The silver fox of a man, in his mid to late sixties or so, brushed his scruffy silver beard, his long hair down to his shoulders. He was heavily armoured in full plate, and upon his back was a giant maul. The maul itself was carved out of a dark gem, black as night, with specks of light within the gem which shifted about like fireflies.
“Who in the Divine are you?” Lord Royce asked, his eyes curious.
“You don’t remember me?”
“No…”
The Commander’s eyes turned towards the half elf, his posture changing slightly, the handsome noble reaching down towards his blade.
“Wait a moment.” Lord Royce inhaled the crisp air of Floria, which was far earthier than the air of the north. “That stench of trouble. Perhaps I do recall a half elf and his Iyrman brother?”
Adam shook his head lightly. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Lord Royce.”
Royce nodded his head slowly, a wild grin encroaching his face. His eyes then fell to Jurot, who had fought with the King Merryweather previously. “What brings you two so far south? Have you come to haunt this old man?” His eyes scanned across the others he vaguely recalled, but it was Adam and Jurot who had seared themselves within his mind a few years ago.
“I’m here to speak with you, actually.” Adam smiled politely, in the way that meant he was going to cause just a little trouble.
“What is it?”
“An offer, though…” Adam motioned his head to the soldiers. “It seems they don’t like us here, and if we’re not welcome here, well, perhaps there might be fewer magical weapons making their way into Florian lands.”
“Magical weapons?”
“We’ve come to offer the great King Merryweather the ability to procure from our business, if his majesticness should wish for it, and if his treasury hasn’t been drained by the war.”
“Which magical weapons do you have on offer?”
“Right now, Basic weapons, but in the future? Who knows.”
Royce reached up to scratch his beard, narrowing his eyes lightly as he thought. ‘He’d definitely want some magical weapons, since he’s got to try and deal with Aldland when that boy gathers himself.’ “I see.”
“We have had some business with the Duchess of East Port,” Adam said. “We’ve done some business with various Aldish nobles, and I didn’t want the good King to think that I was ignoring him, it was just that our business has recently stabilised.”
“Did you supply Aldland with weapons during the war?” Royce half growled.
“I don’t think so?” Adam replied. “We did auction some weapons off in Red Oak, and we did end up selling a few to Duchess Dalia Eastport.”
“Eastsea,” Jurot corrected.
“Very bad with names,” Adam admitted.
“So you sold magical weapons to our enemies and expect to come here with open arms?”
“We worked with whoever was closest and whoever wanted to work with us at the time. We didn’t necessarily choose them in particular for any reason. Like I said, I wanted to make sure the King knew that we didn’t ignore him during the time, it was just, we were still stabilising our business. Now that everything is settled, and we can consistently create such wonderful weapons, we can offer the King something that might suit his taste.”
“You can make any excuses you want, but… I won’t allow you to walk away from this unscathed.” Royce grinned wide. “Is that axe of yours something that was crafted by your business?”
“Indeed, it was.”
“Then draw it, and once we spar, I will see how good it is!” Royce grinned even more savagely.
‘Should I threaten him?’ Adam dared to think. “How about this…” Adam smiled slightly. “Give us a few hours to prepare, and I’ll show you something even better.”
“Something even better?”
“This weapon isn’t our greatest, but should you give me a while, I can figure out a way to make the fight most fun for you.”
“Fine. If you don’t please me, don’t expect to travel so freely in Floria.”
Adam bowed his head. “About the misunderstanding between us, Commander?”
“It seems you’ve spoken the truth, half fae.” The Commander bowed his head to Royce, who was the highest ranking individual here, and retreated away.
“Jurot, let me borrow Phantom,” Adam whispered once they were off to one side.
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“Okay,” Jurot said, hoisting the axe up, handing it to the half elf.
“Thanks.”
“Adam?”
“Yes.”
“Are you planning to win?”
“Win? I don’t know about that, last I checked, he’s one of the strongest across this land. I just want to give him a good showing, so he knows how good our Enchanter is.” Adam winked, before stepping aside to meditate.
“It’s not fair that Adam gets to get so close and hot and sweaty with such a hunk,” Lucy said, beginning her own cringe.
“…” Jurot and Mara decided to remain silent.
Evening fell across the fort as Adam prepared himself. He could feel the great magic of Phantom. ‘Hello, my old friend. How is my brother treating you? I’m sure he’s treating you well, but do you miss me? I miss you too. No, no, it’s not like that. You know I wouldn’t cheat on you, it’s just, we’re different people now. It’s not you, it’s me.’
“Adam, stop making those stupid faces, and hurry up and-,” Lucy swallowed, trying to calm herself. “I want to see him in action already!”
Lord Royce stretched out his back with his maul between his elbows. “Oh yeah. Ah. Hoo.” His back cracked in multiple places. ‘How dare he make this old man move so much? Harold, what are you doing with me too? I came down here to retire, damn it, now I’m fighting little pups?’
‘I did not force you to fight him,’ he could already hear from the King.
‘Let me complain in peace, damn it! I already took the position of Lord Marshal, so give me this much at least!’
Adam swung Phantom in front of him, inhaling deeply. ‘I’ve got to make sure I give him a good show before he beats me. If we can sell to Floria, and get the King to outlaw goblin slaying, then why do we need to work with Aldland? We’ll still work with the Duchess, she’s further east, so it should be okay.’
“Are you ready, child?” Royce asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Adam said, inhaling deeply. He glanced aside.
