23 - Weapon Wielding Warrior (Patreon)

Paul wasn’t surprised to find that Phoenix had slept for the rest of the evening, through the night, and well into the next day before he woke her up with a gentle nudge. Once he saw she was awake, he left the room to await her in the small dining area and started pulling plates of food out of the dimensional storage basket he had brought along. He chuckled when she almost squealed in delight once she noticed he had bought them some actual food to eat and she eagerly sat across from him to devour the meal.

They talked a bit about what had happened while they were apart yesterday as they enjoyed the spread of breakfast food. Which was mostly Phoenix explaining everything that had happened between her and the three deities in much more detail than just the quest log.

“Did it change?” Paul asked once Phoenix paused speaking to take another bite of eggs. At her questioning look he gestured to her sternum, “The Soul Mark.”

“Oh,” she said after swallowing her food. The Wayfarer pulled the collar of her shirt down far enough to display it. The mark had gained more details; adding an open book inside the bottom half of the star with a dagger, that looked very much like her [Nyx, Dagger of Darkness], floating above it with the tip pointed down towards the pages. On the left page of the book was what appeared to be a nautical compass.

The ex-paladin nodded, “As I suspected, they added their own marks of favor to it,” then took another bite of his own food.

“So…” Phoenix started hesitantly, “What did you do after completing your mission at the Alliance of Adventurers? Did you get a new one? Do you also have a room in this dormitory for the blood moon? Or…” she paused, seemingly worried about the answer, “Or are you going to be leaving?”

The question hung in the air for a long moment as Paul finished chewing and asked, “Do you want me to leave?”

“No!” Phoenix said hastily before flushing in apparent embarrassment and saying in a calmer voice, “Sorry… No. I would prefer if you would stay and keep training me, if that’s possible. Warrior said you would be a suitable trainer.”

Paul paused and sat back contemplatively at that, “Did he now?” he asked, not expecting any deity to want a Fallen Paladin anywhere near one of their Favored.

She nodded, “Yes. He said I could go to the temple for guidance if I needed to but that I could keep training with you,” the Wayfarer hesitated again, seeming nervous, but went ahead and asked, “So… will you stay with me?”

The Adventurer simply nodded briefly and continued eating his meal, adding a bit more to the conversation between bites, “I will be here in Tulimeir until the blood moon is over. I have duties here that require my presence in particular and I am one of the few Emerald Casters that will be defending the city.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask…” once more she hesitated until Paul gestured for her to continue, “You don’t have to answer me, obviously, but the priest earlier… He called you ‘Lord Wayland’...”

Paul gave a huff of annoyance, unsure if she had caught that little detail from the day before, “Yes. I’m a member of one of the noble houses of Tulim. That is part of my other duties and why I’m even here in the city right now.”

“You, um… you don’t seem happy about that…” it wasn’t exactly a question but he recognized that she was seeking answers that he had been withholding thus far. He sighed a bit but looked at her, assessing just how much he wanted to let her into his life.

The former paladin knew that he would need to explain things eventually, especially since he was claiming her as his Protégé, and she needed to know what all that would entail but it meant that he wasn’t lying when he said he would continue training her. She didn’t need to know all the details right away.

“I’ve been away from my house for a long time,” he began, tailoring his response to be understandable but not reveal more than he felt comfortable. He knew she would inevitably find out more about him by just being here in the city but he didn’t want to burden her with more information than she was ready to handle. If he was honest with himself, he also didn’t want her to leave because his politics scared her off.

That internal revelation surprised him. He had always been more of a solitary person by nature but overall he had enjoyed her companionship over the last few weeks. She didn’t mind the silence that he enjoyed. She was curious but respectful of boundaries and, though he could sense her desire for answers, she had never really pushed him to reveal more. He had grown hesitant to explain some of the more relevant things about him that might cause her to shun him the way everyone else had.

“I haven’t been on the best of terms with my family and recent events made my relationship with the other members of my house… tenuous,” he continued. “However, about four months ago my father died and the family requested my return.”

“I’m sorry,” Phoenix said instantly, shame and sorrow washing over her aura, “Losing a parent can be… difficult. I didn’t mean to bring up grief.”

Paul shook his head, “It was his time. He may have been Emerald but he lived to be 568, which is beyond average for his Caste.”

Phoenix gawked at him and blurted out, “What’s the average?!”

“About 500, so he beat it by a bit,” he said with a slight smile. He had briefly touched on age before but he wasn’t sure Phoenix was quite ready for the “centuries” talk.

‘This one agrees,’ the familiar voice piped up, responding to his inner thoughts, ‘Little Miss is much too young to confirm the existence of immortal Obsidian Casters, so this one would avoid that if Wayland can.’

The Wayfarer decided for him though when she asked, “What's the average for the other Castes?”

Not wanting to lie, he explained, “It varies a little between species but Crystals can usually reach 125, Sapphires 250, then Rubies are estimated to last a millennium but I believe the current oldest living Ruby is around 700.”

