“You’re horrible,” I complained.

“I’ve been called worse,” Krift said lightly, still amused.

Trying to think of one of those worse things, I heard the sound of children.

We were walking back towards our inn, and the world was getting darker. People were still out and about, but this was the first time I heard…

There. In-between two buildings, was a group of children playing. They were all looking at the ground, messing with whatever toy they had.

“Want to go play with them?” Krift asked.

Glancing at him, and his… odd smirk, I wondered just how young he saw me as. “I was just surprised to see children. I hadn’t seen or heard any yet,” I said.

“Not many here, probably. You should be used to that, growing up in a little town,” he said.

“There were actually quite a few. Most… most families were always having children,” I said, thinking about it.

Every few years, a child was born per household. At least, so it had seemed.

“That’s the truth. Humans do spread like weeds,” he said.

“Do you have any?” I asked.

“Weeds? No. I don’t even own a yard,” he said.

I sighed, and wondered where his odd humor came from. Maybe all powers were like this.

“I don’t. I may seem old to you, but I’m still young for our kind. Most don’t have children until their triple digits… Though that might be why we’re so few in number,” Krift then said, as if he noticed my annoyance.

“You don’t seem old. Just… old enough to have them,” I said.

“Thanks,” was all he said.

I hadn’t meant it as an insult, nor a compliment, but decided to let it be.

The sound of the kids having fun became quieter as we rounded a house. The path we were on was starting to raise upward, back to the section of the town where our inn was located.

“Though I suppose if you did have children, you’d not be a guide,” I said, thinking about it.

“Why not?”

“Isn’t it dangerous?” I asked, wondering what that look was for.

His eyes narrowed at me, and then he shook his head. As if he found my words foolish.

Maybe they were…

Personally I’d hope to choose a safer lifestyle, if I had the responsibility of children.

But that might be the human in me.

Just as it was likely that same human side of me that didn’t have a death wish.

“Now I know why you don’t mind being in such dangerous places,” I complained.

“It wasn’t dangerous,” he argued again.

“There was no floor!”

He shook his head, but had a smile. He was enjoying my discomfort.

“Why would anyone set up a shop there? Crazy people,” I complained, remembering the sight.

The small shop Krift had taken me to was on one of the lowest levels of RiftCliff. And although was a decent sized building… about three steps into it, became dangerous.

I knew the sight of Krift walking along ropes, tied like a net over where the floor should have been, was going to be present in my mind for some time.

“Stupid. Even if you don’t fall, what if you drop your products? What if a strong wind blows and you drop your purse? Ridiculous,” I further pointed out the flaws in their store.

“The products aren’t there. I told you that,” Krift said.

“I know! But still…”

He had been right. After all, on the other side of the building, across the large net that hung above the canyon, were solid floors. Wooden, with tables and chairs.

People had been sitting there, but I hadn’t been able to talk to them. Or hear what they had talked to Krift about.

I hadn’t been willing to cross the net, after all.

“You’ll have worse fears to face in the Rift, Mintmorency,” Krift said.

His words stopped my next complaint, since I knew he was right. His words hadn’t been said rudely, but rather with concern.

He knew what I was going to have to face. And was worried I’d not be able to, after seeing my reaction earlier.

Which was probably why he had taken me to that building. Since he had obviously not purchased anything.

The way he teased me over it, yet also admonished me while doing so, made him seem kind. His words made me want to be better, angry at myself and not him.

It… kind of made me feel like I was talking to my mother.

Like I was talking to someone who saw and knew everything I didn’t. But instead of teasing me about it, or ridiculing me, they instead looked at me with a soft pity.

It made me feel like a kid.

Rounding another building, the large tents came into view. We were closer to it than I thought.

Good, since I was looking forward to taking another bath. Krift hadn’t rushed me earlier this morning, but I had not taken as long as I would have liked since I was worried he’d grow upset.

“Can we have dinner early?” I asked.

He nodded. “The baths aren’t open after dark. Not for women, anyway,” Krift then said.

Staring at the back of his head, I wondered… “How in the world did you know what I was thinking about?” I asked.

“No other reason to have dinner early,” he said, as if it was obvious.

“Now I know why my mother said we all hated each other. We’re insufferable,” I said.