Omen: 1, 11
‘Damn. If only…’ Adam frowned. ‘No. Never mind. I don’t need it, I’ll manage it through the fight, I just need to survive that long.’
“Commander, officiate the fight. Isn’t that what you Silverskys like to do? Officiate fights?”
Silversky wasn’t sure what the Lord Marshal was getting at, but he stepped forward, and held out his hand. He knew better than to argue with the old man, who loved to pick fights with the Southerners, as he called them. “Are you both ready?”
“Hoo,” Royce replied.
“Yes, Commander,” Adam replied.
“Yes, Commander?” Royce replied. “Are you Florian, boy?”
“Just showing my respect, that’s all.”
“Respect? Is respect going to save you from me?”
“Well, I suppose that… I’ll have you put some respect on my name?” Adam replied, grinning beneath his helmet.
Royce wasn’t sure what that meant, but he laughed all the same. The moment the laugh was over, the Commander called for the fight to begin.
Battle Order
D20 + 1 = 18 (17)
Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2
Attack - Phantom (Advantage)
D20 + 10 = 15 (5)
D20 + 10 = 18 (8)
Miss!
Adam’s body screamed at him as he charged forward, ready to strike with Phantom. The pair clashed, and Adam realised that the old man’s armour was better than typical plate, his axe barely scraping across it, while he stepped aside from the massive swing of the maul, which kicked up dirt beside him.
‘Scary!’
Adam’s heart throbbed as he focused himself, aiming his axe against the old man once more.
Attack - Phantom (Advantage)
D20 + 10 = 23 (13)
D20 + 10 = 30 (20)
Critical hit!
Ah.
Yes.
There we go.
It had been so long since Adam had used Phantom. Phantom, which was still perhaps Adam’s greatest creation. It matched Wraith in some since, they were both Greater Enhanced weapons, meaning they held a +2 Bonus, while also containing an additional effect.
Wraith had a few.
Wraith
Requires Attunement
You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.
Deals 2D6 slashing damage.
May be used as a spell focus.
Can morph between a ring and weapon at your command.
Can store up to 3 charges. 1D3 charges are regained at dawn, or by expending Mana whilst holding the axe, at a rate of one Mana per charge. Charges can only be spent when holding the weapon, but require no action.
On a hit, spend 1 charge or more to deal 2D6 cold damage for each charge spent.
Wraith was on the cusp of what the Iyr allowed Adam to hold.
Phantom?
Phantom had been too much.
Phantom: 3 -> 0
Mana: 25 -> 21
Ability: Divine Smite
2D6 + 20D6 + 10D6 + 9 = 124 (1, 2)(1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6)(1, 1, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6)
124 damage!
Far too much.
‘I told you, didn’t I? I missed you so much, my dear Phantom. Ah, right, I should try to impress him, shouldn’t I?’
Onward Soar: 1 -> 0
Mana: 21 -> 20
Spell: Thunderous Smite
Attack - Phantom (Advantage)
D20 + 10 = 19 (9)
D20 + 10 = 20 (10)
Hit!
Mana: 20 -> 16
Ability: Divine Smite
1D6 + 1D6 + 2D6 + 5D6 + 9 = (3)(1)(5, 6)(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
39 damage!
Attack - Phantom (Advantage)
D20 + 10 = 13 (3)
D20 + 10 = 23 (13)
Hit!
Mana: 16 -> 12
Ability: Divine Smite
1D6 + 1D6 + 5D6 + 9 = 37 (5)(4)(2, 2, 4, 5, 6)
37 damage!
Mana: 12 -> 11
Defence: 25 -> 30
Health: 91 -> 20
While Adam stepped forward, his focus intense, the Lord Marshal attacked like a wild beast. Except, even though he attacked like a wild beast, and even though he pushed forward, he realised that Adam, regardless of how he seemed like a little mouse, was more than he expected. It wasn’t just that the half elf was more than he expected, but that he had brought the old man so low so quickly that he wasn’t entirely sure if the boy was truly a half elf, or perhaps something greater.
The clash of magical steel on magical steel echoed as the soldiers watched on, and it was only when Adam’s puthral was struck square in the chest and the half elf almost slammed through a tent, did they catch their breaths. Adam dropped to a knee, reaching up to his chest, feeling the heavy blow which had certainly cracked his ribs. His arms burned, his lungs heaved, but he could hear it.
Ragged. Weak.
The old man was on his last legs.
‘I can do it,’ Adam thought. ‘I can beat him!’
Jurot could sense it too. Adam had struck true with a blow, and not only did he strike true, but the half elf had done that. It was something Jurot had managed to do in the last year when he faced the Red Bear. Jurot, too, had expended every charge and had bisected the creature.
“Hah!” Adam coughed, dropping to his side. “I surrender.” He lay on his side, panting for air, groaning and grunting. It was partly acted, but his heart pounded as the half elf felt the ache deep within his bones. They had clashed for only moments, but the old man was definitely a Paragon, and his maul definitely struck deeper than any other.
Royce could feel it, the pumping of blood rushing through him, the throbbing and the ache, a throbbing and ache he only felt when clashing against the strongest. ‘This boy…’
Defeat!
XP Gained: +1000
XP: 11 600 -> 12 600
“Brat…” Royce said, almost growling, feeling the rage within him grow. Except, he stopped, glancing around towards the soldiers and the Commander, whose face was full of uncharacteristic shock. “I will let the King know of your business.”
Quest Complete: Saving Face
XP Gained: +400
XP: 12 600 -> 13 000
‘Phew.’