Chapter Fifteen
“You’re on,” I said in a deadly calm voice.
It seemed as though there was going to be a duel in Aramore today, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it drew an even larger crowd than the blacksmith’s abuse had since it would feature one of the most powerful men in all of Sorreyal. I had to admit my opponent had some balls to even challenge someone known as the God of Time, so I expected things to get interesting.
“Then it’s settled.” Evyn nodded.
I stared at the duke’s son with determination, and he glared back at me with eyes full of rage. The blond man was a little shorter than me, but I was sure he was professionally trained from a young age, so I wasn’t about to dismiss him on size alone.
Then Ako and Mahini appeared by my side, and they flashed me curious glances as they took in the tense scene.
“Everything okay?” The shapeshifter’s tail flicked from side to side, but I could tell he was ready to jump in to defend me at a moment’s notice.
Mahini remained silent, but her hand hovered over the hilt of her sword, and her ice-blue eyes pierced into Evyn Edinburg like daggers.
“Yep.” I flashed my friend a devilish grin. “The lord here has just challenged me to a duel.”
“Are you scared?” Evyn sneered. “You’re afraid you’ll lose your life today, aren’t you?”
I wanted to punch him right then and there, but I remembered my promise to King Frederick not to harm any of the Edinburg boys. Still, the king would have to understand his Archduke couldn’t have said no to this challenge without making the entire kingdom look weak, so I put my promise out of my mind.
“To the death?” Mahini asked as her eyes searched my face for any signs of denial.
“If necessary.” I set my lips in a grim line. “But I will not be the one dying this day.”
“When will this duel take place?” Ako stepped ever so slightly between us, and he flashed me a warning look, but I was grateful to him for preventing me from punching my opponent. “Both sides need time to prepare, I assume?”
“So, you accept my challenge?” Evyn narrowed his eyes at me.
“I accept.” I nodded. “On one condition. Let the blacksmith go.”
“You would trade your life for his?” Evyn shook his head in disbelief. “You’re a fool, and soon you’ll be a dead fool. My father will reward me beyond measure when I tell him the news.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I warned. “Write your letter to daddy after you lose so you can tell him how the Archduke kicked your ass.”
“When are we dueling?” Ako repeated in an insistent tone, and he held up the palms of his hands toward each of our chests.
“Sunrise,” I said, and Evyn nodded in agreement.
“Very well.” Ako’s honey-colored eyes flicked back and forth between the two of us. “So, we reconvene in the morning. I suggest a larger area for the fight, this street got a little crowded.”
“Outside the city walls,” Evyn suggested.
“Good with me.” I shrugged. “I can take you whenever and wherever you want, E.”
“How dare you assume familiarity with me?” Evyn snarled. “I will send one of my men to watch over you so I know you will show up in the morning.”
“Not necessary,” I assured him. “Unless you want one of my people to do the same to you? I will be there. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“I am the one who challenged you!” Evyn countered as his face flushed bright red.
“I’ll see you bright and early in the morning, E,” I taunted. “Try to get some sleep before the final duel of your life.”
Evyn huffed, but he didn’t reply. Then he swiveled, signaled to his guards, and marched down the street away from us.
“Well, that got interesting,” Ako observed with an amused smile. “Where did the blacksmith run off to?”
“I’m over here!” The man waved as he jogged over to us, and I managed to get a better look at him. He was a muscular man, and his short-clipped auburn hair was graying in some spots which showed his age, but his green eyes burned with life. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I wanted to thank you for saving my life.”
“It was no problem.” I grinned. “I’m glad you’re okay. According to Evyn, all you did was refuse to join their army. Is this true?”
“I didn’t feel right making weapons when Sorreyal is at peace…” The blacksmith shrugged. “I know King Frederick would send out a proclamation if we went to war. He always does, so I didn’t trust Lord Edinburg’s words.”
“That puts you on the right side, my friend,” I informed him. “The Duke of Edinburg is on the run from the law, and I’m the law.”
“It’s a crazy world we live in these days,” the man sighed. “I never thought I’d see the day when our enemies were within our own boundaries.”
