Riftside 2 - Chapter 60

I stretched and grimaced as muscles, overworked and abused, screamed in protest. The Timberline’s backroom was filled with the fruits of our labour. One and a half days of intense forging. There were brand new sets of armor, weapons, and a few trinkets. 

Knut was inspecting the edge of one of the axes Pa had forged for felling steelhusk trees. Torsten sat slumped against a stack of crates, eyes closed. A half-eaten meat pie lay beside him, his breathing heavy and loud in the relative quiet.

“I swear,” I said, slowly twisting my torso back and forth, “I’ll be hearing the echo of hammers in my sleep for a week.” 

The relentless, deafening rhythm of the last thirty-six hours had been brutal. Even Roq, who usually just complained about the lack of bloodshed, had started grumbling about the noise. Though, I suspected he’d secretly loved watching the raw materials transform, proven by his constant comparison of my hammering to that of his grandmother.

Torsten let out a massive yawn. 

“My arms feel like overstretched bowstrings,” he mumbled. “And my eyelids are heavier than Pa’s anvil,” he chuckled. “How does Pa manage such a sprint at his age? I swear I nearly fell asleep with metal in the quenching barrel.”

Knut grunted a solemn agreement. 

“Forge heat, and clang of metal. They are familiar. Comforting.” He tested the axe’s edge on the nail of his thumb, easily catching. “Even my endurance… pushed.” He put down the axe and flexed his broad shoulders. “Deep ache. Good ache. Mark of honest, hard labor.”

“But by the bells, we made some good stuff,” I said. “I mean, just look at this. I picked up the chest piece of Quarris’s Defiance, a full set of deep red plate mail crafted from the giant’s back plates. “The movement in the joints are near perfect, considering the material.”

Knut nodded and picked up the Unbreakable Shell’s right pauldron, the second full set of plate mail. It was made from adarker crystal. 

“Light like snow,” he rumbled, holding it to his shoulder as if pretending to wear it. “Yet tough. Would like it.”

“You’ve got the Titanfang Plate,” I said. “Don’t be greedy.”

“This more light, more strong. Like mountain filled with clouds,” Knut said, grumbling.

Torsten shook his head. 

“None of this… crafting such rare, even epic pieces with such consistency. Never seen, or even heard anything like it. Can’t imagine it would be possible without Pa’s legendary forging hammer.” Then he glanced at me. “Your hammer was pretty fantastic, too.”

I chuckled. 

“Sometimes feels like we’re forging the path beneath our feet while we run, doesn’t it? Stretching the metal and our own limits just to keep up with the demand.”

“Have to confess I’ve learned more about true smithing since arriving in Dawnwatch than in the previous three years combined,” Torsten said. “I mean, just look at this!” He picked up Rootwrought Fury, the longbow Lysander had crafted and donated to our auction. “How he combined the Juggernaut’s petrified heartwood with Quarris crystal shin to make an epic bow?” He shook his head. “Who knew treasures like these existed on the frontier.”

Just then, the tavern became louder as the door creaked open and Pa and Ma entered. Ma carried a tray laden with steaming mugs of what smelled like strong, spiced tea, and thick slices of bread piled high with bacon and cheese. 

Pa looked exhausted, but happy. Satisfied even. 

He clapped Torsten on the shoulder, a proud grin splitting his face, then did the same to Knut. 

“Haven’t seen such dedication and skill from assistants in many long years,” Pa said. “Not since Ash here was a teen, trying to prove he wasn’t all thumbs and ambition.” He winked at me. “You’ve done good, lads. Made me proud.”

“It was our honour,” Torsten said, and Knut grunted his agreement. 

Ma offered the tray around, and the aroma of spiced tea and bacon was heavenly. 

“Tea, boys? And some proper food. You look like you could eat one of those Mossback Boars between you.”

We devoured the food while she talked.

“The entire town is buzzing,” she said. “The Timberline’s already overflowing with adventurers, guards, merchants… all eager for the auction. Many even came from nearby towns and villages. Your efforts, it’ll be the stuff that makes Dawnwatch a legend.” Her voice thickened with emotion as she looked at each of us. “Thank you. For your part in helping save our home, our livelihood.”

“Always,” Knut said with a grin.

“Been trying to convince Thomas to introduce the prime weapon and armor sets himself, but he’s being his usual stubborn self about crowds,” Ma said, casting a glance towards the main room. “Fortunately, Eryn helped me convince Ming to step in. Add a bit of flash to the introductions.”

I could just imagine Ming, revelling in the spotlight, describing our handiwork with dramatic flair, and nodded. She’d do good.

Knut offered Ma a nod. 

“Good idea, Ma. Clever to auction excess raw materials too.”

Pa grunted. 

“We’ve got more than we can use. And at the pace you’re bringing monsters in, I don’t see us running out anytime soon. Long as we still have a smithy.” 

Ma patted Knut’s massive arm, her smile warm. 

“It’s our collective pleasure, Knut. You’ve done the dangerous work, hunting these horrible monsters. It’s only right we sell anything we can so you can keep the Class Gem and get your breakthrough without further delay.”

I nodded, my expression turning serious. The festive air of the auction couldn’t entirely dispel the shadows looming over us. 

“With potential Domitius reinforcements on the way, we need you at your strongest,” I said. “We can’t afford to wait until after the loan is paid. I’m confident the auction, combined with the material sales, will cover the debt. It has to.”

Pa gave Knut a firm, proud nod. 

