Rise of the Living Forge

Chapter 47: Can't hurt

Lillia had been pretty sure that someone would have been waiting for them the moment they left the dungeon, or that something would have gone awry.

But, to her surprise, nothing did. The trip back from the dungeon went smoothly, though they did get some strange looks from the guards on the way back into the city. Fortunately, nobody asked too many questions and the group broke off once they’d gotten deep enough.

Rodrick and Anna returned to the Glowing Swordfish. Arwin headed back to the smithy to get to work, while Reya joined her in heading back to the tavern. The tentacle she’d taken from the Landsquid was getting a little difficult to hold with how slippery it was, but she’d carried it for this far, and she’d be damned if she dropped it now.

I’m starting to suspect that this isn’t going to taste anywhere near good enough to justify all the effort I’ve put into it. I’ve already basically ruined my clothes with goo, but I’m going to cook this piece of shit if it’s the last thing I do.

“Are you okay?” Reya asked as they ducked through the doorway and entered the dark tavern. “You’ve got a really concentrated expression on your face. You aren’t mad, are you?”

Lillia hurriedly got her features under control and cleared her throat. “I – no, no. I’m fine. Just… thinking.”

“About what?” Reya asked. “Also, can I have something to eat?”

“Well, I was going to try to cook this,” Lillia said, glancing down at the tentacle. Reya blanched.

“You know what? I did just have a workout, and it’s not a good idea to eat right after working,” Reya said hurriedly. “It’s bad for… uh, digestion.”

“Suit yourself,” Lillia said with a shrug. She stepped into the kitchen and set the tentacle down on the counter, wiping her hands off on the sides of her shirt before poking her head back out. “You did a great job today, by the way. I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do after you’ve got some more experience and training.”

“Me too,” Reya said, her face turning serious. She ran a hand along her armor, then shook her head as a small smile appeared on her lips. “I never thought I’d get a class, much less a Unique one. It feels like Arwin never even considered that an option, though. He kind of just plowed through everything in his way and got what he wanted. I feel like I don’t even deserve the damn class.”

“From what I heard, you’re the one that charged the Wyrm. That wasn’t him.”

“He’s the one that set everything up for me, though. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of that on my own.”

“Don’t dismiss your own actions,” Lillia said. “Arwin put you in the situation where you could succeed, but you’re the one that did it. I certainly won’t argue about his determination, though. He’s a force of nature.”

A memory flickered through Lillia’s mind. The crunch of bone giving way under the blade of Arwin’s sword, glowing with immense holy might as he carved through the neck of her closest friends.

Her hands tightened at her sides and turned away from Reya, stepping back into the kitchen. It was difficult to associate the gruff but kind man that had just led them through the dungeon with the Hero of Man.

The Hero of Man had killed everyone she’d ever loved – and yet, he’d risked his life purely to get Reya a class for no reason other than the fact that she hadn’t had one. He’d refused to let a healer he barely knew fall behind, just because it was the wrong thing to do.

If I ever get my hands on the people that turned me and Arwin into murderers, I’m going to rip them to shreds and feed them their own innards.

“Lillia?” Reya asked worriedly. “Are you okay?”

Lillia blinked, unclenching her hands and coming back into the present. The darkness around her had intensified into a thick blanket, completely blocking out the light from the lanterns. She hurriedly dismissed the magic, pushing it as far back as she could and letting the faint glowing lights re-ignite.

“I’m fine,” Lillia said, coughing into her fist. “Just… worked up from the dungeon.”

“Oh, I get that,” Reya said. “It still feels like I’m going to get attacked by a monster at any moment, even though I know that obviously isn’t going to happen in the middle of town. There probably isn’t anywhere safer – from monsters, that is. I could definitely get jumped by someone from the thieves’ guild. Or just about anyone else, for that matter.”

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Just how many enemies does Reya have?

Lillia couldn’t keep a laugh from slipping out of her mouth. It was hard to stay angsty when Reya’s wide eyes were peering into her.

“Maybe you should make sure that doesn’t happen. It would be a shame if you got injured after all the work you’re doing to get stronger.”

“That’s true,” Reya said with a thoughtful nod. “Can I ask you a question?”

“I think you just did but feel free to ask another.”

“Why do you think Arwin’s bothering with all this?” Reya asked. “He could be rich. He makes magic equipment. If he tried to sell his wares, he’d probably be rich in the span of days. And yet… he sits around with us. He gave me gear worth more than my life, and he didn’t even ask for anything in return.”

