The Drukyr and Lucas walked down a street that reeked of stale oil. The once-stone-paved street was now covered in layers of grease and grime, baked hard by the sun. Lucas carried two large sacks filled with strange plants; the only thing he recognized in the jumble of plants and fruits was a single, lonely apple.
“Did you really need all this to work on my weapon?” Lucas asked, shifting the heavy bags.
Edir walked ahead, his blind crow perched contentedly on his wrist.
“Nay, I need it for me Gut-Scrubber,” Edir replied, feeding a strip of raw meat to the bird. “Did ye miss me, Snowball? Did the lass keep yer belly full?”
“Snowball...” Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. “Isn’t that an odd name for a crow darker than charcoal?”
“He had no feathers when I found the poor sod. Bald and pink, round as a snowball.” The tenderness in the Drukyr's voice caught Lucas off guard. The grumbling, mocking man had vanished, replaced by a doting parent.
“Anyway, lad. Have ye decided on a weapon? I can forge anythin’, but choose wisely. I’ll not have ye throwin’ away my work, or worse - lettin’ it rust, abandoned and forgotten.”
Lucas nodded. He wasn't as sentimental about steel, but he wasn't foolish enough to waste the chance for a custom weapon from a master smith.
“I was thinking a longsword. I want the option to use a shield, too,” he responded. He had given it some thought. Knights used swords for a reason - they were versatile, offering decent reach while remaining deadly up close. “I plan to keep using the bow as my primary, but if the enemy closes the gap, I’ll switch to the blade.”
“A sword, eh?” Edir grunted, clearly unimpressed. “Lad, a weapon must feel natural in yer hands. If a sword makes yer heart race and blood boil, then so be it. I will forge what ye ask, but I think ye are making a mistake.”
“Why?”
“Ye might have the body for a sword, but not for a shield. Yer fast, lad. Agile. Ye aren’t built to stand like Qalda and meself and catch blows.”
“So you think I should use a longsword without a shield?” Lucas asked.
“Nay. I think ye shouldn’t bother with a sword at all.” Edir said, his voice dropping to a serious rumble. “Think, lad. What is it ye want to kill? And what is yer strength? Speed? Muscle? Or just stubbornness?”
I get what he is saying, Lucas thought. But he doesn’t know I can improve my attributes. Just because speed is my strongest aspect now doesn't mean it won't be strength later.
He stayed a few steps away as Edir stopped at the smithy to speak with the owner.
But what do I want to kill? Preferably nothing. But that's not an option anymore. If I'm going to be Unbowed, I have to kill monsters.
An image surfaced in Lucas’s mind - a dragon. The giant brown reptile he had seen in the military camp.
He didn’t know what kind of monsters existed in this world, but he was certain a simple sword and shield wouldn't be enough to kill such a beast. Perhaps, with magic, there existed shields capable of withstanding dragon fire and swords sharp enough to pierce scaled hide. But the style itself... it felt too passive.
“In we go, lad,” Edir called, stepping into the dark interior of the smithy.
“Whose forge is this?”
“That man’s. I rented it.” Edir dropped his heavy bag near the anvil. He dragged a small wooden stool closer and collapsed onto it with a groan. “Drukyr legs were made for standing firm, not this endless ploughin' tramping about.”
Lucas laughed and dropped one of the sacks on the floor, earning himself a low growl from Edir. He set the second one down with exaggerated care, ensuring none of the strange fruits or plants were crushed.
“Edir, which weapon do you suggest?” he asked. “I understand I’ll be fighting monsters most of the time, but what if I have to protect myself from men as well?”
“Lad, look at our group. Qalda fights with bare hands, that bloodsuckin’ leech pokes with his toothpicks, and I crush my enemies with my hammer or cleave ‘em with my axe. Who do ye think is the strongest?”
“Qalda? Since she is the leader.”
“Ye got no eyes, kid,” Edir grunted, though a brief smile crossed his face. “None is stronger. We are... different. Qalda and I, we live in the reach of the enemy. ‘Cause of that, we know how to bleed and keep standing. The Leech and the Witch can’t. But one is a ghost in the wind, and the other casts her... strange spells. Don’t ask me how, kid. I know naught of magic.”
Lucas listened carefully. Edir was helping him see the battlefield from a different angle. It wasn’t about which weapon was more deadly or which combat style was superior; it was about mindset and compatibility.
“Edir, I will continue using my bow. But for melee, I want a weapon with reach that allows me to use my speed,” Lucas said, choosing his words carefully. “I want to be difficult to hit. I’d rather dodge than stand there and block.”
Edir grinned and pulled a roll of parchment from beneath his tunic.
“I drew this but yesterday. My hands have been itching to forge it.”
He unfolded the parchment and smoothed it out for Lucas to see.
It was a spear.
