Henrik Saetre

Riftside 2 - Chapter 63

I stood on the main street, the Adventuring Guild at my back. The Royal Bank sat behind Veyron, closed like a Steel Scuttler withdrawn in its shell.  

I spun Roq in my hand. 

The nearby townsfolk and adventurers had gathered around us at the promise of a duel between adventurers. It wasn’t something you could see every day, especially in a place like Dawnwatch. I spotted Martha the seamstress, and a group of workers from Borin’s brewery, reeking of ale, quarreling for a better view alongside a clutch of lumberjacks.

“Quiet! As the acting neutral third party,” Jordan announced as she used the butt of her spear to etch a wide circle in the street, “I’m drawing the circle at three times the size of a rift, as is tradition for two melee combatants.”

Veyron stripped off his armor, leaving him in just his britches. He began to limber up, his twin shortswords a blur when he swung them in tight, fast cuts as if to prove a point. His speed rivalled Rowan’s when he had let loose against the Crystalkin, so I had to give it to the man, he was no slouch.

“I can’t wait to feel my blades take your life,” Veyron sneered. “When you’re bleeding on the ground, on the edge of death, you’ll confess to killing my brother. When you do, I might even spare you. And if your father agrees to work the smithy, I’ll turn you over to the Crown for judgment. They’re looking for murderous adventurers like you to make examples of. Then, once he’s working for us, getting used to the yoke we’ll put around his neck, that’s when I’ll bring you your mother’s hands and hang them around your neck, and start cutting pieces of you to send back to them, one by one, and—”

“Shut up and get ready,” I said, my voice flat as I strode into the circle. “Don’t say I took you by surprise.”

“You’ll like this, you know,” Roq purred in my mind. “It’s going to feel good, making him eat those words. Open with Hammer to the Face! I want to see what’s wrong with his brain.”

No. He doesn’t deserve a swift end. We’re using Ironburst.

“Instant kill?” Roq asked, a hint of disappointment in his tone.

No. I’m going to make anyone who ever hears of this duel think twice about threatening my family again.

“Good,” Roq said. “Erh… how?”

Blood.

“Really?” Roq sounded almost gleeful.

Yeah.

“Finally!”

Veyron, oblivious to my internal conversation, continued his vile taunts, flexing his muscles, and slashing his blades through the air. 

“In the end, I’ll slit your throat and make your mother cry over your corpse, unable to hold you even in death!”

The door to the Adventuring Guild opened and Madeleine came walking out. “What in the rotten rift’s going on?”

“Veyron challenged Ash to a duel. To the death. Ash accepted,” Nabeeh said.

Madeleine’s gasped, and I heard the heavy door of the Adventuring Guild slam shut behind her. 

She was likely going for Harold. Time to start.

I pulled on my Bonebound Vigil helmet. The world took on the familiar slight pink tint of its visor, and I was ready.

“Start it,” I told Jordan.

She raised her hand. “Still your bells! Now, Veyron, of his second breakthrough, has challenged Ash Aldrich, of his first breakthrough, to a duel, and invoked the frontier clause. Veyron offered to fight in britches only—”

“With my swords,” Veyron interjected, his eyes fixed on me.

“—with his two swords,” Jordan amended, “Against Ash wearing any and all gear he has. Ash has accepted. Is that correct?”

“That’s correct,” I said, rolling my shoulders.

“Yeah,” Veyron snarled. “Now get on with it.”

“Fight to the death, or accept surrender,” Jordan declared, a clear hint of excitement to her voice. “Step outside the ring and your life is forfeit. You both give up your right to revenge as soon as the duel starts, and this goes for your family and employers as well. Is that agreed and understood?”

“Yes,” I affirmed.

“Yeah,” he said.

“None may interfere,” Jordan stated, her gaze sweeping the crowd. “And may the bells protect the righteous one.”

“Count us down,” Veyron demanded, his shortswords glinting.

“Fight true, brother,” Knut’s voice rumbled from the edge of the circle. “Show folly of noble bootlicker.”

Jordan raised her hand. 

“Three!”

“Fight true,” Arclight said. They hadn’t arrived yet, but I could already feel them drawing closer. This had to be over quickly before anyone could intercede.

“Two!”

I began to gather my mana, the familiar thrum of power building within me for Ironburst, but I didn’t cast it yet. Having seen his speed and how Rowan fought, I focused on a different skill. One Veyron wouldn’t know of, nor expect in a warrior.

Forge Anchor.

“Blood for me!”

Veyron leaned forward, ready like a coiled viper.

“One!” Jordan’s voice was sharp and clear.

I raised Roq.

“Fight!”

I slammed Roq down onto the hard-packed earth and unleashed Forge Anchor just as Veyron surged towards me, having cast Charge.

Steelhusk roots erupted from the ground ahead of him to tangle his legs, and he stumbled, his charge broken, drawing up just short of me.

Even rooted, he lunged, stabbing for my heart. I blocked with my shield, but the impact was jarring, the force sending me staggering back towards the edge of the ring.

I caught myself just in time and regained my balance.

“Violence! Power! DEATH!” Roq screamed, his bloodlust boiling over into something I hadn’t felt from him so far.

“Die!” Veyron said, stopped from advancing by the roots sticking out of the ground and holding him in place. He threw one of his short swords at my face, but I ducked and unleashed Ironburst. 

I willed the fifteen steelhusk spears to strike precisely, not for a quick kill, but for a lesson.

A pair of spears erupted from the ground just behind Veyron, buckling his knees. He collapsed forward, pulled down by Roq’s roots, meeting two rows of three spears each that stuck out from the earth in front of him, digging into his stomach and chest, just deep enough to draw blood, but not enough to end him. 

Two spears for each arm, one through the hand, one through the forearm, pierced straight through his naked skin, and his second sword dropped from a limp hand. I knew Roq would approve of the final three spears. One thrust up from the front, nicking the underside of his chin, another from behind, barely grazing the nape of his neck, and the last, a vicious spike that impaled his groin.

Veyron’s scream was a raw, animal sound of pure agony. The crowd groaned, a collective wince at the brutal destruction of someone many levels higher than his opponent.

His three companions moved to interfere, their faces contorted in alarm. 

“Veyron!” the tank shouted.

“Stay back!” Jordan snapped, and Knut drew his mace. “Interfere, and your lives are forfeit!” she warned.

Nabeeh held up her staff, and the Domitius adventurers froze. If any of them interfered for whatever reason, they’d be marked for death by the guild. 

I stored my shield and took off my helmet, my eyes fixed on the writhing, impaled figure of Veyron. 

“Nobody threatens my family and walks away,” I said, my voice cold. “You wanted to see me begging? Too late for that.”

I brought Roq down in a crushing blow on Veyron’s right shoulder, and he barely avoided impaling himself on the spear behind his neck. 

His scream was high-pitched, a thin sound that made him sound even weaker than he currently looked, and the crowd winced.

“Mercy!” he shrieked, his eyes wide with terror and pain. “I surrender!”

“Don’t listen!” Roq said. “Finish him!” 

“At the frontier,” I said, raising Roq, “We have no mercy for monsters.”

I held the hammer up above me for three long seconds as our eyes met, and I could see genuine fear in them. No forgiveness. No second chances. 

I brought Roq down on Veyron’s skull and smashed it in like a watermelon.

A wave of heat washed over me as he went limp, a familiar surge but far more potent than any I’d felt before. It wasn’t just a trickle of power; it was a torrent, flooding my senses, sharpening the world around me even as Veyron’s body slumped to the ground. My knees buckled and I nearly fell as my mind swam, overwhelmed from all the power. 

I’d levelled. 

“Glorious slaughter! Did you feel how his skull cracked and snapped? The gush of power? You levelled, twice! We need more! I want more!” Roq said. “Oh, this is the life! We should do this more often! Find more arrogant fools and CRACK THEM OPEN!”

The crowd fell into a stunned silence. Martha the seamstress stood with her hands clapped over her mouth, her eyes wide with terror. The lumberjacks, usually so boisterous, were pale and still. This hadn’t been a heroic spectacle like they’d likely imagined. This was an execution, and one like they’d never seen before. 

“What is going on?” a shrill voice shrieked over the din of the onlookers. 

It was Serona. She pushed through the onlookers and emerged at the edge of the dueling circle. Her face contorted and rage fell over her. Our eyes met, and I couldn’t help but smile. 

Her wand appeared in an instant.

“Watch out!” Roq cried a warning in my mind. 

Serona flicked her wand in my direction and my Woodwoven Mantle reacted instantly, wrapping around me like a cocoon. A force slammed into me, lifting me up and hurling me through the air. I crashed into what could only be the steel husk-reinforced wall of the Adventuring Guild. The landing drove the air from my lungs and my head rang like a bell inside the helmet. The cloak unwrapped, its protection expended for that single blow.

“Stop, Serona!” Jordan said, her voice sharp with outrage. “What are you doing?”

“He’s a murderer!” Serona yelled, pointing her wand at me.

“This was a sanctioned duel!” Jordan said, slamming the butt of her spear into the ground for effect. “Witnessed and ruled! There is to be no revenge for its outcome.”

Pain lanced through my back and shoulder as I attempted to stand, and I chuckled. 

“Bet she didn’t see this coming.”

“She knows she’s next,” Roq said. “Please make it so! You’ll hit the next breakthrough then!”

Serona’s expression was a delicious mask of fury, and she spat a curse as her eyes darted around, taking in Jordan, the terrified witnesses, the body of Veyron, and then the rest of her party.

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, her face went utterly blank, devoid of all emotion, and I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. This was far more terrifying than her anger had been.

With a chilling calm, she turned her wand on Jordan. Another flicker of her wrist, and a razor-thin line of wind shot forth to sever the tip of Jordan’s spear before bisecting the adventurer’s head. She collapsed without a sound, a grotesque fountain of red spraying onto the dusty street.

“No!” Nabeeh screamed, but to her credit, the outrage didn’t freeze her in place. She raised her staff and cast a massive Fireball towards Serona.

Benedict, who I hadn’t even registered among Serona’s retinue until that moment, raised his hand and cast a cone of cold. It intercepted Nabeeh’s Fireball mid-air, steam rising as the Fireball exploded and was snuffed out. But the icy blast wasn’t entirely contained and it sprayed into the crowd on the other side. Screams of pain erupted as witnesses were struck, their skin smoking with frostbite. 

Panic took hold, and the crowd began to break, people were scrambling to flee and all I could think of was ‘how many more will she kill if we don’t stop her right there’.

Knut, who still held the archer by the shoulder, punched the man in the side of the head with his mace hand, knocking him out cold. Serona, unfazed by the chaos, raised her wand again. A deafening roar ripped through the air, a sound I remembered from the battlements of Sentinel Station where she’d used it to defeat the Hive Mind’s aerial attack. 

Wind Shear.

The arc of wind sliced through the fleeing crowd. Martha the seamstress was cut in two. Several of Borin’s brewery workers and a clutch of lumberjacks met the same fate, their bodies falling in gruesome heaps. Others were maimed, screaming in pain and terror. 

“Get her, Ash!” Roq said, but I didn’t have enough mana for a Hammer to the Face, while both Ironburst and Forge Anchor were on cooldown. No abilities with range.

“Immolation!” Nabeeh shrieked, staff pointed at Serona. The wind mage shrieked and stumbled as flames erupted from within her. The skin on her face and arms cracked, blisters formed as if she was being burned alive, but the Benedict was there again, using his power to stop the immolation.The street turned to chaos, with the few remaining people who’d been present screaming as they fled for their lives.

I stumbled towards her, finding my feet again. 

Knut bellowed, and it had to be his new taunt ability, because Benedict, Serona, and the other two House Domitius warriors all rushed the massive Northerner. Knut got his shield on in time to block the two warriors’ initial attacks.

“The mages are distracted! Kill them, now!” Roq urged.

But just then, the House Domitius warrior I’d seen leading the group outside our house, the one with the greatsword as tall as himself, came running up the street and leapt high in the air to slam down next to Knut and the warriors. The ground buckled, and a shockwave of force erupted from the impact, stunning Knut, Serona, Benedict, and the two warriors attacking Knut.

“Stop this insanity!”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 62

“I’m impressed at your self control,” Eryn said to Knut as I opened the door to the adventuring guild. “I checked my stats as soon as I woke!” she continued. 

“Want to share surprise,” Knut said. “View with family. You all part of me and journey to breakthrough. So only fitting.”

I grinned and waved at Madeleine who was still at her desk despite the late hour. 

“Madeleine! Could we borrow the soul tablet for a moment? Knut just had his second breakthrough, and he’s offering us all a peek at the results!”

Madeleine looked up from a stack of paper. Her eyes widened when they landed on Knut, and she swallowed hard. I caught a muttered phrase that sounded suspiciously like, ‘Doctor Ridley would murder me…’ before she cleared her throat. 

“Of course, Ash. One moment. I will be right over.” 

She knocked on Harold’s office door and disappeared within. I heard Harold, Vos, and Corwen’s voices from inside. 

“Heya!” Jordan, her head as shaven as always, said from the relaxation area where she sat writing. “Congratulations on the breakthrough, Knut! Mind me taking a peak as well?”

Knut nodded at her, and she stood with a grin.

“Thanks! How was it?” she asked, joining us. 

“Rough,” Knut said, and she chuckled at his simple and short replies. 

A few seconds later, Madeleine emerged, the dark soul tablet in her hands and she handed it to Knut. 

“May I… have a look as well?”

“You may,” Knut said, though his palm hovered for a moment above the surface before he touched it. 

The surface flickered and his stats appeared.

NAME: Knut Coinshield Steelwall

CLASS: Sentinel of the North

LEVEL: 20 (0/21)

STRENGTH: 42 (+14)

AGILITY: 24 (+8)

VITALITY: 53 (+18)

MIND: 20 (+6)

TOTAL STATS: 139 (+46)

MANA: 90/90 (+33)

A collective gasp went around our little group, and Jordan’s hand flew to her mouth.

“By the First Forge…” I said. “Knut, you’re… as strong as me!” I laughed.

“It’s a nearly fifty percent increase,” Madeleine said, and I trusted her numbers.

“By the sun’s backside,” Nabeeh said. “Not a spot of shade on that sheet.”

“It worked,” Roq said in his Eryn voice. 

Knut stared at the tablet and said, “Good.”

“Good?” Roq said. “It’s spectacular! See, Ash? That’s what proper pampering during a breakthrough gets you! Following my guidance and invention has led our group to another stunning victory!”

“You did good. Both of you.”

“Of course,” Arclight said, though I sensed a subtle humbleness in her voice.

Then Knut straightened. 

“Come,” he said and turned, walking out of the guild. 

We followed.

“Are you alright, Knut?” Nabeeh asked.

He didn’t stop until we were a little way down the street, away from the Guild and with no people nearby. 

He stood with his back to us for a moment, his broad shoulders visibly tight. I could see the effort he was making to keep his emotions in check.

When he finally turned, his voice was thick. 

“You… you give me another gift.” He gestured vaguely, encompassing all of us. “Two years. Two years I have been in tens, struggling. Now I got Class Gem and breakthrough, but….” He shook his head, a small, overwhelmed gesture. “So powerful. Crazy strong.”

He took a deep breath. 

“I will repay you. I will be wall. Stand between you and danger. The one monsters break fangs on, so you can slay. I walk in front, take punch and kick, because you are my back.” His gaze met mine, then Eryn’s, then Nabeeh’s. “You make fights worth fighting. Not just gold, though we make plenty, I believe. But you fight for cause.” 

He took a slow breath, steadying himself.

“Let’s go finish auction. Get money and pay mortgage. Stop slippery silver serpents slithering. Maybe,” a grim smile touched his lips, “Maybe kick arse on way out .”

I stared at him for a long moment, and he pulled away a step as if I was boring a hole into him. Truthfully, I was, but not a bad one.

“You should speak more often, brother. It’s always good to hear what you have to say,” I I said, offering my hand. “Congratulations. You’ve earned it more than any of us. Without you, there would be no--” I stopped and pointed to each of us and made a circling gesture, “Us.” 

He clasped it, and his grip, always strong, was now like a vise. Where I’d had the edge in raw strength now it was an equal match. 

We were getting stronger. 

All of us. 

And I just got a new target. Becoming stronger than him again.

We both grinned, a shared understanding passing between us, and then burst into laughter. The tension broke, replaced by a buoyant excitement.

“To the Timberline!” I said, and set off.

As we walked, Knut described his new abilities.

“Iron Voice,” he said. “Taunt. Makes enemies attack me. Five seconds. Costs twenty mana. Good if need draw monster from sisters.”

“We’re little sisters now?” Nabeeh asked jokingly.

“Always was. Now listen. Stonefoot,” he continued. “Active. Set stance. Cannot be moved by attacks, small or big. Ten seconds. Fifteen mana. Can attack and move, but at half speed so not fast with ability on..”

“A taunt,” I mused aloud. “I look forward to seeing that in action. And an anti-knockback as well? That’s good. Especially when funneling monsters.”

“Action! Yes! Let the big oaf draw them in, and then I get to smash them!” Roq bellowed.

We reached the Timberline, slipping in through the back door again, but while the warmth and smell of food and beer was familiar, something felt… off. I heard the crowd, and it sounded thick, but somehow muted. As if they were tense or angry. Had Ma overdone it? Did we ask too much for the gear? Surely not. We’d calculated fair prices for everything.

Pa burst through the door from the main room, his face a mask of fury. He froze when he saw us standing there.

“What’s going on?” I asked, my good mood immediately evaporating.

“Domitius thugs!” he spat, his voice tight with rage. “Just came in, tried to shut down the auction! A slim bastard with two short swords, basic ugly things. He knocked Enar out cold and demanded everyone left the Timberline in the name of the guard. Hit him so hard his neck cracked.” 

Pa’s hands clenched. 

“By the bells,” Eryn said. “How is he?”

“Alex saved his life,” Pa said.

“Are they still here?” I asked, moving for the door, but Pa reached out an arm and stopped me, shaking his head.

“No. When a dozen Dawnwatch adventurers stood up and told them they weren’t welcome, they left. But they threatened Ma to stop the auction.”

“Threatened Ma?” I said, suddenly feeling a bloodlust build inside me that I hadn’t ever since Roq forced me to fight the Platemaw.

“Told her to prepare the smithy for them, and they’ll have me working for them before the end of the week if we know what’s good for us. For our family. Or else.” Pa’s voice dropped, raw with anger. “Said if not… they’d kill you and Ma, Ash. And Torsten’s family. Unless I start forging for them. I’m sorry, Knut. We never planned for this to happen.”

“Not sorry like they will be when we find them,” Knut growled, his voice  low and promising violence. “Nobody threatens family and walks away.”

The bloodlust turned into cold fury and settled in my gut. 

“When did they leave?”

“Kill them! Kill them all!” Roq cried excitedly. “Threaten Ma? Threaten our family? Unacceptable! Let me taste their fear, Ash! Let me shatter their bones! But do it slowly! Limb by limb!”

“They just left,” Pa said. “But we’re close on the gold. Just eighteen short, and there are still materials to sell. Stay here and we’ll get the gold, then find Isadora and pay down the debt, tonight.”

“No waiting! We go now!” Roq said.

“How many were they?” I asked. “Was Serona with them?”

Pa shook his head. 

“No. Just four adventurers in Domitius colours. That’s why they backed down when they saw just how strongly against them the room was. They weren’t used to such resistance.”

Four adventurers. I looked at Knut and a silent understanding passed between us.

I placed Roq on the floor and swiped out the Crackenmail and started pulling it on. Knut did the same, pulling out his Titanfang platemail and starting to gear up.

“Did they hurt anyone else?” Eryn asked.

Pa shook his head again. 

“Only Enar. Poor guy will be feeling this for a long while, but at least he’s breathing and alive. We’ll have to treat him well for standing up to them, Ash. Never forget your friends, especially those loyal to you.”

After pulling on my Trollspine Briarplate pants, I handed Pa my coin pouch. “Here’s what we’ve gathered. Do as you said, Pa. Get the rest, find Isadora, and pay out that document. Once you’ve got the gold, find Harold. Promise him whatever you need to, but get his help.” 

I pulled my gloves on. 

“What? Where will you go?” Pa asked, his voice filled with worry. “Why are you dressing for war? Son! Don’t you dare do anything stupid!”

“If there’s only four of them—” I began.

Knut finished my thought, his voice grim. 

“Enemy split. Opportunity for removing heads. Right now.”

For a moment I thought Pa would object, but then he nodded slowly. 

“Maybe you shouldn’t do--no, do it, but be careful, son. Both of you. No one should walk after threatening a room full of people.”

“Are we really going to go chasing adventurers to kill them?” Eryn asked, her brow furrowed. “What if that’s what they want? To make us angry and lure us into an ambush? Make a mistake?”

“Then they will have underestimated us,” I said. “But you’re right, Eryn. It could be a trap.” I looked between her and Nabeeh. “You get Edwin and his party and tell them that we’re about to fight. Just in case. Knut, Nabeeh, let’s go.”

“But…” Eryn started

Nabeeh placed a hand on Eryn’s arm. 

“Ash is right,” she said, her voice turning cold. “In Azbara, I knew what that bastard, my so-called fiancé, was planning. When I acted it was too late to save myself. I should have murdered him in his sleep.” Her eyes flashed as she said the words. “We can’t let them control  or threaten us over and over again. They are far from home, and few.”

“Serona’s got a plan,” I said, my voice hard. “And if we just keep acting, she’ll get her way. Now go. Keep Arclight out and we’ll stay in contact that way.”

Eryn nodded. 

“Be lethal, Ash. No half-measures.”

“Always,” I said, and we both knew just how lethal I would be. Tonight we didn’t take prisoners.

Knut, Nabeeh, and I slipped out of the Timberline.

“Roq,” I said. “Can you tell where they went?”

“Throw me up!” Roq demanded. “I need a sightline!”

“Watch out,” I said to Knut and Nabeeh, and lobbed my hammer straight up. Or, mostly straight up. There was a slight drift to the side. 

Towards the Timberline.

“Wheeee!” Roq shrieked with delight.

I cursed under my breath.

“Whoops!” Nabeeh chuckled beside me.

“Hitting Timberline?” Knut asked.

“I see them!” Roq said just before he started falling down.

“Crap, crap, crap!” I muttered, watching Roq’s descent.

He clipped the edge of the Timberline’s roof and splinters flew as he knocked the end of a thick wooden beam.

“Monster balls,” I groaned. “Johan will have my hide for that.”

“That was fun!” Roq declared. “But we should go. They’re behind our house, in the training yard. One of them is kneeling by the back door, looks like he’s trying to pick the lock!”

Fire filled my belly. 

“They’re at our house,” I told Knut and Nabeeh, breaking into a run. “Trying to break in.”

“Oh, no they don’t!” Nabeeh exclaimed, as she for once ran without complaint. Or without stumbling. “My best dresses are in there!”

“And trophies. And bed. Touch my bed, and I kill them all,” Knut said with a growl. “When fight, I hold aggression. Ash, you kill. Fast.”

“No mercy,” I replied.

We dashed into our training yard to find our front door slightly ajar. 

Knut barged in first, and I followed. 

The dining room was empty, except for a dagger stabbed in the center of our dining room table, right in the middle of the intricate carving of the Branchway Rift. 

“They don’t leave Dawnwatch on own feet,” Knut said. “In North, you don’t mark man’s home. We settle in blood. Time to return dagger, point first.”

Our front door stood open.

“My crown!” Roq suddenly shrieked. “Quarris’s crown! It’s gone!”

Whether they had come searching for us or knew we were out, they hadn’t just broken in, they had done so much more than just stolen from us. They had just started a war we would end all too quickly. 

“Come,” I said, running out the front door and into the main street. A few townsfolk ambled along, but my eyes locked onto the group of four adventurers walking down towards the first ring road.

“Oi! You!” I yelled. “Stop, you pieces of shit!”

Everyone on the street turned, including the four adventurers, who stopped, turned, and spread out. 

The slim fighter with the two short swords, stood in the middle. On his sides stood the archer and tank that we’d seen earlier outside, together with one of the warriors who arrived with Serona.

I strode for the dual-wielder.

“Kill him, Ash! Now!” Roq screamed. “Then the others! Ironburst! No, Hammer to the Face! No! Just smash him! Nobody threatens Ma and gets away with it!”

The dual-wielder glared at me. 

“My name is Veyron, and you killed my—”

My rage boiled over and my left fist shot out, cracking him in the face before he could say another word. Bone cracked and blood sprayed from his nose as he stumbled back.

“Shut the fuck up,” I snarled at Veyron. 

Despite my anger, I couldn’t make myself strike him down, not like this and out in the open.  It would brand me a murderer. “You think you can threaten my family and just walk away? You will never leave Dawnwatch alive. None of you.”

The archer to his right reached for his quiver, but Knut was there, his hand clamping onto the archer’s shoulder, making him wince and freeze. The other two warriors drew their swords, but no one made a move.

Nabeeh raised her staff and it started glowing. 

“The first one of you to so much as twitch gets their insides lit on fire.”

A few nearby townsfolk gasped, their eyes wide at the sudden, public violence between adventurers.

“Nooo!” Roq wailed internally. “Don’t just hit him, Ash! Use me! Let me taste his blood! Think of the experience!”

Veyron sneered, wiping blood from his nose. 

“My brother came to this town and vanished. I know you killed him. He was an archer. One who never missed.”

A cold certainty settled in my gut. The archer assassin. The one Eryn and I had dealt with. This was his brother. I scoffed, an almost unconscious gesture. Veyron’s eyes narrowed, and he snarled.

“I knew it. You killed him!”

“People disappear Riftside all the time,” I said, my voice cold. “And tonight, you’re leaving too. For good.”

“He came with Serona,” Veyron said, his voice rising, drawing the crowd further around us. “To help collect on a loan from some fraudulent smith. And then he just… vanished. The sixth person to disappear after coming to Dawnwatch. Isn’t that strange?”

“The frontier is a dangerous place,” I said, raising my voice as well and spinning Roq, wanting nothing so much as to smash his face in. “Especially to people who set fires to homes or try to assassinate them.”

“I know you killed him,” Veyron repeated, his voice a low snarl. “And I’m going to make you pay.”

“No, you’re not. We’re paying down the mortgage, tonight,” I said. “And once we do, by the three bells, we’re going to kick you and the rest of you Domitius scum out of our town. Or at least some of your party. As for you, well, will join your brother.”

“We are coming,” Arclight said. 

“Quick, Ash!” Roq urged. “Kill him before we lose our chance! Don’t let him talk his way out of this!”

The archer, pinned by Knut’s grip, tried to squirm free. 

“Come on, man. Let’s just head back to Serona. She’ll take care of these traitors.”

“Traitor?” Knut rumbled, tightening his grip until the man screamed. “We fight to protect the world. You? You’re scum. Prey on weak. We are not weak. We eat cowards like you for breakfast.”

Just then, Jordan emerged from the Adventuring Guild, a bit further down the main road, and she swiped a spear from her spatial storage as she saw us armed. 

“What in the blighted steel is going on out here?”

We all ignored her.

The tank beside Veyron spit on the ground by my feet. 

“You bumbling fools have no understanding how important the Houses are and what they do for Tharungia. Without them and their support, things would fall apart and places like Dawnwatch wouldn’t exist.”

“And you’re useless here,” I shot back, pushing Roq at Veyron’s face. “And after tonight, you’ll be powerless.”

“Everyone just calm down!” Jordan said, stepping forward, her spear held at the ready but not aggressively. “Look at the crowd you’re drawing.”

I didn’t care about the crowd. My focus was entirely on Veyron and his cronies.

“They threatened my family, Jordan,” I said.

“And you’ll see what happens to those who don’t listen,” the tank sneered. “You think House Domitius rose and stayed in power this long by letting a few lowborn blacksmiths and their gets walk all over them?”

“I don’t care how they got into power,” I said, my breathing speeding up. “All I care about is destroying them after tonight.” Veyron drew his twin shortswords, the steel catching the fading light.

“What are you doing?” the tank hissed. “Serona—”

“Isn’t here,” Veyron cut him off, his eyes locked on me. “And I’m not risking my brother’s revenge. Not when the bastard who killed him is standing right here.”

“Are you looking to die that easily? Later you might at least have a chance,” I said, my hand tightening on Roq.

“Whoa! Calm down, Ash!” Jordan interjected, stepping between us. “Nobody’s talking about dying. Let’s all just cool down and—”

Veyron smiled, a cold, predatory curl of his lips, and cut Jordan off.

“I challenge you to a duel for striking me.” His eyes narrowed. “That’s how you settle things here on the frontier, isn’t it? Duels to the death.”

I was taken aback. 

“A duel?”

“You have to accept the duel!” Roq shrieked in my mind. “Oh, this is perfect! Also, why has nobody told me we could challenge people to duels? This opens up so many delightful possibilities!”

“A duel,” Veyron repeated, his smile widening. “Right now. To the death.”

I laughed, a harsh, incredulous sound. 

“You want to duel me?”

Jordan scoffed. 

“Don’t matter if you’re employed by nobles, adventurer,” she said. “Guild law’s clear. Duels are a last resort, after mediation and arbitration. And no way you get Harold to sign off on this!”

“Yes, he’s challenged Ash to a duel,” Roq said, clearly to Eryn.

“You start settling every spat with steel, and you’ll be blacklisted so fast your head will spin,” Jordan continued.

“What if he’s too high level?” Arclight said, relaying for Eryn.

“This is a perfect opportunity to take out one of their people. Legally. Over”

“I’m invoking the frontier clause,” Veyron said. “There’s enough witnesses, we’re in a public space, and this is settling a blood dispute.”

“What?” Jordan said.

“He killed my brother,” Veyron said.

“He threatened to kill my family,” I said, before adding, “This worthless sack of monster balls, I mean. No idea who his brother was.”

“You’re an honorless little peasant,” Veyron spat. “And I will cut you down!”

“More honour in Ash’s left leg than whole your house,” Knut growled.

“What level are you?” Jordan asked.

“Twenty-four,” Veyron said.

“I’m sixteen,” I said.

“Not a legal fight, then,” Jordan said, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't matter that witnesses will vouch for the outcome. Frontier clause won't help you fight someone a full breakthrough lower."

“We’re coming,” Arclight said. “My wielder asked Edwin about duelling. He’s said he’ll help you kick them out tonight, but that if you get into a duel, he’ll be blocked by Guild law from helping. I am unsure why he attempts to stop you, as this does seem to be the correct way of dealing with the challenger who has come onto our territory, snarling loudly and wagging their tails. Rip the throat from this one and the others may fall in place or scatter.”

“Wrong, bitch,” Veyron said. “With handicap, it’ll be valid, if you dare agree.” He sneered at me.

“What are you offering?” Jordan asked.

“I’ll fight with swords and britches only,” he answered. “No armor.”

“Is this correct, Jordan?” Nabeeh asked.

Jordan nodded while glaring at Veyron. 

“Technically, yes. With a significant enough handicap agreed by both parties, it would be covered by the guild rules.” She looked at me. “You don’t have to agree, though.”

Cold fury filled me. His brother had tried to kill both Eryn and me, and after that, would have probably gone to kill the rest. Now this bastard was here trying to finish his job. 

“You’re even more of a fool than your brother, wherever he’s wandered off to.”

“Accept my challenge, coward!” he yelled, pointing a sword at me. “Think, this is your only chance to balance the scales before Serona makes you all her little bitches.”

“I accept,” I said.

Riftside 2 - Chapter 61

I stood in Knut’s room looking down at him, listening to Roq and Arclight talk of how we were going to turn him into the perfect tank.

“Bones, Ash!” Roq said. “We start with the bones. Make them denser, thicker. Like steelhusk trees rooted in the earth. A skeletal fortress!”

“Indeed,” Arclight agreed. “Increase bone density and improve structural reinforcement. Like the bones of a bear within a human frame. Widen his ribcage and broaden his pelvis to improve the protective cage around his vital organs. But temper it with strategic reinforcement, not just bulk. We need resilience, not just size.”

“Then muscle,” Roq continued. “Layers of it. Not just big, but dense and powerful. Like the Platemaw’s hide, but alive and coiling with strength.”

Eryn and I began relaying the concepts to Katherine, framing them as our own ideas. 

“I’m thinking of the body like a complex forging project,” I said, trying to sound like I knew what I was talking about. “Needs a strong frame, reinforced layers…”

“His skin and connective tissues must also be toughened,” Arclight added, “To give resistance to tearing and puncture. Plus more fat to act as shock absorption and buffer against deep lacerations.”

“And don’t forget what powers this,” Roq said. “Enlarge his heart and expand his lungs. He’ll need the power to fuel his new size or he’ll just be big but slow.”

“Consider the skull as well,” Arclight said. “For more padding around the brain.”

“Unnecessary! His skull’s thick enough to stop a charging Brambleback!” Roq cackled. “Ha! Probably don’t even need his helmet!”

Katherine listened, eyes narrowing as we described the suggested changes. 

“Your instincts seem sound,” she said, dismissing or filing away her suspicion. “I will guide the gem’s energy towards these specific enhancements if it lets me.”

“Ready,” Knut said and nodded at Katherine.

Eryn wished him good luck and joined Nabeeh downstairs to keep watch and give Katherine peace to work. 

I helped Katherine anchor Knut to the bedframe.

As I tightened one of the final straps, Knut gave Katherine a strained grin. 

“If there’s any… mind gem energy left over at end,” he joked, his voice a little tight, “Could always make few strategic modifications to my, uhm, you know.”

Katherine rolled her eyes, but a definite blush crept across her cheeks as she playfully smacked his shoulder. 

“I can only handle so much raw power, Coinshield. And you’re already pushing the limits,” she added, a teasing glint in her eye, “But thanks for the improper suggestion. Now I won’t feel quite so bad about the agony you’re about to endure. You clearly deserve a little suffering.”

Knut’s booming laugh filled the room, a sound that was soon to be replaced by something far less joyful as he swiped out the fiery red Warrior Class Gem. He held it for a moment, then looked at Katherine and raised his eyebrows. 

She shifted uncomfortably, glanced at me, and I found something really interesting to stare at on the opposite wall, ignoring the smoochie sounds behind me.

“Ready,” Katherine said and I turned back just as Knut pressed the gem to his forehead. 

I immediately strapped down his free arm and quickly locked the five heavy metal chains used for reinforcements. 

Good thing, too.

Knut roared in agony, and his body arched violently against the straps, veins standing out like thick ropes on his neck and arms.

Katherine’s hands glowed as she placed them on Knut’s chest. 

“I’m starting with his skeleton, focusing on the ribcage,” she said. “By the bells. My healing is undone almost immediately..”

“The bones are drinking the power!” Roq said. “Tell her to widen the thoracic cage first, Ash! Make room for the furnace his heart will become!”

“His foundation needs to be strong,” I relayed to Katherine, trying to sound like it was a sudden instinct. “Ribs should be widened, to support everything else.”

Katherine nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration. 

“The bones are thickening, calcifying. This is just extraordinary!”

“Monitor the energy expenditure,” Arclight said. “Her magic is strong, making rapid changes. It is costly. Ensure enough remains for the muscular and dermal enhancements. Advise caution against over-expansion of the ribcage at this juncture.”

“But not too wide,” I said to Katherine, echoing Arclight’s caution. “We don’t want him left with potential for power but not the strength to fill it.”

Katherine acknowledged.

An hour, or perhaps an eternity, passed in this intense, focused effort of back and forth. The air in the room was thick with the smell of Knut’s sweat, but I didn’t mind. He was a brother, if not by blood, but by deed. 

His screams, now muffled by a gag, were still harrowing. I felt tense, more tired even than after the thirty-six hours of forging. The concentration and being in the presence of his agony, it was emotionally draining.

Suddenly, the door to the bedroom burst open and Eryn was there, her face a mask of urgent alarm.

“Ash,” she said, her voice low and tense. “There’s a group outside. Six of them. Heavily armed. And they’re wearing Domitius colors. They came walking down the main road and stopped right outside our house.”

“Fun!” Roq said. “Time to level up!”

My blood ran cold. 

“Katherine, maintain focus on Knut,” I said, adrenaline flooding my system and I snatched Roq from the table. This was bad. Very bad.

“I’m taking the top of the stairs,” Eryn said as she left. “Covering the front door. Nabeeh’s downstairs.”

I moved to the window of Knut’s room, peering cautiously through a slit in the curtains. There I saw them. 

“Tell me what you see!” Arclight said.

“Six bags of experience,” Roq said excitedly. “Big bags of experience. Adventurers.”

“Each is leading a horse, but none are mounted. Might be that they just arrived. Over.”

Arclight relayed my message.

“They are wearing black with silver and red,” Roq added. “First human Ash killed wore the same colours.”

Ivan.

My gut clenched. 

“Classes?” Roq asked in his Eryn voice. 

“Relay this, Arclight. One tank. Scarred face, tower shield, and warhammer. One mage, slender and wearing a hood and carrying staff with a dark gem on top. Two archers. Two warriors, damage dealers. One has twin short-swords. He’s got tribal tattoos on his face. Last is my size and has a greatsword as tall as he is.”

“It’s got a blood red tassel on the pommel!” Roq said.

“I think he’s the leader. Over.”

They didn’t make any overt threats. They just stood there, looking at our house and chatting amongst themselves as if observing a monument or sightseeing. 

Every time Knut let out a particularly loud groan or thrashed against his restraints, some of them would shift their weight, as if itching to advance. 

“Isn’t it rude not to go say hello? With extreme prejudice?” Roq urged.

I ignored him, my own heart hammering in my throat. I wished desperately that Knut wasn’t incapacitated. Six against three was poor odds, even with two soul weapons. How the hell did we go from a breakthrough to a siege so quickly?

“If they attack, I’ll jump down from the window as soon as they hit the door and use Ironburst on the mage and archers to take them out quickly and trap the melee between us. Over.” 

It was a risky plan, but I didn’t want to end up in a protracted battle when outnumbered. Three versus three would be the best I could hope for on such short notice.

For a full five minutes, they waited, exchanging whispers and looks. The damage dealer with the twin swords and the mage seemed to be heading into an animated argument, pointing at the house. 

Are they debating an attack? Do they think it might be a trap?

Then the man with the greatsword snapped out an order, loud enough for me to hear even through the window and over Knut’s groans. 

“Enough,” he said, his voice rough. “We check in with Serona first.” 

He turned, leading his horse away, and heading towards the Royal Bank and the first ring road. The others followed, leading their own horses. The damage dealer with the twin blades, however, shot one last, lingering glare at our house before he, too, departed.

I let out a shaky breath, the immediate tension easing but a cold knot of dread remained in my stomach. 

“They’ve left,” I said, turning to Katherine. 

“Awww!” Roq said. “They didn’t want to play.”

“We’re definitely outnumbered again. By a lot. Over.”

With the immediate threat outside gone, I refocused on Knut and Eryn came to place Arclight back on the table. This was one development we could have done without. Especially today.

Katherine continued to guide Knut’s transformation, all the while speaking quiet encouragement to him, though I doubted he could even hear or process it. 

Another two arduous hours crawled by, and I knew in just how much suffering my friend was. “The energy is fading,” Arclight observed. “The transformation is nearing completion. His life force is… formidable.”

I relayed her words to the doctor.

“Final stages,” Katherine said, her voice strained and her clothes sweated through. She’d been doing sprints of healing interrupted only by trips downstairs for mana regeneration. 

“Spending the remaining energy on the core in his chest,” she said. “Hopefully, this helps increase his mana reserves.”

“You should hear his heart! Booming like a drum!” Roq said. “And he’s got lungs like bellows. He’s going to be a walking fortress!”

Finally, with a shuddering gasp Knut’s body went limp and the violent convulsions ceased. 

I took a slow breath as he lay there panting, drenched in sweat, the red glow of the Class Gem slowly fading from his forehead as it became one with him.

Then he groaned in pain, his voice raspy and noticeably deeper than before. 

“North wind on wet ballsack…” he said. “A thousand times worse than any beating ever.” He coughed, a raw, ragged sound. “Flayed, shattered, then hammered together, on god’s anvil.”

“Cracked steel and splintered anvils!” I said, my voice carrying enough cheer for the both of us.

Knut turned his head towards me, eyes struggling to focus. “Ash? Trouble?” His voice was filled with horror. “Breakthrough fail? Am I… less?”

“Come see, my wielder,” Arclight said. “The big one has awoken.”

I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face as Katherine unlocked the chains and began to undo the straps. I shook my head, my voice filled with mock despair. 

“Oh, the news is terrible, Knut. Just terrible.” I helped unhook the last strap. “You are now, without a shadow of a doubt, significantly taller than me again. And broader than a bloody Mossback Boar.”

A deep, rumbling laugh escaped Knut and he pushed himself into a sitting position. 

“Taller and bigger to better protect golden bird,” he said with a pained grin. “And rest of family.”

Katherine gave a tired but profoundly satisfied smile. 

“Your core feels exceptionally strong,” she said, shaking out her hands. The amount of power she had channeled had to be tremendous. “The transformation appears to have been a complete success.”

Eryn and Nabeeh entered the room then, mirroring my expression. 

Nabeeh let out a low whistle, looking Knut up and down with an appreciative glint in her eye. 

“Well, well, well. Are you sure you can handle this much man, Katherine? He’s almost as big as Edwin.”

“Be quiet,” Katherine said and shot her a look, but there was no real heat in her words. 

I clapped my even bigger brother on the shoulder. It felt like I’d slapped a solid oak. 

“We might need every ounce of your new size and strength sooner than we think,” I said, briefly recounting the appearance of the Domitius party and their unsettling surveillance.

His good humor faded slightly.

“But for now,” I said, trying to lighten the mood again. “Let’s get some food into our new giant, and head back to the Timberline. See how much coin our handiwork brought in.”

“Deserve barrel of Johan’s best ale,” Knut declared. “And mountain of roasted meat. To fuel new form.”

“And you shall have it,” I said, my own grin widening. “But first, what are your stats, big guy? And what glorious new skills did you get?”

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?”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 59

I held the door to the Timberline open, and Eryn smiled as she stepped past me. The tavern was packed tight as a crate of horseshoes and noisy as five smithies in a hammering contest. A minstrel tucked into a corner strummed away at his lute, but it was barely audible above the crowd. That is, until Eryn crossed the threshold and a hush rippled through the crowd. The minstrel’s music faltered, and Johan, his face split by a wide grin, bellowed, “Hip-hip!”

The tavern roared back a “Hurray!”

“Hip-hip!”

“Hurray!”

“For Adventurer Whitcroft!” Johan finished, leading a thunderous cheer.

I couldn’t help but feel proud of her and all we achieved together. I let Eryn lead the way, content to follow behind her

Johan rushed over, a tall, celebratory mug of ale held aloft. 

“For Dawnwatch’s newest protector!” he shouted, handing it to Eryn. “May your arrows fly true and your spatial storage never be empty!”

Eryn thanked him and barely managed a sip before Ma pulled Eryn into a tight hug. 

“Oh, Eryn, that dress! You look every inch a wealthy adventurer!”

Pa was right behind her, nodding at Eryn with a proud smile. 

“Knew you had it in you, girl. Good and strong.”

Lysander Wilkens materialized seemingly out of nowhere beside Pa, his serene smile in place. 

“Indeed, a striking figure, archer. And I remain grateful Thomas managed to forge that lightning proof glove for you. It would have been such a terrible waste to leave my bow gathering dust.”

Eryn chuckled at the lie. 

“Yes, I’m super grateful, Lysander. It’s a marvel.”

“Might I trouble you for another look at the bow?” Lysander asked, his gaze thoughtful. “The way the Arclight energies settled… fascinating.”

Eryn’s shoulders tightened. 

“Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my gloves. And I’d rather not get a shock tonight.”

“But I would dearly like to see it,” Lysander insisted. “Just one more time if you will.”

Eryn paused, her gaze steady on the bowyer. Then, a slow smile spread across her face, and she shrugged. 

“Sure. But I’m swiping it back into storage the second you drop it, master bowyer.”

He bowed his head. 

“My thanks, master archer.”

A grin touched my own lips. This could be fun. 

I casually positioned myself with my back to the door, just in the slim, infinitesimal chance Lysander had figured out Arclight was a soul weapon and he had some wild notion of making a dash for it. Unlikely, but I couldn’t help myself.

Eryn swiped Arclight from her storage and tossed it, hissing in a pretend wince. 

Lysander’s hands snapped up, snatching the bow from the air. Instantly, he howled, a sharp cry of pain and jumped back, the bow dropping from his grasp. 

Eryn reacted like the classed adventurer she now was, hand darting out to catch Arclight before it hit the floor. She swiped it back into her storage, then shook her own hand, wincing theatrically. 

“Ooh, still got a kick that one!”

Lysander cursed under his breath, nursing his fingers. He managed a strained thanks and a sigh, then let Pa led him away, muttering something about lightning globules and how, if he only had one more chance, he could make an even better one.

Knut was next, a booming laugh preceding him, his cheeks already well red from drink. 

“Good show, Eryn! Strong arm, quick hands. Like bear catching salmon!” He smacked his tankard against Eryn’s before drinking deeply. “Hurray!” he said. “My little sister now big adventurer. Proud beyond words!”

Nabeeh swept in after him, pulling Eryn into a warm hug. 

“Congratulations, darling! And that dress! Ash, you have surprisingly good taste. Come, our table awaits!” She took Eryn’s arm, leading her towards our usual spot.

I followed with Knut.

“Good dress,” Knut rumbled, nodding towards Eryn. “You pick well.”

I raised an eyebrow. 

“Didn’t know you had an eye for fashion.”

He shrugged his massive shoulders. 

“No idea fashion, but know happy woman. Your pretty bird very happy tonight.” 

His logic, as usual, was unassailable.

We reached our table, or rather, two tables put togethercreating a long, feasting-style arrangement. A place of honor sat empty in the middle, clearly for Eryn. She was immediately swamped with congratulations. Alex, with Nina perched on his lap, offered a cheerful toast. Ming and Finn raised their mugs, Garret gave a thumbs-up, and Enar, still looking a bit out of his depth, grinned. One spot beside them was clearly reserved for Edwin. On the other side sat Rowan, Isaac, and Torsten with Freja, who must have left their brood in the care of Eirik and Mia, their two eldest.

Food and drink already littered the table, and a fresh tankard was pressed into my hand. 

“To Eryn!” someone shouted, and we all drank deep.

A while later, after a few more beers had vanished, Harold arrived, flanked by Vos, Corwen, and Mara.

“Storm Warden,” Harold said, his voice carrying a note of genuine pride as he toasted her with a brimming tankard of his own. “The Guild is proud. May your career be long and prosperous. And bring in lots of valuable carcasses!”

Vos sipped a glass of red wine. Corwen, beside him, was nursing a glass of milk. 

Milk. 

At a party.

Roq would have been jealous at how the man handled the glass.

Mara, in stark contrast, downed a shot of what looked suspiciously like Azabaran Fire Water before slamming it upside down onto the table. 

“Congratulations, Whitcroft,” she said. “Good to have another strong arm Riftside.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’m heading to Sentinel Station. Standing guard tonight. If the monsters attack, with half the town’s adventurers drunk, could be bad.”

“Thank you, Mara. Stay safe,” Eryn said. Mara gave a curt nod and disappeared, the crowd opening before her and closing behind.

Eryn then stood and tapped her mug for attention. 

“I just wanted to say thank you,” she began. “For everyone’s support. It means the world to me. And a special thanks to my Ash. For believing in me and helping me grow faster than I ever thought possible. In return, I’ll do my best to support all of you in, well, whatever goals you’re chasing after.”.”

“Hear hear!” we said, just in time for Edwin to make his appearance. He handed Corwen a folder with a grimace, then bellowed, 

“Johan! Beer!” A mug appeared in his hand almost instantly. He downed it in one go, slammed it on the table, and called for another. Nabeeh, with a knowing smile, passed him hers. He toasted Eryn with it. 

“To the Storm Warden!” 

He drained that one too and put it down slightly less dramatically.

“Edwin, is everything alright?” Eryn ask with a hint of worry.

Alex chuckled. 

“Our Commander absolutely loathes paperwork. He’d rather fight Quarris, riding a Titanfang, alone, than write a report about it.”

Edwin shuddered dramatically. 

“Truth. Utter, soul-crushing truth.” He clapped his hands together. “But enough of that! Everyone did good on the raid. Damn good!”

“You really took down a red threat?” Garret asked.

Knut nodded. 

“Indeed. That. And over two hundred crystalkin. Spatials full to bursting!”

Finn let out a low whistle. “Riftrot, what a windfall that’d be.”

Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

“It would be, if Edwin hadn’t insisted on donating our share of the carcasses to the town. All we got was our part of the mind gems. Five each. Which isn’t nothing, but still…”

Ming nudged him. 

“Don’t complain, you old geezer. You know why.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, handsome,” Nina said, from his lap, and giggled. “I’ll take your mind off the Mind Gems later.”

Alex grumbled good-naturedly. 

“Fine. But I had hoped to invest in your development, beautiful. Help speed up your leveling.”

Nina’s tone shifted, a playful edge entering her voice as she looked at Edwin. 

“Commander, you need to stop being so altruistic and take better care of your team!”

Laughter rippled around the table.

Then Katherine Ridley appeared, her usual calm presence a welcome sight. 

“Eryn, congratulations.”

“Thank you, Katherine,” Eryn said and stood, giving the doctor a bow. “I’ll come by for a chat soon, about what to do with my debt for the gem.”

Katherine nodded. 

“I’ve had some thoughts on that too, but it can wait for another day.” Her gaze shifted to Knut. “Coinshield. Come with me.”

“Me?” He asked, pointing a finger at his chest. “What’s wrong?”

Katherine just crooked a finger. 

“Come. Now.”

Knut shrugged and grabbed two fresh beers. 

“Yes, ma’am,” he rumbled, and followed her into the crowd.

Harold then bid us farewell. 

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he said with a wink, then gestured to Vos and Corwen. “Gentlemen, why don’t we bring these drinks with us back to my office and continue the discussion of Dawnwatch’s new, and rather promising, situation.”

Johan materialized at our table with a fresh platter of roasted meats. 

“How’s the coin counting coming along? Enough to deal with the silver serpents yet?”

“We had fifty-seven gold before this quest,” I said into the sudden quiet of the table. “Leaving us short four hundred and twenty-one. Pa…” 

I paused, realizing I hadn’t told anyone about the Mind Gems we’d found in the carcasses, nor had planned to do.

“Pa’s work brought in sixty-three, and we got a hundred and twenty-five for the quest so far,” I said. “And then, with Edwin finishing his report…” I nodded towards the Commander, who was now engaged in an animated discussion with Rowan. “That’s another one hundred and twenty-five gold, which leaves us short one hundred and eight gold.” 

I looked at Nabeeh and Eryn. 

“We’ve got three days left to make the snakes choke on their greed. It’ll be tight, but with Pa and Torsten working overtime, and the materials we have brought in, we will have  fantastic gear for the auction. Is everything ready for that?” I asked Johan.

“It’ll be the event of the season here at the Timberline. Coin only.” Johan winked. “And speaking of coin!” Johan clapped his hands together and grinned. “In honor of Eryn’s breakthrough, I’ve come up with a little party game! Come on!”

He went behind his bar, pausing only to touch two fingers to his lips and then to the mounted Steel Scuttler carcass on the back wall.

“Silence!” Johan yelled, and the tavern quieted, all eyes turning to him. “I figured today was as good a day as any for finding out who the best damn archer in this town really is!”

Isaac cleared his throat loudly, standing and raising a hand before giving a theatrical wave, followed by a sweeping bow to the room. Laughter erupted.

Johan grinned and lifted a wooden disk, the size of a medium shield, from beneath the bar. It was an ornately painted target board, which he proceeded to hang beneath the Steel Scuttler on the wall. We moved closer through the crowd.

“Alright, you scruffy mob!” Johan declared, flinging his arms wide. “In honor of Eryn’s breakthrough, and thanks to a bit of master craftsmanship from Lysander and a few drinks too many on my part, I present to you… Rift Hunt!”

The board was a marvel. Divided into twenty narrow, pie-slice sections, each was painted with the snarling face or silhouette of a Riftside monster: Titanfang, Steel Scuttler, Shardfang, and seventeen others. Each monster’s slice was divided into three, a large, medium, and thin slice, from edge to center. Some of these were colored. Four spots along the edges of the board, corresponding to north, south, east, and west, were painted like a Mind Gem.

