A small wood workshop in Blue Pine town has a man and his son cutting wood and carving it into shape. It’s a slow day, but they have until the end of the day to make a few axles for wagon wheels. As much as they would like to make the whole wagon wheel, the customer wants to reinforce it with iron. This dad and son workshop isn’t equipped to work with iron. Still, it’s quick work and once that is done they won’t have any wood work to do. The morning had just brought the sun and they were already a third of the way through the order. It isn’t until a girl with red hair peeks into the workshop. It was Ren. Today she wore a simple commoner’s work dress.
“Hello!” Ren says to the man and boy inside.
“Hmm? Oh! Yes, hello. Can I help you little lady?” the father asked.
“Do you make scabbards here?” Ren asked.
“That we do. Let me see the sword.” the father beckoned her inside.
Ren stepped inside and laid her recently acquired katana on the counter.
“Ah, one of these foreign swords from the east.” the man nodded his head. “You’re not one of those weebs that spend all their time reading those foreign books, are you?”
“No.” Ren said flatly. “I’m an adventurer and I took this from a dead guy.”
The man goes wide eyed at those words. Then a realization hits him.
“Ah! You’re that adventurer girl everyone was gossiping about in yesterday’s celebration.” the man nodded as he realized who he was talking to.
“Yeah. The guy I took it from didn’t have a scabbard. And it already stabbed a hole in my bag.” Ren said.
“Pfft. So you pulled this from one of those weebs and they didn’t have a scabbard on them.” the man said. “I can definitely make something for you. I’ll even give you a discount. Let me just see this thing.”
The man took the katana in his hands and laid it out on a wooden board. He took a piece of coal and traced the blade of the katana on the board. As he does, the katana was screaming.
“NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! YOU CAN’T MAKE ME WEAR A SCABBARD!!!” Warumasa screamed inside Ren’s head.
“You’re a literal sword! You know how dangerous and stupid it is to just swing around all day?” Aperward said.
“I can just stay in her hand as she spends all day and night cutting people! I don’t need a scabbard!”
“What? What do you mean?”
“I will have this girl cut everyone! The world. She will be a harbinger of bloodlust and carnage! She will soak the world in blood! Her ire will be endless and power immeasurable!”
“Okay! Even if you wanted her to be a blood crazed killer, can’t you just do that after she stows you in a scabbard?”
“No! You can’t make me! I’ll never be sheathed! I’ll never be stifled by a scabbard! And whoever heard of a demon blade resting in a scabbard?”
“I don’t know. Just put it on!”
“No! You! Carpenter man! Take me and spirit me away from this paper thin cur!”
Warumasa tries to possess the carpenter man who was holding him.
“I think I got it. Thankfully I’ve worked on curved scappards before. And I think I have just the right piece to make this work.”
The father puts the katana up against a piece of wood and compares their lengths.
“Yes, I think this one will do nicely. I was afraid I’d never get to use this one too. I paid a fair bit of money for some strong and light wood, but I got cheated and with some warped wood even if it is very slight. With your discount I won’t be making a profit, but at least I can take this thing off the scrap shelf. That and I can use the money instead of some wood taking up space.”
The man sets the katana down without issue.
“I can get it done before nightfall.” he said.
“Okay, I’ll pay up front so I know you’ll do your best work.” Ren said in a flat tone.
“Hah! You know how to motivate a man.” he chuckled.
“AAAAHHHHHHH!!! NOOOOOO!!!” Warumasa screams.
“What’s the big deal? It’s just a scabbard. Even Apher Kirakaus hasn’t seen a sword without it’s scabbard before.” Apherward said.
“Oh bitch, please! You wizards never go out anyway! It’d do you some good to touch grass once in your gods forsaken lives. But a blade like me should be free!”
“Free my hide. What, were you a nudist when you were an oni?”
“I wore a fine tiger pelt, thank you very much.” Warumasa stopped to think for a second. “We have money, right?”
“No. The girl has money. You don’t have a thing.”
“Same difference. Anyway, let’s make another stop on this shopping trip.”
