1.56

“Fire! Put out the fire!”

“Oh. Hi. Um. Anyone want pancakes?”

“What was all that about?”

“Oh, uh, I was trying to teach him how to cook.”

“What? I thought it would be easy. Fun fact: it’s not.”

“A skeleton…cooking?”

“Well, he already does all the other chores. If he could do stuff like make eggs, stir soup, and flip pancakes, it’d make my life even easier. But, uh, skeletons don’t really understand the difference between ‘cooked’ and ‘burned’.”

“It’s not a bad idea. I’m still not sure what Pisces was thinking, giving you only one skeleton as a guard, but I suppose that’s all your mana supply could take.”

“My what? I don’t have any magic. I mean, I can’t use magic.”

“Really? Who told you that?”

“Pisces.”

“Ah. But I wasn’t talking about spellcasting. I just meant your internal mana supply.”

“Oh come on. You all know you have magic inside of you, right?”

“We do?”

“Of course. Magic is part of us. It’s in the air we breathe, the food we eat—we all have our own supply of mana, however small. My kind has a great deal of internal magic we generate simply by existing, so we make good mages. Humans on the other hand—”

“Not as much. But exceptions exist, and they make good mages. But even if you don’t cast spells, you have some mana in you. Enough to sustain basic spells or supply a summoned creature with enough magic to survive if it can’t by itself.”

“So I have magic? In me? Does that mean if Toren wasn’t here I’d—be able to cast spells?”

“I’m sorry. But if Pisces tested you, it’s unlikely. Maybe there’s a better chance, but…”

“Oh.”

“I’d like to go into the city and collect our share of the supplies. We also need to visit the Adventurer’s Guild to make sure we’re still cleared to enter the ruins. But, ah, we can’t go if that adventurer is still around.”

“Gazi the Omniscient. It would be inconvenient if she were to trouble us now. I will go with you.”

“Gazi? Oh, she’s gone.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. She told me she was going and looking for something. Somewhere else.”

“Well then, that makes things simpler. At least for now.”

“We’ll see if anything else needs doing in the city. Calruz, do you still want to join us?”

“There is no need to waste any more time with useless chattering and polishing weapons. Tomorrow, we fight. Tell the others I will be ready when the time comes.”

“That’s odd. Was that large rock there yesterday?”

“Wait!”

“Stop! Hold it! Don’t go any further!”

“Stay right there! If the rock moves, hit it or cast a spell or something!”

“Hit the rock?”

“What are you worried about?”

“There’s a monster down there.”

“I don’t see it. Is it hiding in the ground?”

“No!”

“See that? That thing?”

“That is a boulder. What of it?”

“It’s actually not, Calruz. It’s a monster, hiding under the rock. What you’re actually looking at is a shell.”

“Are you sure?”

“I didn’t see it at first, but there’s definitely something odd about that boulder. It looks too—out of place. See how the grass is flattened around it? And it hasn’t sunk into the earth as it should have over time.”

“I believe you, but my [Dangersense] hasn’t gone off.”

“Not everything trips [Dangersense]. And if it’s a sneak attack, you’d have to be right next to the creature, and by that point, you’d be dead.”

“Fair point. Well, how do you want to tackle it? Freezing spells and then we charge in?”

“I’ll break its shell.”

“No need.”

“I can totally scare it off.”

“Impossible.”

“Watch me.”

“How did you do that?”

“I think I know what you’re talking about. Can I see one of those, ah, seed cores?”

“Here.”

“Tree kissing rot! Don’t do that!”

“Why?”

“We’ve been drinking this? Are you insane?”

“Just the outer part! I know how to pick ones where the core isn’t broken! Honest! You’re not dead, so I’m right.”

“That explains why the crab ran off. But why is it afraid of a tiny bit of poison? It’s a lot bigger than we are.”

“It must not have strong resistance to poison. Either that or it has no way to reduce the buildup of toxins like we do. Those crab-creatures might carry the sickness within them for the rest of their lives if they’re not careful.”

“Well, you saved our hides from a nasty encounter. That thing was big, and I don’t relish wasting any more healing potions before we go into the ruins.”

