? Money to keep working on your suit?¡± Valteria shook her head. ¡°No, not really. Truth is, I wanted to use it to pay back a loan. Few years ago, back during the war between Thrask and Dardin, business was pretty bad. Trade had slowed down a lot through the city. I was getting by on selling crossbows for the most part, but it wasn¡¯t enough to keep the shop afloat. So, I had to take out a loan to keep from having to close up shop. Now that things are back to normal, or at least close enough, I¡¯m able to pay a small amount towards it each month, but it eats into the profits I would have been able to put away as savings quite heavily. If I had won, it¡¯d have given me some more breathing room.¡± Xander nodded slowly. He felt a bit sheepish having this conversation with Valteria, as he was the winner and had no particular need for the coin. ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s unfortunate. You, um, mentioned rune work, right?¡± ¡°Yes, why?¡± ¡°Say I happened to know a rune worker who might be willing to do some work for reasonable prices¡­ is that something that would have a positive effect on your business?¡± Valteria leaned forward, clearly interested. ¡°It would, yes. I can think of a few things a rune worker could do that would allow me to sell higher grade wares. Clocks that never run out of tension on their springs, crossbows that shoot farther, and reload faster. That sort of thing. But¡­ I haven¡¯t heard of anyone setting up shop in town that deals in runes and arrays,¡± She said, looking at Xander with furrowed brows. ¡°Ah, what if I also told you that the rune worker is me?¡± Valteria stared at him for a moment, before almost exploding. ¡°Agh! Gods damnit, I should have known! That armor of yours, the weird¡­spider leg¡­ thingies¡­ the fact that it was so resistant to every damn thing that hit it! Ugh that is so unfair, how did you wind up with a rune class and an artificer class? And why. The hells. Are you doing mercenary work?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ well, I like mercenary work? I quite like my team; I¡¯d say they¡¯re my closest friends. Also, my only friends? Wow, I need to make more friends. Um, and my classes are specifically [Combat Artificer] and [Rune Lord]. So it does lend itself well to merc work. But I¡¯ve been known to do some side jobs here and there. And I¡¯m quite interested in learning about that suit of yours and some other devices. I¡¯m a bit at a loss when it comes to the more arcane bits of science and technology, aside from runes.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I see. But why are you so interested in my armor and other things?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m a [Godsmarked], so I don¡¯t have any formal training in anything like what you do. And uh¡­ Sooo, how do you feel about undead that fall into a sort of moral grey area with the circumstances of their existence?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very specific question.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t have any particular qualms about them, as long as they don¡¯t, you know, become evil or something like that. Or are smelly and covered in rotting flesh.¡± ¡°Okay, good start here. What if I told you that I was, essentially, a disembodied spirit powering a construct through my class skills?¡± Valteria stared at Xander. ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± She exclaimed after a contemplative pause. ¡°You¡¯re fucking with me, that¡¯s what you¡¯re doing!¡± ¡°No, seriously! I am.¡± Xander said, trying to placate the smaller woman after her outburst. ¡°Do I need to do something to prove it to you?¡± ¡°Honestly? Yes. What you¡¯re claiming is so¡­ just out there in the field of things I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Shit. How should I go about this? I guess I could pull a Terminator and peel off my arm covering.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®Terminator?¡¯ That doesn¡¯t sound promising to me.¡± ¡°Sorry, cultural reference from¡­ well, back home. ¡®Marked thing, I guess. But, like, I could peel off the ¡®skin,¡¯¡± Xander mimed air quotes at the word ¡®skin,¡¯ ¡°and show you the base skeleton of the construct underneath? Would that work?¡± ¡°Okay¡­ yes, I suppose that would be proof enough. But don¡¯t you dare get blood all over my house if you¡¯re just some kind of crazy freak who think¡¯s he¡¯s a construct.¡± ¡°Right, then. Here goes.¡± Xander pulled a small pocketknife from his inventory ¨C the same one he¡¯d [Analyze]d so long ago on his first day on this world. Opening it, he pressed it to his palm and dragged it downward, opening a slit from the middle of his hand to the middle of his forearm as Valteria watched, morbidly transfixed on the scene. ¡°See? No blood,¡± Xander said, setting the knife down. Valteria nodded slowly. ¡°No blood¡­¡± she parroted. ¡°But¡­ what¡¯s under there, then?¡± Xander pulled the slit in the silicone wide, revealing the skeletal frame of the metal underneath. ¡°Basically it¡¯s a runed construct that I control by flowing mana into various arrays. It gives me feedback in the forms of various levels of mana for things like touch or heat. For whatever reason, I guess thanks to the gods in this world, I¡¯m able to hear and see on my own. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d have been able to do if I didn¡¯t have that.¡± ¡°So, just to be clear,¡± Valteria said, ¡°you are a spirit controlling some kind of manual golem that has realistic, but fake skin?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, yes.¡± Valteria blew out a long breath, thinking. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I mean how does that even happen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably a conversation for another time, but I can tell you that becoming a spirit was not intentional on my part. Neither was dying,¡± Xander chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Valteria responded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for accusing you of lying, by the way. It¡¯s just¡­ well, not very believable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I totally get it.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re interested in my suit as a way to improve your own body?¡± ¡°Sort of? I mean, I think I could make myself my own suit if I wanted to. It would just be a suit of armor runed to mimic my movements. I¡¯m more interested in the things you talked about like magically converting different types of mana, using elemental cores to produce lightning, that kind of thing. I can make runic arrays to mimic things like that, but I¡¯d like to get an even deeper understanding of things like that.¡± ¡°Mm, I see. Fitting for an [Artificer] to have a desire to learn about those kind of things, I suppose. What do you say about a trade? You do some rune work for me, and I teach you some of my trade.¡± Xander nodded his head in agreement. ¡°I think that sounds just fine.¡± Valteria clapped her hands together in excitement. ¡°Excellent! What do you say you join me for dinner and we can talk things over in more detail?¡± ¡°Um, sure, but just a reminder: I can¡¯t actually eat.¡± ¡°Oh. Right.¡± ¡°But I¡¯d still be happy to sit and talk!¡± Once Valteria had finished making dinner for herself ¨C some kind of fowl that she fried in a cast iron skillet on her hearth accompanied by what looked to be mashed potatoes ¨C the two sat down together to talk further. Xander found that he enjoyed talking with the small, violet woman. She had a passion for creatively solving problems with her tinkerings that he admired. She was similarly impressed by some of the ideas he had for runic arrays, such as the camouflage cloak idea he¡¯d been tossing around in his head. He hated to admit it, but he was finding her more and more attractive the longer they spoke. It felt wrong ¨C wasn¡¯t he still married? It hadn¡¯t been that long since he¡¯d been pulled from Helen. Just around a year¡­ plus three that he¡¯d spent unconscious. He felt a little ashamed by the attraction. That didn¡¯t stop him from talking to Valteria, though. Whether or not he decided if his attraction was something he decided to pursue, the two of them had a business arrangement. Plus, her company was enjoyable. The deal they hammered out was simple: Xander would place arrays on some of the items that Valteria made, or had already made, and in return, Valteria would show Xander the basics of how to convert the mana in elemental cores and other various mana producing organs and how to channel it through conduits. He was hopeful that he could combine this with his rune working skills to create even more powerful effects, or at the very least, effects that were different than what he could already create. The two spoke well into the night. Xander elaborated on his method of layering materials overtop one another to fit more arrays into his armor, as well as how he¡¯d found that different filling materials had effects on the efficiency of runes. Valteria tried her best to give him a short beginner¡¯s primer on creating a mana powered device. In short, one needed a source of mana, such as the aforementioned elemental cores, which could be induced to discharge the load it had accumulated with a small, targeted spark of mana. This discharge was then channeled into specially made conduits, and traveled through them to the apparatus that was to be powered. That was what Xander managed to gather, anyways. From there, it became even more complicated because one had to actually design an apparatus to be powered, and Valteria kept going off on tangents about interesting ideas she had for different devices and their combat applications. The two talked into the evening, finally interrupted by the chiming of several different clocks echoing up the stairs from Valteria¡¯s storefront as they reached the top of an hour. Xander checked his watch and realized that it had just reached eleven o¡¯clock. Valteria was also alerted by the clocks that it was growing late, as she uttered, ¡°Ah, I ¡®spose I should let you get back to your bed. It¡¯s getting pretty late. I expect you¡¯ll be stopping by tomorrow for your first lessons?¡± Xander nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah, that sounds good to me. I¡¯m at loose ends right now with the end of the tournament and waiting for our investment to pan out, so I can be by whenever. When works best for you?¡± ¡°Mmm, swing by late morning or early afternoon, roundabouts. I find the shop is busiest in the morning as people are running errands before their day and the evening after people pack up from their jobs.¡± ¡°Sure, I can do that.¡± Xander stood from the table, the motion a little awkward due to the fact that it was a little shorter than average and held his hand out for Valteria to shake. Valteria also stood, and looked at his hand confusedly for a moment before taking it and completing the handshake. ¡°Why are we shaking hands?¡± ¡°Where I¡¯m from, it¡¯s customary to shake hands upon the completion of a deal or transaction. Just a habit for me at this point, I suppose.¡± ¡°Oh. Hmm. I think I like that tradition. Adds a bit of formality to it.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re welcome to appropriate it. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡± ¡°¡¯Til tomorrow!¡± Combat Artificer - 65 Xander made his way back to the inn on foot. The streets were quiet, and it was only occasionally that he would pass anyone on the street. He simply meandered his way to his destination, taking time to take in the city through the lens of night. The lights and fireplaces still lit in a few buildings bled out onto the street through windows, providing small patches of cozy, warm light here and there as he walked. Nothing exciting happened, no one tried to kill him, and he wasn¡¯t required to fight anything. It was quite relaxing to be able to just walk and think. The thing that was on his mind at the moment were his feelings toward Valteria. He was uncomfortable with the fact that he was feeling something at all. He mulled over the thought of whether it was moral for him to feel that way. Was it? He hadn¡¯t acted on it at all. So there was that. But was it wrong to even feel that way? He was a theoretically married man. Which brought up another question. Was he still married? He still thought of himself as married. But in reality, he wasn¡¯t. He¡¯d lost his wedding ring, and he¡¯d been gone from Earth, assuming that time flowed the same way here as it did in Earth, for over three years. He wouldn¡¯t blame Helen for moving on, if he found out that she had. He wasn¡¯t sure he was over it yet, though. He¡¯d only been aware for less than half his total time in Tillania. He¡¯d settled well enough to many aspects of this new world, but he still caught himself thinking of Earth as ¡°back home,¡± like he was ever going to get to go back. Like he¡¯d get to go back to Helen. He knew that there was a slim to zero chance of that ever happening, though. That, in all likelihood, life as he knew it here would become his normal. That one day, maybe, he might find someone else. But would it be wrong to date, or perhaps court would be a better word in this world, with the unresolved hangups he had right now? He wasn¡¯t sure. So, he decided on the easiest answer: to do nothing about his attraction, leave his own thought line unresolved, and wait to cross that bridge when someone actually expressed interest in him. Besides, he was approaching the inn now, anyway. Shelving his thoughts for now, Xander stepped into the inn. The inside of the first floor was dimly lit by a sputtering fire on one end and only a few patrons sat at any tables, huddled together having quiet conversations. The bartender had long since retired, and Xander barely earned a glance from the preoccupied patrons as he softly walked to the stairs and began to climb them. Xander quietly opened the door to his shared room and slipped inside, managing not to wake Gabrelle. Instead of carefully lying down on the bed, he opted to sit down on a chair. He didn¡¯t feel like just laying there with nothing but his thoughts. Instead, he¡¯d rather occupy himself with a project, deciding to try a pass at his idea for the adaptive camouflage cloak. He¡¯d start with just a small square, and he expected that it would end up more as practice with applying runes to cloth than anything. Creating a square of white cloth, he began using his abilities to weave threads of silver into the fabric. Gathering arrays and intelligence runes for power and to sense the color what was nearby, tied to another array to of intelligence runes to exclude the wearer, were followed by more intelligence runes connected inverse light runes. The weaving took him several hours, the process being quite tedious. Xander didn¡¯t mind, though. The detailed work kept his mind occupied and away from the lurking thoughts of how he should handle personal relationships. Once the sequences of runes and arrays were complete, he took a closer look at the fabric, on which the runes had begun to take effect. He placed the cloth on the floor to observe the effects of the runes. It was only a partial success. While the rune work did recognize the area around it, Xander could clearly see the continuation of the wooden boards and even some of the darker sections of the wood grain, the color was completely off. Instead of blending in with the wood, the square of cloth ended up highlighting itself in a bright purple. Xander shrugged to himself, allowing himself a quiet sigh. It was a start. Perhaps he should divide the sensing runes into sets of three, one for each color of light, to match the sets of three that the inverse light runes were set into. It might simplify the process. Deciding to try it out, he slowly began unraveling the runes woven into the square of fabric so that he could start over. He wasn¡¯t sure why he was unraveling them. He could have just set the whole thing aside, to dissolve in a day, and created a new blank square. But it felt wrong for some reason, like a waste. Maybe a holdover from the days when he couldn¡¯t just create things at will, he supposed. When Gabrelle awoke, she found Xander still sitting in the same chair, and still fiddling with the runes he¡¯d woven into the piece of cloth. ¡°Xander?¡± She asked, mildly startled to see a figure outside the bed. ¡°What are you doing over there?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± Xander said, broken from his focus on the cloth. ¡°Oh, I was working on a project to keep myself occupied. I was, uh, feeling a little restless when I came back last night.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay. That¡¯s fine,¡± Gabrelle said, nodding understandingly. ¡°Sooo¡­ how¡¯d your date go?¡± ¡°It was not a date!¡± Xander exclaimed. ¡°But, yeah, it went well. She wanted my input on her suit, and we ended up hammering out a little business agreement where she¡¯s going to teach me some of the more arcane fields of machinery here on this world and I¡¯ll do some rune work for her.¡± ¡°Mmmf,¡± Gabrelle grunted as she sat up and stretched. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good, I suppose. Not much else to do while we wait for those eggs¡­ ugh what am I gonna do for another whole month,¡± she lamented. Xander shrugged. ¡°I dunno. Isn¡¯t there anything you want to work on? Some kind of skill you¡¯d like to pick up, or a goal you want to achieve?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to have a little garden of herbs I commonly use¡­ but that¡¯s not exactly conducive to the life of a traveling mercenary. Hmm¡­ You know, I¡¯m not really sure. I¡¯ve been living the life of a mercenary, and enjoying it, ever since we met, and it¡¯s occupied most of my time. I really just don¡¯t know what to do with myself with all this free time.¡± ¡°Well, you could always learn to cook so that Graffus isn¡¯t the one that¡¯s preparing whatever we catch out on the road,¡± Xander said with a chuckle. ¡°Hmm, or you could read up on anatomy at the library? It could help you understand what your healing is doing more deeply ¨C of course, that¡¯s assuming you don¡¯t already, maybe you do. Reading up on the anatomy of monsters, or creatures, or whatever the hell could help you fight them better, too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ve always wondered if I could use my healing abilities in any way during a fight¡­ maybe that¡¯s something I could research. If nothing else, you¡¯re right that reading up on the anatomy of things I might fight would help me know where to hit. Blugh, it beats sitting around here all day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! I¡¯ll leave you to get dressed. I¡¯ve finally managed to get brown to actually look brown, so now I need to start testing with other colors!¡± Xander gestured proudly at the small square of cloth he was holding in one hand as it shifted colors slightly from being waved about. ¡°Umm, that¡¯s good, I assume,¡± Gabrelle said, a little unsure as to what Xander was talking about. ¡°Ah, but yes, I should get dressed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you later! I¡¯ll be visiting Valteria¡¯s shop again today to do some work and hopefully learn some magic¡­machine¡­stuff. Yeah. That.¡± Valteria had asked him to stop by late morning at the earliest, so he had a couple of hours before he needed to head that direction. In the meantime, he wanted to see how well his little square of cloth managed to duplicate colors other than the floor of his room at the inn. He spent the next two hours wandering about the common area of the inn, and then the outside of the inn, placing the fabric over various objects to test the color. It performed well with darker colors, but as he found brighter colors outdoors, he found that the runic arrays still struggled ¨C they were too bright, enhancing the vibrancy of the object they were supposed to be mimicking. Xander scribbled down some notes on a pad he pulled from his inventory, jotting down the objects and colors that the arrays were still struggling with. Checking his watch, he sighed. He wouldn¡¯t have time to sit down and adjust the arrays until later, because he needed to head over to Valteria¡¯s. As it was, he needed to begin heading there if he didn¡¯t want to miss his target time of late morning, which he¡¯d guestimated to be approximately ten thirty. As he walked from behind the inn, he spied the stable and a thought sparked in his mind. He hadn¡¯t spent as much time with Freyja as he should have, lately. He was sure the cat would enjoy a jaunt out through the city, and to meet a new person. He made a stop by the stable and let Freyja out of her stall, the big cat happily galivanting out of her stall, excited to see Xander. ¡°Hey Freyja,¡± Xander said. ¡°Sorry I haven¡¯t been spending much time with you,¡± he told the cat a little guiltily. ¡°Guess I¡¯ve been a little distracted, what with the tournament and making a body.¡± Freyja grumbled at him, but didn¡¯t stop rubbing her head against Xander¡¯s chest. ¡°How about you come out with me today? I¡¯ve got to go out, and I think you could use a walk. You can meet Valteria, she¡¯s supposed to be teaching me about arcane machinery. Just make sure you behave yourself in her shop and don¡¯t break anything, okay?¡± Freyja huffed at Xander like she¡¯d never once broken anything in her life and was not capable of exerting extreme force or of extreme violence. Xander and Freyja began their journey from the inn to Valteria¡¯s shop. Xander took the thoroughfare that led past the guild, Freyja happily following along, content to absorb the sights, sounds, and scents of the road as they strolled. Now that Xander wasn¡¯t confined to a suit of black plate armor, Freyja was the one who drew strangers¡¯ eyes the most, though the cat had grown used to being stared at by this point. Soon enough, they were at the door of Valteria¡¯s Mechanics and Sundries. Xander opened the door, letting himself and Freyja into the shop. As he entered, he spied Jarrett and Valteria both at work on the shop floor. Jarrett seemed to fitting a trigger to a crossbow, while Valteria¡¯s work was obscured by her body from Xander¡¯s vision. They both looked up as the door opened and then closed. ¡°Xander! Hello ther- why do you have a giant cat?¡± Valteria asked in shock. ¡°That is a very large cat¡­¡± Jarrett said, sounding very unsure of the situation. ¡°Hi!¡± Xander said with a wave. ¡°Ah, this is Freyja. She¡¯s my bonded companion. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s very well behaved, I promise she won¡¯t break anything. And, if she does, I¡¯ll pay for it, I suppose. You promise to be good, don¡¯t you Freyja?¡± Freyja nodded her head enthusiastically, to Valteria and Jarrett¡¯s surprise. ¡°So,¡± Xander said, tactfully ignoring the unsurety of Valteria and Jarrett around a large predator, ¡°what¡¯s on the schedule for today?¡± Valteria shook her head slightly, clearing her distracted thoughts from her mind. ¡°Ahh¡­ Well, I suppose first off we should sit down and talk about some of the ideas I have for your rune work, you can tell me what is and isn¡¯t feasible, and then we can talk about what areas you want to focus on learning some of my tinkering knowledge.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°That sounds good. Where do you want to sit down and have this talk?¡± ¡°Pull up a chair to my bench here, I¡¯ve got a couple of things that I¡¯m prototyping for these ideas.¡± Xander moved over to an unused work table and carried the stool back over to Valteria¡¯s current work area and sat down. On the workbench in front of her were multiple miscellaneous cogs, gears, and other metal pieces that Xander was unable to identify. Valteria picked up a small cog and held it up. ¡°Something simple first. Could you make a cog that turns on its own at a constant rate?¡± Xander cocked his head at such an easy request. ¡°Uhm, sure. That¡¯s not a problem at all. But what for?¡± Valteria¡¯s face lit up with the excitement that comes with getting to explain one¡¯s relatively niche interest to someone. ¡°I could make a clock that never needs to be wound! With a runed cog providing power to the winding mechanism, I could make a clock that, with proper care and maintenance, would last centuries without once needing to be wound! That kind of thing can bring in quite the amount of coin from nobles and other luxury goods buyers.¡± ¡°Huh. I never really thought about that,¡± Xander said. ¡°Also,¡± Valteria continued, ¡°it has an application on just about any other clockwork device you could think of. I haven¡¯t done much with constructing clockwork automatons ¨C I don¡¯t much care for things that need to be wound up before being set to a short, simple task ¨C but with this, I could make something that would last even longer.¡± Xander perked up a bit more when Valteria mentioned clockwork automatons. He thought back to the small, clockwork spider he¡¯d created as the first test of his [Automaton] ability. ¡°Interesting¡­ What kind of automatons would you create?¡± Valteria answered immediately, clearly having thought on the matter already. ¡°First, I think I¡¯d like to make something that could assist me in combat. Something that I could deploy from my armor that would help me deal with anything that gets in past my guard. Maybe also something to fold my laundry,¡± she added with a small laugh. ¡°But for something that could deal with the intricacies of combat, I¡¯ll need to get my hands on some kind of motive force,¡± she added. ¡°I¡¯ll need to get with a ritualist at some point and price something like a bound spirit that I can emplace to control the whole apparatus.¡± Xander nodded in agreement. ¡°That sounds like a smart idea. I had no idea that bound spirits were a thing, let alone that you could bind them to a clockwork body to make an automaton. So I¡¯m learning already!¡± Looking at the violet woman in front of him, he remembered something. ¡°Hey, uh, I really I hope that I don¡¯t come across as rude at all, but¡­ where are you from? I¡¯ve never met someone that¡¯s, well, any shade of purple, and I¡¯m curious about it.¡± Valteria¡¯s smile from the excitement of thinking about clockwork fell slightly. Xander wasn¡¯t sure if he had come across as rude or if the question had reminded her of something unpleasant, but he felt a bit guilty either way. ¡°No, I don¡¯t find it rude,¡± she started off. ¡°The curiosity is natural, of course. I¡¯m from the other continent across the sea, Vardenne. I¡¯m a pix. We¡¯re¡­ distantly? Distantly-ish? Related to elves, though I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m not sure how. Just that that¡¯s what I grew up being told.¡± Xander nodded along. Atrax had been right after all. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to get too nosey and start asking you why you came all this way to the other side of Tillania. I¡¯m sure you had your reasons¡­ unless you like, killed someone and fled to escape the law. Then I¡¯d like to know.¡± Valteria¡¯s smile returned as she chuckled at Xander¡¯s postulation. ¡°Nothing so dramatic,¡± she said. ¡°I just¡­ didn¡¯t get along with my family, and wanted a new start is all.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I hope I didn¡¯t bring back any unpleasant memories for you¡­¡± Xander said, trailing off and feeling a little bit lame that he didn¡¯t have anything better to say in response. ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve had decades to brood over it, and I¡¯ll have centuries to continue doing so on and off whenever I¡¯m feeling pensive. No harm done. But, since I¡¯ve indulged you, I hope you¡¯ll indulge me as well. You mentioned that you¡¯re a [Godsmarked], if I remember correctly. I might be far from home, but you are from a whole different plane of existence! What was your life like? How was that completely different world?¡± Xander smiled wanly, and it was Valteria¡¯s turn to feel a twinge of guilt from their curiosity. ¡°What was life like? Well, it was different, but in all the ways that matter, kind of the same. The average person would get up and go to work to get paid and then go home. That¡¯s what I did, for years. Wake up, go to work, come home to my wife - really I¡¯d get home before her because she worked later than me most days ¨C have dinner, hang out at home or run any errands we needed to, and then repeat. The biggest difference was that there was no magic, no monsters. No elves, or dwarves, or pix. Just us humans, and technology. Compared to here, there were incredibly advanced things. And yet, at the same time, there are things here that would be impossible back on Earth. I can show you some photos ¨C it¡¯s like a painting ¨C if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°You¡­ had a wife? And the gods just took you from her? And your family, too, now that I think of it. That just seems, well, cruel is one way to put it.¡± ¡°I¡­ yeah, I was married. No kids, but we¡¯d planned on having some before,¡± Xander waved generally to the area around him, ¡°all this happened. I¡¯ll admit, I was bitter about it. Am bitter about it? I¡¯m still working through a lot of things and feelings, I know that much. But, all things considered, I¡¯m learning to accept what happened. My life is certainly a lot more exciting, filled with travel and exotic places and people, than it ever was before. So it¡¯s not all bad.¡± ¡°I see. You know, I think I know someone, a couple someones, actually, that you¡¯d like to meet. There¡¯s a tavern in town I¡¯d like to take you after we¡¯re done for the day here. It¡¯s called The Other Side. The owner is a [Godsmarked], too. I haven¡¯t been in a while, but last I was there, there was also another ¡®marked who was working there. The owner has a standing policy to hire any ¡®marked that needs a job,¡± she added as explanation. ¡°I found that, as someone who is also an ¡®outsider¡¯ of sorts to the area, there¡¯s a bit of a shared plight and kinship to be shared.¡± Xander was shocked and elated to hear about the existence of other [Godsmarked] nearby. ¡°I had no idea there were any [Godsmarked] in the city at all!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a big city,¡± Valteria said. ¡°There¡¯s usually at least a few in any large city, you just have to look hard enough.¡± ¡°Huh. I suppose that makes sense, I just never thought about it.¡± ¡°Now, I believe you mentioned something called ¡®photos¡¯? How exactly is something ¡®like¡¯ a painting without being a painting?¡± Xander scooted his stool closer to Valteria and pulled his phone into his hand from his inventory. He spent the next few hours with Valteria shouldered up to him peering at his phone as he went through pictures in his gallery. As they went through the photos, he absentmindedly scratched Freyja¡¯s head, as the cat had come back over to them. Valteria, for her part, bombarded him with questions about anything that caught her eye. He found himself trying to roughly explain how a car worked ¨C which led into a rabbit hole about internal combustion engines and how they¡¯d started as steam engines ¨C before trying to explain how to explain how skyscrapers could be so tall without falling over, along with a great many other things that he was only vaguely able to explain. The time flew by for Xander, as he found himself enjoying talking with the woman next to him, who kept constantly going off onto new tangents of her own when he would explain something, trying to relate it to her own work and fitting new ideas into things. Jarrett handled the customers that came in, indulging Valteria in his own way as she poured over Xander¡¯s photos. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Xander and Valteria¡¯s conversational trance was finally broken as Valteria paused to stretch her neck out, causing a few pops to crackle out as she did so. Xander stared at her jealously. ¡°What?¡± She asked, confused. ¡°You have no idea how jealous I am that you can still pop your joints. I had no idea how much I missed being able to do that until this exact moment.¡± Valteria laughed and brought her fingers up and began to pop those joints as well. ¡°That is a tragedy. I suppose I¡¯ll just have to make up for your lack of¡­¡± she stopped, struggling to find a word. ¡°¡­pop-ability?¡± ¡°You are literally torturing me right now,¡± Xander lamented. ¡°Mmf, well, if you¡¯d held that ¡®phone¡¯ thing of yours at an easier angle, I wouldn¡¯t be so stiff!¡± She said in a mockingly haughty voice. Looking around, her eyes alighted on one of the clocks in the room. ¡°Oh, damnation, we really did talk the day away, didn¡¯t we? It¡¯s about time to close up shop.¡± She turned to Jarrett and said, ¡°Thank you for handling all the customers today, Jarrett, I hope it didn¡¯t interrupt your own work too much.¡± ¡°Oh no Miss Valteria, it¡¯s all fine,¡± the man replied. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to interrupt you two, you were so excited about¡­ whatever it was that you were looking at.¡± ¡°It is greatly appreciated all the same,¡± she said. ¡°And, don¡¯t worry about cleaning up today, I¡¯ll handle it. Perhaps I¡¯ll press Xander into service and have him sweep for me since he so graciously kept me from doing any work. It certainly was not any of own doing!¡± Xander looked between the two of them and shrugged his shoulders helplessly. ¡°I can bring Freyja to this tavern, right?¡± He asked Valteria, choosing to ignore the threat of sweeping. Jarrett made his way out of the shop as the two were speaking, leaving them to their own devices. ¡°Mm, I don¡¯t see why not. Charles ¨C that¡¯s the owner¡¯s name, by the way ¨C always says he¡¯s ¡®a big animal lover,¡¯ so I say we put it to the test. Besides, Freyja is quite well behaved.¡± Valteria cautiously reached out to stroke the top of the large cat¡¯s head, pleased that one, her hand wasn¡¯t bitten off, and two, Freyja rubbed her head against the hand petting her. ¡°Alrighty, if you think it won¡¯t be a problem. I can always tell him she¡¯s my emotional support animal,¡± he joked. ¡°Emotional support animal?¡± Valteria asked quizzically. ¡°Ah damnit, Charles would get it. An emotional support animal is an animal that someone keeps around them because it helps them deal with potential emotional outbursts, I guess is the easiest explanation. Anyways, a lot of people on Earth would lie and say that their dog or cat or other animal was an emotional support animal so that it would be allowed in stores and other places where animals traditionally weren¡¯t allowed.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it was funny before you had to explain it,¡± Valteria said. ¡°So am I really helping you sweep up? Can we maybe just make a golem to sweep up instead?¡± ¡°Well I don¡¯t see any golems laying around here and I think ¨C and this is just a hypothesis, you understand ¨C but, I think it might take us longer to make a golem than it would to just sweep the floor,¡± Valteria retorted. ¡°Unless you have a golem that just happens to be hiding somewhere.¡± ¡°Wellllll,¡± Xander started off, smirking. ¡°I do have a few here and there, though I suppose it¡¯s not much help since they¡¯re not here.¡± ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Valteria, seriousness returning to her voice. ¡°You have golems?¡± ¡°Uhh, yeah. I made a couple of very simple ones in¡­ in Ilbek. During the war. I was lucky enough to get a title that gave me a skill for making better golems from that. It lets me give them, ah shit, what did you call it? Lets me give them a ¡®motive force.¡¯ Seeing Valteria¡¯s eyes light up at the words ¡°motive force,¡± Xander quickly added, ¡°But only to golems that I create. Though, I guess if I helped in making one, it might work.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ That¡¯s certainly a stroke of luck. I can only hope that I get something on my status sheet like that once I wrangle out how to make a golem. Speaking of, would you mind bringing a golem tomorrow when you come by so that I could study it for my own research?¡± Suddenly looking a little sheepish, Valteria added, ¡°Uhm, that is, if you don¡¯t mind. I know some [Artificers], [Tinkers], well, really any trade class, can be very protective of their research and innovations.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I don¡¯t mind. Though I¡¯m not sure how helpful it will be. Mine are all runic based, no clockwork or mechanisms involved,¡± Xander explained. ¡°Hell, they¡¯re enough of a rarity that even just seeing how one moves and balances would be a help.¡± ¡°Are they really that rare?¡± Xander asked. ¡°I¡¯ve had people comment on them before, too.¡± Valteria shook her head in disbelief. ¡°[Godsmarked]¡­ I swear. Always doing something insane and then not realizing that it¡¯s completely abnormal. A true golem, something with a motive force, is an incredibly complex creation melded with, as you¡¯ve heard me put it, a ¡®motive force.¡¯ This can be something from a skill like the one you have ¨C speaking of which, what is the skill you got from your title? I¡¯d like to see it if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Xander answered. He pulled up his status sheet and flipped it around for Valteria to read, point to his [Golemancer] title and skill. Valteria leaned in slightly to read the portion of his sheet that Xander was indicating. ¡°Damn, you ¡®marked really do get the luckiest things on your statuses¡­ though I suppose maybe it¡¯s recompense for being pulled here in the first place. Thank you for showing me.¡± She shook her head to clear her thoughts before saying, ¡°Now, where was I? Right, motive force. They can be from a skill, like yours, which commonly only apply to golems that the holder creates ¨C again, like yours. This makes the golem a little less sellable, for a simple reason: the primary holder of authority over the golem will always be the creator of the golem. Sure, you can tell the golem, ¡®follow the orders of the person I¡¯m selling you to as if they were my own orders,¡¯ but you can also rescind that order whenever you want. People don¡¯t like the idea that something they spent a lot of money on, and is potentially very deadly, could be taken back away from them or used against them on the whim of the person they bought it from. It requires a higher level of trust than is usually found between people involved in a relatively straightforward sales transaction. The real sellers are golems that are created through a melding of crafting classes and a driving force created through a [Ritualist] or, in rare cases, the repurposing of monster parts, usually from a naturally occurring golem. When these are created, the person who is applying the motive force to the shell of the golem is generally the one designated as the ultimate authority over the golem. That means that you can sell the shell of a golem by itself ¨C which on its own will cost a goodly amount, and the buyer can acquire their own motive force however they desire, or you can sell a golem in two parts, that is, the shell and the motive force, at the same time and allow the buyer to apply it there and then and walk out with their golem. There¡¯s also the measure of complexity of the motive force,¡± she continued. ¡°A simple golem is more suited to simple repetitive tasks like housework, and of course, would be cheaper than a combat rated golem that would be required to make actual decisions in the heat of a fight.¡± Xander listened to the impromptu lecture with interest, nodding along at Valteria¡¯s points. ¡°That all makes sense. I hadn¡¯t really thought about mine being less desirable for selling, since I don¡¯t really intend to start selling them. But I had been wondering how they were created by other people. So you¡¯re saying that there are, essentially, ¡®cheap¡¯ motive forces that would give the golem a much simpler intelligence than a higher grade one?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Valteria answered. ¡°Your skill is particularly good in that it allows you to progressively increase the complexity of your golems¡¯ motive force. Many skills only provide access to a singular level of intelligence.¡± ¡°I see. That actually reminds me of something. I have another skill, [Automaton], that lets me create something like a golem that lasts for twenty-four hours. I¡¯ve used it once to create something that was clockwork before. I could make a clockwork golem and tell it to sweep up, and then you could take a look at it tonight when you get back and all of tomorrow before it dissipates? I¡¯ll still bring one of the other golems, of course,¡± Xander said. ¡°I ¨C yes. I¡¯d like that, if you don¡¯t mind. I think it would be really helpful.¡± Valteria paused for a moment. ¡°Xander?¡± She asked. ¡°Mm?¡± He replied, distracted by thinking of what kind of construct he should create with [Automaton]. ¡°Why are you being so nice to me?¡± Valteria blurted out. Xander cocked his head questioningly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You agreed to help me with my armor and compare notes, you¡¯ve agreed to help me with runework at the cost of some basic training on some of my knowledge ¨C which is a deal that is firmly in my favor, by the way ¨C and now you¡¯re completely happy to let me study your golems. The few people I¡¯ve met who owned golems, all two of them before you, would have forbidden me to even look at their golems on the street if they could, let alone actually examine them!¡± Xander shrugged in confusion. ¡°I dunno. It just¡­ none of it seems like a big deal to me. I fucked up your armor and I felt bad about it, since it obviously took a lot of work on your part to make. And I have the skills to help you fix it fairly easily. The runework is something I can do at any time, so it has less value to me than learning new things. The golems are part of that, since it¡¯s my own rune work, and hell, I hardly even use [Automaton] anyways.¡± Xander rubbed the back of his head as he thought out his justifications. ¡°Plus, I like you. You seem like a good person. I¡¯d like to be friends with you, and I really like being helpful to my friends. I don¡¯t charge friends for things.¡± Valteria looked at him, with what seemed to be no small amount of awe in her eyes. ¡°You just¡­ like to help? You could be rich! Powerful! Instead, you¡¯re doing mercenary work! Because¡­ because you like your friends and you like helping?¡± Xander softly put both of his hands on Valteria¡¯s shoulders, as she was growing emotional. ¡°Valteria. I don¡¯t need money. I don¡¯t eat. I can make just about anything I¡¯d ever need with my skills and my own two hands. What does that leave? People. I don¡¯t have a lot of people in my life, now. My family, my wife, all my previous friends, they¡¯re all on Earth. They probably either think I¡¯m dead or that I abandoned them and disappeared. All I¡¯ve got is my team, Atrax, Frazay, Gabrelle, and Graffus. And you, Freyja,¡± he added with a small chuckle as the cat rumbled out her disapproval of being excluded. ¡°And now you, Valteria, since I already feel like you¡¯re a friend. Besides, uhh, I think I might actually be rich. Or rich enough. I invested a decent amount of money before the war kicked off and I¡¯ve been told my money has done well. And I am powerful. Maybe not the institutional power you¡¯re thinking of, the power over other people. But I don¡¯t want that. I don¡¯t want to be in charge of a bunch of other people, God, that sounds so tedious. I¡¯m perfectly content having enough power to take care of myself, my friends, and anyone else I decide to and the power to control my own life how I see fit. Is that really so hard to believe? What¡¯s got you so upset?¡± Valteria looked almost like she was going to cry. ¡°I ¨C sorry.¡± She sniffled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ well, I¡¯ve had several businesses fail in smaller towns because I was so different from everyone else. They weren¡¯t¡­ mean to me, but they weren¡¯t nice either. I was just always on the outskirts. Even now I get less business than the other [Tinker]s in town because they¡¯re humans or dwarves, and I¡¯m¡­ not. Most people don¡¯t even know what a Pix is, let alone have ever seen one. I¡¯m not used to people treating me like a friend, I suppose. I mean, that¡¯s why I ran away from home and¡­¡± Valteria seemed to finally realize what she was saying and clamped her mouth shut. Xander looked at the small woman in front of him sadly. Then he wrapped her in a hug. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s wrong of people to treat you like that. I know there¡¯s not much I can do about it, but I think you still need to hear someone say it.¡± Valteria faltered for a moment before returning the hug. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said softly. Xander released her from his hug and straightened back up. ¡°I get where you¡¯re coming from though,¡± he admitted. ¡°I¡¯m always scared that it¡¯s going to come out that I¡¯m not actually human anymore. God, when the announcer started yelling about how he did some research on me at the guild, I thought he was going to tell everyone what I was. I don¡¯t want people to treat me differently, and I know they would, even if they don¡¯t mean to or think about it.¡± He let out a small, bitter laugh. ¡°Gabrelle¡¯s parents, hell they couldn¡¯t even look at me after they found out. It was like they were scared of me all of a sudden. Though¡­ I looked less human at the time.¡± ¡°Less human?¡± Valteria asked, confused. ¡°Yeah, at the time, the construct that I was ¡®piloting¡¯ like I am this one, well it was a little simpler. Really just a metal stick figure. I didn¡¯t even have a face. Just a blank ovular head. So that might have been part of it. I kept my armor on all the time back then so no one would see. I¡¯ve put in a lot of work since then to look more human, because I¡¯m scared that people will shun me otherwise. So I understand a little bit of what you¡¯re experiencing. Nowhere near the same amount, but a little. It¡¯s stressful. Anxiety inducing. And just depressing sometimes, too.¡± Valteria nodded slightly at his words, thoughtful, but silent. Xander cleared his throat. ¡°But enough of all that. Let¡¯s get to that tavern. We both need a drink, I think, and the only way I¡¯m getting one is vicariously through you right now.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re right. I could definitely use a drink.¡± Xander and Valteria both gathered themselves, followed by Freyja, who gave a grumbling groan at having to stand up. Xander looked around the now empty shop and said, ¡°Oh yeah. The sweeping. Do you have a request for what construct my [Automaton] skill should make?¡± Valteria shook her head. ¡°I think something simple and humanoid would be best. No need to complicate things.¡± ¡°Sure, I can do that.¡± Xander activated [Automaton], keeping the image of a humanoid figure made of clockwork in his mind. As the skill activated, the air next to him began to shimmer, starting from the floor. In the shimmering, cogs, plates of metal, brass rods, and various other pieces of metal took form, starting with the feet of the construct. More and more of it took form, until a fully formed figure made of an intricate array of brass gears, cogs, and pistons took form. Once it was complete, the clockwork figure stood stock still, save for the portions of it that were ticking and rotating as part of its functioning. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Valteria said absently as she circled the figure. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting something so¡­ intricate.¡± Xander stopped Valteria as she pulled out a notebook from one of the pockets of the leather work apron she was wearing. ¡°Ah, ah, ah! You have time for notes later tonight and all of tomorrow. It¡¯s tavern time now!¡± Valteria huffed and stuffed the notebook back into the pocket. ¡°Fiiine. I do still need some drinks¡­ You have a way of creating an emotional scenario out of a conversation, Xander.¡± ¡°What can I say?¡± Xander answered with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m in touch with my feelings.¡± Handing his automaton a broom that he found leaned up against the wall in one of the corners of Valteria¡¯s shop, Xander commanded the construct to sweep up the floor and then wait by the workstation they had been at previously. The skill created golem began to sweep up the floor with clicks and whirrs of its mechanical body. ¡°Shall we?¡± Xander asked, looking back to Valteria, who was watching the golem go about its task with interest. Stepping outside, Valteria closed the door behind Xander and Freyja and locked it. ¡°Lead the way,¡± Xander said. ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea where we¡¯re going.¡± ¡°Right, I never mentioned where The Other Side is, did I?¡± Valteria said. ¡°It¡¯s over near the water on the far side of the bay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the nice part of town, right? Like, the really nice part? I haven¡¯t really been there yet.