“So… girl, mind coming to the workshop quick so we can find out what those beauties are made of?”

“Sure, let’s go!”

Phoenix jumped up, already heading for the door, when everyone started laughing.

“That’s the wrong way, dear.”

“O-oh”

Phoenix blushed a faint sliver and followed the others as they all got up and went to the smithy. They walked up to one of the empty workbenches, where she handed her guns to Ilmarinen and stood so she could see what he was doing.

“So, for Aurora: The barrel is made of a starsteel-lunite alloy, the runes are made of a solar quicksilver-mithril alloy while the hilt is made of the heartwood of an ancient truesteel tree infused with all four elements, which is quite honestly amazing. As for Tenebris: The barrel is made of a voidite-crimtane alloy, the runes are made of an umbra-deepsteel alloy and the hilt is made of asphodelian heartwood. Both weapons are masterpieces, girl, use them well.”

“So, about using them… We don’t have anyone who is remotely proficient in using firearms, seeing as they’ve only existed for a couple of centuries and we don’t get that many new arrivals… The best we could do would be some who is proficient in archery…”

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Phoenix looked away, walking to a window.

“So, uhm… I… didn’t really know how to bring this up but, well now is as good a time as any, I guess… I-I got some of my memories back. It turns out, in my old life, I… lost my right arm, during an experiment. I was a cyberneticist, and well the project I was working on, a powered armour designed to connect to a cybernetic arm exploded, and afterwards, I had to learn how to use guns, I became really good at using two pistols so… y-yeah, there’s that…”

“Well, that makes life easier. That means that what you need lies more in the range of magic, integrating that into your fighting style and building up your muscle memory.”

“I assume we’re going to be having a semi-permanent house-guest Ache and only one? Seeing as Argentum will be training under your brother?”

“Yes, Il only Phoenix will be staying, Neto is at Azathoths anyway, so Argentum will be going there to train and meet the deathkin, who were, like you two, reborn here.”

“Wait, so I need to leave sis behind?”

“Indeed, you will be temporarily parting ways, meeting each other once again at the yearly tournament at the latest, possibly earlier.”

“Fine, I’ll go. Why are the others called deathkin anyway?”

“Because all of them have at least a minor affinity with death, which is highly unusual. Anyway, Neto is coming to pick you up in two days’ time, so let’s make sure you’re ready to go okay?”

“A-and what about me?”

“You’ll be training with me, okay dear? We’ll make sure that you get used to your new body and powers, so you can use them effectively.”

“And I’ll show you how to work the forge if you’d like? You do seem to have been a maker in the past after all.”

“Okay! And I’ll hold you to that Ilmarinen!”