Age of Cataclysm: Book 1-Chapter 10
Imported from SF2 with no description.
Chapter length: 3,384 words
Current novel length: 27,774 words
Chapter 10
The group arrives at the Hot Anvil blacksmith shop near the center of Belburn. With Arven holding the door, they enter and notice the merchandise available from simple armor and weapons to full plate armor and greatswords. Iron and steel consist of the vast majority of materials in each weapon and armor, but rarer metals such as adamantine and runic are on the expensive pricing side. The only items that contain wood are shields with metal reinforcements. Running a shop is a burly man that appears to be an even match against Kaera with a bald head, a brown beard, and blue eyes with soot covering him and his clothes.
"Welcome to the Hot Anvil. How may I be of service?" the man asked.
"We are searching for gear to purchase before heading out on a quest," Arven responded.
"I can help you with that. What is the quest about?"
"Just a simple mission of retrieving a lost item in the sewers. After we received tips about the various monsters that made a home there, we came here to purchase equipment."
"Since it's a sewer mission, I suggest taking a gander at these compact weapons and the light armor. They provide superior maneuverability in tight spaces compared to the rest."
"We'll consider it. Thanks."
"My pleasure. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help or you are ready to purchase."
The group splits up and heads towards different spots in the shop. Kaera heads over to where the hefty weapons are. Each swing from mauls to greatswords results in her discontent by their performance and weight. Her expression switches to content when she experiments with a double-bladed greataxe with steel blades and a wood handle. "I prefer this," she muttered to herself. Not bothering with other weapons, she walks up to the blacksmith with the greataxe in hand.
"I had a feeling you would select that greataxe," the blacksmith spoke as Kaera reached him and plopped the weapon down. "You're adept with weapons, judging by your practice."
"Thanks. How much?"
"Should say right here," he answered and revealed the location.
"Thirty-three gold pieces. What's the meaning behind Divisor?"
"That's the name I gave."
"You named this weapon."
"I name all weapons and armor made by me. In the world of blacksmiths, it's an implied rule to name your creations. Although most people outside the community just accept each armor and weapon seem identical, they are actually different in subtle ways. Each blacksmith has its unique style in creating after learning from master blacksmiths, so that's one difference. The other difference is not every weapon or armor is one hundred percent indistinguishable to the previous by the same blacksmith. So each manufactured product has a different personality, and we produce a name to match it."
"So, why, Divisor?"
"Because it has an easier time at slicing enemies in half compared to other greataxes."
"I can picture it. So thirty-three gold is it?"
"Yes."
Determining the price as adequate, Kaera reaches into her pockets and reveals a tiny handful of platinum coins from her allocation and hands him four out of a total of six and receives seven gold in change. "Appreciate your purchase. Feel free to return anytime when I'm open."
"Thank you." Instead of lingering around for Arven, Merrick, and Sylfinas to complete their acquisition, she alerts them to her other plan. "I'll wait outside while you shop."
"Ok," they spoke simultaneously.
Noticing Merrick confused at the section containing swords of various lengths, the blacksmith ambulates to him. "Need assistance?"
"Yes, I don't know what to buy. This is my first time actually purchasing a weapon, and I don't have experience in weapon combat."
"Since you're a virgin at wielding weapons, I can point you on the right path for which one to choose, but you need some training to wield it properly. Judging by your body, you don't appear the sort of person that can wield heavy items, so I recommend shortswords and daggers with further emphasis on daggers."
"Daggers?"
"They're light enough for you to wield with no issue. Shortswords can work also, but you need speed to offset your lack of muscle, and daggers are the best weapons for attacking quickly after you acquire experience in wielding them. Another benefit is you can easily hide one on your body, so it'll be a nasty surprise for anyone that threatens you."
"Usually somebody that threatens me receives a nasty shock, but I'll keep that in mind." Heeding the advice, Merrick inspects the daggers and settles on one called Death's Kiss. The pristine, steel blade curves slightly upward with a black vein design with branches that spiral, and the handle is a hook. "This is surprisingly comfortable," he commented as he held the blade in his hand.
"I had a feeling you would say that. That dagger is one of my best pieces of work I've created. Light, elegant aspect, balanced in places that matter, this dagger will serve anyone respectably."
"How much?"
"Ten gold."
