He deposited the piece in Hana’s hand, bloody and small, and she held it there in shock. It was an oval-shaped piece of old steel, and when I inspected it, Alysand’s comments made sense.
Missing Component of the Katana Kotoba: Kashira (End Cap)
Quality: Legendary: +5 Vitality, -10% damage reduction.
Special Ability: Second Life
Second Life (Passive): When affixed to the Katana Kotoba, automatically restores 20% of total HP when HP is reduced to zero. Cooldown: 48 hours.
The thralls lifted Wyan’s body and those of his comrades and moved them out of the street. The woman in charge gave orders and someone dashed away to bring horses.
Alysand placed the pistols into his satchel, one at a time, and for the first time since we’d heard of his fallen love, he looked like a man with purpose. I sighed in silent relief. Few knew the look of despair that had begun to sink into the lines and structure of Alysand’s face. I did. You could not live life that way, not long at least.
I fought the urge to rub my wrists nervously. This was not my real body, but in some ways, it was more honest. I didn’t deserve those scars. After much despair, I’d chosen life, and it would seem that the old gunsinger had, too.
Hana stared at the piece of metal, wiping away the blood that clung to it. I patted her on the back. “As jealous as I am of that OP weapon you’ve got, I’m sure glad it isn’t mine. What a freaking mess.”
She looked up at me, chagrin in her eyes, and shook her head.
At least the girl knew when to be embarrassed. And as we turned to walk back to the lighthouse, I wondered how many lives we'd ruined by entering this world and using it like some twisted playground.
On our way back to Benham—which was as safe and boring as an afternoon rolling tamales with a handful of tias—Alysand told us more of Corbrae. A legend of a man, by all accounts, who in his youth had roused more fame and repute than Alysand himself. He even showed us his pistols. They were similar to Alysand’s, though shorter and thicker in the barrel.
When we arrived in Benham and approached the mayor’s home, Alysand was as cold and professional as an executioner. In a way, I supposed he was.
Sherman writhed, wracked with fear. Yet the man seemed oddly relieved to see us return unscathed. He was a creature of contradictions. A group of the thralls that had been converted joined us when we got to town, lending their voice to the mayor’s part in the plotting. Sherman didn’t put up a fight. He simply admitted that he had been turned by the Rat King.
“I’m sorry, Alysand. Not all men have iron in their teeth and steel in their spines as you do. When the Rat King’s minions came for me, I buckled,” he admitted, his sallow face filled with shame.
Alysand ordered him to be shackled and brought to justice in the capital. Instead, the man took matters in his own hands. In a burst of speed, Sherman pulled a knife from his desk drawer and charged at one of the thralls standing nearby. The woman ran him through with her own blade before she knew what happened. The gunsinger only nodded.
The burial was arranged afterward.
It was as we were preparing to head back to town, planning to drink a few ales in memory of the Sherman Hesperine who once was, when Judas contacted us with his speaking stone. His normal voice was stretched thin as he gave us each instructions. I was to head to Bridgerun, to recruit players to fight against the Rat King. Alysand was to train as many men and women as he could to bolster Benham’s defenses. With the armor and weapons we’d taken from the ratkin at the mines and in the ambush that followed, the gunsinger had plenty to work with.
Then Judas spoke to Hana. “You and Pachi must learn to fly. Find the Sirrushi wyverns and win them over to our cause. Without their strength, we may not stand a chance. Head south and up into the tallest peaks. Not even the rangers know the location of their home, but I trust you will find them.”
Skipping the drinks had been hard, but even Tejon looked antsy. We parted ways soon after, Alysand telling me I could make it to Bridgerun in three days if I rode most of the way. So I saddled my friend and leapt atop his back. Waving goodbye to my friends, I headed off alone on a ridiculous quest chain that seemed to have no end.
Part III
A War on Two Fronts
Relevant Progress of Madrigal Mendoza
Status: Cocky as hell. Insecure. Queen of contradictions.
Class: Berserker, Cabrona Real, Part-time Gimp
Items: Two massive axes… what else do you need?
To Do: Bond with a bear. Pick a few fights. Learn to love yourself.
1: “I’m not proud, but I am happy; and happiness blinds, I think, more than pride does.”
— Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie
MADI
When I’d first stepped into the sexy skin of my avatar, I thought that its massive hips were wide enough to straddle anything. Then I rode Tejón.
In the short time I’d known the fur ball, he’d more than tripled in size. After his hunt with Pachi on the day Alysand had shot down Embers, the bear had become simply enormous. Pachi told Hana that they had stumbled into a pack of high-level wolves. Not only had the two ripped the poor mutts apart, but they’d eaten enough to sate even their growing appetites.
So walking was a nice change. I let my legs kick out with each step, feeling the tendons and
