Kale and Liliana had barely left Zorian’s twisted house when they found themselves in an even darker and grittier part of Harrow’s Reach. The sunlight that had filtered through earlier was gone now, swallowed by the narrow streets. Kale glanced around, noting how the alleys seemed unnaturally still. It was too quiet, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.

Zorian’s face popped into his mind. Zorian looked like some kind of monster, his strange, webbed skin, his unsettling black eyes. Does Liliana know more people like that? he wondered, side-eyeing her. Then again, Zorian did seem pretty friendly, despite looking like a creepy monster. Kale shook his head slightly. What have I myself gotten into?

Speaking of creepy, these alleys were no good either. Dark and creepy, Kale thought. Perfect. Let’s hope, like Zorian, appearances are deceiving.

A faint shuffle sounded from behind them. Kale froze, his hand moving to the dagger at his side. "You hear that?"

“I hear it." Liliana said.

The sound came again, a scraping shuffle that echoed through the narrow street. A hunched-over man, clad in dark, tattered robes emerged from the shadows, his face obscured by a hood. Two more figures flanked him, moving like predators as they surrounded Kale and Liliana.

Kale’s heart pounded in his chest. "I get the feeling they’re not here for a friendly chat."

"Nothing slips past you." Liliana said.

The figures didn’t speak. They moved as one, lunging forward, blades ready. Kale barely had time to react. He ducked, feeling the whoosh of air as a blade swiped over his head. He spun around, dagger drawn, as another figure slashed at him from the side.

"Fight, Kale!" Liliana yelled. "Use what you’ve learned!"

Kale’s mind raced as he dodged the flurry of attacks. He wasn’t skilled yet, but instinct took over. He weaved out of the way, narrowly avoiding the strikes that came at him from every direction. He could feel Aeloria’s presence, faint but steady, guiding his movements.

With a quick slash, he cut through the arm of one of the attackers. The figure didn’t scream, didn’t even flinch, just staggered back, its hood falling to reveal hollow eyes and gaunt, lifeless skin. A Xeroth cultist.

Kale cursed under his breath. "Looks like they found us."

"Thank the gods you’re here to tell me these things." Liliana said.

One of the cultists stepped forward, his hands glowing with sickly green light. He muttered something in an ancient tongue, and thorny vines burst from the ground, writhing like snakes before wrapping tightly around Kale’s legs and yanking him down.

"Kale!" Liliana shouted. "Get up!"

The vines coiled tighter as Kale struggled against them, thorns cutting into his skin. He raised his dagger, summoning the strength Aeloria had granted him. "Echoing Blades!"

The dagger pulsed with blue light, and with a sharp hum, ethereal blades burst forth, slicing through the vines. The severed tendrils writhed before crumbling into ash. The man staggered back, clutching his arm as the blades struck him.

"Finish them off, Kale. Quickly."

Kale lunged forward, his body moving faster than his mind could comprehend. He ducked under a blade, then slashed upward, his blade striking true. The fanatic crumpled to the ground, dissolving into ash.

The last cultist froze as his comrades fell. Then panic overtook him, and he turned to flee. But Liliana wasn’t about to let him escape. Her eyes began to glow, and the blood of the fallen stirred, forming into razor-sharp spikes that shot forward, piercing the last cultist’s back. He screamed in agony before collapsing to the ground.

Silence fell over the alley as the bodies of their fallen enemies lay motionless.

Kale hunched over, hands braced on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Next time, let’s try the route without the homicidal fanatics."

"You handled yourself better this time. Still slow, though," Liliana said.

Kale shot her an annoyed look. "I didn’t see you doing much."

"I did plenty. You just weren’t paying attention."

Just as Kale caught his breath, a strange surge of energy rippled through his body, causing him to stagger slightly. It was as if something inside him had clicked into place. He glanced at Liliana, who seemed to feel it too, her eyes widened briefly, a hint of surprise crossing her usually composed face.

"What... what was that?" Kale asked, trying to steady himself. He flexed his fingers, noticing that somehow, he felt… stronger? Lighter?

Liliana arched an eyebrow, a smile playing at her lips. "It seems we’ve gained enough experience to advance. Think of it like leveling up."

Kale blinked. "Leveling up?”

"Yes, Kale, it means you’re now a tiny bit stronger than you were a minute ago. You’re more capable, and—if you can manage to focus for once—you should be able to learn a new skill."

Kale stared at her. "A new skill? How do I learn a new skill?"

Liliana rolled her eyes, floating a few inches higher as the blood of the cultists swirled into her. "Do I look like a bladeweaver to you?" She gave a small sigh of satisfaction as the blood seemed to lift her effortlessly. "Much better."

Kale’s mouth fell open. "You can fly?!"