“You said you’re already 64 and also Emerald Caste. Were you the baby of the family?”

He chuckled, “The oldest actually. My father was stubborn about settling down and only had children once he inherited the position of family Head.”

“Are you going to live to be five centuries old?” she asked incredulously.

“Many Adventurers don’t see that many years,” he admitted softly, “It’s a dangerous line of work.” At her sorrowful expression he offered a reassuring smile, “I don’t plan on taking too many risks any time soon though. We’ll ride out this blood moon in this low Caste biome and stay relatively safe. I’m more powerful than anything that will spawn on the tundra.”

Phoenix nodded then inquired hesitantly, “How did he die? You have healing magic here.”

Paul nodded and expounded, “Ruby Casters and below still grow old and eventually the healing magic just stops healing. The body expires and the soul moves on. He went peacefully, though. I heard the memorial was nice.”

“Why did the family have you return if not for the memorial?” she asked with confusion.

He grimaced, realizing his own slip a bit too late and decided he might as well divulge further, and said with a sigh, “To take over the house. That is why I was addressed as ‘Lord’ instead of ‘Noble’. With my father’s passing, I am now the Head of House Wayland.”

Silence fell once more as Phoenix processed and Paul waited to observe her reaction. “Thank you for telling me,” she paused again then offered, “I… I just want to make clear that I'm trying to trust you, Paul. You’ve saved my life more times than I can count by now and you’ve not only been protecting me but teaching me how to protect myself. I appreciate any trust you give in return but I don’t expect it and I’ll do my best to not betray it.”

He nodded to her, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the admission but met her respect with his own, “Thank you for not pushing and you don’t need to concern yourself with my affairs. I have agreed to continue training you when I am able. If I am no longer able to, I will make that clear.

“While we’re being a bit more… trusting though,” he continued after another moment of deliberation, “You should probably just be aware that while I was filling out the paperwork you needed to join the AOA, I officially recognized you as my Protégé.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m your Mentor and have vouched for you. I’ll be kept in the loop of your activities within the AOA and have some say in certain situations, like turning down or accepting missions on your behalf, and filling out the paperwork we need to get you signed up for the trials,” he explained carefully.

“That sounds like a lot of control you’ll have to make decisions for me,” she said dubiously.

He gave a slight nod in acquiescence, “It may seem like it at first but you can always denounce my recognition.”

“So what’s the benefit, aside from not having to deal with the paperwork myself?”

“Protection, advancement, and opportunities,” he stated succinctly.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not uncommon for new Adventurers to have a Mentor. Somebody who helps guide them through the system until they’re seasoned enough to handle themselves. Especially in the higher Caste zones. You gain protection in that I can accompany you on lower Caste missions and you will likely be shielded from any kind of hazing behavior since they’ll be risking upsetting me.

“Advancement, in the fact that I can accept higher Caste missions on your behalf. This can help demonstrate your capabilities might be beyond what the current expectation is and open doors to other, more lucrative or specialized, missions for you.

“Which goes hand in hand with the opportunity to stand out as an exceptional Adventurer and gain even more chances to push yourself forward or gain access to more resources that will support your career as an Adventurer.”

The paladin fell silent once more, letting her absorb the information, and after some consideration he added, “I will also not betray your trust. I know you have revealed many of your secrets to me and I have kept them and will continue to do so. My hope is that, by doing all this, it will further protect those secrets and buy you more time to grow stronger.”

Phoenix smiled softly, “Thank you, Paul.”

The corners of his mouth twitched and he returned her smile, “Thank you, Phoenix.”

Her smile grew brighter and they fell back into comfortable silence as they finished their meal.

Phoenix had a lot to process while they ate breakfast at what must have already been lunchtime. She was grateful for the honest conversation, however, and hoped it meant that she finally had an ally she might be able to depend on in this overwhelming world.

Once their meal was done, they resumed their seats from the evening before on the couch and Phoenix pulled out the stack of martial knowledge tomes that Warrior had given her and showed them to Paul while placing the first one on her guide book.

Item: Weapon Wielding Warrior, the Six Sacred Stances: Silent Stealth 1

A magical tome detailing the foundational techniques of the Weapon Wielding Warrior encompassing movement and dagger forms.

Caste: Crystal.

Availability: Legendary.

Type: Consumable, Knowledge Tome.

Requirements: Use of the Absorption Ritual.

Effect: Imparts Crystal Caste techniques of the Silent Stealth Sacred Stance.

“This should be useful since all I use is a dagger at the moment,” Phoenix commented then looked up at her mentor, “Ready to make sure I don’t faint?” He nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder. She opened the book and read, “The Silent Stealth Techniques will silence your steps, smooth your movements, and enhance your dagger strikes with deadly precision.”

