Rise of the Living Forge - Chapters 183-184 (Patreon)

Arwin and the rest of the Menagerie made it back to their street without incident. But, when they drew up to the door of the Devil’s Den, there was someone waiting for them.

Madiv stood by the door leaning against the wall. There was a canvas bag at his feet. He spotted them coming and pushed himself upright, adjusting his suit and smoothing out his hair. Arwin was pretty sure that was something that generally should have been done before anyone saw the merchant and not after, but it was probably the least of the vampire’s worries.

“You have been missing for some time,” Madiv said as they drew to a stop before him. “I have acquired the Ivorin that you requested I retrieve.”

“That’s perfect timing, actually,” Arwin said. He ran a hand along his armor, feeling the grooves running through it. He needed more Ivorin to patch it up, not to mention make his gauntlets and boots.

There was also the matter of making some suits of armor to sell the following day, but he had to balance innovation with creation. It was a little awkward to be a smith that didn’t even know how to make a full set of armor.

Madiv pulled a bar of metal out of his bag and held it out so that Arwin could take a look. It definitely looked like Ivorin. If Arwin was honest with himself, he was slightly surprised. He’d fully expected the merchant to show up with a bag of rocks.

“This is… actually Ivorin,” Arwin said, taking a moment to listen to the metal’s desires before speaking. “Where did you get this?”

“Is that of any concern?” Madiv asked, tilting his head to the side. “My sources are my own. I acquired it, did I not?”

“I suppose you did,” Arwin said. “Forty gold per bar, was it? How many did you get?”

“Ten.”

Wasn’t Ivorin meant to be painfully rare? How’d he get so much of it in such a short period of time? As incompetent as this guy is, he gets the job done.

“Huh,” Arwin said. “Well, let’s go inside. I’ll get four hundred gold for you. I have to say that I’m pretty impressed.”

“Why?” Madiv asked. “Did you doubt my abilities? I serve—”

He let out a strangled grunt as Lillia stepped past him, elbowing him in the stomach as she unlocked the door to the Devil’s Den. She sent him an exaggerated look of shock.

“Sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

“Apologies,” Madiv said through a wheeze. “I will endeavor to wear bright colors so that my Q—”

Lillia turned back toward the door, elbowing him again in the process and turning the rest of his sentence into a whoosh of air from his lips. He quickly straightened and adjusted his clothes, opening his mouth.

“Think for a moment,” Arwin said, clapping Madiv on the shoulder. The vampire flinched — not in pain, but in annoyance at the contact. They held each other’s gaze for a moment before Arwin nodded to Lillia and lowered his voice. “I believe Lillia gave you an order the last time we met, didn’t she?”

Madiv’s lips pressed thin and, after a second, a flicker of realization passed through his pale features. “Ah. The name. I had thought My — ah, Lillian had decided to express her gratitude through physical violence.”

Olive suppressed a laugh, but Reya wasn’t quite as successful. She let out a snicker before quickly covering her mouth with a hand.  

Arwin’s eye twitched. “Has she ever chosen to do that before?”

“As far as my humble knowledge extends, no. But the air is ripe with change. Anything is possible.”

“You’re going to have to keep that attitude if you want a fart’s chance in a hurricane of getting a single other customer,” Arwin muttered. He shook his head and gestured for Madiv to follow him. “Come on. Come inside so we can properly introduce you to the rest of the guild.”

Everyone headed into the Devil’s Den and gathered in the common room. Arwin made a quick detour to Lillia’s room to find the area where he’d stored all their gold, then liberated 400 of it from the pile and brought it back to Madiv.

He took the Ivorin out of its bag and dumped the gold in its place before handing the considerably lightened tarp back to the vampire merchant.

“Right. Everyone, for those of you that haven’t guessed, this is Madiv,” Arwin said. “He’s an old friend of Lillia’s and, as you saw, happens to be a merchant.”

“I knew it,” Reya said through a groan. “Seriously? This is why the Ardent guild is pissed at us?”

“Hey, he did show up with a bunch of metal,” Rodrick pointed out. “I don’t know shit about the guy, but he’s effective. No need to judge too harshly yet.”

No, I’m pretty sure Reya is right.

“I do want to know just why the Ardent guild hates you so much,” Arwin said, casting a look back at Madiv. “You’ve somehow managed to cause problems for us already. I don’t suppose you’ve got a good reason for that?”

“I am unaware of any such guild.”

“You pissed them off without even knowing who they are?” Anna raised an eyebrow. “That’s actually impressive.”