At a small stationary store on Blue Pine town’s main street, an old woman with thick glasses sips on tea while younger hands are behind the counter cutting paper into pages and binding them to book spines. The door to the stationary store swings open and a bell is rung. The old woman sets down her tea and carefully makes her way to the shop counter. She adjusts her glasses and sees a red haired girl approach the counter.
“Hello! How can I help you?” the old lady said.
“Hi! I want to have this book hang off of a chain I wear on my person. Can that be done?” Ren said.
“Oh? Is it a spellbook? We don’t get a lot of magic types around here, but I do have one adorable customer who always asks to have her spellbooks accessible by having it hang from a chain.”
“Yes! Can you punch holes in a book so I can hang chains off of it?”
“Of course, let me take a look at it.”
Ren places her spellbook on the shop counter.
“WHAT THE FUCK!!!” Apherward screamed in his old wizard voice.
“Now you’ll have ample opportunity to be outside and perhaps even touch grass.” Warumasa said in a low demonic voice.
“No! Absolutely not! Woman! I command you to take me away! I promise you supreme arcane might! The power to turn back time! To restore your youth!”
“Oh my. I’ve never seen a spellbook with gold accents and jewels before.” the old woman chuckled.
“Is it a problem?” Ren asked.
“Not at all. We also have a selection of chains if you would like to browse. We even have gold plated chains. Just not pure gold. That’s a bit outside of my budget, but if you’re willing to pay for everything, I think I can get you something nice.”
“Gold is actually a weak metal. It won’t survive the life of an adventurer unless I imbue it with magic. I’ll just have it gold plated, thank you.”
“Ah! You’re the adventurer. I’m terribly sorry. I’ve only heard about you. Thank you, truly. I have a grandson, who was being bullied by one of those roughians. How about a discount? As a thank you for showing those goons what for.”
The old lady takes the spellbook to a contraption. It is a hole puncher. A machine designed for the purpose of punching holes in thin material like paper or leather. She moved without issue despite the books desire and attempts to speak into her mind or influence her actions.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Apherward screamed in his old man wizard voice.
“Ehehe! Time to get a piercing! Time to get a piercing!” Warumasa’s low demonic voice was giggling.
“Gods above! Somebody! Help me!”
The old lady lines up the book. She uses wooden blocks and locks them in place against table measurements. Blades hang above the book and prepare to fall on it at the pull of a lever. She reaches for the hole puncher’s controls before she pauses for a moment.
“Oh! Dear, is this a magic item?” the old lady asked Ren.
“Yep!” Ren responded.
“I’m afraid a magic item would break my tools. I’m sorry, but magic items are tougher than normal items. Even if they are just books.”
“Okay.” Ren said flatly.
“I can still have a chain attached to it. I just need to make a book cover for you. Before attaching the chain.”
“Okay, I’ll take that.”
To the tome’s relief, it didn’t have to get piercings.
“Oh, thank the gods.” Apherward sighed in relief.
“Eh, well. Shit.” Warumasa grumbled. “Anyway, did you get through to the old lady in all your begging and pleading?”
“No! And fuck you!”
As the day ends, Ren prepares her adventuring gear in her room at the inn. Apherward, the green leather bound book adorned in gold accents and gem inlays hung from a gold plated chain that draped around her shoulder and down onto her hip. Next to it, was a wooden katana scabbard. It hung from a leather belt which also carried a number of satchels and pouches. She was draped in the dull red mage robes she was rewarded with by Mona and the Ring of Minor Protection from Mackamer. She also had a new back pack. However, she appeared to have been having trouble with her katana.
“Just get in.” Apherward complained.
“No!” Warumasa shouted.
“Just get in the damn scabbard!”
“No!”
Ren was somehow struggling to sheath her katana. When the woodworker showed it to her and sheathed it in the workshop, there wasn’t a problem. Now, there seems to be some sort of internal struggle.
“Let me go! Let me be free!” Warumasa shouted.
“Just get in your damn scabbard!” Apherward snapped back.
With a bit of effort, Ren finally managed to sheath Warumasa.
“Augh! Eugh! Ew!”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“Stop complaining.”
“Why must I be bound to a scabbard when I could be tasting the flesh and blood of everyone in town?”