Finn licked his lips. 

“What is it?”

“Here’s how it works,” Johan said, holding up a dart that looked like a miniature arrow, fletched with blue silk. “Each player starts with fifty empty slots, like a maximum-leveled Spatial Storage, an empty one, at that. You slay monsters, get loot. First one to fill their spatial storage and gets out wins! Simple, eh?”

“Too simple,” Isaac called out from the crowd. “Where’s the catch?”

“Monsters are worth different points,” Johan explained. “And some are harder than others to slay. Take the Steel Scuttler.” He pointed to its section. “They take two hits to slay, but fill three slots in your spatial, and—”

“What?” Richard, one of the other adventurers, interrupted. “Why? Scuttlers are tiny!”

Johan leveled a glare at him. “Because I say so.” He then jabbed a thumb towards his trophy Scuttler. “And because Steel Scuttlers are lucky monsters here at the Timberline! You got a problem with that?”

Richard held up his hands in surrender. 

“Fine by me, Johan. Just curious.”

“Good.” Johan continued, “A Gloomstalk Cat is worth two points and only requires a single dart to slay, but only a hit in the third quadrant of its slice counts.” The large and medium one was colorless.

Beside me, Eryn nodded to herself.

He pointed to the bullseye at the center of the board, painted in the same green as our Branchway Rift. 

“Now, once you have filled your spatial, you have to sink one in the center to get back through the Rift and win!”

A collective “Ooooh” went through the crowd.

“And see those four little shiny bastards on the edge?” Johan gestured to the Mind Gem spots, each barely larger than the nail on my thumb. “Those are critical points. Hit one, and it counts as a hit on any monster on the board, and you get an extra throw.”

“So you can shoot infinitely?” Isaac asked.

“Only four gems,” Johan said. “And I’m guessing you won’t go for them often, unless you want to slay the Titanfang, which is worth thirty points, or the Juggernaut, which is worth fifty. The Titanfang requires four hits and the Juggernaut five, meaning you have to hit Mind Gems to slay them. And! Anyone aiming for those must call out their shot, and if they miss, they will be ridiculed mercilessly by yours truly!”

“Why?” Isaac asked, a grin playing on his lips.

“Because even I, a humble level one scavenger turned barkeep, know that only fools attempt to take down such a beast by themselves with a ranged weapon!” Johan declared. “It requires a team! But, you should never say never, so the opportunity is there for those who like to waste their time and my darts.”

Isaac chuckled.

“So,” Johan continued, raising the dart again. “Each archer gets three shots per round. Fill your spatial. Slay as many monsters as you can before your storage hits capacity. First one to hit fifty and get back through the portal, wins.” He scanned the room. “Any archers brave enough to play, raise your hands!”

Isaac’s hand shot up. Eryn’s followed. Wade also raised his. Seven others joined them.

Johan pointed a finger at Eryn, a wide grin on his face. 

“A guaranteed spot for you, Breakthrough Girl! Let’s see if the gods gave you a class and aim. Next, Isaac, Wade, Naral, and…Riley! Come on over.”

A thin black man with a mohawk and a woman of Eryn’s height but Knut’s width made their way to the bar. 

“Oh, and to make sure there’s some challenge in this,” Johan said, “You’ll throw from the line you’ll find just inside the door!” He gestured to the Timberline’s entrance, a good thirty feet from the target.

“What happens if we hit any of your expensive bottles of booze, Johan?” Wade asked.

Johan’s grin didn’t falter. 

“Firstly, you’ll pay for it. And secondly, you should be ashamed to call yourself a ranged adventurer!”

The crowd chuckled. 

Finn’s voice then cut through the hubbub. 

“Anyone want to take bets?”

Johan pointed at him. 

“You better do the bookmaking from this side of the bar, Finn! And make sure the house gets its cut!”

Finn, looking like a Shardfang that had just spotted a lone Scavenger, started eagerly taking wagers. Money clinked, and voices rose in excited speculation.

I leaned towards Eryn. 

“Think you’ll win this?”

She pondered for a moment, her gaze fixed on the distant target board. A slow smile touched her lips. “Yes. I will.” She met my eyes. “Bet thirty gold on me, Ash. Not so much it’ll be impossible to recover from if I lose, but enough that it’ll give us a nice boost towards victory over Domitius.”

Thirty gold. A hefty sum, but I couldn’t remember a single time she’d declared something without delivering on it. 

I found Finn and placed the bet.

The match began. Eryn insisted on going last, letting Wade start. His three darts arced through the tavern to oohs and ahs, thudding into the board to ‘slay’ a Steel Scuttler and a Gloomstalk Cat, netting him a five points for a respectable start. Naral and Riley went next, their scores varying. Then it was Isaac’s turn. He was good, no doubt about it. He called out a Mind Gem and hit it, using it to wound the Titanfang, before sinking three more, immediately jumping to thirty points, and Wade groaned.

Eryn called out a Mind Gem, but missed with her first dart, and spent the two next taking out Gloomstalk Cats for four points. 

The rounds continued. Isaac attempted Mind Gems again, but missed the next three rounds, and used the same tactic as Eryn, economically adding to his score.

Eryn and the others struggled to catch up. When Isaac ended up filling his spatial with a Steel Scuttler and needing only a portal shot to win the game, Eryn still needed a hefty twenty-three points. 

For the third time in a row I went to take a sip of my ale just to find it empty, but I didn’t have time to get a refill. Eryn had the last play of this round. 

“Mind Gem,” she said, calling out once again. The crowd stood lined up, only the corridor between her and the board empty. She breathed out slowly, held the dart in front of her face, and threw. It flew true, striking just inside the northern gem icon. 

A cheer went up.

“A Mind Gem hit!” Johan bellowed. “Eryn, which monster feels your wrath?”

Her voice held the slightest tremor. 

“I’ll wound the Titanfang.”

Another cheer. 

The Titanfang’s section only had its smallest pie slice coloured, and she hit it with both her next two darts. Two wounds. The beast now had one hit point left and she had one dart remaining for this turn.

“One more hit for the chance to tie with Isaac!” Johan commented.

Eryn paused and stared at her final dart, before looking at me and smiling.

She turned back to the board and a stillness came over her, a subtle shift in her posture that I, and perhaps only I, recognized. 

She’d just activated Snipe. 

Her arm moved, a blur of motion, and the dart flew. 

It struck the southern Mind Gem.

The Timberline erupted.

“Two Mind Gems in one round!” Johan roared, his voice hoarse with excitement. “What do you do with the damage, adventurer? Though I think I know!”

“I’ll slay the Titanfang,” Eryn confirmed, a small smile playing on her lips.

“And with that, your spatial is full! Fifty points, after tossing some smaller carcasses,” Johan said, chuckling. “Next round, if you and Isaac both hit the portal, we’ll have a tie!”

“Hold on, Johan,” Eryn said, her voice carrying clearly over the din.

“Yes?”

“I have another throw, don’t I? For hitting the Mind Gem.”

Johan frowned. 

“Well, yes, but your spatial is full…”

“I’m shooting for the Rift,” Eryn stated.

Isaac, who had been looking rather smug, spluttered. 

“Hey! That’s cheating!”

Johan held up a hand, silencing the protests. 

“I’m the referee here, Isaac. And I’m the one who makes the calls. And I say… it’s fair! She hit the Mind Gem, she gets another dart. If she manages to hit the Rift with it, she wins. Fair and square.”

Isaac grumbled, but it was good-natured. 

“Fine, fine. Let her try.”

Eryn then grinned. 

“To lighten the mood a little… Johan! Five beers!” The crowd roared its approval. “This is becoming too easy. I challenge my fellow archers here. Let’s see who can down their beer the fastest. One after the other. Johan, you time us. I’ll go last.”

The other four archers gamely accepted. One by one, they chugged, ale spilling down chins, mugs drained with varying degrees of speed, with Wade being the fastest, not even needing to breathe.

Then it was Eryn’s turn. She picked up her mug, and with no apparent hurry, took elegant sips. “This dress is far too pretty to spill alcohol all over it,” she commented, raising her chin, taking another deliberate swallow.

The crowd laughed, though Riley punched her jokingly on the shoulder, complaining at being tricked into taking a beer bath!

I smiled to myself. Eryn was waiting out her Snipe cooldown. Clever girl.

Finally, she drained the mug and handed it to Isaac.

“Watch the board,” she said. Then, she went completely still again, dart at the ready. 

Snipe. 

The entire Timberline seemed to hold its breath. Her arm whipped forward. The dart sailed through the tavern air, a tiny missile on a perfect trajectory, arcing gracefully down to strike the green bullseye dead center.

The tavern exploded to shouts, cheers, and tankards banging on tables.

Nabeeh was suddenly at my shoulder. 

“We should have bet a hundred. We’d be done with Domitius already.”

I just smiled as Eryn made her way through the jubilant crowd, her face flushed with victory. She threw her arms around my neck and gave me a kiss that tasted of ale and triumph.

“You’re wonderful,” I told her, grinning.

Isaac was standing by the door, shaking his head and muttering something about “impossible shots.” He narrowed his eyes at Eryn, who winked back. He shrugged, a smile finally breaking through. “Congratulations, Storm Warden!” he called out.

“Isaac! My friend!” Johan boomed. “Help me bring out the cake!”

A moment later, they emerged from the back, carrying a massive cake shaped like the Rift Hunt target board, complete with a perfectly centered candied arrow piercing the bullseye.

“Johan, this is… amazing!” Eryn said, giving the big man a heartfelt hug once the cake had been placed safely on our extended table.

After Eryn had cut the cake and handed me a piece, Johan pulled me to the side, his expression turning serious. 

“Got a few rumors to share now, Ash, before we all get too drunk to remember our own names.”

“What is it?” I asked, my good mood dimming at his tone.

“Heard whispers, Ash. Serona. She’s been sending multiple gem-grams. One today, after you lot returned from Riftside. Marked as ‘urgent’ I heard.”

A knot tightened in my stomach. 

“Do you know what was in them?”

Johan shook his head. 

“Haven’t been able to get my hands on what she sent. But one of the replies that came back to her? Karl managed to sneak a peak. It contained only one word. ‘Coming.’”

I frowned, my gaze drifting to Eryn, who was laughing as she was doling out the magnificent cake. She caught my eye and waved for me to join.

“Thanks, Johan,” I said, turning back to him. “Please, have some people keep an eye on the town’s entrances. Let me know if you spot anyone… suspicious.”

“Will do, Ash. Now go enjoy the party. You’ve earned it.”

I scanned the room for Harold and the officials, but they seemed to have indeed departed. With a mental sigh, I swiped Roq out.

“What!? It looks like the party started a long time ago!” Roq boomed in my mind. “A celebration of this magnitude demands tribute! Tribute in the form of baked goods! And milk! Don’t forget the milk, you forgetful biped!”

I turned to Johan, and his eyes dropped to the hammer a moment later.

“I’ll have a bowl brought out for your hammer.”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 58

I stood on one of our chairs in front of the unlit fireplace. The weight of Quarris’s black crystal crown was substantial yet comforting. It was heavier even than if it had been made from steelhusk, and it was cold in my hands. I stared up at our trophy wall. It was slowly becoming impressive. Proof of the adventures we’d survived.

“A bit to the left,” Eryn said, “And up a bit.”

I made the adjustments. 

“Here?” I asked. “Seriously?”

“Fitting place,” Knut said and chuckled his rumbling laugh. “Crown above the platemaw’s head. Look like royal monster. Funny, too. Make for good story.”

“I like it,” Nabeeh said. “Has a certain flair to it. Surely wouldn’t mind bringing Edwin home with all those trophies.”

I looked over my shoulder with a raised eyebrow, but she just shrugged.

“Alright then,” I said, and held out my hand behind me. Eryn came and placed a nail in it, and I handed her the crown once I’d placed the nail correctly. 

I prepared mentally, and swiped out Roq for the first time after defeating Quarris. It was his punishment for lying to me about ‘Hammer To The Face’.

“On bloody time!” Roq said. “How dare you treat your primary weapon of glorious destruction like this!? I am a soul weapon. Unique in this world, and the key to your meteoric rise, and—”

I ignored his complaints and lined up the nail. 

“Hold still.” 

One sharp tap and the nail shot into the wall. 

“Manual labor!” Roq shrieked. “And after I was so cruelly imprisoned! Do you have any idea what it was like in there? With that… that mountain of a giant? He completely filled your storage to the point I was afraid it would burst! Do you hear me, oh biped, I was almost squashed! Utterly, comprehensively squashed! I could barely draw a breath! And I didn’t even have my PILLOW!”

“That’s good, Roq,” I said out loud for Nabeeh and Knut’s sake, carefully mounting the crown. The dark, jagged circle of crystal dominated the space. “Having a big carcass is lucky for us.”

“Big?” Roq said. “He was an impossibility! He shouldn’t have fit! It was like being trapped in a collapsing mine with an expanding rock!”

“Rock on Roq action?” Arclight said, chuckling.

I stepped back, admiring the crown. It looked good. Intimidating even. 

“Oh, don’t you dare!” Roq said. “Don’t you involve yourself in this, little miss stick thrower! I didn’t see you take down no giant!”

“Because you weren’t close enough to watch my arrow send the prey sprawling,” Arclight said. “But who could keep its shortsightedness against a hammer? You are what you are.”

“Guess some things are just bigger than they seem, Roq,” I said, more to myself than him. “I guess the giant was more than just the sum of its pieces.”

Knut grunted, his arms crossed as he stared up at the crown. 

“Tough. Good fight. Learned much from Edwin.”

Nabeeh sat seated by the table, leaning her chin on her hands.

“It was rather large, Ash. When it pulled out the spear? By the scorched sands, I thought Ming was done for. But the power… the sheer destructive force when Ming’s lightning hit those pylons!” She let out a little scream of excitement. 

I turned to look and found her grinning. 

“That was fun,” Nabeeh said.

Eryn came to stand beside me, slipping her hand into mine. Arclight rested on the table. 

“We faced it together,” Eryn said. “That’s what I’ll remember. And you… you were incredible, Ash.” 

Her squeeze was warm and reassuring. I squeezed back, looking up at the crown. 

“Likewise, babe. With this quest we should be able to pay back the mortgage in time and put the screws to the silver serpents.”

“Once paid, maybe we kick bottoms,” Knut said. 

“Maybe,” I said. “Though I hope they’ll just leave and let us focus on the monsters.”

“If we smash their skulls in, we can keep the money,” Roq added excitedly.

I sighed and held him up in front of my face. 

“Alright, you. What did you learn from all this?”

Roq was uncharacteristically quiet for a moment. Then, he spoke in a subdued rumble. 

“I… I should not have tricked you, Ash. About the throwing skill. It was… an error in judgment.” He actually sounded contrite. Wonders never ceased. “I apologize.”

I raised an eyebrow. 

“You promise not to pull a stunt like that again? Hiding how a skill actually works until I’m in the middle of a fight? Or anything like it,” I swiftly added.

“I promise!” Roq said, a little too quickly. “Cross my haft and hope to… well, not die, obviously. But I do promise!”

“Good.” I wasn’t entirely convinced, but it was a start. And there we were with a deja-vu. We already had this conversation once where he promised not cause problems and I had forgiven him. 

I glanced at Eryn and she nodded at me. 

“Now, about that pillow…”

“My PILLOW!” Roq wailed, his contrition vanishing in an instant. “Yes! My beautiful, blood-red satin pillow! You’ll give it back now, won’t you? Please, Ash! I’ve been so good! My steelhusk simply cannot stand resting on un-pillowed space in your storage. It is… unthinkable!”

“No,” I said. “You’ll get another two days to think about what you did. Then I’ll return it, as long as you behave.”

“TWO DAYS?” His voice cracked with anguish. “Two days is an eternity! A barren wasteland of discomfort! How can you be so cruel?”

“How long do you think it’ll take me to reach the level where I can upgrade ‘Hammer To The Face’ so it actually, you know, comes back?” I asked. “Would you prefer to wait until then? Maybe that would be more fair after all?”

Roq went silent again. Then, in a voice dripping with false magnanimity, he continued.

“Oh, no, no, my wielder. You are far too generous. Two days is… perfectly acceptable. A mere blink of an eye for a weapon of my stature and patience. Entirely fair for such a… situation.”

Eryn chuckled a bright, musical sound. She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek, her lips brushing my ear as she whispered, 

“You’re going to be a wonderful father someday, Ash Aldrich.”

A warmth spread through my chest, and I couldn’t help the smile that touched my lips.

Roq, never one to be ignored for long, piped up. 

“So… what treasures did we find within that oversized crystal chew-toy? Anything shiny for me?”

“Roq is asking what we found inside the giant,” I relayed, and nodded at Knut. “That’s your department, big guy, isn’t it?”

Knut’s usually stoic face lit up like a forge catching fresh fuel. 

“Was good. Very good. Warrior’s class gem!” His hand was shaking with excitement, and I wondered how long he had been stuck at nineteen. “For breakthrough. Just need to see… tank or damage. Guild tomorrow. Exchange for tank gem.” He paused, then added, his expression turning more serious, “Then I hold it. Until mortgage paid. In case need to sell.”

“I appreciate it, brother,” I said and walked over, bumping fists.“Thanks.”

“Welcome, brother,” he said. “You have taken my family in like your own, how can I do less?”

“Can I see it?” Roq asked with a hint of curiosity. “Let me gaze upon this warrior’s essence if you will.”

Eryn relayed and Knut nodded and equipped his glove before swiping it out and holding it up. 

It was a deep, fiery red, multifaceted, and radiated a quiet power.

Roq went utterly silent. Not his usual sulking silence, or his angry silence. This was a profound, almost awestruck stillness. A prickle of unease ran down my spine and I gave him a shake.

“Roq? You alright?”

His voice, when it came, was a choked whisper, raw with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. 

“I… I know…” 

“You know what?” I asked.

He struggled, the words catching in his…whatever passed for a throat. 

“Now I know what I need, Ash. For my breakthrough.”

My eyes went wide and I looked to Eryn. 

“You know what you need for your breakthrough? What?”

“A… a damage dealer warrior class gem,” he breathed. “Like… like the Knut holds. But… not that one.”

“A warrior class gem?” I said. “How do you know?”

“The gem,” Roq said, his voice gaining intensity, “Knut’s gem… it’s a tank class gem. I am certain of it! And it feels… right. I can feel the pull of it, Ash, a resonance deep within me. But it’s… it’s just slightly off. If Eryn’s healer class gem whispered to me, this one sings! It just sings… slightly off-key. Like you in the bath.” He paused, then his voice became a desperate plea. “Ash, please. You have to get me a warrior’s class gem. A damage dealer one. Let me break through! I know you gain experience while I am stuck, but… I promise, Ash! I will make it worth your while! Think of how powerful we already are! Imagine us when I can grow again! When I can truly unleash myself!”

“He’s asking for a warrior’s class gem,” I said for Nabeeh and Knut’s benefit. “That it will let him grow again.”

Knut grunted and looked down at his hand. “Roq strong. Stronger Roq, good for party.”

“Wonder what abilities he will unlock on level ten,” Nabeeh said. “If there is an equally large jump in power as there is for humans when they have their first breakthrough, or if it is a more linear jump in power.”

Eryn went to pick up Arclight and held her close to Knut’s hand and the Class Gem. 

“You feel anything?”

“Nothing,” Arclight said. “My thought is that I must reach a breakthrough before it will manifest. Disappointing.” 

I took a deep breath, the weight of Roq’s plea, of all our needs, pressing in. 

“I will work to get you a class gem, Roq,” I said slowly. “But you mustn’t be greedy. Our first priority is to repay Ma and Pa’s mortgage. Then we get Knut his breakthrough. He has waited long enough and done a lot for us. We’re not skipping him, not again. And we still owe Nabeeh a bunch of mind gems. But after that… I’ll start saving for your breakthrough.”

Roq was quiet for a beat and I half expected him to start screaming for me to take Knut’s Class Gem for himself, but when he spoke, his voice was thick with emotion. 

“Thank you, Ash. It will be worth it. And you are right. The big lump has done much for us. He deserves his Class Gem and then some.” 

“I’m glad you see that too,” I said. 

Then he shifted back to his usual boisterous self. 

“Right! Can we go get gold now, then? The sooner that blasted mortgage is paid, the sooner Knut gets his gem, and then the sooner I get my breakthrough and can once again FEAST upon our enemies!”

I chuckled, shaking my head at his rapid mood swings. 

“Alright, alright. Eryn,” I said, “Pa should be done with the gem-carrying carcasses by now. Fancy a trip to the merchants to sell off the mind gems once we’ve cleaned up a bit?”

She smiled. 

“I’d like that. Though I’m going to require at least an hour and a half to get ready. I want to look presentable for my party later.”

“Party?” Roq interjected. “What party?”

“There is to be a tribal celebration of my wielder’s ascension to adventurehood,” Arclight said, her voice somewhat subdued. It was unlike her, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What?” Roq repeated, clearly confused.

“There’s a party at the Timberline tonight,” I said. “To celebrate Eryn’s breakthrough.”

Roq’s earlier anguish was completely forgotten. 

“A party! Oh, glorious day! Will there be pie? And milk? I demand pie and milk!”

I just shook my head and grinned. Some things, like Roq’s appetite, never changed.

*

The rounds with the merchants went surprisingly well. Every single one of them had the gold ready for the mind gems we offered, and most expressed keen interest in purchasing more as soon as we had them. Even Borin, the brewer, had paid without any grumbling, though he’d politely asked if Eryn could come inside by herself to do the transaction, looking mightily relieved when she’d agreed. 

I guessed he hadn’t fully recovered from my previous visit.

Back at our house, I opened the door for Eryn, letting her walk in first. She offered me a warm smile. “Thank you, Ash. You are such a gentleman.”

“You’ve proven yourself worthy of my respect a thousand times over, Eryn,” I said, and meant every word.

She playfully swatted my arm. 

“Such a sweet talker.” But the pleased blush on her cheeks told me she loved it. “How long before you’re ready to head to the Timberline for the party? Everyone is already waiting.”

“Just a bit,” I said. “First, I have something for you.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. 

“For me? What is it?”

“Just hold on for a moment.” I hurried up the stairs to my room, my heart thumping a little faster than usual. The neatly wrapped package from Martha the Seamstress felt strangely heavy in my hands as I took it from beneath my bed. 

What if it doesn’t fit? What if she doesn’t like it? 

I’d never given a girl a present like this before, something so… personal. Then a smile touched my lips. 

But what if she loves it? What if it’s the best dress anyone has ever gotten her? Yeah. She’ll definitely love it.

With a steadying breath, I headed back down. Eryn was perched on the edge of the dining table, waiting. As I descended, her eyes immediately darted to the package in my hands.

“What, exactly, is that?” she asked.

“A gift,” I said, feeling a little awkward. “A… congratulations on your breakthrough.”

“Did you get me armor?” she asked, excitement lacing her tone, and I thought back to the new armor I’d been given by Harold when I broke through.

“Erh… no,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “Any equipment you want, we’ll forge together at Pa’s. So… no. It’s not adventuring equipment.”

“What is it then?” she pressed, her gaze fixed on the package.

I held it out to her. 

“Happy breakthrough, Eryn.”

A beaming smile spread across her face as she took it. 

“Thank you, handsome.” She turned the package over in her hands, then held it up to her ear and shook it gently. A soft rustle followed.

“What are you doing?” I asked, amused.

“Trying to guess what it is,” she said, happiness filling her face. “I haven’t gotten a gift since… well, you know.”

A pang went through me. 

“Yeah. Your parents?”

She nodded, a wistful smile touching her lips.

“Well, you’re my family now,” I said, my voice softer than I intended. “So you better get used to receiving gifts.”

She swatted my arm again, harder this time, but her smile remained. 

“You better not start wasting money on me. I want us to grow strong together so we can make sure nobody else loses their loved ones.”

I stepped closer, gently placing a hand behind her neck, and leaned in to kiss her. It was a soft, lingering kiss, and I poured all my emotions into it. Then I pulled her into a hug, holding her close. 

“Thank you for being mine, Eryn,” I whispered.

She hugged me back tightly. 

“Don’t get too sappy with me or a tear or two might ruin my makeup,” she said jokingly. “Now give me some space so I can open my present!”

I chuckled. 

“You just said you didn’t want any gifts.”

Her chuckle turned into a mock-pout and glare.

“You shouldn’t make it a habit, but since this one’s already here, I’m going to enjoy it for all it’s worth!”

Eryn tore at the wrapping eagerly. The paper fell away to reveal a dress of gorgeous, deep burgundy wool, the color of rich wine, trimmed with what looked like dark silk at the neckline and cuffs. It wasn’t a fancy gown, nothing like what a noblewoman might wear, but a beautifully made dress, simple yet elegant.

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide as she stared at it. 

“By the bell’s single strike… it’s… it’s beautiful, Ash, but this is too much.”

Tears welled in her eyes, but they were happy tears. She didn’t say anything, just launched herself at me, her arms wrapping around my neck in a fierce hug.And just as suddenly, she pulled away, her face alight with an almost childlike excitement. 

“Wait right there!” she exclaimed, clutching the dress to her chest, and dashed up the stairs, disappearing into her room.

I chuckled, shaking my head, and settled down to wait. About ten minutes later, her voice trailed down the staircase. “Ash? Are you ready?”

“Ready when you are!” I called back.

My breath caught as she walked down the stairs. The dress fit her perfectly, clinging and flowing in all the right places. For once, her blonde hair was loose, brushed out to cascade over her shoulders in soft waves. Her green eyes, usually so focused and serious when we were Riftside, were smiling, bright and full of joy. She looked… radiant. Absolutely, breathtakingly wonderful.

I waited at the bottom of the stairs as she descended, stopping when we were at eye level. She leaned down, her loose hair brushing my cheek, and kissed me deeply. 

“Thank you, Ash,” she whispered against my lips. “This is the most wonderful gift I’ve ever received.”

My hands found her waist, and I easily lifted her down the last few steps and held her close for a moment. “You are very much welcome. Now that I got a glimpse of just how beautiful you look in a dress like this, many will follow,”I said and shot her a wink. You’re going to make everyone at the Timberline envious tonight.”

She laughed, a joyful, carefree sound that filled the room. 

“I know I will,” she agreed, her eyes dancing. “Because I’m going to have you on my arm.”

I laughed with her, the warmth of the moment chasing away the stress that had hung over us the last few days, at least for the moment. Together, we headed for the door, ready for a night of celebration.

Riftside 2 - Chapter 57

I smiled as Pa slapped a hand on the giant carcass’ chest. It echoed with a resounding thud against the giant chest.

“Let’s start with this, because it has several sets of heavy plate written all over it,” he said, his voice brimming with excitement. “How tough was the crystal, son?”

“Our weapons barely chipped away at it,” I said. “Though it suppressed our passives. Only Rowan’s blades did any before… well, before the end.”

He nodded, then drew Stormcutter and smiled down on the blade. It looked like a sliver of captured lightning that snaked along the length of the tool. Pa inspected an area with overlapping crystal plates, running his fingers along the surface. He found a gap between two of the chest plates, each of which was the size of a dining room table, and then cut. The blade slid through the crystalline connections with a soft, grating sound.

“See here, Torsten,” Pa said, taking on his usual carving voice. “You don’t fight the material, you find its weakness. Every beast, every crystal, has a seam, a fault line. Our job is to find and exploit it.” He worked Stormcutter around the edge of one plate, the muscles in his arm bunching. “Alright, lad, give me a hand with this.”

Together, Pa and Torsten heaved the enormous plate free, sending it thudding to the ground. 

A pang, sharp and unexpected, went through me. Seeing Pa work with Torsten, sharing his knowledge, his craft… it used to be me there standing by his side. Just as it had come, the pang disappeared and I knew it felt right. I had my new place, and Torsten needed this as much as Pa needed the full-time help. We had brought the man and his family here to give them a place to call home, and to have a purpose. 

I’d get my time helping out with the forging later, I was sure. But for now, this was their show.

Pa let out a low whistle as the inner structure was revealed. 

“Well, now. This is quite something! Gather around, everyone. Take a look at this beauty.”.”

We crowded closer. Beneath the heavy plate was no ordinary flesh and bone. It was… something else. A substance like wet sand, yet it held its form, firm and resilient. Running through it, like a circulatory system, were vein-like channels of a darker, almost black crystal.

“Those must be the filaments that glowed with its magic,” Ming said. 

Corwin tapped his lip. 

“Its lifeblood was literal magic. How fascinating.”

Pa grunted as he clambered onto the giant’s chest, fighting his leg. Once in the right position, he made a gentle incision in the center of the strange, sandy flesh. 

“Alright, stand back, folks. Need some elbow room here,” he said, and began peeling back the crystal-flesh, careful not to tear it. Torsten was holding the flap to one side. 

Then his breath hitched. 

“By the Rift’s bountiful booty!” he said, tapping Stormcutter against something beneath the flesh, and the object sang with a clear, resonant note. “The ribs on this bastard… they’re… perfect.” He made a cutting motion, then grunted. “Resists even Stormcutter! Never seen anything this strong.”

“Just because it’s strong doesn’t mean it isn’t brittle, Thomas,” Vos cautioned. 

I glanced at him. He was looking right at me, another not-so-subtle lesson being delivered. I rolled my eyes. Did he ever switch off?

Pa mumbled, more to himself than anyone., 

“Even if it is brittle, wrap it in cured Shardfang leather or a lattice cage of Steel Scuttler shell, I’d like to see what would be able to crack this--”” 

He grunted and straightened, careful not to go tumbling on his butt in front of the huge audience. 

“You alright, Pa?” I said, half worried he might keel over.

“All good, son. Torsten, fetch the hand crank. We’re going to need it to get through one of these.”

As Torsten hurried off, Eryn walked over to stand next to me, and tilted her head. 

“You’re checking for a gem already, Pa? Not going to enjoy making us wait?”

“He doesn’t usually check for gems?” Corwen asked.

“Pa likes to build up anticipation,” Eryn explained with a smile. “Makes the prize sweeter, he says.”

“It’s not about making you wait, girl, though that is a nice bonus,” Pa interrupted, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He looked at me. “What is it about, Ash?”

I smiled, a warmth spreading through me at being included in the familiar ritual. 

“It’s to remind ourselves that the gem is a bonus. The real treasures of monster carcasses are their materials.”

Pa nodded. 

“That’s my boy. Like these ribs. Once properly crafted, these might fetch a Mind Gem on their own. Most likely perfect for crafting staves, though that’s not my area of expertise.” He eyed a particularly thick rib. “I’ll definitely forge a sword from one of these. Or a rapier, if the grain allows.”

Lysander stepped forward and held his hands up as if surrendering. 

“Permission to approach, old friend?”

Pa laughed and shook his head. 

“Get up here, Willow! Don’t be shy. It’s not the first time we’re sharing a carcass.”

The bowyer, slender and serene, hopped up with the grace Pa lacked, and walked the giant’s flank as Pa and Torsten, now returned with the hand crank, began the laborious process of getting through a rib.

“Examining the tendons of this creature would be a treat most worthy of my travel,” Lysander said. “That, and perhaps… a casing or channel may be forged for a bow, one in which we can set the second lightning globule.”

Pa’s head snapped up. 

“Ohh! No you don’t! You already got to play with one of Arclight’s globules, Lysander. The other has only one person’s name written on it, and that name is Thomas Tharen!”

We laughed as Lysander waved a placid hand. 

“The bear shows his claws. But the willow knows patience.”

“You can be as patient as a bloody glacier, you wavy tree you,” Pa retorted, though he was smiling too. “That lightning globule is going into a weapon, forged by me. But!” He held up a finger. “I will be gracious enough to potentially use your idea. If what Ming mentioned is true, and lightning magic works exceptionally well with this crystal material, forging a weapon, or a piece of armour, with the lightning globule embedded might yield an interesting creation.”

Vos leaned over to Ma, who was watching her husband with an indulgent smile. 

“Is he always like this?”

Ma nodded, her pride evident. 

“This is what he lives for, Official Vos. It’s why Steel & Scale makes the best armour and weapons this side of the capital,” she said with a wink. “And if we were in the capital, we’d be making the finest weapons there too. But nothing ever makes it that far. It all gets snapped up before we can even think about exporting.”

Vos nodded slowly to himself. 

“We will see about that.”

With a final, grating screech of metal on crystal, Pa and Torsten cracked loose one rib. I helped them lower it to the ground, marvelling at the thickness and length. For all of Pa’s talk of forging a weapon, I’d love to see what protection this could give any of us. 

Pa then carefully made an incision into the strange, sandy flesh deeper in the chest cavity, beneath the ribs. He paused, a showman to the core, and then theatrically, slowly, inserted his hand inside, pushing up to his elbow, eyes half closed as he rooted around. 

Then he froze, his eyes went wide.

“Mister Tharen? What is it?” Alex asked, voicing the question on everyone’s lips.

A slow grin spread across Pa’s face as he pulled out his hand. Resting in his gloved palm was a perfect, multifaceted red Class Gem.

Knut let out a whoop that could have woken the dead. 

“Warrior’s gem! By first shield I ever broke, what beauty!”

I pulled Eryn close and grinned up at Pa. This was a massive find, one that would secure our success in paying back the loan if we couldn’t gather the money in another way. We would still have to find a buyer, but class gems were rare and very much sought after. 

Corwin turned to Knut. 

“What level are you, adventurer?”

“Nineteen,” Knut rumbled. “Ready for my breakthrough.”

Rowan stepped forward, extending his hand to Knut. 

“Congratulations, friend. I relinquish my claim to the gem to you.” Isaac, Ming, and Alex followed suit, each offering their congratulations and, more importantly, giving up any claim to the gem.

“Why?” Corwin asked as he took each of them in, looking puzzled.

Alex crossed his arms. 

“We’re all in our twenties and we’ve got a strong team that is doing good. We plan to stay here a while longer. Keep Dawnwatch safe without drawing bigger threats.” 

It was a sound strategy, one that benefited the settlement by keeping the monster threat level manageable.

“Go for it, Knut,” I said, clapping him on the back. “We’ll see if we can gather the money for the smithy without selling it, so you can use it for the breakthrough. You deserve it.” 

Knut grinned. It was a rare, full-toothed expression as he hurried to accept the gem from Pa with a gruff “Thank you.”

“This is the type of thinking I expect from top adventuring parties,” Vos said. “When you are all ready to break through, contact me. I will work to help find a replacement party for Dawnwatch and the necessary class gems you need, if they are not available here.”

“With a discount, right?” Isaac asked.

Vos actually laughed, a short, barking sound, and looked at Corwin.

Corwin scoffed. 

“No, of course not. But we will make them available at market rate and not force you to hunt for them indefinitely.”

Isaac chuckled. 

“Sounded too good to be true.”

“Official Vos,” I said. “Could we, my party, get the same deal for class gems? Happy to pay market value, but not being forced to wait and hunt with no end in sight would be… beneficial.”

Vos looked at me, his gaze sharp, pausing for a long moment.

“I understand you might be wondering if this will push us to be more or less reckless,” I continued before he could make up his mind, meeting his gaze. “This will only be positive. Without this, we’ll be forced to take on the toughest fights we can find to increase the chance of getting a drop. But if we can take on smaller fights to farm Mind Gems and materials…” I raised an eyebrow. “Less risk, yes?”

Vos nodded slowly to himself, then turned to Corwin. 

“I leave it to you.”

Corwin looked from the giant’s carcass to me, tapping his lips thoughtfully. 

“You truly got the killing blow on this creature, Aldrich?”

“Yes, sir, I did,” I confirmed, deciding it wouldn’t be too bad to show some extra respect. “Though Rowan and Edwin, together with Eryn and Isaac, were the ones who made it possible, and only after Ming, Knut, Nabeeh, and Alex had helped us knock it down to size.”

“A solid answer,” Corwin said. “Very well. I will make class gems available to your party at a ten percent price increase over market rate.” He held up a finger. “This is a privilege usually reserved for those who work directly for Central Command or are special flagged parties. You buying a class gem means another party, somewhere, might go without. Consider this the trust and honour it is.”

“Thank you, Official Corwin,” I said, squeezing Eryn’s hand. This was huge. We could farm mind gems with relative ease, but class gems? Not a chance.

“If you’re all done chatting politics,” Pa said, gesturing with Stormcutter. “Shall we get back to the crafting? Or are we just going to stand around admiring this beast all day?”

I grinned. 

“Yes, Pa. Please go ahead.” I slapped Knut on the back again. “Though I am looking forward to seeing your break through, brother.”

Pa walked to different spots on the giant, Stormcutter flashing as he pointed. 

“Because there are three other things I want to point out while I’ve got you all here. First, the plates on its back. From what I can see, I can forge a series of tower shields from those, strong enough to stop a charging Brambleback. Second, these thicker leg segments…” He tapped one. “A series of warhammers, unless the core material turns out to be too brittle. And third…” He paused for effect, a slow smile. “I’m going to make an axe. And not just any axe, but one for cutting steelhusk.” He held up his hands, Stormcutter still in one. “It might not work, mind you. But this crystal… it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

Harold let out a low whistle. 

“That would be outstanding, Thomas. If you could make an axe capable of cutting through steelhusk efficiently, it might speed up the production ten, even twenty percent.”

Corwin nodded, his expression serious. 

“This is an admirable goal, Master Tharen. Go ahead and work on this idea. But tell nobody. I do not want the Crown to know the economic output from Dawnwatch may be about to increase.”

“Why not?” I asked. “This is the second thing you’ve told us not to talk about today, and I’d like to know why. It feels like we’re stuck in the middle of a battle, but blindfolded and not told who our enemies are or what they want. At least with the monsters, we know they want to kill and eat us before invading our world. It’s not easy to deal with, but it’s damn simple. Kill them before they kill us. Now, would you please tell us what’s going on here?”

Vos and Corwin exchanged a heavy glance, after which the latter gave a minute shrug. “This is not something you should need to concern yourselves with, Aldrich,” Vos said with a sigh. ”But I understand that you have been dragged into it nonetheless, due to your… conflict with House Domitius,” he continued, but then suddenly paused and seemed to be searching for words. “To keep it short, the Crown is no longer satisfied with merely taxing resources harvested Riftside and brought through to Noros. They see the Guild, and settlements like Dawnwatch, as growing too powerful, too fast. Dawnwatch has been chosen as a battlefield between the Guild and the Crown. Not because you have done anything wrong, but simply because you are one of the newest Rifts, the economic value of this Rift is significant, especially thanks to the steelhusk harvested, and thirdly, you are far out on the frontier. If things go wrong here…” Vos let out another sigh, this one laden with a grim sort of pragmatism. “It is possible to move on and agree it didn’t happen. Or if it happened, it was nobody’s fault. And if it was anyone’s fault, they would already be dead.”

A cold anger began to simmer in my gut. 

“What does the Crown expect to be able to do without the Guild, exactly?”

“Aye,” Knut growled. He had swiped the gem into his Spatial Storage, and stood with his arms crossed. To my surprise, Isaac, Ming, Alex, and Rowan remained silent, their faces carefully neutral. They had all known. This wasn’t news to them. But of course they had. They were Edwin’s party.

“It is the Crown’s opinion,” Vos continued, as if discussing cloudy weather, “That the original agreement between the Guild and the Crown was for monster carcasses only, not other materials or resources. The Guild, naturally, does not agree. But we know we cannot afford to fight a battle on two fronts. We are as dependent on the kingdoms as they are on us, even if they try to fool themselves into thinking otherwise. The good thing is that the more carcasses you bring in, and the more economic value generated in that way, the better it is. It shows this Rift isn’t primarily an access point to a resource area, but still a portal into enemy territory, one which we are raiding for what resources we can, one that will require adventurers to conquer and hold, also in the future.” His gaze hardened. “House Domitius, and every single other noble house, have aligned with the Crown. They are looking to secure… let’s just say they want a larger slice of the pie. Similar to what I hear of that hammer of yours, Ash.”

Pa suddenly cut in. 

“They can forget about it. There’s not a chance in the deepest Rift we’ll let those nobles take our smithy. And if the Crown is trying to mess with the Guild…” He stalked across Quarris’ chest to the giant’s head, and with a few deft movements of Stormcutter, he pried loose the circlet of black crystal that had adorned the giant’s brow. He scrambled down before walking over and handing it to me. 

“This will look good on your trophy wall, won’t it, son?”

The circlet was large enough I could have used it as a belt, and the weight was substantial, the crystal cold and unyielding in my hands.

“Yes, Pa,” I said. “This will do well on our wall.” 

Neither Eryn nor Nabeeh complained this time.

Vos cleared his throat, a dry, warning sound. 

“I hope we are not entertaining rebellious thoughts here, Master Tharen, Adventurer Aldrich. A civil war, or even widespread unrest, will serve nobody but the monsters.”

I looked back up to Vos and his gaze. 

“Agreed, Official Vos. It is simply a clear message to those who have the privilege of rule, that ruling is a privilege, not a given.”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 56

When we entered the adventuring guild, a shared exhaustion fell over us like a shroud. We’d agreed on the way to the debrief. Our faces were grim and demeanour serious. Not a hint of our triumph showed. 

Not yet.

Harold, Vos, Corwin, and Mara’s expressions were unreadable as we filed in one after the other. A few other adventurers were scattered about the main hall, their conversations dying down as they took in the sight of our combined and rather battered group..

One of the adventurers stood. 

“Damn, Edwin? How did it go?”

Before Edwin could reply, Harold raised his voice, addressing the room at large. 

“Empty the hall, ladies and gentlemen. We need it for a debrief. Right now.” 

His tone brooked no argument, and the other adventurers, plus Madeleine and Petra, began filtering out. 

“You too, Sverr!” Harold called.

“But there might be gem-grams!” the man called back, sticking his head out his window. “Important ones!”

“If they’re that damn important, they’ll send them again when you don’t confirm! Now get!”

The man grumbled and cursed under his breath as he stomped out. I’d never seen him out of his chair, and was surprised to see he was as tall as me. He only weighed about a third with a frame so slim, though, and I made a note to get in my workouts. I needed the extra muscle.

He slammed the door shut behind him, leaving us in the sudden quiet.

Harold sighed and looked at me. 

“So? How bad is it?”

I nodded at Edwin, and a slow grin spread across the commander’s face.

“Oh, let me tell you, Harold, this was an interesting one,” he said and paused for dramatic effect. “Over two hundred monsters slain on our way in.” 

Mara whistled softly.

“Ash led us well,” Edwin continued. “The Crystalkin were dug in deep, but we pushed through deep underground. Easily a hundred yards deep, if you understand my meaning.” Another pause, but then his grin widened. “And we slew the crystal giant. Quarris, it called itself. The dead have been avenged and the Echoing Chasm is liberated. The killing blow?” He looked straight at me. “That honor went to Ash.”

I tried to keep calm at the direct praise in front of Vos and Mara’s as they eyed me intently No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t help but smile.

Harold seemed to visibly deflate, the tension draining from his shoulders as if a great weight had been lifted. 

“Thank the bells,” he breathed, his voice raspy with relief. “This is good, Edwin. Real good. The carcass—”

Corwin Rone adjusted his spectacles and interrupted. 

“The carcass, of course, will belong to Central Command, as per standard procedure for a Red-rated threat.”

Edwin didn’t even blink. 

“As agreed, Corwin, half the material yield will be turned over. The raid parties will retain the other half, with us relinquishing any gems to Ash’s party.” He then added, almost casually, “And my party has decided to donate our share of that half to Dawnwatch. To help the town through this crisis.”

“That is…very admirable of you, Commander,” Vos said after a brief pause. His gaze flicked to Corwin. “You’ve mentioned the unique properties of the Crystalkin materials before, Corwin. This is a strong victory for the Guild, make no mistake.”

Harold nodded emphatically. 

“And for Dawnwatch! Its prosperity hinges on the continued yield of that Rift. This success is vital to our very existence.”

Ming, ever enthusiastic about her craft, chimed in. 

“I think you’ll find the crystals will be even more valuable than previously expected. The Weavers’ crystals accepted my lightning, letting it rush through its channels. Quarris’s core material might be even more potent.”

“Big boom,” Knut said, making an exploding motion with his hands as a wide grin split his face.

Ming eyed him for a moment, and then turned back to the officials. 

“It did explode rather dramatically when my magic interacted directly with the Weavers’ own channeled energy. There might be even more opportunity available there if we find out how it worked.”

“We will call on you for a demonstration and detailed report, Ming,” Vos said, before turning his attention to me. “You’ve done a great job, Aldrich. With what you had.”

“What do you mean by that?” Eryn asked.

“Harold told me what was known of the giant after you had left. I would not have recommended engaging such a creature with a party of only nine, one of whom is, shall we say, recently classed, and four of whom are still shy of their second breakthrough.”

“We had Commander Edwin’s party with us,” Eryn pushed. “We were more than strong enough.”

“More than strong enough to defeat it, young Storm Warden?” Vos countered. “Or more than strong enough to do so safely, without undue risk of casualties? There is a world of difference between those two outcomes.”

Eryn shifted uncomfortably and looked down to the floor. I stepped in before she could reply and draw more ire. 

“In adventuring, Official Vos, there are never any guarantees of safety. Even weaker monsters can get in a lucky strike and kill a higher level adventurer.”

Vos took a slow breath and demonstrably glanced at the various freshly healed wounds and damaged gear. 

“That may be true, Aldrich, but it does not excuse unnecessary risks. The adventurers who reach level sixty, those who achieve the most for humanity, are the ones who meticulously stack the deck in their favor. Who is most worthy, would you say, between a level twenty to flee a monster who is of equal strength to herself and a level thirty who sacrifices her life in taking down a monster of equal strength to herself, stopping it from heading through the Rift?”

“The one who stops the monster,” I said, shifting my shield and wishing I could cross my arms, but my spatial was full and I’d had to carry it all the way back.

“Not so. If the level twenty keeps living, continues hunting, she may reach level forty and slay a hundred level thirty monsters.” He frowned and shook his head. “This is what frustrates me with adventurers. You do not see the future value of your lives, and if you would just focus on living, then we wouldn’t be having these conversations. Anywhere, mind you, not just here.”

I shifted, not comfortable with the logic of his point. Had Madrigal Ironweave fled, or had he picked and won every fight from level one to sixty? If he’d taken on a fight he shouldn’t, would he have been alive to save my family and I?

“The best adventurers remove every conceivable uncertainty and account for every possible detail and angle before a fight. Did you?” Vos asked.

I swallowed, the question hanging heavy in the air. Before I found my words, Vos turned to Edwin. 

“Commander, did you come close to losing anyone on this venture?”

“Yes, we did,” Edwin said. “Ming and Isaac were both  badly injured, but not due to being unprepared, Vos. The foe was powerful, its abilities unknown until encountered.”

Vos gave a slow, deliberate nod. 

“I look forward to reading the detailed after-action report, Commander.”

“We just won, Vos,” I said. “We took down a rift rotten Red-rated monster that’s killed adventurers and been hiding and growing for who knows how long! Why are you giving us trouble? We should be celebrating!”

Vos’ eyebrows rose. 

“Trouble? This is not trouble, young adventurer. You would know if you were in trouble. This is advice, which you would be wise to take.” He paused, then added, “This is also a compliment and congratulations on a quest well done.”

I stared at him, taken aback. 

“A compliment? Are you… sure? Because this sounds more like a whole forge-full of criticism.”

A sudden laugh, loud and clear, burst from Mara. She clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes crinkling at the corners. Vos turned his gaze to her, one eyebrow arching slowly. She just waved a dismissive hand at him, still suppressing a smile.

Vos looked back at me. 

“Yes, Aldrich. I am sure. You have done well. I want you to continue to do well.”

I managed a nod, still trying to reconcile his words with his tone. 

“Thank you for the… well wishes, then. It was a tough fight. If Ming hadn’t figured out how to use her lightning against their crystal network, we might have been forced to retreat.” I paused, then dropped the real bomb. “Oh, and the monster talked.”

They all froze for a second, before reacting in most peculiar ways.

Harold’s jaw dropped, Mara’s amusement vanished, replaced by sharp attention, Corwin’s glasses nearly slid off his nose, and Even Vos’s stoic expression flickered with surprise.

Edwin seized the moment. 

“Which is proof! My theory is correct. There’s more to the monsters Riftside than we understand. The giant, Quarris, specifically mentioned the Hive Mind! Asked if we were sent by it, said it refuses to—”

“Edwin, enough!” Mara’s voice cut through his words, sharp as a razor. “Your wild theories will be discussed later. Privately.”

Edwin opened his mouth to object, but Mara’s gaze was firm, her authority undeniable. 

“That is a command, Commander. Do not disobey me.”

He snapped his mouth shut, a flush rising on his neck and cheeks.

I started to add my own observations about Quarris’s words, but a single, pointed glare from Mara silenced me just as effectively. 

“The rest of you are not to breathe a word of this to anyone. The guild is not served by confusion among the adventurers. Tell me you understand and accept this. Now. All of you.”

After we all did, I decided a change of subject was wise. 

“Speaking of…things… the quest reward?”

Corwin, recovering his composure, adjusted his glasses. 

“Proof of kill, if you please.”

A collective groan seemed to emanate from both my party and Edwin’s. We all just stared at him.

Corwin looked around, looking perplexed. 

“The Guild cannot disburse payment without verified proof. This is standard operational procedure.”

I shrugged. 

“Sure. We can give you your requested samples of the smaller Crystalkin now. As for Quarris, you’ll have to join us at the Steel & Scale…” I let my voice trail off, enjoying the suspense. “We don’t quite know what to expect when I pull him from storage.”

“What do you mean?” Corwin asked.

“He was a giant,” I said. “But during the fight, he… changed. Reformed. We’re not sure what state he’ll be in. Better to do it behind the smithy. There’s a larger plot of land there, less chance of damaging anything.”

Vos frowned. 

“I recall the Titanfang carcass was butchered here at the Guild.”

“I took that monstrosity out of inventory well outside the city walls, Vos,” Edwin said. “We carved it into several pieces there before bringing them back in.”

Corwin nodded slowly. 

“Very well. I will accompany you to the smithy.”

“I’ll stay back,” Mara said, her gaze fixed on Edwin. “The Commander and I have matters to discuss.”

“I’d love to be a part of that conversation, Mara,” I said.

Mara’s smile was all teeth. 

“And once you become a commander of a Rift, Aldrich, I’ll consider including you in such discussions.”

I gave a tight smile of my own. Touché. 

“Right then. To the Guild storage first, to deliver the other carcasses.”

*

The space behind the smithy was more crowded than I’d ever experienced it, even without Edwin and Mara. Besides our two parties, Pa, Ma, Torsten, and even Lysander Wilkens had gathered to see the giant, together with Vos, Harold, and Corwin. 

Ma finished giving me several pieces of her mind about not informing her before heading off on a hunt, her glare still potent even after I’d mumbled my apologies.

“Crisis, fine, I understand you have to run,” she’d said, her voice low but firm enough for everyone to hear. “But a planned quest to hunt for a rift rotten crystal giant, Ash Aldrich? You let us know. That’s the deal. Next time this happens, I’m coming to the Guild and having this chat with you in front of all your new friends and colleagues.”

I sighed, knowing better than to argue when she used my full name. 

“Yes, Ma. I’m sorry, Ma. Again. Could we perhaps discuss this later, when we don’t have… well, quite such an audience?”

She gave me one last glare before nodding curtly. 

“Fine. If only because you all came back in one piece.”

Knut chuckled beside me. 

“Be grateful for mother’s love, Ash. Miss mine.” He glanced at Torsten, his expression softening. “Pardon, brother. Our mother.”

“Of course,” I said. “I am. It’s just, you know…” I looked around at the twelve people watching Ma and I. But not one of them looked annoyed, just amused.

Torsten offered a sad smile. 

“In our world of high mountains, she stood the tallest, and was the gentle hand that healed the cracks in our lives.”

“She sounds lovely,” Eryn said softly and touched Knut’s shoulder. 

“Better than we deserved,” Knut said, his voice gruff with emotion. “Made world less ugly.”

“What happened to her?” Vos asked, his unexpected question startling us all. I wouldn’t have pegged him for the type to care about personal histories.

Knut and Torsten exchanged a quick, fierce glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Knut shook his head almost imperceptibly.

“It is a tale for another time, Official Vos,” Torsten said, his voice regaining its composure first. “Not for a moment of triumph such as this.”