"Deal." Merrick hands him a platinum piece, leaving him with five leftovers, and tells Arven and Sylfinas that he'll be outside waiting with Kaera.
Over by the armor section, Arven is crestfallen at the premium charges. "If only I have the funds to buy one of you," he said to two complete sets of extravagant plate armor.
"May I help you?" the Goliath asked.
"I'm searching for a decent shield, I suppose."
"A shield. No armor or weapons to accompany it?"
"Military already gave me them," Arven responded. Planning on obtaining my longsword back anyway. A metal shield called Brick Wall that is circular in design out of steel with a scintilla of adamantine in a peculiar symbol of a dragon head catches his attention. Additionally, four studs are placed at even distances from each other on the shield's circumference, and there is a diamond in the center with one stud at each point. Too expensive, he thought after he inspected the charge.
"I notice you are interested in Brick Wall."
"Yes, but I can't afford the price." The price is eighty gold, while he has six platinum pieces.
"I can cut twenty gold off, so the price is now sixty gold as a way of thanking you for your service. That is as low as I'm comfortable with, so I apologize if you still can't afford it."
"Actually, with that price cut, I can." Delighted at the price change, he retrieves out six platinum and hands them to the blacksmith.
"Thank you." The blacksmith hands Arven the shield.
Astounded that he's considering a weapon to purchase, Sylfinas is over by the obtuse weaponry he can locate. If I'm being forced to bear arms, I rather have one that increases my opponents' chances of knocking my opponents unconscious and not actually killing them. It's a shame I don't perceive any clubs here to wield, he thought with a sigh. Knowing he'll never be content with his decision and loathes being at a blacksmith's shop, he quickly decides on a mace called Fracture and pay the fifty gold price tag.
When the blacksmith finishes giving Arven his shield, he walks over to Sylfinas. "Intrigued by Fracture, are you?"
"I want to purchase it."
"That'll be a hundred gold then."
Sylfinas gags as he hears the price. "But it's listed on this price tag here at fifty gold."
"I know, but it's a hundred gold now. Is there a problem?"
"Don't I receive a special discount too?"
"For what?"
"I'm his brother," Sylfinas answered and pointed at Arven before he left the door. "Don't the family of military members receive discounts?"
"Know this mutt?" the blacksmith asked Arven.
"Don't know him," Arven answered nonchalantly.
"ARVEN!" shouted Sylfinas as Arven opened the door and walked out while he pretended not to hear him.
"Now then, mutt, pay me one hundred thirty gold, and you can keep Fracture."
"What happened to one hundred gold?"
"Added the fee of bothering military personnel."
"That's bullshit."
"My shop, my prices. Have issues, then you can leave and never come back. Don't need any mistakes walking in here and ruining my backbreaking work."
"Fine. I'll leave then."
"Excellent plan, mutt." Seething, Sylfinas leaves and meets up with the other three.
"Something wrong, Sylfinas?" asked Merrick as he notices him holding back the urge to bawl.
"The hell was that stunt you just pulled at the shop, Arven?"
"What stunt?"
"Pretending you didn't know me and leaving me with the blacksmith."
"He seemed quite an individual not to mess with, so I'd rather not risk ruining the relationship with him by saying you're my brother."
"But I believed you would back me up?"
"You need to start taking on your own battles instead of relying on me to bail you out."
"What are you arguing about?" interrupted Merrick.
"The blacksmith charged me additional gold that amounted to double the stated price on a mace I was interested in. Instead of helping his brother out, Arven articulated he didn't know me and abandoned me."
"Why would the blacksmith charge higher than the normal price?"
"Apparently, akin to Envarn, he detests Half-Elves."
Kaera now partakes in the discussion. "One of the few people that don't share Adoran's values, I gather?"
"Apparently so. Anyway, dick move, Arven."
"Whatever, Sylfinas. We can continue this discussion later. Let's return to the festival so I can fight in the competition."
"Continue in my absence. I'm not interested in observing your tournament anymore, and I'll locate another event to occupy myself."
"Fine then. I may not come to save your ass if you land yourself in trouble."
"You told me I need to fight my own battles, so it'll be a learning experience." Sylfinas storms off from the group.
"So are you going to bring him back?" asked Kaera with worry.
"No, and you shouldn't fret. Sylfinas has locations where he enjoys and tends to hang out, and I know trouble never brews there. I'll fetch him after the tournament. Allows him time to reduce his temper. Then we'll return to my father and travel back home."