“I am unaware of any guilds in this backwater city,” Madiv said. “They have not garnered my interest to a degree that would motivate me to seek out more information as to their names.”

“The guild with the golden sword on the red badge,” Arwin said, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “A merchant guild.”

A flicker of recognition passed through Madiv’s features. Lines of distaste creased his brow. “Ah. Yes. I am aware of this guild.”

“So what did you do?” Lillia asked, leaning against the doorframe that led into the kitchen. “Steal their customers?”

“No. I had an altercation with a warrior bearing their crest. He seemed to believe that he was entitled to a kill that he did not earn. I rectified his misunderstanding.”

“You killed him?” Reya asked, her eyes going wide. “And people know?”

“I did not kill him. I am not an animal.” Madiv let out a derisive scoff. “It was only his first offense. I shattered the bones of his arms and hung him by his wrists from a tree.”

What the hell kind of merchant class do you have if you’re beating the life out of a warrior? Actually, I’m not sure if I should be surprised. The Mesh doesn’t seem to mind letting people stick onto some abilities from previous classes when they change, and he’s still a Vampire. I’d imagine there are some benefits that come with being a monster.

“You know what? I think I know why they stuck anyone that works with you on a blacklist,” Olive said. She blew out a breath and glanced at Arwin. “Not to be impatient, but I’d really like to hear what it was that you’ve been holding off on telling me. We’re out of the dungeon now. We also need to figure out who gets the bracer thing I found in the dungeon.”

Olive patted her bag, but she didn’t take the bracer out from it, clearly not wanting to reveal that they had a magical item in front of someone that they didn’t know.

“That’s a fair request,” Arwin said. “We’ve got a lot ahead of us in the next few days, so no point wasting time. Reya, are you still willing to help Madiv out?”

“Yeah, if you want me to.”

Madiv sent Reya an incredulous look. “This is the master salesman?”

“You got a problem with me?” Reya asked, her eyes narrowing.

“Where is your suit?” Madiv demanded. “Your livelry! How do your customers know of your competence when you dress like a mere adventurer?”

That clearly hadn’t been the objection that Reya had been expecting Madiv to make. She blinked, then let out a snort. “Your suit doesn’t make you look like a good merchant. It makes you look like you’re going to try to sell me a shitty rug.”

Madiv looked down at his suit. Then he looked back up at Reya. “I see. The solution is to wear women’s armor to demonstrate your wiles while proving that you are capable of protecting your goods.”

“Oh boy,” Reya said. “This might take a bit. Come on.”

She stepped out of the tavern and Madiv followed after her. The rest of the Menagerie watched them leave without a word.

“That can only end well,” Rodrick said.

 “At least he seems willing to learn,” Anna said diplomatically. “I think Reya will be a good teacher. It’ll be a good experience for her to actually be the one that knows what’s going on for once.”

Arwin nodded, but his thoughts were already elsewhere. They’d kept Olive waiting for long enough. She’d proven her worth, both to the guild and as a person. There wasn’t any excuse to keep her in the dark any more.

A tendril of shadow curled out from the corner of the tavern and snagged a chair, bringing it over to Olive. She glanced at it in surprise.

“What’s this for?”

“You might want to sit down,” Arwin said. “You wanted to hear about who I am, didn’t you?”

Olive sat down without another word. Her gaze danced across the room, picking up on the shift in mood quickly. “Yeah. Why does it feel like I’m attending a funeral?”

A small, bitter laugh escaped Arwin before he could stop it. “That’s a surprisingly astute observation, as I’m supposed to be dead. Do you recall hearing about the final fight between the Hero and the Demon Queen, the one that ended with a massive explosion?”

“Yeah,” Olive replied, her brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to piece together what Arwin was talking about. “Did you desert the Guild during the final battle or something?”

 “More like they deserted me.” Arwin couldn’t keep the note of bitterness from his voice. “I was at the center of that explosion, together with the Demon Queen.”

The befuddlement on Olive’s features only grew stronger. “What? You managed to survive a blast like that? Are you really not lying about your Tier? There’s no way the Hero and the Demon Queen would both get killed while a random smith wouldn’t.”

“You’re right. They didn’t die,” Arwin said. As always, finding the right words to actually explain what had happened was a thousand times harder than thinking them, but there was nothing to do but push forward.  “I lived. I haven’t always been a blacksmith, Olive.”