Liliana smiled as she hovered just above him. "Float. But yes, it beats being stuffed under your sweaty armpit."

Kale’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "I want to float! How do I float?!"

Liliana sighed. "Close your eyes, Kale. Focus on Aeloria. Maybe she’ll grace you with some divine buoyancy."

Kale shut his eyes tightly, his face scrunched up in deep concentration. "Aeloria, please let me float!" he said, causing Liliana to stifle a laugh as she watched.

Seconds passed. Nothing happened.

Liliana couldn’t help but grin, watching Kale strain as if sheer willpower alone would lift him off the ground. "Any minute now..." she teased.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Kale cracked open one eye. "You’re messing with me, aren’t you?"

"Maybe a little."

Kale sighed, staring at the dagger in his hand. The glow from earlier had faded, and with it, his hope of learning a new skill. "So much for leveling up."

"Giving up already? Give it time. You’re not exactly bursting with raw talent, after all."

Kale shot her a look, but as his eyes drifted back to the dagger, something strange happened. The metal shimmered, and for a moment, the blade seemed to ripple as if it were made of liquid. The dagger shifted in his hand, elongating and curving into the distinct shape of a scimitar.

"Woah..." Kale said.

The blade stayed like that for a heartbeat before shifting again, the curve straightening, the edges becoming sharper and thicker, transforming into a gladius. Then, just as suddenly, it melted back into the familiar form of his dagger.

Liliana floated closer. "Well… that’s interesting," she remarked, her tone more intrigued than sarcastic for once.

Kale turned the dagger over in his hand, still in shock. "How did I do that?"

"Looks like you’ve found your new skill after all," Liliana said.

Kale’s heart raced with excitement. He had barely understood what had just happened, but the possibilities of what this new ability could do were already spinning through his mind. "This… this is amazing!"

***

As Kale and Liliana walked through the increasingly grimy streets of Harrow’s Reach, Kale couldn’t stop staring at his dagger. Every few steps, the blade shifted, changing shape in his hand. First from a curved scimitar to a thin rapier, then back to a gladius. His eyes lit up with each transformation, a grin spreading wider on his face.

“Look at this!” Kale marveled, flicking his wrist as the dagger turned into a broadsword before snapping back into its original form. "This is amazing!"

Liliana, floating beside him, gave a small, almost imperceptible nod of approval. “Hmph,” she muttered, half to herself. “Maybe you’re not as hopeless as I thought. Don’t forget how to use it when you're actually in a fight, though.”

Kale shot her a playful look. "I’m starting to think you’re impressed."

“Impressed? I’ll be impressed when you manage to swing that thing without looking like a drunk thrynn.”

“What’s a thrynn?”

Liliana stared at him for a moment then shook her head. “Nevermind.”

As they walked the narrow alleys gave way to wider streets, but the change offered no improvement. The roads were filthy, lined with dilapidated shacks leaning precariously against one another. The stench of rotting food and unwashed bodies filled the air. People shuffled by, heads down, wrapped in tattered cloaks. No one looked twice at Kale’s ragged clothes or scratched-up face. Here, he blended in perfectly.

Kale froze mid-step, his eyes widening as a group of human-sized, insect-like creatures emerged from a side street. Their bodies were covered in glossy, dark carapaces. Their heads were broad and angular, with large, curved mandibles sticking outward. Their segmented limbs clicked rhythmically against the cobblestones as they moved in perfect unison. One of them carried an ornate staff tipped with a glowing crystal.

The group stopped in the middle of the street, chanting in a language Kale didn’t recognize, their voices buzzing and clicking in eerie harmony.

"Whoa, look at the size of those bugs," Kale whispered. "What are they doing?"

“Caraphians," Liliana said casually. "Insectoids from the eastern forests. They’re deeply religious. That’s probably a cleansing ritual or some kind of prayer for safe passage. They like to do them in public for some reason."

"Safe passage? Through this dump?"

Liliana smiled faintly. "Even the faithful have to tread carefully here. And for the record, calling them ‘bugs’ isn’t the best idea. They tend to take offense."

Kale looked away. "Noted."

The street stretched on, the crowd parting easily around the Caraphians without sparing them a second glance. Soon, the wider streets began to narrow again as they approached their destination. The towering buildings leaned inward, their crumbling facades threatening to collapse. At the far end stood the entrance to the underground arena, a heavy iron door flanked by a guard with shoulders broad enough to block half the doorway. His arms looked like they could bend steel, and his face was set in a permanent scowl.

As Kale and Liliana approached, the guard’s eyes locked onto Liliana. His brow furrowed. “What’s that supposed to be?” he said, pointing at her.

“You’ve never seen a floating head before?” Kale asked.

