"The army of the alliance suffered at her hands. The second cut through flesh and armor without care, the name of Candia standing tall. Then, the mist invaded the surroundings, at the town of the most faithful, the beasts didn't wait nor doubt, the second fought the only way she knew, but failed to see; she wasn't fighting men anymore. The creatures claimed her limb by limb, until she recognized the upmost duty"
The amount of people in the streets was oppressive, it was just like in Roda's capital. The streets were filled with carriages and people on horses, soldiers in caravans or just simple bystanders taking an evening stroll. Norman guided us to a plaza that was on the west part of the city, and took the bags of corid from the horse, "Well then", he said, "It's time for us to part ways. I have a business to attend to. It was a pleasure to meet you both". I thought he would host us, at least for a day, in his house until we found somewhere to stay, specially since it was night already. "Wait, but… can't we stay with you for tonight at least?", Colt asked and Norman rose an eyebrow before turning to me, "Don't you have to deliver Colt to that woman… uh, Delilah was it? Can't she lend you a hand in this city?", he said and, to be honest, I didn't think too much about what to do once we arrived in Prime Bay, "Uh… the thing is… I don't actually know where Delilah is", I said, "She is suppose to be in this city but she didn't specifically told me nor Colt, where she would be staying". Norman sighed and went silent, Colt got closer to him, "P-Please sir, I swear- we swear we won't trouble you no-more after this", he pleaded with those big kobold eyes. Norman didn't answer, instead he went to me, grabbed me by the chainmail on my arm and pulled me aside, "Listen", he whispered, "Colt's no problem, but you? I kind of trust you, kind of, but you're still of the faith, no? You have to promise me you'll behave". I didn't understand what he meant, it seemed serious, "Norman, if it bothers you I'll take off the Langedar a put in my pocket. You don't have to worry about my faith. Still, why are you so worked up? you kill babies or something?", I teased, trying to lighten the mood but he remained serious, sighing one last time before answering, "Fine. Follow me, c'mon".
It was quite the distance from the plaza, where he tried to depart from us, to his shop, seems he really didn't want us to stay with him much longer. We finally arrived at his shop which was completely closed off; the windows were covered and just the sign on the top remained, "Norman's", really creative name. Norman took us to the back of the store and unlocked a door, "Wait here", he said and went in. "Sir, what did he tell you?", Colt asked and I shrugged, "Don't know. But I think I know… if that makes sense. Anyway, in a few moments we'll see". After a few minutes, Norman told us to come inside. His shop had many displays; all empty and filled with dust, aside from the general dirtiness. "Come here, I'll introduce you to my son", Norman said in a low, almost fearful, tone while leading us to a room behind the counter. And before passing through the door the smell hit me, that smell I hadn't felt in my nose for some years. "This is my son, Gendry", Norman introduced. His tall stature, a body completely covered in black fur, the tail, the pointy ears, the muzzle, the backwards legs and the paws, that was Gendry, human and wolven offspring aren't hybrids, they're indifferent from a regular wolven, you could hardly tell they have a human father but for one thing, their gaze and the color of their eyes which are always the father's. 'Jonas' was a nickname you were given if you laid with a wolven, it was used to tease and to joke around, nothing to take too serious as to start a fight over, but the nickname stuck on those that have offspring with the wolven. Norman had incurred in one of the highest blasphemies in the faith, his act would be punished with castration and Gendry would be executed according to the Mondis Mandate… now I understand the distrust from before.
Gendry snuggled his head against Norman's chest accompanied by high-pitched whimpers. "I'm back, boy. Y'know I always come back…", Norman reassured and caressed Gendry's fur and ears, "Gendry, I want you to meet these two", Norman said as he turned to allow Gendry to see us, who immediately 'tried' to hide behind Norman, something that he could hardly do due to his tall stature. "Don't worry, boy. These are good folk. And they promise me they'll behave", Norman remarked that last part while gazing at me, like if I was about to kill his son then and there. Gendry was afraid but, like all wolven, his tail gave betraying wags that increased with every tentative step, and he lacked shoes so every step was accompanied by the sound of his nails thumping on the floorboards. I was in awe by his size, easily one hundred and ninety centimeters tall or more, and his musculature was easily seen under his dirty chemise, this was a well feed wolven. Then I felt a sharp pain in my right thigh; it was Colt, who was shaking with fear, his two hands holding onto my thighs while he hid behind me, and I could see Norman's gaze on me, he was afraid that I would hurt his son, that I would react, but I knew better, wolven are curious and wouldn't easily hurt a human, even more if it was an educated one. Gendry stopped one meter shy of me and bend over, leaning to sniff me profusely while stealing glances at me, probably gauging if I was uncomfortable or not. "B-boy! Don't over do it!", Norman exclaimed but I raised an open palm, "It's fine. He can sniff all he wants. I'm Tak, by the way", I said and Gendry's tail waved from side to side like it was trying to broom the air, then he stood straight and cleared his throat, "Sorry…", he said, his voice deep like most wolven, "Like dad said. I'm Gendry… uh… is your friend okay?", he pointed to Colt who kept his gaze down to the floor.
"He's fine", I replied and grabbed Colt, raising him from under his armpits and forcing him to meet Gendry. "Ahh!!!", Colt screamed as he kept his body small, like a ball, I turned him to face me, "Colt!", I said, "He won't hurt you. I'll put you back on the floor and you'll let him sniff you, alright?", with that, I placed him on the floor and let Gendry sniff him. "Uahh!! ah!!! N-no… don't!!!", Colt cried and complained while Gendry sniffed every part of him, lingering a bit longer on his lower parts, just like a dog, he got most details through strong smells; 'pheromones' as described by beastslayers. A few years ago, before I went to work in Kolkia, I met a beastslayer that did somekind of investigative work around beasts, he gave me some good information on the wolven, their behavior, how to behave in front of one and how they could identified people's emotion, health and maturity just by smelling them. We all release pheromones, and wolven constantly release a pheromone that gives them that characteristic smell; that I can only describe as 'woody' or 'natural'. "Tak! Tell him to stop sniffing me there!", Colt exclaimed and I obliged as Gendry seemed to be getting too comfortable, I gently held Gendry's muzzle and move it out of the way. "Boy. Come here, come, come", Norman called along with some pats to his lap and Gendry turned and went running towards him, accepting more pets. "T-that's a wolven, no?", Colt asked with a blush as he adjusted his clothes, "Yeah", I said, "You're lucky. Seeing one this far south? It's like finding a kobold in Lindelen. Don't be afraid of him, most wolven are just like regular house dogs, you two we'll get along just fine".