However, it was no simple combination of a wooden shaft and a steel tip. This weapon was to be made entirely of metal. The shaft was collapsible, comprised of ten interlocking metal segments designed to fold into one another. The spearhead was shaped like a star.
The blueprint was drawn in such detail that even Lucas could grasp the mechanics instantly, despite the complexity of the internal springs and locks.
“Eh? Ye like it?” Edir smirked.
“I do.”
“Good, now leave. I don’t like distractions while I forge, go bother Qalda,” Edir said flatly, rising to his feet. He set Snowball gently on the anvil and rolled up his sleeves.
“Edir, can’t I stay? I want to…”
“Leave! Or I won’t forge a damned thing!”
Lucas pressed his lips into a thin line, turned around, and left. He had hoped to learn something about smithing, at least enough to unlock a new skill, but Edir’s tone was too unyielding to argue with.
He knew the group was staying at an inn near the temple of the Goddess Bahenna, but he didn’t know exactly where they were at the moment. Instead of aimlessly searching for them, he decided to explore the city itself.
Lucas headed toward the center of Charstone, using the massive temple as a beacon. The highest point of the structure - a colossal stone chalice holding an eternal, roaring fire - was visible from every corner of the city.
As he exited the district where the smithies and workshops were clustered, the air became noticeably fresher. And his boots no longer sank into the mud and grease that coated the streets.
The city was divided into districts - residential, industrial, military... with the center serving as a massive marketplace anchored by the temple.
Beyond the market lay the Inner City, ringed by taller, thicker stone walls. Lucas wasn’t allowed to enter, but through the open gates, guarded by dozens of soldiers, he managed to glimpse giant, luxurious villas with colorful gardens.
The common residents lived in stark contrast. Their homes were dense, multi-story blocks. Through open archways, Lucas glimpsed the heart of these buildings - shared, open-air courtyards. Wooden galleries wrapped around the inner walls like vines, connecting neighbors who leaned over railings to trade gossip. Laundry lines crisscrossed the air between balconies like festive banners. It was chaotic, loud, but strangely alive.
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Lucas got so distracted by his exploration that he only noticed his hunger when his stomach growled in protest. He looked around for food stalls. He had seen a few already, but the food they offered looked alien and unappealing.
But eventually, the hunger became unbearable, and the strange appearance of the local cuisine was no longer a concern.
He turned and walked toward the temple, knowing he was bound to find food in the central marketplace.
As he approached the center, rows of stalls unfolded around him, displaying various stones, artifacts, and items completely unknown to him. He quickly realized he hadn't seen this specific section of the market before, so he slowed his pace, observing the wares with renewed attention.
[
Name: Dark Stone
Tier: Common
]
[
Name: Ordinary Necklace
Tier: Common
]
[
Name: Eagle
Type: Predator’s egg
Tier: Common
Status: Dead
]
He quickly confirmed that Coward's Eye worked not only on living targets but on items as well. That realization sparked an idea. This section of the marketplace was cluttered with old, random odds and ends. With his unique skill, there was a real chance he could find a hidden treasure among the trash - a true bargain.
First, he approached a stall where crystals of various colors and sizes were arranged and began checking them one by one.
[
Name: Sapphire
Tier: Common
]
[
Name: Hardened Dirt
Tier: Common
]
[
Name: Painted Stone
Tier: Common
]
After checking every single one, he quickly realized that finding a bargain would be more difficult than he had thought in his excitement. Most of the items were even more useless than the vendors claimed.
Next, he walked to a stall selling beast eggs. The prospect of gaining a beast companion filled him with excitement once more.
“How much for the eggs?” he asked the merchant.
“We price every single egg at ten silver coins!” the merchant announced and spread his arms wide as if offering Lucas the world. He grinned, revealing a gold tooth in his upper jaw. “A steal, truly! These aren’t just eggs. They are futures! Guardians! War beasts!”
He leaned over the counter, his voice dropping to a whisper.
“Our eggs have a forty percent chance of hatching! If you buy three, you are guaranteed to hatch at least one! It’s simple math!”
Lucas nodded, unimpressed. He knew enough about probability to know that the merchant’s math was nonsense, but he didn't argue. Instead, he looked down at the wares.
The eggs were placed in crates lined with soft, expensive-looking velvet, clearly designed to make them look exotic. Some were large and speckled with blue; others were small and leathery. One particularly large egg had a rough, dark shell that looked like stone.
Ten silver coins. The price tag immediately dimmed his excitement. That was a significant chunk of his earnings.
Let’s see what we really have here, Lucas thought, focusing his gaze.
[
Name: Turkey
Type: Bird’s egg
Tier: Common
Status: Weak
]
[
Name: Turkey
Type: Bird’s egg
Tier: Common
Status: Alive
]
Lucas fought the urge to roll his eyes. The large, impressive-looking speckled eggs were nothing more than dinner waiting to happen. He shifted his gaze to the dark, stone-like egg that the merchant seemed particularly proud of.