“Mm.”

“Go, then. I will remain here.”

“Doing what? Sleeping?”

“No. Teaching.”

“Only Calruz would think about teaching an [Innkeeper] to fight.”

“Here.”

“I mean, why does she need training? You saw how she handled that crab thing.”

“That’s not the same as knowing how to fight. And besides, those seed cores won’t do much good against a group of bandits or even a few Goblins.”

“Look, I don’t care how the Human cities do it. We don’t give out bounties for beating up [Thugs]. How do you know they were guilty anyways? Did you just beat up some kids? In the future, let the Watch take care of it. Next!”

“Still. Do you think he’s going to teach her how to use a weapon? In a day?”

“It’s Calruz. He probably expects Erin to be like Minotaur children. They grow up knowing how to use a blade.”

“Evil Goblins? Robbing you? And what are we supposed to do about it? Go and post a bounty if you’re that upset. But they’re Goblins. Go grab a sword and deal with it yourself!”

“I hope he goes easy on her. I’d hate for him to hurt her accidentally.”

“You Humans. Always so worried. She’s survived this far. Calruz won’t kill her by the time we get back. Probably.”

“No, there are no more requests available. Sorry. Next! You two, the Human and, er, pointy-eared Human! I’m assuming you’re a half-Elf, but let me know if I’m wrong.”

“What can I do for you? And if it’s about lodging or supplies, don’t bother. The Guild is all out of everything.”

“No, ah, it’s not that, Miss.”

“We’re part of the Horns of Hammerad. We—and four other teams—put in a request a few days ago to enter the ruins as part of an expedition. We were wondering if we had permission—”

“Oh, you’re that lot.”

“You’re one of the first non-Drake Silver-rank teams we’ve had in the city in a while. I expected you’d be bigger. And don’t you have a Minotaur in your group? Please don’t let him cause any damage.”

“Anyways, the Guild already approved your request, so there’s nothing to worry about. Go right ahead.”

“Um. We don’t need any seals? Any letters or proof we can enter?”

“Why would you need anything like that? You’re adventurers, right? Just go out and kill monsters and try not to get killed.”

“Oh it’s just—”

“It’s just that in Human cities, adventuring is a lot more regulated.”

“We don’t want to cause any trouble, being outsiders and all.”

“Well, I appreciate that. Most of you Humans—er, the Humans we get don’t obey many of our laws. If you could clear out those ruins so they all go away, I think the city would throw you a celebration.”

“Something to look forwards to. We’re heading in tomorrow. So just to clarify—there’s nothing we need to do?”

“You’re fine. Go in whenever you like—just don’t bring any trouble out with you. The Watch is busy enough as it is.”

“Wait! You two!”

“Sorry, but you’re from the north, aren’t you? There’s an annoying Human [Messenger] in the city, and he keeps bothering people.”

“Oh?”

“Apparently, he’s come representing some flower. No—oh! I see. House Reinhart. That makes more sense.”

“House Reinhart? Which Lady?”

“I didn’t ask. That’s what he’s saying. He wants to talk to someone important. Well, we have a Council, but they’re not going to listen to every Human noble who comes calling. But he’s persistent, and he won’t go away. Is this important?”

“It’s one of the Five Families!”

“The—oh, yeah. I know. But it’s the north’s Five Families. They don’t have any power here. You’re lucky I recognized it—I don’t even think I could name all five.”

“You don’t know the Five Families by heart?”

“Listen. They’re your Five Families. Not mine. You want me to name all six Walled Cities? I can do that. Any child could. I think I have them. It’s Reinhart, Veltras, El…no, wait…”

“The Reinharts, Veltras, Terland, Wellfar, and El families were the first Humans to ever settle on this continent. They were aristocracy—related to kings from the continent Terandria. They’re still very rich and influential today.”

“See? I knew that. Just not their names. Like—El? What kind of name is that? You Humans and your strange names.”

“—I know they’re influential, but Liscor isn’t ruled by Human nobility. They literally have no power here, and so if some ‘Reinhart’ wants to talk to the Council…”

“What about Magnolia Reinhart?”

