Advent of Eternity - Chapter 90 (Patreon)

Maya and Cyll returned a few minutes later bearing sticks. They took up position across from each other and raised them as if they were holding swords.

“No, that isn’t it at all,” Maya said, aghast at Cyll’s stance. “What are you doing?”

“Holding the stick.”

“It’s not a stick. It’s a sword, and you’re holding it wrong,” Maya said, adopting Cyll’s flat tone perfectly. “Fix your stance. Fix how you’re holding the sword. Stop thrusting your crotch out like a target for me to kick – seriously, is that actually how you fight?”

Cyll glanced down at himself. “I thought I was just standing normally.”

“Move your feet. Lower your center of gravity. And for the love of the gods, don’t stand flat footed. How do you even react to anything in time?”

“I kind of just kill things,” Cyll replied, rubbing the back of his head. Maya smacked his hand. “Stay in stance. I’ll try to fix it.”

She poked at his legs with the stick, walking in a circle and correcting half a dozen things about how Cyll was standing. Knell listened with some interest. He would never be able to wield a sword in the way that Cyll and Maya did, but it was interesting to see how his opponents might be thinking. It had been years since his father had shown him how to fight, so his memory was a little rusty.

“There,” Maya said, stepping back.

“Really? Like this?” Cyll asked, shifting his weight around to test the stance. “I feel like I’m about to go skip merrily down the street.”

“That’s called being light on your feet. I’m not sure how you managed to make that sound like a bad thing. You know, it took me months of training before the man who taught me even got to this part. You’re lucky that I’m not making you roll rocks around the hill.”

“That would be pointless,” Cyll replied. “I don’t lack strength. I lack technique.”

“At least you know your problems,” Maya said with a sigh. “Okay. Go back to normal and then try to return to the stance. Let’s see how much you remember.”

Cyll moved his feet together and rolled his shoulders before dropping back into the form. Maya studied him, then let out an approving grunt. “Wow. That’s pretty decent, actually. I didn’t think you’d get it so fast.”

“I’m a good student. What’s next?”

Knell tuned them out, satisfied with their progress. Maya was a fairly decent teacher, and Cyll’s mind was surprisingly sharp for someone who had been trapped in a cell for hundreds of years. More importantly, they were working well together.

He’d expected at least a little more animosity from the former pirate captain, but Maya had adapted to his crew incredibly fast. Either he’d seriously misjudged her when they’d first met, or she’d changed a lot in the recent weeks. Possibly both.

If he could find her a suitably powerful Path, she’d be a fantastic addition to his crew. The only problem was Dread. Once she finished with Maya’s Boon, there was a decent chance the captain would want to off her. That could be dealt with when the time arose, though.

Still, finding Maya a proper Path was… problematic. Restoring an arm wasn’t a simple process. Powerful healers were few and far in between, and replacement arms would never match up to the real thing.

It was unlikely she would ever use her right arm for any fighting again, which meant she needed some other form of Path. Knell resolved to look into finding a Path – he had no plans of changing his own, so he’d never really looked into it.

Knell eventually settled into real meditation while the others trained. Hours passed, and night was starting to fall when his eyes opened once more. His crew was splayed out across the ground in front of him, covered in sweat and exhausted.

“Looks like you had a productive day,” Knell observed.

“Looks like you sat around doing nothing while the rest of us worked,” Cyll complained, rolling over and sitting up. He pulled some grass out of his hair and flicked it away. “Did your sleep go well?”

“I was not sleeping,” Knell replied. “But yes, it did.”

“I’m pretty sure you just contradicted yourself,” Maya said.

“Nonsense. I never do that,” Knell said. “I think we’re done here for now. I hope you enjoyed it. We’ll be getting back to work tomorrow.”

“This was work,” Cyll said.

“I don’t see any new money in our pockets or rumors spreading around town about us,” Knell said. “Growing strong is important, but it means nothing if we don’t leverage that strength toward our goals. Let’s head back. It’s time for dinner, and I reckon your swords are done.”

Stix extended a hand and helped Knell to his feet.

Cyll’s eyes lit up. “Oh! My bonking stick.”

“I swear to the gods, if you use your sword like a glorified club again, I will hound you until I die,” Maya snapped. “A sword is an extension of your flesh. It’s like part of your soul. You treat it with respect.”

“You’re welcome to fondle your sword all you want,” Cyll said, squinting at her. “Just stay away from mine. I don’t want you to make it uncomfortable.”

Knell just shook his head and started back toward the town, the rest of his crew falling in behind him. After a short walk, they headed through the city gates. Lanternlight lit the streets, making their elongated shadows dance across the walls and into the alleys. Knell made for the smithy, its spot marked from blocks away by the smoke billowing out of its brick chimney.

He stepped inside, a wave of heat washing over him even though the forge wasn’t even in the waiting room, which was empty. Knell cleared his throat and the back door swung open a few seconds later. Larry poked his head out, then grinned.

“Ah. Good timing. Give me a moment.”

The door swung shut again, reopening a few seconds later as Larry tottered out, bearing two bundles wrapped in heavy oilcloth. He set them down on the counter as carefully as he could, then stroked his beard with a wide grin.

“They’re beauties, I say. Those were some high quality materials you brought me. Go on. Have a gander.”

