A mere few hours later and I was back in the guild proper. I sat at my table with bruises and shallow cuts riddled across my body, thankfully covered by my long sleeve silk tunic. The baggy clothes reminded me of Eva’s request to make her some arrowheads to use with her bow, and I thought more about it. I was no fletcher so I didn’t deign to believe I could make the entire arrow, at least not without practice. However, I could make the arrowheads with a simple enchantment. Perhaps I could make an enchanted quiver too with [Runeweaving], using the spider silk spools I had gotten from the spider dungeon.

  But I was getting ahead of myself. Before any of that I needed to create an enchantment for a wind based sword, develop a couple of flame based spells, and make a few arrowheads that she could use while I tried to figure out something more advanced. Even without making an enchantment, each arrowhead would gain something from [Maelstrom Modification]. Part of me wanted to rush to the forge right away to begin the work, the other part wanted to at least finish the wind sword enchantment.

  I wanted a sword that would passively allow me to move faster, allow me to launch blades of wind, and would be able to cut through anything. Realistically, though, getting all of these effects to be as powerful as I wanted in one hundred and twenty five runes would be difficult, so I’d have to abandon one of the enchantments. I technically had a spell for wind blades but I was still lacking in a spell for haste in wind. Not that that would stay the case forever, of course.

  Of course this didn’t take into effect the need for the weapon to also act as a focus for my wind based casting. Given that that was the main focus for the enchantment, I knew I’d have to cut the sharpness enchant out as well.

  I already had a base set of runes set aside for the first two circles. These runes would focus on allowing the weapon to draw mana from both myself and the sky blue lumina stones I had purchased, as well as giving the weapon a self repair and durability enchantment. I planned to use this as the base for the majority if not all of my weapons, as it seemed to work fairly well and allowed the weapon to endure higher strain during combat. I feared without the durability enchantment or the ability to repair the nicks that cascaded down the edge of the sword after sparring with the effigy of Rhosha, that the blade would have shattered from the exercise.

  With a sigh I pulled open my notebook for works in progress enchantments, the pages were nearly all filled by now and I knew I’d soon have to pay the heavy price of more paper and ink. Dipping my quill in ink, I started to copy down the runes I knew I would definitely need for the enchantment, having already learned a lot of them while developing my new spells with Kricket. The rest I had picked up while designing the enchantment for the flame sword, which I still needed to name even if such things were pedantic. Of course it was necessary that a future legend wield a legendary weapon, even if it would only be replaced in a few years.

  I started with the thirty or so runes I knew would be needed for the enhancement portion of the enchantment. I wrote them the same that I would for the enhancement spell, but added a few extra runes in order to strengthen it and allow it to work with the wielder of the weapon. It took a few attempts to order the runes correctly.

  I couldn’t test them well, considering I needed the full enchantment to be complete to check the effects, but while drawing them there was a... feeling. Perhaps it was my [Intuition] acting up, or maybe it was one of my other skills, but the enchantments felt... clunky. They didn’t want to fit together while my spells all fit like puzzle pieces, made for one another and for nothing else.

  I rewrote the runes over and over, filling out a half dozen sheets of paper and switching out some runes for others as I went. It was tedious and hardly groundbreaking work, but I knew it was necessary. Several times I felt the runes were close to being perfect fits with each other but didn’t seem to fully fit, and I knew the enchantment would work but it wouldn’t be its most powerful iteration. A true perfectionist at heart I didn’t want to settle for almost perfect. I didn’t even want to settle for perfect. I wanted to make something that no one else could.

  Something that others would attempt to replicate but fall short on. I wanted my craft to be lauded above others even if I knew more experienced smiths could make something more powerful overall, I wanted my every creation to be the best it could be for my level and my intentions. And so, after hours and hours toiling at a table with cups of fruit juice or water being sent my way, I felt the runes click into place as though they were meant to be together.