¡± Valteria nodded. ¡°Mmhm. Charles has done well with his business and moved the tavern into a building he bought in that area, oh, about five years ago. He was closer, so I would visit more back then. It¡¯s still not too long of a walk, though. Just about a half hour.¡± ¡°No worries on that end. Nothing like strolling the city in the evening time with a lovely lady and a giant cat,¡± Xander replied. ¡°I¡¯ve got nowhere I need to be.¡± ¡°Oh stop it, you,¡± Valteria shoved him slightly, just enough to disrupt his step as they began walking. ¡°You¡¯ll make me blush.¡± ¡°What color do you blush, anyway?¡± Xander asked, turning to look at Valteria. ¡°Uhm, a slightly lighter shade of purple. Why do you ask?¡± Valteria answered. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got to know when my flattery is and isn¡¯t working!¡± Xander laughed out. He turned to look at her again and noticed a slight flush of lighter color around Valteria¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Awh, it looks cute on you!¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Valteria whined, looking about, flustered. Fortunately for her, the street was empty, so there was no one other than Xander to see her embarrassment. ¡°You¡¯re embarrassing me!¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Xander said, putting his hand up in surrender. ¡°I can¡¯t help but give a ribbing every now and then.¡± The two of them walked in a companionable silence for the rest of the trip, Valteria leading the way, Xander and Freyja following her. Xander let his mind wander as he followed his newfound friend. Xander wondered what Valteria was thinking, first of all. She didn¡¯t seem upset with him with the hint of flirting he¡¯d let slip out, so there was that. What was he thinking anyways? He¡¯d just had a very emotional conversation with Valteria, and he¡¯d known her for all of one night and a day. What was he doing letting himself call her a lovely lady and calling her blush cute? He sighed mentally. He was right back where he started with his line of thinking last night. Damnit. Did she appreciate his compliment? Did he want her to have appreciated the comment? Did he want to think of this outing as a date of some sorts or just a friendly outing? What did Valteria think of it? He knew he wanted to be wanted. Everyone does, right? That wasn¡¯t the hangup. The hangup was whether he should allow himself to be wanted, or encourage it in any way. Whether or not it was coming from Valteria, he felt like it was disrespectful, in a way, to Helen to even entertain the idea of moving on. They¡¯d had the conversation themselves before, mostly in jest, of ¡®Oh, if I die, I want you to happy and move on after a while.¡¯ But the reality felt harder. And neither of them had actually died. He hadn¡¯t noticed, but he¡¯d begun to frown as he was thinking, his mind being so comfortable with his constructed body that he subconsciously fed mana to the arrays that were causing him to frown. He didn¡¯t even notice that Valteria had stopped and was looking at him until he almost bumped into her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± She asked. ¡°You were scowling something fierce just then.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, sorry,¡± Xander said, rubbing the back of his head again nervously. ¡°I was just thinking. Brooding, really. Kind of let my thoughts get to me.¡± ¡°I understand how that is,¡± Valteria replied. ¡°Do you want to talk about it? I find that always helps, having someone to let it out to. Jarrett has heard more than his fair share of my complaints about the world.¡± ¡°I, uh¡­ ah fuck.¡± He¡¯d never been a good liar, honesty had been his preferred policy. He steeled himself with a mental breath. ¡°Fuck it. Is¡­ this a date?¡± Valteria¡¯s eyes widened a little, and Xander noticed the color in her face lighten a little in that same shade of purple as before. ¡°Do¡­ you want it to be a date?¡± She asked carefully. ¡°Yes? No? God that sounds terrible. Uhm. I do. It¡¯s just, I¡¯m also not over everything. Being taken away, you know? So, like, I want it to be a date, but at the same time it feels wrong of me to want it to be a date at the same time. Does that make sense?¡± Xander anxiously ran a hand through his hair. Valteria was still staring at him, and she started a little bit when she realized that he was waiting on her for an answer. ¡°I ¨C sorry. I was listening. I just¡­ I¡¯m just still getting over the fact that someone wants to go on a date with me.¡± She laughed nervously, and Xander joined in, anxiety overcoming him. Valteria recomposed herself with a deep breath. ¡°Sorry. Sorry, I wasn¡¯t laughing at you, I swear. I¡¯m just nervous. But, ah, I think I do understand. It¡¯s a¡­ difficult situation. But uhm, if you¡¯d like it to be a date¡­ I think I¡¯d like that, too. Oh, gods, I hate to admit it, but I¡¯ve never been on a date before.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Xander asked, slowly recovering himself. It was easier when one didn¡¯t have a heart that could try to escape from its ribcage and organs that would have dumped half their entire supply of adrenaline into his body in this situation. ¡°I can hardly believe that.¡± ¡°You are a flatterer, aren¡¯t you?¡± Valteria said. ¡°But, no, it¡¯s true. My family was¡­ protective of me, and that meant ¡®protecting¡¯ me from potential suitors as well. And after I crossed the sea¡­ well, I told you about the failed businesses. No one was exactly lining up to court ¡®the weird little purple woman.¡¯¡± Xander¡¯s jaw practically dropped. ¡°They did not call you that!¡± He exclaimed in horror. ¡°Well, they didn¡¯t know I was listening at the time, but yes, I have, in fact, been referred to as a weird little purple woman before. I think I cried a little bit after I heard it. I don¡¯t know why it hurt so much, but it did. You¡­ really find me attractive? We¡¯re so different.¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± Xander proclaimed to the empty side street they were on, throwing caution to the wind. He was in this now, and he wasn¡¯t about to fuck it up on purpose. ¡°I happen to quite like the shade of purple that you are, for starters. And you have this passion about you when you talk about something you¡¯re interested in or when you see something new that you want to study. It lights up your eyes, your whole face. And who cares if we¡¯re different? I¡¯m a spirit experiencing the world through a construct who was taken from another plane of existence. You¡¯re a ¡®weird little purple woman,¡¯¡± Xander air quoted the insult Valteria had relayed to him, ¡°from a different continent who I happen to think it quite beautiful. We can be different and weird together if you¡¯d like.¡± Valteria, for her part, was blushing furiously. ¡°You really mean it, don¡¯t you?¡± She finally asked. Xander nodded. ¡°I really do. Freyja, back me up here. Valteria is an attractive woman, isn¡¯t she?¡± Freyja, who had been lazily licking her shoulder through the emotional conversation between the two beings in front of her rumbled out a small yowl. ¡°See? She thinks so, too.¡± Xander said with a smile. Valteria seemed to be struggling with the compliments she¡¯d just received. Which made sense, as Xander thought back to their previous conversation about her feeling like she was always on the outskirts of things. She likely hadn¡¯t been receiving much in the way of compliments for... a long time. But his inclusion of Freyja finally drew a small laugh from her. ¡°Well... if Freyja says so, I guess it must be true,¡± she finally relented. ¡°Now, if the lady doth still desire,¡± Xander said with an air of mock formality, ¡°I shall escort her to The Other Side.¡± He offered his arm to Valteria, who, after a slight hesitation, took it, and the two of them continued their walk to the tavern side by side, Freyja following behind. Once they reached The Other Side, Xander and Valteria disengaged from each other, Xander opening the door for Valteria to enter, followed by Freyja. ¡°Ladies first,¡± he told the cat. Xander entered behind Valteria and Freyja just in time to hear, ¡°Valteria! Why is there a giant cat in my tavern?!¡± Combat Artificer - 66 ¡°Well hello to you, too, Charles,¡± Valteria replied. ¡°The ¡®giant cat¡¯ is named Freyja, firstly, and she is the bonded companion of Xander, here. He said I should tell you that she¡¯s an emotional support animal.¡± Charles barked out a laugh at the absurdity of the statement. He made his way from behind the counter, leaving the bar to one of the other workers in the tavern, to continue speaking with Valteria and Xander without needing to shout over the din of the tavern. ¡°An emotional support animal? I take it you¡¯re a [Godsmarked], eh?¡± He said, turning to face Xander. ¡°Uhm, yes. I am. Nice to meet you. Valteria told me that you¡¯re also a [Godsmarked]?¡± ¡°Sure am,¡± Charles replied. ¡°Pulled right out of Denver, not that you could tell from an accent or anything. You might not have noticed, but that language skill you got? Kinda strips you of any accent, makes you talk just like a native. Where are you from?¡± ¡°Atlanta,¡± Xander replied. ¡°Ah, another American! Course, [Godsmarked] come from all over. Some of them aren¡¯t even from Earth! I met a Vorn [Godsmarked] once. Few dwarven ¡®marked, too. So it¡¯s always nice to meet someone who can appreciate what a beer, hotdog, and screaming at your TV for a sports match really mean.¡± ¡°Well, I was always more of a fan of wine, personally. But I¡¯ll admit to getting frustrated at the people on my TV.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a TV?¡± Valteria chimed in, not wanting to be left out. Xander and Charles both looked at Valteria and started trying to explain what a TV was at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s like my phone, but bigger and just for moving pictures,¡± Xander started off. ¡°It¡¯s a big rectangular box that shows paintings that move and tell a story,¡± Charles said at the same time. Valteria looked a little frazzled by the simultaneous explanations but seemed to get the gist of it. ¡°Why would you be screaming at it?¡± Xander looked to Charles, who said, ¡°Should I explain or do you want to?¡± Xander shrugged. ¡°All you.¡± ¡°Well you could watch different sports on the TV, and they were broadcast live ¨C that is, in real time. There was a usually alcohol involved. You ever seen someone spectating a duel who shouts what they think their favorite should be doing?¡± ¡°Mmhm,¡± Valteria said with a nod. ¡°Well we¡¯d do the same thing, except since we weren¡¯t actually there, we¡¯d just shout it at the TV.¡± ¡°So they could hear you through it?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± Xander chimed in. ¡°But that didn¡¯t stop people.¡± ¡°Odd.¡± Valteria commented, a bit confused by the idea of shouting at a bunch of players who couldn¡¯t hear you. ¡°People just tended to get really excited about it,¡± Xander tried to offer as an explanation. Changing the subject, Charles said ¡°So, I have two burning questions for you two. One, what brings you to my establishment tonight? It¡¯s been quite a while since you¡¯ve been by, Valteria, and I can¡¯t say that you¡¯ve ever brought someone with you before. And two... can I pet the cat?¡± ¡°Uhm...¡± Valteria started and trailed off, looking embarrassed. Xander answered his question with more ease, saying, ¡°Sure, she loves to be scratched on the chin and behind the ears, but really she likes being pet anywhere.¡± Charles stepped closer to the huge, smoke colored cat and held out a hand for her to sniff. Freyja immediately rubbed her cheek against Charles¡¯s hand, anticipating getting pet by the man. Encouraged, Charles began to pet Freyja in earnest, thoroughly scratching her chin before moving to her ears, earning himself a pleased grunt from Freyja. But that didn¡¯t stop him from noticing Valteria¡¯s lack of an answer. ¡°¡¯Uhm?¡± He asked Valteria, turning to look at her, but not stopping his petting of Freyja. ¡°Xander said I needed to have a drink at the end of the day and I was inclined to agree with him,¡± Valteria finally answered. ¡°Ahhh, a date then,¡± he teased his violet friend. Noticing Valteria¡¯s lack of an immediate denial, and a slight smile that he took as Xander¡¯s acceptance of the statement, his eyes widened a little and he said, ¡°Oh, oh I see. A real date.¡± Valteria¡¯s blush came back as strongly as ever as Charles continued on. ¡°Well I¡¯d hate to keep you two from each other! Come, sit, I spy a free table just over there. I¡¯ll bring you two some ale in a bit.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, I can¡¯t drink,¡± Xander interjected. ¡°It¡¯s a... medical condition? But bring two anyway. I think Valteria could use it.¡± Charles shrugged before saying, ¡°Fair enough I suppose. I won¡¯t pry too much, at least not on our first meeting. I do hope to see you again though. [Godsmarked] are always welcome here. Now go get that table before someone else does!¡± Xander led the still embarrassed Valteria along with Freyja to the small, empty table near one of the corners and they both sat down, Freyja taking up part of the floor between the two of them. For a little while, the two of them just stared at each other, not sure where to start. Finally, Xander thought of something to say. ¡°You know, I still haven¡¯t helped fix your armor. Do you want to work on that tomorrow?¡± ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Valteria said, remembering herself that her armor was currently defunct. ¡°That would be nice. Feels a bit weird to know that I don¡¯t have access to it, now that I think about it.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°I can understand that. I¡¯d feel vulnerable without access to my armor, too.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Valteria agreed. ¡°I¡¯m also realizing that we only went over a little bit of your runework and I didn¡¯t teach you anything about cores, or converting them to different mana types.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Xander said. ¡°I guess you could give me a lecture now, if you want. I like listening to you.¡± ¡°Oh hush,¡± Valteria chuckled. ¡°But I suppose it¡¯s only fair to give you at least some detail. Let¡¯s see. The most important parts of a mana battery that involves a shift in mana type are the core of the battery itself, and the filter that you pass the mana through to change its type. These are almost always parts of a monster or elemental. So, if you had, say, a core from an earthen elemental and a some hide from a creature that was attuned to lightning in some way, you could pass the mana from the earth core through the hide of the lightning attuned creature to create lightning mana. I¡¯m a little less versed on why it works like that. Something to do about how monsters are able to absorb ambient mana around them and convert it into mana of their attuned type. If they have one. Not all monsters are attuned to a type of mana, of course. So you have your battery, mana conduit ¨Cwhich I¡¯ll show you how to make later- running to your filter, and then from your filter you have more conduit which runs to the apparatus that you want to power. Which is a beast in its own right, as you have to have at least a basic understanding of how a type of mana works to get it to power something. We can go over that kind of thing once you get the hang of just converting mana.¡± Xander nodded along as Valteria spoke. He hadn¡¯t been lying earlier when he said that he enjoyed listening to her talk. When she was on a topic that interested her, he could see the gears turning behind her eyes as they put pieces together that showed she really knew what she was talking about. Plus she seemed to enjoy talking about her work, and Xander liked to see that. Her happiness was infectious, giving him a vicarious sense of enjoyment. ¡°I see... I guess I need to go shopping for some monster parts. And start looking out for what to pull out of monsters when I¡¯m out on contracts, too.¡± ¡°Mmhm, that would certainly be the cheaper way to go about it, though I suppose there¡¯s a lot more luck and danger involved in it. If you have some kind of way to measure mana density, then you should be able to use it to locate the core or organ of a monster that it uses to power its abilities.¡± Xander frowned slightly in thought. ¡°Hmm... I can¡¯t say that I do, but I think I could design something with some research.¡± Valteria¡¯s ears practically wiggled when she heard the word research. ¡°Speaking of research, what kind of things have you researched and done with your rune work?¡± She leaned forwards toward Xander in interest. ¡°Well, a few major things, I suppose.¡± Xander said thoughtfully. ¡°Let¡¯s see... well there¡¯s the golems for one, as well as uhm, my body,¡± he said. ¡°And my armor, my wings and my backpack, too. Those are all rune work. My weapons are also runed ¨C the one I usually use wasn¡¯t really fit for the tournament. I figured a mace designed to increase force and dissolve metal or anything else it touches was a little bit... deadly for a sporting tournament. Oh, and there¡¯s my gun, too. And the bombs.¡± Xander purposely left out the soul rippers. He didn¡¯t want to talk about them right now. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Valteria was clearly interested. ¡°Gods above that is a lot of rune work. Bombs? And a gun? What exactly is a gun? I¡¯ve heard Charles reference them in passing before.¡± ¡°Well the bombs are pretty straightforward. They¡¯re filled with an explosive mixture, and then I use a ranged gathering array and a flame rune to trigger the explosive. I¡¯ve also designed ones that detonate on impact, too. As for the gun, it¡¯s a tool that¡¯s designed to accelerate a piece of metal to high speed very rapidly, which you use to shoot something with. Back on Earth, an explosive powder was used to propel the bullet ¨C that''s the name for the projectile ¨C out of the gun. I have a few that I can show you. I think you¡¯d like them. They¡¯re completely mechanical, no magic involved. The one I mostly use now is based on the same design, but uses a runic array to propel the bullet instead, which makes it much quieter. There¡¯s also no kickback and I made it larger so that I can take down bigger things, too.¡± ¡°I think I would like to see those guns you mentioned. Is it better than a crossbow?¡± ¡°A lot,¡± Xander said. ¡°At least the ones I have. They have a much faster rate of fire than a crossbow. The old ones, where you had to load each individual bullet might not hold up to a skill user using a bow or crossbow, though. Well, when you start throwing skills around, I¡¯ve seen arrows that will blast a hole in something that should have completely ignored an arrow. But my current project is, perhaps, a little bit less exciting.¡± Xander pulled the small piece of cloth he¡¯d been working on the day before, which shimmered as he held it up. ¡°It¡¯s pretty, but, what is it?¡± Valteria asked, staring at the square of fabric that was inexplicably shifting colors in front of her. ¡°Well, when I¡¯m done with it, it will be an adaptive camouflage, something that changes to match its environment. Right now it¡¯s just a test piece instead of a whole cloak. I¡¯ve got the darker tones down,¡± he demonstrated by laying the cloth down flat on the table. It immediately took on the color and pattern of the wood under it. ¡°As you can see. But on more vibrant colors, it doesn¡¯t quite work right, yet. In fact, it makes them even brighter. So it still needs a little tweaking. I think I need to tweak how much light the arrays are putting out.¡± ¡°That does sound like it would handy¡­ especially in your line of work. Though I¡¯m not sure what exactly light has to do with it.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a bit of a complicated explanation, but the short of it is that it¡¯s a bit like a light created illusion overlayed on the fabric to match what¡¯s near it.¡± Charles appeared briefly, having managed to sneak up on the two of them, distracted as they were by their conversation. ¡°Gods, Valteria, I didn¡¯t think you could bag a bigger nerd than yourself, but I think you might have come close,¡± he joked, apparently having caught at least some of Xander¡¯s explanation of his project. He placed two mugs down in front of Valteria. ¡°I¡¯ll put them on your tab.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Valteria exclaimed. ¡°I thought it was interesting!¡± ¡°Of course you did, because you¡¯re a nerd!¡± Charles teased her as he moved to give other customers their drinks. ¡°Hmph,¡± Valteria huffed. ¡°I am not a nerd!¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± Xander chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being a nerd, though, you know. In fact, I like seeing get excited about things you think are interesting.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Valteria said as she took a sip of her ale. The cup looked excessively large in her small hands. ¡°Mmhm! It¡¯s cute,¡± he said with a smile. Valteria sputtered on her drink a little bit at being called cute, but managed not to choke. ¡°You know,¡± she said slowly, putting her drink back down, ¡°if you keep calling me beautiful, and attractive and cute, I might start to believe you.¡± ¡°Good, you should, because you are,¡± Xander replied seriously. The rest of the evening continued on in much the same manner, the Valteria and Xander taking the time to get to know one another better, and discussing various ideas they had for projects. Xander regaled Valteria with an account of his team¡¯s fight with the sea drake. Then if was Valteria¡¯s turn to relay her experience of traveling from one continent to another and the various and occasionally terrifying sea creatures and storms she had encountered on the voyage. As it drew later and the tavern became emptier, the two of them continued to talk. Valteria was several ales in ¨C more than she usually drank, if Xander was any kind of judge of tipsyness. He wished he could still get drunk. Valteria stretched her small frame and yawned. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just the ale, but I¡¯m a bit tired.¡± Looking around at the significantly less lively tavern floor, she commented, ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s just actually getting late.¡± Xander smiled at her and said, ¡°It could be both.¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe both.¡± Freyja had long ago decided that her time would be best spent taking a nap, her body parked halfway under the small table that Xander and Valteria were seated at. ¡°Would you like me to walk you back to your house?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Oh I wouldn¡¯t want to trouble you with all that,¡± Valteria lazily waved away the suggestion. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re eager to get back to your own bed.¡± Xander shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t mind a bit, in fact I¡¯d like to, if you¡¯re amenable to it. Frankly it feels rude to send you off in the dark like that. And, well, I also just don¡¯t need to sleep anymore,¡± he added. ¡°I¡¯ve started to find it rather soothing to take a stroll through the city at night. And Freyja could use the exercise.¡± Freyja half woke at hearing her name and groaned slightly. Valteria seemed pleased with the offer. If Xander was capable of reading minds, he would know that she had been hoping he¡¯d want to walk her home even after she¡¯d told him it was okay if he didn¡¯t, but he wasn¡¯t, so he didn¡¯t know. ¡°Well, if you insist, then I shan¡¯t stop you,¡± she said happily. ¡°Ah, also, let me cover your tab for the night,¡± Xander told her. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same here, but where I¡¯m from it¡¯s a bit traditional for the man to cover at least the first few dates.¡± ¡°Ohh, how old fashioned of you,¡± Valteria teased. ¡°But I¡¯d feel guilty since you didn¡¯t have anything at all. Can we at least split it, instead?¡± ¡°I think I can live with that,¡± Xander assented. The two of them made their way to the bar, Valteria a bit unsteady on her feet, where Charles was still working, cleaning a few mugs. ¡°Time for us to pay up,¡± Xander said, grabbing the other [Godsmarked]¡¯s attention. ¡°How much do we owe?¡± Once Charles tallied up the amount of drinks they¡¯d had and did the mental match to calculate the total cost, he let them know. Valteria paid her half from a small coin pouch that had been tucked somewhere in her clothes while Xander¡¯s coin came from his inventory. Charles took the coin, not bothering to count it again, and stashed it somewhere behind the bar. ¡°Make sure you get her home nice and safe, now, you hear?¡± He told Xander. ¡°Charles! I can take care of myself just fine!¡± Valteria half exlaimed, half whined. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can,¡± Xander agreed. ¡°But I¡¯d feel terrible if something happened, and I¡¯m sure Charles would too. He¡¯s just looking out for you is all.¡± ¡°Maybe I just want to make sure you and loverboy there get to spend a little more time together, eh?¡± Charles joked. ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re always teasing me, Charles!¡± ¡°Well, you always give me a reaction.¡± Charles said with a smirk. Valteria huffed, but it all seemed to be good natured quarreling to Xander. The same kind of ribbing that he and his teammates would give each other. ¡°I¡¯m not complaining about spending more time with you,¡± Xander chimed in. ¡°Xander you are not helping!¡± Xander walked arm in arm with Valteria on their trip back to her home and shop, Freyja sleepily following along. The big cat was frequently letting out long yawns, which Valteria would giggle at. They walked at a leisurely pace, taking in the city at night as they headed back, Valteria holding herself closer to Xander to help her balance. Xander decided not to tease her about it. He told himself it was because he didn¡¯t want to be mean, but really it was because he was enjoying the closeness. Finally, they reached Valteria¡¯s doorway. The two of them stared at each other for a long moment. Evidently, Valteria still retained some liquid courage from her ale because she finally spoke and said, ¡°Would it be rude of me to kiss you?¡± Xander, very slowly, said, ¡°I think... It would be rude not to.¡± Wrapping Valteria in his arms and feeling her return his hug, Xander leaned in. It was a good kiss, if tiny a bit awkward due to their height difference. But between Valteria standing on her toes and Xander craning his neck downward, it was achieved. Xander found himself idly wondering if his lips felt odd. Valteria¡¯s certainly didn¡¯t. Eventually, the two of them pulled away, both a little frazzled and flustered. Just slightly breathless, Valteria said, ¡°That was... it was good.¡± ¡°It was. It really was,¡± Xander agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll... see you again tomorrow?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Valteria agreed. Xander watched Valteria unlock the door to her shop floor and enter, locking it back behind herself. He stood a little bit longer, just staring at the door, lost in thought. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he started walking with Freyja back to the inn. He was glad Freyja was with him, as it removed the temptation to fly back to the inn. He gave the large cat a pet on the head. Walking would help him sort his thoughts out. What were his thoughts? Even he wasn¡¯t sure at the moment, still feeling a little flustered. He shook his head again and tried to gather his mind. He¡¯d just had a date. He¡¯d broken down and started flirting with a woman he found attractive and turned a friendly outing into a date. He let out a sigh. Should he be upset with himself? He was, a little bit. He¡¯d told himself that he was a married man still when he had arrived on Tillania, and yet here he was acting like he was single. He was split into two modes of thought. Objectively, he knew that there was essentially zero chance of him ever returning to Earth. And that even if he had the option, his new body would probably cease to function in what he assumed was a mana-less environment and he¡¯d immediately die. Emotionally, though, it felt disrespectful to the memory of his marriage to even entertain the idea of another romance, let alone do... what he¡¯d just done. Even if he did think that Helen wouldn¡¯t hold it against him if she knew that, somewhere out there, he was still alive. So much had happened in the last three years to Xander, even if two of them had been spent unconscious, that he wondered if he¡¯d even be able to relate to Helen anymore. How would he go back to a life of going to work at an office job, going to drill once a month. The most dangerous aspect of his life being the prospect of being in a car crash. Now, a car crash wouldn¡¯t even phase him or even damage his body beyond, perhaps, cosmetic damage. He was a different man, wasn¡¯t he? Similar, in many ways, maybe even most ways, to the man who had come to Tillania that day, but not the same anymore. He¡¯d never fought anything or anyone before that day. Now, he had lost count of how many creatures, monsters, and even people that had fallen to him and his teammates. He¡¯d created things that he could only dream of back on Earth. Golems, wings, magical weapons. He was going to have to come to terms with the fact that he had changed. And while he wasn¡¯t sure he was ever going to fully move on or get over being pulled away from his marriage and from Earth, he was going to have to accept that he wasn¡¯t going to be going back to them. He deserved companionship, didn¡¯t he? Feeling a bit more resolute and less frustrated with himself, Xander finished the walk to the inn, which he was sure had a name, but he¡¯d never bothered to remember it, simply referring to it as ¡®the inn¡¯ in his head, in relative mental peace. He quietly put Freyja back into her stall in the stables and made his way into the inn, which held only a few patrons at this hour, none of whom paid him any attention. Xander climbed the stairs and walked to Gabrelle¡¯s door. He paused for a moment, realizing something. Gabrelle¡¯s door. Fuck. He was going to have to stop sharing a room, more importantly a bed, with Gabrelle, wasn¡¯t he? He didn¡¯t think that he should be dating someone and sleeping with someone else, even if that sleeping was actually just sleeping and nothing more. He knew he¡¯d feel weird to know that Valteria was sleeping with another man, and he¡¯d only been on one date with the woman! He hoped Gabrelle didn¡¯t take it too hard. Though, ever since they¡¯d rendezvoused with the rest of the team, he had noticed that she slept much more soundly. He wasn¡¯t really a needed crutch for her to be able to sleep well anymore. It was still going to be an awkward conversation. Also, Gabrelle was going to tease him about going on a date. Combat Artificer - 67 We know that the spots that are caused by looking at a source of light are, in fact, damage of some sort to the eye. This is confirmed by the spots rapidly disappearing should someone be healed whilst experiencing them. But why? Is there a divinity within light, beyond what our mortal eyes can withstand? Is there some sort of invisible emanation that comes alongside the light that damages us in some way? The discovery of light damaging the eye has opened more questions for me than it has closed. -Musings on the Relations of Light and Fire, by Jarwic Leftun *** Xander carefully opened the door, finding Gabrelle already asleep, and sat down on a chair. Maybe he could get that adaptive camouflage to work right on bright colors. Surely he had some colorful things in his inventory. He did in fact have a few colorful things in his inventory, and he whiled the rest of the night away making small adjustments to the runic array that was embroidered into the cloth. He was satisfied before dawn, the cloth now performing as well with light colors as it had with darker colors. Now he just needed to make a cloak out of it. He briefly considered coating his armor with the array, but discarded it. There might be times where he¡¯d want to be seen. Besides, a hooded cloak would better break up the outline of his figure, the ripples of fabric, especially if he were to crouch or lay prone, obscuring his outline even more. In little time at all, he had a long, deep hooded cloak of the color shifting, runed cloth in his hands. He stashed it in his inventory for now, as he had no particular need to sneak up on something right now. The rest of the time before dawn he spent silently sitting in the chair he¡¯d chosen, trying to keep his thoughts to a minimum, just daydreaming. Night dreaming? He couldn¡¯t sleep anymore, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t try to let his mind wander. As the dawn came and the sun began to shine through the window of the room, Gabrelle slowly awoke, once more finding Xander sitting in a chair rather than in bed. ¡°Mmf,¡± She grunted as she stretched. ¡°Morning, Xander. You got back late.¡± ¡°Morning, yourself,¡± Xander said, turning his head to look at Gabrelle. ¡°Yeah... Yeah, I guess I did.¡± ¡°What were you doing, anyway?¡± She asked, curious. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention that you¡¯d be out late, just that you were going to go to see Valteria at her shop.¡± ¡°I uh... went on a date.¡± ¡°I knew it! ¡®Comparing notes¡¯ was a date!¡± Gabrelle exclaimed triumphantly. ¡°It was not!¡± Xander complained. ¡°But we went to a tavern in the evening and it sort of... turned into a date on the way there.¡± ¡°Awhh, that¡¯s so cute,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°Did it go well? Is she nice? Did you kiss?¡± ¡°I think it went well. We talked a lot about different projects and ideas we had. I also got to meet another [Godsmarked] - he owns the tavern we went to. I think she¡¯s nice. Maybe a little shy. I think she¡¯s gotten used to being treated differently by people. I don¡¯t think she really believed that I wanted to go on a date with her, at first. ...And yes. We kissed.¡± ¡°Ooooh, look at you! You¡¯re growing up so fast!¡± Gabrelle teased. ¡°Oh hush. I¡¯m older than you!¡± Xander huffed, then returned to seriousness. ¡°But ah, if I¡¯m going to be dating someone... we need to have a conversation, Gabrelle.¡± ¡°We need to stop sleeping together?¡± Gabrelle quickly deduced before Xander could say it himself. ¡°Yeah... It doesn¡¯t feel right, even though it¡¯s just platonic between us. I don¡¯t think I would appreciate being in Valteria¡¯s situation and knowing that the person I was seeing was sleeping with someone else at night.¡± ¡°Well, I figured this would happen eventually,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°Either you or I were bound to find someone eventually. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not upset. Don¡¯t get me wrong, the snuggles were nice, but like I told you a while ago, I don¡¯t have nearly as much trouble sleeping when I¡¯m with the team.¡± ¡°Thanks for not being upset, Gabrelle.¡± ¡°You know this means you have to start paying for your own room, though, right?¡± ¡°Ah, shit, you¡¯re right. I forgot.¡± Xander left the room to allow Gabrelle some privacy to get dressed and meandered back down the stairs to see if any other members of the team were already up. Looking around, he spied Graffus eating breakfast at at table and moved to sit with the dwarf. ¡°Mornin¡¯¡± Graffus greeted Xander through a mouthful of bread. ¡°Morning,¡± Xander greeted back. ¡°Glad to see you made it back, we were wondering if you¡¯d be out all night,¡± Graffus told him, after swallowing his bread. ¡°I was out a bit late, I suppose. I let the time get away from me.¡± Xander said, not really wanted to be teased again about going out on a date. ¡°So what are you planning to do today?¡± ¡°Bah, Frazay has roped me into helping her do research for the drakeling. So reading is what¡¯s in store for me.¡± Graffus tore himself off another piece of bread from his plate and slathered it with jam. ¡°You going to be going back to that [Tinker] you¡¯ve been spending time with lately?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the plan. I¡¯m supposed to learn more about converting mana types today, and also help her fix the suit of armor that I wrecked.¡± ¡°Welp,¡± Graffus said, now on his last piece of bread, ¡°I hope ya learn something new. Never had much to do with [Tinker]s ¨C not saying I dislike them, just that I haven¡¯t had much experience with them ¨C so it don¡¯t make much sense to me. Using a hammer is about the only overlap in our professions.¡± ¡°I think your hammer is significantly larger than the one most [Tinker]s would use,¡± Xander chuckled. Thinking about what he should be doing before he headed to Valteria¡¯s, he asked Graffus, ¡°Hey, I might need to buy some monster parts or elemental cores, something like that, for practice. You know where I would go to find stuff like that?¡± Graffus shrugged. ¡°Dunno. My guess would be an alchemy and reagents shop. That¡¯s generally what we¡¯ve sold monster parts to that didn¡¯t go to a smith or leatherworker.¡± ¡°Thanks, Graffus.¡± The two of them chatted for a while longer, catching up on what each other had been doing. Graffus excused himself to finish getting ready for the day, saying he needed to tend to his beard, leaving Xander downstairs. Deciding to be productive and proactive, Xander stood as well and headed out of the inn to find an alchemy shop. It wasn¡¯t long before he found one, a familiar scene of an eclectic collection of powders, liquids, crystals, and strange organic things floating in jars inside the building. The proprietor was a dwarf, seated at a workbench. They were grinding something into a powder as Xander entered. He received a distracted greeting before the dwarf returned to his work. Xander wandered about the shop for a few minutes, looking at the various materials throughout the shop. He identified what he thought might be an elemental core, a jagged piece of crystal looking material that seemed to have an inner flame. As for the monster parts in jars, Xander had no idea what was what. He finally felt he¡¯d waited long enough and moved closer to the worktable that the dwarf was still sitting at, working away at the mortar and pestle. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Xander said, grabbing the shopkeep¡¯s attention. ¡°Mm?¡± The dwarf said questioningly. ¡°Can I help you find something?¡± ¡°I was wondering if you had any elemental cores. Something small, I just need one to practice with.¡± ¡°Aye, I¡¯ve a few of them around the shop. You want something to practice with? So a relatively weak core, then ¨C not all the small ones are weak. Do you need any particular type?¡± The dwarf stood up and stretched, moving to one of the shelves. ¡°Uhm no, just whatever is cost effective, I suppose.¡± The alchemist rifled through the various bits and bobs on one of the shelves nearby before producing a small chip of what looked to be a semi-translucent stone. It was tinged slightly yellow with streaks of white. ¡°This here is a chip off a lightning attuned core. Pretty weak, but it does still produce mana.¡± Xander could see the dwarf¡¯s arm hair standing up as if from static electicity as he held up the stone. ¡°How much?¡± He asked. ¡°Twenty gold.¡± Xander shrugged. Twenty gold wasn¡¯t an issue for him anymore, and he didn¡¯t feel like haggling. He always hated haggling. ¡°Sure.¡± He fished out the coin and handed it over to the dwarf. The dwarf handed over the stone to Xander and the pop of a static electric shock could be heard as a tiny arc passed between the two of them. The dwarf grunted and shook his hand. ¡°Thanks for the business,¡± he told Xander. ¡°Anything else you find yourself in need of?¡± ¡°Not at the moment, but thanks for asking.¡± Xander waved goodbye to the dwarf and pocketed the tiny elemental core. He continued down the street in the direction of Valteria¡¯s shop, thinking about how he was going to undo the welding job he¡¯d done on Valteria¡¯s armor. He¡¯d need her to guide his repair efforts. Xander returned to the inn momentarily to grab one of his golems. He settled on Atlas for now, as it was the most basic of the humanoid forms he¡¯d created. No extra arms or weird feet on him, no sir. Arriving at the building that contained Valteria¡¯s home and shop, Xander knocked before opening the door. ¡°Morning,¡± he called out. ¡°Xander! Hello!¡± Valteria called out. She was at the same work bench she¡¯d been at yesterday. Jarrett didn¡¯t seem to be in the shop at the moment, as Xander wasn¡¯t able to spot the man. Commanding Atlas to follow him in and closing the door behind him, Xander started walking towards Valteria. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± He asked. ¡°Good, it¡¯s going good,¡± Valteria responded as Xander brought a stool over to her workbench. ¡°How about yourself?¡± ¡°Not bad. The upside of not sleeping is that I never struggle in the mornings now. I used to hate waking up.¡± Xander laughed. ¡°I even ran an errand before I came here! Picked up this.¡± Xander fished around in his pocket until he found the small chip of elemental core and held it up for Valteria to see. ¡°Core?¡± She asked distractedly, staring at Atlas. She tore her eyes away and looked closely at the small crystalline stone. ¡°Lightning attuned?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the [Alchemist] at the shop said,¡± Xander affirmed. ¡°Said it was a very weak one, but that it did still produce mana.¡± ¡°Mmm, a good practice piece, then.¡± ¡°I thought it would be, too. Not that I know what to do with it, yet.¡± ¡°Well, how about this: I teach you to set the stone and make some conduit, and then you can help me fix my armor. All the glue has turned to dust by now, thank the gods.¡± ¡°Sounds fair enough. So, how do mana conduits work?¡± ¡°Well, the concept is simple enough. It¡¯s a tube which conducts mana,¡± Valteria began to explain. ¡°Mmhm.¡± Xander nodded along. ¡°What you need is a setting ¨C usually of silver, as it has good mana conductivity ¨C which will be the first step of conduction, taking the mana from the stone. Simply wrapping the core in silver wire can work well enough, drawing in the mana that the core puts out through its surface, but for a more effecient setting, small holes are usually drilled into the core to set the wire into as well, giving more surface area to draw from.¡± ¡°So we care about the mana conductivity of the material, then? That makes sense, I just hadn¡¯t thought about it. I actually did a little experiment with my rune work to test which fillings were the most conductive.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Valteria said, interested. ¡°What were your results?¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°Well, gold and silver were high up there in conductivity, and probably make the most sense for someone who has to physically manipulate material without use of a skill ¨C both for a core setting and for inlaying a rune ¨C but I did find that sapphires and rubies were even more efficient at transferring mana than gold and silver.¡± ¡°Mmm... interesting. I¡¯ve heard of gemstones being used in very high-grade settings, as well as various other exotic materials. I read an account of one [Mechanist] who used tubes of mercury to conduct mana, though the relative effectiveness compared to silver wasn¡¯t mentioned.¡± Valteria cleared her throat. ¡°Uhm, now, where was I? Right, basic settings. Once you have your core ¨C or monster organ, if you¡¯re going that route ¨C you connect it to the conduit. Usually, this is also silver wiring. I like to braid several smaller wires together, personally. I find it to be sturdier and hold up to flexing better. From there, it needs to be tied into a device. Which is a topic for tomorrow.¡± Looking around the shop, Valteria seemed to identify something on one of the shelves nearby. ¡°I have a core that you could watch me set, and then you could try setting your own, if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°That sounds good to me,¡± Xander said. ¡°I always love to see a master as work,¡± he added, opting for a little flattery. ¡°Follow me, then.¡± Valteria said, standing up from her stool and waving for Xander to follow. Xander followed Valteria as she walked over to the shelf she¡¯d been looking at earlier and took a palm sized, bright green stone from it. ¡°Nature attuned core,¡± She explained, holding it for Xander to see. ¡°I¡¯m told it was taken from some kind of moving tree.¡± Valteria then moved to another worktable, on which were several of what looked to be drill bits to Xander. There was also an apparatus that look like it was designed to hold the bits, which was confirmed for him when Valteria slotted one of the small drill heads into the device. ¡°This thing,¡± Valteria said, waving the drill a little bit, ¡°is a life saver. I used to have to drill holes with a hand cranked one. Worth every single coin I paid for it to get an enchanted one.¡± She turned a dial on one side of the handheld device, which Xander was coming to think of as a magic dremel tool, and it began to come to life, the drill bit beginning to spin with a quiet whirring sound. ¡°Neat.¡± Xander commented. He watched patiently as Valteria drilled a series of shallow holes in the stone, the distinct screeching of metal on stone echoing through the shop floor. ¡°So where¡¯s Jarrett today?¡± He asked. ¡°Oh, he has the day off today. He asked for it about a week ago, not sure what for, though,¡± Valteria said distractedly. Soon she was finished with the holes she was drilling into the core, and moved to another workbench. ¡°Now we create a setting for the core. This is a fairly simple way of doing it, mind you, but it is effective.¡± Xander watched as she took sections of pre-braided silver wire and fitted the ends into the holes she had drilled. Once each hole was filled with a section of wire, Valteria began to pull wire from a spool, wrapping the stone until it was completely covered with silver wire and binding the braided sections to the stone in the process. ¡°There,¡± she said, setting the stone down on the workbench. ¡°A perfectly serviceable setting." ¡°So, if I understand correctly, you coat the core in a mana conductive material ¨C the more surface area, the better, hence the holes ¨C to create a setting?¡± ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Valteria said, nodding. ¡°Seems fairly straighforward. And then you connect the silver wiring that¡¯s wrapped around it to more wiring, and attach that to your device? Why the distance? Why not just connect the setting directly to the device?¡± ¡°You absolutely can, if space isn¡¯t an issue. Technically, the connection between the mana battery and the device, even if it¡¯s just a single point with no distance, is still referred to as a conduit, though, so it¡¯s considered a three part creation.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°Do you want to try making your own, now? I don¡¯t mind lending you a little wire.¡± ¡°Sure, but I should be good on material, I can produce it with my skills. Doesn¡¯t last without a source of mana, but I guess the core itself might provide enough. Think this little chip is a bit small to put holes in, though.¡± Xander looked at the small piece of crystal in his hand. If he just need as much contact as possible with a mana conductive material, his best bet would be to embed it into a sapphire or ruby. He decided on ruby, for no particular reason. Still holding the chip of core in his hand, he concentrated on his [Creation] ability. Valteria watched, amazed, as a ruby began to take form and grow around the piece of core until it was completely coated in a thin layer of gemstone. ¡°So, you can just... make things?¡± Valteria asked, sounding jealous. ¡°Well, it costs mana, and anything I make that isn¡¯t provided a source of mana that leaves my person disintegrates in a day, but, yes. I can just make things with my skills. But,¡± he added, cutting off Valteria¡¯s complaint of unfairness, ¡°I have never received a skill that actually lets me improve a material. Sure, I have runes, which generally makes up the difference, but I don¡¯t have any skills that improve the things I make. So, if you made a mana battery, and I made a mana battery the same way with identical materials, yours is going to be better, I assume, because you have skills that passively improve the things that you make, am I right?¡± ¡°Okayyy,¡± Valteria huffed. ¡°I guess that does make it a little less unfair. But ugh! It would be so nice not having to source materials.¡± She looked at the ruby with a piece of core set inside it that Xander had made. ¡°Well, I guess that about does it for making a setting... I thought it might have taken you longer to make one. I guess we can move on to fixing my armor even sooner! It¡¯ll be nice to have it up and moving again.¡± ¡°Sure, sure, we can do that. Where is it, anyway?¡± Xander asked, looking around the shop again like he somehow would have missed the eight foot tall suit of armor. ¡°It¡¯s in a shed behind the house,¡± Valteria explained. ¡°I have it on a hoist so I can work on it.