Gusti brought Josh and Sen into a very busy shop and stopped at a counter manned by a harried, soot-covered Beast Affin with bulging muscles and robust, equine features. He clearly looked like a man more comfortable whacking an anvil with a hammer than standing at the counter. A long line of impatient customers who all wanted weapon repairs or upgrades for the coming contest waited on him.
When they walked in, Gusti quickly glanced around and turned his head, apparently listening to the constant ringing of steel on steel from the back. Despite the long line of waiting customers, the counter-Affin turned his head toward Gusti but was waved off as the orangutan gently rang the service bell sitting next to him.
The hammer’s ringing from the back of the shop stopped and a second later, a mobile mountain pushed through the heavy, blue curtains that separated the shop’s working area from the public space. The Clan’s journeyman Weaponsmith, was a Bison Affin of enormous size and very few words. Gusti informed them was named Jorng’a as they entered his shop.
Jorng’a’s appearance also stood out in Josh’s mind. While maintaining very recognizable traits from their beast lineage, most Beast Affins he had met pulled heavily on the humanoid proportions—particularly in the upper body and head areas. The few exceptions Josh had seen were, well, the orangutans of Clan Sundai, who were almost perfect examples of terrestrial orangutans, as Josh remembered them from Earth. The Senior Chief Ishan from the Hegemon-4 also came to mind as well with his tiger Affin features.
Jorng’a was among this group as well. He walked on two very short but powerful legs with mid-placed ankles that appeared as if they were reverse-jointed knees like an actual bison. His arms were roughly the same proportions as his legs if not larger. He also maintained a full bison’s face and head along with two large, dark, wide-set eyes, a massive black nose, and two shortish, slightly curved horns jutting sideways from his temples. His face and head comprised a full one-third of his build.
A deep basso voice greeted them. “Gusti.”
“Jorng’a! Good to see ya. This here is Senyak Marztanak and Joshua Elias Tanner, two young Cultivators from outside of the Clan that have come for the contest. They are armed with the best they could get on their homeworld, but I’m afraid they’ll need your help to do well in the race...” Gusti then waved his hand to draw Jorng’a in and get Josh and Sen to hand over their swords. “Take a look.”
Jorng’a held one, then the other, while closing his eyes tightly. He then handed the swords back. “Good workmanship. Superb, even. Warlike race? The alloy’s been folded six–maybe seven hundred times... but…”
“Yes.” Josh answered the question simply. After all, it was true. The swords had likely been made by Hephaestus or whichever Titan taught him his trade. And the Titans as a group were likely one of the primal forces that had brought war to the humans of his Earth.
Gusti nodded in agreement with the bison as well as to Josh’s confirmation. “That’s what I thought too. I’m pretty sure the boys come from an Essence-starved homeland. They need something that will hold up to the challenges we have around here. You know what I mean.”
Jorng’a nodded his massive head once and brought them over to the wall on the far side of the shop.
Looking at Josh, the bison said. “Solid Cultivation base, and very… modest skills with the sword.”
“Come on!-- You can tell that just from looking?” Josh reflexively burst out. Then he said with a small, embarrassed smile while flexing his right hand between himself and Jorng’a, “...I really am working on it.”
“Warriors have a particular look,” the bison confirmed. “They carry themselves with a certain deadly purpose that can be found in the eye, the wrist, shoulder, back, and hip.” He turned his gaze on Sen. “Much like your friend here.” Josh wasn’t sure, but an amused twinkle might have made its way to the large Beast Affin’s dark eyes.
Sen simply nodded in agreement to the big creature.
Jorng’a waved to a small shelf section with four swords resting on it. Then he turned to Sen and spent a few moments studying him. The bristles between his horns seemed to bunch up.
Then he said in his deep rumbling voice, “decent Cultivation base as well... and you possess way too many skills to be a master of any one weapon.” Jorng’a waved to the whole shelf of weapons surrounding the tiny cubby Josh had been shown. Sen turned pink and bowed his head to the smith.
With his hands together in a praying position, the Cultivator added, “You are correct, noble Smith. Though I will be focusing on the sword for now as well.” He waved a hand, indicating Josh. “How else am I supposed to teach the children?”
Sen studiously ignored Josh as he gave him the finger and reached out for a sword.
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~At least I have manners, Mr. Grabby-hands. The polite thing would be to wait for Gusti.~
Sen pulled his hand back into a fist that he used to cover his mouth as he appeared to clear his throat. ~Sorry...~
Josh looked under his brows to Gusti, who smoothly stepped back into the conversation.
Gusti leaned sideways against a stool and crossed his legs, hooking his thumbs under the straps of his coveralls. “Now, Jorng’a... I can see that you are a mite short on help here, what with the race taking all your singly Attuned assistants out of the store to train. That’s why I’ve brought Sen and Josh. I’ve spent a bit of time with them. Put them behind the metaphorical plow, you see and–
“Put us behind the literal plow, you mean,” Josh grumbled, rubbing at the phantom blisters on his hands.
Gusti grinned, clearly ignoring Josh’s comment. “As I was saying, they put a few gyras in at my place already. They’ve got a good work ethic.” He pitched his eyes at the boys and smiled wanly. “While it’s true that they clearly know nothing about farming and are likely just as ignorant in regards to blacksmithing—” The orangutan ignored Josh’s protests, his grin only getting wider at his indignation. They are teachable. So, I thought the fact that they are a bit short of money at the moment might work out in everybody’s favor.”
Jorng’a blew steam from his nostrils. “One sword each from my remake pile and I expect a full fifty-gyras of work from each before the contest.”