“You’ve more than earned this chance, son. Go. Come back a true titan.”

Ma pulled Knut into a brief, strong hug. 

“I’m so proud of you, dear. Be careful during the breakthrough.”

The murmur of the crowd from the Timberline’s main tavern room, which had been a dull thrum in the background, suddenly swelled into an excited roar. 

“Welcome adventurers, merchants, and connoisseurs of fine steelhusk, Crystal, and other grandiose monster parts!” Johan said, his voice booming above the noise. “The Steel & Scale Grand Auction is now officially open!”

Knut and I exchanged a determined look. This was it. 

“Our cue to depart,” I said.

Torsten, looking a little more alert after the tea and food, said, “I’ll stay. Watch the auction and help manage the flow of goods.” He offered us a tired grin. “Good luck, brother. I’ll send word if anything unexpected happens with the bidding. Or if any… unwelcome guests appear.”

Knut and I slipped out through a second entrance Johan had installed, and headed homeward. The cool night air was a welcome relief after the stuffy heat of the backroom. 

We found Katherine waiting in our common room, seated at our table with her staff resting across it. Eryn and Nabeeh were with her, sharing beverages. 

Katherine greeted us with a professional nod, though I detected a flicker of something warmer in her eyes when she looked at Knut. 

“I don’t like this, but I understand the urgency of the situation,” she muttered.

“Thank you for coming, Doctor Ridley,” I said. Knut wanted the chance to have an abnormally good breakthrough as well, and we had a plan. But it hinged on her healing him through it.

She hesitated for a moment, her gaze thoughtful. 

“After witnessing Eryn’s… unconventional breakthrough,” she began, choosing her words carefully, “I’ve given the process considerable thought. While the results for Eryn were undeniably potent, the deviation from a standard Healer classing, from a Healer gem no less, is something I find unsettling.” She looked at Knut. “I would normally advocate for a more controlled environment, perhaps even request support from Central Command. Twice this has been done when transitioning from scavenger to classed adventurer. But we do not know what will happen now, with significantly more Mind Gems consumed to power this transformation.”

Knut shifted, looking a little uncomfortable at the reminder of the danger. This wasn’t something he could fight. He’d have to trust in us. 

Katherine’s voice softened. 

“But this is the frontier. The rules are often rewritten by necessity. And the undeniable truth is, the stronger our protectors are, the safer Dawnwatch will be.” She smiled at Knut. “I don’t want my professional caution, or any lingering apprehension, to stand in the way of you achieving your full potential.”

“And I will do my best to help guide the process,” I said. “Though I admit, I’m not sure how effective my connection will be for Knut. Our bond is… different from mine and Eryn’s. Less intuitive, more… percussive.”

Knut let out a hearty laugh. 

“Less ‘kissy kissy’,” he rumbled, “More ‘smashy smashy’.”

Katherine raised an eyebrow at him, her expression one of amusement. 

“It had better be. Your kisses, Knut Coinshield, rare and precious as they might be, are decidedly spoken for.”

Knut grinned, an uncharacteristically boyish expression that made him look years younger.

“Have you decided which direction you wish your class to take?” Eryn asked. It was something we had been discussing while forging. “Assuming the gem allows for some measure of influence, of course.”

“I still think we would be fine with you focusing entirely on damage,” I said. “We often take down threats so fast you don’t have time to really tank. More damage means we’d do it even faster.”

“The glory of overwhelming firepower!” Nabeeh said. “Turning monsters into ash and cinders before they can even blink! We could use an unstoppable juggernaut like you!”

“Damage! More damage!” Roq said. “Let the big oaf become a walking monster grinder! Have him soften things for us to break!”

Eryn shook her head gently. 

“Why would we give up our steadfast shield? The one who holds the line when things go wrong, when mages are out of mana or archers are reloading.” She looked at Knut, her expression earnest. “Luck has been with us, Knut. But your ability to endure, to tank, that’s what can save us when luck is in short supply. Think of the ambush with Gnash. If you had been less… resilient, you would have been killed. We all would have been. Or in the Echoing Chasm. A hundred Crystalkin stopped by Edwin. Rowan couldn’t have done that.”

“A shield is the anchor of the hunt,” Arclight said, and Eryn repeated it to Knut, pretending they were her own words. “Without a strong defense, the pack scatters. Precision in defense is as vital as precision in attack.”

Knut listened to us all, his expression thoughtful. He finally looked at Katherine, then at us. 

“Pa… working on forging magnificent greatsword,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “Will keep. For special occasions. For joy of killing.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over us. “But my heart, my core, it is protector. My role since father left Torsten and I. Family has grown now. Includes you.” His looked among the four of us. “Resolve to protect  only deepen. Need more strength. More toughness. An unbreachable wall. Between you and Riftside horrors.”

Katherine’s expression visibly softened at his words. 

“That is a noble aspiration, Knut,” she said softly. “And I will do everything in my power to support you in achieving it.”

We moved to Knut’s slightly larger bedroom, leaving Nabeeh downstairs after she wished Knut good luck with a theatrical wave. I placed Roq on a nearby table. Eryn carefully positioned Arclight beside him.

“Adjust my angle slightly, wielder,” Arclight instructed Eryn mentally. “To the left. I require an optimal vantage point to observe the big one.”

Katherine glanced at the soul weapons but said nothing.

I initiated a mental conversation with Roq and Arclight. 

“Alright, you two. Knut wants to be a walking fortress. How do we best enhance him as a tank during this breakthrough?”