While Norman and Gendry caught up, me and Colt eyed around the room; it had a large shelve that was fused with a workbench, and inside those shelves there were jewelry of all kind. The same workbench had a dozen drawers, with one open that displayed an array of tools, some of which I've never seen before, surely to refine and create the jewelry itself, and on top of the workbench, under a magnifying glass, lay a golden necklace encrusted with diamonds. "So shiny…", Colt muttered and I had to hold him so he wouldn't cause a mess. "Feel free to look around. Gendry will get the water boiling, he can cook a great stew. Colt, why don't you go with him and get to know each other, huh?", Norman said and Colt gave a reluctant nod before slowly following Gendry, then Norman turned to me, "Tak, please come with me". Norman urged me to follow him upstairs and into a hallway, "First I want to thank you…", he said and stopped, "Thanks for not reacting badly, he gets excited when he meets new people. He doesn't get to see new faces often". He opened a door to bedroom, it was dirty and old, "This is the guest room. Pay no mind to the cobwebs, please", he said before staring straight at me, curious it seemed, "You've met wolven before, no? Tak of Sonnda, that's what Colt told me. Sonnda, never been there but I've seen maps, that's in the north, got wolven in those places?". I couldn't help but chuckle a bit, "In Sonnda? Don't know how much Colt told you about me but, Sonnda was destroyed long ago. And even then, Sonnda was part of the Sacred Kingdom, no wolven allowed", I explained and Norman lamented, "Sorry to hear that. War is the worse, always take, always destroys…", he reflected, I guess he's right but I know it wasn't a conventional war. I felt like telling him a bit of my past, "I know the wolven very well though. I stayed in Kolkia for half a year", I said and Norman eyes went wide at the name, "Kolkia?! You went to the slave town? What did you do there?", his questions prompted me to second guess, he might hate me if I told him exactly what I did there, "I worked, did some errands, nothing more. But if you know that place, then you know is crawling with wolven, a breeding ground for them, for the market", my answer left him nodding slowly and, even if I kept it vague and didn't fully disclose, it felt good knowing someone else that saw that place, someone that saw what I saw.
"My boy… Gendry, he ain't from that place, I mean he is but... I've taken care of him from birth and always made sure he behaves properly.", Norman said and sighed before continuing, "His mother was born in Kolkia and died there, or I think she did, don't actually care that much, she gave birth to him and one of the waiters of the brothels came to hand me the pup. 'It isn't usual', I remember he said, 'A wolven giving birth to a single pup', and asked if I wanted to keep it or try selling it for half a copper. Don't understand why he even bothered, only that single pups were a-", I cut him off, "a good omen", the phrase came out of my mouth on its own, something I've heard multiple times in Kolkia. "Yes", Norman replied, "Exactly that". Wolven multiply fast, the same as kobolds, the bare minimum are two pups per birth, but you can get up to nine or more. "So why did you keep him?", I asked and Norman reminisced, "He was ripped off his mother's tit just a few hours after being born, presented to me on a freezing morning, he barely had any fur just a thin layer that couldn't stop him from shivering. After being born, the second thing he ever felt was shivering cold. This waiter had the pup caught by the scruff and sported this mad gaze, still don't know why he asked me to keep him but, I wasn't going to let the pup go back to the brothel or worst", then he half-smiled, "And I had lost my dog a few months prior, that helped in the decision I think".
Something of Norman's description of that guy, the gaze and the behavior, it kind of reminded me of someone. Anyway, what Norman described was something that happened too often there. Still, the fact he agreed to keep the pup, not only that, to raise him as a son, that's rare and something that'll get you shunned upon many places. "So, ever had one?", Norman asked, I was lost in thought and hadn't realize he kept talking, "What? Had what?", I asked back and Norman gave me a weird look, "Y'know, a bitch", he said, "A wolven… you've been in Kolkia, I'm sure you did, c'mon, you can tell me". He could probably tell by my expression that I didn't like the question, my memories of female wolven aren't good and the treatment they received didn't amused me, "You know why you were presented with Gendry? Why that happened?", I asked, not expecting him to answer, and continued, "A bite is the tamest thing you'll get from a wolven mother that's protecting their litter. In the brothels, they keep them intoxicated so the pups can be snatched away immediately after birth, then the 'bitches' are placed back in circulation for customers like you", I explained with spite in my voice, something I quickly regretted as Norman eye's became glossy, "Yeah… sorry", he muttered, "Let's go back downstairs". Norman left the room with his gaze down. I shouldn't had done that, scold someone for that. I formed part of that, that system. It wasn't fair on my part, I've seen those brothels and escorted slaves to their doors a dozen times, maybe even Gendry's mother might've been one of the slaves in those carriages. But this wasn't the time, I was going to apologize later, I should go see how Gendry and Colt are faring.
I went downstairs but didn't see Norman, then I heard sounds coming from the kitchen; the clear sound of Colt's curious voice. I peeked inside to see Colt going around the kitchen counter and picking up every container, sniffing their insides and asking Gendry, who was stirring a pot, for every little thing there was on the counter. It seemed that he was already getting comfortable with the wolven, then he noticed a book next to the pot, "Is that a cooking book? D-do you like to read books?", Colt asked and Gendry turned towards the book, "No", he said and opened the cover; its insides were torn, with few pages left, "It's for cleaning", then he ripped a page off the book and cleaned the wooden spoon he was using. Colt hid his disappointment with an expression he used on me many times and changed subjects, "The food, it smells quite nice. W-what are you cooking?", he asked and Gendry replied with the same dry directness, "Chicken stew, no pepper", and turned to stir a bit more. "Chicken stew? Never had that before. Uh… Do you dislike pepper? That's why you don't add it?", Colt asked and Gendry replied with just, "No". There was a small silence before Colt tried again with another question, completely unrelated to cooking, "So… uh, Gendry. What do you think of kobolds?", smart, he was trying to get him to say more than one phrase, "Dunno", Gendry replied and silence returned, Colt looked defeated.
I took some steps back before entering the kitchen, just to be sure it doesn't seem like I sneaked on them, and Colt immediately exclaimed, "Tak!", and ran to me, "Tak, I'm not scared of Gendry anymore, he's really nice. He cooks and... he uses books pages to clean utensils, but he's nice! I'm sorry about before, I shouldn-", I stopped him right there with a pat on the head, "Yeah, alright, really nice, got it", and went to take another look at Gendry. I could smell what he was cooking and it smelled ten times better than any stew I've cooked before, I stood next to him but he didn't turn his head, just side eyed me, his tail giving small wags, "What are you cooking there, kid", I asked and he licked his gums before answering, "Is chicken stew, no pepper, sir". That thing he did with his tongue brought back a memory, "What? Do I make you nervous?", I said, it came out almost like a threat, just like before, those words came out of my mouth practically on their own, a phrase I used on wolven slaves before. Gendry lowered his ears, "N-no… Sorry, I… no", he replied with noticeable hurt in his voice. Why did I say that to him? The fuck's wrong with me? "Forget it. My bad, y-your cooking smells good. I'll leave you to it", I said and quickly made some distance, I began to feel a heaviness on my body, and I felt like I needed to take my armor off and reflect on what was going on.
