Chapter 25: A New Weapon

The foliage around us began to grow perceptively greener and I could hear a trickle of flowing water. As we walked, I focused through the thick foliage and saw a flash of light as sunlight reflected off a river that ran alongside the path we were walking on.

Gradually, the path began to smooth out and then the floral dissipated on one side, revealing the river. It wasn’t very wide, nor did it seem deep. More a stream than a river itself, but it was there and it flowed rapidly downstream. In the distance, there was a bend and as soon as we took it we were greeted with a stone bridge and next to it a sign that read: Farkrith. Immediately on the other side of the bridge I saw a sawmill with a water wheel attached, constantly spinning as each paddle was pushed by the flowing river. Beyond it, were several small, wooden homesteads and businesses with little wooden signs attached above the doors, hanging like flags.

“Looks like we made it to Fark-rith,” I said triumphantly.

Hazel giggled.

“What?”

“That’s not how you say it,” Finn said grumpily. “It’s pronounced Fark-reath.”

“Well, looks like we made it to Fark-reath,” I said in the same triumphant tone.

As we walked across the bridge, I looked down at the crystal clear water and could see fish swimming downstream. I had only been in this world for two days - or was it three? - but I had already seen so many things that through my fractured memories of my world, I knew people would never believe. Yet, still in this world were simple fish, swimming along small rivers doing whatever it was that fish did.

We crossed the bridge onto the stone pathway of the town. The pathway showed the town was bigger than Thandesia, but I couldn’t help but wish the roads were dirt like it, as these paths had clearly been ignored. Grass was growing through the cracks and the paths themselves had large bumps and holes that made them hard to traverse.

“Where should we go first to find this Trey?” Gronan asked.

Finn pointed at a building with a sign that had an emblem of a mallet hitting an anvil. “Let’s first get some gear. If we’re gonna go on a contract that already killed an Adventurer, I’d like to be prepared.”

There was a small, stone porch on the side of the building with blacksmith equipment scattered around. In the middle, there was a man banging on a hot sword. It felt to me like at any moment he’d hit too hard and the hot metal would shatter, but I guessed he knew what he was doing.

“Hello there,” Finn greeted as we came upon the porch. His grumpy voice was instantly replaced with a suave, business-like tone. I was honestly amazed. “I’d like to inquire about any daggers you may have.”

The man looked up from the sword. He was a middle-aged man with a large bald spot and sagging eyes that showed the many years spent getting little sleep. His tired eyes crinkled as he gave Finn a large smile, “An Adventurer, I see,” He looked toward the rest of us. “Several. Don’t usually see a whole group around these parts. You want daggers? I got several,” He waved us to follow him as he stopped his blacksmithing and headed to the shop door. “Come inside.”

Finn opened the door and held it for us, “I’m sure we’d all like to look at the goods.”

We all went inside and as Hazel passed Finn she whispered to him loud enough for us all to hear, “You can be such a gentleman. When you want to be.”

He whispered something to her but it was too quiet for me to hear. Though, when I looked back at them I saw Hazel roll her eyes playfully.

The weaponsmith went behind the glass counter that held several hunting knives within. On the wall behind him were swords and shields of all different shapes and sizes. “The name is Benjamin, by the way, but everyone calls me Benny. The daggers will be over there,” He pointed to the other side of the room where there was a long glass case of daggers, assorted by length. There were so many different types of weapons around the room: lances, arrows, battle axes, spears, the list just kept going. All of them were on stands, displaying them nicely.

I looked over the swords behind Benny. I felt my sword in my sheath, gripping the handle. It had been a good sword to me, at least it had kept me out of danger, but I hadn’t ever trained to use a sword, hell, I hadn’t really trained to use any weapon. Other than...

“You looking for something specific?” Benny asked me.

I nodded slowly, “I think so. I don’t see it on display, hell, it might not even exist. But have you heard of a weapon that you load with something, not an arrow but a ball of metal and gunpowder?”

Benny smiled slyly. “A gun?”

I couldn’t keep my face from glowing alight. “That’s the one!”

“That’s a rare find, very rare,” He turned around and opened a drawer. “But, I do have one.”

He turned back around, holding a big, metal monster with a stub nose and short handle. “I didn’t make this, but I was told it is called the Baldren. You like it?” Benny looked proud of this object, too proud for me to not at least set aside my initial disgust at such a bulky mess of a mechanism. I might’ve had a terrible, shattered memory of Earth, but I at least knew they didn’t look like that.

I took it from his hands, holding it delicately like it could explode at any moment. Hell, the way it looked I felt there was a good chance it would. It was heavy, and when I held it like a proper pistol, the weight pulled it downward and it was hard to even keep steady. But, it was a gun.

“Will it shoot?” I asked.

“Oh yes, I don’t sell bad weapons, trust me. I’ve tested it out, it shoots quite well.”