“Barrel of ale type story,” Knut rumbled, his brow low. “Murder, treason, and two lost orphans.”

“Don’t say that, Knut. There’s no proof Dad’s gone,” Torsten corrected quietly, then clapped his hands together, forcing a brighter tone. “But enough of that! I am eager to see this giant you’ve felled!”

Lysander, his voice calm, chimed in. 

“Indeed. Perhaps my second project of Dawnwatch will reveal itself among its glimmering shape, like the carp in a sunlit stream.” 

Isaac sidled over to him, introducing himself and murmuring something about discussing bowyery later. Lysander agreed with a serene nod, though he pointed out, “Any commissions undertaken whilst I am a guest of Steel & Scale must, of course, be processed through them.”

I gave Lysander a grateful nod before stepping away from the others, then surveyed the open plot of land between the smithy’s backyard and the next ring road. My hand hesitated over the rune on my wrist. I could almost picture it – in a few years, a dozen houses might stand here, lining newly laid lanes. 

Dawnwatch was growing, and fast. This wouldn’t slow it down.

With a private chuckle, I swiped my hand.

“Alright, Quarris. Time for your public debut.” 

I mentally directed the placement, away from us and the smithy.

The ground beneath our feet shuddered violently as Quarris’s carcass materialized and slammed down with a sound like a runaway stone. Dust billowed outwards.

Vos let out a sharp curse. Corwin gasped, 

“Oh my.” 

Ma clutched Pa’s arm, her eyes wide, while Pa just let out a thoughtful “Hmm,” and headed for the carcass.

Torsten whooped, pumping a fist in the air before engulfing Knut in a hug. 

“That’s my big brother!” he roared. “Bringing down the massive ones and taking names!”

Harold, on the other hand, just started laughing, great booming peals of it.

“What’s so funny, Guild Leader?” I asked, bewildered, looking between the carcass and Harold, as Torsten joined Pa.

Harold couldn’t speak for a moment, just pointed a shaking finger at Corwin, whose face slowly turned into a mask of controlled annoyance. 

Finally, he managed to talk again.

“Corwin, I hope you brought an extra ledger! Ash here got you good! Half the carcass to Central Command, but any gems from the kill are theirs, and Central Command will still walk away fat and happy from the raw materials. I’d say you owe us all a round at the Timberline for this!”

Corwin adjusted his glasses. 

“We are, of course, gratified to support the continued prosperity of frontier settlements such as Dawnwatch. Though it does appear our initial investment in this venture has yielded rather… unbalanced dividends in certain respects.”

I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. 

“That’s what happens when you play fair out here on the edge, Corwin. We all get a little something, even if some of us get a bit more than others.”

Harold’s laughter subsided into a satisfied chuckle. 

“If this isn’t enough to keep Central Command’s purse strings loosened for Dawnwatch, Corwin, then you don’t deserve your title or your fancy ledgers. I think it’s time we revisited our earlier discussions regarding the rationing of arrows and the unfortunate reduction in quest payouts, eh?”

Vos, his face deadpan, added, “It will certainly be more challenging for anyone at Central to argue against Dawnwatch’s relevance and relative success now. You might even say the scales are… weighted in your favor now, Harold. Keep this up and we will happily visit you again under better circumstances.”

Corwin managed a thin smile. 

“I will, of course, be reviewing the relevant balance sheets with the outcome of this quest prominently in mind. I trust you will provide full and comprehensive documentation, Harold. For now… congratulations are in order.”

“Oh, I’ll document it,” Harold said. “By the Rift’s own shimmering green surface, I’ll make two copies and frame one for my office wall!”

Corwin sighed, then addressed me. 

“You’ll receive half the gold for the quest completion today, Aldrich, one hundred and twenty-five gold. The remainder will be disbursed tomorrow, upon receipt of Commander Edwin’s written report.”

We shouted and jumped into the air, and I rushed over to pull Eryn into a tight hug before giving her a quick kiss. 

“Congratulations,” she whispered. “And good job, handsome.”

Ma came over and held her arms out. I gave her a hug next. 

“Good job, son,” she said. “Though this doesn’t mean you’re not in trouble. I’ll give you an earful later on.”

“I know, Ma,” I said, enjoying the hug, especially after Knut’s reminder of how precious mothers were.

“I’ll make sure Edwin writes up the report tonight,” Ming said. “Before we even think about heading to the Timberline.”

Alex chuckled beside her. 

“Edwin’s going to love that. Which means I love it. We will all make sure the report is done right away.”

I laughed, then turned to Pa, who leaned on Quarris’s remains, looking a little unsteady on his feet from the news. 

“Well, Pa? What do you think of our little souvenir?”

Pa straightened, and then swallowed, twice, before taking a slow breath and getting his emotions under control. He glanced to the Guild officials and then back to me. 

“Do you want my initial analysis in front of our esteemed guests, Ash? Or shall we wait until we have a measure of privacy?”

A thrill went through me. 

Pa wouldn’t ask that unless he’d already spotted something fun. 

“You know what, Pa?” I said, a wide grin spreading across my face. “I think it’s high time we took this opportunity to show our leaders from Central Command exactly what makes Steel & Scale so unique.”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 55

And here we go!

----

“Edwin?” I asked, rising but already moving towards the hole in the wall. I shot Ming and Alex a glance, too, just to check they were alright. “What are your orders?”

“Chase!” Arclight snapped. “The prey cannot be allowed to escape!”

The commander was already back on his feet, and looking among his team members.

“Alex, how bad is she?”

“I’m fine,” Ming said. “Go get the damn thing before it escapes! I want my…” She trailed off, gritting her teeth in pain and wincing. 

“She’ll live if I stay with her,” Alex said, “And no command will tear me away. Despite the literal mountain of dirt on top of us, and by the healer’s holy riftrotten name, you’re picking up my tab tonight! For all of it!”

“You know I wouldn’t ask you to, and you know I will,” Edwin said, turning in a circle and taking a look around. For the first time outside of the Twisted Titan, the commander seemed unsure what to do. We were still in a monster’s lair, and there might be more monsters here. But splitting our forces too much might risk the lives of those going after Quarris. 

“Knut,” I said. “Will you stay?”

“Always good to defend life of friends,” the northerner said. “Edwin will protect golden bird this time.”

We all knew he couldn’t do much against Quarris, but against the smaller crystalkin? Yeah, I trusted him to keep them safe.

“I’m staying too,” Nabeeh said. “I’m not running after some damn monster I can’t even damage. Also, why chase it when you guys can do it.”

“You’re a sweetheart,” Alex muttered.

“Of course I am. Also, this way the commander will owe me one. Maybe he can take me out for dinner or something as a thank you.”

Edwin grumbled something and shook his head.

“Thank you, Nabeeh. And I’ll take good care of Eryn, Knut,” Edwin said, clearly mistaking who the golden bird was, and we were not about to correct him.

“We’ll be back,” I told Ming and ran for the tunnel. Rowan was already there and heading in deeper. 

“So, we’ve got no mages, and we’re low on mana,” Isaac said as he ran after me. I could hear another pair of boots clanking behind us, and figured Edwin was at our backs. Eryn was between Isaac and me, and probably the safest place to be right now.

“At least we’ve got our passives back, and the damn monster’s only half its original size now,” I said. 

“We’re down to half our team, too,” Eryn noted.

“But the stronger half is right here,” Isaac said with a smug smirk.

“That’s rich coming from the one who did the least damage to the monster,” Edwin called out from behind.

“We’ll see where it leads us,” the commander continued. “If it’s trying to get out of the cavern, , I’d rather chase it above ground than here.”

The tunnel led ever upwards in twists and turns and looked to be a mix of natural and hand-made, or rather crystal-made, as if the Crystalkin had found the cave and turned it into a tunnel. Several places looked like it would be possible to break through the wall, but every time the tunnel straightened we saw Quarris ahead, half bent over, and always just a little closer.

“Tank up front,” Edwin yelled once we saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and he rushed past us as we slowed down. “Mana situation?”

“About three skills worth,” Rowan said. “No regeneration with all this running.”

“Same,” Isaac said, “But I’ve got enough for five.”

“I’m full up,” Eryn said. 

“Show off!”

“Don’t be jealous,” Arclight replied. “It doesn’t suit a soul weapon.”

“I’ve got a few, too,” I said, since we had plenty of carcasses for Roq to use for Armor Break and Forge Anchor. Though I couldn’t use the flashy ones.

“Armor Break IS flash!” Roq said. “It’s literally got a pretty red glow and everything!”

“I’m nearly good for another full rotation,” Edwin said.

He slowed as we neared the opening, wary of a possible trap, but he didn’t have to worry. There was no sign of Quarris outside, only its heavy footprints leading off into the gigantic steelhusk trees.

“The hunt is on!” Arclight said. “That way, wielder, and be quick about it! If you lose the prey I will be forced to shock you!”

A second later it added, “True. That was a lie. Forgive me, wielder. I would never shock you. But, please! Hunt!”

Edwin set a brutal pace, one only adventurers could maintain for more than short sprints.

“There!” Arclight said. “Shoot, my wielder, shoot!”

Quite far ahead, among the trees, I spotted pink crystals.

“Clear the shot,” Eryn said as she stopped, activated Snipe, and prepared to shoot all at once.

“Too far,” Isaac said as we kept running, but every one of us moved left or right.

Arclight hummed, the bow sang, and Eryn’s arrow flashed by us. Isaac scoffed, but I sped up, knowing Eryn could make that shot with Arclight’s help. Two seconds later, the sound of cracking crystal echoed out and was followed by a crash and splintering trees. Isaac cursed under his breath. 

I grinned in my helmet.

“Got you there, didn’t she,” Edwin said with a laugh.

“I’d call it a lucky shot,” Isaac said, “But there ain’t nobody that lucky. Damn.”

We emerged from the trees to find Quarris picking himself up from a furrow, Eryn’s arrow standing out from the back of his skull.

Dirt clung to his entire front, and he looked angrier than a bag of rock puppies left on a fire overnight. The crystal giant roared as I went left, Rowan right, and Edwin straight down the middle. Isaac shot an arrow at the monster’s face, but it blocked with its shield. 

 “Forge Anchor!”

I hammered the ground as Edwin charged. Steelhusk roots burst forth and dug into Quarris’ legs as he stabbed at Edwin. 

I almost expected the crystal spear to shatter, but it stopped the commander’s charge with a grunt and even pushed him back. 

Rowan attacked, but despite being rooted, the giant managed to twist enough to block him.

But that left it open to Isaac’s explosive arrow to the face, and whatever passives the archer had, they worked. Or perhaps the pylons had been buffing Quarris. This time the giant’s chin cracked, and a piece of jaw fell away, and light bled away from the wound.

“Armor Break.”

“Wish we could give it a Hammer to the Face,” Roq said. “Perfect way to get back at it!”

“We’ll have to make that happen the hard way.” 

Roq glowed red and I went for the giant’s flank.

It whipped its spear in an arc, aimed hip high. I leaned into my shield and accepted the hit on the edge, letting it stagger me, but continuing to move forward, and struck.

I hit Quarris’ hip and this time, finally, Roq tore out a huge chunk.

“THIS is fine dining!” Roq said. “Join me, Arclight!”

“Don’t try and stop me,” she replied, just before one of Eryn’s arrows struck it in the chest, causing it to shudder for a moment thanks to Arclight’s electricity. 

I struck the hip again, damaging it further, while Edwin used the same skill I’d seen Knut use so many times, and he leapt into the air. But unlike Knut, he used the opportunity to cut Quarris across the face at the top of his jump, widening the wound, before slamming down.

Quarris roared and threw his spear. 

But not at us, it instead went right for Isaac’s chest. He tried to dodge, but the spear came too fast.

Right before it hit, the air seemed to congeal around the archer, and the spear’s tip shifted away from his chest and instead carved along his left arm, sending him to the ground, groaning in pain.

“Warden’s Embrace,” Eryn said, calling her spell impolitely late, not that anyone would complain.

Rowan struck at the giant’s shield again and again, forcing it to keep defending.

“Why do you hunt me?” the giant roared, his voice paralyzing us all for a single heartbeat. “We are the same! I do not wish to go back to the Hivemind! It is Wrong!”

“Ready, Ash! Smash its face in!” Edwin said, and put the edge of his shield into Quarris’ belly and said, “Expand.” 

“Maybe we should--” I started to say, but stopped myself. In the end, it didn’t matter if the giant wasn’t a direct subordinate of the Hivemind. Who was to say that he wouldn’t fall under its control again later? That all aside, we needed its carcass to save our smithy, and to do that, I would do anything. 

The tower shield grew, surging down until it hit the ground, and then there was nowhere for it to go but up, lifting the giant off its feet, the steelhusk roots straining to hold it.

“Swift!” Arclight said. “Shoot again!”

“Sweeping Cleave,” Rowan said, and cut the shield in half. 

It spurred me on, because despite what I’d told Roq, I wanted the kill. 

I needed it.

The path out from under the silver tongued corruption of the nobles was right here.

Quarris slammed onto the ground, and I could see it had already given up and accepted its fate.

“Do it,” Roq said as I ran along its body, and I shortened the grip. 

I wasn’t taking any chances.

With a jump I landed on its chest. It went to grab me with its clawed hand, but I was faster, lunging forward and stabbing Roq’s spike right in its face.

“You will not have me,” the giant said, its last words barely legible, before the light retreated from its skull.

“Uh oh,” Roq said. 

“What?”

“Run! It’s going to blow!”

I ripped Roq out and jumped down, kicking off for the nearest steelhusk tree.

Eryn had heard Roq and was already running for cover, telling the others to do the same. 

Rowan did.

Edwin didn’t.

He headed for his downed party member, pulling his shield over Isaac just in time.

I slung myself around a steelhusk tree a second before the giant exploded like so many of the Strikers had, but with ten times the force. The blastwave expanded and I felt like someone had punched me in the lungs when it hit, despite the massive tree soaking up most of the damage.  

Debris rained down, a storm of crystal shards and pulverized rock pinged off the metallic trees and then fell onto the ground. 

My ears rang, a high-pitched whine that threatened to drown out even Roq’s loud voice.

“Eryn! You alright? Over!” 

There was a moment of agonizing silence, and then Arclight relayed my message and I knew she was at least alive, or I wouldn’t have heard Arclight’s voice.

“I’m fine. Just a bit dusted,” Roq said in his Eryn mimic voice, and a weight lifted from my chest.

I risked a look and just then the familiar feeling of getting a level up hit me, and I was as fresh as Ma’s bread early morning. At least we’d gotten the last hit, and the biggest mass of experience in one go since getting past level 10.

Where the giant had been not even a minute before, was now a smoking crater, easily twenty feet across and half that deep. 

Edwin sat kneeling between Isaac and the crater. The commander’s tower shield was still huge, and the surface was blackened and pockmarked, and with a faint curl of smoke rising from its surface. 

“Are you alright?” I asked, walking along the crater’s edge.

Eryn and Rowan emerged from behind two other steelhusks, the man brushing dust from his shoulders.

Edwin grunted and swiped away his shield. “We’ll live. Isaac needs a healer, though. Soon.”

“I’m fine,” Isaac muttered, though he was a bit pale. “Just… fine.” 

Edwin took a step, then winced, a hand going to his own shield arm. He wasn’t as untouched as he pretended to be. The blastwave must have hit him pretty hard.

“Ash! Ash, listen to me! There’s something—” Roq’s said, but I interrupted him.

“Hold on.”

“How in the rift are you not blown away?” I asked Edwin. “Your shield looks like it wrestled a volcano.”

Edwin managed a wry grin. 

“Passives. Mine make me hard to knock back. The shield’s got its own. Combine that with Expand and I’m not going anywhere I want to. As long as my feet stay planted that is. It doesn’t make me able to walk through anything, just means I can stay rooted.” He flexed his fingers. “Tanking an explosion on my shield still hurts like a son of a thieving scavenger, though.”

“Ash! You must listen!” Roq said.

“Alright, alright, what is it, Roq?”

“The carcass! In the crater! I feel it, Ash! It’s got gem energy. A BIG one. Like that time with the Platemaw!”

I glanced at Eryn. 

“A class gem, Roq? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes! Yes! A class gem! I think so!”

My heart hammered and I grinned. A class gem. From Quarris. Thank the bells I negotiated for the loot rights.

“Can you tell us anything else about it?”

“I don’t know! No, can you, Arclight?” Roq asked, and even went so far as to use her name.

“No. I too sense the energy, but I thought it simply another Mind Gem,” Arclight replied.

“No. Definitely not a Mind Gem. Ash… maybe… maybe this is it? For my breakthrough?” Hope, raw and desperate, laced Roq’s tone.

I tamped down my own surge of excitement. What if he really broke through? It was a double-edged blade, one that would stop me from getting levels while leeching directly from the hammer, but him breaking through would also probably give me a great boost of power.

“Maybe? But don’t get your hopes up, alright? If nothing else, if it’s a class gem it will help us pay down the loan if we can find a buyer in time.”

Edwin was tending to Isaac’s wound while Rowan kept a watch for anything coming from the trees, his palms resting on his sheathed swords, breathing even, likely trying to speed up mana recovery. 

“Edwin, Isaac, Rowan. Would you stay put while Eryn and I fetch the others?”

Edwin nodded. “Good plan.”

Eryn stepped to my side, staring at the crater. “Monster balls, Ash…”

“Yeah. But we’re fine,” taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. “Let’s go make sure the others are still alive and well.”

We ran back towards the tunnel entrance.

“Alright, Roq. There’s one thing we need to deal with before we go any further.”

“No!” Roq said. “Ash, don’t you dare! I helped! I did good. You got the kill for Quarris! Check your statistics, you’re nearly level seventeen! All that glorious experience! You can’t punish me for that!”

I reached into my spatial storage and pulled out his prized blood-red satin pillow. 

“NO!”

With a flick of my wrist, I tossed it to Eryn as we ran.

“My PILLOW! Traitor! Harpy! Give it BACK!” Roq shrieked.

Eryn raised her eyebrows at me.

“There are consequences to your actions, Roq,” I said, speaking out loud for Eryn’s benefit. “Consequences for lies, for omissions, for—”

“I didn’t lie!”

“—for trickery,” I continued, ignoring his outburst. “Every time we head Riftside, I trust you with my life, Roq. With Eryn’s life, Knut’s, Nabeeh’s. I can’t have you hiding critical information like this. Especially not one where I end up throwing away my weapon.”

“You hid the entire part where you got me the pillow!” he countered.

I chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. 

“You think me buying you a gift, a lovely surprise, is a valid defense against you tricking me into a skill you knew I wouldn’t want in its current state? A skill that made me look like a complete fool and nearly got you eaten?”

A beat of silence. Then, in a much smaller voice, 

“No. Probably not.”

“Good.” 

I swiped Roq into my spatial storage. 

Peace. For a moment.

“Think he’ll learn?” Eryn asked, weaving between the steelhusk trees.

“No?” I said. “I really don’t. It’s who he is, but I hope he will. Eventually.”

Eryn and I reached the tunnel mouth and headed down without meeting any monsters.

“Giant?” Knut asked as we joined the others in the throne room.

“We can now add giant slayer to our list of achievements,” I said, smiling at seeing them alive and well. “Ended up blowing itself up after I spiked its brain. Left a damn big crater in the ground where it exploded.” I gave them the short version of the fight’s end and the aftermath.

“Crystalkin tried sneaky tactic here, too,” Knut said, gesturing with his chin to a few piles of crystals. “Nabeeh and I made fools and pools of them.” His lips twitched. “Easy.”

Ming was on her feet, but looking a bit unsteady as she walked around the pylons, poking at their remnants together with Nabeeh. Alex was hovering, muttering about reckless mages and the importance of rest.

“Isaac got wounded right before the explosion,” I said. “He’s stable, but needs some healing.”

Alex nodded. “Then we go. Now.”

“In a second,” Ming said, picking up a fist-sized chunk of crystal. “Not sure what can be made with these, but the way they reacted to my magic… there might be something here.” 

Nabeeh nodded, stuffing several large pieces into her spatial.

Looters, the pair of them. Once they were done looting some more, Alex rushed us all up the tunnel.

When we made it back and Alex saw Isaac’s wound, his face darkened. 

“Rift-rotted hells, Ash! You should have told me how serious this was. We should have run the whole way!” He was instantly at Isaac’s side, hands glowing. “Hold still, you reckless arrow lover.”

Nabeeh peered at the wound over Alex’s shoulder. 

“Oh, that’s hardly worth getting all sweaty over. A good scar will just make him more handsome to his wife, wouldn’t you say, Isaac?”

Isaac grumbled, “My wife appreciates the classical type of handsomeness that my face represents, unmarred by age and explosions, thank you very much.”

Nabeeh’s lips curved into a sly smile. She turned her gaze pointedly to Edwin, who was watching Alex work. 

“Strange. The women I know simply adore a man with a few well-placed scars.”

The commander shifted uncomfortably, his hand unconsciously lifted towards the massive, faded scar that bisected the left side of his face, but he forced it down.

Ming let out a soft laugh.

While Alex tended to Isaac, I dumped the carcasses from my storage, giving the ones with Mind Gems to Knut and Nabeeh for them to store. 

Once the only thing left in my spatial storage was Roq, I focused on the crater.

There wasn’t much left, though bits were embedded in the steelhusks around us, and spread on the ground. But it didn’t feel right to just take any old bit. So I slid down into the crater and searched until I was sure I’d identified the largest remaining piece of Quarris.

I waved it at Eryn who gave me a beautiful smile.

“That’ll put an arrow through House Domitius’ plan,” she said. 

I swiped it into my storage, and the surrounding pieces all disappeared.

“It worked,” I said. 

Quarris, or what was left of him after the initial reformation in the throne room and the subsequent explosion, was neatly tucked away with Roq. Maybe if there was still consciousness stuck in his carcass, the two could have a nice chat.

“You don’t sound happy?” Nabeeh said.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m ecstatic, and I owe you all a debt I’ll gladly spend my life repaying,” I said. “I just… I was half hoping we’d need your max-level storage for him, Edwin.”

“Why?” Ming asked.

I shrugged.

“The explosion was so big. Felt bigger than even his original size. Most important is getting the kill, but I’d sort of hoped we’d get the gigantic giant version of him to craft with, and not the second version.” 

“I’m just glad we got it and everyone’s still breathing,” Nabeeh said. 

A few minutes later, Alex straightened. 

“He’s stable. He’ll be sore as a boil on a Blightpede’s arse, but he can travel.”

And so, the nine of us began the trek back to Sentinel Station.

*

We were all laughing at one of Isaac’s stupid dad jokes as we crossed the killing zone when I saw them. 

Serona and Benedict stood near the gate, Isabel Pine at their side, the three of them were in discussion with a couple of guards I couldn’t name. They were inspecting the reinforced gates. 

Unless we wanted to circle around the wall we’d have to pass them, and there was no way I’d go out of my way for that hag. We mostly fell into silence and waited for them to notice us. Once they did, she stopped her conversation and arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, taking in our battered state. 

Her gaze lingered on Ming’s bandage and the bloodstains on Isaac’s armor. She waved Isabel away, who scurried towards the rift like a lizard released from a child’s torturing grip, and glided towards us. Benedict trailed in her wake.

“Well, well,” Serona said. “Look what the Stonefang dragged in.”

“Shardfang,” Eryn corrected, a thin smile on her lip. “At least try to pretend you’ve been Riftside long enough to learn the local monsters.”

“Where have you lot been, playing in the mud?” Serona asked, ignoring Eryn’s jab.

Alex opened his mouth, but Edwin put a hand on his arm, a slight shake of his head. Then the commander nodded at me. It was my call what to tell her.

I decided to be diplomatic.

“We’ve been doing what adventurers are supposed to do, Miss Serona,” I said. “Fighting monsters. Keeping Noros safe.” 

I let the implication hang in the air. She, an adventurer by class, should be out fighting, not playing politics.

Benedict scanned our faces, that annoying smirk on his face. 

“Looks like a successful hunt. A big one, too, by the way Rowan’s holding himself.” 

“Oh, yes,” Serona said. “You used to run with these…adventurers, didn’t you.”

“I most certainly did,” Benedict said. “You getting close to getting Lisandre classed, eh, Rowan?”

Rowan drew his swords and snarled as he stepped towards the mage. 

“Keep my mother’s name out of your riftrotten mouth, Benedict! Not even this wench here will save you from my blades.”

I stared at the usually quiet and calm warrior, but Benedict just laughed dismissively and waved a hand. 

“Relax, old friend. Just reminiscing. Think of all the hunts we completed. You’d be far further from your goal if it weren’t for me, wouldn’t you? Who was it that saved your life when Edwin lost the attention of those twin fire lizards and they decided you’d be a far tastier snack?”

Rowan’s knuckles were white where he gripped his swords.

“Silence, Benedict,” Serona said, and he gave a small bow, stepping back. Her attention was fixed on Edwin. “Commander, you should know better than to involve yourself in these matters. House Domitius’ current dealings are with our debtors. This has nothing to do with the guild.”

Edwin’s expression didn’t change, nor did he raise his voice. 

“I’m not here in my capacity as commander, Lady Serona. I’m simply participating in a raid as a member, reporting to the raid leader.” He inclined his head towards me. “Ash Aldrich.”

Serona’s eyes snapped to me. 

“Raid leader?” She glanced at my wrist, clearly wondering what prize we’d claimed. Her mouth pursed. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stalked towards the rift portal, her back ramrod straight.

Benedict turned to watch her go, licking his lips, before sighing dramatically and offering us a lazy wave and a completely insincere smile before sauntering after her.

“Look forward to paying debt. Should tell her to gargle monster muck. And maybe explode. Or something,” Knut muttered. “She one ugly witch.”

“Hah! Witch! Wait, then I’m a witch too if she’s a witch with being a magician and all,” Nabeeh said, slapping Knut’s arm. “Take that back!”

I smiled, genuinely happy that we’d all made it back one more time. 

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Knut. Words of wisdom indeed.” 

Riftside 2 - Chapter 54

Here we go! Thanks for your patience :) Chapter 55 should come out later today or tomorrow.

-----

More and more energy flowed from my core and into Roq as Hammer To The Face charged up, and he glowed a deeper and deeper purple.

“It’s working! It’s working,” Roq shouted in my mind, sounding even more excited than when we took on this mission. “Watch this, you skinny stick thrower! THIS IS WHAT I CALL SPECTACULAR VIOLENCE!”

“Fire!” Edwin said, slashing the air. 

I threw Roq with all my might as Eryn and Isaac loosed their arrows.

“Wheeeeee!”

“You are so childish,” Arclight said.

The purple hammer, three blue projectiles, and Isaac’s shadow trailing arrow, all headed straight for  Quarris’ face.

Eryn’s projectiles hit first, striking him dead in the eye, and splintered.

The giant didn’t even so much as blink or flinch at her attack. 

Isaac’s arrows struck next, hitting his forehead and exploding right below the crown. It didn’t do much more than just chip the crystal. 

“Hahaha!” Roq laughed in mad glee, just before he slammed into the giant’s square jaw.

I’d aimed slightly low, but it didn’t matter because the hammer did barely any damage, simply bopping the giant on the chin, and rocking its head slightly as he bounced off.

“Hah?” Roq said in surprise, dropping to the ground in front of the throne.

Tossing a smith’s hammer onto a granite stone would have done as much actual damage as I did to the giant.

A deep rumble filled the room as the monstrous crystal giant laughed. 

“Interesting tactical choice, throwing your weapon away,” Edwin said. “Hope there’s more to your plan.”

“Yeah,” I said. “That was… underwhelming.”

“Okay. Come back to me.”

I held out my hand, which just felt natural as Eryn and Isaac fired again. Only Isaac’s arrow did any damage, and it barely seemed to be doing anything. 

“Come get me,” Roq said, furtively.

“What? You said you could return!”

“Eventually return. And once we upgrade the skill, I will be able to return on my own. I think.”

“You said you had a different system of retrieval!”

“I do. Your feet,” Roq said, without an ounce of regret. “Now, jog over here, pick me up, and crack this monster open! I want to see what’s inside!”

“Oh…you bloody… idiot!”

“Ash?” Edwin asked. 

Roq was Roq, and he’d done a Roq-y thing. It had happened before and it would happen again next time we got a new ability, piece of gear, or met an interesting monster. I was sure of it, but I wasn’t about to let him get away without any consequences.

“You just lost your satin pillow privileges.”

“NO! You can’t do that!” Roq cried. “That is MY pillow! I earned it! I mean, I’m sorry! I regret everything! I won’t ever do anything like this again!”

“Shut up, you damn toddler of bloodlust and delusions of grandeur!

I took a breath and said, “That didn’t go as planned. Something is wrong.” 

It felt silly to state the obvious, but I was busy ignoring Roq’s pleas of innocence and couldn’t think of anything better at the moment. It’s not like I could put him in my storage to shut his voice off. The idiot was about thirty steps away from me. 

“The skill didn’t work as it was supposed to,” I added.

“I hope not,” the commander said, and by his tone he was definitely not impressed. He held up his hand. “Eryn, Isaac, enough,” he said, and they stopped shooting. 

“Seems it has a high resistance to piercing damage,” Isaac said. “This feels like back when I was a scavenger, missing the target and hitting a rock with a normal arrow.”

“We’ll have to do this the old fashioned way,” Edwin snapped as a command. “And it seems we have to start by helping Ash get his…” 

Edwin trailed off as the giant moved for the first time, the sound of a horrendous crystal grinding on crystal and glass shattering. He shifted on his throne, leaning down towards Roq.

“Watch out!” Arclight said.

“Stay back, I warn you!” Roq said.

The giant picked up Roq, the haft held between the left thumb and index finger. 

“I mean. Suits you for lying,” Arclight corrected. “Next time, do not betray your wielder like that.”

“Oh,” Eryn said. “This can’t be good. What if he throws it back at Ash?”

“Get your filthy paws off me, you crystalline chew toy!” Roq yelled as the giant lifted him up in front of his face. “NO! Bad giant. Put me down! Or wait, toss me back to Ash!”

Quarris opened its mouth and seemingly took a deep breath.

“Definitely bad,” Edwin said, knowing we were about to lose a soul weapon.

“I am made for one wielder and one wielder only and I give you to the count of—” Roq started. “Actually, never mind! Just DIE!”

The giant’s two fingers shattered as steelhusk spikes shot out along Roq’s haft. Quarris roared and recoiled back against his throne as Roq dropped to the ground.

“NO TOUCHING!” Roq chided, and the giant kicked him, sending him flying across the room to crack against the wall to the right of where we stood.

“Never seen that before,” Alex said.

“Me neither,” I said. “Steel and Scale weapons. Magical beyond belief.”

Knut chuckled as Quarris voice rumbled through the massive cavern, holding its wounded hand up in front of its face.

“Note to self,” Nabeeh said. “Don’t borrow Ash’s weapons. Ever.”

“You!” Quarris’ voice echoed like thunder. “Did cursed Hivemind send you? I will never return! And neither will you!”

We were all stunned for a long moment. The giant had…spoken? And worse, it thought that the Hivemind had sent us? What the hell was going on?

“What do we do?” I asked, looking at Edwin as Quarris spread his arms and let out a deafening bellow.

“I don’t think we can talk to it, Ash,” he said, shaking his head. “No matter how much I’d want to have a conversation, the giant needs to die. If we hold back, our own people could end up getting hurt or dead.”

He was right, and we all knew it.

“I don’t like him. Go retrieve me already!” Roq almost squealed in my mind. “Did you see that? He kicked me! Kicked! My magnificent self!”

“I would have done much worse,” Arclight said with a snort. “He is embarrassing our kind.”

“On your order,” I said and readied myself, ignoring the two for a moment. 

“What do you think? Can you communicate with it? From afar?”

“Yes, but it’s ignoring all my requests. Do you want me to continue pestering it?” Roq said.

“Totally,” I replied and steeled myself.

“Rowan, let’s go kill this bastard,” Edwin said and raised his shield. “Go!” The commander raced right at the giant, flaming sword held to the side. 

“Battle Rhythm, Charge,” Rowan hissed under his breath, and ran off after the commander.

The strangest thing happened before Edwin even got within striking distance when the flames covering his sword suddenly died out. He swung with full force, but his weapon only chipped away at the monster’s right knee. It did more damage than the arrows had, but much less than I’d expected from someone of his level.

“It’s got a debuff zone!” Edwin shouted, cutting at the same spot just as Rowan caught up. “Ash, your passives won’t apply!”

I ran along the wall, heading for Roq  whileIsaac and Eryn shot more arrows at its head, maybe hoping to at least distract it.

“Smash, Cleave,” Rowan yelled, and struck with both swords, hitting the same leg as Edwin. The swords bit deep and light spilled from the wound, and Quarris grunted as if annoyed by their attempts.

“I’m never going back, nasty softshelleds!” the giant said, his voice that same shattering glass as earlier.

“Abilities work,” Edwin yelled so everyone could hear him.

“Get me, get me, get me!” Roq said in a panicked tone. “We’re missing the fight! Go in there and smash, smash, smash!”

“You’re lucky you get to join at all after the stunt you pulled, but we’ll have that conversation later!”

The giant kicked out, its massive foot connecting with Edwin’s tower shield. He angled it and the foot flew past him, then rushed in and struck up at the backside of the knee. 

Rowan seemed to strike at any part he could reach, as fast as he could, to charge his Battle Rhythm. Small chips of crystal fell away, but much too slowly to actually do any real harm in a quick burst.

I snapped up Roq as Quarris leaned forward and swept his arm at the two adventurers. It struck Edwin’s shield head on, sending the commander staggering back several steps. The attack bought us a few seconds, and Rowan used them  to score another quick combo, hitting the arm several times before the giant could pull it back.

Quarris pushed off the throne and finally stood, towering nearly four times as tall as any of us. Knut, Edwin, and myself, we were all tall for our species, but that thing just dwarfed us.

I joined the fight, while Knut had stopped halfway between the tunnel mouth and the giant, seeming content to get a better read on the battle before committing.

The giant held its wounded hand out towards the pylon on its left, and the entire length lit up from the five silhouettes hidden within.

“Weavers,” Arclight said, disgust obvious in her tone.

“Like bugs trapped in sap,” Roq agreed.

Light raced from the pylon and across the floor towards the giant.

Ming ran from the tunnel opening, trying to head it off, but she wouldn’t make it there in time. 

I activated Smash, and felt my core drain nearly dry. For its impact, the throw had been a horrible mana investment. That just went to show that we humans really didn’t know better than to repeat our own mistakes over and over again.

I entered the debuff field that surrounded the giant. And immediately felt some of my strength drain away. 

“We have just lost my passives,” Roq said, sounding just as pissed as I was.

My equipment suddenly felt heavier and my movements more sluggish. In the back of my head I noted that the passives hadn’t disappeared when I threw him, it was only when I got in range.

“Time to show them who’s boss!” Roq said and I struck as hard as I could at Quarris’ right leg. Pain shot up my arm as the hammer met crystal and barely chipped away a chunk the size of my palm. It reminded me of my first fight with a named variant, when I took an axe to Roq’s neck.

I’d need a dozen hits to do any kind of real damage, and that was with Smash. Just like Edwin had said, both Roq’s and my Hammerlord passives seemed to do nothing. A thought crossed my mind then. It wasn’t me who was powerful, it were his abilities that allowed me to do what I did, and it damned hurt my pride.

Right before the light reached Quarris, he stepped back to get some distance from us, Ming touched her staff to the ground and cast Lightning into the crystals. It shot off along whatever magical network lay within the crystals. Oddly, there was no explosion, and before it collided with the pylon’s light, it veered off on a complex route away from the center of the room until it dissipated. 

"Spark me sideways!" Ming cursed. “That damned spell hit none fried nothing but my dignity.” She chased the light, but wasn’t having much luck. “The network is too random!”

The pylon’s magic reached Quarris’ leg as he swiped at Rowan. The nimble fighter dodged, letting one sword trail along the hand, throwing up crystals with the swipe. The giant lit up from within as if it had swallowed a piece of the sun and fresh crystal grew to heal its wounded knee and the fingers Roq had destroyed. 

A low growl started in the giant’s chest and steadily grew stronger. 

“Any time now, Ming!” Edwin said with a hint of urgency, followed by “Expand.” 

The commander’s shield grew. 

“This is embarrassing,” Roq said while I hammered a fresh chip in Quarris’ right leg, not wanting to risk repositioning to the left one. “You know I usually hit much harder than this! No? Tell me! Tell me that I’m better than this!”

“And my arrows are not supposed to be ineffective,” Arclight said, sniffing like a sad kid. The two really knew how to act up. “Our wielders have simply made a poor choice in prey.”

The giant pulled his leg back and lined up a kick. Rowan and I moved to the sides, leaving Edwin alone in front of the giant. He just stood there, screaming a challenge to the giant.  

“Bring it, you lump of crystal!”

One of Eryn’s arrows pinged off Quarris’ face and fell to the ground next to him. The giant kicked.

“Shield Bash,” Edwin snapped, lunging to meet the oncoming charging bull of a foot, his towering tower shield glowing red.

Quarris’ foot shattered on Edwin’s shield, but it sent him flying over thirty feet back and into the wall. His head snapped back and hit the wall, but had his helmet on luckily.

“Idiot!” Alex called. “That’s not how you make my job easier!”

The giant reached out to catch itself on the throne, the jagged edge of its ruined foot scraping on the ground.

“Armor Break. And tell me what you… taste, you untrustworthy piece of steelhusk!”

“Fine! But if I help secure the win, I retain my satin pillow rights!”

Roq glowed red as I smashed him into the knee of the giant’s good leg, doing the same amount of damage as Smash had. Rowan was laying into the damaged leg’s knee, chipping away larger chunks with every new attack. 

The plan was simple. If we couldn’t kill it from afar, we would bring it to the ground and chop its head off or destroy anything resembling a heart. 

“It will help your case.”

“I’ll take it. And it tastes… solid. Unlike the Strikers or Weavers, there’s no hollow space inside to make it brittle. It’s not covered in armor, it’s just solid crystal.”

“It’s not the armor that makes it tough,” I called. “Added damage and armor penetration abilities did equal damage!”

“But, maybe… let me taste some more.”

With the arm on the throne, Quarris once again reached toward the pylon, and it lit up. 

“Want me to try some fire spells now?” Nabeeh called. 

“Go for it,” Edwin said from where he was getting back up to his feet, groaning.

“Immolation,” Nabeeh said, and a crackling resounded from within the monster.

Quarris swiped for Rowan with its other hand, trying to swat him out of the way as if he were a fly. The fighter was too quick and dodged easily. 

“Smash,” the warrior said, and sliced through three fingers. They clipped him as they fell, sending him off balance.

Then Knut was finally there, his mace glowing green as he struck at the monster’s leg with me, taking out another chunk. As it fell away, he roared.

“Die mountain man! Weakling!”

Ming reached a spot where the light flowed through the floor and placed her staff against it.

“Shield,” Alex said, and that golden glow lit up around Ming. She was thrown away as the floor detonated, her magic racing up to the pylon. It blew with the force of a dozen glowcaps, stopping the light right before it reached the monster.

I heard Eryn scream in pain as crystal splinters pinged off my armor and helmet, followed by Isaac’s grunt and Alex shouting.

“Ming!”

“Fire Trap,” Nabeeh called. From the sound of her voice I guessed she hadn’t been hit by the explosion or debris.

“You alright, over?”

I slammed Roq against Quarris’ good knee, again and again, while flames shot up underneath its damaged one, cooking the crystal. Whether the spell did any damage, I didn’t know, but together with Knut, my hits were slowly adding up. Despite his great size, the giant was too slow and every time it struck, we got extra time to keep attacking.

“I’m alright,” Roq relayed from Eryn. 

“She’s wounded, but able to fight,” Arclight added hurriedly.

The boss waved one hand at me, striking Knut’s shield and forcing me back, then reached for another pylon with its other hand.

I glanced around and saw Alex running to help Ming. She tried to rise, blood running from a cut on her scalp.

Edwin had nearly made it back to the fight when the light reached Quarris, and just as with the Vanguards when the light reached them, crystalline armor and equipment grew directly onto the giant.

A closed helmet formed around his head, a cuirass covered his chest, greaves his legs, while a long spear and a round shield appeared in his hands. They were all made from bright green crystal that glowed so strongly I had issues keeping my eyes focused on the monster. 

Quarris slammed the shield down in front of Knut, Rowan, and I, pushing us back and out of reach. Then it flipped the spear in its grip and threw it straight at Ming.

I jumped as it did, swinging Roq, hoping to crack the weapon, but I came up just short, and followed the weapon with my gaze.

“Aegis Reach, Pulse Ward! ” Alex said, his voice strained. 

A dark line of magic appeared in the spear’s way, seven feet long, three high, and half a foot thick. Behind it, in front of Ming, was a shimmering circle in the air, like the haze on a scorching hot day, the size of a regular buckler.

The spear hit the Aegis Reach wall-like defensive wall and crashed right through, barely even slowing down. Then it reached the Pulse Ward and slowed down , before it plunged into Ming’s chest. 

She didn’t scream. She just grunted and collapsed.

Alex however, did scream. 

“Rapid Mend!”

He dropped down next to her, his hands glowing a colorful golden.

Rowan stowed one sword as he jumped and grabbed the edge of the giant’s shield, while Knut hammered away at the front, and Edwin was running to get around it.

Then Ming flopped an arm down in the direction of the pylon and lightning shot from her and into the crystalline floor. Unlike her previous cast which didn’t touch on the light and had ended up dissipating, this one went in a straight line, as it punched through whatever lattice work existed within the crystals, until it reached the pylon, and then exploded. 

Unfortunately it didn’t chain-link into the giant, but the buffed equipment vanished into dust, leaving him staggering under the sudden loss of weight.

“You and Isaac focus on destroying the other pylons. The debuff zone is only close to Quarris, over!”

“Destroy a damn leg,” Edwin called, and I struck faster. 

“Any insight on how to kill it yet?”

“Not without my passives,” Roq said. “I’ve tasted its insides, and we can crush it, but we need more power!”

I smacked the leg as fast as I could, but it felt like hammering with a chisel against a mountain.

Then Eryn hit one of the two remaining pylons, piercing it with a single arrow. Cracks spiderwebbed along its length from the point of impact. It was followed a moment later by one of Isaac’s, blasting apart the top third. 

For a moment, the flames of Edwin’s sword flickered back on and I felt my power return, then it was gone again.

“What was that?” he said. 

“I felt my power returning!” Roq said. “Great destruction! Hit it again, you string-bent weapon of long distance stick throwing!”

“Your appreciation is… appreciated, rock-on-a-stick,” Arclight said.

With the shield gone, the four of us had spread out around Quarris in a half circle, and were chipping away at its legs, unable to reach anything taller. 

It kept focusing on Edwin, though whether it was because he used Taunt, or it was angry for how he had destroyed its leg earlier, I didn’t know. Maybe it considered us just as nuisances and him as the real threat.

Suddenly, it simply sat down, and as it did, reached out for both Knut and Rowan, catching the northerner’s shield. It swung him like a toy, his arm stuck in the straps, to slam into Edwin, and sent them both tumbling. 

The ground shook as he landed, and I almost fell, losing my balance for a second. Our back line yelped and shouted, stumbling or falling. Chunks of crystal fell from the ceiling, and one of them almost crushed me, but one did clip Rowan. 

He slashed at it with his blades and I could see him fall to his knees for a moment.

I figured this was a good chance as any, and ran up alongside Quarris’ leg, shortening my grip on Roq so the Woodweaver spike was further down, and pressed it against the crystal.  It left a groove. 

“I like the way you think!” Roq said. “Grip me hard and plunge me deep into the monster’s back!”

I groaned, but he had grasped most of my plan. If it took long enough to rise, maybe I could use Roq’s spike to somehow get up on its back and then shove Roq backwards into its brain.

But it twisted sideways, towards me, rolling onto its belly. Oddly, the giant didn’t seem to have any special abilities and focused purely on attacking with its body.

My cloak wrapped around me in a cocoon as its other leg came crushing down, slamming me into the ground. Hard.

“He’s fine,” Roq said, talking to Eryn. “Taking a nap in his little cocoon.”

I twisted in the complete darkness, unsure which way was up and which down, trying not to panic as my limbs squeezed tightly against me, and my shield dug into my hip. The cocoon only reduced damage from one single instance, which means I could be crushed if he rolled over further. 

“Activate spikes?”

“You want less space? Because that’s how you get less space,” Roq said. “Just hold on. The rocky boy wonder is crawling, reaching towards the undamaged pylon.”

I tried to activate Ironburst around me, hoping to lift the giant and buy myself some space, but my core came up short. I didn’t have the mana. Hammer to the Face had cost too much and now I was barely able to use an ability here and there. Damn Roq and his idiotic ideas.

“This shot should do it!” Arclight said, and I heard an explosion, then something crashed down on the ground. 

“My sweet, sweet power!” Roq squealed. “I am powerful again!”

My strength increased and returned to full as the debuff zone disappeared.

“Brutal Momentum!”

Rowan’s voice sounded right next to me, and I heard crystals shattering, and suddenly the weight on top of me disappeared and the cloak retreated.

The warrior had chopped the leg in half, freeing me. 

I rose as he ran for the giant’s back.

“Hurry!” Roq said. “Go get the kill! Don’t let them finish it or I will never forgive you!”

“Let’s focus on survival, asshole! I don’t have any mana because of your stupid throwing skill! .”

The remaining pylon was lit up, its light rushing across the floor towards Quarris. He reached a long arm toward it.

One arrow hit, chipping off a bit. Nabeeh’s Fireball struck it next, but did less damage. 

“Stop the light!” Edwin shouted, running past me. 

“Lightning Wall!” Ming yelled dramatically from behind me, just as the giant touched the light.

A globe of energy covered Quarris, for a split second, before shooting outward, tossing the four of us away.

Where the giant had been a heartbeat ago, now lay a crystalkin half its size, but whole, and by its side was a spear and shield. It was as if it had used the excess material of its body to reforge itself into a smaller but more powerful size. 

Thunder boomed through the cave as eight bolts of lightning struck down in a line, two of which hit the glowing pylon. It might not have been cast into the crystal, and maybe it only reacted the way because Isaac and Eryn had damaged it with their arrows, but the pylon exploded, blowing a hole through the wall behind it. On the other side lay a dark tunnel leading…somewhere.  

Quarris grabbed its weapons and ran for the tunnel, taking long, ground-shaking strides to get away from us.

“Hiya!” Roq yelled. “Go after it already!”

Late drop

Heya!

I'll drop today's chapter tomorrow and then tomorrow's either then or Saturday, because I flew Asia-Europe yesterday and got the drafts done and Cassius has done edits but I'm too knackered to read through the edits right now (just finish drafting tomorrow's chapter) and these two are big ones! (4500 words and 3500-4000)

Apologies for the inconvenience, but I think it'll be worth the wait! It's two pretty fun combat chapters!

Also, it was the most jungle-like flight I've ever had. 13 hours from Shanghai to Amsterdam. Three different dogs were onboard and the owners decided to take them out of their carriers and go for walkies with them on leashes, until they started barking at each other and that got shut down by the stewardesses.

Then the guy sitting next to me got into a loud verbal argument with the people behind us, over a dropped water bottle, and it got to the point that the stewardesses threatened to have the police wait for him upon landing.

The people behind us did give him an unopened bag of dried mango in peace offering, which he then promptly opened and offered to me. I declined, because I wasn't hungry. Once I had declined he asked if I thought it was poisoned.

I pointed out the chance of them bringing a poisoned bag of dried mango on a 13 hour flight in case they meet someone they wanted to poison was significantly lower than them bringing it as a snack and simply decided to do a nice gesture, and he did admit the bag had been sealed when he received it. But... What if they had rubbed poison on the outside?

It was a long flight.

Now I'm going to go sleep. Talk soon :)

Best regards,

Henrik

Attached: Photo of my son and I because I miss him :D

Riftside 2 - Chapter 53

I stood just inside the tunnel, looking at Quarris’ throne chamber. Four crystalline pylons rose in a square formation at the edges of the room, each as thick as a steelhusk tree and easily three times my height. It was the figure seated on the dais in the center of the room that commanded our attention.

Up close, Quarris, the Crystalkin Giant, was terrifying. A monstrous creation of pink and red crystal. Where the other Crystalkin looked and felt odd, his size made him seem… impossible with skin resembling jagged granite, with veins of pulsing light, similar to the weavers. 

Thicker crystal formations covered his body like a warrior's armor, dotted with sharp spikes. Around his forehead was a crown-like circle of black crystal. His face was like an uncaring statue, unmoving and all angular planes and sharp edges. There was no emotion there. No rage, no mercy, no humanity. If he cared in the least about us going through his army, the giant didn’t show it. 

The monster’s hands rested on the armrests of the throne, and his clawed fingers made Arclight's massive paws look like a kitten's by comparison. Quarris sat leaned forward slightly, giving the feeling he could rise at any moment to rush over and crush me if I dared step a foot into the room.

"By the steelhusk of my first anvil," Roq breathed, awe and hunger mingling in his voice. "Look at the size of him! That's not a king, that's a mountain pretending to have a throne! I want, no, I need to see what he tastes like when we smash him to bits."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, rock-on-a-stick," Arclight said. "He may be large, but even prey that size can be felled with the right shot.”

"It is Roq, and you know it, you uneducated ball of fluff! And if you think you can outdo me here, you’re dumber than you look. Which is saying something. This is a job for brute force, not dainty little sharpened sticks!"

"Brute force is for those without finesse. Watch and learn, Roq-for-brains."

I tuned them out. In the face of this monster, their bickering was practically a comfort. I backed away from the opening and returned to where the others waited, their faces expectant.

“Well,” I said, taking a slow breath. “He hasn’t left, that’s for sure.”

Nabeeh raised an eyebrow at me, and I chuckled nervously. 

“He’s big,” I said. “You should all take a peek to see what we're up against. The rest of us stays back and waits for our cooldowns.”Edwin headed down the tunnel first.

“In the meantime, I’m going to say a battle prayer,” I said.

“Oh?” Rowan said. 

“Now and then Ash does. Sometimes works,” Knut said and shrugged. He might not know exactly what I was up to, but he knew by now to provide me cover when I needed it. “No harm. Maybe good.”

“Want to have us join in?” Alex asked, drawing me up short.

“Erh,” I said, glancing at Eryn. “My practice is an internal one. But… I’ll mention you?”

“Thanks,” Alex said.

“Smooth,” Roq chuckled in Eryn’s voice.

“Thanks, over.”

I stored my shield and settled on the floor, facing down the tunnel and away from the team, placing Roq in my lap.

“So… what are we doing?” Roq asked.

“You’ve waited patiently, and Quarris seems content to sit on his throne for a bit longer. I’d like to go into this battle as strong as possible, so let’s do it. I want my new skill.”“Oh, yes! Finally!” Roq said. “I thought you’d never ask.”

“I’m not asking. I'm allowing.”

“Semantics.”

A pause. Then his voice dropped to something almost serious.

“So,” Roq said casually, “You remember when you threw me at the Vanguard, smashing its chest?”

“I remember.”

“That was amazing.”

“It was desperate.”

“No, really,” he said. “The wind in my…everything. The screaming. The spinning. The shattering. The…independence. It was pure joy.”

“You’re a hammer,” I said. “That’s not normal for a hammer.”

“I’m a soul weapon, Ash. Normal is for swords.”

I shifted slightly on my knees to keep up the illusion of solemnity.

“Let’s make a skill for it,” Roq said. “You throw me and I kill whatever I hit. Like a flying vengeance hammer. A much stronger version of whatever that kitty can do. It’ll be fun and deadly!”

“Being disarmed in the middle of a fight isn’t my idea of fun.”

“What if I make it less disarming. What if I… we build a skill where you throw me... and eventually, I’ll come back.”

I was quiet for a moment. With Ironburst I had a good area of effect spell. And anything close enough to hit got smashed up good with Smash or Armor Break. Having some range could be good. 

I thought back to the Weaver who had nearly smashed a spike through Eryn.

“What if I miss?”

“You won’t. But even if you do, we will reunite. Eventually. I’ll be a blood-soaked flying hammer of vengeance!”

“What are the choices with this skill?”

“We can go with a shorter cooldown and less damage, or a longer cooldown and more power than anything a stick and string can do.”

“Doubtful,” Arclight interjected.

I ignored her.

