Together, the two of us bent over the body of the cleric, placing hands on the liquid mess of his smashed and broken body. A shared party inventory screen appeared before us and we investigated his belongings.
The first was the priest’s armor. The aptly named Mail of the Flame Infernal that had once adorned the cleric was a handsome vestment, I had to admit. Crafted from a metal shimmered flame red under my gaze, the mail shifted slowly, its color changing to a deep, molten red that moved and flowed as if alive. Each link was meticulously forged, small yet incredibly durable, interlocked in a pattern that spoke of ancient, magical, craftsmanship; almost certainly the work of infernals. The mail clung to his formidable frame, obviously crafted to his exact proportions.
Sadly, though, the armor seemed depleted now, the multiple strikes from Frostchain showing in multiple tears and holes in the disheveled interweaving. It actually crackled in places, like a shorted computer terminal, smoke rising up as its color began to fade and drain away.
“Damn. Ryan, can you fuse that with something before it dies on us?” Ike asked.
I shook my head, about to explain that I’d need coins, before my eyes settled on a pouch in the inventory screen. With the armor growing noticeably cooler, I hurried to take it out of the screen and into my hands, my large fingers fumbling with its strings as I pulled it open to see what was inside.
With a swift, final tug, I opened the pouch, tipping its contents onto the cold stone floor of the chamber. Seventy-five golden coins, two mana potions, two health potions, and a small, bejeweled letter opened clattered before us.
I quaffed the potions immediately as Ike scanned the pile, mesmerized. “I guess it’s good to serve the king,” he quipped, reaching down to lift the letter opener. It looked impressive and it was the size of a dragon’s tooth.
I eyed it, examining every nook and cranny of the item with my infernal eyes. The letter opener was crafted from what appeared to be a single, flawlessly preserved dragon's tooth, its surface polished to a gleaming white. The handle was wrapped in a fine, dark leather that met the base of the tooth with a band of gold at its grip. Set into this gold band were small rubies and sapphires, set into an artistic pattern that mimicked a land of flames and tormented souls, their screaming stick figure bodies bowed in eternal pain. The tip of the tooth was fabulously sharp, and I briefly wondered if it couldn’t be a weapon in its own right.
My vision swam and suddenly a notification screen popped into view.
IDENTIFIED!
Bejeweled Dragon's Tooth Letter Opener:
Effect: Enhances the user's precision in mundane tasks (like opening letters) and magical tasks (like precise ingredient slicing for potions) when held. Additionally, when used in ritual magic, it can slightly amplify the power of fire and water spells.
Usual Cost: 550 gold pieces, given its dual utility and the rarity of materials.
Color: The tooth itself is a pristine white, with the jewels set into the gold band adding flashes of fiery red and deep ocean blue to the piece.
“That’ll do,” I announced, snatching the item from Ike’s grasp. “Give me one of your blades, a dagger or a short sword.”
Ike grinned, his canines showing large and wicked. Apparating a short sword to his hand, he gave it over and I pulled the dying armor from the inventory window. With the short sword and armor in hand, I sacrificed the letter opening in a flash of light, feeling its energy race through me to fuel my Fuse ability. Imagining the items becoming one, I placed them before me, and both of us stepped back to see its transformation.
The air shimmered with heat, the crackling essence of the armor boiling under the strain of its low durability as my ability worked its charms. Cracking apart into wisps of fire and metal, the released energy wound itself around Ike’s sword.
As we watched, the blade seemed to awaken. The metal hummed, and flames danced along the blade, wrapping around it in an intimate embrace. Around us, shadows gathered in as well, wound into the fusion as it reached out to find more items of value to work with.
Finally, it was finished.
Flameforged Shadowblade. Epic. Forged in a ritual of sacrifice and power, this weapon marries the elusive essence of shadows with the untamed fury of flames. It grants the wielder the ability to cloak themselves in darkness while wreathing the blade in unquenchable fire that does not harm the user but is devastating to foes. Strikes with the Flameforged Shadowblade have a chance to ignite the enemy, dealing additional fire damage over time, or envelop them in shadows, disorienting them and reducing their accuracy for a short duration.
I examined the newly created Flameforged Shadowblade in awe. The blade itself was a work of art, the steel infused with a gradient of blacks and deep reds that seemed to pulse with an inner light. It was as if the weapon contained a heartbeat, a rhythm of darkness and fire. The hilt was encased in dark, almost ethereal metal, adorned with runes that glimmered with a fiery light, suggesting a grip that promised both control and power. Strangely, the weapon's balance felt perfect, as if it were an extension of my own arm, a seamless blend of magic and steel that resonated with my very essence.
Flameforged Shadowblade, Damage 5 to 40 (+15), Weight 3, Speed Very Fast, Specials: Ignite (15% chance, dealing 5-10 fire damage over 5 seconds), Shadow Cloak (10% chance to reduce enemy accuracy by 20% for 10 seconds), Attunement Level 1 - Flame's Embrace (Using the weapon increases resistance to fire damage by 10%).
The fusion had ended, leaving me with a weapon that seemed to defy the natural laws of magic and craftsmanship. I beamed as I handed it over to the wide-eyed kobold, watching its aura flicker red and black over the blade.