“You’re telling me,” I chuckled. “I’ve had my hands full rooting out corruption lately, but Sorreyal is safe with me around, I can promise you that.”
“I will keep positive for the land,” he promised me, and then he stuck out his hand for me to shake. “The name’s Miller.”
“You’re speaking to the Archduke and the God of Time,” Ako informed him. “A little respect is in order.”
“M-My apologies, Your Grace, er, Great One,” the blacksmith stammered as his eyes widened. “I didn’t know.”
“You can call me Bash.” I grinned as I took his hand, but then I spotted the rest of my companions over his shoulder, and my smile widened even further. “Looks like it’s time for my bath, though, so I suppose this is farewell.”
“If you don’t mind,” Miller said in a cautious tone. “I’d like to watch the duel. I know of a few other people who would be interested, too, but I wouldn’t want to be a bother…”
“What’s a duel without an audience?” I laughed. “As long as you promise to stay out of the fight, then you’re more than welcome to come watch. It’s going to take place outside the gates of Aramore at dawn.”
“Yeah, I heard.” Miller smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”
“No worries,” I chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, my friend.”
Then I clapped him on the shoulder before I crossed the distance to where Elissa, Eva, and Caelia stood waiting for me.
“Where have you been?” I asked with a worried frown. “Is everything okay?”
“We went to get an inn for us,” my wife informed me with a proud lift of her chin. “After the crowd began to disperse, I could tell you didn’t need our help anymore, so I figured I would be helpful in another way.”
“You’re amazing.” I swooped my pregnant wife into my arms and kissed her firmly on her rosy lips. “Lead the way to the hot bath, babe.”
“I am a--” Elissa started to argue.
“A full-grown woman, I know,” I cut her off with a laugh. “Babe just means someone really attractive in my world.”
“Oh.” Elissa’s face brightened, and the other two girls giggled. “Your world must be very confusing, Bash.”
“It was at times,” I agreed.
My wife wasn’t wrong, but I hadn’t fully understood how strange some of my vernacular was until I’d been summoned to this medieval world. I was raised in the midst of modern lingo, so it came easily to me, but it was fun to teach some of my slang words to my women and friends. It was hilarious when they used their new vocabulary incorrectly, too, but that was just the icing on the cake that came with having such awesome followers.
“Come on,” Eva said, and she reached for my hand. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
I gestured for Mahini and Ako, and then we all followed Elissa back to the inn. My wife had chosen a place called The Overnighter, and the adobe brick building looked welcoming with candlelight spilling out the windows as we approached. It wasn’t far from the street where Evyn had gathered a crowd, and it was conveniently close to the gates of the city, as well.
“Perfect.” I grinned. “As long as they have running hot water, that is.”
“That was the first question we asked,” Caelia informed me with a proud glint in her chocolate eyes. “This is the third inn Elissa dragged us to.”
“The first two were unacceptable for the Archduke of Sorreyal,” Elissa huffed. “You deserve the best, Bash.”
“You girls did great,” I complimented before I started marching up the steps, and I threw a cheeky smirk over my shoulder. “Last one in gets the last bath.”
Everyone rushed after me, and I led the way inside. A short while later, we’d all bathed, and we were relaxing around a table after a hot meal. Conversation turned to the upcoming duel, but my companions were more excited than nervous.
They’d never seen me lose, after all.
“So, Evyn doesn’t know where his father is?” Eva asked with a thoughtful frown.
“Nope,” I sighed. “Our last chance is Eurikson.”
“Or the bastard,” Ako pointed out. “Zabalas is about a day’s ride from here…”
“So is Edinburg Manor,” I reminded him. “We stay on course.”
“As you command,” the shapeshifter murmured, but I saw a fire in his honey-colored eyes, and I knew the discussion was far from over.
I knew the cat-wizard would respect my wishes, but he would voice his opinion, and I was glad for it. I didn’t want to be surrounded by a bunch of yes men, after all. I waited for Ako to argue his point further for a moment, but when no such words came, I moved on to other aspects of the upcoming challenge.