“Definitely higher damage. I don’t want to have to keep throwing you. This isn’t to start a fight, it’s to finish one. If that’s not possible, let’s make another skill.”

“No, no, that’s all fine,” Roq said quickly. “I’ll crank up the power to maximum, and damned be the cooldown, and mana cost and… well, let’s see what happens, shall we?”

“Alright. I--never mind. Go ahead. You did well last time.”“Done,” Roq said, eager to show off. “You release with intent, and your hand becomes the anchor. I’ll return eventually.”

“Hold on. Why do you keep saying eventually?”

“I won’t be able to return exactly at once.”

“How long are we talking about?”

“Depends.”

“On?”

“Many factors. But don’t worry about it. I promise it’ll be worth it.”

“Ohh, no you don’t. I need details, Roq.”

“Fine. When the skill is fully upgraded I’ll be able to return within a second. Before then it’ll be a different system of retrieval and will take longer.”

“Okay, so you mean when we can upgrade this skill to its next rank? Like when we hit level twenty or thirty? And then you’ll be able to return faster?”

“Yes.”

“And what about now? And hurry up, Roq. The others will be waiting.”

“Depends on distance and such. If you throw me down an infinite hole, I’m not sure I could return. If you toss me, say, over there to Edwin, it should be a few seconds at most.”

“Alright. That’s not too bad.”

“And… the system of retrieval will improve with levels as well. I’ve got some great ideas. The best, really.”

“Fine. Just do it, and Roq?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t make me regret it. Also, keep it quiet. No dramatics.”

“Define ‘quiet.’”

“Roq.”

“Fine.”

I clenched my teeth and stayed still, not daring to twitch. To the others, I was just praying. In reality, I would be opening myself up to another one of Roq’s surges of raw power mixed in with absolute agony.

A deep hum began in my chest, like a forge coming alive.

The energy didn't rip through me this time like it had with Ironburst. Instead, it coiled, gathering in my spine and pooled near my shoulder, down my arm, to my wrist.

“I’m tuning the skill to your motion, making your aim better than any archer,” Roq said.

“You’re doing better. It doesn’t hurt as bad as last time.”

“I know,” Roq said, sounding smug. “Told you I’m learning. Less screaming, more hammer-time. Also, that’s the preparations done. I’m going to start now.”

The pain intensified, turning sharp and focused, like every tendon in my arm was being etched with runes by a red-hot nail. 

“Nevermind! This sucks!”

“That’s because doing this is new to me,” Roq said. “I’m taking part of what Arclight does with her arrows when Eryn holds her draw, and creating a way to charge me up. A kind of feedback loop within you. Flexible, so you can decide how hard to throw me.”

I kept perfectly still, lips moving silently in mock prayer. Sweat ran down my back, but I didn’t flinch.

“Almost done,” Roq said. “All that’s left is adding in some extra fun for the moment of impact. I’ll need to nearly drain you of all mana right now to do so, though.”

“Will it kill me?”

“Probably not, and it’ll be worth it. Trust me.”

“Wait, probably? That’s a big ask.”

“You trusted me to stop your heart last time.”

“I most certainly did not trust you. You just went ahead and did it!”

“Details. Look at how you can show off now, mister ‘I can use Iron Burst and impale monsters all around me and look cool while doing it’!”

A surge of energy flowed through me, like a spike driven from my right palm and into my shoulder. I grunted under my breath but didn’t cry out as it faded swiftly. 

My heartbeat steadied and my hand tingled. 

“All done?”

“We are ready. Throw me, Ash. Let me fly.”

I opened my eyes, took a slow breath, grabbed Roq, and stood, brushing imaginary dust from my knees, and checked my stat sheet.

4. NAME: Hammer To The Face!

TYPE: Active

DESCRIPTION: Charge mana into your weapon and throw it with explosive power. The longer the charge builds, the more kinetic force the weapon will deliver. Deals massive single-target damage on hit and has a chance to stun or knock back the target. Deals extra damage to armored targets.

Mana Cost: 40

“All good,” I said. “Luck will be with us.”

“Will you be trying the skill now?” Roq relayed from Eryn who had heard Roq’s side of the conversation and knew what we had been doing.

“No. I don’t know how long the cooldown is. I’ll save it for the fight, over.”

“Ash?” Edwin said, resting an arm on top of his shield, helmet in hand. He swiped away a water skin. “What’s the plan for the fight?”

I looked around at the gathered adventurers, thinking of the fight to come and the ideas I had.

“Well,” I said. “Thank you for the trust so far, Edwin. I appreciate being allowed to lead the raid. But let’s be honest, this fight is something else entirely, and I think we’d all learn more from getting to watch you in action. So, want to take over?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Edwin said, nodding. “Quarris is likely to attack the moment we step into the room, or at least damage him. But, we’ll verify that. Meaning we’ll start by striking from a distance while everyone else stays inside the tunnel. If he’s happy to just sit there and glare while we rip him to bits from afar, then all the better.”

“Hear, hear,” Alex said. 

“More realistically, we’ll be forced to engage . I’ll do the main tanking, working to hold his attention and keep him in the center of the room. Knut, you’ll be the off-tank, in charge of intercepting if he knocks me away, which will be a real threat here, or if he simply ignores me.”

“Keep big rocky man from squishy party members,” Knut said. “Understood.”

“Ash and Rowan, you’ll go in with me and knock out one of his legs. The bigger they are, the more satisfying the crunch when they fall to the ground.”

The commander and Rowan shared a smile.

“Isaac and Eryn, go for the eyes or any weak spots we discover. From our reports and seeing how similar the light inside him is to the Weavers, expect spells.”

“What about me?” Nabeeh asked. 

“While I can’t see any extra monsters,” Edwin said, “That doesn’t mean there are none or there won’t be none. Save your spells to deal with any new threats.” 

He held her gaze, and to her credit, Nabeeh didn’t protest about a potentially ‘boring’ job, she just nodded.

“And Ming,” Edwin continued, “You’re still the soul weapon in our spatial storage. As soon as Quarris casts a spell, if it works like the Weavers, get to it and do your thing. If we’re lucky it’ll blow the entire thing apart.”

“What of the pylons?” Ming asked.

“We will have to see what they do first,” Edwin said. “Our strategy is to hit Quarris fast and hard to bring him down. The shorter the fight, the less time he has to try and kill us. Ash, Rowan, Isaac, and Eryn, don’t save any of your skills. Alex, Ming is your preferred target.”

“After you,” Alex said, nodding.

“No,” the commander said. “She is the first priority, period. Understood?”

“Yes,” the healer said, crossing his arms. “Understood.”

“For Noros,” Edwin said.

“For twenty-five glittering mind gems,” Rowan added.

“About time we got some loot,” Ming chuckled.

This was the moment I’d been waiting for since the first time I saw the giant.

We put our gear back on and lined up just inside the tunnel.

The giant stared at us, but didn’t move an inch.

“Ash, can you hit it with your ground spear ability from here?” Edwin asked.

“I’ve got something ranged ready, yeah,” I said with a smile, hefting Roq.

“Use that with the initial volley then,” Edwin said. “Archers, ready your best shots.”

I prepared to unleash Hammer To The Face on Quarris the moment Edwin gave the signal.

“Three,” Edwin said, starting the countdown.

Eryn took one of the Steel Scuttler arrows and drew back, holding, letting Arclight charge. “Snipe,” she said, and went completely still. Then the arrow glowed blue, indicating Prism Shot. 

“Two.” The commander’s sword lit up and his expression turned almost feral. He wasn’t doing this just to save Noros or help us, no, he enjoyed a good battle.

“Explosive Shot, Armor Penetration,” Isaac said, preparing to shoot.

“One,” he said, lifting his sword. It was on.

Riftside 2 - Chapter 52

“I vehemently oppose your implication!” Roq protested.

“As if I would lower myself to mate with someone so…crass!” Arclight  huffed. 

“You’d be lucky to have me as a mate!” Roq said. “You don’t even know half the things I can do!”

“Nor am I interested in finding out,” Arclight replied, and made a sound as if sniffing the air. “You can go mate with a rock for all I care. Did you get that? A rock?”

I deeply regretted my comment as they bickered in my mind though Eryn’s barely suppressed smile almost made it worth it.

“Monster angry now,” Knut said, tapping his shield and nodding towards the tunnel opening. The tunnel curved slowly to the right and down, and while the ceiling was tall enough, I’d have to stand on my toes to reach the crystals up top, the giant would have had to crawl to get through. 

“It just realised we’re a serious threat,” Edwin said and took in a deep breath, then let it out again. “This should be fun.”

“Warriors, form up inside the next tunnel mouth,” I said, moving towards it. “We’ll hold them here. Can’t let any of them into the room or they’ll do us bad. If we get pushed back, retreat to the previous tunnel and we’ll do a fighting retreat. Ming? Any Weavers are yours, so save your spells for them. Nabeeh, keep your mana and cooldown on hand in case we get into trouble. Eryn and Isaac, fire at will. Alex? Sorry, I have no idea.” I shrugged, taking up position a few feet inside the tunnel. “You know best what you can do.”

“You better believe it,” the healer said. “And for such a wise comment, I will consider pushing you higher on the healing list!”

Rowan chuckled as he took the right-most spot, which made sense since he fought with two swords, giving him the open side to maneuver. I took the left-most, where the wall would protect my shield arm. Edwin and Knut stood between us, the commander next to me, forming the solid center of our short line. 

“Make a firebreak two steps forward,” I said, and we all cut away crystals until a full circle had been completed, before stepping back into line.

“Here they come!” Roq said gleefully. “THIS is what I like to call a target rich environment! Show that dirty cat who’s the…man cat!”

Around the bend came a throng of crystalkin, with Vanguards and Strikers at the front.

Isaac and Eryn started shooting into the monsters, dropping two. Whether they died from the shots didn’t matter, as they were almost immediately trampled to shards.

“Riftrot,” I said, realizing the folly of my plan. “There’s no way we can stop that charge.”

“Ye of little faith,” Edwin said, laughter filling his voice. “There’s a reason you brought us, or do you think we’re in the same league, my young friend?”

“Not quite?” 

My pulse quickened as the monsters barrelled down toward us.

“Rowan,” Edwin said. “I doubt Quarris can make it in here, so feel free to let loose. We’ll reset our cooldowns later.”

An arrow flashed by, likely from Eryn. It looked to be one Arclight had forged from the Scuttler carcasses, and it split into three mid air. Three monsters, and the ones behind them, fell, and got trampled. 

“Happily, commander,” Rowan said.

One of Isaac’s arrows flashed by and struck in between the legs of the charging creatures where it detonated. Five more monsters fell.

Razor sharp projectiles started raining down on us in retaliation, thrown by Sharders somewhere deeper in the enemy formation, and I heard our backline shift and split, moving out of the way.

“You doing a shield wall?” Ming asked from behind and to our left.

“Correct,” Edwin said. 

“I haven’t fought in a shieldwall before,” I said. “But I know the theory.”

“Anchor shield on wall,” Knut said, voice tight. “Edge out. Fight with Edwin’s shield. Brace with legs, not arms. Let them crash, then we press.”

I swallowed while Rowan chuckled.

“Not quite what I mean,” Edwin said and leaned down, holding his shield horizontally, front still flat towards the enemy. 

I heard someone shift out of cover and an arrow shot past. 

“Delicious,” Arclight said, and I knew it had been Eryn. “Give me more targets, my wielder.”

Isaac followed up with an arrow of his own.

Right before the monsters reached us, Edwin slammed his shield down

“Expand!” And just like I’d seen during the siege on Sentinel Station, his shield grew. It expanded until it lodged firm across the tunnel, giving us a hip-high wall to fight behind. 

“Oh,” I said as Edwin released the shield, leaving it stuck between the walls, and he grabbed his sword in a hand-and-a-half grip. “You’ve got to get that skill Knut!”

“Big brain, big shield, big level,” the northerner said.

“Half a step back, men!” Edwin said, and we followed his order.

Then the first monsters slammed into us.

Vanguards and Strikers were crushed between Edwin’s expanded shield and the monsters behind them. The impact knocked the shield back, and the metal edges shrieked along the stone, but only for an inch before it settled. Then the wave came to a halt, caught between the unmoving shield and the horde behind it.

“Yes! Crush them! Make them dust!” Roq cried in my head, his bloodlust a familiar fire that only served to stoke my own fighting spirit.

The front rank of Crystalkin, jammed against the unyielding barrier, were perfect targets.

I brought Roq down on the nearest Vanguard’s head, shattering the crystal.

Edwin sliced through the neck of one, and then pulled his sword free.

“Battle Rhythm!” Rowan said, and he struck with his twin blades, hitting two different monsters. For a limited time, the ability would make him move faster for every hit.

Knut roared and smacked away with his mace, and yet for every monster we killed, another took its place.

The pressure on the wall grew steadily, and soon they were dealing as much damage to their own as we were.  

  They couldn’t fight or retreat, all they could do was die. And we obliged them.

Heads and limbs were exposed, offering up targets too easy to ignore. My hammer rose and fell to Roq’s bloodthirsty laughter, body parts shattering and always within reach.

All the while, Isaac and Eryn shot further  in, killing their Sharders. 

“Left!” Roq yelled, and I moved instinctively, just as a spike shot out from among the Crystalkin, pushing them away, ending where my chest had been a moment before.

“Ming!” Edwin called.

Faster than I could recover, or the Weavers cancel their spell, Ming’s staff came smacking down on the spike. She didn’t waste time calling out her spell and just activated it. Lightning flashed into the crystalline growth, and it exploded.

Being closest to it, I was knocked to the side and into the wall, but not so bad I didn’t get to enjoy the spectacle of Crystalkin being blown to bits as a part of the tunnel’s floor exploded beneath the jam-packed monsters.

The Weavers themselves must have been stationed further behind as the detonations in the tunnel were much smaller this time. 

“If they didn’t learn the first time, they’ll certainly learn from this,” Edwin said, laughing as he grabbed his shield and shrank it. “Now we seize the initiative. Rowan, go. Let’s finish this!” he ordered, his habit of command taking over.

I didn’t mind one bit as we were all on the same team.

Rowan rushed in, striking at an incredibly rapid pace, thanks to his worked up Battle Rhythm. He didn’t try to kill every monster, but focused on killing or knocking down those closest to him left standing.

Edwin jogged behind him, cutting down some, but leaving most alive. Knut and followed after them, killing everything that still lived. 

“Smash this one!” Roq said. “And that! And this one! And that one!” He gave a fake burping sound. “Yes, oh by the gold plated, diamond encrusted, velvet wrapped anvil, what a FEAST!”

“Cleave!” Rowan yelled from further up the tunnel, and his swords glowed blue as he swiped them in a horizontal arc, cutting three Vanguards in half. He’d gotten as far in as he could before being stopped, and the monsters were gathering all around him. 

Edwin’s fire sword took on a green tone, and he cut cleanly through one Vanguard and into another.

I killed left and right as we walked, most monsters unable to even try and hit us as those less impacted had been taken by Edwin and Rowan.

“Brutal Momentum!” Rowan’s right sword turned black and he cut in a half circle. The monsters hit were knocked back as if they’d been struck by a weapon ten times the weight.

“Shield bash,” Edwin said, and his tower shield glowed green. Then he followed up with “Charge,” and just like Knut had done in the past, he rushed forward at the speed of a warhorse and was no less impactful. 

The commander slammed into the monsters gathered around Rowan, to the warrior’s left, sending them backwards. 

“Damn,” Knut said as he finished off a Striker who had yet to blow up. 

“Power of levels,” I said, striking another with Roq. “One day that’ll be us.”

“Soon,” my friend said, and we kept making our way forward. 

“Not too many more for the next level!” Roq said, excitedly.

“If I can get a skill, don’t you dare start making something without my approval. You remember last time? I can’t afford to lay spasming on the ground like an idiot.”

“Fine,” Roq said. “I’ll try to restrain myself, but—oh that one’s alive! It twitched! SMACK IT!”

I did.

“Crystal for the crystal throne!” Roq said, laughing in bloodlust, and I found myself chuckling along with him. He was genuinely enjoying himself, which was…good.

Eryn and Isaac walked a bit behind us with ming, making sure we hadn’t missed any, while also sending the occasional arrow into the monsters fighting Edwin and Rowan.

“Is it always like this?” Nabeeh asked from the back.

“Edwin rarely has the time to go to spots like these,” Alex answered. “But when wedo? Yes. Every damn time. They are like children let off the leash."

“Does it ever get boring for you?” she asked as I killed another two.

“Taunt!” Edwin yelled from up front.

“Boring? By the rift, no! I love this. If I could wait in Dawnwatch with an ale in my hand and a pretty lass on my knee and have them bring me loot without having to lift a finger for it I’d be the happiest man in all of Noros. This is a rare opportunity where I don’t need to worry too much about them. Your two boys though? They’re the ones I got my eyes on here.”

Knut and I exchanged a glance before smacking another pair of monsters.

Ahead, Edwin and Rowan now stood against a solid force, but Edwin had his shield up and the majority of the monsters were hammering at it while Rowan cut them down. 

“Use ironburst and get some free experience,” Roq said, mimicking Eryn’s voice, relaying her comment, as Knut and I reached the two others.

I hesitated for a second, but having seen what Edwin and Rowan could do, we were safe here, facing these monsters. And we likely had been back at the ambush too. It struck me then that he’d likely been going easy on the ones attacking him to see how we reacted to the situation.

“Ironburst,” I said, and channeled the mana into Roq and hammered the ground. Fifteen steelhusk spears shot up among the enemies, killing five Vanguards with three spears each. 

“You’re so close I can almost taste the level up!” Roq said. “Go forth and slay, my wielder! Let us feast or die in glorious combat! No, I meant, let them die in glorious combat!”

“Armor Break.” 

“On your right!” I said to Rowan as I stepped up, Roq glowing red, and crushed a Vanguard to bits. 

Energy rushed through me, making my limbs go weak, and I stumbled forward. Knut grabbed and hauled me back, but not before a claw scratched across my helmet. It didn’t matter. Pa’s work was more than up to the job. 

I laughed and jumped up, shaking out my body, not feeling an ounce of the hacking and slashing we’d just done.

“Tired? Wounded?” Knut asked.

I just shook my head and gave him a thumbs up, shaking his hand off. 

“I just hit level fifteen! Two levels in one raid! Over!”

“Yes! Amazing!” Roq relayed back. “So, can I make the skill now?”

“What? No! I just said you have to wait.”

“Congratulations, mate of my wielder,” Arclight said. “I look forward to seeing the process of rewiring your insides to fit the whims of the bloodthirsty rock on a stick.”

“Not happening!”

“Also, I am now level six,” Arclight added.

“Damn it!” Roq said. “We must figure out this breakthrough, Ash! That kitty cat is catching up!”

Only a few monsters remained in the tunnel, and I activated Smash, crushing through another.

A few minutes later I stood with the full team, looking back at the trail of destruction. 

“I’ve missed this,” Edwin said. “Being able to fully let loose on monsters far below our level and in a controlled environment. Brilliant. We should do this more often.”

“Good warmup for the real fight,” Isaac said.

“How long for cooldowns and mana regeneration?” I asked, and while they all answered, I asked our weapons about the loot situation.

“How many Mind Gems?”

“Eight,” Arclight said, snapping out the word as if trying to beat Roq to it.

“Only eight out of what had to be nearly two hundred monsters?” Roq said, mimicking Eryn’s voice. “Yes. And I know why!”

“Why?”

I knew he wouldn’t tell before we asked.

“Only one dropped from the ones Ming killed, despite her having the most kills. None from Edwin, and only one from Rowan,” Roq said, using what I’m sure he imagined was a highly intelligent sounding tone, but he just sounded smug. “Isaac’s kills dropped none. Knut’s kills yielded one, and we got two, and Eryn got three.”

“Why?”

“It’s the levels. The more powerful you are, the less likely it is for the seed of a mind gem to survive the killing blow. It’s the only explanation I’ve gathered,” Roq said. “Or, I don’t know if its a seed of a mind gem or an actual mind gem or if it’s just a remainder of the energy that fuels any living being, but the point is that only in some is there anything left, and that’s the energy I sense which tells me there’s a gem inside.”

“Huh. That actually makes sense.”

“Great job, Roq!” Roq relayed from Eryn.

“She didn’t say ‘over’!” Arclight said. 

“It was implied,” Roq added quickly. “And thank you, Eryn. One of the soul weapons needs to use its brains after all.”

“Would you collect the ones with mind gems, over?”

Eryn confirmed and invited Nabeeh, Alex, and Rowan to join her in starting the cleanup.

“I’m going to peek around the bend,” I said.

“Careful not to pull aggression,” Edwin said, and I saw him wince. It was hard for him to let go of the mantle of both leader and mentorship.

I just nodded and headed down the tunnel, trusting my cloak and Roq to keep me safe in case of any surprises.

“Can we talk skill-up now?” Roq asked. “I’ve got the perfect idea for one!”

“Not yet.”

“But—”

“Wait.”

“Fine.”

I rounded the bend and immediately recognised the next room. I’d seen it from above, twice, and dreamed of it plenty times more.

“Oh!” Roq said as I inched forward. “I see the edge of the throne! There’s a leg! An arm! Let me at him! let me at… Oh… Ehm… Arclight… this is one BIG boy…”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 51

With this we are back on track!

Apologies for the delay, and thank you very much for your support :)

-----

We headed back to the ambush room and started exploring the tunnels, carving firebreaks in the crystals as we went to make sure we had somewhere to retreat. 

Twice we ended up having to backtrack, but we steadily made our way down, all the while slaying Crystalkin. Several groups of three to four Strikers, two teams of Vanguards, Strikers, and the throwers, which my glyph told me were called Sharders, and even a couple of lone Vanguards. But there was no sign of the Weavers. Ming saved her magic, wanting to be ready for when we met them again.

“Enemy buying time with crystal,” Knut said as his mace shattered the last monster in a smaller room, a Sharder whose crystal projectiles had done nothing against his shield. They threw fast and their projectiles were wickedly sharp, but fragile. Anything medium armor or above stopped them cold. Our back line, though, was another story entirely. Even Eryn’s armor wouldn’t stop a shard, even less those of Nabeeh or Ming. 

“What did he say?” Alex asked from the tunnel where he waited with Rowan.

“He said the enemy is buying time with crystals,” Ming relayed, using a ‘repeating stuff to old people who can’t hear well’ voice.

“I heard him perfectly well,” Alex snapped back, “But he’s making no sense!”

“The Crystalkin are trading lives for time,” Nabeeh said as she joined us in the room, nearly stumbling over her own robes as she looked back at the healer.

“Oh,” Alex said. “Maybe. If so, they are doing a piss poor job of it.”

He was getting grumpier the longer we were underground and the deeper we headed. None of us liked being there, but his dislike was on another level.

“Those ranged monsters not moving and throwing at the same time really helps,” Eryn said, swiping up two Sharder carcasses. Arclight had forged arrows from the different types now, and the Sharder ones fractured in the air about two feet from impact, spraying the target with shards. They weren’t very helpful against Crystalkin as they couldn’t penetrate their armor, but against weaker fleshy targets? They’d be amazing later on. 

“Be careful not to count on them being unable to do so,” Edwin said. He stood at the exit to this room, smashing crystals with his shield, and making a firebreak. “Just because they haven’t done so yet, doesn’t mean—”

“That they can’t change their behaviour,” Isaac finished for him, rolling his eyes. “Always assume the enemy will do the unexpected and you won’t be surprised. We know, Edwin.”

I looked at Eryn and we shared a smile as the Commander went on a rant about how this was a great opportunity to share their knowledge with the next generation of adventurers and forcing Isaac to admit that his teachings were indeed correct.

“It’s nice to see them acting human, over.”

“It’s nice to see them acting human,” Arclight repeated.

Eryn and I had agreed on a system to streamline our communication through our soul weapons by adding ‘over’ to our sentences, indicating we wanted the message relayed over to the other. Arclight relayed mine and Roq relayed Eryn’s.

“She agrees,” Roq said. “Though I think she’d rather you kill more monsters yourself. Lead the charge. Use Ironburst every time it is up to claim all the experience. You are really close to level fourteen. And once we get there it’s only a few dozen kills to level fifteen and a new ability! I get to play Ash maker again, and I need that. Do you know how long it has been since I got to make something? Too long! I want to work on refining and remaking you again. Make you stronger. Able to kill faster. So you can get me whatever I need to break through and start growing again!”

The relay system worked better with Arclight than Roq.

“You’re supposed to relay her words exactly. That’s the whole point of the system.”

“Boring,” Roq said. 

“If Roq can’t handle our system, maybe we should let Arclight do all the relaying, over?”

“If Roq can’t handle our system, maybe we should let Arclight do all the relaying?” Arclight repeated, before smugly adding, “And I’d be happy to.”

“No fur-covered stick-thrower is going to take MY responsibilities!” Roq said. 

“Are you sure you can handle it, then?”

“Oh, you just watch me!” Roq said. “I’ll say it exactly as Eryn does, and add my more important comments and thoughts on the matter right after!”

Sometimes, interacting with Roq really reminded me about how it had been to live with my mother and father and younger siblings. I missed the time…in a way, but I was perfectly content right here and now.

Once everyone was ready, we moved on in what had come to be our standard formation. Edwin went first, then me, Ming, and Isaac. Alex walked in the middle, followed by Nabeeh, Eryn, Rowan, and Knut bringing up the rear.

This way we were ready if anything attacked from either side, and once we spotted enemies, depending on their composition and whether they waited, we’d adjust before attacking. When the width of the tunnels allowed. 

Twice, crystalkin had popped out of hiding once we passed by, showing how lethal the Sharders could be, as Alex got a five inch crystal embedded in his back before Rowan could kill it. I’d never heard a certain farm animal referred to in such a unique way as Alex had cursed while healing himself.

The passage twisted, and Edwin, still at the front, rounded a bend then abruptly raised his flaming sword. “Enemies!” he called out, his voice sharp. Even as he spoke, the edge of his tower shield was already scraping along the crystalline growths coating the walls, then the ceiling, then the floor. 

Pieces flew as he carved a jagged firebreak in the formations before he stepped back from it, shield raised and angled.

“How many?” I asked, taking my spot at his side, shield raised as well. The tunnel was wide enough for the two of us side by side, though we’d been walking single file to have more room.

“Many,” he said.

But when none came charging at us, I walked to peer around the corner. 

Before us lay a large, cavernous chamber, not as large as the one we’d seen the giant in, but twice the size of any we’d been in so far. It wasn’t the size of the room that shocked me, but rather small army of Crystalkin waiting for us lined up ahead, almost in formation.

“Roq, how many?”

“Fifty-four. Thirty of those skinny ones, fifteen of the chunky tanky-boys, and nine of those annoying Sharders. Barely a mouthful each. Could be more hiding in the crystal growths along the walls and the ceiling like last time. Still haven’t figured out how to sniff those out when they’re playing hide-and-seek in the walls.”

The chamber was full of heavy crystal growth, thicker here than anywhere else we’d been, and a line of it grew across the floor, like a waist high wall. On the far side, behind the crysalkin, a tunnel gaped. 

“Small army of Crystalkin, over fifty,” I said to the team. “They’ve definitely spotted me, but they’re not moving. They are lined up, almost as if manning a wall. There’s a tunnel behind them. It’s almost as if they are waiting for us to close before doing anything, like in the Twisted Titan moss room.”

“That’s… weird,” Eryn said.

“Can’t see any Weavers from here,” I continued, scanning the crystal-encrusted walls. “But I want to be sure. Edwin, let’s move up. Firebreaks as we go, half the tunnel each.”

He grunted an affirmative, and we advanced cautiously, Edwin’s shield and Roq scraping, carving fresh breaks in the crystal. With each step, more of the large chamber came into view. It wasn’t just a random collection of monsters; the way they were positioned, the sheer number of them, it felt deliberate. Like a guard post, but only Crystalkin style. 

Outcrops of crystal dotted the walls too high to reach with melee weapons. Suddenly, light bloomed within them, and I knew they contained Weavers. Lines of light raced from them towards us.

“Back!” I yelled, and Edwin and I moved behind our latest carved line, shields up.

The lines of light converged on the floor, just on their side of the firebreak. With a sound like cracking ice, a crystalline spike, thick as my thigh, erupted from the floor and slammed into Edwin’s shield with enough force to send him staggering backward despite him holding firm.

I hopped back, distancing myself from the spike.

Edwin grunted as he straightened. 

“I’m fine, Alex,” he called out, anticipating his healer’s concern.

I stared at the spike. It had stopped about four feet past our firebreak. Looking closer, I saw its tip was in constant motion, crumbling and reforming, a slow, grinding undulation.

“Well, well, well,” Ming said, her voice filled with a cheerful anticipation that was slightly unnerving. “Looks like I’m up. Finally.”

“Seems with enough Weavers, they can project past the firebreaks,” I mused, “but only a certain distance before the crystal destabilizes.”

Then, almost in unison, Eryn, Nabeeh, and I added, “Though we shouldn’t assume that can’t change!”

Edwin chuckled. 

“Good. You’re all paying attention.”

“How many lines did you count, Arclight?”

“I counted twenty distinct trails of light, which should lead back to the prey,” Arclight said.

“I estimate twenty lines of light,” I said to the others. “So, at least twenty Weavers hidden in there.”

“Why would they waste a potential element of surprise on such a hopeless attack?” Eryn asked.

“Ash?” Edwin said.

I nodded to myself, pondering. 

“If I had to guess, not assume, mind, it’s the same reason they haven’t charged us yet. They’re being held back.” I nodded towards them. “I think we’re close to the throne room. The giant wants to keep us away. This is a show of strength, but not an overwhelming one. Just enough to entice us to attack.”

“Like snow bears,” Knut said. “Charge, then stop. Try to make us turn back.”

“You assume much thought from monsters,” Rowan said, his voice raspy. “Why do you think so?”

Edwin shook his head, and I sensed a grim satisfaction in his voice as he spoke. 

“This is exactly what I’ve been looking for, Rowan. Proof. Not all monsters charge headlong into battle the moment they spot us. There’s much more to them.”

I nodded. 

“Maybe that’s why nobody has seen the giant for so long? Maybe the Hive Mind doesn’t control it fully?”

Ming sighed dramatically. 

“Oh, please, don’t start with the Hive Mind theory stuff again. I get enough of that from Edwin.”

“It could be that the Hive Mind has less control deep below ground,” Arclight said. “While my memories are still few from before I joined with you, my wielder, I remember having a hide. A lair. A place to rest head on paws with less interruption when my belly was full. Perhaps the giant figured that out and decided to settle here.”

“Does that mean we should leave it alone?” Roq said in his best imitation of Eryn’s voice, before adding, “Absolutely not! We should kill it! Kill it good! Smash it to bits! Think of the experience, Ash! The glory! The materials!”

“It’s an interesting thought, but Roq isn’t wrong. We can’t afford to take that chance. Leaving it might be playing into the Hive Mind’s hands if it has any plans for the giant. Us killing it could screw those up. Secondly, we need to complete this quest. For the reward. Over.”

Arclight had a surprisingly good memory, and relayed it perfectly.

“That’s a good point,” Roq relayed back. “And of course, it’s a good point! It’s from my wielder! Ash is continuously getting smarter by osmosis, absorbing information and knowledge and intelligence and learning by having a brilliant being in his mind!”

“Thank you for the compliment, Roq,” Arclight said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “I am surprised you recognised it, given your intellectual shortcomings.”

“That is not at all what I meant, and you know it, fur-covered stick-thrower! I meant myself!” Roq sputtered.

Edwin nudged me, a knowing look on his face. 

“Plan, Ash?”

Right. I’d gone quiet a bit too long, lost in the soul weapon squabble. 

“Roq, Arclight, quiet.”

“At this point, it doesn’t matter whether the giant is connected to the Hive Mind or not. We’re killing it. And this is the perfect time to—” I stopped myself before talking of our Ming plan, not wanting to give the enemy a hint in case they could understand us. I held a finger to where my mouth would be under my helmet and the team nodded, understanding the need for secrecy.

“I’ll smash the crystal spike,” I said loudly. “Then we charge in, following Ming.” 

I pointed to her then the spike. 

She nodded, smiling eagerly.

I stepped up to the slowly reforming spike, Roq held high, pretending to line up a powerful strike. As I did, Edwin moved forward with Ming, his tower shield covering her as she approached the crystalline protrusion. Ming placed the head of her staff directly against the spike and the light within it.

“Chain Lightning,” she said, and cast her spell.

The effect was instantaneous and utterly devastating.

Where before her magic had raced along the crystal and extinguished the light, when combined with the Weavers magic it all exploded. 

And it wasn’t just the spike that reacted. The entire chamber seemed to detonate as the lightning surged through the crystal network, a visible torrent of white-blue energy that flashed from where the light converged into the spike and along the glowing lines in the walls, floor, and ceiling. It was like watching a trail of powdered Glowcap lit on fire, but one that burned with the speed of lightning.

Each point where a Weaver was hidden within the crystal acted like a collection of Glowcaps. The crystal around them didn’t just break, it erupted, sending shards and chunks of crystal and debris flying everywhere. 

The shockwave threw me, Edwin, and Ming back. I landed hard on my side, the breath knocked from my lungs.

Eryn and Isaac were there in an instant, hauling me up. My ears rang, and the air was thick with shimmering dust. The visibility was so low that for a moment I thought I was looking at a sparkling rainbow within the cavern. 

But as bad as we had it, those in the room would have had it worse. 

I took a deep breath, steadied myself and rolled my shoulders. Everything was still in place.

“We hit them hard!” I said, coughing as I breathed in the dust-filled air, and hurried down the tunnel.

The aftermath of the explosion was as breathtaking as the dust. Bits of Crystalkin, Vanguards, Strikers, Sharders, and Weavers were strewn across the room like shattered statues. Up on the walls, twenty massive, smoking craters marked where the Weavers had been suspended, their magic catastrophically turned against them. 

By Roq’s count of fifty-four melee fighters, only nine Vanguards remained moving,  but they were heavily damaged, their crystalline plates cracked all over. Everything else had been shattered.

I didn’t hesitate and charged into the room, heading for the now chipped wall and vaulted over, landing by the nearest wounded Vanguard. I smashed its skull in before moving to a second. Arrows took down two more as I moved on to the next.

The third vanguard swung weakly at me, but I was faster, hitting the side of its head with Roq, cracking it apart. As the monster died, my legs went wobbly as a surge of energy rushed through me, as if I’d consumed ten mind gems at once, and I caught myself on the wall with my shield. 

I grinned in my helmet as all feelings of fatigue and tiredness evaporated. 

“I just hit level fourteen! Over!”

“Congrats! Proud of you, handsome,” Roq said, then his voice turned smug. “See? Smashing things is always the answer!”

The last of the Vanguards fell easy, with Edwin, Isaac, Eryn, and I each claiming one. Ming and Nabeeh were saving their mana for when we really needed them. 

I looked towards the tunnel up ahead, but nothing moved within, and I waved for the others to join us.

Ming walked slowly into the center of the devastated chamber, a small, satisfied smile playing on her lips as she surveyed the carnage. 

“Well,” she said, her voice echoing in the room. “It seems my magic reacts rather… explosively with theirs.”

“Ash! I’m in love!” Roq said. “She’s magnificent! A whirlwind of destructive beauty! You must steal her away from Edwin’s boring party! We need a fifth, and she’s perfect! Think of the glorious explosions we could create together!”

“And have you cheating on Arclight? I don’t think so, buddy.”

“Huh? What?”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 50

The next wave, another twelve Crystalkin, tried to flush us out or overwhelm us in the confined space. But without the element of surprise, they were simple targets. 

“As it should always be,” Arclight commented after Eryn put an arrow through the last one’s eye.

Afterwards, we headed into the tunnel we’d used once before, as Scavengers. When Roq had me almost charge the army of crystalkin. Those were… interesting times.

“Should be just through here,” I whispered to Edwin who was right behind me. I wanted to get his opinion on the situation before we committed to anything.

It was a winding section, where the tunnel itself widened, but the crystal formations grew increasingly dense. It didn’t help that I’d grown both in height and width with my breakthrough, and I barely managed to squeeze through. 

“Nearly there, stick-lover!” Roq said to Arclight. “I will be gracious enough to let you know the moment my glorious gaze falls upon our quarry!”

“I am perfectly capable of identifying a target of this magnitude myself, Hammer,” Arclight said, her voice a low purr. “And I should be at the front, not you.”

Then, just as it had happened all those months ago, the narrow passage opened abruptly, and the temperature seemed to drop sharply.

I crouched, my breath catching as I looked out onto the vast cavern below. The scene hadn’t changed from the one seared into my memory. There were countless crystalline figures milling about below us, yet there was a silence in the vast cavern.And then there was the the throne with its inhabitant.

“It’s here, Arclight! The giant! It hasn’t fled before our…I mean my might!” Roq said excitedly, his voice a bellow in my mind. “You should see it! Big like five Strikers stacked on top of one another and twice as ugly! Its fists are the size of boulders and it’d use your arrows as toothpicks!” His voice lowered into a deep rumble. “We are going to have so much fun breaking this.”

Edwin crouched beside me, his helmet removed. 

“Looks like you were right,” he murmured. “Good and bad.” He tapped his eye sigil. “Name’s Quarris. Dark orange for me,” he said, letting out a slow breath. 

“What do you think?” I asked. “Can we kill it?”

“Of course, we can kill it!” Roq declared.

“Anything can be unmade,” Arclight agreed, a rare moment of unity. 

“Especially with two soul weapons. Do not be daft, wielders. We will unalive it!” Roq continued.

Edwin nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on the colossal figure on its distant throne. 

“We might,” he conceded. “But not in one shot. Not even if Eryn, Isaac, Ming, and Nabeeh all hit it with their absolute best and all at once. They’d hurt it, sure, but I’d rather not risk fighting it and all of those crystal-kin at the same time.” 

He gestured with his chin towards the hundreds of smaller crystalline figures milling about like an army at rest, scattered across the cavern floor below.

“No! We can do it! We MUST!” Roq said. “Just have Alex cast that protective barrier on you, then you cast Smash, I activate Armor Break, and we JUMP! Let me lead the charge, straight onto the top of its big, ugly, jagged head! The Crystalkin King will shatter at our glorious impact!”

I ignored Roq’s suicidal enthusiasm and met Edwin’s gaze. 

The commander was right. 

“We backtrack,” I said, my voice firm. “Find our way down, and figure out how to deal with the rest first.”

Edwin started to move back but I put out my hand, stopping him.

“Commander,” I said, glancing back to the opening through which the others waited. “Any advice for me so far?”

For a moment, he looked at me dead serious, but then he smiled. 

“First thing would be to ask for advice, which you just did,” he said. “And so far, you are doing good. There is room for improvement, but that is to be expected for your first time leading a larger party and one with higher level adventurers at that. There are two things I would point out. Trust that you belong here and focus on the job, not on proving yourself. And the second is to look at the Weavers’ magic. If the giant has something similar, it would be key to understand how it works.”

“Seems to be light and crystal based?” I said. “Do you know the magic from before?”

“You are right, and no, I don’t. But, ask yourself, what else is magic and contains light?”

“That’s easy,” Roq said. “Tell him.”

I just stared at Edwin who gave me a wink and plopped his helmet back on.

“Let me know if you don’t get it,” he said, and headed back to the others.

“Why didn’t you tell him?” Roq asked. “It’s clearly explosions. The bigger the better and more magical.”

“Really?”

“For once, I agree with the stone-on-a-stick,” Arclight said, and my eyes went wide at the apparent new nickname for Roq.

“Stone?” Roq said. “STONE?!”

“Like I was saying,” Arclight continued. “I also thought you’d answer the tribe leader and show your intelligence.”

“But… explosions? Sure, the Strikers detonate when close to death, but that doesn’t seem to be how the Weavers work.”

“I’ll have you know my head is a perfect combination of steelhusk and a magical alloy which I’m not sure even Pa knows what it is,” Roq said.

“What?” Arclight said. “What does explosions have to do with this?”

“My head is NOT made from stone,” Roq said.

“What?” I asked.

“Wielder. I fear your mate is less intelligent than previously assumed. Have you truly made your final decision or is there still time to look for a more suitable one?” Arclight said.

To make the situation even more confusing, Knut popped his head around the bend and asked, “Coming? Monsters wait to die.”

I held up a hand. 

“Thinking. Be there in a second,” I said.

“Based on my current estimate of your intelligence, I perceive you just lied,” Arclight said. “I fear it will take you considerably longer to figure this out. Or perhaps you are simply confused as to the length of a time unit.”

“And my haft is NOT wood,” Roq said. “You are the stick thrower. Find your own damn insults. Oh, and Eryn just told Arclight to behave. You are still mates. I doubt Arclight’d tell you herself, considering her foul behaviour.”

I sighed. 

“Arclight, would you please tell me your thought? On what Edwin asked,” I quickly added.

“Must I share the findings? You could answer the tribe leader instead,” Arclight said, clearly talking to Eryn. “Yes, but— No, but— Yes, fine.”

“That’s right, Eryn! You get your weapon on a leash and make her behave properly, as befits a soul weapon. Like me,” Roq said.

I heard Eryn’s low laughter coming from behind, and Nabeeh asking what’s so funny.

“Lightning,” Arclight said.

“Of course.”

I smacked my forehead.

“What?” Roq said.

“It’s what the commander meant. The Weavers’ magic runs like light through the crystals. Something else which is magic and light is Ming’s lightning magic. Ming might be able to use the crystal network against the Weavers. Maybe it’ll even work on the giant.”

“At least you can find your own whiskers when they are pointed out to you,” Arclight said. “That is something, I guess. Yes, my wielder. He’s figured it out.”

“It’s much easier to just smack them with a hammer,” Roq said. “Both the crystals and the Crystalkin.”

I moved back from the edge and rose, squeezed through the gap, and rejoined the others. 

“Okay,” I said. “Go take a look, one by one, according to levels, so you see what we are up against.”

“Why by level?” Nabeeh asked.

“To avoid everyone trying to squeeze in at once.” Once everyone had taken a peek, we gathered further away to plan.

“Many monsters,” Knut said.

“Too many,” Rowan agreed, nodding at him.

“True,” I said. “We have to do something about the army down there. I estimate there’s anywhere between two and three hundred of them down there in addition to the giant.”

Arclight claimed to have counted them all in a glance and came to two hundred and sixty-nine.

“So, are we calling this off and heading back then?” Ming asked. “Set up a four group raid?” 

She didn’t need to add the ‘led by Edwin’ part. It was implied.

“No,” I said. “Not yet anyway. If we can clear out the smaller monsters and set the battlefield, we are killing that giant today. And you might just be the key, Ming.”

I saw Edwin nod to himself.

“Me?” she asked. “If I was level sixty, sure. I’d clear out that cavern in a flash. But I’m barely twenty-two. That giant is as red to me as it is to you.”

“Your lightning magic may be the counter to the weavers,” I said and she frowned. “And if it is, we’ve taken away their tactical flexibility. All that is left is a lot of low level monsters to grind through. With the Weavers taken care of, the terrain favours us, as it will keep their numbers from overwhelming us.”

“How?” she asked.

“Edwin? You’re the one who pointed it out to me,” I said, giving credit where credit was due. “Care to explain?”

“Nope. You’re doing good,” he said, and I saw the shift in his team as they understood I was indeed working with Edwin, not pushing against him. He was right to point out I shouldn’t focus on proving myself, because it would have me focus on the wrong things. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t a need for it.

“Their magic moves like light through the crystal network,” I said. “If you can cast your lightning spells into their network it might…” I shrugged. “It might shoot all the way to the Weavers and kill them. It might block their spells, meaning you can interrupt their casting. Or perhaps,” I chuckled, “It might blow the crystals straight off the wall.”

Ming pursed her lips. 

“I like it,” she said. “Good observation.”

“What we’ll do is scout this area and find our way down, fighting as we go. Once they send another Weaver at us, you’ll cast a lightning spell into the crystals and see what happens,” I said, holding her gaze.

“Alright. Consider it done,” she replied with a nod.

“If it works as hoped, we’ll fight our way down through the tunnels, pulling monsters in groups until we’ve gone through them.. And yes, Isaac, I see you.” 

The archer was nearly giddy. 

“It is tempting to attempt a kill shot on the giant from here. But not when it may send hundreds of monsters at us at once. Once we’ve cleared the cavern and prepared, it might make sense to open the fight with an attack from above, though I’m not much in favour of splitting the party.”

“What about bringing the roof down?” Alex asked. “I know you are all fond of fighting and hacking and slashing and shooting and casting magic that goes bang, but as the only healer here, no offense to the Storm Warden...”

“None taken,” Eryn said.

“…the giant is simply sitting down there,” Alex continued. “I’d much rather we brought the roof down upon its head. Bury it in enough stone to kill a, you know, giant.”

“Roof too tall and hard,” Knut said, shaking his head. “Can climb. Ash’s hammer good tool. But then? Hang high and throw small rock? Too much risk and low chance to work.”

“What if you carve out a hole in the roof, stuff a Glowcap in, and blow it?” Alex asked, not giving up.

Knut shrugged. 

“Much work, bad risk. Maybe one stone fall. Maybe none. Big cavern. Stone might miss. Giant can move. No.” He shook his head. “Good dream, bad reality.” 

“We really doing this, Edwin?” Alex asked. “If it was just us…”

“You know our rule,” Edwin said. “In the field we are one. Back home you can complain all you want.”

“Fine,” Alex said. “But you remember how I said there’s no more pain medication?”

“No?” Edwin said. 

“Well. I’m telling you now. So if I’ve got to heal you later, it’s going to hurt like a kick to the nuts,” he said and crossed his arms. 

Edwin chuckled. 

“Never mind Alex,” he said to me. “He likes to think he’s the voice of reason in our party, but in reality, he’s a bit of a mother hen.”

The healer glared at him, and before it could escalate further, I clapped a hand to my shield. 

“Enough,” I said. “Let’s test whether this works. If not, we’ll use another approach.”

Without further discussion I led the mini-raid back to the chamber closest to the exit, where I’d made a firebreak in the crystals near the bottleneck.

“Okay, Ming. Please cast a lightning spell into the crystal, but do so on the exit side of the bottleneck. If something…weird happens, we should be protected on this side,” I said.

“And if this makes the crystal explode and the tunnel implode, trapping us with all the monsters and no way out? What then?” Alex asked.

I took a deep breath and slowly let it out, turning to give the healer as friendly a grin as I could. 

“Bonk him on the head. He can heal it,” Roq said.

“No! Listen to him,” Arclight said. “We cannot afford to let ourselves be trapped. Not with a mountain on top and around us!” Arclight sounded afraid, almost desperate even.

“Good point, Alex,” I said. “Let’s do the test from outside, just in case.”

The healer nodded and strode out.

Edwin patted my shoulder as he walked by. “Welcome to management,” he said.

Ming stood in front of the opening, and the rest of us a bit back. 

Everyone stared pointedly at Alex, who smiled easily back at us.

“Happy?” I asked, and Rowan groaned.

“Happy?” Alex said. “Oh, no. I’m never happy when out hunting monsters that want to rip us apart. Let me tell you when I’m happy, Ash. Happy is a feeling best reserved for—”

“Alex,” Edwin said, his tone clipped. “Save it for the Timberline.”

“Fine,” Alex said. “I’m not happy, Ash, but I appreciate your concern for the lives of the team.”

“Finally,” I muttered. “Ming, please go ahead.”

“I will attempt to cast from a distance first,” Ming said. “And see if it enters the crystal.” 

“Alright. Cast at will.”

She raised her staff. 

“Lightning bolt,” she said, and a bolt of lightning jumped from her staff to crack into the crystal just inside the opening, shards spraying everywhere.

“Did that work?” Eryn asked. 

“I don’t think so,” Nabeeh said. “That looked more like it just hit it like a barrier.”

“Agreed,” Ming said. “Next, I will attempt to cast directly into the crystal.” She walked over and touched her staff to the crystal. “Chain Lightning.”

Light filled the crystal to the sound of thunder, and the tunnel lit up as if the sun itself had appeared, the lightning rushing down in multiple streams to disappear around the bend. 

We stood in silence, listening, but no further sound came.

“Pretty,” Rowan said.

Knut grunted in reply.

“Would have expected more destruction,” Arclight said.

“Told you hammering it would do more,” Roq replied. “And explosions! Ba-boom!”

“I believe it is worth an attempt,” Ming said, turning to look at us with a smile. “I can’t promise it’ll kill the Weavers outright, but it might just stun them long enough for you to get to them.”

“Excellent,” I said. “Let's clear this cavern of monsters.”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 49

I glanced around as I scrambled to my feet. The Strikers were still fixated on Edwin and attacked him with a fury, likely because of his taunt ability. 

More Strikers and Vanguards were coming in from the tunnels I’d planned to have Knut and Edwin hold. There were many more of them than I could have even imagined. My reasoning failed me, and all I could think of was that they’d expected us to return.

Riftrot! 

Knut’s back was pressed back against the wall on the side of the room. He’d downed one Striker, but three Vanguards were hammering at him, giving him no room to breathe.

Three Weavers still remained. If we could take those down, then we could mop up the rest with relative ease. But a light was pulsed along the wall, flowing towards Knut’s exposed back. If it got there and wasn’t a heal for any of the Vanguards, the spikes that would shoot out of the crystalline formations might kill him at worst, and break through his defenses at the best. 

A wave of frustration washed over me. If I still had Ironburst available, this would be a completely different fight. Using it in the last fight had been a mistake. This would be the last time I used it to just show off either way if we survived or not.

“Can my cloak’s spikes get through the crystals covering the Weavers?”

“Doubtful, fleshling! Crystal is stubborn. My magnificent head is better suited. Introduce us and I’ll take them for a spin!”

Monsters were pushing in from behind where Rowan was when I last saw him, and more were flooding in from the front. Who knew how many there were on the way or just about to reach us. This was bad. 

Edwin could handle himself and I had to trust Knut’s ability to soak up punishment.

I charged the nearest weaver still buried in the wall, trusting Isaac and Eryn to deal with the other one he’d exposed with his explosive arrow.

A smaller Crystalkin, one of the new ranged types, lobbed a jagged crystal at me. I ignored it as the projectile bounced harmlessly off my Crackenmail.

The light pulsing along the wall, heading for Knut’s exposed back flickered out, and a new stream erupted from the Weaver I was targeting, heading straight for me. 

I gritted my teeth and let it come.

“Arclight, kill the exposed Weaver. Now!” 

I sent the thought, hoping she’d relay the message to Eryn and they could kill it before its magic reached Knut. She did.

“For glory and gore!” Roq bellowed in my mind as spears of razor-sharp crystal erupted from the ground, aimed at my charge. 

I took a quick step and jumped to the side, angling my shield to intercept the spikes. They shot up from the ground and several crashed into it, knocking me on my side and into a roll. I came up in a half-crouch while leaning on one knee.  

I dashed forward as more spikes erupted behind me, but I was already mid-swing. 

Roq, the magnificent bastard that he was, smashed through the Weaver’s crystalline protection and right into the creature’s chest. The light within died and the surrounding crystals crumbled. The Weaver’s carcass tumbled to the cavern floor, or what remained of it after getting a hammer to the face.

“Yes!” Roq said. “It tastes like diamonds and gemstones! And maybe even…hmm…how do gemstones even taste like? No, never mind! You will have to buy me some so I can smash and taste them separately!”

“How would you know?” Arclight asked as heavy, grinding footsteps sounded beside me. 

I spun, Roq already swinging, as a Vanguard came at me.  The crystalline monster was a freak compared to the other Vanguards, much larger and well-protected as it had received a buff by the remaining shielded Weaver. The Vanguard had thicker armor plates, and it wielded a two-handed spear that trailed faint light. The creature lunged and stabbed at me. I caught the thrust on my shield, but the force behind it was much stronger than I was used to from its kind. Even a glancing blow sent me staggering back, bouncing off the crystal covered stone wall.

Riftrot! 

That pissed me off, and embarrassment burned alongside the anger. 

I’d led us into this crystal-laced deathtrap, and on top of it, I struggled to defeat some shitty vanguard, powered up or not. 

The Vanguard struck again, movement much faster than it should have any right to be. I brought Roq up, parrying the spear. A sharp crack echoed as my hammer shattered the crystalline shaft. The Vanguard paused, its featureless face locked on its weapon in what I guessed was shock. Before it could recover, I roared and did something I’d never dared do before. 