Leaving the kitchen, I bumped with Norman, "Hey, I went to change my clothes, sorry to leave you there", he said as I passed him by, I went upstairs and straight into the guest room. I unfasten every belt holding the armor, the baldric, my greaves and shoulder plates, took them all off but stopped when I took out the Godsword, I just stared at the blade; the glowing symbols, "You hear me? Can you speak?", I muttered but the sword didn't reply, "Are you the one doing this? Forcing those words out of my mouth? Like the dream I had, like the vivid memories and the pain, like the magic that I can feel flowing through the steel and into my veins?", but the sword didn't reply, "What should I do? You obviously know, you know what happened and will happen, what awaits me… You know how it pains me, I've took the decision and… you should, at least, have the decency to tell me", it was no use, I can't make a piece of metal speak. There's nothing more that should I remember, there's no kobold nor wolven nor elven nor human that is more important than the mission, the goal, the war, myself is no more that a means to an end, shall I fall, then, the sword would just change hands. The only thing I can do is to end this myself, to defeat the Calamity before it crosses the Divisor, before it reaches new settlements and claims more life, I can't let that happen.
"Tak?", Colt called from behind me, his tiny body, helped by the light coming from the hallway, cast a shadow over me, "Are you okay?", he came to me and placed his hand on my shoulder, I felt how he was retraining himself from hugging me but, as always, I'm faster, "Yes, don't worry", I muttered while embracing him against my chest, "I've just… said something wrong. I need to learn better". He gripped my sides with force, like if I would disappear from nowhere, and he silently cried, probably due to his own sensitiveness, as I caressed his head; his smooth scales helped me more than I thought, it soothed. We stayed for a few seconds before I prompted him to go back downstairs and wait for me, I still needed to return presentable to face Norman, just in case Gendry told him what I said.
Once downstairs, entering the kitchen again, I saw Norman helping Gendry to peel some potatoes, "Tak", he said, "Mind setting the table? Got my hands full of potato skin here. The plates, forks and knives are on that drawer". I obliged, relieved he didn't confront me or maybe Gendry hadn't said anything. I began to set up the table, Colt saw me and happily helped me, probably amused by seeing me doing something his kind is normally instructed to do. "Now, I'll get something to drink, you lot wait here", Norman said and went outside, coming a few minutes later with a barrel, "Got no ale, only cider. I'll mix in water to make it less strong". What a waste of a good cider, he might of thought I would get intoxicated… again. The plates and utensils were set, the cider had been poured, and the pot full of stew sat in the middle of the table, and we began to eat, it was a fine stew, not the best I had but maybe the best meal done by wolven hands I've tasted. As we dine I could see how Gendry avoided my gaze, despite sitting opposite from me, but, as the minutes passed, the fear of Norman confronting me about what I said began to fade, surely Gendry kept it to himself, I could apologize later to him personally.
While dining, we talked about different things; about my faith, about the journey thus far and I expanded a bit on my story in the Confederation, then I asked Norman about him and he burped a bit before answering, "Well, I've been a blacksmith since fifteen. This shop was founded by my grandfather, he was born in Landiras, in the Union up north. He met my grandmother and moved to Prime Bay. And my dad… well, he was kind of an arsehole and was the one to teach me all I know, he wanted me to follow in his footsteps and take over the shop when older. At eighteen I joined the royal guard and did blacksmith work for the army", he stood up and went to a small drawer, pulling a bronze badge and showing it, "See this is the badge? This is from the royal guards", he explained, the badge sported a winged sword, a symbol that's kind of typical for most armies. "So, you saw any combat?", I asked and he smirked and chuckled while shaking his head, "Nah, 'royal guard blacksmith' I said. I mean, technically I saw combat but didn't do shit in combat. I formed part of the brigade that put Saiga under siege ten years ago, but I was too far away from the battlefield to see any enemies or even any fallen".
The hours passed and the cider became proper cider as we emptied the barrel, I dismissed Colt to the room while I stayed for another hour. It was just me, Norman and Gendry, who stayed attached to Norman while getting pets for a long while before he also was dismissed to his room. Now that it was only us two, we refilled our cups and talked more freely, I asked specifically about his time in Kolkia, I was curious, "Kolkia?", Norman said, "First of all, remember I was still in the royal guards… four years ago I was in a really bad spot, generally unhappy, don't know the fuck why, y'know? Just… unhappy. Then an opportunity to join some 'expeditionary forces' came up, I was supposed to go with a group to get an insight into foreign fighting tactics or some shit like that, it was going to take almost a year and I thought that It might work to get me out of that unhappy state... well, I accepted and I was set to leave in a few months. The first destination was going to be Sallas and, just a week before leaving, my dad visited me out of nowhere… he had never visited me before, never cared, and he appeared like a different man, he apologized to me about how he treated me, he asked- begged me to take the shop and that it would meant a lot… I shunned the offer", Norman stopped and sighed before continuing, "Anyway. So, we went to Sallas then the Union, after that we were suppose to go to Olander, but for some reason the borders where closed, so, instead of going back to the princedom, we decided to go northwest and we ended up staying in the Free Cities. That's when I arrived to Kolkia; everywhere, the air, the ground, the wood, every stone that made up the broken cobblestone streets, it all smelled of piss, shit and misery, it sucked but we had coin, and if you got coin you were king. Gendry's mother wasn't the first and the last bitch I fucked… and we did worse", he explained but stopped again, looking to his side. "You played the games, no?", I asked and Norman's gaze snapped to mine, he slowly nodded, "Yeah… I lost. I don't think I would've…", and his voice broke for a moment, he took a deep shaky breath, "I want to blame the drink, the people that accompanied me, the world, maybe something I took but I know. Three times I played, three! All three I chose one that looked just like my boy, and all of them died in horrible ways". Didn't want to recall any of that, 'the games' they're called; you pay for a wolven and they're put into an arena with different 'attractions', raging from pits with spikes to harpoon traps. Veteran wolven, those that win a game, go for high prices, while young ones are the cheapest and face certain death, never played one myself but I escorted quite a few into the arena before.