“If the town sees Evyn Edinburg get disgraced in a fair duel,” I said. “Then they would be more likely to reject the Edinburgs in the future. I wouldn’t want to take daddy out of the picture just to have another of his offspring swoop in and steal all the power.”
“The king will likely appoint others to the role of duke and duchess after the trial,” Eva mused. “Things are certainly changing swiftly around Sorreyal.”
“Yeah, I remember when the biggest challenge I faced was your brother,” I snorted, but then I flashed the duke’s daughter an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”
“I’ve told you.” Eva waved a dismissive hand. “Lucian deserved what he got, and so does Evyn. These noble bred men think the world will be handed to them based solely on their birth, but it’s time they learned what real power looks like.
“Hear, hear,” Elissa added, and she raised her mug of apple cider in the air. “Teach the snotty lords a lesson, Bash!”
Everyone cheered, and we toasted our drinks in the air before we drank heavily. The rest of the evening was spent swapping stories and getting tipsy, but I cut myself off after a while since I didn’t want to be hungover or sleep in. We made our way to bed with light hearts and wide smiles, but I was too tired to invite anyone into my room.
I bade goodnight to my lovers and friends, and then I collapsed into the soft bed. It felt like only minutes passed before I heard a knock on the door, and I grumbled as I pushed myself off the mattress.
“It is nearly dawn.” Mahini stood on the other side of the portal with my weapons and armor in her arms. “It’s time to get ready.”
“Is anyone else awake yet?” I asked.
“Caelia and Ako,” Mahini informed me. “Elissa and Eva are still asleep, but I’m going to let you be the one to wake them up. They’re generally nicer toward you in the mornings.”
“True,” I chuckled. “Help me get armored up, and then I’ll wake them. I don’t want anyone to miss out on me kicking the duke’s son’s ass.”
Mahini smirked as she sashayed into the room, and she deposited her load on my bed before she pulled the first piece from the pile. Between the two of us, it didn’t take long for me to get ready, and a short while later, I was eating breakfast with all of my companions. Elissa and Eva had been surprisingly easy to rouse, and we all gobbled up our food in a hurry before we left the inn.
I made a new save point as I mounted Goliath, and I grinned as I led the way out of town.
This was going to be easy.
Evyn Edinburg was waiting for us with a retinue of soldiers surrounding him, but they backed up to form a semicircle around their lord. His curly blond hair fluttered in the early morning breeze, and the rays of the rising sun bounced off his golden locks. He would have been attractive if it wasn’t for the large hooked nose in the center of his face, and the combination reminded me of Owen Wilson.
A small crowd had gathered around the soldiers, but the armed men kept a protective barrier between the people and their lord. I was sure the citizens of Aramore were trusted a little less after yesterday’s incident, and I was glad to have inspired a change in the angry mob. I spotted Miller, the blacksmith I’d saved the previous day, among the watching faces, and I gave him a friendly wave before I approached the duke’s son.
“I was wondering if you were going to show up,” Evyn scoffed as I brought my horse to a halt in front of him.
“I’m surprised you beat me here,” I laughed. “Are you ready to get your ass handed to you?”
“It will stay rooted firmly on my rear,” Evyn insisted with a proud lift of his chin, and then he slid his helmet over his curly blond hair.
“We’ll see,” I snickered as I dismounted Goliath and passed his reins over to Ako.
I stretched out the muscles in my neck and shoulders as I squared up opposite Evyn, and the duke’s son watched my movements closely. He was searching for a weakness, but he wouldn’t find any.
“Your armor looks cheaply made,” Evyn sneered. “Was it made by some small-town blacksmith or something?”
“Oh, don’t worry,” I said with a shit-eating grin. “We’ll see who has the better armor at the end of the day. I don’t even need any protection, but I figured it was only fair.”
“Enough.” Mahini strode into the space between us and held up her hands. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Awe, where’s the fun in that?” I flashed the desert goddess a mock pouty face, and I saw the corners of her lips twitch into a smile. “Okay, okay. Time to take care of business. What’s my reward for winning?”
“My victory shall come when you are dead,” Evyn said.