“Magnolia Reinhart? Wait, you think it’s her?”

“What’s the difference? She’s House Reinhart, and it is probably her.”

“Reinhart nothing. Lady Magnolia was the one who fought in the Antinium Wars! She broke the siege of Liscor! Naane—run to the Council! Tell them it’s her, not some random [Lady]! Of all the stupid—she’s like the one Human we’d hear out!”

“Next!”

“Aren’t you going to block?”

“Give me your strongest punch. I wish to feel it.”

“You’re sure I can hit you?”

“If you can injure me, I will hang up my axe and cease living as a warrior this instant.”

“Fine then. You asked for it!”

“Hiyah!”

“Ow!”

“Try again.”

“Ow! Why do I feel like I’m hurting myself more than you?”

“Your form is terrible.”

“Thanks.”

“It is not a compliment.”

“Do you not even know how to punch properly?”

“Is there a way to punch right? Don’t you just make a fist and—”

“Well, I don’t know! I’ve never been in a fight before I came here!”

“Never?”

“Never.”

“What about your creature? Surely it knows how to do battle.”

“That neither you nor your—pet know how to defend yourselves is a shame. Were you never taught how to fight?”

“What about your skill? That [Hammer Blow] attack was amazing! How about you teach me how to do that?”

“Someone who cannot even punch properly would never learn a Skill.”

“Okay, your skill is super-advanced. But how do you do it? I mean, is it magic?”

“I am no mage. That was a Skill. It allows me to transcend my hardest strike and turn it into something even stronger.”

“Yeah…I still don’t get it.”

“If you swing that thing as hard as you can, how can you somehow hit harder than your hardest hit? Um. What I meant was—”

“It is the act of exceeding one’s limits.”

“There is art in this. My kind practices little magic. There are war mages, and we do study in places like Wistram—but we respect martial ability more often.”

“Nevertheless, we respect the art of war in magic, engineering, and all forms. We understand honing one’s techniques, learning systematically. And this—we understand the flow of combat. To learn and use such Skills, you must forget your frailties and strike with heart.”

“That sounds deep. Like a martial art.”

“The House of Minos learned from [Martial Artists] to create the basis of our hand-to-hand training. I am surprised you know of it. Most Izrilians are ignorant [Brawlers]. What do you know of such things?”

“I know it’s good! It’s sort of like…um…a way to fight with your hands? You kick and punch in special ways. And footwork and stuff.”

“That…proves you know what it is, if nothing of it.”

“Hey! Fair.”

“I know a Human who fights with her fists. She is…skilled. But wild. And she does not understand. She fights with cunning and grace, but she only fights at her limit. She does not think she can go further. Thus—she never will.”

“She lacks vision. I will make her understand that.”

“So what’s the key behind a Skill opposed to just fighting good? Desire?”

“Not just desire. It is the refinement of a single strike into a moment of perfection. But that is something far beyond you at this moment. For now, you must learn to punch.”

“Strike my palm. I will show you how to attack properly.”

“Not like that. You will break your fingers if you strike unevenly.”

“Like this. Strike with your knuckles here and here. And keep your thumb outside your fist.”

“And then when you strike, step forwards and move your hips like so.”

“Okay let me try. Like—this?”

“Again.”

“Now, the skeleton. Punch it.”

“You. Thing. Dodge her.”

“Try to strike it.”

“You are painfully slow. Move faster! Don’t strike where he is, but where he will be.”

“Fast. Faster. Pull back your arm quickly.”

“Why am I learning to fight with my fists? Shouldn’t I be using a sword?”

“I am teaching you a basic truth. You must know how to fight without weapons, or it will be a weakness others will exploit. Besides, you understand nothing of the flow of combat. You must learn to strike your opponent before you are worthy of using a blade.”

“Very well. We shall try something else. The skeleton shall guard, and you will break through. Punch him, kick him. Destroy your opponent.”

“Ow.”

“If you break your fingers or cut your skin, there are potions. Keep attacking.”