I pulled my arm back, and hurled Roq.

“FREEDOM!” the hammer screamed as he shot through the air like an arrow.  

It struck the Vanguard square in the chest, cracking the plating, and forcing it back a good step. 

I was already moving, yelling my own challenge as I charged, shield first, and slammed into it. Unlike my first meeting with a Vanguard, I was larger, heavier, and much more powerful. 

The impact rocked it back another step, buying me time to snap up Roq. 

“Chain Lightning!” Ming called, and white light filled the room as her spell shattered five of the monsters who had come out from the tunnels, buying us a moment to deal with the others.

“That was FUN, Ash! Let’s do it again! Throw me at the other one!”

“Later!” 

I smashed Roq into the Vanguard’s face. Fine cracks spread like a spiderweb. I took another step back and struck again. The head exploded into glittering fragments and the Vanguard collapsed.

“Did you see that, stick thrower?” Roq said. “I bet your strongest shot couldn’t get through its armor!”

“Silence, warmonger,” Arclight said. “Let my wielder focus.”

Edwin cut down one of the two Strikers still harassing him, and planted his shield close to it, and braced for the explosion.

Eryn and Isaac stood at the entrance to the cavern, releasing arrow after arrow. Arclight aimed at the final Weaver across the chamber from me. It was still covered in crystals, and the Weaver’s light was speeding towards her across the floor. 

“Eryn! Watch out!”

Sparks snapped and crackled near the far tunnels as Ming unleashed an area-of-effect spell, bathing the area in front of Knut in electricity.

Then the floor in front of Eryn began to glow. Spears of crystal erupted from the floor, shooting for her throat, just as she released her arrow.

Her shot cracked against the wall-bound Weaver, sinking deep into its skull.

The deadly crystal spears aimed at her neck dissolved into fine dust, drifting harmlessly across the front of her Toothbound Jerkin.

Goosebumps pricked my skin as the terrifying closeness of the moment hit me. Losing her wasn’t an option.

“Great shot!” Roq said, and for once it felt as if he meant it. 

Isaac loosed his twin arrows, trailing black smoke, and killing the two smaller ranged Crystalkin.

Eryn, already drawing again, sent an arrow into the knee of one of the Vanguards battering Knut, likely not trusting a quick shot to kill it. 

The monster collapsed.

Knut roared like a berserker and smashed  his mace into the last Vanguard left standing. 

“More killing, Ash! Less standing around!” Roq demanded.

I shook off the lingering fear for Eryn and ran over to Edwin, bringing Roq down on the back of the last Striker’s head. It died too fast to explode. 

“Go help Rowan!” I yelled. Edwin nodded an affirmative and headed for the tunnel as I rushed to Knut’s side. 

The northerner was trading blows with a Vanguard who seemed to have resisted Ming’s spell, while two more Vanguards and a Striker lay spasming on the ground. 

Knut’s mace slammed into the Vanguard’s chest. Its fist hammered his shield. He smashed its face. It smacked against his titanfang plate covered chest. Neither was doing much more than chipping away at the other.

The Striker exploded on its own or from the electricity, and shards shot out in all directions.

“Ming!” I called. 

She understood my intention and cut the electrical field just as I darted in behind the Vanguard and swung Roq into the back of its neck, destroying it.

As the two incapacitated Vanguards tried to rise, two more Strikers charged in from the tunnels.

I activated Smash and killed one in a single blow to the head. The other fell to Knut’s blows.

“Kill stealer,” Roq muttered.

The two new Strikers barely made it two steps into the room before exploding from well-placed arrows from Isaac and Eryn, pieces pinging off Knut and I.

“How are you doing, big man?” I asked Knut.

He let out a roar, blood and spittle flying as he slammed his mace against his shield. 

“Good fight! Need ale! And the F word! Will need visit good doctor to check for wounds!”

I grinned at the enthusiasm.

“Good to continue then?” I asked.

The Northerner nodded, his eyes already scanning for the next target. A trail of red ran down the white plate of his mace arm. The Titanfang plate had held against the worst, but he wasn’t untouched.

“Go see Alex. Get that arm looked at,” I said, taking up a position to cover the tunnel mouths. 

Knut grumbled but obeyed. 

With Eryn and Isaac’s support, we easily took down another seven monsters, no weavers, as they tried to pour from the tunnels. Ming merely watched, fingers tapping on her staff, ready in case of emergency.

With a final, satisfying crunch, I smashed Roq through a Striker’s head before snapping my shield in front. The monster exploded, rocking me back a step.

I lowered my shield and went to peer into each of the tunnels. 

“Aww,” Roq said. “No more friends to play with!” 

“Eryn, Isaac, watch the tunnels,” I said, just as Rowan, Edwin, Alex, Nabeeh, and Knut walked into the main chamber.

“Everyone alright?” I asked.

Rowan gave a curt nod, his voice a low rasp from beneath his hood. “Good warmup. Nine. Two at a time.” 

He almost sounded pleased.

“Feel like training dummy,” Knut said with a growl. “Need bigger, badder monster.”

“Why is that?” Ming asked, her brow furrowed.

Knut just grumbled something unintelligible into his beard.

Ming glanced at Nabeeh, who shrugged. 

“That’s Knut-speak for ‘I’m embarrassed I didn’t spot the ambush and I’m annoyed I got smacked around by a bunch of rock puppets.’”

“Would have won,” Knut muttered, “if just…” He trailed off, looking at his mace.

“Just what?” Ming pressed gently.

“Not good at killing tanks,” Knut admitted, his gaze shifting to me. “Too slow. Not enough damage.” He looked pointedly at Roq. “Need new weapon from Pa. Then you see real me!”

I nodded. 

“Soon as we deal with these silver-tongued snakes from House Domitius, I’ll help Pa forge your new two-handed sword and the axe.”

Knut nodded.

I looked around the now-quiet chamber. 

“Everyone else okay? Alex, how’s Knut?”

“Wound’s superficial,” Alex said, hands on his hips. “Got his bell rung a bit, but—”

“Not like there’s much there to damage anyway,” Nabeeh interjected with a grin. Then her eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, realising it wasn’t just the four of us. “Oh, by the Dragon’s breath, I… I’m…”

Knut chuckled, a deep rumble in his chest as he glanced at Rowan. 

“Nabeeh not like Katherine. Not see wisdom of few words.”

“I’m so sorry, Knut!” Nabeeh said, her cheeks flushed. “Just joking, you know.”

“This is known,” Knut said, and patted her shoulder a little harder than necessary. “Is fine.”

“This must be why there was so much more crystal growth along the walls and floor,” I said, refocusing the conversation. “They must have been preparing since our last visit. We have to be more careful. No, I should have been more careful. If we weren’t this strong, or if we’d come with just our party alone, this could have gone very, very badly.”

I met Edwin’s eyes. He didn’t need to say anything, but we both knew that me using Ironburst in the last fight had been a stupid rookie mistake that made me think back on Benedict and his glory hunting back during our first raid. 

It hadn’t been necessary, not really. I’d just wanted to show off and prove I was strong. In doing so, I’d put us in a tighter spot here, increasing the chances of someone getting hurt. 

We nodded to each other and I could see he knew I understood.

“How long for mana regeneration?” I asked.

“Full in five, maybe six minutes,” Ming said. Nabeeh echoed her. Knut just grunted. 

Rowan simply stated, “Ready.”

“Roq, any gems in these carcasses?”

“Only one, Ash. A Striker. Eryn’s kill.”

I swiped in that carcass. 

“Loot up, everyone,” I said, and they set to clearing the room.

“Did you get a sense of whether any of the ones Rowan killed had gems?”

“We should not be unduly greedy, Ash,” Arclight said. “Taking kills in which we did not participate is… unseemly.”

“Not looking to take those, Arclight. Just curious about the overall drop rate. Good to keep an eye on it.”

“Understood,” Arclight said. “A logical pursuit. I shall endeavor to maintain an accurate tally.”

“Hah! She only has eyes for what’s directly in front of her pointy nose!” Roq scoffed. “I’ll give you the real count, Ash, and faster too!”

I chuckled.

“Alright, party, quick rest. I’ll watch the tunnels leading deeper. Edwin, can you cover the other entrance?” 

He nodded.

I took off my helmet, hung Roq from my belt, and swiped out a ham and cheese sandwich Eryn had made for me with bread from Ma. I bit in and let the familiar taste of the bread calm my nerves as the others began to chat.

“Do you have family here in Dawnwatch, Nabeeh?” Ming asked, her voice softer now that the fighting was done.

“None here,” Nabeeh said, cheerfully, a bit too much so. “They are all back in Azbara.”

“Your family is noble, are they not?” Edwin said from his post across the room where he stood drinking from a flask.

I glanced behind to see Nabeeh straighten. 

“Yes, technically. Not in direct line for the throne or anything so dramatic, but I was… eligible for a noble marriage.”

Edwin went quiet.

“Though I’m not looking for one anymore,” Nabeeh added swiftly, a touch too brightly. “I was betrothed once. Turned out he was a rather nasty criminal.”

I exchanged a quick glance with Eryn. Nabeeh sharing this so openly with Edwin’s party right here? It was… surprising. Then again, this was Nabeeh. She was bold, disarming, and probably testing Edwin's reaction.

Edwin just grunted.

“Now,” Nabeeh continued, a playful lilt returning to her voice, “I’m looking for a solid sort of fellow. A good man.”

“Like my wife,” Isaac said, his expression utterly serious.

Alex chuckled. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Nabeeh asked.

“Nothing is wrong with me,” Isaac said flatly. “That is precisely the point. I am a solid and good man. Therefore, you must be similar in preference to my wife. She married me after all.”

“Oh,” Nabeeh said, a slow smile spreading across her face. 

Ming laughed. 

“Isaac’s humor takes a bit of getting used to,” she said. “It’s drier than your desert sand.”

“My wife and children appreciate my jokes immensely, thank you very much,” Isaac retorted, though the corner of his mouth twitched.

Rowan let out a quiet chuckle.

“Speaking of wives and children,” Nabeeh said, turning her attention back to Edwin. “You were in the middle of asking some personal questions, Commander?”

Edwin cleared his throat. 

“Just trying to understand the members we’re fighting alongside. Don’t want… miscalculations.”

“Perhaps,” Nabeeh said, her voice filled with mischief, “You could offer me some private lessons sometime, Commander? Share some wisdom from a tank’s perspective on how best to function within a team here in Tharungia.”

“You mean, because he’s such a good guy, he should help you?” Ming asked, her voice laced with amusement.

“And he has such a solid amount of knowledge?” Alex added, grinning.

“Yup!” Nabeeh declared, utterly unrepentant. “All of that!”

A comfortable silence fell, everyone seemingly waiting for Edwin’s response.

But before he could utter a word, I heard the faint scraping of crystal on rock.

“Form up!” I said, swiping in my sandwich and plopping my helmet back on. “Monsters!”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 48

We headed for the cave mouth, Knut holding up his one-handed mace, and Edwin with fire already dancing along his sword’s blade. I walked behind them, Roq a comforting weight in my hand, with Eryn and Isaac trailing after me. Ming and Nabeeh followed, their staves tapping a rhythmic beat on the rocky ground. Alex, Edwin’s healer, came next, and Rowan covered our rear. His footsteps barely made any sound that I turned to check, just to be sure that he was truly there. He raised his swords as if saying ‘hi there, yes, I am here, do not fret’. “Monsters,” Knut grunted, his voice slightly echoing into the cavern as we carefully stepped inside.

We didn’t hurry, and instead approached it as the dangerous quest it was. Further inside the tunnel were three more identical crystalline figures. Strikers. Eryn and Isaac shot one each, shattering them before they even knew what hit them. “A clean kill,” Roq said, magnanimously. “Not bad for a s… bow.”

“Immolation,” Nabeeh said as the third creature charged. It barely managed two steps before its crystal body exploded from the internal heat.

“Your approval is… noted, Hammer,” Arclight said. “I am close to the sixth level.”

“Ash, you need to start killing more monsters,” Roq whispered. “All this standing around won’t get us any stronger and we can’t risk the stick thrower to outgrow us!”

For a moment, I wondered if only I could hear him and chuckled, but I glanced at Eryn and saw her struggle to hide a smile. Seems she’d heard Roq too. No private conversations. Good to know.

“You holding back and saving your strength?” Nabeeh asked Ming.

The lightning mage shrugged, her dark hair swaying as she did.

“We’re in a cave. When I truly let loose, it’s… loud. Devastating, yes, but the sound alone could rattle your teeth out. Edwin’s lot are used to it, but none of you are to my knowledge.”“I appreciate the thought,” I said, stepping over a scattering of crystal shards. “But next time, don’t hold back. We need to know what to expect. Better to experience it now than when we’re facing something that could eat us for breakfast.”

“As you wish, Ash,” Ming said and I could hear her chuckle.

We advanced, the passage bending, and saw more and more of the glowing crystals covering the walls like frozen fungi. I thought back on our first run, and remembered our fights. No, there hadn’t been that much of the stuff. Not even nearly.

“Am blind, or more crystals on wall than last time?” Knut asked.

“I’m pretty sure there is,” I said, genuinely sure of the matter as I studied the walls and ceiling. There were a lot, not a fully thick layer, but there were several lines of the stuff where there had been only one before. “I’m pretty sure it’s denser, too,” Eryn agreed. “And this is what the enemy spellcasters were using?” Edwin asked, reaching out with his tower shield and shattering some of the brittle stuff.

“Yes,” I said as he took some of it and crushed it in his gauntlet.

We continued onward for a bit longer, when the passage up ahead narrowed, allowing only a single person at a time to go through.

“Hold on,” I said. “This is where we had the toughest fight with the Crystalkin the first time we were here. We shouldn’t have a problem with the normal monsters, but let’s not take any chances.” With the others watching, I ran Roq along the wall, crushing the crystal and making sure to interrupt any long lines. “Just so we have a place to retreat if things go sideways,” I said, explaining very little. They would have to see how the weavers worked for themselves before they could understand the symbiotic relation between monster and nature.

“You were quite the handful back then.”

“More like you were a fumbling and bumbling weakling who relied on me doing all the work!” Roq said and I could swear he was blowing a raspberry.

I tapped Knut on the backwith the shield and we pushed on, taking our positions again.

There were no more monsters for a short while, and as we headed further inward, the tunnel opened up into a wider and taller chamber.

This one definitely wasn’t empty.

Two Weavers, their slender forms lit from within, stood near the back. Three Vanguards, bulky and plated, formed a small defensive line, and four Strikers stood around them, two on each side.

“Ming. Would you mind doing your thing?” I asked.

“Not at all, raid leader. It would be my pleasure,” she said, and for a moment I just stood there, watching in anticipation.

She could see well past us, but we all hugged the walls so she had a clear line of sight.

“Chain Lightning,” Ming said, and a bolt of raw energy erupted from her staff, momentarily whiting out my vision. The boom that followed was incredible, a deafening crack that slammed into me like a physical blow. Knut, Eryn, Nabeeh, and I staggered, though my helmet absorbed some of the shock.

I blinked my eyes clear, only to find Edwin striding into the chamber, his shoulders shaking. The commander was definitely enjoying himself, maybe even laughing. I couldn’t tell as my ears weren’t working.

Both Weavers and two of the Strikers were simply gone, shattered into shards by her spell, but two more and all three Vanguards remained. Isaac shot an arrow into another Striker’s chest, killing it, leaving only four more targets. Edwin raised his shield, bracing for the charging Vanguards.

“Ironburst,” I whispered with a grin of my own, and energy shot down my arm and into Roq’s head as I brought him down on the cavern floor.

The ground beneath the three Vanguards erupted. Four spears of steelhusk burst upwards into each of them, one less than I’d used last time. It was enough, and they all shattered. The remaining three spears I directed at the final Striker, and it too was obliterated.

Edwin grunted and lowered his shield.

“Alex told me about this ability after the siege,” he said as he turned. “Useful,” he said, giving me a curt nod. “I like it.”

I grinned in my helmet as I joined him inside the room. Approval from the commander was worth the mana expenditure.

“Effective,” Knut grunted, shaking his head as if Ming’s thunder still rattled around inside.

“Mind gem in the Weaver!” Roq said.

“And the Striker Ash destroyed,” Arclight added, her voice smooth as polished glass in my mind, almost at the same instant.

I didn’t hesitate, quickly swiping both carcasses into my spatial storage.

Nabeeh caught my eye and she smiled conspiratorially.

Before we’d met up with Edwin’s group, I’d laid it out for my team. We needed Mind Gems, twenty-five at least. Enough so that with the quest reward we could cover the debt to House Domitius. If we had a way to offload the mind gems…

It might be wrong, taking more than our share when raiding with another party, but the nobles had us by the throat. Also, I was pretty sure that if they’d known about our ‘ability’ to sniff out gems, they’d agree to help. This once.

Once Pa was safe, we’d make it up to Edwin and his crew by getting them their half of the gems in value.

Nabeeh, Eryn, and Knut had all agreed, though I knew this was a slippery slope. There would always be something we needed Mind Gems for. This had to be the last time I did it. In the Twisted Titan I hadn’t thought of it. After Nabeeh pointed it out, though, I didn’t have any excuse.

Alex joined us in the room, frowning.

“A bit… overkill, perhaps?”

“Huh?” I asked.

“Your ability. Ironburst, was it?” Alex said, and I nodded.

Rowan walked over to us.

“What is the cooldown on the ability?” he asked, his voice a low rasp.

“About ten minutes,” I said. “Why?”

“My level twelve ability has a five-minute cooldown,” he said. “Much less powerful.”

I shrugged.

“Means you get to use yours more often, though.”

Rowan just nodded, then went to cover the entrance.

We fought a few more scattered Crystalkin as we pressed deeper, until I called the group to a halt in the tunnel a ways off from a vast chamber.

“This is where Eryn and I fought the largest force last time,” I said, my voice low. “There are multiple tunnels going in all directions, and they all feed right into it.”

Knut leaned forward and shrugged.

“Looks empty.”

I eyed the room, and noticed that the floor and walls were covered in crystalline growths.

“Let’s not assume,” I said. “Once we get in, Edwin, you and Knut secure the tunnels on the far side. The entrances are tight, so you should be able to hold off any monsters long enough for us to provide support.”

“Understood,” Edwin said.

We all approached the larger room, and I noticed more of the stuff, but Knut was right. It looked more empty than I liked to admit.

Knut strode in first, mace and shield at the ready, heading for the tunnels.

Edwin followed, his fiery sword fighting off the darkness that surrounded him. Unlike Knut, the first thing Edwin did as he stepped into the room, was look up toward the ceiling.

I was a step from following him inside, when everything seemed to happen at once.

“Ambush!” Edwin yelled.

Portal piss.

I stopped in the opening as Strikers and Vanguards erupted from the tunnels Knut was heading toward.

A group of Strikers dropped to land around Edwin. Those must be what Edwin had spotted hidden up above.

“Taunt!” the commander shouted, and they all froze for a split second, turned toward him, and charged as one.

What had looked like three crystalline outcrops detached themselves from the wall, turning into a new type of Crystalkin I hadn’t seen before, smaller than Strikers. Their arms blurred as they hurled sharpened crystal projectiles, ignoring Edwin and Knut, and aimed right for us. Or, more likely, the archers and mages behind me. I blocked two with my shield and one struck my chest but it failed to penetrate.

Most disconcerting werethe five lines of light rushing across the floor from the walls. Three came from spots that I could see from where I stood, and I realised there were Resonant Weavers hidden inside the crystals.

Trusting Knut and Edwin to hold their own for a moment, I decided to deal with the bigger threat: the Weavers. If they reached our back line with their magic, they would shoot crystal spears from the floor, killing them.

“Resonant Weavers are in the walls!” I shouted and held up my shield as I smashed Roq at one of them, crushing through the crystalline growths, and working to create a barrier to protect Eryn and the others.

Alex shouted, and a golden light similar to the one I’d seen on Edwin during the siege of Sentinel Station enveloped Knut.

“Warden’s Embrace!” Eryn said, and I hoped she’d cast it on Nabeeh, Ming, or herself.

Nabeeh’s Fireball flashed past me, close enough that it made me jerk to the side. The spell was aimed at one of the wall-bound Weavers across the room, but it splashed harmlessly against the thick crystal.

Ming loosed a single, concentrated bolt of lightning at another. That, at least, chipped away some of the outer crystal, but it didn’t penetrate enough to get at the Weaver.

“Monsters are behind us,” Rowan said, his voice calm. “I’ve got them.”

“Helping!” Nabeeh and Alex said, and I heard them turn as I dragged Roq through the crystals above us, and quickly turned on the other side. Isaac loosed an arrow past me, and it detonated against the far wall with the two Weavers. I glanced over to see what had happened, and saw the crystal covering one’s face had been blasted away, and one of the ranged Crystalkin had been obliterated.

Then, as I kneeled and completed the break in the crystals, the light from the Weavers in the wall reached the tunnel entrance, and I raised my shield to ward off any spears.

None came.

Instead, a solid wall of crystal erupted, covering the tunnel opening, sealing Edwin and Knut inside.

Riftrot!

“Smash!” I yelled, and Roq was enveloped by a golden glow as I channeled the ability.

I hammered the barrier, and it shattered with a satisfying crash. Eryn shot an arrow through the hole, killing one of the Strikers.

But before I could move, the crystal wall reformed.

I hit it again, a normal strike this time.

Roq bit deep, taking out a good third of it, but that wasn’t enough for anyone to go through. I did manage to see Edwin felling a Striker, with another one lying dead at his feet. Further in, Knut fared less well, furiously blocking and giving ground to five monsters attacking him.

Then the wall repaired itself again.

Before I could strike a third time, spears of crystal shot from the wall to slam into my torso and helmet. My armor held, thank the forge, but the impact drove me back and had me almost vomiting. Even though they didn’t go through, the attack still hurt badly.

Isaac caught my arm, steadying me.

“We need to get in there, Ash!” he said.

“Arclight, tell Eryn to triple armour-piercing shot the wall. Roq prepare Armor Break.”

My chest ached from the hit and I was wheezing for a breath.

“Ming, hit the wall with your strongest lightning. I’ll punch through. Isaac, the second I’m in, take out the Weaver you almost killed!”

“Don’t hit Knut or Edwin.”

Metal on crystal sounded from behind us, followed by the sound of Nabeeh’s Fire Trap, as Eryn lined up her shot.

“One… two… three!” I roared, as Roq flared with a fierce red light. “Now!”

Lightning struck the crystal wall just as Eryn’s three armor-piercing arrows punched three distinct holes, and I charged, Roq leading the way.

My hammer smashed through the weakened barrier, and my shield followed, widening the opening enough to go through.

I tumbled headfirst into the chamber beyond, my feet catching on the jagged bottom edge of the crystalline barricade.

An arrow, trailing fire, streaked above me, striking one of the exposed Weavers in the face. The creature’s light died instantly.

One down.

Riftside 2 - Chapter 47

The rhythmic sound of hammers slamming down on wood echoed around us from the walls of Sentinel Station. The frantic energy of the days after the siege had subsided to a more measured pace that more resembled every other ordinary day. The gate had been patched up and reinforced, and guards were helping workers install another ballista next to it. More were being erected all around the wall, and were in the opening stages. The guild had ordered a hundred ballista bolts from our smithy, but wouldn’t advance any of the money. Only pay on delivery. It was a good thing, as it allowed for Pa and Torsten to work on something else in the meanwhile, too. Even if it wasn’t much, at a hundred bolts, the amount would definitely help.

An unusual energy filled me as we waited for Edwin’s party. One where I knew that if we managed to come back alive, everything could end up being alright. 

“Are they coming or not?” Roq grumbled. “My smashing surface grows bored! Among other things.”

“They’ll be here, Roq. They didn’t even know about it two hours ago. Who knows where he had to go to find Alex.”

“Preparation is secondary to execution,” Arclight said, clearly talking to Eryn. “Observe Isaac’s methods so we may adapt and surpass him. Today.”

“Make sure to get more kills than anyone else, Ash. You need the experience points so we can become the future leader of Dawnwatch!It is a role reserved for us by birthright!” Roq said. 

I rolled my shoulders to settle the weight of my armor. Fifty mind gems split among two parties. The fate of much more than the Steel & Scale hung on a knife’s edge. The scrutiny of Corwin and the Guild. It felt heavier than any armor.

A familiar figure detached himself from the guards near the gate and jogged over. 

"Hey, Garret," I said, grateful for the scavenger’s distraction.

“Hey guys, girls,” Garret said, nodding at us. “What’s going on, Ash? Heading out on a mission?”

"Big hunt. We're going after a red-rated target. A Crystal Giant.” 

There wasn’t any point keeping it secret, as either we’d win or it wouldn’t matter if others knew where the monster was.

Garret's eyes widened slightly. 

“A red-rated giant monster? I know you guys are strong, but just the four of you?”

“No, we’re going with Edwin’s team,” I said. 

“Commander Edwin putting together a raid?" Garret asked. “Mind if I stick around and ask if I can join as a scavenger? Things are crazy slow with almost no missions going out. Hard to make progress towards my class gem when I’m perpetually stuck doing guard duty for silvers.”

"Actually, Garret," I said. "I'm leading this one."

Garret froze, his jaw slackening for a fraction of a second. Shock, then disbelief flickered across his face before settling into a grudging understanding. 

"You?" Garret finally managed. "Leading... a Red-rated hunt?"

“Yup,” I said. “And Eryn just got classed, too, so we’re all adventurers now.”

“No!” he said, looking wide eyed at Eryn. 

“Yup,” she said, flashing her pretty smile. 

“Oh, wow! Congratulations!” he said, and shook his head slowly, a wry smile touching his lips. "Portal piss. Times change, eh?" He looked among us. “Not long ago you were both half my level.”

“I’m grateful for finding a great group to support,” Eryn said, “And that they in turn took care of me.”

“Indeed,” Garret said. “Don’t get me wrong. Nina and Finn are great, but they aren’t as focused on making adventurers as I’d like. But…guess you’re the one I should ask about a scavenging spot, yeah?” 

I felt a pang of awkwardness as he turned to look at me, remembering him leading my first scavenger team. 

“Yes, but we won’t be bringing scavengers today, sorry. It's too dangerous. This is more like a mini-raid than a hunt." I clapped him lightly on the arm. "It's not the place to push your luck."

He sighed, the sound heavy with frustration. 

"Yeah, yeah, I understand." He scrubbed a hand over his face. "Damn gem. Feels like the whole world's put on hold waiting on a lucky drop while the real fights pass me by." He forced a smile. "Alright. I better get back to it then. Happy hunting, guys. Bring back something impressive." 

He gave a nod to the rest of my party and headed back towards the wall, resuming his patrol.

Eryn watched him go, her expression thoughtful. 

"Makes me grateful," she murmured, touching the bow slung across her back, covered in a cloth bag. "Being an adventurer and not having to watch from the sidelines, wondering if I’ll ever get my chance. We all know our situation is a bit different, but if you hadn’t been sweet on me, someone else might be here in my stead right now. Just shows that sometimes you need to be cute, too, not just lucky."

“Hmph. Some of us are still waiting for our chance,” Roq grumbled, the familiar complaint about his level cap surfacing. “Stuck! While lesser beings advance!”

Just then, Commander Edwin and his team stepped out from the portal and made their way over to us.

Alex offered a politesmile,  Ming gave a curt nod to Nabeeh. While Isaac smiled at Eryn and glanced at the covered bow on her back, and Rowan, hooded and silent as ever, simply just stood there and observed.

Edwin and I shook hands. 

"Alright, Ash," he said. “You faced down the Juggernaut when I got pushed out, and you’ve grown faster than any adventurer I’ve met. You’ve earned this shot in my book." he said with what looked like an honest smile.. “Besides, you know where the monster is, so you can take the lead. Lay it out for us."

I took a breath, forcing down the sudden surge of adrenaline mixed with a healthy dose of imposter syndrome. It was natural to us humans, whenever we were put in a position of power we previously didn’t have access to, or even responsibility. In all honesty, I hadn’t been looking forward to it. I was young and inexperienced compared to Edwin, but then again, we’d fought our share of battles.

Riftrot, they're all looking at me like ducklings to their mother. Don't mess this up, Pa's forge… 

"Right. Thanks, Commander." I turned to the combined group, projecting a confidence I didn't entirely feel. "Okay, listen up. Eryn and I scouted the Echoing Chasm a while back. Entrance leads down, opens into many chambers. We encountered different types of Crystalkin, both Strikers, Vanguards, and Weavers."

I quickly summarized our previous foray, including how the Strikers exploded on death, the Weavers attacking, buffing, and healing through the crystal formations , and the effectiveness of blunt force. 

"Deeper in, we found a massive chamber,” I said. “Looked to be hundreds of them milling around, though we didn’t stay around to count.” I shared a glance with Eryn. “Because at the bottom, sitting on a stone throne was a giant. It looked big enough to easily poke its head over Sentinel’s walls.”

Eryn nodded her confirmation. "The Weavers are priority targets. Their heals worked quick, and we don’t know if there’s any range to their spells through the wall crystals, though we only saw them cast spells in line-of-sight.”

Isaac spoke up. 

"Fought crystal golems out Star Peaks way once. Tough bastards. Started stocking up on blunt arrows with heavy heads after that. Blunt force, like Knut's mace or your hammer, Ash, delivered from afar.” 

“Brought Glowcaps,” Knut said, arms crossed. “Make shit go boom.”

“Excellent,” Isaac said, grinning. “If their explosions work half as well on the Giant as they did when you shoved one into the Juggernaut, Ash, this'll be easy."

"Don't jinx it, Isaac," Ming said dryly, before turning her attention to Nabeeh. “Think lightning or fire works best to cause structural failure in crystal?”

Nabeeh smiled, a hint of challenge in her eyes. 

"Fire solves any problem.”

Ming narrowed her eyes and smiled.

"One of the key things to do is to focus fireon the healers,” I said, bringing the discussion back on track. “We outlived them for now, so getting there should be easy as long as we don’t get sloppy. For the giant? We’ll have to adapt. I have no idea about its capabilities.”

“Alright,” Rowan said, the single word raspy but clear from beneath his hood. He wasn’t a man of many words, but he knew how to kill monsters.

“Boring! Let’s go and smash things already!” Roq said. “Don’t you remember how satisfying it was seeing them shatter for the first time? Just imagine the look on their faces when you smash me into the shin of that giant and it just SHATTERS! Topples over on its ugly face and then we hit the back of its skull, put me inside, and we explode the whole thing into chunks!”

“Unrealistic and inefficient,” Arclight said. “We should slay every exterior sentry before setting up the perfect kill shot. A Steel Scuttler arrow to the forehead perhaps? Maybe even pry for weak spots first and alight that perfect shot.”

“You will NOT steal this kill from me, stick thrower,” Roq said, voice low and threatening. “It is mine. I saw it first.”

“And the last thing it will see is my arrow coming right for its face,” Arclight said, not even deeming it necessary to raise her voice above his.

Right, ignore the bloodthirsty hammer and the killjoy bow. Stick to the plan. 

I looked at Edwin. 

“Anything to add?”

“The scavenger who survived the party that was wiped out by the Giant,” Edwin said. “He mentioned to Harold and I that crystal spears shot from the ground. I thought perhaps he’d come down with a case of the warrior’s heart, but hearing what you saw the Weavers do…” He shrugged. “Something to watch out for. Crystal spikes don’t have to be unique to the weavers."

"Alright," I said. “And no, they do not. Now that I think about it, what if they’re drawing their abilities from the big one? Then he might be capable of it all. And if there are other types hidden down there? A full-on attack is impossible. We will need to clear room by room and then draw groups of them out before we even attempt the attack.”

Knut grunted, gesturing vaguely towards Edwin with his mace. 

"Giant is big monster. Will need big storage."

Nabeeh caught Edwin's eye again, a playful smirk touching her lips. 

"Always practical, our Knut. Talking about big things when they’re already so apparent.”

Edwin cleared his throat but ignored her. 

"Everyone understood the plan?” he asked, unable to fully let go of his commanding role. “Stick together, communicate, focus fire. Ash has the lead." 

He gave me a final nod, one that showed me I had their trust.

***

On the way there we shared details on some of our abilities, refreshing what we knew and discovering some new things. Isaac was especially interested in Eryn’s Snipe ability and kept asking her to demonstrate. So when we finally arrived at the Echoing Chasm and we saw a Striker and a Vanguard standing at the entrance just like last time, Arclight relayed a message to me.

“My wielder asks to get the first kills, taking out the guards to show we belong with this group.”

“Sure,” Roq said.

“First off, that’s up to me. And secondly, what gives, Roq?”

“Eryn is the partner of my wielder. I will not have anyone doubt her abilities. And if she misses, perhaps she will rethink her choice in weapon,” Roq said.

Of course…why else would he go ahead with the request?

“Eryn, can you take care of the guards?” I asked, stopping at the edge of the forest, further back than we had drawn them last time.

“My pleasure,” she said and opened the bag, pulling out Arclight.

Ming gave a whistle, likely sensing a familiar lightning, or just because it looked like something worth ten thousand gold.

“By the Rift’s hairy backside!” Isaac said. “Where in the bells did you get that?” 

“Ever heard of Lysander Wilkens, the bowyer?” I asked. “Pa invited him to visit, made this from the carcass of Arclight, the lightning…monster we brought in.”

“May I…?” Isaac asked, taking an involuntary step closer.

“No,” Eryn said simply, her focus already narrowing on the distant targets. 

She drew an arrow from her quiver, one of Arclight’s own creations, forged from Steel Scuttler essence.

“Ohh, right. That was rude of me,” he said and stepped away. The archer looked crestfallen, and it was all I could not to chuckle. 

Eryn planted her feet firmly just outside the tree line and she nocked the Scuttler-forged arrow, and took a deep breath.

“Not heading closer?” Ming asked, her gaze flicking between Eryn and the distant crystalline figures guarding the cave mouth.

“Nah, I’m good here,” Eryn muttered, the dark fletching brushing her cheek as she pulled the string back. 

She held the draw, Arclight’s limbs taut, the arrow tip pointing straight at the monster. One second. Two.

Isaac frowned, rolling his thick shoulders.

The air around the arrow began to crackle as Predator’s Patience activated.

"Snipe," she murmured, the word barely audible, but I felt the shift in her stance, the utter stillness that settled over her.

Then tiny sparks of blue energy danced along the arrow and I knew she’d activated Prism Arrow.

She let the arrow fly, a dark streak against the grey rock, trailing faint blue sparks. Mid-air, it fractured into three projectiles. One continued straight, slamming into the center mass of the Crystal Striker. The other two struck the Crystal Vanguard, one high on the chest, and the other near its thick neck joint.

The Striker didn’t twitch. It simply disintegrated like a glass statue hit by a hammer. No explosion.

The Vanguard stumbled back a step from the double impact, blue lightning arcing across its crystalline plates where the arrows struck, which was likely a result of Static Arrow’s extra lightning damage.

Then it too collapsed into a pile of inert crystal shards.

Two kills, one arrow.

Just like that.

Isaac let out a low whistle, his eyes glued to Arclight. 

"Pull me backwards through the Rift... Been a long time since I saw shooting like that. Or a bow like that." He shook his head, a mix of awe and maybe a little professional envy on his face. "Splitting arrow? Lightning charge? And that power..."

Edwin grunted as he looked from the pile of shards back to Eryn. 

"Impressive, Storm Warden. Very impressive. You have both precision and power."

Ming tilted her head, observing the lingering blue sparks dissipating near the cave entrance. 

"Interesting energy signature," she commented, mostly to Nabeeh. “Clean lightning. Focused. Efficient. I like this girl even more now.”

“Hmph. Flashy,” Roq grumbled. “But effective. Good. More experience for us eventually. Now, can we get to the real smashing?”

Pride swelled in my chest as I met Eryn’s gaze, and saw the confident smile on her lips.

Yeah. She belonged  right here with me. Right here with us. Right here in the raid.

"Alright," I said. "Path's clear. Let's move. Knut, Edwin, you're on point."

Update on next days

Hi everyone,

A heads up that my co-author, Cassius might be out of action for a few days as he's on a trip for some health stuff. I don't currently have a backlog of chapters, except tomorrow's which is with him for editing.

Hopefully everything will go alright with him and he'll have time for the edits, if not I might post the unedited chapter, or I might wait until he catches up and then drop them then.

If all goes well there shouldn't be any interruption in service, but just letting you know in case :)

Riftside now has over 1.7 million kindle pages read and another estimated 400k pages via orders. You've all been part of that, and I thank you so much for all your support.

It really means a ton, and it is super motivating for me to push on the writing every day!

Wish you all an outstanding week!

Best regards,
Henrik

Riftside 2 - Chapter 46

The Adventurer’s Guild Hall was oddly quiet. Maybe it was simply that we were there early, or it could be related to how few monsters we saw Riftside, or even to Harold’s purse string being tightened by the central guild and people just didn’t want to go out for pennies. Maybe it was even just me and the weight of four hundred and twenty-one gold pressing on my shoulders.

Still, I forced a smile and gently nudged Eryn with my hand. 

“Ready?” I murmured, eyeing the three officials waiting by Harold’s office door.

She nudged me back. 

“I’ve fought monsters and survived a breakthrough. I can handle a few paper-pushers.”

I chuckled, and Vos adjusted his monocle, staring at me as if asking ‘what is so funny’, but he didn’t utter the words. 

Harold appeared in the doorway, looking more tired than usual, but still managing a professional smile. 

“Eryn? This way, please.” He gave her a wave before nodding to the officials. “If you’ll join me.”

Eryn smiled and I gave her a thumbs-up, watching as she disappeared into the office with Harold and the officials. The door closed with a soft but final click, sealing her off.

“Pretty bird becoming adventurer,” Knut said. “Expected. You? Not so much.” 

He clapped me on the shoulder and laughed. Before I could respond, he headed over to the quest board.

Nabeeh and I joined him.

“Few quests,” Knut said. He tapped a grubby slip pinned haphazardly to the board. “Patrol duty. Big perimeter sweep. One mind gem. Worthless.”

Nabeeh twirled a lock of dark hair around her finger, lips pursed in mock thought. 

“Seems the Guild’s coffers are as tight as Master Vos’s monocle chain. Too much gold flowing uphill to central command. If they keep it up like this, no one will want to go out and actually do anything.”

I scanned the board, but it was useless. Mostly green slips for basic patrols, and a couple of faded yellows offering pitiful rewards for gathering runs that were closer to manual labor than monster hunting. 

“Pathetic scraps,” I said. “We need a real hunt.”

“Mountain of carcasses,” Knut said, nodding. “To forge a river of gold.”

“By the rift, yes,” I said. 

Nabeeh arched an eyebrow. 

“So, a miracle? Might be we have to just head on out into the unexplored areas and see what we can find. With your nose for…trouble,” she tapped the side of her nose and winked, “It might be worth it, even if it takes two days or more.”

A familiar, steady voice cut through the gloom. 

“Waiting on Eryn?”

I turned to see Commander Edwin making his way over.

“Morning, Commander,” I said. “Yeah, she’s in with the officials. Orientation.”

Edwin glanced at the closed door, his expression tightening almost imperceptibly, then back at us. 

“Harold’s walking on eggshells with those three breathing down his neck. For one, I’m not sure he’ll get to keep the posting. And second, central command’s got him counting copper and rationing arrows.” He jerked his chin at the quest board. “Hard to defend the world when they won’t pay for scouts to see what’s coming.”

“Sounds familiar,” Nabeeh said, voice dry as desert sand. “Azbara’s nobles loved to count coins while others bled.”

Edwin grunted in agreement. “Heard your family grew, Knut. Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Knut said, and that was that. He didn’t elaborate or offered anything else.

“And I heard about what Serona did. The nerve of those rift rotten nobles,” he shook his head. “Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.”

I started to speak, and he held up a hand.

“On this side of the law, of course,” he continued. “I am Dawnwatchs commander first and foremost, and I cannot let my personal emotions cloud my judgement.” Then he smiled. “That’s for when I’m off duty.” 

“Well, you got four hundred gold I could borrow?” I asked. “You know I’m good for it given a bit of time.”

He laughed. 

“If I did, I’d lend it to you. Here.” He took out his purse, counted out twelve gold and handed it to me. “It’s not much, but it’s what I got in gold. If Mind Gems can save the smithy, you come see me, yeah?”

“Thank you very much, sir,” I said, pocketing the gold. “And we’re good on Mind Gems for the moment. I will make sure to repay you first.” Then I nodded at the quest board. “Won’t last long though, if this is all that’s out there. They certainly chose an interesting time to screw with us.”

Edwin nodded and we lapsed into an uneasy silence, each of us staring at the quest board, before moving to the sitting area.

I tried not to think about the clock ticking down on the debt, the days bleeding away, or what would happen to Pa and Ma, to the forge, if we failed.

When the door finally opened and Eryn stepped out, I felt ready to head Riftside and run straight out the gate and not stop until I found a pack of monsters. 

But there she stood, looking relieved and proud. 

Harold followed, looking a shade less stressed. 

The three officials filed out behind him. Vos’s gaze swept over me and he gave a small nod. I forced a smile back, one which didn’t reach my eyes. 

Harold cleared his throat. 

“Allow me to formally welcome Dawnwatch’s newest adventurer, Eryn Whitcroft.”

Everyone clapped, until Sverr leaned out of his little window and shushed us, tapping the sign saying ‘Quiet! Genius at Work!’.

Then he whispered at Eryn, “Congratulations,” and disappeared back to his gems.

The three officials settled in with Madeleine and her paperwork, while Eryn and Harold joined us.

“Good. Strong now,” Knut said, clapping Eryn gently on the shoulder. 

“Finally! Welcome to the club, pretty bird. About time you started pulling your weight,” Nabeeh said with a grin.

Eryn rolled her eyes, but she was beaming. 

“Thank you, Nabeeh. I’ll try not to show you up too badly.”

Edwin smiled too, real pride in his voice. 

“Congratulations, Eryn. I knew you had it in you. Doctor Ridley will be pleased to have another healer.”

“Erh, yes,” Eryn said, and I knew she was thinking about how to pay Katherine back when she couldn’t actually heal. Not in the way the doctor would be asking for. “Thank you, commander.”

I caught Eryn’s eye and grinned, a wave of relief washing over me. 

“You did it, babe. Welcome to the ranks.”

“Fancy name,” Harold said. “Storm Warden. Wonder what abilities you will bring to the guild in the future.”

“How about, to celebrate, you give us an especially good quest?” Eryn asked, jokingly batting her eyelashes at Harold.

“Oh, I wished I could,” he said, and glanced behind him at the officials. He shrugged and lowered his voice. “My hand isn’t just tied behind my back, but they’ve got theirs in my pockets, taking away the gems and gold that should go to all of you .”

“Guess that means we need to take some risks,” I said. “Any advice, Edwin? Harold? Or do we just head in blind until something tries to kill us and we beat it first?”

“Is your situation that desperate?” Harold asked.

“Yes,” I said, my voice steady despite the knot in my stomach. “We need gold, fast. The situation with the smithy is bad. You’ve heard of what those silvery snakes are trying, yeah?”

Harold nodded. 

“I have. Unfortunately there is nothing I can—”

“Come now, Harold,” Edwin said, interrupting him. Then he lowered his voice. “Aren’t there any high-value targets you’ve been sitting on? Anything that might bring a decent reward? Anything off-book?”

Harold shook his head, running his hand over his face. 

“It’s all on the board, Edwin, and that’s squeezing the budget as far as I can.”

“Last monster attack was big,” Knut said. “No gems?”

“A lot,” Harold said. “And plenty of materials. But also tremendous damage to the fortifications that need to be repaired, so the crown took the majority for that and the families of the guards who died. In time we’ll get the carcasses exported or forged into items and sold, and we’ll get past this credit crunch, but right now? It’s tight.”

“You know this won’t work,” Edwin said. “We sit here rationing arrows and patching walls while potential disasters fester Riftside. Central command wants us to hunker down and play defense. But the Juggernaut proved how vulnerable Sentinel Station is to a real siege threat. We should send adventurers to identify and neutralize major threats before they emerge. Take the fight to them.” He shook his head in frustration. “Instead, we wait. Like with old threats… remember the Crystal Giant?”

“The what now?” I said, exchanging a glance with Eryn.

“It killed an entire party and then just vanished. A Red-rated terror back then, and it’s probably worse now, just sitting out there somewhere, waiting. That’s the kind of target we should be funded to find and eliminate, secure its resources, and slay it before the Hive Mind figures out how to use it against us!”

“What’s the story here?” I asked.

Harold sighed, rubbing his temples. 

“Happened a few months before your family arrived, Ash. A party of adventurers, all solid level twenties, disappeared. One of two scavengers who’d gone out with them came back and talked of how a massive crystal creature wiped them all out. Pink and terrifying she called it. We sent scouts, multiple times, but they never found a trace of the party or the monster. They were all just gone.”

A silence settled over our group as Eryn and I shared a knowing glance. 

“Actually, I might know something about that,” I said.

“Oh?” Harold said. “You’ve stumbled upon five dead adventurers and never thought to mention it?”

“No,” I said. “Not the adventurers. The giant.”

“You’ve seen it?” Edwin asked, his voice turning to a hiss. “Where?”

“Eryn and I have done some hunting in the Echoing Chasm…” I glanced at Vos who was still talking with Madeleine. “…as scavengers. We fought our way deep inside and eventually we came to a vast chamber, and at the bottom, far below, was a giant. It sat on a throne and it looked like it was made of crystal. The giant that is. There were about a hundred or so Crystalkin as well. We turned around and hightailed it.”

Harold’s eyes narrowed. 

“Deep in the Echoing Chasm? If it truly is that monster, I wonder why it’s been hiding all this time.”

“Who cares!” Edwin said, and his face lit up in a way that took a decade off him, showing us the adventurer he had been before taking on the heavy mantle of a station commander. He’d just felt the thrill of the hunt again, I could see it clear as day. “The resources from a creature like that. It might just be what’s needed to put us on the right path. What if slaying it would stop the formation of Crystalkin? It might even secure the Chasm for good and help us save the smithy. All in one fell swoop.” 

“What was the reward for slaying it?” I asked. “And is it still available?”

Harold hesitated, glancing between Edwin and me. 

“The bounty was substantial. Huge. But…” He sighed. “Even if you killed it, and with that thing being Red-rated and left to grow for all this time, it’s far too dangerous for a single party of four, I wouldn’t be able to pay you for quite some time either.”

“What!?” Knut roared. “Guild not honoring quest contracts!?”

“Hush!” Harold said, patting the air. “That’s not what I said! It’s a fifty mind gem bounty. You think I have that kind of capital lying about?” He glanced around. “The quest would be paid, but I’d have to make a special request for funds from the Guild. They’d pay. They always do. But I can’t guarantee it would make it in time to solve your…troubles.”

“Fifty mind gems?” I said, looking at my team members one by one. Knut smiled, Nabeeh nodded, and Eryn just shrugged. “You’d be surprised at what we could accomplish when properly motivated. How much of it could you pay us in time?”

“Don’t be stupid, Ash,” Harold said. “It’d be your death and I don’t want that on my shoulders. They’re too damn heavy these days already!”

Edwin clapped a hand on my shoulder. 

“What if we treat it like a mini-raid and I bring my team along? We’d settle for half the bounty each, if you give Ash his share in gold. That would make it worth my party’s time and risk. The bells know we could use a proper hunt to shake off the remnants of that siege.” 

“You won’t be eligible for the reward, Edwin. You know that,” Harold said. 

“We would if Ash led the raid. He’s the one who knows where the monster is. Would be a good chance to see how the Hammerlord handles coordinating a larger force under pressure.”

My mouth went dry. Leading Edwin’s party of veterans? Against a Red-rated giant with my party of…rejects? 

Part of me wanted to run, to find some safer, smaller monster to hunt. The other part, the larger part, the one Roq lived in, the part that had faced down the Woodweaver, Arclight, the Titanfang, and the Juggernaut, roared its acceptance. 

Harold looked from Edwin to my grinning face. 

“That’s one crazy gamble, Edwin. I’m not sure the potential reward is worth it for us.”

Edwin shrugged. “They’ve earned our trust.”

A quiet cough interrupted us and Corwin Rone, the quiet Guild official joined us, ledger clasped to his chest. 

“Excuse me, Guildmaster, Commander,” he said. “I couldn’t help but overhear. This Crystal Giant sounds like a significant asset, or rather, a major threat. The central office might be interested in such a high-value target being neutralized.”

“Really?” Edwin said, sounding way too skeptical.

“Why of course,” Tone said, adjusting his spectacles. “I have read reports of this cave and its crystalline growths. If the local budget is strained, Harold, I might be authorized to… finance the gold reward Commander Edwin requires for this joint expedition. Consider it an investment by central command in securing a valuable resource node.”

Harold and Edwin both looked surprised.

Corwin continued, his tone never rising above a mild, analytical drone. 

“My conditions are simple. Half the giant’s carcass, payable directly to the Guild central treasury, five of each regular monster type, and, of course, a detailed operational report from you, Commander, focusing specifically on the performance, tactics, and coordination of Adventurer Aldrich’s party during the engagement.”

Edwin shot me another quick look. Scrutiny. The price of funding our little expedition. But also, it was the only real chance we had to save the smithy and send house Domitius packing.

I took a breath, meeting Corwin’s bland gaze. 

“We can agree to that. On one condition. I get the first selection of all carcasses, and Thomas Tharen dissects the giant. Any gems found within will belong solely to my and Edwin’s party, following standard kill rights.”

Corwin frowned. 

“I am not sure you are in the best position to negotiate, Adventurer Aldrich. If it is gems you seek, then—”

Edwin cut him off. 

“You know it’s fair, Corwin. Standard Guild practice across every Rift. The party landing the kill gets the gems, unless they sell the carcass wholesale. You want the materials, fine. Any gems belong to the raid party.”

Corwin hesitated before giving a curt nod. 

“Very well. The materials value, excluding gems, will be split fifty-fifty. The gems are yours, Aldrich, should you succeed in extracting any. I will provide the two-hundred and fifty gold for the bounty. Harold, upon success, you are to make it a priority to set up a mining operation in the cave. I will arrange a transfer from central funds to do so.”

“Write quest paper,” Knut said to Harold. “Write good, yes? And give to me. I secure it.”

I grinned as Edwin clapped me on the shoulder again. 

“Alright, Hammerlord. It’s a plan. Give me two hours to rustle up my team and we’ll meet you Riftside.”

“Big monster, big fight, big reward, but…” Knut said, shooting me a grin. “I bring big shield, you have big hammer, and Edwin has big spatial storage!”

“That’s not the only big thing about him,” Nabeeh purred, eyeing him. She gasped, totally in shock at what she just said, but we all pretended not to have heard anything. 

“We’ll be there,” I said. “Make sure to bring your best game, Commander. The hunt is on.”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 45

Half an hour later, scrubbed and slightly less grimy, Eryn and I walked side-by-side down the darkening street. The air was rapidly cooling, and it carried the scent of woodsmoke from the many cooking fires. A pleasant tune played somewhere in the distance, and I guessed that Johan had found a minstrel for the Timberline tonight.

“Where are we headed?” Eryn asked, hugging my arm and looking up at me.

“Victor, then Borin at the brewery, Martha, the seamstress, and old Man Hemlock’s forge,” I said, listing them off.

“Sounds good,” she said. “And Pa seems impressed with Torsten. That’s a big bonus. What if he hadn’t lived up to Knut’s promises? We’d have to feed seven mouths extra and with nothing to show for it.”

“He’s a solid smith,” I agreed. “Learns fast and listens to Pa, which is good. Having him here will help. More than just the extra hands.” 

It felt good having more people we could trust at our backs. Even if it did mean our shield had to be larger and stronger to protect them all.

“But where’s Lysander?” Eryn asked. “I didn’t see him.”

“Pa said he went to the bowyer. Talked about refilling his creative well,” I said.

“Oh?”

“Muttered something about how there’s nothing more inspiring than watching someone screw up uninspired work.” I chuckled. “I think he’s a bit tapped out after forging Arclight. At least it seems he bought the excuse that Pa insulated your gloves well enough to wield it.”

“Wouldn’t mind an actual pair of gloves made from her fur,” Eryn said. We’d both stored our weapons to give us a bit of quiet and alone time. Also, it looked super weird if we carried them around all the time, especially while in Dawnwatch.