"The other two that were with me also played, one made a small fortune with one particular wolven he bought and then sold after the games… and we always, every night, visited a brothel afterwards, I think we went to every single one the town had, at least twice", Norman said with clear shame, "I-I don't actually know Gendry's mom, she probably was one of the first I fucked, they all look the same to be honest. We stayed in Kolkia for three months, by that point I had gotten used to that place. The Princedom sponsored our expedition for the duration of five months and we were supposed to make our return soon, we, obviously, weren't going to say we were actually in Kolkia… however, once I took Gendry everything changed, the other two joked around and urged me to either sell him or get rid of him, I was actually afraid they would take him away from me. So I returned to the Princedom by myself, spent all my remaining coin in travel expenses and arrived to Prime Bay one month later". From what he says, if he had stayed for only a month there then Gendry wouldn't be here. A wolven pregnancy last three months, another reason as to why they are so many of them, still, I find it curious how he was actually given the pup in the first place. "It was difficult, no? Having to explain yourself as to why you had a wolven pup", I commented, "I guess that's why you got that nickname to stuck", my words made Norman's expression turn sour, "Yes, it was", he said, "But that hurt didn't last too long. See, I was reported to the royal guard so I lost my position there, I'm sure those two fuckers where the ones to make that report. I lost the house I was given as part of the royal guard and had to return and face my dad; what would he think of having a grandson like Gendry, and the shame he would feel… but alas, once I arrived, I found the shop in ruins, abandoned and the house emptied. I had to learn by a neighbor that my dad had die a week prior, alone. The smell of his rotting corpse alerted the neighborhood and he was cremated, I don't even have a place to mourn him", Norman's eyes got wet and he couldn't stop some tears to roll down his cheeks.
He quickly wiped the tears away with his arm, "T-that's pretty much it. My shame and my regret", he said with a forced laugh. "I can see you managed to do well though. You kept the shop running and provided for Gendry, I'm sure your father would be proud", I replied and Norman half-smiled, "Yeah, I guess". I think it was time for me to open up, "You did mention shame and regret before. I've got some of my own", I said, then Norman pointed at me, "I'm sure you have, you do know an awful lot about the wolven. What did you do in Kolkia?", his question prompted me to think about the first sentence I should form; how should I phrase it, it's hard to just say I helped to keep wolven as slaves… Alright, let's just get it out of my chest, "I enslaved wolven-", shit that came out wrong, "No! I mean- I worked with wolven slavers… that also sounds wrong, but that's the true", there, hope he doesn't hate me. "Like what?", Norman asked, "You kept wolven slaves, you sold them or something?", his questions actually brought some relief, I preferred curiousness over shaming. I explained from the start, "I think I need to give you more context. Uhh… I arrived at Kolkia two days after I turned seventeen, at that point I was known among the Free Cities as 'the' Tak of Sonnda, right hand of Constance Demaine, so I got work immediately after setting foot on that disgusting town. Slavers secured large batches of wolven for me to escort through town and into different sectors, some more dangerous than others; at that time, young females would get snatched away by brigands so they were the most precious cargo, I could afford losing a few males", just by speaking about it I could remember vividly that time, "I would get paid one gold and five silvers per trip, I was the highest-paid thug, you could say, in all town. That got me almost killed by the Maroon Hand and corrupt city officers", then Norman asked, "Maroon Hand? What's that?", and I replied while trying not to lose track of my story, "A mercenary company, the biggest in the northwest, not much of a problem if you can avoid them. I have to make clear, I didn't kill anyone, not a single person, I would just maimed them… I know is not the best alternative but that's all I had". I sighed deeply before getting to the point of my story, "It wasn't easy. To deal with slaves you need to have a certain demeanor, avoid creating bonds and always keep in mind what they are. I'm glad to say that I lost most of that demeanor, but when I saw Gendry, well, some of that came to me again…", I stopped and raised my gaze to gauge Norman's expression, "Continue…", he muttered. "Before, when he was cooking, I came to him and asked him what he was doing… he did that thing with his mouth, something that I would see in wolven slaves, a sign of nervousness, a sign I could use to exploit and belittle complicated wolven. I did ask him if I made him nervous, but in a tone I would use with a slave and he ain't one", I braced myself for his reaction. "You're goddamn right. He ain't a slave.", Norman said with a grin, "That's it? I thought it was something worse, he didn't dare to look at you all dinner. Tomorrow he'll be fine, just give him so pets and I'm sure he will forgive you".
A moment of silence passed, I felt at ease after telling Norman that part of my past and he seemed content with having someone that understood him. "So", Norman said, "What are you going to do tomorrow? I don't mind having you for a few days here but you have to look for that Delilah", I already knew what to do next, "I'll be going to the adventurer's guild in this city. I'm suppose to deliver a message to a guy named Frankie", I replied as Norman began to take the dirty plates and cups, "Frankie? Don't know him but I know where the adventurer's guild is, tomorrow I'll see you to it", he assured. After that, I went to the guest room and did my nightly prayer, nothing particular came to mind but I couldn't help but to gaze, from the corner of my eye, at the Godsword which lay on the floorboards, maybe, just maybe, there was a possibility I could make it talk.
The next morning I woke up with the sound of the city rumbling on the walls; the sound of carriages, people passing by, sellers loudly announcing their wares, the barking of many, many dogs, cats hissing and fighting on the rooftops, etc. I was quickly reminded that this was a capital city. I woke up first and went downstairs, there was no one in the kitchen so I went to the workshop, I opened the door to see Gendry working on something, and it seemed I had startled him as his tail puffed up and he went stiff for a second before turning to me, "Morning, sir", he greeted with an underlying fear, something I had to fix. "Morning, Gendry. You can call me Tak, don't need to use 'sir' on me", I said and went next to him, "What are you working on?", I asked and Gendry took the piece and presented it to me, "A ring", he said, "An order I'll finish today… perhaps…", it was a golden ring with precious stones embedded all around. He held the ring for almost a minute, seemed like he was waiting for me to tell him to go back to work, and he couldn't stop licking his lips. "Gendry, I'm sorry for yesterday", I apologized, "That thing I said, 'Do I make you nervous'. That's something I used to say to others of your kind. I promise it won't happen again". He just stared at me, probably didn't know how to react to an apology, so I stretched my arm and petted his head, that seemed to do the trick, "M'kay", he muttered while waving his tail. "Also, where's your father?", I asked and he pointed towards the other door, "Dad's preparing the displays".
I went to the front of the store where Norman was putting some armor, weapons and different kinds of 'metal goods' on display, "Good morning, Tak. I'm setting up the shop for the reopening!", he exclaimed, "Once I finish this we'll go to the guild". I took the chance to see his wares; nice looking chest, arm, leg and foot armor, some of them were reinforced with corid at the edges. He also had many different types of swords, there was one in particular that emulated the swords used in Xion. "Found something you like? This ones are copies of a xionese sword I bought many years ago. Those axes over there are made with the same design as the ones used in Frogeltander, and those helms over there are based on the one used by the First Knight, might be an old design but its a classic", Norman explained with a certain passion in his voice. "Oh! Hey, I never asked to see your sword, I can reinforce it with corid if you want. I'll make you a discount!", he said and I chuckled a bit and didn't answer, is the Godsword he wouldn't be able to work on the blade in the first place.
