Everyone but Selorien watched in anticipation as the object took form before their eyes. Lilithra—being the most eager for obvious reasons—held her breath and clenched her fists tight in an attempt to contain her excitement, with sparkly eyes and a shy grin adorning her expression.
The weapon began appearing from its base, materializing first as a long, golden rod. Then, a set of three different blades emerged at the top: The first was the main cutting edge, in the form of a big, crescent-shaped glaive; the second was a pointy end at the top, resembling the dangerous end of a spear, and perfect for piercing; and the third was a smaller blade that looked like a hatchet, at the opposite side of the main one, which enabled the weapon to attack in various directions.
The armament was marked with fine engraving along the pole, its golden surface reflecting the light with ease. Near the top end, a set of slots could be seen, and Ascalon noticed they were likely intended for attaching a banner! As the armament finished appearing, Lilithra extended her hands to pick it up, feeling the unfamiliar weight on her limbs.
“Whoa…” She murmured as her eyes traced the weapon’s entire frame. Raphael whistled in admiration as he gazed upon her, while Ascalon nodded in satisfaction. The armament looked polished and masterfully crafted, and made the knight wish to meet the blacksmith that had created such an imposing halberd. Selorien, of course, looked incredibly smug and proud!
“I-is it alright for me to keep this?” Lilithra asked in disbelief, tracing the main blade of the weapon with her fingers. It was a polearm far larger than her banner, and she seemed to be reluctant to accept it for various reasons.
“Just accept it, dummy.” Selorien replied with a content smirk, and Ascalon nodded in agreement. Lilithra blushed slightly and hugged the weapon tight, her elation more than evident.
“Thank you, guys…” She shyly responded, her lips curling into a most gleeful smile. The sight was endearing, especially when the weapon itself was almost twice as big as her, yet she seemed incredibly pleased by both its appearance and the fact that it had been a gift from her friends.
“Oh, right! Summon your banner, Lil!” Selorien suddenly blurted out, confusing Lilithra momentarily. She eyed him suspiciously as she focused, her trusty weapon materializing in the air. The elf quickly grabbed it and carefully removed the red clothing that characterized it, presenting it to Lilithra.
“Put it on the halberd!” He exclaimed in an eager tone, his smile widening. Lilithra quickly caught on and grabbed the cloth, turning around to set the large weapon on the bar counter. As the rod moved a plate with various pastries, Athanya’el stirred in her slumber, perhaps enticed by the sound—she seemed to have taken quite a liking to the mundane act of eating, for her to react even in her sleep!
Meanwhile, Lilithra took her time to properly attach the clothing to the halberd, making sure it was wrapped up tight before taking a step back and raising the armament high. Everyone smiled at the sight, as her distinctive banner fluttered slightly under her fluid motions.
“Hehe…!” Lilithra giggled in pure bliss, though her movements seemed a bit sluggish. The weapon had to be far weightier than what she was accustomed to, but that only meant she would gradually grow stronger by simply wielding it!
“Congratulations, Lilithra.” Ascalon commended her with a soft grin, happy to see her receive a proper reward for her efforts. Raphael crossed his arms and nodded in agreement, while Selorien giggled in place. Lilithra beamed at them, and then inspected her weapon once more. She looked mesmerized, and would probably stay glued to the weapon for the rest of the day.
It was the perfect opportunity for Ascalon to bring the sleeping Goddess to her bed, so he excused himself and left the main hall, navigating his way to Lilithra’s room. After a few minutes of tucking her in, he rejoined his friends once more, though this time, Selorien was already at the front door.
“I’m beat, so I’m gonna go… Ascalon, you’re in charge of keeping Lil from losing a finger!” Selorien joked as he waved, promptly leaving The Chalice. He was probably the most tired of the group, simply because of his usual nature. Ascalon nodded with a sigh, while Lilithra simply waved back, letting the comment slide under her current elation.
Raphael was already cleaning everything up, so the only two in the hall were Ascalon and Lilithra. She looked nothing like before, having found renewed energy due to her excitement. She glanced at him, a huge smile on her lips as she spoke.
“Whose idea was it?” She asked shyly, her eyes darting from Ascalon to the halberd. Ascalon chuckled at the sight, taking a seat by the counter before responding.
“It was Selorien! He made sure to talk with Lyra and Escarlata before deciding, and was the one that took the materials to the blacksmith. It was all him, honestly!” Ascalon admitted with a proud grin, feeling grateful toward the elf for all his efforts! Lilithra beamed with pure glee as she waved the halberd high, the red cloth swaying softly in the air.