Cyll stepped forward, picking up the larger bundle and unwrapping it to reveal a stark red sword with bone white accents. Scales ran down its center and the metal seemed to shift and dance in the light. It had a slight curve to it, ending in a wicked point like a tooth. The blade was almost as wide as Knell’s torso, and the inner side of the weapon was studded with jagged points made from the Clawraptor’s talons.

“Two modes, as I like to think,” Larry said, extending a hand. Cyll handed him the sword and Larry held it so that the jagged end of the blade was pointed toward him. “The outer edge is like a normal sword. Nice and sharp, should cut through anything normal with no issue.”

Larry flipped the blade around. “This bit is multipurpose. If you catch someone else’s sword in these spikes, you might be able to either brake it or pull it out of their grasp. They’re barbed. Also great for sawing through things that just won’t cut.”

“Now this is a sword,” Cyll said, taking the blade back from Larry and admiring it. “You do brilliant work. Thanks for the gift, Cap.”

“Don’t thank me. You’ll be earning it,” Knell replied.

Larry handed Cyll a leather harness. “Sling it horizontally on your back. It’s too big to carry at your side.”

Cyll took it and immediately started attaching it to himself. Knell turned to Maya, then nodded for her to inspect the other bundle.

“I didn’t pay for the sword to use myself,” he said. “I expect you to make use of it.”

Maya swallowed. Her one remaining fist clenched, then opened and she walked up to the counter. Larry reached out to help her, but Knell shook his head slightly and the smith retracted his hand.

It took Maya a few seconds to unwrap the bundle without accidentally dropping something or spilling the sword within it onto the counter, but she managed just fine in the end. Her blade was clearly of the same make and color scheme as Cyll’s, but that was where the similarities ended.

The red and white blade was long and slender, more suited to quick movements than crushing blows. Its edge was razor sharp and almost black in color, while the pommel had a scaled handguard that managed to exude grace without excess material to hold it back.

Maya swallowed. “This is a beautiful sword.”

“Course it is. I made it,” Larry drawled. “I could tell from your stance – you used to be a duelist. I tried to make you a weapon that would mesh with that fighting style. Don’t be fooled by how thin it is – that Clawraptor was made of some mighty tough shit. My Path lets me enforce the metal as well, so that girl should hold up under most strikes.”

“Thank you,” Maya said, her voice wavering for a moment. She glanced back at Knell, clearly meaning the words for him as much as the smith. He gave her a slight nod.

“What about the armor?” Knell asked.

“Working on that now,” Larry replied, rolling his shoulders. “I was just about to pack up for the night. I can probably get it by tomorrow night or the following morning.”

“Very well,” Knell said. “Tomorrow night, if you can.”

“Very well,” Larry said with a laugh. “I’ll have it by them unless something crops up. Thanks for your business.”

“You’ve earned it. You do fine work,” Knell replied, turning and heading out of the shop. His crew followed after him and they made for the inn they’d stayed at the previous night.

Loud laughter and conversation greeted them long before Knell could push the door open, spilling golden light out onto the dark city streets. Dozens of people sat around the common room, drinking and eating.

It was considerably more crowded than it had been the previous day. Knell and his crew walked inside and approached the counter, where a tall woman that hadn’t been there the previous night was setting down a pile of dirty dishes.

“Meals for four, please,” Knell said to the waitress, talking louder than normal to be heard over the crowd.

“Is something going on?” Cyll asked. “It’s quite lively today.”

“Oh, yes,” the woman replied. “You must have been out of town all day if you haven’t heard.”

“Heard what?” Knell asked, his stomach knotting. He was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

“About the gui–”

“That’s him!” a sharp voice called, splitting through the clamor. Knell pressed his lips together and Stix’s hands went to her weapons as she shifted to stand closer to Knell.

A blonde woman pushed through the crowd, her finger pointed straight at Cyll. Several men in heavy armor flanked her, guild colors covering their equipment. From Knell’s side, Cyll sighed.

“Godsdamn it.”

“Cyll?” Stix asked out of the corner of her mouth. “What did you do?”

“This is the man,” the woman repeated, coming to a stop in front of them. The inn, aside from a few people who were too drunk to notice the scene, went silent.

“Do you have business with me? I’ve never seen you in my life,” Cyll said.

The woman scoffed. “Act all you want, but there’s no way I’d forget your face. You insulted me a dozen times last night!”

“I did nothing of the sort.”

“Ma’am, do you want to take him into custody?” one of the armored men asked. The woman spun toward him, putting her hands on her hips.

“Into custody? Are you an idiot? This man saved my life, among dozens of other people. I’ve been looking for him all day to give him a reward, not toss him into holding.”

“You won’t take me without a – wait, what?” Cyll asked, blinking. “A reward?”

The woman turned back to him, cocking an eyebrow. “Not playing coy anymore?”

“What can I say? I like free stuff.”

“You really are insufferable,” she said, shaking her head. Her eyes flicked over the rest of the crew, coming to a stop on Knell. “He’s with you, then?”

“Perhaps. It depends on if his reward is something he’ll be walking away from.”

“That’s cold, Cap.”

Stix elbowed Cyll in the side and hissed into his ear, “Shush. I don’t know what you did, but let Knell get us out of it.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” the woman said, ignoring Stix and extending a hand. “My name is Maria, daughter to the Guild Leader of Melwood.”