He could see the moment Olive put his words together as clear as day. Her brow lifted as she drew in a small breath, her lips parting as her gaze focused. Olive flew from her chair, knocking it to the floor behind her in the process. “Nine Underlands. You’re the fucking Hero? You lying son of a bitch. You said you—”

“I was,” Arwin barked, cutting Olive off. “I’m not the Hero anymore. My class and Tier were both taken in the explosion. I’m nothing but Apprentice 6 now. I swear to you that I have never put anything less than my complete effort into everything we’ve done.

The wind left Olive’s sails, but the shock remained within her eyes. “Why? And how do I know you’re telling the truth about this?”

“Because I wasn’t the only one that survived that explosion,” Arwin said. He looked to Lillia and Olive’s eyes went wide.

“Fuck,” Olive said. “I knew that wasn’t makeup. Nobody likes demons so much that they dress up like that every single day. Why did I even believe it?”

“Because it’s a lot easier to believe than the alternative,” Rodrick said.

Olive let out a bark of laughter. “What, easier to believe that the Hero and the Demon Queen retired to a shithole town and started dating? Was the war even real? How much of what I know is bullshit?”

“With regard to the guild? Probably most of it,” Arwin said. He blew out a heavy sigh. “I know this is overwhelming. There’s a reason we didn’t mention it mid-dungeon. If you give us the time, we’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

Lillia’s shadows slipped out and righted Olive’s chair. The one-armed warrior looked from her to Arwin suspiciously.

“What about them?” Olive asked, nodding to Rodrick and Anna. “Guards or something?”

“No. We’re just adventurers. Ones with our own story, but nothing directly related to theirs,” Anna said. “We heard what you’re about to. For what it’s worth, I think you’ve met who they really are. Whatever their pasts may have been, the Arwin and Lillia you know now are the real ones.”

Olive’s hand unclenched and she lowered herself back into the chair, her eyes boring into Arwin’s.

“Okay. Tell me the rest of it.”

Chapter 184

Arwin did as he’d promised. He told Olive about the gemstone and the Adventurer Guild’s betrayal, not just of him, but of the entirety of the Kingdom of Lian. He told her of how he’d woken up beside Milten with his new class, and about how he’d met Reya. He told her about the way he’d come to learn that Lillia wasn’t the monster he’d thought her to be and he told her about Zeke. By the time he’d finished speaking, nearly thirty minutes had passed.

Olive hadn’t said a word the entire time. She stared at him, silently working to process everything he said. Even if she hadn’t been close to the Adventurer’s Guild, they were meant to be the saviors and protectors of the kingdom, not its slavers. Even after Arwin fell silent, his story finished, Olive said nothing for nearly a minute.

Finally, she gathered her words.

“The new Hero and Demon Queen. They’re… what, puppets? Just like you were?” Olive asked.

“I don’t know,” Arwin replied. “It’s possible. The fact of the matter is that I’m not strong enough to find out. None of us are. No matter how much I want to save everyone, I’ve realized that I need to focus on saving the people I can.”

The look Olive sent him made it clear she knew he’d learned that sentiment through experience. She gathered herself again, then shook her head.

“It’s hard to see you as the Hero… but at the same time, it kind of fits. I can’t say why, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.” Olive caught herself, then frowned. “No. Makes sense isn’t the right word. None of this shit makes sense… but I think I understand. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot for a planet that isn’t even yours.”

“It’s mine now,” Arwin said with a small laugh. “I remember so little of Earth that I don’t think it’s anything more than what once was. I’ve lived almost all of my life in Lian.”

“What will you do, then?” Olive asked. She gestured vaguely around them. “Is this whole guild the beginnings of your way to destroy the Adventurer’s Guild?”

“I don’t know,” Arwin admitted honestly. “I would love to carve the corruption out of them. But right now… even thinking about that would be a great way to get all of us killed. My first priority is us. I have a responsibility to every single person in this guild. Their safety is more important than my desires for revenge.”

“Noble,” Olive said.

“Experienced,” Arwin corrected grimly. “I won’t lose more friends. That said, I understand if you don’t want anything to do with this. It’s a lot more than you signed up for. Granted, I do expect your silence. I trust we’ve earned that.”

Olive studied his face before a faint flicker of a smile pulled across her lips and she pushed herself out of her chair. “I’m not leaving. Don’t think I could, even if I wanted to. And I definitely won’t be telling anyone what you just shared. I do think I need a little time to process this, though. It’s a lot.”

“That’s understandable,” Arwin said. “I’ve told you everything, but you can ask me anything you want.”

