Haldryn left the Trial Space, opened the Tome, and examined the new page.
[Book of Trials: Large Candle Gag (Rare)
Trial Rank: 2
Victory Reward: Small amount of Piety, at least one item of merchandise
Description: Enter the Trial Space and battle Large Candle Gag. Victory yields rewards; defeat carries no penalty (except loss of any spell fragments used). Upon victory this Book of Trials disappears…]
A rare. The name rang only the faintest bell.
In World of Warcraft, rare elites were uncommon, randomly spawning specials—noticeably stronger than their ordinary counterparts, and far more likely to drop something worthwhile.
Worth a look.
He entered.
The mine was the same type as before, but noticeably roomier than the ordinary kobold miner's tunnel.
"You no take candle!"
The classic line, yet no approaching footsteps.
An instant later fire flared in the darkness. A fireball streaked from the depths of the tunnel and slammed into him.
Boom.
Flame washed across half his body. He immediately exited the Trial Space.
A kobold mage.
He went in again.
The moment the tunnel appeared he sprinted forward in a tight S-pattern, trying to close the distance while dodging the next fireball.
"You no take candle!"
The fireball struck his arm. He hissed, slapped the flames out, and kept running.
Mages died once you reached them.
A second fireball clipped the wall beside him in a burst of light. By then he was close enough to see his opponent clearly.
Like every kobold, Large Candle Gag wore a candle on its head—only this one was noticeably bigger than usual. That, he supposed, explained the name.
Its weapon was stranger still.
Neither a miner's pick nor a geomancer's staff. A short axe.
A kobold mage that used an axe?
As the gap closed, Gag stopped casting. It bellowed, raised the axe in both hands, and charged.
"You no take candle!"
It leapt, bringing the axe down in a two-handed overhead chop aimed straight at Haldryn's skull.
He twisted aside at the last possible moment.
The axe buried itself deep in the stone floor, leaving a long, clean fissure.
That kind of force would have split a skull without difficulty.
A melee mage?
Startled, Haldryn repeated the earlier tactic and grabbed for the axe haft the moment Gag wrenched it free. The rare kobold was stronger and faster than the ordinary miner; the weapon did not come free.
While they struggled, Gag swept a kick at his legs. Haldryn's balance broke. As he fell he called on the Tome.
Holy Strike!
Golden light exploded around his fist and smashed into Gag's face, hurling the kobold backward.
Both of them hit the ground.
Haldryn scrambled up and lunged. Still on its back, Gag raised one hand. Another fireball took him square in the chest.
Boom.
Fire bloomed across his torso. The searing pain dragged a raw cry from his throat, and the Trial Space ejected him.
He stood in his room gasping, cold sweat on his forehead.
Large Candle Gag lived up to the rare tag. Far stronger than a normal kobold. Even a Holy Strike fragment had not been enough to finish it.
…
The next day.
Hadiye's Forge.
Looking up at the sign, hearing the distant ring of hammer on metal, Haldryn stepped inside.
A solidly built young man stood behind the counter—clearly the shop's assistant. He seemed the quiet type; he offered no greeting until Haldryn spoke first.
"Hello."
"Hello."
"Do you have warhammers? How much?"
"Asgardian bronze warhammer, no enchantments. Sixteen Rune coins." The young man pointed to a square-headed hammer hanging on the wall among many other weapons.
Asgardian bronze had nothing in common with the bronze of Midgard beyond the name. It was the primary metal used for weapons and armor by Asgard's soldiers.
Sixteen Rune coins.
"Too expensive. Anything cheaper?"
"Practice hammers are over there."
Haldryn examined the corner rack. Hammers of every size, all made of ordinary Asgardian copper—the everyday metal used for kitchen knives and tools.
After some searching he picked up a plain wooden-hafted copper hammer. In a game it would have been the lowest-quality white trash.
"How much for this one?" he asked, a little embarrassed.
The young man was silent for a moment.
"Three hundred."
"Small gold?"
"Yes."
"I'll take it."
After paying thirty large gold coins Haldryn asked, "Can you make custom weapons here?"
He knew nothing of blacksmithing. If he ever wanted Verigan's Fist forged, he would need help.
"We can. Bring your own materials, or buy them here—though stock isn't always available." The young man never looked up.
"How much for bronze?"
"One bronze ingot is one hundred thirty-five large gold. A warhammer usually needs at least seven."
Haldryn did the mental arithmetic, said nothing further, and left with the practice hammer.
Back home he turned the copper hammer over in his hands. It was crude and small; on a real battlefield it would not last long. For training, and for the Trial Space, it would do.
Fighting empty-handed against something like Large Candle Gag was simply too disadvantageous. At his current level he saw almost no path to victory without a weapon.
^^^
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