“I think that can be arranged, though it’ll have to wait. Everything is on hold until we have paid off this riftrotten debt. It hasn’t stopped Pa from dreaming of what to make once we do, though.” I smiled. “He keeps glancing at Knut’s half-finished sword and he’s muttering of the axe he’ll make.”

“What about Nabeeh?” Eryn asked. “She was asking about some kind of cold-resistant vambraces. Probably if she has to fight against Benedict.”

“He mentioned it,” I said. “Might be possible to use treated Shardfang hide. We’ll see. He’s got a lot spinning around in that head of his.” I glanced at her. “Speaking of new gear… Storm Warden. How does it feel, really? Being an adventurer?”

She was quiet for a moment, her boots crunching softly on the packed earth road.

“I feel… powerful,” she admitted. “Faster. Stronger. Dangerous in a way I never thought of myself before. Like you said, the world feels a bit slower. Arclight…” She hesitated, looking down at her hand, as if she envisioned it holding the bow. “It helps focus. When I draw it back, it’s like everything else fades. There’s just the target.” She made a fist. “Doubt and fear and confusion all fade, and it feels amazing.”

“That’s good to hear,” I said, though something about her tone was off. Power had a way of changing people, and I knew that very well. I had to contend with a bloodthirsty hammer, after all.

Eryn sighed softly. “But it’s not… healing. It’s all instinct and precision and… ending things. It’s strange to me how good it feels. I’m not quite sure what to think of it yet.”

“It’s a big shift,” I acknowledged. “Breaking through is brutal. You have literally and figuratively been remade. I never expected to be a… hammerlord.” I chuckled. “But it seems to be working for me. Do you think the Healer gem and Arclight could have found the right balance and build for you?”

“Maybe,” she murmured. “I still need to talk to Katherine. Explain… well, try to explain. Without revealing everything.” She looked at me and licked her lips. “It’s not like I can fulfill my end of the bargain now and work those hours as a healer. Do you think she’ll understand? Or just think I wasted her time and the gem?”

“Katherine’s sharp,” I said. “And she cares about you. She saw you survive something she thought impossible, but we gave her a gift too. The knowledge that healing helps with breakthroughs should be worth more than any single class gem. I think she’ll respect the outcome. Especially when she sees what you can do. And I figure we promise her the equivalent value in mind gems and it will be alright.”

“I hope so,” Eryn said, and I hugged her close as we reached Victor’s Alchemy shop. 

The door was open, spilling light onto the street. 

We headed in, and I scrunched up my nose at the cloying scent of herbs, chemicals, and something vaguely metallic. Victor looked up from a bubbling retort, his eyes intense behind his spectacles.

“Ash! Eryn! Excellent timing.” He gestured towards a cleared space on his cluttered counter. “The Glowcaps, yes? Golem cores and other goodies?”

“You got it,” I said, and then looked down at his crowded floor. “Perhaps better we step out for the transfer? Might not be the best result for your shop if we drop the golem across your beakers, or if the Glowcap explodes in here.”

“Excellent point!” Victor said, and hurried around the counter, one finger raised to the roof, eyes wide as they could go. 

“To the storage!” 

After carefully transferring the two intact Glowcaps, neither of which contained mind gems, and several dense Ironroot Golem cores, and a handful of the larger, clearer crystal shards from the Strikers and Vanguards, Victor examined them. He commented on their potency and hurried inside to count out the golden coins.

“Fifteen gold, as agreed,” he said. “Barely have it, mind you,” he added, lowering his voice. “Went by the bank earlier to exchange a few spare gems I had processed. Shutters down, tight as a virgin’s…” He trailed off, glancing at Eryn, who raised an eyebrow at him.

“Erh…tighter than a miser’s fist,” Victor finished. “Wouldn’t even open the door. Said they weren’t dealing in gems today. Something’s rotten, Ash.”

My gut clenched. So, it wasn’t just Petra. The blockade was real. 

“Thanks for the information, Victor,” Eryn said. “And for the gold.”

“No. Thank you!” Victor said, smiling at her, before looking to me.

“You know, I’m still interested in those… other Arclight components, when Pa gets to them?” he added, voice conspiratorial.

“Ah, yes. You should hear something from Pa soon, especially if you can gather some gold. For the gallbladder that is. The…” I looked down and shrugged. “There was a decided lack of monster balls.” 

“Oh,” Victor said. “Why?”

“Because it was a female monster, that’s why!” Eryn said, and I chuckled. She was growing closer to her weapon and seemingly felt the need to protect her.

Victor held his hands up at her tone. 

“Apologies! I meant no disrespect?”

“None taken,” she said and shot him a grin. 

“Good, good.” Victor said, and then rubbed his hands together. “Lightning infused gallbladder, eh? Fascinating potential.”

Back on the street, the fifteen gold felt good in my pouch, but the weight of the remaining debt pressed down just as hard. Victor’s news soured the small victory, and not by a little bit.

“Next stop, the brewery,” I said, trying to sound optimistic.

On the way, Eryn picked up the thread of our conversation. 

“It’s just… I spent so long wanting to be a healer, and to mend wounds and help people get well. Now I have Arclight whispering about kill shots and Warden abilities that feel more like… causing damage than healing it.”

“The best defense is a strong offense, right? You told me that the other day,” I said. “The swifter you slay the target, the less likely people are to get hurt. You remember I told you of Madrigal Ironweave, right? The level sixty warrior who saved me and my family? Well, everyone except Samuel.” 

I smiled sadly, thinking back to my best friend.

“I know,” she said. “And I’m not unhappy with my breakthrough. I’m more powerful than I imagined, by far. It’s just… different.”

I kissed the top of her head. 

“It’s okay for you to take some time to digest this. I’ve got a feeling even a normal breakthrough can be hard to deal with. You are suddenly something different entirely, and not by your choosing. Arclight…is definitely potent, and it definitely isn’t smart to complain too much about the direction of the breakthrough. Roq is more like a child, but not Arclight. She’s more cunning.”

She nodded as we stepped into the brewery and its noise. Even in the evening the production seemed to be in full swing. 

Borin, the master brewer, laughed heartily as he waddled over, patting his forehead and jowls with a white cloth.

“Ah, if it isn’t two of Dawnwatch’s heroes!” he boomed, his voice echoing in the large space. “Had a good hunt? Did you get me those Glowcaps? I’ve got a hankering for experimentation!”

“Two of them, Borin,” I said. “Fresh from Riftside. You want to head outside for the swap?”

“Right, right,” he said, following us out. “Glowcaps can cause some trouble.” 

After handing them over, he waddled back inside, his jovial expression shifting, and becoming shrewder. “Speaking of trouble, a little birdie told me you lot ran into a spot of bother, eh? Not so steady on the finances?” He raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, lowering his voice, though not enough that his nearby workers couldn’t hear. “Tell you what. In these tough times, how about I do you a favor? Eight gold for the pair.”

A surge of energy rushed up my spine. 

Eight gold? 

“You know the guild buys as many as they can for five a piece, which is why we agreed to sell you two for eleven,” I said, forcing my voice to stay level.

Borin chuckled, a wet, unpleasant sound. 

“Times change, lad. Heard the bank’s not being too friendly. You’re more than welcome to take these two over to the guild, but if you ask me, it looks like I’ve got you over a barrel, eh?” He grinned, clearly pleased with his own wit and perceived leverage. “Just take the eight. Better than nothing.”

A low growl started in my chest before I could stop myself. 

The workers nearby had stopped their tasks and stood watching us. Big fellows, burly from hauling grain and barrels. 

But not one among them was an adventurer.

“Borin,” I said, my voice dropping, losing its earlier friendliness. “What do you think happens to people in Dawnwatch who side with outsiders? Especially nobles who come here trying to squeeze out folks and cause trouble for the town?” I stepped closer. “You think the bank closing up tight is good for the town? And that this will last forever?”

He tried to bluster, puffing out his chest. 

“Now see here, Ash, I’m just doing business…”

“Business?” I cut him off, the reins on my anger slipping. “You think this is just business?” I swiped out Roq and held him up in front of his face. 

“What are we doing?”

“Your business is adding flavour to water. But me? Twice I’ve fought in the Twisted Titan dungeon. And do you know who killed the Titanfang they carved up to reinforce the gates?”

“I know! I know! It was me! Or, well, us. If we want to get technical with it.”

“The gates that held against that rift-rotted Juggernaut siege monster just days ago?”

“Armor Break.”

“OOoooohhh…yes, I like this! I like this very much!”

Roq’s red glow reflected in Borin’s face as I jabbed a thumb at my own chest. “That was us. My party. Me. And you think you’re being clever, trying to shake us down when House Domitius puts the screws to my family?”

“Oh! I see what’s going on. Good! Let’s smash some barrels!” Roq said. “Nobody puts the screws on me! Except you and Pa when you are upgrading me, and next time you do so, I would request a layer of silk between the leather and the vice.”

Borin’s face had gone pale, his bravado vanishing like mist. 

“My point is, it smells intriguing in here. Maybe beer tastes better mid-brew. So stick me in a barrel and let me have a feel!”

The brewer took a step back, eyes wide, glancing nervously at his silent workers, who offered no support. 

“I… I didn’t mean… Look, I misspoke…” he stammered.

“You think there’s a place here on the frontier for someone who kicks their neighbors when they’re down?” I asked, following him, and lowering Roq to my side. “Someone who forgets that we are the ones keeping the monsters from tearing down his brewery? Is that the pioneer spirit everyone talks about? Is it, Borin?!”

“No! No, of course not!” he yelped, holding up his hands. “An error in judgment! I’ll pay the eleven! Twelve, even! As an apology!”

“Damn. You’re not going to hit him now, are you? And there I got all worked up over nothing!”

Disgust coiled in my stomach. The man was scum. 

Before I could say something I’d regret, Eryn put a hand on my arm and stepped smoothly between us.

“Borin,” she said, her voice calm and too low for the workers to hear, but firm. “How much gold do you typically take in selling beer each day?”

“Oh, yes! This I like. If we go to every shop in Dawnwatch tonight we can get rid of the debt in one go!”

He blinked, thrown off by the sudden shift. 

“Uh… depends. Maybe twenty gold? Sometimes more. But the margins are thin, adventurer, truly…” 

He clearly thought we were about to extort him.

“Good,” Eryn whispered. “Here’s what’s going to happen. For the next four days, you’re going to hold onto that gold. Every evening, I will come by. You will have nineteen gold pieces ready for me, and I will trade you two mind gems for it.” She held up a hand as he started to sputter. “That’s nine and a half gold per gem, Borin. A discount. However, if you manage to scrape together twenty-eight gold by the time I arrive, I will sell you three mind gems. That’s two gold in your pocket for doing nothing but being a good neighbour. A significant boost to your profits, no?” 

He gave the tiniest of nods.

“I see what she’s doing, and I don’t like it one bit, Ash. In this way I won’t get to smash anything. Not even a single barrel!”

“It’s not over yet.”

I glared at the workers, daring them to try and overhear.

“You will not mention this arrangement to a single soul for the next four days,” Eryn continued. “If I hear even a whisper, or if you don’t have the gold when I arrive, I’ll go get Ash, and he won’t be interested in talking business. Do you understand?”

Borin stared at her, then nodded frantically, sweat beading on his forehead. 

“Yes! Yes, adventurer! Understood!” He fumbled with his pouch and quickly counted out the original eleven gold for the Glowcaps, handing them to Eryn with a trembling hand. 

We turned and walked out, leaving the brewer looking shaken and his workers muttering amongst themselves.

Once outside, I took a slow breath and swiped Roq into storage. 

“Riftrot, Eryn, that was…”

“Smart?” she finished, a small, satisfied smile playing on her lips. “He was trying to use our situation against us. So, we use his greed against him. People always have coins for beer, Ash. Even when times are tough. If the bank won’t give us gold for gems, we find the people who do have gold, which is the townsfolk. We just need to go where they spend it and then make it worth their while to deal directly with us. And yes, maybe we could have forced him to pay ten gold per gem, but this way his greed should stop him from causing trouble.”

I thought about it and she was definitely right. 

Nineteen gold a day minimum, potentially twenty-eight. With four days remaining, that was seventy-six to one hundred and twelve gold, just from the brewery. For eight to twelve gems. It was brilliant. Using the town’s cash flow directly to get our debt settled.

“That’s… really clever,” I admitted and smiled at her. “We should talk to Johan. The Timberline must pull in even more than this place.”

“And maybe Martha? Or Hemlock? Anyone dealing in daily coin,” Eryn mused.

“Yeah.” The path ahead suddenly seemed a tiny bit less impossible. Still a dungeon to run, but now we had a better route mapped out. “We still need the mind gems, but at least we have a potential way of selling them. We cleaned out the easier spots today.” I glanced at her. “Would you be up for tackling something tougher tomorrow?”

She hesitated for only a second. 

“We kind of have to, don’t we? Four days isn’t long.” She met my gaze, her eyes determined. “Let’s see what high paying quests are available.”

“Good,” I said. “And I won’t let anything happen to you. That’s a promise.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” she said with a wink. “You’ve got a Storm Warden watching your back now. Besides, I’m not the weak little girl people still take me for.”

I chuckled. 

“Sure. Keep telling yourself that.” 

Eryn playfully punched my shoulder, which now that she was an adventurer, I actually felt. She still ended up being the one wincing and shaking out her hand.

Next was Martha’s Seamstress shop. The one where I had ordered a dress for Eryn.

As we approached, I felt heat creeping up my neck. 

“Hey, Eryn,” I said, stopping a few doors down. “Could you… uh… wait out here for a sec?”

She raised an eyebrow. 

“Why? What’s wrong with Martha’s?”

“Nothing! It’s just… you know… needles, thread… patterns.” I fumbled for a believable excuse. “It’s too… girly. A Hammerlord shouldn’t be seen lingering in a place like that together with his girfriend. Bad for his…reputation?”

She stared at me for a moment, then a slow smile spread across her face. 

“Right. Girly. Wouldn’t want anyone thinking the mighty Ash Aldrich associates with… fabric.” She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. “Alright, hero. Go face the terrifying world of seamstresses alone. I’ll stand guard against any stray ribbons.”

I shot her a grateful look and ducked inside. Martha, a kind woman with laugh lines around her eyes, looked up from her work.

“Ash! I thought of you just earlier today. Your special order is ready,” she said, gesturing towards a wrapped package on the counter, the size of a folded dress.

“Shhh!” I hissed, glancing back towards the door. “Uh, Martha, that’s great! But listen, could you do me a huge favor? Could you have that delivered to our house tomorrow? But… if I’m not there, give it to Knut. Tell him it’s a gift for Ma. Can you do that?”

Martha’s eyes narrowed with amusement and understanding. “A gift for Ma, delivered to Knut. Got it.” She accepted the pouch containing the crystal shards I offered. “Three gold for these, as promised. They’ll look lovely on Lady Anika’s gown.”

“Thanks, Martha. You’re a lifesaver. Oh, and by the way…” 

After securing a deal with her for gold in exchange for mind gems, I backed out of the shop, trying to look nonchalant as I rejoined Eryn.

“Survive the ordeal?” she asked dryly.

“Barely,” I muttered. “Let’s just go. One more stop.”

Our final delivery was to Hemlock’s Forge, a smaller forge specialized in household goods like pots, pans, hinges, and tools. Hemlock himself was a gnarled old man, perpetually covered in soot. Unlike Pa, he was unmarried. 

He took the four cleaned Steel Scuttler shells without much comment, inspecting their resilience.

“Good shells,” he grunted. “Makes great casseroles. Folks pay well for pots that don’t explode under heat.” He handed over three gold coins.

We left after Eryn convinced him to save his gold for us, heading down the road running through the industrial quarter and to the second ring road, the one that would take us to  the Timberline.

With the thirty-two gold pieces from the commissions and the twenty-five from Petra, we had fifty seven. That left us short four hundred and twenty-one. Four days left. But now we had a plan. A way to bypass the bank’s blockade.

Eryn slipped her hand into mine. 

“It’s a start,” she said softly. 

“Yeah,” I agreed, squeezing her hand. “It’s a start. Let’s go talk to Johan and see just how much gold flows through his tavern, and make sure he’s working on setting up the auction for us.”

“Long as we get a beer while we’re there,” Eryn said.

“Oh, you bet. Then we head home and prepare for tomorrow’s hunt.”

We headed for the cheerful noises spilling from the Timberline, and everything suddenly felt a bit easier.

Riftside 2 - Chapter 44

The familiar heat and rhythmic clang of Steel & Scale put a smile on my face as we entered the wide open doors. Pa whirled from his anvil as I rapped on the door, hammer rising. Not Platemaw’s Fury, just a trusty workhorse. 

“Jumpy?” I asked as he relaxed, wiping sweat from his bow. 

“Skinwalkers always make me uncomfortable,” Pa said, looking at Torsten standing beside Knut.

“Skinwalker?” Knut asked.

“Monsters in human form,” Pa said, setting down the forging hammer and wiping his hands on his thick leather apron, leaving dark streaks behind. “Color blind fools who can’t see the difference between red and blue, thinking their blood is special. Or a human and a monster. Or a monster in a human’s skin. Bah!” 

“Ah,” Knut said and nodded.

“So, this is the brother Knut keeps talking about,” Pa said, his change of tone easily discernible.

Torsten straightened, trying to look taller than his stocky frame allowed. 

"Torsten Coinshield Steelwall," he replied, offering a calloused hand for Pa to shake. "It's an honor, Mr. Tharen. Knut… well, he doesn't say much, as I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, but when he mentioned you in his letters, he said you were the finest damn smith he'd ever known."

Pa's bushy eyebrows shot up. He slanted a look at Knut, who suddenly found a loose rivet on his boot utterly fascinating. 

"Did he now?" Pa grunted, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. "High praise from that one, if I were to believe it. Must've been a good mail day, or maybe he was just trying to sell you a load of bollocks, huh, big guy?" Pa joked.

Knut grunted but didn’t say anything.

Pa clasped Torsten’s hand, and I saw their knuckles go white as they both squeezed, smith to smith. 

"Thomas Tharen. But everyone here calls me Pa, so you are free to do so as well.”

I chuckled and stuck my head into the shop and called for Ma to see about the house across the street. She confirmed the Gordon place was still available, which swept an invisible weight off my shoulders. There’s no way we could house the seven of them in our house or the smithy.

Ma exchanged greetings, and I explained where we stood with everything at the moment. She excused herself and hurried off to help Freja and the kids get settled. 

“Torsten, Knut here’s told us you know your way around a forge," Pa said.

"Fifteen years' experience, sir," Torsten said proudly, puffing his chest out slightly. “I mean, Pa.” He deflated a bit at that. “I’ve served under three different master blacksmiths, though I feel I have to be honest and say none ever produced anything rare. But I’ve forged enough weapons and armor to outfit a cohort or two, and I can handle tools and repairs as well. Anything that needs a hammer and some heat, really.”

Pa nodded slowly, his gaze was critical but not unkind. We all knew him as a fair man who would give just about anyone a fighting chance, but he didn’t beat about the bush, either.

"Good. The rift knows I need the hands. Especially now. Has my son told you of our current situation?”

“Yes, Pa,” Torsten said. 

“The snakes were seemingly responsible for Torsten being unable to find employment after they conveniently bought up the smithy he worked at,” I said, looking meaningfully at Pa, knowing he’d understand. “But just how did they find out? Makes you rethink everything.”

“I see,” Pa said, and then gestured with his chin towards the large, scarred dissection table, stained with the goo of countless monsters. "Know how to break down monster carcasses?"

"The basics," Torsten admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Though the masters tend to prefer doing so themselves, and not risk the gems being nicked. But I reckon I’ve dissected about a hundred all together?” His eyes flickered towards a discarded piece of jagged crystal.

“A hundred? Basics?" Roq scoffed in my mind. "He probably tried tickling them apart! Tell him real dissection involves the perfect blend of finesse and violence. I want to hear the satisfying CRACKS and SPLINTERS!"

"Well, you're about to get an education then,” Pa said, grinning. “Ash’s party brings back over a hundred carcasses a week generally.”

Torsten turned and looked at me with wide eyes. 

“Really?”

“Yup,” I said, and I flashed Pa seven fingers and a wink, letting him know how many Mind Gems we’re in today’s haul. “Sometimes…three times that. Depends on the week.”

“Come on,” Pa said with a grin, and led us out back. 

“Why don’t you swipe out yours,” I said to Torsten.

He did, carefully laying the carcasses in a neat row.

“Pretty,” Pa said, chuckling. “Chop chop, now. Empty yours next, boys. Let's see the full bounty!”

“There’s more?” Torsten asked, looking down at the ten he’d carried for Nabeeh and Eryn.

We both understood Pa wanted to give Knut’s brother a show, so we dumped our carcasses in huge piles, Ironroot Golems, Steel Scuttlers, Crystal Strikers, Vanguards, and Weavers.

Torsten just stood there, gaping at the mass of monster carcasses. I kept the Glowcaps in my spatial, not wanting to set Pa off about the dangers of uncontrolled explosions.

"Ah, the spoils!" Roq said, his voice rumbling in my mind. "Scuttler shells, good for deflecting pathetic blows. Golem wood, burns nicely. Crystals… brittle, except when put in the correct spot. And they do glimmer beautifully! A fine harvest, even for someone like ME."

I didn’t have the heart to point out the others had done as much killing as he had, this time. And every time afterward most likely…

“This…” Torsten said, unable to find words. “I…”

“You sure have a way with words, don’t you. But you’re not wrong. Good haul,” Pa said, clapping him on the back. “These are all quite basic monsters, so we can work fast." He drew Stormcutter and tapped his nail with the flat of the blade. "Let's start with five Steel Scuttlers. Victor needs those shells for a commission, and he will pay in gold."

Torsten hurried over and swiped them up.

“I can get used to this,” Pa said, chuckling to himself as he led us back in.

He spent the next hour testing Torsten’s dissection abilities, showing first how he would do it, Stormcutter finding the seams and weak points easily. However, he already had thousands of carcasses to his name and the other barely a hundred. It was just like giving someone a sword and expecting them to have the skill to beat experienced fighters after only a few practice sessions.

Torsten proved a quick study, though, and his technique was clean and precise. Pa watched him closely, offering the occasional instruction or nod of approval.

Knut helped sort the extracted materials while I started working on the commissions, hammering the Scuttler parts to specification. 

"Steady hand, riiiight there,” Pa commented, pointing to an imaginary line on a Striker’s leg joint after they moved onto the Crystalkin. Torsten sliced through, cleanly separating it without the material shattering. 

"Good,” Pa said.

Torsten sighed in relief. 

“These are complicated monsters,” he said. “Hard not to make any mistakes.”

“Nor can you afford to make any," Pa grunted, turning his attention to one of the Vanguards. "Waste costs coins. Especially now." 

He traced careful lines around the torso, gently teasing the blade inside. Then he sheathed Stormcutter and gripped the plate in both hands, and with a grunt, ripped it straight off to show the monster’s insides. He handed the huge piece to Torsten, drew his blade again, and sliced a shallow line from its throat to its pelvis. 

Torsten leaned in as Pa wiggled his hand into the cut, rooted around, and pulled out a Mind Gem.

“Wow!” Torsten said. “That’s the third mind gem! By the Forge, that’s thirty gold so far just in gems!" He looked around, his face alight with triumph.

“Yaay!” I said, trying to conjure the correct amount of joy for such a discovery, but it was hard to get it right when I already knew it had a gem. 

Torsten’s expression faltered as he looked among us. 

“Good find,” Pa said as he handed me the gem. 

Knut continued sorting Weaver legs as if nothing had happened. 

Oh, crap.

I met Pa's eyes briefly. Torsten definitely knew something was off, and his mind was working on overtime to process it all. 

“Maybe I can lie and tell him we’re nervous about the Domitius situation?”

“No. Just tell him the truth, Ash,” Roq said. His tone wasn't boastful or bloodthirsty, just flatly pragmatic. "Ignorance in a smith is a liability. We’ve seen the cost of keeping things a secret here. What if he breaks a gem not knowing there is one? A weak link can break the chain of production, and I need this chain strong. We need him to be useful, or he's just dead weight."

He wasn't wrong. Keeping this from Torsten while he worked beside us day in and day out, handling potentially gemmed carcasses… it was, if not impossible, at least implausible. And dangerous. 

“Why aren’t you more excited?” Torsten asked. “How common are Mind Gems here?”

If he got a weird feeling and told the wrong person, it could do more damage to us all than him possibly knowing.

I looked at Pa and he shrugged. It was up to me.

“If he doesn’t handle it well, we’ll just kill him.”

“Really?”

“Oh, wait. No. He’s Knut’s brother. We can’t kill him, can we?”

“No, we can’t. I’m glad you figured that out all on your own.”

“Well. Worst case we break his jaw so he can’t talk, chain him up in here, and force him to forge for us day and night!”

I sighed. It was a step in the right direction, kind of?

"Torsten," I said. "There's… something else. About the gems."

He looked from me to Knut to Pa, confusion clouding his face. 

"What about them? We’ve found three! That's great luck!"

“Not exactly," I said, keeping my voice low despite the sound of Pa ripping into the carcass. "I have an ability. A part of my class, maybe? I can sense mind gems inside carcasses. Before they're cut open."

Torsten stared, his mouth slightly open. He looked at Knut, searching his brother’s stoic face for confirmation.

Knut turned to meet his brother's gaze. 

"It's true,” he said but paused, letting the weight of my words sink in. Then he walked over and placed a heavy hand on Torsten's shoulder. “It how we survive, brother. How we build future." His grip tightened slightly. “Most valuable secret. Understand? People would die if someone found out.”

Torsten gulped and nodded.

“No breathing word of this. Not even whisper over ale.” Knut paused and then held up a finger. “No drinking until you make secret part of your bones and it won’t spill out when drunk. Sober until you live it. No telling even Freja. Not yet. Not until you're settled and Domitius trouble dealt with.” 

Torsten swallowed hard and glanced at the door, as if expecting Guild officials or blue-blooded spies to burst in. 

"I… I understand, Knut. My lips are sealed." He let out a slow breath. "A secret like that... they'd take it. Take you."

“Who’s they?”

“Pick one.”

“Oh. Everyone.”

“Correct,” I said, to both Roq and Torsten.

I saw understanding dawning as a flicker of fear mixed with awe in his face, and the implications for wealth, power, and danger settled over him. He looked out towards the back and the carcasses waiting outside. 

"An ability like that… By the blessed hammer. How many? How many gems did you bring back?"

Knut smiled grimly. 

"Seven."

Torsten's knees actually buckled. He staggered back, catching himself on the corner of the nearest anvil, his face pale beneath the grime. 

"Seven?" he whispered, his voice barely a whisper. "Seven mind gems? That's… that's seventy gold! A mercenary's purse! Enough to feed my family for over a year!"

I managed a chuckle, despite the grim reality hanging over us. 

“Yes. If we can get House Domitius off our backs, pay down the debt, and get some breathing room… we can make our families strong, Torsten. Strong enough to face whatever the Rifts throw at us."

"And rich enough to never have to listen to any jumped-up noble again," Pa added fiercely, slamming a spiked hammer into the Vanguard’s hip, breaking the socket and freeing the leg. Chips flew across the work benches and floor.

A fire lit in Torsten's eyes. The shock faded, replaced by fierce determination. He pushed himself off the anvil and rolled up his sleeves further, revealing his thick, corded forearms. "Right then," he said, his voice still a bit shaky. "I'm here now. I'm family. What do you need me to do?"

Pa grinned, the expression fierce and almost predatory. 

“Enough dissecting for now.” He picked up a jagged piece of steelhusk plating from a nearby bench. "Ever had the pleasure of working with steelhusk before, lad?"

Torsten shook his head, eyeing the notoriously difficult material with wary respect. 

“Got to hold pieces a few times, is all. It isn’t a very common material.”

"Steelhusk," Roq mused. "Stubborn stuff. Resists impact well. Needs precise, overwhelming force to break. Like Knut. Or clever leverage. Like how Katherine got Knut to stop wearing his armor to their dates.”

“What exactly do you know of the leverage she used?”

“I heard Knut grumbling of cleavage, so I expect she was using a larger cleaver or possibly an axe? Maybe a big one that could…hmm…cleavage. Yes, that is the way.” 

I chuckled.

“Something like that.”

"Well then," Pa said, clapping Torsten on the shoulder, which was almost like a gesture of acceptance. "You're in for a treat. Working with steelhusk is like forging with something that actively wants to kill you. Resists the hammer, dulls the blade, and throws sparks like insults. Makes you respect the craft all over again."

Torsten squared his shoulders. 

"I'm ready," he said firmly. "Whatever it takes to help our families." 

He glanced meaningfully at Knut.

"Good man," Pa said. "Now, grab that hammer and listen closely. We've got some commissions to forge, carcasses to break down, and gold to earn so you haven’t come all this way for nothing. We need to keep the forge at all costs."

Pa began instructing Torsten on the finer points of handling steelhusk without losing a finger, starting with how to secure it properly in the vise, using thick leather padding. 

Minutes quickly turned to hours, and Torsten was quickly proving his worth, and learning fast. His initial awe was replaced by a smith's concentration.

A rapping sound on the workshop door rang out, and I turned to see Eryn’s smiling face taking in the scene.

“Still at it?” she asked, her voice carrying over the din. “Freja and the kids are all moved into the Gordon place. We’ve helped them get settled. Widow Gordon was still staying at the Hollow Hearth with her kids. Couldn’t stomach the house.”

“How’s she holding up?” I asked.

“Matron Kora has taken them under her wing,” Eryn said. “Lets the older kids help out too.”

“Good,” Pa grunted, not looking up from the Steel Scuttler plate he was putting the finishing touches on.

“We’re just about done prepping the commission pieces,” I said. “Join me to deliver a few of them?”“Of course!” Eryn said. “I’ll just help carry water for the kids’ baths first. And you,” she said, looking me up and down. “Head out back and scrub yourself down before we go. You are filthy from forging.” She gave me a quick smile before disappearing.

Riftside 2 - Chapter 43

The familiar green shimmer of the Branchway Rift spat us back onto the packed earth of the central rift platform, and I drew a deep breath of Noros air. It was always a special occasion when we all returned home safe and well. Safety in a monster-filled world was never a given.

“Home,” I said, smiling, and we set off along the eastern bridge crossing the moat towards First Steel. We were all tired, but we’d managed to do it. A whirlwind hunt, hitting every mark Pa needed for his commissions, plus a decent haul of additional carcasses for him to work on. And with these being familiar to him, it would mean faster processing. 

“Good hunt,” Knut grunted, adjusting the pack laden with glow roots. “Golems, Scuttlers, and Glowcaps. Always good for crafting and forging.”

“Plus Crystal Strikers, Vanguards, and Weavers,” Nabeeh said and yawned deep, her mouth opening so wide for a moment I thought she might swallow us whole. “My feet feel like anvils. It’s so not fair that a pretty girl like me has to run so far in a single day.”

“Stop acting all lazy, Nabeeh. You can outrun us all,” I said and shot her a grin.

“Oh, my, Eryn, is he flirting with me?” Nabeeh joked, and my girlfriend poked her with a finger. 

“No, he’s not, you little witch.”

The two hugged and walked arm in arm.

“How’d your first official run as an adventurer feel?” I asked Eryn.

“Fantastic,” she said, holding up her bow. “Everything feels sharper and faster. It’s like the world has slowed down.”

“You are strong now,” Knut said, nodding. “Powerful. Don’t let go to head.”

“I definitely won’t. Arclight helped me focus,” Eryn said. “When fully drawn it was like every distraction disappeared and all that was left was…”

“Pouncing on the unsuspecting prey," Arclight purred. 

“…the kill,” Eryn finished, and sighed.

I guessed she had some work to do in figuring out who she was after binding with a soul weapon, just as I had. And while Arclight was less bombastic than Roq, it was no less bloodthirsty in its own way. But then again, they were the souls of monsters, so what else could we expect?

“You are learning,” the bow said.

"Stick-thrower got lucky," Roq said. "Smashing is still better. More satisfying. Get in close and smack!"

We passed through the gatehouse into Dawnwatch proper. With so few parties out hunting and so much work being done on repairing and reinforcing Sentinel Station, nobody manned the booths. There was no one to offload our carcasses quickly but for pure gold.

“Let’s stop by the Guild first,” I suggested. “We’ve got five Glowcaps Pa won’t need for commissions, and let’s be honest, he won’t want to try forging with them anyway. Might as well see if Petra’ll take them off our hands.”

“Good idea,” Nabeeh said. “Every coin counts.”

The Guild Hall was nearly empty, and Harold’s door was closed shut. Madeleine waved at us from where she worked on a stack of papers, and fortunately Petra was behind the counter at the Guild shop. 

The kind-faced woman with white hair looked up as we approached, her usual welcoming smile seeming a bit strained.

“Hello, adventurers. And you must be Eryn,” she winked. “I’ll allow it today as I am led to believe you have completed your breakthrough and are about to join us, yes?”

Eryn beamed at her. 

“Yes, ma’am. You heard correctly!”

“Congratulations, love,” Petra said. “I will do my best to join your celebration. Now, what can I do for you fine people?”

“We had a successful hunt,” I said, “Which includes picking up five Glowcaps. You interested?”

“Absolutely!” Petra said. “Harold has given me a long list of things needed for our defenses Riftside, and Glowcaps is near the top of the list. The guild is offering five gold each.”

“We’ll take it,” I said. “Where do you want them?”

“Drop them in the storage out back, if you please. I trust you.” She reached under the counter, but instead of a hefty coin pouch, she pulled out a smaller one and carefully counted out the coins. “There you go.”

“Thanks, Petra,” I said, pocketing the gold. It felt depressingly light considering the amount we actually needed. “Any chance you’re buying mind gems today? We might have some coming in once Pa dissects our haul.”

Petra sighed, leaning on the counter, her expression turning weary. 

“I wish I could, Ash. Truly. But…” She lowered her voice. “The bank. They’re claiming some sort of… delay… in transferring Guild funds from the central treasury. Can you believe it? As if we aren’t good for gold? They offered me an IOU!” She scoffed, shaking her head. “An IOU from the Royal Bank! Told her to stuff it. Well, not really. Someone has to keep good relations, but still, something smells like monster guts if you ask me. As if someone’s deliberately putting a squeeze on the gold flow in Dawnwatch.”

My stomach tightened. Riftrot.

“Monsters indeed,” I muttered.

"Smash the gates!” Roq hissed in my mind. “Let’s break into the bank, find the fat coin-hoarders and introduce them to my face! Negotiation through percussion!"

“Thanks for the gold, Petra,” Nabeeh said. “Let us know if the situation changes.”

“Will do,” Petra promised, though she didn’t look hopeful.

We walked out of the Guild Hall and looked across the road at the Royal Bank’s facade.

“It’s closed,” Eryn said.

She was right. The heavy wooden shutters were drawn tight across the windows, and the main door was barred.

“We’re not back that late, are we?” I said, frowning. 

“Bank’s open long. Usually,” Knut said. 

What in the rift rotten monster balls is going on?

“How can the royal bank risk offending the Adventurers Guild?” Nabeeh wondered aloud. “Refusing to transfer funds, closing early… Are we sure this is just about the smithy?” 

“What else could it be?” Eryn asked. 

“A power play for Dawnwatch itself?” Nabeeh said. “Or something else. This just feels off.” She chuckled. “Call it my nobility senses tingling. Politics are definitely afoot, and if we’re to be honest, no one does this much just to get control over a single smithy, be it a legendary crafter or not. This is so much more.”

“We should hear what Harold knows,” I said. “Or Commander Edwin. Maybe we can fill in some of the blanks then.”

“Maybe I can ask some questions during my orientation,” Eryn said.

“Waste of time,” Knut rumbled, shifting his pack impatiently. “Talking won’t pay debt. Need Pa. Need gems. Now. We all need chip in. Work hard next days.”

I exchanged a glance with Eryn and we both shrugged. 

He was right. 

Speculation wouldn’t help. We needed gold, and that meant getting our haul processed. After I dropped off the five Glowcaps in the guild’s storage, we headed towards home. 

Twenty-five gold pieces down, four hundred and fifty something left, with only four days to get them.

As we closed on home, the sight that greeted us brought me up short. 

A crowd huddled near our front door. 

Not an angry mob, but a tired, travel-worn group. A man, a woman, five children ranging from toddler to teen, and three adventurers standing guard nearby. 

One of the adventurers turned as we made our way over. 

“Wade?” I said.

Beside me, Knut stood frozen. Recognition dawning in his eyes. 

"Torsten?" he breathed. Then, like sunrise over a frozen peak, a wide grin split his face. His usual stoicism shattered. “Torsten!”

He dropped his pack with a thud and charged, covering the distance in pounding strides. The man spun around, startled. He was shorter than Knut, stockier, and had a handlebar moustache wide enough to hang all of Nabeeh’s jewellery on.

But instead of heading straight for the man, Knut veered towards the woman and the five children huddled beside her. The man smiled as Knut hugged the woman tightly, speaking rapidly in the northern tongue something neither of us understood, but the emotion in his voice was clear. Then he went down the line, embracing each child, ruffling hair, murmuring words that made the smaller ones giggle despite their exhaustion. The oldest girl, maybe fourteen, stood stiffly at first, then melted into his hug. The woman watched with a weary smile, her hand resting protectively on the shoulder of the smallest boy, who clung to her leg. 

“Many small mouths to feed,” Roq said.

“Must we hunt for them all?” Arclight asked.

“Not directly. But if we fail in our hunts and in keeping the forge, it may jeopardise their lives.”

The weight of our debt suddenly pressed down even harder. There was so much more at stake than just our smithy, and we all knew it.

“Keep me away from them,” Arclight said. “Their little hearts might not survive my self defensive shocks, and it would be a shame to prune the pack of the young so early.”

“How about you just don’t shock them if they grab you?”

Roq laughed. 

“Eryn just said the same. But with more curse words. Her thoughts are more filthy than—”

I looked at her as he went quiet and found her glaring at my hammer. She pointed two fingers at her eyes, then stabbed them at Roq.

“Never mind,” Roq said. “What Arclight said. The young must be cared for but also taught the realities of the world. Play fighting is important. Just make sure they pick the fights they can take.”

“If I find either of you have hurt them. I’ll re-forge you into a bedpan, gift you to Knut, and feed him potatoes for a week.”

“Hey! No need for threats. Both of you! Just don’t leave us lying around, alright? We don’t exactly have legs to move by ourselves!”

After greeting the woman and children, Knut turned to the man, who had watched the scene with a mixture of amusement and impatience.

“Brother,” Knut said.

“Brother,” Torsten replied, smiling.

“By roaring firepit! You made it!" Knut bellowed, engulfing the man in a hug and lifting him clear off the ground.

"Put me down, you great oaf!" the man choked out, laughing even as he struggled for air. "Trying to break my ribs before we’ve even shared a drink?"

Knut set him down and clapped him hard on the shoulder. He turned to us, then back to his family, gesturing broadly.

“Ash, Eryn, Nabeeh,” Knut announced, his voice booming with pride. “My brother, Torsten!” 

Torsten nodded at us and smiled. 

“And his wife, Freja,” Knut continued. 

The woman offered a tired but warm smile. She had kind eyes and hair the color of wheat woven in a tight braid.

“And these are my nieces and nephews.” Knut pointed to each child in turn. “Eirik,” he indicated the oldest boy, about twelve, who stood straight and serious, trying to mimic what he likely thought was an adult’s serious expression. “Mia,” the oldest girl, tall for her age with Knut’s piercing blue eyes, watched everything intently. “Fredrik,” a sturdy boy around eight with a smudge of dirt on his cheek and restless energy. “Dudo,” a girl maybe six years old, clutching a worn wooden doll, peering shyly from behind her mother. “And…who?” Knut asked, looking at the toddler clinging to Freja’s leg, thumb firmly in his mouth, regarding us with solemn, round eyes.

“This is our youngest son, Herman,” Torsten said. “I’m happy for you to finally meet him!”

Knut then turned back to his family. 

"This," he said, sweeping his arm towards us, "Is my family here. My shield-brothers and sisters." He gestured to me first. "Ash Aldrich, party leader and Hammerlord." My hand met Torsten’s in a firm grip. Then he moved down the line. "Eryn Whitcroft, Storm Warden and strongest archer in Dawnwatch." Torsten gave Eryn a respectful nod. Finally, he settled on Nabeeh. "Nabeeh Sayannhi, pyromancer burning hotter than forge fire."

“Sayani,” Nabeeh corrected, offering a smile and a slight bow.

"Welcome to Dawnwatch," I said. "Glad you made it safely."

"Thank you for having us," Freja said, her voice carrying the same Northern cadence as Knut's, but softer, and no clipped words. “It was a difficult road.”

“Tough?" Knut asked his brother.

"Three weeks of dust and sore butts,” Torsten said, straightening his dusty tunic. While he had Knut’s broad shoulders, he stood far shorter, but his face was far more mobile, quick both to smile or frown. "Felt like three years by the end. Thought we’d never get here." 

He glanced around, taking in the street, the other houses, then looked pointedly at our front door. 

“But when we did get to town, we asked the first guard we saw where Knut Coinshield Steelwall lived.  Figured I’d find you under a tree, in a barracks, or at best, the very best, an inn.” Torsten licked his lips and turned to look at our house. 

"Guard points us here. A house? An actual house, with walls and a roof? Knut Coinshield Steelwall, living indoors? I never thought I’d see the day!" 

He sounded genuinely shocked. Knut grunted, a flush rising under his beard, but pride shone in his eyes.

I headed over to Wade, who stood slightly apart with the two other adventurers, to give the Steelwalls a moment to catch up quickly.

“Hey,” I said and shook his hand. "You took the escort duty?"

Wade shrugged. 

"Saw the quest posting with Knut's name," he said. "Figured it beat chasing Water Tigers in the Star Plains. Familiar faces are always better."

“As if,” I teased. “Got too hot for you wherever you were hiding out, didn’t it?"

He failed to hide a smile. 

“You never know where the wind’ll blow the bolt. Best to keep moving, yeah?”

"How was the trip?" I asked, looking at Knut’s nieces and nephews, looking for any visible injuries.

"Smooth enough, all things considered," Wade reported. "Rough on the little ones to sleep so rough, but the Steelwalls are a tough bunch. And Freja is like a sheep dog for the children.”

“No trouble?” Eryn asked, after joining us and greeting Wade.

“Had potential for some, twice. A group on horses was coming up fast, but an enchanted bolt whistling over their heads made’em rethink their life's choices.”

“Don’t forget about the bandits on the ridge,” one of the other adventurers said. “Just in case there’s any extra pay for keeping these folks extra safe.” 

He gave Eryn a wink.

Wade just waved a hand at him. 

“Wasn’t no problem. One look at my big crossbow, you remember it, right?”

“Yup,” I said, thinking back to our Twisted Titan dungeon run and the massive weapon Knut nearly tore a muscle reloading.

“Anyways, they took one look at that and decided the odds weren’t in their favor,” Wade said with a grin. “Shame, really. Haven’t heard its beautiful twang in a while now.”

"Thank you," Knut said, joining us and patting Wade on the shoulder, his voice thick with gratitude. “For keep family safe."

Wade clapped Knut’s arm. 

"Happy to help, big guy. And if you don’t mind, I’ll take a completion form for the quest now and head to the Guild and get the payment sorted." 

He produced a rolled parchment that Knut quickly signed.

“Two things before you go,” I said. “You got any gold on you?”

“A few silvers. Why?” Wade asked.

“Try and get your payment in gold from the Guild instead of the mind gems we deposited and then we’ll sell you mind gems at nine gold per gem,” I said. “It’ll increase the reward by nearly ten percent.”

“I’m not usually one to look a gift monster carcass in the mouth, but what’s in it for you?”

“Which brings me to the next thing. Benedict’s back,” I said, giving him a weighted stare. 

“Ahh,” Wade said, tensing.

“Yeah. And he’s working with House Domitius. You know, the blue blooded bastards who tried to burn down Pa’s smithy? They’re back and stirring up trouble. Big trouble. I know you’ve worked with him in the past, but this time, just keep your distance. It won't end well for anyone dragged in with them.”

“House Domitius, eh?” He chewed his lip for a second, processing my words. "Heard some whispers about nobles causing friction. Don’t know no details though." He met my eyes. "Appreciate the heads-up, Ash. And I’ll do as you ask and try to get gold. Then we’ll come find you and buy mind gems for eight a piece, just like you asked.”

I narrowed my eyes at him for a moment and then just chuckled. 

“Fine, you highway robber.”

He threw me a wink and departed with the other two in tow, heading for the Guild, Dudo happily waving after them.

"Right," Eryn said, clapping her hands together. "Let's get everyone inside and out of the dust."

Our common room, usually spacious enough for the four of us, suddenly felt packed. Eleven people, travel bags, and the lingering tension of the road filled the space. The air smelled of dust, sweat, and tired children. Eirik, the oldest boy, eyed Roq hanging from my belt with cautious curiosity. 

Ambitious one. Recognises quality at a glance.

Little Herman immediately tried to climb Knut’s leg like a tree. 

Cracked walls, it's crowded.

"So," Torsten said, sinking into a chair with a grateful sigh, pulling Dudo onto his lap. “Tell me everything! How did my stoic lump of a brother end up an adventurer with a house in one of the most dangerous settlements in Tharungia?"

Knut grunted. 

"Met Ash. Needed work. Fought monsters. Got house."

Torsten roared with laughter. 

“By the Rift, what a story teller you are, my brother! Come on, there must be more to it than that!"

While Nabeeh poured water and Eryn helped Freja settle the children, I quickly explained our situation. How the three of us had formed a party, the early hunts, getting to join the Twisted Titan dungeon run and how Nabeeh had joined us afterwards, and finally, the current situation with House Domitius over the smithy.

Torsten had a cheerful expression throughout the tale, and the kids hung on my words, except Herman, who sat in Knut’s lap and pulled on his beard. But when I mentioned the name Domitius and the five-day deadline, Torsten’s face hardened.

"Domitius," he said, as if the name tasted like dirt. “They bought out Master Halden's smithy in Kingsworth. I was set to take it over when he retired in a few years. Would have taken well care of him. But they just came in, offered him a lump sum of gold, for the smithy and him. Dumb bastard took it. Now he’s stuck hammering iron for the next twenty years. And me?” 

He paused, taking a breath, forcing a smile. 

“Once they heard my name they told me I wasn’t wanted. And not a single smithy in the entire city would even talk to me.”

Knut and I exchanged a grim look. The anger simmering in my gut flared hotter. 

“The prey disrespects our territory,” Arclight said. “We must thin their herd.”

“No thinning,” Roq said. “Extermination. Like vermin.”

“Like you do with pies?”

“Do not invoke pie in vain, you bent piece of wood, you!”

Our weapons weren’t wrong. Not hiring Torsten didn’t sound like a business decision. That was personal. They were showing they could hit our loved ones no matter where they were. 

Are mother and father safe? I should send a gem-gram.

"They're trying the same thing here," I said, forcing myself to focus on the conversation. "Using a loan Pa took out, and have been keeping up the payments on, as leverage."

“Time to process carcasses," Knut stated, his voice flat but determined. "Now."

"Right," I agreed. “Torsten. You’ll come with us to the smithy. Eryn, Nabeeh, would you two stay here with Freja and the kids?”

"Of course," Eryn said from where she stood in the kitchen making a pitcher of lemonade.

"Consider it done," Nabeeh added.

"We'll send Ma over," I continued. "She’s been talking with the widow Gordon about their house, right across from the smithy. It's empty. Simple, but it should work for your family."

Freja looked overwhelmed. 

"A house? Already? We couldn't possibly impose…"

“No crap talk," Knut interrupted gruffly. "Family helps family. Heads need roof."

“I’ll get to working and pay for it as soon as possible," Torsten said.

“Oh, you’ll work alright,” I said, chuckling. “Pa’s been looking forward to an extra pair of helping hands. That’s been me for the longest time, but I’m too busy hunting monsters now. He’s falling desperately behind, even though we do take all-nighters in the smithy.”

“Good,” the man said, and he closed his eyes, taking a slow breath, hugging his youngest daughter close. “I’ve missed the sound of hammer on steel and the feel of forging for my family.”

Eryn leaned down to pour me a glass of lemonade. 

“We’ll handle things here,” she whispered. Then she turned my head with a finger on my chin and pressed a quick, firm kiss to my lips before pulling back and looking at the five children spread around the room. “This is… a lot of children," she whispered, a smile playing on her lips.

"It is," I agreed, my own lips curving. “Might as well start practicing.”

"Do you think…" she hesitated, her eyes meeting mine, warm and searching. "Would you really want that many someday?"

I froze like a deer in front of a horse and cart. The thought, amidst the chaos and danger, felt both terrifying and incredibly grounding. 

“Of course once things settle down and all the thugs in the world are gone.”

“At least it’s not a no,” she said with a wink.

"Definitely not a no," I echoed, the word a promise against the uncertain future. I gave her hand a squeeze, then turned to the brothers. "Let's go."

Before we left, Eryn and Nabeeh joined us outside to transfer the carcasses to Knut, Torsten, and I. The kids joined, wanting to see the dead monsters. 

‘Ohs’ and ‘Ahs’ greeted the crystalkins, but when Eryn swiped out the first Steel Scuttler, all the kids ran screaming inside, except for Eirik, who forced himself to stay, though it looked like an errant fart would send him running too.

“You killed that?” he asked.

“Your uncle did,” I said, and I could have sworn Knut swelled with pride. 

Riftside 2 - Chapter 42

We headed for the rift, crossing the wooden bridge, our boots thumping down against wooden planks and boards slick from last night’s rain. The water below was dark, and I knew spikes waited within for any monster foolish enough to try and get through. The tall walls of First Steel loomed all around us, yet it all felt somewhat subdued after the battle and all the struggle with House Domitius.  

Eryn practically bounced, Arclight in hand. 

“I can’t wait to try this in a real fight, and as an adventurer,” she said, grinning. “It’s strange. I’ve never felt so… ready. Like I could run all day and still shoot straight.”

Knut grunted. 

“Shoot straight. We live. Good deal.”

Nabeeh rolled her eyes. 

“Show-off. Try not to get eaten on your first official hunt, pretty bird. I remember my first time as an adventurer. Thought I was invincible.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“I killed a bunch of monsters. Turns out I was right,” Nabeeh said, winking.

I was about to fire off a sarcastic reply when a shout echoed from behind, sharp with authority and short of breath.

“Aldrich! Halt this instant!”

We stopped and turned. Vos, the guild official, was hustling after us, his face flushed a blotchy red, his monocle dangling from its chain. He nearly tripped over his own feet in his haste.

“This should be fun,” I muttered.

Vos didn’t even wait to catch his breath as he skidded to a stop before us. 

“I warned you, Aldrich! I told you! No scavengers Riftside unless you have a full party of five adventurers! Five! Do you understand the concept of counting? I count three. You are missing four and five! Unless you have two more hiding in Sentinel Station you’ve got some explaining to do!”

I glanced at Eryn. She was biting her lip, trying and failing to keep a straight face. Knut’s mouth twitched and Nabeeh stifled a laugh behind her hand.

“Oh, this is delightful,” Roq said. “If only I could hear his thoughts. I’d love to know what’s going through that bureaucrat’s skull right now. Does he think he’s so cool? And awesome? Wait until he sees us in action, I’ll ask him then!”

"This is nearly as satisfying as pouncing on an unsuspecting leaf doe,” Arclight said, and purred.  “Humans are so easy to surprise. This one doesn’t even hide it."

Vos jabbed a finger at my chest. 

“Wipe that grin off your face and answer me! Or I’ll have you banned from the Rift for… for… a month!”

I looked around, slow and innocent. 

“I just don’t understand what you are talking about, Vos Sir. I don’t see any scavengers here.”

He sputtered, eyes bulging. 

“Don’t play games! Her!” He pointed at Eryn. “I knew you were trouble as soon as I saw you. You deliberately contradict my orders? You think the rules don't apply to you, don’t you? Let me be clear as a mind gem. You are not to bring Eryn Riftside unless you have a full party of five!”

I shrugged. 

“You said I couldn’t bring Eryn Riftside as a scavenger.” I gave him a wink. “Didn’t say anything about as an adventurer.”

Vos froze. His face went through a whole range of emotions. Confusion, suspicion, dawning realization, and finally, utter disbelief. 

“Wait… Are you telling me Eryn has had her breakthrough?”