I nodded. “If I took this and a shortsword, what would it cost me?”

His response was quick, “Twelve gold and four silver.”

I didn’t know quite what gold amounted to, but even I knew that was a lot of damn gold. “You sure you can’t make it a little lower?” I asked.

“Yes, and that’s a good deal. Guns are a very rare find, especially here in District One. And,” he put his index finger up. “An even better deal is an honest suggestion.”

“Which is?”

“Well,” He seemed a little sheepish but continued. “You don’t seem to be much of a marksman. But there seems to be…an aura about you. Do you possess any magic?”

“An aura?” What the hell does that mean?

“I’ve been in business for a long time, I’ve grown a sense for those who possess a little magic in them.”

I didn’t quite get how he managed that, but I decided to answer his original question. “Fine, I can do some magic.”

He gave me a nod that seemed to know that my ‘some’ comment wasn’t true. At least, I didn’t think shooting laser beams out of one's chest could be classified as some magic.

“I think I may have something that’ll fit you a bit more,” He went to the corner of the counter and grabbed a long walking stick, setting it on the table, “I crafted this for a wizardmany years ago to channel his magic through it but he sadly died the next day.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“What do you mean he channeled his magic through it?”

He shrugged, “I thought you’d know more about that than me, you have the magic.”

I looked over to Gronan who was inspecting a selection of hatchets. “Can you put magic into an object?”

“Oh sure, I’ve seen it done a number of times,” He said as he ran a finger along the handle of one of the hatchets. “The staff would make a very fine weapon, if you know how to control your magic.”

I sighed, that was the kicker. I didn’t know how to control whatever magic was inside of me, it just came out all of a sudden sometimes. But maybe I could learn how to with this staff. If I found out how to control it even by a little bit, there was perhaps a way to make myself truly formidable.

And I’ll look like an actual wizard.

“How much is it?” I asked.

“eleven gold, final offer.”

“That’s more than the gun, hell, that’s all I have!”

“It could also prove to be much more powerful than a gun.”

I looked at the staff. This guy was clearly a part-time carpenter too as the staff was stunning. It was made out of brown wood with a glossy, polished finish, and had two lines of symbols that I couldn’t read that spiraled from one end to the other.

I fished all eleven gold from my pocket and handed the coins to him. “Here,” I said and took the staff off the counter. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

Even though the staff was finely made, holding it didn’t make me feel any different. It just felt like I was holding a very polished piece of wood. The man seemed like a genuine guy but even so, the idea that I might’ve just been gypped crossed my mind.

If he did, he’s gonna get this stick up his ass. But surely he didn’t, it clearly took a lot to make this thing and then there are the symbols… “Can any of you read this?” I asked and showed it off.

Gronan looked up from the hatchets and shook his head, “I don’t recognize it.”

Hazel and Finn both turned from their respective weapons and looked across the room at it and shook their heads too. “Arcane glyphs,” Hazel answered and looked back to her weapon displays. “It is an ancient language that many use for enchantments, with many of the words being lost to time.”

Well, maybe the enchantments mean it can truly handle magic then.

Finn came to the counter with six daggers in his arm, his good hand wrapped around them securely. If I had tried to do that I knew I would end up with a stab wound.

“These are all very basic daggers,” Benny said. “Are you sure you don’t want something a bit more exotic?”

“Exotic how?”

“Well, I’m sure you’ve noticed the dagger in the counter here. It’s made out of refined iron, sharpened perfectly, and has a good, leather handle.”

He hesitated but shook his head. “I’m a simple man and simple daggers should be enough.”

Benny gave a slight chuckle, “Never heard an Adventurer say that before, your loss I suppose. That’ll be three bronze.”

“Three? What if I gave you two and a bit of good word, might get someone else interested in that dagger.”

“Haggling over one bronze piece?”

“Every coin counts, does it not?”

Benny stared at him for several moments, his eyes inquisitive and his jaw slightly moving from one side to the other. “You are an interesting Adventurer, I like you,” He tapped the counter, “Place down two bronze and you can have the daggers.”

Finn did so and slid them into his belt holsters.

Hazel was right behind him, holding an arm full of arrows.

Benny glanced at them, “Four bronze pieces.”

“What about three?”

“I already gave your partner there a deal, four bronze. Please.”

“It appears I do not need these arrows after all,” She said and stepped slowly away from the counter.

He waved her away, a wide smile on his face. He was enjoying this. “Go on then.”

“If I leave, you get no business.”

“I’d call eleven gold pieces in a day a lot of business.”

She huffed and came back to the counter. She set four bronze on the counter.

“I knew you’d come back. Hey, big guy, you want one of those hatchets?”

Gronan seemed to mull over the question. “How much for the smallest one?”

“Four bronze.”