“Well, I’m going to need some answers and your armor when I win,” I informed him with a decisive nod. “I don’t have to kill you to achieve my goals.”
“You’ve already given away your weakness, then,” Evyn sneered.
“Common dueling rules apply,” Mahini announced, and her ice-blue gaze flicked between the duke’s son and me. “There will be no interference until one of you is on the ground.”
“To the death!” Evyn shouted, and he lunged forward with his rapiers raised.
Mahini had to dart sideways to avoid him, and rage bloomed in my gut.
The motherfucker couldn’t even wait for her to get out of the way?
I wanted to kill him right then and there, but where was the fun in that? I needed to teach this prick a lesson about manners and fucking with the wrong god, so I parried his blow with my feather sword before I pushed him back with my blade.
“Watch where you’re stepping, asshole,” I hissed, but Mahini managed to scramble out of the way of our fight.
The desert goddess joined my other companions on the sideline, and the five of them completed the circle around Evyn and me. The crowd drew closer, but the soldiers pressed back against the people with their shields, and the circle around us held.
I swatted at Evyn’s rapiers with my feather sword, but then he whipped the blade in his left hand up and under my right arm. A sharp slash scratched across my chest, but my breastplate took the brunt of the hit, and I wasn’t hurt.
A loud oof echoed through the watching people, but I was just glad I’d put on all my armor before the duel. Evyn’s rapiers were fast, and sharp, so I needed to be wary.
With a relieved sigh, I countered his blow by bashing into him, shoulder first, and I knocked him several paces backward. Now, I had a little bit more room to work with, so I circled the duke’s son and eyed him closely.
I already knew I was going to reset as many times as was necessary until I managed to win the duel without a scratch on me, but I wanted to learn as much about the lesser lord’s fighting style as possible first.
“Starting to realize you should be afraid of me, huh?” Evyn snickered as he shuffled back and forth on his feet. “I’ve been fencing since I could hold the hilt of a sword, so don’t feel bad if you’re outmatched.”
“Ah, it’s okay.” I grinned. “I don’t scare easily.”
Evyn dashed forward, and his blades whipped through the air with a loud twang.
I stayed in a defensive position, and I blocked blow after blow without making a move to attack. I heard sounds of impatience from the audience, but I ignored them as I focused on memorizing Evyn’s movements. Once I had his fighting style memorized, I reset back to my save point with a wave of my will.
Chime.
I’d lived through more than a few fights during my time in this world, and I’d learned countless skills to help me win this duel, so I had a confident grin on my face as I rode Goliath out of Aramore. Memories of my duel against Lucian Bullard flashed through my mind’s eye, and I was grateful I didn’t have to fight a small army after winning this duel. I wasn’t sure what Evyn’s twenty guards would do when their lord lost, but I wasn’t worried about them.
I waved to Miller as I dismounted my steed, and the auburn-haired blacksmith grinned in response. Then I made my way into the center of the crowd to face Evyn.
This time, I would be ready for him to attack early, and I waited patiently while Mahini strode in between us.
“Common dueling rules apply,” Mahini announced for the second time, and her ice-blue gaze flicked between the duke’s son and me. “There will be no interference until one of you is on the ground.”
“To the death!” Evyn screeched again, but I was already expecting his attack.
I grabbed Mahini by the wrist with my free hand, and I pulled her into my arms as I brought up my feather sword to parry Evyn’s rapier in the same fluid motion. Mahini’s ice-blue eyes melted as she gazed lovingly up at me, and I planted a quick kiss upon her lips before I twirled her away to safety.
Then I danced with the duke’s son, and our blades sang out a metallic melody as they met. I eyed Evyn’s armor while we fought since the lord had bragged about its higher quality, and he hadn’t been bluffing. Everything was made of good quality metal and appeared to be custom made since every piece fit him perfectly. His gauntlets in particular looked very interesting, and I began to imagine the possible stats they could have.
It was several long moments before I landed a strike on Evyn, but his eyes widened with surprise as my blade scratched against his shoulder guard. I nearly sliced into the junction between his breastplate and helmet, but he pulled his torso backward in the last instant to avoid the blow.