¡± ¡°Ah, that would explain why I haven¡¯t seen it around.¡± Exiting the shop, stopping for Valteria to put a small ¡®closed¡¯ sign on the door, the two of them made their way around the building, where Xander saw the small shed that presumably held Valteria¡¯s armor. It looked like it could just barely hold the armor and one person ¨C two, if they were comfortable with each other ¨C inside it. ¡°So this is where the magic happens?¡± Xander asked. ¡°If by ¡®magic¡¯ you mean maintenance and upgrades, then yes,¡± Valteria agreed. She opened the door of the shed, which comprised most of the front of the tiny little building, revealing her suit of armor, which was currently hanging from several chains attached to pulleys on the ceiling. Plates of armor were laying strewn about the suite, leaving the joints and inner workings more exposed. Xander whistled, looking at the inner workings of the suit. He could see gears, cogs, and joints, and throughout the entirety of the armor were running filaments of silver wire, which he assumed were mana conduits running to and from elemental cores and the various mana powered aspects of the suit. ¡°This thing really is impressive. Almost as impressive as the woman who made it,¡± he said. Valteria giggled, ¡°Stop it! You¡¯re supposed to be fixing this mess, not flirting with me!¡± ¡°Awh, can¡¯t I do both?¡± Xander asked, trying to sound as saccharine as possible. ¡°Mmm, I suppose that if you are sufficiently skilled at multitasking, I might allow it,¡± Valteria said in a mockingly thoughtful tone. ¡°Well, I just so happen to be an expert, so flirt away I shall,¡± Xander replied. ¡°Now, how about the beauty in front of me shows me exactly where the other beauty in front of me needs some repairs?¡± Valteria sighed at Xander¡¯s antics, but he could see the slight flush in her face. ¡°Well, you welded the wrist joints, elbows, and knees. They aren¡¯t welded all the way round, it¡¯s more like you smoothed over a portion of it like it was wet clay. So if you could just... put it back? Shape it back to how it was, that¡¯s should be all that¡¯s needed.¡± ¡°Pretty straightforward,¡± Xander said, standing behind Valteria as she pointed out each joint. He could see the misshapen parts where he¡¯d slapped a weld onto the metal. He leaned over her and put his hands on the elbow joint that they were closest to and began to shape the metal back to its original form. ¡°You¡¯re... very close,¡± Valteria murmured to him as he formed the metal. ¡°Would you like me not to be?¡± He asked, carefully. Valteria was silent for a moment before answering, ¡°No...¡± quietly. Xander carefully shifted to be a little closer, but still not quite touching, as he moved on to the wrist joint of the same arm. The process itself was simple, but he was enjoying taking his time. As he finished the wrist, he turned to look at Valteria. He found himself looking right into her eyes, as she was staring back at him. Unable to resist the temptation he leaned in a little closer, gauging Valteria¡¯s reaction. When she, too, leaned towards him, he closed the small gap between them, drawing her into another kiss. Valteria pressed herself against him, the shed hiding them from any prying eyes on the street, and let out a small noise as Xander squeezed her tight. She was breathing a little bit harder than before the kiss as they separated again. Valteria let out a breath. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ a really good kisser.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Xander said, pleased with himself. ¡°You¡¯re not so bad yourself.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re a tease, looming over me like that in this tiny little shed,¡± Valteria continued. ¡°Now you¡¯ve got me all flustered, how am I supposed to work now?¡± She mock complained. Xander was glad to see that Valteria was comfortable enough with him to joke like that. ¡°Forgive me,¡± he said formally, making a deep bow, ¡°How ever can I make it up to the lady?¡± ¡°Oh stop it, I will tolerate no bowing and scraping, even in jest,¡± Valteria said, slapping him lightly on the shoulder, as he was still holding the bow. ¡°You can make it up to me by fixing the rest of these joints! And by taking me out to dinner?¡± She added, hopefully. ¡°I think that can be arranged,¡± Xander said. ¡°Is there anywhere you have in mind? I will admit, I haven¡¯t become very familiar with the local restaurant scene, what with my¡­ dietary restrictions.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡­ make you feel bad to go out to a restaurant, does it?¡± Valteria asked softly, watching his face for a reaction. ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry,¡± Xander said, waving off the question with one hand. ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother me too much. Sure, I miss the taste of a good cut of steak, but I was never that into food. Eating was more of a thing I did because I had to, so I¡¯m not completely devastated by the loss. And I can still get some vicarious enjoyment out of watching someone else enjoy their food. Really the worst part is awkwardly having to refuse ordering anything,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°Alright, if you say so,¡± Valteria said, letting out a slight breath of relief. ¡°I was just worried that it might be upsetting to you, is all. I know I would miss eating.¡± She paused for a moment, something clearly on her mind. ¡°What do you miss? If you don¡¯t mind my asking. I just¡­ well, I¡¯m curious what it¡¯s like for you.¡± ¡°Mmm, in a lot of ways, life is still the same, and in other ways, I¡¯m technically doing better than I was before. I¡¯m incredibly resistant to damage now, even without my armor. I do miss sleeping, though. I try to give my mind a rest and just sort of daydream and let my thoughts wander or do some meditation during the nights, but it¡¯s just not the same. Also means I¡¯m the one that pulls guard duty through the night,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Let¡¯s see, what else, what else. Ah, right. I can¡¯t smell anything. Or taste. I haven¡¯t worked out how to recreate those senses, yet. Though no sense of smell can be handy sometimes, I suppose. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve done much merc work ¨C you mentioned being surprised that I¡¯m not just moonlighting ¨C but uh¡­ the smells that you encounter on a battlefield are¡­ unpleasant. To say the least. It was weird not having a sense of touch either, but I¡¯ve resolved that. It¡¯s a little bit different than my previous, natural sense of touch, but I¡¯ve become accustomed to it to the point that I don¡¯t much think about the difference anymore. I think I¡¯ve even got the density of receptors down in certain areas compared to others, so I''m more sensitive in some areas than others now, just like I used to be. I¡¯m still immune to being tickled though, so don¡¯t even think about it ¨C that¡¯s a fight you¡¯ll lose.¡± Growing a bit more somber, Xander continued on. ¡°I think¡­ the biggest thing I miss is just the feeling that I fit in more. Now I always worry about being different, there¡¯s that nagging fear that anyone I get to know well is going to reject me once they find out what I am. Like I¡¯m secretly lying to everyone around me with this fa?ade I have going on.¡± Valteria nodded sadly. ¡°I get that. I¡¯ve been¡­ rejected before, too. At least it happens or not right from the beginning for me. I get to know if they look down on me for being different immediately instead of fearing they might later down the road.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Xander said. ¡°People can really suck sometimes. But at least I can just, like, not tell people what I am if I so chose. You, my teammates, and the guild, since it¡¯s on my status sheet, are really the only people who know. I keep it pretty private. You can¡¯t do that, so I think you probably have to deal with a lot worse than I do. Not that I¡¯d want you to hide what or who you are,¡± he added. ¡°I happen to be quite enamored with who you are,¡± he said, teasing a smile from Valteria¡¯s sad face. ¡°Sorry to bring up such a dour topic,¡± Valteria apologized. ¡°I didn¡¯t think much on it before I asked.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± Xander told her. ¡°Honestly, I think it¡¯s good to be able to talk about it with someone. It¡¯s healthy to be able to get you feelings out there. And it helps that I feel like you understand where I¡¯m coming from with it, though from a slightly different perspective.¡± ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly thoughtful sometimes,¡± Valteria said, only half teasing. ¡°Only sometimes?¡± Xander asked with a faux expression of hurt on his face. ¡°By the way, you didn¡¯t react much to my comment about moonlighting as a merc. Do you ever go on contracts?¡± Valteria shrugged. ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t describe myself as a professional mercenary. Moonlighter is an apt descriptor, for me, I think. I have gone on a couple, here and there, mostly on kill contracts that would net me a core or organ that would be useful for my work.¡± ¡°Mm, that makes sense. I suppose it could be handy having access to the ability to take contracts that would give you access to specialty materials,¡± Xander said. ¡°It¡¯s also good for business,¡± Valteria explained. ¡°Mercs tend to like to buy from someone who has at least been out on a contract or two before.¡± ¡°Ah, that makes sense. What kind of things do you sell to mercenaries, anyways? I saw Jarrett with a crossbow yesterday, but I imagine you make other things, too.¡± ¡°Oh all kinds of little things. Portable, flameless heaters for cooking. Water purification sieves. Mm, let¡¯s see¡­ I¡¯ve made a few custom order devices, too. One customer wanted to be able to shoot a jet of flame from their gauntlet, that was a fun one.¡± ¡°Ooh, that does sound fun¡­ reminds me of my flamethrower.¡± ¡°Your flamethrower?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s basically a big tank with a hose attached to it. At the end of the hose is a pump that causes the flammable liquid ¨C I use dragon¡¯s tar ¨C to shoot out. Add a flame that the tar passes over and bam! You¡¯ve got a giant stream of flame that will coat anything it hits with sticky, flammable tar,¡± Xander said, excitedly describing the device. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ impressive. And kind of horrifying,¡± Valteria responded. ¡°Mm¡­ I guess you¡¯re right. I mostly use it on giant spiders. Blugh,¡± Xander shuddered. ¡°But yeah, I suppose it¡¯s not the nicest of ways to go. Very effective for area denial, though. Ah, actually I have an idea for crossbow bolt head that would ignite when it shatters! We should make that sometime and see if it sells.¡± ¡°Hmm, I think that would draw some buyers. A flaming bolt head you didn¡¯t have to light first could be desirable to certain buyers.¡± ¡°Put that on the list and we¡¯ll get around to it sometime.¡± ¡°We have a list?¡± Valteria said confusedly. ¡°We should!¡± Xander said with a laugh. ¡°Now let¡¯s get the rest of these joints done.¡± The repair of the other arm and the leg joints that Xander had locked into position during the tournament was a short affair. Looking over the bare metal frame of the armor still hanging from the ceiling, Xander clapped his hands together, mimicking dusting them off. ¡°Good as new!¡± He exclaimed. Looking over to Valteria he asked concernedly, ¡°It is good as new, right?¡± Valteria had been staring at the armor as well, lost in thought about how she was going to improve it next. ¡°Hmm? Oh, yes. It¡¯s right as rain again, ready for use. Thank you, by the way. For fixing it,¡± She said awkwardly. ¡°Well I¡¯m the one who broke it, so it¡¯s only fair that I fix it. So what do you want to work on next?¡± Xander asked. ¡°I could do some rune work for you. Orrr¡­ we could kiss some more?¡± Valteria flushed at the question, but didn¡¯t immediately say no. A few minutes later, she found herself on her tip toes and lightly pressed against the interior wall of the shed, her lips pressed against Xanders. Once the two of them were done acting like teenagers parked in a secluded parking lot, they made their way back into the shop. Stepping inside and closing the door behind them, Valteria let out a breath. ¡°I think¡­ you are going to have to do a lot of rune work to make up for how much you just kissed me, Xander.¡± ¡°What, you didn¡¯t like it?¡± He said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Valteria said with a smirk. Combat Artificer - 68 The manner by which ¡®natural¡¯ undead are formed is poorly understood. While great tragedy or innumerable numbers of death are stereotypical situations in which undead are formed, this does not explain the occasional lone skeleton or ghoul that may raise from a long-abandoned cemetery. Separate from any controlling necromancer, these undead, often alone instead of the more commonly seen horde of undead, have somehow come by some form of animus. While it is, albeit only vaguely, understood that an area that has experienced significant emotional malaise may give rise to undead (battlefields and plague-stricken towns being two examples), there is no such indication that this mechanism is what gives rise to lone undead. Is it simply due to the character or spirit of the former person somehow making the body more susceptible to undeath after it is vacated by its natural soul? Perhaps there is some greater force; a sentient, perhaps malevolent, animus that occasionally manages to pry its way into forgotten graves and exploits the bodies of travelers that fatally lost their way. The relative danger of such lone undead being relatively insignificant compared to the many other dangers of the world, I doubt much research to be leveraged upon such an interesting topic. -The Variations and Formation of Natural Undead, by Yeffen Duliah ********************************************************************************************************************* ¡°I was gonna do the rune work for you anyway,¡± Xander said. ¡°After all, you¡¯ve given me some lessons on mana batteries already, so it¡¯s only fair. But if it also gets me more kisses¡­ well, I¡¯ll rune up whatever you want! Speaking of, what exactly do you want me to rune up?¡± ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯m not exactly an expert on runes, so I can really only ask you what kind of effect I¡¯m looking for and hope that it¡¯s something you can achieve. But I was hoping we could start with two things. A gear that will spin on its own, and a crossbow that will throw a bolt harder ¨C and therefore farther.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Xander grunted in thought. ¡°The gear is easy, just give me one and I can engrave it with a mana gathering array and a movement rune. For the crossbow¡­ let¡¯s see. I can think of two ways to go about it. One is a bolt that would add extra force and acceleration when it¡¯s fired. So it would be disposable, since you might not be able to recover the bolt once it¡¯s fired. I could maybe rune the arms of the crossbow to increase the force delivers when the trigger is pulled? I¡¯ve never done that before, but I imagine it would be similar to the array I have one my mace that increases the force behind a swing.¡± Valteria thought over the two options for a short time. ¡°I think a runed crossbow would sell better than a single shot bolt. Not that the bolt is a bad idea, mind you,¡± she said. ¡°I just don¡¯t really sell crossbow bolts. You can get better ones than anything I could make from a [Fletcher].¡± ¡°Ah, that makes sense,¡± Xander said with a nod. ¡°Let¡¯s do the cog first, and then we can work on the crossbow. Have you already got a gear I can engrave?¡± ¡°Mmhm,¡± Valteria agreed. ¡°Let me find one.¡± She moved over to one of the workbenches ¨C this one was positively littered with gears, cogs, and what looked to be partially assembled clocks or clockwork devices ¨C and searched for a moment before picking one out. ¡°Can you do it on this one?¡± She asked. Xander looked down at the roughly thumb sized gear. [Miniaturization] was going to come in handy today. ¡°I ought to be able to,¡± he told her. ¡°Hand it here and let¡¯s see.¡± Holding the gear carefully in his hand, Xander looked closely at it as he carefully used his skills to engrave a mana gathering array and then a single movement rune on one side, connecting the two with a short line, which he now realized was very similar to a mana conduit. He could feel the gear struggling to turn in his grip now that the array was active. ¡°You might want to put it in a box or hang it some way,¡± he said, still holding on tightly to the gear. ¡°Otherwise it might spin itself off the workbench and get lost,¡± he explained. ¡°So it worked?¡± Valteria said, curiously looking at the small cog in Xander¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh yeah, I can feel it trying to spin, I¡¯m just holding it in place right now.¡± ¡°Perfect!¡± Valteria said excitedly. ¡°Here, let me get a piece of string to hang it from.¡± Valteria moved to a different workbench ¨C Xander was realizing that she seemed to know where everything was despite the chaos of the room ¨C and rifled through a drawer before pulling out some string. ¡°Aha!¡± She exclaimed as she held up the length of thread. Valteria walked back over to Xander, who carefully held the cog between his thumb and forefinger, and threaded the string though the small hole in the center of the gear. Once she had hold of both ends of the thread, Xander let go of the gear and they both watched with interest and the piece of metal began to spin on its own. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to make such a good clock with this,¡± Valteria enthused. ¡°Let me just tie this here¡­¡± she said absently as she moved to the workbench covered in clock parts and tied the piece of string so that it was stretched between two points ¨C the two points being a small hammer and a spanner. ¡°There, that ought to hold it,¡± She commented, watching the gear spin vainly on the table, pulling the string taut. ¡°Now let¡¯s get to that crossbow!¡± She said excitedly. ¡°Do you have one already finished?¡± Xander asked. He noticed what looked to be a few crossbows hanging on the wall near the station he¡¯d seen Jarrett working yesterday. ¡°Of course, silly!¡± She chided him. ¡°I already told you that I sell crossbows, it wouldn¡¯t do to only have half finished ones lying around if a customer walked in.¡± As if summoned, a customer chose that moment to walk in, knocking briefly before letting themselves into the shop. Valteria straightened her back and called out, ¡°Welcome to Valteria¡¯s Mechanics and Sundries! Is there anything I can help you find?¡± The customer, who had come in carrying a small bundle under one arm, paused at being hailed. ¡°Ah, uhm, yes. I was told you¡¯re good with clocks?¡± He asked. ¡°I am,¡± Valteria said. ¡°I build my own to sell, as well as repair work.¡± The woman, dressed in plain but well made clothes, took the bundle in her hands and unwrapped it, revealing a clock. On closer inspection, however, Xander realized that it was more the remains of a clock. It was clearly broken, and there were loose cogs that had been gathered and placed in the bundle. ¡°It got knocked off the mantle,¡± she explained sadly. ¡°It was my grandfather¡¯s, and I can¡¯t bear the thought of just throwing it away.¡± She looked at Valteria hopefully. ¡°Can you fix it?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s see,¡± Valteria said. ¡°Come lay everything down on the bench here,¡± she gestured towards a workbench that was relatively free of clutter, ¡°and I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Xander did his best to keep out of the way, looking over the crossbows hanging on the wall as Valteria examined the clock. In only a short time, the small woman had determined that the winding mechanism had come apart, and that the arms needed to be fixed, both of which were things she was capable of remedying. The woman who¡¯d brought the broken clock in thanked her profusely, promising to pay whatever price she wanted for the heirloom clock. She clearly cared deeply for the sentimental value of the thing. Once she and Valteria had settled on a price, Valteria took down the woman¡¯s name in her notebook and told her to come back in about a week. ¡°Thank you again,¡± the customer told Valteria as they exited the shop. ¡°The mantle feels so bare without it.¡± Valteria let her customer service posture slip away, standing more comfortably now that she and Xander were alone in the shop again. ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad,¡± Xander commented. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t,¡± Valteria agreed. ¡°I wonder who she heard of me from. I had one man who was much less tactful that told me he ¡®heard that the little folks were good with clocks¡¯ when he came in.¡± She huffed. ¡°Just because I¡¯m little doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m good with clocks, I¡¯m good with clocks because I¡¯m a [Tinker]!¡± ¡°Having small hands doesn¡¯t help at least a little?¡± Xander teased. ¡°Hush, you!¡± Valtera said with a glare. ¡°¡­ But yes, having small hands does help. Now let¡¯s look at that crossbow.¡± ¡°This one you want me to do?¡± Xander asked, holding up the crossbow he¡¯d been looking over. ¡°Sure, that one¡¯s good enough.¡± ¡°Alrighty, let¡¯s get to it, then.¡± Xander placed the crossbow on the workbench and inspected it one more time as Valteria brought a stool over to sit next to him. It had a wooden body with steel arms, and a crank powered winch to pull back the braided bowstring and arms. ¡°Right then,¡± Xander said, leaning over the crossbow. He experimentally pulled the string back, watching how the arms flexed. He gave the string a firmer pull, all the way back this time, still watching the arms of the crossbow. Valteria interrupted his testing by exclaiming, ¡°You can just pull the arms back like that?¡± In disbelief. ¡°Mm?¡± Xander asked, confused for a moment before realizing that it wasn¡¯t normal to be able to do that without some kind of strength enhancement. ¡°Oh, yeah. I can exert a lot of force with this body. You saw me manhandle your armor around. Though I might have been able to do this even before. My class gave me a strength increase that scaled with level.¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve just been really careful with me?¡± She asked. ¡°Essentially, yeah.¡± Xander said nonchalantly. Xander watched as it dawned on Valteria that he could pick her up and snap her in half if he so desired. ¡°Wow¡­¡± She finally let out. ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t make you uncomfortable, does it?¡± He asked, concerned. ¡°Oh, no, no, don¡¯t worry,¡± Valteria said quickly. ¡°I just¡­ hadn¡¯t really realized how strong you really were. Which is silly, I know. We literally fought in an arena. I don¡¯t know why it didn¡¯t hit me until now.¡± ¡°Well, I promise to make sure to keep being ¡®really careful¡¯ with you,¡± Xander said. ¡°Unless you ask me not to,¡± he said in a flirtatious tone. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Oh gods, I don¡¯t know if I could handle anything even approaching roughness from you after what I¡¯ve seen,¡± Valteria said. ¡°And stop teasing me so much!¡± ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized. ¡°It just love flustering you, it¡¯s so cute seeing you blush.¡± Valteria huffed. ¡°Get to runing before a smack you!¡± She said, blushing. ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Xander held his hands up defensively to ward off any potential smacks. Getting back to work, he considered what he¡¯d seen of the crossbow. He needed to increase the force with which they snapped back into their resting position after the trigger was pulled. So an array that detected movement forwards and applied the momentum enhancing array should work. He¡¯d need to apply it to both arms. Placing his hands on the crossbow arms, he began engraving the runes required for the task. Intelligence runes to detect the movement and allow mana to pass into the array that would enhance the momentum of the arms, and, of course, the mana gathering arrays themselves that would power the entire circuit. Vateria watched with interest as the runes appeared on the surface of the arms, one after another, connected to each other with a spidery web of engravings. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful to watch,¡± Valteria said softly. Xander grinned at her comment as he finished the first arm. ¡°It is satisfying to watch it all appear on the steel, isn¡¯t it?¡± The second arm went just as smoothly, as Xander engraved an identical series of runes on it. Taking his hands off the crossbow, he conjured a bolt of wood with a steel head. ¡°Wanna test it out?¡± He asked, expectantly. ¡°Of course I do!¡± Valteria responded excitedly. She paused. ¡°But, I don¡¯t have any targets¡­ and there¡¯s houses all around.¡± ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re right. I guess I got a bit ahead of myself,¡± Xander said, guiltily. ¡°Maybe we can go to the guild training area before we go to dinner?¡± ¡°Mm, that would work. Yes. Yes, let¡¯s go to the training yard at the end of the day,¡± Valteria said thoughtfully. ¡°Soooo¡­ now what?¡± Xander asked. ¡°What do you normally do between customers?¡± ¡°Mm, normally I just tinker away. Work on any personal projects I have going on, or any orders I need to fill. I¡¯ll probably start work on the clock that lady brought in ¨C I haven¡¯t got much else to do. Why don¡¯t you try fiddling with that mana battery you made and see if you can work out something to attach it to? Just ask me any questions you have. I can work and talk. Though, considering you were so kind as to bring me a golem, I will probably be circling it and taking notes for a bit.¡± Valteria made her way to Atlas and pulled out her sketchbook. ¡°That skill based one you made is a mess! Half the gears don¡¯t even connect to anything, it just looks like it¡¯s clockwork.¡± ¡°Okay, that sounds fine to me. Uhm, what kind of things can I make that lightning mana will work with?¡± ¡°Ah, right, I suppose you¡¯re not all that familiar with mana types. Mana that is attuned to a type wants to express itself as the element that it is in line with. So lightning mana becomes lightning, fire mana becomes flames ¨C or sometimes just heat, water mana into water, you get the gist. So what you want to do is create a device that can use the natural expression of that mana to its advantage.¡± ¡°I see. I guess I need to go to the drawing board then.¡± Xander stayed at the workbench where the crossbows were worked on, as it was mostly free of clutter. The mana would be expressed as lightning? That was just electricity, and there was so much that could be done with electricity. But what should he make? And more importantly, what did he have the functional knowledge to actually be able to make? He know how a DC motor worked, maybe he could make something that spins. And judging by the weakness of the core, he doubted that it would be capable of throwing actual bolts of lightning around. Static shocks seemed to be the limit of its power. So a small DC motor would probably work fine. Did he have magnets? He thought back to all the items he¡¯d analyzed, going so far as to dig deeper into his status and pull up the list that [Analyze] provided. Aha! There it was, the flashlight with a magnetic base. He had everything he¡¯d need to make a dc motor that would power a small fan blade. Completely useless to him, but perhaps something Valteria would enjoy. While Valteria busied herself with studying Atlas, meticulously sketching out joints and postures, Xander conjured himself a piece of paper and a pencil and began to sketch out how he¡¯d create his little handheld fan. He ended up settling on a simple design. The mana battery, which he¡¯d be using just like a nonmagical battery, along with the wiring ¨C conduit, he corrected himself ¨C would sit in a steel tube that would serve as the hand hold. The conduit would run up to where he¡¯d be mounting the DC motor and its housing on top of the tube. The DC motor itself was comprised of loops of wire creating a circuit with the battery that had a magnet on each side of it. If he remembered correctly, when power was run through the wire, it would make a magnetic field, which coupled with the magnets to each side, would cause a rotational force. Inserting a small rod into the hole he¡¯d left in the housing ¨C and adding a few smoothness runes to it to reduce friction ¨C should cause the rod to spin. He¡¯d just need to add fan blades to the rod and he¡¯d have a fan that never stopped spinning. Wait, it would never stop spinning. He needed to include an on/off switch. He was glad he¡¯d thought of that before making the thing. He sketched out an idea for a simple toggle switch that would physically connect and disconnect the mana conduit in the handle. Now, he just needed to make the thing. Conjuring himself some steel with [Creation] he began to meld out the shapes he would need, adding mana gathering runes to the metal so that it wouldn¡¯t disintegrate. He was so engrossed in his work that he hadn¡¯t noticed that Valteria had taken a break from the clock to come watch, standing just slightly behind him as he molded the metal with his hands. He started slightly when she spoke up. ¡°What did you decide to make?¡± She asked, interestedly. ¡°Oh!¡± He exclaimed as he jumped a little. ¡°Sorry, you startled me. Uhm, I was thinking I would make a little handheld fan for hot days. Not any use to me ¨C I can¡¯t get hot anymore ¨C but I thought you might like it?¡± ¡°Awh, that¡¯s sweet of you, Xander,¡± Valteria said, leaning into him slightly. Thoughtfully, she added, ¡°But what does that have to do with lightning? I would have used an air aligned core and a vent for a fan, personally. You¡¯ve got no filter material, so how are you getting wind from lightning?¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s a little complicated. But there¡¯s a lot of physics that I don¡¯t understand very well at all behind it. So the basest of explanations is, if you run a current ¨C that¡¯s lightning ¨C through a coiled wire, it creates a magnetic field. In my world it was called an electromagnet. Because, well, it used electricity, which is - and I¡¯m sure an engineer would be willing to hit me over this ¨C artificially created and contained lightning. So electro, meaning coming from electricity, and magnet. So if you have this coiled wire that is acting as an electromagnet, and you surround it with two other magnets, you get a rotational force. Which I¡¯ll be using to spin the fan blades that will create wind!¡± Xander explained proudly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ How do you know this? I thought your world didn¡¯t have magic!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°How were you creating lightning?¡± ¡°So uh, another physics thing is if you instead rotate the coiled wire inside of the magnets, it creates electricity. I¡¯m not really sure why. But it¡¯s not magic, it¡¯s all based on math and science and you don¡¯t need a class to do it.¡± ¡°Gods¡­ what I could with even just a few books from your world,¡± Valteria muttered. ¡°Sorry, math wasn¡¯t really my forte, and wasn¡¯t high on the list of things I was trying to bring with me.¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not blaming you,¡± She clarified. ¡°It¡¯s just, all the knowledge of a world that, because of the lack of magic, took a different path. And you¡¯ve just given me a taste of it, of something that I¡¯ve never even heard of before.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t all flowers and enlightened knowledge,¡± Xander said, a little bitterly. ¡°We were so heavily industrialized that we were beginning to destroy the environment. Do you know how much a billion is, Valteria?¡± Valteria nodded, ¡°Uhm, yes, it comes after million. Though I don¡¯t know of many things that would add up to be billions. Bugs, maybe? Stars?¡± ¡°Well you know what comes after billions? Trillions. We regularly invested trillions of dollars ¨C that¡¯s the currency of my country ¨C just on creating more effective and efficient war machines. We had bombs that would wipe this town off the face of the planet and sicken the land to boot. Huge vehicles and ships with no other purpose than to be platforms for guns and ordnance. No one really liked to talk about it, but with the metaphorical press of a button by someone up high in the government, not even our own government mind you, other countries had these kinds of weapons, too, life as we knew it could end. I think, in a lot of ways, despite the ¡®lower¡¯ level of technology I¡¯ve seen here, life is more sustainable in the long run. Magic fills in a lot of the gaps that would lower people¡¯s quality of life. Here, you can cure someone¡¯s wounds in a single moment, even regrow someone¡¯s limbs. That was impossible back home. Clean water, enough crops to feed the people, hell even something as ¡®simple¡¯ as street lamps can all be accomplished by magic. Now, don¡¯t get me wrong, there are plenty of amenities that I miss. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard Charles lament not having a TV anymore. Lots of little luxuries. The ability to speak with people on the other side of the country in an instant. I think there¡¯s a happy medium that could be had, a melding of technology and magic. But all in all, what¡¯s around right now isn¡¯t so bad. I do wish that I had the knowledge to bring out more technology for those who wanted it, but it¡¯s the kind of thing that takes years ¨C decades, even ¨C of learning in a single field of knowledge just to be able to understand a specific aspect of one device. Frankly, I¡¯m just not that smart, and even though my [Intelligence] has increased, that¡¯s just made me better at memorizing, remembering and processing information.¡± Xander realized that he¡¯d gone on a little bit of a rant and cut himself off. Valteria has been listening patiently, with interest plain to see on her face. Realizing that Xander wasn¡¯t going to continue, Valteria said, ¡°That does sound¡­ stressful. I¡¯m not sure I can fully understand it. But still, even after what you¡¯ve told me, the things you showed me on your, uh, what did you call it?¡± She asked, searching for the unfamiliar word. ¡°Phone?¡± Xander suggested helpfully. ¡°Yes! On your phone. Giant buildings and cities, widespread use of vehicles that could move on their own, houses lit without flame or magic, so many of these things could bring improvements to life here on Tillania, too.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong,¡± Xander agreed. ¡°If you ever come across a contingent of engineers from multiple disciplines that have come from Earth, you let me know and I¡¯ll be happy to fund their efforts,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°The real issue is that there was such a build up of infrastructure required for all these things to work that it would be beyond massive to undertake. Not that I¡¯m trying to discourage you!¡± He added quickly. ¡°If you want to try and change the world, create something new, I am all for it.¡± He tacked on with a smirk, ¡°Nothing¡¯s more attractive than a woman who wants to improve the world.¡± Valteria snorted at his antics. ¡°You have a very odd sense of what is attractive, Xander.¡± ¡°Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,¡± he replied in a dramatic tone. Valteria rolled her eyes. ¡°If you say so.¡± Returning to the matter at hand, she asked, ¡°Do you mind if I watch you assemble to pieces?¡± ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind at all,¡± he told her. Xander began to assemble all the separate pieces he¡¯d created. Placing the mana battery in the tube, he connected it with silver wire to the toggle switch he¡¯d placed in the tube body. Then he assembled the components for the motor in the housing he¡¯d created and attached it to the toggle switch. Finally he inserted the rod and fan blades into the motor. The last thing to do was to seal everything up to make sure it didn¡¯t come apart if it got dropped or that the fan blades would shoot themselves out of the motor. He held up the completed device and gave it a once over. Perhaps a cage over the fan blades wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea, considering they were made of steel. He wasn¡¯t sure how fast or with how much force the blades would be turning, but there was the potential for a nasty cut if one were to stick their finger in it. Valteria watched silently, doing her best not to disturb him. She didn¡¯t realize that she was still leaning into Xander. Not that Xander minded. He was enjoying the closeness. Mentally shaking off his errant thoughts, he got back to the cage for the fan blades, which he made of steel wire, in a similar, though miniature, pattern to that of a traditional oscillating fan housing. ¡°There we go,¡± Xander said as he finished the last bit of wire on the cage. ¡°Shall we see if it works?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Valteria said, excited to see the final product in action. ¡°You can¡¯t just let me watch you put it all together without showing me the end result!¡± Xander chuckled at her excitement, saying, ¡°Alright, alright, here goes, then.¡± He flipped the toggle switch to the ¡®on¡¯ position and was gratified to see the fan begin to spin. The cage was probably not a necessary addition considering the rate at which it was spinning, but it was still enough to put out a cooling stream of air. Valteria clapped, congratulating Xander. ¡°Your very first mana battery powered device! Congratulations!¡± Combat Artificer - 69 Elements are, well¡­ elemental. Not in the sense that they are beings comprised of a single physical element - though they generally are. I mean they are created by a conflux of a single type of elemental mana. This is often seen at ley lines, areas where mana flows and rushes like a river, but it can happen anywhere two errant streams of mana of the same type collide. Not every collision results in the formation of an elemental core, around which an elemental will concrete rapidly from a physical material local to the area that aligns with the core¡¯s mana type. Some happen with no discernable effect. Others produces auroric lights, or short lived ¡®will-o-the-wisps,¡¯ which are not to be confused with actual spirits or other ethereal monsters. -Brant Colis during a lecture on elementals, College of Magical Studies, part of the esteemed University of Sempta ********************************************************************************************************************* Xander smiled at her and planted a quick kiss on her lips, causing Valteria¡¯s eyes to widen at the suddenness of it. ¡°Thanks,¡± he told her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have had a better teacher.¡± Valteria blushed at his glowing commendation, and perhaps from the kiss as well. ¡°You¡¯re sweet,¡± she said. ¡°But there are better teachers than me,¡± Valteria told him in a more serious tone. Her serious face cracked a little bit into a smile as she said, ¡°Too bad you don¡¯t know any of them! You¡¯re stuck with me, instead.¡± ¡°Mmm, I don¡¯t mind one bit,¡± Xander said. Thinking to check his watch, he briefly glanced at the time. ¡°Say, what time do you usually close up shop? It¡¯s getting to be late afternoon, and I imagine we¡¯ll want some light if we¡¯re going to test out that crossbow.¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, right, damnit, I¡¯d forgotten already.¡± Valteria glanced at one of the clocks in the room to confirm the time. ¡°Ah, hell, I¡¯m ready to call it quits for the day anyways. I doubt anyone else is going to come in today anyways. Let¡¯s walk to guild training area.¡± ¡°Certainly, I would be most happy to escort the lady,¡± Xander said, as formally as he could manage. ¡°What did I say about bowing and scraping?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Valteria locked up the shop as they exited, and the two of them made their way to the training yard that the guild had set up. Xander was glad that Valteria seemed to know where it was, because he had never actually been there. His practice for the tournament had been conducted out in random fields, as he¡¯d worried he¡¯d be taking up too much space swinging around all that chain. During the walk there, they chatted about how Valteria hoped the crossbow would perform, and she reminded him that she still wanted to see the guns that he had mentioned. He agreed to show her, as long as the training yard was safely positioned in such a way that he didn¡¯t need to worry about anything down range. After about half an hour of walking through the city, and then through the outskirts of the town, Valteria led them to the training yard. There were a few mercenaries training throughout the area, some sparring together in a sandy pit, while others were practicing their aim with bows, crossbows, and spells by firing at targets placed at the ends of a set of lanes. Xander was pleased to see that there was a berm build up behind the targets to prevent anything that went through the targets escaping the bounds of the training yard. He supposed that certain skills attached to a bolt or arrow might necessitate it. It would certainly work well enough for his firearms. He was glad he¡¯d silenced them, as it would be rather disturbing to the rest of the mercenaries present if he hadn¡¯t. ¡°So, which do you want to try out first? The guns or the crossbow?¡± Xander asked. Valteria thought for a moment. ¡°Hmm,¡± she said aloud as she pondered. ¡°I think the crossbow first. I¡¯m eager to see how it performs so that I can work on properly pricing it, as well as seeing if we need to tweak the design before we make more.¡± ¡°Sure, that makes sense. Guns can be a treat for after we do our official business,¡± Xander replied. ¡°Shame there¡¯s only a wooden target, I¡¯d like to see how it does against something like a chest plate,¡± Valteria sighed. ¡°You forget who you¡¯re with!¡± Xander reminded her. ¡°I can make us a steel target in no time at all. But we probably ought to test it out on the wood first, just to make sure it even works.¡± ¡°Oh right, I forgot you could just make one. That seems like a good idea. Would you mind making me some bolts, too? I didn¡¯t even think to stop to get any,¡± Valteria said, slapping her forehead lightly. ¡°Coming right up.¡± Xander went to work creating a few crossbow bolts for Valteria to fire, handing them over one by one as he made them. He stopped after creating ten bolts. ¡°That should be enough to test the thing out, right?¡± ¡°Mmhm, I would think so.¡± The two of them walked together to a lane at one end of the yard, making sure that there were a few empty lanes between them and the next closest merc. No one paid them any mind, save for an occasional glance in their direction as people briefly wondered who the odd couple they didn¡¯t recognize were. Still, the yard was free to use, and no one bothered them. Valteria cranked the crossbow arms back and took a knee as she placed a bolt into the channel of the crossbow. She took some time to aim at the target at the end of the lane before firing. The increased force of the arms snapping back into place jerked her forward a little, but the shot still found its mark, at least for the most part. It went a little wide, hitting the left edge of the target. The bolt punched through the wood with what seemed to be ease, burying itself fully into the berm behind the target. ¡°Wow, I wasn¡¯t expecting it to jerk like that,¡± Valteria said, looking down at the crossbow. ¡°It¡¯s certainly got some power to it.¡± ¡°Shall we see how it does with steel?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Sure, though I have my suspicions that it¡¯s going to either blow right through the metal or the bolt is going to shatter. So, it is going to require higher grade bolts from a good [Fletcher] to really operate at full efficiency,¡± she explained. ¡°Makes sense,¡± Xander said with an absent nod as he created a sheet of steel of about the correct thickness for a chestpiece. Once he was done, he jogged down to the target and leaned the sheet of steel up against it before jogging back to Valteria. ¡°All you,¡± he said to her. ¡°I have to do all the work?¡± She said sarcastically. ¡°I mean, if you don¡¯t want to shoot it, I¡¯ll be happy to,¡± Xander replied. ¡°But what¡¯s more fun than putting holes in things with a weapon?¡± ¡°Uhm, a lot of things?¡± Valteria asked. ¡°Okay, yeah, you¡¯re right. But it¡¯s still fun!¡± ¡°It is.¡± Valteria was able to land most of her shots on the metal target, which proved equally flimsy as the wood had to the runically enhanced crossbow. Two went wide, embedding in the berm instead, but overall she seemed pleased with the test. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly the best shot,¡± she told Xander. ¡°I¡¯m surprised I only missed two, in all honesty.¡± ¡°Considering that you don¡¯t have a combat class, I think you did pretty well for someone who doesn¡¯t regularly go out and fire a crossbow,¡± Xander said approvingly. ¡°Ready to try out a gun?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Valteria said excitedly. Xander chuckled at Valteria¡¯s enthusiasm, manifesting the tube fed .22 rifle from his inventory, along with some ammunition. ¡°We can start off with something small.¡± Carefully placing the rifle down, he held up some of the small rounds for her to see. ¡°This is a bullet. A twenty-two caliber long rifle bullet, to be specific. It¡¯s designed for small game, so it has essentially no kick behind it, but it¡¯s very reliable. It¡¯s a good one to get acquainted with before I swap you over to trying out my pistol and shotgun, since they have a little more kick to them. Here¡¯s how you load it.¡± Xander went through the process of pulling the spring loaded rod out of the tube that held the ammunition, Valteria watching carefully as he loaded it up to capacity. ¡°So you¡¯ve got eighteen shots right now. This right here is the safety,¡± he indicated the push button near the trigger that operated the safety mechanism. ¡°You can¡¯t pull the trigger unless this side is pushed in. Helps keep accidents from happening. Now, before I hand this over to you, you¡¯re going to indulge me and listen to the four rules of firearm safety, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Valteria said with a firm nod. ¡°Alright, so the first rule is this: always assume that a gun is loaded. Messing around with one just because you think it¡¯s unloaded is a great way to accidentally get someone killed. Two, never point the end of a gun at something you don¡¯t intend to shoot. Keep it pointed down at the ground at all other times. That way, if you do accidentally discharge it, no one can get hurt. Number three pertains to your target. Be sure of your target ¨C make sure you know what you¡¯re shooting at ¨C and just as importantly, know what¡¯s beyond your target. You don¡¯t want to shoot through something and end up also shooting something or someone you didn¡¯t intend to. And the last rule is to keep your finger off the trigger until you¡¯re ready to shoot. Simple enough, right? They could all easily followed with a crossbow, too. Got it?¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Valteria nodded again. ¡°Got it,¡± she replied. ¡°Alrighty, well then let¡¯s get you shooting! I¡¯ll show you the three postures for shooting, as well as how to use the sights and then I¡¯ll let you run through a full tube or two before we swap to something a little more fun to shoot.¡± Xander held rifle downward and indicated the scope on the rifle. ¡°This is a magnified scope. Think of it like a little telescope with an X in the center. You look through it like this,¡± Xander held the rifle up to his cheek, pointing it downrange, ¡°and line up the center of the X with where you want to shoot. The position I¡¯m in right now is how you should fire while standing. See how I¡¯m a little leaned forward and my right foot is to the rear? That¡¯s to help absorb recoil, not that this gun has much. It¡¯ll help with the larger one, though.¡± Xander then kneeled down, placing his elbow on his knee to brace his arm. ¡°This is how you¡¯d fire while kneeling. Very similar to how I saw you do it with the crossbow.¡± Finally, he laid down and said, ¡°And this is how you fire when prone. If you step behind me, you¡¯ll see that the gun, my shoulder, my body, and my right leg are all one straight line.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Valteria agreed, looking at him from behind. Standing up, careful to keep the rifle pointed downwards, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you choose how you want to shoot. Here you are.