  I nearly jumped for joy, saved only by remembering here I was and noticing the guild hall had grown much more busy. Save from the booth I was working at, only three tables were empty. I caught a glance of several new faces, not that I knew many of the people at the guild or in town, but it caught my attention. New arrivals in preparation for the tournament, I figured.

  I took a glance out the window to gauge the time and was shocked to see it must be close to dinner time. I wondered if Eva, Rose, and Leshal would be returning soon and also pondered over where Adrien and crew could be. I had yet to see them either, granted my entire day had been spent with my nose in a book.

  I set the half complete enchantment in my research book and lamented my fate as a book hoarder. Thankfully successful creations would always be safe and saved in [Runic Compendium] even if I did like making separate notebooks for completed spells and enchantments. My books of completed projects still had many pages to go before they would fill up, so I didn’t worry much about them, but I did have to wonder to myself where I’d keep my old research. I didn’t want to simply throw it out and didn’t know if there were any sort of banks or storage facilities I could keep them in.

  After a short break of watching everyone in the tavern I caught Garth's eyes and waved to him. He gave me a nod and minutes later approached the table with a frothy ale and a plate of food. It wasn’t the same stew as always, they had decided to change it up with some roasted bird and mashed potatoes and gravy. Still, the food didn’t taste all that different considering most of the ingredients on the plate were the same. I sighed and ate it without complaint but told myself that one of these days I’d volunteer to make something delicious. Maybe I could make some chicken tikka masala if I could get rice and the right spices. At least something with some robust flavors.

  A project for the morrow, another shopping trip perhaps. I had the cooking skill even if I rarely found time to cook, there was no reason I shouldn't be able to make something delicious for my guildmates. Though, maybe I was setting my sights too high and spicy. I didn’t think the people around me would be able to handle the spice too well given that spice wasn’t part of their typical diet.

  I thought about this while I ate, keeping an eye out for any of my friends. Unfortunately the only familiar faces I saw were those of Ethan’s group who shot angry glares my way when they noticed me watching them. I only smiled and waved before turning my mind back to the enchantment.

  The runes for the amplification enchantment I used on the flame sword totalled around fifty, well, fortynine to be specific. This meant I still had twenty-one runes to work with to either bolster the effects of my two main effects or to add a third effect to the weapon. I decided to make a third effect to try to make the weapon capable of cutting anything. Unlike the flame blade, where I had developed an aura of fire for the weapon, I decided to try to make an enchantment that had constantly moving wind at the edge of the blade. Not only that but I wanted to have, on one side of the sword, a blade of wind riding up the edge and on the other side riding down toward the hilt. This way it would create something similar to a saw, cutting in two separate directions when fed with mana to tear through anything.

  About an hour into experimenting with this enchantment a trio of adventurers, who I recognized, approached the table. It didn’t seem that they recognized me as they caught my attention by rapping on the wooden table.

  “Oh I’m sorry, can I help you?” I asked as I looked up from my papers. “Oh, Bron! Good to see you again, and the rest of you I never caught your names!”

  The large man looked surprised. He wasn’t wearing any armor, neither were the others he was with, nor did he carry his weapon. From my brief interaction with him a few days ago I remembered him having a sword and a shield on his back.

  “I don’t believe we caught your name either Mr...” The girl with the nasally voice who had healed me in a demonstration for a beautiful healing staff started to say.

  “Where are my manners? My name is Lios, what can I help you with?” I cocked my head as the three of them stood awkwardly at the end of the table.

  “Well, to be honest we were wondering if these seats were saved for someone.” Bron spoke up, his voice deep and gruff and his cheeks flaring up with a little bit of embarrassment. He looked to be in his twenties, along with the other two. The last of their party was a tall lanky man who I saw had several daggers as well as what looked like a lockpicking set tucked away beneath his baggy clothes.

  As he asked his question I was immediately aware of how full the guild hall had gotten, with multiple parties taking up some of the larger tables. Mine wasn’t large enough for more than one full group, but I was sitting alone. “Of course, have a seat. Sorry, I was really sucked into my research.”

