Both Soral and Densooth seemed irritated when their discussion was over. Luckily, it seemed that Soral had won, or at least half one. He had declared he would do both. As for what that meant, Ruena would probably rather not think about it. While bending time to be in two places at once sounded convenient it was both exhausting and incredibly dangerous. If it was Soral, though, she was certain he knew what he was doing. He had been playing that dangerous game for years.
Since Densooth had already planted the seed of rumors, there was no better time to act than the present. First, before any time bending happened, Ruena cornered Soral to speak to him. “I know this might be asking too much, but if you can find time around whatever Densooth asked, please hunt down the Blacksmith,” she told him, “He is a dangerous threat and he may target us in the future.”
“I’ve got it,” Soral promised, “He didn’t exactly give me much direction other than the usual ‘must become a hero’ nonsense. That sounds like a good place to start.”
“Thank you,” Ruena replied, already relieved. The issue of the Blacksmith had been weighing on her mind more than she would like to admit, “If you are going to stick around with me as well, I actually came up with a plan that I need your help with.”
“Of course,” Soral agreed, not even waiting to hear her explanation, “Arriving through flashy portals is my specialty. The hardest part will be figuring out the best timing to be seen or not seen by the right people. But are you sure that is alright? I use portals a lot, but Densooth said they are banned.”
Right, Soral didn’t need to hear her explanation. He was always skimming people’s thoughts. Sometimes she wished for both of their sakes that he could control it. “He did, back when he was my benefactor,” she confirmed, “but I have come to realize there is a big difference between something being banned by him, and something being illegal. In other words, if someone backed by Densooth is using magic that he banned, the most they will do is try to tattle.”
“Makes sense. In other words, there is nothing anyone can do about it since Densooth won’t,” Soral concluded, “Sounds perfect. I will have Jazz look into the Alodan Mansion. We want a crowd to witness our arrival. Can’t kick anyone out if they aren’t there in the first place.”
“Exactly,” Ruena agreed. Mind tricks or not, Soral always knew exactly what she wanted. This was why she had become so reliant on him, “There is something else I must ask of you. While I am transitioning to become the duchess of Alodan, I need you to command my warriors. I can’t risk everything we have worked for falling into the hands of our enemies.”
“So you will command us from the shadows while I take up the role publicly?” Soral guessed, “Will you be able to take back command once you are Duchess?”
“I don’t know,” Ruena admitted, “but if I become the Weaponsmaster, there is little they can do to stop me. It is the right of the Weaponsmaster to command warriors of their choosing.”
The plan had felt shaky, at best, but speaking it aloud made it seem more feasible somehow. Soral quickly left to get to work, and Ruena gathered the rest of the warriors to deliver the news. Those who knew of her origin had already guessed the purpose of Densooth’s visit. Many were surprised to hear she had ever been a noble. The overwhelming feeling however, was an unsettling fear or what would happen when she left them.
“Do not worry. Until I return to my rightful place as the commander, I will leave you and this place to my most trusted partner, Soral,” Ruena assured them, “Consider his words as my own, as they most likely will be. When I return, you shall all be the warriors of a Weaponsmaster!”
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Her declaration brought cheers through the crowd. Though she wanted to become the Weaponsmaster to follow in the footsteps of her father, the mercenary world practically worshipped them. There was no higher honor to a mercenary than being acknowledged by one, but right now there was no Weaponsmaster in Althaedor. To be acknowledged as a one, you must master every style of weapon and be able to fight most any opponent regardless of what weapons were at your disposal.
This seemed like an insurmountable task if you thought of mastering each one from the beginning, however Ruena had a secret. While her father had never been able to teach her combat, he had given her words of wisdom. In his words, every fight was different, so getting too attached to a single fighting style was dangerous in the first place.
The best way to become the Weaponsmaster was to turn her very surroundings into a weapon she could use for her victory. Even this, Ruena had to admit, was made far easier with Soral by her side. Her thinking was always too rigid, but he taught her to think outside the box, beyond what others would see and acknowledge. The phrase that anything could become a weapon, truly meant anything and everything.
Soral returned with most opportune information. There was to be a feast held at the Alodan Mansion to celebrate the founding of the duchy, followed by a grand ball. How fitting that she would reclaim her birthright on the very day that celebrated the rich history of the Alodan name. This did present one problem, though. If there was to be a ball, she would need a dress.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Soral announced proudly. He had become quite the tailor over the past nine years helping with his business The Disguise Clothing Shoppe, and he had often expressed the desire to dress Ruena up, “I promise that I will make you a dress that not only makes you shine like the true treasure of Alodan, but gives you the freedom of movement you need to crush any fools that stand in your way!”
“Alright,” Ruena agreed, a bit taken aback by the fiery passion he expressed. It was just a dress, but if he felt so strongly about it, there was no reason to stop him, “I will leave my attire in your capable hands. While you are at it, your uniform needs an upgrade. You will need to accompany as my partner to this event as well as the commander of the warriors.”
“Easy peasy,” Soral assured, “Leave it to me. Velcorna won’t know what hit her when I am through… Though she may have already ordered one of my designs for the ball. Will that be a problem?”
Ruena smirked. “Why would that be a problem? She is free to fund her own demise. Just make sure my dress puts hers to shame.”
==========
Almost as soon as Ruena had given him her instruction to hunt down the Blacksmith, Soral bent time and created the ‘hero’ version of himself. The main difference was that this one wore clothing from his own fashion lines rather than the uniform of the Alodan Warriors. It was amazing how a simple outfit change could stop time from collapsing.
Now, the idea of taking down the Blacksmith was all fine and good, but he couldn’t just waltz in and take him down. Soral had heard plenty of heroic tales, and he knew that heroes started from small quests that seemed insignificant but ultimately led to the defeat of the evil boss. Nicholas had warned him that those tales were just fantasy stories from his homeworld, but that method still seemed the best to Soral. There had to be something to it or there wouldn’t be so many stories in that format.
With his ideal heroic journey in mind, Soral entered the nearest town to where Jazz had reported the Blacksmith’s location to be and looked around for a small incident he could help out with. Even if Nicholas was right and this never led anywhere heroic, it would at least boost his reputation as a good person, right?
Unfortunately, as with all things, it didn’t really go according to plan. One minute he was playing the role of a helpful handyman, the next he was in a cage dragged away by the local thugs. He could easily escape since they hadn’t bound him with any magical restraints, but their thoughts made him pause.
They were going to sell him to the Blacksmith. This might be the perfect opportunity to get inside and assess the reality of the situation. There was only one problem. He would have to find a way to escape in less than twelve hours or he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his promise to take Ruena to the ball. Would he be able to sneak back in after that, or would the Blacksmith notice and crack down during the four hours he needed to rest?