He asked me to wait so I sat and watch him go to every corner of the store, cleaning, polishing, placing armor and weapons and he seemed to take his sweet time so I decided to go the guild on my own, "Norman, give me the directions to the guild, I'll go by myself, stroll a bit, get to know the city a bit in the meantime", I said and he raised an eyebrow, "You sure? The city's big, y'know", he retorted but my expression made him cave in and give me the directions, "Alright. Go outside and just follow the big street to the plaza, once there just take the left street until you find a shop with purple painted walls, then take a right, and then-", he kept going so I nodded through his explanation and left.
He said something of following a big street but there's no excitement in following directions… hehe, that's something Dorlan would say. Anyway, I followed a street, don't know if it was the 'big street', and passed by lively looking shops; freshly painted and most of them full with customers, everywhere I looked I saw people walking, it reminded me too much of Roda's capital, and I also noticed that there wasn't that many kobolds roaming around, I probably saw only two in the three hours I spent wandering. Then, after a while of strolling around, I though of breakfast, so I began looking for an inn, a restaurant or even better, a tavern… maybe have a drink or two, and all of a sudden, as I was going through a small plaza, the loud voice of a child rang in my ears, "Extra! Extra! The battle of Fornest is over! The war is one step closer to ending! Read more in this new issue!". Fornest? That's northern Roda, what happened? Did Centralia took that city? Fornest is part of the Northern Belt, that's Lettenburg domain, my curiosity is getting the better of me. I approached the annoying kid, "Kid, what do you know about that?", I asked and the kid side eyed me, "Gotta buy the newspaper to know, sir", newspaper? What's that even suppose to be?! Then I noticed a pile of paper next to the kid, I pointed with my finger towards it, "You mean that?", I asked and the kid kept side eyeing me, "Don't know what a newspaper is?", he asked back with a mocking tone, then he took one paper and showed it to me, "A copper, sir". I could see what was written on that paper, it was news and details of a battle in Fornest along side some other news about the Princedom. "This… is genius! W-who invented this?!", I couldn't help but exclaim, it was amazing, it was just like the newsboards they used in Lindelen but this one, unlike the board made of solid wood, you could actually take it home with you. "Take it, kid", I said and handed him a copper but the kid gave me an estranged look, "You must've be a foreigner, right? This is rodian copper sir, I'll take it but the stores and shops won't accept rodian currency", I didn't understand what was the big deal, "Copper is copper, kid", I replied but the kid shrugged, "Do as you wish, sir. But if I were you, I would run to the bank to get 'em change".
He may have a point though, my copper and silver coins are all from Roda; they all have the Langedar engraved, and if he is right then I won't be able to buy anything, I'll have to go to the bank at some point. I went to sit on a bench in the plaza, to read this 'newspaper', the big title on top repeated what the kid said but the details weren't what I was expecting, it read, "The battle of Fornest is over! The city has been retaken by rodian forces two days ago. The city of Fornest, which was put under siege and taken by General Arnas Titos of Centralia, remained under centralian control for about two months. There's was reports of a great concentration of centralian troops ready to strike Fennec's Point; where the house of the prestigious Lettenburg family is. After failure from the rodians to take it back, with two unsuccessful sieges, in a sudden turn of events, the Knight of Light returned with fifty hundred troops from her campaign in Xion, and, in a matter of one day, forced an open battle which resulted in the defeat of most of the southern front of Centralia". Huh… seems Cassandra is doing quite well, she didn't seem that intimidating the first time I met her but that didn't erase the fact she's the chosen knight of the Empress. I didn't think that Roda was actually winning, they've had lost Franck a few weeks ago and I thought that the xionese were 'kicking their butts', but it seems I was mistaken. The second paragraph of the newspaper gave a general overview, "Others reports say that the council of Centralia have met in Forsec Nontis and are, currently, in talks with the king to bring peace to their side of the war. On the other hand, the Confederation forces have pushed an attack on Port Vale, Serincom and a risky attack on Londincom, using all of their naval capabilities and creating a blockade on most of the east side of the Free Ocean; they are, currently, sinking every ship that they cannot identify. We still recommend all citizens of the Princedom to abstain traveling south, especially by sea."
Interesting read, if all of this was actually true then I don't see Roda losing. Londincom holds the biggest fleet in the continent, that blockade was surely destroyed before they even wrote this paper. Anyhow, let's continue, I'm starving. If there's a problem with my coin, it might be better to see if someone's willing to exchange it and avoid having to find a bank, then find a place to eat and then find the guild, I don't have all day. I spent two hours going from shops to street sellers, to wandering merchants, to old ladies gossiping in front of their houses, to students coming out from school, and no one was willing to exchange a single miserable copper… agh… Thankfully, my weird demeanor prompted a guard to stop me and ask me if I was lost, so I, in return, asked him for directions, and he was kind enough to direct me to the bank. Quite the structure, 'Royal Bank', it read in golden letters, and it had two great doors wide open. Inside; the walls, the floor, the reception desk and even the supporting columns, were all made of marble, and it was full, I had to wait in line for almost an hour just to speak to someone, but at least the exchange of currency, in itself, was swift enough so by noon I had my coppers and silvers with the prince's profile engraved on them. Now I could go eat something or, even better, go to the tavern!
For some reason there wasn't any tavern near the bank, I changed directions and ended up in the docks where the sailors tied the ships and went have a drink and, while passing by some docked ships, I heard a voice calling to me, "Tak?! Is that you mah boy?", the accent on the voice was unmistakable, I turned to see none other than Captain Nunku, "Takky boy, how you been? Are ya able to sail without puking now? Hahaha", he teased while patting my shoulders. "Captain? What are you doing in Prime Bay? I thought you were going to stay in Seaway and then sail south", I said, remembering what he told me a month ago, "You would be right if you weren't wrong, hahaha", he replied, "Got an urgent job from the guild. The prince wanted sailors to cross the sea and bring back mercenaries immediately, imma be getting fat coin from this". It was like Norman said, the prince must be spending a lot to hire mercenaries to deal with the cult. "Takky boy, wanna hang out a bit? Got something to drink!", The Captain offered and I couldn't refuse, I nodded with a big smile and he led the way towards his ship, which seemed pretty beat up, and he let me know that he was getting paid more than ten gold coins for this trip, "What? Who are you transporting?", I asked and the Captain scratched his beard, "Well, these are the most expensive ones any ruler could pay for", he said with a smirk, "They call themselves nosakviksi or 'the enlightened ones', but the rulers in this continent call 'em The Oriental Express. I'll get pay extra just because I speak their language, hehehe".
