The longest four days of Yaric’s life crept slowly by. Yaric hadn’t been particularly excited about the prospect of custom weapons, but the more they discussed their options, the more excited he became. Especially when Lauren pointed out how unique his bow was, and they started speculating on what kind of advantages a similar sword or spear might have.
Still, time did pass, no matter how slowly, and they finally got to meet Lloyd and Mersha at the front gate. Jerold had joined them as well, as promised, though Sandy wasn’t able to make it.
“Come on,” Lloyd urged. “We have a lot to do today.”
Lloyd led everyone through Lekton, and not in the direction of the tailor he was friendly with. Mersha and Jerold hung back to talk with the students while Lloyd strode purposefully down the busy streets.
The warming weather always seemed to increase foot traffic, and today was no different. People thronged the streets of the city, window shopping, entering stores, or simply resting for a moment on one of the many benches that lined the small gardens running down the middle of main roads.
Local schools were also closed for the holidays if the number of kids running around where anything to go by. Some areas had hawkers pushing their wares from the middle of the road, usually food or drink, but occasionally things like hats or umbrellas as well. All of this faded when Lloyd led them into one of the more upmarket areas of Lekton.
Armor Up.
Yaric recognized the place. It was where he’d had his current set of armor made, armor which was itself a major upgrade of the standard Academy sets. Anything made here was sure to be amazing.
The same woman as before, Mage Moirin, met them as they walked in through the door. She seemed excited to have so many customers at once, even if her store was getting slightly cramped.
Lauren and Li Na were pulled off first, followed closely by Mersha. They were going to get fitted while the others waited for their turn.
Despite being there before, this was the first time Yaric had a chance to look around.
“Why are there so few armor pieces here?” he asked, looking around the store. There were a few pieces on display, like the emerald-green bracer he was currently looking at, with its glittering scales and delicate bronze work. Most of the items on display were basic materials, however.
Large pieces of leather hang on an overlapping display, each piece a different color and texture. Thin plates of metal sat on rotating displays, while a wide array of cloth lay across tables on the other side of the store, the various materials each feeling completely different from one another.
“Moirin rarely makes standard pieces,” Lloyd replied. “She insists that everything should be custom-made, or it won’t be as good enough to meet her standards. Only the most basic pieces are available off the shelf.”
“And all of this?” Yaric asked, lifting one of the pieces of cloth to examine. It was very thin and very smooth, almost unnaturally so, but it was so heavy that he had to keep a firm grip, or the smooth material would just slide through his hands.
“Options. Moirin uses these materials to make custom-order armor. You four will be getting clothing fitted here, but make no mistake, they are armor. We just have to see what she recommends.”
Sven looked like he wouldn’t want to leave. He actually had a notebook with him, hidden away in a pocket all this time, which he was now scribbling notes in as he examined the different materials displayed throughout the store.
Mersha led Lauren and Li Na out of the backroom.
“I think we have some winners,” Mersha announced, showing off some cotton examples. Moirin was right behind them to explain.
“Clothing for everyday use is difficult, or it is if you want the clothing to look natural. I’d recommend undershirts,” she said, holding up a plain white short-sleeve top. “I can use Iktomi silk, which would be very thin and almost impossible to cut or puncture under normal circumstances, or I could use Holda flax, Namkha cotton, or Starwort, but those three would be much thicker in comparison.”
“How effective would the silk be?” Jerold asked.
“It would stop any stabbing or slashing weapon if no magic were involved, but it wouldn’t help against blunt force impacts. Outside of that, it is cool in hot weather and slightly warm in cold weather, breathes well, and it's essentially invisible below normal clothing. I would add an additional layer like in this sample as well, to protect vital areas in the case of a fight with an arcanist,” Moirin explained.
Yaric noted that the extra layers included areas like the armpit, over the collarbone, and circled a large area around where the kidneys would be.
‘How would anyone attack us there?’
“Which one of those are we talking about?” Lloyd asked.
“Both. Short sleeve for when they have to,” Moirin answered, holding up the short sleeve cotton undershirt, “and long sleeve for whenever they can.”
Both Lauren and Li Na looked very pleased with the selections.