¡± He held the rifle out for Valteria to take, who did so gingerly. Xander was pleased to see that she was keeping her fingers away from the trigger. Valteria moved into position at the opening to the lane and knelt. Xander went to stand behind her. She took up the proper position, mimicking how Xander had shown her. ¡°I¡¯m going to adjust your posture slightly, so don¡¯t be startled, okay?¡± Xander softly said. ¡°Okay,¡± Valteria replied. Xander leaned over slightly and put his hands on her shoulders, squaring them a little bit more. ¡°Okay, now aim, and when you¡¯re ready, pull the trigger.¡± Valteria took her time aiming, getting used to the scope and the position her head needed to be in to properly use it. ¡°This scope thingy is quite handy. I can see things so much closer!¡± Xander laughed, saying, ¡°Yeah, I use it all the time just for looking at things that are far away.¡± Valteria took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger, eliciting a small crack from the rifle, most of the relatively minimal noise of the rifle being silenced by the runes Xander had engraved on the end of the barrel. A ping could be heard as the bullet hit the metal sheet, putting a tiny hole in it. Valteria looked around. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± She asked. ¡°I was expecting something... more.¡± ¡°Well, this one is a small caliber round, so there¡¯s not a lot of oomph behind it compared to something larger. But if we take a walk down there, I¡¯d wager we could find the hole it made in the steel.¡± ¡°Strange how something so small could penetrate a piece of steel armor...¡± Valteria said, trailing off thoughtfully. ¡°I don¡¯t think it would penetrate really well-made armor from a higher leveled [Smith], and I¡¯m certain it wouldn¡¯t penetrate armor that I¡¯ve done runework on. This is completely unimproved steel, after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Valteria agreed. ¡°So, do you want to finish off the other seventeen rounds, or is this one too boring?¡± ¡°I want to try the bigger one!¡± Valteria said excitedly. ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Xander relented. ¡°Same rules for this one, okay?¡± He took the rifle back from Valteria, unloading it and stashing the gun and ammo back in his inventory. He pulled out the shotgun and a handful of shells, opting for slugs to reduce the chance of any kind of ricochet from the steel target. ¡°This is a pump-action shotgun.¡± He held up the shotgun in one hand. ¡°And this is the ammunition it fires.¡± He held up his handful of shotgun shells in the other hand. ¡°Quite a bit bigger than the other one.¡± Valteria nodded along. ¡°That one looks more exciting.¡± ¡°You load the round into the tube on the bottom like so,¡± Xander said as he pushed five rounds into the tube. ¡°And to load a round, you pump the slide towards you and then away from you.¡± The shotgun made the classic cha-chuck- noise as he pumped the slide, loading a round. ¡°This is loaded now. Safety works the same way. Here you go.¡± He carefully handed the gun over to Valteria, who took it with a little more confidence than she had with the small caliber rifle. Watching her get into a kneeling position and shoulder the rifle, Xander commented, ¡°Adjust the buttstock a little, you want it more on the meaty part of your shoulder, not on the outside. It¡¯ll absorb the recoil better.¡± Valteria complied, shifting the rifle slightly to adjust. ¡°This one doesn¡¯t have a scope,¡± she said. ¡°Oh right, yeah this one is a bit shorter ranged. You just line up the bead on the end in the center of the sight posts closer to you to aim.¡± ¡°Oh, oh I see,¡± Valteria said, returning her cheek to the stock of the shotgun. ¡°Fire whenever you¡¯re rea-¡° Xander was interrupted by the muffled crack of the shotgun firing. Valteria let out a noise halfway between a squeak and a grunt as she rocked backwards, falling backwards slightly from her position of kneeling to sitting on the ground. ¡°Oww,¡± She muttered. ¡°This one hurts! You didn¡¯t tell me it would hurt!¡± ¡°I did tell you it would have more kick, though,¡± Xander laughed. ¡°That one packs a lot more punch than that little twenty-two. Do you want to shoot it again?¡± He asked. ¡°No,¡± Valteria said sullenly, holding the shotgun out for Xander to take. ¡°I¡¯m already going to have a bruise from just that one. How do you use that thing?¡± Xander shrugged. ¡°Eh, you get used to it. And with proper form, you learn to take the recoil better. Here, watch.¡± Xander stepped up to the lane and demonstrated, firing the remaining four rounds in quick succession, the slide clattering as he quickly pumped rounds into the chamber. ¡°Hmph,¡± Valteria huffed, seeing that Xander had had no issue with the recoil. ¡°Oh don¡¯t be like that,¡± Xander chided her, giving her a quick, one armed hug as he stowed the shotgun in his inventory. Valteria let out the kind of whine one does when they¡¯re mildly inconvenienced and want to be dramatic about it. ¡°I have one more that I think you¡¯ll like. It¡¯s got more to it than the little rifle, and less than the shotgun. And it¡¯s a lot smaller. It¡¯s called a pistol. I guess you could think of it like the hand crossbow of guns?¡± ¡°I think smaller might be good after that last one,¡± Valteria said, still cautious. Xander pulled his final firearm from Earth from his inventory into his hand. ¡°This is the pistol.¡± He manifested a magazine, and said, ¡°and this is the magazine, which the rounds go in.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s it called a magazine?¡± Valteria asked, interrupting him. ¡°Uh, I actually don¡¯t know,¡± Xander admitted. ¡°Just what it¡¯s called,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Anyway, the magazine goes in the pistol like this,¡± he firmly seated the magazine. ¡°And you load the first round like this,¡± he said as he racked the slide. ¡°The safety is a little bit different on this one ¨C it¡¯s this lever here. You toggle it down and then it can fire. You¡¯ll want to hold it like this,¡± he told Valteria as he demonstrated a classic pistol shooter¡¯s pose, both hands in use and slightly leaned forward. ¡°Ready to try it? I promise it¡¯s not as bad as the shotgun,¡± he said. ¡°I do feel a little bad about not telling you.¡± ¡°You should!¡± Valteria said as she took the proffered pistol. ¡°Make sure you keep it pointed down, still,¡± Xander reminded her. ¡°I will, I will,¡± she grumbled. Valteria took up her spot at the lane and mimicked Xander¡¯s posture as best she could from a single demonstration. She looked back at him briefly, expecting some kind of comment or correction, but Xander was silent, just giving her a smile. ¡°Not bad,¡± he said. ¡°Give it a try, just make sure you keep a firm, even grip.¡± Valteria pulled the trigger, flinching slightly after her experience with the shotgun. Her flinch made the round miss the target. She looked at the gun with a little more favor in her eyes as she realized that it wasn¡¯t going to hurt like the shotgun had. ¡°I think I like this one better,¡± she told Xander. ¡°Try not to flinch like you did. I guess that¡¯s my own fault after the shotgun,¡± he admitted, ¡°but it¡¯s bad for your aim. Other than that, you¡¯re doing just fine,¡± he encouraged. Valteria let off another round, this one hitting the large, steel target, letting out another ping across the training yard. ¡°This is rather fun,¡± she admitted. ¡°You¡¯ve got sixteen left before you need to reload. I¡¯d recommend a steady pace to start out with, though. Take your time to aim. You can pop off rounds quickly on the next magazine.¡± The two of them spent their time, and more than a few magazines ¨C Xander would load one up while Valteria used the other ¨C together at the range amicably. From an outside perspective, the two of them would have seemed more like good friends than a new couple. For his part, Xander appreciated that Valteria wasn¡¯t seemingly needy, or overly touchy or intimate. He wasn¡¯t sure if that would change, at least regarding touch, but right now, considering how fresh their relationship was and the fact that he was still feeling more than some guilt over even being in a relationship, he was perfectly content to move slowly for the most part. It would probably be best for Valteria too, he considered, as she was new to dating in general. He didn¡¯t want to inadvertently take advantage of her in some way or push her boundaries. As dusk began to fall, Xander and Valteria stopped their target practice. Xander had convinced her to wrap up with the shotgun and a few more shots from it as a finale, and she¡¯d agreed now that she knew what to expect, the annoyance of the sudden recoil having faded. Before they left, Xander brought the steel target up for Valteria to see. It was riddled with holes, Xander pointing out the impacts left by each different caliber. He set it aside and out of the way to disintegrate, and the two began to walk back into town. ¡°Where do you want to eat?¡± Xander asked Valteria. ¡°Mm... I¡¯m not sure. I hadn¡¯t put much thought into it, honestly,¡± Valteria responded. ¡°Well, the only two places I know are Charles¡¯s place and the inn my team and I are staying at. Though, if we eat there, prepare to be mobbed by the team and teased about dating me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already told them?¡± Valteria said, sounding a little nervous. ¡°Only one, and I assume that she has kept it private, but the other three would immediately assume if they saw us together at a table. You know they thought that us comparing notes after the match was a date in disguise? They kept giving me dating tips like I wasn¡¯t the only one of them that had ever held down a long-term relationship before,¡± Xander said with a laugh. Valteria laughed. ¡°I suppose it makes sense that they¡¯ll tease us about it having come true, then. I suppose you¡¯re worth a little teasing,¡± she said sarcastically. ¡°Damn right I am!¡± Xander replied. ¡°But you still haven¡¯t answered the question. Where are we ¨C well, you, really ¨C eating?¡± Valteria slowed her pace, considering for a moment. ¡°Hmm... I have to admit that I¡¯m interested in who your team is. The people you keep company with are an important aspect of one¡¯s self, after all,¡± she said discerningly. ¡°Ahh, so you want to know if I hang out with the wrong sort of crowd?¡± Xander teased. ¡°They¡¯re good people. Took me back without blinking an eye when I returned as... what I am now. I¡¯d be happy to introduce you to them.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, we¡¯ll be eating there. What¡¯s the name of the inn?¡± ¡°Uhh... shit. I can¡¯t ever remember the name of the place. But I know how to get there!¡± Xander admitted. ¡°You¡¯ve been staying in the city for how long?¡± Valteria asked, in disbelief. ¡°Uhm... more than a month.¡± ¡°And you still don¡¯t know the name of the place?¡± ¡°I just never think to look at the sign when I¡¯m leaving or coming back!¡± Xander said, vainly trying to defend himself. Combat Artificer - 70 As the two of them headed to ¡®the inn,¡¯ Xander told Valteria about his teammates. ¡°So, there¡¯s Atrax, Gabrelle, Frazay, and Graffus ¨C he''s a dwarf, by the way. Just in case you were wondering. The other three are humans. Gosh, it sounds so weird to clarify that someone is human, I just realized. I¡¯m still so used to that just being the default. Uh, anyways, where was I? Right, so Graffus is our frontline fighter, he uses a shield and a warhammer and he has a lot of abilities revolved around deflecting and reflecting attacks. He¡¯s a congenial fellow, but he can be a bit quiet sometimes. He gives good advice, he¡¯s usually the one that reigns Atrax or Frazay in from going to overboard on something. Atrax is a [Fire Mage], as well as a scholar. Very talkative, loves to share his philosophical views or talk about his studies into magic. He¡¯d probably be interested in discussing fire cores with you, since you have knowledge about the base state of fire mana. He and Frazay quarrel a lot. It¡¯s all good-natured play arguing, though. Honestly the way they bicker, I¡¯m surprised they aren¡¯t a couple, sometimes. Speaking of Frazay, she is our [Archer] and also a [Ranger] and a [Druid]. Finally, there¡¯s Gabrelle. She¡¯s our healer, though she¡¯s also quite a formidable fighter in her own right, and the newest member of our team, though she¡¯s technically been with the other three of them for even longer than I have been, now. I spent a long period of time unconscious after dying, you see,¡± Xander explained. ¡°I¡¯d say that most people are not conscious after they die,¡± Valteria responded dryly. Xander laughed at that. ¡°That¡¯s true, I guess the unnatural part is waking back up. It just took me two years to do it. I still don¡¯t know why,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Not sure I ever will.¡± ¡°But yeah, that¡¯s the team. Plus Freyja, who you¡¯ve met. We found her in a menagerie headed towards the capital of Dardin, and I ended up buying her just to get her out of the place. She was just so sad there, in that tiny little cage. Also, Hetra asked me to do it.¡± Valteria turned to look at Xander as they continued walking. ¡°Wait, the Hetra?¡± ¡°Mmhm!¡± Xander said nonchalantly. ¡°Patron goddess of cats. There¡¯s a lot of gods and goddesses, aren¡¯t there? Does everything have a patron god? Anyway, god¡¯s sometimes give [Godsmarked] quests, I guess if they happen to need a mortal agent? I assume it¡¯s all [Godsmarked] and not just me. That would be a little scary. I should ask Charles next time we go to his tavern.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡± Valteria said, sounding in awe. ¡°What¡¯s what like?¡± Xander asked distractedly as he paused to determine which way he should turn at an intersection. ¡°Talking to a god, Xander! What else would I be referencing?¡± ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking of directions. Well, it¡¯s certainly... an experience. They have a presence. No matter where it is, they fill up the entire place. Even if you can¡¯t see anything, you know that something powerful is there. But each one feels different. Illato felt like when you walk into a giant, ancient, library, full of dust. Hetra felt lighter, like a breeze blowing through the woods. Yrrlim was the opposite. Heavy. Oppressive. Like there something standing just behind you and breathing down your neck, but you could never see it, no matter how fast you turned around.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve met that many gods?¡± Valteria asked in shock. ¡°Is three a lot?¡± Xander asked. ¡°¡¯Is three a lot?¡¯¡± Valteria mimicked. ¡°Of course it¡¯s a lot! I¡¯ve never met any and no one else has ever told me about talking to one, either! Not even Charles!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xander said, thoughtfully. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right... It¡¯s not something I have any say over, though. They just kind of... appear when they need something done, if I happen to be in the right place at the right time.¡± ¡°Mmm. That still seems like a lot of responsibility. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d want to have that happening to me.¡± Xander shrugged indifferently. ¡°They pay pretty well when you finish a task, so at least there¡¯s that. I try not to think too hard about it. I think it would stress me out quite a bit more if I put more thought into it.¡± ¡°I suppose that makes sense,¡± Valteria said with an understanding nod. They weren¡¯t far from the inn now, Xander realized. After only a few more minutes, the inn came into sight, and Xander pointed it out. ¡°The Ruby Chair,¡± Valteria read aloud as she saw the sign. ¡°Huh. So that¡¯s what it¡¯s called. Weird. None of the chairs are even red.¡± Xander opened the door for Valteria. ¡°After you,¡± he said, gesturing inside. Valteria entered the inn, and Xander followed. He scanned the crowd inside, looking for any of his teammates. He spotted Gabrelle¡¯s blonde hair first, before seeing the rest of the team all at a table, chatting and drinking. ¡°Looks like the whole gang¡¯s here,¡± Xander commented to Valteria. ¡°Ready to meet them all at once?¡± Valteria looked around the new place shyly before steeling herself and saying, ¡°Well, it¡¯s too late to back out now. Looks like they¡¯ve spotted us, anyways.¡± Xander noticed that Gabrelle had pointed him and Valteria out to the rest of the team. ¡°Let¡¯s go say hi, then. And get you some food.¡± Xander and Valteria made their way through the scattered tables to his expectant teammates. Standing awkwardly in front of the table, Xander said, ¡°Uh, hi guys. This is Valteria,¡± he held out a hand to gesture towards Valteria. ¡°Valteria, this is Frazay, Atrax, Graffus, and Gabrelle.¡± He pointed out each of his teammates as he named them. ¡°Hi!¡± Gabrelle said enthusiastically, with a wave at Valteria. ¡°Greetings,¡± Graffus politely said. Frazay simply waved and smiled. ¡°Sooo, is this your girlfriend?¡± Atrax asked innocently. Frazay lightly slapped Atrax on the shoulder. ¡°Valteria and I are dating,¡± Xander said, slowly. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s we¡¯re still pretty fresh, but if she wants me to be her boyfriend then...¡± His babbling was cut short by Valteria who simply said, ¡°He¡¯s my boyfriend, yes.¡± If Xander could blush, he probably would have been right then. His embarrassment at nervously overtalking melted away as he heard Valteria¡¯s words. He reached out and wrapped an arm around Valteria¡¯s shoulders, giving her a squeeze. ¡°And she¡¯s my girlfriend.¡± ¡°Well congratulations to the both of you,¡± Graffus said sincerely. ¡°You¡¯ve got a good one,¡± he told Valteria. ¡°So you finally decided to introduce her to us, eh?¡± Frazay asked, finally speaking up. ¡°What do you mean ¡®finally?¡¯¡± Xander asked defensively. ¡°This is, like, our second date!¡± ¡°Oooh, you weren¡¯t lying about things being fresh, were you?¡± Atrax teased, as Xander grabbed two empty chairs for himself and Valteria so sit down at the table. ¡°Ignore him,¡± Gabrelle said to Valteria, shooting Atrax a glare. ¡°He has no manners.¡± Atrax mimed being shot by something and clutching the wound in agony, but fell silent. Xander and Valteria sat down on the newly found chairs, surveying the now awkwardly silent group. Gabrelle decided to break the lull in the conversation and include Valteria at the same time. ¡°Sooo, Xander has mentioned you¡¯re a [Tinker], right? So what kind of things do you make?¡± Valteria looked anxious to be asked a direct question so soon, but managed to answer with, ¡°Oh! Ah, all kinds of things. I¡¯m fond of crossbows, but I also enjoy making clocks. All kinds of elemental core powered devices, too. A lot of it¡¯s traveling gear or custom jobs for mercenaries ¨C I¡¯m close to the guild, you see, - so flameless cooking pots, water purification devices, the little things that make life easier on the road. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°How come you haven¡¯t made us a water purification thingy, Xander? You¡¯re an [Artificer], after all!¡± Frazay spoke up, lightly jabbing Xander with her words. ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t even know that was a thing until yesterday,¡± Xander replied. ¡°And I think that I¡¯ll need a lot more training before I could make one.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to give you the friends and family discount if you want to get one,¡± Vateria told the team. ¡°Ooh, Xander, you¡¯ve finally become an asset to the team!¡± Gabrelle teased. ¡°So you make crossbows?¡± Frazay asked, with interest. ¡°I¡¯ve always liked the power behind crossbows, but I just can¡¯t leave the bow behind, since I can fire so much faster than a crossbow.¡± Valteria nodded. ¡°That is one of the biggest downsides to a crossbow. I¡¯ve been playing about with an idea for a repeating crossbow, actually. I¡¯d be happy to let you test it out if I ever get one working!¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I could get behind,¡± Frazay agreed. The conversation between the six of them began to bloom in earnest. The mercs shared stories of their exploits and contracts, the fantastical beasts they¡¯d seen. Valteria was sufficiently awed at stories such battles as they¡¯d had with the bone giant, and the escape from Ilbek. For her part, Valteria relayed the few contracts she¡¯d been on ¨C her stories showed that she was a meticulous fighter when it came to a real fight, dismantling her elemental foes to reduce their danger as quickly as possible. She was also happy to explain in depth any device that came up in passing, excitedly breaking down the intricacies of how such things as a flameless cookpot worked when Graffus mentioned an interest in buying one. As the conversation wore on, food was ordered, and drinks began to flow more heavily. Xander took the opportunity of ordering the food for the team to also get himself his own room at the inn. Fortunately there was space on the same floor as the rest of the team. Soon they were all laughing and carrying on without the awkwardness that had been present at the beginning of their meeting with Valteria, the unsurety of what to say fading in the face of alcohol. Valteria herself was also a much braver conversationalist after several drinks, proving able to trade teasing remarks with Frazay and Atrax quite well. As Valteria found her social courage, Xander found her hand reaching for his, clasping it firmly. It was pleasant. Her hand was noticeable smaller than his, of course, but not so small that it would have been any different than holding hands with someone who was of a particularly dainty build. Now thoroughly in their cups, minus Xander, who was happy to let his friends cut loose considering the lack of critical things that needed doing, everyone was having a good time. Xander was too, he just wasn¡¯t drunk. Valteria was proving to be better at holding her drink than Atrax, who was drunkenly trying to explain how fire moved. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not just the fire that¡¯s moving, it makes the things that are burning move, too!¡± He was saying excitedly to Frazay. Frazay nodded sagely, saying, ¡°People do tend to move when you set them on fire.¡± Atrax¡¯s chuckling was interrupted by a hiccup. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± he slurred slightly, sounding defeated. Xander smiled at his friend¡¯s antics, and smiled even wider seeing how well they were treating Valteria. He¡¯d always known they were welcoming and not quick to judge others for outward facing characteristics - except Graffus and insectoids, Xander wondered if the dwarf had a history with the race of insectoids ¨C but he¡¯d still been a little bit nervous that the introduction with Valteria would go poorly for some reason. They just accepted her as a small purple woman, slightly shorter than Graffus. Xander wondered if there were any shorter races than the pix. Was Valteria an average height for a pix? It felt rude to ask. Perhaps there were gnomes somewhere in this world. ¡°What do you think, Xander?¡± His thoughts of small gnomes in complex underground cities toiling away in the mines to build tiny clockwork machines was interrupted by hearing his name called. He realized that he¡¯d spaced out and stopped paying attention to the conversation. ¡°Wha- uh¡­ I wasn¡¯t listening,¡± Xander admitted. ¡°I spaced out for a minute there, what were we talking about?¡± ¡°Graffus was just saying that I should come along some time on a contract, since I fought well enough in the tournament,¡± Valteria said, drunkenly and sounding happy. ¡°Oh!¡± Xander said, surprised. ¡°I think you¡¯d make a great asset to the team, Valteria.¡± He paused, thinking. ¡°But what about the shop?¡± Valteria waved her hand nonchalantly. ¡°Ahh, Jarrett can handle the shop just fine for as long as he needs to. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time I took a vacation. Besides, the money I¡¯d make on a contract would probably cover anything I could have made being in the shop and then some.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Xander said. ¡°Well I¡¯d be happy to have you along, personally,¡± he said, giving Valteria¡¯s hand a small squeeze. She squeezed back in return. ¡°¡¯Course, when we go on contract next is basically an eternity away,¡± Gabrelle lamented. ¡°So what are you waiting for, exactly?¡± Valteria asked, her curiosity piqued. ¡°Xander mentioned that you were all waiting on something, but he didn¡¯t say what.¡± ¡°Drakes!¡± Frazay interjected excitedly. ¡°We got our hands on some drake eggs ¨C did Xander tell you about our drake contract? ¨C and we¡¯re trying to hatch them. I¡¯m gonna keep one,¡± she said proudly, ¡°and if we manage to hatch more than one then we¡¯ll be selling them.¡± ¡°Goodness, I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever seen someone with a drake before,¡± Valteria said, impressed. ¡°Then again, I suppose I¡¯ve never seen someone with a giant cat before, either.¡± ¡°Awh, good, you¡¯ve met Freyja already, then?¡± Gabrelle asked. ¡°Mmhm, Xander brought her to my shop and damn near gave me a heart attack.¡± Valteria said with a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s about the reaction most people have when they first see her,¡± Gabrelle agreed. ¡°But she¡¯s such a sweet girl. All she wants is to get pet and take naps.¡± ¡°Except when she¡¯s mauling people in a fight,¡± Atrax pointed out. ¡°She is formidable in a fight,¡± Gabrelle agreed. ¡°So she comes out on contracts as well?¡± Valteria asked. ¡°Of course!¡± Xander said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just leave her behind, she¡¯d never forgive me. I don¡¯t make her fight, though. She chooses when and if she joins the fray. She¡¯s been quite the help in plenty of battles. I also made her a suit of armor.¡± ¡°Mm, I see,¡± Valteria said with a nod. ¡°Since you¡¯re interested in coming along with us sometime, I¡¯ll make sure we check with you when we take our next contract,¡± Xander told her. ¡°Thanks!¡± Valteria replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d like that. I¡¯ve never worked with a full team before on a contract. Just solo on the little ones.¡± ¡°Working with a team is good,¡± Graffus spoke up. ¡°It helps you cover all your bases, gives you flexibility on how you approach the objective of a contract. It¡¯s less lonely, too.¡± ¡°Have you done solo work before?¡± Xander asked his dwarven friend. ¡°Oh yes, far too much of it. One of the reasons I took up with these two,¡± he gestured at Atrax and Frazay, who were bickering about something inconsequential, ¡°was that I was tired of traveling the road by myself. No one to talk to, no one to watch your back. It gets old quickly. Besides,¡± he said, some humor entering his voice, ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave these two without someone to stand in front of them! They¡¯d have been demolished by their fifth contract without me!¡± Xander nodded. ¡°I always wondered if you three started at the same time or what.¡± Graffus leaned in conspiratorially and whispered to Valteria and Xander, ¡°Don¡¯t let them hear, but they¡¯ve been a team since the start. Came from the same village, been friends since childhood, not that they¡¯d ever admit it.¡± ¡°What are you telling them, Graffus?¡± Frazay said, somehow sensing she was being talked about. ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± Graffus lied. ¡°Just telling them how many times I¡¯ve saved you from getting trampled by monsters and bandits.¡± ¡°Well I hope you¡¯re telling them how often I¡¯ve put an arrow in something that¡¯s come up behind you!¡± Frazay retorted. ¡°Of course, of course I am,¡± Graffus said patronizingly to the drunken woman. Behind Xander, Graffus was the most sober of the party, a combination of being able to hold his liquor well and being a slower drinker. Xander wondered if the fantasy stereotype of dwarves being able to naturally resist the effect of alcohol was true here. Graffus certainly seemed to follow that rule of thumb. He¡¯d never seen the dwarf get more than tipsy no matter how much he drank. Then again, being the party¡¯s dedicated frontliner, he likely had a pretty high [Endurance] stat. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you found them,¡± Gabrelle said. ¡°And that you all then found me! I¡¯m still grateful that you took me under your collective wing as a novice mercenary,¡± she gushed. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what life would be like if I¡¯d joined any other team.¡± They talked for a few more hours, enjoying each other¡¯s company as the night grew late. It was Graffus who ended the merrymaking, taking up the mantle of responsibility and reminding everyone that it was getting quite late, and the tavern was emptying out. Despite the groans and accusations of being a spoilsport by his drunken companions, everyone eventually acknowledged that Graffus was right. Last drinks were finished, and chairs were unsteadily pushed back under the table as people carefully stood up, balance being a struggle for a couple of them. Frazay was holding Atrax steady as he finally managed to get his chair in something approaching order. As the four mercenaries slowly vacated the table and carefully made their way up the stairs, Xander turned to Valteria. ¡°Walk you home?¡± He asked. ¡°Mmm I¡¯d like that,¡± She replied, the words blending together a bit from all the drink. Xander offered an arm to Valteria and the two of them exited the inn after paying off Valteria¡¯s tab to the bartender, who was beginning to look quite tired themself. The two of them slowly walked in the direction of Valteria¡¯s home, enjoying the cool, night air. ¡°I always like walking at night,¡± Xander commented. ¡°It¡¯s so much emptier and easier to get around.¡± ¡°I never like it,¡± Valteria responded. ¡°It always felt lonely. Seeing light coming out of people¡¯s homes, hearing a bit of conversation, it reminded me that there were families in there, and it was something I didn¡¯t have,¡± she said, with a hint of sadness in her voice. Shaking it off, she added, ¡°Also, I was always a little bit afraid of getting mugged. Not much I could really do about it without my suit, and that¡¯s not exactly everyday wear.¡± Xander gave Valteria¡¯s hand a squeeze as she mentioned her lack of family on this side of the world. ¡°Well, rest assured that I won¡¯t let anyone mug you.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better not!¡± The two of them finished their nighttime journey, idly chatting about the antics of the night, laughing about things that had been said ¨C or misspoken ¨C at the table. Neither of them was in a hurry, so the journey to Valteria¡¯s shop and home took longer than usual. Once they reached the door to the building, Valteria hesitated before opening it, turning around to face Xander. ¡°Would¡­ you like to come in?¡± She asked, nervously. ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± Xander said with a smile. Valteria unlocked the door and ushered Xander inside. Combat Artificer - 71 [Godsmarked] are a disparate group. If you look hard enough, you can find a ¡®marked of any race. They are present in every country, though not every town. What is the commonality that all [Godsmarked] share? Well, we aren¡¯t sure. It¡¯s certainly not race, nor does it seem that a particular kind of personality or skillset is a requirement. While there are famed warriors, sorcerers, and scholars amongst the ranks of the [Godsmarked], so too are there bakers and tavern owners. My own personal theory is that they are a source of entertainment for the gods. For a being that experiences reality so differently as to be incomprehensible to us, could not the trials of a shoemaker be as entertaining as those of a gladiator? -Quivicus Grahl, On the Subject of [Godsmarked] ********************************************************************************************************************* The next morning, Xander was lying next to Valteria, her body lightly pressed against his as she continued to sleep. As sunlight crept through the window in the bedroom and splashed across Valteria¡¯s face, she began to stir. Slowly awakening fully, she tried to stretch, but one of her arms bumped into Xander, startling her to full awareness, accompanied by a small jolt of her head and an exhalation of air. ¡°Not used to waking up next to someone, I take it?¡± Xander asked, unoffended. ¡°Mmf,¡± Valteria grunted as she went for another, more successful stretch. ¡°You know I¡¯m not!¡± She huffed. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t help but tease sometimes,¡± Xander replied. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t startle you too badly,¡± he said, a little more abashedly than his previous comments. ¡°No, it was just¡­ different, that¡¯s all. I think,¡± she said, sidling a little more firmly against Xander, ¡°that it¡¯s something I could get used to fairly quickly. You are very comfortably warm.¡± Xander wrapped an arm around Valteria and gave her a slight squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so,¡± he said, happily. Keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulders, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the plan for today?¡± Valteria shrugged lazily. ¡°I suppose I should work on that clock. Other than that? Nothing, really. Just the daily drudgery of running a shop. Sweep the floors, make sure my accounting books are up to date. Maybe make a few more water purifiers since I¡¯m running low on stock.¡± She sighed. ¡°Just the usual.¡± ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± Xander asked. ¡°No, I suppose not,¡± Valteria mused. ¡°I think all the stories of adventure from you and your team just have me a little bit¡­ what¡¯s the opposite of homesick? Adventure-sick?¡± ¡°Wanderlust?¡± Xander suggested. ¡°Mm, yeah, I think I like that phrase. Wanderlust. All that talk of adventure and seeing how well you all get along as friends has given me some wanderlust. Made me wish I had a group of friends to go on adventures with. You know? That sort of thing.¡± ¡°I get that.¡± Xander said, holding Valteria tight again. ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I think they liked you a lot, and you¡¯re definitely invited on the next contract we go on.¡± ¡°I think it does,¡± she replied, giving Xander¡¯s arm a comfortable squeeze. ¡°Oh! I forgot something for the plan for today.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? What was it?¡± Xander asked curiously, bringing his head up higher to look at Valteria more closely. ¡°Breakfast!¡± She enthused, rolling out of Xander¡¯s arm and out of the bed. ¡°That¡¯s definitely important. Lunch and dinner, too, can¡¯t forget those!¡± Xander added. ¡°Mmhmm, very important parts of any plan for the day,¡± Valteria agreed as she busied herself with dressing and then making breakfast. Sitting at the table with Valteria as she at her breakfast, they both heard the faint sound of the door to the shop downstairs being firmly knocked on. ¡°Ugh,¡± Valteria groaned. ¡°Early customers. I guess I ought to go let them in.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come with,¡± Xander offered, following Valteria as she stood up and headed downstairs. Valteria unlocked and opened the door, revealing what appeared to be a well-dressed courier with a leather bag. ¡°Hello! Welcome to Valteria¡¯s Mechanics and Sundries! What can I help you with?¡± Valteria greeted the man. ¡°Ah, actually, I¡¯m looking for a Xander Jones. I was told that I might find him here when I inquired about him at the inn he was supposed to be rooming at.¡± Valteria looked back at Xander, standing a few feet back, as if asking for permission to tell the courier that he was indeed here. ¡°That would be me,¡± Xander confirmed, stepping forward. ¡°Excellent, I was worried you would be a difficult one to track down once one of your teammates told me you weren¡¯t at the inn. I¡¯d have left the letter with them, but I¡¯ve been instructed to hand it over only to the recipient, and to verify their identity with a status check, too. Could you please verify your identity for me?¡± The courier asked politely. ¡°Oh, yeah, sure.¡± Xander pulled up his status sheet and flipped it around to face the courier. ¡°Thank you,¡± the courier said as he handed over the wax sealed envelope. ¡°Have a good rest of your morning.¡± ¡°You too,¡± Xander said absently to the courier as he watched the man walk away. He was more focused on the letter. There, embossed in red wax, was the symbol of the kingdom of Dardin. ¡°What is it?¡± Valteria asked, pulling him from his thoughts. He realized he¡¯d been standing in the doorway still just looking at the envelope curiously. ¡°It¡¯s a letter¡­ from Dardin?¡± He said, confused. ¡°Huh. That is strange. Are you going to open it and find out what¡¯s in it?¡± Valteria asked, interestedly. ¡°I guess I should. This whole thing makes me a little anxious¡­¡± Xander said, trailing off as he popped the seal on the envelope. Inside was a short note on what he could tell was very fine paper. Xander Jones, As a member of the Dardian military conscripted forces, in recognition of your service at Ilbek, as well as your recent victory in the Rock¡¯s Bay tournament, the Dardian royal family wish to extend the offer of a contract to you. Please note that this invitation does not extend to any team members you may have. This invitation is for you alone. A team has already been assembled for this contract. Should you wish to inquire further about the nature of this contract, you may find me at the governor¡¯s estate. I strongly urge you to consider this opportunity for three reasons. One being the loyalty to the country and military you served with. Second being the payment and opportunities that come with the patronage of the Dardian royal family. Third, this mission may be critical to stymying Thraskian efforts to destabilize the border region of Sempta. We ask that you keep this information close ¨C should Thrask become aware of our efforts, they may step up their efforts against what remains of the Dardian government in exile in Sempta. Regards, Brinn Grefelt, Representative of Kind Nartan, Rightful Ruler of Dardin ¡°What is it?¡± Valteria asked, as she watched Xander read the note. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a job offer of sorts. I think.¡± Xander replied slowly. ¡°Okay¡­ I mean getting one by courier maybe isn¡¯t the most common occurrence, but what¡¯s with the hesitation? Also, I thought Dardin had dissolved as a country?¡± ¡°They did, as far as I know. But this letter is from the Dardian royal family. Err, a representative of the family. And it says the invitation is just for me. I¡¯m not sure I like that. I¡¯d be working with some team I¡¯ve never met.¡± ¡°Mm, that is a bit odd. But for a patron like a royal family, even one in exile, the payout means they can often make some odd demands and get away with it.¡± Valteria said, thoughtfully. ¡°I¡­ need to talk it over with the team first,¡± Xander said more resolutely this time. Valteria nodded understandingly. ¡°Of course, I¡¯d recommend the same thing. You should go find them, before they go about their day and you have to track them down individually.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Xander sighed, steeling himself. The whole thing made him uncomfortable and he wanted to just ignore the invitation. But doing so seemed like a poor idea. Not only would it not do to anger what could potentially be a powerful patron, but if there was a risk to Sempta now, too, he should do whatever he could to help. After all, his teammates and Valteria were all in Sempta, and Rock¡¯s Bay, being such an important trade center, would be a likely target for any kind of Thraskian efforts. ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, I¡¯ll see you later I suppose. Sorry to have to leave in such a hurry,¡± Xander said apologetically. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay,¡± Valteria assured him. ¡°I think this counts as extenuating circumstances.¡± Xander gave Valteria a quick hug and a kiss before heading out the door. He surveyed the area only briefly to ensure he didn¡¯t hit someone with a wing and launched himself into the air with his mechanical wings, hurrying himself to the inn. With any luck, the rest of the team would still be getting ready for the day or eating breakfast. Xander was fortunate enough to spot his team having a communal breakfast at one of the tables on the ground floor of The Ruby Chair. Frazay waved at him, noticing his entrance to the inn. Xander hurried over, quickly seating himself with the team. ¡°What¡¯s got you in such a rush?¡± Frazay asked, cocking her head questioningly at Xander. ¡°Uhm, well, I got a letter, and I want to talk to you all about it...¡± Xander started. ¡°What¡¯s the letter about?¡± Graffus asked. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. And it¡¯s from Dardin. Here, I think it might be better if you just read it.¡± Xander pulled the note out and set it on the table. It was quickly passed around by his teammates, who read it one after another. There was silence for a time as they all thought it over. It was broken by Xander, who was anxious to hear his team¡¯s opinions. ¡°Do you think I should take the contract?¡± He asked the group. ¡°Mm... I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s an opportunity that you can pass up,¡± Graffus began. ¡°And I don¡¯t mean just for the potential rewards. Offending royalty ¨C even displaced royalty ¨C can have hefty negative consequences for one¡¯s career.¡± Frazay and Atrax nodded in agreement. Gabrelle spoke up, adding, ¡°It also sounds like there is the potential to stop some kind of effort to strike out at Sempta, too. It seems like the right thing to do, if that¡¯s the case.¡± Xander sighed and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re both right. I just don¡¯t like how secretive it feels, and I especially don¡¯t like that it¡¯s a request only for me. I suppose this means I might miss the drakes hatching,¡± he grumbled. ¡°I wanted to see what they looked like as babies.¡± Frazay chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll still be small by the time you make it back.¡± ¡°How long do you think you might be gone?¡± Gabrelle asked. Xander shrugged. ¡°No idea. Letter didn¡¯t mention any kind of time frame, but I can¡¯t imagine it will be short. This seems like an involved contract that could become lengthy.¡± ¡°Politics make everything take longer,¡± Atrax said with disdain. ¡°You four don¡¯t mind taking care of Freyja again for a while, right?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Gabrelle said, almost offended. ¡°She¡¯s part of the team!¡± Xander held his hands up in surrender. ¡°Hey, I was just checking. Didn¡¯t want to just drop her on you all, is all.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re all agreed that I should take the contract?¡± Xander asked, looking around at his gathered teammates. He was met with agreement from each of them. ¡°Royalty isn¡¯t known for their patience,¡± Atrax added. ¡°They¡¯re probably expecting you today. They might already be wondering where you are. I doubt the thought that you¡¯d actually want to think their offer over occurred to them. You should probably go meet this liaison as soon as you can get to them.¡± Xander frowned. He¡¯d never liked feeling rushed or having people waiting on him. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. Hopefully they can give me some more information about the job... I don¡¯t like working with so little information.¡± ¡°Just be careful, whatever you do,¡± Graffus suggested. ¡°You¡¯re running the possibility of offending some very powerful people, on either side. It sounds like you might be working against Thrask again, and your reputation with them is... not good, all things considered.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°Yeah. Risk offending royalty if I don¡¯t take the job, and risk offending royalty if I do. Ugh. At least the royalty I''ll be risking offense to by taking the job have already tried to have me killed once. Not sure how much more I can really offend them.¡± ¡°Well, they could publicly blacklist you from all Thraskian held territory,¡± Atrax added, helpfully. ¡°They haven¡¯t done that, yet.¡± Xander huffed. ¡°That would probably be inconvenient.¡± He scooted his chair back and stood up. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll let you all finish breakfast,¡± he told the team. ¡°I¡¯d better go see this liaison sooner rather than later if ya¡¯ll are right.¡± After a quick farewell, Xander went upstairs to his room to quickly change clothes, manifesting his more formal outfit into position on his body. It was the first time he¡¯d had an opportunity to wear the outfit. He looked over himself in the mirror. The green jacket with black trim went well with the black pants, while the white shirt with onyx black buttons added some nice contrast. The polished brass buttons on both the jacket and pants provided a little extra pop. The boots, too, were nicely polished, ending a few inches below the knee. Overall, he felt dressed well enough to have an official meeting with someone of importance. He made his way down the stairs again, passing a quick wave again to his friends, and then headed out the door. Once outside, he paused, looking around. Where exactly was the governor¡¯s estate? He had no idea. He assumed it was either on the outskirts of the town, where it could sprawl into a large estate, or was in one of the nicest neighborhoods. He look around for someone to ask. Finally, he spotted a pair of city guard who were meandering down the street. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Xander said, trotting up to the pair of guards. ¡°What is it?¡± The closest of the two asked, both of them stopping and turning to face Xander. ¡°Ahm,¡± Xander started off, a little flustered to have to stop the two of them just to ask for directions. ¡°I have an appointment at the governor¡¯s estate, but I don¡¯t actually know where it is.¡± The one speaking gave an understanding nod. ¡°I see. I can help you. I the governor¡¯s estate is on the edge of town, that way.¡± The woman pointed roughly Northward. ¡°You can¡¯t miss the gate off the main road. It¡¯s got two giant, marble statues holding spears that cross above the gate.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Xander said with an appreciative bob of his head. ¡°I¡¯d better get going now that I know where to go. You two have a good rest of you day,¡± he offered to the two city watch members. ¡°Stay out of trouble and be safe,¡± the one who hadn¡¯t provided instructions replied. The two guards resumed their ambling pace down the street. Heading North, Xander quickly found himself on what he presumed was the main road heading through town in the right direction. Traffic was beginning to pick up as people began their days, heading to work or running errands. Carts were clogging the artery of trade, people flowing in between them as the slower driven carts trundled along in both directions. Xander was feeling impatient, wanting to get to the liaison as soon as possible, so he opted to slip one of the wider side streets where traffic was lighter so that he could take wing. Swiftly launching himself into the air as soon as he had the space to do so, he glided over the traffic, following the road as it left the density of the city center. On the outskirts of the city, Xander spotted the two marble statues guarding the gate of the governor¡¯s estate, along with a contingent of living, non-stone guards. There was even a small outbuilding halfway between where the road branched off from the main street and where it met the gate. One would likely stop at that building to be vetted before passing through the gate. Deciding he would be best served by going through all the official processes and not just landing inside the estate, Xander touched down a short distance from the checkpoint, drawing looks and a few pointed fingers as his wings dematerialized into his inventory. He walked up to the guard shack ¨C though shack felt like a poor word for it, as it was quite well constructed ¨C and found himself looking slightly upwards at a man in the armor of the city guard. The building seemed to have a risen floor, so that it would be easier to deal with carriages. It left the height difference between someone standing on the ground and the attendant at the opening on the side of the building a little awkward. People probably didn¡¯t come to the governor¡¯s estate without a carriage often, Xander realized. ¡°Ah, uh, hi.¡± Xander said. ¡°Can I help you? Do you have an appointment with someone at the governor¡¯s mansion?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a specific appointment, but I¡¯m supposed to meet someone here. Uhmm, shoot. What was their name¡­¡± He trailed off as he pulled out the note he¡¯d received, rereading it quickly. ¡°Right. Brinn Grefelt was their name. I got a letter from them,¡± He added, lamely. The guard stiffened slightly at the utterance of the name Brinn Grefelt. Clearly this was a name he recognized. The man gave a short, stern nod of understanding to Xander. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been instructed to be on the lookout for someone bearing a letter from Lady Grefelt. Right this way, sir,¡± the guard said deferentially, indicating towards the gate. ¡°One of the other guards at the gate can show you the way.¡± ¡°Uh, okay. Thanks,¡± Xander said. He hadn¡¯t expected to be let in so easily. But the fact that the guard had been instructed to be on the lookout for him confirmed that his hirers were already expecting him. He walked towards the gate until he was close enough to the group of guards on duty to be heard. ¡°I¡¯ve got a meeting with Lady Grefelt?¡± He half stated, half asked the group. ¡°I, uh, don¡¯t know where to go,¡± he explained. ¡°Ah, of course,¡± said a woman, stepping up from the group. ¡°I can take you to her office in the mansion.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Xander said. ¡°Come, this way, sir¡­?¡± The woman trailed off as she did not know his name. ¡°Xander,¡± he told the guardswoman, ¡°Just Xander. I don¡¯t think I quite warrant a ¡®sir¡¯ in front of it.¡± The woman bobbed her head in understanding. ¡°This way, then, Xander.¡± She led Xander through well maintained paths of greenery, workers and gardeners coming into view here and there as they busied themselves keeping the estate in pristine condition and preparing for spring. It reminded him of being led onto the Huraven estate for the first time. There was a single, massive mansion in the center of the estate that Xander could see rising above the manicured gardens. Around it were a variety of outbuildings, some looking like storerooms, while others appeared to be guest villas and servants¡¯ quarters. Xander was led directly to the mansion. It appeared even bigger up close, as he stared straight up at it briefly before entering. The foyer was bigger than most houses he¡¯d been in on this world. Deep red velvet, gold, polished brass, and dark hardwood adorned the entire area. It managed to keep from being garish, the darker colors of the velvet and wood instead giving it a sense of opulence that felt grounded in tradition. Columns dotted the space, keeping the ceiling of the huge room from caving in. He slowed, looking around and taking the sights in. The guard leading him slowed to match his pace, likely used to such a reaction. ¡°Lady Grefelt¡¯s office is on the third floor,¡± the guard said politely, shaking Xander from his distraction. ¡°Right, sorry. I¡¯m just not used to such¡­¡± he trailed off, unsure of a good word, instead just gesturing to the room around him. ¡°Grandness?¡± ¡°It is a sight,¡± the guardswoman agreed. ¡°But most of the mansion features smaller, more intimate rooms, with the exception of areas like the ballroom and dining hall,¡± she said, beginning to sound like a tour guide. Xander nodded in response, and followed his guide through corridors that were just as opulent, though less massive, as the foyer, and up two flights of stairs. Once on the third floor, he was taken to a doorway, on which the guard knocked. There was a slight delay before a female voice called out through the door. ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± The voice queried. ¡°There¡¯s a man here who received a message from you, Lady Grefelt,¡± the guardswoman explained. ¡°Ah. Send him in, then,¡± was the reply. Combat Artificer - 72 True scions of Yrrilm abhor necromancers, especially those capable of binding souls. They see the holding of a soul as a complete violation of their goddess¡¯s domain ¨C that being the capture of released souls into her web so that they may be used for whatever purpose the gods may have of a soul. The musings on the purposes gods may put a soul to use for could fill another book in its entirety, and as such, will be left out. Yrrilm¡¯s capacity for capturing souls allocates her a prime position within the pantheon of gods, philosophically. While we may not know the purpose of the souls, we know that they are a resource, and that she doles out this resource to the other gods. Her church and its followers are known to commit to hunts of a sort for necromancers and liches who have denied their goddess her rightful harvest of souls. Those that are captured instead of killed are taken deep within secluded temples and not seen again. -A Brief Discussion of Yrrilm and Her Worshippers, Aldred Mundi ******************************************************************************************************************** The woman who had been leading Xander opened the door and gestured inside to him. Xander followed her silent instruction and entered the room. The door was quickly shut behind him, leaving Xander alone with Brinn Grefelt. He briefly took in the office. It was small ¨C intimate, he recalled the description of his guide ¨C but well apportioned. A large desk took up most of the space in the room, and shelves lined the wall behind the desk. Lady Grefelt sat at the desk, looking Xander over as he hesitated by the door. She was finely dressed in a doublet that was white with black stripes on the sleeves. Xander could not see below her stomach from his position, the desk blocking the view, but assumed ¨C and hoped ¨C that she was wearing pants as well. They were likely of just as fine quality. ¡°Have a seat, then,¡± Lady Grefelt told him, in a tone that implied it was less of an offer and more of an order. The only other chair in the room was on the other side of the desk, directly facing her. Xander sat down, feeling very much like he was about to be interviewed for a job he didn¡¯t know the first thing about. ¡°Xander Jones, I assume?¡± The noblewoman asked. ¡°Ah, yes. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Grefelt.¡± Xander said as politely as he could. ¡°Mm, yes. Quite.¡± Lady Grefelt responded. ¡°You know why you¡¯re here?¡± She asked bluntly. ¡°You ¨C well, the people you represent, I suppose ¨C want to hire me for a job.¡± Xander answered. ¡°But the job itself was left¡­ unspecified. Which I must admit makes me uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Not a fan of surprises? I suppose surprises are often those of a negative sort in your line of work,¡± Lady Grefelt mused. ¡°But that is why we are both here now, to clarify the details of the task to which you will be set.¡± She paused, looking at Xander. ¡°That is why I came, I suppose,¡± Xander answered. ¡°That and I figured it would not be a good idea to offend you or the royal family by not showing up.¡± Lady Grefelt chuckled at Xander¡¯s candor. ¡°Yes, that would be a good way to ensure that you never got another contract offer from a noble in Sempta. Just so we are clear, you are interested in the job?¡± Xander nodded. ¡°I¡¯m interested. I¡¯m hesitant to commit to saying I¡¯ll undertake the contract without knowing more, but I¡¯m definitely interested.¡± ¡°Interest will suffice in your case,¡± Lady Grefelt said. ¡°One of the reasons you were chosen for the job is that it was decided that you would be likely to take it once it was explained to you with the, admittedly little, information we have of you.¡± ¡°Wait, have you been spying on me?¡± Xander asked, suddenly suspicious. ¡°Only a little,¡± Lady Grefelt said with a mischievous smile. ¡°And for a good cause. We just needed to ascertain whether you were trustworthy or not. Though, to speak plainly, the reports of your¡­ actions at Ilbek laid the base groundwork for that determination.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Xander said, not sure he saw at all. ¡°So, I assume everyone decided I was good enough, then?¡± ¡°Oh yes, there was little dissent on the topic of your selection.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Xander replied. ¡°So, uh, what exactly do you want me to do?¡± ¡°We want you to work with a team of stealth specialists to rescue Dardin¡¯s spymaster from a Thraskian prison camp.¡± Xander thought for a moment before speaking. ¡°Okay¡­ but why me? I¡¯m all for it ¨C a Thraskian ¡®prison camp¡¯ sounds awful, but what do you need me for if you¡¯re employing stealth specialists?¡± Lady Grefelt listed off the reasons for including Xander. ¡°For three reasons. One, your material manipulation ability allows you to go through or under anything that stands in your way. That alone could allow you to make entry for the stealth specialists into the prison camp more easily. Second, we¡¯d like you to devise a mode of transport that can accommodate Karlon ¨C that¡¯s the spymaster¡¯s name. He¡­ may not be in any condition travel by horse. Third, you¡¯ve proven yourself an excellent fighter, and more importantly, capable of widespread disruption and distraction of a large force. Should the team tasked with extracting Karlon need a distraction, you as well as one other member of the team - a swordsman whose skillset lends itself well to large scale combat - will be expected to provide one.¡± Xander nodded slowly. ¡°Alright. Okay. Yeah, that makes sense,¡± he said, just as much to himself as to Lady Grefelt. ¡°I think I can do that. Making holes in things is doable, and making distractions are easy with explosives. I ought to be able to make a way to transport the team to this prison camp and back, along with the spymaster. Can you tell me about who I¡¯ll be working with?¡± Lady Grefelt nodded. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s only fair, since the rest of the team has already been given a briefing on you. There will be five of you in total. Yourself, three stealth skill users, and the already mentioned swordsman. None of them are mercenaries. The three stealth specialists, Norin, Florin, and Varnne, were under the employ of Dardin¡¯s spymaster. Probably the best sneaks there were in Dardin, at least that the crown could call upon. Norin and Florin are siblings ¨C twins ¨C a sister and a brother. The fourth daughter and third son of a minor noble house. Varnne¡­ I¡¯m not sure where Karlon picked him up, but I¡¯m quite certain he was a criminal before he worked for the crown. The swordsman is named Rald. He was an officer who acquitted himself well during the war with Thrask. He managed to escape the capital, aiding in the defense of the royal family.¡± ¡°Mm. I see. Are they going to have a problem with me being a mercenary?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Rald might have had some reservations, but your service in the Dardian army seems to have negated that. The other three, they had no issue with it.¡± ¡°Good to know. I have another question, now that I think about it,¡± Xander said. ¡°Ask away.¡± Lady Grefelt said, leaning back into her chair. ¡°You mentioned the spymaster might not be in traveling condition. Why?¡± ¡°I take it you¡¯ve never seen a Thraskian prison camp, then. Starvation is a common tactic to ensure that skill users are less of a threat by keeping the body frail and weak, and torture is not uncommon for those that are deemed to hold knowledge that Thrask desires. ¡°Fuck,¡± Xander muttered. ¡°And we¡¯re only rescuing the spymaster? Can¡¯t we liberate the whole place? Surely there are other people that would be useful to Dardin there.¡± ¡°Possibly there are,¡± Lady Grefelt confirmed. ¡°But at the moment we have not the manpower to martial what would be a direct act of war against Thrask. It was decided that the most that could be done would be to extract the most critical prisoner with a small team. Should you manage to¡­ acquire more prisoners than the spymaster, it may be looked upon favorably. Especially should any of them be relations or friends of what remains of the free and living members of the Dardian nobility here in Sempta. But that is all secondary to retrieving the spymaster. Do you understand? He is the most critical factor in this contract ¨C the only reason it was decided that the risk this contract incurs is anywhere near worth it.¡± ¡°I get it,¡± Xander replied. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but I get it.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°When does the job start? I¡¯m going to need time to make that transport you mentioned.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got two weeks.¡± ¡°Right. Nose to the grindstone. Do I get to meet the team?¡± Xander inquired. "At the moment, they are traveling, but I will contact you when they arrive so that you may all formally introduce yourselves," Lady Grefelt replied. ¡°Gotcha. Is there anything else you need from me or should I go?¡± ¡°You may leave, if all your questions have been answered. You are, of course, welcome to come back should you have more,¡± Lady Grefelt responded. ¡°I should get gone, then, and get to work,¡± Xander stated as he stood. ¡°Best of luck in your endeavor,¡± Lady Grefelt called after him as he exited the office. Xander closed the door behind him and looked around. He realized something, then. With the effects of [Engraved in Memory] enhancing his ability to memorize and remember things, he could recall with a fair amount of certainty the route he¡¯d taken as he was led to the office. It was nice to not feel lost. He retraced his steps, taking the stairs down two floors, and found himself once again in the large foyer. Exiting the building, he pulled on his wings from his inventory and took flight. He was on a time crunch now, and wanted to get to work on the vehicle right away. His mind was already turning the idea over as he flew. They wanted him to make a transport? He could do that. In fact, he was kicking himself for not having made one already. It would have come in handy many times, he was sure. For a job like this, where he needed to be able to get somewhere that was probably remote, and definitely hostile, he¡¯d need something sturdy and defensible, with a good amount of interior space to carry a team. He nodded slightly to himself as he flew. What he needed was an armored personnel carrier. That brought up another question. Where was he going to have the space to build an APC? Many of the streets in the city wouldn¡¯t accommodate such a large vehicle. Neither the inn nor Valteria¡¯s shop had the space around them for him to fabricate something of that size. Perhaps one of the empty fields he had trained in for the tournament would be best. Outside of the town, he¡¯d have plenty of space, and he could drive it along the outskirts and the wider roads outside of town to get it to the governor¡¯s estate. First, he needed to actually design the damn thing, though. And before he did that, both his team and Valteria deserved a visit to know that he¡¯d be leaving in a couple of weeks for an indeterminate amount of time. It had taken three months for him to get to Sempta from Anlet, roughly. He had no idea where this prison camp was, but he assumed it wouldn¡¯t be conveniently nearby. Hopefully the APC would speed up the travel time. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He decided that Valteria would be the easiest to visit first. By this point in the day, his teammates would likely be out and about pursuing their own interests. He¡¯d talk to Valteria first, start sketching out the design for his APC, and then once dinner time rolled around and his teammates returned to the inn, he¡¯d talk with them. Xander curved his path to lead him to Valteria¡¯s shop, now that he¡¯d decided on exactly where he¡¯d go. In little time at all, he was once again in front of her shop. Xander let himself in, opening the door to see Jarrett working away on an unidentified device, and Valteria with the remains of the clock that had been brought to her by a customer spread out in front of her. Jarrett offered a wave as he saw Xander coming in, his workstation facing the doorway. Valteria had to pause her work and turn around to see who had entered, and realizing it was Xander, got up to give him a hug. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°That wasn¡¯t too long. How did it go? Did you take the job? What was the governor¡¯s mansion like?¡± Xander returned the hug, giving Valteria a squeeze, and snorted a short laugh. ¡°Which one should I answer first?¡± He asked as he disentangled himself from the hug. ¡°Mmm, I guess tell me if you took the job first.¡± ¡°I did. It seems important, and it was pretty heavily implied that it would be¡­ good for my career if I accepted. With a healthy dash of it also being bad for my career if I don¡¯t accept. Overall the meeting went well ¨C the liaison was polite, if a bit stern. Maybe stern isn¡¯t the right word. But the kind of demeanor of someone who was very used to having people do exactly as they said. Uhm, oh right. The governor¡¯s mansion. Well, from what I saw, it¡¯s¡­ opulent is the best way to describe it. The entryway was huge. Bigger than most houses. Lots of gold and dark wood. But the rooms themselves, or at least the grand total of one that I was in, were smaller. The guard that led me there said that a lot of the rooms were smaller for a more intimate feeling.¡± Xander trailed off, not sure quite how to tell Valteria that he would be leaving in two weeks and he wasn¡¯t sure for how long, but it would likely be months. ¡°Ah¡­ Valteria?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± She said, her head tilted upwards to meet Xander¡¯s gaze. ¡°You know I have to leave for the contract, right? I don¡¯t even know how long I¡¯ll be gone for. Months, possibly.¡± Valteria nodded, a little sadly. ¡°I figured.¡± She shook her head slightly to clear the sadness from her face. ¡°But that¡¯s part of being a mercenary, isn¡¯t it? I knew something like this would happen eventually. I just¡­ didn¡¯t expect it to happen so soon, since you and your team were taking a break.¡± Xander nodded along as he thought about Valteria¡¯s answer. He supposed it made sense that she was at least somewhat prepared for this. After all, it was pretty well known that mercenaries were frequent travelers. Some were completely itinerant, taking up contracts as they traveled. If she wasn¡¯t okay with that then it would have been silly of her to even entertain beginning something with Xander. That didn¡¯t mean that it wasn¡¯t disappointing to either of them for him to have to leave, though. Especially so soon into this newfound relationship. Jarrett continued on with the device he was working on, doing his best to appear as if everything was normal and he wasn¡¯t being forced to eavesdrop on a personal and emotional conversation. Xander wondered if Valteria had told him they¡¯d begun dating ¨C surely they were close enough, since he¡¯d been working under her for years ¨C or if this was coming as a complete surprise to him to find out that they were in a relationship. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of time to wait around for you, after all. Months aren¡¯t exactly a chunk out of my lifespan ¨C or yours, Xander. Just¡­ promise me you will be coming back at some point, and that you¡¯ll be careful, okay? That¡¯s all I ask. I know we haven¡¯t been, ah, an item for very long, but I¡¯ve grown rather attached to you already,¡± Valteria continued. Xander wrapped Valteria in another hug, holding her tight. ¡°I promise,¡± he told her. ¡°I¡¯ll make it as short as possible, and definitely no need to worry about me coming back.¡± He gave her a kiss on her forehead and he squeezed her a little tighter. ¡°And next contract I go on, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re invited.¡± Valteria wiggled a little bit, in the way that one does when they find that something is sweet and endearing from their significant other. ¡°I¡¯d like that. Are you able to tell me what the contract is about?¡± Xander thought for a moment. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t get too specific. But I need to help rescue someone who needs rescuing.¡± Valteria nodded in understanding. ¡°At least it¡¯s a good cause. Will it be dangerous, do you think?¡± ¡°Mmm, ideally no. I¡¯m actually supposed to just make a transport ¨C which I need to start on, I wish they¡¯d told me earlier ¨C and take the rest of the team there. They¡¯re supposed to stealthily rescue this person. But, if for some reason they can¡¯t¡­ me and the other non-stealth guy are supposed to make a distraction so they can. Hopefully, though, that doesn¡¯t happen, and I¡¯m just a glorified chauffeur. ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®chauffeur?¡¯¡± ¡°Oh, right, that¡¯s a French word, isn¡¯t it? I guess it doesn¡¯t translate great with my skill? Uhm, it¡¯s just another word for a driver. I was saying that hopefully, I¡¯ll just be a glorified carriage driver.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. I think that would be ideal¡­ and less dangerous. But, if they have you and another person on standby for a distraction, it sounds like they think it might be necessary.¡± Valteria said, sounding like she was a little nervous at the prospect of Xander being used as bait for a job. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, with any luck, and maybe a few of my devices, there will be no need for a distraction. And if there is a need, well¡­ I¡¯m actually pretty good at making distractions and then leaving.¡± ¡°Well, I can certainly vouch for your fighting skills and mobility,¡± Valteria said with a small snort. ¡°Just don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Xander promised. ¡°Do you mind if I sit down and do some sketching here? I¡¯m waiting ¡®til around dinner time to catch the team all together again and tell them I¡¯m taking the contract. Figured I¡¯d get some work in between now and then on this transport I¡¯m supposed to be making. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine, there¡¯s plenty of free workbench space. Jarrett and I need to work on replenishing the water purifiers anyways.¡± As Valteria turned to start back on her work ¨C Xander could see that she had a similar device as to what Jarrett was working on, shaped roughly like a funnel with a longer tube at the end than was normal ¨C Xander found himself a workbench that was mostly free of clutter. Creating himself a few sheets of paper and withdrawing a pen from his inventory he started sketching out a rough profile of what he¡¯d been thinking of as well as making notes on what aspects might present a challenge and how he planned to implement certain features. What came out was a roughly trapezoidal vehicle with three sets of double wheels for a total of twelve tires. He wanted this thing to be able to move across any kind of terrain. The rear would have a drop down ramp for loading and unloading, and there would be a hatch in the roof of the vehicle for exit and entry as well. Three rows of seating, well, more like two rows and a driver¡¯s seat would leave a generous amount of space for cargo storage. Maybe he should go for an extra row of seats? Xander shook off the errant thought ¨C he could always add more seats if it was a problem later. He was unsure of whether or not to try and create a gun to mount on top of the vehicle. He was leaning towards yes on that decision though. He¡¯d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. The biggest problem he was having was figuring out how to steer the thing. Xander knew that when a car¡¯s steering wheel turned, there was a system that made the wheels on one side spin slower so that it turned better. But that was about all he knew about it. He had no idea how it was done, let alone how to recreate the system. He could maybe do it with intelligence runes. Have them cut power slightly to one side of the vehicle or the other depending on how it was turning. But how much power? It would take a lot of trial and error. And that was all without considering the physical mechanisms that translated the turning of steering wheel into the turning of the tires. Was there something else he could use besides a steering wheel? He recalled driving a skid steer on his family¡¯s farm before. It had two independent throttles for each side of the vehicle. The more Xander thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Not only would he not have to figure out the proper ratio of power to cut, with two independent throttles, he could have the vehicle turn on a dime by setting one side into reverse and the other forward. He¡¯d be able to turn a full circle without moving from his spot ¨C which would be handy for getting the weapon he would be emplacing on the top of the vehicle into proper firing position. Satisfied with his (very) rough draft of an armored personnel carrier ¨C or was it an infantry fighting vehicle since he was putting a gun on top? ¨C he walked over to Valteria to get her thoughts. ¡°What do you think?¡± He asked, sliding the paper onto the corner of Valteria¡¯s desk. Valteria placed the water purifier she¡¯d been working on down to one side and took up Xander¡¯s sketch, looking at it intently. ¡°It seems¡­ big?¡± She questioned, hesitantly. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t think it would work, mind you. But it¡¯s a hell of a lot bigger than my wagon. Do you think you can make something that size in two weeks?¡± ¡°It definitely is kinda big. But vehicles like this are meant to be big. I want space to carry lots of people and their gear. I don¡¯t think it will be a problem to make¡­ most of it is just going to consist of metal sheets that I rune up for armor. The part that¡¯s probably going to take the longest are the wheels and the weapon I want to put on top. I¡¯ll focus on the wheels, well, really on making the wheels spin right and steering, first. Then, if I have time, I¡¯ll put a gun on top.¡± ¡°Well it sounds like you¡¯ve got a pretty good idea of your production flow. When are you going to start?¡± ¡°I was thinking tomorrow. Today I¡¯ll probably keep sketching things out and fleshing out ideas. Hell, this took me an hour alone to sketch out and come up with ideas, narrow stuff down.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Valteria said. ¡°Don¡¯t rush yourself too much, though. I know you¡¯re on a time crunch, but rushing and making a mistake that you have to go back and fix can take longer than planning a little more and then not making a mistake.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Xander agreed. ¡°Fortunately my skills help me out there ¨C I can change things out and rework them pretty easily. But it¡¯s still the right sentiment and way to go about something like this.¡± ¡°Well, back to the drawing table then for you, I suppose,¡± Valteria said. ¡°But don¡¯t forget to talk to your team¡­ or to take me out.¡± ¡°¡¯Out?¡¯¡± Xander said, with an impish tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d come to expect me to take you out so frequently!¡± He said in mock surprise. ¡°How fortuitous it is, then, that I happen to quite like taking you out! What a confluence of events this is.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t expect it,¡± Valteria said, sheepishly. ¡°But I do like it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to oblige,¡± Xander said. And he was. He genuinely enjoyed taking Valteria out on dates. ¡°It will also probably be good for me to take some breaks from building and designing, let my brain recharge a little bit. I can be¡­ bad about diving too deep into a project I¡¯m working on. Especially now that I don¡¯t eat or sleep,¡± he explained, voice a little lowered. ¡°So having some ¡®forced¡¯ breaks will be good for me! Especially for something I¡¯ll be looking forward to,¡± he said, more jovially. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to those ¡®forced breaks,¡¯ then,¡± Valteria agreed. ¡°Shall I let you get back to work?¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± Xander sighed. ¡°Back to the grindstone,¡± he lamented lightheartedly. Considering that he was not much of an artist, Xander put aside the idea of making a more refined sketch ¨C what he¡¯d made was the limit of his artistic abilities. Besides, with his skills allowing him to fabricate parts with ease, he decided that he would be best served with making some a scale model instead, to ensure he was getting the runes right. He thought for a minute. What would he need for wheels? Rubber, obviously, perhaps with steel threading or cabling embedded in it to provide extra strength and structure. He needed a bearing for the wheel to spin on. That was something he could design fairly easily ¨C a casing with ball bearings engraved with smoothness runes should serve quite well. Yes, he could set the wheels on axles that would not spin on their own like a car, but would still serve as something to pin the wheel to. Runes that monitored the throttle¡¯s position would provide power depending on how far the throttle was pushed or pulled. Xander started producing a model out of one of his cheaper materials ¨C plain old steel. Rubber was more expensive, since it was a much more exotic material in this world, so he¡¯d make this small working model entirely out of steel. It shouldn¡¯t end up too heavy since he was only planning on making it the length of his forearm. He created a ball bearing style bearing, around which he created more steel, forming a small wheel with a bearing at its center. The center of the bearing was then melded to a miniature axle. He repeated this step again three times, creating two axles with four total wheels. He then joined them together with a central bar. He continued by creating two throttles, little more than sticks mounted to a spring that would hold it upright when not pushed or pulled. The two tiny throttles were mounted on a plate, which was then melded to the central bar holding the two sets of wheels together. Now it was time for the runes. A series of runes connected to the movement runes on the wheels monitored how far the throttle was pushed forwards or pulled backwards. All the way forwards was one hundred percent power, halfway was fifty, so on and so forth. When the throttle was pulled backwards, the runes monitoring shut ceased powering the movement runes that would propel the vehicle forwards and instead began powering runes in the opposite direction, moving vehicle backwards. It all required a good number of intelligence runes to be able to monitor the multiple positions of the throttle, switch the runes from forward to reverse when needed, and modulate the amount of mana flowing into the runes, but beyond that, Xander felt that it was a relatively simple system. It consisted only of movement runes, intelligence runes, and gathering runes. He gave one of the small throttles a push forwards, and the wheels on the corresponding side began to spin, turning the vehicle. He pushed the other throttle and received the same result. It seemed that working out the steering wouldn¡¯t take as long as he¡¯d thought. Xander paused, thinking of time. How late was it? He checked his watch. Damn! He needed to get going if he was going to catch the team for dinner. ¡°I gotta go,¡± he called over to Valteria, hurriedly standing up. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to go talk to the team, hopefully I don¡¯t miss them.¡± ¡°Alrighty,¡± Valteria said, standing up as well, and going over to Xander to offer a hug. ¡°I hope it goes well,¡± she said as Xander returned the hug. ¡°Thanks,¡± Xander replied, with a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, yeah?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Valteria said warmly. Combat Artificer - 72 The link between a bonded companion and a skill user is a strong one. A bonded companion generally cannot be compelled to turn on its bond-mate, with the exception of the application of extremely powerful skills, or in the rare cases when the bonded companion has been severely mistreated. The boons that such a bond instill are various, not only in their effect, but in their efficacy. Some bonded companions may gain a boost to their intelligence, others to a physical characteristic, while others still may instead gain some kind of facsimile of a skill. The strength of such improvements depends on the level of the skill user as well as the strength of the skill itself. In general, however, one can assume that a skill which only allows one creature to be bonded will offer a greater boon to its recipient than one which would allow a skill user to bond with multiple creatures. There is some implication that this link is tethered somehow to the very soul of the skill user and their bonded companion. Should one member of the pair die, it is common for the other to sink into a long lasting state of depression, with one of the most common complaints being along the lines of feeling that ¡®a piece of me is missing.¡¯ While this is mostly anecdotal, the fact that certain maladies of the soul or other skills that can damage the soul in some way have been observed affecting both parties, while the target was only one member of the pair. -The Taming of Beasts, Both Large and Small ********************************************************************************************************************* He quickly exited Valteria¡¯s shop and took wing, flying to The Ruby Chair. He looked over the seated groups of diners in the inn, hoping to spot his team. Unfortunately, it seemed that they¡¯d already eaten, or had yet to eat, as Xander was unable to see any of his teammates. He resigned himself to checking each of their rooms individually and gathering them one by one. Luckily, each of his teammates had retired to their rooms, and it was a straightforward task to get them all gathered in his as yet unused room at the inn. ¡°So, you took the contract?¡± Graffus asked. ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± Xander said, looking at his teammates, who were gathered in the room, Gabrelle and Atrax having taken seats on the bed, Frazay and Graffus remaining standing. ¡°What¡¯s it involve?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to help rescue someone important to the Dardian government that¡¯s in exile here. Well, technically I¡¯m just supposed to transport the team and help make a distraction if needed. The stealthy people are going to be doing the actual rescuing.¡± ¡°Mmm. I¡¯m assuming, with how selective and secretive they¡¯re being about the whole thing, that this person is very important, and also that they¡¯re going to be pretty heavily guarded, am I right?¡± Axtrax asked. Xander nodded. ¡°They¡¯re in a whole prison camp... So probably lots of guards. And there¡¯s the matter of finding the single person amongst all the prisoners. The people who are supposed to extract him do know the guy, though, so that might make it easier.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going to be sneaking into a Thraskian prison camp?¡± Gabrelle asked. ¡°It is a Thraskian prison camp, right? I can¡¯t imagine there¡¯s many other kinds of prison camps around anywhere nearby.¡± ¡°Yeah, the liaison told me that they¡¯re pretty bad,¡± Xander said. ¡°When it comes to skill users, especially higher leveled ones, it¡¯s only worth keeping them if they hold some kind of value,¡± Gabrelle explained. ¡°Since it¡¯s so labor intensive to keep people who have powers that could wipe out entire groups of soldiers. So there¡¯s guaranteed to be a large contingent of guards at the camp, to overwhelm anyone who thinks about escaping. The prisoners will be heavily watched all day and all night, and they¡¯ll spend every second of it in shackles, probably chained to the prisoners next to them. I know they said that you¡¯ll only be needed if they need a distraction, Xander... but to me it sounds like a distraction is going to be a necessity. Are you sure that you and one other person can handle what amounts to a small fort?¡± ¡°Well... they did say that the other person¡¯s skills lent themselves to large scale combat. But I don¡¯t know exactly. I mean, I can definitely make a distraction, for sure. I shouldn¡¯t have to take on the whole fort, just... keep their attention for a while. Right?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Graffus offered. ¡°They¡¯ll have to keep at least some amount of guards in the camp to prevent some kind of riot or breakout attempt.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°That might actually be a good distraction too... Fly in there and start breaking people loose. I really do hate the idea of leaving people there... Just extracting one person doesn¡¯t feel right. I¡¯d at least like to give them a fighting chance to get out of there.¡± ¡°A mass breakout or riot would make a good distraction,¡± Atrax commented. ¡°But it might make it a lot harder to find the person you¡¯re looking for with a riot going on,¡± Gabrelle pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s true. Maybe the stealth team can figure out where he is before they need a distraction?¡± Xander wondered out loud. Frazay shrugged in response. ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. There¡¯s only so much planning you can do without seeing the camp and observing it for a while. That might be your best bet. Setting up somewhere unseen, watching the camp, figuring out the guard rotations, and identifying your person of interest and where they¡¯re generally being held.¡± Xander sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I can try and game it out all night, but I¡¯m just not going to know for sure until I see the place. But it¡¯s good to have some ideas for what to do. I still think starting an escape attempt could be effective. Of course, that depends on whether the prisoners are in any kind of shape to even try and break out... Brinn Grefelt mentioned that starvation was pervasive in these kinds of camps,¡± he said darkly. ¡°With no way to know how bad off they are until you see them, you¡¯re just going to have to try and be flexible,¡± Graffus cautioned. ¡°Don¡¯t get hung up on this massive riot and escape plan and ignore other ideas just because you want to get as many people out as possible. Remember, as a mercenary, the contract comes first.¡± Xander huffed. ¡°I still don¡¯t like it. But they did make it clear that priority number one was getting this guy out. And that getting him out could mean the difference in stopping whatever Thrask is planning.¡± He shook his head, clearing the frustration from his mind. ¡°Thanks for talking it over with me, everyone. I¡¯ll try to keep all the advice in mind. I guess I¡¯ll let you all get back to your rooms, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all got things you like to be doing.¡± Graffus shrugged. ¡°Eh, not really. If you ever want to talk over any plans, I¡¯m all ears.¡± The general consensus of the room was the same: they were all happy to help Xander with any planning he had, but that no one had any specific ideas at that time. With nothing more to go over, Xander¡¯s teammates began to file out of his room and make their way back to their own accommodations. Xander sat down on the bed, slumping his shoulders. The idea of not trying to rescue everyone at what he was beginning to equate to a gulag was gnawing at him. It was too late to go to Valteria¡¯s, she was likely already in bed, and his teammates had nothing further to offer on this front. Needing a distraction, Xander decided that he might as well set out to start the frame of his new vehicle. At least it might be of use in liberating the camp, if he was able to do so at all. If one happened to be observing a certain abandoned field outside of Rock¡¯s Bay that night, one would have been able to observe a figure circling around what appeared to be a growing amalgamation of metal tubes and sheets. If anyone was watching, they left Xander to his own devices. Xander did feel like he was being watched out there, by someone or something as he circled the APC that he was slowly fabricating from the wheels up. He¡¯d begun by making twelve tires, interlacing thin steel cable into the rubber, making it sturdier. Then he made an axle with bearings on it to link up each set of tire and bound them down the center with another rod. On top of this frame, he attached a steel sheet to act as a floorboard. The side and roof of the vehicle came next, with a cutout for a front window and two side windows, as well as the rear hatch and top hatch. The glass panes and hatches were subsequently added, leaving the empty, unruned shell of the armored vehicle. The sun had already risen in the sky by the time Xander was finished, its position marking the time as early morning. Xander stepped a few feet away and looked over his partly finished creation. He sighed. It looked... squat and blocky. Artistic design wasn¡¯t exactly his forte. Feeling a little discouraged, he decided he¡¯d better take a break. Besides, he¡¯d promised that he¡¯d still make time for Valteria and not to spend every waking moment from start to finish on the APC. Taking a last few minutes to engrave some mana gathering arrays onto the giant hunk of metal ¨C just in case he was held up by something, he didn¡¯t want to come back to a pile of dust in an empty field ¨C Xander winged into the air and made his way towards Valteria¡¯s home. Landing in front of her shop entrance and letting himself inside, Xander was surprised to see several people in the shop all at once. ¡°Oh, hi Xander!¡± Valteria called out, noticing the door opening and tossing a glance in his direction as she dug through a shelf cluttered with different products. ¡°Hey,¡± he answered back, taking in the scene playing out in front of him. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Looking over the four people in the shop, Xander guessed that they were mercenaries, probably all together from the same group, judging by the way that they were idly chatting with each other as Valteria continued to pull out odds and ends from her haphazardly organized product storage. Noticing Xander eying their group, one of the members, a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties and wearing leather and chainmail armor offered a polite nod in his direction. Xander offered one back, and awkwardly moved his eyes elsewhere, feeling that it would be rude to continue to stare. That left him the option of staring at Jarrett, who was currently tallying something up in a ledger ¨C also awkward, staring at a workbench or random wall ¨C too boring, or watching Valteria as she moved through the shelves and workbenches, pulling together what Xander assumed was the group¡¯s order ¨C more interesting and also pleasant on the eyes. So he did just that. Xander watched as Valteria moved from one shelf to one of her workbenches, opening a drawer and taking out appeared to be two metal bulbs on stakes with a large amount of string wound about them. She withdrew three more pairs, each one including its own length of string, and brough them over to Jarrett, who marked something on the ledger as she did so. ¡°Okay,¡± Valteria said, rather breathlessly. ¡°So that¡¯s four pairs of screamers, two water purifiers, a flameless cookpot, and the runed crossbow. Did I forget anything?¡± Another member of the party, this one a woman wearing leathers with a cloak draped over her figure, obscuring most of her body, shook her head. ¡°No, that was everything.¡± ¡°Excellent! The total is¡­ ah, Jarrett, what¡¯s the total?¡± Jarrett glanced at the ledger and provided the number. Payment was handed over without argument, and Valteria took the pouch of coins to a small lockbox, which she procured the key to from one of the many pockets on her apron. Money safely stashed, and business finished now that the customers has left, she traipsed over to Xander, who was still watching her. ¡°What are you staring at, hmm?¡± She asked. ¡°Oh, just enjoying the sights and scenery,¡± Xander replied, giving her a smile. He hoped she knew that the ¡®sights and scenery¡¯ was her. Valteria wiggled her shoulders a little bit, clearly in a good mood and pleased by the complement. ¡°I¡¯m glad you made time to come by! I was worried you were going to get sucked into your project.¡± Xander chuckled a little bit and then sighed, letting out a little frustration. ¡°It¡¯s hard to get sucked into a project when you take a step back and the first two words that come to mind are ¡®squat¡¯ and ¡®ugly.¡¯¡± ¡°Oh come on, it can¡¯t be that bad, can it?¡± Valteria asked. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s got plenty of space, and it will get the job done from what I can tell. I might have to add some arrays to make it lighter, so it doesn¡¯t sink into the dirt too much, thought. It¡¯s just not pretty. Guess I¡¯ll just have to settle for function over form on this.¡± Valteria shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s an aesthetic all on its own, you know.¡± Xander gave a short laugh. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± After spending a couple of hours chatting with Valteria as she worked, Xander decided he should get back to work. However, he was still feeling bad about having to leave Freyja for who knew how long. He decided he¡¯d head to the inn first and then walk with her to the open field where she could get some exercise and time in the sun while he went back to work. In a nearby field, two cloaked figures shared a spyglass between themselves as they sheltered in the brush. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s back to work on... whatever the hell that thing is.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯d better be ¨C he''s on a two-week deadline. I assume that¡¯s the transport he¡¯s supposed to be making. Damn thing looks like it could go through a castle wall.¡± ¡°And he brought his pet.¡± ¡°Who the hell keeps a ¡®pet¡¯ like that? That cat is huge!¡± ¡°I heard it was a bonded companion.¡± ¡°Ah, that makes more sense.¡± ¡°So you think he can make the transport in time?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? The night watch said the body of that thing practically sprang from the ground! If he keeps up at this pace, he¡¯ll be done well before he needs to be,¡± one of the cloaked figures said to the other, lowering the spyglass to look at their compatriot. ¡°What¡¯s he doing now, anyways?¡± ¡°Beats me, he¡¯s crawled under the thing to do some work it looks like. Here, take a look for yourself.¡± ¡°Yeah I can see his legs sticking out from under it. Hey, where¡¯s the cat?¡± ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t see the cat? It¡¯s huge!¡± The figure with the spyglass frantically panned over the field they¡¯d been watching. ¡°Shit, shit, shit, where is the cat? It was just there!¡± Freyja was having fun stalking. She knew people had been watching her, and Xander. She could feel their eyes on her fur, and she could smell them not too far away. She wasn¡¯t sure if they were bad people, yet. That was Xander¡¯s job ¨C he helped decide who was and wasn¡¯t bad. So she knew she wasn¡¯t supposed to maul her new playthings, at least not yet. She needed Xander to know they were there so he could give her a sense of whether or not they were bad. But that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t have fun sneaking up on them before she let Xander know where they were. Xander was startled from his focus on runing the underside of the APC by screaming and yowling. He started upward, slamming his head into the steel of the vehicle above him. He cursed. It didn¡¯t hurt, but it was still annoying. He crawled out from under the APC as fast as he could and took off in a sprint towards the ongoing yelling and the sound of Freyja yowling. Xander¡¯s thoughts were racing. Had she pounced on some poor, unsuspecting farmer? Despite all his many thoughts in the short time he spent in a dead sprint towards the uproar, what he saw was not a scenario he¡¯d imagined. Freyja was standing with one massive paw on the back of two cloaked people, a man and a woman, who were alternately yelling and groaning under the weight of Freyja¡¯s weight. He could see a brass spyglass laying in the grass nearby. Freyja¡¯s yowling was the loudest part of the cacophony. ¡°Freyja?¡± He called out, cautiously. Freja quieted down with a final, drawn out yowl, but did not remove her paws from her would be prey. Xander turned his attention to the two people that his bonded companion was currently pinning down. ¡°Uh, sorry. This isn¡¯t normal behavior for her.¡± He remembered the spyglass he¡¯d seen, and then turned to look back at his worksite. There was a clear view to it from this spot. ¡°Wait, were you spying on me?¡± ¡°Lady Grefelt sent us to make sure you were on task,¡± the woman managed to grunt out under Freyja¡¯s weight. Xander sighed. Politics and politicians. Or nobles, in this case. Wasn¡¯t it enough that he¡¯d agreed to the contract? They really had to be spying on him, too? ¡°How much have you been watching me?¡± He demanded. ¡°Just out in the field,¡± came the strained reply, once again from the woman. At least they¡¯d both given up hollering and yelling. Xander wiped a hand down his face, inadvertently leaving a little dirt behind. ¡°Ugh. Freyja let them up. They¡¯re on our side. Technically,¡± he added, grumblingly. Freyja rumbled out a low growl, managing to sound disappointed, but did step off of her catch, albeit reluctantly. The two cloaked watchers scrambled to their feet and backed away from Freyja, still wary of the big cat. ¡°Thanks,¡± said the man who¡¯d yet to speak, dusting himself off while still keeping an eye on Freyja. ¡°Sorry about the spying, but, orders are orders. You know how it is,¡± he said with a small shrug. ¡°Brinn Grefelt doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of noble you can slack off on your duties with,¡± Xander admitted. ¡°I doubt there¡¯s any getting rid of you, is there?