“What are you, a psychopath?”
“I’m a demon blade, idiot! Of course my dream is to constantly bathe in fresh blood every moment of my existence!”
“I don’t think there are enough armed folk to satiate something like that.”
“Well, duh. Think of the women and children too!”
“Wait, are you insinuating that you want to stab the… you know what, I’m sorry I asked.”
“Whatever. Let’s get something to eat. The girl is hungry.”
Ren was sitting at a nearby restaurant. A muscular man brings over a plate of mutton.
“Glad to see you’re getting some meat on those bones, girlie.” he said, setting the plate down. “Let me know if I can get ya anything else.”
“What did you do to get those muscles?” Ren asked.
“Hehe! Well, if you must know, I head to the gym every so often.” he says with a grin. “Waiter by trade and with a hobby of a bodybuilder. It’s a little place over yonder. It’s called the Iron Church. For the body is a temple and we must regularly worship it.”
“Cool. Thank you.” Ren flips him a coin.
“Oh! A tip. Haven’t seen you tip me or the other guys around here.” he chuckles.
“I’m Blue Pine’s Favorite Adventurer. Also I have money now.” Ren says flatly.
“Haha! Well, I’m glad to be the first to receive your generosity. Please enjoy your meal.”
He starts heading to another table. Ren continues to eat. Within her head, two voices found something new to bicker about.
“Pfft. Iron church. And why are you tipping them? I earned that money!” Apherward complained.
“Because someone who trains their body regularly and with such dedication deserves that much at least.” Warumasa said. “I don’t expect a copy of a wizard to understand how important caring for one’s body is. And on top of that, you let this girl pass out more than once under your stewardship, so how about you shut the hell up.”
“I only let her faint because I can’t sense her hunger or weariness.”
“It’s easy! 3 square meals a day and sleep for 8 hours. I don’t know we don’t need to rest, but even you are a copy of a mortal wizard that had to do those things.”
“I’ll have you know that Apher Kirakaus sustained himself using magic gems.” Apherward said proudly in an old wizard voice.
“What? Did you eat magic jewels?”
“No! I stood there and the magic would sustain me. I had no need to eat it.”
“What? Wait, let me guess. Your stomach atrophied from never being used.”
“Perhaps. I cared little for it. All I needed was my brilliant mind.”
“So why didn’t you keep your brain in a jar?”
“Because then I wouldn't have use of my hands and feet. It might be a foreign concept to someone who punched himself until his arms and legs fell off.”
“I’ll have you know that my arms and legs were used in the forging process. Even they carried fine clumps of resentment to be used in forging.”
Ren was done with her mutton and was wiping away the grease and other bits of food. As she does, a small child-like figure approaches her table. She is a little girl. Clearly a child. Her hair is pink and bears golden eyes. She is draped in mage robes colored in pink, embroidered with flower patterns and lined with golden threads as accents. A book dangles at her hip held by a chain draped over her shoulder.
“You there! You are you Ren!” the girl shouted with authority. Almost like she was demanding something from Ren. “You are the newly dubbed Blue Pine’s Favorite Adventurer, are you not?”
Ren looks over to the girl.
“Yes.” Ren said flatly.
“I am Velaura Albrinter, Lord Albrinter lord’s daughter.” the girl introducing herself as Velaura said.
“Who’s that?” Ren said as flatly as she is known to speak.
“Wha- I. MY LORD FATHER!!!” Velaura shouted.
“Yeah. Who’s that?” Ren said.
Velaura seems shocked and embarrassed at the same time. Since the shouting started, people have been looking at the two of them.
“Who’s that?”
“I don’t know, but she said she’s the daughter of some Lord Albrinter.”
“I thought our town didn’t have a lord.”
“I thought he was just a myth.”
“I mean, I always thought he was a shut in since his manor is on the north side of town.”
“Wait, so is he a rumor or a shut in?”
“I don’t see why he can’t be both.”
“How do you be both fake and a shut in?”
“You can be a rumored shut in.”
“Wait! If we had a lord presiding over our town, where was he when every store in my neighborhood got broken into and robbed?”