“After that, we have the basic traveling cloak,” Moirin added, holding up a cloak. “This one is full length, and the only choice that makes any sense for this item would be Namkha cotton. It’s even more resistant to cutting or piercing, but it’s also water resistant, heat resistant, cold resistant, and it will stiffen if struck by a large force, offering a modicum of protection against blunt force strikes.”
“Exactly how resistant is Namkha cotton?” Sven asked.
“Not only would it not catch fire, but you wouldn’t even feel the heat from normal flames if you were wrapped in one.”
Sven wasn’t the only one who looked impressed. All three adults placed the orders without asking about the price, and Yaric and Sven soon found themselves taking Lauren and Li Na’s place in the back room. The measurements were taken in no time at all.
“What color do you want for your cloaks?” Moirin asked, short and to the point.
That led to a discussion of what was available, and a rotating disc of samples for Moirin to take them through.
Yaric quickly chose a charcoal grey, while Lauren picked woodland green. Li Na and Sven both wanted matt black.
The no-nonsense armorer showed them to the door, promising to have everything delivered to the Academy when their order was ready.
Lloyd then led them in a wide arc that took them around the campus grounds. Yaric already knew where Lloyd was going to take them, and he wasn’t disappointed. It was a long walk, taking almost two hours, but they managed to make it to Arnold’s Magical Armory before lunch.
The building was just as large as Yaric remembered, and it was still marked with the same stupid little sign that could only barely be read, and only if you were standing very close to the wall.
Everyone followed Lloyd inside. Rows of armor lined the walls, just like Yaric remembered. Everything from plain leather to brigandines lined the left wall, while chainmail and plate were displayed to the right. Weapons filled the entire mezzanine floor above them, in addition to those displayed behind the counter. Yaric could hear humming coming from the door behind the counter. A young man was already walking toward them with a big smile on his face.
“Welcome to Arnold’s Magical Armory”, he announced.
Lloyd smiled in return but walked right past him, heading straight for the counter at the back. The shop assistant’s eyes grew wide when Lloyd approached the counter and stretched out his hand.
“Sir, pl-.”
DINGGG!
The tiny, magically enhanced bell reverberated through the store, prompting Arnold himself to barge through the back door.
“Joseph! What are… oh, it’s you,” Arnold finished, staring at Lloyd. Then he promptly turned on his heel and went straight back to his workshop.
Lloyd raised his hand again.
“NO! I’m etching this blade then coming back out! Do not touch that bell!”
Lloyd leaned against the counter with an innocent smile on his face.
Arnold wasn’t long, and when he came back the first thing he did was snatch the bell off the counter.
“What do you want? he asked gruffly.
“These students need proper weapons,” Lloyd said, gesturing to Yaric and his friends.
“What’s wrong with his bow?”
“Nothing, he just needs something else, probably a long sword. And I’d like to look at your specialty arrows as well if you don’t mind.”
Arnold grunted and moved around the counter. “Don’t worry Joseph, I’ll sort them out.”
Joseph looked concerned, but he dutifully made his way behind the counter.
“Hmmm… Longsword huh?” Arnold mumbled, looking Yaric up and down.
“And a backup,” Lloyd insisted. “All four need to at least get a proper primary weapon.”
“And what were you three looking at?” Arnold asked, walking up to the others.
Arnold felt that Sven would be the easiest, so he took them upstairs to have a look at the short swords and shields. All four of them preferred strap on shields, so that was easy enough, leaving Sven to decide on the size and shape. He eventually settled on a large heater shield.
The sword took longer to select, with Sven torn between a falcata style blade and an arming sword. His greater experience with a double-edged sword eventually swayed him, and Sven found a well balanced arming sword that suited him well.
Arnold helped Lauren find a round shield that was larger than most. It was slightly concave, but most importantly it had a strap and attachment mechanism that allowed it to be easily secured to the shoulder. Lauren could easily lift her arm and slide it into the straps, which disconnected it and turned it into a regular shield, or leave it in place, allowing her to use both hands with a spear while protecting the side of her body that faced her opponent.
Lauren took some time to test different spear lengths while Arnold watched. Arnold pulled her away the second she found her preferred length, taking her to try a partisan instead. It had far more subtle protrusions than most of the others, which were capped by a 30cm long blade.
“Give this a try,” he insisted.