Captain Nunku called for the rope ladder to be let down and we went into the ship, there I could easily devise who these mercenaries were; only two, one tanned tall man with a musculature I've never seen before, he looked like he could lift a mountain with his bare arms, the other was even taller and his whole body was covered in dark red robes with golden motifs in the edges, with a large hat and a face mask that only allowed his eyes to be seen by others. "C'mon Tak, sit", the Captain said and went inside the ship with some sailors, then, the muscular mercenary noticed my curious gaze and approached, he sported a wide smile, "Uh… I don't speak your language", I let out and he stopped before laughing, "Hahahaha, do not worry! I do talk yours!", he replied and sat next to me, "Me… uh… I... Borsos, my name! Yours?". He gave his name and awkwardly extended his hand, "I'm… my name is Tak", I said and went to shake his hand only for him to also use his left hand too, and shook my hand so hard it almost made me fall from my seat. "Tak! So happy to first see you. You warrior, no? You have steel, you have chain, will you fight with my group, along?", he asked and I shook my head, "N-no. I'm a knight. Also, I'm not getting pay to fight the cult", for some reason he laughed again, he seemed to laugh at everything, "Hahaha, knight, yes! Warrior of Levan, yes? Me and we, are warriors of Escora... kiniksos… seatof high-freedom", Borsos said while the other tall guy, without me even noticing, sat with us completely in silence, just staring, "This Kan, great great warrior", Borsos added while pointing to Kan who rolled his eyes. "Aren't you the Oriental Express or something? You come to fight the cult, right?", I asked and, again, Borsos laughed, "Hahaha, yes! Oriental Express, a name birth from kings of Levan, we work fast and swift!", then he inhaled deeply, "Ah! The wind talks of soon battle, me, Borsos, hope to bathe skin in blood, crush bones of enemies. Me and Kan, we wait for our others, five we are. DozNunku, great man, great uh… dirlinso… pirate! he help to bring others". Despite having a hard time understanding everything he said, I understood that this couldn't be the whole mercenary group, the prince actually paid for their service, and to get them ship across the ocean just to fight the cult. How much money did that man had? Anyhow, the Captain came back, shortly after, with cups and a whole barrel full of liquor, he poured a cup for me and himself and his sailors. "They don't drink?", I asked, eyeing at the mercenaries, and the Captain drank a shot before replying, "Them? No, no, no, they can't, their god forbids it. More for us and for me, hehehe", then the next hour dissolve into us discussing different things among the Captain, Borsos and me.
"Well, I must go, Captain. You know where the adventurer's guild is in this city?", I said between burps, "Yeah, yeah", the Captain replied and snapped his fingers to get the rope ladder set, "Mah boy, just follow the port to the main street, in the corner, that is the guild! Take care out there". For a moment I thought of asking him something, a big favor but… maybe next time. With that, I exited the ship and followed his directions. Seeing the Captain brought me joy and a weird sense of nostalgia for something that happened not so long ago, I've been having Dorlan on my mind for a while and I know that this is the regret and the guilt from the last time. When I parted from him, I thought, at that moment, that it was the right thing but, I felt regret instantly, leaving someone like Dorlan alone, and with the probability of having been caught because of me. At the same time, I kind of feel that he's fine, that mad bitch of Patricia only wanted me after all, that's what I think, taking in account her not asking once about Dorlan. Another thing flowed in my mind as I walked the last steps towards the guild, could it be that I was still sought for? That the Confederation placed a request to the Adventurer's Union for my capture or my death? Well, only one way to find out…
The adventurer's guild of Prime Bay was much, much larger than the one in Seaway; it took a whole corner and sported not only an inn but a whole restaurant and warehouse, from outside looking in I could see they had an indoor patio with a solarium, these guys were in tone with the city's style of copious spending. Just like the bank, this place was packed with people; adventurers and workers, the constant sound of conversation was deafening, and I had to squeeze through the people to reach the reception desk. "H-hey. I'm looking for Frankie", I said to the receptionist who rose an eyebrow, "Frankie?… are you a registered adventurer from this guild?", she asked and I got the feeling that this might not end up well, "No. I've come from The Divine- I mean, from Vorvorgard, I have a message for a guy named Frankie, suppose to be a worker in this guild", I explained but the receptionist shut me down, "I'm sorry but if you are not a registered adventurer we cannot provide any services", her shitty corporate response made my blood boil. I insisted three more times before a guard approached me, "She already told you, we won't provide any service to unregistered thugs. Leave", he threaten with one hand on his sword handle. "Listen you fuck, I've came from far away to deliver, a piece of paper that I can't even read, to a guy named Frankie, is that guy in here or not?", I blurted out and another guard came from behind my and tried to held my arms, I instantly shoved him away and the other guard unsheathed his sword while calling for backup, this caught the attention of most of the guild towards me. "Hey! I know that guy!", one adventurer from the crowd exclaimed, "That's uh… that's the guy from Soland, the 'Godsword' or something like that", well fuck, getting recognized was a possibility, I probably fucked it all again. Facing five guards, being surrounded, I was about to summon my sword when a fat guy, walking down the stairs, screamed for the guards to halt, he did took his sweet time coming down to meet me, "You. Why are you here?", he asked while eyeing me up and down. "Like I said to your 'staff', I've come from Vorvorgard, I bring a message to Frankie", I replied and the fat guy's eyes went wide for a second, "Come with me", he said and led me upstairs as everyone began to forget the commotion and went back to their normal routine.