As the gossiping came to about this Lord Albrinter, Velaura’s cheeks flush and she looks visibly uncomfortable. In response, Ren grabs her by the hips and carries her away under her arm like a piece of luggage.
“Hey! What? Wait! Where are you taking me?” Velaura shouted.
“We’re just going to talk in the inn.” Ren said.
“Hey, Ren, you still haven’t paid for the meal.” her waiter said.
“Sorry.” Ren rummaged through her coin pouch and set the money down before rushing off.
At Ren’s room at the inn, Velaura is seated in a chair. The curtains and window were closed and the door was shut.
“Are you okay to talk here?” Ren said.
“It is serviceable, but I believe that more care should be taken to ensure our discussion does not find it’s way to unwanted listeners.” Velaura said.
“Okay. Just give me one second.” Ren said.
Ren learned Whisper Sanctum Level 1. Level capacity has been met. Level up to increase level capacity.
“Whisper Sanctum.” Ren said.
Ren held her hands together in a ball. A bubble of white light forms in her hands and expands. The bubble expands until it touches the walls, floor and ceiling of the inn room. Magics begin to take effect and ward off the inn room from unseen and unheard listeners.
“That should do it.” Ren said.
Velaura looked at Ren in shock and awe.
“That’s a high leveled spell. How did you do that?” Velaura asked.
“With a lot of work and effort.” Ren said as she began bleeding from her nose.
“Uhm… your nose is bleeding.” Velaura pointed out.
“Oh.” Ren said as flatly as ever.
Ren begins to wipe away the blood. As she does, Velaura takes this chance to see just what kind of person Ren is. And she does so by checking her status.
Ren
Level 8 Warrior
Strength: 15
Magic: 25
Agility: 11
Vitality: 11
Magic Capacity: Dangerous
Titles: Blue Pine’s Favorite Adventurer
Skills:
Swordsmanship Level 3
Housekeeping Level 1
Netami Style
Netami Style: Form 1: Flash
Netami Style Form 2: Swallow Dive
Netami Style Form 3: Helm Splitter
Netami Style Form 4: Blade Wave
Spells:
Ice Bolt Level 2
Fireball Level 1
Haste Level 1
Raise Zombie Level 1
Stone Wall Level 2
Water Arrow Level 2
Blind Level 2
Locate Location Level 1
Project Mind Level 1
Magic Soft Fall Level 2
Chain Lightning Level 1
Basic Barrier Level 2
Whisper Sanctum Level 1
Status: Injured
Left Leg Gunshot Severity 2 Bandaged
Right Arm Bite Severity 3 Bandaged
Velaura was taken aback by what she saw. Firstly, she heard that Ren was a mage. But from what she sees, Ren is classed as a warrior. Secondly, even if she was or wasn’t a mage, she has an absurd number of skills and spells. A lot of spells that she knows are high leveled too. In fact, it would be dangerous to cast some of these spells with only a 25 in magic. She wasn’t as knowledgeable in skills with martial classes, but those did seem a bit strange. Thirdly, she was the same level as Velaura. Sure Ren was maybe 4 to 6 years older than Velaura, but even as a 14 or 16-year-old, getting this many skills and stats was absurd. Velaura only managed to become a level 8 mage because she comes from a place of privilege, but this commoner girl has the warrior class at level 8. You typically remain classless until you reach level 10. At that point, you can select a class. Ren supposedly doesn’t have the same privilege that Velaura has and ordinarily wouldn’t become a warrior at level 8. Lastly, why does she have a skill in housekeeping? Put simply, she hasn’t seen anyone with actual levels in the housekeeping skill unless they were a professional housekeeper. Perhaps even a competitive housekeeper. So why does she have that skill?
“I’m done. So what did you want to talk about?” Ren said.
Velaura snapped herself back to attention.
“Ah! Yes! Right!” Velaura clears her throat. “I was seeking your assistance, but it seems that you may not have the skills necessary to resolve my problem.”
“You sure?” Ren asked.
“Yes.” Velaura nodded. “I came under the impression that you would be of a higher level than me and therefore equally adept at resolving the issue posed before me. However, I now see that you are the same level as me. If I could not solve the issue, then you have no hope of doing so. While you are truly magnablah-”
Velaura stops mid sentence. It would appear that she bit her tongue.