Krift nodded as we walked. “Well you’re mostly right. All of the families bicker and battle, but what do you expect?”

“Peace?” I asked.

“Peace is expensive. You’d need mountains of those coins on your waist to buy even a moment of it,” Krift said.

“I hate how I’m starting to agree with you and…” Before I could continue, I walked into Krift.

The impact nearly sent me to the ground, but I steadied myself. Rubbing my forehead, I wondered if he had some kind of armor on underneath his clothes. It felt as if I had walked into one of the rock cliff walls nearby.

“Krift?” I asked, wondering what was wrong. He was staring straight ahead and…

Peering around him, I found an almost empty street.

Oddly empty… except for a single man.

My heart thumped in my ears at the sight of him, and the sudden lack of noise elsewhere. I no longer heard laughter, or talking off in the distance.

“Krift,” the man said, and I shivered at the smile that accompanied it. Were his teeth filed into points?

“Long-Blades, I assume,” Krift said.

“They give it away,” the man said, and as he spoke he moved his right arm… which…

My eyes went wide as I watched something long and thin slither and dance on the ground nearby… scraping stone and rocks as it moved.

“What…?” I took a small step around Krift to get a better look, and was shocked that he did indeed have two… long blade looking weapons. Both of which were coiled and spread about around him, on the ground.

They were connected to his arms. Seemingly becoming a part of the sleeves of his brown jacket.

“You’ve been around for some time… though I do believe this is our first meeting,” Krift said calmly.

Looking to Krift, I found his typical calm self. His eyes were steady, and he had the tiniest of smiles tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Not intentional,” the man, Long-Blades, said.

“Hm… so you mean to say this meeting is?” Krift asked, and suddenly his arm was outstretched in front of me.

I didn’t need him to push too harshly for the point to be made. I stepped back behind him, putting him in-between me and the man.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

“When isn’t it?” Long-Blades asked.

For a few heavy heartbeats, no one spoke… and only the sound of metal scraping stone filled the world.

“Step back, Mintmorency. Put your back to the stone over there,” Krift gently said, pointing to the spot with his right hand.

Although I didn’t like the idea of stepping away from Krift, I followed his order. I hurried over to the side of the cliff. I didn’t go too far away from Krift, however, even if I didn’t see anyone else around. Just in case.

Once I was out of the way, the man with the blades on his arms nodded… as if he too had wanted me out of the way.

Then, he swung both of his arms.

Like a man throwing a net out into a river he tossed something out towards us. I jolted when the world became full of flashing lights.

I flinched as sunlight reflected off the things flying into the air, and with a panic realized that the metal they were made of must be thin.

Thin and sharp, to reflect sunlight like that!

Before I could think anything more, Krift sidestepped to the left… and something slapped the ground where he had been standing. Whatever had hit the ground had left a scratch in the earth. Nearly as wide as my foot and as long as I was tall.

Then another loud slap made me put my back harder against the wall, as I saw another scrape appear on the ground. This time where Krift had moved to. Krift dodged it by stepping back to where he had been standing before.

Flinching at the impact, I watched in awe as Krift stepped forward and ducked, as another blur of flashing lights passed over his head.

For the briefest of moments, Krift seemed to almost dance… awkwardly, as he stepped to the left and right. Dodging and ducking the flashing pieces of metal as they flew around him.

I couldn’t comprehend what they were. Krift had called him Long-Blades, so it was easy to put one and two together… but how were they moving like this? Blades were long, metal pieces. Hard.

These were more like whips. Or fishing lines…

And were but a blur as they were swung around everywhere. They were moving so quickly that without the flashing reflections I doubted they could even be seen. Yet although the flashing lights made them easier to see, it also made the weapons impossible to follow.

How was Krift dodging them so easily?

“Figures!” Long-Blades shouted, and then stepped forward himself, and with a great heave he swiped his arms through the air.

Krift fell to his knees, and at first I worried for him, but then something whooshed right over him. And slapped the cliff wall nearby.

Jumping back, I blinked as rocks and dirt flew into the air from the impact… and the blades once again came into view.

One was stuck to the cliff, but the other had fallen to the ground. They glistened as Long-Blades spat and tugged his arms back, as he stepped backward.