“I hope this makes up for all the money I’ve spent adventuring with you.”
Ike burst out laughing. “I believe it does, Ryan. I really believe it does.”
He weighed it in his hand, marveling at the flames that did not burn, at the shadows that spun out from the blade only to be lassoed back in to repeat the process repeatedly.
As he admired his new blade, I dove back into the inventory, hopeful that I’d find things to fund a fusion with Kevinar’s blades as well. I found Fire Opal Cufflinks, crafted from fine gold and set with opals. Not magical anymore, at any rate. The craftsmanship was superb, but my identification suggested that they were worth just 200 gold pieces.
The next bit of loot was titled ‘Enchanted Charcoal’ and it didn’t impress me at all. However my appraisal said it was worth 50 gold pieces, and that it would ignite on command, so I put it in my inventory. It could prove useful later on.
Moving along, I found a Phoenix Feather Quill that my identification said would never break or run out of ink, suggesting it was worth 300 gold pieces.
Next to that was an Ember Stone, pulsing gently with warmth. Valued at 50 gold pieces, it was apparently used to heat things on command and was worth 50 gold.
I looked at his cleric’s pendant, labeled ‘Heart of Flame’. The silver and ruby pendant was shaped like a licking flame with a ruby at its core, and it granted an additional 50 mana to worshippers of Pyrathos. It was worth 350 gold.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Finally I appraised his Staff of Command, its now dark wood splintered, the crystal atop it cracked and sputtering. My appraisal suggested that it was trash, and I left it with the now armorless corpse, turning to check the mage instead.
Stepping over to his pierced and broken body, I knelt down and opened his inventory window. There weren’t nearly as many goodies, I saw, but they were still worth my perusal. The first item was a Crystal Wand of Arcane Precision. I selected it, looking over its offerings eagerly despite the absolute lack of a wizard in our present party. I’d be good for one of the other adventurers in our growing movement. However, I was disappointed as the stats rolled out before me. The item increased the accuracy of spells, reduced the chance of misfire and ensured spells hit their intended target more often. But the effects were minimal, and I felt that with a 400 gold piece value attached to it, the item would make good fodder for the Fuse cost on one of Kevinar’s blades instead.
The next item was equally unimpressive, despite the cool name. Robes of the Etherweaver promised a moderate boost to mana regeneration and a tiny reduction to the cooldown of spells. It had a 300 gold piece value, which also put it firmly in the Fuse cost camp.
I nearly groaned when I checked the Ring of the Arcanist. 250 gold piece value, with a +1 increase in spell damage and a -1 decrease to damage caused by spells upon the wearer. I’d been expecting more.
Past this I found a pouch containing 50 gold pieces, and a formerly-sealed letter, its wax signet broken. I pocketed the money in my inventory and opened the letter, scanning its contents.
Have the infernal and his kin taken care of. Secretly. Capture the infernal, do what you must with the others. The goblins will give us great things for this. When it is done, I shall inform them we have captured the wanted one and negotiate a more equal footing with the Empire.
* King Thorano
I growled. We’d all been sold out. No doubt all of the goblin vassals and tributaries had been given word to take Jeldorain and I in if we showed in their realm. I turned to call Ike over, but saw that while I had been busy with looting, Kevinar had taken his place. Some distance away, I could barely make out the kobold dirty fighter in hiding, taking watch for enemies, and I smirked.
He’d certainly either failed his check, or I’d succeeded in mine. Either way, it looked silly to see him sticking out so much while hunkered down with confidence that he had succeeded.
I turned back to Kevinar, only to find him gone.
“What have you found there, Ryan,” he asked from behind me, giving me a brief start. I turned, shocked as always at the sheer power of his stealth, and he reached out a hand to take the note from me. Briefly reading its contents, he handed it back. “This is good,” he said, giving the large doors to the throne room an appraising glance. “It means that beyond the palace military, no one knows of our purpose, nor the Goblin Empire’s desires for you and Jeldorain.”
I cocked my head. “Yeah?” I asked, scanning the letter a second time. It took me a second, but I realized he was right. The king had said to do it secretly. I thought of the reverence the people here had shown us, for our infernal heritage and for our prowess in the arena, and it made sense. The king couldn’t actively be seen betraying a being that his people worshipped as holy.
It would have been like a Catholic back home turning the Virgin Mary over to the Devil. It’d create a tremendous uproar . . . possibly even end his kingship if his forces couldn’t prevail.
And the people here looked to be strong. I realized that my entire time here I had never once been able to differentiate their common heroes from their NPCs. I had no idea which ones could fight and level. Which meant that they were all a force to be reckoned with.
“Kevinar, you’re a smart guy. Do you think we should use this information to blackmail King Thorano?”
He smiled. “I accept your compliment, but I can’t say I know. A blackmailed being, whether they be man or monster, looks more for escape than for logical collaboration. This king, on our side, would bring legions and heroes. But he’d always be looking for a means by which to end us.”