I had him on the defensive, though, and the duke’s son shuffled backward to get some distance between us.
“Who’s scared now?” I taunted. “You might have better armor, but it will be mine soon enough.”
“You’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands,” Evyn declared, and he lunged forward once more.
The taunt succeeded in getting him to move, and I pressed into the opening his movement gave me. I stabbed between the flurry of blades, but he blocked my weapon with his own before it even got close to him.
“You’re awfully slow for a god,” Evyn jeered.
I worked the muscle in my jaw as I repositioned my weight on the balls of my feet, but I didn’t respond to his insult. He had no idea how fast I could be, and I smirked behind my helmet as we started to circle each other once more.
The years of training he’d received his entire life were certainly helping him stay alive for a little while longer, but it wouldn’t last. I still had plenty of tricks up my sleeve, and all the time in the world to experiment with the best combinations. In the worst-case scenario, I could always use magic to get the upper hand, but I wasn’t sure if it was allowed, in the rules of the duel. Plus, I had my griffon feather boots. If he wanted to see fast, then I was more than happy to oblige, but it might be overkill in this situation.
Oh, well.
If the crowd got upset, I would just reset and not use the special ability of my boots during the next attempt, so I stomped my foot with a grin. Then I dashed forward to slash at Evyn in a blur of motion so fast he couldn’t keep up with me, and soon he merely held his gauntlets over his face to protect himself from my relentless blows. His armor held up beneath the brute force of my attacks, though, so I aimed for weak spots like the junctions between pieces.
Evyn hissed with pain when I sliced into the connection between his gauntlets and his vambraces, and he dropped one of his rapiers.
I skidded to a halt before I kicked the blade away from his reach, and I stood over it with my weapon held at the ready.
“I am just as deadly with one rapier,” Evyn sneered. “You have not bested me yet.”
“Yet,” I said, and I shuffled forward as I flicked my blade around in my grasp.
Evyn blocked my blow, and then he plunged his fist firmly into my gut. All of the air expelled from my lungs in one big whoosh, and when I looked down, I noticed my breastplate was dented from the impact. Those were some pretty strong gauntlets, but I had a hard-hitting fist myself, so I threw a jab at his jawline with my left hand. The duke’s son tilted his head back in the last instant, and my fist grazed harmlessly against the edge of his helmet.
The crowd groaned in sympathy, but that was the only cue I needed to decide to reset back to my save point.
Chime.
I spammed resets while I dueled against the duke’s son until I’d memorized his every move, but unfortunately that also meant hearing his horrible taunts over and over again. They didn’t get any easier to listen to with time, but I learned to ignore them better after a few attempts.
Chime.
Evyn called me too many names to keep track of, but I could tell from the desperation in his voice that I had him on the ropes. Unfortunately, he still managed to sucker punch me in the gut, and his gauntlets dented my breastplate again.
Chime.
I won the duel a few times, but not without taking a few hard hits myself, so I didn’t consider it a total victory just yet.
Chime.
By the time I’d dueled against Evyn about twenty times, I was ready to end things and collect my reward. Namely whatever pieces of his armor I chose to take with me and the answers to a few choice questions, so I reset for a final time with total confidence in my ability to win without getting a scratch on me.
Chime.
“Common dueling rules apply,” Mahini announced for what felt like the millionth time, and her ice-blue gaze flicked between the duke’s son and me. “There will be no interference until one of you is on the ground.”
I pulled her into my arms just in time again, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her ice-blue eyes melt into a pool of adoration. Then I blocked Evyn’s attack, twirled her to safety, and danced around the duke’s son like I was a god playing with mortal men.
Because I was.
I saw every move before he even made it, and I entertained myself by stepping just far enough to the side to avoid each blow.
Evyn grew more and more desperate with each failed attack, and his voice filled with barely restrained emotion as he flung out his insults.
“You’re pathetic,” I said in a calm voice as I batted his rapiers away like they’d moved in slow motion.
“How are you doing this?” Evyn demanded as he moved in a flurry of swinging arms and blades. “Hold still!”
“Why would I do a thing like that?” I chuckled as I sidestepped an instant before his sword swung toward my head.