  I started to pack away my notes and books on runes, not missing the girl's eyes lingering on them with a hungry curiosity. “My name is Carissa, by the way. Thanks for helping me test my staff, I was in desperate need for a new one. I know they already paid you back for it in some way, but if there’s anything I can do let me know.”

  “I don’t know that I need anything at the moment but maybe some healing sometime?” I asked as the three slid into the booth and a barmaid came over to drop off some ale.

  “Sure, of course. What were you researching? That looked like rune books. Not a language I use but I recognized some of them.” She asked, glancing up at Bron for a moment before she continued. “To be fair though, I’m rather a beginner in runic magic myself. Always been more of a chanter but I figured there’s no harm in dabbling between mediums.”

  “I was just working on an enchantment. Trying to get the last details worked out so I can maybe get started on working on my next baby.”

  “Baby? Are you an artificer?” The one man who’s name I didn’t know spoke up. His voice was reedy, high pitched.

  “Not an artificer, no. Just a smith of sorts.” I flashed a smile at the group.

  “A smith? You don’t look like one to be honest. At least not the image I have in my head of smiths. You're neither bulky nor covered in soot.” Bron chuckled.

  We chatted a while as I took a moment to rest my mind and body. I called for more ale for myself, and mostly listened after the conversation moved on from my profession to the next quest they were taking on. They were of a higher level than my party, Bron even being a higher level than Adrien from what I knew. He planned to compete in the higher level bracket of the tournament, and their next quest was bringing them into the wastes.

  After about three ales, a little over an hour, I excused myself and went to my room to continue working on the enchantment. I wanted to be ready to forge in two days but felt I was close enough to start working on the sword on the morrow. It took another several hours of rearranging the runes for me to be happy with the results, by that time the moon was high in the sky and crusties had made their way to the corners of my eyes.

  When my head hit my pillow, my eyes weary from working under the light of moon and candles, I dropped immediately into a restful slumber.

  __________________________________________

  Ezekial grumbled as Donovan moved forward his queen, smirking as he announced “Checkmate!”

  “How the hell do you know this game better than me when it was made by my own damn son,” Ezekial growled playfully.

  “How are you so bad at it captain?” Ento asked from the side where he had been watching while dutifully polishing the boots to his guard uniform.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “Ento how could you! I thought you were on my side!” Ezekial exclaimed emphatically, harrumphing playfully.

  Donovan started to set up another game even as Ezekial rose up and donned his helm, a simple metal helm just like all of the other guards save for the plum that rose from the back of it to denote him as the captain of Arbortons guard.

  “Captain, you aren’t stayin for another match?” Donovan asked with disappointment lacing his voice. Clearly he had wanted another easy win against his superior.

  “Afraid I cant. If I dont get back to my wife in time for dinner she’ll wallop my backside, and not in the fun way boys. Besides, if I get home early I can get her to stop tending her garden by doing it myself. Even with Maya helping her she refuses to take a break.” Ezekial went on the same mini rant he had the last few weeks, ever since Elaine's belly grew he had become an extremely doting husband, worried about her even lifting a finger.

  “Alright we get it already you are soooo ready to have another kid. Get outta here Zeke!” Calimax called out from the doorway, wearing Zeke's old vice captain uniform.

  “Keep em straight Max, see ya for breakfast tomorrow? Bring the ol lady too!” Ezekial didn’t wait for an answer as he rushed out of the guards barracks, walking hastily to his home at the edge of town.

  Arborton was quiet, as it tended to be, for the mid afternoon. Most townsfolk were busy working or at home preparing meals. There were a few women still by the river washing some clothes or blankets, and a few men on a bridge in the center of town fishing. The blacksmith, Derren, was hammering away at something steadily, letting everyone within a miles radius know that he was working hard to keep the guard armed and armored. The usual wagons full of chopped and debarked logs lay near the front gate of the forest town, ready to depart on the morrow.

