In my upheld hands, the armorer laid a short sword. It had a bone sheath and bone handle, but when I pulled the weapon free, I saw it was black as night and shone as if oiled. I gaped at its superb craftsmanship. It was made from one of Marduk’s talons!
I inspected the curved blade before me, and as I read the stats, my jaw dropped.
Finger of God Wakizashi
Quality: Epic
Durability 200/200 (35-200)
+5 Dexterity, +5 Stamina, +50% Armor Penetration, +5% XP gained.
Special Ability: Katana Companion.
Katana Companion: Passive. When dual-wielded, increases base damage of companion katana by 10% and grants Armor Penetration buff to both weapons.
“I don’t know what to say, Corinth,” I told him. “This is… it’s amazing. I will try to bear it well.” Though it felt a bit silly, I bowed at the waist to both of the craftsmen. Poor Micah blushed like a cherry tree, and his father grinned, enjoying his son’s discomfort.
They left us with our gifts. Alysand replaced some of the rounds in one of his bandoliers with his new bullets, saving half of them and putting them inside a large box he withdrew from his satchel.
“Hey, what’s the deal with that anyway?” Madi asked. “What else you got hiding in that bag, and how do I get one like it?” Within shone row after row of ammunition. Casings of several different metals glinted, and the tips of the bullets within all varied dramatically. Some had hollow points, others were long and pointed to penetrate armor.
He placed it back within the satchel and tipped his hat at Madi. “This is an abyss bag, as I am sure you know already. You would need to do much to earn one. I wish you good luck, sister.” He said it with the smug grace of someone who has something coveted. He left us then, ducking back into the noise and clamor of the town hall.
We followed after, discussing the weapons we’d just received. “So, what do you think my hidden special ability is, anyway?” Madi asked. “And what conditions need to be met? I’m going nuts in my head thinking about it.”
“I’m sure you’ll unlock it, Madi. Some berserker last stand situation, maybe, or cutting the heads off of a hundred enemies. Then you’ll get your ability unlocked. Apparently I need to learn to dual-wield my swords. I’m good with one but thinking of swinging two around is frightening.”
“Yeah, better watch that,” Madi teased. “I don’t want to be just another body at your feet.”
We walked back into the party to further servings of bear meat and a whole array of sweets. I was asked to dance by a dozen young men, but I turned them all down. To my endless satisfaction, Madi gave in and did a faux Irish jig in front of Alysand, as if calling the old gunman out. Then, rather than back down, the man removed his hat—a more sober gesture than I’d ever seen him make before—and finally his gun belts.
In front of the hundred or so remaining villagers, and our party, Alysand broke into a fevered jig. It was not a joke, not light and breezy and jaunty like the ones I’d seen online, but a foot-pounding display that brought sweat to his brow. Partway through, he began dipping to the ground, followed by more devastating stomps, and then whirling as he did so. The people of Benham fell into a rhythmic clap that pulled him along move by move.
When he finished, the gentleman bowed and flashed a bright smile at Madi’s shocked expression.
After the night began to die down, we headed back with Garren and found places before his hearth. A few of the kids bounced around in their fatigue, vying for his attention. He gave them everything he had, and as he tossed one of his girls up in the air, sending her arms and legs shooting outward like a plane, I thought of my father. He’d been this kind of a dad. He’d been there with us, at least until my mother passed.
The memories didn’t send me toppling like they once would have, but instead just brought me back to earth. I had a debt to pay, a rental fee to renew, and hopefully enough money to get it all done with. I had no family to speak of, but when I looked around at those that surrounded me, I sighed deeply, letting go of some of the pain. My new family was right here. Only one was a fleshy human in the real world, but Pachi, and even Alysand, had become dear to me.
As if reminding me of another significant connection in this world, someone knocked on the door. Garren answered, allowing Tumsley to saunter in. The man was carrying a large sack over one shoulder and he was panting. “Thanks for your hospitality. I need to speak with the adventurers and with Alysand, too.”
“What is it, Tumsley?” Alysand said, a look of concern on his features.
Tumsley set down the sack and held up his hands. “Nothing foul. I promise. But I have something for the three of you. For everyone here in fact, if all are willing.” Opening the sack, Tumsley revealed a massive lump of smoked flesh. It was the dark brown of seared steak and looked sinewy.
“What the hell is that?” Madi asked, her face clearly showing disgust.
Tumsley gestured to the meat with a lopsided grin. “That is Marduk’s heart. Properly prepared, the heart of a god, or a world boss as some adventurers call them, provides as much experience as the actual kill. Y’all need to eat as much of this as you can stomach, regardless of how much you ate tonight.”
Even though none of us felt exactly