Then I went on the offensive, but I’d already learned exactly where to attack the duke’s son to deal the most damage. I sliced into his arms until he dropped his weapons, and then I cut away at the leather bindings that held his shoulder guards and breastplate on. The metal pieces clattered to the ground with a loud thud, and Evyn scrambled unsuccessfully to grab them before they hit the dirt.
Once he was fully disarmed and vulnerable, I held my blade against his throat.
“Surrender,” I commanded in a loud, clear voice. “Or I will kill you. The rules allow for it.”
“Then kill me,” Evyn hissed. “Why even bother leaving me alive? I will just warn my father you’re after him.”
“Good.” I grinned. “He’s an idiot if he doesn’t know already, anyway.”
“Kill me,” Evyn repeated with a stubborn lift of his chin that pressed my blade even harder against his throat.
“Wouldn’t you rather sacrifice your armor and your time?” I asked. “All I want from you is answers.”
The duke’s son held my gaze for a long silent moment, and I could tell he was fighting an internal battle. On the one hand, I was his father’s enemy, but on the other hand, I’d shown him mercy. He could go either way.
“Answers?” Evyn eyed me in confusion, and his shoulders sagged with defeat. “I am not privy to important information. Father says I’m on a need-to-know basis only, so what answers could I give you?”
“Who is close to your dad?” I asked. “Besides Eurikson, that is. Any servants he trusts?”
“There was only one,” Evyn said with a shake of his head. “And she is dead now.”
“Ah, the bastard’s mother,” I mused out loud.
The duke’s son looked confused for a moment at my knowledge, but then he nodded. “Treated better than legitimate heirs, can you imagine?”
“You Edinburgs sure know how to hold a grudge.” I frowned. “So, this bastard. What would he know?”
“Probably more than me.” Evyn shrugged. “Why don’t you go ask him? I hear he’s in--”
“Zabalas, I know,” I said. “So, you’re just as useless as your little brother after all.”
“My brother?” Evyn’s eyes filled with worry. “What have you done to Exavier?”
“Nothing.” I pulled my blade away from the duke’s son’s throat and slid it back into its sheath. “Now, about this fancy armor of yours… I’m thinking it’s a fair exchange for letting you keep your life.”
“Take it!” Evyn urged, and he began to strip pieces of his gear off.
I watched him closely as he peeled off all of his armor, but I released him from my gaze once it was in a neat pile. Evyn shivered in the desert breeze without the added insulation of his gear, but one of his soldiers quickly brought his thick fur cloak over and draped it across his shoulders.
“Your Grace,” Evyn called from within the safety of his men, and it looked like he had to fight to spit out his next words. “Well fought.”
“Thanks.” I grinned.
The duke’s son wrinkled his nose, but he didn’t argue, and the next thing I knew, I was surrounded by my companions and well-wishers from the gathered audience. I took a moment to scoop my newly claimed armor into my arms, but then my companions lightened my load, and the pieces were distributed equally among them. I’d have to take some time to check the stats later, but for now, I just wanted to bask in the glory of my victory.
“That was incredible!” Elissa gushed.
“You’re so fast!” Mahini complimented.
“Why did you let him live?” Ako asked with a confused frown. “You had every right to kill him.”
“True.” I scratched the stubble on my chin. “But I promised King Fred I wouldn’t hurt the Edinburg boys. He grew up with Eurik’s kids, so he has a soft spot for them.”
“Good job, Your Grace!” Miller grasped my forearm in a firm shake. “You certainly taught the lord a lesson!”
“Thanks,” I laughed. “But you can call me Bash, remember?”
“Did you make a new friend, husband?” Elissa purred, and she slipped her hand around my elbow.
“This is Miller,” I said as I gestured to the blacksmith.
“Bash here saved my life yesterday,” Miller informed my wife in an awed tone. “But I had no idea how powerful he really was until now.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Eva said with a sly smile as her gray eyes filled with lust. “He’s the most powerful man in Sorreyal.”