"Please, come in", the fat guy said and opened a metal door that lead to an office, "Take a seat, explain everything to me". I sat on a chair that was so comfy it felt like sitting my butt cheeks on a cloud, the whole room smelled of incense and the walls were filled with paintings and trophies. "I'll guess you're Frankie. Here", I placed the note on his desk and he began to read it; I couldn't read the note because it was written in some kind of code but this guy seemed to understand it fully, finally raising his gaze to look to at me with a content smile, "This information you have brought, not only was important for me but for the prince's cause. I sincerely apologize for what happened and I offer you my most sincere thanks, and yes, I am Franken Gundall, director of the Adventurer's Guild of Prime Bay, at your service". After introducing himself he stood up and went to a tiny metal vault that had bottles and glasses, then he served two glasses and urged me to a toast, "This is cause for celebration", he said and sat back while chuckling under his breath. "Alright… care to tell me why are we celebrating? What was written in the note?", I asked before gulping the glass, "My friend", Frankie said, "This note reveals the operations of the cult in Vorvorgard, that and some important details of the trade route they've been using. One of my finest spies is infiltrated in the village. And we were lucky, the fact that someone not from the cult could enter that village and leave unscathed its a miracle in itself", his explanation made sense to himself only, I didn't see the importance, "So, what are you going to do with that?", I asked while asking for a refill, "Interesting question, Tak", he replied with my name, "Do we know each other? Don't tell me I owe you money", I immediately let out, normally people who knew me did for the wrong reasons. "Hahaha, no, no", Frankie laughed, "You are Tak of Sonnda, you go by 'the Godsword', no? Despite not having a sword on you at this time. A few days ago, a job request for your capture was published on all of the boards of all the guilds this side of the continent, they gave you an 'A' rank, I'm sure you've pissed off the wrong people. However, you mustn't worry as that job request was fulfilled, so you probably either got captured and escaped or maybe you payed for the request to be taken off… or something else. Anyhow, you aren't under threat in the guild".
That was a relief and it meant that I could move freely through the city. "Oh, Tak, please, have this", Frankie said and placed a tiny pouch on the desk, I knew they were coins just by the noise it made, "By the Prince's order, every piece of information, or support in taking down the cult must be rewarded". I opened the pouch and let the coins fall to my palm, my eyes went wide with the amount, "Seven gold coins?! Just for delivering a piece of paper?!", I exclaimed and Frankie explained, "Prince Henry will spare no coin to anyone that contributes to his cause", but I didn't get it, "If he pays this much for something so minuscule then he will run out of coin soon", I retorted and Frankie chuckled, "Please, one month of tax from this city is enough to fund his cause ten times. Don't worry about the Prince's pocket, they are deep I assure you". I pocketed the coin and was about to leave when Frankie stopped me, "Hey!", he said, "Is there anything else I can do for you? Something you might need from the guild?". I went to sit again, "Well, don't think you care but I need to head north, know any route there?", I asked and Frankie shook his head, "I'm sorry to say but no. The only route is through cult territory, unless you're willing to cross the mountain through uncharted pathways". I thought so, that meant that, after I deliver Colt, I have to find a way to blend into their settlements… or just slice pass them, it was just another annoyance, then I though of something else, "I understand. Then I have a different request, I'm seeking someone, an old lady named Delilah Frungal, she's suppose to be here or be arriving here", I said and Frankie took a paper from a drawer, inked a feather and wrote, "Delilah Frungal… okay. Anything else I can use, anything that stands out from her?", he asked and I though of only one thing, "Kobolds, she has a lot of them, used to ran a tea house fully staffed with them back in Dardangard". Frankie smirked at my remark about kobolds and wrote it down, "Cannot promise we'll find her but, I'll put my best agents to it", with that, he extended his hand but then I thought of another request, "There's something else I would like. See, right now I'm not light with coin but, when I am, I usually seek work; slaying, delivering, different things, the problem is that I cannot do any jobs from the guilds", I said and Frankie rose an eyebrow before pulling another paper from a drawer, this one had letters on it; a registration form, "That's no issue at all, sign this and fill in your details, in ten minutes you'll be part of the guild system", he explained but that didn't help me, "I can't… I won't, won't register my name in the guilds, let's just say that if my name reaches certain ears, then I'll be located and killed", maybe not killed but I had to add some gravity to the matter, "Hmm…", Frankie pondered and took a small bronze seal, let a bit of wax fall onto the paper and stamped, "There, that's your registration number, take this as a… special license".
It was weird being helped so much after delivering a simple piece of paper but I was grateful nonetheless. I left his office after thanking him profusely. There was, still, some sense of danger from being recognized before, Frankie did assured me that I wasn't being sought after, so I shouldn't worry. With this done, and the promise of Frankie to seek for Delilah, I decided, painfully, not to go to a tavern today and go back to Norman's shop. Having left the guild, I took a left from the main street, to see where that would take me, for an hour or so I found nothing but shops, small parks, playgrounds, schools, a university and a lot of military presence on all of them, and I ended up stopping by a bookshop. I stayed there for several minutes, enticed by the silence and the colorful covers of the books on display and in the bookshelves, where many books I've read before lay neatly organized; 'Chronicles of Levan', 'Songs from a thousand tongues', 'Recounts of King Edward the Fifth'. They had from every genre and from everywhere, even some of the faith I've read during my time in the orphanage; 'Analysis of the Mondis Mandate', 'Of all saints', 'Hope of Mön'. Even a copy of, 'Saint Mön of Mondis and the Revelation of All True and Holy', quite a mouthful, that's why we just call it the holy scriptures. And, obviously, history books, like a pile; 'The War of Liberation', volume one through… thirty four? Yeah, I'm not reading that. I took one book of history and one of poetry, both for Colt, and I thought of buying one for me, none of the books in display caught my eye, I rummaged through different piles until I found a book with a black cover and without any labels; it was in bad condition and the pages were yellow but something resonated with me, so I decided to open the cover to see its name, 'Tales of the Beyonder', the title read, the name alone startled me and made me drop the book onto the floor.
What I felt was fear, don't think is from the book but from the thought that something had force me to see interest in that particular book, from the thousands of books, just that one. It felt wrong, reading it I mean, it felt like reading it would kill me in someway, a strange sensation I finally shook off after buying the books for Colt and leaving the bookshop. For most of the afternoon I wandered from place to place until I was able to recognize a landmark that could direct me to the workshop, from there I asked my way around and managed to arrive to Norman's shop. "Tak, you got lost or something? Told ya to wait for me, I could've directed you to where to go", Norman 'greeted', his shop already lacked some of the items he showed me in the morning, "Busy day?", I asked and he effusively exclaimed, "Yeah! Opening day is always busy, usual costumers always come to check on my new stuff". I went behind the counter and was about to go upstairs when Norman warned, "Hey, the little guy is really pissed off at you, better think of an apology", but I waved it away, "Leave it to me". I opened the door to the guest room and saw how Colt quickly ran from behind the door to a corner, giving his back to me, "So, you finally decided to come back, huh? D-did you find what you were looking for? Came to grab me and take me straight to Delilah?", he said between grumbles. "That's going to take some time. Also, here, I got you something", I replied and I couldn't even managed to take the books fully from my bag when Colt ran to me, "What is it? Are those books? For me?!", he snatched them from my hand and read the titles, "Poems of the Bayand Important Battles of History… I… I… I loved them! H-how did you know!?", he hugged my side, "How did I know what? That you liked books? It was hunch", I replied and petted his head, "Read them and tell me if you also like what's written in them. I'll go talk to Norman".