“Deal,” He picked the smallest, most plain hatchet up and slid it into a small holster on the side of his hip not housing his battle-axe. He put the coin on the counter and thanked him.

“No, thank you for not being so stingy with your coin.”

“Before we leave,” Gronan said. “Do you know where to find a man named Trey anywhere in town?”

“Ah, so you are the Adventurers who took on that job. Well, he works for the sawmill but I usually see him at the tavern ever since his bride, Velajn, went missing.”

“Thank you for the information.”

“Glad to be of service, and it was a pleasure doing business with all of you, come back soon,” He said with a wave as we left.

“Why’d you two have to haggle over silver?” Gronan asked as the door closed behind us.

“A silver can go a long way,” Hazel said simply.

“What she said. You two just don’t understand that.”

Gronan gave a slight chuckle but said no more. “Nope, I don’t.”

I held my staff out. I took in a breath, trying to sense my energy. “Dammit, nothing happened. “

“Should’ve expected as much,” Finn said. “You paid all of that money, and don’t even know how to actually use the stupid chunk of wood.”

“Rude,” I mumbled. I’d show him. I focused harder and I could’ve sworn there was something there. As if there was a small spark in the very back of my mind. That spark was what would radiate through my body and into this staff.

I was doing it! I was harnessing magic!

I sighed in disappointment as once again, nothing happened.

I heard Finn give a harsh, judging laugh.

Hazel nudged him, “What is it with you?”

“Nothing,” He huffed, “Let’s just go talk to this Trey guy.”

We made our way to a building with a mug on it and went inside.

The tavern only had six people inside and one of those was the tavern keeper, a woman who seemed to be in her middle ages. “Will you two stop it!” She yelled to two people in the middle of the room.

Both of them were men and clearly had had a few too many drinks. One had a bushy beard and a scar that ran through his eyebrow and the other was skinny, cleanly shaven, wore a dark green button-up, and looked to be the youngest one in here.

“Say it again, Trey!” The bearded man yelled, pointing a finger in the shaven man’s face.

“Found our guy,” I whispered to Hazel.

Trey leaned close to the man. “You’re a little bi-” Before he could finish his words, the man slugged him across the face and the only thing that kept Trey from hitting the ground was a table he supported himself with.

“I’ll stop this,” Gronan said.

The man grabbed Trey by his shirt, “Say it again, I dare ya!”

Trey grinned. “You’re a little bitch!”

Just as the man wound up to hit him again, Gronan shoved the man’s side and he fell to the floor, hard. “What in Gahen,” he groaned.

“Get out of here,” Gronan told the man calmly, locking eyes with him.

They stared at each other for several moments before the man grumbled and got to his feet, stumbling slightly, before walking past us and outside.

Trey began to speak drunkenly, “Thank ya sa musct mist-” He was cut off by Gronan grabbing him by the arm.

“Come with me,” Gronan said and yanked the man to his feet and began to pull him toward one of the tavern rooms. “I’ll give you the coin in a minute,” He told the tavern keeper and went inside.

We followed him in.

Gronan let go of Trey for only a moment and the man immediately began to fall down. Gronan grabbed him by the shirt to keep him upright. “We need to sober him up,” Gronan said. “Ya all seem like suchst a good grouptch of people,” Trey slurred.

“La’Quet,” Gronan ignored Trey’s words. “Can you put up the portal, let’s dunk him in one of the baths.”

“Sounds good to me,” I took my robe off and it did its job perfectly, even putting the portal in one of the bathrooms. “Done.”

Gronan pulled him inside, “We try to be good people. But you might not think of us like that much longer.” He threw the man into the bath and he went in with a splash.

“Ahhhh!” Trey yelled, splashing about the water before eventually standing up. He stood in the waist-deep water and stared daggers into Gronan. “What in Gahen was that for?”

“Sober yet?”

I heard Hazel giggle though she tried to hide it.

Trey blinked several times and then his eyes fixated past Gronan onto us still standing in the inn’s room. He looked back at the water and then around at the immaculate bathroom. “Where am I?” He asked, his voice now tinged with fear.

“Take a nice bath, you probably need it,” Gronan said, ignoring his question once again. “We’ll be outside. Don’t worry, we won’t look. Come on,” He told us and walked out. We followed him outside and he gave the tavern keeper four bronze coins. “Three for the room, one for a drink.”

She nodded and quickly slid him a full mug.

Gronan didn’t ask what the drink was, he just started sipping from the mug. He gave a satisfied sigh and nodded to the woman, “Thank you.”

Finn sat next to him, “Whatever he had,” He told her and gave her a bronze coin too.

“You two are just gonna drink on the job?” I asked.

“Yup,” Finn said.

Gronan shrugged. “There are two things I love about this job. I get to drink whenever I want and,” He grinned. “Sometimes I get to throw men into water.”