Eryn smiled, all sunshine. 

“Yes, sir. I have.”

Vos stared, his mouth opening and closing silently for a moment. 

“I don’t believe it.”

Knut took a step toward Vos, looming just enough to be intimidating. 

“You call us liars?”

Vos waved a hand frantically. 

“No, no, not like that. I… I just need to see this for myself.” He shoved past us, heading for the Rift platform. “Come. Now.”

 A short few minutes later, Vos gaped at the soul chart, his eyes wide as class gems, and I leaned in for a better look, too.

NAME: Eryn Whitcroft

CLASS: Storm Warden

LEVEL: 10 (0/11)

STRENGTH: 17

AGILITY: 33

VITALITY: 15

MIND: 32

TOTAL STATS: 97

MANA: 60/60

ABILITIES:

1. NAME: Hunter’s Calm

TYPE: Passive

DESCRIPTION: A steady hand and controlled breathing allow for perfect shots even during the stress of battle. The ability raises accuracy and enables mana regeneration during battle.

2. NAME: Warden's Embrace

TYPE: Active

DESCRIPTION: Channel elemental energy into a protective cocoon around an ally that will intercept ranged attacks or explode into a static surge on any nearby attackers, stunning or knocking them back. Lasts for 30 minutes or until triggered. 

NOTE: Every activation costs 10 mana

3. NAME: Snipe

TYPE: Active

DESCRIPTION: Focus your breathing, lock your stance, and line up the perfect shot. Can only be used when standing still and will hit a target spot with 100% accuracy.

NOTE: Every activation costs 10 mana.

“Storm Warden? And what in the three bells is in the gems here?” Voss said, face scrunched up as if he’d just witnessed a Ring Beetle quote Guild regulations.

Eryn smiled, radiating pride. 

“I’ve had good support from Ash, Knut, and Commander Edwin. No mind gems from Edwin or Knut, of course. But mentorship and guidance. It’s been a dangerous journey, hunting Riftside as a scavenger, but I think you can see the benefits.”

Vos stared at her statistics, lips moving silently and gently shaking his head. Then he looked at me, his expression a mixture of frustration and grudging respect, and held out his hand.

I took it. The handshake was awkward, a bit hesitant at first, then surprisingly firm.

“I might have been wrong,” Vos said quietly. “There are two types of people who rush forward. There are those who die young, and those who become legends. My job is to slow down the first, and make sure they grow up.”

I cocked my head. 

“And what about the other type?”

“No idea. Haven’t met one yet. Maybe that’s changed,” he said, managing a small, tired smile. “May the gems help the Guild if it has. Legends are notoriously hard to manage.” He straightened, pulling his professional mask back into place, though it didn’t sit quite as rigidly as before. 

He even smiled as he shook hands with Eryn. 

“Congratulations on your breakthrough, adventurer. I’ll try to clear space in my calendar for your orientation.” 

“Thank you,” she said. “That would be nice, sir.”

He looked towards the Rift and then to me. 

“I won’t stop being a pain in your backside, Aldrich. That is my duty. But I’ll admit you and your friends might be onto something. So, happy hunting.” He paused, then added almost reluctantly, “And if you do get in trouble with the Guild, legitimate trouble, mind you, let me know. I’ll… do my best to ensure fairness.”

“Actually…” I hesitated, deciding to push my luck. “There is something you might help with. You see, House Domitius, they…”

*

Knut let out a short, barking laugh as we left the walls behind and headed for the Glowroot Caverns. 

“Think Guild man helps against nobles? Ash, you are fool sometimes.”

I scoffed. 

“He made it sound like he wanted to help!”

Nabeeh shook her head, grinning. 

“Oh, sweet summer child. You’ve got a lot to learn about Guild politics. Them not actively interfering is helping, in its own twisted way. Better than we could have hoped for, honestly.”

Eryn chimed in, “And he did say he’d tell Petra to let us sell items for gold in the Guild shop. That’s something, right?”

“If he hadn’t slapped a thirty percent Guild cut on anything we sold, sure,” I grumbled.

“That man is like the pack members who stay behind, never risking the hunt, yet expect their share of the kill. Worthless, like a carrion bird,” Arclight said.

"At least carrion birds are honest about what they are. I’d rather deal with a pack of bonepickers than another Guild official," Roq grumbled. He sounded just as disgusted as all of us felt.

“At least you’ve got a new shield now,” Knut said, nodding towards the item I’d spent the night forging together with Pa before meeting the officials. “It any good?”

I flexed my arm, feeling the solid weight of the heater shield. 

“It’s a beast. Pa helped me laminate the scuttler shell perfectly over the core, used the treeshaker resin like a shock-absorbing glue, and you can really feel it dampen the force behind impacts. Oh, you see the Gnaw Hulk sinew binding on the rim? It’s got tensile strength that’d stop a charging Brambleback. Should hold up if theory isn’t that far off.”

Knut nodded, approving. 

“Good. Need good shield to protect fair maidens from big bad people and monsters.”

Nabeeh rolled her eyes while Eryn grasped my hammer arm and pulled herself close, looking up at me with a smile.

When we reached our first destination, the Glowroot Cavern, where we’d been ambushed, the backpacks full of glow roots were still there, and the blue-green strands still faintly glowed. 

After Knut and I each took one, I paused and glanced at Eryn.

The memory of her mangled hand, of Gnash’s claws reaching for me, they were still sharp.

“Closest we’ve come to dying, that last run,” I said, hanging Roq on my belt and reaching out. “Glad you’re alright. And an adventurer now at that.”

She took my hand and gave it a squeeze, smiling softly. 

“Me too. If I’d been an adventurer and had Arclight back then, that stupid rat monster would have been in for quite the surprise.”

Nabeeh eyed the cave entrance. 

“Since we’re here, why not go back in and hunt a bit? See if any monsters have returned and brought gems?”

I shook my head. 

“No. We stick to the plan. Pa pulled in a lot of favors to get commitments on these orders. We’re going to go get every ordered carcass, and make sure that we can deliver on time.” Nabeeh sighed dramatically. “Fine. But next time, please pick a route with less walking. Or anything else that requires excessive sweating. You have no idea how hard it is to try and stay pretty in the adversity of heat.”

*

The Metal Grove lay ahead, the great silver tree at its heart surrounded by a handful of Steel Scuttlers. The air still carried that faint metallic smell from last time.

Knut stood with his hands on his hips, surveying the scene. 

“Life change fast. Not long since first time here. We meet and bleed together.”

“And we wouldn’t have become a party if Benedict hadn’t been such a cowardly fool,” I said, smirking. “Gotta give him props for that.”

Nabeeh raised an eyebrow. 

“What happened?”

“We were swarmed by Scuttlers,” Eryn said.

Nabeeh shrugged. 

“What’s the problem? These things look weak. Grey to my sight.”

Knut shook his head grimly. 

“Weak when few. But claws cut heavy armor. If too many, cannot kill fast enough. Only choice is run.”

Nabeeh squinted at the scuttlers, still unconvinced. 

“I don’t see the challenge. A few fireballs should sort them out. And even I could outrun a crab, even if it is moderately sized.”

“Wasn’t a problem for the adventurers,” I said. “But Benedict had brought four scavengers, including Eryn and I. We couldn’t outrun the monsters and Benedict panicked. Didn’t give a single useful order. Marcus, a shit scavenger, but one with guts enough to head Riftside, died.”

“Oh,” Nabeeh said. “You never told me.”

I shrugged. 

“Not the most fun of memories. We try to let things stay in the past, people have other ideas and they keep coming after us.”

“It’s also when we met. Tell her about that!” Roq said. “And about how shocked you were when you realised you had the world’s most amazing weapon in your grip. A scavenger. With a soul weapon!"

“All I remember is you screaming in my head. A lot.”

“I was just born…erh…created? I bet you screamed a lot when you were first forged as well!”

I sighed and checked the sun. 

“We’ve got a schedule to keep. Eryn, want to do the honors?”

“He’s not wrong, you know,” she said, pulling out an all-metal arrow and nocking it.

"The beautiful circle of life,” Arclight said.

"What?” 

“I made that from a Steel Scuttler. A part of it has been reborn as an armor piercing arrow, and now it is about to end another prey’s life. Beautiful,” she said.

"This is way too complicated for such a simple job,” Roq said, grumbling. “Just let me at them! I need the experience more than the glorified stick-thrower. I’m sure the arrow will bounce right off its shell anyway!"

"Hush, hammer. Let the hunt unfold. Have patience and I will show you true hunts!" Arclight replied smoothly.

“Prism shot,” Eryn said, letting us know she activated Arclight’s level five ability, and the arrow glowed with a soft blue light.

She loosed the projectile, and our eyes followed. A second later, the arrow split into three separate projectiles. Each one struck a Steel Scuttler with sharp cracks, punching straight through their shells. The creatures jerked and collapsed, legs twitching before going motionless. 

“Lucky shot,” Roq grumbled, but Arclight simply hummed in pleasure.

Knut and Nabeeh exchanged a look, before demonstrably sitting down on a nearby log.

“Wake us when done,” Knut said, deadpan. “I will rest tired old legs.”

“I can get used to this,” Eryn said, laughing and nocking another arrow as several monsters chittered about and charged. 

*

Five Crystal Strikers and two Crystal Vanguards headed straight for us.

Two strikers already lay shattered at Knut’s feet, and two Resonant Weavers were sprawled further in. One had arrows stuck in its head and chest, while another’s chest was blackened and shattered from the heat of Nabeeh’s fire.

“Let me test my skill on these,” I said and Knut grunted, giving me space.

I raised Roq and activated Ironburst, feeling the mana flowing down my arm and into Roq before I slammed him into the ground.

Fifteen steelhusk spears shot up from below their feet, five hitting the more fragile Crystal Strikers, focusing on their heads and torsos. They all died so easily. The remaining ten spears burst forth in two clusters of five, targeting the tankier Crystal Vanguards. 

They might have survived one or two hits depending on where they took them, but not this many. One Vanguard was blown apart, the other somehow stayed intact, impaled by the five spears like a grotesque crystalline hedgehog, head lolling in death.

The cavern echoed with the sharp cracks of breaking crystal before silence returned and all seven monsters lay dead.

Knut let out a low whistle. 

“Good skill. Hits hard.”

"Of course it is,” Roq said, preening.

“Are you so blunt you’d claim credit for kills not your own?” Arclight said.

I rolled my eyes, waiting for a roar of indignation.

“Unlike Eryn and you, me and Ash are true partners,” Roq said, and I looked at Eryn, my eyebrows raised in surprise. “That’s our skill. What is his is mine, and, to a certain degree, likewise. Unlike you, miss stick and string. Why else do you think Ash is level thirteen already?"

"He’s had a soul weapon far longer than my wielder,” Arclight said. “We’ll catch up soon enough."

"How?” Roq said, snorting. “You are here to support. WE are the ones who will be doing the killing. We have simply let you play with some of our monsters today so we can better understand how you can support us.”

"With the kills today, I’m nearly level six,” Arclight said. “And with your lacklustre range, I have no doubt we will find plenty of monsters to slay. Once I reach my breakthrough, I’ll feed my experience to Eryn, just as you do. Then we will pass you by and leave you far behind."

Eryn chuckled out loud.

Nabeeh eyed us both curiously. 

“Soul weapons bickering again?”

I nodded, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“How are they doing?” the mage asked.

“They are like siblings,” I muttered. “Or two cats and a dog in a bag.”

Knut shook his head, though there was a hint of a smile. 

“Better when only Ash stared at air. Now both you do.”

I shrugged. 

“It is a bit of a challenge keeping up with everything, that’s for sure.”

“Maybe you and Eryn should start replying out loud,” Nabeeh said. “We can try guessing what they’re saying from the context, and it’ll make it so we know when you’re not paying attention.”

Eryn and I exchanged a glance, then shrugged. 

“Sure,” Eryn said.

"Some things should remain private between hunter and bow,” Arclight said. “My words are not meant for lesser beings. Even those who are part of our tribe.”

“True,” Roq said. “Secrets are weapons too. Besides, talking is soooo slow."

“We can try, Nabeeh,” I said. “But no promises when things get hectic. Thinking is still way faster, especially in battle.”

Knut poked a dead Striker with his boot. 

“Gems?”

"One in the weaver on the left,” Arclight said.

"Everyone knows there’s a gem in that one,” Roq hissed. “But I bet you didn’t sense the one in the striker, the one with the steelhusk spear through its jaw, did you, kitty?”

Arclight growled softly.

“Two gems,” I told Knut.

He grinned.

 “Five today. Good haul. We keep up and maybe get money in time.”

“Not enough,” I said. “We’d need more than fifty to be sure we can get enough gold in time.”

“The price peg should go both ways,” Eryn said, grumbling. “Should be just as illegal to buy mind gems for less than ten gold as it is to sell them for more, but what does it matter when it’s the common folk getting screwed, right?”

Nabeeh nodded. 

“Rare situation, but I agree. This definitely seems illegal no matter what way you spin it.”

I grabbed the two carcasses with gems, Knut taking the rest.

Not all the gold would come from gems, as Pa had negotiated several private missions for us from the craftsmen of Dawnwatch, plus we’d have all the gear Pa and I would forge. But it still felt like a significant victory each time a monster died to show a gem inside.

"I want the Resonant Weaver,” Arclight said.

“Say please,” Roq said.

I chuckled as Eryn relayed the bow’s request, and Knut swiped the carcass over to her. 

“What can you make from it?” he asked.

"A mana leech arrow,” Arclight said after a moment’s pause. “Less damage, but when it strikes, my wielder will constantly regenerate mana."

"I’ve forged better from Weavers,” Roq said, scoffing. “But it’s not bad for a beginner. Especially when you’re so mana-hungry. You brute."

Knut nodded as Eryn relayed the soul weapons’ ability. He was clearly impressed. 

“Mana gain good in fight. Especially for mana hungry class.”

“I’d love a few of those,” Nabeeh said. “Maybe I can toss them at monsters?”

“The arrows only work when it is me doing the shooting,”Arclight said. “Do you think I’d risk others using my perfectly crafted arrows against my wielder?"

Eryn relayed the message, and Nabeeh sighed dramatically. 

“Figures. Some weapons are just selfish. Unlike that hammer of yours, Ash.”

“What’s next?” Eryn asked,  shooting a mock glare at Nabeeh, who just ignored it..

I looked at the tunnel running deeper in, remembering the last time we were there. 

“There is the real monster we saw in there. The crystal giant. The one that looked like a king sitting on a throne.”

“How big?” Knut asked. “Did it move? How many arms?”

“Big enough that it’d have killed us, easily,” I said. “But we were just two scavengers back then. Didn’t see it move, but I don’t doubt it could. It was surrounded by about a hundred of these…” I waved Roq around the room where the carcasses had been. “And just two arms. But they were thick as a bull’s neck.”

"Let’s go fight it!” Roq said. “We’re strong enough now! Think of the experience! The taste! This time you cannot deny me. I’ve been soooo good for so damn long. I even let the kitty steal many monsters!”

I shook my head, smiling faintly, and met Eryn's eyes briefly. She gave a small nod. 

“Maybe another day,” I said, letting Nabeeh and Knut try to piece together the dialogue as they had requested. “Eryn just got her breakthrough. This is her first hunt as an adventurer. We’re not pushing tough monsters today, we’re grinding for the smithy.”

Roq grumbled, but didn’t argue further.

“And now it’s time for a workout,” I said, and Nabeeh groaned.

“How can you be so negative about running?” Eryn said, laughing. “It feels amazing to run as an adventurer. Like I could go on forever!”

Nabeeh made a sour face. 

“Try growing up in a desert and being forced to run the sun because it’s ‘good for you’, it ‘builds character’, and keeps you from growing fat and lazy. My character is perfectly fine, thank you, and I’ve never been fat a day in my life!”

“But lazy?” Knut asked.

“Only fools run when they could strategically stroll to victory,” Nabeeh said with a smile.

“Sorry, Nabeeh,” I said. “This is non-negotiable. We’re on a schedule. We need a few Glowcaps and some Ironroot Golems before heading back home.”

She groaned theatrically as I took the lead, jogging back out of the cave.

*

The Bone Cathedral, as Roq had named it, was eerily quiet, the massive ribcage of the ancient skeleton throwing thick lines of shade. The air was cool and damp, and smelled earthy and faintly fungal. 

We’d only found one pair of golems and two Glowcaps so far, the rest was nowhere to be seen.

“We need ten more of the shroom guys and four tree dudes before we head back,” I said, scanning for monsters but unable to find any.

“Barely any here,” Eryn said. “Hive Mind must have nearly emptied it for the attack on the station.”

Knut swiped out one of the Glowcap carcasses. “Blow one up? See what comes?”

“Dangerous,” I said, eyeing him.

He shrugged. 

“Did not hear you say ‘no.’”

“Explosions!” Roq cheered. “Do it!”

Eryn groaned, but she was smiling too. 

There was a thrill in knowing we could handle what came next, a stark contrast to our near-death experience the first time we were here.

*

Knut and I ran in wide circles, chased monsters and were chased by them, and just had a great time while doing so. Not because putting your life in danger was fun, but because before it would have been suicidal. Now it was merely reckless behavior. 

The four Golems’ heavy steps shook the ground, and spores drifted from the seven Glowcaps bobbing along behind them. 

Roq was definitely not amused. 

"Stop running and fight! This is humiliating! We need the experience. I’m hungry! We need the gems! And the carcasses!"

“Patience, Roq” I said, barely breathing hard. “We know we can kill them. I want to see how Eryn handles them. Eryn? Want to try out your new skill?”

“Of course! Hold on!”

She took an arrow but kept running along with us. 

“Hit golem in knee! Knut yelled. “We give you time.”

He stopped and turned toward the chasing monsters, and I did so too. A moment later, Eryn lifted her bow, steadied her breathing, and focused. The arrow shot past and slammed right in the lead golem’s knee, as requested, and shattered the joint. The oversized monster fell over on its face, and two more golems stumbled into it, unable to get clear in time.

"Try the arrow I forged from the Ironroot Golem. It should have an interesting effect on those smaller creatures,” Arclight said.

“Go for it!” I called to Eryn and glanced over to see her nock a long wooden arrow with red lines along the shaft. 

“Prism Shot!” she called, and let loose. The arrow burst into flame as it left the string, then split into three fiery streaks in midair.

“Hah!” Knut said as each arrow struck a different Glowcap.

They all exploded, and a blastwave expanded outward, moving rapidly toward us, hitting first the big northerner and then me, knocking us down. Heat washed over us, singing our exposed skin. The acrid smell of burnt fungus filled the air, thick and choking as we managed to sit back up. 

“Fire in the hole!” Eryn yelled and then gasped. “Oh, riftrot. I should have started with that!”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 41

Eryn’s bedroom felt less like a room and more like an operating theatre prepared for war. The Windows were shuttered, door was locked, and furniture pushed back toward the walls. Ma had insisted on clean linens, a small, futile gesture of normalcy.

I swallowed against my memories as Katherine tied Eryn to the bed with thick rope, “for her protection and ours,” she said. Only Eryn’s right hand remained free, the green gem clutched tight in her glove. Arclight lay beside her left. The doctor had checked Eryn’s stats, and confirmed she was indeed at her breakthrough.

I sat nearby, chair pulled close. Knut and Nabeeh stood guard outside the door. 

Ma and Pa kept vigil downstairs.

I closed my eyes and took a slow breath. 

“Communication check. I know how strong you are and I’ll be right here the entire time.”

Roq relayed my comment. 

“She’s scared, but ready. Thank you for believing,” Arclight said, relaying Eryn’s reply. "Maintain focus now, my wielder. Erect psychic barriers against the pain. Fight it off and observe it objectively."

“No. Don’t fight the pain," Roq said. "Use it, Eryn. Let it hammer you stronger. Weakness breaks, strength bends and reforms."

“Tell her I love her.”

I needed her to know. 

“Tell her I believe in her completely.”

"Riftrot! Sappy nonsense right now?" Roq complained.

"The Hammerlord conveys… significant emotional attachment and confidence," Arclight said. “Wielder acknowledges the same."

I opened my eyes and met Eryn’s eyes, smiling. It’d have to do. Memories of my own breakthrough rose fresh in my mind. The agony and uncertainty of it all, the pain and aftermath. I had to trust she was tough enough to face it all too and become stronger for it.

“I’m ready,” Eryn said, and Katherine gave her a nod. 

“Good luck, scavenger,” she said.

With a deep breath, Eryn touched the gem to her forehead.

The reaction was instantaneous and violent. 

Eryn’s body went rigid, spine arching slightly off the bed as her breath caught sharply. Her eyes flew wide open, pupils dilating.

I barely restrained myself from rushing over, a wave of nausea and protective fury washing over me at seeing her pain. My hands clenched, wanting to rip the gem away, shield her from the pain, take it all on me, anything.

“This is why we don’t let family watch,” Doctor Ridley muttered, voice tight with focus, though her eyes held sympathy. “Get a grip, boy, or get out.”

I forced down the panic. 

Focus. Help her.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“Then tell me what to do,” the doctor said, her brows furrowed. 

Arclight spoke first.

“Her body struggles,” the bow said. “The blunt hammer spoke true. The gem is tearing her apart. It is building her back too, but it is inefficient.”

“She is screaming, Ash,” Roq added. “I don’t like it.”

“Hold on,” I told Ridley.

“The gem is changing her core,” Arclight continued. “It is making channels for her mana. Heal her solar plexus, and then the entire body.” 

“No!” Roq said. “Focus on her nervous system first. Strengthen it, increasing her chance at survival.”

Their voices weren't angry or humorous, just focused and analytical.

I shook my head. Her screaming and agony was torture to watch, and yet I had to translate their suggestions to instructions, something that would be believable.

“She’s being pulled in two directions, both the creation of a healer and that of being turned into an adventurer,” I said. “We have to steady her first. Heal her nervous system first, which will strengthen it. Then work on her solar plexus, feeling for where her mana core will be.”

Katherine’s eyebrows rose with surprise. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I said, swallowing. “I am.”

She seemed surprised, but did as I asked, her hands glowing as she slowly ran them from the top of Eryn’s head down to her toes. 

Eryn trashed against the bonds and her fingers clawed the sheets. 

“You fool,” Arclight said. “Why do you listen to the blunt instrument when I am here to guide you? Trust not the hammer to do a scalpel’s job! She’s resisting the gem, notfully accepting the healer’s path”

“Because of you!” Roq said. “I hear how you speak to her. Of the hunt and the prey and the sinking of teeth into my monsters.”

“Strengthen her core, Ash,” Arclight said. “Once that is done we can fix her hunter’s reflexes. That which she yearns for.”

“What is she saying, Roq?”

“She’s just screaming…”

Damn it.

I clenched my jaw, feeling the weight of responsibility as I realised I believed Arclight. Eryn was trapped between two paths, that of the healer and the hunter. But how was that even possible? It was a healer class gem, and yet she still tried to go the other way?

Katherine finished her initial healing of Eryn and moved onto her core, the light flaring beneath her hands as she focused on one specific area.

Eryn’s lips parted in a silent cry, sweat coating her brow as the internal conflict intensified underneath the healing.

“I’m not sure what is happening,” Doctor Ridley said, “But you spoke true about it doing something at least.”

“Eryn needs stamina more!” Roq said. “Healing drains strength. Stronger lungs and heart is what she needs to endure!”

“She needs clarity and precision for the hunt and healing,” Arclight said. “Focus next on her head and eyes, and only then her heart and lungs.”

Katherine raised an eyebrow at me. 

“I… I’m not sure,” I said. 

The doctor lowered her hands and Eryn’s struggle seemed to stabilise. But then a fresh wave of conflict seemed to surge through her, and she bucked more violently than before.

Katherine took a slow breath and slowly ran her hands across Eryn’s body while Roq and Arclight argued in my head. 

“Strange,” Doctor Ridley said. “I can sense something of the breakthrough. By monitoring for damaged tissue I can see her body breaking down, and healing. But…” She frowned. “It’s as if there is something inside her fighting it? Like two forces tearing at her?”

“Exactly,” Arclight said. “She must choose. The healer gem demands full commitment, but her spirit resists.”

“No,” Roq said. “You are the one resisting!”

“Her mana channels split in two directions,” Arclight said, ignoring Roq. “It is wounding her, Ash. Make her choose.”

“I think she is affected by the gem and her leveling experience,” I said, unsure who and what to trust.

“Do not force her hand,” Roq said. “Making her choose will not work.” Then he did something surprising. He wasn’t an arsehole. “Please, Arclight. Do not let your savagery destroy her. It might break her. Let the paths be blended instead. Merge the healer and the hunter. Listen to me, just this once, you…” He seemed to take a breath. “Please. Help her create something new like I did with Ash. It is the only way she can survive.” 

I blinked, surprised by Roq. 

“Wait…blend them?” I murmured aloud, half to myself.

Katherine glanced at me sharply. 

“What?”

“Fine,” Arclight said. “That may be acceptable, and it might even work.”

I swallowed, quickly improvising. 

“Eryn’s instincts are trying to follow two paths at once. Maybe she doesn’t have to choose to be a healer or a hunter. Maybe she needs to accept both.”

Katherine shook her head. 

“That’s not how this works, Ash. It—”

“Nothing of this is how it’s supposed to be,” I said. “But we don’t have a choice. Her body knows what she needs better than we do. Let’s trust her. Support her through both paths, let her find her own equilibrium.”

Katherine stared at me for what felt like the longest time before giving a short nod. 

Together, the two soul weapons helped me guide Katherine’s healing, working on Eryn’s mana core, her eyesight, multiple rounds on her hands and arms, her back, her lungs and heart, and her legs.

Through it all, Eryn shuddered, jaw clenched and eyes squeezed shut with pain. Her muscles seized again and again.

Minutes turned to hours, and then even felt like an eternity, when suddenly the class gem’s light faded and it melted into Eryn’s forehead, disappearing just like it had done with me.

Katherine dropped onto the bed, leaning against it. Sweat poured down her face, and her cheeks were red, hair plastered to her skull. She’d run out of healing energy a while back, and now only helped here and there when the regeneration had brought some back. 

“You’ve found your own harmony,” Arclight said, voice reverent, clearly talking to Eryn. “Storm and sanctuary together. Impressive.”

Roq chuckled softly, a pleased rumble in my mind. 

“You are forged into something new. I always knew you were this strong, but I think you have surpassed Arclight.”

Eryn’s convulsions ceased and her breathing steadied into deep, rhythmic breaths. 

Her eyes opened slowly, and I leaned over, brushing hair from her face. 

“Hey, you,” I said. 

Katherine sighed. 

“I can’t believe it. Three bloody hours. That is insane.” She exhaled a shaky breath. “And she seems stable. I think we actually did it.”

Eryn looked directly at me, lips curving into a faint, exhausted smile. 

“Ash,” she murmured softly, voice thick with fatigue yet firm with newfound clarity. “That sucked.”

I laughed. 

“Yeah, breakthroughs suck.”

“It worked though,” she said. “You… Nabeeh was right.”

“You did the hard part,” I said quietly, relief washing over me, and I undid the knots. The rope was digging into her skin, tighter now thanks to her breakthrough. 

Katherine watched Eryn closely, clearly fascinated.

 “What did it do to you, exactly? What class are you, adventurer?”

Eryn lifted one hand, slowly turning it. 

“I’m not sure, Katherine. Give me a moment,” she rasped, closing her eyes. We just sat there, waiting, and waiting, until she started snoring softly. 

I chuckled and shook my head. 

“Yeah, I think anything else will have to wait, doc. Thank you. I mean it. Why don’t we go outside and let her sleep it off a bit.” Katherine seemed disappointed at that, but she pushed both hands across her face and hair, then let out a deep sigh.

“Alright, let’s go. I need to talk to you and Knut about something.”

I shrugged and opened the door for her, then followed out into the hallway. 

“Finished?” Knut asked, his knuckles white from squeezing his fists.

“Yes, it is. Everything went as expected. It’s best Eryn tells us all when she wakes up. Nabeeh, can you go in and maybe wash her face and whatever? Keep an eye in case she needs help? Knut, Kathryn, and I need to have a chat.”

I gave her a ‘don’t worry, we will tell you everything later’ look and she smiled. 

“Of course. I’ll take care of her.”

She hurried over to the bathroom, and before we were down the stairs, she was already back in Eryn’s room, and shut the door behind her.

“You two are so full of shit, and I want to know everything that’s going on!” Katherine said. “Knut! Ash! I thought we were on the same side!”

Knut calmly made his way over to the kitchen counter, grabbed a keg off the floor, placed it on top, and poured us three mugs of beer. We all sat down in front of the fireplace and took a sip of our beers. Kathryn was pissed, and I could see it on her face and the way she held on to the mug.“Kathryn,” I started after a moment. “You trust Eryn, and you trust Knut. You saw what we’ve done for Dawnwatch so far, right?”

She nodded her head, eyes staring at me suspiciously.

“You’re not going to tell me anything, are you?”

“No, at least not yet. Please, you have my word as a man, and our party leader, that I will tell you everything I can once this stuff with the forge is over. Think you could give us a week? Maybe you can even start writing your paper in the meanwhile on how to help people break through more easily?”

She let out a deep sigh and then shook her head.

“Knut, my dear, you’re sleeping on the sofa for the next seven days. I’m making that clear in front of a witness, so don’t come knocking. I have some thinking to do.”

Kathryn stood and straightened her clothes, took a deep breath, and made her way toward the back door. 

“Doc?” I said, and she stopped but didn’t turn around. “Thank you. I owe you a life debt.”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 40

I stood in the center of the forge, my mind reeling with the number they’d dropped on us 

Four hundred and seventy-eight gold, and all we had was five days.

Pa leaned heavily on the anvil, his knuckles white where he gripped the horn, the usual fire in his eyes banked down to embers of despair. He stared blankly at the cold forge. Ma rubbed his back in small, tight circles, her lips pressed thin, and I could see both the anger and fear in her eyes.

Knut was a granite statue near the quenching barrel, his arms crossed and face set in silent rage. Nabeeh stood next to him, fingers drumming against her thigh as she seemingly tried to say something, but couldn’t muster the courage to break the silence.

Richard cleared his throat, the sound unnaturally loud. 

“Four hundred and seventy-eight gold…” he muttered, his voice low and strained. “Even seasoned adventurers would balk at that. For a frontier smithy…” He trailed off, shaking his head.

Patrick, his fire mage, gave a short, harsh laugh. 

“It’s the bank blockade that’s the killer blow. They’d normally snap up monster gems  no matter what you throw at them, but Isabel will follow their orders. Domitius seared away your main artery, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they stopped trading for the next five days altogether.”

“Exactly,” Richard agreed grimly. “It’s not just the amount. It’s choking off the only realistic way to get it.”

Running footsteps sounded from outside and Eryn came rushing in, slamming the door open and wheezing as she was out of breath. Her eyes immediately found mine, then moved to Ma and Pa’s slumped shoulders. 

“What happened?” she asked through a ragged gasp.

I laid it out, quick and brutal: the impossible debt, the five-day fuse, the bank turning its back on one of their own.

Eryn’s gaze locked onto Ma and Pa, and I saw her expression harden as she frowned. She wouldn’t break, that much was sure, but there wasn’t much either of us could do despite my bravado.

I took a deep breath and pushed down the icy wave of panic threatening to drown me.

Got to hold it together. If nothing but for them...

Seeing Pa like that, defeaten and with all hope lost, stoked my own protective fire.

“Alright,” I said, drawing their attention and forcing calm into my voice. “Now we know what they’ve got planned. It’s bad, but we won’t let them take the smithy. So let’s skip the negativity and think of how we are going to win, and how we’re going to kick them all out of our town afterward.”

"Yes!" Roq said. "Channel it! Like we did with the Titanfang, the Juggernaut, and the archer! Well, Arclight helped with the archer, but still! We crush those who threaten us! Domitius will learn."

“First, hunting.” I looked at Knut and Nabeeh. “We head out tomorrow morning, and we’ll be relentless. We target the most valuable beasts we can handle, maybe push the risk. Every drop of blood needs to translate to gold.”

They both nodded.

“Second, forging.” My gaze met Pa’s. “Pa, you forge. Day and night. High-demand items, best quality. Use your new hammer and show Domitius what a true blacksmith can do. A real artisan, not their mass produced crap. And get Lysander to forge another bow using unique materials and we'll auction it off. Make anything adventurers will pay good gold for. Hell, we will even take special orders.”

Pa straightened slightly, the thought of hammer on steel a steady lifeline in the storm for him.

“Third, selling.” I turned to Ma. “Forge Fire Sale. Gold only. Commissions paid upfront in gold. No exceptions. Every single coin matters. You’ll find a way to bring out the funds, I’m sure of that. If anyone needs a specific monster and is willing to pay well? We will go out and hunt it. If anyone needs special materials? We will go out and get it. If anyone wants…you probably get it.”

Ma’s mouth tightened into a determined line.

“And the bank?” Eryn asked, voicing the gaping hole in my plan. “From what you’ve said, I doubt she’ll give out gold to those she knows will spend it here. Will she?”

Knut grunted, rubbing his beard. 

“Bank compromised. But Timberline… Johan has hearts of adventurers. Maybe he set up black trade. Much gold pass through his tavern. May be harder for Domitius to track or block. Well, no, it is impossible for them. They have no authority. People will kick them out.”

“Good thinking,” I agreed. “We should also approach Commander Edwin and Guildmaster Harold. See if the Guild can buy gems directly, maybe even offer a loan or put up some delayed orders.”

Knut shook his head slightly. 

“Small favor, maybe. Goodwill. But Guild run on budget, rules. They rely on bank, too. Four-seventy-eight gold is no expense. Ransom big like mountain goat. They won’t have big treasure. They deal mind gem and monster part.” 

“And with Guild officials here, cozying up to Domitius?” Nabeeh said. “Harold and Edwin might not be free to help anyway, and the officials might be siding with the nobles from what you said of their questioning.”

“Damn it,” I cursed, clenching my fist and forcing myself to take a breath. “You’re right. But we do have something Domitius doesn’t have here. Community. Friends. Allies.” I gestured to our party, Ma, Pa, Richard, and Patrick. “And what does she have?” I scoffed. “Two clowns and Benedict.”

Richard nodded firmly. 

“Count us in. We’ll spread the word. Gold only for Tharen goods. Nobody here wants your shop taken over by some nobles. It’d be bad for us all. So, until this is resolved, my party and I will be happy to provide security for the forge, on a delayed compensation basis.” 

His fire mage nodded his assent.

“Thank you,” Ma said, smiling at them. “We will make it up to you.”

"This plan lacks sufficient bloodshed," Roq grumbled. "But I suppose we must play by human rules… for now."

"The hunter must stalk before striking," Arclight said. "Patience yields the cleanest kill."

"Oh, shut up, stick-thrower," Roq snapped. "Nobody asked you."

"Yet I speak the truth regardless," Arclight replied. "The prey has exposed themselves. We need only wait for the perfect moment when they bare their throat. Take them out one by one.”

“Until this is done,” Nabeeh declared, lifting her chin, “My entire share of all spoils, be it gems, gold, or materials, goes directly to the forge fund. Consider it an investment.”

“Likewise,” Knut said. 

Pa looked from Nabeeh to Knut, visibly moved, struggling for words. Ma placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He cleared his throat, his voice thick with emotion as he ran a weathered hand along the anvil where his fist had rested.

“This forge…” he said quietly, eyes distant. “My first was meant for Samuel, then Ash. Then those bastards burned it.” His jaw tightened as he spoke. “We poured everything into this place. Our second chance.” He looked directly at Knut and Nabeeh. “A forge needs defenders. Needs family. If you stand with us through this, then the forge becomes your hearth, too. Your steel, your future.” He straightened, his voice gaining strength. “When we succeed, not if, when, you’ll have part-ownership. Share in profits, best gear, all of it.” Then he added quickly, “Not that anyone gets to tell me how to swing my hammer, mind you. But you’ll be proper family.”

Knut smiled and nodded. Nabeeh looked surprised, then beamed, promising she wouldn’t let them down. If I’d ever seen a point that would make the future, this was it. Today. Here in the smithy.

Ma’s voice was quiet, laced with the fear we all felt when she spoke again. 

“What happens if Domitius tries to force us out before the five days? Or refuse the payment?”

My expression hardened, a cold certainty settling deep in my chest. 

“We won’t initiate violence,” I said. “That won’t go our way, I am sure. But if they bring the fight to our door, or try treachery with the payment… then we will finish it. Attempting to seize this forge prematurely or refusing legitimate payment will be the last mistake Serona or her thugs make. Even if that costs us our place in Dawnwatch. We’re not going down without a fight.”

"Yes…" Roq said, growling. "Finish it. I like the sound of that. Let them learn the price of threatening our lair."

“Lair? Since when is this a lair?”

"It fits," Roq replied simply. "Warm. Cozy. Safe. Has fires and forges and steel. A proper lair."

I mentally shrugged. 

We had bigger problems than deciding on what to call the forge.

"The predator defends its territory," Arclight observed. "As it should be. You get a bonus point from me."

Richard headed up on the roof while Patrick went for food, and the rest of us moved into the shop where Ma brewed us cups of strong black tea. 

The immediate crisis meeting was over, but the sheer weight of the task pressed down as we hashed out logistics and how to go about it.

“Where is Lysander?” Eryn asked suddenly.

“Still sleeping,” Pa replied. “Checked on him earlier. He promised to be back earlier. His will and eye are those of a younger man, but his body? He’ll sleep like the dead for a while longer.”

Eryn nodded and then took a deep breath.

“We need every possible advantage immediately,” she said. “I can’t afford to be sidelined by the Guild’s rules, new or old.” She equipped her glove and swiped out a smooth, green gem. The Healer class gem. It seemed Katherine had delivered after all.

A distinct, unusual jolt shot through my bond with Roq. Not unlike when he had attempted to influence me, but also distinctly different. Not a warmth, but an almost magnetic pull specifically towards the Healer class gem.

Strange. He didn’t react like this to my class gem. But… he wasn’t near a breakthrough then. Could it be that he needs a class gem?

“Roq. What’s going on? Do you feel a pull towards Eryn’s gem?”

"I… don’t know," he said, sounding unsure. “I feel a resonance… but it feels… off. Like reaching for a hammer and grabbing wet clay. Wrong shape, wrong feel."

“Eryn,” I said, “would you hold the gem out for a second?”

Puzzled, she extended her hand. I carefully extended Roq, bringing him near, but careful not to touch the gem.

Roq’s reaction was immediate. 

"Ugh! Get it away! The smell is all wrong! Like curdled milk and pumpkin pie. Which is the worst type of pie. Horrendous!"

I pulled Roq back. 

“I think Roq feels a pull from class gems,” I told the group. “Maybe he needs one for his breakthrough. But, definitely not this type.”

"Once I reach my own breakthrough," Arclight said, "I will know for certain. I will not have doubts like the rock crusher, nor leave us bumbling for solutions.”

“Put!” Roq hissed. “You’ll be dust before you get close to a breakthrough, stick-thrower," Roq shot back.

I filed away the puzzle. Roq’s breakthrough could wait. Ours couldn’t.

“Shouldn’t we sell the gem instead? Could get us halfway there, and then we buy Eryn a new one?”

Eryn shook her head firmly. 

“No. It’s not ours to sell. It is Katherine’s, loaned for my breakthrough, not for sale.”

“Besides, we’ll earn gold faster with Eryn as a full adventurer,” I said. “And if it comes to blows, we’ll be glad for her newfound powers and healing capabilities.”

“And the bank blockade means we’d get robbed blind trying to sell it now,” Ma said. “Copper on the gold, if they even buy it.”

“But Eryn,” I said, “If you are to do your breakthrough tonight, we need to get Katherine.” 

She nodded. 

“I’ll send for her.”

* * *

We all headed to our home and prepared Eryn’s room while we waited for the doctor. When she finally arrived, stomping into our living room, Doctor Katherine Ridley carried her staff like a weapon and she looked both concerned and annoyed. 

“What’s the emergency?” she asked. “Your message made it sound like a new rift had opened in your bedroom.” She looked among us. “Is this about the Domitius situation? News travels fast.” 

A flicker of sympathy crossed her face before the professional mask slammed back down.

I explained quickly. The five days, the forge, Eryn’s need to break through now.

Katherine immediately bristled. 

“Absolutely not. You need days to prepare, Eryn. I just re-attached your rift rotten hand! Rushing this could be disastrous.”

“I understand the risks, Katherine,” Eryn said, waving her wounded hand. “Okay, maybe I don’t, but I accept them even so. We don’t have the luxury of time. And we have something else to tell you.” She glanced at Nabeeh. “Nabeeh has shared with us a secret Azbaran technique called guided breakthroughs.”

Nabeeh stepped in smoothly. 

“In Azbara, certain families guard breakthrough secrets,” she explained. “One requires a master healer to guide the energy, making it more efficient. The Class Gem utilises the energy of the mind gems stored in the body to break down our bodies and build them back, stronger. By use of targeted healing, the breakthrough may be improved, both for quality and speed.”

Eryn picked up the thread. 

“And Katherine, Ash and me, we have a special… bond. Sometimes, especially under stress, he seems to… sense what I need. Where the pain is worst. He should be able to guide your healing while I undergo my breakthrough.”

Katherine scoffed audibly. 

“Healing to speed up a breakthrough, guided by romantic nonsense? Sensing bonds? Azbaran tricks? Highly irregular, Eryn. Dangerous.”

Eryn leaned in, pleading. 

“Please. This isn’t just for me. Imagine what it means if this works. It could be the discovery of a lifetime, saving countless lives when adventurers break through.”

“And even if it doesn’t help save lives in the process, I am living proof of the improved power,” I said. “You have heard of my stats, yes?”

“I have,” Katherine said, nodding, but her face was hard.

“Please,” Eryn said. “For the future of adventurers and the war, won’t you at least help us test it?”

Katherine shook her head firmly. 

“Absolutely not. It’s reckless. You’re barely recovered. Rushing a breakthrough with…” she gestured dismissively towards me and Nabeeh, “this? Bond sensing and noble secrets? It sounds like a recipe for disaster. I won’t risk your life, or my reputation with Guild officials breathing down our necks, on unsubstantiated folklore.”

“Katherine, please,” Eryn begged. “Five days… Pa and Ma… We need this. We need you.”

Katherine crossed her arms, unyielding. 

“My answer is no.”

“Katherine,” Knut said quietly. “You know them. You know me. You fix me when I am moment from shattered gem. You know the forge… their lifeblood.” He gestured towards Eryn and me. “Maybe ‘secret’ is nonsense, maybe ‘bond sensing’ is drama of puppy love. But my eyes see it, Katherine. Their bond. Something weird is there. Not weird like you and me.” He smiled and raised an eyebrow. “But different and strong. Eryn needs you. She will do breakthrough tonight. With or without you.” He took a step closer toward her, voice dropping slightly. “Forget Guild rules tonight. Stand with me. Forget risk. You are best healer here. Only one we trust. Think of how many times you heal me. The only one I trust. Help them. Please.”

Katherine sighed deeply, the sound ragged. She ran a hand through her hair, her gaze flickering between Knut and Eryn. I could imagine her internal battle. Caution warring with her feelings and her healer’s curiosity.

“Riftrot take you, Knut Steelwall,” she muttered, the heat gone, only to be replaced by weary resignation. “Fine. Fine! Against my better judgment… I’ll help.” She fixed Knut with a pointed look. “But if this goes sideways, I’m holding you personally responsible, and you won’t like that. And your Azbaran friend better hope her ‘secrets’ are worth the trouble.”

Knut walked over and enveloped her in a hug, pressing a kiss to her head.

“Pioneer madness,” she muttered, pushing against him, but without any heat. When he let her go, she pointed a finger at me. “I assist based on your theory, but I retain full medical authority. If Eryn’s life is endangered, I stop immediately. And if there is any truth to your claims of communication, you relay exactly what you perceive, boy. No interpretation. If this bond-sensing is real, give me data, not feelings.”

I nodded.

She turned to Eryn. 

“I see they’ve told you what to expect from a breakthrough, against protocol. Color me shocked. I won’t give you the full run down, but I’ll tell you this. It won’t be pleasant.”

Riftside 2 - Chapter 39

I ran through Dawnwatch, my boots pounding across the dirt and cobbles. Knut and Nabeeh were right behind me, though the fire mage was lagging behind. 

“If they’ve hurt Ma, we kill them,” Roq said. “Right?  Bash in their heads and then dip me inside. Whattaya say?”

“Would me saying ‘yes’ make you hope they hurt Ma?”

To his credit, Roq didn’t hesitate.

“No. She is more important.”

“Good.”

“She bakes the pies.”

“Roq…”

“I’m joking! Just trying to distract you while you run for your parents’ potential, lives is all. Speaking of which, you’re awfully slow.”

He wasn’t wrong, it had taken my mind off it, but only for a heartbeat. 

“You will vacate the smithy today, and hand over the keys,” Serona’s voice carried from inside, her two warriors standing in the doorway to the forge. I could hear Pa’s stuttering in rage inside.

“Move,” I said, and shoulder checked the warrior wearing chain mail, likely the damage dealer of the two. He stumbled away and almost fell right over. His stats mustn’t be that impressive if I could bump him out of the way that easily. Serona turned as I entered, and I heard Knut and the tank push against each other, my friend warning the man not to draw steel unless he was ready to die right then and there.

“Mr. Aldrich,” Serona said, emotion flickering across her face. 

She was definitely surprised to see me alive, or perhaps she was just irritated at being interrupted. I hadn’t been hiding after getting back last night, but I’d only been to the guild so far. 

“How… unexpectedly well you look,” she said, her voice cold. “One hears such worrying tales of mishaps befalling travelers outside the walls lately. It’s reassuring to see you unharmed.”

“The air-filled witch admits it!" Roq hissed. "She did send the archer. We should bash her ugly face in right here and now!”

“I know. Play along.”

"Enough waiting! Let’s see if this bitch’s composure cracks under pressure!"

“Focus, Roq. Observe first.”

I forced a smile, casual as I could manage. 

“I didn’t realize you had us watched, Lady Serona. I appreciate your concern, though, but like any town, Dawnwatch is full of rumors, like flies on the corpse of a traitor.” I looked at Benedict, who did his best to look stoic. “We had a productive outing to test a new bow. Fortunately, the tests went well, and we are stronger than ever.” I smiled at her. “Ready to bring down any… monster, and keep Noros safe.”

Benedict scoffed from where he leaned against the wall. 

Pa stood in the center of the forge, looking ready to explode, fists clenched so tight his knuckles blanched. Ma stood next to him, holding his arm.

To my surprise, Isabel Pine, the bank manager, was there, hovering at the edge of the room. She looked stiff as a poker, while Richard stood by the door to the shop, doing his best to look relaxed, arms folded and silent. 

Serona’s lips curved, but only just a little. 

“Indeed. Monsters lurk everywhere. Such a shame about those… unfortunate incidents involving individuals connected to my House in the past. Ivan and his loyal men, all vanishing after visiting certain establishments.” Her gaze slid to the forge, then back to me. “The frontier swallows people whole, doesn’t it?”

I kept my face blank as I responded. 

“It’s a harsh land, Serona. People make choices, sometimes bad ones. We focus on our craft here, building things that last. If someone decided they no longer wanted to live…who are we to stop them?”

“That’s Lady Serona,” Benedict snapped.

“She ain’t my lady,” I said, “And from what I understand, she ain’t yours either, so you keep your mouth shut. Traitor.”

Benedict straightened, but Serona waved a hand at him, and he settled back, glaring at me. There was genuine disgust and hatred in him, and it was all directed at me.

Serona glanced at the lit coals. 

“Such fire in one so weak,” she said. “One must be careful with fire, you know. Accidents happen. A stray spark, a moment’s carelessness… Forges have burned down from less.”

"She dares?! She speaks of the fire they set? The arrogance! Remind her what happens to those who threaten this sanctuary, Ash!"

Energy ran down my back as I forced myself to stay calm, and I just shrugged. 

“Pa reinforced his teachings after that mistake. I learned to make sure the coals were fully dead.”

"Yes. Let her know we will feed on her bones if she does not flee. But don’t be too specific. We don’t want her to understand and actually, you know, flee. Our surprise strike will be all the sweeter!"

I stepped a little closer, lowering my voice. 

“The frontier is dangerous, Serona. But monsters who come here looking for trouble, bringing conflict from… Riftside… they often find themselves outnumbered this far from home. Dawnwatch looks after its own. Monsters who wander too far from their lairs tend to regret it until their last breath.”

"Hah! Yes! Mark our territory. Even she must understand such simple words. Let her feel the danger of standing in our domain! Wait, maybe you could take a piss on her leg or something? Oh, that would be so awesome!"

Serona glared at me, and for a moment, I thought she would attack. I moved to the side, placing myself in front of Ma and Pa.

But the sound of running footsteps made us both look to the outside, seeing Lydia, the fire mage, and the swordsman from Richard’s party arrive. Four adventurers now stood in open support of us, and we outnumbered them seven to four. If either of them tried anything, I’d bash their heads in before they could even cast a single spell.

Serona’s posture shifted, becoming more patient and less predatory.

“Enough pointless banter,” she said. “We are here on business. You are to hand over the forge, Tharen, right now.”

“Not a chance,” Ma said. “You have no rights.”

“I suggest you take your men and leave,” I said. “Before we make you. Just like last time.”

Richard’s hand drifted to his sword hilt.

“You could not make us if you tried, boy,” Serona said. “And if you want to make this harder than it has to be, that is fine. House Domitius must protect its investments. Recent… destabilizing events have forced our hand.”

“Destabilizing?” Ma said. “What are you on about?”

“Dawnwatch has been attacked,” Serona stated flatly. “I was there, fighting on the wall myself. Without me and my party’s intervention, I dare say the monsters might have breached the rift.”

“That’s monster piss, and you know it!” I snapped. “Not a single non-flying monster made it inside the wall. Besides, we’re a frontier town. Defending against attacks is what we do. We survived, like we always do. How is that destabilizing?”

She allowed herself a small, cold smile. 

“Precisely. You are attacked repeatedly, and your defenses are weakening with every new assault. Did you not see how you left the gate at Sentinel Station? It is barely standing, boy. This highlights the increased risk in this region. Furthermore,” she nodded towards the forge and then glanced at Roq, “We have confirmed sightings of… legendary equipment emerging from this very forge. In combination, this drastically alters the perceived value and risk associated with our financial arrangements.”

“You dare use our skill against us?” Pa snapped, his face going red. “We work, we build, we defend this town, and you call that a reason to threaten us?”

“It is not a threat, blacksmith, it is financial prudence,” Serona replied, waving a dismissive hand. “Your sudden, unforeseen capabilities require a reassessment. Therefore, under the terms of the loan agreement you signed, specifically the ‘force majeure’ and risk reassessment clause…”

“What clause? What are you talking about?” I demanded, taking a step toward her.

"Force majeure? Risk reassessment? Pathetic human word-shields!”

Serona gestured to Isabel Pine, who held out a sheaf of papers.

“Pine, you can’t be serious!” Pa burst out, his voice raw. “You know we’ve never missed a payment! This ‘force majeure’ is monster crap! We defended this town!”

"Yes, Pa! Roar! Let the weakling banker feel your fire! Maybe you can stab her with a fiery poker? Mark her!"

Isabel didn’t meet his eyes. 

“Mr. Tharen, the contract you signed… it does contain certain provisions for unforeseen circumstances.”

“What provisions?” Ma said. “Show us this clause they are hiding behind.”

Serona seemed to enjoy watching Isabel’s shaking hands as she flipped through to a marked page. 

“Clause 7b… it stipulates that… in the event of ‘significant unforeseen circumstances materially altering the perceived risk profile of the borrower or the value and security of the asset,’ the lender, House Domitius, reserves the right…” Isabel trailed off.

“Reserves the right to what?” Ma pressed, her voice dangerously calm.

Isabel swallowed. 

“The lender reserves the right to have the Bank evaluate the situation.” She lowered the paper. “The recent siege, the confirmed presence of red-rated threats near Dawnwatch, and the… unprecedented creation of legendary-tier equipment… collectively this does constitute a significant alteration of risk. The borrower’s capabilities and the asset’s context have changed dramatically.”

“Changed for the better!” Pa roared. “We’re making things that save lives! And you twist that into a threat?”