¡± The woman shook her head. ¡°Even if we left ¨C and we¡¯d be sacked as soon as it came out that we abandoned our post ¨C the next watch would be here in another couple of hours anyway.¡± Xander sighed frustratedly. ¡°Fine. You can keep watching, but if you don¡¯t want Freyja to keep stalking you, just... quit hiding.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s not like we¡¯re much of a secret anymore,¡± the man admitted. ¡°We¡¯ll let the next shift know what¡¯s up, too.¡± Xander returned to his work, awkwardly followed by the two spies. They spent the rest of their shift watching Xander pore over the vehicle as he runed the panels for strength, elemental resistance, weight reduction, as well as the necessary arrays for making it move. The next watch shift came, confused that the crew they were relieving was sitting out in the open near to Xander and Freyja. After some conversation, they were enlightened as to the situation, and they took their compatriots¡¯ spot in the grass, as the original watchers slunk away, likely dreading informing Brinn Grefelt of their situation. Three days passed, with Xander intermittently visiting his team and Valteria, filling the rest of his time going over the vehicle. He runed the exterior, set it up to be able to move, and added seats and seatbelts, cushions, a windshield wiper, and plenty of cargo netting in the back. On the fourth day, he tested it out. It drove like a tank, which is to say it felt clunky, but it did have a near zero turn radius. After gaining some speed and driving it around the field, tearing up the grass in places as he tested out turning in circles, Xander was satisfied with the basic functions of the APC. And he still had over a week to work on the mounted gun he wanted to put on the top of it. Xander had been thinking on and off about what kind of weapon he would add to his brand-new APC. A cannon felt like it would be too clunky and complicated, and he more frequently dealt with large groups of people or monsters than with a single, large enemy. However, he didn¡¯t want just a machine gun ¨C if he did come across something large, he wanted to still be able to take some chunks out of it. He needed something in the middle. Something¡­ like an automatic grenade launcher. He could vary the type of grenade, too, which would give him even more flexibility. And so, on the roof of the APC near the front of the vehicle, Xander began to mount a grenade launcher. He wanted to be able to feed it grenades from a storage area inside vehicle, which was going to be the most complicated part. He ended up doing something similar to his own rifle, but scaled up. The grenade would rest in a tube ¨C one end accessible from the inside of the APC, and would runically be fed up the tube ¨C which was in the direct center of the launcher so that it could be swiveled and not put the tube out of alignment - and into the firing mechanism of the grenade launcher, which was also runically powered, similar to the mortars he¡¯d made at Ilbek. Now, he just needed to make it able to move from side to side and up and down. Those runes were simple. And a use of [Golemancer]¡­ Xander mentally commanded the empty launcher to point itself to the left, and clapped his hands together in satisfaction as the launcher swiveled to match the command. He created some dud grenades ¨C these were more reminiscent of a 40mm grenade so they would be more aerodynamic ¨C and fed them into the tube. He then commanded the turret to fire at random spots in the field, observing how the launcher faired. It was accurate enough for something that was designed to explode on impact. Now he just needed to create and store some grenades, which he could do in his off time. He walked over to the pair of watchers who were sitting under the shade of one of the few trees in the area. They perked up, standing as he approached. Xander thumbed behind himself as he said, ¡°I think it¡¯s done. Can I maybe store it at the governor¡¯s place? I don¡¯t really want to just leave it laying around, ya know?¡± The pair of watchers looked at each other for a moment. ¡°I think that could be arranged,¡± one said, finally. ¡°Want to ride with me, then?¡± Xander offered. He figured he¡¯d have less trouble getting into the governor¡¯s estate if he had a couple of more official people with him. ¡°You¡¯re sure it¡¯s¡­ safe?¡± The other watcher asked, hesitantly. ¡°Sure!¡± Xander said. ¡°It¡¯s sturdier than any carriage you¡¯ve ever ridden in, and it¡¯s all rune powered, so nothing can explode.¡± ¡°Uhhh huh,¡± the hesitant watcher replied, unenthused by the mention of explosions. ¡°I suppose it would be wisest the travel with you, since we¡¯re supposed to be observing you.¡± ¡°Well, hop on in the back,¡± Xander said, leading them to the APC, ¡°and don¡¯t forget to strap in your seatbelt.¡± ¡°Seatbelt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a safety feature!¡± Xander said unhelpfully. Surely they¡¯d figure it out. How hard could a seatbelt be? Combat Artificer - 74 1) Emplace a proper ritual circle to capture the soul. 2) Perform sacrifice in accordance with the ritual. 3) Bind the soul to the construct. By binding a soul to a construct, a near perfect animus can be created. Once the construct is in place, I must procure a proper specimen for sacrifice. -Scrap of paper found in the destroyed remains of a Lich¡¯s laboratory. Both the remains of the Lich and that of a mangled construct were found amongst the disarray of the lab. The lich appears to have been violently pummeled to death, whilst the construct looks to have torn itself apart. ********************************************************************************************************************* The two watchers need a little coaching on the seatbelts, but once they were instructed in their use and buckled in, Xander began driving out of the field and onto the nearby road, which was wide enough to accommodate his vehicle. He estimated that he had about a quarter of the city to drive around before he got to the governor¡¯s estate. He wasn¡¯t sure now why he hadn¡¯t picked somewhere closer to build the APC in the first place. He shrugged to himself. He really just hadn¡¯t thought about it at all, beyond needing the space of an empty field. The people and wagons they passed all stared as he went by, unused to seeing anything even approaching a car in their lives, let alone something this large moving on a road. Space was tight, and Xander found himself half off the road in a few places to make sure that carts coming the other direction had enough space. Within the hour, though, Xander and his two passengers were at the gates to the governor¡¯s estate. ¡°Would one of you mind hopping out and letting them know who we are?¡± Xander called behind him. ¡°Sure,¡± he heard one of the passengers say. There was a long moment of fumbling with the seatbelt that Xander could hear going on behind him, and then another period of fumbling with the ramp at the back to get it to drop down, but eventually he saw one of the watchers coming around the APC in his mirror and start to jog towards the guard building at the gate. There was a brief discussion and some pointing at the vehicle before the watcher returned and reentered through the same, pulling it up behind them. ¡°They didn¡¯t want to let you in until I started throwing around Lady Grefelt¡¯s name,¡± they explained. ¡°They¡¯ll lead us to an unused storage area that you can leave this¡­ whatever you call it.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± Xander said. One of the guards at the gate peeled off from the group as the gate was opened, and Xander slowly followed them at a walking pace through a wide path that seemed intended for large deliveries. It led to a few storehouses and a cobblestone courtyard with enough space for Xander to park the APC. He had installed a parking break of sorts on the APC, a ratcheted handle he could crank backwards that forced a pad against the tires, but just to be safe he¡¯d also created himself some wheel chocks to place behind the tires. He didn¡¯t want his new creation to roll off and hit a building. That would be an embarrassment, and probably cost him a hefty amount of money to repair the damage to the whatever it hit. That left Xander with a little over a week to prepare for his upcoming travels. He didn¡¯t need to worry about procuring food, water, or other mundane travel supplies, but he wanted to make sure he was at peak combat efficiency in case he was needed. With that in mind, he took some time to consider where he was underutilizing his skills. The first deficiency he noted was in his [Golemancer] skill. Or rather, in his lack of using it. Once Atlas, Lynx, and Juniper had reached what appeared to be a ceiling of complexity, he¡¯d fallen out of using the ability, and he had not created any more golems. By now, he could have a veritable army of golems, if he¡¯d decided to keep making them ¨C not that he wanted to manage a force of that size. But, having more than two combat golems would be nice. Xander considered what he could make, and more importantly easily transport. He could make a human sized golem and imbue it with motive force each day with [Golemancer], but then he wouldn¡¯t be able to fit them all in the APC. They also weren¡¯t exactly stealthy, especially with only one cast of [Golemancer]. Could he make a walking, reusable grenade, perhaps? Yes, yes he could. But why stop at grenade? For it to be reusable, he would need to use runes, rather than his lead picrate explosive. He could do far more than a mundane explosion. Why not have them explode in a freezing field, or acid, or electrocute anything they touched? In fact, why not all of the above? A variety would be best, after all. He could create a small swarm of golems, each with different effects. The design was simple. A runed disk with spiderly legs, essentially, that was about a foot across in diameter. He¡¯d added small, plier-like appendages to the tip of each leg to allow them to grip clothing or other surfaces and climb. The top of the disk was densely engraved with mana gathering arrays, to power the elemental effects and movement of the little spidery golem. On the bottom side of the disk, were runes for an elemental effect. Xander tried out ice first, but ended up giving up on that. He could get the steel of the golem to become incredibly cold, enough to cause it to freeze to flesh and probably cause frostbite, but he could not get it to project actual ice in an effect that would cause part of an enemy to become encased in ice or something similar. He was coming to learn that one of the weaknesses of runes was that there were certain limitations to rune crafting, and one of the most glaring was that it struggled with the offensive projection of elements. Fire was a little easier, since it only needed to go a short distance. Flame runes could at least produce actual fire, and that combined with some air runes that were tuned by another array to narrow the air, along with amplification runes for both, could produce a six inch gout of forge hot fire. He¡¯d ended up engraving a fire resistance array onto the golem because it had begun to warp after an extended test. Electricity was the easiest one to do. He simply electrified the entire metal construct, similar to how he had with his chain weapon for the tournament. They could latch on to an enemy and deliver a debilitating shock. He figured if he got two on someone, and it went from one side to another through the chest, it would not be out of the bounds of reality for it to stop their heart. Acid was trickier than the lightning runed one, but less so than fire had been. It was the same acid projection array that his mace used, and the spider-legged disk would simply press itself against whatever it had climbed on to apply the acidic effect. Lastly, there was one that was simply just a tightened explosion. The bottom of the disk, which was runically hardened to resist the blast, contained several explosion arrays tied to amplification runes. Another array, similar to the narrowing array Xander had used on the air runes for the fire spider, tightened the blast until is was reminiscent of a shaped charge. So he had four types: fire, electricity, acid, and bomb. He¡¯d make about five of each type for a total of twenty. He¡¯d have to make some of them during down time during the journey, but he figured there should be more than enough time in the trip to do so. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The other area he wanted to focus on were his more mundane explosives. It was far cheaper for him to completely fabricate a grenade filled with a nonmagical explosive compound with a single fire rune and ranged mana array than it was for him to fabricate one that functioned completely runically. He also got a better explosion from the mundane explosives, pound for pound, than runic grenades due to [Explosive Reagents]. He had not even tried yet to find any explosive materials that were natural to Tillania, instead relying on what he already had. But what if that ended up not being enough? Besides, how could more explosion per explosive ever be bad? Xander needed to browse through some alchemy shops. It was the fourth Alchemy shop that Xander visited that yielded real results. All the others had either professed to not keeping explosive compounds for sale or had refused to sell them to him without proof that he was licensed as an alchemist, or at least experienced. The fourth one, though, was not in the nice part of town. If there were railroad tracks in this world, then this shop would be on the wrong side of them. Inside the shop, which managed to look ramshackle and somehow dusty even from the exterior, were a great number of things that Xander had not seen in other Alchemy shops. A full quarter of them seemed to be dedicated to different methods of contraception, according to the labels. Others seemed designed to be ingested or smoked, by their packaging. Xander assumed they were some kind of legal narcotic or similar. The cluttered counter was manned by a tall, gaunt man with limp hair who looked like he sampled more than one of his own wares on the regular. He was puffing on a pipe behind the counter, eyeing Xander, though with no sense of smell, Xander could not discern if it was tobacco or some other substance. His eyes followed Xander nervously as Xander headed to the counter after his brief appraisal of the shop. ¡°Ah, hi?¡± Xander said awkwardly to the still silent shop keeper. ¡°What can I do for ya?¡± the man mumbled out past his pipe, still eyeing Xander up and down. ¡°Uhm¡­ do you have anything, ah¡­ that explodes?¡± Xander said, unable to find a better way to ask for what he wanted. The shopkeeper¡¯s eyes darted back and forth for a moment, considering his answer whilst simultaneously ensuring the rest of the shop was empty. ¡°What for?¡± He finally asked. Xander was caught off guard by the question. ¡°Uh. Well, I¡¯m a mercenary, you see. So, sometimes it¡¯s really handy to blow stuff up? Doors, locks, monsters, you know?¡± The limp haired shopkeeper nodded lazily. ¡°Uhhuhh. Thought you weren¡¯t part of the watch,¡± he stated. ¡°I ain¡¯t really supposed to sell ya stuff like that, you understand?¡± Xander realized there was a lot of room in that ¡®supposed to.¡¯ ¡°Right,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°Not supposed to. Would it help if I were to assure you that it¡¯s not my first time dealing with explosive compounds, and that I would be willing to pay a premium for quality ingredients. I¡¯m looking to upgrade my arsenal, as it were. So, I¡¯m looking to buy the best you got.¡± The man¡¯s eyebrows raise a little bit at hearing that that Xander would pay a premium, and then again when he heard that Xander wanted the most powerful explosive he could provide. ¡°Best I¡¯ve got? Are you sure you can handle that? It¡¯ll cost ya.¡± ¡°I can afford it,¡± Xander stated, hoping that he could afford it. He was pretty well off, after all. He still had a few hundred gold in his inventory he could spend without having to go to the bank to withdraw from his account. ¡°And I can handle it.¡± ¡°How much do you need? I¡¯ve only got a little.¡± ¡°I only need a little. What you deem to be sufficient to blast through a lock would be sufficient.¡± ¡°A lock? With this stuff? Bit overkill if you ask me. More than a bit. Must be one damn sturdy lock.¡± ¡°It was more of an example, but yeah, I find myself wanting to blast through some pretty sturdy stuff, from time to time,¡± Xander said, deciding to keep his intentions filling grenades with it to himself. ¡°Right, right, less I know the better. And you didn¡¯t get this from me, ya hear?¡± The man said, seriously. ¡°Understood.¡± After Xander¡¯s agreement, the man shuffled off to a small back room before returning with a tiny vial. He was carefully cradling it with both hands and set it down on the counter with just as much care. Xander bent lower to look at the small glass container, seeing it contained a light red, jelly looking material. ¡°What is it?¡± He asked, curiously. ¡°It¡¯s what fire dragons have in their belly,¡± was the reply. ¡°Light this off and you¡¯d get a fireball and enough force to blow through any lock you¡¯d find.¡± Xander nodded, thinking. ¡°And how much?¡± ¡°Two hundred gold. Non-negotiable.¡± ¡°Phew. For a vial that would look at home on a pendant? This better be the best you have,¡± Xander said, as much to himself as to the shopkeeper. ¡°You won¡¯t find anything better, at least not around here. Maybe if you got into the Alchemist college half a country away, you could find something.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll take it.¡± Xander had a feeling he was being overcharged, but considering he¡¯d only ever need to buy it once, he wasn¡¯t too upset. He paid his two hundred gold, and gently picked up the vial, before stowing it in his inventory. ---Material Analyzed--- Fire Dragon Blasting Jelly Xander was not much of a judge of explosive power beyond determining if the fireball was bigger or smaller. But when he tested his first grenade filled with the new blasting jelly he¡¯d just bought, it was easy to tell that it was more powerful. The crater it left was an order of magnitude larger than what his lead picrate or runic grenades left behind. Those left what amounted to a small furrow in the ground. This new, explosive, however, at least tripled the width and nearly doubled the depth of the depth of the hole it left behind compared to the old ones. Xander was pleased, feeling that his gold had been well spent. The rest of the time before Xander had to leave passed quickly, and peacefully. He alternated between visiting Valteria, spending time with his teammates and Freyja, making new grenades both for himself and for the APCs grenade launcher, and creating and animating one elemental spider golem a day. He occasionally wondered when Brinn Grefelt would contact him about meeting the rest of his team, but no messenger ever came. He only received another message from the noblewoman on the day that he was to depart. The courier found him at first light, knocking on the door to Xander¡¯s room at the inn urgently. It didn¡¯t take Xander long to answer, since he didn¡¯t sleep ¨C he¡¯d been making four additional camouflage cloaks for his new teammates, to help with their stealth efforts. ¡°Yes?¡± Xander asked, opening the door to face the courier. ¡°Xander Jones?¡± The courier asked in return. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me.¡± Xander said, confirming it by flipping his abridged status around to show the courier. ¡°Letter for you,¡± the courier stated, handing over the letter as she spoke. Xander took the letter and watched for a moment as the courier trotted off without a word. He wondered if they ever got tired of running. Xander tore open the envelope to find another small notecard, similar to the first that he¡¯d received from Brinn. Team assembled. Meet at the governor¡¯s estate, in the courtyard where you stored your transport. Brinn Grefelt. Short and to the point, the letter managed to sound urgent all the same. But Xander didn¡¯t want to leave his team or Valteria with no word at all. He took the time to pen his own letter, letting his teammates know that he¡¯d been called to leave on his contract and that he would see them as soon as he could get back. He also added a note for them to pass on the letter Valteria once they¡¯d read it themselves. He slipped the note under Gabrelle¡¯s door. With nothing else to do, Xander donned his matte black armor, gathered Atlas and Lynx, and stepped out of the inn. As he walked, flying hindered by the fact that he was followed by his two golems, Xander took some time to observe the city as it awoke, people stepping out from doorways and into the street to start the hustle and bustle of their daily lives. With any luck, they would never feel the effects or even know of whatever it was that Thrask might be planning. Luck, and perhaps the targeted application of high explosives. Combat Artificer - 75 Ascertaining which craftsman or master is the progenitor of an enchanted item is an extremely difficult endeavor, to the point of being near futile. In the cases of well known masters who have a maker¡¯s mark or signature of some kind, the identification can be a quick affair, as long as a forgery can be ruled out. However, the fact that a craftsman can spontaneously gain knowledge of a runic language, of which there are multiple, muddies the waters greatly. There are many runically enhanced items that have no maker¡¯s mark or any other distinguishing factors. Frustratingly, the only way to find out the original maker is to inquire with the seller. With the nature of markets, it is possible that the seller may not be in the same town that the maker produced the item, and may not even know the progenitor of the item. As such, cataloguing runic items by maker is not recommended. Instead, if you are researching runed items, I would recommend sorting them by the language used. You can then take them to someone proficient in that language of runes and have them help you subcategorize them by the effects of the item. Should you find yourself purchasing a runically enchanted item, I would recommend doing this posthaste, as I have experienced first hand purchasing an item that had secondary effects that the seller either omitted or was unaware of. -Preface to A Catalogue of Weapons and Their Many Enchantments ******************************************************************************************************************** Despite his taking the time to soak in the morning life of the city and the rising sun, he was still at the governor¡¯s estate in little time at all. He once again was met by the large gate and gatehouse of the governor¡¯s estate. Taking off his helmet for a moment to speak with the guard at the gatehouse, Xander stated his business, ¡°Xander Jones, here to see Lady Grefelt.¡± ¡°Right, yes,¡± the guard said with a nod of confirmation. ¡°We were instructed to direct you to the storerooms when you arrived. Do you know the way?¡± Xander nodded his assent, and he was let in through the gate, waiting only for it to be cracked just enough for him to fit through. He followed the same, wide path that he¡¯d driven on before with his APC, wondering as he went how things would play out. This was the first time that he¡¯d be meeting the team - he didn¡¯t like thinking of them as his team, just a team that he was temporarily a part of ¨C and he wondered what they would be like. Would people who were specialized in stealth, a skillset he had had little experience with, look like they were sneaky? Would they look like some kind of D&D-esque caricature of a rogue, dressed in leathers, with a mask and two daggers, vials of poison on a bandolier? The answer was no. As he neared the storehouses and his APC, Xander was able to make out five figures standing near the vehicle. One, judging by the fact that they were wearing well made, brightly colored clothes in contrast to the drab, sensible traveling gear the others were wearing, Xander assumed was Brinn Grefelt. The other four must be his companions for the mission. By the long sword handle Xander could see rising over one shoulder, Xander identified who must be Rald. As he drew nearer, he also identified Norin and Florin, by their similar features and age, meaning the final one, a grizzled looking man bearing a heavy coat of stubble and a scar on his face pulling the corner of his lips on the right side into a slight frown, must be Varnne. Now that he was closer, he could see more of their equipment. All four wore traveling cloaks of various earthy colors over their out clothes. Rald had on plates of armor underneath his cloak, and his helmet was strapped to his belt, leaving his short cropped brown hair to the air. Norin and Florin were equipped similarly to each other, wearing what looked to be sturdy leather cuirasses. They both had sandy blonde hair, and young faces. Xander guessed they were in their early to mid-twenties. Xander couldn¡¯t see any weapons on them, but it would be easy to hide them under the voluminous cloaks. Varnne managed to look like he was still a criminal. Despite being clean and free of dirt on his skin and equipment, his stubbly, scarred face, untidy mop of black hair, slightly hunched posture, and just general... aura all contributed to someone who looked like they were on the wrong side of the law. Xander could see a short sword dangling from his belt and a dagger strapped to one of his legs. Xander waved as he drew closer still, eliciting waves from the group. As he entered speaking range, Brinn Grefelt spoke up, saying, ¡°Ah, good, you¡¯re here. I suppose introductions ought to be had. I apologize to all of you for not setting up a meeting sooner, but Rald has just arrived today. Bandit activity inside the border of Thraskian held Dardin is still high, and delays are frequent. I consider us fortunate that we were not delayed. Now,¡± she said with a small clap of her hands, ¡°the actual introductions. Rald here,¡± Lady Grefelt indicated slightly towards Rald, who was observing the group with the tired eyes of someone who had been traveling for an extended period of time, ¡°is a swordsman of no small renown. His skills, which trend towards effecting a wide area, will be invaluable should you need to cause a distraction.¡± This last part was said with a look towards Norin, Florin, and Varnne, indicating that the ¡°you¡± in that statement was them. ¡°Xander here,¡± she said with a wave in Xander¡¯s direction, ¡°is a [Combat Artificer]. His skills make him useful in a variety of situations, whether you should need an object fabricated, or a wall burrowed through with his material manipulation abilities. He¡¯s also quite handy in a fight ¨C you may have seen him as the winner of the recent tournament that took place. What you didn¡¯t see were his explosives, which will lend aid in a distraction alongside Rald. He has also, with great speed I might add, created a rather... unique mode of transportation for you all. As you all know, Karlon will likely be in no condition for a hard ride back to Sempta, and Xander¡¯s transport should ease the journey for him as well as the rest of you. Making up the rest of the team are our three stealth skill users ¨C Norin, Florin, and Varnne. All three were well regarded and highly skilled agents and spies under Karlon. Some of, if not the best agents he could call upon. Norin and Florin are more traditional in their skills ¨C highly stealthy, and capable of a devastating first attack upon an opponent. Varnne differs somewhat in that his skills focus more upon making it harder to detect those around him. This should make it easier for you all to extricate yourself from any... situations you find yourself in, or set up an ambush if such a thing is necessary.¡± Lady Grefelt finished her short briefing on each of the members of the team by stepping back slightly from the group. ¡°Norin, Florin, and Varnne are each in possession of a map on which the prison camp is marked. They are all capable of guiding you to it.¡± Once Lady Grefelt fell silent, there was a quiet moment as each member of the team absorbed the information given to them and looked over their new teammates. Xander was the first to speak up, saying, ¡°Pleasure to meet you all. I, ah, made you all something. A cloak. Um, it shifts colors, so it should help make you harder to see. Not that I doubt your stealth skills!¡± He exclaimed quickly with a look to the three stealth specialists. ¡°I just thought, well, it might be nice to have.¡± Xander quickly handed out his cloaks to each of the team members, and watched as they inspected the cloth, turning it over in their hands, holding it up to look at the colors shifting to match the cobblestones that they currently stood upon. Rald was the next to speak. ¡°Quite a kingly gift! I cannot speak for the rest of the group, but in my own case, this will certainly allow me to hide more easily. Such things are not my forte,¡± he explained. ¡°You have my thanks.¡± Norin and Florin were both still inspecting their cloaks, oohing and ahhing quietly to each other over the color shifting properties. Varnne had quickly thrown his on over his traveling cloak. The deep hood of the new cloak made him look even shiftier. ¡°I like it,¡± Varnne said simply. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you!¡± Florin said, carefully folding up the cloak and taking off his pack to stow the cloak until it was needed. ¡°Rald spoke rightly, this is indeed a kingly gift,¡± Norin said at last, opting to take off her own cloak and donning the cloak Xander had made her, leaving the hood off for now. ¡°In stealth, every layer of help is appreciated.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯re all acquainted,¡± Brinn Grefelt spoke up again, ¡°I suppose I should prompt you to be on your way. Every moment Karlon is held in that camp is another moment that one of the secrets he holds could be exposed. Xander, I noted the size of your transport and I took liberty of having some preserved foodstuffs prepared in a crate. Ideally ¨C if you¡¯re able to take it with you ¨C this should remove the need for you to stop for supplies on the trip.¡± Lady Grefelt pointed to a crate that was sitting on the cobblestones outside one of the storehouses. ¡°Oh! Thanks,¡± Xander said. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of space for it.¡± He had no need of the food himself, but he was sure his companions would appreciate it. ¡°I shall fetch the crate,¡± Rald offered, ¡°and meet you at this... what is it that you call it?¡± ¡°Ah, I call it an armored personnel carrier, or APC for short,¡± Xander explained to the knight. ¡°I shall meet you at the APC shortly, then.¡± Rald walked over to the crate and hoisted it with the kind of ease that told Xander that his class skills were greatly enhancing his strength. Xander and the three stealth specialists made their way to the APC as Rald retrieved the crate of food. Xander opened the drop-down ramp at the back of the vehicle, carefully lowering it so that it didn¡¯t slam down on the stone. He should really have worked out some kind of automatic opening and closing for the door. As Rald arrived with the crate, he ushered them all inside the APC, showing them the seats and how to use the seatbelts. He lashed the crate to a tie point to prevent the crate from sliding or bouncing around too much, using some rope that Norin had in her pack. ¡°So, are we all ready to get on the road?¡± Xander asked, after everyone had settled in to their seats. He¡¯d made sure to pad the seats generously, and his new companions were looking comfortable. ¡°Also, which direction am I going?¡± ¡°North, for starters,¡± Varnne offered. ¡°Once we get past the original Thraskian border, we¡¯ll start heading West. For now, we can just follow the trade roads, circle around any towns to keep too much word of this, ah... thing from getting out. It¡¯s probably not the strangest thing someone who lives on a main trade road has seen, but it¡¯s still noteworthy, and we don¡¯t want our movements being retraced too easily if someone was to connect this beast with the disappearance of the spymaster.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Makes sense,¡± Xander agreed. ¡°We probably ought to leave the APC stashed somewhere it¡¯s harder to see ¨C like a forest ¨C once we get closer to the camp and make the rest of the journey on foot.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Florin chimed in. ¡°With luck, we¡¯ll be able to get past the wall, find Karlon, and make our way back out without even being noticed.¡± Rald nodded in agreement, but questioned, ¡°And if locating Karlon proves to be an issue?¡± Varnne spoke up, saying, ¡°We¡¯ll have to be flexible. I recommend we observe the camp and its goings on for a few days to get the watch schedule, see where and how the prisoners are housed, and any other useful information. I¡¯ve got an enchanted spyglass with me,¡± he patted a sturdy looking pouch on his person, ¡°that should help with that.¡± ¡°I just hate the idea of sitting there watching while they could be torturing Karlon¡­¡± Norin said, frustratedly trailing off. ¡°I know,¡± Varnne said, ¡°but better than botching the job and getting him ¨C or us ¨C killed in the attempt. ¡°And if a distraction is needed?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Do ya¡¯ll have any suggestions? Obviously Rald and I can just saunter up to the gates and start a fight, but I¡¯ve also considered breaking in and starting a full blown escape attempt.¡± Varnne shook his head at this. ¡°An escape attempt is all well and good, but there¡¯s too much risk of Karlon getting killed during the fighting. Ideally whatever distraction you make will pull as many guards outside of the camp as possible, making it easier for me, Norin, and Florin to sneak through the camp. With enough action going on outside, no one will notice a few guards at their posts going missing.¡± ¡°Mmh. You¡¯re right, I suppose,¡± Xander replied, strapping himself into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°I hate to leave so many behind, though. Are you sure there¡¯s no way to rescue more prisoners? How many even are there?¡± ¡°We estimate twenty. And somewhere between one hundred and two hundred guards housed there as a garrison. So more than can easily be smuggled out. We¡¯ll grab who we can if we can, but I can¡¯t make any promises.¡± ¡°Wait wait wait, you want Rald and I to take on a hundred guards each? Isn¡¯t that, like, a lot? Nobody mentioned that part of the job.¡± ¡°Well¡­ you don¡¯t actually have to fight them, just draw them out,¡± Norin said, carefully. ¡°And they¡¯ll have to keep at least half the guards inside to keep the prisoners in check.¡± Florin chimed in. ¡°Okay¡­ so like fifty guards each. Still a lot. But more doable, I suppose¡­¡± Xander said, thoughtfully. It was strange to think, but fighting fifty people did sound doable. He¡¯d seen groups close to that number wiped out before by his soul-rippers and mundane grenades before in a flash. That was, of course, assuming they weren¡¯t on his level or above, though. ¡°Do we know what kind of level these guards are?¡± Varnne spoke up again. ¡°Probably around level ten or so. Enough to be effective, both as a force guarding the prison and as a local garrison, but not so high that they¡¯d be better served elsewhere. There will likely be a smattering of officers in the twenties, maybe a commander in the thirties. Unlikely that you¡¯ll see any of them, though ¨C they¡¯d be the ones sending forces outside the walls.¡± ¡°Ten to maybe mid-teens¡­ that¡¯s roughly the level of a soldier that would have fought in the war?¡± Rald nodded. ¡°Roughly, yes. A lot of variance to be had on the battlefield in terms of levels, but for a seasoned foot soldier, that is a good general estimate.¡± ¡°Okay. Right, a distraction should be doable. Things might get dicey if the officers or the commander show up, though.¡± Xander had started driving by this point, and had arrived at the gate again. He brought the APC to a halt as a few guards pulled the gate all the way open to permit his exit. ¡°This is true, but like Varnne said, unlikely,¡± Rald spoke. ¡°Think you can handle someone in their thirties?¡± Xander asked, curiously. ¡°It depends,¡± Rald said, slowly. ¡°If it¡¯s a good matchup with my skills versus theirs, then yes. In the chaos of a fight, where they¡¯re almost certain to have help? Hard to say. What about yourself?¡± Xander shrugged. ¡°My armor lets me take a lot of hits. So as long as I can wear them down, I should be okay. And that¡¯s assuming they¡¯re immune to being blown up.¡± Xander left out the soul rippers. He wasn¡¯t sure if there was a great taboo in society about messing with the soul, but there certainly seemed to be plenty of potential of such a thing. It didn¡¯t seem an opportune time to find out and risk friction with the people he was about to embark on a long, dangerous mission with. ¡°Biggest danger for me would be someone whose skills let¡¯s them penetrate heavy armor, I suppose.¡± ¡°Always a dangerous skillset,¡± Rald agreed. ¡°If it can penetrate enchanted armor or skill based defenses, it can cause trouble for just about anyone.¡± ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s settled,¡± Xander said. ¡°Rald and I will cause a distraction if you three think we need one. All that¡¯s left now is getting there. How long would it take by horse? It took me roughly three months to get to Sempta from Anlet, but some of that was with a mercantile caravan.¡± Xander remembered the destruction of that same caravan with a pang of guilt. ¡°At a good steady pace that would leave a horse tired but not dead over that period of time, I¡¯d say four months, as we need to get past Anlet and into Thrask itself.¡± ¡°Right, I can probably beat that,¡± Xander said. ¡°This thing doesn¡¯t get tired, and I can drive all day. If you¡¯re all okay with driving through the day and not stopping ¡®til it¡¯s time to make camp, I¡¯d prefer to do that. Seems that speed is at least partly of the essence here.¡± Xander wasn¡¯t sure if Brinn Grefelt had told them that he was actually a spirit bound to a set of runes, but he wasn¡¯t about to bring it up if they didn¡¯t know. Besides, even though he could drive all night, it would be rough on the rest of the group to try and sleep in a metal box every night for something like three months. And they¡¯d probably go crazy too. There was just no way they could go on that long in a small box. ¡°Aye, that should be doable,¡± Varnne agreed. ¡°Faster we can get there, the better.¡± ¡°Alright then, North it is, for now.¡± The days passed slowly for Xander as he drove. And drove. And drove some more. The novelty of seeing the landscape around him grew thin, and then ceased to exist at all, and even seeing the occasional strange animal as he drove was no longer invigorating by a month in. He wished there were real roads. He could probably turn this trip into mere days rather than months if he could get up to highway speeds. Still, he was able to go faster than the pace of a horse, as evidenced by the ones he passed on the road. The group was a quiet one. Rald seemed to be the quiet, reserved type, and happy to keep silent. Norin, Florin, and Varnne were perfectly content with their own small group, softly talking about their plans for infiltrating the camp, or reminiscing about old jobs. No one seemed to have much to say, and with Xander focused on driving and avoiding ruts, potholes in the road, and the occasional wagon or caravan, he was a bit too focused to make more than light conversation. At least he didn¡¯t have to worry about getting sleepy anymore. Just being incredibly bored. Towns were circled around, avoided as if they housed a contagious plague, and each night was spent under the stars in tents and on bedrolls. They rotated watches, Xander pretending to sleep between his shifts. Surely they had to know he was different in at least some way. He hadn¡¯t eaten once during his time with them. But no one suggested he take the entire night watch, and so he was happy to have some time to lie down and daydream about more interesting things than driving. Varnne had marked their progress roughly on his copy of the map, taking note of where they were by landmarks and the occasional town they skirted around. He had commented that they were making exceptional time and revised their total travel time to around two and a half months. Everyone was happy with this announcement. Xander was not the only one who was becoming increasingly bored. The rest of his companions were also suffering from boredom. They were, after all, people of action, and two and a half months of car rides was stifling for them. But they managed it well enough ¨C no infighting broke out, and arguments were minimal and usually of a good enough nature. They were also generally between Norin and Florin, the twins finding any excuse to argue with each other. It was a relief to everyone when Varnne stated that they were only a few days¡¯ ride from the prison camp. After that the long drudgery of riding in the APC every day, they were all ready to do something, anything. Even the prospect of battle seemed far favorable to more boredom. The mood livened somewhat, regaining a luster of excitement as they drew near. In the next few days, they would have to be on the lookout for a good place to hide the APC. There was nothing much around, according to the maps the party had been given. Just a single town about a day¡¯s ride further north of the prison camp. The landscape was in full spring growth at this point, and so it was not hard to find a small copse of trees that Xander could squeeze the APC into. They spent some time disguising the vehicle as best they could. Xander created a large tarp of his color shifting cloth to drape over it, and everyone helped out with tossing branches and leaf litter over it. By the time they were done, you would have had to enter the stand of trees or already be on the lookout for something out of place in the area to notice the camouflaged APC. Atlas and Lynx were left with the APC with orders to guard it on the off chance that someone did stumble across the vehicle. It would have been a few hours riding in the APC to get to the camp from where they were. Walking, however, took them the rest of the day. Xander worried that they¡¯d parked too far away ¨C if they were discovered during the breakout attempt, having their escape plan a whole day away would not be good. He didn¡¯t see much of a way around it, though. The tree cover in the area was sparse, limited to small stands here and there. Dense scrub and brush offered plenty of cover for someone needing to sneak around ¨C especially with a cloak that blended in with the terrain ¨C but certainly wouldn¡¯t shield a full sized vehicle from sight. Not that there seemed to be anyone to spot them or the APC. The area seemed completely deserted. Xander mused that it must not be good for farming, or perhaps the local wildlife was too dangerous for the average person? They didn¡¯t encounter anything of note, though. The closest to danger they came was coming across some bear tracks on a game trail through the brush. Eventually, the walls of the camp came into sight on the horizon. Taking turns looking through Varnne¡¯s enchanted spyglass ¨C it had a higher magnification than Xander¡¯s scope ¨C the walls could be seen to be a palisade made of logs, sharpened to points at the top. A single gatehouse could be seen on the Northern side, facing the town that was a day¡¯s travel away. They were more cautious now on their approach. Varnne began to activate his abilities, to help shield Xander and Rald from sight. Xander noticed the world grow just a hair darker, as if someone had put tinted lenses on his helmet. Norin and Florin were activating their own abilities, and to Xander they appeared more like shadows flitting between spots of brush than people. They could easily be dismissed as a trick of the eye, or something much smaller, like a rabbit, moving through the area. Once they reached the point where they could more easily observe the guards that patrolled the walkway that was built along the top of the wooden wall, they hunkered down. Varnne wanted to watch the camp for at least a day, get a feel of the patrol pattern, and just generally spy on the place before they moved any closer. Xander could tell Norin and Florin were unhappy with this, chafing at the proverbial bit to try and get into the place and break out Karlon, but they still followed Varnne¡¯s lead. Xander and Rald contented themselves by listening to Varnne¡¯s occasional remark about what he was seeing, Rald absently chewing a piece of dried meat that he¡¯d brought with him from the APC. Xander spent the time going through his inventory, ensuring that he was stocked up on firebombs, grenades ¨C smoke, itchweed, and fragmentation ¨C as well as soulrippers. Better to have them and not need them, he thought. He just hated to use them in a fight with allies around. He couldn¡¯t shield allies from the effects of the soulrippers like he could with an explosive, and just eyeballing the thirty or so foot radius, especially when there was the factor of it bouncing off of something, or getting kicked around, didn¡¯t feel like a good enough safety check. Once he was convinced he had enough supplies, he busied himself making gas masks for each group member, the same design as he had created for the elite members of Lord Huraven¡¯s city watch. That felt a lifetime ago, now. They would come in handy if a distraction was needed. Taking a moment to think, he made an extra one for Karlon, too. It wouldn¡¯t do to have the man coughing and crying while trying to escape quietly. He handed them out and explained what they were for. All that was left now was to wait. Combat Artificer - 76 Varnne, Norin, and Florin took turns watching the camp as night fell. The next day, Xander and Rald were again left to their own devices. Rald surprised Xander by taking out a small sketchbook from his pack along with a charcoal pencil. Xander watched him draw the scene in front of him ¨C Varnne crouching behind a bush, spyglass up to one eye, Norin and Florin laying on their bellies on either side of him ¨C with quick, precise sweeps of the charcoal pencil. ¡°Alright,¡± said Varnne, turning away from the camp to face Rald and Xander. ¡°I hate to say it, but I think we¡¯re going to need a distraction. They change the watch every four hours on the dot, but there¡¯s so many guards that it¡¯s just not feasible to get in unseen. The gate¡¯s definitely a no go, which leaves scaling the wall. All three of us are capable of it ¨C and I can climb back down with Karlon on my back if absolutely necessary ¨C but without a distraction to thin the place out, I doubt we¡¯ll even make it to Karlon.¡± Norin and Florin both nodded in agreement with Varnne. ¡°Can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t expect it,¡± Xander grumbled. ¡°When do you need it?¡± ¡°Dusk would be best. Florin, Norin and I will head to the West side of the camp so that anyone who¡¯s looking that way will have the setting sun in their eyes. You two make you distraction at the North gate ¨C that¡¯s the spot that would get you the most attention. Any ideas on what you¡¯ll do?¡± ¡°I think I have a thought or two. I¡¯ll work it out with Rald.¡± Pentra was having a rough day. Most days were rough at The Camp. It didn¡¯t have a real name, everyone just called it ¡®The Camp,¡¯ and you knew what they meant. Pentra hated being stationed here. It was boring and depressing. The prisoners were cranky at the best of times, and downright deadly at the worst ¨C she¡¯d seen one get fed up and casually snap the arm of the nearest guard despite their emaciated state before they were dogpiled into submission. She shuddered at the remembrance of the wet crunch Peter¡¯s arm had made. Today, she was stationed on the wall by the gate. Though bored, she knew better than to get caught slacking by one of the lieutenants, or gods forbid, the captain himself, so she kept an eye out at the empty scrubland that sprawled out before her. A good two hundred feet of the vegetation had been cleared out all around The Camp, creating a killing field that the guards, who were all armed with bows, could use to their advantage. It was dusk now, and her shift would be ending soon. Another shift over, another boring day done, another night¡¯s sleep to look forward to. Pentra was just beginning to slip into a half daydream of when she¡¯d finally get stationed in a real city, the daydream where she would meet a handsome nobleman and she¡¯d no longer need to be a guard to feed and clothe herself or her siblings, when her reverie was broken by the sound of screaming. She quickly located the source of the screaming, because the source was a man¡­ who was on fire? A flaming, screaming figure was sprinting out of the scrub, and towards the gate. Gods, she could hear him begging for help. How was she supposed to help someone who was completely engulfed in flames? In her shock, she hadn¡¯t raised her voice to call out the alarm, but Yetrel, on the other side of the gate did. Guards began to run towards the gate all along the walkway, taking up positions, or just gawking at the flaming figure that had transitioned from sprinting to staggering. The screaming grew quieter, the begging stopped, and the man, who Pentra could now see was wearing armor that appeared to be charred completely black from the flames, collapsed. Slowly, the fire died out, leaving a smoking corpse smoldering about three quarters of the way to the gate. By this point, one of the lieutenants had arrived, and took command. ¡°Yetrel, Bartol, go check the corpse!