The one blade was free, but the other seemed stuck… it gave off an odd sound as it went taught, as he tugged on it. Similar to a thick fishing line sounded when pulled by a strong fish.

Krift seized the opportunity, and suddenly shot to his feet. Running forward, towards the man.

“Krift!” Long-Blades shouted, swiping his left arm up into the air. As he did, the blade that had been on the ground fluttered into the air, disappearing from view as it moved with unnatural speed.

The glittering reflections in the air told me roughly where the blade was, but it looked like… like it was only flying up and down, near the cliff wall.

It wasn’t flying out towards Krift.

“Shit,” the man cursed, and with a weird jerking motion, his right arm popped off.

Startled by the sudden loss of a limb, I expected a spurt of blood… or even a cry of pain, but instead the man only spun on a heel, spinning his left arm violently.

The way the flashes of light danced, I could tell he was now able to freely control the weapon again… but…

It was too late. Krift was already next to him.

Long-Blades shouted something without meaning, and with a growl tried to step away. Backpedalling, all the while twirling his remaining arm.

The ground exploded in noise, as the blade collided again and again all around the two men, but none seemed to come close to Krift... who now had his hands on Long-Blades.

From this angle I wasn’t able to see exactly where Krift had grabbed the man, but I could see the way Krift tilted. The way he leaned back, then abruptly shot forward.

Something squished, and a wave of stillness flew from the man’s arm. The flash of lights went still, and I watched as the very long weapon lost its momentum, and fell from the sky.

I heard a cough, and knew it was one of pain. I had heard a similar sound from a man when they had dropped a log they were loading onto a cart. It had crushed his lower leg and foot.

Krift hit the man again, though with what I couldn’t tell, then I saw Krift reach out and grab the still remaining arm.

At first I worried over Krift’s hand, since the arm was as reflective and shiny as the weapon had been, but it didn’t seem to bother him… for he then kicked Long-Blades, in the stomach.

The impact was heavy, and Krift’s grip was steel… for the man’s arm dislodged and popped off, just as the other had.

Like last time, there was no apparent blood… but the man did scream. In pure pain.

The man’s cry sent a shiver down my spine… it was…

A tiny memory filtered through my mind. One of a man kneeling, begging for his life.

My mouth went dry as I watched Long-Blades thrash on the ground, in pain and fear, as he tried to roll away from the still approaching Krift.

I was seeing it again.

Krift standing over the defeated.

Why did it look so…?

The man suddenly stopped struggling. Laying on his back, barely able to angle himself up as to glare at Krift… torn sleeves hid what I could only assume were stumps.

I could see some blood, but it was on his face. Leaking from his nose and mouth.

Krift stepped up to him, looking directly down at the defeated man.

And that was what he was. Defeated.

“Riftborn!” the man shouted defiantly, and I heard the man’s soul. Not a beg. Nor a prayer.

A curse.

“That’s me,” Krift said, and with a heavy foot… stomped on the man’s chest.

I looked away, yet still heard something crunch. Something wet.

For a few moments, my heartbeat quickly drowned out all the other sounds… and I was thankful for it. A part of me, far away, could hear the soft whine of the man’s last breath.

“Are you hurt?”

Blinking, I looked back and found Krift. He was only a few feet away, and looking at me… His eyes had that look, the one that told me I looked like I was hurt.

“I… I don’t think so,” I said, looking myself up and down.

“Seems so. He wasn’t trying to hurt you,” Krift said, glancing back to the man.

I dared a look, and saw the crumpled mess in the distance. His body looked… funny. His legs were curled and angled at odd ways, and his torn sleeves made his body look…

“Is he dead?” I asked.

“Yes.”

Putting my hand on the cliff wall next to me, I took a deep breath.

It had happened so suddenly. We had just been walking and talking, then without any reason there had been violence.

The same thing had happened a few days ago, when those men ambushed us… but I had been mentally preparing myself for nearly a day before that. Since I had knowledge of them.

I had expected them.

I hadn’t expected this.

“What… what were those?” I asked, staring at the still glittering pieces of metal nearby.

“Come look,” he offered, stepping away from me.

For a long moment I debated not doing so. After all, if I went and looked… I’d see him too. The body.

With a deep breath, I forced my feet to follow Krift. I had to look. I had to learn.