“Don’t stop! Press the attack! Your goal is to defeat your enemy. Hurt him. Mercy is a luxury only the strong can afford. Attack until he lies in pieces.”

“I can’t do this.”

“You must. You must learn to fight.”

“No.”

“I can’t. I’m no warrior.”

“The king is smart and uses his head. For if he moves, he’ll soon be dead.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means—it means that whenever I got into trouble before, I always got people killed. Or I killed. I nearly died. I can’t do it. Better to just let Toren learn to fight. Teach him instead.”

“Your king. In times of need, even he defends himself, does he not?”

“Only as a last resort.”

“This is the last resort I speak of. Someday, you will surely be alone and without anyone to protect you. Will you die then or fight?”

“Striking a downed opponent may be wrong.”

“Perhaps—yes. There is more honor in you than I thought. Very well. I have little time, so I shall simply teach you to fight. If you practice against your creature, you may learn the basics quickly enough.”

“The skeleton will block. Simply strike at him. He is dead, so it matters little what you do. Forget death and battle for the moment. Simply know the purity of combat.”

“That doesn’t mean strike like a pathetic weakling! Hit harder!”

“Ow.”

“Now—a spar.”

“Can’t we rest instead?”

“No. Consider this a final test. Both of you—spar with each other. You are a good match. Equally weak. Well, the skeleton knows how to fight, but it should be good practice.”

“Ow! Hey—”

“…Can you do that again?”

“Take a good look at this.”

“Where did you get that from, Cervial? I’ve never seen a crossbow made like that.”

“That’s because this one is made by Dwarves. Custom-ordered. Ever seen one this nice, Gerial? It’s like a bow, but one that you can load and wait until you need to shoot. This one’s a piece of art. Pure Dwarfsteel, straight from the forges of Deríthal-Vel.”

“Beautiful. Crossbow Stan’s got the best ones I’ve seen, and he’ll go green with jealousy when he sees yours. What’s the range compared to a bow…? We should have you and Marian compete for range and accuracy and power.”

“It cost nearly every gold piece we had, but it was worth it. We cracked the armor of a Stone Golem with one shot, and we’ve brought down more shielded enemies than I can count with this.”

“And this is your trump card for the expedition?”

“We might be at a disadvantage if we run into tight corridors, but with this, we’ll be able to pull our weight.”

“Well, we’re all set here. We’ve got a battle plan worked out, and my team and The Horns of Hammerad are set. Menes says his folks have enough mana potions. The only group not accounted for is Gregor’s. Where is he?”

“No worries. I’ve got that securely put away.”

“Gregor is busy going through the last adventurers clamoring to join the expedition. He says he’ll probably turn them all down, but you never know who’ll turn up.”

“Did we find anyone useful?”

“Some.”

“A few [Mages], a Silver-rank with sword and shield…not too many, but better than nothing. I asked the mage you told me about, Gerial, but he turned me down.”

“It was, ah, just a thought. We could use all the help we can get.”

“No use fretting about one or two swords now. We’re five adventuring teams. Counting the extras, we’re over forty people strong, and all of us are Silver-rank. If there’s a Gold-rank team better than this, I’d love to see it.”

“Um. Excuse me? I heard you were the team going into the ruins. Would you mind if I joined your group?”

“I’m sorry, but we have enough fighters, and this is a dangerous expedition we’re embarking on. We can’t take rookies or people who aren’t adventurers.”

“How do you know I’m not an adventurer?”

“You don’t have any weapons or armor, and you act like a civilian.”

“Oh.”

“But I still think you might be willing to take me. I have valuable skills I could contribute, and I—I’d like to improve myself.”

“Oh? And what class are you, then? And I don’t believe I caught your name.”

“Forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Olesm. I’m a [Tactician]. Level 24.”

“Aaaah! Help!”

“Stop running! Don’t—don’t crouch like that. If you must retreat, do it quickly and without wasting motion. Never turn your back to the enemy!”

“Calruz! What are you doing?”

“Move aside, Ceria. I am teaching her to fight.”

“By bullying her?”