  Zeke whistled a soft tune he had heard in the tavern as he walked quickly, waving to any familiar faces - which for him, they all were. The birds seemed to whistle with him and the squirrels acted as percussion. Gleefully he made his way around his home to find his wife and their child's friend busy on their hands and knees weeding the herb and vegetable garden.

  “Ahem.” Ezekial announced his presence by clearing his throat.

  “Ah, sweetheart you're home!” Elaine shot up to her feet quicker than a pregnant woman had any right to.

  Zeke took a moment to take in her figure. She was glowing, practically, and so full of energy despite being seven months into the pregnancy. He immediately moved in to pull her closer to him, not caring that Maya was there to see him give her a big kiss and hug. She had seen this nearly everyday since they had announced they were set to have another child.

  “Do you have much work left, Darling?” He asked his wife, his eyes washing over the garden.

  “No, not much. Let me get started on supper. Didn’t I tell you you could stay late at the barracks? You don’t have to rush home! Take some time at the tavern if that's what you need.” Elaine exclaimed and shook her head, her scarlett locks swishing this way and that. “Maya, we’re going in, thank you for all your help.”

  “Of course Miss Elaine!” The girl rose up to her feet and brushed the dirt from her work dress, not minding the mess she was spreading from her hand.

  “Be sure to wash up before you return home. I don't need your mother coming about again to make sure I wasn’t making you work too much. We’ll be working on some clothes tomorrow when the cloth gets delivered.” Maya had been her helper since their son had departed. She had taken it onto herself to learn from Elaine as much as possible. Between tending the herbs and learning to tailor she had been busy the past few months, but she also still came out to train with Ento and the others just about every morning.

  “Of course Miss Elaine. See you tomorrow!” The girl shot off toward the river, the one in town not the creek that Lios used to bathe in.

  Zeke and his wife entered their small abode after Elaine washed her hands with water from their well. Others, of course, used theirs well but it was still theirs. Once inside she began to prepare some food, with Zeke helping where he could. She was still quicker at chopping and dicing with a knife, and a much better cook due to years of practice, but he didn’t like leaving her to do all of it alone.

  Just as they were settling in to eat, however, a knock crashed into their oak door. Perplexed, as they rarely had evening company, the couple exchanged a glance before Zeke rose up and answered it. He spoke briefly to the person at the door before he returned to the table, barely able to contain himself. Still, he waited until her curiosity got the best of her as he simply dipped his bread into some of the thick steamy gravy on his plate.

  “So? What was it? Who was it? One of the guards?” Elaine asked through a mouthful of food. They had made something like a chicken pot pie, one of her favorite comfort foods.

  “No it wasn’t them. It was just a courier.” Ezekial teased the information before taking a large bite and taking the time to chew it.

  “Courier? Whatever for?” It was rare that a courier delivered anything to them. With Zeke's family having been absent for the majority of his life, and hers disowning her due to their union, they hadn’t many people to write to. Then it dawned on her who might write to them and she glowered at the man. “Is it Lios? Give it here. Comeon stop holding out on me!”

  Zeke smirked as she whined cutely, giving her best pout to convince him to stop playing with her. After another bite and her glower growing deeper, nearing the danger zone, he relented and put the letter on the table. He would be glad to admit it, he was nervous about what it would say. What their boy had been up to.

  Zeke knew how difficult the adventuring life could be, even if he had stopped rather early. It was because of those difficulties that he had retired before really starting. The life of an adventurer was not all it was made out to be. It was many long nights of keeping watch in the cold eating only dried food as you hopped from town to town. It was adrenaline and monster filled chaos that one could rarely plan for. But worst of all, it was a life that consisted of constant goodbyes, funerals, and hardship. Each story an adventurer was willing to tell in taverns was a story backed by bloodshed and strife. For each great story there were a half dozen tragic ones. Nobody talked about their quest to save a dozen missing merchants when they found those same merchants disemboweled by goblins or worse. They only talked about slaying dragons or meeting the mythical sphinx. They only told the stories of glory.