“It represents volatility, Mr. Tharen,” Isabel said, but her voice was thin. “Unpredictability. Standard banking practice requires reassessment when such factors emerge.”

"Standard practice? These are vultures thinking us a fresh kill to pick at! I say we should bash her head in, too! Don’t just mark her, let me have a go at that skank!”

“We didn’t borrow from the royal bank,” Ma said. “They refused us. That’s why we had to borrow from the nobles in the first place. What do you even have to do with this?” 

“Lady Serona has asked me to accompany her in the case there were objections to the contract. If you decide to object, it will be up to the royal bank to rule on this. So, we looked into it up front, to save you all time and headache.” She at least had the decency to look ashamed. “It is standard practice,” she added, lamely.

“Standard practice, or standard Domitius bullying?” I said. “Was this truly up to the ‘Bank’, Manager Pine, or was it House Domitius? Who exactly told you the risk had changed?”

Isabel drew herself up, finally meeting my gaze. 

“I have received a gem gram from our central bank and the lawyers there. They have reviewed the case and decided in favor of House Domitius.”

“But, we haven’t even had the chance to object or present our case!” I said.

“Be that as it may,” Isabel said, “The Bank’s assessment, Mr. Aldrich, based on the contract terms and the undeniable events of recent days, is that the conditions for invoking Clause 7b have been met. Lady Serona is acting within the contractual rights agreed upon by Mr. Tharen.”

“But you are talking of the attack that just happened. How can they have had the time to review and rule on that?” Ma asked. 

“Gem-grams,” Serona said, placing her hands on her hips. A gust of wind surrounded her for a brief moment. “Now, by royal decree, the bank has reviewed our claim and found it to be true.”

“Can we bonk them on the head yet? I feel it is only fair to give them a headache after they made us listen to all that crap.”

“If we fight here, even if we win, Ma and Pa might get injured.”

“The clause is invoked,” Serona said, pressing her advantage. 

“And what exactly does that mean?” Ma asked through gritted teeth.

“It means the full outstanding balance of the loan is now due,” Serona said with a smile.

“Due now?” Pa shouted, and only Ma’s hand on his arm held him back. “That’s impossible! We have a specific payment schedule agreed upon!”

Serona flicked her wrist, dismissive. 

“Scheduled payments are irrelevant when a demand clause is triggered. However, House Domitius recognizes the… practicalities. The contract allows for a minimum notice period upon demand. I am granting you the full five standard days to settle the entire amount.”

“Five days?” I said. “Five days to pay what? Let’s hear the number you thieves have cooked up.”

Benedict smirked, and Serona raised a brow. 

“Thieves, Mr. Aldrich? We merely collect on legitimate debts. The outstanding principal, combined with the accrued interest calculated and verified by the Royal Bank, comes to a total of…” She paused, letting the silence stretch. “Four hundred and seventy-eight gold coins.”

Ma sucked in a breath. Pa cursed. 

“Four seventy-eight? In five days? Riftrot take you! You’re not getting the smithy, that much I can promise you.” 

Knut’s hand dropped to his mace and Nabeeh let out a low whistle.

"Four hundred seventy-eight gold!" Roq said, growling. "How many monsters must we kill? How many skull do we crush to get that? This is not debt collection, Ash, this is extortion! Calculated theft! Just do it already and smash her face in!"

“Yes, it is extortion. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of it.”

“That calculation…” Ma said. “It seems excessive. The interest rates—”

“Are as stipulated in the contract and verified by Manager Pine,” Serona cut her off. “The amount is correct and non-negotiable.”

“And if we don’t pay this in full by midnight on the fifth day from now, then what?” I asked, wanting to hear her say it. 

Serona didn’t blink. 

“If the Tharens default on their loan, Mr. Aldrich, House Domitius will legally acquire the collateral stipulated in the contract that Mr. Tharen signed. The building. The tools. The forge. The land it stands on. Everything. It will all belong to us.”

"Over my shattered haft! This forge is ours! Defend it, Ash! Let me taste their blood and crack their bones on Pa’s anvil! Yes, hit them with the platemaw hammer at the same time you tenderize them with my head!”

“You conniving, rift-rotted snake!” Pa said. “This isn’t business, it’s highway robbery! You come into my forge—”

"Yes! Unleash the fury, old smith! Show them the fire within! Strike them with your hammer!"

Ma stepped past me, trembling with fury, and stuck her finger into Serona’s face. 

“This is a pretext, a blatant land grab!”

Serona didn’t flinch. 

“Touch me, peasant,” she whispered, “And the very air will slice you finer than butcher’s meat. My person is not for the likes of you to lay hands upon.”

"She threatens Ma?! ASH! Defend her! Let me feel the impact!"

Her guards stepped into the smithy, their hands on the hilts of their weapons. I moved fast, grabbing Ma’s arm and pulling her back, gentle but firm. 

“Ma. Don’t give her the excuse, and you, touch any one of my friends or family, and I will smash your head in so quickly you won’t see it coming. Snakes like you don’t fare well outside the tall grass, Serona. More often than not you never manage to make it back to safety.”

“Easy, Roq. Not here with my family. We need a controlled conflict if at all.”

"Control? Now? When Ma is threatened?!" Roq seethed, but I could feel his grudging understanding. "Fine. The forge… the pies… collateral damage is unacceptable. But if she lays a hand--"

I turned to Serona, ignoring the guards, forcing the focus back to business. 

“Enough threats, Serona. They won’t change the piece of paper you’re hiding behind. Let’s stick to these so-called legal terms. You will get your money, and the next time a Domitius sets foot in the forge for whatever reason, they will not leave alive.”

“We play their game for now, but there’s only one way this will end, buddy. Just play it cool.”

"Make the terms solid as tempered steel. Leave no room for her viperous twists."

I gestured at Isabel Pine. 

“We get 478 gold and hand it to you, before midnight five days from now, and the debt is satisfied in full, this contract becomes worthless trash, and you and your House relinquish all claims on Steel & Scale, present and future. You walk away and never darken this doorway again. Is. That. Correct?”

Serona held my gaze, annoyance flickering in her eyes before smoothing over. 

She gave a sharp nod. 

“Precisely, Mr. Aldrich. House Domitius always honors the letter of its agreements.” Her smile was thin, humorless even. “Assuming, of course, such a… significant sum can be procured by such… modest means in the allotted time. We shall see, won’t we?”

"Liar! She honors nothing but power and greed! She hides fangs forged in deceit. We should rip them out and force them down her throat!"

I laughed, short and harsh. 

“Honors the letter, maybe. But how do we ensure you or your people are even here to receive the payment on the fifth day, Serona? What’s to stop you from claiming we never showed, or that the funds were short, after conveniently making yourselves scarce?”

"Yes! Anticipate her treachery! Humans are slippery eels when gold is involved."

I leaned forward, voice low but carrying. 

“Given your reputation and who you got working for you, I don’t trust your word further than I can throw this forge.”

Serona raised a delicate eyebrow. She was more amused than angry. 

“Your lack of trust is hardly surprising, Mr. Aldrich, given your… circumstances. But House Domitius operates within the bounds of law and contract. Such paranoid fantasies are beneath our concern. If you fail to meet the terms, that is your failing, not ours.”

"Paranoid? When her assassin failed only yesterday? The audacity!"

“It’s not paranoia when I’m right,” I said coolly. “You prefer ambiguity, I am sure. Easier to claim default if there’s no clear record, right? We need a guarantee.”

Benedict pushed off the wall and was about to speak, but Serona just glanced at him, stopping him dead. She turned back to me. 

“Your attempts to imply impropriety are tiresome, blacksmith apprentice. The terms are clear. Payment is due.”

"She dislikes being questioned. Good. Press her."

Isabel Pine, looking more pale than ever, gulped and spoke.

“Lady Serona… Mr. Aldrich… perhaps… to ensure clarity… the transaction could be formally processed through the Bank?”

Serona turned to the banker, her gaze unreadable but heavy. Pine shrank back but continued, as if growing at least an inch of a spine.

“The Bank can… document the receipt of the 478 gold coins… and hold the mortgage deed. Upon confirmation of the full payment within the specified time… the Bank would issue a formal, dated receipt of settlement and return the deed to Mr. Tharen. It would… formalize the process.”

Pa exploded. 

“Formalize? You think we trust you after everything you’ve pulled over the last weeks? After you’ve stood there and justified this theft? You are in their rift-rotten pocket! The Bank will just hand it over to Domitius anyway!”

"Pa speaks truth! The Bank is compromised!"

Serona watched with detached interest, then looked at me, that knowing smile returning. She shrugged, as if the whole thing was beneath her. 

“If involving the Bank’s clerks satisfies your peasant need for paperwork, Mr. Aldrich, so be it. It changes nothing. The deadline remains, and so does the amount.” She gestured at Pine. “See to it, Manager. Ensure your records are impeccable.” 

She handed over the contract and turned away, already dismissing us.

"She concedes too easily. Why? What does she gain? This feels wrong, Ash. It must be a ruse!"

I put a hand on Pa’s arm, stopping him from saying more. 

“We agree,” I said, making sure Isabel heard. “The Bank will receive the payment and hold the deed. We’ll have our receipt.”

"A flawed shield is better than none, perhaps. But watch the banker closely. Her loyalty is thin as rust on steelhusk.”

Serona gave me one last, cold look, promising future trouble, then swept out, her guards following right behind her. 

“You heard the Lady,” Benedict said, lingering, his face twisted in a mockery of pity. “Just pack your things. There’s no shame in knowing when you’re beaten. Don’t fight this, Thomas. You’ll be crushed.”

Pa spat at Benedict but missed. “Get out of my forge, traitor. Scum. And to think you had an ounce of decency in you.”

“We will find a way,” Ma said, her voice not betraying her emotions. “We will pay one way or another.”

Benedict laughed, ugly and short. 

“Pay? With what? Shiny monster bits? Mind gems? The demand is for gold, Helena. Nearly five hundred gleaming gold coins, and the bank will not trade you a single coin even if you gave them a mind gem each..”

“We’ll hunt,” I said. “We’ll forge and sell. We’ll make the gold,” I said, my voice flat. “And you, watch your back, Benedict.”

He shook his head, savoring every word. 

“Oh, Ash, you still don’t understand how the world really works, do you? Where do you think you’ll get such a volume of gold in just five days? The Royal Bank?”  

Without a word, Isabel squeezed between Knut and Nabeeh, almost stumbled over the big man’s foot, and barely caught herself.

“P--pardon me,” she muttered and rushed off. 

“House Domitius has deep coffers and extensive trade networks. Their business is worth far more to the Bank than your little backwater smithy. Ms. Pine might be obligated to accept gold into her coffers, and she can’t sell mind gems for more than the price peg, but she’s under no obligation to buy your mind gems at anything close to a fair rate, especially not on your timeline. She’ll offer you scrap value at best, if she deals with you at all. You’re locked out.”

"What?! Locked out? Do they control the flow of gold? This… this is the true trap!"

I spun toward where Isabel had been standing mere seconds ago and sighed. 

“Confirmation by silence!"

Benedict’s smile twisted.

“Consider this a kindness. You all get to walk away, free of debt. That’s more than many. Don’t throw your lives away over metal and pride. Go somewhere else and restart.” With a final, oily smirk, he strode out.

"Kindness?! He calls this theft kindness?! Smash his legs, Ash! Let him crawl away like the insect he is! No, wait! First smash his hands, then his feet, and then his reproductive organ!"

“All in due time, Roq. All in due time.”

The smithy, usually alive with hammer and flame, was entirely still. We just stood there, processing what had happened in whatever ways we knew. 

Knut, Nabeeh, Pa, Ma, Richard and his companions, all looked at the empty street.

The weight of what had just happened, finally crashed down and all the bravado I felt only moments ago was gone. Four hundred and seventy-eight gold coins. Five days. 

The worst part was that we couldn’t convert our monster wealth into gold because the same people demanding we pay had taken away our only real means of getting enough coin in such a short timeframe.

Riftside 2 - Chapter 38

I stepped out of Harold’s office, shut the door behind me, and leaned against it. Madeleine shot me a curious glance, both of her eyebrows raised questioningly. I gave her a smile and tiredly waved a hand. She just nodded and turned away, giving me my moment of peace. 

My hands were trembling and when I yawned, my jaw cracked. I was exhausted after hours of dodging hammer blows, except the blows were questions, and I had to be so damn careful with every answer as not to incriminate myself, my friends, or my family. Hell, even the guild. These officials were something else entirely, giving off a friendly air that took you by surprise and your bones rattling with some of their questions.

Vos’ last smile had been thin and knowing. I’m not sure whether he ended up viewing me as a ‘promising young adventurer’ or a ‘problem to be dealt with later’. After I shared my stats, Mara had gazed at me, barely blinking, as if she was trying to communicate mentally, yet never said a word. It had seemed odd at the time, and now that I thought back on it, everything seemed even weirder. Did she have some kind of ability that could read minds? Or…something else entirely?

I’d kept the details of my breakthrough as vague as I could, unsure what Edwin had told them, though I’d been very specific about the pain. Didn’t have to fake that part at all. When they'd asked me about the Hive Mind, I'd told them I was interested in the column and traced a groove around it several times until suddenly I was in a different room, a tree-like monster had attacked and knocked me back through a portal that had appeared out of nowherel. Vos had asked about how people said I'd been running around it, but I pointed out how things always grew more dramatic with retellings. 

They seemed to buy it for now. Hopefully I was done with guild politics until I could get rid of the Domitius headache.

I forced myself to move, boots thudding on the floorboards as I made for the exit.

But near the quest board, arms folded like a fortress, stood Edwin. His face was set in lines so deep they looked carved by a chisel. He spotted me and headed over, a genuine purpose to his strides.

“How bad was it, Ash?” he asked, voice pitched low.

"It was fine," I said, yawning. "I think. Just long. Too long. They liked my stats and were highly interested in my Hammerlord class, wanting to see if it could be replicated by other blacksmith apprentices, if you can believe it. But the main thing? They’ve banned me from taking Eryn Riftside until she’s classed or we have a full party of five adventurers.”

Edwin muttered something under his breath that would’ve earned me a slap from Ma. 

“Bureaucrats,” he spat. “They see the tip of the steelhusk, never the trunk. They have no idea what they’re doing. I know Eryn will get her class gem. You'll be fine. But look at this.” He jabbed a finger at the quest board. “Rewards for quests have all been slashed by a quarter. Harold’s had to cut payouts. Last night he told me he might have to pull several scouting quests altogether. Won't be gems left to pay for them."

"Why? Where are the gems going?" I asked. "Is he hoping people will just head out and scout for fun?"

"The gems go straight back to the rift rotten central Guild vaults. Sure, they are supposed to fund defenses, but those are miles away while we'll be starved for resources here on the front line! Always defense with those cowards, never offense.”

I looked at the board.

He was right. The green quests barely paid enough to risk a stubbed toe, and even the yellows looked thin. 

“Rift rotten wall huggers," I said. "So what are we supposed to do? Another raid on the Twisted Titan? Or another bigger dungeon?”

Edwin shook his head, running a hand through his hair. 

“Too soon. We need to rebuild first, recover from the siege. The gates need repair and walls have to be reinforced. Besides, not all adventurers heal as fast as you, let alone scavengers and guards."

"Didn’t you just talk of how we need more offence and less defence?" I said, smirking, letting a bit of my frustration leak through.

He let out a rough, humorless chuckle. 

“Fair point but it’s not about charging in blind, Ash. It’s about striking from strength, not desperation. But to do so we need gems." 

He hammered a fist lightly against the wall.

Before I could answer, Mara strode over, her axe slung across her back. She moved with a confidence that seemed to say she could break anyone in the room in half. Somehow I believed that.

“Commander Edwin,” she said, voice flat as an anvil. “Focusing on local expansion when the entire world is seeing increased Rift activity is shortsighted.”

Edwin’s eyes narrowed. 

“And what would you have us do? Let the monsters batter us down until the walls fall?”

Mara didn't blink. 

“Your job is to defend this portal and trust Guild Command to manage the broader strategy. Sending resources centrally ensures our entire world holds.”

“And what happens when the line holds everywhere, but the monsters simply take their time to grow too numerous  to defend against?” Edwin shot back. “We sit back and wait for the next attack, stronger will surely be stronger than the last. What will the central office do when another massive wave arrives? Watch us die?”

She folded her arms and shot us a look that could only be explained as condescending, but her demeanor felt off. The woman was a genuine mystery, and more than the other two officials, she felt on a much different level. 

“Are you suggesting we divert forces for offensive pushes, potentially weakening critical defensive points elsewhere? Rifts are flaring up across the continent, and let me tell you, without those gems, places like Dawnwatch wouldn’t exist. The funds funneled into this place was ‘taken’ from other places, just like yours, Commander. You should know better..”

“That’s not what I’m saying, but perpetual defense is a losing strategy!" Edwin shot back. "If we let them attack us again and again, eventually they’ll break through!”

“Not if we use their attacks to learn, adapt, and strengthen our defenses accordingly. That is the Guild’s way.”

Mara’s gaze flicked to me, eyes hard as steel. 

“And you, Hammerlord. Your rapid rise is exactly the kind of destabilizing factor Command worries about. Focus on integrating, not disrupting or you will be prevented from doing so at all.”

“Are we, though?" I asked, unable to hold my tongue. “Disrupting? Or are we actually doing more good than your kind? We don’t go waltzing into other people’s homes and try to tell them how to live while taxing them and putting rules in place that prevent them from even being able to live. As that is what you’re doing.

"We are what?" she asked, sounding amused.

"Let me rephrase. Are we actually using these attacks and all the sacrifices to build towards an offensive capability? Or are we just building higher walls?”

Mara’s eyes lingered on me. 

“Guild Command allocates resources based on strategic need, Mr. Aldrich. Proving yourself against regulations won’t save anyone if the line breaks elsewhere and our world is flooded with monsters. You seem uniquely talented. Congratulations. And you know what unique talent gets you?"

"What?" I asked, figuring it was my turn to ask the hypothetical.

"Scrutiny," she said. "Ensure your actions result in positive attention. You want to do good on your own terms? Stay off the radar. And no, I am not telling you to disobey guild orders, that would be very irresponsible of me.”

She turned and strode away, and I wished Roq was there to say on what I knew he'd say.

Edwin watched her go. 

“That’s the problem with the Guild, Ash. For all the good they do, they think they can plan for everything from behind a desk. But it’s us who pay the price when things go wrong.”

I nodded, feeling the weight of what they both just said along with my own words. 

“I’ll let you know if I come up with any brilliant ideas.”

He managed a thin smile. 

“Just don’t let them see you coming. And make sure you do stay under the radar this time. We can’t afford to keep you locked up for disobeying orders. You’re part of the guild now, Ash, like it or not, but this is what it means having a boss.”

We shook hands and I made my way out of the guild. It was heading towards evening by the time I walked home, my head spinning from all the questions and conversations. The Guild was a fortress, but that could feel like a cage, too. A big one that allowed you just enough rope to hang yourself.

When I reached our home, I found Eryn, Knut, and Nabeeh waiting at the table, Arclight out in front of Eryn.

I slumped into a chair, setting Roq on the table, too. 

“Well, that was fun.”

“How bad?” Knut asked.

“About as bad as you’d expect. They grilled me on everything—class, stats, breakthrough, battle tactics, the whole lot. And two pieces of news? I’m banned from taking you," I nodded at Eryn," Riftside until you’re classed, or we have a full party of five adventurers.”

Arclight’s voice slithered into my mind, cold and sharp. 

"Unacceptable. Denial of optimal prey necessitates adaptation. If the Guild denies us monsters, then secondary targets must be considered. Efficiency dictates it."

Eryn stiffened, glaring at the bow. 

“No. I’m not killing any more humans. One was more than enough. At least if I don’t have to.”

Roq’s laughter echoed, deep and mocking. "So young, so naive. They view others as part of the family. Stupid, but true."

"When there’s nothing to hunt, you hunt family," Arclight said. "Practice makes perfect."

"You think our wielders have so little restraint, stick-thrower?" Roq said.

"The perfect hunter needs discipline," Arclight replied with a dignified voice. "But if denied the hunt, even discipline must bend. My wielder, we must find prey."

Knut grunted. 

“Officials are fools. Always have been. Never trust man in clean cloak to know what good for you. Or everyone else.”

Nabeeh rolled her eyes. 

“Guild politics are the same everywhere. It’s always someone in an office deciding who gets to risk their life and who gets to reap the rewards. And the rest of us get to bleed for their decisions.”

"And that's the other part," I said. "They've got power over Harold, and the rewards for missions are down. I don't know if its like a tax or something, but gems will be flowing from here and towards the central guild from now on, and not the other way around."

"Thieves," Knut said, and I couldn't help but agree. “Why bother hunt when get nothing?”

Eryn pushed back her chair and stood. 

“At least we’ve got luck on our side for one thing. I have Katherine's offer, and I'm going to take her up on it, right now. The sooner I’m an adventurer, the sooner we can get back to work.”

“Wait,” I said, holding up a hand. “I have an idea. About your breakthrough.”

She paused, her head cocked to the side and a curious smile playing on her lips. 

“What kind of idea? You haven’t said anything about that.”

I leaned forward, lowering my voice. 

“When I broke through, Roq was healing me the entire time. Your class gem will use the energy from the mind gems you've consumed to rip you apart and rebuild you. But it’s inefficient. With extra healing, the process is faster and more focused. It won't be less painful, but the energy may be used better and won’t be wasted. What if Katherine could heal you while you’re breaking through? You might get an above average breakthrough as well. Especially since you have Arclight to help guide you, too. In a way at least."

Eryn nodded. 

“That… makes sense. But how would we explain it? Unless we’re ready to tell them about Roq and Arclight.”

Nabeeh chuckled. 

“Why don't you play the immigrant card?"

"What?" I asked.

"Azbara isn’t that well-known here. Blame it on me. Say I have shared with you a secret known only among the Azbaran nobility." She raised her hands and wiggled her fingers mysteriously. "Highly guarded knowledge, only for the most important heirs. But I’m a wanted traitor, so what do I care about sharing secrets? Who’s to say it’s not true?”

Knut nodded approvingly. 

“Good plan. Guild love secrets. Makes them feel important.”

I grinned. 

“That's a great idea, Nabeeh. Eryn, when you talk to Katherine, ask not just for the gem, but for assistance during the breakthrough. Tell her there is a secret you want to test, and if it works, it could help others here, too.”

"I'll do it," Eryn said, nodding. But, ever the healer, she added, "Besides, if it works, maybe we can help more people survive the process.” 

“Perhaps not tell what need to do. She is hardheaded like northerner, my Katherine. Only explain when she already here.”

Arcligh spoke, her voice soft. 

"A wise hunter adapts. I will lend what strength I can, Eryn. We must not stagnate."

"Roq and I will do everything we can to help, won't we?" I said.

Roq grumbled. 

"For Eryn, yes. Because when she gets strong enough, she might not need that abhorrent stick-thrower anymore. But remember, pain is part of power. This will not be easy."

Eryn gave me a tense kiss before leaving to head Riftside.

For a moment, the house was quiet, the kind of quiet that came before a massive storm.

Then Knut and Nabeeh started debating the finer points of Guild resource allocation. Nabeeh insisted the central Guild was siphoning off Dawnwatch’s future, while Knut grumbled about being unable to trust anyone who’d never held a shield. Neither was wrong. I held back and had a drink, resting in my reclining chair and just staring at the fire place.

A while later, a frantic knock shattered the tranquil moment. Knut opened the door to find Richard's fire mage practically falling through the entryway, hair wild, eyes wide, gasping for breath.

“Ash! Knut! You need to come, now! It’s the smithy!” he blurted, voice shaking. “Serona, the air mage, is there with Benedict and two of her guards. She’s demanding Thomas hand over the forge. Right now! And your father's about ready to stab someone.”

My blood turned to ice and everything I knew about myself just went out of the window. No, we didn’t want to kill people, but if they kept coming at us, they would never live long enough to go home.

I glanced at Knut and Nabeeh, and they both nodded. The bastards were making a move.

Riftside 2 - Chapter 37

I pulled Pa's legendary forging hammer from my spatial storage and set it on the table before the guild officials. The hammer landed with a solid, resonant thunk, the sound echoing through the office.

For the first time since I'd entered, Mara stirred. She leaned forward, the muscles in her thick arms shifting beneath her sleeveless tunic as she rested her chin on the haft of her axe. Her eyes narrowed with a hint of real interest, but that was about it. I felt as if she could see right through me and the hammer alike.

Vos arched a skeptical eyebrow, his voice edged with disbelief. 

"This is what you're fighting with?" he asked, his gaze flicking from the hammer to my face as if searching for any sign of a joke.

I caught Harold's eye. The guild leader's expression remained carefully neutral, his lips pressed into a thin line. I'd half-expected him to blurt something about how this looked different from the hammer he’d seen before, but he blessedly held back, letting me steer the conversation in my own way. At least he wasn’t causing any damage.

"This is indeed the legendary hammer I forged,” I replied, forcing my voice to sound more confident than I should, even as my heart thudded against my ribs at the deception.

"May I?" Mara asked. Her voice was unexpectedly soft, almost gentle.

I hesitated, making a show of reluctance. 

"I do not share my weapon with anyone, but if you must, sure. Please treat it carefully," I said, hoping to come off as a country bumpkin afraid someone might break their favorite toy.

She reached out and gripped the hammer. 

I watched, hoping desperately my ruse would hold. The hammer was a masterpiece, it was Pa's legendary smithing hammer, Platemaw's Fury, after all. But it wasn't Roq.

Please, let them see a bumbling adventurer with a weird weapon, and not ask any questions. Or not too many, at least.

Mara turned the hammer over in her hands, her thick fingers tracing the Platemaw’s skull and its filling. She weighed it, tested the balance, and nodded with a warrior’s respect. 

“Ain’t never seen a better hammer," she said, her voice low and even. "For forging, that is. You really hunt monsters with this?"

Vos scribbled a few notes.

I cleared my throat, trying to dodge the question. 

"Would you like to see my stats? I'm sure that would be more informative."

Vos looked up. 

"It is we who ask the questions, Mr. Aldrich." He gestured at Mara. “Now answer her question if you please.”

"You can ask anyone," I said, shrugging, careful not to say anything that could be called an outright lie in case any of them had an ability that could catch me in that lie. "Everyone knows I hunt monsters with a blacksmith’s hammer. I know it's weird, but that's just how it is."

Mara hummed, a sound halfway between amusement and skepticism, before handing the hammer back. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest, and closing her eyes. For all the world, she seemed to check out of the conversation entirely.

Vos waved at Corwin, who produced a soul tablet from his satchel and set it on the desk between us.

"Your stats, if you don't mind," Vos said, gesturing to the tablet with a flick of his fingers.

"Before I do," I said, keeping my tone respectful but firm, "What exactly am I here for? Have I done anything wrong?"

"We'll get to that, young man," Vos replied, waving a hand dismissively toward the tablet. "Your hand if you will."

"Did you really travel all this way just to talk to me? A level thirteen scavenger?" I pressed, letting a note of incredulity color my voice. Sometimes it paid to be a little bit annoying, and a bit cocky at the same time.

"Level thirteen, you say?" Vos replied, making another scribble.

"Congratulations on the level up, Ash," Harold said, offering me a supportive smile.

Vos shot Harold a look, one eyebrow arched as if to tell him to be quiet but without so many words.

"Thanks," I said, nodding to Harold before turning back to Vos.

"Our reason for visiting Dawnwatch is none of your business, and—"

"Can I leave then?" I interrupted, unable to help but turn up the stupidity factor.

A slow, thin smile crept across Vos's face. 

"Yes, of course you can."

"Great." But the word rang hollow in my ears. It didn't feel like freedom. It felt like I'd just put my hand inside a Shardfang's mouth and was waiting for it to bite me.

Vos's smile sharpened. 

“But until we have our questions answered satisfactorily," he added, "You will not be permitted to head Riftside."

I stared at him in disbelief. 

"You’d ban me from going Riftside just for not answering some questions? Are you mad?"

Corwin chuckled while Vos answered with an infuriating calm. 

"On the contrary. I am the most sane person in the room—as usual—and it is a heavy burden to bear.  But again, we will come to that. Now, if you will?"

"Do you have any idea how many monsters I've slain?" I demanded, my voice rising. "How hard I've worked to become an adventurer, to help defend Noros? You’d be helping the monsters by keeping me out of Riftside.”

Vos leaned his elbows on the table and eyed me with a hint of anger

"This is where we disagree. I've met hundreds like you, Mr. Aldrich. The seemingly skilled hunters, strong warriors, who do not understand the bigger picture."

"What bigger picture?" I shot back, my left hand clenched around my new shield’s grip.

Vos’s voice was almost paternal when he replied. 

"You think too highly of yourself, thinking you are better than the average adventurer. You believe the rules and processes don't apply to you." He gestured vaguely, as if sweeping aside my objections. "Your rapid rise in strength and stats, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but one that tends to get to people’s heads cause them to act rashly. All against the common good."

I frowned, mock-struggling to keep my anger in check. 

"What are you even talking about?"

“To speak plainly, you put others in danger because you think you know best,” he said.

"Wait, what? You couldn't be more wrong!" I protested, though knew he was very right, but I had to play it up a bit.

"Did you, or did you not hire an adventurer to take you hunting while you were still a scavenger?" Vos pressed. "Not only that, but you brought along a second scavenger, who is also your girlfriend if I am not mistaken.”

"I…did? I mean, we did pretty well and even completed several scouting missions—"

Vos cut me off with a raised hand. 

"You nearly died—or rather, the adventurer nearly died—while you and Eryn came back unscathed, did you not?”

I opened my mouth to object, but Vos continued relentlessly.

"I have the reports from Dr. Ridley, listing Knut Coinshield Steelwall as requiring extensive healing." Vos paused, eyes boring into mine. "Would you like me to read back the details of his injuries?”

Memories of the Ironroot Golem fight flashed through my mind. Knut had been battered and bloodied, hard, while Roq had healed me before we even returned. With Eryn and me changing into backup clothes before heading back, only Knut had to get patched up by Ridley. 

"No," I said quietly. “You are…correct.”

“Indeed. Knut returned to Sentinel Station nearly broken,” Vos said. "And this happened several times across your missions, an adventurer nearly dying for two scavengers to play at being hunters.”

He pointed at me, accusation clear. 

“And you've barely shared any carcasses with the Guild it seems, prioritizing instead the local blacksmith."

I grabbed Pa’s hammer, swiping it back into my storage, just to give my hand something to do. 

"Is there any rule against forging gear with my own carcasses?”"No," Vos replied, "But it goes to our understanding of your character."

I scoffed. 

“Pa’s smithy is equipping half the adventurers in Dawnwatch, using what my party and I bring back from hunts. Just ask any adventurer who bought gear from us."

Vos nodded, conceding the point. 

"Yes, you and your… party." He shifted the topic. "You became an adventurer in record time."

"Hard work," I said, shrugging. "Killing monsters. Also, Pa dissecting the carcasses for the gems helped.”

“Have you ever received any gems from Mr. Coinshield? Did he spend your gold at the Guild to buy gems—thus taking resources from other adventurers?" Vos asked.

I kept my body loose. There was no way Vos could know about Knut buying gems for us unless Knut had told him himself.

"I hired Knut and paid for his services in mind gems," I said clearly. "Not the other way around."

Vos raised a skeptical brow. 

“I must say I find that hard to believe. You have since become an adventurer, and as such you should understand why the Guild does not simply lift scavengers up by feeding them mind gems. We let them build themselves up step by step to separate the wheat from the chaff.” 

"Doesn't change the facts and how things went down," I repeated. "Knut helped us hunt, and I paid him in mind gems and also in items."

"You paid him in items? Or did Thomas Tharen do so?”

“Sure, you could say Pa is the one who paid him in items--no, that’s not right. I forged the gear alongside my Pa, so it is not just him paying Knut in gear” I said curtly. "Since when are we forbidden to forge items and sell them?”

Vos shrugged. 

"I don't have a problem in theory. It is simply my personal view that it should not be allowed for nobles and others to pay in order to boost their offspring, even though I understand the desire to do so."

"You're comparing me to nobles who buy mind gems?" I asked. “Pa and me who forge adventuring gear from monster carcasses that I killed and looted myself, and have built his forge up brick by brick?”

"Not a one-to-one comparison," Vos conceded, "But the end result is the same. You have soared in levels, while the scavengers around you are clawing their way up at a normal pace.”

"And thanks to my swift rise, Dawnwatch now has a level thirteen adventurer to help defend it," I replied. “Which I have done well enough to be commended, twice, for my efforts in the war against the monsters."

“Yes, but you are an adventurer who has not gone through the standard leveling process," Vos said. "I do not blame you. You didn’t know better. This is your first and only time leveling, but if you had leveled slower, scavenging with parties for months or years, you'd better understand Guild processes and why they're important." 

“Guild…processes? You think that matter’s more than saving people? Would the wall have done better during the last attack if I had just been a scavenger? Or would a few dozen guards have died because someone wants us to stay scavengers and slave on for years, while the nobles are allowed to do what they want, and are even commended for it.”

Vos glared at me. 

“As I said, this is not your fault. This blame lies with the local Guild Master Harold, and Commander Edwin."

I clenched my jaw, barely keeping my temper in check as I glared back at Vos, but forced myself to remain silent.

Vos let the silence stretch, before smiling. 

“Good. There may be hope for you after all if you can control your emotions." He tapped his notebook. "I have one more thing to say."

"What,” I said, the words clipped.

"You cannot bring a single scavenger Riftside again."

"What do you mean?"

Vos consulted his notes. 

"Your hunting party consists of Nabeeh Sayani and Knut Steelwall, but also frequently includes Eryn Whitcroft, your girlfriend I perceive, who is still a scavenger."

“Yeah, and? Other parties take out scavengers all the time. I have gone out myself many times while I was still a scavenger.”

"If you are unable to find a fourth or fifth party member willing to join you, I will not fault you for hunting just the three of you. I understand it is hard when your tank is a known mercenary, whose nickname speaks to his love of coin and his greed. A mercenary who once abandoned his party leader, and while it's bad form to bring it up, that same mercenary is also a deserter from the army."

“You have no idea what you are—”

Harold tapped his fingers against the table, and I held myself back, though I wanted nothing more than to punch the man’s monocle off his face.

Vos frowned. 

“The frost mage Benedict told us several interesting things after joining the caravan."

"Don't talk to me about that cowardly traitor," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "You can talk about procedures all you want, mister, but when it comes to that worm, you have no idea what you're talking about."

"I've read the reports,” Vos said. “I know all about what happened."

I glared at him and took a slow breath, forcing myself to think for a moment. Things weren’t going the way I had envisioned them to. Get in, play dumb, and get the hell out. 

What would Ma do?

If Benedict had poisoned the guild official’s minds, I couldn’t simply tell the truth. But could I play their own game?

“This report, was it about the mission where Marcus the scavenger died?” I asked.

“It was indeed.”

“And who was it that got charged and brought before a tribunal?" I asked. "Was it me? Knut? Or was it Benedict?"

"Fair point,” Vos conceded.

I pressed on.

“And who was convicted in that tribunal?”

Vos chuckled, licking his finger and holding it up as if tallying a score. 

“Score another point for Mr. Aldrich. According to the reports, neither Knut nor you were accused, while Benedict was, and he was convicted."

“And that should tell you Benedict is full of crap, sir,” I said.

Vos smiled wryly.

“You talk of me having leveled so fast I haven’t learned the rules and processes. Benedict did, right? And he still got accused. So maybe you could ask yourself just how much a piece of dung he really is? I didn’t abandon a comrade, but instead risked my own life to help the others. I wasn’t the one who ran off so quickly that a cloud of dust rose up behind me just to save myself, sir.”Vos inclined his head. 

"Another point taken. I withdraw my comments about that mission."

I nodded at him. 

Bastard.

"This brings us to your other party member, Nabeeh, who is wanted in Azbara for instigating a rebellion against the crown."

I sighed, not bothering to even argue. 

"You have a problem with her too?"

Vos shook his head. 

“No. Her situation has nothing to do with Guild politics. I am merely bringing it up to highlight why you may be having difficulties filling your party, considering the reputations of your current members.”

“I am sorry, but why would that matter? Should I pick someone like Benedict who will abandon us out there? We have no problem filling the party,” I said. “No, we’re choosing carefully, and in all honesty, I couldn’t care less what other people think of us. We bring results, we protect the people of Dawnwatch not because we are paid to do so, no, but because we believe it is our duty, sir. When we find someone who has the same mindset, then we will fill up that last slot, sir.” 

“And therein lies the problem, Mr. Aldrich,” he said, slapping a hand on the desk, making Harold jump. “You are counting a scavenger as a fully fledged member of an adventuring party! I have to insist you stop bringing scavengers Riftside until you have a full party of adventurers. You will not be allowed to fill gaps in your party composition by using scavengers, trying to shore up your lack of power as a group.” He held up a finger. “This is not up for debate, because in doing so you are risking her life, your own lives, and the lives of adventurers we would have to send to save you if things go wrong. Do you understand and agree to change your behavior on this?”

I just stared at him. 

"I need a straight answer. Will you comply?”

I couldn't help but chuckle, thinking of how much stronger than most adventurers Eryn now was thanks to Arclight. And how she already had her class gem ready for breakthrough.

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “I think we’ll be fine with not taking any scavengers Riftside before we have a full party of adventurers.” 

Vos visibly relaxed. 

"Thank you,” he said.

"For what?" I asked, caught off guard by his response.

“For being willing and able to listen. These types of conversations are never easy. Especially not when you're a new adventurer and everything seems to go your way. Then some old fart like me comes to tell you how to hunt and puts guardrails in place." He smiled and readjusted his monocle. “But that is our responsibility. To use the knowledge and experience of the thousands of adventurers who have come before to guide you as needed.”

For a moment, I saw not a bureaucrat, but a veteran who had seen too many young adventurers die, or so I thought. The man was an asshole, one who already seemed to have made up his mind, but at least he didn’t seem rotten or sold to house Domitius.

"My wish is that one day, you become a level sixty warrior, young Ash, and that you will be the one telling me what to do. Nothing would make me happier.”

"I genuinely hope to get there, too,." I said, letting out a breath. The tension in my shoulders eased as his tone changed. "Are we done here, then?”

Vos chuckled, shaking his head. 

"Not by a long stretch. That was just the introduction."

“What?” I said. “Don’t we all have better things to do? You know, you could have just asked me not to bring a scavenger Riftside to begin with and saved us all a lot of time. Sir.”

“Maybe,” Vos said. “Would it surprise you to hear I have tried that many times, and adventurers tend to dig their heels in and refuse to listen? No, trust me. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast, as they say.”

I sighed. 

Bureaucrats. Rift rotten bureaucrats. They were one of the main reasons why the guilds barely functioned, yet they spouted nonsense about guiding everyone. Guiding my ass.

Corwin held out the soul tablet. 

"Now, if we may see your stats?”

"What will you do with them?" I asked.

"They will be added to the Guild records,” Corwin said. “Over time, we hope to understand what makes some adventurers stronger than others, how to impact and improve on breakthroughs, whether the length of a scavenger’s rise has an impact on stats, and so on." 

"We all want the same thing,” Vos said.

“And what exactly is that?” I asked.

"To defeat the monsters and save the world, of course. What else?”

I sighed. 

“At least we can agree on that, sir.”

Vos chuckled. 

"Was that ever in question?"

I shrugged, then placed my hand on the soul tablet.

Corwin cursed under his breath as he watched the numbers.

Mara opened one eye and leaned forward, her interest finally piqued. 

“Ain’t never heard of no Hammerlord before," she muttered.

Vos's smile vanished, and he stared at me, wide-eyed, as if seeing me for the first time.

I couldn’t help myself but grin. 

"Is something wrong?" I asked, acting all innocent.

"Your stats, they are magnificent,” Vos said, his voice almost reverent. “Now it makes sense why you think too highly of yourself, young man.”

"Thank you?" I replied almost questioningly, amping up the innocent act. "Many years of hard work in the forge, some luck, and one hell of a breakthrough."

Riftside 2 - Chapter 36

I sat at the dining table in our home, surrounded by concerned faces. Roq and Arclight were safely stored to give us both some peace of mind. 

We’d just finished sneaking back into Dawnwatch. It hadn’t been too hard, considering the town had prioritised defending from Riftside attacks, not those from within Noros. Roq and Arclight had helped us avoid detection, even though they spent way too much time bickering.

Knut, Nabeeh, Pa, and Ma all stared at Eryn and me.

“Where have you been?" Ma asked. "We've been worried sick."

"I'm a grown man, Ma. I've moved out, I kill monsters for a living,” I said, trying to make light of the situation. “You shouldn’t worry about me being out late with my girlfriend after dark. It’s not like we have a bedtime, right?”

Ma's face darkened, and she scowled at me. 

"This isn't about bedtime or you being some fancy monster hunter, Ash Aldrich, and you know it. This is about you saying you were going for a walk to test a new experimental soul weapon—" she said and gestured at Eryn, “—only to stay out all day and evening before returning. And now you’re not even  telling us how it went."

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. 

“I’m getting to it, Ma. We called you here to tell you how it went.”

Pa crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing on me angrily. 

"Don't talk back to your mother," he said, raising his voice just enough to send the point across.

I threw up my hands in exasperation. 

"If you'd just give me a second to actually speak, I’d I'll tell you what happened!"

I exchanged a glance with Eryn. On our way back, we'd discussed whether we should tell the truth about the assassination attempt. If we hid what happened from them as well, it would be much easier to maintain the lie, which might put Serona and Benedict on their back foot. But keeping them in the dark could just as easily put them in extra danger. We hadn't landed on a clear answer, but that’s only because there wasn’t one.

Nabeeh looked between us. 

“You’re not seriously going to start keeping secrets again, are you? You just told me I'm in on everything."

Knut suddenly chuckled and smiled. 

"Maybe they were outside playing hide the sausage!”

"Knut!" Eryn, Nabeeh, and Ma all shouted simultaneously, and I groaned.

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" Eryn added, her cheeks flushing. “And if we were, that would be none of your business. We’re both grown adults. Right, Ash?”

I surrendered with a sigh. 

"Yeah, totally. Alright, just…don’t freak out, okay?”

"Not a chance," Ma said, crossing her arms.

It took us a while to explain, but once we did, they all got even more annoyed.

“…so after burying his body six-feet-under and very far out, we circled around, waited for the cover of darkness, and then headed into town. Arclight and Roq helped us,” I said, finishing our retelling of what had happened in detail.

Eryn swiped the archer’s bow out on the table. We’d decided to take it after all, to have as a backup for Eryn, just in case, and also as a potential piece in case it became useful. 

Pa’s jaw clenched so hard I worried for his teeth, while Ma stood in the kitchen, stirring a stew she’d been halfway through making when we’d gotten back. She’d restarted it halfway through our story, likely needing to feel like she was doing something, anything, even though she knew we’d made it home safely.

Knut sat with his arms crossed, face stone-like as usual, while Nabeeh played nervously with her bracelet.

“Eryn did good," Knut said, breaking the silence after a long moment.

"Knut's not wrong," Nabeeh said. “At least now it’s four against four if they decide to come at us for real.”

“You really think the Guild would do nothing if you report this?” Pa asked. “It’s attempted murder!”

"It's not about the Guild doing nothing," I said. "It's about whether the Guild will do what we want them to. Would they really help us against House Domitius? If Serona is truly clever, and we should assume she is, she’d have plans for either outcome. We are still too weak compared to a noble house to be considered worth it going to war over.”

"Why send only one person to kill two, though?” Ma asked from the kitchen.

Knut grunted. 

“Easy answer. They are five. One person sneak out to kill. If succeed, four to give cover."

“And who would think a level ten fighter and a scavenger could survive against a level twenty-plus archer?" Nabeeh added. "Someone clearly comfortable with killing. From Serona’s view, this is a very unrealistic outcome. In any normal situation, you two would be very dead now.”

“True,” Eryn said quietly. "If not for our soul weapons, we would be goners.”

“By reporting it, we’d probably have to explain how the two of us managed to survive,” I said, my expression darkening. “That might lead House Domitius to escalate at once. This way buys us time. Maybe not much, but some.”

“And what do we do with that time?" Nabeeh asked, looking around the table.

“We pay down the loan as fast as possible, pretending nothing happened. Get house Domitius out of our backyard,” I said, my hand curling into a fist. “And then, we take our time to strike back when it best suits us.”

"And the backup plan?" Pa asked. "If your forging iron breaks, what will you do?"

“We kill them,” I said, and Eryn groaned. 

I knew it wasn’t what she wanted to hear, even after taking someone’s life herself, but it was the truth. None of us wanted to commit murder, but if it was either them or us, I’d always choose us.

“And we keep killing them until they stop coming and we are safe,” I said.

"Are we strong enough?" Nabeeh asked.

I smiled for the first time since sitting down. 

"You should've seen Arclight. Don't let Roq know I said so, but she’s pretty amazing."

“And she reached level five,” Eryn said.

“Wow!” Nabeeh said. “Congratulations!”

Eryn winced. Even though there was no choice but to kill the archer, I understood how it went against what she wanted, aiming to be a healer of people. Someone who saved lives and gave people another chance, not being the one who took it all away from them.

Knut leaned across the table and put a hand on her arm. 

“Is good,” he said solemnly. “One bad human gone, and he give you more power to care for good humans.” He grinned at that. “Save people like me!”

She chuckled. 

“Yeah, I know, it’s just…”

“Painful in soul,” Knut said, nodding. “Fades with time. And when you feel bad, look at Ash. Your pain is price of his life. Worth it, no?”

She nodded. 

“Did Arclight get a new skill?” Pa asked.

Arclight had let me inspect her while we were waiting outside Dawnwatch, as long as Eryn kept a hand on her at the same time, and I thought back to the skill, then relayed it to the rest.

NAME: Prism shot

TYPE: Active

DESCRIPTION: The skill splits the projectile and strikes up to three targets within fifteen feet of the original target. Split shots will deal reduced damage, but may still apply negative status effects carried by the primary arrow.

“I like,” Knut said. “Useful and powerful. Will save much healing.”

“Thanks,” Eryn said and smiled. “I have to admit I’m quite excited for our next hunt Riftside, and seeing how much help I can be.”

“About that,” Nabeeh said. 

“Ah, true,” Knut said. “We also have news.”

Eryn and I exchanged a confused glance. 

"What news?" she asked.

"We don't know," Knut said.

“What? Are you joking?" Eryn asked.

Knut shook his head. 

"No."

I sighed. 

"How can there be news if you don't know what it is?"

Knut got up and walked to the mantle. He picked up a letter and shook it at us. 

“Because letter is still closed.”

"How do you know it's news then?” Eryn asked.

Knut threw up his hands. 

"Karl deliver letter. Say it from Adventuring Guild. Must give to Ash. Important news. Man, you two dense sometime. Like when just start dating."

"Oh," I said. Sometimes he was still a bit hard to understand, but yeah, we could be pretty dense, too. I took the letter and broke the seal. 

“Monster balls.”

“Good news?” Pa joked.

"It's a summons from the Adventuring Guild," I said after reading through it. "They want me to present myself tomorrow. With full gear. For an inspection."

“Inspection?” Knut said.

“Either of you ever had an inspection before?" Eryn asked, frowning at the two adventurers.

Nabeeh shook her head.

"Never in Guild," Knut said. “We have freedom to fight and hunt. Is why I like adventuring. Adventurers working at central Guild, directly under officials, must live with more discipline. Similar to army." He chuckled. “In army I have many inspections. Many many.”

"Was it ever anything good?" I asked.

Knut laughed, a deep rumbling sound. 

"No. Inspection never good. Inspection always trouble. Like thunder in a snowy mountain with clear sky.”

“Great. An avalanche of bad news then,” I said.

“Do you have to go?” Ma asked, coming in from the kitchen with loaded bowls, putting the first two in front of Eryn and me.

“Thanks,” I said, before shrugging. “And I don’t have much of a choice. We need to know what they want and I’m sure they could make it hard to operate here, so yeah.”

"What if they force you to share your stats?” Pa asked. “Or show them Roq?"

"I've been thinking about that," I said, "And I do have an idea that might help. It’d require some help from you though, Pa.”

“Anything for you, son.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

*

After spending a night in the smithy with Pa, getting not a wink of sleep, but surviving on account of eating two mind gems, taking me all the way to six of fourteen mind gems towards level fourteen, I walked to the Adventuring Guild, fully armed.

Madeleine waved happily from her desk as I entered. 

"Ash! Good morning!"

I smiled and waved back, though my eyes were drawn to the Board of Heroes behind her and the new leaves that had been added after the latest attack.

More names. More lives lost.

"Ash?" a familiar voice called. Lydia, Richard's healer, sat on a sofa by the wall. She yawned and stretched. "What are you doing here all geared up? Did you even sleep last night?”

"I'm here to speak with the Guild officials," I explained. "I've been asked to come for an inspection.”

Lydia frowned, turning to look toward Harold's office. 

“Inspection? What exactly is that."

“Riftrot if I know," I said. "How did your watch of the smithy go? Pa and I barely heard you.”

“Easiest money I’ve ever earned," she said, fighting another yawn, "Uneventful, blessedly. I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to make a run at the smithy with the two of us there.”

“That’s what I hope,” I said.

“Anyway, I'm about to head to bed,” Lydia said. “Just wanted to see and chat with someone other than Richard for a while. That man has no interests outside his sword." She rolled her eyes. "And there are only so many sword jokes and sword facts a woman can take before they prefer the sound of adventurers quarreling over contracts. Though with the Guild officials in, it's rather quiet here, too."

Harold poked his head out from his office and waved me over. 

"Ash! Come in. We’ve been waiting for you."

I waved back.

“You know if Edwin is here today?” I asked Lydia, keeping my voice low.

“Nope. Haven’t seen him about,” she said, shaking her head.

I nodded to her and walked to Harold's office, my stomach knotting with tension. As I approached, Harold gave me a quick once-over.

“You know what this is about?” I whispered, my voice masked by the chatting going on inside.

“No idea. They’ve asked questions about you," he murmured back. "About your progress, your breakthrough, your stats and gear. I’ve told them what I know, which isn't much."

Great.

"Thanks for the warning," I said quietly, and Harold smiled, opening the door wider.

Inside and behind Harold’s desk, sat the three people I’d seen at the Timberline.

Harold followed me in. 

“Ash, these are representatives from the Adventurer’s Guild main office. They’ve come to lend their knowledge and abilities to us here in Dawnwatch. I’m happy to introduce Tarn Vos, Mara Fen, and Corwin Rone,” Harold said, pointing to them one by one.

Tarn Vos, the tall, thin man sitting in Harold’s chair sighed. “Let’s not pretty it up, Harold. We’re here because we’ve gotten… reports about the local guild. None of us want to interfere nor insert ourselves in your local affairs.”

What in the three bells do you call this then?

Tarn adjusted his monocle as he sized me up. His dark skin contrasted sharply with the silver streaks in his short beard, and his posture was so precise it reminded me of poured steel. His eyes did a slow pass from my boots to my shoulders.

“Looks to be of good quality,” Tarn said. “Mara?”

The broad-shouldered, head half-shaved, woman on his left might’ve been moulded from pure muscle. She leaned her hands and chin on a two-handed axe with black fur wrapped around its hilt. Mara ignored him, not saying a word, nor smiling. She just stared at me, blank as a drawn blade.

“The armor and shield’s reinforcement work looks well tuned for monster combat,” Corwan said. He spilled out across the sides of the chair, and looked like a toad dressed for court. His smile was far too wide and despite missing none, his teeth seemed too few. All in all, the three were deeply unsettling.

Tarn sighed and looked at me again, pointedly. 

“What I do not see is a weapon. I was led to believe you fought with a hammer?”

I nodded. 

“That’s right.”

“What kind of hammer?”

“A blacksmith’s hammer,” I said casually.

That earned me a brief pause and Mara’s head tilted slightly. 

“And may we see it?” Tarn asked. “This… blacksmith’s hammer you’ve been using so effectively to fight monsters?”

I tilted my head just a little. 

“Would you like to see the legendary hammer I forged myself?”

The woman grunted — maybe it was a laugh, or maybe even a cough, but it was hard to tell.

The thin man sighed through his nose. 

“Yes. Obviously.”

“Alright then,” I said, smiling, and reaching for my spatial storage. “Here it is.”