It is a fact that true malevolence weaves its way through the delicate bance of intentions, both virtuous and vicious. Let us not deceive ourselves, for it is essential to acknowledge that such wrongdoing is unequivocally wrong.

  -The Just Realm, by Gideon de Savia 368 AC.

  Soon enough, we were able to find our way to the Soot-Stained Pig. It was a medium building, two stories tall, and constructed from rge blocks of locally quarried white abaster stone. A cast-iron sign hung over the entrance, depicting a rge bck pig and an anvil in the background. The unoiled hinges squeaked in the breeze. The sounds of the forge could be heard coming from within, rising above the general hubbub of the city.

  As we entered the shop, the cnging of metal on metal filled our ears and drowned out the sound of the heavy wooden doors that closed behind us. The air was thick with the heat of the forge, and we could already feel the sweat beginning to bead on our foreheads.

  Our eyes were immediately drawn to the woman at the anvil, her full figure commanding our male attention as she rhythmically hammered away at a bar of red-hot steel. Her brow was furrowed in fierce concentration and her hair was slick with sweat and pulled back into a simple ponytail.

  Tilted coal-bck eyes peered out from an oval face at the work in front of her. We stood there, unnoticed, as she deftly picked up the piece of steel with her tongs and quenched it in a liquid that glistened like oil. She did not notice or acknowledge us, as she was completely focused on her craft.

  As we were in the presence of a master at her craft, Kidu and I held our tongues in respectful silence and I took the opportunity to observe our surroundings. Weapon racks lined the walls, filled with an array of vicious battlefield implements. In gss cases, delicate and ornate items encrusted with jewels and other precious stones were on dispy.

  The establishment boasted a varied collection of arms and armor, from the simplest of bronze daggers to a masterfully crafted, fully articuted set of pte armor. The armor was a true marvel, a work of art that appeared as if it had been sculpted out of flowing steel.

  After finishing her task, she set down the tongs and pced her gloved hands on her generous hips. Looking Kidu up and down, she greeted us, with a smile on her lips. A single delicate eyebrow arched itself in curiosity as she asked in an alto voice, whose timbre resonated with the heat of the forge, "Do you see something you like?"

  As I lifted off my helmet, I stumbled over my own tongue, struggling to find the words. "The Dirk… I mean Devon vouched for this establishment and suggested we seek out an Aideh Cillis… I mean a certain, certain Cillis Aideh for a fair price. Our aim is to barter a few items, yet primarily to purchase," I managed to blurt out.

  The woman's amusement was clear as she surveyed us, ughter sparkling in her eyes. "Cillis Aideh at your service. That wily old scoundrel still breathes, I see. I fear his fondness for liquor and games of chance will lead him across the Shallow River one day, but I can't fault him for bringing me trade. So, what can I do for you?" she inquired, her tone becoming all business.

  “I was wondering if I could trade this in for perhaps a new one of iron or steel?” I asked, holding out my helm.

  “Open or closed?” she countered.

  “I beg your pardon?” I stuttered, at a loss for words and not completely understanding the context.

  “Helm,” she responded, rolling her eyes and tapping her head.

  A blush crept across my cheeks as I weakly answered, “What would you recommend for my companion and me?”

  I looked to Kidu whose gaze was still roaming over the items on dispy.

  “Hmm…” She paused, crossing her arms in thought. “Closed be a bit harder to breathe in, can’t see as well either. But I’d still recommend one if you're going to be getting into lots of scraps. A visored helm would probably give you best of both worlds, but that’ll cost you a pretty penny, and they can be a devil to maintain in the field.”

  “To be honest, madam...” I began again before being interrupted.

  “No need for a madam, I’m not that old yet,” she interjected, a slight edge to her voice.

  "Well, yes, Ms. Aideh, we have a budget of about four gold between us," I stated simply, hoping that Elwin could procure more money for us from the sale of our other loot. "We both need to be fully equipped, and we can trade these," I said.

  I spread out the Laur hide, two spare Zajasite stones, two pairs of Echo-Stalker weapon cws from the drones, and my Echo-Stalker scythe daggers. I also pced, albeit hesitantly, my simple length of iron chain on the counter of the shop.