If I wanted to survive, this was…

Following Krift towards the body, I studied the ground and wall where the impacts had taken place.

The gashes in the ground weren’t as deep as I had thought… but they were still cuts into the rock.

I doubted I’d have been able to make such marks, even if I swung a shovel with all my strength.

And the reason became clear, as I walked up to the first glittering pile.

“Axes?” I asked, staring at the blocks of metal. Each was larger than my hand, and were flat. The edges were sharpened, and shaped similar to ax heads… and…

“Kind of. They’re called Vine Blades. They’re a power weapon. Humans don’t usually use them… or even have them, for that matter. He must have found them leftover from the war,” Krift said behind me. He was studying the body, not the weapon.

They were connected with little strands of… metal rope? Tied into little holes that had been drilled into the center of each ax head.

Bending down, I touched the rope. I was too scared to touch the metal, since they looked sharp, but…

“It’s metal,” I whispered, in awe. The rope was thin. It almost looked like tied twine, or fish line… In fact, it was obviously what had glistened and reflected the sunlight. Not the metal blades.

“He’s not cheap. Someone spent a lot of money on this,” Krift then said.

Looking away from the weapon, I glanced to Krift. He was still studying the body.

Was he worried he’d get up? Or was he still alive?

Surely not… that crunch earlier…

A flash of light drew my eyes away from Krift, and I noticed that the other blade was still stuck in the wall. Sections of it that weren’t stuck in the cliff wall were dangling a little.

“What do we do now?” I asked, worried.

“Go back to our inn? Why should we do anything? Unless you want them… good luck carrying them. They’re heavier than they look,” Krift said to me.

I blanched at the idea of taking these weapons… and…

Wait…

Looking for one of the man’s arms, I hurried over to the nearest… and was glad to not find anything too disgusting.

Wrapping the arm was very thick leather. Leather that was wrapped, and threaded, with the very same metallic rope that was connected to the blades.

His hand was still tightly gripping a large bundle of the rope, but there were many smaller ropes extending from the arm and sleeve… all connecting to the first blade not too far away.

There was blood pooling at the top of the arm, where it had disconnected from his body… but it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I’d have imagined.

“Why’d his arm fall off?” I asked Krift.

“Probably tied the threads incorrectly to his arms. Only the sleeve of leather is supposed to detach, when you tug yourself free. He was human though, so probably simply didn’t know,” Krift explained.

“You ripped the other one off,” I said, staring at the other one several feet away.

“Once I realized he screwed up, yes. Made it easy,” Krift said.

“Our kind uses these? They seem stupid. You beat him so easily,” I said.

Krift smiled at me, finally looking away from the corpse of the man he just killed. “I’m a Riftborn,” he said.

“For some reason I doubt that’s all it is,” I said.

“You’re partly right. The point of this weapon is to confuse the enemy. To make it so they don’t know when or where the next attack will come from. He however, didn’t use them well enough or fast enough to confuse me,” he said.

Krift stepped away from the corpse, walking over to me. As he did, I heard voices on the wind. Looking down the path, where we had came from, I noticed people in the distance. Watching us.

“There’s no one else. Everyone watching is just that. Watchers. Onlookers. Humans like to watch such things,” he said.

“Are you all right?” I asked, noticing the way his right index finger twitched.

“Yes. He never touched me.”

“I can do without bravado,” I said.

“I spoke only truth,” Krift said with a smirk.

Eyeing him, I could tell… at least, as much as I could, that he was fine. He wasn’t bleeding, and none of his clothing looked… torn or sliced.

A gust of wind blew by, and alerted me to the layer of cold sweat I had.

Great… and I wasn’t going to be able to bathe tonight if we didn’t hurry…

“Hm… I’m uhm… Uh…” I didn’t know how to say it.

“Stop saying that,” Krift admonished me, but I noticed he didn’t say it as sternly as he usually did. He was probably worried for me.

“I’m bothered. I want to go sit. And calm down,” I said, doing my best to not look at the body nearby. It was close now… I could see the blood seeping into the dry rock and dirt around it out of the corner of my eye.

Krift took a deep breath, and then sighed. With a nod, he held his hand out to me.

I took it, and was glad he kept himself in-between me and the body as we walked past.

He let me hold his hand until we got back to our inn, without saying a word.