"I should protect him instead."
"If that's what you want to do, be my guest. What about you, Merrick?"
"I'll be with you. No one will ever dare to mess with us."
"Then, we have a plan then." Arven and Merrick head off to the festival, and Kaera ambulates quickly to catch up to Sylfinas. "Wait up, Sylfinas!"
The sound of her voice causes Sylfinas to pause in his tracks. "I imagined you were with Arven and Merrick?"
"I decided to be with you to increase your protection."
"Appreciate it. But where I'm heading, I know I'll be safe, so you can head back if you wish."
"They're nowhere in sight, and I'm not fully familiar with the layout of the town, so I'll stay with you and not risk becoming lost."
"Sounds smart." As they saunter to Sylfinas's destination, they continue their dialogue.
"How are you feeling?" asked Kaera.
"Still furious at Arven, but not as initially. Once we arrive at where I'm walking, I'll calm down."
"Arven always treat you rather harshly?"
"Not to that extreme, but I sense he's trying his best to ignore me ever since my adoption. The only time he gave me attention was to avoid punishment from his parents."
"Know the reason?"
"Don't know. He won't answer, and I wish he did, so I can mend the relationship and have a brother. Do you grant me permission to ask you a couple of questions to change the subject?"
"Yes."
"Do you have family left?"
"I have my mother, five brothers, one blood-related, and the other four were step-brothers, and too many half-siblings to count." Sylfinas whistles at the numbers. "It's unusual for married Fenri to produce less than four pups with the average being six. At first, it was me, my mother, and my twin brother growing up. She never told me what happened to my father, so I never knew him. Years later, she married to another individual and became pregnant with my remaining siblings and been that way ever since. My step-dad had three sons from his previous marriage, and he adopted another."
"Second, and my main question is this. How did you find yourself captured? Since Fenri rarely venture out of their kingdom, it's logical to assume that the Phantom Brotherhood went in."
"I actually was in Aeyis when the Phantom Brotherhood captured me. Was visiting a female Halfling I made friends with and on my way back home was when the organization triggered its ambush."
"What's her name?"
"Errr, Rimita, and she loved to tinker."
"Hmmm." Sylfinas believes that Kaera is holding something back but shoves that thought aside when they reach his destination.
"A potion shop?"
"I come to this place often to learn how to brew potions, mainly healing and medicine. It relaxes me." Leading the way, Sylfinas, and Kaera head inside and descry liquids of various colors and clarity sitting on the shelves in glass containers waiting for a customer to purchase them. In addition to the potions, there are different herbs and other alchemical ingredients scattered on the shelves. Dangling from the ceiling, there is a long rope of garlic hanging across. They then smell herbs burning and potions brewing in the room behind the counter. "Skye? Are you here? It's me, Sylfinas."
An elderly woman with petite, curly, white hair, and wrinkled skin walks out from the room behind the counter. "I recognize that voice." The woman and Sylfinas walk closer to each other to embrace. "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Sylfinas. Who's your friend?"
"That's Kaera."
Kaera waves. "Hello."
"That's a lovely name. I'm Skye."
"Nice to meet you."
As her way of welcoming Kaera, she walks towards her and gives her a hug while Kaera awkwardly gives a hug in return. "Been decades since I last laid eyes on a Fenri."
After hearing Skye enunciate the words, they intrigue Kaera. "What were you doing?"
"Primarily adventuring. At first, I heard rumors of a scarce plant for potions in Canir, so I journeyed there to confirm, and along the path, I tended to an injured Fenri, and he insisted on becoming my companion to pay off his debt. So, what brings you to Belburn?"
"Unfortunately, a felonious syndicate brought her here against her will," Sylfinas answered. "The members captured me also. I met her, aided her escape, and succeeded with my brother and his friend's assistance. To complete our contract, we have three years to return her home in Canir after the festival is over."
"Ahhh. Ain't that sweet of you." Skye pinches Sylfinas's cheeks, and he turns vibrant red from embarrassment.
"You know how I feel about that, especially in the public's presence."
"Pretend that I'm with the others if that helps," Kaera spoke.
"Not exactly, Kaera."
"So what brings you and your friend to my business today?" asked Skye.
"I was hoping to learn additional potions or medicine if you are still concocting them right now."