  Cillis surveyed our wares, her delicate lips pursed in contemption as she caressed the scythe daggers. "A rare find, these Echo-Stalker cws from the deep pces. Exotic. There must be a demand for them somewhere, but I'm not sure where to begin. I can offer four silver for the smaller ones and six for each of these daggers if you're willing to take store credit. Three and five if you need the coin now," she mused, slipping off one of her gloves and tracing her fingers sensually over the animal hide.

  "This Laur hide is a beauty, a Tree-Laur, if I'm not mistaken. My husband, Khisam, could fashion something splendid with it. I'll throw in another silver for it. As for the Zajasite stones, they're of low quality, so I can offer five copper each, and three for the chain as scrap. Just because the big chunk of muscles here is easy on the eyes," she beamed, wiping her face with the back of her hand, which left another trail of lingering bck.

  I could not help but notice the pyful way she looked at Kidu.

  "Khisam!" she bellowed, turning her back to us and hollering up the stairs. "I need your help with some fittings!"

  *****

  Following the smith's advice, I bought a second-hand visored steel sallet with a sturdy bevor, as well as the heaviest leather and steel brigandine they had that could be easily fitted. Bck canvas was riveted onto the ptes of the brigandine, and the armor also came with a cloth gambeson that had butted mail attached and sewn across the arms. For leg armor, I chose simple iron greaves with chainmail leggings. I would have to keep my leather gloves for the time being, as I simply did not have the budget for new gauntlets. Also, a further loss of dexterous motion might prove fatal in a future conflict.

  I tried to persuade the smith to craft a fil out of the chains I had pced on the table, but she found the whole notion absurd. Instead, still perplexed by my choice of weapon, she proffered me a reasonably priced spiked iron fil that exuded a menacing aura, and she paired it with a basic kite shield that I could easily sling over my shoulder.

  The pommel of the weapon bore a sharp spike, while at the juncture where the chain met the handle, heavy fnges of iron construction were affixed, enabling the weapon to also function as a simple mace. The ball of the fil was forged of heavy metal, had five small spikes on its rough surface, and was attached to the handle of the weapon by a short heavy chain. The weapon was called a Tsengelt-tum, and the smith promised to teach me the basics of its use ter for another two bronze.

  I also decided to buy an old leather sword belt that sported a bronze buckle, as well as hooks for suspending weapons and gear. In addition, I procured a set of three well-banced throwing knives. As a final thought, I exchanged my looted short sword for a parrying dagger. The dagger was marked down due to it being one of her apprentice's initial works, and its quality was uncertain. However, it was an eye-catching piece.

  The weapon bore a striking resembnce to a 15th-century bde, with recurved bronze quillons that angled slightly upwards towards the bde. A groove at the base of one side of the bde permitted the thumb to obtain a firmer grip, while a shallow fuller ran across half of its short length. The bde itself seemed to emute a lethal serpent in motion. Upon observing my inquisitive expression, Cillis divulged that the ripples in the bde were designed to weaken the impact of a strike against the weapon and slow down an adversary's bde.

  A slender man descended the stairs, stumbling over his own feet as he struggled to carry various items. This could only be Khisam, I mused to myself.

  Khisam was a shrew of a man, and I found myself perplexed by his match with Cillis. Despite his retive youth, he had begun to bald well before his time. His furtive nature, slightly hunched back, and rge bespectacled eyes only added to his shrew-like countenance. He followed his wife’s orders almost without question and with almost mechanical efficiency, his hands a whirlwind of activity as he fitted my gear to me, occasionally informing his wife of my measurements.

  The raven-haired woman took her time teaching me how to properly equip my arms and armor, as well as how to maintain them. Her hands provocatively lingered a little too long in pces, doing so in front of her husband, as if she enjoyed the thrill. She also, with much amusement at my expense, showed me how I could relieve myself when fully armored. I was relieved to discover that my gear, though weighty, was not as unwieldy as depictions in contemporary media had led me to believe. Adorned in thick yers of leather and sturdy metal, I felt considerably more secure.

  Kidu, after much consideration, settled on a scale mail cuirass and chainmail protection for his arms and legs. He was adamant about not wearing a closed helm, citing the importance of his senses in combat. However, after some persuasion, he agreed to don a chainmail coif.