Went back downstairs and watched Norman served his last customers before helping him to close shop, "Hey, my offer to reinforce your sword and your armor still stands", he said, "Also, why don't you wear a helm? Aren't you afraid of getting your pretty face harmed?", he questioned and smirked before going inside the shop and back outside, a helm in his hand, "Here, try this one!", he placed the helm in my head; it covered the sides of my head and my nose, then the same sensation from before began to manifest, the same irrational fear, I immediately took it off and let it fall onto the cobblestone. "Didn't you like it? That's a replica of the helm of the First Knight, a shame really, looked good on ya. We can try other helms, I got a bunch, or I can make one just for you", he offered and I shook my head, "N-No, I perform best without one". I didn't understand why it felt so wrong having that on me, it felt suffocating and, for a split second while having it on my head, I could heard a voice emanating from my sword. Norman picked up the helm and gazed at me with an estranged look, "You probably have that thing… uh clausphobic or something like that, you don't like small spaces, I get it. Wouldn't recommend fighting without a helm but you do you". I gathered my bearings and went back inside, there must be a reason why I felt that before, that weird fear of something wrong, what happened before with me fainting in the mountain, the vivid recollection and now this, it must have a meaning.
I spent the rest of the day thinking about what happened and what the connection may be, I felt compelled to go back to the bookshop and buy that book, see if it had some hidden meaning. I knew one thing though, the helm of the First Knight, it is nothing but the most powerful magical artifact ever created, the original, not the replica obviously. The search for the original helm is something of a popular quest for many adventurers, a quest that is completely fruitless as the helm has been lost since the death of the First Knight, most, if not all, think that the helm was destroyed by Saint Dorian after his victory in the War of Liberation… the war… maybe it has some connection to the Calamity, but, at the same time, that happened more than a thousand years ago, it cannot be that the Calamity remained dormant for so long only to appear now. I shook the thoughts away, I don't have time for that, must keep my focus in finding Delilah, finishing this task and continue onward.
We had dinner, stew again, and Colt brought his new books to the dinner table, he would not get off them, I noticed he was about fifty pages shy of finishing the first one, he devoured the books like nothing. Afterwards, I stayed with Norman for a bit and we drank, I apologized to him for having to stay longer and I told him about what happened in the guild, he reassured me that I could stay as long as I needed but, even then, I felt like a nuisance to him, this wasn't suppose to last for long. After all, coming to Prime Bay wasn't my original objective and I was getting too sidetracked. So, the next day, I immediately made my way back to the guild, to see if there were any news about Delilah.
"No. Still nothing, you have to be patient, its hard to find a single person in a city of half a million", Frankie said and seemed to noticed my hurry, "Hey. You have to take it slow. Let me give you somekind of an advice, the things you seek will appear when you least expect them. So, go do something else; spend your coin, drink, fuck, gamble and when you're having fun, then, I'll probably have information about the person you seek". I didn't need that stupid advice, I needed him to fulfill his promise. If he was the head of the biggest guild in the east coast, then he should be able to locate an old lady, "Fine. I'll come back tomorrow", I said and turned to leave but Frankie stopped me, "Hey. You know, you struck me like the type of person that likes two things, drinking and fighting… who am I kidding? I gathered some knowledge about you, Tak. You worked for Constance Demaine, did you know that he has a monopoly on all deliveries in the north? Quite the work you did for him in Lindelen. And at what age! You were what? Fifteen?", he said and I didn't like where he was going but I stayed anyway, "So?", I asked and he laughed a bit before pulling a piece of paper out, "I'm not going to lie to you, since yesterday I've been thinking of thing you could help us with. You are a proved fighter and good with the sword, no? Then, I want you to help with this job", he presented me with a request for the guild, 'Request for the immediate capture of Elber Pyke', it read, along with details of the person below. "We've got many of our operatives on it, even the northern trio, I'm sure you've heard of them", Frankie added, his expression one of eagerness it seemed. "Why? Why you need me? You said yourself that you got many operatives, even those mercenaries of the trio", I questioned back but he expression didn't falter, "Please, I'm sure if it not for the coin, at least for thrill of a fight? I'm sure you prefer to spend your time being active while waiting for my men to locate Delilah, instead of sitting and doing nothing", he retorted. He was kind of right and I hated that, he was obviously manipulating me into giving in and accepting to work for the guild, but fine. "Okay. I'll do it, I'll help you with this… thing".
"Glad to have you on board", a deep voice exclaim from behind me, a big man who had just entered the room. "Ah! Just in time!", Frankie said and stood up, "Tak. This is Maxwell, one of the members of the northern trio". This big guy, Maxwell, sported an armor full of scratches and cuts, he had a great warhammer holstered on his back and his complexion noted his strength, he extended his hand, "It's a pleasure, Godsword", a hand that doubled mine in size. "Yeah, just call me Tak", I said letting his grip led the handshake, "Also, have we met each other? I've heard you three come from Lindelen", I had to ask, my curiosity got the best of me. Maxwell chuckled, "You? Your name gets dropped in every tavern in Lindelen. Still, that nickname, 'Godsword' is the one I've heard since coming to Prime Bay, not the one we heard in the north… makes me want to test if that's true, 'a god of the sword'", he remarked the last part and let a small silence pass before laughing, "Hahaha, I'm kidding, I'm kidding…". At least this guy seems 'friendly', "So, who's this guy? Pyke", I asked, and Maxwell motioned me to follow him, "Elber Pyke is a smuggler. He's been moving goods from Fanq Shu to Londincom and then to Prime Bay, evading taxes and authorities while at it. Every port in the southern coast has a price on his head, almost fifteen hundred gold", he explained while leading me to the main hall of the guild, "I want you to meet my other two companions, having more people from Lindelen and the north is a treasure among these southerners. Don't you agree?", I didn't answer that, don't know if he knows I was raised in Roda, I didn't feel that stupid sentiment of north vs south some seem to have. Maxwell took me outside the guild, "We are staying on the far side of the city, we can discuss our plans on how to catch this guy, there", he said, too eager to get me into his group it sounded, "Sorry Maxwell, but I have things to do, we can meet tomorrow in the guild", I replied and turned in the other direction, "Oh, okay. See you tomorrow in the guild at… ten? Eleven?… I'll see you!", he exclaimed as I left, I had something else in my mind. I followed the same route I did early and stopped by the bookshop again, I searched and searched upon piles and piles of old dusty books but I couldn't find it, that book that brought that weird fear in me before, it seemed to have vanished. It was getting late so I went to leave but, that neatly placed volumes of books; 'The War of Liberation', it wasn't like I was going to read the thirty four volumes, but I could get the copy of the first one, maybe, just maybe, it contained information about the helm of the First Knight, a connection to the sword? A mention at least? Well see about it.