Chapter 34: Interrupted and a Traitor within the Crystal Guardians
Coal and his squad went on many missions, and after about a century of going on missions his squad members were able to go off and do missions solo.
He was once again going solo as well, after some missions he was allowed to go into the illusionary space again.
A billow of smoke could be seen coming out of a sturdy structure made of wood and stone.
It had a heavy wooden door and a small, narrow window set high in the wall.
The sign with a hammer and anvil hanging down in front of the building indicated that this was a blacksmith’s workshop.
Getting closer to the sound of metal clanging and the rhythmic pounding of a hammer.
The thick stone walls muffled the noise, but it was still audible from outside.
Just outside the front door, one would be able to smell the acrid scent of burning coal and the tang of heated metal, mixed with the earthy scent of damp soil and hay.
It was a place where raw materials were turned into objects of utility, where fire and metal were harnessed to create new things.
The door was pushed open and you could see Coal in the back hard at work hammering at a piece of metal that seemed to almost look like a blade.
Coal did not notice the intruder and continued his trance of hammering until the metal was fully shaped into a rough sword blade that needed some grinding, but overall was good enough.
Finally done with the hammering he looks up and sees a woman standing in his workshop near the door.
Coal wiped his brow with the back of his hand, sweat glistening on his forehead.
He took a deep breath, his heart still pounding from the exertion of hammering.
He looked up and saw the woman standing near the door, her eyes fixed on him.
Coal's first thought was that he must have been working so hard that he hadn't noticed her approach.
She introduced herself as Lily, and asked if he could make her a rapier.
Coal looked at her curiously, taking in her striking appearance.
He had never seen anyone quite like her before, with her dark hair and pale skin.
Her amethyst eyes seemed to sparkle in the dim light of the workshop.
Coal stood up and wiped his hands on his apron. "A rapier, you say?" he asked, eyeing her curiously. "That's a delicate weapon, not the sort of thing I usually make. What do you need it for?"
Lily's expression was serious. "I need it for protection," she said. "I'm a traveler, and I often find myself in dangerous situations."
Coal nodded thoughtfully. He could relate to the need for protection, having spent many years as a member of a squad that went on dangerous missions. He looked at the rough sword blade he had just finished, then back at Lily.
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"I can make you a rapier," he said finally. "But it won't be cheap. The materials and the time it takes to make such a delicate weapon are both expensive."
Lily nodded, her expression resolute. "I understand," she said. "I have the funds to pay for it."
Coal smiled. "Very well, then. I'll need to take some measurements and get an idea of what sort of design you're looking for. Can you come back tomorrow?"
After Lily left, Coal found himself unable to concentrate on his work.
The image of her dark hair and amethyst eyes kept playing in his mind, distracting him from his task.
He tried to focus on hammering out a new blade, but his mind kept drifting back to Lily and her request for a rapier.
Finally, he gave up and sat down at his workbench, resting his chin in his hands.
He had always been a solitary person, more comfortable around weapons and metal than people.
But there was something about Lily that had drawn him in. Maybe it was her determination to protect herself, or maybe it was simply the way she looked at him.
Whatever it was, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted to get to know her better.
He stood up and walked over to the narrow window, peering out at the courtyard.
He could see the sign with the hammer and anvil hanging outside, swaying gently in the breeze.
The sun was setting, casting a warm golden light over the buildings.
Coal took a deep breath and made a decision. He would finish the rapier for Lily, but he would also try to get to know her better.
He knew it wasn't easy for him to open up to people, but there was something about her that made him want to try.
The next day, Lily returned to the workshop, and Coal set to work on the rapier.
As he measured and shaped the metal, he found himself talking to her about his past and his experiences as a blacksmith.
Lily listened intently, nodding in all the right places and asking thoughtful questions.
Coal felt himself relaxing around her, opening up in a way he never had before.
The entire world shaked and a sense of urgency overcame Coal.
He was expelled from the illusionary space as warnings came to his crystal suit.
Dimension Breaks were occuring on the citadel!
He quickly activated his suit's communications system and heard a voice in his earpiece.
It was one of his Gwen and Gary, shouting over the noise of explosions and chaos.
"Coal, get out of there! The Dimension Breaks are happening all over the citadel. We need to regroup and figure out what's going on!" - Gary
“What do you mean? Dimension Breaks can’t happen on the Citadel! Where are the invaders appearing from?” - Coal
“Go to the west training grounds! That area needs the most support right now.” - Gwen
Teleporting on the Citadel seemed to be blocked somehow so Coal made it to the west training grounds the old fashioned way, in the air with constant flames allowing him to move at speeds that broke the sound barrier.
He arrived in less than a minute to a dimension break that almost engulfed the whole training grounds.
Other Crystal Guardians seemed to be fighting against other humanoid figures that constantly poured out of the portal.
These other humanoid figures were wearing suits similar to their own, but seemed to be made out of metal rather than crystal.
The enemy soldiers wore sleek, metallic suits that appeared to be made of some sort of advanced alloy.
The suits were equipped with a range of high-tech gadgets, including built-in weapons and shields that could deflect even the most powerful of attacks.
Their weapons also appeared to be highly advanced, utilizing advanced energy-based technologies that could tear through even the thickest armor with ease.
As Coal watched, one of his squadmates was hit by a blast from one of the enemy's weapons and was instantly vaporized, leaving behind nothing but a pile of ash.
Coal could also see that the enemy soldiers were using advanced drones and robots to assist them in battle.
These machines were equipped with all sorts of sensors and weapons, allowing them to quickly analyze their surroundings and engage their targets with deadly accuracy.
Luckily the Crystal Guardians were the most elite fighters in their dimension and were able to fend off these non-spirit/magic attacks.
Their armor may not be based on spirit energy, but it was still susceptible to spirit energy.
Coal summoned a huge sphere of fire in the sky the size equivalent to a mountain then slammed it directly into the portal.
A huge purple field appeared and the flames tackled against it but could not go through.
Suddenly as he was about to summon another one, someone in a crystal suit attacked Coal from behind.
Coal did his best to dodge by using a burst of flames to move sideways, but an icicle was able to pierce through his crystal armor.
It didn’t go all the way through his shoulder, but he could feel the tip penetrating his shoulder a little.
His entire being became covered in flames that melted the icicle as he turned around to see who had attacked him.
It was someone in crystal guardian armor, but that means that it was a traitor.