“She must learn to fight an enemy stronger and larger than she is.”

“Yeah, but there are limits. I wouldn’t ever get in a fight with a Minotaur. If I’m ever without mana or any potions, I’ll just run for it.”

“Exactly!”

“I’m hungry! And tired! I’ve been doing stupid spars all day! I haven’t even had lunch!”

“Is this true?”

“I’m sure Erin was grateful to learn from you, but if she doesn’t want to learn any more, you have to respect that.”

“Running away will not solve anything. She must hone her instincts. I will let her rest after she lands a proper hit on me. Now move—”

“Take this!”

“How’s that, you jerk? Happy?”

“That—was a dishonorable blow.”

“But it was what you wanted. Keep chasing me and I’ll—I’ll do it again!”

“Go. Rest.”

“I will teach you. If you are to protect her, you must fight better. Come. Strike at me.”

“If you’re done beating up my skeleton, does anyone want something to eat?”

“That was hilarious.”

“It was underhanded.”

“I’ve never seen anything funnier.”

“At least she was able to strike at me, even by surprise. That is good.”

“But really, Calruz, why were you so intent on teaching her? I thought you were going to just show her how to punch properly, not try and turn her into an adventurer overnight.”

“I was. But she showed me that she had more potential than that.”

“Oh?”

“She is—talented. Very talented. Ceria. In the course of a few hours, she was able to overwhelm that skeleton in a fist fight. And then she unlocked a Skill. She learned one in the heat of training.”

“You’re joking.”

“No.”

“That’s impossible.”

“It is rare, but I have heard of it being done. Never seen it on one’s first day of training. Erin Solstice has a sense for battle. I have met others like her. She is gifted. Talented. It is a shame she never trained before this.”

“Stop. My ears are burning.”

“You have potential. But if you are attacked now, what I have taught you will not suffice. You must practice. Train. Remember that for now you are still weak.”

“Oh, I know. I’m not going to do anything stupid, even if I do learn to fight, though. Anyways, if I ever do get attacked, I’ll just toss a jar of acid at them.”

“What?”

“Do you—do you have no sense of danger? Why are you so casual with that stuff? What if you dropped it?”

“Hey, I’m not the one handling it! Toren doesn’t have any fleshy bits to melt, and it’s useful.”

“You Human—no, you’re crazy. Pardon me, Erin, but you are.”

“May I buy one?”

“You? Are you insane, Gerial?”

“It may come in useful, Ceria. Besides, it shouldn’t break if I put it in my pack.”

“It’s your funeral. Just don’t walk near me while we’re fighting.”

“I’ve got lots more if you want some.”

“One is fine. It may be quite useful, but I’ll trust to my usual preparations rather than rely on it.”

“Speaking of which…”

“It’s time. Yvlon bought supplies, but I’ll hand them out now so you can put them in your packs. We’ve got rations and water and four healing potions and four mana potions each. Torches and flint—all the basic supplies, but we’ll have a few carts we’ll take in with us.”

“Only four healing potions? Wouldn’t it be better to, I dunno, take a lot? That way you can just heal up again and again, right?”

“There’s a limit to how much we can heal. After so many potions the body just—quits. And besides, if we’re taking enough injuries to need more than a few healing potions, we’re already in trouble.”

“The longest battle we’ve had was against an undead Lich a while back. We ran out of potions, and half of our group could barely move from healing up. We can’t rely on magic for everything.”

“Just everything important.”

“I am not one for speeches. But tomorrow we go into new ruins, and we may find treasure beyond our dreams there or the greatest of enemies. Regardless, we go together. The Horns of Hammerad shall return triumphant.”

“To honor and glory.”

“To honor.”

“Can you really handle drinking so much?”

“This isn’t that strong. And besides, we’re heading in later in the morning. If I get really drunk, I’ll get someone to heal me. Or drink a mana potion.”

“Mana potions and alcohol don’t mix well. I drink it, everything comes back up. It’s messy, but effective.”

“Just so long as you don’t forget and drink the acid.”

“…What a crappy thing to be good at.”