“Me too,” Lillia said. “I know I’m a demon, but the guild’s lies made us and humans seem far more different than we actually are. I lost just as many friends as Arwin did.”

“It’s difficult to accept, but I believe you,” Olive said. Her lips turned down. “And I wish I didn’t. I’ve always thought of myself as fighting for a good reason. Killing to protect. Am I just a murderer?”

“Not every monster is intelligent. You would have known if you killed something that was more than a mere monster,” Lillia said.

“That’s good to hear.” Olive blew out a breath and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks. I’m just going to go for a quick walk. I’ll be back soon once I’ve had a moment to really think through more of this, and I’ll probably have more questions.”

“We’ll be here,” Lillia said. She sent a sidelong glance at Arwin, then amended herself. “Well, I will. I’ll be in the kitchen. Arwin, I suspect, will probably be forging.”

“Probably,” Arwin said.

A small smile passed over Olive’s lips and she exhaled through her nose. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you were able to get a class that actually fit you instead of the one you were forced to take. I have to say it’s a little ironic that you’ve gone back to doing the exact thing you wanted to escape so badly from.”

“I haven’t,” Arwin said with a shake of his head. “Before, I fought for a cause. Now I fight for people.”

Olive nodded slowly. Then she pulled the tavern door open and stepped outside, closing it behind her.

“That went pretty well,” Rodrick said, breaking the silence before it could begin to take root once more. “You’re getting good at this.”

Arwin let out a snort. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.”

 “It is,” Anna said. “You can’t tell everyone, but the Menagerie is going to keep growing as time goes by. Some of the people that join us are probably going to end up getting close enough that we need to bring them into the loop as well. Practice never goes awry.”

“True enough,” Arwin allowed. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned, then shook himself off. Time was passing by, and he got the strong feeling that there were about to be a whole lot of people showing up at their street tomorrow after their clear of the dungeon. “I’m going to go make sure Lillia isn’t a liar. Need to get some suits of armor done — and maybe some gauntlets as well.”

“Don’t let us keep you,” Rodrick said. “I’m going to go wander around town and see what information I can pick up about how things are going after our little display. It’ll be good to hear if the Ardent guild actually managed to turn anyone against us or if their blacklist is pretty much just limited to them.”

“Sounds good to me,” Arwin said before turning to Lillia. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to hold off on getting the giant lizard monster from the Mesh for a bit longer. I need to focus on getting the stuff for tomorrow made, and dismantling a giant monster will take a while.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got more than enough Wyrm meat in the ice box,” Lillia said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll prepare that for tomorrow. It’s a good thing that I’ve only got three available rooms. If a bunch of people come, too many new ones staying overnight could end up doing a lot of damage to my satisfaction rating.”

“We’ll just kick out anyone that acts like a prick,” Arwin said. “Don’t worry.”

Something passed over Lillia’s face and her lips parted as if to say something, but she shook her head before it could emerge. “Sounds good. Don’t stay out too late.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Lillia raised a hand in farewell before heading into the kitchen to get her work started. Arwin scooped up the metal bars and headed out toward his smithy. Rodrick followed him, turning down the street to head toward the center of town.

There was a lot of work to get done before the next day arrived.

***

“I will rip your flesh apart like stripping the skin from a stalk of corn, then—”

“No,” Reya said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “That’s definitely not going to do it.”

  “I was not finished.” Madiv frowned at her. “How can you know my strategy was ineffective if I could not complete it?”

“Let’s just call it an inkling, but just for the sake of it, sure. Finish.”

“After ripping you apart, I will give each of your body parts a burial worth more than the combined wealth of your remaining kin.”

“Okay, that’s a great insult, but how in the Nine Underlands did you expect it to help you sell anything?” Reya demanded. “I told you to give me a good pitch!”

They sat on the top of a building overlooking a shaded alleyway, where they’d been for the past ten minutes.

Arwin has to be playing a prank on me. There’s absolutely no way this idiot is a merchant. I’d say it’s a miracle he hasn’t pissed off someone important and gotten himself killed, but he seems to be in the process of doing that.

“That was a pitch,” Madiv said. A flicker of anger passed through his haughty features, mixed with more than a little frustration. “I do not understand what is wrong with it.”

“You’re serious?”

“I am always serious.”

“Then you’re an idiot,” Reya said. “Why would anyone buy from you after that?”

“Their fear of my power and appreciation for my magnanimousity.” Madiv squinted at Reya. “Are humans truly this stupid? It is clear.”