The guard’s scowl deepened, clearly unimpressed by the quip. He was about to say something when Liliana cut in. “We’re here for Varrick. Tell him Zorian sent us.”

At the mention of Zorian’s name, the guard hesitated, then slowly stepped aside. “Wait here,” he said before disappearing through the iron door.

Kale glanced at Liliana. "Varrick, huh? What do you think he’s like?"

Liliana didn’t answer right away, her red eyes narrowed as she floated closer to Kale. “Let’s hope he’s as reasonable as Zorian implied, or this might get messy.”

“It’s probably going to get messy,” Kale said, glancing at the door.

Liliana groaned. “Why would you say that? Why do you always have to do this to us?”

Kale shrugged, a mischievous smile on his face. “Hey, I’m trying something new. Since the opposite of what I say always happens, I figured I’d give it a shot.”

“Brilliant. Let’s hope the gods aren’t in a playful mood today.”

The iron door creaked open again, and the guard reappeared. He gave them a long look before jerking his head toward the entrance. “Varrick’ll see you now,” he said, stepping aside to let them pass.

Kale exchanged a quick glance with Liliana. “Here we go.”

***

As Kale and Liliana entered Varrick’s office, the scent of incense mixed with something sharper, almost bitter. Varrick, seated behind an ornate wooden desk, looked every bit the part of a man who thrived in the underbelly of Harrow’s Reach. He had sharp, angular features, dark eyes, and ink-black, slicked-back hair.

His clothes were immaculate and expensive, a stark contrast to the violence and blood he dealt in daily. He wore a high-collared velvet coat, embroidered with intricate silver patterns over a pristine white shirt fastened with a jeweled brooch. His long fingers, adorned with gleaming rings, tapped idly against the desk.

Despite his refined appearance, there was something unsettling about Varrick. His presence filled the room, and he looked like a man who was not to be trusted. Everything about Varrick made Kale think he was already several moves ahead, and anyone who underestimated him would pay dearly for it.

Varrick uncorked a small, opaque bottle on his desk. Purple smoke swirled out, curling lazily through the air. He inhaled deeply, his eyes momentarily glowing purple. A slow grin spread across his face as the smoke dissipated.

Kale stepped forward cautiously. “You’re Varrick?”

“That’s me.” Varrick’s sharp gaze flicked to Liliana, his smile widening, a touch of amusement playing on his lips. “Zorian does send me interesting company, but a floating head... now, that’s a rare treat.” His eyes gleamed as they lingered on her for a beat too long. “You’re not dealing in blood magic, are you? You know it’s frowned upon in Harrow’s Reach. Can’t have people thinking we allow such... practices.”

“I’m not here to amuse you, Varrick. We need help.” Liliana said.

“Well,” Varrick said, leaning back in his chair. “Zorian has helped me a few times, so I suppose I could hear you out.” His gaze slid over to Kale’s dagger, lingering there with a flicker of recognition. “But I am curious, what kind of help... does a bladeweaver need?”

“You’ve seen this before?” Kale asked, his voice tinged with both suspicion and hope.

Varrick’s grin widened. “I have... maybe. Where, I can’t say.” He leaned forward, his gaze still fixed on the dagger. “But it looks like the kind your people used to carry around... before, you know.”

Kale’s stomach twisted at the implication, but before he could ask more, Varrick waved his hand dismissively. “So, how can I be of assistance?”

“I need to learn to fight properly,” Kale said.

Varrick leaned back, his eyes scanning Kale from head to toe. His gaze lingered on Kale’s tattered clothes and scratched-up face. “Then you’ve come to the right place. Fighting is what we do best here.” He paused. “However... training is expensive. And you,” he gestured lazily at Kale’s clothes, “look like you can’t afford expensive.”

“I’m sure there’s a way we can work something out,” Liliana said.

Varrick’s smile twitched, greed flickering behind his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. “I like a bit of creativity,” he said with a chuckle. He tapped a finger against his desk, his tone smooth but predatory. “You can pay for your training by fighting for me in the arena. I’ll even let you keep some coins if you do well. And who knows? If you survive long enough to get good, you might even make a name for yourself.”

He stood up, brushing off his pristine coat and stepping around the desk. “Go report to Daryn. He’s good with the blade, can teach you some tricks... you’ll need them.”

Varrick’s grin lingered a little too long as he watched Kale. It wasn’t concern, it was the look of a man sizing up a fresh investment, already calculating the profit or loss. To him, Kale was just another body to throw into the pit.

Kale exchanged a quick glance with Liliana. “Thanks... I think.”

Varrick’s grin never wavered. “Don’t thank me yet, bladeweaver. Survive the arena, and we’ll talk.”