Life was cruel.
It was a universal truth better learned early, to mitigate the pain of tragedies at the very least. Expect the worst, hope for the best? Some nonsense saying my father had taught me when I was just a boy. He was...not optimistic, per say. He wasn't blind to the ugliness surrounding him and in him, he just chose to act naive.
The best lesson he taught me was on the day he was consigned to the noose.
Nothing imprints on a child's mind quite like seeing a parental figure's neck snap on some cheap rope.
"I understand what you're trying to do Umi, trust me, I do," I said. "But this test is going to get her killed rather than actually prove anything. What use will she be when she's dead?"
Umi shrugged from the chair she sat on, her illusion was gone, so I was a witness to all her ugliness. We both preferred it that way. "If she dies, she dies. Sometimes life chooses to fuck you raw, and she's gotta experience some real struggle before I'm confident in her providing something of value to the coven's future."
"Didn't you tell the others that she deserved to be among us?" I sighed.
"I did, and she does. But body enhancement isn't something I can use, not in the city at least. Every one of us has some way to help with keeping us concealed. All she's good for is getting into a fight once we're found, and frankly? I can name seven members off the top of my head that could take her on."
I raised a brow. "Seven? Really? Don't tell me you're counting Onren and Hakmen."
"They're better fighters than you give them credit for. Though they certainly don't tend to show off their competence."
"Sure," I snorted.
Umi shrugged and got back to examining the necklace I had made. Not for her of course, the woman wasn't stupid enough to believe I wouldn't sneak in some enchantments to siphon off her vitae, alongside the other bullshit if I could get away with it. Still, she did appreciate the pieces I made, entirely because I was fantastic jeweler.
Took a while to learn the craft, but enchanting took longer so it worked out in the end.
Learning so many Words did some weird shit to the soul. Not bad weird, but still weird.
"So we're really throwing her to the wolves huh?" I sighed. "No chance I could convince you to at least put a few safety nets?"
Umi chortled, which was a little strange given her single nostril. "No"
Decapitation was horrendous for a blades edge, the muscles were too thick, the bones too strong.
So I had gotten myself an axe to fulfill that purpose, and it worked well enough that I didn't have to sharpen it too often. It was a handaxe with a handle of sturdy wood and a head of thick metal, the balancing was so shit it was obvious the thing wasn't meant for combat applications. Likely wasn't meant to chop off the head of a corpse either, but tools were more than just their intended purpose. One of the first things I learned as a smith's apprentice.
Those were better times.
Still, despite how effective the thing was at chopping, a Muri-Ursi's neck was thick. Took a bit of time to sever everything and shove the head in the bag that'd crusted over with rat blood long ago. I didn't bother to clean it, and it was starting to smell of Iron. Ah well, some things just weren't worth wasting time on.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
I raised the axe high, then brought it down in one final strike on the rodent's corpse, severing the head entirely. I bagged it and stood to stretch. Despite the constant pain coursing through my body, I could still enjoy a good stretch.
I stepped through the sewers on my way back topside, hunting the big ass rats one at a time had become...easy. My strengthening spell was surprisingly useful, let me cut deeper. Though it also fucked up my blade quicker.
It was an excuse to use the grindstone, and potentially forge another gladius once mine had become useless. I could afford a better sword at this point, if I was willing to do a commission. Courtesy of all the rats I'd slain and Alvir's ever so generous allowance. But...making it myself was something I preferred, even if it was a waste of time.
Killing so many rats had solidified my title, and people were genuinely impressed I could find one every passing day. I didn't care for the hunters questions on how I'd managed it so consistently, but they were something I had to weather.
I just told them it was some elven bullshit, and they seemed to accept the lie by how dejected they seemed as they sauntered away or changed topics.
I grabbed the first rung of the ladder and started climbing, listening to how the whispers changed with my grasp. The tune of plain wood changed to something with purpose, it was a nice listen, almost qualified as a subtle song as I climbed.
Fuck, I lived in a city and hadn't gone to see a proper show since the festival.
The bard that graced the hunters guild wasn't very...talented. At all.
Maybe if I wanted to waste time I could've gone to one of the popular taverns for a listen, or the music square to make my ears bleed. Unfortunately, I didn't have any intention of spending my time on anything other than training...and hanging out with Xae.
The girl made it a requirement to reserve at least a day a week for our silly sauntering, and I didn't hate it.
I still didn't believe the obvious lie about her origins. How could I? It was patently ridiculous, but that didn't mean I couldn't enjoy her company. She didn't try to steer me off my course, unlike Aira or just about any hunter that breathed. Some people I'd never even met decided it was perfectly fine to share their opinions on a healthy lifestyle. A few wanted to talk about Riri and Gar.
Fuck them. Fuck them raw with a spiked baton.
But I had...lessened my training, if only for Aira's sake. Seeing her so helpless after she found the aftermath of my experimentation with meridians was. Hmmm. It hurt? But didn't really? It was necessary, but why spend my time on something that would hurt those who cared for me when I had other avenues for growth?
I was spoiled for choice if I was being honest, so I decided to shelve that bit of cultivator bullshit aside for now.
I opened the sewer grate and the crowds looked curiously at me before returning their focus to whatever it was they were doing. I walked through the streets on my way to the hunters guild as the clamour and all that other shit that pervaded cities was going about.
When I got to the hunters guild, something was...different.
People were drinking too much, and chattering away in merriment like they were children.
I shrugged my shoulders and went over to the bounty claim, walking up to one of the few working clerks considering the season.
"Another Muri-Ursi, Yir?" the woman behind the counter chirped.
I gave her a nod. "Same as every day. This one's a little bigger than my usual so I'm hoping for a fair payout."
The woman smiled and gave the counter a pat.
I grabbed the sack hanging off my back and deposited the big ass rat head on the counter. The woman hummed as she examined the thing and then nodded. "One silver."
"Bullshit," I scrunched my brow. "This would've gotten me two a month ago!"
"Yes, and that was a month ago. You've saturated the market with rat brains, so the price goes down. Something or other about market economics."
Of course, supply and demand.
Economic's was a bitch, but it wasn't my bitch so I had no control over it unfortunately.
I grumbled out my complaints before letting out a sigh. "Why's everyone so happy? It's weird."
"That it is!" the woman laughed. "all these brooding bastards can't help themselves normally, but today's a bit special. The guild's best member has returned from his travels! Now even wendigos won't be a threat."
I sincerely doubted that, but I didn't voice that. "The fire mage? What was his name again?"
The woman gave me a wide smile and her eyes sparkled.
"Rhode Rhombal."
another re-write while writing book two when I got a bit into the second arc) and why I'm considering doing another re-write for the last third of book 2.
really bad, and I don't know if trusting the process is going to get me through like it did with the last two books considering the context of book three.
final draft.
How are all y'all?