“It might have been clear to monsters or whatever, but there’s absolutely no way anyone will ever take you up with that approach. First off, you need to be respectful. Second, scrap the threat bullshit. Nobody will think you’re actually going to kill them if they don’t buy from you.”

“If I do that, then why would anyone purchase from me? They have no motivation.”

“Well two ways. Either you’ve got something they want or you convince them politely. It’s called being persuasive.”

“Was that not what I did? Was my tone too aggressive?”

“It wasn’t your tone. It was your words. Look. We’re going to act this out.” Reya pulled out a plain dagger and held it so Madiv could see it. “Pretend you’re a normal man that’s in the market for a dagger.”

Madiv nodded. “I want your dagger. Give it to me.”

Reya flashed him a welcoming smile. “I’d love to try and help you get something, sir. What kind of dagger are you looking for?”

“Yours.”

“I — okay. Pretend you’re looking for a dagger in general,” Reya said irritably, dropping her smile.

Madiv nodded his understanding. “I am searching for a dagger that may not be yours.”

Close enough.

“Well, I can assure you that you won’t get a better price anywhere else. At the Infernal Armory, we guarantee that you’ll be satisfied,” Reya said. She stepped closer to Madiv and spun the dagger around, a soft smile on her features as she held the weapon out to him. “Please, give it a try. See how it feels in your hand.”

Madiv frowned and took the dagger from her. Her eyes flicked to the coin pouch at his side and it took everything she had to suppress old instincts.

This is normally where I’d rob you blind. I might not be qualified for this job. I’m not a merchant. I’m a thief. Fortunately, I guess the two are kind of the same thing.

“This is a dagger,” Madiv allowed. He held it back to Reya, but she caught his hand and wrapped his fingers around it.

“Two gold.” Reya beamed. “Maybe you’d like to try it out on something first?”

Madiv blinked and nodded. “I — very well. That would be permissible.”

Reya released his hand and plucked the dagger from it, her fake smile falling away as she arched an eyebrow. “See? I’m not saying I’m a master at this, but no threats. Just… get them to talk to you.”

Not sure if that’s even possible with how stiff this dude is. He’s like a walking plank of wood with the personality of a stuffy nobleman.

“Fascinating,” Madiv said, his brow creasing in concentration. “You are seducing your target.”

Reya sighed. “No. I mean, I guess it’s not all that different. You want them to like you. The more someone likes you, the more likely they’ll be willing to buy something. But that’s probably a step farther than we should be going right now. Figure out how to talk to someone like a normal human. Then we can get more advanced.”

“I understand. I understand why you are in the Dem—” Madiv cut himself off and sent Reya a sharp look. She sighed.

“I know who Lillia is.”

Madiv blew out a relieved breath. “Good. I see now why you are in her retinue. You are a skilled temptress. I will endeavor to reach your heights.”

Did literally nothing I say actually pass into this stiff idiot’s head? At least he’s being respectful now.

“I — great. I’m sure you will,” Reya said.

“May I try again?”

“Go ahead,” Reya said. She tossed Madiv her dagger and he caught it from the air. “Sell me the dagger. Pretend we’re inside the Infernal Armory and you’re a merchant for it. That’s Arwin’s smithy, by the way.”

Madiv nodded. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. His features stilled and his back straightened. For several seconds, the vampire didn’t budge.

Then he blurred. Reya flinched back as she lost track of Madiv for an instant. He arrived before her and dropped into a deep bow, fairing one hand out behind him.

“Forgive my intrusion, miss,” Madiv said, his voice sultry as he lifted his head just enough to look up at her. “May I offer you my services? A hand such as yours should be graced only by a weapon that pays homage to your great beauty as it spills the blood of those who stand beneath you.”

He rose, taking Reya’s hand before she could even fully process anything, and slipped the hilt of the dagger into it. Reya stumbled as she felt several brisk pushes in rapid succession. They somehow managed to adjust her position so that she found herself in a fighting stance with dagger held before her.

 Madiv stood before Reya once more as if he’d never moved. The corner of his mouth curled up in approval and he nodded thoughtfully. “You look marvelous, my lady. A perfect weapon for your stature if I have ever seen one. It will only look better when stained red.”

Godspit. That… well, I don’t swing that way and he’s still a bit too sleazy, but someone would definitely go for that if we polished it up. Even the threats almost felt in character. Like a creepy, hot, murderous butler.

“You know what?” Reya asked, tilting her head to the side. “You might not be a lost cause after all. Let’s give this another shot.”