  Timidly he opened the letter, popping the wax seal and removing the paper. His son's somewhat sloppy handwriting greeted him and he smiled before he began to read it out loud for his wife.

  Dear Mother, Father.

  I’m sorry it has taken me so long to write you. I have so many stories to tell you guys. First, though, and probably most importantly, I told Adrien and the others about my past. It was perhaps an impulsive and foolish moment for me, but it felt like the right thing. I mean, we grew pretty close over the last several months. The reason I'm telling you is that there’s a chance a courier will leave a message with you in the future.

  Anyway, back to the fun stuff, what I’ve been up to. It’s been a journey, that's for sure. Almost immediately after leaving Arborton we came across a merchant caravan that was being accosted by bandits. There were only a few of the brigands but we took care of them pretty quickly. I didn’t realize until after but I think Adrien and his group held back to give me a chance to prove my mettle. I made it out of the fight with only a little bit of a bruise. I even took down a few of the bandits myself! Luka and Sky helped too.

  Ezekial noticed quickly, likely due to his experience of reading notes and investigating a few of the crimes that had been committed in town over the years, that Lios’s penmanship grew shaky during the last couple of lines. As though he were reliving something difficult. Zeke read between the lines a bit and knew there was more to the story, more that Lios didn’t want to say but he wasn’t so sharp he could figure out what that was.

  We travelled with the merchants for a little while and I started talking to this guy named Haraldo who was a tailor from Terraan. He taught me a few things on our way to Kinnesville. I really liked how colorful and different his clothes seemed compared to our own.

  When we reached Kinnesville things slowed down for a little bit. We stayed in a tavern and the first few days were just full of me making some new tools at the forge. It took wayyy too long but I got a new skill that let me make a subspace for forge materials making it far easier to haul the tools from place to place. I don’t know what I’d have done without it, my pack is heavy enough as it is.

  Kinnesville was peaceful. To be honest I enjoyed it a lot. After making my tools Adrien and Elric started to train me on fighting, Liana on spellcraft, and Amelia taught me a bit too. I feel like I’d be able to take on anyone in town nowadays. They even let me take on a quest. A pack of wolves had been culling the town folks' livestock and I went out to take care of them. Why it's always wolves is beyond me.

  Anyway, the foxes and I went out together and put bait in a clearing for a few days until the pack showed up. I didn’t manage to get all of them but I slew a dozen or so of the critters before I got bitten by the alpha. Don’t worry, it was nothing serious. Just a little nip on the shoulder.

  After that though, there weren’t any other quests in town for me so I spent all my time studying runes and training. Well, and apparently flirting with the girl at the tavern. It didn’t amount to anything but it was fun to chat with her and tell her my few meager stories of my adventures so far. Before we left I even took her on something of a date. She even kissed me at the end. Don’t tell Maya!

  “Well I’ll be! Our boy is turning to a man!” Ezekial cackled and grinned at Elaine.

  “Looks like he took too much of your influence. I’ll have to reprimand him. First he gives the girl a spear now he’s out gallivanting with random women on his adventures?” Elaine chastised their far away son.

  Before she could go too deep into her chastising, Zeke resumed reading the letter. There was still a ways to go.

  Anyway, after we left Kinnesville nothing of any particular interest happened. We stopped in a few other towns but half the quests were already cleared, mostly the ones at my level. I was forced to just keep training or go off to fight small goblin tribes instead of taking extra quests. Twas boring.

  After a while though we ran into something called a sand wyrm, a critter from across the barrier of the wastes. It tried to ambush us from underground but Luka sensed it with his earth magic. Of course, I was too weak to be much help against the beast but it gave me the perfect opportunity to test my new spell. Flash Step Thunderbolt is what I called it. The first test hadn’t gone all that well with me dropping the lightning bolt onto myself, but this time it seemed to work pretty well.

  Adrien and Elric were fighting the wyrm but even they were struggling. Liana was casting spells from afar but not many of them really hurt the creature. So I thought if I could do anything I could stop it moving just long enough for the warriors of the group to deal with it. I launched water blade after water blade at it until I saw that it was readying to spray acid at Liana. That's when I activated my new spell.