“Are you okay?” Ren asked.
“Ow! I’m hine!” Velaura struggled to say.
“Well, if it helps, you can talk to me about it.” Ren said.
“Whath?” Velaura said.
“You can talk to me about the problem. Magic rituals are often conducted by multiple casters. Collaboration is the key to success for most casters. It’s how spells are often invented and why magic academies are often sought after.” Ren said very flatly.
“What do you mean?” Velaura said.
“Let’s work on it together.” Ren said.
“Together.” Velaura hanged on that word.
“Yep!” Ren said.
There is a long pause before Velaura responds.
“Okay.” Velaura straightens her posture before speaking again. “My home, the Albrinter estate, has a magical barrier and ward that protects it from threats. However, in recent times the ward and barrier have failed on occasion and had other issues. I want to resolve the issue as swiftly as possible.”
“I see.” Ren nods along. “What have you done to identify the problem?”
“I examined the ritual circles that the ward and barrier are centered on. By all metrics and measurements, I haven’t seen any problems with them.”
“Is it powered by magic crystals or another power supply?”
“Magic crystals. I checked several times with the ones in our current stock and our supplier. There were no issues. I also checked the magic crystals in other magic devices to see if they had any problems too. Those devices had no issues. I haven’t tried the crystals in other magic circles, or rituals.”
“The crystals are arcane in nature, correct?”
“Of course. I’m not dumb enough to mix up crystals of arcane and divine nature. The crystals aren’t of an infernal or natural nature either. Both the ward and barrier use arcane magic.”
“Have you tried turning them off and on again?”
“Multiple times. Yes.”
“Has anything changed inside the magic’s area of effect before and after the problems began presenting themselves?”
“I don’t know about that. I also asked the servants around the manor, and none of them noticed anything out of the ordinary. Then again, none of them are magically skilled.”
“Have you searched the rooms and grounds of the manor for anomalies? How about the outside?”
“I haven’t found anything, but I don’t have a magic lens or anything like that. There isn’t any damage to the fence, gate or perimeter of the manor either.”
“If you want, I could look around using the Magic Sense spell.”
Velaura gives Ren a frown at those words.
“You don’t have the Magic Sense spell.” Peluara said.
Ren learned Magic Sense Level 1.
“Yeah I do, but I might need to wait until the morning to start casting it.” Ren said.
Spell Level Up
Magic Sense Level 1 -> Level 2
“No way.” Velaura checked Ren’s status again.
Ren
Level 8 Warrior
Strength: 15
Magic: 25
Agility: 11
Vitality: 11
Magic Capacity: Dangerous
Titles: Blue Pine’s Favorite Adventurer
Skills:
Swordsmanship Level 3
Housekeeping Level 1
Netami Style
Netami Style: Form 1: Flash
Netami Style Form 2: Swallow Dive
Netami Style Form 3: Helm Splitter
Netami Style Form 4: Blade Wave
Spells:
Ice Bolt Level 2
Fireball Level 1
Haste Level 1
Raise Zombie Level 1
Stone Wall Level 2
Water Arrow Level 2
Blind Level 2
Locate Location Level 1
Project Mind Level 1
Magic Soft Fall Level 2
Chain Lightning Level 1
Basic Barrier Level 2
Whisper Sanctum Level 1
Magic Sense Level 2
Status: Injured
Left Leg Gunshot Severity 2 Bandaged
Right Arm Bite Severity 3 Bandaged
“Huh?” Velaura went wide eyed as she looked at Ren’s status again.
“I can drop by in the morning.” Ren said. “It’s a big mansion looking place in the north side of town, right?”
“Uhh…Yeah.” Velaura answered hesitantly.
“Actually, you’re a little kid. Maybe I should walk you home.”
“Hey! I’ll have you know I’m already 10-years-old and already a super smart mage!”
There is a brief pause in the conversation.
“I’ll walk you home.” Ren said.
“I don’t need your help. Hey! Let me go!” Velaura shouts.