Lauren found that it fit her well, but she still had her concerns. “I’ve never been taught how to use one of these. My fighting style is built around a spear.”
“Everything you’ve learned will still apply to this,” Arnold countered. “You’ll be able to use this just like your spear, but there are new techniques you’ll need to learn if you want to make full use of it. It’s additional, not different. The longer blade allows for more cutting and slashing techniques, and you can deflect attacks while thrusting, or even disarm an opponent if you’re skilled enough.”
It didn’t take long for Arnold to convince her, and Yaric noticed that none of their sponsors interfered at all. Lauren then took a spatha style short sword as well, primarily as a backup, though it would also be useful in situations where polearms aren’t practical.
Yaric was the easiest to sort out. He quickly found a longsword with the shape and style he preferred. Arnold had made him try one other sword, which was exactly the same, only slightly longer, and he had the sword he wanted.
His shield was very similar to Lauren’s, just with a smaller diameter and without the shoulder straps. And just like that he was done, taking less than 15 minutes to find his weapons.
Li Na meanwhile made a beeline for a giant maul. Arnold insisted that it wouldn’t exactly be a backup weapon to the mace she described, but Li Na likewise insisted that what she needed was a second weapon, not necessarily a backup.
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She tried out various clubs as well, and even a morning star, though only reluctantly, but she kept going back to the maul.
“I need something big to go with my mace,” Li Na explained.
Yaric handed her a small hammer with a small spike at the back, designed for penetrating armor.
“What’s this?” she asked, scrunching her face up.
“A big hammer. Well, big for you,” Yaric replied, looking her up and down and earning himself a bruised shin.
In the end they compromised, selecting a large war hammer with a crow’s beak on the back end and a long, circular spike extending from the top, giving it some ability to function as a spear. It made Yaric think of the pike poles the collectors had used, but Li Na didn’t seem to notice. He pointed it out, just in case she realized later, but she genuinely didn’t care.
The war hammer had far more reach than her mace, and could both smash and pierce. Li Na was certainly very happy.
“She needs something small as well,” Jerold interjected, giving his opinion for the first time.
Arnold selected a Baselard dagger for her, and then they chose a small heater shield, completing her purchases.
Lloyd added a simple spear for each of the boys before they went to the counter.
“Alright,” Arnold said, laying each item out across the counter. “Now for the fun part. How do you want me to make each one?”
“What do you mean?” Yaric asked. “Aren’t we taking these?” Yaric turned to look at Lloyd for confirmation, but Lloyd just smiled.
“I take it you brought them here for proper weapons,” Arnold remarked. “So you aren’t going to want ordinary steel, are you?”
“What would you recommend for each item?” Lloyd asked in reply.
“Hmmm… shields are easy. None of these kids would be able to handle galvorn, and you don’t want to be caught using wyvern scales if you’re too far from civilization. That could lead to, ah, misunderstandings. Luckily you for, though, I came into some carapaces from a nest of skathári cleared out a few months ago.”
Yaric and his friends all shared a glance, while it sounded like Lloyd was choking behind them.
“Yep, there was a whole nest found inside the kingdom. Great material though, you wouldn’t believe how durable it is. And it’s better than you might think. There are two different treatments I can use that would make those carapaces even tougher. So tough I have to work them into shields before I can do the treatment. You won’t find anything tougher without resorting to enchanting.”
“Go with that,” Lloyd instructed, sounding very disgruntled. There had only been one known nest found in recent years, and people who had cleared that nest would apparently have to pay for the materials it provided. Or at least, their sponsors would.
Arnold worked with them by type of weapon, not by person, so each of them ended up being involved in the selection of materials used in most of the weapons.
The spears and partisan all used Titan Oak for the shaft and Deepheart Obsidian for the heads. They were even going to be enchanted, allowing the obsidian heads to cut and pierce more efficiently, as well as hold their edges near indefinitely.
Li Na’s dagger was interesting, even for Yaric. Arnold suggested that she go with talons from a Gagana, a large and magical bird whose talons were comprised of an odd type of copper-like material, only far tougher at less than half the weight.
Yaric got lost when Arnold tried to describe his suggestion for the longsword. He knew that his sword would be an alloy of Stygium and the same Deepheart Obsidian as that used in their spears, but Arnold’s description became very technical very quickly.