  Instead of a shield, he opted for a thick steel gauntlet, complete with articuted fingers and metal ptes covering his arms. Cillis referred to it as a ‘Shield-Gauntlet,' and it brought to mind the fierce Murmillos of ancient Rome. For his weapon, with great reluctance, he exchanged his old one for a steel boar spear, with small iron lugs that sprouted underneath a long leaf-shaped bde that ended in a sharp tip.

  It would take some time for Khisam to make the necessary adjustments for Kidu's rge size, so Cillis invited me to the back of her smithy where I found a small open area surrounded by a fence.

  Approaching a straw training dummy, she turned around to give me a dazzling smile and began her instruction. "Now, I would be a poor smith indeed if I didn't understand how to use the tools that I make. Make no mistake, boy, these are tools and nothing more. The fil is a difficult weapon to master and cks a little power, because you can't put your full weight behind it. But it's a tricky thing, the fil, capable of wrapping around someone's guard or letting you attack from a different angle. Now, remember when you hit a solid target, you'll need to follow through..."

  *****

  I didn’t know whether it was my single point of proficiency in Fils, my higher Dexterity, or the combined experience from all of my fights until now, but Cillis' instruction came easily to me. She pointed out fws in my stance with a whisper close to my ear, warning me to always keep my shield up and not rely on my weapon for defense, as one would with a sword. After what felt like hours of training, the world finally informed me that I had gained in skill.

  You have learned Fils (lvl.2)

  I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t had an increase in attribute points, but still pleased that I had made some martial progress. Though nowhere near a hardened warrior of legend, I felt I had at least begun to take the first tentative steps on that path.

  Emboldened by my recent achievement, I turned to the attractive, raven-haired smith with a pyful grin.

  "You know, you are very pretty," I started mely. "So, you and Khisam, how come you two..."

  To my great surprise, she silenced me with a finger to my lips.

  “I’d prefer the big man, but you’ll do. This will be just a little secret between us. Come,” she said in a bold, sultry voice filled with sensuous promise.

  Like a sacrifice, she led me by the hand to a tool shed in the corner of the yard. Was this a trap, some ploy, or scheme, I briefly wondered, before I was suddenly caught in the raw power of the moment.

  Her fingers traced the line of my face, gentle and delicate like a butterfly's touch, as her lips drew closer to mine. I could feel my heart racing in my chest.

  “You are very young aren’t you,” she observed pyfully, a devilish smile pying on her full, red lips. Her eyes bore into mine, full of mischief and seduction.

  “If you promise me one thing… I might be willing to teach you something else…” she whispered, her voice low and enticing as she pushed me back against the rough wooden wall of the shed.

  My mind went bnk as I hung on her every word, completely under her spell. But even in the heat of my lust, a dark part of me wanted to wrap my hands around her delicate neck and extinguish her life. How easy it would be to gain some quick experience. How sweet and satisfying it would be...

  But suddenly, a call shattered the moment, coming from outside the shed. “Cillis!” cried Khisam in his shrill, whiny voice.

  “Yes, dear!” Cillis answered hastily, leaving me behind and abandoning me to my unsatisfied desire.

  For long moments, frustration welled up inside of me. Drinking deeply of the stale and musty air of the shed, it took all that I had to force cold crity to return. As much as I wanted her, I couldn't deny that it was probably for the best. Yet still, I damned Khisam for interrupting us. Damn him. Humiliated—no, emascuted—was what I felt as I joined the others back in the shop.

  Kidu’s gear, now adjusted to his size, stood out in stark contrast to his rugged form. Studiously avoiding Cillis' gaze, I paid her for her time, training, and goods in a weak voice tinged with guilt. Promising to return if we needed any more purchases in the future, I could barely meet her eyes.

  As if offering a parting gift, Cillis even recommended a stall in the market to acquire archery gear for the Hunter. All the while acting as if nothing had happened between us.

  With our business concluded, we left the shop quickly, driven by my yearning to be anywhere but in the Soot-Stained Pig. After all, we still had chores to finish before the day was done, I justified to myself.

  But even as I wallowed in my embarrassment, I couldn't help feeling that in this world, I could experience a full range of human sensations. Hopefully, pleasure would be included among them.