“I’m going to choose not to take offense to that,” Lillia said dryly. “And I don’t know why Arwin does anything he does. He’s an odd one. I think he just does what he thinks is right, regardless of if it’s the smart move or not.”

“Why, though?” Reya asked. “What does he get out of it? I mean, I appreciate it… but why?”

“That might be something you have to ask him yourself,” Lillia said with a shake of her head. The more she spent time with Arwin, the harder it was to associate him with the man she’d spent the majority of her life trying to kill. That was probably a good thing, but it certainly felt odd.

“I might be overstepping my bounds here, but did you really meet for the first time in the tavern? The way you both act seems like you’ve known each other for a lot longer.”

Lillia nearly choked. “I – what? No. No, we definitely just met. He just reminds me of someone I used to know.”

“Oh,” Reya said. “I guess that makes sense. I honestly thought you’d been courting each other for a few years and broke it off or something like that.”

This time, Lillia did choke. She doubled over, coughing into her hand in surprise. “What? Date? No. Definitely not. Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know. Just a thought.” Reya shrugged. “Well, I’m probably going to go find some food. Not that I’m hungry. It’s, uh, to look at.”

“Right,” Lillia said, grateful for the change of subject. “You do that.”

Reya headed out of the tavern and Lillia watched her leave, a small frown on her face. Thoughts whirred in her head, so jumbled that she couldn’t make out which ones were hers and which were just strays passing through.

After a minute, she shook her head and turned back to the tentacle on the counter. It looked remarkably unappetizing. Grimacing, Lillia rolled her sleeves back. She had work to do, and she’d be damned if she’d done all the work lugging the stupid thing this far if it didn’t taste good.

I’m going to eat you, and I’m going to like it. That isn’t a threat. It’s a promise.

Oh, who am I kidding. It’s also a threat.

***

Arwin held a palm-sized crystal up to the light of his [Soul Flame], watching the light dance within its green depths. Before he started properly working the material, he needed to learn more about it.

There was a faint hum within it – the call of the crystal, asking to be turned into… well, something. Therein lay the problem. Arwin could feel the call within the crystal. It hungered to be more than what it was.

Unfortunately, unlike the other materials he’d worked with, he had absolutely no idea how to understand it. The desire was there, but it was like he was listening to someone speaking in a different language.

“But why, I wonder,” Arwin mused, turning the crystal over in his hand. “How come you can’t speak to me? Is it because you’re more complex than the other stuff I’ve worked with? Or am I just not listening properly?”

The crystal, unfortunately, wasn’t much help. Even if it could have answered, Arwin wouldn’t have understood it anyway. He shook his head and set the crystal into the hearth, watching the flames lick at its sides.

Unsurprisingly, it was resistant to fire. Arwin hadn’t expected a bloody crystal to be particularly easy to melt. He worked the bellows, raising the intensity of the fire to see how it affected the green crystal.

Fire danced all around it, licking at its sides. Arwin would have sworn that the fire wasn’t just outside – it was within the crystal as well. But still, the voice of the crystal eluded him entirely.

There was nothing to do but to continue working the bellows, and so that was what he did. And, as the minutes ticked by, the crystal started to change. It was gradual, but its edges started to darken and turn a translucent black.

Arwin stopped as soon as he noticed the change start to happen. He took the crystal from the fire, wondering if he’d somehow managed to burn it. However, the crystal’s structural integrity seemed fine.

He tapped a finger on the side of the crystal. It wasn’t burnt. If anything, it felt like it might have hardened slightly. The greenish-black material was oddly beautiful, and Arwin could just barely make out the faint flickers of flame within the crystal.

“You’re certainly magical,” Arwin murmured, running a finger along the crystal’s smooth surface. “But how do I work with you? I don’t want to waste crystals testing things out. They’re too valuable.”

He chewed his lower lip, still turning the crystal over in his hand. He went to hold it up to the daylight, only to find that the sun had already set. It was already dark outside. Arwin’s nose scrunched in annoyance, and he tucked the crystal into his pocket, drawing the [Soul Flame] out of the hearth.

Maybe Lillia will know more about this thing. It can’t hurt to ask.

Arwin moved some scrap metal to cover the pile of crystals as best he could, then thought better of it and collected all his winnings, stuffing his pockets full once more before waddling out of the smithy – making sure to lock the door behind him – and heading for Lillia’s tavern.

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