Stygium was a metal-like material found throughout the Abyssal Fields and nowhere else. Exceptionally strong and extremely hard, Stygium was one of the rare materials that could directly interact with arcana in its natural form. It could both enhance or block the flow of arcana, making it one of the most sought-after materials for enchanted weapons. Yaric’s wouldn’t be enchanted, as that added significantly to the cost, but it would be possible to have it enchanted in the future.
How the Deepheart Obsidian would be added to create an alloy was something Yaric couldn’t even pretend to understand, though Sven listened with rapt attention. Lauren seemed to have a good idea of what Arnold meant as well, and both recommended that he go with Arnold’s suggestion. Yaric accepted, trusting in their judgment.
Arnold was smiling widely when they finished going over every item.
“Do you want these delivered as they are finished?” he asked, expecting them to be eager.
They were, especially after having handled their new weapons, but none of them wanted to get the odd item every few days.
“Can we get them all together?” Yaric asked.
“Of course!” Arnold replied, his excitement undiminished. He seemed to relish the idea of working with so many different materials at once. “It will take at least two months, but I’ll have everything delivered for you.”
“And the special arrows?” Lloyd asked.
“Ah, yes. Hold on a minute.” Arnold hurried back into his workshop, returning a minute later with a quiver and a bucket. The quiver held multiple arrows with no fletching, but when he pulled one out Yaric saw that it was just the shaft, there was no arrowhead either. The bucket, however, was filled with nothing but arrowheads of all shapes and sizes.
“These are Cetus spines,” Arnold explained, holding up a pale white shaft. It was almost see-through in the sunlight streaming down from the upper windows. “Regular wood will always have imperfections in the material, no matter how straight the shaft is. There will be variations in the thickness of the wood and the strength of the fibers. You already have one side of the shaft sliding along the bow when you fire, and those imperfections make any wobble far worse than they should be.
“These spines are incredibly stiff and magically enhanced, and they always have perfect symmetry. But what you will really like about these is how easy they are to enchant. I can do pretty much anything I want with them, without sacrificing any accuracy or performance at all.”
“And what about all the different arrowheads?” Lloyd asked. He stepped forward as he spoke, taking over the counter space where the bucket of arrowheads sat.
“Depends on what you want them to do.”
Lloyd turned to Yaric with a smirk. “You four run along now while we discuss proper adult weapons. See if you can find us somewhere to eat,” Lloyd instructed, waving them away as he did.
Mersha coughed loudly and grabbed Sven’s arm, pulling him toward the door. “Leave those two to talk shop. You don’t want to be around Lloyd when he’s excited about a weapon.”
There was a proper restaurant just around the corner, specializing in food from all over the continent. Yaric did not doubt that Lloyd had exactly this place in mind when he suggested they go ‘find’ somewhere to eat, which was confirmed when Mersha arranged for a private table.
‘The interior matches the menu’, Yaric thought, looking around at all the different art pieces on display within the restaurant. There were items from different cultures everywhere he looked, with paintings depicting well known landmarks and natural wonders iconic to different nations.
Mersha ordered drinks for everyone before giving them a lecture while they waited.
“I hope you all realize that the clothing is the most important thing we purchased today,” she said, looking each of them in the eye in turn. “Those swords and spears might be fancy and exciting, but weapons aren’t going to be much help in most situations, or at least none of those weapons will. It’s the protective clothing that will do the most to keep you safe. I expect you four to wear them from now on, every time you leave campus.”
“You don’t think the weapons will be much help?” Lauren asked, looking between Mersha and her sponsor. Jerold smiled gently at her confusion.
“You’re thinking of the spears you lost fighting the skathári? That was one of the few circumstances when better weapons would have helped, yes. But tell me, how many of your appeals have allowed you to withdraw weapons?”
“Not many,” Lauren acknowledged.
“Yeah, but now we have our own! We won’t need to withdraw anything. I always have my mace with me whenever we go on a job.”
“Yes, but that’s only allowed because it’s a blunt weapon like a staff. You wouldn’t have been allowed it even then, but your harness lets you keep mostly it hidden,” Mersha replied.
