Following the smith's advice, I bought a second-hand visored steel sallet with a sturdy bevor, as well as the heaviest leather and steel brigandine they had that could be easily fitted. Black canvas was riveted onto the plates of the brigandine, and the armor also came with a cloth gambeson that had butted mail attached and sewn across the arms. For leg armor, I chose simple iron greaves with chainmail leggings. I would have to keep my leather gloves for the time being, as I simply did not have the budget for new gauntlets. Also, a further loss of dexterous motion might prove fatal in a future conflict.

I tried to persuade the smith to craft a flail out of the chains I had placed on the table, but she found the whole notion absurd. Instead, still perplexed by my choice of weapon, she proffered me a reasonably priced spiked iron flail that exuded a menacing aura, and she paired it with a basic kite shield that I could easily sling over my shoulder.

The pommel of the weapon bore a sharp spike, while at the juncture where the chain met the handle, heavy flanges of iron construction were affixed, enabling the weapon to also function as a simple mace. The ball of the flail was forged of heavy metal, had five small spikes on its rough surface, and was attached to the handle of the weapon by a short heavy chain. The weapon was called a Tsengelt-tum, and the smith promised to teach me the basics of its use later for another two bronze.

I also decided to buy an old leather sword belt that sported a bronze buckle, as well as hooks for suspending weapons and gear. In addition, I procured a set of three well-balanced throwing knives. As a final thought, I exchanged my looted short sword for a parrying dagger. The dagger was marked down due to it being one of her apprentice's initial works, and its quality was uncertain. However, it was an eye-catching piece.

The weapon bore a striking resemblance to a 15th-century blade, with recurved bronze quillons that angled slightly upwards towards the blade. A groove at the base of one side of the blade permitted the thumb to obtain a firmer grip, while a shallow fuller ran across half of its short length. The blade itself seemed to emulate a lethal serpent in motion. Upon observing my inquisitive expression, Cillis divulged that the ripples in the blade were designed to weaken the impact of a strike against the weapon and slow down an adversary's blade.

A slender man descended the stairs, stumbling over his own feet as he struggled to carry various items. This could only be Khisam, I mused to myself.

Khisam was a shrew of a man, and I found myself perplexed by his match with Cillis. Despite his relative youth, he had begun to bald well before his time. His furtive nature, slightly hunched back, and large bespectacled eyes only added to his shrew-like countenance. He followed his wife’s orders almost without question and with almost mechanical efficiency, his hands a whirlwind of activity as he fitted my gear to me, occasionally informing his wife of my measurements.

The raven-haired woman took her time teaching me how to properly equip my arms and armor, as well as how to maintain them. Her hands provocatively lingered a little too long in places, doing so in front of her husband, as if she enjoyed the thrill. She also, with much amusement at my expense, showed me how I could relieve myself when fully armored. I was relieved to discover that my gear, though weighty, was not as unwieldy as depictions in contemporary media had led me to believe. Adorned in thick layers of leather and sturdy metal, I felt considerably more secure.

Kidu, after much consideration, settled on a scale mail cuirass and chainmail protection for his arms and legs. He was adamant about not wearing a closed helm, citing the importance of his senses in combat. However, after some persuasion, he agreed to don a chainmail coif.

Instead of a shield, he opted for a thick steel gauntlet, complete with articulated fingers and metal plates covering his arms. Cillis referred to it as a ‘Shield-Gauntlet,' and it brought to mind the fierce Murmillos of ancient Rome. For his weapon, with great reluctance, he exchanged his old one for a steel boar spear, with small iron lugs that sprouted underneath a long leaf-shaped blade that ended in a sharp tip.

It would take some time for Khisam to make the necessary adjustments for Kidu's large size, so Cillis invited me to the back of her smithy where I found a small open area surrounded by a fence.

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Approaching a straw training dummy, she turned around to give me a dazzling smile and began her instruction. "Now, I would be a poor smith indeed if I didn't understand how to use the tools that I make. Make no mistake, boy, these are tools and nothing more. The flail is a difficult weapon to master and lacks a little power, because you can't put your full weight behind it. But it's a tricky thing, the flail, capable of wrapping around someone's guard or letting you attack from a different angle. Now, remember when you hit a solid target, you'll need to follow through..."

*****

I didn’t know whether it was my single point of proficiency in Flails, my higher Dexterity, or the combined experience from all of my fights until now, but Cillis' instruction came easily to me. She pointed out flaws in my stance with a whisper close to my ear, warning me to always keep my shield up and not rely on my weapon for defense, as one would with a sword. After what felt like hours of training, the world finally informed me that I had gained in skill.

You have learned Flails (lvl.2)

I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t had an increase in attribute points, but still pleased that I had made some martial progress. Though nowhere near a hardened warrior of legend, I felt I had at least begun to take the first tentative steps on that path.

Emboldened by my recent achievement, I turned to the attractive, raven-haired smith with a playful grin.

“So, you and Khisam, how come you two...” I began before she silenced me with a finger to my lips.

“I’d prefer the big man, but you’ll do. This will be just a little secret between us. Come,” she said in a bold sultry voice filled with sensuous promise as she led me by the hand to a tool shed in the corner of the yard. Was this a trap, some ploy, or scheme, I briefly wondered, before I was suddenly trapped in the raw power of the moment.

Her fingers traced the line of my face, gentle and delicate like a butterfly's touch, as her lips drew closer to mine. I could feel my heart racing in my chest.

“You are very young aren’t you,” she observed playfully, a devilish smile playing on her full, red lips. Her eyes bore into mine, full of mischief and seduction.

“If you promise me one thing… I might be willing to teach you something else…” she whispered, her voice low and enticing as she pushed me back against the rough wooden wall of the shed.

My mind went blank as I hung on her every word, completely under her spell. But even in the heat of my lust, a dark part of me wanted to wrap my hands around her delicate neck and extinguish her life. How easy it would be to gain some quick experience. How sweet and satisfying it would be...

But suddenly, a call shattered the moment, coming from outside the shed. “Cillis!” cried Khisam in his shrill, whiny voice.

“Yes, dear!” Cillis answered hastily, leaving me behind and abandoning me to my unsatisfied desire.

For long moments, frustration welled up inside of me. Drinking deeply of the stale and musty air of the shed, it took all that I had to force cold clarity to return. As much as I wanted her, I couldn't deny that it was probably for the best. Yet still, I damned Khisam for interrupting us. Damn him. Humiliated—no, emasculated—was what I felt as I joined the others back in the shop.

Kidu’s gear, now adjusted to his size, stood out in stark contrast to his rugged form. Studiously avoiding Cillis' gaze, I paid her for her time, training, and goods in a weak voice tinged with guilt. Promising to return if we needed any more purchases in the future, I could barely meet her eyes.

As if offering a parting gift, Cillis even recommended a stall in the market to acquire archery gear for the Hunter. All the while acting as if nothing had happened between us.

With our business concluded, we left the shop quickly, driven by my yearning to be anywhere but in the Soot-Stained Pig. After all, we still had chores to finish before the day was done, I justified to myself.

But even as I wallowed in my embarrassment, I couldn't help feeling that in this world, I could experience a full range of human sensations. Hopefully, pleasure would be included among them.