¡± the lieutenant barked out. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the two men replied, out of sync. The gate was cracked open for Yetrel and Bartol, and the two jogged out to the corpse. Pentra¡¯s mind was racing. Where had the man come from? Why was he on fire? What a horrible way to go, she thought sadly. She watched with interest as the two guards approached the corpse. She then watched with mounting horror as the one of the arms of the ¡°corpse¡± shot out, grabbed Bartol¡¯s leg, and yanked his feet out from under him. In a flash, Bartol¡¯s head had been caved in with a mace that she hadn¡¯t seen in the man¡¯s hands before, and wickedly pointed arms rose from the figure¡¯s back and skewered Yetrel, cutting off his yell. Xander retracted his spidery arms back onto his backpack, letting the corpse of one of guard that had been behind him slide to the ground. He could hear cries of alarm rising from the wall, now. Hopefully, the alarm would be heard throughout the camp. He unfurled his wings and leapt into the sky as a few arrows began to fall around him. They weren¡¯t slow on the uptake, that was for sure. Xander rose up high and came down with a crash in the thickest cluster of guards he could see on the walkway. Unfortunately, he came down a little too hard, and the wooden walkway was unable to handle his sudden impact in addition to the weight of the many guards it was supporting. With the sound of splitting timber, a portion of the walkway detached from the wall, spilling Xander and about ten guards to the ground. Xander was up in a flash, assisted by his spider legs, and began laying about himself with his mace as the guards near to him rose. Bone were broken, and armor pierced by his golem controlled spider legs as he cleared a small space. Arrows rained down on him harmlessly as he took a moment to observe the gate. It was simple in construction, the ¡®lock,¡¯ if it could be called such, consisting of a long bar of wood that sat across the two doors of the gate, held by iron hangers. Xander needed to get to it and unlock it so that Rald could join the fight. To aid in the chaos his fight was already beginning to induce, Xander deployed all twenty of his spider golems at once from his inventory. The foot wide disks with spider legs scrambled away from him and towards the nearest guards as shouts of surprise rang out, followed by the sounds of screams, explosions, and the smell of burning. Xander added to this by beginning to toss out grenades, aiming for the clusters of archers that were on the still intact portions of the walkway. Two of the archers burst from [Explosive Effect], showering the walls with gore, and needling any surviving compatriots with shards of bone and armor. It wouldn¡¯t do for one of them to spot Rald running to the gate and shoot him. Xander wasn¡¯t sure how good Rald¡¯s armor was, but better safe than sorry. By the time the smoke cleared from the grenades¡¯ explosions, sections of walkway were mangled and filled with the dead and dying. Xander finished making his way to the gate by detonating a grenade directly in front of himself, immediately killing one of the two guards that was between him and the gate, and maiming the other enough that they were no longer a concern. He quickly lifted the wooden bar from its place and threw it behind him, kicking the gate hard to open it partially. He could see through the opening of the gate that Rald had begun his own sprint towards the camp. The area of the gate was in complete disarray at this point, sections of walkway mangled ¨C a few spots had caught fire from the explosion ¨C the gate itself ajar, and a good number of corpses strewn about. More men were swarming the area, though, and Xander was glad to have Rald entering the gate as a line of guards formed up in front of him, protecting the archers behind them. ¡°Fire!¡± Xander heard someone cry, and a good thirty archers all fired as one at him and Rald. Xander quickly moved to stand in front of Rald, staggering slightly at the weight of so many arrows striking him. As he recovered, he ordered his spider golems to rush the wall of guards ¨C Xander quickly estimated that there must be at least twenty between him and the archers, making it a total of fifty or more array against him. The defensive line fell into disarray as the spiders hit it, men screaming as acid began to eat through their armor, or flames began to spray from the disks that had attached to their clothing. Hilariously, the explosive ones, while being effective, had the tendency to launch themselves off of their target after detonating, their little plier claws insufficient to hold them against an explosion. Xander watched two of them rise into the air and fall as he and Rald charged the line themselves. Considering the numbers arrayed against them, Xander decided that he¡¯d be better served with explosives and itchweed grenades than his mace, and once he reached the line, he began throwing both in earnest. Soon, the air was filled with an irritating haze in addition to the smoke and dust left behind by the multiple explosions. The new grenades were as effective as Xander had hoped, the blast itself capable of removing limbs from any unfortunates who were close to the epicenter of the explosion. They threw shrapnel harder and farther than their previous iterations, increasing their killing radius. Men and women groaned and cried out as they were thrown to the ground, deafened and stunned. And those were the lucky ones. The unlucky ones caught the shrapnel, tearing them apart as they were also thrown to the ground, leaking their vitality onto the soil. Rald, for his part, was no pushover, either. Xander watched with amazement as he bisected three guards at once, turning the momentum of the swing into a twirl, raising his blade higher up as he did so before bringing it down onto what Xander figured must be one of the lieutenants by their full plate suite of armor compared to the chainmail and breastplate of the guards. The lieutenant brought their own blade up in an attempt to parry, but it was of no use. Rald¡¯s sword clove straight through the blade, and then into the head and down into the chest of the lieutenant. As the body crumpled, Rald continued his momentum, his blade striking the earth. The moment the tip of his sword touched the ground, sharpened spires of stone erupted outward in a line away from Rald for nearly twenty feet, skewering guards who were too slow in leaping out of the way. That, Xander learned, is how Rald got his reputation for being effective against large forces. Every time he overhead swung at the ground, he raised a new crop of sharpened stones. When he swung his blade sideways, cutting blades of some kind of blue-hued force erupted from those he struck, striking yet more foes. Between Rald¡¯s area of effect attacks, and Xander¡¯s grenades and the aftershocks of [Explosive Effect], the fifty men and women arrayed against them were falling like flies. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. That was when Xander spotted his first group of prisoners. He¡¯d just detonated another grenade on top of himself after rushing into a cluster of guards, and there, a short distance away, were a group of people huddling against one of the ramshackle wooden buildings that dotted the camp. They were¡­ thin didn¡¯t even begin to describe it. They looked like skeletons over which a thin veneer of skin had been stretched. Xander could see a mixture of fear and hope in their eyes as they watched their captors being slain, and he knew something then. He knew, that he couldn¡¯t just leave this place behind with only Karlon. Even if it meant he stayed behind and kept fighting after Varnne deployed the colored smoke grenade that was to signal that they had retrieved the spymaster. Even if he had to kill every single guard left in this hellhole ¨C an increasingly probable endeavor at the rate he and Rald were cleaving through guards ¨C even if he had to WHUNK Xander¡¯s rage at seeing the emaciated prisoners and his line of thought was interrupted by a blow that sent him flying nearly ten feet. ¡°You think you can break into my camp, kill my guards with impunity?¡± a voice bellowed out. As Xander clambered to his feet, aided and stabilized by his spider legs, he looked about, locating the source of the voice. It was a mountain of a man, dressed in intricate plate armor, wielding a mace and a shield which was emblazoned with the sigil of Thrask. With another roar of anger, the huge man began running at Xander, hoping to reach him before he rose fully to his feet. Fortunately, Xander was not physically stunned from the massive impact that had struck him, and was on his own feet and raising his shield by the time the wall of plate armor reached him. Judging by his claim of this being his camp, and the immaculate condition of the plate armor, Xander judged that this must be the commander of the camp. So much for it being unlikely that he¡¯d join the fray. He must have taken it as a personal insult that a force of two was assaulting his prison camp. Xander¡¯s thoughts were once again interrupted by the hammerblow that struck his raised shield. The force of it drove Xander to his knees, his spider legs once again stabilizing him, digging into the ground as the commander of the camp ground his mace against Xander¡¯s bone shield. In a frenzy, the man began hammering on Xander¡¯s shield in an attempt to break it, and from the crackling sounds that were coming from Xander¡¯s shield, he¡¯d be succeeding soon. His arm would have long ago broken if it were not enhanced by his unique construction. Opting to do something other than just take the beating, Xander retracted his mace into his inventory, replacing it with a grenade in his fist, tossing it at his feet as he held his shield up against the onslaught he was facing. Xander was shielded from the blast, but the commander was not. Through the clearing smoke, Xander watched, amazed, as the man, who had been thrown a few feet away, staggered to his feet, shaking his head vigorously. A faint, yellow glow frazzled about the suit of armor. Xander wasn¡¯t sure if the plate mail was enchanted, or the man possessed defensive skills, but the end result was the same: he¡¯d survived a direct encounter with one of Xander¡¯s grenades and seemed at most shaken and deafened from the encounter. Xander didn¡¯t want to wait to find out if he could take the man in a straight fight, and manifested his rifle in his hands next, firing a quick three bursts into the center mass of his foe. All three struck the armor and bounced away, leaving mere dents and eliciting another frazzle of yellow light. Shit, Xander thought. I¡¯m going to have to wear him down to get through. Though staggered by the shots and still disoriented by the grenade, the commander quickly locked back on to Xander. Thankfully, Rald was keeping the rest of the forces at bay, and in the melee, archers didn¡¯t dare fire for fear of hitting their own. That left Xander to deal with someone who was at his own level for one of the first times of his life. Unfortunately for his foe, Xander was not fully alone ¨C he called his surviving spider golems to him and commanded them to swarm the big man. They swiftly clawed their way up his armor, latching on wherever they could. Though he began ripping them off and throwing them away from him, the sheer number of the little golems prevented him from getting them all before they started to activate. He was soon covered in a yellow glow as his armor weathered acid, flame, and explosions. It did not, however, seem to be insulated against electricity, and as a full four of the lightning enchanted golems attached themselves to him, he began to spasm, his muscles locking up as he fell to the ground. Xander could hear cries of rage and anger from those who were too far from the edge of the fight to be able to join in, but able to see their commander fall. The archers in the vicinity took that moment to decide that it would be better to risk hitting their leader and hopefully stop Xander than to stand by idly. Arrows rained down, breaking and bouncing off of Xander¡¯s black plate armor as he took up his mace again and swiftly marched upon the fallen giant of a man. He began hammering on the man¡¯s helmet, trying to break through whatever shield was protecting his target. It took three overhead blows at full strength to leave even a scratch on the armor, but a scratch was all Xander needed to start the corrosive processes of his weapon¡¯s enhancement. A fourth blow left a small dent, and by the fifth blow, Xander could see the forehead area of the helmet beginning to discolor. Six hits, seven hits, all the time being pelted ineffectually by arrows. One or two of the guards even seemed capable of some ranged skills, arrows glowing with the effects of skills exploding against his armor, slightly staggering him. But none stopped him, and finally the helmet was too corroded to support whatever enchantment was affecting it. With one final blow, Xander caved in the helm and skull of the man, leaving his body still twitching from the electricity coursing through it. With their commander fallen, and many of their lieutenants slain, it wasn¡¯t long before the guards arrayed against Xander and Rald began to route. Unwilling to chase after them, or slaughter fleeing opponents, the retreating forces flowed out of the gate, giving Xander and Rald a wide berth. Rald walked over to Xander and clapped him on the shoulder, panting. ¡°That was,¡± he took a moment to breath, ¡°That was certainly a fight. I don¡¯t think I could have done it alone.¡± Looking around at the mostly deserted camp, he asked, ¡°What now?¡± Xander looked around with Rald. He hadn¡¯t seen any of the prisoners leave yet. Likely, they were unable to do so, either chained to each other in large enough groups that escape would be unfeasible, or chained directly to an object. ¡°I guess... I guess we collect up the prisoners. I won¡¯t just leave them here.¡± Rald nodded, tiredly. ¡°Aye, I suppose we should. Be on the lookout for the errant guard that decided not to vacate their post.¡± Finding the prisoners wasn¡¯t too hard ¨C once they met with the group that had been watching the fight, they were able to be directed to the areas that the rest of the prisoners were held, albeit at the pace of a starving man, which chafed at Xander, who was eager to liberate anyone still left in the camp and be gone from the place. Soon enough, they had a group of nineteen ¨C Karlon was quickly identified as the only one missing, which Xander attributed to Varnne and the twins. The story they got from the group that Karlon had been part of confirmed this. The spymaster had been quickly extracted after the fighting started, Varnne and the twins appearing from the long shadows of dusk and ambushing the few guards who were still watching the prisoners. Then the four of them had disappeared back into the shadows. ¡°We should link up with Norin, Florin, and Varnne,¡± Rald reminded Xander. ¡°Right, right. I guess, uh, we clean out the supplies around here so that people have something to eat and then get on our way.¡± Rald nodded in agreement, leaving Xander to speak to the group. ¡°Uhm, everyone,¡± Xander said, trying to cut through the chatter that was building between the excited former prisoners. ¡°Everyone!¡± He said louder this time, finally quieting the small crowd down. ¡°We need to get out of here, and we need to be able to feed you. Where are the supplies housed? We should grab everything we can carry and then get out of here.¡± Nods and mutters of agreement were had, before someone chimed up, ¡°How are we supposed to make any kind of journey in our condition?¡± ¡°If you can make it for a day, then I have a¡­ large cart, essentially, that we can pull you on. We¡¯ll get you to Sempta, and from their you can make your own way.¡± Xander was already running through creating a quick, large cart out of wood and steel that he could pull behind the APC in his head. There was no way he¡¯d be able to fit all twenty inside the vehicle, after all. ¡°Rald?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± The swordsman turned to face Xander from watching the emaciated figures raid the supply rooms. Fortunately, one of them seemed to be a healer of some sort and was warning them against eating too much, lest they make themselves sick. ¡°Do you think you can lead the group back to the APC and link up with Varnne and the rest? I¡¯d like to get a head start on making a cart I can pull behind the APC so that we can take everyone and still make good time.¡± ¡°Yes, I can do that,¡± Rald assented. ¡°I don¡¯t imagine they¡¯ve gone too far, considering that they can¡¯t hear fighting anymore. They likely also saw how many guards poured out of the camp. We really need to get out of here before they make up their mind to try and come back.¡± ¡°Hopefully they regroup in that town that¡¯s a day away before making that decision, but I agree. Get them out of here as soon as they¡¯re done grabbing what supplies they can.¡± Xander took wing again, spying the remnant of the guards on the Northern horizon as they made their way towards civilization to regroup and presumably to inform their higher ups of the attack. In the air, it took almost no time at all to make the same trek that had taken them almost a day to walk, and as the light failed fully, Xander was landing in the stand of trees. Combat Artificer - 77 He quickly got to work making a large, canvas covered cart. He wanted it covered so that the prisoners wouldn¡¯t be left out in the sun all day in their state, and also so that a bunch of emaciated people weren¡¯t noticed as easily. That would be a dead giveaway to anyone who was looking that they had come from a prison camp. The cart was simple, consisting of a flat, wooden bed with slightly raised walls that sat on two axles with wooden wheels banded in steel. Three wooden arches supported the canvas that would shield the prisoners. Making it out of wood kept the mana cost low, and the material grew more quickly from Xander¡¯s hands than steel did, cutting down on build time. By the time that the rest of the group managed to walk, or stagger in some of their cases, to the copse of trees, Xander was just finishing hitching the cart to the back of the APC. The ramp wouldn¡¯t fully open anymore, but there was still the top hatch that could be used to enter and exit the vehicle. There were sighs of relief from the tired former prisoners as they reached their destination. Not all of them had abilities that enhanced their endurance, and even those that did were strained. It had been a hard march for them, but with the only other prospect being that of being left behind in Thrask, they had all managed to push through and make it. They milled about tiredly as they set down their plundered supplies and talked amongst themselves. One of the refugees, as Xander had started to think of them, peeled away from the group, tiredly making their way towards him. He looked familiar somehow, but Xander couldn¡¯t quite place it, especially through the emaciation of his figure. ¡°Xander? Is that you?¡± Asked the man. He had a mop of disheveled black hair, with a few streaks of grey running through it. ¡°Ah, yes?¡± Xander said uncertainly, still trying to place how the man knew him. ¡°Ah, I thought I recognized that black armor... though the wings are certainly new. Ah,¡± The man said, recognizing the confusion of Xander¡¯s slightly cocked head, ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me. I suppose not, considering the circumstances and my... physical state. Lord Huraven. Gavin Huraven, I suppose, feels more fitting at the moment, though. I neither feel like a lord, nor do I technically have any land holdings since the loss of Anlet to the Thraskians,¡± Gavin said, dejectedly. ¡°Oh!¡± Xander said, finally placing the jet-black hair and hard facial structure of the man before him. ¡°Lord Huraven, uhhh, Gavin, how are you? It¡¯s good to see you again!¡± Xander said, awkwardly unsure of what to say. Obviously, the man was not doing well, with the exception of the rescue, but he had no idea what else to say. ¡°Better, I would say, than yesterday, when I had no hope of escape,¡± Gavin replied. ¡°You have my thanks, by the way. The prospect of any kind of rescue seemed... far away, I must admit.¡± He looked around, as if searching for someone else for a moment, before asking, ¡°Where is the rest of your team? Or have you all made your separate ways?¡± ¡°Ah, well, this is a bit of special case,¡± Xander explained. ¡°I got pinned by Lady Grefelt and some of the remaining Dardian nobility that¡¯s in Sempta to help liberate the Dardian spymaster... everyone else was supposed to be secondary, but I couldn¡¯t stand to just leave you all there. I think things were supposed to be a little stealthier than clearing out the whole base...¡± Xander said, rubbing the back of his helm. ¡°Mmm, yes I had heard that Karlon was being held here as well, though I hadn¡¯t seen him personally. They tended to keep us as separated into small groups as possible. Still, even though we may have been a ¡®secondary¡¯ objective, you have my sincere thanks. I am glad to hear that there are still at least some remnants of Dardin in exile. I can only hope that Alesse managed to make her way to them.¡± He said, some relief entering his tired voice. ¡°Now, I think I need to rest... the journey here has left me exhausted.¡± Xander nodded in understanding and indicated towards the cart he¡¯d created. ¡°The cart has benches built into it and will keep you out of the sun. Once we get all the supplies sorted, we¡¯ll be off. I want to get as far away from this place as I can as fast as I can.¡± Xander and Rald busied themselves with loading the supplies that had been hauled from the prison camp onto the cart. With a little bit of rationing, it looked like there should be enough for them to feed everyone on the journey back without having to stop at a town. Which was good, because Xander did not want to have to stop at a town and risk word of the group spreading back to Thrask. Norin, Florin, and Varnne were busy speaking with Karlon, and Xander saw no need to interrupt their reunion. By the time they were finished loading up the cart, it was fully night. Xander had neglected to install headlights on the APC, so it was decided that they would camp here for the night and leave at first light. Xander also thought that lights moving through the wilds after a prison escape might draw attention. It was also decided that there would be no fires tonight, stealth still being of importance. Xander did create several large tarps and blankets for people to lay on and sleep under, however. It wasn¡¯t too terribly cold, but with the state of the refugees, Xander wasn¡¯t entirely sure that a cool breeze wouldn¡¯t turn them hypothermic. The team of five mercenaries took turns keeping watch through the night, anxious of discovery, but no search parties were seen or heard in the night. Perhaps the remaining guards were still regrouping in the town, or were busy first resecuring their camp. Regardless, Xander was glad ¨C defending twenty escaped prisoners who had no weapons and were weak from starvation seemed a difficult task. As dawn rose and enough light to begin a cold breakfast was had, everyone loaded up, the refugees filing up into the cart and taking seats on the benches Xander had made on the cart. Then, they were off. This time, Xander gave an even wider berth to towns than they had on their journey before, wanting to do his best to make sure that no one got a good look at the emaciated people in he was towing around. One of the refugees had taken up the mantle of medical care, having some experience with it, and was doing their best to nurse everyone back to health and prevent overeating, acclimating the group slowly back to having adequate amounts of food. Now having to haul a cart of people, the trip took a little bit longer than the two and a half months it had taken to get to the prison camp. But not much longer. Varnne¡¯s estimate was three months for the return trip at the pace they were making currently, which was about as fast as Xander felt he could go without throwing the cart around on every rut and pothole on the road. Spirits were high, however, so no one minded too terribly much. The return trip was as uneventful as the original trip had been. The border was crossed at an empty spot, far away from any towns, and they found themselves back in Sempta. Some of the tensions that still lingered in the group relieved itself as the ever-present fear of discovery by Thraskian forces began to dissolve now that they were firmly in allied territory. The city looked the same as it ever had as they approached Rock¡¯s Bay. Wagons trundled down the road in both directions, and foot traffic became ever more plentiful as they came closer. Following a road that circled around the city, Xander steered them towards to palatial estate of the governor. He wondered if he¡¯d ever actually meet the governor. He shrugged to himself. Brinn Grefelt was enough nobility to deal with, what with the air of command about her and the expectation that he fight fifty men. Maybe the fewer nobles he met, the better. The high gates and the statues guarding them came into view around the city, signaling the end of their journey, and the contract. Xander could hear the muffled, excited chatter of the refugees from their cart as they, too, spied the gates of the estate. Xander once again pulled up to the guard shack posted befoer the gate and announced himself and his business. There was a rush to get the gates open, and someone else ran to get Lady Grefelt. Xander decided that the best place to go would be to the store rooms again, as it was the only place he knew had easy space for him to park the APC. Once Xander parked, everyone slowly began leaving the APC and the cart, the refugees standing in an awkward gaggle, unsure of what to do. Their five rescuers stood slightly apart, waiting for someone to arrive and take the group off their hands. After ten minutes or so of quiet conversation amongst the refugees, Xander spied Lady Grefelt along with a small host of servants, likely to receive the twenty new guests. They were walking with the speed of purpose behind them, and within little time at all, they were withing hailing distance. With a wave of her hand, the servants dispersed, each one carrying with them clothes for the new arrivals. They were met with enthusiasm and thanks from the refugees, who gratefully took the clothes into their own hands. ¡°I see you were successful. Quite¡­ successful.¡± Brinn Grefelt said to the mercenaries, eyeing the large group they¡¯d brought. ¡°Ah, yes, the uh, the distraction ended up being more¡­ effective than we anticipated,¡± Xander admitted, rubbing the back of his head nervously. ¡°I see¡­ And were there any issues on the trip back, or were you able to go undiscovered?¡± Varnne stepped into the conversation. ¡°No discoveries, my lady. I don¡¯t think the attack will be easy to connect directly to us or you. Xander and Rald hit them fast and hard, the guards cleared out and retreated after just a few minutes of fighting and explosions. At best they¡¯ll have some general descriptions of two armed and armored men assaulting the base suddenly.¡± Lady Grefelt nodded. ¡°Mm. Good,¡± she said curtly, as if nothing less was to be expected or accepted. At this point, the refugees were being led away from the storehouses towards the guest houses that dotted the estate. Scattered calls of thanks and gratitude were made towards the mercenaries as they passed by. ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re eager to receive your payment,¡± Lady Grefelt began, ¡°But due to the ammount of people you¡¯ve managed to bring back, I¡¯ve decided it would be prudent to wait a day or two to dole it out. There are going to be any grateful family members who will wish to contribute to your rewards, and it would be easiest to give it all out at once.¡± Xander and the other team members nodded in understanding. ¡°No complaints here about a higher payout,¡± Xander offered. ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Lady Grefelt offered. ¡°While Karlon was our main objective, having so many former prisoners will allow us to, perhaps, ascertain some of Thrask¡¯s next goals. The questions the prisoners were asked will hopefully give us some guidance on what their focus may be on. For this, you have my personal thanks as well.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Well, we couldn¡¯t just leave them there.¡± Xander stated. Lady Grefelt nodded. ¡°Indeed. I was advised, actually, that one of the most likely cases of failure for the mission would be a decision to try and rescue all of the prisoners when it would not be advisable to do so... ¡®tis fortunate that things played out as they did.¡± She cleared her throat slightly before continuing. ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired from your travels and would like to retire to your own accommodations ¨C should you wish to rest here at the estate, a room will be made available, of course. I will contact you via courier when your payment is ready. Good day, and once again, thank you.¡± With that, Brinn Grefelt disengaged herself from speaking distance and began making her way back to the main building of the estate. Xander looked around at the group he¡¯d spent the last five months with, realizing that he hadn¡¯t really gotten to know them at all. ¡±So, ah, I guess that¡¯s it, then. It was good working with you all.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Rald agreed. ¡°¡¯Twas a good mission, and for a good cause. I would be happy to work again with any of you.¡± ¡°You two did a good job with the distraction ¨C next time I find myself in need of something like that, you¡¯ll be at the top of my list,¡± Varnne complemented. ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Norin and Florin agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around, I guess,¡± Xander said to the four. The group began to split apart, Norin, Florin, and Varnne splitting off first, heading towards the governor¡¯s mansion. Rald offered a final nod to Xander as he, too, made his way towards the manse. Xander looked around, thinking where to go first, and wondering where exactly he was supposed to park the APC now that the mission was over. He shrugged to himself. Might as well leave it where it was for now. He could always come get it if they asked him to move it, and there weren¡¯t many other places he could safely park it away from prying fingers. He didn¡¯t want to leave a vehicle full of gear and explosives out and about for the general public. He supposed he ought to come up with a locking mechanism for the drop down door and hatch. Now, where to go first? He checked his watch, confirming that it was past lunch time ¨C the team would be dispersed, most likely. Or maybe they¡¯d taken a contract or two in the city whilst he was away. He wouldn¡¯t blame them for it, it¡¯s not like he expected them to do nothing but sit around and wait on him to come back. Either way, he¡¯d have a hard time tracking them down, he decided. Much easier to head to Valteria¡¯s. Deciding the eschew going back through the gate to leave, Xander lifted off with a few powerful flaps of his wings, scattering dust across the courtyard in a small area around himself. He quickly gained altitude, rising above the manicured trees of the estate, and then angled himself towards the city, flying over the decorative wall that surrounded the property. He wondered, as he flew, if what he¡¯d done would really have an impact on the city and the people that were passing below him. Or if the spiel about curbing Thraskian efforts had just been a hook to get him on board with the mission. He supposed it didn¡¯t matter too much. In one instance, he¡¯d done good for the country he was currently living and working in, and in the other, he still got to stick it to a warmongering country that had gotten him killed. Win-win. With his thoughts occupied, he almost flew by Valteria¡¯s shop, noticing only at the last minute that he was over the correct area of the city and forcing him to spread his wings wide to bring himself to an aerial halt. He reoriented himself as he flapped in place, bobbing up and down as he hovered. Ah, there was Valteria¡¯s. He glided down at a much slower place, looking for an optimal place to touch down. A mostly empty plaza nearby caught his eye, and he carefully alighted on the ground, careful to do his best not to mow down any passersby as he came in from the sky. He walked the rest of the way to Vateria¡¯s, at a casual pace, but with certain spring in his step. He was hoping that Valteria would be as excited to see her as he was to see her. It was also mixed with some anxiety, of course. They¡¯d been a ¡®thing¡¯ for less than a month when he¡¯d been called away to be gone for more than six. What if she had changed her mind? He shook the thoughts off. There wasn¡¯t anything he could do about it if that was the case other than not get too beat up about what ended up just being a fling. Besides, that didn¡¯t seem like the Valteria he¡¯d gotten to know, albeit for a relatively brief time. Pausing in front of her shop door, Xander raised his hand to knock, but paused as he heard muffled, but raised voices inside. He couldn¡¯t make out what was being said, but from the tone, someone was unhappy about something. If he still had a heartbeat, this was the kind of thing that would have elevated it. Was he walking into something serious? Was it just a customer blowing the price of an item out of proportion? Honestly, he felt like he could handle a fight better at this point with all the mercenary work he¡¯d done than he could navigate an angry customer. Still, for Valteria¡¯s sake, he hoped it was just someone being rude. And perhaps him entering the shop would break the spell of anger, or at least lead them to feel some shame for how they were acting now that they were no longer alone. Especially since he was still in his armor ¨C the sight of a full plate armored warrior loitering on site would probably mollify the average person. Xander knocked on the door politely, and the raised voices quickly died down. No one came to the door however, so he decided to open it himself. Locked. Hm. That was definitely not normal at this hour. Xander did the mental equivalent of chewing on his fingernails, worrying at thoughts that rose to his mind. Was something sinister happening? Valteria has never locked the door to the shop during business hours the entire time he¡¯d been visiting. And the raised voices suddenly hushing after he knocked seemed suspicious. His anxiety rose ¨C not from the prospect of a fight, but from the prospect of being wrong about what was going on and being berated for kicking the door in. He didn¡¯t want to come across as clingy or possessive, especially right as he was coming back and getting comfortable with Valteria again, but at the same time, he certainly didn¡¯t feel like he could just walk away from whatever was happening. Oh, what the hell, he could always explain himself that he thought she was being robbed or something and fix the door with his powers later. Surely she¡¯d understand. He swiftly lifted his leg into the air and kicked, the door flying open with the sound of cracking wood. The scene that greeted him as he looked in from the door, was not one of an angry customer. Or if it was, it had gotten far, far out of hand. Jarrett was backed up against one wall, his hands raised slightly in that unconscious way that someone does when someone has you backed against a wall while holding a sword ¨C which is exactly what was happening. A short figure ¨C a Pix, Xander realized ¨C was keeping Jarrett from going anywhere, having him backed against the wall and pinned in by a desk and a shelf. Two more were by Valteria, though their weapons were not drawn at the moment. All heads were turned to face Xander. ¡°Uhhhh¡­¡± Xander said, trailing off as he took in the scene. Alarm overtook him as he took in the drawn weapon and figures cornering Valteria and Jarrett. ¡°What the fuck is going on in here?¡± He asked, anger beginning to overtake alarm. ¡°Xander!¡± Valteria said, surprised. ¡°Thank the gods you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°This is none of your concern, peasant,¡± one of the Pix near Valteria snarled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare talk to him like that!¡± Valteria shouted at the one who had spoken. Jarrett stayed silent, mollified by the sword pointed at him. ¡°He has no right to interfere in any of our duties!¡± The Pix that Valteria had shouted at retorted. ¡°SHUT UP! Everyone just shut up!¡± Xander roared, pouring mana into the runes powering his voice for increased volume. There was a stunned silence afterwards as once again, all eyes were on Xander. He looked at the three Pix that had invaded Valteria¡¯s shop one at a time, taking them in. They were dressed and armored finely, covered in plates of metal with sheets of chain over traditional weak points. Their weapons gleamed, well-polished. Each was equipped with a short sword ¨C short for someone of Xander¡¯s stature, standard sized for a Pix, he supposed ¨C and a shield. Xander took a deep mental breath. ¡°Now, tell me exactly why I shouldn¡¯t violently dismantle you three for invading my girlfriend¡¯s shop and holding her hostage?¡± He said, in what he hoped came across as a menacing tone. He manifested his shield and mace into his hands as he spoke for added emphasis. ¡°We¡¯re bringing her back to her family, not taking her hostage!¡± The second Pix near Valteria said, defensively. ¡°She¡¯s shirked her duties long enough, and the Lord and Lady of House Creft will tolerate her absence no longer. We were instructed to ensure that she attended her brother¡¯s wedding.¡± Valteria positively growled out, ¡°You¡¯ll have to knock me out and tie me in a sack to take my anywhere. I¡¯ve already told you, I¡¯m not going, and I have no intention of ever going back.¡± The pix who¡¯d spoken up scoffed at Valteria. ¡°You bring shame to the family name, acting like this, and to your brother for not attending,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°And to think, you¡¯ve debased yourself with this¡­ this commoner,¡± he continued, disbelief entering his voice. Xander glared at the Pix. ¡°I¡¯d tread very carefully and choose my next words wisely, if I were you.¡± The sound of his grip tightening on his mace was audible to the room. ¡°Valteria has told you in no uncertain terms that she is not interested in going with you. You have two options, currently. You can leave of your own volition right now, or you can leave in more pieces than you entered.¡± The three Pix bristled and glared at Xander. He glared right back, readying himself for a fight. The Pix that was holding the sword at Jarrett was the first to cave, lowering the short sword slightly and sagging his shoulders as he sighed. ¡°There¡¯s too much risk of Lady Creft being hurt in a fight here, in these tight confines,¡± he spoke to his compatriots. Reluctant nods from the other two followed his statement. ¡°Get the hell out of my shop and never come back.¡± Valteria spat at them as they began to exit the shop, giving as much of a berth to Xander as they could. Xander turned to watch them go, silently glaring as each one passed him in turn, filing out of the broken door and out of sight. He kept watching, tensely, for another moment or two after they passed out of vision. Finally, he relaxed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked as he turned back around. His answer was Valteria hurtling into his arms before he even finished turning around. She must have started running as soon as the three Pix left. She clung tightly to him as he restabilized himself from the sudden impact. Xander let his mace and shield slip back into his inventory and wrapped his arms around Valteria. Her cheek was smooshed up against his plate armored chest in what looked like an uncomfortable way, but that didn¡¯t seem to deter her. ¡°I thought they were going to take me away,¡± Valteria said quietly, and Xander could see tears in her eyes as she looked up at him, finally. Xander squeezed her tighter. ¡°I¡¯m glad I got back when I did,¡± he said, simply. The two shared their hug for a moment longer, before separating. Xander looked about the shop again, his eyes alighting on Jarrett, still in the same corner he had been. ¡°Are you alright, too?¡± he asked. Jarrett seemed like he¡¯d been broken from a trance by the question, shaking himself slightly. ¡°Ah, uh, yes, I suppose I am. I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever been held at sword point before¡­ That was¡­¡± He shuddered. ¡°If you¡¯d like, you¡¯re free to take the next few days off, Jarrett. I know what just happened can¡¯t have been easy on you,¡± Valteria said soothingly. ¡°Frankly, I might take the time off, too. At least the rest of the day.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Valteria. I could, ah, use some time to regather myself, I think,¡± Jarrett responded. Xander could tell the man was shaken. Hopefully some time at home, a nice break, and maybe a stiff drink would fix it. Jarrett made his way to the door, and carefully opened it. Carefully, because it appeared to be almost falling off the hinges from Xander¡¯s kick. Then he, too, was gone, leaving Xander and Valteria alone. ¡°I should fix that¡­¡± Xander murmured, looking at the door. He moved to inspect it more closely, Valteria trailing behind. The latch, fortunately, was just bent, and therefore easy for him to shape back into place. It had ripped though the portion of the wooden doorframe it been slotted in when Xander kicked the door. The nails holding the hinges had pulled partially loose as well, leaving the door off kilter. With his powers, it was easy for Xander to fix the shattered wood of the doorframe and press the hinges back into position, melting them to the wood so that they would no longer need to rely on nails. Once he was done, he turned to look at Valteria again, who stood silently nearby, and seemed unsure of what to say. ¡°Sooo¡­¡± He said, trailing off for a second. ¡°Lady Cleft?¡± Combat Artificer - 78 ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that,¡± Valteria said, sounding sad. ¡°Sorry,¡± Xander apologized. ¡°So, when you said you were getting away from family, I take it you were getting away from more than just something like an overbearing mom or dad?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Valteria said, looking away. ¡°I¡­ I should have told you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°For what? I don¡¯t blame you for not telling me. We¡¯re still pretty early on in knowing each other, you know. Now I know why you didn¡¯t like my mock scraping and bowing, though. Guess it reminded you of home?¡± ¡°It did,¡± she admitted. ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t angry? Or having second thoughts? As you can see, I tend to bring trouble every now and then.¡± ¡°I could say the same about myself. You know I was assassinated, once?¡± ¡°You ¨C what?¡± Valteria asked, confused. ¡°Well, I guess it technically wasn¡¯t an assassination, since it didn¡¯t kill me ¨C what with already being dead and all ¨C but the guy did shove a dagger all the way through my skull. Which was composed entirely of steel at the time, mind you. Honestly, it was kind of impressive. Didn¡¯t see him at all, either.¡± ¡°Why did someone try to have you assassinated?¡± Valteria asked, interestedly. ¡°Well¡­ I killed a prince. Third in line for the throne or something like that of Thrask. To be fair, it was during the war, and to be even fairer, he killed me first. Apparently, having one of your assassins caught in the act costs you some political clout, though. Hasn¡¯t happened again. Hoping it stays that way.¡± ¡°You killed a Thraskian prince?¡± Valteria half asked, half stated in wonder. ¡°I¡­ wow. No wonder Thrask doesn¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Xander chuckled. ¡°You know, when I ¡®woke up¡¯ like this, it was bound to some of my equipment. In their trophy hall! The nerve. They didn¡¯t even give me a good blurb on the plaque for my pedestal!¡± Valteria shook her head wryly, commiserating with Xander about his mistreatment as a relic. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan now?¡± Xander asked, concern creeping back into his consciousness. ¡°Do you need to, like, lay low for a while?¡± Valteria sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be back. But maybe it would be for the best if I did ¡®lay low¡¯ for a few weeks. Just in case they do come back.¡± Xander nodded in agreement. ¡°Well, you¡¯re welcome to stay with me. ¡®Course, I¡¯ll have to get another room at The Ruby Chair, if that¡¯s where everyone is still staying, but that shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Valteria said in mock thoughtfulness, ¡°I think I¡¯d like that. I¡¯ve missed you, I hope you know.¡± ¡°I missed you too,¡± Xander said, wrapping her up in another hug. ¡°Mmf,¡± Valteria grunted. ¡°Take off that armor! I want a real hug.¡± ¡°Oh. Right, I forgot about that,¡± Xander said abashedly. He stepped back and slipped his armor into his inventory, reveling the clothes underneath. ¡°Much better,¡± Valteria stated. ¡°Would you like to come upstairs so we can sit?¡± ¡°That sounds nice,¡± Xander agreed. A few minutes later, they were both seated on a couch upstairs. Xander had one arm around Valteria, who was leaning into him, half snuggled into him. ¡°Mmm,¡± Valteria sighed. ¡°I missed this. I got so used to having such little touch in my life, and then you came along and got me craving it again, just to leave for six months!¡± She said, accusingly. ¡°Sorry,¡± Xander apologized. ¡°It was for a good cause though. We rescued a lot of people, way more than just the one we were required to.¡± ¡°Are you allowed to talk more about it, now that you¡¯re done?¡± Valteria asked. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t, since there¡¯s politics involved, buuuut I think I can trust you with some details. The short of it is that we were tasked to rescue someone very important to the former Dardian government from a prison camp. We ended up liberating the entire camp, in the end, which I¡¯m glad for. I don¡¯t think I could have left all those people there¡­¡± Xander said, pausing for a moment. ¡°The conditions were¡­ abhorrent. I¡¯ve never seen someone so thin before. They were keeping them on the brink of starvation to keep them weak and pacified, since the prisoners had levels enough to be dangerous. And I suppose to discourage escape attempts. Hard to run out into the wilds when you¡¯re three steps from death¡¯s door.¡± Valteria looked properly horrified as Xander described the mistreatment of the prisoners. ¡°That¡¯s just¡­ wrong,¡± she said, finally. ¡°I¡¯m glad you were able to save them, too. And, I suppose¡­ I can let you off for being gone for so long,¡± she said teasingly. ¡°Just this once. Since it was for a noble cause.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Xander said, with an enthusiastic nod of his head. ¡°Noble cause. Definitely not my slight vendetta against Thrask being manipulated by nobles into accepting a contract. Well, okay, maybe it was a little bit of that too, but I did also do it because it felt like the right thing to do.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say I blame you for having a bit of a vendetta against them,¡± Valteria said, thoughtfully. ¡°The news I managed to hear about the war, which was admittedly a bit vague after making it all the way down here, was grim. The capital city was practically turned into a slaughterhouse from what I heard.¡± Xander sighed, sadly. ¡°Yeah. That was after Ilbek, so I wasn¡¯t¡­ around for it. But the rest of my team was. I don¡¯t know how much of a mark it made on the rest of them, but I know it still bothers Gabrelle to this day, how bad things were.