[
Name: Varniketh
Type: Predator’s egg
Tier: Uncommon
Status: Dead
]
Dead. The merchant was selling a rotting corpse inside a fancy shell. Lucas was about to turn away in disgust when his eyes caught a glimpse of a smaller egg tucked in the back corner, half-buried in the straw. It was pale gray with faint, swirling markings that seemed to shift if he looked at them too long.
[
Name: Griffin
Type: Predator’s egg
Tier: Rare
Status: Weak
Conditions: You must channel adult Griffin’s essence into it (Time remaining 3 days)
]
Lucas’s heart slammed against his ribs. A Griffin?
He was already counting the coins in his mind, his hand drifting toward his pouch, imagining himself soaring through the sky on the back of a legendary beast. But then he read the last line.
Channel adult Griffin’s essence.
Even if he somehow managed to find such a thing, it would cost him far more than he could ever afford. He would have still paid those 10 silvers and stored the egg, but the 3 days time limit…
He shot a glare at the merchant, who was still grinning with his gold tooth on display, and turned toward a stall selling scrolls that were rolled up and sealed. There was absolutely no one near it, not a single potential customer.
“What are these?” he asked the merchant.
The vendor was an old man, his skin hanging loosely from his bones. He barely managed to lift his head at Lucas’s voice. He leaned over the counter, squinting through milky, cataract-clouded eyes, bringing his face uncomfortably close to Lucas just to see a silhouette.
“These magical scrolls were made by my father,” the old man rasped. “And I am selling them.”
“How much do they cost? And what do they do?” Lucas asked, picking one up. It felt brittle, coated in a thick layer of dust.
“How would I know?!” the old man returned the question, sounding exhausted. “Father never told me and opening them is impossible without ruining the spell. I sell each for one silver coin.”
Lucas could see the man was extremely old and likely struggling to survive. Wordlessly, he began checking each scroll, his eyes scanning the dusty pile.
Most of them were garbage, nothing more than crumbles of parchment.
[
Name: Ruined Scroll
]
[
Name: Damp Parchment
]
But as he dug deeper, moving aside the damaged ones, the system window began to flash with promising information. To his surprise, while the scrolls weren’t legendary artifacts, they were definitely much more valuable than one silver coin. If those dead beast eggs were being sold for ten, these should have been priced at a hundred, easily.
[
Name: Minor Agility Boost
Description: Increase Agility by 10% (max. 5) for 1 minute.
Tier: Uncommon
Use: Break the seal to use it
]
He found another, this one with a golden seal.
[
Name: Minor Perception Boost
Description: Increase Perception by 10% (max. 5) for 1 minute.
Tier: Uncommon
Use: Break the seal to use it
]
His heart beat faster. These were combat buffs. Simple, but potentially life-saving. He kept digging until he found an offensive spell and a utility scroll.
[
Name: Lesser Fireball
Description: Shoot a fireball at your target
Tier: Uncommon
Use: Break the seal to use it
]
[
Name: Appraisal
Description: Appraise any item below Rare Tier
Tier: Uncommon
Use: Break the seal to use it
]
“I’ll take these four,” Lucas said without hesitation. He dropped four silver coins onto the old man's trembling palm.
The man brought the coins close to his face, squinting, before his eyes welled up with tears.
“Thank you... thank you so much,” he cried, his voice breaking. "I haven't sold anything in weeks."
The raw gratitude hit Lucas hard. It weighed heavily on his heart, sparking a sudden sense of guilt. He felt like he was robbing this man blind, even if the man didn't know it.
He stared at the old man, who was now biting down on each coin with his remaining gums to check their authenticity. Lucas sighed and opened his pouch again.
He took out six more silver coins and placed them gently on the counter.
“Here,” Lucas said softy. “A tip. For keeping them in such good condition.”
“Oh... Oh, bless you! May the Goddess watch over you!” the man stammered, overwhelmed.
Those scrolls must be worth much more than what I paid, even with the extra coins, Lucas thought, smiling as the man showered him with blessings. But even if they weren't, I don't mind spending a little bit more.
He stepped away from the stall in a genuinely good mood. A sudden lightness filled his chest, a feeling of satisfaction that made him completely forget his gnawing hunger. He was no longer planning to look for food stalls.
The sun had begun to set, casting long shadows across the marketplace, so he turned and walked toward the inn to meet the others.
He had barely taken three steps when his peace of mind was shattered by the deafening roar of a thousand screaming voices.
I was wondering, what is some easy-to-learn but also useful magic that Lucas would have a chance of learning?
The next chapter will be out Tomorrow.
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