Ren takes Velaura’s hand and starts out the inn door. As they pass the door frame the Whisper Sanctum spell vanishes. Nearly 10 minutes after walking Velaura home, some 5 men leaped out of the shadows and onto an empty street.
“Stop right there!” one of the men said while pointing a knife at the two girls.
“And this is why you should always have a chaperone. It’s dangerous to be alone.” Ren said.
“I can take them!” Velaura stands in front of them and shouts. “You, who would dare accost a daughter of the Albrinters are but vain and ignorant layabouts. Return to your hovels and never appear before me again!”
The men with weapons look down at the girl and then at each other.
“Who is this kid?”
“I have no idea.”
“Hey, uhh… kid… we’re just here for Ren. Can you find your way back home alright from here?”
“Huh?” Ren gave a confused look.
“Ahah! So it was right for me to chaperone Ren!” Velaura puffed out her chest and smiled.
“Wait, who are these guys?” Warumasa said.
“I don’t know.” Apherward said.
“Well, it should be alright to hit them with a fireball or two.”
“You overloaded her magic capacity already.”
“I’ll make it work.”
“Sit down. You’re going to make her bleed from the eyes or whatever you mages do when you fill yourself to the brim with magic.”
“Oh, what are you going to do? Shout like a gorilla and beat your chest?”
“If they’re here for me, I can handle this.” Ren said.
She stepped forward and has yet to draw her sword. The 5 men armed with knives and cleavers rush at her.
“We had a good life! You’ll pay for what you did to the Blood Hoof gang!” one of them said.
“Blade flashing, steel drawn.
Your blade sang first, feel cold light.
In a blink, you die.
Form 1: Flash”
Before anyone could react, Ren had drawn her sword and cut the leading man open with Warumasa. Blood spewed out like a fountain as two halves of him were sent flying back. He was cut from shoulder to hip and a mess of blood decorated the street as both halves of him fall with a thump.
“Woah! What in the world?” one of the men said.
“My blade hungers.” Ren ran to the next man to cut. “Let it drink.”
The men go wide eyed as she rushes them.
“Woah! Surround her! Quick!” another assailant said.
“Feathers grace the sky.
Winged hunter, fly unmatched.
Swallow guided blade.
Form 2: Swallow Dive”
She swung her blade down. It bisected this man as easily as the first. Then in the same movement, she brought the blade up and sliced upward into another man. The blade slices through and a third man is split in half.
“Damn it! You heard him! Surround her!” one of the two remaining thugs shouts.
“Wait! There’s only two of us!” the other says.
“Your guard, crushed and split.
Heavenly divide descends.
Split helm tells your tale.
Form 3: Helm Splitter”
Ren raised the sword above her head. She steps forward and swings once downward. Where the first 3 men died when they were bisected from a cut from shoulder to hip, the fourth dies when the same blade cuts right down the center of his head. His corpse is the first that falls in equal halves.
“This is Netami style swordsmanship!” Ren said not in an epic way, but with a flat tone.
“Woah! Wait! Wait!” the last of the men screams.
“Cut upon the wind.
Beyond my blade, you shall fall.
With my steel, you die.
Form 4: Blade Wave”
The last man begins to back away. Despite the distance Ren prepares a swing. It would easily miss since he is well outside of the sword’s reach. Still, Ren prepares to swing her blade. In a single explosive movement, Ren arcs her sword in the air. A sound rings out. It is the sound of a bone being knocked out of it’s proper place in the skeleton.
Status: Injured
Right Arm Dislocated Severity 1
Ren drops her sword having apparently failed at whatever she was trying to do. Her arm bone had come off of it’s socket in the right shoulder. Ren just stares blankly at the sword that clattered to the ground. The lone man looks at her wide eyed. Velaura has been staring at apparent shock as a 10-year-old looking at a bloodbath from the beginning of this conflict.
“Oh. Whoops.” Ren said flatly despite the self-inflicted injury.
The last surviving man jumps up and starts running for his life like death is at his heels.
“WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!” Apherward screamed.
“I-uhh… I may have used a martial technique that she wasn’t ready for and dislocated her shoulder.” Warumasa said in a demonic voice and an apologetic tone.
“YOU IDIOT!!!”