“So I can’t take my new hammer with me unless the appeal gives permission to withdraw weapons?”
“Ha! No!” Mersha laughed.
Jerold put his drink down and leaned forward to talk to Li Na. “Imagine what the reaction would be if someone asked for our help to settle a dispute, so an argument over grazing land, and you four arrived carrying swords and spears. How do you think that would go down?”
“No one would argue for one,” Li Na grumbled, making Jerold smile.
“Maybe not, but no one would appreciate the help. And you can be certain that whoever was found to be in the wrong would have many complaints.”
“You’re also more likely to get in a fight,” Mersha added. “Just arriving armed can often raise tensions and create suspicion. Besides, you four can already use several spells, and you’ll keep getting more. You’ll always have magic to fall back on.”
“Wands,” Lauren whispered.
“What’s that?”
“Wands. That’s what you meant when you said our weapons weren’t the ones that would help us in most situations. Wands would.”
Jerold smiled proudly at Lauren.
“Yes, wands would help almost anywhere,” Mersha admitted. “They’re innocuous and easy to hide. Most people wouldn’t give them a second look, and yet they can significantly increase the power of your spells or even cast specific spells for you, depending on the wand. You four don’t have the power to use one yet, unfortunately. Otherwise they would have been your main weapon until you could handle a proper magic staff. I carry two with me wherever I go,” she confessed.
Mersha withdrew a small piece of wood from her sleeve and held it up to see. It was only 1cm in diameter at the base, and no more than 30cm long. Delicate lines of metal ran up down the length of the wand, forming intricate patterns of silver that had a mercury-like sheen. She offered the wand to Sven.
“I’ve never understood how these work,” Sven remarked, taking the wand and examining it carefully.
“I only know the basics, but they each have their a spirit. It enables them to channel their own arcana.”
“How is that possible?” Lauren asked, intrigued.
Marsha shrugged. “No idea. I just know that every wand and staff has a spirit, and they are always able to channel arcana. The more arcana they can channel, the more powerful the item is. It adds the arcana to your spell.”
“But you can’t use arcana you didn’t draw yourself,” Lauren replied.
“You actually can, it would just kill you to do it. But you don’t use any arcana from the wand, the wand takes your spell and boosts the power. Wands aren’t even remotely sentient, so they can channel foreign arcana without any issue?”
“What does sentience have to do with it?” Yaric asked.
Jerold saw how uncertain Mersha looked and quickly jumped in to help. “It’s far above your year, but in essence it’s your conscious mind that creates the problem. This wand doesn’t have a mind, so it can process foreign arcana without any problems. Don’t worry, you’ll learn a lot about the subject when you study the theory. Most crafting subjects will at least touch on it.”
Lloyd arrived just then, looking unjustifiably satisfied. They ordered a wide variety of food and made themselves comfortable, enjoying the calm atmosphere and gentle music filtering through the wall.
“You promised to tell us what you were talking about at the hearing, when you said that we’d uncovered something,” Yaric reminded Lloyd.
“Why do you think we have a private table?”
Lloyd stopped speaking when his drink was brought in, but he continued as soon as the door was closed.
“Those smugglers you caught in Sarton weren’t working alone,” he began. “We’ve connected them to several other operations that no one knew existed. Some of those operations were in turn connected to yet more smugglers who operated in a very similar manner to those in Sarton. All in all, we’ve found an entire web of criminal activity spread across most of the Kingdom.
“The crimes being committed vary, but smuggling is at the center of all of it. Most of the operations are completely independent, and very few have ever been in contact, but they all connect flawlessly and work with very similar processes, indicating that someone or some group is directing things. I’ve oversimplified it, but that’s the gist.”
“Ah, so they’ve already been caught,” Yaric sighed.
“No,” Lloyd replied, taking the students by surprise. “We caught many of them, yes, but we keep finding more links. There haven’t been any more arrests for weeks, because almost everyone has realized what is going on by now. You can’t arrest that many people without word leaking. Now we’re trying to trace the network while they actively hide from us.”
“Isn’t there some spell you can use?”
Lloyd smirked slightly. “Magic doesn’t solve everything. Most things, but not all things. Besides, we know there are arcanists involved, there’s evidence of magic everywhere.”
“What?” Lauren looked appalled.