"Not at this time since I'm void of supplies to brew advanced potions. Shipment won't be here for three days, and all I have remaining is for potions that I know you can perform blindfolded, so there's no point for you to do them. Frankly, all the years of you helping me have depleted all my knowledge reserves, so I have nothing else to teach."
"In that case, we'll scour at what you're currently selling and purchase a certain amount for our eventual trip to Canir."
"I have plenty of varieties to choose from. Feel free to rummage through."
Kaera and Sylfinas begin to search the shelves. The potions that are available for purchase range from various strengths of healing to water breathing. There's a deal for rudimentary healing potions where it's one free potion per purchase of the same cordial, and price is at forty-three gold per tonic. They then ambulate over to the bookshelves. There are potion guides, cookbooks, three historical books of Adoran, and another of Pheha. One bookshelf that enthralls them is an expansive selection of vampire books, and they aren't the teenage vampire romance books that Sylfinas knows that is currently sweeping the kingdom. These books specialize in combating and defending from vampire attacks and how to kill them. Two books reveal details of famous vampires from the past, and a notable example is the lord of all vampires, Lucien Krauft.
"Why is there a section heavily dedicated towards vampires?" asked Kaera in a lower voice so only Sylfinas can register her.
"I have zero ideas. I never scoured this section of the store closely to notice. The braids of garlic hanging above the ceiling were there since the beginning, but I assumed Skye was a major garlic fanatic and/or there are superstitions about them."
"Superstitions?"
"Skye is a devoted believer of superstitions. I don't, but I enjoy her company, so I learned to cope with that part of her." Further inquiring, he turns his attention towards Skye and raises his voice to talk to her. "If you don't mind me asking, Skye, what's with all these vampire books?"
"Those novels? Vampires fascinated me since my juvenile years, so I collected numerous amounts of literature as possible. These teenage love stories that are on the rage in today's society have completely bastardized everything related to them. They're supposed to burn in sunlight, not tan up and appear sexy!"
Upon closer inspections at the available potions, Sylfinas notices a sign for a polymorph potion, and an idea formulates in his head. "How much for this?"
"Five hundred ten gold."
"Oof!"
"That's expensive," Kaera commented.
"I concur, Kaera. Can you lower the price a bit?"
"Hmm," Skye made the sound as she utilized a minute to conjure a price in her head. "For you, I can reduce the price to three hundred ninety, but that's the absolute minimum I can offer, and that's lower than what I normally charge for other customers."
That's still out of my price range. "You're sure that's the lowest you can give me?" asked Sylfinas in a sweet voice to persuade her. "It's crucial that I obtain it."
"Nice try, Sylfinas, but your words won't work on me."
A valiant effort, he thought.
"If this potion is of massive significance, and obviously you don't have the coin for it, then perhaps we can negotiate a set of terms."
"What are you thinking?"
"A shipment of ingredients to brew basic potions will arrive late tonight/early tomorrow. Besides, I'm told that an extra special package will be there also. Bring the shipment over here with the important package, and I'll exchange the polymorph potion."
"And what's so special about the package?"
"It has alchemical ingredients that I desperately need now."
"And what do they brew?"
"An unique medicine just for me."
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I must decline."
"Understandable. Think of the polymorph potion as a goal for you to reach and work towards it. Anything else catches your eye?"
“"Actually, yes. Do you possess any remedies for my dad's injured leg? He's been limping since the affliction, and tried the clerics at the Temple of Integrity to no avail."
"I have several ointments over there. They will fix your father back to normal." After placing the final merchandise on the counter, Sylfinas purchases a regular healing potion, taking advantage of the deal, alchemical ingredients to brew one regular healing potion, twigs, herbs, tiny, red berries, an ointment for his father, and a potions book leaving him with 9 silver pieces. He and Kaera proceed to exit when Skye shouts, "I almost neglected something critical."
"What is it?" asked Kaera.
"Catch." Two heads of garlic land in her and Sylfinas's hand.
"Uhh, thanks?" responded Sylfinas, confused. When they exit the emporium, they notice a raven perched on the wooden railing before flying off. "If Skye actually saw that, she would fly into a jeremiad about the superstition of ravens being an omen of terrible events to arrive soon."
"Let's hope that nothing happens as we meet up with Arven and Merrick."
"Let's hope so, Kaera."
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