That was a slightly treasonous statement considering King Frederick technically ranked above me, but I didn’t think Miller was going to turn my fiancée in for her adoration of me, so I let it slide. Besides, the words were nice to hear rolling off some of the most beautiful lips I’d ever seen.
“What did you do to anger the duke’s son?” Caelia asked with a friendly smile directed at our new blacksmith friend.
“I refused to join his army.” Miller shook his head. “I don’t believe in fighting a war with no purpose but power.”
“Bash is gathering an army, you know,” Eva informed him in a casual tone. “He has been asking for volunteers during our time in Vallenwood, but we could always use more tradesmen in Bastianville.”
“Bastianville?” Miller’s eyes flicked from face to face.
“My home town,” I explained.
“Oh, it’s wonderful,” Mahini said, and her ice-blue eyes burned with pride. “It’s certainly come a long way since Bash first arrived.”
“That was back when it was still called Addington,” Elissa explained. “Then Bash killed all the goblins occupying the mine, so we renamed it in his honor.”
“My store is right on main street,” Caelia supplied. “You’ll be able to find everything you need there, and if not, we have plenty of other shops now, too. There’s plenty of work to be had ever since our town smith had to focus on the army.”
“The people there are so lovely,” Eva added. “They welcomed me with open arms when I first arrived, and now they feel like family. It will be so good to return home to see everyone again.”
“Now, there are walls and guard towers as well,” Mahini said, and I was surprised by how talkative she was to the blacksmith, but I supposed her pride in our hometown pushed the words out of her.
“Well, it’s nice of you to ask if people want to join instead of forcing them.” Miller ran a hand through his auburn hair. “That’s the way it should be. And this town you speak of sounds wonderful.”
“I agree.” I nodded.
“It’s settled, then,” Miller declared, and a broad smile stretched across his face. “I’m moving to Bastianville to smith for your army.”
“Are you serious?” I laughed. “That would be awesome!”
“You saved my life,” the blacksmith reminded me. “I’ll spend the rest of it serving you.”
“Welcome aboard,” I said, and I wrapped him in a warm embrace.
Miller stiffened against me for a moment, but then he relaxed into the hug. I didn’t let it last very long, though, and I flashed him a broad grin as we separated.
“This calls for celebration,” I declared.
My companions all sighed, but they had pleased smiles on their faces when I glanced over my shoulder at them, so I gave them a cheeky grin and shrugged.
A short while later, we were crowded around one of the tables at the inn with full bellies once more. Miller shared a few rounds with us, but then he muttered something about needing to pack up his shop before he excused himself for the evening.
I went to bed with my fiancée’s butt snuggled up against my crotch, and I had amazing dreams of charging into battle with an army at my back all night long. I woke up bright and early the next day ready to finish our quest to find the duke, and I trotted downstairs to the table we’d claimed as our own during our time at The Overnighter.
Caelia and Mahini greeted me with bright smiles, but the other early riser wasn’t present.
“Where’s Ako?” I asked as I took a seat.
“Maybe he’s still asleep,” Mahini suggested. “He did have a lot to drink last night.”
“Meh, he’s always up early.” I frowned. “He couldn’t have drank that much, could he?”
The desert goddess merely shrugged, so I decided to let it go.
After a while, Elissa and Eva joined us at the table, and my pregnant wife insisted upon ordering breakfast as soon as possible. I suggested we wait for Ako, and Caelia offered to go rouse him. The shopkeeper returned alone a few moments later, and her chocolate-brown eyes were full of worry when they met mine.
“His room is empty,” Caelia explained. “I looked for a note, but I didn’t see anything.”
“He’s gone?” I frowned. “That’s strange…”
“He’s a strange man,” Mahini pointed out. “I’m sure he can take care of himself, but this is going to delay us further.”
“You’re right,” I said. “We can’t leave without him. We have to find him.”
“I’ll check the stables,” Eva suggested.
“I’ll ask the innkeeper if they saw him this morning,” Caelia offered.
“And I’ll order breakfast,” Elissa said, and she turned her attention to the menu in front of her.
We all burst out laughing, but I couldn’t blame her. My stomach growled insistently, but I’d been waiting for the rest of my companions before eating, so I was quickly getting hangry myself.