I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. “I have an idea, but I want your counsel on it. Let’s say we go in, face the king who will surely beg and tell us lies about how he didn’t know and all of that. Let’s say we kill him, loot his body, destroy any council he might have with him who would surely have been in on this plan to turn us over.”
“I’m listening,” Kevinar stated.
“Alright, so we do all of that, and then I take the crown.”
I don’t know what I expected. A snort, or a sigh, perhaps. But Kevinar looked into my eyes, his own glossy with surprise. “You would be king of the dark dwarves? Is it as easy as that?”
“They worship the infernals,” I said excitedly, the words now spilling out of my mouth. “If your god or one of his avatars came before you and said he was your king, would you accept him?”
He paused, looking out towards Ike. “I wouldn’t. Only because I’ve experienced enough gods and their avatars to know their selfish avarice. But maybe if it were you, and I knew you as I know you now, I would.” He smiled, looking back at me. “If a dragon came, one of the metallic ones of old, the so-called Noble Lords of Light, Ike would bend his knee in a heartbeat. If the dragonlords of the kobolds, where they still exist, weren’t so cruel, he would almost certainly be serving them. A knight to their kingdom. But he’s a noble fellow. There aren’t many like him in this world.”
“Do you think this kingdom of, as you say, dark dwarves would bend the knee for a greater cause?”
Kevinar humphed. “Such infernal-worshippers are called dark for a reason. Their avarice is well-known throughout the world, above and below.”
“And kobolds are evil, selfish pests that steal and kill, right? I remember the Monsterpedia from Lords of Chaos. But now that I’m here, with everything that I’ve experienced, I wonder how many of those random encounters I fought online were simply against orcs going out for a walk, or goblins assembled for a picnic. I think the dwarves here will follow me, and that we will find noble hearts among them as well.”
Kevinar smiled. “Well sifted. Dark elves are slavers and killers. Except when they’re not,” he said, chuckling and putting a thumb into his chest. “Alright, then. I overheard something about giving me new swords?”
We placed his blades down on the ground before us, and I readied my Fuse ability. First I had to choose 1000 gold pieces worth of items, so I went ahead and after reluctantly chose the Fire Opal Cufflinks, Phoenix Feather Quill, the Heart of Flame Pendant, Enchanted Charcoal, and Ember Stone, and sighed as I watched them disappear into nothing.
Then I placed the Crystal Wand of Arcane Precision and the Robes of the Etherweaver, watching as they dissolved into a cascade of sparkling light that sank into the blades. The metal absorbed the arcane energy, both now humming and glowing with a light-blue aura reminiscent of the morning sky.
Mesmerized, I knelt down and picked them up, letting the stats of the new weapons roll over my sight.
Edge of Arcane Precision. Very Rare. Forged in the heart of a forgotten epoch, where the melding of arcane arts and martial prowess reached its zenith, and enchanted items were commonplace, this sword was a reliable regular for those who studied both blade and sorcery.
I inspected the sword, noticing that while the blade stayed the same shape, the hilt had changed drastically, becoming encased in the material that had formerly composed the wand. The hilt slithered under my grasp, perfectly form-fitting my grip, while the crossguard itself hummed faintly, a crackle that made my inner mana tingle in my blood.
Edge of Arcane Precision. Damage: 4 to 42, Weight: 2, Speed: Very Fast, Specials: Grants one rank in casting. Spell Accuracy (increases spell hit chance by 15%), Spell Damage Boost (increases spell damage by 10%), Critical Hit Chance Increase (increases critical hit chance by 5%). Mana increase 10%. 0% chance of fumbling with this weapon.
I nodded at Kevinar, handing it over and watching his eyes widen in delight as he took possession and checked out its stats. I turned to the other weapon, and peered into its inner workings.
Weaver's Blade. Rare. During the War of the Seven Orders, when NPCs came to bear arms against those who oppressed them, they prayed for a weapon that could defend them against the tyranny of the levelled elite. These blades were the answer.
I gave the sword a good once over, noting that past its aura, the steel of the blade looked exceptional, its sharp edges gleaming. The hilt was wrapped in a dark, durable leather that provided it a firm grip, and its crossguard was minimalistic and simple. Overall, it looked like a an exceptional blade for the uninitiated, and quite good for those who knew what they were doing as well. The pommel was a simple leather wrap, slightly fuzzy like the edges of the magical robe that was used to create it.
Weaver’s Blade. Damage: 3 to 36, Weight: 3, Speed: Fast, Specials: No level Requirement, Stamina/Energy Regeneration Boost (regenerates 5% of max energy per minute), Reduced Cooldown on Abilities (reduces ability cooldowns by 10%), Protective Aura (absorbs the first 10 points of magical damage that occurs in 1 minute’s time).
“I’m sorry if they aren’t as good as the weapons you had,” I said, handing over the other sword.
Kevinar shook his head as he took it.
“No, Ryan. I am thankful that you have given me something I didn’t have before. These are good weapons and they will serve us well in the trials to come.”
I smiled and thanked him, then turned to the door.
“Well, we’ve waited long enough, I guess. Ike, get your super-easy-to-see self over here. It’s time that we head in and take down a king.”
1.