“We need to get him a gift too—and you, and Lyra! And even Escarlata, haha…” Lilithra suggested with eagerness in her voice, causing Ascalon to consider her kind words. It wasn’t a bad idea for everyone to receive a reward after all they had been through! Especially Selorien for being such a good friend, and Lyra for having endured so much pain.
Escarlata…. well, she had been of great help too, even when she had been reluctant at first. Their voyage to Starugnia would’ve been way different if it were not for her. But at the end, he wondered, why would he need a gift? That aside, Ascalon cleared his throat as he spoke to her.
“I think that is a marvelous and admirable idea.” He said with a grin, his chest full of delight. Lilithra nodded shyly, and then let out a thoughtful ‘hmm’ as she gazed upon her weapon. Then, the large halberd started to slowly disappear, likely being sent to her network inventory.
“Let’s see…” She muttered as her fingers traced the air, manipulating her interface with ease. In the next moment, a screen appeared before both Ascalon and her.
Chimereon’s Baneful Blade.
Unruly and prideful, a beast that cannot be tamed, forged into death itself.
Crafted High Quality Weapon(unappraised).
Rank: (unappraised).
Attribute: (unappraised).
Effects:
(unappraised).
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Additional Effects:
(unappraised)
Ascalon peered at the contents with intrigue, curious about the possible effects and details of the weapon. At the same time, Lilithra sighed loudly, her shoulders dropping in clear dejection.
“Aw, come on…! Can’t we see even one of its effects?” She complained slightly, sitting on a stool at Ascalon’s side. “At least the name sounds really cool!” Lilithra added with a smile, glancing at him.
“I agree, it has quite an imposing name. Are you going to… Claude for appraisal?” Ascalon asked with a brief stammer, recalling the shopkeeper's name. Lilithra let out a ‘hmm’ as she considered the idea, a finger gently pressed on her chin.
“Maybe… no, wait!” She jolted in her seat, her grin widening. “I’ll have Lyra appraise it alongside my amulet! The perfect excuse for us to meet with her again!” She revealed her idea with utmost happiness, clearly eager to see Lyra again. Ascalon nodded in complete agreement, as he thought it was a pleasant proposition. Just then, Lilithra giggled to herself, casting a glance at him.
“Do you know what Selly told me?” She asked with a mischievous look on her face, and Ascalon tilted his head with curiosity. “He wants to give Lyra the scythe we got the other day—remember?” Lilithra revealed as her lips curled up further. Ascalon narrowed his eye in confusion, not really understanding why Selorien would suggest that. Lyra didn’t seem one to use such weapons, after all.
“Why?” Ascalon voiced his thoughts, and Lilithra giggled once more.
“He said it’s because he wants to see a short, shy girl wielding a huge scythe!” She revealed, her giggling turning into hearty laughter. Ascalon was taken aback for a moment, but then began to picture Lyra in his mind. The short, yet well-endowed girl, fidgeting nervously with a comically large weapon in her hands made for a surprisingly amusing contrast.
“I see…” Ascalon mused, stroking his chin. It was a genius idea! Aside from it being slightly funny, Ascalon thought that Lyra could benefit from using a weapon. Perhaps the scythe was a bit of an exaggeration, but it might work!
“I think we should talk with her about it. I for one do not use such weapons, and if Selorien wanted it he would not have suggested giving it to Lyra.” Ascalon explained his reasoning, as Lilithra stopped laughing, clutching her stomach.
“Ah… yeah, I guess. I wouldn’t mind! I’m also on board with seeing her fight with a huge weapon, hehe!” Lilithra admitted, giggling. “That aside… I do want to give her a gift, and that scythe looks really high quality too! We gotta take a look at it tomorrow, when Selly drops by.” She suggested, stretching her arms high and letting out a soft moan.
She seemed tired, and he too could use some rest, so Ascalon decided it was a good time to call it a day.
“You should head to bed early today.” Ascalon said with a gentle voice, and Lilithra groaned slightly.
“Yeah… I’m really tired…” She got up from her stool, sighing. “Thanks for everything, Ascalon.” Lilithra suddenly thanked him, causing Ascalon to tilt his head in confusion. “Hehe… see you later!” She giggled as she quickly left, heading to her room.
Ascalon remained alone in the hall, slightly confused, hearing only the sound of her footsteps in the distance and Raphael washing the dishes in the kitchen. Shrugging in resignation, Ascalon stood up and made his way to his own room.