“We can’t accomplish anything on an empty stomach,” I pointed out. “Let’s get something to eat and then look for Ako. He’s already got several hours of a lead on us, so another one isn’t going to make that much of a difference.”
After we ate, the five of us spent the rest of the day searching for our shapeshifting wizard friend, but we all returned to the inn empty-handed at the end of the day. We’d looked all over Aramore, but he hadn’t taken his horse from its stall, so I wasn’t sure how far he could have gone.
I just had to hope he returned soon, or I’d have to leave without him.
We could always leave a message with the innkeeper in case he came back after we left, but the idea of continuing without him was unsettling. I’d gotten used to having him around, and he always made everything more entertaining.
We returned to the inn when we’d exhausted all possibilities, and I tried not to worry about my friend, but my mind kept going back to his absence, so I finally decided to do something with my hands to distract myself. I pulled out the armor I’d claimed after my duel with Evyn, and I analyzed each piece one by one.
It was finely made, and there were only a few dents and scratches on it, but those would be easily repaired. Then I pressed my pointer finger against the metal of the gauntlets to activate the stat box, and the translucent text popped up in midair.
Durability – 90%
Weight – 3lbs
Quality – Legendary
Magical Aspect – Steel Fingers
Armor Tier – 10
The armor tier was far beyond what I currently owned, and I’d already seen the effects of the steel fingers up close and personal, so the gauntlets were definitely an upgrade.
The shoulder guards, vambraces, and rerebraces were all the same.
Durability – 100%
Weight – 1lbs
Quality – Legendary
Magical Aspect – Muffle Movement
Armor Tier – 10
They hadn’t gotten a scratch on them, so I put them in a separate pile for things not needing repairs. I was curious about the muffle movement aspect, but it made sense. I hadn’t noticed a lot of creaking or metallic sounds while the duke’s son moved during our duel. Then I checked the breastplate and the helmet.
Durability – 75%
Weight – 5lbs
Quality – Legendary
Magical Aspect – 10% Fire Resistance
Armor Tier – 10
The breastplate was the most damaged so far, so I put it in a pile by itself. The fire resistance aspect could come in handy, and my mind wandered back to memories of my fight with Smiguel, the great crimson fire breathing dragon. Having fireproof armor certainly would have come in handy during that fight. The breastplate would need some attention before I felt comfortable wearing it into battle, but the helmet wasn’t in too bad of shape.
Durability – 89%
Weight – 3lbs
Quality – Legendary
Magical Aspect – 10% Fire Resistance
Armor Tier – 10
The greaves and boots were of the same tier, and around the same durability, as the helmet. Everything needed a good cleaning since the desert dust had settled into every crevice during the duel, and I wanted to repair the pieces before I tested them out for myself, so I tucked everything away into a sack. Then I called it a night and climbed into bed.
I tossed and turned all night long as I worried about my shapeshifting friend, but by the time the first rays of dawn peeked through the window of my room, I’d come to the decision that we needed to continue our quest.
I waited until after breakfast was served before I told the girls about my decision, but they all nodded their heads in understanding.
“We’ll leave after breakfast,” I announced. “With any luck, he’ll catch up to us soon.”
“Soon, like right now?” Ako’s voice asked from behind me.
I jumped up and spun around, and sure enough, the shapeshifter stood before me with a wide smile on his face. He was covered in desert dust from head to toe, but his honey-colored eyes were bright.
“I found him, Bash!” Ako said, and he gestured to a man standing behind him.
The newcomer was equally as dusty, and it was obvious the two had been traveling hard, but I didn’t know from where. Then I noticed the hooked nose on the man’s face, and realization dawned on me.
“Ozmand,” I laughed. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Ako had gone and found the bastard son of the Duke of Edinburg. The very same bastard both Exavier and Evyn had said was trusted with more information than they were.
Maybe our luck was beginning to turn, and I had the cat-wizard to thank for it. I was quickly beginning to learn it was good to have a shapeshifting cat-wizard as your companion, and I couldn’t wait to hear what information the bastard could share.
The Duke of Edinburg was going down.