  I sped forward and tackled Liana to the ground just as the acid was going to meet her. It ate my armor, but the lightning bolt that crashed into it more than made up for its transgressions. Mixed with the water conducting the lightning the beast was paralyzed and the stronger warriors were even able to break through its scales to hurt it. Once they did that it only took them a few minutes to finish the fight as Amelia healed me. Those guys are strong, way stronger than you dad.

  It was only a few weeks after that that we ran into trouble again. We were nearing Ironfell, Intent on going to Rhoshas festival, when we passed by Linden.

  Ezekial froze, his eyes darting across the page. They had, of course, heard about the massacre at Linden. If his son was there when it happened... Well, if something had happened he wouldn’t have written. Elaine didn’t look any better, her cheerfulness was replaced by a deep worry for their son. Zeke had to take a couple of deep breaths and read ahead before he could continue, his fears evident in his shaky voice.

  It was horrible. I’m sure you have or will hear about what happened there, but if not let me tell you what we experienced.

  First, we saw smoke rising from the city. Liana taught me a trick to see through the foxes eyes and hear from their ears. I decided not to smell what they did, and I’m grateful every day for that choice. We used them to scout the city for us. The biggest city I’ve seen. It was empty of people, everyone who was still alive was being held in this massive longhouse in the center of town. I’m not sure what it was officially used for but that doesnt matter.

  Apparently the town had been taken over by some cultists. They were taking one or two people at a time to an altar in the center of town and sacrificing them. Of course once we knew this we couldn’t sit still. Liana cast an invisibility spell and the four of them went out to find and defeat the stronger cultists. In the meantime I went out to try to evacuate the longhouse.

  I was able to kill the guards, but someone much stronger showed up after a bit. She and I fought. It was the hardest fight of my life. She was a puppet master of sorts. Tried to reanimate the cultists I had killed with puppet strings and I was forced to burn them. She had mind controlled them in the first place to do her bidding. They were innocents...

  Anyway, Luka, Sky and I held our own against her. We were lucky she was a charisma based mage and not a warrior. I don't think I could have handled a warrior at her level. I don’t know how long we fought overall, to me it felt like hours. It felt like it would never stop. But then Liana found and broke whatever ritual they were making sacrifices to and the women fled. She took my damn sword too. I was injured before she left. She took my hand, but I’ll find a way to work without it.

  Anyway, a few days later I woke up in Ironfell. Adrien and the rest are going to try to find the group that did all of this. I’m going to be spending a lot of time training for the upcoming tournament. That and working on my awesome new smithing class.

  I’d love to hear from you guys. I’ll be in Ironfell at the guild for a while, so please write to me. I know I said a lot of stuff that's probably worrying you, but I promise I’m fine.

  Can't wait to see you guys again.

  Love you, Lios.

  Zeke's voice had grown shaky near the end. He wasn’t sure if he’d prefer to have Lios omit all of the dangerous parts of his adventures or if he wanted to hear about them all, but this was a lot to take in.

  “He was at Linden... I heard that thousands died there and a group of adventurers came in and saved the rest. I guess Lios was one of them.” Elaine said in a quiet voice. Her eyes glistened worriedly.

  “Yeah, it seems he’s already had his share of adventure, huh? I don’t know that I’d have the strength to keep going after all of that.” The boy's father shook his head. “Seems our boy is all grown up, huh?”

  “I guess he is. Well, we’d best get started writing the boy a letter.” Elaine sighed and got up to retrieve some paper, a smile containing a mix of mirth and concern lifting up her cheeks.

  “Let me get it honey!” Zeke practically shouted as his pregnant wife moved to run the errand. He quickly returned with paper and quill.

  “Let me write it. Your handwriting is... Well, let me do it.” Elaine chuckled at Ezekial's flabbergasted expression. He relented immediately but still gave her a playful stink eye as they settled down to write a letter.