She grit her teeth again as she absorbed the knowledge that would make her more rogue-like and was glad that she didn’t feel as exhausted as she had the day before. Getting altered with even a tiny wisp of their power had taken a lot out of her. She guessed that the only reason she likely wasn’t still trying to sleep it off was because the latest changes were more tweaking the original design already put in place. Or perhaps she was just gaining a bit of tolerance to the effects.

When the magic lettering completely disappeared into her, the Wayfarer noticed immediately how poor her posture was and just how inefficient her movements were and almost subconsciously adjusted it. She hadn’t realized just how important those slight changes were in how she would fight until the book had informed her otherwise.

Phoenix held off on taking a stamina potion and opened the next tome, “The Powerful Piercing Techniques will enhance the agility of your spear thrusts and power of your double-edged sword strikes.”

Her mind filled with brand new concepts on how to fight enemies with a much longer weapon and understanding of the differences in her shallower dagger slashes and punctures compared to the devastation a spear could inflict through a body.

She rested for only a moment before reassuring Paul, “I think I can do one more, then I’ll need the potion.”

“You don’t need to push yourself,” he pointed out then added, “Normally, I wouldn’t recommend using so many knowledge tomes in such a short amount of time. It’s usually better to wait between uses so the information has time to settle properly and not become a jumbled mess.”

“Should I stop then? Why didn’t you say anything last night?” she whined slightly.

He gave her a slight smirk, “I’m not sure you would have listened. You seemed a bit… out of sorts.”

She rolled her eyes but he continued, “But I think these will be okay because they were designed as a set. They were meant to be absorbed in quick succession so that the information will build upon one another when settling.”

Phoenix nodded in understanding and picked up the third tome, “The Swift Slashing Techniques will enhance the speed of your single-edged sword slashes and the accuracy of your chain strikes.”

The Wayfarer was panting now and Paul silently passed her the slightly glowing and bitter green potion. The relief from the magic was instantaneous and she paused to marvel once more at the magical effects, like she had just awoken again from a restful sleep.

Three down and three more to go so she didn’t waste time as she read aloud, “The Controlled Cleaving Techniques will enhance the control of your axe strikes and strength of your greatsword cleaves.”

Phoenix shuddered at the mental images her imagination was conjuring up of decapitation and severed limbs. These were brutal techniques that most enemies would never walk away from should they hit their target.

“The Blunt Bashing Techniques will enhance the might of your mace pummels, the drive of your staff craft, and the tenacity of your shield bashes,” she repeated and was surprised that shields were being included as a weapon. She had never known whether to categorize them as offensive weapons or defensive armor, since they would sometimes behave as both, but she was happy with their inclusion as the maneuvers filled her mind.

The redhead took a deep steadying breath as she held up the final tome. “Last one,” she said offhandedly then flipped open the cover and recited, “The Balanced Body Techniques will enhance the rigor of your hand-to-hand combat skill and imbues various meditation techniques that encompass the whole of the Weapon Wielding Warrior.”

Quest: Ways of the Warrior

Objective complete: Gained Warrior’s favor.

Objective complete: Used the six martial knowledge tomes.

[Gloves of Gripping] have been added to your collection.

Quest completed.

20 [Crystal Mana Bits] have been added to your collection.

Phoenix was exhausted once more from the marathon of tomes she had just powered her way through, and she gratefully accepted the second stamina potion Paul offered. Despite her mental fatigue, however,  she was itching to try out all the new techniques and maneuvers swimming around in her head. Before she would drag Paul to a nearby training area though, she was going to check out her newest reward.

She pulled out the pair of silky silver gloves.

Item: Gloves of Gripping

Gloves that increase your holding skills.

Caste: Crystal.

Availability: Rare.

Type: Apparel, gloves.

Requirements: Crystal Caste or higher.

Effects:

- The wearer cannot be disarmed through Mundane effects.

- For an ongoing low mana cost, the wearer can grip flat surfaces.

“Ooo, are these spidey gloves?” the Wayfarer asked, perking up at the idea of climbing up walls and crawling across the ceiling. She dismissed the latter idea though unless she got some matching shoes to go with… or made them with her new artificing skills. She almost jumped up to start the new project right away but Paul’s movements distracted her from the tangent goal.

Paul stood and, in a rare sign of affection that surprised her, he patted the top of her head as he said, “I have to attend to my duties now. Rest up, we’ll be meeting up with someone from the AOA to train this afternoon.”

He handed over a silver pile of cloth and added, “Wear that when I come to get you. Then tomorrow morning make your way to the AOA to finish signing any other papers and get your pass for the trials that should be ready for you.”

The Adventurer absently scratched his chin as he added, “Normally, I would have you train much longer but, with the blood moon imminent, the local branch has halted trials after this next one. However, I believe you’ll do fine, especially with these knowledge tomes giving you quite the boost in fighting skill.”

“How soon is the next trial?” she asked nervously.

“Five days. We’ll use that time to get you more comfortable with the new techniques and help solidify their teachings,” he reassured her then took his leave for the day.

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