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been to war,¡± Valteria admitted. ¡°But, one of the things my father used to say is that, when a man goes to war, the same man doesn¡¯t always come back.¡± Xander nodded, thoughtfully. ¡°That is true. Some people handle it better than others. But a life of violence does tend to leave one¡­ on edge. You can tell when you go into the mercenary hall. Who the professionals are, I mean. They¡¯re always assessing everything around them, making sure of their exits, looking for danger. And, of course, there are the ones who handle the stress more poorly. The ones who get angry easily, lash out. That sort of thing.¡± Valteria looked lost in thought. ¡°I¡­ wonder if that was the reason father was like he was. Easily angered, I mean. Like he was always on the edge of an outburst. We all trod of eggshells around him. The only one who could really get through to him was my brother. The only other one who had been to war in any capacity. He always got along better with Father than the rest of us.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Xander shrugged. ¡°Maybe. Some people are just angry people, though. War or not. I couldn¡¯t say which he was. Either way, it¡¯s not an excuse to treat your family poorly.¡± Valteria nodded. ¡°In that, we agree.¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯s not uncomfortable for you. Talking about your family.¡± ¡°Not really¡­ I¡¯d say that I had happy childhood memories to miss, but honestly, I just remember the responsibilities piled onto me. Not to mention the rigors of navigating high society. Not something I¡¯d personally recommend. Who wants to think about what it really means that lord so and so wore a slightly lighter green than usual?¡± ¡°Oof, yeah.¡± Xander agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d thrive in that environment. Hell, I own exactly one nice pair of clothes for ¡®formal¡¯ events. I can¡¯t imagine having a wardrobe I need to use to communicate subtly with.¡± Valteria raised an eyebrow at Xander in disbelief. ¡°Really? Only one nice outfit? So you¡¯re telling me, the same outfit you wore on our dates¡­¡± ¡°Same thing I wore to the governor¡¯s estate, yes.¡± Xander finished the unanswered question. ¡°Gods, Xander. I think you might be taking minimalism a little too seriously. If you¡¯re going to get hired by nobles more often now, you might need to rehaul your clothing situation.¡± She chided him. ¡°Ughhhhh, but good clothes are expensive! Can¡¯t I just wear armor to meetings?¡± Xander complained. ¡°Not if you don¡¯t want to be rude!¡± ¡°Harumph.¡± ¡°Speaking of being rude, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve properly greeted me yet,¡± Valteria said, hintingly. ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Xander asked, playing dumb. ¡°Please, enlighten me on my failure of etiquette.¡± ¡°Well, you stated I was your girlfriend, right?¡± Valteria asked. ¡°Right, I did declare you to be my girlfriend downstairs during that¡­ altercation.¡± Xander said with a nod. ¡°Well, how does one greet their girlfriend, hmm?¡± Valteria said, expectantly. ¡°By throwing three would-be kidnappers out of their house, I suppose,¡± Xander said dryly. ¡°Ugh, just give me a damn kiss already!¡± A few hours later, mostly comprised of kissing, snuggling, and catching back up with each other, Xander stretched reflexively before checking his watch. ¡°Mm. The rest of the team is probably heading back to the inn for the day,¡± he said. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them yet ¨C thought I¡¯d visit you first, since they were probably scattered around town. Glad I did, too.¡± ¡°Me, too,¡± Valteria said, snuggling up closer to Xander. ¡°Do you want me to help you pack anything? Or carry anything? Since you¡¯re planning on staying with me for a bit, I figure you¡¯d want to come with me when I go to see them at the inn.¡± ¡°I suppose I do need to pack some clothes. Maybe a few tools so I can tinker. And of course we¡¯ll I¡¯ll need to let Jarrett know I¡¯ll be out for a while. He¡¯s perfectly capable of running the shop ¨C once he takes his break ¨C without me, but I wouldn¡¯t want him to worry that I¡¯d disappeared.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Xander said with a nod. A short time later, Valteria was locking up the shop as Xander stood by the door, waiting. Valteria had on a modest sized pack that held clothing and some daily essentials, while Xander was loaded down with a much heavier sack of tools and some materials. They made their way first to Jarrett¡¯s home, a small but very tidy looking building that was a short walk away from Valteria¡¯s shop. Valteria knocked on the door, calling out, ¡°Jarrett? Are you home?¡± There was the sound of someone moving on the other side of the door, and soon after, Jarrett¡¯s head cautiously poked out from the door. The man relaxed as he observed Xander and Valteria on the other side of the door. ¡°Miss Valteria, Xander, what can I do for you?¡± Xander offered a friendly nod to Jarrett. ¡°I was coming by to drop off my key to the shop for you. I¡¯m going to take some... time. Away from the shop, I mean. I think it might be best if I wasn¡¯t around there for a few weeks, so I¡¯m going to stay with Xander across town,¡± Valteria explained. ¡°Oh! Ah, that makes sense.¡± Jarrett said with a nod. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing, I¡¯ll make sure the shop is in tip top shape for you while you¡¯re away,¡± he assured Valteria, taking the key she proffered to him. ¡°Of that I have no doubt. You¡¯ve always been more organized than me. Don¡¯t forget about your break, though. Take as much time as you need before you come back to the shop. A few days being closed won¡¯t break us.¡± ¡°Thank you Miss Valteria,¡± Jarrett said thankfully, coming out fully from the door. ¡°We¡¯ll see you around, I¡¯m sure,¡± Valteria said in a friendly voice. ¡°But for now, I¡¯ll let you get back to your day. I hope it is more relaxing than the earlier portion of the day was.¡± Jarrett chuckled nervously at the reminder of his earlier tribulation. ¡°It¡¯s hard not to be more relaxing than that. Thank you again for coming by. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± ¡°Bye, Jarrette!¡± Xander said as he and Valteria both waved to the man before he returned to his home. ¡°To the inn?¡± Xander asked, offering an arm to Valteria. ¡°To the inn,¡± Valteria agreed, taking the offered arm. They walked at a leisurely pace, neither bothered particularly by the weight of their bags, Valteria¡¯s being filled with light objects, and Xander simply being strong enough for the weight of the sack to be trivial for him. People passed in both directions, flowing around and by the couple as they enjoyed each other¡¯s company. ¡°So what made you decide to leave a life of nobility?¡± Xander asked, unable to contain himself. ¡°It was really just family? Not that I¡¯m not glad you did. Otherwise you wouldn¡¯t be here with me,¡± he added. Valteria huffed a sigh, thinking. ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t just family. But they certainly didn¡¯t help. I guess I just¡­ wasn¡¯t cut out for noble life. It wore away at me. I could never keep up with the intrigue, the fashion. I all seemed so petty. Add an angry father and an overbearing mother to the mix, and it¡¯s not hard to see why I wanted out. Plus,¡± she said, hesitating, ¡°my¡­ class was a bit of a source of shame for the house, which led to even more tension between myself and the family. You see, Pix culture, in many ways reveres nature and strives to be in tune with it. So, in addition to being a, ah¡­ ¡®peasant¡¯ class ¨C in that it¡¯s more geared to actually working for a living ¨C it was also a bit of a cultural clash. What with it being so much more in tune with industry, you see. The last straw was when I found out mother and father were putting out feelers to see who would take me in for an arranged marriage. I already hated it there, and I figure it would have only gotten worse somewhere else without even my family¡­ so I left.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Xander said. ¡°That does sound hard. So the other houses looked down on you for your class? That¡¯s crazy! I mean¡­ you can get a class for doing all kinds of things. Just because you like to tinker and ended up with a class related to it? That¡¯s silly to look down on someone for. Ugh, and arranged marriages. Where I¡¯m from, that kind of thing is looked down on. I suppose I come from a very individualistic culture ¨C there actually wasn¡¯t a noble class, though there were still people who were rich enough for it to be pretty much the same ¨C so things like that, that violated a person¡¯s free will to choose were generally condemned. I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, there was still plenty of classism and enmity between the rich and the poor, it wasn¡¯t some kind of utopia. Just, uh, I guess I¡¯m just trying to say I can see how you wouldn¡¯t want to be reduced to a bargaining chip and sent off to marry someone you probably hardly knew.¡± ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t be able to court me yourself if I was married to some stuck up noble across the sea,¡± Valteria added playfully. ¡°There is also that,¡± Xander agreed. ¡°Why is Pix culture so reverent towards nature? Here it seems like the most common view is that nature is something to be fought back against, cleared out. I mean, that¡¯s kind where monsters seem to come from, so I can understand the view. I guess there¡¯s druids, but they seem to be in the minority here.¡± Valteria shrugged as they continued to walk and talk. ¡°I¡¯m not sure exactly. I never really studied from an outside perspective ¨C it¡¯s just how it was. Druids were prominent members of society, dryads were always popular. I suppose some of it had to do with religion and which gods were most popular to worship ¨C nature gods always had more temples than even the gods of commerce, and were the most frequently invoked.¡± Xander nodded along. ¡°I guess that makes sense. I probably couldn¡¯t tell you the why on a lot of things about my culture either.¡± They finished their walk quietly, still arm in arm, reaching the inn not long after they had finished conversing. The inn looked the same as it ever had, the sign declaring it The Ruby Chair swaying gently with the wind. It was still a bit early for dinner, so the inn was not particularly lively as they walked in, Xander and Valteria making their way to the counter. The owner, Jempta, if Xander remembered correctly, was behind the counter at the moment, polishing a few mugs with an immaculately clean rag. The woman was still as composed and sharp looking as she had been the first time they met, and her eyes quickly made their way to the couple that was making their way towards her. She put down the mug and rag, somehow managing to stand up even straighter than she had been before, waiting to receive them. Combat Artificer - 79 ¡°Welcome to The Ruby Chair,¡± she greeted them formally. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Ah, hi, Jempta, it¡¯s me, Xander. If you happen to remember. I¡¯m looking to get a room for two.¡± ¡°Mm, yes I do remember,¡± Jempta stated in a way that implied she remembered every customer she¡¯d ever had. ¡°I¡¯ve space for you and your¡­ companion,¡± she settled on, unsure of how to refer to Valteria¡¯s relationship to Xander. Unfortunately, I believe the rest of your team is out at the moment, though I¡¯ll be sure to let them know you have arrived, should I happen to see them before you do.¡± ¡°Oh! Thank you,¡± Xander said, surprised that the woman had not only remembered him and his name, but had also who his teammates were. ¡°That would be lovely.¡± They settled on the price for the first leg of their stay, Xander deciding to pay for a month¡¯s lodging. He didn¡¯t dare try to haggle with Jempta, the woman looked like she¡¯d brook no bending of her prices, but she did give a discount for paying for a month up front, which he happily took. He included a small tip for her agreeing to let the team know he was at the inn, and then he and Valteria made their way up the stairs to their room. It wasn¡¯t long before a Xander heard someone knock on his door. He opened it to see a grinning Frazay, who wrapped him into a quick hug with a thump on his back. ¡°Xander!¡± She exclaimed after the hug, ¡°Finally back! What took you so long?¡± ¡°Ah, well, it was a long ways away,¡± Xander explained. ¡°Way up North.¡± He beckoned Frazay inside, offering the single chair that sat in the room. Frazay accepted the offer, sitting down and leaning back against the chair. Xander moved to sit on the bed next to Valteria. Frazay noticed the smaller figure in the room as he did so, offering a greeting to her as well. ¡°Oh! Hello there Valteria! I hope I¡¯m not... interrupting something?¡± She asked, looking at Xander with a brow arched in amusement. ¡°Oh, no,¡± Valteria quickly answered, flushing in embarrassment. ¡°We¡¯ve only just started to settle in.¡± ¡°Settling in, hmm? So, you¡¯re going to be staying with Xander, then?¡± Frazay deduced. ¡°There was... an incident at the shop,¡± Xander told Frazay. Noting her alarmed look, he quickly added, ¡°it¡¯s all handled already, don¡¯t worry. But, we thought it might be best if Valteria stayed with me for a little while.¡± ¡°Mmm, I see, I see,¡± Frazay replied. ¡°Well, I shan¡¯t intrude into business that isn¡¯t mine... though the gossip in me certainly wants me to,¡± she added. Valteria looked uncomfortable, but remained silent. Xander found her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her,¡± he told Valteria. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell her about it right now ¨C she really is just a gossip. But a harmless one,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m anything but ¡®harmless,¡¯¡± Frazay protested. ¡°Okay that¡¯s true, but as a gossip you¡¯re harmless. You only gossip to the rest of us, after all,¡± Xander said. ¡°Harumph,¡± Frazay mock pouted. There was another knock at the door. This time Graffus¡¯s voice was heard, slightly muffled through the door. ¡°Xander, are you in there?¡± Xander left the bed again to let Graffus in, where he was once more pulled into a brief hug. The rest of the team arrived in similar fashion, first Gabrelle and then Atrax. They sat and stood around in Xander¡¯s room, which had become rather cramped with six people in it, catching up with each other. Xander relayed the story, sans some political details, of his prison break to his teammates. In turn, they told Xander what they had been up to while he was away. The rest of the team had taken up a couple of bodyguard contracts that had stayed close to the city. Nothing had come of them, it was simply nobles and the affluent using hired mercs around them to posture, but they had paid well. When it was revealed that the team had been requested for the jobs instead of finding them in the mercenary guild hall, he silently wondered if Brinn Grefelt had played a part in suggesting the team for him. Valteria had begun to relax, finally, as the conversation flowed, and no one pestered her for details on the ¡®incident¡¯ she¡¯d been involved in. Eventually, it was dinner time, and the six of them moved to a table downstairs for food and drink. There was plenty of both, and the conversation continued. Xander learned that the drake eggs had indeed hatched, and each extra drake had been sold off to a reputable merchant that already had leads on where each drake would go, all to highly professional trainers who were willing to spend the coin to get access to a rare animal. The fledgling drakes had gone for nearly a platinum each, and Xander¡¯s share had been dropped off at the bank for his account. Graffus had continued his fishing hobby, which Xander nearly forgotten about. The dwarf apparently found it very peaceful, almost meditative. Which was good, he said, because he often didn¡¯t catch anything. Frazay had been busy training the drake drake ¨C Trion, she¡¯d named it ¨C who had just recently grown large enough that the innkeeper had insisted that Frazay stable the beast instead of keeping it in her room. Apparently several customers had been badly frightened by seeing a small dragon as they came around the corner of a hallway, and other similar circumstances. Frazay assured Xander that Trion was perfectly harmless ¨C unless commanded otherwise ¨C and was actually shaping up to be quite the playmate for Freyja, who had grown more interested in the drake now that it was larger. Gabrelle had spent her free time at several of the temples that offered healing services, earning coin for her healing services while also gaining access to a wealth of knowledge about healing both from experience with injured people as well as their stored texts on the arts of healing. Healing things other than cuts or the occasional broken bone had been an enlightening experience for her. Atrax had continued pursuing his [Scholar of the Ancient] class, spending time in libraries and bookstores throughout the city. Apparently, he¡¯d been studying several old cults that had centered around fire and its inherent power. He assured Xander that he was not interested in the cult-y parts of the cults, but they had deeply researched the nature of magical flames themselves, which Atrax of course had a vested interest in mastering. As the night grew longer, and drinks continued to be served to them, the conversation finally came to a slow, natural halt as the members of the group began to tire. A unanimous, though silent, decision was made that it was time for rest, and so the laborious process of gathering oneself together to stand up and blearily, and rather drunkenly, make the journey to bed was begun. Xander helped shepherd his groggy friends up the stairs and into their rooms, taking up the rear of the group, Valteria close in front of him. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Valteria had kept her drinking relatively light compared to most of the group, and as such was not quite so unsteady as she and Xander made their way to their own shared room. The two of them entered and began making ready to get into bed. ¡°I hope the bed matches up to the one you have at home,¡± Xander said. ¡°Yours is pretty comfy.¡± ¡°Eh,¡± Valteria grunted shrugging her shoulders. ¡°A bed¡¯s a bed. They¡¯re all more comfortable than a bedroll on the ground. ¡°Any bed¡¯s a lot better with you in it,¡± Xander flirted. Valteria laughed. ¡°Well, then, consider this the best bed around,¡± she said, patting the bedside next to her. The next day, the team sat together again for breakfast. Those who had drank more heavily the night before were, perhaps, a bit bleary eyed, but none seemed to be majorly hung over. They ate quietly, filling themselves up on the food that the server had brought them, taking the time to fully wake up. Finally, Frazay broke the spell of silence that had fallen over them. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan now? I know you just got back, Xander, so perhaps a break might be in order for you, but the rest of us have been languishing here in the city on boring bodyguard contracts,¡± The druid lamented. ¡°Always ready for the next contract,¡± Graffus quipped. ¡°Though, I suppose it does help keep us well funded.¡± ¡°I just get so bored,¡± Frazay complained. ¡°I like to be out and about, doing things. Maybe shooting things, too.¡± ¡°I have to admit that I¡¯ve been getting restless, too,¡± Atrax said. Gabrelle nodded in agreement. Xander looked around at his teammates, who were in turn looking to him, awaiting some kind of response. He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m up for whatever.¡± He turned to Valteria. ¡°How you feel about coming on a contract with us? We did promise to invite you, and it would be an even better way to lay low, since we¡¯d be out of town.¡± Valteria¡¯s eye rose to the ceiling as she thought the idea over for a few moments. ¡°Mmm. I think I¡¯d like that. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done a contract. I could use a vacation. Well, maybe vacation isn¡¯t the right word. But anyways, yes. If you¡¯ll have me,¡± she added, gauging the rest of the teams¡¯ reactions to Xander¡¯s invitation. ¡°Of course we¡¯ll have you!¡± Frazay said enthusiastically. ¡°Any friend of Xander is a friend of ours, and besides, we all saw how well you did in the tournament. I have no doubt you¡¯ll be able to keep up with us.¡± ¡°Ooh, do you think we can take that¡­ uhm what did you call it, Xander? The thing you made to travel for your prison break?¡± Gabrelle asked. ¡°The APC?¡± Xander replied. ¡°Yes! That! Can we take that?¡± Gabrelle questioned excitedly. ¡°Sure, I just have to get it from the Governor¡¯s estate. I figured I¡¯d get it when I visited next to get paid or whatever.¡± Xander answered. ¡°They haven¡¯t paid you yet?¡± Frazay¡¯s incredulity clear in her voice. ¡°Lady Grefelt mentioned that since we rescued so many people, there would be extra parties wanting to chip in additional payment and she¡¯d need to organize that. Said she¡¯d send a messenger when everything was ready.¡± Frazay grunted, mollified. ¡°Well, as long as they do pay. They might be nobles, but the guild doesn¡¯t play nice with people who stiff on payment.¡± ¡°Ya¡¯ll got any contracts already scoped out?¡± Xander asked. Atrax shook his head. ¡°Not a one.¡± ¡°Maybe we can go to the guild after breakfast and look?¡± Valteria ventured. ¡°That sounds like a good idea to me,¡± Gabrelle responded. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Graffus said. ¡°We¡¯ll hit the guild after we finish breakfast and see if there¡¯s any good contracts.¡± They walked as a group towards the mercenary guild hall, chatting along the way. They had come to the conclusion that they¡¯d like to take a contract outside the city as they had walked. Something exciting, adventurous. Xander hadn¡¯t realized how much being stuck in the city had been wearing on his teammates. For her part, Valteria seemed excited to be a part of the group and was looking forward to an adventure. The guild hall was as busy as ever, bustling with mercs of every skill level, grizzled veterans rubbing shoulders with starry eyed teens hoping to fill out their joining application. The team waded through the crowd and split up at the contract wall, searching for something interesting. Xander and Valteria perused through the contracts that were neatly pinned in rows on the long wall. There were jobs ranging from picking herbs in nearby forests to clearing out troublesome bandits, to tracking down exotic beasts half a continent away and everything in-between. Xander wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to do, so he contented himself with the idea of going with a contract that someone else in the group pulled. He was still on the lookout for something interesting, though. Just in case. But nothing really stood out to him from the mass of pinned papers. ¡°What about this one?¡± Valteria asked, pointing towards one that was lower on the wall. ¡°Mmm? Let¡¯s see,¡± Xander replied, leaning down a bit to see the note better. There was an informational note before the contract description, which he hadn¡¯t seen on a contract before. This contract has been broadened from its local guild hall due to going unfulfilled. The daughter of the mayor of Breks, Antellina, has been kidnapped by the local village of werewolves. The mayor has put forth funds for the rescue of his daughter. Antre, the mayor, will serve as the liaison for further information on the contract on site. A handwritten note by one of the clerks followed. No one from the guild hall nearest Breks has taken this one, could be for a good reason. But the guild gets their contracts done, and we are authorizing additional payment for the completion of this contract before its range is extended again. ¡°Wait, werewolves are real?¡± Xander asked, quietly. ¡°Of course!¡± Valteria said, incredulous of Xander¡¯s lack of knowledge. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ rarer, perhaps, here than over the sea, but as far as I know there are several villages of werewolves just in Sempta. Not sure what the whole kidnapping thing is about, though. It seems¡­ out of character from what I¡¯ve heard of them.¡± ¡°Huh. I guess it¡¯s not really a surprise they¡¯re real here¡­ but they were just a myth back home. They are authorizing extra payment for this one. Wonder why no one took it up closer to home.¡± ¡°Well, most people don¡¯t exactly like to fight werewolves,¡± Valteria explained. ¡°They¡¯re fast, they¡¯re strong, and unless you¡¯re fighting them with silver or fire, their wounds heal extremely quickly. If there aren¡¯t any veteran mercs around, I can see why the contract went unfulfilled.¡± ¡°Ah. Well, that makes sense. Silver and fire, eh? I think we can make that happen if needed.¡± Xander said. Between Atrax¡¯s fire abilities and the fact that he could easily coat their weapons in silver, they would be well equipped to go up against any were creature. The two of them met up with the rest of the team shortly after to look at the contracts that had been pulled. Gabrelle and Graffus came back empty handed, not finding anything that had particularly sparked their interest, Atrax had found a kill contract for a rare beast that lived deep in large forests, and Frazay had brought over a contract on a group of bandits. They looked over all three contracts, Valteria¡¯s werewolf contract raising some eyebrows. ¡°Werewolves? Kidnapping someone? That doesn¡¯t sound like any of the werewolf villages I¡¯ve ever heard of,¡± Frazay commented. ¡°Right?¡± Valteria said. ¡°I can¡¯t say I know much about werewolves,¡± Gabrelle admitted. ¡°Me either,¡± Xander added. ¡°Well,¡± Frazay started, ¡°the first thing that¡¯s odd about this is that werewolves generally keep to themselves in their enclaves. Sure, they do a bit of trade for tools they can¡¯t produce themselves, but generally they are small, self-sufficient communities that are fairly isolationist. Not aggressively so, but you rarely see werewolves outside of their packs. They live the old ways, in harmony with the land they¡¯re settled on. So it¡¯s¡­ odd, to say the least, that they would have kidnapped someone, especially as a group. I could see maybe a single bad egg doing it and getting the whole group blamed, maybe that¡¯s what¡¯s happened here.¡± Graffus nodded along. ¡°Mhhmm. The fact that no one closer to, ah, where was it?¡± He reread the contract note. ¡°Breks. That¡¯s the place. The fact that no one closer to Breks has taken the contract means that either they can¡¯t handle it, which is a definite possibility, or that they won¡¯t handle it. What I mean to say, is this seems fishy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly intriguing,¡± Axtrax said. ¡°And I think it¡¯s something we could handle. Certainly more interesting than the one I found. Valteria¡¯s pick has my vote.¡± The rest of the team piled onto Atrax¡¯s vote, and it was quickly decided that they would be taking the kidnapping rescue contract. The team got in line for the next clerk and waited their turn. Once they got to the low counter, Xander gestured for Valteria to take the front, since she still had the contract in hand. Combat Artificer - 80 ¡°Uhm, hi.¡± Valteria greeted the clerk. ¡°Hello, hello,¡± the clerk greeted back. ¡°I take it that¡¯s a contract you have there?¡± ¡°Oh! Ah, yes, it is.¡± Valteria handed the slip of paper over to the clerk. The clerk quickly read over the contract. ¡°My, this one has been open a while. I¡¯m glad someone is taking it.¡± The clerk looked up at them, discerningly. ¡°You are equipped to handle werewolves, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Silver and fire, right?¡± Xander asked, speaking up. ¡°I suppose that will do. But be careful, I¡¯ve heard werewolves can put up a hell of a fight,¡± the clerk responded. ¡°We¡¯ll take care, of that you can be certain,¡± Graffus offered. ¡°Then consider this contract taken, if you¡¯ll all simply put down your names on this form,¡± the clerk stated. Once they¡¯d all signed the document, the clerk filed it away. ¡°Know anything more about this contract?¡± Frazay asked. ¡°The whole thing seems a bit odd.¡± The clerk shook their head. ¡°Nothing more than the paper says. The local guild hall might know more, though. And the mayor of Breks is listed as a liaison for more information. Best I can do is tell you to start there for more information.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make sure to do that,¡± Frazay said. ¡°Anything else I can help you all with? Does anyone need to update their status with the guild?¡± The clerk asked helpfully. ¡°Mmm, I think I¡¯m still pretty up to date,¡± Xander said. He looked around at the team. ¡°Anyone else need to?¡± ¡°Ah, I should probably update mine,¡± Valteria said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I last did it.¡± ¡°Of course, always good to keep up to date,¡± The clerk said, smiling. ¡°Let me just go get your file and we¡¯ll get you sorted.¡± Valteria¡¯s status update was a quick affair, mostly a confirmation of her active status in the guild, though she did have a couple of levels since her last check in. Once it was over, they all headed back to the inn to reconvene and begin making travel arrangements. ¡°Anything you need to grab from your house?¡± Xander asked Valteria, as she looked through the things she¡¯d brought. ¡°Oh yes, plenty,¡± she said. ¡°I need my suit of armor, for starters, and my traveling gear. I ought to let Jarrett know that I¡¯ll be going out of town, too.¡± She paused, her gaze lingering on Xander. ¡°Would you come with me, please? Just in case.¡± She didn¡¯t have to say what the case was exactly for Xander to understand. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Xander told her. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m pretty much all packed up at any given time. Could we stop by the stable and bring Freyja? It¡¯s been too long since I got to spend any time with her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all,¡± Valteria said. ¡°She¡¯s a good companion.¡± At the stable, Xander spied Freyja lounging in her stall. The great cat launched to her feet as soon as she spotted Xander, yowling loudly to be let out of her pen. Once Xander did so, she immediately bowled him over, rubbing her face against his head and chest as he lay on the ground, laughing. After a few more minutes of rubbing her face on Xander and receiving head pats and scritches in return, the big cat finally moved out of the way for Xander to stand up again. ¡°Are you ready to go for a walk to Valteria¡¯s place?¡± Xander asked the big cat. Freyja chuffed and nodded in response. Xander was always surprised when the cat nodded or shook her head in response to something, the intelligence granted to her by his [Cat-Touched] skill still shocking him. ¡°Ready to go on another contract, too?¡± Xander asked Freyja, as he led her out of the stables. He received another enthusiastic nod. ¡°I¡¯ll bet you are. You need some time out in nature again where you can really run, don¡¯t ya?¡± Xander said as he gave her some more scratches while they walked. Valteria watched on, still somewhat in awe of the huge cat, and bemused with the way Xander sometimes treated her more like a housecat than a cat big enough to ride on. No sign of the three pix was seen by Xander or Valteria as they made their way to the shop, but as they came to the door, Valteria spotted a letter wedged between the door and the doorframe. It was titled To Lady Creft. Valteria heaved a sigh as she read the envelope. ¡°Come on,¡± Valteria said, as Xander looked at the envelope curiously. ¡°Let¡¯s get inside.¡± She unlocked the door and the both of them entered. Valteria locked the door back behind them. ¡°Do you even want to read it?¡± Xander asked, carefully, once they were inside. Freyja brushed past the couple and flopped down near the cold forge. ¡°Not really.¡± Valteria admitted. ¡°But I should, just in case.¡± Another sigh was had as she pulled out the letter and began reading it. ¡°Anything important?¡± Xander asked, once Valteria had folded the letter back up and shoved it in the envelope. ¡°Blugh,¡± Valteria grunted as she moved to go up the stairs, Xander trailing behind her. ¡°Nope. Just a letter telling me how disappointed in me she is that I didn¡¯t agree to come with those thugs she sent. How the family will be sad to miss me at the wedding and that my absence shames them in front of the other houses. So just the usual. She must have prewritten it, expecting me to not go with them,¡± she said with a huff. ¡°More like they want me back so they can marry me off and shut up the other houses. That wedding may as well be mine with how fast they¡¯d move.¡± ¡°Well, we can¡¯t have that,¡± Xander said, giving her a one-armed hug once they reached the top of the stairs. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can compete with a noble suitor,¡± he said jokingly. ¡°Mmm, I¡¯d pick you over one of those any day,¡± Valteria said, leaning into the hug. ¡°Even though I¡¯m an itinerant, low-born, sell sword?¡± Xander asked, his tone implying pride in those traits. ¡°Especially because you¡¯re an itinerant, low-born, sell sword,¡± Valteria laughed. ¡°But really, I don¡¯t care about any of that. You treat me so well. You help me without being asked, I enjoy spending time with you, and¡­ well¡­ you act like I¡¯m not different. Or less than you. Or, or just a piece on a game board. I like that.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s wrong with being different? I think different can be good!¡± He said defensively. ¡°Just because you¡¯re ¡®different¡¯ doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a good person, or that the time I spend with you is any less enjoyable, and it certainly doesn¡¯t make you any less sexy,¡± he said with a mischievous crinkle of his nose. Valteria wiggled a little bit at his compliment. ¡°You know what I mean! The people at home, they either viewed me as a stepping stone or a source of degrading gossip. And here, well, I¡¯ve always been keenly aware of how different I was to everyone else. And sure, it¡¯s better here than at home, but you really do make me feel like I belong.¡± Xander wrapped Valteria in another hug, this one from behind, and placed a kiss on the top of her head. ¡°Well, I do think you belong. You belong wherever you want to be. You belong here in your home. You belong with the team on this contract. And you belong with me.¡± He said, giving her a gentle squeeze. ¡°Should we write your mother a letter about how you¡¯re running away to become a mercenary and that you¡¯ve hooked up with a grizzled veteran who frequently ravishes you?¡± ¡°Mmmh, let¡¯s skip the letter and go straight to the ravishing.¡± Valteria crooned. Once Xander and Valteria had gotten a certain amount of ravishing out of their systems, they recommenced with packing. Valteria had a large pack fitted for her suit of armor that she was loading up with a tent, bedroll, and other travel commodities. It looked comically large on her small frame as she dragged it about the house, adding this and that to it. Xander carried the bag down the stairs for her as they made their way out of the house and towards the shed that housed Valteria¡¯s armor. Freyja joined the two of them as they came back downstairs. Valteria let out a satisfied breath as she opened the shed doors to view her armor. ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to get out and play around with this again.¡± She pulled a small step stool from its place near the armor and positioned it so she could climb up to the armor. She undid the chest piece and climbed inside, sealing it behind her. Xander could just see her eyes peering out from the helm of the armor now. He heard a few clicks of switches being thrown, and then the armor was moving with Valteria as she reached out a hand for the oversized backpack Xander was carrying. He handed it over and moved out of the way as Valteria piloted the suit out of the shed. ¡°Let¡¯s go let Jarrett know I¡¯m taking a trip.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°It feels weird not being in armor next to you,¡± Xander commented as they walked. The height and size of Valteria¡¯s suite drew the eyes of passersby, many recognizing her from the tournament. ¡°How come?¡± Valteria asked. ¡°Just feels like we¡¯d match, then.¡± Xander said with a shrug. ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of time to be in armor on the contract, I¡¯m sure,¡± Valteria said. ¡°For now, I¡¯m admiring you from a whole new angle. Is this how you see me?¡± She asked with a small laugh. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not exactly three feet taller than you, so it¡¯s not as exaggerated,¡± Xander offered. ¡°Now I¡¯ll need a ladder to get a kiss from you.¡± ¡°The helmet doesn¡¯t actually come off anyways,¡± Valteria admitted. ¡°Oh. Well, we should fix that. Kisses are a battlefield priority, after all,¡± Xander teased. Valteria rapped on Jarrett¡¯s door with her armored knuckles, and called out to him through the door, voice slightly metallic coming from the helm. ¡°Jarrett? Are you home? It¡¯s me, Valteria.¡± Shuffling was heard from the other side of the door as Jarrett answered by opening it. ¡°Ah, miss Valteria, you¡¯re in your armor! Is everything alright?¡± He asked nervously. ¡°Hmm? Oh yes, everything¡¯s fine,¡± she said, looked down at Jarrett. He was looking rather disheveled, not having tidied himself up yet for the day. ¡°But I¡¯m going to be going on a contract with Xander and his team. As a vacation, with the added benefit of being out of sight for a while, you see. Also, it should pay well, so that will be nice. I just wanted to let you know that I¡¯d be away for a bit. I trust you to keep the shop up and running, once you¡¯re done recovering from things.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. How exciting! It¡¯s been quite a while since you went on a contract.¡± He looked over to Xander. ¡°Take care of her out there, now, mister Xander.¡± Xander looked up at the massive suit of armor. ¡°I think she might be taking care of me out there, Jarrett. But I¡¯ll do my best to make sure nothing happens to her, you have my word.¡± ¡°Do you know how long you¡¯ll be gone?¡± Jarrett asked. ¡°Mmm, not sure, exactly,¡± Valteria said thoughtfully. ¡°Breks is a few weeks away, on the edge of the veiled forest. So three weeks there, plus getting the job done, and three weeks back¡­ call it three months or so? Could be more, I suppose. I¡¯ll write if it¡¯s going to be a long time.¡± Jarrett nodded. ¡°I see, well, no need to worry about the shop while you¡¯re gone. I¡¯ll make sure everything is just as you left it.¡± He paused. ¡°Actually, the shop will probably be significantly neater and more organized when you come back,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°Hey, I know where everything is already!¡± Valteria said defensively. ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s always in the last place you left it instead of getting put back where it¡¯s supposed to go!¡± Jarrett argued back. ¡°Hmph!¡± Valteria pouted. ¡°So, ah, anything you need from Valteria before we head out, Jarrett?¡± Xander asked, inserting himself before more arguing could occur. ¡°No no, I should be well equipped to handle the shop while you¡¯re away,¡± Jarrett said with a wave of his hand. ¡°Thank you for coming and letting me know that you¡¯d be gone. I¡¯d be quite concerned if you simply disappeared for over a month.¡± ¡°I would imagine so,¡± Valteria said. ¡°We won¡¯t take up any more of your time, and let you get back to relaxing, Jarrett. I¡¯ll see you in a few months!¡± Valteria and Xander both offered friendly waves goodbye, which were returned by a wave from Jarrett before he returned to his home and shut the door. ¡°Shall we?¡± Xander asked, looking up at Valteria. ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± Valteria agreed. Valteria¡¯s suit barely fit in the door of the inn and up the stairs, but she was apparently used to this and deftly piloted it around the obstacles in her way. Jempta watched like a hawk as they went through the common room on the ground floor, but no damages were incurred. Once Valteria squeezed through the door to their room, she crouched down in her suit of armor and Xander heard a few more clicks as she powered down whatever it was that ran the suit. The chest piece once more popped open, and Valteria clambered out. ¡°When are we leaving, anyway?¡± Valteria asked. Xander shrugged. ¡°Probably as soon as I get payment from my last contract. Everyone else is itching to get out of the city.¡± ¡°Does it bother you that you¡¯re going out again so soon?¡± Valteria asked. ¡°Nah, not really,¡± Xander told her. ¡°I like being with the team, and with you,¡± he added. ¡°Besides, I can make a bed anywhere, so I can always be comfy. So the ¡®where¡¯ of things doesn¡¯t matter too much to me. One of the things I decided I wanted when I came to this world was to travel and see more of it.¡± ¡°I forgot you could just make a bed. I¡¯m sleeping in your tent when we travel,¡± Valteria teased. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure there¡¯s space for two, then,¡± Xander assured her. ¡°But you might have to fight Freyja for the spot.¡± ¡°I think we can all manage to make something work,¡± Valteria said. There was a knock at the door. Xander opened it to see Jempta, with a man wearing a messenger bag just behind her. ¡°You have a man here with a message for you, Xander,¡± Jempta informed him. ¡°Oh! Thank you, Jempta.¡± Xander said. ¡°Your message, sir.¡± The courier handed over a small piece of paper to him, before quickly making his way back towards the stairs. Returning to his room, Xander opened the paper to find a note from Brinn Grefelt. Payment is ready. ¡°Ah, well would you look at that,¡± Xander said, waving the paper in his hand. ¡°Payment is ready.¡± ¡°Ooh, can I come with you?¡± Valteria asked excitedly. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Xander said with a shrug. ¡°I need to get the APC anyways. And the golems are still in it, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the governor¡¯s mansion before,¡± Valteria said excitedly. ¡°Let me put on something more formal.¡± It was a bit of a walk - through the town, and then some more ¨C to the governor¡¯s estate, but the Xander and Valteria were in no rush. They arrived around midday at the guard shack outside the gate. ¡°Xander Jones. I¡¯ve got a meeting with Lady Grefelt,¡± Xander explained to the guard currently stationed at the outbuilding. ¡°Mmm, let¡¯s see,¡± the guard said, flipping through a small book that appeared to hold appointments. ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± he said, placing his finger over a small note that had been scribbled between two other appointments. ¡°Lady Grefelt will see you, assuming she isn¡¯t in a meeting at the moment. If she is, you might have to wait a spell. I¡¯ll have you led to her office.¡± Another guard was brought over and instructed to lead them to Lady Grefelt¡¯s office at the manse. Through the manicured paths and past beds of flowers they walked, both of them taking it all in as they walked. Xander hadn¡¯t seen the place in full bloom before, and was impressed with the variety of flowers he could see. Soon, they were at the central building of the estate and being ushered inside. Valteria¡¯s head was on a swivel, though she wasn¡¯t gawking like Xander had on his first visit. Hers was a more polite and restrained interest, less impressed by the grandeur of the place. Up the stairs they were led and then to Lady Grefelt¡¯s office door, which was currently shut. The guard politely rapped at the door. ¡°Xander Jones and companion her to see you, Lady Grefelt.¡± The guard said formally. ¡°Come in, come in,¡± came Lady Grefelt¡¯s voice through the door. The guard opened the door and ushered Xander and Valteria in. ¡°Welcome, Xander. Ah, and this must be Valteria! Please, do sit down.¡± Brinn Grefelt said warmly. ¡°Spying again?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Always,¡± Brinn said with a grin. ¡°But it¡¯s always nicer to meet someone face to face rather than through a report,¡± the noblewoman said, turning to Valteria. ¡°I¡¯ve heard interesting things about you! It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± she said, offering a hand. Valteria politely shook the offered hand. ¡°A pleasure on my part, as well,¡± she said, sounding more formal than usual. ¡°I hope the interesting parts were all good.¡± Lady Grefelt chuckled. ¡°Nothing of concern, that much you can rest assured of. You¡¯ve found yourself good company in Xander and his team, if I may say so myself.¡± ¡°I certainly like to think so,¡± Xander interjected. He reached out and found Valteria¡¯s hand, holding it. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get down to brass tacks,¡± Lady Grefelt said. ¡°Regarding your payment, I¡¯ve wrangled all the additional¡­ clients, so to say, who wished to add on to your payment. It was quite a sum all things totaled, as well as the promise of favors, should you find yourself in need of a patron in the future, or, perhaps, find the desire to settle down somewhat striking you, I daresay quite a few of the nobility would be happy to snap you up with an offer of employment.¡± ¡°The offer is much appreciated,¡± Xander began, ¡°but I¡¯m still quite happy to wander.¡± Lady Grefelt let out an exaggeratedly sad sigh. ¡°All the good mercs are, sadly. Still, the offers stand, and likely will continue to stand for quite some time. Now, onto the monetary portion of your payment. A sum of five platinum ¨C that¡¯s five thousand gold pieces, to be clear ¨C will be deposited to your account.¡± Valteria¡¯s eyes widened, but she managed to stay silent. ¡°Additionally,¡± Lady Grefelt continued, ¡°one of the nobles was very insistent that I extend a personal invitation to their estate to you.¡± Brinn produced a crisp, wax sealed envelope from her desk and offered it to Xander. The seal was of some kind of bird. Xander thought that it was a crow, or maybe a raven, as he turned the envelope over in his hands, inspecting it. ¡°I will of course defer to you on whether or not you accept the invite, though, I doubt it¡¯s one you¡¯ll refuse.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Xander said, still distractedly turning the envelope over in his hands. He shook his head, clearing the distraction from his mind. ¡°Ah, is there anything else you need from me, Lady Grefelt?¡± ¡°For the moment, no. Should your¡­ services become needed again, I¡¯ll find you, of that you can be sure.¡± Lady Grefelt said this with the confidence that only someone with an entire network of spies could say. ¡°Speaking of finding me,¡± Xander said, ¡°I¡¯ll be out of town in the area of Breks for a while on a contract. Probably a few months. Just in case you need to find me.¡± ¡°I appreciate the information, I expect it would be a few days yet before I figured out where exactly it was that you went,¡± Brinn said with a laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t anticipate anything popping up in that time frame, so nothing to fear on that front.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Ah, one more thing before I send you on your way. Your¡­ cart? I¡¯m not sure what exactly to call it. It¡¯s still by the warehouses. Is there, perhaps, somewhere else you could store it?¡± She asked pointedly. ¡°Right, I¡¯d meant to ask about that. I was intending to take it back with me, actually. So it will be out of the way soon.¡± ¡°Perfect, then everything should be resolved. Now, I hate to rush you out, but I¡¯m actually due for a meeting in the next quarter hour or so, so I must be leaving as well.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± Xander said. ¡°Thank you for seeing us.¡± ¡°Until next time,¡± Lady Grefelt said, waving them out of her office. ¡°Goodbye,¡± Valteria said, bowing her head formally. ¡°See you later,¡± Xander said, significantly less formally. Once the door was shut behind them, and they were out of earshot, Valteria turned to Xander and asked incredulously, ¡°See you later?¡± ¡°What?¡± Xander said, confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with ¡®see you later?¡¯¡± Valteria rolled her eyes, ¡°¡¯What¡¯s wrong with see you later?¡¯¡± She teased him. ¡°Do you have any idea who that is? She¡¯s the governor¡¯s right hand!¡± Xander shrugged. ¡°So?¡± Valteria gave him a look of bafflement. ¡°I¡¯m surprised nobles can stand to be around you,¡± she said. ¡°You must somehow come across as quaint to them instead of rude.¡± ¡°I guess so... I¡¯m not exactly used to dealing with nobles so I wouldn¡¯t really know. I¡¯ve only really had one contract with nobles before this, honestly.¡± Xander said. ¡°Mm, well you need to brush up on your etiquette before you accidentally offend someone.¡± Valteria stated. ¡°Ugh, that sounds boring. I don¡¯t care which fork is for salad or whatever!¡± Xander complained as they walked their way back to the entrance of the mansion.