With sluggish steps, he reached his bed and let himself fall into it, enjoying the soft sensation of the sheets. Oh how he loved that feeling, one that eased him into sleep so easily! With the fluffy pillow under his head, he quickly drifted into a peaceful slumber.
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As soon as Lilithra reached her room she beelined to her bed, pushing aside some of her plushies to plop her body onto the bouncy mattress. She looked at the side, a corner of the room were Athanya’el slept. She smiled warmly at the sight, happy to have a little sister of sorts in her life now—though Thany was still a Goddess at the end of the day, so Lilithra couldn’t simply indulge in doting on her all the time. She had to respect the divine boundaries!
As she sighed into her pillow, her thoughts drifted to the day’s events. She had finally created her Guild—it didn’t feel real yet, and it was all thanks to her friends, who had also thoughtfully prepared a gift for her! She had the support of so many incredible individuals, and she felt so deeply grateful for their existence.
Her uncle, always protective and supportive; Selly, the best friend she could ask for; and Ascalon, the dreamy knight that had pushed her to do her very best ever since he had arrived. She was not stagnant anymore, and she could even show her horns in public now.
“I’ve grown…” Lilithra whispered to herself, a sense of both pride and joy filling her chest at hearing her own words. That’s right, she had grown, and she would keep doing so. It was a promise to herself and her friends—to her newly formed Guild! The path ahead of her looked ever so distant, yet on the way she could easily picture all sorts of adventures, new encounters, and challenging trials—and she would face them all, accompanied by her comrades.
With these endearing thoughts in mind, she smiled gleefully as tiredness overtook her, and soon drifted off to sleep.
Some time later, she woke up, a sensation of drowsiness still lingering on her. She sat up in bed and stretched her arms high, yawning slightly as she blinked a few times, trying to focus on her surroundings. The room was dark, and she slowly realized it was slightly strange—something felt unnatural.
Lilithra looked around, yet she couldn’t make out any of her room's features in the darkness. “Huh?” She muttered in confusion, reaching out to her nightstand to try and turn on her desk lamp. But there was nothing there. Instead, she felt something grasp her hand.
“Huh?!” Lilithra gasped, recoiling in shock, and took a step back. But wait, a step? Where was her bed? She glanced around in a panic, the black void around her now feeling oppressive and ominous. Just then, a rustling sound came from where she had reached out to, and she tried summoning her new weapon just in case. But to her dismay, nothing happened.
The rustling turned into a giggle—a most familiar voice reaching her ears. But that was not possible, as that voice belonged to her! Slowly, a figure emerged from the darkness. A pair of dark horns came into view first, followed by long, cascading red hair that covered a bare chest. Lilithra froze in place, as the body’s features were easily recognizable by her—after all, it was her own form standing in front of her.
“Wha—?” She muttered as she locked eyes with the doppelganger, a profound sense of dread erupting from within. The other Lilithra stared back at her, a most wicked smile forming on her lips, her yellow, demonic eyes firmly focused on her. The girl raised a finger and pointed at her, and Lilithra felt an overpowering urge to look away—something told her—screamed at her—that she had to escape from that demon’s gaze immediately!
Just as the word ‘demon’ echoed in her mind, the other Lilithra’s grin widened, and soon darkness encompassed them both.
Lilithra jolted awake, sitting up so quickly that she was hit by a wave of dizziness. She was gasping, almost panicking, but slowly regained her bearings. She felt her clothes cling onto her, drenched in sweat, and soon her instincts forced her to glance to her side.
Athanya’el watched her from her own bed, with narrowed eyes and her head tilted slightly. “You…” The Goddess muttered, but then shook her head. “Hmm… I cannot feel anything. Was it my imagination?” Thany continued, monologuing to herself. She then shrugged and turned around, resting her body on her bed. Her steady breathing let Lilithra know she had quickly fallen asleep again.
Lilithra raised both her hands and inspected them, then she felt her face, her horns, and chest. Nothing was amiss—she was not naked, nor was she grinning wickedly. She took in a big breath before exhaling slowly, realizing she simply had experienced a disturbing nightmare.
It had been a long time since she had a nightmare, and she couldn’t remember if she had ever seen that kind of scene develop in her dreams, but she felt relieved that it had been just that—a dream. She could still recall the dread she felt, staring back at herself, yet thinking she was gazing upon a demon. Her whole body shivered at the thought, and she smiled thinking how silly that was.
She rubbed her own cheeks and then stretched, preparing herself for yet another day in New Lumingard, eager to put that strange nightmare behind her! But just as she was getting ready, she noticed a screen floating in the air and gazed at it with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
You have (1) new Guild member application.