“Of course there is,” Mersha said casually with a shrug. “We’re people too. There’s no such thing as a group or occupation that doesn’t have criminals amongst them. It’s the individuals who commit crimes, and every group has all kinds of people making up their constituents. It shouldn’t come as a surprise.”
“But you have some idea of who is involved, right?” Sven asked.
“None at all,” Lloyd admitted nonchalantly. “We know that several arcanists are involved, and at least one is a Mind Mage, but that’s about as far as we’ve got so far.”
“Then why wasn’t I involved?” Yaric protested. “Mind Mages can’t affect me.”
Lloyd’s smile faded away quickly, only to be replaced by a hard glare that Yaric had seldom seen before. “Mind Mages can absolutely affect you. You aren’t safe just because they can’t affect your mind. Any Mind Mage could rip you apart in seconds, if they don’t simply obliterate you with lightning first. You wouldn’t last a fraction of a second against an actual Mage, and don’t you forget it.”
His voice was quiet, flat, and emotionless, but Yaric could feel his face burn under Lloyd’s impassive glare.
“Sorry…”
Lloyd sagged. “No. There’s no reason to apologize. You asked a question based on what you had in front of you, though I still believe you should know better. I’m just pointing out a fact of life. What you don’t understand is that this is our biggest fear. We’ve watched the four of you rise to the top of your class, each of you excelling in your own way. Especially you, Yaric.
“You’ve been caught in situations that should have been far beyond your capabilities, yet you’ve managed to succeed anyway. We can’t help but be afraid of how that might impact your judgment. One moment of overconfidence and you might find yourselves facing someone who could kill you with a snap of their fingers. You’re still children, you’re not even Apprentices yet.”
“I didn’t mean to -.”
“I know,” Lloyd said, sounding tired. “I’m not angry.”
“Truthfully, we’re scared,” Jerold admitted.
“Is that why you bought us the clothing and weapons?” Lauren asked quietly.
“It’s a big part of it, yes.”
“And the beacon?” Yaric asked, pulling the rod out from a pocket in his robes.
Lloyd gave a single nod and settled down into his chair. “The four of you are going to start getting more dangerous assignments at some point, it’s inevitable. I’m going to delay them as long as possible, but I doubt you’ll have more than a couple of years before you’re sent to kill a wyvern or something just as ridiculous.”
“He’s exaggerating,” Mersha clarified.
“There was also some talk of retaliation,” Jerold explained. “It’s frankly absurd, we’re quite certain that no one would risk their organization and themselves for such a petty act of revenge, but we still thought we should take precautions.”
“And you four are like trouble magnets,” Mersha added. “You’re worse than Lloyd ever was.”
“No one could ever match me,” Lloyd smirked. He was already perking up slightly. Only then did it strike Yaric that Lloyd was also embarrassed by his outburst.
“I heard you once threatened a prince,” Yaric teased. He didn’t remember the details, but Hiawatha had definitely mentioned that the man was a prince.
“What? Who told you about that? Besides, you need to be careful… he isn’t a prince, not anymore?”
“What did you do?” Li Na asked, leaning forward excitedly.
“Nothing. He’s just not a prince anymore. Now he’s the King.”
Mersha laughed while the others stared in shock. Sven seemed to have broken something in his face.
“It was nothing,” Lloyd explained, trying to downplay the incident. “A young prince invited me to go hunting with him, but after I got the first two boar he positioned some of his men to block me.”
“And you threatened him over that?” Lauren asked. Sven still hadn’t moved.
“No, of course not. I stuck the third boar as well… aimed right between his men. And then I threatened him. You don’t invite someone to go hunting and then throw a tantrum when they’re better than you.”
It took a moment to process everything Lloyd had just revealed, though Mersha and Li Na thought it was hilarious.
“You never told me you were a good archer,” Yaric said, breaking the silence.
“Because I’m not.”
“But you just said you killed a boar by shooting right between the King’s men,” Yaric argued.
Mersha laughed even louder. “Maybe you should tell them how you killed the boar,” she managed to get out between breaths.
“Well it should be obvious, shouldn’t it?”
“With a crossbow?” Lauren offered.
“You used a ballista!” Li Na blurted excitedly.
“No, of course not… I used lightning.”