Gusti leaned forward from the stool he was propped up against, a competitive smile on his face. “Forty gyras each... and their choice of swords from this shelf.” He placed his hand on the side of the shelf that Jorng’a had indicated earlier. “I brought them here because I know you make the best weapons... and I knew you needed their help the most with both Trandi and Li’l Jorn out. But if I was wrong...” The skin over the bridge of Gusti’s nose crinkled as he squinted around the overfilled shop and the Equine Affin begging with his eyes for the extra help. “I can always take them up the street to Swando’s—”
“Deal!” Jorng’a cut him off. “Pick out your swords. Work starts tomorrow, two gyras after sunrise, both of you.” With that, Jorng’a nodded to Gusti, and the mountain moved back to his work area, where the ringing immediately started again.
Gusti smiled and tilted his head to Josh and Sen. “Well, you heard the journeyman. Pick your weapons, boys.”
In the end, Sen picked both of their swords. Josh noted they were significantly longer than their previous weapons. A little more than three feet of blade and a little less than one foot of handle.
Sen picked up the sword with both hands and held it at the ready guard. His eyes closed, immediately concentrating. Josh could see Essence cycling from his Core and channeling through his hands into the blade. After a moment, Sen looked up and smiled at Josh.
~Much better than in Gaia’s temple, brother!~
~Very glad to hear...~
Josh grabbed his blade with a small amount of trepidation. He couldn’t help but remember the third-degree burns he had gotten, along with the loss of dedicated Core Essence he had suffered, from the spear in Gaia’s storeroom. A lot had changed since then. For one thing, he had Earth Attunement and could channel Aura directly from the ground, which he started doing just before picking up Jorng’a’s sword. For a second thing, Josh had an expanded Essence pool that was roughly forty times what it had been then.
Josh held the sword in the same position that Sen had, resisting the urge to pull it forth like Arthur had from the stone.
His interface chimed.
New weapon equipped: Bastard Sword of Acceleration.
Essence Channeling Quality: Average.
Damage increased from mundane superior to Cultivatory Poor.
Cleave and dismemberment options available for physical combat.
Do you wish to continue with this as your new weapon?
Josh selected yes and swallowed hard upon reading the rest.
Weapon:
Bastard Sword of Acceleration
Skill Level: Basic (42%)
Damage: Cultivation-Poor
Damage Type: Essence Infused
(Poor Infusion)
Essence Channeling Quality: Average.
Activate with 100 Essence to accelerate strike for 250% damage.
Allows interface guidance for optimal usage.
100% probability of 10,100% hand- to-hand damage.
He had just doubled his damage by picking up this sword. He noted it was constantly draining approximately two percent of his Essence to maintain a hazy silver glow around its blade. The haze invoked thoughts in Josh’s mind of zephyrs rippling across the tops of dunes. Feathered raptors diving from unimaginable heights on prey below. In short... it made him think of speed!
Keeping the Essence flowing into the sword was one more thing they would have to practice, and they would. A smile spread across Josh’s face and Sen caught his eyes.
Sen gave him a pleading glance. ~Please, brother... do not wave your sword around.~
~... Sen, that’s just all kinds of wrong that you don’t even understand. ~
They left the weaponsmith’s shop with their heads whirling and the need to start practicing everything that Gusti had shown them... to test their weapons... to find out what the race and to qualify were all about...
Gusti pushed them down the street, informing them he had two more introductions to make for them tonight. “And you may ask why? I know I would... well, for two important reasons. One, you boys are going to need money. With the right approach, we can help the clan and put a couple of lua in your pockets to clink together. The second reason? Well, for myself. You see... I will provide room and board for you two out of the kindness of my heart, if only to improve my Karma... But these introductions... they have a cost. You each will owe me two gyras of work before sun-up three times a week at my family’s farm.” Gusti smiled at them, daring any objection with his shaggy brows raised in a friendly challenge.
A swift glance between them confirmed they felt the same. Swept up with everything that had happened and was going to happen, neither of them could object to Gusti’s request. Especially given how much help he had been to them.
They both nodded, letting Gusti lead the way.
Josh was introduced to the clan’s journeyman inscriber, Myrina. A mostly human-looking Beast Affin with the claws, ears, and spots of a jaguar. She smiled crookedly and said she could use him for a six-hour shift two times a week, paying the rate of two cobres an hour. Gusti had nodded to affirm the amount was fair, so Josh agreed. However, just exactly how much was a cobre worth, and what kind of work she needed him to do, Josh didn’t know...
Sen was introduced to another Orangutan Affin, Bulgonto. The Clan’s journeyman Alchemist, who had, “No time to talk now! Potions going, Gusti!”
Despite his words, he continued speaking anyway as he swirled multiple spoons in even more boiling cauldrons and disappeared completely behind large clouds of green, red, brown, and purple.
Sticking his head out from the fumes for a second, he looked Sen up and down, then looked to Gusti. “He any good with that sword?”
Gusti nodded. Bulgonto puckered his lips, but nodded then disappeared back into a large black cloud that made his voice sound as if coming from deep underground.
“I’ll need you here, day after tomorrow for some... light gardening. Three cobres an hour.”
Gusti puckered up a bit at that but shrugged to indicate that it was up to Sen. So, Sen agreed as well.
Josh blanched when they passed the overgrown gardens on the way out and heard the passage of large chitin-shelled bodies moving through dead leaves. The large creatures grew quiet as the pair went by, almost as if they were lying in wait.
His eyes shifted from left to right. ~I don’t begrudge you that extra cobre an hour, Sen...~
~...~